Church of God News

Medjugorje Icon at Podbrdo, place of apparition (Beemwej)

COGWriter

It has been over three years since Vatican Radio announced that a special commission had completed its report on Medjugorje:

January 18, 2014

Commission to submit study on Medjugorje

(Vatican Radio) The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, confirmed on Saturday that the international commission investigating the events in Medjugorje held its last meeting on 17 January. The commission, created by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, is presided by Cardinal Camillo Ruini.

The commission has reportedly completed its work and will submit the outcomes of its study to the Congregation. http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/01/18/commission_to_submit_study_on_medjugorje/en1-765219

Notice also:

“Still no papal decision: The Provincial of the Franciscan Order in Hercegovina denies that Pope Francis has told him to pray that he has made the right decision on Medjugorje, and expresses surprise that an American priest residing in Medjugorje gave this impression on June 25.” http://www.medjugorjetoday.tv/news-archive-2014/

Rest assured that no media outlets have got their hands on the ‘Ruini Dossier’, the commission have successfully locked the dossier concluded by Cardinal Ruini as top secret.

Our sources inform us that although the commission was formed by a team of 20, they formed sub-committees, one to present a positive argument and one to present a negative argument, similar to the process of canonisation of a saint where there are advocates of sanctity, and the ‘devils advocate’.

A lot of the ‘leaks’ coming through are from those connected within these ‘sub-committees’ sometimes giving a biased stance.

The commission report itself is not a decision. The decision will be made by Pope Francis according to the recommendation of Cardinal Muller, Prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith, after reviewing the findings of the commission.

Sources in touch with the Vatican and the commission have told us the commission have reviewed positives and negatives and a ‘severe but positive’ pronouncement has been recommended to Pope Francis. Positive meaning the Vatican recognises the good coming from Medjugorje and will allow pilgrimages to continue, but severe because they wish to calm down any hype connected with the phenomena and keep the focus on prayer and not the visionaries or apparitions. We reiterate here that Pope Francis may not wish to even go ahead with this recommendation and decide something of his own accord.

However if His Holiness does go ahead then possibly both sides of the argument are not going to be fully satisfied and both sides will be in some way slightly confronted, as the commission on the one hand have found no evidence of the visionaries faking the apparitions, recognise countless conversions and have informed Pope Francis they are ‘open to the possibility the Blessed Virgin is appearing’ in a manner that they recognise as unprecedented in Church History, but equally they are pointing out various ‘uncertainties’ such as the visionaries running hotels and the period of apparitions still ongoing makes them de facto inconclusive. These uncertainties have lead them to suggest protective restrictions to be made for the visionaries and the public, and better spiritual guidance for the visionaries. http://www.nationalmedjugorjemovement.com/news/vatican-reccomends-severe-but-positive-decision-to-pope-francis/

Here is something from last Fall:

MEDJUGORJE, Bosnia-Herzegovina – As a journalist covering the Vatican, I’ve obviously been aware for a long time of the debate that swirls around Medjugorje, the small town in Bosnia-Herzegovina where revelations of the Virgin Mary allegedly have been taking place since 1981.

I know that some take the phenomenon seriously, others are skeptical, and many are waiting for Rome to declare officially one way or the other.

Yet until last week, I’d never had the chance to see the place with my own eyes.

I went to Medjugorje with my parents, one of whom is a deep believer in the apparitions, the other not so much. On the day of our arrival, we went to Saint James church, knowing the Franciscans running the place were praying the Rosary before Mass, and that there’d be Eucharistic adoration after.

I was personally shocked to see the long lines for confession, despite there being 35 confessionals in seven different languages. I didn’t stop to count, but there must have been some 300 people in line at least. …

In the last five decades, the Church has overruled several hundreds of alleged private revelations.

As long as the apparitions are ongoing, the Vatican’s preferred course is to defer to the local bishop. The last two bishops of Mostar-Duvno, the diocese to which Medjugorje belongs, have said clearly that nothing supernatural is happening here.

When approached by Crux for comment, Bishop Ratko Perić politely but forcefully refused, answering simply that “there’s no interview about Medjugorje, which is in the hands of the Holy See.”

Yet he’s spoken and written about it before, discouraging pilgrims from visiting the site. In 2009 for instance, he wrote: “Through the ‘seers’, followed whole floods of lies, contradictions, promises, speed-ups, slowdowns, falsehoods, uncertainties.”

In that document the bishop also highlights various contradictions between the seers’ own accounts, and inconsistencies between the messages when studied chronologically. …

In 2010, under Benedict, the Vatican set up a commission to study the Medjugorje question. Five years later, on June 6, 2015, Pope Francis told reporters that “we’ve reached the point of making a decision and then they will say.” But over a year later, nothing has been said. https://cruxnow.com/global-church/2016/09/22/debate-rages-medjugorje-maybe-place-prayer-enough/

Here is more recent news:

February 13, 2017

Vatican says Bishop Henryk Hoser will not be deciding on the merits of reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary

Pope Francis is sending a bishop to a Medjugorje, Bosnia, shrine to gain “deeper knowledge” of the pastoral needs of millions of Catholics drawn there by reports of apparitions of the Virgin Mary.

Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said on Saturday Polish Bishop Henryk Hoser’s mission doesn’t involve deciding the merits of the reported apparitions. http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2017/02/13/pope-francis-sending-bishop-to-medjugorje/

February 9, 2017

ROME- Pope Francis said that clerical sexual abuse is the work of the devil, there’s corruption in the Vatican, warned against new religious orders with a “restorationist” mentality, and even appeared to take a gentle shot at reputed Marian apparitions such as Medjugorje, saying the real Madonna is not “the head of a post office that every day sends a different letter.”

These are only a handful of the points Pope Francis touched on during a meeting with 140 Superiors General of male religious orders and congregations last November, in an informal, behind-closed doors exchange.

The transcript of the encounter was published on Friday by the Jesuit-run magazine La Civiltà Cattolica, which is celebrating its issue number 4,000. …

“But the real Madonna! Not the Madonna at the head of a post office that every day sends a different letter, saying: ‘My children, do this and then the next day do that.’ No, not that Madonna. The real Madonna is the one who generates Jesus in our hearts, a Mother.”

The superstar Virgin Mary, who seeks the limelight, the pope insisted, “is not Catholic.”

Though he didn’t give examples as to what he was referring to, whenever Francis brings up the image of the Virgin as a “postmistress,” many think of Medjugorje, in Bosnia-Herzegovina, where some believe she’s been appearing daily since 1981. https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2017/02/09/pope-denounces-restorationist-orders-takes-shot-medjugorje/

So, it appears that Pope Francis probably does NOT accept the apparition at Medjugorje, but has decided to take some actions related to it.

For those unfamiliar with Medjugorje, it is a town located in the Herzegovina region of western Bosnia and Herzegovina where false messages and claimed miracles related to an alleged ‘Marian apparition.’ ‘She’ is often referred to as “Our Lady of Medjugorje” and “Our Lady Queen of Peace” by those who believe that she has been appearing since 24 June 1981 to six children in Medjugorje. This apparition allegedly has been giving daily messages to three or so people ever since.

While the findings of commission report have not been released, many Catholics correctly believe this apparition is false and not from Jesus’ mother Mary. Because of the ‘daily message’ aspects of it, many believe that Pope Francis was also condemning Medjugorje when he made the following statement on November 14, 2013:

Curiosity impels us to want to feel that the Lord is here or rather there, or leads us to say: “But I know a visionary, who receives letters from Our Lady, messages from Our Lady.” But look, Our Lady is the Mother of everyone! And she loves all of us. She is not a postmaster, sending messages every day. http://www.catholicismusa.com/instead-of-curiosity-and-seeking-novelities-listen-to-the-breeze-of-wisdom/

We will see how this Marian-focused pontiff will deal with this–so far I have not seen him comment on the report. He seems to be content to let many followers of his church visit the location while he has it studied further.

He could embrace parts or all of Medjugorje, condemn parts or all of it, or continue to say little or nothing about it. But no matter how Pope Francis handles it, the Medjugorje apparition is false–it is demonic. But again, since Pope Francis has endorsed other demonic apparitions (Fatima and Guadalupe come to immediate mind) he might decide to endorse this false one.

Also, it is not just my view that this apparition is false. Notice the following reports, mainly from Catholic leaders, as cited on Wikipedia:

On 10 April 1991, the Yugoslav Episcopal Conference issued at Zadar a declaration that states: “It cannot be affirmed that these matters concern supernatural apparitions or revelations.” (Biskupije Mostar-Duvno Trebinje-Mrkan”. Cbismo.com. 2009-06-06. Retrieved 2013-04-01)

On 2 October 1997, Bishop Ratko Perić of the diocese of Mostar-Duvno, in which Medjugorje is situated, wrote: “On the basis of the serious study of the case by 30 of our ‘studiosi’, on my episcopal experience of five years in the Diocese, on the scandalous disobedience that surrounds the phenomenon, on the lies that are at times put into the mouth of the ‘Madonna’, on the unusual repetition of “messages” of over 16 years, on the strange way that the ‘spiritual directors’ of the so-called ‘visionaries’ accompany them through the world making propaganda of them, on the practice that the ‘Madonna’ appears at the ‘fiat’ of the ‘visionaries’, my conviction and position is not only non constat de supernaturalitate [the supernaturality is not proven] but also the other formula constat de non supernaturalitate [the non-supernaturality is proven] of the apparitions or revelations of Medjugorje.” (Ratko Perić, Bishop of Mostar (2 October 1997). “Letter to Thierry Boutet, editor of Famille Chrétienne“. Retrieved 2 December 2013)

On 21 October 2013, the Apostolic Nunciature to the United States communicated, on behalf of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, that, in the light of the 1991 Zadar declaration about the Medjugorje events, Catholics, whether clergy or laypeople, “are not permitted to participate in meetings, conferences or public celebrations during which the credibility of such ‘apparitions’ would be taken for granted” (http://medjugorjedocuments.blogspot.com/2013/11/2013-cdf-twice-to-us-bishops-on.html)

Here is a report claiming that Pope Francis has blessed a Medjugorje medal:

When Alicia Italiani from Erie, PA, wrote to Pope Francis to ask if her devotion to the Medjugorje message was was acceptable to the Church, the response was different from what she had expected. She received a Medjugorje medal, and a note that the Pontiff had personally blessed it.

The envelope Alicia Italiani received from the Pope, and its contents: The medal to the right has the word Medjugorje inscribed, and has been for sale in Medjugorje for years

Pope Francis is in agreement with the Medjugorje message, even if he is still to raise his voice on the authenticity of the apparitions. In early May the Pope personally blessed a Medjugorje medal and had it sent to an American woman who had asked him if following the Medjugorje message was okay with the Catholic Church.

“Several months ago, I wrote a letter to Pope Francis asking his blessing and prayer for my family and for myself. I have a devotion to Our Lady of Medugorje, and I understand that whether the alleged apparitions in Medugorje are approved or not, that prayer and fasting and any devotion to the Blessed Mother is good and pleasing to God. But I still felt like I needed to know if it was OK to follow those particular messages (just because there’s been so much confusion regarding the devotion within the Church)” Alicia Italiani from Erie, PA, tells the newsletter The Spirit of Medjugorje.

“On May 6, I received a response back. The response was from the Papal Nuncio to the United States from Pope Francis. Included in the envelope were a medal from Medugorje, a medal of St. Michael the Archangel and two holy cards – one with a picture of Pope Francis and the other a picture of St. Francis with his prayer for peace. The note said that the medals were blessed by Pope Francis! I felt so comforted and I just wanted to share the story” Alicia Italiani tells.

With some believing it to happen this year, Pope Francis is expected to issue a verdict on Medjugorje at some point. In January an international Vatican Commission ended four years of investigations by passing on its final report to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Both its contents, the further procedure, and the time-table have remained under lock. http://ourladyprays.com/pope-francis-blessed-medjugorje-medal/

I have seen no statement in the past year from Pope Francis endorsing Medjugorje, despite the fact that he is a Marian-focused pontiff, and may have ‘blessed’ a medal.

Notice something I reported about Medjugorje and related matters (such as the alleged Marian apparitions in Fatima, Portugal) in 2012:

What About the Healings?

Are claimed healings associated with Fatima proof that the messages were from God? There are several reasons to consider that they are not proof.

The first is that there have been hundreds of claimed healings from those going to discredited sites like Medjugorje. According to Msgr. Pavao Zanic, Bishop of Mostar, the “seers” claimed messages from the “Marian” apparition that were clearly false and the facts he laid out prove this…

Ecumenical Private Revelations and Medjugorje

Some Fatima supporters are afraid that “a politically correct and ‘ecumenical’ revisionist ‘interpretation’ of the Message of Fatima” is being adopted by certain members of the Catholic clergy.

Some also believe that the messages of Medjugorje are “heresy after heresy” and encourage ecumenism that many Fatimists oppose.

The “Lady” in Medjugorje allegedly said:

All religions are equal before God…In God there are no divisions or religions; it is you in the world that created divisions…God directs all denominations as a king directs his subjects…It is you who are divided on the earth. The Muslims and the Orthodox, like the Catholics, are equal before my Son and before me, for you are all my children. (Ferrara C. Setting the Record Straight. The Fatima Crusader, 98, Spring 2011, pp. 19-20)

Since the Fatimists can (correctly) denounce Medjugorje as heresy because of some of the messages, all should realize that the same is true with many of the messages of Fatima.

Msgr. Pavao Zanic, the former Bishop of Mostar (which includes Medjugorje), in 1990 wrote:

For even a short description of the falsehoods about Medjugorje we would need 200 pages… Presbitero Rodriguez Teofilo…asked me for the reasons why I do not believe in the “apparitions”… I told him about the case of the ex-Franciscan priest Ivica Vego. Due to his disobedience, by an order of the Holy Father the Pope, he was thrown out of his Franciscan religious order OFM by his General, dispensed from his vows and suspended “a divinis.” He did not obey this order and he continued to celebrate Mass, distribute the sacraments and pass the time with his mistress. It is unpleasant to write about this, yet it is necessary in order to see who Our Lady is speaking of. According to the diary of Vicka and the statements of the “seers,” Our Lady mentioned 13 times that he is innocent and that the bishop is wrong. When his mistress, sister Leopolda, a nun, became pregnant, both of them left Medjugorje and the religious life and began to live together near Medjugorje where their child was born. Now they have two children. His prayerbook is still sold in Medjugorje and beyond in hundreds of thousands of copies.

Yet, many still believe in Medjugorje.

In 1985, Cardinal Ratzinger “banned pilgrimages to the site. But this has been widely ignored. Instead the seers have grown wealthy as a result of their claims.”

The banning was ignored because many believe that because some of the messages seem fine (the devil is subtle enough not to make all the messages clearly false), some are curious, and others believe that various claimed healings at Medjugorje are proof that it is valid anyway. But obviously Mary of the Bible would not have made false statements justifying a fornicating priest nor would she have endorsed all religions as equal as was claimed.

Notice that in 1985, Cardinal Ratzinger, who later became Pope Benedict XVI, also condemned Medjugorje.

Yet, because of signs, personal feelings, and allegedly healings, many within Roman Catholicism as well as some without (someone lent me a book of Medjugorje a few months ago written by a Protestant who became convinced the messages are genuinely from Mary), consider these signs to be miraculous proof that Mary is present in Medjugorje and is now speaking to us. Despite the fact that parts of what is said are clearly blasphemous and against scripture.

Why should anyone care about this?

Although most non-Catholics do not think that reports of apparitions can affect them, if they live long enough this century, they will find that this is not the case. Claimed Marian apparitions are a much bigger deal than people realize and seems to tie in with a variety of prophecies throughout the Bible (e.g. Isaiah 47, Matthew 24, 2 Thessalonians 2, Revelation 17).

Furthermore, did you know that apparitions that some believe to be Mary were partially responsible for how the Greco-Roman churches gained influence over the Church of God in Asia Minor in the third century and Europe in the Middle Ages? Did you know that basically because of apparitions in Mexico and Russia that nearly all of Latin America became “Catholic” and Russia became accepting of icons? Did you know that Satan has many in Asia and elsewhere looking to female apparitions and apparently has had his seers prophesy that one or more future “Marian” apparitions will help the Beast/Great Monarch rise up?

Jesus warned that nearly everyone would be deceived in the end (Matthew 24:24) and apparitions seem likely to be part of why.

Partially what Medjugorje itself shows is that despite facts, truth, and warnings, people often want to believe what they think they see as opposed to the truth. This will become a bigger problem later as well.

The Bible specifically warns of a “virgin” that uses enchantments who is also called the Lady of Kingdoms. Notice the following as shown in a Catholic version of the Bible:

1 Come down, sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne for the daughter of the Chaldeans, for thou shalt no more be called delicate and tender…4 Our redeemer, the Lord of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel. 5 Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called the lady of kingdoms. 6 I was angry with my people, I have polluted my inheritance, and have given them into thy bend: thou hast shown no mercy to them: upon the ancient thou hast laid thy yoke exceeding heavy.

7 And thou hast said: I shall be a lady forever: thou hast not laid these things to thy heart, neither hast thou remembered thy latter end.

8 And now hear these things, thou that art delicate, and dwellest confidently, that sayest in thy heart: I am, and there is none else besides me: I shall not sit as a widow, and I shall not know barrenness.

9 These two things shall come upon thee suddenly in one day, barrenness and widowhood. All things are come upon thee, because of the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great hardness of thy enchanters. 10 And thou best trusted in thy wickedness, and hast said: There is none that seeth me. Thy wisdom, and thy knowledge, this hath deceived thee. And thou best said in thy heart: I am, and besides me there is no other. 11 Evil shall come upon thee, and then shalt not know the rising thereof: and calamity shall fall violently upon thee, which thou canst not keep off: misery shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know. 12 Stand now with thy enchanters, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, in which thou hast laboured from thy youth, if so be it may profit thee any thing, or if thou mayst become stronger. 13 Thou hast failed in the multitude or thy counsels: let now the astrologers stand and save thee, they that gazed at the stars, and counted the months, that from them they might tell the things that shall come to thee. (Isaiah 47:1, 4-7, 11-13, DRB)

In the New Testament, notice what the Apostle Paul warned:

9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12)

Deception must be clever to work, and multitudes have already been deceived by signs and wonders coming from statues and alleged apparitions of Mary. The “interfaith movement” will like employ “Mary” as a tool for improper unity (see Will the Interfaith Movement Lead to Peace or Sudden Destruction?).

As far as the Bible goes, all should realize that there is nothing in the Bible, or even in early church writings, that supports the view that God wanted to use weeping statues, apparitions, etc. of Mary. Sadly, however, multiple millions are not willing to truly accept that–and more will be deceived in the future.

For more information, please check out the following:

Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Apparitions Do you know much about Mary? Are the apparitions real? What happened at Fatima? What might they mean for the rise of the ecumenical religion of Antichrist? Are Protestants moving towards Mary? How do the Eastern/Greek Orthodox view Mary? How might Mary view her adorers? Here is a link to a YouTube video Marian Apparitions May Fulfill Prophecy. Here is a link to a sermon video: Why Learn About Fatima?
The ‘Lady’ of Guadalupe: Any Future Ramifications? It is claimed that a female apparition appeared near Mexico City on December 12, 1531. How has it affected the world? What might it suggest about the future? A video of related interest is titled: The ‘Lady of Guadalupe’ and Prophecy.
Satan’s Plan Does Satan have a plan? What is it? Has it already been successful? Will it be successful in the future? Here is a link to a related video: Satan’s Plan A Brief Introduction.
Will the Interfaith Movement Lead to Peace or Sudden Destruction? Is the interfaith movement going to lead to lasting peace or is it warned against? A video sermon of related interest is: Will the Interfaith Movement lead to World War III? and a video sermon is also available: Do You Know That Babylon is Forming?
Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy? Pope Francis has taken many steps to turn people more towards his version of ‘Mary.’ Could this be consistent with biblical and Catholic prophecies? This article documents what has been happening. There is also a video version titled Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy?
Feast of the Immaculate Conception? Did early Christians teach Mary had an immaculate conception and led a sinless life?
Origin of the Marian Dogmas: Where Do Catholic Scholars Say The Four Dogmas of Mary Came From?
Assumption of Mary Did Mary die? Was she taken to heaven on August 15th? What is known? What does the Bible show?
Do you understand the ramifications of the ‘Lady of Guadalupe’? It is claimed that a female apparition appeared near Mexico City on December 12, 1531. How has it affected the world? What might it suggest about the future?
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.
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? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
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 to the 21st century. Related sermon links 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 and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, French: L’Histoire Continue de l’Église de Dieu and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.

CartoSat2 Auto10 (ISRO)

COGwriter

India set a record today:

February 15, 2017

WASHINGTON/LONDON: India has emerged as a “key player” in a growing global commercial market for space-based surveillance and communication, world media commented on Wednesday after the country scripted history by successfully launching 104 satellites+ using a single rocket.

Isro’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C37 on Wednesday injected India’s weather observation Cartosat-2 Series satellite and 103 nano satellites, including 96 from the US, into orbit after a textbook lift-off from Sriharikota space centre. …

The New York Times said that by sending a flock of 104 satellites into space within minutes, nearly tripling the previous record for single-day satellite launches, establishes India as a “key player” in a growing commercial market for space-based surveillance and communication.

“The launch was high-risk because the satellites, released in rapid-fire fashion every few seconds from a single rocket as it traveled at 17,000 miles an hour, could collide with one another in space if ejected into the wrong path,” the paper noted.

“Forget the US versus Russia. The real space race is taking place in Asia,” CNN commented. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/india-a-key-player-in-global-space-race-says-international-media-after-isros-record-104-satellite-launch/articleshow/57169498.cms

The world order is changing. India is a gentile nation (see also India, Its Biblical Past and Future: Any Witness?).

The Anglo-Saxon dominated world order is in the process of getting overtaken.

We are getting close to the final time of the Gentiles.

20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. 22 For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 23 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. 24 And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. (Luke 21:20-24)

6 Ask now, and see,
Whether a man is ever in labor with child?
So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins
Like a woman in labor,
And all faces turned pale?
7 Alas! For that day is great,
So that none is like it;
And it is the time of Jacob’s trouble,
But he shall be saved out of it. (Jeremiah 30:6-7)

25… Gentiles, who do not know You…they have eaten up Jacob, Devoured him and consumed him, And made his dwelling place desolate. (Jeremiah 10:25)

23 ‘Make a chain,
For the land is filled with crimes of blood,
And the city is full of violence.
24 Therefore I will bring the worst of the Gentiles,
And they will possess their houses;
I will cause the pomp of the strong to cease,
And their holy places shall be defiled.
25 Destruction comes;
They will seek peace, but there shall be none. (Ezekiel 7:23-25)

The final time of the Gentiles is near the Day of the Lord:

2 “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God:

“Wail, ‘Woe to the day!’
3 For the day is near,
Even the day of the Lord is near;
It will be a day of clouds, the time of the Gentiles. (Ezekiel 30:2-3)

Shortly after the above verses is when the King of the South will be defeated by the King of the North (Daniel 11:40-43; cf. Ezekiel 30:4-7).

Also notice the prophecy for this latter time tribulation in the Hebrew scriptures:

29 But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. 30 When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the Lord your God and obey His voice 31 (for the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them. (Deuteronomy 4:29-31)

Thus, help from God during these hard times will be available to the truly sincere who really strive for it.

India has gotten the world’s attention. The final time of the Gentiles is getting closer.

But the truly good news is that we are getting closer to the return of Jesus and the establishment of the Kingdom of God.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

India, Its Biblical Past and Future: Any Witness? The Bible discusses the origins of those of Indian heritage.  This article quotes the Bible and also discusses some of the witness to India throughout history and what is happening in the 21st century (including those in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka).
India and the Beast of Revelation 13 Do biblical, Catholic, and even Hindu prophecies suggest that many in India will follow, for a while, the Beast and False Prophet/Antichrist? Here is link to a related YouTube video Will People in India Worship the Beast of Revelation 13?
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.
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2017, 2018, or 2019? 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 2016 o 2017? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon videos: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives and Can the Great Tribulation begin before 2020? A shorter video is: Will the Great Tribulation Start in 2017?
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.
Are You Being Called by God? Norman Shoaf wrote various points to consider.
Is God Calling You? Alfred E Carrozzo wrote this.
What Did Christ Mean – Many Are Called, But Few Are Chosen? This article was by Raymond McNair.
Christian Repentance Do you know what repentance is? Is it really necessary for salvation? A related sermon is also available titled: Real Christian Repentance.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. Here are links to three related sermons: The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.

COGwriter

Germany has been getting its gold back–and faster than originally planned:

German Gold Move Hint To Dexit?

Does Merkel see the writing on the wall?

The news that the Bundesbank is repatriating its gold reserves three years ahead of schedule has led to talk of an exit from the euro (NYSEARCA:FXE). Germany has already moved 583 tons of gold (NYSEARCA:GLD). This could be a sign that Germany is intending to use the gold to back the printing of Deutsche marks. If so it means they are preparing for the fall of the euro. 02/14/17 http://seekingalpha.com/article/4045732-gold-move-hint-dexit-deutschland-exit

An official announcement last week that the Bundesbank had pretty much repatriated half its gold reserves ahead of schedule has once again sent the rumor mill into overdrive.

Fans of the precious metal – not shy of a good conspiracy theory – have been deliberating over the move ever since Germany detailed it back in 2013. Initially, there was a sense that trust between central banks had broken down with claims that Berlin was effectively questioning the credentials of New York Federal Reserve.

But the talk has now stepped up a notch with the Bundesbank confirming Thursday that it has already moved 583 tons of gold out of New York and Paris. Its plan to hold half its gold in Frankfurt is now three years ahead of schedule.

Reporting the news, Reuters said that some argue the world’s second-biggest bullion reserve “may be needed to back a new deutsche mark, should the euro zone break up.” This seems pretty far-fetched, especially given that the Bretton Woods system of fixed exchange rates ended back in the 1970s. Could Berlin really be prepping for the fall of the euro?

Then there’s the Donald Trump angle. On Thursday, Bundesbank board member Carl-Ludwig Thiele felt the need to speak about the new U.S. president at his press conference – presumably because someone asked him. http://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/14/germany-has-got-its-gold-back–they-must-know-something-we-dont.html

Why does Germany want gold?

Well, to dominate the world economy and be able to exist in a world where the US dollar is no longer the reserve currency for the world.

Biblical (Daniel 11:40-44) and non-biblical prophecies point out that the final leader that the Bible calls the King of the North, who will likely have Germanic/Assyrian heritage (cf. Daniel 11:30 with Numbers 24:24), will value gold.

Notice something that I wrote about this in my book Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse:

Daniel 11:43:

43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels.

The “he” is the King of the North. This is the same King of the North that valued gold and silver in Daniel 11:38. Although other scriptures also show that gold and silver will have value around this time (like Revelation 18; 9:20), the Bible is clear that gold and silver will be worthless for a short time before Jesus returns, e.g. Ezekiel 7:19.

The fact that the King of the North himself will accumulate gold (and some silver) is consistent with several Byzantine (“Greek” Orthodox) prophecies of their expected Great Monarch:

Emperor Leo the Philosopher (died 912): You will amass gold…And you will be the leader of the surrounding nations…

Addressed to Emperor Manuel II Palaeogous (died 1425): The Emperor…will discover gold and silver…

Saint Andrew Fool-for-Christ (c. 4^th century):  God will reveal to this king all the gold wherever it happen to lay concealed from view…

One side note is that, in Egypt, major gold deposits were found in 2006. This is relevant as it does prove that Egypt now has enough gold that a foreign power could be interested in taking/using it as Bible prophecy teaches.

Since many are now questioning the role of the US dollar as the world’s reserve currency, more are looking into other currencies as well as gold. Gold will set records in US dollar terms.

It has been proposed that various nations around the world are already in the process of accumulating gold to one day overthrow the U.S. dollar—and that the “U.S. is unprepared for this strategic alternative to dollar dominance.”

When the U.S. dollar totally collapses people all around the world will consider that even if the Euro (or something similar) is strong, having a more gold-backed currency would be safer.

The collapse of the USA dollar will shake a lot of the world’s confidence in non-gold backed currencies.

The Europeans do not have to have a perfect currency, only one that is perceived to be in better shape than the USA dollar.

Having the European power acquiring more gold to back the Euro or possibly another future European currency (that might potentially replace the Euro or even a basket of currencies) may greatly increase European credibility, prosperity, and influence around the globe, even if the backing is only implied.

The debt accumulation policies of the Obama Administration, which are a massive acceleration of the previous policies of the Bush Administration, look like they will be continued by Donald Trump.

The increases in America’s debt are heading the world into the time when something other than the U.S. dollar will be valued as its reserve currency.

A Donald Trump Administration would need to make massive changes to possibly prevent this.

The USA and its dollar are at serious risk.

Germany is getting more gold. And yes, there will be reorganization in Europe (Revelation 17:12-13; see also Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations?).

The fact that many in Germany are increasing their national stock piles of gold is consistent with proper understanding of end time biblical prophecy.

A new world order is starting to develop.

The Bible tells that world trade will be dominated by Europe (cf. Revelation 18). Notice  the following:

February 15, 2017

The European Union is preparing an early summit with China in April or May in Brussels to promote free trade and international cooperation in the face of a more protectionist and inward-looking Washington, three EU officials said. …

The EU believes China wants to use the summit to press home President Xi Jinping’s vigorous defense of open trade and global ties at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, in response to the new U.S. President Donald Trump. …

But while Trump has praised Britain’s decision to leave the 28-nation EU – an unprecedented setback for the bloc – China has repeatedly said it wanted to see a strong, stable and united Europe, and has looked on nervously since the Brexit vote.

“We want a multi-polar world and the EU plays a very important part in that,” said a source in Beijing familiar with China’s thinking towards the EU.

Preoccupied by Britain’s departure, the world’s biggest trading bloc welcomes China’s desire to stand up to Trump, who criticized China’s trade practices and threatened to impose punitive tariffs on imports.

Trump has pulled out of a multilateral trade agreement with Asia-Pacific nations, vowed to renegotiate the U.S. free-trade deal with Canada and Mexico and wants to protect U.S. industries from foreign competition by levying new tariffs on goods. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-china-idUSKBN15U1SQ

February 15, 2017

The European Union Parliament approved on Wednesday a hotly contested free trade deal with Canada after seven years of negotiations.

Lawmakers backed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) 408 votes to 254, meaning large parts of the deal can enter into force as soon as next month.

Proponents of the deal say it will create jobs and reduce the cost of food and consumer goods for ordinary people. But opponents fear that the current standard of consumer goods could deteriorate.

Police reported 700 people protested outside the parliament building in Strasbourg arguing the deal would erode environmental, labor and consumer standards. http://www.dw.com/en/european-parliament-passes-controversial-eu-canada-ceta-trade-deal/a-37558610

Europe is taking steps to ‘fill in the gap’ that many believe that the Trump Administration is creating.

This will NOT end well for the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand (cf. Daniel 8:24-25; 11:39; cf. USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses).

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

The Plain Truth About Gold in Prophecy. How Should a Christian View Gold? What do economists and the Bible teach about gold? Gold and silver may drop in value. Inflation/deflation? What do Christians need to know about gold?
Might German Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg become the King of the North? Is the German Defense Minister one to watch? What do Catholic, Byzantine, and biblical prophecies suggest?
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 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 are links to two sermon videos Germany in Bible Prophecy and The Rise of the Germanic Beast Power of Prophecy.
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. A related sermon is titled Ten Kings of Revelation and the Great Tribulation.
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2017, 2018, or 2019? 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 2016 o 2017? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon videos: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives and Can the Great Tribulation begin before 2020? A shorter video is: Will the Great Tribulation Start in 2017?
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.
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.
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.
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?
Donald Trump in Prophecy Prophecy, Donald Trump? Are there prophecies that Donald Trump may fulfill?  Are there any prophecies that he has already helped fulfill?  Could a Donald Trump presidency be apocalyptic?  A related video is titled: Donald: ‘Trump of God’ or Apocalyptic?
Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse This 188 page book is for people truly interested in prophecies related to Donald Trump and the United States, including learning about several that have already been fulfilled and those that will be fulfilled in the future. The physical book can be purchased at Amazon for $12.99 from the following link: Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse.
Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse-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 Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse-Kindle Edition.

Depiction of Levites Carrying the Ark of the Covenant

COGwriter

There is another place some are now looking to find the Ark of the Covenant:

An international team of archaeologists has announced plans to search an area the Bible says once stored the Ark of the Covenant.

On the highest hills in west Jerusalem, Kiriath-Jearim is mentioned in the Bible as a resting place of the Ark of the Covenant, a gold-gilded wooden chest from the Book of Exodus that contained tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments.

The project is a joint venture of Tel Aviv University and Collège de France to be directed by Israel Finkelstein, Christophe Nicolle and Thomas Römer.

In 1905, a farmer discovered remnants of a Byzantine place of worship on the hill. This summer, archaeologists will climb the mound to search for new information regarding passages from the Hebrew Bible. …

Excavation at the site is due to take place between August and September.

“The place is important for several reasons,” Finkelstein said. “It’s a large, central site in the Jerusalem hills that hasn’t been studied until now. It may be the only key site in Judah that hasn’t undergone a systematic archaeological excavation.”

In the First Book of Samuel, the ark brought curses, plagues and suffering to the Philistines. Its terrifying metaphysical powers have been adopted by Hollywood filmmakers such as Steven Spielberg and Cecil B. DeMille.

Spielberg’s 1981 “Raiders of the Lost Ark” saw the sacred covenant become the object of a race against time between fictional archaeologist Indiana Jones and Nazi antagonists.

The biblical town of Kiriath-Jearim (Cariathiarim) is strategically located on one of the highest hills in Judea, 10 miles west of Jerusalem, just west of Abu Gosh. The name of Kiriath Jearim means in Hebrew “the city of forests.” Its Arabic name is Deir el-Azar and could come from a reference to Eleazar, who, according to 1 Samuel 7:1-2, took charge of the Ark of the Covenant when it was brought to Kiriath-Jearim: “And the men of Kirjathjearim came, and fetched up the ark of the Lord, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the Lord. And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjathjearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.” 02/13/17 http://www.wnd.com/2017/02/new-mission-of-real-life-raiders-of-the-lost-ark/#S3juIVyEF5ByOklj.99

Israeli and French researchers will begin excavating the ancient site of Kiriath-Jearim, for the first time in August.

It is one of the few remaining unexplored biblical sites, where the Ark of the Covenant was kept for two decades, according to the Bible.

The Ark – which is believed to be a wooden and gold plated box that contains the ten commandments handed to Moses, were speculated to come with a curse.

The rumours inspired the script of Hollywood blockbuster Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Historians have never been able to find the infamous golden chest or the ten commandments believed to be housed inside. 02/13/17 https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2855876/scientists-to-explore-home-to-the-ark-of-the-covenant-in-hope-they-will-find-missing-10-commandments/

Some believe that the search in Kiriath-Jearim is more for the Ten Commandments than the Ark of the Covenant, but I suspect the researchers will be pleased if they find anything of direct biblical connection–and they very well may.

A while back, someone asked me the following:

Also what do you think about the ark of the covenant being taken to Elephantine in Egypt and then being in Ethiopia and the Priests in Ethiopia taking a gift (probably the Ark) to Christ when He returns?

The point that Cornuke was making was that The priests move the ark to the Elephantine island in Egypt because Manasseh was doing so many bad things that he might have threatened doing something to the ark and that when Josiah was telling the priests to put the ark in the temple is because it wasn’t there and that possibly the reason why Josiah attacked Pharoah Neco was because he had the ark because Neco claimed he was doing God’s work. There are claims that in Elephantine there is a and Jewish priest establishment with a temple.

Cornuke is Robert Cornuke, author of ‘Temple,’ a book I have read.

I would like to address some of that and some other views of the Ark of the Covenant.

Many claim that the Ark of the Covenant is in Ethiopia.

Here is something I read from an account in 1710 (and yes, the English is hard to read as the source is difficult and some words clearly are spelled incorrectly as far as we in the 21st century are concerned as it has an “f” often where we would have an “s”):

Then the aforesaid Book proceeds to give an Account how the first begotten, at the Initi’gation of Azariah the Son of Sadoc the fable about Prieft, took an Oath to one another to carry away with them the Ark. Ark of the Covenant, which they call’d the Heavenly Sion and that going by Night to the Temple, Providence fo ordering it, they found the Gates open, and put the Ark upon a Cart, and being attended by abundance of People, with much Wealth, and great Acclamations, they travell’d to fwiftly, that Solomon, who went to recover the Ark, could not overtake them, and with the fame Expedition they crofs’d the ‘Red Sea as joyfully as the Children of Ifrael had done, with only this Difference, that the Ifraelites pafs’d it on Foot without being wet, and they flying in their Chariots ; fo that the Sea obey’d the “former, and the Air was fubfervient to the latter.

This Book farther tells us, that when Queen Maqueda underfood that her Son already made King was coming, and brought along with him all the firft begotten, as alfo the Ark of the Heavemly God of Sion, (he went out with great Solemnity to meet them, and plac’d the Ark in the Temp!e of the Laud of Maqueda, all the People of Ethiopia receiving the Knowledge of the true God (Balthazar Telles, John Stevens. The Travels of the Jesuits in Ethiopia. J Knapton, 1710, University of Lausanne, p. 69).

The above would not seem biblically possible, but the Ethiopians have long believed that the Ark is in their country and that a son of Solomon, who is not mentioned in the Bible, brought it there.

However, the Bible shows that well after Solomon’s sons would have died, that the Ark was still in Jerusalem:

35:1 Now Josiah kept a Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem, and they slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of the first month. 2 And he set the priests in their duties and encouraged them for the service of the house of the LORD. 3 Then he said to the Levites who taught all Israel, who were holy to the LORD: “Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, built. It shall no longer be a burden on your shoulders. Now serve the LORD your God and His people Israel (2 Chronicles 35:1-3).

Thus, if the Ark of the Covenant possibly made it to Ethiopia it was not until well AFTER the Ethiopians normally claim it first came there.

And if it was, maybe it first was in Egypt and moved by Jewish leaders, like Robert Cornuke seems to believe. That may be at least biblically plausible.

Here is another claim about the location of the biblical Ark of the Covenant:

Ark of Covenant resting beneath Temple Mount?

With Mideast in turmoil, new evidence Solomon made provisions to hide

WND – Sept 22, 2012

One of the persistent theories about the whereabouts of the Ark is that it lay buried in secret tunnels and passageways constructed by King Solomon for the specific purpose of keeping it from enemies who might one day capture and destroy the Temple.

Now there is compelling new evidence that’s just what happened – and that the Ark still rests beneath the chamber known as the Holy of Holies, moved there through an elaborate machine constructed under the direction of Solomon long before the invasion of the Babylonians and the sacking of the Temple. http://www.wnd.com/2012/09/ark-of-covenant-resting-beneath-temple-mount/

Notice another view of the Ark’s location:

9 January 2014

livescience.com – A newly translated Hebrew text claims to reveal where treasures from King Solomon’s temple were hidden and discusses the fate of the Ark of the Covenant itself.

But unlike the Indiana Jones movie “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” the text leaves the exact location of the Ark unclear and states that it, and the other treasures, “shall not be revealed until the day of the coming of the Messiah son of David …” putting it out of reach of any would-be treasure seeker…

The newly translated text, called “Treatise of the Vessels” (Massekhet Kelim in Hebrew), says the “treasures were concealed by a number of Levites and prophets,” writes James Davila, a professor at the University of St. Andrews, in an article in the book “Old Testament Pseudepigrapha More Noncanonical Scriptures Volume 1″ (William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2013).

“Some of these (treasures) were hidden in various locations in the Land of Israel and in Babylonia, while others were delivered into the hands of the angels Shamshiel, Michael, Gabriel and perhaps Sariel …” writes Davila in his article.

The treatise is similar in some ways to the metallic “Copper Scroll,” one of the Dead Sea Scrolls found near the site of Qumran in the West Bank. The Copper Scroll also discusses the location of hidden treasure, although not from Solomon’s Temple…The Copper Scroll, which dates back around 1,900 years, and is made of copper, shows several “striking parallels” with the newly translated treatise, Davila said. http://topinfopost.com/2014/01/09/the-ark-of-covenant-revealed-in-hebrew-text

I have heard the Hebrew claim years before the above came out. One concern that I have had is that if the Ark of the Covenant is found, this could possibly get more of the Jews to support the ecumenical end-time religion that will call itself Catholic. This would be consistent with biblical (Revelation 13:4,8; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12) and Catholic prophecies (see further below).

The first direct reference to this ark in the Bible is in the Book of Exodus:

10 “And they shall make an ark of acacia wood; two and a half cubits shall be its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height. 11 And you shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and out you shall overlay it, and shall make on it a molding of gold all around. 12 You shall cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in its four corners; two rings shall be on one side, and two rings on the other side. 13 And you shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. 14 You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, that the ark may be carried by them. 15 The poles shall be in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. 16 And you shall put into the ark the Testimony which I will give you. (Exodus 25:10-16)

The Bible is clear that the Ark of the Covenant is or will be in heaven:

19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail. (Revelation 11:19)

It has been suggested that the physical ark of the covenant that the children of Israel had was patterned on one in heaven, thus it could still be on earth. If it will be found, there is a small chance that the Continuing Church of God may have some involvement with it as we are considering involvement in an archeological project in Jerusalem in the area known as Mt. Zion. On October 24, 2013, while attempting to take some photos and to video some of the remains of the Church of God on Jerusalem’s Western Hill, I was approached by a Jewish rabbi named Avraham Goldstein of the Diaspora Yeshiva who claims that the Ark of the Covenant is below that building on Mt. Zion of the Western Hill.

Notice also the following Islamic view of the Ark:

The Book of Revelation says the Ark is in the temple of God in heaven (Rev. 11:19). Muslim scholars say it will be found near the end of times by the Mahdi – a messianic figure in Islam. http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=102119

It is interesting, however, that many of the Muslims believe that their Mahdi will rise up after the finding of the Ark (the Mahdi of Islamic prophecy seems to be the same one that the Bible indicates will be the final King of the South). Events seem to be happening in the Arab nations that align with the rising up of such a leader. Perhaps, if the Ark is publicly shown, he could point to it as proof that his timing for rising up was prophesied. We will see.

I perhaps should add that certain Catholic prophecies indicate that the two witnesses (which they often consider will be Enoch and Elijah) will rise up after the Ark is found:

Bl. Dionysus of Luetzenberg…prophecies:

“After the discovery of the Ark of the Covenant, Enoch and Elias will restore the Holy Sacrament of the Altar; Because of the fact that the Ark of the Covenant will be in the possession of the two holy prophets and not in Antichrist’s hands, the Jews will recognize that Jesus is the true Messias…”

( Luetzenberg, Antichristus Chapter 29 as cited in Birch D.A. Trial, Tribulation & Triumph. Queenship Publishing, Goleta (CA), 1996, p. 509)

Now the Bible is clear that the Ark of the Covenant will be in heaven:

Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail. (Revelation 11:19)

And it probably is there now.

But since both Islamic and Catholic prophecies suggest that it will be found, it is possible that some of them will point to the Ark in Ethiopia (some believe Ethiopia has the original Ark, while others believe that it has an early copy) or one in Jerusalem (or elsewhere) as proof that their prophecies are to be fulfilled. Or perhaps to a different location in the future. Or Catholics may claim that if the Ark of the Covenant has not been found, that some will claim that this is additional proof that the real two witnesses are not God’s two witnesses. Notice that the Catholics want to place their practices on it (by Holy Sacrament, they seem to mean their Eucharistic practices; here is an article about their origins: Marcus, the Marcosians, & Mithraism: Developers of the Eucharist?), these are the same Catholics that also keep trying to gain control of the Church of God on Jerusalem’s Western Hill.

Others say that Zion was really on the eastern side side of Jerusalem, and thus, that may be where the Ark could be or end up.

If the ark of the covenant is now below the Church of God on Jerusalem’s Western Hill, known as Mt. Zion, that would have ramifications for the world as well as the Continuing Church of God (see Church of God on Jerusalem’s Western Hill). It possibly could be related to a dream by a lady named Fesilafai Fiso Leaana of New Zealand, She had a dream after going to bed on December 8, 2012 that included a comment about the Ark, see Temple Institute claims about the ‘Foundation Stone’ not truly scriptural and differ from Continuing Church of God beliefs and Dreams, the Bible, and the Continuing Church of God.

I presume that if the Ark ever publicly is shown (the one in Ethiopia was supposed to be shown a few times, but has not been), some may wish to more thoroughly examine it.

However, if it is the actual Ark of the Covenant, this would seem to be quite dangerous from a biblical point of view:

1 Again David gathered all the choice men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called by the Name, the LORD of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. 3 So they set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart. 4 And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill, accompanying the ark of God; and Ahio went before the ark. 5 Then David and all the house of Israel played music before the LORD on all kinds of instruments of fir wood, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on sistrums, and on cymbals.

6 And when they came to Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. 7 Then the anger of the LORD was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God. (2 Samuel 6:1-7)

Only Levites were supposed to move the Ark, and that is what David finally realized. Non-Levites, like Uzzah were never supposed to touch it.

Oddly, various Catholics claim that Jesus’ mother Mary herself is the ‘Ark of the Covenant.’ Notice the following:

May 27, 2016

Father René Laurentin, an expert on Marian apparitions, noted in his book, An Appeal from Mary in Argentina, “the key to the messages is found in Revelation 11:19-12:17. Mary appears to Gladys as the Woman clothed with the Sun and the Ark of the New Covenant…God wants to renew the covenant with his people, through Mary, His Ark of the Covenant,” and again, “Mary comes to restore the faith.”

Direction for Boarding the Ark

Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant, tells us how to return to God which she wants spread worldwide. http://www.ncregister.com/blog/joseph-pronechen/its-official-major-apparitions-of-mary-are-approved/#ixzz4Aib7BYO8

That is absurd, but many associated with the Church of Rome believe that Mary will be used to unify the world around a modified religion that will be called Catholic. ‘Mary’ is part of the ecumenical and interfaith agendas that the Vatican is pushing, and of course, she is NOT the Ark of the New Covenant.

As far as the Ark goes, while it may be remotely possible that the Ark could be in Ethiopia, I remain highly skeptical. Nor is it likely to be in Kiriath-Jearim, though that would not seem to be impossible.

As far as where the Ark is to end up, furthermore, notice:

8 Arise, O Lord, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength. 9 Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness,And let Your saints shout for joy. 10 For Your servant David’s sake, Do not turn away the face of Your Anointed. 11 The Lord has sworn in truth to David; He will not turn from it: “I will set upon your throne the fruit of your body. 12 If your sons will keep My covenant And My testimony which I shall teach them, Their sons also shall sit upon your throne forevermore.” 13 For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: 14 “This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it. 15 I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her poor with bread. 16 I will also clothe her priests with salvation, And her saints shall shout aloud for joy. 17 There I will make the horn of David grow;I will prepare a lamp for My Anointed. 18 His enemies I will clothe with shame, But upon Himself His crown shall flourish.” (Psalms 132:8-18)

While Solomon wanted it to be in the temple he built to house the ark forever, God had David write Zion was the chosen location.

There is a chance that we will see the Ark or a strong claim that someone has located the Ark within the next decade or so.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Why is a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem Not Required? Although people like Timothy LaHaye teach a third Jewish temple is required, who is ‘the temple of God” in the New Testament? Does the Bible require a rebuilt Jewish Temple? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Por qué no se requiere un templo judío en Jerusalén? Here is a link to a sermon titled The Temple, Prophecy, and the Work.
The Red Heifer, Jewish Beliefs, and the End of the World The Temple Institute is watching a ‘red heifer.’ Why might this be important in the sequence of end time events? Here is a related link in the Spanish language Novilla roja descubierta en EE.UU. e Instituto del Templo está interesado en ella. Here is a related video in English The Red Heifer and the End of the World.
Location of the Prophesied Physical Temple Leroy Neff gives his rationalse for the location of the coming temple.
Solomon’s Temple This is a a 5 minute animated film that shows one artist’s understanding of the details about Solomon’s temple.
Dreams, the Bible, the Radio Church of God, and the Continuing Church of God How has God used dreams in the past? Does God still use dreams? Did He use any involving those in the Continuing Church of God? Here is a link in Spanish: Sueños, la Biblia, la Iglesia de Dios de la Radio, y la Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios. A related sermon is also available: Dreams, COGs, and One Man Rule.
Africa: Its Biblical Past and Prophesied Future What does the Bible teach about Africa and its future? Did the early Church reach Africa? Were there Sabbath-keepers in Ethiopia? Will God call all the Africans?
Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Apparitions Do you know much about Mary? Are the apparitions real? What happened at Fatima? What might they mean for the rise of the ecumenical religion of Antichrist? Are Protestants moving towards Mary? How do the Eastern/Greek Orthodox view Mary? How might Mary view her adorers? Here is a link to a YouTube video Marian Apparitions May Fulfill Prophecy. Here is a link to a sermon video: Why Learn About Fatima?
Catholic Prophecies: Do They Mirror, Highlight, or Contradict Biblical Prophecies? People of all faiths may be surprised to see what various Roman and Orthodox Catholic prophets have been predicting as many of their predictions will be looked to in the 21st century.
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? Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Quiénes son los dos testigos?
Why Should American Catholics Fear Unity with the Orthodox? (And the Protestants) Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster? Is doctrinal compromise good? Here is a link to a related video Should you be concerned about the ecumenical movement?
Will the Interfaith Movement Lead to Peace or Sudden Destruction? Is the interfaith movement going to lead to lasting peace or is it warned against? A video sermon of related interest is: Will the Interfaith Movement lead to World War III? and a video sermon is also available: Do You Know That Babylon is Forming?
Beware: Protestants Going Towards Ecumenical Destruction! What is going on in the Protestant world? Are Protestants turning back to their ‘mother church’ in Rome? Does the Bible warn about this? What are Catholic plans and prophecies related to this? Is Protestantism doomed? See also World Council of Churches Peace Plan.

Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. (Luke 12:32)

COGwriter

This week, I returned from a Continuing Church of God (CCOG) conference in Africa. This is the second such conference we have had in Africa (the first one was in 2014).

Just prior to the conference, I saw the following email:

Greetings dear brethren,

I am taking advantage of the fact that I have a wi-fi at the hotel where I am staying tonight, so I am able to drop you a few words. I arrived to Kenya last Friday evening, just about the beginning of the Sabbath. The hotel in Nairobi didn’t have Internet access, so I basically couldn’t write anything. Then we kept the Sabbath with a small group nearby Nairobi. On Sunday we hit the road and travelled to Kenya interior. That traveling has continued to today and will will continue until Friday. Then after the Sabbath at the home of pastor Evans Ochieng, it should continue next Sunday. I have been preaching the Good News basically day and night, trying to help the small congregations in Kenya and also help pastor Evans and ease his burden. I have been giving him and his son some useful ideas on how to speed up the Work in this area. And I am full of impressions. The brethren are generally responsive and just yesterday we had an unexpected visitor from Adventist church. Upon hearing my preaching on the meaning of prophecy and seeing that the congregation remained still for three hours, this man declared that he cannot longer be in the Adventist church and wants to join this Church that preaches the truth. Another younger man, right after my speaking, asked pastor Evans to baptize him soon because he is ill with cancer and he doesn’t want to die without being baptized in the true Church of God. (Please, pray that he would be healed of cancer).

The greatest miracle for which I prayed in this country is – rain. I began to cry and pray to God for that miracle because there was nothing I could do about it, nor there is anyone who could have done anything about it. I asked God to intervene for our members have not been able to grow crops, many remained without seeds and some were facing starvation to death. So I began to pray for rain. And the first word that was on my mouth ever since I arrived in Kenya, the word that I so often mentioned was only one word – rain. On the Sabbath, I prayed with the small local congregation in Kitangala, nearby Nairobi, for the rain. On Sunday, as we were asking blessing for a meal, I mentioned rain. Ten minutes afterwards there came rain over the city we were staying in – Narok. In the following days it was raining everywhere. Even tonight, here where we are staying (Kissi town) we had a downpour of rain. Exactly what I asked God, everything happened when it comes to rain. I have tens of witnesses that it is true.

I now pray for other miracle – that I would manage to get organic seeds to our brethren, so that they would be able to grow their own food. If you don’t mind, please join me in prayers.

I am supposed to return to Serbia on February 13th, following the Church conference in Nairobi. On another topic, I connected a man from Tanzania who got in touch with me seeking the truth with these people even before I came to Kenya. This evening, the man wrote me the message and asked about baptism. He kept the Sabbath with our members in Tanzania last week and he is very happy with it. A young man from Uganda also contacted me even before I came to Kenya and he has been searching deeper understanding of the truth. I have connected him to this people even back then and continue to maintain that contact.

Again, I couldn’t write you anything as I was on travel, then I had no Internet and tonight I am using that opportunity to drop a note that I am fine and will continue to preach the Good News of the coming Kingdom of God. I could tell you yet many things about the ways that we have preached Gospel here without saying a single word, simply because of our skin colours, but I will leave that for another time.

Would you, please, in the days to come, set aside a day for fasting and praying for the success of our Church conference here in Africa, which will be held next week.

With appreciation and gratitude,
Sasha

Since I was going to fly to Kenya, the following Sunday, I bought seeds based on that email (as far as the rain goes, see also Rain miracle in area of drought).

I flew to Kenya with the maximum allowable weight of two checked bags (50 pounds each, for a total of 100 pounds).

The bags contained some clothes and personal items, but mainly contained printed literature and seeds.

Bag one only contains CCOG literature

Bag two contains seeds, CCOG literature, a Feast of Tabernacles’ banner, and personal items

I brought over 173,000 heirloom, non-GMO, vegetable seeds (these are seeds which produce future seeds which are capable of producing future plants). The seeds themselves are not heavy like the literature is. I knew that taking the seeds into Kenya was a possible customs’ risk, but since they were packaged and non-GMO I felt that it was worth the risk to take them in order to try to assist some of our struggling brethren in Kenya.

Literature brought included booklets, magazines, and song books, in multiple languages.

Additionally, I brought ten flash drives that contain our English language booklets, plus the Statement of Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God, as well as a Bible Hymnal template, so those in Africa could possibly use them in order to translate materials into various local languages. I also gave a flash drive to Aleksandar ‘Sasha’ Veljic to bring to Serbia for those there to be able to translate.

The Conference

While we had meetings from February 7th-11th, the conference officially ran from February 8th through the 9th.

We conducted lectures on a variety of topics, such as why the true Church of God is all about love, truth, the gospel of the kingdom of God, history, prophecy, and reaching people in various languages.

I also provided doctrinal training and went over how the Continuing Church of God differed from various Sabbath-keeping groups such as the Seventh-day Adventists and the Church of God (Seventh Day), and various groups whose leaders were once part of the old Worldwide Church of God. We also explained some differences with Protestants, Mormons, the Eastern Orthodox, and the Catholics of Rome and answered various questions.

We also went over plans for Africa and how we expect to reach more in Africa through literature, personal contact, and the internet.

Back in 2014, we also held a conference in Nairobi. At that time, we had leaders from Kenya and one from Tanzania who attended. We had about 260 people with the Continuing Church of God in those two nations then.

Since that time, our membership in Africa has expanded to about 2000.

While God calls (John 6:44; 1 Thessalonians 2:12), this has physically been done by people reading my writings, and then by Pastor Evans Ochieng visiting many areas and telling the message of what we in the Continuing Church of God are doing and believe, with support from others.

Consistent with what the Apostle Paul wrote, I have been planting, Pastor Ochieng has been watering, and God has been giving us the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6).

Conference in Nairobi

We had about 58 people attend the conference. While the bulk of attendees were from various parts of Kenya (which is also the nation we have the most members in), we also had leaders from Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania. Plus one from Serbia, as well as me from the USA. Hence, we had leaders from eight different countries attend.

Nairobi Conference Attendees 2017

Grantone Mangiana Otieno, Host, Migori in Kenya
Kennedy Odhiambo, Deacon, Oyugis and Nyaliacla in Kenya
George Ochieng Otieno, Host, Opasi, Ikoma in Kenya
Hoseya Bauleni, Host, Migowi in Malawi
Radson Enock Mulozowa, Host, Migowi in Malawi
Charles Otieno Aton, Host, Ndhiwa in Kenya
Jared Odhiambo Ounleor, Assistant Host, Migori in Kenya
Silas Kinyua Muriuki, Host, Kitengala/Nairobi in Kenya
Martin Ongenga Wanga, Pastor, Tarime in Tanzania
Rosemary Akinyi Ochieng, Deaconess, Ndhiwa in Kenya
George Onyango Kisiengo, Host, Ndhiwa
Charles Odure Awour, Ndhiwa in Kenya
Bartholomayo Otieno, Deacon, Ndhiwa in Kenya
Ezekiel Ombasao Oanda, Pastor, Rofiego, Bethsaida, Leperi in Kenya
Samuel Marube Omambia, Elder, Rosiaga/Eberge in Kenya
Henry Paul Oirere, Elder, Mau in Kenya
Wedison Matiya, Pastor, Chindola in Mozambique
Oared Odhiambo, Kenya
Andrew Olinande, Assistant Host, Ndhiwa in Kenya
Bradox Ouma Ochieng, Deacon, Ndhiwa in Kenya
Samuel Ofosu Gyeabour, Overseer, Kumasi in Ghana
Koang Deng Gatluak, Deacon, Gambella in Ethiopia, plus South Sudan
Ondigo Nimrod Ochieng, Deacon, Isibania in Kenya
Joshua Ogodo Ogodo, Assistant Host, Sondu in Kenya
Irine Anyango Obonyo, Deaconess, Sondu in Kenya
Benta Atieno Othomno, Ndhiwa in Kenya
Dorothy Akinyi Oyoo, Ndhiwa in Kenya
Jacob Okoth Kungu, Host, Mbani in Kenya
Pilista Odira Gor, Oriang in Kenya
Charles Okeyo Osutwa, Ndhiwa in Kenya
Simion Okeyo Yotto, Deacon, Rusinga Island in Kenya
Samwel Kipngetich Koech, Pastor, Transmara in Kenya
Armstrong Dorman Bakko, Pastor, Achina/Kumasi in Ghana
Andrew Otwande Gondi, Church Secretary, Ndhiwa in Kenya
Thomas Kingetich Koskei, Pastor, Bomet in Kenya
David Kipkorir Langat, Church Secretary, Rift Valley in Kenya
Stanley Vibet Fiongik, Pastor, Narok/Mau in Kenya
Joel K. Chirchir, Elder, Ololulunga in Kenya
Isaya Ouma Owak, Pastor, Giribe in Kenya
Mary Cherotich Begen, Narok/Mau in Kenya
Richard Kipromo Bet, Deacon, Narok/Mau in Kenya
David Cheuyot, Elder, Hakuru in Kenya
Juliana Sawek, Narok/Mau in Kenya
Christopher Ogonya Oduogo, Church Secretary, Kiseke in Kenya
Jacob Ochieng Oduogo, Host, Kiseke in Kenya
Tiongik Sawek, Pastor, Chiliani in Kenya
William Kirui, Pastor, Motosiet/Transmara in Kenya
Nelson Kirui, Pastor, Transmara in Kenya
John Cheruiyot Towet, Elder, Nakoben Village/Mau in Kenya
Erick Kipkorir Koech, Host, Bomet/Kelonget Village in Kenya
David Kipkorir Rono, Youth leader, Chilani Village Transmara/Rift Valley in Kenya
Nelson Kipylgon, Pastor, Narok/Mau in Kenya
Andrea Raura Kabebe, Shipati in Tanzania
John Otieno Owak, Pastor, Migorwi in Kenya
Frederick Ochieng, Ndhiwa in Kenya
Evans Ochieng Kisiengo, Evangelis, Ndhiwa in Kenya
Aleksandar Veljic, Elder, Uzice in Serbia
Bob Thiel, Worldwide Overseer, California in USA

Most were very eager to learn more of the truth as well as support the work as we strive to fulfill Jesus’s commissions in Matthew 24:14 and Matthew 28:19-20.

Various ones who did not have a Worldwide Church of God-related background (like Protestants as well as those with a Church of God, Seventh-day background) had doctrinal questions that were different than those I have tended to encounter much. Enough so, I decided to add some additional information in one or more of our booklets in future editions.

So, we are trying to assist them and others “grow in grace and knowledge” (2 Peter 3:8.)

Jesus once said:

34 … “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.  35 Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!  36 And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.  37 For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’  38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.” (John 4:34-38)

This really came to my mind while I was there meeting with our African leaders.

The literature I brought has proven to be highly popular (I even brought some literature in French that may assist us in Ghana). We also need to print more literature in Africa and have plans to do that.

We also discussed the use of the internet in Africa and many were excited.

After I discussed languages and what we have been doing, several volunteered to translate materials into some languages that I am not even sure I had heard of prior to the conference.

After the official end of the conference, we had many meetings with various leaders to discuss their issues and concerns. These informal sessions were helpful and lasted until I left late Saturday night.

It appears that we are poised for more growth as well as providing a greater witness across Africa.

Ordinations

It has been my view, as well as the view of various others in the Continuing Church of God, that since he has been doing “the work of an evangelist” (2 Timothy 4:5), that Pastor Evans Ochieng Kisiengo should receive an ordination as an evangelist. That had been my plan for some time, and since I had been in Kenya, that was possible.

Before I came to Kenya, Pastor Ochieng asked me to approve his request for several ordinations, which I tentatively did before arrival after asking Pastor Evans some questions about those he suggested.

Jesus said:

37 “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.  38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38)

Most of the brethren in CCOG realize that I have long urged them to pray for more laborers for the harvest.

Well, we now have several more ordained laborers. We prayed that God would grant more of His Holy Spirit to the following as they were ordained in the roles listed after their names:

Tiongik Sawek, Pastor
William Kirui, Pastor
Ezekiel Oanda Ombaso, Pastor
Martin Wanga, Pastor
Aleksandar Veljic, Elder
Nimrod Ondigo Ochieng, Deacon
Kennedy Odhiambo, Deacon
Erina Anyango Obonyo Deaconess

All those mentioned were anointed with oil and had hands laid upon them.

How will the work of God be done?

6 “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel:
‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’
Says the Lord of hosts.
7 ‘Who are you, O great mountain?
Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain!
And he shall bring forth the capstone
With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”‘ (Zechariah 4:6-7)

41 ‘Behold, you despisers,
Marvel and perish!
For I work a work in your days,
A work which you will by no means believe,
Though one were to declare it to you.’ (Acts 13:41)

Please believe that God is directing His work and allow Him to direct your life (cf. Proverbs 3:5-6).

Pray that God will be able to work with all of our leaders, ordained or not, so that we can properly shepherd the flock (Acts 20:28) and keep false doctrines from affecting the brethren (Ephesians 4:11-16).

Comments from Elder Veljic and Deacon Ochieng

Serbian CCOG Elder Aleksandar Sasha Veljic sent in the following report about the conference:

THE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE IN NAIROBI

Due to a huge potential to grow, as well as very receptive audience to what CCOG has to announce to the world, the all-African conference was held in Nairobi, February 8-9, 2017.  Not only was there a need to get all those interested leaders in one place, but there was a great need to clarify some doctrinal confusion that is being perpetuated by some Sabbath-keeping groups which traditionally exist in Africa.  On the other hand, many African members, even though they are keen about the Truth, need to be well instructed in all the biblical doctrines.  The Conference in Nairobi attempted to respond to such needs.

The topic of prophecy causes much interest in Africa.  Thus, the first day of the conference was dedicated to a large extent to what will be happening in the coming years as far as the appearance of the „first beast“, the man of sin and the subsequent fall of the Anglo-Saxon nations.  The source of confusion being perpetuated by the Sabbath keeping groups, whose presence is very heavy in Africa, is that America is supposedly “the second beast“.  Such claims and various others, for example the ideas about the “mark of the beast“ have baffled many of our members.  Therefore, such a confusion was cleared and the prophetic events laid out and explained.

The Church history, albeit not very much popular subject to many people, was also explained during the Conference as one of the crucial issues.  Namely, if we don’t know our history, we have no idea what are we continuation of.  On the other hand, when are clear about the origin and development of the Catholic and Orthodox churches, as well as the Protestants who sprung up from them, then we understand why those churches are not the true Church as they all claim to be.  The doctrines and beliefs that we hold are found in the history of the true Church, but the doctrines of those other churches are not.  The Protestants in particular hate the subject of Church history because it absolutely debunks their claims.  In one case – Calvinism – there a sheer racism in Protestantism because of belief that only 2% of mankind will be saved, and all of them white people.  We as God’s people are to be aware of our history throughout the ages also because it is prophesied that in the last days there will be present four churches of Revelation 2 and 3.

The topic of various offices in the Church of God was also covered.  In accordance with the Scripture, several individuals were ordained.

Elder Veljic told me and Evangelist Evans Ochieng that he would like to come back to Africa and assist again in the future.

Deacon Ondigo Ochieng (who is not related to Evangelist Ochieng) sent the following:

Dear Dr.Bob,

Many thanks to our almighty and praise Him more for making the conference a success!

Your prayers and ours were answered and God made even the state of Kenyan politics to favor us.Hope you heard that there was a planned industrial action for opposition leaders on February.God almighty turned it down.We thank God dearly for answering Aleksandar’s prayer about rain.We had started struggling to get water but God intervened and it rained.

The teachings that God gave you throughout the conference opened my eyes in a mighty way! You expounded much about the man of sin,Two horned beast of Revelation 13,church governance,African plan and many more.

Many thanks to you and Pastor Evans for the love of truth you have.I like Pastor Evans.His heart is after God’s Work.Your prayers for more laborers have been answered and I myself did not know that I will be ordained one of the laborers.Thanks so very much and may God bless you,Pastor Evans and the entire Ministers and congregation of CCOG!

Best regards
Ondigo Ochieng

We had concerns that political protests in Kenya could have stopped the conference, but we prayed about that prior, and were able to hold the conference as scheduled.

Visit to Congregation and Ordination

Last Sabbath, I was able to visit a congregation in Kitengela, which is a bit outside of Nairobi.

The host, Silas Muriuki sent me the following:

Dearest Bob,

Church location  

     Street in Kitengela Town

Evangelist Evans Ochieng gave the sermonette, which we expect to use as an offertory for the first day of unleavened bread.

Koang Deng Gatluak

I gave the announcements, which mainly pertained to the conference. Additionally, I, along with Evangelist Ochieng, ordained Ethiopian Koang Deng Gutluak as a deacon. Koang Deng Gutluak has a Church of God, Seventh-day background and has been with us for a couple of years. We hope that having an ordained leader in Ethiopia will help with various legal and other issues in that nation.

General Comments

It was great to have so many attend the conference from so many regions of the world.

This was the first time I was able to personally meet the leaders from Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Ethiopia, and Tanzania. And although I had met with leaders in Kenya and Serbia before, there were many leaders in Kenya that I was able to personally meet for the first time.

In the Continuing Church of God, we continue to reach people in Africa and expect to see more growth there in the future.

The Continuing Church of God is, and has been, the fastest growing Church of God in the 21st century. We have greatly exceeded the 30% growth per year blessing that the old Radio/Worldwide Church of God once had (for why Herbert W. Armstrong) said that stopped, check out the article The Bible, Peter, Paul, John, Polycarp, Herbert W. Armstrong, Roderick C. Meredith, and Bob Thiel on Church Government).

We expect continued growth in CCOG as we strive to fulfill Matthew 24:14 and Matthew 28:19-20.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

CCOG’s Four Years and God Revealing Philadelphia? Has God been revealing Philadelphia since CCOG formed? What has been happening? Can you see the hand of God in this? A related sermon is titled CCOG: Four Years Revealing Philadelphia?
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.
Should the Church Still Try to Place its Top Priority on Proclaiming the Gospel or Did Herbert W. Armstrong Change that Priority for the Work? Some say the Church should mainly feed the flock now as that is what Herbert W. Armstrong reportedly said. Is that what he said? Is that what the Bible says? What did Paul and Herbert W. Armstrong expect from lower level leaders?
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 to the 21st century. Related sermon links 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 and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, French: L’Histoire Continue de l’Église de Dieu and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. Here are links to three related sermons: The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
Congregations of the Continuing Church of God This is a listing of congregations and groups of the Continuing Church of God around the world.
501(c)(3)? Why the Continuing Church of God chose a better option Churches in the USA do NOT have to register as 501(c)(3). Why would they? Why is what CCOG did better? A sermon of related interest is titled: CCOG, a corporation sole, not a 501(c)(3).
Why is the Continuing Church of God a corporation sole? What is a ‘corporation sole’ and why is this a better organizational choice?
How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God There are many false prophets. How can Christians determine who is a true prophet? There is also a sermon-length video titled How to determine if someone is a true prophet of God. Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Cómo determinar si alguien es un verdadero profeta de Dios?
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?
Just What Do You Mean the Kingdom of God? A booklet that was written by Herbert Armstrong answers questions about the Kingdom.
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? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
The Philadelphia Church Era was predominant circa 1933 A.D. to 1986 A.D. The old Radio Church of God and old Worldwide Church of God, now basically the most faithful in the Church of God, like the beliefs held of the Continuing Church of God.
The Laodicean Church Era has been predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. These are non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG.
The Falling Away: The Bible and WCG Teachings Who is 2 Thessalonians 2:3 referring to? Are there multiple falling aways? Here is a related link in Spanish/español: La Apostasía: Enseñanzas de la Biblia y de la WCG. There are also two YouTube videos on the subject that you can watch The Falling Away Part 1: From the Bible and Church History and The Falling Away Part 2: Positions Presented by Others.
Why Bob Thiel Left the Living Church of God Several have speculated reasons, but here is the truth. (En el idioma español: ¿Por qué Bob Thiel dejó la Iglesia del Dios Viviente?)
Journal Report on Continuing Church of God Leader Bob Thiel Bob Thiel was interviewed by The Journal News of the Churches of God related to him being a prophet, the proclamation goals of the Continuing Church of God, and why he left LCG.
What About the Living Church of God? Are there Doctrinal Differences with the Continuing Church of God? This article explains some information and doctrines of the Living Church of God as led by Roderick C. Meredith and some concerns about them. (En el idioma español: ¿Qué hay acerca de la Iglesia de Dios Viviente? ¿Hay diferencias doctrinales con la Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios?)
Church History Book This is a URL with some information on Church History.
Bible News Prophecy channel. Dr. Thiel has produced several YouTube videos for the BibleNewsProphecy channel.
Bible News Prophecy magazine This is the official magazine of the Continuing Church of God and it has articles on a wide variety of subjects of Christian interest. It is produced in multiple languages including English, Spanish, Tagalog, Kiswahili, and Mandarin Chinese. The language of Telugu is in-process.
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.
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?
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。
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 toward Europe. It has materials in more than one language (currently it has English, Dutch, and Serbian, with links also to Spanish) and it is intended to have additional language materials added.
CDLIDD.ES La Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios. This is the Spanish language website for the Continuing Church of God.
PNIND.PH Patuloy na Iglesya ng Diyos. This is the Philippines website Continuing Church of God. It has information in English and Tagalog.
CCOG.NZ This is a website targeted towards New Zealand and others with a British-descended background.
CCOGCANADA.CA This is a website targeted towards those in Canada.
Continuing Church of God The group striving to be most faithful amongst all real Christian groups to the word of God.

Janet Yellen, Official Federal Reserve photo

COGwriter

The US Federal Reserve wants to further raise interest rates:

February 14, 2017

Fed Chair Janet Yellen said in prepared remarks that waiting too long to raise interest rates would be “unwise,” given the rise in inflation and economic growth.

“It was expected of her to be a little hawkish,” said Adam Sarhan, CEO of 50 Park Investments. “From her perspective, the stock market is at all-time highs and the economic data is improving, so it’s very prudent for her to be hawkish.” http://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/14/us-markets.html

February 14, 2017

Why did the dollar and Treasuries react as if stung moments after Yellen’s prepared remarks were released?

Because according to a cursory scan of her speech, she was more hawkish than most expected, arguably making a March rate hike “live” after warning that “as I noted on previous occasions, waiting too long to remove accommodation would be unwise, potentially requiring the FOMC to eventually raise rates rapidly, which could risk disrupting financial markets and pushing the economy into recession.”

Further hawkishness emerged from her claim that “Incoming data suggest that labor market conditions continue to strengthen and inflation is moving up to 2 percent, consistent with the Committee’s expectations. At our upcoming meetings, the Committee will evaluate whether employment and inflation are continuing to evolve in line with these expectations, in which case a further adjustment of the federal funds rate would likely be appropriate.” http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-02-14/janet-yellens-humphrey-hawkins-testimony-3-rate-hikes-dont-audit-me-bro-live-feed

Here are some more of her written remarks, directly from her report dated February 14, 2017:

The Committee’s view that gradual increases in the federal funds rate will likely be appropriate reflects the expectation that the neutral federal funds rate–that is, the interest rate that is neither expansionary nor contractionary and that keeps the economy operating on an even keel–will rise somewhat over time. Current estimates of the neutral rate are well below pre-crisis levels–a phenomenon that may reflect slow productivity growth, subdued economic growth abroad, strong demand for safe longer-term assets, and other factors. The Committee anticipates that the depressing effect of these factors will diminish somewhat over time, raising the neutral funds rate, albeit to levels that are still low by historical standards. That said, the economic outlook is uncertain, and monetary policy is not on a preset course.

The US Federal Reserve has been excessively influencing interest rates to historical lows and this will not end well for the USA. Many believe that it intentionally did not raised them until after the November election in an attempt to assist in the election of Hillary Clinton.

Now, because interest rates have been artificially low because of actions by the US Federal Reserve, raising interest rates is logical.

But because the USA accumulated more debt than it ever should have, this puts the USA at major risk when interest rates rise.

Donald Trump raised concerns about interest rates rising himself:

Donald Trump has voiced concerns about interest rates rising in the USA:

If interest rates go up one percent, that’s devastating. What happens if that interest rate goes up 2, 3, 4 points? We don’t have a country. (Egan M. Donald Trump: ‘I’m the king of debt.’ CNN, May 7, 2016)

The rates Donald Trump is concerned about are not outrageously high. And the Federal Reserve announced after the election that it plans to raise a total of one percent, which Donald Trump says will be “devastating.” Today’s written comments from Janet Yellen are a conformation that the Fed does plan to do what it said–post-election.

The USA is walking a dangerous line on its debt that will not end well.

In December, I wrote:

Yes, the USA will again get high inflation. (Thiel B. The US Federal Reserve meets and raises interest rates. COGwriter, December 14, 2016)

Notice something in the news today:

February 14, 2017

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch)—Inflation at the U.S. wholesale level posted the biggest increase in January since 2012, propelled by rising gasoline prices.

The Producer Price Index jumped 0.6% in January, the government said Tuesday, marking the largest advance since the fall of 2012. Economists polled by MarketWatch had predicted a 0.3% gain. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ppi-shows-biggest-gain-in-wholesale-inflation-since-2012-2017-02-14

Inflation has risen some. Yet, the time will come when the USA will face massive inflation and problems worse than high inflation.

While Donald Trump did not accumulate the approximately $20 trillion in USA debt, that debt exists before his presidency even starts–and he will likely increase the debt.

Notice a statement from Donald Trump about debt:

I’m the king of debt. I love debt. (Egan M. Donald Trump: ‘I’m the king of debt.’ CNN, May 7, 2016)

The Bible does not share President Trump’s pro-debt views (cf. Deuteronomy 28:43-44).

If interest rates rise to ‘normal’ historical levels of say 6-12%, the amount that the USA will pay in interest on its debt will exceed all its revenues from taxes.

Meaning that everything else that the Federal government will spend will have to be borrowed, which will increase the debt and increase the amount of interest it will have to pay.

This will cause a vicious circle that will one day end in the destruction of the USA.

The Bible teaches that debt accumulation will be far worse than even many pessimists believe. Here is an end-time prophecy given to the prophet Habakkuk by God over 2600 years ago:

2 And the Lord answered me:

“Write the vision;
make it plain on tablets,
so he may run who reads it.
3 For still the vision awaits its appointed time;
it hastens to the end—it will not lie.
If it seems slow, wait for it;
it will surely come; it will not delay.

4 “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,
but the righteous shall live by his faith.

5 “Moreover, wine is a traitor,
an arrogant man who is never at rest.
His greed is as wide as Sheol;
like death he has never enough.
He gathers for himself all nations
and collects as his own all peoples.”

6 Shall not all these take up their taunt against him, with scoffing and riddles for him, and say,

“Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own—
for how long?—
and loads himself with pledges!”
7 Will not your debtors suddenly arise,
and those awake who will make you tremble?
Then you will be spoil for them.
8 Because you have plundered many nations,
all the remnant of the peoples shall plunder you,
for the blood of man and violence to the earth,
to cities and all who dwell in them. (Habakkuk 2:2-8; English Standard Version)

The USA is the most indebted nation in the history of humanity and those in it should try to understand this prophecy. Perhaps it should be noted that when I checked last week, the United Kingdom was listed as having the second highest amount of total debt (about 1/2 that of the USA).

The Anglo-American world order will come to an end. Accumulation of debt, and then having to pay historically ‘normal’ interest rates will strain the national economies of the USA and UK more than almost anyone will believe.

Those who think the current world order with the USA’s dollar on top will last through the end of this century are in error.

Those who will believe the Bible will take the words that God spoke to the prophet Habakkuk seriously.

Several actions that the US Federal Reserve has taken during the time of the Obama Administration (as well as various actions in its past) have been biblically inappropriate (Isaiah 1:22; Habakkuk 2:6) and will contribute to the economic and military end of the USA (Habakkuk 2:2-8; Daniel 11:39; watch also Do these 7 prophesies point to the end of the USA?).

While the Federal Reserve should have raised interest rates long ago, the actions and inactions by Congress and the Obama Administration, combined with the old ‘quantitative easing’ programs by the Fed, have put the USA in a position that is more dnagerous than the pundits realize.

Although he possibly could extend the prosperity of the USA (cf. Daniel 4:27), Donald Trump will not solve this.

Some items of possibly related interest include the following:

America’s Day of Reckoning 2017 Dollar Collapse? Economist James Dale Davidson says that a financial bloodbath will hit the USA and there is nothing that Washington can do to stop it. He claims that at least 57 nations have gotten together to dethrone the US dollar as the world’s reserve currency. He claims this can happen any day or in a few months. He mentions China, Russia, the AIIB, and gold. He claims his track record in predicting massive shifts in the past should assure people that he is right about this. He claims that there will be massive unemployment, near elimination of social security benefits, and more. Is James Dale Davidson possibly right on any of this? Dr. Thiel goes over many of his claims and explains what the Bible shows related to the coming collapse of the US dollar. This is a video.
Can the Bilderberg Group Affect 2017 and Beyond? The infamous Bilderberg Group met in Dresden, Germany from June 9-12 in 2016. This super-secretive group has been meeting since 1954 and has admitted to some subjects it would cover, but blocked out cell phone reception and forbid coverage of the discussions by the media. This is considered THE meeting to be part of for the elites who are working for a global-type of government. It is by invitation only. They are working towards their version of the New World Order as opposed to the good news of the Kingdom of God. At least one top leader apparently attended to try to get the Bilderberg Group’s support for a bid to become the next Secretary-General of the United Nations to replace Ban ki-Moon, whose term ends 31 December 2016. This is a video.
Collapse of the Euro and Dollar? War in 2020? Larry Edelson of Money and Markets described aspects of current economic difficulties and explained why he felt matters would get a lot worse. He said war, like World War III, could break out as early as 2020. What did he call the ‘granddaddy of all cycles”? Will matters go as he said? What does the Bible teach? Dr. Thiel provides biblical insights that secular sources often miss. This is a video.
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.
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?
British are the Covenant People What do ‘British’ and ‘Britain’ mean in Hebrew? Are the descendants of the Anglo-Saxons people of the covenant? Does the British royal family connect to the throne of David? What does the Bible teach? What does history show us? Is there any DNA evidence related to British-Israelism? When did Christianity make it to the British Isles? Could Jeremiah have made it to the British Isles? What type of Christians made it to the British Isles? Did the last King of England believe in British Israelism?
USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses Can you point to scriptures, like Daniel 11:39, that point to the USA in the 21st century? This article does. A related sermon is titled: Do these 7 prophesies point to the end of the USA?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2016, 2017, or 2018? 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 2016 o 2017? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon videos: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives and Can the Great Tribulation begin before 2020? A shorter video is: Can the Great Tribulation Start in 2016?
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?
Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians. We all know the Bible prophecies famines. Should we do something? Here is a version in the Spanish language Escrituras sobre Preparación física para los Cristianos.
The Plain Truth About Gold in Prophecy. How Should a Christian View Gold? What do economists and the Bible teach about gold? Gold and silver may drop in value. Inflation/deflation? What do Christians need to know about gold?
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? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. Here are links to three related sermons: The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
Donald Trump in Prophecy Prophecy, Donald Trump? Are there prophecies that Donald Trump may fulfill? Are there any prophecies that he has already helped fulfill? Could a Donald Trump presidency be apocalyptic? A related video is titled: 13 Ways President-Elect Trump is Apocalyptic.
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2017, 2018, or 2019? 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 2016 o 2017? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon videos: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives and Can the Great Tribulation begin before 2020? A shorter video is: Will the Great Tribulation Start in 2017?

COGwriter

If you are a Christian, should you celebrate February 14th as Valentine’s Day?

The Apostle John was inspired to write:

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17, NKJV)

Valentine’s Day is a worldly holiday, essentially built upon lust of the eyes and the pride of life. It will pass away, it is not a true Christian holiday. The real origin of Valentine’s Day is outside the Bible and early Christian literature.

Christians who may be tempted to compromise need to ask themselves if the origins of Valentine’s Day are biblical or pagan.

It is not too hard to figure that out.

Even the old World Book Encyclopedia (Valentine’s Day. Volume 19. 1966, pp.205-206) states,

…the customs of the day have nothing to do with the lives of the saints. They probably come from an ancient Roman festival called Lupercalia which took place every February 15. The festival honored Juno, the Roman goddess of women and marriage, and Pan, the god of nature…The Romans celebrated their feast of Lupercalia as a lovers’ festival for young people. Young men and women chose partners for the festival by drawing names from a box…After the spread of Christianity, churchmen tried to give Christian meaning to the pagan festival. In 496, Pope Gelasius changed the Lupercalia festival of February 15 to Saint Valentine’s Day February 14. But the sentimental meaning of the old festival has remained to the present time. Historians disagree about the identity of St. Valentine”.

Furthermore it also states,

“LUPERCALIA…was celebrated on February 15 in honor of Faunus, a rural Italian god. Faunus was later identified with Pan, the god of herds and fertility…Priests…ran around striking all the women the met (Lupercalia. Volume 12. 1966, p.456).

The pagan being named Cupid (a supposed son of Venus) was also involved. According to pagan mythology, anyone being hit by Cupid’s arrow falls in love with the first person he/she sees. One source was bold enough to state,

The church replaced elements of various love-gods (Juno Februata, Eros, Cupid, Kama, Priapus) with St. Valentine, an imaginary Christian. A number of contradictory biographies were created for him…By taking over some of the features of the Pagan gods and goddesses, St. Valentine became the patron saint of lovers…St. Valentine’s Day can be traced back to Lupercalia, the Roman “festival of sexual license” (ST. VALENTINE AND VALENTINE’S DAY, http://www.religioustolerance.org/valentine1.htm, February 6, 2004).

Notice what the Roman Catholics teach,

The roots of St. Valentine’s Day lie in the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, which was celebrated on Feb. 15. For 800 years the Romans had dedicated this day to the god Lupercus. On Lupercalia, a young man would draw the name of a young woman in a lottery and would then keep the woman as a sexual companion for the year (The Origins of St. Valentine’s Day. http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/ValentinesDay/, January 31, 2004).

It is of interest to note that the same Catholic source states,

The Catholic Church no longer officially honors St. Valentine, but the holiday has both Roman and Catholic roots.

Does Valentine’s Day sound like a holy festival of love or a pagan holiday of lust?

Notice also:

The Feast of Lubercus The first interpretation has this celebration originating as a pagan tradition in the third century. During this time hordes of hungry wolves roamed outside of Rome where shepherds kept their flocks. The God Lupercus, was said to watch over the shepherds and their flocks and keep them from the wolves. Every February the Romans celebrated a feast called Lupercalia to honor Lupercus so that no harm would come to the shepherds and their flocks. Also during Lupercalia, but in honor of the goddess Juno Februata, the names of young women were put into a box and names were drawn by lot. The boys and girls who were matched would be considered partners for the year, which began in March. This celebration continued long after wolves were a problem to Rome. — St. Valentine’s Day As Christianity became prevalent, priests attempted to replace old heathen practices. To Christianize the ancient pagan celebration of the Feast of Lubercus, the church officials changed the name to St. Valentine’s Day. To give the celebration further meaning and eliminate pagan traditions, priests substituted the drawing of Saints names for the names of the girls. On St. Valentine’s Day the priest placed saint’s names into an urn or box. The young people then drew a name from the container. In the following year, the youth was supposed to emulate the life of the saint whose name he had drawn. By the fourteenth century they reverted back to the use of girl’s names. In the sixteenth century they once again tried to have saintly valentines but it was as unsuccessful as the first attempt. While it can’t be proved historically, there were seven men named Valentine who were honored with feasts on February 14th. Of these men, two stories link incidents that could have given our present day meaning to St. Valentine’s Day…—-February 14th – The Day the Birds Began to Mate The Europeans also believed that on February 14th the birds began to choose their mates. In fact Chaucer, in his “Parlement of Foules,” wrote: “For this was Seynt Valentine’s Day when every foul cometh ther to choose his mate”…The tradition of birds choosing their mates on St. Valentine’s Day led to the idea that boys and girls would do the same. Now when a youth drew a girl’s name, he wore it on his sleeve, and attended and protected her during the following year. This made the girl his valentine and they exchanged love tokens throughout the year. Later this was changed to only men giving love tokens to females, usually without names but signed “with St. Valentine’s Love.” Later, in France, both sexes drew from the valentine box. A booked called Travels in England, written in 1698, gives an account of the way it was done: On St. Valentine’s Eve an equal number of Maids and Bachelors get together, each writes their true or some feigned name upon separate billets, which they roll up and draw by way of lots, the Maids taking the Men’s billets, and the Men the Maids’; so that each of the young Men lights upon a Girl that he calls his Valentine, and each of the Girls upon a young Man which she calls hers. By this means each has two Valentines–but the Man sticks faster to the Valentine that is fallen to him than to the Valentine to whom he is fallen. Fortune having thus divided the company into so many couples, the valentines give balls and treats to their mistresses, wear their billets several days upon their bosoms or sleeves, and this little sport ofen ends in Love. This ceremony is practised differently in different Countries, and according to the freedom or severity of Madame Valentine. This is another kind of Valentine, which is the first young Man or Woman chance throws in your way in the street, or elsewhere . . . (The Origins of Valentine’s Day. http://www.techdirect.com/valentine/origin.html, January 31, 2004).

Anyway, the preceding article mentions those three as the possible origins of Valentine’s day. Actually all three of those are to some degree correct (and World Book Online, in its article Valentine’s Day–which I checked on February 6, 2004–says that some believe that all three played a role in the origins)–Valentine’s day was a pagan holiday that the Catholic Church modified and that most Protestants embrace, which is probably why some Europeans also declared that to be the day the birds mated (birds mate pretty much every day in some part of Europe, so its seems disingenuous to coincidentally declare it on February 14).

But the most likely beginning of the “holiday” seems to have to do with the beginning of the Roman Empire, and probably is prior to the third century:

Archaeologists say they have unearthed Lupercale-the sacred cave where, according to legend, a she-wolf nursed the twin founders of Rome and where the city itself was born.

The long-lost underground chamber was found beneath the remains of Emperor Augustus’ palace on the Palatine, a 230-foot-tall (70-meter-tall) hill in the center of the city…

According to myth, Lupercale is where a she-wolf suckled Romulus and Remus, the twin sons of the war god Mars and mortal priestess Rhea Silvia, who had been abandoned in a cradle on the bank of the Tiber River…

Every year on February 15 ancient priests killed a dog and two goats and smeared the foreheads of two boys from noble families with the sacrificial blood as part of the Lupercalia celebration. (Valsecchi, Maria Cristina. Sacred Cave of Rome’s Founders Discovered, Archaeologists Say. National Geographic News. January 26, 2007. January 26, 2007. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/01/070126-rome-palatine.html)

Of course, the story of Romulus and Remus is really the fable about the beginning of the Roman Empire–now that Europe is once again trying to revive this empire, I am sure that its leaders are pleased to have located “the sacred cave”.

Is Valentine’s Day A Holiday in Honor of “The Queen of Heaven”?

Another source adds,

The roots of Valentine’s Day can be traced back to pagan festivals of third century Rome. February 14th was set aside as a day to honor the goddess Juno, who was the queen of the Roman gods and goddesses and was the goddess of women and marriage. This day was also the eve of the Feast of Lupercalia. This festival was in honor of the god Lubercus (The History of Valentine’s. http://www.christinescyberuniverse.com/VDay/VdayHistory.html, January 31, 2004).

And who was Juno?

JUNO was the queen of heaven and wife of Jupiter (Zeus)…The ancient Greeks called her HERA (Juno. World Book Encyclopedia, Volume 11. 1966, pp.162-163).

A holiday for the queen of heaven!

What does God say about that?

…the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and they pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke Me to anger. Do they provoke Me to anger?” says the LORD. “Do they not provoke themselves, to the shame of their own faces?” (Jeremiah 7:18-20, NKJV)

Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: ‘You and your wives have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled with your hands, saying, “We will surely keep our vows that we have made, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her.” You will surely keep your vows and perform your vows!’ “Therefore hear the word of the LORD, all Judah who dwell in the land of Egypt: ‘Behold, I have sworn by My great name,’ says the LORD, ‘that My name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, “The Lord GOD lives.”‘Behold, I will watch over them for adversity and not for good. And all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, until there is an end to them” (Jeremiah 44:25-28, NKJV).

In other words, God was not happy that people wanted to worship the queen of heaven and He would punish them for it.

Another source mentioned,

The Feast of Lupercalia was celebrated in honor of the God Lupercus, who was said to watch over shepherds and their flocks and kept them safe, since during this time hordes of hungry wolves roamed outside Rome. The festival was celebrated on February 15 at the cave of the Lupercal on the Palatine Hill, where the legendary founders of Rome, the twins Romulus and Remus, were supposed to have been nursed by a wolf. However, other scholars, while not dismissing the celebration of Lupercalia, prefer to explain the celebration which took place in the middle of February as a celebration to the Goddess Juno Februato. It is to their thinking linked to Valentine’s Day. While all scholars agree to the time when the practice of men drawing the names of women took place, there do exist slight differences in whose honor the celebrations took place. As time marched on, Christianity steadily gained converts and it became an officially supported religion in the Roman state under Constantine I, who ruled as emperor from AD 324 to 337. All pagan cults were prohibited in AD 392 by an edict of emperor Theodosius I. At this time, priests attempted to replace old heathen practices. The ancient pagan celebration of the Feast of Lubercus was renamed St. Valentine’s Day . The priests replaced the practice of having men draw names of girls with having young people draw names of saints. The youths were supposed to emulate the life of the saint whose name they had drawn. The practice of this custom was unsuccessful at first and reverted back to the use of having men draw names of girls (The Myth of the Origin of Valentine’s Day. http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/9300/stp.html, January 31, 2004).

No matter if Valentine’s is the Feast of Lupercus/Lubercus or Queen of Heaven Juno or both (which it probably is) it is NOT listed as a Feast of the LORD (see Leviticus 23).

The modern practice of giving cards to ask/tell someone to “be my Valentine” seems to be a holdover from the ancient sexual lottery.

None who profess Christ should observe this February 14th “holiday”–it simply is not a Christian holiday. It began as a sexual lottery and still has sexual ramifications, even in the 21st century.

Modern scholars and historians realize this, shouldn’t you?

For more information, please consider studying the following:

Valentine’s Day: Its Real Origins Christianity Today has suggested that Valentine’s Day is good for Christians to observe. Is this true? There is also a YouTube titled Should Christians Observe Valentine’s Day? A more detailed sermon is available and titled Valentine’s Day, Christianity, and Islam.
Should You Observe God’s Holy Days or Demonic Holidays? This is a free pdf booklet explaining what the Bible and history shows about God’s Holy Days and popular holidays.
Mardi Gras: The Devil’s Carnival? Is Mardi Gras Christian? Do you know that in Bolivia the carnival/Mardi Gras time is part of a celebration known as the Devil’s Carnival? Where did it come from? There is also a related YouTube video Mardi Gras & Carnaval: Are they for Christians?
Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible? This paper provides a biblical and historical critique of several articles, including one by WCG which states that this should be a local decision. What do the Holy Days mean? Also you can click here for the calendar of Holy Days.
Are the Ten Commandment Still in Effect? This article quotes the ten commandments and combines some of the previous articles into one article about the ten commandments. The commandments are shown at Mount Sinai, before Mount Sinai, in the teachings of Jesus, after the crucifixion, and in the teachings of Paul. It addresses the most common “traditions of men” regarding them as well.
Were the Pharisees Condemned for Keeping the Law or Reasoning Around it? Many believe that the Pharisees were condemned for keeping the law, but what does your Bible say? If they were not condemned for that, what were they condemned for?
The Ten Commandments Reflect Love, Breaking them is Evil Some feel that the ten commandments are a burden. Is that what Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, and John taught?
Was the Commandment to Love the Only Command? Some have stated that John’s writings teach this, but is that what the Bible really says?
The Ten Commandments and the Early Church Did Jesus and the Early Church keep the ten commandments? What order were they in? Here are quotes from the Bible and early writings.
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? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
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 to the 21st century. Related sermon links 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 and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, French: L’Histoire Continue de l’Église de Dieu and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.

Plain Truth magazine August 1965

COGwriter

Last year, in an article titled Satan’s Destructive Battle Plan, PCG’s Gerald Flurry had the following:

The Prophet Daniel addressed his end-time book to spiritual Israel, or the Church, and two nations of Israel: America and Britain. … We must watch for an Antiochus-type in both the Church and the nation today. …

Let’s take another look at this pivotal passage in Daniel. “The host of heaven” from Daniel 8:10 is translated “the host of the stars” in the Revised Standard Version. The stars, or the angels of God, help God’s people when they obey. We lose that help when we rebel. A hideous invisible force stamped on God’s own Church “by reason of transgression”—because of the people’s sins! This happened after Mr. Armstrong’s death in 1986. It is happening in America right now. (For more information, request our free booklet America Under Attack.)

The word “host” is a military term. Strong’s Concordance defines it this way: “a mass of persons, especially organized for war; and soldiers; army. The expression also means to muster soldiers for warfare. Host can refer to an army of demons, angels or men.” God has an army of angels and saints; Satan has an army of demons and men, in this case sinning saints turning away from God. This is a real war! Spiritual war is more dangerous than any physical war.

Verse 11 should read, “Yea, he magnified himself even against the prince of the host, and by him the daily … was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.” Satan and his army violently confronted the “prince of the host,” or Jesus Christ! Christ explains the meaning of this prophecy to His loyal remnant.

The end-time religious Antiochus subverted God’s Church from within. “And an host was given him against the daily … by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered” (verse 12). “It,” or the demon army, “cast down the truth to the ground.” Antiochus is a physical man swayed by Satan to overthrow the Church. The real power comes from the demon army. For 1,150 days, God gave no new truth to His people. For 1,150 days, Satan suppressed the gospel message (Daniel 8:14; English Standard Version).

Here’s what I wrote in America Under Attack:

The obvious question arises, why would God allow such a terrible thing to happen? The answer is back in Daniel 8:12. That verse describes this satanic spirit army wreaking destruction within God’s Church. And notice: It says it was “by reason of transgression.” The sins of the people gave Satan his opening. Their prayers to God are not being answered. That is why Antiochus can do all of his dirty work: because there’s so much sin going on inside Israel. … The sin within gave the devil his opening. Once Satan got inside, he went right into the sanctuary, working through the leaders at the top, and cast the truth to the ground! That is how Satan destroyed God’s Church.

COGwriter

There are growing issues with Donald Trump, NATO, and Europe:

February 13, 2017

Donald Trump deeply upset the Europeans when he raised the possibility that NATO is obsolete and that the European Union is failing. …

The EU question is ultimately a European problem.

But NATO is an alliance. The US has important and legitimate interests. But there are questions.

First, with the Soviet Union gone, what is NATO’s purpose?

Second, how does NATO serve the American national interest?

Third, given that the EU has almost as large a GDP and almost 200 million more people than the US, why isn’t its collective contribution to NATO’s military larger than the US? …

Europeans must face two facts

First, the wars that matter to the US are being fought in the Islamic world. Second, Europe is not struggling to recover from World War II. Its military capabilities should be equal to those of the US. http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-02-13/trumps-right-nato-obsolete-us

Yes, there is a major spending problem. But changing that will not turn out well.

According to the Bible, Europe will be a massive problem for the USA, UK, and much of the rest of the world–Europe is NOT just a European problem.

Furthermore, the Bible warns of the military power that Europe will become (Revelation 13:4; Daniel 11:39).

The German publication Der Spiegel reported:

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker admonished Trump not to abandon the trans-Atlantic alliance. …

Trump has made clear that he plans to scrap the hardline taken against the Kremlin by his predecessor. He has also placed a question mark over the future of sanctions against Russia imposed by the West in the course of the Ukraine crisis. In his interview with Bild and the Timesthis week, Trump said of Merkel and Putin: “I start off trusting both, but let’s see how long that lasts. It may not last long at all.”It is a horrifying statement …

A Great Threat to Europe

If Trump sticks with his positions, it is the chancellor’s view that Europe could be facing a great threat. Putin could even see himself emboldened to the point he might try to destabilize the Baltic states, without fear of any resistance from the Americans. “Trump’s messages about NATO could lead to a situation in which Putin says to himself, ‘Let’s give it a shot!'” warns Elmar Brok, a confidant of Merkel’s. Brok is also a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the European Parliament. …

Trump is the end of the world as we know it — that much is clear. 01/20/17 http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/trump-inauguration-signals-new-world-order-a-1130916-2.html

Consider also the following:

In the wake of President Trump’s comments that NATO is “obsolete”, and European ‘leaders’ renewed calls for a European army, Angela Merkel has been forced to deny Germany is interested in acquiring nuclear weapons amid calls for it to lead a European “nuclear superpower.” 02/10/17 http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-02-10/merkel-forced-deny-plans-european-nuclear-superpower

While Germany is denying that it is looking to go nuclear, it is working on a variety of high-tech weapons.

The Bible teaches that despite divisions, Europe will reorganize, unite, and become a military power called the ‘beast’:

41 Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. 43 As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. (Daniel 2:41-43)

12 “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. (Revelation 17:12-13)

1 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. 2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”  (Revelation 13:1-4)

This reorganization of Europe will NOT turn out well for the USA nor it Anglo-Saxon descended allies (cf. Daniel 8:25; 11:39; USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses).

Donald Trump does not seem to appreciate or understand the biblical prophecies related to the USA and Europe. He is inadvertently taking steps that will lead to the fulfillment of biblical prophecies.

Of course, some look at NATO and how disproportionately the USA spends to support it and consider that this means that the USA is so powerful that other NATO nations could never destroy it.

But, let us not forget that the Bible also teaches that Europe will end up with a “GREAT ARMY” (Daniel 9:25).

Directly and indirectly, Donald Trump is encouraging this.

Russia does not care for NATO and would be pleased if the Europeans gained more influence at the political expense of the USA.

The Europeans will take more steps to separate themselves from the USA. This does not mean that NATO must be totally abandoned. I have felt for decades that the Europeans would likely attack the USA deceptively under the guise of a NATO or similar exercise, and probably will have ground assistance from Mexico, a nation that Donald Trump has repeatedly offended. Donald Trump, in my view, has confirmed this by threatening NATO if the Europeans do not fund more of it, while then saying he is 100% in support of NATO.

Once Europe spends more on its military and gets certain technologies, it will expect more control of military matters and will one day decide it no longer needs NOR WANTS the USA to be around. And according to biblical prophecies, a power from Europe will takeover the USA militarily (see also USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses).

Jaipuri Tribal Tattoo (Meena Kadri)

COGwriter

Tattoos have been around a long time. In Western societies, they seem to be getting more popular. Should Christians get them?

What is a tattoo?

A tattoo is a form of body modification, made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment…Historically, a decline in traditional tribal tattooing in Europe occurred with the spread of Christianity…The majority of Christians do not take issue with the practice, while a minority uphold the Hebrew view against tattoos (see below) based on Leviticus. (Tattoo. Wikipedia, viewed 05/08/13)

The Smithsonian reported:

Humans have marked their bodies with tattoos for thousands of years. These permanent designs—sometimes plain, sometimes elaborate, always personal—have served as amulets, status symbols, declarations of love, signs of religious beliefs, adornments and even forms of punishment…

What is the earliest evidence of tattoos?

In terms of tattoos on actual bodies, the earliest known examples were for a long time Egyptian and were present on several female mummies dated to c. 2000 B.C. But following the more recent discovery of the Iceman from the area of the Italian-Austrian border in 1991 and his tattoo patterns, this date has been pushed back a further thousand years when he was carbon-dated at around 5,200 years old…

What is the evidence that ancient Egyptians had tattoos?

There’s certainly evidence that women had tattoos on their bodies and limbs from figurines c. 4000-3500 B.C. to occasional female figures represented in tomb scenes c. 1200 B.C. and in figurine form c. 1300 B.C., all with tattoos on their thighs. Also small bronze implements identified as tattooing tools were discovered at the town site of Gurob in northern Egypt and dated to c. 1450 B.C. And then, of course, there are the mummies with tattoos, from the three women already mentioned and dated to c. 2000 B.C. to several later examples of female mummies with these forms of permanent marks found in Greco-Roman burials at Akhmim.

What function did these tattoos serve? Who got them and why?

Because this seemed to be an exclusively female practice in ancient Egypt, mummies found with tattoos were usually dismissed by the (male) excavators who seemed to assume the women were of “dubious status,” described in some cases as “dancing girls.”…it has long been assumed that such tattoos were the mark of prostitutes or were meant to protect the women against sexually transmitted diseases.

What did these tattoos look like?

Most examples on mummies are largely dotted patterns of lines and diamond patterns, while figurines sometimes feature more naturalistic images. The tattoos occasionally found in tomb scenes and on small female figurines which form part of cosmetic items also have small figures of the dwarf god Bes on the thigh area

In old and modern times, some have multiple tattoos on their bodies.

Some of these markings are obviously meant to be provocative, since only part of the markings show on a bare midriff or the lower back while the remainder is concealed by clothing. A slang name for this kind tattoo is calling it a “tramp stamp.” And that is what Nichole Richie wanted gone.

The Smithsonian report mentioned Egypt and the dwarf god Bes. Here is some information about him:

Bes (Bisu, Aha) was an ancient Egyptian dwarf god. He was a complex being who was both a deity and a demonic fighter. He was a god of war, yet he was also a patron of childbirth and the home, and was associated with sexuality, humour, music and dancing. Although he began as a protector of the pharaoh, he became very popular with every day Egyptian people because he protected women and children above all others. He had no temples and there were no priests ordained in his name. However, he was one of the most popular gods of ancient Egypt and was often depicted on household items such as furniture, mirrors and cosmetics containers and applicators as well as magical wands and knives. It is also thought that sacred prostitutes may have had a tattoo of Bes placed near their pubic area in order to prevent venereal diseases…(Gods of Ancient Egypt: Bes. Copyright J Hill 2010. http://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/bes.html)

Thus, tattoos provided a religious connection with this Egyptian deity. Throughout the Bible, God’s people are warned to come out of Egypt and not have images of heathen gods (e.g. Exodus 20:1-6). Since Bes was supposed to be a protector and fighter against demons, this may well be why prostitutes had tattoos–apparently some were mistakenly led to believe that the tattoo would protect them from sexually-transmitted diseases and other problems. God did not want His people to follow such practices.

Lower-back tattoos are also perceived as an indication of promiscuity by some, and so that is likely how come the term “tramp stamp” is sometimes used to describe them (for more details you can also watch the Bible News Prophecy video Should Christians Get a Tattoo?). When one considers that the tattoo is not in a place that the woman getting it can see without mirrors or some other aid, this is also consistent with the view it is there to be seen by someone looking at her nude/nearly nude body (or fairly low cut slacks while wearing a short top/blouse).

Whether related to increased promiscuity or not, more and more seem to have tattoos. When I grew up, it seemed it was mainly bikers and men who had been in the military.

Although the Church of Rome does not discourage tattoos, and some Protestants seem to believe that displaying certain ones (normally with symbols such as crosses or scriptural verses) gives a public testimony to Christ. Yet, Jesus never had a tattoo.

Actually, His word condemned them:

28 You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord. 29 ‘Do not prostitute your daughter, to cause her to be a harlot, lest the land fall into harlotry, and the land become full of wickedness. (Leviticus 19:28-29)

The fact that the admonition against prostitution comes right after the admonition to not have tattoos reminds me of the view that certain tattoos are signs of a tramp, hence the modern term “tramp stamp.”

Notice what the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary says about Leviticus 19:28:

Leviticus 19:28

Ye shall not make any cuttings … The practice of making deep gashes on the face and arms and legs, in time of bereavement, was universal among the pagan, and it was deemed a becoming mark of respect for the dead, as well as a sort of propitiatory offering to the deities who presided over death and the grave. The Jews learned this custom in Egypt; and, though weaned from it, relapsed in a later and degenerate age into this old superstition (Deuteronomy 14:1; Isaiah 15:2; Jeremiah 16:6; 41:5; 47:5), which, as Palgrave informs us, still prevails among the Djowf people in Arabia.

Nor print any marks upon you – by tatooing; imprinting figures of flowers, leaves, stars, and other fanciful devices on various parts of their person. The impression was made sometimes by means of a hot iron, sometimes by ink or paint, as is done by the Arab females of the present day (D’Arvieux and Burckhardt’s ‘Travels among the Bedouins;’ Lane’s ‘Manners and Customs of Modern Egypt,’ pp. 25-35), and the different castes of the Hindus. It is probable, from the association of Leviticus 19:29, that a strong propensity to adopt such marks in honour of some idol gave occasion to the prohibition in this verse; and they were wisely forbidden, for they were signs of apostasy, and, when once made, were insuperable obstacles to a return. (from Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1997, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

And while some may think that this was limited to the Old Testament, the reality is that the New Testament seems to condemn them as well:

19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. (1 Corinthians 6:19)

Since tattoos tend to contain toxins and are not something that adds to health, this should give Christians pause to realize that they should not get them. There are health risks associated with tattoos.

There are also health risks associated with tattoos. Mayo Medical Laboratories reports:

Tattoos breach the skin, which means that skin infections and other complications are possible. Specific risks include:

• Allergic reactions. Tattoo dyes — especially red, green, yellow and blue dyes — can cause allergic skin reactions, such as an itchy rash at the tattoo site. This can occur even years after you get the tattoo.
• Skin infections. A skin infection — which might cause redness, swelling, pain and a pus-like drainage — is possible after tattooing.
• Other skin problems. Sometimes bumps called granulomas form around tattoo ink. Tattooing can also lead to keloids — raised areas caused by an overgrowth of scar tissue.
• Bloodborne diseases. If the equipment used to create your tattoo is contaminated with infected blood, you can contract various bloodborne diseases — including tetanus, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
• MRI complications. Rarely, tattoos or permanent makeup might cause swelling or burning in the affected areas during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exams. In some cases, tattoo pigments can interfere with the quality of the image — such as when a person who has permanent eyeliner has an MRI of the eye. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tattoos-and-piercings/MC00020

Of course, if you have one or more tattoos this does not mean that you are doomed or that you have to rush out and try to get it removed. But certainly, you should not get more of them. Nor should anyone who claims to believe the Bible actually go out and get them.

13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived (2 Timothy 3:13, KJV)

The growing acceptance of tattoos in Western societies is consistent with the above.

Some information of possibly related interest may include:

Tattoos: History and Biblical Teachings Would you like to know more about the history of tattoos, social concerns about tattoos, health risks of tattoos, and what the Bible teaches about them?
Should Christians Get a Tattoo? What is a tattoo? Does the Bible teach about tattoos? Should Christians get tattoo? What is a ‘tramp stamp’? What is the history of tattoos? Are there health risks associated with tattoos? What type of people originally got tattoos? Do tattoos protect against sexually-transmitted diseases? Is there any connection with hepatitis? This is a YouTube video.
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.
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?
British are the Covenant People What do ‘British’ and ‘Britain’ mean in Hebrew? Are the descendants of the Anglo-Saxons people of the covenant? Does the British royal family connect to the throne of David? What does the Bible teach? What does history show us? Is there any DNA evidence related to British-Israelism? When did Christianity make it to the British Isles? Could Jeremiah have made it to the British Isles? What type of Christians made it to the British Isles? Did the last King of England believe in British Israelism?