The Day of the Lord

[angels4u]

Dear friends , do we realize we're living in these last days? 

 Purpose of This Letter

      1This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.

The Coming Day of the Lord

      3Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, 4and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” 5For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, 6through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. 7But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

      8But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

A New Heaven and Earth

      10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

      11Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! 13But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

      14Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, 15and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, 18but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

 

[thilipsis]

The 'day of the Lord', appears to be final judgment day. It's also called the Great White Throne. The OT tends to speak of it as a day when God destroys his enemies in one final decisive battle so one wonders if this happens at the return of Christ. 

Edited January 3, 2017 by thilipsis

[guestman]

First off, some corrections are necessary, such as the rendering of the King James Bible and other Bibles (such as the New American Standard Bible used here) for 2 Peter 3 as well as many other Scriptures. The words: "Where is the promise of his coming ?" is not what was accurately written by the apostle Peter, but rather "Where is this promised presence of his ?"

Peter did not use the Greek word for "coming", erchomai (that Jesus used at Matt 16:28, 24:30, 26:64), but rather parousia, that means "presence" (that Jesus used at Matt 24:3, 37, 39). In speaking of "the last days", the apostle Peter tied it in with Jesus "promised presence", and of which he described how many would react to the thought that "the last days" are real, ridiculing it, saying: "Where is this promised presence of his ? Why, from the day our forefathers fell asleep in death, all things are continuing exactly as they were from creation's beginning".(2 Pet 3:4; New World Translation)

So, the question is - When did "the last days" begin, Jesus "promised presence" ? The churches have no answer. Yet the Bible provides the answer, as at Daniel 4. There Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar had a dream of an enormous tree whose "top reached the heavens, and it was visible to the ends of the whole earth".(Dan 4:10, 11)

Some time earlier, in about the year 605 B.C.E.(Dan 2:1, Nebuchadnezzar's 2nd year here is counted from after the destruction of Jerusalem in 607 B.C.E., not from his regnal year when he ascended to the throne in 624 B.C.E.), Nebuchadnezzar had a dream of an "immense image" of a man that portrayed a series of world powers starting with ancient Babylon ("head of gold") down to our time frame that ends with "the feet and toes......partly of clay of a potter and partly of iron".(Britain/America, Dan 2:41)

Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar "that there is a God in the heavens who is a Revealer of secrets, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what is to happen in the final part of the days".("latter days", KJV, Dan 2:28) Hence, in order to grasp what is exactly meant both by "the immense image " of a man at Daniel 2 and of the "enormous tree" at Daniel 4, it is vital that a time line is established. Elsewise, ambiguity remains and nothing is really understood.

In the dream of the "enormous tree", an angel commands that it be cut down.(Dan 4:13) What was it that was "cut down" ? God's rulership through David's lineage. God made a promise with David for "the covenant for a kingdom" that is to last forever (2 Sam 7:16), coming through the tribe of Judah.(Gen 49:10)

God ensured that David's lineage would continue even when Israelite kings were wicked.(1 Kings 11:36; 2 Kings 8:19) However, this rulership was interrupted in 607 B.C.E., when King Nebuchadnezzar overthrew Jerusalem and took king Zedekiah back to Babylon.(2 Kings 25:7)

When was the "enormous tree" that pictured God's rulership by means of a representative king "cut down" ? Ezekiel 21 speaks of this rulership, saying: "But your day has come, O fatally wounded, wicked chieftain of Israel (king Zedekiah), the time of your final punishment. This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: ' Remove the turban, and take off the crown. This will not remain the same. Raise up the low one (Jesus Christ), and bring low the high one (king Zedekiah). A ruin, a ruin, a ruin I will make it (God's rulership through Zedekiah). And it will not belong to anyone until the one who has the legal right comes, and I must give it to him".(Eze 21:25-27) This "him" is Jesus Christ, but when did he receive "the crown" ? When "the last days" began.

Now back to Daniel 4 that gives a time line for Jesus Christ to take up rulership of God's Kingdom. It was interrupted in 607 B.C.E. "until the one who has the legal right comes". The "enormous tree" was "cut down" and then its stump was banded with "iron and of copper.......until seven times pass over it".(Dan 4:23) This showed that God's rulership through his representatives was broken for a time, but would again come forth, that "the one who has the legal right", Jesus Christ, would receive kingly power (Dan 7:13, 14) and thus begin "the final part of the days".

Hence, how long is "the seven times" counting from 607 B.C.E. ? Each "time" was 360 days, so "the seven times" would be 2,520 days. But there is more to this, for "the seven times" is not based on days but rather on years, based on the principle at Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6, "a day for year, a day for year".

So, 2,520 years from 607 B.C.E when God's representative rulership was interrupted, reached down to the year 1914 C.E. and of which began "the last days" and the enthronement of Jesus Christ as king of God's Kingdom.(Rev 6:1, 2) Soon, we will see Jesus "coming (Greek erchomai) on the clouds of heaven (or invisible) with power and great glory" (Matt 24:30), to bring "vengeance on those who do not know God (whose personal name is Jehovah, Ps 83:18) and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus".(2 Thess 1:8)

[missmuffet]

Question: "What is the day of the Lord?"

Answer: The phrase “day of the Lord” usually identifies events that take place at the end of history (Isaiah 7:18-25) and is often closely associated with the phrase “that day.” One key to understanding these phrases is to note that they always identify a span of time during which God personally intervenes in history, directly or indirectly, to accomplish some specific aspect of His plan.

Most people associate the day of the Lord with a period of time or a special day that will occur when God’s will and purpose for His world and for mankind will be fulfilled. Some scholars believe that the day of the Lord will be a longer period of time than a single day—a period of time when Christ will reign throughout the world before He cleanses heaven and earth in preparation for the eternal state of all mankind. Other scholars believe the day of the Lord will be an instantaneous event when Christ returns to earth to redeem His faithful believers and send unbelievers to eternal damnation.

The phrase “the day of the Lord” is used nineteen times in the Old Testament (Isaiah 2:12; 13:6, 9; Ezekiel 13:5, 30:3; Joel 1:15, 2:1,11,31; 3:14; Amos 5:18,20; Obadiah 15; Zephaniah 1:7,14; Zechariah 14:1; Malachi. 4:5) and five times in the New Testament (Acts 2:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:2; 2 Peter 3:10). It is also alluded to in other passages (Revelation 6:17; 16:14).

The Old Testament passages dealing with the day of the Lord often convey a sense of imminence, nearness, and expectation: “Wail, for the day of the Lord is near!” (Isaiah 13:6); “For the day is near, even the day of the Lord is near” (Ezekiel 30:3); “Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand” (Joel 2:1); “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision” (Joel 3:14); “Be silent before the Lord God! For the day of the Lord is near” (Zephaniah 1:7). This is because the Old Testament passages referring to the day of the Lord often speak of both a near and a far fulfillment, as does much of Old Testament prophecy. Some Old Testament passages that refer to the day of the Lord describe historical judgments that have already been fulfilled in some sense (Isaiah 13:6-22; Ezekiel 30:2-19; Joel 1:15, 3:14; Amos 5:18-20; Zephaniah 1:14-18), while others refers to divine judgments that will take place toward the end of the age (Joel 2:30-32; Zechariah 14:1; Malachi 4:1, 5).

The New Testament calls it a day of “wrath,” a day of “visitation,” and the “great day of God Almighty” (Revelation 16:14) and refers to a still future fulfillment when God’s wrath is poured out on unbelieving Israel (Isaiah 22; Jeremiah 30:1-17; Joel 1-2; Amos 5; Zephaniah 1) and on the unbelieving world (Ezekiel 38–39; Zechariah 14). The Scriptures indicate that “the day of the Lord” will come quickly, like a thief in the night (Zephaniah 1:14-15; 2 Thessalonians 2:2), and therefore Christians must be watchful and ready for the coming of Christ at any moment.

Besides being a time of judgment, it will also be a time of salvation as God will deliver the remnant of Israel, fulfilling His promise that “all of Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26), forgiving their sins and restoring His chosen people to the land He promised to Abraham (Isaiah 10:27; Jeremiah 30:19-31, 40; Micah 4; Zechariah 13). The final outcome of the day of the Lord will be that “the arrogance of man will be brought low and the pride of men humbled; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day” (Isaiah 2:17). The ultimate or final fulfillment of the prophecies concerning the day of the Lord will come at the end of history when God, with wondrous power, will punish evil and fulfill all His promises.

https://www.gotquestions.org/day-of-the-Lord.html

[iamlamad]

When we study the Day of the Lord in the Old Testament, we see the word "destruction" time after time: God's plan is to destroy the world and the sinners in the world.

We see the beginning of God destroying the world, with each trumpet judgment, and then later, each vial of God's wrath.

However, There is yet another period of time to consider, and that is the 70th week of Daniel or the time called "Jacob's trouble." Remember, Jacob was TRICKED and had to work and EXTRA 7 year to marry the girl he loved. So Jacob's "trouble" means 7 years.

Daniel wrote of the last half of this period of time twice, as "time, times, and the dividing of time."

John then wrote of this same time period 5 more times, twice as 1260 days, twice as 42 months, and once again as time, times and half of time.

All seven of these counts are speaking of the last half of Daniel's 70th week.

So what is the relationship between the DAY and the week? Are they the same? No, for the WEEK lasts only 7 years, and ends, but the DAY continues on  - it seems for the entire millennial reign of Christ.

As I see it, the Day of the Lord begins at the 6th seal where John wrote, "the day of His wrath has come."

The 70th week of Daniel will begin with the 7th seal and the 30 minutes of silence. In other words, the 70th week is found INSIDE the Day of the Lord.

The 70th week will end with the 7th vial in Rev. 16, while the Day of the Lord will continue.

The exact midpoint of the 70th week will be marked by the 7th trumpet.

By the time the Millennial Reign begins, there will be NO unbelievers left on earth.

[Ezra]

On 1/31/2017 at 10:41 PM, Cletus said:

Last days or beginning of sorrows?

Neither. THE DAY OF THE LORD = THE GREAT TRIBULATION.

[Ezra]

4 hours ago, Cletus said:

Care to expound on that? 

Hi Cletus,

When you examine the descriptions of the Day of the Lord in the OT, they correspond to the events during the Great Tribulation, which also correspond to the events in the 6th and 7th seal judgments.  All these Scriptures tie together.

JOEL 2:1,2,10 (One of many descriptions)

Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:

MATTHEW 24:29

Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

REVELATION 6:12-14

And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

[Ezra]

2 hours ago, Cletus said:

I think its the day Jesus comes back. 

You are probably referring to "the day of Christ", which is NOT the day of the LORD.

[Marilyn C]

1 hour ago, Cletus said:

 

The day of The Lord is a day.  NOT a period of tribulation.

 

Hi Cletus,

Actually I agree with Ezra there. There is a difference between the Day of Christ & the Day of the Lord.

The Day of the Lord is a time period & a specific day.

`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, & the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth & the works that are in it will be burned up.` (2 Peter 3: 10)

This period refers to that time coinciding with God dealing again with Israel & the nations subsequent to the Rapture of the Church & terminating with the destruction of the heavens & the earth.

Marilyn.

[Marilyn C]

6 hours ago, Cletus said:

2 peter was one of the references i made in my original post on this.  (writings of Peter and Paul)  And in this scripture you provided where it says "Day of the Lord"  that word day is the greek word hemera.  which is defined as a 24 hour period, dawn to dusk.  see an earlier post of mine to get the definition. 

The part about a thief in the night is talking about Jesus coming back, and catching people unaware... because if they had known the thief was coming they would have waited up.  these are Jesus' own words describing Him coming back, not the great trib.  In addition to that, the heavens and earth do not pass away until Jesus returns and the earth and the works that are in it will not be burned up until Jesus returns. 

Hi Cletus,

Yes the Greek word `hemera` refers to a 24 hour period, however....when used figuratively means - a period, always defined by the context - age, judgment, years. This is what we see in 2 Peter 3: 10

`the Day of the Lord .....in which the heavens will pass away...`

That time period includes Israel`s final 7 year chastisement, Jacob`s trouble, Jesus` deliverance of Israel, earthly judgment of the nations, & on through the Millennium till the Great White Throne with the heavens & earth being burnt up.

`And I saw a great white throne & Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth & the heaven fled away.` (Rev. 20: 11)

As to `the heavens and earth do not pass away until Jesus returns and the earth and the works that are in it will not be burned up until Jesus returns. ` as you said, scripture does not say that I believe. Can you give specific scriptures to show your point?

Marilyn.