- And now it came to pass that when Yeshua had expounded all the scriptures in one which they had written, he commanded them that they should teach the things which he had expounded unto them. And it came to pass that he commanded them that they should write the words which the Father had given unto Mal’akhi, which he should tell unto them. And it came to pass that after they were written, he expounded them. And these are the words which he did tell them, saying, Thus said the Father unto Mal’akhi: Behold, I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me, and yhwh whom you seek shall suddenly come to his Temple, even the messenger of the covenant whom you delight in. Behold, he shall come, says yhwh Tzva’ot, but who may abide the day of his coming? And who shall stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he shall purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto yhwh an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Y’hudah and Yerushalayim be pleasant unto yhwh, as in the days of old and as in former years. And I will come near to you in judgment, and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the laborer in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger, and fear not me, says yhwh Tzva’ot. For I am yhwh, I change not; therefore, you sons of Ya’akov are not consumed.
- Even from the days of your fathers, you are gone away from my ordinances and have not kept them. Return unto me and I will return unto you, says yhwh Tzva’ot. But you said, In what way shall we return? Will a man rob Elohim? Yet you have robbed me. But you say, In what way have we robbed you? In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring you all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house, and prove me now by this, says yhwh Tzva’ot, if I will not open you the windows of Heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, says yhwh Tzva’ot. And all nations shall call you blessed, for you shall be a delightful land, says yhwh Tzva’ot.
- Your words have been stout against me, says yhwh. Yet you say, What have we spoken against you? You have said, It is vain to serve Elohim. And what does it profit that we have kept his ordinance and that we have walked mournfully before yhwh Tzva’ot? And now we call the proud happy; yes, they that work wickedness are set up, yes, them that tempt Elohim are even delivered.
- Then they that feared yhwh spoke often one to another, and yhwh hearkened and heard. And a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared yhwh and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, says yhwh Tzva’ot, in that day when I make up my jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son that serves him. Then shall you return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serves Elohim and him that serves him not.240 For behold, the day comes that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yes, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that comes shall burn them up, says yhwh Tzva’ot, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
- But unto you that fear my name shall the Son of Righteousness241 arise with healing in his wings.242 And you shall go forth and grow up as calves in the stall; and you shall tread down the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, says yhwh Tzva’ot. Remember you the Torah of Moshe, my servant whom I commanded, unto him in Horev for all Isra’el, with the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Eliyahu the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of yhwh, and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.243
- And now it came to pass that when Yeshua had said these things, he expounded them unto the multitude. And he did expound244 all things unto them, both great and small. And he said, These scriptures which you had not with you, the Father commanded that I should give unto you, for it was wisdom in him that they should be given unto future generations.245 And he did expound all things, even from the beginning until the time that he should come in his glory — yes, even all things which should come upon the face of the earth, even until the elements should melt with fervent heat, and the earth should be wrapped together as a scroll,246 and the heavens and the earth should pass away, and even unto the great and last day when all people, and all kindreds, and all nations and tongues shall stand before Elohim to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil; if they be good, to the resurrection247 of everlasting life, and if they be evil, to the resurrection of damnation — being on a parallel, the one on the one hand and the other on the other hand, according to the mercy, and the justice,248 and the holiness which is in Mashiach, who was before the world began.
THE THIRD BOOK OF NEFI Chapter 11