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Let's take a look at the scriptures people use to say it is from sunset to sunset or evening. This is what I have always been taught by Sabbath keeping Pastors. Let's examine.
Gen 1:5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
Gen 1:8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
And so on.
People usually automatically conclude that evening is therefore the beginning of the day since evening is mentioned first in each day. However, let's take a look at the entire context. Notice when God works, what comes next and what comes next, Step by step in the entire context in stead of taking just the "evening and morning were...".
Gen 1:1 In the beginning God (Elohim, God family) created (perfectly, without flaw, without defect) the heaven(s) and the earth.
Gen 1:2 And the earth was (became) without form, and void (Hebrew – “Tohu Waw Bohu” – desolate and empty [Animal life and plant life no longer existed]); and darkness was (came) upon the face of the deep (by reason of him, the dragon, that subjected the same by hope via vanity Rms.8, Isa. 14; Ezek. 28:15-16). And the Spirit of God moved(Hebrew=Rachaph=literally means “to brood or to incubate”) upon the face of the waters(Hebrew word “Hamajim” and means “melted water”).
(darkness= Hebrew – “Choshek” – a darkness that keeps out light and heat. “Tehom” – this is the Hebrew word for deep and it means raging waters. Absence of light and heat would result in ice (perhaps a reference to the Ice Age of science). Under this ice were the raging waters. The Spirit of God moved or incubated the ice and melted it into water again)
Gen 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. (Note that this is the very first thing to be renewed/created in this account, it is the very first thing that happens in this day of creation, Light is necessary in the restoration of life on the earth for heat and energy. The re-creation started with creating the light/heat for the earth to come out of the darkness. This is how the 1st day of recreation started!)
Gen 1:4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
Gen 1:5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. (God did this work and then...) And the evening (it became evening/dusk) and the morning (it became morning/dawn) were the first day (thus the 1st day).
Gen 1:9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
Gen 1:10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
Gen 1:12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:13 And the (came to be)evening and the (came to be)morning(dawn/daybreak/sunrise.....Stop) were the third day(3rd day is finished).
Let's study the word "morning".
H1242
בּקר
bôqer
bo'-ker
From H1239; properly dawn (as the break of day); generally morning: - (+) day, early, morning, morrow.
In each scripture session above, God did the work during the day and then it becomes evening/dusk, then it becomes night, then it becomes morning/dawn/BREAK OF THE DAY/ TOMORROW! "Even" is NOT written first! The WORK of GOD is written first and then the evening is written, then the morning is written, then the next day of work starts. Nothing happens in the dark periods, that's when there is no fruit in darkness. Work is done in the Light of Day, then evening comes and we settle down for the night and lock our doors. Then in the morning we get up and start a new day. Even our bodies teach us this.
Ask any farmer, anyone that lives on the land, the day starts at daybreak! The breaking or ending and starting point of the day. NATURE teaches us this lesson!
The doctrine of Sunset to Sunset is a tradition and causes confusion for beginners and even seasoned sabbath keepers. Does the word "sunset" appear in the word of God? NO! It is not there! Look for it and you will not be able to find it! WOW! Praise God for this renewed understanding! Okay, let's look at more evidence!
Lev. 7:15 And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day that it is offered; he shall not leave any of it until the morning.
If the offering is eaten the same day and none of it is to be left until morning, then the morning is NOT the same day! Again morning here is H1242 is means daybreak or break of the day or morrow! Let's look at another!
Exo. 12:21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover.
:22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.
Moses told them to not leave until the morrow!
Exo. 12:31 And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as ye have said.
:32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also.
:33 And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men.
:34 And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders.
:35 And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment:
:36 And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.
:37 And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children.
:38 And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.
:39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual.
:40 Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.
:41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.
:42 It is a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the LORD to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.
The children of Israel marched out of Egypt the day (morning or morrow) after the Passover even of the death of the first born of Egypt. The death event occurred at Midnight of Passover but they are forbidden to leave their houses on Passover night until morning and they were commanded to leave immediately but not until the tomorrow or daybreak. Then when they marched out that morning it was the 1st day of unleavened bread and then later that same night, the 1st night of unleavened bread was the night to be much observed BECAUSE it was the SAME DAY they had went out! Not a different day! IF the day starts as sunset, then it would have been a different day. But the Word of God says "...even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.
:42 It is a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt:"
Exo. 13:3 And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten.
Numbers 33:3 And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians.
They departed on the 15th day, on the morrow after the Passover!
But yet they were in a hurry and were very angrily being thrust out of Egypt, not even having time to wait for the bread to leaven/rise. They could not wait until evening! They could only wait until morning to depart but no longer!
Lev. 23:26 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
:27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
:28 And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.
:29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.
:30 And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.
:31 Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
:32 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.
It plainly says the Day of Atonement is the 10th Day (vs. 27)! It is the same day! It says it is "that same day" in verse 28, 29 and 30! The confusion comes about where it says 9th day from even to even in verse 32. This is the only Sabbath or Holy day where it uses this phrase of "from even unto even"! That is interesting! What is unique or different about this Holy Day? It is the ONLY day that we are commanded to fast on that particular day. It is truly different from all others. It would not do good to eat a big meal and then proclaim your fast and say "I'm going to fast now Lord", when you just finished stuffing your stomach! No, you must have your stomach empty or near empty at the beginning of your fast to be a true fast! So that is why the Lord wants you to start your observance (vs.32 "celebrate" in this case means "keep or observe") of this special Holy Day on the evening of the 9th. But the actual Holy Day is the 10th as it says it is. Okay, what about where it says "from even unto even". We understand now why God would want us to start our fast "from" the previous evening but why does it say "unto even"? Let's examine both words "unto even".
unto = H5704
עד
‛ad
ad
Properly the same as H5703 (used as a preposition, adverb or conjugation; especially with a preposition); as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with): - against, and, as, at, before, by (that), even (to), for (-asmuch as), [hither-] to, + how long, into, as long (much) as, (so) that, till, toward, until, when, while, (+ as) yet.
"unto" can mean during, while, as much as, into, while, etc. It does not necessary mean that we must stop our fast at evening.
even = H6153
ערב
‛ereb
eh'-reb
From H6150; dusk: - + day, even (-ing, tide), night.
I would feel safer keeping this fast from the evening on the 9th, throughout the 10th until I awake on the 11th or until daybreak on the 11th. To be on the safe side and to make sure I am truly afflicting my soul and fasting the entire 10th.
But there is still yet another interesting thing about this verse. If a person believes that the day starts at evening, Then that means the 1st day starts at evening, the 2nd day does also, and each day, and the 9th starts at evening and the 10th starts at evening. IF the Day of Atonement is on the 10th (vs. 27, 28, 29, 30), then how are you fasting on the Day of Atonement if you are fasting on the 9th which is a completely different 24 hour period? That's quite a dilemma! Obviously, it's not saying that the Day of Atonement starts on the 9th, which is a different day But Rather that we are to start our fasting on the evening of the 9th so that when 10th comes, we will be truly fasting.
Exo. 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
It says NOTHING about even!
Lev 23:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.
:3 Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings. (Says NOTHING about "even"!)
:4 These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons. (Says NOTHING about "even"!)
:5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD'S passover. (It says "the LORD'S Passover" is at "even", which we know the Passover event/meal/partaking IS at even! It does NOT say the "Day of Passover" starts at even! There is a difference. It also does not say here "from even to even")
:6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. (Says NOTHING about "even"!)
:7 In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. (Says NOTHING about "even"!)
:8 But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. (Says NOTHING about "even"!)
:9 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
:10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:
:11 And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.
:12 And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD.
:13 And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin.
:14 And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
:15 And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:
:16 Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD. (Says NOTHING about "even" but rather "morrow"! Also the count for Pentecost starts with the morrow after the sabbath or weekly sabbath that occurs during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, It does NOT start with the High Holy Day Sabbath like some teach! We count 7 sabbaths, that is weekly sabbaths, starting with the morrow AFTER the 1st weekly sabbath that is in the midst of Unleavened)
:17 Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.
:18 And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the LORD, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savour unto the LORD.
:19 Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings.
:20 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest.
:21 And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.
:22 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.
:23 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
:24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.
:25 Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. (Again Says NOTHING about "even"!)
:26 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
:27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. (Says NOTHING about "even"!)
:28 And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God. (Says NOTHING about "even"!)
:29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. (Says NOTHING about "even"!)
:30 And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.
:31 Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
:32 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. (This is the ONLY Day that it says to start anything at an "even" except for the "Lords Passover" (meal observance). This is due to the fasting involved for Day of Atonement as we have already covered.)
:33 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
:34 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD.
:35 On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. (Says NOTHING about "even"!)
:36 Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.
:37 These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day:
:38 Beside the sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD.
:39 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath. (Says NOTHING about "even"!)
:40 And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.
:41 And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.
:42 Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:
:43 That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
:44 And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD.
No more worrying about sunset times. When you see the day break through the darkness, you know that day as come. You can see it! It can see it better than the sunset, Or I can at least. This also gives us more time to prepare on the preparation day, Friday!
Now it is true that the Manna was collected in the morning on the preparation day (Friday) (vs.12-14), so they could have collected it and cooked it until evening Friday, Then could still have observed Sabbath starting that even and the morning still be the Sabbath, However, When was the proclamation of the Sabbath made by Moses? It was the following morning. IF the Sabbath had started in the previous evening, Wouldn't he had made such a proclamation in the evening?
How does this renewed understanding effect the Crescent New Moon understanding and observance? They actually confirm one another! The New Moon always rises at Sunrise! The only way it effects it is that we will already be in the first day of the month before we have eye witness confirmation of it, because Although the new moon rises at sunrise, we cannot see the new crescent moon on this first day until near sunset. The Holy Day Dates remain the same as we already have recorded them on this website except it will not be from even to even. It makes the whole process much simpler. I have updated all that information as well, but really kept the dates pretty much the same. As far as being in the first day of the month before you have confirmation of that event, That reminds me of Gen. 28 when Jacob said "The Lords in this place and I knew it not". Sometimes we can already be at a place or time and not realize it.
The Biblical account of Jacob's ladder actually has a clue about this subject with in. Let's take a look.
Gen. 28:11 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.
He laid down to sleep because the sun was set. It says nothing about it being a new day. It's time to sleep. Now take a look at verse 16-18:
Gen 28:16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.
:17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.
:18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.
He rose early in the morning or H1242, daybreak or morrow. It was then a new day. And with renewed revelations and understandings! Gen. 28 is truly a picture of 2008 because of revelations and renewed understandings! Acts 28-29 also represents 2008-2009. Think about it, Does God really want us to go to bed soon after the day has started? No that does not make sense. But the day starting at sunrise makes plenty of sense!
Think about this: IF the month is determined by the moon and the day is determined by the sun, and even the "sunset to sunset" doctrine teaches that the sun determines the beginning and ending of a day, then Why would the sun determine the START of the day by setting/ceasing/resting/being lowered/going down at the Start? Doesn't it make much more sense that the Sun determines the Start of the new day by Rising/springing forth/shining new light/casting away darkness? Which makes more sense?
Brethren,
Gen. 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Gen. 1:4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
Will you see that the Light is Good? Will you embrace the Light? We need to look at nature and learn the lessons from nature as we loose ourselves from the modern tide of darkness and the worlds society. Let's not focus on the setting sun, but let us recognize that it is a new start when the Light breaks the darkness! This is a call to return to observing Gods Created Calendar instead of the traditions that were passed down to us. It's also a call to return to living off the land and a call to work. Nature teaches us that when the Light breaks the darkness, A New Day has begun! Even spiritual warfare teaches us this lesson. Let the New Day Begin!