
"From Even unto Even"
New Light on Old Paths
Introduction
I
t is in examining all the evidence that the swords of truth can be accurately sharpened. Assumptions, without the testimony of two or more witnesses only produce dull and ineffective swords. The purpose of this article is to re-examine the historical Seventh-day Adventist and Jewish positions as to when the Sabbath commences as rendered in Leviticus 23:32. This includes, a comprehensive look at the original Hebrew meaning of the phrase "from even unto even" as well as the ramifications of the term "ninth," as it relates to the Day of Atonement. The primary focus is to look at the process and the conclusion taken by the early Adventist Pioneers as they established the time to commence the Sabbath, what is considered today as an immoveable foundation stone and an ancient Hebrew truth.
For such a time as this, the heavenly Father is raising up a people unfettered by the traditions of men, to proclaim His last message to the world. All who would be fit for this special work must have a willingness to re-examine long held views in light of new divine rays of light shining on their path that they may show others the way.
There is no excuse for anyone in taking the position that there is no more truth to be revealed, and that all our expositions of Scripture are without an error. The fact that certain doctrines have been held as truth for many years by our people, is not a proof that our ideas are infallible. Age will not make error into truth, and truth can afford to be fair. No true doctrine will lose anything by close investigation.
Councils to Writers and Editors, p. 35
It is imperative that all who are equipping for this task seek only the truth, uncontaminated by the errors and traditions of men.
You must lay your preconceived opinions, your hereditary and cultivated ideas, at the door of investigation. If you search the Scriptures to vindicate your own opinions, you will never reach the truth. Search in order to learn what the Lord says. If conviction comes as you search, if you see that your cherished opinions are not in harmony with the truth, do not misinterpret the truth in order to suit your own belief, but accept the light given. Open mind and heart that you may behold wondrous things out of God's word.
Christ's Object Lessons, p 112.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6
For each in-depth word study the following four study tools have been used to obtain the council of two or three witnesses: Strong's Dictionary and full Stuttgart Hebrew Bible, as well as the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon and Thayer's Greek Lexicon.
It cannot be stressed enough that none of these resources are without error, as they have been supplied by men with fallen natures. Therefore it is important to utilize multiple sources for comparison and seek to rightly divide the word of truth. Not for a moment do I consider the following article to be without a flaw or that it is the final word on this subject. If nothing else, I pray that the reader will see in this a cause for rethinking and fully re-examining the long established historical position. This is not a complete or exhaustive research paper on this subject, rather it should be considered as an opening of dialog.
The use of Hebrew and Greek lexicons along with the Strong's Dictionary, for the Scriptural word-for-word studies, has had a most profound effect on my understanding of the Bible. I encourage each reader to obtain and utilize multiple lexicons and Bible dictionaries as this will be the only path to discover deep truths. I guarantee you will never look back. By looking up each word, one comes face-to-face with the original Hebrew and Greek text. For each Hebrew and Greek word, the pronunciation is given, as well as a list of definitions. When deciding which definition is more accurate, it is helpful to research the root words to help with clarification and context, ever comparing source with source.
In my research I have found not only overt errors in translation, but also covert errors and questionable word choices used by the KJV and other modern translators. On occasion the Strong's Dictionary will give a single Hebrew word with two or three different identifying numbers with their own respective definitions. Often the second or third rendering of the Hebrew word can be altogether overlooked causing the intended word rendering to be lost unless special care and diligence is not adhered to. We will analyze an example of this shortly.
The objective of this article is to propose and demonstrate that all S.D.A. doctrines were not set in stone and sealed with the approval of heaven. By defining precisely what these are, and what the truth is, preparation and corrections can be made for a u-turn.
It cannot be stressed enough that none of these resources are without error, as they have been supplied by men with fallen natures. Therefore it is important to utilize multiple sources for comparison and seek to rightly divide the word of truth. Not for a moment do I consider the following article to be without a flaw or that it is the final word on this subject. If nothing else, I pray that the reader will see in this a cause for rethinking and fully re-examining the long established historical position. This is not a complete or exhaustive research paper on this subject, rather it should be considered as an opening of dialog.
The use of Hebrew and Greek lexicons along with the Strong's Dictionary, for the Scriptural word-for-word studies, has had a most profound effect on my understanding of the Bible. I encourage each reader to obtain and utilize multiple lexicons and Bible dictionaries as this will be the only path to discover deep truths. I guarantee you will never look back. By looking up each word, one comes face-to-face with the original Hebrew and Greek text. For each Hebrew and Greek word, the pronunciation is given, as well as a list of definitions. When deciding which definition is more accurate, it is helpful to research the root words to help with clarification and context, ever comparing source with source.
In my research I have found not only overt errors in translation, but also covert errors and questionable word choices used by the KJV and other modern translators. On occasion the Strong's Dictionary will give a single Hebrew word with two or three different identifying numbers with their own respective definitions. Often the second or third rendering of the Hebrew word can be altogether overlooked causing the intended word rendering to be lost unless special care and diligence is not adhered to. We will analyze an example of this shortly.
The objective of this article is to propose and demonstrate that all S.D.A. doctrines were not set in stone and sealed with the approval of heaven. By defining precisely what these are, and what the truth is, preparation and corrections can be made for a u-turn.
- Assumptions were made by the early Advent Pioneers with regard to when a day begins and ends, and specifically when the Sabbath day commences and terminates. It has been believed that the conclusions of the 1840’s and 1850’s were a nail in a sure place. But is it? In this presentation you will be able to examine the evidence for yourself.
- The Angel’s reference to, “what even is, and when it is,” was only assumed by the voting men present, to be equal 6:00 P.M. Eight years later it was assumed to be sunset. Yet, there was no confirmation of this either by Ellen White or by the Angel. There was no “thus saith the Lord” or stamp of approval on any level.
- This article will illustrate how a day as well as a calendar date, commences at sunrise and not sunset, as was assumed by the early Adventist Pioneers, and traditionally taught by the Jews.
- It will be shown that the four watches of the night play a most significant role in declaring that a “calendar date” begins at sunrise.
- The words of the angel as given to Ellen White regarding Sabbath commencement states that, “From even unto even shall ye celebrate your Sabbath’s.” Was it the intention of the angel to use this description of the Day of Atonement as it was given in Leviticus 23:32, to apply also to the time period of the seventh-day Sabbath? Did the angel intend this to mean from sunset to sunset? Is there an alternate and more viable meaning of “from even unto even” that is in harmony with all Scripture references relating to when the day begins? Yes!
- It will be illustrated that the Day of Atonement encompasses only a 12 hour period of time from sunrise to sunset on the 10th lunar calendar date of the seventh lunar month and not on the “ninth” as many believe. It will be shown that when Leviticus 23:32 refers to the “ninth,” it is not referring to it as a whole day to keep holy, but it is specifically intended in the Hebrew to mean “through the idea of the moment the ninth turns to the 10th.” This is simply another way of stating from "sunrise to sunset" or "from even unto even." They are interchangeably one-and-the-same.
- The “Sign of Jonah” riddle spoken by the Saviour, Christ Yahushua, gives the final confirmation that His holy and ordained time-system is lunisolar, and that a lunar calendar date commences and terminates at sunrise, and has never changed to this present day.
- This article will demonstrate that Christ was in the tomb three days and three full nights just as He declared. This cannot be accomplished while using Roman Gregorian time, Jewish sunset to sunset reckoning, or believing the day begins at dawn or noon. There is only one division of a calendar date that is not declaring Christ Yahushua a liar, as it is confirmed by the “Sign of Jonah.”
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Kerrie L. French
Freelance writer/Illustrator
