The prophets of Israel all foresee ‘A Day of the Lord’ – a day when God will intervene in the course of human history so as to supremely reveal his power and his purpose. Long before the hopes of a Messiah came into Hebrew thinking, the prophets foresaw a time when God would deal with the unrighteousness, the pride and arrogance, and the violence of human nature.

The message of Isaiah

This belief, that God would not tolerate the injustice and wickedness of human beings for ever, is expressed by the prophet Isaiah in eschatological terms, that in the last days God would intervene in history to judge between the nations and settle disputes which would result in a total transformation of human affairs. “They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore” (Isaiah 2:4).

In the same chapter he foresees the day of the Lord, when God will go into action, “So man will be brought low and mankind humbled” (Isaiah 2:9). He says, “The Lord Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted and they will be humbled… The arrogance of man will be brought low and the pride of men humbled; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day” (Isaiah 2:12- 17).

A day of darkness, not light

Plenty of people in Israel were pleased to hear such a message, believing that God was directing his anger at the enemies of Israel, but they would be exempt from judgement as the chosen people of God in a covenant relationship with him. The prophet Amos ministered in the Northern Kingdom of Israel about the same time as Isaiah exercised his ministry in Jerusalem. Amos had a similar message, but he hated the complacency that he saw all around him. He said, “Woe to you who long for the day of the Lord! Why do you long for the day of the Lord? That day will be darkness, not light” (Amos 5:18).

Jeremiah also looked forward to a time of restoration when God would establish a new covenant relationship ... which paved the way for the hope of a Messiah who would establish a reign of righteousness.

Some 200 years later Jeremiah picked up the same theme, warning the people of Jerusalem – especially the priests and leaders of the people – that God would not spare even the city that had a special place in his purposes for sending the word of God out to the nations. The covenant relationship with God was not unconditional, it required obedience to the word of God. Israel had deliberately broken the covenant and the consequences were that God was now removing his cover of protection over the city and even the Temple would be destroyed.

Restoration

But Jeremiah also looked forward to a time of restoration when God would establish a new covenant relationship between himself and his people, which paved the way for the hope of a Messiah who would establish a reign of righteousness.

Ezekiel also foresaw a time coming when there would be international war, beginning with aggression from the land of Gog and Magog – which most scholars identify with modern Russia.

Ezekiel, who ministered among the exiles in Babylon, foresaw God putting a new Spirit into his people and removing their heart of stone. They would be cleansed from their sins and return to the land of their forefathers, rebuilding the desolate cities and fulfilling God’s purposes for the nation. That purpose is expressed in a prophecy in Isaiah 49:6, “I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”

International war

But Ezekiel also foresaw a time coming when there would be international war, beginning with aggression from the land of Gog and Magog – which most scholars identify with modern Russia. The description of that conflict in Ezekiel 38 and 39 makes sober reading in the context of what is happening today, with Russia being ruled by a man with a similar zest for power and control that was seen in Germany in 1939. In a world where many nations have weapons of mass destruction that are capable of reducing whole continents to desolate wasteland in a few minutes of senseless madness, where are we heading?

In a world where many nations have weapons of mass destruction that are capable of reducing whole continents to desolate wasteland in a few minutes of senseless madness, where are we heading?

It is no use pretending that it could not happen, because this conflict is not simply a desire within Russia to regain the territories that it once ruled under the old USSR – it is a bigger purpose – that of a clash between the values of totalitarianism and the values of democracy. There is massive danger to all the populations of the northern hemisphere, where the waters of the oceans are patrolled by submarines from East and West, each having nuclear weapons that could be launched at the whim of corrupt and unstable politicians with unlimited desires for power.

Will God intervene?

The great theological question facing us is whether or not God will intervene in human history if the wickedness of humanity actually gets to the point of ultimate madness that could destroy the surface of the earth? There is no certain biblical answer to that question. But the final chapter of Isaiah speaks of both judgement and hope. It speaks about human beings “delighting in their own abominations” and then God bringing his judgement upon them (Isaiah 66:3-4). “The hand of the Lord will be made known to his servants, but his fury will be shown to his foes.… For with fire and with his sword the Lord will execute judgement upon all men” (Isaiah 66:14-15).

When we turn to the New Testament, hope is firmly rooted in the Kingdom of God which is also eschatological, although the teaching of Jesus shows a form of ‘realised eschatology’ – that we can enter the kingdom here and now, although its consummation is at some point in the future. The New Testament recognises the sinfulness of our humanity that has broken the link between God and his creation and can only be restored through the shed blood of Jesus that cancels the power of sin.

May be what is needed most is to mobilise believers to intercede at the foot of the cross.

The final consummation of the Kingdom comes with the Second Coming of Jesus which is the time when he judges the nations – separating the sheep from the goats – and begins his reign on earth. None of the events of that time are clearly set out in the Bible but are subjects of considerable speculation which we will not indulge in here. But it is valid to say that current events between Russia and Ukraine are clearly the result of Putin’s calculation that leadership in the West is weak and divided so he is convinced that he can ride the storm of protest and economic sanctions.

There is, however, a sense in which Putin’s actions could trigger a chain reaction, causing China to be emboldened to invade Taiwan, and Iran and Syria, with the backing of Russia, to sense that this is the moment to achieve their objectives of destroying Israel. Either or both of these actions could trigger World War III with unthinkable consequences. If that point is reached, the big theological question as to whether or not God will intervene to save the world becomes the most important since the creation of the universe. May be what is needed most is to mobilise believers to intercede at the foot of the cross.