My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord Almighty. (Malachi 1:11, NIV)
“But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.”
Malachi 4:2 ESV
Through the Bible: Malachi 1-4
Malachi closes the Old Testament with light. Before four centuries of silence, God promises that His name will be great among the nations and that one day the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in His wings.
Notice the different emphases in Malachi 1:11. Some translations say, “from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same” (KJV), stressing when God will be praised—all day long. Others say, “from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets” (NIV), stressing where He will be praised—in every nation. Both are beautiful truths.
If the point is “when,” think about what we now know that Malachi didn’t: in his world, the sun rose and set over a flat earth. But we know the earth is round. Which means the sun is always rising somewhere. There is never a moment when God is not being praised.
If the point is “where,” then the emphasis is global: east to west, every tribe and tongue will one day worship the Lord. Either way, His name will be great.
Then at the end of the book we return to sunrise:
“But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings.” (Malachi 4:2, KJV)
I switched to the King James here because it says his wings instead of its wings. Grammatically, I can’t tell you if that’s the best choice in Hebrew, but theologically it’s perfect. Because the Old Testament ends with promise, and the New Testament opens with Person. The “it” of covenant becomes the “He” of Christ.
- The sun of righteousness becomes the Son of righteousness.
- Like the sun, He brings light to the nations.
- Like the sun, He rises every morning.
- Like the sun, He brings healing in His wings.
And like the sun, the Son will rise.
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