Day Reckoning in the Bible
The Bible’s day reckoning follows the sunrise theory, which considers morning, when the sun rises, as the beginning of a day. However, in modern times, Judaism and denominations such as the Seventh-day Adventist Church regard evening, when the sun sets, as the start of a day.[1][2] To properly observe God’s appointed feasts, one must accurately understand the Bible’s day reckoning. The Bible defines the beginning of a day as morning, and the feasts were established accordingly.
Necessity of the Bible’s Day Reckoning
In ancient times, before the invention of clocks, various calendars were created based on the observation of celestial movements, with variations by region. A calendar is a system that organizes days, months, and years for daily life, religious observance, and historical or scientific purposes.[3] The definition of a day, the fundamental unit of a calendar, significantly influences the reckoning of dates.
God’s feasts were established according to the sacred calendar, which is the calendar from the Bible. Therefore, understanding the biblical regulations for dates—specifically, when a day begins according to the Scripture—is essential for correctly observing God’s feasts.
Sunset Theory
Meaning
The sunset theory asserts that a day begins at sunset, specifically when the sun goes down, and ends at sunset the following day. Since the moment of sunset marks the start of the day, night precedes day. The sunset marks the change of date.
Today, Jews observe Jewish holidays according to the sunset theory.[1] Similarly, the Seventh-day Adventists base their Sabbath observance on this principle, noting that the Sabbath begins on Friday evening and concludes on Saturday evening.[2]
Contradictions of the Sunset Theory
- Record of the Six-Day Creation
Proponents of the sunset theory cite the account of the six days of creation in Genesis as a key piece of evidence.
And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
In this verse, it is argued that “since evening appears before morning, the Bible indicates that the start of the day is in the evening.” However, the Bible states, “And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.” This implies that the end of the first day is marked by morning. If, according to their claim, the day begins at sunset, a contradiction arises: the day would consist of only 12 hours from evening to morning, eliminating the remaining 12 hours of daylight. This error occurs because they overlook the fact that God created light before the evening, which accounts for the existence of daytime prior to the evening.
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
God first created light before stating, “There was evening, and there was morning.” This indicates that daytime came before evening, serving as evidence that the day begins in the morning. Therefore, according to the Bible, the start of the day cannot be in the evening.
- Date of the Day of Atonement
Another biblical passage that the proponents of the sunset theory cite as evidence is Leviticus 23.
“It is a day of sabbath rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath.”
They argue that “since God commanded that the Sabbath be observed from evening to the next evening, this means that the day begins in the evening.” However, Leviticus 23:32 refers to the Day of Atonement, not the weekly seventh-day Sabbath. When the Day of Atonement was referred to as a Sabbath, it is merely a symbolic expression of refraining from work on the holy days. Similarly, the Bible also refers to the Feast of Trumpets on the first day of the seventh month as a sabbath.
“Say to the Israelites: ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of sabbath rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts.’ ”
The Feast of Trumpets (the first day of the seventh month by the sacred calendar) and the Day of Atonement (the tenth day of the seventh month by the sacred calendar), which have fixed dates each year, cannot always coincide with the seventh-day Sabbath. Therefore, the sabbath in Leviticus 23:32 does not signify the seventh-day Sabbath.
According to the sunset theory, the Day of Atonement would fall on the 9th of the seventh month. However, the biblical Day of Atonement is observed on the 10th of the seventh month.[4] Therefore, the Day of Atonement cannot be observed according to the Bible if the sunset perspective is applied. The observance of the Day of Atonement on the 10th day of the seventh month, as prescribed in the Bible, is possible only when following the sunrise theory.
Sunrise Theory
Meaning
The sunrise theory posits that a day begins at sunrise, meaning it starts in the morning and ends the following morning. Since the rising of the sun marks the start of the day, daytime occurs first, followed by nighttime. The next morning serves as both the conclusion of the previous day and the starting point of a new day, establishing the basis for date changes. The Bible defines dates based on sunrise.
Evidence of Sunrise Theory
- Record of 1 Samuel
When the events recorded in 1 Samuel 19 are arranged chronologically, it becomes evident that the Bible establishes dates based on sunrise.
Saul sent men to David’s house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t run for your life tonight, tomorrow you’ll be killed.”
When her father Saul sought to kill her husband David, Michal wanted to help him escape. During the night, she and David conversed, aware of Saul’s intention to kill David the following morning. Because the sunset theory posits that night comes before day, according to this view, Michal should have referred to the approaching morning as “today.” However, when Michal spoke with David (at point A in the illustration), she referred to the upcoming morning as “tomorrow,” meaning the
- Records of Jesus’ Resurrection
The concept of the sunrise theory as a biblical regulation of dates can also be understood through the resurrection of Jesus, who rose from the dead in the “morning” of the first day of the week.
When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week . . .
The resurrected Jesus appeared to His disciples that very “evening.”
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”
If we explain this according to the sunset theory, the evening when Jesus appeared to His disciples would be considered the evening of the second day (B in the illustration of the sunset theory). Additionally, the evening of the first day (C in the illustration of the sunset theory) would be before Jesus had even been resurrected.
On the other hand, viewing this situation from the sunrise perspective presents no issues. Jesus was resurrected on the morning of the first day of the week (A in the illustration of the sunrise theory) and appeared to His disciples that evening (B in the illustration of the sunrise theory), which aligns perfectly with the biblical account. In other words, the Bible indicates that the beginning of the day is in the morning.
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Day Begins with Night, ISMAR SCHORSCH, JTS, October 25, 1997
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 What Adventists Believe about the Sabbath, Seventh-day Adventist Church
- ↑ Calendar, Britannica
- ↑ "Leviticus 23:27".