Day

Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

(shining). Natural Hebrew day from sunset to sunset (Gen. 1:5⁵And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. (Genesis 1:5); Ex. 12:18¹⁸In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even. (Exodus 12:18)). Sabbath the only day named; others numbered (Lev. 23:32³²It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath. (Leviticus 23:32)). Morning, noon, and evening divisions (Psa. 55:17¹⁷Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. (Psalm 55:17)). Hours introduced (Dan. 3:6⁶And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. (Daniel 3:6); John 11:9⁹Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. (John 11:9)). Indefinite time (Gen. 2:4⁴These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, (Genesis 2:4)); of birth (Job 3:1¹After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day. (Job 3:1)); of ruin (Hos. 1:11¹¹Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel. (Hosea 1:11)); of judgment (Joel 1:15¹⁵Alas for the day! for the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come. (Joel 1:15)); of Christ’s kingdom (John 8:56⁵⁶Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. (John 8:56)).

Concise Bible Dictionary:

Besides the ordinary application of the word, it is used in scripture as defining different periods. The term “that day” often occurs in the Prophets and in the New Testament referring to the Messiah’s day, sometimes connected with judgment and sometimes with blessing, the context of each passage showing its application. The subject generally may be divided into:

1. The days of the Law and the Prophets, which extended from the giving of the law until the coming of the Messiah. “At the end of these days [God] has spoken to us in [His] Son,” as Hebrews 1:2²Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (Hebrews 1:2) should read. This introduced Messiah’s Day. But He was rejected and His reign postponed.

2. In the meantime the Day of Grace supervenes, during which the church is being called out. The Lord Jesus wrought out redemption, ascended to heaven, and sent down the Holy Spirit. Of this time He said “In that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you” (John 14:20²⁰At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. (John 14:20): Compare also John 16:23, 26²³And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. (John 16:23)
²⁶At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: (John 16:26)). The present period is referred to as man’s day (1 Cor. 4:3³But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. (1 Corinthians 4:3), margin). These are also “the last days” in which scoffers would come (2 Pet. 3:3³Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, (2 Peter 3:3); Jude 18¹⁸How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. (Jude 18)).

3. Messiah’s Day, when He returns in judgment and then to reign. “The day is at hand” (Rom. 13:12¹²The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. (Romans 13:12); Heb. 10:25²⁵Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. (Hebrews 10:25)). “The day shall declare it” (1 Cor. 3:13¹³Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. (1 Corinthians 3:13)). It is also called “the last day” (John 6:39-54³⁹And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. ⁴⁰And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. ⁴¹The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. ⁴²And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? ⁴³Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. ⁴⁴No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. ⁴⁵It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. ⁴⁶Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. ⁴⁷Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. ⁴⁸I am that bread of life. ⁴⁹Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. ⁵⁰This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. ⁵¹I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. ⁵²The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? ⁵³Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. ⁵⁴Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:39‑54); John 11:24²⁴Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. (John 11:24); John 12:48⁴⁸He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. (John 12:48)). And it is called “the great day.” Elijah will come before the great and dreadful day of the Lord (Mal. 4:5⁵Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: (Malachi 4:5)). The kings of the earth will be gathered to the battle of that great day of God Almighty (Rev. 16:14¹⁴For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. (Revelation 16:14)). It is also called “the day of Christ” and “the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6, 10⁶Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: (Philippians 1:6)
¹⁰That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; (Philippians 1:10); Phil. 2:16¹⁶Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain. (Philippians 2:16); compare 1 Cor. 1:8⁸Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:8); 2 Cor. 1:14¹⁴As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus. (2 Corinthians 1:14)).