THE WEEKLY CYCLE HAS NEVER CHANGED —2
Evidence From the Calendar
The
Julian calendar was in use when Jesus Christ was upon the earth. Its
originator, Julius Caesar, died 44 years before Christ was born. This
calendar which continued in use for fifteen centuries was not accurate
in the length of its year, for it was 11 minutes, 14 seconds too long.
What was needed was our method of "leap years." By 1582 the vernal
equinox of March 21 had receded to March 11, making it ten days off
schedule.
A
change was recommended by astronomers and made at the time that Gregory
XIII was the pope, and so the corrected calendar with its "leap year"
was called the Gregorian calendar. It began to function on Friday, the
5th of October, 1582. Friday the 5th was changed to Friday the 15th. So
that particular month was ten days shorter, but the length of its weeks
was not affected. This is due to the simple fact that the number of days
in the month or in the year has nothing to do with the number of days in
the week. Thus the weekly cycle was not affected in any way.
In the following diagram is the calendar change that took place in October, 1582.
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In October 1582, Portugal, Spain and Italy began the use of this new
calendar which included leap years.
This meant that for these three nations of Europe, the year 1582 was
ten days shorter than the calendar of the other nations of Europe. But all during this year, and in the years before and afterward, the weekly cycle never changed as nation afer nation gradually changed over to the new calendar. |
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In September 1752, England finally made the change-over to the new
leap year calendar.
This meant that for this important nation of Europe, the year 1752
was eleven days shorter than the calendar of the other nations. But all during this year, and in the years before and afterward, the weekly cycle never changed as nation after nation gradually changed over to the new calendar. |
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Between 1582 and 1752 and down to 1919, all the nations of Europe
gradually changed to the new calendar. But all during these 337
years, everyone had the very same days of the week. |
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The inhabitants of Spain who retired to sleep on Thursday, October 4,
awoke the next morning on Friday, the 15th. Some nations began the use
of the new calendar at once. This included Spain, Portugal and Italy.
Part of Germany made the changover in 1583 and the rest of the nation
waited until 1700. About that time the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark
also accepted it. And then, finally, in 1752, England and the American
colonies made the changeover. But all during those years with mixed-up
calendars, everyone was on the same weekly cycle. For, as you will see
from the calendars we have included, the weekly cycle was not changed.
By the time England made the changover to the new calendar, eleven days
had to be changed instead of ten. Wednesday, September 2 was followed by
Thursday, September 14. Russia and Greece continued to use the old-style
calendar, the Julian Calendar, for over a hundred and fifty more years!
Finally, in 1917 (Turkey), 1918 (Russia), 1919 (Serbia), and 1923
(Greece), the last modern nations had adopted it! 341 years had elapsed
since the changeover began.
For 337 years the calendars of Europe were all mixed up, and the dates
of the months varied from country to country. But all during that time
the days of the week were alike, for they had not changed. When it was
Monday in Russia it was Monday in Germany, England and Italy, although
they were all living under different calendars. When the 20th Century
began, Sabbath in Russia was the same as Sabbath in England, although
the dates were fourteen days apart.
The Encyclopedia Britannica calls it the "unalterable uniformity of the
week," for the Weekly Cycle has never been affected by calendar changes.
And because of this, the seven-day week, given by God to mankind at the Creation of the world, has never been touched by the calendar changes down through the centuries.