How do we know we are keeping the Sabbath on the right day nowadays?
Is there any way to check back in history if the seventh-day weekly cycle that started in the Garden of Eden is the same weekly cycle today? (Genesis 2:2-3)
Rumours are going around saying the Sabbath cannot be kept today on the correct day! They claim it is because of the change that took place in the calendar a long time ago!
To be more precise, in 4th October 1582, Pope Gregory XIII changed the calendar to be in closer alignment with the solar system. This change is known as the change from the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar!
Thursday, the 4th of October 1582, was followed by Friday 15th, 1582 instead of the 5th of October!
This had nothing to do with the change of the weekly cycle though, therefore the Sabbath day (the seventh day of the week) was not affected! Let’s explore more details together and clear up the misunderstanding!
Also see “Who Changed the Sabbath Day to Sunday?”
What is the Gregorian Calendar?
The Gregorian Calendar is the new calendar that was changed by Pope Gregory XIII on the 4th of October 1582. The change was made to align with the solar system!
Before 1582, there was a different calendar called the Julian calendar, named after the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar! This one supposedly was out of harmony with the solar system! To be more precise, it was 10 days in misalignment with the solar system!
What did the Gregorian Calendar Change?
The Gregorian Calendar issued by Pope Gregory XIII simply took 10 days out of October in 1582!
Thursday, the 4th of October 1582 was followed by Friday – the 15th of October 1582.
So, instead of Friday, the 5th of October, it changed to Friday, the 15th of October!
Did the Gregorian Calendar change the Sabbath?
As we can see, there was a change in the days of the month, but not on the weekly cycle!
Friday was and is still followed by Saturday, the seventh day of the week! Tuesday was and is still followed by Wednesday and so on!
Despite rumours going around that the Sabbath got changed as well during this period, it is simply not true! This change of the calendar made by Pope Gregory did not affect in any way the weekly cycle!
The Sabbath still is and always will be on the seventh day of the week also known as Saturday!
Quotes on the Gregorian Calendar Change and the Weekly Cycle
“There has been no change in our calendar in past centuries that has affected in any way the cycle of the week.” – James Robertson, Director American Ephemeris, Navy Department, U.S Naval Observatory
“By calculating the eclipses, it can be proven that no time has been lost and the creation days were seven, divided into 24 hours each.”—Dr. Hinkley, The Watchman, July 1926 [Hinkley was a well-known astronomer].
“The human race never lost the septenary [seven day] sequence of weekdays and that the Sabbath of these latter times comes down to us from Adam, through the ages, without a single lapse.”—Dr. Totten, professor of astronomy at Yale University.
“Seven has been the ancient and honored number among the nations of the earth. They have measured their time by weeks from the beginning. The origin of this was the Sabbath of God, as Moses has given the reasons for it in his writings.”—Dr. Lyman Coleman.
“It can be said with assurance that not a day has been lost since Creation, and all the calendar changes notwithstanding, there has been no break in the weekly cycle.”—Dr. Frank Jeffries, Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and Research Director of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, England.
Conclusion
To conclude, the changing of the calendar by Pope Gregory XIII does not affect in any way or form the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week!
The only thing that changed in 1582 was the transition from Thursday 4th of October to Friday, the 15th of October 1582! The weekly cycle was not affected at all because it does not depend on the lunar and solar systems.
God made the Sabbath after the six literal creation days, and since then it is still on the seventh day of the week known as Saturday!
There is no need to worry that we are worshipping somehow on the wrong day! God can protect the weekly cycle to not disturb the Sabbath rest!
FAQ
When did we switch to the Gregorian calendar?
The switch to the Gregorian calendar started in October 1582, yet, not all the countries made the change at that time. Spain, Portugal, and Italy went along with the change in this period!
According to historian records, part of Germany made the change in 1583 and the rest of the nation much later – in 1700.
Around that period, other countries also made the transition – the Netherlands, Sweden, and Denmark.
In 1752, England and the American colonies finally made the change too!
What calendar did Jesus use?
The Julian Calendar was active during the period when Jesus walked and lived on this Earth! It was introduced in 46 BC by the Emperor of Rome at that time – Julius Caesar.
References
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCtrXcqBzpM – The Sabbath and the Gregorian Calendar Change! | 9 mins. | Pr. Michael Pedrin
https://www.bible-sabbath.com/Sabbath-Sunday/THE%20WEEKLY%20CYCLE%20HAS%20NEVER%20CHANGED.pdf
https://innowiki.org/gregorian-calendar/
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