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"The Day Of The Lord"
In (Revelation 1:9-10
I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,). “The Lord`s Day.” Leaving the former part of these verses for the present, let us notice the latter expression, “the Lord`s Day.”The majority of people, being accustomed from their infancy to hear the first day of the week called the “Lord`s Day,” conclude in their own minds that that day is thus called in (Revelation 1:10), because that was the name of it. But the contrary is the fact: the day is so called by us because of this verse.
In the New Testament this day is always called “the first day of the week.” (Matthew 28:1
In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. Mark 16:2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. Luke 24:1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. John 20:1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. John 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. Acts 20:7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. 1Corinthians 16:2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.). Is it not strange that in this one place a different expression is thought to refer to the same day? And yet, so sure are the commentators that it means Sunday, that some go as far as to say it was “Easter Sunday,” and it is for this reason that Revelation (1:9-10), is chosen in the New Lectionary of the Church of England as the 2nd lesson for Easter Sunday morning.There is no evidence of any kind that “the first day of the week” was ever called “the Lord`s Day” before the Apocalypse (Revelation) was written. That it should be so called afterwards is easily understood, and there can be little doubt that the practice arose from the misinterpretation of these words in (Revelation 1:10). It is incredible that the earliest use of a term can have meaning which only subsequent usage makes intelligible.
On the contrary, it ceased to be called by the Scripture name (“the First day of the week”), not because of any advance of Biblical truth or reverence, but because of deterioration from it. The Greek “Fathers” of the Church were converts from “Paganism:” and it is not yet sufficiently recognized how much of Pagan
“rites” and “ceremonies” and “expressions” they introduced into the Church: and how far Christian ritual was elaborated from and based upon Pagan ritual by the Church of Rome. Especially is this seen in the case of “baptism.”It was these Fathers who, on their conversion, brought the title “Sunday” into the Church from the Pagan terminology which they had been accustomed to use in connection with their “Sun-worship.”
Justin Martyr (114-165 A.D.) in his second Apology i.e., his first defense of Christianity), says, in chapter 67,
LXVII.--WEEKLY WORSHIP OF THE CHRISTIANS.And we afterwards continually remind each other of these things. And the wealthy among us help the needy; and we always keep together; and for all things wherewith we are supplied, we bless the Maker of all through His Son Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Ghost. And on the day called Sunday,(1) all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability,(2) and the people assent, saying
Amen; and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given,(3) and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons. And they who are well to do, and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who succours the orphans and widows and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are in want, and those who are in bonds and the strangers sojourning among us, and in a word takes care of all who are in need. But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God, having wrought a change in the darkness and matter, made the world; and Jesus Christ our Saviour on the same day rose from the dead. For He was crucified on the day before that of Saturn (Saturday); and on the day after that
of Saturn, which is the day of the Sun, having appeared to His apostles and disciples, He taught them these things, which we have submitted to you also for your consideration.
Some Christians still perpetuate the name of the Lord`s Day for “Sunday:” but it is really the survival of a Pagan name, with a new meaning, derived from a misunderstanding of (
Revelation 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,).Objection has been taken to the interpretation of “the Lord`s Day” here, because we have in (Revelation 1:10) the adjective “Lord`s” instead of the noun in (regimen), “of the Lord,” as in the Hebrew. But what else could it be called in the Hebrew? Such objectors do not seem to be aware of the fact that there is no adjective for “Lord`s” in Hebrew: and therefore the only way of expressing “the Lord`s Day” is by using the two nouns, “the day of the Lord” which means equally “the Lord`s Day” (God`s day). It is useless, therefore, to make any objection on this ground: for if a Hebrew wanted to say “the Lord`s Day,” he must say “the day of the Lord.”
In the Greek there are two ways of expressing this (as in modern languages); either by using literally, as in Hebrew, “the day of the Lord” (using the two nouns): or by using the adjective “Lord`s instead. It comes to exactly the same thing as to signification: the different lies only in the emphasis.
The natural way of qualifying a noun is by using an adjective, as here Lord`s: and, when this is done, the emphasis takes its natural course, and is placed on the word “Lord:” then instead of the adjective, the noun would be used in the genitive case, “of the Lord.” In the former case as in (Revelation 1:10). it would be “the Lord`s Day.” In the latter case it would be “the LORD`S day.” The same day is meant in each case, but different emphasis.
By this was of illustration and proof, we call attention to the fact that we have the corresponding expression concerning another “day.” In (Luke 17:22
And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. ). We have “the days of the Son of Man,” where the emphasis must be on “THE SON OF MAN” (as shown by the context). While in (1Corinthians 4:3 But 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.). We have “man`s DAY,” with the emphasis on “day,” marking that “day” as being actually present, as it now is. This is so clear from the context that it is actually translated “judgment,” which is exactly what it means. The apostle says “It is a very small thing, that I should be judged of you, or of man`s DAY.” The emphasis is on day, because the time in which we now live is the time, or “day,” when man is judging. Another day is coming, and that is the day when the Lord will be present, and He will be the judge. This is the reason why the adjective (anthropinee) man`s, is used in (1Corinthians 4:3): and this is why (kyriakee), Lord`s, is used in (Revelation 1:10). So far from the use of the adjective being an argument against this conclusion, it is a argument in favor of it. For what is the “DAY of the Lord” or “the LORD`S day”? The first occurrence of the expression (which is the key to its meaning) is in (Isaiah 2:11 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.).That is the one great object of all the future events, seen by John in vision, and recorded for us in the Apocalypse (Revelation). One fact has to be stated, and that is the reason why the first day of the week came to be called “Sunday.” It was called by the Pagans “Dominus Sol,” the Lord Sun. Hence the Latin name “Dies Dominica,” used by the early Christian Fathers for Sunday, and the speedy transition of its name from “the Lord Sun” to “the Lord`s Day,” and then “Sunday.” Bingham (Ant.xx.,sec. 5) mentions the fact that it was the custom in the Primitive Church to replace heathen days and festivals by those which were Christian. We see one result of this in our Yule-tide and Christmas. Bingham (Ant.xx., sec 2) also mentions the fact that early Christians were charged with being worshippers of the sun. Tertullian also admits that Christians were only looked upon by some as a sect of sun worshippers: while some account for this on other grounds: (e.g., the sects of the Gnostics and Basilideans having retained or introduced solar forms of worship). Yet these facts are better and more fully accounted for by the adoption of the name “the Lord`s Day” for Sunday: while it serves to throw light on the transition from the original name of “the first day of the week.”
From all this evidence we feel justified in believing that the Apocalypse consists of a series of visions, which set forth the events connected with “the Revelation of Jesus Christ,” which will take place during “the Lord`s DAY:” that day being called because it is viewed as being then present: and as it had been called heretofore in prophecy, “the day of the Lord.”
The French, Spanish, and Italian nations have retained the Roman Pagan names. The English is tainted with Scandinavian mythology. The 1st day called Dies Dominica, the Lord`s Day (i.e. the day of the lord, the sun). All the Oriental nations called the sun “lord.” The Persians called their God Mithra (the sun), i.e., the lord Mithra. The Syrians called it Adonis, which is from the Hebrew Adonai, lord. The Hebrews called it Baal (which means lord) and Moloch. Porphyry, in a prayer to the sun, calls him “Dominus Sol.” The Romans kept the Pagan names, Dies Dominica (the day of the lord sun), for the first day of the week: but called the others by the names of the moon and planets to which they were dedicated. Thus we have Dies Lunae (day of the moon), dies Martis (day of Mars), Dies Mercurii (day of Mercury), Dies Jovis (day of Jupiter), Dies Veneris (day of Venus), Dies Saturnii (day of Saturn).
It should be noted that the expression (yom God), the day of the Lord, occurs in the Hebrew Bible sixteen times. Isaiah 13:6
Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. Isaiah 13:9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. Ezekiel 13:5 Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD. Joel 1:15 Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come. Joel 2:1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; Joel 2:11 And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? Joel 3:14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. Amos 5:18 Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light. Amos 5:20 Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it? Obadiah 1:15 For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head. Zephaniah 1:7 Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests. Zephaniah 1:14 The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. Malachi 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:In four other places where we have in the English Bible “the day of the Lord,” the Hebrew has the preposition named for or to, before the word God. In (Isaiah 2:11
The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. Ezekiel 30:3 For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen. Zechariah 14:1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.). It means “a day of God”: and in (Zechariah 14:7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.). It means “a day (known) to God.”In other places where we have in English “the day of the Lord,” there is some other word between “yom” (day) and God in the Hebrew (such as “wrath” or “vengeance:” i.e., the day of the wrath of the Lord)! and therefore these cannot be included as examples of this expression, “the day of the Lord.”
In the New Testament the expression occurs four times: (1Thessalonians 5:2
For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 2Thessalonians 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.). According to all the critical Greek texts and Revised version of “the day of Christ.” (2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Revelation 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,).____________________________________________________________________________________________
Dividing The Word As To Its Subject Matter
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