What is the Day of the Lord?
This a day of ultimate judgment.
Why is it called a day?
Because it is a set time.
Why is it called a day “of YHWH?”
Because YHWH is the one who will perform these judgments.
On who will these judgments fall?
God’s judgments will fall on all those who refuse to love and serve Him. Here is where the issue lay for Israel. They assumed that, since they were God’s people, the day of YHWH would be a day of judgment for all the nations around them. God, however, assures them that Israel is not exempt from God’s punishing hand if they sin against Him.
Where do we read this?
Consider the prophecy of Amos. He tells the ten tribes that the day of YHWH will not be a day of vindication for Israel but a day when their delusion will be stripped off, and they will be punished for their many sins.
Alas, you who are longing for the day of the LORD, For what purpose will the day of the LORD be to you? It will be darkness and not light; as when a man flees from a lion and a bear meets him, or goes home, leans his hand against the wall and a snake bites him. Will not the day of the LORD be darkness instead of light, even gloom with no brightness in it? (Amos 5:18-20)
Isaiah 2:6–22; 13:1–22; 22:1–25; 24:1–23; 34:1–17;
Jeremiah 25:30–38; 46:1–12;
Ezekiel 7:1–27; 38:1–39:29;
Joel 1:1–20; 2:1–11, 28–32; 3:1–21;
Amos 5:16–27;
Obadiah 1–21;
Nahum 1:1–15;
Habakkuk 3:1–16;
Zephaniah 1:1–18; 2:1–15; 3:8–13;
Zechariah 12:1–9; 14:1–15; and
Malachi 3:1–5; 4:1–3.