What Is the Difference Between the Day of Christ and the Day of the Lord?

Welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick, a 30-minute walk through the Scriptures, teaching in-depth Bible truths that change people's lives. Now, here's your host, Les Feldick. Okay, it's good to see everybody back in again from our local areas, and my, we have so many visitors from out of state today, I just don't even have time to mention them all. I hope the cameras pick them up, and at least for you folks from out of state, your friends at home will see that you've been here. And for all the rest of you, we always appreciate the fact that you put forth the effort to come in and be a part of this, and we always like to remind our television audience that we appreciate your letters, we appreciate so much your financial help and your prayers, and Iris and I have just returned from seminars in Denver and Albuquerque and Phoenix, and oh my goodness, the lives that are just simply transformed as a result of this little simple television approach, and we know God is using it for His glory. Again, I'd like to quickly announce that if you care to be on our mailing list and get our free newsletter, kindly call us or write to us, just give your name and address. We do not do any fundraising by mail, we do not share our mailing list with anyone, so your name will never go any further than our computer, and for that reason I will not hook up with the internet, because I don't want any possibility of someone coming into our computer program. So you're as safe as you can be with your name and address in our ministry at least. And as you see on the screen, all of our past programs are available either in print, on the audio, or on the video. So if you're interested in any of those things, you just drop us a line. Okay, now we've got a lot to cover today, and I never know how far we're going to get, but we're ready to pick up where we left off after our last program, which was the last part of I Thessalonians chapter 4. So we're going to go right into chapter 5, verse 1. Now remember in chapter 4, in our closing verses of the last program, we were talking about the rapture, that outcalling, that silent disappearance of the believers, the body of Christ, the resurrection of the believers who have died in Christ, and we'll all be reunited in the air, and then go back to glory with the Lord, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. It says in verse 17, and then verse 18 remember said that this is a comforting factor for those who have lost loved ones. We will see them again, and we'll know them, and they'll know us, and so these verses from 13 down through 18 were that precious moment that we're all looking for, when the trumpet will sound, and the dead in Christ shall rise, and we who are alive and remain shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, to wherefore comfort one another with these words. All right, now then as you slip into chapter 5, he says, but in spite of this is our blessed hope, as he calls it in Titus chapter 2, even though this is our blessed hope, yet we're still here, we're in the here and the now, we're in the real world, and so he says, the times and the seasons brethren, you have no need that I write unto you. I think what Paul is referring to is that the Lord Himself had given enough indications, as well as the Old Testament prophecies, that we can see from all those things in our present time that the time is approaching. So he says, the times and the seasons brethren, you have no need that I write unto you. Verse 2, for he says, you yourselves know perfectly or completely that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. Now the first thing we want to qualify is the difference between the day of Jesus Christ and the day of the Lord. In fact, I think I better put it on the board. I think maybe that will help, that we qualify that first we're going to have the day of Christ, and then the next statement is that we have to qualify the day of the Lord. Now the day of Christ, of course, is that day that Paul speaks of throughout his letters, and which we just referred to in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. But the day of the Lord is something that really begins way back in the Old Testament, and it carries all the way through until we get to the book of Revelation. And we're just going to spend this half hour probably, for the most part, chasing these references down, so that we understand that the day of the Lord is something totally different from the day of Christ. In fact, maybe I should even add a little more to it. The rapture, as we've been looking at it, is the day of Christ, and the tribulation, and the second coming. Those are all associated with the day of Jehovah. All right, so we're going to look at the day of Jehovah, the day of the Lord first, by going all the way back to Isaiah chapter 2, and we're going to drop in at verse 12. Isaiah 2, and we're going to look at how every one of these references that I'm going to be using, all use this same term, the day of the Lord, and it's the time of judgment. Beginning with the opening of the tribulation, carrying on right up to and beyond the second coming, which we qualified last time we were together as something totally different from the rapture. The rapture, as I've already said, is a silent disappearance. It's not associated with judgments, not associated with famine, and pestilence, and earthquakes in diverse places. It can happen today, it can happen tomorrow. The day of the Lord, on the other hand, is always associated with the tremendous wrath of God, and I want you to be looking for that as we use all these Old Testament references. Isaiah chapter 2, verse 12. Isaiah 2, verse 12a "...for the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, upon every one that is lifted up, and he shall be brought low. 13. Upon all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up. 14. The high mountains and the hills. 16. Upon all the ships of Tarshish, and the pleasant pictures. 17. The loftiness of men shall be bowed down, the haughtiness of men shall be made low, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day." Now let's go on up to Isaiah chapter 13, and drop in at verse 9. And as we go, just constantly be aware of what it says. It's so plain. Isaiah 13. 9. Behold, the day of the Lord cometh cruel both with wrath and fierce anger to lay the land desolate. He shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. 10. The stars and constellations shall not give their light, the sun shall be darkened and he's going forth, the moon shall not cause her light to shine, where God says through the prophet, and I will punish the world." Now this isn't just Israel, although remember that as we read all these verses attendant now with the wrath of God, the day of Jehovah, that the whole world will come under this, but Israel is going to suffer by far the greatest. It's going to be the time of Jacob's trouble, but the world will also come under these horrendous acts of judgment. Now they can scoff all they want, I know the world scoffs at these things, but we'll let them scoff. The day is coming when they're going to cry for something to put them to death and it won't happen. Now in verse 11, this is God's time of wrath and vexation as the psalmist calls it. I will punish the world, not just Israel, the whole world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity. I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and I will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. Just keep on going in Isaiah now to chapter 24, and verse 21, and it shall come to pass, and beloved you better believe it. The world out there never wants to consider it. They think it's just going to keep on, and keep on, and keep on, but it's not. The day of the Lord is coming, and it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord, now there it's arranged a little differently in words, but the meaning is the same. It shall come to pass in that day of the Lord, that He shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, the kings of the earth that are upon the earth. So even the high and the mighty will never escape it. Come on over to chapter 26, verse 20. Now these are frightening words, I know they are, and it's God's judgment that is coming upon the earth. I guess I should make a comment. Why is one generation going to suffer so inexorably for the wickedness of mankind? Although you've been in my Oklahoma classes you know the answer. It's numbers. There are more people on the planet right now today than have lived previously all the way back to Noah's flood. So God is dealing for the most part with the vast majority of the whole human race, because most of them are living today. We're approaching 6.5 billion people. Now I can remember when I first started teaching, I think about 1970, it was 4 billion. So you see we've already gained 150%, and so it's just going to keep rolling, and if the Lord doesn't come ere long, it'll soon be 7 billion. And that's a lot of people. So now look what He says concerning this end time mass of humanity. Now we know there's going to be a remnant of Israel that will be protected. They're going to be down there in the mountains, and God's going to protect them and provide for them like He did Israel in the wilderness experience. And so these are the ones He's referring to, to just be patient until this time of His wrath is passed. Now verse 21. Ephesians 2. "...For behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain." Now I know the first thing everybody thinks of is, but I thought He was a God of love. I thought He was a God of grace and mercy. He is. He has been now for all these hundreds and hundreds of years, but His patience is one day going to run out. Now even today when we see disasters and we see this loss of life, that's not God's wrath. He's permitted Satan to bring it about, but God isn't precipitating the suffering of this world. That's the God of this world who's doing that, and of course our Sovereign God permits it. But once this day of the Lord begins, and the tribulation seven years open up, then it is no longer the grace and the love of God, it's the wrath of God. In fact, keep your hand here in Isaiah and just turn back a few chapters to Psalms, the portion that I use so often. I think we did in our last taping session where I put the timeline on the board of the Old Testament program. How that mankind would reject the Messiah and say, I'll not have this man to rule over us. And then you move on through and it says in verse 4 of Psalms 2, how that God sitting in the heavens shall laugh at man's ridiculousness to reject His given Messiah. And so then the Lord shall have them, that is the nations of the world, in derision, in confusion, and we're getting closer and closer to that every day. Then in verse 5, see here's where it comes. Then there would come a time after His rejection, after His resurrection from the dead, then shall He, God, speak unto them, the nations of the world, in His wrath, in His sore displeasure. It's coming. And then you see I always use this as the Old Testament outline, after the wrath and vexation, in verse 6 of course is the promise of the Kingdom. Yes Christ is going to return, and we'll probably see that before the afternoon is over following all of these judgments that are coming upon the planet. Now out of Isaiah where we just were in chapter 26, verse 21, let's move on to Isaiah chapter 34. Now I trust you all realize that Isaiah was a prophet of Israel, and so these things were written primarily to the Jewish people, but they're back here for our learning. And so we study them for that purpose, not that they have a doctrinal effect upon us salvation as such, but they do teach us what is still coming on the planet. Isaiah 34, and let's drop in at verse 8. For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance, not His mercy, now we're talking about His wrath and His vexation. It is the day of the Lord's vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion. And on and on it goes, that all of these things that are repeated over and over are coming on the earth. Now I think I've got another one or two in Isaiah, let's turn over to chapter 63. These are verses that we usually use in regard to the Book of Revelation. Isaiah 63, and oh goodness, I guess we can start in at verse 2 of Isaiah 63, and this is a verse concerning Christ's coming at the Battle of Armageddon, which Revelation to Grapes in a wine vat, and as He brings the nations in, He will tread them like the treader of the wine vat, only He treads them in His wrath and His fury. Verse 2. Isaiah 63, and then the Lord responds, I have trodden the winepress alone. And of the people there was none with me, for God says, I will tread them in my anger. Now that's not the God that we know today. Today God is still the God of love and mercy and grace, but there's coming a day when the day of the Lord will introduce these judgments. I will trample them in my fury, their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. Now in reference to that, you remember Revelation speaks of a river of blood flowing out of the nation of Israel as deep as the bridles on a horse, and for a distance of 180 miles. Now these are all prophecies that tie together. Isaiah 63, and then the Lord responds, I will tread down the people in my anger, I'll make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth. Which of course is the crushing of the armies in Armageddon at His Second Coming. Now let's go to Jeremiah 25, and verse 30. Still one or the other of the major prophets, writing primarily to Israel, but writing for our learning as well. Jeremiah 25, and verse 30. See there's that same analogy of the treading of the grapes in a wine vat. And they shall be like that tread the grapes against all the inhabitants of the earth, not just Israel, but the whole human race. Verse 31. A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth, for the Lord Jehovah has a controversy with the nations, not just Israel, although let me keep reminding you, Israel is going to be the vortex of it, Israel is going to suffer far more than the rest of the world, but they're all coming under it. So he says, verse 31. A noise shall come to the ends of the earth, for the Lord has a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh, not just Israel, he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the Lord. Verse 32. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coast of the earth, and the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth to the other. They shall not be lamented, neither gathered nor buried, they shall be dung upon the ground. Now of course the book of Revelation tells us that God is going to bring forth the birds of prey, the vultures, and they're going to have a feast, feasting on the flesh of mankind. Not a pretty picture, but it's something we better be aware of. Ezekiel 30. And I hope you're realizing how all of these various portions of Scripture are saying basically the same thing. And I've said over the years, why does God repeat and repeat and repeat? Emphasis! He's driving this thing home that we better understand, and we better realize that for the unbelieving world that's left behind after our silent disappearance, this is their fate. And oh they're rushing on with their interest in the stock market, and with their crazy music, and with all of their entertainment, they have no thought for this. But they better wake up, because this is their lot. Ezekiel 30. Verse 3. "...for the day is near, a cloudy day, a day with an almost absence of light, and of course my own projection," I can't prove this from Scripture, I can give little tidbits, but I think the reason you're going to have such a darkness in these closing days of tribulation is because of a nuclear war. I think the nuclear dust and the nuclear clouds are just going to blot out the sun, because Zechariah says, "...the men shall be standing, and their eyes disappear in their sockets." Well that's radiation disease if I understand anything. So as you read these verses you'll notice it's a constant reference now to a dark day, a cloudy day. Ezekiel 30. Verse 3. "...it shall be a cloudy day, and it shall be the time of the heathen," which is another word for Gentiles, not just Israel, but for the whole world. Now you come on over through Daniel and through Hosea, and you come to the next little book of prophecy, Joel. Joel chapter 2. And we just started verse 1. Joel 2. Verse 1. "...and blow ye the trumpet in Zion, sound an alarm in my holy mountain, let all the inhabitants of the land tremble. For the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand, it is a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness. As the morning spreads upon the mountains, a great people are drawn. There hath not been ever the light, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of generations." Now that's God speaking through the prophet. Let's turn a little further in Joel to chapter 2. Verse 28. These are verses we've used back in our Revelation study, and as well in Acts chapter 2, when Peter spoke of it as this is that. This is that Peter said when he referred to the crucifixion, the resurrection, and the coming of the Holy Spirit. This is that spoken of by the prophet Joel, but remember Peter never comprehended that the worst part of those prophecies were stopped, and he never did see them fulfilled. But now 2,000 years later, it's at the door. Joel chapter 2, and it shall come to pass, afterward that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your men shall dream dreams, and so forth. But now come on down to verse 30. Joel 2. Here are the cataclysmic events of the day of the Lord. For I will show wonders in the heavens and the earth, blood, fire, pillars of smoke, the sun turned into darkness, the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come. See how plain all this is? Just turn over a few pages to Amos chapter 5, and we want to drop down quickly to verse 18. Now this is one of the minor prophets, see. Amos chapter 5, verse 18. "...Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! To what end is it for you? The day of the Lord is darkness, and not light." See how obvious all these things are? Now we've got time to look at one more, and that's the next little minor prophet, Obadiah. And let's drop it down to verse 15, and this is the last one we're going to have time to look at. "...For the day of the Lord is near upon all the heathen. As thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee. Thy reward shall return upon thine own head. For as you have drunk upon my mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, and they shall be as though they had not been." Thank you for watching Through the Bible with Les Feldick. Through the Bible is a partner-supported ministry. 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