The Day of the Lord has finally arrived. This devotional reading will begin to look at how what John wrote ties with what other wrote, specifically Joel and Daniel.
Nuggets
- John and Joel agree pretty much down the line.
- John and Daniel don’t look like they are in agreement, but they are.
Okay. We are going to chase a rabbit here. I want to tie what John saw into what Joel, Daniel, Zechariah, and Malachi saw, what Jesus said that John had previously recorded, and what Paul said.
I am sure this is going to take more than one devotion, but they mostly won’t be like normal devotions. The verses under comparison will be — for the most part — in a table form. Then I’ll expand on the topics when appropriate, using sermons that I found in my research.
Let's Put It into Context
To read devotions in the On the Day of the Lord theme, click the button below.
Devotions in the The Day of the Lord series
Joel
“Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains a great and powerful people; their like has never been before, nor will be again after them through the years of all generations. Fire devours before them, and behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them, but behind them a desolate wilderness, and nothing escapes them. Their appearance is like the appearance of horses, and like war horses they run. As with the rumbling of chariots, they leap on the tops of the mountains, like the crackling of a flame of fire devouring the stubble, like a powerful army drawn up for battle. Before them peoples are in anguish; all faces grow pale. Like warriors they charge; like soldiers they scale the wall. They march each on his way; they do not swerve from their paths. They do not jostle one another; each marches in his path; they burst through the weapons and are not halted. They leap upon the city, they run upon the walls, they climb up into the houses, they enter through the windows like a thief. The earth quakes before them; the heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. The Lord utters his voice before his army, for his camp is exceedingly great; he who executes his word is powerful. For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome; who can endure it?” (Joel 2: 1-11 ESV)
John and Joel agree pretty much down the line.
We did a whole series once on Joel’s Day of the Lord. Let’s compare what he said to what John said – with a verse thrown in from Peter.
To read a devotion in The Day According to Joel series, click the button below.
We know that the trumpet blast announced the arrival of an opposing army. We know Jesus’ arrival will be announced by a trumpet blast (I Thess. 4: 16).
The purpose of John’s writing the Book of Revelation was so that we would know the Day of the Lord is coming, and we should tremble if we are not prepared for its arrival. Jesus says in Revelation 22, 16 that this book is to be a testimony to the churches.
Joel said that God is leading the army by the command of His voice (Joel 2: 11). Jesus leads in the Battle of Armageddon, but I agree — for this battle — God is the General.
I think, all in all, Joel and John are closely aligned.
Exell thought that disciples should be blowing the trumpet by warning others of the impending danger. But then he argued that disciples shouldn’t need the trumpet blast — and Parker agreed. Since we have God’s Word telling us the Day of the Lord is coming, we should be waiting and watching.
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We have to always be aware that the Day of the Lord is definitely coming; it is coming soon; and it won’t be pretty.
This should be enough to make everyone — disciples included — tremble.
I am sure the darkness and noise will contribute to that fear. Joel prophesied that a cloud of locusts would come.
No, John didn’t say anything about bugs, but what he did say eliminates the sun as the skies flee.
Exell reminded us of that we already know. He wrote,
“Light is always the emblem of joy. Darkness is the emblem of intense sorrow. The day of the Lord will be productive of great sorrow to the impenitent, as then all their plans will be at an end, their hopes will vanish, their ambitions will appear vain, and the great mystery of eternity before them for which they are unprepared will awaken the saddest reflections and anticipations within their souls.”
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We can boil it down to one thing. Light comes from God, and darkness comes from Satan. Satan’s world will be shown as it truly is — dark and fleeing God’s presence.
Daniel
“As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened” (Dan. 7: 9-10 ESV)
John and Daniel don’t look like they are in agreement, but they are.
The Ancient of Days is an Old Testament name for God. It is logical that He would take His seat when the thrones are placed.
The thing is, John wrote that Jesus would be seated on the great white throne. This is the judgment seat.
“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it …” (Rev. 20: 11 ESV). We will learn about the judging part in verse 12.
Whenever Jesus is the topic of discussion post-ascension, we are told that He is sitting at the right hand of God.
- “The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne” (Rev. 3: 21 ESV).
- “So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God” (Mk. 16: 19 ESV).
- “But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God’” (Ac. 7: 55-56 ESV).
- “Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us” (Rom. 8: 34 ESV).
- “Who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him” (I Pet. 3: 22 ESV).
- “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb. 1: 3 ESV).
- “Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven” (Heb. 8: 1 ESV).
- “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God” (Heb. 10: 12 ESV).
- “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God” (Col. 3: 1 ESV).
That is why I can see Daniel saying there were thrones plural.
No, John only talks about one. That does not, however, mean that there is only one.
God will always be on His throne.
Daniel said the throne would have fiery flames. John didn’t say anything about that. What John did say that Daniel didn’t was that it would be white.
I really think we are talking about two different thrones.
Okay. Odell said something I am going to have to process. He wrote,
“These claims rested on the unity of nature — the ‘ancient of days’ being ‘brought near’ and taking ‘hold of, the Son of man; thus making both One and this One offering a propitiation — being ‘out off,’ but not from Himself. The first claim has been met; Christ is the King! He shall be the Judge Kingship becomes the guarantee of Judgeship. We proceed to proclaim a coming judgment.”
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- Daniel and his contemporaries probably didn’t have a cohesive grip on the concept of a Messiah. We have hindsight. Daniel may or may not have had access to Isaiah’s writings (I don’t remember which was written first).
- He did get that the Son of Man/the Messiah was going to be given dominion over all creation. “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed” (Dan. 7: 13-14 ESV).
- I agree They have a unity of nature.
- I agree Christ was a propitiation — a substitute — as payment for our sins.
- I think Odell finally got around to Jesus as a judge at the end of his statement.
What I really think is that John and Daniel are talking about the same thing – only coming at it from two different ways.
Making the Connections
Mortimer and Temple expanded on the reason why disciples should be sounding the trumpet now. We must be warning that ungodliness will be judged. They listed several things that this ungodliness includes.
- Ignorance and formality in practicing our religion.
- Superstition.
- Self-righteousness.
- Conformity to the world.
- Hypocrisy.
- Ineffective prayer.
- Inactivity in our walk with Christ.
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We don’t want to have a dull — or even dead — spirit.
We need to be witnessing now that God’s judgment on sin is a sure thing, it is coming, and it will be final.
How Do We Apply This?
- Deeply repent because the Day of the Lord is near.
- Show devout gratitude to God for His salvation.
- Always remember our duty to God.
- Attend a church where God’s Truth is taught.
Resource
Father God. Your Word has been written by many men over a long period of time. At first glance, their accounts may not appear to mesh. One thing is for sure – You want us to know about the Day of the Lord. Open our hearts and minds to learn of it. Amen.
What do you think?
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