Synopsis Discerning the Day of the Lord by : Russell Stendal
The darkness that will come upon the people of God at the beginning of the day of the Lord shall not be the same as the affliction that came upon her when Jesus came the first time. The end of the age of grace will not be as dark as the end of the age of the law because the [Gentile] people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; those that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them has the light shined. Yes, it’s true that great apostasy has engulfed much of Western Europe and seems to be making quite a bit of headway in North America. But what about places (to name a few) such as China, Iran, Egypt, Venezuela, Cuba, Brazil, Colombia, Africa, and even India, where the gospel is surging? Most of the end-time harvest is taking place under great adversity and persecution. So, for now it can be said, As thou hast multiplied the nation [the people of God], thou hast not increased the joy. But the day of the Lord will be the biggest game-changer ever seen in human history. For those among the people of God who have clean hearts when Jesus returns, They shall rejoice before thee as they rejoice in the harvest and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil, even as all the kingdoms of this world crumble and come down. The vision of Isaiah is a prophetic hub placed in the middle of the Scriptures with ties to almost every book in the Bible (most are footnoted in this work). There are living parables of events that actually happened during the lifetime of Isaiah, prophecies regarding Judah and Jerusalem with both a near and a far fulfillment, all interwoven with messianic prophecy depicting events surrounding the first and second comings of Jesus Christ, the final judgment, and the new creation with new heavens and a new earth. A central theme of Isaiah relates to the day of the LORD (as does the book of Revelation). We know there is a special blessing on the seventh day (Genesis 2:3). Scripture also defines what some call a “prophetic day” mentioned in both the unique Psalm attributed to Moses: For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past and as a watch in the night (Psalm 90:4), and by Simon Peter: But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day before the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years are as one day (2 Peter 3:8). Human history has now entered into the beginning of the seventh millennium since the creation of Adam, according to the years and generations meticulously recorded in Scripture. There is, however, the possibility of two distinct timelines — one dating from the creation of Adam and the other dating from the fall of man when the present world system founded on lies devised by Satan began. Scripture does not specify exactly when the curse was pronounced, and Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden. The original world created by God (and founded on truth) was pronounced "very good." It’s clear, however, that Satan subverted the authority God had placed on Adam, and this sorry situation will not be corrected until the day of the Lord (the seventh millennium). We now appear to be in an ambiguous period in which it’s clear (no matter what relatively minor discrepancies there may be in our calendar) that more than six thousand years have passed since the creation of Adam. However, it does not appear that six thousand years have gone by since the fall of man. If the seventh prophetic day begins with the demise of Satan and the promise he will be bound for a thousand years, the first resurrection of those who will reign and rule with Christ for a thousand years, and the return of Jesus Christ, then it’s also clear that the prophesied day of the LORD has not yet begun — although it may be very close. This is when religion that has been contaminated by man (by humanism) and manipulated by the devil will all come down. The pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation and to keep thyself unspotted by the world (James 1:27). As we enter the end-time events described by Isaiah, it’s good to keep in mind that there is a substantial godly remnant containing true ministers (servants) of God who, like Isaiah, have been cleansed by the fire of God and commissioned from the throne, and who have authority to represent God according to his will. They desire to see the people entrusted to their care joined to the Lord Jesus, so that all of God’s people may have intimate communion with him and with the Father, by the Holy Spirit. This is the only covering that will provide secure protection. How much time do we have left? I think we probably do have a little time, but not a lot. The world situation around us is not improving. It is, in fact, degenerating rapidly (even though some countries are experiencing spiritual revival). We can expect things to continue to polarize as the bride of Christ is cleansed and purified and as Babylon the Great continues to degenerate. The evil in the world will soon pass a threshold that will trigger the indignation and wrath of God the Father, and Jesus will soon return for a bride without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. These two things seem to happen in very close succession on the day of the Lord. There are other prophetic markers that may bear watching. The two thousandth anniversaries of the beginning of the ministry of Jesus, of his death and resurrection, of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, and of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple are all coming up within what many of us can expect to be our lifetime. Even if the coming of the Lord should be delayed (so that more people can be given the opportunity to be saved), we are told to always be ready. None of us knows when our own death will take place and when we could be suddenly thrust into the presence of God. Russell M. Stendal December 17, 2020 Bogotá, Colombia
