“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes” (Malachi 4:5) “‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20).

As the year 2013 ends and so our readings from the OYB, it seems appropriate to quote verses from the last books of both Testaments. In the OT reading from Malachi we read of a coming “Day of the Lord” (Hebrew: Yom Yahweh) that will be preceded by a preparer of the way, Elijah. In the gospels, Jesus taught that John the Baptist was the fulfillment of this prophecy, coming in the spirit of Elijah. This was the first “coming.” In the last book of the NT, the apostle John closes the Revelation with another “coming,” this one has yet to occur. I’m sure the contemporaries of Malachi wondered what year, what day would be the DAY. Perhaps they even doubted it would ever arrive. But it did. I wonder what 2014 holds for us?