When Does A Scriptural Day Start?

This Scriptural Calendar study focuses on Scripture verses that prove that a day starts in the morning.

Putting theology aside for a minute, ask yourself:

• The Scriptural new year begins in spring when the sun shines longer during a day and nature comes back to life. Does the concept of a day starting when the sun goes down align with nature?
• Does it make logical sense for a day to begin at sunset, at a time when man has finished from his daily labor?
• 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!

There is no Scripture proof that a day begins when the sun sets and there is ample proof that it starts when the sun begins to dominate the sky.

The enemy hates that people have come out of the deceptions of Roman Christianity and are striving to observe the Father’s seven Holy Feast Days and Sabbaths, so the enemy has created more deceptions to mislead them with Jewish fables.

I pray that you will put aside preconceived notions and look at what Scripture is declaring.

The format of a day is revealed in Genesis 1.

Yah gives us the proper order of a full day, as it declares that the time of the light is daytime and then the time of the darkness is nighttime.

“And Elohim called the light ‘day’ (Yom) and the darkness He called ‘night.’ (Laylah)  And there came to be evening (Ereb) and there came to be morning (Boqer), one day.”

The Hebrew words define the times of a full day:

Day = Yom (H3117) — From an unused root meaning to be hot; a day(as the warm hours)

Night = Laylah (H3915) — From the same as H3883; properly a twist (away of the light), that is, night; figuratively adversity: – ([mid-]) night (season).

Evening = Ereb (H6153) — From H6150; dusk: – + day, even (-ing, tide)

Dawn = Boqer (H1242) — From H1239; properly dawn (as the break of day); generally morning: – (+) day, early, morning, morrow.

It’s proclaiming that Day (dawn to dusk) + Night (dusk to dawn) = one full day.

The work of creation was done during the Day and then there was rest at Night, and that makes up one full day.

The narrative of the second-sixth days declare what Yah created during the Day, and then the narrative for each day ends in “And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, the (second-sixth) day.”

Daytime creation events + Nighttime rest (from evening to morning) = one full day.

Doesn’t that line up with a natural order of things; that a day would start when the sun begins to rule the sky? Doesn’t that make more sense than the Jewish Babylonian tradition, that a day starts when the sun goes down?

So we see the pattern; work is done during the daytime, and we rest during the nighttime. This same pattern should be followed on a Sabbath day.  We’re commanded to rest from our labors during the daytime, during the time that we would normally work.

The only time that observance of a Sabbath is declared to start in the evening is on the Day of Atonement. But if a day started at the evening of the day before, then Yah would have simply said to observe that Sabbath all of the 10th day, meaning during the whole 24 hour period.

But it’s not declaring to start the observance on the 10th day at evening, but on the 9th day at evening. It’s saying to observe it from the evening of the 9th day, all the way through the end of daytime of the 10th day, which is from one evening to the next.

It’s making a unique declaration for that solemn Sabbath day, because the norm is to observe the Sabbath rest during the daytime, from dawn until dusk.

One can look at the record of Passover in Exodus 12 to see when a day ends.

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. Exodus 12:5-6

They were told to kill the Passover Lamb on the night (laylah) of the 14th day, which falls between dusk (ereb) and dawn (boqer).

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; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. Exodus 12:7-10

They were commanded to eat it on the Passover, on the 14th day, before the next morning (boqer), which is the start of the 15th day, the High Sabbath of Unleavened Bread.

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 the LORD’S passover. Exodus 12:11

They ate it with haste because the Passover was coming to a close. They had to eat it or burn it before the Sabbath day started at dawn.

Each of the Gospel narratives show that Mary came to the tomb at the dawn (beginning) of the first day of the Scriptural week, on the 16th day of the Scriptural month.

In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. Matthew 28:1

And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. Mark 16:1-2

And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid. And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. Luke 23:53-56, 24:1-2

The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews’ preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand. The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. John 19:31, 19:42, 20:1

These Gospel narratives also prove that the Sabbath prior to the first day of the week was the weekly Sabbath. They don’t proclaim that the first day of the week started after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, but on the sabbath.

One can look at the record of Messiah’s crucifixion to see when a day starts.

Messiah was impaled on the cross at 9am, three hours after the day started. He died six hours later, at the 9th hour, at 3 pm.

And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. Mark 15:25

And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. Mark 15:33

And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. Mark 15:34, 37

Mark 15:42-43 invalidates that the day starts at sundown, for they took Messiah’s body AFTER the evening began. If the Sabbath started at sundown, then they were working on the Sabbath. But the text states that it was still the preparation day for the Sabbath, the 14th, Passover.

And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counseller, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.

Pilate had a centurion verify that Messiah was dead, as death by crucifixion usually took 2-3 days. (Mark 15:44-45)

And Pilate marveled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead. And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.

Mark 15:46 tells us that Joseph then went and got burial linens, and returned to Golgotha to remove the body.

And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre.

John 19:39 says that Nicodemus carried 100 pounds of myrrh and aloes for preparing the body for burial, which would not be allowed on the Sabbath day.

And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.

John 19:40 says that they wrapped the body with the linen and spices.

Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.

Matthew 27:59-60 says that they carried the body to Joseph’s own tomb.

And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.

Luke 23:53-54 says that they did all of that work on the preparation day, on Passover, as the Sabbath drew near.

And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid. And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.

Matthew 27:62 validates that the next day was the Sabbath.

Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate.

Messiah’s Resurrection Day reaffirms that a day starts at dawn.

Matthew 28:1 tells us that the Sabbath was ending at dawn.

In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

On the resurrection day, the Feast of First Fruits, Mark 16:1-2 tells us that Mary of Magdalene came to the tomb early in the day, when it was dawn.

And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

John 20:19 then tells us that on the same day, the first day of the week, that Messiah appeared to the Apostles in the evening; once again proving that the day started in the morning.

Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

Acts 4:3 points to the next day starting in the morning, not the evening.

And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now evening.

Acts 10:23 declares that Peter accepted the men who were sent by Cornelius into his residence, allowed them to sleep overnight, and then left with them on the next day:

Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him.

These videos provide many Scriptural proofs that a day starts in the morning.

WHEN DOES A DAY START – MORNING OR EVENING? PART 1

WHEN DOES A DAY START – MORNING OR EVENING? PART 2

WHEN DOES A DAY START – MORNING OR EVENING? PART 3

WHEN DOES A DAY START – MORNING OR EVENING? PART 4

WHEN DOES A DAY START – MORNING OR EVENING? PART 5

Seeing this truth directly affects the concept of Saturday being the Sabbath, as most people believe that it begins Friday evening. 

It’s tedious to watch all of the explanations in the videos, but if you’re searching for truth, Scripture proves out that a day starts at dawn when the sun begins to rule the sky.

Before I start explaining how to determine when a Scriptural month and year start, we need to address the elephant that’s in the room, which affects everyone’s ability to properly follow the Scriptural calendar.

Next Scriptural Calendar study: The Start Of A Scriptural Month

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