The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord

Whoever flees at the sound of terror will fall into a pit; whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in a snare. The floodgates of the heavens are opened, the foundations of the earth shake.  --Isaiah 24:18

Where I live, we have had one of the rainiest months on record.  There is widespread flooding.  Area lakes are full for the first time in years, and some are overflowing into nearby neighborhoods.  The Trinity River is straining at the levees that just last year were twenty feet from the river banks. Sinkholes have been discovered at DFW airport, so that a runway had to be completely shut down.  There was even news about a local dam that was on the verge of collapse, which would have caused millions of dollars in damage to homes and property.

I started thinking about dams.  I have walked across a dam on the Blanco River, which is nothing more than a cinder block and concrete wall.  When the river is up, the water spills over the wall, and continues downstream.  Larger dams, however, are constructed to not only hold back immense amounts of water, but also to generate power.  When the lakes or rivers are at flood stage, the engineers open floodgates to regulate the water levels and to relieve the pressure.  If there is a power generator within the dam, the water released by the opening of the floodgates will generate an excess of electricity.

Power.  Pressure.  Purpose.

These are spiritual concepts that one can learn from floods, dams, and electric generators.

In the verse quoted above, the prophet Isaiah describes the great and terrible day of the Lord.

The floodgates of the heavens are opened, the foundations of the earth shake.  The earth is broken up, the earth is split asunder, the earth is thoroughly shaken.  The earth reels like a drunkard, it sways like a hut in the wind; so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion that it falls--never to rise again.  In that days the Lord will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below.  They will be herded together like prisoners bound in a dungeon; they will be shut up in prison and be punished after many days.  The moon will be abashed, the sun ashamed; for the Lord Almighty will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before its elders, gloriously. --Isaiah 24:18b-25

This is a pretty scary picture that the prophet paints here.  Those who were in charge of life, rulers in the earthly realm, will meet the awesome power of the Almighty.  They will be cast down in that day, and the Lord will show Himself as ruler over all.  Any who have seen movies with an apocalyptic theme have seen scenes on the screen with frightening special effects.  But those who live out the prophecies of this book will not be up on a silver screen; they will live it out for real, and see real suffering, real shame.

However, we don't all have to fear the great and terrible day of the Lord.  There is a chorus that we sing in church that goes like this:

We've waited for this day
We're gathered in your name
Calling out to you
Your glory like a fire
Awakening desire
Will burn our hearts with truth

You're the reason we're here
You're the reason we're singing

Open up the heavens
We want to see you
Open up the floodgates
A mighty river
Flowing from your heart
Filling every part of our praise

Your presence in this place
Your glory on our face
We're looking to the sky
Descending like a cloud
You're standing with us now
Lord, unveil our eyes

You're the reason we're here
You're the reason we're singing

Open up the heavens
We want to see you
Open up the floodgates
A mighty river
Flowing from your heart
Filling every part of our praise

Show us, show us your glory
Show us, show us your power
Show us, show us your glory, Lord

Open up the heavens
We want to see you
Open up the floodgates
A mighty river
Flowing from your heart
Filling every part of our praise

For those of us with a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe, we do not fear death.  We do not dread the coming judgment.  We see the potential outcome of the Lord Almighty sitting on the throne in Zion, and we see the judgments as a necessary evil, a small thing compared to the coming of our King.  "Consider it pure joy," James said, "whenever you face trials of many kinds." (James 1:2).

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In His great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade--kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.  In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. --1 Peter 1:3-7

Many dread the great and terrible day of the Lord.  But we say, "Bring it on!" We see the light at the end of the tunnel.  We know that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5).  So we endure a little darkness, a little terror, a little persecution to enjoy the fullness of His presence in the end.

That's why we sing hopeful songs about opening the floodgates of heaven--not out of fear of drowning or judgment, but in anticipation of the power of God that will be released in the last days.  There is electricity in the air!  We see it in the lightning, we hear it in the thunder, and our hearts are filled with praise.  Even now, Lord Jesus, come quickly!