A Biblical Day
A biblical day does not start at sunset (Mainstream Judaism), nor at midnight (Pagan World), but with the new light at sunrise (see Gen 1:5; other proof texts are 1Sam 19:11, Exo 29:39, Lev 22:29-30, Num 11:32, Mat 28:1, Mar 27:45, Luk 24:29, Joh 20:19, Act 4:3 et al.).
- 1Sam 19:11 made it clear to the Jews: "Then Saul sent messengers to David's house to guard him and to kill him in the morning, but Michal his wife told David, saying, "If you do not save your life tonight, then tomorrow you will be killed!"
- Joh 20:19 states: "Now when it was evening on that day - the first day of the week - and the doors had been shut where the disciples were because of fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, Peace to you."
Act 4:3 makes it crystal clear: "And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening".
- A complete list with 17 corresponding Bible verses affirming the sunrise-sunrise rhythm of an ordinary day can be found in the study 'Creation' (Page 2).
2 out of 7 Sabbath of Sabbaths (Annual Feasts / High Sabbaths / Extraordinary Sabbaths / Ceremonial Sabbaths) are stated to begin at sunset (Passover according to the timing of the Exodus as specified in Deut 16:6 and Num 9:5 , and the Day of Atonement specified in Lev 23:32). We do not know if this rather implied only those 2 -, or if all the 7 Sabbath of Sabbaths, but it is absolutely certain that this timing did not affect the Weekly Sabbath or any weekday.
Similar to other exceptions in the Bible, we should be careful to not blindly follow and idolize customs of Jewish Mainstream which are often based on the Word, but sometimes applied incorrectly.
And yes, THEOS obviously worked before the evenings described in Gen 1:5 ff :
[1. THEOS worked during the day] And [2. then] there was evening and [3. then] there was morning, [marking] the [end of the] first day.
And last but not least, all biblical times of a day are counted from sunrise, not from sunset:
- 1st hour of the day = 6-7am (sunrise)
- 3rd hour of the day = 9am (Mat 20:3, Mat 27:45, Mar 15:25, Mar 15:33, Act 2:15)
- 6th hour of the day = 12m (Mat 20:5, Mat 27:45, Mar 15:33, Luk 23:44, Joh 4:6, Joh 19:14, Act 10:9)
- 7th hour of the day = 1pm (Joh 4:52)
- 9th hour of the day = 3pm (Mat 20:5, Mat 27:45-6, Mar 15:33, Luk 23:44, Act 3:1, Act 10:3, 30)
- 10th hour of the day = 4pm (Joh 1:39)
- 11th hour of the day = 5pm (Mat 20:6, 9, the last worker still gets a wage)
- 3rd hour of the night = 9pm (Act 23:23)
The following studies include more details about a Biblical Day: