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(5.) Hebrews seren, applied exclusively to the “lords of the Philistines” (Judges 3:3). The LXX. render it by satrapies. At this period the Philistines were not, as at a later period (1 Samuel 21:10), under a kingly government. (See Joshua 13:3; 1 Samuel 6:18.) There were five such lordships, viz., Gath, Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron.

LORDS DAY only once, in Revelation 1:10, was in the early Christian ages used to denote the first day of the week, which commemorated the Lord’s resurrection. There is every reason to conclude that John thus used the name. (See SABBATH.)

LORDS PRAYER the name given to the only form of prayer Christ taught his disciples (Matthew 6:9-13). The closing doxology of the prayer is omitted by Luke (11:2-4), also in the R.V. of Matthew 6:13. This prayer contains no allusion to the atonement of Christ, nor to the offices of the Holy Spirit. “All Christian prayer is based on the Lord’s Prayer, but its spirit is also guided by that of His prayer in Gethsemane and of the prayer recorded John 17. The Lord’s Prayer is the comprehensive type of the simplest and most universal prayer.”

LORDS SUPPER (1 Corinthians 11:20), called also “the Lord’s table” (10:21), “communion,” “cup of blessing” (10:16), and “breaking of bread” (Acts 2:42).

In the early Church it was called also “eucharist,” or giving of thanks (comp. Matthew 26:27), and generally by the Latin Church “mass,” a name derived from the formula of dismission, Ite, missa est, i.e., “Go, it is discharged.”

The account of the institution of this ordinance is given in Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:19, 20, and 1 Corinthians 11:24-26. It is not mentioned by John.

It was designed, (1.) To commemorate the death of Christ: “This do in remembrance of me.” (2.) To signify, seal, and apply to believers all the benefits of the new covenant. In this ordinance Christ ratifies his promises to his people, and they on their part solemnly consecrate themselves to him and to his entire service. (3.) To be a badge of the Christian profession. (4.) To indicate and to promote the communion of believers with Christ. (5.) To represent the mutual communion of believers with each other.