House of Faith Ministries
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When investigating anything, you ask the questions who, what, when, where, and why. That’s what I’m going to do with End Time Prophecy from scripture. In this study, my goal is not to begin with theological systems or popular interpretations, but to let Scripture answer Scripture. Rather than asking what prophecy teachers say first, we'll ask what the biblical text itself says.

Note, I noticed something as I began this journey. There are scriptures that speak of the same event but have different viewpoints. Also, since End Time Prophecy focuses on three groups of people: Israel, the Church, and unbelievers, we need to see which group of people is the intended audience for that scripture.

Here are the principles for investigating end-time prophecy used in this teaching:
1. Scripture interprets scripture.
2. Context determines meaning.
3. Identify the intended audience.
4. Allow parallel passages to explain one another.
5. Recognize that prophecy may describe the same event from different perspectives (earthly/physical and heavenly/spiritual).
6. Build conclusions from repeated biblical evidence rather than isolated verses.

What is the Day of the Lord?

Zephaniah 1:14-18 NKJV
14 The great day of the Lord is near; It is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the Lord is bitter; There the mighty men shall cry out. 15 That day is a day of wrath, A day of trouble and distress, A day of devastation and desolation, A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness, 16 A day of trumpet and alarm Against the fortified cities And against the high towers. 17 “I will bring distress upon men, And they shall walk like blind men, Because they have sinned against the Lord; Their blood shall be poured out like dust, And their flesh like refuse.” 18 Neither their silver nor their gold Shall be able to deliver them In the day of the Lord’s wrath; But the whole land shall be devoured By the fire of His jealousy, For He will make speedy riddance Of all those who dwell in the land.

Zephaniah provides a physical description of a specific day. He also calls this day a day of wrath. That’s important to note because you will see this term used in scripture when referring to the Day of the Lord.
There are many scriptures that speak of the Day of the Lord. I’ll provide a list of scriptures that refer to the Day of the Lord below. Some parts only speak of certain events that happen on that day, for example the earthquake.

Take the time to read these to have a better understanding of what the Day of the Lord is:
Description / Scriptures:

God's wrath

Zeph. 1:15-18; Rev. 6:16-17

God's direct intervention

Isa. 2:19-21; Zech. 14:3-4

Great earthquake

Isa. 2:19; Joel 2:10; Joel 3:16; Rev. 6:12

Sun darkened

Joel 2:31; Amos 5:20; Rev. 6:12

Moon like blood

Joel 2:31; Rev. 6:12

Stars affected

Joel 2:10; Joel 3:15; Rev. 6:13

Heaven shaken

Joel 3:16; Hag. 2:6; Rev. 6:14

People hide in caves

Isa. 2:19-21; Rev. 6:15-16

No one can endure it

Joel 2:11; Mal. 3:2; Rev. 6:17

Paul, the author of many New Testament books also speaks of the Day of the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 5:2-10 NKJV
But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be [a]sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

First, in verse 2 he tells us that ‘the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night’, but then he says in verse 4, don’t be in darkness, or be unaware ‘so that this Day should overtake you as a thief’. This is important because now we know that the phrase ‘thief in the night’ tells us that the audience of those scripture(s) are unbelievers.

He also gives us another clue about that day in verse 3: ‘peace and safety’, then ‘sudden’ destruction. If you read all the scriptures above about the Day of the Lord, you will find that this day is a day of destruction. For those of us who are believers, we’re watching for ‘peace and safety’ because we’re children of the light. Paul clearly tells us to watch and be sober. Later, we will take a look at Matthew 24, Luke 21, and Mark 13 and you will see that Jesus tells the believers to watch and pray. Paul is emphasizing what Jesus told us.

Summary of what is the day of the Lord

Now we know what the Day of the Lord is. In summary, it’s a dark, gloomy, destructive day, involving an earthquake, the heavens are shakened, the stars fall, the sky recedes, every fish, bird and man will feel the shaking. And everyone will know that this is the day of wrath, per Revelation 6:17.