What Will the Day of Hashem Look Like?
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ShareResolving contradictions in physical descriptions of the Day of Hashem
If you remember the four consecutive psukim in Amos that we looked at before, you might also remember that one of them we did not in fact look at. That pasuk will be central to understanding the physical characteristics of the Day of Hashem.
(כ) הֲלֹא־חֹ֛שֶׁךְ י֥וֹם ה׳ וְלֹא־א֑וֹר וְאָפֵ֖ל וְלֹא־נֹ֥גַֽהּ לֽוֹ׃
(20) Surely the day of GOD shall be Not light, but darkness, Blackest night without a glimmer.
In total, I have found six useful psukim for identifying the physical world, not the humans on it but the world itself on the Day of Hashem, as well as one additional pasuk for identifying the world in the time leading up to the Day of Hashem.
These six psukim can be broken down into two main groups
1. The Day of Hashem will be a day of light
2. The Day of Hashem will be a day of darkness
Does anyone want to take a guess at how many psukim will be in each category?
Before we get to the Day of Hashem, let's take a look at the seventh pasuk which describes the time leading up:
(ד) הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ יֵהָפֵ֣ךְ לְחֹ֔שֶׁךְ וְהַיָּרֵ֖חַ לְדָ֑ם לִפְנֵ֗י בּ֚וֹא י֣וֹם ה׳ הַגָּד֖וֹל וְהַנּוֹרָֽא׃
(4) The sun shall turn into darkness And the moon into blood before the coming of the great and terrifying day of GOD.
What are your interpretations of this pasuk? Do you take it literally, metaphorically, or somewhere in between?
(א) השמש - יספר קדרות שיהיה לשמש בהתחברה עם הירח והירח יקדר ויהיה אדום, זה יהיה בהיותו רחוק מראש התלי וזנבו קרוב משש מעלות, ולעולם הם אותות על מלחמות, והיה לאות כי ימותו עמים רבים.
The sun - It is telling of the darkness that the sun will be when it joins with the moon. And the moon will darken and become red: this will come about when it will be far away from the head of the תלי(?), and its tail will be closer (probably meaning narrower in relation to Earth) than 6 degrees; these are universal signs of war, and they will be (possibly past tense) a sign that many/great nations will die.
What two events that still happen today is Ibn Ezra describing?
The first of the five sources describing the Day of Hashem as one of darkness is the one from Amos which we have already looked at.
The second source is from Yechezkel:
כִּֽי־קָר֣וֹב י֔וֹם וְקָר֥וֹב י֖וֹם לַֽה׳ י֣וֹם עָנָ֔ן עֵ֥ת גּוֹיִ֖ם יִהְיֶֽה׃
For the day is near, even the day of the Lord is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the nations.
From Yoel:
(א) תִּקְע֨וּ שׁוֹפָ֜ר בְּצִיּ֗וֹן וְהָרִ֙יעוּ֙ בְּהַ֣ר קׇדְשִׁ֔י יִרְגְּז֕וּ כֹּ֖ל יֹשְׁבֵ֣י הָאָ֑רֶץ כִּי־בָ֥א יוֹם־ה׳ כִּ֥י קָרֽוֹב׃ (ב) י֧וֹם חֹ֣שֶׁךְ וַאֲפֵלָ֗ה י֤וֹם עָנָן֙ וַעֲרָפֶ֔ל כְּשַׁ֖חַר פָּרֻ֣שׂ עַל־הֶהָרִ֑ים עַ֚ם רַ֣ב וְעָצ֔וּם כָּמֹ֗הוּ לֹ֤א נִֽהְיָה֙ מִן־הָ֣עוֹלָ֔ם וְאַֽחֲרָיו֙ לֹ֣א יוֹסֵ֔ף עַד־שְׁנֵ֖י דּ֥וֹר וָדֽוֹר׃
(1) Blow a horn in Zion, Sound an alarm on My holy mount! Let all dwellers on earth tremble, For the day of GOD has come! It is close— (2) A day of darkness and gloom, A day of densest cloud Spread like soot over the hills. A vast, enormous horde— Nothing like it has ever happened, And it shall never happen again Through the years and ages.
For anyone who knows Yoel well, what is the problem with saying that these psukim refer to the Day of Hashem?
If you don't know Yoel that well, what direct contradiction is there within these psukim about the Day of Hashem? (it's a bit technical)
Because of this, let's not count these psukim out of safety since we have many other that say similar things and are definitely about the Day of Hashem.
For instance:
(ט) הִנֵּ֤ה יוֹם־ה׳ בָּ֔א אַכְזָרִ֥י וְעֶבְרָ֖ה וַחֲר֣וֹן אָ֑ף לָשׂ֤וּם הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ לְשַׁמָּ֔ה וְחַטָּאֶ֖יהָ יַשְׁמִ֥יד מִמֶּֽנָּה׃ (י) כִּֽי־כוֹכְבֵ֤י הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ וּכְסִ֣ילֵיהֶ֔ם לֹ֥א יָהֵ֖לּוּ אוֹרָ֑ם חָשַׁ֤ךְ הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ בְּצֵאת֔וֹ וְיָרֵ֖חַ לֹא־יַגִּ֥יהַּ אוֹרֽוֹ׃
(9) Lo! The day of GOD is coming With pitiless fury and wrath, To make the earth a desolation, To wipe out the sinners upon it. (10) The stars and constellations of heaven Shall not give off their light; The sun shall be dark when it rises, And the moon shall diffuse no glow.
And:
(יד) קָר֤וֹב יוֹם־ה׳ הַגָּד֔וֹל קָר֖וֹב וּמַהֵ֣ר מְאֹ֑ד ק֚וֹל י֣וֹם ה׳ מַ֥ר צֹרֵ֖חַ שָׁ֥ם גִּבּֽוֹר׃ (טו) י֥וֹם עֶבְרָ֖ה הַיּ֣וֹם הַה֑וּא י֧וֹם צָרָ֣ה וּמְצוּקָ֗ה י֤וֹם שֹׁאָה֙ וּמְשׁוֹאָ֔ה י֥וֹם חֹ֙שֶׁךְ֙ וַאֲפֵלָ֔ה י֥וֹם עָנָ֖ן וַעֲרָפֶֽל׃
(14) The great day of GOD is approaching, Approaching most swiftly. Hark, the day of GOD! It is bitter: There a warrior shrieks! (15) That day shall be a day of wrath, A day of trouble and distress, A day of calamity and desolation, A day of darkness and deep gloom, A day of densest clouds,
All of these psukim lead us to believe that the Day of Hashem is a dark day with clouds and destruction.
But there is one more pasuk which gives a different impression:
(ז) וְהָיָ֣ה יוֹם־אֶחָ֗ד ה֛וּא יִוָּדַ֥ע לַה׳ לֹא־י֣וֹם וְלֹא־לָ֑יְלָה וְהָיָ֥ה לְעֵֽת־עֶ֖רֶב יִֽהְיֶה־אֽוֹר׃
(7) but there shall be a continuous day—only GOD knows when—of neither day nor night, and there shall be light at eventide.
What's different about this pasuk?
But perhaps we can explain this as more of a metaphor of good and evil than a literal description of light levels
(ב) לֹא יוֹם וְלֹא לָיְלָה. לֹא אוֹר נֹגַהּ כְּאוֹר שֶׁל עוֹלָם הַבָּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְאוֹר הַחַמָּה יִהְיֶה שִׁבְעָתַיִם כְּאוֹר וְגוֹמֵר״ (ישעיהו ל:כו): (ג) וְלֹא לָיְלָה. וְלֹא עֵת צָרָה כְּצָרַת שִׁעְבּוּד גָּלֻיּוֹת שֶׁמִּקֹּדֶם, שֶׁיְּמֵי מְשִׁיחֵנוּ יִהְיוּ וְאֵין בָּהֶם שִׁעְבּוּד:
(2) neither day Neither [will it be] a light of splendor, like the light of the world to come, as it is stated (Isa. 30:26): “The light of the sun shall be sevenfold as the light of the seven days.” (3) nor night Nor a time of trouble, like the trouble of the preceding subjugation by the kingdoms, shall [these days] be, for they will be the days of the Messiah, and there shall be no subjugation during these days.
So according to Rashi's understanding of what ולא לילה/and not night means, it could still be dark like night so long as there isn't subjugation, so there is no contradiction between the texts.
Let's see what Ibn Ezra thinks about that
(א) והיה - לא ידעו בני האדם בבואו יום השם, אם יום הוא או לילה וסמוך לערב יתברר זה. והמפרשים אותו דרך משל על הגלות הישועה, איננו נכון רק הוא כמשמעו.
And it will be - People will be unable to tell that it is the Day of Hashem when it happens whether it begins at day or night, yet when it becomes evening/morning they will understand [since the light levels won't change]. And there are those who explain this [pasuk] as being a metaphor about exile and redemption, but this is incorrect since it means exactly what it says.
Does anyone have any suggestions of how to resolve this contradiction while staying in line with Ibn Ezra?
Perhaps the following pasuk can help:
(יא) וְיָ֣שְׁבוּ בָ֔הּ וְחֵ֖רֶם לֹ֣א יִֽהְיֶה־ע֑וֹד וְיָשְׁבָ֥ה יְרוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם לָבֶֽטַח׃ {ס}
(11) Never again shall destruction be decreed, and Jerusalem shall dwell secure.
This pasuk is a description of the Day of Hashem. Which pasuk about the Day of Hashem mentioned previously contradicts this one in the most direct manner?
Immediately follow this pasuk is a near polar opposite describing what will happen to the gentiles:
(יב) וְזֹ֣את ׀ תִּהְיֶ֣ה הַמַּגֵּפָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִגֹּ֤ף ה׳ אֶת־כׇּל־הָ֣עַמִּ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר צָבְא֖וּ עַל־יְרוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם הָמֵ֣ק ׀ בְּשָׂר֗וֹ וְהוּא֙ עֹמֵ֣ד עַל־רַגְלָ֔יו וְעֵינָיו֙ תִּמַּ֣קְנָה בְחֹֽרֵיהֶ֔ן וּלְשׁוֹנ֖וֹ תִּמַּ֥ק בְּפִיהֶֽם׃
(12) As for those peoples that warred against Jerusalem, GOD will smite them with this plague: Their flesh shall rot away while they stand on their feet; their eyes shall rot away in their sockets; and their tongues shall rot away in their mouths.
If these psukim are to be understood as chronologically taking place in the order in which they are written, what contradiction is formed?
Remember that the major problem we are dealing with is only a problem to Ibn Ezra, so let's look at Ibn Ezra
וזאת - שב לפרש מה היא המלחמה שילחם השם עם הגוים שהוציאו חצי העיר בגולה
And this (from the phrase 'this plague') - [the pasuk] goes back to explain what the war that Hashem will fight with the gentiles who will exile half of the city (Yerushalaim) will be (how Hashem will fight).
So Ibn Ezra agrees that these psukim can't possibly take place in chronological order, and he sends us back to psukim which may contain the answer to our original question on Ibn Ezra's insistence to take the pasuk in Zechariah literally.
(ג) וְיָצָ֣א ה׳ וְנִלְחַ֖ם בַּגּוֹיִ֣ם הָהֵ֑ם כְּי֥וֹם הִֽלָּחֲמ֖וֹ בְּי֥וֹם קְרָֽב׃ (ד) וְעָמְד֣וּ רַגְלָ֣יו בַּיּוֹם־הַ֠ה֠וּא עַל־הַ֨ר הַזֵּיתִ֜ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י יְרֽוּשָׁלַ֘͏ִם֮ מִקֶּ֒דֶם֒ וְנִבְקַע֩ הַ֨ר הַזֵּיתִ֤ים מֵֽחֶצְיוֹ֙ מִזְרָ֣חָה וָיָ֔מָּה גֵּ֖יא גְּדוֹלָ֣ה מְאֹ֑ד וּמָ֨שׁ חֲצִ֥י הָהָ֛ר צָפ֖וֹנָה וְחֶצְיוֹ־נֶֽגְבָּה׃ (ה) וְנַסְתֶּ֣ם גֵּיא־הָרַ֗י כִּי־יַגִּ֣יעַ גֵּֽי־הָרִים֮ אֶל־אָצַל֒ וְנַסְתֶּ֗ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר נַסְתֶּם֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י הָרַ֔עַשׁ בִּימֵ֖י עֻזִּיָּ֣ה מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֑ה וּבָא֙ ה׳ אֱלֹקַ֔י כׇּל־קְדֹשִׁ֖ים עִמָּֽךְ׃
(3) Then GOD will come forth and make war on those nations as a fighter makes war on a day of battle. (4) On that day, God’s feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, near Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives shall split across from east to west, and one part of the Mount shall shift to the north and the other to the south, a huge gorge. (5) And you shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azel: and you shall flee, just as you fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Yehuda: and the ETERNAL my GOD shall come, and all the holy ones with you.
This day closely resembles the descriptions of the Day of Hashem as a day of judgement and destruction, but the next pasuk may serve as the key link between these two polar opposite visions of the Day of Hashem.
(ו) וְהָיָ֖ה בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֑וּא לֹֽא־יִֽהְיֶ֣ה א֔וֹר יְקָר֖וֹת (יקפאון) [וְקִפָּאֽוֹן]׃
(6) In that day, there shall be neither sunlight nor cold moonlight,
The Malbim comments:
והיה ביום ההוא לא יהיה אור, ר"ל שאז יחדל אור השמש והירח מלהאיר בעולם, כמ"ש (ישעיהו ס׳:י״ט) לא יהיה לך עוד השמש לאור יומם וכו' והיה לך ה׳ לאור עולם
And it will be that on that day there will be neither light - This means that then the light of the sun and moon will cease to be a light in the world, like it is written "You will not have the sun for light in the day [nor the moon for brightness at night,] rather Hashem will be your eternal light".
'Then' is the key phrase (it's not a baseless addition to the pasuk, but rather an insightful reading of the word והיה/and it will be) which allows these two descriptions to be applied to the same day. Initially the nations will plunder Jerusalem and take almost all of its people captive, and Hashem will fight for us like he did against Egypt when we were crossing the sea, and he will deliver judgement unto the nations, and after that, when the remnant of Israel finds peace, then there will be neither bright light nor thick darkness, and by the evening there will be light.
