Longtime PCG congregant brings out some false predictions by Gerald Flurry

(From thetrumpet.com)

In the past couple of days, I received two emails from a longtime PCG congregant.

Here is the first one:

Hi Dr Thiel,

I’ve just finished reading your PCG teachings page. Well done on putting together such a comprehensive refutation of their heresies. I have a couple of interesting bits of information that you might like to know…

In the lead-up to the 1994 soccer world cup in the USA, Gerald Flurry made a prediction that there would be some sort of disaster at the world cup that would be televised worldwide because of the extra media attention on the USA during that time. Obviously, nothing happened.

Toward the end of the Feast of Tabernacles in 1992 (it would’ve been in the afternoon of the 7th day of the FoT in the USA because it was a very early morning service on the LGD in Australia), during a global phone hook-up sermon, Gerald Flurry made probably the only correct prediction I’ve ever heard him make: “We’ll be in the place of safety in one to four years, or I’m a false prophet!” Obviously, the bit about the place of safety isn’t the part that he got right. So, the only prophetic prediction that I’m aware of that he has got absolutely 100% correct is that he would be shown to be a false prophet. The irony of it… he has set himself up to be a prophet, but his own words are his condemnation!

Anyway, I hope you’re in good health. I’m also sorry to hear about the death of Mr Close. Please pass my condolences to his family.

Thanks and Regards,

After receiving this, I emailed the sender back and asked if he was ever a PCG member or how he knew some of this. Plus, mentioned to him that I would possibly post this without his name. He responded with another email as follows:

Hi Dr Thiel,

Technically, I wasn’t a PCG member (I’ve never been baptised), but I attended with my parents from age 15 (nearly 16, just before FoT ’92) to age 28. The main thing that made the false prophet remark stick in my head was that the maximum time GRF gave would’ve had me get toward the end of my second year of an engineering degree at university, and I was wondering if I would learn enough to be able to design houses for people in the millennium, so his comment got attached to my hopes of being an engineer, and I never forgot it. I also remember thinking that he was very bold in making such a statement, because if it didn’t eventuate, people might remember and it might backfire, with people leaving the church. My mother says that she remembers GRF making the claim, but I’m not sure if she had a proper recollection, or if it was only me asking her about it recently that put a seed into her head, so I’m not entirely sure whether I can point you to a true second witness to the false prediction and “false prophet” remark, even though one is available. I haven’t asked my father if he remembers the remark, but again, that could be tainting the potential witness. The best thing would be an actual recording, but the PCG was always a bit paranoid about the tapes/CDs being copied, so I have no idea if one exists outside their control. I’ve just had a look for a recording, in case one got out sometime, and I’ve found a list of sermons at http://www.pcog.info/Sermons.htm but the dates there don’t align for an early morning hook-up for Australia for the LGD (day before for USA), so I have to admit that I’m starting to doubt my memory of the exact day it was given. I’ll keep looking for recordings from that FoT and if I find it, I’ll let you know (including a time stamp so you won’t have to waste your time listening to GRF for too long).

For the soccer world cup prediction, one of the members where I attended kept saying for a few weeks after the sermon that he was telling his workmates that something bad would happen in the USA, but he wasn’t game enough to say it would happen during the world cup, so he said that he told them that some extremely catastrophic disaster would happen within the next four years (I probably would’ve forgotten about GRF’s prediction if the local member hadn’t kept saying about it every week). The local guy wasn’t a member at the time of FoT ’92, so he hadn’t heard the phone hook-up (unless he had heard a tape of it), but he definitely got the four year maximum from at least one of GRF’s sermons (he admitted it at the time). I can’t specifically recall other times GRF claimed that timeframe, but I vaguely recall that it did seem to pop up from time to time. Unfortunately, the member who this false prediction moved so much now has Alzheimer’s disease, so I can’t provide a second witness to this one. I can’t remember how many weeks out from the world cup the prediction was made, so that makes finding a recording even more difficult than the false prophet statement.

I’m not sure how much this helps, but I hope it does.

Thanks and Regards,

So, the above man was a PCG congregant for over 15 years. Now, I too, had heard about some of the earlier false predictions by Gerald Flurry, but because I do not listen to his sermons, I do not recall all the particulars of those the longtime PCG congregant referred to.

That being said, as regular readers of this COGwriter Church of God News page are aware that I have posted various specific predictions that demonstrate Gerald Flurry is a false prophet.

Years back, I pointed out that his views of Vladmir Putin being the Prince of Rosh in Ezekiel 38 were in scriptural error (see also PCG pushing view that Vladmir Putin is prophesied as the ‘Prince of Rosh,’ while Russia also moves further away from the USA dollar).

PCG’s Gerald Flurry was completely proven wrong a year ago related to his interpretations of Amos 7 when Joe Biden became President of the United States (see Biden-Harris Inaugurated: Gerald Flurry and Don Billingsley again proven wrong).

Gerald Flurry had claimed in the January 2021 edition of his Philadelphia Trumpet magazine:

By most appearances, Joe Biden will be America’s next president. But I absolutely do not believe that at all. Mr. Trump will weather this storm too. Regardless of what the media says or how things look right now, I am confident Donald Trump will remain president.

Why? Because a Biden presidency is contrary to Bible prophecy. …

The prophecy in Amos 7 strongly indicates that Mr. Trump and the man who fills the role of Amaziah will reject God’s warning and then use the Supreme Court to expel God’s Church from America. This prophecy has not happened—which is another reason why Mr. Trump must remain president! https://www.thetrumpet.com/23193-why-donald-trump-will-remain-americas-president

No, a Biden presidency was not contrary to Bible prophecy, only contrary to Gerald Flurry’s misunderstandings and false predictions related to scripture. As far as the Biden Administration goes, it is fulfilling many warnings I made about it (for some details, see Have published COGwriter warnings about Joe Biden come to pass?).

As far as Amos 7 goes, PCG’s Gerald Flurry also was proven wrong on something else Gerald Flurry published in April 2017:

A Time of Extreme Urgency

Amos “warned the people that the supreme moment of their success was but the prelude to their doom” (Soncino commentary). This is what we are looking at with Donald Trump assuming the American presidency. Some people believe there was good news in this election. The Republican side was ecstatic. Right after the election, Rush Limbaugh said, “We just got our country back!” But they didn’t! The “good news” is a mirage. It is a false hope.

This is actually a prelude to America’s doom. A man is on the scene whose house God is going to take out by the sword! Conditions in America may improve for a short time. It may even help the work of God. But its ultimate end is destruction. Our people are going to face the wrath of God until they repent!

Amos 7:7-17 show that our time is very limited. What is going to happen in the next four years or perhaps even less?

This is one of the strongest, most urgent warnings in the Bible!

“Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit” (verse 14). Amos had no formal seminary or college training. God simply gave him a job. Even without “credentials,” God used this man!

“Now therefore hear thou the word of the Lord: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac. Therefore thus saith the Lord; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land” (verses 16-17). Amos had a very different view from Amaziah: He knew this was a message from God!

“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord” (Amos 8:11). How will this famine of the word come about? God’s Church will be forced to leave. No one will be here to deliver the message anymore. When this faithful remnant of God’s people is taken to a place of safety, God’s message will cease, except what we do from there. The nations of Israel have had over 80 years to heed this message, but soon they will not be able to even find it.

Verse 14 talks about people who are going to “fall, and never rise up again.” This is talking about 50 percent of God’s own Laodicean or lukewarm church who will lose their eternal lives! What a tragedy—the greatest tragedy in this end time! …

If there are protesters who can stand up and speak out so boldly against President Trump, shouldn’t the people of God speak out boldly? We have to warn this nation! Verse 2 concludes, “and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither.” The Anchor Bible says the subject here is a cosmic holocaust—a nuclear holocaust! God is about to send nuclear fire! (see also verses 4, 7, 10, 12, 14; 2:2, 5). https://www.thetrumpet.com/14642-who-is-the-modern-day-jeroboam viewed 01/21/21

So according to Gerald Flurry’s interpretation of Amos 7, 50% of Laodiceans were going to lose their eternal lives by April of 2021, which was four years after Gerald Flurry’s article was officially published (it actually was published a month or so earlier). Gerald Flurry was absolutely and clearly wrong about that. And while the USA may well experience a nuclear fire, it will not happen before 2025. Gerald Flurry is NOT God’s prophet.

I have long expected that the mistakes of PCG’s Gerald Flurry and also RCG’s David Pack would become more obvious (David Pack has made several last year that Jesus would return which never happened–and years ago he seemed to me to have blamed God for being wrong on one or more of his predictions). As I have publicly written before, I do not believe that PCG’s Gerald Flurry and RCG’s David Pack are truly Christian–they claim to be in the Church of God, but I do not believe that they are. I believe that the following are applicable to them:

1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. (2 Peter 2:1-3)

9 Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie — indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. (Revelation 3:9)

People should not support leaders that claim to be faithful, yet have the fruits that they are of the synagogue of Satan (cf. Deuteronomy 18:17-22; John 8:44).

Notice the following:

17 “And the Lord said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good. 18 I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. 19 And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him. 20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ 21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’ — 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him. (Deuteronomy 18:17-22)

The Bible says people should listen to God’s true prophets, that certainly does not include Gerald Flurry. Gerald Flurry has again been proven false. He did not just make some inadvertent error (like a typo), he presumptuously and repeatedly insisted that Donald Trump would remain in office now. That did NOT happen.

According to the Bible, Gerald Flurry is a false prophet.

PCG posted:

December 17, 2020

Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry’s cover story for the January 2021 Trumpet issue is titled “Why Donald Trump Will Remain America’s President.” It explains that President Trump will remain in office because of Bible prophecies in 2 Kings 14 and Amos 7. Now that the Electoral College has voted for Joe Biden, some earthshaking frauds are going to have to be exposed for these prophecies to be fulfilled. https://www.thetrumpet.com/23279-prominent-election-attorney-stock-up-on-guns-and-ammunition/print

Gerald Flurry was clearly wrong about “prophecies.” Donald Trump did not remain in office. As far as published statements regarding the Trump Administration go, unlike Gerald Flurry, what I published and warned did happen (for details, see Donald Trump comments and leaves; COGwriter lists 20 items related to him that began to come to pass).

The New Testament teaches:

21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. (1 Thessalonians 5:21)

Gerald Flurry’s insistence that Donald Trump would remain in office shows that he failed the test.

Furthermore years ago, Gerald Flurry originally taught that Joe Tkach, Sr. was the man of sin, but after he died, changed that to be Joe Tkach, Jr. And while neither were/are the man of sin (see Who is the Man of Sin of 2 Thessalonians 2?), this was another false position of Gerald Flurry that those in PCG have tended to overlook.

Gerald Flurry has a history of clearly being proven wrong on many of his prophetic interpretations.

While Christians should heed true prophets and not despise prophecies (1 Thessalonians 5:20), the fact that Donald Trump is the FORMER PRESIDENT shows that he did not remain as president and PCG’s Gerald Flurry has again been proven to have spoken presumptuously.

Those who have enough of “the love of the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:10) should clearly be able to see that Gerald Flurry is NOT God’s prophet, but a false one.

Some items of possibly related interest may include the following:

Why Be Concerned About False and Heretical Leaders? There have been many false leaders–here is some of why you should be concerned about them. Here is a related article in the Spanish language ¿Por qué estar preocupado acerca de falsos y heréticos líderes?
Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18? Does any church have the confirmed dream and prophetic signs of Acts 2:17-18? Should one? Here is a link in the Spanish language: ¿Tiene la CCOG confirmadas las señales de Hechos 2: 17-18? Here is a link in the French language: Est-ce que l’Église Continue de Dieu confirme les signes d’Actes 2:17-18? A related sermon in the English language is also available: 17 Last Days’ Signs of the Holy Spirit.
Church of God Leaders on Prophets Have there been prophets throughout the church age? Are any supposed to be around in the last days? What have COG leaders stated or written about prophets? Here is a link to a related sermon: Church of God Leaders on Prophets.
How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God There are many false prophets. How can Christians determine who is a true prophet? There is also a sermon-length video titled How to determine if someone is a true prophet of God. Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Cómo determinar si alguien es un verdadero profeta de Dios?
Herbert W. Armstrong, the Philadelphia Church, & the Mantle Herbert Armstrong claims God had him raise the Philadelphia up. Are there reasons to believe that the Philadelphia mantle in now within the CCOG? Here is a link to a related sermon: Herbert W. Armstrong and the Philadelphia Mantle.
Is the USA prophesied to be destroyed by 2028? bAre there prophetic reasons to believe that the USA will not last two complete presidential terms? Yes. There is a tradition attributed to the Hebrew prophet Elijah that humanity had 6,000 years to live before being replaced by God’s Kingdom. There are scriptures, writings in the Talmud, early Christian teachings that support this. Also, even certain Hindu writings support it. This is a video.
Biden-Harris: Prophecies and Destruction Can the USA survive two full presidential terms? In what ways are Joe Biden and Kamala Harris apocalyptic? This book has hundreds of prophecies and scriptures to provide details. A Kindle version is also available and you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to your free Kindle reader app (or if you already have one or a Kindle), you can go to: Biden-Harris: Prophecies and Destruction (Kindle) to get the book in seconds.
6. The Philadelphia Church Era was predominant circa 1933 A.D. to 1986 A.D. The old Radio Church of God and old Worldwide Church of God, now the remnant of that era is basically the most faithful in the Church of God, like who hold to the beliefs and practices of the Continuing Church of God.
7. The Laodicean Church Era has been predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. The Laodiceans are non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG or its offshoots. They do not properly understand the work or biblical prophecies and will face the Great Tribulation if they do not repent. One video of related interest is 17 Laodicean Errors in Prophecy. See also Do You Hold to Any of These Laodicean Prophetic Errors?
Who is the Man of Sin of 2 Thessalonians 2? Is this the King of the North, the ten-horned beast of Revelation 13:1-11, or the two-horned Beast of Revelation 13:12-16? Some rely on traditions, but what does the Bible teach? Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Quién es el Hombre de Pecado de 2 Tesalonicenses 2?; here is a link to a video in Spanish: ¿Quién es el ‘hombre de pecado’? Here is a version in Mandarin: N;ÿ Œf/’Y’jNº’ÿ Here is a link to a related English sermon video titled: The Man of Sin will deceive most ‘Christians’.
PCG: Teachings Unique to the Philadelphia Church of God Simply calling oneself ‘Philadelphia’ does not make one so (see Revelation 3:7-9), nor does Gerald Flurry calling himself “that prophet” make it so. This article provides many quotes from this group which tries to look faithful.