Italy’s Ten Day Work Week

During the French Revolution an attempt was made to get entirely from away from the Christian religion. In order to do so the week of seven days was officially abolished and a period of ten days instituted in its place. This ten-day cycle, however, did not fit with man, beast, or the material world itself, and soon was given up.

It seemed that even the horses in the streets broke down during this sort of regime. Neither could the people stand it. One skeptical writer was so impressed that he said that it was easier to believe that Moses was inspired by some super natural revelation than to adopt the week of seven days than to believe that he just happened upon it by chance. “In fact,” said this writer, “it would be as easy to believe that Moses came upon this great principle of six days of labor and one of rest by chance, as it would be to believe that the Iliad (Greek Philosophy) was written by a hog scribbling with its snout.”

This may seem a strange way to put it, but the skeptic wrote, I am inclined to agree with him. H. L. Hastings drew attention to the fact that some fevers for instance, typhoid run 7-14- 21-28 days changing every seventh day, as do other diseases that result for physical exhaustion.

Many believe that man is built on a seven day plan and, therefore, needs a weekly rest day, just as an eight-day clock needs to be wound up every week. It seems there is a law of sevens inwrought in our nature, as well as revealed in the fourth commandment. Just think of it! One who has lived a full seven years has had a full year of Sabbaths!

At age 21, he has had three years of Sabbath’s for his spiritual improvement. At 35, he has had five years of Sabbath’s. At age 70, he has had ten whole years of Sabbath’s.