The Day of the Lord Part 1
Literally of Figuratively?
Is there an actual day that the Lord Jesus Christ returns, or should we interpret the events allegorical?
2 Peter 3: 3-4 knowing this first, that in the last days scoffers will be coming with scoffing, going according to their own desires and saying, "Where is the promise of His presence? For since the fathers were put to repose, all is continuing thus from the beginning of creation." {CLV}
2 Peter 3:10 Now the day of the Lord will be arriving… {CLV}
Many Christians and religious Jews today do not believe the Lord will return at all, they would question his actual return, thinking that it will not actual happen. Many would believe the events should all be interpreted figuratively. A lot of Christians who do not believe in his actual return are going after their own desires. However Peter informs us, that at this time, in these last days, the day of the Lord will be arriving. The day of the Lord is an actual event in the future, it is not figurative, it will actual happen. More on the events in 2 Peter later.
Jesus Christ will return physically to the earth, in the near future. The second coming covered in a number of places in the bible is an actual physical coming.
Acts 1:9-11 And saying these things, while they are looking, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him up from their eyes." And as they were looking intently into heaven at His going, lo ! two men stand beside them in white attire, who say also, "Men! Galileans! Why do you stand, looking into heaven? This Jesus Who is being taken up from you into heaven shall come thus, in the manner in which you gaze at Him going into heaven." {CLV}
Jesus is lifted up and taken to heaven. As the Galileans look into heaven, two men tell the Galileans that Jesus is going to come back, in the manner in which he lift. Christ physically left the earth, and these two men tell the Galileans that he is going to physically return.
Hebrews 9:26-28 yet now, once, at the conclusion of the eons, for the repudiation of sin through His sacrifice, is He manifest." And, in as much as it is reserved to the men to be dying once, yet after this a judging, thus Christ also, being offered once for the bearing of the sins of many, will be seen a second time, by those awaiting Him, apart from sin, for salvation, through faith." {CLV}
“Christ also, being offered once for the bearing of the sins of many, will be seen a second time,” that’s right, it says a second time. It is talking about his first coming when he was sacrificed on the Cross and his second physical coming. The first time he was seen physically, and so will he be seen a second time physically.
Spiritual comings:
A literal coming of Jesus Christ does not rule out a spiritual coming, or indeed many spiritual comings. I am not ruling out spiritual comings or visions of Jesus Christ or Christ being spiritual present. Indeed Christ is spiritually present where two or three are gathered in his name {Matthew 18:20}. Christ appear to Paul a number of times, these where spiritual comings. John’s spiritual vision of Christ, is described in great detail in the book of Revelation. However all these spiritual comings do not rule out a physical coming of Jesus Christ.
The Day of Yahweh
This phrase “the Day of Yahweh” does not just apply to the one Day of the Lord that is coming in the future. Many Day’s of Yahweh have already happen in the past. What happened on these days in the past? These where a time that God brought serve judgement and discipline to Israel and the surrounding nations. This was because Israel would go back to the false gods, the idols, after being delivered from captivity. Thus there was a on going cycle, of judgement because of idol worship, when Ancient Israel was invaded and lead into captivity, and then they would be delivered because they had repented, only to fall back into idol worship when they returned to the land. Which would lead to judgement again, invasion and captivity.
Most noteworthy of these invasions and captivities are the Assyrian one in 8th century BC, the Babylonian one in 6th century BC. Another noteworthy Day of Yahweh was the Jewish War in 66-70 AD, when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans.
By the use of one or more of war or nature or calamity or plague, God judges certain nations, people, kingdoms or empires on this Day or Era. God will usually send a nation or nations to carry out the judgement on another nation, and use nature as well. This includes judgement of his people ancient Israel and the Christian church.
There is usually devastation of cities and people on this Day. Whether these judgements be against Ancient Israel, the Church or other nations. Whether the judgement comes by other nations or plagues or other natural forces or divine signs, it is always God who is behind the judgement. While they appear to be done by nature or nation, they are actually divine judgements. This is evident in the prophecies of the Hebrew prophets.
While a lot of these prophecies have been fulfilled in the past, a detailed review of them will reveal that all the prophecies have not been fulfilled. That reveals that there is a day of Yahweh still to come to fulfill all these prophecies. As you will learn as you read this article it is fulfill of vengeance, wrath and judgement on all the nations, and all the religions of the world. The evil wickedness and rebellion of mankind will be crushed.
While there is severe judgement on this day, and the death of all those who are evil and wicked, this is not the end of these people. For there will be a resurrection of the dead, and they will stand before the Throne. However they will not be sent to hell to be evilly tortured for all entity or Annihilated. God does not hate anyone, God ultimately loves all his children, no matter what they have done. That does not mean they are not severely disciplined. While there will be a lot of anger and grief, and wailing, while they are experiencing spiritually the Lake of Fire, this will be ultimately for their salvation, not for never ending punishment. For they will be cleansed and purified, like gold is purified in fire to remove impurities.
As will be explained Christ returns in great glory, and collects the chosen, then on the earth there is a separation of the evil ones from those that believe in the evangel, but have not been chosen. Explain in other articles, is the reign of the chosen from the kingdom of the heavens over this earth and the new earth which will be inhabited by the restored nations.
There are a number of events that are connected and associated with the Day of Yahweh. These includes the judgement of the servants of Christ, Resurrection of the dead in Christ, the coming Kingdom and the Wedding of Christ, which are all covered in great detail in other articles and will not be covered in any depth in this article. Ultimate the Day of Yahweh covers all of these events, but they have already been covered in great detail and are way too length to cover again in this article.
List of some of the articles & series:
How Many Resurrections
Judgement Series {Covers the judgement of servants and the Judgement of the rest of mankind}
The Kingdom
The Wedding of Christ and His Bride
Key Words:
There are four Greek Key words used in the new Testament that describe Christ’s return.
epiphaneia: meaning a manifestation in brightness or visible appearance in brightness due to a shining light. Translated: Advent or Appearance. Nearly every place where it is used it is to do with Jesus Christ’s second manifestation.
erchomai: Come or Coming. Used numerous times in the perspective of Christ’s second coming, but also used for Christ’s coming in spirit or vision.
parousia: To be beside, or presence. To describe almost solely Jesus Christ’s Presence at His return. Currently Christ is physically in heaven ruling over the universe. He is not present visibly on the earth. Soon He will return and be present on the earth by visibly descend to the earth. That is not to say He is not here spiritually, but He did physically leave, and He will physically return.
apokalupsis: Meaning to disclose or reveal or a revelation about something that was hidden. Often used for the description of Christ’s unveiling on the Day of the Lord. Frequently used to disclose or reveal spiritual matters, but also to disclose things about people and items.
Romans 8:19 For the premonition of the creation is awaiting the unveiling of the sons of God.
Here the sons of God are unveiled, this will happen at the time Jesus Christ is unveiled.
Latter Days
The meaning of the term “Latter Days” is really easy to understand, but due to incorrect bible translation, the meaning has been altered. With the meaning alter you get the wrong meaning of the term.
Achariyth: Hebrew word meaning after, or latter.
Latter Days: meaning days that are after the current day, as in future days, days that are latter than the current day.
Lets now have a look at applying the term.
In Daniel 2, the king has a dream of a statue, which represents four empires. The Gold was the current Babylonian empire. After that there was to be the silver empire, then the copper empire, Greek empire. The Iron and copper being the Roman empire. This empire would change over time, but still exist when the kingdom of the heavens comes that destroys the statue. Before Daniel give the king understand he said to the king:
Daniel 2:28 Actually, the Eloah {God} in the heavens reveals secrets, and He makes known to king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. O king, live for the eon! Your dream, even the visions of your head on your bed; it is this:" {CLV}
That is the dream was about what would happen in the “latter days.” These latter days then encompass the whole period from the rule of the Babylonian empire, until the kingdom of the heavens comes at the end of this eon, when Jesus Christ returns.
However the latter days can mean different periods of time, for it is the days that are latter, not anyone period. Thus you have to understand what days it means in the verses, where it is used.
Lets look at another example.
Jeremiah 48:47 Yet will I bring back the captivity of Moab in the latter days, says Yahweh. Thus far is the judgment of Moab. {World English Bible}
When is this captivity? Moab was completely destroyed long ago. Sometime in the future will be their captivity. For that to happen Moab will need to be restored. After this eon ends, Moab will be restored, on the new earth. This then means the term “latter days” means the future days on the new earth. Thus the term “latter days,” just means “future days.”
However people including me have wrong thought that it means “Last Days.” As in the last days of the era of the Hebrews, or the last days, being the period from the time Jesus left until He returns. By think it only can mean those two periods this is where people go wrong. The era of the Hebrews finished with the coming of the New Covenant. It being brought to an end with the war in 66-70 AD. Part of the problem arises from faulty translations.
Lets now look at how it has been incorrectly translated:
Jeremiah 48:47 And I have turned back [to] the captivity of Moab, In the latter end of the days, An affirmation of Yahweh! Hitherto [is] the judgment of Moab." {CLV}
Here it says “In the latter end of the days,” the word “end” has been added. However it is not the “latter end of the days” it is the “latter days.” By adding this word, you get misunderstanding. For this captivity does not come in the end of days of this eon.
Jeremiah 48:47 And I will bring back the captivity of Moab in the last days, saith the Lord. Hitherto the judgments of Moab. {Douay-Rheims Bible}
This translation is also incorrect, because it uses “last days.” Again implying incorrectly that the captivity comes in the last days. Making people think that the captivity comes at the end of this eon or in a supposed future millennium on this earth, that is in the last days before the world is destroyed. As I already explained there is no future millennium. The captivity comes at the start of the next eon, that is in the first days of the next eon the captivity starts, not the last days. Thus “latter days,” meaning “future days” is correct.
Promised Holy Spirit
Soon after Jesus went to heaven, the Holy Spirit come to the apostles. The apostles started to speak, in different languages, and each of one of those gather there of the crowd could hear them in their own spoken language. They were taunted for being drunk
Acts 2:14-15 Now Peter, standing with the eleven, lifts up his voice and declaims to them: "Men! Jews! and all who are dwelling at Jerusalem! Let this be known to you, and give ear to my declarations, for these are not drunk, as you take it, for it is the third hour of the day." {CLV}
He tells the gathered crowd that those speaking were not drunk. Then he goes on to tell them that this is the fulfilment of what Joel had prophesised:
Acts 2:16-21 But this is that which has been declared through the prophet Joel: And it shall be in the last days,' (God is saying) 'I shall be pouring out from My spirit on all flesh, And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And your youths visions shall be seeing, And your elders dreams shall be dreaming, And surely on My men slaves and on My women slaves in those days shall I be pouring out from My spirit,' and they shall be prophesying." And I will give miracles in heaven above, And signs on the earth below, Blood and fire and vapor pillars of smoke, The sun shall be converted into darkness And the moon into blood Ere the coming of the day of the Lord, The great and advent day." And it shall be that everyone, whosoever should be invoking the name of the Lord, shall be saved.'" {CLV}
Here the term is “last days,” but it should not be confused with “latter days.” The Greek “eschatos” means “last.”
Joel 2:28-32 And it comes afterward, I shall pour out My spirit on all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your elders shall dream dreams, your chosen ones shall see visions." And, moreover, on the servants and on the maids in those days shall I pour out My spirit." And I will give miracles in the heavens above, and signs on the earth, blood and fire and pillars of smoke." The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the day of Yahweh, the great and fearful day." And it comes that everyone who shall call on the name of Yahweh shall escape, for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem, deliverance shall come to be, just as Yahweh says; and among the survivors are those whom Yahweh is calling." {CLV}
The text is very similar in Joel, but it does not say “last days,” here it is “afterward.” Did Joel mean last days or latter days? The Hebrew word “achar” means after. Thus he was saying “it comes after,” as in latter, not last. The original scriptures are correct, but we do not have accesses to the original scriptures. What we have accesses to is copies, that do have mistakes. I would say that Joel meant ‘latter days” not “last days.”
“Afterward” here does not mean the last days of the Hebrew era. It means the time form when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the apostles, until, and including the coming Day of the Lord at the end of this eon.
The coming of the holy spirit at that time was the pouring out on all flesh. But how was it on all flesh? This is figurative, it did not mean literally all flesh. The brethren, represent all flesh, the faithful from Israel and the faithful from the nations, in the body of Christ, the ecclesia. Over that time the faithful have been dreaming, seeing visions, and prophesizing. On the coming Day of the Lord, the Sun will darken as will be covered later in the article.
Acts 2:32-36 This Jesus God raises, of Whom we all are witnesses." Being, then, to the right hand of God exalted, besides obtaining the promise of the holy spirit from the Father, He pours out this which you are observing and hearing." For David did not ascend into the heavens, yet he is saying, 'Said the Lord to my Lord, "Sit at My right" Till I should be placing Thine enemies for a footstool for Thy feet."'" Let all the house of Israel know certainly, then, that God makes Him Lord as well as Christ - this Jesus Whom you crucify!" {CLV}
What the gather crowd had witnessed was the promise of the holy spirit from the Father, that Jesus was pouring out.
Restoration of ALL
Acts 3:19-21 Repent, then, and turn about for the erasure of your sins, so that seasons of refreshing should be coming from the face of the Lord, and He should dispatch the One fixed upon before for you, Christ Jesus, Whom heaven must indeed receive until the times of restoration of all which God speaks through the mouth of His holy prophets who are from the eon. {CLV}
Spiritual Israel would receive seasons of spiritual refreshing, before Christ returned. Christ Jesus is to stay in heaven until the times of restoration of all.
The times of the restoration of all, is the periods of restoration that will come after Christ Jesus has returned. When the kingdom is fully manifested on the Earth, the times of restoration of all will begin. Restoration, means returning something back to it’s former better condition. All, here means all of creation. Over time there will be a restoration of all of creation back to the original beautiful condition that it had previously. This would have been the condition it had when God original created it, long ago in the creation week. However this time all animals and all mankind will gain immortality. During these future times of restoration spiritual blessings will go out to the whole of creation.
The Secret Interval
Hebrew prophets sometimes within the same passage of scripture revealed details of the two comings without indicating the gap of thousands of years between the two comings.
Isaiah 61:1-2 The spirit of My Lord Yahweh is on Me, because Yahweh anoints Me to bear tidings to the humble. He sends Me to bind up the broken hearted, to herald to captives, liberty, and, to the blind, the unclosing of the eyes, and, to the bound, to take the jubilee, to herald an acceptable year for Yahweh, and a day of vengeance for our Elohim {God}. {CLV}
When Jesus quoted this prophecy in Luke 4:16-21 He did not say “a day of vengeance for our Elohim.”, leaving it out. After saying this prophecy and handing back the scroll he said: "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your ears." If he had read out the part on vengeance, he could not have said that the scripture had been fulfilled. The day of vengeance is the Day of the Lord and will be completely fulfilled when He returns. However there was a fulfillment of this in 70 AD with the destruction of Jerusalem.
Some teachers of the bible, would have you believe that there is no gap in the prophecies. However this sort of teaching is incorrect, the scriptures make it abundantly clear that there is a gap between the two physical comings of Christ. This is also know as the era of the nations gap.
Applying the Interval Correctly
However some apply this interval incorrectly. For instance they put it in Daniel’s 70 weeks, between the last week and the rest of the weeks {Daniel 9}. There is no gap, or break in this period of weeks as I have said earlier. It is also place in the statue dream {Daniel 2}, between the third and forth kingdoms, this is also wrong, there is no gap between the third and forth kingdoms, or a gap between the forth and fifth kingdoms. I will not be covering the statue dream here. Refer to my article: Fourth Kingdom is Rome
Copyright © Mark J Farquharson 2017