THE DAY OF THE LORD—ITS BEGINNING.
By M. C. W.
IN our last, we learned from explicit Bible testimony the character of the day of the Lord. In the present article we propose to consider the question, When does it begin? What we have learned concerning its character will help us very much to determine its beginning. It is a day "cruel both with wrath and fierce anger" (Isa. 13); a day when "the loftiness of man shall be bowed down," and "the Lord alone shall be exalted" (Isa. 2); a day of "wrath," "trouble," "distress," "wasteness and desolation," "darkness and gloominess" (Zeph. 1:15); "the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." 2 Peter 3:7. All this is spoken of the day of the Lord and its connection with this earth; for it is to the earth that the wrath, the gloominess, the darkness, comes. The judgment is the judgment of the world which is to be punished for its iniquity. When does this terrible period begin? We will not discuss the opinions which declare that it has already begun, or that it will begin at the second coming of Christ. Where in the divine plan does it begin as shown in the word of God? The true theory will prove the falsity of all others. 2. In that day of the Lord there will be no mercy offered to mankind. It is the great day of God’s wrath. Men will be blinded by distress because they have sinned, "their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung," and no ransom which they can make, no defense which they can prepare, will be able to save them. Zeph. 1:14-18. The only defense against that day—a refuge in the God of Heaven—is not theirs. Men will no longer flee to the Rock of Ages for defense; they realize that the time is past; and in despair the mightiest men cry to the rocks and mountains to hide them from "the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand." Rev. 6:15-17. 3. A warning message is given to the inhabitants of earth, when that day is near at hand, that they may turn from their sins, seek God, and live. "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." Amos 3:7. This has ever been God’s plan. He warned the antediluvian world, the Sodomites, the Jewish nation. He will warn the world through his prophets of that most terrible visitation of wrath—the day of God. Dan. 12:1. One scripture which contains this warning is Joel 2:1, which reads: "Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain; let all the inhabitants of the land [earth] tremble; for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand." Injunctions to seek God are given. People are told to rend their hearts, and not their garments; the ministers of the Lord are told to pray and weep for their flocks. Certainly, no such language as this would be used if there was mercy and help to be found in that great day. 4. That message will be based on signs. In Joel 2:30, 31 the signs which will precede that day are mentioned; namely signs in the heavens, and especially the darkening of the sun and moon. The day of the Lord does not begin with these signs, for mercy is offered after these signs occur. The next verse says: "Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered." These signs are an evidence of the mercy of the Lord. They are given to verify God’s holy word and as a warning to men to flee from the wrath to come. This darkening of the sun and moon, and the falling of the stars mentioned in the same connection in other passages, are in the past. The former occurred May 19, 1780, and the latter November 13, 1833. The darkening of the former was not the result of an eclipse; its "true cause," as remarked in Webster’s unabridged dictionary, is unknown. The meteoric shower of November 13, 1833, was the most remarkable ever known, and met in every respect the specifications of the prophecy. They fell as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, coming from a common center, and flying as if shaken off by a tree (see Rev. 6:13); and it would seem to an observer that the very stars had left their orbit and withdrawn their shining. Joel 3:15. 5. The next event in order is the shaking of the powers of the heavens. Matt. 24:29. That which causes this shaking is the voice of Jehovah. Joel 3:16; Heb. 12:26. But this shaking does not precede the beginning of the day; it occurs in that day. See Isa. 2:17-19. Then as the darkening of the sun and moon and falling of the stars are in the past when the day of God’s wrath begins, and as the shaking of the heavens and earth occurs in that day, we are forced to the conclusion that its beginning lies between the falling of the stars and the shaking of the powers of heaven. But as the falling of the stars is in the past, the next event in order, as marked by these prophecies, is the great day of God’s wrath. 6. Judicial wrath or punishment implies investigation of the lives of those upon whom this wrath falls. It is for this reason that, in the warning message given the people of earth, the Lord reveals that his judgment is come. This message is found in Rev. 14:6-11. The first part includes all practical truth to which men are enjoined to turn; "for the hour of His [God’s] judgment is come." That this is not the executive judgment is evident from the following messages, which show that mercy is still offered after the first angel proclaims the judgment come. This judgment is future in Paul’s day. Acts 17:31; 24:25. It "is come" when the threefold message of Rev. 14 is due the world, just before God’s wrath unmixed with mercy is poured out, before Christ comes. Verses 10, 14. This judgment is to ascertain who among the inhabitants of earth—dead or alive—are worthy of a resurrection to eternal life, or translation, at the coming of Christ. Those who are "accounted worthy" among the dead will then be raised (Luke 20:35), while those who are accounted worthy among the living will be changed in a moment at the sound of the last trump. 1 Cor. 15:51, 52. The fact that the dead are raised incorruptible is proof that their cases have been decided before. This judgment goes on in the courts of Heaven while the last message, based on the prophetic word of God, is being heralded to the world to prepare men for the decisions of that dread tribunal. After judicial investigation, comes the sentence of the judge. And so it is in the heavenly court. The close of the investigative judgment marks the close of probation, just before Christ comes. It is thus noted: "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly, [to execute judgment]; and my reward is with me to give to every man according as his work shall be." Rev. 22:11, 12. This decree therefore closes probation. We will refer to it again. 7. The threefold message of Rev. 14, as before noticed, warns us against the unmixed wrath of God; that is, wrath unmixed with mercy. The cup now in the hand of the Lord is mixed with mercy, full of that mixture,—mercy is abundant; but the wrath of Rev. 14:11, will be the dregs of the cup in Ps. 75:8. Probation will then be closed; the decree will have gone forth. The wrath of Rev. 14:11 is manifested in the seven last plagues; "for in them is filled up the wrath of God." Rev. 15:1. This pouring out of the plagues must therefore usher in the great day of God’s wrath, a day in which there is no light and mercy, but all is darkness and distress. Amos 5:18; Zeph. 1:15. The following facts of Scripture confirm the above conclusion. We have seen that the day of the Lord begins after the falling of the stars, and before the shaking of the heavens and the earth; but this shaking occurs under the seventh plague. This plague is therefore in the day of the Lord. Under the sixth and seventh plagues is the great battle of Armageddon fought. Rev. 16:14-16. But this battle also comes in the day of the Lord. (Eze. 13:5); therefore the sixth plague is in the day of the Lord; and what is true of one of these plagues in this respect, is doubtless true of all. 8. One more evidence that the great day of God’s wrath begins at the close of probation. In Zeph. 1:14-18 is the terrible announcement of the nearness of the day of the Lord, and a description of its character. The following verses (chapter 2:1-3) is an appeal to the people of God to be ready for that time:— "Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lord’s anger come upon you. Seek ye the Lord all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness; it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger." Notice the expressions as regards the time indicated in the preposition "before." "Before the decree bring forth;" that is, the decree which marks the close of probation. Rev. 22:11, 12. If this be not so, then there is no force in the appeal; for they could seek God after the going forth of the decree. The decree shuts out all opportunity of seeking God. "Before the day pass as the chaff;" that is, the "day of salvation." "Now is the accepted time;" "now is the day of salvation." 2 Cor. 6:2. Then will be the day of wrath. He who regarded neither would treat God’s time of mercy as chaff till it was too late. Boothroyd translates: "Before the decree be executed, and ye are as the chaff that passeth." Those who regard not the warning would be found among the unjust who would remain unjust, and in the day of wrath, be like the chaff—burned with unquenchable fire. "Before the day of the Lord’s [fierce] anger come upon you." God’s fierce anger is unmixed wrath. When the day of probation and salvation closes, the day of executive judgment and perdition of ungodly men, the day of God’s wrath, the great day of the Lord, begins. We do not know how this could be plainer. We have learned, then, thus far in our investigations, from the clear testimony of Scripture, (1) that the day of the Lord is a day of executive judgment, when God’s just wrath will be poured out upon a wicked world; (2) that that day begins439when the day of probation closes, when the plagues begin to be poured out, when the decree goes forth fixing irrevocably the destinies of all men, before Christ comes. It will not be heralded by shout and trumpet; it will come as a thief in the night. 2 Peter 3:10. The careless wicked world will laugh and curse on till overtaken by the plagues of wrath. The righteous, with loins girded and lights burning, will be sealed for eternity. Fellow-sinner, cold-hearted Christian, God has given these messages for you. You may hide from his wrath beneath the shelter of his wings. Ps. 91. Heed the "sure word of prophecy." "Turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?" NOW IS THE ACCEPTED TIME. M. C. W.