Page 209 - The Rapture Question by John F. Walvoord

The Raplure Question: Revised and Enlarged Edition
poured out on the earth, as well as disturbances in heaven, arc
graphically described by Joel. There will be great signs in the
heavens given in more detail in the Book of Revelation: “I will
show' winders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire
and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and
the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful
day of the Lord" (Joel 2:30-31). What is meant here is not that
the day of the Lord will begin after these wonders in heaven,
but that it will come to its climax when the judgment is actu­
ally executed.
The Book of Zephaniah adds another aspect to the day of
the Lord. After revealing in some detail the judgments to
occur at that time, the prophecy describes the blessings that
will follow (1:7-18). In Zephaniah 3:14-17 the prophet writes,
“Sing. O Daughter of Zion; shout aloud O Israel! Be glad and
rejoice with all your heart. O Daughter of Jerusalem! The
LORD has taken away your punishment, he has turned back
your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never
again will you fear any harm. On that day they will say to
Jerusalem. ‘Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands hang
limp. The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He
will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.’” The significant truth
revealed here is that the day of the Lord, which first inflicts
terrible judgments, ends with an extended period of blessing
on Israel, and this will be fulfilled in the millennial kingdom.
Based on the Old Testament revelation, the day of the
Lord is a time ofjudgment, culminating in the second coming
of Christ, and followed by a time of special divine blessing to
be fulfilled in the millennial kingdom.
Why Is the Day of the Lord
Introduced in 1 Thessalonians 5?
One of the important questions that arise in the study of
1 Thessalonians 5 is why the day of the Lord is introduced
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