Consider the twofold promise of Mal 4:5-6: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers …” During the ministry of John the Baptist, this part was fulfilled: “… he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children …” His father, Zacharias, was told by the angel: “And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, 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).

The second part of Mal 4, “… and the heart of the children to their fathers …,” is now being fulfilled by the Message, in this last time period before the Second Coming of Christ. That was and is the purpose of the divine commission: to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

Many of the Old Testament prophecies have a dual fulfillment. In Isa 61:1-3, we find the well-known Scripture: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek …”In Lk 4:18-19, Jesus read this text and stopped in the middle of the second verse, which states: “To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” He could not read the second part about the “day of vengeance” at the beginning of the “day of Salvation.” Then He would not have been able to say, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” (v. 21).

In Joel 2:28-32, we find the powerful promise: “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh …” Then comes the announcement of “the great and the terrible day of the Lord,” when the sun turns to darkness and the moon turns to blood. Yes, and immediately in the next verse we read: “… that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance …”

In the first sermon on the day of Pentecost, the Apostle Peter referred to the promise in Joel 2 and loudly proclaimed that “… whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” But he stopped in the middle of the verse: He did not mention the part in reference to the salvation on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem. This will be fulfilled with the children of Israel (Isa 10:12; Joel 3:15-17; Mic 4:6-7), until the 144,000 ultimately appear on Mount Zion (Rev 14).

Peter also did something else: He renamed the “dreadful day of the Lord” to the “glorious day”: “… before that great and notable/glorious day of the Lord come …” (Acts 2:20). Yes, for the faithful, it will be a glorious day. Paul wrote that the Lord will finish the work until the day of Christ Jesus (Phi 1:6 and 1:10). He further wrote about the crown of righteousness that will be given unto him and all those who love the appearance of the Lord (2 Tim 4:8). So, for the faithful it is the glorious day of Jesus Christ, the goal of their faith, the Rapture: “Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.” (Phi 2:16). For the others it shall remain the dreadful day that shall burn as an oven (2 Pt 3).

Now, at the end of days, the scoffers ask, “Where is the promise of his coming?” (2 Pt 3:4). The answer is: “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise …” (v. 9). He exercises patience until the last ones have been saved and come in. Peter spoke about the promised Return and also about the “day of the Lord”: “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” He concluded with the admonition: “Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” (vv. 10+14). For the Bride, it will be the glorious day, because they will go to the marriage supper.

Consider the twofold promise of Mal 4:5-6: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers …” During the ministry of John the Baptist, this part was fulfilled: “… he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children …” His father, Zacharias, was told by the angel: “And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, 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).

The second part of Mal 4, “… and the heart of the children to their fathers …,” is now being fulfilled by the Message, in this last time period before the Second Coming of Christ. That was and is the purpose of the divine commission: to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

Many of the Old Testament prophecies have a dual fulfillment. In Isa 61:1-3, we find the well-known Scripture: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek …”  In Lk 4:18-19, Jesus read this text and stopped in the middle of the second verse, which states: “To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” He could not read the second part about the “day of vengeance” at the beginning of the “day of Salvation.” Then He would not have been able to say, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” (v. 21).

In Joel 2:28-32, we find the powerful promise: “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh …” Then comes the announcement of “the great and the terrible day of the Lord,” when the sun turns to darkness and the moon turns to blood. Yes, and immediately in the next verse we read: “… that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance …”

In the first sermon on the day of Pentecost, the Apostle Peter referred to the promise in Joel 2 and loudly proclaimed that “… whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” But he stopped in the middle of the verse: He did not mention the part in reference to the salvation on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem. This will be fulfilled with the children of Israel (Isa 10:12; Joel 3:15-17; Mic 4:6-7), until the 144,000 ultimately appear on Mount Zion (Rev 14).

Peter also did something else: He renamed the “dreadful day of the Lord” to the “glorious day”: “… before that great and notable/glorious day of the Lord come …” (Acts 2:20). Yes, for the faithful, it will be a glorious day. Paul wrote that the Lord will finish the work until the day of Christ Jesus (Phi 1:6 and 1:10). He further wrote about the crown of righteousness that will be given unto him and all those who love the appearance of the Lord (2 Tim 4:8). So, for the faithful it is the glorious day of Jesus Christ, the goal of their faith, the Rapture: “Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.” (Phi 2:16). For the others it shall remain the dreadful day that shall burn as an oven (2 Pt 3).

Now, at the end of days, the scoffers ask, “Where is the promise of his coming?” (2 Pt 3:4). The answer is: “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise …” (v. 9). He exercises patience until the last ones have been saved and come in. Peter spoke about the promised Return and also about the “day of the Lord”: “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” He concluded with the admonition: “Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” (vv. 10+14). For the Bride, it will be the glorious day, because they will go to the marriage supper.