The Day of the Lord

     "The Day of the Lord" - that's when vengeance is God's! At the end of days, the day of the Lord will come! When God spoke to mankind in Isaiah's time, there was always a double-message: for the present time and for posterity. 
     The following passages are about the Jews after Babylon destroys Judah. Jerusalem, and Solomon's Temple:

Isa 13:6 Howl ye; for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. 9 Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. 10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine 11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. 13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger. 

      As can be seen on "the day of the Lord", it will be a terrible day! Almighty God will destroy the Jewish "world" at that time, and except for a few, the Jews will  be carried off to Hell - represented by Babylon - and Nebuchadnezzar as symbolic of the Antichrist! Albeit, Nebuchadnezzar will do the destroying, it is God who uses him as a tool. You see, Satan serves God as well, but not truly being of the Light, he can only do what God allows. Satan's purpose in the world is to test the faithfulness of mankind by tempting and destroying those who fail the test. That does not reduce Satan's evilness because doing those things is his heart's desire. Thus, Satan will never be exonerated because he is innately evil and only pleased to wreak havoc whether it be for God's wrath or his own purposes.
     The Day of the Lord has some characteristics:

• cruel with wrath and fierce anger (on God's part, resulting in:
• the land made desolate,
• sinners destroyed out of it,
• the stars and constellations darkened,
• the moon dimmed.
• God to punish the world for their evil,
• and wicked people for living for and in sin.
• Arrogant and prideful people humbled,
• the haughty laid low,
• shake the heavens.
• the earth move out of its place!

     This happened to Judah! The Jewish world was destroyed. However, it is all applicable to the end of days when God, in his wrath and fierce anger, will destroy the world. There will be another "Day of the Lord. The prophet Joel prophesied after the few returned to restore Judah and the Temple, that it will happen again. I believe that Joel saw the end of days, and that "Day of the Lord":

Joel 10:2 The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: 11 And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? 12 Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:

     Compare what Jesus warned below with what Isaiah and Joel saw in their days:

Luke 21:10-33 Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake. And it shall turn to you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.  But there shall not an hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls. And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;  Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

     It is clear that Isaiah and Joel saw the end of days in their visions. Nebuchadnezzar's armies will arise at the end of time; not led by himself but the Antichrist of which he is symbolic. Joel said the Day of the Lord will be "great and terrible". We can easily see the terror which will ensue, but where is the greatness? Some escaped the wrath of Babylon against Judah. Likewise, some will escape the wrath of God. Before the end of the world, the dead and living in Christ will be gathered up into the Heaven and returned to Paradise where God's home truly is! You see, Solomon's Temple was not where God resided, as He Himself acknowledged. Heaven is where his throne is, and earth merely his footstool (Isa 66:1). 

     Revelation 18 describes the evil preceding the days of Babylon but it isn't really written of Babylon but the world! You see, from Revelation it is obvious that Isaiah was seeing the end of days but applying it to the situation at hand in his time! (You should stop now and read that chapter.)

     My purpose in life, as yours should be, is to escape God's wrath. Although it is justified, it will be a terrible day. With that said, paraphrasing Arnold Swarzenegger, "Lord, make my day!" Here is God's answer to me and other Christians:

Rev 21:1-5 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

     I want to live in that city - the City of God. That's when the meek shall, indeed, inherit the earth! (Mat 5:5).

     Let's not end it there. Cyrus the Persian, defeated Babylon and his heir Darius allowed the temple to be rebuilt and Judah restored. The two are "types" of Christ. A few Jews were allowed to return and rebuild the Kingdom of God. In their defeat, they were humbled. When Judah was rebuilt that was symbolic of New Jerusalem which the City of God will actually be when it returns to the New Earth. Ironically, the song goes, "the world is not my home; I'm just passing through" is just partially correct. The earth, a new one, will be my home if I trust the Lord for what he promises. A great day is coming for a few!