The Night is Cut Off as in Circumcision – Psalms 90:3-6
THE NIGHT IS CUT OFF
as in Circumcision
Psalms 90:3-6
At this time in earth’s history when the spurious Roman Gregorian calendar determines the rhythms of commerce for most of the world and when to assemble for corporate worship of the Creator, they have also defined that the “day” begins at midnight. An alternate view, but equally problematic is presented by the Yahudim (Jews), who declares that the “day” commences when the sun sets in the west. So with these two predominant views in hand, what does Scripture have to say on this important subject? Both the Romans and the modern Yahudim (Jews) can’t be right, but can they both be wrong?
In this short interlinear Hebrew word study, definitive evidence is found that demonstrates sunrise marks the commencement of each day. Mankind arises from sleep at the beginning of the day like herbs that spring up and sparkle in renewal. At that very moment, the night is cut off as in circumcision by the razor-sharp knife of the radiant sunrise. This illustrates that the 24-hour day/night cycle terminates when the night has ended. The details discovered in this portion of Scripture make it impossible for the night to be the start of a new day, whether at sunset, midnight, dawn, or dusk.
The Moment at Which Yesterday Ended
Verse 3 begins with a call for mortal man to turn from his path of destruction and be restored to their Almighty loving Father above.
An important comparison is made in verse 4 that appears to have gone unnoticed. This may be the case simply because the modern Roman time-keeping, kept the world over, declares that each new day begins at midnight. Similarly, the Jews have led the way, with many willing Saturday Sabbatarians to overlook this point as they traditionally believe and teach that each new calendar date begins at sunset and ends the following sunset. But the challenge in this study is— what does Scripture really teach? Upon what units of time measurement lies Scripture’s weight of evidence?
These verses identify through this comparison that a thousand years resemble days of yesterday when they are passed, just as the watches in the night are as
yesterday when they are passed. It appears that it was a common understanding at the time King David wrote this Psalm that the new day began when the night watches had ended. This is the precise moment that the first rays of sunshine spread out over the land and make crisp clean shadows on a sundial.
The night watches commence with the setting sun along with the appearance of the first stars in the sky, which include the bright planets of Venus, Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter. The night watches end at the first visible rays of sunrise, at which time the stars utterly disappear. According to verse 4, the night watches belong to yesterday at the moment the sun rises on the eastern horizon proclaiming a brand new day. Refer to the article, Visible Stars Define the Parameters of Day and Night.
Continuing in verse 4, the day, as well as a lunar calendar date, begin at the moment of sunrise. This is because the four watches of the night include the morning and evening twilight as well as the darkest portions of the night. Therefore, the night that is divided into four watches belongs to the second half of a lunar calendar date and has no communion with any portion of the day from sunrise to sunset. This text is clarifying, as no other single text in Scripture does, that at the termination of the four night-watches a brand new day begins. In this way, this text proactively declares that the divinely ordained divisions of lunar calendar dates occur at sunrise, in contrast to Roman midnight, Jewish sunset, or even the modern view of dawn. Refer to the article, Sunrise or Sunset, When Does a Day Begin.
Now tying verse 4 to verse 3, the meaning becomes full of life. Here we find that the divine call to mankind to be restored to their maker, is proactively connected to His preordained and appointed divisions of time, and this verse specifically targets the commencement and termination of each calendar date, as well as the twelve-hour day.
The Day Likened to a Thousand Years
Verse 4 also indicates that “a thousand revolutions of time,” also known as (prophetic) years, is a symbolic day consisting of a thousand years. Seven of these establish the prophetic seven thousand year week. So it is that the days of the week are perpetual reminders that sin, suffering, sorrow, and death will not exceed seven thousand years. This concept is also supported by 2 Peter 3:8:
But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with Yahuah one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 2 Peter 3:8 NKJV
From the fall of man, the divinely ordained plan of salvation was that six days, consisting of one thousand years each, were allotted for the children of Adam for putting away sin. Then Yahusha, our Savior’s magnificent return was scheduled to occur at the commencement of the last day, the seventh, the one thousand years, which is otherwise known as the one thousand year Sabbath rest.
Morning is Renewed and the Night is Cut Off
Verse 5 touches on a fact of life for mankind, that although in the night they are “carried away in a flood of sleep,” they shall arise at the commencement of the new day, like the herbs of the field that spring up in the sunlight. This means that while asleep and unaware, the four portions of the darkness of night simply vanish and wither away. In detail, this verse goes on to explain that the sun rises at the “beginning” or break
of day, showing that the “day” begins and is manifest by the shining sun.
Even the sunflowers of the field know when the day begins and ends. Each day the sunflower heads follow the sun from the eastern to the western horizon, as this is the only portion of the sky for which the sun rules. As the sun arises the sunflowers turn their heads to greet it and follow it until sunset. It takes a few minutes for them to turn themselves around as the radiant beams of the morning light beckon them. Every sunflower in the field bears witness that the night was sharply cut off, both at sunset and at sunrise. The sunflowers have no communion with the night but await the sun’s return each morning as shown above.
Most profound of all these verses is the emphasis and contrast of verse 6, “In the morning sunrise, they shall flourish and sparkle, and grow in renewal, FOR THE NIGHT SHALL BE CUT OFF AS IN CIRCUMCISION, and wither away.” Here the morning is defined by renewal and the night as being cut off as in circumcision and withers away into nothingness.
Circumcision, as we know it, was always to be accomplished with the very sharpest knife, so as not to leave any ragged edges and aid in healing. The same is declared in Verse 6 with regards to the circumcision of the night. But what is the razor-sharp knife that circumcises the night? The cutting instrument is none other than the pure LIGHT of the sun’s brilliant rays. Thus the change from night to day is both visible and instantaneous.
- Yesterday is equated with the night watches at the moment of sunrise.
- Sunrise is synonymous with renewal and marks the beginning of the new day.
- At the moment of sunrise, the night is cut-off as in circumcision with the sharp knife of the suns first visible rays.
Each one of the above themes could carry the day if it had to stand alone to testify. However, they are not alone, and together their value is exponentially greater. There is only one way to interpret these principles, for they are borne on the signature of the Creator, Himself. So it is that sunrise unmistakably heralds the day. The sun rules the sky for 12 hours by day and ends precisely at sunset.
Yahusha [the Messiah] answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. John 11:9
The night unambiguously begins at sunset and is cut off at the precise moment of sunrise. A civil calendar date cycle is 24 hours in length and includes both the day and the night, which commences at sunrise and is cut off at sunrise. Each sunrise proclaims with the enthusiastic zeal of the marvelous LIGHT that a brand new day has begun. It also symbolizes the wondrous LIGHT OF TRUTH. LIGHT is the sign of all creative and regenerative power unto salvation.
So, why does Genesis 1 appear to teach that the day begins at sunset? For the answer to this refer to Scripture study, When the Day Begins – Genesis 1:1-5. Also refer to, Sunrise or Sunset.
In Conclusion
To the remnant of the last days, the divine call is given: “Mortal mankind will you turn away from eternal destruction, and will you answer the call to restore the children of Adam?” The Creator is calling to all the children of Adam to be restored to His original units of time, declaring that “Babylon is fallen . . .” and to “Come out of her My people . . .” This call profoundly includes a full and complete abandonment of false calendation and time-keeping found on the wall calendars and clocks in every home. Instead, we are to look to the celestial bodies revolving in the shamayim above, in order that each may walk in the wondrous LIGHT of His pure and sanctified truth. Scripture states that those who are victorious over the beast will be those who “follow the Lamb whithersoever He goes.” But what does this really mean? Is it not true that to trust and obediently follow, one must be in sync with the rhythms of the shamayim (sun, moon, and stars for time-keeping), that are born out in the Sanctuary/Temple services of earth, of which the lamb was the central focus? The daily morning and evening sacrifices, New Moon and Sabbath sacrifices, together with each of the sacred appointed Feast Days, were all pivotally designed to be in harmony with the threefold time-piece displayed in the shamayim. Could it be that it is only in being in sync with these revolving celestial bodies in the shamayim that the true divinely ordained calendation and its Sabbaths can be kept correctly?
Every aspect of the Messiah’s ministry on mankind’s behalf is defined by TIME, as given in Leviticus 23. Each are time-centric to His ministry first on earth and then in the shamayim on behalf of our soul temples. The entire universe is united with the rhythm of the sun, moon, and stars as celestial time pre-existed earth, together proclaiming the grand and marvelous work of saving and restoring to righteousness, each willing child of Adam back to the Creator’s original plan.
Is it any surprise that when the day begins matters immensely to our Creator? The mere fact that all time units have been turned upside down should be enough to recognize the persistent undermining work of the prince of darkness. For if TIME was of no significance to the Creator and His true obedient followers, the enemy of souls would have no purpose in changing it.
Would you like to be counted among the restored and redeemed ones? Would you like to live in the Creator’s presence during the one thousand-year Sabbath, which marks the end of sin, suffering, and death, and then for all eternity? Your Messiah who died for you has officially invited you.
For more studies on this subject:
A Day in Genesis – (Genesis 1:1-5)
Sunrise or Sunset, When Does a Day Begin?
Three Months in a Row – Part 2 – The Manna Feeding Schedule
Visible Stars Define the Parameters of Day and Night