LEARNING ACTIVITY #47

The Day of the Lord

Part Two

This Learning Activity complements Learning Activity #37 which should be completed prior to doing this Learning Activity.

In a number of places in the Scriptures a phrase appears which states "the day of the Lord." Some Christians are confused over the meaning of the use of this phrase. I think a study of the use of this phrase would be helpful in understanding the Scriptures as a whole.

1. Isaiah 13:6
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2. In the verse above, what is it that was to happen on "the day of the Lord?"_ ________________________________________________________________

3. Who or what was to be the recipient of the above "Day of the Lord?" _
________________________

4. Isaiah 34:8

5. In the verse above, what is it that was to happen on this particular "day of the Lord?"

6. Who or what was to be the recipient of the above "day of the Lord?"

NOTE: Bozrah most likely suffered the judgment above for any one or more of the following reasons: (1) Edom refused passage to Moses and the children of Israel when they were on their journey from Egypt to the land of Canaan (See Numbers 20:14–21), (2) Edom helped to plunder Judah in 853 BC, 796 BC, 735 BC and 597 BC.

7. Ezekiel 30:3–4 _

8. In the scripture above, what is it that was to happen on this particular "day of the Lord?"

9. Who or what was to be the recipient of the above "day of the Lord?"

10. Joel 1:15

11. In the verse above, what is it that was to happen on this particular "day of the Lord?" ______________________

12. Who or what was to be the recipient of the above "day of the Lord?"_ ________________________

13. Zephaniah 1:7

14. In the verse above, what is it that was to happen on this particular "day of the Lord?" (See verse twelve).

15. This same "day of the Lord" is repeated in Zephaniah 1:14. Verse fifteen contains a description of what would happen on that "day of the Lord." How does the Bible describe that action?

16. Zechariah 14:1 _
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17. In the verse above, what is it that was to happen on this particular "day of the Lord?"

18. In all of the passages above there is a common theme for what happens on a "day of the Lord." In your words, what activities/actions or theme is a part of "the day of the Lord?"

19. Joel 2:1 _

The above "day of the Lord" is one in the Scriptures that is a cause of much discussion in Christian circles. There are some very unique aspects of this particular "day of the Lord."

20. What is it that is mentioned as far as the timing of this particular "day of the Lord" in Joel 2:1?

21. What is mentioned about this particular "day of the Lord" in verse two that is different from all others we have studied in this Learning Activity?

22. Does this "day of the Lord" fit the pattern of judgment by God that we have seen in the other "days of the Lord" we have studied in this Learning Activity? (See verses two, three, six, ten and eleven).

23. Who or what was to be the recipient of this "day of the Lord?" (See Joel 2:32; 3:1). _________________________

In conjunction with this "day of the Lord" there would be an outpouring of the Holy Spirit as described in Joel 2:28–31.

24. Read Joel 2:28–31.

The above passage is known as a prophecy because when it was given in Joel it was speaking of something that was going to happen in the future–and it did!

25. Read Acts 2:16–21.

In the Acts 2 scripture above, Peter made the statement that the manifestation of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost was the fulfillment of the Joel prophecy (See verse sixteen). Many Christians understand and believe in the manifestation of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1–6), but a few also believe and teach that Peter was mistaken in saying "...this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel" (Acts 2:16) because the events of Acts 2:19–20 did not take place! The understanding that Peter was mistaken is a ludicrous position to take for a number of reasons. To begin with, Peter's statement is inspired scripture. Secondly, the apparent lack of manifestation of the signs contained in verses nineteen and twenty are a result of the reader not being familiar with apocalyptic language (See Learning Activity #30). In Acts 2, Peter is quoting from Joel 2. The events that took place at Pentecost occurred in the last days of the Jewish age (See Learning Activities #23, #24 and #27) and in connection with "the day of the Lord" which, in this case, took place in AD 70 when the city of Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman armies (See Learning Activities #32, #33 and #34).

From the above we conclude that any great judgment upon a nation or group of people is referred to in Scripture as "the day of the Lord," and the last and final "day of the Lord" took place in AD 70 when armies from Rome destroyed the Temple, the Jewish system of religion and the city of Jerusalem itself.

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