The Great and Awesome Day of the Lord

“The Great And Awesome Day Of The Lord”

“The Spirit of Burning” — Isaiah 4:4

Chapter 3 Preview: “The Great and Awesome Day of the Lord” (Joel 2:31) is the most prevalent topic within the entire Bible! Nothing else comes close in terms of the sheer volume of scripture devoted to it. Huge segments of the Major and Minor Prophets are devoted to it; most of the parables of Jesus directly pertain to this time. Most of the book of Revelation is devoted to it. The emphasis that God placed on this event, along with the sheer VOLUME of scriptures, silently SCREAMS for understanding. Find out what this “day” is all about now, before it’s too late—dont learn the hard way!

Sequel to: The Time After Jacob’s Trouble

“The Day of the Lord”, (actually the Day of Yehovah’) occupies an exact one year span of time. To a degree, we can predict what God will do because He is unerringly logical. In fact, Jesus’ own title, “the Word”, (John 1:1) is from the Greek word “logos” , from which our word logic is derived. “The Day of the Lord” will occur on Jubilee #120 (6000 divided by 50)! The wonderful promises of the Jubilee will literally be fulfilled on a Jubilee year, as planned. God will “proclaim liberty throughout all the land” (Leviticus 25:10), as explained in Jubilee 2027 AD, and it will take place on the 120th Jubilee since Adam, (year 6000 divided by 50 equals 120.) During this year of governmental transition, “the POWERS of the heavens will be SHAKEN” (or literally “toppled” and by implication destroyed. (Luke 21:26)

The Father and Son will undoubtedly celebrate with us, in Person, on the Feast of Tabernacles of THAT year, in preparation for our first “day” of eternity. Jesus the Christ “delivers the kingdom to God the Father” on the Feast of Trumpets of THAT year. Judgment Day is the common term for “the Day of the Lord”, tho people seldom make that connection. God will be “shortening” Satan’s 6000 years of influence over mankind during this year, to prevent His “Elect’s” total extermination!

Quick Question: Who are the “elect” of Matthew 24?

Matthew 24:22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. NKJV unless noted

Matthew 24:24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

Matthew 24:31 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.

Quick Answer from Isaiah:

Isaiah 45:4 For Jacob My servant’s sake, and Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me.

Isaiah 65:9 & 22 I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, AND from Judah an heir of My mountains; My elect shall inherit it, and My servants shall dwell there.... 22 They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, and My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

These people are scattered “from the four winds” by the Great Tribulation upon Israel. This is not about the resurrection of the “Church” (off site) The Day of the Lord will begin as soon as Israel is gathered into her land.

On the Feast of Tabernacles of this special year there will be:

Revelation 21:3 ... a loud voice from heaven saying: Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.

Like the other Holy Days, they will continue to be celebrated in perpetuity, as memorials, after their primary fulfillments are completed.

The Turning Point

On the Last Great Day, God will publically offer Eternal Life to ALL of humanity. But things actually start turning for the better the moment God begins to intervene for Israel.

Joel 2:28-32 I will pour out My Spirit on ‘all flesh’*. Your sons and daughters shall prophecy your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. 29 And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT in those days. 30 And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood and fire and pillars of smoke. 31 The SUN shall be turned into darkness and the MOON into blood ‘before’ [or in the presence (literally “face” of] the coming of the great and awesome DAY OF THE LORD. 32 And it shall come to pass that WHOEVER calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

* “All flesh” can mean animal life as in Genesis 6:19 or it can mean human life as in Genesis 6:13 and dozens of other places. However, in this context, it appears to be an exclusive reference to all of the “children of Zion” and “Israel” receiving the Spirit first:

Verse 32, viewed in this context, indicates salvation in Mt. Zion and Jerusalem, for the remnant survivors, “before ... the Day of the Lord” of the preceding verse. Some Israelites will certainly be seeking baptism prior to the Last Great Day. The Israelite nations will be a year ahead of the other nations on the “learning curve”. God will have already begun pouring out His Spirit on “all flesh” the previous year. Possibly an alternative translation for the word “before” would necessarily be needed so as not to contradict the Revelation account.

Revelation 6:12 I looked when He opened the SIXTH SEAL [of the Day of the Lord], and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the SUN became as sackcloth of hair, and the MOON became like blood.

The sixth seal, and of course the earthquake that coincides with Jesus’ return, will take place during the Day of the Lord. Still, a major outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all humanity, (rather than on all of the surviving Israelites) prior to the Millennium, would seem to be illogical, given the prophesied end time behavior of most of humanity.

Zechariah 8:22-23 ... many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem.... 23 In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying: Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.

People of other nationalities will have a much better opportunity for conversion than in Joel’s day. People will be quite ready to learn about God by this time.

Following these amazing events, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb will take place on Passover, during the first year of the Seventh Millennium. This marriage is not what is commonly taught:

Hosea 2:13-20 I will punish her for the days of the Baals to which she burned incense. She decked herself with her earrings and jewelry, and went after her lovers; but Me she forgot, says the LORD. 14 Therefore, behold, I will allure her, will bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfort to her. 15 I will give her her vineyards from there, and the Valley of Achor [location of the famous copper scroll] as a door of hope; she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, as in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt. 16 And it shall be, in that day, says the LORD, that you [Israel] will call Me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer call Me ‘My Master,’ 17 For I will take from her mouth the names of the Baals, and they shall be remembered by their name no more. 18 In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, with the birds of the air, and with the creeping things of the ground. Bow and sword of battle I will shatter from the earth, to make them lie down safely. 19 I will betroth you to Me forever; yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and justice, in loving kindness and mercy; 20 I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, and you shall know the LORD. NKJV

Assembled here are very many scriptures on this topic. The intent is to comment on what the scriptures actually say without introducing any speculation. It is essential to consider all of these scriptures together, to get an overview. This is meant to be an extensive summary of all of the major elements of the Day of the Lord, the events leading up to it and the events that follow immediately afterward. I have also compiled an additional scripture listing.

Jesus gave an overview of all of the end time prophecies, in the “Olivet Prophecy”. First He spoke of “the beginning of sorrows” in Matthew 24:8 as being when prophesied trends start to occur. Next, He said:

Matthew 24:21 For then there will be Great Tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor shall ever be.

Remember that the Great Tribulation is the time of Satan’s wrath. It occupies the three and one half years that fall immediately prior to the Day of the Lord.

Revelation 12:21 Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.

There is a line set in concrete separating the Great Tribulation from the Day of the Lord.

Matthew 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.... Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, [indicating that the Day of the Lord is about to begin] and all of 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.

Luke 21 is the parallel account of the “Olivet Prophecy”. Notice the same references to the sun, moon and stars.

Luke 21:23-25 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon THIS PEOPLE. [Israel] 24 And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. 25 And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring....WEB

Included here is a mysterious reference to “the times of the Gentiles”. What “times” is this? To understand Jesus’ prophecy fully you need to know. (Strong’s is usually translated as “time” rather than “times”.) The only other reference in the entire Bible to “the time of the Gentiles” is in Ezekiel 30:3, and Ezekiel left no doubt. It is a reference to the Day of the Lord. Some of Israel—the inhabitants of Jerusalem who did not flee in particular—will suffer thru both the Tribulation and the Day of the Lord! However the focus here is on the surrounding nations being punished for “trampling” the nations of Israel.

Ezekiel 30:2-4 Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: Wail, ‘Woe to the day!’ 3 For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near; it will be a day of clouds, the time of the Gentiles. 4 The sword shall come upon Egypt, and great anguish shall be in Ethiopia, when the slain fall in Egypt, and they take away her wealth, and her foundations are broken down.

The Temple Measured!

During the Great Tribulation the temple will be measured. In Revelation 11, there is a description of the “marching orders” given to the Two Witnesses. In the prophecy this occurs right after John is told to “measure the temple of God, the altar and those who worship there”. They will witness to the modern nations of Israel for three and one half years. During this time many of the Saints will be protected but others will be martyred. Even a quick reading of Revelation 2 & 3 shows that the seven end time “churches” > (really assemblies) are in large part a miserable lot. Many of the Elect will die as martyrs, apparently not even recognizing the Two Witnesses due to their unpopular message.

Revelation 11:3 And I will give power to My Two Witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days....

Did you ever wonder what they will prophecy about? They will predict, in great detail, given the time allotted, the captivity of the descendants of ancient Israel by the hands of the armies of the world. This also is explained in The Time After Jacob’s Trouble.

King David understood the Day of the Lord:

Psalms 11:5-6 [Yehovah] examines the righteous, but the wicked and him who loves violence His soul HATES.

God does not “love the sinner but hate the sin”.

Psalms 11:6 On the wicked he will rain blazing coals; fire, sulfur, and scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. WEB

Once people begin to love violence, they become to warped to be salvaged. Later, David proved to us that he had far more than a vague notion concerning the Day of the Lord.

Psalms 18:7-15 Then the earth shook and trembled, the foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken. Because He was angry, 8 smoke went up from His nostrils, and devouring fire from His mouth. Coals were kindled by it. 9 He bowed the heavens and came down with darkness under His feet. 10 And He rode upon a cherub, and flew, He flew upon the wings of the wind. [See Ezekiel 10] 11 He made darkness His secret place, His canopy around Him was dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies. 12 From the brightness before Him, His thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire. 13 The Lord thundered from heaven, AND the Most High [that’s both of Them, See: “I and My Father are ONE”] uttered His voice, hailstones and coals of fire. 14 He sent out His arrows and scattered the foe, lightnings in abundance. 15 Then the channels of the earth were seen, the foundations of the earth were ‘uncovered ’ [literally stripped away] at your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.

These words seem poetic, but are absolutely true just the same. The ideas just expressed are consistent with a vast number of other such descriptions of this time, thruout the Bible. The surface of the Middle East will be “plowed” clear down to the “foundations” in effect, preparatory for “reseeding” in the age to come.

Psalms 50:2-4 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God will shine fourth. 3 Our God shall come and shall not keep silent. A fire shall devour before Him and it shall be very tempestuous all around Him. 4 He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that He may judge His people.

The great fire that accompanies the time when “Our God shall come” is well established by scripture!

Psalms 97:1-5 The Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the multitudes of the isles be glad! 2 Clouds and darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. 3 A fire goes before Him, and burns up His enemies round about. 4 His lightning’s light the earth; the earth sees and trembles. 5 The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord.

This may be in reference to volcanic activity if the eggshell like surface of the earth is cracked, exposing the magma, the liquid stone, just under the tectonic plates or “foundations” of the earth. Our “stable” continents rest on fluid! Or it may simply be due to “the presence of the Lord of the whole earth”.

David gave us some historical information about these “foundations”. As a bonus this is an wonderful account of Noah’s flood!

Psalms 104:5-9 You who laid the foundations of the earth, so that it should not be ‘removed’ forever. 6 You covered it with the deep [ocean] as with a garment. The waters stood above the mountains. 7 At Your rebuke they fled, at the voice of Your thunder they hastened away. 8 They went up over the mountains; they went down into valleys; to the place which you found for them. 9 You have set a boundary that they may not pass over, that they may not return to cover the earth.

The End of the World?

The Day of the Lord is compared to the time of Noah

Matthew 24:37-39 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

At that time God decided:

Genesis 9:11 ... to DESTROY every living thing as I have done.

Genesis 8:21 Thus I establish My Covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to DESTROY THE EARTH.

Psalm 104:30 “You send forth Your Spirit, they [the plants and animals and other things described in the whole chapter] are [re]created; and You RENEW THE FACE OF THE EARTH. May the glory of the Lord endure forever.

The flood of Noah’s time destroyed the earth. In like manner the great fire of the Day of the Lord will again destroy the earth. God’s Spirit must then renew the face of the earth; creating in essence a New earth!

While the events of this time will have staggering consequences for the inhabitants of the world, it will in no way be “the end of the world”. This phrase in an unfortunate rendering that should always be translated as “end of the age” , so far as scripture is concerned. The world was made to last forever!

Isaiah 9:7 Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Jeremiah 4 is all about the Day of the Lord: “I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form, and void.” (v.23) The literal meaning is “a desolation and undistinguishable ruin”. This is the exact wording that is used to describe the earth before God renewed the surface of the earth following an unnamed disaster. (Genesis 1:2) See The Genesis Creation—What and When Was the “beginning” of Genesis 1:1?

Jeremiah 4:23-29 ... And the heavens, they had no light. 24 I beheld the mountains, and indeed they trembled, and all the hills moved back and fourth. 25 I beheld and there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens had fled. 26 I beheld and indeed the fruitful land was a wilderness, and all its cities were broken down at the presence of the Lord, by His fierce anger. 27 For thus says the Lord: The whole land shall be desolate, yet I will not make a full end. 28 For this shall the earth mourn and the heavens above shall be , because I have spoken. I have purposed and will not relent, nor will I turn back from it. [It is inevitable.] 29 The whole city shall flee from the horsemen and bowmen, they shall go into thickets and climb up on the rocks. Every city shall be forsaken, and not a man shall dwell in it.

There is no shelter.

Isaiah 2:10-21 Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust, from the terror of the Lord and the glory of His majesty. 11 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. 12 For the Day of the Lord of hosts shall come upon everything proud and lofty—upon everything lifted up—and it shall be brought low—13 upon all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan; [as happened to the great “tree” of Daniel 4] 14 upon all the high mountains and upon all the hills that are lifted up, 15 upon every high tower, and upon every fortified wall; 16 upon all the ships of Tarshish and upon all the beautiful sloops. 17 The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day, 18 but the idols [all religious icons] He shall utterly abolish. 19 They shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth from the terror of the Lord and the glory of His majesty [His presence] when He arises to shake the earth mightily, when He arises to shake the earth mightily. 20 In that day a man will cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which they made, each for himself to worship, to the moles and bats, 21 to go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the crags of the rugged rocks, from the terror of the LORD and the glory of His majesty, when He arises to shake the earth mightily.

Isaiah also described the aftermath of these events:

Isaiah 4:3-4 And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion [Jerusalem is not entirely demolished] and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy—everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem. 4 When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the Spirit of judgment and by the Spirit of burning.

Who exactly is the God who is going to wreak all of this destruction?

Daniel 7:9- 14 I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire; 10 a fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated [this is the Great Judgment Day], and the books were opened. 11 I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn [the little horn of Daniel 7:8, 20] was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. 13 I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, [Jesus, of Revelation 1:13–18] coming with the clouds of heaven [earth’s atmosphere!] He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. 14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed. [Not even after 1000 years.]

Here is a very overlooked prophecy:

Daniel 7:21 I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, until the Ancient of Days [the Father!] CAME, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.

Carefully consider the following words from John:

John 14:2-3, 21 In My Father’s house are many “mansions” [Strong’s #3438]; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, [where will He be when He comes here?] there you may be also ... 21 And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.

This scripture has been used for centuries to justify the idea of going to heaven. However, if there is any doubt about who does the traveling, the following words from the same conversation leave no doubts.

John 14:23 Jesus answered him: If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and WE will COME TO HIM and make OUR ‘home’ [Strong’s #3438] with him!

These references to “mansions” and “home” are the only places that Strong’s #3438 are used in the entire Bible. They refer to the same event! We can determine from the above that Jesus “will come again”. In His “Father’s house are many mansions” [or houses]; Jesus will not come alone because “WE WILL COME to him”, that is come to, “anyone” who “loves Me”. It should come as no surprise that Jesus said: “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My ‘reward’ [literally: wage] is with Me, to give to every one according to his work”. (Revelation 22:12) The “wage” of eternal life is given to us in New Jerusalem, Their, and our, home or abode!

The Father and the Son of Man will rule side by side!

Psalms 110:1 ... 6 The Lord said to My Lord: Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies your footstool.... The Lord is AT YOUR RIGHT HAND; He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath. 6 He shall judge among the nations....

The phrase “at Your right hand” denotes the strongest bond of teamwork possible. This event is reinforced in Mark 14:62, where Jesus told His executioner, the high priest: “YOU WILL SEE the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” The phrase “coming with the clouds of heaven” , (also quoted in two other places) is refering to Daniel 7:13 (above) where the exact same words are used. Mark pinpoints the exact context of the event as being just “after the tribulation”. (Mark 13:24–27) God the Father will not be quarantined for one thousand years. Possibly the term “like the Son of Man” was used by both Daniel and John because in both instances they had just encountered the Son of Man, however they were not immediately going to assume that this was indeed God, and not an angel. John was still experiencing future shock later in Revelation 19:10 when he tried to worship an angel. The Apostle John:

Revelation 14:1“... looked and behold, a Lamb [by verse 4 he understood that it was “THE Lamb”] standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads.

Mt. Zion is the highest hill in Jerusalem, where the temple was built. Where might the Father make His first appearance?

Zechariah 14:3-5 Then the LORD [Yehovah], [the Father] will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. 4 And in that day His feet [the Father’s] will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south. 5 Then you shall flee through My mountain valley, for the mountain valley shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Thus the LORD [Yehovah] my God will come, and all the saints with You.... [Jesus may make “first contact” on another mountain—Mt. Zion, Revelation 14:1].

Is this why Jesus frequented this site so often, knowing that His Father would some day set foot on that very spot? Surely He felt closer to the Father here! Of course you may suppose that Jesus alone could utilize both mountains Himself, but why do some assume that God the Father is too good to come here immediately? Is He that much different than Jesus? After all: “I and My Father are One” (John 10:31).

This culminates in the following occurrences. The timing of these events is the most critical of anything I mention. I’ve included enough context to establish the timing of “the day of judgment”.

2 Peter 3:3-13 ... scoffers will come in the last days, [This text is exclusively about the last days!] walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying: Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.’ 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the Day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men. [This world will be considerably “destroyed” at the time of Jesus’ arrival] 8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. [There is a 7000 year plan: off site] 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 10 ‘But the DAY OF THE LORD WILL COME AS A THIEF IN THE NIGHT, [timing is the same as the other “thief in the night” passages!] AND THE ELEMENTS WILL MELT WITH FERVENT HEAT; BOTH THE EARTH AND THE WORKS THAT ARE IN IT WILL BE BURNED UP. 11 THEREFORE SINCE ALL THESE WILL BE ‘DISSOLVED*’, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of THE DAY OF GOD because of which the heavens will be ‘dissolved’, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 NEVERTHELESS WE, according to His promise, LOOK FOR NEW HEAVENS and a NEW EARTH in which righteousness dwells.

The Day of the Lord ends with a lot of fireworks! *The Greek word, twice translated “dissolved” , in this passage should have consistently been translated as “melted”. That same word is translated as “melt” in this same verse which is in agreement with the many other Hebrew verses linking the Day of the Lord to melting, such as:

Micah 1:3-4 For behold, the Lord is coming out of His place, He will come down and tread the high places of the earth. 4 The mountains will MELT under Him, and the valleys [being the weakest areas] will split like wax before the fire.

But the earth will not disintegrate, rather it will be “renewed” ! This is another passage that many would like to “cut and paste”. Nothing in this text remotely indicates or alludes to a possible 1000 year postponement in the fulfillment of these Day of the Lord prophecies! The end of the millennium will by no means sneak up on us like a thief in the night, pillaging, and burning!

It is a reckless assumption to think that the phrase “a day is as a thousand years” essentially indicates that time is meaningless! Understanding exactly what takes place in 2 Peter 3 is also vital to understanding what will happen in 1000 years. God has no intention of destroying His home, New Jerusalem, or His footstool the earth, after the universe is in harmony with Him, as some teach! Psalms 104:30 uses the phrase “renew the face of the earth”. Very soon there will be a “Restoration of All Things” !

What is meant by a day equaling a thousand years? Peter is alluding to the fact that God has a seven thousand year plan! By the end of the second day of re–creation week, God had separated the land from the water. “Let there be a firmament [continents] in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” (Genesis 1:6) This is analogous to God causing the waters to recede from the earth after the flood of Noah, (that Peter just mentioned) at the very end of the second day of re–creation week! [There is a 7000 year plan.: off site]

On the sixth day of re–creation week:

Genesis 1:26-28 God said, let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth, over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. 27 So God created man in His own image.... 28 and God said to them ‘Be fruitful and multiply’....

After the sixth millennium, God will literally make some of us “in Our image” in the fullest sense. At this time humanity will again have the opportunity to properly do as God commanded us on day six of creation week: to be fruitful and multiply, subdue and have dominion over the earth. God will certainly “destroy those who destroy the earth” Revelation 11:18.

When the seventh day of re-creation week had begun, God had already finished creating:

Genesis 2:1–2 ... “the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them.... And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day....”

When this “present evil age” is finished, God will again renew the earth. The New Earth will be at rest, experiencing a much needed reprieve, thruout the seventh millennial day.

As an aside, God finished the fourth millennial day by bringing light to the world:

John 8:12 I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.

It is not coincidental that light came to planet earth on the fourth day of re-creation week.

Genesis 1: 14, 18, 19 Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night.... 18 to divide light from darkness.... 19 So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

Zephaniah 1 is one of the best places in the Bible to study the Day of the Lord. Zephaniah described in detail the same exact events that Peter did. When you understand the seriousness and timing of the Day of the Lord, you will also understand why we will need the New Heaven and the New Earth immediately after the Day of the Lord!

Compare 2 Peter 3 to Zephaniah:

Zephaniah 1:2, 7-8 I will utterly consume everything from the face of the land, says the Lord; I will consume man and beast. I will consume the birds of the heavens, the fish of the sea, and the stumbling blocks along with the wicked. I will cut off man from the face of the land, says the Lord.... 7 Be silent in the presence of the Lord God, for the Day of the Lord is at hand, for the Lord has prepared a sacrifice; 8 He has invited His guests. And it shall be in the Day of the Lord’s sacrifice, that I will punish the princes of the king’s children.”

The end of human rule is near.

Zephaniah 1: 14-16 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. 15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of devastation and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, 16 a day of TRUMPET and alarm against the fortified cities and against the towers.

God will have created three Worlds before His Kingdom becomes the “everlasting dominion” that Daniel spoke of. World #1 was created for the angels but was later rendered “without form and void” , (literally “a desolation, worthless, an undistinguishable ruin, empty” ) by Satan and his former angels (Genesis 1:2). Very little is known about the first world, but we do know that “the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left [abandoned] their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the Judgment of the GREAT DAY....” (Jude 6) World #2 is the reconstructed planet, following Satan’s cataclysmic war with God or some other cosmic disaster. This world began with Adam and Eve in Eden as is described in Genesis 1, but “the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water” (2 Peter 3:6). World #3 is “our present evil world” (Galatians 1:4 KJV) that Noah and his family lived into. They experienced two worlds! World #4, is the New Earth, it will also have survivors live into it from this world, following the great fire of The Day of the Lord. While the survival figures are dismal, they are far more than the eight on the ark.

Matthew 24:38-39 But as the days of Noah were, so also will be the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Isaiah 65 is possibly the most dramatic, most all inclusive, end time transitional chapter in the Bible. It starts out portraying Israel as a Satanic society, it moves to God intervening in world affairs, and then crosses over the divide into the New Millennium where there is a New Heaven, a New Earth, and a New Jerusalem. Children are born there and it ends with one of the most memorable of all verses concerning the Everlasting Kingdom. “The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like an ox....” (v.25).

[Free E-books about the U.S. and Britain and Israel in prophecy can be found on this link.]

Isaiah 66 is another dramatic end time chapter. This chapter also shows us that after the Day of the Lord we will need to have a New Heaven and a New Earth.

Isaiah 66:15-21 For behold, the Lord will come with fire ... 16 The Lord will judge all flesh; and the slain of the Lord shall be many.... 19 and those among them who escape I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and Pul and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles. 20 Then they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the Lord out of all nations, on horses and in chariots and in litters on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem.... 21 And I will also take some of them for priests and Levites, says the Lord.

These verses establish the Second Exodus context and there is no justification, here or elsewhere, for moving the New Earth verses (vs.22-24) to after the millennium.

Isaiah 66:22-24 For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before Me, says the Lord, so shall your descendants and your name remain. 23 And it shall come to pass that from one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, ALL flesh shall come to worship before Me, says the Lord. 24 And they shall go fourth and look upon the corpses of the men who have [just] transgressed against Me....

Lets have a closer look at Zechariah 14, a strictly “Day of the Lord” chapter.

Zechariah 14:1-11 Behold, the Day of the Lord is coming, [it’s not yet here it’s still the Tribulation] and your spoil will be divided in your midst. 2 For I [first person: the Father is speaking] will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3 Then the Lord [the Son] will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. 4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. [This is not the Great Tribulation period, rather it is stated to be “The Day of the Lord”: this is not the time when the wise flee for 1260 days!] And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, [Jesus is here now!] from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south. 5 Then you shall flee through My mountain valley, for the mountain valley shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. [These are Israelite firstfruits who lived thru the Tribulation and are being spared from The Day of the Lord! This Exodus is after Jesus comes to the “Mount of Olives.”] Thus the Lord my God will come, and all the saints with [Him]. 6 It shall come to pass in that day that there will be no light; the lights will diminish. 7 It shall be one day which is known to the Lord—neither day nor night. But at evening time it shall happen that it will be light. 8 And in that day it shall be that living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, [following the Day of the Lord, not the Great Tribulation, peace will come] half of them toward the eastern sea and half of them toward the western sea; in both summer and winter it shall occur. 9 And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be—‘The Lord is one,’ and His name one. 10 All the land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be raised up and inhabited in her place from Benjamin’s Gate to the place of the First Gate and the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananeel to the king’s winepresses. 11 The people shall dwell in it; and no longer shall there be utter destruction, but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.

Contrast this flight account to Matthew 24, which clearly differentiates between the events of the first time period: “Pray that your flight may not be in ‘winter’ [Literally “inclement weather”] or on the Sabbath. For then there shall be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world...” (vs.20–21). And the second time period: “Immediately after the Tribulation of those days...” (v.29).

Zechariah’s account is of Jesus conquering Jerusalem. Matthew’s account tells us about the Abomination of Desolation conquering Jerusalem for 1260 days which necessitates our literal salvation (being salvaged). Daniel 11:41 also mentions this Abominator entering “the Glorious Land”.

Ezekiel Chapters 40–48 will be of particular interest to the Levites who will, yes, still offer animal sacrifices, but will also be made human judges immediately after the Day of the Lord. Every event in these chapters particularly pertains to these men who are then made priests.

Ezekiel 44:22-24 They shall not take as wife a widow or a divorced woman, but take virgins of the descendants of the house of Israel, or widows of priests. 23 And they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. 24 In controversy they shall stand as judges and judge it according to My judgments. They shall keep My laws and My statutes in all My appointed meetings, and they shall hallow My Sabbaths.

It is in this context, concerning the immediate aftermath of the Day of the Lord, that we again see waters that heal coming from Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 47:1-12 Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east…and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep.... 8 This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it enters the sea, its waters are healed. 9 And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed and everything will live wherever the river goes.... 12 Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because the water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine.

You may recall that Revelation 22:1–3 thoroly describes this river! Revelation 21 and 22 describes the New Heaven, the New Earth, the New Jerusalem and the new “river of water of life”.

The timing of these events is unmistakable.

Ezekiel 43:7 Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever. No more shall the house of Israel defile My holy name....

The priests in the New Jerusalem will be actual descendants of the sons of Zadok.

Ezekiel 48:10–12 The sanctuary of the Lord shall be in the center. 11 It shall be for the priests, the sons of Zadok, who are sanctified, who have kept My charge, who did not go astray when the children of Israel went astray, as the Levites went astray. 12 And this district of land that is set apart shall be to them a thing most holy by the border of the Levites.

Malachi 4 is another chapter which some would like to see “moved” by a thousand years. Yet it also has all of the characteristics of the Day of the Lord. There is not a word that would suggest that it pertains to any other event or time! Here it is in its entirety.

Malachi 4:1-6 For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven [nothing new about burning] and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. [Babylon also “shall be as stubble, the fire shall burn them, they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame....” (Isaiah 47: 14)] Continuing: And the day that is coming shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts that will neither leave them root nor branch. [Comparable to Isaiah 40:24] 2 But to you who fear My name [that’s us] the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; [I, for one, do not want to wait 1000 years for this healing] and you shall go out and grow fat like stall fed calves. 3 You shall trample the wicked... [“the day of vengeance”], for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I do this, says the LORD of hosts. 4 Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. 5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. 6 And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a ‘curse’ [literally “extermination” or “utter destruction”]!

Has the end time Elijah already been here, as some claim? The word “before” used above (06440 paniym, paw–neem) literally means “face” , as of the face of a person, seraphim, cherubim, animal, or the surface of the ground. In essence it means, as defined in the Online Bible Hebrew Lexicon:

“in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of”.

Elijah will be alive “in the presence of” the Day of the Lord, contemporary, and to use a pun, concerning the Beast and the False Prophet “in their face”.

Even the Day of the Lord will not strike the earth with total extermination! In fact those who lothe wickedness will be quite blessed!

Isaiah 63:2-4 You shall also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. 4 You shall no longer be termed Forsaken, nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate; but you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the LORD delights in you, and your land shall be married.

Jesus the Christ personally revealed the final account of the Day of the Lord to the Apostle John. Jesus’ last inspired words, recorded in scripture, dealt primarily with this sobering period. Some of the desolation of the Day of the Lord will remain as a perpetual reminder of the event. Edom is one such place.

Isaiah 34:8-10 For it is the Day of the Lord’s vengeance, the YEAR of the recompense FOR THE CAUSE OF ZION. 9 Its streams shall be turned into pitch, and its dust into brimstone; its land shall become burning pitch. 10 It shall not be quenched night or day; its smoke will ascend forever. From generation to generation it shall lie waste; no one shall pass through it for ever and ever.

There are dozens of other references, but these certainly are a thoro overview.

Some Scriptures are from the “New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved.” “Bible text from the New King James Version® is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000.”