The Day of the Lord – the Key to End Times Prophecy

This article is about understanding what the Bible says about the Day of the Lord because understanding the Day of the Lord is key to understanding end times prophecy. However, before we get to that, know that some of what I’m going to present is a little different from standard church doctrine. So, I’m going to ask you to do something a little different. I don’t want you to believe anything I say. NOTHING!

Instead, I want you to remember everything I say, then I want you to look it all up. I want you to search the scripture to see if these thing are true. Also look up opposing views on the end times and see how the evidence and logic compare to what you’re going to read in this article. This is the true meaning of the Belt of Truth in the Armor of God. It’s a love for the truth that drives you to research the truth so that you know it is the truth.

Back to the Day of the Lord. The Day of the Lord is not a subject talked about much in church, and I kind of understand why. However, the subject of the Day of the Lord is important, it’s so important that the Bible talks about this day more than any other day in the Bible. That’s right, the Bible talks more about the Day of the Lord than it talks about the creation, more than it talks about the flood, and more than it talks about the birth or death of Jesus Christ.

It’s important to know that a proper understanding of just what this day is and when it happens is crucial for understanding End Times Prophecy – and especially a Christians place within God’s plan for the End of Days.

First I want to tell you a story – one that has nothing to do with the Bible.

1. 1. I tell you this story because I don’t want you to be ignorant about children’s hopes of receiving gifts this year, and because I want you to be able to give them hope. For Santa will soon be coming to you and your family.
   2. He will come wearing a red suit, riding on a sleigh and be kind of fat and jolly. Children will be so excited they will actually be good and listen when told to go to bed. When they wake in the morning, they will dash to the tree to see what Santa has left them.
   3. But concerning the timing of the coming of that Day of Christmas, you don’t need me to tell you. For that day can sneak up on you and could be here before you even realize it.
   4. But you aren’t like the people who don’t pay attention to the time of year. You pay attention. You know the signs of the coming of Christmas and will know about when Santa will be arriving. Let us all keep watch and look for the time of his arrival.

I told you the above story because it matches elements in the first Biblical scripture we are going to examine. The reason for the story is that it gets rid of much of the beliefs the modern church attaches to scripture and lets you look at the elements of the story. By doing this, you will be able to see the scripture more clearly. So, Let’s examine what the above story is saying:

1. 1. Santa is coming.
   2. Description of what will happen when he comes.
   3. Timing – Christmas is the day Santa comes.
   4. If you don’t pay attention, you will l be surprised when Christmas arrives.
   5. If you love Christmas and pay attention, you will know approximately when it’s going to arrive.

Now I want to examine the scripture from the Bible that matches the above story. Keep in mind Paul is talking the the Church in Thessalonica, and through them, the rest of the Church (if you are a Christian, this means YOU!). If you want to follow in your Bible, look up 1 Thess 4:13-5:6:

Let’s create a list of the signs and events contained in this scripture, just the way we did in the story about the coming of Santa:

1. 1. Jesus is Coming – 1 Thess 4:16
   2. Description of what will happen when he comes (the rapture) – 1 Thess 4:14-17
   3. Time – The day Jesus comes is called The Day of the Lord – 1 Thess 5:2.
   4. Those who are not Christians will be surprised and then destroyed – 1 Thess 5:2-3.
   5. Those who are Christians will not be surprised, but we are supposed to be sober and watch for the event – 1 Thess 5:4-6.

Next, let’s simplify it even further and keep track of the list so we can create clear picture of what the Day of the Lord is all about:

1. 1. Day of the Lord
   2. Second Coming of Jesus Christ
   3. The Rapture
   4. Most will be shocked and then destroyed
   5. Christians will watch and know approximately when this day is about to happen

Now let’s examine another scripture that specifically talks about the Day of the Lord, 2 Thess 2:1-3. Paul writes to the Church in Thessalonica because they had received a forged letter, purportedly from him, telling the church they had missed the rapture. As you might guess, the Christians in the Thessalonica church were afraid and very agitated. This letter is in response to that false letter, and it is meant to describe the rapture and accompanying events to reassure the churches members.

We’ll start with the second chapter:

2 Thess 2:1-3 – Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, regarding the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit, or a message, or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the Day of the Lord has come. No one is to deceive you in any way! For it will not come unless the ^[d]apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,

If you extract the key elements from this passage, I think you will see that it agrees with the passage we looked at in 1 Thess almost exactly. There are three items linked together as the same event. It says that the 2nd coming of Jesus, our being gathered to him, and the Day of Christ (Day of the Lord) are all the same event. Just to make the point that the rapture/Day of the Lord hasn’t happened yet, Paul gives two pre-conditions that must be met before this event can happen: 1.) there must be a falling away from the Church, and 2.) the man of sin (anti-Christ) must be revealed.

Here is a list of the key events contained in 2 Thess 2:1-3:

1. 1. 1. This is the Day of the Lord.
      2. The 2nd coming of Jesus Christ.
      3. The “rapture.”

In addition, there are two preconditions that must be met before this day can happen:

1. 1. 1. An apostasy or falling away.
      2. The anti-Christ is reveled.

Now let’s look at Acts 2:19-21 where Luke is quoting from Joel 2:30-32:

Joel 2:30-32 – Acts 2:19-21 – I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.  20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD. 

21 And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved.’

Notice that the name of this day is the Day of the Lord. I wanted to point that out to you to make sure you know Luke is talking about the same day Paul did in 1 and 2 Thessalonians. However, in this passage, Joel and Luke are describing the sign God shows in the lead up to the return of His Son. He says there will be wonders in heaven, that the sun shall be dark, the moon will turn to blood. He also says that if you call on the name of the Lord, you shall be saved. I believe, based on the reading of other scriptures, that you will be saved by being raptured.

Key signs of the Day of the Lord from Acts 2:19-21 and Joel 2:30-32:

1. 1. 1. The Sun shall be turned into darkness
      2. The Moon into blood

Key events of the Day of the Lord from Acts 2:19-21 and Joel 2:30-32:

1. 1. 1. If you call on the name of the Lord, you shall be saved (raptured)

Let’s also take a look at Joel 2:10-11. This is another passage specifically naming the Day of the Lord:

Joel 2:10-11 – The earth quakes before them, The heavens tremble; The sun and moon grow dark, And the stars diminish their brightness. 11 The LORD gives voice before His army, For His camp is very great; for strong is the One who executes His word. For the Day of the LORD is great and very terrible; who can endure it?

To shorten this article a just little, I’m just going to lists the key signs and events from each scripture from this point forward. Compare my lists to scripture for accuracy.

Key signs of the Day of the Lord from Joel 2:10-11

1. 1. 1. There will be earthquakes
      2. The heavens will tremble
      3. The sun and moon will grow dark
      4. The stars will diminish their brightness
      5. This day will be very great and very terrible

Next, let’s take a look at Isa 13:9-10.

Isa 13:9-10 – 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. 10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light; The sun will be darkened in its going forth, And the moon will not cause its light to shine.

Key signs of the Day of the Lord from Isa 13:9-10

1. 1. 1. The stars will not give their light
      2. The sun will be darkened
      3. The moon will not cause it’s light to shine

Key events of the Day of the Lord from Isa 13:9-10

1. 1. 1. This is the Day of the Lord
      2. It will be cruel with wrath and anger
      3. God will destroy the sinners from the land

Next up is Joel 3:14-16.

Joel 3:14-16 – Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.  15 The sun and moon will grow dark, And the stars will diminish their brightness.  16 The LORD also will roar from Zion, And utter His voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will shake; But the LORD will be a shelter for His people, And the strength of the children of Israel.

Key signs of the Day of the Lord from Joel 3:14-16

1. 1. 1. The sun and moon will grow dark
      2. The stars will diminish their brightness
      3. The Lord will roar from Zion and utter his voice from Jerusalem
      4. The heavens and earth will shake

Key events of the Day of the Lord from Joel 3:14-16

1. 1. 1. The Lord will shelter his people
      2. The Lord will be the strength of the Children of Israel

There are more scriptures that specifically mention the Day of the Lord, but I’m going to stop here and combine all lists into one master list that we can use to know and recognize the Day of the Lord:

1. 1. 1. Falling Away
      2. Anti-Christ is reveled
      3. Church is supposed to watch for its coming

1. 1. 1. Sun will be darkened
      2. Moon will not give its light
      3. Stars will diminish their brightness/fall from heaven
      4. Earth will quake
      5. Earth and heavens will shake

1. 1. 1. The second coming of Jesus Christ
      2. The rapture
      3. Protection to Israel/Shelter his people
      4. Beginning of the Wrath of God

There are many other places in scripture we can look at that specifically mentions the Day of the Lord. If you want to expand your study, follow this link. Keep in mind as you visit this link that there are also many scriptures that talk about the Day of the Lord but do not specifically mention it by name. That is why we built a list of key elements we can use to recognize the Day of the Lord, but without it being expressly named.

To finish this article, we are going to examine two of the Scriptures that talk about the Day of the Lord but do not name it. This is also where we depart from church doctrine and rely on the scripture, our love of the truth, and the holy spirit to reveal the truth to us.

The first scripture is from what’s called the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24. Several of the disciples came to Jesus and asked him “what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” In it, Jesus gives a long list of things that will happen, and lists them in the order in which they will happen. This passage is so important it is also repeated in Mark 13 and Luke 21. The last thing Jesus says will happen is described below:

Matt 24:29-31 – “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Like the scriptures cited earlier, let’s create a list of key signs and events and compare it with what we learned about the Day of the Lord:

1. 1. 1. The sun is darkened
      2. The moon is dimmed
      3. The stars will fall from heaven
      4. The heavens will be shaken

1. 1. 1. The return of Jesus Christ on the clouds (2nd coming) 
      2. The tribes of earth will see him and morn
      3. Jesus will Gather his elect (Rapture)

As you can see, even though this passage doesn’t mention the Day of the Lord by name, the description of the signs and events that will happen are exactly the same as those passages we examined earlier. Remember, there is only one Day of the Lord, and the signs and events described in Matt 24:29-31 will only happen during this day. That means Matt 24:29-31 is talking about the Day of the Lord.

The reason this is controversial is because the entire Olivet Discourse is given as a timeline of the final 7 years commonly called the tribulation period. What’s more, at least one of the events that happen before this Day of the Lord is called the “abomination of desolation.” Almost every Biblical scholar places the abomination of desolation in the exact middle of the tribulation period. If true (and it is true) then the Day of the Lord must happen at the end of the tribulation period.

1. 1. 1. Matt 24:15  –  Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (This is the Abomination of Desolation that marks the midpoint of the final 7 years) . . . then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains . . .
      2. Matt 24:21-22 – For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be . . .
      3. Matt 24:29 – Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

1. 1. 1. When you see the Abomination of Desolation run, because
      2. Then there will be a great tribulation
      3. Immediately after the tribulation – then the Day of the Lord

The Olivet Discourse is one of the most famous and descriptive prophetic scriptures about the end times. God thought it so important that he inspired 3 different new testament writers to detail this event as a parallel scripture. What’s more, the signs and events agree in exact detail with every other scripture describing the Day of the Lord.

We have one more scripture to examine in this study, and this last scripture is even more controversial than Matthew 24. Let’s take a look at Revelation 6:12-17:

 Rev 6:12-17  –  I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. ¹³ And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. ¹⁴ Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. ¹⁵ 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, ¹⁶ 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! ¹⁷ For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

Once again, if we create a list of the signs and events, it will be easier to understand what this scripture is describing:

1. 1. 1. There is a great earthquake
      2. The sun became black as sackcloth
      3. The moon became like blood
      4. The stars of heaven fell to earth
      5. The sky receded as a scroll

1. 1. 1. Everyone on earth hides in caves and rocks of the mountains
      2. The beginning of the Wrath of God

Clearly, from signs listed in Rev 6:12-17, this scripture is describing the Day of the Lord. Remember, there is only one Day of the Lord. However, notice that instead of the rapture happening, you have everyone on earth fearing what about to happen and hiding themselves. Why?

The reason is that this passage is describing the moment after the rapture. Everyone has seen the coming of the Lord in the clouds from Matt 24:30, and they know they were wrong! Most of you have watched the movie “Left Behind.” In the movie, right after the rapture, people were dazed, looking for loved ones, and wondering what had just happened. They didn’t know because none of them were Christians, and the only thing they saw were the disappearances.

When the real thing happens, it won’t happen that way. Everyone will see the Lord coming in the clouds. Everyone will see the sign of the Son of Man. Everyone will see the rapture and know exactly what it was. And everyone who did not choose Jesus Christ will know they are doomed because they were wrong!

That’s why everyone hides themselves, because everyone left on earth has seen the Lord, they have seen the rapture, and they will know that the wrath of God is about to begin. They’ve been left behind!

The reason this view of Rev 6 is so controversial is that if Rev 6:12-17 is the Day of the Lord, then the entirety of Rev 6 is a parallel scripture, though from a different point of view, of Matthew 24, Mark 13, and to a lesser extent Luke 21. Rev 6 is viewing the final 7 years by describing events happening the the throne room of God. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are viewing the results of what happened in the throne room of God as they manifest on Earth.

All of these scriptures point to a Post Tribulation view of the End Times.

There are many times the Bible exhorts us to not be deceived about this subject. It isn’t God’s will that we can put our feet up and relax, firm in our belief that we will never see the tribulation. If you firmly believe in the pre-tribulation view of the end times, what happens when the tribulation comes and you’re still here! Will you know it’s the tribulation? Will you know the anti-Christ when you see him? You’re supposed to be gone before he shows up. Will you think the Bible lied to you? How could you trust the Bible if you think the Bible lied?

The Bible describes a falling away ( 2 Thess 2:3) from the faith during this time. Further, it also describes a delusion sent to deceive all who do not love the truth in 2 Thess 2:9-10. Notice that the delusion comes with the anti-Christ and is associated with his “power, signs, and lying wonders.” Don’t be deceived!

If there is a apparent contradiction in the scripture, either the Bible is wrong, or we have interpreted the Bible wrong. And I promise you the Bible is not wrong!

Always wear the belt of truth. Be like the Bereans in Acts 17:10-12 and test all things against the scripture to see of these things are true.