I realize that this is a very sticky topic. And to be honest, I’m actually a little nervous about bringing it up. So I will start by saying, I do not claim to have all the answers. Nor am I an expert in the field of eschatology; though I have done my own extensive research and study on the subject. My goal in writing this is not to credit or discredit anyone’s opinion, or even to insert my own point of view into the mix as the gospel truth. Instead, I’ll be looking entirely to God’s Word to determine what He has to say.

Why So Touchy?

What makes this such a delicate subject, in part, is that most respected Bible teachers and layman have developed very strong opinions about End-Time events. And more often than not, these opinions are derived from (or influenced by) their beliefs concerning the Rapture. Otherwise known as The Gathering Together of the Saints.

There are essentially five common views of the Rapture:

  • Pre-Tribulation Rapture:  Happening before the beginning of the Tribulation, or the 70th Week of Daniel.
  • Mid-Tribulation Rapture (waning in popularity):  Happening at the mid-point, or 3.5 years into the Tribulation.
  • Pre-Wrath Rapture:  Happening after the Tribulation, but before The Day of The Lord begins.
  • Post-Tribulation Rapture:  Happening after both the Tribulation and The Day of The Lord, at the time Christ makes His second advent to earth.
  • No Rapture:  The Rapture and Second Coming are essentially one event.

As you can see, these views vary widely; and this has resulted in much error and contention among believers. But we should not allow this to discourage us or bring confusion. The fact that there are so many perspectives, is the natural outcome of not having all the specifics necessary to create a comprehensive timeline for future events.

If you read my previous post Are We in Danger of Repeating History then you know I believe much of what will happen in the last days, in terms of timing and specificity, has intentionally not been revealed to us. These are the Secret Things that belong to God alone (Deuteronomy 29:29). At least for the time being. Therefore, we must be very cautious when attempting to read more into the scripture than has been disclosed.

But that’s not to say God has been completely silent on the matter. The fact that we have not been given all of the details doesn’t mean that we should disregard the details that have been revealed, because they are rich and significant; and if we let them, they can fill in many of the blanks that have been created over the years.

My goal is simple.

For the purpose of this study, I will be focusing not on what I or anyone else believes about the timing of the rapture. That is an unknown; and will remain that way until it happens. Rather, my objective is to discover what the Bible has to say about the time period it refers to as The Day of The Lord.

I will address such questions as:

  • What is the Day of the Lord?
  • Does the Bible give any clues as to when this event/time period will take place?
  • And what, if any, significance does it have in the life of the Believer?
Why the Day of The Lord?

This may seem like a strange approach, because it is typically not something discussed in Christian circles as being relevant to the Church. However, when you consider all that God has chosen to reveal about the end of days, there is one solid assertion that requires no interpretation:  His children are not destined for wrath (1 Thessalonians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 5:9, Romans 5:9, Ephesians 5:6). And knowing this, gives us a more firm line in the sand with which to work as we move forward in this study.

Skip to Part 2 of this series:  The Day of the Lord

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