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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

Today, is the second date this year that CGPFK’s self-appointed prophet Ronald Weinland claimed that his 1290 days began.  But today is NOT the day that the days of Daniel 12:11 could possibly have started.

Although he still does not have any updates at his personal website since he brought this date up in August, the CGPFK website does state this in the FAQ section:

1335 Days: The sealing of the 144,000 that will make up the Government of God at Christ’s return in 2012 will take place on the September 30th, 2008, and 45 days later we arrived at 1290 days.

1290 Days: The Seventh Seal is opened on the 14th of November, 2008, which signifies an end to the abomination of desolation that has been working in God’s Church. This marks the beginning of an awakening for spiritual Israel – the final remnant of the Church of God that was scattered (those baptized before December 1994 – approximately 3000), and will continue right up until the return of Jesus Christ. 30 days later we arrived at 1260 days.

1260 Days: The blowing of the first Trumpet will occur/occurred on the 14th of December, 2008. This is the beginning of the Great Tribulation and 3 1/2 years until the return of Jesus Christ on the day of Pentecost. The beginning of the fall of the USA and other Israelite countries begins from the start of the 1260 days. God will reveal this period of time for the first Four Trumpets of 6 to 12 months. God will reveal this information to His two end-time prophets (and two end-time witnesses) whose job begins on this same date.

The only way a person can understand this timeline is by revelation given by God. The Church of God knows the date of Jesus Christ’s return because of the timing of the opening of the seals and the revealed truths contained in the annual Holy Days.

Of course, Ronald Weinland is once again wrong because he relies on his own imaginations and not what the Bible teaches.

Specifically notice what is supposed to happen at the start of the 1290 days according to the Bible:

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).

The daily sacrifices have not yet started, thus they were not taken away today.  Nor was the abomination of desolation set up.

Ronald Weinland’s false claims that somehow only his falsely labeled “Church of God” knows this 1335/1290/1260 day information through falsely claimed revelation of God, does not change the fact that since scripture cannot be broken (John 10:35), that it is Ronald Weinland, and not Daniel, who is wrong.

I should also remind readers that when nothing happened to fulfill Ronald Weinland’s previous prediction that the 1290 days began on March 18, 2008, Ronald Weinland claimed that the events of that date did begin, but since they were “spiritual” that basically only he and few others could see it (for some details, see the news item, Ronald Weinland: Nothing Happened March 18th Because What Happened Was Spiritual?).

Since he was wrong and changed his dates, whatever he then claimed to see was truly false.

Despite his many false claims, Ronald Weinland and his wife are not the two witnesses, the 1335 days of the Bible did not start on September 30, 2008, the 1290 days of the Bible did not start today, the 1260 days of the Bible will not start on December 14, 2008, and Ronald Weinland DOES NOT know the date that Jesus will return (which he indicates is basically Pentecost in 2012–I will go on the record and state that according to the Bible, Jesus cannot return that early).

For many years I have been warning people not to believe Ronald Weinland’s false predictions.  So far, he has been wrong every time.

Please, despite how convincing Ronald Weinland may sometimes sound, do not believe a false prophet like him.

Those who really want to know what the Bible teaches will happen related to the the 1335 days, the 1290 days, and the 1260 days of Daniel, when the 6000 years should end, etc. should read the following articles:

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? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States?
Is There A Future King of the South? Some no longer believe there needs to be. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? What does the Bible say?
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?
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 (the Hindus may have some predictions for the next decade as well). 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?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2009, 2010, or 2011? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?
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?
Why Prophecy? Because the World Will Not End Next Week Some question or downplay the role of prophecy. This article gives some of the biblical reasons what it is important and explains why the world cannot end for at least 3 1/2 years from now.
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.

Those interested in more of Ronald Weinland’s teachings may wish to read the often updated article:

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 also has at least one other view that suggests that he is not part of the Church of God.

COGwriter

The financial news for the USA and much of the world was not especially positive yesterday.  Now China may affect it as well:

China stimulus may knock U.S. Treasuries near term

Reuters – Nov 12, 2008

NEW YORK (Reuters) – China’s mammoth economic stimulus package announced this week is the latest piece of bad news for U.S. Treasury bonds as the market prepares for a borrowing requirement to fund the U.S. government’s bailout of the banking system.

Bond investors are concerned China may either trim its huge U.S. Treasuries holdings to pay for the country’s $586 billion stimulus package, or slow its purchases of U.S. government debt.

To make matters worse, analysts expect a huge acceleration in U.S. government debt issuance running to some $2 trillion over the next year, swelling the size of the $4.9 trillion Treasury market and weighing on the prices of these securities.

Add it up and prices should fall and yields surge, analysts worry. http://in.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idINIndia-36457120081112

While the USA NEEDS someone to buy its debt, or essentially fall apart economically, it need not necessarily be China.  And while Japan is a big buyer of USA debt, it is possible that even the Europeans will buy some.

It may be of interest to note that in the past couple of months, European leaders have essentially told the USA that if it followed European practices it would not be in the mess that it is now in.  The Europeans seem to be sending a signal to the world that they intend to be the solution to the USA and the world’s banking system (see for example Dow, FTSE, Nikkei, Hang Seng, DAX, & CAC Drop, And Europe Plots).

Notice the following news item:

Did you know that the late Herbert W. Armstrong indicated decades ago that something like this would happen?

PCG’s Gerald Flurry reported:

Herbert W. Armstrong warned of a gigantic financial crisis that would shake the economic world. He said this unparalleled crisis would motivate Europe to unite into a great superpower.

He wrote in July 1984 that a banking meltdown in America “could suddenly result in triggering European nations to unite as a new world power larger than either the Soviet Union or the U.S. That, in turn, could bring on the Great Tribulation suddenly. And that will lead quickly to the Second Coming of Christ, and end of this world as we know it” (emphasis his).

The truth is that Herbert W. Armstrong did have a grasp of biblical and prophetic matters.

And while the end is not yet here, events are lining up for the Europeans to become the dominant economic force in the world and the USA to be an also ran debtor nation.

Several articles of possibly related interest may include:

Who Was Herbert W. Armstrong? How is He Viewed Today? Includes quotes from the 1973 edition of The Autobiography of Herbert W. Armstrong and explains how he is and should be viewed today.
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?
Japan, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Any Witness? This is a draft of an in-process article about Japan. Have they had any witness?
Japan, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: Prophecy Japan in prophecy. What is prophesied for Japan. Will God save the Japanese?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
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? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States?
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”? What is ahead for Europe?
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?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2009, 2010, or 2011? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?

TRANSFORMED FROM TRUTH

COGwriter

In a document that was revised by the Worldwide Church of God (WCG) on August 21, 2008, titled An introduction to Trinitarian, Christ-centered Theology, by Ted Johnston, WCG-USA Ministry Development Team (with Dr. J. Michael Feazell, Dr. Michael Morrison, Terry Akers and Keith Brittain), it proclaimed the following:

Trinitarian, Christcentered Theology has been around a very long time.  In fact, it was the theological vision that informed much of the teaching in the early church, was the basis of the early Christian Creeds, and the basis for determining the canon of the New Testament. Following is a summary of a few of the early and prominent Trinitarian teachers/theologians.

Irenaeus (died A.D. 202) Irenaeus was a disciple of Polycarp (who had studied with the Apostle John)…

Athanasius (died A.D. 373) As a young man, Athanasius defended the true gospel of God’s grace in Jesus against false teachers (including Arius) who denied Jesus’ divinity. This defense led to the formulation of the doctrine of the Trinity, affirmed at the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325. Athanasius was also a principal among those who helped settle the final canon of the New Testament.

There are several problems with this.  One of which is that Irenaeus, despite his many flaws, was not a trinitarian–yet he is cited as WCG’s earliest proof.  Yet notice what Irenaeus actually wrote:

…there is none other called God by the Scriptures except the Father of all, and the Son, and those who possess the adoption (Irenaeus. Adversus haereses, Book IV, Preface, Verse 4. Excerpted from Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 1. Edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. American Edition, 1885. Online Edition Copyright © 2004 by K. Knight).

Irenaeus held a binitarian view of the Godhead.  Notice that he does not say that the Holy Spirit is also called God. Also notice that Irenaeus states that only the Father, the Son, and those who possess the adoption (Christians) are God. This is a binitarian, not a trinitarian view.

Additionally, it was the Apostle John who God used to fix the New Testament canon (see The New Testament Canon – From the Bible Itself), and this was in essence confirmed by Polycarp (Polycarp’s Letter to the Philippians).  Perhaps I should mention that WCG skipped from a bogus implication related to Irenaeus (as he was not trinitarian) to a person of the 4th century (Athanasius) as proof of the early acceptance of the trinity–kind of a big historical gap.  Furthermore, contrary to WCG’s indications, Athanasius’ view was a minority one until about the time of his death among the Greco-Romans.

Contrary to the interpretations of the current WCG there are no early (pre-third century) writings other than those from recognized heretics such as Valentinus and Montanus (both of whom are recognized as heretics by the Church of Rome and most Protestant scholars) that supported trinitarian theology.

The only trinitarian theology that was around for a long time was not Christ-centered and according to a Catholic in the fourth century, it entered the professing Christian world from the heretic Valentinus who got the idea from Hermes and Plato:

Now with the heresy of the Ariomaniacs, which has corrupted the Church of God…These then teach three hypostases, just as Valentinus the heresiarch first invented in the book entitled by him ‘On the Three Natures’.  For he was the first to invent three hypostases and three persons of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and he is discovered to have filched this from Hermes and Plato (Source: Logan A. Marcellus of Ancyra (Pseudo-Anthimus), ‘On the Holy Church’: Text, Translation and Commentary. Verses 8-9.  Journal of Theological Studies, NS, Volume 51, Pt. 1, April 2000, p.95 ).

Thus, it is not true that the early true church had a trinitarian theology–this was not even something that was uniformly adopted by the Greco-Romans until the late 4th century.

It is a historical fact that the bishops of both Rome (Liberius) and Constantinople (Macedonius) approved binitarian/Semi-Arian/non-trinitarian positions in the middle of the 4th century–this is a matter of history for those interested in the truth.

However, just because WCG has misapplied history, does not mean that you have to.

If you are truly interested in learning the truth about the Godhead and what true and false Christians taught about the Godhead in the first few centuries, I urge you to diligently study the following articles.  If you have any doubts, please pray about it, check out my historical references, and compare the teachings with the Bible.

Binitarian View: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning Is binitarianism the correct position? What about unitarianism or trinitarianism?
Is The Father God? What is the view of the Bible? What was the view of the early church?
Jesus is God, But Was Made Man Was Jesus fully human and fully God or what?
Virgin Birth: Does the Bible Teach It? What does the Bible teach? What is claimed in The Da Vinci Code?
Did Early Christians Think the Holy Spirit Was A Separate Person in a Trinity? Or did they have a different view?
Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity? Most act like this is so, but is it?
Was Unitarianism the Teaching of the Bible or Early Church? Many, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, claim it was, but was it?
Binitarianism: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning This is a shorter article than the Binitarian View article, but has a little more information on binitarianism.

Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, President of Russia

COGwriter

The credit crunch and lower oil prices are apparently having an effect on Russia’s finances:

12% interest is about 2-4x what the yield is on savings accounts in many major currencies, and much higher than the central bank rates for most major currencies.

This crisis may temporarily slow Russia’s military plans.  But it also may lead to increased cooperation with the Europeans as Russian leaders have been vocal in sometimes blaming the USA for this crisis.

Several articles of possibly related interest may include:

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?
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?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
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? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States?
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”? What is ahead for Europe?

A Silver Nugget

COGwriter

The latest (Sept-Oct 2008) edition of Norman Edwards’ Servant’s News just arrived.  Like Fred Coutler’s CBCG, Norman Edward’s publication seems to be supportive of certain conspiracy theories (like “the financial elite…better known as the Anglo-Dutch Financial Oligarchy”) and thus often goes off message a bit too much.  (Norman Edwards was once a member of the old Worldwide Church of God, then went to GCG, and then went off on his own.)

Here are some of Norman Edwards’ comments from his lead article which he titled Biblical Economy!:

In these days of electronic cash and billion-dollar bailouts, does the Bible have anything to say about what we should use for money?
Yes! In one word!
Silver.
In the Hebrew language, there is only one word that means both “silver” and “money”: keceph (Strong’s # 3701). This word is translated “silver” about 2/3 of the time and “money” about “1/3” of the time in most English Bibles.
Similarly, in the New Testament, the Greek word arguron (Strong’s #694) is nearly always used for “money” and its close brother arguros (Strong’s #696) is nearly always used for “silver”—though there is some interchange between the two. The New Testament also contains words for specific coins that were made of brass, silver or gold…

Silver and Gold Coins Would Work for Us
Today a pound of silver is worth about $140. One or two pounds would be sufficient for the average family shopping trip. But for those bigger jobs, silver’s big brother, gold, is always available.
Gold is included as an important resource when man was created (Gen 2:11)…
What are gold and silver’s advantages?
• They do not wear out.
• They are not destroyed by fire or water.
• They cannot be tracked by serial numbers or RFID chips.
• They cannot be counterfeited.
• They are not subject to manipulation and inflation by bankers and governments.

Just Weights and Measures
The last point is important—extremely important. The whole reason that our nation, and ultimately the world, is in such financial trouble is because paper currency can be manipulated and inflated—and virtually always is…
Every day, our financial news media will carry some story about what the Federal Reserve, the World Bank or some other major financial institution is doing to affect the money supply or to “prop up” some sagging currency. In most cases, it means that they are making accounting entries to “create” additional money for some specific currency. Governments also borrow big chunks of money (like $700 billion at a time) to finance their latest project.
Nothing new of value is created in these money operations—there is just more paper (or electronic) money in circulation. So the net effect is that the ratio of the total money in a nation divided by its total real value gets bigger. But that also means that the real value behind each dollar gets smaller. This is why inflation is referred to as a “hidden tax”. As banks and governments create more money from nowhere, the value of paper and electronic dollars that people have shrinks. As an example, if a man receives a dollar for working on a certain day, he could buy a loaf of bread with it; but if he saves that dollar for a year and then decides to buy a loaf of bread, he finds that it now costs $1.10—not because the bread requires more work or materials to produce—but because the value of his dollar has shrunk. Sure, the man could have put his money in a bank and received interest—and might have $1.03 at the end of a year. But he would still be $.07 short to buy the loaf of bread—and he might have nothing at all if his bank failed…
Christians must not become so desirous of earning and spending this unjust Federal Reserve “money” that they lose sight of its flaws. We should teach our children that this valueless “money” is not biblical and that we are sorry that they have to grow up in a nation that uses this kind of currency…

Debt-Based Economies Fail
But is a debt-based economy good? Is that what the Bible teaches? When the Eternal gave this list of blessing for obedience to Him in Deuteronomy 28, He said:

The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none (Deut 28:12).

The Federal Reserve is not part of our government, but a private corporation that works in a very complex system through its member banks to loan money to the US government. It has never had an independent audit. The Federal Reserve Act was passed in December of 1913 when many congressmen were not even there. It was many years before it had the massive effect on the economy that it has today. Now, in conjunction with its member banks, it prints all of our currency, sets interest rates, and creates money from nothing to loan at interest. One can learn all about how that happened in a book entitled The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve, by G. Edward Griffin.
But the Federal Reserve is only half the problem. The other half is the governments, businesses and people who want to borrow from it. (Edwards N. Biblical Economy! Servants’ News. Sept-Oct 2008)

Suffice it to say that for many reasons (such as lack of sufficient intrinsic value of silver and gold,  their actual practical usages, insufficient supplies for the entire world population as gold would need to be valued at something more than USD100,000 per ounce to cover much of the world economy, transportation and other difficulties, etc.)  According to Monex.com, there is only about 300 million ounces of above ground refined silver, only ounce for every 20 people on the planet–Norman Edwards’ solution would not actually work (the average person would not be able to take one to two pounds of silver to the store to purchase groceries, if the average person owned less than 1/20th of an ounce).  Nor would it stop world governments with coming up with new ways to track their citizens.

Perhaps I should mention that while the Bible shows that silver and gold will have value into the time of the Great Tribulation (cf. Daniel 11:31;39-43; Matthew 24:15-21), it specifically teaches that they will not save the rich (or anyone else) from the end-time problems:

Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days (James 5:3)

They will throw their silver into the streets, And their gold will be like refuse; Their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them In the day of the wrath of the LORD (Ezekiel 7:19).

But Norman Edwards is correct that the world economic situation is precarious and that paper currency can be manipulated and inflated. And to take it a step further, all of the inflation of the money supply, essentially funded by debt that will not be paid back, will partially lead to the destruction of the United States at the appointed time of the end (cf. Habakkuk 2:3,7).

Yet, the solution for the world is NOT silver and/or gold (though both gold and silver will maintain value for about 3 years after the US dollar becomes totally worthless and can thus be of some benefit), but the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of His kingdom.

Carnal “solutions” in this age simply will not go to the ROOT of the problem.  The ROOT is NOT the Federal Reserve, international bankers, corporations, plans for a “one-world order”, etc.

The ROOT is SIN that is the result of humankind cutting itself off from God and following the ways of Satan.

And while the solution would be repentance now, since that is unlikely, the ultimate solution is the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of His kingdom on the earth.  That is the good news.

However, since financial markets are one of the many things we should watch (cf. Luke 21:34-36), paying some attention to them (Financial news & quotes), can give some indication as how quickly the USA and its Anglo-allies will fall and the European  Beast power will arise as we are not to be caught unexpectedly (Luke 21:34).

Jesus is coming soon.  Perhaps as early as the second half of the next decade.  Jesus, and not silver (nor gold), is the solution.

Several articles of possibly related interest may include:

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.
Are You Saved? Do You Love Jesus? What is a True Christian? What is the Gospel? Evangelist Richard Ames answers those important questions.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
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”? What is ahead for Europe?
Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism? Was the millennium (sometimes called chiliasm) taught by early Christians? Who condemned it. Will Jesus literally reign for 1000 years on the earth? Is this time near?
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?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2009, 2010, or 2011? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?

Barack Obama

COGwriter

President-elect Barack Obama is intent on making a lot of impact as soon as he takes office.  One change may be to quickly increase a somewhat obscure form of abortion and increase the availability of perhaps others as the following two news items indicate:

Obama to Use Executive Orders for Quick Impact

Abortion support was listed in the latter news item above essentially as two of the three policies supporters of the President-elect seem to believe he will implement first.  And the third may result in increased air pollution in California.

As a scientist, I will simply state that there are now (and have been for many years) ways to conduct stem cell research without going to the abortion route (to cite two: human umbilical cords and animal glandulars).  It is sad that the USA President-elect may have decided that political expediency exceeds right to life.

Bas-relief at Angkor Wat, dated circa 1150, depicting a demon performing an abortion by pounding a mallet into a woman’s belly.

Just because all abortions in modern times do not appear to be as murderous as some in the past, does not make them less so. Sanitized sin is still sin.

Thus far, the President-elect has not seemed to have chosen the moral high ground–though there is a small chance he still might.  The USA needs repentance or it may face sudden destruction (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:3-4) next decade.  Encouraging the destruction of human embryos is not the direction a nation that wants to please God would ever chose.

Three articles of possibly related interest may include:

Abortion, the Bible, and a Woman’s Right to Choose Do you know what the Bible teaches on this?
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States Some claim that Barack Obama is the prophesied “son of Kenya”. Might Bible prophecy be fulfilled since he is to be the USA president?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?

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

Contrary to Ronald Weinland’s assertions, the 1290 days of Daniel 12 will not start this week.  Yet, in his August 21st letter (his last posted letter), Ronald Weinland claimed:

Much of God’s purpose at this end-time consists of revealing (as a true witness) the real attitude and spirit of mankind in this modern 21st Century. With all the technological development of mankind over the past century, God is showing that mankind is the same as he has always been over the past 6,000 years…

Since things did not happen in the original time frame that was given because God had not given this 50th Truth, those who were responding solely out of fear and desire for self-preservation are no longer seeking God’s help. Those who are skeptics, critics and mockers have only grown bolder in their deceived and misguided confidence…

The minds of peoples and leaders in ten European nations are now being molded so that one day soon they will agree to unite as the United States of Europe and it will be at that time that they determine to set their own course and control of the future—through immediate aggression in war. It will be this European union that plunges the whole world into war, and not Russia or the United States.

This is not a time to draw back, become slack, or let down from being spiritually on guard. Everything is rapidly moving forward, and on Trumpets of this year we will have entered the final 1335 days before the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of the government of God over all the earth.

Ronald Weinland is not God’s “true witness”.  And understanding that he has been wrong before is a biblically desirable practice–and pointing it out does not make me a mocker.  Notice what the Bibles recorded about prophets like Ronald Weinland:

21 “And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?’– 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him (Deuteronomy 18:21-22).

The Feast of Trumpets was on September 30 in 2008.  So, if according to Ronald Weinland, the 1335 days began on September 30th, what actually happened to prove the start of the related prophecies in Daniel and elsewhere?

Ronald Weinland has not cited actual proof as far as I am concerned.  His comments about economic issues, like 9/11/08 sound similar to the ones he claimed in the Spring after he had earlier stated that “A little after April…a dollar bill won’t be worth anything”.

Based upon his claims of the 1335 days supposedly beginning on September 30, 2008 (the second time this year he said it began–the first was February 2, 2008, see Ronald Weinland Announced When He Claims Jesus Will Return), then the 1290 days of Daniel 12 would start this Friday, November 14th.

Herbert W. Armstrong taught that there would be future fulfillments of many verses of Daniel 11 beginning with vs. 31 and apparently a little earlier. And under his direction, the old WCG taught that the King of the North would unite the people of Europe:

The indication is the armies of the “beast” of Revelation 17, entering Jerusalem (…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 (Armstrong HW. The Time We Are In, Now. Pastor General’s Report-Vol 1, No. 15, November 20, 1979, Page 2).

The Hitler-Mussolini kingdom was the sixth head of the beast. The next leader to unite the peoples of Europe will constitute the “beast” mentioned in Daniel and Revelation. He will also be the “king of the north” mentioned in Daniel 11…The king of the north is going to move to Mount Zion, and he will be joined there by a false prophet who will work great miracles (McNair, Raymond. Watch the Middle East. The Good News, August, 1974, pp. 10-15).

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.” (Armstrong HW. Personal. Good News magazine January 1980).

As the above shows, Herbert W. Armstrong clearly wrote that there would be a future fulfillment of Daniel 11:31 and other verses in Daniel. And as the above shows, he taught that something would stop the work forty-five days prior to Daniel 11:31–and that is when the revival of the “Holy Roman Empire”–which scripture shows will be led by the King of the North–will occur and the 1335 days will begin. Hence his writings support the idea looking at the few verses prior to Daniel 11:31 to see what might stop the work is consistent with the intent of what he wrote. In addition, Matthew 24:14, which comes just before Matthew 24:15, states that the gospel will be preached and then the end will come, thus this is another reason why confirmation for the work ending should be found prior to Daniel 11:31–and this is not something that Ronald Weinland has ever been able to do.

For the 1335 and 1290 days to start, the Europeans would have to be completely united by then, should have began the persecution of the Philadelphian Christians, and would need to be ready to nuke the Anglo-American powers around the start of the 1260 days, which Ronald Weinland indicates will be about December 7, 2008 (Ronald Weinland earlier declared that the USA would have to be nuked by mid-June, then Mid-July 2008, but of course that did not come to pass–see the news item Ronald Weinland, False Prophet), and then be prepared to persecute the rest of the true Christians.  And then be prepared to attack the King of the South, who does not yet even exist.

Biblically required events for the 1290 days, etc. to begin have not yet occurred.  Ronald Weinland has been taking improper advantage of the turmoil in the news to keep people following his inaccurate predictions.  Please do not let self-appointed false prophets like Ronald Weinland deceive you.

Those who really want to know what the Bible teaches will happen related to the the 1335 days, the 1290 days, and the 1260 days of Daniel, when the 6000 years should end, etc. should read the following articles:

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? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States?
Is There A Future King of the South? Some no longer believe there needs to be. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? What does the Bible say?
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?
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 (the Hindus may have some predictions for the next decade as well). 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?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2009, 2010, or 2011? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?
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?
Why Prophecy? Because the World Will Not End Next Week Some question or downplay the role of prophecy. This article gives some of the biblical reasons what it is important and explains why the world cannot end for at least 3 1/2 years from now.

Those interested in more of Ronald Weinland’s teachings may wish to read the often updated article:

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 also has at least one other view that suggests that he is not part of the Church of God.
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.

Northern Shore of Reykjavík, Iceland

COGwriter

About a month ago, I reported that Iceland was having severe economic problems and may need to decide to support the European Union (see Iceland Crumbling: EU its Hope?).  It economic woes made the news again yesterday:

If it gets bad enough, Iceland may decide to make a deal with the EU (see Iceland Crumbling: EU its Hope?).  For now it has not yet figured out what to do.

The shock that the Icelandic residents are now feeling will pale in comparison to the shock Anglo-Americans will experience when the European Beast power fully forms and makes its first major military strike outside its own boundaries.

Several articles of possibly related interest may include:

Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2009, 2010, or 2011? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?
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”? What is ahead for Europe?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be devastated first?
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.
Are You Saved? Do You Love Jesus? What is a True Christian? What is the Gospel? Evangelist Richard Ames answers those important questions.
Getting the Gospel Out is More than a Local Job Discusses Biblical rationale for doing an international, and not just a local, work.

COGwriter

At this news page, I have often emphasized that the end of human rule is coming soon, but that it cannot come as soon as in 2008 or 2009.

Did you know that early professors of Christ believed that God gave humans 6,000 years to rule over themselves and that after this rule they believed that Jesus Christ would then reign on the world for 1,000 years?

Did you know that even though the Church of Rome considers that latter teaching to be a doctrine of Antichrist, that even a 20th century pope blessed a book written by a Catholic taught a six thousand year plan and admitted that the early Church endorsed the millennial teaching?

Did Second and Third Century Writers Teach the Six Thousand Plan?

Although we in the Living Church of God do not consider that the so-called Epistle of Barnabas is inspired, it does show that in the early second century that some did understand the idea of a 6000 year plan followed by the thousand year reign of Christ:

Moreover concerning the Sabbath likewise it is written in the Ten Words, in which He spake to Moses face to face on Mount Sinai; And ye shall hallow the Sabbath of the Lord with pure hands and with a pure heart. And in another place He saith; If my sons observe the Sabbath then I will bestow My mercy upon them. Of the Sabbath He speaketh in the beginning of the creation; And God made the works of His hands in six days, and He ended on the seventh day, and rested on it, and He hallowed it. Give heed, children, what this meaneth; He ended in six days. He meaneth this, that in six thousand years the Lord shall bring all things to an end; for the day with Him signifyeth a thousand years; and this He himself beareth me witness, saying; Behold, the day of the Lord shall be as a thousand years. Therefore, children, in six days, that is in six thousand years, everything shall come to an end. And He rested on the seventh day. this He meaneth; when His Son shall come, and shall abolish the time of the Lawless One, and shall judge the ungodly, and shall change the sun and the moon and the stars, then shall he truly rest on the seventh day Epistle of Barnabas, 15:1-5).

Hence the above quote shows that there was a belief among those who professed Christianity that there would be a literal thousand year reign of Christ on the Earth, and a 6,000 year plan for humans prior to that.

Around the end of the second century, a heretical leader named Bardesan wrote the following:

Bardesan, therefore, an aged man, and one celebrated for his knowledge of events, wrote, in a certain work which was composed by him, concerning the synchronisms with one another of the luminaries of heaven, speaking as follows :– Two revolutions of Saturn, 60 years; 5 revolutions of Jupiter, 60 years; 40 revolutions of Mars, 60 years; 60 revolutions of the Sun, 60 years; 72 revolutions of Venus, 60 years; 150 revolutions of Mercury, 60 years; 720 revolutions of the Moon, 60 years.

And this,” says he, “is one synchronism of them all; that is, the time of one such synchronism of them. So that from hence it appears that to complete too such synchronisms there will be required six thousands of years. Thus :– 200 revolutions of Saturn, six thousands of years; 500 revolutions of Jupiter, 6 thousands of years; 4 thousand revolutions of Mars, 6 thousands of years; Six thousand revolutions of the Sun, 6 thousands of years.” 7 thousand and 200 revolutions of Venus, 6 thousands of years; 12 thousand revolutions of Mercury, 6 thousands of years.” 72 thousand revolutions of the Moon, 6 thousands of years.”

These things did Bardesan thus compute when desiring to show that this world would stand only six thousands of years (By a certain Philip, disciple of Bardesan. Appendix after The Book of the Laws of Various Countries. Excerpted from Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 8. Edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. American Edition, 1886. Online Edition Copyright © 2004 by K. Knight).

Hence, he felt that the world would last 6000 years.

Irenaeus, another heretical leader (but one Roman Catholics consider to be a saint), claimed to have met Polycarp of Smyrna. Here is some of what he wrote about this:

Thus, then, the six hundred years of Noah, in whose time the deluge occurred because of the apostasy, and the number of the cubits of the image for which these just men were sent into the fiery furnace, do indicate the number of the name of that man in whom is concentrated the whole apostasy of six thousand years, and unrighteousness, and wickedness, and false prophecy, and deception (Irenaeus. Adversus haereses, Book V, Chapter 29, Verse 2. Excerpted from Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 1. Edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. American Edition, 1885. Online Edition Copyright © 2004 by K. Knight).

Hippolytus was, and is still considered to have been, an important Roman Catholic leader and saint:

The feast of St. Hippolytus is kept on 13 August…Hippolytus was the most important theologian and the most prolific religious writer of the Roman Church in the pre-Constantinian era (St. Hippolytus of Rome, The Catholic Encyclopedia, 1910).

Notice what he wrote:

And 6, 000 years must needs be accomplished, in order that the Sabbath may come, the rest, the holy day “on which God rested from all His works.” For the Sabbath is the type and emblem of the future kingdom of the saints, when they “shall reign with Christ,” when He comes from heaven, as John says in his Apocalypse: for “a day with the Lord is as a thousand years.”Since, then, in six days God made all things, it follows that 6, 000 years must be fulfilled. (Hippolytus. On the HexaËmeron, Or Six Days’ Work. From Fragments from Commentaries on Various Books of Scripture. http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0502.htm verified 9/17/07).

Notice therefore that “the most important theologian and the most prolific religious writer of the Roman Church in the pre-Constantinian era” taught the 7,000 year plan (6,000 for humankind, followed by 1,000 from God).

Thus certain second and third century leaders who professed Christ clearly believed in the teaching that there was a 6,000 year plan.

From Modern Living Church of God and Roman Catholic Writers

The Living Church of God understands that God has given humankind 6,000 years (like the six days of the physical creation) to live cut off from God and that this will be followed by the 1,000 year millennial reign (like the seventh day which was created by God’s rest) of Christ. Notice:

Our Creator is working out a 7,000-year plan. Almost 6,000 years of recorded human history have now passed. And although our present man-made calendar may be off by about 15 to 20 years because of details (such as the accession years of kings) that mankind has failed to calculate precisely, we likely are now living in the last full generation before our Creator will supernaturally intervene in human affairs…

God is indeed longsuffering and patient. He counts a “thousand years as a day.” So in His “work week” of dealing with rebellious mankind, God has allotted six millennial days (6,000 years). And the seventh “day” of 1,000 years will be the millennial reign of Jesus Christ—finally bringing genuine PEACE and GODLINESS to a deceived world. “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall REIGN with Him a thousand years” (Revelation 20:6) (Meredith RC. A Turning Point in World Affairs. Tomorrow’s World Magazine, July-Sept, 1999).

This view is not unique to the Living Church of God. According to even Roman Catholics, parts of this view have long been the belief of those who claim to believe at least part of the Bible:

Millenarians, i.e., believers in the reign of a thousand years. This belief was common in the early Church…It appeared from time to time in the Middle Ages, and is still advocated by some of the more obscure sects…

…the time of the First Resurrection will end…It is the time when the Seventh Millennium will set in, and will be the day of Sabbath in the plan of creation…It has been the common opinion among Jews, Gentiles, and Latin and Greek Christians, that the present evil world will last no more than 6,000 years…Christians and Jews, from the beginning of Christianity, and before, have taught that 6,000 years after the creation of Adam and Eve, the consummation will occur. The period after the consummation is to be the seventh day of creation–the Sabbath…St. Jerome said, “It is a common belief that the world will last 6,000 years.”

…I believe that as the last days come to an end so will the sixth day of creation (Culligan E. The Last World War and the End of Time. The book was blessed by Pope Paul VI, 1966. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), pp. 67,113-115).

In the November-December 2008 edition of Tomorrow’s World magazine, RC Meredith of the Living Church of God wrote:

Many Bible scholars agree that we are very close to the end of 6,000 years of recorded human ­­­­­­­­history. The God of the Bible clearly indicates that He has in mind a 7,000-year plan. This first 6,000 years—the “days of man”—are given over to human beings living under the influence of Satan the Devil, during which they are writing the lessons of life, but not yet learning them, as they will later on. At the end of this 6,000-year period, Jesus Christ will return as King of kings and set up the Millennial Sabbath—the seventh “day” or thousand-year period of human history. Those thousand years will be under the direct rule and direction of the living Jesus Christ, who will bring genuine peace and joy to all humanity (Isaiah 11:9–10).
Describing the beliefs of the earliest Christians, highly respected historian Edward Gibbon states in his monumental work, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire: “The ancient and popular doctrine of the Millennium was intimately connected with the second coming of Christ. As the works of the creation had been finished in six days, their duration in their present state, according to a tradition which was attributed to the prophet Elijah, was fixed to six thousand years. By the same analogy it was inferred that this long period of labour and contention, which was now almost elapsed, would be succeeded by a joyful Sabbath of a thousand years; and that Christ, with the triumphant band of the saints and the elect who had escaped death, or who had been miraculously revived, would reign upon earth till the time appointed for the last and general resurrection…. The assurance of such a Millennium was carefully inculcated by a succession of fathers from Justin Martyr and Irenaeus, Lactantius, who was preceptor to the son of Constantine” (Vol 1. pp. 403–404).

This 6,000 year time period, which even some Catholics have held to throughout history, is almost up and we are in the end times that are leading up to the millennium.

To learn more about when the 6,000 years will be up as well as to see direct scriptural support, please read the article God’s Six Thousand Year Plan.

The end of human rule is coming soon, and there are many biblical reasons that this is so.

Several articles of possibly related interest may include:

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?
Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism? Was the millennium (sometimes called chiliasm) taught by early Christians? Who condemned it. Will Jesus literally reign for 1000 years on the earth? Is this time near?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2009, 2010, or 2011? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
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 (the Hindus may have some predictions for the next decade as well). 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? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States?
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States Some claim that Barack Obama is the prophesied “son of Kenya”. Might Bible prophecy be fulfilled since he is to be the USA president?
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?

Tzipi Livni, Foreign Minister of Israel

COGwriter

In the past few days there have been a few news items indicating that the nation of Israel is not comfortable with USA President-elect Obama, and even Russia and China may have concerns.

Here is one news item from this morning:

Since Barack Obama has repeatedly stated that he is willing to speak with various hostile world leaders, I believe he will tend to brush off Israeli warnings that he not speak with Iran.

Of course, Barack Obama seems less likely to actually support an invasion of Iran than the current USA president may have been–but if Iran is perceived as too much of a threat in the next few years, it certainly is conceivable that it may be attacked, by Israel and even possibly the USA.

Since we in the Living Church of God teach that Iran cannot be the Future King of the South, it makes sense that somehow Iran’s influence will be reduced, or at least changed in direction.

Now, if the price of oil stays down, this will likely help Barack Obama deal with both Russia and Iran (those with less money tend to sometimes spend less on their own militaries than they would otherwise).

Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, President of Russia

But perhaps it should be mentioned what the Russian President stated after Barack Obama’s election:

President Dmitri Medvedev orders missiles deployed in Europe as world hails Obama

Times, November 6, 2008…

Speaking within hours of Barack Obama’s election, Mr Medvedev announced that Russia would base Iskander missiles in its Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad – the former German city – next to the border with Poland…

The President failed to congratulate Mr Obama or even to mention him by name during the 85-minute address televised live across Russia.

Mr Medvedev blamed the US for the global financial crisis, saying that the rest of the world had been “dragged down with it into recession”. He said that the era of American dominance after the collapse of the Soviet Union was over. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article5090077.ece

The world is preparing for a time that the USA is simply not a truly major player.

Russia and China are obviously watching the USA.  And, irrespective of what the next USA president does or does not do regarding Iran, Russia and China are prophesied to remain major players on the world scene, while the USA and its Anglo-allies are prophesied to fall from power.

Several articles of possibly related interest may include:

Is There A Future King of the South? Some no longer believe there needs to be. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? What does the Bible say?
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?
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?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?