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Nebuchadnezzar’s Image of Daniel 2 (from Pixabay)

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A reader sent me a link to the following by Greg Laurie:

Jesus Warned Us: In The Last Days, People Will Ignore Prophetic Warnings

August 28, 2024

Jesus said, “For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:38–39).

We might paraphrase this statement by saying it was business as usual. Noah was building a massive ark without a body of water nearby. There hadn’t even been rain on earth at that point. But Noah faithfully followed the directions God had given him. And as the years went by, he kept on with the job God called him to. No doubt people thought of Noah as some sort of crackpot.

Jesus was saying that in the last days, people also will ignore prophetic warnings. They’ll disregard the clear message of God to them. For the most part it will be business as usual. People will go on with their day-to-day activities.

What It All Means

However, the writing is on the wall for anyone who will pay attention.

And just as Noah was mocked, followers of Jesus will be mocked as well, because that, too, is a sign of the last days. People today laugh at the concept of Bible prophecy and the return of Christ, but one day their mockery will cease and their laughter will stop when Jesus fulfills His words. He is coming back. …

A. B. Simpson pointed out: “There are two ways of looking at the Lord’s coming: a looking for it and looking at it. It is possible to look at it with keen intellect and a profound interest, and yet have it mean nothing to us personally. It is also possible to know but little of the theology of the subject, and yet have a deep and holy longing for the Lord to appear. May this theme be not only our study but also our personal hope.”

It isn’t just intellectually saying, “I know Christ will come again.” Rather, it’s looking for and welcoming His return. And if there’s anything in our lives that should be changed, anything that is not right with God, we should deal with it now. https://harbingersdaily.com/jesus-warned-us-in-the-last-days-people-will-ignore-prophetic-warnings/

The fact is that while Christians accept that Jesus will return, most will not change as they should–Jesus condemned most end time Christians for having a lukewarm work and needing to change in Revelation 3:14-18.

In Mark 13, Jesus lists a variety of prophetic events. Jesus’ final words in that chapter are:

35 Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming — in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning — 36 lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch! (Mark 13:35-37)

The Apostle Peter also warned that people would not pay attention to prophecies:

I have spoken to COG people who have somewhat dismissed prophecy as irrelevant.

At the beginning of this post is an artist’s rendition of the image that Nebuchadnezzar saw in a dream.

This was something Nebuchadnezzar was really excited about. So much so, he threatened to kill all the wise men, etc. in his empire unless they could tell him what he saw and what it meant.

After God had the prophet Daniel explain the dream, the Bible records the following:

46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrate before Daniel, and commanded that they should present an offering and incense to him. 47 The king answered Daniel, and said, “Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret.” (Daniel 2:46-48)

But, despite that declaration, Nebuchadnezzar drifted further away from God. God gave him another dream (Daniel 4:5). But he did not properly heed it and that led to a type of bizarre exile (Daniel 4:28-33)–in our day, perhaps it could be compared to the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21-22). Anyway, after going through that for seven-years, Nebuchadnezzar repented (Daniel 4:34-37).

Christians read the Bible and tend to (properly) think that Nebuchadnezzar should have heeded the dreams from God and turned to God. And that is true.

However, most Christians today have overlooked dreams from God.

The Apostle Paul warned:

19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Test all things; hold fast what is good.  (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21)

Sadly, many do quench the Spirit, despise (or at least do not take seriously enough) at least certain prophecies, and fail to test all things and then hold fast to that which is good.

Regarding the Spirit and dreams, notice a last days prophecy that the Apostle Peter taught related to them:

17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.
18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
And they shall prophesy. (Acts 2:17-18)

Here is a chart of some people associated with the Continuing Church of God who have had church-related dreams that were confirmed:

Chart of Some Confirmed CCOG-Related Dreams

Date	Given to	Dream(s)	Fulfillment
2003	K. Sani Mao	One dream was on the validity of the Sabbath, but the second showed what he later understood to be a ‘C’ meaning CCOG or COGwriter to align with.	Began following COGwriter, and later became part of the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) in November 2018.
c. December 2008     December 26, 2020	Bob Thiel	The dream showed evangelist Roderick Meredith, who had long called Bob Thiel a friend and who he was on regular speaking terms with, would stop speaking with him. He would drop down as Bob Thiel rose and their lines crossed–seemingly a mantle passing. There was also another dream related to Isaiah 6:8 and apparently the passing of the mantle; the precise year unclear. Because of airline connection issues, I was concerned whether or not I would be able to make the flight to Qatar. In my dream, there were complications that made it look like I might not make the connecting flight. In the dream the complications were stressful, but without details. In the dream I prayed about this. I also prayed that if this trip and other trips I have made related to behind-the-scenes aspects of the final phase of the work was God’s will, that: 1) if there were stressful problems which looked like might cancel the trip 2) that I would make my connection to Qatar, and 3) that I would pass negative for the airport required COVID test.	Dr. Meredith stopped speaking with Bob Thiel  in the Spring of 2012. CCOG formed December 28, 2012. The mantle seemingly passed sometime between 2009-2011. The passing of the mantle potentially related to Bob Thiel was specifically brought up by Gaylyn Bonjour in 2011 and 2012.This began to fulfilled no later than December 28, 2012 with the official formation of the CCOG.As it turned out, there were two different people with two different, yet seemingly very serious, health issues on that first flight, which delayed it. It looked like one or both of them (they were not related) may need to be taken off the flight or even treated on the ground as some came aboard the flight related to each of them. While their situations appeared treatable, I was concerned that this may cause me to miss the connection to Qatar, so I began to make contingency plans (as one flight I was on years ago was delayed over 10 hours because of a health-concern of one passenger). Yet, although my first plane left late, I was able to make the connection. My COVID test was also negative, so all three parts of the dream were confirmed.
December 8, 2012	Fesilafai Fiso Leaana	Approximately 10 people would separate from LCG, including Shirley Gestro and go to a group. A second part was related  to the Ark of the Covenant.	The fulfillment related to departure from LCG and 1o people going to CCOG occurred within several weeks of the dream and included Shirley Gestro (CCOG did not form until 3 weeks after the dream). The part related to the Ark of the Covenant was partially fulfilled during September 2013.
c. November 2013	Frederick Ochieng	God wanted Frederick’s father Evans to join with Bob Thiel to do the work that would grow.  Also, this work would have involvement from New Zealand.	The number of CCOG Africans went from a dozen to the almost three hundred (that had been with Evans) in 2014, to over 4,000 by 2019. Also, Frederick said he was unaware that CCOG had any New Zealand component before having that dream and New Zealand has played important roles (editing, literature and article promotion, online radio, etc.) in supporting CCOG.
c. November 2013 May 13, 2022	Evans Ochieng	He saw a small white handkerchief. It was very white and in in it was written Continuing church of God. While looking it, it enlarged till become bigger. He saw a similar white handkerchief expanding again, but pointing to him baptizing many in Malawi (and possibly Mozambique). He also heard a voice, “The voice stated that Dr Bob is a beloved man.”	The CCOG became the fastest growing COG in the 21st century since that dream. Evans Ochieng went to Malawi on May 27, 2022 to try to lay more of the foundation for more baptisms there and in Mozambique. He took the “beloved man” comment as supernatural confirmation that Bob Thiel and the CCOG has God’s blessing.
c. March 1, 2014	Senhor Pires	Bob Thiel would be speaking to a large group that would all be black, with him the only white person.	Fulfilled March 17, 2014 when Bob Thiel spoke before church leaders and members in Nairobi, Kenya, he was the only white person.
c. January 2017	Nimrod Ondigo	Bob Thiel would anoint him with oil.	Fulfilled on February 9, 2017. Nimrod did not have any reason to know that he would be ordained by Bob Thiel as a deacon as Bob Thiel did not do any ordinations in his previous trips to Africa. Also Bob Thiel did not learn of his dream until about two weeks after the ordination.
January 2019	Premkumar Ninthoujam	Aleksandar Veljic would get to Manipur, despite visa and travel issues that looked to prevent him, plus Sani Mao would be anointed with oil.	Aleksandar Veljic arrived in Manipur on January 10, 2019 and ended up anointing Sani Mao as a deacon on January 12, 2019 as Bob Thiel had tentatively authorized (but had not let Sani Mao or anyone in India know).
Mid-Late 2020	Beverley Bivens	Aleksandar Veljic would no longer be in the CCOG and would ignore those in the CCOG when he would visit the USA.	Aleksandar Veljic left the CCOG on February 24, 2023. He never visited the USA when he was part of the CCOG. He arrived in the USA from Serbia in January 2024 and ignored the CCOG. He was stricken with two strokes after coming to the USA and died March 20, 2024.

The above list has dreams that were given to different ones of different ages in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and the South Pacific.

Of course, many will discount dreams, their confirmation, and true teachings as proper proof of anything they do not wish to believe. Many want more dramatic signs (Matthew 12:38; 1 Kings 19:11-12), but God does not always do it that way (Matthew 12:39-42; 1 Kings 19:12-14).

The word of God clearly states:

3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, 4 God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? (Hebrews 2:3-4)

Will you accept the signs and wonders God’s word says He uses to confirm who is working according to His will?

There are also others with the Continuing Church of God that have also had dreams.

Sadly, despite divine confirmation, most end time Christians do not accept that God’s Spirit is working through dreams (see Dreams, the Bible, the Radio Church of God, and the Continuing Church of God) or prophets in the 21st century (see Church of God Leaders on Prophets).

Let me state here that when the old Worldwide Church of God was Philadelphian, Herbert W. Armstrong taught that there would be a future fulfillment of Acts 2:17-18, yet most Laodicean Christians do not really accept that.

Most are also overlooking church-related prophecies.

Do not be like them.

The prophet Zechariah wrote:

6 … “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel:
‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’
Says the Lord of hosts.
7 ‘Who are you, O great mountain?
Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain!
And he shall bring forth the capstone
With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”‘”

8 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

9 “The hands of Zerubbabel
Have laid the foundation of this temple;
His hands shall also finish it.
Then you will know
That the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you.
10 For who has despised the day of small things?
For these seven rejoice to see
The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.
They are the eyes of the Lord,
Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.”  (Zechariah 4:6-10)

Notice that the end time work of God will be finished, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit.’

God’s Spirit has been working in the Continuing Church of God. For proof, check out the article: Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18?

Most end time Christians don’t think they really need to pay attention to dreams or to accept that God would be working with a true prophet in these days.

Jesus said:

37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him. (John 10:37-38)

We in the CCOG have the works of God’s Holy Spirit. Do not be stubborn like the disbelieving Jews of old. Believe and take supporting actions.

Consider the following which will affect God’s people:

26 Disaster will come upon disaster,
And rumor will be upon rumor.
Then they will seek a vision from a prophet; (Ezekiel 7:26)

Will you wait until it is too late (cf. Zephaniah 2:1-3; see also There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Near Petra)? Will you wait until after prophesied disasters to hit before heeding God’s messages and messengers?

Would you, instead, follow the lead of one that did meet all of the biblical requirements for a prophet as he tried to follow Christ?

Seven times (once to each church era), Jesus said:

22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 2:7, 2:11, 2:17, 2:29, 3:6, 3:13, 3:22).

And at least four of those times it was related to a message for Christians in the end times (Revelation 2:29, 3:6, 3:13, 3:22).

Will you heed what the Spirit says to the churches?

Consider also that Jesus prophesied the restoration of all things when He stated:

11 … Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. (Matthew 17:11, NKJV throughout unless otherwise noted)

In Matthew 17:11, the term translated “will restore” is the Greek term apokathistemi which means “to reconstitute” or “restore (again)” (Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright (c) 1994, Biblesoft and International Bible Translators, Inc.) and is preceded by the Greek term men which means “truly” in the asseverative sense.

Herbert W. Armstrong taught that God led him to restore at least 18 truths to the Philadelphia era of the Church of God that had been lost by those he knew in the Sardis era:

1933 … At least 18 basic and essential truths have been restored to the True Church since that year. (Mystery of the Ages, Dodd & Mead, 1985, p. 251)

In a sermon on that topic (see 18 Truths Restored to the Churches of God: Mission of the Philadelphia Church Era), he mentioned church government towards the beginning as well as later in that sermon as one of the truths restored to the Philadelphian portion of the Church of God (see also The Bible, Peter, Paul, John, Polycarp, Herbert W. Armstrong, Roderick C. Meredith, and Bob Thiel on Church Government). Let me add that ALL of the 18 truths that Herbert W. Armstrong said God had him restore to the Philadelphian era are part of the official Statement of Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God, which anyone with interest can verify. The CCOG may be the only group that has done so using Herbert W. Armstrong’s actual list. Most other groups either do not teach all of the 18 truths or they use the Tkach list, which was not the correct one (see The 18 Restored Truths: Do You Know What the First Changes the Tkach Administration Made?).

But did Herbert W. Armstrong restore all things?

No, but he taught that Elijah who would be around at the end would. This restoration would be in the Philadelphian portion/remanet/succession of church.

Herbert W. Armstrong also wrote:

Those called into the Church were called not merely for salvation and eternal life, but to learn the way of God’s government and develop the divine character during this mortal life in the Church age … Also Malachi 4:5-6 pictures the Elijah to come at the very end of the Church age (Mystery of the Ages. 1985, pp. 201, 349).

When did Herbert W. Armstrong write that the Church age was over? Notice:

At the end of the Church age and 6,000 years from Adam, Christ would return to earth as King of kings and Lord of Lords, ruling all nations, with the saints, for one millennium. (Armstrong HW. What If Adam Had Taken of the Tree of Life? Plain Truth, March 1983)

The “very end” of the Church age was not decades ago in the 20th century!

Herbert Armstrong also wrote:

Jesus spoke of observing signs in the sky predicting tomorrow’s weather, then asked whether we could discern the “signs of the times.” What are ”signs?” A sign identifies. A sign on a store identifies the kind of store as well as its owner. It is a signal identifying in advance a soon-coming or imminent event. Jesus’ disciples asked Him what would be the sign of His coming, and the end of this age. That is, the signal identifying its imminency. …

The “Philadelphia era” or succession of God’s Church will be taken on the “two wings of a great eagle”–whatever that symbolizes–to a place of protection where we are to be “fed”–provided for. We need now to begin to be ALERT, for this “flight” may happen suddenly. DO NOT BE DECEIVED BY THE NEGATIVE SNEERING OF EXCOMMUNICATED MINISTERS: Both Revelation 12:13 and 3:10 warn us. (Armstrong HW. Great Significance of Summit Conference. Pastor General’s Report, Vol. 2, No. 26, June 27, 1980).

While the “Philadelphia era” is no longer predominant in this Laodicean time, Herbert Armstrong correctly pointed the existence of its succession.–which we can consider to be the Philadelphia remnant.

The late WCG evangelist Dean Blackwell taught that the work would need to be revived and cited the following scripture:

2 O Lord, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy. (Habakkuk 3:2)

Here is some of what he wrote:

Why do you think in Habakkuk, God said that He’d “revive His work in the midst of the years”? Would this be said if they were doing the work in all the time of the New Testament Church? …

Habakkuk … said that God would make known what is happening and what’s going to happen in man’s last years, in the day of His wrath. He requested that God remember mercy and hide His people in a place of safety. Notice that he mentions this will be in the last years — in the midst of the last years.

What did we just read there in Habakkuk 3? Did He say, of the Sardis Church, that He gave them an open door; that they were small in number, and that yet He opened the doors that no man could close? He didn’t say that at all about them. He didn’t open a door getting the work done until the Philadelphia church. That’s what your Bible says! No one knew the key of prophecy. No one even knew about Israel. Why, the Sardis church never could have preached the gospel around the world as a witness. (e.g. Blackwell D. A HANDBOOK OF CHURCH HISTORY. A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the Ambassador College Graduate School of Theology, April 1973, p. 17)

That said, the work has been revived and truths restored in the Continuing Church of God.

As far as restoration goes, some have falsely asserted that nothing else could be restored beyond what Herbert W. Armstrong did.

Yet, most people (including most Christians) do not know why God made anything or why God made each individual.

Those are perhaps the two most basic questions of philosophers throughout the ages.

But those are truths that have been restored!

Now why did God create anything?

God created what He did so eternity would be better. (cf. Hebrews 6:9, 11:16; Philippians 1:23). (The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN: Why Did God Create Anything? Why Did God Make You? )

Why did God create you?:

Your purpose in this life is to build character so you can maximize your potential and increase how much better you can improve eternity. God made YOU so that you will be able to use your unique talents (Matthew 25:14-23; Luke 19:11-19) to give love in order to make eternity better! … God’s plan for all who will respond to Him is to be able to give love in a unique way to make eternity better for them personally and everyone else. (The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN: Why Did God Create Anything? Why Did God Make You?)

Do you think that those answers are correct?

If so, did your church restore those truths?

Those are two BASIC TRUTHS which were not restored by Herbert W. Armstrong, but were restored via the CCOG.

In the CCOG Letter to the Brethren: August 22, 2024, there was a listing of truths restored in the 21st century. There is also information on them in the article Continuing Church of God, Elijah, and Restoring All Things.

In a recent post at this COGwriter Church of God News page, titled Joe Biden- Kamala Harris Administration fulfilling 20 warnings/predictions/speculation in the 2021 book ‘Biden-Harris: Prophecies and Destruction’, I listed 20 items I had written about the Biden-Harris Administration that it has at least partially fulfilled (Let me add that, years ago, I also put together a list of 20 warnings that Donald Trump at least partially fulfilled which you can read in the article: Donald Trump in Prophecy).

Yet, many despise prophecies or at least do not consider the ramifications.

Do not deceive yourself that because you claim Jesus and keep the commandments that you will be protected from the coming Great Tribulation–the majority of Christians will not (cf. Revelation 12:17).

The Book of Revelation shows that there will parts of four Churches of God at the time of the end (Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea) and I believe that those that are actually part of the Church of God, but most are not actually Philadelphian as almost all in the Thyatira, Sardis, and/or Laodicea churches. And those non-Philadelphian groups have so many prophetic misunderstandings that they will NOT know when the Great Tribulation will start until it is too late (see also Do You Hold to Any of These Laodicean Prophetic Errors?).

Notice what Jesus says happens to many that follow them in the end:

Thyatira…22 Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. 23 I will kill her children with death, (Revelation 2:18,22-23).

Sardis…Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you (Revelation 3:1,3).

Laodiceans… As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent (Revelation 3:14,19).

Yet notice that there is a difference for the Philadelphians who were not deceived into following false or heretical teachings:

Philadelphia…Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth (Revelation 3:7,10).

While it is possible that some in the Thyatira, Sardis, and/or Laodicea churches may repent, and some likely will because of the Great Tribulation, only the Philadelphians are promised protection from the great tribulation, “the hour of trial.”

Anyway, are you really different than Nebuchadnezzar?

Do you only partially agree with God and His word so you do not change enough?

Or are you willing to accept that there are last days church-related prophecies that are being fulfilled in the Continuing Church of God?

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

See also the article: How does the Continuing Church of God differ from other Sabbatarian COG groups?

Do not despise prophecies.

Do not let naysayers, Laodicean leaders, and/or accusers of the brethren convince you otherwise.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 28th, 2024 at 7:00 am and is filed under Prophecy.

• Dreams, the UK, and the Continuing Church of God
• Public Letter from Arthur Topos: CCOG IS THE CONTINUING PHILADELPHIAN CHURCH
• Sermon: Dreams, COGs, and One Man Rule
• Ronald Weinland Followed Tkach’s WCG
• Sermon: The 18 Truths: 1-8
• Sermon: CCOG: Four Years Revealing Philadelphia?
• Sermon: The 18 Restored Truths: 9-18
• Sermon: Mission of the Philadelphia Church Era
• The Bible, Dreams, and the Continuing Church of God
• Dreams, the Bible, and the Continuing Church of God