Daddy....

This is a great little verse for ALL Fathers!!!

Walk a little plainer daddy
Said a little boy so frail
I'm following in your footsteps
And I don't want to fail
Sometimes your steps are very plain
Sometimes they are so hard to see
So walk a little plainer daddy
For you are leading me.

I know that once you walked this way
Many years ago
And what you did along the way
I'd really like to know
For sometimes when I am tempted
I don't know what to do
So walk a little plainer daddy
For I must follow you.

Someday when I'm grown up
You are like I want to be
Then I will have a little boy
Who will want to follow me
And I would want to lead him right
And help him to be true
So walk a little plainer daddy
For we must follow you.

(Author Unknown)

Animal sacrifices??????

By know, many of you have probably heard about the Sanhedrin in Israel going to sacrifice animals on Passover. Here is the article for your reference.

'Renew animal sacrifices on Mount' says radical rabbi

Member of Sanhedrin says sacrifices 'were not possible when the people of
Israel were in the Diaspora, but now they are.' Adds: Jerusalem Temple should
be rebuilt, Israeli government standing in our way.
Yaakov Lappin

Animal sacrifices should be renewed on the Temple Mount, a member of the radical Sanhedrin organization told Ynetnews. In ancient Israel and Judea, the Sanhedrin served as the highest court in the land, and was made up of 71 top judges. Now, a group of fringe rabbis say they have reformed the group, although the organization has received no recognition from Israel's official religious authorities.
"In the Torah there are around 200 commandments dealing with animal sacrifices," said Rabbi Dov Stein, of the Sanhedrin organization. "The Torah of Israel demands animal sacrifices. When the people of Israel were in the Diaspora, it couldn’t be done. But now, there is the supreme institution, the Sanhedrin, made up of experts, and it can be done. The new Sanhedrin, like the old, will educate the people of Israel on how to keep and safeguard the Torah."

'Democracy was not invented today'

Stein vowed that "we will try to carry out animal sacrifices on the Temple Mount this Passover, as commanded by the Torah."
Asked if his organization sought to rebuild the third Temple, Stein's answer was unequivocal.
"We want to establish the Temple again. Unfortunately, standing in our way is a hostile regime, the Israeli government, and rabbis who for political interest don't want this to happen." Stein even suggested that Muslims would agree to the project, saying: "The Omar Mosque (the Dome of the Rock), built by Khalif Omar, was actually intended to safeguard the site for the Jews. Islam hasn't always been so hostile. Despite its hatred and massacres against us, Islam sees in Judaism a source and a guide. I think the moment will come that Muslims understand the need to build the Temple and go along with us."Stein outlined his plan for Israel, calling for a king to be appointed democratically. "Democracy was not invented today, the king is elected from a list of candidates. A senior judge, as was done during the days of the judges, can also be appointed," he added. However, such practices ended 2000 years ago, Rabbi Doniel Hartman was quoted by the Associated Press as saying.
"Around that time, animal sacrifice, as a mode of religious worship, stopped for Jews, Christians and Muslims," said the rabbi from the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, according to AP. "Moving back in that direction is not progress," he added. According to mainstream Jewish thought, animal sacrifices must not be carried out outside of Temple, which itself cannot be rebuilt by human endeavor, but will be rebuilt upon the arrival of the messiah.

This was found in Ynet News.Com

Separate - To Set -Apart

Lev 11:45 ‘For I am יהוה who is bringing you up out of the land of Mitsrayim, to be your Elohim. And you shall be set-apart, for I am set-apart.

Lev 19:2 “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Yisra’ĕl, and say to them, ‘Be set-apart, for I יהוה your Elohim am set-apart.

Lev 20:7 ‘And you shall set yourselves apart, and shall be set-apart, for I am יהוה your Elohim,

Lev 20:26 ‘And you shall be set-apart to Me, for I יהוה am set-apart, and have separated you from the peoples to be Mine.

There are over 900 verses talking about being set apart.....
Don't you think it is about time we heed what it is saying........

Shalom

Heart to Heart

Blessings to all of you.

There is a lot of "stuff" going on in the world today. Wars, rummer,s of wars,(where have we heard that before), civil unrest, economic woes, the list is endless. So..... how should we, as believers, handle all of this. The very first thing I want to say is this. If in fact we have our hearts set on the things of YAHWEH, absolutely nothing. We should see these as just a sign of the times. Lets go to scripture:

Deu 31:6 “Be strong and courageous, do not fear nor be afraid of them. For it is YHWH your Elohim who is going with you. He does not fail you nor forsake you.”

(Mat 28:20) teaching them to guard all that I have commanded you. And see, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” Omein.

Well my friends, it gets no plainer than that. One verse out of the Torah, one verse out of the Gospels. You see, we have the assurance that Abba YAHWEH, and His Son, the YAHUSHUA, they both proclaim that they are with us. They care enough, that they tell us many times they are with us.

Just how reassuring is that!

Access through Worship by Derek Prince

Here is a word for you from the Word.

Psalm 95:1-2; 6-8

Psa 95:1 Come, let us sing to יהוה! Let us raise a shout to the Rock of our deliverance.
Psa 95:2 Let us come before His face with thanksgiving; Let us raise a shout to Him in song.
Psa 95:3 For יהוה is a great Ěl, And a great Sovereign above all mighty ones.
Psa 95:4 In whose hand are the depths of the earth; The mountain peaks are His also.
Psa 95:5 His is the sea, for He made it; And His hands formed the dry land.
Psa 95:6 Come, let us bow down and bend low, Let us kneel before יהוה our Maker.
Psa 95:7 For He is our Elohim, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you would hear His voice:
Psa 95:8 “Do not harden your hearts as in Meriḇah, And as in the day of Massah in the wilderness,


There’s a beautiful progression there that brings us into the immediate presence of YAHWEH. It starts with loud and jubilant praise and thanksgiving: “Let us sing for joy to the YHWH, let us shout aloud to the rock of our salvation.” YHWH encourages us to express freely our praises, our thanksgiving. But then as we go further it says, “Let us bow down and worship, let us kneel before the YHWH our Maker.” Praise and thanksgiving lead us on to worship. Worship is not so much an utterance as it is an attitude. It’s bowing down, it’s kneeling, it’s submitting ourselves to YHWH. And when we come into that attitude of worship, then we qualify to hear YHWH’s voice.
And so the psalmist says, “Today, if you hear his voice.” Alas, there are so many BELIEVERS who hardly know what it is to hear YHWH’s voice, and yet that’s the key to all success in the spiritual life is hearing YHWH’s voice. And if we’ll follow the pathway of praise and thanksgiving leading us to worship, bringing us to an attitude where we can hear YHWH’s voice, then we have the key to measureless blessings. - Derek Prince

"Permanent Link to Hanukkah Yes, but also Kislev 24"

December 12th, 2009

As sundown fell across Israel, Europe, and the United States last evening millions of Jews and many others who care about the history of Israel are marking the advent of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication. What might be lost is the historical grounding of the feast of Hanukkah itself, which seems to actually derive from Friday’s date: Kislev 24 or the 24th day of the 9th month of the Jewish calendar. Notice carefully this historical background:

The book of the prophet Haggai comes to us from the 2nd year of the Persian King Darius, late summer, August, 520 BCE. It is one of the most precisely dated books in the Hebrew Bible, much like its sister Zechariah, and its twin Malachi. The three go together, like peas in the pod, both coming from that crucial time of the “restoration” of Judah to the Land following the Babylonian captivity. Collectively they are our LAST WORD from Yehovah in terms of how the redemption is to unfold. It is very likely, based on Haggai 1:12, where the Prophet is called the “messenger of Yehovah,” that Haggai is in fact the author of the book we call Malachi, as this book is just named “My Messenger,” and the name of the prophet who wrote it is not given. Both Haggai and Zechariah address their contemporary situation, as one would expect, and are concerned that the Temple be rebuilt and that the constitution of the new state of Judah be ordered according to the Torah. However, if read carefully, both clearly understand that this restoration of Judah is only a preliminary, even symbolic step, to a coming GREAT restoration of Judah and ALL Israel. Even though there is a Priest (Joshua), and a Governor (Zerubbabel) of the Davidic line, there is no anointing of the BRANCH figure of whom both Isaiah and Jeremiah had spoken. One way of putting this is to say that Haggai and Zechariah are working in the tall shadow of JEREMIAH (see especially chapters 30-31), and they know, from his clear and powerful prophecies, that the final days have not come with this tiny little beachhead return of a portion of Judah to the land. But they do believe that this return of Judah is a “sign” of things to come, and a guarantee that the Plan of Yehovah, to fill the earth with justice and righteousness, through Abraham’s seed, is not to fall to the ground.
And that leads us to the curious and fascinating references to the 24th day of the 9th month–Kislev 24 in modern Jewish parlance.

Notice, reading the book of Haggai is sequential, it takes you through the last months of the year. It begins with the Rosh Chodesh of the 6th month (August), takes you through the 21st day of the 7th month (2:1), which is the last day of Sukkoth (October), and then into December–with the 24th day of the 9th month. Haggai’s third and fourth messages come on this very day. It is a short book, and if you skim it through you will see the building sequence.

Kislev 24 is mentioned FOUR times in the second chapters, verses 10, 15, 18 and 20. Twice it is emphasized that “from THIS DAY FORWARD I will bless you,” and twice Haggai gets a special Word from Yehovah, on this very day. You have to read the whole chapter to get the context, but the message is basically that Yehovah will “SHAKE the heavens and the earth and ALL NATIONS,” overthrowing their power, anoint the chosen one (symbolized in that day by Zerubbabel), and essentially make Jerusalem the new world capital. For the DETAILS you need to go back, of course, to Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Micah in particular, as they set forth the entire agenda to which Haggai only briefly alludes.

This message is addressed to the two “messiahs,” the Priest and the “King” or Governor, Joshua and Zerubbabel, respectively (2:4-5). They become “signifiers” of things to come. They are not the final anointed ones, and Zechariah picks this up in his visions, especially chapters 4 and 6. These symbolic figures, as well as the promised presence of the Holy Spirit (see 2:5 and Zech 4:6!), are the guarantee that Yehovah will bring about these promises.

Notice, Zechariah begins getting his visions and messages in the 8th month of that same year (Zech 1:1), or mid-November. He has EIGHT night visions, they are all quite difficult to follow, but prophetically important in forecasting the redemptive future. There is much more detail in Zechariah, but the two, Haggai and Zechariah, should be read in tandem, as one explains the other. Now, note carefully, Kislev 24 is not specifically mentioned in Zechariah, but it is alluded to in chapter 4:8-10. It is the famous “day of small things,” that one might be led to “despise,” because after all, this tiny little remnant of Judah, beginning to lay the foundation of a nondescript temple, under the mighty thumb of the Persian empire, was hardly even worthy of the name of a city-state, much less a world kingdom, and yet had HOPES and DREAMS and promises of world dominion!
Chapters 7-14 of Zechariah, which he gets two years later, are quite different. They are straightforward and fairly plain, laying out, likely in some sequential order, both the preliminary events, and the detailed climax, of the “time of the end.”

So, what about Kislev 24? It seems to have a three-fold meaning. First, in the time of Haggai and Zechariah, it was the day MARKED for the promise that the redemption would ultimately come about, not by power, nor by might, but by the Spirit of Yehovah–but “in its time.” Second, subsequently though history, this day seems to be one upon which key events take place, perhaps only a few of which have been recognized down through history. And finally, it might well turn out that on some Kislev 24 in the future, that date will serve as a “countdown marker” for the unfolding of the mysterious 1260/1290/1335/2300 days of Daniel’s visions, which interested Sir Isaac Newton so much.

During the period of the Maccabees, when Syrian ruler Antiochus IV unleashed his great persecution against the Jews of Judea/Palestine, it was on Kislev 24 that the enemy was defeated and the Temple freed from its desecration. That is why the festival of Chanukah is celebrated beginning at sundown, at the end of Kislev 24. In other words, it is NOT so much Chanukah that is important, as its marker date: Kislev 24. It seems to become a kind of banner date in history that marks any kind of “signal” of future redemption.

Fast forward to December 9, 1917. General Allenby, leading the British forces (remember Lawrence of Arabia), liberates Jerusalem for the first time in centuries from Turkish/Muslim rule. The date on the Jewish calendar–you guessed it: Kislev 24! That evening the Jewish soldiers in the British army celebrated Chanukah and went to the Wall in openness and freedom. The Torah reading that week was Mikketz (Gen 41), where JOSEPH is raised to power and saves Judah. And the Haphtorah reading, for the special Sabbath of Chanukah, as it is today, is the fascinating Zechariah 2:14-4:7! Note how it begins: “I have returned to Zion,” which seems to be the essential meaning of THIS DAY.

It is doubtful that Allenby was aware, during the heat of the battle, of even Chanukah, but certainly he knew nothing of Kislev 24.
If we begin checking in history over the past 2520 years (remember that number), there have been numerous times when Kislev 24 has played a large part, and even a smaller more symbolic part, in the unfolding of redemptive history. For example, no matter what one’s view of Yeshua might be, it seems in all likelihood that Yeshua was conceived on this day, nine months before his birth in September 3 BCE.
Some UIWU officers also noticed some years ago that the encounter David Horowitz had at the cave with his teacher Moshe Guibbory, as recounted in his autobiography, Thirty-three Candles, was on Friday night, December 16/17, 1927–and again, you guessed it, this was Kislev 24th. The Torah reading was Vayeshev, which begins the Joseph cycle, and the Haphtorah was Amos 2:6-3:8, which seems quite appropriate. Horowitz had no idea of this until over 50 years later when it was pointed out to him by others.

Now, a tiny bit on the numbers. Note, these important visions came in the year 520 BCE. The year 2000/2001 marks 2520 years since that first Kislev 24 vision of Haggai. The number 2520 is interesting, it has several mystical mathematical properties, but one most obvious one is that it is 7 x 360, or seven “prophetic years.” A prophetic year in the Bible is 360 days, thus we get in the books of Daniel and Revelation the period of 1260 days for 3.5 years. There are a number of indications, both in the Torah and Prophets, especially Ezekiel, that a kind of “day for a year” principle applies in Prophecy, and accordingly, the official “Exile” of Joseph and Judah would last 2520 years. Perhaps this is the meaning of the phrase “after two days” and “on the third day” references in Hosea 6. Now Judah was essentially “restored” in type at least, in the year 520, but the full restoration, and the union of things between Judah and Joseph is yet to come, “after two days” according to Hosea (a day is a “thousand years” in these prophetic texts). The point is, based on this chronology, we are “in” the third day, as of the year 2000. And indeed, it does appear we have begun to experience a “shaking of all things.” Whether this is the ultimate upheaval to which Haggai refers remains to be seen.

It is also worth noting, in terms of Kislev 24, that if you add 2300 days (the figure in Daniel 8) to that day, you always, on the Jewish calendar, come to the last day of Unleavened Bread, oddly something like 6.3 years later. In other words, it is sort of a strange figure. And there are then various interesting ways, too complicated to go into here, that the periods of Daniel (1260/1290/1335) fit in, taking one to Shavuot of any given sequence of years. We do know for certain that the 2300 “days” was fulfilled as a “day for a year” running from Alexander’s defeat of Darius in 334 BCE (June 7), to the day, to June 7, 1967–when Jerusalem was liberated by the Israelis in the Six Day War. The point seems to be that Alexander’s march to Jerusalem began a period of 2300 days/years of the trampling of Jerusalem. So what this seems to indicate is that there is a larger (day for a year) fulfillment of these periods, as well as a shorter “day for a day” fulfillment, once the “countdown” begins.

One might conclude then, from these indications, that on some Kislev 24, at some year “on our days and in our time” (whether past or future), people will come to recognize that Haggai’s “shaking” did indeed begin. It does not seem likely that time has quite yet come, but every year at this time one’s thoughts go to this date, given such an important designation by Haggai and Zechariah. On a personal level, it seems it can always be a date of “renewal” for any of us, and a time of new beginnings, looking to both the past and to the future.
Posted in Biblical Reflections, Historical Reflections

FATHERS ****** "WHO IS WATCHING"

Walk a little plainer daddy
Said a little boy so frail
I'm following in your footsteps
And I don't want to fail
Sometimes your steps are very plain
Sometimes they are so hard to see
So walk a little plainer daddy
For you are leading me.
I know that once you walked this way
Many years ago
And what you did along the way
I'd really like to know
For sometimes when I am tempted
I don't know what to do
So walk a little plainer daddy
For I must follow you.
Someday when I'm grown up
You are like I want to be
Then I will have a little boy
Who will want to follow me
And I would want to lead him right
And help him to be true
So walk a little plainer daddy
For we must follow you.
(Author Unknown)

Is there a Pre-Tribulation rapture?

All of us would like to believe in a pre-tribulation rapture of the saints. After all who wants to suffer?
The words pre-tribulation and rapture do not appear in any English Bibles that I know of. So where did the idea of a pre-tribulation rapture come from?
I intend to show, in this short article, the fallacy of a pre-tribulation rapture by discovering in YAHWEH’s Word what it says about the timing of the event most people call the rapture.

One of the most commonly quoted verses supporting a rapture is

1 Thessalonians 4. However there is no apparent indication of timing
For this we say to you by the word of YAHWEH, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For  Yahushua Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Yahushua will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Yahushua in the air. And thus we shall always be with Yahushua. (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 NKJV throughout unless noted
Another commonly quoted verse is in 1 Corinthians 15.

Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)

Again nothing apparent pointing to a time when this occurs. However we will find something in these two verses which do hint to the timing.

Let’s first start with 1 Thessalonians.

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of YHWH. And the dead in Yhaushua will rise first. (1 Thessalonians 4:16)

Note the end of the verse, "And the dead in Yahushua (Messiah) will rise first" What would you call this event, where the dead are being made alive all around you? I would call it a resurrection. But what resurrection? Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:52 that the dead will be raised incorruptible. Verse 54 says that the incorruptible are immortal. This event is something which changes the dead being raised into immortal beings.

And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Yhaushua and for the word of YHWH, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Yahushua for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. (Revelation 20:4-5 emphasis added) This event in Revelation is called the First resurrection. Obviously the event in 1 Thessalonians 4 cannot precede the first resurrection.

So we have the timing of 1 Thessalonians at the same time as when Messiah returns to the earth to rule for 1000 years.

Now if you are a skeptic you may say, "Can’t Messiah come early, before He returns to rapture the saints away, then return again to rule?" Perhaps, but we still have more to consider. Look at I Corinthians 15.

….in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:52)

Here we have a very good clue as to when this will happen. Notice the part that says "at the last trumpet". If we can find a description somewhere of when the last trumpet sounds we can then put some timing to this event. Turn to the Revelation 8:6.

So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. (Revelation 8:6)

Looks like we have seven angels with seven trumpets. I wonder which one would be the last trumpet?

Let’s see what events happen as these trumpets sound.

The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up. (Revelation 8:7)

Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. (Revelation 8:8)

Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. (Revelation 8:10)

Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night. And I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, "Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!" (Revelation 8:12-13)

The fifth angel is found in [Revelation 9:1-6] . Notice verse 4; the creatures did not have the power to hurt those with the seal of YHWH on their foreheads. Could this be the answer to Revelation 3:10 (which is often quoted in support of the pre-tribulation theory)?

"Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. (Revelation 3:10)

Notice those who had the seal of YHWH on their forehead are on earth during the trumpet plagues.

The sixth angel [Revelation 9:13-21] describes one third of the earth’s population being destroyed. This event describes the release of the commonly known term "4 horsemen of the apocalypse".

The seventh angel sounding the seventh trumpet (last trumpet) involves or precedes many events which, for the sake of brevity, will not be described here. Read these events from Revelation 10:1 - 20:6. The latter describes the first resurrection. A lot happens in the preceding verses and all is not clear as to when the 7th trumpet is actually sounded. However, notice Revelation 10:7

but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of YHWH would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets. (Revelation 10:7)

When the last trumpet was about to sound the mystery of YHWH would be finished as He had declared to His servants.

What mystery is he talking about?

Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed (1 Corinthians 15:51)

The Mystery spoken of in Revelation 10:7 is revealed by the prophet Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:51; those saints who are still alive after the previous 6 trumpets will be changed in a moment into spirit immortal beings. Praise YAHWEH!

Further proof lies in Revelation 12.

Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by YHWH, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days. (Revelation 12:6)

The woman has always been known to be the church.

But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. (Revelation 12:14)

This shows that YHWH’s followers are still on the earth during the tribulation.


Conclusion:

Hopefully you have seen the proof in the Bible about the timing of the first resurrection and the change of those who are still alive. This is very sobering. Only by trusting in YHWH, by staying in His Word, can we be sealed. Those sealed are protected from the severe part of the tribulation; not raptured away while others suffer.

Husband roles

by EliYAH

Recognizing my own continuing need for improvement in this area, I sought the various scriptures that speak of the role of husbands in scripture. I have learned that having a loving and scriptural husband-wife relationship is probably the single most influential factor in raising righteous children. It is for the sake of the children that I share these things.

Woman - A Gift to be Cherished
From the beginning, Yahweh knew that it was not good that the man should be alone:
Genesis 2:18 And Yahweh Elohim said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

With that, He created a beautiful and wonderful gift and brought her to Adam:
Genesis 2:21 And Yahweh Elohim caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22 And the rib, which Yahweh Elohim had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

If we men can just grasp the great gift that we have been given, it will go a long way toward understanding how Yahweh desires us to relate to our wives. It doesn't take the average man much time to understand and appreciate the wonderful, beautiful characteristics that Yahweh has created woman with. Truly, He created woman to be beautiful on the inside as well as on the outside.

Proverbs 18:22 Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of Yahweh.
If we find a wife, we have obtained favor from Yahweh. We have been blessed with a gift from above. We need to appreciate the gift Yahweh gave us. To not appreciate is to not be thankful to Yahweh. Notice that nothing yet is spoken of a perfect wife without fault. The fact that we have a wife is a blessing in and of itself. Yahweh's desire is that we enjoy our wives and be blessed with what He has given:

Ecclesiastes 9:9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.

Proverbs 5:18 Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
In the Torah/Word of Yahweh, we see Yahweh's desire for this:
Deuteronomy 24:5 When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business: but he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken.

It is our duty to 'cheer up' our wives and rejoice with the blessing Yahweh has given. We need to not take this duty lightly, but realize that to fail in this area is to sin against Yahweh. It is Yahweh's will for us to rejoice and live joyfully with the woman Yahweh has given us.

Giving Honor
An area often neglected, we are expected to give honor to our wives. Too often, a man's wife is the object of dishonor in the form of jokes, loud public rebukes and complaint sessions between men and men. It is time that we give our wives the honor that they should receive:

1 Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. We need to acknowledge that while our wives are the weaker vessel, we are heirs together with them of the grace of life:

1 Corinthians 12:22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: 23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. 24 For our comely parts have no need: but Elohim hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: Interestingly, the duty to honor our wives is somehow tied into the effectiveness of our prayers. This is not a new concept at all, it is also found in the book of Malachi:

Malachi 2:13 And this have ye done again, covering the altar of Yahweh with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand. 14 Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because Yahweh hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. 15 And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a righteous seed (Heb. Seed of Elohim). Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. 16 For Yahweh, the Elohim of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith Yahweh of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously. So, we see that if we will not honor and deal kindly with the wife Yahweh has given us, Yahweh will not receive our offerings. Prayer is also considered to be an offering:

Psalm 141:2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

Proverbs 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to Yahweh: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.Revelation 8:3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before Elohim out of the angel's hand. Perhaps we don't realize all that goes on in the spiritual realm, but as mentioned in the "Fathers, turn your hearts" study, Malachi also declares that Yahweh cannot endure the treacherous dealings and neglecting of our wives.

Let's review:

Isaiah 1:13 Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies -- I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.14 Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them. 15 When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. 16 "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, 17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. Perhaps our wives aren't widows, but is it so, spiritually? We see the great concern that Yahweh has for the well being of our wives. He wants to be sure that they are honored and taken care of. We should share that concern fully.

1 Timothy 5:3 Honour widows that are widows indeed.
Why is Yahweh so concerned about the widows? Is it only because their physical needs must be met? Are not the spiritual needs just as important, if not far more important? Considering all the scriptures where Yahweh is angry because the widows are neglected, woe to the fathers who neglect the spiritual needs of their wives! All the Sabbaths, calling of assemblies, feast days can be a burden to Him because He cannot endure the neglect. He cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. Yahweh is VERY concerned about the well being of our wives, shouldn't we be? If, in Isaiah 1:13-17, Yahweh cannot endure the offerings, Feast Days and Sabbaths of those who are neglecting the physical needs of what used to be another man's wife (the widow), how much more so if we neglect the spiritual needs of our own wives? Consider:

1 Timothy 5:8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
Is it just the physical providing that Yahweh is concerned about? Surely, the spiritual is far more important. The first leads to physical death, the latter leads to spiritual death. So, are we worse than an unbeliever? Let it not be!

The Messiah and the Assembly
If we want to raise children of righteousness, we need to realize that our relationship with our wives is a mirror of how the Messiah and the assembly relate to one another:
Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Messiah also loved the assembly, and gave himself for it;

Yahushua loved the assembly so much, that He gave Himself for it. He gave His very life and was wounded, tortured and humiliated for the sake of the Assembly. We are to love our wives, even as the Messiah loved the Assembly. This is a tall order! The love that the Messiah has for the assembly is difficult to fathom:

Ephesians 3:14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Master Yahushua Messiah, 15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Messiah may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Messiah, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of Elohim.

But this is our calling and duty, to love our wives in this way. But what if instead of the Messiah loving us, He was bitter toward us? We know it isn't this way, therefore let us not be this way toward our wives:

Colossians 3:19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

How does Messiah deal with us? We have a clear example of how we should deal with our wives. We know how gently, patiently and longsuffering He is with us. Though we aren't perfect, He still pours out his love and blessings on us. Yes, let's be this way with our wives!
Continuing in Ephesians 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious assembly, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

The Messiah's love sanctifies and cleanses the body. In the same way we cleanse, cherish and care for our own bodies, so should we love our wives. We should care for the needs of our wife in the same way we would care for the needs of our body. If we are hungry, we eat. If we are thirsty, we drink. If we are not clean, we cleanse ourselves. We need to have this level of care and concern for our wives. We should take care of the physical and spiritual needs of our wives in this same way. For she is, as Adam said: Genesis 2:23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
Continuing in Ephesians:
28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Master the assembly: 30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Messiah and the assembly. 33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
With the husband and wife relationship being a picture of the Messiah's relationship to the body, let's remember that we demonstrate the Messiah's love for the body to our children with the way we treat our wives. If we want our daughters to grow up being submissive, humble and wonderful blessings to their future husbands, then we need to show them how wonderful it is to be submissive when a husband prefers, honors and respects his submissive and humble wife. We have a real opportunity with our children, to show them the Messiah's love! We can show them His mercy, His care and His concern for us every day in our homes. After all, it is the Messiah's love for us that has compelled us to love Him:
1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us. 20 If a man say, I love Elohim, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love Elohim whom he hath not seen?
But if we can demonstrate the Messiah's love to our children through our love for our wife, our children can truly understand the Messiah's love for us first and then proceed to love Him in return. It is all part of following the Messiah's footsteps and walking as He walked! We could potentially teach the ways of Yahweh to our children a hundred times over and still not have them understand it because we really aren't demonstrating the Messiah's love for them in action and deed. This could potentially result in them forsaking Yahweh later in life! Oh how important it is for us to fulfill this commandment!
When scripture says that we love ourselves when we love our wives, it really means it. Let's discover why.
A "Help"
When we love and honor our wives as we should, it creates the best environment for our wives to fulfill their role as a submissive, faithful helper. Woman was created to be a "help" meet for man. The Hebrew word used for "help" is often used to describe how Yahweh is our divine helper. Yahweh knew that two is better than one:
Ecclesiastes 4:9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. 11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? 12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
With a man, a woman and Yahweh, we have a threefold cord that is not quickly broken. When we add our children, and then the assembly, we are invincible! How many husbands and wives (and indeed the entire family!) are prayer teams, praying together, uniting against the adversary? But we need oneness with Yahweh to accomplish anything. Yahushua prayed for this:
John 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
There is great power in this unity if the unity includes a oneness with Yahweh. Let's strive to attain that oneness! However, we later learn that the unity that Adam and Eve (Chawwah) had with Yahweh was broken in Genesis chapter three:
Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which Yahweh Elohim had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath Elohim said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, Elohim hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For Elohim doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as elohim, knowing good and evil. 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
Here we see that Eve was deceived into eating the fruit that Yahweh had forbidden. Also notice that Adam was 'with her' when all this was going on. Other translations I have checked (even the Septuagint) say that Adam was in the company of Eve at this time. It is true that Adam was not deceived (1Tim 2:14):
1 Timothy 2:14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
So Adam apparently failed to protect her and take the lead in this situation. A silent husband who just kind of 'goes along with everything' has wreaked havoc in many a home. In this case, it appears a silent husband created an environment that wrecked the whole world and all of their children. The potential is the same today, husbands! The "silent husband" perhaps thinks that if his wife does something and he just goes along with it, that somehow he is less responsible for what takes place. Adam too, thought he had an excuse:
Genesis 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. 8 And they heard the voice of Yahweh Elohim walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh Elohim amongst the trees of the garden. 9 And Yahweh Elohim called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? 12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
Adam said, "The woman that thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat". Adam's excuse was not effective at all. He was cast out of the garden and sentenced to death just as Yahweh had warned. We too are expected to live according to the word of Yahweh, and not remain silent when a temptation enters our walled city. We must stand and protect our wives, and thus, our children from the enemy and the deception that he brings. We keep ourselves from evil in doing so. Therefore, when we fulfill our roles as husbands, we are only truly helping ourselves in doing so!
The blessings
Let's look at some other reasons why it is beneficial to ourselves that we truly fulfill our roles as husbands. Doing these things will create the best environment for us to have the virtuous wife we all desire. Many men are missing one of the glorious crowns they could have, a virtuous woman:
Prov 12:4 A virtuous woman [is] a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed [is] as rottenness in his bones.
Prov 31:10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price [is] far above rubies. 11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. 12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
Prov 31:28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband [also], and he praiseth her.
Our wives can be safely trusted to do us good and not evil all the days of our lives. We can know that the decisions she makes are the same as our own because we have spent so much time with her in the Word, instructing her and the whole family in the ways of righteousness. Such a woman will have mature judgment, wise counsel and knowledge and understanding. Such a woman would have no major spiritual problems in her life because her husband is so jealous for her spiritual well being. We see that the husband trusts and praises the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31. He is also a well known elder at the gates:
Proverbs 31:23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
The husband sits among the elders of the land. He is trusted to make the decisions the elders make, in part, because it is evident that his house is in order, his children (who rise up and call their mother blessed) are in submission and his wife is obviously well cared for.
1 Timothy 3:10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
But let's remember that even if our wives are perfect in character, it is Yahweh that deserves the praise and glory:
Proverbs 19:14 House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from Yahweh.
Having a prudent, virtuous wife can bring about the same characteristics in our children. What a blessing we could have giving our daughters to wise husbands! A wise husband would spot a rebellious daughter pretty quickly. Having children whose marriages are good can save us a lot of heartache in the future.
These are only the beginnings of the great blessings we can receive when we are fulfilling our roles as husbands. We can and should take responsibility for their physical and spiritual well being. We are entrusted to care for them, to love them and truly appreciate them as the blessing from Yahweh they are. If these things convict you, repent before Yahweh and before your whole family and confess your sins. It will go a long way toward the healing you need to improve your home and it will go a long way toward the respect you need to bring about the necessary changes. Husbands, love your wives!

When Does the Sabbath Begin?

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In modern culture, most of us have been raised to believe that a new day begins at midnight. There is no scriptural precedent for this belief and the way that midnight is reckoned today would be impossible without mechanical clocks.
Since Yahweh is the one who created days and nights, it is important for us to understand when He regards a new day to begin. This becomes important if we want to keep the Ten Commandments because the fourth commandment says that we must "Remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy." 
The purpose of this study will demonstrate from the scriptures that evening marks the time when a day has ended and a new 24 hour day begins. Some have written and asked me to address various objections where some believe that a day ends at sunrise. If you are interested in reading a response to those points, feel free to contact me and I'll give you a link to a point-by-point response. 
As you read this study, you will notice that I often refer to the Hebrew and Greek. This is so that we can be sure that we are getting the true meanings that Yahweh intended when He inspired the scriptures. The best way to arrive at a proper understanding of a Hebrew or Greek word is to examine how it is used throughout the scriptures. Lexicons are nice, but examining the various contexts of Hebrew and Greek words is the very thing that lexicon writers do when coming up with their definitions. Therefore, it is important that we trace their steps rather than just blindly accepting what any lexicon may have to say. 
Genesis 1

According to the scriptures, Elohim created the heavens and the earth, the waters, and all that is in them in six days:

Genesis 1:1-2 n the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth. ² The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of Elohim was hovering over the face of the waters.

So Elohim begins His creation of the heavens and earth in Genesis 1:1. The earth present in verse 2, otherwise there would not have been any "face of the waters" for the Spirit of Elohim to move upon, and there would have been not "face of the deep" for darkness to be upon. Therefore, Genesis 1:1 is describing the first event which occurred on day 1--the creation of the heavens and the earth. With this, other scriptures agree:

Exodus 20:11a "For in six days Yahweh made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day.

Exodus 31:17 'It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days Yahweh made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.' "

Therefore, since Yahweh made the heavens and the earth in six days, the creation of the heavens and the earth would have needed to occur on the first day of creation. 

In Elohim's creation of the earth, the earth is described as being:

1.     Without form (Hebrew #8414, "tohu")

The Hebrew word translated "Without form" is used in other verses such as:

Job 12:24-25 He takes away the understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth, And makes them wander in a pathless wilderness. (#8414 "Tohu")  ²⁵ They grope in the dark without light, And He makes them stagger like a drunken man.

Jeremiah 4:23-26 I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form (#8414 "Tohu"), and void; And the heavens, they had no light. ²⁴ I beheld the mountains, and indeed they trembled, And all the hills moved back and forth. ²⁵ I beheld, and indeed there was no man, And all the birds of the heavens had fled. ²⁶ I beheld, and indeed the fruitful land was a wilderness, And all its cities were broken down At the presence of Yahweh, By His fierce anger.

Seeing how the Hebrew word #8414 "Tohu" is used in other verses of scripture, we can come to a clearer understanding of its meaning. Some of suggested it simply means that the earth didn't exist at all, and it was just "nothing." But we see that it's "Tohu" is used to describe the condition of an already existing earth in Job 12:24 and Jeremiah 4:23. Therefore this Hebrew word would also be describing the condition of an already existing earth in Genesis 1:2 as well.

2.     Void

The Hebrew word translated "void" is also used in Jeremiah 4:23 above (Jeremiah 4:23 "I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form and void") as well as an existing (but empty) land in Isaiah 34:11 ("stones of emptiness").

3.     Dark

The Hebrew word translated consistently means "darkness" in every place it is translated, including 3 places where it is translated "obscurity" but could easily have been translated "Darkness" and convey the same meaning.

So one of the things that existed in His initial creation of the heavens and the earth was darkness. Therefore, darkness existed as part of the creation of the heavens and earth. Therefore, in Genesis 1, we have Yahweh's creation of the heavens, and Yahweh's creation of a formless, empty, dark earth containing waters and a "face of the deep." 

If the earth had not yet been created, the earth would not have had any attributes at all. It could not have had water for the Spirit of Elohim to hover over, and it could not have had a "face of the deep" for darkness to be upon. For something to have any attributes, it first needs to exist. 

The next creation of Elohim was light:

Genesis 1:3 Then Elohim said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.

There are some who believe a day begins at sunrise, so they regard this creation of light to be the initial act which began the six days of creation. But since Yahweh created the heavens and the earth in six days, we can't place the creation of the heavens and earth outside that six day period. So to start the first day in verse 3 is a contradiction. 

Next, Elohim separates the light from the darkness:

Genesis 1:4 And Elohim saw the light, that it was good. And Elohim separated the light from the darkness.

Since the sun was not yet created, it is anyone's guess as to how the light was separated from darkness and what it all really looked like. But we know that at first that the earth He created in verse 1 was dark, formless and empty. The darkness existed first, and light was created afterward. 

In the first part of the next verse, Elohim gives names to the light and darkness:

Genesis 1:5a And Elohim called the light 'day' and the darkness He called 'night.'

Some have suggested that light begins a day due to the fact that it says He called the light "day" first and then afterward calls the darkness "night." But that is a clear contradiction of the previous verses where we see that Elohim created the heavens as well the formless, empty, and dark earth before He ever created light. It doesn't say He waited until day and night came before He named them. Half of the earth is lit up and the other half is dark at any given time. Elohim, who is above the the earth, could easily have named them both at the same time. 

The first day's order of events is further confirmed by the remainder of verse 5 where the concept and order of time is first described:

Genesis 1:5b And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, day one.

Up until now, the timeframe in which Elohim did all these things had not been mentioned. But with these words, all the acts of creation up to this point are placed in an specific frame of time. 

It is evident that "evening" describes the time when there is no light (beginning after the sun has set), and "morning" is describing the time when there is light (beginning at sunrise). 

But what exactly is sunrise? We all know that sunrise begins when the sun casts its first beam of light over the horizon. This moment would begin the morning. 

Now, let's look at the verse again with this understanding:

"And there was evening (no beams of light over the horizon) and there was morning (the moment when the sun casts its first beam of light over the horizon), day one"

Since the phrase "there came to be evening" would apply to the first day of creation, the phrase "there came to be morning" would also need to apply to the first day of creation. 

So there were two things that happened as part of day one: 

1) A time period of no light
2) A time period of light. 

Therefore, sunset would have begun the night portion of the first day and sunrise would have began the light portion of the first day. Yahweh mentions the beginning of each half of a day and since the beginning of each half of the day is mentioned, the remaining portions must be encompassed as part of a day as well.

So it makes perfect sense that since darkness was first mentioned as part of the formless/empty earth, evening would need to be mentioned as starting the first part of the day, and morning starting the second part of the day. Elohim created the heavens and the dark, formless, empty earth during the evening. Then to cause morning to come, Elohim brought light into His creation. He then separates the light from the darkness and gave names to each. 

The Four Evangels (Gospels)

A careful study of the 4 accounts of Yahushua's resurrection will reveal that Yahweh regards a day to begin at evening. For simplicity, we will do a side by side comparison of the timing that the women came to the tomb:

 

Scripture verse	Matthew 28:1 (ISR) Now after the Sabbath, toward dawn on the first day of the week, Miryam from Magdala and the other Miryam came to see the tomb.	Mark 16:2 And very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.	Luke 24:1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.	John 20:1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.
Timing	After the Sabbath Toward dawn on the first day of the week	Very early on the first day of the week When the sun had risen.	On the first day of the week Very early in the morning.	On the first day of the week Early, while it was still dark.
Position of sun	"Toward dawn" so sun had not yet risen	Sun had risen	"very early in the morning" so sun had risen	"Still dark" so sun had not yet risen
Time Reference	When they left to go to the tomb	When they arrived at the tomb	When they arrived at the tomb	When they left to go to the tomb

On the surface it would appear that these four accounts contradict one another, but they are easily reconciled when we understand that Matthew and John are speaking about the time the they set out to head to the tomb but Mark and Luke would be speaking of when they actually arrived at the tomb. Since a person needed to travel on foot, it would taken some time to get there. 

Notice that while John 20:1 says it was already the "first day of the week," it also says that "it was still dark." If it is still dark, that would mean the first day of the week had already begun prior to sunrise. This would mean the first day of the week began at the previous sunset. The word translated "dark" does indeed mean dark and cannot have any other meaning. 

The word translated "still" where it says "still dark" in John 20:1 is #2089 "eti." In every instance the word is found in scripture, always carries a meaning similar to "still" or "yet." The actual definition given in the Strong's Lexicon is "yet, still (of time or degree)." 

Some who believe a day begins at sunrise have suggested that #2089 "eti" can carry a meaning of "no longer." But the only time it can mean "no longer" or "no more" is when it is accompanied by a Greek word which means "no." For instance: 

Galatians 3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer <2089> <3765> under a schoolmaster.

Hebrews 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no <3364> more <2089>.

The only time #2089 "eti" can mean "no longer" is when it is coupled with another word that means "no." To say that "eti" means "no longer" would be like a foreigner trying to tell us that our English word "light" actually means "darkness" because they saw the word "light" being used in the phrase "no light." 

I've also heard that "eti" can mean "after that." Knowing that context is key, I looked diligently but could find any place where "eti" is translated "after that" in the KJV or any translation. The Strong's lists "after that" as one of the translations in the KJV (words after the "---" in any Strong's definition are the KJV translations of the word), but it simply does not exist and the Thayer's lexicon agrees that it does not exist. 

Also, notice that Matthew 28:1 says it is "after the Sabbath" which indicates the first day of the week has begun. The sun had not yet risen though because it says that it was "toward dawn."

Matthew 28:1 (ISR) Now after the Sabbath, toward dawn on the first day of the week, Miryam from Magdala and the other Miryam came to see the tomb.

In this instance I used the ISR version because it accurately conveys the Greek word used in this instance which is #2020 and means "to begin to grow light." The Sabbath had ended at evening and now it was beginning to grow light outside just before the sun rose. Therefore, it was "toward dawn" but not quite sunrise when the women started heading toward the tomb. It does not mean "sunrise." There are two Greek words that actually do describe sunrise:

Luke 1:78 (ISR) through the tender compassion of our Elohim, with which the daybreak (#395 "anatoley") from on high has looked upon us,

2 Peter 1:19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns (#1306 "Diaugazo")  and the morning star rises in your hearts;

But the word used in Matthew 28:1 "toward dawn" describes same period of time as John 20:1-- the time when they started heading toward the tomb. It was still technically dark outside, but the light of dawn was on the horizon. 

In Mark 16:1, it appears that a possible reason it took some time to get to the tomb was due to their purchase of spices:

Mark 16:1-2 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. ² Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.

So this is yet more evidence that the Sabbath had ended the evening before. Of course, if we believe the Sabbath day is still in effect until sunrise, the women and the seller of spices would have been breaking the Sabbath. 

So based on the 4 accounts, it is evident that the chronology was that the women started heading to the tomb before the sun rose on the first day of the week, they bought spices "after the Sabbath" yet before sunrise, and they arrived at the tomb at sunrise. 

Here is a summary of how these accounts actually contradict "sunrise to sunrise" Sabbath keeping:

1. John 20:1 says that it was "on the first day of the week", yet it was "still dark." Therefore the first day of the week had already begun prior to sunrise.
   
2. Mark 16:1 says that they bought spices "when the Sabbath was passed," yet it was before the sun had risen, proving the Sabbath ended at sundown.
   
3. Matthew 28:1 says that it was "after the Sabbath" during the period of time that it began to "grow light," a word that describes the period of time just before sunrise. 
   

Therefore, these verses clearly support the fact that the Sabbath ends at sundown and the first day of the week was already in motion prior to sunrise.  

"Evening to evening shall you celebrate your Sabbath"

Scripture plainly commands "from evening to evening you shall celebrate your Sabbath."  

Leviticus 23:27-32 Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh. ²⁸ "And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before Yahweh your Elohim. ²⁹ "For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people. ³⁰ "And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. ³¹ "You shall do no manner of work; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. ³² "It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath."

Numbers 29:7 On the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall afflict your souls; you shall not do any work.

Since Yahweh doesn't contradict Himself, it is no contradiction that the 10th day of the month is "Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement" while also commanding that we begin and end this day at evening. Since the 10th day began and ended at evening, the days surrounding it would need to begin and end at evening as well. Thus, all days begin and end at evening.

Another example:

Exodus 12:15-19 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. 
¹⁶ 'On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat -- that only may be prepared by you. 
¹⁷ 'So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance. 
¹⁸ 'In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. ¹⁹ 'For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land.

Notice that the same language which described the timing of the tenth day of the seventh month (Day of Atonement) is also used to describe when the fifteenth day of the first month (the Feast of Unleavened Bread). 

The common thread between this feast and the Day of Atonement is they both have eating restrictions of some kind. In ancient times, without the electric lights that we have today, it was typical for a person to work throughout the day until sundown. At that time they would all sit down to eat. But since the Day of Atonement and Feast of Unleavened Bread had eating restrictions, it would mean that they would need to break from their normal habit to keep these observances. Therefore, these are perfect places in scripture for Yahweh to explain when a day begins so that they would remember to refrain from eating leaven, or in the case of the Day of Atonement, refrain from sitting down to eat as they normally would in the evenings. 

So why do these verses use a phrase like "on the 9th day at evening" or "on the fourteenth day at evening" to describe the time when each observance begins? We use similar language in our own day when trying to tell people when we start keeping Sabbath. One will often say "on 'friday' at sundown we start keeping the Sabbath" even though it's understood that "friday sundown" is actually the beginning of the Sabbath day. Likewise, when Yahweh is attempting to describe when the fifteenth day begins, He says "on the fourteenth day of the month at evening (sundown)" to describe when we begin the fifteenth day. In other words, if you are sitting in your house on the fourteenth day of the month, the fifteenth day (the time you begin eating unleavened bread) will begin at sundown.  

If Yahweh wanted to explain to them that a day begins at sundown, He couldn't say "on the sundown of the 15th you eat unleavened bread" because some might think that they would need to start eating unleavened bread in the middle of what would be the 15th day of the month. Explaining that the feast of unleavened bread begins on the 15th and we start when sundown occurs on the 14th should be sufficient explanation for us to understand when the 15th actually begins. Otherwise, you aren't actually beginning the Feast of Unleavened Bread on the 15th, but you are starting it in the middle of the 14th. Then, you would end it in the middle of the 22nd day which makes no sense at all. 

Besides, you can't reckon 7 days out of the year as beginning and ending at evening without affecting how the Sabbath is observed during those 7 days and affecting every day of the year. 

"They came no more on the Sabbath"

If we take the time to study Nehemiah thoroughly in context, it will also clearly demonstrate when the Sabbath begins. 

Let's take a moment and examine it in full context:

Nehemiah 13:15 In those days I saw people in Judah treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions. 
¹⁶ Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. 
¹⁷ Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, "What evil thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day? 
¹⁸ "Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our Elohim bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath." 

What is Nehemiah speaking about when he says "Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our Elohim bring all this disaster on us and on this city?" 

In the writings of the prophet Jeremiah, Yahweh made an offer to the children of Israel. It's a quite amazing offer actually. He said that if they would only stop bringing burdens through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath, to keep the Sabbath, He would bless the city and allow it to remain forever. And Kings & princes would enter those gates forever, sons of David riding in horses and chariots, to an everlasting city. He told Jeremiah to stand in each of the gates of the city and declare these things:

Jeremiah 17:19-27 Thus Yahweh said to me: "Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, by which the kings of Judah come in and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem; 
²⁰ "and say to them, 'Hear the word of Yahweh, you kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who enter by these gates. 

Notice that Jeremiah is standing at the gates while giving this message. Remember this for later:

Jeremiah 17:21 'Thus says Yahweh: "Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the Sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem; ²² "nor carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day, nor do any work, but hallow the Sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers. 
²³ "But they did not obey nor incline their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear nor receive instruction. 
²⁴ " And it shall be, if you heed Me carefully," says Yahweh, "to bring no burden through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but hallow the Sabbath day, to do no work in it, 
²⁵ "then shall enter the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their princes, accompanied by the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city shall remain forever.
²⁶ "And they shall come from the cities of Judah and from the places around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin and from the lowland, from the mountains and from the South, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, bringing sacrifices of praise to the house of Yahweh. 

So Yahweh gives a promise here. And what a promise it was, for He didn't even ask them to serve Him or not worship idols, etc. Just keep the Sabbath. I think Yahweh knew that if they would keep the Sabbath, the Sabbath would keep them (Meaning, cause them to delight themselves in Yahweh). And this memorial of creation would cause them to seek Yahweh weekly. But if they chose bring burdens through those gates and break the Sabbath, He would burn those gates with fire.

He said if they will only keep the Sabbath and "bring no burden through the city gates of this city on the Sabbath," Yahweh would allow Jerusalem to remain forever. But if they chose to break the Sabbath and allow the carrying of burdens through the city gates on Yahweh's holy day, He would destroy the city:

Jeremiah 17:27 "But if you will not heed Me to hallow the Sabbath day, such as not carrying a burden when entering the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched." ' "

So it makes sense why Nehemiah says:

Nehemiah 13:18 "Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our Elohim bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath." 

Nehemiah's course of action from this point will make a lot more sense when we understand his comments in the proper context. Jeremiah said that Yahweh would allow Jerusalem to remain forever if they would keep the Sabbath and forbid the bringing of burdens into the gates of the city, but He would destroy it if they permitted these things. So what does Nehemiah do?

Nehemiah 13:19 So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem, as it began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must not be opened till after the Sabbath. Then I posted some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day. 

To ensure that no burdens were brought through the gates on the Sabbath, He made as special point to command that the gates be shut "as it began to be dark before the Sabbath." In looking at the Hebrew, there is no doubt that this refers to a time prior to sunset. The Hebrew word translated "dark" in this verse is #6751 which means "shadowing." Other words related to #6751 carry this kind of meaning as well:

4699 mtsullah mets-ool-law' from 6751; shade:--bottom. 6738 tsel tsale from 6751; shade, whether literal or figurative:--defence, shade(-ow). 6751 tsalal tsaw-lal' a primitive root (identical with 6749 through the idea of hovering over (Compare 6754)); to shade, as twilight or an opaque object:--begin to be dark, shadowing. 6752 tselel tsay'-lel from 6751; shade:--shadow.

Here are a couple of examples of these words: 

Job 40:22 The lotus trees cover him with their shade (#6752); The willows by the brook surround him.

Ezekiel 31:3 Indeed Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, With fine branches that shaded (#6751) the forest, And of high stature; And its top was among the thick boughs.

Psalm 17:8 Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow (#6738) of thy wings

Thus, the New International Version Nehemiah 13 as:

Nehemiah 13:19 When evening shadows fell on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered the doors to be shut and not opened until the Sabbath was over. I stationed some of my own men at the gates so that no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day.

But no matter how one translates it, it has something to do with shadows. Since there are no shadows after sunset, the verse would have to be speaking of a time prior to sunset. Long shadows are a characteristic of the time just before sunset. 

So now that we have established that the timing of Nehemiah's closing of the gates occurred just before sundown, what would have been the purpose of shutting at that time? Obviously, it was the time just "before the Sabbath." Nehemiah did not want people bringing in and carrying burdens into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day so he had the gates shut just before sundown to ensure that. If he shut the gates right at sundown, someone could have come in just prior to sundown and lugged their wares around to their destination on the Sabbath. 

Nehemiah 13:20 Now the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. 
²¹ Then I warned them, and said to them, "Why do you spend the night around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you!" From that time on they came no more on the Sabbath. 
²² And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should go and guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. Remember me, O my Elohim, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of Your mercy!

If the previous verses were not clear enough, we have Nehemiah himself telling us when the Sabbath is. Note the progression of events here. 

1. The merchants came and spent the night around the wall, presumably in hopes to bribe their way in or to buy/sell to anyone leaving the city.
2. Nehemiah threatens to lay hands on them if they spend the night around the wall.
3. Inspired scripture says, "From that time on they came no more on the Sabbath." 

Since the scriptures tell us they were coming on the Sabbath, and they were coming to spend the night around the wall, this would clearly tie in the Sabbath as beginning in the evening. The gates were shut as the shadows fell upon the gates of Jerusalem just before the Sabbath, then the merchants came afterward and tried to spend the night around the wall, hoping to get in the next morning. Nehemiah then threatened them to prevent them from spending the night around the wall--a time that scripture calls "the Sabbath."

After taking care of that problem, Nehemiah then commands the Levites to cleanse themselves and guard the gates so that the Sabbath would be sanctified. Earlier he had placed his own servants there but now he is trusting the Levites to do what they are supposed to do and guard those gates from Sabbath breakers, lest the gates be burned with fire again as Jeremiah prophesied. 

Another scripture supporting the fact that the Sabbath ends at evening is in Luke chapter 4:

Luke 4:38-40 And having risen out of the synagogue, he entered into the house of Simon, and the mother-in-law of Simon was pressed with a great fever, and they did ask him about her, ³⁹ and having stood over her, he rebuked the fever, and it left her, and presently, having risen, she was ministering to them. ⁴⁰ And at the setting of the sun, all, as many as had any ailing with manifold sicknesses, brought them unto him, and he on each one of them his hands having put, did heal them.

For people to wait until the setting of the sun to bring the sick people to Yahushua for Him to heal demonstrates that it was certainly a first century practice to end the Sabbath at sundown. After all, why wait until sundown to carry the sick to him if it's still considered to be the Sabbath day? 

Historical Evidence

Confirming the above scripture, we also have historical evidence that in the first century, the Sabbath was observed starting at evening. Josephus, a first century Jewish historian makes the following comment:

Wars of the Jews 4:582 and the last was erected above the top of the Pastophoria, where one of the priests stood of course, and gave a signal beforehand with a trumpet, at the beginning of every seventh day, in the evening twilight, as also at the evening when that day was finished, as giving notice to the people when they were to stop work, and when they were to go to work again.

So his report is that a trumpet was blown at the beginning of every Sabbath, to mark when the people should stop working, and begin working. Josephus had no reason to lie, and archaeological finds concur with Josephus' comments about the place of trumpeting:

"When we excavated the beautifully paved Herodian street adjacent to the southern wall and near the southwestern corner of the Enclosure Wall, we found a particularly large ashlar block. On the inside was a niche where a man might stand, especially if the ashlar were joined to another which would enlarge the niche.
On the outside was a carefully and elegantly incised Hebrew inscription: LBYT HTKY ’H LHH [RYZ]; “To the place of Trumpeting to (declare).” If the restoration of the world “declare” is correct, the rest of the missing part of the inscription probably went on to tell us more about the declaring of the beginning and the end of the Sabbath.
The stone had been toppled during the Roman destruction of the Temple onto the street below where it had lain for nearly two thousand years until we uncovered it.
It must have originally come from the pinnacle of the southwestern corner of the Temple Mount. From a spot on top of the Temple chambers a priest would blow a trumpet on Sabbath Eve, to announce the arrival of the Sabbath and the cessation of all labour, and to announce, on the following evening, the departure of the Sabbath and the resumption of all labor.
The entire city was visible from this spot on the southwest corner of the Temple Mount; the clarion call of the trumpet would reach the farthest markets of the city. Such a scene is recounted by Josephus in his work, The Jewish War. (IV, 582)." Editor, H. S. 2004; 2004. BAR 06:04 (July/Aug 1980). Biblical Archaeology Society

I know that some might say that the Jews (e.g. Pharisees) were observing it wrong in the first century. But wouldn't it seem pretty odd that Yahushua would say things like "Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loosen his ox or his donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?" but then never once mention that they break the Sabbath every week when the trumpeter sends out his call to resume working after after sundown? I think we can be certain that such a major issue would not escape the attention of Yahushua and the apostles.

With as strict as the Jews were about Sabbath breaking, it seems quite unlikely that they would even try to change it. And the idea that all the Jews scattered around the world would simultaneously change the time that they observed the Sabbath is quite incredulous--especially when you consider that there is not a shred of evidence indicating such a change.

Conclusion

The scriptures seem pretty clear that Yahweh reckons days from evening to evening. While modern reckoning is from midnight to midnight, we need to submit ourselves to the daily heavenly clock that Yahweh Himself established at creation. It makes perfect sense that a day ends when a day ends...at evening.