Day of the Lord

Paul was writing to people who had expected the Lord to return and had begun to worry about the delay in their expectations.

Using Boring and Craddock as a guide, here are some OT references that help us see what Jews were expecting on the Day of the Lord:

Often, it is bad news; e.g.,

Isa 13:6 Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty! 9See, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the earth a desolation, and to destroy its sinners from it.

Jer 46:10 That day is the day of the Lord God of hosts, a day of retribution, to gain vindication from his foes. The sword shall devour and be sated, and drink its fill of their blood. For the Lord God of hosts holds a sacrifice in the land of the north by the river Euphrates.

Ezek 13:5You have not gone up into the breaches, or repaired a wall for the house of Israel, so that it might stand in battle on the day of the Lord.

Ezek 30:3 For a day is near, the day of the Lord is near; it will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations.

Joel 1:15 Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is near, and as destruction from the Almighty it comes.

Amos 5:18 Alas for you who desire the day of the Lord! Why do you want the day of the Lord? It is darkness, not light; 20Is not the day of the Lord darkness, not light, and gloom with no brightness in it?

Zeph 1:7 Be silent before the Lord God! For the day of the Lord is at hand; the Lord has prepared a sacrifice, he has consecrated his guests. 14 The great day of the Lord is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter, the warrior cries aloud there.

Mal 4:5 Lo, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.

In Joel, it may have an element of good news:
Joel 2:1 Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming, it is near— 11 The Lord utters his voice at the head of his army; how vast is his host! Numberless are those who obey his command. Truly the day of the Lord is great; terrible indeed—who can endure it? 13 rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.