“Unfortunately, Michael John Rood and his teachings are not credible or accurate. Rood is not trained, certified or recognized as a Rabbi, and his “ordination” by a cult called The Way International (TWI) required only minor instruction in an unaccredited TWI program. His central teachings depart radically from the evangelical Christian faith, and several of his teachings and practices are typical among cults rather than among Christians or Messianic Jews (that is, Jews who have accepted Yeshua [Jesus Christ] as Lord and Savior). Furthermore, many of his teachings and practices are drawn from a cult called The Way International which was incorporated in 1954 and widely denounced by Christian leaders and TWI’s ex-followers alike. About 95% of TWI’s followers have left TWI after seeing its severe errors, and many ex-leaders of TWI have founded a variety of splinter groups or ministries, just as Rood has.” Read more at:http://www.apologeticsindex.org/687-michael-rood
Although he seems to carefully avoid promoting his most controversial teachings in certain “Christian” settings, he clearly teaches those who are involved deeply in his ministry that any involvement of any kind in the denominations of “historical Christianity” leaves them in bondage to a Satanic counterfeit of Biblical teaching. Thus those who would not embrace exclusive observance of the seventh day Sabbath and the Biblical holy day cycle immediately upon hearing of Rood’s teachings are branded as being under threat of imminent divine retribution, no matter the sincerity of their attempts to understand and serve God
Although Michael Rood is beginning to gather a following from a wide cross-section of religious groups, his earliest appeal was likely in particular to those from Sabbatarian Christian circles, including among former members of the Worldwide Church of God (WCG) (see: Profile of the Worldwide Church of God elsewhere in this Field Guide), because some of his teachings line up with their own doctrinal understandings. He emphasizes the rejection of the holidays of traditional Christianity such as Christmas, and advocates a return to the Biblical observance of the weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days of Leviticus.
However, the most significant factor of his widespread appeal both inside and outside Sabbatarian circles seems not to be based primarily on his doctrinal, scriptural insights, but rather on excitement and enthusiasm over his prophetic speculations.
They are very similar to the type of speculations promoted by Herbert Armstrong and his organization the WCG in the years leading up to 1972. Armstrong had strongly implied that the loyal members of the WCG would be taken to a “Place of Safety” in early 1972, and that the world would then be plunged almost immediately into the Great Tribulation for three and one-half years, followed by the return of Christ in 1975. Armstrong occasionally implied these speculations were only “possibilities.” But the net effect of many, many sermons, articles, letters, and charts over the preceding two decades left the average member with an impression that the scenarios described were not just general possibilities, but highly likely probabilities ... in fact, veritable certainties in the minds and hearts of many. Decisions on long-term personal planning—financial and otherwise— for many families were often affected by the conviction of the probability of these scenarios.
The thrill and excitement of the kind of enthusiasm that such prophetic pontifications can elicit in supporters of a dynamic teacher/preacher is certainly understandable. But the let-down and disillusionment when such prophetic speculations ultimately fail can be devastating for the supporters and followers of gurus such as Armstrong and Rood. When a whole collection of doctrines, no matter how Biblically-sound, are tied in the subconscious minds of supporters to the validity of a prophetic scenario, then the fall of that scenario can easily lead to rejection of those truly Biblical doctrines.
Concerns
Failed Prophecy Speculations—and Excuses
Michael Rood has been offering dogmatic predictions of exactly how Bible prophecy will be fulfilled in immediate contemporary history since at least 1998. From that year to this, he has promoted to his supporters yearly a number of very specific scenarios to be fulfilled within months, none of which has ever yielded any fruit of fulfillment.
As each proposed scenario has failed, he has offered excuses for that failure and gone forward to offer an alternative scenario for the upcoming year. And yet each such alternative has also failed. This process is extremely typical in the history of the “End Times Prophecy” movement. Rood is only one in a long line of men (and a few women) in the past two centuries and more who have gathered a following around their dogmatic and bombastic proclamations regarding end-times events.