Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

From what I have read, although multiple cultures (such as Persia, Greece, India, China, and Babylon) in ancient times adopted or observed a calendar based (in their cases) on the length of time between each phase of the moon (new moon, waxing half-moon, full moon, and waning half-moon), which approximates one week in each instance, the practice of a specific seven-day week (which does not coincide exactly with the moon's phases) apparently originated with Israel, based on the creation account contained in Genesis, and not associated with any specific astronomical event.

May 09 2019 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

John Appelt

The seven-day week is an unnatural division of time. The day is figured by the rotation of the earth, the month by the phases of the moon, and the year by the cycle of the sun, but the week has no celestial phenomena to regulate it. Furthermore, it does not divide evenly into any month or year division. The 28 days of the phases of the moon does not equal four weeks. The only plausible explanation is the divine record, Genesis 2:2-3. 

Amazingly, the seven-day observance is observed worldwide. In his book, “The Gospel in the Stars,” Joseph A. Seiss observed:

“We find among all the ancient nations — Chaldeans, Persians, Hindoos, Chinese, and Egyptians that the seven days of the week were in universal use; and what is far more remarkable, each of these nations named the days of the week, as we still do, after the seven planets, numbering the Sun and Moon among them. Hence, we say Sun-day, Moon-day, Tuisco or Tuves’-day (Tuisco being the Anglo-Saxon name for Mars), Woden’s-day (Woden being the same as Mercury), Thor’s-day (Thor being the same as Jupiter), Friga-day (Frega or Freiya being the same as Venus), and lastly, Saturn-day, anciently the most sacred of the seven.”

He further noted that “The order is not that of the distance, velocity, or brilliancy of the orbs named…” Yet, the same order, however random these seven objects are, is the same in every ancient culture from very early times. 

A survey of the names of the days of the week in many different languages, reveals the exact same order. Some more modern lists of days may differ with Saturday being changed to ‘Sabbath,’ likely due to Jewish influence, and Sunday being called ‘the Lord’s Day’ due to Christian influence. In like manner, customs and local practices in some countries may have changed the labeling of other days, but for the most part they follow the order:
sun – moon – Mars – Mercury – Jupiter – Venus – Saturn 

But the question is why are the planets in this order? Joseph Seiss believed this was the order or line up of these heavenly objects in relationship to the constellations at the time of creation. So, the names of the days of the week are not an invention of astrologers, and furthermore, it has nothing to do with mythology, Babylonian or Chaldean influences, or Roman deities. 

The observance of the seven-day week by most cultures gives credence to the Scriptural record that God created all things in six literal 24-hour days, and rested on the seventh day, Exodus 20:11.

February 20 2022 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report