The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.
And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord‘s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land. Zephaniah 1:14-18
There are many nights I awaken and pray, “Lord, hold me tight. Fill my heart and mind with You. For You Lord are the truth I seek in a world whirling headlong into darkness. Evil surrounds us and envelops us with sorrow, questions, pains, and battles we cannot fight alone. We seek for truth.
The Great Day of the Lord is Near! And yet
We must remember and hold tight to the only real hope and truth.
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. The earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. The creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. Romans 8:18-23
That is what Paul wanted to remind the church in Thessalonica as he wrote:
I Thessalonians 5:1-11 (ESV).
Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers,[a] you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children[b] of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.
6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. I Thessalonians 5:1-11 (ESV).
He had just previously spoken of the rapture. Now he addresses the Day of the Lord, a day of judgment and wrath.
The Day of the Lord, a Day of Wrath
Throughout scripture the day of the Lord was used to refer to the wrath of God that must come against sin. Heaven cannot be heaven if God allowed all evil in. He must cleanse the nations and the people of their sin. Yet, He has stretched forth His hand with Mercy and Grace. Patiently awaiting all who will come to know Him as Lord, because of His amazing love for each one. He cannot imagine heaven without each one of us; therefore, He waits.
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,[a] not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies[b] will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.[c] 2 Peter 3 (ESV)
So, What about The Day of The Lord?
There are many times in scripture in which the use of The Day of the Lord referred to an event that was coming. Much as a warning calling the people to turn around and repent. Such was the case in Isaiah 13.
9 Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. …11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible…17 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.18 Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eyes shall not spare children.19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
And so, it happened. It was not the first time, nor will it be the last. It was hundreds of years that God waited. Judgements would come as warnings. Brief revivals would even occur; however, the people in their own arrogance pushed forward to rebuild themselves. Their pride and arrogance pushed God out of the picture repeatedly. And so, God allowed them to be destroyed. That is all but the remnant who were faithful.
The Day of the Lord—yet to come
In Revelations and in Zechariah 14 we read of the Day of the Lord still future. This will be in two phases at the end of the Tribulation and at the end of the Millenial Reign of Jesus.
Zechariah 14 Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. 2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city 3 Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
Why Must there Be a Day of Wrath?
He tells us in Isaiah 13:
6 Howl ye; for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt:8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
9 Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
Daniel 9: 24 “Seventy weeks[c] are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.
To end evil. To finish the transgression. Oh, how I long for this! To end all evil even in my own heart. And the world around me. How I long for that day! Yet, until then we must cling to the truth.
But what about now? In America.
Some would say that we are much like ancient Israel and some see the parallels of warning that came to them and now to us. America began as a country founded upon God. From our constitution to the little church where Washington and the congress met to pray after his inauguration. We are a nation that has been overwhelmingly blessed by God, but too as a nation have turned away. Are we in the pangs of judgement now. Has the near Day of the Lord arrived, building up to the final day of the Lord? So, too let us be reminded as Paul reminded the church of Thessalonica,
since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. I Thessalonians 5:1-11 (ESV).
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.
Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.
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©Effie Darlene Barba, 2021
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
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