Church of God News

Chagos Islands (Wikipedia)

COGwriter

Earlier this month, the UK announced it would give the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. And while that was not a “sea gate” that the old Worldwide Church of God seemed to warn would be lost, it is one that I predicted would be lost back in 2019 (see UK to give up Chagos islands, including Diego Garcia, confirming prediction from COGwriter).

The Economist has protested the decision:

Britain should not hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius

Once again, the Chagossians have been denied a say

The Chagos Islands are the site of one of the shabbier episodes from the period when Britain gave up its empire. Their 1,500 or so inhabitants, the Chagossians, were forcibly expelled in the 1960s and 1970s to make way for an American military base on the atoll of Diego Garcia. British authorities blocked families returning from trips, cut off the supply of teachers and doctors, gassed the islanders’ dogs and eventually deported anyone still left. https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/10/09/britain-should-not-hand-the-chagos-islands-to-mauritius

It was also reported here that the Chagossians had no say in this (see UK to give up Chagos islands, including Diego Garcia, confirming prediction from COGwriter).

Forbes warned:

The U.K. Turning Over The Chagos Islands To Mauritius Empowers China

We live in a world getting ever more dangerous. The inability and unwillingness of the U.S. and the rest of the Free World to adjust to new, ominous realities was on pathetic display a few days ago when Britain announced that it was turning over the Chagos Islands, where we have a crucial military base, to Mauritius, which is off the southeastern coast of Africa.

Mauritius is an ally of China, and Beijing is licking its chops at the prospect of conducting electronic snooping of the base and other nefarious activities.

Amazingly the Biden-Harris Administration encouraged London to go for such an agreement under the illusion that this would preserve the base. https://www.forbes.com/sites/steveforbes/2024/10/10/the-uk-turning-over-the-chagos-islands-to-mauritius-empowers-china/

Notice the following promise to the descendants of Abraham:

16 “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son — 17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” (Genesis 22:16-18)

Enemy gates were promised to Abraham’s descendants. Now, the UK is giving Chagos up to Mauritius, who supports a nation that the UK and USA consider a type of enemy.

Allow me to add that since the UK announcement to turn sovereignty to Mauritius, Argentina has since asked for the Falkland Islands again, and the UK last Monday said no (see After Chagos announcement, Argentina pushes for Falkland, UK says no, but …). However, things will not go as the UK hopes.

The Continuing Church of God put together the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel related to Chagos and other British-controlled territories:

14:36

Prophecy: UK’s Loss of Chagos Islands

On May 28, 2019, Dr. Bob Thiel posted and predicted that the United Kingdom would lose the Chagos Islands, including Diego Garcia. He repeated that prediction on October 1, 2024. On October 3, 2024, the BBC reported that the United Kingdom was going to lose the Chagos Islands and give its sovereignty to the nation of Mauritius, thus confirming his predictions. US President Joe Biden praised the UK decision. Why did Dr. Thiel make that prediction? Was it based on several biblical prophecies? Have other predictions related to loss of ‘sea gates’ possessed by the UK and United State of America come to pass? Will the UK one day lose the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, and even Northern Ireland for their disobedience? What are some of the Bible prophecies that pointed to the attaining of sea gates and losses of territories to the end time descendants of Joseph, Ephraim (the company of nations, once the British Commonwealth) and Manasseh (a once great nation, the US). Does the Bible have the “more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19, KJV)? Were prophets and prophecies expected in the ‘last days’ according to Acts 2:17-18? Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel discuss these matters. They also referred listeners to a free online book which helps identify various peoples that the Bible prophecies about titled ‘Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America?’ URL: https://www.cogwriter.com/LostTribes.pdf

Here is a link to our video: Prophecy: UK’s Loss of Chagos Islands.

Prophecies are being fulfilled.

See also Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18?

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Will the UK Lose Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands? For many years, the major sea gates of the world were possessed/controlled by the United States (Panama Canal and certain locations in the Pacific ocean) and the British Empire (Straits of Malacca, Singapore, Suez Canal, Bab el Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz, Simon’s Town/Cape of Good Hope, Malta, etc.), and many are no longer under their control. Spain wants Gibraltar and Argentina wants the Falklands (also known as the Malvinas). UK Prime Minister David Cameron says the UK will defend the Falklands Gibraltar. Does the Bible give clues as to what will happen with those ‘sea gates’? Do promises made the Jacob’s mother Rebekah play a role? What about Deuteronomy 28? This is a video.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be: Are Chinese threats against Australia for real?
Will the Anglo-Saxon-Celtic Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
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.
Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18? Does any church have the confirmed dream and prophetic signs of Acts 2:17-18? Should one? Here is a link in the Spanish language: ¿Tiene la CCOG confirmadas las señales de Hechos 2: 17-18? Here is a link in the French language: Est-ce que l’Église Continue de Dieu confirme les signes d’Actes 2:17-18? A related sermon in the English language is also available: 17 Last Days’ Signs of the Holy Spirit.
21st Century Church of God Prophets Are there any true prophets in the 21st century? What about false prophets? What are scriptures and fruits to identify the true from the false? You you prove all things and test the spirits?
Church of God Leaders on Prophets Have there been prophets throughout the church age? Are any supposed to be around in the last days? What have COG leaders stated or written about prophets? Here is a link to a related sermon: Church of God Leaders on Prophets.
How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God There are many false prophets. How can Christians determine who is a true prophet? There is also a sermon-length video titled How to determine if someone is a true prophet of God. Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Cómo determinar si alguien es un verdadero profeta de Dios?

A photostatic copy of a page from Ilustração Portugueza, October 29, 1917

COGWriter

October 13th is the 107th anniversary of something commonly called ‘the miracle of the sun.’ In the past to commemorate it, Pope Francis ‘dedicated the world’ essentially to a statue that was supposed to be that of the “Lady” that appeared in 1917. (watch Fatima and Pope Francis).

Lucia Santos, one of three children who saw the apparition, wrote that the ‘Lady’ told her the following on July 13, 1917:

I want you to come here on the 13th of next month, to continue to pray the Rosary, every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary, in order to obtain peace for the world and the end of war, because only she can help you. …

Continue to come here every month. In October, I will tell you who I am and what I want, and I will perform a miracle for all to see and believe. (Santos, p. 178).

Lucia wrote that the ‘Lady’ told her the following on August 15, 1917:

I want you to continue going to the Cova da Iria on the 13th, and to continue to pray the Rosary every day. In the last month, I will perform a miracle so that all may believe. (Santos, p. 180).

Lucia wrote that the ‘Lady’ told her the following on September 13, 1917:

Continue to pray the Rosary in order to obtain the end of the war. In October, the Lord will come as well as Our Lady of Dolours and Our Lady of Carmel. Saint Joseph will appear with the Child Jesus to bless the world. God is pleased with your sacrifices. He does not want you to sleep with the rope on, but only to wear it during the day. (Santos, p. 181)

The “rope” was intended to cause pain and discomfort. This was part of the “suffering for sinners” that the Lady wanted the children of Fatima to endure. “Our Lady of Dolours” means Our Lady of Sorrows.

Since the 15th century, popular devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel has centered on the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, also known as the Brown Scapular, a sacramental associated with promises of Mary’s special aid for the salvation of the devoted wearer. (Wikipedia, accessed 09/13/17)

On October 13, 1917 the ‘Lady’ was seen by three Portuguese children: Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco. Though others did not see her, there was apparently some type of change in the sky on October 13, 1917 that many others (supposedly around 70,000) reportedly witnessed. Every year, throngs of people visit Fatima this day because of it (others visit throughout the year, but the 13th of May and the 13th of October seem to be the most attended times). The “Lady” that appeared gave various messages that many believe have been confirmed by world events. Millions falsely believe that the “Lady of Fatima” was Jesus’ mother Mary.

As far as this “miracle of the sun” goes, let me simply state that there were various accounts of what was seen and I do not believe it was a miracle from God. Yet, many associated with the Church of Rome believe it is and will not believe what actually appeared in Fatima, Portugal.

Fatima Chapel Statue and What the Fatima Children Said They Saw

Many believe that something looking like the statue to the left appeared, whereas as three of the witnesses who claimed to see it described something that looked like the statue to the right. This fact alone should be evidence that whatever happened on October 13, 1917 was not a miracle of God. Details on this are in the article: Fatima and the ‘Miracle of the Sun’.

Since we in the Continuing Church of God do not believe that Mary, the mother of Jesus, appeared in Fatima, Portugal in 1917, why pay attention to this?

There are several reasons. Notice three:

1) Some of the events claimed to have been predicted in 1917 (though not written down until years later) appear to have taken place. This has given the Fatima messages credibility even among those not part of the Catholic faith. Various Catholics believe more strongly in Fatima than the Bible.

2) The Fatima appearances, though not necessarily all the messages, have been accepted as legitimate and/or “worthy of belief” by the Vatican. As there are at least 1-2 billion people with at least some minimal ties with the Church of Rome, this means that a huge portion of the West (Europe and the Western Hemisphere), as well as people throughout the rest of the world, have reasons to pay attention to the Fatima messages. The current pontiff takes Fatima seriously and had his pontificate dedicated to the “Lady of Fatima” on May 13, 2013 (the 96th anniversary of the first appearance of the”Lady” to the children in Fatima).

3) Some of the Fatima messages are claimed to still be for the future. And whether people believe them or not, there will be repercussions from them. Some of those repercussions will likely shock the world. If you survive, you will likely be affected by these repercussions in the not too distant future. This is mainly because of warnings in the Bible about a woman (Isaiah 47) that seems to have had a lot in common with the apparition that supposedly appeared nearly a century ago.

Furthermore, the Bible warns that signs and lying wonders will deceive those that do not have the love of the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12). And prophecies in both the Old and New Testaments suggest that a “Lady” who is considered a virgin will be involved in deceit.

And while I (who have looked into Fatima extensively) do not believe that Mary of the Bible appeared there, it is likely that messages believed to have been given will affect the world again.

Notice also the following:

12 October 2019

MANILA – A Fatima crusader on Saturday called on the faithful to repent and pray the Rosary every day in response to the request of the Blessed Virgin Mary for the world to attain genuine and lasting peace.

“The world is currently undergoing purification because of the sin of mankind, but in the end the Immaculate Heart of Mary will triumph,” Rev. Fr. Homer Prieto of the Fatima Parish Church in Cubao, Quezon City said when asked about the troubles happening around the world today, on the eve of the 102nd anniversary of sixth and final apparition by the Blessed Virgin before three young shepherds in Fatima, Portugal on Oct. 13, 1917. … In the Philippines, the only Catholic country in Asia, many churches have been named after Fatima. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1082987

No, praying the rosary will not bring world peace. The ‘Lady of Fatima’ is NOT the answer–the Gospel of the Kingdom of God is.

Fatima has been a concern for a long time. Notice something that the late Church of God evangelist Raymond McNair wrote:

In the German Süddeutsche Zeitung there was an article in which it was revealed that Pope Paul VI had received a message in Fatima through the only remaining shepherd girl (who is now a nun). They were seen quite some time together and it appeared as if she had something to say to him. When asked in Rome, after his return, if his visit to Fatima was a success, Pope Paul said: ” I went to Fatima to pray for peace to the Virgin Mary and I received the answer how to, achieve this peace.”

There are many rumors that he did receive a message, but he has not wanted to divulge it.

Since the pilgrimage to Fatima, the Pope has spoken out on Jerusalem- demanding it become an international city. What most do not know is that there is evidence the Vatican has plans to move from Rome to Jerusalem … This event will stir the world! It will be the Pope ‘s final effort as the world’s peacemaker! (McNair R. The Real Meaning Behind POPE PAUL’S PILGRIMAGE TO PORTUGAL. Plain Truth, June 1967, pp. 3, 47)

Jerusalem will become increasingly important to Catholics in the near future. The Papacy will, as previously reported in The PLAIN TRUTH, be moved from Rome to Jerusalem … Bible prophecy is very explicit on this point. Furthermore, according to a recent report in a leading German newspaper, the Third Fatima Message is reported (by inside, informed Vatican sources) to reveal that there will be a terrible World War III, during which (according to this Fatima Vision) both Rome and the Vatican will be destroyed! Could this possibly explain why the Vatican will be moved to Jerusalem? (McNair R. POPE MEETS PATRIARCH. Plain Truth, October 1967)

Like me, Raymond McNair (and the old Radio Church of God, who published the above) was aware that Catholic actions can be influenced by Marian apparitions and Catholic private prophecies. Fatima is more important to the Church of Rome than most non-Catholics realize.

Pope Francis had his pontificate dedicated to the ‘Lady of Fatima’ and has been promoting his version of ‘Mary’ since his pontificate began. He has been influenced by Marian apparitions and private prophecies, including Fatima.

Pope Francis offered special indulgences related to Fatima. This way, one can get out of purgatory almost free in 2017:

Pope Francis has granted a plenary indulgence opportunity throughout the Fatima Anniversary Year.

There are three ways of obtaining the indulgence.
To obtain the plenary indulgence, the faithful must also fulfill the ordinary conditions: Go to confession and Communion, be interiorly detached from sin, and pray for the intentions of the Holy Father.

1 – Pilgrimage to the Shrine
Make a pilgrimage to the Fatima shrine in Portugal and participate in a celebration or prayer dedicated to the Virgin. In addition, the faithful must pray the Our Father, recite the Creed and invoke the Mother of God.

2 – Prayer before any statue of Our Lady of Fatima
Visit with devotion a statue of Our Lady of Fatima solemnly exposed for public veneration in any church, oratory or proper place during the days of the anniversary of the apparitions, the 13th of each month from May to October (2017): there devoutly participate in some celebration or prayer in honor of Our Lady.

3 – Application for the elderly and infirm
Those who, because of age, illness or other serious cause are unable to get around well, can pray in front of a statue of Our Lady of Fatima and spiritually unite themselves to the jubilee celebrations on the days of the apparitions, the 13th of each month, between May and October 2017.

They also must “offer to our merciful God with confidence, through Mary, their prayers and sufferings or the sacrifices they make in their own lives.” http://livingfatima.com/plenary-indulgence-for-the-100th-anniversary-of-fatima/ accessed 09/11/17

I will add that my wife and I were offered a plenary indulgence if we were in the audience to see Pope Francis the last time we were in Rome. We declined. We have also visited the Fatima shrine, but that was in 2011, hence we were not granted a plenary indulgence for that. And, of course, we also did not pray in devotion to Mary before any statue.

Catholics should consider what the ‘Lady’ of Fatima reportedly said on the day of the ‘miracle of the sun.’ Notice what Lúcia wrote that the apparition said on October 13, 1917:

I want to tell to you that a chapel is to be built here in my honour.

And this happened, as my wife and I actually visited that Capelinha in Fatima in 2011.

Anyway, the request from the apparition was not only immodest, it seemed to violate what the Bible tells people to do:

31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever else you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31, DRB)

29 …no flesh should glory in his sight… (1 Corinthians 1:29, DRB)

11 …every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:11, DRB)

9 Not to us, O Lord, not to us; but to thy name give glory. (Psalms 113:9, DRB)

Mary is not God. Despite her role as the mother of Christ (and yes, I believe that Jesus is God lest someone criticize me for using this expression), no proper Roman or Eastern Orthodox Catholic (or Protestant for that matter) believes that Mary is God either.

It is important to note that the apparition wanted a chapel built essentially for her glory. That is not what a true follower of Christ would have done. Mary of the Bible did not do that nor drop any hint that she ever would do that. A “Marian” apparition that appeared to Estelle Faguette at Pellevoisin, France in 1876 said, “I choose the little ones and the weak ones for my glory.”

But God specifically said the weak were chosen for His (not Mary’s) glory (1 Corinthians 1:27-29), so that apparition was false also. Actually, statements from many “approved apparitions” have requested actions for their glory or otherwise contradicted scripture.

Lúcia, herself, claimed, “The Rosary and Scapular are inseparable.”

A brown scapular originally was a wool object that sometimes comes in the form of metals instead. It seems to be worn like a medallion.

“Sister Lúcia has said all Catholics should wear the Brown Scapular as part of the Fatima message.”

Supposedly, when the apparition appeared on October 13, 1917, Lúcia, Francisco, and Jacinta saw her hold a brown scapular in her hand.

“At the end of the 40s…Lúcia… recalled that the Blessed Virgin…wished that devotion of the holy Scapular be propagated.”

Of course, if Mary actually wanted this, it seems odd that it took Lúcia decades to tell this to anybody.

“The Brown Scapular is part of a religious habit belonging in its own right to the Carmelite order. Devotion for the Scapular of Our Lady of Carmel was born in the 13th century when after being purchased from Palestine by the Saracens, the Carmelite brothers encountered great difficulties in getting established in Europe and elsewhere…

Simon Stock, elected Prior General of the order in 1247, had, a few years later an apparition…presenting the Scapular to him as a sign of salvation for his brothers.”

The pushing for Fatima and related wonders will have ramifications in the world according to both Greco-Roman Catholic and biblical (Isaiah 47; Nahum 3:4-5; cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12; Revelation 17 & 18) prophecy. No one should accept false claims about apparitions that many consider to be Jesus’ mother Mary.

False claims about ‘Mary’ are expected to be used as part of the ecumenical and interfaith agendas that Pope Francis and others are pushing. Do not fall for them.

For more information on Fatima and other mystic Catholic claims, please check out the following:

Fatima and the ‘Miracle of the Sun’ On October 13, 1917, tens of thousands of people witnessed what they considered to be a miracle in the sky in Fatima, Portugal. Was this a miracle from God? Can you be certain? Here is a link to the sermon: Fatima and the ‘Miracle of the Sun’.
Fatima and Pope Francis Could end time prophecies be fulfilled by apparitions? May 13, 2017 marked the 100th anniversary of a ‘Lady’ that appeared before three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. Pope Francis declared them Catholic saints on the 100th anniversary–how did the children describe what they saw? Is it possible that Jesus’ mother Mary appeared at Fatima? Could signs and lying wonders come from apparitions? How could the Fatima hype be setting the world up for the end? Did the old Radio Church of God teach about Fatima? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more. This is a 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.
Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Apparitions Do you know much about Mary? Are the apparitions real? What happened at Fatima? What might they mean for the rise of the ecumenical religion of Antichrist? Are Protestants moving towards Mary? How do the Eastern/Greek Orthodox view Mary? How might Mary view her adorers? Here is a link to a YouTube video Marian Apparitions May Fulfill Prophecy.
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?, and The Godhead.
Will the Interfaith Movement Lead to Peace or Sudden Destruction? Is the interfaith movement going to lead to lasting peace or is it warned against? A video sermon of related interest is: Will the Interfaith Movement lead to World War III? and three video sermonette are also available:  Pope Francis signs ‘one world religion’ document! and The Chrislam Cross and the Interfaith Movement and Do You Know That Babylon is Forming?
Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy? Pope Francis has taken many steps to turn people more towards his version of ‘Mary.’ Could this be consistent with biblical and Catholic prophecies? This article documents what has been happening. There is also a video version titled Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy?
Feast of the Immaculate Conception? Did early Christians teach Mary had an immaculate conception and led a sinless life?
Origin of the Marian Dogmas: Where Do Catholic Scholars Say The Four Dogmas of Mary Came From?
Assumption of Mary Did Mary die? Was she taken to heaven on August 15th? What is known? What does the Bible show?
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 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?
Greco-Roman Catholic Prophecies: Do They Mirror, Highlight, or Contradict Biblical Prophecies? People of all faiths may be surprised to see what various Roman and Orthodox Catholic prophets have been predicting as many of their predictions will be looked to in the 21st century.
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.
Fatima Shock! What the Vatican Does Not Want You to Know About Fatima, Dogmas of Mary, and Future Apparitions. Whether or not you believe anything happened at Fatima, if you live long enough, you will be affected by its ramifications (cf. Isaiah 47; Revelation 17). Fatima Shock! is a highly documented book by Bob Thiel for those interested in the real truth about Fatima and how future apparitions may affect the future. In addition to the print version, there is a Kindle version of Fatima Shock! which you can acquire in seconds.

King Charles III (White House photo)

COGwriter

The BBC reported the following:

King says a republic is up to Australian people

12 October 2024

King Charles has confirmed that it is up to the Australian people to decide whether the country remains a constitutional monarchy or becomes a republic.

Ahead of the King’s visit to Australia next week, the Australian Republic Movement exchanged letters with Buckingham Palace officials, writing on the King’s behalf.

Correspondence from the palace, revealed by the Daily Mail, says that “whether Australia becomes a republic” is a “matter for the Australian public to decide”.

The future of the monarch in Australia is likely to be an issue during the royal visit by King Charles and Queen Camilla, which includes events in Sydney and Canberra. …

“The King appreciated that you took the time to write and asked me to reply on his behalf,” says the letter from Buckingham Palace to the Australian Republic Movement, written in March.

“Please be assured that your views on this matter have been noted very carefully.

“His Majesty, as a constitutional monarch, acts on the advice of his Ministers, and whether Australia becomes a republic is therefore a matter for the Australian public to decide.”

The letter adds that the King and Queen have a “deep love and affection” for Australia and “your thoughtfulness in writing as you did is warmly appreciated”.

A referendum on the issue was held in Australia in 1999, where people voted to remain a constitutional monarchy.

Earlier this year Australia’s government said plans for another referendum were “not a priority”. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy4d22yl9kpo

(Photo from Pexels)

COGwriter

It is the Day of Atonement.

In the original Hebrew, the Bible calls the day Yom Hakippurim (which is Hebrew for “Day of the Atonements”).

The original rites and practices for the Day of Atonement are set forth in the sixteenth chapter of Leviticus (cf. Exodus 30:10; Leviticus 23:27-31, 25:9; Numbers 29:7-11). It is considered to be a time for fasting, during which no food or drink are to be consumed:

26 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: “Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. 27 It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls…32 It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath (Leviticus 23:26-27,32).

This fasting is historically how the phrase “afflict your souls” has been interpreted by the Jewish community to mean fasting (this is also verified by such passages as Psalm 35:13; 69:10 and Isaiah 58:5) , unless one is somehow ill, and thus is already afflicted. Evening to evening means from sunset to sunset.

In the New Testament, the Day of Atonement is referred to as “the Fast” (Acts 27:9). The fact that this day was referred to that way (or even at all) is an indication that it was observed by Christians after Christ’s resurrection. The Bible clearly shows that so-called Jewish holy days, such as Pentecost were observed by Christians after Jesus’ resurrection (Acts 2:1).

A unique ceremony related to the Day of Atonement is discussed in Leviticus 16:

8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for Jehovah, and the other lot for Azazel. 9 And Aaron shall present the goat upon which the lot fell for Jehovah, and offer him for a sin-offering. 10 But the goat, on which the lot fell for Azazel, shall be set alive before Jehovah, to make atonement for him, to send him away for Azazel into the wilderness. (Leviticus 16:8-10, ASV)

8 ‘And Aaron hath given lots over the two goats, one lot for Jehovah, and one lot for a goat of departure; 9 and Aaron hath brought near the goat on which the lot for Jehovah hath gone up, and hath made it a sin-offering. 10 ‘And the goat on which the lot for a goat of departure hath gone up is caused to stand living before Jehovah to make atonement by it, to send it away for a goat of departure into the wilderness. (Leviticus 16:8-10, YLT)

Christians note the parallels between the first of the two goats with Jesus and the second of the two goats with Satan (the Azazel goat).

Such as Jesus does get killed, but that Satan does not.

The slain goat represents Christ who actually dies for our sins. Notice Leviticus 16:15-19:

15 Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, bring its blood inside the veil, do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat. 16 So he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, for all their sins; and so he shall do for the tabernacle of meeting which remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness. 17 There shall be no man in the tabernacle of meeting when he goes in to make atonement in the Holy Place, until he comes out, that he may make atonement for himself, for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel. 18 And he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD, and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around. 19 Then he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, cleanse it, and consecrate it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.

Christ’s sacrifice is an atonement sacrifice to reconcile us to God. Notice what the Apostle Paul wrote:

18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).

The late Herbert W. Armstrong wrote:

Now the goat which God selected through lot, to represent Christ was slain, as Christ, its antitype was slain. But the other goat selected by God to represent Azazel was not slain, but was driven, alive, into an uninhabited wilderness. It was not a resurrected goat, symbolizing the resurrected Christ, for it never died. The uninhabited wilderness, to which this goat was driven, cannot, as we shall show, represent heaven, where Christ went. Heaven is neither uninhabited, nor a wilderness.

After God designated which goat represented Christ and which Azazel, the high priest (verse 11) killed the bullock for a sin offering for himself, then took the burning coals of fire and the sweet incense into the Holy of Holies, also sprinkling the blood of the bullock before the mercy seat, typical of the throne of God, covering the tables of testimony (the law). This the high priest was required to do in order to purify himself to officiate, and to represent Christ as High Priest. In the antitype, this was not done, for Christ, our High Priest, had no need of this purification as the typical substitutionary priests did.

Now the Levitical high priest was ready to go out and officiate.

Next, the goat which God selected by lot to represent Christ, as the sin offering of the people, was killed. Thus the sins of the people were borne by the goat, even as Christ, finally, once for all, bore our sins on the cross. But Christ rose again from the dead, and ascended to the throne of God in heaven.

Now, who, or what, from this point on in the Levitical ceremony, typified the resurrected Christ, who went to heaven? Some say the goat representing Azazel. Let us see.

The risen Christ, now at the right hand of the throne of God in heaven (I Peter 3:22), is called what? Our High Priest! What was the earthly type of God’s throne? The uninhabited wilderness? No! That is where the live goat went!

The earthly type of God’s throne was the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies. After Christ died, He went to the heavenly mercy seat interceding for us, as our High Priest. “. . . Entereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec” (Hebrews 6:19-20).

Now, again, who, or what, in the Levitical ceremony of the Day of Atonement, typified the risen Christ, our High Priest, who went within the veil to God’s throne in heaven? The one goat had been slain. It represented the slain Christ. It can no longer represent the risen Christ. The slain Christ was not our High Priest, because the Levitical priesthood, with its high priest, did not end until Christ rose from the dead and ascended to heaven as a High Priest after the order of Melchisedec. But the risen Christ was High Priest. Now WHO took this part in the Levitical ceremonies, temporarily re-enacted year by year, on this eternal Holy Day? Why, so obviously a child could see, it was the Levitical high priest, not the goat representing Azazel!

The High Priest Type of Christ

As soon as the slain goat was dead, who went within the veil, presenting the blood of this goat before the typical throne of God?

Leviticus 16:15-16 “Then shall he [the high priest] kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and [now the high priest himself typifying the work of the risen Christ] bring his blood within the veil . . . and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat: and he shall make an atonement for the holy place. . . .”

And so it was the high priest taking blood within the veil, to the mercy seat, that typified the risen Christ figuratively taking HIS blood, once for all, within the veil to the very throne of God in heaven, there to intercede for us as High Priest. Surely this is so plain a child can see.

The slain goat represented the crucified Jesus. The high priest, by taking the blood of this slain goat into the veil to the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies, a type of God’s throne, represented and did the work of the risen Christ, who ascended to the right hand of the Majesty on high, there interceding as our High Priest. (Pagan Holidays or God’s Holy Days Which?)

The Holy Days of the Hebrew scriptures have applicability now and all help point to Jesus Christ. As far as why Jesus is shown in Passover and Atonement, that is discussed in our sermon: God’s Atonement and Fasting Plan.

In the Old Testament, the Day of Atonement included a ceremony where the Azazel goat was sent to the wilderness (Leviticus 16:1-10). Christians see this sending of the Azazel goat away as picturing the time during the millennium when Satan will be bound and sent away for a thousand years in the bottomless pit (Revelation 20:1-4). This means that Satan will not be able to tempt and deceive during that time. The Azazal goat was not slain, nor is Satan pictured being slain.

Because of the sacrifice of Jesus, a goat is not sacrificed by Christians to observe this day (cf. Hebrews 10:1-10).

Yet, although Jesus was our Passover lamb sacrificed for us (1 Corinthians 5:7-8) and He was slain only once (Hebrews 9:28), we also see a time other than Passover where Jesus is ceremonially slain.

Why?

Many have speculated, but there look to be scriptural clues, along with the fact that this happens before the release of the second goat.

Why two sacrifices since Jesus was only sacrificed once?

Because of how the biblical holy days picture God’s plan of salvation.

The biblical festivals begin with the sacrifice of Jesus (Passover), putting out sin (Days of Unleavened Bread), and the calling of the firstfruits in this age (Pentecost)–which is the beginning of the Church age (cf. Acts 2). The Church age ends when Jesus returns after the last trumpet is blown (Feast of Trumpets sets off a sequence of seven trumpets). The Day of Atonement comes after the Feast of Trumpets and, in sequence, happens AFTER the church age ends.

Jesus’ Passover sacrifice pictured His sacrifice for those called during the Church age, whereas the Atonement sacrifice pictures that Jesus did NOT JUST DIE FOR THE ELECT but for all (cf. John 3:16-17). That is also related to Him returning the second time for salvation!

This is a truth that has been restored in the Continuing Church of God.

This age lasts until Jesus returns, which He does on the seventh and last trump (1 Corinthians 15:52), which is one of the trumpets pictured by the Feast of Trumpets. After the church age is over, Jesus’ sacrifice will be accepted by more than the elect of the church age. It is NOT because Jesus will get sacrificed again.

Jesus is the “author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). Passover shows part of why He is the author and the Day of Atonement helps show us He is the finisher (as does His return with the last trumpet on pictured by the Feast of Trumpets).

So, although the Greco-Roman-Protestants tend to think the atonement was just a past event, this understanding of the Day of Atonement points to a future time–and shows an aspect of God’s plan of salvation that most seem to have missed.

As Christians, this picturing of Jesus as the goat of the atonement also shows us that we are not ‘better’ than others (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:26-31) and that although we are the ones who have accepted Jesus’ Passover sacrifice now, others will accept His atoning sacrifice later (see also Universal OFFER of Salvation, Apokatastasis: Can God save the lost in an age to come? Hundreds of scriptures reveal God’s plan of salvation).

Since the Bible calls Satan “the god of this age” who has “blinded” the world (2 Corinthians 4:4), most have been blinded and have not yet been covered by the sacrifice of Jesus. Yet this will happen for nearly all who will be called–either in this age or the age to come (Matthew 12:32). Showing the sacrifice, ceremonially after the church age ends on the Day of Atonement, helps demonstrate that the sacrifice of Jesus was not just for those called in the church age, as God’s plan includes offering salvation to all, and not just today’s elect.

By showing the sacrifice prior to the other goat being released, this shows that Jesus was not taking away the sins of Satan.

Jesus took the penalty of all human beings. But it doesn’t apply to humans until after God calls us and grants us repentance (John 6:44) and we come to be willing to repent and we come to believe. Not only in Jesus, but we believe the Son and we believe the Father, that is, we believe what They say. Also, we prove it by repenting, being baptized, being granted the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38) and actually trying to live as They would have us live (cf. 1 John 2:6).

People attempting to be faithful to the Bible have observed the Day of Atonement and we faithful in the Continuing Church of God continue to do so in the 21st century.

We are pleased to announce this Day of Atonement offertory from its ContinuingCOG channel:

Here is a sermon made and recommended for 2022:

1:12:04

God’s Day of Atonement Plan

The Day of Atonement is discussed in the Old Testament and is referred to as “the Fast” in the New Testament. How does it picture in God’s plan? Did Jesus pray that we would be at one with God/ Why fast? Do those who can fast avoid food and drink from sunset to sunset and not work on the Day of Atonement? What about nursing infants and small children? Did Jesus just die for those called in this age? What about everyone else? Since the Bible shows that Jesus only needed to die once, why do we see ceremonies related to Passover and Atonement which both picture His death? Is the timing of the Day of Atonement help point to its part of God’s plan? Are we to consider others as we “afflict our souls”? What about Satan and his role in our sins? Will there come a time of no sorrows? How can fasting help you? Dr. Thiel addresses these matters and more.

Here is a link to the sermon: God’s Day of Atonement Plan.

Here is a sermon made and recommended for 2021:

1:11:14

Jesus THE Atonement

The Jews call it Yom Kippur and Christians call it the Day of Atonement. In transliterated Hebrew, the Bible calls the day Yom Hakippurim, which is Hebrew for “Day of the Atonements.” What do Old Testament scriptures say about it? Why is fasting associated with it? Did Jesus shed His blood only for Christians in this age? What about the age to come? If Jesus is only to be sacrificed once, why is He symbolically sacrificed as the Passover lamb as well as one of the goats associated with the Atonement ceremony in the Book of Leviticus? Is the Day of Atonement referred to in the Book of Acts? Is there evidence that Christians kept the Day of Atonement throughout the church age? Why should Christians observe it? Dr. Thiel addresses these topics and more in this video sermon.

Here is a link to the sermon: Jesus THE Atonement.

Those who have more interest may wish to study the following:

The Meaning of Atonement That was the title of a sermon by Herbert W. Armstrong gave on September 20, 1980. The article is based on that and has been expanded with updates and additional scriptures. Here is a link to a related sermon video: The Meaning of Atonement.
The Day of Atonement–Its Christian Significance The Jews call it Yom Kippur, Christians “The Day of Atonement.” Does it have any relevance for Christians today? What is the Jubilee? Is fasting healthy? Here is a link to a sermon: Day of Atonement: How Jesus fulfilled His part for the Atonement. Here is a link to a related article in the Spanish language: El Día de Expiación –Su significado cristiano.
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?
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.
The Atonement Plan How does the Day of Atonement tie into God’s plan of salvation? Two sermons of related interest are available God’s Atonement and Fasting Plan and God’s Atonement Plan.
Atonement Offertory Should an offering be taken up on the Day of Atonement? What does the Bible seem to teach about that? Was Jesus a type of atonement offering? If you send an offering, how does that support the work? Does God need your money or do you need to give? Dr. Thiel goes over scriptures and facts related to this. Here is a link to the donation page of the Continuing Church of God, which includes the ability to use PayPal: http://www.ccog.org/donations/
Michael’s Feasts and Fasts Quiz 15 questions, amusing wrong answer screens.
Michael’s Day of Atonement Quiz Another free on-line Bible quiz by my son Michael.
Michael’s Feasts and Fasts Quiz 15 questions, amusing wrong answer screens.
Should You Observe God’s Holy Days or Demonic Holidays? This is a free pdf booklet explaining what the Bible and history shows about God’s Holy Days and popular holidays.
Importance of Fasting An old article by Herbert W. Armstrong on this subject. Here is a link to it in Mandarin Chinese 禁食的重要性.
Did Early Christians Observe the Fall Holy Days? The ‘Fall’ Holy Days come every year in September and/or October on the Roman calendar. Some call them Jewish holidays, but they were kept by Jesus, the apostles, and their early faithful followers. Should you keep them? What does the Bible teach? What do records of church history teach? What does the Bible teach about the Feasts of Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles, and the Last Great Day? Here is a link to a related sermon: Should Christians keep the Fall Biblical Holy Days?
The Book of Life and the Feast of Trumpets? Are they related? Is so how? If not, where not? What does the Feast of Trumpets, which the Jews call Rosh Hashanah, help teach? A related sermon video would be Feast of Trumpets and the Book of Life as well as The Trumpet Release. The article has links to hear shofar blasts.
Feast of Trumpets: Why Should You Keep It? What does the Bible say? What does this festival picture?
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.
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.
Universal OFFER of Salvation, Apokatastasis: Can God save the lost in an age to come? Hundreds of scriptures reveal God’s plan of salvation Will all get a fair chance at salvation? This free book is packed with scriptures showing that God does intend to offer salvation to all who ever lived–the elect in this age, and the rest in the age to come. Here is a link to a related sermon series: Universal Offer of Salvation 1: Apocatastasis, Universal Offer of Salvation 2: Jesus Desires All to be Saved, Mysteries of the Great White Throne Judgment (Universal Offer of Salvation part 3), Is God Fair, Will God Pardon the Ignorant?, Can God Save Your Relatives?, Babies, Limbo, Purgatory and God’s Plan, and ‘By the Mouth of All His Holy Prophets’.
Holy Day Calendar This is a listing of the biblical holy days through 2033, with their Roman calendar dates. They are really hard to observe if you do not know when they occur 🙂 In the Spanish/Español/Castellano language: Calendario de los Días Santos. In Mandarin Chinese: 何日是神的圣日？ 这里是一份神的圣日日历从2013年至2024年。.

(Official movie poster)

COGwriter

Yesterday, I watched parts of a James O’Keefe documentary called ‘Line in the Sand.’ Here is some information about it and what it says is happening in the USA:

The terrifying documentary “Line in the Sand,” by journalist and film director James O’Keefe, premiers on the Tucker Carlson Network today, Oct. 10, 2024. It is a chilling tale of modern-day exploitation, of human misery and abuse in the illegal-immigration system across the U.S. border where millions cross and children disappear from facilities, the federal government pays for the illicit process and cartels profit by the billions. Half a million children have been moved in three years across the U.S. border illegally, most of them currently unaccounted for, says O’Keefe in the film’s trailer. Where did they disappear to once they entered the United States? Who are the government employees and NGO and church staff that work in silence amid this massive illegal humanitarian crisis? It is a billion-dollar business with immense human cost for those who are the human merchandise. Many end up in sex slavery and prostitution.

Why is this form of human slavery, trafficking and gross abuse not stopped? O’Keefe concludes that all those involved are getting rich off the industry – the NGOs, the government, the churches, the cartels. It is child trafficking with federal government employees helping to facilitate the unaccompanied children to “sponsors” all across the U.S., he says. They are delivered to people whom they often do not know and left there reportedly without any further follow up.

O’Keefe spent a year on the film, risking his life pretending to be a Ukrainian refugee, crossing the Mexican border into the United States, all with hidden cameras documenting what he and his courageous team saw. Yet, what shocked him the most was how willing regular American employees were to hide what was going on. He asks: Are we a nation of moral cowards? How is it acceptable for so many individuals that work at these facilities to close their eyes to the human trafficking only so they can collect their pay checks? This is mass criminal behavior. 10/09/24 https://www.wnd.com/2024/10/children-for-sale-watch-okeefes-line-in-the-sand/

There are a lot of problems with the border policies of the USA.

Kids being sex trafficked is one of them.

Related to sex trafficking, earlier this year, I watched the movie Sound of Freedom.

I reported about that movie last Summer when it came out and brought out the fact that YouTube censored various comments about it (see “YouTube Is Pulling ‘Sound Of Freedom’ Interviews, Reviews”).

While the movie, for the most part, attempted to be tastefully done, I suspected that it would be gut-wrenching to watch–and it was.

One of the scriptural reasons I watched it was because the Bible teaches:

2 Better to go to the house of mourning
Than to go to the house of feasting. (Ecclesiastes 7:2)

After watching parts of Line in the Sand, it seemed timely to again denounce pedophilia. The Bible says:

1 Cry aloud, spare not;
Lift up your voice like a trumpet;
Tell My people their transgression,
And the house of Jacob their sins.  (Isaiah 58:1)

9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, (1 Corinthians 6:9, KJV)

According to the Sound of Freedom movie, pedophilia is a $150 billion per year industry and the USA is one of the biggest “consumers” of such.

While many believe coming to the USA by any means will help them, Line in the Sand brought the following to mind:

19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption … (2 Peter 2:19)

(The above verse is also applicable to religious leaders, like Andy Stanley, who promote lawlessness. See also HD: Andy Stanley Holds ‘Unconditional Conference’ Instructing Pastors To Celebrate and Affirm LGBT Congregants).

That said, many in the media do not want people to learn about how horrendous the sins of sex-trafficking are.

Getting back to the Sound of Freedom movie, it was originally made for Disney, but it shelved it. Notice also:

Actor Jim Caviezel, … revealed recently what took place behind the scenes of a Disney movie.

“They wanted me to remove ‘God’ from all the script. True story … what happened to God? ‘God will give me justice,’” he said, quoting the book.

“I had to say, no, I can’t do this,’” he said.

The response was vintage liberal Hollywood.

“Disney said, ‘Oh, so you’re one of those?’ I said, ‘One of those what? One of those who rewrite Alexandre Dumas? One of those who rewrite Shakespeare? because that’s essentially what you did,’” he said. 07/03/23 https://www.wnd.com/2023/07/jim-caviezel-reveals-disney-told-references-god-count-monte-cristo/

Consider the above with the following:

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1:28-32)

The sexually immoral do not want to retain God in their knowledge (though they will tend to support various false concepts about God).

Homosexuality, pornography, and sexual immorality, combined with greed, have fueled the pedophilia situation.

I pray that the victims of such trafficking will be able to cope with what they have been through so that they can move forward with their lives.

Child pornography is considered to be a factor that encourages pedophilia. And the internet is a place where this happens, despite its illegality. We have both an article (Pornography: A scourge on society) as well as a YouTube video speaking out against pornography, including child pornography (Pornography: Harmless Fun or a Scourge on Society?).

Of course, sex trafficking of children is not new. Notice something written against it decades ago published by the old Worldwide Church of God:

There is still a flourishing black market for kiddie porn. “Those who know” can readily obtain the literature and movies they desire…

Dr. Peter Decourcy declared in a report to the American Psychological Association: “Children constitute the most oppressed minority group in this country. It is a minority group whose members are regularly humiliated, beaten, mutilated, killed or sexually abused and who have little effective legal recourse or police protection.” …

The cause of the sexual exploitation of children, then, lies close to home — in fact, in the home.

Recent studies into incest indicate that the magnitude of the problem is far greater than previously imagined. An article in the April issue of Ms. magazine asserted that one girl in every four in the United States experiences some form of sexual abuse before she reaches the age of 18. Three-fourths of the abusers are known by their victims. And about one-third of the incidents of abuse take place in the victim’s home. In at least ten percent of all reported cases, the victim is a boy, but in virtually all cases, boys and girls, the victimizer is male.

Compounding the tragedy of incest is the fact that, unlike an isolated incident of rape, incest is a crime that may continue for years. Its victims are trapped not only by brute force but by loyalties and dependencies.

Even when incest is not a factor, Dr. Avedis Panajian, director of psychological services at MacLaren Hall (the juvenile hall for Los Angeles County), believes that the family of a child who is involved in pornography is usually the cause of the problem. “What is needed is treatment of the child and his family,” he believes.

“Turn the Hearts of Fathers to Their Children”

In ancient times, the prophet Malachi equated a loving family relationship with human survival itself. “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse [marginal reading: utter destruction]” (Mal. 4:5-6).

Modern civilization is most certainly under a curse today because so many parents have become alienated from their children. The curse is reflected in skyrocketing juvenile crime, the breakdown of school systems, jails filled to overflowing, and obscenities such as child pornography and teenage prostitution.

The time must come, will come, when, in the words of noted psychoanalyst Erik Erikson, “There will exist a well-informed, well-considered and yet fervent public conviction that the most deadly of all possible sins is the mutilation of a child’s spirit; for such mutilation undercuts the life principle of trust, without which every human act, may it feel ever so good, and seem ever so right, is prone to perversion by destructive forms of consciousness.” (Graunke DP. KIDDIE PORN Causes and Cures. Plain Truth, December 1977)

The problem has worsened since, even though there are now laws against child pornography. More and more children are being sold for purposes of sexual immorality. And more in various media want to allow pedophilia–or at least reduce criticisms of it.

Another thing that is worse now is the sexual mutilation of thousands in the USA. Notice the following:

US Hospitals Raked In $120 Million Performing Sex Changes On Thousands Of Kids, New Data Shows

U.S. hospitals charged nearly $120 million over five years for sex-change procedures performed on around 14,000 children, according to new data compiled by medical watchdog Do No Harm.

The first-of-its-kind database, which logs sex-change procedures given to children nationwide between 2019 and 2023, catalogs a total of 5,747 minors who underwent sex-change surgeries, along with 8,579 who obtained puberty blockers or cross sex hormones.

Do No Harm believes the problem is likely even bigger than the data shows. The numbers, which are drawn from insurance claims data across all 50 states, do not include self-pay, charity payments, internal Veterans Affairs claims or patients covered by Kaiser Health Plans. 10/09/24 https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/us-hospitals-raked-in-120-million-performing-sex-changes-on-thousands-of-kids-new-data-shows/ar-AA1rUd5d

Sex Change Procedures Inflicted on 14,000 Children

Everyone agrees that Josef Mengele was a villain. But his crimes are dwarfed by the scale of evil currently taking place in the USA, as revealed by Do No Harm:

From January 2019 to December 2023, 13,994 minor patients received gender-transition treatments, with 5,747 undergoing sex-change surgeries and 8,579 getting hormones and puberty blockers, according to Do No Harm’s database. A majority of the body-modification procedures were conducted on minors around the age of 15.

No child can meaningfully consent to being deformed for social engineering purposes.

The database lines up with anecdotal accounts of teenagers being rushed into surgical operations and hormone procedures that permanently alter their bodies. A number of medical patients who later came to regret these procedures, known as “detransitioners,” have publicly spoken about their experiences being pushed to undergo gender-transition operations while they struggled with mental-health issues and sought guidance.

The figures given are lower limits:

The database likely undercounts the true number of trans medical interventions because it excludes “gray area” cases and lacks data from certain health-care providers. …

Do No Harm’s figures are based on publicly available insurance claim data the organization obtained from clearinghouses, data aggregators, payers, health systems, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and open sources.

The crimes against humanity are inflicted to advance the LGBT agenda. 10/09/24 https://moonbattery.com/sex-change-procedures-inflicted-on-14000-children/

The Bible warns of “inventors of evil things” (Romans 1:30) and those involved in these type of gender destruction are certainly pushing such evil inventions.

The Bible also warns:

10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (1 Timothy 6:10)

Child traffickers, pornographers, and those who mutilate children have a love of money that is abhorrent.

The Apostle Paul prophesied that things would get worse in these last days:

1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 3:1-7)

The Bible condemns prostitution and other forms of sexual immorality, but as a society goes further and further away from biblical morality, it should not be surprised to see the rise of horrific crimes such as the sex-trafficking of children.

While Sound of Freedom and Line in the Sand highlight some of the problems, do not think that human trafficking is about to be solved.

Human trafficking is prophesied to be part of end time Mystery Babylon’s trade:

12 merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble;

13 and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. (Revelation 18:12-13)

Notice some other scriptures:

4 We pay for the water we drink, And our wood comes at a price. 5 They pursue at our heels; We labor and have no rest. 6 We have given our hand to the Egyptians And the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread. 7 Our fathers sinned and are no more, But we bear their iniquities.  8 Servants rule over us; There is none to deliver us from their hand”. (Lamentations 5:4-8)

18 They tracked our steps
So that we could not walk in our streets.
Our end was near;
Our days were over,
For our end had come.

19 Our pursuers were swifter
Than the eagles of the heavens.
They pursued us on the mountains
And lay in wait for us in the wilderness. (Lamentations 4:18-19)

8 Israel is swallowed up; Now they are among the Gentiles
Like a vessel in which is no pleasure. 9 For they have gone up to Assyria (Hosea 8:8-9)

3 They shall not dwell in the Lord’s land, But Ephraim shall return to Egypt, And shall eat unclean things in Assyria…17 My God will cast them away, Because they did not obey Him; And they shall be wanderers among the nations. (Hosea 9:3,17)

(More details are also in the article Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves?)

Notice that some of the above scriptures mention Assyria (including eating unclean things there), which is who God will use to punish certain descendants of Israel, such as the USA, UK etc. (cf. Isaiah 10:5-7). Assyria is a biblical reference to the end time German-dominated Beast power (see also Germany in Biblical and Catholic Prophecy).

The late Herbert W. Armstrong wrote:

The GREAT TRIBULATION, we shall fully then realize, is the time of “Jacob’s Trouble,” spoken of in Jeremiah 30:7. And Jacob’s name was named on Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh (Gen. 48:16). At that time a third of the people in our nations will die, or shall have died, by famine and disease epidemics; another third will dies of the war–our cities being destroyed (Ezek. 6:6), and the remaining third will be carried to the land of our enemies as slaves (Ezek. 5:12). Armstrong, Herbert W. The Time We Are In, Now. Pastor General’s Report-Vol 1, No. 15, November 20, 1979, Page 2).

Jacob’s trouble is punishment inflicted on the descendants of Israel. And this includes Ephraim and Manasseh (cf. Genesis 48), which means the United Kingdom and the United States in the 21st century (see also Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel).

Sadly, prophecy is clear that there will be more human trafficking until Jesus returns.

We all should follow Jesus’ admonition to pray for the Kingdom of God to come.

Man applying pesticides
(UnSplash photo)

COGwriter

Pesticides contain poisonous toxins and are dangerous.

Notice also the following:

October 11, 2024

Under the Biden administration, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is developing a series of new policies to protect the environment against pesticide exposure, especially for endangered and threatened species. https://agupdate.com/midwestmessenger/news/crop/prepare-for-change-under-new-epa-pesticide-strategies/article_905f47f0-8651-11ef-814f-fb02de2b9962.html

While it is good to reduce toxic pollution and protect wild species from pesticides, what about also protecting people, including children from them?

A reader sent me a link to the following:

‘Shocking’: Heavy Metals, Nearly 50 Pesticides Detected In School Lunches

October 10, 2024

Food items served to school kids in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., contained heavy metals, including lead, and roughly 50 pesticides, according to new testing commissioned by Spotlight on America.

The Health Research Institute (HRI), an accredited independent lab in Iowa, conducted the testing. HRI’s Chief Scientist and CEO John Fagan told The Defender, “We tested every part of the lunch … it was pretty shocking.”

Nearly 30 million U.S. kids eat school lunch every day, according to the School Nutrition Association.

Fagan’s lab identified 49 pesticides — listed at the end of this article — with 38 different pesticides detected in just one elementary school lunch. Among them was carbendazim, a fungicide banned in most European countries that can cause infertility and endocrine disruption.

Many wheat-based items contained the weedkiller glyphosate, commonly marketed as Roundup, which causes cancer and disrupts immune function.

A single strawberry cup contained 23 pesticides, Spotlight on America reported.

Fagan’s lab also found numerous heavy metals in the samples. According to the Cleveland Clinic, exposure to heavy metals can cause irreversible damage to the human body, and may even be life-threatening.

Lead — which “at any level is harmful to children’s IQ,” Fagan said — was found in 100% of the samples.

Some samples contained cadmium, a heavy metal known to increase the risk of lung cancer, at a level 12 times higher than the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) limit for bottled water, according to Spotlight on America.

The lab also found arsenic in rice at levels 6 times higher than what’s allowed in apple juice, Spotlight on America said.

Fagan said, “The children need our help and protection.”

Zen Honeycutt — founder and executive director of Moms Across America, a nonprofit representing hundreds of thousands of mothers who want safer food served to their kids — agreed.

Honeycutt told The Defender that if foreign countries were serving these types and amounts of toxins to our children, “we would call it poison and be at war with them.”

“It is time,” she added, “for parents and concerned citizens to demand that our regulatory agencies require the food suppliers and farmers to do better. This is not an impossible task … it is, in fact, what regenerative, organic and biodynamic farmers do every day.”

School meals should not be ‘another source of toxic exposure’ https://connecticutcentinal.com/shocking-heavy-metals-nearly-50-pesticides-detected-in-school-lunches/

It is not only school lunches that are affected by toxins.

Many foods that are naturally healthy have been tainted by pesticides:

‘Superfoods’ like blueberries, spinach and kale named among ‘dirty dozen’ produce aisle fruits and veggies with most pesticides

•  Blueberries and green beans joined the highest amount of pesticides list
•  They contain organophosphates which can damage the human nervous system
• People exposed to common pesticide have signs of cancer in their urine

Blueberries, spinach and kale — each usually recognized as among the healthiest foods one can eat — have been named among produce with the most pesticides.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG), based in Washington DC, named its ‘dirty dozen’ produce foods this week, a dubious honor reserved only for fruits and vegetables in America laced with the most chemicals.

Alongside the antioxidant-rich blueberries and leafy greens are other snacktime favorites such as strawberries, grapes, apples, nectarines, pears and cherries. …

The EWG studied 46 produce aisle staples for its study, and found that 75 percent of freshly grown produce in America contain residue of harmful pesticides. Human ingestion can damage the nervous system or even cause cancer. …

Over 250 different pesticides were discovered on the fruits and vegetables, some of which have been barred in the US or Europe because of the effect they have on human health.

For example, the neurotoxic organophosphate insecticide acephate, which was banned from use on green beans in 2011 showed up on six percent of green bean samples.

The insecticide is listed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a possible human carcinogen.

Both blueberries and green beans harbor worrying levels of organophosphate insecticides.

These can damage the human nervous system and is particularly poisonous for children’s developing brains.  03/17/23 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-11869115/Superfoods-like-blueberries-spinach-kale-laced-dangerous-chemicals.html

Our food should be nourishing and safe to eat.

But more than 10,000 chemicals are allowed in food sold in the U.S. Some are direct additives, such as preservatives like butylated hydroxyanisole, or BHA, and butylated hydroxytoluene, or BHT, which are intentionally added to processed food. Others are so-called indirect additives, like heavy metals, which contaminate food during processing, storage and packaging.

Almost 99 percent of food chemicals introduced since 2000 were greenlighted for use by food and chemical companies, rather than properly reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration. Many of these widely used chemicals are associated with major health harms, including increased risk of cancer, developmental harm and hormone disruption.

These substances end up in what we eat, thanks to a legal loophole that allows foods to be classified as “generally recognized as safe.” It’s a loophole food and chemical companies have exploited for decades – it means that instead of the FDA determining which food chemicals are safe to consume, the manufacturers of those substances decide.accessed 03/19/23 https://www.ewg.org/consumer-guides/ewgs-dirty-dozen-guide-food-chemicals-top-12-avoid?gclid=CjwKCAjw5dqgBhBNEiwA7PryaFFWHZ-6l-xZJzAiAe1UuKeh0kgnoMD9D3SauIXxZD8PnU25_q5johoCcCIQAvD_BwE

Yes, there are many, many pesticides used in conventional agriculture.

Most, in small amounts, do not noticeably affect human health.

However, none in my opinion (and based on what I learned in conventional nutrition classes), have been thoroughly tested to ensure that they do not cause or contribute to human health problems. We know some do cause problems, but that does not mean that the others do not. It is just that the ways that they are tested do not take into account all the variables and possible health problems they could contribute to.

Organic produce, foods grown without pesticides, are better. But they are normally more expensive, often less available, and sometimes not as fresh. And because they are normally grown in regions with other farms, organic produce also, often, has pesticide residues. However, they are normally much less than their non-organic counterparts.

And then there is refined carbohydrates and ultra processed foods–which have their own health risks (e.g., see CNN: Cognitive decline linked to ultraprocessed food, study finds).

The Bible teaches:

2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good (Isaiah 55:2).

Information on how to do so should not be suppressed.

But, YouTube did that to us. However, the good news is that nearly a decade ago, when I saw that YouTube was effectively ‘shadow banning’ our videos, we in the CCOG decided to go on additional platforms. Here is information and a link to the YouTube censored video that we still have up at BitChute:

Feb 21, 2021

COVID-19: Eat what is good!

US President Joe Biden said on 2/19/21 that the USA may NOT “return to normal” in 2021 because of vaccine and mutation issues. Is there another approach? Would it make sense to improve nutrition to strengthen the immune system and to help people with COVID-19? What about zinc, selenium, vitamin C, and vitamin D? What about avoiding unclean meats? What about eating more fruits and vegetables and items such as pumpkin seeds and Brazil nuts? What about eating bovine glandulars? What about herbs? Could fasting help? What about exercise and sunlight? What about masks, lockdowns, junk food, obesity, and weight gain? Dr. Thiel, who possesses a US regionally accredited PhD. in nutrition science from the Union Institute and University, a Master of Science degree from the University of Southern California, and a natural scientist license from the State of Alabama, explains why people may wish to consider approaches for their immune system. He also goes over scriptures related to worse pandemics coming (associated with the ride of the fourth horseman of the Apocalypse–Revelation 6:7-8), and the fact that the Bible teaches to “eat what is good” (Isaiah 55:2).

A written article, with references, of related interest is also available titled “Joe Biden: life may not return to normal this year due to COVID mutations; Paul Roberts: The Covid Pandemic Is The Result of Public Health Authorities Blocking Effective Treatment” URL: https://www.cogwriter.com/news/prophecy/joe-biden-life-may-not-return-to-normal-this-year-due-to-covid-mutations-paul-roberts-the-covid-pandemic-is-the-result-of-public-health-authorities-blocking-effective-treatment/

Here is a link to the censored video: COVID-19: Eat what is good!

Now, related to food, we put out the following video:

Related to Christian health, we put out the following video:

Ingesting poisons, which are basically what pesticides are, does not support optimal health.

Try to avoid them and consider alternatives to school lunches if you can.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Christian Health Matters Should Christians be concerned about their health? Does the Bible give any food and health guidelines? Here are links to two related sermons: Let’s Talk About Food, Evil is Affecting the Food Supply, and Let’s Talk About Health.
GMOs and Bible Prophecy What are GMOs? Since they were not in the food supply until 1994, how could they possibly relate to Bible prophecy? Do GMOs put the USA and others at risk? Here are some related videos: GMO Risks and the Bible and GMOs, Lab meat, Hydrogenation: Safe or Dangerous?
Chimeras: Has Science Crossed the Line? What are chimeras?  Has science crossed the line? Does the Bible give any clues? A video of related interest is Half human, half pig: What’s the difference?  and Human-Monkey Embryos and Death.
Obesity, processed foods, health risks, and the Bible Does the Bible warn about the consequences of being obese? Is overeating dangerous? Is gluttony condemned? What diseases are associated with eating too much refined foods? A related video would be Eating Right, Eating Too Much, and Prophecy.
Should Christians Exercise? What does the Bible teach? What are some of the benefits and risks of exercise? Here is a link to a related video: The Plain Truth About Exercise.
Ten Simple Rules that Lead to Health Herbert Armstrong gives his opinions on this.
The New Testament Church, History, and Unclean Meats Are foods considered to have been unclean in the Old Testament considered to be food in the New Testament? This article discusses this from the perspective of the New Testament. It also has a list of clean and unclean animals. It also answers the question, is pork healthy or is pork dangerous? There is also a sermon-length video on this: Christians and Unclean Meats; a short video is also available: Did Jesus declare all animal flesh food?
The Bible, Christians, and the Environment How should Christians view the environment? Does the Bible give any clues? What are some of the effects of air, water, and land pollution? Is environmental pollution a factor in autism and death? Do pollutants seem to double the autism risk? What will Jesus do? Here is a link to a related sermon: Christians and the Environment (there is also a YouTube video available titled Air Pollution, Autism, and Prophecy, one titled Will Pollution lead to the End?, and one called COP 27 and Solving Climate Change).

People Fasting in New Zealand

COGwriter

From sunset October 11th through sunset October 12th, it is the Day of Atonement in 2024. We have online sermons in English and Spanish.

The Day of Atonement is one of God’s feasts and is considered to be a time for fasting, on which no food or drink are to be consumed:

1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts. (Leviticus 23:1-2; NKJV throughout unless otherwise specified)

26 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 27 “Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. 28 And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God. 29 For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people. 30 And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. 31 You shall do no manner of work; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 32 It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath.” (Leviticus 23:26-32).

7 ‘On the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall afflict your souls; you shall not do any work. 8 You shall present a burnt offering to the Lord as a sweet aroma: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year. Be sure they are without blemish. 9 Their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the one ram, 10 and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs; 11 also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, besides the sin offering for atonement, the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings. (Numbers 29:7-11)

Evening to evening means from sunset to sunset.

Fasting is historically how the phrase “afflict your souls,”Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance word 6031, has been interpreted by the Jewish and Church of God communities–unless one is somehow ill, and thus is already afflicted.

The Hebrew words kaphar (Strong’s #3722) and kopher (Strong’s #3724), from which the word translated as “Atonement” Kipuriym (Strong’s #3725 is kippur) in Leviticus 23:27 comes from, literally means “to cover or cover over” (and Strong’s #3722 is used in passages such as Numbers 29:5 to refer to the atonement sacrifice. The New Testament discusses the idea of covering over sins through Jesus sacrifice. Notice what the Apostles Paul and Peter were inspired to write:

5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, 6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: 7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.” (Romans 4:5-8)

21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:

22 “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; 23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness — by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (1 Peter 2:21-25)

This is something Christians need to realize, and the Day of Atonement (as well as Passover) serves as an annual reminder.

Christians kept the Day of Atonement after the New Testament was written.

A Muslim document, dated from the period of the fifth-tenth century, states that Jesus and His disciples kept the fast on the same days as the Jews. It indicates that Judeo-Christians were still keeping the Day of Atonement while the Greco-Romans came up with a 50 day Lenten-like fasting period that Jesus did not keep (Tomson P. Lambers-Petry L. The Image of the Judaeo-Christians in Ancient Jewish and Christian Literature, Volume 158 of Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament. Mohr Siebeck , 2003, pp. 70-72; Stern SM. Quotations from Apocryphal Gospels in ‘Abd Al-Jabbar. Journal of Theological Studies, NS. Volume XVIII, (1) April 1967: 34-57).

Reports from other historians support this view (cf. Pines S. The Jewish Christians of the Early Centuries of Christianity according to a New Source. Proceedings of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Volume II, No.13; 1966. Jerusalem, pp. 32-34).

This is further substantiated in a Jewish account (reported in the Talmud) which has been related by a Catholic scholar. Priest Bellarmino Bagatti stated that it is recorded that an early second century Christian named Jacob (100-120 AD) held a discssion with a Jewish scholar about the Day of Atonement. In it, the Christian Jacob explained how it was a reminder which helped show “Christ head of the angels” and that we are to be “blameless” in our “conduct” (Bagatti, Bellarmino. Translated by Eugene Hoade. The Church from the Circumcision. Nihil obstat: Marcus Adinolfi. Imprimi potest: Herminius Roncari. Imprimatur: +Albertus Gori, die 26 Junii 1970. Franciscan Printing Press, Jerusalem, p.97).

And of course, when God has an angel bind Satan (Revelation 20:1) this will be another related fulfillment for the Day of Atonement and it does help show that Christ is the head of the angels (and that Satan is not).

Furthermore, it is known that in the first and second century, Polycarp of Smyrna kept both the Spring Holy Days and the Fall Holy Days. Polycarp also knew that Satan was behind sin:

“For whosoever does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, is antichrist”(1 John 4:3), and whosoever does not confess the testimony of the cross, is of the devil; and whosoever perverts the oracles of the Lord to his own lusts, and says that there is neither a resurrection nor a judgment, he is the first-born of Satan. Wherefore, forsaking the vanity of many, and their false doctrines, let us return to the word which has been handed down to us from the beginning (Polycarp’s Letter to the Philippians, Chapter VII. Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 1 as edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson; American Edition, 1885; Reprint Hendrickson Publishers, 1999, pp. 33-36).

In the early third century, Origen of Alexandria taught that:

A DAY of atonement is necessary for all who have sinned, and for this reason among the festivals of the Law, which contains visions of heavenly mysteries, one certain festival is held which called a day of atonement.” (Origen. Gary Wayne Barkley editor. Homilies on Leviticus, 1-16. Homily 9 (1), p. 176),

But he discouraged keeping that day by fasting (Ibid, Homily 10 (3-5), p. 205-207). This indicates that there were others who were fasting then and that Origen disapproved.

It is reported that early Christians kept the Day of Atonement in Antioch the same time the Jews observed Yom Kippur in the third and fourth century (Ben Ezra DS. The Impact of Yom Kippur on Early Christianity: The Day of Atonement from Second Temple Judaism to the Fifth Century. Mohr Siebeck, 2003, pp. 2, 261, 277)

Canons 37 & 38 of the Council of Laodicea of the fourth century prohibited the observation of the unleavened bread and other festivals of the Jews and there was a similar condemnation in Canon 69/70 of the Syrian Apostolic Canons near this time which also prohibited in Jewish fasts (Seaver JE. Persecution of the Jews in the Roman Empire (300-438), Issue 30 of University of Kansas publications: Humanistic studies. University of Kansas Publications, 1952. Original from the University of Virginia, Digitized Apr 29, 2009, pp. 34-35; also at http://vlib.iue.it/carrie/texts/carrie_books/seaver/text.html).

Notice a translated quote from the falsely named Syriac ‘Apostolic Canons’:

If any bishop, presbyter, or deacon, or any one of the list of clergy, keeps fast or festival with the Jews, or receives from them any of the gifts of their feasts, as unleavened bread, any such things, let him be deposed. If he be a layman, let him be excommunicated. (The Apostolic Canons, Canon 70. Translated by Henry Percival. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 14. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1900.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3820.htm>.)

Hence this practice of Christians keeping the Holy Days also must have been going on then in Asia Minor and elsewhere or there would not have been such condemnation–other scholars share that opinion (Seaver, p. 34; Bagatti B, Priest. The Church from the Circumcision, pp. 87-88).

Furthermore the keeping of these days was condemned by John Chrysostom near the end of the fourth century, thus confirming that professors of Christ were keeping the biblical holy days. John Chrysostom specifically condemned observing the Day of the Fast that the Jews also kept (see Did Early Christians Observe the Fall Holy Days?):

The festivals of the pitiful and miserable Jews are soon to march upon us one after the other and in quick succession: the feast of Trumpets, the feast of Tabernacles, the fasts. There are many in our ranks who say they think as we do. Yet some of these are going to watch the festivals and others will join the Jews in keeping their feasts and observing their fasts.

This condemnation, though, is specific proof that some who professed Christ still observed the Day of Atonement into the fourth century.

Additionally, comments by Jerome and Epiphanius near that time concerning the Nazarene Christians would also seem to support that those who kept the Holy Days, such as Atonement, were located in several areas at that time (see Nazarene Christianity: Were the Original Christians Nazarenes?).

In the 21st century, we in the Continuing Church of God continue to observe the Holy Day.

We are pleased to announce this Day of Atonement offertory from its ContinuingCOG channel:

Graves of Hezbollah members in Lebanon
(http://www.farsnews.com/photo/13950709000746/%da%af%d9%84%d8%b2%d8%a7%d8%b1-%d8%b4%d9%87%d8%af%d8%a7%db%8c-%d8%ad%d8%b2%d8%a8%e2%80%8c%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%84%d9%87-%d8%af%d8%b1-%d8%a8%db%8c%d8%b1%d9%88%d8%aa)

COGwriter

Israel and Hezbollah keep fighting. NBC reported the following:

October 10, 2024

• The Israeli military continued dismantling Hezbollah leadership, killing two military commanders in airstrikes. Strikes also hit Syria this morning, as Israel expands its campaign across the Middle East.
• Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said its response to Iran’s missile attack would be “lethal, precise and, above all, surprising” after President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
• The U.N. force in Lebanon accused Israel of repeatedly hitting its positions and injuring two peacekeepers in the country’s south. More than 2,000 people have been killed and more than 1.2 million displaced in Lebanon. …

The Israeli military said Thursday that nearly 40 rockets were launched from Lebanon towards Israel. The Israeli Defense Forces said that some of the rockets were intercepted, while others fell in the area.

The IDF said it continued targeting Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, with a number of close-quarters encounters and aerial strikes occurring in the past the day. The Israeli military said it struck more than 110 targets in Lebanon. …

Iran’s Foreign Minister says his country’s diplomatic channels with the U.S. remain open through other countries, according to Al Jazeera.

Abbas Araghchi also told Al Jazeera that Iran is prepared for an Israeli response to the missile attack that Tehran launched last week. “We will assess how the attack unfolds, and based on that, we will carefully determine the nature of our response.” …

The Israeli military launched aerial strikes on western Syria early Thursday, the Syrian defense ministry said. The ministry added that the strikes hit a military site in Hama and a car assembly plant in Hassia.

Syrian state television also reported that the strikes hit vehicles loaded with medical and relief supplies and ignited a large fire in the area. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/live-blog/israel-killed-hezbollah-commanders-lebanon-gaza-iran-syria-netanyahu-rcna174798

Israel365News reported the following:

IDF just destroyed the fake Lebanese Dome of the Rock

October 10, 2024

The IDF announced on Tuesday that it took operational control of a Hezbollah combat compound in Maroun El Ras, in southern Lebanon, a site noted for its “Iranian Gardens” containing a replica of the gold Dome of the Rock. Used as a Hezbollah outpost, the compound contained significant amounts of weapons. When the IDF moved on, the pseudo-Dome of the Rock, used as a mosque, was no longer standing. …

Hezbollah terrorists had used the site as living quarters.

Inside the building, IDF forces uncovered a staging area and a significant stockpile of weapons, including guns, anti-tank missiles, camouflage nets, and military vests. Additional launchers were hidden in the kitchen. … tweets show side-by-side photos showing the Dome of the Rock replica before and after its destruction.

ارتش اسرائیل امروز وارد بوستان ایران شد!
“حدیقة إیران” سال 1386 با هزینه بودجه دولتی ایران در روستای مارون الارس ساخته شد و سال های متوالی با امکانات تفریحی توسعه یافت.
در این پارک علائمی نظیر مجسمه قاسم سلیمانی، تندیس خامنه ای، ماکت مسجد الاقصی وجود داشت که توسط IDF تخریب شد pic.twitter.com/yONWziaUuE

— سرباز میهن (@IRANIANguardian) October 8, 2024

It should be remembered that the current war began with the Palestinian Hamas invasion of southern Israel, which they named ‘Al Aqsa Flood.” Many IDF soldiers reported seeing images of the Dome of the Rock prominently displayed in many homes in Gaza.

While Al Aqsa is the focus of Islamist violence against Israel, they universally misidentify it as the golden dome, which is referred to in  Arabic as Qubbat aṣ-Ṣaḵra. Located at the Temple Mount’s center on the Jewish Temples’ Holy of Holies site, it is not a mosque but a shrine that Islamic law forbids facing while praying. https://israel365news.com/396963/idf-just-destroyed-the-fake-lebanese-dome-of-the-rock/

The destruction of the Lebanese ‘Dome of the Rock’ may further infuriate many Muslims.

Why so?

Notice something that Israel365 News reported earlier this year:

Hamas Spokesman: Oct 7 attack launched to stop the red heifers

January 17, 2024

The Hamas spokesman gave a rare speech on the 100 day anniversary of the war against Israel. In his speech, he cited the arrival of the red heifers in Israel as one of the motives for the massacre of Jews on October 7.

Abu Obeida, the military spokesman for the Izz ad-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Hamas terrorist organization, made a televised appearance on the 100th day of the Israeli war on Gaza.  …

The Palestine Chronicle translated his speech. In the third paragraph, Abu Obeidah listed the motives for the Hamas attack on Israel:

“We look back 100 days to remember the educated, the complicit, and the incapacitated among the world powers governed by the law of the jungle, reminding them of an aggression that reached its peak against our path (Al-Quds) and Al-Aqsa, with the start of its actual temporal and spatial division, and the ‘bringing of red cows’ as an application of a detestable religious myth designed for aggression against the feelings of an entire nation in the heart of its Arab identity, and the path of its prophet (the Night Journey) and Ascension to heaven.”

In his speech, he referred to the October 7 attack as “ the Al Aqsa flood”.  …

Arab-language media covered Abu Abeidah’s speech extensively, focusing on the red heifer while noting that five red female calves were brought to Israel in September 2022. After the announcement of the arrival of the cows, Hamas reacted almost immediately, warning that the potential Jewish ritual posed a threat to Al Aqsa.  https://www.israel365news.com/382489/hamas-spokesman-oct-7-attack-launched-to-stop-the-red-heifers/

Yes, many Muslims are concerned about Jewish plans for a red heifer and what is known as the Temple Mount–the place with the Dome of the Rock.

Notice information from the Temple Institute related to its belief that the Dome of the Rock will be removed:

Geo-politically, the Temple Mount has to be cleared of the Dome of the Rock and the mosques which are presently located upon it before the physical rebuilding of the Holy Temple can begin. Many scenarios can be imagined which would accomplish this, the most promising, and not necessarily the most far-fetched, would entail Moslem recognition of the Mount as the intended location for the rebuilt Temple. With the acquiescence of the Moslem world the Moslem structures currently on the Mount would be disassembled and reassembled elsewhere. https://templeinstitute.org/frequently-asked-questions/ accessed 03/17/24

By saying that the area must be cleared of the mosques and the Dome of the Rock that are presently on the area called the Temple Mount, the Temple Institute has taken a position that infuriates Muslims.

That said, let me add that a man at the Temple Institute told me personally that the Jews do NOT need a temple in order to resume regular animal sacrifices. They basically were only awaiting Israeli government approval. Since I spoke with him, the built an altar which they have dedicated for sacrifices, named a high priest, and claim to have red heifer candidates.

Consider that after the first Jerusalem temple was destroyed and left in ruins, the Bible itself specifically shows that sacrifices were made in the time of Ezra BEFORE the second temple was ready:

6 From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not yet laid. (Ezra 3:6)

One may argue that since it takes the participation of Jewish religious leaders in order for Jewish animal sacrifices to be resumed in the 21st century, that the above scripture is a moot point.

And it might be if there were no Jewish religious leaders that thought that they could not sacrifice without a temple. But not only is the Temple Institute supportive of that, so is the Re-constituted Sanhedrin who also confirmed this with me personally.

That said, although the Jews do not have to clear the Temple Mount of the Dome of the Rock for animal sacrifices, the fact that the Temple Institute website pushes that clearing does not set well with the Muslims.

While the Lebanese ‘Dome of the Rock’ was basically a replica, its destruction may further motivate Iran, Syria, and others to take strong action against Israel.

What we know for sure is that the objectives of the Temple Institute and many Muslims are in serious conflict–and that with Israeli military actions, Iran and others do plan to take steps (cf. Isaiah 22:6-9).

Update 10/13/24: We just uploaded the following related video:

14:42

Israel destroys ‘Dome of the Rock’ of Lebanon

Israel has been bombing parts of Lebanon and Syria, while considering an attack against Iran. In Lebanon, Israel destroyed a replica of the Dome of the Rock which is associated with the “Iranian Gardens” in Lebanon. Why might this further infuriate the Muslims? Has Hamas claimed that one of the reason it launched its October 7, 2023 attack against Israel was because it was concerned that after the arrival of five red heifers, that the Jews hoped to clear the Temple Mount of the Dome of the Rock? Does the Jewish Temple Institute really want to clear the Temple Mount region of all mosques and the Dome of the Rock in order to build a third temple in Jerusalem? Have representatives of the Sanhedrin and Temple Institute told Dr. Thiel that regular animal sacrifices can begin without a third temple consistent with what is recorded in Ezra 3:6? Does the Bible, in the 22nd chapter of Isaiah prophesy that the nation of Israel and the ‘City of David’ will face damage from what looks to be an Iranian-Syrian-Lebanese confederation? Will Israel’s famed ‘Iron-Dome’ prevent great damage from coming? Is the Middle East an area to “Watch” like Jesus said in Mark 13:37? Dr. Thiel and Steve Dupuie discuss these matters.

Here is a link to our video: Israel destroys ‘Dome of the Rock’ of Lebanon.

The Middle East remains something to “Watch” as Jesus indicated in Mark 13:37.

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 are also two related videos: Iran In Prophecy and Iran and Israel Conflict.
Why is a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem Not Required? Although people like Timothy LaHaye teach a third Jewish temple is required, who is ‘the temple of God” in the New Testament? Does the Bible require a rebuilt Jewish Temple? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Por qué no se requiere un templo judío en Jerusalén? Here is a link to two sermons The Temple, Prophecy, and the Work and God’s Temple in Prophecy. And here is a version of the latter one in the Spanish: El templo de Dios en profecía.
Nascent Sanhedrin and Prophecy The reconstituted Sanhedrin wants the reimplementation of animal sacrifices. A related video is titled Sanhedrin pushing animal sacrifices. And a newer one is: Sanhedrin makes burnt offering to dedicate altar!
The Red Heifer, Jewish Beliefs, and the End of the World The Temple Institute is watching a ‘red heifer.’ Why might this be important in the sequence of end time events? Here is a related link in the Spanish language Novilla roja descubierta en EE.UU. e Instituto del Templo está interesado en ella. Here are links to three related videos in English: Red Heifers and the Fate of the World and The Red Heifer and the End of the World and 5 Red Heifers and Year 5783?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2024, 2025, or 2026? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede la Gran Tribulación comenzar en el 2020 o 2021? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? A related video is: Great Tribulation: 2026 or 2027? A shorter video is: Tribulation in 2024? Here is a video in the Spanish language: Es El 2021 el año  de La Gran Tribulación o el Grande Reseteo Financiero.
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. A short video is also available titled Trump’s Deal of the Century and Daniel 9 27? Here is a link to something related in the Spanish language: Estados Árabes emiratos unidos y el tratado de paz en el medio este.
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 Eyes, Imam Mahdi, women, and prophecy, and Terrorism, Iran, and Fatima, Dajjal, 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
Seeing Christianity Through Islamic Eyes This article has information from the book, Islamic and Biblical Prophecies for the 21st Century, as well as from the old WCG and other sources. Here is a link to a related sermon: Seeing Christianity Through Islamic Eyes. Here is a related sermon in the Spanish language: El cristianismo visto a través de los ojos islámicos.

Hurricane Milton (NOAA)

COGwriter

Hurricane Milton came with tornadoes and caused damage as well as some deaths:

October 10, 2024

St. Lucie County officials confirmed to WPBF 25 News that four people died following tornadoes in the area. …

Officials told us that multiple tornadoes touched down in the Spanish Lakes community, and that search and rescue crews are on their way. Deputies and firefighters are going through the rubble in the community.

Before Hurricane Milton made landfall, more than 160 tornado warnings were issued for south Florida on Wednesday, and more than a dozen tornadoes touched down throughout the day. https://www.wpbf.com/article/officials-multiple-fatalities-in-st-lucie-county-from-tornadoes/62561027

October 10, 2024

Hurricane Milton moved off Florida’s east coast early this AM, downgraded to a Cat. 1 storm. Milton made landfall around 2030 ET on Wednseday near Siesta Key, Florida, a barrier island next to Sarasota. The storm’s destructive winds and torrential rains sparked widespread power outages to over 3 million customers in the state.  …

“We have an unprecedented number of our customers who are without power,” Tampa Electric President and CEO Archie Collins told CNN’s Kasie Hunt earlier this AM. https://www.zerohedge.com/weather/hurricane-milton-swamps-florida-leaves-3-million-without-power

While this is ‘hurricane season,’ the one-two punch of Helene and then Milton has been difficult for many in the eastern US.

As regular readers of this Church of God news page are aware, hurricanes are consistent with the following scriptures about rain and wind:

26 “Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him; Nor can the number of His years be discovered. 27 For He draws up drops of water, Which distill as rain from the mist, 28 Which the clouds drop down And pour abundantly on man. 29 Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds, The thunder from His canopy? 30 Look, He scatters His light upon it, And covers the depths of the sea. 31 For by these He judges the peoples; He gives food in abundance. 32 He covers His hands with lightning, And commands it to strike. 33 His thunder declares it, The cattle also, concerning the rising storm. (Job 36:26-33)

25 For He commands and raises the stormy wind, Which lifts up the waves of the sea. 26 They mount up to the heavens, They go down again to the depths; Their soul melts because of trouble. 27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits’ end. 28 Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses. 29 He calms the storm, So that its waves are still. 30 Then they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven. 31 Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! 32 Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people, And praise Him in the company of the elders. 33 He turns rivers into a wilderness, And the watersprings into dry ground; 34 A fruitful land into barrenness, For the wickedness of those who dwell in it. 35 He turns a wilderness into pools of water, And dry land into watersprings. 36 There He makes the hungry dwell, That they may establish a city for a dwelling place, 37 And sow fields and plant vineyards, That they may yield a fruitful harvest. 38 He also blesses them, and they multiply greatly; And He does not let their cattle decrease. (Psalms 107:25-38)

17 He casts out His hail like morsels;
Who can stand before His cold?
18 He sends out His word and melts them;
He causes His wind to blow, and the waters flow. (Psalms 147:17-18)

3 He sends it forth under the whole heaven, His lightning to the ends of the earth. 4 After it a voice roars; He thunders with His majestic voice, And He does not restrain them when His voice is heard. 5 God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend. 6 For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’; Likewise to the gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength. 7 He seals the hand of every man, That all men may know His work. 8 The beasts go into dens, And remain in their lairs. 9 From the chamber of the south comes the whirlwind, And cold from the scattering winds of the north. 10 By the breath of God ice is given, And the broad waters are frozen. 11 Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds; He scatters His bright clouds. 12 And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance, That they may do whatever He commands them On the face of the whole earth. 13 He causes it to come, Whether for correction, Or for His land, Or for mercy. (Job 37:3-13)

God controls the weather. Jesus’ disciples got to see this first hand:

23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. 25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” (Matthew 8:23-27)

Presumably, the disciples learned something from that experience.

Wet weather is sometimes used by God for judgment and correction. Hurricanes are consistent with prophecy.

Some may wish to watch our video related to hurricanes and Bible prophecy:

Hurricanes and Prophecy Hurricane Harvey dropped the greatest amount of rainfall in any USA storm. Hurricane Irma was the strongest hurricane ever in the Atlantic. Hurricane Irma wiped out most of the island of Barbuda, caused a million to lose power in Puerto Rico, devastated St. Martin’s, hit Cuba, and hit Florida. A news headline stated ” ‘Nature’s gone crazy’: Winds, fire, floods and quakes plague North America.” Is there any tie to prophecy? Are heavy winds and rains discussed in the Bible? Any ties to homosexuality and other forms of immorality? What about Donald Trump and Jennifer Lawrence? Does God control the weather? What does God want people to do? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more. This is a video.

Solar storms can disrupt power, and a large enough one can be devastating that way.

As longtime readers of this page are aware, I have repeatedly warned of weather problems, including solar storms, coming. Back in 2009, in my book, 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect, I warned about something that would soon happen:

Odd weather patterns result in … natural disasters. Matthew 24:7 …

The world is actually in a berserk transition … It is the beginning of sorrows. Matthew 24:8 (Thiel B. 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect. Nazarene Books, 2009, p. 240)

Since that was published, we have had record smashing heat, stronger hurricanes, and odd weather problems. These weather issues should serve as a wake-up call.

A reader sent me a link to the following:

Coincidence or Not, the Storms Mark the Beginning of the Most Impactful Days for America

October 9, 2024

Throughout our relatively short history as a nation, events have marked turning points that not only impact Americans but the world as a whole. The signing of the Declaration of Independence, Civil War, Pearl Harbor, 9/11, and Covid are five of the world-changing events that mark our history.

We’re in the middle of another one.

The world will change on (or around) Election Day, 2024. It is on this day that it will be declared whether the United States will continue to exist as an exceptional nation or if our time as the world’s beacon of hope has come to an end.

That is not hyperbole. …

That’s why the timing of TWO “storms of the century” is conspicuous. I’m willing to accept a small percentage chance that it’s just a coincidence. …

Probably coincidence.

The other theory is the one that should both thrill and terrify us the most. What if God is sending these massive storms to punch us in the nose ahead of our demise? I’d love to hope they’re a pair of warning shots and that brighter days are ahead, but considering how much we deserve judgment, I wouldn’t bet on it.

Solar activity that some theorize can amplify storms has been in play since right around the storms started, particularly Milton. It’s not a theory you’ll hear much about on either corporate media or alternative media because it denies the man-made narrative from both sides. Conspiracy theorists want to blame DARPA. Leftists want to blame climate change. Neither side wants to attribute any of this to the Sun, especially as a method through which God could be acting against America.

As usual, the cause doesn’t change our own actions very much. Regardless of what’s causing the storms, we need to do what we can to help those who are impacted. We must also be mindful of attempts to use the chaos from the storms to steal the 2024 election, advance the climate change agenda, or both. https://jdrucker.substack.com/p/coincidence-or-not-the-storms-mark

While many in the media believe that climate change is the cause, and to a degree it is, they fail to understand that behaviors that many in the West are promoting are factors.

God uses weather for various reasons, including to show people that this world will change.

Also to remind people that they need to change.

The recent storms are consistent with the following that Jesus foretold:

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)

Major hurricanes are troubling. We are in the beginning of sorrows.

Here is something from 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?:

The Bible warns that God will “hurl disasters” against some descended from Israel (Deuteronomy 32:23, NJB) who “provoke” God (Deuteronomy 32:21-22, NKJV). Disasters, especially if there is an ElectroMagnetic Pulse (EMP) attack, a severe solar flare storm, devastating hurricane (s) something like a massive volcanic eruption and/or massive earthquake could be part of a so-called “perfect storm” of events that could set up the U.S.A. for destruction.

Consider the devastation of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. Multiply that by other disasters. The U.S.A. is at risk. Notice, also, the following related to Dr. Michio Kaku’s assessment of Yellowstone:

Scientists assure us that one day the absolutely massive Yellowstone supervolcano will once again experience a Category 8 eruption, and if it happened today it would “literally tear the guts out of the United States of America” … “Instead of having 50 states of the Union, we would have 30 states of the Union.”[Snyder M. As Yellowstone Awakens, Dr. Michio Kaku Warns That It Could “Literally Tear The Guts Out Of The United States Of America”. Economic Collapse Blog, February 2019]

Even something lessor than that at Yellowstone or the Cascades or elsewhere could have devastating consequences. A ‘perfect storm’ of disasters, internal strife, and misplaced confidences will help make the U.S.A. a nation that can be defeated. Without the U.S.A., its British-descended allies simply do not have the military ability to hold off major military powers.

Many sorrows that the U.S.A. and its British-descended allies will face, like severe weather problems, diseases and earthquakes, will worsen in the future (Amos 4:7-10; Luke 21:11). The political leadership in those lands looks to hasten the day of destruction.

The end of the Anglo-American dominated world order of the past two or so centuries is coming to an end.

Weather events should serve as a wake-up call to all for repentance.

The Day of Atonement lasts from sunset October 11th until sunset October 12th in 2024. (A version of this article is also available in Spanish: http://www.cdlidd.es/el-macho-cabrio-degollado-representa-a-jesus/).

A unique ceremony related to the Day of Atonement is discussed in the Old Testament:

5 And from the assembly of the sons of Israel he shall take two he goats of the goats for sin, and one ram for a burnt-offering. (Leviticus 16:5, Smith’s Literal Translation; Note that this verse does not state that the goats are both for sin offerings. We see in verse 15 only one of the goat’s is described as “the sin offering.”)

8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for Jehovah, and the other lot for Azazel. 9 And Aaron shall present the goat upon which the lot fell for Jehovah, and offer him for a sin-offering. 10 But the goat, on which the lot fell for Azazel, shall be set alive before Jehovah, to make atonement for him, to send him away for Azazel into the wilderness. (Leviticus 16:8-10, ASV)

8 ‘And Aaron hath given lots over the two goats, one lot for Jehovah, and one lot for a goat of departure; 9 and Aaron hath brought near the goat on which the lot for Jehovah hath gone up, and hath made it a sin-offering. 10 ‘And the goat on which the lot for a goat of departure hath gone up is caused to stand living before Jehovah to make atonement by it, to send it away for a goat of departure into the wilderness. (Leviticus 16:8-10, YLT)

Christians note the parallels between the first of the two goats with Jesus being the sin offering in verse 9 and the second of the two goats tied in with Satan (the Azazel goat).

Now the goat representing Jesus does get killed, but the goat representing Satan does not (which parallels him being placed in the bottomless pit for 1000 years in Revelation 20).

While Jewish authorities and the old Worldwide Church of God published that the Azazel goat of Leviticus 16 had to do with Satan/demons (see The Day of Atonement–Its Christian Significance), CGG: Church of the Great God claims that goat is actually Jesus, not Satan. Several hours ago, CGG sent out the following:

The two goats of the unique Day of Atonement ceremony are first mentioned in Leviticus 16:5, which contains an often-overlooked detail: “And he shall take from the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats as a sin offering, and one ram as a burnt offering” (emphasis ours throughout unless otherwise noted).

The “two kids of the goats” together are a single sin offering .. .A reason the animals had to be of the highest quality is that they were offered to God, who deserves only the best. A second reason is that every sacrificial animal prefigured the Savior, who was entirely without blemish or defect.

In the symbolism of a substitutionary sacrifice, an innocent participant is chosen to bear the sins of the guilty. However, this utterly fails to apply to Satan, for his millennia of sin make it impossible for him to be pictured as unblemished or innocent. (The Berean. Sent: Monday, September 18, 2023 at 08:17:12 AM EDT Subject: Leviticus 16:5 (Daily Verse and Comment)

CGG misunderstands Leviticus 16. Notice the following:

5 And from the assembly of the sons of Israel he shall take two he goats of the goats for sin, and one ram for a burnt-offering. (Leviticus 16:5, Smith’s Literal Translation; Note that it does not state that the goats are both for sin offerings. We see in verse 15 only one of the goat’s is described as “the sin offering.”)

8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for Jehovah, and the other lot for Azazel. 9 And Aaron shall present the goat upon which the lot fell for Jehovah, and offer him for a sin-offering. 10 But the goat, on which the lot fell for Azazel, shall be set alive before Jehovah, to make atonement for him, to send him away for Azazel into the wilderness. (Leviticus 16:8-10, ASV)

8 ‘And Aaron hath given lots over the two goats, one lot for Jehovah, and one lot for a goat of departure; 9 and Aaron hath brought near the goat on which the lot for Jehovah hath gone up, and hath made it a sin-offering. 10 ‘And the goat on which the lot for a goat of departure hath gone up is caused to stand living before Jehovah to make atonement by it, to send it away for a goat of departure into the wilderness. (Leviticus 16:8-10, YLT)

15 “Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, bring its blood inside the veil, do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat. (Leviticus 16:15, NKJV)

Notice that one of the goats is for “Jehovah” and the other for one was for Azazel. Jesus was often the “Yahveh/Jehovah” in the Hebrew scriptures. Note also that the second goat is NOT later called a sin offering–only the goat to be killed was later identified that way–but when initially chosen, it was unclear which goat would be the sin offering before the lots were cast.

Christians note the parallels between the first of the two goats with Jesus being the sin offering in verse 9 and the second of the two goats with Satan (the Azazel goat).

As far as CGG’s point about sacrificial animals go, consider that the goat that was released to the wilderness was not sacrificed, which invalidates the position that all sacrificial animals had to be without physical blemish.

Could Satan or his ministers outwardly appear to be without blemish?

Yes, as the Apostle Paul wrote:

14 … For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. (2 Corinthians 11:14-15)

That is part of why lots were cast to determine the goat for the sin offering and the other for Azazel.

As far as ‘Azazel,’ notice the following:

R. Menachem interprets Azazel of Samael, the angel of death, the devil, the prince that hath power over desolate places: there are several Christian writers of great note, that understand this of the devil as Origen (b), among the ancients; and of the moderns, Cocceius (c), Witsius (d), and Spencer (e), who think that by these two goats is signified the twofold respect of Christ our Mediator; one to God, as a Judge, to whom he made satisfaction by his death; the other to the devil, the enemy with whom he conflicted in life; who, according to prophecy, was to be delivered up to Satan, and have his heel bruised by him; and who was to come, and did come into the wilderness of this world…(Gill, John. Exposition of the Entire Bible. [1746-63])

So, basically a Jewish rabbi (“R.” is an abbreviation for Rabbi) and certain leaders who professed Christ believed that the Azazel goat represented Satan. And that is consistent with the passages in Leviticus 16 and other scriptures.

Notice more about part of an Old Testament ceremony that occurred on the Day of Atonement:

And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place, the tabernacle of meeting, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat. Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man. The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness…And he who released the goat as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp (Leviticus 16:20-22,26).

Notice that the atonement is over after the first goat is sacrificed. The atonement is not part of the symbolism of the second goat. While some Protestant commentators understand this correctly, others either do not know what the Azazel goat represents or think it represents the physical life of Christ. Yet, that latter explanation would not seem to be consistent with the statements in Leviticus 16:26 (bolded above).

Why?

Because notice that it is a fit man that takes the goat into the wilderness and he has to wash himself after he has released the aza’zel goat. If the second goat represented Christ, the fit man would have to wash BEFORE touching the goat (cf. Leviticus 16:4) and not AFTER releasing it. Touching the one representing Satan would make one unclean, not touching the one representing Christ. Washing in Leviticus 15 clearly was shown to be required after touching/being exposed to various things considered to be unclean.

The live goat is taken to an uninhabited land by someone, whereas Jesus ascended into heaven after His resurrection–and heaven is not uninhabited.

Some who claim Jesus was the released goat have pointed to the following statement from John the Baptist to support that view:

29 … Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)

However, Jesus did not take away the sins of the world by leaving, He took away the sins through His sacrifice (cf. Hebrews 10:11-12).

The Bible also teaches:

28 … Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many (Hebrews 9:28)

Not twice as being the second goat–which was the goat representing Azazel.

Notice also:

17 If a person sins, and commits any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the LORD, though he does not know it, yet he is guilty and shall bear his iniquity. (Leviticus 5:17)

15 Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin. (Leviticus 24:15)

Unrepentant sinners are to bear their sins. Satan is unrepentant and has had a part if causing others to sin–Satan will bear his sins, which includes his part in pushing others to sin–not to take the sins of others away, but in order to reap what he has sowed (cf. Galatians 6:7).

Moreover, the following is also applicable to him:

52 … bear your own shame also, because the sins which you committed were more abominable than theirs; (Ezekiel 16:52)

Consider the following related to Satan and his influence:

2 … prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. (Ephesians 2:2-3)

44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. (John 8:44)

The new Testament is clearly assigning blame to Satan–and we also know that God did as well starting with Satan deceiving Eve (Genesis 3:1-14).

The old Worldwide Church of God taught:

The English word scapegoat is not a correct translation of the Hebrew word God inspired. Most Bibles with marginal renderings show that the original word was azazel. Azazel refers to none other than Satan the devil!

The modern word scapegoat carries an entirely wrong connotation. Originally it was escape goat — the goat allowed to escape in the wilderness — that the translators took to be the meaning of azazel. But today the English word scapegoat signifies “one who bears blame or guilt for others.” As we shall see, azazel — Satan — will bear his own guilt! (MINISTUDY: The Day of Atonement in God’s Great Master Plan. Good News, August 1983)

What happened to the live goat in Leviticus 16 is symbolic of Satan for three basic reasons:

1. The term scapegoat is an inappropriate translation into English, as it implies that blame is being placed where blame is not due. The Hebrew term is actually aza’zel. This is a term that some Jewish people have historically ascribed to a Satanic adversary.
2. Satan will reap what he sows (Galatians 6:7) and yes, does bear blame for sin–including sins of others as he has been involved i influencing from the time of Adam and Eve to present.
3. What happens with the Azazel goat and what happens to Satan is quite similar, if one compares Leviticus 16:20-22,26 to Revelation 20:1-3.

The New Testament Fulfillment of the Binding of Azazel/Satan

Place called ‘Devil’s home’ in New Zealand

The New Testament shows that Satan will be bound for a thousand years to be kept away from humanity during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ:

1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. (Revelation 20:1-3)

Since the above is consistent with the ceremony in the Old Testament about bringing (essentially casting) the Azazel goat into the wilderness, it appears that the binding and casting of Satan into the bottomless pit will occur on the Atonement.

Notice that the Old Testament shows that it is a fit man that places the Azazel goat, which bares blame for sins into the wilderness and in the New Testament it is an angel that places Satan, who brought sin into the world, into the wilderness of the bottomless pit.

Some Roman Catholic leaders, oddly, believe that this already happened physically or spiritually:

Revelation 20:1-3 . . . God has always respected our freedom of choice between covenant fidelity to him and to apostasy. That seems to be the theological point of this thousand-year period that is relatively free from Satanic temptations. (Kurz, W. What Does the Bible Say About the End Times? A Catholic View. Servant Books, Cincinnati. Nihil Obstat: Kistner H., Schehr T.P. Imprimi Potest: Link F., Paul J.M. Imprimatur: Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, July 19, 2004, p. 168, 173-174)

Millenium {sic}: Since the Holy Office decreed (July 21, 1944) that it cannot safely be taught that Christ at His Second Coming will reign visibly with only some of His saints (risen from the dead) for a period of time before the final and universal judgment, a spiritual millennium is seen in Apoc. 20:4-6. St. John gives a spiritual recapitulation of the activity of Satan, and the spiritual reign of the saints with Christ in heaven and in His Church on earth. When Christianity triumphed over the Beast (in its sixth head, the pagan Roman empire) Satan was chained. With the re-appearance of the Beast in the anti-Christian world empire (the seventh head), he will be unchained, and muster all his forces against the Church until the peak of the persecution under Antichrist. Meanwhile, the church enjoyed its milleniun {sic} with Christ enthroned among the nations. (LeFrois, Bernard J. Eschatological Interpretation of the Apocalypse. The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, Vol. XIII, pp. 17-20; Cited in Culleton RG. The Reign of Antichrist, 1951. Reprint TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 1974, p. 9).

Notice that the above suggests that Satan has been gone a thousand years. Does any thinking person believe that Satan was ever bound and away from the earth for 1,000 years after Revelation (which Roman Catholics often refer to as the Apocalypse) was written? This has never happened literally or spiritually–though it will in the millennium (see also
Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism?).

Contrary to the claims of those who do not take this portion of Revelation literally, this 1000 year binding of Satan has certainly not taken place since John was inspired to pen Revelation.

The New Testament shows that the Gentile Gospel writer Luke knew about the Day of Atonement, when he wrote:

9…sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over (Acts 27:9).

The Statement of Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God states this about the Day of Atonement (and more detail is in the article The Day of Atonement–Its Christian Significance):

The Day of Atonement, called “the Fast” in the New Testament (Acts 27:9), helps show our own weaknesses and need to be closer to God (Isaiah 58:5,11). This day shows that Jesus was the atoning sacrifice for our sins now (1 John 4:9-10; cf. Leviticus 16:15-16) and those that will be called in the “age to come” (Matthew 12:32; Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30; cf. Acts 3:21). It also helps picture that Satan has a role in the sins of humankind and that he will be punished by being bound for one-thousand years (Revelation 20:1-3; cf. Leviticus 16:20-26; Isaiah 14:12-16).

While some believe that what the Old Testament pictures is past, the reality is that the Holy Days help show God’s plan of salvation, and in the case of the Day of Atonement, it also shows Satan’s role in sin and his coming binding for 1000 years.

As far as Satan’s ultimate fate goes, notice the following scripture:

14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, (Hebrews 2:14)

Related to Satan’s ultimate fate, the Continuing Church of God put out the following sermon on its ContinuingCOG channel by the late deacon Richard Close:

1:41:10

Destiny of Satan

Is Satan immortal? Does he have eternal life? Or will he perish? Will you believe what the Bible says about this? Richard Close examines many scriptures indicating that Satan’s final fate has been revealed.

Here is a link to the sermon: Destiny of Satan.

Those who have more interest may wish to study the following:

The Day of Atonement–Its Christian Significance The Jews call it Yom Kippur, Christians “The Day of Atonement.” Does it have any relevance for Christians today? Here is a link to a related article in the Spanish language: El Día de Ayuno –Su significado cristiano.
Sermon: The Bible and the Day of Atonement The Jews call it Yom Kippur, Christians “The Day of Atonement.” Does it have any relevance for Christians today? Was it observed in the New Testament? What did some of the ancient Hebrew ceremonies surrounding it mean? Does one goat in Leviticus represent Jesus and the other Satan? How does the New Testament help answer this?
Sermon: Atonement, Fasting, and Jesus What does the Bible teach about the Day of Atonement? What was Jesus’ role? Why fast?
The Atonement Plan How does the Day of Atonement tie into God’s plan of salvation? Two sermons of related interest are available God’s Atonement and Fasting Plan and God’s Atonement Plan.
Atonement Offertory Jesus Was the Atoning Sacrifice Should an offering be taken up on the Day of Atonement? What does the Bible seem to teach about that? Was Jesus a type of atonement offering? If you send an offering, how does that support the work? Dr. Thiel goes over scriptures and facts related to this. Here is a link to the donation page of the Continuing Church of God, which includes the ability to use PayPal: http://www.ccog.org/donations/
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.
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.
Michael’s Feasts and Fasts Quiz 15 questions, amusing wrong answer screens.
Michael’s Day of Atonement Quiz Another free on-line Bible quiz by my son Michael.
Michael’s Feasts and Fasts Quiz 15 questions, amusing wrong answer screens.
Importance of Fasting An old article by Herbert W. Armstrong on this subject. Here is a link to it in Mandarin Chinese 禁食的重要性.
Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible? This paper provides a biblical and historical critique of several articles, including one by the Tkach WCG which states that this should be a local decision. What do the Holy Days mean? Also you can click here for the calendar of Holy Days. (Here is a related link in Spanish/español: Calendario Anual de Adoración –Una crítica basada en la Biblia y en la Historia: ¿Hay un Calendario Anual de Adoración en la Biblia?
Did Early Christians Observe the Fall Holy Days? The ‘Fall’ Holy Days come every year in September and/or October on the Roman calendar. Some call them Jewish holidays, but they were kept by Jesus, the apostles, and their early faithful followers. Should you keep them? What does the Bible teach? What do records of church history teach? What does the Bible teach about the Feasts of Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles, and the Last Great Day? Here is a link to a related sermon: Should Christians keep the Fall Biblical Holy Days?
The Book of Life and the Feast of Trumpets? Are they related? Is so how? If not, where not? What does the Feast of Trumpets, which the Jews call Rosh Hashanah, help teach?
The Feast of Tabernacles: A Time for Christians? Is this pilgrimage holy day still valid? Does it teach anything relevant for today’s Christians? What is the Last Great Day? What do these days teach? A related sermon video is Feast of Tabernacles from Israel.
Should You Keep God’s Holy Days or Demonic Holidays? This is a free pdf booklet explaining what the Bible and history shows about God’s Holy Days and popular holidays. Two related sermons would be Which Spring Days should Christians observe? and Fall Holy Days for Christians.
The Last Great Day: Shemini ‘Azeret What is the ‘eighth day’ of the Feast? What does it help picture? A sermon on this topic is also available: Shemini Azaret: The Last Great Day.
Christians are to Be Strangers and Pilgrims? Should Christians sojourn? What does the Bible and Feast of Tabernacles teach? A related video sermon is titled Christian Pilgrims.
Holy Day Calendar This is a listing of the biblical holy days through 2033, with their Roman calendar dates. They are really hard to observe if you do not know when they occur 🙂 In the Spanish/Español/Castellano language: Calendario de los Días Santos. In Mandarin Chinese: 何日是神的圣日？ 这里是一份神的圣日日历从2013年至2024年。.