COGwriter

The Bible does say to confess sins, but how has been historically understood?  What is the position of the Bible?  What did the old Worldwide Church of God teach?  When did the Church of Rome  develop its current practices?

First, let’s start by reading a passage from the Douay-Rheims Bible (a Catholic version, abbreviated herein as DRB):

16 Confess therefore your sins one to another: and pray one for another, that you may be saved. For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much. (James 5:16, DRB)

Notice that this was not a command to confess sins to the clergy.

For those who prefer a more modern version, the following is the same verse from the New Jerusalem Bible (a Catholic version, abbreviated herein as NJB):

16 So confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another to be cured; the heartfelt prayer of someone upright works very powerfully. (James 5:16, NJB)

Both versions teach confession of sins to lay members of the church as opposed to auricular (essentially audible) confession to a priest.

Here is the other time the Bible specifically talks about confessing sins:

7 But if we walk in the light, as he also is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all iniquity. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:7-10, DRB)

The above says that Christians are to confess sins, and Jesus will forgive them. There is no discussion of penance here or in James 5:16.

According to other scriptures, God/Jesus again is the one we are to confess to:

11 For it is written: As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12 Therefore every one of us shall render account to God for himself. (Romans 14:11-12, DRB)

1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly vocation, consider the apostle and high priest of our confession, Jesus (Hebrews 3:1, DRB)

14 Having therefore a great high priest that hath passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God: let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we have not a high priest, who can not have compassion on our infirmities: but one tempted in all things like as we are, without sin. 16 Let us go therefore with confidence to the throne of grace: that we may obtain mercy, and find grace in seasonable aid. (Hebrews 4:14-16, DRB)

Notice also the following:

18 And many of them that believed, came confessing and declaring their deeds. 19 And many of them who had followed curious arts, brought together their books, and burnt them before all; and counting the price of them, they found the money to be fifty thousand pieces of silver. (Acts 19:18-19, DRB)

The above people apparently repented of their sins and destroyed certain wicked books, but this was not penance in the sense that the Church of Rome now advocates.

Since the Bible has a different view, than Rome now has, has the Roman Catholic Church changed its position? Well, yes it has.

Although the Church of Rome sometimes cites earlier sources, it needs to be understood, that according the Catholic saint and Bishop Augustine, auricular confession to a priest was not the practice in the 4th/5th century—instead he advised people to pray to God for forgiveness:

15. Forgiveness of sins. You have [this article of] the Creed perfectly in you when you receive Baptism. Let none say, I have done this or that sin: perchance that is not forgiven me. What have you done? How great a sin have you done? Name any heinous thing you have committed, heavy, horrible, which you shudder even to think of: have done what you will: have you killed Christ? There is not than that deed any worse, because also than Christ there is nothing better. What a dreadful thing is it to kill Christ! Yet the Jews killed Him, and many afterwards believed on Him and drank His blood: they are forgiven the sin which they committed. When you have been baptized, hold fast a good life in the commandments of God, that you may guard your Baptism even unto the end. I do not tell you that you will live here without sin; but they are venial, without which this life is not. For the sake of all sins was Baptism provided; for the sake of light sins, without which we cannot be, was prayer provided. What has the Prayer? Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. Once for all we have washing in Baptism, every day we have washing in prayer. Only, do not commit those things for which you must needs be separated from Christ’s body: which be far from you! For those whom you have seen doing penance, have committed heinous things, either adulteries or some enormous crimes: for these they do penance. Because if theirs had been light sins, to blot out these daily prayer would suffice.

(Augustine.  Sermon to Catechumens on the Creed, Chapter 15.  In: Seventeen short treatises of S. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo. Volume 22 of Library of fathers of the Holy Catholic Church. J. H. Parker, 1847.  Original from Harvard University, Digitized Sep 28, 2007, p. 575)

And real Christians do pray to God for forgiveness of sins.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that the “sacrament of forgiveness” was changed in their church:

1447 Over the centuries the concrete form in which the Church has exercised this power received from the Lord has varied considerably. During the first centuries the reconciliation of Christians who had committed particularly grave sins after their Baptism (for example, idolatry, murder, or adultery) was tied to a very rigorous discipline, according to which penitents had to do public penance for their sins, often for years, before receiving reconciliation. To this “order of penitents” (which concerned only certain grave sins), one was only rarely admitted and in certain regions only once in a lifetime. During the seventh century Irish missionaries, inspired by the Eastern monastic tradition, took to continental Europe the “private” practice of penance, which does not require public and prolonged completion of penitential works before reconciliation with the Church. From that time on, the sacrament has been performed in secret between penitent and priest. This new practice envisioned the possibility of repetition and so opened the way to a regular frequenting of this sacrament. It allowed the forgiveness of grave sins and venial sins to be integrated into one sacramental celebration. In its main lines this is the form of penance that the Church has practiced down to our day. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1447. Imprimi Potest + Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. Image Books by Doubleday, NY 2003)

So, it took until the 7th century for the modern practice to develop widely.

Of course, repentance was taught for becoming a Christian, and acknowledging our sins to God is taught for remaining one:

8 If we say, ‘We have no sin,’ we are deceiving ourselves, and truth has no place in us; 9 if we acknowledge our sins, he is trustworthy and upright, so that he will forgive our sins and will cleanse us from all evil. (1 John 1:9, NJB)

And while the Bible advocates repentance, penance is from outside of sacred scripture as well as the earliest traditions of the true Church of God.

While some Catholics believe that sins cannot be forgiven without the “sacrament of confession,” this is not the case. And, as the Catechism admits (#1447) the current “sacrament of confession” was not an original apostolic practice.

While some people erroneously believe that God could not forgive them and that they have possibly committed the “unpardonable sin,” those who feel that way pretty much can be assured that they have not committed it–recall that scripture teaches:

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all iniquity. (1 John 1:9, DRB)

For more details about the “unpardonable sin,” please see the article What is the Unpardonable Sin?

The Catholic Encyclopedia points to John 20:23 as proof that auricular confession is to be made to priests (The Catholic Encyclopedia also pointed to Matthew 16:19, but for more details on that, please see the article Was Peter the Rock Who Alone Received the Keys of the Kingdom?).

Here are two Catholic translations of it and the two verses preceding it:

21 He said therefore to them again: Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost. 23 Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained. (John 20:21-23, DRB)

21 and he said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. ‘As the Father sent me, so am I sending you.’ 22 After saying this he breathed on them and said: Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you retain anyone’s sins, they are retained. (John 20:21-23, NJB)

What is the problem with the above?

Well, for one, no early leader in the Church of God or Greco-Roman Catholic Church believed that this meant that Christians were supposed to confess each of their sins to a priest who would then prescribe penance. This is clear from early church history as well as what the current Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches.

Historically, here is how the Church of God has explained John 20:23:

Some try to use John 20:23 to prove that persons in ecclesiastical offices have the power to forgive sins. This verse reads: “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (New King James Version). However, it does not mean that mere men can actually forgive sins in a spiritual sense. God alone can forgive sins (Mark 2:7-10; Luke 5:21-24). Christ spoke these words to His future apostles in the context of the Church authority He was giving them (see John 20:21)–the power to disfellowship those who were dissenters or heretics (see I Corinthians 5:2 and I Timothy 1:20) and bring them back into the congregation upon repentance (II Cor. 2:6-10). (Letter 032-0189, Confession. Personal Correspondence Course. WCG)

Why is the old Worldwide Church of God position correct?  Well besides the scriptures cited, and the fact that the Church has the biblical right to “mark” dissenters (Romans 16:17, DRB, KJV), the reality is that is how early professors of Christ seemed to understand the Church of God’s authority. And forgiveness was related to allowing the marked or disfellowshipped to return.

Notice what Bishop Ignatius wrote (early 2nd century):

3…For as many as are of God and of Jesus Christ are also with the bishop. And as many as shall, in the exercise of repentance, return into the unity of the Church, these, too, shall belong to God, that they may live according to Jesus Christ. (Ignatius. Letter to the Philadelphians, Chapters 0,3. Translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1885.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0108.htm>

This is consistent with what the presbyters of Rome wrote (late 1st century):

You therefore, who laid the foundation of this sedition, submit yourselves to the presbyters, and receive correction so as to repent, bending the knees of your hearts. (Letter to the Corinthians (Clement), Chapters 7,52,57.  Translated by John Keith. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 9. Edited by Allan Menzies. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1896.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1010.htm>)

That is the authority that they claimed regarding forgiving dissenters.

And that is consistent with the Church of God position that most groups claiming ties to the old WCG, like the Living Church of God, still teach.

Regarding priests, The Catholic Encyclopedia goes so far to teach:

Priest This word (etymologically “elder”, from presbyteros, presbyter) has taken the meaning of “sacerdos”, from which no substantive has been formed in various modern languages (English, French, German)…In this sense, every religion has its priests, exercising more or less exalted sacerdotal functions as intermediaries between man and the Divinity (Boudinhon A. Transcribed by Robert B. Olson. Priest. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XII. Copyright © 1911 by Robert Appleton Company. Online Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. Knight. Nihil Obstat, June 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York).

Yet, notice that the Bible teaches:

5 For there is one God, and one mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus: (1 Timothy 2:5, DRB)

The only mediator in the Christian religion is supposed to be Jesus the Christ. Thus, the opinion of certain Catholic scholars seems to be in conflict with scripture, since the Bible says the one Mediator is Jesus, not some priest or human leader.

It is partially because of this inaccurate “intermediary/mediator” position that Rome now has priests hear private confessions and claim to forgive sins.

The Bible says to confess sins to one another, but mainly to Jesus Christ. Scripture does not say to do so to a priest, nor does the Bible ever authorize what the Catholics generally mean be “penance” for sin.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

History of Auricular Confession and the ‘Sacrament of Confession’ Did early Christians confess their sins to priests?
What is the Unpardonable Sin? What is it? Can you repent of it? Do you know what it is and how to avoid it?
Were the Early Duties of Elders/Pastors Mainly Sacramental? What was there Dress? Were the duties of the clergy primarily pastoral or sacramental? Did the clergy dress with special liturgical vestments? Can “bishops” be disqualified as ministers of Christ based on their head coverings?
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Genuine Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions. Português: Qual é fiel: A igreja católica romana ou a verdadeira igreja do deus? Tambien Español: ¿Que es fiel: La Iglesia Católica Romana o la Iglesia verdadera de Dios? Auch: Deutsch: Welches ist treu: Die römisch-katholische Kirche oder die Kirche Gottes Original?
The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?

COGwriter

For some time, the USA has been aware of the potential threat of an EMP attack.  Iran, as some believe, has been aware of this for some time and may be planning on using this against the USA.  UCG reports:

An April 28, 2012, FARS article titled “Iranian Navy Able to Deploy Vessels Three Miles off New York Coasts” included the following…:

“IRGC naval commanders said in July 2011 that they would expand their mission into the Atlantic Ocean, and that the country had equipped a number of its vessels with long-range ballistic missiles.”

What is particularly troubling about these statements is the fact that some U.S. military planners and intelligence specialists are convinced that Iran has already conducted naval test launches for an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) missile attack once Iran acquires nuclear capability.

What does this mean?

Is Iran planning an EMP attack?

A little-known byproduct of a nuclear detonation is that it emits an electromagnetic pulse—a powerful burst causing rapid changes in electric and magnetic fields that, while leaving human beings, plants and animals untouched, overloads and destroys any unshielded electrical equipment within hundreds to thousands of miles.

In practical terms, this means that any computerized technology developed since the 1970s is shut down permanently. This would include virtually all computers, electrical appliances, phone systems, radios, televisions, satellites, the Internet, the electrical power grid, water systems, sewer systems, motorized vehicles, trains and aircraft. Modern life as we know it would cease to exist in an instant. And with the infrastructure of a vast region completely collapsed, the overwhelming majority of people there would be dead of starvation and disease within months.

How might the Iranians—or other nuclear armed enemies, even terrorists—pull off such an attack? The simplest scenario is that they might load a nuclear device onto a cargo freighter and sail it near or into a major port city such as New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco or Seattle and then detonate it. There is little or nothing anyone could do to stop it.

However, while the EMP from a ground-level detonation would be quite devastating to a large metropolitan area, its effects would be limited to that area by the curvature of the earth. With altitude, an EMP can affect a much larger region.

Thus, a variation of the above idea is to hide a launcher and nuclear-tipped missile on a freighter, then launch it from miles off the U.S. coastline to create an electromagnetic pulse high above the United States. Depending on the altitude and yield of the blast, up to a third of the country could be devastated by a single warhead!

U.S. and other intelligence agencies have monitored Iranian missile launches from cargo ships in the Caspian Sea in which the missiles detonated in the lower atmosphere. Initially they were thought to be failed launches—until the sobering reality hit that they were near-perfect exercises if the goal is a successful EMP missile attack.

Again, the United States has no effective defense against such a scenario.

While I do not believe that Iran would be able to truly prevail against the USA, it seems to have plans to try (see Iranian Leader Calls for Vanishing USA and Israel from the Universe and Khamenei Has Claimed Iranian Nuclear Weapons Need for the Arrival of the 12th Imam). Notice also the following:

In written testimony delivered to the United States Senate in 2005, an EMP Commission staff member reported:

The EMP Commission sponsored a worldwide survey of foreign scientific and military literature to evaluate the knowledge, and possibly the intentions, of foreign states with respect to electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack. The survey found that the physics of EMP phenomenon and the military potential of EMP attack are widely understood in the international community, as reflected in official and unofficial writings and statements. The survey of open sources over the past decade finds that knowledge about EMP and EMP attack is evidenced in at least Britain, France, Germany, Israel, Egypt, Taiwan, Sweden, Cuba, India, Pakistan, Iraq under Saddam Hussein, Iran, North Korea, China and Russia.  (Wikipedia.  EMP. Accessed 07/17/12)

So for years, Iran has been believed to have sufficient knowledge for using EMP weapons for some time.  And it may do so.

In case of a regional war possibly involving the USA, while Russia and China probably will not stand super strongly behind Iran, Syria still looks like it would.

Syria has chemical weapons which may directly or indirectly harm Israel and even the USA (Syria’s Chemical Weapons, Israel’s Threat, & Iran).  Iran’s emp capacity may directly or indirectly harm Israel and even the USA.  Iran and/or Syria are also believed to possibly possess biological weapons which could affect the USA and/or Israel.

The situation in the Middle East is dangerous and the danger level seems to be rising.

“And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!” (Mark 13:37).

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Is There A Future King of the South? Some no longer believe there needs to be. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? Might this King be called the Mahdi? What does the Bible say?
The Arab and Islamic World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam? What about the Imam Mahdi? What lies ahead for Turkey, Iran, and the other non-Arabic Muslims?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2012, 2013, or 2014? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? Is there a needed peace deal first in the Middle East? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000?

COGwriter

The current issue of Tomorrow’s World magazine has the following:

Signs of the Times

by Michael Heykoop

A storm is gathering on the horizon. Are you prepared?

“Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky at morning, sailors take warning.”

For millennia, people have recognized that it would be beneficial to be able to read the signs of the times to predict future events. Sometimes the signs can be wide open for all to see, but only those who are able to put them into the right context can understand what they mean for the future!

Sailors, and others whose lives depended on the sea, learned that a red sky in the morning had a very different meaning than a red sky in the evening. Since most weather patterns move from west to east, a red sky in the evening—when the sun was setting in the west—meant that clear skies were ahead. By contrast, a red sky in the morning meant that the sun was lighting the underside of approaching storm clouds.

Jesus Christ referred to this very phenomenon when speaking to the Pharisees and Sadducees. “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening’” (Matthew 16:2–3).

The Pharisees and Sadducees did have a certain level of wisdom, which allowed them (among other things) to read the coming weather patterns. However, they were not as wise as they thought themselves to be. Christ rebuked them for their inability to read the signs of the times in which they were living. “Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times” (Matthew 16:3). They were waiting for the Messiah to appear, but could not recognize that He was standing right in front of them! Later, Christ used a similar saying to teach His disciples to watch for His return (Matthew 24:32–35). He told them of signs that would accompany His return and the end of the age (Matthew 24:3).

Are you watching for the signs of the times? Do you see the gathering storm on the horizon? Paul described that, at the end of this age, “perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:1–5). What age could this describe if not the present one? The prophet Daniel describes the end of the age as a time when “many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase” (Daniel 12:4). Think about the achievements in transportation in the past century, and the knowledge explosion that has come about through the digital age.

Tomorrow’s World presenters and writers are hosting a series of informative meetings to help subscribers better understand the dangerous time we are in, as well as God’s wonderful plan to save humanity from what would otherwise be certain cosmocide. Titled “The Gathering Storm,” these events are being held in cities across the United States and Canada. In July and August of this year, presentations will be held across the United States in Albany, New York; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma; Reno, Nevada; Sacramento, California and Worcester, Massachusetts. In Canada, presentations will be held in Winnipeg, Manitoba and in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, as well as in several Ontario locations: London, North Bay, Ottawa, Sarnia, Sudbury and Thunder Bay. Other locations are being added: check the TomorrowsWorld.org Web site for the latest location information.

There is a blistering red morning sky. The signs are there to see, but they cannot be interpreted properly without the context of God’s word—the Bible. The signs are pointing to a gathering storm that would destroy mankind entirely, were it not for the prophesied return of Jesus Christ to set the world in order! Are you prepared? Come to a Tomorrow’s World Special Presentation and learn what you and your loved ones can do to be ready.

Jesus taught about the signs:

1 Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’;  3 and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.  4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed. (Matthew 16:1-4)

7…And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. (Matthew 24:7-8).

8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows. (Mark 13:8)

Tougher times are coming.  Is this something that you can see?

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2012 or 2013? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What is the “beginning of sorrows”? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?
Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians. We all know the Bible prophecies famines. Should we do something?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church Did you know that? Do you even know what the gospel of the kingdom is all about? True religion should be based upon the true gospel.
Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism? Was the millennium (sometimes called chiliasm) taught by early Christians? Who condemned it. Will Jesus literally reign for 1000 years on the earth? Is this time near?
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2018 or 2019?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Will the Anglo-Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people?
Canada in Prophecy: What Does Bible Prophecy, Catholic Prophecy, and other Predictions Suggest About the Future of Canada? There are prophecies that suggest involvement with Canada. And many are not positive about its future.
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West?
Is Tony Blair Apocalyptic? The former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom converted to Catholicism shortly after leaving his office and has been active in European affairs. What role might he play?

COGwriter

It is time to announce the second edition of my latest book, Fatima Shock!

The initial production run of the book was highly limited and this allowed me to make some additions and quickly get out a second edition.  While it is still the same number of pages, the second edition has a few more quotes, references, and scriptures.  If you have already read the first edition, you know how important the information in Fatima Shock! is, so perhaps you may wish to share that copy with a friend or relative and get the latest edition?

For those of you who have been hesitating about getting Fatima Shock! or my other book, 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect, here is a special offer:

THOSE WHO ORDER FATIMA SHOCK! FROM THE www.fatimashock.com WEBSITE DURING THE NEXT TWO WEEKS WILL RECEIVE A FREE BONUS: A COPY OF 2012 AND THE RISE OF THE SECRET SECT.  PLUS WILL GET THE SPECIAL REPORT DOCUMENTING HOW WORLD EVENTS HAVE ALREADY ALIGNED WITH AT LEAST 23 PREDICTIONS IN 2012 AND THE RISE OF THE SECRET SECT!

For those unfamiliar with Fatima, Fatima was the name of Muhammad’s favorite daughter. According to Islam, Fatima and Mary are among the only four “perfect women.” A small town in Portugal was renamed Fatima after a Muslim princess named Fatima converted to Roman Catholicism. In 1917, three children claimed to have a series of monthly visits from an apparition who finally identified herself with the rosary. The apparition is known as “Our Lady of Fatima” or “the Virgin of Fatima” (she never referred to herself as Mary). Hollywood did a movie about this decades ago called The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima (which I have seen). Some Muslims claim that it was Muhammad’s daughter that appeared in Fatima.

Fatima Shock! explains why what was seen in Fatima is not what most people think. If Catholics realized what was really seen, they would not believe that it could possibly have been Jesus’ mother Mary.

Fatima Shock! explains how certain messages from the “Lady of Fatima” contradict scripture as well as COG and Roman Catholic saints.

The REAL Miracle of “Our Lady of Fatima” is that any Catholics still believe in it (but multiple millions do), and none would if they truly understood the facts–facts that are not in other “Fatima” books and where also not in the The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima movie. And those facts are documented in Fatima Shock! Believing in “Our Lady of Fatima” is dangerous and teaches a false message about Mary and God’s plan of salvation.

Despite the truth, the reality is that because of Fatima and other apparitions, many do not have sufficient love of the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:10), and many will be inclined to accept signs and lying wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12; Matthew 24:24).

Tens of millions of people visit the sites of “Marian” apparitions each year. And the Fatima sanctuary is one of the biggest tourist draws for the entire nation of Portugal. Catholic prophecy, consistent with biblical prophecy (Isaiah 47), teaches that Marian apparitions will become public in the future and will help turn the world to follow the final ecumenical religion, that will likely call itself “Catholic,” that Satan will support.

I wrote Fatima Shock! to warn people that apparitions that most people will think are Mary will likely be part of the signs and lying wonders that the Bible warns will deceive the world. Notice what Dr. Roderick C. Meredith of the Living Church of God warned about in his May 2012 semi-annual letter:

All kinds of “miracles,” visions of the Virgin Mary and other strange sights and events will begin to take place—startling many…(Meredith RC. Semi-annual TW subscriber letter, May 18, 2012)

Although most non-Catholics do not think that Fatima can affect them, if they live long enough this century, they will find that this is not the case. Fatima is a much bigger deal than people realize and seems to tie into a variety of prophecies throughout the Bible (e.g. Isaiah 47, Matthew 24, 2 Thessalonians 2, Revelation 17). How apparitions are likely to affect the world at the end seems to be a missing dimension in understanding prophecy by most who profess Christ. Although Dr. Meredith has warned about the sorcery of “Lady of the Kingdoms” in Isaiah 47 affecting end times in at least one booklet, relatively few in the Church of God truly understand how important it is to better know the truth about that “Lady.” The dangers, and even more details, are covered in my book Fatima Shock! What the Vatican Does Not Want You to Know About Fatima, Dogmas of Mary, and Future Apparitions.

The truth about Fatima, the messages of Fatima, the “secrets” of Fatima, the Vatican’s views of Fatima, and how Fatima is expected to impact the future are all covered in detail in Fatima Shock!

Fatima Shock! also, and mainly from Catholic writings, exposes where the “rosary” came from, where many “dogmas of Mary” came from, and explains how Satan has used apparitions in the past to interfere with the Church of God and to promote non-biblical “Christianity.” Fatima Shock! also explains what appears to be Satan’s plans for apparitions in the future based upon biblical and other prophecies.

Do you really know how Satan has used Marian and other female apparitions to support his plan?  Can you explain this in detail to others?

While you may think that future apparitions could not possibly deceive you, are you sure that they will not be able to deceive all your friends and loved ones?

Fatima Shock! provides concerned Christians enough Catholic-documented facts needed to effectively counter every false Marian argument. The Apostle Peter’s admonished Christians, “always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks” (1 Peter 3:15).

Fatima Shock! is available at www.fatimashock.com; Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/Fatima-Shock-Truth-Future-Apparitions/dp/0984087176/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1336687621&sr=8-3); AmazonKindle (http://www.amazon.com/Fatima-Shock-ebook/dp/B0081APXBC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336687621&sr=8-1); Barnes & Noble Nook (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fatima-shock-bob-thiel/1110624059?ean=2940014385640)

If you want a deeper understanding of these matters than can be covered in news posts, you should read Fatima Shock! If you are not shocked by what you will learn from reading Fatima Shock! I would be surprised.  Most in the COGs make a variety of mistakes concerning their knowledge of Marian apparitions and dogmas,  Fatima Shock! documents what true Christians should know about this subject that will greatly affect the world in the future.

COGwriter

According to Zenit.org, some of the Catholics of Rome are having their 23rd annual meeting in Rimini.  The focus is social media and the use of the internet.  Well, I would like to suggest that the media (online and otherwise) should look at a more doctrinally important meeting that was held in Rimini in the 4th century.

Which was?

The then Bishop of Rome, Liberius, agreed to a non-trinitarian statement to the Godhead as the majority of many Greco-Roman areas of theology held to a Semi-Arian (also called binitarian) view of the Godhead (it took an imperial decree several decades later for the trinitarian formula to be forced on many by imperial might).

Notice what The Catholic Encyclopedia teaches and the Council of Rimini:

The second Formula of Sirmium (357) stated the doctrine of the Anomoeans, or extreme Arians. Against this the Semi-Arian bishops, assembled at Ancyra, the episcopal city of their leader Basilius, issued a counter formula, asserting that the Son is in all things like the Father, afterwards approved by the Third Synod of Sirmium (358). This formula, though silent on the term “homousios“, consecrated by the Council of Nicaea, was signed by a few orthodox bishops, and probably by Pope Liberius, being, in fact, capable of an orthodox interpretation. The Emperor Constantius cherished at that time the hope of restoring peace between the orthodox and the Semi-Arians by convoking a general council (Benigni, Umberto. “Council of Rimini.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 13. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 11 Jul. 2008 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13057b.htm>).

Pneumatomachi…The majority of this sect were clearly orthodox on the Consubstantiality of the Son; they had sent a deputation from the Semi-Arian council of Lampsacus (364 A.D.) to Pope Liberius, who after some hesitation acknowledged the soundness of their faith; but with regard to the Third Person, both pope and bishops were satisfied with the phrase: “We believe in the Holy Ghost” (Arendzen, John. “Pneumatomachi.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 12. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 11 Jul. 2008 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12174a.htm>)

“In the Council of Rimini, 359 A.D…nearly all bishops present, 400 in number” decided “to sign a semi-Arian creed” (Kramer H.B. L. The Book of Destiny.  Nihil Obstat: J.S. Considine, O.P., Censor Deputatus.  Imprimatur: +Joseph M. Mueller, Bishop of Sioux City, Iowa, January 26, 1956.  Reprint TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 165).

Hence, the idea that the majority in the 4th century were semi-Arian has a lot of support in Greco-Roman writings. Also, the fact that 400 bishops who met in Rimini, Italy in 359 A.D. signed a “semi-Arian creed” indicates that the majority of leaders in West accepted some type of non-trinitarian position on the Godhead. (The illustration at the beginning of this post, which trinitarians sometimes claims explains their view, shows that it violate accepted laws of logic.)

The Council of Rimini was also called the Council of Ariminum.  Notice what Sozomen reported about it:

The partisans of Acacius remained some time at Constantinople, and invited thither several bishops of Bithynia, among whom were Maris, bishop of Chalcedon, and Ulfilas, bishop of the Goths. These prelates having assembled together, in number about fifty, they confirmed the formulary read at the council of Ariminum, adding this provision, that the terms “substance” and “hypostasis” should never again be used in reference to God. They also declared that all other formularies set forth in times past, as likewise those that might be compiled at any future period, should be condemned (Sozomen, Book IV, Chapter 24 ).

Socrates Scholasticus reported the following as part of the declaration of that Council:

We believe in one God the Father Almighty…And in…Christ our Lord and God…

But since the term ούσία, substance or essence which was used by the fathers in a very simple and intelligible sense, but not being understood by the people, has been a cause of offense, we have thought proper to reject it, as it is not contained even in the sacred writings; and that no mention of it should be made in future, inasmuch as the holy Scriptures have nowhere mentioned the substance of the Father and of the Son. Nor ought the “subsistence” of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit to be even named. But we affirm that the Son is like the Father, in such a manner as the sacred Scriptures declare and teach (Socrates Scholasticus, Book II, Chapter 41, pp. 221,222).

The same Council also taught this about the Holy Spirit:

We believe also in the Holy Spirit…as the Comforter; according to how it is written, the Spirit of truth (Ibid, p. 221).

So while Semi-Arians believe that there is a Holy Spirit, they tend to limit their beliefs to what the Bible says about it—they do not declare it to be the third co-equal person of a non-existent Greco-Roman trinity.

In 359, there was also a semi-Arian council of Seleucia (359) attended by Greco-Roman church leaders (Bagatti, The Church from the Gentiles in Palestine, p.56). And “in 335, the semi-Arian bishops, returning from the council of Tyre” consecrated a basilica (Bagatti, The Church from the Gentiles in Palestine, p.59). In other words, even among the Greco-Roman bishops, many were “Semi-Arians..

Did you know that?

If the media really reported the truth about Rimini and the similar Catholic Councils, many would realize that they need to look more into the now trinitarian view of the Catholics of Rome, Eastern Orthodox, and the Protestants.

Those interested in studying this doctrine in more detail, should consider looking at the following documented articles:

Binitarian View: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning Is binitarianism the correct position? What about unitarianism or trinitarianism?
Is The Father God? What is the view of the Bible? What was the view of the early church?
Jesus is God, But Was Made Man Was Jesus fully human and fully God or what?
Did Early Christians Think the Holy Spirit Was A Separate Person in a Trinity? Or did they have a different view?
Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity? Most act like this is so, but is it?
Was Unitarianism the Teaching of the Bible or Early Church? Many, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, claim it was, but was it?
Binitarianism: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning This is a shorter article than the Binitarian View article, but has a little more information on binitarianism.
Valentinus: The Gnostic Trinitarian Heretic He apparently was the first Christ-professing heretic to come up with the idea of three hypostases.
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Genuine Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions. Português: Qual é fiel: A igreja católica romana ou a verdadeira igreja do deus? Tambien Español: ¿Que es fiel: La Iglesia Católica Romana o la Iglesia verdadera de Dios? Auch: Deutsch: Welches ist treu: Die römisch-katholische Kirche oder die Kirche Gottes Original?

COGwriter

Three weeks from today, September 5, 2012, marks the date that the National Football League (NFL) expects to begin its next official season. But, should Christians support violent sports like American football?

The late Herbert W. Armstrong wrote:

All Sports Not Wrong

Competition and not cooperation, is the attitude which Satan inculcates human minds. But that does not mean that all sports are wrong or to be banned. The law of God is based on the way of righteousness…The basic law is love, out flowing toward God above all else, and secondarily, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

To harm the other fellow and to gain by doing so for self is a kind of competition that is wrong. Hostility toward the other is sin…

Boxing at Ambassador College is definitely banned. God did not create the human brain and head to be pummeled and knocked senseless by an antagonist.

Wherever a game in sports involves antagonists–in hostile attitude to harm the other and/or to “get” from the other–to get the best of the other then a harmful, satanic and evil attitude enters in, and the sport is evil, not good…

Football (American football) is a violent body-contact sport. It is often played with an attitude of hostility and is dangerous and is fraught with physical injury. (Plain Truth, July-August 1984)

Jesus, of course, taught “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39, NKJV, unless otherwise indicated), while the Apostle Paul wrote “no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it” (Ephesians 5:29).

After seeing the injuries that some of my high school football-playing colleagues suffered, I could not reconcile the scriptures with American football. There are better ways for Christians to learn principles like teamwork from other sports or activities than watching actual violence.

John the Baptist taught, “Do violence to no man” (Luke 3:14, KJV), so what about violent sports? The New Testament also warns Christians against being violent or approving of those that are (Romans 1:28-32), while history records that early Christians would not watch violent sports (e.g. Theophilus of Antioch. To Autolycus).

Herbert Armstrong also wrote:

At golf the one who wins is not the one gets the most by taking it away from the other…So golf is not a wrong competition–nor is any race at a distance, or hurdle race, or long jump, high jump, pole vault or other field competition in a track and field meet…

Soccer does not embody the same evils {as American football}. Baseball, softball, volleyball, while competitive, do not necessarily involve hostility, harm to others or trying to prevent the opponent from doing his best. When played in God’s attitude towards others these are acceptable and not prohibited. Satan is the author of competition based upon hostility, harm to the opponent, getting by taking from an opponent–to his harm or loss…

The very name Satan means “adversary.” Satan is an evil adversary, who desires to harm, who has a spirit of hostility.

And yes, some people do sin watching and/or playing soccer. But soccer does not have to be played in a hostile manner that is evil.

Unlike stories of violence in books or movies, American football involves actual violence and often physical injury–including brain damaging ones that are often not obvious for years:

According to the folks at TMZ, 75 former NFL players have sued the league for concealing the risks of concussions. The plaintiffs include former Dolphins receiver Mark Duper (pictured), former Giants and Cardinals running back Ottis Anderson, and former Giants running back Rodney Hampton. Helmet manufacturer Riddell also is named as a defendant in the lawsuit, which was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

The challenge for the plaintiffs will be to prove that the NFL actually knew, or reasonably should have known, the chronic, long-term risks of concussions. Clear links between concussions and long-term health problems have been established only recently, and the league has responded fairly aggressively (especially after a shot across the bow from Congress) to the problem. (Florio M. Report: NFL sued for concealing brain injury risks. NBC Sports, July 19, 2011. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/07/19/report-nfl-sued-for-concealing-brain-injury-risks/)

Before the former American football player Dave Duerson killed himself, he asked that his brain be left to researchers studying head injuries among athletes. What it revealed shocked the scientists… The lapses in memory, the mood swings, the piercing headaches on the left side of his head, the difficulty spelling simple words, the blurred eyesight. And hanging over it all was his fear that both his material and physical decline might not be coincidental, that they might have been caused by injuries to his brain suffered playing the game he loved so much – football…

McKee takes a deep look at the cross-section of this brain and momentarily appears sad. “This is a brain at the end-stage of disease,” she says. “I would assume that with this amount of damage the person was very cognitively impaired. I would assume they were demented, had substantial problems with their speech and gait, that this person was Parkinsonian, was slow to speak and walk, if he could walk at all.” (Pilkington E. The NFL star and the brain injuries that destroyed him. The Guardian, July 19, 2011. http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/jul/19/nfl-star-brain-injuries-destroyed)

Former players have filed class-action lawsuits against the league, claiming they suffer permanent brain damage as a result of concussions sustained while playing football. Stories recounting the lifelong toll of football injuries are common…Thanks to rule changes aimed at lessening the chances of career-ending injuries, football is a tad less dangerous than it once was. But it is still a game whose appeal lies in its violent nature. You cannot play football at the professional level without having it affect — and quite possibly shorten — the rest of your life. (Nocera J.  The Cost of Football Glory.  New York Times, February 3, 2012.  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/04/opinion/nocera-the-cost-of-football-glory.html?_r=1)

Now how widespread brain damage from playing football is can be debated (and probably will be). But everyone has to know that crashing into other human beings in order to knock them down and/or stop them from running or throwing is not harmless.

While “love does no harm to a neighbor” (Romans 13:9), what do sports like American football and boxing do?  Should Bible believers encourage this?

This is something that Christians, and others, should think about.

For more scriptures, as well as the position of early Christians and others on watching violent sports or participating in other violent pursuits, please see the following:

Is American Football Evil? Is the most popular spectator sport in the USA something that Christians should watch? What do the Bible and early writings show? This is the first time I have announced this article on this new page and it contains not only my views, but many quotes that Christians, as well as people who claim to be, should think about. Do you really want to know the answer to the question the title asks? If not, why not?
Military Service and the Churches of God: Do Real Christians Participate in Carnal Warfare? Here are current and historical perspectives on a matter which show the beliefs of the true church on military participation. Is war proper for Christians?

COGWriter

August 15th is a holiday known as the Assumption of Mary.

Wikipedia made the following observations:

According to the belief…of the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Catholic Churches, the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, and the Anglican Communion, the Assumption of Mary was the bodily taking up of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven at the end of her life. The Roman Catholic Church teaches as dogma that the Virgin Mary, “having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.”[1] This doctrine was dogmatically and infallibly defined by Pope Pius XII on November 1, 1950, in his Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus. This belief is known as the Dormition by the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches. In the churches which observe it, the Assumption is a major festival, commonly celebrated on August 15. In many countries it is a Catholic Holy Day of Obligation…In East Orthodox churches following the Julian Calendar, the feast day of Assumption of Mary falls on August 28, and is also a public holiday in the Republic of Macedonia.

Two Catholic sources noted:

Many people, even Catholics, don’t believe in the assumption of Mary.  (Rozett E. Mother Mary and the Goddess. http://www.interfaithmary.com/pages/mary_rosary.html, viewed 08/15/2011)
The feast celebrates the assumption of the body of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven upon her death. According to Pope Benedict XIV, it is a probable opinion, which it is impious to deny, though not an article of faith. The origin of the feast day is not known but it was celebrated in Palestine before the year 500. (Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  http://saints.sqpn.com/assumption-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary/ viewed 07/05/12)

I would like to add that many take devotion to “Mary” quite seriously. Below is a photo my wife Joyce took of prayer notes to “Mary” next to where her final home in Ephesus was supposed to be:

Now it is possible that Mary did live in Ephesus. Basically, the Bible records that Jesus asked the Apostle John to take care of His mother while He was being crucified, and John accepted (John 19:26-27). As far as John being in Ephesus, Polycrates sent a letter to Pope Victor towards the end of the second century and stated that John died in Ephesus (Eusebius. Church History. Book V, Chapter 25). Hence, it is logical that Mary could have as well. The fact that Mary was not mentioned in that letter from Polycrates (and many were) indicates that she may not have gone to Ephesus–she may, for one possibility, simply have died in the Jerusalem area before John moved to Ephesus (which was likely the mid-late 60s A.D.).

But this belief in the “Assumption of Mary”–the teaching that she did perhaps did not die but went directly to heaven (or was “assumed” into heaven at death)–is based on assumption, mysticism, and apparently compromise.

The Catholic Encyclopedia admits:

Regarding the day, year, and manner of Our Lady’s death, nothing certain is known…The dates assigned for it vary between three and fifteen years after Christ’s Ascension. Two cities claim to be the place of her departure: Jerusalem and Ephesus. Common consent favours Jerusalem, where her tomb is shown; but some argue in favour of Ephesus. The first six centuries did not know of the tomb of Mary at Jerusalem. The belief in the corporeal assumption of Mary is founded on the apocryphal treatise De Obitu S. Dominae, bearing the name of St. John, which belongs however to the fourth or fifth century. It is also found in the book De Transitu Virginis, falsely ascribed to St. Melito of Sardis, and in a spurious letter attributed to St. Denis the Areopagite.(Holweck, Frederick. “The Feast of the Assumption.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 14 Aug. 2010 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02006b.htm>)

So, according to The Catholic Encyclopedia the basis for the “belief in the corporeal assumption of Mary is founded on the apocryphal” texts which were claimed to be written by people (like the Apostle John and Melito of Sardis) who did not write them. This makes no sense as a source for any dogma people would hold to be true. Also, if Mary was “assumed” into heaven 3-15 years after Christ’s ascension in the Book of Acts, then why is it not mentioned in sacred scripture? All the books of the New Testament were written at least 5 years after Jesus’ ascension and the last book (Revelation) was apparently written over 60 years later–hence if this is a doctrine that God wanted His people to accept, why is it not specifically mentioned in the Bible? The Catholic writer Epiphanius, in the late fourth century, wrote:

Perhaps this [Rev. 12:13-14] can be applied to her; I cannot decide for certain, and I am not saying that she remained immortal. But neither am I saying that she died. (Panarion of Epiphanius, 78.11.4. As cited in Shoemaker S. The Ancient Traditions of the Virgin Mary’s Dormition and Assumption. Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 12)

Notice what a Catholic translation of the scripture Epiphanius referred to actually states:

13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman, who brought forth the man child: 14 And there were given to the woman two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the desert unto her place, where she is nourished for a time and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. (Revelation 12:13-14, Douay-Rheims).

Notice that “the woman” goes to “the desert” and “here she is nourished for a time and times, and half a time”. Heaven is NOT a desert. Also understand that Catholic scholars tend to correctly believe that the expression “a time and times, and half a time” refers to 3 1/2 years (and even if that was in error, this is a finite period of time, not nearly two thousand years). Thus, it makes no sense that Revelation 12:13-14 could possibly apply to Mary. Epiphanius should have been able to decide for certain that it did not, around 400 years after she was born. It should be clear that the idea of Mary’s “assumption” was not a dogmatic belief centuries after she would likely have been expected to have died. Of course, the Bible was clear in the mid-late 1st century that only Jesus had immortality:

13 I charge thee before God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate, a good confession, 14 That thou keep the commandment without spot, blameless, unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Which in his times he shall shew who is the Blessed and only Mighty, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; 16 Who only hath immortality, and inhabiteth light inaccessible, whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and empire everlasting. Amen. (1 Timothy 6:13-16, Douay-Rheims)

Note that I used the Catholic-approved Douay-Rheims translation in this article to show that these ideas have support even within Catholic-approved writings. If Mary was immortal then, then the Apostle Paul would not have been inspired to write that. The Catholic Saint Augustine wrote of “her death” (Augustine. Tractates on the Gospel of John (Augustine) > Tractate 8, Chapter 9. Translated by John Gibb. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 7. Edited by Philip Schaff. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1888.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1701008.htm>), thus the idea of Mary dying was an old concept. Dr. Douglas Winnail made the following observation:

The Bible never refers to Mary’s “Immaculate Conception”—the doctrine that she was born without sin. Nor does it teach the “Assumption”—the doctrine that Mary was bodily transported to heaven. Rather, Scripture clearly states that “no one has ascended to heaven” except Jesus (John 3:13). (Winnail DS. The Lady of Nations. Tomorrow’s World, LCG Magazine. Nov-Dec 2003).

So where did the idea of Mary’s assumption come from? Basically, from apocryphal literature in the fourth century (or possibly as early as the late third century)–but mainly even later than that. Although Epiphanius tried to investigate it, he was uncertain.

Goddess Diana and Islamic Connections

Interestingly, the ancient Romans had a 3 day festival for the goddess Diana. On the third day, August 15, they apparently celebrated her assumption into heaven as the queen of heaven. This is the same day of the Catholic feast of the assumption of Mary. Some do not consider this to be coincidental. (Green CMC. Roman religion and the cult of Diana at Aricia, Volume 0, Issues 521-85150. Cambridge University Press, 2007, p. 62; Frazer JG. The Magic Art and the Evolution of Kings V1, Volume 1. Kessinger Publishing, 2006, pp. 14-17). Diana was known as the “revered virgin” (Fischer-Hansen T, Poulsen B. From Artemis to Diana: the goddess of man and beast. Museum Tusculanum Press, 2009, p. 56) and “the Lady Artemis” (Davidson HE. Roles of the northern goddess. Psychology Press, 1998, p. 18); also as ”the virgin” (Morford MPO, Lenardon RJ. Classical mythology, 6th edition. Oxford University Press US, 1999, p. 141). There is a suspected connection between Diana and how many view Mary (Fischer-Hansen, p. 49). Yet, the Catholic saint Augustine specifically referred to Diana as one of several “false and lying deities” (Augustine. The Harmony of the Gospels, Book I, Chapter 25. Translated by S.D.F. Salmond. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 6. Edited by Philip Schaff. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1888.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1602125.htm>). Hence, it would seem wise that Catholics consider the wisdom in observing the date of her claimed assumption into heaven. Mary’s “assumption” apparently became more of an issue after the death of Mohammed. Wikipedia notes:

John of Damascus, from this period, is the first church authority to advocate the doctrine under his own name; he had been brought up in an environment in which a corporeal ascent of Muhammed into heaven was official policy, since he, and his father before him, held the post of imperial chancellor of the Islamic empire of the Umayyads, and Muhammed’s ascent into heaven is the subject of the Night Journey, a Surah in the Quran. His contemporaries, Gregory of Tours and Modestus of Jerusalem, helped promote the concept to the wider church.

A Catholic writer posted:

The occasion and the site are sacred to Muslims and Christians alike. Every Sunday at least some Muslims come here before ‘Hazreti Meryem Ana’, Her Majesty Mother Mary and attend mass.
(Rozett E. Mother Mary and the Goddess. http://www.interfaithmary.com/pages/mary_Islam.html, viewed 08/15/2011)

Apparently because the Muslims claimed that Muhammed, and Greco-Romans that the goddess Diana, went to directly to heaven, certain Catholics began to promote the idea. When researching my book Fatima Shock!, I learned that there were a lot of apparent connections between the goddess Diana and Catholic claims about Mary.  Actually, what appeared in Fatima, Portugal in 1917, according to the little children who claimed to see a “Lady,” looked a lot like the goddess Diana, and not Mary, the mother of Jesus (pictures are shown in Fatima Shock!).

Place of Mary’s Final Location Changed?

However, it should be pointed out that even the place of the “assumption” changed. Wikipedia reports:

In some versions of the story the event is said to have taken place in Ephesus, in the House of the Virgin Mary, although this is a much more recent and localized tradition. The earliest traditions all locate the end of Mary’s life in Jerusalem…

So, the earliest accounts claimed Jerusalem, but that was later changed to Ephesus by some. If Mary died 3-15 years after Jesus, then she likely did not die in the area near Ephesus. Another article in The Catholic Encyclopedia mentions:

As to tradition, there is some testimony for Mary’s temporary residence in or near Ephesus, but the evidence for her permanent home in Jerusalem is much stronger… In Panaghia Kapoli, on a hill about nine or ten miles distant from Ephesus, was discovered a house, or rather its remains, in which Mary is supposed to have lived. The house was found, as it had been sought, according to the indications given by Catherine Emmerich in her life of the Blessed Virgin… In 451 Juvenal, Bishop of Jerusalem, testified to the presence of Mary’s tomb in Jerusalem…Another witness for the existence of a tradition placing the tomb of Mary in Gethsemani is the basilica erected above the sacred spot, about the end of the fourth or the beginning of the fifth century… It has been seen that we have no absolute certainty as to the place in which Mary lived after the day of Pentecost. Though it is more probable that she remained uninterruptedly in or near Jerusalem, she may have resided for a while in the vicinity of Ephesus, and this may have given rise to the tradition of her Ephesian death and burial. There is still less historical information concerning the particular incidents of her life. (Maas, Anthony. “The Blessed Virgin Mary.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 15. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 14 Aug. 2010 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15464b.htm>)

Of course, the presence of a tomb suggests that one was buried within it, not assumed directly to heaven. Others have claimed her body left the tomb:

In the eighth century, St. John Damascene was known for giving sermons at the holy places in Jerusalem. At the Tomb of Mary, he expressed the belief of the Church on the meaning of the feast: “Although the body was duly buried, it did not remain in the state of death, neither was it dissolved by decay. . . . You were transferred to your heavenly home, O Lady, Queen and Mother of God in truth.” (Stevens C, Priest. Assumption of Mary. Catholic Heritage, July-August 1996. http://www.ewtn.com/library/answers/aofmary.htm)

S. Shoemaker also claims that the earliest accounts of the assumption state it occurred in Jerusalem, but later Ephesus:

Nevertheless, the earliest evidence of any such belief appears only in the ninth century, in a Syriac manuscript, copied in 874 which reports that Mary accompanied John to Ephesus, where she died and was buried. (Shoemaker S. The Ancient Traditions of the Virgin Mary’s Dormition and Assumption. Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 75)

Did Mysticism Play a Role?

Anne Catherine Emmerich

There is a plaque outside of Ephesus near the house that Mary allegedly lived in from the Church of Rome which basically declares that this is Mary’s house (I read the plaque when I was last there). Pope Pius XII declared it a Holy Place as did Pope John XXIII (it is an important religious site for Muslims too); Wikipedia reports “Pope Paul VI visited the shrine on July 26, 1967, and ‘unofficially’ confirmed its authenticity.” The idea that Mary’s house was specifically there was allegedly developed because of visions that the mystic nun Anne Catherine Emmerich claimed to have had in the early 19th century. Because of her visions,one or more priests went to Ephesus and found a house apparently matching her descriptions (Shoemaker, p. 76). Some in the local area confirmed the location as Mary’s last house. And while some may claim that is proof it was Mary’s home, I should also add that Anne Catherine Emmerich claimed to have seen Limbo in her visions, yet the current Pontiff (Benedict XVI) has indicated that there is no such place as Limbo (What is Limbo? Is There Such a Place as Limbo? What Happens to Babies When They Die?). Despite this, on October 3, 2004 Anne Catherine Emmerich was beatified by Pope John Paul II.

But irrespective of what location may have been “Mary’s house”, the historical accuracy of the “assumption of Mary”, is at best an assumption that seems to contradict scripture. Although some have claimed that the apostles originally reported “the assumption” there do not appear to be any pre-fourth century documents that state this (and even the “apostolic claim” was from testimony in the mid-fifth century by Juvenal, see The Catholic Encyclopedia Assumption of Mary).

The assumption position mainly seems to be have been accepted because people want to believe it as opposed to basing it upon reliable historical documentation:

In view of the striking absence of early historical evidence, the Vatican proceeded to establish the Assumption dogma primarily on a dogmatic rather than a historical basis. It was determined that despite the complete lack of any historical evidence for early belief in the Virgin’s Assumption, the dogma should still be proclaimed…(Shoemaker S. The Ancient Traditions of the Virgin Mary’s Dormition and Assumption. Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 15)

Wikipedia also noted:

Protestant theologians…cite the fact that the idea did not gain acceptance in the church until the sixth century, after Gregory of Tours accepted the apocryphal work “Transitus Beatae Mariae”…Catholic theologian Ludwig Ott stated, “The idea of the bodily assumption of Mary is first expressed in certain transitus-narratives of the fifth and sixth centuries…. The first Church author to speak of the bodily assumption of Mary, in association with an apocryphal transitus B.M.V., is St. Gregory of Tours.”…The Catholic writer Eamon Duffy goes further, conceding that “there is, clearly, no historical evidence whatever for it.”…

In Ludwig Ott’s Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma he states that “the fact of her death is almost generally accepted by the Fathers and Theologians, and is expressly affirmed in the Liturgy of the Church”, to which he adduces a number of helpful citations, and concludes that “for Mary, death, in consequence of her freedom from original sin and from personal sin, was not a consequence of punishment of sin. However, it seems fitting that Mary’s body, which was by nature mortal, should be, in conformity with that of her Divine Son, subject to the general law of death”…The point of her bodily death has not been infallibly defined, and many believe that she did not die at all, but was assumed directly into Heaven. The dogmatic definition within the Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus which, according to Roman Catholic dogma, infallibly proclaims the doctrine of the Assumption leaves open the question whether, in connection with her departure, Mary underwent bodily death; that is, it does not dogmatically define the point one way or the other, as shown by the words “having completed the course of her earthly life”…Many Catholics also believe that Mary first died before being assumed, but they add that she was miraculously resurrected before being assumed…This doctrine was dogmatically and infallibly defined by Pope Pius XII on November 1, 1950, in his Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus.

The holiday, then, is an assumption based upon mystic literature like the Transitus Mariae, essentially combined with a dogmatic declaration in 1950.

Now, the Transitus Mary was allegedly an account from an apparition claiming to be Mary. Yet, Catholics need to realize that in the early 6th century, a papal decree, Decretum Gelasianum, classified the Transitus Mariae writings as apocryphal (The Transitus Mariae Non-canonical Account of Mary’s passing. http://www.bibleprobe.com/transitusmariae.htm). Anyway, the Transitus Mariae claims that John was in Ephesus and the Holy Spirit transported him to Mary in Bethlehem (Smith Lewis A. Apocrypha syriaca: the Protevangelium Jacobi and Transitus Mariae, with texts from the Septuagint, the Corân, the Peshiṭta, and from a Syriac hymm in a Syro-Arabic palimpsest of the fifth and other centuries. C.J. Clay and sons, 1902, p. 25) and that Mary was taken in to heaven from her house in Bethlehem (p. 33) and that was within the jurisdiction of the governor of Jerusalem (p. 36).

Now, having been to Ephesus a couple of times, I would like mention the Islamic Turks in that area actually do celebrate the “assumption of Mary” as well. Not because it is mentioned in the Quran (it does not seem to be), but because Mary is mentioned in the Quran more times than Jesus. Muslims tend to venerate Mary to a degree.

Perhaps I should add that August 15th is considered by certain Catholics to be Mary’s “heavenly birthday”. However, perhaps it should be pointed out that early Christians did not observe birthdays (Did Early Christians Celebrate Birthdays?), hence the “birthday into heaven” position also was not a position of early Christians.

Why the Assumption of Mary Teaching?

Notice what the Catholic news agency Zenit reported:

Why a…dogmatic pronouncement on the Assumption? Because the Vicar of Christ…was inspired to do so to bring forth a new outpouring of grace for the Church through the intercession of the Queen of Heaven — the Mediatrix of all graces who was newly honored by a solemn papal proclamation of her parting earthly prerogative…

One objection voiced during the months preceding the 1950 definition by a group of theologians was that the new Marian definition would wreak havoc to ecumenical efforts newly initiated with other Christians. The late Cardinal Edouard Gagnon who lived through the years preceding and proceeding the Assumption definition, repeatedly testified to the opposite — that immediately following the papal proclamation of Our Lady’s Assumption, the Church experienced its greatest ever advancement in ecumenism in Church history up to its time, which consequently led to its historic flourishing at the Second Vatican Council.

Mothers unite. They do not divide. (Our Lady and Dogmas: Pondering the Assumption. ZE10081612 – 2010-08-16. Permalink: http://www.zenit.org/article-30069?l=english)

So, the dogma is for the eventual ecumenical plans of the Church of Rome.  And that is consistent with what I have written about in Fatima Shock!

Based upon visions of various mystics, current practices of the Church of Rome, and biblical prophecies associated with “signs and lying wonders” (2 Thessalonians 2:9), it seems likely that apparitions claiming to be Mary may mislead others in the future in order to encourage ecumenical unification across church lines. And this view, is not unique to me.

The following was written over a decade ago by a member of the Orthodox Church and is warning people that false apparitions claiming to be Mary will lead to people to Antichrist:

…is it any wonder that contemporary “apparitions” of Mary are invariably accompanied by ecumenistic messages promoting the idea that all religions are equally valid and Orthodox Christianity is but one “path” among many? A recent issue of Orthodox Traidition (1966) contains the account of Matushka (wife of a Russian Orthodox priest) Katherine Swanson’s trip to Medjugorje, Croatia, to investigate the most famous of the recent cases of appartions of Mary in the Roman Catholic world. In it she recounts a telling episode:

Our guide took our group for an audience with the “seers.” During this audience, a pilgrim asked one of the children the following questions: “Does the Virgin say that the Catholic Church is the true church?” The response given by the child provides clear evidence of the ecumenical content and religious relativism which, oddly enough, increasingly mark the “revelations” at Medjugorje: “Our Blessed Mother says that all religions are equally pleasing to God.“…

To which Mary are Muslims and Protestants being drawn? …

Today, as heterodox Christians become more and more ecumenist and work toward creating a “One World Church,” the search has begun for a Mary of universal recognition, one who will appeal not only to those who bear the name Christian, but apprently to Muslims and others as well, just as attempts are likewise being made to identify the “new Christ” with the Muslim concept of their coming Mahdi and with the Messiah still awaited by the Jews. This, of course, will be no Christ at all but the antichrist.

(Jackson P. ORTHODOX LIFE., No. I, 1997., Brotherhood of Saint Job of Pochaev at Holy Trinity Monastery, Jordanville, N.Y. pp. 18-22. http://fr-d-serfes.org/orthodox/theotokos.htm viewed 05/11/09)

The reality is that it is likely that false apparitions, claiming to be “Mary” may be among the signs and lying wonders that the Bible warns are coming (2 Thessalonians 2:9).

Hence, if people assume that Mary was “assumed” (taken up) to heaven, many people will likely also accept that she is current alive today (even though she, like others, is awaiting the resurrection, cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-16). Thus, they may be favorably inclined to listen to one in the future who will claim to be her.

Don’t assume that Mary was assumed to heaven, nor assume that if in the future there are public apparitions claiming to be Mary, that they are in fact her. Mary is dead and awaiting the resurrection. And while the Bible does call her “blessed” (Luke 1:28,42), her veneration and assumption into heaven are not biblical doctrines, nor were they held by even the Church of Rome until after the start of the fourth century (or late third century).

The idea of an “assumption of Mary” is only an assertion, originally based upon literature declared to be apocryphal as well as mystic visions that were also faulty. The date chosen was the same date that the assumption of the pagan goddess Diana was celebrated on. The “assumption of Mary” should not be dogma as it was not the position of the early Church.

Sadly, it is expected to be an ecumenical tool that will not be good. Neither for the Orthodox or the Vatican (Revelation 17:15-17).  Do you really and fully understand how Satan may be planning on using “Mary” for his plans?

For more information, please check out the following:

Fatima Shock! What the Vatican Does Not Want You to Know About Fatima, Dogmas of Mary, and Future Apparitions. Whether or not you believe anything happened at Fatima, if you live long enough, you will be affected by its ramifications (cf. Isaiah 47; Revelation 17). Fatima Shock! provides concerned Christians with enough Catholic-documented facts to effectively counter every false Marian argument.
Fatima Shock! YouTube Dr. Thiel highlights a few points of why no one would support Fatima, etc. as discussed in the documented book Fatima Shock!
Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Apparitions Do you know much about Mary? Are the apparitions real? What might they mean for the rise of the ecumenical religion of Antichrist? Are Protestants moving towards Mary? How do the Orthodox view Mary? How might Mary view her adorers?
Why Should American Catholics Should Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster?
Orthodox Must Reject Unity with the Roman Catholics The talks for unification involve compromise and the apparent rising up of a changed religion that no one should accept.
Catholic Prophecies: Do They Mirror, Highlight, or Contradict Biblical Prophecies? People of all faiths may be surprised to see what various Roman and Orthodox Catholic prophets have been predicting as many of their predictions will be looked to in the 21st century.
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Genuine Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions. Português: Qual é fiel: A igreja católica romana ou a verdadeira igreja do deus? Tambien Español: ¿Que es fiel: La Iglesia Católica Romana o la Iglesia verdadera de Dios? Auch: Deutsch: Welches ist treu: Die römisch-katholische Kirche oder die Kirche Gottes Original?
What Did Early Christians Understand About the Resurrection? Is there more than one future resurrection? Did early Christians teach a physical resurrection? Did early Christians teach three resurrections?

Assyrian Relief from Nineveh, 645-635 B.C.

COGwriter

Finally, I am starting to share some information that I have put together in a new article titled Germany’s Assyrian Roots Throughout History.

While most mainstream scholars seem to have little interest or belief in the subject, there is a lot of historical evidence that points to the ancient Assyrians as the ancestors of the modern Germanic peoples (this does not mean that there are not other types of Assyrians in the world, as many groups have ethnic and cultural diversity).

But first, let’s start with the Bible.  One of the sons of Shem and grandson of Noah was named Assur/Ashur/Asshur:

1 Now this is the genealogy of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And sons were born to them after the flood…21 And children were born also to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder. 22 The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram. (Genesis 10:1,21-22, NKJV ).

The first century Jewish historian Josephus tied this son Asshur/Ashur in with Assyria as did the late fourth/early fifth century Catholic doctor and saint Augustine:

Shem, the third son of Noah, had five sons, who inhabited the land that began at the Euphrates, and reached to the Indian Ocean. Elam left behind him the Elamites, the ancestors of the Persians. Ashur lived in Ninevah; and named his descendants Assyrians, who became the most fortunate nation, beyond others. (Josephus. Josephus Complete Works. Antiquities of the Jews, Book I, Chapter VI, Verse 4. Translated by William Whiston in 1867. Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids (MI), 1960, p. 31)

Assur, father of the Assyrian…Of these nations the names have partly survived, so that at this day we can see from whom they have sprung, as the Assyrians from Assur…(Augustine. The City of God (Book XVI). Translated by Marcus Dods. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 2. Edited by Philip Schaff. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1887.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/120116.htm>)

So, the term Assyria has long been considered to be a derivative term for descendant of Assur/Ashur/Asshur, grandson of Noah. Some Assyrian kings were named aversion of Ashur (Rines GE. The Encyclopedia Americana: a library of universal knowledge, Volume 2Encyclopedia Americana Corp., 1918 Original from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Digitized Nov 9, 2007, pp. 428-439).

Around the 8th century B.C., God sent Jonah to the people of Ninevah. At that time, Ninevah was the capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire and was one of the major cities in the world. While there, Jonah preached repentance (Jonah 3:1-4). And the people of that great city did repent then (Jonah 3:5-10). At least one 21st century discovery provides some evidence of the biblical Jonah (see James Tabor Seems to Have Found Old Jonah-Related Tomb).

The Assyrians sometimes moved and were in different areas. Around 530 B.C.:

Scylax of Caryanda names the coast of the Black Sea, from the Chalybians to Armene, westward of the promontory of Syrias, Assyria. Strabo states that these Syrians, who extended from the Taurus northwards as far as the Pontus; were named Leuko-Syrians, i.e. white Syrians. (Dunker M. The history of antiquity, Volume 1. Evelyn Abbott Publisher R. Bentley & son, 1877. Original from the University of Michigan, Digitized Sep 12, 2007, p. 540)

Places like Pontus were in Asia Minor, typically referred to as the East by Latins/Romans.

Tacitus was a late first/early second century historian who apparently knew that the Germans at least claimed to have come from Asia Minor at one time:

When Tacitus informs us that the first act of a German on rising was ablution {washing}, it will be conceded, this habit was not acquired in the cold climate of Germany but must have been of eastern origin; as were the loose flowing robe, the long and braided hair, tied in a knot on the top of the head…Tacitus…knew their {German} claim to Asiatic origin, when he asks, “who would leave the softer abodes of Asia for Germany where nature yields nothing but deformity?” (Tod J. The annals and antiquities of Rajastʾhan: or the central and western Rajpoot states of India, Volume 1. Indian Publication Society, 1899. Original from Princeton University, Digitized Jan 15, 2010, p. 70)

Craig White reported that the above hairstyle “seems similar to the Assyrian hairstyle” (White C. The Great German Nation: Origins and Destiny. AuthorHouse, 2007, p. 96)

Apparently, Assyrians were considered to be of similar ethnicity to the Germans by some Arabs:

Medieval Arab authors say that the Assyrians are from the same source as the Germans…Barhebraeus, a Syria Bishop living during the twelfth century wrote that ‘The Germanikah are a people in Mosel (Nineveh) who came from Persia’…Arab tradition have the Germanikah as Assyrians. (Gemol M. Israelites und Hyksos. Leipzig, 1913, pp.88-90, as shown translated in White, p. 92)

History does show that the Assyrians conquered Persia (Malcom J. The history of Persia, from the most early period to the present time: containing an account of the religion, government, usages, and character of the inhabitants of that kingdom, Volume 1. J. Murray, 1829. Original from Oxford University, Digitized Jan 30, 2009, p. 509), hence Barhebraeus’ comments seem consistent with the old Arab beliefs.

Some Assyrians were described as having black or dark hair, while Sir William Smith reported of the Northern Germans:

The Germans were a branch of the great Indo-Germanic race, who, along with the Celts, migrated into Europe from the Caucasus, and the countries around the Black and Caspian seas, at a period long anterior to historical records. They are described as a people of high stature and of great bodily strength, with fair complexions, blue eyes, and yellow or red hair. (Smith W. A smaller classical dictionary of biography, mythology, and geography. Harper, 1877. Original from Harvard University, Digitized Jan 24, 2008, p. 175)

The above consistent with historical Church of God teachings (e.g. McNair R. America and Britain in Prophecy. Global Church of God, San Diego, 1996; Winnail D. Modern Nations and God’s Ancient Plan. Tomorrow’s World Magazine, Volume 8, Issue 4. July-August, 2006).

Various Church of God researchers believe that the Assyrian peoples migrated into central Europe in ancient times. Notice what the following two Church of God researchers have written:

After the fall of the Assyrian Empire, the Roman historian Pliny mentioned a tribe of the “Assyriani” among the Scythian peoples in the Crimea north of the Black Sea (Natural History, Bk IV. XII. 81)…Researcher Leon Poliakov notes the ancient Bavarian account that the people of Bavaria came into central Europe from the region of Armenia by the Black Sea (The Aryan Myth, p. 76). Considering this information, it is not surprising to find medieval Arab writers describing the Germans as “Assyrians” (Israelites und Hyksos, Germol, pp. 89–90). The links between Germany and Assyria can be found, and are neither far-fetched nor imagined. (Winnail D. Resurgent Germany: A Fourth Reich? Tomorrow’s World Magazine, Volume 9, Issue 5, Sep-Oct 2007, pp. 16-20, 29)

The ancient city of Germanicopolis was located in Cilicia, in southeastern Asia Minor according to Ammianus Marellinus, book 1, § 27. It belonged of old to the Hatti. Cilicia is mentioned several places in the Bible. Paul was born in Cilicia (Acts 21:39 and 22:3). Now look at a map of Europe. We find that one of the eastern provinces of pre-World War II Germany is called SILESIA! — spelled slightly different, but pronounced the same! The name of Cilicia in Asia Minor was simply transplanted to Eastern Germany by the Hatti who migrated from Cilicia to Silesia, then to the Rhine. Silesia is only a modern spelling! (Hoeh H. Germany in Prophecy. Plain Truth, January 1963, p. 17)

The Catholic saint Jerome (late fourth/early fifth century) may have indicated that the descendants of the biblical Asshur (Genesis 10:22) which seems to be Assyria (Radmacher Concordance in. Nelson Study Bible, p. 11), ended up in parts of Europe, like Germany:

He that lets is taken out of the way, and yet we do not realize that Antichrist is near. Yes, Antichrist is near…The whole country between the Alps and the Pyrenees, between the Rhine and the Ocean, has been laid waste by hordes of Quadi, Vandals, Sarmatians, Alans, Gepids, Herules, Saxons, Burgundians, Allemanni and— alas! For the commonweal!— even Pannonians. For Assur also is joined with them. The once noble city of Moguntiacum has been captured and destroyed. In its church many thousands have been massacred. The people of Vangium after standing a long siege have been extirpated. The powerful city of Rheims, the Ambiani, the Altrebatæ, the Belgians on the skirts of the world, Tournay, Spires, and Strasburg have fallen to Germany: while the provinces of Aquitaine and of the Nine Nations, of Lyons and of Narbonne are with the exception of a few cities one universal scene of desolation. (Jerome. Letter CXXIII to Ageruchia, Chapter 16.  Translated by W.H. Fremantle, G. Lewis and W.G. Martley. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 6. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1893.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3001123.htm>).

Various other scholars have noted similarities between ancient Assyria and modern Germany:

Assyria is interesting on account of the close parallel between her methods and morals and those of modern Germany. In politics, Germany has been an imitator of Assyria. (Vestal SC. The maintenance of peace, or, The foundations of domestic and international peace as deduced from a study of the history of nations. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1920 Original from Harvard University Digitized Dec 15, 2008, p. 118)

Similarities between Assyria and Germany have been noted by several (Oswalt JN, Oswalt J. The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39 New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1986, p. 226)

Some others, like George Spiteri, also call modern Assyria as Germany (Spiteri G. Return of the Living Jesus Christ. Xulon Press, 2007, p. xxvii), but without going into much detail as to why.

A recent work that goes into the most detail about the similarities on this was published by Craig White and is titled The Great German Nation: Origins and Destiny (AuthorHouse, 2007). Without going into all the details, his book looks at ancient records and practices of the Assyrians, including certain archaeological records, to demonstrate his reasoning why Germans are, in the main, basically descended from ancient Assyrians.

In the first century AD, Pliny reportedly claimed that the Assyrians were north of the Black Sea (Winnail D. Resurgent Germany: A Fourth Reich? Tomorrow’s World Magazine, Volume 9, Issue 5, Sep-Oct 2007). Here is Pliny’s account in Latin and a google-computer translation into English:

Sed a Carcinite Taurica incipit, quondam mari circumfusa et ipsa qua nunc campi iacent; dein vastis attollitur iugis. triginta sunt eorum populi, ex iis mediterranei XXIII; VI oppida Orgocini, Characeni, Assyrani, Stactari, Acisalitae, Caliordi. iugum ipsum Scythotauri tenent; cluduntur ab occidente Cherroneso Nea, ab ortu Scythis Satarcis. in ora a Carcine oppida Taphrae in ipsis angustiis paeninsulae, mox Heraclea Cherronesus, libertate a Romanis donatum; Megarice vocabatur antea, praecipui nitoris, in toto eo tractu custoditis Graeciae moribus, Vpassuum ambiente muro. (Pliny the Elder.  Natural History, Book 4, Chapter 85 (in Latin).  http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/L/Roman/Texts/Pliny_the_Elder/4*.html viewed 10/06/11)

A Carcinite Taurica begins, once the sea he was surrounded and the field itself which I am now lie then raised huge hills. and thirty of them are the people, of the Midland 23; Orgocini 6 towns, Characeni, Assyrani, Stactari, Acisalitae, Caliordi. the yoke itself Scythotauri hold the Nea CHERSONESE conclude from the west, from the rising of the Scythians, Satarcis. CRAB Taphrae from the towns on the coast in the midst of the narrow peninsula, just CHERSONESE Heraclea, freedom given by the Romans; Megarice was called before, the principal of brightness, of Greece was kept tract of all his character, encompassing Vpassuum the wall. (Computer-generated translation).

So, Pliny’s account seems to support the idea of ending up in Middle Europe. Simlarly, one of the oldest traditions of the Bavarians claim that they came to Central Europe by way of the Black Sea (White, p. 100).

There is also a very old legend that claims that the city of Trier in Germany was founded by an Assyrian leader:

For legend, going history better by more than 2000 years, ascribes the founding’ of Trier to Assyrian Prince Trebeta, who gave it his name, in 2053 BC. (Fodor E. Germany 1962. D. McKay, 1962 Original from the University of Michigan Digitized Oct 12, 2006, p. 175; see also Treverorum A. British Quarterly Review, July 1875, pp. 1-3)

Hence, the idea that at least some of the Germans have Assyrian heritage has long been held and is not a new idea.  Many mainstream scholars (while acknowledging the information about Trier), on the other hand, do not tend to look much before the time of the Roman Empire and teach that the Germans originally came from some part of Asia, but they generally do not try to connect Germany with Asshur or Assyria.

Yet, since everybody had to come from somewhere, it seems to make the most since that Asshur was at least one of the ancestors of the modern German peoples.

For details on those prophecies, check out the following:

Germany’s Assyrian Roots Throughout History Are the Germanic peoples descended from Asshur of the Bible?  Have there been real Christians in Germanic history? What about the “Holy Roman Empire”?
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? What is ahead for Europe?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States?
Might German Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg become the King of the North? Is the German Defense Minister one to watch? What do Catholic, Byzantine, and biblical prophecies suggest?
Resurgent Germany: A Fourth Reich? Who are the German peoples and where did they come from? What is Germany’s role in end time prophecy?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2012, 2013, or 2014? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Why does Daniel 9:26-27 seem to be referring to a peace deal confirmed by a European leader.

Neodymium Magnet on a Hard Drive

COGwriter

The world is concerned by the fact that China controls 95% or so of certain “rare earth elements”(like neodymium ) and now India is hoping to become a major producer of rare earth metals:

NEW DELHI—India has embarked on an ambitious plan to increase its output of rare-earth minerals used in electronics manufacturing at a time when the world’s largest producer, China, has tightened its own exports of the minerals…

“The potential is good. This is at an exploratory phase,” said Shailesh Nayak, the top bureaucrat in India’s Ministry of Earth Sciences. “We have identified first-level mining sites over 2,500 square kilometers. Now we know where we have to concentrate.”

Others say India’s ambitions are unlikely to be fulfilled in the near term. Indian Rare Earths plans eventually to produce 11,000 metric tons a year from its new plant. Even if successful, this would leave India well behind China, which produced 130,000 tons of the minerals in 2010, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. In the same year, India, a very distant No. 2, had only 2,700 tons of output.  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443437504577546772533972202.html

If India does, in fact despite its problems, become a major producer, it and China will have additional reasons to cooperate and perhaps have a sort of informal (or more than that) cartel to control prices.  The Bible tells of an end time military confederation of the Kings of the East (Revelation 16:12), and this seems to include India and China–hence other forms of cooperation between these Asian “Kings” would be consistent with that.

The USA recognizes a problem here and has taken several steps, including hopefully having a mine open in California in 2012 (see Rare Earth Elements, China, and 2012).

But despite the steps by the American and Indians, the Chinese still have major control and expect to for the foreseeable future. This does not bode well for the USA.  Nor would a semi-monopoly involving India.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

India, Its Biblical Past and Future: Any Witness? The Bible discusses the origins of those of Indian heritage and discusses some of the witness to them (including those in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka).
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for China? Who are the “Kings of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon?
End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? Are there Mayan calendar predictions for change in 2012? Changes were centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans. Do Mayan/Hindu/Hopi/Buddhist/New Age/Nostradamus prophecies have any value here? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Does the Dresden codex show destruction of the earth by flood?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect This page contains some concepts and prophecies related to 2012 and a book. This also has YouTube videos related to 2012 and beyond.

Muslim Brotherhood
الإخوان المسلمون
Al-Ikhwān Al-Muslimūn

COGwriter

It has been a little while since I posted about James Malm as he is of less significance than he has bragged.  But since he is again wrong on his understanding of certain COG and prophetic matters, it seems time to try to correct his misunderstanding again.  Here is some of what he posted related to me and some the COGs a few days ago (8/10/12):

I remind our visitors that I was warning of this Egyptian offensive against Islamic radicals when Bob Thiel and the COG Groups were saying that Egypt was being taken over by Islamic Extremists.  I have consistently said that Egypt would remain a part of the Judeo Anglo American orbit; internally and practically, if not in its outward political comments.

There are a few points above to deal with, so let’s look at one misunderstanding of my position.

While I and nearly all in the real COGs believe Islam will be a unifying factor for the King of the South, I personally have never used the term “Muslim Extremists” related to those who have have gained power in Egypt (though some I have quoted have).  The fact that I believe that the Muslim Brotherhood is not as “moderate” as some in the West believe does not mean that I have ever termed them Muslim or Islamic “Extremists.”   James Malm has long had a history of reading things into my positions that simply were not stated, and sadly continues to do so.

What about Egypt?

The fact that Egypt dealt with some apparent extremists does not mean that it is not intending to be an Islamic power.  The goal of the Muslim Brotherhood is to lead an Islamic confederation as its website, when it was ran by the one who is now Egypt’s President Dr. Morsi stated the following:

What is the Muslim Brotherhood?
The world’s largest and most influential Islamist movement. Founded in Egypt in 1928, the group was originally focused on ridding the country of corrupting secular influences brought by British colonial rule. Over the years, it established branches and affiliates in many countries to promote traditional Sunni Islamic morals, social justice, and the eradication of poverty and corruption. “The Islamic nation,” its charter states, “must be fully prepared to fight the tyrants and the enemies of Allah as a prelude to establishing an Islamic state”—ideally a re-established caliphate, stretching from Spain across the Middle East and Central Asia to Indonesia, to be governed according to Islamic sharia law. (Understanding the Muslim Brotherhood. February 14, 2011. © The Muslim Brotherhood. http://www.ikhwanweb.com/article.php?id=28019 viewed 11/21/2011)

The Muslim Brotherhood apparently wants as its top priority a pan-national Islamic caliphate ruled by an Imam. Many Muslims long for the rising up of a leader called the 12th Imam, often referred to as the Imam Mahdi. It will not end up with Spain if I understand certain aspects of Bible prophecy correctly, but the confederation of the final King of the South may go from around Western Sahara and/or Mauritania to Oman (with possible involvement and/or coordination with Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and/or Indonesia).  The fact that Egypt dealt with a border-related issue does not change the goals of its President Morsi.

Egypt itself is specifically prophesied to be a leader in an Arabic confederation that seems to also include Turkey (Daniel 11:40-43) and possibly some in Iran–so in modern times, essentially an Islamic confederation, and it and its allies will lose:

1 The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God:

“Wail, ‘Woe to the day!’

3 For the day is near, Even the day of the Lord is near; It will be a day of clouds, the time of the Gentiles.

4 The sword shall come upon Egypt, And great anguish shall be in Ethiopia, When the slain fall in Egypt, And they take away her wealth, And her foundations are broken down. 5 “Ethiopia, Libya, Lydia, all the mingled people, Chub, and the men of the lands who are allied, shall fall with them by the sword.”

6 ‘Thus says the Lord:

“Those who uphold Egypt shall fall, And the pride of her power shall come down. From Migdol to Syene
Those within her shall fall by the sword,” Says the Lord God.  7 “They shall be desolate in the midst of the desolate countries, And her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are laid waste.  8 Then they will know that I am the Lord, When I have set a fire in Egypt And all her helpers are destroyed.  (Ezekiel 30:1-8)

The above is during the time of the Gentiles (Great Tribulation and Day of the Lord) and happens near the Day of the Lord, which  means it has not happened yet.

But notice that the USA, Israel, or Anglo-peoples are not listed in Ezekiel 30:1-8 (nor in Daniel 11:40-43).  James Malm is misunderstanding the scriptures.

James Malm is in severe biblical error for teaching “that Egypt would remain a part of the Judeo Anglo American orbit.”  The time will come when the King of the North (a European power) overcomes the land of the strongest fortresses (Daniel 11:39), which includes the USA and its Anglo-allies, and probably with assistance from the King of the South (cf. Daniel 11:27; Psalm 83:3-8).  The King of the North will shortly thereafter, overwhelm the forces of a mainly Islamic King of the South (Daniel 11:40-43), which includes Egypt (Daniel 11:43).

The reality is that we are getting closer for an Islamic confederation to form consistent with the biblical prophecies about the final King of the South (Daniel 11:40). However, somewhat like the final Beast/King of the North power (Daniel 11:41-42), it looks like the Bible teaches that there will be some fragility and lack of total cohesiveness as the King of the South will apparently not be totally unified (cf. Daniel 11:42; 11:26). It would not surprise me if a group like the Muslim Brotherhood (who has significant support in Egypt) will make some type of deal with a Gulf-Arab union to support an Islamic confederation.

James Malm has also incorrectly stated that he believes that the abomination days, etc. could happen in the Fall of 2012. In a 7/28/11 post titled Present Trends and Dating The Tribulation, James Malm states:

There is a very high likelihood that the tribulation will begin late next year; with the abomination being set up on or near September 16th 2012 with the tribulation beginning on 30 Nov ~ 1 Dec time frame.

I covered that at the time and disagreed (Despite James Malm, No the Great Tribulation CANNOT Begin in 2012). James Malm is in error on this and will be shown to be wrong on that point in less than one year.  He has repeated versions of his claim in 2012 (see June 20, 2012 post titled James Malm Continues Improper ‘Great Tribulation in 2012′ Speculation).  The Great Tribulation, which starts about 30 days after the abomination is set up cannot happen in 2012–for details, please see the article When Will the Great Tribulation Begin?

Now, I mentioned at the beginning of this post that James Malm of less significance than he has bragged.  Notice something he bragged related to his website in post on April 29, 2012:

John D. Carmack’s COG Perspectives’ site took him to task about that false claim:

James Malm’s Arrogance and Who is the “Number One COG Site”?

It is becoming more and more obvious that James Malm’s delusions of grandeur know no end…OK what about Alexa?…The ShiningLight ranks 789,041. And, COGWriter?…201,754…

Not only is Malm playing a silly game, but he is arrogant enough to lie about it.

The lower the Alexa ranking number, the more popular the site.  (More on the above is included in the article COG Perspectives Challenges James Malm’s False Number 1 Assertion.)

Instead of looking at Alexa rankings, let us look at actual numbers.  Recently, James Malm posted some numbers of visitors etc.  Since he made the claim in late April, and John Carmack reported in May, let’s compare each of James Malm’s numbers for the May since his mention of “hits” in the related post may have been at least partially directed towards COGwriter.

In this case, the higher the number the greater the reach.  Here is what James Malm reported on June 1, 2012:

May Site Stats:   Unique visitors  9,777,   Total visits  39,861,  Pages  107,949,  Hits  505,461.  Note:  many other sites use Hits only and do not reveal actual visits.

What about COGwriter?  Let’s report it the same way for May of 2012:

May Site Stats:   Unique visitors  84,791,   Total visits  135,535,  Pages  278,045,  Hits  1,482,039.

So the above will give an idea, for those interested in the truth, of the relative reach of both sites.  As the above shows, James Malm’s reach is still a fraction of COGwriter–plus, of course, he does not have the prophetic accuracy of this site, and his speculative prediction about the abomination being set up in 2012 will be proven to be wrong, and my denouncement of it correct.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

The Arab World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam?
Is There A Future King of the South? Some no longer believe there needs to be. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? What does the Bible say?
Arabic Nazarenes May Have Kept Original Christian Practices Were their faithful Arabs who held to original Christianity?
Nazarene Christianity: Were the Original Christians Nazarenes? Should Christians be Nazarenes today? What were the practices of the Nazarenes.
Error-Ridden James Malm Not Doing an Elijah Work James Malm is an ‘independent’ who misunderstands and improperly maligns.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2012, 2013, or 2014? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What is the “peace deal” of Daniel 9? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000?
2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect This is a link related to a book by Bob Thiel (COGwriter). This link also has YouTube videos. This book documents and explains hundreds of prophecies. And since it was published, world events have aligned with at least 23 predictions in the book and many more will to come to pass.  Those who purchase the book at the www.thesecretsect.com website receive a lengthy bonus report documenting world events that aligned with the book.
2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect (English Kindle edition).  This is the 2nd edition of the book, released in January 2012, and includes a summary of many of the predictions that world events have aligned with since the book originally came out in September 2009.
2012 y el surgimiento de la secta secreta 2012 libro del Dr. Thiel en Español.
2012 und das Auftreten der geheimen Sekte (German Edition) 2012 Buch von Dr. Thiel in deutscher Sprache. 2012 und das Auftreten der geheimen Sekte (German Kindle Edition)
2012 e o Surgimento da Seita Secreta (Portuguese Edition) 2012 livro do Dr. Thiel em português. Este livro documenta e explica centenas de profecias. E desde que foi publicado pela primeira vez, pelo menos 23 já começaram a acontecer.
2012 e o Surgimento da Seita Secreta (Brazilian Portuguese Edition) 2012 livro do Dr. Thiel.  Edição em português do Brasil. Este livro documenta e explica centenas de profecias. E desde que foi publicado pela primeira vez, pelo menos 23 já começaram a acontecer.