Thread: So when did the sabbath stop being sundown to sundown..or is it?

I was wondering about this. We understand and agree with the Lord's day becoming the Christian sabbath, and have church and rest on Sunday.

But I thought sundown to sundown was God's ideal. I try to chill out and slow down Saturday evening, then get a decent sleep, and by after dinner Sunday I am ready to clean up and get back to chores.

I know a lot of people though, for whom the Sabbath is the modern day-from waking up until bedtime. If you went out late on Sunday to buy milk they'd be appalled, or if you did housework Sunday eve they'd say you're breaking the sabbath. But the evening before is a normal work time for them.

So is this something that has happened with modern industrialization and the
modern work environment? Or does it go way, way, back? When did the day begin starting in the morning and not the evening?

Thanks for any history you can tell me for my curiosity! And by the way I'm not real strict on this subject so I am not criticizing anybody for how they keep the sabbath. I just am wondering why we don't start the night before and end the next evening after dinner.

This has been gone around several times. See the below for instance.

When does the Sabbath Day Begin/End Revisited

Sabbath Observance

A search may turn up some more.

Wow, that first link is great. Thanks so much. 2006...that was way before my time but I should have guessed it was here somewhere.

Chris,

Thanks for the link, also.

While practically I've leaned toward sundown, I'm less sure of that position. Virginia Huguenot in the link quotes a lot of historical sources, puritan and others to make a strong case for morning to midnight.

John 20:1, The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark...

Verse 19, Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week...

Originally Posted by armourbearer

John 20:1, The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark...

Verse 19, Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week...

Just to get this straight, this passage would support that evening is a time for Sabbath worship, and therefore the Sabbath is not evening-evening, correct?

Originally Posted by Confessor

Originally Posted by armourbearer

John 20:1, The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark...

Verse 19, Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week...

Just to get this straight, this passage would support that evening is a time for Sabbath worship, and therefore the Sabbath is not evening-evening, correct?

That is how I understand it, qualifying that the "Sabbath" is the Christian first day Sabbath, because the Evangelists were recording incidents which still operated in relation to the Jewish last day Sabbath.

They were still working on the Jewish sabbath there.

We no longer have the Sabbath as it was delivered to the nation of Israel,

We have the Lord's day. The day of the resurrection of the Lord is when we worship and keep the 4th commandment

It is still to be the Whole day celebrated in much the same way.

What about those who wait till midnight to take a flight or fly home late getting in Sat just before midnite but are too tired and sleep through church?

And what do we say of Shift workers? They work 11 pm -7 am.

And graveyard workers who normally work at night and sleep in the day?

Shall we tell them they must change their schedule?

The specifics did not cover such issues as Light Bulbs and shift work.

Let us be careful not to fall back into the letter and strain gnats unnecessarily and swallow a camel here.

God Rested the 7th Day, so should we, The whole day, how ever that works out unless one is willing to show me it is unlawful for a Christian to take shift work?

I would not take a job where I had to work on the Lord's day. But to nit pick over an hour one way or other?? Since God did nto have the NT lay it out specifically.

And for you dawn to dusk folk guess you have never been to north Alaska have you?? Lets see that would be a 4 month Lord's day.

I think we use some common sense here so that we can sanctify the Lord's day and keep the 4th commandment unto the Lord in the best possible way to glorify Him.