Donald Trump and PCG’s Gerald Flurry on Vladimir Putin

BBC reported the following:

5 February 2017

US President Donald Trump has defended Vladimir Putin when questioned over allegations of murders carried out by the Russian state.

In an interview with Fox News, he said: “There are a lot of killers. We’ve got a lot of killers. What do you think? Our country’s so innocent?”

Mr Trump said he respected President Putin and would prefer to “get along with him”.

He said he wanted help from Russia in the fight against “Islamic terrorism”.

Excerpts of the interview with Bill O’Reilly, carried out at Mr Trump’s Florida home, have been released ahead of the full interview being broadcast by Fox ahead of Sunday evening’s Super Bowl, and on the two following nights.

Asked whether he respected Mr Putin, the US president replied: “I do respect him… well I respect a lot of people. That doesn’t mean I’m going to get along with him.”

He added: “I say it’s better to get along with Russia than not. And if Russia helps us in the fight against Isis [so-called Islamic State], which is a major fight, and Islamic terrorism all over the world – that’s a good thing. Will I get along with him? I have no idea.” http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38872328

The improperly named Philadelphia Church of God (PCG) posted the following about this today:

February 5, 2017

“I say it’s better to get along with Russia than not,” the president told O’Reilly, who responded by pointing out that Putin is a killer.

“We’ve got a lot of killers,” he said. “You think our country’s so innocent?” (emphasis added).

Vladimir Putin is a ruthless authoritarian who murders political opponents and journalists in cold blood. His goal is to rebuild the Soviet empire so he can rule the world. To that end, he’s forging strong alliances in the East in order to bring down the West—particularly the United States. Even now, he’s the Middle East kingpin, joining forces with the likes of Bashar al Assad and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. https://www.thetrumpet.com/article/14552.2.0.0/president-trump-puts-america-on-a-moral-par-with-vladimir-putins-russia

The above article then referred to an article in the March 2017 edition of the Philadelphia Trumpet (cover shown at the beginning of this post). In it, is the following by PCG’s Gerald Flurry in his article titled Should Donald Trump Trust Vladimir Putin?:

Many people are concerned about American President Donald Trump’s relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. But they are not concerned about this relationship for the right reasons. They do not understand the real danger. …

Putin’s Russia is in the news almost daily right now because of how active it is in the world. But do you know that what this nation is currently doing was forecast many centuries ago?

If you can believe it, a perfect description of 21st-century Russia and its leader is recorded in the sixth-century b.c. book of Ezekiel. This is a stunning and wide-ranging prophecy, one of the longest in the entire Bible.

Ezekiel 38:8 says, “After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years .…” Notice that Ezekiel was writing not for people who lived at that time, but to people who would read his book “in the latter years.” That is our time today.

“And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him” (Ezekiel 38:1-2). God wants a man in the latter years to prophesy against “the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.” This prince is a powerful leader who is visible in world news.

The Bible prophesies of a “prince” in our lifetime and says he will be revealed during a period called the end time. It also prophesies that there will be a messenger who will prophesy against this leader. You can’t deliver this message and you can’t understand this prophecy unless you know who this prince is.

Ezekiel gets specific here. There are two individuals, a “son of man” and this “prince.” If you can identify the message of Ezekiel to this prince, then you can also identify God’s messenger in the 21st century. God reveals this message to His messenger. No human being can just figure out these prophecies and discern anything from them. Only God can unlock what these prophecies mean.

This passage mentions “Gog” and “Magog.” Ezekiel is using the ancient names of these nations. What modern nation or nations do these peoples represent? The Bible says Gog and Magog must be warned. So God’s messenger has to know who these two great nations are and who this prince is.

Notice that Gerald Flurry is stating that “you can’t understand this prophecy unless you know who this prince is.”

Gerald Flurry is basically also claiming that God told him that him the identity of the ‘prince of Rosh’ and that this proves he is God’s messenger. He is not. He is not a prophet of God.

One problems is that you cannot understand that prophecy if you are convinced it is for our time, prior to the return of Jesus–as Gerald Flurry is.

Let’s look a but more of what Gerald Flurry wrote in that article:

This is the leader of Gog, the leader of Meshech, the leader of Tubal, the leader of Rosh! This is the prince of Russia. …

Under Putin, Russia is mobilized and aggressive. He is a powerful prince. In 2005, he called the demise of the Soviet empire “the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century.” To put it mildly, most people don’t agree with his statement. After all, the oppressive Soviet regime persecuted all kinds of people, imprisoned them, and murdered countless millions just because of their ideas and thoughts. Most people were glad to see the Soviet Union break up in 1991. But Vladimir Putin thinks very differently. He sees the Soviet Union as Russia’s greatest glory in this modern age.

Putin rules an immense territory, but he wants to extend it even farther. If you think the world is too sophisticated or too nice for Russia to reconquer former Soviet states and try to create a new Russian empire—it has already happened!

The prophecy in Ezekiel 38 is being fulfilled now. …

If the prophecy of Ezekiel seems amazingly up to date, look at Revelation 9:16: “And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.” This verse uses an ancient description of soldiers, “horsemen,” and an entirely modern phenomenon: the fact that there are two hundred million of them. In fact, the entire book of Revelation is specifically for the end time.

This prophecy is definitely for our modern era!

Gerald Flurry’s is wrong about Vladimir Putin being predicted by the prophet Ezekiel.

He has been under this delusion for years. Gerald Flurry claimed to have received some type of inspired message that made him conclude that Russian President Vladimir Putin is the “prince of Rosh” in Ezekiel 38 (see PCG’s Gerald Flurry points to Russia’s Putin as the ‘Prince of Rosh’ of Ezekiel 38:2 and Vladimir Putin mobilizes troops, while pro-Russian supporters demonstrate in east Ukraine; but PCG is still not right about the ‘prince of Rosh’). This is in error and also contradicts writings from the late Herbert W. Armstrong who taught that Ezekiel 38 happens after Jesus returns (for details see PCG’s Gerald Flurry points to Russia’s Putin as the ‘Prince of Rosh’ of Ezekiel 38:2).

While I have mentioned this before, mainly emphasizing titles that Gerald Flurry has taken (see PCG’s Gerald Flurry somewhat calling himself the ‘son of man’), let’s see some additional details about the “message” Gerald Flurry is claiming to be giving.

Here is more from earlier writings from Gerald Flurry:

The Prince of RoshIt is easy to prove that Ezekiel is an endtime book. Ezekiel 38 is clearly an end-time prophecy. Verse 8 specifically mentions its setting in the “latter years”; verse 16 talks about the “latter days”— such statements are made throughout Ezekiel’s book.

Can you think of a politician who could fulfill the role of the prince of Russia? One, and only one, comes to mind: Vladimir Putin.

God’s Power

The book of Joel describes an army called God’s army (Joel 2:11, 25). The context shows that this is the same army headed by the “prince of Rosh.” That means that even though God commands His servant to prophesy against him, God is actually using this “prince of Rosh” for His own purpose.

The Ezekiel 38 commission continues: “And say, Thus saith the Lord God [not man], Behold, I am against thee, O Gog [Russia], the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws” (verses 3-4). These verses reveal something extraordinary. This prince of Russia is clearly a man with a lot of power…

Vladimir Putin is a sign, literally a SIGN that Jesus Christ is about to return! This is one of the most inspiring messages in the Bible…

Once Christ returns, He will destroy the military power of Russia and China and other nations once and for all. He will show the world what power really is! “And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers” (verse 9). This is what will happen to all those military armaments at the start of the Millennium (described in Revelation 20:4, 6).

The return of Jesus is inspiring, and because of his role in the world, Vladimir Putin has and probably will take more steps that will align with biblical prophecy, but the idea that Vladimir Putin is the “prince of Rosh” of Ezekiel 38 is simply not true.

While the “latter days” is a prophetic term, Ezekiel 38 is talking about a time well after Jesus has returned. But Gerald Flurry is teaching that many verses in Ezekiel 38 happen before Jesus returns–this is in error.

Here are some positions from the old Radio Church of God (bold italics mine):

Perhaps no prophecy has received more widespread interest and attention than that of Ezekiel 38 and 39. As usual there are various interpretations. Those most popularly believed and expressed are: I) That the prophecy pictures “Armageddon”-with Russia the aggressor in this final “Armageddon” battle…The word “Armageddon,” believe it or not occurs only once in all he Bible. It is in Rev. 16:13-16: “ARMAGGEDON is the place of the “BATTLE” of that Great Day of God Almighty, which is “the Day of the Lord.” This is the coming time of God’s WRATH, climaxing in the seven last plagues and the Second Coming of Christ. The Battle at Armageddon is pictured in Rev. 20:19-20 and Rev.17:14. It is a battle in which European AXIS powers, symbolically represented as “The BEAST” and ten federated European dictatorships wive the Roman Empire, which fight against Christ and His Angels, contesting IS right to rule the world. But Ezekiel 38 speaks of a different power altogether-“GOG’ in the land of ‘MAGOG’, numerous Allies – all descendants of JAPETH, father of the yellow races…

And now we come to chapter 38!…The TIME of this prophecy is AFTER–not before, but AFTER–the second coming of Christ…The 39th chapter shows in more detail the RESULT of this great battle, in which Christ, with supernatural power, causes five-sixth of these heathen armies to be slain in this battle. (What’s Prophesied About RUSSIA! The Plain Truth. November-December 1943, pp. 5, 7, 12)

(Ez. 38: 12). It is now, after the second coming of Christ, with Israel obeying God in the land of Palestine, that Russia and her oriental hordes come to take a prey from defenseless cities. (Does Ezekiel 38 and 39 Mean An Invasion of Canada and the United States by Russia? Good News, June 1951, p. 11)

Does Ezekiel 38 and 39 Refer to Russia?

Nearly all Bible students believe that Ezekiel’s amazing prophecy refers to Russia. Yet they totally misapply the time of its fulfillment. It is referring to an invasion of Palestine after Christ has restored His people Israel to Palestine. This has been amply proved in articles in The PLAIN TRUTH…Notice that it is Gog and Magog (Ezek. 38:2) which will come against the nation in which Christ’s capital will be located (verse 16). Notice again that Gog and Magog come “out of the north parts” (verse 15 ) where Russia is today. (Does Ezekiel 38 and 39 Refer to Russia? Good News, August 1954, p. 5)

Despite claims from Gerald Flurry, it is not the case that Ezekiel 38:1-7 is fulfilled prior to the return of Jesus. Certainly, there will be a 200 million many army, but that is not what Ezekiel 38:1-7 is talking about.

Notice what Ezekiel 38 actually says:

1 Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, 3 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. 4 I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords. 5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; 6 Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops — many people are with you.

7 “Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all your companies that are gathered about you; and be a guard for them. 8 After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely. 9 You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you.”

10 ‘Thus says the Lord God: “On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an evil plan: 11 You will say, ‘I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will go to a peaceful people, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates’ — 12 to take plunder and to take booty, to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited, and against a people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of the land. 13 Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you, ‘Have you come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?’”‘ (Ezekiel 38:1-13)

Verses 1-7 talk about a group getting ready to battle.

Pay close attention to verses 7-13. It is against a ‘peaceful people’ in unarmed villages that the prince of Rosh is going against. This cannot happen until AFTER the return of Jesus. Hence this is not possibly a prophecy about Vladimir Putin.

Gerald Flurry also wrote the following:

A prophecy in Ezekiel 38 gives us some of these important details. “And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him” (Ezekiel 38:1-2). These verses begin in the latter days (verses 8, 16) before the Great Tribulation, the Day of the Lord and Christ’s Second Coming.

Ezekiel 38:16 is not possibly for any period prior to the start of the Great Tribulation. Notice what God inspired Ezekiel to write:

14 “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “On that day when My people Israel dwell safely, will you not know it? 15 Then you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army. 16 You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me, when I am hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes.” (Ezekiel 38:14-16)

So, a power from the far north, which would seem to have to be Russian-led as it is the only major military power in the far north now, and may be the only one also in the future, will come. Yet, notice that this happens when Israel is “dwelling safely.” While Ezekiel 38 does mention Russia and Iran, the tiny nation of Israel is NOT now a “land of unwalled villages” with “a peaceful people who dwell safely” as other verses in Ezekiel 38 point out (see Ezekiel 38:10-11).

Can anyone seriously believe that Israel is a nation of peaceful people dwelling safely? It has walls and many enemies.

Despite what Gerald Flurry and certain others believe, we are not particularly close to the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38. Those who believe otherwise are in error.

To compound error, the September 2014 issue of The Philadelphia Trumpet had this in an article from Gerald Flurry:

A prophecy in Ezekiel 38 gives us some of these important details. “And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him” (Ezekiel 38:1-2). These verses begin in the latter days (verses 8, 16) before the Great Tribulation, the Day of the Lord and Christ’s Second Coming…One other Russian people is mentioned in Ezekiel 38:2. There is controversy over how the Hebrew word rosh should be translated in this verse. The King James Version uses the adjective “chief.” But the correct rendering (used by the Moffatt, New King James and others) uses the word not as an adjective, but as a proper noun: Rosh. Thus, that verse should read, “the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal.”…

The restoring of Russia’s power by Vladimir Putin—the prince of Russia—was prophesied! He has already solidly allied Russia with China. The prophecy about the prince of Russia includes that main alliance.

Other nations are leaning toward an alliance with Russia. Several of them are prophesied to join.

The only question is whether or not Putin personally finishes the entire prophecy.

The ending of that mighty “kings of the east” powerhouse is also prophesied.

I bolded the sentences above as they clearly contradict what PCG declared five years ago. Notice what PCG used to teach:

One reason Rosh is typically not translated as a proper noun is that scholars believe Rosh, unlike the other names listed in Ezekiel 38, was not a known land or a name of a person…

Why Our Forecasts Are Accurate

The change in the translation in Ezekiel 38:2 was done in disbelief that a prophecy in Ezekiel’s time could so obviously and clearly name a nation, its people, rivers and major cities, a thousand years before it was formed! But the meaning of this prophecy and the identity of the people contained in it is not hidden to those who will believe what the Bible says.

Mr. Armstrong simply believed what was revealed in the Bible, and that is why he could so boldly predict that Russia would not attack America!

The Trumpet follows in the tradition of Mr. Armstrong. By believing what the Bible has to say, this magazine makes strong forecasts concerning the major world powers that have proven accurate and will continue to be proven true.

What does Ezekiel 38 say will happen to the Russian people? “Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him” (verse 2). This prophecy for the Russians and Chinese will occur after the great and terrible events that lead to Jesus Christ’s return—events recorded in the book of Revelation.

Revelation 9:1-12 describe a European beast power, after occupying Jerusalem and enslaving the end-time nations of Israel, preemptively attacking Russia and China out of fear. Then Russia, China and other Eastern powers, collectively called “the kings of the east,” amass a 200 million-man army and counterstrike the European army. This clash kills one third of mankind! (verses 13-21).

Then what is left of these armies will gather in Armageddon to challenge and attack Christ in Jerusalem upon His return! Christ will utterly destroy these armies and begin His reign by gathering the scattered descendants of Israel around Jerusalem.

This is when the prophecy of Ezekiel finally occurs: after Christ’s return, when the descendants of Israel have been resettled. The remnants of the Russians and Chinese, evidently still too proud to be ruled by Christ, attempt to spoil the obedient and prosperous Israelites. Ezekiel 38:14-16 describe this attempt to overthrow Christ’s rule. In this attack, they are defeated in one final statement to mankind that He is the Eternal! (You can read a more detailed explanation of this prophecy and the future of Russia and its allied nations in our free booklet Russia and China in Prophecy.)

What is in store for Russia in the meantime? Nearly 60 years later, will Mr. Armstrong’s prediction continue to be proven true?

Today, the world is in an even worse condition than when Mr. Armstrong printed that headline. The threat of nuclear war is even higher than in the peak of the Cold War. Several rogue states have acquired or are acquiring the means to wipe whole nations off the map. America’s global dominance is again being challenged, not just by one nation but by many different major powers. Major powers all over the world such as China, the European Union and Iran are increasing their military capabilities, while a debt-burdened U.S. is shrinking its own.

Now, more than ever, it is vital to know what will happen in world affairs in the near future. Who will strike whom? You will know only if you believe your Bible! (Vejil D. The Origins of Modern Russia (Part 5). Philadelphia Trumpet, July 2011)

I bolded the paragraph above as it clearly contradicts what Gerald Flurry (self-appointed and false prophets of PCG) now teaches. PCG used to teach that Ezekiel 38 was fulfilled AFTER Jesus’ return, yet now it teaches that it is fulfilled BEFORE Jesus returns.

Furthermore, notice PCG had the audacity to state that this explanation of Ezekiel 38, which they have since contradicted, was an example of why their forecasts were supposedly right. PCG’s forecasts are not always accurate. They are often wrong, and those who rely on them above the Bible will not possibly know when the Great Tribulation will begin.

Sadly, in that respect PCG is not the only claimed COG that will not know–a list of dozens of errors in prophetic understanding that various ones who claim to be COG is in the article The Laodicean Church Era.

As far as Donald Trump and Russia goes, I suspect that Donald Trump would like cooperation with Russia, but is willing to go against Russia when he feels he needs to.

Irrespective of what the Trump Administration does or does not do, Vladimir Putin is NOT the prophesied ‘prince of Rosh’ of Ezekiel 38.

Some items of possibly related interest may include the following:

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” or a variety of other titles make it so. This article provides many quotes from this group which tries to look faithful.
Russia and Ukraine: Their Origins and Prophesied Future Russia in prophecy. Where do the Russians come from? What about those in the Ukraine? What is prophesied for Russia and its allies? What will they do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end? There is also a video sermon available: Russia in the Bible and in Prophecy and a video sermonette available: Ukraine in Prophecy?
Is Russia the King of the North? Some claim it is. But what does the Bible teach? Here is a link to a video, also titled Is Russia the King of the North?
Ezekiel 38: For Russia & Iran in Our Day? Is Ezekiel 38 about to be fulfilled? A related video is available titled Ezekiel 38: For Russia, Ukraine, & Iran Now? Another could be Russia, Iran, Syria, & the Bible (Code).
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?
The Eurasian Union, the Kings of the East, and Bible Prophecy Is there a Eurasian union that will be formed? Is one being formed right now? Are any leaders working on that in the 21st century? Does the Bible teach that there will be a Eurasian union? If some type of Eurasian union is formed, who might it benefit and who will it destroy? A related video would be Is The Eurasian Union Rising?
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? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
Is the Future King of the South Rising Up? Some no longer believe there needs to be a future King of the South. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? Might this King be called the Mahdi or Caliph? What does the Bible say? A YouTube video of related interest may be: The Future King of the South is Rising.
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 version in Mandarin: 主编：谁是’大罪人’？Here is a link to a related YouTube video, in English, titled Who is the Man of Sin?
What is a True Philadelphian? Many claim to be part of the Philadelphia era of the Church, but is claiming enough? This article has biblical and historical evidence about who really are the Philadelphians.
Are the Laodiceans the Modern Sadducees and Pharisees? Discusses similarities of the Sadducees and Pharisees to various COGs in this end-time.
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.
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?
Donald Trump in Prophecy Prophecy, Donald Trump? Are there prophecies that Donald Trump may fulfill? Are there any prophecies that he has already helped fulfill? Could a Donald Trump presidency be apocalyptic? A related video is titled: Donald: ‘Trump of God’ or Apocalyptic?