PCG Announces Focus Change

Rendering of PCG’s Intended Armstrong Auditorium (Rees Associates)

In the September 2008 edition of its Philadelphia Trumpet, PCG’s self-proclaimed prophet Gerald Flurry announced the following:

If you have been reading the magazine for a while, you have probably noticed how we say that if our nations would repent and turn to God, they could avoid those prophesied curses.

However, I believe God is directing us to change that focus.

If you study the biblical prophets, there came a point when their warnings no longer spoke about repentance. They were simply bold statements of fact—spoken as a witness against those peoples who had rejected God. I strongly believe our nations today—particularly the United States and Britain, modern descendants of the biblical nation of Israel—have passed the point of no return. The hope of their turning to God during this age has been eclipsed by the magnitude of their rebellion!

This indicates that time is indeed very short before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The increase in catastrophic events shows God strengthening His correction. Thus, I believe God simultaneously wants to strengthen and intensify the prophetic warning—in the hopes of reaching those individuals who exhibit a teachable attitude and a willingness to accept His guidance.

It is my fervent hope that you, dear reader, are one of those individuals.

I have directed our writers to begin thinking more deeply about how to reach out and supply you with the understanding you need to recognize the unparalleled urgency of these times. We want to make sure we are concentrating intensively on the most significant prophecies that are unfolding in today’s world. We want to prove to you how God told us these things would happen and just how they would end.

At the same time, we want to show you the hope—the wonderful, sure hope that exists beyond this evil age! God gives us that prophetic hope to motivate us and to keep us stirred and uplifted, even amid accumulating tragedies. “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28).

PCG has had other changes in emphasis in the past.

Since Gerald Flurry claims that Iran is the prophesied future King of the South, I suspect that perhaps Gerald Flurry may be thinking that if Europe is part of some attack against Iran soon, that this will fulfill Daniel 11:40-41. If that is correct then since he believes that the King of the North will do this prior to an invasion of the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, then presumably PCG believes that invasion of the Anglo-powers would be shortly thereafter.

However, like other self-appointed false prophets, Gerald Flurry has certain prophetic points in error (and out of order). But since PCG has thousands of supporters, it may reach more with its incorrect understanding of prophecy than some of the other false prophets I have reported on here.

Several articles of related interest may include:

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 claims to be faithful.
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.
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? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States?
Is There A Future King of the South? Some no longer believe there needs to be. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? What does the Bible say?
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? When does the six thousand years of human rule end?
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?
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse What is the Book of Revelation trying to tell us about them? Does the first one deceive many?