The Day of the Lord: Divine Judgment and Present Warning

The prophet Joel intimates that the destruction caused by the flight of locusts over the land of Judah was but the commencement of calamity, and that it was a tupos (type) of judgments more awful in the future. All judgments which come upon men in the present are indicative of the final judgment which is to come, and are warnings of that awful event, so that we may not be unprepared to meet it.

First, the Day of the Lord will be Divinely distinguished from all the days which have preceded it. "Alas for the day! for the day of the Lord is at hand." This time of judgment is called the day of the Lord because on this day Adonai will give a splendid manifestation of Himself. In the days of Christ's incarnation, He was rejected and despised of men; men saw no beauty in Him that they should desire Him. Yet these are the days of men, in which they are free to pursue evil, waiting for the return of the Great Master. These days shall give place to the Day of the Lord, in which He will give to every man according to the quality of his work.

Second, it is near in its approach and will come suddenly upon mankind. "The day of the Lord is at hand." The day will come as a thief in the night, causing sudden fear upon many, yet certain in its advent. This revelation should make us careful in ordering our individual lives and lead us to put forth our best activities to save men from its impending doom.