January 19, 2010

Another Response to Stallard on the Cosmic Disturbances

Dr. Mike Stallard writes,

"[T]here are some interesting questions about the timing of these cosmic signs [Isaiah 13:10]. Isaiah 13:6 and 13:9 appear to warn that these things occur during the day of the Lord, which we normally associate with the tribulation period" (emphasis his).

The two verses he cites are as follows:

"Wail, for the LORD's day of judgment is near; it comes with all the destructive power of the sovereign judge. (9) Look, the LORD's day of judgment is coming; it is a day of cruelty and savage, raging anger, destroying the earth and annihilating its sinners." (Isa 13:6, 9).

Where in these two verses does he infer that the cosmic disturbances from v. 10 occur "during" the Day of the Lord? We are not told.

If anything, it suggests that the cosmic disturbances will announce the Day of the Lord, since it says, "for the LORD's day of judgment is near; it comes with all the destructive power of the sovereign judge."

And this would be consistent with the prophet Joel: "The sunlight will be turned to darkness and the moon to the color of blood, before the day of the LORD comes- that great and terrible day!" (Joel 2:31).

If Stallard seeks to determine a temporal relationship between the cosmic disturbances and the Day of the Lord, he should seek to interpret the implicit in light of the explicit with respect to the Isaiah text.