Sabbath Celebrations
Fridays evening 6 pm to Saturday 6 pm, or from Sunset Friday to Sunset Saturday. This time is not mandatory. I chose this timing because the world’s calculation of sunrise and sunset times does not always match what the Bible says. For example, the world might say the sun sets at 5 pm one day, then at 4 pm or 3 pm on other days. This is not consistent with Scripture.
According to the Bible:
Psalm 113:3
“From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD’s name is to be praised.”
Our God is not a God of confusion. His timing for the setting of the sun is very precise for all His purposes. A clear example is His Sabbath, which is from sunset to sunset. Even when the Israelites used the moon for their calendar, the sun’s setting time was consistent every day. God cannot set the Sabbath time at different times, as that would confuse Bible readers, His saints, and Sabbath observers. That is why God set the Sabbath time according to the setting of the sun, which occurs at the same time every day.
August 2022 — Sun in London
The world’s overall understanding of sunrise and sunset times is summarized by this biblical verse:
Psalm 113:3
“From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD’s name is to be praised.”
What the world does not realize is that when the sun rises, its rays can last for two to three hours afterward, depending on the season.
God’s 24-Hour Day in Creation
I want to use God’s creation of the 24-hour day as an example of His precise timing throughout the Bible:
Genesis 1:1-31 (summary)
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God created the heavens and the earth.
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He separated light from darkness, calling light “Day” and darkness “Night.”
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The evening and morning marked the first day.
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God made the sun, moon, and stars to divide day from night and to mark signs, seasons, days, and years.
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Each day ends with “the evening and the morning,” showing God’s clear day cycle.
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God created all living things and declared His creation “very good.”
This biblical account shows that God’s measure of time is exact and consistent.
The Equinox Is Not God’s Design
When we say the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, we must consider the equinox. The sun rises exactly in the east and sets exactly in the west only two days a year: March 21 and September 21 (the spring and fall equinoxes). On other days, sunrise shifts either north or south of east, and sunset shifts accordingly.
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During the summer solstice, the sun rises in the extreme northeast and sets in the extreme northwest.
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During the winter solstice, it rises in the farthest southeast and sets in the farthest southwest.
This happens because the earth is tilted and moves eccentrically in its orbit. However, what I have written above about the world’s view of sunrise and sunset is not true according to how God made the earth.
