Church of God News

Gerald Flurry has been pushing his false notions about what happened to the old Worldwide Church of God for decades. One of his false premises has to do with his original view that Joseph Tkach, Sr. was the ‘man of sin’ in 2 Thessalonians 2, but after he died, Gerald Flurry switched it to supposedly being his son Joseph Tkach, Jr. This is absurd and wrong. As it sadly turns out, most COG groups do not understand who the ‘man of sin is.’ For details on that, check out the article Who is the Man of Sin of 2 Thessalonians 2?

PCG, like some others, makes odd claims about the past that are not accurate:

The PCG is the only Church that holds onto ALL of what Christ established through Mr. Armstrong (Flurry, Gerald and Leap, Dennis. Ezra and Nehemiah: Building God’s Temple. Booklet. 1997. p.29).

The late evangelist Dr. Herman Hoeh worked for Herbert W. Armstrong for decades. Here is some of what he wrote, that was published in the August 1965 edition of the Plain Truth magazine of the old Radio Church of God (which was renamed the Worldwide Church of God a few years later) about Daniel 8:

What the “Little Horn” Will Do

Continue with this amazing prophecy for the latter days!

“And it {the little horn} waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. Yea, he magnified himself even to the Prince of the host, and BY HIM THE DAILY SACRIFICE WAS TAKEN AWAY, AND THE PLACE OF HIS SANCTUARY WAS CAST DOWN” (Dan. 8:10-11).

The next verse — 12 — is not clearly translated in the King James Version. It reads: “And a host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression” — the margin reads: “the host was given over for the transgression against the daily sacrifice” — “and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.” A clearer rendering of verse 12 is found in the Jewish translation: “And the host was given over to it [the little horn] together with the continual burnt-offering through transgression.

Many have attempted to interpret these mysterious symbols out of their own human reasoning. They have tried to read into the Bible meanings that are not there. Let THE BIBLE interpret the Bible!

The explanation of verse 10 is revealed in verse 24: “And his {the little horn’s} power shall be mighty.” That’s the explanation of the first part of verse 10: “it waxed great.”

To continue with verse 24: “But not by his own power.” This king will not accomplish his great deeds by his own strength. Revelation 17:17 reveals why. Ten lesser kings GIVE THEIR MILITARY POWER AND STRENGTH “unto the Beast.”

This little horn (Dan 8:24) “shall destroy wonderfully” — shall have marvelous, frightening military powers “and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people” (verse 24).

Here is a persecuting power, a union of church and state, which destroys the hosts — armies — of the “mighty people” — God’s people Israel. That includes not only the Jews — the House of Judah, but the whole English-speaking world — the House of Israel, the so-called Lost Ten Tribes! …

The “little horn” also persecutes the true Church — the “holy people” who shall shine in the resurrection like the stars of heaven (compare Dan. 8:10 and 24 with Dan. 12:3). …

NOT Heavenly Sanctuary!

Turn to Daniel 8:11. See the BIBLE answer with your own eyes:

“Yea, he {the “little horn”} magnified himself even to the Prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.”

The margin in the King James Version provides an alternative rendering. Instead of “by him” — meaning the “little horn” — it has “from him” — meaning the Prince of the host. The original inspired Hebrew can be translated both ways into English. Either translation is correct.

But notice what this scripture says! The daily sacrifice is to be taken away! The sanctuary is to be cast down! Now consider: IF the daily sacrifice is, as some believe, the daily work of Christ in heaven, then a mortal man — the “little horn” — would have power to intervene IN HEAVEN and STOP THE WORK OF JESUS CHRIST!

Further, IF the “sanctuary” were in heaven, he would have the power to “cast down” the sanctuary — the very throne of God in heaven! IMPOSSIBLE!

No man can stop Jesus Christ from performing His work in heaven! No man — no ruler — not even the devil himself — can cast down the throne of God and profane His Holy Sanctuary!

Then what is the meaning of this astounding prophecy for our day?

The Bible Answer

First read verses 13 and 14 of Daniel 8:

“Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, ‘How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?’ And he said unto me, ‘Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.'”

Another enigma! This answer to this mysterious time period was hidden from Daniel’s understanding — was not to be revealed until the latter days! …

The King of the North

The little horn in Daniel 8 is none other than the LAST KING of one of the four divisions of Alexander’s Empire. He is, in fact, the final “King of the North” described in Daniel 11. … That “little horn” — the final “king of the north” — is about to manifest himself on the world scene! (Hoeh H. The 2300 Days. Plain Truth, August 1965)

So, Dr. Hoeh believed that the little horn had to do with the power that would become the King of the North. A power that has been developing in Europe that will be led by this King after two prophesied reorganizations (Revelation 17:12-13).

In 2009, I, Bob Thiel, wrote the following in my book 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect:

Daniel 9:26–27 and the Rise of the European King of the North . . .

Now, in the book of Daniel there is another prophecy related to the end times that states:

²⁶ And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined. ²⁷ Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined,
Is poured out on the desolate (Daniel 9:26-27).

Notice that there is a “prince to come” from the people who destroy “the city” (probably Jerusalem; cf. Revelation 11:2) and that he will stop sacrifices and be related to an abomination that brings desolation. This leader will apparently change from a peaceful one to a militaristic one (cf. Isaiah 10:5–11).

There are several reasons for referring to a future top leader from a developing superpower rising in Europe. (cf. Isaiah 10:5-11). The Roman Empire, however, offers the most compelling reason to suspect that this leader will arise in Europe. Much of the current European Union (EU) covers areas once controlled by the old Roman Empire. The people of the Roman Empire fulfilled the portion of Daniel 9:26 in the 1^st century as they destroyed the city (Jerusalem) in 70 A.D. And verse 27 refers to the “prince” coming from the people who had destroyed that city. Hence, this prophecy tells us that a leader will start to rise up about 3 1/2 years before the great tribulation.

There is another reason to suspect that the area involves the territories of Europe. Millennia ago, Daniel wrote a prophecy that discussed a little horn that would mainly expand to the south and east:

8 And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land. 10 And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them. 11 He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. 12 Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered (Daniel 8:9-12).

And while the above has had a past fulfillment, this prophecy seems to be dual (compare with Daniel 11:27-–39)—and seems to be for our time. …

In the Book of Daniel, a leader called “the King of the North” is mentioned.

And the Bible seems to show similarities between him and the “prince to come.” (Thiel B. 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect. Nazarene Books, 2009, pp. 80-82)

Here is something from my article on the King of the North:

Notice something from Daniel 8:

9 And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land. 10 And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them. 11 He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. 12 Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered. (Daniel 8:9-12)

So, something small will develop into an empire–this is a European empire. Consider that it is a ‘prince’ who takes away the daily sacrifices in Daniel 9:27, and that he is also called the King of the North (Daniel 11:40) who stops the sacrifices in Daniel 11:31.

As far as the sequence of Daniel 11 goes, notice that Herbert W. Armstrong wrote the following:

In Daniel 11:21, referring in original, typical fulfillment to Antiochus Epiphanes, there shall stand up a vile person…So once again before the second coming of Christ, a vile leader will stop the daily sacrifices being offered…This same prophecy spoken by Jesus is also reported by Luke…21:20-24 (Armstrong HW. Personal, Plain Truth magazine, June 1967).

Thus, Herbert W. Armstrong clearly taught that starting at least from verse 21, that Daniel 11 had a dual/future fulfillment. We are getting very close to the fulfillment of Daniel 11:21.

This same vile leader, who appears at the “appointed time” of “the end” is described without that title in Daniel 8:

19 And he said, “Look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation; for at the appointed time the end shall be…23 “And in the latter time of their kingdom, When the transgressors have reached their fullness, A king shall arise, Having fierce features, Who understands sinister schemes. 24 His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; He shall destroy fearfully, And shall prosper and thrive; He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people. 25 “Through his cunning He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; And he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; But he shall be broken without human means. 26 “And the vision of the evenings and mornings Which was told is true; Therefore seal up the vision, For it refers to many days in the future.” (Daniel 8:19,23-26)

This King is also the “Beast” that the ten kings give their power to in Revelation 17:12-13.

So while PCG teaches that Daniel 8 had to do with the apostasy that hit the old Worldwide Church of God (for more related to that see The Falling Away: The Bible and WCG Teachings), Dr. Hoeh and I both taught that Daniel 8 is an end time prophecy tying in with the final European King of the North.

While Satan did influence the leadership of the WCG after the death of Herbert W. Armstrong, that was NOT the fulfillment of Daniel 8.

We are currently seeing a power starting to rise up in Europe that will fulfill those prophecies.

Of course, Satan still has a plan, and information related to it is in the article simply titled Satan’s Plan.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

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 are links to two related videos: The King of the North is Alive: What to Look Out For and The Future King of the North.
PCG: 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.
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 link to a video in Spanish: ¿Quién es el ‘hombre de pecado’? Here is a version in Mandarin: N;ÿ Œ
f/’Y’jNº’ÿ Here is a link to a related English sermon video titled: The Man of Sin will deceive most ‘Christians’.
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is are links to related videos: European history and the Bible, Europe In Prophecy, The End of European Babylon, and Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European? Here is a link to a related sermon in the Spanish language: El Fin de la Babilonia Europea.
The European Union and the Seven Kings of Revelation 17 Could the European Union be the sixth king that now is, but is not? Here is a link to the related sermon video: European Union & 7 Kings of Revelation 17:10.
Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations? Some claim that these passages refer to a gathering of 10 currently existing nations together, while one group teaches that this is referring to 11 nations getting together. Is that what Revelation 17:12-13 refers to? The ramifications of misunderstanding this are enormous. Here is a link to a related sermon in the Spanish language: ¿Deben los Diez Reyes gobernar sobre diez naciones? A related sermon in the English language is titled: Ten Kings of Revelation and the Great Tribulation.
The Falling Away: The Bible and WCG Teachings Who is 2 Thessalonians 2:3 referring to? Are there multiple falling aways? Here is a related link in Spanish/español: La Apostasía: Enseñanzas de la Biblia y de la WCG. There are also two YouTube videos on the subject that you can watch The Falling Away Part 1: From the Bible and Church History and The Falling Away Part 2: Positions Presented by Others.
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.
CCOG.ORG Continuing Church of God The group striving to be most faithful among all real Christian groups to the word of God. To see how CCOG has done so far, here are links to two sermons Continuing Church of God (CCOG) first year anniversary: What has been accomplished? and The Continuing Church of God: Two Years of Proclamation. Here is a written link to a version of that sermon in the Spanish language: Aniversario del primer año de la Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios: ¿Qué se ha cumplido?
Do You Hold to Any of These Laodicean Prophetic Errors? Most real Christians in the last days are Laodicean and hold to prophetic errors which, unless they repent, will prevent them from being protected from the coming Great Tribulation. Here is a link to a related video: 50+ Laodicean Prophetic Errors.