Limitless Word

The Day of the Lord

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The thread of judgment and rescue that runs from the prophets to the return of Christ.

No theme gathers the prophets like "the day of the LORD" — a coming day when God acts decisively to judge evil and save his people. It thunders through Amos, Joel, Zephaniah, and Malachi; Jesus folds it into his own promise to return; Paul says it comes "like a thief in the night"; Peter sees the heavens dissolve and a new world dawn; and Revelation shows it consummated when the Rider on the white horse appears. Walk this trail and you watch the dim, fearful "day" of the prophets resolve into the bright return of the King.
  1. 1

    "Let the day of the LORD come"

    Amos 5:18

    Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! For what good is the day of the Lord to you? It will be darkness, and not light.

    Amos warns that the day many long for will be darkness, not light — judgment begins with God's own people.
  2. 2

    The sun turned to darkness

    Joel 2:31

    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 paints the cosmic signs of the great and awesome day — and promises the Spirit poured out.
  3. 3

    A day of wrath and nearness

    Zephaniah 1:14

    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.

    Zephaniah: "The great day of the LORD is near" — a call to seek the LORD before it comes.
  4. 4

    The refiner's fire

    Malachi 4:1

    “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, “That will leave them neither root nor branch.

    Malachi closes the Old Testament looking ahead to the burning day — and the sun of righteousness rising.
  5. 5

    Like a thief in the night

    1 Thessalonians 5:2

    For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.

    Paul: the day of the Lord comes suddenly; children of light stay awake and sober.
  6. 6

    The heavens will pass away

    2 Peter 3:10

    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.

    Peter: the day comes, the elements dissolve, and we wait for new heavens and a new earth.
  7. 7

    The great day of their wrath

    Revelation 6:17

    For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

    Revelation opens the sixth seal — Joel's signs return as the day finally dawns.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.