Iran taking nuclear steps, while PCG gives reasons why it claims it knew this
PCG booklet focused on Iran
Iran continues to take nuclear steps:
November 6, 2019
Iranian media reported Wednesday that Iran has put a container containing 2,000 kilograms of uranium hexafluoride in its Fordow nuclear facility in order to begin injecting uranium gas into centrifuges.
The move is Iran’s latest step away from the agreement it signed in 2015 with a group of world powers to limit its nuclear activity in exchange for sanctions relief.
Under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Iran was allowed to keep 1,044 centrifuges at Fordow in six cascades, four of which were to remain idle while the other two were allowed to spin without uranium.
“Iran’s 4th step in reducing its commitments under the JCPOA by injecting gas to 1044 centrifuges begins today,” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani wrote on Twitter. “Thanks to U.S. policy and its allies, Fordow will soon be back to full operation.”
Reuters quoted a spokesman from the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog agency saying its inspectors were on the ground in Iran and would report “any relevant activities” to its headquarters in Vienna. …
Rouhani said in a televised address Tuesday that all the steps Iran has taken so far are reversible if the other parties to the nuclear deal uphold their commitments to provide Iran with relief from economic sanctions. https://www.voanews.com/middle-east/iran-stepping-back-nuclear-deal-increased-fordow-activity
PCG posted the following:
November 6, 2019
Iran achieved a tenfold increase in uranium enrichment over the past two months, announced Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, on November 4. Iran continues enrichment of this deadly substance after publicly flouting the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in May.According to Arab news website Al-Monitor, Salehi laughed as he ridiculed the prevalent Western belief that Iran’s nuclear industry had ceased to be a threat. “This is while some say (Iran’s) nuclear industry was destroyed!” he said, referring to the increase in uranium production. …
Iran’s aggressively expanding nuclear program is pushing the world closer to nuclear war. In “America’s Deadly Nuclear Deal With Iran,” Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry explained that the nuclear deal would fail to curb Iranian aggression but would, instead, embolden Iran to keep pushing toward the bomb, eventually sparking deadly conflict.
How could he foresee that this grand deal, which so many in the West put faith in, would fail? “The Bible specifically prophesied Iran’s aggressive, terrorism-empowered foreign policy,” wrote Mr. Flurry. He further explained:
Iran is pushing and pushing its foreign policy. It is about to push so hard and so aggressively that it will launch a massive war! But it won’t be with the United States, which is now too weak to even fight such a war. Instead, it will be against a new superpower with a fierce leader who will strike Iran and its radical Islamic allies like an overwhelming tornado.
The Bible specifically predicted today’s Iranian conundrum. Iran is a country with a pushy foreign policy. Daniel 11:40 states, “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, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.”
The deal is failing, and Iran will ultimately ignite war. Regarding Daniel 11:40, Mr. Flurry writes in his free booklet The King of the South:
This refers to a king of the south in our day. The king of the north is comprised of several nations, led by one nation, Germany. It makes sense that the king of the south would have a similar composition. All indications point to Iran as the nation that produces the king of the south. Since the early 1990s, we have believed and taught that Iran would lead the radical Islamist world and be the king of the south. Today Iran is “king” in the Middle East.
Who is this new superpower? A German-led Europe. It will clash with Iran in the most fearsome war this world has ever seen.
PCG (group officially calling itself the Philadelphia Church of God) is trying to imply that its leader, Gerald Flurry, had prophetic insight based on his interpretation of Daniel 11:40.
But Gerald Flurry’s interpretation of Daniel 11:40 is wrong. Iran is not the prophesied King of the South and the Bible does not tell of a German-led Europe that “will clash with Iran in the most fearsome war this world has ever seen.”
Not only that, by I who disagree with him on Daniel 11:40 also pointed to the Iran nuclear deal failing years ago.
Notice, for example, something posted here in 2016:
The USA did not negotiate a good deal with Iran and many realize that.
The Obama Administration, ignoring what the Iranians really want, wanted a deal so much that they seemed almost oblivious to the realities of it.
The Obama Administration claims that Israel and Saudi Arabia are close USA allies, yet Iran wants to wipe Israel off the map, takeover Jerusalem and lead the Islamic world. It then wants to takeover the world. The Israelis and Saudis are aware of this, protested against the Iranian nuclear agreement, and have pointed to Iranian actions since as proof that they were right and that Iran is a threat.
Iran itself would like to knock out the USA whenever it can and it believes that mystical powers will one day allow it to do that.
We in the Continuing Church of God do not believe that Iran will be the final King of the South of Bible prophecy (cf. Daniel 11:40-43). Because of that, I have tended to believe that Iran may somehow get “neutralized” before this final king rises up. And it may be that provoking some type of conflict with Israel (through an attack or through simply possessing nuclear bombs) may result in Israel hitting Iran hard enough militarily to greatly reduce Iran’s influence in the Islamic world. Since no later than May of 2010, I have been writing that since Iran cannot be the final King of the South that it may be neutralized (see Iran Slams Russia).
Iran could be neutralized because of internal unrest or perhaps a region conflict involving Israel.
Expect Iran to overplay its hand and believe it is more powerful than it really is. Israel, and perhaps even the USA, apparently will be negatively affected by Iran. But I should also point out that the Bible shows that Iran will not end up faring well. Notice the following prophecy which indicates at least part of its destruction before the latter days:
34 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, 35 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
‘Behold, I will break the bow of Elam,
The foremost of their might.
36 Against Elam I will bring the four winds
From the four quarters of heaven,
And scatter them toward all those winds;
There shall be no nations where the outcasts of Elam will not go.
37 For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies
And before those who seek their life.
I will bring disaster upon them,
My fierce anger,’ says the Lord;
‘And I will send the sword after them
Until I have consumed them.
38 I will set My throne in Elam,
And will destroy from there the king and the princes,’ says the Lord. (Jeremiah 49:34-38)So, what’s next for Iran?
It will complain and try to work around the nuclear agreement until it violates it so much that the USA will decide it has to take further steps (beyond those it has recently taken).
Iran will attempt to improve aspects of its economy and its military so that it can try to persuade the Islamic world to follow it. It may well have a military attack against Israel (Isaiah 22:1-11) and others.
But Iran will not do well and will not be the power that leads the Islamic nations in the Middle East and North Africa–that will be an Arabic power (cf. Daniel 11:40-43; Ezekiel 30:2-8). Arabic powers that also have concerns about Iran and have taken steps of their own (e.g. World’s largest military exercise taking place in Saudi Arabia–a prelude to the King of the South?). (Thiel B. AP: Nuclear deal puts US between Iran and a hard place. COGwriter, April 10, 2016)
Anyway, Iran is NOT the prophesied King of the South. This is something from the imagination of PCG’s leader Gerald Flurry. His view is not from the Bible.
Notice the regions that are associated with the King of the South in Daniel 11:
40 “In the end times the southern king will attack him. The northern king will rush at him like a storm with chariots, horses, and many ships. He will invade countries, overwhelm them, and pass through their land. 41 He will invade the beautiful land, and tens of thousands will be defeated. But Edom, Moab, and the leaders of the Ammonites will escape from his power. 42 He will use his power against many countries. Even Egypt will not escape. 43 He will control gold and silver treasures and all Egypt’s treasuries. Libya and Sudan will surrender to him. (Daniel 11:40-43, GWT)
The above peoples are basically Turks, Arabs, and African. I should probably add here that the Iranians are Persian, and not Arabs. They primarily speak Farsi, which is not an Arabic language. While the Iranians tend to be strict Muslims, they are NOT Arabs nor Turks nor African ethnically.
In his The King of the South booklet, Gerald Flurry wrote:
Daniel 11:40 tells us the king of the south will “push” at the king of the north. When does this push occur? It must happen after the book of Daniel was revealed in this end time. Daniel 12:9 tells us the time of the end began when Daniel was revealed. So the king of the south must arise after Daniel was revealed to God’s end-time Church—to Herbert W. Armstrong. However, many of the specifics of Daniel’s book have been revealed to the Philadelphia Church of God today…
“Thus,” Mr. Armstrong wrote, “was the prophecy of verse 4 fulfilled to the letter.” He continued: “Now notice what follows. From here the prophecy foretells the activities only of two of these four divisions, Egypt, [anciently] called ‘king of the south,’ because it is south of Jerusalem; and the Syrian kingdom, [anciently] the king of the north, just north of Judaea.”…
Daniel 11:42 implies that Egypt will be allied with the king of the south, or Iran…
The king of the south, or Iran, is going to “push at him”—that is, the king of the north (the European Union)…
The king of the south is about state-sponsored terrorism. That is how Iran became king! Daniel 11:40-43 is an end-time prophecy. It is about a nation that is always pushy in its foreign policy. It pushes until it starts a war. Having such power means that it must be a large oil-producing country. This king is close to Jerusalem, Egypt, Ethiopia and Libya.
Who else could it be in this end time but Iran?
Iran is extremely radical and the king over radical Islam” (Flurry, G. The King of the South. PCG Booklet).
Since Gerald Flurry mentioned that information related to the King of the South was revealed to the late Herbert W. Armstrong by God, one would think that Herbert Armstrong taught Iran was the King of the South. Yet, Herbert Armstrong never did.
Under his leadership in the old Worldwide Church of God (WCG), notice Herbert W. Armstrong had it taught that the King of the South would be an Arab-Moslem confederation:
But who is the ‘king of the south’?…in verse 40 we skip to ‘the time of the end’…The verse undoubtedly found partial fulfillment in the offensive of 1896…But Mussolini did not finish the prophecy…Just as there is yet to be a final ‘king of the north’…there may very well emerge in the same manner a final ‘king of the south’–an overall leader of an Arab-Moslem confederation…Germany (Assyria in Bible prophecy) and perhaps the rest of Europe will be in league in the future with a union of Arab nations…But in the end, the European-Arab alliance will prove short-lived…the ‘king of the north’ will ultimately turn against the Arab ‘king of the south’…The Arab-Moslem Confederation will, of course, be thrown into chaotic disarray in the fact of invasion (The Arab World in Prophecy. Plain Truth. December, 1979).
Bible prophecy reveals the coming emergence of an Arab-Moslem confederation in the Middle East. It is referred to in prophecy as “the king of the south” (Dan. 11:40). This confederation will play a crucial role in end-time events. (Seeing the World Through Islamic Eyes. Plain Truth, June 1983, p.44).
The king of the South? EGYPT, of course. But not Egypt of today. Egypt of a few more years from now–Egypt as she continues to expand the U.A.R., bringing more and more of the North Africa Mohammedan nations into the same Afro-Arabian power block! (“And when you see the Abomination…” Plain Truth, July, 1963, p. 22).
So under Herbert W. Armstrong, the old WCG taught that the King of the South would be a Arab-Muslim confederation based south of Jerusalem. This is not a reference to Iran as it is basically east of Jerusalem.
What WCG taught about Iran was:
Iran will eventually become linked with the Soviet Union. This is not to say that Iran … will be incorporated into the Soviet Union … Rather, there will generally be only political linkage in the form of alliances or vassal states dominated by Moscow” (Why Russia Will Not Attack the United States, reprint 1980, p. 11).
While the old Soviet Union is no more, Iran is in the process of aligning, at least to a degree, with the Eurasian Union, which is essentially made up of several nations that were once part of the old Soviet Union.
Prophecies, such as those in Ezekiel 30, Isaiah 19, and Isaiah 31 seemingly point to an Egyptian leader as the King of the South.
That is also consistent with a quote published by the old Radio Church of God (the group that later changed its name to be the Worldwide Church of God) in the July 1963 Plain Truth article by Garner Ted Armstrong titled “And when you see the Abomination…” which states that the King of the South will be Egypt:
Daniel was given specific visions of events to occur in OUR TIME!…Notice! And at the TIME OF THE END (this prophecy, then, is absolutely DATED as pertaining to OUR DAY, NOW) shall the king of the south push at him (the “king of the north”) and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over” (verse 40). Bible scholars have recognized the FIRST, TYPICAL fulfillment of this surprising prophecy, but have failed to see its LITERAL application to OUR TIMES!…
But what of the MODERN powers meant by these designations? Remember-the Bible is written, SPIRITUALLY and GEOGRAPHICALLY, from the point of view of PALESTINE! If you were to look on a map, and try to find two powers fitting this description, you would have a fairly easy task…Who else could this be, then, except the coming UNITED STATES OF EUROPE, a resurrection of the ancient ROMAN EMPIRE, Just as we have been fearlessly proclaiming…A rearmed GERMANY, heading up a final union…IN EUROPE -THIS is the Biblical KING OF THE NORTH!
The king of the South? EGYPT, of course. But not Egypt of today. Egypt of a few more years from now–Egypt as she continues to expand the U.A.R., bringing more and more of the North Africa Mohammedan nations into the same Afro-Arabian power block! (p. 22).
The old Radio/Worldwide Church of God pointed to an Arabic/Egyptian/African leader as the King of the South.
Herbert Armstrong once said something to the effect that the WCG evangelist Raymond McNair was the most loyal person on doctrine. Hence he probably understood Herbert Armstrong’s King of the South position, so here is something that Raymond McNair wrote:
Daniel 11 also mentions some of the Mideast peoples who will be involved in that struggle among the nations at the close of this age. The belligerents will include the “King of the North,” the leader of the European Union (or its final outgrowth, called the “Beast”). The “King of the South” (an Islamic leader—apparently from Egypt {or} some other Muslim state) is also referred to. The following lands/peoples are specifically mentioned: Egypt, the Holy Land (Israel/Palestine), the Ethiopians (modern Cushites, south of Egypt), Libya, Edom, Moab and Ammon. Many descendants of the ancient peoples known as Edomites or Idumeans now live in the West Bank, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Arabia, Yemen, the Persian Gulf states, etc. (McNair R. Solving the Arab-Israeli Impasse! Copyright Raymond F. McNair 2005, Church of God—21st Century).
We see that Raymond McNair understood that Egypt or some other Muslim country (without listing Iran) is where the king of the South will come from.
Wherever PCG’s Gerald Flurry got the idea of Iran as the King of the South from, it was not from the Bible, the old Radio Church of God, the old Worldwide Church of God, or the late Herbert W. Armstrong.
Anyway, those who want to understand more about the coming King of the South and also the Muslim Brotherhood should read the article titled Is there a Future King of the South?
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
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.
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?
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? Here is a link in the French language: Est-ce que l’Église Continue de Dieu confirme les signes d’Actes 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.
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?
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.
Egypt in Prophecy Does Egypt have a special role in end time prophecy? Will Egypt rise up and then be defeated. What does God teach will happen to those in Egypt? Here is a link to a YouTube video titled Egypt and End Time Prophecy.
Iraq, the King of the South, Armageddon, and Prophecy What will happen to Iraq? Is it the prophesied Mystery Babylon? What is Armageddon and how does that have to do with Iraq? Here is a related video Iraq, Armageddon, & Prophecy.
Iran in Prophecy Is Iran in Bible prophecy? If so, what does the Bible teach? What names, other than Persia, may be used to describe Iran? There is also a related YouTube video titled Iran In Prophecy.
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 tries to look faithful.Ezekiel 38: For Russia & Iran in Our Day? Is Ezekiel 38 about to be fulfilled? A related video is available titled Ezekiel 38: For Russia, Ukraine, & Iran Now? Another could be Russia, Iran, Syria, & the Bible (Code).
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.
USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses Can you point to scriptures, like Daniel 11:39, that point to the USA in the 21st century? This article does. A related sermon is titled: Do these 7 prophesies point to the end of the USA?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2019, 2020, or 2021? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2018 o 2019? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon videos: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives and Can the Great Tribulation begin before 2020? A shorter and newer video is: Might the Great Tribulation start in 2019?
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.
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 tries to look faithful.
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