By inspiration I came to be in the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a strong voice like that of a trumpet, (Revelation 1:10)
The way the New World Translation renders this verse gives the reader the impression that John, by means of the spirit, was given a vision of future events that occur during the Lord’s day, that is, Jesus invisible presence after his enthronement, which they believe took place in 1914, a date for which there is no scriptural support. However, is this view in harmony with other references to the Lord’s day?
so that you do not lack in any gift at all, while you are eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will also make you firm to the end so that you may be open to no accusation in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:7, 8)
you must hand such a man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. (1 Corinthians 5:5)
just as you have also understood to an extent that we are a cause for you to boast, just as you will also be for us in the day of our Lord Jesus. (2 Corinthians 1:14)
For I am confident of this very thing, that the one who started a good work in you will bring it to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6)
that you may make sure of the more important things, so that you may be flawless and not stumbling others up to the day of Christ; (Philippians 1:10)
not to be quickly shaken from your reason nor to be alarmed either by an inspired statement or by a spoken message or by a letter appearing to be from us, to the effect that the day of Jehovah [kurios or lord in Greek] is here. (2 Thessalonians 2:2)
as you await and keep close in mind the presence of the day of Jehovah [kurios], through which the heavens will be destroyed in flames and the elements will melt in the intense heat! (2 Peter 3:12)
According to these scriptures, instead of an enthronement or an invisible presence, Christian’s were expecting the Lord’s day to be Christ’s second coming for which they needed to keep awake. (Matt. 24:36,42,44; 25:13,31-33; Acts 1:11)
While it is possible that John’s Revelation vision provided clarification about Christ’s coming, it is unlikely that this would include a future invisible presence, since prior to his ascension he promised that he would be with them all the days until the conclusion of the system of things. (Matt. 28:20)
Is there another way of understanding Revelation 1:10?
The word for word rendering in the Kingdom Interlinear reads:
“I came to be in spirit in the pertaining to Lord day, and I heard behind me voice great as of trumpet” (Rev. 1:10 KIT)
The King James Version renders this:
“I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet” (Rev. 1:10 KJV)
Most Bibles render this verse similarly. The Greek allows for both “in” or “on” the Lord’s day. (Rom. 2:5; Jas. 5:3) But regardless of whether rendered “in” or “on”, it could be understood to mean that instead of telling his readers what he saw in the vision, John was telling them when he received it. Similar to the way Paul described his experience. (2 Cor. 12:1,2)
So, if not in the future when was the Lord’s day?
There are numerous scriptural references that show Jesus resurrection occurred on the first day of the week. (Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:2,9; Luke 24:1-7; John 20:1,19 Acts 2:1; 20:7) It is understandable that this day would carry great significance to the first century Christians. (1 Cor. 15:20; 16:2)This was the day after the Sabbath. (Lev. 23:11)
Regarding this, Albert Barnes in his commentary writes:
On the Lord’s day – The word rendered here as “Lord’s” (κυριακῇ kuriakē), occurs only in this place and in 1Co_11:20, where it is applied to the Lord’s supper. It properly means “pertaining to the Lord”; and, so far as this word is concerned, it might mean a day “pertaining to the Lord,” in any sense, or for any reason; either because he claimed it as his own, and had set it apart for his own service, or because it was designed to commemorate some important event pertaining to him, or because it was observed in honor of him. It is clear:
(1) That this refers to some day which was distinguished from all other days of the week, and which would be sufficiently designated by the use of this term.
(2) That it was a day which was for some reason regarded as especially a day of the Lord, or especially devoted to him.
(3) It would further appear that this was a day particularly devoted to the Lord Jesus; for:
(a) That is the natural meaning of the word “Lord” as used in the New Testament (compare the notes on Act_1:24); and
(b) If the Jewish Sabbath were intended to be designated, the word “Sabbath” would have been used.
The term was used generally by the early Christians to denote the first day of the week. It occurs twice in the Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians (about 101 a.d.), who calls the Lord’s day “the queen and prince of all days.” Chrysostom (on Ps. 119) says, “It was called the Lord’s day because the Lord rose from the dead on that day.” Later fathers make a marked distinction between the “Sabbath” and the “Lord’s day”; meaning by the former the Jewish “Sabbath,” or the seventh day of the week, and by the latter the first day of the week, kept holy by Christians. So Theodoret (Fab. Haeret. ii. 1), speaking of the Ebionites, says, “They keep the Sabbath according to the Jewish law, and sanctify the Lord’s day in like manner as we do” (Prof. Stuart). The strong probability is, that the name was given to this day in honor of the Lord Jesus, and because he rose on that day from the dead. No one can doubt that it was an appellation given to the first day of the week; and the passage, therefore, proves:
(1) That that day was thus early distinguished in some special manner, so that the mere mention of it would be sufficient to identify it in the minds of those to whom the apostle wrote;
(2) That it was in some sense regarded as devoted to the Lord Jesus, or was designed in some way to commemorate what he had done…” (Barnes Notes on the New Testament)
Justin Martyr (110-165 CE) wrote:
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. (Justin Martyr, First Apology chapter 67)
This is not to mean that the vision does not portray events that were yet in the future, for John himself says the purpose he received it was for Jesus to show his slaves what must shortly take place. (Rev. 1:1) But the expression “Lord’s day” is not a time marker for the events described. If it was strictly related to events after 1914, then it is indeed puzzling why John immediately goes on to relate Jesus words of instruction to seven congregations that were already at the time in existence. Clearly the one speaking to him in the vision was doing so in the present.