1. Matthew 11:9–10 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

Was John the Baptist the messenger prophesied in Malachi 3:1?

Matthew 11:9–10 (ESV)

9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet?Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

In short

Two views of whether John the Baptist was the messenger prophesied in Malachi 3:1:

  1. He was, since the coming of the Lord (Malachi 3:1) is the coming of the Messiah (Jesus). This is also seen in the change from before my face in Malachi 3:1 (see Douay-Rheims Bible translation) to before your face in Matthew 11:10. John’s prophecy reveals the counsel of the Lord (Amos 3:7).

  2. No, the quote from Malachi 3:1 in Matthew 11:10 applies to John the Baptist, but in a way that differs from the intent of the original prophecy. Malachi 3:3 refers not to the messenger but rather to the angel: that is, the Angel of the Lord, who will personally come to Israel—not to prepare the way to Canaan, as he did in the wilderness after the exodus from Egypt, but to restore the way to God himself.

Interpretation 1:
Yes, indeed we also see here that the coming of the Lord (Malachi 3:1) is the same as the coming of the Messiah (Jesus). This is also evident in the change from before my face in Malachi 3:1 (see Douay-Rheims Bible translation) to before your face in Matthew 11:10.1 The people went out to see a prophet—a man with a message from God, who in particular communicates the counsel of the Lord to the people (Amos 3:7).2

Interpretation 2:
No, the quote from Malachi 3:1 in Matthew 11:10, is applied to John the Baptist, but used in a way that differs from the intention of the original prophecy. Malachi 3:3 does not specifically address the messenger but rather the angel: that is, the Angel of the Lord, who will personally come to Israel. He will not come to prepare the way to Palestine, as he once did in the wilderness after the exodus from Egypt, but to restore the way to God himself.3