THE GREAT DAY OF THE LORD The majority of Jews assumed that God would never allow for the captivation of Judah, as it happened to Israel; because Judah embraces Jerusalem, the city of God, and His temple, the house of God. By this they, in a way, have mixed between the worship of God and idolatry. Even with the reform movement of Josiah, the majority was satisfied with the outer formal reform, without the spiritual reform of the heart. That is why the prophecy of Zephaniah came to confirm the coming of the great day of the Lord, in which He will chasten Judah; and Jerusalem will fall under captivity, and be devastated. 1. An Introduction 1 2. The desolation of Judah 2 - 6 3. The day of the Lord is at hand 7 – 13 4. The great day of the Lord 14 – 18 1. AN INTRODUCTION: “The word of the Lord which came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah” (Zephaniah 1: 1) The introduction of the book came to confirm that what Zephaniah states, are not his own words, but are the words of the Lord, proclaimed to him from heaven. It presents to us the family tree of Zephaniah, back to four generations that end in king Hezekiah, also mentioned in 2 Kings 18: 1. Josiah started his reform movement during the twelfth year of his reign; So, if the prophet Zephaniah started his prophecy with the beginning of the reign of Josiah, There would be no doubt that he had an important role in that reform movement. We should not marvel at the prophet’s insistence on menioning ‘Amon’, the idolater, from whose seed Josiah came, he who took it on himself to carry out religious and spiritual reform.. On one aspect, he intends to confirm the danger of evil. Despite all the effort done by Josiah, Yet the people were as though suffering from a personal ailment; as corruption has prevailed among them because of Amon. On another aspect, he intended to open the door of hope before us. If the father was hopelessly corrupt, Yet, his young son challenged the corruption of his father, and set forth to work with a spirit of power. And as proclaimed by the Lord Himself, on the tongue of the prophet Ezekiel, concerning the responsibility of every man for his own behavior, disregarding the worthiness of his father: “Behold, all the souls are Mine; The soul of the father, as well as the soul of the son is Mine, The soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18: 4); And: “If however, he begets a son, who sees all the sins which his father has done, And considers but not do likewise, … He shall not die for the iniquity of his father, He shall surely live” (Ezekiel 18: 14, 17). The soul that does not dwell in God, is the source of its evils, to sin; And this soul will die1. (St. Ambrose) 2. THE DESOLATION OF JUDAH: 1 Isaac or the Soul 7: 16. 11 “I shall utterly consume all things from the face of the land’’, says the Lord” (Zephaniah 1: 2) God has created the earth for man to enjoy, as His ambassador and the agent of heaven; for the earth to be an icon of heaven. But, with the corruption of man, God would consume this earth from existence. Sin has corrupted man, as well as the land on which he lives. The heavenly Word of God, then came down to our earth to set out of our hearts a second heaven, worthy by His grace, for His living in it. If we persist on staying as earth and dust, we would not be worthy of existence; But of hearing the divine voice, saying: “I will utterly consume all things from the face of the earth” (1). Whereas if we become heaven, to live together with the apostle Paul in the heavenly places, we shall not be consumed, but will eternally enjoy the divine bosom. With man’s persistence on staying earthly, he would drink from the golden cup of the bitterness of sin, get drunk, and lose his balance, and even his whole life. That is why, it is fitting for us to ask God to consume everything earthly in our hearts. “Babylon is a golden cup in the hand of the Lord; from which the whole earth will drink” … If you wish to know how the whole earth will become drunk by drinking from the cup of Babylon; Just look at the sinners who fill the whole earth. You may probably say that the righteous did not drink from the cup of the sinners; So how does the Holy Book say that the whole earth gets drunk from the cup of Babylon? Don’t assume that the Book is not telling the truth when it says so; As the righteous are not earth (dust); So it is only the whole earth ; namely, only the sinners who will get drunk. The righteous; although they exist on earth, Yet their dwelling place is actually in heaven (Philippians 3: 20). It is not fitting, therefore, to say to the righteous: “You are dust (earth), and to dust you will return”; But the Lord will certainly say to him, who “bears the image of the heavenly man” (1 Corinthians 15: 49): “You are heaven, and to heaven you shall return”. Therefore, it is only those who are still earth, who will get drunk from the cup of Babylon1. (Origen) “I will consume man and beast; I will consume the birds of the air, the fish of the sea, and the stumbling blocks along with wicked. I will cut off man from the face of the earth’, says the Lord” (Zephaniah 1: 3) Man and beast, will be consumed, either by captivation or by perdition; And the air, as well as the water will be so polluted, for the birds of the air and the fish of the sea to be consumed. The Lord portrays the utter desolation that will befall on humanity that denies its Creator; saying that both man and beast will be consumed. If man refers to the rational soul of man; and the beast to his carnal flesh; Sin would destroy man’s whole life; and would let him lose his rational nature, as well as his physical body; when he assumes that his happiness is in bodily lusts. “He consumes the birds of the air and the fish of the sea”. If man assumes that he can fly, as though to heaven; or can go down with the fish into the depths of the sea; He would never be able to hide from the eyes of God; nor to escape His divine chastisement. And as the Psalmist says: “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there, If I make my bed in hell, behold, 1 Homilies on Jeremiah., Homily 20: 9. 12 You are there…” (Psalm 139: 7, 8). So it is fitting for him to flee, not from God, but to God! Where can the slave of sin flee? He is carrying his mistress; namely sin, wherever he goes. The wicked conscience cannot flee from itself; there is nowhere to go! Yes, man cannot withdraw from himself; as the sin he commits is well inside him. He may commit sin in order to get some bodily pleasure; yet pleasure will eventually go away, but sin will remain. What brings him pleasure will pass over, leaving a thorn behind. What a wicked servitude! Let us then, all flee to Christ; and rebel against sin to God, being our Savior1. Man searches for a place to flee from the wrath of God! Where can he find such a place?! … Where is the place where God is not?! … Who can deceive God?! … Who can hide from His eyes?! Let us flee in hope and longing, by the double wings of love (Love of God and that of the neighbor). We shall never find comfort, except in the depths of that sea of love … Let us flee to God in hope; … Let us in hope filled with faith, contemplate on the end of the sea2. (St. Augustine) “I will stretch out my hand against Judah, and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. I will cut off every trace of Baal from this place. The names of the idolatrous priests (the ‘Camarim’ according to another version) – those who worship the host of heaven on the roofs; those who worship and swear oaths by the Lord, but who also swear by Milcom” (Zephaniah 1: 4) If some people assume that God will never allow for the desolation of Judah, because of the presence of Jerusalem and the temple, the holy God proclaims that He is not preoccupied with Jerusalem or the temple, as a building, but with the holiness He desires for all men. If they lose their holy life, He intends to consume the whole earth, with everything on it; which He created for the sake of man. Stretching His hand to chasten Judah in general; God will chasten Jerusalem in particular – as the city of God that embraces His holy temple; because it allowed mixing the worship of God with idolatry. He proclaims that He will cut off the name of Baal and his worship from the face of the earth, together with the idolatrous priests (2 Kings 23: 5), who led the people astray; He will cut them, together with their idols; those who worship the host of heaven, and those who swear by Milcom. The Baal , is the Phoenician god, into whose worship Israel fell since the days of the judges (Judges 2: 13). King Manasseh made and set a wooden image for Baal in the temple itself (2 Kings 21: 3, 5, 7). ‘The Camarin’3: A Hebrew name derived from a word meaning (black); because the priests used to wear black attire, and to put black signs on their foreheads. Some believe that the priests of Milcom were called (the black men) because their faces were smeared by the black smoke that came out of the altar on which they used to burn human 1 St. Augustine: On the od St. John, tractate 41: 3-4. 2 On Ps. 139. 3 Cf. Jamison, Fausset Brown; Comm. On Zephaniah, chapter 1. 13 sacrifices, including those of their children. The word ‘Camarim’ also meant ‘zealous’, because of their zeal for spreading idolatry. “Those who worship the host of heaven on rooftops; those who worship and swear oaths by the Lord, but who also swear by Milcom” (Zephaniah 1: 5) God refuses mixing between what is for Him and what is for the devil; and fellowship between light and darkness. When a part of the heart is delivered to the devil, he will take it all over; and if another part of it is left for God, He will firmly refuses it and forsakes it. God in His love, would never force Himself on man’s heart, unless it is completely delivered to Him to set in it His Kingdom. Some used to mix between the worship of the living God and that of the idols; and to add to their oath by the living God, the name of one of the pagan gods. The worship of the sun, the moon, or one of the stars, was very common as the oldest of idol-worships. “Those who have turned back from following the Lord, And have not sought the Lord, nor inquired of Him” (Zephaniah 1: 6) The people were divided into two groups: one who responded to Josiah’s call for repentance; albeit for a certain time, Then turned back from following the Lord to practice idolatry – those who have put their hands on the plow, then looked backwards – And a second group who did not respond to the king’s call; and were not preoccupied with the Lord altogether. The book here concentrates on three main sins: Idol-worship (4-5) Faltering between two opinions: Sometimes swearing by the name of the living God, and other times by Milcom (5). Giving their back to God (6) 3. THE DAY OF THE LORD IS AT HAND: “Be silent in the presence of the Lord God, For the day of the Lord is at hand, For the Lord has prepared a sacrifice, He has invited His guests” (Zephaniah 1: 7) In response to the mocking words of many who commented on the prophet’s threats about the devastation of Jerusalem, saying that generations after generations have passed, and nothing happened of what the prophets said; and that their threats will never materialize!; Zephaniah says: “The day of the Lord is at hand” (7). The present days are ‘the days of men’, in which they do whatever they chose to do; Whereas the last day, when God proclaims His eternal kingdom, and gathers the true believers to Himself, is the ‘day of the Lord’, the ‘day of chastisement’ in which He brings everyone into account. This day is at hand; and will come at the Lord’s discretion. The ‘Sabbath’, the weekly day of worship, is also considered the ‘day of the Lord’, to become the secret of blessing for the whole week. God allowed the Babylonians to defeat Judah, and to kill and slay many Jews; whom they considered as sacrifices offered, mercilessly and joyfully, to their gods. The word of the Lord came to portray that, saying: “For this is the day of the Lord God of hosts, a day of vengeance, That He may avenge Himself on His adversaries, The sword shall devour; It shall be satiated, and made drunk with their blood; For the Lord God of hosts has a sacrifice in the north country by the River Euphrates” (Jeremiah 46: 10). And: “And as for you, son of man, thus says the Lord God: ‘Speak to every sort of bird, and to every beast of the field: Assemble yourselves and come; Gather together from all sides to My sacrificial meal, which I am sacrificing for you, A great sacrificial 14 meal on the mountains of Israel, that you may eat flesh and drink blood. You shall eat the flesh of the mighty, drink the blood of the princes of the earth” (Ezekiel 39: 17, 18). “And it shall be, In the day of the Lord’s sacrifice, that I will punish the princes and the king’s children, and all such as are clothed with foreign apparel” (Zephaniah 1: 8) Chastening the people, the Lord starts with the sinful princes, the king’s children, the rulers and leaders of Judah; whom He allowed to be slain by Nebuchadnezar; Those who were expected to be role models to the common masses, but became instead an offense to them. This prophecy was realized when the sons of king Zedekiah were killed before his eyes (Jeremiah 39: 6) Saying: “All such as are clothed with foreign apparel”; refers to the princes and members of the royal court, who used to show off by putting on very expensive foreign apparel, probably during idol-worshipping; by which they were considered as partaking of those practices. Others believe that those foreign apparels, were of the transsexual types, when men wear women clothes and vise versa; which was banned by the law (Deuteronomy 22: 5). “In the same day I will punish all those who leap over the threshold; Who fill their masters houses with violence and deceit” (Zephaniah 1: 9) “Those who leap over the threshold”; is an expression that probably refers to man taking by violence and deceit, what belongs to his neighbor; or to those who, like hunting dogs, seek the favor of members of the royal court, by taking what belong to others on their behalf. Some believe that it also refers to the Philistines who took away the ark of God and brought it over to the temple of Dagon in Ashdod, where they set it by Dagon; And when they found Dagon fallen on its face to the earth before the ark of the Lord, with its head and both the palms of its hands broken off on the threshold; the priests of Dagon, and those who came into its temple, used to leap over the threshold, so as not to tread on it with their feet (1 Samuel 5: 1-5). Whereas St. Jerome believes that it refers to those who used to ascend the steps of the Lord’s temple with pride and haughtiness. “And there shall be on that day’, says the Lord ,’The sound of a mournful cry from the Fish Gate, A wailing from the second Quarter, And a loud crashing from the hills’” (Zephaniah 1: 10) The Fish Gate: Referred to in the book of Nehemiah (3; 3); opposite ‘Joppa’; and probably the same gate through which the news came of the approach of the Chaldean army, crashing from the hills. It was so called because it was close to the fish market; and through it, the fishermen from lake Teberieh and the River Jordan used to come. As the sound of a mournful cry came from the Fish Gate, there was a reaction in the second Quarter; namely, the lower part of the city, where people wailed on hearing those cries that echoed from one gate to another of the city wall. “Wail, you inhabitants of Macktesh, For all the merchant people are cut down; All those who handle money are cut off” (Zephaniah 1: 11) Maktech was a lower and deep mortar-shaped section of the city, inhabited by the rich merchants and business people; But they were ruined, and completely cut off; No more silver bearer or a merchant came in to do business; All became grounded like grains in a mortar. That situation, in the book of Ezekiel, was also likened to a pot in which 15 good pieces of meat: the thigh, the shoulder, and the choice bones, were put to boil and summer (Ezekiel 24: 3-5). Some believe that he does not refer here to a specific location in Jerusalem, but to the city as a whole; where the people are struck and crushed to death, like grains in a mortar. Maktech or Mortar, is a name that applies to the hollow-shaped valley of Siloam, between Zion and Mount Olivet, on the far eastern side of Mount Moriah, probably close to the fish market, inhabited by merchants “And it shall come to pass at that time that I shall search Jerusalem with lamps, and punish the men who settled in complacency, who say in their heart, ‘The Lord will not do good, nor will he do evil’” (Zephaniah 1: 12) Seeing the righteous in affliction, while the wicked enjoys success and prosperity, many may wonder, saying: ‘Where is the divine justice?! Where is the reward for the righteous, and the punishment for the wicked?! Where is God’s care for mankind?!’ Here God is portrayed holding a lamp, searching the dark and hidden corners of Jerusalem, so that no evil man would escape from the divine chastisement. He is not searching Jerusalem for the lost coin (Luke 15: 8-10); having already presented many chances to the sinners to return to Him. Here He uses the lamp to separate the wicked who persist on disregarding the threats of God to chasten them. God, not only punishes those drunkards with the wine of the world’s love; but even those who drink the precipitate that remains at the bottom of the wine bottles; those who fall into practical atheism; through, not denying the existence of God, but denying His care for the world and mankind; as though man is of no real value in His sight. In this chapter, God is portrayed as though in the midst of Judah, the worshipper of idols, to judge and chasten it; Whereas in the final chapter of the book, He proclaims His dwelling among mankind as a whole, to let them rejoice over Him, as He does over them; being the object of His pleasure. The Lord Jesus, wishing to be among the Jews, came to the temple in Jerusalem in daylight, and stayed there looking around at all things. But as the hour was already late, with darkness (ignorance) falling on the temple, He evaluated everything around Him as though with a lamp (12), and found no place of comfort for His head; “He went out to Bethany with the twelve” (Mark 11: 11). When the Savior, as well as the apostles searched the temple and found nothing, they left it1! (St. Jerome) Those with little faith and knowledge, often wonder why the reward for the saints is not given them during their short life in this world, and not in the coming one! But as far as we are concerned, we have put our hope in Christ, and not in this world; lest we become as the apostle say “the most pitiable of all men” (1 Corinthians 15; 19). God will not keep temptations away from the righteous; and will not reward them; nor will punish the wicked in this world. If we say otherwise, we would be punished along with those, about whom the prophet Zephaniah says: “those who say in their heart, ‘The Lord will not do good, 1 Homilies on Mark, 82. 16 nor He will do evil’” (12). Or we would be counted among those who blaspheme the lord, saying: “’Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, And He delights in them’; Or saying: ‘Where is the God of justice?” (Malachi 2: 17). Or saying: “It is vain to serve God; What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, and that we have walked as mourners before the Lord of hosts? So now we count the arrogant blessed, For those who do wickedness are raised up; Yes, those who tempt God go free’” (Malachi 3: 14, 15)1. (Father Theodore) “Therefore their goods shall become booty, and their houses a desolation; They shall build houses, but not inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards, but not drink their wine” (Zephaniah 1: 13) If God in His longsuffering, does not hasten to punish the evildoers, anticipating their repentance through His compassion, Yet, if they do not return to Him, they will drink from the cup they have filled. The enemy will take everything away from them: their wealth, the houses they built, and the vineyards they planted; realizing the prophecy that came in the book of Deuteronomy (28; 30, 39) about him who does not listen to the voice of God: “You shall betroth a wife, but another man shall lie with her; You shall build a house, but you shall not dwell in it; …. You shall plant vineyards and tend them, but you shall neither drink of the wine nor gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat them” Quoting this statement, as well as others in the Holy Book, St Jerome demonstrates that nothing in this world will ever satisfy the depths of man, saying: [We should not seek the lusts of wealth and possessions; for, according to the wise Solomon: “He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver” (Ecclesiastes 5: 10); and “The people will curse him who withholds grain; but blessing will be on the head of him who sells it” (Proverb 11: 26). In Isaiah it came: “Woe to those who join house to house, who add field to field, till there is no place where they may dwell alone in the midst of the land” (Isaiah 5: 8). And in Zephaniah: “They will build houses, but they will not inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards, but not drink their wine. The great day of the Lord is near” (Zephaniah 1: 13, 14). And in the gospel according to St. Luke: “For what advantage is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost” (Luke 9: 25)2. Concerning that day, prophet Amos says: “Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! For what good is the day of the Lord to you? It will be darkness and not light” (Amos 5; 18). And prophet Zephaniah says: “The noise of the day of the Lord is bitter; The day is a day of wrath” (Zephaniah 1: 14, 15). That is why the repentant zealously asks in his prayer, not to be judged on that day for his deeds. What would be of more benefit for him, he who has little hope for becoming worthy because of his iniquities, than to pray for the fatherly love of God, while he is still in this world, where there is still a chance for repentance3? (Cassiodorus) 1 St. Cassian: Conferences, 6: 2. 2 To Quirinus, Testmonies Against the Jews, 12: 3: 61. 3 Cassiodorus: Exposition of the Psalms 6: 1. 17 There is a kind of light that can be sensed, that which came, according to Moses, on the fourth day of creation; Yet it is not the true light; as it is only giving light to things on this earth. The Savior, on the other hand, is the spiritual light of the world, shining on the rational and the thoughtful, for their minds to see fitting visions. I mean that light of the rational souls in the sensed world, of which we are told by the Savior, who created it…. It is the sun of the great day of the Lord1. (Origen) 4. THE GREAT DAY OF THE LORD: “The great day of the Lord is near; It is near and hastening fast.. The sound of the day of the Lord is bitter. There, the mighty men shall cry out” (Zephaniah 1: 14) Here the prophet presents a warning to Judah and Jerusalem, about the destruction that will occur on the hands of the Babylonians. Yet it is not the day of the Babylonians, but it is “The great day of the Lord”. As this destruction is actually allowed by the Lord to chasten them. The prophet confirms that, because the day of chastisement is near and hastening fast; there is no time for slothfulness or postponing. Here, while prophesying the day, when Judah will fall into captivity, as the great day of the Lord; he is also prophesying the great Day of Judgment, when all mankind will stand before the Lord. They are very concise and repetitive cries; because the danger is very eminent; the time is very short; and there is no place for argument. It is like someone seeing his family in a house on fire; crying out and calling everyone to hasten to escape through the nearest exit, or to jump from the nearest window. And as it is said by prophet Amos: “The Lord roars from Zion, and utters His voice from Jerusalem; The pastures of the shepherds mourn, and the top of the Carmel withers” (Amos 1: 2). That day started by the death of the good king Josiah, who was killed by the Pharaoh Necho in the battle of Megiddo; And was consummated by the desolation of Jerusalem on the hand of Nebuchadnezar of Babylon. While the gold and silver of the world will not save us in the great day of the Lord; The wealth of the believer is the divine commandment; Whoever keeps it, will be kept by it from the divine wrath. The commandment is a treasure we acquire through the work of the divine grace; by carrying the righteousness of Christ. “The day is a day of wrath, A day of trouble and distress; A day of devastation and desolation; A day of darkness and gloominess; A day of clouds and thick darkness” (Zephaniah 1: 15) The great day of the lord is a joyful wedding day for the believers who were prepared for it through the exalted riches of God’s grace; And a day of wrath, trouble, distress, devastation, desolation, darkness, and gloominess, for those who were not ready for it, by having the living faith, working with love. The human languages are not helping the prophet to portray the extent of desolation that would come over Judah. It is an extremely horrible portray of the divine wrath, when everyone finds himself as though in an utter darkness, with no insight to find a way for salvation, nor to offer a useful counsel. It is a day of dense clouds and thick darkness, which no one can oppose or confront. 1 Commentary on the Gospel of John, 1: 161. 18 “A day of trumpet and alarm against the fortified cities and against the high towers” (Zephaniah 1: 16) What stronghold or fortified city can ever confront the wrath of God; When those who assume to be secure in them, come to hear the sound of war trumpets and the cries of the mighty warriors, When their strength and spirit collapse. “I will bring distress upon men, And they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord. Their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like refuse” (Zephaniah 1: 17) The evildoers in the great day of the Lord, who walk in evil, oppose the truth, and not listen to the voice and the commandment of the Lord, will be like blind men, unable to enjoy the splendor of the glory of God; Always in doubt and in danger, they will vainly seek a way of escape They will see God as a mighty Judge; and not as a heavenly Groom who grants His people the fellowship of glory with Him. All they can see and perceive is the sword striking them, their blood pouring, and their bodies falling beneath the feet of the enemy; There is one to heal a wound, or to haul a corpse from the dust. “Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath; But the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy, For He will make speedy riddance of all those who dwell in the land” (Zephaniah 1: 18) Having kindled the fire of divine jealousy by their rebellion, abominations and opposition against God, desolation will come over all the earth. There will be no place for anyone to hide or to escape. Here silver or gold that they have unjustly acquired, will not be able to protect them; as according to the words of Solomon: “Riches do not profit in the day of wrath; But righteousness delivers from death” (Proverbs 11: 4). I wonder how those who foolishly carry such heavy loads of jewelry, do not worry about death!… The rich man filling his storehouses says to himself: “‘You have many goods laid up for many years, take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry’. But to hear God’s voice saying to him: “You fool, This night, your soul will be required of you; Then whose will those things be which you have provided?” (Luke 12: 19, 20). It is fitting for the women who minister to Christ, to adorn themselves, not with gold, but with the Word, through which, alone, the glitter of gold will shine1. (St. Clement of Alexandria) Let us demonstrate the perfection of obedience, inspired in us through our anticipation of His coming. I wish we persistently strive and watch with our whole hearts up to the end. I wish we keep the commandment of the Lord; that, on the great day of the Lord, the day of wrath and vengeance, we would not be punished together with the sinners and evildoers; but would be honored together with the righteous and those who fear the Lord2. (Cyprian, the martyr) 1 Paesagogus, 2: 13. 2 The Good of Patience, 24. 19 AN INSPIRATION FROM THE BOOK OF ZEPHANIAH’’(1) LET YOUR GREAT DAY COME I often wonder: when will the great day of the Lord come? The wicked assumes that all the days are his, and acts accordingly! Whereas the righteous moans, anticipating the coming of Your great day. You promised that You are coming soon; To chasten me by Your mercies; before You come on the clouds. I can’t flee from You; But flee to You. You are my refuge in whom I resort, so that the wrath would not befall on me. If I ascend to heaven, You are there; And If I go down to the abyss, there, I will find You! I flee to You, O heavenly Father; Take away from me everything earthly by Your fiery Spirit; To become for You a second heaven, toward which destruction cannot approach. Let Your great day come now! As I know that You will destroy every evil thing in me; And will cover me with Your righteousness and holiness. I anticipate the coming of Your ultimate great day. I behold You as the splendid Groom, and not as the fearsome Judge. I behold Your eyes as two doves; Whereas the evildoers see them as flaring fire. The day of Your coming is a day of light and splendor. And not a day of darkness and gloom; Your coming is the perpetual desire of my heart; And not a day of wrath, distress, devastation, and desolation; Come on the clouds; Carry me with You; To enter with You into the bosom of God the Father.
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