DAY OF THE LORD.The day in which Jehovah was expected to punish sinful Hebrews and the enemies of Israel, and to establish at least the righteous remnant of His people in political supremacy. The Hebrews believed implicitly that their God Jehovah was certain to defeat all rivals. Before Amos this view had not reached a definite eschatology, and probably involved only a general expectation of the triumph of Israel and Israels God. With Amos, however, the conception of punishment became less ethnic and more moral. The sins of Israel itself deserved punishment, and Amos declared that the luxury of the nation, with all its economic oppression, had grown hateful to Jehovah, and unless abandoned would bring fearful punishment (Amo_2:6-8; Amo_3:9-15; Amo_5:10-13; Amo_6:4-8). The righteousness of Jehovah demanded that the sins of His people as well as those of the heathen should be punished. After Amos the thought of an awful day of Divine punishment was extended from Israel to a world of sinners. According to Zephaniah (Amo_1:2-15, Amo_2:4-15), punishment was now to come upon all wicked persons, both Jews and Gentiles, because of wrong. So, too, the unknown prophet who wrote under the name of Malachi. Ezekiel (Eze_30:2 f., Eze_34:12, Eze_39:8 f.), however, reverted to the same national thought of a day of battle, in which Jehovah would conquer all Israels foes; and to some extent this same national idea is represented by Joel (Joe_2:18-27). With the later prophets there is to be seen an element of reconstruction as well as punishment in Jehovahs action. Sinners, whether Jews or Gentiles, are to be punished, but a pious remnant is to be saved, the beginnings of a new Israel.
It is clear that this conception of a great Day of Jehovah underlies much of the Messianic expectation of apocryphal literature. The establishment of a remnant of a pious Israel was the germ of the hope of the Messianic kingdom; and the Day of Jehovah itself became the Day of Judgment, which figures so largely in both Jewish and Christian Messianism. It fact, it is not too much to say that the eschatology of Judaism is really a development of the implications of the prophetic teaching as to the Day of Jehovah.
Shailer Mathews.
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible
Edited by James Hastings, D.D. Published in 1909
Israelites of Old Testament times looked for the day when God would intervene in the affairs of the world, righting the wrongs and establishing his just rule on the earth. They called this divine intervention the day of the Lord (Isa_2:12-19; Isa_13:6; Isa_13:9; Zep_1:14-16; Zec_14:9).
Earlier days of the Lord
Although the day of the Lord was usually considered to be something terrifying, Israelites often looked forward to it. The reason for this was that they believed that God would punish Israels enemies and bring in Israels golden age (Jer_46:10; Zep_3:16-20). They failed to realize, however, that in that day God would punish all sinners, Israelites included, and save all the faithful, regardless of national or social status (Joe_2:30-32; Amo_5:18; Mal_3:1-4; Mal_4:1-3).
Any catastrophic judgment, such as a flood, earthquake, locust plague, famine or war, could be called a day of the Lord (Joe_1:15-16; Joe_2:1-2; Joe_2:11). But such a catastrophe was only a forerunner (and at the same time a guarantee) of the great and final day of the Lord (Joe_2:30-32; Joe_3:14-18).
Jesus Christs first coming was, in a sense, a day of the Lord, for through Christ God intervened in the affairs of the world to conquer Satan, deal with sin and proclaim his kingdom (Mat_3:11-12; Mat_4:14-17; Act_2:16-21; see KINGDOM OF GOD). The last days had begun (Act_2:17; 1Co_10:11; 2Ti_3:1; Heb_1:2; 1Pe_1:20; 1Jn_2:18). They will reach their climax when Christ returns at the end of the age to purge the world of sin and bring his kingdom to its victorious completion (Isa_2:2-4; Mat_24:29-31; Mat_25:31-32; 2Pe_3:3-4; 2Pe_3:10).
The final great day of the Lord
Christs people have always suffered persecution, but before the final great day of the Lord that persecution will become more severe (Mat_24:5-14; Joh_16:33; 2Th_1:5-12; see PERSECUTION). The spirit of antichrist, which has always been in the world, will express itself in a final great rebellion against God. There will be all sorts of pressures, both subtle and open, to force Christians to abandon their faith in Christ (Mat_24:15-24; 2Th_2:1-7; 1Jn_2:18; see ANTICHRIST).
In a series of devastating judgments, God will pour out his wrath upon a rebellious world (2Th_1:8; Rev_6:17; Rev_14:9-11; Rev_16:2). God will not pour out his wrath upon his own people; on the contrary he will protect them from it (Rev_7:1-3; Rev_9:4; cf. Rom_5:9; 1Th_1:10; 1Th_5:9). But the rebels, instead of turning to God in repentance, will hate him and persecute his people even more (Rev_9:18; Rev_9:20-21; Rev_11:7-10; Rev_12:17; Rev_16:9; Rev_16:21). The persecution will be so bitter that, for the sake of his people, God will shorten the day of his wrath. Although some believers will be killed for their faith in Christ, as far as God is concerned not one will be lost (Rev_6:9-11; Rev_12:11-12; Rev_20:4; cf. Mat_24:22; Luk_21:16-18).
Christs return will be a day of judgment that will result in a separation between the wicked and the righteous. For one it will be a day of wrath, for the other a day of salvation (Mat_24:36-41; Mat_25:32; Mat_25:46; Luk_21:27-28; Act_24:15; Rom_2:5; Php_1:6; Php_1:10; 1Th_4:16-18; 2Th_1:5-8; Rev_22:12-15; see JUDGMENT; RESURRECTION).
In every era the circumstances of Christians vary from nation to nation. Christians in any place at any time could belong to the last generation of humanity as we know it. Therefore, the Bible urges Christians of all nations and eras to be alert and ready at all times for the onset of the final day of the Lord and the return of Christ (Mat_24:42-44; Mar_13:32-37; 1Th_5:2-6; 2Pe_3:10-12).
However, no one knows when the end of the age will come, and Christians should not behave foolishly by thinking the world is about to come to an end (Mat_24:36; 2Th_2:1-2; 2Th_3:11-12). They must carry on with life normally, making long-term plans where necessary, yet remembering that God may intervene at any time (Luk_19:11-27; Act_1:6-8; 1Co_15:5-7; Php_1:9-10; 1Th_5:6; 1Th_5:11; 1Th_5:14).
Bridgeway Bible Dictionary by Don Fleming
PRINTER 1990.