PJ HanleyThe Day of the Lord is the period of God’s judgment and wrath at the end of the age followed by the Millennial Reign of Messiah. Both are considered the Day of the Lord, but the first part is the time of wrath and judgment – the preparation for the Millennium. It is essentially the cleansing of the earth by the Messiah before He comes to rule and reign. Some Scriptures include the time of wrath followed by the Millennium, but the majority refer to the time of wrath as the Day of the Lord. Jesus called it a time of great tribulation, and as a result, the church adopted that as a title. Thus the period became known as the Tribulation rather than the Day of the Lord. This is an unfortunate result of Replacement Theology that has caused many to be ignorant of this biblical theme which we will briefly examine now.
“The earth is broken asunder, the earth is split through, the earth is shaken violently. The earth reels to and fro like a drunkard, and it totters like a shack, for its transgression is heavy upon it, and it will fall, never to rise again. So it will happen in that day, that the LORD will punish the host of heaven, on high, and the kings of the earth, on earth. And they will be gathered together like prisoners in the dungeon, and will be confined in prison; and after many days they will be punished. Then the moon will be abashed and the sun ashamed, for the LORD of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and His glory will be before His elders.” Isaiah 24:19-23
In this passage, the severe judgment of the Day of the Lord is detailed. The angels (host of heaven) are judged, and also the kings of the earth. The destruction is detailed, and the conclusion is the Millennial reign.
“Enter the rock and hide in the dust from the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty. The proud look of man will be abased and the loftiness of man will be humbled, and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. For the LORD of hosts will have a day of reckoning against everyone who is proud and lofty and against everyone who is lifted up, that he may be abased…. The pride of man will be humbled and the loftiness of men will be abased; and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day, but the idols will completely vanish. Men will go into caves of the rocks and into holes of the ground before the terror of the LORD and the splendor of His majesty, when He arises to make the earth tremble. In that day men will cast away to the moles and the bats their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which they made for themselves to worship, in order to go into the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs before the terror of the LORD and the splendor of His majesty, when He arises to make the earth tremble.” Is 2:12-21
This passage is about the Day of the Lord – the final judgment on the enemies of God. Most of us refer to it as the Tribulation. It is to occur soon, in likely a decade or so. We are at the end of the age, and this is what the Scripture says will happen. Those who reject this are being deceived and will not recognize any restorative revival before then. Instead, they will follow a false Jesus who offers love, grace, and world peace to everyone. Incidentally, verses 1-4 of this chapter (Isaiah 2) speak of the Millennial Reign which is to take place after this judgment. Also, compare the above passage in Isaiah 2 to the opening of the 6th seal in Revelation chapter 6. There are so many verses on the Day of the Lord, or the Tribulation period of wrath, that we cannot include them here. This is a major theme of the prophets and the New Testament. We will just look at a few more.
“Wail, for the day of the LORD is near! It will come as destruction from the Almighty. Therefore all hands will fall limp, and every man’s heart will melt. They will be terrified, pains and anguish will take hold of them; they will writhe like a woman in labor, they will look at one another in astonishment, their faces aflame. Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, cruel, with fury and burning anger, to make the land a desolation; and He will exterminate its sinners from it. For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not flash forth their light; the sun will be dark when it rises and the moon will not shed its light. Thus I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity; I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud and abase the haughtiness of the ruthless. I will make mortal man scarcer than pure gold and mankind than the gold of Ophir. Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken from its place at the fury of the LORD of hosts in the day of His burning anger.” Is 13:6-13
“Near is the great day of the LORD, near and coming very quickly; listen, the day of the LORD! In it the warrior cries out bitterly. A day of wrath is that day, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and the high corner towers. I will bring distress on men so that they will walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD; and their blood will be poured out like dust and their flesh like dung. Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the day of the LORD’S wrath; and all the earth will be devoured in the fire of His jealousy, for He will make a complete end, indeed a terrifying one, of all the inhabitants of the earth.” Zeph 1:14-18
“For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night while they are saying, ‘Peace and safety!’ then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” 1 Thess 5:2-3
“But 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.” 2 Peter 3:10
“I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” 1 Cor 5:5
“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Phil 1:6
Another powerful reference to the Day of the Lord, or the Day of Wrath and Vengeance, is found in Isaiah 61 verses 1-2. Jesus read this in the synagogue in Nazareth, but He deliberately left out the second part of verse 2. Why? Because the second part was not fulfilled in their hearing; it was about His second coming and the Day of the Lord.
“And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, ‘THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.’ And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’” Luke 4:17-21
Almost all pastors are familiar with these verses, but very few know that the second part of verse 2 was not spoken. Let’s look at this verse. “To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD and the day of vengeance of our God…..” Jesus’ ministry lasted for 3½ years. The number 7 is the complete number, but 3½ is incomplete. God does not complete His work in 3½, but always in seven. Thus, Jesus left out the “day of vengeance of our God” because that is the second half of His earthy ministry when He comes to deal out retribution upon His enemies. This is the Day of the Lord – the Day of Vengeance of our God. It is also three and a half years long and will complete Jesus’ preparation of the earth before His reign.
Excerpt from REVIVAL: GOD’S SOVEREIGN INTERVENTIONS RECLAIMING THE PURPOSE OF REVIVAL & RECEIVING THE LAST GREAT WAVE by PJ Hanley. To purchase this book, click the button below:
