First, let’s think logically.
Did it ever make sense to you that the day begins at midnight, as it does in the Roman Gregorian calendar?
Did it ever make sense to you that the day begins when the sun sets, as the Jews proclaim?
Note: The biblical day begins at dawn, which makes sense. Day and night are two different entities.
The day begins at dawn and ends at dusk, not from evening to evening.
“And Yahuah made two great lights: a greater light to rule the day, and a lesser light to rule the night; he also made the stars.” Genesis 1:16
The creation account gives the order of the day: first the day, then the evening.
The Genesis account of creation tells us that the day begins when the sun rules the sky, at dawn.
“In the beginning Yahuah created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was without form and empty, and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of Yahuah moved upon the surface of the waters. And Yahuah said, Let there be light; and there was light. And Yahuah saw the light to be good, and Yahuah separated the light from the darkness. And Yahuah called the light Day, and he called the darkness Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day” (Genesis 1:1-5)
During the week of creation, the first thing Yahuah created was “light.” When he created “light,” he separated it from darkness (i.e., he separated it from “night”) and called it “day.”
Through His Word, Yahuah tells us that “light” is “day” (and “darkness” is “night”). In Genesis 1:5, we are further told that “evening and morning” were the first “day.” Therefore, both “evening and morning” must be part of “day” and not “night.”
We must remember that Yahuah called light “day” and darkness “night.”
Scripture tells us that “evening H6153 and morning were the first day.” Scripture does not say that “night H3915 and morning” constitute a day, but that “evening H6153 and morning” constitute a day.
Genesis 1:5 tells us that “evening and morning” make up the day. We need to understand that the word “evening H6153” does not refer to “night H3915”, but actually refers to the afternoon period between noon and sunset.
People argue about verses that say “from evening to evening,” but it actually means the opposite of what people have been taught.
“Yahuah spoke to Moses in these words, Whereas the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. You shall call a sacred assembly, humble yourselves, and make a grateful gift to Yahuah. You shall not do any work on that day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before Yahuah your Elohim. Moreover, whoever does not humble himself on this very day will be removed from his people. Anyone who would do any work on that day, I will exterminate from among his people. You shall not do any work – this is a perpetual law for your generations in all your dwellings. It will be a Sabbath of complete rest for you, on this day you will humble your souls. You shall begin on the ninth day of this month in the evening, and you shall observe your Sabbath from evening to evening.”
Rather than suggesting that the entire day begins and ends in the evening, the verse says that the “Sabbath” ( i.e., the feast, the Day of Atonement) is celebrated from the end of the evening, i.e., dawn in the morning, until the end of the day, i.e., dusk.
The Book of Leviticus tells us that the observance of the Day of Atonement began on the evening before the tenth day, that is, the ninth.
It tells us that it is the 9th day, not the 10th day. It does not say that the tenth day begins on the 9th day of the Gregorian calendar.
It simply means that people should prepare their hearts for the Day of Atonement by starting on the evening of the 9th day and continuing until the end of the day on the 10th day, in the evening.
The unique command regarding the Day of Atonement does not apply to every day, because if it did, why would it be proclaimed?
Scripture confirms that the biblical day begins with the coming of light/dawn.
One can look at the record of the crucifixion of the Messiah to see when the day begins, as the third, sixth and ninth hours of the day were announced.
“And it was the third hour, and they nailed Him to a stake.” Mark 15:25
“And when the sixth hour came, darkness came over all the earth until the ninth hour.” Mark 15:33
“And at the ninth hour Yahusha cried out with a loud voice, saying: “Ěli, Ěli, lamah sheḇaqtani?” which is translated, “My Ěl, my Ěl, why have you forsaken me?” And Yahusha cried out with a loud voice, and breathed his last.” Mark 15:34, 37
Mark 15:42-43 invalidates the thesis that the day begins at sunset, since the body of the Messiah was taken AFTER evening began. If the Sabbath began at sunset, then they would have worked on the Sabbath. However, the text says that it was still a day of preparation (on the 14th, Passover) for the Sabbath of unleavened bread (on the 15th).
“And when evening came, because it was the day of preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, there came Joseph of Arimathea, the venerable counselor, who also looked forward to the kingdom of Elohim, and entered boldly before Pilate, and demanded the body of Yahusha.”
“And when they returned, they prepared fragrances and oils. But on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
On the first day of the week early in the morning they came to the tomb, carrying the fragrances which they had prepared, and with them the other women also.”
Luke 23:56 – 24:1
It also becomes clear from this verse, that the Women, wanting to anoint Yahusha’s body as soon as possible, and not being able to do so on the Sabbath, did so early in the morning, i.e. already on the 1st day, which straightforwardly shows us that the 1st day began in the morning, and not in the evening after the Sabbath on the 7th.
John 20:19 tells us that the Messiah appeared to the disciples in the evening of the first day of the week.
“So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the door was shut where the disciples were gathered, for fear of Yehuḏim, Yahusha came and stood in the midst of them, and said to them: “Peace be unto you.”
Once again, there is evening, which still belongs to that day, and does not establish a new day in this example.
One example relates to the sacrifices the Israelites were required to make on a daily basis:
“And this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs from the first year, day after day without fail. One H259 [H259 = FIRST] lamb you shall offer in the morning H1242 [H1242 = dawn], and the other H8145 [H8145 = SECOND] lamb you shall offer in the evening H6153 [or toward evening].” Ex. 29:38-39
These verses tell us that the Israelites were to offer two lambs every day: verse 39 tells us that the first lamb was to be offered in the morning and the second in the evening H6153! This would mean that the evening H6153 must refer to the time before sunset, if both sacrifices were offered on the same day – which they were!
Genesis 24:11: “And he made his camels kneel outside the city at the well of water in the evening time H6153 , the time when the women go out to draw water.”
Here we are told that the camels knelt in the evening (H6153) at the well of water. We are also told that the women went out to fetch water in the “evening H6153”. It is clear that the women did not go out to fetch water after sunset or in the dark of night!
Yahuah separated light from darkness, he called light “day.” He called darkness “night,” and morning and evening are “day.” Genesis 1:5
We should just take Yahuah’s word for it: if he tells us that “morning and evening” are part of “day,” then clearly “morning and evening” must be part of the 12 hours of light (Genesis 1:1-5)!
There is the argument that since “evening” is mentioned before “morning” several times in Genesis 1 (e.g., in verses 5, 8, 13, 19, 23), this must mean that “evening” is before “morning.” But this is clearly not the case, since in many verses the word “morning” comes before the word “evening.” “…the people stood by Moses from morning until evening” (Exodus 18:13). “…the Philistine approached morning and evening and presented himself for forty days” (1 Sam. 17:16) and many others …..
Yahuah gave some specific instructions regarding the daily sacrifices. If we take a closer look at these instructions, we see that there is evidence in them that the day begins at sunrise, not sunset!
Leviticus 7:15: “And the meat of the atoning sacrifice for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the same day it is offered; they shall leave nothing of it until morning (H1242).”
Let’s think about it: If the next morning (H1242) were the same day on which the sacrifices were offered, why couldn’t any of the sacrifices be left until the morning (H1242)?
These scriptures (e.g. Leviticus 7:15) suggest that morning (H1242) means the beginning of a new day. Interestingly, the word “morning (H1242)” is translated from the Hebrew word “boqer” (Strong’s 1242) and can be rendered as “dawn“!
Exodus 32:5-6 “And when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before him, and Aaron proclaimed and said, Tomorrow is a feast for Yahuah. And they rose up early [H7925 = early morning] on the morrow [H4283 = next day], and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.”
Aaron woke up on the morrow of H4283 [the next day], that is, early in the morning!
Note the following account from Genesis: “So that night they made their father drink wine. And the firstborn went in and lay down with her father, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. And it happened the next day that the firstborn said to the younger one: “You see, last night I lay down with my father. Let us give him to drink wine tonight also, and you come in and lie down with him, that we may preserve our father’s offspring.” (Genesis 19:33-34).
These two verses show that the night preceding the morning, or “last night,” was counted as part of the previous day and was not part of the new day, which began in the morning! If the day began in the evening, there would be no such thing as LAST NIGHT!
Another proof that dawn begins the day is seen in the instructions for Passover.
Exodus 12: “And Yahuah spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for a house: And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning H1242; and that which remaineth of it until the morning H1242 ye shall burn with fire” (Ex. 12:1-10).
The fourteenth day of the first month is the Passover. The Israelites were told to kill the lamb in the “evening” (or afternoon, as shown earlier). They were further instructed to eat the flesh “in that night” – not the next day!
In other words, the Israelites were to kill the lamb in the afternoon on the fourteenth and eat it in “that night”, which was reckoned with the fourteenth (not the 15th) and they were to leave any for the next day.
“Moreover Josiah kept a passover unto Yahuah in Jerusalem: and they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month…And they roasted the passover with fire according to the ordinance: but the other holy offerings sod they in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans, and divided them speedily among all the people. And afterward they made ready for themselves, and for the priests: because the priests the sons of Aaron were busied in offering of burnt offerings and the fat until night; therefore the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the priests the sons of Aaron… So ALL THE SERVICE of Yahuah was prepared the same day, to keep the passover, and to offer burnt offerings upon the altar of Yahuah, according to the commandment of king Josiah”
(2 Chr. 35:1, 13-14, 16).
In the above verses we are told that “all the service of Yahuah was prepared the same day”. In other words they killed, cooked and ate the lamb on the 14th. They killed the lamb at 3pm, they cleaned, prepared and cooked the lamb after that, and they ate it sometime after sundown – in that night. The time after sundown was still the fourteenth. How could they do all of this before sundown or else risk eating the lamb on the “next day” (evening if that were true) the 15th and also could not have any left over.
And as we read earlier on in Ex. 12:10, whatever remained of the Passover lamb until the next day in the morning, they were required to burn. Remember – the death angel PASSed OVER in that same night. It PASSed OVER on PASSOVER which was the fourteenth and not the beginning of the next day, or the fifteenth!
Beginning of Feast of Unleavened Bread/Day of Atonement Yahuah specifically commands that unleavened bread is to be eaten from sunset the day before the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Likewise, He commands His people to afflict their souls beginning the previous sunset.
“And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto Yahuah: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread” (Lev. 23:6).
The Feast of Unleavened Bread begins on the fifteenth of the first month. However, in another section of scripture we are told to begin eating unleavened bread from the sunset of the fourteenth – the previous day!
“In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even” (Ex. 12:18).
Here we are specifically commanded to begin eating unleavened bread from the fourteenth day of the month at even, yet the Feast of unleavened bread is on the fifteenth (Lev. 23:6).
Notice the following instructions on the Day of Atonement: “Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto Yahuah” (Lev. 23:27).
We are specifically told that the Day of Atonement is to be kept on the tenth day of the seventh month, yet in the following scripture we are admonished to afflict our souls from sunset on the ninth day of the seventh month:
“It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your Sabbath” (Lev. 23:32).
Many use the above scriptures as proof of a sunset to sunset day, however, the thinking individual will realize that these scriptures in fact prove that the day begins at sunrise!
Please understand: In Leviticus 23:6, Yahuah plainly states that the first day of the Feast of unleavened bread is on the fifteenth day of the first month. In Lev. 23:7, He clearly states that the Day of Atonement is on the tenth day of the seventh month. The fact that He tells us to begin eating unleavened bread from the sunset before the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and to fast from the sunset of the day before for the Day of Atonement indicates that the day begins at sunrise otherwise there would be no need for him to tell us to begin them the day before! If the day began at sunset, the command would have simply been to keep the Day of Atonement on the 10th. There would have been no need to emphasize it beginning on the eve…on the 9th!
It is interesting to note that Yahuah does not tell us to begin any other Feasts from the sunset on the day prior to the Feast! Interestingly, Unleavened Bread and Atonement are the only two Feasts which have a specific connection with food! Evidently, Yahuah wants us to eat unleavened bread 12 hours before the Feast begins.
This consolidates the fact that we must begin doing our part in Yahuah’s plan by eating unleavened bread – spiritually signifying putting on Ha-Mashiach as we remove sin – immediately after our Savior sacrificed Himself through death. The Feast of Unleavened Bread then begins the next day, on the 15th (Lev. 23:6).
Similarly for the Day of Atonement, Yahuah wants us to afflict our soul beginning on the eve of the Feast, so that we can get our bodies ready for the Day of Atonement, going into the Feast day with our soul already afflicted. He commands us to begin the fast from sunset on the 9th, to obviously render the Day of Atonement physically and spiritually effective.
Historical evidence
Here is some historical evidence that supports the Biblical Truism that a day begins at sunrise:
“Meaning of “day”: In the Bible, the season of light (Gen. 1:5), lasting from dawn (literally “the rising of the morning”) to the coming forth of the stars”
(Jewish Encyclopedia, page 475)
“In order to assure against profanation of the Sabbath the Jews added the late Friday afternoon hours to the Sabbath”
(The Jewish Festivals: History & Observance, p.13).
[Note: The Jews changed the configuration of a day and added the time between sunset and sunrise to the day. This is not Biblical but constitutes a pharisaical approach!]
“If we look at the essentials of a day of rest and reflection which has a religious orientation, it is possible to justify the shifting of Sabbath worship to Friday evening, the celebration of the vigil/night watch was moved back to the eve of the Feast as early as the middle ages…” (Judaism: Between Yesterday and Tomorrow, p. 518).
“…a sacred day of rest on the 7th day (the Sabbath). Days were reckoned from morning to morning…”
(New Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 11, pg. 1068).
“Following the reign of King Josiah (c. 640-609), and especially after the Babylonian exile, a number of significant and enduring changes occurred in the Israelite calendar showing that the Jews gradually adopted the Babylonian calendar of the time…The day however, was counted from evening to evening, after the Babylonian fashion….”
(New Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 11, section titled “Later Jewish Calendar”).
“…shortly after the beginning of the Greek period, [236 BC] came the change in the method of reckoning the day, from evening to evening instead of from morning to morning as of old…” (The Calendars of Ancient Israel, p. 146).
Logic:
Yahuah is logical. Let us also use logic to understand that what is being stated is in fact correct and Biblically accurate. Does it make logical sense for a day to begin at sunset, at a time when man has finished from his daily labor? Does it make logical sense that a new day is to begin at a time when man is exhausted from his daily work? Does it make sense for a day to begin at night after the day has died out?
The night time is a time for sleep: does it make sense for a fresh, new day to begin when mankind, and creation as a whole, goes to sleep? Absolutely not!
On the other hand, does it not make much more sense that a day begins at sunrise, a time of daily new beginnings? Does it not make more sense for a day to begin at sunrise when most life forms on this earth awake for a fresh start to a bright, new day? Absolutely!
What Biblical proof is there for a midnight-to-midnight day, or a sunset-to-sunset day? There is none! Clear Biblical proof demonstrates that a day begins at sunrise.
All dictionaries that I have seen, show tomorrow meaning the day after today…I have never seen it defined as later that same day, but let’s let the Bible tell us how to define tomorrow.
Exo 16:23“And he said unto them, This is that which YHWH hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto YHWH: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remains over, lay up for you to be kept until the morning.”
Here we see that tomorrow is the Sabbath, prepare today (the 6th day), and it will be kept until morning. If you read previous verses you will also find that any manna that was collected and held over on any of the other work days would rot and grow worms, but on the 6th day it was required to lay it up until the Sabbath and it will be preserved! And we are told to lay it up until morning, morning being that is when the Sabbath Day begins.
(1Sa 11:10-11) Therefore the men of Jabesh said, To morrow we will come out unto you, and ye shall do with us all that seems good to you. And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they which remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.
Here is another timeline of events that lays out a Day… (1 Sam 19:10-11) “And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night. Saul also sent messengers unto David’s house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David’s wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life tonight, tomorrow thou shalt be slain.” (to night – to morrow)
We are told of the events that night, and Saul’s plan to slay him in the morning, and Michal’s warning of it using the word tomorrow.
Another angle to look at, is the hour of a day. When we count we start with one (the first hour) at the beginning of a day and end at 24 hours in a full period of Day and Night. These verses show the hour counted and take note of the number and that they are referring to the DAY.
(Acts 2:15) “For these are not drunk, as you imagine, seeing it is only the third hour of the day.”
(John 1:39) “He said to them, “Come and see.” They went and saw where he was staying, and remained with him that day: now it was about the tenth hour.”
(Acts 10:3) “He clearly saw in a vision about the ninth hour of the day a messenger of Elohim coming to him, and saying to him, Cornelius.”
(Matthew 20:5-6,12) “Having gone out again about the sixth and ninth hour, he did likewise. And about the eleventh hour having gone out, he found others standing idle, and said to them, Why do you stand here idly all day?” “Saying, These last have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us, who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.”
(Luke 23:44-45) “And it was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over all the land until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the Dwelling Place was torn in two.”
The sun being darkened in the above scripture shows that typically it would have been shining light at that time of day….the ninth hour.
The information given to us above tells us that the first 12 hours are the hours of Light, of Day. Hour one would be the beginning of that day at sunrise the 12th is at the end of the daylight period.
(John 11:9) “Yahusha answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble not, because he sees the light of this world.”
Which can be a taken as a metaphor that our Messiah is the light and he refers to the day having light and not stumbling. Why would our Elohim start the day in the Darkness, when He and our Messiah are a picture of LIGHT!
HalleluYah the Father of Lights starts His day with Light!
Source and Article belongs to TheScriptualCalendar.
