The day of the Lord is a familiar Old Testament term. In the past, it was thought that it always refers only to a day of judgment, but this is a simplistic understanding. The day of the Lord often also refers to the hope of deliverance, restoration, and end-time joy. The primary meaning then is not the day of judgment, but the day on which the Lord reveals his majesty and omnipotence in a glorious manner to overthrow all ungodly power and to complete his kingdom.¹

The day of the Lord does not always refer to a single day on which everything takes place. Old Testament prophecies concerning the day of the Lord often include events that are fulfilled in history and events that will not be fulfilled until when the Lord Jesus Christ returns in glory. Both near and distant details are often joined together into a single context.² The day then is not a once-off event, though it certainly culminates in the once-off day of judgment, but it is also evident in several repeated days. There are several occasions in the history of the world in which God in his sovereignty has intervened in human history to bring judgment and deliverance.³