On The LORD’S Day 

What Day is it?

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet Rev. 1:10

The phrase, “Lord’s Day” has raised questions as to whether this was the Sabbath or Sunday. The Sunday worshipers claim that Sabbath worship was replaced with Sunday worship. The Sabbath-keepers are equally sure that this is a reference to Sabbath or Saturday.

However, on careful consideration, we would like to offer a different opinion. Throughout the Revelation we see everyone wearing white. And the twenty-four elders have golden crowns and censors. These twenty-four elders or in Greek, presbuteros, (from where we get the word presbyters) are meant to represent the twenty-four courses of priests that served in the temple. [I Chron 24:7-18] It should be noted that the only time priests wore white was on Yom Kippur. [Lev. 16:4, 32]

Since the remainder of the book’s imagery is represented as happening on the Day of Atonement, it seems only natural that this “Lord’s Day” is the holiest day of the Biblical feast days, Yom Kippur.

What marks Yom Kippur out? It was the only day on which one could seek forgiveness for intentional sin. Every other day or sacrifice was for sins of omission or not knowing what the right thing to do was. But, for intentional sins, or sins of commission one had to wait till Yom Kippur to make things right before God.

The point of The Revelation is that it is ALWAYS the Day of Atonement before the Throne. On this one day, we can always repent and become righteous. On this one day, we can always make things right. On this one day, we can always seek forgiveness. Then the day ends, and the Book of Life is opened and one is either found in it or not. It will be too late to seek repentance and forgiveness for it is no longer available. Then the Day of Atonement that we live in, will be over.

Then there will dawn new heaven and a new earth.

The Day of the LORD

john-martin-1789-1854-great-day-of-the-lordThe day of the Lord is said to be an event at the end of time. The dispensationalist will take you to the verses that say it is “near” and explain that the writer really meant futuristically.  It is all very convoluted and confusing, and it contradicts one of the preeminent rules of hermeneutics, in that, the plain reading of the text is to be preferred above all others.  Look methodically at the passages in question and figure out where and when this “Day” is or was to happen.

Be careful because there is also that nagging problem of those pesky translators, who are often inconsistent with their translations, so that the non Hebrew reader thinks something special or different is being said, when nothing of the kind is even being inferred.   The first three verses in the Bible with this phrase   “The day of the Lord” or “Yom YHWH”, are a prime example.  They translated “today” instead of “the day” where in the Hebrew it is “the day”. Continue reading