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Thursday, April 8, 2021

When does a new day begin (part three)

 

Now, let us look at some other biblical examples to prove without any shadow of doubt that a new day does not begin either at sunset or at midnight.

2.      The Passover

The instructions that the Lord gave to Moses regarding the Passover was as follows; “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight” (Exodus 12:5-6).

Please note carefully that at twilight when the Passover sheep or goat was killed it was the twilight of the fourteenth day, meaning that, the day light period which preceded the twilight was already the fourteenth day of the month and not the beginning of the fourteenth day. So the Passover lamb was killed at twilight, at the going down of the sun on the fourteenth day of the first month. The Israelites were also instructed saying; “You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire” (Exodus 12:10).

Signifying that the whole night was still part and parcel of the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month of the year, because the Lord further instructed them saying; 'For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD” (Exodus 12:12).

The people were further instructed saying; “And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning.” And it came to pass at midnight that the LORD struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock.” (Exodus 12:22, 29).

I therefore beg to ask the question, since all these things happened on the selfsame day, how can a new day begin either at sunset or at midnight?

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3.      The Day of Atonement

The Day of Atonement is another undeniable proof that a new day does not begin either at sunset or at midnight, because this is what the Lord instructed Moses saying; “Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God.”

“For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people. And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. You shall do no manner of work; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 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 23:27-32).

 Please note carefully that, the Day of Atonement is on the tenth day of the seventh month, but one is instructed to begin afflicting their souls (fast); “on the ninth day of the month at evening and from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your Sabbath.  I therefore beg to ask the question if a new day begins at sunset or at midnight, why the evening before the Day of Atonement which is on the tenth day of the seventh month be considered the evening of the ninth day and not the beginning of the tenth day?

I would like to point out also the phraseology “from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your Sabbath” is applicable only to the Day of Atonement and should not be associated with the other Sabbath days because no such requirements are related to the other Sabbath days. The rationale for beginning the celebration of the Day of Atonement from the evening of the ninth day when the Day of Atonement itself is on the tenth day, it is to avoid the consumption of food and water on the Day of Atonement and so, one has to begin afflicting the soul from the evening before.

To be continued, stay tuned

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph


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