Malachi Bible Trivia: 23 Questions and Answers for Kids

These 23 Malachi Bible trivia questions cover the whole final book of the Old Testament -- the blemished sacrifices, the challenge to "test" God with the tithe, and the promise of an Elijah who would arrive 400 years later -- with answers and verse references after every question. They're sorted into easy (ages 5-8), medium (ages 9-12), and hard (teens and adults) rounds.

Malachi is the Old Testament's closing argument, and it reads like a courtroom: God makes a charge, the people fire back "How?", and God answers with receipts. That back-and-forth style makes it one of the easiest prophets to turn into trivia -- nearly every question below comes straight from one of those exchanges.

What Is the Book of Malachi About?

The book of Malachi is God's final Old Testament message to Israel -- a challenge to a spiritually bored generation that was offering leftover sacrifices, shortchanging the tithe, and doubting that serving God was worth it, ending with the promise of a coming messenger and the prophet Elijah. It's attributed to the prophet Malachi (Malachi 1:1), whose name means "my messenger"; since the name fits the book's theme so perfectly, some scholars debate whether it's a personal name or a title, and the Bible tells us nothing else about him.

Malachi preached after the temple had been rebuilt, during Persian rule -- the book mentions a "governor" (Malachi 1:8) -- most likely around 450-430 BC, near the time of Nehemiah, who battled the very same problems of neglected tithes and careless worship (Nehemiah 13:10-12). It matters because of where it sits: Malachi is the last prophetic word before roughly 400 years of biblical silence, and its final promises are the first ones the New Testament picks up.

Why Is Malachi the Bridge to the New Testament?

Because its last page and the Gospels' first pages are talking about the same person. Malachi promises a messenger who will "prepare the way" before the Lord (Malachi 3:1) and an Elijah who will come "before that great and dreadful day of the LORD" (Malachi 4:5) -- and the Gospel of Mark opens by quoting Malachi 3:1 and introducing John the Baptist (Mark 1:2-4). Jesus said it plainly: John "is the Elijah who was to come" (Matthew 11:14), not Elijah reborn but a prophet in Elijah's "spirit and power" (Luke 1:17).

That makes Malachi the best "cliffhanger" book in the Bible to teach kids. The Old Testament ends mid-story, with a promise hanging in the air -- and when John starts preaching at the Jordan River and baptizing crowds, including the baptism of Jesus, the story picks up exactly where Malachi left off. Kids who learn Malachi's last two verses will recognize the New Testament's opening scene on sight.

Easy Malachi Trivia Questions (Ages 5-8)

1. Malachi is the very last book of which part of the Bible? The Old Testament

1. What does the name Malachi mean? "My messenger" (Malachi 1:1)

1. Which famous prophet did God promise to send before the great day of the LORD? Elijah (Malachi 4:5)

1. What did God promise to throw open if his people brought the whole tithe? The floodgates of heaven -- with blessing to overflowing (Malachi 3:10)

1. Does God ever change? No -- "I the LORD do not change" (Malachi 3:6)

1. Which New Testament preacher fulfilled Malachi's promise of a messenger who would prepare the way? John the Baptist (Malachi 3:1; Matthew 11:10)

Medium Malachi Trivia Questions (Ages 9-12)

1. What was wrong with the animals the people were bringing as sacrifices? They were blind, lame, and diseased -- the leftovers (Malachi 1:8)

1. Who did Malachi dare the people to give those animals to, to see if he'd be pleased? Their governor (Malachi 1:8)

1. What surprising crime did God accuse the people of committing against him? Robbery -- robbing God in tithes and offerings (Malachi 3:8)

1. Where did God tell the people to bring the whole tithe? Into the storehouse (Malachi 3:10)

1. What special book was written in God's presence about those who feared him? A scroll of remembrance (Malachi 3:16)

1. What two "cleaning" pictures describe the messenger of the covenant when he comes? A refiner's fire and a launderer's soap (Malachi 3:2)

1. What does Malachi say will rise "with healing in its rays" for those who revere God's name? The sun of righteousness (Malachi 4:2)

1. Which twin brothers does God contrast at the start of the book -- "I have loved , but I have hated"? Jacob and Esau (Malachi 1:2-3)

1. What should a priest's lips preserve, according to Malachi? Knowledge -- "because he is the messenger of the LORD Almighty" (Malachi 2:7)

1. What promise does God make to anyone who returns to him? "Return to me, and I will return to you" (Malachi 3:7)

Hard Malachi Trivia Questions (Teens and Adults)

1. What is the only thing in the Bible God explicitly invites his people to test him in? The tithe -- "Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty (Malachi 3:10)

1. What will the returning "Elijah" turn toward each other? The hearts of parents to their children, and children to their parents (Malachi 4:6)

1. What is the very last word-picture of the Old Testament in English Bibles -- a blessing or a warning? A warning -- "or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction" (Malachi 4:6)

1. Which Gospel opens by quoting Malachi's "I will send my messenger" prophecy? Mark (Malachi 3:1; Mark 1:2)

1. Roughly how many years passed between Malachi and John the Baptist? About 400 years -- often called the "silent years"

1. Which Old Testament governor fought the same battles Malachi preached about, including neglected tithes? Nehemiah (Nehemiah 13:10-12)

1. How will those who revere God's name celebrate, according to Malachi 4:2? They will "go out and frolic like well-fed calves" (Malachi 4:2)

How to Use These Questions

Open with question 17 -- "What's the one thing God says 'test me' about?" -- because it surprises adults as much as kids, and it leads straight into a conversation about generosity. The easy round works at dinner or in the car; the medium round doubles as a Sunday school review of how the Old Testament ends; and the hard round belongs at family Bible trivia night, where question 19 -- the Old Testament ending on a warning -- reliably stumps the room.

Malachi also pairs naturally with a "bridge night": read Malachi 4:5-6, then Mark 1:1-9, and let kids discover the connection themselves. Our video lessons at Faithful Kids use the same watch-then-quiz rhythm across both testaments. When you're ready to cross the bridge, our Matthew trivia questions start the New Testament side, and the full Old Testament trivia for kids covers everything that led here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who wrote the book of Malachi?

The book is attributed to the prophet Malachi, named in its opening verse (Malachi 1:1). His name means "my messenger," and because that's also the book's key theme (Malachi 3:1), some scholars think it may be a title rather than a personal name -- the Bible gives no other details about him.

How many chapters does Malachi have?

Malachi has 4 chapters and 55 verses in English Bibles. In the Hebrew Bible it has 3 chapters -- what English readers know as chapter 4 is simply the end of chapter 3 -- which makes a great bonus trivia question for teens.

What is the most famous verse in Malachi?

Malachi 3:10 is the book's most famous verse: "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse... Test me in this... and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven." Malachi 3:6 -- "I the LORD do not change" -- is the book's most quoted line about God's character.

Why is Malachi the last book of the Old Testament?

In Christian Bibles Malachi sits last because it closes the prophets with a forward-looking promise -- the messenger and Elijah who would prepare the way for the Lord (Malachi 3:1, 4:5) -- which the New Testament immediately identifies as John the Baptist. In the Hebrew Bible the books are ordered differently and end with Chronicles, but Malachi is still the final book among the prophets.

What are the 400 silent years after Malachi?

The "silent years" are the roughly four centuries between Malachi (around 430 BC) and the events of the New Testament, during which no new Scripture was written. Big history still happened -- Persia fell to Greece, then Rome rose -- but the next prophetic voice after Malachi was John the Baptist, the very messenger Malachi predicted (Malachi 3:1; Mark 1:2-4).

What age can kids start learning the book of Malachi?

Kids as young as 5 can learn the big ideas -- give God your best (not your leftovers), and God keeps his promises even across 400 years of waiting. The courtroom-style disputes and the tithing challenge in Malachi 3 make more sense around ages 9 and up, when kids can follow an argument and count their own allowance.