Page 31 - Advanced OT Survey Revised

So why is this significant? In our way of thinking about days, we think of an event occurring on a certain
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day of the week. For example, Christmas is on December 25 . It starts at 12:00 AM but we are sleeping,
so Christmas day in our mind is from the morning when we get up to the evening when we go to bed.
But in the Jewish mind, a day begins in the evening as the sun is setting. It continues until they go to
bed and rise in the morning, until the dusk of the day. So, a Hebrew day in the Bible can actually cover
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two of our days. In the Jewish mind, Christmas would begin on our 24 in the evening and conclude on
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the 25 at dusk, or around 6 PM.

Here is the significance of this fact. Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 12:40 that “as Jonah was three
days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights
in the heart of the earth.” When Jesus died, it was just before Passover. In fact, they rushed Him into
the tomb before Passover began at around 6:00 PM. He died at 3:00 PM. He was buried as Passover
Day began -- in the evening of the first day. If we used our thinking about days, we could say he died on
Thursday, was in the tomb that day, on Friday, then on Saturday, and rose on Sunday. That would make
three days and nights in our thinking. But not in the Jewish mind!

Remember, a day is the evening (night) and morning (daylight) covering our two days. So, Jesus was
placed in the tomb as the Passover began, the first evening. Through the next day until 6 pm would
make the first night and day. The next evening and morning would be the second night and day. The
next evening and morning would be the third night and day. The resurrection then would occur after
the third day was concluded at the dusk of Saturday. We know Jesus rose on the first day of the week or
Sunday (which began after 6:00 PM), but it was not discovered until the next morning by the ladies who
came to the tomb. Now, figure out what day of the week did they crucify Jesus, based on the Jewish
day.

Israel today continues to set its feasts days on the same day of the lunar calendar each year. However,
on our calendar, the feast days change because the Gregorian calendar is not the same days as the lunar
calendar. Thus, when checking when a Jewish feast day is held, you have to look it up each year to
determine the dates it may fall on our calendar because the dates differ from year to year.

Did you know that according to tradition, the Hebrew calendar started at the time of Creation, placed at
3761 BC.? Accordingly, in 2022 the Jewish calendar year is 5783. The Jews believe the seventh
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millennium (6000 – 7000) will correspond to the Messianic Age when the Messiah comes to rule and
reign on the earth. Just as Shabbat is the sanctified “day of rest” and peace, so too the seventh
millennium will correspond to a universal “day of rest” and peace, a time of completeness. Wouldn’t it
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be interesting if the millennial reign of Christ would occur during the seventh millennium?

Brief Summary of Genesis

Chapters 1-11 focus on the creation, fall, flood, and the tower of
Babel.

Genesis chapters 1 and 2 answers the question of where
everything came from. In chapter 1, the narrative focuses on the
creation of all things. Chapter 2 is a detailed report on the creation
of man created in the image of God. Chapter 1 and 2 validate that
God is the Creator of everything.

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