Church of God News

Canadian Coat of Arms

COGwriter

What are the origins of the non-indigenous peoples of Canada?

Since the word Canada is not mentioned directly as such in the Bible, in order to find out about Canada in the Bible, we need to try to identify the ancestors of the Canadians. Now, like many nations, Canada is made up of peoples of all races, so to be more specific to Canada, the identity of the primary ancestors of the Canadians needs to be identified.

As far back as the Book of Genesis, God promised Abram that he would be the father of many nations:

As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you (Genesis 17:4-6).

Notice that the promise was for Abraham’s descendants to be “many nations”—this simply is not fulfilled by the split into the two nations of Judah and Israel (1 Kings 12:17-20) in the Old Testament. Also, since Sarah Abraham’s wife was promised to be the mother of “nations” (Genesis 17:16) this shows that there are nations descended from Sarah’s only son Isaac—hence the descendants of Abraham through Ishmael is not what God was referring to.

And Canada is one of those “many nations” that descended from Abraham.

Furthermore, notice what God promised to Sarah’s grandson Jacob:

14 Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed (Genesis 28:14).

11 Also God said to him: “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body (Genesis 35:11).

Thus it should be clear to those willing to see that the descendants of Jacob would include multiple nations, and not be limited to just the area of Palestine. The old British Commonwealth would seem to fit the description of “a company of nations” better than any other group throughout history because of its vast size and its wealth. And the nations of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand (who were all part of that Commonwealth) still do to this day.

This expansion to a group of nations simply did not happen to the ancient nations of Judah and Israel in Palestine. Thus, many of the prophecies in the Bible are referring to places other than the tiny nation of Israel in the Middle East.

Moses himself wrote that God promised blessings to Joseph’s sons:

13 And of Joseph he said:

“Blessed of the LORD is his land,
With the precious things of heaven, with the dew,
And the deep lying beneath,
14 With the precious fruits of the sun,
With the precious produce of the months,
15 With the best things of the ancient mountains,
With the precious things of the everlasting hills,
16 With the precious things of the earth and its fullness,
And the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush.
Let the blessing come ‘on the head of Joseph,
And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.’
17 His glory is like a firstborn bull,
And his horns like the horns of the wild ox;
Together with them
He shall push the peoples
To the ends of the earth;
They are the ten thousands of Ephraim,
And they are the thousands of Manasseh.” (Deuteronomy 33:13-17).

Thus, blessings were promised to these peoples. These are blessings that history seems to show were given to the British and American-descended peoples.

Furthermore, notice these prophecies for the latter days by Jacob for his descendants:

1 And Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days:

2 “Gather together and hear, you sons of Jacob, And listen to Israel your father…

22 “Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a well; His branches run over the wall.
23 The archers have bitterly grieved him, Shot at him and hated him.
24 But his bow remained in strength, And the arms of his hands were made strong
By the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),
25 By the God of your father who will help you, And by the Almighty who will bless you
With blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that lies beneath, Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
26 The blessings of your father Have excelled the blessings of my ancestors, Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills.
They shall be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers (Genesis 49:1-2,22-26).

It is only the United States and the groups of English nations now composed of the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand who have historically fulfilled these prophecies given to Abraham and his descendants (and they are separated from their “brothers” on continental Europe). Perhaps it should be pointed out that a “fruitful bough” with “branches run over the wall” implies a colonizing people–and perhaps no peoples did more colonizing than the British.

Jacob also taught about two of Joseph’s sons:

16 Bless the lads; Let my name be named upon them, And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth…

19 “…He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.” 20 So he blessed them that day, saying, “By you Israel will bless, saying, ‘May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!’ ” (Genesis 48:19-20).

It should also be mentioned that since Jacob’s name was changed to Israel (Genesis 32:28), that in the first statement above he is clearly indicating that biblically one or both of the sons of Joseph could be referred to by the name Israel. And although Manasseh was born first, God had Jacob give the “right hand” blessing to Ephraim (Genesis 48:13-14) and God later declared, “Ephraim is my firstborn” (Jeremiah 31:9). This may be why Ephraim (the British Commonwealth, including Canada) emerged as a major power before the USA (and of course it lost its position as the top international power).

Notice also the following related to origins:

JOSEPH – Canada.

Canada, on the whole, belongs to the Domain of Joseph.

The motto means from “Sea to Sea” and refers to the extent of Canada’s area but the phrase itself is a quotation from the Bible where it is used three times, once (Amos 8 12-13) describing the future thirst before the Messianic era and twice (Zechariah 9:10 and Psalms 72:8) in conjunction with the Reign of Messiah in the Future. (Davidy Y. The Tribes. Rabbinical approbation: Rabbi Abraham Feld of the Maccabee Institute Jerusalem, July 4, 1993. Russell-Davis Publishers, Hebron (Israel), pp. 390-392)

While I would have preferred that the above author specified ‘millennial era’ as opposed to ‘Messianic era,’ the motto of Canada is consistent with biblical prophecies. Ephraim is mentioned in Zechariah 9:10, though the dominion from sea to sea appears to be a reference to Jesus. The motto from “Sea to Sea” is on the Canadian Coat of Arms (shown at the beginning of this article).

What about the French speakers of Quebec?

What about Quebec?

The French-speaking (Francophone) peoples in Canada may be made up of the descendants of Jacob through his son Joseph (via his son Ephraim) and/or his son Reuben along with some of other groups. Reuben was the firstborn of Jacob, but because of his sexual misbehavior (Genesis 35:22), he lost that birthright (Genesis 49:3-4; 1 Chronicles 5:1-2).

At least one writer has asserted that those in Quebec are primarily descended from those of Ephraimite background, as well as from Benjamites and Simeonites. Notice the following:

The French Canadians originated mainly in the Provinces of Normandy and Britanny. Normandy had been settled by the Normans who later conquered England and who derived from Benjamin while Brittany had previously been populated by the Samnete (from Simeon) and was later occupied by “Celtic” refugees from Britain who gave it its name (“Britanny” and Britain) and who also comprised contingents from Simeon, such as the Simeni, Semoni, Iceni, and the sons of Semuen.

The “British” colonizers of French “Brittany” were Celts who were fleeing from the Anglo-Saxons and their federates…The Normans included a good proportion of Breton natives of Celtic origin who had been Normanicised…The descendants of Ephraim were paramount amongst the Anglo-Saxon invaders and seem to have been also present amongst the Celtic British natives, apart from Eran in Ireland and Scotland. (Davidy Y. The Tribes. Rabbinical approbation: Rabbi Abraham Feld of the Maccabee Institute Jerusalem, July 4, 1993. Russell-Davis Publishers, Hebron (Israel), pp. 390-392)

COGwriter

Notice the following about evolution that was posted just over two years ago:

NEW YORK — Richard Leakey predicts skepticism over evolution will soon be history.

Not that the avowed atheist has any doubts himself.

Sometime in the next 15 to 30 years, the Kenyan-born paleoanthropologist expects scientific discoveries will have accelerated to the point that “even the skeptics can accept it.” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/27/richard-leakey-evolution-debate_n_1548766.html

Here is one point for each of the lines above, plus a final statement:

1. He was right that the skepticism will be over within the next 30 years as presuming that Jesus returns by then, no foolish anti-creationist arguments will continue.
2. While Richard Leakey may be an atheist, last year, the famous former-atheist Richard Dawkins, has realized that there could be a God (see Famous Atheist Actually an Agnostic). Perhaps there is hope for Richard Leakey too.
3. Evolutionists, beginning with Charles Darwin, have claimed since the 19th century that the fossil records would finally prove their theory (which is not really a theory, but an inaccurate model). They know they have insufficient proof and continue to hope that some how, some day, they will have real proof. But alas, they still do not. Richard Leakey’s admission really means that evolutionists realize that they have insufficient proof.
4. It has been two years and the ‘evolutionary debate’ continues. Why? Because the evolutionist continue to overlook the facts of science which eliminate evolution as a valid explanation for the beginning of life.

Notice also something that someone recently sent to me (after-the-fact):

State cancels Darwin Days events after Intelligent Design group asks to be included

KRQE News 13 – Feb 27, 2015

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) – Not everyone embraces Darwinian evolution as a flawless science.

So when two former Sandia Labs engineers saw that the taxpayer-funded New Mexico Museum of Natural History was sponsoring a “Darwin Days” event, it raised a red flag.

It wasn’t that the Darwin Days event was happening. It was that the lectures, which spanned two days in February 2014, didn’t include any other viewpoints.

“It’s a very controversial issue, there’s a tremendous body of evidence against Darwinian evolution and we think people should be aware of that,” said James Campbell, a retired engineer with a Ph.D. with physics. …

No Darwin Days 2015

DCA says they have since changed their policies so staff are diligent to “clearly distinguish State events from private events.”

The Museum didn’t hold a Darwin Days event this year. It’s not what Campbell and Edenburn wanted.

“By cancelling Darwin Day, they have basically said, they will not be giving both sides of the story,” Edenburn said.

DCA told News 13 Darwin Days was not included in the Museum’s 2015 roster of events because of “workload and staffing issues.”

Campbell believes there are other factors involved.

“I think they just really don’t want those topics covered,” he said.  http://krqe.com/2015/02/27/state-cancels-darwin-days-events-after-other-groups-ask-to-be-included/

As a scientist, I have long known that proponents of evolution treat the subject more like a religious view than a scientific theory. This is somewhat also what the Ben Stein movie Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed revealed (see Ben Stein’s Expelled).

Which was?

Scientists who challenge too many claims associated with evolution are shunned by many academic institutions, as there is a tremendous amount of pressure at most “leading” academic institutions to squelch research that is not in support of evolution because it will affect their beliefs. Thus, many in the academic world accept, essentially like a false religion, that since many of their friends and colleagues believe the evolutionary nonsense, that it must have been proven true. But it has not been.

While species variation is something that God programmed in His creation, evolution, as the explanation for the origin of life, is unscientific and false. It also requires students to accept a belief that violates other known laws of biological science.

Actually it is impossible for the non-living to become alive as it violates the scientifically accepted law of bio-genesis (life only comes from life). But what if we allow the impossibility of spontaneous primitive life to have occurred?

The primitive life would have to die. Part of the reason for this is that even a single-cell is so complex, and so full of various biological subsystems, that scientists have learned that many systems are essentially necessary for life to exist or continue. Science recognizes that living organisms must be self-contained, eat, digest, and reproduce to continue to exist.

Spontaneously alive lined-up amino acids (with other substances coincidentally there) would die because:

1) All living organisms need biological structures such as organelles and membranes. Without a membranous structure, the proteins would ultimately diffuse and destroy the living organism. Living organism must be somewhat self-contained.
2) All living organisms need nourishment and direction. Since randomness would not have created the biological structure known as a DNA-containing nucleus (or some primitive equivalent), the cell would die. Even if it had some type of nucleus to provide direction, the nucleus would have to have come into existence with ability to determine what to eat and how to find food, another impossibility.
3) Proteins cannot survive without DNA and DNA cannot exist without proteins, hence there is no way both happened at the same time.
4) Even if the cell had all the above, it would die, because there would have been no reason for it to have spontaneously generated a digestive system in order to utilize the food.
5) Even if evolutionists are granted all the improbabilities and impossibilities this article discusses, the primitive life would quickly die out as there would have been no reason for it to have spontaneously generated an ability to reproduce, nor would it have any innate ability to do so.

Proteins cannot of themselves reproduce–they need DNA. “DNA cannot exist without proteins, and proteins cannot exist without DNA” (Pietzsch J. Understanding the RNAissance. c. 2003. http://www.nature.com/horizon/rna/background/understanding.html viewed 05/05/12). DNA can basically do nothing of itself, it needs proteins.

Does any scientifically rational person actually believe that they randomly developed and got together at the same time for life as we know it to exist without Divine intervention?

The answer should be obvious. No, unless they will overlook the facts.

It is in the Bible that we are told that when God made life He intended it to reproduce (Genesis 1:11,28,29). The idea of an ‘intelligent design’ by a Spirit being is the only explanation that does not defy scientifically provable knowledge–for all other explanations result in something that must die out.

By the way, God apparently expects humans to realize that He exists through various aspects of His creation. Notice:

20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse (Romans 1:20).

Thus since life could not have randomly sprung forth, eaten, and reproduced, only a different type of entity (God) could have caused it to begin.

Evolution has led to the intentional ignorance of appropriate scientific methods. It became a religion for many in the 19th century, and remains one for many today.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Is God’s Existence Logical? Some say it is not logical to believe in God. Is that true? Here is a link to a YouTube sermon titled Is it logical to believe in God?
Is Evolution Probable or Impossible or Is God’s Existence Logical? Part II This short article clearly answers what ‘pseudo-scientists’ refuse to acknowledge. Here is a link to a YouTube video titled Quickly Disprove Evolution as the Origin of Life.
How Old is the Earth and How Long Were the Days of Creation? Does the Bible allow for the creation of the universe and earth billions of years ago? Why do some believe they are no older than 6,000 years old? What is the gap theory? Where the days of creation in Genesis 1:3 through 2:3 24 hours long?
Where Did God Come From? Any ideas? And how has God been able to exist? Who is God?

George Pataki campaign logo

COGwriter

George Pataki has decided to announce his hopes as a Republican presidential candidate:

May 28, 2015

Former New York Gov. George Pataki, announcing Thursday that he’ll seek the Republican nomination for president in 2016, told Fox News that he would authorize American “boots on the ground” to go after Islamic State targets in Iraq.

The former Republican governor weighed in on a debate that has divided the party. Pataki insisted he does not want to see a “trillion-dollar, decade-long war,” but said the U.S. cannot allow ISIS to have “recruiting” and “training” centers.

“If necessary, we will send in American boots on the ground to destroy those training centers, destroy those planning centers and then get out,” he said. The U.S. has more than 3,000 troops in Iraq to train and equip Iraqi forces, but they are not technically in a combat role.

Pataki, meanwhile, pledged to run on a “reform agenda” as he joins a crowded field seeking the GOP nomination in 2016.

“My whole life has prepared me for this moment,” Pataki told Fox News. “I am running.”

Pataki formally announced his campaign shortly afterward at a rally in Exeter, N.H., which served as the state capital during the Revolutionary War and claims to be the birthplace of the Republican Party. “Let the next decade be the decade where America proves to the world, you ain’t seen nothing yet,” Pataki told the crowd.

In announcing his White House bid, Pataki’s campaign also posted a three-and-a-half-minute video to its website featuring an anti-big government message, “Washington has grown too big, too powerful, too expensive, and too intrusive.” The video highlighted Pataki’s role as governor of New York following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

“We have always understood that we have a common background and a common destiny, and when we stand together, we can accomplish anything,” Pataki said in the video. “I saw that on the streets of New York in the days and weeks after September 11.”

Pataki is the eighth Republican candidate to announce his run for the White House, http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/28/former-new-york-gov-pataki-announces-run-for-2016-gop-presidential-nomination/

May 28, 2015

Pataki boasts of shrinking New York’s welfare state and lowering its taxes, to be sure: “In 12 years, New York went from the state with the highest tax burden, the lowest credit rating and billions of dollars in deficits, to a state with $143 billion in lower taxes,” he told supporters during his announcement speech.

But he’s further to the left, or center, than other Republicans on some key issues. Notably, he believes climate change is a problem and co-chaired the Council on Foreign Relations’ Independent Task Force on Climate Change, which recommended a “cap-and-trade” system to limit carbon emissions in the U.S.; and he supported abortion rights as governor, drawing fire from the right.  http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/george-patakis-entry-means-2016-presidential-race/story?id=31366893

George Pataki is considered one of the most politically ‘liberal’ of the announced Republican candidates.  The mainstream media tends to like him more than most of the others.  But that does not mean that he will necessarily win, only that some in the media will tend to give him more favorable press coverage.

The USA needs national repentance, the return of Jesus Christ, and establishment of the Kingdom of God.  George Pataki does not advocate that.

Several items of possibly related interest may include:

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (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-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Can you see the ‘Handwriting on the Wall’? Thousands of years ago, King Belshazzar saw a hand appear at a big party he was hosting. The hand wrote Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin. Shortly after the Prophet Daniel explained it, his empire was taken over and King Belshazzar died. Is this applicable today? Are there signs right before our eyes that show that the end is coming to the United States and its Anglo-descended allies. Do abortions, sexual immorality, celebrity pornography, and increased debt mean anything? What does the Bible show?
Hillary Clinton in Prophecy Prophecy, Hillary Clinton? Are there prophecies that Hillary Clinton may fulfill? Are there any prophecies that she has already helped fulfill? Could Hillary Clinton be apocalyptic? Could Hillary Clinton be the final Antichrist? A video of related interest is titled Hillary Clinton and Bible Prophecy.
Should a Christian Vote? This article gives some of the Biblical rationale on this subject. Would Jesus vote for president/prime minister? Is voting in the Bible? This is a subject Christians need to understand.
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2015, 2016, or 2017? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? 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? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2014 o 2015? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon video: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives.
Abortion, the Bible, and a Woman’s Right to Choose Do you know what the Bible teaches on this? Has the Roman Catholic Church allowed abortions? What about the real Church of God? Some may also, or instead, wish to view the YouTube video Abortion, the Bible, and US Debt.
Pornography: A scourge on society Is pornography harmless fun? Does the Bible teach anything about it? What are the views of some involved with it? Here is a link to a YouTube video Pornography: Harmless Fun or a Scourge on Society?
British and American Moral Decay Public nudity is becoming more prevalent in the Anglo-Saxon lands. What are some of the consequences?
Cross-dressing and other assaults against your children. What should you do? Is there an agenda to turn your children and/or grandchildren away from biblical morality and towards practices promoted by homosexuals? What does the Bible teach about cross-dressing? What should parents do? If there is an agenda, what has been going on? There is also a YouTube video on this, titled Cross dressing and Other Assaults Against Your Children.
The Bible Condemns Homosexuality “Same-sex marriage” for “gays” and lesbians is becoming more acceptable to many. What does the Bible teach about homosexuality? Can homosexuals change?
Just What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
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? You can also see a YouTube video sermon The Gospel of the Kingdom.
Just What Do You Mean the Kingdom of God? A booklet that was written by Herbert Armstrong answers questions about the Kingdom.
Hillary Clinton, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States This is a 188 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Hillary Clinton and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also discusses Republicans. The physical book can be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Hillary Clinton, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Hillary Clinton Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic Catholic, Hopi, and other America-Related Prophecies? $11.99.
Hillary Clinton, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version of the 188 page print edition is available for only US$3.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Hillary Clinton, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Amazon Kindle edition.

Shroud of Turin, poster from 1898

COGwriter

For several weeks this Spring, for the first time in 5 years, the Shroud of Turin has been on public display:

Devotees believe the shroud, which is imprinted with the image of a man who appears to have been crucified, to be the burial cloth of Jesus Christ.

Sceptics are just as adamant that it is nothing more than a Medieval forgery which scientists have carbon-dated to around 1300 years after Christ supposedly died on the cross.

Despite their certainty about the likely age of the most-talked-about length of linen in history, researchers have not been able to explain how the remarkable image was created, leaving space for theories of some sort of miraculous process to flourish.

The Church does not officially maintain that Christ’s body was wrapped in the shroud or that the image was the product of a miracle.

But it does accord the cloth a special status which has helped to sustain its popularity as an object of veneration. …

When the shroud was last presented to the public, in 2010, more than two million people filed past it.

Pope Francis decreed the latest exhibition to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of St John Bosco, a 19th Century monk who devoted his life to the education of poor children in newly-industrialised Turin. Francis, who has family roots in the region, is due to visit the city and the exhibition on June 20-21. http://www.themalaymailonline.com/features/article/relic-or-hoax-turin-shroud-pulls-million-strong-crowd-on-return-to-public-v#sthash.9RrPoCz2.dpuf

So, the Church of Rome will not say it is the real deal, but that it is fine to idolize (which is what the practical application of their veneration means).  As far as Don Bosco goes, we have a video related to him: Deceitful Year of Don Bosco.

From time-to-time I get questions about the Shroud of Turin.  Many have claimed it to be the burial cloth of Jesus.

But is it?

If not, why not?

Here are a few comments on the Shroud of Turin from the Answers.com article titled Is the Shroud of Turin true or fraud?:

There is no record of the shroud during the first centuries of the Christian era, it is first mentioned in the 14th century, having been found in the Diocese of Troyes…

The Gospel writers say that the body of Jesus, after being taken from the stake by Joseph of Arimathea, was wrapped in clean fine linen. (Matthew 27:57-61; Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:50-56) The apostle John adds: Nicodemus also came bringing a roll of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds of it. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it up with bandages with the spices, just the way the Jews have the custom of preparing for burial. John 19:39-42…writers of the third and fourth centuries, many of whom wrote about a host of miracles in connection with numerous relics, did not mention the existence of a shroud containing the image of Jesus. What happened to it at this time, if it did exist, is unknown.

Let’s quote John 19:39-42 in its entirety:

39 And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. 40 Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. 41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby. (John 19:39-42)

Basically, strips of linen were placed on Jesus’ body somewhat like a mummy (this is also basically what happened to Lazarus, see John 11:43-44). If the Shroud of Turin was saturated with myrrh and aloes, it would by now be fairly stiff and would tend to look quite differently than it now does.

Notice furthermore that Jesus’ burial cloths, though mentioned in scripture, are basically only mentioned as being folded after the resurrection (and the description of multiple cloths also does not necessarily seem to quite match the Shroud of Turin):

6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went away again to their own homes. (John 20:6-10).

By the time the Apostle John wrote this, if there had been any real special powers, it would have seemed that he would have mentioned them, but he did not.

Notice also the following:

   Curiously enough, it was a Roman Catholic bishop who first branded the shroud a fraud. When, in the year 1356, the fourteen-by-three-and-a-half-foot piece of linen was exhibited at the obscure church of Lirey in central France — the first known historical record of its existence — it quickly became the subject of a lengthy memorandum to the Pope from Henry of Arcis, bishop of Troyes. Bishop Henry alleged that the Lirey canons had “falsely and deceitfully, being consumed with the passion of avarice and not from any motive of devotion but only of gain, procured for their church a certain cloth cunningly painted, upon which by clever sleight of hand was depicted the twofold image of one man, that is to say the back and the front, they falsely declaring and pretending that this was the actual shroud in which our Savior Jesus Christ was enfolded in the tomb.” …

In Search of a Past

   “I am convinced that this is the shroud that covered Jesus Christ after His crucifixion.” So declared Dr. Max Frei of the University of Zurich after painstakingly testing for pollen grains in the linen of the shroud and analyzing them.
“My analysis of pollen grains has been confirmed under the electron microscope beyond any reasonable doubt…. I isolated from the shroud more than a dozen pollen grains from plants growing in Jerusalem and surrounding deserts. They grow only in the Near East,” he said.
“The pollen most found on the shroud is identical to the most common pollen in the sediment of Lake Tiberias, in Israel” (National Enquirer, Nov. 29, 1977).
But even if we accept that the pollen proves the shroud once resided in Palestine, it would not necessarily connect it with Christ, for Dr. Frei also found in its fibers pollen from the area of southeastern Turkey! This finding would, perhaps, support Ian Wilson’s theory that the shroud itself is none other than the famous Mandylion (meaning “napkin” or “handkerchief’ in Arabic) which had been brought to Constantinople from Edessa in eastern Turkey. From there he postulates the Knights Templars took the shroud to the Holy Land before bringing it to France.

The Byzantine Connection

   Fifty years before the shroud enters history in the possession of Geoffrey deCharnay and the Lirey church, there was another Geoffrey deCharnay. This other Geoffrey is not provably related, but shroudists suspect that he was. This man was a famous knight of the Templar organization, which King Philip the Fair of France charged with secret “idol” worship of a disembodied head — the image on the shroud, says Wilson and Geoffrey was martyred, all the while denying there was any idol.
The Templars had sacked Constantinople (Byzantium) in 1204, which, as capital of the Byzantine Empire and center of its religion, had become glutted with relics and icons innumerable. Among the relics, according to extant records, was something called a burial cloth of Christ, which apparently bore a full length image, and also the famous Edessa image, the Mandylion, which had been taken by force from the Moslem rulers of its city in A.D. 944. These both disappeared in the looting — possibly taken to the Templars’ Palestine headquarters.
Ian Wilson speculates that both cloths were one and the same. He explains the double listing as possibly referring to copies of the original. A flourishing industry existed in Byzantium of making cloth and other images of “Christ.” Many of these were, like the Mandylion itself, regarded as miraculously produced.
The problem for Wilson’s theory is that the Edessa image is specifically described as a face only, appearing on a towel, a veronica napkin, while on the Turin shroud is undeniably a double full length figure. Wilson suggests the reason was that the shroud had always been kept folded in such a way that only the face was showing.
In any event, the image on the shroud has a long, sad face and long hair. A writer for the London Tablet was moved to observe: “The first thought likely to occur is: But how very strongly the figure resembles the Christ of any number of old masters [painters of the fifth century on]”‘ (quoted from Wilcox, p. 26).

What the Earlier Paintings Looked Like

   There is more to that statement than meets the eye.
The oldest pictures of Christ are paintings on the walls of the catacombs of Rome. Most date from the second and third centuries. It was against the teachings of the church to have such pictures (see box: The Early Church and Images). Nevertheless, those who sketched them only about 100 years after the apostles — were undoubtedly acquainted with individuals who were familiar with the general appearance of Christ that came by word of mouth from His own generation.
“… There is a painting of the Resurrection of Lazarus in which Christ is shown — youthful and beardless, with short hair and large eyes…. Although it is now only barely recognizable, this picture is of great interest since it is the oldest representation of Jesus that is preserved anywhere” (Roderic Dunkerley, Beyond the Gospels, p. 57).
In all of these early portrayals, “He is almost invariably boyish…. His hair is short” (Frederic William Farrar, The Life of Christ as Represented in Art, 1894, p. 43). Short hair was the predominant style among men in the Hellenized areas of the eastern Mediterranean (including Palestine) in Christ’s time. …

How Was Christ’s Body Really Wrapped?

   The shroud theory demands that Christ’s body was covered differently than was the custom in Jewish burial. The usual fashion was for the body to be wrapped cocoon-wise in strips of linen cloth which were bound at hands and feet. All representations of Christ’s burial in the first four centuries assumed this Egyptian-like style. “The [Jewish] corpse was wrapped in a shroud, and bandages soaked with resin were wound around the hands and feet: a cloth, the sudarium, was placed over the face (John 11:44). Finally the tomb was shut” (Bo Reicke, The New Testament Era, p. 187).
The account of the raising of Lazarus illustrates the method. “The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with bandages, and his face wrapped with a cloth.” It would appear that he was so enclosed and tied as to be scarcely able to walk until “Jesus said to them, `Unbind him, and let him go”‘ (John 11:44). Shroud of Turin theorists postulate that Joseph of Arimathea, not having time to bury Christ’s body properly, simply covered it, leaving the body lying amidst the rolls of cloth he had brought for the usual wrapping, perhaps intending to return and use them after the Sabbath. They suppose this may have been what Peter saw when he came into the tomb after the resurrection and saw “linen cloths lying, and the napkin, which had been on his head… rolled up in a place by itself (John 20:6-7).
But Matthew tells us that “Joseph took the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud” (Matt. 27:59). This shroud was obviously not merely a long flat cloth like the Turin shroud, laid out under the body, then folded over it from the head.
The Gospel of John plainly tells us that Joseph and his company actually “bound it [the body — not merely covered it] in linen cloths [plural] with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews” (John 19:40). This was done even before they carried the body to the tomb (verse 42). (Briggs LC. ICON SUPREME? THE SHROUD OF TURIN. Plain Truth, December 1978)

Even if the actual burial cloth of Jesus were the Shroud of Turin or some other similar relic, it should not be venerated by Christians. History records that the early Christians opposed venerating relics. Many do not seem to realize how negatively early Christians viewed such items.

The Continuing Church of God does not consider that the Shroud of Turin is holy nor the burial cloth of Jesus.

Amongst other reasons, it is not supported by the historical record nor scripture. The image on the Shroud of Turin shows a long-haired male. Yet, Jesus did not have long hair.

Notice that even Catholic translations of the Bible support that:

¹⁴ Does not nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, ¹⁵ but when a woman has long hair, it is her glory? (1 Corinthians 11:14-15a, New Jerusalem Bible)

While hair does grow after death, it does not grow quickly enough for the length that is on the Shroud of Turin. Jesus said He would be in the grave three days and three nights (Matthew 12:40), and that would not be enough time for long hair to appear.

Most do not know a lot about the Bible and know even less about early church history–and what many think they know is clouded by misinformation and misconceptions. And the Shroud of Turin does not provide helpful information into original Christianity, only for those who seem to prefer improper traditions of men over what the Bible teaches.

Those interested in early Christianity may wish to study the following documented items and presentations to learn more:

What Did the Early Church Teach About Idols and Icons? Did Catholic and Orthodox “saints” endorse or condemn idols and icons for Christians?
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Continuing 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 igreja do deus?]
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from c. 31 A.D. to 2014. A related sermon link would be Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D.
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE?
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?
The Churches of Revelation 2 & 3 Do they matter? Most say they must, but act like they do not. This article contains some history about the Church of God (sometimes referred to as the continuation of Primitive Christianity) over the past 2000 years.
What Do Roman Catholic Scholars Actually Teach About Early Church History? Although most believe that the Roman Catholic Church history teaches an unbroken line of succession of bishops beginning with Peter, with stories about most of them, Roman Catholic scholars know the truth of this matter. This eye-opening article is a must-read for any who really wants to know what Roman Catholic history actually admits about the early church.
Nazarene Christianity: Were the Original Christians Nazarenes? Should Christians be Nazarenes today? What were the practices of the Nazarenes.
Location of the Early Church: Another Look at Ephesus, Smyrna, and Rome What actually happened to the primitive Church? And did the Bible tell about this in advance?

“Elijah in the wilderness“

COGwriter

A previous edition of the Living Church News by the Living Church of God (LCG) is the following by its Dexter Wakefield:

Special Gifts

To serve the needs of the Church, God—through His Spirit—gives different members different gifts. “There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills” (1 Corinthians 12:4–11).

Notice that each of these gifts is a practical tool for serving the needs of God’s Church and His Work. The much-misunderstood gift of “tongues” is not a matter of one person babbling and barking, while another “interprets” the noise. Rather, as happened on the first Day of Pentecost after Christ’s resurrection, the Spirit gave Christ’s followers the ability to speak and understand multiple languages they had not humanly learned. Similarly, the gift of “prophecy” is primarily the gift of inspired speech, and can be exercised in a strong sermon that covers no “new ground” but simply explains with clarity and power the meaning of Bible prophecy and end-time events. “Prophets” in the sense of Elijah are rare, and when we encounter a man who declares himself a prophet we had better be sure of his fruits before we listen to him. Most self-proclaimed “prophets” are deceived, or are cunning deceivers—or both—and those who have God’s Spirit have the ability, and the responsibility, to discern their fruits and their genuineness.

The Spirit of Revelation and of Prophecy

The Apostle Paul urged all of God’s people to use His Spirit for spiritual vision and the revealing of things that others cannot see.

Much of what he wrote above is correct.

Statement on 1 Corinthians

Let’s look at some of the statements in the order Dexter Wakefield wrote them. Let’s start with the following:

To serve the needs of the Church, God—through His Spirit—gives different members different gifts. “…to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits … the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually … (1 Corinthians 12:4–11)

Yes, as it states in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, there are differing gifts AND prophecy is one of them. But also notice that the discerning of spirits IS NOT taught as being given to all.

Gift of Prophecy

Let’s look at another of Dexter Wakefield’s statements:

Similarly, the gift of “prophecy” is primarily the gift of inspired speech, and can be exercised in a strong sermon that covers no “new ground” but simply explains with clarity and power the meaning of Bible prophecy and end-time events.

Dexter Wakefield is correct that for most of the time, one with a prophetic gift is properly explaining biblical prophecy and end time events. That occurs in the Continuing Church of God.

It should be noted certain leaders of other COGs (including in LCG in several instances) have disqualified themselves on certain matters of prophecy, especially when they insist on matters that are wrong, or at best questionable (see Who is the Man of Sin of 2 Thessalonians 2? and Is the Future King of the South Rising Up? and The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 and The Elijah Heresies and Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations? and The Falling Away: The Bible and WCG Teachings).

Furthermore, notice two other portions of the New Testament:

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? (1 Corinthians 12:27-29)

29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. 30 But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. 32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. (1 Corinthians 14:29-33)

6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith (Romans 12:6).

The Apostle Paul makes it clear that not all prophets. Prophet is an office and prophets are to prophesy. LCG’s position is that it has NO prophets (which is likely the case as I stopped attending late on 12/28/12).

But it should be noted that its top leader had repeatedly taught in the past that God may consider Bob Thiel to be a prophet (see How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God).

Rarity Does Not Mean None

Dexter Wakefield continued with:

“Prophets” in the sense of Elijah are rare,

True. But rare does not mean that there are not and cannot be any. Now while Dexter Wakefield did not make that error, many have concluded that rare means none. The New Testament is clear that God has prophets who prophesy (1 Corinthians 12:28-30) and will do so in the last days (Acts 2:17-18). Those in LCG and all other COGs need to realize this.

As far as ‘Elijah,’ the position of the Church of God since the beginning is that there would be three biblical ‘Elijahs.’ The original Elijah (e.g. 1 Kings 17:1), John the Baptist (Matthew 7:12-13), and an Elijah to come at the very end of the church age (Malachi 4:4-6) to restore all things (Matthew 17:11).

LCG has taught that Elijah will either be a man younger than its Roderick C. Meredith (Meredith, Roderick C. The Elijah Question. VTE 131, May 19, 2001) or that the Elijah is not a person but an “Elijah-type work” fulfills the Elijah prophesies in Matthew 17:10-11 and Malachi 4:4-6 (Winnail D. The Mission of the Church. Living Church News, March-April 2006, p. 7). The Bible shows that ‘Elijah’ will be a person (see also The Elijah Heresies).

As far as rarity goes, I would ask, “How many people were told by an actual top evangelist in the Church of God that God may consider him to be a prophet?” In the 20th and 21st centuries, there is only one who comes to mind (details are in the article How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God). So, while prophets are “rare,” and being told one is a prophet by an ordained evangelist is also rare, rarity does not mean that there are none.

As far as “Elijah” goes, he is to “restore all things” (Matthew 17:11).

Even the Living Church of God has taught about restoration–yet LCG has NOT restored what it says should be done. Here are some items published and written by its Dr. Meredith:

RESTORE TRUE CHRISTIANITY!

What would it mean to restore the original Christianity of Christ and the apostles? What differences would we find if the “original Christianity” of the New Testament was genuinely taught and practiced once again?

Wow! This restoration would involve far more than most of you probably realize! (Meredith RC. Do You Live by What Christ Taught? Tomorrow’s World magazine, May-June 2006)

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE TRUTH?

This magazine can give you the genuine answers to these questions because we in this Work of the living God are earnestly trying to restore “Apostolic Christianity”the original Christianity of those who lived in the time of Jesus and the Twelve Apostles. We feel that although most modern churchgoers are sincere and well-meaning, they are absolutely deceived regarding the major issues of life, death and the hereafter. They are certainly deceived if they think for one minute that they are practicing true “biblical Christianity!” Meredith RC. What Happened to the Truth? Tomorrows World magazine, November-December 2003)

RESTORING ORIGINAL CHRISTIANITY…

Through this very Work, we are beginning to restore original Christianity. This is a major reason for this Work of the living God at the end of this age. All who respond to His teachings will certainly have a “head start” in preparing to be those kings and priests Christ is now training to assist Him in ruling all the world in the coming Kingdom of God. (Meredith RC. Restoring ORIGINAL Christianity! Tomorrow’s World magazine, July-August 2011)

The truth about early and apostolic Christians is that it is PROVABLY NOT IN LCG AND IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT than Dr. Meredith realizes (for details, check out October 2012 Emails Related to GCA Booklet). When I was in LCG in 2011, I was trying to help them restore much of it; Dr. Meredith agreed, but then failed to keep his word. Dr. Meredith’s failure to keep his word on that and other matters was a major reason that the Continuing Church of God had to form.

Where has the historical knowledge of early Church of God been most fully restored?

In the Continuing Church of God!

A booklet which has proof of that would be: Continuing History of the Church of God.

Does this mean that nothing else is left to be restored?

No. But it does mean that based upon the criteria published by the LCG that CCOG is the group that has done this restoration the best. CCOG has also restored aspects of faith in God’s word (see Faith for Those God has Called and Chosen), prayer (see Prayer: What Does the Bible Teach?), aspects of salvation (see Universal Offer of Salvation: There Are Hundreds of Verses in the Bible Supporting the Doctrine of True Apocatastasis), and biblical prophecy better than LCG and other known groups (for a few example, see Who is the Man of Sin of 2 Thessalonians 2? and Is the Future King of the South Rising Up? and The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 and The Falling Away: The Bible and WCG Teachings and The Elijah Heresies).

Although I have not “restored all things,” nor am I insisting that I personally must be the prophesied Elijah like RCG’s David Pack falsely claims about himself, the reality is that I and CCOG have restored what Dr. Meredith repeatedly wrote needed to be.

Fruits

Dexter Wakefield continued with:

and when we encounter a man who declares himself a prophet we had better be sure of his fruits before we listen to him

I totally agree. The Bible talks about personal (Luke 3:8), doctrinal (Luke 6:43-45), prophetic (Matthew 7:16-20), and proclamation fruits (Matthew 7:16; John 15:16). The Bible encourages the production of “good fruits” (Matthew 7:16).

Would fruits of a real converted prophet include any of the following?

1. Standing up against teaching wrong materials about Church of God history, some of which perpetuate Catholic myths? See October 2012 Emails Related to GCA Booklet.
2. Standing up against publishing “Fundamental Beliefs” that are in error and opposed to scripture? See December 2011 Proposed changes to LCG’s Official Statement of Fundamental Beliefs.
3. Standing up against prophetic errors that are opposed to the Bible? See The Falling Away: The Bible and WCG Teachings and Is the Future King of the South Rising Up? and Who is the Man of Sin of 2 Thessalonians 2? and LCG and PCG insisting on 10 or 11 ‘nations’ for the Beast? What does the Bible teach?
4. Boldly proclaiming the truth to the world as a witness? See Isaiah 58:1 and Matthew 24:14.
5. Praying for decades for the gift of prophecy (1 Corinthians 14:1-5) and then unexpectedly being anointed for a double-portion of God’s spirit (cf. 2 Kings 2:9-13).

Doing all of the above, as well as standing up against violent sports, made me unpopular in certain LCG circles. Because of that, improper statements were published about me (e.g. Roderick C. Meredith’s Accusatory Letter to Bob Thiel). Jesus taught:

11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:11-12)

Contrary to scripture I was publicly and wrongly attacked in September 2012. Despite that I endured that and continued to try to work with LCG evangelists, ministers, and Council members. Despite this, I again was publicly and wrongly attacked (see Roderick C. Meredith’s Accusatory Letter to Bob Thiel) contrary to the Bible (Acts 23:5; Matthew 18:15-17; Galatians 6:1).

After the second attack, it was clear that further attempts at reconciliation would be futile as various evangelists had broken their word and it was not possible that LCG had the character to possibly hold the Philadelphia or lead the final phase of the work (cf. Acts 23:5).

What about proclamation fruits?

Through my writings on COGwriter and for the Continuing Church of God, I have reached millions of people in over 220 countries over the internet. According to how one views the Alexa independent internet popularity rankings, COGwriter is more popular than all the LCG websites combined. The Bible teaches that the work of God will be done, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit” (Zechariah 4:6) and that is what has been happening through CCOG.

I have also reached millions regularly over radio interviews, plus have had hundreds of thousands of views of our videos on the Bible News Prophecy and ContinuingCOG YouTube video channels. Part of why I am using the term “I” because Dexter Wakefield said to look at the fruits of one claiming to be a prophet.

We have also sent printed literature around the world and I have been to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South Pacific, North America, and South America to proclaim the gospel (Matthew 24:14; 28:19-20). In most of those places, I have also been involved with baptisms.

The fruits are there. And those fruits are there WITHOUT THE DOCTRINAL HERESIES AND FALSE PROPHETIC PRONOUNCEMENTS OF OTHER COG GROUPS.

If I had been willing to compromise doctrinally while in LCG, I could have accepted a salary I was offered by Dr. Meredith on at least two occasions (it was not specifically predicated upon me being willing to compromise, it is just that I felt that unacceptable compromise would have been required if I was an employee of LCG). I did neither.

In terms of character issues, notice something that Jesus taught:

45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God. (John 8:45-47)

No one ever “convicted me” of sin in that type of context. Instead, like David was falsely accused of pride by an envious brother (1 Samuel 17:28), I, too, was on 12/28/14 in a letter from Dr. Meredith, and like David, I denied it (cf. 1 Samuel 17:29; Roderick C. Meredith’s Accusatory Letter to Bob Thiel). It should be noted that in violation of Matthew 18:15-17, Dr. Meredith made that accusation publicly despite the fact that neither Dr. Meredith nor my local minister had EVER raised that subject with me nor made that accusation. Which of us had the proper fruits? The one who tried to comply with Matthew 18:15-18 or the one who did not feel he was subject to those scriptures?

When I told LCG I would not be back on 12/28/12, I did so without having lined up groups to support me. Would not a prophet truly walk by faith and not by sight (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:7)? That is what what happened and believe that this should be considered as another proper fruit.

As far as my genuineness, the fact that I still do not take a salary for this work should demonstrate that I am not any type of a hireling (cf. John 10:12-13; Ezekiel 34:2-6).

But what about other fruits?

The Apostle Paul admonished Christians to pray for the gift of prophecy in 1 Corinthians 14:1-5. For decades, I obeyed that biblical admonition. On October 3, 2008, Dr. Meredith (Presiding Evangelist of the Living Church of God) called me and said to me, “God may consider you to be a prophet.” Notice that this came from a long-time evangelist and did not first come out from me. It was Dr. Meredith who first brought up the topic about Bob Thiel being a prophet. I had never mentioned my prayers related to this prior to that telephone conversation, and when I did then, he concurred that I had been doing what the Bible said to do.

Furthermore, although at least two LCG ministers told me that I did not need to have hands laid upon me to be a prophet, I was not convinced. So, I prayed that if I was a prophet that God would arrange something to happen in Charlotte, NC on a trip I was going to make there in mid-December 2011. God answered that prayer in a manner that I did not expect when LCG minister Gaylyn Bonjour anointed me and unexpectedly prayed that God would grant me a double-portion of His Spirit (cf. 2 Kings 2:9-13). Later that day, LCG’s top three evangelists told me that they would correct the issues that I had been bringing up to them for years (some in accordance with Matthew 18:15-18). Yet, they did not resolve matters when they said that they would. What kind of fruits were they displaying?

Do you believe that answered prayer can be the fruit of a prophet? If not, then consider that you might not be willing to understand how God often works.

Despite many issues, I was not willing to leave LCG until I was convinced that LCG could no longer possess the mantle for the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15; Revelation 3:7-12).

The Bible says that prophets will sometimes be given a dream by God (Numbers 12:6). And I had a dream that was confirmed. So did another who also became part of CCOG. Also, there was a third dream from another who became part of CCOG in 2014 as well (see Dreams, the Bible, and the Continuing Church of God).

As far as prophetic fruits, I have made hundreds of prophetic statements and explanations that have been confirmed by subsequent events. Regular readers at the www.cogwriter.com website can search this site to find many. There were also at least 33 associated with my book 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect (those are listed in the beginning of the article titled End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something?).

For many, these are not dramatic enough or are always lucky guesses. If you believe that ALL of them are, that is your prerogative.

Yet, notice also something else that Jesus taught:

39 An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here. (Matthew 12:39-42)

Those Jesus was speaking to would not have considered that Jonah being in the belly of the ‘great fish’ was a prophetic type of the Messiah. The Jews expected a conquering military Messiah. And while Jesus will return as such (Revelation 19), that is not how He came the first time. Most people pointed to the wrong signs, despite the truths that Jesus taught and the miracles the Father allowed Him to do (cf. John 5:30; 8:45; 10:37; 14:11).

JESUS CAME NEAR THE WHEN MANY EXPECTED THE MESSIAH. YET, SINCE JESUS DID NOT APPEAR AS MANY EXPECTED AND THEY DISBELIEVED. SOME COUNTED ON SCRIPTURES THAT THEY WERE SURE WERE PROOF JESUS WAS NOT THE MESSIAH, BUT BECAUSE THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND ALL ABOUT JESUS, THEY WERE WRONG.

Even great prophet John the Baptist (Luke 7:38) had doubts about Jesus (Luke 7:19-21), and Jesus then decided to say that those are blessed who were not offended because of Him (Luke 7:22-23). Some will be offended by the truth and not accept it–even many Christians.

Those in Jesus’ day expected something other than Jesus. Jesus (Matthew 23:29-35; Luke 11:49-50) and the martyr Stephen (Acts 7:52) made it clear that people who thought that they were God’s people repeatedly have not accepted God’s prophets–even though they thought that they would (Matthew 23:30).

The fact that I have correctly explained various aspects of end time prophecy that LCG originally agreed with me on but changed (e.g. Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations?) is another prophetic fruit.

The Abilities of Those With God’s Spirit Vary

Here is Dexter Wakefield’s last statement above:

those who have God’s Spirit have the ability, and the responsibility, to discern their fruits and their genuineness.

Dexter Wakefield seems to be suggesting that this ability for discernment is universal among all Christians. That is flat out not the case. It also contradicts something he quoted from the Bible.

Let’s look at it again:

To serve the needs of the Church, God—through His Spirit—gives different members different gifts. “…to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits … the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually … (1 Corinthians 12:4–11)

Discernment is given individually. If all had the same discernment, there would not be the multitude of Church of God groups these days. Discernment is a blessing to those who have increasing love (Philippians 1:9), and that would seem to include having a growing love of the truth. If those in LCG would place a higher emphasis on loving the truth, they would be able to discern that LCG does not properly understand critical aspects of end time prophecy, and they would realize that unless LCG changes to what the CCOG is teaching regarding prophetic sequences and the start of the Great Tribulation, that those in LCG will NOT be subject to protection from a great tribulation LCG will not know will begin.

Jesus clearly taught that there would be different groups of Christians in the end times in Revelation 2 & 3, and that different ones had different strengths, needs, and abilities. Thus, there are differing degrees of discernment.

It should also be noted that while they may have the ability, those who are NOT Philadelphians are clearly shown by scripture to not actually discern this in the very end-times. The Bible only promises to protect the remaining “Philadelphia Christians” from the hour of trial that will come on the entire earth. LCG’s prophetic errors, unless they repent of them, will prevent them from knowing when that “hour of trial” will come (see, for example Is the Future King of the South Rising Up?). The non-Philadelphia Christians (and these are those who do have God’s Holy Spirit) will not be protected (Revelation 12:17) and instead will be turned over to the hand of the Beast power for a time, times, and 1/2 a time (Daniel 7:25b).

Jesus taught, to “judge with righteous judgment” (John 7:24), yet most these days seem to wish to use a different criteria. Jesus was misjudged by those who thought He did not meet criteria they strongly felt that they Bible required.

Consequences of Ignoring Prophetic Interpretations

Some in various COGs have called me a false prophet. But generally not because any false prophecies I supposedly made, but based on their criteria for prophets which differ from what the New Testament teaches (see How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God).

Notice something from the late Herbert W. Armstrong:

PERSECUTORS HAVE CALLED me a “false prophet.” Now how would you KNOW whether the accusation IS true- or false?…

Actually, it probably is not very important to you to know whether my persecutors are right or wrong, when they call me dirty names, hurl epithets, resort to innuendo, impute sinister motives, strive to discredit, attempt character assassination. What is important to YOU is whether what you read in The PLAIN TRUTH really is the truth – whether what you hear over The WORLD TOMORROW broadcast is true- not whether I , as an individual, am true or false.

I think our readers know by now that we always say: ” DON’ T believe what we say because you believe in us.” We say ” Listen with open mind, without prejudice, then CHECK UP in your own Bible-prove whether it is true, and BELIEVE what you find proved!” I don’t seek to induce people to believe in ME- I seek to lead them to believe in JESUS CHRIST! (Armstrong HW. Personal from the Editor. Plain Truth, May 1966, pp. 2)

Notice some prophetic teachings, and ramifications of some teachings that LCG holds that differ from the Continuing Church of God:

1. The Great Tribulation begins with or after the King of the North invades the King of the South (Daniel 11:40-43) (see PCG and LCG do not understand the end-time King of the South sequence–do you?). This is not the order that Daniel 11 teaches (see Who is the King of the North?). LCG’s position is out of biblical sequence, those who hold to LCG’s position will not understand when the Great Tribulation will begin.
2. The abomination of desolation of Daniel 11:31 occurs after the King of the North invades the King of the South (Daniel 11:40-43; see PCG and LCG do not understand the end-time King of the South sequence–do you?). Since this will not happen, those who hold to LCG’s position will not understand when the Great Tribulation will begin.
3. The ‘Falling Away’ warned about in 2 Thessalonians 2 has mainly to do with the world and Protestants and not the Church of God (see The Falling Away: The Bible and WCG Teachings ). LCG is thus not teaching its members many things that they need to know so that they will not be subject to falling away in the future. And while there will be COG supporters (in various groups, including likely CCOG) who will fall away (Daniel 11:30-35), LCG, in my view, is not properly preparing members for this.
4. The man of sin who sits in the temple of God (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4) is the Antichrist, not the Beast. Yet, this is the Beast (see Who is the Man of Sin?). So, when this happens, those who hold to LCG’s position will not understand its prophetic ramifications.
5. A Jerusalem temple will be rebuilt before Jesus returns. While this is remotely possible (and not all in LCG insist on this), it is not required (the “temple of God” in the New Testament has to do with a Christian, not Jewish, location; see Why is a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem Not Required?). Since this will not happen as LCG sometimes seems to teach, those who hold to LCG’s position will not understand when the Great Tribulation will begin.
6. The Beast power will consist of 10 or 11 current nations in the European Union (see Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations?). The European Union has 28 nation members with others hoping to join it. And while it may lose nations, the reality is that if the Beast power rises up when there are more than 11 nations in it, those who hold to LCG’s position will not understand when the Great Tribulation will begin. Under Herbert Armstrong, the old WCG taught in at least a dozen documents (Plain Truth, Good News, Tomorrow’s World, booklets, Co-worker letter, Bible Correspondence Course) that this passage referred to 10 nations or GROUPS OF NATIONS. LCG should not have insisted on this as it recently did.
7. The first verse in the Daniel 11 sequence relating to the beginning of the Great Tribulation is Daniel 11:40 (per LCG’s Official Statement of Fundamental Beliefs; see also December 2011 Proposed changes to LCG’s Official Statement of Fundamental Beliefs). LCG should teach that it begins with Daniel 11:39, which is shortly after Daniel 11:31, which is also consistent with the start of the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7; see also Who is the King of the North?). Those who hold to LCG’s position will not understand when the Great Tribulation will begin.

Some will come up with their preferred rational as why not to agree with CCOG. Yet, on most of those points, the old WCG taught what I believe that the Bible teaches on them (on the one or two that it did not, one is consistent with a November 1979 HWA writing and on the other an advisor to HWA told me that HWA would have agreed with me on that as well).

Additionally, at least one LCG evangelist, and normally multiple LCG ministers, told me that I was correct on each of those points when I was attending LCG. Instead of correcting its errors, LCG has instead insisted on positions that are in conflict with the Bible. LCG also has other doctrinal and character issues which are not appropriate fruits (see, for example, What About the Living Church of God? Are there Doctrinal Differences with the Continuing Church of God?). LCG also has backed off of teaching that Habakkuk 2:6-8 is an end time prophecy (which Habakkuk 2:3 teaches it is “For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak”).

Many will read this post and ignore it as they feel that they personally will not be affected by this or they will figure out prophetic matters on their own in the future. That will be a mistake:

1 Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together,
O undesirable nation,
2 Before the decree is issued,
Or the day passes like chaff,
Before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you,
Before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you!
3 Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth,
Who have upheld His justice.
Seek righteousness, seek humility.
It may be that you will be hidden
In the day of the Lord’s anger. (Zephaniah 2:1-3)

Those who do not ‘gather together’ to support the one with the highest ordained position who is truly a faithful Philadelphian leader will not be protected (watch also Zephaniah’s ‘Gather Together’ Prophecy). The time for all to humility is now and not hope to wait until later as that will not work.

The fact is that Laodiceans believe that they do not have need to listen to any of God’s end time prophets (Revelation 13:14-18). It astounds me how no one in LCG ever proved me false, but instead seem to prefer to believe false statements directed towards or about me. Or they have criteria for prophets that are not biblical.

Of course, most did not believe the great prophet John the Baptist (Luke 28:33), nor that Jesus was the Christ (Luke 28:34) as most of the people then had different criteria than God set (cf. Luke 28:35).

What about you?

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Elijah: Past and Prophesied Information about the original Elijah and some information about the Elijah-related prophecies.
The Elijah Heresies Does the Bible teach that there will be a future Elijah? Must it be Herbert W. Armstrong?
How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God There are many false prophets, yet many overlook what the Bible teaches about how to recognize a true one. How can Christians determine who is a true prophet? This article contains a scripture-based checklist to assist with this determination.
How to determine if someone is a true prophet of God This is a sermon on YouTube addressing a subject that most in the Church of God do not seem to have looked into very much. It discusses scriptures and dispels some improper assertions that some associated with the COG have made about prophets in this time.
Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations? Does Revelation 17:12 teach ten nations or not? Why is this important to know?
Why Be Concerned About False and Heretical Leaders? There have been many false leaders–here is some of why you should be concerned about them.
Who Are The Two Witnesses? What is their job? What does the Bible reveal? What has the Church of God taught on this subject? Might even Roman Catholic prophecies give some clues here?
The Final Phase of the Work What is the final phase of the work? Who will lead it? Do you have the courage to support it? Here is a related YouTube video titled The Final Phase of the Work. The written article has been translated into Spanish La Fase Final de la Obra.
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from c. 31 A.D. to 2014. Two related sermon links would include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries. In Spanish: Marque aquí para ver el pdf folleto: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios.
Continuing Church of God The group striving to be most faithful amongst all real Christian groups to the word of God. To see how CCOG has done so far, here is a sermon Continuing Church of God (CCOG) first year anniversary: What has been accomplished? Here is a written link to a version of that sermon in the Spanish language: Aniversario del primer año de la Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios: ¿Qué se ha cumplido?
Behind the Work: Go Therefore and Make Disciples How is the Continuing Church of God making disciples. What has been happening in the Continuing Church of God related to this and aspects of the final phase of the work. This ‘behind the work’ video shows New Zealand, Africa, Jerusalem, Vatican City, the USA, and the United Kingdom as well as one from Asia. Teaching and baptisms are shown.
CCOG.ASIA We in the Continuing Church of God also have the url www.ccog.asia which has a focus on Asia and has various articles in Mandarin Chinese as well as some in English, plus some items in other Asian languages. 我们在继续神的教会也提供此网址 www.ccog.asia, 关注于亚洲并且有各种各样的中英文文章，其中一些用菲律宾语翻译的文章也正在进行中，准备添加到这个网站中。 Here is a link to our Statement of Beliefs in Mandarin Chinese 继续神的教会的信仰声明.
CCOG.IN This is a website targeted towards those of Indian heritage. It has a link to an edited Hindi translation of The Mystery of the Ages and is expected to have more non-English language materials in the future.
CCOG.EU This is a website targeted towards Europe. It has materials in more than one language (currently it has English, Dutch, German, and Serbian, with links also to Spanish) and it is intended to have additional language materials added.
CCOG.NZ This is a website targeted towards New Zealand and others with a British-descended background.
CDLIDD.ES La Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios. This is the Spanish language website for the Continuing Church of God and has articles in español/castellano.
PNIND.PH Patuloy na Iglesya ng Diyos. This is the Philippines website Continuing Church of God. It has information in English and Tagalog.

Rick Santorum (Photo by Gage Skidmore)

COGwriter

Rick Santorum is once again a Republican presidential candidate:

May 27, 2015

Republican Rick Santorum has launched another run for the White House with a promise to restore the economic power of middle-class American workers.

Mr Santorum, 57, a former US senator from Pennsylvania who fell short in his 2012 bid, emphasised his working-class roots as he formally opened his long-shot 2016 presidential bid near his childhood home in Cabot in western Pennsylvania.

Looking to build support beyond the social and religious conservatives who bolstered his 2012 campaign, Mr Santorum said “big government” and “big business” had left behind American workers.

“Today is the day we are going to begin to fight back,” he said.

“As middle America’s hollowing out we can’t sit idly by. Working families don’t need another president tied to big government or big money.”

Mr Santorum promised to eliminate the Internal Revenue Service, back a flat tax and crack down on illegal immigration that he says has robbed jobs from American workers.

He also vowed to cut federal spending and revoke “every executive order and regulation that costs Americans jobs”.

While he has years of new material from which to frame a counterpoint to likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, Mr Santorum has slipped from national prominence, and his appearances draw smaller crowds than the previous cycle.

His opposition to gay marriage — he said in April he would not attend a loved one’s same-sex wedding — has remained solid, even though legal gay marriage has expanded to 37 states and the capital Washington.

And he has blasted president Barack Obama’s Middle East strategy for lack of leadership, saying the US military must take a dramatically tougher approach to the Islamic State group.

“If these folks want to bring back a seventh century version of Islam, then my recommendation is, let’s load our bombers up and bomb them back to the seventh century,” Mr Santorum said… http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-28/conservative-firebrand-rick-santorum-in-white-house-re-launch/6502692

While he has better views towards homosexual marriage and abortion than do the current Democratic party contenders, I do not believe that Rick Santorum will be leading the USA to national repentance should he get elected.  Of course, his views on those subjects are abhorrent to the mainstream media, hence I believe that most within it would do what they could to prevent a Santorum presidency.

The USA needs the return of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God.

Several items of possibly related interest may include:

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (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-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Can you see the ‘Handwriting on the Wall’? Thousands of years ago, King Belshazzar saw a hand appear at a big party he was hosting. The hand wrote Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin. Shortly after the Prophet Daniel explained it, his empire was taken over and King Belshazzar died. Is this applicable today? Are there signs right before our eyes that show that the end is coming to the United States and its Anglo-descended allies. Do abortions, sexual immorality, celebrity pornography, and increased debt mean anything? What does the Bible show?
Hillary Clinton in Prophecy Prophecy, Hillary Clinton? Are there prophecies that Hillary Clinton may fulfill? Are there any prophecies that she has already helped fulfill? Could Hillary Clinton be apocalyptic? Could Hillary Clinton be the final Antichrist? A video of related interest is titled Hillary Clinton and Bible Prophecy.
Should a Christian Vote? This article gives some of the Biblical rationale on this subject. Would Jesus vote for president/prime minister? Is voting in the Bible? This is a subject Christians need to understand.
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2015, 2016, or 2017? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? 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? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2014 o 2015? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon video: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives.
Abortion, the Bible, and a Woman’s Right to Choose Do you know what the Bible teaches on this? Has the Roman Catholic Church allowed abortions? What about the real Church of God? Some may also, or instead, wish to view the YouTube video Abortion, the Bible, and US Debt.
Pornography: A scourge on society Is pornography harmless fun? Does the Bible teach anything about it? What are the views of some involved with it? Here is a link to a YouTube video Pornography: Harmless Fun or a Scourge on Society?
British and American Moral Decay Public nudity is becoming more prevalent in the Anglo-Saxon lands. What are some of the consequences?
Cross-dressing and other assaults against your children. What should you do? Is there an agenda to turn your children and/or grandchildren away from biblical morality and towards practices promoted by homosexuals? What does the Bible teach about cross-dressing? What should parents do? If there is an agenda, what has been going on? There is also a YouTube video on this, titled Cross dressing and Other Assaults Against Your Children.
The Bible Condemns Homosexuality “Same-sex marriage” for “gays” and lesbians is becoming more acceptable to many. What does the Bible teach about homosexuality? Can homosexuals change?
Just What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
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? You can also see a YouTube video sermon The Gospel of the Kingdom.
Just What Do You Mean the Kingdom of God? A booklet that was written by Herbert Armstrong answers questions about the Kingdom.
Hillary Clinton, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States This is a 188 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Hillary Clinton and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also discusses Republicans. The physical book can be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Hillary Clinton, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Hillary Clinton Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic Catholic, Hopi, and other America-Related Prophecies? $11.99.
Hillary Clinton, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version of the 188 page print edition is available for only US$3.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Hillary Clinton, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Amazon Kindle edition.

US Vice President Joseph Biden

COGwriter

US Vice President Joseph Biden warned Russia that Vladimir Putin’s plans are ‘doomed to fail’:

May 27, 2015

The United States will stand by Ukraine to fight Russian aggression, which has become a prominent consideration for European security, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday.

Speaking at the Brookings Institution in Washington, Biden said that supporting Ukraine is important for the future of the country, for the future of European security and for the future of the international order.

“So long as Ukraine’s leaders keep faith with the project of reform, the U.S. will continue to stand with them,” Biden said. U.S. sanctions on Russia must and will stay in place until the Minsk agreement is fully implemented, Biden added.

The Minsk agreement, reached in February by France, Germany, Russia, Ukraine and pro-Russia separatists, called for a cease-fire and withdrawal of foreign troops and heavy weapons leading to a lasting solution to the conflict in Ukraine.

The U.S. focus will also be directly on addressing the humanitarian tragedy created by Russian aggression, Biden said.

In one of the most strongly worded speeches by a top American official, the vice president said that “Russia is taking steps to undermine its European neighbors and strengthen its hegemonic position,” which the United States and the West strongly condemn.

Since assuming the Russian presidency, Vladimir Putin has significantly changed, Biden said. He said Putin had shown contempt for the sovereignty of Russian neighbors, and therefore “the world looks different today than it did before [Putin] reassumed the presidency. … As he has changed, so has our focus. We will continue to expose Russia to the world.”

Biden also said Putin’s vision “has very little to offer the Russian people but myths” and is doomed to fail.  http://www.voanews.com/

The USA keeps up with its rhetoric and not employing its military. The USA threatened significant costs if Russia ended up with Crimea, Russia ended up with it, and the ‘costs’ were mostly personal difficulties and insults. Russia is holding to its position, holding on to Crimea, and is trying to decide the best way to get Eastern Ukraine under its influence. USA threats may have slowed Russia down, but do not seem to have changed what Russia wants to accomplish in Ukraine.

As far as being ‘doomed to fail’ goes, the Bible shows that Russia will be around AFTER the USA is destroyed.  This type of rhetoric from the USA will tend to inflame Russia more and make Russia even more determined to work to eliminate USA hegemony.  As far as the USA goes, the massive debt accumulation that began towards the end of the Bush Administration, which has accelerated under the Obama-Biden Administration is biblically doomed to fail (Habakkuk 2:6-8).

Anyway, the USA and EU are still not intending to support the Kiev government militarily and hence Ukraine remains in a difficult spot. Ukraine also has serious economic problems that estranging itself from Russia as it has been trying to do has exacerbated.

Vladimir Putin wants as much of Ukraine in his Eurasian Union as possible. He will take economic, political, and military risks to do so–but even he has limits. That being said, ultimately a massive Eurasian confederation will form with Russia holding some type of leadership position in which it hits the final European ‘daughter of Babylon’ hard (Jeremiah 50:41-43). Until then, there will be changes that ultimately will allow this to come to pass.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

The Eurasian Union, the Kings of the East, and Bible Prophecy Is there a Eurasian union that will be formed? Is one being formed right now? Are any leaders working on that in the 21st century? Does the Bible teach that there will be a Eurasian union? If some type of Eurasian union is formed, who might it benefit and who will it destroy? A related video would be Is The Eurasian Union Rising?
Russia and Ukraine: Origins and Prophesied Future Where do the Russians come from? What about those in the Ukraine? What is prophesied for Russia and its allies? What will they do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end? You can also watch the short video Ukraine in Prophecy?
Russia in the Bible and in Prophecy Is Russia mentioned in the Bible? It it is where is it? Is there any evidence of a people moving to the land that the Russians now occupy? What do Catholic and other prophecies say about Russia? What does the Bible teach? How are Protestants often in error on this? Is there more in biblical prophecy for Russia than war? Does God have a plan to save Russia and her allies? Does Russia have a history involving Sabbath keepers? Does scripture tie Russia in with Armageddon? Will Russia help defeat the end time Babylonian power? What did the Apostle John, and the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel, write about Russia? This is a sermon-length video.
Ezekiel 38: For Russia & Iran in Our Day? Is Ezekiel 38 about to be fufilled? A related video is available titled Ezekiel 38: For Russia, Ukraine, & Iran Now?
Bible News Prophecy July-Sept. 2014: The Coming Eurasian Union Here is the latest magazine from the Continuing Church of God. The cover of which shows Vladimir Putin and features an article about the coming Eurasian Union.
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”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
European Technology and the Beast of Revelation Will the coming European Beast power would use and develop technology that will result in the taking over of the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies? Is this possible? What does the Bible teach? Here is a related YouTube video: Military Technology and the Beast of Revelation.
Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations? Some claim that these passages refer to a gathering of 10 currently existing nations together, while one group teaches that this is referring to 11 nations getting together. Is that what Revelation 17:12-13 refers to? The ramifications of misunderstanding this are enormous.
World War III: Steps in Progress Are there surprising actions going on now that are leading to WWIII? Might a nuclear attack be expected? Does the Bible promise protection to all or only some Christians? How can you be part of those that will be protected? A related video would be Is World War III About to Begin? Can You Escape?
WTO/TTIP and the Babylonian Beast Will international trade agreements like WTO/TTIP/CETA lead to the fulfillment of end time prophecies concerning the Babylonian Beast power that the Book of Revelation warns against? What does the Bible teach? A related video would be WTO Trade Deal and the Rise of the European Beast Power.
Is Russia the King of the North? Some claim it is. But what does the Bible teach? Here is a link to a video, also titled Is Russia the King of the North?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch 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? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
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”? There is also a You-Tube video sermon on this titled Germany’s Biblical Origins.
Germany in Biblical and Catholic Prophecy Does Assyria in the Bible equate to an end time power inhabiting the area of the old Roman Empire? What does prophecy say Germany will do and what does it say will happen to most of the German people? Here is a link to a video Is the USA Pushing Germany to Start WWIII?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (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-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term This is a 160 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Barack Obama and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled (which the book documents in detail) and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also has a chapter about a Republican choice. This book is available to order at www.barackobamaprophecy.com. The physical book can also be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Barack Obama Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic Catholic, Kenyan, and other America-Related Prophecies? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.

Israel Blessing Ephraim & Manasseh (Genesis 48)

COGwriter

The Continuing Church of God is pleased to post its sermon, British are the Covenant People, which is at its ContinuingCOG channel.

1:21:08

British are the Covenant People

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (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-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information on the ‘ten lost tribes’ is also in the YouTube sermon titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Will the Anglo-Saxon 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 about Jerusalem? 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? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
Can those in the USA/UK see the Handwriting on the Wall? Is everything fine in the USA/UK or is it like the days of Noah? Can we learn from the handwriting that appeared on a wall thousands of years ago? Here is a link to a related YouTube video Can you see the ‘Handwriting on the Wall’?
Will the UK Lose Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands? Spain wants Gibraltar and Argentina wants the Falklands (also known as the Malvinas). Does the Bible give clues as to what will happen with these ‘sea gates’? A related video would be Will the UK Lose Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands? A version in Spanish ¿Perderá el Reino Unido a Gibraltar y las Islas Falkland (Malvinas)? Here is a version in Mandarin Chinese 英国将失去直布罗陀和福克兰群岛.
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.
Protestant and Church of God views of the United States in Bible Prophecy Is the USA mentioned in Bible prophecy? Some Protestants say yes, while others say no. What does the Bible really teach? Learn the truth about this. There is also a video available: Is The United States Mentioned In Bible Prophecy?
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no Final End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West? Here is a version in the Spanish language: ¿Quién es el Rey del Occidente? ¿Por qué no hay un Rey del Occidente en la profecía del tiempo del fin?
ContinuingCOG channel. Dr. Thiel has produced YouTube video sermons for this channel. Note: Since these are sermon-length, they can take a little longer to load than other YouTube videos.

COGwriter

Decades ago, the late Pastor General of the old Worldwide Church of God, Hebert W. Armstrong, wrote a booklet on healing. Here are some excerpts:

Is the day of miracles PAST? We read in the New Testament that when Jesus Christ was on earth 1900 years ago, He HEALED THE SICK. It seems there are so MANY MORE sick today than there were then. Well, is the day of miracles past? WHAT ABOUT this thing we call divine healing?

I’ve encountered scores of folks who say, “Well, I know God can heal today if it’s His will, but HOW CAN WE KNOW WHETHER IT’S HIS WILL?”

Others say, “Well, I think God helps them that help themselves. I believe God works thru medical science. We should always call the doctor, and take his drugs and medicines, or submit to his knives, and then pray that God will cause this human means to heal.”

For OUR day, or Only for Time of Christ?Some think Jesus Christ is like the professor Emeritus at the university — He USED to do great things, but now He’s grown old and feeble and doesn’t perform many miracles any more.

But, we read in I Corinthians 15:3-4: “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that He was buried and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” and again in Hebrews 13:8 — “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever,” and in John 14:12 — “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”

Some think healing was only to prove JESUS was the CHRIST — the promised MESSIAH — but not for this day and age.

When Divine Healing BeganMy friends, do you know when divine healing — healing direct by a miracle from ALMIGHTY GOD, as a result of believing PRAYER, really began? And incidentally, let me say I’m not referring to some modern MENTAL science, so called, or power or mind over matter, or hypnotism. I’m speaking only of physical healing performed directly by the Eternal Creator GOD, as a result of BELIEVING PRAYER. Do you know when this first began? Well, most of you are going to be surprised. It didn’t begin with the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth at all. It began MANY CENTURIES BEFORE THAT!

It began WHEN the CHURCH began! Most people think the CHURCH was first started after the resurrection of Christ — on the Day of Pentecost. That was merely the NEW Testament Church. But the Church started long before that — it started way back in the days of MOSES. Of course, that was the OLD Testament Church, but it was God’s CHURCH just the same.

Listen! Acts 7:28 — “This is He, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to Him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us.”

Now physical healing by faith in God is something the Eternal placed in that Old Testament church, way back in the days of Moses!

Let me read to you the first account in all history of direct divine healing. Exodus 15:23-26 — “And when they, [the children of Israel], came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: and therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried unto the Eternal and the Eternal showed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken unto the voice of the Eternal thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Eternal that healeth thee.'”

And do you know, that the same conditions, “If you will obey and keep my commandments,” etc. — apply today, and that’s one reason why a lot of people who have a little light on divine healing and believe in it are not being healed!

Let me read that to you over in the NEW Testament, my friends, I John 3:22 — “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him,” WHY? “because we keep His commandments, and do those things which are pleasing in His sight.”

Well, with so many telling the people, and so many people believing, that Jesus Christ did away with the commandments, it’s no wonder that many of us are not having prayers answered today! “Whatsoever we ask we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.”

Yes, God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He has not changed and the same conditions apply today that did back in the days of Moses. Obedience and faith. Jesus said, “According to your faith be it unto you.”

God the ONLY Real PhysicianYou will notice that God said, “I am the Lord [or the Eternal] that heals you.” He is a jealous God in a sense, so far as the prerogatives of God are concerned. And so, turn over to the 20th chapter of Exodus where God was giving the ten commandments to all the people. Moses didn’t give the people the ten commandments. God gave the people the ten commandments, and He said, “I am the Eternal thy God . . . Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.”

He had said, “I am the God that heals you,” and now He says that you should have no other gods before Me.

You know, my friends, a doctor can’t heal! And any honest doctor will admit it. None of his drugs, or medicines, or knives can heal. There is no healing in any of them. There is only one kind of healing, and that is healing directly by the Almighty God! There is no other healing!…

One word of caution! You can’t dictate to God. He usually doesn’t do things OUR way or always in OUR time. Leave that to Him! He PROMISES to heal you. Accept His promise. STAND ON THE PROMISES! Expect the answer! You KNOW you’ll get it. Leave the “how” and the “when” to God. Let Him do it His way and in His time. Faith is the evidence of things NOT SEEN — not felt. Don’t pay any attention to how you feel, or what you see, after you have called upon God for healing. Just KNOW you are to have it, and that’s that!

In our many, many experiences, we have had healings in our own family and many other cases that were instantaneous. Then I’m thinking now of a woman who came to me and another minister for prayer for healing. After we noticed no change and she felt none. It was four days later that she was suddenly, instantly healed. I’ve known some to heal gradually. It was even so in Jesus’ own ministry, one began to mend from that hour.

Leave the “how” and “when” to God. KNOW His promise is SURE!

The Scripture CANNOT BE BROKEN!

“Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth ALL thy diseases!”

Note: The old Worldwide Church of God no longer exists and the group that took it over would not make Herbert Armstrong’s writings available, even when I offered to pay. So the above article is shown in the public interest and reflects the personal views of Herbert Armstrong and is shown as a public service. The most faithful remnant of his old church is the Continuing Church of God.

Several items of possibly related interest include:

Does God Heal Today? This historical article is by Herbert Armstrong and provides his views on healing circa 1952, which he seemed to later modify, at least to some degree.
Prayer: What Does the Bible Teach? This contains 28 biblically-baed tips on improving the effectiveness of your prayers. This is a pdf. A related two part sermon is available: What Does the Bible Teach About Prayer? and What does the Bible Teach About Prayer (& Healing)?
Who Was Herbert W. Armstrong? How is He Viewed Today? Includes quotes from the 1973 edition of The Autobiography of Herbert W. Armstrong and explains how he is and should be viewed today.
The Seven Laws of Success Are there tips that can help people become successful.
Living as a Christian: How and Why? In what ways do Christians live differently than others. What about praying, fasting, tithing, holy days, and the world? There is also a YouTube video related to that also called: Living as a Christian: How and Why?
Is Smoking a Sin? What does the Bible teach? What have COG leaders written? Can smokers change?
Binge Alcohol Drinking and the Bible Many college students and others overindulge in alcohol. Are there health risks? What does the Bible teach?
Obesity, processed foods, health risks, and the Bible Does the Bible warn about the consequences of being obese? Is overeating dangerous? Is gluttony condemned? What diseases are associated with eating too much refined foods? A related video would be Eating Right, Eating Too Much, and Prophecy.
Ten Simple Rules that Lead to Health Herbert Armstrong gives his opinions on this.
Why so much mental illness? Article by E.M. Walter goes into several of the causes of this.
ADHD diagnoses increasing Is diet a possible contributing factor in the increasing number of children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactive disorder?
The Bible, Christians, and the Environment How should Christians view the environment? Does the Bible give any clues? What are some of the effects of air, water, and land pollution? Is environmental pollution a factor in autism and death? Do pollutants seem to double the autism risk? What will Jesus do? A YouTube video is available titled Air Pollution, Autism, and Prophecy.
UK Study Supports Daniel Diet Daniel and his companions looked better eating more vegetables and avoiding strange meats. Has modern science confirmed this?
Continuing Church of God The group striving to be most faithful amongst all real Christian groups to the word of God.

James and Ellen White

COGwriter

A while back, I came across the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Fundamental Beliefs at their official website. Here is what was listed as Fundamental Belief 27:

27. Millennium and the End of Sin:
The millennium is the thousand-year reign of Christ with His saints in heaven between the first and second resurrections. During this time the wicked dead will be judged; the earth will be utterly desolate, without living human inhabitants, but occupied by Satan and his angels. At its close Christ with His saints and the Holy City will descend from heaven to earth. The unrighteous dead will then be resurrected, and with Satan and his angels will surround the city; but fire from God will consume them and cleanse the earth. The universe will thus be freed of sin and sinners forever. (Rev. 20; 1 Cor. 6:2, 3; Jer. 4:23-26; Rev. 21:1-5; Mal. 4:1; Eze. 28:18, 19.)

While I disagree that all sin will be gone then (cf. Isaiah 65:20, which happens after the millennium) and various other points of the SDA position, the main point I wish to go over is the view that the saints reign in heaven as opposed to on the earth at that time.

Notice that the Book of Revelation makes it clear that God’s people will reign on the earth with Christ:

9…”You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:9-10).

Thus, a future physical reign on the earth is clearly prophesied. Not heaven.

Chapter 20 of the Book of Revelation clearly teaches that there will be a thousand year reign of Christ:

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

This millennial reign is essentially the “first phase” of the kingdom of God on the earth (more information can be found in the article The Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church).

But did early Christians teach that the thousand year reign was on earth?

Yes.

Notice what Papias, who was a hearer of John and allegedly a friend of Polycarp, in the early second century taught about the millennial reign on earth. Eusebius recorded that Papias (an early 2nd century leader) taught:

…there wil be a period of a thousand years after the resurrection of the dead, and that the kingdom of Christ will be set up in material form on this very earth…(Eusebius. The History of the Church, Book III, Chapter XXIX, Verse 12, p. 69)

Here is another translation of the above:

… there will be a millennium after the resurrection from the dead, when the personal reign of Christ will be established on this earth (Fragments of Papias, VI. See also Eusebius, Church History, Book 3, XXXIX, 12).

Papias taught that it would be a time of great abundance:

In like manner, [He said] that a grain of wheat would produce ten thousand ears, and that every ear would have ten thousand grains, and every grain would yield ten pounds of clear, pure, fine flour; and that apples, and seeds, and grass would produce in similar proportions; and that all animals, feeding then only on the productions of the earth, would become peaceable and harmonious, and be in perfect subjection to man.” [Testimony is borne to these things in writing by Papias, an ancient man, who was a hearer of John and a friend of Polycarp, in the fourth of his books; for five books were composed by him…] (Fragments of Papias, IV).

The above is consistent with the view that we in the Continuing Church of God hold.

In the second century, Irenaeus, who though he ended up compromising with Rome, claimed to have met Polycarp of Smyrna. Here is some of what he wrote about this:

That the whole creation shall, according to God’s will, obtain a vast increase, that it may bring forth and sustain fruits such [as we have mentioned], Isaiah declares: “And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every prominent hill, water running everywhere in that day, when many shall perish, when walls shall fall. And the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, seven times that of the day, when He shall heal the anguish of His people, and do away with the pain of His stroke.” Now “the pain of the stroke” means that inflicted at the beginning upon disobedient man in Adam, that is, death; which [stroke] the Lord will heal when He raises us from the dead, and restores the inheritance of the fathers, as Isaiah again says: “And thou shall be confident in the LORD, and He will cause thee to pass over the whole earth, and feed thee with the inheritance of Jacob thy father.” This is what the Lord declared: “Happy are those servants whom the Lord when He cometh shall find watching. Verily I say unto you, that He shall gird Himself, and make them to sit down [to meat], and will come forth and serve them. And if He shall come in the evening watch, and find them so, blessed are they, because He shall make them sit down, and minister to them; or if this be in the second, or it be in the third, blessed are they.” Again John also says the very same in the Apocalypse: “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection.” Then, too, Isaiah has declared the time when these events shall occur; he says: “And I said, Lord, how long? Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses be without men, and the earth be left a desert. And after these things the LORD shall remove us men far away (longe nos faciet Deus homines), and those who shall remain shall multiply upon the earth.” Then Daniel also says this very thing: “And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of those under the heaven, is given to the saints of the Most High God, whose kingdom is everlasting, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.” And lest the promise named should be understood as referring to this time, it was declared to the prophet: “And come thou, and stand in thy lot at the consummation of the days.” Now, that the promises were not announced to the prophets and the fathers alone, but to the Churches united to these from the nations (Irenaeus. Adversus haereses, Book V, Chapter 34, Verses 2-3. Excerpted from Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 1. Edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. American Edition, 1885. Online Edition Copyright © 2004 by K. Knight).

For all these and other words were unquestionably spoken in reference to the resurrection of the just, which takes place after the coming of Antichrist, and the destruction of all nations under his rule; in [the times of] which [resurrection] the righteous shall reign in the earth, waxing stronger by the sight of the Lord: and through Him they shall become accustomed to partake in the glory of God the Father, and shall enjoy in the kingdom intercourse and communion with the holy angels, and union with spiritual beings; and [with respect to] those whom the Lord shall find in the flesh, awaiting Him from heaven, and who have suffered tribulation, as well as escaped the hands of the Wicked one (Irenaeus. Adversus haereses, Book V, Chapter 35, Verse 1. Excerpted from Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 1. Edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. American Edition, 1885. Online Edition Copyright © 2004 by K. Knight).

Thus Irenaeus clearly taught that there was to be a physical kingdom of God on the earth and that resurrected saints would reign in that kingdom. And that time frame is after the first resurrection, the time period of the millennium.

Nepos, who though the Catholics now claim him (they also claim Polycarp and others who renounced them), understood and taught that the saints would reign on the earth. Here is what The Catholic Encyclopedia reported:

An Egyptian bishop, Nepos, taught the Chiliastic error that there would be a reign of Christ upon earth for a thousand years, a period of corporal delights; he founded this doctrine upon the Apocalypse in a book entitled “Refutation of the Allegorizers” (Chapman, John. “Dionysius of Alexandria.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 5. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. 14 Aug. 2008 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05011a.htm>.).

The following from Dionysius clearly shows that Nepos was still respected after he died (Nepos died prior to Dionysius’ mid-third century writing of the following) and really did not refute him from a biblical perspective:

But as they produce a certain composition by Nepos, on which they insist very strongly, as if it demonstrated incontestably that there will be a (temporal) reign of Christ upon the earth, I have to say, that in many other respects I accept the opinion of Nepos, and love him at once for his faith, and his laboriousness, and his patient study in the Scriptures, as also for his great efforts in psalmody, by which even now many of the brethren are delighted. I hold the man, too, in deep respect still more, inasmuch as he has gone to his rest before us. Nevertheless the truth is to be prized and reverenced above all things else. And while it is indeed proper to praise and approve ungrudgingly anything that is said aright, it is no less proper to examine and correct anything which may appear to have been written unsoundly. If he had been present then himself, and had been stating his opinions orally, it would have been sufficient to discuss the question together without the use of writing, and to endeavour to convince the opponents, and carry them along by interrogation and reply. But the work is published, and is, as it seems to some, of a very persuasive character; and there are unquestionably some teachers, who hold that the law and the prophets are of no importance, and who decline to follow the Gospels, and who depreciate the epistles of the apostles, and who have also made large promises regarding the doctrine of this composition, as though it were some great and hidden mystery, and who, at the same time, do not allow that our simpler brethren have any sublime and elevated conceptions either of our Lord’s appearing in His glory and His true divinity, or of our own resurrection from the dead, and of our being gathered together to Him, and assimilated to Him, but, on the contrary, endeavour to lead them to hope for things which are trivial and corruptible, and only such as what we find at present in the kingdom of God. And since this is the case, it becomes necessary for us to discuss this subject with our brother Nepos just as if he were present (Dionysius of Alexandria. From the Two Books on the Promises. Copyright © 2008 by Kevin Knight. Viewed 8/14/08).

In other words, Nepos knew his Bible, but did not hold to the same position that allegorists like Dionysius of Alexandria held. But those who held to Judaeo-Christian beliefs, while slightly chastised, simply were almost never condemned by the early allegorists. And he taught that the saints would reign on the earth. Nepos is one who I have long considered was part of the true Church of God and not part of the Greco-Roman confederation that was forming in his day. Nepos was one of several leaders that stood up against the allegorists who were rising up in his day.

Saints are to reign on the earth for a thousand years with Christ.

So, from the Bible, and the understanding of second (Papias) and third (Nepos) century Christians, as well as from some who knew actual Christians (Irenaeus) it is clear that the early Christians did believe and teach that the millennial reign would be on the earth.

Thus, those who are SDAs might wish to ask since their church does not teach this, if it truly was part of the original church or if it is (as I have long contended) basically a breakaway group that lost many of its original faithful teachings.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

SDA/CCOG Differences: Two Horned Beast of Revelation and 666 The genuine Church of God is NOT part of the Seventh-day Adventists. This article explains two prophetic differences, the trinity, differences in approaching doctrine, including Ellen White. Did Ellen White make prophetic errors? Did Ellen White make false prophecies? Here is a version in the Spanish language: SDA/COG Diferencias: La bestia de dos cuernos de Apocalipsis y 666.
The Sardis Church Era was predominant circa 1600 A.D. to circa 1933 A.D. Discusses early history of the Seventh Day Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, and COG-7th Day.
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? A related sermon is titled The Millennium.
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? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2022 or 20xx? There is also a video titled The 6000 Year Plan: Is the end of humanity’s reign almost up?
What is the Appropriate Form of Biblical Interpretation? Should the Bible be literally understood? What do the writings of the Bible, Origen, Herbert W. Armstrong, and Augustine show?
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?
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 c. 31 A.D. to the 21st century. Two related sermon links would include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries. In Spanish: Marque aquí para ver el pdf folleto: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios.