1 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, 2 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.
10 The earth quakes before them; the heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. 11 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 2:1-2, 10-11
The early Church described the Day of the LORD as a day of rejoicing. As our Blessed Hope. The prophets described the Day of the LORD as a fearful day. A day of great trembling. Joel poses the question, ‘Who can endure it?’ Isaiah tells the people to wail, for the Day of the LORD is near (Isaiah 13:6-13). Jeremiah describes it as a day of vengeance, where the sword of the LORD will spill much blood (Jeremiah 46:10). Ezekiel says it’s a day of doom for the nations (Ezekiel 30:3). Amos even goes as far as to say, ‘Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord!’ he even questions why they would desire it since it’s a day of great gloom and darkness (Amos 5:18-20). This now begs the question: why did the early Church and the ancient prophets be so polar opposites on what the Day of the LORD is? One word: Jesus.
The Prophets wrote from a position of hopelessness. See, before Jesus there was no hope. There was just this day of reckoning coming from God that none can endure. The LORD returning and His recompense with Him. See, there was no sacrifice for their sin other than the blood of animals, which could never wash away sins. So the ancient prophets (Joel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, etc.) only saw the coming wrath of God, not the hope. But Paul saw the full picture. See, Paul saw how dreadful the Day of the LORD would be for all who don’t believe. For all who aren’t ready for His return, but to those who are saved. Who are ready for His return, it is a day of great rejoicing. A day of great hope. Paul, because he was ready, saw Jesus. He saw his Savior because His Passover Lamb had been slain and Jesus had gone behind the curtain in Heaven and sprinkled His own blood on the Ark of the Covenant.
See, for us, the Church, Jesus isn’t our punisher; He is our coming groom returning for His bride. Our God returning for His people. We are spared from His wrath, not because we don’t deserve it, but because we’ve been washed in His blood.
Today at sunset, the Feast of Trumpets will begin. So, let us today remember what that day foreshadowed. It wasn’t just blowing a trumpet for no reason. It foreshadowed the coming Messiah to carry us from this Earth and take us back to be with Him forever. So, today, let the Bride say ‘come.’ Let us prepare ourselves for our Messiah’s return. For our Groom to carry us away and save us from His coming wrath. That is what we are celebrating, remembering, praying for, and dwelling on. Our Savior is coming to redeem us, so that we might not be caught up in His wrath.
Peace. Love. Go Forth and Come, LORD Jesus, Come.