Church of God News

Which Book Do You Think Christians Should Rely On?

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Ronald Weinland Says His Books Are What He Wants Potential Supporters to Closely Study. The COGwriter Site Instead Urges Those Interested in Him and End-Time Prophecies to Spend More Time Checking His Writings with the Bible.

COGwriter

April 17, 2008 is now well past. And although Ronald Weinland claimed that the 1260 days and the first trumpet blast of the Book of Revelation started then, this simply has not been the case.

Ronald Weinland and his followers have repeatedly relied on allegory over scripture and have sometimes confused events that may be related to “the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:8) with those that occur later in the great tribulation (Matthew 24:21).

If Ronald Weinland and his followers would have taken the passages in Daniel 9, 11, and 12 more literally, they would have realized that when the events the Bible shows needed to come to pass on the 1335, 1290, and 1260 days of Daniel 12 did not come to pass on February 2nd, March 18th, and April 17th (the dates that Ronald Weinland indicated that those days began respectively, see Ronald Weinland Announced When He Claims Jesus Will Return and RW’s Wife the 2nd Witness? Comparing 4/17/08 and the Bible to “2008 God’s Final Witness”) they would have all repented by now. Instead, those still with him are ignoring the Bible.

Notice what he taught in a sermon given March 29, 2008:

If by Pentecost I’m just going to make this real clear to everyone. If by Pentecost it is not powerfully and abundantly clear that there has been a great deal of destruction that will clearly encompass a third of all plant life in the US and at least the clear results of this mingled with blood the death of very much animal life and the beginning of large numbers of human life then I will stop preaching. Just so all the critics and everyone out there will understand. I am true to my word in these things. OK? And for all the critics if by the end of July and for most likely around Pentecost if nothing has clearly caused great destruction and death I will make it very clear that I was a false prophet. I will do exactly what I said I would do on all of those interviews that I have held; to do less, aah well, would be quite insane. To do less. Well. Would be quite insane (Weinland R. Three More Weeks–quote from near the 1 hour 28 minute point from the CGPFK website version. Sermon given March 29, 2008).

Since Pentecost in 2008 is June 8th, by mid-June Ronald Weinland has to stop preaching according to his own words. And by mid-July 2008 apologize and admit his error (there is a rumor that some of his followers will continue with others leading CGPFK, and that may be possible–furthermore, in his 4/26/08 sermon, see Ronald Weinland Changes and Delays, But Without Apology, he seems to contradict what he said in the 3/29/08 sermon–so when or whether he will step down is uncertain as his positions have changed).

Also Ronald Weinland, this time in an interview on April 10, 2008 (see Ronald Weinland: False Prophet by Mid-June), gave himself until mid-June 2008 to be a true or false prophet (see also Ronald Weinland Seems to Give Himself More Time, But Done By Labor Day), yet the fact is that now that it is May 2008 shows he is clearly a false prophet.

How?

Well, although there are many reasons (see for example Ronald Weinland: Nothing Happened March 18th Because What Happened Was Spiritual? and February 2008 is Past Ronald Weinland), one is that the dollar still has value.

Notice what Ronald Weinland claimed in a radio interview on December 15, 2007:

A little after April…a dollar bill won’t be worth anything…We’re going to be brought down the tubes, very quickly, starting in April…What happens when a nuclear weapon goes off in New York and Chicago?… If we come to the point in time where what I’ve said doesn’t come to pass, the reality is that I’m just a false prophet. That’s the bottom line… The reality is if it doesn’t happen, then you’re just false…I’ll acknowledge my error, my wrong, if I’m wrong…

It is now “a little past April”, the dollar still has value, and the great tribulation, simply did not begin. Furthermore, notice what he wrote on November 24, 2007:

Beginning in February, those thunders will increase dramatically, and by April this world will begin to be shaken to its foundations. Everything I am doing, and everything the Church of God - PKG is doing is geared towards these realities. There is no wavering and there is no hesitation!… February will be here soon! Don’t squander the time that is in front of you. Use it wisely!

I tried to use February 2008 “wisely” and without “wavering” or ”hesitation” as he advised, and posted several news items warning people not to follow him.

Notice two specific claims that Ronald Weinland made in April 2008:

…that has to do with the Catholic Church…He is going to be saying…He is going to be given special powers beginning April 17th when he is in Washington. D.C. (James Whale Interview. talkSPORT Radio. April 10, 2008).

And the 17th marked the identifying and the beginning of Satan’s direct power and influence of a great false prophet, the Pope of the Roman Catholic church (Weinland R. Begun–the 1260 Days Have Begun. Sermon April 19, 2008).

I, for one, have not noticed any “special powers” that Pope Benedict XVI supposedly received three weeks ago. Thus, another prediction from Ronald Weinland has not been fulfilled.

Ronald Weinland simply does not understand biblical prophecy, such as Daniel 11 which discusses future kings of the North and South. And as I have been warning people for a long time, partially because there is no King of the North or King of the South yet, the Great Tribulation CANNOT begin in 2008.

Furthermore, if Ronald Weinland understood, Daniel 9:26-27, he would see that the Great Tribulation cannot begin before 2012 as the “prince” (who will become the King of the North), has not yet made a deal with Israel–a deal that he will break after 3 1/2 years. If this deal is not made until after June 30, 2008 (and I do not believe that it can be made before the Fall of 2008, and a later year is more likely), then the Great Tribulation will not begin before 2012. And while the end is coming, Ronald Weinland and his followers seem to be a least 4-5 years premature.

Furthermore, as I wrote last month, Ronald Weinland immediately should do the following:

1. Apologize to leaders of various Churches of God to whom he sent letters warning them of their impending deaths about two years ago.
2. Apologize to his followers for misleading them.
3. Go back on the few radio programs he was on and apologize for his presumptuousness for appointing himself as a prophet and one of God’s two witnesses.
4. Apologize to me (and now others) for the disdain whereby he treated me two years ago, and how he has treated those that pointed out why he was wrong ever since. Calling for our slow deaths was also not nice (see Ronald Weinland Again Calls for Death).
5. Give me, Bob Thiel, the www.the-end.com URL since he misused it, while the cogwriter website has been properly explaining end-time events during the time he has been around.
6. Shut down the Church of God, Preparing for the Kingdom organization so that it cannot continue. There are rumors that some wish to keep it going even AFTER Ronald Weinland’s latest dates prove to be false.
7. Spend a lot of time communicating with people he has misled to attempt to help them understand that he was wrong and that they should have relied much more on the Bible and not on his false interpretations of biblical prophecy.

And whatever else he and his wife can think of to try to minimize the damage that they have caused others and the Church of God.

It’s been three weeks since Ronald Weinland claimed that God began his and his wife’s 1260 day job as the two witnesses–but they have not been effective witnesses as they STILL are being basically ignored by the world (they have mostly had fringe coverage or none at all).

Nor are they close to converting millions like he indicated that they should be (for more details, see Ronald Weinland Prophesied Millions & Is Spending to Accomplish That) by now. Nor have they done any of the biblically indicated miracles that the two witnesses should be able to do (see Revelation 11:3-6).

Ronald Weinland has always been a SELF-appointed prophet. He is not one of God’s prophets, nor are he and his wife the prophesied two witnesses.

A few articles of possibly related interest may include:

Concerns About Ronald Weinland’s Church of God-Preparing for the Kingdom of God Ronald Weinland falsely claims to be one of the two witnesses God is raising up and that the end will come in 2008. Is he a false prophet? He has at least one other view that suggests that he is not part of the COG.
Why Be Concerned About False and Heretical Leaders? There have been many false leaders–here is some of why you should be concerned about them.
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples ofthe United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin?
End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? There is a Mayan calendar prediction for change in 2012. 2012 changes were also centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans and the Hindu Indians (who were not even on the same continent). Do these Mayan/Hindu/Hopi prophecies have any value? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Can the great tribulation start before 2012?
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? When does the six thousand years of human rule end?
Who Are The Two Witnesses? What is their job? What does the Bible reveal? What has the Church of God taught on this subject? Might even Roman Catholic prophecies give some clues here?
There are Many COGs: Why Support the Living Church of God? This is an article for those who wish to easily sort out the different COGs. It really should be a MUST READ for current and former WCG members or any interested in supporting the faithful church. It also explains a lot of what the COGs are all about.

The Weekly Sabbath Begins Sunset on Fridays

The April/May 2008 edition of CG7’s Bible Advocate has the following question and answer:

Q. Doesn’t Colossians 2:16, 17 speak against Sabbath observance?

A. These verses read: “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.” If this puzzling text opposes the weekly rest day for Christians, it is the only one of sixty Sabbath references in the New Testament to give a negative witness to the seventh-day rest of creation and of Christ.

A closer look, however, shows that this text is not against Sabbaths any more than it is against food, drink, or festivals. No day is the problem here but the misuse of days for un-Christian purposes.

Exploring the background of this epistle, we learn that the first century church in Colosse was troubled by teachings that later became known as Gnosticism, a heresy that troubled the church in the first centuries after Christ. Gnosticism borrowed from Judaism, paganism, and Christian doctrine, combining them into an amalgam in which the person and work of Jesus were no longer central.

A reading of Colossians 2 suggests that the false teachers (early Gnostics) taught a philosophical form of faith (v. that mixed worship of angels (v. 18), ascetic practices of the body (vv. 20-23), and Jewish holy days, with the weekly Sabbath (v. 16). Some of Jesus was surely sprinkled in for good measure, but the resulting spiritual soup was actually a toxic mixture of man-made religion upon which repeated warnings are pronounced: “Let no one cheat [judge] you . . .” (vv. 8, 16, 18).

Speaking positively, Paul urges that Christ be preeminent in all things (vv. 2, 3, 6, 9, 10ff, 17; also 1:13ff). These verses are the heart of the apostle’s argument in this chapter. With our Lord at the church’s head and reigning in our hearts, the weekly Sabbath and every other proper teaching can assume their rightful place.

Taken in context, then, the message of Colossians 2:16, 17 is that the church must not elevate anything above the Lord Jesus Christ: not angels, not dietary practice or other forms of self-denial, not Hebrew festivals, and not even the weekly Sabbath. All are subordinate to Him who lived, died, and rose again for our eternal redemption. — Elder Calvin Burrell

And that is basically correct.

However, there is one main point that I would like to emphasize.

And that is that the reason that most who profess Christ do not know the truth about this is because nearly all translators have intentionally mistranslated these verses, thus most have been misled into thinking this verse is opposed to the Sabbath and the Holy Days (it also enjoins the Holy Days as much as the Sabbath, but CG7 is not a big fan of those, which may be why that point was not expounded upon in the article).

So, let’s examine one slight mistranslation of it:

16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ (Col 2:16-17,KJV).

The above translation is close, however, it added a word that is not in the original Greek.

The word added is “is”. Truly literal translations leave it out as it is not in there. Notice the Strong’s words for verse 17:

3739. 2076 4639… 3588……. 3195 ………..3588.. 1161. 4983 9999 3588 5547
Which are a shadow of …things to come; …….the.. but.. body ….is…. of… Christ.
(Interlinear Transliterated Bible. Copyright (c) 1994 by Biblesoft).

It should be noted that 9999 means that there was no word in the biblical text. It should also be noted that #3588 is most often translated as “the”.

Because the same three Strong’s words (#4983, 3588, & 5547) are used four other times in the New Testament and in those times the KJV translates it as “the body of Christ” (Romans 7:4; 1 Corinthians 10:16; 1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 4:12)–as does the NKJV.

Therefore, if all the translators were simply consistent with themselves, they would have translated Colossians 2:16-17 to state:

16 Therefore let no man judge you in eating and drinking or in respect of a festival or of an observance of the new moon or of a sabbath; 17 for those things are a shadow of the things to come, but the body of Christ.

Or in other word, do not let those outside the body of Christ (the church, Colossians 1:18) judge you regarding holy days, but only the church itself. Colossians 2:16-17 is not saying that the holy days are done away. It is poor exegesis (biblical interpretation) to rely on a mistranslation to claim that the holy days are done away with.

It is sad, but most in the Protestant world have misunderstood Colossians 2:16-17 because translators who know better MISTRANSLATED it.

The truth, of course, is that the seventh-day Sabbath and the biblical holy days were not done away with in the New Testament. And, they were observed by Jesus, His original disciples, early Christians, and still are today by those of us in the Living Church of God.

Several articles of possibly related interest, for those who wish to see more of the truth, may include:

The Sabbath in the Early Church and Abroad Was the seventh-day (Saturday) Sabbath observed by the apostolic and post-apostolic Church?
Is God Unreasonable? Some have suggested that if God requires Sabbath-keeping He is unreasonable. Is that true?
Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible? This paper provides a biblical and historical critique of several articles, including one by WCG which states that this should be a local decision. What do the Holy Days mean? Also you can click here for the calendar of Holy Days.
There are Many COGs: Why Support the Living Church of God? This is an article for those who wish to easily sort out the different COGs. It really should be a MUST READ for current and former WCG members or any interested in supporting the faithful church. It also explains a lot of what the COGs are all about.
Church of God, Seventh Day: History and Teachings Nearly all COG’s I am aware of trace their history through this group. Whaid Rose is the president of the largest CG7 group (Denver). Do you know much about them?
The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?

Northern Shore of Reykjavík, Iceland

COGwriter

At Living Church of God (LCG) church services yesterday, the following was one of the weekly announcements:

On the week of April 6, Mr. Rod King traveled to Iceland, after being invited by the Gospel Channel for an interview. He reported, “I was interviewed for one and a half hours on the Gospel Channel which covers all of Europe via SKY television. The interviewer was a man who has been a BBC radio presenter… He had visited Ambassador College in the 70s and read The Plain Truth from time to time… he allowed me to talk about and advertise Tomorrow’s World and our booklets Do You The True Gospel and Your Ultimate Destiny…The next day they interviewed me for two half-hour programs that will air later on the Gospel Channel. We discussed marriage and family breakdown, and how God has ordained marriage as a holy covenant between two people, with God as the third Partner. We discussed tithing, the Sabbath, the Holy Days and much more. I was able to correct the notion that many people have about us, that we teach ‘salvation through works.’”

And although LCG has been able to get out message into Europe, this is fabulous as it not only would be of interest to those in Iceland, but now in another way (as opposed to just the Tomorrow’s World program), the gospel message will be sent over Europe.

Several articles of possibly related interest may include:

Getting the Gospel Out is More than a Local Job Discusses Biblical rationale for doing an international, and not just a local, work.
How Much Did You Cost? Some have complained that the total costs spent to proclaim the gospel as a witness is too high since it does not (in their opinion) result in enough conversions. Is that how God sees it?
The Temple and the Work This article discusses the two temples of the Old Testament and gives insight as to their possible relevance to the situation which has impacted the Church during this past decade or so. It also answers the question, does a physical temple need to be built in Jerusalem before Christ returns?
Parable of the Mustard Seed Jesus told many parables. Why? What might this one mean?
Should the Church Still Try to Place its Top Priority on Proclaiming the Gospel or Did Herbert W. Armstrong Change that Priority for the Work? Some say the Church should mainly feed the flock now as that is what Herbert W. Armstrong reportedly said. Is that what he said? Is that what the Bible says? What did Paul and Herbert W. Armstrong expect from evangelists?
There are Many COGs: Why Support the Living Church of God? This is an article for those who wish to easily sort out the different COGs. It really should be a MUST READ for current and former WCG members or any interested in supporting the faithful church. It also explains a lot of what the COGs are all about.

COGwriter

Today, The Journal: News of the Churches of God, sent out the following:

Longtime Church of God member Jim Ussery dies in Big Sandy

http://www.thejournal.org/issues/issue125/jim-ussery-obituary.html

BIG SANDY, Texas — Funeral services for James D. “Jim” Ussery, 80, of Big Sandy are scheduled for noon Saturday, May 3, 2008, at Croley Funeral Home in Gladewater, Texas, with Wayne Cole of Tyler, Texas, officiating.

Mr. Ussery, a longtime Church of God member and retired pastor of a congregation in Arkansas, died April 28 at his residence. He had earlier served as a deacon, elder and lay pastor. Mr. Ussery was also a retired U.S. Navy lieutenant.

Survivors include his wife of 52 years, Dorothy “Dot” Ladnier Ussery; children Lorraine Witz, Minneapolis, Minn., Darlene Warren, Big Sandy, Donna Toombs, North Little Rock, Ark., Lydia Wiley, Terrell, Texas, Jay Ussery, Marco Island, Fla., and Sharon Jalil, Arlington, Texas; sisters Elfreda Lieblong, Loell Bowie, Reba Luck and Joanna Earl; 17 grandchildren and stepgrandchildren; nine great-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews.

Daughter Darlene Warren handles advertising sales and placement for The Journal.

Which Book Do You Think Christians Should Rely On?

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Ronald Weinland Says His Books and His Interpretations of the Bible Are What He Wants Potential Supporters to Study. The COGwriter Site Instead Urges Those Interested in Him and End-Time Prophecies to Spend More Time Checking His Writings with the Bible.

COGwriter

Ronald Weinland (RW below) was once again interviewed by Mike McConnel (MM below). Here are some transcripted notes put mainly together by Weinland Watch:

MM: OK. Well, the last posting I saw from you was on the 18th of April where you thought things would begin to unravel. Uh the last posting I guess you still had six or eight hours to go in the day that uh you know around the globe elsewhere it still was the 18th. You were waiting for something to happen. Were you somewhat let down at the end of the day when nothing you could certainly put a finger on actually began to transpire?

RW: Not physically. Uh there are, uh, that’s uh that’s what most people want. They want physical evidence…I mentioned in the program before that there would be 45 to 90 days.

MM: Mm-hm.

RW: Uh, when things will begin to transpire, they’ll become more evident, and what people really want are physical things to look at. Uh–

MM: Well yes, you said, and that forty-five to ninety days, things are going to be pretty well unravelled, according to you…I get the impression from your posting on the eighteenth that you expected something to happen on the seventeeth…

RW: [pauses] Well they will begin to see evidence…that is when our job began on that particular day and is also uh I’d also announced about a great prophet that was going to have a great influence on the earth–Not necessarily looked to as a prophet but he was here in the United States at that time, and that’s the Pope. He was in Washington DC and he was in New York city at that particular time

MM: Mmhmm.

RW: Whereas we were in Jerusalem, where our job begins, and where our job ends as I mentioned. Those are very notable things if people could only grasp it. But people don’t understand yet um–

MM: Well I-I mean but at the end of this you could-you’d end up being, if it doesn’t pan out you’re Mr. and Mrs. False Prophet.

RW: Oh exactly right. That’s a great position to be in isn’t it?

MM: You tell me!…Have you heard from other people who feel disappointed?

RW: I think there are people who are disappointed because they expect something physical to happen in the very beginning and I have tried to tell people that it’s a process that’s going to take place over a period of time here. Uh obviously as far as my own physical desire, yes I’d like to see something big happen so right away here so that people could you know begin to turn to what they need to turn to in order to go through what’s ahead here. But that isn’t the way God does things. And he hasn’t from the very beginning uh I think we–

MM: What what what will happen if we go through the forty-five to ninety days and things are pretty much on course as they are right now? Sun rises and sets where it’s supposed to, and everybody has a pretty nice day?

RW: Well. [pause] It’s not going to be that way but um [pause] I think of one individual that interviewed me right after you did, he’s over there in the UK, the James Whale show, TalkSport Radio over there he made a comment that when the second trumpet uh goes off and there’s a nuclear weapon that goes off here in the United States in different uh city, or different cities, he said, “Then I’ll believe you.” And that pretty much sums it up. And that’s candidly when some people are going to begin to change because they wanna see something dramatic they wanna see massive destruction they wanna see I mean–I mean that’s a that’s a sick thing in one respect but it’s going to take place but that’s what people want. They want that evidence. They–you really don’t want that evidence. Because it’s going to be a horrifying thing to live through when it comes to that point in time. The reality is it’s coming. But what leads up to that are some of the things that are already transpiring. And I tell you what. Little rumblings here and there and it starts to take place here as far as you know our economy I’ve talked about that. I don’t know if you’ve been watching–

MM: Well we’ve always had those rumblings about the economy.

RW: I’ll tell you what though right now we are in the last part of it. We’ve had rumblings but this is a finality for it. This–just like earthquakes right now. People don’t even–people aren’t even paying any attention to it. We had uh–

MM: The the other day I pulled out the Misery Index going back to 1948. We’re not even CLOSE to how bad the economy USUALLY is.

RW: And I app–

MM: Not just how bad it was in the 1970s and 1980s–

RW: And I appreciate what you’re saying and that is going to be some of the evidence of things as we go through this summer that is going to be far more evident to people that’s just one of many things that’s going to take place. We also had a second aircraft carrier that went in the Persian Gulf. What do you what you think they’re getting prepared for? Uh a lot of people you know they they speculate that there’s gonna be a strike on Iran. Umm [pause] You know we’re on–

MM: Well it might be but we have military strikes all the time. It’s nothing out of the ordinary. We just hit Somalia yesterday!

RW: [overlapping] Yeah and when you add all these things together just like when I started to mention here about earthquakes. Do you know how many earthquakes we’ve had here in the last few weeks in the United States? This is this is not normal. Just like in February. We had ten times the amount of tornadoes here and people said well that’s not, no it’s not normal. Things are speeding up. Things to do with the weather and things with earthquakes and so forth. And people make fun of that when I talked about earthquakes. But you know to have an earthquake here and there is one thing but to have two of them recently here in the midwest there’ve been six hundred out there off the uh off the coast of Oregon right we’ve had two here this past week. In southern California, one in northern California, in Eureka. Uh the Reno Nevada that keeps having

MM: All right…

RW: Yeah well stay tuned because there’s more coming and they’re going to grow in magnitude and that’s just exactly what’s taking place but people don’t listen to those kinds of things.

MM: Right. Well. Again my point would be about back to the last interview and you know I could it it–you suggested then that between that–that something big was going to happen on the seventeenth of April and that between–

RW: [laughing]

MM: And that between the forty-five and ninety days the world as we know it would not be recognizable.

RW: No. No I didn’t say anything like that.

MM: I–you’re–pretty much along the–well I’ll pull it back out.

RW: I list–

MM: Or we’ll talk again at the end of ninety days.

RW: I listened to it again last night. I was very specific. I said on April the seventeenth is when everything begins in the sense of the first trumpet of the seventh seal of Revelation I said about nine minutes into it you can go check I said the seventeenth is a beginning as I explained the first trumpet will be blown uh–

MM: Well, no, I–about the end of the forty-five to ninety day period. By by by second trumpet time this is supposed to be a pretty unrecognizable place.

RW: No by the second trumpet time we only have the first major strikes–what I mean–and I even mentioned there–it appears to be as though it’s going to be something nuclear. Uh if if that happens in some of the major cities obviously our our whole lifestyle in the United States changes. If it happens in New York, and Chicago, Washington, DC. Things are gonna change major for us here in the United States. But the United States continues on for several months. This doesn’t destroy us. Things can continue on–look what happened with Katrina did that hurt the rest of the United States? NO.

MM: Well no, but we never thought it was gonna destroy the United States.

RW: Well we are coming to that. We are coming to a point where by the time you get to the fifth trumpet we are going to be destroyed in essence. We’re not going to have a whole lot left.

MM: Well we’ll be talking to you again at the end of the ninety day period.

RW: Uh that’s up to you if you’d like to. Uh that’d be great.

MM: Sure the ninety days would be up I’m guessing July?

RW: Yes.

MM: Sometime mid-July?

RW: Yep.

MM: Well I’ll make it a point to be around.

RW: Good…

MM: End time 2008 dot com. Ron Weinland good to have you come back and face the music and we’ll do it again.

RW: You bet.

Having earthquakes, like there have been, at most, points to what Jesus called the “beginning of sorrows” which occurs BEFORE the Great Tribulation (cf. Matthew 24:7-8 and 21).

The truth is that physical things MUST happen at the start of the 1260 days–and much more obvious physical things than Ronald Weinland is referring to. And the economy, in the USA at least, will be destroyed shortly after the beginning of the Great Tribulation.

These things have not come to pass.

People really need to check what Ronald Weinland says against what the Bible teaches. Notice one simple example:

15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be (Matthew 24:15-21).

The events of Matthew 24:15-20 have NOT happened, thus the Great Tribulation (vs. 21) has not began. The Bible clearly shows that Ronald Weinland is a false prophet as people were not fleeing Jerusalem, etc.

Speaking of false prophets, the “True Bible Code” people have once again changed when a nuclear attack is supposed to occur. When what they predicted for last weekend (please seeEurope to Launch Satellite for Galileo, But More False Witnesses) did not take place, they came up with another prediction:

Cute, but wrong, until we are right inspite of ourselves! - Michael Schwingenschloegl and Francis Conger
The World ended judicially on 2008Nisan14 which was 2008April20. The Kingdom of God began judicially on 2008Nisan17 which was 2008April23. Jesus has married his bride, the 1NC saints in heaven.We are now in the time of the end. This runs from 2008Nisan14, which was 2008April20, the judicial end of the world, to 2009Sivan15, which will be 2009June9/10, the day that the last non raptured human dies, the literal end of this world. That period is a time (a year), times (2 months) and half a time (half a day) of Daniel 12 - Gordon Ritchie

Dear readers, We have had to make a revision to the biblical lunar calendar…

We now therefore expect a dual terrorist attack in the US and the UK on 2008Iyyar17 or 2008Iyyar21, which in fact corresponds with solar dates between the sunsets of May23/24 or May27/28. This is the fulfilment of the stone of Daniel2 hitting the image and of mushroom the cloud of 1Kings18 rising from the sea. We have got this wrong so far around 70x.

What a joke! These false prophets still do not give up.

The Weinlands and the “True Bible Code” people simply seem to be too involved in their own opinions and not involved enough in paying attention to the Bible.

Several articles of related interest may include:

Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples ofthe United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin?
Who Are The Two Witnesses? What is their job? What does the Bible reveal? What has the Church of God taught on this subject? Might even Roman Catholic prophecies give some clues here?
Concerns About Ronald Weinland’s Church of God-Preparing for the Kingdom of God Ronald Weinland falsely claims to be one of the two witnesses God is raising up and that the end will come in 2008. Is he a false prophet? He has at least one other view that suggests that he is not part of the COG.
There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Petra This article discusses a biblical ‘place of safety’ and includes quotes from the Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong on this subject–thus, there is a biblically supported alternative to the rapture theory.
End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? There is a Mayan calendar prediction for change in 2012. 2012 changes were also centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans and the Hindu Indians (who were not even on the same continent). Do these Mayan/Hindu/Hopi prophecies have any value? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Can the great tribulation start before 2012?

Coin Featuring Emperor Constantine and the Pagan Sun Deity Mars Produced 317 A.D.
(Well After Constantine Professed Christ)

COGwriter

COGaIC has an interview between its David Hulme (DH below) and Paula Fredriksen (PF below) who is a Professor of the Appreciation of Scripture at Boston University, currently featured at its Vision website:

DH You’ve noted that the divide between Judaism and Christianity resulted from politics within the Roman Empire and Constantine’s decision in favor of Roman Christianity. Under Constantine the Sabbath was officially changed to Sunday and Christians were told not to confer with rabbis on the dating of Easter. What would Paul have made of that if he were living in that period?

PF We habitually refer to the conversion of Constantine. I think it’s more appropriate to say that under Constantine we have the conversion of Christianity. Christianity under Constantine becomes a form of imperial Roman culture. One Christian denomination is favored with his patronage. They get tax breaks. They get big, beautiful Bible codices copied at public expense. They can use the imperial post for free. They ask Constantine to kick out the leaders of the other Christian denominations in town. So the people who get the worst treatment after Constantine becomes a patron of this one church are other Christians. More Christians are persecuted after the conversion of Constantine than before, because they’re targeted by one particular branch of the church.

Paul’s first reaction to all of this would be that the type of Christianity Constantine is patronizing is very different from what Paul enunciated. The fact that Constantine’s Christianity understands itself as the only one that’s true to what Paul taught wouldn’t help the historical Paul’s shock in seeing how different Constantine’s Christianity was from his own. For one thing, when Constantine’s official biographer, Eusebius, writes about the emperor, he sees the foundation of the Christian Roman Empire as “Isaiah’s peace”—the Messianic peace promised in what we call the Old Testament. When Paul’s thinking about the kingdom of God, he’s certainly not thinking of the Roman emperor as His agent.

The truth is that the apostles kept Passover on the 14 and NOT Sunday (it was not called “Easter” back then and I really wish that David Hulme would not have used that inappropriate term). The true Christians had so many practices that differed from those accepted/enforced by Emperor Constantine that Paul and the others would not have considered Emperor Constantine and his supporters as Christian.

The fact is that Emperor Constantine WAS NOT a true Christian. True Christians do not kill. True Christians are not persecutors. True Christians do not continue to honor pagan deities.

People may be surprised to realize that the predominant idea of the Godhead accepted by over a billion people was because of the pagan Emperor Constantine. Protestant scholar H. Brown noted:

Although Constantine is usually remembered for the steps he took toward making Christianity the established religion of the Roman Empire, it would not be wrong to consider him the one who inaugurated the centuries of trinitarian orthodoxy. It was he who proposed and perhaps even imposed the expression homoousis at the Council of Nicea in 325, and it was he who provided government aid to the orthodox and exerted government pressure against nonconformists (Brown HOJ. Heresies: Heresy and Orthodoxy in the History of the Church. Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody (MA), 1988, pp. 332-333).

But sadly, almost all the world’s so-called Christians accept non-biblical doctrines endorsed and/or proposed by Emperor Constantine.

But the true Christians never accepted his non-biblical practices or beliefs.

Do you want to obey God or men?

Articles of related interest may include:

The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?
Binitarian View: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning Is binitarianism the correct position? What about unitarianism or trinitarianism?
Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity? Most act like this is so, but is it?
Tradition and Scripture: From the Bible and Church Writings Are traditions on equal par with scripture? Many believe that is what Peter, John, and Paul taught. But did they?

Which Book Do You Think Christians Should Rely On?

VS. Ronald Weinland Says His Books and His Interpretations of the Bible Are What He Wants Potential Supporters to Study. The COGwriter Site Instead Urges Those Interested in Him and End-Time Prophecies to Spend More Time Checking His Writings with the Bible.

COGwriter Ronald Weinland’s Upcoming Trips page states the following:

Over the coming months, planning visits to specific areas will become more difficult as destructive events strike in different locations. As we look to God to lead us in our planning, we are going to continue sending elders to locations where growing numbers of people are seeking baptism and fellowship with God’s Church. We are going to focus on serving those whom God is calling as long as we are able to accomplish such work, and as we move forward through the Four Trumpets that will sound first, we will have to be very flexible in how this is accomplished. As God reveals the work His two witnesses are to accomplish, we will keep you posted in as timely fashion as we are able. God has not yet revealed all that we are to accomplish or the areas in which such things will be done. That will be a progressive revelation to His two end-time witness, whose job formally begins on April 17th.

It seems that this has been there for several weeks now. Yet, there has been no real “witness” from Ronald Weinland and his wife (who he declared began the 1260 days of being God’s two witnesses on April 17th).

There have been no miracles from he or his wife. They also do not wear sackcloth. Nor has any far-reaching news media outlet paid any real attention to the Weinlands.

And while destructive events may occur, the Great Tribulation did not start two weeks ago. The Weinlands certainly ARE NOT doing the job that God states that His two witnesses would do (see Revelation 11:3-6) .

While Ronald Weinland can change what he guesses will happen (please see Ronald Weinland Changes and Delays, But Without Apology), the fact is that what the BIBLE teaches MUST happen simply has not (for one related item, please see RW’s Wife the 2nd Witness? Comparing 4/17/08 and the Bible to “2008 God’s Final Witness”).

Hopefully, followers of the Weinlands will realize this and spend more time looking into their Bibles and STOP trying to see if Ronald Weinland’s sermons or books have the answers that they are seeking.

Some articles that might help explain some of what the Bible teaches about prophecy well as to show why Ronald Weinland cannot be right include:

Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples ofthe United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin?

Who Are The Two Witnesses? What is their job? What does the Bible reveal? What has the Church of God taught on this subject? Might even Roman Catholic prophecies give some clues here?
Concerns About Ronald Weinland’s Church of God-Preparing for the Kingdom of God Ronald Weinland falsely claims to be one of the two witnesses God is raising up and that the end will come in 2008. Is he a false prophet? He has at least one other view that suggests that he is not part of the COG.
There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Petra This article discusses a biblical ‘place of safety’ and includes quotes from the Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong on this subject–thus, there is a biblically supported alternative to the rapture theory.
End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? There is a Mayan calendar prediction for change in 2012. 2012 changes were also centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans and the Hindu Indians (who were not even on the same continent). Do these Mayan/Hindu/Hopi prophecies have any value? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Can the great tribulation start before 2012?

“Orthodox” 16th Century Representation of the “Apocalypse”

COGwriter

In his online commentary, CEM’s Ronald Dart posted:

One of the greatest errors a man can ever make is to misinterpret God’s silence. Evil men and seducers, said Paul, will wax worse and worse, and God says nothing, and appears to do nothing. And that category of men the Bible characterizes as “the wicked” assumes that there is no God, or that he doesn’t care, or doesn’t notice—or even that God thinks like they do. But there is a day of reckoning:

When you see a thief, you join with him; you throw in your lot with adulterers. You use your mouth for evil and harness your tongue to deceit. You speak continually against your brother and slander your own mother’s son. These things you have done and I kept silent; you thought I was altogether like you. But I will rebuke you and accuse you to your face. Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with none to rescue (Psalms 50:18-22 NIV).

And that is true.

Many act like there is no God or are misled by those who claim to represent Him (Ronald Weinland comes to mind–see Concerns About Ronald Weinland’s Church of God-Preparing for the Kingdom of God; also the “True Bible Code” as their prophecy for last weekend did not come to pass, see news item Europe to Launch Satellite for Galileo, But More False Witnesses).

But despite false witnesses and those who ignore God, the end will come.

Those interested in seeing when that “day of reckoning” may be coming, should consider prayerfully studying the following articles:

End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? There is a Mayan calendar prediction for change in 2012. 2012 changes were also centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans and the Hindu Indians (who were not even on the same continent). Do these Mayan/Hindu/Hopi prophecies have any value? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Does the Dresden codex show destruction of the earth by flood? Can the great tribulation start before 2012?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin?
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? When does the six thousand years of human rule end?

Banner at 2007 Feast of Tabernacles in Tobago

COGwriter

On Friday, April 25th, I received the hard copy of the United Church of God’s Festival Planning Brochure for 2008 and an email of the pdf version of the Living Church of God’s Festival Planner for 2008.

Combined, these two groups may have more actual Feast of Tabernacle attendees than the other COGs combined.

Here are reports from both groups for previous years:

“All together at the 62 sites around the world, 20,476 attended the Feast with United” (United Brethren Enjoy Feast at 62 Sites. United News. November 2007, p.1).

“More than 7,100 Living Church of God brethren kept God’s Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day in 30 countries and at 45 sites around the world.” (2006 Feast of Tabernacles Reports. Living Church News. Nov-Dec 2006).

In 2008, the Feast of Tabernacles will begin the evening of October 13 and, including the Last Great Day, run through the evening of October 21st.

The Living Church of God announced the following list:

Feast of Tabernacles 2008

Argentina—Sierra de la Ventana
Australia—Albany
Australia—The Entrance
Barbados—Christ Church
Canada—Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Canada—Lethbridge, Alberta
Canada—Orford, Quebec
France—Evian
Guatemala—Antigua
Guyana—Awarewaunau and Georgetown
Indonesia—Batu
Jamaica—Ocho Rios
Kenya—Kisii City
Malaysia—Melaka
Mexico—Huatusco
New Zealand—Lake Taupo
Papua New Guinea—Wewak
Philippines—Baguio City, Davao City, Don Carlos, and Maranding
South Africa—Glentana
Sri Lanka
Tobago
United Kingdom—Llangollen, Wales
United States—Branson, Missouri
United States—New Braunfels, Texas
United States—Newport, Oregon
United States—Prescott, Arizona
United States—Sunset Beach, North Carolina
United States—Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
Vanuatu—Orap

There will probably also be LCG sites, as there were in previous years, in places such as India, Myanmar, Nigeria, and possibly Thailand and elsewhere.

UCG has Feast sites in many (but not all) of the same nations, and even the same cities in some cases, as LCG (this occurs, because there are many Differences between the Living Church of God and United Church of God–differences that many are not aware of). UCG also has some unique countries of its own with Feast sites in places such as Mauritius, Rwanda, Togo, and Tonga.

Online registration for United States and Canadian sites for the Living Church of God will begin on May 4. Watch for more information in The World Ahead and on the MyLCG website, www.cogl.org.

I just read a moment ago that UCG members were to provide a hard copy of their registration forms to their local ministers yesterday–so hopefully none of them received their Planner later than I did–unless of course, they decide instead to go to a LCG site :).

Anyway, since travel is almost always required for the Fall Festivals, planning should begin now for those interested in actually attending.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

The Feast of Tabernacles: A Time for Christians? Is this pilgrimage holy day still valid? Does it teach anything relevant for today’s Christians?
Did Early Christians Observe the Fall Holy Days? Did they? Did Jesus? Should you?
Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible? This paper provides a biblical and historical critique of several articles, including one by WCG which states that this should be a local decision. What do the Holy Days mean? Also you can click here for the calendar of Holy Days.
LCG 2008 Feast of Tabernacles’ Information Here is information on many Feast of Tabernacles locations for this year.

Which Book Do You Think Christians Should Rely On?

VS.
Ronald Weinland Says His Books and His Interpretations of the Bible Are What He Wants Potential Supporters to Study. The COGwriter Site Instead Urges Those Interested in Him and End-Time Prophecies to Spend More Time Checking His Writings with the Bible.

COGwriter

This morning, I listened to the beginning of Ronald Weinland’s sermon of 4/26/08 titled Back to the Future.

The following, which I heard, is from my notes combined with the information from Weinland Watch:

So some were really stirred up and curious over what would be said, obviously concerning the 17th, some had ears to hear, and obviously, there were a lot that didn’t. And that’s the way it’s always been, and those being drawn by God through the normal process obviously were able to hear it, when I think about what Daniel said when he said there are things we would understand and there’s only one reason and that’s because of God’s Spirit leading, guiding, directing and working with us, and that’s the only way anyone can really hear, spiritually, what was being given.

I, COGWriter, also think about what Daniel said/wrote. Actually, what is clear is that if people would look into their Bibles, they would see that NONE of what Daniel wrote that should have occurred on the beginning of 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days, which according to Ronald Weinland were 2/2/08, 3/18/08, and 4/17/08 respectively occurred. Those who want to know what is expected to happen when BIBLE prophecy, and not Ronald Weinland’s false interpretations, are fulfilled should read the article on the Future King of the North?

While the Bible shows that there will be this Future King of the North BEFORE the 1260 days begin (c.f. Daniel 11:31 and Daniel 12:7), in this same 4/26/08 sermon, Ronald Weinland has this event waiting until at least some time this summer:

The longer it is until the fifth trumpet blows, which as everyone understands is when the ten nations come together in Europe, the more that’s postponed…

Later Ronald Weinland states that the second trumpet does not occur until after Pentecost which is June 8, 2008.  Hence without Europe coming together until after that, the ten kings in Revelation 17:12, thus would not give their power over to the Beast, who is also the Future King of the North until at least the summer– even though the Bible shows that the Future King of the North MUST be around BEFORE the start of the 1260 days–and all should recall that Ronald Weinland stated that 1260 day start already happened on April 17th.

Furthermore, in the past, Ronald Weinland has stated publicly that if things did not happen like he was teaching, then he would admit that he was a false prophet. Yet notice that he DID ADMIT that events did not happen as he taught that they would on April 17th–but he did not admit that he is a false prophet:

So thought I’d mention here from all the reports we’ve been receiving back, it sounds like the Passover weekend last week was successful, in the many areas where brethren were able to come together, it’s always exciting that we can still do those things for a time here, and I am very excited by that, that we have opportunities right now, because many years ago we felt when the final three and a half years came that at the very beginning it would be nuclear weapons at the very start. That it would be a great war in the very beginning and great destruction from the get-go…

Thus, Ronald Weinland is now somewhat admitting to a delays–but without apology.

And it gets worse.

Notice:

Now that we’ve gone past the 17th, God has made a few things clear or clearer,

… So, we don’t know. We will have to wait until God shows us. And that’s exactly how things are going to go all the way through this process. We’re going to know as we go along here a little more specifically, on some timing, I’ll discuss these things later on, again

… God has made it abundantly clear, and it’s also posted on the site, I want to clear some of this up, I’ve talked about the 45 days and the 90 days, that was done on the James Whale show, primarily to give an idea here on the general timing of events for his sake and the listening audience, we see how quickly he got onto that one, I’m joking, he didn’t, he never could get it, toward the very end I think he finally got it, you know, when I was saying 45 to 90 days. I want to make it real clear. Nothing will happen specifically about the second trumpet obviously until after Pentecost

…but uh, it is very clear that we will not have anything happen on a massive scale to prevent us from coming together on Pentecost.

While Ronald Weinland is attempting to get people to think that James Whale (in the 4/10/08 interview) got confused about events by Pentecost, the fact is that Ronald Weinland in a sermon dated March 29, 2008 stated the following:

If by Pentecost I’m just going to make this real clear to everyone. If by Pentecost it is not powerfully and abundantly clear that there has been a great deal of destruction that will clearly encompass a third of all plant life in the US and at least the clear results of this mingled with blood the death of very much animal life and the beginning of large numbers of human life then I will stop preaching.

Just so all the critics and everyone out there will understand. I am true to my word in these things. OK? And for all the critics if by the end of July and for most likely around Pentecost if nothing has clearly caused great destruction and death I will make it very clear that I was a false prophet. I will do exactly what I said I would do on all of those interviews that I have held; to do less, aah well, would be quite insane. To do less. Well. Would be quite insane (Weinland R. Three More Weeks–quote from near the 1 hour 28 minute point from the CGPFK website version. Sermon given March 29, 2008).

Since Pentecost in 2008 is June 8th, by mid-June Ronald Weinland has to stop preaching according to his own words or he is insane.

So which is it?

Is something major supposed to happen BEFORE June 8th (Pentecost for 2008) or NOT?

If not, then Ronald Weinland was a false prophet in March 2008.

How long will people follow him?

People need to compare what Ronald Weinland says with world events and the Bible. By doing that, it is clear to any with ears to hear or eyes to see that he is a false prophet.

I have been warning about him for years. Hopefully people can see this now who he misled.

An article of related interest may be:

Concerns About Ronald Weinland’s Church of God-Preparing for the Kingdom of God Ronald Weinland falsely claims to be one of the two witnesses God is raising up and that the end will come in 2008. Why is he a false prophet? He has at least one other view that suggests that he is not part of the COG.