Was a day 24 hours in the beginning?

[Eli1]

My gut tells me no. When we look at all of the megalithic structures that absolutely required electrical-powered machinery around the entire globe, I'd have to say that these things were taking place, likely by the Sons of God, before Adam and Eve. This seems to explain why no one knows how, or by whom, these marvelous structures were created. Check out the Ellora Caves:

Ellora Caves Documentary 2019 The Mind-Boggling Rock Cut Temples of India - YouTube

It‘s not your guts but your eyes and reasoning that God gave us which tell you that the Bible is not a science book but a relationship book which shows our relationship to our creator and it’s not supposed to be interpreted literally like some Christians do.

 

[2ndTimothyGroup]

It‘s not your guts but your eyes and reasoning that God gave us which tell you that the Bible is not a science book but a relationship book which shows our relationship to our creator and it’s not supposed to be interpreted literally like some Christians do.

"Ecclesiastes 3:15 NIV - "Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account."

Now, I'm not saying that I understand Ecc 3:15, but it certainly is a rather odd passage . . . and there doesn't seem to be any passage quite like it within the entire Bible. This passage does seem to support that "things" were happening prior to Adam and Eve. And if these structures were not created by potential fallen angels, then the megalithic structures were likely created by either the Sons of God who mated with earth women, or their offspring were responsible. The Book of Enoch tells us that these beings taught the inhabitants of the earth many, many secret things that were only known in heaven.

Speculation . . . that's about all I can do.

 

[Eli1]

Well, for me science doesn’t cause any conflicts in my faith.
In fact science proves the work and glory of God to me.

 

[Everlasting-Grace]

The evening and the morning were the first day (and so forth)

that is where we are bound

so was it exactly 24 hours in the beginning? Maybe, maybe not.

What we do know is it was not a million or so years like some proclaim, It is still relegated to 1 day.

We also Have God who gives us a clue, The seventh day he rested.. And he later told Israel they should also rest on the 7th day, Mentioning the 7th day of creation, in which God rested. as a literal day.

 

[Webers.Home]

.
Back when Jesus was living in Israel; days consisted of no more than 12
hours apiece and nighttime and daytime had their own hours; viz: days were
when the sun was up and nights were when the sun was down.

• John 11:9-10 . . 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
anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.

Days divided into twelve equal periods of sunlight were regulated by what's
known as temporal hours; which vary in length in accordance with the time
of year. There are times of the year at Jerusalem's latitude when this world's
light consists of less than 12 normal hours of sun, and sometimes more; but
when Jesus was here; the official number of hours was always twelve
regardless.

I don't exactly know why the Jews of that era divided their days into twelve
equal periods of sunlight regardless of the seasons, but I suspect it was just
a convenient way to operate the government and conduct civil affairs;
including the Temple's activities (e.g. the daily morning and evening
sacrifices)

Anyway: I suggest that when attempting a chronology of the three days and
three nights predicted by Matt 12:40 that temporal hours be utilized because
that's how days and nights were understood back in Jesus' day.

For example: were Jesus to be crucified on Friday, the 15th of April 2022,
his first night in the tomb would begin at sunset that day, viz; Jesus first
night in the tomb would be Friday night, his second night would be
Saturday night, and his third night in the tomb would be Monday night.
_

 

[blueskies]

Interesting discussion.
I suspect (strongly) that Gods hours are not the same man’s hours, his ways are different than man’s.

Like weights and measures, our division of time is a man made construct and hasn’t always been universally recognized.
If I remember my JC history correctly, our concept of a 24 hour day is of Egyptian origin. Using sundials, hours were calibrated to divide the interval between sunrise and sunset into 12 parts. Using astronomical observations of a select group of stars, they then divided night into 12 hours. Also, in the Egyptian system, the length of the day-time and night-time hours were unequal and varied with the seasons and so as to compensate for longer summer day-time hours when the hours were longer than night-time hours, while in winter the hour lengths were the other around.

The practice of dividing hours into 60 minutes came from the Babylonians who had a jones for using numbers to the base 60.
For example the Babylonians not only divided hours by 60 minutes but also, it’s their division of a circle into 360 degrees that we use today, which was based on their estimate of 360 as being the number of days in a year.
As far as the calendar, this is a political and cultural amalgamation with a long and well documented history.

Today we know a day is not perfectly 24 hours long; the 24 hour day is a man-made construct and so to rectify this imperfection we need a leap year every 4 years to rectify the inaccuracy.

 

[A-Sword-Cometh]

It is close enough to 24 hours. To be very specific it is the morning and the evening that constitutes one day. The Sun and the Moon are not deities they do not determine time, they are just creations also. Not only do we know this because of the Beginning, but also, we know the Sun and the Moon, and also the Stars, shall perish before the End of Days. Praise the all-powerful God, Lord Jesus, Creator and Ender of Heaven and Earth.

 

[posthuman]

Well, an evening and morning called the first Yom / Day

Not light and darkness. Those He separated, and called day and night

which is to say, @Carry_Your_Name -- God first defines "light" as "day / Yom" and then defines both 'evening and morning' - while evening comes before morning - as a 'day / yom'

so there is a 3rd definition of 'day / yom' -- in addition to your approximately 24-solar-hr and symbolic 1,000-yrs-of-24-hr 'days'

this one is scriptural - it is in fact the first mention of 'yom' in the scripture

 

[Webers.Home]

.

For example: were Jesus to be crucified on Friday, the 15th of April 2022,
his first night in the tomb would begin at sunset that day, viz; Jesus first
night in the tomb would be Friday night, his second night would be
Saturday night, and his third night in the tomb would be Monday night.

CORRECTION:

For example: were Jesus to be crucified on Friday, the 15th of April 2022,
his first night in the tomb would begin at sunset that day, viz; Jesus first
night in the tomb would be Friday night, his second night would be
Saturday night, and his third night in the tomb would be Sunday night.
_

 

[tourist]

The 24 hour day is based on the time interval of a complete rotation of the earth. It has nothing to do with the amount, if any, of sunlight, or darkness.

 

[Carry_Your_Name]

which is to say, @Carry_Your_Name -- God first defines "light" as "day / Yom" and then defines both 'evening and morning' - while evening comes before morning - as a 'day / yom'

so there is a 3rd definition of 'day / yom' -- in addition to your approximately 24-solar-hr and symbolic 1,000-yrs-of-24-hr 'days'

this one is scriptural - it is in fact the first mention of 'yom' in the scripture

Mankind had been subject to their circadian rhythm until the last few centuries, which means rise at sunrise and rest at sunset, most human activities took place at daytime, and also, the first calendar day starts with darkness from which light was divided. When a “day” begins, the “night” has already passed. Therefore unless it specifically says day and night or x days and x nights, a day covers both day and night, 12 hour night first, then 12 hour day.

 

[Webers.Home]

.
• Luke 24:20-21 . . The chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be
condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had
been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, today is
the third day since these things were done.

Were the men speaking of a third revolution of the Earth as a third day, or
just simply a third sunrise?

Well; I'm guessing a third sunrise because that's how they understood days
back there during Jesus' tour of duty in Israel. (John 11:9-10)

* Incidentally, that third day was the self-same day wherein some women
went out to the cemetery and discovered Jesus' body had gone missing.

• Luke 24:22-23 . .Yea, and certain women also of our company made us
astonished, which were early at the sepulcher; and when they found not his
body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which
said that he was alive.
_

 

[Magenta]

If the week is not the same why did God ask us to keep the sabbath the same as Him.

Exo 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is,
and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Heb 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. Heb 4:10 For he that is
entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

It's all about Jesus

Matthew 11:28-30

 

[posthuman]

Mankind had been subject to their circadian rhythm until the last few centuries, which means rise at sunrise and rest at sunset, most human activities took place at daytime, and also, the first calendar day starts with darkness from which light was divided. When a “day” begins, the “night” has already passed. Therefore unless it specifically says day and night or x days and x nights, a day covers both day and night, 12 hour night first, then 12 hour day.

it specifically says God called "light" day and "darkness" night.

that is different from "evening and morning = day"

 

[posthuman]

it specifically says God called "light" day and "darkness" night.

that is different from "evening and morning = day"

@Carry_Your_Name

"light" ≠ "evening and morning"

get it?

 

[2ndTimothyGroup]

Ultimately, God is so utterly Powerful that He could create all that is within any time-frame. The need to debate the issue doesn't make much sense (to me).

In my estimation, we would be well advised to determine if our hearts have been regenerated . . . there are many ways to prove that we've received the Circumcision of Christ.

1 John 3:14 NET - "We know that we have crossed over from death to life because we love our fellow Christians. The one who does not love remains in death."

Young earth . . . old earth. 24 hour days . . . 1000 years . . . Who cares. Do we Love each other? As Magenta says . . . it's all about Jesus (and His Work).

1 John 3:16 NET - "We have come to know love by this: that Jesus laid down his life for us; thus we ought to lay down our lives for our fellow Christians."

 

[Diakonos]

yes

 

[SomeDisciple]

We have no way of knowing, because the bible doesn't say, and we weren't there to measure the passage of time... let alone actually understand the exact conditions of the universe at the time.

I don't think the exact details about the rate of passage of time during the creation are important- otherwise it would have been recorded. If God thinks of creation as seven days, then that's how we should think of it.

 

[Carry_Your_Name]

it specifically says God called "light" day and "darkness" night.

that is different from "evening and morning = day"

No. Although a "day" is 12 hours, when it says a "day" without saying a "night", that implies a whole 24-hour day. For instance, Pentecost in Leviticus 25:16 - "Count 50 days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering." Also, the Feast of Trumpets in 25:23 - "In the seventh month on the FIRST day of the month, you shall have a sabbath rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation." That DAY, Tishri 1, was confirmed by the first sight of new moon in the NIGHT.

 

[posthuman]

No. Although a "day" is 12 hours, when it says a "day" without saying a "night", that implies a whole 24-hour day.

that means yes, as you say yourself -- there is another definition of 'day / yom'
at its first mention in all of scripture, in v. 5, God defines it as 'light' -- with no mention of hours.

the greater light to rule the day,
and the lesser light to rule the night.​

(Genesis 1:16)​

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