posted 03-25-2001 09:30 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Betty Seibold:
I would like to hear why believers in Yahweh observe Sabbath from sundown to sundown. I have a study if anyone is interested. I am new at this site, but since we keep Sabbath - all Sabbaths, except Day of Atonement - from dawn to dawn, I would like to see some discussion. Thank you.

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In the Sabbath Sermon I just read on this site "What is Passover" the statement is made that Yahweh's sabbath is from sundown to sundown. The sermon was wonderful, very scriptural, but no scripture reference was given for the statement that Yahweh's sabbath is from sundown to sundown. Please respond.

In my study of Genesis 1 it says that "the evening and morning were the first day" When was the evening of the first day? Time started when Eloheim said: "Let there be light" If the day cycle is evening-night-morning-day, then when was the evening, night and morning of the first day? Is it not possible that the correct cycle is day-evening-night-morning ?

In history we know that in Egypt the day was from dawn to dawn. In Babylon the day was from evening to evening. When Israel was about to depart from Egypt and were prepare and learning about Passover, Eloheim corrected their time cycles that were incorrect. He corrected the year cycle (Exodus 12:2 "This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you."). He corrected the month cycle. He did NOT correct the week cycle and He did NON correct the day cycle. Why? The month cycle and the year cycle were incorrect and pagan, but the week and day cycles were still correct.

I have MUCH more to add in this study. Where are you? Anyone interested?

Just a question - In matthew 28:1 It says "In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first of the week...." WHY IS SABBATH ENDING AT DAWN IF IT IS FROM EVENING TO EVENING?

posted 03-25-2001 11:32 PM            

I will first point your attention to Lev 23:32 where the following is stated, "...at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath."

This is where you can see that the Sabbath(s) are from evening to evening and days are counting the same way.

Now to Matt 28:1, it doesn't state that the Sabbath ended at dawn. What it does state is that it begin to dawn toward the first of the week.

If you grab a dictionary, one of the definition that you will see is as follows: A first appearance; a beginning: the dawn of history.

So what it is stating is that it was approaching the end of one day and the dawn (beginning) of another. The same word that is translated as dawn in Matthew 28:1 is also translated as "drew on" in Luke 23:54.

The Greek word that means dawn in the sense of the darkness of night changing to the light of day is Strong's # 1306 (diaugazo). This word means, "of daylight breaking through the darkness of night."

Other translations of Matt 28:1 will read similar to this, "Now after the Sabbath, toward dawn on the first day of the week."

May Yahweh Bless

posted 03-26-2001 02:30 AM            

CELEBRATE YAHWEH'S FEASTS

(Lev. 23: 1-2,4) "YAHWEH spoke to Moses, saying, speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them, concerning the feasts of YAHWEH, which you proclaim to be kodesh convocation even these are MY feasts ... These are the feasts of YAHWEH, even kodesh convocations, which you shall proclaim in their seasons."

The Bible is said to be the best seller nobody reads. Every single one of YAHWEH'S 613 Torah precepts is part of a single covenant, in part because every precept is like the human DNA characteristic associated with other precept inscribe in the human soul. Also associated with what is to come in the future and what was fulfill in the past. In many cases the nuclear of the precept is divinely inspired by YAHWEH to be openly reveal by HIS prophets.

(2 Chronicles 2:4) "The appointed [ZEMANY] feasts of YAHWEH our Elohim, this shall be upon Israel FOREVER."

HIS decreed appointed [ZEMANY] days of the scriptural year.

This appointed [ZEMANY] days are SABBATH that satan and his satanic ministers want to invert, change and destroy, as prophecy in (Daniel 7:25). The feasts are memorial times in history that YAHWEH'S our Elohim has delivered HIS people form slavery and destruction.

(Lev. 23) Celebrations reflect that the great moral conduct is next to YAHWEH, to respect appointed [ZEMANY] times. Seven appointed [ZEMANY] times are ordain of YAHWEH as a permanent [EVERLASTING] weekly and yearly feasts, which all Yahwdim are morally obligated to YAHWEH. The Torah is the great textbook of YAHWEH, that shows this appointed [ZEMANY] which are not task a person look forward with distaste, nor perform with reluctance and brag about ever after.

[It is recommended in this study to use an Interlinear Bible, and closely look at the original text. The K.J. Bible does not have all of the verses of the original scripture text.]

According to the Torah YAHWEH established SEVEN
EVERLASTING appointed [ZEMANY] SABBATH FESTIVALS:

[1] SABBATH [The weekly seven day celebration].

(Ex. 31:15) "Observe the Sabbath celebration, it will be a sign between Me and [My people] Israelites FOREVER."

Isaiah prophecy that all man will celebrate every weekly Sabbath to every Sabbath in the future.

(Isaiah 66:23) "... form Sabbath to Sabbath all mankind will come and bow down before ME."

[2] PASSOVER

(Ex. 12:24) "You shall observe this [PASSOVER] for an ordinance for you and for your sons FOREVER.

[3] Feast of UNLEAVENED BREAD and FIRST FRUIT

(Lev. 23:14) "It is a NEVER-ENDING Stature in all your dwelling throughout your generations."

[4] FEAST OF WEEKS [Pentecost].

(Lev. 23:21) "You shall make a proclamation on this same day; [Feasts of weeks] is a kodesh gathering to you, you shall do no laboring work. It is a NEVER-ENDING stature in all your dwelling throughout your generations.

[5] FEASTS OF TRUMPETS {YOM T'RUAH}

(Num. 10:8, Lev. 23:24) "Shall blow the trumpets; and they shall be to you for a statute FOREVER throughout your generations.

[6] The DAY OF ATONEMENTS.

(Lev. 16:29) "It shall be for a NEVER-ENDING statute in the seventh month, in the tenth of the month.

[7] FEAST OF TABERNACLE [Succos].

(Lev. 23:41) "You shall keep a feast to YAHWEH, seven days in a year, a NEVER-ENDING statute throughout your generations; in the seventh month you shall keep it a feast."

(Deut. 10:1) "You love YAHWEH your Elohim, and keep HIS charge, and HIS statutes, and HIS judgments and ‚HIS commandments FOREVER."

The feasts are primarily historical reminders of YAHWEH goodness [GRACE] to all HIS people. Our yesterdays follow us; they constitute our life giving character, moral force, and meaning to our present. They as well foreshadowed our prophetic future promises.

REJECTING THE APPOINTED [ZEMANY] FEAST DAYS

Can you imagine parents that when the baby carriage is too small for their baby, decided to throwaway the baby and keep the carriage?

(Luke 7:30) "But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of YAHWEH against themselves, being not baptized of HIM."

The hours of a wise Yahwdi are lengthened by his faith, as those of a gentile are by his antimoral character. The time for one is long, because he does not know what to do with it; the other person distinguishes every moment with victories useful and amusing thoughts. The baseless is always wishing it away and faithful always enjoying it.

What are the appointed [ZEMANY] times? The shadow of past and future promises on the dial, the striking of the clock, the running of the sand, a day and night of joy, summer and winter blessing, months, years, centuries, eternity with YAHWEH, these are but the arbitrary and outward signs of YAH'S parsers measurement of time. The appointed [ZEMANY] times is the victorious shadow of the Yahwdim soul. ZEMANY also is the shadow conquest of those who rejected the counsel of YAHWEH.

Why antinomian christian holiday are taught today? By man-made Antiscriptural, Antimessianic holidays; Halloween, New Year, Valentine day, Easter, Sunday [sun-god-day] worship or any other Gentile Goyot religion, oppresses and persecutes the appointed [ZEMANY] days.

Those Antinomian religions that are against the scriptural precepts and replace then with replacement holidays seem to attempt to satisfy the soul hunger by eating the dishes instead of the dinner.

The Scripture tells us what the antichrist want to destroy, the appointed [ZEMANY] Feasts days of YAHWEH.

(Daniel 7:25) "He [the ANTICHRIST] shall speak words against the Most High ... he [ANTICHRIST] intends to CHANGE TIMES [appointed times, ZEMANY] and the LAW."

Extreme rigor is arm against the scriptural times of worship, TIMES is translated form the Hebrew word "ZEMENY' means; an appointed time or season, is the same word use in appointed FESTIVAL of YAHWEH in (Lev. 23).

SEVEN DAYS TO EAT UNLEAVEND BREAD

(Ex. 12:18) "In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening (geh-reb), you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month {Abib} at evening (geh-reb.)."

Repetitious in (Number 9: 5, 11; Jos 5:10) "In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening (geh-reb. ayin, resh, beth.) [Twilight].” Illustrated that the scripture day is from evening at evening (geh-reb.) [Twilight] to evening at evening (geh-reb.) [Twilight]."

(Ex. 12:24) "You shall observe this [PASSOVER] for an ordinance for you and for your sons FOREVER."

(2 Kings 23:21) "And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the Passover to the YAHWEH your Elohim, as it is written in the book of this covenant."

After the weekly appointed SABBATH, the first annual celebration order by YAHWEH in the Scriptural calendar is the Feast of Passover, in Hebrew "PESACH"; Celebrated on the Fourteen day of Abib. [Start at twilight in the afternoon). "Learn NOT the Way of the Heathen."

THE SECOND PASSOVER OFFERING (22-35)

(Nun. 9:10-11) "You shall be unclean by reason of a [dead] body, or be in a distant journey, yet he shall keep the Passover to YAHWEH; in the Second Month."

There are occasion when a Yahwdi can not eat the Paschal Lamb at the appointed time of the Passover Offering at TWILIGHT OF THE FOURTEEN OF ABIB, THE STARTING OF FIFTEEN OF ABIB.

(Lev. 23:5-6) "In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight there shall be a Passover offering to YAHWEH, and on the fifteenth day of unleavened bread. You shall eat unleavened bread for seven days."

YAHWEH sew the Passover Sabbath as so important that HE instituted the second Passover a month later, for all Yahwdi that could not celebrate the first; or a gentile who converted after the first Passover: On the 15 day of IYYAR, the second Passover have the same rules as the first.

This is a litter information you search out the rest!

Shalom

John

posted 03-26-2001 01:48 PM            

If Leviticus 23:32 is the reason why we keep ALL Sabbaths from sundown to sundown then I ask that you do the following -- draw a line and mark it off in sections for evening, night, morning and day for three consecutive full day periods. Do this twice. Now mark off the periods for each 24-hour day section, you should have three. On the first line mark you day periods from sundown to sundown and on the second from dawn to dawn. Then label the days as the eighth, ninth, and tenth day of the seventh month. Scripture says: “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.” How do you do this? Mark it off exactly as the scripture reads. Do not assume anything.

(I wish I could show you but cannot in this writting format.)

To say that “in the ninth day of the month at even” means the period of time following the day period of the ninth day would be the evening of the tenth day. The evening of the NINTH day is that period following the day of the EIGHTH day in an evening to evening sequence. If you keep the days from evening to evening you keep the ninth instead of the tenth DAY as the Day of Atonement. If you observe the day from dawn to dawn as Yahweh created it, you can keep this day as instructed in Lev. 23:32.

If you do the same experiment for Passover and detail when you kill the lamb (between 3 and 3:30 p.m. as you stated), cook the lamb and eat the lamb you will find that you must eat the lamb before it is killed. We are so use to just reading the word day and our mind reverts to our usual day period that we overlook what really is being said. Line it out – see what you come up with.

Exodus 12:1 And Yahweh spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,
2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
3 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 an house:
4 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.
5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
6 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. (You said this was between 3 and 3:30 p.m. on the 14th day.)
7 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.
8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. (Eat at night)
9 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.
10 And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. (Burn in morning.)
11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is Yahweh’s passover.
12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am Yahweh.
13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to Yahweh throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

You are very right when you say that antichrist is changing times and laws. We must purify everything back to the simple and original ways. We must closely examine every detail and never assume anything without checking it out.

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning Eloheim created the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of Eloheim moved upon the face of the waters.
3 And Eloheim said, Let there be light: and there was light.
4 And Eloheim saw the light, that it was good: and Eloheim divided the light from the darkness.
5 And Eloheim called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

In the Genesis account, YAHWEH, the CREATOR of ALL things, acted directly and did many things. The ball of matter existed and it was formless and empty and in utter darkness. Yahweh came and His Spirit moved over the face of the earth (v.2) and He said: “Let there be light.” (v.3) When Yahweh speaks, things happen. Light happened. Time happened. Earth time began. Then Yahweh divided the light and darkness (v.4). Then Yahweh, through Moses (the writer) explains and defines what happened. Yahweh named the light time-day and the dark time-night and the time of transfer from day to night-evening and the time of transfer from night to day-morning. Are they in order of sequence? NO. Earth time sequence is not day-night-evening-morning. We all know it to be day-evening-night-morning.

Genesis 1:14 And Eloheim said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
16 And Eloheim made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
17 And Eloheim set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and He saw that it was good.
19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

On this fourth day Yahweh replaced His Personal light with sunlight. “It was good” He said (v.19). He made the sun to rule the day. Therefore evening would be after the sun sets, but before it is dark, and morning is when it is getting light, but before the sun rises. If you check out the use of the word in scripture and study in Strong’s you will find this to be correct.

In using Matthew 28:1 you responded that this does mean that sabbath ended at the end of the daylight. Did Mary, Yahshua’s mother, spend the night out at Messiah’s grave? No. She went out as it starting to dawn when sabbath ended. I do not see any scripture to substantiate an evening to evening day. The day of Atonement is a special day, a DAY of Days to signify the final day of JUDGMENT. Therefore He made it different in how it was set. He did the same with the Jubilee year. All years are from Abib to Abib. He said so. But Jubilee is announced at the 7th month but does not start until the next spring. This is so the barley is not planted and then to be harvested after passover. On the jubilee it could not be harvested and nothing was to be planted that would need harvesting during this time. This is all a faith issue. Yahweh will set His time as He chooses. He is Eternal, He is ONE, He is All in All. He is KINGS of all kings and MASTER of all masters. Praise Yahweh’s holy name.

posted 03-26-2001 06:34 PM            

In most of the civilized, industrial world the new day begins at midnight, in the middle of darkness. There is no way one can delineate the beginning of the new day in the middle of night without some sort of timepiece. Yahweh’s way, on the other hand, is easy to observe and simple to establish.

Genesis 1:5 reveals,

"And Elohim called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day."

Let us begin where the word "day" first appears in the Scriptures.

Some of the confusion as to when the day begins comes from the various definitions of "day" in the dictionary:

•A 24-hour period including night and day.

•The time between the rising and setting sun known as daylight.

•The time (24 hours) that it takes the earth to revolve once on its axis.

•The civil or legal day is from midnight to midnight; the astronomical day from noon to noon.

We are focusing on the 24-hour calendar day here, so that we can keep Yahweh’s observances correctly.

Darkness Comes First, Scripturally

Scripture says that Elohim called the light DAY, and the darkness he called NIGHT. At creation the night or darkness preceded the light or day, demonstrating that it comes first in the creative order: "And the earth was without form, and void; and DARKNESS was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of Elohim moved upon the face of the waters. And Elohim said, Let there be light: and there was light," Genesis l:2-3.

Darkness was already present and therefore came first on day one of creation. Darkness came first on each succeeding day as well. Yahweh’s Spirit moved in darkness to create light.

The modern-day practice of designating midnight as the close of the calendar day is not in harmony with Bible usage. In the Bible, sunset marks the end of one day. The onset of sundown signifies the beginning of the next day.

The word "even" is from the Hebrew ereb (No. 6l53 in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance Hebrew Dictionary). It means dusk and is translated variously as evening, dusk, and night. That days begin with darkness is apparent from Genesis l:5, 8, l3, l9, 23, and 3l, where we read, "the evening and the morning" were the first day, the second day, etc.

This particular phraseology is used of the first six days of creation. As Yahweh created the world, He was also creating time and its proper determination.

Each period of 24-hours had an evening and a morning. The hours of darkness, called evening, came first; the hours of daylight, called morning, came second.

Yahweh began His work with darkness, which was upon the face of the deep.

New Day Examples in the Bible

Let us examine what the Bible says about the beginning or ending of the day:

Leviticus 23:32 tells us to observe the Atonement Sabbath "from even to even [even in Hebrew is ereb, meaning dusk] shall you celebrate your sabbath."

On the Sabbath in Mark l:2l Yahshua taught in the synagogue. When a man with an unclean spirit tried to disrupt the gathering, Yahshua rebuked the spirit. Later, Yahshua went to visit Simon’s mother-in-law and lifted her up, ridding her of the fever. Immediately she began ministering unto them.

Verse 32 clearly tells us that when the Sabbath was over, "at even when the sun did set," Yahshua went to work curing all who were brought unto Him. Except for emergencies, He did not habitually heal during the Sabbath. But after the sun had set and the Sabbath had ended, Yahshua healed all their diseases.

The people would not carry the sick and infirm on the Sabbath, but waited until the Sabbath ended at sunset when the day of rest was over. They then carried the sick and infirm to the Savior for His healing touch.

The account in Luke 4:40 describes the incident with these words, "Now when the sun was setting..." showing that the day began at sunset. One day had ended and another had begun at the setting of the sun. During the twilight hours, Yahshua still had enough light for healing of the people.

As we see from Matthew 12:10, the Jews were against healing on the Sabbath: "And, behold, there was a man which had [his] hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him." After He healed the withered hand, the Jews planned to destroy Him, verse 14.

The following Scriptures deal with the time at Yahshua’s death and show that sundown marked the new day.

Matthew 27:57—When the evening was come, Joseph took the body of Yahshua and laid it in the tomb. This was just before the High Sabbath began. One day was ending and the Sabbath was about to begin at sunset, at the close of the day, when another day began.

Luke 23:54—That day was the preparation, and the Sabbath drew on. They had to hurry to get the body down and removed as the sun was going down in the western sky and the high Sabbath was about to begin.

Mark l5:42—"Now when the even was come ["So as evening approached," NIV], because it was the preparation day, that is, the day before the [high] Sabbath..."

John l9:3l—The bodies should not remain on the tree over the Sabbath, therefore, Yahshua was taken off the tree and laid in the tomb before the [high] Sabbath began at sunset.

Matthew 28:l—"In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn [draw on, Greek epiphosko] toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre." They came during the closing daylight hours before sunset as the Sabbath day was ending (not beginning).

Epiphosko does not necessarily mean to dawn or grow light at the breaking of the day or at sunrise. Epiphosko consists of the prefix epi from No. 1909 which in essence means "placed before in time, place or order..." The suffix phosko is from No. 5316 and is translated appear, seem, be seen, shine or think. Epiphosko has the sense of the day about to arrive or about to begin or appear at sunset.

Epiphosko is used in one other place where it is translated "draw on," Luke 23:54.

Matthew 28:l-7—Rotherham’s Bible says that three days later, late in the week when it was at the point of dawning into the first of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to view the sepulchre. The angel said to them, "He is not here, for He has risen." This was as the Sabbath was ending, and the first day was beginning at sunset.

The Jewish Encyclopedia (vol. 3, p. 50l), reveals that the Jewish calendar reckons the days from evening to evening. See Genesis l:5, Exodus l2:l8, Leviticus 23:32.

A Person Unclean Until Sunset

Evidence is found for the sundown to sundown measuring of a day in Leviticus ll:24-25, where anyone touching or carrying the carcass of any unclean creature would be "unclean until the even." A new day began at even (sundown) when the person would be considered clean.

To show when the person would be considered unclean, note Leviticus 22:6-7, "The soul which has touched any such shall be unclean until even...And when the sun is down, he shall be clean..." Note carefully that the Bible does not say a person shall be unclean until midnight or until sunrise. Bible days change at sunset, not midnight or sunup.

Anyone touching an unclean thing would be considered unclean until even, when the sun had set, which started a new day. Then he would be considered clean again. He was not unclean until midnight or dawn, but until sundown, when a new day began at the start of evening.

To prepare for the time of cleansing, one was to wash and cleanse oneself while the sun was still up, and after sunset there would be sufficient light for him to find his way back to the camp.

Deuteronomy 23:ll gives us two definite points of time: "But it shall be when evening comes on, he shall wash himself with water; and when the sun is down, he shall come into the camp again."

Notice that the unclean man was to wash himself as sundown approached in anticipation of the new day. Then after the sun had set he was free to return to the camp, clean once more because the new day had arrived with sunset.

Pay special attention to the first part of Deuteronomy 23, beginning with verse l0, where the rite of cleansing was for "uncleanness that chances him by night." Now if a new day begins at sunrise, it would be perfectly acceptable for the unclean man to return to camp at dawn. But Yahweh said he was to wait: "But it shall be, when evening comes on, he shall wash himself with water: and when the sun is down, he shall come into the camp again," verse 11.

Many Sunset Beginnings in Scripture

Judges 19:9 reads, "Behold, now the day draws toward evening...the day grows to an end." Clearly, this teaches that a day ends at the setting of the sun.

This observance existed in the New Testament times as well, for we read in Luke 24:29, "Abide with us; for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent." The word evening is from the Greek hesperos meaning "evening or the eve." The new day began at sundown.

In Judges l4:l2 Samson proposed a riddle at his wedding feast that his enemies were to answer within the seven days of the feast. In verse l8 the men gave him their answer "on the seventh day before the sun went down." Clearly the seven days ended at that seventh day sundown. They solved the riddle just before the seven days had fully expired—at sunset.

Joshua hanged the King of Ai "until eventide; and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his corpse down from the tree," Joshua 8:28-29. Deuteronomy 2l:23 does not allow a dead body to remain hanging overnight, but is to be taken down that day before the sun sets lest the land be defiled. A new day began at sundown, and the bodies were to be removed by that time.

In Joshua 10:26 we learn that Joshua had the dead kings hung on five trees until evening. Verse 27 says that at the going down of the sun Joshua commanded that they be taken down from the trees and thrown into a cave.

Nehemiah 13:19 tells us, "And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the Sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath..." Notice that it "began to be dark before the Sabbath." The Sabbath had not yet arrived, but late afternoon shadows covered the streets and Nehemiah commanded the gates to be shut before the Sabbath started, which was before it was completely dark.

Mourning for the death of general Abner, king David refused food, for he had made an oath not to eat until the setting sun ended the day, 2Samuel 3:35.

A New Testament illustration is given us in John 19:31, where the impaled bodies of the Savior and the malefactors were not to remain on the stake after sundown. Defilement of the land would result, Deuteronomy 21:23. Note that they were to bury the corpse that day, which would be before the sun had set.

Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:26, "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath." We are not to carry a grudge or let our anger carry over to another day. He did not tell us, "Let not midnight come upon your wrath," nor did he say, "Don’t let the sun arise upon your wrath." He referred to sundown.

May Yahweh Bless

posted 03-28-2001 07:35 PM            

My response:
Thank you for your response and I did read it all the way through. Did you chart out the days as I suggested in my last e-mail?

I agree with a lot of what you said. But do have comments on parts also so here goes. I have made notes throughout your letter. My notes are in smaller print and italized. I will also post on the net. Thank you again for responding.

His comment:
I've read your response and it is interesting. But if you are truly looking for an answer please read all the way through.

In most of the civilized, industrial world the new day begins at midnight, in the middle of darkness. There is no way one can delineate the beginning of the new day in the middle of night without some sort of timepiece. Yahweh’s way, on the other hand, is easy to observe and simple to establish.

My response:
There is no way that the way of the world agrees with Yahweh's ways so that is not part of the discussion. But we are so used to the way of the world that our minds continually revert to that system without realizing it.

His comment:
Genesis 1:5 reveals,

"And Elohim called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day."

Let us begin where the word "day" first appears in the Scriptures.

Some of the confusion as to when the day begins comes from the various definitions of "day" in the dictionary:

•A 24-hour period including night and day.
My response: This will apply scripturally.

•The time between the rising and setting sun known as daylight.

My response: This will apply scripturally.

His comment:
•The time (24 hours) that it takes the earth to revolve once on its axis.

My response: This is basically the same as the first definition.

His comment:
•The civil or legal day is from midnight to midnight; the astronomical day from noon to noon.

My response: This does NOT apply scripturally.

His comment:
We are focusing on the 24-hour calendar day here, so that we can keep Yahweh’s observances correctly.

My response:
It seems that you are not allowing Bible writers the right to use the second definition that day is the time of the light.

His comment:
Darkness Comes First, Scripturally

Scripture says that Elohim called the light DAY, and the darkness he called NIGHT. At creation the night or darkness preceded the light or day, demonstrating that it comes first in the creative order: "And the earth was without form, and void; and DARKNESS was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of Elohim moved upon the face of the waters. And Elohim said, Let there be light: and there was light," Genesis l:2-3.

Darkness was already present and therefore came first on day one of creation. Darkness came first on each succeeding day as well. Yahweh’s Spirit moved in darkness to create light.

My response:
The darkness of the deep that was upon the earth before Yahweh created light was not a part of this world's creation. The separation of the light and darkness (lack of light) was a part of His creation and was a result of being away from the Source of light. That would be the spiritual application of this creative act. We are all creatures of the Light once we accept Yahshua as our Savior. We are creatures of this new darkness (lack of light or separation from the Light) until we accept this Light.

The beginning ALWAYS starts with Eloheim. The beginning on creation was "Let there be light" and there was! Earth's creation was like coming to Messiah. The earth was covered in darkness and void. Then Yahweh came and there was light. Light was first in the newness. The darkness before was not part of the newness. It was of the old. Creation is the act of Yahweh to change. He created light by His word. Then He created shadow and separation of light and no-light. He named them day (first) and night (second). Then He named the times of change: evening (from day to night) and morning (from night to morning). These four components make a 24-hour day but not in the sequence given as it is not day-night-evening-morning. By the way, my belief is that the void earth in darkness was left from the Big Bang - God spoke of the previous beginnings of creation when He began creation the universe and this did occur billions of years ago. The creation of Genesis 1 occur a few thousand years ago and is the creation that is specific to this earth. Sin had already occurred in heaven, i.e. where Yahweh dwells, and Satan had been found guilty. Satan did, though, still have access to heaven, Job 1, and he stole the dominion of earth from Adam when Adam sinned (Romans 5:13-19)

His comment:
The modern-day practice of designating midnight as the close of the calendar day is not in harmony with Bible usage. In the Bible, sunset marks the end of one day. The onset of sundown signifies the beginning of the next day. (Is this not assumption?)

The word "even" is from the Hebrew ereb (No. 6l53 in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance Hebrew Dictionary). It means dusk and is translated variously as evening, dusk, and night. That days begin with darkness is apparent from Genesis l:5, 8, l3, l9, 23, and 3l, where we read, "the evening and the morning" were the first day, the second day, etc.

My response:
Question: If you begin time with the darkness of pre-creation on the first day--when was the evening of the first day? It says "the evening and the morning were the first day." When was the evening? At the end of the light period of the first day, would be the beginning of the second day if the 24-hour period is evening to evening. When was the evening?

His comment:
This particular phraseology is used of the first six days of creation. As Yahweh created the world, He was also creating time and its proper determination.

My response:
Yes he was. I agree.

His comment:
Each period of 24-hours had an evening and a morning. The hours of darkness, called evening, came first; the hours of daylight, called morning, came second.

My response:
Yahweh would not do this, and it is not consistent with His ways. He called light "day" not "morning". "Morning" is different. Why would Yahweh say to call the light day and then call it morning? Strong's #01242: "break of day" from Strong's 01239: to enquire, seek and search. Morning is when darkness is receding and darkness is 'seeking' and 'searching' for the light or sun. And yes, even is "ereb" Strong's #6153 and is from the root of #6150 to become and grow dark, therefore the time after the sun is gone and it is not yet fully dark of night.

His comment:
Yahweh began His work with darkness, which was upon the face of the deep.

My response:
Or rather He brought earth out of darkness when He began His work.

His comment:
New Day Examples in the Bible

Let us examine what the Bible says about the beginning or ending of the day:

Leviticus 23:32 tells us to observe the Atonement Sabbath "from even to even [even in Hebrew is ereb, meaning dusk] shall you celebrate your sabbath."

My response:
Yes, this is true and Atonement is a special day, a different day from all other days. A day of judgment. A day marked from the evening of the 9th day to the evening of the 10th day. Why bother to even say this if all days were from evening to evening?

His comment:
On the Sabbath in Mark l:2l Yahshua taught in the synagogue. When a man with an unclean spirit tried to disrupt the gathering, Yahshua rebuked the spirit. Later, Yahshua went to visit Simon’s mother-in-law and lifted her up, ridding her of the fever. Immediately she began ministering unto them.

My response:
Notice He healed both on the Sabbath. Yahshua had NO respect for the traditions of the elders with which they condemned Him for doing good on the Sabbath. It is NOT wrong to heal on the sabbath, nor to carry a bedroll or a sick person. Yahshua went out of His way to break their so-called rules, their traditions.

His comment:
Verse 32 clearly tells us that when the Sabbath was over, "at even when the sun did set," Yahshua went to work curing all who were brought unto Him. Except for emergencies, He did not habitually heal during the Sabbath. But after the sun had set and the Sabbath had ended, Yahshua healed all their diseases.

My comment:
Where was the emergency to heal the man at the Pool of Bethsaida? He had been there for 28 years. Why didn't Yahshua come on the 6th day or the 1st day? Why the 7th day? He was making a point. It is good and right to do good on the 7th day. Where was the emergency with Peter's mother? She was not dying, only sick of a fever. Was it such an emergency because Yahshua had no one to serve Him? NO. She was not feeling well and He helped.

His comment:
The people would not carry the sick and infirm on the Sabbath, but waited until the Sabbath ended at sunset when the day of rest was over. They then carried the sick and infirm to the Savior for His healing touch.

My response:
Remember the parents of the young man Yahshua healed? They were afraid of the Pharisees and afraid of being excommunicated from the temple. Common people in Yahshua's time did not have copies of Scripture. They could not easily study for themselves. Just maintaining life was a full time job. They received their knowledge of Yahweh from the priests, Pharisees and scribes. It was twisted knowledge. Yahanan the Baptist said: "Prepare ye the way (road or highway) of Yahweh, make His paths straight." Mark 1:3. Yahanan the Baptist and Yahshua were correcting the misinformation and bad teaching of the priests, scribes and Pharisees.

His comment:
The account in Luke 4:40 describes the incident with these words, "Now when the sun was setting..." showing that the day began at sunset. One day had ended and another had begun at the setting of the sun. During the twilight hours, Yahshua still had enough light for healing of the people.

My response:
The sabbath as marked by Babylonian time ended at sundown. Yahshua paid no mind to it. He directed His mind to the issue at hand: healing the sick. The texts does not say anything about an ending to a 24-hour period, it says the "sun was setting".

His comment:
As we see from Matthew 12:10, the Jews were against healing on the Sabbath: "And, behold, there was a man which had [his] hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him." After He healed the withered hand, the Jews planned to destroy Him, verse 14.

My response:
Once again Yahshua ignored their traditions and eventually it cost Him His life. They killed Him for breaking their traditions. HE NEVER BROKE YAHWEH'S LAW.

His comment:
The following Scriptures deal with the time at Yahshua’s death and show that sundown marked the new day.

Matthew 27:57—When the evening was come, Joseph took the body of Yahshua and laid it in the tomb. This was just before the High Sabbath began. One day was ending and the Sabbath was about to begin at sunset, at the close of the day, when another day began.

My resonse:
What day was this? What day did Yahshua die? It was Passover and He died at the very time when the great sacrifice would be made in the temple, at 3:00 p.m. or the 9th hour in Roman time. What happens on Passover? You work all day killing and preparing the lamb and at evening and night you worship and eat the sacrifice. If the day changes at evening then you would be eating the lamb on the 15th day or else you would eat the lamb before you killed it. Did you line this out like I suggested?

His comment:
Luke 23:54—That day was the preparation, and the Sabbath drew on. They had to hurry to get the body down and removed as the sun was going down in the western sky and the high Sabbath was about to begin.

My response:
Passover was about to begin. Passover evening and night and morning and the first Sabbath of Unleavened Bread of day-evening-night-morning would continue. It was a high sabbath, a day and a half sabbath. It was different. Line it out. How do you kill a lamb at 3:00 p.m. on the 14th and then eat it the evening before the day of the 14th? HOW?

His comment:
Mark l5:42—"Now when the even was come ["So as evening approached," NIV], because it was the preparation day, that is, the day before the [high] Sabbath..."

My response:
Here day is speaking of the light portion of time as the evening and night were the passover worship time, and very sacred.

His comment:
John l9:3l—The bodies should not remain on the tree over the Sabbath, therefore, Yahshua was taken off the tree and laid in the tomb before the [high] Sabbath began at sunset.

My response:
Same point again. Line it out.

His comment:
Matthew 28:l—"In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn [draw on, Greek epiphosko] toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre." They came during the closing daylight hours before sunset as the Sabbath day was ending (not beginning).

My response:
Strong's #2020: epiphosko translated as "begin to dawn" 1 time and as "draw on" one time. but it means: to grow light. It is a form of the word # 2017 which means to shine upon. This does not happen at sundown. This is not evening or night, this is night growing light but before the sun appears, i.e. morning.

His comment:
Epiphosko does not necessarily mean to dawn or grow light at the breaking of the day or at sunrise. Epiphosko consists of the prefix epi from No. 1909 which in essence means "placed before in time, place or order..." The suffix phosko is from No. 5316 and is translated appear, seem, be seen, shine or think. Epiphosko has the sense of the day about to arrive or about to begin or appear at sunset.

My response:
The suffix phosko is from 5457 which means "to shine or make manifest" and is the root for phosphorus. Have you ever seen it burn? That is why it is named such. Therefore this it correctly translated as beginning to dawn as in the morning.

His comment:
Epiphosko is used in one other place where it is translated "draw on," Luke 23:54.

Matthew 28:l-7—Rotherham’s Bible says that three days later, late in the week when it was at the point of dawning into the first of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to view the sepulchre. The angel said to them, "He is not here, for He has risen." This was as the Sabbath was ending, and the first day was beginning at sunset.

My response:
I do not know anything about the Rotherham Bible but I do just fine with the KJV and love it and find it very sufficient. We must beware of unknown versions.

His comment:
The Jewish Encyclopedia (vol. 3, p. 50l), reveals that the Jewish calendar reckons the days from evening to evening. See Genesis l:5, Exodus l2:l8, Leviticus 23:32.

My response:
I am not impressed with man's opinion when it does not agree with scripture. Yahshua made this very plain. Scripture is the bottom line. It is the end of discussion. Tradition has no place. Yahshua would ask: "what saith the Scripture" when the scribes and Pharisees would come at Him with their traditions. I am also not using man's opinions when they do not accept Yahshua as Messiah. Read 1 John 4:3, please.

His comment:
A Person Unclean Until Sunset

Evidence is found for the sundown to sundown measuring of a day in Leviticus 11:24-25, where anyone touching or carrying the carcass of any unclean creature would be "unclean until the even." A new day began at even (sundown) when the person would be considered clean.

My response:
Am I cleansed because a new day begins? NO, I am cleansed by coming to Yahshua. Israelites were clean at evening because that was the time of the evening sacrifice when they confessed sin and were cleansed as an individual and as a corporate body (the church). It has never had anything to do with the change of the day. The sacrificial system is very symbolic of the way sin is handle today, a rather play act of how heaven works only in a lot of symbols. My sin of today is not forgiven and cleansed tomorrow because it is a different day, but because I kneel at the foot of the cross and confess it and because Messiah, my wonderful LAMB, died to cover and forgive my sin.

His comment:
To show when the person would be considered unclean, note Leviticus 22:6-7, "The soul which has touched any such shall be unclean until even...And when the sun is down, he shall be clean..." Note carefully that the Bible does not say a person shall be unclean until midnight or until sunrise. Bible days change at sunset, not midnight or sunup.

Anyone touching an unclean thing would be considered unclean until even, when the sun had set, which started a new day. Then he would be considered clean again. He was not unclean until midnight or dawn, but until sundown, when a new day began at the start of evening.

To prepare for the time of cleansing, one was to wash and cleanse oneself while the sun was still up, and after sunset there would be sufficient light for him to find his way back to the camp.

My response:
We must always be physically clean when we appear before Yahweh. Yahweh will clean us spiritually.

His comment:
Deuteronomy 23:11 gives us two definite points of time: "But it shall be when evening comes on, he shall wash himself with water; and when the sun is down, he shall come into the camp again."

Notice that the unclean man was to wash himself as sundown approached in anticipation of the new day. Then after the sun had set he was free to return to the camp, clean once more because the new day had arrived with sunset.

My response:
There is nothing mentioned in any of these texts that it was a new day. Are you not making an assumption here? Again, what does a new day have to do with being right with Yahweh? I am not forgiven of yesterdays sins because today is a new day and I took a bath before sundown.

His comment:
Pay special attention to the first part of Deuteronomy 23, beginning with verse l0, where the rite of cleansing was for "uncleanness that chances him by night." Now if a new day begins at sunrise, it would be perfectly acceptable for the unclean man to return to camp at dawn. But Yahweh said he was to wait: "But it shall be, when evening comes on, he shall wash himself with water: and when the sun is down, he shall come into the camp again," verse 11.

Many Sunset Beginnings in Scripture

Judges 19:9 reads, "Behold, now the day draws toward evening...the day grows to an end." Clearly, this teaches that a day ends at the setting of the sun.

My response:
This verse does not refer to the 24-hour day but to the light of day.

His comment:
This observance existed in the New Testament times as well, for we read in Luke 24:29, "Abide with us; for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent." The word evening is from the Greek hesperos meaning "evening or the eve." The new day began at sundown.

My response:
Again, this verse does not refer to the 24-hour day but to the light of day.

His comment:
In Judges l4:l2 Samson proposed a riddle at his wedding feast that his enemies were to answer within the seven days of the feast. In verse l8 the men gave him their answer "on the seventh day before the sun went down." Clearly the seven days ended at that seventh day sundown. They solved the riddle just before the seven days had fully expired—at sunset.

My response:
It is possible that the Philistines kept their days from evening to evening, but I don't base doctrine upon Philistine custom. Samson was marrying a Philistine woman on her land, in her city, with her friends.

His comment:
Joshua hanged the King of Ai "until eventide; and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his corpse down from the tree," Joshua 8:28-29. Deuteronomy 2l:23 does not allow a dead body to remain hanging overnight, but is to be taken down that day before the sun sets lest the land be defiled. A new day began at sundown, and the bodies were to be removed by that time.

My response:
This is Yahweh's law but does it mean that the day ends at even? No it is so animals don't attack the body during the night. It is respect even for a wicked man's body.

His comment:
In Joshua 10:26 we learn that Joshua had the dead kings hung on five trees until evening. Verse 27 says that at the going down of the sun Joshua commanded that they be taken down from the trees and thrown into a cave.

Nehemiah 13:19 tells us, "And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the Sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath..." Notice that it "began to be dark before the Sabbath." The Sabbath had not yet arrived, but late afternoon shadows covered the streets and Nehemiah commanded the gates to be shut before the Sabbath started, which was before it was completely dark.

My response:
This was after the Babylonian captivity. The day reckoning was changed and the Talmud writing were incorporated into the religion and it was very perverted. Yahweh bless the few who try even though we may not be 100% correct. He blesses the attempt. Yahshua corrected a lot of this. In His day His followers came to the tomb at the beginning of morning, "at the end of the sabbath as it was beginning to dawn unto the first day of the week..." His followers understood. The common people did not understand and feared the Pharisees and being excommunicated from the Temple, so they would not bring the sick until evening. But Yahshua healed anyone at anytime. He never delayed a healing because of Sabbath.

His comments:
Mourning for the death of general Abner, king David refused food, for he had made an oath not to eat until the setting sun ended the day, 2 Samuel 3:35.

My response:
Yes, it is true that he did not eat until after sundown, but it does not say until the next day.

His comment:
A New Testament illustration is given us in John 19:31, where the impaled bodies of the Savior and the malefactors were not to remain on the stake after sundown. Defilement of the land would result, Deuteronomy 21:23. Note that they were to bury the corpse that day, which would be before the sun had set.

My response:
Again we are into a Passover sabbath issue. Please note previous remarks.

His comment:
Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:26, "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath." We are not to carry a grudge or let our anger carry over to another day. He did not tell us, "Let not midnight come upon your wrath," nor did he say, "Don’t let the sun arise upon your wrath." He referred to sundown.

My response:
Paul here is speaking true. You cannot rest if you are angry with anyone. That is the issue. This is not in any context of a day-change issue. Find a contextual statement dealing with the day change that shows evening to evening. Not even Leviticus 23:32 does that. Lev. is clear that the day change is not at even - unless the Day of Atonement is really the Days of Atonement and covers the 9th and 10th of the 7th month.

His closing greeting:
May Yahweh Bless

My closing response:
May Yahweh Bless you also. No statements are made to be personal or attacks of any kind. I am only expressing my understanding of scripture.

posted 04-02-2001 07:01 PM         

Thank you for your posting.

I have had much occasion to study this issue since my good friend, Craig Peters, wrote a paper on this issue, called The Dayspring, which gave rise to this doctrine being called the dayspring doctrine. I must agree that there can be no doubt that in the creation account in Genesis, a morning to morning reckoning is intended. Also when the sons of Israel came out of Egypt, Yahweh corrected their concept of the calendar (the Egyptian calendar was solar, the Hebrew is lunar/solar). He reestablished the seven day cycle by revealing which day was the Sabbath through the miracle of the manna. He did not correct their understanding of a when the day began despite the fact that the Egyptians used a morning to morning reckoning of the day. But there is one thing you have overlooked. That is the same thing happened when the Jews came back from Babylon and carried the sunset to sunset day concept with them. There can be no doubt from the writings of Josephus and Philo that in Yahshua's day, the sunset to sunset day was the accepted norm. Yet Yahshua did not correct this notion even as Yahweh did not correct the morning to morning notion. The reason I believe is found in Genesis where it says that Elohim called the LIGHT day and the darkness night. Before I studied this issue, I thought that the normal Biblical definition of a day was a 24 hour cycle and that occasionally it refered to the daylight period of that cycle. Actually, the opposite is true. My views on the subject are rather nicely summed up in Myron Martin's writings. He is the webmaster of the Patriots of the Kingdom website. Last I knew, www.patriotsofthekingdom.org could get you there but you will have to skim through his on line newsletters to find his article on when the day begins. I do not agree with him on his idea that the full moon is the new moon or that Saturday is possibly not the seventh day of the week. I also would like to get any information you have to offer on this subject. Just send the information to the Echad forum at echad1@juno.com and mark it in the subject box, personal and private. Tell the moderator that you want it forwarded to his best friend Shlomoh from the Eliyah discussion forum. He will know who you mean and then we will be able to exchange email addresses privately and not on this public forum.

In His Service,