2. The concept of “Day”

The concept of “Day”

Before we look at the calendar, we need to first define the concept of a “day”, because any calendar consists of a series of days.

The word “day” has two definitions: 

1. Day, like when it is sunlight, in other words, from sunrise to sunset.

   
   The Bible points to a 12-hour period of “day” light.
   

   (Joh 11:9) Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.

   Why do we not want to believe Yeshua?
   

   (Jer 33:19) And the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, saying,
   (Jer 33:20) Thus saith the LORD; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season;
   (Jer 33:21) Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers.
   (Jer 33:22) As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me.

   (Jer 33:25) Thus saith the LORD; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth;
   (Jer 33:26) Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take anyof his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to 
   return, and have mercy on them.

   We can also read about the battle at Gibeon when the sun and the moon stood still.
   

   (Jos 10:12) Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
   
   (Jos 10:13) And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? (Chapter 88:63-65) So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.
   
   (Jos 10:14) And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.

   
   What an amazing event!!! The sun and the moon obeying the will of our Creator.
   It remained “day” – Just for an unnaturally long time.
   
   The Bible also points to some other examples of day in this context:
   - 11 times with specifically “forty days and forty nights”
   - 3 times “three days and three nights”
   - 3 times “after three days”
   - 38 times “on the third day”
   
   

2. Day, a 24 hrs period that includes day (light) and night (darkness).

   
   The question is, when does the 24 hrs period or calendar day begin?
   There are mainly 3 possible options for this: 
   
   1. 1. The Jews (and some Christian groups) view sunset as the beginning of the next 24 hrs period of a calendar day.  They base this mainly on the 
         verses in the book of Genesis where they read the words literally as “And the evening and the morning were the first day.”  Any other definition in the Word is therefore dismissed.
         The Islam calendar (Hijri calendar) day that starts with the evening call to prayer.  The month always begin with a new moon and therefore any 24 hrs period must begin with sunset.
      2. Another view is that a 24 hrs day period begin at sunrise and end with the next sunrise.
      3. According to the Roman system, that is being used by almost all the world, the 24 hrs day period begin at midnight and end at the next midnight. From there we get the notion of a.m. and p.m.