Church of God News

COGwriter

Many have acknowledged evil associated with this US presidential cycle:

November 8, 2016

The 2016 U.S. Presidential Election has all but come and gone and the predictable outcome has been limited to a choice between the evil of two lesser candidates … http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/11/08/u-s-election-the-only-choice-isnt-just-between-the-evil-of-two-lessers/

While Trump has little to commend him (and what an understatement that is), Hillary has a 30-year record of corruption and scandal that would have driven almost any other individual from public life.

Count me among the tens of millions of voters thoroughly disgusted that Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are the pathetic, reprehensible presidential candidates spewed out by our primary elections in 2016.

If anyone doubts that ours is a nation in moral, spiritual and political decline, just consider the appallingly egregious nature of the two scoundrels that the voting public has deemed worthy of occupying the highest office in the land. …

Green Party presidential nominee Dr. Jill Stein has told RT that this year’s presidential election is about choosing between two of the most disliked and least-trusted candidates ever …

Whichever of these two disconcertingly dangerous disasters grabs the brass ring Nov. 8, citizens who truly love this country will have little or nothing to celebrate.

God help us. 11/05/16  http://lancasteronline.com/opinion/columnists/making-a-reluctant-choice-between-flawed-candidates/article_87c4025a-a290-11e6-a1da-1faa46857feb.html

“Voters are being intimidated into voting for the candidates that are the most disliked and untrusted in our history of presidential races,” Dr. Stein told RT’s Lindsay France on The FishTank …

Calling the two major parties’ choices for 2016 “a proto-fascist and corruption queen,” Stein vowed to work to disrupt the “very corrupt two-party system” after the election. 11/02/16 https://www.rt.com/usa/365045-jill-stein-elections-candidates/

Notice a secular view related to the 2012 USA presidential election as it has some ideas to ponder related to the 2016 campaign as well:

When confronted with the false dilemma of the democratic political process, many individuals settle for the “less of two evils” as a kind of compromise. But one suspects (or hopes) they do so with a certain degree of moral discomfort. Ask a disciple of the Elephant Party, for example, if he agrees with the murderous drone attacks this moment underway in Pakistan and you will likely offend a delicate delusion of “Democrats for Peace.” Similarly, press any Donkey Party advocate on the issue of economic freedom and watch them squirm under close scrutiny of their own candidate’s position vis-à-vis the IRS, the Federal Reserve, the indigestible, 75,000- page tax code, etc., etc., etc….

Contrary to the popular snipe that “only those who vote have the right to complain,” common sense leads us to quite the opposite conclusion. It is only those who have not aggressed against others who have the right to complain when they are aggressed against. Those who, to invert a phrase, “feed the mouth that bites them,” may stand firmly, but do so on shaky ground.

A vote for either evil is nonetheless a vote for evil. (Daily Reckoning, October 19, 2012)

Followers of the true God are told to:

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the LORD and depart from evil (Proverbs 3:5-7).

Christians are not to endorse evil. Voting for one promoting evil (abortion in the case of three of the top four polling presidential candidates and “country first,” in violation of the first commandment, in the case of the other one) is not a Christian thing to do.

Consider also the following:

2 “The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me,
And His word was on my tongue.
3 The God of Israel said,
The Rock of Israel spoke to me:
‘He who rules over men must be just,
Ruling in the fear of God. (2 Samuel 23:2-3)

19 Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God. 20 And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do. 21 Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. (Exodus 18:19-21)

None of the four leading presidential candidates (Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Gary Johnson, Jill Stein) intend to rule, if elected, in the fear of God. And there should be little doubt that the two leading candidates are covetous.

The apostle Paul wrote that this present world was evil (Galatians 1:4). The Bible warns of the consequences of being part of the world’s systems and its governments and tells us to come out of it and to be separate (Revelation 18:2-5).

What is the solution?

Well, The Kingdom of God is the Solution.

Notice also the following that was written by the late Herbert W. Armstrong in 1980:

NO POLITICAL ELECTIONS IN THE WORLD TOMORROW!

   THIS WAS WRITTEN August 14—last day of the Democratic National Convention. I had to think—after viewing on television both this and the Republican National Convention a month before—HOW DIFFERENT it will be in the World Tomorrow!
All three national networks had their stars and superstar newscasters covering these major conventions.
The convention halls were decorated in bright colors with red, white and blue predominating. The delegates wore loud-colored casual or sports attire, many with outlandish oversized hats. There were horns, sound-making instruments, beside the brass bands. There were whoop-and-holler demonstrations. There were thousands with balloons, like little children at play. There were many large signs and placards.
Each convention was quite a show!
And of course the usual politics were being played secretly in the smoke-filled hotel suites away from the convention halls—the jockeying for selfish advantage, political gain and coveting of power.
I am reminded of the answer given by Franz Josef Strauss, often called “the strong man of Europe.” He had spent the day visiting the Ambassador college campus and was an evening dinner guest in my home.
It was a day or two after Richard M. Nixon had taken the oath of office after his first inauguration, January, 1969.
“What,” asked a guest of Dr. Strauss, “do you think was going on in Mr. Nixon’s mind as he was taking the oath of office?”
“How to be reelected four years from now, of course,” answered Herr Strauss without a second’s hesitation…
   There was one bit of humor on the CBS coverage of the Wednesday night convention show. The dry-speaking Andy Rooney was asked by Walter Cronkite if he had any comment on whether the President should stick with Vice President Walter F. Mondale for reelection. The VP nomination was to come before the convention on Thursday.
Andy Rooney did.
“I think,” he said soberly, “the President should select a vice president with more color. Why not ex-President Ford? He almost made the vice-presidential bid at the Republican convention. A Republican on the ticket as Mr. Carter’s VP would at least add color.”
“Or,” he continued, “if Mr. Carter does not like that suggestion, how about putting brother Billy on the ticket—keep it in the family? That way Billy could make foreign connections officially. Or, I have still another suggestion—since the First Lady, Rosalynn Carter, is the President’s chief confidante anyway, why not a husband-and-wife team? She’s a good campaigner.”
Many millions of dollars … have been spent on political campaigns and these conventions to nominate candidates for the people to vote on. The conventions were big noisy shows. There was laughter, “having a time,” shouting, confusion, anger, jubilation, pathos, emotion and even tears. In all this campaigning to “GET” the office of POWER, one vocal observer said, “Thank God, only ONE candidate can win.”
That is the way GOVERNMENT is carried on in this world.
Six thousand years ago, the former superarchangel Lucifer, having rebelled against the government of God on earth, and now called Satan, was slinking around as a serpent. God had just created the first HUMAN—in God’s own image—with a potential of inheriting the THRONE OF THE EARTH.
From this man, Adam, God made a woman, Eve, to be his wife. Eve was all for a “Women’s Rights Amendment.” She took the lead. The man, created to be the head of the wife, succumbed to her leadership. She led him into Satan’s way. Adam joined her in rebelling against the GOVERNMENT OF GOD—rejecting God as Revealer of basic knowledge and as Giver of eternal LIFE!
When the first man and woman REJECTED GOD and HIS GOVERNMENT, CUT THEMSELVES OFF from God and the gift of His Holy Spirit, God made their decision binding on all their progeny for 6,000 years—until Christ, the “second Adam,” should have come, qualified by overcoming Satan and Satan’s way and actually RESTORE the GOVERNMENT OF GOD. This shall happen now, very shortly. For we are right at the END of that 6,000 years of the DAY OF MAN under SATAN, and the DAY OF THE LORD is almost upon us!
So ALL HUMANITY—except the minutest FEW God has specially called to His service in preparation for that future world government, has been CUT OFF from God and HIS GOVERNMENT. Man has been left to form HIS OWN ideas of how he should be ruled.
Down through history, some peoples have submitted to the tyranny of DICTATORSHIPS and autocratic MONARCHIES. Some have swung to the center and called it democracy. Others to the extreme left, calling it COMMUNISM. Even there it is actually the autocratic dictatorial RULE of a central politburo, in which one man—a Stalin, a Khrushchev or a Brezhnev—dominates as real RULER.
Even in the Democratic national convention, some individual delegates interviewed were fightingly for turning “still farther LEFT.”
But through TV, the public has seen a sample of MAN-made government in our day.
The living Jesus Christ is soon now going to return, as KING of kings, to RULE ALL NATIONS with the GOVERNMENT OF GOD!
There will be no election campaigns. No multimillion dollar fund-raising campaigns—no political conventions. No politics, pulling the wool over the eyes of the people in the struggle for POWER!
No wars. No crime. No more broken families. No hospitals, for people will be divinely healed.
What will be the BIG DIFFERENCE, THEN?
The present world, though the world of humans doesn’t realize it, is actually swayed and RULED by the invisible Satan—the former Lucifer who originally sat on the THRONE of the whole earth.
Backtrack a second, to the original Adam and Eve. In the Garden of Eden were the two symbolic trees—one the “tree of LIFE” symbolizing the Holy Spirit of God and gift of eternal life. The other, the tree of “the knowledge of good and evil” and this knowledge they—for all humanity—took to themselves.
Just one super-significant thing was wrong with that. They did not realize—and mankind does not know today—that man was made with a “human” spirit inside him. This spirit, not present in animals or any other physical life form, imparts the power of intellect to the human brain. But man’s KNOWLEDGE is confined to the physical and material.
Man’s PROBLEMS, troubles, evils, are all SPIRITUAL in nature. Man was made to NEED a SECOND SPIRIT—the HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD. This was freely offered that first Adam. But he rejected it— rejected GOD’S GOVERNMENT and GOD’S revealed spiritual knowledge. All humans have been born with only this one spirit, limiting human knowledge to the physical and material. Man, without the Holy Spirit of God, is NOT MENTALLY COMPLETE—actually “NOT ALL THERE.” Human consciousness is limited to the physical and material, yet all his problems are SPIRITUAL and beyond his comprehension!
NOT ONLY THIS!
Satan the devil is REAL—he exists—he is SUPER POWERFUL—and he is “the PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR” (Ephesians 2:2). He BROADCASTS! He surcharges the air with HIS ATTITUDE of selfishness, vanity, lust for power and greed, envy and jealousy, competition and strife, rebellion against GOD!
It is not only that mankind—our human LEADERS—are only “HALF THERE” mentally—Satan has begun injecting from infancy into every human his SELF-CENTERED ATTITUDE! All we humans grow up saturated with it. It has become HUMAN NATURE!
So it is not only a matter of what ISN’T IN OUR HUMAN MINDS (spiritual comprehension!), it is a matter of WHAT IS IN HUMAN MINDS—what from infancy Satan has been injecting there—the SELF-CENTERED ATTITUDE—that of competition, getting the best of others, “GETTING” instead of “GIVING”—TAKING FROM OTHERS!
This writing was finished on Friday morning after the conclusion of the Democratic National Convention. Senator Kennedy did conciliate just far enough to go to the convention hall platform after President Carter’s acceptance speech. But he was not smiling. He was sullen, plainly resentful. He coldly shook hands with the President—but no lifting of arms together in joyful smiles. I felt sorry for him. He had not gotten all he coveted—like a spoiled baby, who failed to take away a toy from another baby. Just as in all of us, Satan had injected that spirit of animosity in competition. Mr. Kennedy is only human. God’s Spirit of LOVE was not in evidence. Neither is it in evidence in ANY of this world’s leaders.
HOW DIFFERENT in the WORLD TOMORROW.
Satan will be GONE! Jesus CHRIST will be RULING! Ruling with, but under Him, will be truly converted saints then made IMMORTAL—filled with GOD’S Spirit of “LOVE”—immortal GOD BEINGS with no SELF-interest of coveting, but outflowing LOVE for the good, happiness, welfare and eternal salvation of all others!
Jesus taught us to pray, “THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN!”
We’d better be PRAYING!.(Armstrong HW. Plain Truth magazine, October-November 1980)

I, too,  have been urging people to pray about this election:

14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

We also are to pray:

14 The will of the Lord be done (Acts 21:14).

Similarly,  Jesus taught:

7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:7-10).

And that, I believe, should be the type of prayer that Christians have about elections.

Christians also are to pray for their physical leaders:

1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior (1 Timothy 2:1-3).

Notice that we are to pray for worldly leaders and those that have authority over us so that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life. Nothing like this is said for voting that many falsely claim is their “Christian” duty–prayer for leaders is.

Praying, not voting, is the morally good choice for Christians.

As far as Donald Trump goes, check out the article Donald Trump in Prophecy.

As far as Hillary Clinton goes, check out the article Hillary Clinton in Prophecy.

All four of the leading US presidential candidates support significant aspects of the LGBT agenda which is evil and will end in death (Romans 1:18-32).

They also have other issues.

Voting for any of them is not the ‘morally good choice.’

Pray (1 Timothy 2:1-3). Some might also wish to fast (cf. Isaiah 58:6).

Herbert W. Armstrong mentioned the first 6000 years of God’s plan for human beings to see how most will live apart from the true God is almost over (see also Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End?).

We are decades closer to the end of that 6,000 years than when he wrote about it and voting in 1980.

In the Kingdom of God, there will not be voting like there is in the USA and many other places.

COGwriter

Retired teacher Bert Otten, who was once part of the old WCG (he now considers himself Messianic, and not part of the Church of God), sent me a paper with his reasons why he feels that many in Switzerland are the descendants of the biblical tribe of Gad. He told me that I could edit and/or use what he sent in any way.

Here is some of his article, along with parts of his ten clues, with portions of the explanations edited out, mainly for space and relevancy considerations:

Looking at ‘prophetic clues’, one has to conclude, that a core of the tribe of Gad once found its way to Celtic Switzerland. This core passed on its characteristics and genes to the influx of others.

The Celtic tribe of the Helvetii established themselves on the Swiss plateau between the Jura and the Alps. About 80% of all Swiss live on this plateau. In the east the Germanic Alemanni mixed with the Helvetii and in the west the Helvetii were dominated by the Germanic Burgundians. In the east the Germanic tongue dominated and in the west the Burgundi adopted the language of the romanized Helvetic Celts, which would evolve into French. As Switzerland was part of the Roman Empire, the Helvetii had lost their Celtic tongue. I believe the German and French speaking Swiss are from the tribe of Gad. There are many ‘prophetic clues’ between Gad and the Swiss. The more fulfilled prophetic clues we find, the stronger our case. What follows is not historic proof, but proof by revelation.

1^st Clue: Gad: fortune/happiness

When Leah saw that she had left off bearing, she took Zilpah her handmaid, and gave her to Jacob to wife. And Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid, bare Jacob a son. And Leah said, FORTUNATE! [ בָּא גָד ], and she called his name GAD [ גָּד ]  (Gen 30:9-11, ASV, American Standard Version; KJV throughout, unless mentioned otherwise).

And Leah said, It HAS GONE WELL for me: and she gave him the name Gad (Gen 30:11, BBE, Bible in Basic English).

Léa dit : Quel BONHEUR [HAPPINESS] ! Et elle l’appela du nom de Gad (Gen 30:11, LSG, Louis Segond).

There are two etymologies for the name Gad. In the first place it means fortune or happiness. There was a god of good fortune, whose name was Gad (Isa 65:11, Fortune in ASV; Gad in NKJV & Hebrew).

Leah said: Fortune (or Happiness) has come, and she named him Fortune (or Happiness) (Gad). Happiness or Fortune is of course more applicable to Switzerland than to any other country in the world. Whether it is because of cattle, cheese, clocks, watches, mercenaries, banks, international organisations, tourism or other things, the fact remains that Switzerland has been in the top ten of the most affluent countries over the past two centuries.

The ‘Swiss bank secrecy’ led to an all time record of amassed fortune in this country, Wikipedia: Currently an estimated ONE-THIRD of all worldwide funds held outside their country of origin (sometimes called “offshore” funds) are kept in Switzerland. In 2001, Swiss banks managed US$2.6 trillion … By 2007 this figure has risen to roughly US$2.7 trillion, a record. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banking_in_Switzerland

The Swiss Franc is the only modern currency covered for more than 100% of its value. One in every 25 Swiss says he’s a millionair (according to the Swiss magazine Cash, 19-11-2004).

Switzerland (with its mountains) has given many people happiness. Many went there because of health problems and Switzerland has been a favourite tourist attraction for the past 150 years.

2^nd Clue: Gad, a troop, a gang, an army

And Leah said, A TROOP cometh: and she called his name Gad (Gen 30:11).

Genesis 49:19  Gad [gad], a TROOP [g’dud] shall OVERCOME [y’gudnu] him: but he shall OVERCOME [yagud] at the last.

גָּד, גְּדוּד יְגוּדֶנּוּ; וְהוּא, יָגֻד עָקֵב

(Genesis 49:19).

Gad, an ARMY will come against him, but he will come down on them in their flight (Gen 49:19, BBE).

And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over ARMED BEFORE the children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them (Josh 4:12).

And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David into the hold to the wilderness MEN OF MIGHT, and MEN OF WAR fit for the battle, that could handle shield and buckler, whose faces were like the faces of LIONS, and were as swift as the roes upon the mountains; Ezer the first, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third … Machbanai the eleventh. These were of the sons of Gad, CAPTAINS of the HOST: one of the least was over an hundred, and the greatest over a thousand. These are they that went over Jordan in the first month, when it had overflown all his banks; and they put to flight all them of the valleys, both toward the east, and toward the west (1Chron 12:8-14).

 The second etymological explanation of Gad is troop, gang or army. This explanation fits Jacob’s blessing better: Gad [gad], a TROOP [g’dud] shall OVERCOME [y’gudnu] him: but he shall OVERCOME [yagud] at the last (Gen 49:19). Four times a conjugation of Gad can be found in this verse: Gad g’dud j’gudnu, vèhu jagud akev.

Gad’s emblem is a tent or a group of tents. The town Machanaim was in the tribal area of Gad. Machanaim means double camp or two camps.

A large people’s army

This military aspect of Gad can be found back among the Swiss. The Swiss maintain an armed neutrality. That is why Switzerland has a large people’s army. One could say: Switzerland does not have an army, Switzerland is an army. Switzerland is one huge army camp. At the age of 20 Swiss men are adult, eligible to vote and go into the army. After a short training, soldiers will be regularly called up. The structure of the Swiss militia system stipulates that the soldiers keep their own personal equipment, including all personally assigned weapons, at home (until 2007 this also included ammunition). Because of this the Swiss army can be mobilised faster than any other army.The Swiss army is large, modern, well trained and well equipped. …

Switzerland has one of the biggest and most expensive armies of Europe. Per capita Switzerland has the biggest army in the world, after the State of Israel.

CH – Confoederatio Helvetica

Gad is a gang, a troop. This can also be found back in the structure of the state. The Swiss cantons (‘states’) grew from a confederacy into a federal state: Confoederatio Helvetica. Until 1848 each canton had its own army. Gad is a gang, a troop, of cantons.

3^rd Clue: Gad, Mercenaries & (Swiss) Guards

And of Gad [Moses] said, “Blessed be he who enlarges Gad! Gad couches LIKE A LION, HE TEARS THE ARM, AND THE CROWN of the head (Deut 33:20, RSV, Revised Standard Version).

And of the GADITES there separated themselves unto David … MEN OF MIGHT, and MEN OF WAR fit for the BATTLE, that could handle SHIELD and BUCKLER, whose faces were like the faces of lions … These were of the sons of Gad, CAPTAINS of the HOST: one of the least was over an hundred, and the greatest over a thousand (IChron 12:8-14).

From Rabbinical literature: Because of his GREAT STRENGTH [Gad] was not presented by Joseph to Pharaoh, lest the latter should appoint him one of his GUARDS (Gen. R. xcv. 4) (Jewish Encyclopedia).

Acharit haYamim

Jacob´s prophecies concerning the tribes are written down in Genesis 49. Verse 1 states that these are for the last days, ´acharit haYamim´, which is normally translated, ´in the latter days´ in the prophets. Personally I consider the last 500 years before the return of Christ as ´the latter days´.

Gad [gad], a troop [g’dud] shall press [y’gudnu] upon him; But he shall press [yagud] upon their heel (Gen 49:19).

The Swiss fought the powerful Habsburgs succesfully like lions: Gad couches like a lion, he tears the arm, and the crown of the head [the Hapsburgs and Burgundians] (Dt 33:20).

Mercenaries – Reisläufen

According to the Jewish Encyclopedia (1906) the tribe of Gad was a militaristic tribe. The name Gad has two etymological meanings: ‘luck, fortune’ and ‘troop’. From 1500 to 1850 many Swis made their fortune by hiring themselves out in gangs or troops to European kings and their wars. In 350 years’ time about 2 million Swiss have served as mercenary.

Wikipedia: Swiss mercenaries

Wikipedia: Swiss mercenaries (Reisläufer) were valued throughout Late Medieval Europe for the power of their determined mass attack in deep columns with the pike and halberd. Hiring them was made even more attractive because entire ready-made Swiss mercenary contingents could be obtained by simply contracting with their local governments, the various Swiss cantons—the cantons had a form of militia system in which the soldiers were bound to serve and were trained and equipped to do so. Some Swiss also hired themselves out individually or in small bands.

… The young men who went off to fight, and sometimes die, in foreign service had several incentives—limited economic options in the still largely rural cantons; adventure; pride in the reputation of the Swiss as soldiers; and finally what military historian Sir Charles Oman describes as a pure love of combat and warfighting in and of itself, forged by two centuries of conflict [with the Hapsburgs].

Papal Guard

Kings and other princes acquired Swiss mercenaries since the late Middle Ages. These men were good soldiers and were loyal to their (paying) master and had no bond with the (often rebellious)  population. A Swiss guard was acquired for the pope and the king of France. The House of Orange in the Netherlands had a Swiss guard too.The Swiss were loyal as long as they were paid. Today there is only one Swiss Guard left, the Papal Guard of Vatican City.

4^th Clue: Gad lived in the mountains of Gilead

So he [Jacob] left in a hurry with all that belonged to him. He crossed the Euphrates River and went toward the MOUNTAINS of Gilead … Laban caught up with him in the MOUNTAINS of Gilead … When Laban finally caught up with Jacob, Jacob had put up his tents in the MOUNTAINS. So Laban and his relatives put up their tents in the MOUNTAINS of Gilead (Gen 31:21-25, GWV).

And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal … (1Sam 13:7).

Gilead [=tribe of Gad here] abode beyond Jordan … (Judg 5:17).

Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the MOUNTAINS … [to the MOUNTAINS of Gilead according to the NIV Study Bible] (Lk 21:21).

Gad lived in Gilead (Gil’ad)

Gad lived in the mountains of Gilead, the mountains of presentday Jordan. Seen from the level of the River Jordan the Gil’ad mountains are 1500m high. The tribe of Gad used to live in the highest part of the Israelite nation. Just like the Swiss live in the highest part of Europe. Switzerland is a landlocked country and so was the tribal area of Gad.

Wikipedia: Gilead (Arabic: جلعاد dǦalʻā ‎‎) is also used to refer to the mountainous land extending north and south of Jabbok.

Flee to the mountains …

In his endtime speech Jesus advised the inhabitants of Jerusalem to flee to the mountains: And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto (Lk 21:20-21).

The mountains intended here, are not the hills of Samaria and Judea, but rather the mountains of Gilead, the tribal area of Gad.

There is an ante-typical fulfilment of that flight to the mountains of Gilead. At the beginning of the Jewish Revolt (66-70) the Messianic Community of Jerusalem fled to Pella (in Gilead), according to the historian Eusebius of Caesarea.

Switzerland – mountainous country

Switzerland is well known for its mountains. The Alps in the south and southeast (highest point, Monte Rosa, 4634m) and the Jura mountains in the west (highest point, Mont Tendre, 1678m).

5^th Clue: Gad: much cattle

Now the children of Reuben and the children of GAD had A VERY GREAT MULTITUDE OF CATTLE: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was A PLACE FOR CATTLE. The children of GAD and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses … saying, Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon, even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is A LAND FOR CATTLE, and thy servants have CATTLE: Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan (Num 32:1-5)

Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and ALL OUR CATTLE, shall be there in the cities of Gilead: But thy servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord saith (Num 32:26-27).

The tribes of Ruben and Gad had much cattle and wanted to stay therefore in mountainous Gilead with its woods and meadows. Gad, Ruben and half of Manasseh ended up on the high plains of Jordan.

Switzerland – cattle

Switzerland is a country of mountains and valleys, and it often is very suited for cattle. After the summer the cattle is taken from the Alp meadows (transhumance). Some facts about Swiss cattle from:

https://en.agriculture.ch/knowledge/animals/ : A variety of productive livestock reside on the farms in Switzerland: cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, horses, donkeys, mules, fallow-deer, chicken, turkey, ducks, geese, rabbits and bees and for a couple of years now, even lamas, ostrich, bison and highland cattle. Swiss agriculture could hardly remain viable without the livestock industry. More than two-thirds of the turnover in agriculture is based on the production of milk, meat, eggs and other animals products.

From the same site Swiss farmers welcome you: Cattle account for almost half of the proceeds of Swiss agriculture. All in all, farmers keep a stock of somewhat less than 1.7 million cattle: dairy cows, heifers, calves, bulls, breeding bulls and oxen. Simmentaler and Brown cows are the most popular breeds in Switzerland. Due to better performance, the number of dairy cows has diminished drastically over the past years. Since the 1970’s, nurse and suckling cows have become more and more common in Switzerland.

Swiss cheese

Swiss cheeses are well-known. There is even a Wikipedia site with a list of Swiss cheeses.

Wikipedia: Switzerland is home to about 450 varieties of cheese. Cow’s milk is used in about 99 percent of the cheeses produced. The remaining share is made up of sheep milk and goat milk.

Cheese fondue

Wikipedia: The earliest known recipe for cheese fondue as we know it today comes from a 1699 book published in Zurich, under the name “Käss mit Wein zu kochen”, “to cook cheese with wine”. It calls for grated or cut-up cheese to be melted with wine, and for bread to be dipped in it. … The first known recipe for the modern cheese fondue under that name, with cheese and wine but no eggs, was published in 1875, and was already presented as a Swiss national dish. … Fondue was popularized as a Swiss national dish by the Swiss Cheese Union (Schweizerische Käseunion) in the 1930s as a way of increasing cheese consumption. … Fondue is now a symbol of Swiss unity.

Swiss Chocolate

Wikipedia: The 17th century saw the start of chocolate processed in Switzerland … In the second half of the 19th century Swiss Chocolate started to spread abroad. Closely linked to this was the invention of Milk Chocolate by Daniel Peter in Vevey and the invention of the conching by Rodolphe Lindt … From the 19th century until the First World War and throughout the Second World War the Swiss chocolate industry was very export-oriented … Today most Swiss chocolate is consumed by the Swiss themselves (54% in 2000), and Switzerland has the highest per capita rate of chocolate consumption worldwide (11.6 kg (25.6 lbs.) per capita per annum). In 2004 148,270 tonnes of chocolate were produced in Switzerland. 53% of this was exported.

6^th Clue: Gad: place of refuge

And Moses gave inheritance unto the tribe of Gad, even unto the children of Gad according to their families. And their border was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the children of Ammon … from MAHANAIM unto the border of Debir (Josh 13:24-26, KJ21).

And the Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, [3000] chariots, and 6000 horsemen, and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude … When the men of Israel saw that they were in straits (for the people were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns, or crossed the fords of the Jordan to the LAND of GAD and GILEAD … (1Sam 13: 5-7, RSV).

But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to MAHANAIM; And made him king over Gilead … and over all Israel. … But the house of Judah followed David (2Sam 2:8-10).

So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people [of Judah] stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more. And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain, and passed over Jordan … and they came to MAHANAIM (2Sam 2:28-29).

Then David came to MAHANAIM. And Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel (2Sam 17:24, RSV).

“Get thee hence and turn thee [Elijah] eastward, and HIDE thyself by the Brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan (1Kings 17:3, KJ21).

Because of its mountains, rocks, clefts, brooks and caves the land of Gad is a natural area to flee to. The town Mahanaim on the Jabbok was in the land of Gad, in Gilead.

At the war of Saul against the Philistines many hid here; Ishbosheth and Abner waged war against Joab and David from Mahanaim; when Absalom took over the throne, his father David fled to Mahanaim.

Elijah, a Gadite, hid by the brook Cherith – Wadi al-Yabis (the Wadi of Jabesh) – in the land of Gad. The Church of Jerusalem fled to Pella (also in the land of Gad) in 66 AD. The land of Gad is a perfect place of refuge (2 million Palestinians fled to Jordan in the 20th century).

Republic of Geneva

Geneva became an independant republic in the 16th century. Under John Calvin it became the centre of calvinism. Calvin fought for free access to Geneva for Protestant refugees. Geneva became a member of the Swiss Republic (Eidgenossenschaft) in 1815.

World War I

During World War I many pople fled to Switzerland. Wikipedia: During the fighting, Switzerland became a haven for many politicians, artists, pacifists, and thinkers. Bern, Zürich, and Geneva became centers of debate and discussion. In Zürich two very different anti-war groups would bring lasting changes to the world, the Bolsheviks and the Dadaists.

World War II

Switzerland’s refugee record during WW II is not faultless, yet many were able to flee to the Swiss Republic. Wikipedia: Over the course of the war, Switzerland interned 300,000 refugees. Of these, 104,000 were foreign troops … The rest were foreign civilians and were either interned or granted tolerance or residence permits by the cantonal authorities. Refugees were not allowed to hold jobs. Of the refugees, 60,000 were civilians escaping persecution by the Nazis. Of these, 26,000 to 27,000 were Jews. Between 10,000 and 24,000 Jewish civilian refugees were refused entry. Although Switzerland harboured more Jewish refugees than any other country, these refugees were refused entry on the grounds of already dwindling supplies. Of those refused entry, a Swiss government representative said, “Our little lifeboat is full.” At the beginning of the war, Switzerland had a Jewish population of between 18,000 and 28,000 and a total population of about 4 million. By the end of the war, there were over 115,000 refuge-seeking people of all categories in Switzerland, representing the maximum number of refugees at any one time.

Switzerland also acted as a refuge for Allied prisoners of war who escaped, including those from Oflag IV-C (Colditz).

7^th Clue: Gad: uninvolved, neutral

And Moses said unto the children of GAD and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye SIT HERE [in Gilead]? And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them? (Num 32:6-7).

GILEAD [=GAD] stayed beyond the Jordan … (Judg 5:17).

And he said unto the men of Succoth [town in GAD], “Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people who follow me, for they are faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.” And the princes of Succoth said, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?” And Gideon said, “Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.” And he went up thence to Penuel [another town in GAD] and spoke unto them likewise, and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him. And he spoke also unto the men of Penuel, saying, “When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower” (Judg 8:5-9, KJ21).

They said, “What one is there of the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up to Yahweh to Mizpah?” Behold, there came none to the camp from Jabesh Gilead [town in GAD] to the assembly. For when the people were numbered, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead there (Judg 21:8-9).

Gad – aloof, uninvolved

Gad or the towns in Gad often stayed uninvolved. To start with, Moses did not like that Gad and Reuben wanted to stay in Gilead. It was seen as a sign of rebellion or uninvolvedness. Later on in history the Transjordan tribes were the first to go in exile.

At the time of Deborah the Gadites did not send any men to help against Sisera (Judg 5:17). Gilead here means Gad, for Reuben and Manasseh (Machir) have already been mentioned.

When the judge Gideon asked the Gadites of Succoth and Penuel for bread and support against the Midianites, they refused and remained uninvolved, just as in the time of Deborah

When called upon, the Gadites of Jabesh in Gad (Gilead) did not send men either, to avenge the corruption of the Benjamites of Gibeah.

Switzerland – neutral

At the Congress of Vienna (1815) the five major European powers recognized and guaranteed Switzerland’s neutrality. From that time onward Switzerland and neutrality are closely tied. Neutrality is Switzerland’s starting point for foreign policy.

From Wikipedia, Switzerland during the World Wars: During both World War I and World War II, Switzerland managed to keep a stance of armed neutrality, and was not involved militarily. However, precisely because of its neutral status, Switzerland was of considerable interest to all parties involved, as the scene for diplomacy, espionage, commerce, and as a safe haven for refugees …

Following the declarations of war in late July 1914, on 1 August 1914 Switzerland mobilized its army; by August 7 the newly appointed general Ulrich Wille had about 220,000 men under his command. By August 11 Wille had deployed much of the army along the Jura border with France, with smaller units deployed along the eastern and southern borders …

During the war Switzerland accepted 68,000 British, French and German wounded prisoners of war for recovery in mountain resorts. The wounded were transferred from prisoner of war camps unable to cope with the number of wounded and sat out the war in Switzerland. The transfer was agreed between the warring powers …

At the outbreak of World War II in 1939, Switzerland immediately began to mobilize for a possible invasion. The transition into wartime was smooth and caused less controversy than in 1914. The entire country was fully mobilized in only three days. Parliament quickly selected the 61 year-old career soldier Henri Guisan to be General. By 3 September 430,000 men of combat troops and 200,000 men of mandatory support services and 10,000 women of the female support service had been mobilized … Over the course of the war, detailed invasion plans were drawn up by the German military command, such as Operation Tannenbaum, but Switzerland was never attacked. Switzerland was able to remain independent through a combination of military deterrence, economic concessions to Germany, and good fortune …

Nazi Germany repeatedly violated Swiss airspace. During the Invasion of France, German aircraft violated Swiss airspace at least 197 times. In several air incidents, the Swiss shot down 11 Luftwaffe planes between 10 May 1940 and 17 June 1940. Germany protested diplomatically on 5 June 1940, and with a second note on 19 June 1940 which contained clear threats. Hitler was especially furious when he saw that German equipment was used to shoot down German pilots. He said they would respond “in another manner”. On 20 June 1940, the Swiss air force was ordered to stop intercepting planes violating Swiss airspace. Swiss fighters began instead to force intruding aircraft to land at Swiss airfields. Anti-aircraft units still operated. Later, Hitler and Hermann Göring sent saboteurs to destroy Swiss airfields. However, the sabotage team was captured by the Swiss army before it could cause any damage. Skirmishes between German and Swiss troops took place in the northern border of Switzerland throughout the war …

From 1943 Switzerland stopped American and British aircraft, mainly bombers, overflying Switzerland during World War II: six by Swiss air force fighters and nine by flak cannons, and 36 airmen were killed. On 1 October 1943 the first American bomber was shot near Bad Ragaz: Only three men survived. The officers were interned in Davos, airmen in Adelboden. The representative of the US military intelligence in Bern, US military attaché Barnwell Legge, instructed the soldiers not to flee, but the majority of the soldiers thought it was a diplomatic joke. Allied aircraft also intruded on Swiss airspace during the war, mostly Allied bombers returning from raids over Italy and Germany that had been damaged and whose crews preferred internment by the Swiss to becoming prisoners of war. Over a hundred Allied aircraft and their crews were interned …

8^th Clue: Gad: reformers

Now ELIJAH the TISHBITE, of TISHBE in GILEAD, said to Ahab … (1Ki 17:1) [Tishbe, place in Gad].

And Elijah came near to all the people, and said, “How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word. Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are 450 men. Let two bulls be given to us; and let them choose one bull for themselves, and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it; and I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood, and put no fire to it. And you call on the name of your god and I will call on the name of the LORD; and the God who answers by fire, he is God.” And all the people answered, “It is well spoken.” … Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me”; and all the people came near to him … And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that thou, O LORD, art God, and that thou hast turned their hearts back.” Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The LORD, he is God; the LORD, he is God.” And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape.” And they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and KILLED them there (1Ki 18:21-40, RSV).

And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and also how he had SLAIN all the prophets with the SWORD (1Ki 19:1).

Elijah, the reformer

The Bible mentions seven times that Elijah was a Tishbite form Tishbe. Tishbe was a small place in the tribal area of Gad, passed Jabesh, by the brook Cherith. Elijah was a prophet, a reformer, in the northern kingdom, in the House of Israel. It is noteworthy that he is the only prophet of whom we know that he had killed hundreds of false prophets by the sword. Preaching the Word of the LORD and handling the sword were both practiced by him. Elijah is the best-known Gadite of the Old Testament. …

Many flocked to Geneva for study and education, only to be sent out all over Europe to teach.

9^th Clue: Gad: from hate to love

CH. 1 THE copy of the testament of Gad … And Joseph told our father that the sons of Zilpah and Bilhah were slaying the best of the flock and eating them against the judgement of Reuben and Judah … And regarding this matter I was wroth with Joseph until the day that he was sold … And the spirit of hatred was in me … I confess now my gin, my children, that oftentimes I wished to kill him, because I hated him from my heart. Moreover, I hated him yet more for his dreams … Beware, therefore, my children of hatred, for it worketh lawlessness even against the Lord Himself … For the spirit of hatred worketh together with Satan, through hastiness of spirits, in all things to men’s death; but the spirit of love worketh together with the law of God in long-suffering unto the salvation of men. Hatred, therefore, is evil, for it constantly mateth with lying, speaking against the truth; and it maketh small things to be great, and causeth the light to be darkness, and calleth the sweet bitter, and teacheth slander, and kindleth wrath, and stirreth up war, and violence and all covetousness; it filleth the heart with evils and devilish poison. These things, therefore, I say to you from experience, my children, that ye may drive forth hatred, which is of the devil, and cleave to the love of God. Righteousness casteth out hatred, humility destroyeth envy … These things I learnt at last, after I had repented concerning Joseph … CH. 2.  AND now, my children, I exhort you, love ye each one his brother, and put away hatred from your hearts, love one another in deed, and in word, and in the inclination of the soul. For in the presence of my father I spake peaceably to Joseph; and when I had gone out, the spirit of hatred darkened my mind, and stirred up my soul to slay him. Love ye one another from the heart; and if a man sin against thee, speak peaceably to him, and in thy soul hold not guile; and if he repent and confess, forgive him (TESTAMENT of GAD).

The pseudo-epigraphic book Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs often gives us extra information about a certain patriarch and tribe. According to the Testament of Gad, Gad had been full of hatred towards Joseph. Gad warned his children against hatred, told of his experience and advised them to follow the way of love or charity.

The change from hatred to charity nicely reflects Swiss history. Nearly 2 million Swiss have fought 350 years in the mercenary system (ca. 1500 – 1850), until this was forbidden by law (1859 Constitution). The Swiss Henri Dunant founded the Red Cross, the colours of neutral Switzerland were turned around. The armycamps of Gad became in a way the refugee camps of the Red Cross, this time not for war, but for love and charity.

Henry Dunant – Red Cross

Wikipedia: Henry Dunant (Red Cross): Jean Henri Dunant (8 May 1828 – 30 October 1910), also known as Henry Dunant, was the founder of the Red Cross, and the first recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. The 1864 Geneva Convention was based on Dunant’s ideas. In 1901 he received the first Nobel Peace Prize together with Frédéric Passy, making Dunant the first Swiss Nobel laureate.

Dunant was a Swiss businessman and social activist. During a business trip in 1859, he was witness to the aftermath of the Battle of Solferino in modern-day Italy. He recorded his memories and experiences in the book A Memory of Solferino which inspired the creation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in 1863.

10^th Clue: Gad: oath/covenant on the mountain

So [Jacob] fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the River, and set his face toward the MOUNTAIN of Gilead [Gad territory] … And [Laban] … pursued after him seven days’ journey; and he overtook him in the MOUNTAIN of Gilead [Gad territory] … And Laban came up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the MOUNTAIN: and Laban with his brethren encamped in the MOUNTAIN of Gilead [Gad territory] … And Laban answered … And now come, let us make a COVENANT, I and thou; and let it be for a WITNESS [Hebr.: ‘ed] between me and thee. And Jacob took a STONE, and set it up for a PILLAR. And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather STONES; and they took STONES, and made a HEAP: and they did eat there by the HEAP. And Laban called it Jegar-saha-dutha: but Jacob called it Gal’ed … And Laban said, This HEAP is WITNESS between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Gal’ed [Cf. Gil’ad] … And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this HEAP, and behold the PILLAR, which I have set betwixt me and thee. This HEAP be WITNESS, and the PILLAR be WITNESS, that I will not pass over this HEAP to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this HEAP and this PILLAR unto me, for harm. The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us. And Jacob SWARE by the Fear of his father Isaac. And Jacob offered a sacrifice in the MOUNTAIN, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the MOUNTAIN (Genesis 31, ASV).

The tribe of Gad lived in the Mountains of Gilead, or more correct Gil’ad. The area got its name from the covenant that Jacob and Laban made on a mountain there, confirmed by oath. Gal means stone or heap of stones and Ed means witness. Hence Gal-Ed is witness stone or stone of witness. Gal’ed has the same Hebrew letters as Gil’ad (Gilead).

‘Eidgenossenschaft’ (Confederation)

Wikipedia: Eidgenossenschaft. Eidgenossenschaft (German pronunciation: [ˈaɪdɡəˌnɔsənʃaft]) is a German word meaning confederation. The term literally translates as “oath fellowship”. An Eidgenossenschaft is a confederacy of equal partners, which can be individuals or groups such as states, formed by a pact sealed by a solemn oath.

Swiss Eidgenossenschaft

Wikipedia: As a political term, it is used most often as a synonym for Switzerland, whose official German name is “Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft”, usually translated as Swiss Confederation. The oath referred to is the Rütlischwur, the three men recorded as taking the oath on August 1, 1291 historiographic tradition are the Three Confederates (Drei Eidgenossen). An Eidgenosse (literally: comrade by oath) is a member of an Eidgenossenschaft, and is an expression for “Swiss citizen”. The related adjective, eidgenössisch, officially translated as Swiss federal, is used in the name of organisations, for example the ‘Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule’, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. In a historical context, Eidgenossenschaft typically refers to the medieval Swiss Confederacy, which grew from the 13th to the 16th century in central Europe, persisted until 1798 and then evolved into a federal state in the 19th century.

The Swiss mountain state started with an oath by the three cantons Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden on a mountain meadow. The tribe of Gad lived in Gil’ad (Gilead), named after the oath or covenant between Laban and Jacob (Gal’ed), also performed on a mountain.

I should add that we have been to Switzerland at least twice (flew into Geneva on our way to the Feast of Tabernacles in Evian, France years ago; and earlier visited a COG family in Zurich).

The Bible records various promises made to the tribes of Israel in Genesis 48, Genesis 49, and Deuteronomy 33. Many seem to have overlooked those, but those prophecies have been, and will be fulfilled.

Notice the following prophecy from the NKJV:

19 “Gad, a troop shall tramp upon him,
But he shall triumph at last. (Genesis 49:19)

It is my view that the descendants of Gad, specifically those in Switzerland, ill apparently have to temporarily accept European Beast domination. Basically part of some type of European Union.

Knowing where various peoples have come from, help us better understand how the Bible teaches that various ones will be affected by end time events that are still to come to pass.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
British are the Covenant People What do ‘British’ and ‘Britain’ mean in Hebrew? Are the descendants of the Anglo-Saxons people of the covenant? Does the British royal family connect to the throne of David? What does the Bible teach? What does history show us? Is there any DNA evidence related to British-Israelism? When did Christianity make it to the British Isles? Could Jeremiah have made it to the British Isles? What type of Christians made it to the British Isles? Did the last King of England believe in British Israelism?
The ‘Lost Tribe’ of Reuben: France in Prophecy? What is the origin of this in France? What is prophesied to happen to them? A two-part sermon related to history and prophecy is available online: The ‘Lost Tribe’ of Reuben and France and Prophecy.
Ten clues tying Belgium and Luxembourg with the tribe of Asher Who did some in Belgium and Luxembourg descend from?
Ten clues tying Zebulun with the Dutch Who did some in the Netherlands descend from?

COGwriter

Decades ago, the late Herbert W. Armstrong wrote the following:

WHY are only the very few—women as well as men—successful in life? Just what is success? Here is the surprising answer to life’s most difficult problem, proving that NO HUMAN NEED EVER BECOME A FAILURE! All who have succeeded have followed these seven laws! The only WAY to success is not a copyrighted formula being sold for a price. You can’t buy it! The price is your own application to the seven existing laws.

DID IT EVER occur to you that there might be a reason why so many people make a failure of life? Not only men and career women, but wives and mothers to!

Are you one who is wrestling with the problem of “making ends meet”? Nearly all of us are. This problem need not mean failure—yet it often leads to it.

It is a fact—the vast majority do wind up failures. Yet none need fail!

Take a look at the facts in the world.

Is THIS Success?

Every two minutes someone in the United States attempts suicide. Each day nearly 70 persons succeed—but is that success? The World Health Organization estimates that some one thousand people commit suicide in the world—every day!

Suicides now outnumber murders. Now various organizations for the prevention of suicide are a reality! But the cause is individual failure!

Only a minority, of course, go to this extreme, but the overwhelming majority do end their lives in failure.

Much of the world is in current “prosperity.” Yet—in booming U.S.—more businesses failed in a very recent year than in any other in the last twenty-six. Across the world streaks the shocking trend of increasing failures. Scores of millions daily allow he creeping cancer of failure to chain them to a life of unhappy circumstances, from which only death promises release.

But why?

Why are only the very few really successful? Is it mere chance—is it just happen-so—can it be luck? Or are there definite reasons?

Why do all but the very few find themselves, by age 60 or 65, dependents? Why must there by old-age pensions, public welfare aid, charities to support the non-crippled, non-handicapped helpless? Why must children so often provide for aged parents—when it ought to be the other way around?

I am going to tell you why!

There are definite causes! Seven basic laws govern success! It is high time people come to know them, and end this unhappy and needless tragedy!

Finding the Answer

When I was a young man of twenty-three, I was a member of the editorial staff of a national magazine. I was sent on tours over the United States, covering ten or fifteen states each tour. My assignment was investigating business conditions, reporting workable ideas and facts. I interviewed businessmen and chamber of commerce officials. I discussed with merchants and manufacturers their problems. I searched out ideas and methods that had been successfully applied in sales promotion, public relations, cutting costs, speeding up turnover, increasing profits.

One of the things my editors assigned me to investigate was the reason behind the success of the few, and the failure of the many. Some 95% of smaller independent merchants were reported by Dun and Bradstreet to be heading toward bankruptcy.

Of course, we were concerned then only with the success or failure of men. But the same laws apply to the lives of women.

I asked the opinions of hundreds of businessmen. Most thought success resulted merely from superior ability, and failure from the lack of it. But this opinion consigned the majority to failure from birth without a chance. If a man lacked the ability, he was foredoomed to failure. There seemed nothing he could do about it. I was not satisfied with this ides—and later I proved it false.

The manager of the large J.L. Hudson department store in Detroit thought failure generally resulted from lack of adequate capital. A minority interviewed agreed with him. But this, also, made dollars, and not the man, responsible for success or failure.

Actually, investigation showed these to be contributing factors, but only that. A more prevalent factor, I found, was fitting the proverbial “square peg in the round hole.” Most failures were misfits. Most, had they known these seven laws, could have made a success in the field where they best fit.

This quest for the reasons for success or failure intrigued me. My research on this question did not stop with these editorial tours. Observation and analysis of this problem have continued through the years.

And I know, now, that no human being need ever become a failure!

Failures are not foredoomed. Success does not just happen! It is governed by seven definite laws. If you know them, and apply them, the happy result, in the end , is assured.

Every individual was put on this earth for a PURPOSE! Every person was put here to become a success. Every human ought to enjoy the sweet taste of success—to find peace and happiness—to live an interesting, secure, and abundant life! And in order that all might—if willing—reap such full and abundant rewards, the Creator set in motion actual, definite LAWS to produce that desired result.

The tragedy is that through the centuries and millenniums man has turned his back on those laws—those causes of the very success he craves! The world long ago ignored and forgot them. Today, most people do not know what they are. Most people have not followed a single one of the seven basic laws.

I ask in all candor—isn’t that a shocking state of human affairs? It is, in fact, the colossal tragedy of all history!

You Can’t Buy it!

If some recognized authority had a copyrighted plan to sell that was guaranteed to make all who follow it prosperous and successful, I suppose people by the thousands would flock to buy the plan.

One man had such a plan. It was a sort of pseudo “psychological” religion. He promised the plan would make its followers prosperous or rich—the easy way, of course. Its propagator advertised that it had made him rich. He boasted of his fine home, his great high-ceiling pipe-organ room. The inference was that it would make its purchasers equally prosperous—but he neglected to mention that it was the naïve dupes who bought his bogus plan who made him rich.

This man stumbled onto an advertising catch-phrase for a headline in magazine and newspaper advertisements, which multiplied responses. He used it for years. But ultimately it wore itself out. This charlatan’s “success” was neither real nor lasting. He was, himself, a colossal failure.

The only way to true success is not a formula being sold like merchandise.

You can’t buy it with money. It comes to you free—without money, and without price. There is a price, of course—your own application of these definite laws. It is not guaranteed to be the easy way—but it is guaranteed to by the only way to real success!

Clark Gable—Success?

It so happens that on the very morning of the day this was originally written, I read in a London newspaper the obituary of Clark Gable, motion picture celebrity. I suppose the world would rate him a great success. But was he?

Just what is success, anyway?

How can people win success when so few know what it is?

I was struck with a number of things in this cinema-star’s obituary. My mind, of course, was on this theme, since I was at the moment writing on it.

Clark Gable was heralded on page one of this newspaper as king of the films. He was described as “the romantic hero of 90 films.” He was one of the first ten money-making stars in the years 1932-43, 1947-49, and 1955. That is 16 years. And the top film stars make fabulous incomes. “He was, ” said the obituary, “one of the few screen idols to stay the course for so long.” But does all that spell SUCCESS?

One of the “fascinating” things mentioned about his life was that he had been married five times! Would we consider at least three failures in marriage (one wife was killed in an air crash) SUCCESS? The obituary said he cultivated “the furrowed brow, the knowing frown, the half-closed eyes, those ears and the wise-guy leer.” They were not natural. He deliberately cultivated them for the women. “Clark Gable,” said the obituary, “had cultivated these for the girls for nearly the whole of his romantic reign.” You might have called it his trademark. He would.” “It’s just a business to me, always has been,” he explained. It was just his way of “earning a living.”

Rich Men I Have Known

In my lifetime I have had close and intimate contact almost constantly with recognized successful men. From age 18, in early life—within the United States. From middle-age—worldwide. I have read many books and articles written by such men, numerous biographies and autobiographies of the great and the near great—their experiences, their philosophies. I know how these leaders among men think, how they act, what principles and rules they follow.

One factor characterized nearly every one of these men. They made money. They acquired material possessions. Many headed big corporations. They achieved recognition as being important.

Significantly, most of these man practiced the first SIX of the seven laws of success. That is tremendously important!

There was the president of a great motor car corporation at the time when I was the young assistant secretary of the Chamber of Commerce in his city. He made money. He was recognized in the world as important. He rose to the top in his profession and industry. But in the flash depression of 1920 his corporation passed into receivers’ hands, he lost his personal material gains—and he ended his life a suicide! ? Was he, after all, a success. He neglected not only the seventh, but also the sixth.

Then there were two great bankers whom I knew, one of them quite intimately. This was Mr. Arthur Reynolds, president of the then second largest national bank in America. I first knew Mr. Reynolds when he was president of a bank in the city where I was born. Later, as an ambitious and rising young advertising man in Chicago, I went to him often for personal counsel and advice. He was always interested, helpful. And I always considered his advice sound, and followed it. Mr. Reynolds won a measure of national and worldwide fame.

Some thirty-five years later I walked into his great bank and inquired of one of its many vice-presidents whether he knew where Mr. Reynolds had moved, and where he had died. I had heard that he had retired and moved to our headquarters city, Pasadena, and died there. This vice president had never heard of Arthur Reynolds. “Who was he? he asked.

He inquired around. No one he asked remembered Arthur Reynolds. Finally the public relations secretary sent to the bank’s library, and presently a clerk brought a newspaper clipping. It was the sole record the bank seemed to possess of its former president, who, with his brother, was largely responsible for building up this bank to its great size and importance. The clipping was from a San Mateo, California, newspaper. It told of his death in that San Francisco suburb.

After reading it, I handed the clipped obituary back.

“You’ll certainly want to keep this,” I remarked. “It must be valuable to the bank.”

“Oh, no,” he replied. “If you knew him, take it along.”

And thus I carried from that great bank what probably was the only record of this man in the bank of which he was so long president. His “success” was not lasting. It was not long remembered.

During his busy lifetime, this man applied the first SIX of the seven rules of success. Yet whatever success he achieved was fleeting, and although he had accumulated money, acquired a nice block of stock in the bank, lived in a fine home, became recognized as important in his lifetime, all of his “success” died with him!

The other great banker was Mr. John McHugh. I first knew him as president of a bank on a Midwest city. Then I had an hour’s interesting chat with him in the Willard Hotel in Washington during the American Bankers’ Association national convention in 1920. He was then president of a well-known New York City bank. Later, consolidations of several New York banks elevated him two offices higher than the president of the then largest bank in the world. Yet some 36 years later when I inquired about him at this great bank, the answer was the same—”Who’s he? Never heard of him!” His “success” did not live after him.

But there is a real success that endures!

But IS This Success?

Yes, I have been privileged to know many of the great and the near great—especially in the American business world. I have known multimillionaire capitalist, chief executives of great corporations and banks, cabinet members in the national administration at Washington, authors, artists, lecturers, college and university heads.

For the most of them, success meant the acquisition of money and material possessions, and being of recognized status.

One important man I know was Elbert Hubbard, philosopher, prolific writer, publisher, lecturer, known as “the Sage of East Aurora.” “The Fra,” as he sometimes styled himself, became quite famous. He wore semi-long hair under an extra-size hat, and a string bow tie. He was said to be worth a half million dollars at a time when that equaled three million or more on today’s market.

He published two magazines, composed mostly of his own writings, The Philistine, and The Fra. He boasted the largest vocabulary of any man since Shakespeare. He published An American Bible, shocking many of the religious yet explaining that the word “bible” merely means “book,” not necessarily implying sacred writings, unless the word “HOLY” is prefaced. His “bible” consisted of his selection of choice writings from American authors. He included Franklin, Emerson, Paine, Jefferson, Lincoln, and, of course, Hubbard!He allotted nearly half of the entire volume to Hubbard—and all other famous Americans combined shared the remainder.

Hubbard was not the victim of an inferiority complex, and he preached a positive philosophy. He did have rare insight and wisdom in purely material matters, and a keen understanding of human nature.

He knew that “important” men craved flattery as an actor enjoys applause. A large share of his fortune was made by writing an almost endless series of booklets, captioned Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great and the Near-Great. These were printed, of course, in rare style in his own Roycroft Press. Dozens and scores of America’s rich and famous men paid Hubbard premium prices to write them up in his inimitable literary style.

An interesting sidelight on Mr. Hubbard’s concept of success came spontaneously from his lips one Sunday afternoon. He and I were chatting at his Roycroft Inn in East Aurora, New York.

“I asked a Unitarian minister,” I said, “whether he had ever been able to discern just what your religious belief really is—if any.”

“Fra Elbertus” was interested at once. “And what did he say?” he asked, curiously.

“He said he wasn’t quite sure, but he suspected that whatever your religion may be, it probably originated in your pocketbook and bank account.” There was no denial.

“Ho, ho,” laughed Elbert Hubbard, “well, I get away with it, don’t I?”

But was Elbert Hubbard a real success, after all? By human standards, I suppose he was. He knew and applied the first six of the seven laws of success. He worked hard and industriously, and he reaped a bounteous harvest—of money, popularity, acclaim. He and his wife Alice Hubbard went down together into the depths of the Atlantic when a German submarine sank the Lusitania. This was one of the overt acts of the Kaiser’s forces that plunged America into World War 1.

But his fame did not appear to last. One seldom hears of him any more.

Hubbard knew material values. But his agnosticism closed the door—and threw away the key—that led to an understanding of spiritual values. He never quite understood the real PURPOSE of life itself. He wasn’t sure whether there was a Creator. He was convinced that fundamentalist or traditional “Christianity” was an impractical superstition. He didn’t know WHY humanity was placed on the earth—or whether it just happened! He didn’t know man’s real potential destiny. He didn’t know the seventh law of success. And, not knowing or following that seventh rule, he drove himself, by the diligent practice of the six, in the wrong direction — diametrically away from true success!

It Never Satisfied

What was the real meaning of life to these “successful” men?

Their goal in life—their definition of success—was material acquisition, recognition of status by society, and the passing enjoyment of the five senses.

But the more they acquired, the more they wanted, and the less satisfied they became with what they had. When they got it, it was never enough.

Some “successful” men of the world maneuver to get their pictures on page one of metropolitan newspapers, or on the front covers of national magazines. This inflates and briefly titillates ego, but it never satisfies for long. There’s nothing the public forgets so quickly as yesterday’s news!

Such men seek the flattery of others, and engage in back-slapping to invite it. But, like an actor’s applause (the word always makes me think of “applesauce”) it doesn’t last and leaves them flat, with a gnawing inner hunger for something that will satisfy! So they become restless, discontented.

Their bank accounts may be full, but their lives are empty. And what they do acquire, which is never enough and never satisfies, they leave behind when they die!

What is wrong?

Such men started out with the wrong goals. They had not discerned the true values, but pursued the false.

Isn’t it about time we learn the true definition of SUCCESS?

Perhaps the prize example of all history is that of an ancient king, who strove hard, accomplished much, gained fabulous wealth. He experimented with every pleasure, to see whether it brought happiness.

This man said to himself, “Come now, I will make a test of pleasure; enjoy yourself.”

Continuing to describe his experiment, this man wrote: “I searched with my mind how to cheer my body with wine—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good.”

This ancient king was young enough to try to really enjoy life. He could afford it, too. He was one of the wealthiest men who ever lived—with the resources of a nation at his command. If there was not enough money for a project he dreamed up, he simply raised the taxes.

So, he continued writing of his experiment in searching for happiness and success, “I went in for great works.” Stupendous national works and projects. “I built mansions, planted vineyards, laid out gardens and parks for myself, in which I planted all manner of fruit trees, making pools to water the trees in my plantations. I bought slaves, both men and women, and had slaves born within my household. I had large herds and flocks, larger than any before me. I amassed silver and gold, right royal treasures; I procured singers, both men and women, and many a mistress, man’s delight. Richer and richer I grew, more than any before me in my country . . . Nothing I coveted did I refuse myself: I denied my heart no enjoyment—for my heart did feel pleasure in all this—so much I did get from all my efforts.

“But, ” he concluded, “when I turned to look at all I had achieved and at my efforts and trouble, then it was all vain and futile . . . all was VANITY, and a striving after wind. Nothing in this world is worthwhile.

“Utterly vain, utterly vain, everything is VANITY,” wrote this king, after his life of experimenting. All it led to was striving—yes, always striving—and for what? “After WIND,” he concluded. All that a lifetime of hard work, vigorous application, material accomplishment brought him, he concluded, amounted to no more that a HANDFUL OF WIND!

This man was called the wisest man who had ever lived. He was King Solomon of ancient Israel. But in all his costly experimenting he never found the true values—the meaning of true and lasting SUCCESS!

And WHY?

Simply because, with all his wisdom, this man sought pleasure—happiness—success—his own way, in materialism. In the beginning the Eternal Creator designated and set in motion living laws for the very purpose of producing happiness, abundant living, pure and continuous joy, in all humans who would follow them. These are the seven great laws of SUCCESS. King Solomon, like nearly all the world’s “successful” men, applied diligently the first six—but without the seventh, he started out in the wrong direction. The more he strove, the farther he went—in the direction away from true and lasting success.

He knew this seventh law. But, “Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Eternal. . . he did not keep what the Eternal commanded. Therefore the Eternal said to Solomon, ‘Since this has been your mind and you have not kept my covenant and my rules which I commanded, I will surely tear the kingdom from you’ ” (1 Kings 11:6-11).

Now let me tell you the experience of a modern king. He was a close personal friend of ex-King Saud of Arabia, to whom I have been personally presented. Wealth came suddenly to Sheik Ali of Qatar (pronounced “”gutter”).

Qatar is a little Arabian country jutting into the Persian gulf. The big oil boom recently came to Sheik Ali’s little kingdom. It paid the country of 35,000 population 50 million dollars a year, of which 121/2 million went personally to old Sheik Ali, age 69.

Now what would you do with it, if you suddenly came into 121/2 million dollars a year?

The answer, in all probability, is that you would not do what you now think you would! That much money, coming suddenly into one’s hands, usually changes one’s ideas completely. That’s what it did to old Sheik Ali.

Immediately he began to build big gaudy pink, green, and gold palaces in the midst of malodorous mud hovels. They were air-conditioned, ultramodern, even equipped with push button window curtains! And now the newly wealthy sheik could avoid the 120-degree bake-oven summers of the desert.

He chartered whole airliners and took with him a retinue so large that his newly purchased palatial villa on Lake Geneva could not hold them all, and they overflowed into various resort hotels.

Then Sheik Ali indulged in the $1,000,000 purchase of a magnificent mansion overlooking Beirut—and the beautiful Mediterranean. When King Saud paid him a royal visit, he presented the king with 16 automobiles. One was embellished with gold. Old Sheik Ali became so generous in his self-indulgences, that his debts, over and beyond his fabulous income, soon mounted to 14 million dollars!

The news stories filtered around the world of how the Sheik just simply could not make ends meet on a mere 121/2 dollars a year! About the 1st of November, 1960, he abdicated in favor of his son Ahmed, age 40. A new advisory council arranged to pay old Ali’s debts, and give him a pension large enough only to provide for a mere handful of servants and a few wives.

Poor old Ali! He found it harder to make ends meet on 121/2 million annual dollars than he did in comparative poverty.

The FIRST Law

Certainly NOTHING in life is more important than to know: what is real success—and how to achieve it.

His ‘seven laws of success’ are then included in that booklet: The Seven Laws of Success.

The Continuing Church of God has also produced a sermon titled Christian Success. While the “seven laws of success” that are in the booklet The Seven Laws of Success by the late Herbert W. Armstrong were used, a lot more scriptures were included than that booklet used. And while physical success was also discussed, the sermon put more emphasis on spiritual success, which is what truly is needed to not be a failure.

People can change if they will willingly humble themselves and take various steps.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Christian Success: What does the Bible teach? Does the Bible teach that Christians are to be successful? Are there at least seven laws of success that Christians should follow? How does the Bible teach we are to become successfully spiritually? Does the Bible really teach that Christians should be successful physically? This video answers these questions and more from the Bible. An outline of some of the scriptures used is here: Christian Success Outline.
Why Were You Born? Why did God make you? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject. You may also wish to read the article What is Your Destiny? or watch the video, also titled What is Your Destiny?
Building Character: Going on to Perfection Once you have accepted Jesus, do you need to strive for perfection and build character? A related video sermon is available: Going on to perfection and building character.
What is the Meaning of Life? Who does God say is happy? What is your ultimate destiny? Do you really know? Does God actually have a plan for YOU personally? If you would like to watch videos covering subjects of this article, you can click on the following links: Why YOU? Why Do YOU Suffer? and What is the meaning of your life?
Living as a Christian: How and Why? In what ways do Christians live differently than others. What about praying, fasting, tithing, holy days, and the world? There is also a YouTube video related to that also called: Living as a Christian: How and Why?
The Seven Laws of Success Booklet by Herbert W. Armstrong that can help people become successful.

COGwriter

Since many who are readers of this page at this time are not at a Feast of Tabernacles’ site now (and it is going on now), I thought a series on the sites we attended might be of interest. This is the second in this series.

In 1990, our family went on the Mediterranean cruise for the Feast of Tabernacles. Over one thousand attended. This cruise began in Venice, Italy, went to Greece, and to several of the churches of Revelation 2 & 3. This was the first time we had visited any of those Churches, and since my wife and I have visited them all.

Here are photos of Venice, the cruise ship, many there, and the isthmus of Corinth:

Additional photos at or related to that 1990 Feast are included in Joyce’s Photos of Corinth, Joyce’s Photos of Ephesus, Joyce’s Photos of Pergamos, and Joyce’s Photos of Smyrna.

In 1991, we went to Victoria, British Columbia (Canada). Over 1,000 (perhaps 2,000 or more) attended. Below is a picture of Victoria Harbor and the children’s choir at the Feast:

In 1992 was our first trip to the Caribbean and we went to the Bahamas. Over 500 attended. Below is the children’s choir, as well as the view from our hotel room of the tip of Paradise Island:

In 1993, we went to Eastbourne, England for the Feast of Tabernacles. Around 1500 attended that year. Below is a picture of Eastbourne, as well as a castle not too far from the city:

In 1994, we went to Eugene, Oregon for the Feast of Tabernacles. Over 1000 seemed to be in attendance. While there we visited 3-4 places of historical interest to the old Worldwide Church of God (some photos of two of those are included in the articles 6. The Philadelphia Church Era and The Feast of Tabernacles: A Time for Christians?)–what struck me was that no one other than us was ever at any of those places. This was our last year at a Worldwide Church of God feast site. The first picture is a welcome to Oregon, while the second is near Florence Oregon:

In 1995, we attended our first Feast of Tabernacles site outside the Worldwide Church of God. The Global Church of God site we attended was in Del Mar, California. Around 700 were in attendance. It is near San Diego. The first picture is in Del Mar, while the second is of San Diego:

In 1996, we attended the Feast of Tabernacles in Penang, Malaysia. About 70 attended. We were one of only 2 American families there. This was the first feast site I spoke at (I gave two sermonettes).

In 1997, we attended the feast in Hengelhoef, Belgium. Several hundred were in attendance.

In 1998, we attended the feast in Branson, Missouri. At this site, Dr. Meredith and I became better acquainted, which helped when the Global Church of God crisis erupted the next month. The second picture is from a place called “the Holy Land” and is a short drive away in Arkansas:

In 1999, we attended the feast in Anchorage, Alaska. This was the first time my wife or I ever attended the same feast site more than once. However, it was different than the previous time (1982) and there was a significant reduction in the sizes of the glaciers I remembered from the prior visit.

Up until the late the 1990s, the old WCG had over 100 feast sites pretty much every year, and thus we tended to have a lot of choices about where to attend.

It might be of interest to remind people that leaders that Christians consider to be saints such as the Apostle Paul and Polycarp of Smyrna kept the Feast of Tabernacles.

If you did not get to an actual site this year, perhaps you can view Feast of Tabernacles’ related sermons which are at the following link: Feast of Tabernacles’ Sites for 2016.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

How to Keep God’s Festivals Many have heard of God’s Holy Days and wonder how they are kept in the 21st century. This is an overview article. A related sermon is also available titled: How to Keep God’s Feasts.
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.
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 you keep the Fall 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 The Trumpet Release.
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? A sermon of related interest may be Day of Atonement: How Jesus fulfilled His part for the Atonement.
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?
The Feast of Tabernacles: A Time to Learn the Law The Bible teaches that every seven years that the law should be read at the Feast of Tabernacles. This is what I did at the first Feast site where I gave an actual sermon (as opposed to a sermonette) in 2006.
Feast of Tabernacles’ Sites for 2016 This is information on the planned Feast of Tabernacles’ sites for the Continuing Church of God in 2016. The Feast in 2016 begins the evening of October 16th.
Holy Day Calendar This is a listing of the biblical holy days through 2024, 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。.

September 23rd is the day recognized by the Catholics of Rome to honor Linus of Rome. Typically he is shown second on the list of bishops that purport to show the Roman Catholic pontiffs and is the claimed successor to the Apostle Peter. For information about him in the Spanish language, check out Linus no fue obispo de Roma.

There is an individual named Linus in the Bible. He is mentioned one time. Here is the only passage that mentions him:

Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. Erastus stayed in Corinth, but Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick. Do your utmost to come before winter. Eubulus greets you, as well as Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brethren. The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen (2 Timothy 4:19-22).

The above was probably written, in approximately 67 A.D. – 68 A.D., by the Apostle Paul while in prison in Rome to the evangelist Timothy, who was in Ephesus.

This passage shows that Paul knew someone named Linus. Linus, therefore knew Paul, and was in Rome when Paul wrote this letter. It can probably be reasonably implied that Linus probably knew Timothy, and perhaps others in Ephesus. And based on Paul’s writings, it can be concluded that Paul, at that time, considered that particular Linus to be a Christian. It is probably logical to conclude that Linus met with Paul in prison on multiple occasions and probably, like the others, assisted him to some degree.

What it does not show is that Linus was to be the leader of those in Rome or ordained by Peter. Others are listed before him, hence, at least at the time Paul wrote this letter, there is no preeminence for Linus in Rome (and it should be noted that one of the proofs that Rome often cites to prove that Peter had preeminence is that Peter was quite often listed first in various New Testament passages involving multiple people). Linus simply was one of many who knew and probably assisted the Apostle Paul. The lack of emphasis/preeminence in Paul’s writings would seem to suggest that Linus could not have been the one to become the “bishop of Rome” and the successor of Peter and Paul in 67 A.D. Especially since it is believed that the Apostle Paul probably did not die until 68 A.D.

Whether or not this is the same individual named Linus that many Roman Catholics consider to be the first pope (the first “bishop of Rome”) to succeed Peter cannot be determined from the passages in 2 Timothy. This is confirmed by Catholic scholars, such as J.P. Kirsch, who wrote:

We cannot be positive whether this identification of the pope as being the Linus mentioned in II Timothy 4:21, goes back to an ancient and reliable source, or originated later on account of the similarity of the name (Kirsch J.P. Transcribed by Gerard Haffner. Pope St. Linus. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume IX. Copyright © 1910 by Robert Appleton Company. Online Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. Knight. Nihil Obstat, October 1, 1910. Remy Lafort, Censor. Imprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York).

But it seems that even if the Roman Catholics are referring to the same person, that he was not the one who was going to immediately become THE bishop of Rome–if he was it would be logical if Paul would have given Linus some special mention. Instead, he is simply grouped in with several others in Rome at that time (nor is Linus even mentioned first).

There are several demonstrably incorrect claims made about him by some in the Church of Rome. For example, here is something from a book I purchased in Vatican City:

2. LINUS, ST. (67-76)…He was the first to take up the inheritance of St. Peter…He made disposition for women to be admitted to the holy places and attend functions with their heads covered…He was buried beside St. Peter in the first Vatican burial spot. It is certain that he did exist while some have thrown doubt on his election to the pontificate. (Lopes A. The Popes: The lives of the pontiffs through 2000 years of history. Futura Edizoni as sponsored by the Pontifical Administration, Roma, 1997, p. 1)

The main historical fact is that Linus’ name showed up on a list. Not that he was Peter’s successor.

Here is some of what the Catholic scholar J.P. Kirsch wrote in The Catholic Encyclopedia about Linus:

The “Liber Pontificalis” asserts that Linus’s home was in Tuscany, and that his father’s name was Herculanus; but we cannot discover the origin of this assertion. According to the same work on the popes, Linus is supposed to have issued a decree “in conformity with the ordinance of St. Peter”, that women should have their heads covered in church. Without doubt this decree is apocryphal, and copied by the author of the “Liber Pontificalis” from the first Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians (11:5) and arbitrarily attributed to the first successor of the Apostle in Rome. The statement made in the same source, that Linus suffered martyrdom, cannot be proved and is improbable. (Kirsch J.P. Transcribed by Gerard Haffner. Pope St. Linus. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XI. Copyright © 1910 by Robert Appleton Company. Online Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. Knight. Nihil Obstat, October 1, 1910. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York)

Much about Linus is more than improbable.

Netherland’s Priest Roderick Vonhögen is the Chief Executive Officer of a pro-Catholic media group (SQPN) which correctly teaches, “Pope Saint Linus…ancient documents about his papacy have proven to be inaccurate or apocryphal” (Pope Saint Linus. saints.sqpn.com/saintl23.htm, viewed 09/18/12).

Yet, Linus is claimed to have been the first successor of Peter and head of all Christendom by the Church of Rome.

Here is what John O’Malley, a Jesuit Priest and Catholic historian, published:

The earliest lists of popes begin, not with Peter, but with a man named Linus. The reason Peter’s name was not listed was because he was an apostle, which was a super-category, much superior to pope or bishop…

The Christian community at Rome well into the second century operated as a collection of separate communites without any central structure…Rome was a constellation of house churches, independent of one another, each of which was loosely governed by an elder. The communities thus basically followed the pattern of the Jewish synagogues out of which they developed. (O’Malley JW. A History of the Popes. Sheed & Ward, 2009, p. 11)

It should be pointed out that the Apostle John outlived Linus and some of the others considered to have been early “popes.” Thus, the above admission is consistent with the Church of God view that the leadership of the Christian church in the late first century was clearly in Asia Minor, and not Rome, as that is where the Apostle John was based.

The Apostle Paul noted that there were three leaders in Jerusalem during one of his visits there:

James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars (Galatians 2:9).

He undoubtedly listed James first because James was the leader who actually lived in Jerusalem (the others were mainly visiting then). But notice that Paul then listed Cephas, who is Peter, and then John. This may suggest that Paul considered that Peter, at that time, had higher authority, sometimes called primacy, than John then did. It also shows that Peter apparently conferred with John, hence Peter helped train him as a potential successor.

Now, possibly around 64-67 A.D., Peter was killed, hence he no longer held physical primacy over the remaining apostles.

As it turned out John greatly outlived Peter and is believed to have lived as late as 98-105 A.D. (he also outlived James).

John was an apostle, the early leaders of Rome were only presbyters.

The Bible clearly teaches that apostles were first (I Corinthians 12:28). Notice that even Roman Catholic scholars understand:

Unlike Peter, the pope is neither an apostle nor an eyewitness of the Risen Lord (McBrien, Richard P. Lives of the Popes: The Pontiffs from St. Peter to Benedict XVI. Harper, San Francisco, 2005 updated ed., p.33).

Since that is true, it makes no sense that the Apostle John would be somehow subordinate to Linus, Anacletus, Clement, and Evaristus, all of whom have been claimed to have been “bishop of Rome” and supposedly had primacy over all Christianity after Peter died and while John was still alive.

Note that Paul wrote:

And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles (1 Corinthians 12:28).

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers (Ephesians 4:11).

And since the Bible teaches that the true church is first led by apostles and other positions are lower ranked, there is no way that the Apostle John would have been below any bishop (essentially a pastor) in rank–Note that although the Bible uses the Greek term for pastor more than the one for bishop, it seems to show that the terms are interchangeable (see I Peter 2:25).

Hence, after Peter died (as well as the other apostles), it is clear that the one true successor–who had been appointed by Christ Himself–would be the Apostle John (the last of the original apostles to die) and that true apostolic successors would probably have had contact with him. John was the successor to Peter. This is consistent with the Bible.

It should also be mentioned that none of the Roman Bishops took the title Pope until the late 4th century, so there is no way that Linus was Pope Linus. It is also not clear that the early leaders in Rome were called ‘bishop’ prior to Anicetus in the mid-second century A.D.

Anyway, there likely was a genuine Church of God Christian leader in Rome named Linus who may have been an elder. Since there is no contemporary biblical nor other historical evidence that Rome had a bishop over it then, etc. Linus was certainly not the “Bishop of Rome” who somehow supposedly succeeded the Apostle Peter. Catholics and others might be surprised to learn that the first known “Bishop of Rome” did not take that title until the mid-second century and that title “Pope” or Pontificus Maximus was not taken by the bishops of Rome until the late fourth century.

Some items of possibly related interest may including the following:

“Pope” Linus (67-76)…He is claimed to be the first to take up the inheritance from Peter, but he is omitted from Tertullian’s list. There is a Linus mentioned in the Bible. For some information about him in the Spanish language, check out Linus no fue obispo de Roma.
Was Peter the Rock Who Alone Received the Keys of the Kingdom? How should Matthew 16:18-19 be understood?
The Apostle Peter He was an original apostle and early Christian leader. Where was Peter buried? Where did Peter die?
What Do Roman Catholic Scholars Actually Teach About Early Church History? Although most believe that the Roman Catholic Church history teaches an unbroken line of succession of bishops beginning with Peter, with stories about most of them, Roman Catholic scholars know the truth of this matter. Is telling the truth about the early church citing Catholic accepted sources anti-Catholic? This eye-opening article is a must-read for any who really wants to know what Roman Catholic history actually admits about the early church.
Nazarene Christianity: Were the Original Christians Nazarenes? Should Christians be Nazarenes today? What were the practices of the Nazarenes.
Location of the Early Church: Another Look at Ephesus, Smyrna, and Rome What actually happened to the primitive Church? And did the Bible tell about this in advance?
Apostolic Succession What really happened? Did structure and beliefs change? Are many of the widely-held current understandings of this even possible? Did you know that Catholic scholars really do not believe that several of the claimed “apostolic sees” of the Orthodox have apostolic succession–despite the fact that the current pontiff himself seems to wish to ignore this view? Is there actually a true church that has ties to any of the apostles that is not part of the Catholic or Orthodox churches? Read this article if you truly are interested in the truth on this matter!
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Continuing Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions.
Early Church History: Who Were the Two Major Groups Professed Christ in the Second and Third Centuries? Did you know that many in the second and third centuries felt that there were two major, and separate, professing Christian groups in the second century, but that those in the majority churches tend to now blend the groups together and claim “saints” from both? “Saints” that condemn some of their current beliefs. Who are the two groups?
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, French: L’Histoire Continue de l’Église de Dieu and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.

Gary Leonard, the webmaster at the Banned By HWA site (an anti-Church of God website), seems to relish in posting false accusations and innuendoes against me and others.

Why do I think that?

Well, in my personal case, for some odd reason he likes to lump me in with others he apparently detests and then asserts that I have the same flaws he claims others have.  For example, here is something he posted yesterday:

The question that really needs to be asked is why do the leaders in various Churches of God keep silent as they watch Gerald Flurry, Dave Pack, Rod Meredith and others abuse their members.  Why do none of them speak out?

Flurry, Pack, Thiel, Malm, Meredith and many others are NOT their brothers.  These men are not brothers in the faith. They sit there and do nothing as one horrendous abuse after another is dished out upon COG people.   How many more need to die from suicide, die from lack of medical care, have their families ripped apart and marriages destroyed?

While I am not aware of all the details of the others listed above regarding all the alleged abuse, I would like to comment about myself (But as far as various positions and actions by the others listed above, readers can read the following articles Teachings Unique to the Philadelphia Church of God, Why Not the Restored Church of God?, Error-Ridden James Malm Not Doing an Elijah Work, Roderick C. Meredith’s Accusatory Letter to Bob Thiel, and What About the Living Church of God? Are there Doctrinal Differences with the Continuing Church of God?)

In the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) I have repeatedly worked to NOT rip families apart, but to strive to keep them and marriages together (though not all who are married wish to listen). None I am aware of in CCOG have died from suicide, though that happens in and out of COGs.  And although I personally strive to avoid mainstream ‘medical care’ for myself, I have never taught members to not seek it if they wish. And I do care for the brethren (and pray for them daily).

Yet, Gary Leonard is claiming otherwise.  And that is a flat out lie from him.  He should stop making false accusation up against me, as well as others.

Gary Leonard is an accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10), and often a bearer of false witness (Exodus 20:16).

Now, he and others might object to some of this and claim that I was silent when I was once part of the old Global Church of God, then Living Church of God (LCG).

But that too, would be inaccurate.  At least twice in the Global Church of God (GCG), I contacted members of its Council of Elders with objections related to its then leader, evangelist Roderick C. Meredith.  Once was in an email to Larry Salyer, and the other was during a telephone call to Dr. Jeff Fall.

So, why did I end up in the Living Church of God?

Well, in addition to doctrinal and gospel reasons and issues with positions taken by the new GCG board, Dr. Meredith changed his behavior related to the objection I made to Larry Salyer and Dr. Meredith also personally apologized to me for statements he had made to the brethren in the old Global Church of God that I brought up to Dr. Fall. Anyway, I accepted Dr. Meredith’s repentance on those points (cf. Matthew 18:22) and still pray for his repentance on other matters to this day.

Furthermore, while a part of the Living Church of God I regularly contacted various ministers when I had specific complaints of ‘abuse’ that I understood, plus sent in numerous doctrinal papers, as well as urging its leadership to follow Matthew 18:15-17 related to the leadership and the brethren.  So, for Gary Leonard to indicate otherwise is wrong.

And even in the old WCG, I twice sent Joseph Tkach letters objecting to information that he was allowing to get published. I also remember writing about something that Herbert W. Armstrong said, when HWA was alive, related to the brethren that was wrong.

Yes I will add, I was polite and factual and was never disfellowshiped or marked by any of those groups for anything, including steps I took to try to help them better help the brethren and/or improve doctrinal integrity.

The tactics of anti-COG sites seem to be to combine truth with error, just as Satan did in the Garden of Eden (cf. Genesis 3:1-4)–Christians are NOT to be ignorant of Satan’s devices (2 Corinthians 2:1).

In the days of the old Soviet Union it was said that propoganda needed to be about 90% true or people would not be as susceptible to believing it. The anti-COG sites often do have some items that are true. But they often come to conclusions or make accusatory statements that are false.

What about addressing any of Gary Leonard’s false assertions and innuendoes?

Consider that the Bible says:

4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
Lest you also be like him.
5 Answer a fool according to his folly,
Lest he be wise in his own eyes. (Proverbs 26:4-5)

1 To everything there is a season,A time for every purpose under heaven: … 7 A time to tear,And a time to sew;A time to keep silence,And a time to speak; (Ecclesiastes 3:1,7)

Thus, while I normally do not bother to deal with most of the innuendoes, lies, and false assertions at the Banned by HWA website,sometimes there is a time to do it (cf. also Ecclesiastes 3:16-17).

Notice something that Gary Leonard posted about me on Tuesday of this week:

Self-Appointed Prophet Claims That The Govenment (sic}Will Soon Be Attacking Them Because Of What They Preach

One thing the church has been really good at is creating a “persecution complex” in many of it’s so-called leaders.  They self appointed themselves as leaders, started their own splinter personality cults, and claim to proclaim the gospel message with “authority.” …

None of these so-called leaders have been more paranoid than the Almost Arrested Prophet Elisha Elijah Amos Joshua Chief Overseer Bob Thiel.

Gary Leonard often uses the term ‘self appointed.’ Instead he should consider using ‘God ordained.’

It was evangelist Dr. Meredith himself who telephoned 0n October 3, 2008, and said to me, “God may consider you to be a prophet.”

Notice that this came from a long-time evangelist and did not first come out from me. It was Dr. Meredith who first brought up the topic about Bob Thiel being a prophet. In January 2009, Dr. Meredith further told me over the telephone that if he (Dr. Meredith) was raised to the office of apostle, he was considering ordaining me (Bob Thiel) as a prophet. And on February 4, 2009, Dr. Meredith told me over the telephone, “You have an in-depth understanding {of prophetic matters}—you could be a prophet.”

Although Dr. Meredith was not raised up to the office of apostle, and did not personally ordain me, God had His own plans. In November and December 2011, I counseled with my pastor Dr. Fall, as well as Gary Ehman, about various matters related to the prophet matter.  I told both of them that I thought that I needed to have hands laid upon me again in order to validate the view that I might be some type of a prophet.  They both told me that, in their view related to being a prophet, baptism was scripturally sufficient.

While that sounded logical, the statement from the Apostle Paul to Timothy about getting hands laid upon him (1 Timothy 4:14) gave me personal pause.  And that caution led to me pray more about it.  Thus, instead of concluding that I had sufficient anointing, especially considering the relative enormity of some of the ramifications of this as a conclusion, I searched the scriptures and concluded that, perhaps like Gideon (Judges 6:36-40), that I would seek further outside confirmation, and preferably God would provide that from Charlotte. And I prayed for an answer from God.

Then it happened. On the morning of December 15, 2011, upon arriving at the Charlotte HQ of LCG, I asked to meet with Gary Ehman as I wanted to get anointed for some non-debilitating matters as well as to ask him to pray that I be granted wisdom for my meetings with the Charlotte-based LCG evangelists. But Gary Ehman was not in.  So instead, I asked to meet with Gaylyn Bonjour (with whom I never had any discussions prior about me possibly being some type of prophet). I asked Gaylyn Bonjour if he would do the anointing and pray that God would grant me wisdom for the meetings. He agreed. But while laying hands upon me, Gaylyn Bonjour also happened (it was not planned nor did I say anything to encourage this) to ask God to grant me a “double-portion” of His Holy Spirit and anointed me with oil. I asked him if he had ever prayed for a a double-portion anointing before, he said he had not, and that the only ‘double-portion’ he knew of was when Elisha received the double-portion and the mantle in 2 Kings 2.

On March 23, 2012, Gaylyn Bonjour told me he felt that in the Bible the “double-portion of the Spirit” anointing was related to “the passing of the mantle” and that it mattered not what certain other leaders would say because it is God, and not an organization of men, that truly appoints prophets, etc.

On June 29, 2012, I conveyed to Gaylyn Bonjour, Dr. Winnail’s written comment in a letter dated 6/28/12 suggestion that my conclusion as to what seemed to happen when I was anointed by Gaylyn Bonjour on 12/15/11 was “presumptuous.” Gaylyn Bonjour disagreed that Dr. Winnail should have indicated that I may have been presumptuous about this.  Gaylyn Bonjour told me that he felt that I was exercising proper caution and that to ignore what happened would seem to be against the will, and possibly plan, of God.  Gaylyn Bonjour also stated that it is God, and not men, who “appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets” (1 Corinthians 12:28).

I believe that the facts support that God had me ordained, yet Gary Leonard and others seemingly do not believe that God does that, despite the Bible teaching that GOD ordains prophets. But yes, God also has men physically do anointing, and He led Gaylyn Bonjour to do so.

The Banned by HWA website also regularly calls me a ‘false prophet.’ Its webmaster has claimed that I have made false prophecies (which is not true) and that nothing I have said came to pass, which is also not true (for some details prayerfully study the article How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God).

Now what about the “Almost Arrested” title Gary Leonard often puts in his description of me. This seems to be used to scare people away from me like I was some type of horrible criminal.

Well, it is true that I was almost arrested, but I do not believe that Gary Leonard has bothered to explain why.  This relates to something that happened 37 years ago.  The Day of Atonement for 1979 was to come up the next week.  I was in the military at the time, and the powers that be decided that I had to work on that day. Biblically, that was not an option for me:

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 … 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. (Leviticus 23:27-28)

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 (Numbers 29:7).

But the military disagreed.  My commander had me meet with my first sergeant on a Friday. He told me that the legal office and chaplain said I had no legal ground to stand on and that I would not be allowed to observe the Day of Atonement, which was the next Monday.  I wondered if I was about to be arrested right then. After the legal threat from the military, which would have been followed through by arrest and at least temporary time in jail no later than Monday, I quickly and silently prayed similar to what Nehemiah anciently did (Nehemiah 2:4).

Somewhat like what happened to Nehemiah (Nehemiah 2:5), God gave me an answer. And that is what Jesus taught would happen:

11 “Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say.  12 For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” (Luke 12:11-12)

Anyway, what I told the first sergeant stopped the threat of arrest and I did observe the Day of Atonement and was never arrested.

Jesus and the Apostle Paul were improperly arrested. And when Jesus’ original apostles were arrested and brought before the authorities, they did not compromise either. Instead, they responded with:

29 We ought to obey God rather than men. (Acts 5:29)

I, too, choose to obey God rather than men.  Yes, if I would have compromised I would not have been arrested, but instead I prayed and trusted God and was simply almost arrested.

Gary Leonard acts like being “almost arrested” for what happened to me is un-Christian. The apostles would have a different view. Here is what the Apostle Peter wrote:

20 But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. 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”; (1 Peter 2:20-22)

Jesus faced false accusations and people not believing Him, even though He told the truth. Notice something that Jesus said:

43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.  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.  45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.  46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?  47 He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God. (John 8:43-47)

It is not only disbelief, the Banned site inaccurately posts improper statements.

Notice something Gary Leonard posted on Sunday:

I had a news alert today regarding Almost Arrested Elisha Elijah Joshua Amos Doubly-Blessed Chief Overseer Bob Thiel. It was about his latest online sermon. Poltergeists and Lying Wonders.

Thiel has also come up with a new gimmick in order to make him look like the biblical “authority” he foolishly believes he is.  Hold up your big thick bible and shake it at the camera and people will know you mean business!

The self appointed lying wonder Thiel is not alone in his fear based topics and embarrassment of Jesus.

Actually, the two things at Banned that got me to post about them again was the implication that we do not teach about Jesus (which Gary Leonard has more blatantly falsely stated in the past) as well as the picture at the beginning of this post.

Let’s see three points related to what Gary Leonard asserted:

1. The item Poltergeists and Lying Wonders was not a sermon. It was a sermonette that was posted about a week earlier. And the last sermonette I had done, which was posted on that same Sunday, did significantly discuss Jesus (watch Why does the Islamic State kill and terrorize?).
2. Explaining, as I did in Poltergeists and Lying Wonders, that there is a spirit world is biblical as opposed to ‘fear based.’
3. The last SERMON I posted (and this was done Saturday evening, prior to Gary Leonard’s post) was titled Matthew 17-18: Transfiguration, Elijah to Come, Taxes, and Forgiveness. In it, I went through all of Jesus words in the two chapters of Matthew mentioned in the title.

Furthermore, the last sermon was simply the eighth in a series covering EVERY WORD Jesus taught in the Book of Matthew. Additionally, the series on Matthew comes after similar series intended to cover EVERY WORD that the New Testament recorded that Jesus wrote–which Matthew 28:19-20 shows that true Christian leaders should do.

Notice also some of the past sermons related to fulfilling what Jesus commanded, related to teaching all things He taught, as part of what is commonly called the ‘great commission’ (Matthew 28:19-20):

MATTHEW Here are links to seven sermons covering the first 16 chapters of Matthew (sermons to cover the remaining chapters are in progress): Matthew 1-2: Greek or Aramaic, Jesus, and the Star?, Matthew 3-5: John the Baptist, Temptations, and the Beatitudes, Matthew 6-7: Charitable Deeds, the Rosary, Prayer, the Golden Rule, and Faith, Matthew 8-10: Married Clergy, Faith, Coming Persecution, and the Ecumenical Agenda, Matthew 11-12: John the Elijah, Sodom, Unpardonable Sin, & 3 Days and 3 Nights, Matthew 13-14: Parables, Mustard Seeds, Birthdays, and Faith, and Matthew 15-16: Tradition, Signs of the Times, and The Rock & Peter.
MARK Here is a link to a sermon covering all of Jesus’ words in the ‘Gospel of Mark’: What did Jesus teach in the Book of Mark?
LUKE Here are links to eight sermons covering the entire ‘Gospel of Luke’: Luke 1-2: John the Baptist, Mary, and the Census, Luke 3-6: John the Baptist, Jesus’ genealogy, Satan’s Influence, and the Sermon on the Mount, Luke 7-9: Miracles, Purpose of Parables, Kingdom of God, and Women Supporting the Ministry, Luke 10-11: The 70, Doing the Work, the Good Samaritan, Prayer, and Signs, Luke 12-13: Priorities, Delayed Fruit Bearing, Little Flock, Prophecy, and the Narrow Way, Luke 14-16: The Lost Sheep, the Prodigal Son, the Rich Man and Lazarus, Luke 17-20: Faith, the Kingdom, Gathering, Prayer, & Rewards, and Luke 21-22: Giving, Sorrows, Persecution, Tribulation, Fig Tree, and Violence. The last sermon also covers Jesus’ words in the Book of Acts.
JOHN Here are links to a seven-part sermon series covering the entire ‘Gospel of John’: John 1-3: Anti-unitarian, Wine, Being Born Again, & Heaven, John 4-6: Jesus and the Samaritan Woman, Miracles and the Bread of Life, John 10-12: Sheep, Hirelings, Lazarus/Soul Sleep and ‘Palm Day’, John 13-15: Footwashing and the Words of Jesus, John 16-18: Truth, Trinity, and Pontius Pilate, and John 19-21: Do not only try, do what God wants.

Sadly, because many involved with the Banned by HWA website do not have a real love of the truth, they do not seem to care about their false assertions and conclusions.

Among other lies and accusations Gary Leonard made in posts about me at Banned By HWA, is that a couple of weeks ago he claimed that I take a parsonage allowance for the house I live in (I do not) and that I deduct electricity related to the parsonage (which I do not)–I do not take a ‘parsonage allowance’ at all (see also How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God.

It is one thing to have theological differences, but quite another to ignore the truth and spread falsehoods.

Will he and others repent?

Perhaps. Perhaps in this age. Saul who made threats against true Christians, who became Paul, did repent (Acts 9). If Gary Leonard and his cohorts do not, hopefully one or more will be able to in the “age to come” (cf. Matthew 12:31-32; see also Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God differs from most Protestants and Universal Offer of Salvation: There Are Hundreds of Verses in the Bible Supporting the Doctrine of True Apocatastasis).

False accusers of the brethren fit in with Satan’s Plan.  Notice something Jesus explained:

18 “Therefore hear the parable of the sower:  19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.  20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;  21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. (Matthew 13:18-21)

Sadly, I have seen some who read the type of lies that the Banned By HWA site asserts as facts fall by the wayside.

Some do not seem to understand that Jesus and the apostles faced intense criticism and false assertions–and that those who really want to follow Jesus will as well:

18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.  19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.  20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.  21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.  22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.  23 He who hates Me hates My Father also.  24 If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father.  25 But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.” (John 15:18-25)

Notice something that Jesus wrote about people who remind me of many posters at the Banned By HWA site:

6 Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.  7 Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes! (Matthew 18:6-7)

The webmaster and several others at the Banned By HWA site remain in my prayers.

Ambassador Auditorium, July 2016

A read sent me a link to the September 2016 Grace Communion International letter from Joseph Tkach (Jr.):

While we have long enjoyed our home office being located in Southern California, the location in the USA isn’t necessarily a huge factor impacting our international operations. However, when we focus on how we can better serve our US congregations, location becomes a more important factor.

Southern California has served us well, yet over time the cost of living has reached the point where consideration has to be given to relocating.

It reminds me of an old joke that is still funny every time I hear it. A man walks into his boss’s office and says: “Sir, I’ll be straight with you, I know the economy isn’t great, but I have three companies after me, and I would like to respectfully ask for a raise.” After a few minutes of haggling, the boss finally agrees to a 5% raise and the employee happily gets up to leave.

“By the way,” asks the boss, “Which three companies are after you?” The employee quickly answers, “The electric company, the water company, and the phone company!”

A major consideration for relocation is that we can cut our overhead (i.e., cost of doing business in California) by $500,000 per year. While this may seem reason enough to move out of California, there are other advantages.

Our Glendora church property has significantly increased in value; by relocating, we would access some of that accrued equity to go directly into our mission of the gospel proclamation. Every time I attend any of our regional conferences or visit one of our churches, several members and ministers suggest their location as a great venue for our church headquarters. It is true there are many locations with a lower cost of living.

Another significant factor to consider in relocation is 65% of our congregations are in the eastern half of the continental US. …

After much prayerful deliberation, our Board of Directors has concluded that relocating to North Carolina would fulfill these desirable requirements. …

It will take the next 18 months to complete all the tasks necessary to relocate. We will announce when we finalize our selection of property in a new location and the work on selling the current property.

The former Worldwide Church of God, after it ceased to be an actual Church of God, changed its name to Grace Communion International.

The Living Church of God also relocated to North Carolina from California years ago to save money.

I would add that cost of living and operating costs are not the only factor in determining where a church should be based.

One of the reasons that the Continuing Church of God, for example, remains in California, is that it is one of very few states that allows a church to fully legally operate in accordance with proper church governance (see also The Bible, Peter, Paul, John, Polycarp, Herbert W. Armstrong, Roderick C. Meredith, and Bob Thiel on Church Government).

How so?

California is one of few states that still allows churches to be established as a corporation sole. This was the type of structure that the late Herbert W. Armstrong realized later in his life that allowed the type of legal governance that he advocated.

Groups like the Living Church of God basically try to have that, which they do another way. But in my view, a corporation sole is currently the best option, and so for now, the Continuing Church of God intends to remains in California.

As far as Grace Communion International goes, it can do what it wishes.  It no longer holds to most COG doctrines and professes an ecumenical agenda.  An agenda that will NOT end well (cf. Revelation 18).

Some items related to Holy Days that may also be of interest could include the following:

Beware: Protestants Going Towards Ecumenical Destruction! What is going on in the Protestant world? Are Protestants turning back to their ‘mother church’ in Rome? Does the Bible warn about this? What are Catholic plans and prophecies related to this? Is Protestantism doomed? See also World Council of Churches Peace Plan.
Joyce’s Pictures of the Pasadena Campus of Ambassador College and the former Headquarters of the old Worldwide Church of God Here is some pictures of the old campus taken in 2016 for those interested in what it did look like and what remains.
The Bible, Peter, Paul, John, Polycarp, Herbert W. Armstrong, Roderick C. Meredith, and Bob Thiel on Church Government What form of governance did the early church have? Was it hierarchical? Which form of governance would one expect to have in the Philadelphia remnant? The people decide and/or committee forms, odd dictatorships, or the same type that the Philadelphia era itself had? What are some of the scriptural limits on ecclesiastical authority? Do some commit organizational idolatry? Here is a Spanish language version La Biblia, Policarpo, Herbert W. Armstrong, y Roderick C. Meredith sobre el gobierno de la Iglesia. Here is a link to a sermon titled Church Governance.
Why Bob Thiel Left the Living Church of God Several have speculated reasons, but here is the truth. (En el idioma español: ¿Por qué Bob Thiel dejó la Iglesia del Dios Viviente?)
Journal Report on Continuing Church of God Leader Bob Thiel Bob Thiel was interviewed by The Journal News of the Churches of God related to him being a prophet, the proclamation goals of the Continuing Church of God, and why he left LCG.
Response to a Letter from Dr. Roderick C. Meredith Dated December 28, 2012 In violation of Matthew 18, Dr. Meredith publicly sent out a letter that forced Dr. Thiel to conclude that the Continuing Church of God must be formed. Here is that letter and some of Bob Thiel’s comments about it. Here is a version in the Spanish language Respuesta a una carta del Dr. Roderick C. Meredith fechada el 28 de diciembre, 2012.
What About the Living Church of God? Are there Doctrinal Differences with the Continuing Church of God? This article explains some information and doctrines of the Living Church of God as led by Roderick C. Meredith and some concerns about them. (En el idioma español: ¿Qué hay acerca de la Iglesia de Dios Viviente? ¿Hay diferencias doctrinales con la Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios?)
Congregations of the Continuing Church of God This is a listing of congregations and groups of the Continuing Church of God around the world.
501(c)(3)? Why the Continuing Church of God chose a better option Churches in the USA do NOT have to register as 501(c)(3). Why would they? Why is what CCOG did better?
CCOG.ORG Continuing Church of God The group striving to be most faithful amongst all real Christian groups to the word of God. To see how CCOG has done so far, here are links to two sermons Continuing Church of God (CCOG) first year anniversary: What has been accomplished? and The Continuing Church of God: Two Years of Proclamation. Here is a written link to a version of that sermon in the Spanish language: Aniversario del primer año de la Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios: ¿Qué se ha cumplido?

1997 Feast Location and Brussels, Belgium

COGwriter

Retired teacher Bert Otten, who was once part of the old WCG, sent me a paper with his reasons why he feels that many in Belgium and Luxembourg are the descendants of the biblical tribe of Asher. He told me that I could edit and/or use what he sent in any way.

Here is some of his article, along with the ten clues, with portions of the explanations edited out, mainly for space considerations:

Looking at the ‘prophetic clues’ one has to conclude that a core of the tribe of Asher once found its way to the people living in Belgium and Luxemburg (especially in the triangle Roermond-Lille-Nancy-Roermond)…

.
1^st Clue: Asher – happy

And Zilpah Leah’s maid bare Jacob a second son. And Leah said, HAPPY am I [b_ashri], for the daughters will call me BLESSED [ishruni]: and she called his name Asher [asher: blessed, happy] (Gen 30:12-13).

And Zilpah Leah’s handmaid bore Jacob a second son. And Leah said: ‘HAPPY am I! for the daughters will call me HAPPY.’ And she called his name Asher [HAPPY or BLESSED] (Gen 30: 12-13, JPS, Jewish Publication Society).

After four sons Leah has two more sons by her maid-servant Zilpah. Asher is Jacob’s 8th son. They will call me happy, and she names him ‘blessed, happy’, Asher! This predicts Asher’s nature: jovial, genial, friendly.

‘Burgundian’ lifestyle

The national character of most Belgians in general, and Walloons in particular, is that they are jovial, genial, friendly…

.

2^nd Clue: Asher – his bread shall be fat

As for Asher, his BREAD [lechem] shall be FAT [shamen] … (Gen 49:20a, KJV).

Asher’s FOOD will be RICH … (Gen 49:20a, NIV).

Literally it says that Asher’s bread will be fat. It is noteworthy that bread in England and Holland has the form of a big brick, a loaf. In France they sell the typical French bread, long thin pieces of bread. In Belgium they sell bread in big, round, ‘fat’, loaves.

However, lechem also means food in general, and not just bread. Asher’s food would be rich in content, and it would be plenteous…

3^rd Clue: Asher – royal dainties

Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal DAINTIES (Gen 49:20b).

[Asher] will provide DELICACIES fit for a king (Gen 49:20b, NIV).

This is up to a point a repeat of the fact that Asher’s food would be fat or rich. We think of all the delicacies – fries, mussels, oysters, fish, venison, etc. – served in the Belgian cuisine, but ‘delicacies’ contains much more…

Belgian Beers

Wikipedia: For a comparatively small country, Belgium produces a very large number of beers in a range of different styles – in fact, it has more distinct types of beer per capita than anywhere else in the world. In 2011, there were 1,132 different varieties of beer being produced in the country…

Belgian Chocolate

Wikipedia about Belgian chocolate: Belgium is famed for its high quality chocolate and over 2,000 chocolatiers, both small and large…

Waffles and sweets

There are also Belgian waffles (Brussels, Liège), speculoos, vlaaien (Limburg), sweets, etc. Asher’s food would be rich and he would yield royal dainties.

Tapestries, lace, comic books

Delicacies or dainties is a translation from ma’adan:

Ma’adan – or (feminine) ma’adannah {mah-ad-an-naw’}; from ‘`adan’ (Strong, 5727); a delicacy or (abstractly) pleasure (adverbially, cheerfully):–dainty, delicately, delight.

Some writers about the tribes link this with the typical Belgian delicate tapestries (made for royalty!) and with Belgian lace…

4^th Clue: Asher – friendly & favoured

And of Asher he said: Blessed be Asher above sons; let him be the FAVOURED of his brethren … (Dt 33:24, JPS).

And of Asher he said, Let Asher be blessed with children; let him be ACCEPTABLE to his brethren, … (Dt 33:24, KJV).

About Asher he said: “Most blessed of sons is Asher; let him be FAVOURED by his brothers, …”(Dt 33:24, NIV).

Belgians – kind, friendly

Although Belgians may fight between themselves about language problems – a bloodless struggle – they are perceived by others as kind, friendly people. To my knowledge there are not many people who hate Belgians. The French and the Dutch may joke about Belgians, but they do not dislike them. The fact that they are liked by their neighbours, by other tribes, has favourable to them over time…

5^th Clue: Asher – … iron … under your shoe

Thy shoes shall be IRON and brass … (Dt 33:25).

YZER en koper zal onder uw schoen zijn … (Dt 33:25, SVV, Dutch Staten Vertaling: IRON and copper will be under your shoe).

An important prophecy concerning Asher is about metal. And of Asher he said … IRON and brass (or copper) will be your shoe, or will be under your shoe. The triangle Roermond – Lille – Nancy – Roermond is closely connected with iron, coal and industrialisation. To speak of Wallonia is to speak of iron. A lot can be read about the Wallonian steel industry…

Wikipedia: Wallonia is rich in iron and coal, and these resources and related industries have played an important role in its history…

.

6^th Clue: Asher – … brass … under your shoe

Thy shoes shall be iron and BRASS … (Dt 33:25).

Yzer en KOPER zal onder uw schoen zijn … (Dt 33:25, SVV, Dutch Staten Vertaling: iron and COPPER will be under your shoe).

As we saw: In the Middle Ages, Wallonia became a center for brass working and bronze working, with Huy, Dinant and Chimay being important regional centers (Wikipedia).

Belgium – Congo – Katanga – Copper

The Katanga Province of Belgian Congo was one of the world’s most important copper producing areas in the twentieth century until the 1960’s. Belgium became an important importer and exporter of copper. The copper was extracted by the Union Minière du Haut Katanga...

7^th Clue: Asher – … dip his foot in oil

And of Asher he said … and let him dip his foot in OIL (Dt 33:24).

Many of the Lost Tribes prophecies are for the endtime only (acharit haYamim), for the last days…Palm oil

The modern fulfilment of this statement concerning Asher’s oil can be found in palm oil which Belgium extracted from the Belgian Congo for years. Wikipedia: Palm oil production in the Congo increased from 2,500 tons in 1914 to 9,000 tons in 1921 and 230,000 tons in 1957.

Palm oil is an important ingredient in food and non-food products like margarine, chocolate, cleaning products and cosmetics. Palm oil has become one of the most important vegetable oils.

In 1959 Belgian Congo was the sixth biggest palm oil producer of the world … Asher … let him dip his foot in oil.

8^th Clue: 8. Asher, 9. Issachar, 10. Zebulun

… and [Leah] called his name Asher [8^th son] … and [Leah] called his name Issachar [9^th son] … and [Leah] called his name Zebulun [10^th son] (Gen 30:13-20).

… of the tribe of the children of Zebulun, … of the tribe of the children of Issachar … of the tribe of the children of Asher … (Nu 34:25-27).

And the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun … And the fourth lot came out to Issachar, for the children of Issachar … And the fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher … (Josh 19:10, 17, 24).

Leah Tribes

Leah had eight sons, six of herself and two by her maidservant Zilpah. She named all eight of them. So there are eight Leah tribes (and five Racheltribes)… There is a bond between Asher, Issachar and Zebulun in both antiquity and in modern times…Over the past 60 years there has been a close cooperation between these peoples within the Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxemburg). They live closely together as they once did in Galilee, in Erets Yisrael.

9^th Clue: Asher – mighty men of valour

All these were the children of Asher, heads of their father’s house, choice and MIGHTY MEN OF VALOUR, chief of the princes. And the number throughout the genealogy of them that were apt to the war and to battle was 26,000 men (1Chron 7:40).

And of Asher, such as went forth to battle, EXPERT IN WAR, 40,000 (1 Chron 12:36).

There were a few militaristic tribes, but Asher was not one of them. However, the Asherites were brave fighters. Although not an aggressive tribe, they could hold their ground when called upon…

Belgae – Julius Caesar

In his book Commentarii de bello GallicoJulius Caesar divides the Celts into three groups. The most northern group are the Belgae living in the area between the North Sea, Rhine, Seine and Marne. According to Caesar the Belgae were the bravest of the three groups. This quote from Caesar became very popular in the 1830’s in an attempt to enflame Belgian nationalism…

Belgium in WW I

The Belgians fought bravely under Soldier King Albert I against the German invasion.

10^th Clue: Asher – peaceable, peaceful

And the prince of the tribe of the children of Asher, Ahihud the son of SHELOMI (Strong <08015>, shlomi, peacable) (Num 34:27).

The tribe of Asher is a peaceful tribe, not looking for war or trouble. This can first of all be concluded by the absence of things. There are no violent, negative, warlike stories or individuals known from the tribe of Asher in the Bible. Asher has a modest Biblical history with an absence of ringleaders in evil. The prince of Asher in Numbers 34 is even called Ahihud ben Shlomi, son of Shlomi (peaceful).

Asher is very modest in The Testament of Asher. There is no bragging like in some of the other testaments of the twelve patriarchs.

The olive tree is the symbol of Asher. This can also be connected to peace, as the olive branch is a symbol of peace.

Belgians – neutral & peaceful

The Belgians were more or less given their independence and their colonies. They were neutral twice and were invaded twice by the Germans. They fought bravely in WW I and WW II to defend themselves and their colonies, but they never attacked other nations.

I should add that we have been to Belgium at least twice and Luxembourg at least once. There may also be some of Zebulon and Reuben in Belgium.

The Bible records various promises made to the tribes of Israel in Genesis 48, Genesis 49, and Deuteronomy 33. Many seem to have overlooked those, but those prophecies have been, and will be fulfilled.

While there are various ways to look at those and other prophecies, let me conclude by stating that I do believe that those of Belgium and Luxembourg are essentially descended from biblical Asher, though there is ethnic intermingling.

Knowing where various peoples have come from, help us better understand how the Bible teaches that various ones will be affected by end time events that are still to come to pass.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
The ‘Lost Tribe’ of Reuben: France in Prophecy? What is the origin of this in France? What is prophesied to happen to them? A two-part sermon related to history and prophecy is available online: The ‘Lost Tribe’ of Reuben and France and Prophecy.

COGwriter

In his booklet, The Seven Laws of Success, the late Herbert W. Armstrong listed the following first “six laws of success”:

Here, then, is the first law of success:

FIX THE RIGHT GOAL!…

So, the SECOND law of success in time sequence, is EDUCATION, or PREPARATION…

The all-important law coming next in time order is GOOD HEALTH…

Take the FOURTH LAW. If you are motivated by GOD’S WORD, you’ll have DRIVE…

Law Number 5—for Emergencies…RESOURCEFULNESS!…

Law number six, then, is PERSEVERANCE—stick-to-it-iveness!

Here is what he wrote related to the seventh law of success:

Still We Need Law Number 7!

Well now, it would certainly seem that if one follows these SIX laws of success, nothing more should be required!

But still, these “successful” men I have described followed these six principles. They gained their goals. They made money. They attained recognized status. They enjoyed the passing pleasures.

Still their lives were empty—they were never satisfied—they were discontented, they never found lasting, permanent, enduring happiness—they did not take their acquisitions with them when they died, and their fame died with them!

What they lacked—what ALL lack who fail of REAL success, application of Success Law number 7—the most important law of all! That is the ingredient that would have changed everything?

The Overlooked SEVENTH Law

I have reserved this all-important seventh Law till last to explain. But far from being least, it is first in vital importance!

I have held it till now because 1) it is the very last one that people will acknowledge and apply; and 2) being first in making possible real success, I want to state it last so it will remain stamped in the mind of the reader.

When serious illness strikes, people call the doctor. It is automatic for most to rely on human professional knowledge and skill—on material drugs, medicines and knives. But finally, when the attending physician—perhaps with specialists called in collaboration—gravely shakes his head and says there is no more that medical science can do—it is now in the hands of a higher Power—then, at last people cry out desperately to the Creator God!

Is it possible that the living GOD might be a factor in determining the success or failure of one’s life? Few have thought so.

People will ignore all their lives any idea of divine guidance and help—yet if one should find himself on a foodless and waterless raft after a shipwreck in mid-ocean, it is remarkable how quickly he would begin to believe there really is a living God! In last-resort desperation most people will cry out to Him whom they have ignored, disobeyed, and set at naught all their lives.

Wouldn’t it seem axiomatic that, if there is a compassionate beneficent Creator standing ready and willing to give us emergency help as a last resort, it would have been more sensible to have sought His guidance and help all along? Yet some have acquired wealth, lived luxuriously, and then, suddenly losing all, turned finally to God in their economic distress. Others have committed suicide. Few, it seems, will ever rely on their Maker and life-Sustainer until they feel helpless and in desperate need. Even then the motive too often is selfish.

Yet, if we are to enjoy the good things of life—freedom from fears and worries, peace of mind, security, protection, happiness, abundant well-being—the very SOURCE of their supply is the Great God! Since all comes from Him anyway, why not tap the SOURCE from the very beginning?

But in our day of modern science, sophistication and vanity, it has not been fashionable to believe in a Maker. In this deceived world, knowledge of God has found little or no place in modern education.

The ALL-IMPORTANT seventh Law of Success, nevertheless, is having contact with, and the guidance and continuous help of GOD!

And the person who does put this all-important seventh law last is very probably dooming his life to failure at the end.

Why of First Importance

Look again at the very first Law, as it has been listed here. It is not merely choosing a goal—any goal. It is setting as one’s life-aim the right goal.

The “successful” of this world all had goals. But their goals led to material ends. They sought happiness in vanity, pride of status, material acquisitions, physical activities and pursuits. They sought the approbation of people. But people are human, and their lives are temporary. Material objects, too, are not enduring, but wax old until consigned to disuse.

The main goals of those supposed to be successful in the world usually are two: Vanity—desire for status; and money with the material things it will buy. But happiness is not material, and money is not its source. Vanity, as Solomon observed is like a striving after wind!

These men I have mentioned made money. Their bank accounts may have been full, but their lives were empty. When they acquired money, it never satisfied, and always they wanted more. These monetary victories, these material acquisitions, gave, of course, a thrill of satisfaction—but it never lasted!

This life-long struggle—this constant striving “after wind”—striving after false values—left in its wake a trail of fears and worries, apprehensions, disappointments, heartaches, troubled consciences, discontent, empty lives, frustrations—and finally, DEATH!

Oh yes, of course there were pleasures, moments of excitement, periods of enjoyment. There were occasional thrills, temporary sensations of delight. But always they were followed by periods of depression. Always a gnawing inner soul-hunger returned. This in turn drove them to seek satisfaction in the thousand-and-one events in the world’s whirl of material pleasures and pastimes. Yet these never filled the void. They never satisfied the real inner hunger.

These people probably didn’t realize it, but the hunger was spiritual. And spiritual hunger is never satisfied by material food!

The “successful” of this world applied six of the success laws. But they left GOD out of the picture, and the happiness of real success out of their lives.

It seems almost no one, today, realizes HOW—and WHY—we were made. WHAT we humans are, and WHY we are. Why should we live in ignorance of these basics of knowledge?

Two basic and vital facts are overlooked:

1. While man was made a material being, of the dust of the ground, sustained by eating material food and drinking material water, he was made also to need spiritual food, and to drink of the “living water” of God’s Spirit. Without these spiritual needs man cannot be truly and continually happy. Nothing else really satisfies.

2. The Eternal Creator, who made us in His own likeness, is creator of ALL that is. Everything man needs to make life continuously and abundantly satisfying, must come from Him. He is the SOURCE OF SUPPLY. He is the GIVER of everything good. WHY must men ignore the true SOURCE, and try to obtain where there is nothing to be obtained? If I wish to draw clear, sparkling drinking water from a well, I will go to a well filled with such water, not to one that is empty. God says of our people: “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the FOUNTAIN of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water” (Jeremiah 2:13).

And again He says: “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? And your labour for that which satisfieth not?” (Isaiah 55:1-2.)

Once again, look at the first of the Success Laws. Stated another way, it is to DEFINE SUCCESS! And what constitutes real Success? Once you have learned the true meaning of Success, then you have found the only right goal.

The right goal sets the direction of your life’s journey. Success is the destination of that journey. Success is where you finally arrive—and true Success includes a happy and enjoyable journey along the way.

PURPOSE to Life?

Is there, after all, a PURPOSE to life?

If we were put here by a Creator, would He have put us here without a REASON? And a Creator with Mind and Power that could have designed and produced the human mind and body could have failed to make available for humans every tool, ingredient and facility needed to fulfill His Purpose!

Of course men cut off from God have no knowledge of that Purpose. For that knowledge is not material, but spiritual knowledge. And spiritual things cannot be seen—nor heard, felt, smelled or tasted. Spiritual knowledge can be transmitted only by revelation. And this world has rejected revelation. Men cut off from their Creator of necessity are spiritually blind and ignorant, groping in the dark. So they fail to seize the proper tools, ingredients and facilities.

But the Maker has sent an instruction book along with the human mechanism He made. It contains all the real answers. It reveals life’s real PURPOSE—the potential destiny of man! That instruction book, as Bruce Barton aptly said, is the “book nobody knows.” Almost no one knows that 95% of the contents of that Book is virtually ignored by the professing Christian clergy. Most scientists and educators today suppose, erroneously and in ignorance of the facts, that the Bible is merely the book of an ancient race of Jewish people, striving to devise a concept of a god—in by gone days of ignorance and superstition. They don’t examine the Book, as they examine other data, to see what it says. They ignore it as something beneath their pride of intellect to consider.

The religious Bible-believing fundamentalists generally quote and use not more than some 5% of the Scriptures. Approximately one-third of the entire contents of the Bible is devoted to ADVANCE NEWS REPORTS, called, in religious terminology, prophecy. FEW pay any attention to this third of the writings—and most seem devoid of understanding.

What almost ON ONE realizes is that the ignored 95% of that great volume is the INSTRUCTION BOOK which the Maker sent along with His product—just as any manufacturer of a material commodity does. Yet some scholars today have been surprised and shocked to learn that this ignored, maligned, misrepresented Book contains THE ANSWERS to life itself—reveals the PURPOSE of life—the LAWS that govern it—the ANSWER to what IS Success, and how to achieve it!

It has been like discovering a gold mine of knowledge they did not know existed. They have found that it MAKES SENSE—that, indeed, IT IS THE VERY FOUNDATION of KNOWLEDGE in just about all areas—that it provides the only right approach to the acquisition of further discoverable knowledge.

This ultimate potential destiny is the only TRUE goal. It is your reason for being alive! It is the reason you were born!

Those who have worked, striven, fought their way to any other goal have been wasting their lives—living for naught! They have, in true fact, been going nowhere! And how many, since humans were first put here on earth, have really known that PURPOSE—that one right goal of life? Very few, indeed!

The time when we need divine guidance, enlightenment, and help, is at the very BEGINNING—at the time when a young man or woman chooses that RIGHT GOAL. Without divine guidance the wrong goal is always set.

That is why poor people possessing the least knowledge and material goods sometimes appear to be the happiest. Actually they were not happy. They merely are less discontented! They have not progressed as far in the WRONG DIRECTION as those who smugly and vainly supposed themselves to be their more intelligent betters!

Life has a PURPOSE. God has set in actual, inexorable motion definite LAWS to PRODUCE for man every happiness, security, and GOOD thing he desires—THE WAY OF LIFE that will fulfill God’s PURPOSE for our being!

LOOK! THINK! An automobile was designed and built by its human makers to transport passengers, and do it more speedily and in more comfort than the old horse and buggy. Would it not be ridiculous if the automobile had a mind and free volition of action, and it would say: “That’s silly! I don’t think I was made to transport people. I think I was made for some other purpose. I refuse to transport people. I want to be an instrument for viewing the stars in the heavens.”

Apparently it is only stupid, foolish man—with POTENTIAL mind power and CAPACITY for intelligence beyond any creature God has created—who says “WHY have you made me thus?”

WHAT, then is the PURPOSE for which we were put here?

Of this, mankind has totally lost all conception. To people spiritually drunk on the false material concepts of our day, the statement of that purpose would appear strange, absurd, impossible. It SO FAR transcends anything conceived by humanity in this blinded world that the statement of it would prove too great to be grasped and accepted.

Suffice it to say—and I shall leave it to another booklet to explain—man was put here for the PURPOSE of being conformed to, and finally stamped with the exact perfect CHARACTER of Jesus Christ! Write for the free booklet Why Were You Born?

Christ is now stamped with the identical CHARACTER IMAGE of God, as well as the shining, brilliant, glorified appearance of God! For a mortal human to be transformed into that perfect spiritual image means that we must be CHANGED!

The Bible pictures God as the Master Potter—us as the clay. Indeed we are, literally clay images of God—composed of the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7). As we now bear only the physical image of the “earthy,” we shall when changed, bear the spiritual image of the heavenly—of GOD (1 Corinthians 15:47-49). So we are clay images with human minds that are free moral agents. They may submit, or they may rebel. They have power of will, and of decision.

Free to Choose

Understand this! You are a free moral agent. God will never “cram” His religion down your throat.” He will never force you to decide His way or go His way. He not only allows you to choose the wrong way—He compels you to make your own decision. Otherwise His PURPOSE would be thwarted!

The living God has set two ways before us. One, His Way, the cause of all the good things you want here and now, plus eternal life in REAL SUCCESS continuously forever. The other the way of self-centeredness, vanity, greed, envy—the way mankind has gone, in rebellion against God and His Law—the way that causes all unhappiness, suffering, evils, and ends in death. And God compels you to choose! Yet He commands you to choose the Way that leads to REAL SUCCESS (see Deuteronomy 30:19).

You Need HELP

That ultimate TRUE Success is something you cannot attain to by yourself. The ingredient you lack is the GUIDANCE, the POWER and SPIRIT OF GOD.

You must make the decision. You must set this right GOAL. You must set your will. You must expend your full effort. You must WORK AT overcoming, growing and developing spiritually, and sticking with it. Yet GOD supplies the all-important ingredient—His power, His love, His faith—His guidance—HIS LIFE!

7th Law Changes Everything

Now look how DIFFERENT a whole life becomes when this SEVENTH SUCCESS LAW is utilized.

First, it will completely alter your overall major GOAL as I have just explained. Of course, you will have other minor goals—such as the profession or occupation to provide material needs, and HELP achieve the major goal. And these minor goals always must be compatible with and contributing to the major goal.

Your main goal, now, will be spiritual and not material. It will follow the WAY OF LIFE of the Ten Commandments. You will actually LIVE BY every Word of GOD—that is, the Bible!

Now re-examine the Second Law of SUCCESS.

Your EDUCATION and entire preparation will be DIFFERENT. You will seek to learn the TRUE VALUES of life—yes, of this life as well as the hereafter! This means your number one textbook will be the BIBLE. It will reveal to you the MIND OF CHRIST. This will provide your mental APPROACH in all education and practice.

Third, you will receive the KNOWLEDGE which God reveals about laws of HEALTH.

Take the FOURTH LAW. If you are motivated by GOD’S WORD, you’ll have DRIVE. God commands that you do what you do with your might! Apply yourself! Whatever is worth doing is worth doing the very best you can! Nine Biblical passages command that you apply your self with DILIGENCE! Ten other places in the Bible command us to BE DILIGENT. And 36 Scriptures command, or show the example of acting diligently! Many of these instruct us diligently to seek God’s guidance and help, several diligently to keep His commandments.

How about the businessman? “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before [obscure] men” (Proverbs 22:29).

The Bible does not condone laziness or shiftlessness. It counsels us to consider the ant and be wise. The Bible commands industriousness!

Solving Problems

Now, Law Number FIVE. No matter how intelligent, alert, or resourceful you may be, YOU NEED GOD’S WISDOM and HELP in solving the constant problems and meeting the recurring obstacles that beset life’s path. Whether it is in business, a profession, private life or what. The man who has CONTACT WITH GOD, who can take these matters—these emergencies—these problems—in the quietness of his private prayer room to the Throne of Grace and seek God’s counsel and advice IS GOING TO HAVE DIVINE GUIDANCE! That is, of course, provided he is submissive, obedient, diligent, faithful. WISDOM comes from GOD.

May I give you a personal example? God has blessed His Work, and caused it to grow into a tremendous worldwide activity, with offices around the world. God has set me in the position of human director and leader over this expanding enterprise, employing hundreds of people. We encounter problems of all kinds, constantly. I have problems to solve, obstacles to hurdle, policies to set, decisions to make which affect many lives—frequently involve many thousands of dollars, even millions. It is a weighty responsibility.

Always—and I can remember it from at least age 5—I have desired to have UNDERSTANDING. But more than fifty years ago, I discovered that I sadly lacked, yet sorely needed WISDOM. Having dedicated my life to live, literally, according to every word of God’s Instruction Book—the Bible—I obeyed this command of God: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God. . . and it shall be given” (James 1:5). He has given me wisdom. Of course He has allowed me to make mistakes—but never a major mistake that could threaten His great Work.

Wisdom must be applied to every specific circumstance individually. I learned many years ago the need of getting all of the facts bearing on a case before making a decision. But it requires more. God’s Word says that in multitude of counselors there is safety. In any important decision I call in the most competent possible counselors, specialists in the field involved.

You simply cannot know, if you have never had this divine help, how very, very much it means! We have been saved hundreds, of times from costly blunders. We are saved from worries and the “headaches” most businessmen have to suffer over such problems. We can proceed in CONFIDENCE—that assurance that is FAITH! What a blessing! What a comfort, and a joy!

It PAYS Off

People trying to live without the living CHRIST in their lives are missing the most practical and valuable asset they could have. In the language of our day, “IT PAYS OFF!” Of course, we have to expend our own effort. We have to really THINK. We use all our own effort. We have to really THINK. We use all our own resources and natural resourcefulness. But we have that added SECURITY of divine GUIDANCE. Often God simply works out CIRCUMSTANCES. He literally gives us “the breaks”! IT PAYS!

Finally, now, look at Success Law Number SIX. Perseverance—Stick-to-it-iveness—Enduring—Never quitting or giving up.

The Maker’s Instruction Book seems full of this. Jesus’ parable of the sower and the seed showed the four classes. All heard God’s Message. All were given the opportunity. Three classes GAVE UP. One never really got started. Two started out with joy and a great flourish, but let former friends, the cares of this material life, pleasures, choke them off, and discourage them. The other class of quitters simply did not have the depth of strength of character within themselves to stay with anything. They were just naturally quitters. Even of those who went on, and endured, some were more diligent, more resourceful, better prepared, more careful of health, and consequently developed farther in accomplishment than others. Theirs will be the greater reward!

Jesus Christ said, plainly, “He that endureth unto the END, the same shall be SAVED” (Matthew 24:13).

Yes, these Seven Laws are the WAY, not only to business and economic SUCCESS—they are THE LAWS that lead to rich, rewarding, interest-filled, abundant living and, in the end, to ETERNAL LIFE AND GLORY in the Kingdom of God.

It teaches you to choose the RIGHT GOAL. It teaches you to STUDY, to show yourself approved to your Maker. It teaches you to acquire KNOWLEDGE, right and true education—preparation for success. It teaches you to watch your health. It teaches diligence—drive—dedication, persistent application. It teaches resourcefulness, and offers you divine help in applying it—and it teaches STAYING WITH IT TO THE END!

WHAT A HAPPY LIFE God haw made available! What blessedness,–what JOY! What SECURITY, this life of implicit living FAITH—reliance on the Creator—GOD!

I know! I’ve been enjoying this life for more than fifty years! It’s a BUSY life—but it’s interesting, thrilling, happy, abundantly REWARDING! And to constantly look forward to the OVERALL GOAL—an eternity in THE KINGDOM OF GOD!

I want to SHARE that life with you! You may enjoy it too!

Christians should pray, study the Bible, and rely on God.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Prayer: What Does the Bible Teach? This free booklet contains 28 biblically-based tips on improving the effectiveness of your prayers. This is a pdf. A related two part sermon is available: What Does the Bible Teach About Prayer? and What does the Bible Teach About Prayer (& Healing)?
Why Were You Born? Why did God make you? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject. You may also wish to read the article What is Your Destiny? or watch the video, also titled What is Your Destiny?
Building Character: Going on to Perfection Once you have accepted Jesus, do you need to strive for perfection and build character? A related video sermon is available: Going on to perfection and building character.
What is the Meaning of Life? Who does God say is happy? What is your ultimate destiny? Do you really know? Does God actually have a plan for YOU personally? There is also a video titled What is the meaning of your life?
What Should I Pray About? An old article by Lynn Torrance on prayer.
Living as a Christian: How and Why? In what ways do Christians live differently than others. What about praying, fasting, tithing, holy days, and the world? There is also a YouTube video related to that also called: Living as a Christian: How and Why?
The Seven Laws of Success Information by Herbert W. Armstrong that can help people become successful.

Reuben Was in Palestine Until Deportation

COGwriter

Former WCG member Bert Otten of the Netherlands sent me a paper which included the following (the first five clues were in an earlier post:

6^th Clue: Reuben, wine!

And the children of Reuben built HESHBON, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim, And Nebo, … and SHIBMAH: and gave other names unto the cities which they builded (Num 32:37-38).

And Moses gave unto the tribe of the children of Reuben inheritance according to their families. And their coast was from Aroer, that is on the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the river, and all the plain by MEDEBA [Madaba in Jordan]; HESHBON, and all her cities that are in the plain; Dibon … and SIBMAH, … (Joshua 13:15-19).

For the fields of HESHBON languish, and the VINE of SIBMAH: the lords of the heathen have broken down the PRINCIPAL PLANTS thereof, they are come even unto Jazer, they wandered through the wilderness: HER BRANCHES are stretched out, they are gone over the sea. Therefore I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the VINE of SIBMAH: I will water thee with my tears, O HESHBON, and Elealeh: for the shouting for thy summer fruits and for thy HARVEST is fallen (Isaiah 16:8-9).

O VINE of SIBMAH, I will weep for thee with the weeping of Jazer: THY PLANTS are gone over the sea, THEY REACH EVEN to the sea of Jazer: the spoiler is fallen upon THY SUMMER FRUITS and upon THY VINTAGE (Jer 48:32).

Jordanian Wine

Some time ago I watched an interview on CNN with an Arab viticulturist Omar b. Zumot, nearby Jordanian Madaba (Medeba of the Bible). He was the first viticulturist in Jordan. They were making wine in the tribal area of Reuben!

From their website:

http://zumot-wines.com/ourPassion.php :

“When my father, Bulos Zumot, first started his business as a vintner in 1954, he had a dream. His dream was to give Jordan its niche on the map of world-class, quality wine. Though Jordan was one of the few to claim biblical origins for wine, it was nowhere on the world wine map. Local wineries made their wines using normal grapes resulting in sub-standard quality. The dream came to life in a patch of land in Madaba, near the historical Saint George Church, where we started growing the first wine grapes in Jordan. Adopting a ‘human-free’ growing policy, we decided to let nature take the lead. In our three main viticulture areas, no pesticides or artificial nutrients were used for over 13 years. Instead nature balanced itself and gave us its exceptional bounty: Wines rich with flavor, depth, and complexity.To us, nature is the true Winemaker, and wine is our passion.”

When I saw this interview I did not know yet about Sibmah’s and Heshbon’s notoriety for wine. Wouldn’t it be great if I could link up Reuben with wine in the Bible?, I thought. And then in writing about king Mesha (in the 5th clue) I discovered the viticulturist notoriety of Reubenite towns like Heshbon and Sibmah. And it is not just another mention of many. The Reuben tribal area, with Heshbon and Sibmah, are the only area and towns specifically mentioned with wine, with vinyards. They were famous for it in Israel!

Another indication: Reuben’s 4th son was named Carmi, which means my vineyard.

Wine production by country 2007[58]
Rank	Country (with link to wine article)	Production (tonnes)
1	France	4,711,600
2	Italy	4,251,380
3	Spain	3,520,870
4	United States***	2,259,870
5	Argentina	1,504,600
6	China (People’s Republic)*	1,450,000
7	Germany	1,026,100
8	South Africa	978,269
9	Australia	961,972
10	Chile	791,794
World**		26,416,532

France: Wine Country

France is a wine country, it is the wine country of the world. The French have a long viticultural tradition. Often they are the biggest wine producer (some years Italy is biggest) and they have many different kinds of wines. Their long tradition in winemaking has led to very high standards.

Wikipedia about French Wine

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_wine : French wine is produced all throughout France, in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year, or 7–8 billion bottles. France is one of the largest wine producers in the world. French wine traces its history to the 6th century BC, with many of France’s regions dating their wine-making history to Roman times. The wines produced range from expensive high-end wines sold internationally to more modest wines usually only seen within France …

Reforms – The wine classification system of France has been under overhaul since 2006, with a new system to be fully introduced by 2012. The new system consists of three categories rather than four, since there will be no category corresponding to VDQS from 2012. The new categories are:

Vin de France, a table wine category basically replacing Vin de Table, but allowing grape variety and vintage to be indicated on the label.

Indication Géographique Protégée (IGP), an intermediate category basically replacing Vin de Pays.

Appellation d’Origine Protégée (AOP), the highest category basically replacing AOC wines …

Wine styles … All common styles of wine – red, rosé, white (dry, semi-sweet and sweet), sparkling and fortified – are produced in France. In most of these styles, the French production ranges from cheap and simple versions to some of the world’s most famous and expensive examples. An exception is French fortified wines, which tend to be relatively unknown outside France …

If there is one thing that most French wines have in common, it is that most styles have developed as wines meant to accompany food, be it a quick baguette, a simple bistro meal, or a full-fledged multi-course menu.

7^th Clue: Reuben: dignité, honneur, grandeur

Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the EXCELLENCY of DIGNITY, and the EXCELLENCY of power (Genesis 49:3).

Dignity, honour …

Reuben would not be the most important, but he would still be important. He was still the eldest and first-born son. Being the firstborn gives dignity, honour, importance, grandeur, honneur. The phrase excellency of dignity is translated in other translations as:

-pre-eminence of dignity (ASV)

-pre-eminent in pride (RSV)

-first in pride (BBE)

-prééminent en dignité (DRB)

-supérieur en dignité (LSG & NEG).

French Culture

The above terminology sums it up and is more applicable to the French than anyone else. They have had the most dominant culture in Europe over the past 400 years. The upperclass, nobility, royalty, they all spoke French for centuries. For hundreds of years French was the international language, until the mid-twentieth century it was the diplomatic language.It was not until after World War II that English replaced French in importance. French is still the postal language.

French Language

French is ‘de la culture,‘ is allure, is grandeur – la plus belle langue – the most beautiful language, like the Frech are culture, grandeur and honneur.

Wikipedia about the French language

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language: French is the second-most widespread language worldwide after English, being an official language in 29 countries, most of which are members of la francophonie, the community of French-speaking countries. It is spoken as a first language in France, southern Belgium, western Switzerland, Monaco, the Canadian province of Quebec and by various communities elsewhere … In 2007, French was estimated to have around 75 million native speakers; and including native speakers, there are around 274 million people that are able to speak it … French has a long history as an international language of commerce, diplomacy, literature, and scientific standards and is an official language of many international organisations including the United Nations, the European Union, NATO, the WTO and the ICRC. In 2011, French was deemed by Bloomberg Businessweek to be one of the top three most useful languages for business, after English and Chinese … French replaced Latin as the most important language of diplomacy and international relations in the 17th century. It retained this role until approximately the middle of the 20th century, when it was replaced by English as the United States became the dominant global power following the Second World War … Paris – City of la Haute Couture

Wikipedia – French Literature

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_literature: As of 2006, French writers have been awarded more Nobel Prizes in Literature than novelists, poets and essayists of any other country. France itself ranks first in the list of Nobel Prizes in literature by country.

French literature has been for French people an object of national pride for centuries, and it has been one of the most influential components of the literature of Europe … Under the aristocratic ideals of the ancien régime (the “honnête homme”), the nationalist spirit of post-revolutionary France, and the mass educational ideals of the Third Republic and modern France, the French have come to have a profound cultural attachment to their literary heritage. Today, French schools emphasize the study of novels, theater and poetry (often learnt by heart). The literary arts are heavily sponsored by the state and literary prizes are major news. The Académie française and the Institut de France are important linguistic and artistic institutions in France, and French television features shows on writers and poets (one of the most watched shows on French television was Apostrophes, a weekly talk show on literature and the arts). Literature matters deeply to the people of France and plays an important role in their sense of identity.

The above is an example of the excellency of dignity, identifying the French with Reuben.

Honneur & Grandeur, Charles de Gaulle

A good example of French grandeur and honneur is Charles de Gaulle. Churchill and Roosevelt were not very fond of him, but could not ignore him. De Gaulle embodied France, and hence was grandeur and honneur. The Dutch often want to save their skin and their trade, for the French honour comes first, l’honneur! It has often made them arrogant in the eyes of others. The French armament industry, la Force de Frappe (French nuclear bombs), their permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council, they are all stakes to save French honour (l’honneur) in this Anglo-Saxon dominated world.

8^th Clue: Reuben, jealous of Ephraim

And now thy two sons, who were born … before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, shall be mine (Gen 48:5).

And the sons of REUBEN the first-born of Israel (for he was the FIRST-BORN; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father’s couch, HIS BIRTHRIGHT WAS GIVEN UNTO THE SONS OF JOSEPH the son of Israel; and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright. For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the prince; but the BIRTHRIGHT was Joseph’s), the sons of Reuben the first-born of Israel: Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi (1Chron 5:1-3).

Reuben was the firstborn and from Judah came a prince, and later the Prince, but Ephraim (England) and Manasseh (USA), the sons of Joseph (Anglo-Saxon nations), got the birthright of the firstborn. They received the great blessing of national prosperity, the best parts of the earth and the (sea)gates of their enemies. They received the blessings of national greatness promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Without knowing the above we see that French history and French spirit are dominated by jealousy towards England since the Hundred Years’ War (1339 – 1453). Again and again France tries to be the head (Louis XIV, Napoleon, Napoleon III), and again and again England prevails. Since 1815, since the battle of Waterloo, they have not waged war anymore against each other. Many times they have been allies over the past two centuries. In contrast the French were at war with the Germans (Prussians) three times in 75 years, 1870-71; 1914-1918 and 1939-1945.

One would expect a bigger dislike for Germans than for English – who helped them out twice against the Germans! – but no! There is a lot of French envy and jealousy towards the English. The Reuben – Joseph relationship between the French and English peoples put these things into perspective.

9^th Clue: Reuben, excellent, supérieur

Reuben, … my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the EXCELLENCY of power (Gen 49:3, KJV)

Reuben, … my might, and the beginning of my strength; The pre-eminence of dignity, and the PRE-EMINENCE of power (Gen 49 :3, ASV).

Reuben! … My power, and beginning of my strength, The abundance of exaltation, And the ABUNDANCE of strength (Gen 49 :3, YLT).

There is a lot af strength, might, intelligence, superior thinking, among the French. In this clue I want to stress the positive sides of Reuben’s excellence, dignity and pre-eminence. First of all there are French literature, art, sculptors and scientists.

French writers and thinkers

As far as French writers, thinkers and philosophers are concerned, let me just name a few: Descartes, Montesquieu, Voltaire, Rousseau, Diderot, Zola, Sartre, Victor Hugo, Camus, Molière, Baudelaire Flaubert, etc. Also see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_French-language_authors

Metric System

Geniality is often found in simple and plain things. The French metric system is an example of that. From 1790 to 1798 a committee of mathematicians and physicists designed the metric system for the French revolutionary government.

Every country had its own pounds, ounces and miles, not in alignment with each other, and with complicated measurements. One British pound of 1969 was 20 shillings and each shilling was 12 pence, so there were 240 pence to the pound.

There were 12 inches to the foot and I have forgotten about yards, furlongs and miles. Just try to calculate the surface of something.

During the French revolution the French came with a system based on the 10, the decimal system, in which the next measure was tenfold the first: 10 millimeter was 1 centimeter, 10 centimeter was 1 decimeter, 10 decimeter was 1 meter and 1000 meters was 1 kilometer. On top of that there was a perfect link to weights and cubic sizes. One cubic decimeter of water was 1 liter, weighing 1 kilogram. Super simple and genious at the same time! The Anglo-Saxon nations resisted the metric system for about 150 years, but most of them have given in … except for yards and miles in traffic.

Other benefits of French history are the Napoleonic Code or Civil Code. Since then we have seperation of Church and State and a bureaucratic registration of births, deaths and marriages, and a compulsary first name and family name for everyonIn the wake of the French Revolution Napoleon conquered Europe. In 1815 he lost it all and France was cut back to pre-Napoleonic times. The French left. However, much of the Code Civil stayed and the metric system conquered Europe.

Departments

Another smart system is the way departments are numbered. Nearly all départements are named after rivers and mountains. In this way one learns the mountains and rivers along with the departments, as they are alphabetically ordered. Ain becomes 01, Bouches du Rhöne (Marseille) 13, Nord (Lille) 59, Rhône (Lyon) 69, Seine (Paris) 75. The numbers of the departments are also the postal codes, so Paris is 75000. The arrondissements make up the final two figures, 75014 is the 14th arrondissement within Paris, 75000. On top of that the final two figures of motorcar numberplates are the number of the departement (and postal code). A car with 1234 AB 59 comes from le Nord, 1234 ABC 75 comes from Paris en 6789 XV 69 from le Rhône, so from Lyon. A bit complicated for foreigners, but very simple and ingenious for the French.

Armament Industry

The French have a lot of high technology, just think of the French armament industry. The five biggest arms exporters in 2010–14 were the United States, Russia, China, Germany and France.

http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/french-foreign-policy-1/economic-diplomacy/supporting-french-businesses-7569/strategic-sector-support/defence-industries-and/ :

With 5,000 companies and 400,000 jobs in the defence sector (165,000 of which directly involve armaments), French manufacturing accounts for over a quarter of European capacity. …

The French defence industry, whose main companies – Dassault Aviation, DCNS, EADS, MBDA, Nexter, Safran, Thales – are European and even world leaders, can be seen at international arms trade shows, the Paris Air Show in le Bourget, Eurosatory, Euronaval and Milipol, which attract hundreds of thousands of visitors to France.

Reuben, France, has an abundance of strength, excellency of dignity and power.

10^th Clue: Reuben, Gad & Manasseh

And Moses gave unto them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and unto half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land, with the cities thereof in the coasts, even the cities of the country round about (Numbers 32:33).

With whom the Reubenites and the Gadites have received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, BEYOND JORDAN eastward, even as Moses the servant of the LORD gave them (Joshua 13:8).

And when they came unto the borders of Jordan, that are in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by Jordan, a great altar to see to (Joshua 22:10).

The Trans-Jordan Tribes

The Trans-Jordan tribes have a special relationship with each other, due to their geography and their history (Joshua-Judges).

They showed great independence by wanting to live outside the original borders of the Promised Land (Num 20:24; 32:7), and also in their construction of the Great Altar (Josh 22). Because of the River Jordan in the low Jordan valley these tribes were relatively ‘far away’ from the other tribes. They were frequently subjected by Moab and Aram.

This being ‘far away’ from the other tribes, this independence, can be noticed among all three tribes today. The USA (Manasseh) suffer from regularly returning isolationism, and today (written in 2003, invasion of Iraq) they operate mainly by themselves on the world stage. We dealt with France’s (Reuben) obstinate and independent attitude in world politics (think of its role in NATO). Switzerland (Gad) is so independent, that they did not even want to be a member of the United Nations for 45 years. None of these three are monarchies, all three of them are republics.

Reuben – Manasseh

There is a special bond between Reuben and half-Manasseh and we see this in the special relationship USA-France. The American Declaration of Independence is based on French writers, like Montesquieu. French intellectuals were a source of inspiration for the American Revolution (1776-1783). That revolution with its writings was an extra impetus for the French Revolution of 1789. The last degenerated into the Reign of Terror.

There remained a bond between the two countries. In 1803 Napoleon sold the last French possessions, the Louisiana Purchase, for 15 million dollars to the United States. The area included the whole mid-west, from New Orleans to the south of Canada and was bigger than the existing United States at the time.

The United States remained anti-English and pro-French, for in the War of 1812-1815, they fought at the side of Napoleon … against England. With the Louisiana Purchase quite a few French had become American, as Frenchmen had settled in the crescent from Québec to New Orleans: Québec, Trois-Rivières, Montréal, Detroit (d’étroit), Terre Haute, Dubuque, Des Moines, Saint Louis, Beaumont, Bâton Rouge, la Nouvelle Orléans.

Statue of Liberty

To emphasize the bond between the two nations, the French made and gave the Statue of Liberty to the USA soon after the Centennial of the USA. They kept a 11.5 meters high copy which is in front of a bridge in the River Seine in Paris.

In World War I and II the Americans came twice to the aid of France and on top of that France received a lot through the Marshall Plan. French may resist Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and other americanising trends, but yet many French (Reuben) have a weakness for Americans (Manasseh). When they have to, many prefer speaking American English to British English.

Now although not all would agree with the above, I thought Bert Otten’s comments were a COG news item that some may find of interest. Since his paper was long, I only have put together the first five clues in WordPress format, but plan to have the others available at a later time.

I have also written an article titled: The ‘Lost Tribe’ of Reuben: France in Prophecy? along with a video sermon: The ‘Lost Tribe’ of Reuben that some might find helpful.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

The ‘Lost Tribe’ of Reuben: France in Prophecy? What is the origin of this in France? What is prophesied to happen to them? A two-part sermon related to history and prophecy is available online: The ‘Lost Tribe’ of Reuben and France and Prophecy.
Terror: Will Paris be Destroyed? The Paris office of Charlie Hebdo were attacked in January 2015 and the City of Paris was hit with multiple terrorist attacks in November 2015. Will Paris be destroyed? Is more terrorism prophesied? Will a successful militaristic leader arise in Europe? What do biblical and Catholic prophecies teach? Could any non-biblical prophecies be devices of Satan that will deceive people about what will happen? Dr. Thiel answers these questions and more through scriptures and other writings. This is a video.
The Prophesied ‘Islamic’ Confederation Where is an Islamic caliphate prophesied? Will one happen? Should you be concerned about it? Here is a link to a related video video: Will an Arabic Calphiphate Destroy the West?
How Will Middle East Peace be Brought About? Can humans bring peace to the Middle East? Here is a link to a related video: Middle East Peace? When?
Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations? Some claim that these passages refer to a gathering of 10 currently existing nations together, while one group teaches that this is referring to 11 nations getting together. Is that what Revelation 17:12-13 refers to? The ramifications of misunderstanding this are enormous. A related sermon is titled Ten Kings of Revelation and the Great Tribulation.
Ten clues tying Belgium and Luxembourg with the tribe of Asher Who did some in Belgium and Luxembourg descend from?
Ten clues tying Zebulun with the Dutch Who did some in the Netherlands descend from? Here is a link to information about doctrine in the Dutch language Verklaring van geloofspunten van de Continuing Church of God.
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
European Technology and the Beast of Revelation Will the coming European Beast power would use and develop technology that will result in the taking over of the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies? Is this possible? What does the Bible teach? Here is a related YouTube video: Military Technology and the Beast of Revelation.
Might German Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg become the King of the North? Is the former German Defense Minister (who is also the former German Minister for Economics and Technology) one to watch? What do Catholic, Byzantine, and biblical prophecies suggest?
Germany’s Assyrian Roots Throughout History Are the Germanic peoples descended from Asshur of the Bible? Have there been real Christians in Germanic history? What about the “Holy Roman Empire”? There is also a You-Tube video sermon on this titled Germany’s Biblical Origins.
Germany in Biblical and Catholic Prophecy Does Assyria in the Bible equate to an end time power inhabiting the area of the old Roman Empire? What does prophecy say Germany will do and what does it say will happen to most of the German people?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European? The Book of Revelation tells of a beast power that will rise up. Some think that this must be Russia or could be Islamic, while others say that this power is European. The Book of Daniel tells of the rise of an end time King of the North that some think must be referring to a Russian leader, while others say that this power is European. How can you be sure? This YouTube video has all the scriptural proofs that you should need to prove that this power must be a European one.
The Arab and Islamic World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam? What about the Imam Mahdi? What lies ahead for Turkey, Iran, and the other non-Arabic Muslims? An item of possibly related interest in the Spanish language would be: Líderes iraníes condenan la hipocresía de Occidente y declaran que ahora es tiempo para prepararse para el Armagedón, la guerra, y el Imán Mahdi.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
British are the Covenant People What do ‘British’ and ‘Britain’ mean in Hebrew? Are the descendants of the Anglo-Saxons people of the covenant? Does the British royal family connect to the throne of David? What does the Bible teach? What does history show us? Is there any DNA evidence related to British-Israelism? When did Christianity make it to the British Isles? Could Jeremiah have made it to the British Isles? What type of Christians made it to the British Isles? Did the last King of England believe in British Israelism?
Persecutions by Church and State This article documents some that have occurred against those associated with the COGs and some prophesied to occur. Will those with the cross be the persecutors or the persecuted–this article has the shocking answer. There is also a YouTube video sermon you can watch: The Coming Persecution of the Church. Here is information in the Spanish language: Persecuciones de la Iglesia y el Estado.
World War III: Steps in Progress Are there surprising actions going on now that are leading to WWIII? Might a nuclear attack be expected? Does the Bible promise protection to all or only some Christians? How can you be part of those that will be protected? A related video would be Is World War III About to Begin? Can You Escape?