The Day Of The Lord

The Day of the Lord

Amos was one of many prophets to write about a coming “day of the LORD”: “What sorrow awaits you who say, ‘If only the day of the LORD were here!’” (Amos 5:18).

Zephaniah spoke of the “day of the LORD,” which was to be a day of the wrath of God visited upon those who have broken his covenant (Zephaniah 1:7-18). Isaiah wrote about the wrath of the day of the Lord as a day of vengeance (Isaiah 13:9), and Joel described the darkness of the day and called it “dreadful” (Joel 2:11, 31, NIV). However, Joel’s prophecy was not only concerned with the wrath of that day, but also with the blessing and salvation of that day. Joel wrote that the Spirit of God will be poured out on the people, and that every person who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (2:28-29, 32).

The day of the Lord, then, will be the day of God’s wrath and judgment against his enemies, but it will also be the day of salvation for his people. Although throughout the Old Testament era God sometimes judged the enemies of Israel and saved his people from destruction when they turned to him, clearly this had not happened in the complete and pervasive way the prophets had predicted.

At the coming of the Holy Spirit on Jesus’ followers at Pentecost, Peter said, “What you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel” (Acts 2:16). And throughout the rest of the New Testament, the apostles proclaimed the death and resurrection of Jesus as the day of the Lord. The day of the Lord came as the wrath of God was poured out upon our Substitute on the cross and salvation was purchased for us. The day of the Lord came as the people of God rose from the grave in the person of our Substitute and ascended to sit with him at the right hand of God.

But this prophecy still awaits full consummation. Scripture promises that one day all of God’s chosen people will embrace Jesus as the Messiah; and then the prophecy will have its final fulfillment. That final day of the Lord will be irrefutable and undeniable. It will be a day of both judgment on God’s enemies and salvation for his children.

Your day has come and is coming, Lord, and because of what you have accomplished in my stead, I don’t have to fear or dread your coming day. Instead, my heart awaits that day with joy in your salvation and rest in your promises.