Church of God News

(Public Domain Pictures)

COGwriter

The European Union (EU) took steps to limit the use of Artificial Intelligence for surveillance:

EU unveils AI rules to temper Big Brother fears

April 21, 2021

The EU unveils a plan Wednesday to regulate the sprawling field of artificial intelligence, aimed at making Europe a leader in the new tech revolution while reassuring the public against “Big Brother”-like abuses.

“Whether it’s precision farming in agriculture, more accurate medical diagnosis or safe autonomous driving—artificial intelligence will open up new worlds for us. But this world also needs rules,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in her state-of-the-union speech in September.

“We want a set of rules that puts people at the centre.”

The Commission, the EU’s executive arm, has been preparing the proposal for over a year and a debate involving the European Parliament and 27 member states is to go on for months more before a definitive text is in force. …

The bloc is trying to learn the lessons after largely missing out on the internet revolution and failing to produce any major competitors to match the giants of Silicon Valley or their Chinese counterparts.

But there have been competing concerns over the plans from both big tech and civil liberties groups arguing that the EU is either overreaching or not going far enough.

‘High-risk’

The draft regulation, seen by AFP, will create a ban on a very limited number of uses that threaten the EU’s fundamental rights.

This would make “generalised surveillance” of the population off-limits as well as any tech “used to manipulate the behaviour, opinions or decisions” of citizens.

Anything resembling a social rating of individuals based on their behaviour or personality would also be prohibited, the draft said.

Military applications of artificial intelligence will not be covered by the rules, and special authorisations are envisioned to cover anti-terrorism activities and public security. …

Tech lobbyist Christian Borggreen, from the Computer and Communications Industry Association, welcomed the EU’s “risk-based approach” to regulating AI.

“It would be a wise and strategic approach,” he said.

But for some civil liberties activists the new rules do not go far enough in curbing potential abuses in the cutting-edge technologies that look set have a far-reaching impact on everyday life.

“It still allows some problematic uses, such as mass biometric surveillance,” said Orsolya Reich of umbrella group Liberties. https://techxplore.com/news/2021-04-eu-unveils-ai-temper-big.html

The idea of limits may sound promising from a secular point of view, but, not from the political and prophetic reality.

The fact that the EU wants to be the world leader in tech, will also mean it will want to be the leader in data collection, analysis, and ultimately surveillance.

Fears related to this are not unfounded. Notice some comments from the German news source Deutsche Welle (DW) about Artificial Intelligence (AI) from late 2018:

Artificial intelligence, or the end of the world as we know it

26 October 2018

How dangerous is AI’s exponential growth? …

Does technology favor tyranny? That’s one of the surprising — and unsettling — questions Israeli historian Yuval Noah Harari asks in his much-quoted new book, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century.

Whereas 20th-century technology favored democracies as they were able to distribute power to make decisions among many people and institutions, according to Harari, artificial intelligence (AI) might make centralized systems that concentrate all information and power far more efficient as machine learning works better with more information to analyze. …

The rise of AI swinging the pendulum from democracies toward authoritarian regimes is just one of the feared adverse impacts of technologies: Others include job displacement, concentration of power, diminishing privacy, rising income inequality and losing our “free will.” …

Although most experts acknowledge that technology carries the philosophies of those who create it, the big companies that develop algorithms are slow to identify or correct biases, for example. https://www.dw.com/en/artificial-intelligence-or-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it/a-45932260

Since AI is programmed by humans, yes it has biases. And since with modern computing power and data collection, there will be some using AI for totalitarian control. Some nations are already starting to implement at least parts of that.

Is AI potentially dangerous?

Yes.

The reason is not the technology per se, the reason is that as human societies go more and more away from God’s standards of morality, they will use more things in a negative manner.

Notice also the following:

April 20, 2021

The Religious Freedom in the World Report 2021 (RFR) is produced by international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) and was released on April 20.

“Along with communist totalitarianism and Islamism, religious nationalism is among the greatest threats to religious freedom and peaceful religious co-existence in our world today,” says the report.

Religious minorities in numerous countries – such as India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Myanmar, Malaysia, Bhutan, and Nepal, among others – increasingly face severe marginalization and active persecution by many of their own fellow citizens, with the rise of religious majoritarian populist movements. …

The report also describes how digital technology, cyber networks, surveillance including artificial intelligence (AI) and facial recognition technology has increased persecution.

In China, the Communist Party is keeping religious groups in line with the help of 626 million AI-enhanced surveillance cameras and smartphone scanners. https://www.ecumenicalnews.com/article/cyber-caliphate-linking-islamist-network-expanding-globally-with-online-recruitment-says-religious-freedom-report/60860.htm

Do NOT think that it will only be the communists that will use AI to support persecution.

As I reported in the past, the European Commission on Human Rights decided that one does not have freedom of speech on religious matters, even if true, if the feelings of another religion may also be affected (see European Commission on Human Rights rules against truthful religious freedom of speech: Will this prohibit warning against the final Antichrist? ).

Since more and more people, organizations, and governments do not value truth, there are reasons to believe that at least parts of AI will be dangerous.

Will AI at least partially lead to Orwellian control?

Yes that will be one of the ‘fruits’ of AI. Some others suspect this as well:

Op-Ed by Mathew Maavak

Two Artificial Intelligence-driven Internet paradigms may emerge in the near future. One will be based on logic, smart enterprises and human merit while the other may morph into an Orwellian control tool. 10/15/18 https://www.activistpost.com/2018/10/why-china-will-win-the-artificial-intelligence-race.html

While China is actually working on aspects of that, biblical prophecy indicates that China will not emerge as the ‘victor’ in AI as Google CEO Eric Schmidt (and others) think.

The Bible shows that a mortal, European, dictator will rise up (Revelation 17:12-13).

He will want to be worshiped as if he were God in the end times:

3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).

He will be lawless and against the truth, and most of the world will be deceived:

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. 13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, (2 Thessalonians 2:9-13).

For more information on the ‘lawless one,’ check out the article Who is the Man of Sin of 2 Thessalonians 2?

AI will be used by many, including by many that do not have the love of the truth.

Consider also that faster development of knowledge was also prophesied in the Bible to occur during the time of the end:

4 “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” (Daniel 12:4)

What is called ‘artificial intelligence’ is consistent with that prophecy. Not all increased knowledge is good as humans often do bad things with knowledge.

Notice the following about the European Beast of the Sea (watch Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?):

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)

So, this Beast power will be worshiped, the whole world will marvel, and he will have a unique way to wage war successfully. I have written since at least the last decade that this means that advanced technology will be part of the reason. And that technology is likely to use what is called artificial intelligence.

The New York Times reported yesterday that software giant Microsoft is assisting the US military develop AI (see Microsoft Says It Will Sell Pentagon Artificial Intelligence and Other Advanced Technology). Since Europe is considered an ally of the USA, do not be surprised if Microsoft also assists Europe with AI.

The following scriptures support the view that to some degree, advanced computer software, which may or may not be considered as ‘artificial intelligence,’ will be used by the coming European Beast of the Sea dictator (Revelation 13:1-10) as well as his Beast of the Earth (Revelation 13:11) accomplice:

11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. 12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. 14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.

15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666. (Revelation 13:11-18)

Notice that the Beast of the Earth gets the people who dwell on the earth to worship the other Beast. While he will likely have what will be some type of demonic-superpower (Revelation 16:13), it is possible that something like artificial intelligence will be used to get the image of the Beast to speak and to get those who will not worship the Beast to be killed. AI will likely be involved in forcing the Mark of the Beast.

Additionally, when it comes to controlling buying and selling, that was not possible before this digital age of the 21st century. That is something that computers will be involved in. Computer software is a type of artificial intelligence. And sometimes it is specific programing that is considered AI as well.

The forcing of worship under the penalty of death, the control of buying and selling, etc. is totalitarian control.

That is coming and AI appears to be part of it.

It will be in place no later than during the time of the Great Tribulation.

Humans, if left on their own devices would end up annihilating all human life. But the Bible shows that God will intervene:

21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. (Matthew 24:21-22)

Jesus will destroy totalitarian Beast power and his accomplice:

11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.

14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.

15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, 18 that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.”

19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. (Revelation 19:11-19)

That Beast power will be destroyed and the Kingdom of God will be established:

15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”

16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying: “We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned. 18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth.” (Revelation 11:15-18)

As far as AI goes, the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) put together the following two videos on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel related to it:

15:30

Artificial Intelligence and Prophecy

Billionaire Elon Musk declared he was worried that artificial intelligence (AI) may lead to the rise of an “immortal dictator,” a “godlike” entity that could take over the world. Is this accurate, or at least, close in some ways? Does Bible prophecy foretell of the rise of an immoral leader who considers himself above all gods? Will this result in great destruction? What is AI? How might it fit in with various prophecies? Was the increase in technological knowledge we now have prophesied over 2000 years ago? Will 666’s control over buying and selling involve any form of AI? Dr. Thiel goes over many scriptures, including prophetic ones, that involve human knowledge–which is the basis of AI. He also points out that when various prophesies were made, there was no technology capable of fulfilling them, but that because of computers, such ability exists now. Dr. Thiel also points out what Jesus will do about it.

Here is a link: Artificial Intelligence and Prophecy.

17:29

Crowdsourcing and Artificial Intelligence to solve “wicked problems”?

Bible prophecy shows that a militaristic European dictator will arise and his supporters will apparently use something like AI.

This dictator will not love the truth and will work against all of God’s Ten Commandments (for details, check out the free online book: The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast).

It is the despising of the truth and God’s law that is the real threat posed by the human use of AI.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Who is the Man of Sin of 2 Thessalonians 2? Is this the King of the North, the ten-horned beast of Revelation 13:1-11, or the two-horned Beast of Revelation 13:12-16? Some rely on traditions, but what does the Bible teach? Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Quién es el Hombre de Pecado de 2 Tesalonicenses 2?; here is a link to a video in Spanish: ¿Quién es el ‘hombre de pecado’? Here is a version in Mandarin: N;ÿ Œ
f/’Y’jNº’ÿ Here is a link to a related English sermon video titled: The Man of Sin will deceive most ‘Christians’.
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here are links to two related videos: The King of the North is Alive: What to Look Out For and The Future King of the North.
The Great Monarch: Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Is the ‘Great Monarch’ of Catholic prophecies endorsed or condemned by the Bible? Two sermons of related interest are also available: Great Monarch: Messiah or False Christ? and Great Monarch in 50+ Beast Prophecies.
The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast This is a free pdf book explaining the what the Ten Commandments are, where they came from, how early professors of Christ viewed them, and how various ones, including the Beast of Revelation, will oppose them. A related sermon is titled: The Ten Commandments and the Beast of Revelation.
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 Mark of Antichrist What is the mark of Antichrist? What have various ones claimed? Here is a link to a related sermon What is the ‘Mark of Antichrist’?
Mark of the Beast What is the mark of the Beast? Who is the Beast? What have various ones claimed the mark is? What is the ‘Mark of the Beast’?
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.
The Large Hadron Collider has Military Potential Some say this European project is only peaceful. So why is it working on capturing antimatter? Here is a link to a related video: Could the Large Hadron Collider lead to destruction?
Internet Censorship and Prophecy Are concerns about internet censorship limited to nations such as Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. But what about the USA, Canada, and Germany? What about the European Union? What about internet media companies such as Facebook, Google, YouTube, or email services like MailChimp? Has the attempt to control information been made by various ones over the centuries? Was the New Testament affected by it? What about the church throughout the centuries? Is the Bible already been partially censored? Which Bible prophecies point to coming Internet censorship? What about the Book of Amos? What about the coming 666 Beast and final Antichrist? Is there anything that can be done about this? Should Philadelphian Christians be working on anything now? Will preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God vs. a highly media-supported alternative lead to a ‘famine of the word’? More internet censorship is coming as various statements in the Bible support. This is a video.
Two Horned Beast of Revelation and 666 Who is 666? This article explains how the COG views this, and compares this to Ellen White. Here is a link to a prophetic video Six Financial Steps Leading to 666?
The Mark of Antichrist What is the mark of Antichrist? What have various ones claimed? Here is a link to a related sermon What is the ‘Mark of Antichrist’?
Mark of the Beast What is the mark of the Beast? Who is the Beast? What have various ones claimed the mark is? What is the ‘Mark of the Beast’?
Some Doctrines of Antichrist Are there any doctrines taught outside the Churches of God which can be considered as doctrines of antichrist? This article suggests at least three. It also provides information on 666 and the identity of “the false prophet.” Plus it shows that several Catholic writers seem to warn about an ecumenical antipope that will support heresy. You can also watch a video titled What Does the Bible teach about the Antichrist?
Two Horned Beast of Revelation and 666 Who is 666? This article explains how the COG views this, and compares this to Ellen White. Here is a link to a prophetic video Six Financial Steps Leading to 666?
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. A video of possible interest may be Will Will USA Spying Help the Beast Power?
Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word What is the ‘short work’ of Romans 9:28? Who is preparing for it? Here is a link to a related video sermon titled: The Short Work.
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2028 or or 2031 or 20xx? There is also a video titled 6000 Years: When will God’s Kingdom Come? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
Might the U.S.A. Be Gone by 2028? Are there prophetic reasons to believe that the USA will not last two complete presidential terms? Yes. There is a tradition attributed to the Hebrew prophet Elijah that humanity had 6,000 years to live before being replaced by God’s Kingdom. There are scriptures, writings in the Talmud, early Christian teachings that support this. Also, even certain Hindu writings support it. Here is a link to a related video: Is the USA prophesied to be destroyed by 2028? In Spanish: Seran los Estados Unidos Destruidos en el 2028?
The Great Tribulation: What Happens First? What events have happened? What are some events that are now happening? And what events need to happen for the Great Tribulation to start? Here is a link to a related sermon video: Counting Down to the Great Tribulation. Here is a video in the Spanish language: Contando los eventos y el inicio de la Gran Tribulación.
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2021, 2022, or 2023? 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 la Gran Tribulación comenzar en el 2020 o 2021? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? A related video is: 2021: The Great Tribulation or the Great Reset? Here is a video in the Spanish language: Es El 2021 el año  de La Gran Tribulación o el Grande Reseteo Financiero.
Is a Great Reset Coming? Klaus Schwab of the World Economic Forum has proposed a societal change that has been basically endorsed by the Vatican and many world leaders. Does the Bible prophesy a major reset? Here is a link to a related video: Will there be a “Great Reset”?
The Times of the Gentiles Has there been more than one time of the Gentiles? Are we in it now or in the time of Anglo-America? What will the final time of the Gentiles be like? A related sermon is available and is titled: The Times of the Gentiles.
Armageddon Who is involved and when will this gathering happen? Here is also a video from Dr. Thiel, from Tel Megiddo in Israel: Armageddon. Another video is: watch Is China paving roads to Armageddon?
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. Two related sermon are available: Identifying the USA and its Destruction in Prophecy and Do these 7 prophesies point to the end of the USA?
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no Final End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West? Here is a version in the Spanish language: ¿Quién es el Rey del Occidente? ¿Por qué no hay un Rey del Occidente en la profecía del tiempo del fin? A related sermon is also available: The Bible, the USA, and the King of the West.

COGwriter

What stone may be part of the throne Jesus would sit on?

The traditional position that the old Worldwide Church of God had was that it would be the so-called Stone of Destiny.

Stone of Destiny

My family and I personally saw this stone when we were in Westminster Abby back in 1992 (for more details, check out the article Jesus Returning, David’s Throne, and the Stone of Destiny). When we again visited Westminster Abby in 2018, the stone was no longer there (it is currently in Scotland).

The Philadelphia Church of God (PCG) claims the following:

The PCG is the only Church that holds onto ALL of what Christ established through Mr. Armstrong (Flurry, Gerald and Leap, Dennis. Ezra and Nehemiah: Building God’s Temple. Booklet. 1997. p.29).

Well, it has a different view on the stone of destiny. Its leader, Gerald Flurry, extols the virtues of a rock his church got back in 2002.

Here is what Herbert Armstrong wrote about the stone of destiny and had published from 1954 to 1979:

Later, about 580 B.C., (date of Jeremiah’s transplanting), an elderly white — haired patriarch, sometimes referred to as a “saint,” came to the most northern province of Ireland, Ulster. With him was the princess daughter of an eastern king and a companion called “Simon Brach,” spelled in different histories as “Breck,” “Berech,” “Brach,” “Berach,” etc. The princess had a Hebrew name “Tephi,” — a pet — name, her full name being “Tea — Tephi.”

This royal party brought with them some remarkable things, including the harp, an ark, and a wonderful stone called “Lia — Fail,” or “stone of destiny.” A peculiar coincidence (?) is that Hebrew reads from right to left, while English reads from left to right. Read this name either way — and it still is “Lia — fail.”

Another strange coincidence — or is it just coincidence? — is that many kings in the history of Ireland, Scotland, and England has been coronated sitting over this stone, — including the present queen. The stone rests, today, in Westminster Abbey in London, and the Coronation Chair is built over and around it. A sign beside it labels it “Jacob’s pillar — stone.” (Gen. 28:18.)

The Hebrew princess was married to a young prince named Herremon, after which he became King Herremon, of ancient Ireland. The son of this king and Hebrew princess continued on the throne of Ireland, and this same dynasty continued, unbroken; through all the kings of Ireland; was overturned and transplanted again in Scotland; again overturned and moved to London, England, where this same dynasty continues today in the reign of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain!

The crown worn by King Herremon and the sovreigns of ancient Ireland had TWELVE POINTS!

Queen Elizabeth on David’s Throne

In view of the linking together of Biblical history, prophecy, and Irish history, can anyone deny that this Hebrew princess was the daughter of King Zedekiah of Judah, and therefore heir to the throne of David? — That the aged patriarch was in fact Jeremiah, and his companion Jeremiah’s scribe, or secretary, Baruch? — And that King Herremon was a descendant of Zarah, here married to the daughter of Pharez, healing the ancient breach? — That when the throne of David was first overturned by Jeremiah, it was replanted in Ireland, later overturned a second time and replanted in Scotland, overturned a third time and planted in London?

When Christ returns to earth to sit on that throne, He shall take over a live, existing throne, not a nonexistent one (Luke 1:32). (Armstrong HW. THE UNITED STATES and BRITISH COMMONWEALTH in Prophecy. Booklet, 1967)

Jeremiah brought with them some remarkable things, including a harp, an ark, and a wonderful stone called “lia-fail,” or “stone of destiny.” A peculiar coincidence (?) is that Hebrew reads from right to left, while English reads from left to right. Read this name either way—and it still is “lia-fail.”

Another strange coincidence—or is it just coincidence?—is that many kings in the history of Ireland, Scotland, and England have been coronated sitting over this stone—including the present queen. The stone rests today in Westminster Abbey in London, and the coronation chair is built over and around it. A sign beside it labels it “Jacob’s pillar-stone” (Gen. 28:18).

The royal husband of the Hebrew princess Tea was given the title Herremon upon ascending the throne of his father. This Herremon has usually been confused with a much earlier Gede the Herremon in David’s day—who married his uncle Ith’s daughter Tea. The son of this later king Herremon and Hebrew princess continued on the throne of Ireland and this same dynasty continued unbroken through all the kings of Ireland; was overturned and transplanted again in Scotland; again overturned and moved to London, England, where this same dynasty continues today in the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.(Armstrong HW. THE UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN IN PROPHECY: PART FIVE. Plain Truth, March 1979)

Herbert Armstrong did NOT believe that his temporal 1933 ‘prayer rock’ was that stone.

Yet, Gerald Flurry wrote:

I have said before that I have never received a vision from God outside of the Bible, and I still say that. But on January 14, I did have some interesting words come to mind about several scriptures. It has happened before that words come into my mind and lead me to a scripture. But this time, I heard a strong voice. That had never happened to me before. This voice said, “There is a new stone of destiny and a new throne of David.”

The stone of destiny is the stone over which British monarchs are crowned. It is also known as the stone of Scone, or Jacob’s pillar stone (read its origin in Genesis 28:10-22). We have written a lot over the years about the importance of the British monarchy and how it is actually a continuation of the royal dynasty of biblical King David. God promised to preserve his line forever (2 Samuel 7:12-16). The Bible shows that Jesus Christ will take over that governance Himself at His Second Coming! The stone has always been connected with the throne, so it is very important, biblically and historically. The stone is a symbol of David’s throne. It is also a symbol of our Rock—Jesus Christ—who is about to rule on that throne forever! You can read all about this in my book The Key of David.

God has shifted the symbol of David’s throne and that royal line to a new stone, and there are scriptures to prove it.

The Powerful Prayer Rock

In his autobiography, Mr. Armstrong described what he called a “prayer rock” that he used very early in his ministry, during his time in Oregon.

It was 1933, and Mr. Armstrong was holding a series of Bible lectures at the Firbutte school in Eugene, near the Fisher farm where he was staying. “To the rear of the Fisher farm home was a fair-sized hill. Running over this hilltop for exercise I discovered a rock about 14 inches high,” he wrote. “It was in a secluded spot. It came to mind how Jesus had dismissed the multitudes, and gone up into a mountain ‘apart’ to pray—alone with God. I dropped to my knees before this rock, which seemed just the right height to kneel before, and began praying earnestly for the success of the meetings. It became sort of a daily pilgrimage, during my stay at the Fishers’, to this, which became my ‘prayer rock.’ I’m sure that I drank in much energy, spiritual strength and inspiration at that prayer rock.” (Flurry G. The New Throne of David. Copyright © 2018 Philadelphia Church of God)

While Herbert Armstrong mentioned that he prayed at that rock location in 1933, he never hinted that it should be venerated or that it had prophetic importance. As I have written over the years, PCG has long displayed a tendency towards idolatry, and this prayer rock business is another reason I feel that way.

Gerald Flurry kneeling with the rock

Gerald Flurry also wrote:

In April 2002, Mr. Todd took me on a tour of the sites of Mr. Armstrong’s early days in the Work. When I saw the prayer rock, I said it was “the most inspiring rock I’ve ever seen, second only after the stone of Scone.”

We thought that the rock was something we ought to have. We were going to hold off getting it until we could do a little filming there. But Mr. Todd said that someone else was trying to get it. So we hurried along. We offered to purchase the rock, but the man who owned the property gave it to us free of charge, and he was happy to do so. We brought it to our headquarters campus in Edmond, Oklahoma, and put it on display.

God wanted us to have this rock. The Bible has many examples of God using stones for special purposes (e.g. Genesis 28:10-22; 31:45-52; Joshua 4:1-9; 8:30-32; 24:26-27). A stone is tangible. Here we have something that I think is supremely precious to God and the Philadelphia Church of God! I believe God gave it to us because we honor Mr. Armstrong and believe in what he did. It is meaningful to us because it is a tangible symbol of the infinitesimal beginning of the Work of God in our day—the greatest Work ever on Earth in terms of the impact and the number of people reached! Mr. Armstrong reached millions of people with God’s truth, and it started at this rock (sidebar: “Founded on a Rock,” page 6). For this reason, the prayer rock holds great significance to God’s people. It also seemed so unusual that Mr. Armstrong had accurately recorded such precise details about it, and that we were able to find it. Surely God had something important in mind.

There is a towering lesson here: If we are going to succeed spiritually, we must build on a foundation of prayer!

I now see that God was behind those events, and for a very important reason.

Mr. Armstrong’s prayer rock has replaced the “stone of destiny.”

The date on which I came to recognize this is significant. It was yet another example of God making something momentous happen on or near January 16, the anniversary of Mr. Armstrong’s death in 1986. God is continually reminding us that we are continuing the work of Elijah. We have proved that Mr. Armstrong was the end-time type of the original Elijah. We must follow Mr. Armstrong’s example. The understanding that God has given me about this stone underlines this point emphatically! (Flurry G. The New Throne of David. Copyright © 2018 Philadelphia Church of God)

Herbert Armstrong’s example was NOT to venerate a rock nor claim it replaced the stone of destiny (as far as the Elijah matter goes, check out the article The Elijah Heresies; two related sermons are also available Elijah: Prophecies and Heresies and Elijah, Herbert W. Armstrong, and CCOG).

Actually, and at the risk of being redundant, Gerald Flurry, in the same document he claims we must follow Herbert Armstrong’s example, then differs with him.

Gerald Flurry also wrote:

Establishing God’s Throne

This new revelation about the prayer rock will have far-reaching consequences. It is a major step toward establishing the rule of God on Earth!

How?

Jesus Christ is about to return, and when He does, He will take His place on the throne of David (Isaiah 9:7; Luke 1:31-33). On that throne, He will rule and bring salvation to all humanity! We are living in the final phase of David’s throne just before Christ returns.

As I have said, the stone of destiny has always been associated with the throne. …

This is all spiritual understanding God gave us that we have had for many years. We must possess the throne of David in the place of safety, meaning we must also possess the stone that represents the throne. I encourage you to read Chapters 6 and 7 of The Key of David book to refresh your memory.

Now, this new revelation about the prayer rock brings these prophecies into sharper focus. I was wrong in thinking the way I did about us getting that stone. God had a better stone in mind—one superior to that original stone!

God is making this significant change for a good reason: We are ready to go to the place of safety, and we now have the new stone of destiny! …

A Purer Symbol

Hosea prophesied of a time when Britain would be “without a king, and without a prince … and without an image”—referring to the coronation stone. We are in that time now! Britain doesn’t possess the image—the stone—any longer. We in God’s Church now have an even better symbol of King David’s throne.

This is what God wants. I realize it is radical to say that there is a new stone of destiny. But it is also radical to say that God’s people will have the throne of David, and that is straight out of the Bible! And the stone is a symbol of the throne. …

Jacob’s pillar stone ties back to Jacob when he was unconverted. God changed his name to Israel upon his conversion (Genesis 32:28). That stone has been witness to generations of coronations of unconverted men and women who have carried on the royal line of David. In the final phase of His Work in this end time, surely God wanted to have a different stone—a purer spiritual symbol found within God’s Church, where His people possess the Holy Spirit. This symbol embodies so much more. I believe that is why God made the change. God’s faithful people today are following through on what Mr. Armstrong did as he prepared the way for Christ’s Second Coming. We are raising up the ruins of his work and magnifying him and what God did through him.

God is certainly concerned about purity. As Mr. Armstrong wrote in Mystery of the Ages, when Jesus Christ came to Earth the first time, He “was born of the tribe of Judah, and it was necessary that He be of the original pure racial strain, even as Noah was.” As God prepares for Christ’s universe-shaking Second Coming, He is surely thinking about representing and preserving spiritual purity! God wants more purity there; and He achieves that with the prayer rock and all that it means. (Flurry G. The New Throne of David. Copyright © 2018 Philadelphia Church of God)

The Bible warns about the wrong use of images, yet Gerald Flurry is bizarrely pushing this one.

1855 Sketch of the coronation throne and Stone of Scone

As far as that stone goes, notice something that Herbert Armstrong approved for publication in 1959 by the old Radio Church of God:

Why is the stone under the royal chair in Westminster Abbey in London called “Jacob’s Pillow Stone?”

In Westminster Abbey is an intriguing stone, steel gray in color, mixed with red veins, twenty-two inches long, thirteen inches broad and eleven inches deep. Attached to each end is a worn iron ring by which the stone may be carried. This rock is not beautiful, yet it is more important than all the crown jewels! On it Elizabeth II was crowned.

For centuries the kings of Scotland — the ancestors of the present British royal family — were crowned upon it. Upon this stone the ancient Irish kings of this same royal family were also crowned, even as far back as five and one-half centuries before the birth of Jesus Christ.

What is the true significance of this rock? Where did it come from?

Ancient Irish annals prove the rock — which they called “Lia fail” meaning stone of destiny — did not originate in Ireland, but came by way of Spain from the East. It was brought by a white-haired old man — a prophet — who also brought a daughter of an Eastern king. Through her marriage to the king of Ireland, she not only continued her father’s throne but also became the ancestor of a dynasty which has continued to Elizabeth II.

If you were to go to Westminster Abbey, you would see that this stone is labeled Jacob’s pillow stone or Jacob’s pillar stone! — traditionally the very stone upon which the patriarch Jacob rested his head that evening about 3700 years ago when fleeing from his father’s house!

Here is the astonishing origin of the coronation stone!

Turn to Genesis 28:11-22. Here you read that Jacob, tired after miles of walking, stopped for the night and took one of the stones to serve as his pillows. After dreaming in his sleep, “Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took THE STONE that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it” (verse 18).

This verse shows that Jacob used one particular stone. Although verse eleven of this chapter implies that Jacob used several stones, it is a mistranslation. The word “them” is in italics and not in the original Hebrew. It should be translated “and he took of the stones of that place, and put one for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.”

Now notice verse 22. Jacob poured oil on the stone and said: “And this stone, which I have set for a pillar shall be God’s house.” This stone was anointed, set aside to become a pillar or witness proving which is Gods house, which is the royal family God had chosen.

Many years later Jacob again speaks of this stone as a “shepherd.”

Notice Genesis 49:1. Jacob called his sons together and told them what would befall them in our day, “in the last days.” In verse 24, when speaking of Joseph’s descendants he interjects by saying that from the tribe of Joseph — not Judah — will be found “the shepherd, the STONE of Israel.”

This same rock — the coronation stone — accompanied the Israelites during their forty years wandering in the wilderness. Paul says in I Corinthians 10:4 that just as the Israelites had manna as a type of Christ, so they had, as a type of Christ, a rock which gave them water and which followed or went with them in their wanderings! Christ provides spiritual waters — the Holy Spirit, and Jacobs shepherd stone, a type of the Divine Shepherd, miraculously provided material water in the wilderness.

During those forty years the stone accompanied Israel. That is undoubtedly why the two iron rings fastened to either end are so worn. The stone and its rings could never have become worn by lying untouched in England’s Westminster, or Scotland’s Scone or in the halls of Tara in Ireland. It must have been worn during the wilderness wanderings.

As this stone is used in the coronation ceremonies to this day, let’s turn to a scripture which proves that this pillar stone was used in the family of David in the days of ancient Israel.

Open your Bible to II Kings 11:14. The event mentioned here occurred at the time when Josiah was proclaimed king in the temple and when wicked Athaliah, who had usurped the throne, was about to meet her doom. Notice what it says: “And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the temple of the Lord. And when she looked, behold” — what? “the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets.”

So it was the manner or custom even in that day to have the pillar of stone — Jacob’s pillar stone — used in the coronation ceremonies!

But how did that stone finally reach London, England, where it may be seen today?

The World today, in its ignorance, looks upon any government or throne as deriving its power from human authority, little realizing that it is God who sets up rulers and who breaks down thrones. Almost 3000 years ago God made an amazing promise whereby David’s dynasty would continue ruling through all generations and that he should never lack an individual to reign upon his throne. “I have sworn unto my servant David, Thy seed will I establish forever, and build up thy throne to all generations” (Psalm 89:3-4).

“David shall never want [lack] a man to sit upon the throne of the home of Israel” (Jer. 33:17). Notice it reads “the house of Israel,” not the “house of Judah.” Remember that after the days of Solomon, the children of Israel were divided into two houses, the House of Judah and the House of Israel. The throne of David ruled in the House of Judah until the days of Zedekiah. When the throne of David apparently was at an end, God caused the prophet Jeremiah to take king Zedekiah’s daughters (Jer. 43:5-7) and Jacobs pillar stone with him to transplant the throne of David from Judah to the House of Israel where Jacob prophesied the stone of destiny would be found in our day!

Jacob said that the stone which he anointed would be a pillar — a witness proving which is the house, the nation, the royal family that God has chosen. That stone is found today in England — in London’s Westminster Abbey.

The world may scoff and sneer at the truth, the world may deny the facts of history, but Queen Elizabeth is ruling over part of Israel — the tribe of Ephraim. She sits upon the throne of David! — the very throne that Jesus Christ shall take when he returns to rule the world. “And the Lord God shall give unto him [Jesus] the THRONE OF HIS FATHER DAVID: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever” (Luke 1:32-33).

Yes, on the throne of England reigns a daughter of David, a descendant of King Zedekiah’s daughter whom Jeremiah the prophet took to Ireland together with the stone of destiny. From the marriage of that young princess has descended a dynasty that has ruled Ireland, Scotland and England for over 2500 years! And all of them have been crowned over the some of destiny, Jacob’s pillow stone. (Plain Truth Staff. The Bible Answers Short Questions From Our ReadersPlain Truth Magazine July 1959)

Clearly Herbert Armstrong did not view his ‘prayer rock’ as the place Jesus would return to. But he did think that the Stone of Scone could be something Jesus would use for His throne.

PCG’s fascination with the ‘prayer rock’ is in error and seems blasphemous and idolatrous.

Gerald Flurry’s writings also claim that the loss of the ‘stone’ to be replaced by another is prophesied:

Britain Loses Its King and its Stone

Think deeply about the prophecy in Hosea 3:4: “For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image [the stone of destiny] ….” By the time this prophecy is fulfilled, Britain will have been conquered by the Holy Roman Empire. The British lose their king, and they lose their stone (a symbol of David’s throne), and there is no Jeremiah type to protect the stone and the king. God doesn’t have somebody there to tear down and destroy and transplant that throne.

What does this mean? God promised to continue that throne forever, yet here we see that suddenly there is no king and no stone, and the prophecy doesn’t even say where they are. During the Tribulation, the king will probably be dead! Jacob’s pillar stone will be lost; we don’t know what will happen to it but it could be destroyed.

If no one sits on David’s throne, God will have broken His promise!

The truth is, by the time this prophecy is fulfilled, the throne in Britain is no longer David’s throne!

Even before Britain loses its king and stone, the British throne is no longer the throne of David, or God’s promise is broken.

Hosea’s prophecy shows that before the Tribulation, God must have a new stone and a new king—a new throne. Otherwise He could not allow Hosea 3:4 to happen. (Flurry G. The New Throne of David. Copyright © 2018 Philadelphia Church of God)

In order to think deeply about Hosea’s prophecy as Gerald Flurry urges, it would first make sense to accurately quote it:

4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without ephod or teraphim. 5 Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days. (Hosea 3:4-5)

That prophecy does NOT say that a new stone is required. Gerald Flurry is in error.

Gerald Flurry then writes that he is the new king as he declared himself an apostle in November of 2010:

It was right around January 16, 2017, that God revealed the truth about the new stone of destiny.

And it was on this date that God moved the throne of David to this Church!

God is getting us ready to go to the place of safety where David’s throne is prophesied to be. There is a new king and a new stone. There has to be for this prophecy to be fulfilled! And this new king would have to be God’s apostle, at least for this time.

The prayer rock, the new symbol of David’s throne, also came to us through a descendant of David, Herbert W. Armstrong. And it all happened around January 16, 2017, the anniversary of his death. (Flurry G. The New Throne of David. Copyright © 2018 Philadelphia Church of God)

Gerald Flurry is in error on the prayer rock. He is also in error about his claim to be the new king.

Anyway, he also wrote:

What Does This Mean for Us?

Even now, the United Kingdom no longer has the throne of David. And Jacob’s pillar stone is no longer relevant. There is a new stone. …

This is some of the most amazing prophecy ever revealed to the PCG!

Here, in this Church, is the hope of the world—the only hope there is! …

Think of the honor God is giving us! What a wonderful blessing it is to have the great God give us the throne of David—which is really the throne of God—now! What a calling we have been given, and what a blessing to understand this and to know what it all means! …

‘Their King’

Isaiah 16:5 prophesies, “And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth ….” This is not just another throne—it is “the throne.” This is the only throne of God on Earth! The title king is not used in this context. But the Prophet Micah does use the word king—and it is the only place in the Bible that uses this term specifically in connection with the PCG.

“I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as the flock in the midst of their fold: they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men. The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the Lord on the head of them” (Micah 2:12-13). (Flurry G. The New Throne of David. Copyright © 2018 Philadelphia Church of God)

Actually Jesus and the Kingdom of God are the real hope. While God does use a church to proclaim that, PCG is NOT the hope. Nor is Micah 2:12-13 a reference to PCG.

Gerald Flurry also wrote:

The Laodiceans do have access to the pcg—the door is open if they would just take the strait and narrow path, and enter the gate here. In the pcg, there is a king who is led and directed by God! That is what makes it all happen: The king is nothing apart from God. Not one of us is! But God is telling the Laodiceans that they have access to a king—if only they would accept it! …

There is a new throne of David, and there is a king to sit on this throne. … SINCE JANUARY 16, 2017, David’s throne is no longer in Britain.. …

The Philadelphia Church of God is now the royal family of God’s throne! That is something to ponder! (Flurry G. The New Throne of David. Copyright © 2018 Philadelphia Church of God)

While Jesus tells the Laodiceans to repent and listen to Him, Jesus is NOT telling Laodiceans to accept Gerald Flurry as king.

Gerald Flurry also wrote:

5. We continue to follow Mr. Armstrong, who taught us the truth about David’s family throne. His prayer rock became the symbol of David’s throne! What an honor for Mr. Armstrong—forever! He didn’t know this would happen, but I’m sure it will be a pleasant surprise for him when he is resurrected shortly.

6. We have staged musicals about Jeremiah and David, and both are centered on David’s throne. In Armstrong Auditorium in 2012, we presented Jeremiah: A Musical and Step-Dancing Extravaganza, a musical with a message about David’s throne. A year later we produced David: The Endless Throne Begins.

7. We are doing all we can to proclaim the key of David message to Israel and the whole world.

8. We have the new throne of David. Is that not a big part of why we are called the sons of Zadok? Think about this noble title! …

This new throne is a direct tie to Jesus Christ’s Second Coming. His return is almost here! We are coming close to God’s rule on the throne of David forever!

Perhaps nothing can make the World Tomorrow more meaningful than David’s throne. (Flurry G. The New Throne of David. Copyright © 2018 Philadelphia Church of God)

PCG is wrong on so many points. And clearly, in opposition to its 5th point, PCG is not following Herbert Armstrong (or the Bible) regarding its pushing of a prayer rock and Gerald Flurry being king.

For more on the stone and Jesus’ return, check out the article Jesus Returning, David’s Throne, and the Stone of Destiny.

PCG, itself, has certain unique doctrines, and I am not of the view that its founder is truly part of the Church of God. Gerald Flurry is not the new king Philadelphian Christians should follow.

Just calling oneself or a church ‘Philadelphian’ (or owning artifacts) does not make that church part of the Philadelphia Church Era.

As far as the Stone of Destiny is concerned, we just made a video:

21:35

Stone of Destiny and Jesus’ Return

Do you realize that when Jesus returns, He will take up the throne of David? Could there be a throne, or part of that throne, on the earth today? What about the ‘Stone of Scone,’ also called the ‘Stone of Destiny’? What does the Bible teach about the throne of David? Where was it after 586 A.D.? Scripture cannot be broken.Does the Bible tell us anything about Jeremiah and the ‘kings daughters’? Are there ancient writings that give us clues? Were British kings anointed with oil like the ancient kings of Judah? Was a stone present for these coronations? What did the last King of England write? Will Jesus return as King of Kings to the throne of David? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues to provide comfort related to Jesus’ return.

Here is a link to our video: Stone of Destiny and Jesus’ Return.

Some items of possibly related interest may include the following:

Teachings Unique to the Philadelphia Church of God Simply calling oneself ‘Philadelphia’ does not make one so (see Revelation 3:7-9), nor does Gerald Flurry calling himself “that prophet” make it so. This article provides many quotes from this group which claims to be faithful.
Jesus Returning, David’s Throne, and the Stone of Destiny Will Jesus return to the throne of David? What about the Stone of Scone? Here is a link to a related video: Stone of Destiny and Jesus’ Return.
What Did the Early Church Teach About Idols and Icons? Did Catholic and Orthodox “saints” endorse or condemn idols and icons for Christians? A related sermon is available: The Second Commandment, Idols, and Icons.
Ark of the Covenant: Prophetic Ramifications Could there be any prophetic ramifications of the Ark of the Covenant? Could it be in Ethiopia? What about Ireland? What about Mount Zion? What does the Bible teach? Here is a link to a related sermon: Exodus 25: Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat.
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 the remnant of that era is basically the most faithful in the Church of God, like who hold to the beliefs and practices of the Continuing Church of God.
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? A related sermon is available titled Priority of the Philadelphia Work.
Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word What is the ‘short work’ of Romans 9:28? Who is preparing for it? Here is a link to a related video sermon titled: The Short Work.
The Final Phase of the Work What is the final phase of the work? Who will lead it? Do you have the courage to support it? Here is a related YouTube video titled The Final Phase of the Work. The written article has been translated into Spanish La Fase Final de la Obra.
The Philadelphia Remnant: It’s All About Love This is what CCOG teaches. It is important to remember. A related video is available: Nairobi Conference: All About Love.
What is a True Philadelphian? Many claim to be part of the Philadelphia era of the Church, but is claiming enough? This article has biblical and historical evidence about who really are the Philadelphians.
Are the Laodiceans the Modern Sadducees and Pharisees? Discusses similarities of the Sadducees and Pharisees to various COGs in this end-time.
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 the remnant of that era is basically the most faithful in the Church of God, like who hold to the beliefs and practices of the Continuing Church of God.
The Laodicean Church Era has been predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. The Laodiceans are non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG or its offshoots. They do not properly understand the work or biblical prophecies and will face the Great Tribulation if they do not repent. One video of related interest is 17 Laodicean Errors in Prophecy.
Why Be Concerned About False and Heretical Leaders? There have been many false leaders–here is some of why you should be concerned about them. Here is a related article in the Spanish language ¿Por qué estar preocupado acerca de falsos y heréticos líderes?
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 prof

Artist’s impression of female demon (Pixabay)

COGWriter

Many are convinced that there are aliens from outer space:

Are There Really “Aliens” from Outer Space?

“God’s Spirit clearly says that in the Last Days

some will abandon the Truth and follow Lying Demons.”

1^st Timothy 4:1

About 90% of the population believes in “Aliens” from outer space, despite the fact that not a single one has ever been discovered. …

The last time I was in a hotel and checked to see which films were on HBO, three of the ten available were about “evil space aliens” invading earth. …

Though radio telescopes have been searching all corners of the heavens 365 days a year for over five decades for just a single radio transmission, the only ones ever found were coming from earth. …

In the book “One Cosmos Under God” it is scientifically and mathematically proven in exacting detail that the odds of any form of life, much less intelligent life, existing out of chance are tantamount to winning the powerball lottery twenty times in a row. In other words, not possible, therefore a Creator must exist. Why is this not being reported academically when it has just been proven mathematically? Because the Powers-That-Be do not want you to believe in God, which is Truth, because it would lead to the discernment and exposition of their Lies, which they are using for world domination. …

The top two “u.f.o.” researchers on the entire planet, who have spent decades and most of their lives tracking down thousands of leads on this subject, are now shunned by most in the “u.f.o. community”, who once highly respected them, because of their unified conclusions on the subject of “aliens” and “u.f.o.’s”. Both Jacques Vallee and J. Allen Hynek finally came to understand that “u.f.o.’s” are not from outer space, rather they are from here on earth! Both of these top researchers in the “u.f.o.” field now refer to “aliens” as demons instead! …

As repeatedly reported by Jacques Vallee and J. Allen Hynek, numerous subjects undergoing an “abduction experience” invoked the name of Jesus and immediately the event was terminated. Of course you have to ask, if these creatures are merely humanoids from another planet, why then would the name “Jesus” mean anything more to them than “Bob” or “Cathy”? If, on the other hand, their origin is demonic, as both of these top “u.f.o.” researchers concluded after decades of study, then you can easily see the why these entities fled at the uttering of one Word. 10/28/13 http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/aliens-outer-space/

The Bible clearly teaches that angels and demons have been to the earth.

And you could certainly make an argument that they could be considered as “aliens from outer space.”

But it is more than “UFO alien” believers that have been affected.

For example, something that claimed to be from space appeared to three small children in Fatima, Portugal, once a month for six months back in 1917. Even the current pontiff is a believer in those appearances.

But whatever appeared there, and I do believe that something did, it was NOT Jesus’ mother Mary as many hoped. The ‘lady’ that appeared resembled the goddess Diana and never actually stated that it was ‘Mary.’

Fatima Statue and Image of What the Children Saw

For more details on that, check out my book: Fatima Shock! What the Vatican Does Not Want You to Know About Fatima, Dogmas of Mary, and Future Apparitions.

There is actually a lot of evidence of demonic visits/influence on the earth.

Regarding ‘aliens’ the Continuing Church of God put out this sermon from its ContinuingCOG channel:

1:09:40

Alien Beliefs and the Return of Jesus

Surveys show that the vast majority of Americans believe in UFOs and aliens from outer space. Could there be any truth to reports of paranormal visits? What about the work of SETI? Are there one or more beings watching the Earth? Are we part of a ‘galactic zoo’? What do Roman Catholics, Protestants, and others believe? Are there many ‘UFO religions’? Does the Bible teach anything about this? What about visits from angels and demons? What about various apparitions? What about signs and lying wonders? Has Satan inspired prophecies to get people to fight against Jesus? Might the returning Jesus be considered ‘the Antichrist’ or possibly an attacking alien? Will the nations fail to recognize the returning Jesus and fight against Him? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more.

A while back we put out the following short video on poltergeists:

9:13

Poltergeists and Lying Wonders

In August 2016, there were ‘paranormal’ sounds, moved objects, and even a levitated Chihuahua in Scotland that was reportedly seen by Scottish Police. A Roman Catholic priest was called in and ‘blessed’ the house. What is a poltergeist? Is any of this paranormal activity real? If so, can we expect more? Does the Bible teach that we will see signs and lying wonders? Are Christians supposed to believe what we see or not? Dr. Thiel answers these questions and more.

Here is a link to our video: Poltergeists and Lying Wonders.

Here is how Dictionary.com defines poltergeist:

noun

1. a ghost or spirit supposed to manifest its presence by noises, knockings, etc.

We should expect to see increases in such demonic ‘paranormal’ activity.

Why?

Notice the following prophecy written by the Apostle Paul:

3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. (2 Thessalonians 2:3-7)

So, the restrainer will be taken out of the way before the end. (For information on who the restrainer seems to be, check out the article What is Restrained and Who is Restraining in 2 Thessalonians 2:7?)

After the restrainer is out of the way, we will see more signs and lying wonders:

8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 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 2:8-12)

Thus we see that, in the New Testament, the Apostle Paul warned that towards the end, almost all would be deceived by signs and lying wonders.

Deception must be clever to work, and would need some type of ‘verification’ to be believed by the masses.

Throughout history multitudes have already been deceived by signs and wonders coming from statues and alleged apparitions of Jesus and Mary, as well as other demonic manifestations. They have felt that this was ‘proof’ that some false religion was true. But Christians are supposed to walk by faith and not sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Also notice something that the Apostle John was inspired to write:

1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; (1 John 4:1)

While most, incorrectly, feel that they can properly test/discern the spirits, that is not the case. Even most real Christians in these end times are not doing that correctly (cf. Revelation 3:14-19; see also How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God). However, the ‘Laodicean Christians‘ will not be deceived like the non-Christians will be–but they will have problems because of their improper priorities (consider also the video 17 Laodicean Errors in Prophecy).

A few years back, on the Protestant TBN channel, I saw a news item where a Roman Catholic woman was excited about ‘speaking in tongues’ etc. She talked about signs and wonders, and the Protestant commentator was encouraging this belief. Signs and lying wonders are associated with the ecumenical movement.

In the future, it is likely that the “interfaith movement” will employ “Mary,” signs, and other ideas as tools for improper unity for those who are not true, biblical, Christians (see Will the Interfaith Movement Lead to Peace or Sudden Destruction?).

Satan has a plan, and deceit, signs, and lying wonders are part of it (see also Satan’s Plan).

Supposedly ‘verified’ paranormal activity, Marian-claimed apparitions, and modern entertainment, to a degree have conditioned people to accept as real, improper manifestations, and will in the future.

The Book of Revelation shows that a massive deceit, in the form of wrong worship, will affect the world:

7 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear. 10 He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. 12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. 14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. (Revelation 13:7-14)

We are getting closer to the fulfillment of these verses in Revelation. Likely within the next decade or two.

Expect to see more ‘verified’ ‘paranormal’ activity.

This is part of Satan’s Plan.

Don’t fall for it!

Here are some links to items of possibly related interest:

Aliens from Outer Space Are there aliens from outer space? Have any visited the earth? Are they dangerous? Does the Bible teach that an alien army will come to the earth and take over? Here is a link to a related sermon: Alien Beliefs and the Return of Jesus.
Close Encounters of a ‘Spirit’ Kind discusses some experiences I believe were (demon) ‘spirit’ related. A video is also available titled: Poltergeists and Lying Wonders.
Satan’s Plan Does Satan have a plan? What is it? Has it already been successful? Will it be successful in the future? Here are links to a two-part sermon series: What are Some of the Parts of Satan’s Plan? and Satan’s Plan is More Dramatic than Many Realize.
What is Restrained and Who is Restraining in 2 Thessalonians 2:7? Are sorceries being restrained until the future? What is the mystery of lawlessness? Here is a related article in Spanish: ¿Qué es lo que se restringe y quién lo está restringiendo en 2 Tesalonicenses 2:7?
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.
Who is the Man of Sin of 2 Thessalonians 2? Is this the King of the North, the ten-horned beast of Revelation 13:1-11, or the two-horned Beast of Revelation 13:12-16? Some rely on traditions, but what does the Bible teach? Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Quién es el Hombre de Pecado de 2 Tesalonicenses 2? Here is a version in Mandarin: 主编： 谁是’大罪人’？Here is a link to a related YouTube video, in English, titled Who is the Man of Sin?
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?
Jesus: The Son of God and Saviour Who was Jesus? Why did He come to earth? What message did He bring? Is there evidence outside the Bible that He existed? Here is a YouTube sermon titled Jesus: Son of God and Saviour.
The Laodicean Church Era has been predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. The Laodiceans are non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG or its offshoots. They do not properly understand the work or biblical prophecies and will face the Great Tribulation if they do not repent. One video of related interest is 17 Laodicean Errors in Prophecy.
Did God Create a Devil? If not, what happened? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet.
The Bible and Astrology Should Christians avoid participating in astrology or did God inspire it? Does the Bible encourage astrology? What does the Bible actually teach? What is astrology? How does astrology differ from astronomy? Should Christians Be Involved In Astrology?
OMENS? DIVINATION? HOROSCOPES? THE ORIGIN OF ASTROLOGY Where did astrology come from? Should you read your horoscope?
Does Astrology Work? Many believe and follow astrology–but does it work? Here is a link to the article in Mandarin Chinese: 占星术准确吗？ .
Angels, Cherubim, and Seraphim This is information about various types of angelic beings.
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?
Fatima and the ‘Miracle’ of the Sun On October 13, 1917, tens of thousands of people witnessed what they considered to be a miracle in the sky in Fatima, Portugal. Was this a miracle from God? Can you be certain? A video of some related interest is Fatima and Pope Francis. Here is a link to the sermon: Fatima and the ‘Miracle of the Sun’.
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.
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?
Fatima Shock! What the Vatican Does Not Want You to Know About Fatima, Dogmas of Mary, and Future Apparitions. Whether or not you believe anything happened at Fatima, if you live long enough, you will be affected by its ramifications (cf. Isaiah 47; Revelation 17). Fatima Shock! provides concerned Christians with enough Catholic-documented facts to effectively counter every false Marian argument. In addition to the print version, there is a Kindle version of Fatima Shock! which you can acquire in seconds.

‘Holy Roman Empire’ painting from 1510

COGwriter

German political parties have been working on who to propose to replace Chancellor Angela Merkel. Here are news reports about candidates from two parties:

Armin Laschet: The man set to be the CDU’s chancellor candidate

20 April 2021

North Rhine-Westphalia’s State Premier Armin Laschet is set to be the Christian Democratic Union’s (CDU) candidate for chancellor in September’s election after over a week of tortuous wrangling with the leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU) Markus Söder.

Laschet has led the CDU since mid-January, and the 60-year-old is now expected to win the election for the CDU/CSU conservative alliance and succeed Angela Merkel this year. It is a gamble: Polling of not only CDU supporters, but also Germans in general indicated Söder was the more popular candidate. According to a recent Forsa poll, only 32% of voters who voted CDU or CSU in the 2017 federal election said they would stick with their choice if Laschet were the candidate.

But after hours-long discussion Monday night, three-quarters of the members of the CDU party board backed Laschet. A week earlier, the CDU presidium — the party’s major figures and state leaders — had closed ranks around Laschet. But as the days went by, it became clear that Söder had support among CDU heavyweights and the youth arm of the conservative bloc.

Observers say that it will now be no easy task to unite the CDU/CSU bloc behind its top candidate in an election campaign, where they are competing against a rising star in the Green Party. … the Catholic from the western German city of Aachen frequently alludes to his own Rhineland roots. As it happens, only one of the eight German chancellors has come from North Rhine-Westphalia: Konrad Adenauer, the very first, in the post-World War II era, who governed from 1949 to 1963. …

Laschet has gradually distanced himself from the chancellor, advocating instead in favor of cautious reopening policies.

“We can’t go on like this,” he said — coming across as both evocative and threatening. …

Laschet is prepared to fight. For weeks, he has been promising modernization and change for his party. He has been keen to remind his party of the principles of freedom and personal responsibility, which he sees as the foundations of Christian Democrat politics.

“We are capable of change, but we have become too comfortable in recent years,” he proclaimed at the start of his party’s election campaign.

Laschet has said he aspires to “make the 2020s a decade of modernization for Germany: New economic dynamism, comprehensive security, top-notch and equitable educational opportunities.” He also announced his intention to avoid new burdens on the battered economy, establish a digital ministry at the federal level, and show “zero tolerance for criminality and extremism.” …

And having grown up in the border region to Belgium, he is a true European. He has family roots in Belgium and speaks fluent French. Since 2019, Laschet has also been Germany’s representative for Franco-German cultural relations and has long maintained close ties with political leadership in Paris. https://www.dw.com/en/armin-laschet-the-man-set-to-be-the-cdus-chancellor-candidate/a-57092183

Could Green Party leader Annalena Baerbock become Germany’s next Angela Merkel?

Annalena Baerbock is said to be tough, talented and very ambitious. Now, Germany’s Green Party has named her as its candidate for chancellor.

19 April 2021

Born in 1980 in the small town of Pattensen in Lower Saxony, she was a natural athlete, placing third at Germany’s national trampolining championship. She was only 16 when she went to spend a year in the United States. Later, she studied law in Hannover before going on to the London School of Economics, where she studied international law. As a result, Baerbock gives interviews in fluent English — something that even in this day and age still can’t be taken for granted among German politicians. … Baerbock and Habeck have few inhibitions about talking to members of other parties, including conservatives, to seek possible common ground. And there has been much speculation about a possible conservative-Green coalition in Berlin after the 2021 election. https://www.dw.com/en/could-green-party-leader-annalena-baerbock-become-germanys-next-angela-merkel/a-57092415

Yes, it is possible that now or in the future, the Greens and Conservatives will be part of the same coalition.

Here are some comments from Wikipedia about both of the candidates:

Armin Laschet (born 18 February 1961) is a German politician serving as Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia since 27 June 2017. On 16 January 2021, he was elected as Leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).

Laschet earned a law degree and worked as a journalist before and during his early political career. In 1994 he was elected to the German Bundestag and in 1999 he became a Member of the European Parliament. …

He was born to an observant Roman Catholic family of German-speaking Wallonian origin; his father’s parents were both of Belgian origin. He is married to Susanne Malangré, whom he met in a Catholic children’s choir when they were children and who is a member of a prominent Aachen political family of French-speaking Wallonian origin. …

On European integration, Laschet seeks to strengthen the European Union … Laschet is considered by some critics as taking a soft stance on the government of President Vladimir Putin. Noah Barkin, writing for Foreign Policy, points out that Laschet has voiced support for Nord Stream 2 and for a closer relationship with China and is against excluding Huawei from Germany’s 5G network. He adds that Laschet has also been against “demonizing” Putin for the Russian annexation of Crimea. (Armin Laschet. Wikipedia, accessed 04/20/21)

Annalena Charlotte Alma Baerbock (born 15 December 1980) is a German politician serving as co-leader of Alliance 90/The Greens since 2018 alongside Robert Habeck. She has been a member of the Bundestag for the state of Brandenburg since 2013. … Baerbock is regarded as taking a centrist line on defense and pushing for a stronger common EU foreign policy. (Annalena Baerbock. Wikipedia, accessed 04/20/21)

Both support the EU. Germany will also one day work closer with Russia.

So, what will happen with German and European politics?

Well, for the time being, something will work out–either via a coalition or something after another election.

But the time will come when Germany and other nations in Europe will turn from claimed democracy to dictatorship.

Notice something from a Roman Catholic source:

Rudolph Gekner (died 1675). “A great prince of the North with a most powerful army will traverse all Europe, uproot all republics, and exterminate all rebels. His sword moved by Divine power will most valiantly defend the Church of Jesus Christ. He will combat on behalf of the true orthodox faith, and shall subdue to his dominion the Mahometan Empire. A new pastor of the universal church will come from the shore (of Dalmatia) through a celestial prodigy, and in simplicity of heart adorned with the doctrines of Jesus Christ. Peace will come to the world.” (Cited in Connor, Edward. Prophecy for Today. Imprimatur + A.J. Willinger, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno; Reprint: Tan Books and Publishers, Rockford (IL), 1984, p.36).

The above leader sounds a lot like a European leader that the Bible says will arise.

The Bible also teaches that the coming European Beast empire will have religious connections:

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?”

5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. 6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. 7 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:3-8)

Interestingly, a Roman Catholic writing indicates that this Beast will rise up after Europe is lax in religion:

Jeanne le Royer (Sister of the Nativity). “I saw in the light of the Lord that the faith and our holy Religion would become weaker in almost every Christian kingdom. God has permitted that they should be Chastised by the wicked in order to awaken them from their apathy. And after the justice of God has been satisfied, He will pour out an abundance of graces on His Church, and He will spread the Faith and restore the discipline of the Church in those countries where it had become tepid and lax. (Dupont, pp.55-56)

And, of course, by and large, Europe is considered mostly secular and irreligious. Apathy is rampant towards the Church of Rome in Europe.

Now, getting back to Revelation 13, some have suggested that it contains references to the old Holy Roman Empire. To most, this appears to have died to never be revived again. Yet, Catholic writings also expect to see its reemergence:

Several private prophecies of canonized Saints specifically state that there will be a latter restoration of the Holy Roman Empire and that there will be at least one last Holy Roman Emperor. The authenticity of the authorship of such prophecies of canonized Saints (e.g., St. Hildegard, St. Vincent Ferrer, St. Francis of Paula, and St. John Vianney) at least over the last eight hundred years is scholastically unquestionable. (Birch, D. p.281)

Notice some items from the old Radio/Worldwide Church of God that were published decades ago (bolding mine):

Watch the emergence of a strong man in West Germany (Hogberg G and Walter EM. NATO at the Crossroads. Plain Truth, May 1969)

The attempt to unify Europe as one economic, military and political power bloc restoring the “Holy Roman Empire,” has been the one aim of all the “great” men who dominated European history from Napoleon’s “Waterloo” until now. Mussolini, dominating Eritrea, Italian Somaliland, Libya, and conquering Ethiopia, did officially name his weak “Empire” the “Roman Empire.” But now the dream of a mighty, powerful, resurrected Roman Empire at last is becoming a hard-driving reality.

… nations of United Europe have succeeded in their aim far beyond the wildest dreams of the original signers of the Treaty of Rome. In far less time, at a far greater pace than anticipated, these nations of Europe have risen from the economic chaos of World War II to the dizzying heights of a standard of living never known to them before! With the present success well beyond the proportions of that expected three years ago, with a future success — in a world of peace — sure to produce a near — utopia, Western Europe is more concerned about war than any other economic and political entity on the face of this earth! “This is very probably the last year in which anyone except Europe will be able to negotiate with the Soviet Union for Europe!” (London Sunday Times). These nations are ENJOYING their economic recovery and they will let nothing stand in its way — they will stop at nothing to keep ‘What they have, and, GO ON TO MORE! SO it is that a blueprint has been drawn up by the Six, that demands meetings among themselves to decide the MILITARY AND FOREIGN POLICY questions that come up regarding Europe! …

“Fascism in Europe is about to be reborn in respectable business attire, and the Treaty of Rome will finally be implemented to its fullest extent.. the dream of a Holy Roman, Empire returning to power to dominate and direct the so-called forces of Christian mankind of the Western world is not dead, but still stalks through the antechambers of every national capital of continental Western Europe… IN THE DETERMINATION OF THE LEADERS IN THE COMMON MARKET NATIONS TO RESTORE THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE WITH ALL THAT THAT MEANS!” (Northwest Technocrat, Vol. XXV, No. 205.) United within the ancient boundaries of the Holy Roman Empire; united by the common spiritual bond of universal Catholicism; united in a burgeoning and booming industrial economy that dominates today’s world; united geographically in the most productive and industrial complex of all the earth — at least TEN NATIONS OF MODERN EUROPE WILL MARCH ONTO THE SCENE OF WORLD HISTORY AS THE GREATEST SINGLE HUMAN FORCE EVER SEEN BY MAN! (Hill DJ. What is Germany’s Destiny? Plain Truth, March 1962)

The prophecy of Daniel 11 details events — at that time, still future — from the remaining days of the Medo-Persian empire, through the reign of Alexander the Great and his successors in Syria and Egypt, and on through to the second coming of Christ! Beginning in verse 40 we read of a conflict between two great powers: “And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind….”

This is an important “end-time” prophecy. Following the chronological progression of the chapter, it becomes apparent that the phrase “king of the north” had at first referred to Syria under the Seleucid dynasty, and later, in the New Testament times, to the Emperor of the Roman Empire. … Thus, in its final end-time application, the “king of the north” is the prophesied strong man who will lead a coming union of ten European nations — the seventh and final revival of the ancient Roman Empire prophesied by Daniel and in the book of Revelation (see Revelation 17:12-13).

But who is the “king of the south”? In the earlier portions of Daniel 11, the phrase refers without question to ancient Egypt under the rule of the Ptolemaic dynasty, later including Ethiopia which was annexed to Egypt. But in verse 40 we skip to “the time of the end” … Its greater fulfillment is yet future! Just as there is yet to be a final “king of the north” — called in Bible symbolism “the beast” — who will arise as superdictator over an end-time European confederation, there may very well emerge in the same manner a final “king of the south” — an overall leader of an Arab-Moslem confederation, possibly even bearing the very title Mahdi! And these two individuals will eventually find themselves in a head-to-head confrontation — possibly over oil — which will ultimately lead to devastating war in the Middle East!

King David of ancient Israel, in a prophetic psalm (Psalm 83) provides additional insight into the coming Mideast picture. Germany (Assyria in Bible prophecy) and perhaps the rest of Europe will be in league in the future with a union of Arab nations — a vast confederacy bound together in an effort to crush out the name “Israel” from the face of the earth! This Arab-Moslem confederacy may very well be the previously mentioned “king of the south” of Daniel 11 — a sphere of power encompassing vast portions of the Islamic world. …

But in the end, this European-Arab alliance will prove short-lived. As shown earlier, the “king of the north” of Daniel 11 — the leader of the German-led European union — will ultimately turn against the Arab “king of the south,” with disastrous consequences for the entire Middle East — both Jew and Arab alike. The entire region will be subjected to armed invasion! …

The Arab-Moslem Confederation will, of course, be thrown into chaotic disarray in the face of invasion. Some of its component countries will be directly occupied by European troops. However, as revealed in Daniel 11:41, Jordan (the present-day descendants of Moab and Ammon) and Turkey (Edom) will escape occupation. Other Arab countries may also avoid full occupation, possibly remaining in some sort of limited alliance with United Europe. “Libya” (or Put, the North African Arabs) along with ” Ethiopia” (or Cush, certain black African nations) shall be “at his [the king of the north’s] steps” — or “following him” as some translations render it. (Stump K. THE ARAB WORLD IN PROPHECY. Plain Truth, December 1979)

And the Bible?

The Bible clearly shows that a reorganization will come to Europe and power will be given to a dictator:

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)

(More on the reorganization is discussed in the article: Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations?)

The Bible shows that the European beast leader, also called the King of the North, will arise promising peace.

21 And in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue. 22 With the force of a flood they shall be swept away from before him and be broken, and also the prince of the covenant. 23 And after the league is made with him he shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and become strong with a small number of people. (Daniel 11:21-23, NKJV)

25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. (Daniel 8:25, KJV).

(To prove this leader will be European, please watch the video: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?)

I do not believe that either Armin Laschet nor Annalena Baerbock will be the coming Beast leader, but one or both of them could support that leader’s final rise.

The Bible shows that the time will come when the European leader, King of the North, will rise up against a power based in the predominantly Islamic regions of the Middle East and Northern Africa:

40 “At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. 41 He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 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. (Daniel 11:40-43, NKJV)

1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says:

“‘Wail and say, “Alas for that day!” 3 For the day is near, the day of the LORD is near- a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations. 4 A sword will come against Egypt, and anguish will come upon Cush. When the slain fall in Egypt, her wealth will be carried away and her foundations torn down.

5 Cush and Put, Lydia and all Arabia, Libya and the people of the covenant land will fall by the sword along with Egypt.

6 “‘This is what the LORD says:

“‘The allies of Egypt will fall and her proud strength will fail. From Migdol to Aswan they will fall by the sword within her, declares the Sovereign LORD. 7 “‘They will be desolate among desolate lands, and their cities will lie among ruined cities. 8 Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I set fire to Egypt and all her helpers are crushed.

9 “‘On that day messengers will go out from me in ships to frighten Cush out of her complacency. Anguish will take hold of them on the day of Egypt’s doom, for it is sure to come (Ezekiel 30:1-9, NIV).

Expect conflict, as well as change, in Europe.

There will be conflict between the Europeans and the Arabs (watch also the video sermonette: War is Coming Between Europeans and Arabs).

Islam will not win.

Europe will one day support a dictatorial strongman. The Bible calls him the Beast of the Sea (Revelation 13:1-10) and the King of the North (Daniel 11:40).

What about the view of some Worldwide Church of God writers that this dictatorial leader will be German?

Well, people are starting to notice that Europe is already being dominated by Germany (see ‘Undemocratic’ European Union has become a German empire).

Notice something else that the old Worldwide Church of God published in 1980:

Finally feeling the chilling embrace of Moscow, the German people may yet call for the Bavarian strongman — the one they feared in good times — to rescue them from their impending doom. (Hogberg G. WHERE Is WEST GERMANY Headed? Plain Truth, December 1980).

A Bavarian strongman would be someone from Bavaria in Germany. The one that Gene Hogberg had in mind back in 1980 (Franz Joseph Strauss) died. Yet, let me add that there is another Bavarian strongman who I have kept my eye on who may one day rise up. His name is Karl-Theodor zu-Guttenberg (see Might German Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg become the King of the North?). A reader sent me a link a while back to a presentation that Herr Guttenberg gave in May of 2016 where he called for more passionate leaders in Europe. One such leader will arise.

When the time comes for the final Beast leader to arise, he will most likely be at least partially German, as all the leaders of the old Holy Roman Empire were as well.

Germans and other Europeans will get sufficiently frustrated with democracy (as well as will be deceived by various signs and lying wonders–2 Thessalonians 2:8-12) that they will support a dictatorial leader over Europe.

Some items of possibly related interest may also include:

Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
European Technology and the Beast of Revelation Will the coming European Beast power would use and develop technology that will result in the taking over of the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies? Is this possible? What does the Bible teach? Here is a related YouTube video: Military Technology and the Beast of Revelation.
Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations? Some claim that these passages refer to a gathering of 10 currently existing nations together, while one group teaches that this is referring to 11 nations getting together. Is that what Revelation 17:12-13 refers to? The ramifications of misunderstanding this are enormous. A related sermon is titled Ten Kings of Revelation and the Great Tribulation.
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.
Might German Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg become the King of the North? Is the former German Defense Minister (who is also the former German Minister for Economics and Technology) one to watch? What do Catholic, Byzantine, and biblical prophecies suggest? A video of related interest would be: Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg and Europe’s Future.
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: Are Chinese threats against Australia for real?
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?
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no Final End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West? Here is a version in the Spanish language: ¿Quién es el Rey del Occidente? ¿Por qué no hay un Rey del Occidente en la profecía del tiempo del fin?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2026 or 20xx? There is also a video titled The 6000 Year Plan: Is the end of humanity’s reign almost up? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
Might the U.S.A. Be Gone by 2028? Are there prophetic reasons to believe that the USA will not last two complete presidential terms? Yes. There is a tradition attributed to the Hebrew prophet Elijah that humanity had 6,000 years to live before being replaced by God’s Kingdom. There are scriptures, writings in the Talmud, early Christian teachings that support this. Also, even certain Hindu writings support it. Here is a link to a related video: Is the USA prophesied to be destroyed by 2028? In Spanish: Seran los Estados Unidos Destruidos en el 2028?
The Great Tribulation: What Happens First? What events have happened? What are some events that are now happening? And what events need to happen for the Great Tribulation to start? Here is a link to a related sermon video: Counting Down to the Great Tribulation. Here is a video in the Spanish language: Contando los eventos y el inicio de la Gran Tribulación.
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2021, 2022, or 2023? 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 la Gran Tribulación comenzar en el 2020 o 2021? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? A related video is: 2021: The Great Tribulation or the Great Reset? Here is a video in the Spanish language: Es El 2021 el año  de La Gran Tribulación o el Grande Reseteo Financiero.
Is a Great Reset Coming? Klaus Schwab of the World Economic Forum has proposed a societal change that has been basically endorsed by the Vatican and many world leaders. Does the Bible prophesy a major reset? Here is a link to a related video: Will there be a “Great Reset”?
The Times of the Gentiles Has there been more than one time of the Gentiles? Are we in it now or in the time of Anglo-America? What will the final time of the Gentiles be like? A related sermon is available and is titled: The Times of the Gentiles.
World War III: Steps in Progress Are there surprising actions going on now that are leading to WWIII? Might a nuclear attack be expected? Does the Bible promise protection to all or only some Christians? How can you be part of those that will be protected? A related video would be Is World War III About to Begin? Can You Escape?
Is the Future King of the South Rising Up? Some no longer believe there needs to be a future King of the South. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? Might this King be called the Mahdi or Caliph? What does the Bible say? A YouTube video of related interest may be: The Future King of the South is Rising.
The Muslim Brotherhood and the Rise of the King of the South The Bible tells of the formation of a power of nations that are in the Middle East and North Africa that are part of the final “King of the South” (Daniel 11:40-43) The Muslim Brotherhood wishes to have an Islamic empire with basically the same nations. This YouTube video explains what to expect from such a confederation.
Why Terrorism? Is Terrorism Prophesied? What does the Bible teach? Which nations may be affected? Here is a link to a related sermon: Terrorism, Christianity, and Islam.
The Arab and Islamic World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam? What about the Imam Mahdi? What lies ahead for Turkey, Iran, and the other non-Arabic Muslims? An item of possibly related interest in the Spanish language would be: Líderes iraníes condenan la hipocresía de Occidente y declaran que ahora es tiempo para prepararse para el Armagedón, la guerra, y el Imán Mahdi.
The Prophesied ‘Islamic’ Confederation Where is an Islamic caliphate prophesied? Will one happen? Should you be concerned about it? A related video is Will an Arabic Calphiphate Destroy the West?

COGwriter

It was announced that former US Vice President Walter Mondale died:

April 19, 2021 9:30 pm

Former Vice President Walter F. Mondale, a liberal icon who lost the most lopsided presidential elections after bluntly telling voters to expect a tax increase if he won, died Monday. He was 93.

The death of the former U.S. senator, ambassador and Minnesota attorney general was announced in a statement from his family. No cause was cited. https://www.voanews.com/usa/walter-mondale-carters-vice-president-dies-age-93

In other USA news, we see that the Biden-Harris Administration is intending to advise that USA citizens should NOT travel to about 80% of the nations of the world:

US warns against travel to 80% of world

20 April 2021

Americans will be advised not to travel to over 160 countries due to “unprecedented risk” from COVID-19. https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-digest-us-warns-against-travel-to-80-of-world/a-57258994

That being said, the Biden-Harris Administration has essentially encouraged people from many of those countries to come to the USA.

Furthermore, it has taken steps to reverse bans on people coming from countries believed to harbor terrorists. In response to that second item, former US President Donald Trump made some comments:

Trump Calls on Biden to Reinstate Travel Ban

April 19, 2021

Former President Donald Trump is calling on his successor to reinstate the travel ban on certain Muslim majority countries and keep refugee restrictions Trump imposed while in office.

“If Joe Biden wants to keeps our Country safe from Radical Islamic Terrorism, he reinstitute the foreign country Travel Ban and all of the vetting requirements on those seeking admission that go with it, along with the refugee restrictions I successfully put in place,” Trump said in a statement released by his office.

“Terrorists operate all over the world and recruit online,” he continued. “To keep terrorism and extremism out of our Country, we need to have smart, commonsense rules in place so we don’t repeat the many immigration mistakes made by Europe — and the USA prior to ‘Trump.'”

On his first day in office, Biden reversed Trump’s travel ban as a part of several sweeping executive orders. Democratic critics of the ban said it targeted Muslims. Trump during his campaign had called for a complete and total ban of Muslims in an effort to keep out Islamic extremist terrorists. https://www.newsmax.com/politics/travelban-refugeecap/2021/04/19/id/1018205/

Regular readers of this COGwriter Church of God News page are aware that because of biblical prophecies, I have long warned of terrorism in the USA from people of the Middle East. This is also mentioned in my book: Biden-Harris: Prophecies and Destruction:

Islam and Prophecy

Donald Trump upset many when he implemented a travel ban on people from various Islamic-dominated nations. He said he did so to reduce potential terrorist threats.

Joe Biden’s plan is to quickly change that policy:

On the first day of his presidency, president-elect Joe Biden intends to rescind Donald Trump’s travel bans on travellers from 13 countries, most either majority-Muslim or African nations.[^{US ‘Muslim ban’ set to end ‘on day one’ of Biden presidency. Aljazeera, November 8, 2020}]

That travel ban specifically included Syrians.

Is there any possible threat from Islamic and/or Syrian refugees?

Yes, there are prophecies that say so. Consider the following two:

²⁵ … There shall be terror within (Deuteronomy 32:25)

⁸ The Lord sent a word against Jacob, And it has fallen on Israel. ⁹ All the people will know — Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria — … ¹¹ Therefore the Lord shall set up The adversaries of Rezin against him, And spur his enemies on, ¹² The Syrians before and the Philistines behind; And they shall devour Israel with an open mouth. (Isaiah 9:8-9, 11-12)

The U.S.A. will have more terrorist attacks.

Syrian refugees are a potential problem.

The Bible clearly is prophesying problems from Syrians and Palestinians. And this would be expected to include terrorism.

While Donald Trump slowed down the flow of Islamic migrants to the U.S.A., there are already many here. More would be expected to come under the Biden-Harris Administration, as Joe Biden himself has called for. And while most such immigrants are not a threat, biblically some are.

And yes, terror is prophesied to hit the U.S.A. (Thiel B. Biden-Harris: Prophecies and Destruction. Nazarene Books, 2021)

As the above points out, the following prophecies from the Book of Isaiah are related to the USA and its Anglo-Saxon descended allies such as the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand:

8 The Lord sent a word against Jacob, And it has fallen on Israel. 9 All the people will know — Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria — … 11 Therefore the Lord shall set up The adversaries of Rezin against him, And spur his enemies on, 12 The Syrians before and the Philistines behind; And they shall devour Israel with an open mouth. (Isaiah 9:8-9, 11-12)

Syrian refugees have been a potential problem. The Bible clearly is prophesying problems from some Syrians and some Palestinians. And this would be expected to include terrorism.

This is happening.

Does this mean that all or most Syrian refugees are terrorists?

No.

However, consider that the Bible clearly prophesies terrorism. Notice some of those prophecies:

5 They have corrupted themselves; They are not His children, Because of their blemish: A perverse and crooked generation. … 25 The sword shall destroy outside; There shall be terror within (Deuteronomy 32:5,25)

25 Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke, 26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes, 27 When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you. (Proverbs 1:25-27)

5 Also they are afraid of height, And of terrors in the way (Ecclesiastes 12:5).

6 You have forsaken Me,” says the Lord,
“You have gone backward.
Therefore I will stretch out My hand against you and destroy you;
I am weary of relenting!
7 And I will winnow them with a winnowing fan in the gates of the land;
I will bereave them of children;
I will destroy My people,
Since they do not return from their ways.
8 Their widows will be increased to Me more than the sand of the seas;
I will bring against them,
Against the mother of the young men,
A plunderer at noonday;
I will cause anguish and terror to fall on them suddenly. (Jeremiah 15:6-8)

While many political, media, and other leaders refuse to believe the Bible, the reality is that those of us who believe the Bible realize that terrorism is prophesied.

Notice something from Psalm 83:

3 They have taken crafty counsel against Your people,
And consulted together against Your sheltered ones.
4 They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation,
That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.”

5 For they have consulted together with one consent;
They form a confederacy against You:
6 The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites;
Moab and the Hagrites;
7 Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek;
Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
8 Assyria also has joined with them;
They have helped the children of Lot. (Psalms 83:3-8)

Nearly all the above peoples are in lands in the Middle East and North Africa dominated by Islam–and the Biden-Harris Administration wants to let more in the USA.

Psalm 83 is very likely to involve terrorism.

Why?

Because taking “crafty counsel” sounds like plotting terrorism. Notice also that a deal will happen involving Assyria, which is prophesied to takeover the USA and UK per Isaiah 10 (see also Germany in Biblical Prophecy).

In 1966 and 1979, the old Radio/Worldwide Church of God identified the modern peoples who are listed as being part of the confederation in Psalm 83:

They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: The tabernacles of Edom [Esau or modern-day Turkey, a non-Arab but Islamic nation] and the Ishmaelites [Saudi Arabia]; of Moab [part of  Jordan] and the Hagarenes [anciently these people dwelt in the land known as Syria today]; Gebal [Lebanon], and Ammon [modern Jordan], and Amalek [part of the Turks]; the Philistines [the modern Palestinian Arabs] with the inhabitants of Tyre [Lebanon]; Assur [whose descendants, the Assyrians, migrated to Germany] also is joined with them: (Stump K. The Arab World in Prophecy. Plain Truth, December 1979).

Turn to the astounding prophecy found in Psalm 83:1-8. David, inspired of God, predicted the coming time when ALL of Israel’s enemies would join together in an effort to crush out even the name “Israel” from the face of the earth! (Verse 4) “For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee…” (verse 5). Notice the nations making up this confederation. “Edom [Turkey], and the Ishmaelites [Saudi Arabia]; Moab [Jordan], and the Hagarenes [they anciently dwelt in the land known as Syria today]; Gebal {Lebanon}, and Ammon [Jordan] and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assur [whose descendants migrated to Germany] is joined with them; they have helped the children of Lot” {Moab and Ammon in modern Jordan). Here we see that the Arab nations mentioned are allied with Germany (Assur) which we know from other prophecies will be the military leader — naturally so — of a United States of Europe…Egypt…will provoke the prophesied United Europe (Dan. 11:40). This European power — called the “king of the north” in Daniel 11 — shall invade and occupy the “glorious land” of Palestine (verse 41). “And the land of Egypt shall not escape”(Boraker R. SYRIA RAIDS ISRAEL – Where Is It Leading? Plain Truth. November 1966)

So, we see at least two prophecies that involve Middle Easterners and potential terrorism.

Now consider the following in the light of Isaiah 9 and Psalm 83 from the prophet Amos:

9 ‘Assemble on the mountains of Samaria; See great tumults in her midst, And the oppressed within her. 10 For they do not know to do right, ‘Says the Lord, ‘Who store up violence and robbery in their palaces.’” (Amos 3:9-10)

The reference to Samaria is pointing to the USA (see also Spiritual Samaritans: Old and New).

The above is consistent with both civil unrest and terrorism.

The USA has had less Islamic terrorism the past few years.

Now, expect more to hit the USA.

Biblically, Middle Easterners are expected to be involved.

And the Biden-Harris Administration is pushing to get more in the USA.

It should also be noted that Canada has taken many Syrians in as well and is also subject to terrorism from some of them.

While helping refugees can be a very good thing to do, when a nation has also disdained God’s counsel, it is putting itself at risk of terrorism (Proverbs 1:25-27).

The days of the USA and its British descended allies are numbered.

Cardinal Vestments

COGwriter

Cardinals hold a high position in the Church of Rome.

Is this an office the Bible lists for the Christian church?

Oxitec logo

COGwriter

World Net Daily reported the following:

Florida to release genetically modified mosquitoes to fight disease

A biotechnology company will soon release genetically modified mosquitoes in certain areas of the Florida Keys in order to combat infectious diseases spread by the parasitic insects.

The findings could lead to a new method for combating the spread of diseases such as the Zika virus and dengue fever, according to experts. Both diseases are commonly attributed to mosquito bites in humans.

Fox News reported that a strain of mosquitoes developed by a United Kingdom-based company called Oxitec — partnered with the Keys’ Mosquito Control District — will soon be released into a select number of neighborhoods in Florida. The aim of the experimental program is to control the population of the female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes which make life insufferable for many residents of the Keys.

Oxitec Head of Regulator Affairs Dr. Nathan Rose told Fox his company’s genetically modified mosquitoes will be released with the hopes that they will foster results in research that can eventually be used in other areas.

“So, mosquito-borne disease is a thing in the U.S., and it’s likely to get worse in the future as a result of climate change [and] as these mosquitoes kind of move farther and farther north from the Gulf Coast into more and more of the continental U.S.,” Rose said. 04/17/21 https://www.wnd.com/2021/04/florida-keys-release-genetically-modified-mosquitoes-fight-disease/

While this could work, the risks are substantial. Like what happened in the Jurassic Park movie, where nature did not limit itself to what the geneticists hoped, the same can happen with this experiment.

By the way, many strongly suggest that COVID-19 may have been released (inadvertently) by a lab and scientists in Wuhan China who had been genetically-altering viruses.

It is likely that intentional biological substances will be used in warfare. Related to that, the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) put together the following video for our Bible News Prophecy program:

17:01

Biological Warfare and Prophecy

Is biological warfare possible? Was it prophesied? Scientists have long warned that pathogenic organisms like the coronavirus could be weaponized. Furthermore, back in 2017, there were concerns that the biological research facility being constructed in Wuhan, China was risky and that a coronavirus from it could be released. On January 25, 2020, China’s President Xi Jinping publicly stated that the situation with the Wuhan-related strain of the coronavirus was grave. Did Church of God writers like the late evangelist Raymond McNair warn that engineered viruses (the “Doomsday bug”) were consistent with prophecies from Jesus? Did a warning from CCOG leader Bob Thiel warn about risks of genetically-modified (GMO) mosquitoes come to pass? Could human research and/or the consumption of biblically-unclean animals such as bats and snakes be a factor in current outbreaks or coming future pestilences? What about famines? How devastating have pestilences been? How devastating are the prophesied ones going to be? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more.

Here is a link to our video: Biological Warfare and Prophecy.

Now, that is not to say that warfare is the objective of Oxitec, the firm involved with this latest mosquito release plan.

Yet, the reality is that there is no way that items like genetically-modified mosquitoes can be so thoroughly tested in a lab to be released in the wild without any risk.

Why?

A laboratory environment simply cannot test every possible variable in the real world.

The release of genetically-modified mosquitoes in Florida is a dangerous risk.

Now, here is the headline and some of what follows it from Oxitec’s website:

Friendly & Powerful technology for a changing planet

Oxitec has developed the world’s leading INSECT-BASED biological control system to SAFELY AND sustainably CONTROL INSECTS THAT TRANSMIT DISEASE AND DESTROY CROPS.

Sure, that can be their public hope. To assert that this has been safely done when all results and variables cannot possibly have been considered is an overstatement of hope, not, in my view, of science.

The release of other genetically-modified mosquitoes has been tried before, but the results were not as the proponents hoped:

Deadly ‘super mosquitoes that are even tougher’ accidentally created by scientists after bungled experiment

Updated September 18, 2019

GENETICALLY modified mosquitoes that were designed by scientists to help populations decrease are actually thriving.

This is according to new research that claims the plan to create gene-hacked mosquitoes that have offspring which die immediately has spectacularly backfired and now scientists don’t know what will happen next.

The modified mosquitoes were released in Jacobina in Brazil and were supposed to mix with the local population and decrease numbers with their weak offspring genetics.

Although the wild population did plummet for a short while, 18 months later it was right back up again.

This is mostly concerning because scientists think the new ‘super mosquitoes’ have properties that might make them harder to kill.

Research about the pests has been published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports. …

Mosquitoes like the Aedes aegypti variety that was edited can carry dangerous diseases like yellow fever, Zika virus and Malaria.

This is why efforts are being made to reduce their numbers.

However, now traces of the genetically modified genes have been found in the natural population.

This means they are successfully interbreeding. …

The offspring of the gene-hacked mosquitoes and the natural ones are thought to be more robust but whether they pose a threat is unknown.

Researcher Jeffrey Powell told News Atlas: “It is the unanticipated outcome that is concerning.” https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/9947305/deadly-super-mosquitoes-accidentally-created/

So, scientists are concerned about “the unanticipated outcome.” Having mosquitoes that are “more robust” makes them harder to kill and, thus tends to increase their longevity.

Well, I anticipated something just like this when I reported about the release of GMOs mosquitoes on July 28, 2018. Here are some of my posted warnings.

Mosquitoes can carry and spread many diseases.

But releasing genetically-modified ones into the wild presents unknown risks.

One assumption that scientists have tended to make with genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) is that if they do not see any dangers, then there are none. That is foolish, yet that continues to be the view of the pro-GMO crowd.

While there certainly are risks associated with contracting the Zika virus (see Zika is more dangerous than many thought; USA has its first Zika death), this ‘solution’ poses risks to various parts of the ecosystem as well as the possibility that some of the offspring produced will have greater longevity as opposed to greatly reduced longevity.

The vast quantity of mosquito offspring increases the possibility that there will be some that have the opposite traits that the GMO crowd is hoping to get. And if this occurs, this could cause much greater problems than the GMO ‘solution’ was supposed to fix. …

Genetically modified mosquitoes pose dangerous risks. (Thiel B. Genetically-modified mosquitoes have been released to ‘fight Zika’. COGwriter, July 28, 2018)

GMOs are very dangerous precisely because scientists CANNOT ANTICIPATE all the potentially negative outcomes.

Super-mosquitoes are a health-risk.

Mosquitoes, GMO or otherwise, have major potential to spread pestilences and cause pandemics.

Notice some of what Jesus warned would happen prior to the start of the Great Tribulation during the beginning of sorrows:

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

11 And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven. (Luke 21:11)

(Perhaps it should be mentioned that contrary to the views of some Protestant prophecy preachers, the fourth horseman of the apocalypse is NOT Islam, but has to do with death and pestilence: see Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse).

Mosquitoes are pests, as far as humans are concerned, and can spread many diseases.

Bible prophecy shows that the situation with pestilence is expected to worsen:

7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” 8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth. (Revelation 6:7-8)

Mosquitoes, and the diseases associated with them, are consistent with the “beasts of earth” that Revelation 6 is discussing.

Genetically modified mosquitoes can be harder to kill than natural ones and pose dangerous, and seemingly prophesied, risks.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse What is the pale horse of death and pestilences? What will it bring and when? Here is a link to a related sermon: Fourth Horseman, COVID, and the Rise of the Beast of Revelation. Here is a version of that sermon in Spanish: El Cuarto Caballo, El COVID y El Surgimiento de la Bestia del Apocalipsis. Some shorter related videos may include Amphibian Apocalypse: Threat to Humans? and Zombie Deer Disease is Here! Are the 10 Plagues on Egypt Coming? Here is a version of the article in Spanish: El cuarto jinete de Apocalipsis, el caballo pálido de muerte y pestilencia.
Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18? Does any church have the confirmed dream and prophetic signs of Acts 2:17-18? Should one? Here is a link in the Spanish language: ¿Tiene la CCOG confirmadas las señales de Hechos 2: 17-18?
Church of God Leaders on Prophets Have there been prophets throughout the church age? Are any supposed to be around in the last days? What have COG leaders stated or written about prophets? Here is a link to a related sermon: Church of God Leaders on Prophets.
GMOs and Bible Prophecy What are GMOs? Since they were not in the food supply until 1994, how could they possibly relate to Bible prophecy? Do GMOs put the USA and others at risk? Here is a related YouTube video GMO Risks and the Bible.
Chimeras: Has Science Crossed the Line? What are chimeras? Has science crossed the line? Does the Bible give any clues? A video of related interest is Half human, half pig: What’s the difference?
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse What do each of the four horseman of the Apocalypse represent? Have they began their ride? Did Jesus discuss the any of this? Might their rides coincide with the “beginning of sorrows? Do they start their ride prior to the Great Tribulation? Did Nostradamus or any other ‘private prophets’ write predictions that may mislead people so that they may not understand the truth of one or more of the four horseman? There is also a related YouTube video titled Sorrows and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2028 or or 2031 or 20xx? There is also a video titled 6000 Years: When will God’s Kingdom Come? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
Might the U.S.A. Be Gone by 2028? Are there prophetic reasons to believe that the USA will not last two complete presidential terms? Yes. There is a tradition attributed to the Hebrew prophet Elijah that humanity had 6,000 years to live before being replaced by God’s Kingdom. There are scriptures, writings in the Talmud, early Christian teachings that support this. Also, even certain Hindu writings support it. Here is a link to a related video: Is the USA prophesied to be destroyed by 2028? In Spanish: Seran los Estados Unidos Destruidos en el 2028?
The Great Tribulation: What Happens First? What events have happened? What are some events that are now happening? And what events need to happen for the Great Tribulation to start? Here is a link to a related sermon video: Counting Down to the Great Tribulation. Here is a video in the Spanish language: Contando los eventos y el inicio de la Gran Tribulación.
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2021, 2022, or 2023? 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 la Gran Tribulación comenzar en el 2020 o 2021? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? A related video is: 2021: The Great Tribulation or the Great Reset? Here is a video in the Spanish language: Es El 2021 el año  de La Gran Tribulación o el Grande Reseteo Financiero.

Surveillance Octopus (Pixabay)

COGwriter

Notice the following:

China Launches New App Allowing Citizens to Report Others For Expressing “Mistaken Opinions”

April 19, 2021

China’s Communist government has launched a new app that encourages citizens to report dissidents for expressing “mistaken opinions” on the Internet.

The new platform will target anyone who criticizes the dictatorship’s ruling CCP, disputes the official version of the country’s history or engages in “misinformation.”

The new website and app was proudly unveiled by China’s Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), with authorities calling on users to play an “active role” in helping to identify “malicious people distorting facts and confusing” others.

“For a while now, some people with ulterior motives…have spread historically nihilistic false statements online, maliciously distorting, slandering and denying Party, national and military history in an attempt to confuse people’s thinking,” the announcement said. https://www.newswars.com/china-launches-new-app-allowing-citizens-to-report-others-for-expressing-mistaken-opinions/

While you might think that the above is par for the course for a communist government, let me point out that a local government near where I am typing this encouraged citizens to report people who violated various social guidelines related to COVID.

A reader sent me the following from 1873 a couple of days ago that was reprinted by a Baptist organization on Friday:

Journalist at Large, London, 1873 – It has come to our attention that Joseph Lister’s “germ theory” has been censored by the respected media publications of our day, and rightfully so, we say. As readers probably know, Lister is the controversial surgeon at Glasgow Royal Infirmary whose “deeply religious” character makes him immediately suspect. He claims that a new antiseptic method of surgery dramatically reduces the fatality rate from about 50% to 15%, but the vast majority of scientific opinion is against the man’s theories. Four years ago, the British Association, meeting at Leeds, mocked Lister’s ideas, and just this year the respected medical journal The Lancet warned that the entire medical profession is against Lister’s ideas. It is difficult to see how that such an august group of medical men could be wrong. We find it commendable that our all-wise, mothering media have the policy of censoring “content that contradicts the consensus of local and global health authorities” so that dangerous ideas like Lister’s will not be propagated and debated. As the wise saying goes, “We must follow the science.” https://www.wayoflife.org/friday_church_news/22-16.php

Yes, Joseph Lister was mocked and censored for explaining how germs can make people sick and how steps could be taken to save lives. Notice that the British press was lauding his ridicule and endorsing censorship. People died unnecessarily because of this ridicule and censorship.

We have seen the same things going on with COVID and Big Tech. Less people would have died from COVID-19 if the press and Big Tech would have not suppressed proper information about nutrition, health, and immune system support.

Personally, despite being a published scientist, I was censored by both Vimeo and Facebook for telling the truth related to COVID-19 in 2020.

Neither of those organizations responded when I contacted them and pointed out that nothing I taught was against their stated policies.

They just censored me–and many others–for their own agendas.

Many have been deceived about COVID and truthful information has been suppressed.

Of course, it is not just COVID or information about governments that will be suppressed in the future.

As far a deception and suppression, consider the following scriptures:

1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: … 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 3:1,7)

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

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness … 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, (Romans 1:18,22)

Yes, the Bible warns of lies, suppressions of truth, and we have seen a lot of this related to not only COVID, but politics, moral, and other issues this past year.

That being said, as a Church of God leader, I have been criticized by anti-COG posters who claimed I should have stopped all CCOG church services last year in the name of science. Of course, it was NOT right (cf. Leviticus 23; Hebrews 10:24-25) nor scientific to close CCOG services, so we did not do that.

The Apostle Paul warned Timothy not to be swayed by positions falsely claimed to be science:

20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: (1 Timothy 6:20, KJV)

As far as COG-types being deceived, one webmaster recently posted that I was part of the “uninformed opposition” for posting scientifically accurate information related to COVID-19. The reality is that 1) what I wrote was correct and 2) I worked with Dr. Fauci’s department in the past and although it twice declared my anti-viral research as having “scientific merit,” I found that they could not get out of their own way to improve human immune response.

But what we have seen so far pales in comparison to what is coming.

In the future, people who claim to be (or once claimed to be) COG will turn in in real Christians consistent with the following:

31 And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation. 32 Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. 33 And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering. 34 Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by intrigue. 35 And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time. (Daniel 11:31-35, NKJV).

(The words in italics are NOT in the original Hebrew.) As far as WHO will instruct many, see the article Philadelphian Christians Will Instruct Many and/or watch the sermonette video: Will YOU Instruct Many?

The persecutions in Daniel 11 above are by one called the King of the North (Daniel 11:40; 7:25a)–the King of the North will NOT like the message that the Philadelphians are proclaiming at least of part of which will likely be the Continuing Church of God identifying him to the world as the prophesied King of the North. The persecuted Christians will instruct many–probably explaining more perfectly things related to Matthew 24:14 and Matthew 28:19-20!

While it is apparently the Philadelphia Christians that are targeted for this particular persecution, it is likely that some Laodicean and other Christians will be affected at least to some degree. The Laodiceans will mainly misunderstand what is happening and not realize that their persecution is coming! This is also consistent with the persecution, accomplishments, and problems in Matthew 24:9-20 that will mainly affect the Philadelphians, but will lead to problems then for the Laodiceans in Matthew 24:21-22.

The 19th century Methodist theologian Adam Clarke, in his commentary, identifies the people as follows:

But the people that do know their God
The genuine Christians.

Shall be strong
Shall be strengthened by his grace and Spirit (Clarke A.  The Adam Clarke Commentary, Daniel Chapter 11.)

Those associated with the ‘synagogue of Satan’ (Revelation 3:9), will apparently betray and assist in this persecution (see also What is the Synagogue of Satan?) which is consistent with Daniel 11:32. Daniel 8:24 shows that this same leader persecutes “the holy people,” thus that is further proof that Christians in the end time are who are being persecuted.

The old Radio Church of God realized that Daniel 11:32-35 was talking about what happens to the faithful just before ‘the end’ (the start of the Great Tribulation). Notice the following:

A Prophecy for Today

Daniel prophesied: “The people that do KNOW their God shall be strong, and do exploits” (Dan. 11:32). Such a statement could refer only to God’s people. Now notice what follows: “And they THAT UNDERSTAND among the people shall instruct many; yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days” (verse 33). …

This prophecy concerns GOD’S CHURCH. Continuing “Now when they [God’s people] shall fall, they shall be holpen [helped] with a little help: BUT MANY SHALL CLEAVE TO THEM WITH FLATTERIES” (verse 34). Here is the point that most people have missed. Many individuals who assemble with us on God’s Sabbath, or in God’s Feasts, are prophesied to cleave to us with flatteries!

Other translations make this even clearer. The Moffatt Translation states: “Many shall join them under FALSE PRETENSE.” Yes, some do JOIN THEMSELVES to God’s Church, with false pretenses, claiming to be true brethren, claiming to obey God, claiming to have God’s Holy Spirit, and yet they are not a part of the body of Christ. God has not JOINED them to His Church!

In “The Complete Bible”, AN AMERICAN TRANSLATION by Gordon-Goodspeed we read: “Many shall attach themselves in HYPOCRISY.” These people who attach themselves to God’s Church assemble under false pretense. They are inwardly hypocritical, and flatter or deceive others.

If you have the idea that all who come to God’s Church are truly converted Christians, this scripture ought to dispel this delusion! There are some among us who are not converted. They are not a real spiritually LIVING part of the body of Christ. They are not letting Christ do His work in them. They have not truly and completely surrendered their lives to Christ in full repentance.

Notice that this prophecy continues right up to the time of the end (verse 35), to the return of Jesus Christ. Here is a prophecy which concerns us today! (Neff L. Beware of False Brethren! Good News, January 1960)

Yes, deadly persecution is coming.

Jesus warned:

20 If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you (John 15:20).

2… yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.

Do not believe that it will not happen in your land.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Persecutions by Church and State This article documents some that have occurred against those associated with the COGs and some prophesied to occur. Will those with the cross be the persecutors or the persecuted–this article has the shocking answer. There is also a YouTube video sermon you can watch: The Coming Persecution of the Church. Here is information in the Spanish language: Persecuciones de la Iglesia y el Estado.
COVID 19 is NOT the End, but could it be TEOTWAWKI? The novel coronavirus called COVID-19 is wreaking havoc around the world. Many states of the USA as well as countries in Europe are on lockdown with shelter in place /shelter in residence requirements. In France, a form is required when you are not at your house. In Spain, drones are being used to warn people who are outside to got back to their homes–does that bring up feelings of ‘Big Brother’? Italy, France, and other areas are using police and/or military force to encourage people to stay inside. According to the Bible could this be the end? If not, what has to happen first? Have the second and third of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse started their ride? Could COVID-19 be the fourth horseman? Why or why not? Could we be seeing The End of the World as We Know It (TEOTWAWKI) like the R.E.M.’s 1987 single song discussed? Do Christians need to fear? What did Jesus teach? What did the Psalmist teach? This is a video. Here is a link to a version in the Spanish language: Corona 19 no es el final PERO es el TEOTWAWKI.
COVID-19 Leading to 666? The novel coronavirus of Wuhan, China fame, is now called COVID-19. It has also been called the ‘Coronapocalypse.’ Does COVID-19 have any prophetic ramifications? What did Jesus teach about pestilences and sorrows in the Olivet prophecy in Matthew 24? Could COVID-19 be the ride of the fourth horseman of the Apocalypse? Why was this type of disease expected according to the O. Here is a link to a version in the Spanish language: ld Testament prophecies in Deuteronomy and Leviticus? What has the US Centers for Disease Control warned about? What has the CDC reported about the flu? Were there lessons about fear and infections in the 2011 movie ‘Contagion’? Because of COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO), nation of Iran, and certain French locations are telling people not to use cash, but instead electronic forms of payment. The US Federal Reserve is now quarantining money repatriated from Asia to reduce the potential spread of the coronavirus on US currency bills. Is COVID-19 worse than we have been told or could this all be a ‘false flag’ event to encourage people to move towards a cashless society? If the thousands of deaths associated with COVID-19 are pushing parts of the world towards cashlessness, how much more likely will the ride of the fourth horseman and over a billion human deaths motivate people to move to making electronic payments that can be monitored? The Bible tells of a soon coming society that controls buying and selling to force allegiance to a coming European Beast power, known as 666 (Revelation 13:16-18). Does the ‘great tribulation’ begin before ride of the fourth horseman or with the opening of the fifth seal of Revelation 6? Do the words of Jesus helps us better understand the sequence of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse and the start of the Great Tribulation? Will the ride of the fourth horseman help lead to the rise of 666? Is that ride very close? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more in this video. Here is a link to a version in the Spanish language: El COVID-19 ¿Conduce al 666?
Zephaniah’s ‘Gather Together’ Prophecy Is it safe to be ‘independent’ or in a non-Philadelphian Church of God? What did God inspire Zephaniah to write?
Herbert W. Armstrong, the Philadelphia Church, & the Mantle Herbert Armstrong claims God had him raise the Philadelphia up. Are there reasons to believe that the Philadelphia mantle in now within the CCOG? Here is a link to a related sermon: Herbert W. Armstrong and the Philadelphia Mantle.
There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Near Petra This article discusses a biblical ‘place of safety’ and includes quotes from the Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong on this subject–thus, there is a biblically supported alternative to the rapture theory. Two sermon-length videos of relaled interest are available Physical Protection During the Great Tribulation and Might Petra be the Place of Safety? Here is something related in the Spanish language: Hay un lugar de seguridad para los Filadelfinos. ¿Puede ser Petra?
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. Here is a link to a related sermon: Physical preparedness for Christians.
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 Mark of Antichrist What is the mark of Antichrist? What have various ones claimed? Here is a link to a related sermon What is the ‘Mark of Antichrist’?
Mark of the Beast What is the mark of the Beast? Who is the Beast? What have various ones claimed the mark is? What is the ‘Mark of the Beast’?
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?
Some Doctrines of Antichrist Are there any doctrines taught outside the Churches of God which can be considered as doctrines of antichrist? This article suggests at least three. It also provides information on 666 and the identity of “the false prophet.” Plus it shows that several Catholic writers seem to warn about an ecumenical antipope that will support heresy. You can also watch a video titled What Does the Bible teach about the Antichrist?
Two Horned Beast of Revelation and 666 Who is 666? This article explains how the COG views this, and compares this to Ellen White. Here is a link to a prophetic video Six Financial Steps Leading to 666?
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Genesis and Chinese Characters Where did the Chinese people come from? Japeth, Javan, Magog? Is there evidence that the Chinese peoples must have known about various accounts in the Book of Genesis up until their dispersion after the Tower of Babel? What do Chinese writings and characters help show? What about the Garden of Eden, Noah’s Flood, and the Tower of Babel? Here is a link to a version of this article in Spanish: ¿Prueban los caracteres chinos la exactitud de la Biblia? A related sermon is also available: China’s biblical past and prophetic actions.
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: The Sabbath and Some of God’s Witness in China When did Christianity first come to China? What about the Apostle Thomas? Did Confucius say anything to get the Chinese to possibly consider Christianity? Is there early evidence that they observed the seventh day sabbath? What about the Ten Commandments? What type of Church of God witness has there been to China? What has been happening with China that ties it together with prophecies in Revelation? What about the 200 million man army and Armageddon? What about the Belt and Road Initiative and end time Babylon the Great? A related sermon is also available: China’s biblical past and prophetic actions. Watch also China’s Silk Road and Babylon the Great.
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for Asia? Who are the “Kings of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon? Here is a link to a related sermon: Asia in Prophecy. Two YouTube video are Is China THE Threat to the United States of America? and China: A King of the East.
Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word What is the ‘short work’ of Romans 9:28? Who is preparing for it? Here is a link to a related video sermon titled: The Short Work.
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. A video of possible interest may be Will USA Spying Help the Beast Power?
Leading the Final Phase of the Work Matthew 24:14 teaches “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come ” will be fulfilled and RCG is not the group doing this. Who is leading the final phase of the work? What did Herbert Armstrong and the old WCG teach about that and about prophets? Does Bob Thiel meet the criteria that the Bible and the old WCG set? What is the proof? What has the Continuing Church of God been doing? This is a sermonette length video.
Internet Control, Famine of the Word, and 666 On October 1, 2016, the USA officially relinquished control over the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), despite objections from certain political leaders and former military officials. Might this lead to more censorship, imposition on non-biblical ‘community standards,’ and loss of first amendment rights? Could this transfer of control have any prophetic ramifications? Will the internet be a factor in the ‘short work’ of Romans 9:28 and the coming ‘famine of the word’ that the Prophet Amos warned about? Will internet control be something that the 666 power will have? Dr. Thiel addresses these matters and more in this video.
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. Two related sermon are available: Identifying the USA and its Destruction in Prophecy and Do these 7 prophesies point to the end of the USA?
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no Final End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West? Here is a version in the Spanish language: ¿Quién es el Rey del Occidente? ¿Por qué no hay un Rey del Occidente en la profecía del tiempo del fin? A related sermon is also available: The Bible, the USA, and the King of the West.
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here are links to two related videos: The King of the North is Alive: What to Look Out For and The Future King of the North.

COGwriter

The Continuing Church of God continues to get additional materials translated into the Spanish language.

Here are links to the latest news posts we received:

Crux: Pope Francis calls Dante Alighieri, a ‘prophet of hope’; COGwriter: Protestants have also been deceived by Dante’s Inferno

Crux: el Papa Francisco llama a Dante Alighieri, un “profeta de la esperanza”; COGwriter: Los Protestantes también han sido engañados por el Infierno de Dante

https://www.cdlidd.es/crux-el-papa-francisco-llama-a-dante-alighiere-un-profeta-de-la-esperanza-cogwriter-los-protestantes-tambien-han-sido-enganados-por-el-infierno-de-dante/

‘Powell Slams Bitcoin, Says Crypto More A Substitute For Gold Than Dollar’

‘Powell da un portazo a Bitcoin, dice que las cripto son más un sustituto del oro que del dólar’

https://www.cdlidd.es/powell-da-un-portazo-a-bitcoin-dice-que-las-cripto-son-mas-un-sustituto-del-oro-que-del-dolar/

Jews and Muslims being pushed out of Europe; Christians to be pushed out of the USA?

Judíos y musulmanes están siendo sacados de Europa; ¿Los cristianos serán expulsados de los EE.UU.?

https://www.cdlidd.es/judios-y-musulmanes-estan-siendo-sacados-de-europa-los-cristianos-seran-expulsados-de-los-ee-uu/

Did Jesus die on a Friday or a Wednesday?

¿Murió Jesús en un viernes o en un miércoles?

https://www.cdlidd.es/murio-jesus-en-un-viernes-o-en-un-miercoles-2/

‘THE HARRIS-BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS ROLLING OUT AMERICA’S VERSION OF MAO’S GENOCIDAL CULTURAL REVOLUTION’ ‘California Ethnic Studies Curriculum Calls For ‘Decolonization’ Of America’

“LA ADMINISTRACIÓN BIDEN-HARRIS ESTÁ DESARROLLANDO LA VERSIÓN AMERICANA DE LA REVOLUCIÓN CULTURAL GENOCIDA DE MAO” “El plan de estudios de estudios étnicos de California pide la “descolonización” de Estados Unidos”

https://www.cdlidd.es/la-administracion-biden-harris-esta-desarrollando-la-version-americana-de-la-revolucion-cultural-genocida-de-mao-el-plan-de-estudios-etnicos-de-california-pide-la-descolonizacion-de-estados/

‘How Did We Miss This? On February 4th, The United Nations Codified Chrislam With First Annual International Day of Human Fraternity Celebration’

“¿Cómo nos perdimos esto? El 4 de febrero, las Naciones Unidas codificaron el Chrislam con la primera celebración anual del Día Internacional de la Fraternidad Humana “

https://www.cdlidd.es/como-nos-perdimos-esto-el-4-de-febrero-las-naciones-unidas-codificaron-el-chrislam-con-la-primera-celebracion-anual-del-dia-internacional-de-la-fraternidad/

WND: Holy Bible blasted as ‘bigoted document’: Equality Act ‘explicitly targets’ Scripture

WND: La Santa Biblia criticada como “documento intolerante”: La Ley de Igualdad “apunta explícitamente” a las Escrituras

https://www.cdlidd.es/wnd-la-santa-biblia-criticada-como-documento-intolerante-la-ley-de-igualdad-apunta-explicitamente-a-las-escrituras/

Myanmar, Indonesia, Virginia Beach, … Violence like the Days of Noah?

Birmania, Indonesia, Virginia Beach, ¿…violencia como en los días de Noé?

https://www.cdlidd.es/birmania-indonesia-virginia-beach-violencia-como-en-los-dias-de-noe/

RT: WHO & leaders of 23 countries advocate global treaty to tackle future Covid-style health emergencies; CDC: Impending doom

RT: La OMS y los líderes de 23 países abogan por un tratado global para abordar futuras emergencias de salud al estilo Covid; CDC: Perdición inminente

https://www.cdlidd.es/rt-la-oms-y-los-lideres-de-23-paises-abogan-por-un-tratado-global-para-abordar-futuras-emergencias-de-salud-al-estilo-covid-cdc-perdicion-inminente/

‘Most Americans say the pandemic has been bad for their weight’ ‘High Vitamin D Levels May Help Prevent COVID-19, Especially in Black Patients’

“La mayoría de los estadounidenses dicen que la pandemia ha sido mala para su peso” “Los niveles altos de vitamina D pueden ayudar a prevenir el COVID-19, especialmente en pacientes de raza negra”

https://www.cdlidd.es/la-mayoria-de-los-estadounidenses-dicen-que-la-pandemia-ha-sido-mala-para-su-peso-los-niveles-altos-de-vitamina-d-pueden-ayudar-a-prevenir-el-covid-19-especialmente-en-pacientes-de-raza-negra/

‘A Russian-Chinese Partnership Against America?’

“¿Una asociación ruso-china contra Estados Unidos?”

https://www.cdlidd.es/una-asociacion-ruso-china-contra-estados-unidos/

‘As U.S. schools shuttered, student mental health cratered, Reuters survey finds’

“A medida que las escuelas estadounidenses cerraban, la salud mental de los estudiantes se hundía, según una encuesta de Reuters”

https://www.cdlidd.es/a-medida-que-las-escuelas-estadoounidenses-cierran-la-salud-mental-de-los-estudiantes-se-hundia-segun-una-encuesta-de-reuters/

Amos on censorship and coming calamity

Amós sobre la censura y la calamidad venidera

https://www.cdlidd.es/amos-sobre-la-censura-y-la-calamidad-venidera/

Are Ishtar and Eostre Easter?

¿Ishtar y Eostre son Pascua?

https://www.cdlidd.es/ihstar-y-eostre-son-pascua/

Seventh Day Baptists: Not COG

Adventistas del Séptimo Día: No son una Iglesia de Dios

https://www.cdlidd.es/adventistas-del-septimo-dia-no-son-una-iglesia-de-dios/

Prophetic clues concern Dan and the Irish–not part of the 144,000!

Las pistas proféticas conciernen a Dan y a los irlandeses, ¡No son parte de los 144.000!

https://www.cdlidd.es/las-pistas-profeticas-conciernen-a-dan-y-a-los-irlandeses-no-son-parte-de-los-144-000/

Why Different Races, Hair Colors, Sizes, etc.?

¿Por qué diferentes razas, colores de cabello, tamaños, etc.?

https://www.cdlidd.es/por-que-diferentes-razas-colores-de-cabello-tamanos-etc/

ZH: Netanyahu Warns Israel Will “Act” Against Iran If Biden Restores Nuclear Deal

ZH: Netanyahu advierte que Israel “actuará” contra Irán si Biden restablece el acuerdo nuclear

https://www.cdlidd.es/zh-netanyahu-advierte-que-israel-actuara-contra-iran-si-biden-restablece-el-acuerdo-nuclear/

PCG does not understand the message from Malachi

La PCG no entiende el mensaje de Malaquías

https://www.cdlidd.es/la-pcg-no-entiende-el-mensaje-de-malaquias/

CG7-D should re-look at its prophetic understandings

La CG7-D debería volver a mirar sus entendimientos proféticos

https://www.cdlidd.es/la-cg7-denver-deberia-volver-a-mirar-sus-entendimientos-profeticos/

Have Seventh-day Adventists and Jehovah’s Witnesses misidentified the Angel Michael?

¿Han identificado mal los Adventistas del Séptimo Día y los Testigos de Jehová al ángel Miguel?

https://www.cdlidd.es/han-identificado-mal-los-adventistas-del-septimo-dia-y-los-testigos-de-jehova-al-angel-miguel/

Aldous Huxley in 1958: Brave New World or Fake Great Reset?

Aldous Huxley en 1958: ¿Un mundo feliz o un falso gran reinicio?

https://www.cdlidd.es/aldous-huxley-en-1958-un-mundo-feliz-o-un-falso-gran-reinicio/

‘The Prince Of The Air’ ‘The Vast Majority Of The Global Population Has Eagerly Embraced A Giant Deception’

“El príncipe del aire” “La gran mayoría de la población mundial ha abrazado con entusiasmo un engaño gigante”

https://www.cdlidd.es/el-principe-del-aire-la-gran-mayoria-de-la-poblacion-mundial-ha-abrazado-con-entusiasmo-un-engano-gigante/

Sanhedrin accused of trying to usher in Antichrist

Sanedrín acusado de intentar marcar el comienzo del Anticristo

https://www.cdlidd.es/sanedrin-acusado-de-intentar-marcar-el-comienzo-del-anticristo/

Did the Archangel Michael become Jesus?

¿Se convirtió en Jesús el arcángel Miguel?

https://www.cdlidd.es/se-convirtio-en-jesus-el-arcangel-miguel/

How to Overcome Depression and Discouragement

Cómo sobreponerse a la depresión y el desánimo

https://www.cdlidd.es/como-sobreponerse-a-la-depresion-y-el-desanimo/

Consistent with Zechariah 13 and HWA warnings, a falling away has happened

Consistente con Zacarías 13 y advertencias de HWA, ha ocurrido la apostasía

https://www.cdlidd.es/consistente-con-zacarias-13-y-advertencias-de-hwa-ha-ocurrido-la-apostasia/

We have also additional Spanish language videos on our CDLIDDSermones channel.

Our Spanish translator normally provides translated news items once or twice per month.

So, in addition to having magazines and books in the Spanish language, we also post news items in it as well.

This is another avenue we utilize to teach all that we can in accordance with Matthew 24:14, Mark 13:28-37, and Matthew 28:19-20.

The Continuing Church of God is reaching people around the world in multiple languages via the internet, printed literature, and human church leaders.

We also reach people over the radio and through videos in the English language.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Mexico, Central America, South America, Brazil, and the Caribbean in Prophecy [Español: México, América central, Suramérica, Brasil y el Caribe en la profecía] [Português: México, América Central, Ámérica do Sul, e Brasil na profecia] What will happen to those of Latin America? Will they have prosperity? Will they cooperate with Europe? Will they suffer in the future? What role might the various Caribbean nations/territories play? Two videos of related interest are available: Will Mexico Regain USA Territories? and Donald Trump and Mexico’s future. A sermon of related interest is available: Latin America in Prophecy.

CDLIDDSermones channel. This contains messages in the Spanish language.

CDLIDD.ES La Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios. This is the Spanish language website for the Continuing Church of God and has articles in español/castellano.

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, and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.

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?

Statement of Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God “Contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3, NKJV), “Let brotherly love (Philadelphia) continue” (Hebrews 13:1) ” & continuing stedfastly in the teaching of the apostles” (Acts 2:42 YLT). So, what does that really mean in terms of specific beliefs–the Statement gives answers? Here is a related link in Spanish/español: Declaración de las Doctrinas de la Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios. Here is a related link in Tagalog: Paglalahad ng Mga Paniniwala ng Patuloy na Iglesya ng Diyos. Here is a related link in Mandarin Chinese ~ç~íy^v„eYOv„OáNðXðf. Here is a related link in Kiswahili: KATIKA LUGHA YA KISWAHILI. Here is a related link in Dutch: Verklaring van geloofspunten van de Continuing Church of God. Here is a related link in Deutsche (German): Glaubenserklärung der Continuing Church of God. Here is a related link in Italiano: Dichiarazione del Credo della Continuing Church of God. Here is related link in the French language: Déclaration des croyances de L’Église Continue de Dieu. Here is a related link in the Chichewa language: ZIKHULUPIRIRO ZA MPINGO WA CONTINUING CHURCH OF GOD. Here is a link in Romanian: Declarația de credințe a continuării Bisericii lui Dumnezeu. Here is a link in Portuguese: Declaração de Crenças da Continuação da Igreja de Deus. Here is a link in Russian: Утверждение верований о продолжении Церкви Божьей. Here is a link to a related English-language sermon: Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God.

Faith for those God has Called and Chosen What is faith? Can faith be increased? Are you saved by faith? What about works? Do Christians need to keep the Ten Commandments? What is the ‘faith chapter’? How do the just live by faith? Is faith one of the weightier matters of the law? How does faith come? Here is a link to a pdf. booklet titled Faith for Those God has Called and Chosen. Marque aquí para ver el pdf folleto: Fe para aquellos que Dios ha llamado y escogido.Here is a link to a related sermon titled: Faith for the Called and Chosen. Here is a link to shorter version of the written article in Mandarin Chinese 一篇关于信仰的小文章

CCOG.ORG Continuing Church of God The group striving to be most faithful amongst all real Christian groups to the word of God. To see how CCOG has done so far, here are links to two sermons Continuing Church of God (CCOG) first year anniversary: What has been accomplished? and The Continuing Church of God: Two Years of Proclamation. 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 Animations channel. The Continuing Church of God has some animations to teach aspects of Christian beliefs.

Bible News Prophecy channel. Dr. Thiel has produced many YouTube videos for the BibleNewsProphecy channel. And you can find them there.

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. Here is a link to a short intro: ContinuingCOG Channel.

CCOGAfrica channel. This has messages from African pastors in African languages such as Kalenjin, Kiswahili, Embu, and Dholuo.

BibleNewsProphecy Podcast. This has audio-visual podcasts of the Bible News Prophecy channgel. It plays on i-Phones, i-Pads, and Windows devices that can play i-Tunes.

Bible News Prophecy online radio. This is an audio version of the Bible News Prophecy videos. It is also available as a mobile app.

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

CCOGAFRICA.ORG This is a website targeted towards those in Africa.

CCOGCANADA.CA This is a website targeted towards those in Canada.

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.

CCOG.NZ This is a website targeted towards New Zealand and others with a British-descended background.

PNIND.PH Patuloy na Iglesya ng Diyos. This is the Philippines website Continuing Church of God. It has information in English and Tagalog.

Study the Bible Course A free online course to help you learn and study the word of God.

Pope Leo IX

COGwriter

April 19th is a date that some in the Church of Rome honor, as one of their saints, Pope Leo IX (whose name had been Bruno). Here is some of what they teach about him:

Son of Count Hugh of Egisheim. Cousin of Emperor Conrad II. Chapter canon of Saint Stephen’s, Toul, France. Deacon. Soldier and officer in the imperial army. In 1021, while still in the military, he was chosen bishop of Toul, France, a position he held for 20 years. Commanded troops under emperor Conrad II in the invasion of Italy in 1026. http://saints.sqpn.com/pope-saint-leo-ix/

Although it is known that Christians were not militaristic, the Greco-Roman faith became militaristic around the time of Emperor Constantine (see Military Service and the Churches of God: Do Real Christians Participate in Carnal Warfare?). Yet despite claims of being a Christian, Bishop Bruno was certainly militaristic.

We in the Continuing Church of God do not consider that Pope Leo IX was a real Christian, despite him being considered a saint of the Church of Rome.

Leo IX was believed to have been a factor in causing the Great Schism between the Church of Rome and the Eastern Orthodox in 1054.

While politics and other doctrines are believed to have played a major role in the schism, some have suggested that the Orthodox tendency to somewhat honor the seventh day Sabbath (in addition to Sunday) was also a factor:

[A] treatise, entitled in Latin Adversus Graecorum Columnias was composed in the form of a debate about the year 1054 by Cardinal Humbert. The Cardinal had been sent by Pope Leo IX early in 1054 as the papal nuncios to Constantinople to endeavor to bring the Greeks into conformity with the religious practices of the Roman (Latin) Church. The mission however did not succeed. The treatise was composed as a further attempt to dissuade the Greeks from holding on to certain divergent religious practices such as veneration of the Sabbath…The Cardinal argues that the Latins in no way resemble the Jews in their observance of the Sabbath…He proceeds then to show the Greeks that they are the ones who judaize as they observe the Sabbath in the identical manner of the Jews.

Dr. Bacchiocchi observed:

R.L. Odom has persuasively brought out that the Roman insistence on making the Sabbath a day of fast contributed greatly to the historic break between the Eastern and Western Christian Church which occurred in A.D. 1054. (Cited in Bacchiocchi Anti-Judaism and the Origin of Sunday, p. 67)

So, Pope Leo IX had a Cardinal that was opposed to officially honoring the Sabbath and this was apparently one of various factors for the split with the Eastern Orthodox.

A split that has gone on for close to a thousand years, but one that the Church of Rome and the Eastern Orthodox are looking to resolve.

As far as Sabbath fasting goes, that seemed to originate with the heretic Marcion :

Marcion who fasted on the Sabbath to show his contempt for the God of the Old Testament whom he considered to be evil (Bacchiocchi S. Anti-Judaism and the Origin of Sunday. The Pontifical Gregorian University Press, Rome, 1975, p. 62).

Fasting on the Sabbath was a practice adopted by the Roman Church, but not the Churches in Asia Minor in the second and third centuries.

The Catholic and Orthodox saint Irenaeus noted that the faithful Church of God leader/bishop Polycarp opposed Marcion:

But Polycarp also was not only instructed by apostles, and conversed with many who had seen Christ, but was also, by apostles in Asia, appointed bishop of the Church in Smyrna, whom I also saw in my early youth, for he tarried [on earth] a very long time, and, when a very old man, gloriously and most nobly suffering martyrdom, departed this life, having always taught the things which he had learned from the apostles, and which the Church has handed down, and which alone are true. To these things all the Asiatic Churches testify, as do also those men who have succeeded Polycarp down to the present time — a man who was of much greater weight, and a more stedfast witness of truth, than Valentinus, and Marcion, and the rest of the heretics. He it was who, coming to Rome in the time of Anicetus caused many to turn away from the aforesaid heretics to the Church of God, proclaiming that he had received this one and sole truth from the apostles — that, namely, which is handed down by the Church. There are also those who heard from him that John, the disciple of the Lord, going to bathe at Ephesus, and perceiving Cerinthus within, rushed out of the bath-house without bathing, exclaiming, “Let us fly, lest even the bath-house fall down, because Cerinthus, the enemy of the truth, is within.” And Polycarp himself replied to Marcion, who met him on one occasion, and said, “Dost thou know me?” “I do know thee, the first-born of Satan.”(Irenaeus. Adversus Haereses. Book III, Chapter 3, Verse 4. Excerpted from Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 1. Edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. American Edition, 1885. Online Edition Copyright © 2004 by K. Knight).

Polycarp, and other true early Christian writers, kept all the ten commandments that were first mentioned in the Old Testament (an article of related interest may be The Ten Commandments and the Early Church). This is how Polycarp (and others) differed from many of the early heretics like Marcion (more on Cerinthus can be found in the article Cerinthus: An early heretic).

Another to specifically oppose Marcion was Church of God leader/bishop Theophilus of Antioch (late 2nd century). The Syriatic version of Eusebius’ Church History notes:

BUT as to Theophilus, concerning whom we have said that he was Bishop of Antioch, there are three treatises by him against Antolycus, and another which is inscribed “Against the heresy of Hermogenes,” in which he uses testimonies from the Revelation of John; and there are other books by him which are suitable for teaching. But those, who pertained to heretical doctrine, even at that time like tares were corrupting the pure seed of the doctrine of the Apostles; but the Pastors which were in the churches in every country, were driving them like beasts of the wilderness away from the flock of Christ; at one time by teaching and exhortation to the Brethren, but at another time openly before their faces they contended with them in discussion, and put them to shame; and again, also, by writing treatises they diligently refuted and exposed their opinions. But Theophilus, together with others, contended against them; and he is celebrated for one treatise, which was ably composed by him against Marcion, which, together with the others that I have already mentioned, is still preserved. And after him Maximinus received the Bishoprick of the Church of Antioch, who was the seventh after the Apostles.

But Philip, respecting whom we have learned from the words of Dionysius, Bishop of Corinth,2 that he was Bishop of the church of the city of Gortyna, he also composed with accuracy a treatise against Marcion (Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History, Syriac version, Book 4 (Extract), Chapter 24. Spicilegium Syriacum (1855). This text was transcribed by Roger Pearse, Ipswich, UK, 2003. Greek text is rendered using the Scholars Press SPIonic font/Polytonic Greek).

This is of interest because it shows that both Philip and Theophilus also wrote against the heretic Marcion (though the document, while apparently available to Eusebius, is currently unavailable).

Notice what the Protestant historian Kenneth Latourette stated:

Marcion insisted that the Church had obscured the Gospel by seeking to combine it with Judaism (Latourette KS. A History of Christianity, Volume 1: to A.D. 1500. HarperCollins, San Francisco, 1975, p. 126).

In other words, the original true Church of God truly did combine faith in Christ with practices that Marcion considered to be too Jewish. And Marcion was denounced by leaders from Asia Minor for rejecting the true faith.

In the third century, Hippolytus of Rome wrote:

But Marcion, a native of Pontus, far more frantic than these (heretics), omitting the majority of the tenets of the greater number (of speculators), (and) advancing into a doctrine still more unabashed, supposed (the existence of) two originating causes of the universe, alleging one of them to be a certain good (principle), but the other an evil one. And himself imagining that he was introducing some novel (opinion), founded a school full of folly, and attended by men of a sensual mode of life, inasmuch as he himself was one of lustful propensities. This (heretic) having thought that the multitude would forget that he did not happen to be a disciple of Christ, but of Empedocles, who was far anterior to himself, framed and formed the same opinions,–namely, that there are two causes of the universe, discord and friendship. For what does Empedocles say respecting the plan of the world? Even though we have previously spoken (on this subject), yet even now also, for the purpose, at all events, of comparing the heresy of this plagiarist (with its source), we shall not be silent. This (philosopher) affirms that all the elements out of which the world consists and derives its being, are six: two of them material, (viz.,) earth and water; and two of them instruments by which material objects are arranged and altered, (viz.,) fire and air; and two of them, by means of the instruments, operating upon matter and fashioning it, viz., discord and friendship. (Empedocles) expresses himself somehow thus:- “The four roots of all things hear thou first: Brilliant Jove, and life-giving Juno and Aidoneus, And Nestis, who with tears bedews the mortal font.” (Hippolytus. Refutation of All Heresies (Book VII), Chapter XVII. Translated by J. H. Machmahon. Excerpted from Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 5. Edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. American Edition, 1886. Online Edition Copyright © 2005 by K. Knight)

Marcion taught against the law and the Creator’s Sabbath–the seventh-day Sabbath. Marcion eliminated or overlooked many portions of the Bible. His attitude seems to have been similar to Luther’s in this respect (Martin Luther’s attitude toward the Bible can be found in the article Sola Scriptura or Prima Luther? What Did Martin Luther Really Believe About the Bible?).

While the Church of Rome eventually condemned Marcion, sadly, its Pope Leo pushed for at least one of his non-biblical practices.

As far as the Sabbath being biblical, let me point out that a series of articles in the Catholic Mirror, called The Christian Sabbath, essentially proved that the biblical Sabbath was Saturday, that the Lord’s day in Revelation 1 is not a reference to Sunday, that the Church of Rome implemented Sunday, and that nearly all Protestants followed Rome. The change from the Sabbath was not biblical and Catholic scholars have admitted this.