A Study Of "The Day Of The Lord” In The Scriptures – All References Part 3 - Joel Series

A STUDY OF “THE DAY OF THE LORD” IN THE SCRIPTURES – ALL REFERENCES PART 3 - JOEL

The DAY OF THE LORD is “The Day of Jehovah” and its usage is always associated with something dire, with judgement, and with events outside the implementation of man. In other words, it is the intervention of God with the power of God in the affairs of this world. It has a primary application to Israel, but that is always extended often to a wider field, and that involves the world.

The term covers the chronology of events after the Rapture right up to the new heavens and the new earth, which is the culmination of all human history before the eternal state. It is the time when God openly and dramatically intervenes in the undertakings of this earth in awesome power and wrath. Therefore, the DAY of the LORD covers the Tribulation; the judgments and the way humans will react to it. In particular, the greatest concentration of prophecies, and the usage of this term, relate to the Second Coming of the Lord – His glorious appearing; the Second Coming which is for Armageddon and His Return to His earthly people, the Jews. It often deals with signs and people’s emotions and cosmic happenings. It is very much connected with Israel and her dealings with God and the nations.

There are so many references to the time period known as “The Day of the LORD” and many of them don’t mention the whole term, but we know that is what is being referred to as it parallels other passages. The list is exhaustive and too big to include all texts, but I want to list most of the major mentions for the OT and NT references for the DAY of the LORD and special points are underlined –

NUMBER 6

[06]. {{Joel 2:1–3 “Blow a trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm on My holy mountain. Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble for the day of the LORD is coming. Surely it is near, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn is spread over the mountains, so there is a great and mighty people. There has never been anything like it, nor will there be again after it to the years of many generations. A fire consumes before them, and behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them, but a desolate wilderness behind them, and nothing at all escapes them.”}}

((Joel is an amazing book. I give but a small summary. In chapter 1 the locusts are described and the devastation on the land they caused. The lovely scenery before them is reduced to destruction behind them. These locusts speak of invading armies. Chapter 2 describes the advance of the armies foreshadowed by locusts in chapter 1, and contains elements of the Day of the LORD. This description of the armies is just so like an advancing tank invasion of the enemy and Israel will suffer. The remainder of chapter 2 sees a turn around when the Lord restores the fortunes of His people and settles them securely in their land, and then He pours out His Spirit on them. That chapter describes the troubles for the nation in the Tribulation, especially right at the end, and after that, their restoration. Chapter 3 is concentrating on the great battle of Armageddon, and after that, another look at the Restoration of Israel.

It is remarkable that the very first book written, of all 17 of the Old Testament prophetic books, details so fully the path Israel takes through the Tribulation, and the surrounding armies leading to Armageddon, and then its final restoration. That covers all Israel’s future in a nutshell. This truly is an amazing book.

The verses above contain many of the Day of the LORD signs that other prophets use also and even added to by Jesus in Matthew 24. Darkness, gloom, clouds (thick clouds) occur frequently in relation to the Day of the LORD. Verses 4-10 of chapter 2 (Joel 2:4-10) are a perfect description of advancing tanks in battle. This army that advances on Jerusalem is none other than the confederacy of Gog and Magog detailed in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39. It also embraces ALL the nations of the earth who have sent armies to Israel, called there by the three frog spirit demons of {{Revelation 16 - 16:13-14 “I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs, 16:14 for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.”}}