J. C. Lambert. DAY OF THE LORD.— See Eschatology.
DAY-STAR.— In the OT there are traces of the survival of a dawn myth of which we have re- miniscences in Job 3^ where 'the eyelids of the dawn' (^^^f'■''2^;5y ; LXX euacpdpov dvaTiXKovra) glance over the mountain-tops to behold the sleeping earth. The morning- or day-star is the son of the daA\Ti, as in the great ode on the overthrow of the^king of Babylon (nn^'-l? hh^n- LXX eojo-cpdpos 6 TTput dvaT^Wuv ; AV ' Lucifer, son of the morning ' ; but RV 'day star' [Is 14'-]). From this came the metaphor. But in the NT the physical associa- tions of the Hgure are entirely lost, and the word ' day-star ' has become the equivalent of harbinger or foreruimer — some joyful event or appearance foretelling the end of the night of distress and sorrow, and the dawning of a new and better day. ' This species of symbolism was employed freely, as every reader knows, in the Gospels. . . . John the Baptist was the Forerunner, the Morning Star. Christ was the Sun, the Light of the World. . . . The usage persisted as it had been originated ' (W. M. Ramsay, Luke the Physician, p. 230f.).
The word ' day-star ' occurs in the NT only in 2 P 1^® — Kal <pua-<p6pos dcarefX^? ^'' '"'^'^ Kapdlais vfiGiv — ' and the day-star arise in your hearts' (AV and RV). The thought, however, is fairly common (cf. such expressions as ' the dayspring \_dva.ro\ri'] from on high,' Lk 1" . . his marvellous light ' [^iis], 1 P 2» ; and specially 'I will give him the morning star' [rhv d^ripa. rbv 'frpwiv6v'\. Rev 2** ; ' the bright, the morning star' [6 a.<TT7)p 6 \a/xirpds 6 irpuCvds], 22'").
In the Apocalypse, it should be noted, the usage (228 22i«) is different. While in the Gospels ' an earlier age and another style of thought ' (Ramsaj'-, op. cit. p. 234) had called Christ not a Star but the Sun and the Light of the World, in Revelation Christ calls Himself the Morning-Star as ' the herald and introducer of a new era,' and the gift of the Morning-Star means ' the dawn of a brighter day and a new career.' In 2 P 1^® the writer, discussing the effect produced by the Transfiguration of Jesus, says that by it ' we have the word of prophecy made more sure' (RV). The glorification of Christ on the Mount was not only a partial fulfilment of Messianic prediction, but was in itself the earnest of a complete glorification. In the squalid place of the world (RVm iv avxfJ-vPV rdircii — the adj. occurs only here in the NT), where the Christian's lot is cast, the prophecies, even with their partial fulfilment, are a lamp shining.
The new day heralded by the day-star may be the Second Advent (Bennett, Century Bible, in loc.) ; but there is more to be said for Plumptre's view (Cambridge Bible), that the rising of the day- star points to a direct manifestation of Christ in the soul of the believer [ev rais KapSLais v/j.u)v). It is the revelation and confirmation in the heart of the Christian of what had been foreshadowed both by the prophetic word and the earthly manifestation of God's Son. Christ in the heart is the gleam, the light, the Day-star, which the believer follows, and to which he moves. He has therefore the testimony in himself that he follows, not wander- ing fires, but a star.
Witsius (Trench, Epp. to the Seven Churches^, London, 1867, p. 155) sums up the import of the morning-star as follows: (1) a closer communion with Christ, the fountain of light ; (2) an increase of light and spiritual knowledge ; (3) glorious and unspeakable J03', which is often compared with light. Such hojies 2 Peter holds before Christians in the squalidness of a world where God is not known. But they know, for the day-star shines in their hearts.
'Nor would I vex my heart with grief or strife Though friend and lover Thou hast put afar, If I could see, through my worn tent of life The stedfast shining of Thy morning star'
(Louise Chandler Moulcon).
For the same thought in the hymnology of the Church reference may be made to the Advent Hymns, ' Light of the lonelj^ pilgrim's heart. Star of the coming day,' also 'Come, O come, Immanuel.'
Literature. — W. M. Ramsay, Luke the Physician, London, 190S, pp. 230-234. For the morning-star in the symbolism of the NT, see G. Mackinlay, The Magi: How they recognized Christ's Star, do. 1907. W. M. GRANT.
DEACON, DEACONESS.— 'Deacon' or 'deacon-
ess' [dLaKovos, masc. or fem.) means one who serves or ministers. In classical Greek the word commonly implies menial service. In the NT it implies the noble service of doing work for God (2 Co 6^ 11^, Eph &^, 1 Th 3^), or ministering to the needs of others (Ro 16i ; cf. 1 Co 16^ 2 Co 2,* 91) ; and the meaning of the term, with its cognates 'service' or ' ministry ' and ' to serve ' or ' to minister ' [SiaKovia and oiaKovelv) is nearly every^vhere quite general and does not indicate a special office. The only passage in which special officials are certainly mentioned is 1 Ti 3"'^-, where v.^^ refers to women deacons (RV) rather than to wives of deacons ( AV). But it is highly probable that 'with [the] bishops and deacons' (Ph P) also refers to special officials ; although it is just possible that St. Paul is merely mentioning the two functions which must exist in every organized community, viz. government and service. A church consists of rulers and ruled. The case of Phoebe, * SidKovos of the church which