# The Day of the Lord explained — Olney Hymns

> Chapter companion for Olney Hymns by John Newton.

## What happens

This hymn contemplates the Day of the Lord, when God will judge sinners and the created order will be consumed by fire. It contrasts the fleeting nature of worldly achievements with the eternal security of those who trust in God, urging believers to fix their hearts on heavenly things.

## Themes in this chapter

### The Vanity of Worldly Things

The hymn declares that all human pomp, arts, and treasures will perish in the common fire, emphasizing the fleeting nature of earthly achievements.

### Hope of Heaven and Eternal Life

The closing stanza urges believers to fix their hearts and hopes above, trusting that they will be found among God's friends in the life to come.

## Character check-ins

### God

Portrayed as the all-seeing Judge whose piercing glance encompasses all creation and whose vengeful eye kindles the final conflagration.

### Jesus Christ

Referred to as 'Jesus the Judge' who approaches nigh at the sound of the trumpet.

### Sin

Personified as the state of sinners who provoke God's face and presume on His patience.

### The Narrator

The speaker who addresses the Lord, praying for steadfast hearts and hopes above.

## Key lines

> God with one piercing glance looks through Creation’s wide-extended frame; The past and future in his view, And days and ages are the same.

God sees all of creation at once, and for Him, past and future are equally present.

_Emphasizes God's omniscience and transcendence over time._

> Sinners who dare provoke his face, Who on his patience long presume, And trifle out his day of grace, Will find he has a day of doom.

Those who sin boldly and take God's patience for granted, wasting the time of grace, will face a day of judgment.

_Warns of the certainty of divine retribution for persistent sin._

> As pangs the labouring woman feels, Or as the thief in midnight sleep, So comes that day for which the wheels Of time their ceaseless motion keep!

The Day of the Lord will arrive suddenly and unavoidably, like birth pains or a thief in the night.

_Uses biblical metaphors to illustrate the unexpected and inescapable nature of judgment._

> Hark! from the sky the trump proclaims Jesus the Judge approaching nigh! See the creation wrapt in flames, First kindled by his vengeful eye!

Listen! The trumpet from heaven announces that Jesus the Judge is coming near; behold, the whole creation is set ablaze by His angry gaze.

_Depicts the dramatic and terrifying arrival of Christ as judge._

> When thus the mountains melt like wax; When earth and air and sea shall burn; When all the frame of nature breaks; Poor sinner, whither wilt thou turn?

When the mountains dissolve like wax and the entire universe burns, where will the sinner flee for refuge?

_Highlights the utter helplessness of sinners in the face of cosmic judgment._

> The puny works which feeble men Now boast or covet or admire; Their pomp and arts and treasures then Shall perish in one common fire.

The insignificant achievements that humans now pride themselves on—their splendor, culture, and wealth—will all be destroyed in the same fire.

_Contrasts human vanity with the permanence of divine judgment._

> Lord, fix our hearts and hopes above, Since all below to ruin tends; Here may we trust, obey, and love, And there be found amongst thy friends.

Lord, set our hearts and hopes on heavenly things, because everything on earth is heading to destruction; help us to trust, obey, and love here, so that we may be counted among Your friends in eternity.

_A prayer for perseverance and heavenly-mindedness._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/olney_hymns_se/chapters/78-the-day-of-the-lord
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/olney_hymns_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/olney_hymns_se/chapters