The Day of the Lord

"He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ" 1 Cor. 1:8.

"Who will be making you folks stable, certain and established on good footing until maturity (until attainment of the purposed goal; until accomplishment of the intended and destined results): people not [being] open to accusation (or: those not in the midst of a [legal] charge, not being called into account, or considered in some category; unimpeachable ones), within the midst of and in union with the Day of our Lord [Christ or Yahweh] - Jesus Christ! (or: in the Day which is our Lord, Jesus Christ; or: in the day of [Yahweh], which is our Master, Jesus [the] Anointed.) [comment: the phrase 'day of the Lord' was used by the prophets to signify God's influence and activity upon people.]" 1 Cor. 1:8, J. Mitchell translation.

Is Mitchell's premise, based on Koine Greek, that the Day of the Lord refers to God's influence and involvement with people biblically sound? If so, may every day be the Day of the Lord in my life.

Naturally speaking, the term day isn't just a 24 hour period. It also includes the hours when the sun doesn't shine. Jesus was crystal clear concerning the true source of light.

"As long as it is day, we must do the works of Him who sent me. Night is coming when no one can work. While I'm in the world, I am the light of the world." John 9:4-5.

According to Mitchell, Jesus is the Day of the Lord. He is the light, an influence on and an activity in people's lives. Therefore, we can have hope that all will not be reduced to chaos.

This is beautifully depicted in Genesis 1. Tohu bohu is the Jewish word which describes the condition that existed before the God spoke the words, "Light be." In the same manner that the cosmos' disarray was resolved by the entrance of God's light, our lives suffer the same state of affairs until God intervenes. Remove God from the equation and it is easy to see why individuals, governments, world systems and even religions get derailed. Operating in darkness guarantees ultimate failure.

I'm thankful that today for many it is the Day of the Lord. He continues to impact and actively participate in the lives of all who have received Him, and even in the lives of those who haven't. People of the light receive additional clarity, those in darkness find a means of escape.

The Day of the Lord isn't necessarily to be feared, but to be embraced. However, we must also take Jesus' words seriously. "Night is coming..." The removal of God's light isn't a pleasant thought. It's best to take full advantage of it while we can.

How about you? Does the term Day of the Lord dredge up images of apocalyptic doom and destruction only? How, if at all, does Mitchell's translation change your thinking? With Jesus as the Light of the World, how has hope taken root in your heart and given you a more optimistic outlook for the future? How can you take full advantage of God's influence/activity on our world in your daily life?