The word "day" is often used in Scripture to denote a certain period of time. In a previous article we considered the "day of the Lord" and noticed that it refers to the time when the Lord Jesus will come back to the earth and set everything right, and reign. The world is very sick and, and there is no indication of any betterment at hand. Strife, greed, famine, and troubles of every nature beset the whole world. The very foundations seem to be tottering. This is "man's day" (see 1 Cor. 1:3; margin) and he has made a great mess of everything. The coming of the Lord to call His own away may take place at any moment. What a happy moment will that be for all who are saved, and how terrible for those unsaved who will be left behind. Then the things which are troubling the world will become suddenly worse, only to end when the Lord Jesus returns to subdue His enemies and set up His righteous government in the earth—the "day of the Lord."
The "day of the Lord" will be a great and dreadful day for this Christ-rejecting earth. (See Joel 2:1-11; Mal. 4:1-5; Zeph. 1:14-16.) (It should read in 2 Thess. 2:2, "the day of the Lord" instead of "the day of Christ.") The whole period of His Millennial reign is included in the term, "the day of the Lord." It will even include the "little season," when man has a last test, after the Millennium. Christ must reign until He puts down all enemies and brings everything into subjection, as we noticed in 1 Cor. 15:25, 26.
Day of Christ
There is also the expression, "the day of Christ," which is previous to "the day of the Lord." It is found in Phil. 1:6, 10; 2:16 and takes one in thought to the heavenly rather than the earthly scene. The Apostle Paul looked forward to the "day of Christ." He had joy in the Philippian saints as he saw what grace had already wrought in them, and then looked forward to the time when they would be with Christ, and all would be completed in them.
"Always, in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy.... Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." Phil. 1:4, 6.
After that, he writes about his desire for them that they would abound in knowledge and intelligence so as to approve the things that are excellent to the end that they might walk without a wrong step until that glorious day—the "day of Christ." Snell should be our desire also. Sad to say we do fail and take wrong steps, but if we were walking close to the Lord, it would not be so. God his made provision for us if we fail -
"If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1).
But the Word of God does not suppose that we must fail. Just think of all the provision that we have in Order to walk pleasing to Him; we have been saved and brought to God in perfect peace; we have the Ward of God as a perfect guide-book; we have the Spirit of God dwelling in us for power; and We have the Lord Jesus Christ as our Great High Priest to succor us when we are weak. Alas, how little we avail ourselves of the resources we have in Christ to walk pleasing to Him! Not that we should ever expect perfection in the flesh. Such ideas are wrong and only tend to exalt self—to confidence in the flesh. We should have no confidence in the flesh, but can we not say that when we do fail, it was our fault and our own lack of watchfulness. That blessed day—the day of Christ—is soon coming. Then all shall be perfect and the work begun in us shall be complete, but let us seek to walk pleasing to Him in view of that day.
The Apostle had labored in the gospel and suffered for it at Philippi (see Acts 16) and these dear saints had been the fruit of his labors. After they were saved they had taken an active interest in the gospel; they had shown their fellowship in it from the first day they were saved. They were willing to share in its trials and conflicts. Then he writes to encourage them to walk blamelessly before the unsaved and to show them the way of salvation:
"Do all things without murmurings and disputings: that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; holding 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." Phil. 2:14-16.
Paul looked forward to the time when he and all the saints would be with Christ—when he would see the fruit of his labors. The beloved Apostle put this forward as a motive for their going on in faithful testimony. That will be the time when the results and fruit of all our labors will be manifest. We can then look forward with joyful anticipation to the "day of Christ." Our work for the Lord cannot be correctly appraised now, but in that coming day of glory it will be seen in His light. Surely the "day of Christ" presents a different thought than the "day of the Lord" which speaks of subjugation of all on earth to His righteous rule.
Day of God
The "day of God" looks forward to the ushering in of the eternal state.
"Looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." 2 Pet. 3:12, 13.
The "day of God" will follow the "day of the Lord." The Lord will first bring all into subjection and destroy all enemies. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death (1 Cor. 15:25, 26). Then in that eternal state, God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) as God will dwell with men. God has been pleased in past dispensations to reveal Himself according to the need of the time, but then all dispensational names and revelations will have passed. All dispensations will then be over and "God will dwell with men."
"Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God." Rev. 21:3.
"Nations" will have disappeared, for it is "men" with whom He will dwell. The word "dwell" speaks of a fixed and permanently settled condition. It is also said that righteousness will dwell in that scene of bliss. Every trace of sin will have been removed from God's creation and never enter it again. All that Christ ruled as man in the "day of the Lord" will be given up to God, that God may be all in all—the day of God, the eternal day.
"Lord we can see, by faith in Thee,
A prospect bright, unfailing;
Where God shall shine in light divine,
In glory never fading."