Now enters Ronald Weinland. Heard of him? He's the pastor of the Church of God - PKG (that's Preparing for the Kingdom of God). According to the church's website, "Although the Church of God has not been accustomed to having a prophet for nearly 1900 years, God made him a prophet in 1997." That's nice.

The site goes on, "His first book, The Prophesied End-Time (published in mid-2004), is the product of what God has given him concerning prophetic end-time events that have already begun to be fulfilled, events that are occurring exactly as he has written in the book. His latest book, 2008-God's Final Witness, pinpoints the timing of these end-time events and adds additional information beyond what the first book covered."

Wait. Wait. It gets better, "2008-God's Final Witness reveals the Seven Thunders of the Book of Revelation, which the apostle John was not allowed to record!" Jinkies!

Better yet, in this book, Weinland explains that he himself is "the spokesman of His two end-time witnesses" (Revelation 11:3).

"Ronald Weinland says that 2008 will mark the beginning of the final events that will thrust the world into the great tribulation (last three and one-half years of the end-time), which will usher in World War III, the death of billions, and on the last day of this great tribulation, the return of Jesus Christ." Rock on. Actually, I had already considered that a McCain nomination would usher in World War III, but, whatever.

On his blog, this year, he wrote:

We are now feverishly trying to simply plan for the burst of activity that is coming our way over the next couple of months. We are there! As it was mentioned in this past Sabbath’s sermon, the final countdown has begun, as the 1335 days before the actual day Jesus Christ returns began on February 2, 2008.

Mark your calendars, because that sets the date of Christ's return as Thursday, September 29, 2011. If I might make my own prediction, I suggest, instead of packing your bags for that date, you pack your rocks (in the spirit of Deuteronomy 18:20-22).

Here's a question I have for Dispensationalists. I regularly hear Dispensationalist preachers say (from one side of their mouths) "All around us there are prophecies fulfilling!" Ol' Hal Lindsey is even featured on WorldNetDaily for just this task. Yet, I hear them say (out of the other side of their mouths) "There is no prophecy left to be fulfilled. Christ will return at any minute." Huh? Which is it? Are there prophecies being fulfilled or have they already been fulfilled? Can you really have it both ways?

According to the description of 2008 - God's Final Witness at the-end.com,

From now until the latter part of 2008, many prophecies are going to begin to be fulfilled, especially the Seven Thunders of the Book of Revelation, which the apostle John saw but was restricted from recording. Those thunders are revealed in this book, as well as detailed accounts of the final three and one-half years of man's self-rule on earth, which are recorded in the account of the Seventh Seal of Revelation.

Wow. Where to begin? Okay, the "Seven Thunders" in question are from Revelation 10:1-4

I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. He had a little book open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices. Now when the seven thunders sounded their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them."

Hey, when you're studying your Bible and looking to observe, interpret and apply, and you come across a verse that says, "Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them," which verse should come to mind? Have you guessed it?
Deuteronomy 29:29:

The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Why would God include a passage in Revelation about secret things? To remind us that there are some things which we are not supposed to know or need to know. What we do need to know, we know.

This passage actually reminds us of the scope of the book of Revelation. Consider this:

In Revelation 22:10, John is told, "Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand." We know that Revelation was written in the first century. John, inspired by the Holy Spirit, has told us that the events of the book were already at hand.

In Daniel 8:26, Daniel is told, "And the vision of the evenings and mornings Which was told is true; Therefore seal up the vision, For it refers to many days in the future." Those many days in the future were fulfilled about three hundred years later! John, however, was told to not seal the words of his prophecy for it was at hand. If three hundred years' future were sufficient many days to justify sealing the vision, then how can 2,000 years into the future (as futurists interpret Revelation) possibly be at hand and justify not sealing the prophecy? That's backwards!

From the opening verse, "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants--things which must shortly take place." However, whatever the seven thunders uttered regarded the distant future. John was told, "Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them." They did not fit the scope of the book.

Sound familiar? "But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase" (Daniel 12:4).

Revelation is not about the future. It is not about the end. (There is certainly more to come, hence I am only a moderate or partial preterist.)

I think we should take two of the words which were told Daniel and apply them to Weinland: "Shut up!"