Is The Devil Real?
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Posted:Dec 5, 2014 3:28 pm
Last Updated:Dec 18, 2014 1:35 am 4152 Views
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Yes, the Bible teaches that satan the devil is, indeed, a real person. Critics of the Bible, however, scoff at such a portrayal of the devil. They say, merely that satan represents the principle of evil that resides in humans.
Should we be surprised by the confusion regarding satan's true identity? Not at all. To illustrate: A criminal might wipe his fingerprints from a crime scene so that he might conceal his identity and thus continue his illegal activity undetected. Similarly, satan is a criminal mastermind who is content to operate behind the scenes, promoting moral corruption. Jesus clearly identified satan as the one responsible for the evil state of human affairs. Jesus called satan "the ruler of this world." (John 12:31)
Where did the devil come from? Originally created as a perfect spirit creature in heaven, this outlaw angel made himself the devil when he became obsessed with the desire to have humans worship him instead of God. The Bible records a conversation here on the earth between satan and Jesus in which the devil revealed his selfish ambition. He tried to get Jesus to "fall down and do an act of worship" to him. (Matthew 4:8+9)
Likewise, in conversations with God, as recorded in the book of Job, satan revealed his motives. He would stop at nothing to influence humans to renounce God. (Job 1:13-19; 2:Seven+8)
Consider: If satan conversed with Jehovah God and with Jesus Christ, how could satan possibly be merely the principle of evil that resides in others? There is absolutely no evil in God or his ! Clearly, then, satan is a real person - an evil spirit creature who has no respect for Jehovah or for Jesus.
The corrupt state of human affairs bears testimony to the existence of a real devil. The nations of this world let surplus food rot while their hungry populations starve. The nations store up weapons of mass destruction for mutual annihilation. They pollute earth's environment. Yet, most people are blind to the source of such hateful, self destructive behaviour. Why?
The Bible reveals that satan "has blinded the minds of the unbelievers." (2Corinthians 4:4) To manipulate humanity, satan employs an invisible organization. He is "the ruler of the demons." (Matthew 12:24) Just a a boss of an organized crime ring can run a large illegal empire without revealing himself to all those involved, so satan uses his insidious organization of wicked angels to control masses of people who remain largely unaware of his role or influence.
How thankful we can be that the Bible unmasks the devil and exposes his organization! We can thus take steps to resist the devil's influence. The Bible admonishes us: "Subject yourselves....to God; but oppose the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:Seven)
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I always find it interesting and encouraging to read an article that reminds me of the support God gives us. I found this one to be a good reminder of what we are up against in this system of things.
If anyone is wondering, I do not 'cut and paste' as some have charged, but I actually sit and type out all my blogs (in part from articles I have found of interest that I think others may be interested in, and, partly from my own understanding) as this helps me learn and to cement points into my mind and heart. Rereading my typing to correct spelling and grammar mistakes, and, while checking it all for readability, allowing me a much needed opportunity for study, which I always find most uplifting. What benefit would there be to me, as a believer in the Christ's sacrifice for me, if I did not do all I could to "take to heart" all that I can in the "taking in knowledge" from God's Word?
Hope you all enjoy this small article.
Yours,
Katidid.
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Why The Holy Spirit Is Not A Person
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Posted:Dec 5, 2014 12:02 am
Last Updated:Dec 5, 2014 4:33 pm 3676 Views
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The Bible compares the Holy Spirit to water.
When promising future blessings for His people, God said: "I shall pour out water upon the thirsty one and trickling streams upon the dry place. I shall pour out my spirit upon your seed and my blessing *
upon your descendants." (Isaiah 44:3)
Blessing come thru' God's spirit or power.(His active force)
When God pours out His spirit upon His servants they become "full of Holy Spirit" or "filled with Holy Spirit." Jesus, John the Baptist, Peter, Paul, Barnabas, and the disciples who were gathered together on the day of Pentecost 33 C.E., are all described as being full of, or filled with, Holy Spirit. (Luke 1:15; 4:1; Acts 4:8; 9:17; 11:22, 24; 13:9)
Consider this: Could a person be 'poured out' on many different individuals? Would you say that one person could 'fill' a whole group of people? It defies logic. (God is completely logical in His thought and action.) The Bible does refer to people becoming filled with wisdom, understanding, or even, accurate knowledge, but it never describes anyone as being filled with another person. (Exodus 28:3; 1Kings 7:14; Luke 2:40; Colossians 1:9)
The Greek word translated "spirit" is pneu'ma, which also conveys the idea of an invisible power. According to Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, the word pneu'ma "primarily denotes the wind....also breath; then, especially the spirit, which, like the wind, is invisible, immaterial and powerful."
Clearly, then, the Holy Spirit is not a person.
The Holy Spirit In Action
God used the Holy Spirit to create the earth and the rest of the universe.
"How many your works are, Oh Jehovah! All of them in wisdom you have made. The earth is full of your productions," the psalmist exclaimed. "If you send forth your spirit, they are created." (Psalms 104:24, 30; Genesis 1:2; Job 33:4)
Holy Spirit inspired Godly men to write the bible.
"All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial," wrote the apostle Paul. (2Timothy 3:16) The Greek word translated "inspired of God" literally means "breathed into by God." Jehovah's breath, or spirit, guided the Bible writers' thoughts, so that they transmitted " the word of God." (1Thess. 2:13)
Holy Spirit empowered God's servants to foretell the future with accuracy.
The apostle Peter explained: "No prophecy of Scripture springs from any private interpretation. For prophecy was at no time brought by man's will, but men spoke from God as they were borne along by Holy Spirit." (2Peter 1:20, 21; Joel 2:28)
Holy Spirit helped Jesus and other men of faith to preach the good news of God's Kingdom and to perform miracles.
Jesus said: "Jehovah's spirit is upon me, because He anointed me to declare the good news to the poor, He sent me forth to preach a release to the captives (of satan) and a recovery of sight to the blind." (Luke 4:18; Matthew 12:28)
You can see that, logically, no person 'carried God's people along' anywhere while they were writing or speaking God's prophecies and no person was 'sitting on' Jesus at any time during His ministry.
Ways In Which The Holy Spirit Can Help Us.
Holy Spirit can strengthen yu to fight temptation and overcome harmful habits.
The apostle Paul said: "God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, but along with the temptation He will also make the way out in order for you to be able to endure it." (1Corinthians 10:13)
Holy Spirit can help you to cultivate Godly qualities.
"The fruitage of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness and self-control." (Galatians 5:22+23)
Holy Spirit can fortify you to endure trials.
"For all things I have the strength by virtue of Him who imparts power to me" (Philippians 4:13)
I hope this small article aid your understanding.
Love
Katidid.
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Matthew 3:4 Says That John The Baptizer Ate "locusts and wild honey." Were Locusts A Common Food?
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Posted:Dec 3, 2014 3:14 pm
Last Updated:Dec 3, 2014 3:16 pm 3728 Views
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Some have doubted that John actually ate insects, claiming that Matthew was referring to pods of the locust tree, wild fruit or even a variety of fish. However, the Greek word Matthew used designates a family of grasshoppers know today as Acrididae. The most common in Israel was the desert locust known to form devastating swarms. (Joel 1:4, 7; Nahum 3:15)
Locusts were considered a delicacy by such ancient peoples as the Assyrians and the Ethiopians and are still eaten today by certain Bedouins and Yemenite Jews. In Israel, locusts were considered a food of the poor.
After the heads, legs and abdomen were removed, the thorax was eaten raw or roasted or after being dried in the sun. Sometimes the locusts were salted or soaked in vinegar or honey. Historian Henri Daniel-Rops says that they taste somewhat like shrimp.
Since John preached in the wilderness, locust would likely have been accessible to him (Mark 1:4)
As they contain about 75 percent protein, locusts, along with wild honey, made a highly nutritious meal.
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Did You Know? Who was "the captain of the temple," and What Was His Role?
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Posted:Dec 3, 2014 3:03 pm
Last Updated:Dec 3, 2014 3:04 pm 3661 Views
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Amoung the Jewish religious leaders who had the apostles Peter and John arrested while they were preaching was "the captain of the temple." (Acts 4:1-3) The Bible gives no description of the temple captain's responsibilities, but some historical sources provide interesting background.
It seems that by the time of Jesus, that official position was held by a priest who was second in authority to the high priest. The temple captain maintained order in and around the temple in Jerusalem. He supervised temple worship as well as what may be called a temple police force. Subordinate captains under his command oversaw the watchmen who opened the temple gates in the morning and closed them at night, ensured that no one entered restricted areas and guarded the temple treasury.
The priests and Levites who worked at the temple were organized into 24 divisions, each of which served for one week at a time in rotation, twice a year. Each division likely had its own captain. (1 Chronicles 24:1-18)
These temple captains were men of influence. They are mentioned along with the chief priests who conspired to have Jesus put to death and they also employed the forces under their command to have Jesus arrested. (Luke 22:4+52)
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Fishing On The Sea Of Galilee
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Posted:Dec 3, 2014 2:53 pm
Last Updated:Dec 3, 2014 2:54 pm 3615 Views
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What was life like for a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee back in the first century?
The answer sheds light on many Gospel accounts.
That 'sea' is actually a freshwater lake measuring some 21 kilometers by about 12 kilometers. Fishermen have long exploited its abundant supply of fish. Jerusalem's Fish Gate was evidently the location of a fish market. (Nehemiah 3:3) The Sea of Galilee was one source of the fish sold there.
The apostle Peter came from a town on the Sea of Galilee called Bethsaida, which may mean "House of the Fisherman." Another town on the lake was called Magadan, or Magdala, to which Jesus led His disciples after He walked on the water. (Matthew 15:39) According to one writer, the Greek name of that town could be translated "Processed-Fishville." It was noted for its extensive fish factories, where locally caught fish were dried and salted or pickled to produce a sauce that was preserved in clay jars called amphoras. These products were packed and shipped, likely to all parts of Israel and even beyond.
Catching, processing and marketing fish was thus big business in the Galilee of Jesus' day. It would be easy to assume that this brought economic advantages to many people in the area, Yet, that was not necessarily the case. Fishing "was not the 'free enterprise' which modern readers of the New Testament may imagine," says one scholar. It was part of "a state regulated, elite-profiting enterprise." Herod Antipas governed Galilee as the district ruler, or territorial prince, appointed by Rome. He thus controlled his territory's roads, harbors and natural resources such as mines, forests, agriculture and fisheries. Those resources were a major source of tax revenue for Herod. We do not have detailed information on tax collection policies in first-century Galilee. However, it appears that Herod's general approach did not differ greatly from that of Hellenistic rulers or from that used by the Romans in their other eastern provinces. Much of the profit derived from the area's economic activities and the exploitation of its natural resources may have gone to the elite rather than to the common people who did most of the work.
The Burden of Taxes
In Jesus' day, the best lands in Galilee belonged to the royal house and were divided into large estates which Herod Antipas parceled out as gifts to his grandees and other beneficiaries. Herod's subjects had to finance the huge costs of his luxurious living, his ambitious building projects, his elaborate administration and his various grants to friends and cities. The burden of taxes, tolls and duties levied on the common people is said to have been extremely oppressive.
Herod also held a complete monopoly over the exploitation of inland waters. Fishing would thus be managed either as part of a large-scale royal concern or by the holders of individual gift estates. For areas under direct royal administration, tax brokers or chief tax collectors - wealthy individuals who bought at auction the right to collect taxes - would have authority to stipulate contracts with fishermen for the lease of fishing rights. Some commentators have suggested that since Matthew's tax office was in Capernaum - an important fishing center on the Sea of Galilee - he may have worked for these chief tax collectors as a local "contractor of royal fishing rights." (The Apostle Peter evidently moved from Bethsaida to Capernaum, where he was involved in a fishing business with his brother, Andrew, and the sons of Zebedee. Jesus also resided at Capernaum for a time. (Matthew 4:13-16))
Evidence from the first and second centuries B.C.E. shows that taxes in Palestine were often paid "in kind" rather than in cash. Some professional fishermen thus paid some 25 to 40 percent of their catch in exchange for the right to fish. Ancient documents indicate that in at least some areas under Roman administration, fishing remained a State monopoly overseen by inspectors. In Pisidia, a sort of fishing police made sure that no one fished without authorization and that fishermen sold their catch only to authorized middlemen, or wholesalers, whose activity was also subject to State supervision and taxation.
What all these controls and taxes finally meant, says one analyst, is that "the king or holder of the estate made a large amount of profit, whereas the fishermen made very little." The profits made by those employed in other sectors of economic activity were similarly limited by oppressive taxation. Taxes have never been popular with those who have to pay them. However, the general hostility toward tax collectors that emerges from the Gospel accounts was doubtless augmented by the real dishonesty and greed of men who grew rich by extorting all they could from the common people. (Luke 3:13; 19:2+8)
Fishermen in the Gospels
The Gospels reveal that Simon Peter had partners in his fishing business. Those who came to help Peter haul in a miraculous catch were his "partners in the other boat." (Luke 5:3-7) Scholars explain that "fishermen could form 'cooperatives'....in order to bid for fishing contracts or leases." This may have been the way that the sons of Zebedee, Peter, Andrew and their partners obtained authorization to carry on their fishing business.
Whether these Galilean fishermen owned the boats and equipment they used is not specifically stated in the Scriptures. Some believe that they did. Jesus, in fact, is said to have boarded a boat "which was Simon's." (Luke 5:3) However, notes one specialized article on the subject, "it is at least possible that the boats were actually owned by the brokers and used by the cooperative." Be that as it may, the Scriptures speak of James and John mending their net. Fishermen would presumably also have to bargain to sell their catch and, as necessary, to hire day labourers.
So there was more to the activity of first-century Galilean fishermen than meets the eye. Their business was part of a complex system of economic relationships. Bearing this in mind gives greater depth of meaning to the Gospel accounts and to Jesus' words about fishing and fishermen. More than that, this information also helps us to appreciate the faith of Peter, Andrew, James and John. Fishing was their livelihood. Whatever their exact economic condition when Jesus called them, they readily abandoned the trade that they knew, and that provided them with a reliable source of income, in order to become "fishers of men." (Matthew 4:19)
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In What Way Are Jesus And His Father One?
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Posted:Dec 1, 2014 4:14 pm
Last Updated:Dec 5, 2014 2:50 pm 3853 Views
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"I and the Father are one," said Jesus. (John 10:30)
Some quote this text to prove that Jesus and His Father are two parts of a triune God.
Is that what Jesus meant by this statement?
Let us look at the context.
At John 10:25, Jesus stated that He did works in the name of His Father and from verses 27 to 29, He talked about symbolic sheep whom His Father had given Him. Both statements by Jesus would have made little sense to His listeners if He and His Father were one and the same person. Instead, Jesus said, in effect, 'My Father and I are so close-knit that no one can take away the sheep from me, just as no one can take them away from my Father.'
It is much like a saying to his father's enemy, 'If you attack my father, you attack me'. No one would conclude that his and his father were the same person but all could perceive the strong bond of unity between them.
Jesus and His Father, Jehovah God, are also "one" in the sense that they are on complete agreement as to intentions, standards and values.
In contrast with satan the devil and the first human couple, Adam and Eve, Jesus never wanted to become independent of God. "The cannot do a single thing of His own initiative but only what He beholds the Father doing." Jesus explain. "For whatever things that One does these things the also does in like manner." (John 5:19; 14:10; 17:8)
This strong bond of unity, however, does not make God and His , Jesus, indistinguishable from each other. They are two individuals. Each one has His own distinct personality.
Jesus has His own feelings, thoughts, experiences and free will.
Nevertheless, He chose to submit His will to that of His Father.
According to Luke 22:42, Jesus said: "Let not my will but yours take place." These words would have been meaningless if His will could not differ from His Father's.
If Jesus and His Father were really one person, why did Jesus pray to God and humbly admit to not knowing things that only His father knew? (Matthew 24:36)
Members of many religions worship gods that are depicted as quarreling and fighting with their own family members. In Greek mythology, for example, Cronus overthrew his father, Uranus, and devoured his own . How different this is from the oneness based on true love between Jehovah God and His , Jesus! In fact, we have the incomparable privilege of being in union with these two highest Persons in all the universe!
Regarding His followers, Jesus prayed: "I make request....that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in union with me and I am in union with you, that they also may be in union with us." (John 17:20+21)
By the reckoning of those arguing the trinity dogma, this would make all those in christendom to be gods with the Father, and Holy Spirit, thus making God, not just a triune but a multi-headed or multi-faceted monster.
Thus, when Jesus said, "I and the Father are one," he was speaking, not of a mysterious trinity, but of a wonderful unity.
The closest bond possible between two persons.
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Did You Know? Who Were The Different Men In The Bible Called James?
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Posted:Dec 1, 2014 3:30 pm
Last Updated:Dec 1, 2014 3:32 pm 3756 Views
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James is the English equivalent of Jacob.
The phrase "Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" appears many times in the Bible, and Matthew 1:16 names Jacob as "father to Joseph the husband of Mary".
There are four 'James' altogether and it is easy to be confused.
1. The father of the apostle Judas (not Iscariot).
Nothing more is known of him. (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13)
2. A of Zebedee.
This James was brother of John, both being Jesus' apostles(The Sons of Thunder or Boanagers). (Matthew 10:2)
This James' mother, it seems, was Salome, the sister of Jesus' mother. (Compare Matthew 27:55+56 with Mark 15:40+41 and John 19:25).
If this is the case, James was Jesus' first cousin.
He was a fisherman, who along with his brother, was in partnership with Peter and Andrew. (Mark 1:16-19; Luke 5:Seven-10)
3. James the of Alphaeus, also one of Jesus' apostles. (Mark 3:16-18)
He is described as "James the Less" at Mark 15:40.
He may have been called "the Less" because of being physically smaller or younger than James the of Zebedee.
4. Joseph and Mary's , brother of Jude and half brother of Jesus.(Mark 6:3; Galatians 1:19)
During Jesus' ministry, James was not one of his disciples. (Matthew 12:46-50; John 7:5)
However, before Pentecost 33 C.E., James prayed with his mother, his brothers, and the apostles in an upper chamber in Jerusalem. (Acts 1:13+14)
James later became a prominent member of the Jerusalem congregation and wrote the Bible book bearing his name. (Acts 12:17; James 1:1)
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What Really Happened to the Ark of the Covenant?
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Posted:Dec 1, 2014 2:53 pm
Last Updated:Dec 1, 2014 2:54 pm 3667 Views
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For the Israelites, God's very presence was associated with the Ark of the Covenant. (Exodus 25:22) This was a sacred Chest of wood overlaid with gold in which Moses placed the two stone tables of the Law.
While the Israelites dwelled in the wilderness, the Ark was kept in the Most Holy compartment of the tent of Meeting. (Exodus 26:33) The Ark was eventually placed in the Most Holy compartment of Solomon's temple. (1Kings 6:19)
The Ark is last mentioned at 2Chron. 35:3 when King Josiah in 642 B.C.E. returned it to the temple. The Ark may have been removed by Josiah's apostate predecessor, Manasseh, who put an image in the temple. Or perhaps the move had been for safekeeping during Josiah's temple renovations. (2 Chron.33:1, 2+7; 34:1, 8-11)
What became of the Ark thereafter is a mystery, for it is not listed among the objects taken from the temple when Babylonians conquered Jerusalem in 607 B.C.E. (2Kings 25:13-17)
The Scriptures do not say that the Ark was returned to the Most Holy of the temple rebuilt by Zerubbabel; nor does it seem that a replacement was ever made. (Ezra 1:Seven-11)
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Also placed in the Ark was the budded staff of Aaron as well as a portion of the manna when it was first sent to nourish the Israelites in the wilderness.
Although, at the time of the dedication of Solomon’s temple in 1026 B.C.E., “there was nothing in the Ark but the two tablets that Moses had given at Horeb, when Jehovah covenanted with the sons of Israel while they were coming out from Egypt.” (2 Chronicles 5:10) However, this was not always the case.
“In the third month after the sons of Israel came out of the land of Egypt,” they entered the wilderness of Sinai. (Exodus 19:1, 2) Thereafter, Moses went up into Mount Sinai and received the two stone tablets of the Law. He relates: “Then I turned and went down from the mountain and placed the tablets in the ark that I had made, that they might continue there, just as Jehovah had commanded me.” (Deuteronomy 10:5)
This was a temporary ark, or container, that Jehovah had told Moses to construct to hold the tablets of the Law. (Deuteronomy 10:1) The Ark of the Covenant itself was not made ready until about the end of 1513 B.C.E.
Shortly after their deliverance from Egypt, the Israelites began to murmur about food. So Jehovah provided manna for them. (Exodus 12:17, 18; 16:1-5) At that time, Moses instructed Aaron: “Take a jar and put in it an omerful of manna and deposit it before Jehovah as something to be kept throughout your generations.” The account states: “Just as Jehovah had commanded Moses, Aaron proceeded to deposit it before the Testimony [an archive for the safekeeping of important documents] as something to be kept.” (Exodus 16:33, 34) While Aaron undoubtedly gathered manna into a jar at that time, the depositing of it before the Testimony had to wait until Moses made the Ark and placed the tablets in it
As mentioned above, the Ark of the Covenant was constructed late in 1513 B.C.E. Aaron’s rod was placed in that Ark much later, after the rebellion of Korah and others. The apostle Paul mentions “the ark of the covenant . . . , in which were the golden jar having the manna and the rod of Aaron that budded and the tablets of the covenant.” (Hebrews 9:4).
God directed that 12 rods, each representing one of the 12 tribes, be placed in the tabernacle, and the rod for the tribe of Levi was inscribed with Aaron’s name. (Nu 17:1-4) On the following day Moses entered the tent of the Testimony and found that Aaron’s rod had budded, blossomed with flowers, and bore ripe almonds. (Nu 17:8) This established beyond dispute Jehovah’s choice of the Levite sons of Aaron for priestly service and His authorization of Aaron as high priest. Thereafter, the right of Aaron’s house to the priesthood was never seriously challenged. The budded rod of Aaron was placed in the Ark of the Covenant as “a sign to the sons of rebelliousness,” though it appears that after the death of these rebellious ones and the entry of the nation into the Land of Promise the rod was removed, having served its purpose.(Nu 17:10; Heb 9:4; 2Ch 5:10; 1Ki 8:9)
Aaron’s rod was placed in the ark of the covenant for a purpose—to serve as a sign to or a witness against the rebellious generation. This suggests that the rod remained there at least for the duration of the wilderness journey. It would, then, seem logical to conclude that some time after Israel entered the Promised Land and before the dedication of Solomon’s temple, Aaron’s rod and the golden jar of manna were removed from the ark of the covenant.
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Did You Know? What Was a "Sabbath Day's Journey"?
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Posted:Nov 26, 2014 3:35 am
Last Updated:Nov 26, 2014 3:36 am 3624 Views
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After witnessing the ascension of Jesus to heaven from the Mount of Olives, his disciples returned to Jerusalem, which as "a sabbath day's journey away." (Acts 1:12)
A traveller can walk perhaps 30 kilometers or 20 miles, maybe more, in a day. However, the Mount of Olives is close to Jerusalem. So, what is meant by "a sabbath day's journey"?
The Sabbath was a day on which the Israelites were to rest from their normal activities. They were not even to light a fire in their homes on that day. (Exodus 20:10; 35:2+3) "Keep sitting each one in his own place." Jehovah commanded. "Let nobody go out from his locality on the seventh day." (Exodus 16:29) This law would allow the Israelites opportunity to rest from normal activities and to give increased attention to spiritual aspects of life.
Not content with the principles laid down by Jehovah's Law, legalistically minded rabbis set about establishing exactly - and somewhat arbitrarily - how far a person could walk on the Sabbath, for example, to attend worship. In this regard, the Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature states: "In consequence of the rigorous laws about the observance of the Sabbath...., it was enacted that no Israelite is to walk on the Sabbath beyond a certain distance, called a Sabbath-day's journey." That distance was set at 2,000 cubits, which corresponds to somewhere between 0.8 and 1 kilometer or about 1/2 a mile.
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Did You Know? Why Did the Jews Begin Their Sabbath Observance in the evening?
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Posted:Nov 26, 2014 3:22 am
Last Updated:Mar 17, 2020 9:28 am 4061 Views
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When Jehovah gave His people the law concerning the Day of Atonement, He said: "You must do no sort of work on this very day....It is a sabbath of complete rest for you....From evening to evening you should observe your sabbath." (Leviticus 23:28, 32)
This command reflected the view that each day began in the evening, after sunset, and ended at the subsequent sunset. For the Jews, the day thus ran from evening to evening.
This method of counting days followed the pattern set by God Himself. The account concerning the first figurative day of creation states: "There came to be evening and there came to be morning, a first day." The successive "days" are also counted in the same way, beginning in the "evening." (Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31)
The Jews were not the only people to reckon days in this way. The Athenians, the Numidians and the Phoenicians did likewise. The Babylonians, on the other hand, considered sunrise to be the beginning of each new day, while the Egyptians and the Romans reckoned their days from midnight to midnight, as is the modern custom. Present-day Jews, however, still begin and end their Sabbath observance at sundown.
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