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THE BIBLE DAY

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 20, 1879

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 53, No. 12.

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THE BIBLE DAY.

By H. WOODRUFF

WHEN did the day begin in the days of Christ and the apostles? This is a question in the minds of many, and when we refer them to Mark 1 : 32 and similar passages, and try to convince them that we are keeping Roman and not Bible time, they say, “Yes; it may be that we are keeping Roman time; but where is your proof from the Bible that the day began with the setting of the sun?” This we think is made very plain by the language of Christ and the actions of Peter.
Jesus, as recorded in Luke 22 : 34, said to Peter, “The cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.” Now the only questions to be settled are these: When was this said? and when did Peter deny his Lord?
When did this conversation take place? In Mark 14 : 17–20, we read that it was in the evening, or after the setting of the sun, in the first part of the night. (See verse 30.) This settles the point, so far as time is concerned. The next point is, when did Peter deny him? If it was before midnight, then so far as these texts are concerned the day might have closed at midnight; but if Peter did not deny him till just before daylight, the day could not have closed at midnight. From John 18 : 25–28, we learn that Peter denied his Lord just before he was taken into the judgment hall, and it was early, but whether early in the morning or in the evening this text does not say; but by comparing this with Matt. 27 : 1 and Luke 22 : 66, we find that the judgment hall is the same as the council of chief priests and elders, and that it was morning, daylight, when Jesus was taken there, and the crowing and denial took place just before this.
We have now shown that Jesus talked with Peter in the evening, or first part of the day, and told him that before the cock should crow that day, he would deny him. We have also shown that the denial of Peter and the crowing of the cock took place just before Jesus was taken to the hall of judgment. John 18 : 25–28. This was at daylight. Luke 22 : 66. Now if the day closed at midnight, Peter did not deny his Lord when Jesus said he would. Mark 14 : 30. Shall we believe Jesus? Yes, every time, before the traditions.
H. WOODRUFF.