Our Father's Solar Hour, the Division of the Day

The sun dial above represents our understanding of how the Hebrew-Israelite division of the day was divided into hours. During the time the New Testament was written there were at least two different methods for telling time; the Hebrew sundial and the Roman sundial which is the time we use now.  Below are the verses in the New Testament that tell us how they told the time by the sun.

Jesus confirms there are twelve hours in a day:

““Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day?” Jesus answered.” KJV John 11:9

This event happened in at 9:00 a.m. our time and the third hour of the Hebrew sun dial:

“For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.” KJV Acts 2:15

I inserted our time into the verses below.  These verses confirm how the Hebrew sun dial worked.

“And he went out about the third hour [9:00 a.m.], and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth [noon, 12] and ninth hour [3:00 p.m.], and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour [5:00 p.m.]he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?” Matthew 20:3-6

John tells that at 6:00 a.m. Roman hours and Hebrew hour 0, they took Jesus away to be crucified.  They considered the day time hours of Passover to be preparation day for the evening Passover meal.

“And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews [sic Judeans], Behold your King! But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him.” KJV John 19:14-15

Matthew tells us that Jesus said his last word about 3:00 p.m. our time.  He would have died shortly after that however we are not told the exact time. This occurred on Passover, April 3rd, 33 A.D.

“Now from the sixth hour (noon) there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour (3:00pm). And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” KJV Matthew 27:45

Based on this evidence we can determine that Hour 0 was at 6:00 a.m. in the morning at sunrise on the spring and fall equinoxes. The end of their work day was at Hour 12 in the evening which is 6:00 p.m. our time.

To learn more about Our Father's Solar Calendar, click here.