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Session 6
The Day of the Lord
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In our last session we talked about the event in
scripture commonly called the rapture. It is described in 1
Thessalonians 4:15-18 as being the event when all the saints of God,
living and dead, will be gathered to meet Jesus in the air and be
taken home to heaven. We discussed how the actual timing of the
rapture has been debated for ages.
There are three views that are the most prominent
and we looked at each in detail. After analyzing each position, it
became obvious that each view has its problems and none seem to fit
all of scripture in a natural way.
None of the three views seemed to work. So, we asked
the question...
The whole purpose of this study is because I
believe the answer is "YES!" But, to understand the rapture and the
issues surrounding the timing, we must first understand what the
Bible teaches about the Day of the Lord.
To understand the Day of the Lord, we must look at
what the scripture teaches and discover what the Day of the Lord
really is.
The Day of the Lord in the OT
A day of wrath and judgment on the unrighteous.
Isaiah 13:6-9 (NIV) Wail, for the day of the
LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty.
{7} Because of this, all hands will go limp, every man's heart
will melt. {8} Terror will seize them, pain and anguish will
grip them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look
aghast at each other, their faces aflame. {9} See, the day of
the LORD is coming --a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger-- to
make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it.
Isaiah continues...
Isaiah 13:11,13 (NIV) I will punish the world
for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the
arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless.
{13} Therefore I will make the heavens tremble; and the earth
will shake from its place at the wrath of the LORD Almighty, in the
day of his burning anger.
Dividing of the religious vs. those who “truly rely
on the Lord”
Amos 8:3-5
(NIV) "In that day," declares the Sovereign LORD, "the songs in the
temple will turn to wailing. Many, many bodies--flung everywhere!
Silence!" {4} Hear this, you
who trample the needy and do away with the poor of the land,
{5} saying, "When will the New Moon
be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may
market wheat?"-- skimping the measure, boosting the price and
cheating with dishonest scales
This verse described people who are religious - they
are singing in the temple and they observe the Sabbath, but their
heart is in their pocketbooks. Although they are religious they have
no problem cheating to make a few extra bucks.
Day of Judgment on Israel
Jeremiah 30:11 (NIV) I am with you and
will save you,' declares the LORD. 'Though I completely destroy all
the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy
you. I will discipline you but only with justice; I will not let you
go entirely unpunished.'
The next verse describes those of Israel who have
become complacent and tired of waiting on God - they feel God will
do nothing about their sinful condition.
Zephaniah 1:11-12 (NIV) Wail, you who live in
the market district ; all your merchants will be wiped out, all who
trade with silver will be ruined. {12} At that time I will
search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent, who
are like wine left on its dregs, who think, 'The LORD will do
nothing, either good or bad.'
Israel will trust the Holy One and be joined by aliens as God’s
people
Isaiah 10:20 (NIV) In that day the remnant of
Israel, the survivors of the house of Jacob, will no longer rely on
him who struck them down but will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy
One of Israel.
Isaiah 14:1 (NIV) The LORD will have
compassion on Jacob; once again he will choose Israel and will
settle them in their own land. Aliens will join them and unite with
the house of Jacob.
God Judges Israel
Zephaniah 1:17-18
(NIV) I will bring distress on the people and they will walk like
blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood
will be poured out like dust and their entrails like filth.
{18} Neither their silver nor their
gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord's wrath. In
the fire of his jealousy the whole world will be consumed, for he
will make a sudden end of all who live in the earth."
Amos 5:18-19
(NIV) Woe to you who long for the day of the LORD! Why do you long
for the day of the LORD? That day will be darkness, not light.
{19} It will be as though a
man fled from a lion only to meet a bear, as though he entered his
house and rested his hand on the wall only to have a snake bite him.
Jeremiah 4:10
(NIV) Then I said, "Ah, Sovereign LORD, how completely you have
deceived this people and Jerusalem by saying, 'You will have peace,'
when the sword is at our throats."
God purifies His people
Zep 2:1-3
(NIV) Gather together, gather together, O shameful nation,
{2} before the appointed time arrives
and that day sweeps on like chaff, before the fierce anger of the
LORD comes upon you, before the day of the Lord's wrath comes upon
you. {3} Seek the LORD, all
you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek
righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the
day of the Lord's anger.
Zep 3:8-9
(NIV) Therefore wait for me," declares the LORD, "for the day I will
stand up to testify. I have decided to assemble the nations, to
gather the kingdoms and to pour out my wrath on them-- all my fierce
anger. The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous
anger. {9} "Then will I purify
the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of
the LORD and serve him shoulder to shoulder."
A day when He comes to live among His people
Zechariah 2:10-12 NIV) "Shout and be glad, O
Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,"
declares the LORD. {11} "Many nations will be joined with the
LORD in that day and will become my people. I will live among you
and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you.
Day of wrath like never before or ever again
Joel 2:1-2
(NIV) Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let
all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming.
It is close at hand-- {2} a
day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn
spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such
as never was of old nor ever will be in ages to come.
Last call to return to the Lord
Joel 2:10-13
(NIV) Before them the earth shakes, the sky trembles, the sun and
moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine. {11}
The LORD thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond
number, and mighty are those who obey his command. The day of the
LORD is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it? {12}
'Even now,' declares the LORD, 'return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning.' {13}
Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in
love, and he relents from sending calamity.
Day of deliverance for “everyone who calls on the
name of the Lord”
Joel 2:31-32
(NIV) The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
{32} And everyone who calls on the
name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
there will be deliverance…
Sign of the Day of the Lord: sun and stars
darkened, moon darkened/to blood
Joel 2:10
(NIV) Before them the earth shakes, the sky trembles, the sun and
moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine.
Joel 2:31
(NIV) The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
Joel 3:14-15 (NIV) Multitudes, multitudes in
the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the
valley of decision. {15} The sun and moon will be darkened,
and the stars no longer shine.
Amos 8:9 (NIV) "In that day," declares the
Sovereign LORD, "I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the
earth in broad daylight.
We can divide these Old Testament verses into three
major themes that surround the prophecies regarding the Day of the
Lord. First, there is a sign of the Day of the Lord. The sun is
darkened and the moon turns to blood (red) and the stars no longer
shine. Second, God is coming to judge Israel and the world for their
sin. And, third, there is a theme of deliverance. "Rend your hearts
and not your garments," "return to the Lord your God," "Everyone who
calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved."
Matt 24:29-31 (NIV) Immediately after the distress of those
days 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its
light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies
will be shaken.' {30} At that time the sign of the Son of Man
will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn.
They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with
power and great glory. {31} And he will send his angels with
a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four
winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
Mark 13:24-27 (NIV) But in those days, following that
distress, 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its
light; {25} the stars will fall from the sky, and the
heavenly bodies will be shaken.' {26} At that time men will
see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.
{27} And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the
four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.
Luke 21:25-28 (NIV) There will be signs in the sun, moon and
stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at
the roaring and tossing of the sea. {26} Men will faint from
terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the
heavenly bodies will be shaken. {27} At that time they will
see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
{28} When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up
your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.
Acts 2:20-21 (NIV) The sun will be turned to darkness and the
moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the
Lord. {21} And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord
will be saved.
Three Themes in the New Testament
There are three themes that are present in the scriptures from the
New Testament concerning the Day of the Lord. They are:
Sign of Sun, Moon, and Stars just before...
Jesus comes in power and great glory
Salvation/Deliverance: “gather His elect,” “Redemption is
drawing near,” “everyone who calls… will be saved.”
Based on these observations, is the Day of the Lord mentioned in the
book of Revelation?
Rev 6:12-14 (NIV) I watched as he opened the sixth seal.
There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth
made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, {13} and
the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig
tree when shaken by a strong wind. {14} The sky receded like
a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from
its place. {15} Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the
generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man
hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. {16} They
called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from
the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the
Lamb! {17} For the great day of their wrath has come, and who
can stand?"
Rev 7:3-4 (NIV) "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees
until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God."
{4} Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000
from all the tribes of Israel.
Rev 7:9 (NIV) After this I looked and there before me was a
great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe,
people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the
Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches
in their hands. {10} And they cried out in a loud voice:
"Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the
Lamb."
Rev 7:13-14 (NIV) Then one of the elders asked me, "These in
white robes--who are they, and where did they come from?" {14}
I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have
come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and
made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
So, we see that the themes surrounding the Day of the Lord are
throughout the Bible, but what does this have to do with the
rapture?
In 2 Thessalonians 2 Paul writes about the "coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ" and "our being gathered to Him." Now what is the event at
the coming of the Lord Jesus AND our being gathered to Him? This is
so specific that it points directly to the rapture of the saints.
Then in verse 2, he names the event that is described as the
“coming” and “gathering” and calls it “the Day of the Lord.”...
In this passage in 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18, everyone agrees that
this passage IS giving the details about the rapture of the saints.
It is important to remember, though, that in the original language
there were no chapter divisions. So, the Apostle Paul writes about
the rapture and then continues in chapter 5 verse 1 immediately...
Paul has just been telling them what it will be like when Jesus
returns to rapture the church and immediately he begins to address
when this will happen - and it is blatantly obvious that what he has
been talking about, HE calls "the day of the Lord." The realization
that the Bible DOES talk about the rapture, but the Biblical term
for the rapture IS "the day of the Lord" is a stark revelation. And
now we must ask...
If that is true then we will find the following validations:
All Prophecies will naturally fit
All Prophecies will harmonize
All Problems with other views will be answered
There will be no scriptural contradictions
We will examine these further.
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