When in the last study I stated that the NT interprets for
us that "evening" can be at or after the 12th hour, that is 6
p.m. in our modern time clock. I want to make it clear that that
understanding is when it talks about (as Jesus said) the day
having 12 hours. Obviously it is within a certain context calling
evening after the 12th hour. As evening is also at sunset or
dusk, the evening can begin BEFORE 6 p.m. IF sunset is say at 5
p.m. for example. Again, I ask the reader to study my study on
the use of the word "evening" in the NT. You will also in that
study find a few other things you may be surprised at, such as,
there can be and in a few places, the talk of an evening followed
by an evening (but as we have already seen "evening" in a few
places in the OT is called "night"), and the EXCEPTION to the
rule (the Bible like our language, has exceptions to the main
normal rule) as an "evening" belonging to the previous day (this
exception is also used in the OT as we shall presently see).
Ex.12:6 "...shall kill it in the evening (marg. between the two
The Hebrew here is indeed "between the two evenings." I have
given a full in-depth study on this phrase (which is on this
Website under the "Passover" studies). Using the Bible ONLY to
interpret itself on what this phrase means, that study shows that
once more it is sunset or DUSK that is being referred to by this
phrase, the time the sun sets to the time it becomes the black of
night. This for reference sake, is what the Sadducees,
Samaritans, and a few other sects of Judaism taught the phrase
meant. If you look back in study number one you will notice that
the three popular and well-respected Bible Word Dictionaries also
agreed that "between the two evenings" means "dusk" or from
sunset to darkness.
The study as to whether this "evening" was at the BEGINNING
of the 14th or at the END, is also covered in my MANY studies
under the Passover section.
EX.12:18 "...the fourteenth day of the month at even...one and
twentieth day of the month at even.
Ah, this has caused some problems for some, but when you
know the "exception" rule of the Bible, and when you clearly
understand WHEN the days of Unleavened Bread begin and end, from
OTHER clear and plain Scriptures, the problem evaporates.
I have again given you in-depth studies proving HOW LONG and
WHEN the Feast of Unleavened Bread was. It was a SEVEN DAY feast
ONLY, not eight. It started WHEN THE 15th day BEGAN and it ended
WHEN the 21st day ended. So it did indeed go from or start with
an "evening" and it finished when an "evening" was about to
begin. It lasted from the 15th day to the 21st day of the first
month INCLUSIVE counting.
The "exception" is this. SOMETIMES, not very often though,
but a few times in the OT and at least once in the NT, the
"evening" is counted as PART of the PRECEDING day!! That may
shock some of you, but God does through us a few curve balls at
times, not all fast straight balls, just enough to keep people in
the dark and in falsehood, if they will not study all the
evidence or will not grow in grace and knowledge.
Here in Exodus 12:18 is that "exception" to the norm, or
basic rule. The Feast of Unleavened Bread, or eating only
unleavened bread for seven days, is counted from the "evening" of
the 14th, and this time that IS at the end of the day-light hours
of the 14th, up to the "evening" of the 21st, after the day-light
hours of the 21st day.
Do we begin the Feast of Unleavened Bread at 3 p.m. or the
second after high-noon? I know of no Jewish group that does that,
or teaches that Moses and the Israelites observed it from those
times of the day.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread goes from a sunset to a
sunset, or a twilight to a twilight, or a dusk to a dusk.
This "exception" way of putting the evening with the
preceding day is also used in John 20:19, where John puts the
"evening" with the preceding day. In that case of John, it was
Sunday evening, or the evening of the first day of the week.
Jesus appeared to His disciples that Sunday evening as the whole
context clearly shows.
It was STILL the first day, the evening. Another way to put
it is that John was using ROMAN time, as we use Roman time today
in our Western world. Sunday evening is to 12 mid-night.
And yes, often God inspired the writers of the Bible, to
often NOT give you NOTICE as to when they used what "time" -
God's "evening" to "evening" day counting, or "mid-night" to
Huuummm....a few curve balls....God was the inventor of
curve ball throwing, so you better keep your eye on the ball.
EX.16: 6,8,12,13 "At even, you shall know...in the evening flesh
to eat...At even (lit. between the two evenings) you shall eat
flesh...at even the quails came up..."
Again, this has been covered fully and in-depth under the
Passover studies. It was a SABBATH day, from the context, and God
was going to bring the quails in the "evening" - after the
Sabbath was over, when "between the two evening" came and
"evening" time would continue unto the night (remember in a few
placed in the OT "evening" is called "night"). The Israelites
would WORK THEIR BUTTS OFF scoffing down quail AFTER this sabbath
was over, and "evening" had come, when the work day of the first
day of the week had arrived, they could work themselves into a
frenzy gobbling down quail.
This was NOT happening at 3 p.m. or just after high-noon.
EX.18:13,14 "...from the morning unto the evening...from the
morning unto even?"
Did Moses sit only from morning till a few seconds past
high-noon? Did he only sit before the people until 3 p.m?
I do not think so! The obvious meaning is that from morning
till sun-set, dusk, or until the 12 hour, if sun-set was later,
and you want to go with evening after the 12th hour use.
EX. 27:21, "...from evening to morning..."
Here the context is LIGHT in the Tabernacle, oil for the
light to burn always, from evening till morning. Obviously common
sense would dictate this was from sun-set, when the light from
the sun was gone. Then the Tabernacle needed LIGHT, from the
evening after sun-set till the natural light of the morning.
Light would not be needed during the natural day at high-noon or
3 p.m. but it would be needed after sun-set.
EX.29:39,41, "...thou shalt offer at even (lit. between the two
With what we have seen so far, there is absolutely no need
to try and claim all of a sudden "evening" here means the
offering was offered at high-noon or 3 p.m. The normal use of
evening means here like it means so far in our study - the
evening, sun-set, after the sun has gone down over the horizon,
or with the other understanding after the 12th hour, but I think
sun-set is the best understanding. One lamb offered in the
morning, when the sun was up, and the other offered when the sun
went below the horizon.
The phrase "between the two evenings" we have proved
elsewhere is DUSK or TWILIGHT.
Understanding it otherwise is FORCING the meaning of
"evening" into something someone wants to hold as theology no
matter what the evidence to the contrary shows.
EX.30:8, "...when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even (lit. between
the two evenings)
The lamps needed to be lit by Aaron at "evening" time, or in
this specific case it is again, "between the two evenings" - when
the sun had disappeared over the horizon, and light was needed in
the Tabernacle. Again, dusk or twilight is the natural sense for
lamp lighting in the Tabernacle. The lamps were to be dressed or
cleaned in the morning (verse 7) as they had burned all night
long, from evening time till morning. I well remember growing up
with an oil burning heater that my father bought and that we used
in the winter time in our home, to ward off the damp English
weather. It needed to be trimmed or dressed every day after many
hours of burning.
Nothing in Exodus would have us believe "evening" or
"between the two evenings" means a second after high-noon or
middle of the afternoon.
TO BE CONTINUED