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    End Times

    What Is the Day of the Lord?

    What Is the Day of the Lord? The Day of the Lord refers to a future time when God will intervene dramatically in human history to judge the wicked and deliver the righteous.

    Key verse: 1 Thessalonians 5:2 (KJV)

    The Day of the Lord refers to a future time when God will intervene dramatically in human history to judge the wicked and deliver the righteous.

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    Quick Answer

    The Day of the Lord refers to a future time when God will intervene dramatically in human history to judge the wicked and deliver the righteous.

    "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night." — 1 Thessalonians 5:2 (KJV)

    The Biblical Answer

    The 'Day of the Lord' is mentioned throughout the Old and New Testaments (Isaiah 13:6, Joel 2:1, 1 Thessalonians 5:2, 2 Peter 3:10). It refers to a period of divine judgment and intervention. In the Old Testament, it sometimes referred to near-term judgments on nations, but prophets also used it to describe the ultimate eschatological day of God's wrath and the establishment of His kingdom. Paul warns it will come 'as a thief in the night' (1 Thessalonians 5:2). Peter describes it as a day when the heavens and earth will be dissolved (2 Peter 3:10-12). It is both a warning to the wicked and a hope for the righteous.

    Key Scripture References

    "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night."
    "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come."

    Frequently asked questions

    Frequently asked questions

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    Deep Dive Commentary

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    Read it in context

    The answer above sits inside 1 Thessalonians. The 365-day chronological plan reads it in the order the events happened.

    Read 1 Thessalonians on day 322 of the chronological Bible reading plan

    Keep the verses to hand

    Every verse quoted in “What Is the Day of the Lord?” comes from the King James Version, free to download and print.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    The 'Day of the Lord' is mentioned throughout the Old and New Testaments (Isaiah 13:6, Joel 2:1, 1 Thessalonians 5:2, 2 Peter 3:10). It refers to a period of divine judgment and intervention. In the Old Testament, it sometimes referred to near-term judgments on nations, but prophets also used it to describe the ultimate eschatological day of God's wrath and the establishment of His kingdom. Paul warns it will come 'as a thief in the night' (1 Thessalonians 5:2). Peter describes it as a day when the heavens and earth will be dissolved (2 Peter 3:10-12). It is both a warning to the wicked and a hope for the righteous.

    The Second Coming is the promised future return of Jesus Christ to earth in power and glory to judge the living and the dead and establish His eternal kingdom.

    The Great Tribulation is a future period of unprecedented suffering and divine judgment on earth, described primarily in Revelation, preceding Christ's return.