What doesdayspringmean in the Bible?

ἀνατολη. The word is from 'to arise up.' Luke 1:78. It is elsewhere translated 'east' because it is in the east that the sun rises. Christ is here compared to the spring of day from on high, as the true heavenly light, "to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

In verses 78 and 79 Zacharias returns to the coming of Christ, and all of course is on the ground of that same mercy, for the word "whereby," connects what follows with the mercy just mentioned. The "Dayspring from on high" is a peculiarly lovely description of Christ. Alternative words for "Dayspring" would be "Daydawn" or "Sunrising." His advent was indeed the dawning of a new day. Every earthly sunrising has been, to human eyes, from beneath upwards. This one was "from on high" that is, from above downwards. The Spirit of God moved Zacharias to announce by inspiration the dawning of a day that would be new, though the full wonder of it was as yet hidden from his eyes.

The Gate of the Court was, as we have already mentioned, at the eastern end of the enclosure, and thus the light of the rising sun shone upon it and upon the altar within it, and made clear and plain the way by which man could draw nigh to God. Even so at the coming of Christ, Who was the true Light and the true Way, it was recorded that, through God's tender mercy, "the Dayspring from on high hath visited us . . . to guide our feet into the way of peace" (Luke 1:78-79).

See Luke 1:78-79. "The dayspring from on high hath visited us, to 'shine upon' them that sit in darkness."

Moreover, the period about to dawn in the world's history rendered such a ministry necessary. The Lord was appearing upon the scene. The history of the first man was virtually at a close (it was ended, in fact, at the cross), to make way for the history of the second Man, to whom henceforth it was a question of belonging. The way to belong to this living Messiah on the earth* was to pass condemnation on oneself, and to accept grace. Thus Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, prophecies of the little child, "Thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways; to give knowledge of salvation unto His people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death." (Luke 1:76-79.)

The Dayspring

The dayspring or sunrising is the harbinger of a new day. It was a new day in Israel's history when David, the son of Jesse, the warrior king, ruled undisputed over Israel and the adjoining nations. Unfortunately, that victorious time was eventually forfeited because of the unfaithfulness of the nation of Israel. Through the long years of Gentile domination over Israel, broken briefly by the revival depicted in Ezra and Nehemiah, the Nation longed for deliverance from its enemies. Their prophets foretold that light would come which would dispel the darkness and despair of their bondage (See Isa. 9: 1-7; 60: 1-3, 15-22). Zecharias thought that these prophecies and many more were about to be fulfilled in the One born in David's house. John, his son, was to be the prophet of the Highest to introduce the Messiah to Israel (Acts 13: 24-25). When Jesus was presented to Israel, the Nation through its leaders refused to acknowledge Him. They rejected Him and crucified Him. There was no doubt about that. Matthew 4: 14-16, a quotation of Isaiah 9: 1-2, was a partial fulfilment of the prophecy. As Israel's day turned into darkness it must wait until a coming day for the complete and literal fulfilment of the ancient prophecies and promises. That the light of another world had dawned in the coming of Jesus was borne out in His own words in the Gospel by John (John 1: 1-4, 9; John 3: 19; John 8: 12; John 9: 5; John 12: 35, 46). How sad that except for a few, the light was refused. The darkness didn't apprehend the light and men loved darkness rather than light (John 1: 5; John 3: 19-20). They still love darkness in modern times. However, after the death and resurrection of Jesus, divine light in all its brilliance became available for all who believe in Jesus and His wonderful redemptive work. That light streams from the face of the exalted and glorious Son of God (2 Cor. 4: 4-6). Peter describes the light as marvellous and so it is (1 Peter 2: 9). John in his epistle said "the darkness is passing and the true light already shines." Paul, Peter and John are united in informing us that for the believer in Jesus darkness has been dispelled and divine light is shining, not to expose, but to bring into sharp focus the great things that love and light have secured for the children of light.

The Dayspring

The dayspring or sunrising is the harbinger of a new day. It was a new day in Israel's history when David, the son of Jesse, the warrior king, ruled undisputed over Israel and the adjoining nations. Unfortunately, that victorious time was eventually forfeited because of the unfaithfulness of the nation of Israel. Through the long years of Gentile domination over Israel, broken briefly by the revival depicted in Ezra and Nehemiah, the Nation longed for deliverance from its enemies. Their prophets foretold that light would come which would dispel the darkness and despair of their bondage (See Isa. 9:1-7; 60:1-3, 15-22). Zecharias thought that these prophecies and many more were about to be fulfilled in the One born in David's house. John, his son, was to be the prophet of the Highest to introduce the Messiah to Israel (Acts 13:24-25). When Jesus was presented to Israel, the Nation through its leaders refused to acknowledge Him. They rejected Him and crucified Him. There was no doubt about that. Matthew 4:14-16, a quotation of Isaiah 9:1-2, was a partial fulfilment of the prophecy. As Israel's day turned into darkness it must wait until a coming day for the complete and literal fulfilment of the ancient prophecies and promises. That the light of another world had dawned in the coming of Jesus was borne out in His own words in the Gospel by John (John 1:1-4, 9; John 3:19; John 8:12; John 9:5; John 12:35, 46). How sad that except for a few, the light was refused. The darkness didn't apprehend the light and men loved darkness rather than light (John 1:5; John 3:19-20). They still love darkness in modern times. However, after the death and resurrection of Jesus, divine light in all its brilliance became available for all who believe in Jesus and His wonderful redemptive work. That light streams from the face of the exalted and glorious Son of God (2 Cor. 4:4-6). Peter describes the light as marvellous and so it is (1 Peter 2:9). John in his epistle said “the darkness is passing and the true light already shines.” Paul, Peter and John are united in informing us that for the believer in Jesus darkness has been dispelled and divine light is shining, not to expose, but to bring into sharp focus the great things that love and light have secured for the children of light.

It was not yet time for the setting up of the Lord’s kingdom on earth, for the day of the Lord, but before the day should come, there was the visit of the Dayspring. The One whose rays of light would fill the world to come had undertaken to come in grace to bring salvation to the world, giving remission of sins to His people. Before the day actually comes, the rays from beneath the horizon shine upward to gladden the hearts of those looking for the coming of the day. Such was the Son of God in this world. The little remnant of Israel were waiting for the coming of the Lord, and for the day of His kingdom, and how their hearts were gladdened by the coming of the Lord into this world.

Zacharias, the father of John Baptist, saw in Jesus "the Dayspring from on high" visiting His people (Luke 1:78). It was not yet the time for the dawning of the day of Christ, but as the Dayspring there was the springing up of the beams of Messiah's light, not to herald the day, but to enlighten His faithful remnant, to bring to them the "knowledge of salvation … by the remission of their sins". It was the same light that would illumine the earth in a coming day, but it now brought the knowledge of God to His people, "to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace".

The advent of Christ into the world was described by Zacharias as the coming of the dayspring (or, as the margin reads, "sun-rising") from on high. His appearance on earth heralded the dawn of a new day. Not that this new day was there and then inaugurated. The Lord Jesus had a mission to fulfil in the midst of Israel, and He must needs present Himself to that nation as their long-promised Messiah. Moreover, the broad foundations of purposed blessing must be laid amid the sufferings of Calvary. But when all this was past, when the Son of God had died and risen again, when He had ascended to heaven and sent down the Holy Ghost, then was inaugurated a dispensation that was new indeed, utterly different from all that had gone before.