Church of God News

Ronald Weinland’s Book Which Falsely Claims that the Great Tribulation will Begin in 2008

COGwriter

Tonight I listened to Ronald Weinland latest sermon (titled The Mystery of God Revealed – Pt. 5, dated March 22, 2008).

He spent most of the time discussing doctrinal issues, “profound things”, morality, other ministers, and highlighting some false teachings of the religions of the world.

But around the 50 minute point, he did briefly address March 18, 2008.

Basically he stated that the seventh seal (of Revelation 8:1) was opened on March 18, 2008 and that when someone emailed him and stated that nothing happened then, Ronald Weinland said that this was a spiritual thing.  He said that what happened had to do with Satan being directed elsewhere.

He also said that on April 17, 2008 an individual will be affected by Satan, who Ronald Weinland called “a great religious leader on the earth”.  Presumably he was referring to Pope Benedict XVI, though the pontiff was not specified.

Since according to Ronald Weinland’s pronouncements, the 1290 days of Daniel 12:11 began on March 18, 2008, notice what the Bible says was to have happened on THAT DATE:

And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days (Daniel 12:11).

And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation (Daniel 11:31).

“Satan” is not a daily sacrifice–nor is he the “King of the North” (which is who Daniel 11 is speaking of as “him”, see verse 40).  And physical sacrifices in Jerusalem (which have not yet even started) were not taken away on March 18, 2008.  And a military leader did not muster forces then to fulfill those biblical prophecies.

And these events simply did not happen.

Ronald Weinland has repeatedly “spiritualized away” what the Bible has said on matters prophetic. (For details, please see the article Concerns about Ronald Weinland and his Church of God, Preparing for the Kingdom.)

And most of his recent sermons have been based up one of his books (the last sermon was part five on one of his books),  Instead of focusing on the Bible, Ronald Weinland is focused on things he considers to be important.

And even though in his 3/22/08 sermon he claimed that many of his new followers were not balanced, it is he who is not balanced.  Nor was he correct in his radio interview on December 15, 2007 about an imminent nuclear attack (more information on that is in the news item Ronald Weinland: Nuclear Attack May be Mid-April 2008).

If you compare what the Bible teaches was supposed to happen to what Ronald Weinland is now saying, it should be clear that the Church of God, Preparing for the Kingdom is in error.

Those of you that have any idea in following him, have you “searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11)?

If you think Ronald Weinland might possibly be correct, please pray and study into this.  

COGwriter

As many Bible readers are aware, a 200,000,000 man army coming from the kings of the east is mentioned in the Bible:

13 Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them (Revelation 9:13-15).

12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 15 Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” 16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon (Revelation 16:12-16).

The largest “kings of the east” would be Russia, China, and India.  And they are capable of fielding a 200,000,000 man army.

The late Herbert W. Armstrong commented:

The second woe, with its symbols of horses and horsemen, is interpreted by Ezekiel 38:4, 15, and is also referred to as an event in the Day OF THE Eternal in Joel 2:4. This refers to a tremendous military power–also to the NORTH–due north! They come with an army of two hundred million! Think of it–an army of two hundred million! (Armstrong HW. The Book of Revelation Unveiled at Last! 1972 edition. p. 38-39).

And in Daniel 11:44, the Bible shows that it is those from the north and the east  (which is where Russia, China, and India are in relation to the King of the North) who apparently get together against the King of the North.

But why would they get together?

Basically because they do not trust the Europeans and Americans to treat them as first class countries or equals.

And they are starting to get together now.

Notice that they met together to discuss this last year:

Facing Western supremacy

By M.D. NALAPAT Professor M.D. Nalapat is director of the School of Geopolitics at the Manipal Academy of Higher Education, India.
UPI Outside View Commentator

NEW DELHI, Feb. 13 , 2007 (UPI) — The foreign ministers of the three giants of the Asian landmass — Russia, China and India — will meet Feb. 14 in New Delhi to advance an old proposal for a Trilateral Global Alliance that would effectively exclude the West from a position of superiority in Asia…

Notice the reasons the same article gives as why:

Although the Russian people look “European,” the fact is that they are separate culturally from Europe. They have their own mindset, traditions and values, and hence will always be opposed, silently or overtly, by continental European powers such as Germany and France, which recognize Russia as not only different, but with the potential to overshadow both of them, should Moscow ever be admitted into the European Union.

After years of seeking to become “good Europeans” by leaving behind their Russian heritage — a process that began with Mikhail Gorbachev and lasted even into the Putin presidency — the Russian leadership has finally realized that the major continental European powers have zero intention of giving parity, let alone primacy, to Moscow. Hence, President Vladimir Putin has focused as much on Asia as on Europe, and with far better results than from his several failed efforts at integration into Europe. This has opened the way for an India-China-Russia alliance.

In the case of China, both Mao Zedong — under whose leadership China “stood up” in 1949 after centuries of servitude — and Deng Xiaoping understood that a relationship with the Western world could only be tactical and temporary, and that finally the clash of interests would lead to tensions. However there were others who sought to create an equitable partnership with the West, especially the United States, much as Putin tried in his first years in power. Today, the strong leadership of President Hu Jintao has clearly recognized that: a) China needs to rely on its own strength first; and b) the best way of developing this power is through a partnership with India and Russia…

In the next round, Iran and Indonesia would enter as partners within the TGA, followed by some key countries in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and a peacefully unified, nuclear-armed Korea. The TGA would have an Asian membership, but global influence, even in Phase I, when only Russia, China and India would be members. Phase II would see the entry of other Asian powers, while Phase III would witness the entry of selected countries in South America, such as Brazil, and Africa, such as Nigeria and South Africa.

The change in attitude by both the Chinese and Russian leaderships toward the Western world is the engine driving forward this partnership. In the case of India, after six decades of conducting a foreign policy independent of the West, now a team similar to Boris Yeltsin’s is in office in New Delhi, for whom the only desirable path is accommodation with Western demands.

China went through such a phase during the Jiang Zemin period, while Russia’s similar period lasted from 1985 till 2003. That year Moscow realized that the policy of the continental European powers was to cut away at its relationships and sphere of influence, so that finally Moscow would become as irrelevant in Europe as Belgium, a country with which it is often compared in economic terms.

The reality is that Russia possesses a single item — its nuclear and missile arsenal — that gives the country greater weight than Germany, France and Italy combined. The same goes for China. India is thus far a relative pygmy in the strategic field, although the scientific base of the country is strong enough to close this gap within six to seven years, should the political leadership decide on such a course. Since the mid-1990s, several within the Indian strategic establishment — including this writer — believed the Western world would be farsighted enough to make India a partner on terms of parity. However, many are now veering to the view that the Western world still sees India much as the British did in the past, as a secondary power that ought to be satisfied with crumbs.

This refusal of the Western alliance to acknowledge the equality of China, Russia and India with themselves is the reason the years ahead are likely to witness the birth of an India-China-Russia global alliance that would soon become the biggest geopolitical factor in Asia and then in Africa and South America.(http://www.upi.com/InternationalIntelligence/view.php?StoryID=20070212-115533-6356r).

A more recent news article from a different source stated:

Their joint opposition to the presence of Nato and US forces in Afghanistan and Iraq is one motivation for a Russia–China–India strategic partnership (Russia’s Military Strategy. The Post, Pakistan – Mar 7, 2008).

The truth is that Russia, China, and India do not believe that the Americans and Europeans (the Americans and Europeans are the ones that make up NATO) truly will ever accept them as equals and hence have began to take more steps leading to cooperation with each other.

Thus, the three largest “kings of the East” are setting the stage to fulfill end-time biblical prophecies.  And they also want influence beyond Asia–and will ultimately resent the influence of the Europeans, apparently even more than they presently resent the influence of the USA today.

(Perhaps it should also be mentioned that others, such as Taiwan and Japan, may end up also being parts of the “kings of the east”.  According to the New York Times,on March 22, 2008, “Taiwan elected on Saturday its first president who had campaigned for closer economic relations with Beijing, paving the way for a considerable lessening of tensions in one of Asia’s oldest flashpoints”).

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Russia: Its Origins and Prophesied Future Where do the Russians come from? What is prophesied for Russia? What will it do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end?
India, Its Biblical Past and Future: Any Witness? The Bible discusses the origins of those of Indian heritage and discusses some of the witness to them and part of its prophesied future.
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Genesis and Chinese Characters This article provides information showing that the Chinese peoples must have known about various accounts in the Book of Genesis up until their dispersion after the Tower of Babel.
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: The Sabbath and Some of God’s Witness in China When did Christianity first come to China? And is there early evidence that they observed the seventh day sabbath?
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for China? Is it a “King of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where?
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”?

COGwriter

Today is what many who profess Christ call Easter.

But did you know that what is now called Easter really was the result of a change in the date of Passover combined with the addition of pagan symbolism?  And that “Easter” is supposedly actually Passover?

As almost everyone knows, Jesus kept the Passover, from the time of His youth. Luke records:

His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast (Luke 2:41-42).

Jesus continued to keep the Passover throughout His entire life. He kept it once per year. Passover was an annual event for Him (Luke 21:41) and others (Exodus 13:10) and was observed on the fourteenth day of the month of the first month (called Abid in Deuteronomy 16:1 or Nisan in Esther 3:7):

On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the LORD’s Passover (Leviticus 23:5).

And Jesus had his disciples also keep it:

Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed. And He sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat.” So they said to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare?” And He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters. Then you shall say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?” ‘ Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room; there make ready.” So they went and found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover (Luke 22:7-13).

On Jesus’ last Passover as a human being, He changed many of the practices associated with it. But He in no way suggested that it was not an annual Passover, nor did He change the time of day until the morning. 

Then how did Easter-Sunday come about?

Samuele Bacchiocchi noted that the change to Easter-Sunday and to a weekly Sunday was due to persecution (the new Gentile hierarchy he is referring to are Greek bishops in Jerusalem, which took over after the rebellion was crushed):

The actual introduction of Easter-Sunday appears to have occurred earlier in Palestine after Emperor Hadrian ruthlessly crushed the Barkokeba revolt (A.D. 132-135)…

The fact that the Passover controversy arose when Emperor Hadrian adopted new repressive measures against Jewish religious practices suggests that such measures influenced the new Gentile hierarchy to change the date of Passover from Nisan 14 to the following Sunday (Easter-Sunday) in order to show separation and differentiation from the Jews and the Jewish Christians…

A whole body of Against the Jews literature was produced by leading Fathers who defamed the Jews as a people and emptied their religious beliefs and practices of any historical value. Two major causalities of the anti-Jewish campaign were Sabbath and Passover. The Sabbath was changed to Sunday and Passover was transferred to Easter-Sunday.

Scholars usually recognize the anti-Judaic motivation for the repudiation of the Jewish reckoning of Passover and adoption of Easter-Sunday instead. Joachim Jeremias attributes such a development to “the inclination to break away from Judaism.” In a similar vein, J.B. Lightfoot explains that Rome and Alexandria adopted Easter-Sunday to avoid “even the semblance of Judaism” (Bacchiocchi S. God’s Festival in Scripture and History. Biblical Perspectives. Befriend Springs (MI), 1995, pp. 101,102,103).

It is possible that the Roman “bishop” Telesphorus was the first Roman who made a change to Sunday Passover around 135 A.D. to attempt to distance himself from the Jews in Rome. If he was the first Roman leader who did it, and if he thought that this would spare his life, he was wrong as he was apparently later killed by the Roman authorities (circa 136 A.D.). On the other hand, it is perhaps more likely that Hyginus, who was apparently Greek decided to introduce the Passover Sunday tradition in Rome, perhaps to direct the wrath of the anti-Jewish Roman authorities away from those who professed Christ but avoided some of the outward signs of Judaism.

Christian leaders that refused to switch from Passover on the 14th to a Sunday observance have been labeled Quartodecimans (Latin for fourteenth) by most historians—with the bulk of them apparently being in Asia Minor near the end of the second century. 

Around 155 A.D. Polycarp of Smyrna went to Rome to deal with various heretics and he tried to persuade the bishop not to observe Passover on Easter Sunday. Irenaeus records this:

And when the blessed Polycarp was sojourning in Rome in the time of Anicetus, although a slight controversy had arisen among them as to certain other points…For neither could Anicetus persuade Polycarp to forego the observance [in his own way], inasmuch as these things had been always observed by John the disciple of our Lord, and by other apostles with whom he had been conversant; nor, on the other hand, could Polycarp succeed in persuading Anicetus to keep [the observance in his way], for he maintained that he was bound to adhere to the usage of the presbyters who preceded him. And in this state of affairs they held fellowship with each other; and Anicetus conceded to Polycarp in the Church the celebration of the Eucharist, by way of showing him respect (Irenaeus. FRAGMENTS FROM THE LOST WRITINGS OF IRENAEUS. Translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. Excerpted from Volume I of The Ante-Nicene Fathers (Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, editors); American Edition copyright © 1885. Electronic version copyright © 1997 by New Advent, Inc).

Over time, instead of being a holy day in memorial to Christ’s sacrifice, Easter became a resurrection holiday.

The Catholic writer Eusebius recorded that Polycrates of Ephesus, wrote the following to the Roman Bishop Victor who wanted all who professed Christ to change Passover from the 14th of Nisan to Sunday:

We observe the exact day; neither adding, nor taking away. For in Asia also great lights have fallen asleep, which shall rise again on the day of the Lord’s coming, when he shall come with glory from heaven, and shall seek out all the saints. Among these are Philip, one of the twelve apostles, who fell asleep in Hierapolis; and his two aged virgin daughters, and another daughter, who lived in the Holy Spirit and now rests at Ephesus; and, moreover, John, who was both a witness and a teacher, who reclined upon the bosom of the Lord, and, being a priest, wore the sacerdotal plate. He fell asleep at Ephesus. And Polycarpin Smyrna, who was a bishop and martyr; and Thraseas, bishop and martyr from Eumenia, who fell asleep in Smyrna. Why need I mention the bishop and martyr Sagaris who fell asleep in Laodicea, or the blessed Papirius, or Melito, the Eunuch who lived altogether in the Holy Spirit, and who lies in Sardis, awaiting the episcopate from heaven, when he shall rise from the dead? All these observed the fourteenth day of the passover according to the Gospel, deviating in no respect, but following the rule of faith.And I also, Polycrates, the least of you all, do according to the tradition of my relatives, some of whom I have closely followed. For seven of my relatives were bishops; and I am the eighth. And my relatives always observed the day when the peopleput away the leaven. I, therefore, brethren, who have lived sixty-five years in the Lord, and have met with the brethren throughout the world, and have gone through every Holy Scripture, am not affrighted by terrifying words. For those greater than I have said ‘ We ought to obey God rather than man’(Eusebius. Church History, Book V, Chapter 24. Translated by Arthur Cushman McGiffert. Excerpted from Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series Two, Volume 1. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. American Edition, 1890. Online Edition Copyright © 2004 by K. Knight).

Notice that Polycrates said that he and the other early church leaders (all of whom are considered to be saints by the Roman Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox like the Apostles Philip and John, and their successors like Polycarp, Thraseas, Sagaris, Papirius, Melito) would not deviate from the Bible, and that they knew the Bible taught them to keep the Passover on the correct date, and not on a Sunday. Also notice that they always observed the day when the people put away the leaven. Polycrates also reminded the Roman bishop that true followers of Christ “obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

The Orthodox Church reports this brief explanation in one of its timelines:

193 A.D. – Council of Rome, presided over by Bishop Victor, condemns the celebration of Pascha on Nisan 14, and addresses a letter to Polycrates of Ephesus and the Churches in Asia.

193 A.D. – Council of Ephesus, presided over by Bishop Polycrates, and attended by several bishops throughout Asia, reject the authority of Victor of Rome, and keep the Asian paschal tradition (Markou, Stavros L. K.An Orthodox Christian Historical Timeline. Copyright © 2003 OrthodoxFaith.com).

Many decided to make the Roman/Greek change, with probably those in Alexandria the most supportive (to see what happened in Palestine, please see the article The Ephesus Church Era). It was those in Asia Minor who mainly refused to switch Passover to Sunday (as well as those areas that did not have Roman or Alexandrian contact).

Even over a century later, there still were those, even amongst the Greco-Roman confederation that wanted to observe Passover on the 14th of Nisan. This was distressing to Emperor Constantine and he had this as an agenda item for the Council of Nicea that he had convened in 325 A.D.:

…the emperor…convened a council of 318 bishops…in the city of Nicea…They passed certain ecclesiastical canons at the council besides, and at the same time decreed in regard to the Passover that there must be one unanimous concord on the celebration of God’s holy and supremely excellent day. For it was variously observed by people… (Epiphanius. The Panarion of Epiphanius of Salamis, Books II and III (Sects 47-80), De Fide). Section VI, Verses 1,1 and 1,3. Translated by Frank Williams. EJ Brill, New York, 1994, pp.471-472).

A Sunday date was selected, instead of Nisan 14 (which can fall on any day of the week).

According to Eusebius’ Life of Constantine, Book III chapter 18, the Roman emperor Constantine declared:

Let us then have nothing in common with the detestable Jewish crowd; for we have received from our Saviour a different way.

I do not recall Jesus indicating that Jews were detestable (He was a Jew) or that He changed the date of Passover. But apparently sun-worshipping Constantine felt otherwise. And the Sunday observance is now known as Easter. But because sun-worshiping practices and the avoidance of practice that were considered too “Jewish” that is really why Easter is observed when it is.

However, Constantine’s declarations did not stop everyone from properly observing Passover. Because of this, a later Roman Emperor decreed the death penalty:

Edicts of Theodosius against the heretics, A.D. 380-394…Theodosius…decreed that…by the death of the offender; and the same capital punishment was inflicted on the Audians, or Quartodecimans, who should dare to perpetrate the atrocious crime of celebrating on an improper day the festival of Easter {Passover} (Gibbon E. Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume III, Chapter XXVII. ca. 1776-1788).

Is killing those that followed the example of Jesus and John to observe the Passover on the 14th instead of Easter Sunday a sign of a true Christian leader or a sign of supporting antichrist?  Yet that is the type of persecution that true followers of Christ had to put up with.

Another Greco-Roman supporter wrote this about the Council of Nicea a few decades later:

Three hundred Fathers or even more gathered together in the land of Bithynia and ordained this by law; yet you disdain their decrees. You must choose one of two courses: either you charge them with ignorance for their want of exact knowledge on this matter, or you charge them with cowardice because they were not ignorant, but played the hypocrite and betrayed the truth. When you do not abide by what they decreed, this is exactly the choice you must make. But all the events of the Council make it clear that they showed great wisdom and courage at that time. The article of faith they set forth at the Council show how wise they were…At that time the whole synodal gathering, welded together from these champions, along with their definition of what Christians must believe, also passed a decree that they celebrate the paschal feast in harmony together. They refused to betray their faith in those most difficult times [of persecution]; would they sink to pretense and deceit on the question of the Easter observance? (5) Look what you do when you condemn Fathers so great, so courageous, so wise (John Chrysostom. Homily III Against the Jews, III:3,4-5. Preached at Antioch, Syria in September, 386 AD).

So it is an article of faith that Greco-Roman Catholic bishops had the authority to change the scriptural date of Passover and make it an Easter celebration, even though one of the main reasons that Constantine wanted it was to have nothing in common with those he called the detestable Jewish crowd?

But this was simply not the faith of the true second century Christians in Asia Minor as Polycrates testified.

Easter itself is not a Christian term, and its celebration contains pagan elements. The Catholic Encyclopedia notes:

The English term, according to the Ven. Bede (De temporum ratione, I, v), relates to Estre, a Teutonic goddess of the rising light of day and spring…Easter is the principal feast of the ecclesiastical year. Leo I (Sermo xlvii in Exodum) calls it the greatest feast (festum festorum), and says that Christmas is celebrated only in preparation for Easter…The connection between the Jewish and the Christian Pasch explains the movable character of this feast. Easter has no fixed date, like Christmas, because the 15th of Nisan of the Semitic calendar was shifting from date to date on the Julian calendar. Since Christ, the true Paschal Lamb, had been slain on the very day when the Jews, in celebration of their Passover, immolated the figurative lamb, the Jewish Christians in the Orient followed the Jewish method…For this observance they claimed the authority of St. John and St. Philip.

In the rest of the empire another consideration predominated. Every Sunday of the year was a commemoration of the Resurrection of Christ, which had occurred on a Sunday. Because the Sunday after 14 Nisan was the historical day of the Resurrection, at Rome this Sunday became the Christian feast of Easter…

Men and women…In the Neumark (Germany) on Easter Day the men servants whip the maid servants with switches; on Monday the maids whip the men. They secure their release with Easter eggs. These customs are probably of pre-Christian origin (Reinsberg-Düringsfeld, Das festliche Jahr, 118)…

The Easter RabbitThe Easter Rabbit lays the eggs, for which reason they are hidden in a nest or in the garden. The rabbit is a pagan symbol and has always been an emblem of fertility (Simrock, Mythologie, 551)…

The Easter Fire The Easter Fire is lit on the top of mountains (Easter mountain, Osterberg) and must be kindled from new fire, drawn from wood by friction (nodfyr); this is a custom of pagan origin in vogue all over Europe, signifying the victory of spring over winter

(Holweck F. G. Transcribed by John Wagner and Michael T. Barrett. Easter. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume V. Copyright © 1909 by Robert Appleton Company. Online Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. Knight. Nihil Obstat, May 1, 1909. Remy Lafort, Censor. Imprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York).

Thus, the Romans admit that the name Easter is the name of a pagan goddess, many of its practices are of pagan origin, and that the churches in Asia Minor (which they call the Orient) continued to observe Passover on the date that the Jews did, Nisan 14.

The Bible itself also condemns certain practices, now associated with Easter, such as hot Easter buns/cakes (Jeremiah 7:14), the worship towards the sun in the east (Ezekiel 8:15-18), and the worship of Astarte/Ishtar/Ashtaroth (other spellings of the word Easter).

Even Protestant commentaries note that:

Jeremiah 7…Cakes to the queen of heaven (v. 18). Probably a reference to the Babylonian fertility-goddess Ishtar, goddess of the planet Venus (from The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1962 by Moody Press).

Jeremiah 7… What the sin is with which they are here charged-it is idolatry, v. 18. Their idolatrous respects are paid to the queen of heaven, the moon, either in an image or in the original, or both. They worshipped it probably under the name of Ashtaroth, or some other of their goddesses (from Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1991 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.).

Thus, both Catholic and Protestant scholars acknowledge that Easter/Ishtar/Ashtaroth worship contains pagan elements.

The biblical Passover has to do with the Lamb of God being killed for our sins. Easter, which is named after the pagan goddess Ishtar, has to do with a fertility festival involving rabbits and looking to the east in early morning as pagans did–adding a few elements involving Christ does not make it truly Christian.

Those who actually keep Passover can have a much better understanding of the plan of God than those who follow supposedly “Christianized” pagan holidays (this point is discussed near the end of the article titled Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible?).

If you observe Easter, why do you do it?

The Apostle Paul taught, “Prove all things” (1 Thes 5:21 KJV).

Regarding Passover and Easter did you “prove” which one the Bible and early Christians show should be observed?

Should you obey men rather than God and observe Easter?  Or should you obey God rather than men and observe Passover (which occurs next month)?

Please be like the Bereans who “searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11).

Several articles of related interest may include:

What Happened in the Crucifixion Week? How long are three days and three nights? Did Jesus die on “Good Friday”? Was the resurrection on Sunday? Do you really know? Who determined the date of Easter?
Did Early Christians Celebrate Easter? If not, when did this happen? What do scholars and the Bible reveal?
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.
Passover and the Early Church Did the early Christians observe Passover? What did Jesus and Paul teach? Why did Jesus die for our sins?
Melito’s Homily on the PassoverThis is one of the earliest Christian writings about the Passover. This also includes what Apollinaris wrote on the Passover as well.
Should Christians Keep the Days of Unleavened Bread? Do they have any use or meaning now? This article supplies some biblical answers.

Ronald Weinland’s Book Which Falsely Claims that the Great Tribulation will Begin in 2008

COGwriter

As regular readers of this page are aware, in his 2/2/08 sermon, Ronald Weinland of CGPFK claimed that the 1335 days of Daniel 12:12 began on February 2, 2008 and thus that the Great Tribulation should begin on April 17, 2008 (for more information, see the article Ronald Weinland Announced When He Claims Jesus Will Return).

Today, Ronald Weinland and nine other of his “elders” are scheduled to be in various parts of the USA and Canada to provide the false warning message that the Great Tribulation will begin in 26 days.  Here is the schedule from his website:

Mar. 22 NUMEROUS LOCATIONS WITH ELDERS….
Dallas, TX(Jimmy Carlisle)…
Springfield, MA(Mitch Williams & John Giannotta)…
Ashland, VA(Dave Conely)…
Columbia, MO(Sam Qualls)…
Buffalo, NY (Skip Henry)…
Colby, KS (Shawn Christal)…
Winnipeg, MB(Leonard McGlynn)…
Stratford, ON(Greg Chipps)…
Vancouver, WA(Ronald Weinland)

Now what will they be telling people?

I suspect that somehow they are going to have to try to tell people that the events that the Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong taught would happen at the 1335 days (February 2nd per Ronald Weinland, see Ronald Weinland Announced When He Claims Jesus Will Return) and the 1290 days (see news item Ronald Weinland Should Realize that the 1290 Days of Daniel Did Not Begin Today) were not literally supposed to happen.  And that the abomination of desolation supposedly had to do with J. Tkach Sr in the 1990s (Weinland R. Time Has Run Out. 2005) and other things that have affected the Churches of God since.

They will probably remind people that Ronald Weinland earlier taught:

The abomination of desolation has already happened (Interview on The Edge, December 15, 2007).

However, to rely on those positions, instead of the Bible, would be in contradiction with what Jesus taught (Matthew 24:15) and Daniel (12:11) taught would happen at the 1290 days when the abomination of desolation is in place.  Notice what Jesus specifically taught:

Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains (Matthew 24:15-16).

Those who believe that the “abomination of desolation has already happened” clearly DO NOT UNDERSTAND.

Instead of looking at the relevant details shown in the Bible, those supporting Ronald Weinland probably will focus on the economic crises in the USA and Great Britain.  And perhaps mention some events in the Middle East and other parts of the world.   They will probably be told that the next few weeks will be “the calm ” before the “storm” which they expect will happen next month.

Also, since Pope Benedict is supposed to visit the USA April 15-20, 2008, I suspect some will point this out as proof that the end is about to be here. 

Why the point about the Pope?

Well, I got one email from someone that stated that he thought that Ronald Weinland predicted that the Pope would be in the USA on April 17, 2008–the date that he believes the 1260 days of the great tribulation will begin–thus this is supposed to apparently prove that Ronald Weinland has some type of “prophetic ability” (note: while Ronald Weinland may have previously predicted the Pope’s visit to the USA, I have not seen anything that proves that he did–but even if he did, that is not a prophetic requirement of the prophecies related to the 1260, 1290, or 1335 days that God’s prophet Daniel recorded in the Bible). 

Well, the type of “ability” Ronald Weinland may have (if any) is NOT biblical.  The biblically required signs simply did not happen.  And even if there is some type of terrorist or other attacks, before, near, or shortly after April 17, 2008, the truth is that the Great Tribulation cannot begin next month.

Of course, with only 26 days left according to Ronald Weinland’s calculations for the Great Tribulation to begin, his current followers will probably be somewhat excited.

However, their excitement will not change the fact that the events that the Bible show must come to pass at the 1290 days simply did not come to pass.  Ronald Weinland simply claiming that the 1290 days would begin on March 18, 2008 because he says so is simply NOT what the Bible says would happen that day.

Recall that Daniel 12:11 states:

And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days.

The daily sacrifices still have not yet began, thus they were not stopped on March 18, 2007. 

His followers seem to forget that although he wrote the following in 2006 in his book 2008-God’s Final Witness, these events simply have not come to pass (any bolding his):

Thus, if these events were supposed to come from his own choosing, he either changed his mind or he simply did not have the power to make them come to pass.  With the end coming in 26 days, this should show people that Ronald Weinland simply did not have the power to make these things come to pass.

He also wrote (any bolding his):

But those events simply did not happen, thus his writings are proof that he is not God’s end-time prophet. 

Also notice that he wrote:

Finally, April 17th of this year, the first trumpet blows (Weinland R. The Mystery of God Revealed, Pt. 2. Sermon, February 23, 2008).

Now if the first trumpet of the seventh seal is supposed to be blown on April 17, 2008 and the sixth seal intensified by then and the fifth set of thunders have not yet been fulfilled, how is it possible that his predictions will be fulfilled in 26 days?

It’s not.  And that’s the point.

Also notice what he states should therefore happen on April 17, 2008:

COGwriter  

Today is called “Good Friday” by Roman Catholics and many others who profess Christ.  Many believe that Jesus was crucified on a Friday.

But is that true?

Notice the following:

Time is relative in determining chronology of Holy Week
by Michael Miller

There’s a possibility that Good Friday should actually be Good Thursday – or maybe even Good Wednesday.

And there’s a probability that Easter Sunday should be considered Easter Saturday Evening.

Whether the events of Holy Week, the days leading up to Jesus’s death and resurrection, occurred as they are now celebrated continues to be an occasional topic of discussion and study, scholars like Kevin Zuber of Moody Bible Institute say.

The traditional chronology has Jesus having his Last Supper with his disciples on Thursday night, being crucified on Friday afternoon and being resurrected sometime Saturday night or Sunday morning.

But the only clear time references of the events in the Gospels are that he was crucified on “preparation day” for a Sabbath and his tomb was found empty early “on the first day of the week.” Jesus’s own prophecy is that he would be in the “heart of the earth” for “three days and three nights” (Matthew 12:40).

Different calendars and understandings of time have to be taken into consideration, though.

Jewish days begin and end with sunset, meaning the “first day of the week” starts at sunset Saturday. Also, with the Feast of Unleavened Bread beginning that fateful week, there may have been Sabbaths on two separate days that week – first the annual Sabbath of the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and then the regular, weekly Sabbath on the seventh day of the week – much like there was recently. That means there could have been two separate preparation days in the same week. http://www.bendweekly.com/Living/3733.html (Miller M. Bend Time is relative in determining chronology of Holy Week. Weekly News for Oregon. March 16, 2007).

While we in the Living Church of God would not agree that “time is relative” in this case, we believe that because Protestants and others do not keep the biblical Holy Days, that this is one of the reasons that they have not given much thought in the past to the idea that there were two days of preparation mentioned in the Gospels concerning Jesus death, burial, and resurrection.

But it is nice that Moody Institute (a Protestant-supporting organization) finally is realizing that the idea that Jesus died late Friday and was resurrected early Sunday appears to be problematic.

Furthermore, see what Jerry Falwell, a Sunday-keeper, and others have:

The Bible is actually silent on the precise moment of resurrection. Jesus’ followers came to His tomb before dawn on the first day of the week (Sunday), but they did not witness Him coming back to life. They merely found an empty tomb.

Even the late Rev. Jerry Falwell, a Sunday-keeper and chancellor of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., agreed with that timetable, telling WND in 2001, “I personally believe He was crucified on Wednesday evening … and rose after 6 p.m. Saturday evening.”

Most Christians today think Jesus died on a Friday and rose on Sunday. They point to Scriptures indicating a Sabbath day followed Jesus’ execution. But Sabbath-keepers claim it was not the weekly Sabbath of Saturday approaching. Rather, they say it was an annual Sabbath, a “high” holy day in the Hebrew calendar known as the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which supposedly occurred on a Thursday the week Jesus was killed. The Gospel of John mentions that Sabbath was the annual type.

“The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) … .” (John 19:31)

In other words, Sabbatarians say there was more than one day of rest that week. Their timeline has Jesus slain on Wednesday – the day before the “high day” annual Sabbath on Thursday. They believe Jesus was in the grave for a full three days and three nights, finally arising Saturday evening, the second Sabbath of the week.

The mention of “three days and three nights” is important for many, as Jesus used that phrase to prove His divine identity:

“For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so I, the Son of Man, will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.” (Matthew 12:40, New Living Translation) (Kovac, Joe. ‘Deception’: Christians war over worship day. Posted: March 16, 2008 5:24 pm Eastern. WorldNetDaily).

Hence, some do know the truth.

It may be of interest to note that early writings show that it was known that Jesus was arrested early on a Wednesday. The following was written around the late second/early third century:

For when we had eaten the passover on the third day of the week at even, we went forth to the Mount of Olives; and in the night they seized our Lord Jesus. And the next day, which was the fourth of the week, He remained in ward in the house of Caiaphas the high priest. And on the same day the chiefs of the people were assembled and took counsel against Him. And on the next day again, which was the fifth of the week, they brought Him to Pilate the governor. And He remained again in ward with Pilate the night after the fifth day of the week (Didascalia Apostolorum, Chapter 21, verse 14. R. Hugh Connolly, version Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1929).

Now although the above account later states that the crucifixion was actually on Friday, that end portion of the Didascalia Apostolorum account does not agree with the scriptures. The Bible account does not allow for a holding period of a couple of days before the actual crucifixion (the biblical account specifically discusses the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread and this would not allow for such a delay). Thus, it was understood in the second century that Jesus’ arrest occurred Tuesday night, and therefore must have been crucified on the following Wednesday.

Furthermore, notice what else was understood by some in the late second/early third century:

And again (there was) the day of the Sabbath; and then three hours of the night after the Sabbath, wherein our Lord slept. And that was fulfilled which He said: The Son of man must pass three days and three nights in the heart of the earth [Mt 12.40], as it is written in the Gospel. And again it is written in David: Behold, thou hast set my days in measure[Ps 38.6 LXX] (Didascalia Apostolorum, Chapter 21. R. Hugh Connolly, version. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1929).

Notice that the above account teaches that Jesus was resurrected late evening on a Saturday. And while we in the Living Church of God would suggest that the resurrection occurred a few hours earlier, the above account (which is often used by Roman Catholics and others) shows that Jesus was NOT understood to have been resurrected on a Sunday!

In the third century, the Catholic bishop and saint Victorinus wrote:

Now is manifested the reason of the truth why the fourth day is called the Tetras, why we fast even to the ninth hour, or even to the evening, or why there should be a passing over even to the next day…

The man Christ Jesus, the originator of these things whereof we have above spoken, was taken prisoner by wicked hands, by a quaternion of soldiers. Therefore on account of His captivity by a quaternion, on account of the majesty of His works,–that the seasons also, wholesome to humanity, joyful for the harvests, tranquil for the tempests, may roll on,–therefore we make the fourth day a station or a supernumerary fast (Victorinus. On the Creation of the World. Excerpted from Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 7. Edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. American Edition, 1886. Online Edition Copyright © 2004 by K. Knight).

The above account shows that the fasting occurred the fourth day (tetrasmeans fourth) at the ninth hour (3:00 pm). That is the precise time of the death of Christ according to the Bible. Victorinus is admitting that later that day, there was the Passover time (as does the Bible). He also clearly states that Jesus was arrested on Wednesday. And that is correct (what is not correct is that the Bible does not allow that Jesus did not die until Friday, with a Wednesday arrest, which is what these sources seem to believe).

It is interesting to note that even into the 19th century, there was a ceremony in Rome that indicated a Saturday resurrection. Notice:

This ceremony is thus graphically described by the authoress of Rome in the 19th Century:”…the Pope himself, who walked beneath a crimson canopy, with his head uncovered, bearing the Host in a box; and this being, as you know, the real flesh and blood of Christ, was carried from the Sistine chapel through the intermediate hall to the Paulina chapel, where it was deposited in the sepulchre prepared to receive it beneath the altar…I never could learn why Christ was to be buried before He was dead, for, as the crucifixion did not take place till Good Friday, it seems odd to inter Him on Thursday. His body, however, is laid in the sepulchre, in all the churches of Rome, where this rite is practised, on Thursday forenoon, and it remains there till Saturday at mid-day, when, for some reason best known to themselves, He is supposed to rise from the grave amidst the firing of cannon, and blowing of trumpets, and jingling of bells…*”

* The above account referred to the ceremonies as witnessed by the authoress in 1817 and 1818. It would seem that some change has taken place since then, caused probably by the very attention called by her to the gross anomaly mentioned above; for Count Vlodaisky, formerly a Roman Catholic priest, who visited Rome in 1845, has informed me that in that year the resurrection took place, not at mid-day, but at nine o’clock on the evening of Saturday. This may have been intended to make the inconsistency between Roman practice and Scriptural fact appear somewhat less glaring. Still the fact remains, that the resurrection of Christ, as celebrated at Rome, takes place, …on the day of Saturn…(Hislop, Alexander. Two Babylons. Loizeaux, Neptune (NJ), Second American Edition, 1959–originally expanded in 1858).

Whether the above ceremony still exists, this writer does not know. But it is interesting that at least one Roman ceremony involving the pope acknowledged a Saturday resurrection that late. Perhaps, this ceremony was originally adopted by Rome partially because the early Romans knew that Jesus was actually resurrected on Saturday.

Irrespective of that celebration, it is clear that there is evidence outside the Bible that among those that professed Christ, there were some who understood that the crucifixion was on a Wednesday and the resurrection was on a Saturday.

I will state here that Jesus was not just arrested on a Wednesday (as some early accounts indicate), He was crucified then too, just before the first day of unleavened bread. As that Sabbath was a high day (John 19:31), and since the day before the high days was considered to be a preparation day, it was that day, and not a Friday, that Jesus was crucified on. If professing Christians would keep the Holy Days, more would realize that.

According to the Bible, the Crucifixion was not on Friday.

Articles of related interest may include:

What Happened in the Crucifixion Week? How long are three days and three nights? Did Jesus die on “Good Friday”? Was the resurrection on Sunday? Do you really know? Who determined the date of Easter?
Did Early Christians Celebrate Easter? If not, when did this happen? What do scholars and the Bible reveal?
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.
Hope of Salvation: How the Living Church of God differ from most Protestants How the Living Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants, is perhaps the question I am asked most by those without a Church of God background.
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Living Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions.
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Orthodox Church and the Living Church of God Both groups have some amazing similarities and some major differences. Do you know what they are?

Salvation Will, in the Future, Be Offered to All Who Ever Lived

COGwriter 

In the latest (March 2008) edition of CG7’s Bible Advocate magazine, the lead article by Jason Overman states:

The good news is that in Christ, righteousness and peace have finally kissed and relationship with God is restored. But this reconciliation is not confined to you and me as individuals. Now all things are reconciled (Ephesians 1:10) — not just to God but to each other, and to ourselves as well…

It is not just that “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself” but that He “has given us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18, 21). As ambassadors of Christ (to our amazement), “we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God” (v. 20).

But reconciliation is not simple or sentimental; it is not cheap.

While I agree that reconciliation is not sentimental or cheap, does Ephesians 1:10 show that all things are NOW reconciled?

No is does not.

Look at what the Apostle Paul actually wrote:

10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth–in Him (Ephesians 1:10).

This particular reconciliation in the “fullness of the times” is for later as all things have not yet been gathered together in Christ. 

Even the Protestant Wycliffe Bible Commentary realizes that this is for a future period (any bolding in source):

Ephesians 1:10…
That in the dispensation of the fulness of times. The word dispensation means “stewardship.” It is used in the NT to refer to the different administrations of God’s blessings. Evidently the dispensation of the fulness of times is the final stewardship committed to men, which will bring the purposes of God to fruition in human history. The purpose that has been referred to is summed up in the expression, He might gather together in one all things in Christ. This is a literary remark (Robertson)-“that he might head up everything in Christ” (cf. Col 1:18). All thingsincludes the whole creation. Since Christ is pre-eminent in God’s purpose in the universe and in the Church, the individual who does not have Christ preeminent in his life is entirely out of harmony with the purpose of the Father.
(from The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1962 by Moody Press)

Notice what else the Apostle Paul wrote:

25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written (Romans 11:25-26).

The time for all Israel to be saved has not come yet.  

Sadly, the Church of God (Seventh day)-Denver seems to have a lot of misunderstandings about God’s plan of salvation.

Part of the ministry of the reconciliation for this age is to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God to explain to human beings how living the way of the world separates us from God and that when Jesus returns to establish His kingdom, He will show humans how they should have lived.

Furthermore, after the second resurrection, all will see how God’s way of life as shown during the millennium will change this planet from the disaster that humans will continue to bring upon it and thus when most who ever lived see this, they will chose to be reconciled with God.  And that will be the fullness of the times when all things will be gathered to Christ.

Sadly, the Church of God (Seventh day)-Denver seems to continue to fulfill the prophecies made to the Sardis Church era and is losing much of the truth it had.

However, you do not need to.

Several articles of related interest may include:

Universal Offer of Salvation: There Are Hundreds of Verses in the Bible Supporting the Doctrine of True Apocatastasis Do you believe what the Bible actually teaches on this? Will all good things be restored? Does God’s plan of salvation take rebellion and spiritual blindness into account?
Hope of Salvation: How the Living Church of God differ from most Protestants How the Living Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants, is perhaps the question I am asked most by those without a Church of God background.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church Did you know that? Do you even know what the gospel of the kingdom is all about? True religion should be based upon the true gospel.
Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism and a 6000 Year Plan? Was a 6,000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth (often called the millennium) taught by the early Christians? Is this time near?
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?

TRANSFORMED FROM TRUTH 

COGwriter

In his latest “Speaking of Life” announcement, WCG’s J. Tkach teaches:

When God led Israel out of slavery in Egypt, he gave them the worship practice of sacrificing lambs. Before the first Passover, they were instructed to

“take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs” (Exodus 12:7 NIV).

The blood became a sign for Israel to remember that the death angel passed over their houses and did not invoke a death penalty of the firstborn in each house…

In the New Testament the theme about lambs and sin continues. The apostle John records that when John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward the Jordan River, he said,

“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 NIV). Jesus was the perfect sacrifice, and when he died and rose for all human sin…

Jesus is not only the Creator and Judge of all things, he is also the sacrificial Lamb who takes the sins of the world upon himself and forgives them all. He is what the law always pointed to, but could never accomplish in itself. He is both the Creator and the Redeemer of his Universe. I encourage you to live in the redemption he has given us!

It is true that Jesus is the Lamb of God.  However, it is also true that Jesus set an example for us and observed the Christian Passover–He also told His followers to do this (Luke 22:15-19).

Sadly, J. Tkach and the Worldwide Church of God, although they quote some aspects of the Bible, in order to accept traditions of men, they have been transformed from the biblical truths to the point that they endorse Easter, a fertility holiday named after a pagan goddess.

Of course, you do not have to.  You can avoid pagan holidays and observe the biblical ones, such as Passover.  The holidays based upon the traditions of men simply do not properly explain God’s plan of salvation.

But the biblical holy days do.  Will you obey God or the traditions of men?

Several articles of related interest may include:

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.
Passover and the Early Church Did the early Christians observe Passover? What did Jesus and Paul teach? Why did Jesus die for our sins?
Melito’s Homily on the Passover This is one of the earliest Christian writings about the Passover. This also includes what Apollinaris wrote on the Passover as well.
Should Christians Keep the Days of Unleavened Bread? Do they have any use or meaning now? This article supplies some biblical answers.
Is Lent a Christian Holiday? When did it originate? What about Ash Wednesday? If you observe them, do you know why?
What Happened in the Crucifixion Week? How long are three days and three nights? Did Jesus die on “Good Friday”? Was the resurrection on Sunday? Do you really know? Who determined the date of Easter?
Did Early Christians Celebrate Easter? If not, when did this happen? What do scholars and the Bible reveal?

India 

COGwriter 

The following item was in the news today:

Million face famine after plague of rats devastates rice crop in Mizoram, India

The Times – March 18, 2008

About a million people are facing famine in India’s northeastern state of Mizoram after rats ate the region’s entire paddy crop. The rats swept through the forests, feasting on the fruits of wild bamboo, which flowers every 48 years. When they finished the bamboo, they turned to the farmers’ crops. The last time the bamboo flowered was in 1959 when a similar influx led to severe food shortages.  http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article3571748.ece

As I mentioned before, while we may be close to “the beginning of sorrows” that Jesus spoke of (and they do include famine per Matthew 24:7-8), the end is not yet.

In addition, even though Britain is having its own economic troubles, the end is not yet.  Here is a news item today about some of Britain’s financial problems:

UK facing worst financial crisis ‘in decades’

Telegraph – March 18, 2008

The financial crisis engulfing the British economy has lurched to a new low as £51 billion was wiped off the value of the country’s top companies.

On a chaotic day in the City, the pound suffered its worst one-day fall since Black Wednesday in 1992 amidst fears of a growing global recession…

The slump in the value of bank shares was fuelled by fears that Bear Stearns may not be the last bank teetering on the brink of collapse.

Edmund Shing, a strategist for BNP Paribas, said: “Everyone is asking: Who’s next? Is there a Bear Stearns in Europe?”  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2008/03/18/nmeltdown118.xml.

While times are difficult, the truth is that Daniel 12:11/Matthew 24:15-16 did not get fulfilled today, despite Ronald Weinland’s predictions.

The King of the North did not invade Jerusalem, did stop the sacrifices (which have not yet even started), and Christians did not flee Jerusalem for the mountains.

However, times are tense in many parts of the world, including India.

Two articles of related interest may include:

India, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part I: Any Witness? The Bible discusses the origins of those of Indian heritage and discusses some of the witness to 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 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?

Ronald Weinland’s Book Which Falsely Claims that the Great Tribulation will Begin in 2008

COGwriter

As regular readers of this page are aware, Ronald Weinland claimed that the 1335 days of Daniel 12:12 began on February 2, 2008 (for more information, see the article Ronald Weinland Announced When He Claims Jesus Will Return).

Today, according to my understanding of Ronald Weinland’s teachings, should be the beginning of the 1290 days of Daniel 12:11.

Daniel 12:11 states:

And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days.

Hopefully, those who simply read this verse and look at the news today will realize that the related events have not happened and that Ronald Weinland is not God’s prophet. 

Notice also what, according to Daniel 11:31, is supposed to be happening:

And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation.

The “him” referred to above is called The King of the North (see Daniel 11:40).   He is supposed to be defiling the sanctuary fortress today–this did not seem to happen in Israel today (and while it is true that today is not completely over yet–it has about 8 hours left in Jerusalem, and less if the day ends at sunset–because of the next reason listed we can be sure that the 1290 days did not begin today). 

In addition, for the daily sacrifices to stop in Daniel 11:31, it would be necessary that they start for a period of at least some days prior to the 1290 in order for them to be considered “daily” (some believe that a physical temple in Jerusalem needs to be built for these sacrifices to take place first, but it should be mentioned that only an altar is needed for sacrifices–an article of related to that would be The Temple and the Work ). It may actually be that part of the justification that the King of the North will give himself (and possibly the United States) for this invasion is that it is necessary for him to go to Jerusalem to stop the “fanatics” in Israel from inciting world war by performing these daily sacrifices (see also Daniel 9:27).

And according to Jesus notice what else is supposed to be happening:

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 (Matthew 24:15-20).

And of course, there is no King of the North ‘abomination of desolation’ with armies surrounding Jerusalem.

And although Ronald Weinland claims to follow the teachings Herbert W. Armstrong better than others do, he appears to ignore and/or allegorize what Herbert W. Armstrong wrote about the 1335 days and the 1290 days:

The indication is the armies of the “beast” of Revelation 17, entering Jerusalem (Dan 11:41, Zech. 14:2), will stop this “daily sacrifice”…

And the abomination that maketh desolate set up.” What is this abomination? This refers to Daniel 11:31 and Matthew 24:15…

From this time (Daniel 12:11) to Christ’s coming will be 1290 days. Now, verse 12, “Blessed is he that waiteth, and comes to the 1335 days.” Never before have we understood these periods of 1260, 1290. and 1335 days. But it seems evident, now, a blessing is pronounced on us–GOD”S CHURCH–who wait and endure until the 1335 days–approximately 1335 days prior to Christ’s coming. But since no one can know the day or hour of His coming, we probably shall not be able to know the exact day this 1335 days begins. But apparently that is the time when OUR WORK SHALL END. That will be a time when the UNITED Europe shall appear–the revival of the medieval “Holy Roman Empire.” We shall then be warned, and readied to be taken to a place of refuge and safety from the Great Tribulation. Forty-five days later “the beasts armies” will surround Jerusalem. Thirty days later the Great Tribulation will probably start with a nuclear attack on London and Britain–and possibly the same day or immediately after, on the United States and Canadian cities. The GREAT TRIBULATION, we shall fully then realize, is the time of “Jacob’s Trouble,” spoken of in Jeremiah 30:7. And Jacob’s name was named on Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh (Gen. 48:16). At that time a third of the people in our nations will die, or shall have died, by famine and disease epidemics; another third will dies of the war–our cities being destroyed (Ezek. 6:6), and the remaining third will be carried to the land of our enemies as slaves (Ezek. 5:12). Armstrong HW. The Time We Are In, Now. Pastor General’s Report-Vol 1, No. 15, November 20, 1979, Page 2).

So world events, the Bible, and also the writings of Herbert W. Armstrong all show that Ronald Weinland’s predictions are not correct.  And the current economic troubles, while possibly related to the “beginning of sorrows” (see Matthew 24:8), do not truly fulfill what was supposed to be happening at the start of the 1290 days.

Thus, I also disagree with Ronald Weinland’s earlier indication that the 1260 days will begin next month and with his comments related to the supposed April destruction of the United States (see also Ronald Weinland: Nuclear Attack May be Mid-April 2008).

But I would like to add, that unlike many biblical skeptics who do not believe the end is coming, I do believe that “the end” is coming relatively soon.  It is just that according to what I read and understand, it cannot occur in 2008 like Ronald Weinland and some others have insisted upon.

But it is true that some of the signs leading to the end are becoming more and more evident.  And Europe, despite some setbacks it will most likely have before getting there, certainly looks like the place that the prophesied “King of the North” will come from.  But not quite yet as whoever the king will be there is not a king yet–and maybe not yet even a prince  (Daniel 9:26-27).

But events are lining up for biblical prophecies to be fulfilled.  Sadly, himself Ronald Weinland seems to be fulfilling 2 Peter:

2:1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed (2 Peter 2:1-2).

Unlike those of us in the Living Church of God who believe Jesus is God, Ronald Weinland is also “unitarian“–hence he truly does deny the truth about the Lord. There are also others who are fulfilling 2 Peter 2.

Do not allow their “prophecies” to allow the “way of truth” to be blasphemed to you.

Articles of related interest may include:

Concerns About Ronald Weinland’s Church of God-Preparing for the Kingdom of God
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Dr. Douglas Winnail, January 2008

Today is the day normally observed as “St. Patrick’s Day” by many Catholics, Irish, and others.

Although it has been claimed that Patrick was the first to bring “Christianity” to Ireland, this is not true.

The following was written by Dr. Douglas Winnail, and is in the March-April 2008 edition, of the magazine of the Living Church of God called Tomorrow’s World:

Facts vs. Fables

     But what happened to the true gospel, which the Apostles brought to Europe’s western isles in the first century? How do the above-mentioned reports jibe with widely accepted traditions that Patrick converted the Irish in the fifth century, and that Augustine brought Christianity to England in the seventh century?
     On these points, reputable scholars make some surprising admissions. Irish Catholic historians relate that “traditionally… Saint Patrick has been credited with converting the entire Irish race from paganism in the very short period between 432 and 461… however, we have to admit that there were certainly Christians in Ireland before Patrick arrived… and that the saint worked as an evangelist only in part of the island [the north]” (Walsh and Bradley, p. 1). Irish writer Liam de Paor wrote that “Ireland was not converted by one man [Patrick]… it may be that Christianity reached the west country [of Britain] and the southern Irish sea virtually independent of the Roman system, at a very early date… centuries before Patrick” (Paor, pp. 21, 23). There are traditions that the Apostle James preached the gospel in Ireland before returning to Jerusalem, where he was martyred (see MacManus, The Story of the Irish Race, p. 103). Indeed, many historical sources confirm that the apostles brought true Christianity to Ireland four centuries before Patrick’s visit. The story that Patrick was the first to bring Christianity to Ireland is a fable!
     Traditions surrounding Augustine also look very different when we know the facts of history. Bede, an Anglo-Saxon monk living in northeast England in the 700s, wrote what has been called the primary sourcebook for this period: The Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation. Bede was a highly respected scholar, but he has also been called a “medieval spin doctor” because he tended to gloss over subjects that did not fit the story he was telling. As a Saxon, he glorified the Saxons and put down the Britons. He was also an enthusiastic supporter of Roman Catholicism. He writes nothing of the apostles coming to Britain and Ireland, only briefly mentions Christians preceding Augustine in early Britain, and instead focuses on Augustine as if he were the “bringer of the true faith” to the English nation.
     However, when we read Bede’s account carefully, it becomes obvious that British bishops already functioning on the island would have nothing to do with Augustine or the religion he represented! They would not accept the Roman Catholic observance of Easter, or their method of baptism, or the notion that Rome could give Augustine the authority to become Archbishop of England. Augustine told the British bishops: “You act in many particulars contrary to our custom, or rather the custom of the universal church” (Bede, Bk. 2, chap. 2). Bede describes what he calls the “errors of the Britons” and writes that the “Scots in no way differ from the Britons in their behavior” (ibid., chap. 4). Describing why the Scottish bishops, at a confrontation at Witby in 664ad, refused to adopt the Roman Easter, Bede reports that these bishops followed an ancient practice—”the same which St. John the Evangelist, the disciple of our Lord, with all the churches over which he presided, is recorded to have observed” (ibid., chap. 25).
     Bede’s account reveals that the Scottish bishops were actually observing the biblical Passover (at the beginning of Nisan 14, shortly after sunset) and Days of Unleavened Bread (see Leviticus 23:4–8). Bede countered the Scots’ appeal to scriptural practice and apostolic tradition with a reference to then-current customs of the Roman Church, and with ridicule that “the Picts and the Britons, who foolishly, in these two remote islands of the world… oppose all the rest of the universe” (ibid., Bk. 2, chap. 25). Yet this same battle had raged several centuries earlier in Asia Minor, when a Roman bishop had excommunicated the followers of John (called Quartodecimans) for observing the Passover on Nisan 14 instead of the Roman Easter. Following the confrontation at Whitby, the remnants of apostolic Christianity retreated to Scotland, Wales and southwest England, while the Saxons and eventually more Britons embraced Roman Catholicism. In Europe’s western isles, the original teachings of Christianity were pushed aside by a different gospel emanating from Rome…
     There is another reason why the truths about the first arrival of Christianity in the West, and about true Apostolic Christianity, have been obscured and forgotten. As historian Fletcher deftly observes, “history is written by the winners” (Fletcher, p. 75). He explains that in the theological disputes that raged over the centuries, individuals or groups who wound up on the losing side—whether right or wrong—were “systematically vilified, their writings hunted down and destroyed” (ibid.)—which is exactly what happened in Britain and Ireland. The British bishops who opposed Augustine and the teachings of the Roman church were labeled “perfidious [treacherous] men” and hundreds were murdered (Bede, Bk. 2, chap. 2). Today, Bede’s biased history is widely available in English, yet Ussher’s text—long recognized as “the most exact account” of the planting of Christianity in Britain—is found almost exclusively in Latin, if it can be found at all. It is no wonder that fundamental truths have been forgotten. 

The one claimed to be St. Patrick by the Romans simply was not the first to bring Christianity to the British Isles.

Hippolytus, in the early third century, seems to have claimed that one of the seventy that Jesus sent out to preach ended up in Britain: 

These two belonged to the seventy disciples who were scattered… 

Aristobulus, bishop of Britain (Hippolytus. Where Each OF Them Preached, And Where HE Met His End).

 If that is so, Aristobulus could have have been placed in charge by one of the apostles as the seventy (Luke 10:1,17) had to have known the original apostles. But it is clear that by the early third century, it was known that some version of Christianity had made it into the British Isles. And as others have also indicated, this could have occurred earlier.  Eusebius, for one example, wrote that Jesus’ disciples reached the British Isles: 

His disciples…to preach to all the Name of Jesus, to teach about His marvellous deeds in country and town, that some of them should take possession of the Roman Empire, and the Queen of Cities itself, and others the Persian, others the Armenian, that others should go to the Parthian race, and yet others to the Scythian, that some already should have reached the very ends of the world, should have reached the land of the Indians, and some have crossed the Ocean and reached the Isles of Britain (Eusebius of Caesarea: Demonstratio Evangelica, Book 3, Chapter 5. Translated by W.J. Ferrar. Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. London. The Macmillan Company. New York 1920, p. 113). 

Thus, James, Aristobulus, and/or others (like possibly Paul) came to the Isles well before “Patrick”.

The truth is that when they arrived, the Roman Catholics were unhappy to find a Christianity in the Isles that held to very non-Catholic beliefs (more on this is in the article The Pergamos Church Era ). 

Here is a report from a non-COG scholar for the period 549-1049:

The term Culdee has been improperly applied to the whole Keltic church, and a superior purity has been claimed for it.

There is no doubt that the Columban or the Keltic church of Scotland, as well as the early Irish and the early British churches, differed in many points from the mediaeval and modern church of Rome, and represent a simpler and yet a very active missionary type of Christianity.

The leading peculiarities of the ancient Keltic church, as distinct from the Roman, are:

1. Independence of the Pope. Iona was its Rome, and the Abbot of Iona, and afterwards of Dunkeld, though a mere Presbyter, ruled all Scotland.

2. Monasticism ruling supreme, but mixed with secular life, and not bound by vows of celibacy; while in the Roman church the monastic system was subordinated to the hierarchy of the secular clergy.

3. Bishops without dioceses and jurisdiction and succession.

4. Celebration of the time of Easter.

5. Form of the tonsure.

It has also been asserted, that the Kelts or Culdees were opposed to auricular confession, the worship of saints, and images, purgatory, transubstantiation, the seven sacraments…(Schaff, Philip, History of the Christian Church, (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.) 1997. This material has been carefully compared, corrected¸ and emended (according to the 1910 edition of Charles Scribner’s Sons) by The Electronic Bible Society, Dallas, TX, 1998).

Thus, the beliefs of true church had spread throughout many lands. It should be noted that it was the time of Passover, and not Easter, that was always the issue. Also, the true church never adopted the idea of seven sacraments, nor did the early church in the British, Irish, or Scottish regions (later, however, persecution and apostasy also occurred and basically took over in this region).

The truth is that the Greco-Roman confederation did not begin to form until over a century after Jesus died, hence it was not part of the early missionary journeys that the original apostles and their immediate successors made.

Several articles of possibly related interest may include:

Why The Living Church of God Does Not Wear Green on St. Patrick’s Day Should non-Catholics observe a Catholic holiday?
The Pergamos Church Era was predominant circa 450 A.D. to circa 1050 A.D. An especially persecuted Church.  This article discusses early Christianity in the British Isles.
Passover and the Early Church Did the early Christians observe Passover? What did Jesus and Paul teach? Why did Jesus die for our sins?
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?