12 hour Sabbath
A 12 hour Sabbath? Isn’t the Sabbath 24 hours?
Now we have done several posts proving that the biblical day began in the morning and not the evening as is widely believed. We would like to continue this series by looking at one incident that proves that the Sabbath lasts for 12 hours, from morning to evening. Indeed, the Messiah said this:
John 11:9 Yahusha 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.
The Messiah was stating something that was obvious at the time, that there are 12 hours in the day. However, that is no longer the case as we have moved away from the Hebraic roots of the bible. We are now under Romanesque roots.
So, let us prove that the Sabbath was held for the 12 hours in the Bible.
The Messiah in Capernaum
Now, we first have to establish that our account occurred on the Sabbath day.
Mar 1:21 And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.
Now what happened in the evening at sunset?
Mar 1:32 And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils.
Mar 1:33 And all the city was gathered together at the door.
The sunset signaled the end of the Sabbath. How do we know this? The entire town gathered at his door after sunset. This would not happen during the Sabbath as during the Sabbath, most would be in the synagogue. The entire town would not be congregating at other persons’ dwellings on the Sabbath.
Now the evening to evening Sabbath believers will say, yes! This proves the Sabbath and by extension, the day, begins in the evening. But let’s see as the saga continues.
Mar 1:35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.
According to evening to evening believers, the day began in the evening after the Sabbath (Mark 1:32). However, as we see above in verse 35, that the day began the next day! How can we deduce that?
Meanings of “Morning” and “Before Day”
Going back to the meaning of the words before their English translation will tell us what meaning the verse was intended to convey.
So first, morning:
Greek: πρωΐ́
Transliteration: prōi
Pronunciation: pro-ee’
Definition: Adverb from G4253; at dawn; by implication the day break watch: – early (in the morning) (in the) morning.
KJV Usage: in the morning (5x), early in the morning (2x), early (2x), morning (1x).
Occurs: 10
Now let’s look at the meaning of “before day.”
It is from the Greek ennuchon, and this word is used only once in the Bible. It really means as the English translation says: a great while before day/daybreak/daylight).
Greek: ἔννυχον
Transliteration: ennuchon
Pronunciation: en’-noo-khon
Definition: Neuter of a compound of G1722 and G3571; (adverbially) by night: – before day.
KJV Usage: a great while before day (with G3129) (1x).
Occurs: 1
In verses: 1
So the morning was the start of the next day. Morning began when it was yet dark, when it began to light, but the light had not yet fully overcome the dark. The day did not begin the evening before.
See also: Clues from the word “morrow.”
Sabbath morning
That means the Sabbath began in the morning which began the day. They went into the synagogue on the Sabbath DAY and in the evening when the sun was set, the Sabbath day was over (12 hour Sabbath). The entire city came to the house, because the Sabbath was over.
In the morning early before day began, he rose up to pray (Mark 1:35). The day did not begin the evening before.
Confirmation from John 20
Let us now give a confirmation of that in the book of Yahuchanon (John).
Here is a similar time in which Mary came. Early in the morning when light is breaking forth from the darkness of the night, it would still be dark.
Joh 20:1 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.
Now we see the evening being described as the same day (that Mary came early in the morning). This also proves that the previous description (John 20:1) was of the morning:
Joh 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
What Does This Tell Us?
Now if the evening is the same day as the morning before, it confirms that an evening does not begin a day. Rather it ends it.
When the sun is set, then the night begins. 12 hours later, the next day begins in the morning. The morning and the evening marked a 12 hour day matched by 12 hours of night. All this is consistent with the illustration below. :
12 Hour Sabbath Confirmed
So similar to the account of Yahusha in Capernaum, we have the day beginning early in the morning and ending in the evening with the evening being a part of the day, not a new day.
So that one account of Yahusha in Capernaum (in Mark 1), gives us the evidence that a 12 hour sabbath was kept in the Bible. The evening to evening Sabbath is not biblical. It is a tradition of man.
See: Religion vs The Way: Which One Are You Following?
