When Ronald Weinland first emerged on the scene sometime around early 2008, he was certainly a candidate for a prophet or witness. Although some of his biblical doctrine was rather different and unorthodox, he was a calm, mild-mannered man who spoke with a firm, unwavering confidence in his predictions. He was a biblical scholar who had authored several works. Although his beliefs on the Sabbath and tithing were certainly in the minority, he was no Jim Jones or wild-eyed fanatic. A rather quiet man with an unimposing nature, Weinland was a candidate for a prophet of God or one of the final witnesses foretold of in Revelation.
As a Christian who believes the Bible and knows the end of the world draws near, I filed Weinland away for future reference. God says to test the prophets, and by the fulfillment of their words we will know the measure of them.
God says this for a reason. For decades, if not centuries, men have risen claiming to be prophets or the final witnesses. Any man can make a claim to God’s spokesman. Although the followers of God are sometimes given gifts of discernment, prophesy, visions or tongues, God keeps the test simple; if their prophesies come to pass, they are confirmed as God’s spokesman and can be trusted.
The Weinland Witness was created in early 2008 to counter what was perceived as a vitriolic anti-Weinland fever sweeping the blogosphere. Even though there was no particular commitment to Weinland, it was clear that there was a sore need for rational discussion of R.W. and the larger topic of proclaimed prophets in today’s contemporary society. I’m not a writer, and have never created a blog before. There was no inherent desire on my part to undertake this project.
I created The Weinland Witness more out of a feeling of duty or sense of obligation than anything else. Any claim to prophethood must be taken seriously. The Bible is no laughing matter. Everything within it will come to pass, and all the words written in the Book must be considered weightily before coming to any hasty conclusions.
RW had several factors in his favor. In addition to the aforementioned civil and calm disposition, he offered his writings for free, manifested a supreme confidence, and had a firm, if sometimes unusual grasp of scripture. But that alone does not a prophet make. In all things, we must first be loyal to the One, to the Source of all power. Everything else comes afterwards. My allegiance is to God first, and man second.
When R. Weinland pre-emptively stated that he had possibly been ‘presumptuous’ and did not foresee the level of destruction occurring at the predicted time, I experienced a testing of the faith. On one hand, God’s word dictates fulfillment of prophesy as a necessary prerequisite to verification of prophethood. On the other hand, in matters of biblical prophesy one can never leave any uncertainty on the table – I could not 100% discount the possibility that RW was indeed a true prophet of God. Whether or not Weinland was a true prophet, God was asking more patience.
And so it was that I returned to my studies and let the passage of time determine Ronald Weinland’s validity. According to RW, the First Trumpet began on December 15th instead of in April. This brings us to where we stand today.
As of today, March 23rd, we have witnessed no mass deaths. There have been no events of truly large destruction. We have not seen the annihilation prophesied by Ronald Weinland. The First Trumpet has been blown, and yet we have not seen verification of Weinland’s words, a key requirement for true prophethood.
A theoretical shifting of prophesied events is certainly plausible, although such incidences occurring in the Bible are rare. God has many reasons for his actions – from teaching mankind lessons to using mankind for powerful testimonies. However, it now appears as if everything Ronald Weinland said was incorrect, from the timing of the First Trumpet to the actual nature of the Trumpet itself. I simply cannot accept that a prophet of God would utter such a vast pronouncement that had no basis in fact whatsoever. Regardless of whether God granted more time, or is trying to teach a lesson, it appears inconceivable that he would allow a representative of his to utter such a sweeping prediction that did not come true in any aspect or form. The God of the Bible would not do that, and one must remain true to him first – man comes second.
The Weinland Witness Statement of Discernment remains. Ronald Weinland’s time has come and gone. He is a false prophet. False prophets come and go, but God’s word remains. His word is the same today, yesterday and forever.
As has been said many times here, regardless of Weinland’s validity, the fact remains that we are in the End Times spoken of in Revelation. God is returning soon in all his glory to build his Kingdom on Earth. Do not allow false prophets to taint your biblical perspective or your faith, as that is precisely the goal of Satan and his designs. The Truth remains in all its constant glory. The two witnesses prophesied in Revelation will emerge, and we must remain vigilant for their introduction.
The Weinland Witness’ comment policy remains. Although I have now made a clear decision regarding Ronald Weinland’s validity, there are still many who remain unconvinced. My hope is that The Weinland Witness will provide a forum for discussion among them so that they may eventually see the light. It will remain open to Weinland-supporters and undecideds. Unfortunately, I cannot allow virulent anti-Weinlanders access because, as has happened so often in the past, the discussion degenerates into namecalling, insults flung back and forth, and an overall tone of incivility. This would not be conducive to the path I feel Weinland followers should take, which is one of gradual recognizance and acceptance of the Truth.
To those followers, I can empathize with you. You were with me from the beginning. I know that many of you simply share my hope that Jesus will return soon and that the words in the Bible be fulfilled. We want the same things. I do not condemn you. You know my heart. Unlike some, I have never had an agenda or pre-desired outcome. My decision was not made lightly, but only arrived at after much soul-searching and contemplation of biblical standards. Through this journey, I have come to understand your minds and know that you will not be convinced by angry retorts or snide remarks, nor do I expect you to. All that I ask is that you remain openminded. Put God’s Word first, and man second. Make sure your spirit is firstly aligned with the Word – then pledge allegiance to man.