How can I know for sure that sundown "Friday night" to sundown "Saturday night" is the Sabbath? I know that according to our Roman calendar, Saturday is the seventh day, but what about the Hebrew calendar? Is it possible that the 7th day could actually be some other day of the week?
ANSWER:
As far as can be shown by today's standards of time, nearly all the world admits that SUNday is the "first day of the week". Likewise, the world's Israelite Jews, Messianics, Adventists, etc. as a whole acknowledge "Saturday" as the seventh day. So by using the Roman calendar system, it seems as though nearly all the world is in agreement as to the first day and the seventh day and all the days in between.
While mankind has strayed, and much of the world keeps SUNday, the message of Yahweh's true Sabbath is revealed in the names that over a hundred languages, countries, and cultures, all the way from Africa to Eastern Russia, have used to designate the real seventh day of the week corresponding to "saturday". Following is some of the documentation, collected by William Jones:
Ancient Syriac: shab-ba-tho ("Sabbath")
Chaldee Syriac (Kurdistan and Urumia, Persia): shaptu ("Sabbath")
Arabic (western Asia, northern and western Africa): as-sabt ("the Sabbath")
Arabic (ancient): shi-yar ("chief or rejoicing day")
Samaritan (Nablus, Palestine): shab-bath ("Sabbath")
Falashas (Abyssinia): yini sanbat ("the Sabbath")
Maltese (Malta): is-sibt ("the Sabbath")
Ethiopic (Abyssinia): san-bat ("Sabbath")
Coptic (Egypt): pi sabbaton ("the Sabbath")
Tamashek (Atlas mountains, Africa): a-hal es-sabt ("the Sabbath")
Kabyle (North Africa, Ancient Numidan): ghas assebt ("the Sabbath day")
Hausa (Central Africa): assebatu ("the Sabbath)
Hindustani (Muhammadan and Hindu, India): shamba ("Sabbath")
Pasto (Afghanistan): shamba ("Sabbath")
Pahlivi (ancient Persian): shambid ("pleasantest day of the week")
Persian (Persia): shambah ("Sabbath")
Armenian (Armenia): shapat ("Sabbath")
Kurdish (Kurdistan): shamba ("Sabbath")
Brdhuiky (Beluchistan): shembe ("Sabbath")
Georgian (Caucasus): shabati ("Sabbath")
Suanian (Caucasus): sammtyn ("Sabbath")
Ingoush (Caucasus): shatt ("Sabbath")
Malayan (Malaya, Sumatra): hari sabtu ("day Sabbath")
Javanese (Java): saptoe or saptu ("Sabbath")
Dayak (Borneo): sabtu ("Sabbath")
Makassar (southern Celebes and Salayer islands): sattu ("Sabbath")
Malagassy (Madagascar): alsabotsy ("the Sabbath")
Swahili (east equatorial Africa): as-sabt ("the Sabbath")
Mandingo (west Africa, south of Senegal): sibiti ("the Sabbath")
Teda (central Africa): essebdu ("the Sabbath")
Bornu (central Africa): sibda ("Sabbath")
Fulfulde (central Africa): assebdu ("the Sabbath")
Logone (central Africa): se-sibde ("the Sabbath")
Bagrimma (central Africa): sibbedi ("the Sabbath")
Maba (central Africa): sab ("Sabbath")
Permian (Russian): subota ("Sabbath")
Votiak (Russian): subbota ("Sabbath")
Kazani-Tartar (east Russia): subbota ("Sabbath")
Osmanlian (Turkey): yom-es-sabt ("day of the Sabbath")
Orma (south of Abyssiania): zam-ba-da ("Sabbath")
Congo (west equatorial Africa): sabbado or Kiansbula ("Sabbath")
Wolof (Senegambia, west Africa): alere-asser ("last day Sabbath")
D'oc. French (ancient and modern): dissata ("day Sabbath")
French (France): samedi ("Sabbath day")
Latin (Italy): sabbatum ("Sabbath")
Italian (Italy): sabato, sabbato ("Sabbath")
Spanish (Spain): sabado ("Sabbath")
Portuguese (Portugal): sabbado ("Sabbath")
Roman (Spain, Catalonia): dissapte ("day Sabbath")
How we can be sure that Yahshua observed the Sabbath on the seventh day according to the Roman calendar? We know that the Jews observe Sabbath on the seventh day according to Roman time, the only difference being that they observe it from sundown to sundown rather than midnight to midnight. The Apostolic Scriptures record Yahshua going into the synogogue on "the Sabbath day" as the Jews were assembled, and likewise the apostles doing so. Scripture never calls it "the Jews' Sabbath". Yahshua did have some calendar differences with the Jews. This is the reason for certain wording such as "the Jews' Passover". (See John 2:13; 11:55.) But the day that the Jews gathered in the synogogue (Saturday, Roman time) is always simply called "the Sabbath".
Time has not been lost, as some claim, only to create doubt in our minds. Otherwise, we all would be lost with the time question, not just the Scriptural Sabbath keepers.
In summary, here are a few things to consider.
1. What day is universally acknowledged as the first day of the week?
2. What day is universally acknowledged as the seventh day of the week?
3. What day do the Jews keep as the Sabbath?
4. Did Yahshua worship in the synagogue with the Jews?
5. How do the apostles refer to the day that the Jews (and Yahshua) rested on?
For further study on the entire calendar check out Quest For The Calendar.