Journal: Journal of the Institute of Reformed Baptist Studies
Volume: JIRBS 09:1 (NA 2024)
Article: The Doctrine Of The Christian Sabbath From Sabbath To Lord’s Day—Revelation 1:10
Author: Richard C. Barcellos

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The Doctrine Of The Christian Sabbath
From Sabbath To Lord’s Day—Revelation 1:10

Richard C. Barcellos*

*Richard C. Barcellos, Ph.D., is pastor of Grace Reformed Baptist Church, Palmdale, CA, and Associate Professor of Exegetical Theology at International Reformed Baptist Seminary, Mansfield, TX. This article is a slightly edited version of chapter 14 of Richard C. Barcellos, Getting the Garden Right: Adam’s Work and God’s Rest in Light of Christ (Cape Coral, FL: Founders Press, 2017) and is used with permission.

Revelation 1:10 says, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day” (NASB). It identifies the name of the sacred day for the inaugurated new covenant and further confirms its change from the seventh day to the first day of the week. We will consider the following in an attempt to prove this: 1) the context of Revelation 1:10; 2) the translation of the phrase “the Lord’s day”; 3) the grammatical relations of “the Lord’s day” in the New Testament; 4) the theological-covenantal parallels of “the Lord’s day”; and 5) the parallels between “the Lord’s day” and God’s authority and the Sabbath under the old covenant. A brief conclusion will complete this article.

The Context Of Revelation 1:10

Note the context of Revelation 1:10. John had a vision of the resurrected, ascended, and reigning Christ. In verse 5, John identifies our Lord Jesus Christ as “the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.” The three phrases in this verse are an allusion to Psalm 89:27 and 37 (i.e.,

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the Davidic covenant; see 2 Sam. 7).1 The words “the firstborn of the dead” not only evoke Psalm 89 but Colossians 1:18 as well. This is a reference to his resurrection, which constitutes the inauguration of the new creation.

John identifies believers in Christ under the inaugurated new covenant as “a kingdom, priests to His [i.e., Christ’s] God and Father” (Rev. 1:6; the NKJV translates this “kings and priests”; see 1 Pet. 2:9, “a royal priesthood” and Eph. 2:6, “seated us with Him . . .�...