Ronald Weinland Misunderstands the Tribulation

VS.

A few days ago, I listened to Ronald Weinland’s last Sabbath service. And while he always has had difficulty understanding the Bible, I thought that perhaps by explaining some of his misunderstanding, readers of this page would receive some additional insight about what is now happening in the world. And why no one should rely on Ronald Weinland.

Some background may be helpful. Ronald Weinland wrote a book he titled 2008: God’s Final Witness (pictured above). He then went on radio and gave sermons stating that he was one of the two witnesses, that the great tribulation began on April 17, 2008, and that the United States would be nuked by Mid-June 2008 or he would declare himself a false prophet and stop preaching (this is all documented in the article Concerns About Ronald Weinland’s Church of God-Preparing for the Kingdom of God). When none of that happened, he changed the date.

In a posted titled “1260 DAYS”, Ronald Weinland wrote:

December 13, 2008

…As I am writing today on the Sabbath (day 1261), this evening at sunset will begin the long awaited time of the final 1260 days that Daniel wrote about and wanted to see its fulfillment. Prophets and other teachers of God have longed for this day that we are blessed to see come to pass. We know that in a very short time this world will be God’s world and ruled by His Government.

1260 days is based on a time 360 days, plus times 720 days, plus a half a time 180 days–Daniel 12 mentions two other days, but numbers them as the 1290 days and the 1335 days (which Ronald Weinland declared began in November 14 and on September 30, 2008 respectively).

Of course, the 1260 days did not begin on December 14th. If they did, notice some of what would have been fulfilled from the only two verses in Daniel that the “1260 days” come from (the only two that specifically mention “time, times, and half a time”):

25 He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand For a time and times and half a time (Daniel 7:25).

7 Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished (Daniel 12:7).

As nothing in those verses was fulfilled, so once again proves that Ronald Weinland is a false prophet.

Yet, if Ronald Weinland was correct (which he is not) either true Christians would have gone into the hand of the Beast power on the 14th of December last year (which they did not) or at least Ronald Weinland should have been forced off the internet (if we indulge him and indicate that he has something to do with “the holy people” as the internet is the only type of “power” his group seems to have).

But neither of those happened then.

Ronald Weinland, instead, is advising his followers to listen to him instead of paying attention to what the Bible says needs to happen:

The second trumpet, it is physical and it is spiritual…Much of what happens in the next 3 1/2 years is not about what happens on the earth…it is about Satan and his demons…It has been until today that some of these things have been revealed…And God will give more in time, but not today…

Revelation 8:1 “When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour”…that started November 14th…So we recognize that prophetic time silence…Now everything is going to change in warfare…much of it is spiritual brethren…We are now past all the {seven} eras of the church…The last 30 days brought us to the 1260 days…The first four seals were all about the church…It is about a process and not an event…so much of this is not about something that is physical…All that will happen with this first trumpet has not been yet revealed…even the fifth and the sixth seal had to do with the church…physical things happened then too…

Rev 11 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days. Its all about humility. Some have asked about sackcloth..but its all about humility…

So the final end time is beginning. (Weinland R. 1260 Days, Sermon in Jerusalem, December 13, 2008)

People around Ronald Weinland really need to read their Bibles and believe it above Ronald Weinland:

20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them (Isaiah 8:20).

Ronald Weinland is teaching contrary to the word of God–the testimony mentioned in the above verse–hence there is no light in him.

The only thing that happened near the 14th was that Ronald Weinland ordained his wife Laura as a prophet (see news post Ronald Weinland Ordains His Wife). That did not fulfill anything related to the biblical start of the 1260 days as she is not one of the two witnesses.

Now the 1260 should have been the start of the Great Tribulation. Notice what Jesus taught about that:

21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened (Matthew 24:20-22).

Now while many are rightly concerned about the financial turmoil in the world today, the beginning of the greatest tribulation of all time simply has not began. In addition to the obvious where the saints were to be delivered into Beast power for persecution (Daniel 7:25), the world has had worse wars, worse famines, worse pestilences, and worse financial problems than this.

Notice that his church website teaches:

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 (FAQ–Timeline Questions Answered. viewed 2/25/09).

Yet now, in his last sermon, Ronald Weinland wants to use a different term:

We’re not calling it the great tribulation, it is the great tribulation, but it is not great, yet…We do set dates (Weinland R. Our Commission, Pt. 3. Sermon, February 21, 2009).

While we could be at the time that Jesus referred to as “the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:8, for more details see also Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2009, 2010, or 2011?), the persecution that is to occur between that (vs. 9) and the Great Tribulation (vs. 21) in Matthew 24 did not happen. Thus it is NOT possible that the 1260 days which starts with the Great Tribulation began when Ronald Weinland claimed that it did–despite the fact that he wants to indicate that it is not “great” yet.

Ronald Weinland clearly is in contradiction with the Bible when he claims that the Great Tribulation began then claims that it is not “Great”. Can he not see that?

What Ronald Weinland (and certain others) have forgotten is that Jesus did speak of tribulation as well as the “great tribulation”–but they were not the same event. Notice the following:

3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened (Matthew 24:3-22).

Thus, since Ronald Weinland teaches that the great tribulation begins at the start of the 1260 days, but that it is not “great” tribulation yet, he (and others) should realize that while there is some problems now, the great tribulation has not began. Nor did he and his church fulfill Matthew 24:14 (while some on the internet have heard of him, he never actually got the gospel of the kingdom to the world as a witness).

In his Febraury 21, 2009 sermon, Ronald Weinland also stated the date (May 27, 2012) that he believed that Jesus will return. Now this is the second date as he had another date (an earlier one) last year. But neither date is correct. The 1260 days have not started and Jesus will not return on May 27, 2012–nor will Jesus return in 2012 (more on 2012 can be found in the article End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something?).

Ronald Weinland and his followers really need to heed what the Bible says and not rely on the inaccurate interpretations that Ronald Weinland keeps publicly making. He is NOT one of the two witnesses, nor is his wife Laura the other witness as he has also claimed.

Several articles of possibly related interest include:

Concerns About Ronald Weinland’s Church of God-Preparing for the Kingdom of God Ronald Weinland falsely claims to be one of the two witnesses God is raising up and that the end will come in 2008. Is he a false prophet? He has at least one other view that suggests that he is not part of the COG.
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?
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?
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?
There are Many COGs: Why Support the Living Church of God? This is an article for those who wish to easily sort out the different COGs. It really should be a MUST READ for current and former WCG members or any interested in supporting the faithful church. It also explains a lot of what the COGs are all about.