CGG Has Prophecy Wrong

Laodicea Has Many Scattered Structures that Are Relatively Ineffective

As a result of my recent post of a news link from CGG, a reader contacted me and wanted to point out that CGG has a variety of prophetic errors. And while I have long known that (please see Teachings of Church of the Great God), this seemed to be a good time to point at least one of them out.

The following is from a CGG sermon transcript from its website (COG-related websites are at COGs: Churches of God) and was titled Where is the Beast Part I:

My entire 43 years in the church I have been taught, and I have taught, that we should look for the Beast to arise in Europe; but where is it? Perhaps the most deceiving of all is that Europe isn’t acting much like the Beast described in the book of Revelation. Doesn’t the scripture say, “Who can make war against the Beast?” Doesn’t that exclamation give you a fairly specific picture? Do you know of anybody that fears Europe? Internationally, Europe as a whole is a joke in terms of terrifying power. Europe is not coming together in the way that we anticipated. Europe is not becoming the colossus that we expected to see arise. Europe is, in reality, disunited, flat on its back politically, economically, militarily, and religiously.

There are many errors with the above.

First, the Europeans are uniting and growing larger.

Second, they do have major military plans. For years it has been working on the Galileo GPS system which it intends to use for military purposes (see EU, UK, US, Asia, & Galileo). Europe also has started to test the Large Hadron Collider (see Why Prophecy? Because the LHC Will Not End the World Next Week), which is considered as the premier physics project in the entire world–this is attracting many of the leading scientists and is likely to improve its military abilities.

The Bible is clear that the Europeans (Assyria in prophecy) do not think that they wish to be militaristic, but that it is clearly part of their nature. Notice:

5 “Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger
And the staff in whose hand is My indignation.
6 I will send him against an ungodly nation,
And against the people of My wrath
I will give him charge,
To seize the spoil, to take the prey,
And to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
7 Yet he does not mean so,
Nor does his heart think so;
But it is in his heart to destroy,
And cut off not a few nations (Isaiah 10:5-7).

Thirdly, like the old WCG under Herbert W. Armstrong, we in the Living Church of God teach that the ten toes of Daniel 2 are referring to a union that is fragile:

42 And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile (Daniel 2:42).

This clearly does apply to the Europeans.

Fourthly, the ecumenical efforts of the Catholics, led by the recent popes and the current Cardinal Walter Kasper (Catholic/Orthodox: Ecumenicalism Required) are setting the stage for a religious revival in Europe. Once the Europeans clearly determine that radical Islam cannot be tolerated (and they are moving in that direction now), most WILL embrace an ecumenical form of Catholicism.

Furthermore in that same sermon, CGG’s John Ritenbaugh also stated:

Even though Europe is planning uniting far beyond the prophesied ten nations, to twenty-five nations by 2007, the attempt to unite, combined with the laws being enacted by those people in Brussels—enacted to make standards uniform—are producing the opposite effect, because each of these nations involved has personal interests to protect. The more laws that are enacted by this group in Brussels, the more it is irritating these other nations. Europe is, in fact, declining in many areas important to being a super power that reflects what the Bible shows the world-dominating Beast to be.

And of course, instead of shrinking, the European Union has gotten larger. And many more nations are trying to join it. And I should add that the Bible does not state that the EU is limited to ten current nation states. Notice specifically what the Apostle John was inspired to write:

12 The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast (Revelation 17:12).

The fact that they do not have a kingdom as of yet, but will receive authority for a short while indicates that these are not ten current nations, but will be some type of future political entity that will apparently transcend current national boundaries.

Now later in that same sermon, John Ritenbaugh added this disclaimer and odd comments:

With that foundation, I want to emphasize to you that what I’m going to speak on from here on is not church doctrine. I am thinking out of the box. I’m speculating, based on what I see going on right now, and I’m actually looking to you for help, for ideas, for criticisms and suggestions. Now events may happen that will change my point of view in the future, but right now it looks like either a major portion of “the Beast” may be arising in the nations of Israel, led by the United States and the United Kingdom, or the woman riding the Beast in Revelation 17 consists of the nations of Israel, led by the United States and the United Kingdom. That is the one that I presently consider most likely at this point.

Well, he can state that this is not church doctrine, but if those in his church do not believe that the Europeans are to be the Beast power and that the Anglo-Americans are, then it shows that he is leading his followers down the wrong path on this just like he has on other doctrines/speculations/etc. (see Teachings of Church of the Great God). Furthermore, if this is not CGG’s position, then perhaps it should take steps to remove it from CGG’s official website.

Now, since John Ritenbaugh said he was willing to consider changing his position, perhaps he should study the following:

3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry…
6 “Will not all these take up a proverb against him, And a taunting riddle against him, and say, ‘Woe to him who increases What is not his–how long? And to him who loads himself with many pledges’? 7 Will not your creditors rise up suddenly? Will they not awaken who oppress you? And you will become their booty (Habakkuk 2:3,7).

The above clearly applies to the Americans being destroyed in the end times as it is the USA which is the most indebted nation in the history of humanity. And as Habakkuk reported at the appointed time of the end, it is the indebted who would be destroyed by their creditors.

Thus, the USA and its Anglo-nation allies are NOT destined to become the ultimate economic power of the world. To the contrary, they are now in decline while the Europeans are rising up.

Perhaps those in CGG will reconsider their positions here. For if they do not, they will not see what truly is happening.

Several articles of possibly related interest may include:

Church of the Great God This group says the bride must first be made ready. Might this lead to a selfish bride? It also seriously misunderstands certain aspects of end-time prophecy.
There are Many COGs: Why Support the Living Church of God? This is an article for those who wish to more easily sort out the different COGs. It really should be a MUST READ for current and former WCG members or any interested in supporting the faithful church. It also explains a lot of what the COGs are all about.
Prophecies of Barack Obama? Are there biblical and non-biblical prophecies about Barack Obama. Did Nostradamus predict Barack Obama dealing with the Antichrist? Might Barack Obama set the stage for the kings of the North and South as at least one Shiite prophecy suggests.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States Some claim that Barack Obama is the prophesied “son of Kenya”, based up an early 20th century writing.
Barack Obama in Islamic Prophecy? There is actually a 17th century Shiite prophecy that some believe that Barack Obama will fulfill that will lead to a rising up of Islam.
End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? There is a Mayan calendar prediction for change in 2012. 2012 changes were also centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans and the Hindu Indians (who were not even on the same continent). Do these Mayan/Hindu/Hopi prophecies have any value? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Does the Dresden codex show destruction of the earth by flood? Can the great tribulation start before 2012?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2009, 2010, or 2011? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?
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”?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies 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?