Fellowship Bible Church - Mullica, Hill N.J.

The Day of the Lord is a prophetic event in God’s timetable where His wrath is poured out on mankind. It is well detailed in the Bible, and New Testament writers treat it as an event that was still to come.

The Day of the Lord could be thought of as “The Era of the Lord” or “The Age of the Lord”. It’s the period of time where God is very noticeably intervening in the affairs of earth, specifically returns, and then begins His reign on the earth.

For the Old Testament writers, the circumstances they encountered where they were discussing the DOTL often had an immediate context, but also a future, eschatological context. For example:

· The prophet Joel spoke of the DOTL, and saw the Assyrians coming – that was near (chp1/2), but then in chapter three spoke of the nations and the future of Judah.
· Obadiah’s first 14 verses spoke of the destruction of Edom – but then from verse 15 communicates the final judgment of all the nations.

The first reference to the DOTL is a good place to start (Isaiah 13:6-11):

It is communicated metaphorically and maybe literally as a day of darkness and not light (Amos 5):

Gabriel tells Daniel that “seventy weeks” are decreed from the restoration of Jerusalem to the establishment of everlasting righteousness. Possibly a better translation of the Hebrew would say “seventy sevens” or seventy groups of seven (which is the closest to the Hebrew). When you look at the events that Gabriel describes here the seventy groups of seven has to refer to seventy groups of seven years, or 490 years.

So, Gabriel was telling Daniel that from the time of restoration of Jerusalem (Jerusalem was currently in ruins and Daniel was in captivity in Babylon) to the time of the commencement of everlasting righteousness, it would be 490 years. Did Gabriel say consecutive 490 years? No he didn’t.

Gabriel mentions that after the anointed one comes, another prince comes. The prince makes a covenant for one week (or seven years). Half way through that seven years, this prince ends sacrifice and offering, and this prince commits some form of abomination.

After the 69th week the Messiah dies and some 40 years later Jerusalem is destroyed. At the start of the 70 the prince who is to come will make a covenant for one week or seven years. He will stop sacrifices and offerings 3.5 years into the seven years and commit an abomination. That is the final week of Daniel’s prophecy. There is no indication from history that these events have taken place.

Paul Was Teaching Eschatology (5:1-2)
Paul had warned them about what was coming – so that what he said was true in 5:1-2, you have no need that anyone warn you.

Paul Told Them the Day of the Lord Would be Unexpected (5:2-3)
The world will be living during a period of unprecedented peace when the events leading to the Day of the Lord begin to transpire. Daniel 9:26 says the prince who is to come, the Anti-Christ, the man of lawlessness, brokers a peace deal with Israel at the start of the 70th week of Daniel.

Paul Told The Thessalonians the Day Would Not Overtake Them (5:4-8)
The Day of the Lord is a day of darkness – but Paul here says they are not of the darkness but light. Those of the day are to be alert and not in moral laziness like those who are in the dark.

Paul Told Them their Destiny was not Wrath (5:9-11)
The Day of the Lord was clearly depicted as a period of wrath – Paul said these believers were not appointed to wrath, but were saved through Christ.

I believe the Bible teaches that the church will not go through the 70th week of Daniel/the Tribulation. Why?

1.The church is a called-out people, unique from the nation of Israel. The Bible says that the day of the Lord is the day of Jabob’s trouble.
2.Revelation 3:10 says the Lord will keep the church from the hour of persecution that is coming on the whole earth.
3.In Thessalonians, Paul depicts the Day of the Lord as wrath, yet clearly states believers are not destined to wrath.

Jesus said you don’t need to know the date of Jesus’ return – you just need to be ready. That doesn’t mean that there won’t be signs, but the Scripture is clear that no one knows when Jesus is going to return.