The Day of the Lord vs. The Day of Christ
Old Testament Prophets tell us in Scripture about the Day of the Lord
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. Here is the identity of one of the TWO WITNESSESS
Joel 2:1 2 For the day of the LORD is coming; Surely it is near, A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness.
Joel 2:10 The heavens tremble; The sun and moon grow dark, And the stars diminish their brightness. Sun Moon Stars
For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon shall be darkened, And the stars shall withdraw their shining. Sun Moon Stars Joel 3:14 15
I will cover the heavens, and make its stars dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, And the moon shall not give her light. All the bright lights of the heavens I will make dark over you, And bring darkness upon your land, Says the Lord GOD. Sun Moon Stars Ezekiel 32:7 8
Isaiah 13.10 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. Sun Moon Stars
Is not the day of the LORD darkness, and not light? Is it not very dark, with no brightness in it? Amos 5:20
The great day of the LORD is near That day is a day of wrath A day of darkness and gloominess A day of clouds and thick darkness A day of trumpet and alarm I will bring DISTRESS upon men Zephaniah 1:14-17 Here in this passage the Day of the Lord is a day of God s wrath and judgment upon mankind.
A day of darkness A day of clouds and thick darkness A Trumpet Sounds! A day of God s Wrath
The Day of the Lord is different than the day of Christ; that s right, the Day of Christ
The Day of the Lord is a time of God s judgment on unbelievers whereas the Day of Christ is a time where believers are delivered from God s wrath.
There are major cosmic events AND they ALWAYS show up in OLD Testament Scripture. Its ALWAYS associated with the Day of the Lord
Joel 2:30 And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke.
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 BEFORE the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord Sun Moon Stars
Jesus also prophesied about this day.
Along with that response Jesus also talked about the Day of the Christ or; His return.
That event is also recorded by John in Revelation 14.14
Now getting back to the Day of the LORD
The scriptures inform us that when the Day of the Lord occurs (i.e. God s judgment) upon mankind the believers will be taken away from the wrath to come.
So there is God s judgment and then release or deliverance of the faithful. That is a pattern in Scripture. It is covered a little later in this module.
This would apply only to those genuine believers that know the Lord who have endured and kept the faith.
There are other believers who will be left to endure God s wrath. This is talked about in the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew Chapter 25.
When does this occur?
The Sixth Seal Sun Moon Stars I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; And the stars of heaven fell to the earth This is the event we read about in Matthew 24, Mark 13 Revelations 6.12 Sun Moon Stars
But immediately AFTER the tribulation TRIBULATIONof those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Sun Moon Stars
in verse 29 Christ makes it clear that when the Tribulations is over. Then a sign occurs. Immediately AFTER the Tribulation of those days Matthew 24.30
Immediately after the tribulation of those days Sun, Moon, Stars occurs before the great and awesome Day of the Lord (Joel 2.31) (Matt. 24:29a) (Joel 2:31)
So SUN, MOON STARS - is a sign for the Day of the LORD whereas, the sign for the Son of Man returning is the Coming in the Clouds
And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.
Let s quickly look at that event unfold as it occurs in Scripture
There is Chronology of Events mentioned BEFORE the day of the Lord takes place. 1. After Tribulations 2. After Sun Moon and Stars 3. Then The Son of Man Appears
Paul actually taught two things about the end-times to the Thessalonians: 1. The Rapture (The day of Christ) 2. The Day of the Lord (God s Judgment)
Why was Paul teaching about the Rapture and Day-of-the-Lord back-to-back?
The Rapture was taught by Paul to exhort and comfort those grieving over the loss of their loved ones prior to the coming of Jesus.
Now also we would not have you ignorant, brethren, about those who fall asleep in death, that you may not grieve [for them as the rest do who have no hope [beyond the grave]. 1 Thessalonians 4:13
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 4:14
Paul taught that we who are alive and remain at the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 1 Thessalonians 4:15
In no way can we precede [into His presence] or have any advantage at all over those who have previously died in Christ. 1 Thessalonians 4:15
Paul mentions the Day of the Lord because that is the sign heralding the judgment of God and also the return of the Christ.
But there are more signs BEFORE the return of the Christ.
2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first.
Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 2 Thessalonians 2:2 3
The Church falls away The man of sin or the Anti Christ is revealed. 2 Thessalonians 2:2 3
The moral decline of the Church precedes the return of Christ as contrasted to the Day of the Lord. 2 Thessalonians 2:2-3
The Day of the Lord is the beginning of God s judgment on unbelievers.
Paul is saying that day will not come unless the predicted great falling away of those who have professed to be Christians. They will incur JUDGMENT! 2 Thessalonians 2:3 4
Paul says BEFORE the rapture: 1. Falling away of the Church 2. Anti-Christ revealed
So far we learned this abut Jesus return
1. AFTER TRIBULATIONS ARE COMPLETED 2. AFTER THE CHURCH FALLS AWAY 3. AFTER THE ANTICHRIST REVEALED 4. AFTER SUN, MOON AND STARS 5. AFTER Elijah the Prophet (Mal 4.4)
Right AFTER Sun Moon and Stars Christ is REVEALED TO THE WORLD The DEAD IN CHRIST RISE The RIGHTEOUS ARE DELIVERED GOD S JUDGMENT BEGINS
AFTER - TRIBULATIONS BEFORE God s WRATH When? When you see these signs!
Signs marking the Beginning that MUST Complete 1. Widespread deception of Christianity 2. Many Proclaiming Jesus is the Christ 3. Wars and rumors of wars 4. Nation rises against nation 5. Kingdom against kingdom 6. Famines 7. Pestilence 8. Earthquakes
Signs AFTER the beginning 1. Church fallen away 2. Anti Christ revealed 3. The Great earthquake 4. Sun Moon Stars 5. Sky recedes and rolls up 6. God seals the Tribulation Saints (144,000) Re9.4 7. The Days of Vengeance Begins
AFTER - TRIBULATIONS BEFORE God s WRATH When? When you see these signs!
But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that Day should overtake you as a thief. That s WHY he is saying be awake! Sober! Be watching! And that day will NOT overtake you! 1 Thessalonians 5:4
Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things (God s JUDGMENT) that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man. Luke 21.36
Jesus then said when you see these signs you will not die until this takes place. Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. Luke 21:32 What generation is Jesus talking about?
This means the GENERATION of people that sees these signs. So if you are alive on the earth when these signs occur. That means YOU!
AFTER THOSE SIGNS People will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Luke 21:27 Here is the sign He gives
When Christians see all these signs Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near. Luke 21:31
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. Luke 21:33
Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man. Luke 21.36
So where does the idea come from in the Bible that believers are not involved in God s WRATH and Judgment?
Here are a few direct Scriptures.
Wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the WRATH to come. 1 Thessalonians 1:10
For God has not destined us for WRATH, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man. Luke 21.36
and [if God] did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 2 Pet. 2:5 7, 9
and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly thereafter; and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled 2 Pet. 2:5 7, 9
rescue Then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation [i.e., from testing], and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment. From the things about come upon the face of the earth 2 Pet. 2:5 7, 9
Christ will remove true believers before He unleashes FINAL judgments on the unbelievers.
The point is that on the SAME day the Lord came he judged the wicked AND DELIVERED THE RIGHTEOUS.
They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Luke 17:27
Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; Luke 17:27 28
But on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Luke 17:27 28
Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. So it was then and it will be when Christ returns. Luke 17:30
One will be taken and the Other left Matthew 24.41-42 and Luke 17.34-36
For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. And they [the ungodly] did not understand until the flood came and took them all away, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be. Matt. 24:37, 39 41; and Luke 17:34 36
Then [at His coming] there shall be two men in the field; one will be taken., and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left Matt. 24:37, 39 41; and Luke 17:34 36
The Day of the Lord is a MAJOR event so that EVERYONE will know its JESUS to arrive and deliver the righteous from God s wrath and allow the release of God s judgment upon the ungodly.
BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen. What does this verse teach? Jesus Christ is coming with clouds AND EVERYONE SEES HIM
Closing Questions