When does a day begin?

   With the Gregorian calendar starting a day at midnight and with Jewish custom starting a day at sunset it is easy to see how someone could easily become confused trying to keep scriptural time.  I am writing this short study to prove from scripture that a day begins at dawn and so we will continue with that premise.

In the beginning

Let's begin at the beginning and look at what happened during creation: 

Gen 1:1  In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth.
Gen 1:2  And the earth came to be formless and empty, and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of Elohim was moving on the face of the waters.
Gen 1:3  And Elohim said, “Let light come to be,” and light came to be.
Gen 1:4  And Elohim saw the light, that it was good. And Elohim separated the light from the darkness.
Gen 1:5  And Elohim called the light ‘day’ and the darkness He called ‘night.’ And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, the first day.

These first five verses of scripture really tell the entire story.  In verse 2, we see that the earth is covered in darkness.  Verse 3 tells us that the creator spoke light into existence as His first act of creation.  He then divides the light from the darkness.  (And we know that what YHWH hath joined, let not man separate.  The opposite could also be true.)  Then in verse 5 He calls the light "day" and He calls the darkness "night".  How then does it make sense to say that a day begins when it is dark?  Much of the confusion comes from the remainder of the verse:  It says that "there came to be evening and there came to be morning, the first day."  First of all, lets look at the distinct Hebrew words used in this verse:
Light = "Or" A noun literally meaning light.  The opposite of darkness.
Day = "Yom"  What YHWH named the period of time that contains light.
Darkness = "Choshek"  The state before light was created.  The absence of light.
Night = "Laila" What YHWH named the period of time that contains darkness (no light).
Evening = "Erev" The latter part of a day. (Afternoon)
Morning = "Boker" The first part of a day.
Evening and morning are defined here as parts of the first day NOT in any way a seperate day.  We could say that morning is the first part of the day and evening is the second part of the day and both contain light.

Now, look at the pattern presented throughout the first chapter of Genesis:
YHWH creates (does work)  Then evening comes, then morning comes and that is defined as a day.
We see this exact pattern six times in a row.

Now let us see if we can make better sense of these verses with our new understanding.


Gen 1:3  And Elohim said, “Let Or come to be,” and Or came to be.
Gen 1:4  And Elohim saw the Or, that it was good. And Elohim separated the Or from the Choshek.
Gen 1:5  And Elohim called the Or ‘Yom’ and the Choshek He called ‘Laila.’ And (after He finished that day's creation) there came to be Erev and there came to be Boker (When the first day completes and the second day begins), the first Yom.

Furthermore, look at verses 14-19 of the same chapter:

Gen 1:14  And Elohim said, “Let lights come to be in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and moedim, and for days and years,
Gen 1:15  and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth.” And it came to be so.
Gen 1:16  And Elohim made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night, and the stars.
Gen 1:17  And Elohim set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth,
Gen 1:18  and to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And Elohim saw that it was good.
Gen 1:19  And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, the fourth day.


YHWH then creates the sun, moon and stars as a perpetual calendar in the sky.  His word plainly says that the sun rules during the day and the moon rules at night.  How can anyone claim that sunset begins a day when the sun gives way to the moon?  His word plainly says that the moon rules the NIGHT not the DAY.

The words of the Master

What understanding did Yahushua have of when a day begins?  Let us read His very words:

Joh 11:9  יהושע answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.
Joh 11:10  “But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”

If we stick to the understanding revealed in the first chapter of Genesis, it is easy to see that a day (The period of time that contains light - ruled by the sun) contains twelve hours (on a sundial).  He even states that if you walk in daytime, you see the light and do not stumble.  However, walking at night (in darkness) could cause stumbling because you cannot see clearly. Such a simple and yet profound truth.  If a day begins at sunset, the words of the Master sound like the ravings of a madman!

Physical realities = Spiritual symbolism

Read the following verses.  Do they not use the physical realities to establish great spiritual truths?

•But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble. Proverbs 4:18-19

•Messiah Yahushua said, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." John 8:12

•"Ye are the light of the world". Matthew 5:14

•"Let your light so shine before men" Matthew 5:16

•In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not. John 1:4

•The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the light that all men through him might believe. John 1:7

•"For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth, cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in Yahuwah." John 3:20

•But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who had called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 1Peter 2:9

•But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Ephesians 5:13

•Then Elohim said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years. Genesis 1:14 

Night = Absence of light

The following verses establish plainly that Night (opposite of Day) occurs when there is absence of light.

•When the Gazites were told, "Samson has come here!" they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the gate of the city. They were quiet all night, saying, "In the morning, when it is daylight, we will kill him." Judges 16:2

•And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, "Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened." 1 Kings 18:27

• Then they took up Asahel and buried him in his father's tomb, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and then they came to Hebron at daybreak. 2 Samuel 2:32

•But the men would not heed him. So the man took his concubine and brought her out to them. And they knew her and abused her all night until morning; and when the day began to break, they let her go. Judges 19:25

•When I lie down, I say, "When shall I arise, and the night be ended?" For I have had my fill of tossing till dawn. Job 7:4

•Then Elohim made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. Elohim set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness.

•To Him who made great lights, for His mercy endures forever-- The sun to rule by day, for His mercy endures forever; the moon and stars to rule by night, for His mercy endures forever. Psalms 136:7-9

•I know that whatever Elohim does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it. Elohim does it, that men should fear before Him. Ecclesiastes 3:14

•The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our Eloah stands forever. Isaiah 40:8

•You make darkness, and it is night, in which all the beasts of the forest creep about. Psalms 104:20 

 It would be impossible to read into those verses a day beginning at sunset.  Go ahead, go back and re-read those verses and try to hold in your mind that a day begins at sunset.

If YHWH made the sun to rule the day...

If He called the light "Day"...

If He made the the darkness and called it "Night"...

If He made the moon to rule the night...

...if everything that He does is FOREVER...

Then who are we to change it???

The 43 Questions

Next, read this list of 43 questions to consider when asking "When does a day begin?"

Question 1: According to Genesis 1:1-5, what was the first thing the Creator called forth into existence?

In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of Elohim was hovering over the face of the waters. Then Elohim said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. And Elohim saw the light that it was good; and Elohim divided the light from the darkness. Elohim called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. Genesis 1:1-5

Answer: The first thing He created was "light."

Question 2: What was the first thing the Creator named?

In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of Elohim was hovering over the face of the waters. Then Elohim said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. And Elohim saw the light that it was good; and Elohim divided the light from the darkness. Elohim called the light day, and the darkness He called night. Genesis 1:1-5

Answer: Light was the first thing the Creator named. He called the light "day."

Question 3: What was the second thing the Creator named?

In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of Elohim was hovering over the face of the waters. Then Elohim said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. And Elohim saw the light that it was good; and Elohim divided the light from the darkness. Elohim called the light day, and the darkness He called night. Genesis 1:1-5

Answer: Darkness was the second thing the Creator named. He called the darkness "night."

Question 4: According to Genesis 1:1-5, when did the Creator make a distinction by separating and naming light and darkness?

In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of Elohim was hovering over the face of the waters. Then Elohim said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. And Elohim saw the light that it was good; and Elohim divided the light from the darkness. Elohim called the light day, and the darkness He called night. Genesis 1:1-5

Answer: It should be carefully noted that when He divided them, He named the day first, followed by the night. Our Creator's choice in using this sequence is actually the very foundation of this truth. As defined above, darkness is the absence of light. To make a distinction between the darkness and the light the creator separated them, meaning that they will forever hold different periods of time and never overlap. He then sealed His declaration that He separated them when He gave them their names. Day and Night are not synonymous terms, but rather they are opposites.

[Isaiah 45:7 - I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I Yahuwah do all these things; Psalm 104:20 - Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth.] 

Question 5: Since darkness is the absence of light, then what is night?

Answer: Night is the absence of day as defined by Genesis 1:1-5.

Question 6: According to the Daniel 4:33 and the entire New Testament, daylight is divided into 12 basic units of time. What are these units called?

And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. Matthew 20:9-10 

Yahushua answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." John 11:9-11

Answer: "Hours." The daylight consists of twelve hours. Hours were reckoned by the shadows on a sundial. Even though some days are longer and some shorter, it always shows up on a sundial as 12 hours, because the length of the hours automatically adjust.

Question 7: According to Genesis 1:5, when does a night begin and end?

Elohim called the light day, and the darkness He called night. Genesis 1:1-5

Answer: The night begins at dusk and ends at dawn, incorporating the entire period of darkness.

Question 8: So if a night begins at sunset, incorporating the entire dark period, when does a day begin?

Elohim called the light day, and the darkness He called night. Genesis 1:1-5

Answer: The day was reckoned by the daylight hours only, and began at dawn and ended at dusk. If the day also began at sunset, it would be like saying light equals darkness.

Question 9: According to Genesis 1:5, what is the definition given for the word "evening?"

Elohim called the light day, and the darkness He called night. So the evening and the morning were the first day. Genesis 1:5

Answer: The evening together with the morning make up the first daylight. This is a simple math equation: .5 + .5 = 1 whole daylight. Therefore the first daylight was made up of two parts, morning and evening. Morning begins at dawn and ends at noon; evening begins at noon and ends at dusk. With a good Hebrew concordance you will discover that the terms, evening and morning are more accurately stated, the evening together with the morning were the first day.

Question 10: According to Genesis 1:5, does the Creator say that the evening is part of the day or part of the night?

Elohim called the light day, and the darkness He called night. So the evening and the morning were the first day. Genesis 1:5

Answer: Yahuwah, the Creator, said that, "evening and the morning were the first day." If the evening was to be part of the night, and begins the day, this was the place Yahuwah would have stated it. But not one word is said connecting the evening with the darkness of night. He evidently missed His opportunity.

Question 11: Now, with a more complete understanding of the differences of day and night as declared by the Creator, during which period of time did He do all of His creative works?

And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And Elohim saw that it was good. So the evening and the morning were the third day. Genesis 1:12-13

Then Elohim saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Genesis 1:31

Answer: Since evening and morning are the two halves of the daylight hours, then it appears that all the creative works were accomplished during these daylight hours. Absolutely nothing was created during the dark of night after He called forth light.

Question 12: What examples from Scripture show that Yahuwah supports the physical realities of light and darkness with spiritual symbolic language?

• But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble. Proverbs 4:18-19
• Messiah Yahushua said, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." John 8:12
• "Ye are the light of the world". Matthew 5:14
• "Let your light so shine before men" Matthew 5:16
• In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not. John 1:4
• The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the light that all men through him might believe. John 1:7
• "For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth, cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in Yahuwah." John 3:20
• But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who had called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 1Peter 2:9
• But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Ephesians 5:13

Answer: Throughout Scripture Yahuwah has used these contrasting principles of light and dark to teach His spiritual truths. Darkness was to represent infidelity, spiritual blindness and evil, while light was to represent truth, spiritual understanding, and righteousness. Yahushua uses these principles over and over throughout His ministry along with Paul.

Question 13: In the Genesis 1, Moses records the Creator declaring six times that evening and morning were the daylight hours only. So when the seventh-day came along in Chapter 2, what period of time did the Creator designate as Holy?

And on the seventh day Elohim ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3 Then Elohim blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which Elohim had created and made. Genesis 2:2-3

Answer: The Sabbath is only the daylight portion of a calendar date, and is reckoned by hours. If it was to begin at dark, this Scripture would overtly declare that Yahuwah rested on the seventh night three times. See John 11:9.

Question 14: According to Genesis 1:14, what did Yahuwah, our Creator, give us to determine our days and our years, lights or darkness?

Then Elohim said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years. Genesis 1:14

Answer: Lights! Notice it does not say nights and darkness, but lights.

Question 15: If a day starts at sunset, when it becomes dark, then when does a night begin?

When the Gazites were told, "Samson has come here!" they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the gate of the city. They were quiet all night, saying, "In the morning, when it is daylight, we will kill him." Judges 16:2

You make darkness, and it is night, in which all the beasts of the forest creep about. Psalms 104:20

While the earth remains,
seedtime and harvest,
cold and heat,
winter and summer,
and day and night
shall not cease.
Genesis 8:22

Answer: They do not both start simultaneously, if so, they would be the same. A day starts when it becomes light according to Judges 16:2. Night starts when it becomes dark according to Psalm 104:20. They are totally the opposite of one another according to Genesis 8:22.

Question 16: Is 12:00 midnight the middle of the night or the middle of the day?

And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, "Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened." 1 Kings 18:27

Answer: It is the middle of the night, because the middle of the day comes after the morning and before dusk and is called noon.

Question 17: When the holy Scriptures speak about the break of day, or the dawning of the day, in 2 Samuel 2:32, Judges 19:25 and Job 7:4; is this speaking about the beginning of a day, or the ending of a day?

Then they took up Asahel and buried him in his father's tomb, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at daybreak. 2 Samuel 2:32

But the men would not heed him. So the man took his concubine and brought her out to them. And they knew her and abused her all night until morning; and when the day began to break, they let her go. Judges 19:25

When I lie down, I say, "When shall I arise, and the night be ended?" For I have had my fill of tossing till dawn. Job 7:4

Answer: It is speaking about the beginning of a day.

Question 18: Was the sun made to rule over the day or was it made to rule over the night?

Then Elohim said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so. Then Elohim made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. Elohim set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And Elohim saw that it was good. Genesis 1:14-18

Answer: It was made to rule over the day and not the darkness of night.

Question 19 : Since the sun was made to rule over the day, then how can a day begin at night when the sun is not ruling?

To Him who made great lights, for His mercy endures forever-- The sun to rule by day, for His mercy endures forever; the moon and stars to rule by night, for His mercy endures forever. Psalms 136:7-9

Answer: It can't, this is impossible because the Creator designed these two lights to declare the specific divisions of each calendar date. Day and night simply can never overlap any more than light and darkness can overlap. Darkness is merely the absence of light, so therefore night is the absence of day.

Question 20: The Creator said many times throughout the Scriptures, that He divided the day from the night or the light from darkness according to Genesis 1:3-5, 14-19. When did He put them back together?

I know that whatever Elohim does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it. Elohim does it, that men should fear before Him. Ecclesiastes 3:14

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our Eloah stands forever. Isaiah 40:8

Answer: He has never put them back together. Many choose to believe that the daylight follows the night without the weight of evidence.

Question 21: Is it possible for my visiting parents to remain at my house all day without spending the night?

You make darkness, and it is night, in which all the beasts of the forest creep about. Psalms 104:20

Answer: Yes, because when a day ends, the night begins.

Question 22: In Numbers 11:32, it says that the Children of Israel gathered the quail all that day, and all that night, and all the next day. So how many days and how many nights did they gather quail?

And the people stayed up all that day, all night, and all the next day, and gathered the quail (he who gathered least gathered ten homers); and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. Numbers 11:32

Answer: They gathered quail for two days and one night, but if a day begins at night then they would have gathered quail three days and three nights.

Question 23:    In the Heavenly Father’s tender care, He rained manna from heaven for forty years in the wilderness to feed the newly released Israelites whom He had led out of Egypt.  In addition to clarifying which day was the seventh-day Sabbath, there are several other details relating to the manna of great importance to Yahuwah, which illustrate when the day begins. He gave precise specifications regarding the gathering of the manna as He stated it would be used to test their obedience to Him. 

• . . .that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no. Exodus 16:4

• . . . The people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day . . . Exodus 16:4 
• . . . On the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily. Exodus16:5
• . . . In the morning, then ye shall see the glory of Yahuwah . . . Exodus 16:7
• In the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am Yahuwah your Eloah. Exodus 16:12
• And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. Exodus 16:14
• Let no man leave of it till the morning. Exodus16:19
• . . . Some of them left of it until the [next] morning, and it bred worms, and stank. . . Exodus 16:20
• . . . When the sun waxed hot, it melted. Exodus 16:21
• . . . On the sixth day they gathered twice as much . . . Exodus 16:22
• To morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto Yahuwah: bake that which ye will bake today, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. Exodus 16:23
• And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. Exodus 16:24
• And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a Sabbath unto Yahuwah: to day ye shall not find it in the field. Exodus 16:25
• Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, in it there shall be none. Exodus 16:26
• See, for that Yahuwah hath given you the Sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. Exodus 16:29
• So the people rested on the seventh day. Exodus 16:30

Answer:   The miracle of the manna story encompasses more than Yahuwah providing food for the Israelites for forty years.  It was His ordained plan to use a feeding schedule to restore Israel back to His time system. 

Here it is found that the Sabbath of the Master of Heaven is the seventh-day and that it follows six work days. It is found that the day begins in the morning rather than at night.  The manna could be preserved for exactly 24 hours, and always went bad the next morning when the fresh, new manna was to be given, except on the Sabbath.   We find that the term tomorrow is referred to as a day that begins at morning. On the sixth day, Moses spoke of tomorrow as being the Sabbath day. If the Sabbath had begun at sunset, Moses would have spoken regarding the Sabbath tonight or at sunset.  The Sabbath began in the morning, as depicted by no manna given on that morning.

Question 24: From the time of Moses, through to the death of Christ on the cross, the morning and evening sacrifices were a daily occurrence. Was only the morning sacrifice administered during the daylight hours?

Answer: No! Both sacrifices were administered during the daylight hours. The morning sacrifice was administered between sunrise and noon, while the evening sacrifice was administered between noon and dusk, and never after dark.

Question 25: According to Exodus18:13, when does "the next day" begin; in the evening, night or in the morning?

And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening. Exodus18:13

Answer: The "next day" begins in the morning, as all of the Scriptures clearly indicate. You will never find Scripture declaring that the "next day" or tomorrow begins in the evening or the night, but it always begins at dawn.

Question 26: According to Exodus 16:22-25, when does the rest of the Holy Sabbath unto Yahuwah begin, in the night, evening or in the morning?

And so it was, on the sixth day, that they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. And all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. Then he said to them, "This is what Yahuwah has said: 'Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to Yahuwah. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning.' "So they laid it up till morning, as Moses commanded; and it did not stink, nor were there any worms in it. Then Moses said, "Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to Yahuwah; today you will not find it in the field. Exodus 16:22-25

Answer: The Sabbath begins in the morning as all other days begin. When the next morning came Moses said, "Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to Yahuwah." This clarifies that the Sabbath began the next day at dawn.

Question 27: If a night is considered a day, then what did Yahuwah mean when He said that He would cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights?

For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made. Genesis 7:4

Answer: A night is not considered a day, or even the beginning of a day, but rather they are the exact opposites. Also, notice in the words of the Yahuwah Himself that He states that the day comes before the night.

Question 28: If a day begins when it becomes dark, then why is darkness always during the night in Scripture and never depicted as the day, except when it is speaking about the "Day of Yahuwah's Wrath?"

Elohim set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And Elohim saw that it was good. Genesis 1:17, 18

Answer: A day does not start when it becomes dark, because Yahuwah totally separated the light from darkness, when he separated day from night.

Question 29: In Genesis 1:5, does the word day mean light or does it mean both light and darkness?

Elohim called the light day, and the darkness He called night. Genesis 1:5

Answer: The word "light" means day and the darkness means night.

Question 30: In Genesis 1:3-4, it states that "Elohim divided the light from the darkness." Did this mean He put light and darkness together or separated them?

Then Elohim said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. And Elohim saw the light that it was good; and Elohim divided the light from the darkness. Genesis 1:3-5

Answer: He separated the light from the darkness.

Question 31: Why is it that the upright and righteous men are stirred up against the hypocrites? What did the people do to deserve to be called hypocrites?

Upright men are astonished at this, and the innocent stirs himself up against the hypocrite. Yet the righteous will hold to his way, and he who has clean hands will be stronger and stronger. "But please, come back again, all of you, for I shall not find one wise man among you. My days are past, My purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart. They change the night into day; 'The light is near,' they say, in the face of darkness. Job 17:8-14

Answer: Because the hypocrites are saying that Yahuwah, our Creator, is a liar when He said He separated the day from the night. Genesis 1:4. Now they have changed the night into day when Yahuwah had declared the light to be day and not the dark of night.

Question 32: If a day always started at night, then how could anyone change the night into day?

And the word of Yahuwah came to Jeremiah, saying, "Thus says Yahuwah: 'If you can break My covenant with the day and My covenant with the night, so that there will not be day and night in their season, then My covenant may also be broken with David My servant, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and with the Levites, the priests, My ministers. Jeremiah 33:19-21

Answer: This would be totally impossible. By the wicked Israelites trying to do so, it would bring about the total destruction of the House of Israel.

Question 33: According to the words of the Most High, what is the difference between a day and a night?

Thus says Yahuwah, who gives the sun for a light by day, the ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, who disturbs the sea, and its waves roar (Yahuwah of hosts is His name): "If those ordinances depart from before Me, says Yahuwah, then the seed of Israel shall also cease from being a nation before Me forever." Jeremiah 31:35-36

To Him who made great lights, for His mercy endures forever-- The sun to rule by day, for His mercy endures forever; the moon and stars to rule by night, for His mercy endures forever. Psalms 136:7-9

Elohim called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. Genesis 1:5

Answer: Day equals light, and night equals darkness. Jeremiah 31:35 and Psalm 136:7-9. Genesis 1:5 states: "Elohim called the light day, and the darkness he called night.

Question 34: In Jeremiah 33:19-21, Yahuwah speaks about the evil that He would bring upon the house of David and kingdom of Israel if they broke His covenants. What was the covenant that Yahuwah was stressing that His people not break?

Thus says Yahuwah, who gives the sun for a light by day, the ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, who disturbs the sea, and its waves roar (Yahuwah of hosts is His name): "If those ordinances depart from before Me, says Yahuwah, then the seed of Israel shall also cease from being a nation before Me forever." Jeremiah 31:35-36 

Answer: His covenant of the day, and His covenant of the night must not be broken, which would cause the day and the night not to be at their appropriate times.

Question 35: What does Yahuwah declare will happen if the ordinance of day and the ordinance of night are removed?

Thus says Yahuwah, who gives the sun for a light by day, the ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, who disturbs the sea, and its waves roar (Yahuwah of hosts is His name): "If those ordinances depart from before Me, says Yahuwah, then the seed of Israel shall also cease from being a nation before Me forever." Jeremiah 31:35-36 

Answer: Israel will cease from being a nation.

Question 36: Many Sabbatarians have used Leviticus 23:32 as a second witness in conjunction to Genesis 1:5, that we are to keep the holy seventh-day Sabbath from even unto even, which they interpret as sunset unto sunset. While this does appear confusing at first glance, the pure and unadulterated truth lies within the original Hebrew wording and is not found in the translated versions.

It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath." Leviticus 23:32 

Answer: The first observation one must notice is that this verse is stating the parameters of the Feast Day of Atonement which is an annual feast day occurring on the second day of the week. This text is not specifically referring to the seventh-day Sabbath any more than the description of the Feast of Passover in verse 5, which was to commence at twilight.  Yom HaKippurim is the only feast that is kept from evening to evening.  To assume that this applies to all Sabbaths would be saying that all Sabbaths are kept from the 9th of the month until the tenth of the month.  Furthermore, if the feast starts on the 9th of the month at evening and ends on the 10th at evening, when does the day change from being the 9th to being the 10th?  Again, the answer is at dawn.

Question 37: Genesis, Exodus and Leviticus were all recorded by Moses. If the time elements clarified in each of these books were not in perfect harmony with each other, Moses would have questioned Yahuwah. It was Moses who recorded the Ten Commandments, including the fourth, which speaks specifically of the seventh-day Sabbath. Is there any reference made to commencing the Sabbath at night?

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of Yahuwah your Eloah. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days Yahuwah made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore Yahuwah blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. Exodus 20:8-11 

Answer: There is no reference to the Sabbath commencing at night or sunset. Furthermore the terminology is in harmony with all we have previously discovered that when the Creator speaks of the day, by that name, He specifically is referring to the daylight and not a full calendar date.

Also, notice the very last sentence. He blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as sacred and holy. No where in scripture is the dark of night ever set apart as sacred and holy, as it was divinely designed to symbolize spiritual blindness and evil. In contrast the light was to symbolize truth and righteousness. There are no inconsistencies regarding this ordained symbolism. The Sabbath was to be the daylight hours only. It was to be from twilight unto twilight. Leviticus 23:5; 32. 

Question 38: During the life of Christ, He kept the Sabbath for the correct length of time. How long did he declare a day to be?

Yahushua answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world." John 11:9 

Answer: While He states the day to be twelve hours in length, notice He clarifies no difference between the length of a week day and a Sabbath day. In this way He defines them as the same. The traditional Jews are not able to utilize this detail.

Question 39: Also during Christ's life it was His custom to go to the synagogue. Was this during the light or dark portion of a calendar date?

And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. Luke 4:16 

Answer: According to Scripture it was His custom to enter the synagogue on during the daylight. No where is it recorded that He went to the synagogue to worship during the dark of night. The traditional Jews are not able to utilize this detail.

Question 40: Yahushua was the Lamb of Yahuwah to be sacrificed on behalf of all people of all time. After an agonizing nighttime trial and beating, our Savior was on the cross at about the sixth hour. Was this the sixth hour of the day, or the sixth hour of the night?

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

Answer: If you say it was the sixth hour of the "day", then you must realize that this time continuum is counting from about dawn at the beginning of each new day. Thus it would place Yahushua on the cross at approximately 12 Noon. However, if you say "night", because you believe Sabbath hours began counting from sunset, then you are saying that Yahushua was on the cross at approximately 12 midnight. It simply can't be both ways. Luke confirms that He died during the 'daylight hours' because the sun was darkened - "And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.   And the [sun] was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst." Luke 23:44,45.

Question 41: Passover, Abib 14, A.D. 31, was the calendar date of the crucifixion. This day of days, also known as the preparation day, contained only 12 hours from dawn to dusk. How many hours did the following day contain?

Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. Mark 15:25-26

Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. Matthew 27:45-46

Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. Mark 15:33-34

Nature itself was in sympathy with the scene. The sun shone clearly until midday, when suddenly it seemed to be blotted out. All about the cross was darkness as deep as the blackest midnight. This supernatural darkness lasted fully three hours. 

Messiah was placed on the cross on the third hour of the day. At the sixth hour (noon) darkness was over all the land until the ninth hour (3:00 P.M.), at which time Messiah Yahushua died.

Answer: The following day contained exactly the same amount of hours, which was a total of twelve. That day was not only a seventh-day Sabbath, but it was also the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, making it a High Sabbath. The number of sacred hours of this day were exactly the same as the sacred hours of the seventh-day of creation. The sacred portion of any calendar date has always been the daylight hours only and were never to include the darkness of night. The traditional Jews are not able to utilize this detail.

Question 42: Does the gospel account of the crucifixion provide time details that only fit if the day begins at dawn?

Death by crucifixion was a lengthy process that typically took several days.  Yahushua, as the Lamb of Yah that takes away the sins of the world, was crucified on the day of Passover, the 14th of Abib.  He died at the time of the evening sacrifice.

The next day was not only the seventh-day Sabbath, but also the first day of Feast of Unleavened Bread, a "High Sabbath." 

"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.  Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.  But when they came to Yahushua, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs."  (John 19:31-33)

The purpose of breaking the legs was to hasten death so they could be buried before the Sabbath.  Yahushua's legs were not broken as He was already dead.  (He died about the "ninth hour" - the midafternoon time of the evening sacrifice).

"Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Yahushua.  This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Yahushua.  Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him.  And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb, and departed."  (Matthew 27:57-60, )

This was a lengthy process! 

• Joseph went to Pilate and asked for the body.  (Matthew 27:57)
• Pilate did not believe Yahushua could die so quickly from a process that typically took several days.  He sent for the centurion to confirm Yahushua's death.  (Mark 15:44, 45)
• Joseph went and got burial linens, returned to Golgotha and removed the body.  (Mark 15:46)
• Nicodemus arrived bringing 100 pounds of myrrh and aloes for preparing the body for burial.  (John 19:39)
• The body was likely washed before being bound in "strips of linen with the spices."  (John 19:40)
• The body was then laid to rest in Joseph's own tomb which was nearby.  (Matthew 27:59, 60)

This lengthy process took the entire night.  The Sabbath could not begin at "even" because that was the very time Joseph of Arimathea first went to Pilate to ask for the Saviour's body!  If the Sabbath began at "sunset" as many have believed, the Sabbath would have already been broken by the fact that they did not even begin to ask for the body until "evening had come."

"Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of Yahuwah, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Yahushua."  (Mark 15:42, 43, )

Yahushua's friends finished burying Him just as the Sabbath began to dawn.

"And he [Joseph of Arimathea] 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."  (Luke 23:53, 54)

The phrase translated 'drew on' in this text, is the Greek word, . . . (epiphosko). The definition is startling: 'to begin to grow light: – begin to dawn.'  It is a form of #2017, . . . (epiphauo), which means 'to illuminate . . . give light.'  Because they waited until evening to even begin the process of seeking permission to take the body, taking it down, cleaning and wrapping it, etc., it took them the night hours to do their work. They did not finish until the Sabbath began as it started to grow light.  (eLaine Vornholt and L. L. Vornholt-Jones, The Great Calendar Controversy, p. 40.)

Yahushua was resurrected very early on the first day of the week.  The first day of the week, like every other day, began 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."  (Matthew 28:1)

The subject of when the day begins is important because it affects the observance of the Sabbath.  In recent years, it has become a very controversial topic among Sabbath-keepers.  However, when the weight of Scripture is brought together, it is clear that the day begins at dawn and ends at dusk.  While the nighttime hours have the same date as the day that just ended, the sacred hours of the Sabbath, as revealed in the story of the Exodus, are the daylight hours only.

Answer: Yes, a close study of the events and the word study of the text shows that a day begins at dawn and ends at dusk.

Question 43: If the celebration of our Sabbath day begins in the evening when the sun is going down, why would our Creator state that all nations shall praise His name and worship Him from the "rising of the sun, even to its going down?"

From the rising of the sun to its going down Yahuwah's name is to be praised. Psalms 113:3 

The Mighty One, Elohim Yahuwah, has spoken and called the earth from the rising of the sun to its going down. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, Elohim will shine forth. Psalms 50:1-2 

For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; in every place incense shall be offered to My name, and a pure offering; for My name shall be great among the nations," says Yahuwah of hosts. Malachi 1:11 

Answer: If the Sabbath day begins in the evening, as many people believe, then these verses would make no sense whatsoever.

In Conclusion:

• In the creation account, the first thing the Creator called into existence and named was "light." Genesis 1:3.
• Darkness is the absence of light. Genesis 1:2-4.
• A day is the "light" portion of a full calendar date, defined by hours. Genesis 1:4, 5.
• A night is the dark portion of a full calendar date, and is defined by four watches. Genesis 1:4, 5.
• Day and night are opposite periods of time and never overlap. Genesis 1:4, 5.
• A separating distinction was forever cast when the Creator named the light day and darkness night. Genesis 1:4, 5.
• Day and night are the two halves of a full calendar date. Genesis 1:4, 5.
• Evening is not equated with the darkness of night. Genesis 1:5.
• Evening together with the morning are the two halves of daylight. Genesis 1:13.
• All creation was accomplished during the light hours of the day. Genesis 1: all.
• The Creator declared six times in six days that His works of creation were accomplished during the daylight hours, which were composed of the evening together with the morning. Genesis 1: all.
• The sun was appointed to rule over the day. Genesis 1:16.
• The moon and stars were appointed to rule over the night. Genesis 1:16.
• Yahuwah has always used the contrasting principles of light and dark to teach His spiritual truths. Proverbs 4:18-19; John 8:12; Matthew 5:14, 15; John 1:4, 7; John 3:20; 1 Peter 2:9; Ephesians 5:13.
• Symbolically, "darkness" was to represent infidelity, spiritual blindness and evil. Proverbs 4:18-19; John 1:4; John 3:20; 1 Peter 2:9.
• Symbolically, "light" was to represent truth, spiritual understanding, and righteousness. Proverbs 4:18-19; John 1:4; John 3:20; 1 Peter 2:9.
• The terms next day or tomorrow, both refer to the daylight which begins at dawn and ends at dusk. Exodus 18:13.
• Hypocrites call the night day. This is demonstrated by all those who believe the holy seventh-day Sabbath begins at sunset. Job 17:8-14.
• If the ordinance of the day and ordinance of the night are removed, then Israel was to cease as a nation. Job 17:8-14.
• The terms "even unto even" mean twilight unto twilight, and surround the daylight hours only and have nothing to do with the night. Leviticus 23:5, 32.
• The Fourth Commandment supports what was discovered in Genesis 1:1-5, that the Sabbath is the daylight portion of a full calendar date. There is absolutely no mention of the darkness of night. Exodus 20:8-11
• The Creator blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as sacred and holy. No where in Scripture is the dark of night ever set apart as sacred and holy, as it was divinely designed to symbolize spiritual blindness and evil. Proverbs 4:18-19; John 1:4; John 3:20; 1 Peter 2:9.
• The Sabbath day is the same length of time as all other days, incorporating a period of 12 hours of daylight. Genesis 1:1-5; Genesis 2:1-3; John 11:9.
• During Christ's life it was His custom to enter the synagogue on the Sabbath day. Luke 4:16.
• During Christ Yahushua's life He declared that there are 12 hours in a day. He was the Creator who called the light day and the darkness he called night. He changes not. John 11:9; Ecclesiastes 3:14; Isaiah 40:8.
• In His death He demonstrated that the day is only 12 hours long. He was crucified at the 3rd hour of the day. The sky became dark from the 6th hour (noon) to the 9th hour, at which time He said, it is finished and died. This is specifically referring to the daylight hours. 
• The lengthy activities necessary for His burial BEFORE the Sabbath, and the word study regarding the beginning of that Sabbath, prove without any shadow of a doubt, that day begins at dawn and ends at dusk.
• Yahuwah declared that the nations of earth would worship Him from the rising of the sun to it's going down. Psalms 113:3; Psalms 50:1-2; Malachi 1:11.

Lucifer has changed times!

Lucifer, Yahuwah's enemy, has stolen the worship due the Creator by changing the calendar used to find the seventh-day Sabbath.  But that is not all he has changed.  He has even changed when a day begins!  The modern 24-hour "day" begins at midnight.  Jews and Saturday-sabbatarians begin their Sabbaths Friday evening at sunset.  However, Scripture reveals when the day begins and it is neither midnight nor sunset.

Creation week began when the Creator said, "Let there be light!"  The first day of the first week of this world began with the creation of light.

And Elohim divided the light from the darkness.  . . . Elohim called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night.  So the evening and the morning were the first day.  (See Genesis 1:4-5.)

When Yahuwah separated the light from the darkness, He called the light "Day" and then He defined that "day" as being made up of both the evening and the morning:

"So the evening and the morning were the first day."  (Genesis 1:5, KJV)

When Moses wrote the book of Genesis, he did not lack the word "night."  In Genesis, he defined the day to include both of the transition times, evening and morning.  If the day began at midnight or at sunset, Moses would not have written that the evening and the morning were all part of the day. 

Leviticus 23:32 is the main Bible text that is used to support the "day" beginning at sunset:

"From evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath."  (Leviticus 23:32b, KJV.)

When the text is read in context, however, it becomes clear that it cannot be applied to every day or even the seventh-day Sabbath.  Leviticus 23:26-32 contains Yahuwah's directions regarding Day of Atonement.  If every day began at evening, He would not have needed to tell the Israelites to begin their observance of Day of Atonement the evening before.

"Day of Atonement" spans two calendar dates: the ninth and the tenth. 

"On the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: . . . 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."  (Leviticus 23:27, 32, KJV)

If the day began at evening, Moses would have simply been told: "Day of Atonement is on the tenth day of the seventh month."  Day begins with the coming of light.  Evening does not begin the day of the ninth.  Neither does evening begin any other day, including the seventh-day Sabbath.

The sun was given to rule over the day.  Day begins with the coming of light and is over when there is no longer enough light for the sun to be ruling.  Centuries later the Saviour asked, "Are there not twelve hours in the day?"  (John 11:9, KJV)  No one argued with Him!  Everyone knew that the day began with the coming of light.  The hours of the day were divided evenly into twelve parts, as shown on a sundial.  Hours were longer in the summer, and shorter in the winter, but each day had only 12 hours.

Gospel accounts of the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Yahushua reveal this timing of beginning the day.

"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, KJV)

The first day of the week did not begin until light began to grow in the Eastern sky.  Likewise, the evening after the crucifixion, the Sabbath did not begin at sunset.  Scripture clearly states that the priests and rulers did not want the bodies to remain on the cross over the Sabbath:

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.  Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.  But when they came to Yahushua, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs.  (See John 19:31-33.)

Death by crucifixion generally took several days.  The whole point to hasten the death of the victims was so that they could be taken off their crosses before the Sabbath began at dawn the next day.

Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Yahushua.  This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Yahushua.  Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him.  And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb, and departed.  (See Matthew 27:57-60.)

This took a long time! 

• Joseph went to Pilate and asked for the body.  (Matthew 28:58)
• Pilate did not believe Yahushua could die so quickly from a process that typically took several days.  He sent for the centurion to confirm Yahushua's death.  (Mark 15:44, 45)
• Joseph went and got burial linens, returned to Golgotha and removed the body.  (Mark 15:46)
• Nicodemus arrived bringing 100 pounds of myrrh and aloes for preparing the body for burial.  (John 19:39)
• The body was likely washed before being bound in "strips of linen with the spices."  (John 19:40)
• The body was then laid to rest in Joseph's own tomb which was nearby.  (Matthew 27:59, 60)

A Biblical day begins at dawn, with the earliest  introduction of the sun's light (before sunrise).

This was a very lengthy process that took the entire night.  The Sabbath did not begin at "even" because that was the very time Joseph of Arimathea first went to Pilate to ask for the body!

Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Yahushua.  (See Mark 15:42-43.)

The work of burying the Saviour finished just as the Sabbath began to dawn.

"And he [Joseph of Arimathea] 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."  (Luke 23:53, 54, KJV)

"The phrase translated 'drew on' in this text, is the Greek word, . . . (epiphosko). The definition is startling: 'to begin to grow light: – begin to dawn.'  It is a form of #2017, . . . (epiphauo), which means 'to illuminate . . . give light.'  Because they waited until evening to even begin the process of seeking permission to take the body, taking it down, cleaning and wrapping it, etc., it took them the night hours to do their work. They did not finish until the Sabbath began as it started to grow light." (eLaine Vornholt and L. L. Vornholt-Jones, The Great Calendar Controversy, p. 40.)

The first thing Yahuwah did after creating light was to divide light from darkness.  He then named the two different parts that He had separated.  The light part He called "Day" and the dark part He called "Night."  It is a principle of Scripture that what Yahuwah has joined together, let no man separate.  (See Mark 10:9.)  Likewise, what Yahuwah has separated, no man should join together.  Claiming the day begins at midnight or at sunset joins together what the Creator has separated.

"In the time of the end every divine institution is to be restored. The breach made in the law at the time the Sabbath was changed by man, is to be repaired. . . . [Yahuwah's] remnant people, standing before the world as reformers, are to show that the law of . . . [the Almighty] is the foundation of all enduring reform and that the Sabbath of the fourth commandment is to stand as a memorial of creation, a constant reminder of the power of . . . [the Creator]. In clear, distinct lines they are to present the necessity of obedience to all the precepts of the Decalogue. Constrained by the love of . . . [Yahushua], they are to co-operate with Him in building up the waste places. They are to be repairers of the breach, restorers of paths to dwell in." (E. G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 678)

Lucifer boasted that he would “change times and laws.” (Daniel 7:25, KJV)  By changing the day of worship, the calendar used to find that day, and even when the day begins, he has stolen worship that rightfully belongs to the Creator.

Step free of error and tradition.  Join the growing number of truth-seekers the world over who are restoring the true Sabbath day.

Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, 
that you may know that I am Yahuwah who sanctifies you. (See Exodus 31:13.)