The Messenger of the Covenant

WHAT THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES SAY…

"Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming," says the LORD of hosts. (Malachi 3:1)

WHAT THE RABBINIC WRITINGS SAY…

The LORD is the King Messiah; He is also the Angel of the Covenant. (Rabbi David Kimchi)

The LORD is both the Divine majesty and the Angel of the Covenant, for the sentence is doubled. (Rabbi Aben Ezra)

The LORD may be explained of King Messiah (Mashimiah Jeshua fol. 76)

What is to be the manner of Messiah’s coming, and where will be the place of his first appearance? He will make his first appearance in the land of Israel, as it is written, ‘The Lord whom ye seek will come suddenly to His Temple’. (Rabbi Moses ben Maimon)

WHAT THE NEW TESTAMENT SAYS…

For this [John the Baptist] is he of whom it is written: "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You." (Matthew 11:10)

Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, "It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’" (Matthew 21:12-13)