Week 52–53, December 22–31: Zecharia 11–14; Malachi; Revelation; Psalms 149–150

• Sun      12/22   Zech 11–14
• Mon     12/23   Mal 1–2; Psalm 149
• Tue      12/24   Mal 3–4; Psalm 150
• Wed     12/25   Rev 1–4
• Thu      12/26   Rev 5–7
• Fri        12/27   Rev 8–10
• Sat       12/28   Rev 11–13
• Sun      12/29   Rev 14–16
• Mon     12/30   Rev 17–19
• Tue      12/31   Rev 20–22

The last of the Minor Prophets, the final entry in the Book of the Twelve, is Malachi. This short book also closes the OT canon in the order of our English Bibles. (Side note: In the 2025 Bible Reading plan, we will read the OT in a different order, the Hebrew Bible order. Chronicles, not Malachi, is the last book in that order.) Unlike some of the other Minor Prophets, there is no indication of the time period or historical setting of Malachi’s prophetic ministry. Malachi’s name means “my messenger,” and this title refers not only to Malachi himself, but also to another messenger to come. Malachi looks ahead to the return of the prophet Elijah, who will come and prepare the way for the Lord’s coming. (Mal. 3:1; 4:5–6) In the Gospels we see Malachi’s prophesies fulfilled in John the Baptist, a new Elijah who prepared the way for Jesus, the promised Messiah. (Matt. 11:13–14; Luke 1:17)

Malachi includes an emphasis we have seen all through the reading in the OT, especially at key transitional places in the structure of the OT canon (See Josh. 1:8; Ps. 1:2). Malachi, like many of the other biblical authors, calls God’s people to remember what he has said to them through his written word. For those who fear God, he has a “book of remembrance” written for them. He wants them to remember that they shall be his. (Mal. 3:16–18). And the final word in Malachi is a word of hopeful anticipation. The day of the Lord is coming, the sun of righteousness is coming with healing in its wings, and Elijah will come and prepare a way for the great and awesome day of the Lord. As his people await this glorious day, the day when the Lord of hosts will act, they are to remember the Torah, the word of God he gave to them through Moses (Mal. 4:1–4).

We are also finishing our reading in the Psalms. The final five Psalms, Psalms 146–150, form a unified section that together concludes the Psalter. The repetition of “Hallelujah” or “Praise the Lord (Yahweh)” unites these five psalms and brings together the theme of praise and worship that has run through the whole book of Psalms.

Then we turn to the book of Revelation, the last book of the NT. We get the book’s name from the opening line: “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place.” (Rev. 1:1) The word translated “revelation” is apocalupsis, which is where we get the idea of “apocalypse” or “apocalyptic”. Its basic meaning is something like “unveiling” and it has to do with making known mysterious things that could not otherwise be known without some sort of divine disclosure. There is a kind of literature in the Bible known as apocalyptic literature, and it is characterized by revelation that is mediated, usually through dreams or visions, to a human recipient. The things that are disclosed in these supernatural experiences are otherworldly and convey heavenly and future realities. We’ve seen this biblical genre in books like Ezekiel, Daniel, and Zechariah, and basically the whole book of Revelation is apocalyptic in its genre.

The idea is that, through a human mediator (John in this case), we as readers are getting a glimpse into future, heavenly realities that could only be known by God’s gracious act of pulling back the veil for us to read what was revealed. Our reading posture should be one of awe and wonder. The imagery is so otherworldly and really impossible to grasp fully, and we are not meant to understand all the detailed numbers or images. Rather, we are meant to see the glorious and awesome realities they convey, and to understand that human language and the categories of human thought cannot fully capture the extraordinary things, creatures, ideas, and especially the God who is depicted in these visions.

As we finish this year’s read thru, let’s be encouraged to continue this practice—again next year and many times again after that. You have completed something important, one of the most important things you could have done with your time this year. It was probably not easy, and it’s likely that most, if not all, of us missed some days, got behind, or lost motivation at times throughout the year. That’s okay. Remember, we are not doing this to earn God’s favor or to achieve something to make ourselves more righteous. We are responding to the Lord’s gracious invitation to know him through his word.

It’s also likely that many of us are ending up our read thru with more questions than we started with. We may have discovered some amazing things we had not seen before, but the Scriptures we have been reading are deeper than the deepest ocean and they tell of an infinite God and eternal realities beyond what we will ever grasp in this lifetime. Yet, God has given us his word so that we might know him and walk with him. And so we read it.

Revelation ends with the most joyful and hopeful depiction of future realities. A new heavens and new earth are coming, and they are described in ways that link back to the opening chapters of the Bible. The first few chapters of Genesis and the last couple chapters of Revelation have numerous similarities and connection points.

• Genesis tells of the beginning – Revelation tells of the end. (Gen. 1:1; Rev. 22:10, 13)
• The heavens and the earth are created – The old heavens and earth pass away, the new heavens and new earth come. (Gen. 1:1; Rev. 21:1, 2)
• Darkness and night in the beginning – “No night there” in the end (Gen. 1:5; Rev. 22:5)
• Sun and moon to govern the day and night – No need for the sun or moon, for God’s glory will be the light and hiss Lamb the lamp (Gen 1:16; Rev. 21:23)
• Gold and precious stones in the garden – The city is made of gold and precious stones (Gen. 2:12; Rev. 21:11, 18–21)
• A bride for the first Adam – A bride for the last Adam (Gen. 2:18–23; Rev. 19:7–9; 21:2, 9; 22:17)
• Sin, curse, sorrow, death enters the world through the first humans – No more sin, curse, sorrow, or death (Gen. 3:1–19; Rev. 21:4, 27; 22:3)
• Humans are driven from God’s presence – “They shall see his face” (Gen. 3:24; Rev. 22:4)
• No access to the tree of life – “Right to the tree of life” (Gen. 3:21–24; Rev. 22: 2, 14)

There are more connections like these. What we see here is a bracketing of the whole canon of Scripture. This demonstrates an intentional shaping of the Bible, an intelligent design in the way it is all put together.

As we conclude the reading, the end of the book of Revelation repeats a theme we have been seeing all throughout our reading: Scripture’s references to Scripture, the biblical authors encouraging their readers to continue reading. The words of this book, not just Revelation but the whole Bible, are trustworthy and true. (Rev. 21:5; 22:6). Jesus is coming again (Rev. 22:7, 12, 20), and as we await Christ’s return, let us remember that “Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” (Rev. 22:7) These words are not to be added to or taken from (22:18–19), and they are not to be sealed up (22:10). They are to be read and kept as we worship God (22:9) and say, “Come, Lord Jesus!”