Episode Overview

Podcast: The Bright Lion Podcast
Host: SSG Bright
Episode: 10 — "The Sabbath: Remember the Sabbath"
Date: July 19, 2025

This episode dives deep into the biblical, historical, and spiritual significance of the Sabbath. SSG Bright challenges listeners to carefully examine the foundations for Sabbath observance, questioning commonly held beliefs about the day’s timing, origin, and practice according to scripture, archaeology, and intent of the heart. With references across ancient calendars and scriptural laws, the purpose is to inspire thoughtful, courageous, and faithful Sabbath keeping.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Spiritual Reflection & Setting the Tone

• Opening Prayer & Purpose
  SSG Bright starts with heartfelt praise and prayer, asking for wisdom, spiritual vision, and discipline.
  "Our God that can keep our mind from not wandering into distractions that waste precious time and energy... Fill our minds with expectation. Give us X-ray vision for our adversaries." [01:19]

The Biblical Foundation of Sabbath & Calendrical Observance

• Scriptural References on the Moon and Sabbath

  • Explores Sirach 43:6-7 (GNT & KJV) and how the moon marks the passage of time and determines holy days, suggesting biblical feasts (and Sabbaths) are set by lunar cycles, not man-made calendars.
    “From the moon is how you get the feast days. I like that. Decreases in her perfection. Perfection means complete. The moon has a cycle… It first has to start dark and then end dark. If you start in dark, it’s a new moon.” [03:10]

  • Emphasizes that accurate Sabbath keeping must not be rooted in comfort or convenience, but in scriptural truth.

The Law, Commandments, and How We Define “Right”

• Law as the Standard
  • Cites Romans 7:12:
    “Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.” [04:38]
  • Establishes that breaking the law, including Sabbath law, is defined as wrong within this framework, even predating Mosaic law (Genesis 1:14 reference).

Challenging the Conventional Gregorian-Based Sabbath

• Issues with Modern (Gregorian) Calendars

  • Questions the reliability of modern calendars (e.g., Saturday = Sabbath), noting variations worldwide and their roots in Roman/colonial timekeeping.
    “Now, according to the calendar, what day of the week is Saturday on? ...the seventh day is Saturday. Very compelling. Now let’s go to China and see if Saturday is the seventh day there. Oh, Saturday is the sixth day in China. Wonder why...” [06:21]

• Archaeological Evidence: The Stick Calendar

  • Discusses a stick calendar (79–81 AD), illustrating that in Roman times, Saturday (the day of Saturn) was actually the first day of the week, not the seventh.
    “If Saturday is the seventh day, while back in, in 79 and 81 AD, this doggone day was the first day of the week… So what does this prove that you can’t, with all due respect, believe in a weekly uninterrupted cycle since the beginning of time.” [08:52]

• Key takeaway: The biblical Sabbath cannot be accurately pinned to our modern Saturday using the Julian or Gregorian calendars.

Ancient Transitional Days and Calendrical Adjustments

• Transitional Days and Leaps

  • Explains the need for periodic adjustments (e.g., “second Adar” or 13th month) in ancient and even modern lunar calendars to align feasts/seasons.
    "This is called calendrical science... If you do not add that 13 months within the years of the Jubilee, then everybody sees us and Passover will be in the winter time..." [11:05]

• Judah’s Administrative Calendar

  • Mentions a 7th-century BC Judah calendar that included “transitional days,” showing Hebrews always used such mechanisms to track Sabbaths/feasts.

The Spirit vs. Letter of Sabbath Law

• Historical Consequence of Breaking the Sabbath

  • In ancient Israel, keeping Sabbath on a wrong day could mean death (“stoned to death”), reinforcing the seriousness of the law.
    "If you're keeping it by the letter, yes, destruction. But if you're keeping it by the spirit, that means you're sincerely, sincerely doing it." [13:25]

• Mercy, Intent, and Biblical Nuance

  • Discusses how biblical law considers intent:
    • Isaiah 56: Salvation is tied to keeping laws, statutes, and commandments.
    • Leviticus: Laws distinguish between accidental and deliberate “uncleanness”—potentially pointing to God’s mercy toward sincere hearts.
    • Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 23: Highlights the “weightier matters” of mercy and intent, not just rigid observance. "The Bible does deal with mercy though. Even Christ said that in Matthew, verse 23... mercy and intent also have to be taken into account." [14:37]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On careful study and the challenge to convenience:
  "So we have to go off of not what is most comfortable. It's not what is most convenient. Some brothers and sisters do this just out of convenience. But if we're going to talk about what's right and wrong, we need to be accurate in that..." [03:38]

• On the calendar controversy:
  "You can’t, with all due respect, believe in a weekly uninterrupted cycle since the beginning of time. When you go to the source, it provides further proof that neither the biblical Sabbath or the day of Christ’s resurrection can ever be found using the Julian calendar in which we are in right now, today." [09:52]

• On intent, mercy, and judgment:
  "I can't say for sure, but I can tell you what the Bible says… The Bible does deal with mercy though. Even Christ said that in Matthew… mercy and intent also have to get taken into account." [14:44]

Important Segment Timestamps

• [01:19] Host’s opening, prayer, and setup for Sabbath discussion
• [03:10] Scriptural basis for calculating feasts and Sabbaths
• [06:21] Workweek in modern and foreign calendars — calendar comparison
• [08:52] Archaeological evidence: the Stick Calendar and week ordering
• [11:05] Transitional days, leap years, and calendrical science
• [13:25] The consequences of Sabbath observance (letter vs. spirit)
• [14:37] Principle of mercy and intent in biblical law

Episode Tone & Closing

With a strong, resonant delivery, SSG Bright combines scriptural depth with challenge and compassion, urging listeners to “be a bold lion, roar like a lion.” The episode closes with an exhortation to align both action and intention with divine law—while also remaining open to divine mercy.

"Bright lion, be a bold lion. Roar like a lion. Intense like a lion. Great like a line home like a lion. Trenches like a lion. Good night, everyone. SSG Bright until next time. Shalom." [16:10]

In summary:
This episode passionately unpacks Sabbath observance, encouraging listeners to question inherited practices, dig for original scriptural intent, and walk with both accuracy and heart. SSG Bright leaves listeners inspired to pursue biblical truth with courage and humility.