The End-Time Messenger, Part 2: Discerning God’s Final Call

Jonathan T. January 13, 2024

This article, the second in our series “Bible Answers on the End-Time Message,” continues our exploration of a highly debated topic within Christianity: the role and identity of an end-time messenger. We continue to ground our discussion in Malachi 4:5-6 (NASB 2020):

“Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and strike the land with complete destruction.”

Recapping the Foundation

In our previous discussion, we established that the Bible indicates God will indeed send messengers in the last days. We reviewed key biblical references:

Matthew 13 (Parable of the Wheat and the Tares): Jesus speaks of sending “angels” (messengers) for the harvest at the end of the age, suggesting multiple God-sent individuals will participate in this crucial work.
Matthew 28:20 (The Great Commission): Jesus promises to be with His “sent ones” (apostles/disciples) to the end of the age, implying their continued presence and ministry through various generations.
Malachi 4:5-6 and Matthew 17:11, Acts 3:19-21: We saw that while John the Baptist fulfilled the first part of the Elijah prophecy (turning the hearts of fathers to children), Jesus affirmed that Elijah would “restore all things,” a work that Peter connects to the “period of restoration of all things” before Christ’s return, indicating a future, broader fulfillment.

These passages lay the groundwork for understanding that God is active in sending His messengers throughout history, including the final period before His return.

The Angel to the Seven Church Ages: A Prophetic Blueprint

The Book of Revelation, the “revelation of Jesus Christ concerning Himself and the last days” (Revelation 1:1-3), provides a crucial framework for understanding God’s plan for the church through history. Though originally addressed to seven literal churches in Asia Minor (Revelation 1:4, 10-11), the prophetic nature of Revelation suggests a deeper, eschatological meaning.

Revelation 1:12-20 presents a pivotal vision: John sees seven golden lampstands and, in their midst, “one like a son of man.” Jesus reveals the mystery: “The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.”

Seven Lampstands = Seven Churches: These represent the various stages or eras of the church throughout history, from its beginning to the end.
Seven Stars = Seven Angels/Messengers: These signify God’s chosen messengers to each of these distinct church ages.

The term “angel” (Greek: aggelos) here can refer to a human messenger, as seen in Galatians 4:13-14, where Paul states, “you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself.” This interpretation aligns with the historical reality of specific men raised up by God to lead and guide His people through different periods.

The Nature of the End-Time Messenger’s Work

Drawing from Malachi 4:5-6 and the broader biblical narrative, the work of the end-time messenger can be understood in three primary aspects:

1. To Turn the Hearts of the Children Back to Their Fathers (Malachi 4:6):

While the first Elijah (John the Baptist) turned the “fathers to their children” (referring to the disobedient spiritual leaders of Israel being called back to the righteousness demonstrated by some of the common people, Luke 1:17), the second Elijah, the end-time messenger, has a different but related focus: “the children to their fathers.”

This implies a restoration ministry. In the context of the last days, the “children” are believers of this era, while the “fathers” represent the apostolic fathers who possessed the original, unadulterated doctrines of salvation. The end-time messenger’s task is to:

Restore the original teachings of the apostles.
Guide the church back to the foundational truths found solely in the Bible, correcting deviations and bringing clarity.

2. To Warn the Church (Laodicea) of Their Spiritual Condition and Offer God’s Remedy (Revelation 3:14-22):

The message to the church in Laodicea is a stark warning for the final church age. This church is characterized as “lukewarm,” neither hot nor cold, and consequently, Christ threatens to “vomit you out of My mouth.” The core problem is self-deception: “Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have no need of anything,’ and you do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.”

The end-time messenger’s role, as the “angel” to this age, is to deliver this sobering assessment. Crucially, Christ also offers a remedy:

Refined gold: True spiritual riches, purified through trials and faith.
White garments: Righteousness and purity that cover spiritual nakedness.
Eye salve: Spiritual discernment to see one’s true condition and God’s truth.

The messenger brings this urgent call to “be zealous and repent,” reminding the church that Christ stands at the door, knocking, offering intimacy and restoration to those who open their hearts.

3. To Prepare the Church for the Rapture (Matthew 25:6):

The culmination of the end-time messenger’s work is to prepare the Bride (the Church) for the return of the Groom (Jesus Christ). Matthew 25:6, in the parable of the ten virgins, declares, “But at midnight there finally was a shout: ‘Behold, the groom! Come out to meet him.’”

As a sermon excerpt states: “The end-time Message is to get the Bride ready and prepared for the Rapture. What can it do? According to Malachi 4, is bring them back to the Faith that was once delivered to the saints. Bring them back to the Faith of the fathers, the pentecostal part, in the restoration time. ‘I will restore, saith the Lord.’ That’s real event, end-time evangelism.”

Another excerpt emphasizes this further: “Notice, the end-time messenger, his job will be to get the saints ready, the Bride ready for the Bridegroom. That will be his Message.” This preparation involves a return to fundamental belief in Christ, not merely adherence to man-made creeds.

Conclusion: Our Response to God’s Final Call

If indeed God has sent an end-time messenger, or messengers, what is the appropriate response expected from believers?

Receive His Messenger (Matthew 10:40): “The one who receives you receives Me, and the one who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” This means being open to the possibility that God is still speaking through chosen vessels.
Listen to the Voice of the Spirit (Revelation 3:22): “The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” The focus should not be on the messenger themselves, but on the message they bring, discerning if it aligns with the Spirit and the Word.
Lift Up Christ, Not the Messenger (John 3:26-30): John the Baptist, a true messenger, exemplified this principle. When his disciples highlighted Jesus’ growing popularity, John replied, “A person can receive not even one thing unless it has been given to him from heaven… He must increase, but I must decrease.” The true messenger always points to Christ, exalting Him alone.

The discernment of an end-time messenger, therefore, hinges not on personality or charisma, but on the faithful delivery of a message that turns hearts back to the original faith, exposes spiritual lukewarmness, and prepares the church for the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ.