Jews and Christians share the same first five Books of Moses, the Torah. We share the wisdom books, writings and prophets. However, the Jewish Tenach ends on a different book than the Christian's section of the "Old Testament." The last book in the Tenach is Chronicles, whereas in the Christian bible the last Hebrew book is Malachi.
It is fascinating to me how their is a profound correlation concerning end-times in the way these scriptures end differently and point to a prophetic messages for the coming of the Messiah.
Ultimately, in both the Jewish and Christian story, we know God is on his throne and the Lord rules from Jerusalem. However, the End-Times events play out very differently. This dichotomy is illustrated by messages in the last chapter in the last Hebrew book of each religion.
In The End
In the Hebrew scriptures, the last chapter of the last book in the Tenach speaks of "The Proclamation of Cyrus," thus ending on the hope for the rebuilding of the 3rd Temple and the coming of the Messiah.
2 Chronicles 36:22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: 23 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the Lord his God be with him. Let him go up.’”
Third Temple
Christians and Jews both believe the third temple will be built in Jerusalem in end-times. We both believe in end-times messengers. We both believe in the Messiah. But we have very different beliefs in how the events play out. The implications of the third temple are profoundly different.
In the Christian bible, the Hebrew scriptures portion ends on Malachi 3. A messenger will prepare the way before God as well. The messenger of the covenant in whom Jews delight will announce God is coming. And The Lord whom the Jews seek will suddenly come. From there, the Christian theme contained in the Hebrew scripture paints a different story.
Last Verses in the Last Chapter of the Last Hebrew Book in the Christian Bible
5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.
6 “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts. 13 “Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ 14 You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? 15 And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’”
16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. 17 “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18 Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.
Same Book, Different Ending, One Messiah
The placement of the last book acts as a theological lens: Chronicles underscores the continuity and hope in the ongoing story of Israel, while Malachi stresses a sense of urgency, expectation, and closure looking toward the coming of the Messiah.
Both endings can be seen as invitations to continue the journey: the Jewish reader toward fulfillment yet to come, the Christian reader toward the New Testament’s realization of prophecy.
The structural differences between Jewish and Christian eschatology, highlights distinctions in how each faith anticipates and imagines the “end-times” and the coming of the Messiah.
Unlike 2 Chronicles 36, Malachi 3 strongly emphasizes judgment in its closing messages. While it contains promises of future blessing and restoration, the book notably highlights God's coming judgment on the unfaithful and corrupt.
Specifically, Malachi warns of the "day of the Lord," described as a "great and terrible day" (Malachi 4:5-6), emphasizing both judgment and purification.
It calls out the priests and people for their failings—insincere worship, injustice, and covenant unfaithfulness.
The prophetic tone includes a call to repentance, signaling that God's coming messenger (often understood as Elijah) will prepare the way by calling people to turn back before judgment arrives. (Note the parallel to the Sign of Jonah.)
In this way, Malachi frames the messianic expectation not only as hope for restoration but also as a serious warning that God's coming intervention will involve righteous judgment, refining, and cleansing.
So, while the last Hebrew books in the Tenach and the Christian bible end on a future-oriented prophetic notes, the Christian bible includes an expectation of both judgment and renewal — a theme quite integral to Christian eschatology and how the Messiah’s arrival is understood.
To my mind, the difference parallels a theme throughout both the Jewish and Christian bibles. That is that the Israelites repeatedly ignored the warnings of their prophets. Disobedience is a common pattern found throughout the Hebrew scriptures. The Israelites perpetually struggled to keep God’s commandments, a fact which the Christian bible picks right up on. That in itself makes the Christian bible the perfect sequel. Christians would say it is One complete book which finishes a story that began "In the Beginning."
