When does a day begin and end? Some have said that society decides when a day begins and ends, so for the U.S. that would be midnight. Others like the Jews hold the Talmud’s position that a day begins and ends at sunset. Some have said that it really does not matter.
When considering the day that God raised Christ, many have wondered on what day the Romans crucified Christ, what day did God raise Him, and at what time of the day was Jesus resurrected. The day of assembly is the day of Christ’s resurrection. However. some infer that Saturday night is the beginning of the first day of the week reasoning that a day begins and ends at sunset. This infers that those assembling and partaking of the Lord’s Supper on Sunday evening are actually meeting on the second day of the week. Luke reported, “And upon the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul discoursed with them, intending to depart on the morrow; and prolonged his speech until midnight” (Acts 20:7 ASV). Which evening is the first day of the week? This study will examine these inferences made upon Scripture.
The following Scriptures present that a day begins at sunrise:
- Matthew 28:1 reveals, “Now late on the sabbath day, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre” (ASV 1901, emp. added).
- Mark 16:1–2 depicts, “And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, they come to the tomb when the sun was risen.”
- How could it be “very early” if the day started at sunset or midnight?
Genesis 1 shows that the day consisting of day and night is one that starts at sunrise.
- Genesis 1:5 reports, “And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day” (cf. Gen 1:8, 13, 19, 23, 31).
- The Hebrew word for morning is boqer, which means “sunrise,” “end of night,” “coming of daylight,” and “beginning of day.” Therefore, the order of the day consists of sunset and sunrise as the scripture says, “And there was evening (sunset) and there was morning (sunrise), one day.” Sunrise started a new day. Each day consisted of an evening and then a morning. The complete day does not end at sunset or midnight, but the day started at dawn in the beginning. That is the biblical day from Genesis.
These passages confirm the day starts before sunset when a day goes on through sunset into the evening:
- Matthew 26:17 notes, “Now on the first day of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Where will you that we make ready for you to eat the Passover?’” (cf. Mark 14:12).
- This is the first day of unleavened bread when Jesus sent Peter and John to prepare for the Passover although Israel roasted the Passover lamb at twilight and ate it in the night. As in the Old Testament, the first day of the Passover Feast included the day and the preceding evening as the disciples came to the guest room on the first day of Passover before twilight — that is before sunset.
- Mark 4:35 depicts, “And on that day, when evening was come, he said unto them, ‘Let us go over unto the other side.'”
- Again, the evening followed daylight of that day.
- John 20:19 tells, “When therefore it was evening [nightfall, Greek: opsios], on that day, the first day of the week, and when thedoorswere shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said unto them, ‘Peace be unto you.'”
- “On that day” is referring to the day when Christ rose on the morning of the first day of the week and now it is the same day called “evening.” According to this passage, the first day of the week was the day and then the night.
Did not Mary Magdalene come unto Jesus’s tomb on the first day of the week when it was dark according to John 20:1?
- John 20:1 states, “Now on the first day of the week comes Mary Magdalene early, while it was yet dark, unto the tomb, and sees the stone taken away from the tomb.”
- If it was dark without the sun raised, then John 20:1 would disprove or present another understanding that a day starts on another time other than sunrise in contradiction to the scriptures above. However, John 20:19 states, “When therefore it was evening, on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said unto them, ‘Peace be unto you.'” How could it be evening on the first day of the week, the very day that Jesus rose, if a day started at sunset and the day would have changed? Furthermore, Luke 24:1 depicted that the women came at early dawn, so though it was dark though it was not night. In mountainous areas, the sun can dawn and there is still darkness in the vales where the elevations block the sun’s light in some places. This is especially true where people have carved a tomb from rock. Darkness after dawn is evidently possible, and reasonable to those of who go out early.
Did not all Jews at this time believe that day was from sunset to sunset?
- No. The idea that a day was sunset to sunset came from man’s tradition and thinking based upon Leviticus 23:32 where the Day of Atonement was held on the tenth day of the seventh month, but the Sabbath began on the ninth because the Sabbath was kept on this occasion from evening unto evening. Even in this passage from Leviticus, one can easily notice the reference to two different days, the ninth day and the tenth day of the month. Leviticus 23:32 speaks of the sunset of the ninth day being the time to start the Sabbath for the tenth day. Evidently, a day did not start at sunset and this was a special occasion of simply keeping the high sabbath for the Day of Atonement. The regular Mosaic day began with the rise of day through the setting of the evening (Gen 1: Exod 12:18; 18:13: Lev 6:20).
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The Breath of God 
All that to say, that are 2 Laws, the Law of Moses, which was done away with, & the Law of God, which is forever.
Oh my, Scott, you are spewing out rapid fire error after error, & this is why I wanted to hit one cue at a time. How do you expect me to explain, if we can’t discuss one thing at time? 1 minute we’re discussing when a day divides, & the next it’s “manna”. Look at all this explaining, to all these topics, & just know that I don’t like conducting studies this way because we never put one fire out completely…before the next one begins.
1) Believers, including you & me, are all spiritually Jew (Romans 2:29), so there is a reason & a purpose for what we do (& don’t do). Revelation 14:6-13; Hebrews 4:4-11; Exodus 20:8-11 ALL refer to Genesis 2:2,3.
2) We are not in Paradise, & even though the Sabbath rest alludes to the promised land, the 7th Day is as valid as honoring your parents.
3) The context of Abraham as the “father of the faith” is his example of trust in God. Now, the religion was officially instituted through Moses. The Bible is just as silent on whether Abraham observed the Sabbath, as Adam & Eve. But if God rested on the 7th day of creation, did Jesus?
4) A Covenant not a Testament, as God New Testament is His Will that involved Jesus’ death. Covenant is an agreement, that involved the Jews agree to be a Holy nation…& witnessing & spreading God world-wide. Do they? Not by Hebrews 8, but is Hebrews 8 the origin of this New Covenant? See Jeremiah 31:31-34 & let’s rightly divide truth.
5) Exodus 34 & Deut. 4, on the Law of Moses? Try this…
Deut. 4:12-19; Lev. 1:1-3 – Spoken by Moses vs. Spoken Himself
James 2:8-11 vs. Eph. 2:13-15 – Royal Law vs. law contained in ordinances
Ex. 24:12 vs. Deut. 31:9 – Written by Moses vs. Written Himself
Ex. 31:18 vs. Col. 2:14 – Finger of God vs. Handwriting of Moses
Deut. 10:1-4 vs. Deut. 31:24 (2 Chron. 35:12) – Stone vs. book
Deut. 10:5 vs. Deut. 31-26 – Inside the ark vs. at the side of the ark
Ex. 31:18; 40:20 vs. Deut. 31:26 – Testimony vs. book of the law
Ps. 1:2; 119:1 vs. Mal. 4:4 – Law of God vs. law of Moses
Ps. 111:7, 8 vs. Col. 2:14 – Forever vs. ended at the cross
Ps. 19:7 vs. Heb. 7:19 – Perfect Law vs. made nothing perfect
1 John 3:4 vs. Col 2:14-17 – Points out sin vs. pointed toward Jesus’ sacrifice
Rom. 3:20; 7:7 vs. Lev. 3:7 – Defines sin vs. governs ways to “pay” for sins
Matt. 5:17 vs. Eph. 2:15 – Never abolished by Christ vs. abolished by Christ
Is. 42:21 vs. Col. 2:14 – Magnified by the Lord vs. nailed to His cross
Rom. 7:12 vs. Heb. 10:1 – Holy, just and good vs. shadow of things to come
Rom. 7:14 vs. Heb 9:10 – Spiritual law vs. material laws
Rom. 3:31 vs. Gal. 5:2-5 – Reflects faith in Jesus sacrifice vs. observance reflects doubt of Jesus sacrifice…clear?
Here’s another question in curiosity. Why did Abraham, the father of faith, not observe the sabbath? There is no mention of anyone observing the sabbath with rest and holy convocation in Genesis.
Alden,
Yes I believe the 10 commandments to be a part of the obsolete Law of Moses.
These Scriptures are my premises for my conclusion: Exo. 34:28, Deut. 4:13, 9:9, 11, Heb. 8:13.
“So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments” (Exo. 34:28).
“So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone” (Deut. 4:13).
Mthobisi,
You got me thinking on the typology. Could you give me some sources on that for further study? Still as I’ve stated before, there are clear difficulties with Jesus being in the grave 3 nights. Nevertheless, the greater issue here is: when is the Lord’s Day for the Christian?
I’m very familiar with Hebrews 4:9 in the Greek. This verse is certainly referring to a Sabbath rest with reference to God resting on the 7th day, but the Greek does not distinguish itself to mean a literal sabbath from the context. I think you’ll agree that Heb. 4:9 is established in its pretext because the writer says “therefore” from the Greek “ara” in verse 9. This sabbath has already been mentioned to be rest of God in the pretext so that this sabbath is the rest that is mentioned from verse 1-11. Verses 10-11 show clearly that Christians [living on earth] have not entered yet but must labor to enter into it (Heb. 4:10-11). By this, I an convinced that this is a heavenly rest a type among types in the book of Hebrews. This type of Sabbath is the Christian’s sabbath rest with Christ in paradise.
I agree, & I encourage readers to find the original meaning of Sabbatismos in the original Greek.
The Sabbath is a Commandment in the Law of God, & is not a shadow of Christ. The law of Moses includes sabbaths (shadows) Jesus fulfilled in the flesh. *Note* – I started to get the context of noth of these 2 Laws by reading a little before & after the mention of the word “Law”. See the difference between Colossians 2:14-16 & Matthew 5:17-20.
How do you know if the Law of God (Royal Law) i.e. James 2:10 is being spoken of? Simply by the context, meaning, the mention of one of the 10 Commandments.
How do you know if the Law of Moses is being spoken of? Notice in Colossians 2, instead of Commandments written with the finger of God, these were ordinances handwritten by Moses.
I agree with Br. Mwandla, as Hebrews 4:9-11 clearly say that the Sabbath remains. See verse 10 to find that we should rest from our work “as God did from His”. Then refer to Genesis 2:2,3.
Just a note on the keeping of the Sabbath?
When reading Hebrews 4, God, through the writer talks about a rest, this can be intepreted as a spiritual rest which we as Christians enjoy this day and also the rest of Heaven. When describing this rest, the words used are (in greek)
Katapauo, katapausis -to settle down; to cease; reposing down.
But when we get to verse 9
“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.”
The word for rest here is “Sabbatismos”- “Sabbatism” indeed it is used figurately. Its root word being “Sabbaton” “Shabbath” – meaning (specifically) the seventh day Sabbath. When one reviews the logical structure of the passage i.e. when read in context, this verse states plainly:
“There remaineth therefore a keeping of the seventh day Sabbath for the people of God”
So, do you think that the 10 Commandments are part of the Law of Moses?
Exactly, both the weekly Sabbath and Passover sabbath fell on the same day, hence it was a ‘high day’.
As Alden Barnett is trying to reveal, the crucifixion and resurection were the fulfillment of the events in Leviticus 23. I qoute him:
“Passover is the 14th day of the Jewish 1st month, Unleavens starts on the 15th, & 1st Fruits is the 16th.”
Not only does it fulfil the typology of the festivals but also the typology of the Manna.
Now the Manna was only preserved on the Sabbath from corruption. Jesus was laid in the grave just before the Sabbath and so no corruption. As the Manna was preserved by a miracle of God on he Sabbath, so Jesus was preserved by a miracle of God on the Sabbath. If He had been longer in the grave, His body would have seen corruption. He would not brake His own typology.