4:1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall a burn as an oven;
and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be
stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith
the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor
branch.
(a) He prophesies of God's judgments against the wicked, who
would not receive Christ, when God would send him for
the restoration of his Church.
4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the b Sun of
righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall
go c forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
(b) Meaning, Christ, who with his wings or beams of his
grace would enlighten and comfort his Church; (Eph 5:14).
And he is called the "Sun of righteousness", because in
himself he has all perfection, and also the justice of
the Father dwells in him: by which he regenerates us
to righteousness, cleanses us from the filth of this
world, and reforms us to the image of God.
(c) You will be set at liberty, and increase in the joy of
the Spirit; (2Co 3:17).
4:4d Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I
commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, [with] the
statutes and judgments.
(d) Because the time had come that the Jews would be
destitute of Prophets until the time of Christ, because
they should with more fervent minds desire his coming,
the Prophet exhorts them to exercise themselves
diligently in studying the Law of Moses in the meantime,
by which they might continue in the true religion, and
also be armed against all temptations.
4:5 Behold, I will send you e Elijah the prophet before the
coming of the great and f dreadful day of the LORD:
(e) This Christ interprets of John the Baptist, who both for
his zeal, and restoring or religion, is aptly compared
to Elijah; (Mt 11:13,14).
(f) Which as it is true for the wicked, so does it waken the
godly, and call them to repentance.
4:6 And he shall g turn the heart of the fathers to the
children, and the heart of the children to their fathers,
lest I come and h smite the earth with a curse.
(g) He shows in what John's office would consist: in the
turning of men to God, and uniting the father and
children in one voice of faith: so that the father will
turn to the religion of his son who is converted to
Christ, and the son will embrace the faith of the true
fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
(h) The second point of his office was to give notice of God's
judgment against those that would not receive Christ.
