How Ezra — And Others — Saw The Creation Week

How Ezra — And Others — Saw The Creation Week

Many of us are familiar with the story of how Ezra led the second wave of Yahudim captives in Babylon back to Jerusalem. (Ezra 7:1-7) It was through Ezra’s efforts, and faith in the Most High, that Torah was once again elevated to a place of prominence among Yah’s people.

On the first day of the first month he began his journey from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of Yahuah upon him. For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Torah of Yahuah, and to do and to teach statues and ordinances in Israel.

Ezra 7:8,9

The book of Ezra records how the man whose name means “helper” led one of the most important spiritual revivals of his day. The reforms instituted by this amazing prophet, scribe, and priest helped the people reestablish their covenant relationship with the Almighty.

When reading through the book that bears his name it is hard to miss this man’s faith and humility. Because the hand of Yah was on him, he was able to accomplish the impossible. 

Ezra, whose name is transliterated as Esdras in Latin, possessed an insatiable curiosity regarding end times, the destiny of mankind, Yah’s promises to his people, and the Creation itself.

Ezra’s Creation Story Echoes Genesis, Jubilees, and Enoch

The scriptures inform us that we get back what we invest when it comes to spiritual maturity and discernment. Those who desire to know more about the Kingdom of Yahuah benefit the most when they are willing to spend time in prayer and study.

It is the glory of Yahuah to conceal a matter, and the honor of kings to search it out.

Proverbs 25:2

In the apocryphal book of 4 Ezra (2 Esdras), we are privy to an exchange Ezra has with Uriel,1 an angel acting as an agent2 of the Most High. Following a seven day fast, Ezra the scribe articulates his version of the creation event.

When you compare the six days of creation as described in 4 Ezra with the accounts in Jubilees and Genesis, the similarities are undeniable. Additional verses from Job, Amos, 1 Enoch, and Psalms imply a creation model that supports biblical cosmology.

This article is written for those who are willing to throw off the shackles of mind controlled religion and dip their toe into “extra biblical” waters — namely, certain ancient manuscripts that were removed from our western Bibles. The creation accounts in 4 Ezra and Jubilees3 are posted so you can draw your own conclusions as to their compatibility with the Genesis narrative. After you’ve compared these creation accounts, ask yourself if this extra effort paid off in terms of helping you acquire a greater understanding of biblical cosmology, certain end times events, and the importance of observing Yah’s feast days.

Creation Day one

Creation day one light

The first day of creation is characterized by seven great works. The Creator brings order out of chaos and light is separated from darkness. This evident in the Genesis, 4 Ezra, and Jubilees accounts.

However, Ezra gives us this nugget of information that is missing from both the Genesis and Jubilees accounts: the light mentioned here is taken from Yahuah’s treasuries or storehouses. These storehouses are also repositories of natural phenomena such as snow, hail, and wind. (Psalm 135:7, Job 38:22, Jeremiah 10:13)

And I said, O Lord, you spoke from the beginning of the creation, even the first day, and said this: Let heaven and earth be made; and your word was a perfect work. And then was the spirit, and darkness and silence were on every side; the sound of man’s voice was not yet formed. Then you commanded a fair light to come forth of your treasures, that your work might appear.

4 Ezra (2 Esdras) 6:38-40

The Jubilees account is even more intriguing. Angels were created on day one and given and assigned classes. Angels of the Presence and angels of Sanctification made up the higher orders, while other classes of angelic beings were put in charge of natural phenomena.

For on the first day He created the heavens which are above and the earth and the waters and all the spirits which serve before him – the angels of the presence, and the angels of sanctification, and the angels of the spirit of the winds, and the angels of the spirits of the clouds, and of darkness, and of snow and of hail and of hoar frost, and the angels of the voices and of the thunder and of the lightning, and the angels of the spirits of cold and heat, and of winter and of spring and of autumn and of summer, and all the spirits of his creatures which are in the heavens and on the earth, (He created) the abysses and the darkness , eventide, and night, and the light, dawn and day which He hath prepared in the knowledge of His heart.

Jubilees 2:2,3

Creation Day two

Creation day 2 image

On day two we are given information regarding the structural foundation that holds up the heavens (firmament layers). This was such a massive undertaking that it was the only thing created on this day. Pillars of heaven and earth, apparently buttressed by winds, support these firmaments which also divide the waters above from the waters beneath.

He spreads out the heavens like a vault; upon the waters has he founded it.

4 Ezra (2 Esdras) 16:59
Firmaments of Heaven Illustration by Hanging on His Words ministry
Firmaments of Heaven” by Hanging On His Words

Again, on the second day, you did create the spirit of the firmament, and did command him to divide and separate the waters, that one part might move upward and the other part remain beneath.

4 Ezra (2 Esdras) 6:41

O Lord who inhabits eternity, whose eyes are exalted and whose upper chambers are in the air4,

4 Ezra (2 Esdras) 8:20

And on the second day He created the firmament in the midst of the waters, and the waters were divided on that day – half of them went up above and half of them went down below the firmament (that was) in the midst over the face of the whole earth. And this was the only work (God) created on the second day.

Jubilees 2:4

Here is what the prophet Amos, Job, and Enoch have to say:

He builds His upper rooms in the heavens and founds His vault upon the earth. He summons the waters of the sea and pours them over the face of the earth. Yahuah is His name..

Amos 9:7

He stretches out the north over empty space; He hangs the earth upon nothing. He has inscribed a horizon on the face of the waters at the boundary between light and darkness.

Job 26:7, 10

I then surveyed the receptacles of all the winds, perceiving that they contributed to adorn the whole creation, and to guard the foundation of the earth. I surveyed the stone which supports the corners of the earth. I also beheld the four winds, which bear up the earth, and the expanse of heaven. And I beheld the winds occupying the exalted sky. Arising in the midst of heaven and of earth, and constituting the pillars of heaven.

1 Enoch 18:1-510 Cephyr

Creation Day Three

Creation day 3 image

Four great works were done on day three:

  • the dry land appeared
  • the waters (under the heavens) are gathered to form seas
  • vegetation and fruit bearing trees appear
  • the Garden of Eden appears

Upon the third day thou didst command that the waters should be gathered in the seventh part of the earth: six parts hast thou dried up, and kept them, to the intent that of these some being planted of God and tilled might serve thee. For as soon as thy word went forth the work was made. For immediately there was great and innumerable fruit, and many and divers pleasures for the taste, and flowers of unchangeable color, and odors of wonderful smell: and this was done the third day.

4 Ezra (2 Esdras) 6:42-44

And on the third day He commanded the waters to pass from off the face of the whole earth into one place, and the dry land to appear. And the waters did so as He commanded them, and they retired from off the face of the earth into one place outside of this firmament, and the dry land appeared. And on that day He created for them all the seas according to their separate gathering-places, and all the rivers, and the gatherings of the waters in the mountains and on all the earth, and all the lakes, and all the dew of the earth, and the seed which is sown, and all sprouting things, and fruit-bearing trees, and trees of the wood, and the garden of Eden, in Eden and all plants after their kind. These four great works God created on the third day.

Jubilees 2:5-8(a)

Both 4 Ezra and Jubilees are consistent with the Genesis account of what happened on the third day.

Then Yahuah said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear; and it was so. And Yahuah called the dry land earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called seas. And Yahuah saw that it was good. Then Yahuah said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the her that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth; and it was so.

Genesis 1:9-11

Creation Day Four

Creation day four image

On day four of the creation week the Sun, Moon, and stars appear. These three heavenly timekeepers will set the boundaries of night and day, and calibrate months and years, the seasons, and feast days. The Sun, called the greater light, is pre-eminent. It is appointed to be the great sign that will govern sabbaths, appointed times, jubilees, and seasons of the year. This is covenant calendar language.

The Moon and stars are the lesser lights that govern the night. (Psalms 136:9) All three are said to be located in the firmament.

On the fourth day you commanded that the sun should shine, and the moon give her light, and the stars should be in order: and gave them a charge to do service unto man, that was to be made.

4 Ezra (2 Esdras) 6: 45,46

And on the fourth day He created the sun and the moon and the stars, and set them in the firmament of the heaven, to give light upon all the earth, and to rule over the day and the night, and divide the light from the darkness. And God appointed the sun to be a great sign on the earth for days and for sabbaths and for months and for feasts and for years and for sabbaths of years and for jubilees and for all seasons of the years. And it divides the light from the darkness [and] for prosperity, that all things may prosper which shoot and grow on the earth. These three kinds He made on the fourth day.

Jubilees 2: 8(b)-11(a)

Then Yahuah said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and sasons,a nd for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth; and it was so. Then Yahuah made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. Yahuah set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And Yahuah saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:14-18

Creation Day Five

day05

Birds and sea creatures are created on the fifth day and told to be fruitful and multiply. But Ezra tells us that it was on this day that two other beings were given life, and a purpose. According to Ezra, Behemoth and Leviathan were among the first fleshly creatures that were created. Behemoth5 occupied land where there are a thousand hills while Leviathan lived in the sea. (Psalm 104:26)

Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eats grass as an ox. Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly. He moves his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together. His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron. He is the chief of the ways of Elohim: he that made him can make his sword to approach.

Job 40:15-19
Behemoth and Leviathan
Behemoth and Leviathan

Job’s description of Leviathan is equally as fascinating.

Can you draw out leviathan with a hook? or his tongue with and cord which you let down? Can you put a hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?

Job 41:1,2

Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants? Can you fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish spears?

Job 41:6,7

Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about. His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal. One is so near to another, that no air can come between them. They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.

Job 41:14-17

When you dig a bit deeper into the destiny of these two amazing creatures, you may come to realize that they were created for a specific purpose. There will be survivors of the Great Tribulation who will see New Jerusalem descend from above and flock there for medicine, food, and mercy. These two creatures could be on the menu — the ultimate surf and turf meal that will serve as rations for the hungry and destitute until the food supply can be replenished.

You break the heads of Leviathan in pieces, and gave him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.

Psalms 74:14

And Behemoth shall be revealed from his place and Leviathan shall ascend from the sea, those two great monsters which I created on the fifth day of creation, and shall have kept until that time; and then they shall be food for all that are left.

2 Baruch 29:4-6

Upon the fifth day you said to the seventh part, where the waters were gathered that it should bring forth living creatures, fowls and fishes: and so it came to pass. For the dumb water and without life brought forth living things at the commandment of God, that all people might praise thy wondrous works. Then you did ordain two living creatures, the one thou called Behemoth, and the other Leviathan; And did separate the one from the other: for the seventh part, namely, where the water was gathered together, might not hold them both. Unto Behemoth you gave one part, which was dried up the third day, that he should dwell in the same part, wherein are a thousand hills: But unto Leviathan you gave the seventh part, namely, the moist; and has kept him to be devoured of whom you will, and when.

4 Ezra (2 Esdras) 6: 47-52

And on the fifth day He created great sea monsters in the depths of the waters, for these were the first things of flesh that were created by his hands, the fish and everything that moves in the waters, and everything that flies, the birds and all their kind. And the sun rose above them to prosper (them), and above everything that was on the earth, everything that shoots out of the earth, and all fruit-bearing trees, and all flesh. These three kinds He created on the fifth day.

Jubilees 2: 11(b)-13(a)

Creation Day Six

Day 6 Creation Day image

The animal kingdom and man are created on day six. In the Genesis account we are told that the animals were labeled “living creatures according to its kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth.” Man was created to have dominion over the entire earth. He was created in Yahuah’s image.

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, and over all the earth itself and every creature that crawls upon it.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Genesis 1:27,28

The Hebrew word selem (#H6754) is translated in English as image. The word can mean a physical representation of something. The term is suitable when used in the context of idolatry. However, when we are told that man is made in Yah’s image (selem) and likeness (demut), the meaning refers to man’s intended purpose — given to him by his Creator. He was to have dominion over the entire creation as a type of vice-regent.


God’s image obviously does not consist in man’s body which was formed from earthly matter, but in his spiritual, intellectual, moral likeness to God from whom his animating breath came. The emphasis of the prohibition of idols is that they are all material created things. This spiritual aspect of man has been damaged by the fall and is daily tarnished by sin. But it was seen in perfection in Christ and will be made perfect in us when salvation is complete.

Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer, Jr., Bruce K. Waltke, p. 768


Upon the sixth day you gave commandment unto the earth, that before you it should bring forth beasts, cattle, and creeping things:  and after these, Adam also, who thou made lord of all your creatures: of him come we all, and the people also whom you have chosen.

4 Ezra (2 Esdras) 6:53,54

And on the sixth day He created all the animals of the earth, and all cattle, and everything that moves on the earth. And after all this He created man, a man and a woman created He them, and gave him dominion over all that is upon the earth, and in the seas, and over everything that flies, and over beasts and over cattle, and over everything that moves on the earth, and over the whole earth, and over all this He gave him dominion. And these four kinds He created on the sixth day. And there were altogether two and twenty kinds. And He finished all his work on the sixth day –all that is in the heavens and on the earth, and in the seas and in the abysses, and in the light and in the darkness, and in everything.

Jubilees 2:13(b)-16

The 7th Day Sabbath Rest

And on the seventh day Yahuah ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on that day He rested from all the work of creation that He had accomplished.

Genesis 2:2,3

Unfortunately, the Genesis mention of Yah’s resting on day seven does not go far enough in my opinion. The Father’s seventh day rest was intended for mankind as well. It was set-apart for us so we would have a day to rest from our work (labor) and reconnect with our family and our heavenly Father.

This sabbath day of rest was not something strictly mandated for “the Jews.” It was a way to identify true covenant keepers. Jubilees tells us that the Father makes note of those who honor the sabbath day (the 7th day of the week).

And He finished all His work on the sixth day — all that is in the heavens and the earth, and in the abysses, and in the light and in the darkness, and in everything. And He gave us a great sign, the Sabbath day, that we should work six days, but keep Sabbath on the seventh day from all work. And all the angels of the presence, and all the angels of sanctification, these two great classes — He hath bidden us to keep the Sabbath with Him in heaven and on earth. And He said unto us: ‘Behold, I will separate unto Myself a people from among all the peoples, and these shall keep the Sabbath day, and I will sanctify them unto Myself as My people, and will bless them; as I have sanctified the Sabbath day and do sanctify (it) unto Myself, even so will I bless them, and they shall be My people and I will be their God.

Jubilees 2:16-19

This seventh day Sabbath6 rest was given to believers of all biblical ages from Adam to Yeshua, and will continue into the eternal ages to come. Yeshua and his disciples kept the Sabbath and we are expected to honor it too. Keeping the Sabbath is a sign or a mark that identifies true believers.

Ezra Kept Asking, Seeking, and Knocking

The point of this re-examination of the creation event is to inspire followers of Yeshua to emulate Ezra — a man who wanted to go deeper with Yah. The Father always rewards believers who desire to know more about Him and matters related to the Kingdom. We have to think for ourselves as we walk out this very personal salvation. We live in an age where we can no longer be satisfied with spoon-fed “traditional” church doctrine.

For those brave believers who are ready to break away from the religious doctrinal herd mentality and determine for themselves whether books like Jubilees, 1 & 2 Esdras, 1 Enoch or Baruch deserve consideration, we hear you. The Study Tools section of this website is loaded with resource links to help you along your way. And, as usual, we encourage you to always seek the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Maranatha!


FOOTNOTES

1 Uriel is one of four archangels mentioned in 1 Enoch 8:1 and is credited with being the angel who enlightened the scribe Ezra through many visions. Uriel, as one of the angels of the Presence, was sent by Yah to Lamech to warn Noah (his son) concerning the impending world-wide flood with instructions on how to escape this judgment. (1 Enoch 10:1-4)

2 For information on the role angels play in ministry and agency, see The Gospel Worth Dying For Chapter 9, “Agency and Prolepsis.”

3 The R.H. Charles translation.

4 Deuteronomy 10:14 (LXX): “Behold, to Yahuah your Elohim belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, and the earth and everything in it.” Yah dwells in the highest part of the firmaments – the Heaven of Heavens. This is why He is sometimes regarded as the Most High.

5 The word behemoth (Strong’s #H930) is the same in English as it is in Hebrew and is the plural form of the word behemah (Strong’s #H929). Behemah can mean beast, cattle, or large quadruped (four-legged) animal. It is interesting that this creature is connected to a location where there are “a thousand hills.” Just speculation, but is there a connection to Psalms 50:10 which states: “For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle (behemah) upon a thousand hills?”

6 The Sabbath is NOT Sunday, which is the first day of the week. The Emperor Constantine made Sunday a day of rest from labor and the Roman Catholic Church made this change. Unfortunately many Protestant denominations followed suit. See the article, “Who Changed the Sabbath to Sunday?” (Linking to this article is not an endorsement of this website or its ministry. It is for research purposes only.)

Does The Day Begin In Darkness?

Does The Day Begin In Darkness?

I have to confess up front that this side of eternity, I will probably never buy in to the belief that the day begins in the evening. I pretty much settled in on my position in 2017 after doing some research. However, I stumbled upon information recently that compelled me to write this article. Believe me, I am not trying to stir up contention among my brothers and sisters in the faith. What I am presenting here is an explanation based on research as to how I came to this conclusion. I invite your comments and am open to hearing your position on the matter if you disagree. Let’s dive in, shall we.

In The Beginning

The creation narrative begins with a chaotic earth immersed in darkness. Then Yahuah says, “Let there be light: and there was light.” Yah separated the light from darkness and told us that the light was a good thing.

And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Ruach Elohiym moved on upon the face of the waters. And Elohiym said, Let there be light: and there was light. And Elohiym saw the light, that it was good: And Elohiym divided the light from the darkness.

Genesis 1:2-4 Cepher

Why did Yah declare the light to be good? When trying to answer this question we have to go back to the Hebrew where the word translated as good is tov (טוב). The meaning implies that the light is functional. The word for light is or (אור). Or has several meanings, depending on the context. In this case it is associated with illumination.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path..

Psalm 119:105

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.

Isaiah 9:3

The righteous and faithful Simeon, full of the Word, was enlightened. He had eyes that saw the promised Messiah. And because he understood prophecy, he could fully comprehend how Yeshua’s light would be able to save not just Hebrews but people of all nations.

For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Your people Israel.

Luke 2:30-32

The word darkness (choshek) means obscurity, and figuratively misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, or wickedness. The primitive root of choshek is chashak which means to be or become dark, grow dim; to hide, conceal or obscure.

When Yeshua began his ministry in Galilee, he came face to face with people who were unable to fully understand Yah or His Kingdom. The message of the Gospel of the Kingdom was obscured or confused due to years of bad theology. This is why Yeshua’s teaching was so earth shattering. Through the Ruach Elohiym (Spirit of Elohim) Messiah brought illumination to their minds that enabled them to comprehend the fullness of the Gospel message.

When Yeshua heard that John had been imprisoned, he withdrew to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which is by the sea in the region of Zebulun and Naptali, to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles — the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned. From that time on Yeshua began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

Matthew 4: 12-17

When Does A Day Begin?

And Elohim called the light day, and the darkness He called night, and there was evening, and there was morning, day one.

Genesis 1:5

Day. How can one three letter word imply so many meanings? If you searched the definition of this noun, here is a sampling of what the results will return:

  • the interval of light between two successive nights
  • the time between sunrise and sunset
  • the portion of a day allotted to work
  • the light of day; daylight
  • each of the 24 hour periods, reckoned from one midnight to the next, into which a week, month or year is divided [and corresponding to a rotation of the earth on its axis.1]
  • the time between sunrise and sunset

However, the consensus among modern definitions of the word “day” seems to be either —

  1. a time existing between the rising and setting of the sun, or
  2. a period of 24 hours corresponding to a single revolution of the sun around [the fixed, stationary] earth. 2

Most followers of rabbinical Judaism believe the day begins at night. Meir M. Ydit, writing for the Conservative Judaism Journal in 1981, asserts that the Jewish rendering of a day beginning in the evening is not based on Scripture, but on customs and historical changes.

In the Jewish tradition it is customary to count the day from the onset of night (i.e., the visibility of three stars in the sky) until after the sunset of the following day. Thus the halakhic ruling: Halailah nimshakh aharei hayom, the night follows (i.e., is part of the day which comes after it. This method of counting was based upon the language of the Bible in the creation story (Gen. 1) where it says several times “and it was evening, and it was morning, the first (second, third, etc.) day.” Because of the language of the Bible, in which the evening is antecedent to the morning, it was reasoned that in the counting of the unit “day” the evening is reckoned to belong to the day which comes after it. However, a more precise scrutiny of this test shows that the opposite is true…But we should know that this time-honored custom which we regard and accept as obligatory evolved gradually and is the result of historical changes.

The Counting of ‘Day’ and ‘Night’, by Meir M. Ydit, Conservative Judaism Journal, Vol. 35, No.1, Fall 1981, The Rabbinical Assembly,

So, What Does Scripture Say?

When Yah separated the light from the darkness, this action also divided “time” into day and night. Let’s examine the two foremost luminaries and understand their purpose and function.

Then Yahuah made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also.

Genesis 1:16
The day begins with the Sun and ends with the appearance of the Moon

How does Scripture define the term “day” from a traditional (non-Jewish) Hebraic perspective? To find out, we will go back to Genesis.

And Elohim called the light ‘day’ and the darkness He called ‘night.’ And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, one day.

Genesis 1:5, The Scriptures TS 2009

Jeff Benner’s translation reads like this:

5 and~he~will~CALL.OUT(Verb) (וַיִּקְרָא / wai’yiq’ra) Elohiym (אֱלֹהִים / e’lo’him) to~LIGHT (לָאוֹר / la’or) DAY (יוֹם / yom) and~to~DARKNESS (וְלַחֹשֶׁךְ / wê’la’hho’shekh) he~did~CALL.OUT(Verb) (קָרָא / qa’ra) NIGHT (לָיְלָה / lai’lah) and~he~will~EXIST(Verb) (וַיְהִי / wai’hi) EVENING (עֶרֶב / e’rev) and~he~will~EXIST(Verb) (וַיְהִי / wai’hi) MORNING (בֹקֶר / vo’qer) DAY (יוֹם / yom) UNIT (אֶחָד / e’hhad)

which, reads like this in English:

“and Elohiym called out to the light, day…and to the darkness he called out, night…and evening existed and morning existed: a day unit.”

Other examples:

Christian Standard Bible
God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” There was an evening, and there was a morning: one day.

International Standard Version
calling the light “day,” and the darkness “night.” The twilight and the dawn were day one.

New American Standard 1977 
And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

It seems to me that Genesis 1:5 is saying the 24 hour period we generically refer to as a day consists of 4 parts: morning, day, evening and night. They are one unit. In my humble opinion, I do not believe the verse is saying that a day begins at night.

4 Parts of Day Illustrated
Twenty four hour day

Morning = H1242
boker: dawn (as the break of day); generally morning: — day, day, early, morning, morrow

Day = H3117
yom: from an unused root meaning to be hot; a dry (as the warm hours),

Evening = H6153
erev: dusk — day, even, evening, evening tide, even tide, night.
from H6150 arab, a primitive root; to grow dusky at sundown: — be darkened, evening, toward evening.
H6151 arab, commingle: — mingle, mingle self, mix.

Night = H3915
layil: a twist (away of the light); i.e. night; figuratively adversity: — night, midnight, night season.

Here are a few Scripture verses that distinguish day from night. 

2 Samuel 2:32And they brought Ash’el and buried him in his father’s burial-site, which was in Beyth Lehem. and Yo’ab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at daybreak.
Exodus 18: 13,14And it came to be, on the next day; that Mosheh sat to rightly rule the people. And the people stood before Mosheh from morning until evening.
Judges 16:2…the Azzathites saying, “Shimshon has come here!” So they went round and lay in wait for him all night at the gate of the city, and kept silent all night, saying, “In the morning, when it is daylight, then we shall kill him”
Judges 19:9And the man arose to go, he and his concubine and his servant. But his father-in-law, the young woman’s father said to him, “See, the day is now drawing toward evening. Please spend the night. See, the day is coming to an end. Stay here, and let your heart be glad. And you shall rise early tomorrow for your journey, and you shall go to your tent.”
Luke 24:29But they pleaded with Him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day* is almost over.” So He went in to stay with them.

*2250. hémera — definition: day; usage: a day, the period from sunrise to sunset.

Clear as Night and Day

Based on my understanding and research, morning + day + evening + night = the four parts of one 24 hour day.

The disciples said to him, “Teacher, the Yahudim were seeking just now to stone you, and are you going there again?” Yeshua replied, Are there not twelve hours in the day. If anyone walks around in the daylight, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks around in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.

John 11: 8-10

This statement by our Messiah is as clear as day.

For many years the tags “and there was evening, and there was morning, day X” threw me into a state of confusion. But when you add evening and morning, you have a 24 hour “day unit.” Thanks be to Elohim, that He is not the author of confusion, but clarity that comes by walking in the light of Torah.

It is my position that evening, by definition, concludes the day(time) hours and always follows a period of light. This means that “day” commenced first (following morning) and nighttime was preceded by evening — making a full 24 hour day. So, a day (governed by the greater light of the sun) cannot begin in the evening, when the day ends and the moon (the lesser light) takes over to rule the night.

When speaking of the Day of Yahuah, Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy told believers in Thessalonica:

You are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night nor of darkness.

If we are children of the light, why would our Father tell us to begin each day in darkness?


FOOTNOTES:

1 Based on the heliocentric globe model of earth. See The Gospel Worth Dying For, Chapter 7, “Biblical Cosmography.”

2 Based on geocentric biblical cosmology.

Who’s Afraid of Flat Earth Biblical Cosmology?

Who’s Afraid of Flat Earth Biblical Cosmology?

The first time I mentioned flat earth biblical cosmology it blew up in my face. Just like a new believer in Messiah, I was on fire to share what I had learned in the Scriptures about how the Father had designed our home called earth. First, a close friend shunned me. Then, I received a few disapproving stares at a 2016 Sukkot gathering. They were having none of it.

If you are reading this post, then you have probably been on both sides of the biblical cosmology fence at one time. However, after you embrace a geocentric creation model, you can count on getting the stink eye from those who disagree. So my fellow brothers and sisters, here is a list of books to add to your library that will help you make your case.

5 Biblical Cosmology Books That Support Flat Earth

The Doctrine of the Shape of the Earth book cover

The Doctrine of the Shape of the Earth: A Comprehensive Biblical Perspective

Author: Nathan Roberts

AMAZON DESCRIPTION

Do you trust God’s Word to be Faithful and True? Have you ever considered what the authors of the Bible, who were inspired by God, wrote about regarding the shape of the Earth? Does God’s Word even mention the topic? Are NASA’s claims and the mainstream Scientific Community in complete alignment with God’s Word, or are there some contradictions? If there are contradictions, does it really matter? Did God intend for us to interpret his description of his Earth as mere poetry and metaphors? Is it possible that NASA has debunked God’s Word at our subconscious? Does God’s Word state that he created a Globe Earth, Flat Earth, or some other kind of shaped Earth? Does God care what you believe the shape of the Earth to be? The answers to these questions and many many more are within, and you may just be surprised.

Amazon Link


The House That Jesus Built book cover

The House that Jesus Built: The Biblical Shape of the Earth

Author: Matt Long

AMAZON DESCRIPTION

It is said that the Bible is not a science book. That is true. Science books were written by men attempting to describe the things of God, while at the same time, removing God from the equation. The Bible does not function on such illogic. It has never issued a second, third or fourth edition. The Bible does not waiver or change based on scientific trends or theories of the day, for the Bible is ultimate truth and ultimate truth cannot change. According to John 1, Hebrews 1 and Colossians 1, Jesus is the maker of all things and Romans 1 says that we can get to know the Creator through the things that were made. If Jesus is the Creator and we can get to know the Creator through creation, should we not study what that creation is according to scripture? After all, Jesus himself disagreed with modern scientific claims. The fact that Jesus disagreed with modern science should not scare us as modern Christians. It should empower us to investigate the claims of modern science, knowing that if the two disagree, there is likely an evil cultural agenda at play, through the devil’s use of our traditional media, social media and established scientific community.

Amazon Link


The Greatest Lie On Earth book cover

The Greatest Lie on Earth: Proof That Our World Is Not A Moving Globe

Author: Edward Hendrie

AMAZON DESCRIPTION

This book reveals the mother of all conspiracies. It sets forth biblical proof and irrefutable evidence that will cause the scales to fall from your eyes and reveal that the world you thought existed is a myth. The most universally accepted scientific belief today is that the earth is a globe, spinning on its axis at a speed of approximately 1,000 miles per hour at the equator, while at the same time it is orbiting the sun at approximately 66,600 miles per hour. All of this is happening as the sun, in turn, is supposed to be hurtling through the Milky Way galaxy at approximately 500,000 miles per hour. The Milky Way galaxy, itself, is alleged to be racing through space at a speed ranging from 300,000 to 1,340,000 miles per hour.

What most people are not told is that the purported spinning, orbiting, and speeding through space has never been proven. In fact, every scientific experiment that has ever been performed to determine the motion of the earth has proven that the earth is stationary. Yet, textbooks ignore the scientific proof that contradicts the myth of a spinning and orbiting globe. Christian schools have been hoodwinked into teaching heliocentrism, despite the clear teaching in the bible that the earth is not a sphere and does not move. This book reveals the evil forces behind the heliocentric deception, and why scientists and the Christian churches have gone along with it.

Amazon Link


Graven Image: Why the Earth is Not A Globe book cover

Graven Image: Why The Earth Is Not A Globe

Author: Vincent Rhodes

AMAZON DESCRIPTION

The globe is an image of the earth that was first promoted by the Greeks. However, ancient biblical records reveal that the image of the globe was considered a graven image by the Hebrews. “You shall not make unto yourself any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above…” (Exodus 20:4). The globe is an image that sits in every classroom worldwide.

Could it be that our generation has unwittingly embraced a modern form of idolatry without knowing it? Vincent Rhodes will answer this question and more in this fascinating book that reveals the true nature of our earth; and why the globe is a graven image.

Amazon Link


The Sphere of Influence book cover

The Sphere of Influence: The Heliocentric Perversion of the Gospel

Author: Edward Hendrie

AMAZON DESCRIPTION

This book is a sequel to The Greatest Lie on Earth (Expanded Edition): Proof That Our World Is Not a Moving Globe. It will primarily focus on the infiltration into the church of the superstitious myth of heliocentrism and how that infiltration has served to undermine the gospel. The gospel is the entire Holy Bible, not just some of it. Matthew 4:4. Christian belief is an all or nothing proposition. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16.

God’s account of his creation is part and parcel of the gospel. A person with genuine faith believes what Jesus said about both heavenly and earthly things. “If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?” John 3:12.

Amazon Link