And he shall (g) turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and (h) smite the earth with a curse.
(g) He shows in what John's office would consist: in the turning of men to God, and uniting the father and children in one voice of faith: so that the father will turn to the religion of his son who is converted to Christ, and the son will embrace the faith of the true fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
(h) The second point of his office was to give notice of God's judgment against those that would not receive Christ.