First, the word day is vital to understanding the start of history. Genesis 1 speaks of the six days of creation and the seventh day of rest. The OT concept of the sabbath rest is based on the creation week.
Theologians debate whether these were 24-hour days or seven periods of unknown length.
Many believe science has proven that the earth is billions of years old, and that man is over one hundred thousand years old. I do not believe this because the most natural reading of Genesis 1 is that there were six 24-hour days of creation. The expression “the evening and the morning” shows that Moses spoke of literal days.
Whether you agree with me or not, it is vital that you understand that God created the heavens, the earth, plants, animals, and our first parents. The word day is vital to that understanding.i
Second, the word day is vital to understanding the last days of human history in this age.
The day of Christ, the day Jesus Christ, the day of the Lord Jesus, and the day of our Lord Jesus Christ all refer to the coming Judgment Seat of Christ.
The day of Christ occurs three times in the NT: Phil 1:10; 2:16; 2 Thess 2:2 (MT). The first two clearly refer to the Judgment Seat of Christ (the Bema). The third probably includes the Rapture and Bema.
The day of Jesus Christ occurs only once, in Phil 1:6. It too refers to the Bema.
Notice that the day of Christ and the day of Jesus Christ occur three times in Philippians. Most commentators misunderstand Philippians because they misunderstand what the day is.
The day of the Lord Jesus occurs twice, in 1 Cor 5:5 and 2 Cor 1:14. First Corinthians 5:5 refers to being spiritually healthy at the Bema. If a believer responds well to God’s discipline, then he will return to fellowship with God and be spiritually healthy. As long as he is in fellowship when the Rapture occurs, or when he dies, he will be spiritually healthy at the Bema. 2 Corinthians 1:14 also fits with the Bema.
The day of our Lord Jesus Christ also looks at the Bema. See 1 Cor 1:8.
The day (hemera) by itself sometimes refers to the Bema. See 1 Cor 3:13; 4:3 (court); 2 Tim 1:12; 4:8 (see also John 8:56; Heb 10:25).
Third, the day of the Lord informs us about past and future judgments and blessings.
This expression occurs seventeen times in the OT prophets (Isaiah 3xs, Jeremiah once, Ezekiel twice, Joel 4xs, Amos 3xs, Obadiah once, Zephaniah twice, Zechariah once), but only three times in the NT (Acts 2:20; 1 Thess 5:2; 2 Pet 3:10).
Some of the OT references to the day of the Lord were fulfilled before the 400 silent years: Isaiah 13:6-22; Ezekiel 30:2-19; Joel 1:15; 3:14; Amos 5:18-20; Zephaniah 1:14-18. Judgment was announced for Gentile nations, including Babylon, Edom, Egypt, and Philistia. Israel, too, experienced judgment when it was away from the Lord.
Other uses of the day of the Lord refer to the Messiah’s Second Coming when He will judge the Gentile nations and save Israel from destruction.
All references to the Day of the Lord primarily concern Israel. It was and will be a time of judgment on God’s enemies, followed by blessings for Israel.
The future day of the Lord sometimes refers to the Rapture, sometimes the Second Coming, and sometimes the destruction of the current heavens and earth after the Millennium. The context indicates which time is in view. Ultimately, the coming day of the Lord runs from the Rapture to the destruction of the heavens and earth and the creation of new heavens and earth.
Fourth, the word day tells us that God experiences time differently than we do. Peter tells us, “…with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Pet 3:8). Hodges comments, “Peter’s point is that what seems ‘long’ and ‘short’ to men is not ‘long’ or ‘short’ to the Lord. Therefore, any seeming ‘delay’ of the Second Advent is only such from a human point of view” (1 & 2 Peter and Jude, p. 150).
Many point out that 2 Pet 3:8 is based on Ps 90:4, “For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it is past, and like a watch in the night.” I found a fascinating suggestion by Neyrey. He points to Gen 2:17, “on the day that you eat it you shall die,” and says that that day was 930 years (Gen 5:5). He quotes a Jewish midrash that cites Gen 2:17 and says, “and hadst Thou not given him one day of Thine, which is a thousand years?”ii
The Millennium will last for 1,000 years. That makes it the first divine day of the eternal kingdom!
Keep grace in focus.
_________
i BTW, how could there be light before the creation of the sun on day four? See Rev 21:23 for the answer. If we can create light with electricity and light bulbs, God can certainly create light. He doesn’t need the sun or moon to light up the earth. He can simply produce the light.
ii Jerome Neyrey, 2 Peter, Jude, p. 238.
