Hey yall!
I am wondering about the dos and donts of the lords day (sunday) can we watch football?, take a nap?. Just give me the dos and donts, greatly appreciated
The one religion that covered the entire Roman empire at the time of John was ‘Caesar worship’.
Every emperor after Caesar was considered to be divine. Not to worship the emperor as God was to
be considered an atheist.
Domitian informed all governors that government announcements and proclamations must begin
with; “our Lord and God Domitian commands…”. Everyone must call Domitian God or die.
When John was brought before the emperor to be judged he was asked if he was an atheist that
refused to declare Caesar as God. And so John confessed his faith and allegiance to Yeshua the King of Israel. Domitian threatening death commanded John be boiled in oil. But as John was preaching from the pot of boiling oil it did not kill him. Amazed by John’s divine protection he steps out and leaves.
Nobody was about to stop him because they knew the power of God was with him. It was this very
miracle that brought the cousin of Domitian to faith in Yeshua. Whom Domitian later executed for
being an atheist. Because Domitian could not kill John he exiled him to the island of Patmos.
That’s where John wrote these words: “On the Lords day I was in the spirit” Revelation 1:10
Many Christians wrongly assume that John was referring to Sunday, yet he was actually referring to a
specific day of the year on the Roman calendar. A reference anyone reading the prophecy at the time
would have understood.
Domitian took the idea that he was deity very seriously. Other religions were tolerated as long as they did not conflict with Caesar worship. This became a problem for believers as well as religious Jews who did not believe in Yeshua.
Once a year everyone in the empire had to appear before the magistrates in order to burn incense to
the godhead Caesar and say Caesar is Lord was treason. This yearly event was called “the Lord’s Day”.
This is what John was referring to, not Sunday.
Believers knowing John’s history with the emperor, defying him and surviving, understand the
significance of the Lord giving John his revelation of this specific day. It was meant to highlight the
theme of the book of Revelation which can be found over and over again in it’s pages. “Stand firm in
the faith even unto death”.
John was chosen to write the book because he already chosen death over capitulation. In addition to
be thrown into a vat of oil he was on the island because of his faith. Consider what John says here:
I John your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours
in Yeshua was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Yeshua.
Revelation 1:9 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you the devil will put some of
you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful even to the point of
death and I will give you life as your victors crown. Revelation 2:10 To the one who is victorious and
does my will to the end I will give authority over the nations. Revelation 2:26 They triumphed over
him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony. They did not love their lives so
much as to shrink from death. Revelation 12:11 If anyone is to go into captivity into captivity they will go, if anyone is to be killed with the sword with the sword they will be killed. This calls for patient
endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people. Revelation 13:10 This calls for patient
endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Yeshua.
Revelation 14:12
It was no accident that God chose to give John this revelation on the very day that virtually every
believer under Roman rule, many believers, would be confronted yet again with this crucial test of
loyalty. Caesar or Yeshua? A test which for some could mean death. Those believers would
understand both the reference and it’s implication.
Many Christians were thrown to the lions refusing to confess that Caesar was Lord.
Sadly, many believers today miss the point of what Paul wrote to the Romans at the seat of Caesar
worship.
If you declare with your mouth Yeshua is Lord and believe in your hear that God raised him from the
dead you will be saved. Romans 10:9
This wasn’t as simple as it is today. Once you understand the background of Caesar worship and the
persecution it entailed you suddenly realize that to publicly confess that Yeshua was Lord was in
essence to say I am willing to die for my faith in Yeshua. What Paul is doing here is indirectly
addressing the issue of commitment. Because to confess Yeshua was equivalent to confessing that
Caesar was in fact NOT your Lord.
The ‘Lord’s Day’ reference was a reference to persecution. Not referring to Sunday at all. It makes
more sense to understand that John was referring to the one day of the year that the faith of every
believer in the empire would be tested to the hilt, as he is writing a book to encourage them to
overcome persevere and not give into persecution.