The day of the Lord, before the which Eliáh should come
1.For behold, the day cometh that shall aburn 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, and shall leave them, neither root nor branch.
2.But unto you that fear my Name, shall the bSunne of righteousness arise, and health shalbe under his wings, and ye shall cgo forth, and grow up as fat calves.
3.And ye shall tread down the wicked: for they shalbe dust under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts.
4.dRemember the Law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horéb for all Israél with the statutes and judgements.
5.Behold, I will send you eEliáh the Prophet before the coming of the great and ffearful day of the Lord.
6.And he shall gturn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come hand smite the earth with cursing.
Meaning, Christ, who with his wings or beams of his grace should lighten, and comfort his Church, Eph. 5.14, and he is called the sunne of righteousness, because in himself he has all perfection, and also the justice of the father dwells in him: whereby he regenerates us into righteousness, cleanses us from the filth of this world, and reforms us to the image of God.
Because the time was come that the Jews should 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 them- selves diligently in studying the Law of Moses in the means season, whereby they might continue in the true religion and also be armed against all tentations.
He shows wherein John’s office should stand: in the turning of men to God and joining the father and children in one unity of faith: so that the father shall turn to that religion of his son which is converted to Christ, and the son shall embrace the faith of the true fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.