The Day of the Lord is a prevalent Old and New Testament theme. It finds its origin in the prophets, but is also common in Paul’s letters. The Book of the Twelve, known as the Minor Prophets, ends with a warning and a promise. “And behold I am sending Elais (Elijah) the Thesbite before the great and notable day of the Lord comes, who will restore the heart of the father to the son and the heart of a person to his neighbour so that I will not come and utterly strike the land. Remember Moses my slave, as I commanded him at Choreb with ordinances and statutes for all Israel (Mal 3 22-24 LXX). The Gospels’ make it explicit that John the Baptist is this new Elijah. (Note specifically the prophetic song of Zechariah, Luke 1:67-79.) Paul makes many references to the day, with his wonderful Christological alterations. 1 Cor 1:8, 3:13, and 5:5 are just a few of the many examples of these types of comments.
What is glaring in both the Old and New Testament is that the Day is both exiting and terrifying. To those who are known by Christ, it is a day of vindication and salvation. A day when everything is put to rights, when all the wrongs, all the hurts, all the results of Sin are corrected. On the other hand, to those alien to Christ it is a day of terror. The sixth seal in The Revelation (6:12-17) paints a vivid portray of the terror of the Lord’s Day for them.
“When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. 14 The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. 15 Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, 16 calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”
In an apocalyptic event the entire earth is shaken, the enemies of the Lord try to run and hide under rocks and mountains. However there is no place to hide, where they can stand in front of the Lord’s might.
In yesterday’s sermon, the Pastor told us to close our eyes and envision Christ welcoming us of that day. At first I could do it. However, His face slowly faded to the face of another, someone who is in the second group. Will they know comfort? Or will they seek, pointlessly, to hide under rocks? As it stands now, I am not convinced they will talk to me any more. More importantly, I am unsure if I will have any more opportunity to show them God’s love again. This is my own fault and I am truly sorry for that, but it was necessary. A Plankeye song called “Who Loves you more?” is constantly going through my head. I am not sure its context, but in it asks “If I hold on to you will I let go I Christ? Will I end up denying him in an abundance of thrice? ...I end up wrestling with God, over you.”
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