The Jewish Encyclopedia gives some titles for the Day of the Lord. It says, “An essential factor in the prophetic doctrine of divine judgment at the end of time, generally, though not always, involving both punishment and blessing. It (Day of the Lord) is identical with ‘That Day’ (Isa 17.7; Hos 2.18; Micah 2.4; Zech 9.16, 14.4, 6, 9); ‘Those Days’ (Joel 3.1); ‘That Time’ ( Jer 31.1; Zeph 3.19-20); or simply ‘The Day” (Ezek 7.10); or ‘The Time.'”
There are many, many titles for the Day of the Lord and we need to watch for these as we study. These terms are not limited to the Tanak. They are also in the Gospels and Epistles. They are not talking about a certain day of the week, but a prophetic time called “In that day.” In the book, “Rosh Ha Shanah and the Messianic Kingdom to Come” by Joseph Good, p. 163-173, there is a list of various titles for the Day of the Lord and the Birth-pains of the Messiah, and we would like to include these titles here.
These titles are: “the Day of the Great Slaughter (Isa 30.25); the Day of the Lord’s Vengeance (Isa 34.8); a Day of Trouble and Rebuke and Blasphemy ((Isa 37.3; 2 Kings 19.3); the Day of Salvation ((sa 49.8); the Day of Vengeance of Our God (Isa 61.2); the Day of Vengeance (Isa 63.4; Prov 6.34); the Day of Slaughter (Jer 12.3); the Day of Affliction (Jer 16.19); the Day of Doom (Jer 17.17-18-“evil”, Jer 51.2-“trouble”, Job 21.30-“destruction”, Amos 6.3-“evil”); the Day of the Lord of Hosts (Jer 46.10); a Day of Vengeance (Jer 46.10); the Day You Have Announced (Lam 1.21); the Day of His Anger (Lam 2.1); the Day We Have Waited For (Lam 2.16); the Day of Your Anger (Lam 2.21); the Day of the Lord’s Anger (Lam 2.22; Zeph 2.2-3); Behold, the Day (Ezek 7.10); the Day of the Wrath of the Lord (Ezek 7.19); the Day (Ezek 3.2; Joel 1.15; 1 Cor 3.13; Ezek 30.3; Mal 4.1); a Day of Clouds (Ezek 30.3); the Day of Egypt (Ezek 30.9); the Day of Your Fall (Ezek 32.10).”
The titles continue: “the Day that I Am Glorified (Ezek 39.13); the Day of Jezreel (Hos 1.11); the Day of Rebuke (Hos 5.9); the Day of Our King (Hos 7.5); the Appointed Day (Hos 9.5); the Day of the Feast of the Lord (Hos 9.5); the Days of Punishment (Hos 9.7); the Days of Recompense (Hos 9.7); the Day of Darkness and Gloominess (Joel 2.2; Zeph 1.15); a Day of Clouds and Thick Darkness (Joel 2.2; Zeph 1.15); the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord (Joel 2.31); the Day of Battle (Amos 1.14; Psa 140.7; Zech 14.3; Prov 21.31); the Day of the Whirlwind (Amos 1.14); the Day of the Lord Upon All Nations (Oba 15); the Day of Your Watchman and Your Punishment (Mic 7.4); the Day of Trouble (Nahum 1.7; Psa 50.15; Hab 3.16); the Day of Jacob’s Trouble (Jer 30.7); the Day of His Preparation (Nahum 2.3); the Day of the Lord’s Sacrifice (Zeph 1.18); the Great Day of the Lord (Zeph 1.14); a Day of Wrath (Zeph 1.15); a Day of Wrath (Zeph 1.15); a Day of Trouble and Distress (Zeph 1.15).”
More titles include: “a Day of Devastation and Desolation (Zeph 1.15); a Day of Trumpet and Alarm (Zeph 1.16); the Day of the Lord’s Wrath (Zeph 1.18); the Day of His Coming (Mal 3.2); the Great and Dreadful Day of the Lord (Mal 4.5); the Day of Judgment (Matt 10.15; Matt 11.24; Matt 12.36; Mark 6.11; 2 Pet 2.9; 1 John 4.17); the Son of Man Will Be in His Day (Luke 17.24); the Day When the Son of Man is Revealed (Luke 17.30); the Great and Notable Day of the Lord (Acts 2.20); the Day of Wrath and Revelation of the Righteous Judgment of God (Rom 2.5); the Day of Our Lord Yeshua ha Mashiach (1 Cor 1.8); the Day of the Lord Yeshua (2 Cor 1.14); the Day of Redemption (Eph 4.30); the Day of Messiah (Phil 1.10, 2.16); the Day of Yeshua ha Mashiach (Phil 1.6); the Day of Judgment and Perdition of Ungodly Men (2 Pet 3.7); the Day of God (2 Pet 3.12); the Judgment of the Great Day (Jude 6); the Great Day of his Wrath (Rev 6.17); the Great day of God Almighty (Rev 16.14); the Day of My Calamity (2 Sam 22.19); the Day of his Wrath (Job 20.28; Psa 110.5); the Day of Wrath (Job 21.30; Prov 11.4); the Day of Battle and War (Job 38.23); the Day of My Trouble (Psa 77.2, 86.7, 102.2); the Day of Your Power (Psa 110.3); the Day of Adversity (Prov 24.10); the Day When the Keepers of the House Tremble (Ecc 12.3); the Day of His Espousals (Song 3.11); the Day of the Gladness of His Heart (Song 3.11); A Day on Which He Will Judge the World in Righteousness by Whom He Has Ordained (Acts 17.31); the Day the Lord Binds up the Bruise of His People (Isa 30.26).”
The following are synonyms for the Birth-pains of the Messiah:
“TROUBLE (2 Kings 19.3; 1 Chr 22.14; 2 Chr 15.4, 29.8, 32.18; Neh 9.27,32; Job 3.26, 38.23; Psalms 9.9,13, 10.1, 13.4, 20.1, 22.11, 25.17,22, 27.5, 31.7,9, 34.6,17, 37.39, 41.1, 46.1, 50.15, 54.7, 59.16, 60.11, 66.14, 69.17, 71.20, 73.5, 77.2, 78.33,49, 81.7, 83.17, 86.7, 88.3, 90.7, 91.7, 102.2, 104.29, 107.6,19,26,28, 108.12, 116.3, 119.143, 138.7, 142, 143.11; Prov 11.8, 12.13, 25.19; Isa 8.22, 22.5, 26.16, 30.6, 32.10,11, 33.2, 37.3, 46.7, 57.20, 65.16,23; Jer 2.27,28, 8.15, 11.12,14, 14.8,19, 30.7, 51.2; Lam 1.21; Ezek 7.7,27, 26.18, 27.35, 32.13; Dan 12.1; Nahum 1.7; Hab 3.16; Zeph 1.15).
WHIRLWIND (2 Kings 2.1,11; Job 37.9, 38.1,40.6; Psalm 58.9; Prov 1.27, 10.25; Isa 5.28, 17.13, 40.24, 41.16, 66.15; Jer 4.13, 23.19, 25.32, 30.23; Ezek 1.4; Dan 11.40; Hos 8.7, 13.3; Amos 1.14; Nahum 1.3; Hab 3.14; Zech 7.14).
INDIGNATION (Deut 29.28; Job 10.17; Psa 69.24, 78.49, 102.10; Isa 10.5,25, 13.5, 26.20, 30.27,30; 34.2, 66.14; Jer 10.10, 15.17, 50.25; Lam 2.6, Ezek 21.31, 22.24,31; Dan 8.19, 11.36; Mic 7.9; Nah 1.6; Zeph 3.8; Mal 1.4; Heb 10.27; Rev 14.10).
TRAVAIL (Gen 3.15, 35.16-20, 38.27-28, 48.3; 2 Kings 19.3; Psalm 48.3-6; Isa 13.8, 21.3, 23.4, 26.17, 37.3, 42.14, 54.1, 66.7-9; Jer 4.31, 6.24, 13.21, 22.23, 30.6, 31.8, 48.41, 49.22-24, 50.43; Hos 9.11-12, 13.13; Mic 4.9-10, 5.3; Matt 24.8; Mark 13.8; John 16.21-24; 1 Thes 5.3; Rev 12.2).”
As you can see, the Scriptures are full of information about this if you know what you are looking for, and the Day of the Lord and the Birth-pains of the Messiah will be referenced over 300 times. Here is a concept on these titles. We know that there are titles and idioms for the holidays in America like Thanksgiving. It is called “Turkey day” because it describes what we eat. If we say “over the river and through the woods” we are talking about a song for Thanksgiving. If we say “Jingle Bells” everyone knows it is a song for Christmas. These are descriptive and tell us what’s happening.
In the same way, these titles on the Day of the Lord are very descriptive and tell us what’s happening. We have the day of vengeance, slaughter, trouble and anger. But on the other hand, we have the day of “his Coming”, the “Day of His Espousals” and the “Day the Lord Binds Up the Bruises of His People” and so on. So, how can we have a day that is terrible and destructive, and on the other hand a day that is great and looked forward to? We will find these answers when we go into Jewish Eschatology. Remember, the Day of the Lord is the same as the “Millennium.” But, how can there be “bad” in the “Millennium?”
In Jer 46.1-10 there is a description of an ancient battle in the days of Josiah. However, it goes on to say, “For that day belongs to the Lord God of Hosts, a day of vengeance, so as to avenge himself on his foes” (46.10). This battle between the Babylonians, Assyrians and Egyptians happened long ago, but we are told that this battle will happen again. This is what is called a “double reference prophecy” in the Day of the Lord. So, who are the Egyptians prophetically? Who are the Assyrians prophetically? Who are the Babylonians prophetically?
In Part 13, we will pick up with this passage in Jer 46.
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