PCG reports about poisoning and Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin (www.kremlin.ru)
Today, the improperly named Philadelphia Church of God (PCG) posted the following:
January 27, 2016
President Vladimir Putin “probably” approved the murder of former Russian intelligence agent Alexander Litvinenko in 2006, according to an inquiry published by the British government on January 21.
The British had been investigating this assassination because it happened on British soil. Officials spent nine years examining evidence, interviewing 64 witnesses, and assembling a 328-page document. The conclusion is basically that it would have been next to impossible for the murder to have happened as it did without involvement from the Russian government—and without Putin himself signing off on it.
That’s largely because Litvinenko was poisoned with polonium-210, a highly toxic and rare isotope. The inquiry says Andrei K. Lugovoi and Dmitry V. Kovtun—both men with ties to the Russian government—were responsible for slipping the substance into Litvinenko’s drink while he was staying at a London hotel.
The above post mentioned that in the January 2016 issue of the Philadelphia Trumpet its columnist Brad Macdonald has an article about Vladimir Putin titled “Fear this man.”
Why would PCG say that?
Well it goes back to a sermon in January 2014.
Around the time of that sermon, PCG’s Gerald Flurry wrote:
FROM THE EDITOR
Is Vladimir Putin the Prophesied ‘Prince of Rosh’?
From the February 2014 Trumpet Print Edition »
Russia’s president is taking on authoritarian power and restoring the Soviet empire. Biblical prophecy speaks of a tyrant from that area committing some shocking acts. Is President Putin going to fulfill that prophecy?…
Now, a recent move by President Putin has rattled some European leaders to their core.
For several years, Ukraine has been working toward joining Europe’s Eastern Partnership program. But in late November, it abruptly decided to pull out of the EU deal. Why? Because of Mr. Putin’s threats and offer of some rich financial rewards…
But Vladimir Putin is one we need to keep a particularly close eye on. His track record, his nationality and his ideology indicate that he could—and I strongly believe he will—fulfill a linchpin Bible prophecy that was recorded millennia ago. The time frame of his rule makes it almost certain.
A Prophesied ‘Prince’…
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.”
Rosh was the ancient name of Russia, once called Rus. Many encyclopedias and commentaries (such as the Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary) recognize this. So who is this “prince” of Russia, Moscow and Tobolsk? The use of all three names states that this is an individual ruler of all the peoples of Russia, from the west to the east. EZEKIEL’S COMMAND TO “PROPHESY AGAINST HIM” FURTHER INDICATES A SPECIFIC INDIVIDUAL.
When you study these scriptures alongside current events revealing modern Moscow’s imperialist direction, you see that Vladimir Putin could well become the leader of that gigantic army of the East. I strongly believe Vladimir Putin is going to lead the 200 million-man army. Just look at the power he already has.
Can you think of any other Russian politician who could become so powerful and have the will to lead Russia into the crisis of crises? I see nobody else on the horizon who could do that. And only a tiny few years remain for the prince of Rosh to appear!
Such a man doesn’t appear overnight. It takes years for even a strong-willed leader to gain such control.
Vladimir Putin already has the power—and the will to use it. I believe there is not enough time for a competitor to arise and challenge him.
But there will also be other powers involved. Ezekiel’s prophecy says the Russia-led army will include “Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya … Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people” (Ezekiel 38:5-6)…
If you study Ezekiel 38 and 39, you see that much of this prophecy takes place after Christ’s Second Coming. These chapters make plain that the end-time “kings of the east” will also play a key role in a second end-time war! The first is just before the return of Jesus Christ. The second is a short number of years after it…
God says in Ezekiel 38 to prophesy against HIM in the latter days because this is going to be cataclysmic! The Asian power that is already rapidly solidifying will be like nothing this Earth has ever experienced. We need to watch Vladimir Putin closely. I believe he is almost certain to be the “prince of Rosh” that God inspired Ezekiel to write about 2,500 years ago!
Gerald Flurry fainted when he gave the message about this in a sermon. Here is a report from PCG on it:
EDMOND, Okla. (Jan. 4, 2014) — At approximately 2:35 p.m. CST, Philadelphia Church of God Pastor General Gerald Flurry fainted briefly while giving a sermon to the headquarters congregation at Armstrong Auditorium. After awakening from the short fainting spell and being helped from the stage, the pastor general was anointed by his son, Evangelist Stephen Flurry. As he relaxed backstage, his color returned and he was able to catch his breath more easily. Approximately five minutes later, services were concluded with a hymn and closing prayer by Stephen Flurry.
The 78-year old pastor general said he had felt tired and run down earlier in the week, but felt he needed to push through to deliver the sermon, which focused on new revelation from Ezekiel. (Pastor General Recovers from Brief Fainting Spell. January 4, 2014. http://www.pcog.org/35210/35210/, viewed 05/08/14)
It would seem that Gerald Flurry’s “new revelation from Ezekiel” was related to his view of Vladimir Putin and certain events in Ezekiel 38. Presuming that it is, this is additional proof that his “revelations” do not come from God–as he is wrong about the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38:1-7 coming before the return of Jesus Christ.
In the May-June 2014 edition of the Philadelphia Trumpet, Gerald Flurry wrote:
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).
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.
The September 2014 issue of The Philadelphia Trumpet has this in an article from Gerald Flurry which stated 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…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 a few 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.
Notice PCG had the audacity to state that this explanation of Ezekiel 38, which they now contradict, was an example of why their forecasts were 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.
Furthermore, here are some positions from the old Radio Church of God (bold italics mine) put out under the direction of the late Herbert W. Armstrong:
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)
Gerald Flurry does not agree with much of the above and clearly teaches against it now. But his followers do not seem to mind.
Despite claims from Gerald Flurry, it is not clear 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 appears to be talking about. Notice what it and the verses immediately after them state:
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)
Also, 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 a prophecy about Vladimir Putin. But that does not mean that Vladimir Putin does not have an important role–his repeatedly calls for a Eurasian Union will help lead to the time of the armies of the kings of the east of Revelation 16:12.
Let me add that PCG is NOT the only group that misunderstands Ezekiel 38. Many Protestant prophecy watchers do as well (see, for example, Ezekiel 38: For Russia & Iran in Our Day?).
Russia does have an end time role, and actions by Vladimir Putin affect it, but he is NOT the prince of Rosh as PCG claims.
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
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?
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).
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.
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