The concept of a Lunar Sabbath, where the weekly Sabbath is determined by the phases of the moon rather than by a continuous seven-day cycle, is a belief held by some groups. An additional belief by some within this framework is that a “day” consists only of the daylight hours, excluding the night. To determine whether this understanding of a day as only being the daylight hours is biblical, we need to carefully examine the Scriptures, particularly those that define the concept of a day in the Bible.
The Biblical Definition of a Day
The Bible provides a clear and consistent definition of what constitutes a day. The first and most foundational reference to a “day” is found in the Creation account:
Genesis 1:3-5 (NKJV):
“Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.”
This passage sets the precedent that a day is composed of both “evening and morning,” which includes both daylight (day) and darkness (night). The phrase “evening and the morning” is used to describe each of the six days of creation, clearly indicating that a complete day includes both the light and dark periods.
Genesis 1:14 (NKJV):
“Then God 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 seasons, and for days and years.'”
This verse further emphasizes that days are composed of both day and night. The division of time into “days” is marked by the natural cycle of light and darkness, regulated by the heavenly bodies-the sun and the moon. There is no indication that a day is exclusively the period of daylight.
The Sabbath Commandment
The Sabbath commandment itself, as given in the Ten Commandments, provides additional clarity:
Exodus 20:8-10 (NKJV):
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.”
The commandment refers to the seventh “day” as a complete cycle of 24 hours, consistent with the definition established in Genesis. The Israelites were to cease from all their labor from the beginning of the seventh day at sundown to the end of the day at sundown the next day.
Examples of the Sabbath Observance
The Bible provides examples of how the Sabbath was observed by the Israelites, which further confirms that a day was understood to include both day and night:
Leviticus 23:32 (NKJV):
“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.”
Here, the Sabbath is described as lasting “from evening to evening,” which clearly indicates that the day includes the night and is not limited to the daylight hours. This passage is particularly instructive because it specifies how the Day of Atonement (a special Sabbath) was to be observed, reinforcing the principle that a biblical day begins at sundown and includes both the night and the following daylight period.
Nehemiah 13:19 (NKJV):
“So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem, as it began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must not be opened till after the Sabbath. Then I posted some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day.”
Nehemiah’s actions to close the gates “as it began to be dark before the Sabbath” indicate that the Sabbath began at sundown. Again, this shows that the Sabbath, and by extension any “day,” was understood to include both the night and the day.
Jesus and the Understanding of a Day
Jesus’ own teachings and actions confirm the biblical definition of a day as encompassing both night and day:
John 11:9-10 (NKJV):
“Jesus answered, ‘Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.'”
While this passage acknowledges the difference between day and night, it does not redefine the day as only the daylight hours. Instead, it confirms that a day is typically understood as having two parts-day and night-with twelve hours of daylight. This understanding aligns with the general biblical definition of a day as a 24-hour period consisting of evening and morning.
Luke 23:44-46, 54 (NKJV):
“Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, ‘Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ Having said this, He breathed His last… That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.”
The timing of Jesus’ death shows that the day (Preparation Day) ended as the Sabbath began at sundown. This again confirms that the biblical understanding of a day includes both the evening and the morning.
The Lunar Sabbath and the Daylight-Only Day Theory
Lunar Sabbath proponents who argue that a day is only the daylight hours do so in an attempt to align their beliefs with a lunar cycle, where the Sabbath would reset with each new moon. However, this view conflicts with the biblical definition of a day as a 24-hour period that begins at sundown and includes both darkness and light.
The continuous seven-day cycle, which includes a Sabbath rest every seventh day, is independent of the lunar phases. Nowhere in Scripture is there a redefinition of a day as only the daylight hours, nor is there evidence that the Sabbath was ever intended to be aligned with the lunar cycle.
Conclusion
The Bible consistently defines a day as a period that includes both evening and morning-darkness and light-forming a complete 24-hour cycle. This is clearly outlined in the Creation account in Genesis and is reinforced by the Sabbath commandment, the practices of the Israelites, and the teachings and actions of Jesus. The idea that a day is only the daylight hours is not supported by Scripture. Therefore, the belief held by some Lunar Sabbath proponents that a day consists only of the daylight hours is not biblical according to the broader witness of the Bible.
A proper understanding of biblical timekeeping affirms that God’s creation of the day includes both the night and the day, and this pattern continues in the observance of the Sabbath, from “evening to evening,” as shown throughout the Scriptures.
“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men,
after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” Colossians 2:8
For more on the Sabbath, check section IX at: https://bibleask.org/bible-answers/
Great job explaining with scripture