The Day of the Lord
Book of Joel
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85J-EKFl5n8
Today we are once again in the minor prophets looking at the major themes that comes from each one. And today, as we go through the prophet Joel, this is one of the major themes of the Bible, and the one that speaks to our time, just as it spoke to the nation of Israel back in the time of Joel.
The major theme of Joel is “Day of the Lord,” and how great and terrible it will be. But this theme is not exclusive to Joel, but it is seen throughout both the major and minor prophets, as well as in the New Testament. And we’ll see all of this in our time together.
And this brings us to an interesting question, however, and that is why I chose this as the theme of Joel, and not some of the other prophets that speak of this as well? Well, the answer is that Joel contains more references to the Day of the Lord along with the major movements or aspects surrounding this Day.
Throughout recorded time, humanity has been searching for that one principle or thing that determines the events that shape our history.
• Philosophers speak of history in terms of cycles, and that history is cyclical. Kind of like, “What goes around comes around.”
• Politicians say that history hinges on political institutions, that is, those forms of government that ruled over humanity. Therefore, the forces that shaped human history are political in nature.
• Economists see this in terms of supply and demand. That it’s the material demands of humanity that shape future events. Or to say it another way, what is the flavor of the day? That is, what does humanity valued the most, like today we could say oil, or in the future it will be technology (although we’re not far from that today).
• And those within the field of science they teach that all of history hinges upon the evolutionary principle, and it is this and this alone that shapes human destiny.
From the Bible, however, we learn that the world’s idea of history is misguided, and that human history hinges upon God’s Spirit working in and amongst His creation.
Even as early as Noah and the universal flood, which has now been well documented by geologist around the world, the Lord told Noah, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever.’” (Genesis 6:3 NKJV)
From early on, therefore, we see that there’s an ongoing conflict that is in our world, and that is, God’s Spirit actively restraining evil so that life can continue.
But, as God said to Noah, that there will come a day that the Holy Spirit’s influence will reach an end, when God finally removes the restraining ministry of the Holy Spirit, and then, all hell will break loose on the earth, and God’s judgment will come.
And the Bible refers to this as the great and terrible Day of the Lord.
Now, the word “day” as used in the Bible means either an exact period of time, that is, “It was the evening and morning of the first day,” or as a general expression for time without specific limits.
While some say that the Day of the Lord is a literal day, talking about it being when God will judge humanity, that is, where those found in the Book of Life will inherit eternal life with the Lord, and the wicked, along with Satan, his demons, Hell ,and death will be thrown into the Lake of Fire at God’s White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15).
And while this is something to consider, it doesn’t entirely match what the Scriptures describe as to what this “Day” entails. Instead of it being a literal day, it appears to be a period of time when Christ returns, rules and reigns, judgment is cast, and the heavens and the earth are destroyed and remade.
Therefore, the Day of the Lord is description for all the events of the end times.
Now, Joel was a prophet to the Southern kingdom of Judah, and although there are no dates or times lines within the prophecy, it is generally believed that he was the second minor prophet to the nation of Judah following Obadiah, and therefore, He would have probably been a contemporary to Elisha.
The lack of historical reference may just be intentional on God’s part, seeing that this message has timeless significance, as God’s people continue to be faced with crises and tough times. So, this message is just as applicable for us today as it was for the people back in Joel’s day.
So, what are these major movements or aspects surrounding the “Day of the Lord.”
The Day is Imminent
The word, “imminent,” means something that ready to take place and can happen at any time.
“For the day of the Lord is at hand … For the day of the Lord is coming, for it is at hand.” (Joel 1:15; 2:1 NKJV)
Imminence is actually one of the prominent themes concerning the Day of the Lord, especially in the Old Testament. Listen to what the prophets proclaimed,
• “Wail, for the day of the Lord is at hand!” (Isaiah 13:6a NKJV),
• “For the day is near, even the day of the Lord is near” (Ezekiel 30:3 NKJV),
• “The great day of the Lord is near; it is near and hastens quickly” (Zephaniah 1:14a NKJV),
• “For the day of the Lord upon all the nations is near” (Obadiah 1:15a NKJV).
But the doubters, or as Peter calls them, scoffers, love to say, “Well it wasn’t all that near, because thousands of years later it still hasn’t come.”
But we also see this idea of imminence from the Apostle Paul in the New Testament.
In dealing with a misconception of those in the Thessalonian church who had believed that Jesus had already come, and those who were alive missed it. To this misconception, Paul said, “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep” (1 Thessalonians 4:15 NKJV).
So exactly what did they mean by it being near? What was meant is that it was imminent, that is, it could happen at any time. This is what the Apostle Paul also brought out a little bit later in his letter to the Thessalonian Church.
For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:1 NKJV)
The Apostle Peter also talked about the Day of the Lord coming like a thief (2 Peter 3:10). But Jesus gives us what is meant by telling us to watch because we don’t know when the Day will be.
He said, “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Matthew 24:42-44 NKJV)
However, within this word Jesus gave, He says that when this Day comes it will be like a woman in labor and about to give birth, that there will be wars and rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes, great persecutions, false prophets, apostasy, and the gospel being preached throughout the world, and as a woman in labor, they will be happening in greater intensity and frequency (Matthew 24:1-13).
And so, while the Day of the Lord can happen at any time and at any moment, we can know the general time frame, and personally, what I see going on in the world over these last several generations, these signs are definitely on the rise, and so, don’t let it overtake us as a thief, but let’s watch and be ready, and get the word out to everyone.
The next aspect concerning the Day of the Lord can be seen throughout Joel’s prophecy.
A Day of Judgment
Let’s begin where we left off in Joel 1:15.
“For the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as destruction from the Almighty.” (Joel 1:15 NKJV)
Now, this destruction as judgment is seen in two areas, like when He references a locust plague, and how all the various stages of locust development will completely devastate the land and crops. In fact, the Lord goes on to say that this isn’t going to be like anything they’ve ever seen or heard of (Joel 1:1-3).
“What the chewing locust left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust left, the crawling locust has eaten; and what the crawling locust left, the consuming locust has eaten.” (Joel 1:4 NKJV)
But, Joel also talks about the Day of the Lord being a day of judgment at the end of His prophetic word. Here he talks about humanity’s final judgment as He brings all nations to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, or today what is known as the Valley of Megiddo, and what we know as the last great battle or Armageddon. And the Lord said, “I will enter into judgment with them.” (Joel 3:2 NKJV)
Look at this judgment.
“‘Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow--for their wickedness is great.’ Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.” (Joel 3:12-14 NKJV)
Judgment is probably the best known aspect of the Day of the Lord. Other prophets talked about it.
The prophet Malachi said, “‘For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,’ says the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 4:1 NKJV)
The prophet Jeremiah said, “For this is the day of the Lord God of hosts, a day of vengeance, that He may avenge Himself on His adversaries.” (Jeremiah 46:10 NKJV)
And the prophet Isaiah talks about it as a day when the pride of humanity comes tumbling down (Isaiah 2:11).
And so, what we see is that God’s upcoming judgment, in this Day of the Lord, will be a time of great terror.
A Day of Terror
And so, God’s judgment brings us to the next aspect of the Day of the Lord, and that is it being a day of terror and dread.
This is seen quite vividly in Joel 2:30-31.
“And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.” (Joel 2:30-31 NKJV)
Through the prophet Zephaniah we see just how terrible this day will be.
“The great day of the Lord is near; it is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the Lord is bitter; there the mighty men shall cry out. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of devastation and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness.” (Zephaniah 1:14-15 NKJV)
This idea is also seen in Peter’s second letter as he talks about the day of the Lord, and not only will it come as a thief in the night, but it will also be a time of great catastrophe.
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up … the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat.” (2 Peter 3:10, 12b NKJV)
And it will literally take the heart right out of every human being alive at that time, even the strongest and most powerful.
The prophet Isaiah said, “Therefore all hands will be limp, every man's heart will melt, and they will be afraid. Pangs and sorrows will take hold of them; they will be in pain as a woman in childbirth; they will be amazed at one another; their faces will be like flames. Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; and He will destroy its sinners from it” (Isaiah 13:7-9 NKJV).
The prophet Isaiah also talks about how in that day people will try to hide themselves in the caves to escape the terror of the Lord (Isaiah 2:19), which is the same description given by the Apostle John in the Book of Revelation at the six seal judgment of God when a great earthquake happens, and the sun will become dark, and the moon will turn to blood.
“And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” (Revelation 6:15-17 NKJV)?
And so, I think it’s safe to say that the Day of the Lord is going to be some pretty frightening stuff.
A Day of Repentance
This aspect is closely linked with the aspect of terror. The Lord probably knew that through instilling the terror of what was to happen, that then the people would repent, that is, they would turn back, or return to the Lord and avoid God’s judgment and terror.
This is at the heart of what I see the prophet Joel saying in Joel 2:12-13.
“‘Even now,’ declares the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.’ 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.” (Joel 2:12-13 NIV)
Again, I turn to the prophet Zephaniah. Remember the Lord spoke through him about how great the calamity of that day will be. And so, I think it is fitting that he reveals the purpose of these terrors, and that is to get the people to seek God before it is too late.
“Before the decree is issued, or the day passes like chaff, before the Lord's fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the Lord's anger comes upon you! Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord's anger.” (Zephaniah 2:2-3 NKJV)
Zephaniah is offering a choice; either experience the wrath of God on the Day of the Lord, or seek God and transform your lives before the Day of the Lord.
And all of this leads up to our last aspect of the Day of the Lord.
A Day of Restoration
While Joel talks about God restoring what had been destroyed, there is no place better than what Joel said in 2:25.
But let me lead up to this verse in what Joel said earlier. In verse 19 the Lord said, “I will send you grain and new wine and oil, and you will be satisfied by them; I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations.”
And then in verses 23-24, Joel said, “Be glad … and rejoice in the Lord your God; for He has given you the former rain faithfully, and He will cause the rain to come down for you--the former and the latter rain … (And) The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.”
And then comes verse 25 when the Lord said, “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you.” (Joel 2:25 NKJV)
What we need to make sure of is that we recognize that this is the restoration of God’s judgment that He called out upon Israel back in chapter one.
“What the chewing locust left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust left, the crawling locust has eaten; and what the crawling locust left, the consuming locust has eaten.” (Joel 1:4 NKJV)
Now, looking at some of the other prophets talking about the nearness, judgment, terror, and call for repentance; there exists language of great blessing and rebuilding.
“On that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, and repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old.” (Amos 9:11 NKJV)
“But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.” (Obadiah 1:17 NKJV)
This being a day of restoration is also brought out by the Apostle Peter saying it will be a day of new beginnings.
Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:13 NKJV)
This new beginning is seen in greater detail in the book of Revelation. “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away … Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband … Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new” (Revelation 21:1-5).
And this is nothing less than the promise God had made through the prophet Isaiah.
For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, and her people a joy” (Isaiah 65:17-18 NKJV).
And so, what we have seen is that the Day of the Lord can occur at any time, and it will be a time of judgment, terror, repentance, and restoration. And hopefully you’ve noticed that there occurs an order of events when it comes to the Day of the Lord. First comes judgment, which brings the fear of God and hopefully a repentance on the part of the people. And it is only then that God will restore.
Conclusion
I think, with the above prophetic word given by God, and knowing that what God has said will happen, that this should speak into all of our hearts so that we will turn from all that displeases God, that is, sin, and turn to Him.
And so, how then are we to respond?
I think that first we shouldn’t doubt the reality of God or His word by doubting what God is about to do, that is, the Day of the Lord can happen now at any time (2 Peter 3:3-4).
Next, we need to get right with God, and please understand that the reason the Day of the Lord hasn’t happened is because God is merciful, wishing none to perish and that everyone should come to repentance (John 3:16).
And then, seeing that everything in the end will be destroyed, what manner of person ought we to then be in holy conduct and godliness as bought out in 2 Peter 3:11.
After this we need to prepare ourselves for the Day of the Lord, knowing that it is imminent. Therefore, don’t let us sneak up on us like a thief in the night, but rather let’s watch and always be ready.
And finally, pray and ask for the Lord to come quickly. We need to pray, “Maranatha, come quickly Lord Jesus.” But Jesus is delaying His coming because, in His mercy, He wishes none to perish.
