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The Day of the Lord is a key phrase that appears frequently in the Old Testament prophets, particularly in the books of Isaiah, Joel, and Zephaniah. It refers to God’s future divine intervention in world events, bringing both judgment and blessing.
The Day of the Lord will consist of two phases: a period of darkness, followed by a day of light.
1. It will be a day of judgment.
The day of the Lord is a time when God will intervene in human affairs and begin to restore right order by punishing the wicked. It will be a time of terror and gloom, when the sun, moon, and stars will be darkened to resemble blood (Revelation 6:12 – 14).
The Old Testament prophets portrayed this day with images of destruction, catastrophe, and war. They evoked the chaos of Adam and Eve’s original fall and Yahweh’s encounter with Israel at Mount Sinai. They pictured God’s wrath against sinners as a storm with lightning and earthquake, with darkness and gloom, and fire and smoke.
The New Testament authors draw on these Old Testament images when they speak of What is the day of the Lord? and associate it with Jesus’ second coming. They stress its unexpectedness, like a thief in the night (2Pet. 3:10). They also explain that this day of vengeance is followed by the Millennium, an epoch of light and life that will span 1,000 years.
2. It will be a day of restoration.
When God inflicts his just wrath during the day of the Lord, he does so to bring about a complete restoration. He will thresh the land and its people, and raise up those who have been trampled by Satan’s authoritarian rule (Isaiah 2:12). The Old Testament prophets and the apostle Peter warn that the Day of the Lord is coming.
This climactic period will be a time of unprecedented trials, pain, suffering and death. At the same time, it will be a time of unprecedented wealth and prosperity for those who remain. Satan will continue his concerted efforts to hunt down and kill anyone who does not exclusively worship and obey him. But he will be bound for 1,000 years during this time, which will allow many humans to reconsider their choices and repent. The opening of the seventh seal in Revelation 8 marks the beginning of this tribulation and the start of the day of the Lord.
3. It will be a day of reckoning.
In the Old Testament, prophets spoke of the day of the Lord as a time when God will punish all unbelievers (Isa. 2:2; Ezekiel 30:3). But some smug Israelites assumed that the prophets’ words only applied to their enemies abroad, so they were unaware of their own inclusion in this day of wrath (2 Peter 3:10).
The Old Testament portrayed this day of wrath through a range of images that include catastrophe, war, and sacrifice. It was a day of distress and anguish, ruin and devastation, darkness and gloom, clouds and thick darkness—a day when the haughtiness of men is brought low, and God alone exalted (Zeph. 1:15-16).
The New Testament identifies Christ Jesus as the fulfillment of this ultimate day, inaugurating it in his death and resurrection and consummating it at his second coming. As a result, the apostles encouraged followers of Christ to stay watchful and holy in preparation for this event (I Thess. 5:9; James 4:17).
4. It will be a day of light.
After humanity’s rebellion ruptured kingdom peace, God the Warrior commits to re-establish kingdom rest and order by punishing sinners. The Old Testament enlists overlapping images of cataclysm, war, and sacrifice; the New Testament identifies Christ Jesus as the one who inaugurates this ultimate day in his death and resurrection and consummates it at his second coming (Isaiah 24:21-23; Joel 2:11-13; Malachi 3:23).
Peter warns that this is a day to be watchful and holy, so that you may be prepared for it (2 Peter 3:11). For while Satan deceives the world in an attempt to lead mankind away from God, the true God of creation will return as a warrior. He will reestablish God’s sovereignty, eradicate evil, and bring peace on a global scale. As a result, “all who are in the graves will awaken” and be “gathered together.” In this day, he will abase the haughtiness of his enemies, for the lofty pride of human beings is brought low (Jeremiah 46:10-12; Obad. 15).