“The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, prophesy and say, “Thus says the Lord God. Wail, alas for the day. For the day is near, the day of the Lord is near. It will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations.”‘”
– Ezekiel 30:1–3
What a warning. Wail. Think about wailing. Not just weeping, but wailing in emotion, in loud emotion. Alas for the day! These verses start talking about the day of the Lord. It says it multiple times. The day, the day is near. The day of the Lord is near. It will be a day of clouds, and then this description, a time of doom for the nations. This is not just here in Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 30:1–3 Teaches Us about Christ’s Return and Judgment
This is a phrase we see all throughout the Bible, the day of the Lord that’s coming, and it’s always a reference to a day of salvation for those who have trusted in the Lord, for those who are looking to the Lord, for those who are following and worshiping the Lord, and it’s a day of judgment for all who are not trusting in the Lord. It’s a day of doom for the nations, the peoples who have not trusted in God and his redemption, ultimately his redemption in Jesus.
There’s a sense in which we’ve been praying this over and over again through Ezekiel, but I just hope this hits you in a fresh way that it hits me today because this is the way Jesus constantly talked. Be ready for the day of the Lord. Be ready. Don’t be asleep. Wake up. The day of the Lord is coming. So may these verses change our perspective on today knowing this could be the day or tomorrow could be the day.
Ezekiel 30:1–3 Reminds Us that the Day of the Lord is Coming
Very soon is coming the day of the Lord and that has implications certainly for our lives, that we would be ready for the day when Jesus comes back, ready for the day when He comes to judge all the nations and all the peoples including you and me, that we would be trusting in Jesus and following Jesus with our whole hearts and that we would be leading others to be ready for the day of the Lord. This is a word that came to Ezekiel and it’s a word that coming to you and me right now. Wail because the day is coming. It’s near.
This is what Jesus says over and over and over again. Be ready and live accordingly. Share the gospel today with urgency. There are people who will face judgment on the day of the Lord right around us who need the good news of Jesus, who need to trust Jesus. Urge them to turn and trust in Jesus. God help us to make this good news known among people who right now don’t have access to it, who have never heard, who are being born and living and dying without ever hearing the gospel, unreached people around the world.
Praying for the Unreached People of Pakistan
God, we pray that you would help us to live today like the day of the Lord is near, like you tell us to in your word, that a time of salvation and judgment is coming very soon. Today could be the day. God, we pray that you would awaken us from our slumber and help us to live today for what will matter on that day and for all of eternity flowing from that day. We pray for boldness and urgency to share the gospel today. God, we pray for boldness and urgency as your church to take the gospel to the nations, to all the people that they might know your salvation before the day of doom for the nations comes.
We pray today for the Mochi people of Pakistan, 3.5 million of them. God, no known followers of Jesus. God, a time of doom is coming for the nations. Please, please, please for the Mochi, show your salvation among them. Send laborers into the harvest field to share the gospel with them. We pray that you would cause disciples to be made and churches to be planted and multiplied among the Mochi for their salvation on that day.
Please God, help us. Help us to obey your command as your church to make disciples among all the nations knowing that a time of doom is coming for the nations and a time of salvation for all who trusted in you. Jesus, we praise you for the salvation we have in you that we don’t have to fear this day. So we pray that you would help us to live today for people all around us who are not ready for the day of the Lord. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
