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HWA: Millions Do Not Know What Christ Really Was!

Tuesday, February 11th, 2025

COGwriter

For a while in the USA, there was a Protestant campaign ‘Know Jesus.’

Many who claim Christianity do not know the real Jesus. The Apostle Paul warned that this type of thing could happen:

2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted — you may well put up with it!  (2 Corinthians 11:2-4)

The world is happy with a false version of Jesus–but you should not be!

While Pastor General of the old Radio Church of God, Herbert W. Armstrong published the following in the November 1963 Plain Truth magazine:

Millions Do Not Know What Christ Really Was!

By Herbert W. Armstrong …

Most people want to scoff at the idea that the Creator has power to intervene in human affairs. Yet man today is swiftly reaching the point where the world’s only hope will be the intervention of God to REDEEM misguided humanity from the horrible result of our wrong ways.

God alone has power to SAVE man from the inevitable result of competition, greed, selfishness, and resulting world war. God alone has made it possible for man to be saved from the results of SIN. “For God so LOVED the world, that he GAVE his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Do we realize what a tremendous sacrifice had to be made to redeem humanity from sin and give us eternal life? God so loved this world of sinning, wretched mortals that He gave His own Son to save us. God is love!

Collectively, man is about to reach the end of his rope. Man will finally come to realize God’s great LOVE when he is supernaturally saved from world suicide. And individually, we need to really understand just

HOW God has made it possible for us to be spared from the penalty of our wrong ways.

The problem of just how God ordained that the penalty of human sin be paid is one that has puzzled theologians for generations. In fact, it was the basis of the first heresies during the very lifetime of the apostles.

How Is It Possible?

The doctrine of Salvation requires clear thinking and a willingness to be corrected and reproved by the Word of God — our only infallible source of information. We must be careful to consider ALL the scriptures on this subject, and realize that one scripture cannot be used to contradict another — for God does not contradict Himself, and as Jesus said, “The scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35).

First of all, we need to understand what is the reward of sin. The penalty for SIN — for going the wrong way — is DEATH. God’s inspired Word says: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

When Jesus took our sins He paid the penalty we have incurred. What was that penalty? Not eternal life in hellfire, but DEATH. “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (I Cor. 15:3).

But if Jesus were only human, His life would pay the death penalty for only. ONE other person. No one human being could save mankind. The full penalty for everyone’s sins must be paid!

Yet God alone could not of Himself pay the penalty of man’s sins. The penalty is the forfeiting of human life — not animal or any other kind of life. And God, as the source of all life and the One who has life within himself, and is a spirit being, cannot die (John 5:26; II Cor. 4:18).   Therefore it was absolutely necessary that there be One — The Messiah — who was both human and divine.

Christ Was Divine

In order to pay the penalty for your sins and mine, it was necessary that Christ be Divine — that His life be worth all our human lives put together.

Man does not have life inherent within himself. He has only a chemical existence which soon ends. As God told Adam after his sin: “For dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return” (Gen. 3:19). Then God drove man out of the Garden of Eden “lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever” (Verses 22-24). So we see that Adam had no eternal life whatsoever inherent within himself — and God did not permit him to attain it at that time.

The New Testament also dearly proves that man has no eternal life inherent within himself. “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him” (I John 3:15).

God alone has and can give eternal life. “For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself” (John 5:26). Again we read of Christ: “In Him was LIFE; and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4). Jesus told Martha, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25). Paul described Christ as the One “Who only bath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto” (I Tim. 6:16).

If Christ were only human, He could have saved but one other human, and given eternal life to none. To do this required God — the life of the Creator.

Christ Is Creator

In John 1:1-2, we read that Christ — the Word or Spokesman — was with God the Father in the beginning. “All things were made by him (Christ)” (verse 3). Paul wrote of Christ: “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth” (Col. 1:16). Christ is also proved to be the One who did the creating in Hebrews 1:8-10. Christ, the Word, the Divine Spokesman, “spake and it was done.”

Therefore Christ’s life is the life of the Creator God. Paul called Him “God our Savior” (Titus 1:3). Yes, in the person of Jesus Christ, the very Creator became our Savior!

Christ is our Maker and a member of the Godhead — the God Family. Therefore, His life which He gave for us is of greater value than the total of all human beings.

In Hebrews 7:1-4, we find a description of One who “was made like unto the Son of God” and now “abideth a priest continually” (verse 3). The entire book of Hebrews reveals the present office of Christ as our High Priest. This description can fit none other than the One who came in the flesh as Jesus the Christ.

He is described as being, “Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days nor end of life” (verse 3). Hence, we see that He was not the “Son” of God until He was born of the virgin Mary.

Then Jesus, the One through whom the Father had created the heavens and the earth, was translated into flesh and born of a human virgin. Matthew writes that Mary “was found with child of the Holy Spirit” (Mat. 1:18).   An angel spoke to Joseph telling him the child was conceived of the Holy Spirit and commanding him: “Thou shalt call his name Jesus (meaning Savior): for he shall save his people from their sins” (verse 21).

The narrative continues: “Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (verse 23).

Here we see that even Jesus Christ’s name revealed Him both as Savior, and God with us — a divine being with us, in the flesh — to SAVE us from our sins.

Only His life — that of the Creator — could pay the full penalty of sin for all mankind.

Jesus Was Also Human

In order to pay the penalty of human sin, it was not enough that Jesus was Divine. He must also have been human.

The Bible definition of sin is this: “Sin is the transgression of the law” (I John 3:4). God’s spiritual law was given to man — not the plants, nor the lower animals. The Ten Commandments govern the relationship between men, and between man and God. The transgression of this law constitutes sin. And the wages, or reward, of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). God exacts the forfeiture of human life as the penalty for sin.

“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Heb. 10:4).

It required HUMAN BLOOD!

Christ, then, must have been human in order to pay this penalty.

Paul explains in I Cot. 15:21-22: “For since by man (Adam) came death, by man (Christ) came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” Since eternal LIFE is made possible only by MAN’S resurrection — and the resurrection to eternal life is made possible for all men only by the resurrection of the ONE MAN — CHRIST — and since He was resurrected from the dead — therefore the DEATH of the ONE MAN, Jesus Christ, was necessary to pay MAN’S penalty.

Adam, the father of the human race, introduced sin into the world. And all of us have succumbed to it. It is the human race that is under the death penalty for sin — and that penalty must be paid — BY HUMAN LIFE!

So since only God has power to save and give life — and since only man can pay the penalty of sin — the only possible way to save mankind was for Yahweh — the “Lord” or “Eternal” of the Old Testament, the One who executed the creation for God the Father — to come in the flesh as a HUMAN — GOD become MAN — and die for the sins of the world.

Only thus could the penalty of all human sin be paid by one man as Savior of the world. That life was the life of our MAKER, become HUMAN, for the very purpose of death — a life greater than the sum-total of all human lives! MARVELOUS MYSTERY!

Jesus Had HUMAN Nature

God came in the flesh as Jesus Christ, lived without sin, and thus was able to die and pay the full penalty of sin in our stead.

The Apostle Paul was inspired to write: “But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To REDEEM them that were under the law,… that we might receive the sonship” (Gal. 4:4-5).

Jesus Christ was made of a woman — born of the Virgin Mary. He was made “under the law” — His very purpose in coming in the human flesh was to take our sins upon Himself, which would put Him “under the law” — under its penalty, death. He did this to redeem all humanity which is “under the law” — under the penalty of DEATH. Jesus was GOD made mortal human flesh, “for the suffering of death” (Heb. 2:9) — FOR THAT VERY PURPOSE!

So Jesus took human nature upon Himself and was made subject to death in order to be our Savior. “He also likewise (as the children are partakers of flesh and blood) took part of the same” — took on HUMAN NATURE — became flesh and blood — “that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14).

Jesus was really DEAD during the three days and nights His body was in the grave. He who had been one of the personalities in God — was changed into flesh so He could DIE for our sins.

Paul explains that Christ: “Being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be EQUAL with God: But made himself of no reputation” — EMPTIED Himself of His divine glory and power — “and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the LIKENESS of men… and became obedient unto DEATH” (Philip. 2:6-8).

When Christ was in the human flesh, He said: “I can of mine own self do NOTHING: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me” (John 5:30). Jesus had emptied Himself of His divine glory and power. He plainly said he could of Himself — in His own human strength — do NOTHING.

In John 14:12, Jesus said: “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” Here we see that any outside help and power that Jesus had — coming from God the Father — we may also have, and may accomplish greater works through the power of the Holy Spirit which He went to heaven to send.

In living a perfect life, in doing great miracles, Jesus did NOT have any special help from God the Father that we cannot also have.

Christ, one of the beings in the Godhead, had now been changed into flesh — still having the personality and will to do right which distinguished Him as an entity — yet now had become human, having HUMAN NATURE with all of its desires, weaknesses and lusts — and subject to death just like any other human.

This is a truth about which millions are DECEIVED!

Doctrine of Anti-Christ

The Satan-inspired doctrine that Jesus was not human, that He did not inherit the human nature of Adam, that He did not have all the normal human passions and weaknesses against which all of us have to struggle — in a word, that Jesus did not really come “in the flesh” as a normal human being — this is the doctrine of the Anti-Christ. Notice Romans 8:3: “God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh.”

“Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is NOT of God: and this is that spirit of Anti-Christ, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even NOW already is it in the world” (I John 4:3).

Millions are being taught, in one form or another, this deception of Satan the Devil! Some believe that Jesus had a “special” kind of blood in His veins — not containing human nature with all its weaknesses. Then there is the belief that denies the fact that Jesus inherited human nature from His mother, Mary. This theory thwarts the meaning of the many scriptures showing that Christ Jesus came as the son of man — inheriting His human nature from a normal, human mother.

Yes, as the scriptures clearly state, this Satan-inspired doctrine of Anti-Christ is “even NOW” in the world — and some honest and sincere people are being deceived by it.

Doctrine Explained

Now, listen! The underlying PURPOSE of Satan — the Adversary — in formulating the doctrine of Anti-Christ is this: It is an attempt to deny the fact that a normal man — with HUMAN NATURE — could, with the help of God’s Holy Spirit which is now accessible to every man (Acts 10:34-45), live in perfect obedience to the LAW OF GOD as Jesus Christ did. Again notice WHY Christ came in the likeness of sinful flesh: “… and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh” WHY — “that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled IN US, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Rom. 8:3-4).

The idea Satan is trying to put across is that it is impossible for man to keep the spiritual law of God, and so Jesus came as our Savior — not “in the flesh” with normal human nature — but through some “special process” so that He could keep the law of God in our stead! And therefore we don’t have to keep the Spiritual Law. What Christ did in our stead was to die for us! But His obedience was our EXAMPLE!

Those who believe this doctrine seem to forget that Jesus obeyed God in every way, “Leaving us an EXAMPLE, that ye should follow his steps” (I Peter 2:21-22), that Jesus taught, “IF thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments” (Mat. 19:17), and that He said of all mankind: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God” (Luke 4:4). We are not only to keep the letter of the law, but to follow it as it is magnified throughout the Bible in “every word of God.”

As Jesus explained throughout Matthew 5, we are to DO and TEACH even the least of the commandments (verse 19), and should go far beyond the scribes and Pharisees by obeying even the spirit, and intent, of God’s great law of love as summed up in the Ten Commandments.

Satan the Devil, through His false ministers who appear as “ministers of righteousness” (II Cor. 11:13-15), is trying to deceive the world into believing in a FALSE CHRIST — a Christ who did away with the Father’s spiritual law and made it possible for us to inherit eternal life without having to build, with the help of God’s Spirit, the kind of holy, righteous CHARACTER which would enable us to obey God’s eternal, spiritual LAW both now and forever.

Truth Made Clear

Now that we understand the real motive behind the doctrine of Anti-Christ, let us consider a few final scriptures which will clear up the truth of this matter once and for all time.

In James 1:13-14, we read:

“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for GOD CANNOT BE TEMPTED WITH EVIL, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”

How plain! How abundantly clear! Not having human nature with its passions and lusts, God CANNOT be tempted with evil. And on the contrary, every man is tempted by his own lust — because every man does have human nature.

Now turn to Hebrews 2:17-18. Here God shows that Christ is qualified to be a merciful and faithful high priest —

“For in that he himself bath suffered being TEMPTED, he is able to succor them that are tempted.”

Again, in Hebrews 4:15 we read:

“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but WAS IN ALL POINTS TEMPTED like as we are, yet without sin.”

Could anything be more CLEAR?

God CANNOT be tempted. Yet Jesus Christ WAS tempted in all points like we are. He was HUMAN. He was tempted through the lusts of His HUMAN NATURE.

He said:

“I can of mine own self do NOTHING” (John 5:30).

In the days of fleshly weakness, He cried out to God who was able to save Him from death (Heb. 5:7).

In spite of having human nature just as we do, with all of its passions and weaknesses, of being “tempted in all points like as we are,” He was “yet WITHOUT SIN.”

He willingly suffered every human trial, privation, and persecution, “Leaving us an EXAMPLE, that ye should follow his steps: Who DID NO SIN, neither was guile found in his mouth” (I Pet. 2:21-22).

Jesus Kept Commandments

Though having human nature, Jesus did not sin! And what is the Bible definition — God’s definition — of sin?

“Sin is the transgression of THE LAW” (I John 3:4).

Then Jesus, though having human nature, obeyed God’s LAW. He said, “I have kept my Father’s commandments” (John 15:10). He instructed: “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the COMMANDMENTS” (Mat. 19:17).

So it is not only possible — but obligatory — that we obey God’s spiritual law, the Ten Commandments, as they are magnified throughout the Bible. Keeping them in the spirit does NOT mean “spiritualizing” them away, but really obeying them as Jesus set us the example, thru the power of God’s Holy Spirit, which He gives to them that OBEY Him! (Acts 5:32)

By clearly twisting, distorting, and misapplying scattered scriptures, Satan — operating through his false ministers preaching the doctrine of Anti-Christians been able to deceive nearly all of professing Christianity on this subject.

Peter knew that men would especially try to twist and pervert the writings of Paul in regard to the law of God. He was inspired to write that Paul’s epistles contained “some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction” (II Peter 3:16).   God does not contradict himself, and literally hundreds of plain, clear scriptures teach us to OBEY the commandments of God, the holy, spiritual LAW of God. And your Bible clearly reveals that Jesus — born into the human flesh and having human nature even as you and I — kept His Father’s commandments and set us a perfect example.

Exercising Character

The … difference between Jesus and any other human is that He was conceived of the Holy Spirit. Therefore He obeyed God’s laws from birth — and never had to go through the process of repenting of going the wrong way, of unlearning wrong ideas and habits, and of gradually learning to exercise His will to do right continually.

He, who had been God, was now changed into human flesh with all its weaknesses and lusts. Nevertheless, He retained in His personality the determination, the WILL to obey God always.

The temptation to do wrong, the idea of sinning entered Jesus’ mind. Yes, it DID occur to Him to disobey God. He WAS tempted in all points like we are!

But from birth, Jesus would always reject these wrong ideas, these temptations. He said, “Get behind me, Satan!” He WILLED to do right. He went to God the Father for POWER to do always right. And, praying for the strength He needed through the Holy Spirit, He always did right.

But it WASN’T easy! Jesus had exactly the same day-to-day battle with sin that we do.

Jesus needed outside help sorely. And He knew where to get that help. “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there PRAYED” (Mark 1:35). When He needed strength to go through the terrible ordeal of the crucifixion,

“Being in an agony he prayed more EARNESTLY: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44).

Perhaps now we can better understand Paul’s inspired statement in Romans 8:3:

“For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of SINFUL flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.”

Yes, Jesus had sinful flesh — human nature. But by exercising the WILL to always obey God, and by receiving the extra help He needed to master His fleshly desires, Jesus repudiated the sway of sin in the human flesh and showed that the law of God could be kept.

Right here let us understand the scriptures which show that Jesus was worshipped while He was yet in the human flesh. In Matthew 2:11; 8:2 and seven other places in the gospels, we find accounts of how men worshipped Jesus.

Yet we know that the Bible forbids us to worship another man.

To understand this, we must realize that in Jesus

“God was manifested in the flesh” (I Tim. 3:16).

Men were permitted to worship Jesus because He was the personality and perfect will of one who was God — and He exercised the character of God. They were not worshipping Jesus as just another man, but as the holy, righteous, perfect character of God manifested in the flesh.   He was God — in the human flesh!

God’s Great Purpose

And so by exercising the WILL to obey God, Jesus “condemned sin in the flesh” for what purpose?

Here is the real ANSWER to why God had to come in the human flesh! Here is the real PURPOSE for the great SACRIFICE Christ made in emptying Himself of His divine glory and power, and coming to strive with sin in the flesh and finally DIE the ignominious death of the cross!

The answer is given in the very next verse of Romans 8. Christ came to condemn sin in the flesh —

“That the righteousness of the LAW might be fulfilled in us, who walk NOT after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (verse 4).

Christ came in the flesh to set us a perfect example, then to DIE in payment for our sins and make it possible for us to be reconciled to a holy, righteous God and receive of His Spirit — His very life and character implanted within us.

Then He was raised from the dead and ascended to heaven, having now qualified through human experience to be our merciful and faithful high priest — now to guide us and strengthen us through the Holy Spirit so that we, too, can learn to OBEY God’s laws perfectly, can WILL to do right always, can develop the holy, spiritual CHARACTER of God — and finally be found worthy to inherit eternal life as the born sons of Almighty God.

How great is God’s love in coming into the human flesh to save us and make us His own!

How wonderful is His plan when we really understand it!

More about Jesus can also be found in our free book, online at ccog.org, Proof Jesus is the Messiah.

Some items of related interest may include:

Proof Jesus is the Messiah This free book has over 200 Hebrew prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus. Plus, His arrival was consistent with specific prophecies and even Jewish interpretations of prophecy. Here are links to seven related sermons: Proof Jesus is the MessiahProphecies of Jesus’ birth, timing, and deathJesus’ prophesied divinity200+ OT prophecies Jesus filled; Plus prophecies He madeWhy Don’t Jews Accept Jesus?Daniel 9, Jews, and Jesus, and Facts and Atheists’ Delusions About Jesus. Plus the links to two sermonettes: Luke’s census: Any historical evidence? and Muslims believe Jesus is the Messiah, but … These videos cover nearly all of the book, plus have some information not in the book. We also have the book translated in the Spanish PRUEBA de que JESÚS es el MESÍAS and French PREUVES QUE JÉSUS EST LE MESSIE languages.
Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is are links to related sermons: Christian Election: Is God Calling YOU? and Predestination and Your Selection. A short animation is also available: Is God Calling You?
Binitarian View: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning Is binitarianism the correct position? What about unitarianism or trinitarianism?
Is The Father God? What is the view of the Bible? What was the view of the early church?
Jesus: 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.
Jesus is God, But Became Flesh Was Jesus fully human and fully God or what? Here is information in the Spanish language¿Es Jesucristo Dios?.
Virgin Birth: Does the Bible Teach It? What does the Bible teach? What is claimed in The Da Vinci Code?
Why Does Jesus Have Two Different Genealogies listed in Matthew 1 and Luke 3? Matthew 1:1-16 and Luke 3:23-38 seemingly list two different genealogies for Jesus. Why? Here is a version in the Spanish language: ¿Por qué Jesús tiene dos genealogías diferentes las cuales aparecen en Mateo 1 y Lucas 3?
Did Early Christians Think the Holy Spirit Was A Separate Person in a Trinity? Or did they have a different view? A related sermon is available: Truth about the Holy Spirit: What THEY do not want you to know!
Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity? Most act like this is so, but is it? Here is an old, by somewhat related, article in the Spanish language LA DOCTRINA DE LA TRINIDAD. Two related sermons are available: Trinity: Fundamental to Christianity or Something Else? and The Godhead and the Trinity. A brief video is also available: Three trinitarian scriptures?
Was Unitarianism the Teaching of the Bible or Early Church? Many, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, claim it was, but was it? Here is a link to a related sermon: Unitarianism? How is God One?
Did the Archangel Michael become Jesus? The Jehovah’s Witnesses teach this, and SDA Ellen White did, but does the Bible allow for this? Here is a link to a related video message: Is Jesus the Archangel Michael? Here is a related article in the Spanish language: ¿Se convirtió el Arcángel Miguel en Jesús?
How Many Creators? Did the ancient Mayans know the truth about the Godhead at creation?
Binitarianism: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning This is a longer article than the Binitarian View article, and has a little more information on binitarianism, and less about unitarianism. A related sermon is also available: Binitarian view of the Godhead.
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism The CCOG is NOT Protestant. This free online book explains how the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants. Several sermons related to the free book are also available: Protestant, Baptist, and CCOG History; The First Protestant, God’s Command, Grace, & Character; The New Testament, Martin Luther, and the Canon; Eucharist, Passover, and Easter; Views of Jews, Lost Tribes, Warfare, & Baptism; Scripture vs. Tradition, Sabbath vs. Sunday; Church Services, Sunday, Heaven, and God’s Plan; Seventh Day Baptists/Adventists/Messianics: Protestant or COG?; Millennial Kingdom of God and God’s Plan of Salvation; Crosses, Trees, Tithes, and Unclean Meats; The Godhead and the Trinity; Fleeing or Rapture?; and Ecumenism, Rome, and CCOG Differences. These sermons also cover materials not in the book. As far as some changes affecting Protestantism, watch the video Charismatic Kenneth Copeland and Anglican Tony Palmer: Protestants Beware! [Português: Esperança do salvação: Como a igreja do deus difere da maioria de protestantes].
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.

Michael Snyder on ‘the system’ and how to become independent of it–COGwriter–‘they promise them liberty’

Tuesday, February 11th, 2025

(Source: photos-public-domain.com)

COGwriter

Michael Snyder made a post about ‘the system’ and his proposed solutions to become independent of it:

February 9, 2025

The more dependent you are, the less free you are.  A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an article about how our system is designed to beat us down and make us weak and dependent, because when we are weak and dependent we are easier to control.  Most of us don’t even realize why the majority of the population is so sick, exhausted, depressed and confused much of the time.  Our bodies, our minds and our spirits are constantly being poisoned by the system, and those that are in control of the system know exactly what they are doing.  If you do not choose to break free, you could end up under the oppression of their system for your entire life.

Of course for many people inertia seems like the easiest option.  It is just so easy to keep doing what you have always done, and that is especially true once you get older.

But what are you going to do once the system that you have become so dependent upon starts to crumble all around you? …

For most people, having a job essentially means living in a state of “just over broke”. The truth is that it is incredibly difficult to become financially independent working for someone else. …

The borrower is the servant of the lender. If you want to live free, get out of debt. …

Do you and your family waste money right now? If you can eliminate that, you can live on a smaller income and you will have more money to invest in the things that are really going to matter. …

You always want to have somewhere that you can “bug out” to if things hit the fan. In addition, owning real estate is a great way to build wealth. …

The cost of living has been absolutely soaring, and that isn’t going to change any time soon. One way to protect yourself is by getting some gold and silver. In the future, your paper money may not buy much for you at all, but if you have some gold and silver coins you can always exchange them for the things that you are going to need. …

Learn Self-Defense … Now is the time to think about how you will defend your home and your property from crazed looter. …

the years ahead are likely to demand quite a bit of physical activity. So keep yourself in good physical condition now. In the future, you will be quite glad that you did. https://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/12-simple-things-that-you-can-start-doing-right-now-to-become-more-independent-of-the-system/

Yes, people should try to get out of debt.

But to think people will survive what is coming because they buy land to “bug out” to, is not the answer (cf. Revelation 12:14-17; see also There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphian Christians. Why it May Be Near Petra).

And while there will be temporary value in gold and silver and the US dollar will one day be worthless, the Bible specifically teaches that gold, silver, and other riches will not save people from all the end-time problems:

3 Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days (James 5:3)

4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,
But righteousness delivers from death. (Proverbs 11:4)

However, this does not mean that owning some may not help a little bit (see The Plain Truth About Gold in Prophecy. How Should a Christian View Gold? What About Silver?), but that a relationship with God counts much more.

Focusing on defending your home from “crazed looters” will not make you independent, but puts your mind on violence and not love. See also: Self-defense and Christians.

As far as trying to remain physically healthy, that is a good thing and the Bible encourages that. See also: Christian Health Matters.

As far as physical preparations go, see also the article: Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians.

That said, Michael Snyder’s ways to be independent will NOT stop what is going to happen.

The Bible warns that a totalitarian system will be put in place:

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 13:15-18)

That said, no, going to a bug out location of land you own will not be the solution. As far as more prophecies go, check out our free online book: Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America?

While I consider that Michael Snyder is sincere and well meaning, he is proposing a false type of liberty. Here is something that came to my mind from the Apostle Peter:

18 For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. 19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. (2 Peter 2:18-19)

The ONLY answer to what is coming is to accept Jesus, obey God, and become a Philadelphian Christian:

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

9 … He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, (Hebrews 5:9)

7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,

‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: 8 “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 9 Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie — indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11 Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. 12 He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.

13 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”‘ (Revelation 3:7-13)

Notice that Jesus promised the Philadelphian Christians that He would keep them “from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”

This promise is NOT repeated to the other Christians in Revelation 3.

Now, some will still wonder if simply being a real Christian is enough for protection from what is coming.

The answer is no. Notice something that Jesus told His followers:

34 “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:34-36)

Only those who will be accounted worthy, apparently a small percentage of end time Christians, will be counted worthy to escape what is coming.

Furthermore, please look at the following:

13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. 14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 12:13-17)

Notice that after the Philadelphian Christians are persecuted, they will flee to a certain place in the wilderness, where they will be protected.

The remaining Christians will not.

The only way to become independent of the system is not to own your own business and bug out land.

The way is to become and true and faithful Philadelphian Christian.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Why is there a Philadelphian remnant of the true Christian Church of God? Did the old Worldwide Church of God essentially predict a Philadelphian remnant? Is a Philadelphian remnant needed for end-time prophecies to be fulfilled? Here is a link to a related sermon: The Philadelphia Remnant.
5. The Sardis Church Era was predominant circa 1600 A.D. to circa 1933 A.D.–but some are still in it. Discusses some early history of the Seventh Day Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, CG7-Salem, Jerusalem 7DCG, and COG-7th Day-Denver. Here are two historical sermons: Sardis Church Era: Beginnings, Doctrines, and Leaders and Sardis: SDBs, SDAs, & CG7s.
6. The Philadelphia Church Era and Remnant Though the era was predominant circa 1933 A.D. to 1986 A.D., but some few faithful are still in it as a remnant has continued. The old Radio Church of God and old Worldwide Church of God were part of the era, and 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. Here is a link to a related sermon: Philadelphia Church Era: History & Teachings.
7. The Laodicean Church Era has been predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present.–and most end time Christians are part of it. 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 50+ Laodicean Prophetic Errors. See also Do You Hold to Any of These Laodicean Prophetic Errors?
Attending the Church of Choice This article discusses whose choice is important to worship God; should you attend the church of your choice or the church of God’s choice?
How Do I Become a Member of the Continuing Church of God? This article has scriptures, links, and other information for those interested in being part of the CCOG. Here is a link to a related sermonette: 10 Steps to Be a Member of the CCOG.
Unity: Which COG for You? Why so many groups? Why is there lack of unity in the Churches of God? Has it always been this way? What can/should be done about it? Here is a link to a related sermon: Church of God Unity. Here is a related article in the Spanish language: Unidad: ¿Cuál Iglesia de Dios para usted
There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphian Christians. Why it May Be Near Petra This article discusses a biblical ‘place of safety,’ Zephaniah 2 to ‘gather together,’ and includes quotes from the Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong on fleeing to a place–thus, there is a biblically supported alternative to the rapture theory. Two sermon-length videos of related interest are available Physical Protection During the Great Tribulation and Might Petra be the Place of Safety?  Here are two related items in the Spanish language: Hay un lugar de seguridad para los Filadelfinos. ¿Puede ser Petra? and Existe un Lugar de Seguridad.
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 Plain Truth About Gold in Prophecy. How Should a Christian View Gold? What About Silver? What do economists and the Bible teach about gold? Gold and silver may drop in value. Inflation/deflation? What do Christians need to know about gold and silver? Two videos of related interest may be: Germany, Gold, and the US Dollar and Silver, Science, and Scripture.
Self-defense and Christians In these perilous times, how should a Christian view defense for self or family members? Here is a link to a related video: Christians and Self-Defense.
Christian Health Matters Should Christians be concerned about their health? Does the Bible give any food and health guidelines? Here are links to three related sermons: Let’s Talk About Food, Evil is Affecting the Food Supply, and Let’s Talk About Health.
UK Study Supports Daniel Diet Daniel and his companions looked better eating more vegetables and a
Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about the peoples of Africa, Asia, South America, and the islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon;  When Will the End of the Age Come?Rise of the Prophesied King of the North; Christian Persecution from the Beast; WWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.
Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is are links to related sermons: Christian Election: Is God Calling YOU? and Predestination and Your Selection; here is a message in Spanish: Me Está Llamando Dios Hoy? A short animation is also available: Is God Calling You?
Christian Repentance Do you know what repentance is? Is it really necessary for salvation? Two related sermons about this are also available: Real Repentance and Real Christian Repentance.
About Baptism Should you be baptized? Could baptism be necessary for salvation? Who should baptize and how should it be done? Here is a link to a related sermon: Let’s Talk About Baptism and Baptism, Infants, Fire, & the Second Death.

Earth’s inner core, which can affect/contribute to earthquakes, may have changed shape

Monday, February 10th, 2025


Diagram of the Earth
(By Kelvinsong via Wikipedia)

COGwriter

The BBC reported the following:

Earth’s inner core may have changed shape, say scientists

10 February 2025

The inner core of Earth may have changed shape in the past 20 years, according to a group of scientists.

The inner core is usually thought to be shaped like a ball, but its edges may actually have deformed by 100m or more in height in places, according to Prof John Vidale who led the research.

Earth’s core is the beating heart of our planet as it produces a magnetic field that protects life from burning up in the Sun’s radiation.

The inner core spins independently from the liquid outer core and from the rest of the planet. Without this motion, Earth would die and become more like barren Mars which lost its magnetic field billions of years ago.

The change in shape could be happening where the edge of the solid inner core touches the extremely hot liquid metal outer core.

The research is published in the scientific journal Nature Geoscience. The scientists were originally trying to find out why the inner core may have slowed down to a slower pace than Earth’s rotation before speeding back up again in 2010. …

So, to try to unlock its secrets, some researchers measure the shockwaves caused by earthquakes as they ripple through the planet.

The way the waves travel reveals what type of material they moved through, including in the inner core, and help to paint a picture of what lies beneath our feet.

The new analysis looked at seismic wave patterns from earthquakes that repeated in the same location between 1991 and 2023. That helped to show how the inner core is changing over time.

Prof Vidale, an earth scientist at the University of Southern California, found more evidence to back up the theory that during those years the inner core slowed down around 2010. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gx37ky3gyo

When I saw this BBC report, I thought about those earthquakes and tremors that have been affecting the island of Santorini recently.

Notice also the following:

10 February 2025

Researchers had begun their work looking to analyse the slowing of the rotation of the inner core. But as they did that work, they found evidence that the inner core is not solid in the way we thought.

That was discovered when scientists looked at seismographs from numerous decades, which chart earthquakes. They showed one that stood out from the rest, and suggested that the inner core is not a solid sphere as thought.

In fact, the core might go through a process known as “viscous deformation”, where its shape changes and it interacts with the outer core.

Researchers were initially confused by the data, which included 121 repeating earthquakes from 42 locations near Antarctica’s South Sandwich Islands. The researchers spotted one set of seismic waves that looked distinct – and, they eventually realised, indicated that there was more physical activity going on in the inner core.

“The molten outer core is widely known to be turbulent, but its turbulence had not been observed to disrupt its neighbor the inner core on a human timescale,” said John Vidale, from the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and principal investigator of the study. https://www.independent.co.uk/space/earth-core-inner-shape-change-b2695585.html

That said, last Summer, CNN reported the following:

Earth’s core has slowed so much it’s moving backward, scientists confirm. Here’s what it could mean

Deep inside Earth is a solid metal ball that rotates independently of our spinning planet, like a top whirling around inside a bigger top, shrouded in mystery.

This inner core has intrigued researchers since its discovery by Danish seismologist Inge Lehmann in 1936, and how it moves — its rotation speed and direction — has been at the center of a decades-long debate. A growing body of evidence suggests the core’s spin has changed dramatically in recent years, but scientists have remained divided over what exactly is happening — and what it means. …

One promising model proposed in 2023 described an inner core that in the past had spun faster than Earth itself, but was now spinning slower. For a while, the scientists reported, the core’s rotation matched Earth’s spin. Then it slowed even more, until the core was moving backward relative to the fluid layers around it.

At the time, some experts cautioned that more data was needed to bolster this conclusion, and now another team of scientists has delivered compelling new evidence for this hypothesis about the inner core’s rotation rate. Research published June 12 in the journal Nature not only confirms the core slowdown, it supports the 2023 proposal that this core deceleration is part of a decades-long pattern of slowing down and speeding up. …

Magnetic attraction

Buried about 3,220 miles (5,180 kilometers) deep inside Earth, the solid metal inner core is surrounded by a liquid metal outer core. The inner core is made mostly of iron and nickel, and it is estimated to be as hot as the surface of the sun — about 9,800 degrees Fahrenheit (5,400 degrees Celsius).

Earth’s magnetic field yanks at this solid ball of hot metal, making it spin. At the same time, the gravity and flow of the fluid outer core and mantle drag at the core. Over many decades, the push and pull of these forces cause variations in the core’s rotational speed, Vidale said.

The sloshing of metal-rich fluid in the outer core generates electrical currents that power Earth’s magnetic field, which protects our planet from deadly solar radiation. …

Scientists study the inner core to learn how Earth’s deep interior formed and how activity connects across all the planet’s subsurface layers. The mysterious region where the liquid outer core envelops the solid inner core is especially interesting, Vidale added. As a place where liquid and solid meet, this boundary is “filled with potential for activity,” as are the core-mantle boundary and the boundary between mantle and crust.

“We might have volcanoes on the inner core boundary, for example, where solid and fluid are meeting and moving,” he said. https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/05/science/earth-inner-core-rotation-slowdown-cycle-scn/index.html

When I first saw the headline for the above CNN article, the following came to mind:

26 You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations, either any of your own nation or any stranger who dwells among you 27 (for all these abominations the men of the land have done, who were before you, and thus the land is defiled), 28 lest the land vomit you out also when you defile it, (Leviticus 18:26-28)

So, sin causes the land to want to vomit off people. Worldwide sin could be a factor in the deep changes in the inner core.

LiveScience reported the following last June:

A new study confirms that Earth’s inner core has been rotating more slowly than usual since 2010. This mysterious “backtracking” could also end up slightly altering the planet’s overall rotation, lengthening our days.

The heart of our planet has been spinning unusually slowly for the past 14 years, new research confirms. And if this mysterious trend continues, it could potentially lengthen Earth’s days — though the effects would likely be imperceptible to us.

Earth’s inner core is a roughly moon-size chunk of solid iron and nickel that lies more than 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometers) below our feet. It is surrounded by the outer core — a superhot layer of molten metals similar to those in the inner core — which is surrounded by a more solid sea of molten rock, known as the mantle, and the crust. Although the entire planet rotates, the inner core can spin at a slightly different speed as the mantle and crust due to the viscosity of the outer core. …

If the inner core’s rotation continues to decelerate, its gravitational pull could eventually cause the outer layers of our planet to spin a little more slowly, altering the length of our days the researchers wrote. 06/19/24 https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/geology/earths-rotating-inner-core-is-starting-to-slow-down-and-it-could-alter-the-length-of-our-days

A reader from Austria sent me a link to the following in August of 2023 related to the core:

There is an extraordinary displacement and destabilization of the Earth’s core, a sporadic and chaotic acceleration of the planet’s rotation, and a shift in its rotational axis. This scenario is compounded by a critical weakening and emergence of atypical anomalies of the magnetic field, and a change in the composition of the upper layers of the atmosphere. These events have culminated in an extreme activation of magmatic foci, and an accompanying increase in deep mantle earthquakes – bringing about a decrease in the thermal conductivity of the ocean. As a consequential result, our oceans have lost their ability to function as a compensatory and cooling mechanism. All these alarming factors indicate only one thing – To Wit, Our planet is on the verge of self-destruction, and humanity has only a few years remaining to avert this impending catastrophe.

We urgently need to establish a unified international scientific center, essentially an international interdisciplinary alliance of the world’s best scientists, who will work on solving this problem.We need the brightest minds of this world, capable of thinking unconventionally and innovatively. We need people who are ready to collaborate and act in the interests of all of humanity. https://earthsavesciencecollaborative.com/ accessed 08/19/23

One possible reason why this is happening is that Jesus warned of “troubles” occurring during “the beginning of sorrows” (Mark 13:8). When you also read of various calamities in the Book of Revelation, it is possible that a change in the earth’s rotation may cause, or at least contribute to, some of them–such as high heat (Revelation 16:8-9), what looks to be the biggest earthquake of all time (Revelation 16:18-20), etc.

The solution would be repentance and striving to follow the true God, but humans think that they can stop what will happen in other ways. They are in error.

Notice also the following from 2019:

Earth’s magnetic pole is on the move, fast. And we don’t know why

January 11, 2019

Planet Earth is alive. Deep beneath its skin, its life blood — rivers of molten iron — pulse around its core. And this mobile iron is what generates the magnetic field that causes auroras — and keeps us alive.

But, according to the science journal Nature, something strange is going on deep down below.

It’s causing the magnetic North Pole to ‘skitter’ away from Canada, towards Siberia.

“The magnetic pole is moving so quickly that it has forced the world’s geomagnetism experts into a rare move,” Nature reports.

On January 30 (delayed due to the US Government shutdown), the World Magnetic Model — which governs modern navigation systems — is due to undergo an urgent update.

This model is a vital component of systems ranging from geopositioning systems used to navigate ships through to smartphone trackers and maps.

The current model was expected to be valid until 2020. But the magnetic pole began to shift so quickly, it was realised in 2018 that the model had to be fixed — now.

“They realised that it was so inaccurate that it was about to exceed the acceptable (safe) limit for navigational errors,” Nature reports. https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/earths-magnetic-pole-is-on-the-move-fast-and-we-dont-know-why/news-story/341c92307a6b19d25b38836c6097be9d

Jesus warned:

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

Changes is the inner core would seem to be a factor in the production of earthquakes and troubles.

As far as earthquakes go, the really  big earthquake in biblical prophecy is the following one:

18 And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. 19 Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. 20 Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. (Revelation 16:18-20)

Notice that the above earthquake is so big that the cities of the nations will fall. Mountains will be leveled and islands “fled away” (more on this can be found in the article Islands aeand Bible Prophecy). This seems to be the biggest earthquake that will ever hit the planet with humans on it. Despite the view of ‘preterists’ that this already happened (see The Dangerous Rise of Preterists), that is nonsense.

The earthquake of Revelation 16 will be bigger than what the usual “experts” have believed was possible. It will change the planet and humble parts of humanity.

It should be noted since that apparently biggest of all earthquakes seems to take place near the end of the Day of the Lord, it probably cannot happen prior to 2028 (for more on why as well as dates, please see the articles When Can the Great Tribulation Begin? and Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End?).

Earthquakes can trigger volcanoes.

In the Book of Revelation, there is a prophecy that sounds like destruction from a volcano:

8 Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. 9 And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. (Revelation 8:8-9)

Changes to the inner core may cause that.

While in New Zealand, we made a video about volcanic risks while was standing on top of a supervolcano:

8:30

Are supervolcanoes a real threat?

Are supervolcanoes, such as Yellowstone in the USA or various ones in New Zealand a real threat? If so, what type of threat? Are supervolcano issues consistent with biblical prophecies? If so, which ones? Could the eruption of a supervolcano make the USA, New Zealand, or other lands vulnerable to takeover in the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21). Dr. Thiel answers these questions while standing atop a supervolcano in a geothermal area of Rotorua, New Zealand.

Here is a link to our video: Are supervolcanoes a real threat?

The core can also affect electrical matters.

In the future, there are real electrical risks for the USA, Canada, UK, and other nations.

The Continuing Church of God has the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:


17:43
Could problems with the electrical power grid caused by one or more electro-magnetic pulse bombs, solar flares, and/or other phenomena help weaken the USA to the point of allowing it to be taken over? Does such potential exist? If so, is this consistent with any biblical prophecies? What are some of the severe consequences that the USA would face in the event of a electrical power grid failure? Is there evidence in scripture that the USA will be taken over in the 21st century? Some information in video is also in the news post: ’6 Totally Insane Things That Will Happen If Our Power Grid Goes Down’.

Here is a link to our video: Electrical End of the USA ?

We also have the following related video:

14:46

Earth’s Core and Earthquakes

There have been reports that the earth’s inner core is slowing down and even going backward. Why? Could this be dangerous? Are scientists concerned? Could this be related to the earthquakes and troubles Jesus prophesied during the beginning of sorrows? Could electricity be affected? What about the volcano or Revelation 8? What about the biggest earthquake ever that is prophesied in the 16th chapter of Revelation? Dr. Thiel and Steve Dupuie go over these matters.

Here is a link to our video: Earth’s Core and Earthquakes.

The inner core of the earth is changing.

There are real seismic, electrical, and other risks.

But most ignore warning signs.

Will you?

Some items that might be of assistance in understanding end-time events may include:

Weather Blessings and Sorrows Are weather problems a warning? What should be done? What does the Bible teach about weather? What about floods, droughts, heat, earthquakes, tornadoes, and solar storms? Here is a related YouTube video Does God Use Weather? A related item in the Spanish language would be Bendiciones y maldiciones del clima.
Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? What about other peoples? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about Africa, Asia, South America, and the Islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon;  When Will the End of the Age Come?Rise of the Prophesied King of the North; Christian Persecution from the Beast; WWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.
Could 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? 2031 or 2035 or? There is also a video titled: When Does the 6000 Years End? 2031? 2035? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is are links to related sermons: Christian Election: Is God Calling YOU? and Predestination and Your Selection; here is a message in Spanish: Me Está Llamando Dios Hoy? A short animation is also available: Is God Calling You?
Christian Repentance Do you know what repentance is? Is it really necessary for salvation? Two related sermons about this are also available: Real Repentance and Real Christian Repentance.
About Baptism Should you be baptized? Could baptism be necessary for salvation? Who should baptize and how should it be done? Here is a link to a related sermon: Let’s Talk About Baptism and Baptism, Infants, Fire, & the Second Death.

Iran concerned about Donald Trump and considering lifting FATWA against use of nuclear weapons

Monday, February 10th, 2025

COGwriter

Iran is again warning Israel:

Iran president says Trump aiming to bring country ‘to its knees’

Iran’s president accused his US counterpart Donald Trump on Monday of seeking to bring the Islamic republic “to its knees” as the country marked the 1979 revolution that toppled the shah.

10 February 2025

“Trump says, ‘we want to talk’, and… (then) he signs in a memorandum all the conspiracies to bring our revolution to its knees,” Pezeshkian told the crowd, referring to Trump’s reinstatement of sanctions against Tehran earlier this month.

“We are not looking for war,” he said, while adding that Iran “will never bow to foreigners”.

Chanting anti-American and anti-Israeli slogans, crowds formed Monday in the streets of Shiraz and Bandar Abbas in the south, Rasht in the north, Kermanshah and Sanandaj in the west, and the holy city of Mashhad in the east, according to images broadcast on television. https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250210-iran-president-says-trump-aiming-to-bring-country-to-its-knees

Yes, Iran is concerned about Donald Trump and his proposed actions.

Military leaders in Iran look to want nuclear weapons:

10 February 2025

Senior commanders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have urged Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to rescind his longstanding fatwa that bans the development and use of nuclear weapons, The Telegraph reported on Sunday.

They reportedly argued that possessing atomic bombs is essential for the nation’s survival amid mounting pressures from Western adversaries.

Ayatollah Khamenei’s fatwa, issued in the mid-1990s and publicly announced in 2003, explicitly forbids the production, stockpiling, and use of nuclear weapons, deeming them contrary to Islamic principles. This decree has been a cornerstone of Iran’s official stance on nuclear armament.

However, recent escalations in regional tensions, including Israeli airstrikes on Iranian military facilities near Tehran, have intensified internal debates about national defense strategies, according to the AP. The attacks, which targeted sites associated with Iran’s missile production and former nuclear research, have underscored vulnerabilities in the country’s defense infrastructure, the outlet reports.

In light of these developments, IRGC leaders have reportedly expressed concerns that adhering to the fatwa may leave Iran inadequately prepared to counter existential threats, and that the acquisition of nuclear weapons would serve as a powerful deterrent against adversaries. https://www.rt.com/news/612425-iran-nuclear-weapons-fatwa/

Officially, Iran claims to not be working to develop nuclear weapons. However, it has taken many steps over the past decade that point to its scientists working towards a nuclear bomb.

Iran may be very close to having one now–and may already have one or more.

Regarding Iran, Donald Trump, and prophecy, the following is from my latest book available at Amazon Kindle: Unintended Consequences and Donald Trump’s Presidency: Is Donald Trump Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Greco-Roman Catholic, Buddhist, and other America-Related Prophecies? as well as Amazon print Unintended Consequences and Donald Trump’s Presidency: Is Donald Trump Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Greco-Roman Catholic, Buddhist, and other America-Related Prophecies?:

Iran and Prophecy

Prior to his first election, Donald Trump stated that he wants to eliminate or at least change the “nuclear deal” with Iran. [i]

And that he did.[ii]

However, the Biden-Harris Administration tried to revive it, though never fully did. However, the Biden-Harris Administration did release billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets back to Iran[iii] as well as it, apparently intentionally, did not enforce sanctions which allowed Iran to nearly triple its oil revenues 3 years after Donald Trump left office.[iv]

In the June 27, 2024 debate with Joe Biden, Donald Trump then blamed the Biden-Harris Administration for assisting in Iran’s ability to provide more funding to proxies such as Hamas and Hezbollah.[v] It is believed that Donald Trump will likely use some type of “maximum pressure” strategy again against Iran during his next Administration.[vi]

Because Bible prophecy indicates  that it  will  be  primarily Arabic nations that support the final King of the South (Daniel 11:40-43; Ezekiel 30:1-8), though with some support (probably temporary per Daniel 11:25-26) from Turkey (and possibly Pakistan), it is not biblically possible that Iran can truly be the leader of the Islamic world as it seems to want to be. Also, because it is basically due east of Jerusalem, Iran should not be considered to be a candidate to be the final ‘King of the South’ of biblical prophecy.

Despite its posturing and relative military strength, Iran will be somehow effectively neutralized (cf. Ezekiel 32:24). This could perhaps be from an attack involving Israel and/or internal civil unrest — this could also include electromagnetic (EMP) or similar weapons used against Iran (Jeremiah 49:34-39).

It is of prophetic interest to note that the small nation of Israel is prophesied to one day be attacked by some that seem to have a connection to Iran (Isaiah 22:1-14).

Iran may decide to strike out against Israel, and possibly Jerusalem (cf. Isaiah 22:7-8) if a Trump Administration and/or Israel takes actions it does not like.

Iran has weapons that can cause damage. Furthermore, the USA itself (as well as is the State of Israel) is vulnerable to EMP type attacks and items such as biological weapons, chemical weapons, terrorism, nuclear weapons, dirty bombs, etc. because of a conflict involving Iran, Syria, and/or others.

But should this occur, this would NOT be the final destruction of the USA. Prophetically, Iran would not end up faring well (cf. Ezekiel 32:24-25).

[i] Wilkinson T. Trump’s plans to scuttle or amend the Iran nuclear deal remain a work in progress. Los Angeles Times, November 14, 2016

[ii] Trump DJ. President Donald J. Trump is Ending United States Participation in an Unacceptable Iran Deal. White House Fact Sheet, May 8, 2018

[iii] Knickmeyer E, et al. Americans released by Iran arrive home, tearfully embrace their loved ones and declare: ‘Freedom!’ Associated Press, September 19, 2023

[iv] Steil B. Biden is Giving Up Powerful U.S. Financial Sanctions on Iran | Opinion. Newsweek, August 13, 2021; Cohen A. Joe Biden’s Iran Oil Sanctions Failure. National Interest, November 2, 2024

[v] READ: Biden-Trump debate transcript. CNN, June 28, 2024

[vi] What is Trump’s ‘maximum pressure policy’ that could drive up costs for China’s Iranian oil imports? Times of India, November 6, 2024; Strobel WP, et al. Trump to Renew ‘Maximum Pressure’ Campaign Against Iran. Wall Stree Journal, November 8, 2024

The Bible points to destruction coming to part of Israel from an Iranian led confederation:

1 The burden against the Valley of Vision.

What ails you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops, 2 You who are full of noise, A tumultuous city, a joyous city? Your slain men are not slain with the sword, Nor dead in battle. 3 All your rulers have fled together; They are captured by the archers. All who are found in you are bound together; They have fled from afar. 4 Therefore I said, “Look away from me, I will weep bitterly; Do not labor to comfort me Because of the plundering of the daughter of my people.”

5 For it is a day of trouble and treading down and perplexity By the Lord God of hosts In the Valley of Vision — Breaking down the walls And of crying to the mountain. 6 Elam bore the quiver With chariots of men and horsemen, And Kir uncovered the shield. 7 It shall come to pass that your choicest valleys Shall be full of chariots, And the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate.

8 He removed the protection of Judah. You looked in that day to the armor of the House of the Forest; 9 You also saw the damage to the city of David, That it was great; And you gathered together the waters of the lower pool. 10 You numbered the houses of Jerusalem, And the houses you broke down To fortify the wall. 11 You also made a reservoir between the two walls For the water of the old pool. But you did not look to its Maker, Nor did you have respect for Him who fashioned it long ago.

12 And in that day the Lord God of hosts Called for weeping and for mourning, For baldness and for girding with sackcloth. 13 But instead, joy and gladness, Slaying oxen and killing sheep, Eating meat and drinking wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

14 Then it was revealed in my hearing by the Lord of hosts,”Surely for this iniquity there will be no atonement for you, Even to your death,” says the Lord God of hosts. (Isaiah 22:1-14 NKJV)

Elam is a reference to at least some in Iran. The old Worldwide Church of God published the following:

Iranians comprise nearly 70 percent of the country. Iranians, though Islamic, are totally distinct from the neighboring Arab peoples of the Middle East. They are a mixed people of the remnants of Media and Elam and other ancestors of Semitic and Hamitic stock. (Stump K. South Asia in Prophecy. Plain Truth, July/August 1986, p. 5)

The Bible tells that after Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria took over Damascus, he moved Syrians to Kir (2 Kings 16:9-10). God’s word has the expression “the Syrians from Kir” (Amos 9:7), which is basically confirmation that Kir of Isaiah 22 would include Syrians. The Bible also tells of a time when Kir will be destroyed (Isaiah 15:1b) and also says that Syria’s capital Damascus will be destroyed (Isaiah 17:1).While this does not mean that Kir must (or must only) be a reference to Syria, the fact that Syria is an ally of Iran is interesting.

In Isaiah 22:8, “Judah” is a reference to those in the land commonly called Israel–God will allow Israel to be attacked! In Isaiah 22:9, consider that “the damage to the city of David” is a reference to at least part of Jerusalem–and notice that the damage will be great. This, in turn, would be expected to result in a massive Israeli, possibly with US involvement, attack against Iran and its allies, like Syria.the

The fulfillment of Isaiah 22:6-9 could lead to the prophesied peace deal of Daniel 9:26-27 and the countdown to the start of the Great Tribulation.

But notice verse 8: He removed the protection of Judah.

The removal of the protection of Judah, aka the nation called Israel, could include it being hit by one or more nuclear weapons from Iran or one of its allies.

A while back, the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) put together the following Bible News Prophecy video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel related to Iran and Israel:

15:03

Iran and Israel Conflict

European Union foreign policy chief, Josep Borrel, has been brokering the nuclear negotiations involving Iran and said that he thinks the deal is “in danger.” Iran blames the United States, whereas the USA says they are not delaying it. Israeli sources stated that Israel will stop Iran from getting a nuclear bomb. Joe Biden says the USA would use its own military power to prevent Iran from getting such a bomb if need be. In 2021, Iranian lawmakers have submitted a bill seeking the government by law to commit to Israel’s destruction by the year 2040. Does the 22nd chapter of Isaiah point to damage coming to Israel from Iran and possibly Syria? Might Iran be concerned enough about limited progress with the USA to launch some type of attack? Is Iran the prophesied ‘King of the South’? Is it reasonable to think that the prophesied peace deal of Daniel 9:27 will not happen until after a military conflict. like a regional war? Should Christians watch the Middle East? Dr. Thiel and Steve Dupuie discuss these matters.

Here is a link to our video: Iran and Israel Conflict.

We are in a time of wars and rumors of wars as Jesus foretold (Matthew 24:4-8).

Iran is not pleased with Donald Trump and may choose to use nuclear weapons.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

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 YouTube video titled Iran in Prophecy. Here are links to two related videos Iran In Prophecy and  Iran and Israel Conflict.
Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future What does the Bible say about Jerusalem and its future? Is Jerusalem going to be divided and eliminated? Is Jesus returning to the area of Jerusalem? There are also two related YouTube videos you can watch: Jerusalem To be divided and eliminated and God’s and Satan’s Plan for Jerusalem.
Unintended Consequences and Donald Trump’s Presidency: Is Donald Trump Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Greco-Roman Catholic, Buddhist, and other America-Related Prophecies?  Is Donald Trump going to save the USA or are there going to be many disastrous unintended consequences of his statements and policies? What will happen. The link takes you to a book available at Amazon.com.
Unintended Consequences and Donald Trump’s Presidency: Is Donald Trump Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Greco-Roman Catholic, Buddhist, and other America-Related Prophecies? Kindle edition is available for only US$3.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Unintended Consequences and Donald Trump’s Presidency: Is Donald Trump Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Greco-Roman Catholic, Buddhist, and other America-Related Prophecies?
Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? What about other peoples? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about Africa, Asia, South America, and the Islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNALost tribes, prophecies, and identifications11 Tribes, 144,000, and MultitudesIsrael, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British RoyaltyGentile European BeastRoyal Succession, Samaria, and PropheciesAsia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon;  When Will the End of the Age Come?;  Rise of the Prophesied King of the NorthChristian Persecution from the BeastWWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

 

YOU can make your prayers count

Monday, February 10th, 2025

PRAYER Book Cover - Front Final

COGwriter

The old WCG published the following article by Clayton Steep in the August 1985 edition of the Good News magazine:

Make Your Prayers Count!

Could you be overlooking some of the most basic principles regarding answered prayer?

A major blunder. That’s exactly what Henry had just made.

“I simply don’t understand why God didn’t give me the wisdom to make the right decision,” Henry sighed, shaking his head.

Actually, Henry had made a double mistake. Double, because if we were to inquire of him, “Did you specifically ask God for the wisdom you needed?” Henry’s reply would be something like: “Er, well, no — not specifically. But,” he would hastily add, “God knew I needed it. He knows all things.”

True, God knows all things. He is fully aware of our needs. As Jesus stated, “Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:8).

But does that, therefore, render prayer unnecessary?

Not at all! The Bible clearly points out that one of the reasons we sometimes do not receive the blessings we could enjoy is simply that we do not ask God for them (James 4:2).

“Ask, and it will be given to you,” Jesus declared (Matthew 7:7). To illustrate, He gave the example of a child asking his father for some food. “If you then, being evil,” Jesus continued, “know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things…”

How? With no conditions? Always automatically? As a matter only of due course? Just because He knows we need them? Whether or not we ask? No! Read it: “… to those who ask Him!” (verse 11).

Henry should have read James 1:5 more closely. This verse doesn’t say that if you need wisdom, God will automatically supply it because you are a Christian and He knows you need it. Rather, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

God is filled with mercy and compassion. He knows what we need. He stands ready to give liberally. But He wants us to ask anyway.

Why? The fact that God tells us to is certainly good enough reason all by itself. But let’s see if we can understand why God tells us to.

A vital factor

Prayer is not an isolated and optional religious exercise. It is a vital factor, significant in determining our eternal destiny!

The supreme purpose that God is working out here on earth is the expansion of His Kingdom – His Family. He wants to make out of human beings immortal members of His ruling Family.

These must be individuals who, by their own free choice, come to fully support God’s way of doing things, who want to think as God thinks, perceive as God perceives, react as God reacts. They must want with all their hearts to be involved in whatever God is doing.

Such an attitude is essential in order to maintain, throughout eternity, harmony and peace in the God Family.

God has made us temporarily human. This existence is a testing ground so our Creator can try us and know what is in our hearts, whether or not He can trust us to live by His rules and laws (Deuteronomy 8:2). He must be sure. He is looking at us, closely examining our actions and reactions.

God takes note of what we say when we are talking to Him. Of course He knows our hearts and intents. And the Holy Spirit helps where we cannot adequately express ourselves (Romans 8:26-27). Still, as Jesus showed, the actual words we use are also important, and they ought to be meaningful, rather than vain repetitions (Matthew 6:7).

One of the obstacles to effective prayer is not often identified: It is the fact that we live in the age of devalued language. Words have never been so cheap, so frequently meaningless. All around us language is misused in advertising, politics, entertainment and casual conversation.

Because we have been disillusioned more than once by broken promises, exaggerations, shading of the truth, even outright lies, we have come to automatically doubt that words mean what their face value would indicate.

This is one reason some have difficulty believing God’s promises. It also could be one of the reasons some prayers are not as effective as they should be.

Remember that God really didn’t have to ask Adam and Eve the series of questions about what they had done (Genesis 3:9-13). He already knew the answer. He didn’t have to ask Cain where Abel was (Genesis 4:9). He didn’t have to come down to earth to verify how evil Sodom was (Genesis 18:20-21). He didn’t have to allow Jacob to contend with him all night (Genesis 32:22-30). But He wanted to — and wants to — hear from humans themselves what they have to say, and see their reactions.

Prayer changes things

The great Creator God is working out His plan. He keeps it on course, intervening when necessary in human affairs to do so. But do you realize that He allows humans with whom He is dealing to determine many of the details of how His plan develops?

Twice, Moses directly influenced, by prayer, the course of history. Because of the rebellion of the children of Israel, God on two separate occasions proposed rejecting them all and bringing forth through Moses a new nation to inherit the promises made to Abraham (Exodus 32:9-14, Numbers 14:11-20). Had Moses not fervently prayed to God to change His mind, the implication is that God would have done exactly what He had proposed.

Either way would not have impeded the ultimate fulfillment of God’s plan. But Moses’ prayers did determine the course that fulfillment took.

Prayer does make a difference. It changes things.

“The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest,” Jesus urged (Luke 10:2). Whether or not or in what numbers laborers are sent out to do God’s work must therefore depend at least partly on prayers or the lack of them.

Make no mistake about it: God will accomplish His work of preaching the message preparing the world for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ — even if He has to cause the very rocks of the earth to cry the message out loud (Luke 19:40). Let us not take for granted the privilege we have of taking part in what God is doing! He doesn’t need us. But He gives us the opportunity to participate. Are you participating?

Listen to the apostle Paul: “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence” (I Timothy 2:1-2). Whether or not or to what degree God’s work has peaceful conditions in which to function also depends therefore, at least in part, on how diligently we pray.

If we don’t ask, there is no promise we shall receive.

Do you pray every day for the work of God and for the human instruments carrying it out? You should.

Do you pray every day for God’s blessings on others as well as on your own endeavors? You should. Do you pray every day for protection and help as you function and move about in this evil and dangerous world? You should.

“Be anxious for nothing,” Paul wrote, “but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known [even though God is already aware] to God” (Philippians 4:6). This means bringing God into every — yes, every — facet of your daily existence.

Believe and obey

Jesus said, “And all things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (Matthew 21:22). So in addition to simply asking, we must believe. There is a definite and close relationship between the degree of one’s sincerity and surrender to God and the degree to which one is able to believe and pray in faith.

If you are, for example, lusting for something when you know better, if your mind is entertaining thoughts you know you should not have, you automatically cannot at the same time be asking God in unswerving faith to grant you a request. It just doesn’t work that way.

Here’s how the apostle John expressed it: “Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God” (I John 3:21). And our hearts won’t condemn us if we are doing what is right.

“And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (verse 22).

What does it mean to be always in an attitude of prayer? It doesn’t mean you are talking to God every second. Even Jesus didn’t do that. But He was always in the right attitude — His conscience was undefiled before God — so He could talk directly to His heavenly Father on the spur of the moment. His thoughts were on those things that are above.

Being able to pray at any moment and total surrender to God go hand in hand. On one occasion when Jesus suddenly began to pray, He said: “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me” (John 11:41-42).

How did Jesus know that? Why did God always hear Him? For the simple reason that Jesus always did those things that pleased His Father (John 8:29).

Wanting to pray or be in an attitude of prayer in “all things” is actually a valuable incentive to be obedient in all things.

Prayers of intercession

Our prayer life not only reveals to God how deeply we want Him to be involved in our lives and how deeply we want to be involved in what He is doing, but prayer also shows how interested we are in other people.

In all members of God’s Family, God wants to see a spontaneous and universal expression of outgoing concern for the welfare of others. That’s the only way to guarantee peace and harmony. It is the way of giving. Love for one’s neighbor is the very essence of God’s law (Leviticus 19:18).

One of the greatest gifts you can give to others, when you are close to God, is to pray for them. God loves it when people pray for each other. Certainly God will hear the prayers of an individual praying for his own needs. But the Bible leaves no doubt that God particularly enjoys hearing and answering the prayers of one person for the needs of another.

The apostle Paul wouldn’t have petitioned the saints to “pray for us” (Hebrews 13:18) if it didn’t make any difference whether they did.

If you want a specific request from God, have you ever thought to pray that the identical request be granted to someone else who needs it? In so doing, you get your mind off yourself and on the welfare of others. This is well pleasing to God.

In Jesus’ sample prayer outline (commonly, though mistakenly, called the “Lord’s Prayer”) the words I, me or my do not appear once (Matthew 6:9-13). All the way through the words used are we, us and our, demonstrating an unselfish concern.

God wants to hear prayers of intercession (Isaiah 59:15-16). It was through the prayers of Abraham that Abimelech was forgiven (Genesis 20:17-18). Job’s friends were forgiven through Job’s prayers (Job 42:7-10). John wrote about praying for one another to be forgiven (I John 5:16). The Bible records numerous instances of people praying for one another.

For whom have you interceded recently?

In Jesus’ early childhood, there was an elderly woman named Anna, “who did not depart from the temple, but served God [the word God is in italics to show it was added by translators] with fastings and prayers night and day” (Luke 2:37).

You can be sure that most of that prayer and fasting was not to seek Anna’s own needs and desires.

There were probably many people in the area who, over the years, went to Anna when they had a problem, because God heard and answered her prayers and everyone knew it.

King Solomon recorded a vital principle in life that reflects on this subject: “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).

You who are sick or afflicted, is someone praying with you for healing? The instruction from James is to “pray for one another, that you may be healed” (James 5:16). It makes a difference!

Don’t lose heart

One of Jesus’ parables was given to show us we ought to be persistent in prayer, that we “always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1-8).

Have you ever “lost heart” because you, along with others, have been asked to pray for someone, for example, who is terminally ill, and the person dies anyway? Have you immediately assumed something was wrong with your prayers, with your exercise of faith?

Maybe there was. On the other hand, that may not always be so. Maybe your prayers were what they should be. Maybe you did not waver in faith. But maybe enough others did not pray effectively. Did you ever think of that?

In any case, do not lose heart. Keep at it. Try again.

Being able to pray effectively does not come overnight. It has to be worked at. But it is eternally worth the effort, for through prayer you get to know God. And, just as importantly, He gets to know you.

Prayer is not just about asking God to give us things or to think God should be pleased because we address Him.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Prayer: What Does the Bible Teach? People talk a lot about prayer. Many pray in public. Does God listen? What does the Bible teach about prayer? How can your prayers be more effective? Does the Bible give particular positions to pray in? What does God want you to pray for? What if what you want is difficult? What if what you want is humanly impossible? Why doesn’t God seem to answer all prayers? This free booklet answers all those questions and more. This contains 28 biblically-based tips on improving the effectiveness of your prayers. This is a pdf. A related two part sermon is available: What Does the Bible Teach About Prayer? and What does the Bible Teach About Prayer (& Healing)?
What Should I Pray About? An old article by Lynn Torrance on prayer.
Does God Heal Today? This historical article is by Herbert Armstrong and provides his views circa 1952, which he seemed to later modify, at least to some degree.
Ten Simple Rules that Lead to Health Herbert Armstrong gives his opinions on this.
Importance of Fasting An old article by Herbert W. Armstrong on this subject.
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
Christians: Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God, Biblical instructions on living as a Christian This is a scripture-filled booklet for those wishing to live as a real Christian. A related sermon is also available: Christians are Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God.

Right-wing groups want to reorganization to ‘Make Europe Great Again’ as Germany’s election approaches

Sunday, February 9th, 2025

Logo of Patriots for Europe party (via Wikipedia)

COGwriter

EuroNews reported the following:

‘Your time is over:’ Far-right leaders take on the EU’s mainstream parties

At a leaders summit in Madrid the Patriots for Europe (PfE) party says it will launch a ‘reconquest’ under the banner of ‘Make Europe Great Again.’

The far-right Patriots for Europe party wants to be the new ‘normal’ in Brussels and across the EU. That’s the message its leaders have conveyed in Madrid during its two-day leaders’ summit, and it’s been mapping out a strategy to take over the Socialists, Liberals and European People’s Party to carry it out.

It also seeks to very obviously replicate Trump’s “Make America Great Again” in Europe, adapting policies used in the United States and Latin America to EU member states.

Its “reconquest” of the EU will be under the banner of “Make Europe Great Again,” and its leaders say Donald Trump’s recent return to the White House signals it is time for Europe to change.

“We are living in an historic age, and my message to all the old leaders from Macron to Scholz, to your own Pedro Sanchez: It’s your time. It’s over now. They are history,” Geert Wilders, leader of the PVV party in The Netherlands told an audience of around 2,000 people on Saturday. …

In the European Parliament, Patriots for Europe has 86 MEPs and is the third largest group after the European People’s Party (EPP) and the Socialists and Democrats (S&D). https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/02/08/your-time-is-over-far-right-leaders-take-on-the-eus-mainstream-parties

Yes, many want Europe to reorganize. Related to that and Donald Trump, consider the following from my latest book available at Amazon Kindle: Unintended Consequences and Donald Trump’s Presidency: Is Donald Trump Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Greco-Roman Catholic, Buddhist, and other America-Related Prophecies? as well as Amazon print Unintended Consequences and Donald Trump’s Presidency: Is Donald Trump Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Greco-Roman Catholic, Buddhist, and other America-Related Prophecies?:

The Bible is clear that there will be problems in Europe (Daniel 11:41-43), yet it also shows that Europe will undergo several reorganizations (Revelation chapters 16-18), and the two reorganizations in Revelation 17:12-13 specifically will not turn out well for the USA (cf. Daniel 11:39) or the Arab world (cf. Daniel 11:40-43).

Some “right-leaning” European political leaders seem to be re-energized by Donald Trump who because of his breaking political norms and acting like a ‘strong man.’[i] One of the unintended consequence of his actions is, that after crises (cf. Revelation 6:7-8), more Europeans will decide that they need their own even stronger leader—which will happen per Revelation 13:10 and 17:13.

[i] Axelrod J. Donald Trump and Elon Musk Have Energized the German Far-Right. Mother Jones, December 21, 2024

We are seeing the re-energizing of “right-leaning” European political leaders because of Donald Trump.

Consider further that there is also an important election in Germany later this month:

The conservative Christian Democrats haven’t sustained major damage despite having accepted support from the Alternative for Germany.

Tensions are increasing as Germany’s February 23 federal election draws closer, with the campaign becoming rougher as candidates fight for every vote.

But the mood grew even more tense after the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), currently leading in the polls along with the allied Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU), introduced two motions and a bill into parliament to tighten immigration and asylum policies.

The conservative bloc was unable to agree on a joint approach with the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) of Chancellor Olaf Scholz or the environmentalist Greens. But CDU leader Friedrich Merz decided to forge ahead anyway, accepting the support of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in order to get a majority for the motion with his five-point-plan on January 29. Two days later, however, Merz failed to get anti-immigration legislation passed, despite continued far-right support. …

What do voters say?

But how do voters rate the CDU’s approach to limiting immigration? That was one of the questions asked by the research institute infratest-dimap in the current ARD-Deutschlandtrend, for which 1,302 German voters were interviewed between February 3 and 5.

The high level of approval for the CDU among AfD supporters (86%) was predictable. But 62% of the CDU supporters also thought Merz’s approach was correct. …

What coalitions are possible?

Together, the CDU and AfD would have a comfortable majority of the seats in parliament.

There would also be government options for the CDU/SPD and CDU/Greens. The SPD, remains the party that more voters say they would like to see as a coalition partner for the CDU. Some 19% (+1) favor the AfD, 14% (-2) and the Greens in this role. 02/06/25 https://www.dw.com/en/as-german-election-nears-cdu-still-leads-in-polls/a-71533021

It may be partially because of Donald Trump, but more in Germany are accepting platforms more to the right. Of course, many on the left are concerned about the rise of right-wing parties like the AfD in Germany as well as the Patriots for Europe.

Related to the AfD, we put together the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel a couple of years ago:

14:22

AfD: Prelude to a Hitler Beast?

Germany’s Alternative für Deutshland (Alternative for Germany in English) party celebrated its 10th anniversary on February 6, 2023.

It objects to:
❌More illegal migration
❌More asylum abuse
❌More crime
❌More housing shortage
❌More Cancel Culture

The AfD also asserts, “Now it’s time to change that. And that’s only possible with us.” Many are concerned that the AfD’s growing political influence will impact Germany. Can a strong man worse than Adolf Hitler, that the Bible calls the Beast rise up from Germany? Could Europe reorganize with a small backing to put this leader into place? Does the AfD want to make a deal with Russia? Will Germany make a future deal with Russia that would be opposed to the USA? Does the AfD want religion involved to meet its objectives in such a way that it could support the coming King of the North Beast power that the Bible warns will arise in Europe? Could Europe unite under such a leader according to scripture? Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel go over these matters.

Here is a link to our video: AfD: Prelude to a Hitler Beast?

The rise of AfD reminds some of pre-WWII. We are getting closer and closer to WWIII.

As long time readers of this COGwriter Church of God News page are aware, I have long stated that Europe would take stands to push out migrants, particularly Islamic ones.

So, what will happen?

Some migrants will be deported.

Germany has between 800,000 to 1,200,000 Syrian migrants/refugees, to name just one predominantly Islamic set of migrants.

They all do not want to return to Syria.

Notice the following prophecy involving Syrians:

12 The Syrians before and the Philistines behind; And they shall devour Israel with an open mouth. (Isaiah 9:12)

Syrian refugees are one potential problem. The Bible clearly is prophesying problems from some Syrians and some Palestinians. ‘Israel’ includes some of the nations in Europe, like France (see The ‘Lost Tribe’ of Reuben: France in Prophecy? and Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel).

Eventually, Europe will reach a breaking point and change. Many in Europe want major change now.

The Bible shows that Europe will reorganize and a totalitarian leader will emerge:

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, NKJV)

The final European Beast leader, who is also known as the final King of the North, will ultimately promote his religion (Daniel 11:36-38; which will not be Islam, he will at first feign and claim a form of Roman Catholicism). He will make a deceptive deal with the leader of a confederation of peoples in North Africa and the Middle East (cf. Daniel 11:27; Psalm 83:3-8). The confederation will include Syria and Turkey, but Turkey will eventually back out of it and then support the European beast (for details, see Turkey in Prophecy).

Islamic issues will be a factor in the rise of this Beast leader–the Bible shows that a European Beast leader will, after destroying the USA (Daniel 11:39), push against and overwhelm a power from the Middle East and North Africa (Daniel 11:40-43).

It should be noted that this Beast leader is NOT Russian (see also Is Russia the King of the North?). Despite claims from Protestant Joel Richardson, this Beast leader is NOT Islamic (see also Is There an Islamic Antichrist?).

With the rise of right-wing political parties, as well as concerns in Europe related to how counter US President Donald Trump, we continue to see Europe moving towards its biblically-revealed role.

And Europe will NOT end up with a democracy relatively soon.

Some items of possibly related interest may 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 are links to related videos: European history and the BibleEurope In ProphecyThe End of European Babylon, and Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European? Here is a link to a related sermon in the Spanish language: El Fin de la Babilonia Europea.
The European Union and the Seven Kings of Revelation 17 Could the European Union be the sixth king that now is, but is not? Here is a link to the related sermon video: European Union & 7 Kings of Revelation 17:10.
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.
The European Union and the Seven Kings of Revelation 17 Could the European Union be the sixth king that now is, but is not? Here is a link to the related sermon video: European Union & 7 Kings of Revelation 17:10.
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 three related videos: The King of the North is Alive: What to Look Out For. The Future King of the North, and Rise of the Prophesied King of the North.
Islamic and Biblical Prophecies for the 21st Century This is a free online book which helps show where biblical and Islamic prophecies converge and diverge. Here are links to related sermons: Seeing Christianity Through Islamic EyesImam Mahdi, women, and prophecy, and Terrorism, Iran, and FatimaDajjal, Antichrist, Gold, & Mark of the Beast?, and Jesus and God’s Plan for Muslims. Here is a link to a sermon in the Spanish language: El Imám Mahdi las mujeres y la profecía bíblica
Unintended Consequences and Donald Trump’s Presidency: Is Donald Trump Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Greco-Roman Catholic, Buddhist, and other America-Related Prophecies?  Is Donald Trump going to save the USA or are there going to be many disastrous unintended consequences of his statements and policies? What will happen. The link takes you to a book available at Amazon.com.
Unintended Consequences and Donald Trump’s Presidency: Is Donald Trump Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Greco-Roman Catholic, Buddhist, and other America-Related Prophecies? Kindle edition is available for only US$3.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Unintended Consequences and Donald Trump’s Presidency: Is Donald Trump Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Greco-Roman Catholic, Buddhist, and other America-Related Prophecies?
Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? What about other peoples? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about Africa, Asia, South America, and the Islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNALost tribes, prophecies, and identifications11 Tribes, 144,000, and MultitudesIsrael, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British RoyaltyGentile European BeastRoyal Succession, Samaria, and PropheciesAsia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon;  When Will the End of the Age Come?;  Rise of the Prophesied King of the NorthChristian Persecution from the BeastWWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

Vatican excommunicates another priest who claims Francis is not really pope–a prelude to the antipope on the Malachy list?

Sunday, February 9th, 2025


Church Militant logo

COGwriter

Even after nearly a dozen years, there are Roman Catholics, including some priests, that do not accept that Pope Francis is their true leader.

The Vatican is not pleased with that and just excommunicated another priest because of that:

Fourth priest ex-communicated for denying that Francis is Pope

(ZENIT News / Rome, 02.06.2025).- An new Italian priest has been excommunicated after publicly declaring that Pope Francis is an «antipope.» Father Natale Santonocito, a 61-year-old parish priest from the Diocese of Tivoli and Palestrina, southeast of Rome, has been stripped of his ministerial duties and automatically excommunicated following a series of online videos in which he questioned the validity of Francis’ papacy. His defiant stance, rooted in the claim that Pope Benedict XVI never truly abdicated, mirrors a rising undercurrent of skepticism within a faction of Catholics who have refused to recognize the authority of Francis since Benedict’s resignation in 2013. The Vatican’s swift response signals its determination to curb what it sees as a dangerous theological rebellion. …

A Growing Pattern of Rebellion

Santonocito is not alone in his public rejection of Pope Francis. His excommunication marks the latest in a series of disciplinary actions taken against clergy who have openly questioned the legitimacy of the sitting pontiff. One year earlier, Father Roman Guidetti of Livorno delivered a homily on the anniversary of Benedict XVI’s death, proclaiming, “Francis is not the Pope… he is a usurper.” His bishop, Simone Giusti, declared the sermon a public act of schism, resulting in his immediate excommunication. The controversy extends beyond Italy. In November 2024, Argentine priest Fernando María Cornet faced excommunication after publishing Habemus Antipapam?, a book challenging Francis’ papacy. Cornet argued that only one man can hold the papal office at a time, leading him to the conclusion that “if Benedict remained the true pope, then Francis must be an antipope.” That same month, Father Giorgio Maria Faré, a Carmelite priest, was expelled from his religious order after releasing a video alleging that Francis had fallen into “multiple heresies,” rendering his election invalid. Faré went further, calling on cardinals appointed before 2013 to take action by convening a conclave to elect a new pope. https://zenit.org/2025/02/06/fourth-priest-ex-communicated-for-denying-that-francis-is-pope/

Let me add that Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò was excommunicated last Summer because he questioned the legitimacy of Pope Francis as well as various aspects of Francis’ agenda (see Vatican excommunicates Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò who responds with a warning about Freemasonsry and the WEF’s influence on the Vatican).

Other Roman Catholics have raised issues.

Notice something from the past put out by Church Militant:

This Secret Society of Priests Still Won’t Recognize Pope Francis

August 16, 2020

Since the election upon Benedict’s retirement of Jorge Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, Leatherby has shunned the new pontiff and continued to only refer to Benedict as the church’s true leader in mass. Last week, after several warnings, he was charged with schism, defrocked and excommunicated from the Catholic Church.

“I continue to regard Benedict as retaining the Office of Peter, as mysterious as that might be,” he wrote in an open letter to the Sacramento diocese, referring to the belief that all new popes replace the original pope Peter. “Therefore, I do not regard Bergoglio as the Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church.” …

His excommunication, which the church views as latae sententiae or self-inflicted “by his words and actions,” may seem extreme, but it is likely meant as a warning to other anti-Francis clergy, Vatican analysts say. He is by far not the only Catholic priest who refuses to accept the current pope, and who, in doing so, continue to sow division in the church at large.

Mike Lewis, who runs the Catholic website “Where Peter Is,” wrote last week about full seminaries that consider themselves “Francis-free zones.” In an article in America Magazine for Jesuits, he pointed to popular anti-Francis voices that seek to push the opposition to this pope, including Michael Voris of Church Militant and the very popular YouTube commentator Taylor Marshall, whose tweets and vlogs have a cult following of their own. …

The movement against Francis has been fanned by the former Vatican nuncio to Washington, D.C., Monsignor Carlo Maria Viganò, who remains in hiding after penning a damning 11-page letter and joining forces with American cardinal Raymond Burke and anti-Francis Catholic Steve Bannon whose joint cause to create an alternative to Francis has been renewed after an Italian judge overturned an earlier ruling to stop his alt-right university for like-minded thinkers, which he hopes to build in an ancient monastery outside of Rome. https://www.thedailybeast.com/this-secret-cult-of-priests-still-wont-recognize-pope-francis

Various ones have called for Pope Francis’ resignation in the past (see ‘Former Vatican official calls for Pope’s resignation amid sex abuse scandal’, Francis says no comment on resignation letter; ‘By secular standards, the Catholic Church is a corrupt organization and German priest pedophilia, Pope Francis calls for conference, ‘Civil war,’ and Francis pushes for salvation with Mary). Some even thought he would resign last year (see Pope Francis to resign in February 2019?). Some expect him to resign this year (see “End of the world: Why Pope’s 2020 resignation ‘will fulfil 900-year-old doomsday prophecy’”).

Throughout the years, various ones have wondered if Pope Francis is actually Roman Catholic based upon some of his writings and statements.

Here is something from 2017:

Christians asking is the pope still Catholic?

November 16, 2017

Is the pope Catholic?

It’s not a punch line.

It’s a question being asked about the current head of the Roman Catholic Church, Francis, who critics believe is showing signs of abandoning fundamental Catholic doctrines – including the existence of hell.

In a recent address, Pope Francis declared “everything will be saved” upon Christ’s return.

“The thought that at the end of our history there will be merciful Jesus suffices in order to have faith and not to curse life,” the pope said. “Everything will be saved. Everything.”

That would suggest the church is opening up to “universalism,” the doctrine that everyone will ultimately be given salvation, according to Eugenio Scalfari, founder of the Italian newspaper la Repubblica.

Scalfari, a major Italian journalistic and cultural influence, believes Francis has “abolished the places where souls were supposed to go after death: hell, purgatory, heaven.”

Instead, the souls dominated by evil will “cease to exist.” The pope has also been accused of even warping the words of Scripture to make God appear less judgmental.

Father Thomas Weinandy, a member of the Vatican’s International Theological Commission, accused Francis of presiding over “a chronic confusion” in a letter.

The former chief of staff for the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Doctrine said the pope had demeaned the importance of doctrine and undermined church unity. Weinandy was asked to resign from his position not long after sending the letter.

The pope’s reign has long been marked by attacks on conservatives both within the church and the larger Christian community. Many Christian leaders are becoming fed up.

“This man has turned the papacy into a social justice organization that seems far more concerned with global warming and poverty than the proclamation of the gospel,” said Jan Markell of Olive Tree Ministries.

“Catholics should be very concerned. Pope Francis is a type of the false prophet who will reign with the antichrist. I am not saying he is the false prophet, but he has characteristics that would suggest a man just like him could step into that role. If I were a Catholic, I would be looking either for another pope or another faith such as Protestantism. Heaven and hell represent eternal issues that are sacred and no human being should be trying to alter them.” …

Pastor Carl Gallups … agrees with Catholic dissidents that the pope has thrown the Catholic Church into confusion.

“Thus far, Pope Francis appears to have thrown the Catholic Church into further confusion since his reign. We are undoubtedly living in profoundly prophetic times. How people can miss this truth, right before our eyes every day, is beyond comprehension.” http://www.wnd.com/2017/11/christians-asking-is-the-pope-still-catholic/

Pope Francis IS helping set up the end time for the rise of the final Antichrist–and that seems to be consistent with both biblical and even certain Roman Catholic prophecies.

Also, Pope Francis’ apparent diminishing of places of punishment like purgatory will help endear him to the Eastern Orthodox, as well as Protestants, as they do not accept purgatory. Perhaps it should be mentioned that the prior pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI, indicated that the place called limbo also may not exist. As far as universal salvation goes, although the Bible does not teach that, many would be surprised to realize that the Bible does teach that all will be OFFERED salvation through Jesus, and that this was the view of early Christians. For details, check out the free online book Universal OFFER of Salvation, Apokatastasis: Can God save the lost in an age to come? Hundreds of scriptures reveal God’s plan of salvation.

Notice the following from the Catholic-publication CRUX in 2016:

“Is the Pope Catholic?” suddenly a serious question

April 20, 2016

It’s always been the jokey answer to a dumb question, but it’s now a serious issue for Catholic intellectuals who have been criticizing, and defending, the Catholic bona fides of Pope Francis, especially since the pontiff released a landmark document on family life earlier this month that some say calls into question the church’s teachings on the permanence of marriage.

“A catastrophe,” one traditionalist blogger called the apostolic exhortation, “Amoris Laetitia,” or “The Joy of Love,” which was released by the Vatican on April 8. Francis “departs from Church teaching” in the exhortation, wrote another.

“Suddenly the rhetorical question, ‘Is the pope Catholic?’ doesn’t seem so rhetorical anymore,” Claire Chretien wrote in a pointed critique at the conservative Web outlet The Federalist.

The unusual debate — after all, it’s not often that a pope is accused of heterodoxy — has grown so serious, in fact, that on Tuesday evening (April 19), the Jesuit-run Fordham University hosted a panel of Catholic experts titled: “Is the Pope Catholic?”

Among the four participants was New York Times columnist Ross Douthat, who has been one of Francis’ leading critics on the Catholic right, openly wondering about the pontiff’s doctrinal purity and whether he is leading the Catholic Church into schism. …

While none of the panelists directly challenged Francis’ faith, Douthat was most outspoken in criticizing Francis’ approach in general, and in “Amoris Laetitia” specifically, a document that Douthat said was “designed to introduce a level of ambiguity into church teaching that had been absent.”

“It’s clearly a deliberately destabilizing document. And whether that destabilization is good or bad is something that liberals and conservatives can argue about,” he said. http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2016/04/20/is-the-pope-catholic-suddenly-a-serious-question/

Amoris Laetitia is only one of the moves by Pope Francis that is clearly unbiblical (watch Pope Francis’ Tolerance of Immorality is Not Biblical) as well as not consistent with certain Roman Catholic understandings. It should also be noted that even this week, I saw Catholic articles arguing about this.

Pope Francis is even accused of promoting Freemasonry and Protestantism.

Pope Francis has a lot of worldly popularity and is considered to be energetic:

March 12, 2016

Cardinal Nichols said that for him one surprising thing about Pope Francis is his “remarkable energy, his vibrant presentation of the gospel” and his “ability to maintain a very full, personal and heartfelt presence.” He said he believes the reason for this energy this can be found in the Pope’s deep relationship with the Lord.

“Nothing else could give a man of his age the kind of vitality and freshness that he’s sustained over these past three years.”

Cardinal Nichols goes on to describe how the Pope Francis’ fidelity to the Lord and his message, together with his concern for people, “especially those on the margins of society,” is what “captures and enthralls the world.” http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/03/12/uk_cardinal_the_reason_for_pope_francis_remarkable_energy/1214733

The Bible warns about a leader that looks like a lamb to people, has the words of a dragon, but whose energetic-power is demonic:

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. (Revelation 13:11-13)

13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. (Revelation 16:13-14)

Notice that the above leader pushes a political agenda that many think looks good, but biblically is not. Pope Francis is working on an ecumenical and interfaith ‘Babylonian’ unity that the Bible repeatedly warns against (Revelation 17,18). To much of the world, Pope Francis looks like a lamb. His agenda aligns with those of the United Nations and many world leaders.

Newsweek had the following front cover in September 2015:

Notice something I had published in 2013, within 24 hours of Jorge Mario Bergoglio being declared Pope Francis, in my book: The Last Pope: Do Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Francis?:

3. Do Catholic Prophecies Warn About an Antipope?

Could Pope Francis I be an “antipope”?

Is an “antipope” coming? …

Technically, the final Antichrist could also be construed as an “antipope” in that he will accept changes to the current Roman Catholic religion that the “King of the North” (Daniel 11:37-40) prefers and promote emperor worship (Revelation 13:14). …

Although some Roman Catholic scholars seem to ignore or discount the idea of a future King of the North in Daniel 11 (Kurz, p. 68), quite a few Catholic writers expect that an ecumenical pope and a conquering emperor will come on the scene.

What is an antipope/anti-pope? Here is a short definition from The Catholic Encyclopedia:

Antipope

A false claimant of the Holy See in  opposition to a pontiff canonically elected. (“Antipope.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. Nihil Obstat. March 1, 1907. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York. 25 Feb. 2013 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01582a.htm> )

While historically most have considered that antipopes falsely claimed the Roman Bishopric when others had it, I would contend that it is reasonable to conclude that one who was elected under false pretenses would also be a false claimant and hence antipope. Or if a pope changed and became demonically-possessed, such as the situation involving the False Prophet of Revelation 16:13, would that not make him an antipope? Most Catholics, at least now, would tend to agree that such a one would be a false claimant to the papal role. If so, that would seem to make him an antipope.

Although there have not been any recognized antipopes for several centuries, The Catholic Encyclopedia shows a list of thirty individuals that have been considered antipopes (Ibid) .This is roughly one for every ten claimed “Bishops of Rome.” …

Is the Pope Catholic or Will He Betray Rome?

In some households, the expression, “Is the Pope Catholic?,” is asked with the intent of suggesting a “yes” or “obviously yes” response to a question. Since the fourth century, the popes have all claimed to be Catholic (they were not called “pontifex maximus” prior to then) and the vast majority have been Roman Catholic in their faith. Some were more hypocritical, etc. and thus this author would be hesitant to claim that all the Bishops of Rome have truly held to the faith of that church.

But is it possible that the last pope, who could be Pope Francis I, will not be Roman Catholic? On the surface this seems absurd.

As discussed in chapter 2, prior to becoming Pope Francis I, Jorge Mario Bergoglio went to Catholic seminary, became a Catholic priest, then a bishop, then a cardinal, and then on March 13, 2013, the Bishop of Rome. So, to most he clearly is a Catholic. And Pope Francis I may well truly be.

But if he is the last and final pope, then the Bible shows that he will allow compromise mightily and allow the Catholic Church of Rome to be betrayed, hence suggesting that he would not then be true to the Catholic faith.

Connecting the Dots

As cited earlier, the Bible tells of a religious leader who will rise up and support the final European Beast power to the point of attempting to force people to worship that Beast (Revelation 13:11-17).

Although some have suggested that the ten-horned Beast of the Sea (Revelation 13:1-4) will turn against and burn the two-horned Beast of the Earth (Revelation 13:11), based upon the teachings of Revelation 17:16-17, since this two-horned Beast is the False Prophet of Revelation 16:13 and he gets burnt by Jesus and His angels (Revelation 19:15-21, someone or something else must get destroyed in Revelation 17.

The Bible specifies that the someone/something is a city that rules over the world. Since the time of Jesus, what are the only organizations that ruled over much of the old Roman Empire from a seven-hilled city?

They would include the old Roman Empire, the Church of Rome, and to a lessor degree, the Eastern Orthodox Church (Constantinople/ Istanbul is on seven-hills, similar to Rome and had a certain prominence for about 1,000 years). They have had relations with world rulers that have not always lived up to New Testament ideals and actually are the only ones that could possibly fit the historical record.

Now since parts of both Roman and Orthodox Catholic prophecy show that Rome wins out between the two in the end in terms of final top leader, this is consistent with the historical understanding within the Church of God that Rome is the unfaithful woman in Revelation 17. Presuming that is the case, then if one connects-the-dots, it is the Church of Rome that gets betrayed by supporters of the ten-horned Beast in Revelation 17. And since the two-horned Beast is a major supporter of the ten-horned Beast, he then has at least some responsibility in this end time destruction of the Church of Rome (for more dots to connect, see also chapters 5 and 12).

Since it should be almost inconceivable that a pope that was truly Roman Catholic in the sense of the Catechism of the Catholic Church would totally betray his church, this is why I am suggesting that the last pope will not truly be Catholic.

This destruction of Rome is consistent with various Catholic private prophecies that suggest that a top Roman clergy member (like a pope) would betray their church and oversee the destruction of Rome…

For years I have believed that the last pope would not truly be Catholic. He would be a different type of “antipope” (most antipopes occurred because of disputed elections, but I have suggested that a pontiff who does not hold too many of the core beliefs of the Church of Rome would also seem to fit the definition of an antipope).

(Thiel B. The Last Pope: Do Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Francis? Nazarene Books, 2013, pp. 22-24, 86-89)

Pope Francis has taken steps that many Roman Catholics do not believe are appropriate for the Bishop of Rome.

Related to some of that, the Continuing Church of God put out the following video on our Bible New Prophecy YouTube channel:

Some cardinals and other members of the Roman Catholic clergy are concerned that Pope Francis has deviated from its traditional positions on matters such as homosexuality, salvation, fornication, remarriage, and other doctrines.  Australian Cardinal George Pell even mentioned ‘antipopes’ when discussing Pope Francis.  North American Cardinal Raymond Burke has raised many concerns about Francis’ pontificate.  Did Catholic saints teach that popes could become heretics?  Will the final pope not be Catholic? Is an ecumenical pontiff possibly the final Antichrist? What do both biblical, and even Roman Catholic, prophecies warn about?  Could Pope Francis be an antipope and final Antichrist?

Here is a link to our video:  Anti-Pope Francis?

More recently, we put out the following:

14:58

Freemasons and Vatican Officials Seek Cooperation

On February 16, 2024, some high-level clergy of the Roman Catholic Church in Italy met with three Grand Masters of the Freemasons. Since the Vatican has prohibited its members from being Freemasons, why might this be? Are there related ‘globalist’ interests? Do the Freemasons assert that Pope Francis’ encyclical Fratelli Tutti (Brothers All), saying the Church had finally embraced “universal fraternity” is in line with “the great principle of modern Freemasonry”? Are there any biblical reasons to consider that the Church of Rome and the Freemasons may cooperate? What is Freemasonry according to the Freemasons? Could at least one of the kings mentioned in Revelation 17:12 be a Freemason or at least have ties to it? Are there any scriptures that suggest that the Freemasons may betray the Church of Rome? Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel address these matters.

Here is a link to the sermonette: Freemasons and Vatican Officials Seek Cooperation.

Of course, many Roman Catholics believe that Francis is the legitimate successor of Benedict.

From a prophetic perspective, there is a list of pontiffs that an Irish bishop named Malachy put together in the 12th century.

The pope after the one believed to be Benedict XVI is listed as the last one.

There seems to be several similarities between the prophecy of Bishop Malachy and the last pope and statements in the chapter 17 of the Book of Revelation (also known as the Apocalypse).

Let us look at the entire prediction of the final pope by Bishop Malachy as reported in The Catholic Encyclopedia:

“In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church there will reign Peter the Roman, who will feed his flock amid many tribulations, after which the seven-hilled city will be destroyed and the dreadful Judge will judge the people. The End.”

Now let us notice that the Bible warns about something happening in the end time that is consistent with parts of the Malachy prophecy.

1 And there came one of the seven angels, who had the seven vials, and spoke with me, saying: Come, I will shew thee the condemnation of the great harlot, who sitteth upon many waters, 2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication; and they who inhabit the earth, have been made drunk with the whine of her whoredom.

3 And he took me away in spirit into the desert. And I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.  4 And the woman was clothed round about with purple and scarlet, and gilt with gold, and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand, full of the abomination and filthiness of her fornication.  5 And on her forehead a name was written: A mystery; Babylon the great, the mother of the fornications, and the abominations of the earth.  6 And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And I wondered, when I had seen her, with great admiration.

7 And the angel said to me: Why dost thou wonder? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast which carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.  8 The beast, which thou sawest, was, and is not, and shall come up out of the bottomless pit, and go into destruction: and the inhabitants on the earth (whose names are not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world) shall wonder, seeing the beast that was, and is not.

9 And here is the understanding that hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, upon which the woman sitteth, and they are seven kings:  10 Five are fallen, one is, and the other is not yet come: and when he is come, he must remain a short time.  11 And the beast which was, and is not: the same also is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into destruction.

12 And the ten horns which thou sawest, are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but shall receive power as kings one hour after the beast. 13 These have one design: and their strength and power they shall deliver to the beast.  14 These shall fight with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them, because he is Lord of lords, and King of kings, and they that are with him are called, and elect, and faithful.

15 And he said to me: The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sitteth, are peoples, and nations, and tongues.  16 And the ten horns which thou sawest in the beast: these shall hate the harlot, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and shall burn her with fire.  17 For God hath given into their hearts to do that which pleaseth him: that they give their kingdom to the beast, till the words of God be fulfilled.

18 And the woman which thou sawest, is the great city, which hath kingdom over the kings of the earth.  (Revelation 17:1-18, DRB)

In both Malachy’s list and the Book of Revelation we see:

  1. Reference to the city of seven hills/mountains.
  2. The destruction of the city of seven hills/mountains.
  3. The end of a power in Rome.
  4. Persecution.
  5. Troubles/tribulations on the earth.
  6. A type of judgment.
  7. Events for the end time.

The persecution that the Bible tells of is of the truly faithful (Revelation 17:6 and seemingly others per 17:16-17). And the judgment that the Bible shows will happen, will also come from God (Revelation 17:1,14; cf. 6:10; 18:10).

Whether or not Pope Francis is the last pope, the fact is that the last pope on the Malachy list seems to be warned against in the Holy Bible.

The ecumenical, inter-faith, and economic agenda of Pope Francis is consistent with being an antipope. But he, still, does not have to be the last one, though if he is counted, he is #112 on Malachy’s list.

Consider that some believe that Francis may not be the legitimate successor of Benedict. Now, if Francis is not counted in the Malachy list, the one who comes after him may be the antipope of certain Greco-Roman Catholic prophecies.

If so, he looks prophesied by Roman Catholics to be an antipope, and the one we in the CCOG would suspect may be the final biblical antichrist.

We will see.

Some items of related interest may include:

The Malachy Prophecies and “Peter the Roman” An Irish bishop allegedly predicted something about 112 popes in the 12th century. Pope Benedict XVI was number 111. Francis would seem to be number 112–if he is that one–and if so, he is to reign until Rome is destroyed. May he be an antipope/final Antichrist?
Laudato Si: Pope’s Agenda or Kingdom of God? Pope Francis’ 2nd encyclical is titled ‘Laudato Si.’ In it, he goes over his views related to environmental, economic, social, moral, agricultural, and spiritual issues. He advocates international cooperation to solve various problems he believes are affecting humanity. Is that Pope’s agenda the solution? What about the Kingdom of God? does the Bible teach? Two related articles include Laudato Si: Will Pope Francis’ economic actions match his words? and Laudato Si: A call for a one-world government?
Do You Practice Mithraism? Many practices and doctrines that mainstream so-called Christian groups have are the same or similar to those of the sun-god Mithras. December 25th was celebrated as his birthday. Do you follow Mithraism combined with the Bible or original Christianity? A sermon video from Vatican City is titled Church of Rome, Mithras, and Isis?
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.
Freemasonry and the Destruction of Rome? What is Freemasonry? What about ties to the Illuminati? Could they be involved in the fulfillment of prophecy? Here is a link to a related sermon: Freemasonry, Armageddon, and Rome.
What Do Roman Catholic Scholars Actually Teach About Early Church History? Although most believe that the Roman Catholic Church history teaches an unbroken line of succession of bishops beginning with Peter, with stories about most of them, Roman Catholic scholars know the truth of this matter. Is telling the truth about the early church citing Catholic accepted sources anti-Catholic? This eye-opening article is a must-read for any who really wants to know what Roman Catholic history actually admits about the early church. There is also a YouTube sermon on the subject titled Church of God or Church of Rome: What Do Catholic Scholars Admit About Early Church History?
United Nations: Humankind’s Last Hope or New World Order? Is the UN the last hope for humanity? Or might its goals end up with sinister results? A related video would be United Nations and Vatican Are Planning the New World Order.
Europa, the Beast, and the Book of Revelation discusses the largest church since the second/third century, which in a real sense is the eighth church mentioned in the Book of Revelation (it also endorses “eighth day” worship). What church would support the Beast? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
Why Should American Catholics Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster? Is doctrinal compromise good? Here is a link to a related video Should you be concerned about the ecumenical movement?
Will the Interfaith Movement Lead to Peace or Sudden Destruction? Is the interfaith movement going to lead to lasting peace or is it warned against? A video of related interest could be Do You Know That Babylon is Forming?
Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy? Pope Francis has taken many steps to turn people more towards his version of ‘Mary.’ Could this be consistent with biblical and Catholic prophecies? This article documents what has been happening. There is also a video version titled Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. Here are links to three related sermons: The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
Can the Final Antichrist be Islamic? Is Joel Richardson correct that the final Antichrist will be Islamic and not European? Find out. A related sermon is titled: Is the Final Antichrist Islamic or European? Another video is Mystery Babylon USA, Mecca, or Rome?
Christ or Antichrist? 1961 article by David Jon Hill, originally published in the old Good News magazine.
Will You Be Deceived by Antichrist? 1964 article by David Jon Hill, originally published in the old Good News magazine.
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.
Do Certain Greco-Roman Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Against Jesus? Will the final “Anti-Christ” be Jewish, insist on Saturday, be opposed to the trinity, and bring in the millennium? Certain Catholic writings indicate this, while others take a different view, but what does the Bible show? A related sermon is Will Jesus Christ be called the Antichrist?
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?
Could Pope Francis be the Last Pope and Antichrist? According to some interpretations of the prophecies of the popes by the Catholic saint and Bishop Malachy, Pope Francis I is in the position of “Peter the Roman,” the pontiff who reigns during tribulations until around the time of the destruction of Rome. Do biblical prophecies warn of someone that sounds like Peter the Roman? Could Francis I be the heretical antipope of Catholic private prophecies and the final Antichrist of Bible prophecy? This is a YouTube video.
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.
The Last Pope Do Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Francis? Why might Pope Francis be the last pope? What happens if he is? Biblical and other prophecies help explain what to expect.
The Last Pope: Do Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Francis? Amazon Book What does the Bible say about a pope near this time? Is the final pope to be an antipope and antichrist? Does Catholic prophecy point to Pope Francis as being the dreaded “Peter the Roman”? This 186 page book provides information and answers.
The Last Pope: Do Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Francis? Kindle This electronic version of the printed book which is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to The Last Pope: Do Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Francis? Kindle.

BibleNewsProphecy: Does marijuana cause harm?

Sunday, February 9th, 2025


Marijuana, Cannibis sativa

COGwriter

Earlier this Fall, the New York Times reported the following:

The drug, legal in much of the country, is widely seen as nonaddictive and safe. For some users, these assumptions are dangerously wrong.

October 4, 2024

In midcoast Maine, a pediatrician sees teenagers so dependent on cannabis that they consume it practically all day, every day — “a remarkably scary amount,” she said.

From Washington State to West Virginia, psychiatrists treat rising numbers of people whose use of the drug has brought on delusions, paranoia and other symptoms of psychosis.

And in the emergency departments of small community hospitals and large academic medical centers alike, physicians encounter patients with severe vomiting induced by the drug — a potentially devastating condition that once was rare but now, they say, is common. “Those patients look so sick,” said a doctor in Ohio, who described them “writhing around in pain.”

As marijuana legalization has accelerated across the country, doctors are contending with the effects of an explosion in the use of the drug and its intensity. A $33 billion industry has taken root, turning out an ever-expanding range of cannabis products so intoxicating they bear little resemblance to the marijuana available a generation ago. Tens of millions of Americans use the drug, for medical or recreational purposes — most of them without problems.

But with more people consuming more potent cannabis more often, a growing number, mostly chronic users, are enduring serious health consequences.

The accumulating harm is broader and more severe than previously reported. And gaps in state regulations, limited public health messaging and federal restraints on research have left many consumers, government officials and even medical practitioners in the dark about such outcomes.

Again and again, The New York Times found dangerous misconceptions.

Many users believe, for instance, that people cannot become addicted to cannabis. But millions do.

About 18 million people — nearly a third of all users ages 18 and up — have reported symptoms of cannabis use disorder, according to estimates from a unique data analysis conducted for The Times by a Columbia University epidemiologist. That would mean they continue to use the drug despite significant negative effects on their lives. Of those, about three million people are considered addicted.

The estimates are based on responses to the 2022 U.S. national drug use survey from people who reported any cannabis consumption within the previous year. The results are especially stark among 18- to 25-year-olds: More than 4.5 million use the drug daily or near daily, according to the estimates, and 81 percent of those users meet the criteria for the disorder.

“That means almost everybody that uses it every day is reporting problems with it,” said Dr. Wilson Compton, deputy director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, who was not involved in the analysis. “That is a very clear warning sign.”

Marijuana is known for soothing nausea. But for some users, it has the opposite effect.

“Why don’t more doctors know about it? Why didn’t anyone ever mention it to me?” …

A telltale sign of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome is that heat often temporarily relieves the nausea and vomiting. Hundreds of people recounted to The Times, in interviews and survey responses, that they had spent hour after hour in hot baths and showers. Some were burned by scalding water. One teenager was injured when, in desperation, he pressed his body against a hot car.

Researchers don’t know why heat soothes the syndrome, known as C.H.S., nor why certain chronic marijuana users develop it and others don’t. But the onset appears to be related to the way marijuana interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system, a network of signaling molecules and receptors that help regulate vital functions like sleep, digestion and the perception of pain. People with severe symptoms frequently require emergency care. …

In recent years, the syndrome has received growing attention in the medical field. Among those who speak out about it is Dr. Ethan Russo, a neurologist in Vashon, Wash., who helped develop one of the few cannabis-derived drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and continues to research therapeutic benefits of marijuana.

“I spent most of the last 30 years supporting medicinal uses of cannabis,” he said. “However, I have also talked about the harms and pitfalls of cannabis, specifically cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome. It’s a serious problem and a genuine reason that some people should not use.”

Dr. Sharon Levy, chief of addiction medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital, had a patient who believed coat hangers and sneakers had come to life. Dr. Luke Archibald, an addiction psychiatrist at Dartmouth Health in Lebanon, N.H., treated one who was charged with trespassing after following the directions of voices he hallucinated.

Many physicians said that they have seen growing numbers of patients with cannabis-induced temporary psychosis — lasting hours, days or even months. While it is more common among younger consumers, it can afflict people of all ages, whether heavy or first-time users, and with or without a family history or other risk factors for psychosis.

Dr. Levy and other physicians have also seen a rise in chronic psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia, in which they believe cannabis was a contributing factor. As America’s Marijuana Use Grows, So Do the Risks – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Well, harms associated with the use of marijuana have always been there.

Despite what the pro-marijuana forces claim, marijuana is not healthy.

We put together the following related video:

14:44

Does marijuana cause harm?

Many consider that the use of marijuana is both safe and non-addictive. Is that so? The New York Times reported that since the legalization of the drug across much of the USA, that there have been increases in physical and mental disorders among users of cannabis products. Modern marijuana is often more potent than what many used last century . “About 18 million people — nearly a third of all users ages 18 and up — have reported symptoms of cannabis use disorder.” Did you know that among 18- to 25-year-old Americans, more than 4.5 million use the drug daily or near daily, according to the estimates, and 81 percent of those users meet the criteria for the disorder?” That means almost everybody that uses it every day is reporting problems with it,” said Dr. Wilson Compton, deputy director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Marijuana can interfere with brain development, cause lung and heart problems, and result in having a psychosis. Is knowledge of problems with marijuana known or did the old Worldwide Church of God warn of them 54 years ago? Should Christians get drunk or high? Are there more problems with marijuana than many seem to want to admit? Dr. Thiel and Steve Dupuie address these issues.

Here is a link to our video: Does marijuana cause harm?

There are more problems with marijuana than many wish to accept.

It is nice that the New York Times has finally decided to report that.

Some items of possibly related interest include:

Marijuana: Should a Christian Get High? There is increasing acceptance of the use of marijuana. How should Christians view this? Here is a related video titled How Should a Christian View Marijuana?
Should Christians Smoke (or Chew) Tobacco or Marijuana? Is smoking a sin? What does the Bible teach? What have COG leaders written? Can smokers change? What about marijuana? Here is a link to a related video: Should You Smoke? Would You Like Help to Quit?
Just What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
When You Sin: Do You Really Repent? This is an article by Charles F. Hunting. A related sermon is Confess to God and truly repent.
Living as a Christian: How and Why? In what ways do Christians live differently than others. What about praying, fasting, tithing, holy days, and the world? There is also a YouTube video related to that also called: Living as a Christian: How and Why?
Overcoming Sin What is sin? How are Christians suppose to overcome it? Here is also a link to a video titled How to Overcome Sin.
How to Prevent Sin This is an article by Herbert W. Armstrong.
Just What Do You Mean Conversion? Many think that they are converted Christians. But are they? Would you like to know more about conversion. Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.

Gaza, Trump’s thoughts, and Hamas

Saturday, February 8th, 2025


Emblem of Hamas  (Wikipedia)

COGwriter

Many are concerned about Donald Trump’s proposal for Gaza:

February 8, 2025

Donald Trump has been claiming credit for the ceasefire deal that halted the war in Gaza, but the United States president’s proposal to forcibly displace the Palestinians in the territory risks torpedoing the agreement, experts say.

Trump repeatedly called this week for Gaza to be depopulated — a push that rights groups say would amount to ethnic cleansing — and for the US to “take over” the Palestinian territory. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/2/8/what-does-trumps-ethnic-cleansing-proposal-mean-for-ceasefire-deal

On Inauguration Day, Trump briefly entered real estate developer mode and called Gaza “a phenomenal location on the sea” that needed a rebuild.

Tuesday’s news conference indicated he was serious, as he vowed the United States would take “long-term ownership” of the enclave.

He advocated ousting Palestinians in Gaza from their homes, first suggesting it would be permanent and then indicating they would be allowed back.

“I don’t think people should be going back to Gaza,” he said, adding later that “Palestinians will live there. Many people will live there” — without explaining the apparent contradiction.

Wednesday afternoon, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that while Trump believes the United States should be involved in rebuilding Gaza, its residents would be relocated temporarily.  02/05/25 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/trumps-gaza-israel-plans-riviera-rcna190748

President Donald Trump’s calls for the United States to “take over” and “develop” the Gaza Strip have handed jihadist terrorist groups a rallying cry to recruit and inspire attacks against Americans at home and abroad, security experts and former intelligence officials say.

Trump’s comments this week, proposing that the United States would control the Palestinian enclave while its residents would be forced to relocate abroad, have caused shock and outrage around the world — and terrorists will pounce on that anger to attract more support and organize attacks, experts said. …

Trump said on Truth Social that Palestinians could be “resettled in far safer and more beautiful communities, with new and modern homes, in the region.” His contradictory comments added fresh confusion about the future of Palestinians in Gaza.

Even if Trump renounces his comments or never follows through on his ideas about U.S. control of Gaza, jihadist militants now believe the United States — which has already invaded one Muslim country in the Middle East — has its sights set on the Gaza Strip, Pape and other analysts said. …

Trump’s comments come at a doubly precarious moment, with the United States helping negotiate the next stage of a ceasefire whose supporters hope will free the 79 remaining Israeli hostages, including 44 who are believed to be alive in exchange for Palestinians being held in Israeli prisons or detention. 02/07/25 https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/trumps-gaza-comments-hand-islamic-terrorists-rallying-cry-experts-say-rcna191099

If those in Gaza wanted to simply live in peace in beautiful communities, the focus of the government there would have been economic prosperity, investing in things like irrigation for agriculture and tourist infrastructure. Instead, Hamas ran the place and its focus was on trying to figure out how to eliminate Jews from Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank of the Jordan river. Its extensive production of tunnels, to cite one example, shows that civic community benefits were not its focus.

Notice something from one of Hamas’ official founding documents:

THE COVENANT OF THE HAMAS – MAIN POINTS . . .

Goals of the HAMAS:
——————
‘The Islamic Resistance Movement is a distinguished Palestinian movement, whose allegiance is to Allah, and whose way of life is Islam. It strives to raise the banner of Allah over every inch of Palestine.’ (Article 6)

On the Destruction of Israel:
—————————–
‘Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it.’ (Preamble)

Here are excerpts from its later, 2017, charter or list of goals:

Preamble

Palestine is the land of the Arab Palestinian people, from it they originate, to it they adhere and belong, and about it they reach out and communicate. …

Palestine is a land that was seized by a racist, anti-human and colonial Zionist project that was founded on a false promise (the Balfour Declaration), on recognition of a usurping entity and on imposing a fait accompli by force. …

The movement

1. The Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas” is a Palestinian Islamic national liberation and resistance movement. Its goal is to liberate Palestine and confront the Zionist project. Its frame of reference is Islam, which determines its principles, objectives and means.

The Land of Palestine

2. Palestine, which extends from the River Jordan in the east to the Mediterranean in the west and from Ras al-Naqurah in the north to Umm al-Rashrash in the south, is an integral territorial unit. It is the land and the home of the Palestinian people. ..

3. Palestine is an Arab Islamic land. It is a blessed sacred land that has a special place in the heart of every Arab and every Muslim. …

10. Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine. Its religious, historic and civilisational status is fundamental to the Arabs, Muslims and the world at large. Its Islamic and Christian holy places belong exclusively to the Palestinian people and to the Arab and Islamic Ummah. Not one stone of Jerusalem can be surrendered or relinquished. The measures undertaken by the occupiers in Jerusalem, such as Judaisation, settlement building, and establishing facts on the ground are fundamentally null and void. …

17. Hamas rejects the persecution of any human being or the undermining of his or her rights on nationalist, religious or sectarian grounds. Hamas is of the view that the Jewish problem, anti-Semitism and the persecution of the Jews are phenomena fundamentally linked to European history and not to the history of the Arabs and the Muslims or to their heritage. The Zionist movement, which was able with the help of Western powers to occupy Palestine, is the most dangerous form of settlement occupation which has already disappeared from much of the world and must disappear from Palestine.

18. The following are considered null and void: the Balfour Declaration, the British Mandate Document, the UN Palestine Partition Resolution, and whatever resolutions and measures that derive from them or are similar to them. The establishment of “Israel” is entirely illegal and contravenes the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and goes against their will and the will of the Ummah; it is also in violation of human rights that are guaranteed by international conventions, foremost among them is the right to self-determination.

19. There shall be no recognition of the legitimacy of the Zionist entity. Whatever has befallen the land of Palestine in terms of occupation, settlement building, judaisation or changes to its features or falsification of facts is illegitimate. Rights never lapse.

20. Hamas believes that no part of the land of Palestine shall be compromised or conceded, irrespective of the causes, the circumstances and the pressures and no matter how long the occupation lasts. Hamas rejects any alternative to the full and complete liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea. …

27. A real state of Palestine is a state that has been liberated. There is no alternative to a fully sovereign Palestinian State on the entire national Palestinian soil, with Jerusalem as its capital.  05/02/17 https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/hamas-2017-document-full accessed 11/07/23

Hamas has not changed its objectives. It wants Israel gone and Jews out of the area. It does not want to leave the area itself.

When protesters chant “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” that is a Hamas adopted slogan that means that the area from the Jordan river to the Mediterranean Sea is to be Palestinian and not Israeli.

Hamas wants Israel gone—though that does not mean that they will not be open to some type of a temporary or timed withdrawal or peace deal. And a TEMPORARY one will come according to the Bible:

26 And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined. 27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate (Daniel 9:26-27).

Donald Trump’s statements are pushing the Palestinians away from the USA–and as it turns out it is a European leader that it refers to who will confirm the deal. But, again, the deal will be temporary. The “one week” above has been understand to be a seven-year confirmation, but the fact that it will be broken in the middle shows it will basically only have a 3 1/2 year confirmation.

Israel did not eliminate Hamas.

There will be no permanent peace in the Middle East before Jesus returns.

The Bible shows that Gazans will end up with territories that Israel now controls. A decade ago, we put out the following video:

There have rockets, troops, cease-fires, and killings in Gaza.

What will happen to Gaza, Hamas, and the Palestinians? What does Gaza mean? Where is it? Gaza is mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments. Which biblical prophecies mention Gaza and the lands of the Palestinians? Does the Bible suggest that Israel may lose some cities it now claims? What is ahead for those in Gaza and the West Bank? May terrorism be expected to come from this region? Which prophesies tell of a coming confederation which will involve the Gazites and Palestinians?

A written article of related interest is titled: Gaza and the Palestinians in Bible Prophecy.

Here is a link to our video: Gaza and Palestine in Prophecy.

The prophesied changes in territory where the Palestinians end up with more, will have to come after some type of deal and/or violent conflict.

As far as the current ceasefire–which many now see in jeopardy goes, we have the following related video:

14:47

Hamas Israel Ceasefire and Daniel 9:27

Peace at Last! Peace at Last! World News Item: Hamas and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire! But will this ceasefire really bring about peace in the mid-east? There are three phases to the ceasefire agreement. Is it possible that both Israel and Hamas will abide by the conditions set forth in all three phases? Would their past performance be any indication of their future performance? Dr. Thiel sheds the light of Bible prophecy on these world events in addition to giving us insight into a future peace deal spoken of in the book of Daniel. A peace deal between the King of the North and the King of the South. Will that peace deal result in peace? If the cease fire between Hamas and Israel and the peace deal between the Kings of the North and South don’t bring about peace – what will?

Here is a link to our video: Hamas Israel Ceasefire and Daniel 9:27.

Hamas is not gone. The Palestinians do not want to permanently, or even temporarily, want to leave Gaza.

Do not overestimate aspects of Donald Trump’s statements and actions.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 This prophecy could give up to 3 1/2 years advance notice of the coming Great Tribulation. Will most ignore or misunderstand its fulfillment? Here is a link to a related sermon video Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation.
How Will Middle East Peace be Brought About? Can humans bring peace to the Middle East? Here is a link to a related video: Middle East Peace? When?
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. It is available in hundreds of languages at ccog.org. Here are links to four kingdom-related sermons:  The Fantastic Gospel of the Kingdom of God!, The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
Gaza and the Palestinians in Bible Prophecy What does the Bible teach about Gaza and the fate of the Palestinians? Here is a link to a related video: Gaza and Palestine in Prophecy.
Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future What does the Bible say about Jerusalem and its future? Is Jerusalem going to be divided and eliminated? Is Jesus returning to the area of Jerusalem? There are also two related YouTube videos you can watch: Jerusalem To be divided and eliminated and God’s and Satan’s Plan for Jerusalem.
Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? What about other peoples? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about Africa, Asia, South America, and the Islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon;  When Will the End of the Age Come?Rise of the Prophesied King of the North; Christian Persecution from the Beast; WWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

International Septuagint Day, but its promoters have missed various facts

Saturday, February 8th, 2025

COGwriter

February 8th is observed as International Septuagint Day.

Many, particularly Greco-Roman Catholics, consider that the Greek Septuagint Old Testament is superior to the Hebrew Masoretic text for the Old Testament. Plus, supporters of the Septuagint tend to accept books of the Bible that early Christians, current Church of God Christians, and Protestants do not accept as inspired.

Here is some information in it from our free online book Who Gave the World the Bible? The Canon: Why do we have the books we now do in the Bible? Is the Bible complete?:

The term ‘Septuagint’ (LXX) is from the Latin septuaginta, ‘seventy.’ This term septuaginta seems to have been first used by Augustine in his City of God (Sundberg AC, Jr. The Septuagint: The Bible of Hellenistic Judaism. In: The Canon Debate. Baker Academic, 2002) which was published in 426.

The Septuagint is a translation of Hebrew writings, which now includes ones known as the Old Testament as well as those often referred to as the Old Testament Apocrypha.

According to legend, seventy-two Jewish scholars were asked by the Greek King of Egypt Ptolemy II Philadelphus to translate the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) from biblical Hebrew into Greek. This was to be done on a scroll to be included in the famous Library of Alexandria shortly before it ended up burning down (Dines JM. The Septuagint. Michael A. Knibb, Ed., London: T&T Clark, 2004).

The legend claims that the translators each came up with identical translations of the Torah — Irenaeus of Lyon also pushed this story (Adversus Heresies, III, Chapter, 21, verse 2). That legend came from a falsified work. Here is some information about it:

Letter of Aristeas, pseudepigraphal work of pseudo-history produced in Alexandria … The author assumed the name of a 2nd-century-bc writer and purported to give a contemporary account of the translation of the Hebrew Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible, into Greek. He presented himself as a pagan admirer of Judaism who held a high position in the court of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285–246 bc) in Alexandria. The writer used current Hellenistic literary conventions and the technical language of the Alexandrian court, but his Greek style and several historical inaccuracies indicate that he was a deliberate archaist. (Letter of Aristeas. Encyclopædia Britannica — accessed 04/17/20)

The initial ‘Septuagint’ translation was believed to have been done in the 2nd and/or 3rd century B.C. The Hellenistic Jews of Alexandria in Egypt ended up accepting and promoting this translation.

The Eastern Orthodox essentially believe that the Septuagint translators improved the Bible:

The Orthodox Church has the same New Testament as the rest of Christendom. As its authoritative text for the Old Testament, it uses the ancient Greek Septuagint. When this differs from the original Hebrew (which happens quite often), Orthodox believe that the changes in the Septuagint were made under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and are to be accepted as part of God’s continuing revelation. (Ware T. The Orthodox Church. Penguin Books, London, 1997, p.200)

Orthodox Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev notes:

 … though the Greek text is not the original language of the Old Testament books, the Septuagint does reflect the state of the original text as it would have been found in the third to second centuries BCE …  St. Philaret of Moscow considers it possible to maintain that “in the Orthodox teaching of Holy Scripture it is necessary to attribute a dogmatic merit to the Translation of the Seventy, in some cases placing it on equal level with the original and even elevating it above the Hebrew text, as is generally accepted in the most recent editions.” (Alfeyev H. Orthodox Christianity, Volume II: Doctrine and Teaching of the Orthodox Church, New York: St. Vladimir Seminary Press, 2012, p. 34)

Therefore, the Eastern Orthodox believe that the original inspiration of the Old Testament (which was mainly written in Hebrew) was improved by humans who translated it into Greek, in the version known as the Septuagint.

Jewish, as well as Church of God, scholars would consider that to effectively be a blasphemous position to take. Humans cannot improve the originally inspired word of God.

That being said, Greek Christians (like Theophilus of Antioch) who seemingly did not read Hebrew tended to read the Septuagint or similar translations of the Old Testament (not because they accepted the Apocrypha, but because it was available), but that does not mean they called it superior to the Hebrew text.

Notice also:

In the 3rd century ce Origen attempted to clear up copyists’ errors that had crept into the text of the Septuagint, which by then varied widely from copy to copy, and a number of other scholars consulted the Hebrew texts in order to make the Septuagint more accurate. (Septuagint. Encyclopædia Britannica — accessed 04/17/20)

Since the manuscripts of the Septuagint were copied by hand and by people of differing abilities, there were different versions of the Septuagint in existence. The translation of the book of Daniel was so poor that the second-century translation attributed to Theodotion replaced it.

By the 3rd century, the textual problem had become so bad that Origen collected all the existing versions of the Septuagint and created a six-column work called the Hexapla. The Hexapla … was Origen’s ‘corrected’ text of the Septuagint. (Carlson K. Hidden in Plain Sight, Part I: The Development of the Canon. Dormition Publishing, 2019, p. 47)

So, this demonstrates whatever version that exists now was not fully in place during the time of Jesus and His disciples.

Furthermore, it should also be pointed out that Lucian of Antioch (late 3rd and early 4th century) while opposing allegorical positions (such as held by Origen) tried to correct translation errors in the Septuagint by consulting with the Hebrew texts:

Lucian was a Hebrew scholar, and his version was adopted by the greater number of the churches of Syria and in Asia Minor. (Duchesne L. Early History of the Christian Church: From Its Foundation to the End of the Third Century, Volume 1, 4th edition. Longmans, Green & Co., 1912, p. 362)

Lucian also rejected the Apocrypha (Wilkinson BG. Truth Triumphant, ca. 1890. Reprint: Teach Services, Brushton, NY, 1994, p. 51). Waldensian and pre-Waldensians later used information from Lucian (Wilkinson BG. Our Authorized Bible Vindicated. 1930, reprint TEACH Services, 2014, pp. 31, 40).

Augustine of Hippo thought the Hebrew (the Masoretic) and Septuagint were both authoritative, even where they contradicted each other (Augustine. City of God, Book 18, Chapter 44). But he also seemed to show a preference for the Masoretic as ‘authoritative’ (Wendland E. HOW WE GOT THE BIBLE: Overview of Aspects of the Scripture Transmission Process, Version 2.6. Lusaka Lutheran Seminary, August 29, 2017, p. 20).

Jesus declared, “Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35), hence to suggest that scripture was broken and then declare it was later improved/fixed is theologically unsound. Changing/improving scripture is also in violation of numerous scriptures (e.g. Deuteronomy 4:2, 12:32; Proverbs 30:5; Psalm 12:6-7, 33:4, 119:160, Revelation 22:18).

We in the Continuing Church of God believe that the Bible is infallible as originally written and do not believe that the Holy Spirit improved the word of God through human translators. We believe God gave the world the Bible, through His chosen human instruments (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21), and it was infallible when given.

Some scholars have claimed that the term ‘Septuagint’ was developed from Exodus 24:1,9 where seventy elders were referred to, and that Moses and Aaron were added to come up with 72 translators (Sundberg AC, Jr. The Septuagint: The Bible of Hellenistic Judaism. In: The Canon Debate. Baker Academic, 2002). However, irrespective of where the term Septuagint may have come from, Moses did not write the Torah in Greek.

Chronology Errors

The Septuagint has errors in chronology related to Genesis 5 and 11. Even according to defenders of the Septuagint, this results in adding 1386 additional years as compared to the Masoretic text (e.g. Smith, HB, Jr. 2018.  The case for the Septuagint’s chronology in Genesis 5 and 11. In Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Creationism, ed. J.H. Whitmore, pp. 117–132. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Creation Science Fellowship).

Notice what a translation of the Septuagint teaches:

25 And Mathusala lived an hundred and sixty and seven years, and begot Lamech. 26 And Mathusala lived after his begetting Lamech eight hundred and two years, and begot sons and daughters. 27 And all the days of Mathusala which he lived, were nine hundred and sixty and nine years, and he died. 28 And Lamech lived an hundred and eighty and eight years, and begot a son. (Genesis 5:25-28, Elpenor’s Bilingual (Greek / English) Old Testament. English translation by L.C.L. Brenton)

21 And there died all flesh that moved upon the earth, of flying creatures and cattle, and of wild beasts, and every reptile moving upon the earth, and every man. 22 And all things which have the breath of life, and whatever was on the dry land, died. 23 And [God] blotted out every offspring which was upon the face of the earth, both man and beast, and reptiles, and birds of the sky, and they were blotted out from the earth, and Noe was left alone, and those with him in the ark. (Genesis 7:21-23, Ibid)

The Septuagint has Methuselah living 802 years after Lamech was born and Lamech having a son Noah at age 188. This means that Methuselah lived 614 years after Noah was born. Yet, the Great Flood came in the 600th year of Noah’s life per Genesis 7:10-12.

This is a major problem for the Septuagint. Since all humans died from the Flood except those with Noah (Genesis 7:23), and Mathusula/Methuselah was not among them, because “Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35), the Bible itself proves that the Septuagint was wrong and the translation was NOT inspired by God. (Note: The Roman Catholic Douay Old Testament of 1609 does not agree with the Septuagint on Genesis 5:25-26, but with the chronology of the Masoretic text.)

According to the Masoretic text, Methuselah lived 782 years after Lamech was born and 600 years after Noah was born (Genesis 5:26-29). That means either Methuselah died right before the flood or, probably more likely, in the Flood. Methuselah did not live past the Flood.

There is another chronological item to consider with the Septuagint. “Figures from the LXX place creation at ca. 5554 BC” (Smith, p. 117).

This creates a problem for the Eastern Orthodox because several of their early saints taught that a millennial reign of 1,000 years would begin at the end of the 6,000 years (e.g. Irenaeus. Adversus haereses, Book V, Chapter 28:2-3; 29:2 and Methodius. Banquet of the Ten Virgins, Discourse 9, Chapter 1). Since the Septuagint’s 6,000 years would have been up in the 5th century A.D., and the millennium then did not happen, this demonstrates that either Greco-Roman saints were in error and/or the Septuagint’s chronology was off.

Since the Masoretic text, in this author’s view, points to the creation being c. 3959-3971 B.C., we have not yet come to the end of the 6,000 years, though we are getting close.

Superiority?

 Many, particularly among the Eastern Orthodox, believe that the Septuagint is superior to the original Hebrew. Notice the following summary of claimed reasons from Alexandru Mihaila from the University of Bucharest Orthodox Theology Department:

I summarize the principal arguments in favor of the exclusiveness of the Septuagint:

– the Septuagint is older than the Masoretic Text;

– the Septuagint is inspired (a conception that started with Philo of Alexandria);

– the Holy Apostles and New Testament authors used the Septuagint;

– the Fathers of the Church quoted the Septuagint;

– the rabbis modified the Masoretic Text in order to eliminate the Messianic prophecies concerning Jesus Christ;

– the Septuagint is the official version of the Orthodox Church. (Mihăilă A. The Septuagint and the Masoretic Text in the Orthodox Church(es) Download Date | 9/18/19. https://docplayer.net/156142221-The-septuagint-and-the-masoretic-text-in-the-orthodox-church-es-alexandru-mihaila-recent-positions-of-romanian-theologians.html — accessed 03/24/20)

Let’s look at each of those.

First, it is true that several of the Septuagint documents are older than the Masoretic texts, but it is not in the original language of the Old Testament. It should be noted that the ‘Silver Scrolls’ provide evidence of the accuracy of the Masoretic text as far back as the 6th and/or 7th centuries B.C.—and they are older than the earliest Septuagint texts that have been found (c. 2nd century B.C.). Additional reasons to accept the Masoretic text are found later in this book.

Second, claims of inspiration of translators have no basis in scripture and are mainly speculation. Because of errors in the Septuagint, any claims of Divine inspiration can be fully discounted. Furthermore, Philo of Alexandria believed that the world existed eternally in contradiction to the account in the Book of Genesis — he also held many other non-biblical positions.

Third, Jesus, at least sometimes, quoted from the Hebrew. And while New Testament authors and others writing in Greek sometimes quoted in ways consistent with the Septuagint, they never indicated that the Septuagint was in any way superior to the Hebrew originals or they would ALWAYS quote it precisely. The fact that a Greek translation of the Hebrew was sometimes correct, does not prove that God inspired the entire translation. Plus the fact that the Septuagint was changed after the original apostles died should show all that it was NOT directly inspired.

Fourth, the fact that some early Greek writers sometimes used a Greek translation of Hebrew does not mean that it was superior. Melito’s not listing the books in the order found in the Septuagint is, in essence, additional concurrence of that point.

Fifth, there is no proof that rabbis (or Levites) specifically altered the Masoretic text in order to eliminate prophecies associated with Jesus. Actually, the Great Isaiah Scroll found in Qumran, demonstrates that the Jews did not alter Isaiah.

Portion of the Great Isaiah Scroll

Furthermore, there are hundreds of prophecies from the Masoretic text that Jesus fulfilled—so obviously the Jews had not intentionally removed those. Those prophetic verses can be found in the free book, online at ccog.org, Proof Jesus is the Messiah.

Sixth, the fact that the Orthodox Catholic Church (as it is officially called) has adopted the Septuagint is true, but those in the COG and most other faiths do not consider their determination as authoritative (see also the free book, online at ccog.org, titled: Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church).

Seventh, the modern Septuagint contains books that neither Jesus nor the apostles accepted as valid.

Additional Books

After the Greek version of the Torah was completed, more books were later translated — but the original Septuagint did NOT include the Apocryphal books — they were added later.

Apocrypha comes from the Greek ἀπόκρυφος meaning ‘hidden’ or ‘secret wisdom.’ The apocryphal books, in other words, had a hidden beginning, a secret origin — not openly given to the community at first.

The Catholic Encyclopedia claims that the expanded list of Septuagint books (the Apocryphal ones), and not just the books that Jesus and others in Palestine used, is more complete and should be considered as sacred scripture:

… that there is a smaller, or incomplete, and larger, or complete, Old Testament. Both of these were handed down by the Jews; the former by the Palestinian, the latter by the Alexandrian, Hellenist, Jews. …

The most striking difference between the Catholic and Protestant Bibles is the presence in the former of a number of writings which are wanting in the latter and also in the Hebrew Bible, which became the Old Testament of Protestantism. These number seven books: Tobias (Tobit), Judith, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, I and II Machabees, and three documents added to protocanonical books, viz., the supplement to Esther, from x, 4, to the end, the Canticle of the Three Youths (Song of the Three Children) in Daniel 3, and the stories of Susanna and the Elders and Bel and the Dragon, forming the closing chapters of the Catholic version of that book. Of these works, Tobias and Judith were written originally in Aramaic, perhaps in Hebrew; Baruch and I Machabees in Hebrew, while Wisdom and II Machabees were certainly composed in Greek. The probabilities favour Hebrew as the original language of the addition to Esther, and Greek for the enlargements of Daniel.

The ancient Greek Old Testament known as the Septuagint was the vehicle which conveyed these additional Scriptures into the Catholic Church. (Reid G. Canon of the Old Testament)

Sadly, improper books have been used as the vehicle to provide support for various non-scriptural positions related to the dead and improper worship.

Like the Catholics of Rome, the Eastern Orthodox believe it took many centuries to determine the books of the Bible that they accepted:

The Hebrew version of the Old Testament contains thirty-nine books. The Septuagint contains in addition ten further books not present in the Hebrew, which are known in the Orthodox Church as the ‘Deutero-Canonical Books’. These were declared by the Councils of Jassy (1641) and Jerusalem (1672) to be ‘genuine parts of Scripture’; (Ware, p. 200)

The late Septuagint included the Apocrypha, the so-called Deutero-Canonical Books, which means it had extra-books. These extra books are not inspired by God.

It may be of interest to note that those apocryphal books were not found in the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran.

“Based on the findings at Qumran, the Apocrypha was not viewed as canonical by the Qumran community. It was only during and after the time of Augustine (AD 354-430), when he, along with the local councils he influenced, declared the books of the Apocrypha inspired.” (Holden, p. 90)

Notice the following admission from an Eastern Orthodox source:

[M]ost Orthodox scholars … consider that the Deutero-Canonical Books, although part of the Bible, stand at a lower footing than the rest of scripture. (Ware, p.200)

So, while the Old Testament Apocrypha is accepted as scripture by the Eastern Orthodox, their scholars believe it is of lower footing than the actual biblical books.

This seems to be confusing for the Orthodox: it either is scripture or it is not! Of course, “God is not the author of confusion” (1 Corinthians 14:33).

The extra books were not divinely inspired. Though they can have some interesting historical information, they should not be considered part of the biblical canon.

Notice the following observation:

Numerous spurious books were gradually introduced into the inspired Canon. No two copies of the earliest Catholic Bibles agree as to which apocryphal books were to be added. It was not until 397 A.D., at the Council of Carthage, that Augustine, the Canaanite Bishop from Hippo in North Africa, led the Council of Carthage to generally approve seven Apocryphal books. As late as 363 A.D., at the Council of Laodicea the Greek Church rejected the Apocryphal books as a whole. … At the Council of Trent on April 8, 1546, those who rejected the Apocrypha were declared to be ‘anathema of Christ’! Here was the authority of men determining what others must believe. This was not the authority of God. (Do We Have The COMPLETE BIBLE? Ambassador College Publications, 1974)

Before going further, it may be of interest to note that the Church of Rome and the Eastern Orthodox do not accept ALL the extra books that are part of the Septuagint. Though, the Eastern Orthodox claim:

The official version of the Old Testament authorized by the Orthodox Church for use in worship and reading is that of the Septuagint. The number of books in the Septuagint Old Testament edition of the Bible are forty-nine books, twenty-seven in the New Testament. (Holy Scripture In The Orthodox Church. ‘The Bible.’ Compiled by Father Demetrios Serfes, Boise, Idaho, USA. August 20 2000)

Essentially, the Roman and Orthodox Catholics do not consider 2 Esdras, to be canonical (though it is in an appendix to the Slavonic Bible) nor 4 Maccabees (though it is in an appendix to the Greek Bible). 1 & 2 Esdras were part of the Latin Vulgate that Jerome originally prepared (though he endorsed neither one).

2 Esdras was possibly rejected by the Catholics of Rome and most of the Eastern Orthodox because it teaches that one should not pray for the dead as that will not affect their “punishment or reward” (2 Esdras 7:105; cf. 7:88). This is in contradiction to the Septuagint text of 2 Maccabees 12:45-46, which improperly endorses prayer for the dead.

The following additional Septuagint books are accepted by the Eastern Orthodox, but not the Roman Catholics:

  • 1 Esdras
  • Prayer of Manasseh
  • 3 Maccabees
  • 4 Maccabees
  • Psalm 151 (in the Septuagint)
  • Odes

Thus, neither the Church of Rome nor the Eastern Orthodox seemingly accept all the Septuagint books, and they also do not accept all of the same books. Note that the Eastern Orthodox say they have 79 books and the Church of Rome 73.

This would seem to be problematic in their talks about ecumenical unity. However, some of the text is the same in both Bibles, but categorized differently.

Some Quotes from the Apocrypha

Beyond the Jews and history, one can determine that the Apocrypha should not be considered as scripture as it contains doctrinal contradictions to the Bible.

For example, notice something from the fifth chapter of the Apocryphal Book of Tobit:

4 Tobiah went out to look for someone who would travel with him to Media, someone who knew the way. He went out and found the angel Raphael standing before him (though he did not know that this was an angel of God).

5 Tobiah said to him, “Where do you come from, young man?” He replied, “I am an Israelite, one of your kindred. I have come here to work.” …

11 Tobit asked him, “Brother, tell me, please, from what family and tribe are you?”

12 He replied, “Why? What need do you have for a tribe? Aren’t you looking for a hired man?” Tobit replied, “I only want to know, brother, whose son you truly are and what your name is.”

13 He answered, “I am Azariah, son of the great Hananiah, one of your own kindred.”

An angel of God would not lie about his ancestry. But that is what is happening in this book.

In chapter 6, this lying angel later told Tobit to get fish entrails:

7 Then the young man asked the angel this question: “Brother Azariah, what medicine is in the fish’s heart, liver, and gall?”

8 He answered: “As for the fish’s heart and liver, if you burn them to make smoke in the presence of a man or a woman who is afflicted by a demon or evil spirit, any affliction will flee and never return. 9 As for the gall, if you apply it to the eyes of one who has white scales, blowing right into them, sight will be restored.”

The Bible does not enjoin anything like burning fish entrails for removing demons.  This is not something that Jesus did (Matthew 5:8; 17:18), nor the Apostle Paul (Acts 16:18). Jesus also did not apply gall to eyes for healing (cf. Matthew 20:34; John 9:6-7).

Another false book of the Apocrypha is called Wisdom (or the Wisdom of Solomon). Its third chapter teaches:

16 But the children of adulterers will not reach maturity, the offspring of an unlawful bed will disappear.

17 Even if they live long, they will count for nothing, their old age will go unhonoured at the last; 18 while if they die early, they have neither hope nor comfort on the day of judgement, 19 for the end of a race of evil-doers is harsh.

So, in other words, Wisdom is teaching that if you are born outside of proper wedlock, you will likely not reach maturity. That is simply false.

Furthermore, Wisdom is teaching that a child of adultery will perish and there’s nothing anyone can do about it! This is against scriptures in the New Testament such as Mark 3:28, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, and John 3:16-17 — as well as some in the Old Testament like Ezekiel 18:19-20.

The sixth chapter of the Book of Wisdom contains the following lie:

24 In the greatest number of the wise lies the world’s salvation, in a sagacious king the stability of a people.

The wisdom of the world IS NOT salvation (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:19-29) —salvation only comes through Jesus (1 Corinthians 1:30; Acts 4:10-12).

Here are some passages from the third chapter of the book of Sirach also called Ecclesiasticus:

3 Those who honor their father atone for sins;

14 Kindness to a father will not be forgotten; it will serve as a sin offering — it will take lasting root. 15 In time of trouble it will be recalled to your advantage, like warmth upon frost it will melt away your sins.

30 As water quenches a flaming fire, so almsgiving atones for sins.

While we are to honor our father (cf. Exodus 20:12) and give to the poor (cf. 2 Corinthians 9:9), these are not offerings that atone for sins. Sirach is clearly in conflict with New Testament scriptures such as Ephesians 2:8-10, Titus 3:3-7, Hebrews 10:4-10, and 1 John 2:2.

Notice the first several verses of the 12th chapter of Sirach:

1 If you do good, know for whom you are doing it, and your kindness will have its effect.

2 Do good to the righteous and reward will be yours, if not from them, from the LORD.

3 No good comes to those who give comfort to the wicked, nor is it an act of mercy that they do. 4 Give to the good but refuse the sinner; 5 refresh the downtrodden but give nothing to the proud. No arms for combat should you give them, lest they use these against you; Twofold evil you will obtain for every good deed you do for them.

These passages clearly go against the teachings of Jesus in passages such as Matthew 5:43-48, 6:3, and Luke 6:27-36.

Sirach takes a negative stance against women (cf. Sirach 22:3). It also has the following statement which conflicts with scripture:

24 With a woman sin had a beginning, and because of her we all die. (Sirach 25:24)

On this, let us look at some of what the New Testament teaches:

21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:21-22)

The New Testament is blaming Adam, not Eve (cf. Romans 5:12-14; 1 Timothy 2:14) for death.

Sirach is obviously opposed to the Bible and no one should consider it as part of the Old Testament Canon.

There are many other passages from the Apocrypha that could be cited here to show that they should not be scripture. Hopefully, enough are cited here to provide you sufficient proof of that.

Note: The version of the Apocrypha shown in this section is that used at the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2017 (www.usccb.org) — lest any feel that a translation bias distorted their meaning.

The Jewish Encyclopedia of 1906 notes, “no controversy arose concerning the Apocrypha: all were agreed that they were non-canonical.”

Justin and Other Books?

Is there justification for other books in the Old Testament?

In what looks like a rather weak attempt to try to justify its use of the  additional books, The Catholic Encyclopedia states:

St. Justin Martyr is the first to note that the Church has a set of Old Testament Scriptures different from the Jews’, and also the earliest to intimate the principle proclaimed by later writers, namely, the self-sufficiency of the Church in establishing the Canon; its independence of the Synagogue in this respect. (Reid, Old Testament Canon)

Specifically, Justin claimed, that the Jews (‘they’) removed scriptures:

And I wish you to observe, that they have altogether taken away many Scriptures from the translations effected by those seventy elders who were with Ptolemy …

Trypho remarked, “Whether [or not] the rulers of the people have erased any portion of the Scriptures, as you affirm, God knows; but it seems incredible.”

“Assuredly,” said I, “it does seem incredible”. (Justin Martyr. Dialogue with Trypho, Chapters 71,73)

Justin seemed to teach that Jewish leaders removed passages from the Bible — he did not clearly teach that books were missing (Ibid. Chapters 71-73). Scholar F.F. Bruce indicated that Justin erroneously thought that words which were later added to the Septuagint by ‘Christians’ had been removed by the Jews in their scriptures (Bruce, The Canon of Scripture, p. 66).

Justin also stated that the Jews did NOT trust the Septuagint as they asserted the Septuagint translators improperly changed passages, but he wanted Trypho to trust it anyway (Justin Martyr. Dialogue with Trypho, Chapter 68).

Furthermore, Justin Martyr, in this author’s view, was an apostate and not a faithful Christian. While in Ephesus, Justin admitted that he did not live differently than the Gentiles (in violation of Paul’s admonition in Ephesians 4:17), taught God’s law was not in force, and did not observe the Sabbaths or the other Holy Days that the early Church did (Dialogue. Chapter 18). And, apparently, he did not accept the same content of the books that the disciples did for the Old Testament. Justin seemed to teach that the Jews eliminated parts by not accepting everything from the Septuagint translators. It may be important to note that Justin wrote decades BEFORE Melito, and Melito did not include any of the deuterocanonical books in his list.

After Justin Martyr left Ephesus he became influential in Rome. Eusebius noted:

And in Rome … Anicetus assumed the leadership of the Christians there … But Justin was especially prominent in those days. (Eusebius Church History. Book IV, Chapter 11)

Justin became so prominent that his influence was later being used as justification that ultimately led to the adoption of extra books in the Old Testament (Reid, Old Testament Canon) that were not in those scriptures used by Christ and the original apostles! He influenced Rome’s preference for the Septuagint.

Apocrypha Not Accepted by Certain Famous Greco-Roman Saints

As mentioned earlier, the books that the Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox tend to call the deuterocanonical books, are normally called the Apocrypha or the apocryphal books associated with the Old Testament. (There are also ones associated with the New Testament and they are specifically rejected by Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Protestants, and those in the Churches of God.)

These books were not included in Melito’s list of the 2nd century. They were also rejected in the third and fourth centuries by Greco-Roman scholars such as Origen, Athanasius, and Jerome (who was named Eusebius Hieronymus Sophronius), essentially because they understood that the books were not properly accepted by the Jews and did not agree with certain church teachings.

Origen of Alexandria (c. 200 A.D.), taught:

“It should be stated that the canonical books, as the Hebrews have handed them down, are twenty-two; corresponding with the number of their letters”. (Eusebius. Church History, Book VI, Chapter 25, verse 1)

He then listed the books as we know them from the Hebrew Bible. He did not list the Apocrypha as canonical and put Maccabees in a different category than canonical scripture (Ibid, verse 2).

Athanasius of Alexandria (c. 330 A.D.) taught:

The books of the Old Testament are twenty-two, which is the number of the letters among the Hebrews. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, of Kings four, two books; of Paralipomenon (Chronicles) two, one book; Esdras two, one book; Psalms, Proverbs; twelve prophets, one book; then Isaiah, Jeremiah with Baruch, Lamentations, and epistles; Ezekiel and Daniel. Then there are books uncanonical, but readable, the Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, Esther, Judith, Tobit. (As cited in Stowe CE. Apocryphal Books of the Old Testament. Bibliotheca sacra: a theological quarterly, Volume 11. Dallas Theological Seminary and Graduate School of Theology, April 1854, p. 298)

Notice, that although he was wrong about Esther and Baruch, Athanasius basically did not consider that the Apocrypha was part of the canon.  He also stated:

Since some persons have attempted to set in order the books that are called apocryphal, and to mix them with the divinely inspired Scriptures, of which we have been fully certified, as those who saw them from the beginning, and who, being ministers of that word, handed them down from our fathers, it seemed fitting to me, being exhorted thereto by the orthodox brethren, and having learned the truth, to set in order the canonical Scriptures, which have been handed down, and are believed to be from God; that every one who has been deceived, may convict those who led him astray. (ibid, pp. 298-299)

So, Athanasius said that people had been deceived by non-canonical books and that the Apocrypha was not canonical. He also claimed that the true books had been handed down from the beginning: and even though he himself did not know the precise list well, he was right about the correct books being handed down to the faithful (he also did list the 27 books of the New Testament in a letter in 367: Athanasius. 39th Letter. Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 4. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace).

It should be noted that Athanasius is considered to be a major saint by the Greco-Romans as he was the biggest advocate of the trinity at the Council of Nicea and was outnumbered by non-trinitarians by about 8:1. Clearly, he did not accept the ‘deuterocanonical’ books.

Notice something from a Roman Catholic author:

The Septuagint tradition, which included not only the protocanonicals but also seven additional books … this tradition also had fuzzy boundaries. Some editions of the Septuagint included additional books such as 1-2 Esdras, 3-4 Maccabees, and the Prayer of Manasseh. (Akin J. The Bible is a Catholic Book. Catholic Answers Press, 2019, p. 41)

‘Fuzzy boundaries’ means that scholars realize that the Septuagint’s traditional inclusion of various books cannot be trusted and some versions of the Septuagint have even more improper books.

“God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints” (1 Corinthians 14:33).

Jerome and the Deuterocanonical Books

The Catholic Encyclopedia notes:

St. Jerome cast his weighty suffrage on the side unfavourable to the disputed books … Jerome lived long in Palestine, in an environment where everything outside the Jewish Canon was suspect, and that, moreover, he had an excessive veneration for the Hebrew text, the Hebraica veritas as he called it. … the inferior rank to which the deuteros were relegated by authorities like Origen, Athanasius, and Jerome, was due to too rigid a conception of canonicity, one demanding that a book, to be entitled to this supreme dignity, must be received by all, must have the sanction of Jewish antiquity, and must moreover be adapted not only to edification, but also to the ‘confirmation of the doctrine of the Church’, to borrow Jerome’s phrase. (Reid, Old Testament Canon)

But Jerome did not simply consider these additions were inferior.

Notice here where he calls Judith a historical book (as opposed to divinely inspired), but says he was forced to include it:

Among the Jews, the book of Judith is considered among the apocrypha; its warrant for affirming those [apocryphal texts] which have come into dispute is deemed less than sufficient. Moreover, since it was written in the Chaldean language, it is counted among the historical books. But since the Nicene Council is considered to have counted this book among the number of sacred Scriptures, I have acquiesced to your request (or should I say demand!): and, my other work set aside, from which I was forcibly restrained, I have given a single night’s work, translating according to sense rather than verbatim. (Jerome. Jerome, The Preface on the Book of Judith: English translation by Andrew S. Jacobs)

Notice that Jerome called it apocrypha and that he did not consider that it actually was considered sacred at the time of Nicea (325 A.D.). Notice also the following he wrote about Tobias:

I do not cease to wonder at the constancy of your demanding. For you demand that I bring a book written in Chaldean words into Latin writing, indeed the book of Tobias, which the Hebrews exclude from the catalogue of Divine Scriptures, being mindful of those things which they have titled Hagiographa. I have done enough for your desire, yet not by my study. For the studies of the Hebrews rebuke us and find fault with us, to translate this for the ears of Latins contrary to their canon. (Jerome, Prologue to Tobit. Translated by Kevin P. Edgecomb, 2006)

Notice also that Jerome specifically stated that the churches condemned the Septuagint additions to the Book of Daniel:

In reference to Daniel … I also told the reader that the version read in the Christian churches was not that of the Septuagint translators but that of Theodotion. It is true, I said that the Septuagint version was in this book very different from the original, and that it was condemned by the right judgment of the churches of Christ … I repeat what the Jews say against the Story of Susanna and the Hymn of the Three Children, and the fables of Bel and the Dragon, which are not contained in the Hebrew Bible. (Jerome. Apology Against Rufinus, Book II, Chapter 33)

The Septuagint version includes a section called Bel and the Dragon and the Susanna story — which were originally written in Greek (Bruce, The Canon of Scripture, p. 76) — these are two sections that the original Hebrew does not have, but they have been accepted by the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches as part of their Bible.

Here is a Roman Catholic claim:

Saint Jerome … used the Septuagint Greek version and retained all forty-six Old Testament books with the twenty-seven New Testament books to formulate the first single-volume edition of the Christian Bible, totaling seventy-three books. Things didn’t change for fifteen centuries until the Protestant Reformation. (Brighenti KK, Trijilio J Jr. The Catholicism Answer Book: The 300 Most Frequently Asked Questions. Sourcebooks, Inc, 2007, p. 23)

Yet that certainly gives the wrong impression. Jerome was opposed to the Apocrypha and other Roman leaders were uncertain about them. Nor was it 15 centuries to the Protestant Reformation — it was just over 11. Plus, Jerome used the Hebrew text for the Old Testament when he could (Francis, Pope. APOSTOLIC LETTER SCRIPTURAE SACRAE AFFECTUS OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS ON THE SIXTEEN HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF SAINT JEROME. Copyright – Libreria Editrice Vaticana, September 30, 2020)—he used comparatively little of the Septuagint itself as he preferred the Hebrew first and the Greek text by Theodotion and others secondarily (Worth Jr, RH. Bible Translations: A History Through Source Documents. McFarland Publishing, 1992, pp. 19–30).

Regarding Jerome and his involvement with scripture, Pope Francis went so far as to declare:

Jerome can serve as our guide because, like Philip (cf. Acts 8:35), he leads every reader to the mystery of Jesus, while responsibly and systematically providing the exegetical and cultural information needed for a correct and fruitful reading of the Scriptures. (Francis, APOSTOLIC LETTER SCRIPTURAE SACRAE AFFECTUS)

Yet, if Jerome is the guide for Roman Catholics, they would have to admit that he did not want people to value the Apocrypha of the Septuagint.

Consider that Jerome accepted the 22 books as the Hebrews numbered them as inspired and not the Apocrypha:

Jerome, writing about A.D. 400, has left two lists of OT books.  Both agree with the Protestant OT canon, though the order varies and the two lists differ in order.  He lists the books of the OT in his Prologus Galeatus (written in 388) and numbers them twenty-two according to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet.  Others he says are among the Apocrypha and names Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, Judith, Tobit, the post-Christian Shepherd of Hermas (or as some think 4 Esdras), and the books of Maccabees.  It has always been regarded as curious that the man who translated the VULGATE Bible used by Roman Catholics with its Apocrypha is a most explicit witness against the Apocrypha. (Tenney MC. The Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible, Volume 1: Revised Full-Color Edition — Kindle. Zondervan Academic, 2010)

Furthermore, Jerome specifically challenges the validity of the Septuagint and states that the Hebrew Bible was used by Jesus and the Apostles:

The Hebrew Scriptures are used by apostolic men; they are used, as is evident, by the apostles and evangelists. Our Lord and Saviour himself whenever he refers to the Scriptures, takes his quotations from the Hebrew; as in the instance of the words “He that believes in me, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water,” and in the words used on the cross itself, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani,” which is by interpretation “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” not, as it is given by the Septuagint, “My God, my God, look upon me, why have you forsaken me?” and many similar cases. I do not say this in order to aim a blow at the seventy translators; but I assert that the Apostles of Christ have an authority superior to theirs. Wherever the Seventy agree with the Hebrew, the apostles took their quotations from that translation; but, where they disagree, they set down in Greek what they had found in the Hebrew. (Jerome. Apology Against Rufinus, Book II, Chapter 34)

Jerome, the person who, in a sense, gave the Church of Rome the Bible, was opposed to books that he was required to include. He also correctly believed that the translation of the Septuagint was inferior to the Apostles’ writings.

While Jerome was apparently pressured to state otherwise later in his life, his writings clearly show he had serious misgivings about the Apocrypha and realized those books were not originally part of the Bible.

Historical Catholic Concerns

Origen, Jerome, and Athanasius were not the only Roman or Eastern Orthodox leaders with concerns about the extra books.

Cyril of Jerusalem (4th century) also indicated that the Apocryphal books were considered to be of lesser reliability as he wrote:

We speak not from apocryphal books, but from Daniel; for he says, And they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time. A time is the one year in which his coming shall for a while have increase; and the times are the remaining two years of iniquity, making up the sum of the three years; and the half a time is the six months. (Cyril of Jerusalem. Catechetical Lecture 15 On the Clause, And Shall Come in Glory to Judge the Quick and the Dead; Of Whose Kingdom There Shall Be No End, Chapter 16. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 7. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1894)

The Roman Catholic Church recognizes its leaders had concerns about these additional Old Testament books for centuries. The Catholic Encyclopedia notes:

THE CANON OF THE OLD TESTAMENT DURING THE FOURTH, AND FIRST HALF OF THE FIFTH, CENTURY

In this period the position of the deuterocanonical literature is no longer as secure … Alexandria, with its elastic Scriptures, had from the beginning been a congenial field for apocryphal literature, and St. Athanasius, the vigilant pastor of that flock, to protect it against the pernicious influence, drew up a catalogue of books with the values to be attached to each. First, the strict canon and authoritative source of truth is the Jewish Old Testament, Esther excepted … Following the precedent of Origen and the Alexandrian tradition, the saintly doctor recognized no other formal canon of the Old Testament than the Hebrew one; but also, faithful to the same tradition, he practically admitted the deutero books to a Scriptural dignity, as is evident from his general usage …

THE CANON OF THE OLD TESTAMENT FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE FIFTH TO THE CLOSE OF THE SEVENTH CENTURY

This period exhibits a curious exchange of opinions between the West and the East, while ecclesiastical usage remained unchanged, at least in the Latin Church. During this intermediate age the use of St. Jerome’s new version of the Old Testament (the Vulgate) became widespread in the Occident. With its text went Jerome’s prefaces disparaging the deuterocanonicals, and under the influence of his authority the West began to distrust these and to show the first symptoms of a current hostile to their canonicity …

The Latin Church

In the Latin Church, all through the Middle Ages we find evidence of hesitation about the character of the deuterocanonicals. (Reid, Canon of the Old Testament. The Catholic Encyclopedia)

Even into the Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Church was not sure if the deuterocanonical books were on a par with scripture!

Either they always were inspired by God or always were not.

Thus, while many of the Greco-Roman churches knew which were and were not the true books at least as early as the fourth and fifth centuries, there still was contention. Additional books came to be accepted by them that were NOT part of the original faith, which true Christians are to earnestly contend for (Jude 3).

Catholic theologians, like 11th century Saxony priest Hugh of St. Victor, taught that the additional books were not scripture (Hugh. On the Sacraments, I, Prologue. As cited in Bruce, The Canon of Scripture, p. 99).

Notice something from ArmenianBible.org (accessed 04/16/20):

Not till the 8th century was the Apocrypha rendered into Armenian: it was not read in Armenian churches until the 12th.

Furthermore, these additional books were not once and for all officially adopted by Rome until 1546. The use of the term ‘deuterocanonical’ seems to have first been used in the 16th century (Bruce, The Canon of Scripture, p. 105) and is essentially an admission that they were not original.

The Catholic Encyclopedia also states:

The protocanonical books of the Old Testament correspond with those of the Bible of the Hebrews, and the Old Testament as received by Protestants. The deuterocanonical (deuteros, ‘second’) are those whose Scriptural character was contested in some quarters, but which long ago gained a secure footing in the Bible of the Catholic Church, though those of the Old Testament are classed by Protestants as the ‘Apocrypha’. … The Septuagint version was the Bible of the Greek-speaking, or Hellenist, Jews, whose intellectual and literary centre was Alexandria (see SEPTUAGINT). The oldest extant copies date from the fourth and fifth centuries of our era … The most explicit definition of the Catholic Canon is that given by the Council of Trent, Session IV, 1546 … The order of books copies that of the Council of Florence, 1442, and in its general plan is that of the Septuagint. (Reid, Old Testament Canon)

Why were they adopted in the 16th century?

Here is the view of a Protestant writer:

There is a mistaken belief among some that the Apocrypha books were part of the Bible, and that these were rejected by the Protestant Reformers. On the contrary, the Apocrypha books were never a part of the Old Testament Canon. Thus there is no question of the Reformers dropping out some books from the Canon. Rather, it is the Roman Catholic Church which ADDED these books to the Canon by a proclamation made at the Council of Trent…

With the Protestant Reformation, many of the Reformers challenged the Catholic church to prove their doctrine by supporting these from the Canon. To their dismay the Roman Catholics discovered that many of their doctrines are not derived from the Canon. At the same time they realized that at least some of these erroneous doctrines are supported by the Apocrypha. Thus for their survival it became necessary to add the Apocrypha to the Canon.

In 1545 the Roman Catholic Church convened what is called the Council Of Trent. Here they passed numerous resolutions, including many curses against the Protestant Believers. In April 1545 the Council declared that the Apocrypha are also part of the Bible. Thus for the first time in history the Apocrypha books were ADDED by the Roman Catholic church to the Bible. This was done in order to justify their doctrinal errors (for which support was available only in the Apocrypha), and also to oppose the Protestant believers. The first Vatican Council held 1869-70 reaffirmed the decision of the Roman Catholic Church to add the Apocrypha to the Canon.

Historically and theologically the Apocrypha was never part of the Canon. (Philip JC. Reliability of The Canon. Indus School of Apologetics and Theology Textbook No -004A1, version used in 2006)

The Roman Catholics were not the only ones to adopt those so-called deuterocanonical books. The Eastern Orthodox Church did as well.

It should also be noted, further, that John Wycliffe included them in his 1384 and 1395 translations (Bruce, The Canon of Scripture, p. 100). Also, in the original of the King James Version of the Bible in 1611, Protestants did also include the Old Testament Apocrypha, but later they were dropped from it (for the last time around 1666).

An Anglican canon, with the Apocrypha declared not to be of ‘divine origin,’ appeared in 1644 (Bruce, The Canon of Scripture, p. 109). In 1826, after the Protestant National Bible Society of Scotland petitioned the British and Foreign Bible Society not to print the Apocrypha, they ceased to be in most Protestant Bibles.

Protestants have claimed the Apocrypha were originally included in their Bibles for historical, not scriptural, value.

The following is from the Statement of Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God:

THE HOLY BIBLE

The Holy Bible is the inspired Word of God and was finalized by the Apostle John (see also Who Gave the World the Bible?). As commonly divided, it is a collection of 66 books, with 39 from the Hebrew scriptures (The Old Testament Canon) and 27 from the Greek Scriptures (The New Testament Canon). Scripture is inspired in thought and word and contains knowledge of what is needed for salvation (2 Timothy 3:15-17; Matthew 4:4; 2 Peter 1:20-21). Scripture is truth (John 17:17) and is infallible and inerrant in its original manuscripts (John 10:35).

We in the Continuing Church of God are following the Apostle Jude’s admonition “to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). The Roman and Eastern Orthodox churches clearly are NOT doing this as they adopted books that early leaders knew were not part of the true canon.

The 39 books that are in the Old Testaments that those in the COGs and Protestant Churches use are the correct books of the Old Testament.

Even the Roman Catholic supporting Jerome recognized some of the flaws of the deuterocanonical books. His original research made him only accept the 39 Old Testament books as truly valid and seemingly he partially consulted with those who held Church of God doctrines when he put his books together.

The true Old Testament canon is based on the biblical criteria and this canon essentially was affirmed during the 2nd century by one considered to have been faithful (Melito).

While it is true, in a sense, that ‘the Church gave the world the Bible’ — it was the church established by Christ through the apostles Peter, Paul, and John and their successors as inspired by the Holy Spirit that did so. This was the Church of God which Polycarp and other early saints became part of.

Consider that:

just because a book is found in the Septuagint, doesn’t automatically mean that it is canonical. Do you believe the Prayer of Manasseh is canonical? The Vulgate’s 3 Esdras, or Maccabees 3 and 4? How about Psalm 151 or the Psalms of Solomon? No, I don’t think you would believe that, yet these books are in some of the Septuagint manuscripts. So, don’t try to say that the deuterocanonicals are equal in inspiration to the protocanonical books just because they are found in the Septuagint.

(http://answeringcatholicclaims.blogspot.com/2012/02/did-catholic-church-give-us-bible.html)

The Catholic Encyclopedia refers to the “admitted absence of any explicit citation of the deutero writings … the non-citation of the deuterocanonicals in the New Testament” (Reid, George. Canon of the Old Testament. The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 3., 1908), while also admitting that most of the other books of the Old Testament are cited in the New.

Jesus and His apostles DID NOT consider that the extra books that the Church of Rome accepts were valid or that they were validated by events recorded in the New Testament.

Quotes in the New Testament from the Greek

Does the Greek New Testament ever quote the Septuagint?

Here is what the Greco-Roman Catholic priest Jerome wrote about the Book of Matthew and its use of the Old Testament:

Matthew, also called Levi, apostle and aforetimes publican, composed a gospel of Christ at first published in Judea in Hebrew for the sake of those of the circumcision who believed, but this was afterwards translated into Greek though by what author is uncertain. The Hebrew itself has been preserved until the present day in the library at Caesarea which Pamphilus so diligently gathered. I have also had the opportunity of having the volume described to me by the Nazarenes of Beroea, a city of Syria, who use it. In this it is to be noted that wherever the Evangelist, whether on his own account or in the person of our Lord the Saviour quotes the testimony of the Old Testament he does not follow the authority of the translators of the Septuagint but the Hebrew. Wherefore these two forms exist “Out of Egypt have I called my son,” and “for he shall be called a Nazarene”. (Jerome. De Viris Illustribus [On Illustrious Men]. Excerpted from Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Volume 3. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. American Edition, 1892)

This was cited to show that the Hebrew scriptures were what were normally used for scripture in Palestine/Judea.

But, since nearly all of the New Testament was written in Greek, it is logical that Greek translations were sometimes quoted.

John Ogwyn noted:

Should we be concerned that some New Testament quotations from the Old Testament {seemingly} were taken from a Greek translation—the Septuagint—rather than from the Hebrew Masoretic Text? Greek was the most universal language at the time when the New Testament was being written.

Gentile converts were unfamiliar with the Hebrew language and even most Jews outside of Palestine no longer had a good reading knowledge of Hebrew.

The Septuagint was a Greek translation of the Old Testament that had been made in Egypt.

But it was not the only Greek translation of the Old Testament available in the time when the New Testament was written. There was at least one Greek translation that differed significantly from the Septuagint.

It was used by Theodotion in the second century ad for his revised Greek text of the Old Testament.

The book of Daniel, as preserved in Greek translation by Theodotion, matches far more closely the quotations from Daniel in the New Testament than does the Septuagint, for instance. Though none of the Greek translations of the Old Testament were totally accurate, most of their deviations from the Hebrew text were in areas that did not affect the overall sense of the message …

Gleason Archer and G. C. Chirichigno in their comprehensive work, Old Testament Quotations in the New Testament: A Complete Survey, make the following points about New Testament quotations: 1) in 268 New Testament citations both the Septuagint and Masoretic Text are in complete harmony; 2) in 50 citations the New Testament agrees with the Septuagint, even though it differs slightly from the Masoretic Text (although not seriously enough to distort the meaning); 3) in 33 citations the New Testament adheres more closely to the Masoretic Text than to the Septuagint; 4) in 22 citations the New Testament adheres closely to the Septuagint even when it deviates somewhat from the Masoretic Text.

The New Testament writers only made use of Septuagint quotations if those passages properly conveyed the inspired meaning of the Hebrew text. (Ogwyn J. How Did We Get The Bible? Tomorrow’s World, January-February 2002)

Essentially, John Ogwyn was saying that New Testament writers did not rely on translated passages of the Old Testament into Greek that differed materially from the original Hebrew. Therefore, one should not conclude that the entire, flawed, Septuagint was acceptable to them (though where it was not flawed and a proper translation, they could have used it or something similar).

Others have claimed that:

TWO OUT OF EVERY THREE QUOTATIONS from the OLD TESTAMENT FOUND IN THE NEW DO NOT AGREE VERBALLY WITH THE READING OF THE SEPTUAGINT translation of the Old Testament. (Do We Have The COMPLETE BIBLE? Ambassador College Publications, 1974)

Now, the Eastern Orthodox believe that the majority of Old Testament quotes are based on the Septuagint, but that is mainly an assumption since most are not direct quotes, which one would logically conclude they would have to be if the Septuagint was the preferred and divinely inspired source.

While the Eastern Orthodox generally claim that the Masoretic Text (Hebrew Bible with vowels and limited punctuation) is flawed and has been changed, their proof is lacking (more on the Masoretic Text is in the next chapter).

This author states that the type of ‘proof’ that the Septuagint was inspired is reminiscent of the same type of ‘proof’ that people bring out when they claim that the New Testament was written in Aramaic and not Greek (for specific details, check out the following link: www.cogwriter.com/greek-aramaic-hebrew-new-testament.htm).

Furthermore, unlike the Septuagint, the Masoretic text does not include the Old Testament Apocrypha.

While it can give insight into the ancient understanding of certain words, events, and concepts, the Septuagint is NOT a better version of the Old Testament than the Masoretic Hebrew text. Plus it has non-biblical books.

More on it and the Bible can be found in the free online book: Who Gave the World the Bible? The Canon: Why do we have the books we now do in the Bible? Is the Bible complete?

An online sermon of related interest is also available: The Septuagint and its Apocrypha,

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Who Gave the World the Bible? The Canon: Why do we have the books we now do in the Bible? Is the Bible complete? Are there lost gospels? What about the Apocrypha? Is the Septuagint better than the Masoretic text? What about the Textus Receptus vs. Nestle Alland? Was the New Testament written in Greek, Aramaic, or Hebrew? Which translations are based upon the best ancient text? Did the true Church of God have the canon from the beginning? Here are links to related sermons: Let’s Talk About the Bible, The Books of the Old Testament, The Septuagint and its Apocrypha, Masoretic Text of the Old Testament, and Lost Books of the Bible, and Let’s Talk About the New Testament, The New Testament Canon From the Beginning, English Versions of the Bible and How Did We Get Them?, What was the Original Language of the New Testament?, Original Order of the Books of the Bible, and Who Gave the World the Bible? Who Had the Chain of Custody?
Read the Bible Christians should read and study the Bible. This article gives some rationale for regular bible reading, certain ancient texts, and discusses translations. Here is a link in Mandarin Chinese: ‹ûW#~Ï Here is a link in the Spanish language: Lea la Biblia..
Bible: Superstition or Authority? Should you rely on the Bible? Is it reliable? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
Is God’s Existence Logical? Is it really logical to believe in God? Yes! This is a free online booklet that deal with improper theories and musings called science related to the origin of the origin of the universe, the origin of life, and evolution. An animated video of related interest is also available: Big Bang: Nothing or Creator?
Proof Jesus is the Messiah This free book has over 200 Hebrew prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus. Plus, His arrival was consistent with specific prophecies and even Jewish interpretations of prophecy. Here are links to seven related sermons: Proof Jesus is the Messiah, Prophecies of Jesus’ birth, timing, and death, Jesus’ prophesied divinity, 200+ OT prophecies Jesus filled; Plus prophecies He made, Why Don’t Jews Accept Jesus?, Daniel 9, Jews, and Jesus, and Facts and Atheists’ Delusions About Jesus. Plus the links to two sermonettes: Luke’s census: Any historical evidence? and Muslims believe Jesus is the Messiah, but … These videos cover nearly all of the book, plus have some information not in the book.
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church. Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God? , Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, and What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, and Early Heresies and Heretics, and Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, and Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, and Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List.
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, French: L Histoire Continue de l Église de Dieu and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.