The Lamb and the Day of the Lord

We volunteered to help at the Spring Carnival. Our church hosts this event every year in a neighborhood park. I’d not attended before never mind signed up so was nervous about this ‘first time’ event. We were assigned to the petting zoo. The only one I’d ever seen had small cages with one animal in each. Children were allowed in the cage to pet the animal and moved on to the next when their time was up. Our zoo was not like that.

It was a large room-sized enclosure with a smaller open-top box in the middle filled with rabbits, chicks, and Guinea pigs. The other animals ran loose except a docile pony and a large calf both tied to the fence. There was a big pig, several hens and a small rooster, mother goats with a half dozen kids, a turkey and three lambs. The children, usually with their parents and twenty or so at a time, were allowed in for about ten minutes, then went out making room for the next batch. This went on for two hours and was the most fun I’ve had for a while. I had no reason to be nervous!

This event bears no resemblance to “the Day of the Lord” but the church at Thessalonica was fearful about it, far more anxious than I was about serving in that zoo. They had only Old Testament prophecies to inform them and those prophecies were scary. Here are just a few of them:

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. . . . 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 2:1–3; 10–11)

The great day of the Lord is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter; the mighty man cries aloud there. A day of wrath is that day, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of trumpet blast and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements. I will bring distress on mankind, so that they shall walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the Lord; their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the Lord. In the fire of his jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed; for a full and sudden end he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth. (Zephaniah 1:14–18)

Behold, a day is coming for the Lord, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. (Zechariah 14:1–2)

While some of these prophesies followed up with hope and good news, most of them could easily strike terror into the hearts of anyone. The Christians in Thessalonica wondered if they would be victims in the Day of Judgment.

I wish I could offer simple answers to this question. The Bible is not clear on the chronological order of events at the time of Christ’s return or when God’s judgment happens. These Christians wondered just as we wonder if we will find ourselves caught in the frightful days of “the great tribulation” that is to come upon the earth? Or, will the Lord take us away before His judgment begins?

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Lord Jesus, In the next three days, I plan to take another look at the things that will happen before this ‘day’ comes, how much You have told us about what is going on, and how we can trust You with our lives during this time. Today, I am thankful that wickedness will meet its end because You are not looking the other way. You will bring justice to this world. I’m also going to think about the zoo and the children, and especially those lambs that reminded me You are the Lamb of God. Spending an afternoon with these gentle, defenseless creatures gave me a picture of what You became as my sacrifice for sin. 

“Lamb of God, oh Lamb of God, how I love the sweet Lamb of God.”

When will Jesus return?

Several years ago, a man came up with a detailed plan of Christ’s return. He had it figured out to the last detail including dates and places. He produced a small book and sent it to every church. Some folks took this as truth, even to the point of changing their lifestyle. Some thought there was no point in making plans for the future or even taking care of daily responsibilities.

I don’t remember the man’s name or the details of his thick little book. All I remember is that it didn’t happen. I also remembered then and now that Jesus said:

“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only, . . . Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming . . .  Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Matthew 24:36; 42; 44)

The first century church in Thessalonica didn’t receive that little book but they did hear that the day of the Lord had already come or was eminent and feared that they were going to experience the wrath of God. Paul wrote to them a second time with reassurance:

“Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way . . . .” (2 Thessalonians 2:1–3)

Their angst makes a little sense because they didn’t have the New Testament Scriptures that I have. They heard things from the Holy Spirit and even from evil spirits. Rumors floated. Paul indicates other letters also were passed among them. He told them not to be quick to listen to any false alarms. He went on to describe what would happen before that ‘day of the Lord’ would come. While no one could pin it down or mark it on a calendar, God’s people would not be totally clueless.

As for the booklet with its unfulfilled predictions, most Christians that I knew at that time simply tossed it in the garbage. They knew what the Bible said. Even those who read the booklet, myself included, could see that the man’s ideas, as solid as they sounded, did not match the words of Jesus. No one believed it and no one panicked.

The saddest were those who read and believed it. They ‘sold everything’ including their common sense. The Word of God did not say, “no one knows except the author of a certain book that will be written in the 1980s.” Their panic was unwarranted and their reaction must have been embarrassing later when all those predictions did not happen.

Paul wrote good advice to a young pastor, advice that applies to all of God’s people. He said: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15) False teaching seldom dupes those who follow this advice!

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Lord Jesus, You remind me today to keep learning and reading. I need to be careful how I handle the Word of God, but also watch my attitude as I listen to the news. The world is in a mess and it is possible this is a sign of the beginning of the end as some say, but history has many periods when all seemed bleak and Your return seemed eminent. Also, when I hear Christians saying things about Your return, I need to be biblical in my response. You know the debates about it. You also tell me to obey whatever give me to do, faithfully trusting You to show up when the time is right rather than getting involved in speculation that runs contrary to “no one knows.” I look forward to seeing Your face yet right now I am content that this will happen — even without knowing when or where. Your very last words recorded by John in Revelation are: “Surely I am coming soon” to which John replied, “Amen. Come Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.” (Revelation 22:20-21)