“But who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth? for He is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:” (Malachi 3:2)
The Prophet Malachi speaks here about the coming of Jesus. He asks two questions which essentially mean the same. “But who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth?” His birth and life caused a real stir in His day. God hadn’t spoken to His people in four hundred years, from the book of Malachi to Matthew. Time is not an issue with the Lord. He is in eternity. “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (2Peter 3:8) But in God’s perfect time, He sent Jesus, the Lamb of God to redeem man.
Many fell at the appearance of Jesus. Many who should have been waiting for His appearance no longer believed He would come. “He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.” (John 1:10-11) They were enraged that Jesus taught about the kingdom of God, that He spoke about repentance and returning to God, that Jesus was full of wisdom, derailing their arguments, that Jesus had the power to heal and deliver and that He spoke of Himself as the Son of God. After Jesus rose Lazarus from dead, they planned His murder. “Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. If we let Him thus alone, all men will believe on Him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation. And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put Him to death. Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with His disciples. And the Jews' passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves. Then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that He will not come to the feast? Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where He were, he should shew it, that they might take Him.” (John 11:47-57) In the end, even the multitude that had followed Jesus turned against Him. “Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? For he knew that for envy they had delivered Him. When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of Him. But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let Him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath He done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let Him be crucified.” (Matthew 27:17-23)
Jesus completed His obedience to the Father and accomplished all He came to do here on earth with the words He spoke before He died. “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished: and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost.” (John 19:30) What God had sent Him to do, He did completely. He is now our eternal and divine High Priest. “Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered; And being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him; Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.” (Hebrews 5:8-10) And He continues at the right hand of the Father in heaven to complete the work in us as He, our High Priest intercedes for us. “Who is He that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, Who also maketh intercession for us.” (Romans 8:34)
Those who believe in Him, He purifies. We complain and murmur about the trials we endure here on earth, but there is an eternal purpose. The Lord allows these things here on earth to draw us closer to Him and to continue to cleanse us from the things that here on earth. “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:” (1Peter 1:7) Yes, Jesus cleanses us cleaner than “fullers’ soap.” Fullers’ soap was the most powerful cleaning agent in those days. Paul uses this to describe how clean Jesus makes us.
We know that Jesus is returning soon. We see the signs in Israel. And yet this is only the beginning of the beginning of the end. We cannot humanly know exactly the time and how long it will be before the actual count down begins, but already we see a rise in the trials. We know what the Holy Spirit teaches us about trials and considering what James states we know our High Priest is making our faith firm. “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” (James 1:2-4)
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