The Day of the Lord is a unique intervention of God into human history to judge His enemies (to include unfaithful believers). The Day of the Lord often includes a time of salvation for God’s faithful servants. For example, the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 by the Romans was a unique Day of the Lord. Jerusalem was given 40 years to repent regarding its participation in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, which occurred around AD 30. Jesus warned:
But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies [AD 66], then recognize that her desolation is near. Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are inside the city must leave, and those who are in the country must not enter the city; because these are days of punishment, so that all things which have been written will be fulfilled.
Luke 21:20-22
The destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 brought about a great cosmological change. God’s creation is ordered and structured. From Moses until AD 70, there was a sacrificial system which explained how believers were to approach God. In AD 70, the Romans forever destroyed the Jewish temple and brought an end to the sacrificial system. The sacrifice of Jesus ended the necessity of the old sacrificial system. (But could there be some type of memorial sacrificial system in the millennium? (Ezek. 40-46)). The destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 was another statement from God to the World that Jesus was the Messiah and Son of God. Further, there was a great change in the structure and order of God’s cosmos.
The Second Coming of Jesus Christ will be preceded by the Day of the Lord. Examples of verses describing the Day of the Lord include the following:
“Wail for the day of the Lord is near! It will come as destruction from the Almighty.” (Isa. 13:6)
“For the day is near, indeed, the day of the Lord is near; it will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations.” (Ezek. 30:3)
“Woe for the day! For the day of the Lord is near, and it will come as destruction from the Almighty.” (Joel 1:15)
“The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.” (Joel 2:31)
“For the day of the Lord is near for all the nations. Just as you have done, it will be done to you. Your dealings will return on your own head.” (Obad. 1:15)
“Behold, I am going to send you Elijah [John, the Baptist, during the First Century (Luke 1:16-17)] the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord.” (Mal. 4:5)
“For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord is coming just like a thief in the night.” (1 Thess. 5:2)
“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be discovered.” (2 Pet. 3:10)
The destruction of the Northern Kingdom by Assyria in 722 BC (some date to 721 BC), the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon in 586 BC, and the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 70 were all examples of the Day of the Lord. 586 BC and AD 70 included the interruption and ultimately the end of the sacrificial system. AD 70 and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ will also both include great cosmological change. The structure and order of God’s creation will be profoundly reordered. At the Second Coming, Jesus will return to Planet Earth and visibly rule on His throne in Jerusalem.
I believe that three and a half (3½) years before the return of Jesus Christ to Planet Earth, there will be a rapture of God’s faithful servants. The faithful will be saved or delivered before the Day of the Lord (a/k/a the Great Tribulation), which I believe will last 3½ years (but no more than 7 years). Jesus “will send forth His angels with a great trumpet blast, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other” (Matt. 24:31). It should be noted from Matthew, Chapter 24 that there are important connections and similarities between the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. In both cases, there was or will be a New Heaven and New Earth. After Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, believers now have access to Heaven after their deaths. At the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, faithful believers will have the opportunity to return to Planet Earth and rule with Christ. The relationship between Heaven and Earth will dramatically change.
At the return of Jesus Christ to Planet Earth, He will inaugurate His millennial rule. Recently, I have changed some of my thinking about Christ’s Millennial Rule, and next week, I will explain my thoughts in greater detail. At this time, however, I will offer the following general outline regarding my thoughts on the Millennium:
- Jesus will rule over Planet Earth from His throne in Jerusalem (Ps. 2:6-8; Ps. 72:8, 11; Jer. 23:5; Zech. 14:9; Luke 1:32-33).
- Satan will be imprisoned during the millennium, and he will not be able to deceive the nations (Rev. 20:1-10).
- Faithful believers will receive their resurrection bodies and rule with Christ on Planet Earth (Matt. 19:28; Luke 19:17; Rev. 2:26-27; Rev. 3:21; Rev. 20:4-6).
- There will be a great prosperity (Jer. 31:12-14; Ezek. 34:25-27; Ezek. 36:29-30, 33-35; Amos 9:13-14; Zech. 8:12).
- There will be no war until Satan is released from imprisonment at the end of the millennium (Isa. 2:2-4; Isa 9:6-7; Mic. 4:3; Hos. 2:18; Rev. 20:7-10).
- Animals will be at peace with each other and humans (Isa. 11:6-9; Isa. 65:25; Hos. 2:18).
- While some will have resurrection bodies, many will have bodies that are still inclined to sin (Ps. 2:6-9; Isa. 11:3-4; Isa. 65:20; Zech. 14:16-19; Rev. 2:26-27; Rev. 20:4-6).
- Death will be rare, and humans will live for great spans of time (Isa. 65:20).
- Disobedience and rebellion will be punished swiftly (Ps. 2:6-9; Isa. 11:3-4; Zech. 14:16-19; Rev. 19:15).
- On Planet Earth, death will not be abolished until the end of the millennium. Death is described as the last enemy (Isa. 25:8; Isa. 65:20; 1 Cor. 15:25-27).
- The “1000 years” is only mentioned in the Book of Revelation, where numbers should be understood symbolically. In my opinion the “1000 years” should be interpreted as an “indefinite, long period of time.” The millennium could actually be shorter or longer than 1000 years (Rev. 20).
- At the end of the millennium, “every knee will bow and every tongue will swear allegiance to God” (Isa. 45:23; Rom. 14:11; Phil. 2:10).
When interpreting the Bible, we are often making decisions as to what is literal, figurative, or both. Ultimately, we must come to conclusions about what interpretation makes the most sense, best fits together, or where the weight of the evidence is greatest. Obviously, we are always seeking the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit, and of course, no human teacher has ever been 100% correct, 100% of the time.
