1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, The Day of the LORD (2)

Today’s post will, to a degree, tie up some things from the previous three posts.

I was recently asked this question: “if the times of the Gentiles is a time when Jerusalem is trampled underfoot by the nations, why is it still that time in Israel today when Israel has its own government and follows its own path?  Excellent question.  There are three parts to my answer.  First, Jerusalem in the future will be trampled underfoot (Rev. 11:1f).  So we know that “time” is not yet finished today.  Second, though Israel is a “sovereign nation” today, they still place a high value on what the nations think.  I know there are two sides to this.  Yes, Israel is taking responsibility for her own defense, her own economy, and so forth.  But at the same time, she is dependent on nations, and perhaps none more openly than the United States.  Third, we are still in the age of great evangelism among the nations, in the way it is described in Rom. 11.  Partial blindness is Israel’s situation with respect to the gospel.  But when the age of the Gentiles concludes, a Spirit of grace and a fountain for cleansing will be opened for Jerusalem (Zech. 12:10; 13:1).

“The Day of the LORD” is the theme of several prophetic books.  Joel speaks of the “DOL” as first referring to a locust plague, but then halfway through his book refers it to the coming day of judgment on the Nations and restoration of Israel.  Zephaniah is another prophetic book that centers on the DOL.  For him, the initial DOL refers to the Babylonian invasion, not only of Israel but of the surrounding nations.  It is chastening for Israel, judgment on the Nations, and then restoration of Israel in the time of the Messiah.

The subject of the DOL spans not only the OT prophetic books but the NT prophetic passages as well.  This was evident in the list of Scriptures.  Paul’s teaching on the subject in both Thessalonian letters is critical for the Church’s understanding of that coming Day.  It was natural for people to wonder if the persecution of the Church, by the Jews first and then by the Romans, was evidence of that Day.  Paul’s teaching was that it was not!  In the times of the Soviets, I remember hearing Christians expressing that view, that their persecution was what was predicted in the Day of the LORD.  What must be remember, even today, is that persecution is a “normal” part of the Christian life according to our Lord Himself (John 16:33).  “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12).  For Israel, however, the DOL is exceptional.  It is not the prosperity God promised obedient Israel but is His severe chastening of disobedient Israel.  His promise, in all of it, is that He will never break His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  The chastening will eventually bring about restoration and His grace will bring about the salvation of the nation.

Lastly for today, here is our diagram for the Day of the LORD. (Pardon the rough image.  Picture of a picture.)