Commentary
Brenda Weltner demystifies the End Times, and she is ‘all in’ on the dates
By Diana Washington-Valdez
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| Brenda Weltner/Courtesy |
Weltner’s views on how the End Times will play out are shaking up the evangelical Christian crowd. She’s attracted her share of internet critics who seem to prefer more familiar interpretations of the rapture, the judgments, and the Day of the Lord. Most evangelicals differ on their interpretations of the apocalyptic account that is filled with visions and symbols. Weltner stands apart as an unorthodox but appealing Bible scholar. She is a homemaker who lives in Idaho, a grandmother, devoted wife, and longtime Bible studies leader. Her teaching style, like that of a youth Sunday School teacher, is disarmingly matter-of-fact. She uses simple, down home language that anyone can understand. Yet, she is right up there with the best of the internet circuit preachers and teachers who also draw prophetic timelines on boards for their class.
The sign
Weltner believes the real End Times countdown began with an astronomical alignment known as the Revelation 12:1-2 sign, which occurred September 23, 2017. After years of research and checking what others taught, she decided to start from zero, this time asking the Holy Spirit to open her understanding of Revelation. Is it possible to bypass seminary and outdo decades of dispensational doctrinaires? Amazon Prime Video recently featured a docudrama about Hildegard von Bingen, a 12th Century Roman Catholic abbess who reportedly relied on the Holy Spirit to understand the scriptures [“St. Hildegard: Trumpet of God”; 2015]. Historians say that in addition to music compositions and other writings, the nun experienced End Times visions which church officials asked her to record. As a result of her unmistakable spiritual gifts, Hildegard was allowed to preach in German villages, all unheard of back then for a woman in a patriarchal church society. A lack of formal religious education did not hold back the late American evangelist Kathryn Kuhlman, who also claimed to rely on the Holy Spirit to teach her the ways of the Lord. At some stage of the legendary evangelist’s ministry, untold numbers of healing miracles began to occur. Pastors of all backgrounds, sensing perhaps that God’s seal of approval rested on Kuhlman, invited her to speak in their churches. This included pastors from denominations that normally did not permit women to preach.
Glorification
The next big thing on the calendar, Weltner says, is the glorification of the saints, which she believes will occur around September 18, 2020 (Rosh Hashana) - some 10 days before the rapture on September 28 (Day of Atonement in the Hebrew calendar). “Glorification is the big deal in the New Testament, not the rapture,” she says. Weltner contends this period will give Christians, in their newly glorified bodies, an unprecedented opportunity to minister to others. She points out that a glorified Jesus Christ spent 40 days on the earth after His resurrection and before His ascension. Weltner furthermore teaches that Revelation points to multiple raptures during different stages of the End Times. She does not believe that humanity will undergo seven straight years of pounding “tribulation” before the return of Jesus in 2024.
“If there was no ‘tribulation’ in the scriptures, the way it was commonly understood - all the various brands of eschatology that had ‘tribulation’ in their identifier: pre-tribulation, post-tribulation, mid-tribulation - were built on sand,” Weltner says in an online interview. “That was a game-changer for me, and I decided to scratch what I thought I knew and start over again.” And “While doing dishes one evening, the thought crossed my mind that the Second coming of Christ was actually on a known date. The scriptures told us that He would come 1,260 days or 42 months after the abomination of desolation.” For Weltner, who was fascinated with Bible prophecy since becoming a Christian in the early 1970s, the insights kept coming.
Inevitably, the societal ravages of Covid-19 prompted many people, including pastors, to turn to Revelation for answers. A Lifeway survey earlier this year indicated that 56 percent of pastors believe that the Second Coming will occur in their lifetime Despite that finding, pastors did not teach often on Revelation. High-profile ministers on television and social media platforms waited months into the coronavirus lockdown to begin addressing the crisis in light of the End Times. Another Bible teacher on YouTube (TimFoster405) shared in a video that ministers may worry that focusing on End Times studies may hurt their collection plates. Over the centuries, different dates for the End of the World have come and gone. In recent times, the late radio evangelist Harold Camping came up with failed dates in 1994, 2005 and 2011.
Next
Weltner does not claim to be a prophet and says she does not base her dates on current events but on the Bible. How will she respond if September rolls around and nothing transpires? “I’m not just setting a date for the (first) rapture, I’m setting dates for EVERYTHING, except for the one unknown date - the rapture which will take place just prior to the Day of the Lord – the third rapture, according to the book of Revelation,” Weltner says. “I’m ‘all in ‘There is no Plan B.” Weltner, who classifies herself as a “believer in Jesus Christ,” will continue sharing her Bible from knowledge until the end. If nothing else, her views offer fresh alternatives to the others.
Diana Washington-Valdez, a veteran journalist based in El Paso, Texas, is a member of the International Association of Religion Journalists (IARJ).
Brenda Weltner offers a free PDF version of her book, and except for the print book, the rest of her materials are available online for free. Her book "A Kingdom of Priests: The Stories of Revelation" retails on Amazon for $13.99.You can find Weltner on YouTube.]
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