The Day of the LORD

The Bible says that the Day of the LORD is described in these passages as near, fearful, and associated with judgment. Isaiah speaks of a day against the proud and exalted, who are brought low, and portrays it as coming with wrath and fierce anger Isaiah 2:12 Isaiah 13:9. Joel calls for trembling because the day is near, calls it great and very terrible, and describes signs involving the sun and moon before it comes Joel 2:1 Joel 2:11 Joel 2:31.

Other passages connect the day with darkness rather than light, recompense upon the nations, and a day of cloud Amos 5:18 Obadiah 1:15 Ezekiel 30:3. The wording also recurs in later books: Acts repeats the language of the sun turned to darkness and the moon to blood, while 1 Thessalonians says the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night Acts 2:20 1 Thessalonians 5:2. Second Peter similarly says it will come as a thief and describes the heavens passing away and the elements being dissolved by burning 2 Peter 3:10.

The word or idea recurs in at least 26 verses across 16 books and 23 episodes, including references to the day of Christ and “the Day” Philippians 1:6 Hebrews 10:25.