Jesus' 3 Days & 3 Nights

Most Christians believe that Jesus died on Friday at 3 pm and resurrected before sunrise Sunday (~ 6:00 AM Standard Time), which is elapsed time of 40 hours, less than 2 days; but Bible repeatedly says "3 days & 3 nights"

[Mat 12:40 KJV] "40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."

Is "3 days & 3 nights" merely an idiom, a shorthand expression, that we mis-interpret, as it wasn't meant to be literal?

If Jesus died Friday at 3 PM, that might count for a part of a day for day #1, Friday night is night #1, Saturday day is day #2, Saturday night is night #2, Sunday morning is some part of day #3, but we are still missing a third night in this cockeyed accounting.  From Friday afternoon to Sunday sunrise, there is no reasonable interpretation to get 3 days & 3 nights.

In the Old Testament, Esther calls a fast for 3 days and three nights in Esther 4:16, so as to prepare for Esther going before the King.  In Esther 5:1, Esther goes before the King on the 3rd day (ie. not after the 3rd day is over).  Therefore to count properly, as defined by the Bible, we must have at least a part of the day or night to count it.

This same counting as Esther used is also used for the 8 days after birth for the male baby circumcision (Gen. 17:12; Lev. 12:3; Philippians 3:5); even if just a minute of a day remains, it counts as a full day.

This is similar to parking garage fees of today: $4 per hour, or any part thereof.  If you overstay by 1 minute, you pay for a full additional hour.

Even here, Friday 3 PM to Sunday sunrise cannot be stretched by any means, into 3 days and 3 nights.

Erroneous Explanation #1

Some people try to propose that the new day starts at sundown, and so then you have a part day on Friday, full 24 hrs for Saturday, and then assumes that Sunday starts at sundown Saturday, so that is allegedly "3 days". 

[Luk 23:54 KJV] 54 And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.

The phrase "...and the sabbath drew on." (same Greek word, epiphōskō G2020 as Mat. 28:1 used) means that the night feast of Passover was coming to an end, and it was just before Saturday sunrise for the high sabbath of Unleavened Bread.  Therefore when Jesus was placed in his tomb "in the heart of the earth", Friday was well passed away, therefore we can't count any of Friday.

Therefore we only have part of Saturday to count, even worse than most realize.

Therefore, this is still not "3 days and 3 nights", so it also requires the misleading and erroneous explaining away of this biblical text as an idiom, so as to enshrine the customs of the Church Fathers.  This is strongly reject.

However, this mediocre explanation also creates numerous conflicts in the Bible, as I will show below.

Erroneous Explanation # 2

Others try to be creative with the definition of "heart of the earth", by conveniently re-defining it to mean "incarceration, judgement, crucifixion, death, burial) where he remained until his resurrection on Sunday morning".

Everybody agrees that Jesus was already risen before the dawn Sunday morning (Mat. 28:1).

Counting backwards, Sat. night is Night #3, Sat. day is Day #3, Friday night is Night #2, Friday day is Day #2, Thurs. night is Night #1, Wed. day is Day #1.  Therefore Jesus would have to be in His tomb on or before sunrise Wednesday morning.

Therefore the Last Supper was Monday evening.  Jesus was arrested on Monday evening.  Preparation Day (before Passover starting at sundown) would be Tuesday.  Jesus was crucified on Tuesday Preparation Day, and died at 3:00 PM on Tuesday, and was in His tomb just before sunrise on Wednesday morning.

That's certainly different from a standard Good Friday dogma.

Erroneous Explanation #3

Many suggest that Jesus was crucified on a Wednesday, so as to create 3 full days and 3 full nights, then resurrection on Sunday morning at or before sunrise Sunday morning.  I know, I used to be in this camp.

This assumption is defeated by the actions of the women.  They were highly motivated to do everything possible to honor Jesus.

If we assume Jesus died at 3 PM Wednesday, then the gaining of permission to collect His body, arranging for the tomb, it all took precious time.  As we see above, Luke 23:54 says they got Jesus into the tomb before sunrise the next day after His crucifixion.  There was insufficient time to properly care for His body.  Passover started at sundown Wednesday, the day Jesus died, and continued till sunrise the next day, when the high sabbath Unleavened Bread began.  If the men barely got Jesus in the tomb before sunrise Thursday, and no work is allowed on the high sabbath Thursday, the women were barred from doing their duty immediately, they had to wait.  On Friday, they could have washed and properly buried Jesus, but the didn't, they waited till Sunday sunrise.

Why wouldn't the women due their loving duty for Jesus' body on Friday, rather than Sunday?

It is suggested that the crucifixion did not occur on a Wednesday.

 

What is the truth?

I suggest Jesus was crucified on Preparation Day, dying at 3 pm (ie. the 9th hour, by ancient Biblical reckoning), with Passover beginning at sundown on that same Preparation Day.

Based solely on the Bible, I suggest Jesus died on Nisan 14, Preparation Day, which is likely equivalent  to Thursday April 15, 32 AD, according to today's Gregorian calendar system.

We assume 32 AD, as there was a Blood Moon Triad on the high Jewish holidays that year, and the Sun and Moon are in Aries in that year.

We assume Nisan 14 as that is the biblical date for Passover, and April 15th would be the Full Moon in that year according to NASA astrological model calculations.

The sequence of events, according to the Bible is:

• Jesus asks the disciples to make preparations for Passover, as a group in the Upper Room, in Jerusalem.
• Disciples prepare the Upper Room.
• On Wednesday evening, Jesus & disciples gather in the Upper Room for the Last Supper, communion, exposure of a traitor, footwashing.
• Judas leaves early so as to betray Jesus
• Jesus and 3 disciples retire to the garden to pray and watch.
• Judas returns late Wednesday night with soldiers, so as to betray Jesus, then arrest him.
• Jesus taken to the Chief Priest's residence, Peter follows.
• Jesus is questioned, accused, mocked, & assaulted.  Peter denies Jesus 3 times, then the cock crows as the sunrise approaches Thursday morning.
• Jesus is taken to Pontius Pilot, then Harrod, then back to Pilot, then sentenced to death by crucifixion at noon Thursday, which is Preparation Day, before Passover begins at sundown.
• Jesus is beaten, flogged, and mocked.
• Jesus dies at about 3 PM Thursday, Preparation Day, prior to Passover at sundown.
• Jesus' followers seek permission to receive Jesus' dead body.
• Passover begins at sundown Thursday.
• During Thursday night (Passover night), Jesus' body is eventually taken down off the cross, then transported to the tomb.  
• Jesus is in His tomb, the heart of the Earth, on or just before Friday sunrise, as Passover is coming to an end, and the High Sabbath of Unleavened Bread is about to begin, in accordance with Luke 23:54.
• Roman guards arrive and seal the tomb door Friday morning, during the High Sabbath of Unleavened Bread.
• Jesus' body rests in His tomb for 2 full days and a few moments of a third day, so as to meet the same Biblical definition of  3 days & 3 nights, as used by Esther, and for circumcision.
• Jesus is resurrected on or before sunrise on Sunday morning.

Jesus died at 3 PM (ie. Biblical 9th hour), at exactly the correct time, with all of the Passover lambs.

Josephus tells us that 256,500 animal were typically sacrificed at the Jerusalem Temple between the 9th and 11th hour on Preparation Day (Bellum Jud., Book VI, Chapter 9, Verse 3), https://penelope.uchicago.edu/josephus/war-6.html ) so Jesus died  right on-time as a Sacrificial Lamb of God.

Jesus' gave up the Ghost while on the cross at 3:00 PM.  

Psalm 68:18; Zechariah 9:11;1 Pet 3:18-19, 1 Pet. 4:6, and a few other verses allude to Jesus entering the underworld (ie. "Harrowing of Hades") so as to preach His Gospel to those who died before He did, and those that accept the Gospel and believe in Him, He raised to Heaven with Himself.  This may count for time served in the "heart of the Earth".

Therefore, counting from the moment of Jesus' death, Thursday afternoon is a part day, counting as Day #1 per Esther's counting method.  Thurs. night is Night #1.  Friday day is Day #2, Friday night in Night #2.  Sat. day is Day #3.  Sat. night is Night #3.  Therefore we have 3 days and 3 nights, fully meeting Jesus' self-prophecy of Mat. 12:40, if counted by Esther's count method.

On the Road to Emmaus

Luke 24:21 gives the sole Biblical account of Jesus speaking to a group of men on their way to Emmaus, shortly after Jesus rose from the dead. 

[Luk 24:21 KJV] "21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done."

What is all included in "... these things..."?

Verse 14 says: "...all these things which had happened."

Verse 19 adds: "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:"

Verse 20 adds: "...And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him."

Not expressly mentioned in Luke, the Bible described also:

• Mat 27:51 the ripping of the Temple veil, the darkness, & the earthquake.
  
  
• Mat 62:62-66 going to Pilot on the High Holy Day of Unleavened Bread (ie. after Passover was over), and the securing of permission for the Roman guard and seal on the stone door for Jesus' tomb.

 It is clearly stated in Luke 24:21 that today (Sunday, First day of the week) is the third day since "these things".

Jesus resurrected slightly before sunrise on Sunday morning.  This road to Emmaus conversation with Jesus was likely sometime Sunday morning, shortly after Jesus had risen.

In other words, today (Sunday) is the 3rd. day since, yesterday (Saturday) was the 2nd day since, day before yesterday (Friday) was the 1st day since, and Thursday is the "day of these things".  

Therefore again, the crucifixion, death, & burial of Jesus Christ must have occurred on Thursday.

God's Day Starts at Sunrise

Luke 23:53-54 tells us that Jesus was placed in His tomb just before sunrise of the High Sabbath Unleavened Bread, which most likely occurred as of sunrise Friday morning, at first light.  Multiples proofs provided above.

[Luk 23:53-54 KJV] 53 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. 54 And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.

Here are the same verses with Strong's Numbers turned on:

[Luk 23:53-54 KJV] 53 And[G2532] he took[G2507][G0] it[G846] down,[G2507] and wrapped[G1794] it[G846] in linen,[G4616] and[G2532] laid[G5087] it[G846] in[G1722] a sepulchre[G3418] that was hewn in stone,[G2991] wherein[G3757] never[G3756] man[G3764] before[G3762] was[G2258] laid.[G2749] 54 And[G2532] that day[G2250] was[G2258] the preparation,[G3904] and[G2532] the sabbath[G4521] drew on.[G2020]

As you can see, "drew on" in KJV is the English translation for Strong's G2020.

Note in the Bible's Greek source text, Luke used the word "epiphosko", Strong's G2020, meaning "to dawn, begin, shine forth; used of the reckoned commencement of the day, to be near commencing, to dawn on.  G2020 is only used twice in the Bible: Mat 28:1, Lk. 23:54; 

Both of these verses also help prove that God's day begins at sunrise, not at sunset as practiced by Jews & Muslims today.

It is suggested that the Jewish & Muslim custom of starting a day at sundown is a relic adopted from Babylon, thus becoming a "custom of the elders", rather that being compliant with the Bible.

Ref.:  R.A. Parker & W.H. Dubberstein, Babylonian Chronology, Providence, R.I., 1956, 
https://webspace.science.uu.nl/~gent0113/babylon/downloads/babylonian_chronology_pd_1956.pdf 

If God's day truly began at sunset, then it could not still be Preparation Day as it dawned towards the sabbath (ie. the High Sabbath of Unleavened Bread), as declared in Luke 23:54.  

Similarly, if God's day truly began at sunset, it could not still be Sabbath as it dawned towards the first day of the week, as described in Mat. 28:1.

In the alternative, both Mat. 28:1 and Luke 23:53-54 are exactly true and fully correct if God's day begins at sunrise.

I believe the Bible is God-breathed, written by men as inspired by God.  God promised to protect His word from corruption, or passing away.  Therefore, the Bible is one of our few sources of truth; most everything else is frail human opinions, often biased, coloured, or deceived.  

For 13 additional proofs that God's day begins at sunrise, see:
https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2019/05/gods-day-when-does-it-start.html?m=1

Mat. 28:1 tells us that the women came to wrap the body of Jesus early on Sunday morning, just before sunrise, but Jesus' body was already gone, as He had risen.

From Friday sunrise to Sunday sunrise is exactly 3 days & 3 nights in the heart of the earth, exactly as Jesus said He would.

Please explain the above to every Christian you can find, so that they know the truth.

***   Updated 2025-04-04, 2025-4-22   ***

Index:   God's Day:  When does it Start?

Part 1 of 5:  https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2019/05/gods-day-when-does-it-start.html   
2019-5-17

Part 2 of 5:  https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2019/05/gods-day-when-does-it-start-2.html   
2019-5-27

Part 3 of 5:  https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2019/05/gods-day-when-does-it-start-part-3-of-3.html   2019-5-27

Part 4 of 5:  https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2019/09/start-of-gods-day-at-sunrise-part-4.html   
2019-9-28

Part 5 of 5:  https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2022/08/start-of-gods-day-part-5.html 
2022-08-22

Part 6:  https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2024/04/jesus-3-days-3-nights.html   
2024-4-21

Start of God's Day, Part 5

This is Part 5 of the answers on when does God's day start (sunrise or sunset)?  

See:   Part 1,  Part 2,  Part 3,  Part 4

So far, I have offered 12 witnesses from Bible verses.  Today, I offer the 13th witness, Genesis 1:1 - 2:3.

13th Witness

Below are the verses of Genesis 1:1 - 2:3 where God describes His first 7 days of creation.

There is some dispute as to when God's day begins.  To help analyze this issue and discover God's hidden truth, I suggest there are 4 to 5 possible moments in time when God's day ends, and the next day of God will begin.

After the sun sets, it gets dark quickly.  The moment when the night is darkest is at some moment after sunset, but before sunrise.  That darkest moment depends on the phase of the moon (ie. New moon, waxing, full moon, waning), and the time of moonrise and moonset, and varies for each day of the year.

Wild animals naturally detect the change from evening to morning.  Their activity tends to follow these light levels.  Animals that are active during daylight hours tend to start greater activity in the morning, have maximum activity during the day, and start settling down before sunset, then have a period of minimum activity during the evening, including sleep.  After evening has passed, the cycle begins again with morning for the next day.

In Genesis, God uses the terms day, night, evening, and morning.

We believe the Bible defines itself.  Therefore if we properly read the Bible, each of these terms should be self-evident how they are defined.

In this manner, I have concluded, and suggest you consider, the following definitions:

Evening: the period of time from after the sun is fully set until the moment of darkest night.

Morning:  the period of time from the moment of darkest night until the sun starts to rise.

Sunrise:  the moment of time when the first direct rays of sun can be seen by an observer on the surface of the Earth with an unobstructed view of the horizon where the sun will rise.

Sunset:   the moment of time when the last direct rays of sun can be seen by an observer on the surface of the Earth with an unobstructed view of the horizon where the sun is setting.

Daylight Hours:  the elapsed time that begins at sunrise, and continues to sunset; defined by God as "Day" in Genesis 1:5.  See also the definition of "Day"

Night Hours:  the elapsed time that begins after sunset, which includes evening and morning, and ends just before sunrise.  See also the definition "Night"

Day:  

Def'n #1:   an elapsed period of time that includes both Daylight Hours and Night Hours (ie. sunset, evening, morning, and sunrise); that is 24 clock hours in duration, more or less.  

Def'n #2:   Day is also defined by God in Genesis 1:5 as the period of time which has the light.

Night:  defined by God in Genesis 1:5 as the duration of time without the light.  See also the definition of "Night Hours".

Based on these definitions, when does God's day begin?  

I suggest that God's day likely begins at:

A:   sunrise, or

B:   midnight (Gregorian-Roman time standard), or

C:  sunset (current Jewish and Muslim tradition).

I think it is obvious that God wouldn't choose the same as Pope Gregory XIII of the Roman Catholic Church in 1582 ( ie. Choice "B: midnight"), as God had made His choice well before that, and God never changes, and Pope Gregory obviously wasn't interested in what the Holy Bible said, as he was more interested in pontificating (eg. Year starts in January, rather than the biblical Spring start after Spring Equinox; October means 8 th month in Latin language, but it is now 10th month; similar for Nov. & Dec.; days of the week are named after idols or witchcraft, etc.).    

We are therefore left with two remaining possibilities:  sunrise or sunset.

I have placed 4 or 5 options (ie. Logical cases; C01, C02, C03, C04, or C05) as to the exact possible moment of God's day ending (and the simultaneous beginning of the next day) at the key places in the Genesis text.

Your task is to choose the exact moment in the Genesis text, when one day ends, and the next day begins.

If the above definitions (ie. evening, morning, sunrise, sunset, dalight, night) conflict with your choices, you can supply your alternative definitions and your corresponding choice of when you think God divides between two days.

### Genesis 1:1 - 2:3

[Gen 1:1 KJV] "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."

[Gen 1:2 KJV] "And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."

[Gen 1:3 KJV] "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light."

[Gen 1:4 KJV] "And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness."

[Gen 1:5 KJV] "And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. 

C01: end of day1

And the evening

C02: end of day1

and the morning

C03: end of day1

were the first day."

C04: end of day1

[Gen 1:6 KJV] "And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters."

[Gen 1:7 KJV] "And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so."

[Gen 1:8 KJV] "And God called the firmament Heaven." 

C01:  end of day2

"And the evening"

C02: end of day2

"and the morning"

C03: end of day2

"were the second day."

C04: end of day2

[Gen 1:9 KJV] "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 KJV] "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 KJV] "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 KJV] "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."

C01: end of day3

[Gen 1:13 KJV] "And the evening"

C02: end of day3

"and the morning"

C03: end of day3

"were the third day."

C04: end of day3

[Gen 1:14 KJV] "And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:"

[Gen 1:15 KJV] "And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so."

[Gen 1:16 KJV] "And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also."

[Gen 1:17 KJV] "And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,"

[Gen 1:18 KJV] "And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good."

C01: end of day4

[Gen 1:19 KJV] "And the evening"

C02: end of day4

"and the morning"

C03: end of day4

"were the fourth day."

C04:  end of day4

[Gen 1:20 KJV] "And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven."

[Gen 1:21 KJV] "And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good."

[Gen 1:22 KJV] "And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth."

C01: end of day5

[Gen 1:23 KJV] "And the evening"

C02:  end of day5

"and the morning"

C03:  end of day5

"were the fifth day."

C04: end of day5

[Gen 1:24 KJV] "And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so."

[Gen 1:25 KJV] "And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good."

[Gen 1:26 KJV] "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."

[Gen 1:27 KJV] "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

[Gen 1:28 KJV] "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."

[Gen 1:29 KJV] "And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat."

[Gen 1:30 KJV] "And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so."

[Gen 1:31 KJV] "And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good."

C01:  end of day6

"And the evening"

C02:  end of day6

"and the morning"

C03:  end of day6

"were the sixth day."

C04:  end of day6

[Gen 2:1 KJV] "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, 

C05:  end of day6

"and all the host of them."

C06: end of day6

[Gen 2:2 KJV] "And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made."

C01:  end of day7

[Gen 2:3 KJV] "And God blessed the seventh day, 

C02:  end of day7

"and sanctified it:"

C03:  end of day7

"because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made."

C04: end of day7

Conclusion & Request

I seek the truth; God's truth.

I suggest, and have chosen for myself and my family that "C04" is the only correct possibility for the start of God's day.

God says 2 or 3 witnesses are sufficient to prove a matter.  I have provided 13 proofs due to the epidemic of stiff necks suffered by the vast majority.

While this issue is extremely important to God, most people couldn't care less, preferring to follow non-Biblical traditions, &/or the majority.

That's likely why God allows the straight, wide path to Hell to exist, and focuses on the small Remnant that is willing to think, fear God, love God, follow God, and eagerly obey His commandments.

In John 14:15, Jesus ssid "if you love me, keep My commandments."

Are you fully aware of the consequences for not loving Jesus Christ?

However, if I am wrong, I need to discover my error, and continue to search for God's truth on this issue.

Based on the above, if you have alternate decisions and beliefs and definitions, please provide your alternative suggestions to us in the comments below, complete with detailed logic and objective evidence (ie. Bible verses) so I can readily understand your suggestion.

###   Update #1   2024-4-22   ###

I found another Biblical proof (total 14 now) that God's day begins at sunrise, hidden in the Greek "epiphosko", Strong's G2020, in the Book of Luke.

See:   https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2024/04/jesus-3-days-3-nights.html 

###   End Update #1   ###

Index:   God's Day:  When does it Start?

Part 1 of 5:  https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2019/05/gods-day-when-does-it-start.html   
2019-5-17

Part 2 of 5:  https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2019/05/gods-day-when-does-it-start-2.html   
2019-5-27

Part 3 of 5:  https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2019/05/gods-day-when-does-it-start-part-3-of-3.html  2019-5-27

Part 4 of 5:  https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2019/09/start-of-gods-day-at-sunrise-part-4.html   
2019-9-28

Part 5 of 5:  https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2022/08/start-of-gods-day-part-5.html
2022-08-22

Part 6:  https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2024/04/jesus-3-days-3-nights.html   
2024-4-21

God's Day: When does it Start (Part 3 of 5)?

This is the 3rd of 5 parts in examining the issue of when does God's day begin.

In Part 1 (God's Day:  When Does It Start?), we offered the proof of Matthew 28:1 when Mary went to the sepulcher to find Jesus had risen.  In Part 2 (God's Day:  When Does It Start?_Part 2), we offered the biblical evidence of Genesis 19:30-38 when Lot's daughters were plotting on how to get pregnant.  In Part 3 (this posting), we offer the evidence of Exodus 10:1-14 when God brought the plague of locusts upon Egypt.

3rd Witness:  Exodus 10:1-14 Plague of Locusts

The Eighth Plague: Locusts

1And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him: 2And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the LORD.

3And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me. 4Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast: 5And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field: 6And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh. 7And Pharaoh's servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed? 8And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh: and he said unto them, Go, serve the LORD your God: but who are they that shall go? 9And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the LORD. 10And he said unto them, Let the LORD be so with you, as I will let you go, and your little ones: look to it; for evil is before you. 11Not so: go now ye that are men, and serve the LORD; for that ye did desire. And they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence.

12And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left. 13And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. 14And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.

In Verse 4, God promises a plague of locusts in Egypt the next day if Pharaoh refuses to let the Hebrews go.  In Verse 11, Pharaoh agrees to let the men go, but refuses permission for the women and children to leave Egypt.  Therefore in Verse 12, God tells Moses to bring on the locust plague upon Egypt.  In Verse 13 the wind comes out of the East all the rest of that day and all that night, then when it was morning, the locusts arrived in Egypt, exactly like God warned.

If we assume that the day starts at dawn, then the locusts came exactly when God said they would come.

Remember, locusts have attacked Egypt and other regions on Earth before the time of Moses, and have attacked since, even up to 2019.  Some swarms of locusts were less, some swarms were worse than the others.  A swarm of locusts does not prove God.  A particularly bad swarm of locusts doesn't prove God.  But when the worst swarm of locusts ever seen is predicted, then shows up exactly on cue, that could prove to Pharaoh the existence and power of God.

If we assume the day starts at sundown, the locusts came 12 hours late, and would therefore raise the question in Pharaoh's mind whether God controls the locusts, or perhaps there was just a partial coincidence.

Therefore it is suggested that God's locusts showed up exactly on-time, exactly as predicted by God, and therefore we conclude that God's day begins at sunrise.
 
We therefore conclude that God's day begins at sunrise.

I realize that this conclusion is against Jewish tradition.  Remember however, that the Jews of today name their months differently than what they are called in the Bible.  The Jewish months are currently named after Babylonian names.  If the Jews are influenced (or corrupted) by Babylon as to the names of the months, could the Jews also have been corrupted as to the start of the day?



Hebrew Emtymology, The 4th Witness

Based on Jewish Hebrew, we have the meaning of evening and sunrise, as follows:

Hebrew for Evening (Strong's H6153) is Ereb  ערב
means mixing or blending, which should be interpreted as blending of day and night.

Hebrew for Morning (Strong's H1242 ) is Boqer הבוקר הוא בוקר
is derived from breaking, delineation, separation, and demarcation; which should be interpreted as the point between yesterday and today.



Other Biblical References

There are many other Biblical descriptions for day starts in the Bible. For example:

Genesis 1:16-18, 8:22
Exodus 10:13, 12:6, 12:18, 16:2-3, 16:22-27, 18:13, 32:5-6
Deut 16:1, 16:6, 21:23
Lev 6:20, 7:15, 23:5, 23:26-32
Num 11:32
Joshua 7:6-13, 8:29
Jeremiah 33:20-21, 25-26
Judges 19:9
1 Sam 9:19-26, 19:10-11, 28:8-19, 30:17
2 Sam 24:13-15
Lam 3:22
Jonah 4:6-7
Zech 14:7
Nehemiah 7:3, 13:18-21
Mat 28:1
Mark 16:2, 15:42
Luke 24:1
John 6:16-22, 12:46 , 20:1
Acts 4:3, 16:9-11, 23:31-32



Summary Videos

You can watch a good summary of the various Biblical verses which are evidence towards sunrise as the start of God's Day.

When does the Day Start (Part 1)   https://youtu.be/R5xBdoWegTQ
   Part 2 (Old Testament References)   https://youtu.be/Vs19gS14qyk
   Part 3 (New Testament References)   https://youtu.be/UW3DdysjCb8
   Part 4  (More Old Testament References)    https://youtu.be/EtB5e-t981o
   Part 5   (Non-Biblical References) https://youtu.be/C9TwrazbbI0


Summary

To the best of my knowledge & belief, most or all of these other references are either silent, or could be reasonably interpreted by either assumption (either sunrise or sunset as the start of day).  Therefore all of the other biblical references are weak or of no benefit in resolving this issue.

I know of no Biblical reference that clearly supports sunset as the start of God's day. 

I know of no Biblical reference that clearly contradicts the sunrise as the start of God's day.


My Decision

For me and my family, we are now switching how we celebrate God's weekly Sabbath.  We will now  celebrate Sabbath for the 24 hour period from sunrise Saturday to sunrise Sunday. 

<--- Back to Part 2

On to Part 4 --->  (link added 2019-09-28)

Index:   God's Day:  When does it Start?

Part 1 of 5:  https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2019/05/gods-day-when-does-it-start.html   
2019-5-17

Part 2 of 5:  https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2019/05/gods-day-when-does-it-start-2.html   
2019-5-27

Part 3 of 5:  https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2019/05/gods-day-when-does-it-start-part-3-of-3.html   2019-5-27

Part 4 of 5:  https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2019/09/start-of-gods-day-at-sunrise-part-4.html   
2019-9-28

Part 5 of 5:  https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2022/08/start-of-gods-day-part-5.html 
2022-08-22

Part 6:  https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2024/04/jesus-3-days-3-nights.html   
2024-4-21

God's Day: When Does It Start (Part 2 of 5) ?

In the previous post (God's Day:  When Does It Start? we showed by Matthew 28:1 that God's day starts as sunrise.

However, Deuteronomy 19:15 says:

"A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin which he has committed; on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed."

and this caution is confirmed by 6 other similar verses in the Bible.

Therefore we must find at least 1 more (preferably at least 2 more) Bible verses to prove when God's day starts.

As our next best witness, I propose Lot's daughter just after they escaped the destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah, as described in Genesis  19:30-38

Genesis 19:30-38 King James Version (KJV)

30 And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.

31 And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth:

32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.

33 And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.

34 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.

35 And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.

36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.

37 And the first born bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.

38 And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.

In Verse 33, the daughters encouraged their father to drink way too much wine during the night.  The eldest daughter then went in and laid with her father.  Since the Bible says "that night", it is obviously after sundown when this occurred.

In Verse 34, it's the next day (...on the morrow,...).  The elder daughter says, "Behold, I lay yesternight with my father...", which doubly confirms the eldest daughter laid with her father the night before, the previous day.

In Verse 35, the daughters encouraged their father to drink much wine again "...that night also;...", and the younger daughter went in and slept with her father also.

The following diagram is a timeline showing Genesis 19:30-38 while assuming God's day starts at sunrise.  Each full day is colour coded so as to help show the moment when one day ends and the next day begins.  For full size, click on the image.

Figure 1:  Chart of Timeline for Genesis 19:30-38 when assuming God's day starts at sunrise

As  can be seen in Figure 1, the biblical description matches with the timeline chart.  Therefore Genesis 19:30-38 supports the assumption of the sunrise being the breakpoint from one day to the next.

In Figure 2 below, we see a similar timeline chart, but this time, we assume the day changes at sunset.  In this case, the biblical description does not match the timeline, as the elder daughters says the next day in Verse 34 that she had slept with her father in the night of the previous day, however both these events occur in the same blue coloured day.  Therefore we must conclude that this assumption (that the day begins at sunset) is in error.  Click on Figure 2 to see it full size.

Figure 2:  Chart of Timeline for Genesis 19:30-38 while assuming God's day starts at sunset

We find that Figure 1 is accurate and Figure 2 contradicts itself.  The assumption used in Figure 2 is therefore found to be flawed.

I therefore conclude that God's Day begins at sunrise

The next post will be Part 3, the final post on this issue, further proof that God's day begins at sunrise.

I am interested in your comments and feedback.  Have I missed something?  Did I make an illogical jump to an unsupported conclusion?

How does this conclusion affect your life?

Do you support my conclusion?  If not, what biblical reference supports your opinion? 

<--- Back to Part 1                                                                                                   ----> to Part 3

Index:   God's Day:  When does it Start?

Part 1 of 5:  https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2019/05/gods-day-when-does-it-start.html   
2019-5-17

Part 2 of 5:  https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2019/05/gods-day-when-does-it-start-2.html   
2019-5-27

Part 3 of 5:  https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2019/05/gods-day-when-does-it-start-part-3-of-3.html   2019-5-27

Part 4 of 5:  https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2019/09/start-of-gods-day-at-sunrise-part-4.html   
2019-9-28

Part 5 of 5:  https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2022/08/start-of-gods-day-part-5.html 
2022-08-22

Part 6:  https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2024/04/jesus-3-days-3-nights.html   
2024-4-21

God's Day: When does it Start (Part 1 of 5)?

After 6,000 years under God, you'd think we could all agree exactly when God says the day starts.

The ancient Babylonians and medieval Europeans said the day began at sundown.  The ancient Romans and Chinese said it began at midnight.  The ancient Egyptian said the day began at first light (dawn, before sunrise).  Others said it began at sunrise.

What does God say?

There are many verses in the Holy Bible that describe the start of the day.  Unfortunately, most of these can be interpreted either way (sunrise or sunset) as being the start of the day.  Fortunately, there are a few verses which provide clarity.  Since a picture is worth 10,000 years, I have made a picture, one for each of the possible assumptions (sunrise or sunset).

Row 1 (ie. the top row) describes the assumption for this chart.
Row 2 gives a gray scale representation of light levels from black (night), gray (dawn and dusk), and white (full daylight).
Row 3 describes the part of the day (ie. sunrise, noon, sunset, midnight).
Row 4 gives the time of day (eg. 6:00 AM, 6:00 PM, etc.)
Row 5 gives the names for the day of the week (eg. Saturday, Sunday, etc.).  Note that Jewish Sabbath is Saturday, the 6th day of the week.
Row 6 gives the Bible verse under study, placed in the assumed square so that the text matches up with the time scale (first 5 rows).

Click on the Figure to get a full sized view.

Figure 1:  Diagram for Matthew 28:1, assuming day starts as Sundown

Looking at Figure 1, we can see we have a conflict.  The Bible text in Matthew 28:1 says:

Matt 28:1   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.

"In the end of the Sabbath" would tell us we are still inside the Sabbath day, but we are towards the end, getting ready to jump over to the next day (ie. almost at the first day of the week, Sunday).

For clarity, the Bible adds, "as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week".  This part tells us that we are at, or it will soon be within a few moments, be at the dawn of the 1st day of the week (Sunday).  This conflicts with the previous clause, or conflicts with our assumption (ie. when the day starts).

If the Bible had said, "In the end of the sabbath, as the sun began to set toward the first day of the week...", there would have been no conflict between our assumed timeline and the Bible text.  However, this is not what the Bible says.

Therefore we have discovered one of two possibilities:

A.  The first clause in Matthew 28:1 conflicts with the second clause in Matthew 28:1;

or

B.  Our assumption that God's day begins at sunset is in error.

To find out which of these two possibilities is true, lets look at the other possible assumption, as shown in Figure 2 below.

Figure 2:  Diagram for Matthew 28:1, assuming day starts at Sunrise

Figure 2 has the same layout as Figure 1 above, except the assumption has changed, and the most appropriate square for the Biblical text has changed.

In Figure 2, with the assumption of God's day starting at sunrise, we see there is no conflict with the Biblical text in Matthew 28:1.

I have come to learn that the Bible is the inspired writings from God.  God has ensured His Word has survived without corruption.  We have thousands of manuscripts, all or most that agree with each other except for obvious typos, and/or obvious corruptions, additions, or deletions which are easily spotted upon comparison of the various manuscrips, so as to disregard the imposters and obvious errors.

I have consulted the Blue Letter Bible Interlinear Greek for Matt 28:1 and the KJV English seems to match up with the original Greek manuscript shown there. I have also consulted my Greek-Hebrew-English Interlinear Bible textbook, and it agrees also that KJV English matches the original Greek.  Therefore I conclude that the English in the KJV Bible is correct, and respects the original Greek manuscript.

The KJV also agrees with all or most of the modern Bible versions available (eg. NKJV, NIV, CEB, ESV, etc.).

Mark 16:1-2 says:

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.

2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

Here, we see similar timing to Matthew 28:1.  However, due to the wording, we could assume that Sabbath ended at sundown, then the Marys go buy spices, go back home to sleep, get up early before sunrise, and arrive at the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.  This makes it insufficient for our evidential requirements.  However, Mark 16:1-2 does not conflict with Matthew 28:1, but it does collaborate Matthew 28:1.

Luke 24:1 says:

"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."

Again, Luke 24:1 supports both Matthew 28:1 and Mark 16:1-2.  However, Luke 24:1 does not adequately describe exactly when the day changes.

John 20:1 says:

"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."

Again, John 20:1 supports Luke 24:1, Matthew 28:1, and Mark 16:1-2.  However, again John 20:1 lacks the specific details needed to define when one day ends and the next day begins.

Contrary Interpretation of Matthew 28:1

Some people may choose to say, "Yes, the plain English in Matthew 28:1 KJV certainly says that, but I can't believe that plain English meaning is what the author or God intended."  In that case, you should be prepared to provide a mountain of evidence that clearly instructs us to ignore the plain English meaning, so as to justify us to adopt some whimsical, far flung interpretation of Matthew 28:1.  If so, where is your mountain of data?

Failing a mountain of data to over-ride the plain English, we can recognize the accuracy of the KJV Bible, and avoid the conflict by choosing the assumption that the day begins as sunrise.

I therefore conclude that Matthew 28:1 instructs us that God's day begins at sunrise.

Three years ago, when I was awakened from my spiritual coma, I had assumed that the Jews knew what time it was, God's Word, the Bible, and all related topics.  I now come to the realization that the disruptions caused by Babylonians, Alexander the Great, Egypt, Rome, and Muslims was too much for the Hebrew nation, and they became corrupted in their timekeeping (and otherwise).  Fortunately, we have the Bible, Dead Sea Scrolls, and a few other sources to help us reconstruct God's message and God's Laws. 

Per the Bible and God's Law, we need 2 to 3 witnesses before we can render a just verdict.  We will see another witness on our next posting.  Stay tuned!

God said that Satan and Anti-Christ would change laws and time.  Do we need to hear more on how man became confused?

If you believe, or don't believe yet, please add your comments below.

---> To Part 2

Index:   God's Day:  When does it Start?

Part 1 of 5:  https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2019/05/gods-day-when-does-it-start.html   
2019-5-17

Part 2 of 5:  https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2019/05/gods-day-when-does-it-start-2.html   
2019-5-27

Part 3 of 5:  https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2019/05/gods-day-when-does-it-start-part-3-of-3.html   2019-5-27

Part 4 of 5:  https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2019/09/start-of-gods-day-at-sunrise-part-4.html   
2019-9-28

Part 5 of 5:  https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2022/08/start-of-gods-day-part-5.html 
2022-08-22

Part 6:  https://et-manitoulin.blogspot.com/2024/04/jesus-3-days-3-nights.html   
2024-4-21