Not only Mal 3:1 was fulfilled with the ministry of John the Baptist: “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me …,” but also the first part of Mal 4:5, namely: “And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children …” That is how the angel told it to his father, Zechariah: “… to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Lk 1:16:17). That is what it was about at the beginning in the ministry of John the Baptist, and it is also what it is about now in the final ministry: namely to prepare the way for the Lord and to make ready a people prepared for Him.

In the entire Old Testament, it talks about the fathers to whom God gave the promises of the Covenant (Rom 9:4-5). “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds …” (Heb 1:1-2). In Acts 13:32-33 we read: “And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again …” Whenever events take place that are of significance in the Plan of Salvation, the corresponding promises of God are fulfilled. In Mal 4:5 it is written: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord …”

The second part of verse 6, namely that “the hearts of the children of God are turned back again to the faith of the fathers,” is being fulfilled in our time. That is why our Lord confirmed the promise after the ministry of John the Baptist by saying, “Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.” (Mat 17:11). That is how it is also written in Mk 9:12. Today He would say unto us, “Elias has come; the prophet has brought the divine message, and the children of promise believe as the Scripture says and are being returned, in doctrine and in life, to the spiritually structured order of the early Church at the beginning.” This is the goal of the divine message: that in the believers of the Bible, in the Bride Church, all things are biblically put in order and restored.

All those who are part of the Bride Church recognize for what purpose the Word of prophecy, which does not allow any private interpretation, has been revealed to us in our time. It shines as a bright light in spiritual darkness (2 Pet 1:19-21).

Only what is truly written in the Bible is biblical and destined for the proclamation and hence for the faith of the elect. The Church is built upon the original foundation of the apostles and prophets (Eph 2:20). Therefore, the message is: Back to the Word; back to the beginning; back to the pure doctrine of the apostles; back to all of the experiences of salvation! In 2 Cor 6:14-18, serious words are addressed to the people of God: “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” The final message is connected to the calling-out and separation and to the direct restoration and preparation. First we must come out, then we can go in.

His promised Return is near at hand (Mat 24:33). Our Lord and Savior spoke about what would take place in the last period of time: “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” (Lk 21:28). And He also immediately gave the admonition: “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” (v. 36). We see the fulfillment of Bible prophecies with Israel, the nations, all around the world, and especially in the Church, and we can proclaim time and again: “Today this Scripture is fulfilled before our eyes!” This reminds us of His words: “But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them.” (Jn 16:4). Amen.

Now it is about the main thing, namely about the perfect union of the Bride and the Bridegroom. It does not benefit any believer to merely see the signs of the time – the biblical experiences of justification (Rom 5:9), of sanctification (1 Ths 5:23), of the baptism with the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:13), etc., must now become reality, just as in the days of the apostles. At the end, the perfect love of God, as it was manifested on the cross of Calvary through reconciliation and forgiveness, will also be manifested in all of the reconciled who have experienced their forgiveness, because “These things I command you, that ye love one another.” (Jn 15:17). When the true believers have become one heart and one soul, the early and latter rain will fall (Jas 5:7-11; Joel 2:23; Isa 44:3; Zec 10:1). Then the power of God will be manifested and, as with Job, who prayed for his friends who had accused him (42:10), a twofold restoration will take place of everything that God gave to the Church at the beginning.

Only perfect love is the bond of perfection. “And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness” (Col 3:14) – perfect love toward the Redeemer, toward the redeemed, toward every Word of God, and a true, living faith in every promise of God. When we have all been filled with the Holy Spirit as in Acts 2 and in the early Church, we can truly say that “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (Rom 5:5). A theoretical message that is interpreted in various ways does not profit anyone; only when everything has truly been restored into the divine order, the following applies: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (Rom 8:14).

When the Bridegroom actually returns, His “wake-up call” first goes forth to all the ones who are asleep in Christ, then all those who are alive in Christ will be changed, and together they will be taken up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. That is Thus saith the Lord in His holy and everlasting Word (1 Ths 4:13-18).

The Return of the Lord will be a reality, just as His ascension was reality (Acts 1:11b): “… this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” The resurrection of the dead in Christ will be reality (1 Cor 15:42-44). The changing of our bodies will be reality (1 Cor 15:54). The rapture will be reality (1 Ths 4:17). The marriage supper will be reality (Rev 19:7). Everything will be reality, including the Millennium (Rev 20) and ultimately the new Heaven and the new Earth (Rev 21). Maranatha. Come, Lord Jesus! “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” (Rev 22:20).

Not only Mal 3:1 was fulfilled with the ministry of John the Baptist: “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me …,” but also the first part of Mal 4:5, namely: “And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children …” That is how the angel told it to his father, Zechariah: “… to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Lk 1:16:17). That is what it was about at the beginning in the ministry of John the Baptist, and it is also what it is about now in the final ministry: namely to prepare the way for the Lord and to make ready a people prepared for Him.

In the entire Old Testament, it talks about the fathers to whom God gave the promises of the Covenant (Rom 9:4-5). “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds …” (Heb 1:1-2). In Acts 13:32-33 we read: “And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again …” Whenever events take place that are of significance in the Plan of Salvation, the corresponding promises of God are fulfilled. In Mal 4:5 it is written: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord …”

The second part of verse 6, namely that “the hearts of the children of God are turned back again to the faith of the fathers,” is being fulfilled in our time. That is why our Lord confirmed the promise after the ministry of John the Baptist by saying, “Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.” (Mat 17:11). That is how it is also written in Mk 9:12. Today He would say unto us, “Elias has come; the prophet has brought the divine message, and the children of promise believe as the Scripture says and are being returned, in doctrine and in life, to the spiritually structured order of the early Church at the beginning.” This is the goal of the divine message: that in the believers of the Bible, in the Bride Church, all things are biblically put in order and restored.

All those who are part of the Bride Church recognize for what purpose the Word of prophecy, which does not allow any private interpretation, has been revealed to us in our time. It shines as a bright light in spiritual darkness (2 Pet 1:19-21).

Only what is truly written in the Bible is biblical and destined for the proclamation and hence for the faith of the elect. The Church is built upon the original foundation of the apostles and prophets (Eph 2:20). Therefore, the message is: Back to the Word; back to the beginning; back to the pure doctrine of the apostles; back to all of the experiences of salvation! In 2 Cor 6:14-18, serious words are addressed to the people of God: “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” The final message is connected to the calling-out and separation and to the direct restoration and preparation. First we must come out, then we can go in.

His promised Return is near at hand (Mat 24:33). Our Lord and Savior spoke about what would take place in the last period of time: “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” (Lk 21:28). And He also immediately gave the admonition: “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” (v. 36). We see the fulfillment of Bible prophecies with Israel, the nations, all around the world, and especially in the Church, and we can proclaim time and again: “Today this Scripture is fulfilled before our eyes!” This reminds us of His words: “But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them.” (Jn 16:4). Amen.

Now it is about the main thing, namely about the perfect union of the Bride and the Bridegroom. It does not benefit any believer to merely see the signs of the time – the biblical experiences of justification (Rom 5:9), of sanctification (1 Ths 5:23), of the baptism with the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:13), etc., must now become reality, just as in the days of the apostles. At the end, the perfect love of God, as it was manifested on the cross of Calvary through reconciliation and forgiveness, will also be manifested in all of the reconciled who have experienced their forgiveness, because “These things I command you, that ye love one another.” (Jn 15:17). When the true believers have become one heart and one soul, the early and latter rain will fall (Jas 5:7-11; Joel 2:23; Isa 44:3; Zec 10:1). Then the power of God will be manifested and, as with Job, who prayed for his friends who had accused him (42:10), a twofold restoration will take place of everything that God gave to the Church at the beginning.

Only perfect love is the bond of perfection. “And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness” (Col 3:14) – perfect love toward the Redeemer, toward the redeemed, toward every Word of God, and a true, living faith in every promise of God. When we have all been filled with the Holy Spirit as in Acts 2 and in the early Church, we can truly say that “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (Rom 5:5). A theoretical message that is interpreted in various ways does not profit anyone; only when everything has truly been restored into the divine order, the following applies: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (Rom 8:14).

When the Bridegroom actually returns, His “wake-up call” first goes forth to all the ones who are asleep in Christ, then all those who are alive in Christ will be changed, and together they will be taken up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. That is Thus saith the Lord in His holy and everlasting Word (1 Ths 4:13-18).

The Return of the Lord will be a reality, just as His ascension was reality (Acts 1:11b): “… this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” The resurrection of the dead in Christ will be reality (1 Cor 15:42-44). The changing of our bodies will be reality (1 Cor 15:54). The rapture will be reality (1 Ths 4:17). The marriage supper will be reality (Rev 19:7). Everything will be reality, including the Millennium (Rev 20) and ultimately the new Heaven and the new Earth (Rev 21). Maranatha. Come, Lord Jesus! “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” (Rev 22:20).