While John was on the Isle of Patmos he testified
"I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day" (Rev.
1:10). This is the first place in the Bible that we have
the expression "Lord's Day." John wrote this
language sixty six years after the Jewish Sabbath was
abolished; hence he must have referred to some memorial
day peculiar to the new dispensation. Never once was the
seventh day ever termed the "Lord's Day";
"Sabbath" was the term always applied to that
day. In not one single instance in the Bible or in history
can a passage be found where the term "Lord's
Day" is applied to the Jewish Sabbath. Sabbatarians
themselves never call the seventh day the "Lord's
Day" (except when they attempt to explain away
"the Lord's Day" in Rev. 1:10); but in all their
teachings, writings, and conversations, they say
"Sabbath Day." The word "sabbath" is
not used in Rev. 1:10. The Sabbath Day was abolished at
the cross (Col. 2:14-16; Gal. 4:10; Rom. 14:5), more than
sixty years before John wrote on Patmos; therefore, he
could not have referred to that day. Another fact worthy
of note here is that immediately after John's tine
whenever the term "Lord's Day" was used by the
early church it was always applied to Sunday, and never
once to the Sabbath.
In the New Testament we have
"the blood of the Lord," "this cup of the
Lord," "the disciples of the Lord,"
"the Lord's table," "the Lord's
death," "the Lord's body," "the Lord's
Supper," and "the Lord's Day." All these
expressions refer to something that belongs to Christ
exclusively under the gospel. Every intelligent person can
at a glance comprehend this fact.
The Lord's Day is a memorial day, a
day of commemoration. People keep days because of what
occurred on them. For example: We in the United States
celebrate the fourth day of each July to commemorate the
signing of the Declaration of Independence. So has every
nation its memorial days. Religion as well as nations has
erected certain memorials to commemorate great events in
her history. In the old dispensation the seventh day of
the week was a holy sabbath for Israel and was also a
memorial day to them, commemorating their deliverance from
Egypt. Pentecost and the Passover were also memorial days.
Would it not be strange, then, that the grandest of all
institutions, the gospel, should have no memorials?
The two greatest events that ever
occurred on earth 're have in the gospel. They are the
death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The salvation
of all mankind centers in Christ's death and resurrection.
All other events fade into mere insignificance when
compared with these. Two monuments have been erected in
the Christian age to commenmorate these events. They are
"the Lord's Supper', and "the Lord's Day."
The first is in "remembrance" of his death; the
last commemorates his resurrection. The Lord's Supper is
to show his death "till he come"; the Lord's Day
is a day of holy convocation, a day of rejoicing and
spiritual devotion, because "he is risen."
Tertullian, one of the early Christian writers, says,
"We celebrate Sunday as a joyful day."
