Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. (Malachi 3:16)

According to the text above it is when the people who fear the world speak often one with another that the book of remembrance is written. This offers some interesting challenges to us. As it becomes vital for us to understand properly who are the people that fear the Lord thus we need to know what means to “fear God”.

Parallelism is the literary device in which one passage of writing is explained or made clearer by a similar passage. The Webster’s dictionary of 1913 defines parallelism on this wise: “Similarity of construction or meaning of clauses placed side by side, especially clauses expressing the same sentiment with slight modifications, as is common in Hebrew poetry.” It should be noted that the greatest wealth of Hebrew poetry that we have available to us is found in the books of Job through to Songs of Solomon. Poetry is found in almost every book of the bible and interestingly every author of the bible is of Hebrew background.

Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: (Isaiah 28:9-10)

Many persons have stumbled over this passage in trying to determine whether this actually applies to true scriptural interpretation. The fact is that if we take each book as being independent of the others then the concept of “line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little” fails to hold water.

However the Bible is not a book of independent books. The Bible is a story with interrelated chapters and books that continue the story from one place to the next. Thus we are told:“All scripture is given by inspiration of God,” “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2 Timothy 3:16) (2 Peter 1:21)

From this we realize that the best method of understanding what a particular passage of scripture means we must compare similar phrases with each other in order to get a full understanding of what a particular phrase means.

Based on Malachi 3:16 we recognize that we need to understand “fear the Lord” as it the persons that are doing this that will speak often one with another and cause the book of remembrance to be written.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. (Ecclesiastes 12:13) The entire duty of many is covered in two duties, fearing God and keeping His commandments. We know that keeping the commandments is

obedience to God’s instructions which are perfectly summarized in the Ten Commandments. But it is the fear of God that we now need to understand.

Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. (Revelation 14:12). Here we have presented that the saints are doing two things they are found keeping the commandments and also having the faith of Jesus. Here we recognize that “keep the commandments” matches from the previous verse but “fear God” has been replaced by “have the faith of Jesus”.

And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 12:17). Here we are presented with the entire scope of the duties of the remnant church in two short phrases. The fact that satan is wroth with them is enough of an indication that these persons are in fact doing “the whole duty of man”. In comparison with Ecclesiastes 12:13 we recognize that once more “keep the commandments” matches again but here “fear God” is replaced by “have the testimony of Jesus Christ”.

After looking at three verses we have found that:1. To “fear of God” and to “have the faith of Jesus” are the same thing2. To “fear God” and to “have the testimony of Jesus Christ” are the same thing.3. It then follows that “the faith of Jesus” is also “the testimony of Jesus Christ”. (We will look at the concept of the faith of Jesus further but before that let us examine the testimony of Jesus).

“And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” “Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.” (Revelation 19:10) (Revelation 22:9). Note that the brethren who are referred to as having “the testimony of Jesus” is then referred to as “the prophets”. Plainly those who have the testimony of Jesus must possess the spirit of prophecy as is identified by Revelation 19:10; hence, according to Revelation 22:9 all prophets have prophesied about Christ.

Of course this does give a very interesting reading to Malachi 3:16 not that belief of the prophets is fearing God; not only that belief of the prophets is “the faith of Jesus”. Notice Paul describing Faith:So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17)Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. (Hebrews 11:3)Of course the question becomes how do we know that these things happened? By the word of God.

Notice how the word of God is described: For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. (1 Thessalonians 2:13)And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. (2 Peter 3:15-16) (Paul writings are here compared with other scriptures)All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2 Peter 1:20-21)

Of course the “faith of Christ” is not an ineffective faith:Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. (Galatians 2:16)Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: (Romans 3:22)

“For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.” “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all” (Romans 4:13-16). Here we have the fact that both the faith of Abraham produced righteousness.

Lastly let us look at something related to the “testimony of Jesus”: Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. (John 5:39). The scriptures testify of Jesus. Said differently the scriptures are the “testimony of Jesus”. This means the word of God is the “testimony of Jesus. John 17:17 reveals that through the word we can be sanctified.

Faith=trust which is complete reliance on a person or thing: “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6). This means that without faith, which comes by the hearing the word of God (which is the testimony of Jesus), we cannot please God. Jesus reveals: “And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.” (John 8:29)

“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;” “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (John 11:25-26) (Ephesians 2:1) (Matthew 4:4).

Then they that feared the LORD [have the faith of Jesus, have the testimony of Jesus (understood the prophecies) and are alive in christ] spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. (Malachi 3:16)