Narrow is the Way
Which Day is for You Part 2?
Is Elohim’s Sabbath on Saturday or Sunday? Is it lunar or solar based? Does it start at sunset, sunrise, or at midnight? Before we answer those questions, we must first understand a few basics.
When Yahua ordained His Sabbaths at recreation He did not name His days and weeks, He numbered them. Naming them is a tradition of men, not of Elohim. In setting times He used the luminaries. Yahua is consistent, He never changes, so if any changes were made to His reckoning, it was done so by man, not by Yahua. There are only two times that names are used in the Bible for times and they are months not days. One is “ABIB”, and even this is not the name of a month, but rather a stage of ripeness of barley. It is stating the month when ABIB, or ripeness occurs. The other is in Ezra 6:15 And this house was finished on the third day of the month “ADAR”, which was the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king. Tradition holds that the current names adopted by the Jews were installed by Ezra on Judah’s return from Babylonian captivity. During that captivity, the Jews adopted many of the Babylonian traditions as their own including adoption of the babylonian lunar based calendar and the practice of starting the day at sunset and ending it at the next sunset 24 hours later. This Jewish sunset tradition will also be covered later.
Sabbath days according to Yahua.
Yahua is extremely particular. He wants things done in His time and in His way, precisely as He directs. Sabbaths are appointments for His children to meet with Him. They are specific times that He sets, not the times that we set.
Genesis 2:3 Elohim blessed the seventh day and made it holy
Exodus 20:8 Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it. (9) For six days you may labor and do all your work, (10) but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahua your Elohim;
Exodus 31:12 Yahua said to Moses, (13) Tell the Israelites, Surely you must keep my Sabbaths, for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am Yahua who sanctifies you.
Exodus 31:16 (Yahua still speaking to Moses) And the Israelites must keep the Sabbath to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations (even until this very day) as a perpetual covenant.
Isaiah 58:13 You must observe the Sabbath rather than doing anything you want on my holy day. You must look forward to the Sabbath and treat Yahua’s holy day with respect. You must treat it with respect by refraining from your normal activities, and by refraining from your selfish pursuits and from making business deals.
Are you an Israelite? You need to find out, and if so, do as instructed by Elohim.
Yahua’s reckoning of time
Man has had many different calendars. Their purpose has always remained the same, to regulate the yearly cycle of the earth and break it down into subdivisions of months, weeks, and days. Their calendars just as Yahua’s reckoning of time relied on the movements of the heavenly bodies.
Genesis 1:14 Elohim said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them be signs to indicate seasons and days and years.”
Psalm 104:19 He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knows his going down.
The sun and moon are not there merely to divide the day from the night. They were put there specifically to declare Yahua’s sacred appointments and seasons. These heavenly lights serve as beacons to draw us to His appointments.
Yahua’s new year begins with the Vernal Equinox as revealed to Enoch by Yahua's set-apart messenger Uriel. These instructions are repeated in the Book of Jubilees as the perfect method for counting the days, months, and years. Unfortunately for convenience sake, man has elected to change what Elohim has ordained to suit his own ways. Elohim's reckoning is described in Enoch's book of Luminaries and in chapter 6 of the Book of Jubilees. For the sake of simplicity the Book of Jubilees will be used as an illustration. Elohim's reckoning is based on four quarters of 91 days each. Each quarter having two months of 30 days and one month of 31 days of 13 weeks each for a total of 364 days. The extra 1.242 days matters little as the year resets at the Vernal Equinox. Each quarter starts on the fourth day of the week, i.e., the middle day of the week.
Jubilees 6:1 And on the new moon (The word moon as used in "new moon" is a mistranslation of the Hebrew word for month. So, whenever you see the term "new moon", it should be read as, "new month", and/or "first day of the month") of the third month he (speaking about Noah) went forth from the ark, and built an altar on that mountain...... (17) For this reason it is ordained and written on the heavenly tablets, that they should celebrate the feast of weeks in this month (the third month) once a year, to renew the covenant every year. (18) And this whole festival was celebrated in heaven from the day of creation till the days of Noah -twenty-six jubilees and five weeks of years [1309-1659 A.M.]: and Noah and his sons observed it for seven jubilees and one week of years, till the day of Noah's death, and from the day of Noah's death his sons did away with (it) until the days of Abraham, and they eat blood. (19) But Abraham observed it, and Isaac and Jacob and his children observed it up to thy days, and in thy days the children of Israel forgot it until ye celebrated it anew on this mountain. (20) And do thou command the children of Israel to observe this festival in all their generations for a commandment unto them: one day in the year in this month they shall celebrate the festival. (21) For it is the feast of weeks and the feast of first fruits: this feast is twofold and of a double nature: according to what is written and engraven concerning it, celebrate it. (22) For I have written in the book of the first law, in that which I have written for thee, that thou shouldst celebrate it in its season, one day in the year, and I explained to thee its sacrifices that the children of Israel should remember and should celebrate it throughout their generations in this month, one day in every year. (23) And on the new moon (again, this should be read as "first day") of the first month, and on the new moon of the fourth month, and on the new moon of the seventh month, and on the new moon of the tenth month are the days of remembrance, and the days of the seasons in the four divisions of the year. These are written and ordained as a testimony for ever. (24) And Noah ordained them for himself as feasts for the generations for ever, so that they have become thereby a memorial unto him. (25) And on the new moon of the first month he was bidden to make for himself an ark, and on that (day) the earth became dry and he opened (the ark) and saw the earth. (26) And on the new moon of the fourth month the mouths of the depths of the abyss beneath were closed. And on the new moon of the seventh month all the mouths of the abysses of the earth were opened, and the waters began to descend into them. (27) And on the new moon of the tenth month the tops of the mountains were seen, and Noah was glad. (28) And on this account he ordained them for himself as feasts for a memorial for ever, and thus are they ordained. (29) And they placed them on the heavenly tablets, each (quarter) had thirteen weeks; from one to another (passed) their memorial, from the first to the second, and from the second to the third, and from the third to the fourth. (30) And all the days of the commandment will be two and fifty weeks of days, and (these will make) the entire year complete. Thus it is engraven and ordained on the heavenly tablets. (31) And there is no neglecting (this commandment) for a single year or from year to year. (32) And command thou the children of Israel that they observe the years according to this reckoning- three hundred and sixty-four days, and (these) will constitute a complete year, and they will not disturb its time from its days and from its feasts; for everything will fall out in them according to their testimony, and they will not leave out any day nor disturb any feasts. (33) But if they do neglect and do not observe them according to His commandment, then they will disturb all their seasons and the years will be dislodged from this (order), [and they will disturb the seasons and the years will be dislodged] and they will neglect their ordinances. (34) And all the children of Israel will forget and will not find the path of the years, and will forget the new moons (new months), and seasons, and sabbaths and they will go wrong as to all the order of the years. (35) For I know and from henceforth will I declare it unto thee, and it is not of my own devising; for the book (lies) written before me, and on the heavenly tablets the division of days is ordained, lest they forget the feasts of the covenant and walk according to the feasts of the Gentiles after their error and after their ignorance. (36) For there will be those who will assuredly make observations of the moon -how (it) disturbs the seasons and comes in from year to year ten days too soon. (37) For this reason the years will come upon them when they will disturb (the order), and make an abominable (day) the day of testimony, and an unclean day a feast day, and they will confound all the days, the holy with the unclean, and the unclean day with the holy; for they will go wrong as to the months and sabbaths and feasts and jubilees. (38) For this reason I command and testify to thee that thou mayst testify to them; for after thy death thy children will disturb (them), so that they will not make the year three hundred and sixty-four days only, and for this reason they will go wrong as to the new moons (new months) and seasons and sabbaths and festivals, and they will eat all kinds of blood with all kinds of flesh.
Returning now to the Bible:
Ezekiel 46:1 In this manner says the Sovereign Yahua: The gate of the inner court that looks toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the Sabbath day it shall be opened, and the day of the new moon (or, first day of the month) it shall be opened….(3) And the people of the land shall worship at the door of that gate before Yahua on the Sabbaths and on the new moons. (First day of each new month)
Isaiah 66:23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another shall all flesh come to worship before me, says Yahua.
For those persons desiring to understand the beliefs of those who keep the lunar Sabbath, you can download for free, The Lunar Sabbath Book” at http://www.lunarsabbath.org
The question is, does Yahua care whether or not we keep Saturday, Sunday, lunar, or solar as long as we keep one day in seven to worship Him? or, should we keep holy the time that he appointed? There is no evidence that Yahua's appointed Sabbath is on the same day every week (i.e. Saturday or Sunday. More confusing still is the lunar Sabbath as its worship day changes every month with each new moon).
When Israel was in Egyptian slavery for 400 years they could not keep Yahua’s appointed Sabbaths. The Sabbath had to be reinstituted by Moses after they were freed from their bondage but he still did so based on Yahua's reckoning.
Exodus 16:1 And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai. On the fifteenth day of the second month after departing out of the land of Egypt. (2) And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron in the wilderness: (3) and the children of Israel said to them, If only we had died by the hand of Yahua in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh- pots, when we ate bread to the full; for you brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly. (4) Then said Yahua to Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or not. (5) And it shall come to pass on the sixth day, that they shall prepare that which they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily………(Now moving ahead to verse 21) And they gathered it morning by morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun grew hot (As the sun begins to rise in the desert, it starts to get very hot very fast so they had to gather up the manna fast before the sun came rose high in the sky.), it melted. (22) And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. (23) And he said to them, This is what Yahua has spoken, Tomorrow is a solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to Yahua:……(And so on the sixth day they gathered a double portion and here is what Moses said to them in verse 29) See, because Yahua has given you the Sabbath, therefore He gives you on the sixth day the bread of two days; remain you every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. (30) So the people rested on the seventh day.
But you say, they were together as a nation, and Yahua was providing for them. We on the other hand are a scattered people and unless we are retired, self employed, or some how self sufficient, must work for employers who may not tolerate our taking off on different days of the week, How do we keep Yahua’s commanded Sabbaths in today’s secular world? This is a time when one must step out in faith. The Sabbath command is a test command so "that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or not." by following the traditions of men we lose sight of the truth. “But in vain they worship me, Teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men” (Matt 15:9). Would it not be better to “Enter you in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many are they that enter through it. For narrow is the gate, and straitened the way, that leads to life, and few are they that find it.” (Matt 7:13-14)
Elohim’s Sabbaths are Torah based, not cyclical such as every Saturday (Jews and Messianics) or Sunday (Christians). Those days are based on Jewish and Christian traditions not on scripture. So now you have knowledge of the true Sabbaths, it is now up to you as to what you are going to do with this knowledge. There is yet one more matter to cover, and that is, when does Yahua’s days actually begin and end?
Most all of the information I am about to present is from David Pollina’s well researched book, “Reuniting the Covenant”. I do not agree with his lunar Sabbath position but I do believe he has it right about when the day begins and ends. The book can be ordered at www.tushiyah.org If for some reason you cannot afford to purchase the book for the small sum asked to cover expenses, Mr. Pollina will give it to you for free.
Mr. Pollina asserts and offers convincing proof that the beginning and ending of the 24 hour period we call “a day” begins at sunrise, not at sunset or midnight. Modern society places that time at midnight. Jews and Messianics place their biblical day from sunset to sunset. Scriptural proof for this however is extremely weak, the custom resting on tradition and interpretation forced from tradition.
Mr. Pollina tells us in his book that there are four basic words which recur regularly in the Tanakh (Old Testament) to describe the 24 hour cycle. A Foundational understanding of their meaning, and applying that understanding consistently, is the first step to discerning what scripture refers to as the 24-hour period called the “day”.
‘YOWM’, (#3117), “daylight, 24 hour, a working day”, comes from a root meaning “to be hot”. As mentioned, this can refer either to daylight or to a 24-hour period called the “day”.
“LAYIL’ (#3915), “night as opposed to day”, comes from a root meaning “to fold back”. This is the period of darkness.
“EREB’ (#6153), “even, eventide, evening, mingling”, comes from ‘ARAB’, (#6150), “to grow dark, covering with a texture”.
“BOQER”, (#1242), “morning, break of day, end of night”, comes from ‘BAQAR’, (#1239), “to seek, look”.
“In a simple, ancient understanding of the natural order, the ‘day’, YOWM, was hot, and the ‘night’, LAYIL, appeared to have a covering pulled over the sky. The YOWM is ruled by the sun, and the LAYIL is ruled by the moon (Genesis 1:16). Between these sections come two periods of transition; where YOWM fades into LAYIL, and where LAYIL, gives way to YOWM. These transitions are called EREB and BOQER (dusk and dawn). EREB is properly the time after sunset and before darkness. BOQER, the morning transition, is the time between first light and sunrise”.
"Placement of a dividing line for the 24-hour “day” remains an important question, as it will determine which date on the calendar any particular time period begins. Bear in mind, EREB means the same thing every place it is used; it is a specific term referring to the period between sunset and darkness."
Genesis 1:5 is the backbone proof verse that Jews use to support a “sunset to sunset” day. It says, “Elohim called the light day and the darkness night. There was evening, and there was morning, marking the first day.
“Right there in the beginning of the Bible, Yahua declares that each evening (first) and morning (second) makes one ‘day’. Or, does He? When the KJV was translated in the early seventeenth century, it was well known that the Jews regarded the day as sunset to sunset. This presupposition is evident in the translation of the text, assuming that sunset days are meant, even though it really says something completely different”.
If you take verse 5 out of context and ignore the preceding verses 3, 4 and the first part of 5 you could conclude a sunset start of a day. But let’s look carefully at what was said. (3) Elohim said, Let there be light. And there was light! (4) Elohim saw that the light was good, so Elohim separated the light from the darkness. (5) Elohim called the light day and the darkness night. Putting these verses in sequential context would mean the 24-hour day is really from sunrise to sunrise.
The sunset view forces meaning into the words which they do not inherently contain. If the day started at sunset and ended with the following sunset making it the first day, then the first day of creation started in darkness, and ended with the creation of light, this is textually unsustainable. It is much more likely to indicate a progression of events – creation of light (daytime) followed by dusk, then night, and then dawn. Under this view, the day BEGINS AT SUNRISE.
Another scripture the Jews and Messianics use to support a sunset to sunset day relates to the Day of Atonement.
Leviticus 23:27 The tenth day (YOWM) of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It is to be a holy assembly for you, and you must humble yourselves and present a gift to Yahua. (28) You must not do any work on this particular day, because it is a day of atonement to make atonement for yourselves before Yahua your Elohim. (29) Indeed, any person who does not behave with humility on this particular day will be cut off from his people. (30) As for any person who does any work on this particular day, I will exterminate that person from the midst of his people! (31) You must not do any work. This is a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all places where you live. (32) It is a Sabbath of complete rest for you, and you must humble yourselves on the ninth day (YOWM) of the month in the evening (EREB), from evening (EREB) until evening (EREB) you must observe your Sabbath.
“The second proof text for “sunset” days focuses on the last verse of that passage, “from EREB to EREB”, but not only does the sunset day interpretation not fit the context of the passage, it ASSUMES TO APPLY this reckoning beyond the referenced Day of Atonement. Just because this particular High Sabbath is to be observed from EREB to EREB, it does not necessarily follow that every Sabbath, much less every day, will be in such a pattern”.
Here though is why a sunset day does not fit the context of the passage: The EREB (dusk, after the sun sets) of the ninth day would be followed by the LAYIL (darkness) of the ninth day followed by the BOQER (dawn) of the ninth day, and humbling would be taking place on the YOWM (daylight) of the ninth day, not on the tenth day as instructed in the opening verse 27.
“On the other hand, with the days beginning at sunrise, the EREB of the ninth day comes after the sunset of the ninth day, and the instruction paraphrased reads, ‘fast from sunset on the 9th, overnight, through the daylight of the 10th, up until sunset on the 10th’. This is totally in agreement with the rest of the passage as it makes sense to start abstaining from food on the night of the 9th, thus entering into the daytime, the start of the 10th on an empty stomach, and remaining so through to sunset…..This is a special instruction for one special day and can not be properly taken out of context. The passage actually provides a strong proof for the sunrise model”.
There are many other examples and explanations that David Pollina cites in his book that add credibility for a sunrise start of the day that are excellent points. So again, consider obtaining a copy of the book, "Reuniting the Covenant", before passing judgment on this subject, read his book. It can be ordered at: http://www.tushiyah.org/.