The prophet Malachi who will hear about this coming Sunday was the last of the Old Testament prophets. His ministry took place about 460 B.C., almost 100 years after the people of Judah had returned from exile in Babylon and more than 50 years after the temple had been rebuilt in Jerusalem. Some of the people had hoped -- even expected -- that the completion of that building would launch a new era where Judah would return to her former glory and independence.
