The Apostle John, in beginning the account of the wonderful revelations given him on the isle Patmos, states in the following words the time when he had his visions: “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.” Rev. 1:10.

What day was that? What is the Lord’s day? Most people would doubtless answer without a moment’s thought or hesitation that it is Sunday, the first day of the week. But the most prompt reply needs the backing of proof; and so we ask again: Is there anything by which we may certainly know which day of the week is the Lord’s day?

One thing is sure, and that is that our information, in order to be trustworthy, must come from the Bible. It is not what men think, but what the Bible says, that must be our guide. The expression, “the Lord’s day,” is found only this once in the Bible, but we are told so plainly in the Scriptures which day is the Lord’s day, that there is no need for any doubt. Let us read some of the statements.

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy works; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.” Ex. 20:8-10.

Then we read the words of the Lord in Isaiah 58:13, 14: “If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; . . . then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord.”

Now let us read once more the words of Christ the Lord. He was walking through the fields on the Sabbath day, when some of the Jews found fault with His disciples for plucking and eating the ears of corn. They accused them of breaking the Sabbath, but Jesus maintained that they were not breaking it, and declared, “The Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:28.

Can there be any question as to what day of the week is referred to in these texts? None whatever. They all refer to the seventh day of the week, commonly called Saturday, the day which the Jews professed to regard, and which many of them do still. The day immediately preceding the first day of the week, is the day that in the New Testament is declared to be “the Sabbath according to the commandment.” See Luke 23:54-56; 24:1.

We know also that it was on the seventh day of the week that the disciples plucked and ate the corn; for the Jews accused them of Sabbath-breaking; and the seventh day of the week—the day before Sunday—is the day that the Jews have always regarded as the Sabbath. Notice also that Jesus, in harmony with His own commandment, spoke of the same day as the Sabbath, and called Himself its Lord.

What then do we learn from these texts?

1. The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord. It is therefore His day.
2. The Lord calls the Sabbath “My holy day.” The Sabbath therefore is the Lord’s day.
3. Christ Himself declares that He is the Lord of the Sabbath day. And the Sabbath is the seventh day of the week—the day before Sunday.

Therefore the seventh day of the week (Saturday)—the Sabbath—is the Lord’s day.

John was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day; the seventh day of the week, known in these days as Saturday, is the Lord’s day; therefore it was on the seventh day of the week, or Saturday, that John was in the Spirit, and had his wonderful visions. No other day is ever called the Lord’s day in the Bible, and no other day has the slightest right to that title.

The Present Truth – May 24, 1894
E. J. Waggoner

Story in pdf  The Lords Day