The Second Coming - 9
The Day of the Lord
There’s so much I don’t understand. I believe certain passages of scripture are sealed up until the time of the end. They’ll make sense only when divine wisdom is given. Then they’ll spring to life. We read in Daniel chapter 12, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end” (verse 9). Some riddles of prophecy have not yet been unlocked. Religious guesswork is no use.
God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are our ways God’s ways. His thoughts and His ways are far higher than ours. We would have sent Paul to the Jews because of his brilliant Jewish background. We would have sent Peter to the Gentiles because this fisherman had the common touch. The Lord didn’t want His disciples to fit in. He wanted them to stick out!
If we believe we are part of the church in the end time, what kind of people ought we to be? Peter clearly answers, “You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming” (2 Peter 3 verses 11 and 12). He urges us to “make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Him” (verse 14). Christians have always gone through trials and tribulations since this is part of dedicated Christian living, but we will not go through the Great Tribulation that is appointed for the godless world.
During the night before the cross, Jesus was on trial in front of the whole Sanhedrin. The High Priest, Caiaphas, asked Jesus, “Are you the Christ?” Jesus replied, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Mark 14 verses 61 and 62). Centuries later, Charles Wesley penned these words:
“Lo! He comes with clouds descending
Once for favoured sinners slain:
Thousand thousand saints attending
Swell the triumph of His train!
Hallelujah! Jesus comes, and comes to reign.”
The drama of the ages reaches a mighty climax at the Battle of Armageddon. Darkness falls. Time is running out. The day of grace is nearly over. That great day of God Almighty has come which Old Testament prophets foretold 2,500 years ago.
Isaiah had declared, “See, the day of the Lord is coming … the stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light” (Isaiah 13 verses 9 and 10). There’s coming a final day when the wrath and fierce anger of the Lord of hosts will be cut loose. I wouldn’t want to be unsaved on that day.
Similarly the prophet Joel had foreseen that dread and awful day. “The Day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand – a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was of old nor ever will be in ages to come” (Joel 2 verses 1 and 2). Joel goes on, “Before them the earth shakes, the sky trembles, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine … The day of the Lord is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?” (verses 10 and 11).
We gain the same vision in Amos (chapter 8 verse 9), “In that day”, declares the Sovereign Lord, “I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight,” There’s coming a day when total darkness will engulf this earth immediately prior to the Second Advent. When Jesus was crucified at Calvary, “there was darkness over the whole land” for three hours, but a dark day is coming, a darkness which can be felt, a thick darkness where no one can see anyone else and the words of the prophet Joel (chapter 3 verse 14 and 15) will be fulfilled: “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine.” Time is running out. People will be running scared and calling ‘to the mountains and the rocks.’ “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” (Revelation 6 verses 16 and 17).
With the final seconds ticking away before His glorious appearing, the ancient promise still stands, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Joel 2 verse 32).
But then, when everyone who is going to be saved has been saved, a light begins to appear in the Eastern sky. “See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and His glory appears over you” (Isaiah 60 verse 2). The King is coming, Christ the King with ten thousands of His saints and He’ll come as the Light of the World to dispel the darkness for ever. Even so come, Lord Jesus!