The Day of Atonement begins the evening of the 9th and goes to the evening of the 10th of the 7th month. Most would agree with this but the question is, when does the timing fall according to the pagan calendar? By our reckoning, this would be 10/5/2011 to 10/6/2011. We are questioning if we are not a day late. We do not seem to feel that we are early and this is for a lot of reasons. We are going to chart the moon closely and see how the month ends up working itself out.
I will admit, this is the one Shabbat that seems to make sense running from evening to evening. I ponder if the definition in Scripture is for the exception of this one day and not for the rule as most would contend. It just does not seem to indicate that this is for all days, even in the Hebrew.
I remember during a Shabbat service this past year a question being raised about the reckoning of the day and the passage in Leviticus 23:32 was used to apply to all days. It was then that I realized that I think this passage is speaking of an exception, not the rule. If you notice every other moed listed in Leviticus 23 does not mention “evening to evening”. While Passover is to begin at twilight (or evening), this is generally understood to be a sacrifice, not an “appointed time”. It’s not a holy convocation or treated as a sabbath.
In all the references to remember the Sabbath day throughout Scripture, there is never mention of evening to evening. The only reference is this verse and it specifically addresses a particular day of the month (directly, the 9th day; indirectly, of the seventh month).
If this is the only mention, then it seems more reasonable to me that this is an exception and not a rule.
As for which day on the pagan calendar the Day of Atonement falls, it’s hard to know when we haven’t been paying attention to the reckoning of months all year. We’re paying attention now.
I don’t think Lev 23:32 is saying that *the Day of Atonement* lasts from the evening of the ninth to the following evening, but rather this is when we are to *humble/afflict our souls*. The day that atonement is being made for Israel happens in the *day* as opposed to the *night*, and that clearly takes place on the 10th day according to Lev 16.
(Lev 23:32 Brenton) It shall be a holy sabbath to you; **and ye shall humble your souls, from the ninth day of the month: from evening to evening** ye shall keep your sabbaths.