Malachi: The Final Prophet and the Voice That Echoed Into Exile

The Last of the Prophets

Malachi was the final prophet, and his prophecy marks the end of Divine prophecy in Jewish history. Alongside Chaggai and Zechariah, he prophesied in the second year of Daryavesh (Darius), during the time of Persian rule in the Land of Israel, after the completion of the Second Temple. The Talmud (Megillah 15a) notes: “When they died, ruach hakodesh (Divine spirit) departed from Israel” (Yoma 9b). His yahrzeit (anniversary of death) is marked on the 10th day of the Jewish month of Tevet.

His prophetic book, Sefer Malachi, is the final volume in Trei Asar (the Twelve Minor Prophets) and consists of just three chapters.

But who was Malachi?

The Talmud presents three opinions. Rav Nachman identifies Malachi as Mordechai the Jew, noting that the name “Malachi” reflects his status as second to the king. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korcha claims Malachi was Ezra the Scribe, citing the parallel rebuke against intermarriage. But according to the sages, Malachi was his actual name, and he was a distinct prophet in his own right.

A Call to Repentance and a Vision for Redemption

Malachi’s message is both severe and hopeful. He rebukes the kohanim (priests) for dishonoring the Temple, condemns the Jewish men for abandoning their Jewish wives to marry foreign women, and warns of the Yom Hashem HaGadol VeHanora (the Great and Awesome Day of the Lord).

At the same time, he offers stirring prophecy about redemption. He declares that before that day arrives, God will refine the people and purge evil and restore purity so that “the offering of Yehudah and Yerushalayim will be pleasing to God as in the days of old.” To those who revere God, he promises: “The sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.” (Malachi 3:20)

Perhaps Malachi’s most enduring prophecy is the final one in all of Nevu'ah:
“Remember the Torah of Moshe My servant... Behold, I will send you Eliyahu HaNavi before the coming of the great and awesome day of Hashem. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.” (Malachi 3:22–24)

The biblical commentator Radak explains: Even though the Torah remains the eternal guide in every generation, God will still send Eliyahu the prophet before the final judgment to urge the nation to return to Him. Eliyahu’s soul, which ascended to Heaven, will be restored to a physical body, and he will return to awaken the people to teshuvah (repentance).

The Rambam, in his introduction to his commentary on the Mishnah, lists Malachi alongside Chaggai and Zechariah as members of the Anshei Knesset HaGedolah (Men of the Great Assembly), the spiritual bridge between the era of prophecy and the age of the sages.

Malachi in the Jewish Calendar

Although brief, selections from Sefer Malachi are read on two major occasions. The haftarah for Parshat Toldot comes from the beginning of the book until chapter 2, verse 7. The haftarah of Shabbat HaGadol, the Shabbat before Pesach, includes the climactic verses from chapter 3, verse 4 to the end of the book.

These two readings remind us that even as prophecy ceased, Malachi’s words remain alive, warning, guiding, and preparing us for the final redemption.