What Is the Day of the Lord?Sýnishorn

The day of the Lord and the justice of God

Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it. (Isaiah 13:9)

“The day of the Lord” is one of the favorite expressions of the prophets. They use this phrase to refer to a moment or time when God will show His undeniable greatness in this world. On that day, God will judge the nations that have done great evil by oppressing Israel. Darkness and fear will spread over the land when the Lord comes quickly in fierce anger. This day is so great and dreadful, that one can wonder “who can endure it” (Joel 2:11).

For many Christians today, it can be unsettling that God describes Himself as “wrathful” and even says that He will destroy every sinner from the land. This can seem contradictory to God’s perfect love. We need to keep in mind, though, that God is absolutely just. If a nation is in rebellion to God, He will punish it. Perhaps it is good to ask yourself how this makes you feel. How can these two go together? What do we really mean by these terms?

How do you see God: As more loving, more just, or both?