Abraham rejoiced to see

With reference to John 8:56—In regard to the first inquiry, he tells us, that being in spirit, he was in a certain day -- !greek!. He was in the Lord's !greek! day. And what day, it may be asked, was that? Any one acquainted with the apostle's faith and hope, will be able to answer the question readily. He was in that day, which "Abraham rejoiced to see" (John. 8:56); the day that Paul said should not come until an apostasy had been thoroughly matured, and had become ripe for destruction (2 Thess. 2:3-8); "the day in which," Paul proclaimed at Athens, "the Deity will judge the inhabited earth in righteousness in a man (!greek!) whom he hath appointed, having offered assurance to all, having raised him from among the dead" (Acts. 17:31). This was the great day, styled in Joel, "the great and terrible day of Yahweh" (Joel. 2:31), and in Malachi, "the day that shall come, burning like a furnace," in which "all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh, shall burn them up, saith Yahweh of armies, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. And ye that fear my name shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall work, saith Yahweh of armies" (Mal. 4:1-3).

This was the day that Peter referred to on the day of Pentecost, when he quoted the words of Joel, and told his hearers, that "it shall be, every one who shall surname by the name of Yahweh, shall be delivered." John stood up with him in the same proclamation; and all the saints, enlightened by their teaching, regarded it with great interest and expectation; and it was into this day that John, being in spirit, was conveyed in vision.