‘Book of Miracles’? End: May 15, 2017? Malm: Great Tribulation 2019?

A reader sent me a link to the following:

April 25, 2017

Giant locusts swarm around a jagged aquamarine mountain. Great whales and strange beasts flounder amid stormy seas. Inky skies rain hailstones and blood. These bizarre and terrifying visions are found in the Augsburg Book of Miraculous Signs, also called the Book of Miracles. It is a beautifully illustrated manuscript created in the German city in the mid-16th Century but only recently discovered and now collected in a new edition, by Till-Holger Borchert and Joshua P Waterman. …

“I remember that when I first saw the images in the flesh,” Till-Holger Borchert tells BBC Culture, “I was awestruck by the very touching combination of simplicity and beauty in systematically depicting catastrophes of all times.”

“These stunningly vivid pictures must certainly have imparted to those readers first seeing them a sense of awe at the progression of disasters and wonders from the beginning of history to the end of time, as then understood,” writes Waterman. The first half of the book concerns the Old Testament, while the second spans from antiquity through to the mid 1500s, when the book was produced. It ends with stories from the Book of Revelation. …

The final section of the book, inspired by the prophecies of the Book of Revelation, is to Waterman, “a clear example of how wondrous phenomena fit within a comprehensive ordering scheme of world history, understood as a progression from God’s act of creation to the second coming of Jesus Christ.”

The Augsburg Book of Miracles is a fascinating glimpse into an atmosphere of superstition and apocalyptic prophecy. But rather than dismiss these views as bizarre medieval preoccupations, Waterman argues that “it’s easy empathise with the 16th Century’s efforts to understand strange, inexplicable, or disastrous events in the world, even if our modern understanding is drastically different.”

Age of anxiety

And, in that society’s “sphere of anxiety”, Borchert sees some parallels with today, in that “every extreme weather phenomenon is hailed in news as proof of climate change and these days, every attack everywhere is almost instantly linked to terrorism.”

Yet this concern with weather and natural phenomena provides a more concerning link between the mid-1500s and today, Waterman says. “Thinking about environmental catastrophes back then and now, one becomes aware of a cruel irony: whereas human sin was once blamed for floods, storms, and droughts, only to have been replaced by scientific explanations after the Enlightenment, we have now, with global warming, come full circle.” http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20170421-the-eerie-historical-visions-that-predict-the-apocalypse

Sin still has consequences, including impacting weather (Weather Blessings and Sorrows). The United Nations, Pope Francis, and others believe that they understand the causes of ‘climate change,’ but do not properly tie this with sufficient understanding of societal sins nor end time biblical prophecy (see United Nations: Humankind’s Last Hope or New World Order?).

Yet the ‘Book of Miracles” is correct that the end will come and Jesus will come again.

But when?

Another reader sent me a link to something from Live Countdown pointing to “the end” to come on May 15, 2017 (http://www.livecountdown.com/the-end/). But if that ‘end’ means the start of the Great Tribulation (it gives no explanation) that is not possible. For some details, check out the article When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2017, 2018, or 2019?

There is also another wrong prediction from one claiming to be in the COG. James Malm posted this incorrect speculation:

I think it highly probable that Israel will go to war with Gaza and Hezbollah destroying the remaining power of Syria and bringing regime change to Syria; and the US coalition will attack the Revolutionary Guards in Iran.

The general falling away in the COG Groups (Mat 24:3-5, 2 Thess 2:3, 2 Ti 4, Jude) is also moving ahead, more on that after the UCG GCE conference.

If events do not slow down or pause, all signs now point to the setting up of the abomination to do miracles in the Vatican in October of 2018, with the tribulation beginning 75 days later. (Malm J. Personal. Shining Light. 04/20/17)

James Malm has a history of incorrect speculations as to when the Great Tribulation will begin. I have challenged his false speculations for close to a decade so far, and every year I have been right and him wrong. Here, for example, is something he wrote in 2007:

While the timing of this Festival is determined by the observance of the New Moon, the sixth day of this Festival is expected on 12 Apr 2012. Counting back from then, 1290 days, means that; the final false prophet we are awaiting, should be revealed around 30 Sep 2008 (Malm J. November 7, 2007 article titled “2008 in Prophecy).

In December 2007, he wrote:

Please, do not confuse me with R Weinland. I strongly disagree with most of what he says. For one thing I endeavour to provide scriptural backing for everything that I say. However I do say that 2008 is a critical year. As stated on the website I expect the Abomination (the man of sin) to be set up at the end of Sep and to go to the Holy Place within 75 days, triggering the occupation of Jerusalem. We shall know soon enough if I am correct!

Sincerely James Malm

Of course, that was wrong. Nor does he properly understand many of the scriptures he refers to.

In 2008, he posted:

The only possible years for the 1335 days to begin in the forseeable future are 2008 or 2009…

In short the last day of the 1335 days may occur on the day before Pentecost, making the Feast of Pentecost representative of a NEW BEGINNING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD. If this is true, and I shall study it further; the final False Prophet will be set up on 3 Oct 2009! (Malm. J. 2008 and Prophecy, 30 SEP 08).

On July 19, 2009, he emailed the following to me:

Dear Robert
Because I had told you in the past that no changes had been made to the 70 Weeks Prophecy article, I feel responsible to inform you that the article has been expanded and edited…

I have stated that If this is the year, the Final False Prophet will be set up 1,335 days prior to the day BEFORE Pentecost in 2013. I have said that this date will be 3 Oct, if my calculations are correct. It turns out that the calculation was not correct. I had made an error which has been pointed out to me and I have since rechecked this calculation. The date should be 19 Oct 09; NOT 3 Oct 09. This is based on the Biblical Calendar…(Malm J. Email, July 19, 2009).

But because I posted the above email, even after telling him that my only prediction in 2009 was that the end (meaning the Great Tribulation) could not come then, he actually wrote in August 2009 the following and included a challenge:

Dear Robert
Yes, you did make a prediction. You predicted that nothing will happen. If something does then you will be the false prophet. Will YOU issue an admission that YOU were a false prophet? I will make a deal with you. If I have your promise to do so, then I will promise to issue a public admission that I have been wrong! Let me know!…James Malm

My response to him was:

If I am wrong, I will clearly admit it. So yes we have a deal. I hope that you will be clear if you were wrong.

Well, James Malm kind of sort of admitted it then, after he was proven wrong:

The abomination was NOT set up on the 19th of Oct and the trend of events seems to point to continued slow progress toward the Time Appointed. God is working to His time table; NOT OURS…

The more time passes the less likely it becomes that the elderly Benedict XVI will become the final false prophet.

His excuse was similar to one that the self-appointed false prophet Ronald Weinland has used. Furthermore, instead of properly repenting of his error, James Malm then lashed out improperly against me again (for details for back then, see James Malm Continues to Mislead). He could have simply stated that I was right and he was wrong, but instead made false accusations again towards me.

Of course, if he keeps predicting each year, one day he should get it right. But only because he has been predicting/speculating on most years since his predictions for 2008.

Despite his errors, the Great Tribulation is coming as Jesus said:

21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. (Matthew 24:21-22)

Why not in 2019 as James Malm is now pointing to?

Notice what Jesus stated would happen BEFORE the Great Tribulation can begin:

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. (Matthew 24:14-20)

There are at least a couple of things to consider.

First of all, although we in the Continuing Church of God are working towards the fulfillment of Matthew 24:14 (see The Final Phase of the Work), it is not yet complete, though we are preparing for it (see Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word).

Secondly, the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet does not happen until about 3 1/2 years (the middle of a prophetic ‘week’) after the ‘peace deal’ of Daniel 9:27 is confirmed by a ‘prince’ (Daniel 9:26; see also The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27). Since the deal of Daniel 9:27 has not been made, let alone confirmed, yet, the Great Tribulation cannot begin prior to late 2020. And as I have written since before Donald Trump took office (see Can the Great Tribulation Start in 2017?), I do not believe the Great Tribulation would start prior to 2021–and of course, a later date is still an option until the deal of Daniel 9:27 is confirmed.

In the Continuing Church of God “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19, KJV).

Why?

Because we believe and teach what the Bible teaches.

More information on the Great Tribulation can be found in the article When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? A YouTube video of related interest may be Will the Great Tribulation Start in 2017?

Despite false prophets and error-ridden speculators, the Great Tribulation will begin in this century and the prophesied events in the Bible will come to pass.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Error-Ridden James Malm Not Doing an Elijah Work James Malm is one who misunderstands and improperly maligns.
United Nations: Humankind’s Last Hope or New World Order? Is the UN the last hope for humanity? Or might its goals end up with sinister results? Two related videos include UN’s ‘New Universal Agenda’ is a False Gospel! and United Nations and Vatican Are Planning the New World Order.
Laudato Si: Pope’s Agenda or Kingdom of God? Pope Francis’ 2nd encyclical is titled ‘Laudato Si.’ In it, he goes over his views related to environmental, economic, social, moral, agricultural, and spiritual issues. He advocates international cooperation to solve various problems he believes are affecting humanity. Is that Pope’s agenda the solution? What about the Kingdom of God? does the Bible teach? Two related articles include Laudato Si: Will Pope Francis’ economic actions match his words? and Laudato Si: A call for a one-world government?
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse What do each of the four horseman of the Apocalypse represent? Have they began their ride? Did Jesus discuss the any of this? Might their rides coincide with the “beginning of sorrows? Do they start their ride prior to the Great Tribulation? Did Nostradamus or any other ‘private prophets’ write predictions that may mislead people so that they may not understand the truth of one or more of the four horseman? There is also a related YouTube video titled The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
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.
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?
Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse What is the pale horse of death and pestilences? What will it bring and when? Spanish: El cuarto jinete de Apocalipsis, el caballo pálido de muerte y pestilencia.
Weather Blessings and Sorrows Are weather problems a warning? What should be done? Here is a related YouTube video Does God Use Weather?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. Here are links to three related sermons: The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 This prophecy could give up to 3 1/2 years advance notice of the coming Great Tribulation. Will most ignore or misunderstand its fulfillment? Here is a link to a related sermon video Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation.
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2017, 2018, or 2019? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2016 o 2017? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon videos: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives and Can the Great Tribulation begin before 2020? A shorter video is: Will the Great Tribulation Start in 2017?
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2025 or 20xx? There is also a video titled The 6000 Year Plan: Is the end of humanity’s reign almost up? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians. We all know the Bible prophecies famines. Should we do something?
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?
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Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse This 188 page book is for people truly interested in prophecies related to Donald Trump and the United States, including learning about several that have already been fulfilled and those that will be fulfilled in the future. The physical book can be purchased at Amazon for $12.99 from the following link: Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse.
Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse-Kindle Edition This electronic version of the 188 page print edition is available for only US$3.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse-Kindle Edition.
Should the Church Still Try to Place its Top Priority on Proclaiming the Gospel or Did Herbert W. Armstrong Change that Priority for the Work? Some say the Church should mainly feed the flock now as that is what Herbert W. Armstrong reportedly said. Is that what he said? Is that what the Bible says? What did Paul and Herbert W. Armstrong expect from lower level leaders? A related sermon is available titled Priority of the Philadelphia Work.
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Preaching the Gospel in Over 100 Languages Which languages are being used to fulfill Matthew 24:14?
CCOG’s Four Years and God Revealing Philadelphia? Has God been revealing Philadelphia since CCOG formed? What has been happening? Can you see the hand of God in this? A related sermon is titled CCOG: Four Years Revealing Philadelphia?