The 7th Day Sabbath and the Gregorian Calendar Change

There are many professed Christians today who reject Saturday as being the 7th day Sabbath, simply because of the change that was made in the calendar by Pope Gregory. It is true that the calendar we use today is known as the 'Gregorian' calendar, due to a change instigated by Pope Gregory in 1582. This change was made due to the 'inaccuracy' of the previous calendar established by Julius Caesar. It is stated by many professed Christians today that we do not know which day the original 7th day of the week from the Bible is. But on this page we will show proof that our Saturday today is the 7th day of the week from Bible times.

The issue with the Julian calendar is that it added a leap day every 4 years, without exception, and this resulted in adding too many days than is required for an accurate solar calendar. The Julian calendar had commenced the 1st of January of the 46th year before the birth of Christ (the 708th from the foundation of Rome). At that time the Spring equinox fell on March 25th, but because of the Julian calendar's inaccuracy, it had gradually drifted earlier over the years to March 10th or 11th by 1582. This error was important to the Catholic church, because under the solar Julian calendar, the date of Easter (probably the most important date to the Catholic church), was gradually creeping farther and farther (earlier and earlier) away from the time of year set by the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D., when the equinox fell about March 21st. Easter was then to be observed by Roman Catholics on the first Sunday after the full moon occurring after the Spring equinox, except when that coincided with the Jewish Passover, in which case Easter was delayed to the following Sunday.

To correct this perceived Easter problem, Pope Gregory XIII returned the Spring equinox to March 21st by decreeing that Thursday, October 4th, 1582, would be followed not by the 5th, but by Friday, October 15th. He jumped the calendar 10 days numerically. But what is important to realize is that he did not change the weekly cycle of days.

You can see a translation of Pope Gregory's 'Inter Gravissimas' Papal Bull HERE - showing that Thursday 4th was followed by Friday 15th, with no change to the weekly cycle.

So that this correction would be maintained, the Pope then decreed that leap years would occur only when the year was divisible by four, and only the centennial years that were divisible by 400 would be leap years. During a leap year, one day is added to the month of February (the 29th), as a correction. This method of calendar keeping was gradually adopted across Europe, and the world, and is nearly universal today.

England did not adopt the Gregorian calendar until 1752. By that time, eleven days had been gained, so Wednesday September 2, was followed by Thursday September 14. The eleven days were skipped, but the weekly cycle of days, Sunday through Saturday, remained unchanged throughout the Middle Ages.

Not only do we have proof from the translated Paper Bull issued by Pope Gregory, we also have documented letters from the United States Naval Observatory in Washington DC and the Royal Greenwich Observatory in London, after inquiries were made in 1932. Take a look at what those letters state:

"I can only state that in connection with the proposed simplification of the calendar, we have had occasion to investigate the results of the works of specialists in chronology and we have never found one of them that has ever had the slightest doubt about the continuity of the weekly cycle since long before the Christian era." (James Robertson, Director, US Naval Observatory, Washington DC, March 12, 1932 - SOURCE)

Let me just repeat that so you don't miss it - "we have never found one of them that has ever had the slightest doubt about the continuity of the weekly cycle since long before the Christian era." - Not the SLIGHTEST doubt!

"As far as I know, in the various changes of the calendar there has been no change in the seven day rota of the week, which has come down from very early times. There have been attempts in the French revolution and in Russia to alter this cycle." (Astronomer Royal, Greenwich Royal Observatory, London, 4th March, 1932 - SOURCE)

Where did the 7 day weekly cycle come from according to the above letter? From "very early times." Which as we know is from Bible times, even from the creation week of Genesis. If you continue to read the letter from Greenwich Observatory, you will see they state there is evidence that 7 day weekly cycle is independent from from the monthly cycle and from all astronomical periods, and that it passed from the Jewish church to the Christian. What does this also prove? That the Sabbath is NOT based on the lunar cycle, showing the lunar Sabbath theory to be false. See our page EXPOSING THE LUNAR SABBATH for more. Not only that, did you notice the letter said the French revolution and Russia tried to change the weekly cycle? Satan has tried but FAILED, because God has preserved His holy Sabbath day.

Sunday keeping Christians are quick enough to say that Sunday (1st day of the week) is the day Jesus was resurrected. Which makes Saturday the 7th day of the week. But then they proclaim that we do not know which day the 7th day is. Well, you don't know which day the 1st day is either then - the day in which Jesus Christ rose from the dead. This is the utter confusion that reigns in the fallen churches, known as 'Babylon' (confusion).

The Jews have faithfully kept the 7th day Sabbath for thousands of years and today they keep sundown Friday to sundown Saturday - the 7th day of the week - the day that God specifically set aside for rest and holy use at creation and confirmed in His ten commandments. But now I hear another statement from professed Christians ... "It doesn't matter which day you keep as Sabbath."

IT DOESN'T MATTER WHICH DAY YOU KEEP?

Have you heard this statement before? Or do you believe this statement to be true? So many professed Christians today believe that it matters not which day of the week you keep as the Sabbath day. Let me respond to this by sharing an event from the Bible:

2 Kings 5:10,14 ... 'And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean ... Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.'

This is the event of Naaman and his leprosy. Now if you read the entire account, you will see that Naaman was not happy about washing in the river Jordan. Instead he inquired about going to wash in the rivers of Damascus (vs.12), saying "may I not wash in them and be clean?" Now I ask you, what if Naaman had gone and washed himself seven times in one of the rivers of Damascus instead of the Jordan? I mean, what does it matter WHICH river? Surely the rivers of Damascus were cleaner, and deeper, and more convenient for Naaman. But, would Naaman have been healed of his leprosy by dipping himself seven times in the Abana or Pharpar rivers in Damascus? Is there anyone who would like to say he would have been healed by going to any other river than the Jordan?

Let me ask again - Is there anyone who would DARE to say that Naaman would have been healed by choosing a different river to that which God had specifically commanded through Elisha?

What was the test? Will Naaman simply accept God's Word by faith, doing as Jehovah commanded through Elisha and be healed, even though it may be an 'inconvenience'? Or will he choose HIS OWN way? I will say what hopefully everyone would agree with, and that is Naaman would NOT have been healed of his leprosy if he chose a different river to that which God had commanded. And why is that? Because healing NEVER comes from disobeying God's specific commands. There is no cleansing in disobedience to God's specific Word. With this in mind, God has designated the seventh day as His holy Sabbath, which evidence shows is our Saturday today. Will you BY FAITH accept God's specific Word concerning the Sabbath? Or will you, like Naaman, before his servant showed him the truth, try and find your OWN WAY, by choosing YOUR OWN day for healing? Remember, healing will NEVER come through disobedience.

James 1:21-22 ...'Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.'