TIME, TIMES, AND HALF A TIME

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Ronald Weinland

June 20, 2009

As I begin writing this post, I must say that I stand in awe of God more and more as I see this final phase of this end-time continue to unfold. That which we are experiencing is indeed different than what the Church had once supposed it would, in what was referred to as “the great tribulation.” Because of this, I had even believed that this period of time would begin immediately with great physical destruction.

That destruction is coming, and it will be coming all too soon. It doesn’t need to be rushed! Because of the time that has now been lengthened for the humbling process of the scattered nations of Israel, which will result in more people being saved, many are going to experience increasingly difficult financial trials as companies continue to let go of larger numbers of employees, cut back on salaries and benefits, and reduce the hours people are allowed to work. Although such trials will prove to be difficult, they are meager and nothing compared to the conditions we would now be living through if great destruction had already come by now. We can be ever so thankful that the Second Trumpet has not yet sounded and that it may now be withheld even longer.

For the final sermon on the Last Great Day of the Feast, it is planned that a sermon will be given on the subject of “time, times, and half a time.” God is beginning to give a clearer understanding of what He is doing concerning a “new” significance this expression has for this end-time. Due to the special fast held by God’s Church in January this year, some prophetic events have been shifted within the framework of the fulfillment of “time, times, and half a time.”

ideaCity:
A little over a week ago (on Thursday morning) I had interviews with two stations in Toronto, as presenters for ideaCity are being interviewed in the city’s anticipation of this special tenth anniversary event. This is the beginning of a new phase of recognition of God’s two witnesses (although it is only very slight at this time). It is indeed a unique and welcomed experience. Rather than being treated with attitudes that can be challenging, confrontational, disbelieving, irreverent, and at times condescending, there indeed seems to be a shift beginning to take place in which the message (and messenger) are beginning to be treated with greater respect. Of course the other attitudes will always exist, but as God begins to work with larger numbers of people, through a process of drawing them closer to the truth, His message (and messengers) will begin to be treated with greater sobriety and genuine respect.

This is the natural sequence of a change in attitude that comes through the way God works with people to draw them to Himself. Attitudes do begin to change as this same process helps humble human nature and begins to open the ability to “see” the truth and the hope of a new future. God is right now working with millions of people who are going to be called by Him at various stages over the next couple of years. Although they have not yet been specifically called (their minds “fully” opened to the truth), God is still working them and has begun the process of preparing them for that calling.

It will be interesting to see what door or doors God opens as a result of this unique speaking invitation in Toronto. I am reminded of the kinds of invitations Mr. Armstrong received that led to even greater opportunities to preach the gospel (as this was his commission).

On this Sabbath in Toronto, I will interrupt the current sermon series by giving a special sermon focusing on the events at ideaCity and where we are in a sequence of events that involve the Thunders and First Trumpet through which we are still living.

The Honeymoon is ending:
We are living through extraordinary times. We now live at a time when God has completely removed His protection, favor, help and blessings from all the scattered modern-day nations of Israel and from the Church that was scattered, except for His one true remnant group that fully consists of His Church today.

Beginning in 2009, the United States placed a new government in motion that no longer has any favor and will no longer receive any help from God. Over the past decades and even centuries, God has sustained the many governments of the scattered nations of Israel, due to Him fulfilling His promises of physical prosperity and greatness He was to give, especially to the tribe of Joseph (both Ephraim and Manasseh). Those nations of scattered Israel include the U.S., Israel itself (who is Judah), the U.K. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Ireland, Finland, Norway, Iceland, and Sweden. These nations have not only had the favor of greatness and prosperity now taken completely away from them, but these same nations are the first in the world to face prophetic demise. That demise began with the First Trumpet blast of the Seventh Seal that sounded on December 14, 2008.

The demise of the U.S. began on that date, and the removal of God’s favor over the nation is epitomized by the overwhelming response of the country to its new president. There has never been a time in U.S. history where such large masses of people have so strongly believed that a man could be their governing savior. This spirit of jubilation and excitement shown to such a leader has been like a mesmerizing stupor that has taken over individuals’ ability to see the reality that no man has such power.

The United States (Manasseh) was the last recipient of the blessings promised Israel as God made the U.S. the single greatest power and wealthiest nation the world has ever seen. But the U.S. is the first that is prophesied to fall and will lead to the collapse of the remaining nations of Israel as well.

Once God removed His sustaining power from the modern-day nations of Israel (and primarily the U.S.), those governments could no longer be recognized as having any legitimate rule. Only the monarchy of England has any continuing role of legitimacy until Jesus Christ returns.

God is no longer helping to sustain the greatness of the United States. Is it any wonder that we now see some eyes beginning to open and the euphoria of the honeymoon rapidly dissipating? Words like fascism, Marxism, Leninism, socialism, and totalitarianism are being bantered about more openly and convincingly. The kind of democracy the United States has been known by for over 200 years has now passed. Irreversible forces have already been set in motion that will now cause the final demise.

The government and economy of the United States is very near the point of a vacuum collapse where the entire system is going to crush in on itself. All efforts to shore up imploding corporations through government intervention or positive talk on Wall Street are not only going to fail, but these are going to fuel the final catastrophic events that lead to the downfall of the U.S. as a world power. Nations are scurrying to find other means for survival rather than depending on the stability of the U.S. or its currency as they have in the past. China is rapidly and wisely (from their vantage point) dumping U.S. dollars for raw materials all over the world. They no longer want U.S. dollars because they see “the handwriting on the wall.”

I would recommend that people reread the latter part of the post of March 6, beginning with the section “It’s the economy, stupid!” The hopes and dreams that many in the U.S. have over government intervention and the glimmer of a rising stock market are about to be dashed. Such misplaced hope and trust in government and a recovering economy is part of a prophetic fulfillment that is following the First Trumpet blast. All such hope and faith is soon going to be shattered and this plays a major role in the humbling process of the nation.

Greg