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The WORLD TOMORROW
A WORLDWIDE BROADCAST
HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG
Proclaims to the World the
GOOD NEWS OF THE WORLD TOMORROW
BOX 111, Pasadena, Calif. 91109
Publishing:
The PLAIN TRUTH
a Magazine of UNDERSTANDING
February 25, 1966
Dear Co-Workers with Christ:
Once again, as one of our inner family of Co-Workers,
serving with and under the living Christ in GOD'S WORK, I must rush
this letter to you by airmail.
We are at the end of the shortest month of the year --
and therefore our most difficult month financially. And by the
way, did you ever wonder how poor little February came to have only
28 days -- while all others have 30 or 31?
The answer is a striking example of bow this world's
CIVILIZATION was established and built. I suppose most people
assume that this is God's world; and that civilization -- as we
know it -- was established by God. The truth is the very opposite.
This civilization was established by humans contrary to, and in
utter REBELLION against God's Ways! Its guiding principle was
HUMAN NATURE.
And the 28 days of February is an interesting testimony
to the fact! February GOT ROBBED! And here's how it happened:
Julius Caesar abolished the lunar year with its intercalary month,
and regulated the year entirely by the sun. He supposed the year
to be 365 1/4 days long. He was in error slightly -- a matter of
some minutes and seconds. He set the year at 365 days, with 366
every fourth year. Originally he set the 12 months, beginning with
January, so that the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, and 11th months would
have 31 days. On leap years (every 4th year), February and all
other months would have 30 days -- but for all other years Julius
robbed February, reducing it to 29. Julius was born in the 7th
month, so he named it after him, and saw to it that it was one of
the 31-day months.
After Emperor Julius was assassinated, Augustus became
Caesar over the Roman Empire. Since he followed Julius as Emperor,
he decided to name the month following July after him. It had
previously been called Sextilis, or sixth month prior to Julius'
alteration. But now Augustus noticed that the month he was naming
after him had only 30 days, while the one named after Julius had
31. Augustus was not going to be outdone by Julius. In his
vanity, he robbed poor little February of one more day, reducing it
to 28 (except leap years when it has 29), and tacked that extra day
on to August. So both July and August have had 31 days ever since.