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The Day of YHWH

It is always interesting to me how different sections of the Bible seem to have common themes that tie the books together, even when they are written by various authors. Paul's letters all focus in one way or another on the importance of faith. The wisdom literature is timeless and focuses on passing down knowledge. Still if there is one group of books where a common theme is most prevalent, it's the prophets.

There is a concept that runs throughout the prophetic books of the Bible that is very important to understand before reading them. When these books were written it was assumed that the recipients already knew what this was. This is the concept of the day of YHWH.


The Day of YHWH

As we go through the prophets we will see this concept pop up again and again. This idea of the day of YHWH is actually very important to the Bible as a whole and even carries over into the New Testament. Before getting into the prophets it is important to understand what this is.

A quick reminder; YHWH is usually translated as LORD in all caps. This comes from the rabbinic tradition of not saying God's name ever to avoid taking it in vain. So when you see the day of the LORD (or day of the Lord in the NT) it is the same thing.

The day of YHWH has two meanings that aren't exclusive to each other. On the one hand it can be seen as a great day of joy and victory for God's people. On the other hand it is a terrifying day of judgment and wrath for those outside of God's covenant. The vast majority of ancient Israel and Judah saw it simply as the positive meaning.

The nations of Israel and Judah had grown lax in their covenant with God, to put it mildly. Sin ran rampant, corruption had taken root, and the Law of God was ignored without a second thought. In spite of all this, the people thought that YHWH God would protect them no matter what. They thought that they were the chosen people no matter what. 

The prophets arrived with a very different message. While most of the people thought the day of YHWH would bring only happiness and comfort, the prophets announced that for most it would be a day of terror and punishment. They warned the people that the day of YHWH was a day not to long for, but to be feared. It would be the day that God brought the nations to answer for their breach of the covenant and punish them accordingly.

What the prophets also mentioned, however, was that for the truly righteous the day of YHWH would be a day of joy and comfort. On that day those who truly followed God would be freed from the sin and corruption around them. For them it was something to pray for and was worth the wait.

The day of YHWH was simultaneously a good day and a bad day. It was the day when God would act decisively. In many instances in the prophets, the day of YHWH meant the arrival of Assyria and Babylon to punish Israel and Judah. These were days where God acted decisively against the evil in his own people. But there are other instances where the day of YHWH was still to come.

Two major instances of this stand out. The first major day of YHWH that was to come was the day when God himself would come down and live among man. This, we now know, was the arrival of Jesus. His death was both a very good day and a very bad day. Good because his sacrifice opened the way to the Father for all of us, but bad because God's wrath was poured out on an innocent man.

The second instance is the ultimate day of YHWH. This is the one that the New Testament points towards as well. This is the end of all things when God destroys evil once and for all. This is the return of Jesus, our conquering king.

Conclusion

The day of YHWH is a very important concept that pops up in pretty much every prophetic book. I hope that this post has helped clarify the different things the Bible means by it. Still this can be a difficult concept for us to swallow. 

In general we don't see the return of Jesus as something to look forward to. We often say we can't wait, but in truth we couldn't be more afraid. We simply aren't confident in our own salvation. We also don't like the idea of people facing judgment. I think studying the prophets will help us both understand the necessity of judgment as well as show us just how confident we can be in God's promises.

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