Topical Bible: Time: Computed by Days

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In the biblical context, the computation of time by days is a fundamental concept that appears throughout the Scriptures. The Bible often uses days as a basic unit of time to convey both literal and symbolic meanings. This entry explores the significance of days in the biblical narrative, their role in the creation account, and their use in various laws and prophetic literature.

Creation Account

The concept of days is introduced at the very beginning of the Bible in the creation account. Genesis 1 describes the creation of the world in six days, with God resting on the seventh day. Each day is marked by the phrase, "And there was evening, and there was morning," indicating a complete cycle of time. Genesis 1:5 states, "God called the light 'day,' and the darkness He called 'night.' And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day." This pattern continues through the six days of creation, establishing a rhythm and order to God's creative work.

Sabbath and Festivals

The computation of time by days is also central to the observance of the Sabbath and various festivals in the Jewish calendar. The Sabbath, observed on the seventh day, is a day of rest and worship, as commanded in Exodus 20:8-10 : "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God." This weekly cycle of work and rest underscores the importance of days in the rhythm of life and worship.

In addition to the weekly Sabbath, the Bible prescribes several annual festivals that are computed by specific days. For example, the Feast of Unleavened Bread begins on the fifteenth day of the first month (Leviticus 23:6), and the Day of Atonement is observed on the tenth day of the seventh month (Leviticus 23:27). These festivals are integral to the religious life of Israel and are marked by specific rituals and sacrifices.

Prophetic Literature

Days are also significant in the prophetic literature of the Bible, often used to symbolize periods of judgment or blessing. The prophet Daniel, for instance, receives visions that include specific time periods measured in days. Daniel 12:11-12 mentions, "From the time the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. Blessed is he who waits and reaches the end of the 1,335 days." These prophetic days are subject to various interpretations and are often seen as symbolic of future events.

New Testament Usage

In the New Testament, the computation of time by days continues to play a role in the narrative and teachings of Jesus. The resurrection of Jesus is said to occur "on the third day" (1 Corinthians 15:4), fulfilling the Scriptures and underscoring the significance of days in God's redemptive plan. Additionally, Jesus' reference to "three days and three nights" in the heart of the earth (Matthew 12:40) draws on the symbolic use of days to convey deeper theological truths.

Conclusion

Throughout the Bible, the computation of time by days serves as a foundational element in the narrative, law, and prophecy. Whether marking the rhythm of creation, the observance of sacred time, or the unfolding of divine plans, days are a crucial unit of time that reflects God's order and purpose in the world.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Genesis 8:3
And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Job 1:4
And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.
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Luke 11:3
Give us day by day our daily bread.
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Library

Whether Christ was in the Tomb Only one Day and Two Nights?
... I answer that, The very time during which Christ remained in the tomb shows forth
the effect of His ... "For as the primitive days were computed from light to ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether christ was in the.htm

Extracts from the Work on Things Created.
... all the days from our time to that which was in the beginning, in which God created
the heaven and the earth, are computed to be thirteen days; before which God ...
/.../methodius/the writings of methodius fragments/extracts from the work on.htm

The Disagreement in Asia.
... grown gradually into our Lent of forty days preceding Easter ... The time between Jesus'
death and his resurrection was very early computed as forty ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter xxiv the disagreement in asia.htm

Whether it was Fitting for Christ to Rise Again on the Third Day?
... to be done "at once" which is performed within a short space of time. ... that day draws
its origin from night: for, as the first days are computed from light ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether it was fitting for 8.htm

section iv.
... In that obscure World and Womb of our Mother, our time is short, computed by the
Moon, yet longer then the days of many creatures that behold the Sun; our ...
//christianbookshelf.org/browne/religio medici/section iv.htm

The Last Days of the Old Eastern World
... with a body of troops which tradition computed at 800,000 ... remains of which were shown
in the time of Herodotus ... beyond the Danube to a fifteen days' march; and ...
/.../chapter iithe last days of 2.htm

The Twofold Testimony of John - the First Sabbath of Jesus's ...
... on the Law in Messianic times, see Appendix XIV.: The Law in Messianic Days.'. ... 1688]
The common supposition is, that the time must be computed according to ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter iii the twofold testimony.htm

First Withdrawal from Herod's Territory and Return.
... This passover is computed to have ... spent; ^a and the time is already past [the time
to seek ... but, considering the purchasing power of money in those days, it was ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/lxiii first withdrawal from herods 2.htm

The Analogy Between the Two Advents of Christ.
... Tiber, there to starve out their few remaining days. ... of the entire civilized (?)
world were computed to have ... of the philosophers of that time calmly advocated ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/pink/the redeemers return/10 the analogy between the.htm

Of the Absence of all Discrepancies in the Narratives Constructed ...
... the whole, it remains for us to hold the time of the ... The third day, again, must be
computed from its first part ... Thus we shall get a space of three days, on the ...
/.../augustine/the harmony of the gospels/chapter xxiv of the absence of.htm