Date of Award

4-27-1983

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Religion

First Advisor

Dr. Eakin

Abstract

In the study of the Old Testament, the concept of the Day of Yahweh has long been considered to be central to the prophets and their view of the future. Ladislav Cerny described it as a doctrine that "touches all the intellectial and emotional, the mythological and theological, the spiritual and ritual, the ideological as well as social elements of Hebrew religion. Furthermore, Cerny said, "without this doctrine Hebrew religion would not be such, as it is now known to us."

When studying the Day of Yahweh the initial question addresses the nature of that day. The Biblical references are varied in their description, and they are all found within the prophetic writing and the book of Lamentations. Most scholarly attempts to clarify the nature of the Day of Yahweh have focused on the pre-prophetic origin of the concept. However, since there are no references to the term dated earlier than that of Amos 5:18-20, these studies have focused on the imagery and phraseology that surround the specific prophetic references. Because of this, many theories lack specific support, being no better than guesswork. In examining the concept of the Day of Yahweh and the theories that have been written about it, we must keep in view the way the prophetic mind worked and remain as true to the biblical text as possible. However, the prophets brought to any idea or concept their own unique interpretations. Thus, to understand the Day of Yahweh, one must not only understand the prophetic view but also the form of the concept which the prophets inherited.

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