Teachings Unique to the Philadelphia Church of God

Opinions By COGwriter

The improperly-named Philadelphia Church of God (PCG) had its roots in the Worldwide Church of God. Although there are many obvious similarities, this author has often been asked about the differences in their teachings. The intent of this article is not to cause division, but the Bible teaches that two cannot walk together unless they are agreed (Amos 3:3) and agreement probably will not come if the groups hold differing views. This article primarily includes quotes from official publications or its leadership (though several comments towards the end are from former PCG members). Many of the teachings in this article are unique to PCG, but not all, and some are similar.

PCG seems to have been 3,000-4,000 members.

Similar to some others, PCG improperly claims:

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).

Furthermore, PCG reported:

In this end time, 95 percent of God's people have gone astray because they failed to follow Herbert W. Armstrong's example as he followed Christ (For more information, write for a free copy of Malachi's Message) (Flurry, Gerald. The Law of History. Philadelphia Trumpet, February 2002, p.5).

While there is a lot of truth in the first portion of that statement, the mentioning of Malachi's Message demonstrates part of why PCG is part of that 95 percent.

Its leader and claimed prophet, Gerald Flurry, has been proven to be a false prophet as well as one who has put in false and wrong teachings.

Note: any bolding of text was added by me. Most of my comments, however, will be in italics. PCG has certain unique teachings, as well as some that based more on preferred tradition than what the Bible actually teaches. This article will provide documented evidence of that. Note: I have not ever agreed to PCG's statement to electronically review their materials and not quote them. I still have proper public comment ability on this, in case any in PCG have wondered.

"Malachi's Message, the centerpiece of our literature, contains a lot of new revelation in the area of prophecy which God did not reveal to Mr. Armstrong" (Flurry, Gerald. Worldwide Church of God Doctrinal Changes and the Tragic Results. Booklet. 1994. p.2). "Only the Philadelphia Church receives God's revelation today" (Flurry, Gerald. From the Beginning. Booklet. 1996. p.4). "The PCG has kept all of revealed knowledge God gave to Mr. Armstrong. All of the Laodicean groups have rejected at least part of that revelation. Therefore, GOD HAS GIVEN THEM NO NEW REVELATION SINCE MR. ARMSTRONG DIED! BUT THE PCG HAS BEEN FLOODED WITH REVELATION. We are the only group that is eating from the tree of life! And you can prove it. Because the Laodiceans have rejected God's revealed government, God will not use them to do His Work" (Flurry, Gerald. From the Beginning. Booklet. 1996. p.25).

"AND CHRIST’S DISCIPLES TODAY KNOW WHO THIS MODERN-DAY JOHN, OR ELIJAH, WAS! They must know who he was or they could not do God’s work. His name was Herbert W. Armstrong. His headquarters was Pasadena, California. ONLY he restored all things in this end time. (Many of God’s people remember when Mr. Armstrong spoke of 18 truths he restored to God’s Church.)" (Flurry G. Is California Under a Curse? Philadelphia Trumpet, December 2003, p.1).

These two statements from Gerald Flurry are clear contradictions. If HWA restored all things, then PCG would have no need to be "FLOODED WITH REVELATION". The fact that Gerald Flurry has made numerous changes proves that HE DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT HWA RESTORED ALL THINGS. Any who remain with PCG because they believe that PCG is the most faithful to the teachings and practices of the old Worldwide Church of God under HWA are deceiving themselves!

Furthermore, as is shown in the section titled Government, PCG is among the groups that have rejected governance.

Gerald Flurry's Inspiration/Authority

PCG claims extra-human inspiration for its Malachi's Message booklet:

The PCG does believe that Malachi's Message is more than a human work (Leap Dennis. As quoted in Philadelphia Official Responds. The Journal. June 30, 1998. p.8).

Malachi's Message was delivered to me and the PCG in 1989. A MIGHTY ANGEL DIRECTLY FROM GOD REVEALED IT! (Flurry, Gerald. The Little Book. Philadelphia Trumpet. Sept-Oct 1992).

Yet they changed it:

The PCG's main publication, Malachi's Message, was drastically improved in 1991. Much of that summer was spent on adding sections, editing, and giving it a new format like most other small books. The improvements are astounding (Flurry, Stephen. 1991: A Year to Remember. Philadelphia Trumpet. February 1992).

There have been many changes from the original booklet in 1990 (which I read) and the newest 1995 version (which I also read) which makes me wonder the same thing about revising Malachi's Message that a former Philadelphia pastor asked, "Why would anyone dare to change a revelation from God?" (Schaeffer, Randy. In Former PCG Elders Say Church in Crisis, Moving Away from Its Founding Principles. The Journal. June 30, 1999. p.9).

Yet PCG claims the booklet was prophesied:

Malachi's Message Prophesied!...'And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the LORD of hosts' (Mal. 2:4). This is a specific prophecy about Malachi's Message. GOD SAID 'I SENT' THIS MESSAGE TO YOU, AND 'YOU SHALL KNOW' THAT GOD SENT IT! They will know before or during the Great Tribulation that Malachi's Message is from God (Flurry, Gerald. Malachi's Message to God's Church Today. Booklet. 1995. p.30).

These prophesies in Malachi could occur only after Mr. Armstrong was dead (Flurry, Gerald. Malachi's Message to God's Church Today. Booklet. 1995. p.143.).

Today, people often ask, 'Where does Mr. Flurry get his authority? Where does Mr. Flurry and the PCG get authority to rebuild the temple?' Zerubbabel's experience typifies the PCG today. In a similar vein, we get our authority from some original signed documents. Our are not civil, legal documents. The documents authorizing the PCG and our work are the writings of Herbert W. Armstrong. 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).

Even a casual reading of this document should reveal to any with eyes to see that PCG admits that it does not hold onto ALL of what Christ established through Mr. Armstrong.

Adding to the Book of Revelation

Robert Kuhne, a former PCG member, reported,

Gerald Flurry is putting Malachi’s Message on the level of Scripture: "MALACHI'S MESSAGE IS AN UNWRITTEN PART OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION"..."THE LITTLE BOOK IS A PROPHETIC SECTION OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION [PT Sept./Oct. 1992, "The Little Book" article pg. 6, 7]".

He has a picture showing the page of the PT (Philadelphia Trumpet) quote at his website. He also mentioned that PCG did not repeat this particular quote in a Philadelphia Trumpet article on the same subject 6 years later. I would simply like to quote a portion of the Book of Revelation itself here, "For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book" (Revelation 22:18-19).

That Prophet

Many years ago, Gerald Flurry began referring to himself as "that Prophet":

[At PCG's ministerial conference in June, 1999] God gave his end-time prophet the clearest understanding of his office and commission that he has ever had.... The conference instruction revolved around Pastor General Gerald Flurry's five lectures, collectively titled, 'That Prophet.' Mr. Flurry's starting point, John 1:19-25, shows that Jews in Christ's time who knew the Bible not only expected the 'Elijah' prophesied to return right before Christ's Second Coming, but also an unnamed prophet. After revealing that he fulfills the office of 'that prophet,' over nine hours Mr. Flurry expounded the Old Testament scriptures defining that office, in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Malachi, Hosea, Micah and other books--even Genesis (Ministers learn to support prophet. Philadelphia News, July/August 1999).

It probably should be mentioned that most in the real Church of God consider that the term "that Prophet" which PCG refers to is an Old Testament prediction of Christ, not a self-appointed human leader such as Gerald Flurry.

Gerald Flurry is not God's prophet. Those interested in learning the truth about Christian prophets should study the article 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? There is also a sermon-length video titled How to determine if someone is a true prophet of God.

Gerald Flurry's Claimed Titles

In the July/August 2000 edition of Royal Vision, Gerald Flurry specifically calls or refers to himself the following variety of titles (listed in the order they occur in that issue): that prophet, the last voice, a third voice, the physical head of God's work, the last and final voice, a prophet, God's man, one that was prophesied by Jeremiah and Ezekiel, this watchman, end-time watchman, a prophet to the nations, Christ's man, a breaker, a modern type of Micah, this king, this counselor, the breaker whom God has chosen, God's watchman, prophesied by Habakkuk, a lawgiver, His lawgiver, God's leader, an end-time Malachi-type prophet, the one who fulfills Zechariah's role in the end-time, ruler over His household, a type of Elisha, the conduit, God's true prophet, the voice, that voice, type of Joel, a preacher of righteousness, this man (of God), an end-time Obadiah, a warrior for God, the one God actually wants us to focus on, and only a messenger--at least one of those titles he is taking refers to Jesus. The titles of the articles, all of which were written by Gerald Flurry were (in order of appearance, all CAPS from G. Flurry), THAT PROPHET PART ONE: WHO IS 'THAT PROPHET'?, THAT PROPHET PART TWO: A NEW THING, THAT PROPHET PART THREE: GOD'S WATCHMAN, THAT PROPHET PART FOUR: THE THRONE AND LAWGIVER, GOD'S COMMAND, ZECHARIAH'S FLYING SCROLL, THAT PROPHET PART FIVE: THE ELISHA WORK, and THAT PROPHET PART SIX: THE VOICE OF THE DAY OF THE LORD. He also calls PCG "God's greatest gift" (p.12).

Gerald Flurry also considers himself to be a king who may sit on the 'stone of destiny':

“THE THRONE.” This says that THE THRONE will be established in addition to the tabernacle. What THRONE is this talking about? David’s throne! The same throne that Jeremiah 33:17 says will always be occupied!
This is the only throne on Earth that will last forever!

As we cover in our booklet the Key of David, the throne of David is in Britain today. For millennia, the kings and queens who have been crowned on that throne have done so over Jacob’s pillar stone, also called “the stone of destiny.”

How could that throne be ESTABLISHED in the context of Isaiah 16? ONLY THE STONE OF DESTINY COULD FIRMLY ESTABLISH THE THRONE OF DAVID!

IS ISAIAH 16 TELLING US THAT GOD WILL SOMEHOW GIVE US THAT STONE WHEN GOD’S PEOPLE GO TO THE PLACE OF SAFETY? After all, we are going to be sharing that throne with Christ in a matter of just a few years!

THE STONE OF DESTINY IS REALLY THE SYMBOL OF DAVID’S THRONE...There is much here we don’t know, but the context seems to imply that the “he” who “shall sit upon” that throne is a man from this Church.

As I point out in Who Is “That Prophet”?, Micah 2:13 refers to the office Christ has given me as that of “their king.” That couldn’t be referring to Christ, because the same verse separately mentions “the LORD.” The word king in that verse means the leader, or one in charge—but the word king is appropriate. (Flurry G. A multimillion-dollar house for God in Edmond? Royal Vision, March-April 2009)

Furthermore, Gerald Flurry wrote:

And I have been the conduit for revelation from all the major and minor prophets, Colossians, Lamentations, Daniel, Revelation, the former prophets and other books. All this prophetic revelation has come from God through THAT PROPHET (p.33).

Gerald Flurry also stated:

THERE IS A SPIRITUAL THRONE OF DAVID IN GOD'S CHURCH TODAY"(p.5)

And then he essentially implies he sits on it; he also said,

I have to make 'kingly' decisions at times (p.12).

When commenting about other COGs, Gerald Flurry wrote:

Almost every book or booklet which I have written is filled with prophecy...Do they even have a smattering of the abundance of new revelation which God has rained down on His people through me? (p.15).

I have the authority of of God's watchman--THAT PROPHET...God sets ONE WATCHMAN at a time (p.17).

He also wrote:

This verse indicates a NEW COMMISSION for the PCG...This trumpet-blowing commission is directed towards me personally (p.18).

The Sept-Oct 2003 edition of the Philadelphia News lists these titles under Gerald Flurry's name:

Pastor General of the Philadelphia Church of God; Imperial College Chancellor; Philadelphia Foundation Founder and Chairman.

But apparently all of those titles were not enough, so in November 2010 he decided he also needed to be an apostle, so he added yet another title. For part of his justification he wrote wrote "the office of apostle is a sign that God wants us to do still a GREATER WORK than what we have done" (Flurry G. Member and Co-worker letter. Philadelphia Church of God, November 8, 2010, p. 10). I think that repentance would be the greater work that PCG should consider. PCG, in my view, is guilty of spiritual, and sometimes also physical, idolatry (see also The Bible, Peter, Paul, John, Polycarp, Herbert W. Armstrong, Roderick C. Meredith, and Bob Thiel on Church Government).

Furthermore, in the May-June 2014 edition of the Philadelphia Trumpet, Gerald Flurry added the titles "son of man" and "type of Ezekiel" to the titles he and his church claim.

I consider Gerald Flurry to be both a false prophet and a false apostle (nor do not agree with many of the other titles he has claimed for himself). Gerald Flurry is not God's prophet. Those interested in learning the truth about Christian prophets should study the article 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? There is also a sermon-length video titled How to determine if someone is a true prophet of God.

Gerald Flurry a Type of Elisha?

At former PCG member Robert Kuhne's webpage he quoted from PCG booklet, Who is That Prophet? (TP is Kuhne's abbreviation for that booklet) written by Gerald Flurry, and then from HWA:

Elisha followed Elijah anciently. So it should be no surprise that there is an Elisha type who follows the end-time Elijah. The Elisha work has some great examples for us, because Elisha was always grounded in Elijah's instructions, and he carried on the Elijah work. Where on earth is there someone who points you back to the end-time Elijah and continues the end-time Elijah work? [TP pg. 67p4,5]

My office must be a type of the Elisha office [TP pg. 68p6]

That is also a prophecy that the same evil will surface in this end-time -- in the Elisha work. ... Elisha continued God's educational work, which indicates that our work will do the same, at least in a limited way [TP pg. 70p4,8]

Elisha promised never to leave Elijah. That is what the Elisha work is like today. ... He was being prepared to carry on the Elijah work. ... I was chosen to lead God's Elisha remnant. ... This is the attitude we must have in continuing Elijah's work! [TP pg. 71p2,3,4,5]

This strikes at the heart of how we continue the Elijah work today. ... God has to have a man fulfill the Elisha role today [TP pg. 74p3,4]

The above quotes make it clear that Gerald Flurry believes that he is doing the Elisha work and is that he is Elisha or a type of Elisha. However, this contradicts what Herbert W. Armstrong believed and wrote:

But I think God has called me for a job to do. If I have been someone in the power and the spirit of Elijah, remember there is no prophecy that God will have an Elisha follow Elijah. (Armstrong, Herbert W. Congress of Leading Ministers Hears Defined and Reemphasized Spiritual Organization of Church. Worldwide News, March 6, 1981, p. 12)

And later, Gerald Flurry began teaching,

The original Elijah and the end-time Elijah held extremely important “father” offices for God. The Philadelphia Church of God, like Elisha, recognizes that fact. This is the foundational issue that sets the pcg apart from any other Church of God group. If you follow the Elisha example in this respect, God will make you a king with a headquarters position forever. Why? Because this foundational truth points us to God the Father (Flurry G. From the Editor: An Open Letter to the Churches of God. Philadelphia Trumpet. February 2006).

Hence, Gerald Flurry is admitting that the Elisha matter is the foundational issue that sets PCG apart from the other groups.

Last Hour Stated to Have Started May 5, 2001

The January 2002 Philadelphia Trumpet contains the following quote,

problems have only escalated in the time since the beginning of the 'last hour' was announced by our editor in chief on May 5 of last year (Jenkins, Mark. The Resource War. p:21).

It is undeniably 'the last hour' (Fraser, Ron. The Coming World Crisis. p:7).

Apparently Gerald Flurry (Philadelphia Trumpet's editor in chief) declared to PCG supporters that the last hour began on May 5, 2001.

On pp:6-7 of the same issue, Ron Fraser lists "Last Hour's First Minutes" to support PCG's position that the 'last hour' began in May 2001. In addition, Ron Fraser wrote,

Since the "last hour" of the age of man began, the pace of events has accelerated...The minds of three clever men who have really thought about and deeply pondered the state of global affairs, and who all reached the same conclusion: We crossed a line in the year 2001. Is it mere coincidence that one other mind would reach the same conclusion from a totally different perspective? Lord Chalfont, Dr. Kissinger and Dr. Friedman all drew the same logical conclusion by applying their deep perspectives on history and current events, by the process of HUMAN REASONING, to the phenomenon of unprecedented change upon entry into the year 2001.

Our editor in chief, Gerald Flurry, reached the same conclusion based upon BIBLICAL REVELATION! At the time that Mr. Flurry spoke on this phenomenon of the world entering an unprecedented time of turmoil, such as has not been experienced in the totality of man's history to date, he was not aware of the conclusions of these other men. Indeed, the thoughts of Lord Chalfont and Doctor Kissinger had not been published at the time. Yet, our editor in chief brought out the following in his Personal in the November 2001 edition of this magazine: "In a sermon in May, I said we should expect this last hour to be different than any other hour in the history of man! Just four months later, the face of the world changed dramatically. ... THE WORLD HAS ENTERED ITS LAST HOUR! IT IS PLAIN FOR ALL TO SEE!" They are powerful words. They are revelatory words, straight out of your Bible! (Fraser, Ron. The Coming World Crisis. p:5).

However PCG's self-declared 'prophet', Gerald Flurry also stated,

we have, first we have the seven years and then we printed Mystery of the Ages. And now we have the six years of the crisis years, and uh, seven more years will take us to January the 16th, 2010. What do you suppose might happen then? I'll tell you this, it's a 19 year time cycle - January the 16th. I would think probably something pretty dramatic is going to occur. Tribulation gonna begin? Well, I certainly think, uh, it could. Something is gonna happen, and I don't think it's gonna be good for this, this uh, world, and certainly for Israel, it's not gonna be good. [G. Flurry sermon, The Mantle of Elijah part II, 3/8/03, tape1:side2]

The above quotes were directly taken from the R. Kuhne website.

The Last Half of the Last Hour Began June 2005

PCG later declared,

Earlier this year, on June 4, our editor in chief announced in a sermon that the world had now entered the last half of the last hour. Less than five months after his 2001 announcement, 9/11 jolted the United States. After the June announcement, in less than three months, Katrina smashed into the Gulf Coast (Flurry, Stephen. Tragedy of Biblical Proportions. Philadelphia Trumpet, November 2005, p. 20).

If the first 1/2 hour lasted four years, one who think that the last 1/2 hour would not last more than twice that long. Thus, this should help people realize that PCG was not led by God's Spirit for this and certain other prophetic pronouncements.

Who are "God's Most Majestic Royalty"?

Notice another claim from Gerald Flurry:

One of God's greatest and rarest gifts to mankind is a very loyal minister. Usually these men are supported by an equally noble and loyal wife. They are God's most majestic royalty (Flurry, Gerald. From the Beginning. Booklet. 1996. p.1).

What is the "Little Book" in Rev 10:2,8-10?

PCG makes a big deal about claiming it is the only Church of God (COG) faithful to the teachings of HWA, yet it makes many claims about its book Malachi's Message that contradict HWA's teachings:

The stormy wind comes in the form of the little book of Rev. 10. THAT LITTLE BOOK IS MALACHI'S MESSAGE. That little book is the vanguard of the STORMY WIND. (Flurry, Gerald. The Little Book. Philadelphia Trumpet. Sept-Oct 1992).

We also firmly believe that Malachi's Message is the little book of Revelation 10. (Leap Dennis. As quoted in Philadelphia Official Responds. The Journal. June 30, 1998. p.8).

 

The little book and our message is to measure the Church to prove that they are Laodiceans (Flurry, Gerald. Lamentations and the End-Time Laodiceans. Booklet. 1993. p.6.).

God has commissioned the PCG to prophesy again. God has given us the LITTLE BOOK--Malachi's Message--because we are the only Church which knows how to 'PROPHESY AGAIN' (Flurry, Gerald. From the Beginning. Booklet. 1996. p.34).

We now 'prophesy AGAIN,' after God's message was stopped by His own people (Rev. 10:11). Revelation 10:11 actually says, "And he said to me, 'You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings' " (Flurry, G. The Solution to Israel's Problems. Philadelphia Trumpet, Dec 2002, p. 26).

Although this verse does talk about prophesying again, it says nothing about the message being stopped by God's own people (for in truth, God's own people never stopped proclaiming the true Gospel--though some who claimed to be God's people did stop).

PCG also claims:

Malachi’s Message is an unwritten part of The Book of Revelation…The Little Book is a prophetic section of The Book of Revelation (Gerald Flurry, Philadelphia Trumpet Sept./Oct. 1992, "The Little Book" article pg. 6,7).

The angel over the Laodicean era had the little book in his hand. One of his major responsibilities was to get the little book delivered.

The little book has seven thunders. The whole Bible is referred to as a book—not a “little book” (Ezekiel 2:9-10; Revelation 5:1-2). So this passage is not referring to the Bible. The little book is only a small portion of what John saw in the book of Revelation. ... Notice, the angel “cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth” (verse 3). It is like a lion’s roar. It is a message that has one blast of thunder after another—a series of seven thunders. The little book has an image of terror! It is prophecy about catastrophe!(FLurry G. The Little Book. Copyright © 1995, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2016, 2019 Philadelphia Church of God)

That is opposed with what Jesus said, “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book” (Revelation 22:18). PCG has claim to have added to the prophecies of Revelation.

Carefully notice the following:

The entire chapter of Revelation 10 speaks about the commission of the Philadelphia Church of God...It is the only organization in existence today that adheres to God's form of government and follows and preaches the teachings restored by Mr. Armstrong (Anderson, Eric and Jenkins, Mark. This is the Philadelphia Church of God. Philadelphia Trumpet, February 2002, p. 19).

Really? Please read below (and also the section titled Government which shows that PCG has changed governance):

What Herbert Armstrong Actually Taught About Revelation 10

Herbert Armstrong had a completely different view of Revelation 10 and many other PCG claims:

Now notice this tenth chapter--an inset chapter, not necessarily at all occurring at the TIME sequence of the end of the ninth chapter. The actual recording of EVENTS, TIME-WISE, is not continued until chapter 11, verse 15.

This chapter 10 has been virtually OVERLOOKED. I did not comment on it in the earlier days, or expound it when I wrote the OUTLINE of the book of Revelation, or the full booklet on the revelation. There was NO WAY it could have been understood then--until after subsequent events--just as we could not have understood how Satan sways the entire WORLD, as explained in Eph. 2.1-2, until we had radio and television.

A MIGHTY ANGEL comes down from heaven, his face as the SUN, his feet as pillars of fire. His voice was as the roar of a lion. He set his right foot upon the sea, and his left upon the earth.

He had a LITTLE BOOK open.

This mighty angel in the second half of this inset prophecy, beginning verse 6, swears by the Eternal GOD there shall be "time no longer" (A.V.--marginal translation—"no more delay". But the angel continues, "But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, (7th trumpet--which shall be the 7 last plagues--and which also is the PRECISE TIME of Christ’s coming as KING over the earth)--when He shall begin to sound the mystery of God should be finished..." (verse 6-7).

I italicized "when He shall" referring to the sounding of the last and FINAL trumpet, to show that the time setting of this brief two-part inset prophecy is NOT AT OR IMMEDIATELY AFTER the 6th trumpet of chapter 9) --but SOME TIME PRIOR TO IT! Therefore, in time setting, this is a flashback. Now continue:

The Apostle John in his vision is told to take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel, and eat it up.

HOW LIKE EZEKIEL'S PROPHECY!

It was sweet as honey in his mouth but BITTER in his stomach.

The message of that little book seems to be what the angel next said, "Thou must prophesy [proclaim--preach—foretell] again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues and KINGS!"

Now WHEN?

The message of the little book written on both sides of a rol1, to be eaten and swallowed, takes us directly back to Ezekiel's prophecy. Ezekiel himself, as I have shown. NEVER WENT TO ISRAEL, NEVER DELIVERED THAT MESSAGE. It was not a prophecy for the Israel of his day--but for OUR DAY, NOW. Ezekiel's prophecy was NOT a message to MANY NATIONS, speaking different languages, and to their KINGS. It was to the REBELLIOUS PEOPLE of the House of Israel and it was emphasized to Ezekiel they were NOT of strange speech--NOT foreign Gentile nations.

This WORK OF GOD did carry that message to those same people in OUR DAY, prior to January, 1972.

I felt I had reason to believe it was POSSIBLE that OUR WORK would be FINISHED by January, 1972, I wrote and printed that many times. But I also said I WAS NOT SETTING DATES--it was not CERTAIN!

It was a possibility. But being HUMAN, many of those supporting me in this Work did take it as a definite date. Up until then they sacrificed to send in tithes and offerings for God's WORK, when the Work did NOT end in January, 1972, some FOOLISHLY said, "Now I'm through going without things I like to have--my Lord delayeth His coming!" Read what God says of those who say and do that (Matt. 24:48-51).

Now WHEN is the TIME of this prophecy in Revelation?

Read right on. Chapter 11 is merely a chapter division written by MEN. But John's book of Revelation continues right on. The apostle, in his vision, is told now by this same angel to rise and MEASURE THE TEMPLE. But LEAVE OUT the court which is for the Gentiles, for they shall tread down the Holy City for 3 1/2 years.

So the TIME of our prophecy is at least 3 1/2 YEARS before Christ's coming--before THE GREAT TRIBULATION before the beginning of the DAY OF THE LORD and before the seventh angel blows the last trumpet!

Then it continues on into the message of the TWO WITNESSES--also referred to and perhaps identified in Haggai and Zechariah.

And THEY SHALL PREACH A LAST WARNING TO THE WHOLE WORLD FOR 3 1/2 YEARS! And it is not until after ALL THIS, that the time element picks back up with the sounding of the 7th trumpet in chapter 11:15.

Therefore, MY CONCLUSION?

Could it be possible, after proclaiming the Gospel of THE KINGDOM OF GOD, as well as Ezekiel's warning to the people of Israel, that, beginning January, 1972, when my PRESENT CAMPAIGN of walking through the doors God said He would open (Rev. 3:8) to KINGS, and many NATIONS of DIFFERENT LANGUAGES commenced, that it is the FULFILLMENT OF THIS PROPHECY OF REVELATION 10?

To me it comes as a STARTLING, AMAZING EYE-OPENING NEW LIGHT DIRECT FROM GOD!

THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PHASE OF GOD'S WORK TODAY!

And THE JOB IS GETTING DONE! (Armstrong, Herbert W. Co-worker letter, November 19, 1976).

Thus, for PCG to state that it has the same teachings as HWA is again shown as incorrect.

Gerald Flurry wrote the following:

One Bible Prophecy That Explains Our World

March 20, 2016

One biblical prophecy explains the alarming rise of aggressive world powers today. “And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” (Luke 21:20-24).

We are living in the times of the Gentiles. ... God focuses primarily on two birthright nations (America and Britain) and one scepter nation (the Jewish nation in the Middle East). He uses Gentile powers to punish His chosen people because of their many sins. ...

Prominent on the world scene today are three threatening powers: China, Russia and Iran. ...

“And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand” (Luke 21:29-31). The rise of China, Russia, Iran and Germany is like bright new leaves growing on a tree. It is a clear sign showing that Jesus Christ’s return is imminent! (verse 27). The symbolism here is plain. “Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away” (verses 32-33).

When we see Gentile powers taking charge on the world scene, we know that we will also live to see the chain of events leading directly to Christ’s return. China, Russia, Iran and Germany will soon plunge mankind into World War iii. Thankfully, God provides understanding of the times of the Gentiles, plus a way of escape from the destruction they will cause. https://www.thetrumpet.com/article/13668.18.0.0/one-bible-prophecy-that-explains-our-world

We are not really in the final times of the Gentiles, we are basically in the final time of Israelite domination. The tiny nation of Israel is in charge of Jerusalem and the USA and UK still dominate the international financial world, while the USA itself has the strongest military. And while that will end (Daniel 11:39) during the time of Jacob's trouble, it is then that the final times of the Gentiles will be here.

The time of Gentile domination is prophesied (Ezekiel 7:24, 30:1-3, 34:25-30; Jeremiah 10:25; Luke 21:23-24; Revelation 11:2). Here are a couple of quotes from the old WCG:

With the second coming of Christ, the "times of the Gentiles" will at last come to an end. (Stump K. The Arab World in Prophecy. Plain Truth, December 1979, p. 38)

Luke 21:23-24: "For sore anguish will come upon the land and wrath on this people; they will fall by the edge of the sword, they will be carried prisoners to all nations, and Jerusalem will be under the heel of the Gentiles TILL the period [Times] of the Gentiles expire."

That is speaking of WAR — of NATIONAL invasion and captivity. That actually did happen to JUDAH in 70 A.D. But that was merely the typical fore-runner. The climactic major event of this prophecy is yet to occur, just shortly before the coming of Christ!

ALSO a Religious Persecution

Turn again to Matthew 24: "And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved ... For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be ... For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs, and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect" (Matt. 24:10-13, 21, 24).

This is also speaking individually of truly Spirit-begotten CHRISTIANS who have become so lukewarm, so out of prayerful contact with God, that they will not be accounted worthy to escape all these things. And that phase of this Great Tribulation is very clearly brought out in the opening of the fifth seal of Revelation 6: "And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled" (Rev. 6:9-11).

NOTICE that! Here is the GREAT TRIBULATION! And this fifth seal pictures it as a time of martyrdom of saints — of truly converted, begotten children of GOD! (Armstrong HW. The Book of Revelation Unveiled at Last. 1972)

The Great Tribulation itself is not only described in Revelation 6:9-11 (the fifth seal, that seems to occur because the faithful church has suffered martyrdom, cf. Daniel 11:31-35; Matthew 24:9-10), but also in Lamentations, Daniel, and other parts of the Bible. It starts with Matthew 24:21 and Daniel 11:39. Some would call this World War III (WWIII; see also World War III: Steps in Progress and/or watch Is World War III About to Begin? Can You Escape?).

The final times of the Gentiles is close, but has not yet began (check out The Times of the Gentiles ). But deterioriation of the power of the Israelitish nations has begun.

Wrong Teaching on the 'Man of Sin'

In his book, Malachi's Message (1995 edition), in the chapter titled "Man of Sin," Gerald Flurry wrote:

God’s Church has applied 2 Thessalonians 2:4 to the world for the most part. But it doesn’t apply to the world...

“Even him [the “son of perdition”], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders” (2 Thessalonians 2:9). The word “signs” is rendered “pretended signs” by the Revised Standard Version. This “son of perdition” is heavily influenced by Satan...In 2 Thessalonians 2, Paul discusses signs and lying wonders of a false leader or lying apostle (Revelation 2:2)...

Mr. Tkach was an innermost disciple—more so than other Church leaders—in those last seven years of Mr. Armstrong’s life. The leadership discussed in 2 Thessalonians 2 must be in Pasadena today. (pp. 79,88,89,99)

But this false leader was not J. Tkach Sr. who Gerald Flurry originally identified nor anyone who was part of the Tkach Administration in Pasadena in 1995. Furthermore, the type of signs and lying wonders that the Apostle Paul referred to were have not accompanied any in the Tkach Administration.

Furthermore, while Gerald Flurry tries to 'spiritualize' that away, the reality is that the rest of the verses in 2 Thessalonians 2 did not happen:

9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12)

The emergence of the Tkach Administration did not come with ALL POWER, SIGNS, AND LYING WONDERS. Nor did it result in the world believing a strong delusion--they believed the usual delusions that they have always believed.

Also notice verse 8 in 2 Thessalonians 2:

8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.

Joseph Tkach, Sr. died in 1995 and Jesus has not come. Nor do I believe that any around in Pasadena/Glendale in the Tkach Administration, or those of GCI who later moved to Charlotte, North Carolina) are possibly the subject of 2 Thessalonians 2:8. Gerald Flurry is in error.  Demons give false messages and Gerald Flurry's claim that his source was angelic indicates that it was a demonic source--it is that or his own imagination.  Either way, his message contains falsehoods and errors.

Now, Gerald Flurry switched from J. Tkach, Sr. to J. Tkach, Jr. and the death of the senior Tkach:

Revealing Satan

May 16, 2014

By Gerald Flurry

2 Thessalonians 2 records a spectacular end-time event in God’s Church. There is nothing like it in all the previous history of the Church!

“And now ye know what [restrains] that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now [restrains] will [restrain], until he be taken out of the way” (verses 6-7).

God has given the Philadelphia Church of God amazing understanding about this verse. On Jan. 16, 1986, a man was taken out of the way. From time to time, God reminds us how important the anniversary of that day is. We can read these scriptures and point out the specific individuals they refer to. What other church can do this?

“And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming” (verse 8). Verses 3-4 say the man of sin will be revealed, but verse 8 specifically says this Wicked (Satan) will be revealed as well.

“Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders” (verse 9). There are signs, lying wonders and power coming from the devil...

The court battle we fought against the Worldwide Church of God to gain the copyrights to Herbert Armstrong’s writings has been a gold mine of information about the devil...

In our court proceedings, Joe Tkach Jr. gave two depositions...

Tkach: “When someone tells you that they’re being used by God in a way that no other human being who has ever lived is being used, I would consider that to be a bit on the heresy side, to say that he received a message from God and then won’t share it with you.”

None of this happened. Mr. Tkach Jr. knew he was lying! ... He tried to picture me as a weird prophet you see in Hollywood movies...

When I sat listening to those words during the deposition, I didn’t understand what those lies were all about. But God later revealed to me what it all meant. God always has to reveal these truths to us.

2 Thessalonians 2:4 says this man of sin “Opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”...

I don’t think Joe Tkach Jr. really understood what he was saying or from whom he got these lies. It was Satan talking to us...

“For the mystery of [lawlessness] doth already work: only he who now [restrains] will [restrain], until he be taken out of the way” (verse 7). That “mystery of lawlessness” was there before the man of sin came on the scene. Revelation 3:7-9 call it the synagogue of Satan. The devil was plotting and planning even while Mr. Armstrong was alive. He inspired and directed a group of people to get ready to take over the Church of God. And he succeeded!

The icc says, “[A]s the indwelling Christ works in Paul, so Satan operates in the [man of sin] with the result that his advent is attended by all power to work wonders.”

2 Thessalonians 2:8 shows that the work of Satan will be destroyed, but verse 9 reveals that, first, the man of sin will have “all power and signs and lying wonders.” This is what Joe Tkach Jr. said about me! What a lying wonder! It came right out of 2 Thessalonians 2.

Like false prophet Ronald Weinland, Gerald Flurry is much too much into allegory. Whether or not Joe Tkach, Jr. lied, this does not qualify as the "signs and lying wonders" that the Apostle Paul was warning about. And while many COGs do not understand who the 'man of sin' in 2 Thessalonians 2 is (and because of this they will not understand certain end time prophecies), Gerald Flurry may have the most absurd explanation of his alleged identity.

To learn the truth about the identity of the 'man of sin,' please rely on what the Bible, not tradition or Gerald Flurry's writings differ from. An article to assist with this would be Who is the Man of Sin of 2 Thessalonians 2?; here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Quién es el Hombre de Pecado de 2 Tesalonicenses 2? Here is a link to a related YouTube video, in English, titled Who is the Man of Sin?

Gerald Flurry is not God's prophet. Those interested in learning the truth about Christian prophets should study the article 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? There is also a sermon-length video titled How to determine if someone is a true prophet of God.

As far as Malachi goes, his four chapter book contains God's message.  It is not the message that an apparent demon gave Gerald Flurry (that seems to have originated in the writings of another) that he calls Malachi's Message.

Wrong Predictions Related to Donald Trump

On January 20, 2021, Donald Trump left the White House to be replaced by Joe Biden as President of the United States, despite writings from Gerald Flurry to the contrary (see also Biden-Harris Inaugurated: Gerald Flurry and Don Billingsley again proven wrong).

Stephen Flurry posted the following at PCG's thetrumpet.com website the next day to suggest that PCG basically only taught that Donald Trump would one day again be in office:

January 21, 2021

Donald Trump and his wife moved out of the White House. A short while later, Joe Biden was inaugurated as America’s 46th president. Mr. Biden and his party now have total control over America’s government. Look at this from almost any perspective, and it appears we just witnessed the end of Donald Trump and his ambition to “Make America Great Again.”

This might be the way men perceive today’s events. It is not the way God sees them.

For four years, the Trumpet has explained the biblical prophecies in Amos 7, 2 Kings 14, Daniel 8 and Revelation 12. These passages prophesy the emergence of an end-time “Antiochus,” a corrupt and lawless man who hates traditional America and leads a national and even global campaign to “blot out the name of Israel.” They also prophesy about an end-time Jeroboam ii, a powerful leader whom God raises up to save America from imminent destruction. God rescues the nation from this evil movement so that He can give them one more warning (Amos 7:7-9).

We have not seen the last of Donald Trump. How do we know this? Because God’s prophecies in Amos 7, 2 Kings 14, Daniel 8 and Revelation 12 have not been entirely fulfilled!

In moments like this, life comes down to one thing: faith! https://www.thetrumpet.com/23463-donald-trump-bible-prophecy-and-faith

While we are to have faith in God and His word, we are not required to have faith in PCG or Gerald Flurry.

Notice the following:

17 “And the Lord said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good. 18 I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. 19 And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him. 20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ 21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’ — 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him. (Deuteronomy 18:17-22)

While the Bible says people should listen to God’s true prophets, that certainly does not include Gerald Flurry. Gerald Flurry was again be proven false. He did not just make some inadvertent error (like a typo), he presumptuously and repeatedly insisted that Donald Trump would remain in office now. That did NOT happen. Other PCG writers posted to expect the US Supreme Court to change the results–which did not happen (see PCG: Will This Texas Lawsuit Overturn the Presidential Election?) as well as to expect a miracle for Donald Trump to REMAIN in office (see PCG says expect a miracle: Joe Biden will not be president of the USA).

PCG was NOT teaching that Donald Trump would one day again be President of the United States–PCG was teaching that Donald Trump had to remain in office now. Here is direct proof as Gerald Flurry wrote the following:

Donald Trump Is Going to Win This Election

November 9. 2020

This past Friday night, Joe Biden held a big parade and made a victory speech. Saturday, the American news media decided to declare him the winner of the election and the president-elect of the United States.

It does appear strongly that this man will be America’s next president. But I absolutely do not believe that at all. Regardless of how things look right now, I am confident that Donald Trump will remain president. …

Unfulfilled Prophecies

The Trumpet has been explaining biblical prophecies that apply to Donald Trump and to America—specific end-time prophecies that must be and will be fulfilled.

We have shown how President Trump is here to stop the destructive spirit that is working to destroy America. …

But looking at this modern-day Jeroboam, you have to say God gave Israel a “savior”—at least to the extent that He wouldn’t let these enemies bring down the nation. He has been blocking this movement to “blot out the name of Israel [which includes America] from under heaven.”

And is his job finished? No, it isn’t. So I don’t believe at all that he is going to disappear from the scene!

The Trumpet has also pointed to a prophecy in Amos 7 that tells us a lot about this end-time Jeroboam. None of that prophecy has yet been fulfilled—but we can be sure that it will be, and President Trump must be in power for this to take place. God is going to fulfill every prophecy of His Bible! …

Donald Trump certainly has his problems, and God sees those—but He chose him as a savior—temporarily—for this nation! https://www.thetrumpet.com/23137-donald-trump-is-going-to-win-this-election

While God will fulfill every prophecy of His Bible, Gerald Flurry has a history of misunderstanding and misinterpreting biblical prophecies. THIS ELECTION means the one last November. Gerald Flurry wrote that Joe Biden would NOT be President of the USA and he was “confident that Donald Trump will remain president.”

Nor, by the way, is Donald Trump the USA's savior.

Notice also something from PCG’s Joel Hilliker:

January 19, 2021

Mr. Flurry’s prophecy is out there.

And now only God can back him up.

Watching the news, Mr. Flurry’s statement that Donald Trump will remain America’s president seems impossible. Because even if facts emerge showing incontrovertible election fraud, American media are in lockstep with radical Democrats to block the truth from ever reaching the average American.

This is an up-against-the-sea, trapped-by-the-mountains, army-at-our-backs moment. Nobody can change this except God.

Mr. Flurry continues the work of Herbert W. Armstrong, whom God used as an end-time type of Elijah (Malachi 4:5-6). The original Elijah faced a large group of false prophets who held a lot of power and collusion with the political authorities over the nation. He faced off directly against them, building an altar, laying a sacrifice on it, then pouring on it large amounts of water. Then he prayed only a short prayer. Yet he was absolutely confident God would answer!

What happened? Fire from heaven devoured that sacrifice. God backed up His servant. Imagine what it would have looked like if He didn’t. But He did.

We don’t know how God will intervene. Like many of our readers, we have looked at the Constitution and the political situation and the Bible, and we have thought perhaps God would intervene this way, or that way, or maybe this other way. We don’t know how, but we trust that some way God will intervene so His prophecies will be fulfilled. His ways are higher than our ways. We do not know how God’s prophecies will stand, but we know they will stand!

Many people are watching us closely. If God does not intervene, a lot of people would feel justified in accusing Mr. Flurry of being a false prophet. https://watchjerusalem.co.il/1141-why-this-inauguration-day-is-especially-historic

According to the Bible, Gerald Flurry is a false prophet.

PCG posted:

December 17, 2020

Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry’s cover story for the January 2021 Trumpet issue is titled “Why Donald Trump Will Remain America’s President.” It explains that President Trump will remain in office because of Bible prophecies in 2 Kings 14 and Amos 7. Now that the Electoral College has voted for Joe Biden, some earthshaking frauds are going to have to be exposed for these prophecies to be fulfilled. https://www.thetrumpet.com/23279-prominent-election-attorney-stock-up-on-guns-and-ammunition/print

Gerald Flurry was clearly wrong about “prophecies.” Donald Trump did not remain in office.

The New Testament teaches:

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

Gerald Flurry’s insistence that Donald Trump would remain in office shows that he failed the test.

PCG remains of the view that the Bible says that Donald Trump is what the USA needs to help its economy.

Although the Bible teaches no such thing, PCG’s Stephen Flurry posted the following:

Donald Trump Just Won’t Go Away

Before, during and after his presidency, Democrats and others said he was finished. Prophecy shows he is just getting started.

November 17, 2022

The NPR-style leftists—who are demanding prosecution even more now that Donald Trump could return to the White House—would have you think that. Most importantly, what is the real reason Mr. Trump just won’t go away? And will he succeed? …

Trump acknowledged, “We will be resisted by the combined forces of the establishment, the media, the special interest, the globalists, the Marxist, radicals, the woke corporations, the weaponized power of the federal government, the colossal political machines, the tidal wave of dark money and the most dangerous domestic censorship system ever created by man or woman” and said his movement is heading into a “very incredible but dangerous journey.” …

President Trump said … : “[T]he citizens of our country have not yet realized the full extent and gravity of the pain our nation is going through, and the total effect of the suffering is just starting to take hold. They don’t quite feel it yet, but they will very soon. I have no doubt that by 2024 it will sadly be much worse and they will see much more clearly what happened and what is happening to our country ….

“Our country could not take four more years. It can only take so much. It’s all very fragile to start off with. It can only take so much.”

The history recorded in 2 Kings 14:26-27 is also a prophecy that the modern descendants of ancient Israel (primarily the United States and Britain) will be bitterly afflicted with no helper. Four-decade high inflation rates are causing suffering, but it’s not enough. It may take more months of more severe bitterness before Americans take action against the Biden regime and the Republican voter turnout exceeds the Democrats’ margin of cheating.

The Ferrar-Fenton translation of the Bible renders 2 Kings 14:26, “For the Ever-living pitied the immeasurable miseries of Israel both without and within, when there was no ease for Israel.” Such “immeasurable miseries” certainly indicate an economic malaise as bad as the Great Recession of 2008, if not as bad as the Great Depression of 1929. Donald Trump certainly thinks the economy is going to get much worse between now and 2024. America really has no helper.

“With no helper for Israel, many terrible things are going to occur,” my father, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry, writes in his crucial book America Under Attack. “Already other nations are betraying America, as well as its brother nations Britain and Israel. Iran is developing nuclear weapons. It is seeking ways to humiliate the United States. China is becoming more belligerent. It is targeting U.S. allies like Australia, Hong Kong and Taiwan while drawing closer to America’s enemies—holding drills with Iran and backing Cuba. Europe is increasingly determined to become more independent from America and is expanding trade with China. Germany has pursued alignment with Russia through the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and other means. As God prophesied, our national ‘lovers’ are going to betray us and besiege us (Ezekiel 23).”

The nation’s only hope—even for a respite—is the make America great again movement. God is going to do this through Donald Trump being in power, as we have stated consistently since before the 2020 election was overthrown. We obviously do not know precisely how this will unfold, but you can be sure that Trump just won’t go away until he has fulfilled the role God is using him to fulfill. In the nearer term, expect more bitter affliction. https://www.thetrumpet.com/26426-donald-trump-just-wont-go-away

Donald Trump IS NOT “The nation’s only hope.” That is a blasphemous and carnal position to take.

The USA needs national repentance and the return of Jesus to establish the Kingdom of God.

As far as Donald Trump goes, in CCOG’s Letter to the Brethren: January 21, 2021 I (Bob Thiel) wrote the following:

While it is not that it is impossible for Donald Trump to again by the President of the United States, that is not something we as Christians need to focus on. Neither Joe Biden nor Donald Trump are what America needs. The USA needs national repentance.

But the CCOG’s position was NOT based on Amos 7--just political reality and possibilities.

As far as Amos 7 goes, PCG’s Gerald Flurry was proven wrong on something else he wrote:

A Time of Extreme Urgency

Amos “warned the people that the supreme moment of their success was but the prelude to their doom” (Soncino commentary). This is what we are looking at with Donald Trump assuming the American presidency. Some people believe there was good news in this election. The Republican side was ecstatic. Right after the election, Rush Limbaugh said, “We just got our country back!” But they didn’t! The “good news” is a mirage. It is a false hope.

This is actually a prelude to America’s doom. A man is on the scene whose house God is going to take out by the sword! Conditions in America may improve for a short time. It may even help the work of God. But its ultimate end is destruction. Our people are going to face the wrath of God until they repent!

Amos 7:7-17 show that our time is very limited. What is going to happen in the next four years or perhaps even less?

This is one of the strongest, most urgent warnings in the Bible!

“Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit” (verse 14). Amos had no formal seminary or college training. God simply gave him a job. Even without “credentials,” God used this man!

“Now therefore hear thou the word of the Lord: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac. Therefore thus saith the Lord; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land” (verses 16-17). Amos had a very different view from Amaziah: He knew this was a message from God!

“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord” (Amos 8:11). How will this famine of the word come about? God’s Church will be forced to leave. No one will be here to deliver the message anymore. When this faithful remnant of God’s people is taken to a place of safety, God’s message will cease, except what we do from there. The nations of Israel have had over 80 years to heed this message, but soon they will not be able to even find it.

Verse 14 talks about people who are going to “fall, and never rise up again.” This is talking about 50 percent of God’s own Laodicean or lukewarm church who will lose their eternal lives! What a tragedy—the greatest tragedy in this end time! …

If there are protesters who can stand up and speak out so boldly against President Trump, shouldn’t the people of God speak out boldly? We have to warn this nation! Verse 2 concludes, “and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither.” The Anchor Bible says the subject here is a cosmic holocaust—a nuclear holocaust! God is about to send nuclear fire! (see also verses 4, 7, 10, 12, 14; 2:2, 5). https://www.thetrumpet.com/14642-who-is-the-modern-day-jeroboam viewed 01/21/21

No, 50% of Laodiceans DID NOT lose their eternal lives by April of 2021, which was four years after Gerald Flurry’s article was officially published (it actually was published a month or so earlier). Gerald Flurry is wrong about that. And while the USA may well experience a nuclear fire, it will not happen before 2025. Gerald Flurry is NOT God’s prophet.

Furthermore, notice another of his errrors that he wrote:

2 Kings 14:28 gives us insight into what is happening during the pause in Trump’s rule, between his first and second term. ...

President Trump could also lead some states to secede from the union. That would lead to some kind of warfare.

Verse 28 of 2 Kings 14 strongly indicates that Mr. Trump recovers his presidency by some kind of warring—not voting.

It seems certain to me that this will happen before the next presidential election in 2024—unless there would be some kind of war and voting combined. But 2 Kings 14:28 does not even hint of an election.

(Flurry G. What Will Happen After Trump Regains Power. Philadelphia Trumpet, July 2021 https://www.thetrumpet.com/23957-what-will-happen-after-trump-regains-power)

Gerald Flurry was predicting some type of 'war' that will put Donald Trump in office before the 2024 election (I bolded his statement above to make it easier for people to notice that he has been wrong about that). Does anyone in PCG seriously expect that a war or a non-election will put Donald Trump in office before the November 2024 election like Gerald Flurry wrote? The delusioned need to wake up.

As far as predictions about Donald Trump, here is a list that I posted prior to him originally becoming President of the USA that were at least partially fulfilled:

1. WARNING ONE: Donald Trump will offend the Europeans. FULFILLED.
2. WARNING TWO: Donald Trump’s election will be used to further push European unity. FULFILLED.
3. WARNING THREE: Increased civil unrest will come to the USA. FULFILLED.
4. WARNING FOUR: The fourth warning was that Donald Trump’s rise would encourage the Europeans to arm: FULFILLED–THOUGH MORE STEPS WILL TAKE PLACE.
5. WARNING FIVE: There is a fifth warning related to the fourth: Germany will want a stronger military. FULFILLED. FILLED–THOUGH MORE STEPS WILL TAKE PLACE.
6. WARNING SIX: Donald Trump’s views on climate change will cause problems with Europe. FULFILLED.
7. WARNING SEVEN: Donald Trump will be one that is involved in fulfilling 2 Timothy 3:1-5. FULFILLED.
8. WARNING EIGHT: Debt will increase under Donald Trump. FULFILLED.
9. WARNING NINE: Donald Trump may propose a peace deal consistent with Daniel 9:27. FULFILLED–THOUGH MORE STEPS WILL TAKE PLACE.
10. WARNING TEN: Donald Trump would support aspects of ecumenical unity. FULFILLED.
11. WARNING ELEVEN: People will call for Donald Trump’s impeachment. FULFILLED.
12. WARNING TWELVE: Donald Trump would encourage the rise of the final King of the South of biblical prophecy–a power involving peoples in the Middle East and North Africa. FULFILLED–THOUGH MORE STEPS WILL TAKE PLACE.
13. WARNING THIRTEEN: The rise of Donald Trump will confirm to various ones that the USA is in decline. FULFILLED.
14. WARNING FOURTEEN: Daily sacrifices will one day resume in Jerusalem (cf. Daniel 9:27; 11:31). PARTIALLY FULFILLED–STEPS IN PROCESS (Note: I did NOT post that the daily sacrifices would start during a Donald Trump Administration, only that they one day would need to start. The Trump Administration took steps that at least indirectly helped set the stage).
15. WARNING FIFTEEN: Donald Trump will support increased government surveillance. FULFILLED.
16. WARNING SIXTEEN: Donald Trump’s Administration would focus too much on China and not consider the military threat that Europe poses. FULFILLED.
17. WARNING SEVENTEEN: Donald Trump’s position on the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement (TPP) will assist China. FULFILLED.
18. WARNING EIGHTEEN: Mexico will look more towards Europe and less towards the USA on trade matters. AT LEAST PARTIALLY FULFILLED–THOUGH MORE STEPS WILL TAKE PLACE.
19. WARNING NINETEEN: His attitudes toward GMOs. FULFILLED.
20. WARNING TWENTY: The price of gold will hit record highs against the USA dollar. FULFILLED–THOUGH ANOTHER RECORD WILL TAKE PLACE.

Details related to the fulfillment of the above are in the article: Donald Trump in Prophecy.

For a 21st and 22nd item (as well as to show there were at least 20 items related to Donald Trump as number 14 and 20 are not directly related), it should be noted that I correctly wrote years ago that 1) The Great Tribulation could NOT begin in the first term of a Donald Trump Administration and 2) Armageddon would not start under the first term of a Donald Trump Administration (watch: Armageddon Will it come on Trump’s watch).

PCG’s Gerald Flurry was wrong about Donald Trump. I was not.

PCG’s Gerald Flurry will soon be proven wrong about Amos 7. I have claimed that for years and was shown to be right by May 1, 2021.

While Christians should heed true prophets and not despise prophecies (1 Thessalonians 5:20; see also 21st Century Church of God Prophets), PCG’s Gerald Flurry is not God’s prophet and once again he has been proven to have spoken presumptuously.

Reports from a Former Congregant

In late January 2022, eceived two emails from a longtime PCG congregant.

Here is the first one:

Hi Dr Thiel,

I’ve just finished reading your PCG teachings page. Well done on putting together such a comprehensive refutation of their heresies. I have a couple of interesting bits of information that you might like to know…

In the lead-up to the 1994 soccer world cup in the USA, Gerald Flurry made a prediction that there would be some sort of disaster at the world cup that would be televised worldwide because of the extra media attention on the USA during that time. Obviously, nothing happened.

Toward the end of the Feast of Tabernacles in 1992 (it would’ve been in the afternoon of the 7th day of the FoT in the USA because it was a very early morning service on the LGD in Australia), during a global phone hook-up sermon, Gerald Flurry made probably the only correct prediction I’ve ever heard him make: “We’ll be in the place of safety in one to four years, or I’m a false prophet!” Obviously, the bit about the place of safety isn’t the part that he got right. So, the only prophetic prediction that I’m aware of that he has got absolutely 100% correct is that he would be shown to be a false prophet. The irony of it… he has set himself up to be a prophet, but his own words are his condemnation!

Anyway, I hope you’re in good health. I’m also sorry to hear about the death of Mr Close. Please pass my condolences to his family.

Thanks and Regards,

After receiving this, I emailed the sender back and asked if he was ever a PCG member or how he knew some of this. Plus, mentioned to him that I would possibly post this without his name. He responded with another email as follows:

Hi Dr Thiel,

Technically, I wasn’t a PCG member (I’ve never been baptised), but I attended with my parents from age 15 (nearly 16, just before FoT ’92) to age 28. The main thing that made the false prophet remark stick in my head was that the maximum time GRF gave would’ve had me get toward the end of my second year of an engineering degree at university, and I was wondering if I would learn enough to be able to design houses for people in the millennium, so his comment got attached to my hopes of being an engineer, and I never forgot it. I also remember thinking that he was very bold in making such a statement, because if it didn’t eventuate, people might remember and it might backfire, with people leaving the church. My mother says that she remembers GRF making the claim, but I’m not sure if she had a proper recollection, or if it was only me asking her about it recently that put a seed into her head, so I’m not entirely sure whether I can point you to a true second witness to the false prediction and “false prophet” remark, even though one is available. I haven’t asked my father if he remembers the remark, but again, that could be tainting the potential witness. The best thing would be an actual recording, but the PCG was always a bit paranoid about the tapes/CDs being copied, so I have no idea if one exists outside their control. I’ve just had a look for a recording, in case one got out sometime, and I’ve found a list of sermons at http://www.pcog.info/Sermons.htm but the dates there don’t align for an early morning hook-up for Australia for the LGD (day before for USA), so I have to admit that I’m starting to doubt my memory of the exact day it was given. I’ll keep looking for recordings from that FoT and if I find it, I’ll let you know (including a time stamp so you won’t have to waste your time listening to GRF for too long).

For the soccer world cup prediction, one of the members where I attended kept saying for a few weeks after the sermon that he was telling his workmates that something bad would happen in the USA, but he wasn’t game enough to say it would happen during the world cup, so he said that he told them that some extremely catastrophic disaster would happen within the next four years (I probably would’ve forgotten about GRF’s prediction if the local member hadn’t kept saying about it every week). The local guy wasn’t a member at the time of FoT ’92, so he hadn’t heard the phone hook-up (unless he had heard a tape of it), but he definitely got the four year maximum from at least one of GRF’s sermons (he admitted it at the time). I can’t specifically recall other times GRF claimed that timeframe, but I vaguely recall that it did seem to pop up from time to time. Unfortunately, the member who this false prediction moved so much now has Alzheimer’s disease, so I can’t provide a second witness to this one. I can’t remember how many weeks out from the world cup the prediction was made, so that makes finding a recording even more difficult than the false prophet statement.

I’m not sure how much this helps, but I hope it does.

Thanks and Regards,

So, the above man was a PCG congregant for over 15 years. Now, I too, had heard about some of the earlier false predictions by Gerald Flurry, but because I do not listen to his sermons, I do not recall all the particulars of those the longtime PCG congregant referred to. If you attend PCG you can probably verify some of this if you wish to--although even asking may get you pushed out.

Gerald Flurry has taught the following:

Remember that Malachi is about an end-time messenger, like John the Baptist, who prepares the way for Christ’s Second Coming (Malachi 3:1-2). It all occurs just before “the great and dreadful Day of the Lord.” Common sense would tell us the events Malachi prophesied about couldn’t happen while Mr. Armstrong was alive. There was a type of it in the 1970s—but he stopped it, and as one pcg member said, that was the only time in recorded secular and biblical history that it ever happened! The only time! Mr. Armstrong restrained it (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7). (Flurry G. Malachi's Message, Chapter 9. Copyright © 1990, 1995, 1999, 2004, 2008 Philadelphia Church of God)

Satan cast down...It has happened...He had a war with God.

Revelation 12:13:
Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child.

He did in this end time...

Revelation 12:12... because he knows that he has a short time...Why does Satan have a short time?

About 5% of God's people are doing the work in this end time...

There are two men...

The man of sin... there is no truth in him... He attacks God's church...The son of perdition here is second Thessalonians 2...in all likelihood is possessed by the devil...That is why he shows himself that he is God. ...

There is another man {2 Thessalonians 2:7} the mystery of lawlessness ... only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way ...

He was taken out of the way...The very day he was taken away, Satan was cast down. (Flurry G. Satan Cast Down (2014). November 16, 2014)

Gerald Flurry seems to be referring to one of the Tkach's as the man of sin, son of perdition. He also is teaching that Herbert W. Armstrong, who died on January 16, 1986, was the one who restrained. I disagree. While a change from the Philadelphia to Laodicean church era may have happened then, I do not believe that Satan was cast down on January 16, 1986.

As far as the one who restrains goes, that is most likely the Archangel Michael (see What is Restrained and Who is Restraining in 2 Thessalonians 2:7?). And as far as the "man of sin" goes, check out the article Who is the Man of Sin of 2 Thessalonians 2? and/or watch the video Who is the Man of Sin?.

Notice what the old Radio Church of God (which became the old Worldwide Church of God) published many decades ago:

One prominent writer attempts to prove that II Thessalonians 2:7-8...has not yet begun to be fulfilled...But notice the first part of verse 7:, "For the mystery of iniquity DOTH ALREADY WORK"--even in Paul's day. (Hoeh H. The Secret Rapture: Fact or Fiction. Plain Truth, July, 1959, p. 30)

Read the rest of this alarming prophecy! "... sitteth in the temple of God, chewing himself that he is God... for the mystery of iniquity (a babylonish MYSTERY religion!) doth ALREADY work (yes, Paul said it had its insidious beginnings even then!) only he who now letteth (an old word meaning "restrains") will let, until HE BECOME TO BE!" (The original Greek verb, "ginomai" has this sense, rather than "taken out of the way," as it appears in the King James translation) "And then shall that WICKED (A WICKED ONE — ONE EVIL PERSON IN HIGH OFFICE — is the whole subject and content of this passage of scripture!) be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming" (II Thess. 4:8). (Armstrong GT. And when you see the ABOMINATION... Plain Truth, July 1963)

And that agrees with the Apostle Paul, the late Herbert W. Armstrong, and me. The restrainer was at work during the Apostle Paul's day--it was NOT Herbert W. Armstrong. See also What is Restrained and Who is Restraining in 2 Thessalonians 2:7?

More Related to the Copyright Lawsuit with the Tkach Worldwide Church of God

PCG, without first asking for copyright permission, decided to publish a book written by Herbert Armstrong titled The Mystery of the Ages.

WCG sued for copyright violation, but in court made various statements that were not true. Basically, WCG said it planned to put out much of the old WCG literature and hence needed the copyrights. That was not true. The Tkach WCG basically tried to surpress copyright, which can be, of itself, a violation of copyright law in the USA.

Eventually, WCG sold copyrights of some old WCG literature to WCG. Here is a report related to that from Stephen Flurry:

With the exception of Mr. Armstrong’s Autobiography, everything we fought for and now own the copyrights to—7 books, 11 booklets and a monthly correspondence course—we now furnish to anyone who asks for it.  ...

Mystery of the Ages ... The Incredible Human Potential ... The Missing Dimension in Sex ... The United States and Britain in Prophecy ... The Wonderful World Tomorrow  ...

Other booklets by Mr. Armstrong that we will eagerly send you at no charge include: Does God Exist?, The Proof of the Bible, Who or What Is the Prophetic Beast?, The Plain Truth About Healing, What Science Can’t Discover About the Human Mind, The Seven Laws of Success, What Is Faith?, Just What Do You Mean … Born Again?, Which Day Is the Christian Sabbath? and Pagan Holidays or God’s Holy Days—Which?

On top of all that, the 58-lesson correspondence course we won the rights to publish has become the basis for an updated course: The Herbert W. Armstrong College Bible Correspondence Course. (Flurry S. Raising the Ruins. Copyright © 2006 Philadelphia Church of God. https://www.thetrumpet.com/literature/read/8222-raising-the-ruins/499accessed 01/29/18)

Many with PCG think that having the copyrights for those items of literature are proof that PCG is the most faithful successor to the old WCG.

Personally, I believe that PCG was a bit reckless and should have approached the Tkach WCG first, before ignoring its copyright. This could have saved PCG a lot of time, and presuming that the Tkach WCG turned them down, would have lessened the time and cost of the lawsuit as I believe PCG would have had a much stronger case.

In an article titled Satan’s Destructive Battle Plan, Gerald Flurry had the following:

January 3, 2016

The Prophet Daniel addressed his end-time book to spiritual Israel, or the Church, and two nations of Israel: America and Britain. … We must watch for an Antiochus-type in both the Church and the nation today. …

Let’s take another look at this pivotal passage in Daniel. “The host of heaven” from Daniel 8:10 is translated “the host of the stars” in the Revised Standard Version. The stars, or the angels of God, help God’s people when they obey. We lose that help when we rebel. A hideous invisible force stamped on God’s own Church “by reason of transgression”—because of the people’s sins! This happened after Mr. Armstrong’s death in 1986. It is happening in America right now. (For more information, request our free booklet America Under Attack.)

The word “host” is a military term. Strong’s Concordance defines it this way: “a mass of persons, especially organized for war; and soldiers; army. The expression also means to muster soldiers for warfare. Host can refer to an army of demons, angels or men.” God has an army of angels and saints; Satan has an army of demons and men, in this case sinning saints turning away from God. This is a real war! Spiritual war is more dangerous than any physical war.

Verse 11 should read, “Yea, he magnified himself even against the prince of the host, and by him the daily … was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.” Satan and his army violently confronted the “prince of the host,” or Jesus Christ! Christ explains the meaning of this prophecy to His loyal remnant.

The end-time religious Antiochus subverted God’s Church from within. “And an host was given him against the daily … by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered” (verse 12). “It,” or the demon army, “cast down the truth to the ground.” Antiochus is a physical man swayed by Satan to overthrow the Church. The real power comes from the demon army. For 1,150 days, God gave no new truth to His people. For 1,150 days, Satan suppressed the gospel message (Daniel 8:14; English Standard Version).

Here’s what I wrote in America Under Attack:

The obvious question arises, why would God allow such a terrible thing to happen? The answer is back in Daniel 8:12. That verse describes this satanic spirit army wreaking destruction within God’s Church. And notice: It says it was “by reason of transgression.” The sins of the people gave Satan his opening. Their prayers to God are not being answered. That is why Antiochus can do all of his dirty work: because there’s so much sin going on inside Israel. … The sin within gave the devil his opening. Once Satan got inside, he went right into the sanctuary, working through the leaders at the top, and cast the truth to the ground! That is how Satan destroyed God’s Church.

Iran the King of the South?

In yet another doctrinal change, PCG teaches that Iran (a non-Arabic country) is the prophesied King of the South.

Gerald Flurry wrote:

Daniel 11:40 tells us the king of the south will “push” at the king of the north. When does this push occur? It must happen after the book of Daniel was revealed in this end time. Daniel 12:9 tells us the time of the end began when Daniel was revealed. So the king of the south must arise after Daniel was revealed to God’s end-time Church—to Herbert W. Armstrong. However, many of the specifics of Daniel’s book have been revealed to the Philadelphia Church of God today...

“Thus,” Mr. Armstrong wrote, “was the prophecy of verse 4 fulfilled to the letter.” He continued: “Now notice what follows. From here the prophecy foretells the activities only of two of these four divisions, Egypt, [anciently] called ‘king of the south,’ because it is south of Jerusalem; and the Syrian kingdom, [anciently] the king of the north, just north of Judaea.”...

Daniel 11:42 implies that Egypt will be allied with the king of the south, or Iran...

The king of the south, or Iran, is going to “push at him”—that is, the king of the north (the European Union)...

The king of the south is about state-sponsored terrorism. That is how Iran became king! Daniel 11:40-43 is an end-time prophecy. It is about a nation that is always pushy in its foreign policy. It pushes until it starts a war. Having such power means that it must be a large oil-producing country. This king is close to Jerusalem, Egypt, Ethiopia and Libya.

Who else could it be in this end time but Iran?

Iran is extremely radical and the king over radical Islam" (Flurry, G. The King of the South. PCG Booklet).

We have prophesied for over 13 years that Iran would head up the “king of the south.” We have also prophesied that the Iranian power would ally with Egypt (Flurry G. Iran-Egypt Alliance Prophesied. Philadelphia Trumpet, March 2008, p. 33).

Gerald Flurry also wrote:

“And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him [here’s the Iranian king of terror—the king of the Middle East]: and the king of the north [the resurrected Holy Roman Empire in Europe] shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over” (Daniel 11:40). This is an end-time prophecy about how powerful and aggressive radical Islam is, and it’s rapidly growing stronger. Iran’s foreign policy is to bully and push its way into controlling the Middle East. It will take more than nice words to stop this pushy terrorist nation. That elephant in the room—the king of terror—Mr. Obama almost overlooks altogether!

President Obama’s speech has also shaken the European nations. It will lead to a clash between these two powers as Daniel prophesied. Europe can now see that America will do nothing to stop the king of the south, or the terrorist movement led by Iran. (Flurry G. How President Obama’s Cairo Speech Will Shake the Nations: Barack Obama’s speech is a great turning point in this world. June 22, 2009 | From theTrumpet.com http://www.thetrumpet.com/index.php?q=6287.4728.0.0)

Since the early 1990s, we have believed and taught that Iran would lead the radical Islamist world and be the king of the south. Today Iran is “king” in the Middle East ... (Flurry G. The King of the South, PCG booklet. Copyright © 1996, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2008).

Biblical prophecy tells us that Iran, the “king of the south,” is going to make a big “push” that will trigger World War iii. Read it for yourself in Daniel 11:40. Looking at current events, I believe this will happen after Iran gets the nuclear bomb. And that prophecy tells us that Iran is going to provoke a mighty European empire— a nuclear-armed power—into a war. From there, the destruction will only escalate. Iran’s actions today are leading to a nuclear WORLD WAR III! (Flurry G. The Holy Roman Empire Is Back! Philadelphia Trumpet. The Unthinkable Will Happen! February 2014, pp. 21)

This prophecy is clearly about an endtime clash between two great powers. The identity of the “king of the north” was also clear: Herbert Armstrong had taught it for decades. The question, it seemed—and the key to understanding events in the Middle East—revolved around the identity of the “king of the south.” By the summer of 1992 the answer was coming into focus. “The king of the south could rule Iraq or Iran or both countries. But it is looking more now like Iran may produce this king,” wrote Mr. Flurry in the July issue of the Trumpet. Mr. Flurry didn’t just identify Iran as possibly producing the king of the south, he also stated: “It looks very much like the end-time king of the south will rule the radical Islamists! … Much of the world is unaware of what a powerful and dangerous force the Islamic camp is becoming.” Remember, that was July 1992. (McDonald B. Unriddling the Middle East. Philadelphia Trumpet. February 2010, pp. 15-16)

Here is what I wrote in the Trumpet magazine, July 1993—nearly 18 years ago: “So when does the king of the south ‘push’ at the king of the north? It must happen after the book of Daniel was revealed to Herbert W. Armstrong in this end time. Daniel 12:9 tells us the time of the end begins when Daniel was revealed. [The book can only be understood in this end time (Daniel 12:4, 9).] So the king of the south must arise after Daniel was revealed to God’s end-time Church—specifically to Herbert W. Armstrong. These verses point to a king of the south that is yet future. And I believe all indications point to radical Islam, headed by Iran, as this king.”

How could I have known so long ago that Iran would be the king of the south and clash with the Holy Roman Empire? Because of what was happening in Iran and the Middle East, coupled with Bible prophecy…(Flurry G. Libya and Ethiopia Reveal Iran’s Military Strategy. Philadelphia Trumpet, April 2011)

How could Gerald Flurry know a falsehood about Iran being the final King of the South?

Well, since Iran is mainly east of Jerusalem, it was not from geography or the Bible. Iran might be a king of the East, but it is not the King of the South.

Let me add that Herbert W. Armstrong, referred to Syria which is essentially equal latitude to modern Iran as being associated with earlier kings of the north:

Now, the king of the South will be king south of Jerusalem and the king of the North is the one north of Jerusalem or Syria which was at that time possessing Jerusalem. (Armstrong HW. United States and Britain in Prophecy. Radio Broadcast, May 30, 1979)

The Bible shows that the King of the North will fight the King of the South (Daniel 11:40-43). Iran is NOT the prophesied King of the South!

Since Herbert W. Armstrong (HWA) believed that king would be an Egyptian and/or an Arabic Muslim leader, as that is what was published while he was alive by the church he was the physical leader of (see Is There A Future King of the South?), Gerald Flurry did not get this from Herbert W. Armstrong.

So, in my view, Gerald Flurry got it from his own imagination.

But he claims it is from God:

America's Greatest Defeat - Iran's Victory

America is celebrating after helping to drive the Islamic State out of Iraq and Syria. But it should not be celebrating. The reality of the situation is being dismissed: The United States has just suffered its greatest defeat ever in the Middle East! ...

I talked about this on my Key of David television program on Oct. 1, 2014: “We see the [Islamic State] terrorists doing all these violent acts and all of the bloodshed, cutting off people’s heads, and it really has attracted the attention of this world. But in many ways it is a distraction from the real danger in the Middle East and in the world.” That real danger is Iran!

Then in February 2015, I said: “[T]here is a U.S. general who said that the face of radical Islam is now [the Islamic State], but I disagree with that strongly. The face of radical Islam is still Iran, many times over, and the Bible tells you that because Iran is the king.” That was a reference to the prophecy in Daniel 11:40 of an end-time “king of the south.”

For more than two decades, the Trumpet has been stating our conviction that this role in end-time events would be fulfilled by Iran, leading the forces of radical Islam. You can read about this in my free booklet The King of the South. If God labels Iran “king of the south,” that means it rules the Middle East! Most people haven’t recognized that—especially in earlier years, although more people see it now. Nevertheless, this is what God says! (Flurry G. America's Greatest Defeat - Iran's Victory. Philadelphia Trumpet, January 2018)

Is it GERALD FLURRY and NOT GOD who teaches that Iran is the King of the South.

Under his leadership, notice Herbert W. Armstrong had it taught that the King of the South would be an Arab-Moslem confederation:

But who is the 'king of the south'?...in verse 40 we skip to 'the time of the end'...The verse undoubtedly found partial fulfillment in the offensive of 1896...But Mussolini did not finish the prophecy...Just as there is yet to be a final 'king of the north'...there may very well emerge in the same manner a final 'king of the south'--an overall leader of an Arab-Moslem confederation...Germany (Assyria in Bible prophecy) and perhaps the rest of Europe will be in league in the future with a union of Arab nations...But in the end, the European-Arab alliance will prove short-lived...the 'king of the north' will ultimately turn against the Arab 'king of the south'...The Arab-Moslem Confederation will, of course, be thrown into chaotic disarray in the fact of invasion (The Arab World in Prophecy. Plain Truth. December, 1979).

Bible prophecy reveals the coming emergence of an Arab-Moslem confederation in the Middle East. It is referred to in prophecy as "the king of the south" (Dan. 11:40). This confederation will play a crucial role in end-time events. (Seeing the World Through Islamic Eyes. Plain Truth, June 1983, p.44).

The king of the South? EGYPT, of course. But not Egypt of today. Egypt of a few more years from now--Egypt as she continues to expand the U.A.R., bringing more and more of the North Africa Mohammedan nations into the same Afro-Arabian power block! ("And when you see the Abomination..." Plain Truth, July, 1963, p. 22).

So under HWA, the old WCG taught that the King of the South would be a Arab-Muslim confederation and as even PCG cited above, based south (not mainly east like Iran) of Jerusalem. I do not recall seeing anything in the old WCG literature indicating that Iran would be the king of the South.

What was taught about Iran was:

Iran will eventually become linked with the Soviet Union. This is not to say that Iran...will be incorporated into the Soviet Union...Rather, there will generally be only political linkage in the form of alliances or vassal states dominated by Moscow" (Why Russia Will Not Attack the United States, reprint 1980, p. 11).

Those who want to understand more of this matter should read the article titled Is there a Future King of the South?

PCG Claims Three Reasons Iran is the King of the South

On June 22, 2014, PCG posted the following:

Three Reasons Why Iran Is the ‘King of the South’ of Bible Prophecy

The king of the south is stirring up trouble today and it’s critical that you know the identity of this prophesied power!

Could this prophesied king of the south be linked to modern Iran?

The Trumpet identifies the king of the south as radical Islam, led by Iran. Editor in chief Gerald Flurry first made this connection in 1994, just six years after Iran emerged from its devastating eight-year war with Iraq—a time when few paid any attention to this rogue Islamist nation.

Here are three reasons why Iran is the king of the south prophesied in the Bible.

1. Iran Is the King of Radical Islam...

2. Iran and Its Allies Are Located to the South...

3. Bible Prophecy Eliminates Every Possibility Except Iran...

Daniel 11:43 shows that the king of the north will also conquer Libya and Ethiopia, which will also be allied with the king of the south.

PCG has long been wrong on this. 

Now, let's look at PCG's three reasons:

1. Iran Is the King of Radical Islam

Some would perhaps point out that the Egyptian-based Muslim Brotherhood that formed in the 1920s predated it.  Also, the 9/11 terror attack against the USA was mainly from Saudi Arabians associated with radical elements of the Sunni Muslim faith (Iran is primarily Shi-ite Muslim).  As the religion of the specific nations listed in Daniel 11:40-43 is Sunni Islam, combined with the fact that many Sunnis question if Shi'ite Islam is truly Islam, unless a massive conversion takes place, those nations would not support Iran this way.  The rise of ISIS in Iraq and Syria also shows that there are strong militaristic Islamic groups that are not with Iran.

2. Iran and Its Allies Are Located to the South

By being south, this is a reference to being south of Jerusalem.  While most of the nations listed as being aligned with the King of the South in Daniel 11:40-43, as well as the related account in Ezekiel 30:2-8, are mainly south of Jerusalem, Iran itself is basically due east.

3. Bible Prophecy Eliminates Every Possibility Except Iran

No, Bible prophecy does not eliminate every possibility except Iran.  Iran is not even listed in Daniel 11:40-43.  Also, when one looks at the parallel account of the King of the South in Ezekiel 30:2-8, one sees that this is an alliance that is tied to Egypt and is mainly an Arabic confederation.

PCG differs from the Bible and what the late HWA had taught on this.

PCG's Keynote Prophecy is Iran as Head of King of the South

PCG seems to be intentionally going out on a limb in regarding its position regarding Iran. Notice the following:

The Rise of the King of the South

The rise of Iran and radical Islam and its inevitable clash with a German-led European superpower is the keynote prophecy of Gerald Flurry and the Trumpet. The prophecy is found in Daniel 11:40: “And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.”

The Islamic Republic of Iran is the head of the international network of Islamic terrorism—the biblically prophesied “king of the south.” ...

The Bible reveals that neither America nor Israel will confront this prophesied king of the south. (Flurry S. Five Prophecies to Watch. The Philadelphia Trumpet, August 2009, p. 4)

So, does the above mean that if Israel, for example, does eliminate the Iranian nuclear threat that PCG will admit its "keynote prophecy is in error?

If Israel does eliminateIran's nuclear threat, hopefully those that still support PCG will wake up. And hopefully, those that prayerfully study this entire article now will realize that PCG is simply not how it represents itself.

Notice also the following from PCG's TheTrumpet.com website:

August 24, 2017

Iranian naval officials have recently announced advanced plans to deploy warships in the Atlantic Ocean ...

So far, Iran poses a comparatively distant and indirect threat to the U.S. mainland. The threat it poses to Europe is more immediate and direct. Bible prophecy shows why this geopolitical reality is significant. ...

Iran’s threats to deploy to the Atlantic threaten Europe’s western coast as much as they threaten America’s east coast, if not more.

Daniel 11:40 states, “And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.”

For over two decades, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry has warned that Iran is the “king of the south” and a German-led Europe is the “king of the north” in this end-time prophecy. https://www.thetrumpet.com/16189-iran-pushes-into-the-atlantic

While the Bible does tell of a coming naval encounter in the Mediterranean Sea involving the European King of the North in Daniel 11:30, this is not an encounter involving Iran. Let's look at a few modern translations of that verse:

New International Version
Ships of the western coastlands will oppose him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and vent his fury against the holy covenant. He will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant.

New Living Translation
For warships from western coastlands will scare him off, and he will withdraw and return home. But he will vent his anger against the people of the holy covenant and reward those who forsake the covenant.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Ships will come from the west to attack him, and he will be discouraged and turn back. Angry at the holy promise, he will return, take action, and favor those who abandon the holy promise.

Iran is NOT west of Europe, it is south-east. From the perspective of the Mediterranean Sea, Iran is east, not west. So, that pretty much rule out Iran's navy fulfilling the above as it would not being coming from a western land.

PCG should not hold on to the Iran is King of the South error.

Ethiopia is Apparently Misunderstood

Gerald Flurry is watching Ethiopia as he wrote:

Until now, I have not understood much about why the two nations of Libya and Ethiopia are mentioned in verse 43, along with Egypt. These two nations are the key that unlocks the strategy of radical Islam...

There are several Middle East nations not mentioned in Daniel 11:40-44 either by their ancient or modern names—for example, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Yemen, Pakistan, Afghanistan, etc.

But two more nations are mentioned for a reason I have not understood as I do now.

Libya and Ethiopia

“But he [the king of the north] shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps” (Daniel 11:43). Why did God inspire the mentioning of Libya and Ethiopia? Every word in God’s inspired Bible has significance. God placed two nations in the same verse as Egypt for a definite reason. This verse states that Libya and Ethiopia are also going to be closely allied with Iran!..

So you need to watch Libya and Ethiopia. They are about to fall under the heavy influence or control of Iran, the king of the south...

Whoever heavily influences or controls Ethiopia will undoubtedly also control the small areas of Eritrea and Djibouti on the Red Sea coastline. These areas only recently became independent of Ethiopia. Also, I believe the Bible view is that these small areas are included as a part of Ethiopia...

I did a television program on January 27 of this year. The viewers were asked to watch Libya and Ethiopia because of new understanding I had received the previous day...

We believe that the new understanding we received about Libya was a miracle. We also believe the timing of when we received that understanding was a miracle.

Such miracles are not just coincidence.

You need to continue to watch for Libya and Ethiopia to make a severe and rapid turn into the radical Islamic camp.

So the Bible indicates that Libya and Ethiopia also have to be subdued by the king of the north because they were in the radical Islamic camp. Those two nations were “at his steps.” Both countries have already been influenced by radical Islam. But they are not in the radical Muslim camp—yet. (Flurry G. Libya and Ethiopia Reveal Iran’s Military Strategy. Philadelphia Trumpet, April 2011)

So, according to Gerald Flurry, the fact that he did a telecast where he made some speculation about Libya was a miracle as the civil unrest in the Arab world spilled over into Libya. Some in PCG apparently consider his imaginations miraculous. Yet, according to various researchers and translations, it appears that the term "Ethiopia" in Daniel 11:43 is a mistranslation. This suggests that this is another area that those in PCG may be misled by. For additional details, please see the article Is There A Future King of the South?

Gerald Flurry Claiming a Fulfilled Prophecy that Simply is Not Being Fulfilled

Gerald Flurry wrote the following in the October-November 2012 edition of the Philadelphia Trumpet:

Egypt Unites With Iran and Fulfills a Bible Prophecy...

Over the last 20 years, I have been explaining the prophecy in Daniel 11 which says that Egypt would fall to radical Islam, ally itself with Iran, trash its peace treaty with Israel, and become a violent enemy of Israel and the United States.

In August, that prophecy was fully and totally fulfilled! It is now reality!

Egypt and Iran are now allies...

A Fulfilled Prophecy

In a January 2006 letter to co-workers, I wrote: “We have said for years that Egypt has been a friend to the West, but because of this prophecy [Daniel 11:42], we also said that could change. … As the MB grows more popular it will strengthen its ties with Islamic powers throughout the region—especially Iran. … [W]atch for Cairo to distance itself from America. Should the MB ever take control, there is no doubt that a strong alliance between Iran and Egypt will be built.”

That is a fulfilled prophecy.

Egypt and Iran are not now strong allies.  His "prophecy" has not been fulfilled.  Simply do a google news search and you will find many articles explaining that Egypt is still a rival to Iran and that they are not strong allies.  Gerald Flurry may disagree, but the Iranians mainly support Shi'a Islam and the Egyptians Sunni Islam--and the two groups are not close enough together to consider them "strong" allies.

Furthermore, the meeting in August 2012 between leaders of those two nations did not fulfill any biblical prophecies in Daniel 11.  Plus, the leader that Iran met with has been deposed.

Another Prophetic Change, Psalm 83

Gerald Flurry came up with something about the prophecy of Psalm 83:

Psalm 83 Is Being Fulfilled

August 9, 2015  •  27 minutes

The first visible sign of this prophecy has now been manifested in the little Mediterranean country of Lebanon in the Middle East. ...

Iraq and Iran are missing from Psalm 83.

In the above video (which probably originally was posted in 2014), Gerald Flurry indicates that a donation from Saudi Arabia to Lebanon of $3 billion to buy weapons from France is the first visible sign related to the prophecies in Psalm 83.  He also improperly claimed that Daniel 11:40 shows a coming conflict between Germany and Iran.  And related to Iraq, the old WCG (Stump K. The Arab World in Prophecy. Plain Truth, December 1979) named Iraq as one of the players in Psalm 85.

PCG also teaches:

June 17, 2024

An Israeli invasion of Lebanon would dramatically change the equation of the war. It’s too early to speculate as to which ways a hypothetical Lebanese war would turn. But supposing Israel does succeed, what would the future be? What does a post-Hezbollah Lebanon look like?

A prophecy in Psalm 83 gives us a glimpse. ...

Daniel 11:40-44 shows Germany and Iran at war with each other. (See here for more information.) Iran will never be friends with Germany. Yet Lebanon will.

Based on these prophecies, the Trumpet expects Lebanon to break from Iran and side with Germany. Germany has already supported Israel in the war in an unprecedented way. War between Israel and Hezbollah could be the opening Germany needs to kick Iran out of Lebanon for good. https://www.thetrumpet.com/29670-is-hezbollah-ready-for-israels-invasion

Yet, the old Worldwide Church of God taught:

Once again fighting in Lebanon has grabbed the headlines. But what of the future of this battle — scarred region? ...

Biblical prophecies focus on the various cities of Lebanon individually. The dismemberment of the country in recent years into separate enclaves thus fits perfectly into the overall picture anciently laid out in prophecy. ...

Psalm 83. Here we find described a coming coalition of nations of the Middle East whose purpose will be to eradicate the name of Israel! They will say, "Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance" (verse 4).

This prophecy could never have been fulfilled until this 20th century. Why?    Since ancient times (the 8th century B.C.) there has not been — until this century — a nation in the Middle East recognized officially by the name Israel. But there is an Israel today. This is clearly a prophecy for these latter days!

Among the participants in this wide-ranging confederacy revealed in Psalm 83 will be Gebal (ancient Byblos, modern Jubayl) and "the Philistines [Palestinians centered in the Gaza Strip] with the inhabitants of Tyre" (verse 7).

Here we see that it was anciently — and accurately — prophesied that Palestinian Arabs would in these tumultuous last days become associated in some way with the cities of Lebanon. The prophet Jeremiah (47:4) also speaks of the Philistines and their allies from Tyre and Sidon.

But this prophesied alliance in Psalm 83 will not endure long. The Bible reveals that meanwhile, in our time, a great European military dictator — known in the book of Revelation as the "beast" and in the prophecy of Daniel as the "king of the north" — will arise and ultimately descend upon the Middle East. (Stump K. LEBANON'S FUTURE Foretold in the Bible!Plain Truth, September-October 1982)

Again, another area where PCG differs from the old WCG prophetically.

PCG teaches that the king of the South will be knocked off before the US, etc. will be:

This king of the north, after conquering and securing the resources of the king of the south, is prophesied to then turn its attention to the biblical nations of Israel—specifically the United States and Britain, in addition to the Jewish state located within its newly acquired Middle Eastern territory—and to swiftly demolish them! It will strip these subjugated nations of their wealth (Hilliker J. and Morley R. The Battleground. The Philadelphia Trumpet, March 2006, p. 19).

Gerald Flurry also preached this change a few years earlier. I verified with the late evangelist John Ogwyn around that time that this was not the order that was taught at HWA's Ambassador Colleges. However, this was apparently the order that HWA felt may occur prior to WWII, but later HWA realized that the US, Britain, etc. would be eliminated before the King of the South would be (Psalm 83, as well as Daniel 11, supports the correct position).

Furthermore, PCG has taken this even further in 2011:

Psalm 83 is fulfilled almost immediately after a Germany-led Europe conquers Iran and radical Islam (Daniel 11:40-43).“Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. They have taken crafty counsel against thy people [Israel], and consulted against thy hidden [or sheltered] ones” (Psalm 83:1-3).

These enemies are conspiring against biblical Israel. ... The mystery of the Psalm 83 prophecy is being removed. (Flurry G. A Mysterious Prophecy. Philadelphia Trumpet, May-June 2011).

Partially, because Gerald Flurry falsely claims that Iran is the King of the South, he misunderstands Psalm 83 and Gerald Flurry has NOT removed its 'mystery' as he claims.

Since Herbert W. Armstrong believed that king would be Egypt and/or an Arabic Muslim leader and that Psalm 83 happens prior to the King of the South being taken over by the German-led King of the North, as that is what was published while he was alive by the church he was the physical leader of (see Is There A Future King of the South?), Gerald Flurry did not get this from Herbert W. Armstrong.

So where did he get this?

Well, not from the Bible.  In my view, he got it from his own imagination.

In the May-June 2014 issue of the Philadelphia Trumpet the following was written by its leader Gerald Flurry in his article Why You Need to Watch Lebanon:

Prophecy Tells Us… the Bible specifically describes an alliance between Arab states (including the Saudis) and a European power…

And it is such European intrusion that will cause Iran to PUSH at the king of the north. Iran is going to strike back with a lot of power! However, as Daniel 11:40 states, that is going to lead to Iran’s destruction. A German-led Europe is going to conquer Iran and have controlling power over the other nations aligned with the king of the south, such as Egypt, Iraq, Libya and Ethiopia. Then, brimming with confidence following that victory, Germany will exploit its alliance with the Arabs to pursue even greater ambitions.

A Prophesied Alliance

Let’s look at a prophecy of what will occur immediately after the Daniel 11:40 prophecy. It has everything to do with Europe’s involvement in Lebanon. “They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance” (Psalm 83:4).. This is an end-time prophecy about Israel. But it is not talking only about the Jewish nation called Israel today. Anciently, Israel had 12 tribes; today there are 12 nations of Israel. We explain that truth thoroughly in The United States and Britain in Prophecy…

Verses 5-8 list a number of nations that will be allied to bring about Israel’s destruction…

Furthermore, considering that this is an end-time prophecy, there must be some people that God will give understanding to about who is who here—otherwise why even prophesy it?

While Gerald Flurry is correctly indicating that Psalm 83 will involve countries such as the USA being attacked, there are several issues with what he wrote in that article.

First, Iran, which is basically straight east of Jerusalem is NOT the King of the South.

Secondly, Gerald Flurry is teaching that the deal in Psalm 83:3-8 occurs AFTER the destruction of the King of the South in Daniel 11:40.  He is in error.

Gerald Flurry’s position also disagrees with what the old Worldwide Church of God taught.  Notice the order in the following:

King David of ancient Israel in a prophetic psalm (Psalm 83) provides additional insight into the Mideast picture. Germany (Assyria in Bible prophecy) and perhaps the rest of Europe will be in league in the future with a union of Arab nations–a vast confederacy bound together in an effort to crush out the name “Israel” from the face of the earth! This Arab-Moslem confederacy may very well be the previously mentioned “king of the south”–a sphere of power encompassing vast portions of the Islamic world.

“They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: The tabernacles of Edom [Esau or modern-day Turkey, a non-Arab but Islamic nation], and the Ishmaelites [Saudi Arabia]; of Moab [part of Jordan], and the Hagarenes [anciently these peoples dwelt in the area known as Syria today]; Gebal [Lebanon], and Ammon [modern Jordan], and Amalek [part of the Turks]; the Philistines [the modern Palestinians] with the inhabitants of Tyre [Lebanon]; Assur [whose descendants, the Assyrians, migrated to Germany] also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot [Jordan and Western Iraq]” (Psalm 83:4-8)…

But in the end, this European-Arab alliance will prove short-lived. As shown earlier, the “king of the north” of Daniel 11–the leader of the German-led European union–will ultimately turn against the Arab “king of the south,”…Daniel 11:40-41: And the king of the north shall come against him [the king of the south]…The Arab-Moslem Confederation will, of course, be thrown into chaotic disarray in the fact of invasion. (Stump K. The Arab World in Prophecy. Plain Truth, December 1979)

Turn to the astounding prophecy found in Psalm 83:1-8 ... the coming time when ALL of Israel’s enemies would join together in an effort to crush out even the name “Israel” from the face of the earth! (Verse 4) “For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee…” (verse 5). Notice the nations making up this confederation. “Edom [Turkey], and the Ishmaelites [Saudi Arabia]; Moab [Jordan], and the Hagarenes [they anciently dwelt in the land known as Syria today]; Gebal {Lebanon}, and Ammon [Jordan] and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assur [whose descendants migrated to Germany] is joined with them; they have helped the children of Lot” {Moab and Ammon in modern Jordan). Here we see that the Arab nations mentioned are allied with Germany (Assur) which we know from other prophecies will be the military leader — naturally so — of a United States of Europe...Egypt...will provoke the prophesied United Europe (Dan. 11:40). This European power — called the "king of the north" in Daniel 11 — shall invade and occupy the "glorious land" of Palestine (verse 41). "And the land of Egypt shall not escape"(Boraker R. SYRIA RAIDS ISRAEL – Where Is It Leading? Plain Truth. November 1966)

The deal of Psalms 83:3-8 happens while the prince/King of the North is still on speaking terms with the King of the South, though they both lie to each other:

27 Both these kings’ hearts shall be bent on evil, and they shall speak lies at the same table; but it shall not prosper, for the end will still be at the appointed time. (Daniel 11:27)

PCG’s Gerald Flurry is not leading the group that is properly explaining this prophecy.  The deal of Psalm 83:4-8 takes place before the destruction of the USA, which happens in Daniel 11:39.  It is AFTER the USA is knocked out of the way that the King of the South will feel emboldened enough to push against the King of the North.

The King of the South will likely think that the King of the North has enough to deal with related to the destruction of the USA and some of its allies, so that he will not be prepared for an attack.  The King of the South probably also thinks he knows enough about the military strengths and weaknesses of the King of the North to push against him.  This will be an error, and the King of the South will be eliminated.

Perhaps it should be noted that perhaps many of the European and Arabic nations associated with the Union for the Mediterranean will be involved in the deal of Psalm 83.  If the nation of Israel is not consulted on this (and they would not be), then there already is a semi-confederation of nations that are consistent with those in Psalm 83.

Gerald Flurry’s prophetic sequence is in error.  He has many prophetic errors and people should not rely on his prophetic interpretations on many matters.

So notice carefully that the deal in Psalm 83 was under taught under Herbert Armstrong's leadership to occur BEFORE the King of the North overpowers the King of the South.  So, once again, we have another improper change of doctrine by PCG.

PCG Misunderstands the Sequence of Daniel 11

Gerald Flurry misunderstands certain key features in the sequence. 

Back in the January 2004 issue of the Philadelphia Trumpet, Gerald Flurry wrote:

"“And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon” (Dan. 11:40-41). The king of the north is a united Europe, and the king of the south is radical Islam led by Iran...Europe will win this war. But that victory will trigger some other events. Europe will then ally itself with the moderate Arabs and attack America, Britain and the nation called Israel.

Many Bible prophecies thunder that truth. (Flurry G. Personal: Russia Frightens Europe— and Fulfills Bible Prophecy. Philadelphia Trumpet, January 2004).

This sequence is in error, because the coming King of the North will eliminate the USA (the land with the strongest fortresses) in Daniel 11:39, which comes before the destruction of the King of the South in Daniel 11:40-43. For more details, please check out Who is the King of the North?

Gerald Flurry wrote the following:

THE GREAT TRIBULATION
The verses preceding Daniel 11:40 discuss what happens in the Church prior to the Tribulation. (Flurry G. Daniel --Unsealed at Last! PCG booklet, 2016, p 82)

No, the verses in Daniel 11 immediately preceding verse 40 are NOT describing what happens to the Church prior to the start of the Great Tribulation. Notice what Daniel specifically wrote there:

36 "Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done. 37 He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all. 38 But in their place he shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things. 39 Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain. (Daniel 11:36-39)

The Great Tribulation starts no later than Daniel 11:39.

Because of relying on Gerald Flurry's improper prophecies and error-prone prophetic interpretations, those in PCG will not understand world events at the end.  Of course, those willing to accept what the Bible teaches (and who will truly live as Christians; watch also Living as a Christian: How and Why?) can. Those in PCG will NOT be protected as they hope are there leader is misunderstanding what the Bible teaches on this sequence--a sequence which is critical to the final end time understanding of key biblical prophecy.

Insistence on Ten Nations in the European Power

PCG keeps insisting that the European power will end up with ten nations running it. Here is one such item:

The Trumpet has long forecast, based on Bible prophecy, that Europe would be dominated by a combination of 10 nations. Currently the eurozone is made up of 16.

Could this crisis be what whittles Europe down to 10 core nations? Perhaps. But as one EU senior negotiator said, “The eurozone debt crisis has a long way to run. No one knows where it is going to end up. Only one thing is sure, the eurozone will change.”

The Bible tells us that Europe will become a more unified group of 10 nations. This is where the trend is leading. Keep watching the euro crisis.  (Germany and France Discussing New European Currency.  June 24, 2010 | From theTrumpet.com)

The EU is now comprised of 27 nations. But your Bible says it will have 10 kings. That means this political-religious union is about to be radically reduced. (Flurry G. The Holy Roman Empire Is Back! Philadelphia Trumpet. February 2010, p. 1)

“Ten kings” are going to arise—and the 28 nations currently comprising the European Union are going to be pared down to 10. (Flurry G. The Crimean Crisis Is Reshaping Europe! Philadelphia Trumpet. May-June 2014)

You can see by what is happening in Europe today that the final resurrection is now coming together very quickly. Ten-Nation Superpower Prophesied ... Daniel 2 ... These 10 are also described in Revelation 17:12. (Flurry G. Russia’s War on Ukraine Is Reshaping Europe. posted August 16-17, 2023 https://www.thetrumpet.com/28037-russias-war-on-ukraine-is-reshaping-europe)

While there have been and likely will be more “Euro” crises and it is possible that it could be replaced as my book 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect states, this insistence on a 10 existing nation EU is not biblically correct (for some other comments, see also PCG Gerald Flurry: EU to be Smaller).  Notice what the Bible actually says:

12 “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast.  (Revelation 17:12-13)

The above scripture does NOT say that ten existing nations will be the group that gives their power to the Beast, but ten kings who had not kingdom get power and transfer it.  This, as I have written before (see Herman von Rompuy, the Greek Debt Crisis, and Where May this Lead?), means that a political/structural shift is expected to happen in Europe.  Hence while nations will be involved, this is more likely groups of nations, combinations of nations, or redrawn territorial borders.  To teach that this means that there must be 10 nations as they currently exist is in error.

Herbert W. Armstrong’s old church taught:

These ten nations, or groups of nations, comprising the modern revived Beast, are to fight Christ at His coming. This shows the time for the fulfillment of this prophecy…Remember that there must be TEN NATIONS or groups of nations to comprise the final resurrection of the modern “Holy Roman Empire”! (AMBASSADOR COLLEGE, BIBLE CORRESPONDENCE COURSE. LESSON 32 (1963, 1965, 1967, 1969)

The Bible shows that 10 nations or groups of nations in Europe will be goaded by circumstances to unite. They will be unlikely allies, "iron mixed with miry clay" is how the Bible describes them (Dan. 2). But a common cause — or a common fear — forces them into a fragile union. (Halford J. Old Barracks and the New Europe. Plain Truth, May 1985)

Furthermore, since PCG was able to pay for the rights of the book The Mystery of the Ages, perhaps they may wish to reflect on what of the late Herbert W. Armstrong’s taught on this point in that book:

“And in the days of these kings…”–it is here speaking of the ten toes, part of iron and part of brittle clay. This, by connecting the prophecy with Daniel 7, and Revelation 13 and 17, is referring to the new UNITED STATES OF EUROPE that is now forming, out of the European Common Market, before your very eyes! Revelation 17:12 makes plain the detail that it shall be a union of TEN KINGS OR KINGDOMS that (Rev. 17:8) shall resurrect the old ROMAN EMPIRE.  So, mark carefully the time element! “In the days of these kings”–in the days of these then nations or groups of nations that shall, IN OUR TIME, resurrect briefly the Roman Empire… (The members of the European Common Market are probably not the same ten that will resurrect the Holy Roman Empire.) (Armstrong HW.  Mystery of the Ages.  Dood, Mead & Company, New York, 1985, pp. 301,302-303)

PCG should not keep teaching nor implying that the scripture is speaking of ten existing nations unless they also add an expression indicating groups of nations or some other qualifier.

Despite that, PCG's Gerald Flurry posted the following:

July 31, 2015

One of the greatest prophecies in all the Bible is about the union of European nations. More specifically, it’s about the political union of 10 European nations.For decades, people in Europe have tried to forge a cohesive political union. To that end, they have created the present, loosely hinged 28-nation European Union. Yet Revelation 17 says there are going to be 10 kings there that are going to unite politically and form a real superpower: a modern-day Holy Roman Empire.

Bible prophecy also reveals that this European superpower will be led by a strong German leader who will essentially hijack the European Union.

The prophesied political union of 10 nations in Europe is being fulfilled before your eyes. And the United States is playing a key role in that union—in a negative way.

It is happening in a way that was predicted three decades ago by Herbert W. Armstrong! …

On June 16, the Congressional Budget Office warned that government debt is threatening to send U.S. economy into a death spiral.

Europe’s Reaction

Greece is the latest European victim of America’s debt crisis. That nation’s troubles are threatening trouble to other nations in Europe.

But they are also presenting opportunities for a more compact Europe.

The prophecy in Revelation 17 discusses the seven times that the Roman Empire would be resurrected as the Holy Roman Empire—from the Middle Ages all the way up to our present day. These resurrections are depicted as the seven heads of a beast. …

Revelation 17:12-13 is about a more streamlined Europe, and Greece’s crisis is showing us how it all will happen. These verses say, “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.”

This is the last head of that Holy Roman Empire, and it’s going to have 10 kings. It won’t have 28 kings—it will have 10, and that is what this financial crisis is going to trigger and promote in a powerful way.  …

Herbert W. Armstrong predicted years ago that the collapse of the western world’s financial system, led by the United States, would unite those 10 nations into what is called the Holy Roman Empire—led by Germany.

Herbert Armstrong DID NOT insist on ten nations. Notice more of what he taught:

The EU is now comprised of 27 nations. But your Bible says it will have 10 kings. That means this political-religious union is about to be radically reduced. (Flurry G. The Holy Roman Empire Is Back! Philadelphia Trumpet. February 2010, p. 1)

The Trumpet has long forecast, based on Bible prophecy, that Europe would be dominated by a combination of 10 nations. Currently the eurozone is made up of 16.

Could this crisis be what whittles Europe down to 10 core nations? Perhaps. But as one EU senior negotiator said, “The eurozone debt crisis has a long way to run. No one knows where it is going to end up. Only one thing is sure, the eurozone will change.”

The Bible tells us that Europe will become a more unified group of 10 nations. This is where the trend is leading. Keep watching the euro crisis.  (Germany and France Discussing New European Currency.  June 24, 2010 | From theTrumpet.com)

“Ten kings” are going to arise—and the 28 nations currently comprising the European Union are going to be pared down to 10. (Flurry G. The Crimean Crisis Is Reshaping Europe! Philadelphia Trumpet. May-June 2014)

Herbert Armstrong believed that ten kingdoms or groups of nations would get together. He did not insist on ten individual nations like Gerald Flurry does.

The European Union currently has 27 member nations, with several additional nations likely to join. As a result of the Lisbon Treaty (see the older article European empire formed yesterday, but few in America seemed to notice), all the nations in the EU are obligated to adopt the Euro once their economies are ready for it.  So, the Lisbon Treaty would need to be modified if this is to be changed (it would take about 18 of the 27 European nations representing at least 65% of the population of the European Union to make such a change law).

And though the Bible supports the idea of some type of consolidation, it is highly unlikely that most of the countries now in the EU will not become part of the final Beast power.  This is not to say that some may not possibly leave, but to continually teach that it will be whittled down to ten currently existing nations is going beyond what scripture teaches.

PCG’s Gerald Flurry is a self-appointed prophet. And if this position that the EU must become ten nations was one of his “prophecies,” this shows he is false.

Apparently because I keep pointing this out, PCG decided to modified it to a degree. Here is something from Stephen Flurry in the February 2016 edition of the Philadelphia Trumpet:

Mr. Armstrong knew a 10-nation union would rise out of Europe in these latter days. ...

“So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns” (Revelation 17:3). These seven heads and 10 horns are the biblical terms used to describe the Holy Roman Empire in its seven specific stages, culminating in the final union of 10 nations, or groups of nations, at the end of this age. Here the Bible is plainly speaking of a great political beast rising in Europe, which will be led by a great European religious beast in an unholy alliance that sets out to conquer the world.

These seven successive resurrections of the Holy Roman Empire would have lapses in between, pictured by the mountain peaks and valleys in Revelation 17. As H. G. Wells wrote in The Outline of History,”The Roman Empire staggers, sprawls, is thrust off the stage, and reappears, and … it is the Church of Rome which plays the part of the magician and keeps the corpse alive.”

The 10 horns mentioned in Revelation 17 are part of the seventh head. These 10 horns are 10 heads of state in Europe that will join together 10 nations or groups as part of the final resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire. (Flurry S. Herbert W. Armstrong’s Signature Prophecy. Philadelphia Trumpet, February 2016)

Hopefully, PCG will change its other errors as well. Instead, its founder doubled-down on his ten nation error.

In an article for the July 2020 edition of PCG’s Philadelphia Trumpet, Gerald Flurry wrote the following:

One of the most important effects of the global panic over covid-19 has been almost overlooked. Europe’s response to the pandemic is accelerating the fulfillment of one of the most crucial end-time prophecies of your Bible!

The coronavirus is hastening the arrival of the prophesied Holy Roman Empire. …

The Bible says 10 kings will rise in Europe in this end time, led by one overarching strongman. These kings will form the Holy Roman Empire.

The coronavirus pandemic is helping usher in these 10 kings!

We need to be thinking about these prophesied kings, who are rising now. …

The Bible reveals that the EU is about to be pared down to a 10-nation superstate. This prophecy will be fulfilled very soon—I see biblical evidence of probably no more than two to four years, and perhaps even as soon as this year. …

In 1967, Mr. Armstrong said that once the population of Europe came together, you would see a superpower that would probably grow to become the greatest power on Earth. That power is forming now. Germany is the third-leading exporting nation in the world. https://www.thetrumpet.com/22350-coronavirus-and-the-holy-roman-empire

First, let me state that PCG is correct, in a sense, that the “coronavirus is hastening the arrival of the prophesied Holy Roman Empire.”

Second, when I saw this statement online from Gerald Flurry “that the EU is about to be pared down to a 10-nation superstate … even as soon as this year”?, I denounced it as impossible (see PCG claims Revelation 17:12 prophecy can happen this year! James Malm wrong about 2021).

The strongman leader who is called the beast in Revelation 17:13, could not have possibly gotten that top role that year. The Bible refers to this same leader as a “prince” in Daniel 9:26-27 (see ). 3 1/2 years later he is called the King of the North in Daniel 11:31-40. Precisely when the ‘prince’ becomes the King of the North is not specified, but most certainly cannot take place until the prince confirms the peace deal in Daniel 9:27. Even if that deal were to be confirmed in 2020, Gerald Flurry’s speculative timing is still in error.

In the March 2015 edition of the Philadelphia Trumpet, Gerald Flurry made a false, or at least overly speculative, prediction:

Jeremiah 30 prophesies about God bringing the Great Tribulation on end-time Israel, which is modern-day America and Britain and other countries. ...

The Bible shows that this will all happen quickly. And we are getting so close to this time!

The seventh resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire is apt to burst on the world scene in 2015 or 2016. It will have similar ambitions to what Charles v and the fourth resurrection had, and all its other resurrections. And that includes the sixth one under the political rule of Adolf Hitler!

The seventh head will cause many problems in this world. (Flurry G. Philadelphia Trumpet, March 2015)

We are years away from the time of Jacob's trouble mentioned in Jeremiah 30:7 (which is the passage that Gerald Flurry was alluding to).

While using the term 'apt' will make it so that this is an opinion from Gerald Flurry, it is a false and impossible prediction. Gerald Flurry claims that the final Holy Roman Empire will have 10 nations as his other writings show. So, he seems to be claiming that a reduction of the European Union from 28 to 10 nations was expected to happen in 2015 or 2015 and that then it would "burst on the world scene" by the end of 2016.

This position would also be in conflict with one put forth by the late Herbert W. Armstrong who wrote:

And the abomination that maketh desolate set up." What is this abomination? This refers to Daniel 11:31 and Matthew 24:15...From this time (Daniel 12:11) to Christ's coming will be 1290 days. Now, verse 12, "Blessed is he that waiteth, and comes to the 1335 days." Never before have we understood these periods of 1260, 1290. and 1335 days. But it seems evident, now, a blessing is pronounced on us--GOD"S CHURCH--who wait and endure until the 1335 days--approximately 1335 days prior to Christ's coming. But since no one can know the day or hour of His coming, we probably shall not be able to know the exact day this 1335 days begins... That will be a time when the UNITED Europe shall appear--the revival of the medieval "Holy Roman Empire (Armstrong HW. Personal, The Time We are In, Now. Good News magazine January 1980).

While the final rise of the final 'Holy Roman Empire' may or may not be as late as Herbert W. Armstrong wrote, since Gerald Flurry claims "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), this is one more area that it is in disagreement with Herbert Armstrong.

But irrespective of Herbert Armstrong, Gerald Flurry's apt prediction is in error.

1150 Days and the Daily Sacrifice

When Herbert W. Armstrong was alive, here is essentially what was taught about the 1150 days (2300 evenings and mornings) of Daniel 8:14,

Turn in your Bibles to verse 14 of chapter 8...

A great European Church-State union will be in control of Palestine and the whole Western World. It will prohibit the Truth. It will "cast down the truth to the ground." It will practice and prosper!

It will persecute and martyr God's Holy people. It will be allowed to tread Jerusalem underfoot and to prohibit the daily sacrifice at the sanctuary for 1150 days. It will substitute its own abominable, idolatrous rites in place of the evening and morning sacrifice. Jesus referred to this same event in Matthew 24:15. "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, STAND IN THE HOLY PLACE, (whoso readeth, let him understand;) Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains ... for then shall be great tribulation ..."--climaxing in the second coming of Jesus Christ (verses 15-21).

The Gentiles will tread down Jerusalem for 1260 days (Rev. 11)--a period that includes the 1150 days. It is the time of the two witnesses...God will suddenly intervene in human affairs. He will put an end to this idolatrous system (The 2300 Days Revealed. Plain Truth, August 1965, pp. 25-29; first published in the Good News, June 1960 with the title Daniel's "2300 Days" Prophecy REVEALED AT LAST!).

PCG has a different view.

Specifically concerning Daniel 8:14 and its interpretations, PCG's Gerald Flurry wrote,

2 Thessalonians 2 reveals when the 1150 days began...Malachi's Message irrefutably proves that the temple of God is the Church in this end time...On January 16, 1986, the daily was taken away, signaling the beginning of the 1150 days. Using January 16, 1986, as our beginning point makes Saturday, March 11, 1989 the end of the 1150 days...Though I do not remember the exact date God began revealing Malachi's Message to me, it is safe to say that it was on or around March 11, 1989. (Daniel Unsealed at Last! PCG Booklet, 2004, pp. 26-27).

I should probably mention that PCG teaches that there will be two abominations of desolation, that HWA only had it half right, and that we are living between the time of the spiritual abomination in PCG's view (the Tkach administration of WCG) and the final physical abomination. This, of course, is still a change to what HWA taught especially since PCG teaches that HWA's WCG was:

...only half right (Flurry G. Daniel-Unsealed At Last! 2004, p. 36)

and that

The duality of Daniel 8 and 11 resolves around this physical/spiritual temple (ibid, p.60).

These are both doctrinal changes from a group that claims to not have them.

PCG seems to teach that something related to Gerald Flurry is prophesied in many parts of the Bible--those once part of WCG must realize that HWA never taught that anything like that would occur for any successor of his.

Furthermore, PCG does not agree that the Book of Daniel is discussing daily sacrifices:

“And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days” (Daniel 12:11).

The word “sacrifice” is in italics in the King James Version of the Bible. That means the translators added it. The only word that Daniel used is daily. That word is used about 100 times in the Old Testament. And 80 percent of the time it is translated continual or continually.

... Our focus needs to be on the daily, or continual—not on a word (sacrifice) that is not even in the original Hebrew text. ... There is only one Hebrew word for “daily sacrifice” in verse 11. So we will emphasize the word continual. The con- tinual is far more than just a word. It is a vision of God’s Work from the beginning! ...

The daily is God’s Work. It must continue because Christ prophesied that it would. (Flurry G. Daniel --Unsealed at Last! PCG booklet, 2016, pp. 6-7)

The above not only disagrees with Herbert Armstrong's position, it is misleading and wrong.

Daniel 9:27 says:

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.

The Hebrew word for sacrifice is in the above. Daniel 11:31 says:

31 And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation.

While the Hebrew word for sacrifice is not in the above, the word for daily is--this is just like Daniel 12:11. And since Daniel 9:27 and 11:31 are discussing the same thing, its hould be obvious that the DAILY is tied in with SACRIFICE. It is not the continuing church, that the COG continues.

The daily/continual sacrifice is yet another doctrine PCG misunderstands.

Elijah and Herbert W. Armstrong

Some have reported to me that in order to become a member of the Philadelphia Church of God that one MUST state that Herbert W. Armstrong was the prophesied Elijah (nowhere in my Bible do I see that as a biblical requirement even though I believe that HWA did in a sense fill that role). Here are some official quotes that support those reports:

Mr. Armstrong (or God's end-time Elijah) came 'before the great and terrible day of the Lord'" (Flurry, Gerald. Lamentations and the End-Time Laodiceans. Booklet. 1993. p.6.). "We must remember and teach that Mr. Armstrong was a man of God ...He fulfilled the prophesied role of God's end-time Elijah" (Flurry, Gerald and Leap, Dennis. Ezra and Nehemiah: Building God's Temple. Booklet. 1997. p.15). "Failure to recognize this powerful man of God condemns a person's religion. This Elijah would be doing a great work for God and God's people would be helping him get the work accomplished. Have you seen this man of God? Have you recognized this work of God? Nothing is more important to your physical and spiritual salvation!...TRUE GOSPEL ENDS WITH MR. ARMSTRONG (Flurry, Gerald. Malachi's Message to God's Church Today. Booklet. 1995. Pp.52,130.).

The one predominant issue for God's people in the end time revolves around a modern-day Elijah...Mr. Armstrong was God's end-time Elijah...Mr. Armstrong was directed in the work by the great God for 57 years. Either we build our lives around the 'Elijah' family or we lose everything (Flurry, Gerald. Malachi's Message to God's Church Today. Booklet. 1995. p.52,94,120.).

Those interested in what both the Bible and HWA taught about Elijah should read the article The Elijah Heresies. The actual predominant issue for God's people at the end time is if they wish to have/be part of a Laodicean or real Philadelphian work (please see the articles Should the Church Still Try to Place its Top Priority on Proclaiming the Gospel or Did Herbert Armstrong Change that Priority for the Work?, The Philadelphia Church Era and The Laodicean Church Era).

Extra-Biblical Requirement to Attend Services

PCG apparently has added an extra-biblical requirement to attending church services:

New prospective members of Flurry's church are asked the question: 'Do you believe Mr. Armstrong fulfilled the role of the end-time Elijah? If they don't believe this then we don't invite them [to services]' (The Philadelphia Trumpet. January, 1993, page 15) (Quoted in Nickels, Richard. Appendix C. In Early Writings of Herbert W. Armstrong. 1996. p.232).

The above clearly is outside the Bible. Furthermore, according to Herbert W. Armstrong:

"Also Malachi 4:5-6 pictures the Elijah to come at the very end of the Church age" (Mystery of the Ages. 1985, p. 349). 

The Church age has not yet ended. HWA died on January 16, 1986 and thus well before the "very end of the Church age" as he defined it elsewhere. Therefore his own writings support that another fulfills the Elijah role. For more information on this, check out the article The Elijah Heresies.

Extra-Biblical Requirement for Baptism

In addition to apparently requiring the profession that HWA was Elijah (see Elijah and Herbert W. Armstrong above), PCG has another non-biblical obstacle for baptism: reading the Mystery of the Ages (MOA).

Here is a link to an alleged checklist that PCG used for ministerial determination in India: http://www.gentileassembly.org/photos/minister-rusme-3.gif This is consistent with PCG extra-biblical requirements for attendees.

In the February 2002 issue of the Philadelphia Trumpet the article titled 'Continuing to Fight' by Dennis Leap contains the following quotes, "If Mr. Armstrong were alive today, he would be attending with PCG!" (p.26).

Really? Presumptuousness appears to be one area PCG should take an internal look into (as the following additional quote in that article demonstrates).

"MOA is required reading for those who seek baptism in the church, and church policy mandates reading the book before services because 'it provides the key to understanding the Bible' " (p. 26).

HWA never required that anyone read 'Mystery of the Ages' to be baptized! Furthermore, you can read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and you will never see anywhere that anyone had to read anything in order to be baptized (though certainly reading the Bible is taught).

Extra-Biblical Requirements to Avoid "Laodiceans" and COG Family Members

The front page of the Jan 2006 edition of The Journal contains the following about PCG:

The founder and leader of the Philadelphia Church of God, one of the larger of many splits from the Worldwide Church of God of the last decades of the 20th century, emphasized during a Sabbath service in Edmond, Okla., Dec. 3 that members of his church must shun “disfellowshipped” and “Laodicean” church members.

In an hour-long sermon before the headquarters congregation of the PCG, Pastor General Gerald Flurry,
70, expanded church policy to prohibit any kind of fellowship with former PCG members and all “Laodiceans,” even if they are members of a church member’s immediate family.

PCG members may no longer associate with their own children, parents or siblings if their children, parents or siblings are disfellowshipped PCG members or members of the WCG or any of its splinter groups other than the PCG...

Mr. Flurry, in some of their writings and speeches, characterize Laodiceans as not much different from and no better than nonbelievers. Indeed, Mr. Flurry, along with several other modern-day Church of God leaders, seems to see Laodiceans as worse than abject heathens. PCG members are permitted to have friendly contact with supposed heathens—those who have never been Sabbath-keeping Christians, including members of Sunday- observant churches—but not with their fellow Church of God members whom the PCG judges to be Laodiceans...

“As long as they [unbaptized or invalidly baptized former church attendees] were unconverted, we can have a relationship there,” Mr. Flurry said...

Mr. Flurry noted that he explained this principle in an article in The Philadelphia News of May-June 1998.

“I wrote . . . that we avoid certain ones in love,” he said. Shunning, disfellowshipping, marking and avoiding Laodiceans serve the higher purpose, said the PCG leader, of sending an important message. “Avoiding these people . . . get[s] a message across to them that they are influenced by the devil and we don’t want to have anything to do with them.” (Cartwright D. PCG clarifies disfellowship policy, gives main purpose of church: the need to expose Satan. The Journal: News of the Churches of God. January 31, 2006, p. 1,20).

Furthermore, Gerald Flurry himself wrote the following:

Greetings, ministers and wives!

I want to clarify the Philadelphia Church of God’s policy on contact with disfellowshiped family members. This issue has not been clear among all our ministers and members. We need to become more unified on it.

Around 1985, Joseph Tkach spoke of a couple in the Church who had some family members disfellowshiped, and he told them that they were to sever their relationship with those people and not to fellowship with them. He told Mr. Armstrong about this situation publicly, and Mr. Armstrong agreed with him publicly.

Notice 1 Corinthians 5:9-11: “I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators [speaking spiritually]: Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother [speaking of somebody in the Church] be a fornicator [again, this could be referring not just to physical fornication, but spiritual sins as well] or covetous or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one not to eat.”

God is saying that when fornicators, covetous, idolators, railers, drunkards, extortioners and those with spiritual problems have to be put out of the Church, the rest of us should not keep company with them or eat with them. We are not to fellowship or socialize with them. Certainly there might be an emergency in the family where you might be needed to work out the details of a will or something similar; it is all right to deal with them on that level. But we must keep in mind what God has said.

We have had members in the pcg who have been taken out because they violated this plain command.

We are living in the fearsome time the Apostle Peter spoke of in 2 Peter 2:1-3, the time of “false prophets also among the people” and “false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies,” when “the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.” Peter warned that “through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you”! This is talking about people who had been close friends and even family members! Satan is influencing minds, and he will use any means he can to reach those in the inner court. In commanding us to avoid the Laodiceans, God is trying to protect His people from predators!

Satan is subtle, and he knows how to use people to destroy you...

2 Thessalonians 3:6 reads, “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walks disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.” Certainly all the Laodicean groups are walking disorderly. They’re not walking after the traditions given us by God’s government through Mr. Armstrong.

We have to look upon people that are in the Laodicean churches as being disfellowshiped. Revelation 11:1-2 says they’ve been cast out; they have been put out of the Church of God. We must not keep company or fellowship with them by going to restaurants and things like that. In the past, some members have been told that these relationships are okay as long as religion is not discussed. That is not what God says. Scripture makes it clear that there should be a complete cut-off.

“And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother” (verses 14-15). I know it is painful to cut off contact with family.

(Flurry G. Pastor General's Report. December 10, 2005 • Vol. 2, No. 39).

Let me comment here that 1 Corinthians 5:9-11 is referring to brethren who are committing physical fornication, not spiritual fornication. Gerald Flurry apparently has trouble with understanding that book of the Bible (as well as others)--he should read the context.

In addition, it appears that Gerald Flurry is trying to say that all non-PCG members in any COG, are by definition, disfellowshiped.

For those not in any COG (or even for those that are), let me state that Gerald Flurry is NOT following the Bible nor normal COG practices in this regard. The fact that Herbert Armstrong may have once determined that the members of one family should avoid certain ones who have been disfellowshiped is not the same as what Gerald Flurry has done.

Gerald Flurry is a legend in his own mind, and apparently has many misled by his PERSONAL, not COG, teachings. It is sad.

Further down in the article he also wrote:

Avoiding the Laodiceans also puts a message across to them that they are influenced by the devil, and need to repent.

There are, however, a couple of exceptions to this principle. In the case of a mate in a Laodicean Church or one who left the pcg, that relationship should be preserved as long as the mate is “pleased to dwell with” (1 Corinthians 7:10-14). But if that mate becomes hostile and stirs up contention, it should be cut off.

Wherever there is hostility, you must cut off every tie. Sometimes that hostility can be very subtle.

There is also the case of unbaptized children (or those not validly baptized) who have left the Church. Mr. Armstrong, for example, had a relationship with his daughter—and he believed she never was converted, and the fruits were there to prove that. As long as they were unconverted, we can have a relationship there—but we do have to be awfully careful. We may have to make a judgment about someone’s conversion in a few cases, but we don’t want to use that as a cop-out either. If your children have been baptized and left, that relationship should be severed.

We must obey God’s command.

I believe this is Gerald Flurry's, not God's, command he wants obeyed. The Bible NEVER says that it is wrong to fellowship with Laodiceans (and at best, there are some of those in PCG, and at this stage, probably no true Philadelphians). The Bible never says to disfellowship someone outside of your fellowship, simply because they are not part of a particular corporate church.

As far as God's commands go, those in PCG CLAIM to know God's law better than those outside of PCG. Yet, that was the same smug and wrong attitude that the Pharisees in Jesus' day. Notice what Jesus said to them:

3 He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' 5 But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God" — 6 then he need not honor his father or mother.' Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. 7 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 8 "These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 9 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'" (Matthew 15:3-9)

Gerald Fluryy has instituted a A FALSE TRADITION which also persuades PCG followers to transgress the commandment to honor one's parents. It is NOT honoring parents by totally shunning them.

Notice what the final Elijah is prophesied to do: 5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. 6 And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse. ( Malachi 4:5-6)

Yet, PCG, through its no contact policy, is insisting on the opposite. PCG is doing something that is the OPPOSITE OF THE MALACHI'S SCRIPTURAL MESSAGE. Sadly, those in PCG seem to accept commandments and traditions of false men above the Bible.

Getting back to his writing, Gerald Flurry also added:

“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them” (Romans 16:17). In an article titled “If One Is Disfellowshiped, Which Family Comes First?” Mr. Armstrong commented on this verse: “It does not say all except members of your flesh and blood family. It speaks of any who has been a Church member. And it says avoid them. It’s a command, and if we try to be more kind, more righteous than God and disobey that command, we convict ourselves of disobedience of God’s command” (Good News, April 1980). He concluded by discussing Matthew 10, which says we must love our father and mother less than God.

I don’t think there would be a difference between a marked person and one who is disfellowshiped.

Gerald Flurry may not think that there should be a difference, but the Bible does distinguish between both. And more importantly from the perspective of the old Worldwide Church of God, Herbert Armstrong did. He did not forbid contact with the disfellowshiped--they basically were not allowed to attend services until their personal problem was resolved. This is once again another change from PCG.

Here is a pdf link to the PCG Laodicean report from Gerald Flurry that has his policy.

Note to those unfamiliar: Someone may be disfellowshiped for misconduct (like Paul had happen to the individual involved with his step-mother in I Corinthians). Some one tends to be "marked" if they "cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned". Marking is usually restricted to individuals who intentionally are trying to cause doctrinal problems, not one who may simply hold opinions that differ from the majority of the brethren (Paul concurred with this difference, see Romans 14).

Apparently, Gerald Flurry (who claims to be following the teachings of HWA) forgets that HWA never taught that fellowship with people of other Church eras was not prohibited. To the contrary, he encouraged members to attend CG7 if there was no WCG church available in their area, or while traveling. This is just another "extra-biblical" requirement that PCG has made.

Telling Women not to Get Pregnant

One formerly in PCG who talked with one still in PCG emailed me stating that in 2013, PCG was teaching that women should not get pregnant as it is too close to the end.

Here are comments from some of the emails that I received:

Flurry made a announcement in The Church that no one could have  any children any more .As He said it’s time to go, any moment, and He wants all the people to tell  all of their familys… that are in some of what He calls “Off Shoots” He wants them all back..?

…a  CD  just was distributed in all Churches, of the [PCG] “of course.”.. They are to tell ALL , The family members and “all others” that left and in “THE OFF SHOOTS”.   “That it is time” for all to return to “The True Church”, as it’s time to go very soon now.. They are not allowed to have anymore children, if they do it’s possible they might be put out and unable to go to the Place of Saftey...

As far as this being the time for all to reunify and come with him and PCG now, this is similar to repeated rantings of RCG’s David Pack who expected this would happen on/by August 30, 2013 for his group (for details see  Why Not the Restored Church of God? and many items from the June 2013 posts in News of Those Once Affiliated with GCG).

As far as the pregnancy issue, Jesus told of a time when being pregnant would be a problem:

15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.

21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened (Matthew 24:15-22).

As far as when the time will come to not get pregnant, I actually wrote about this in my book 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect as follows:

A year or two after this Daniel 9:27 deal is made, women may wish to be careful about becoming pregnant, as Jesus warned that the time right at the beginning of the Great Tribulation would be hard on those who are pregnant or nursing (Matthew 24:19).

Notice that Jesus said it would be a problem being pregnant when it is time to flee and that this fleeing happens after the time when the abomination of desolation is standing in the holy place (Matthew 24:15), which is also discussed in Daniel 11:31.  But Daniel 11:31 does not happen until three and one half years after the deal in Daniel 9:27 is made.  Here are fuller quotes from Daniel:

26b 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)

31 And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation. (Daniel 11:31)

The seven year (‘one week’) covenant has not been confirmed, hence the Great Tribulation cannot happen for at least 3 1/2 years.  The ‘him’ in Daniel 11:31 is the final King of the North (Daniel 11:40) and was called a ‘prince’ when he first confirms the seven year deal–which simply has not yet happened.

Presuming that the reports are right that Gerald Flurry made the announcement in May/June 2013 to stop having children, his timing, in my view at least, is premature.  Gerald Flurry claims to be a prophet, but he is not a true prophet of God.  He needs to rely more on the Bible and less on his own imaginations.

Focus on Outside Appearance

Bob Kuhne reported:

The Liberty Bell Park children's playground was a gift in 1978 to the children of Jerusalem paid for by the Ambassador International Cultural Foundation which was founded by Herbert W. Armstrong.  Upon discovering in 1997 that the original plaque commemorating the park's donation was missing, Gerald Flurry offered the city a replacement plaque.  The new plaque states that the playground was a gift from the Philadelphia Foundation, Herbert W. Armstrong founder and Gerald R. Flurry president, which is a two-fold lie:  The playground was not donated by the Philadelphia Foundation which was not founded by Herbert W. Armstrong.  This is just a lying "sign," written up in the July/Aug. 2001 Royal Vision, pg. 1.

 

In addition, the Philadelphia Church of God has many other signs & wonders which supposedly "prove," for anyone who really wants to believe, that it is the one-and-only church organization doing the work of God today.  Below is a partial list of PCG copycats.  Note: After spending over $100,000 to purchase HWA's piano and two candelabras (see below), a $100,000 tithe check was "miraculously" received to cover the cost (we think we know who sent it in).

 

HWA Original	GRF Counterfeit
Ambassador College (called A.C.)	Imperial College - now renamed Herbert W. Armstrong College, and shortened to Armstrong College (AC)
Imperial School (elementary & high school)	Ambassador Academy (elementary & high school)
Ambassador International Cultural Foundation (AICF)	Philadelphia Foundation - now renamed Armstrong International Cultural Foundation (AICF)
Auditorium (house of God)	Auditorium (house of God)
Plain Truth magazine (PT)	Philadelphia Trumpet magazine (PT)
Good News magazine	Royal Vision magazine
Worldwide News newspaper for members	Philadelphia News newspaper for members
Booklets	Booklets (same size and format)
TV Program	TV Program (same format)
Copyrighted literature	Purchased 19 HWA copyrights ($3,000,000 + $2,000,000 court costs)
HWA purchased Steinway piano in auditorium	Purchased WCG's 1983 Steinway piano ($52,500) - they got the wrong one
Two candelabras in auditorium	Purchased HWA's two candelabras ($55,000)
Black ebony table and 10-12 chairs from Mr. Armstrong's conference room at Bricket Wood	Purchased this table and chairs ($27,000)
Young Ambassadors (singing group)	Young Ambassadors (singing group)

...Comment:  PCG members get a warm and fuzzy feeling and are made to feel right at home with all the many  WCG/PCG similarities. 

PCG reported:

Pastor General visits Big Sandy, acquires sculpture

April 13, 2009

BIG SANDY, TX – Pastor General Gerald Flurry arrived here on the former campus of Ambassador College Wednesday, April 8, at 2:40 p.m. to personally inspect the condition of the bronze sculpture that has dominated its entryway for over 40 years.

“Swans in Flight,” a bronze-and-steel sculpture depicting the five stages of a swan taking flight, was unveiled in 1968 by Herbert W. Armstrong and English sculptor David Wynne in a ceremony attended by members of the Worldwide Church of God and the local press. The artist personally oversaw the installation of the five bronze swans in a 120-foot-long reflecting pool…

Referring to Amos 9:11, Mr. Flurry said, “We have a responsibility to raise the ruins. We are going to show the world the best of the human spirit, combined with God’s Holy Spirit.” He added, “God has given us these gifts to raise up the ruins and He’s even giving us some of the treasures He gave to Mr. Armstrong. This swan sculpture is going to bring life to our campus in a special way.” (Source: http://www.pcog.org/article.php?articleid=82)

PCG later reported:

Ambassador letters to adorn Armstrong Auditorium

January 28, 2010

EDMOND—In the most recent instance of the ruins of Herbert W. Armstrong’s legacy being raised, the Philadelphia Church of God has acquired the bronze letters from the Ambassador Auditorium’s dedication inscription...

Receiving the letters from Ambassador was not only a significant blessing financially, but also in terms of incalculable sentimental value. Facilities manager and Ambassador College graduate Roger Brandon said, “In one sense [the letters] are worthless to someone else … I saw them and had to walk away. You get a bit emotional.” The only words that need to be newly cast are “Armstrong Auditorium” and “Philadelphia.”...

The letters will take up their new home in the Grand Lobby on the center onyx wall between the two candelabra, just as they did in Ambassador under Mr. Armstrong, dedicating the building to God. In addition to the candelabra, the letters join the Swans in Flight sculpture by Sir David Wynne and a 9-foot Steinway concert grand piano from Ambassador Auditorium as a group of treasures the PCG has acquired from the former Worldwide Church of God campuses. The mission of the PCG via its Armstrong International Cultural Foundation is to revive and continue the cultural and humanitarian legacy of Herbert W. Armstrong.  (Source: http://www.pcog.org/article.php?articleid=97)

PCG, who has changed the message, governance, and so many teachings that HWA's WCG had, seems to focus a lot on outward appearances to try to persuade themselves and others that they are more similar than they are. PCG wants to look like they are the most faithful.

It may be a good time to remind everyone that Hezekiah destroyed the bronze serpent that God had Moses make in Numbers 21:8-9 because of how it was revered later (2 Kings 18:4). While having bronze letters of itself is not necessarily a problem--idolatry can occur even with objects that God commanded. The acquistion of multiple relics should be a concern to all who believe the Bible.

Relics were not even really part of the Church of Rome to any degree until Emperor Constantine and his mother Helena started to collect relics in the fourth century (see What Did the Early Church Teach About Idols and Icons?). PCG seems to have gotten into the relic collection business itself.

Jesus Himself taught:

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous (Matthew 23:27-29).

An article of related interest may be Are the Laodiceans the Modern Sadducees and Pharisees?

PCG Claims a Stone

PCG has tied itself to a stone that it considers to be of massive importance:

I have said before that I have never received a vision from God outside of the Bible, and I still say that. But on January 14, I did have some interesting words come to mind about several scriptures. It has happened before that words come into my mind and lead me to a scripture. But this time, I heard a strong voice. That had never happened to me before. This voice said, “There is a new stone of destiny and a new throne of David.”

The stone of destiny is the stone over which British monarchs are crowned. It is also known as the stone of Scone, or Jacob’s pillar stone (read its origin in Genesis 28:10-22). We have written a lot over the years about the importance of the British monarchy and how it is actually a continuation of the royal dynasty of biblical King David. God promised to preserve his line forever (2 Samuel 7:12-16). The Bible shows that Jesus Christ will take over that governance Himself at His Second Coming! The stone has always been connected with the throne, so it is very important, biblically and historically. The stone is a symbol of David’s throne. It is also a symbol of our Rock—Jesus Christ—who is about to rule on that throne forever! You can read all about this in my book The Key of David.

God has shifted the symbol of David’s throne and that royal line to a new stone, and there are scriptures to prove it.

The Powerful Prayer Rock

In his autobiography, Mr. Armstrong described what he called a “prayer rock” that he used very early in his ministry, during his time in Oregon.

It was 1933, and Mr. Armstrong was holding a series of Bible lectures at the Firbutte school in Eugene, near the Fisher farm where he was staying. “To the rear of the Fisher farm home was a fair-sized hill. Running over this hilltop for exercise I discovered a rock about 14 inches high,” he wrote. “It was in a secluded spot. It came to mind how Jesus had dismissed the multitudes, and gone up into a mountain ‘apart’ to pray—alone with God. I dropped to my knees before this rock, which seemed just the right height to kneel before, and began praying earnestly for the success of the meetings. It became sort of a daily pilgrimage, during my stay at the Fishers’, to this, which became my ‘prayer rock.’ I’m sure that I drank in much energy, spiritual strength and inspiration at that prayer rock.” (Flurry G. The New Throne of David. Copyright © 2018 Philadelphia Church of God)

Before going further, let me state that while Herbert Armstrong mentioned that he prayed at that rock location in 1933, he never hinted that it should be venerated or had prophetic importance.

Gerald Flurry also wrote:

In April 2002, Mr. Todd took me on a tour of the sites of Mr. Armstrong’s early days in the Work. When I saw the prayer rock, I said it was “the most inspiring rock I’ve ever seen, second only after the stone of Scone.”

We thought that the rock was something we ought to have. We were going to hold off getting it until we could do a little filming there. But Mr. Todd said that someone else was trying to get it. So we hurried along. We offered to purchase the rock, but the man who owned the property gave it to us free of charge, and he was happy to do so. We brought it to our headquarters campus in Edmond, Oklahoma, and put it on display.

God wanted us to have this rock. The Bible has many examples of God using stones for special purposes (e.g. Genesis 28:10-22; 31:45-52; Joshua 4:1-9; 8:30-32; 24:26-27). A stone is tangible. Here we have something that I think is supremely precious to God and the Philadelphia Church of God! I believe God gave it to us because we honor Mr. Armstrong and believe in what he did. It is meaningful to us because it is a tangible symbol of the infinitesimal beginning of the Work of God in our day—the greatest Work ever on Earth in terms of the impact and the number of people reached! Mr. Armstrong reached millions of people with God’s truth, and it started at this rock (sidebar: “Founded on a Rock,” page 6). For this reason, the prayer rock holds great significance to God’s people. It also seemed so unusual that Mr. Armstrong had accurately recorded such precise details about it, and that we were able to find it. Surely God had something important in mind.

There is a towering lesson here: If we are going to succeed spiritually, we must build on a foundation of prayer!

I now see that God was behind those events, and for a very important reason.

Mr. Armstrong’s prayer rock has replaced the “stone of destiny.”

The date on which I came to recognize this is significant. It was yet another example of God making something momentous happen on or near January 16, the anniversary of Mr. Armstrong’s death in 1986. God is continually reminding us that we are continuing the work of Elijah. We have proved that Mr. Armstrong was the end-time type of the original Elijah. We must follow Mr. Armstrong’s example. The understanding that God has given me about this stone underlines this point emphatically! (Flurry G. The New Throne of David. Copyright © 2018 Philadelphia Church of God)

Herbert Armstrong's example was NOT to venerate a rock nor claim it replaced the stone of destiny (as far as the Elijah matter goes, check out the article The Elijah Heresies; two related sermons are also available Elijah: Prophecies and Heresies and Elijah, Herbert W. Armstrong, and CCOG.).

Actually, and at the risk of being redundant, here is what Herbert Armstrong wrote about the stone of destiny and had published from 1954 to 1979:

Later, about 580 B.C., (date of Jeremiah's transplanting), an elderly white — haired patriarch, sometimes referred to as a "saint," came to tl1e most northern province of Ireland, Ulster. With him was the princess daughter of an eastern king and a companion called "Simon Brach," spelled in different histories as "Breck," "Berech," "Brach," "Berach," etc. The princess had a Hebrew name "Tephi," — a pet — name, her full name being "Tea — Tephi."

This royal party brought with them some remarkable things, including the harp, an ark, and a wonderful stone called "Lia — Fail," or "stone of destiny." A peculiar coincidence (?) is that Hebrew reads from right to left, while English reads from left to right. Read this name either way — and it still is "La — fail."

Another strange coincidence — or is it just coincidence? — is that many kings in the history of Ireland, Scotland, and England has been coronated sitting over this stone, — including the present queen. The. stone rests, today, in Westminster Abbey in London, and the Coronation Chair is built over and around it. A sign beside it labels it "Jacob's pillar — stone." (Gen. 28:18.)

The Hebrew princess was married to a young prince named Herremon, after which he became King Herremon, of ancient Ireland. The son of this king and Hebrew princess continued on the throne of Ireland, and this same dynasty continued, unbroken; through all the kings of Ireland; was overturned and transplanted again in Scotland; again overturned and moved to London, England, where this same dynasty continues today in the reign of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain!

The crown worn by King Herremon and the sovreigns of ancient Ireland had TWELVE POINTS!

Queen Elizabeth on David's Throne

In view of the linking together of Biblical history, prophecy, and Irish history, can anyone deny that this Hebrew princess was the daughter of King Zedekiah of Judah, and therefore heir to the throne of David? — That the aged patriarch was in fact Jeremiah, and his companion Jeremiah's scribe, or secretary, Baruch? — And that King Herremon was a decendant of Zara, here married to the daughter 'of Pharez, healing the ancient breach? — That when the throne of David was first overturned by Jeremiah, it was RE — PLANTED in Ireland, later overturned a second time and replanted in Scotland, overturned a third time and planted in London, from where it cannot be overturned or moved again UNTIL THE COMING OF CHRIST, when it once again shall be overturned and transplanted back in Jerusalem?

The Royal Family of the British Commonwealth possesses a chart showing its ancestry, every generation, back to Herremon and Tephi, to Zedekiah, on back to David, and thru the scriptural genealogy clear to Adam! The writer has a copy of this chart, and also his own genealogy for each generation back into the line of ancient British kings, and therefore has the complete record of his genealogy thru the House of David clear to Adam — believe it or not!

David's Throne Still Lives

When Christ returns to earth to sit on that throne, He shall take over a LIVE, existing throne, not a non-existant one. (Armstrong HW. THE UNITED STATES and BRITISH COMMONWEALTH in Prophecy, 1954)

God's Word still stands! Almighty God has kept all His promises!

Beside the royal family, Jeremiah brought with them some remarkable things, including a harp, an ark, and a wonderful stone called "lia-fail," or "stone of destiny." A peculiar coincidence (?) is that Hebrew reads from right to left, while English reads from left to right. Read this name either way — and it still is "lia-fail." Another strange coincidence — or is it just coincidence? — is that many kings in the history of Ireland, Scotland, and England have been coronated sitting over this stone — including the present queen. The stone rests, today, in Westminster Abbey in London, and the Coronation Chair is built over and around it. A sign beside it labels it "Jacob's pillar-stone" (Genesis 28:18).

The royal husband of the Hebrew princess Tea was given the title Herremon, upon ascending the throne of his father. This Herremon has usually been confused with a much earlier Gede the Herremon in David's day — who married his uncle Ith's daughter Tea. The son of this later king Herremon and Hebrew princess continued on the throne of Ireland, and T

he old Coronotion Chair in Westminster Abbey, London. Under it is a stone, labelled, "Jacob's pillar-stone." This is the same stone, brought to Ireland by Jeremiah, and upon which many kings of Ireland, Scotland and England have been coronated. Coronation of Queen Elizabeth of England. She continues the dynasty set up by Jeremiah in ancient Ireland.- Keystone Photo - (See PDF - Page 136)

this same dynasty continued, unbroken, through all the kings of Ireland; was overturned and transplanted again in Scotland; again overturned and moved to London, England, where this same dynasty continues today in the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. The crown worn by the kings of the line of Herremon and the other sovereigns of ancient Ireland had twelve points!

Queen Elizabeth on David's Throne

In view of the linking together of Biblical history, prophecy, and Irish history, can anyone deny that this Hebrew princess was the daughter of King Zedekiah of Judah, and therefore heir to the throne of David? — That the aged patriarch was in fact Jeremiah, and his companion Jeremiah's scribe, or secretary, Baruch? — And that King Herremon was a descendant of Zarah, here married to the daughter of Pharez, healing the ancient breach? — That when the throne of David was first overturned by Jeremiah, it was replanted in Ireland, later overturned a second time and replanted in Scotland, overturned a third time and planted in London?

When Christ returns to earth to sit on that throne, He shall take over a live, existing throne, not a nonexistent one (Luke 1:32). (Armstrong HW. THE UNITED STATES and BRITISH COMMONWEALTH in Prophecy. Booklet, 1967)

Jeremiah brought with them some remarkable things, including a harp, an ark, and a wonderful stone called "lia-fail," or "stone of destiny." A peculiar coincidence (?) is that Hebrew reads from right to left, while English reads from left to right. Read this name either way—and it still is "lia-fail."

Another strange coincidence—or is it just coincidence?—is that many kings in the history of Ireland, Scotland, and England have been coronated sitting over this stone—including the present queen. The stone rests today in Westminster Abbey in London, and the coronation chair is built over and around it. A sign beside it labels it "Jacob's pillar-stone" (Gen. 28:18).

The royal husband of the Hebrew princess Tea was given the title Herremon upon ascending the throne of his father. This Herremon has usually been confused with a much earlier Gede the Herremon in David's day—who married his uncle Ith's daughter Tea. The son of this later king Herremon and Hebrew princess continued on the throne of Ireland and this same dynasty continued unbroken through all the kings of Ireland; was overturned and transplanted again in Scotland; again overturned and moved to London, England, where this same dynasty continues today in the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

Another interesting fact is that the crown worn by the kings of the line of Herremon and the other sovereigns of ancient Ireland had twelve points!

Queen Elizabeth on David's Throne

In view of the linking together of biblical history, prophecy, and Irish history, can anyone deny that this Hebrew princess was the daughter of King Zedekiah of Judah and therefore heir to the throne of David? That the aged patriarch was in fact Jeremiah, and his companion was Jeremiah's scribe, or secretary, Baruch? That King Herremon was a descendant of Zarah, here married to the daughter of Pharez, healing the ancient breach? That when the throne of David was first overturned by Jeremiah, it was REPLANTED in Ireland, later overturned a second time and replanted in Scotland, overturned a third time and planted in London? When Christ returns to earth to sit on that throne. (Armstrong HW. THE UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN IN PROPHECY: PART FIVE. Plain Truth, March 1979)

Herbert Armstrong did NOT believe that his temporal 1933 'prayer rock' was that stone. Gerald Flurry, who in the same document he claims we must follow Herbert Armstrong's example, then differs with him.

Gerald Flurry also wrote:

Establishing God’s Throne

This new revelation about the prayer rock will have far-reaching consequences. It is a major step toward establishing the rule of God on Earth!

How?

Jesus Christ is about to return, and when He does, He will take His place on the throne of David (Isaiah 9:7; Luke 1:31-33). On that throne, He will rule and bring salvation to all humanity! We are living in the final phase of David’s throne just before Christ returns.

As I have said, the stone of destiny has always been associated with the throne. ...

This is all spiritual understanding God gave us that we have had for many years. We must possess the throne of David in the place of safety, meaning we must also possess the stone that represents the throne. I encourage you to read Chapters 6 and 7 of The Key of David book to refresh your memory.

Now, this new revelation about the prayer rock brings these prophecies into sharper focus. I was wrong in thinking the way I did about us getting that stone. God had a better stone in mind—one superior to that original stone!

God is making this significant change for a good reason: We are ready to go to the place of safety, and we now have the new stone of destiny! ...

A Purer Symbol

Hosea prophesied of a time when Britain would be “without a king, and without a prince … and without an image”—referring to the coronation stone. We are in that time now! Britain doesn’t possess the image—the stone—any longer. We in God’s Church now have an even better symbol of King David’s throne.

This is what God wants. I realize it is radical to say that there is a new stone of destiny. But it is also radical to say that God’s people will have the throne of David, and that is straight out of the Bible! And the stone is a symbol of the throne. ...

Jacob’s pillar stone ties back to Jacob when he was unconverted. God changed his name to Israel upon his conversion (Genesis 32:28). That stone has been witness to generations of coronations of unconverted men and women who have carried on the royal line of David. In the final phase of His Work in this end time, surely God wanted to have a different stone—a purer spiritual symbol found within God’s Church, where His people possess the Holy Spirit. This symbol embodies so much more. I believe that is why God made the change. God’s faithful people today are following through on what Mr. Armstrong did as he prepared the way for Christ’s Second Coming. We are raising up the ruins of his work and magnifying him and what God did through him.

God is certainly concerned about purity. As Mr. Armstrong wrote in Mystery of the Ages, when Jesus Christ came to Earth the first time, He “was born of the tribe of Judah, and it was necessary that He be of the original pure racial strain, even as Noah was.” As God prepares for Christ’s universe-shaking Second Coming, He is surely thinking about representing and preserving spiritual purity! God wants more purity there; and He achieves that with the prayer rock and all that it means. (Flurry G. The New Throne of David. Copyright © 2018 Philadelphia Church of God)

The Bible warns about the wrong use of images, yet Gerald Flurry is bizarrely pushing this one.

As far as the stone goes, notice something that Herbert Armstrong approved for publication in 1959 by the old Radio Church of God:

Why is the stone under the royal chair in Westminster Abbey in London called "Jacob's Pillow Stone?" 

In Westminster Abbey is an intriguing stone, steel gray in color, mixed with red veins, twenty-two inches long, thirteen inches broad and eleven inches deep. Attached to each end is a worn iron ring by which the stone may be carried. This rock is not beautiful, yet it is more important than all the crown jewels! On it Elizabeth II was crowned.
   

For centuries the kings of Scotland — the ancestors of the present British royal family — were crowned upon it. Upon this stone the ancient Irish kings of this same royal family were also crowned, even as far back as five and one-half centuries before the birth of Jesus Christ.

What is the true significance of this rock? Where did it come from?

Ancient Irish annals prove the rock — which they called "Lia fail" meaning stone of destiny — did not originate in Ireland, but came by way of Spain from the East. It was brought by a white-haired old man — a prophet — who also brought a daughter of an Eastern king. Through her marriage to the king of Ireland, she not only continued her father's throne but also became the ancestor of a dynasty which has continued to Elizabeth II.

If you were to go to Westminster Abbey, you would see that this stone is labeled Jacob's pillow stone or Jacob's pillar stone! — traditionally the very stone upon which the patriarch Jacob rested his head that evening about 3700 years ago when fleeing from his father's house!

Here is the astonishing origin of the coronation stone!

Turn to Genesis 28:11-22. Here you read that Jacob, tired after miles of walking, stopped for the night and took one of the stones to serve as his pillows. After dreaming in his sleep, "Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took THE STONE that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it" (verse 18).

This verse shows that Jacob used one particular stone. Although verse eleven of this chapter implies that Jacob used several stones, it is a mistranslation. The word "them" is in italics and not in the original Hebrew. It should be translated "and he took of the stones of that place, and put one for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep."

Now notice verse 22. Jacob poured oil on the stone and said: "And this stone, which I have set for a pillar shall be God's house." This stone was anointed, set aside to become a pillar or witness proving which is Gods house, which is the royal family God had chosen.

Many years later Jacob again speaks of this stone as a "shepherd."

Notice Genesis 49:1. Jacob called his sons together and told them what would befall them in our day, "in the last days." In verse 24, when speaking of Joseph's descendants he interjects by saying that from the tribe of Joseph — not Judah — will be found "the shepherd, the STONE of Israel."

This same rock — the coronation stone — accompanied the Israelites during their forty years wandering in the wilderness. Paul says in I Corinthians 10:4 that just as the Israelites had manna as a type of Christ, so they had, as a type of Christ, a rock which gave them water and which followed or went with them in their wanderings! Christ provides spiritual waters — the Holy Spirit, and Jacobs shepherd stone, a type of the Divine Shepherd, miraculously provided material water in the wilderness.

During those forty years the stone accompanied Israel. That is undoubtedly why the two iron rings fastened to either end are so worn. The stone and its rings could never have become worn by lying untouched in England's Westminster, or Scotland's Scone or in the halls of Tara in Ireland. It must have been worn during the wilderness wanderings.

As this stone is used in the coronation ceremonies to this day, let's turn to a scripture which proves that this pillar stone was used in the family of David in the days of ancient Israel.

Open your Bible to II Kings 11:14. The event mentioned here occurred at the time when Josiah was proclaimed king in the temple and when wicked Athaliah, who had usurped the throne, was about to meet her doom. Notice what it says: "And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the temple of the Lord. And when she looked, behold" — what? "the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets."

So it was the manner or custom even in that day to have the pillar of stone — Jacob's pillar stone — used in the coronation ceremonies!

But how did that stone finally reach London, England, where it may be seen today?

The World today, in its ignorance, looks upon any government or throne as deriving its power from human authority, little realizing that it is God who sets up rulers and who breaks down thrones. Almost 3000 years ago God made an amazing promise whereby David's dynasty would continue ruling through all generations and that he should never lack an individual to reign upon his throne. "I have sworn unto my servant David, Thy seed will I establish forever, and build up thy throne to all generations" (Psalm 89:3-4).

"David shall never want [lack] a man to sit upon the throne of the home of Israel" (Jer. 33:17). Notice it reads "the house of Israel," not the "house of Judah." Remember that after the days of Solomon, the children of Israel were divided into two houses, the House of Judah and the House of Israel. The throne of David ruled in the House of Judah until the days of Zedekiah. When the throne of David apparently was at an end, God caused the prophet Jeremiah to take king Zedekiah's daughters (Jer. 43:5-7) and Jacobs pillar stone with him to transplant the throne of David from Judah to the House of Israel where Jacob prophesied the stone of destiny would be found in our day!

Jacob said that the stone which he anointed would be a pillar — a witness proving which is the house, the nation, the royal family that God has chosen. That stone is found today in England — in London's Westminster Abbey.

The world may scoff and sneer at the truth, the world may deny the facts of history, but Queen Elizabeth is ruling over part of Israel — the tribe of Ephraim. She sits upon the throne of David! — the very throne that Jesus Christ shall take when he returns to rule the world. "And the Lord God shall give unto him [Jesus] the THRONE OF HIS FATHER DAVID: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever" (Luke 1:32-33).

Yes, on the throne of England reigns a daughter of David, a descendant of King Zedekiah's daughter whom Jeremiah the prophet took to Ireland together with the stone of destiny. From the marriage of that young princess has descended a dynasty that has ruled Ireland, Scotland and England for over 2500 years! And all of them have been crowned over the some of destiny, Jacob's pillow stone. (Plain Truth Staff. The Bible Answers Short Questions From Our ReadersPlain Truth Magazine July 1959)

Clearly Herbert Armstrong did not view his 'prayer rock' as the place Jesus would return to.

PCG's fascination with the 'prayer rock' is in error and seems blasphemous and idolatrous.

Gerald Flurry kneeling with the rock

Gerald Flurry's writings then claim that the loss of the 'stone' to be replaced by another is prophesied:

Britain Loses Its King and its Stone

Think deeply about the prophecy in Hosea 3:4: “For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image [the stone of destiny] ….” By the time this prophecy is fulfilled, Britain will have been conquered by the Holy Roman Empire. The British lose their king, and they lose their stone (a symbol of David’s throne), and there is no Jeremiah type to protect the stone and the king. God doesn’t have somebody there to tear down and destroy and transplant that throne.

What does this mean? God promised to continue that throne forever, yet here we see that suddenly there is no king and no stone, and the prophecy doesn’t even say where they are. During the Tribulation, the king will probably be dead! Jacob’s pillar stone will be lost; we don’t know what will happen to it but it could be destroyed.

If no one sits on David’s throne, God will have broken His promise!

The truth is, by the time this prophecy is fulfilled, the throne in Britain is no longer David’s throne!

Even before Britain loses its king and stone, the British throne is no longer the throne of David, or God’s promise is broken.

Hosea’s prophecy shows that before the Tribulation, God must have a new stone and a new king—a new throne. Otherwise He could not allow Hosea 3:4 to happen. (Flurry G. The New Throne of David. Copyright © 2018 Philadelphia Church of God)

In order to think deeply about Hosea's prophecy as Gerald Flurry urges, it would first make sense to accurately quote it:

4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without ephod or teraphim. 5 Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days. (Hosea 3:4-5)

That prophecy does NOT say that a new stone is required. Gerald Flurry is in error.

Gerald Flurry then writes that he is the new king as he declared himself an apostle in November of 2010:

It was right around January 16, 2017, that God revealed the truth about the new stone of destiny.

And it was on this date that God moved the throne of David to this Church!

God is getting us ready to go to the place of safety where David’s throne is prophesied to be. There is a new king and a new stone. There has to be for this prophecy to be fulfilled! And this new king would have to be God’s apostle, at least for this time.

The prayer rock, the new symbol of David’s throne, also came to us through a descendant of David, Herbert W. Armstrong. And it all happened around January 16, 2017, the anniversary of his death. (Flurry G. The New Throne of David. Copyright © 2018 Philadelphia Church of God)

Gerald Flurry is in error. Now he claims to be the new king.

Anyway, he also wrote:

What Does This Mean for Us?

Even now, the United Kingdom no longer has the throne of David. And Jacob’s pillar stone is no longer relevant. There is a new stone. ...

This is some of the most amazing prophecy ever revealed to the PCG!

Here, in this Church, is the hope of the world—the only hope there is! ...

Think of the honor God is giving us! What a wonderful blessing it is to have the great God give us the throne of David—which is really the throne of God—now! What a calling we have been given, and what a blessing to understand this and to know what it all means! ...

‘Their King’

Isaiah 16:5 prophesies, “And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth ….” This is not just another throne—it is “the throne.” This is the only throne of God on Earth! The title king is not used in this context. But the Prophet Micah does use the word king—and it is the only place in the Bible that uses this term specifically in connection with the PCG.

“I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as the flock in the midst of their fold: they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men. The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the Lord on the head of them” (Micah 2:12-13). (Flurry G. The New Throne of David. Copyright © 2018 Philadelphia Church of God)

Actually Jesus and the Kingdom of God are the real hope. While God does use a church to proclaim that, PCG is NOT the hope. Nor is Micah 2:12-13 is not a reference to PCG.

Gerald Flurry also wrote:

The Laodiceans do have access to the pcg—the door is open if they would just take the strait and narrow path, and enter the gate here. In the pcg, there is a king who is led and directed by God! That is what makes it all happen: The king is nothing apart from God. Not one of us is! But God is telling the Laodiceans that they have access to a king—if only they would accept it! ...

There is a new throne of David, and there is a king to sit on this throne. ... SINCE JANUARY 16, 2017, David’s throne is no longer in Britain.. ...

The Philadelphia Church of God is now the royal family of God’s throne! That is something to ponder! (Flurry G. The New Throne of David. Copyright © 2018 Philadelphia Church of God)

While Jesus tells the Laodiceans to repent and listen to Him, Jesus is NOT telling Laodiceans to accept Gerald Flurry as king.

Gerald Flurry also wrote:

5. We continue to follow Mr. Armstrong, who taught us the truth about David’s family throne. His prayer rock became the symbol of David’s throne! What an honor for Mr. Armstrong—forever! He didn’t know this would happen, but I’m sure it will be a pleasant surprise for him when he is resurrected shortly.

6. We have staged musicals about Jeremiah and David, and both are centered on David’s throne. In Armstrong Auditorium in 2012, we presented Jeremiah: A Musical and Step-Dancing Extravaganza, a musical with a message about David’s throne. A year later we produced David: The Endless Throne Begins.

7. We are doing all we can to proclaim the key of David message to Israel and the whole world.

8. We have the new throne of David. Is that not a big part of why we are called the sons of Zadok? Think about this noble title! ...

This new throne is a direct tie to Jesus Christ’s Second Coming. His return is almost here! We are coming close to God’s rule on the throne of David forever!

Perhaps nothing can make the World Tomorrow more meaningful than David’s throne. (Flurry G. The New Throne of David. Copyright © 2018 Philadelphia Church of God)

PCG is wrong on so many points. And clearly, in opposition to its 5th point, PCG is not following Herbert Armstrong (or the Bible) regarding its pushing of a prayer rock and Gerald Flurry being king.

For more on the stone and Jesus' return, check out the article Jesus Returning, David's Throne, and the Stone of Destiny. Here is a link to a related video: Stone of Destiny and Jesus' Return.

Place of Safety King

Gerald Flurry wrote:

Look again at the prophecy in Isaiah 16 about the place of safety during the Great Tribulation. It says God’s people are outcasts, protected among the rocky crags and caves of a fortress in the wilderness (verses 1-4).

Verse 5 reads, “And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness.” In the place of safety, there is a “he”—a man—sitting on the throne of David—in a tabernacle, which is a temporary dwelling. This is a man who understands and believes the truth of God, who is “judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness,” really moving things along in establishing God’s righteousness.

Could this king be someone outside God’s one true Church? That would be impossible. This king is speaking the truth and hasting righteousness, so it must be a converted member in God’s Church.

God has to have a king in this Church who is a descendant of David. And we also must have a stone that is a symbol of David’s throne. God has given us a new stone. The stone is always associated with the throne—not only as a symbol of the throne, but also a symbol of our Rock, our Leader, Jesus Christ!

It was right around January 16, 2017, that God revealed the truth about the new stone of destiny.

And it was on this date that God moved the throne of David to this Church!

God is getting us ready to go to the place of safety where David’s throne is prophesied to be. There is a new king and a new stone. There has to be for this prophecy to be fulfilled! And this new king would have to be God’s apostle, at least for this time.

The prayer rock, the new symbol of David’s throne, also came to us through a descendant of David, Herbert W. Armstrong. And it all happened around January 16, 2017, the anniversary of his death.

God made all these things happen miraculously. This is all prophesied, and God has brought it about in a way that is truly mind-staggering when you think about it. ...

Micah 1:9 says, “For her wound is incurable ….” This is a time when the nations of Israel are sick with an incurable wound—a life-threatening condition that cannot be healed! Their only hope is to go through the holocaust of the Tribulation.

“Make thee bald, and poll thee for thy delicate children; enlarge thy baldness as the eagle; for they are gone into captivity from thee” (verse 16). Here is a descriptive warning of what is about to come upon national Israel. Think of the symbol of the United States, the bald eagle. God says the baldness of Israel is going to be enlarged as its people go into captivity! During the Great Tribulation, they will suffer as never before!

Now—what will happen to God’s people during that time? Verse 15 says, “Yet will I bring an heir unto thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah: he shall come unto Adullam the glory of Israel.” This translation is a little awkward. The word Mareshah means summit, or chief place. And the New King James Version reads: “… The glory of Israel shall come to Adullam.”

Where is Adullam? This was the cave to which David escaped when he was on the run from King Saul (1 Samuel 22:1). Remember, Micah is an end-time book. Here is a prophecy of a time when “the glory of Israel” will come to a cave, or rocky fortress. The Cambridge Bible Commentary says it is “the worthy part of Israel” that goes to Adullam. The Soncino commentary says, “[T]he phrase means that Israel’s nobility will take refuge in a cave” (emphasis mine throughout). Who are the nobility of israel? They are the people who have the throne of David!

They are spiritual Israel, or God’s true Church.

God considers these people worthy to take responsibility for David’s throne. That is a lot of responsibility! But these people are God’s nobility! What greater nobility is there than having David’s throne?

David escaped to the cave of Adullam along with several hundred people. Prophecy shows that, in the end time, God’s people will have to escape to a cave as well. They will go to a rocky fortress to escape the Holy Roman Empire, which has been chasing them for centuries! The Church had to flee into the wilderness for 1,260 years (Revelation 12:6—described prophetically as “days”). Now, we will have to flee for 1,260 days (verse 14). When we do, we will take with us the throne of David.

We must be prepared to go to the cave of Adullam, the place of safety. Make this a part of your thinking, because we live in the most urgent time ever! We must be willing to go anyplace and do anything God wants. We must get our minds conditioned to do that! (Flurry G. The New Throne of David. Chapter 2. Copyright © 2018 Philadelphia Church of God)

Well, as the article you are ready has llong has pointed out, the idea that Gerald Flurry considered himself King was not something that first happened in 2017.

Now, what about his view that the cave of Adullam must be the place of safety?

While I am not convinced that it MUST be, there is only the remotest of chance that it actually could be.

As I have written for years, the place of safety in the wilderness (Revelation 12:14-16) that the real Philadelphian Christian remnant will be protected (and unless people repent, this will NOT include people still in PCG), does NOT need to be in Petra (see There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Near Petra).

But because the cave of Adullam is in the land considered the territory of the nation of Israel (though there are Palestinian claims), scripture suggests that it cannot be.

Scriptures point to a Jordanian location (the the cave of Adullam was once part of Jordan), but they mainly seem to point southeast of Jerusalem--in modern day Jordan. The cave of Adullam is basically southwest in Israeli territory.

Different Single Greatest Proof of God's Existence

PCG claims:

Many people think they believe God, but do not. Do you believe the Bible? The booklet I just offered you--The United States and Britain in Prophecy--is the single greatest proof of God's existence and that the Bible is God's Word (Flurry, G. The Solution to Israel's Problems. Philadelphia Trumpet, Dec 2002, p. 1).

Biblically, it appears that God believes His creation is the single greatest proof of His existence, "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse" (Romans 1:20). As far as the Bible being true, that is a bit more complex, but I certainly am not ready to state that a booklet from PCG is 'the greatest single proof'.

Laodicea

PCG often claims that those Christians not part of it are Laodicean and seems to sometimes use non-biblical definitions of Laodiceans:

Several different churches have been formed by former Worldwide Church of God ministers. All of these churches--including the WCG--are Laodicean except one (Flurry, Gerald. Malachi's Message to God's Church Today. Booklet. 1995. p.6).

Now there are two Churches of God--The Philadelphian and Laodicean. The Philadelphia Church of God started just 4 years after Mr. Armstrong died...The Laodiceans will die in the Great Tribulation discussed in Matthew 24:21 (Flurry, Gerald. Lamentations and the End-Time Laodiceans. Booklet. 1993. pp. 1-2.).

Fifty percent of God's own Laodicean Church will lose their eternal lives because they do not want to live by the giving spirit of the word (Flurry, Gerald. From the Beginning. Booklet. 1996. p.15).

God sends strong delusion to see if His people are Philadelphia or Laodicean...THE LAODECIANS DIE IN THE TRIBULATION AND CONSEQUENTLY ARE SEALED (Flurry, Gerald. Malachi's Message to God's Church Today. Booklet. 1995. pp.11,49).

The book that most forcefully condemns the end-time Laodicean rebellion is Malachi (Flurry, Gerald. From the Beginning. Booklet. 1996. p.29).

What is the main problem with God's Laodicean Church today? They do not want to face all the really hard questions like--why all of these doctrinal changes? They don't want to face the really hard question--is Mr. Armstrong God's end-time Elijah? Why? Because they want to be part of Babylon (Flurry, Gerald and Leap, Dennis. Ezra and Nehemiah: Building God's Temple. Booklet. 1997. p.4).

Who is skilled in the law? Is it the Worldwide Church? Is the Global Church? Is the United Church? No!. The PCG has the only people of God who are truly skilled in the law! The Laodiceans are no longer skilled in the law (Flurry, Gerald and Leap, Dennis. Ezra and Nehemiah: Building God's Temple. Booklet. 1997. p.34.).

Because the Laodiceans measure God's law and government so badly, they have to be put in the outer court. They were in the inner court, but they rebelled and God no longer does His Work through them (Flurry, Gerald. From the Beginning. Booklet. 1996. pp. 21-22).

Let me give you an example of how badly they measure God's law and government. One member of the board of directors in the United Church of God sent out a packet of their beliefs to many of their members...Here is a quote from one of those letters: 'We find it interesting that the only one of the '18 truths' restored by Mr. Armstrong which has not been changed by the apostates [referring to current WCG leadership] is the 'truth' about church government'...The first doctrine listed among the 18 restored truths is GOVERNMENT , which is built on God's law. This government directed the most successful Work of God ever on this earth--in terms of numbers of people! For over 50 years, God used this government to preach the Gospel around the world (Mat 24:14). All of these Laodicean ministers supported that government while Mr. Armstrong was alive! Now they somehow think God has commissioned them to change it! Somewhere along the line they were hypocrites, either then or now (Flurry, Gerald. From the Beginning. Booklet. 1996. p.22,23).

The Laodicean ministry ridiculed God's truth about the place of safety. They failed to teach the people about a future captivity and holocaust (Flurry, Gerald. Lamentations and the End-Time Laodiceans. Booklet. 1993. p.26.).

Where is God's temple today? It is within the PCG! On of the main tasks of the PCG is to help God's people locate God's true temple after the Laodicean destruction (Flurry, Gerald and Leap, Dennis. Ezra and Nehemiah: Building God's Temple. Booklet. 1997. pp.42-43.).

Micah 7:1 is a blanket condemnation of all God's Laodicean churches (Flurry, Gerald. U.S. Justice and our 'Evolving Constitution'. Philadelphia Trumpet. January 2001. p. 6).

Remember, the big Laodicean problem is God's law (Flurry G. The Prophecy of Habakkuk. PCG Booklet. 1995, p.5).

PCG had better read the Bible again and notice that Christ condemns the Laodiceans for having a different work than the Philadelphians (PCG itself admits that it has a different work than HWA's WCG did). The Bible makes it clear that the Laodiceans do obey the commandments of God (Revelation 12:17), thus the law itself is NOT the big problem for the Laodiceans.

I mean, that synagogue of Satan became the Laodicean era. So that caused Mr Armstrong a lot of trouble (Flurry G. Prophesying Again Part 4, November 1, 2003. Sermon transcript at http://www.pcog.info/, January 13, 2004).

There is nothing in Revelation 2 or 3 that suggests the "synagogue of Satan" has to do with Laodicea.

In principle, God begins where His own sinning Church is, especially their headquarters in Pasadena. And in general, that principle applies to the state where God’s sinning headquarters is. So it is fitting that God begins the worst part of His punishing America in California. The headquarters of God’s own sinning, Laodicean Church is there (Flurry G. Is California Under a Curse? Philadelphia Trumpet, December 2003, p.2).

This is an area where PCG differed from others. Many of us, many years ago, stated that WCG was no longer part of the COG, whereas PCG seems to feel that it is/was the HQ for the Laodiceans well past the time it was a COG. The Laodiceans are not promised protection from the tribulation, but still are part of the COG. Yet WCG does NOT meet the criteria of being part of the true COG as it is not part of "the rest of her offspring" for WCG is not among those "who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (Revelation 12:17). WCG teaches against keeping the commandments of God and has changed Jesus' testimony to fit the Protestant view.

In many places, PCG has suggested that the Tkach administration is Laodicean. And beyond that in one of its booklets, PCG's G. Flurry makes this statement,

A Laodicean is one who will not obey God's law or follow His government (Flurry G. Zephaniah's Day of the Lord. PCG booklet, 2004, p. 11).

PCG has this only partially right. Laodicea is made up of two words which essentially mean the people decide, hence there would appear to be a rejection of government associated with Laodicea.

On the other hand, suggesting that the Tkach administration is Laodicean is not correct. Also, stating that the Laodiceans will not obey God's law is also incorrect. PCG teaches, correctly, that Revelation 12:13-16 is referring to the Philadelphians going to a place of safety. And that vs. 17 is referring to the Laodiceans.

Here is what Revelation 12:17 states,

And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Three points here:
1) Revelation 12:17 includes the Laodiceans, and most likely the remnants of Thyatira and Sardis as it says 'the rest'.
2) These Laodiceans and others do keep the Law of God, specifically the Ten Commandments. The Tkach administration does not.
3) Despite claiming knowledge of the law, PCG has unbiblical requirements and organizational idolatry. PCG has strayed like the Apostle Paul warned that some others had:

5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, 6 from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm. (1 Timothy 1:5-7)

Hence, PCG may wish to re-look into its positions on these matters. PCG fails to realize that Jesus condemns the Laodiceans for their work--this is obviously a different work than the Philadelphians have (for the true Philadelphians only receive praise from Jesus)--PCG's writings clearly show that it has a different work than HWA's WCG had. The Apostle Paul condemns PCG's basic approach, which also overlooks writings from the Apostle John (1 John 5:21; 3 John 9-11).

Be Not Concerned About the Laodiceans?

Here are some of Gerald Flurry's comments about Laodiceans:

I mean you just cast them all out!, that sounds, I guess rather humorous to people in the (blank silence, edited?, probably Worldwide) Church of God and some of those laodicean Churches, BUT THAT IS IN FACT WHAT GOD HAS DONE, HE’S SAID ‘NOW YOU GET THEM OUT OF HERE’ AND DON’T WORRY ABOUT THEM!. We’ve got a different work, and it IS a work that’s going to qualify you to be in Headquarters forever, so let’s get busy and do it and DON’T WORRY ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE! ... BECAUSE I’M PUTTING THEM ASIDE! You cannot do this work in this last hour, especially with all those laodicean attitudes (Flurry G. Prophesying Again Part 4, November 1, 2003. Sermon transcript at http://www.pcog.info/, January 13, 2004).

PCG appears to forget that 'Philadelphia' means 'love the brethren'. Teaching that no one is to 'worry about' (or apparently have brotherly love or concern) about them shows that PCG has disqualified itself from being considered part of the true Philadelphia portion of the Church of God. Revelation 3:9 makes clear that simply calling oneself part of the Philadelphia Church does not make one part of it.

The Identity of the 144,000

Gerald Flurry claims:

Study the chronology of Revelation 6 and 7. It clearly reveals that the 144,000 are the Laodiceans (Flurry, Gerald. Malachi's Message to God's Church Today. Booklet. 1995. p.49).

Stephen Flurry's Book Fulfills Prophecy?

Gerald Flurry believes that the latest book by his son, is fulfilling prophecy as he wrote:

Raising the Ruins draws on all the material we obtained in the court battle to expose what happened to the Worldwide Church of God after Mr. Armstrong died...Habakkuk...Several biblical prophecies show that the WCG must be exposed. God says it will happen...My son's book is an important part of that prophesied exposure (Flurry, Gerald. Philadelphia Trumpet letter. December 20, 2006).

While Stephen Flurry's book has some items of historical interest (as well as some distortions), I do not believe it fulfills prophecy the way that Gerald Flurry is suggesting.

In chapter 6, the book makes some interesting observations about the Tkach WCG:

Revisionist History

Less than four months after Mr. Armstrong died, Church Administration informed its ministers that several books would need to be “updated”...

Mystery of the Ages Serialization

Mr. Armstrong began serializing Mystery of the Ages in the July 1985 issue of the Plain Truth...

As with any serialization, one might expect editors to condense some portions of the text. But to do so in a way that completely alters the author’s clear intent cannot be considered an abridged version of the original text—rather a corrupt version.

The most glaring deletion occurs at the end of Chapter 6—“Mystery of the Church”—in the July-August 1986 Plain Truth installment...

The Plain Truth version then omits six paragraphs about the Philadelphia era and the leader who God prophesied to raise up during that era (Mr. Armstrong, as the church had always believed). Mr. Armstrong wrote, “To this era—or to its human leader—God had set before it an open door …. This church and/or its leader had but little strength. Neither were of great and powerful stature in Satan’s world but those of this era were faithful to the Word of God. Though much of the original gospel truth, imparted to the original apostles by Jesus in person, had been lost, it was restored through the Bible to this era of God’s Church who were faithful in keeping it.” (Flurry S. Fingerprints--the 6th Chapter from Raising the Ruins. Philadelphia Trumpet, March 2007, pp.27-28).

But this type of revisionism is what PCG has also done to HWA's book "The Mystery of the Ages" as shown in the next section.

Mystery of the Ages as God's Inspired Words and Prophesied?

PCG makes some true and some unusual claims about Herbert Armstrong's book the Mystery of the Ages:

The number one reason listed in the Pastor General's Report for discontinuing Mystery of the Ages was COST! That's right--COST! Now that is spiritual FRAUD! How could the WCG afford to donate $200,000 and more to various relief funds, and yet be unable to afford to print God's inspired words?! (Flurry, Gerald. Malachi's Message to God's Church Today. Booklet. 1995. p.129.).

1) "No prophets are mentioned as having either administrative, executive or preaching functions in the New Testament Church". [MA, pg. 245 top, PCG first edition]
2) "Meanwhile, an individual few in Old Testament Israel did obey God and by becoming God's prophets, they became part of the very foundation of the New Testament CHURCH OF GOD. The Church is built on the solid FOUNDATION of the prophets (Old Testament) and apostles (New Testament), Jesus Christ himself being "the chief corner stone" (Eph. 2:20)." [MA, pg. 174 (both 1985 hardback & 2003 PCG copyright softback)]
3)"The prophets set in the foundation of the Church are those of the Old Testament, whose writings were used to form a considerable part of New Testament and gospel teaching and functioning. No prophets are mentioned as having either administrative, executive or preaching functions in the New Testament Church." [MA, pg. 244 (1985 hardback), pg. 245 (1997 pirated softback)]
4) "All teaching came from Christ through the apostles -- and a few times Christ communicated to apostles via the prophets (of which there are none in God's Church today since the Bible for our time is complete)." [MA, pg. 350 (both 1985 hardback & 2003 PCG copyright softback)]

Regarding Mystery of the Ages, PCG has argued in court,

...that to prohibit PCG's use of the book would be to suppress both the unique expression of ideas in the book...and the ability of PCG's members to live according to their religious faith (Leap, Dennis. Continuing to Fight. Philadelphia Trumpet. Feb 2002, p.27).

So in other words, PCG seems to be saying that PCG could not exist if it had not illegally copied and distributed Mystery of the Ages.

Notice another claim:

Revelation 10...So here we are in this transition. There’s a little a little book talked about and MOA in Verse 7 that’s talked about, that leads right into the second coming of Jesus Christ (Flurry G. Prophesying Again Part 4, November 1, 2003. Sermon transcript at http://www.pcog.info/, January 13, 2004).

Would HWA agree? I do not believe so, nor do I believe this PCG tradition is biblical.

Changed Another of Herbert W. Armstrong's Writings

PCG altered another document written by Herbert Armstrong titled Who or What is the Prophetic Beast?

Notice how one paragraph was written in the original version. Note the bolding (which is added here for clarity):

This coming great martyrdom is THE GREAT TRIBULATION (Matthew 24:9, 21-22). This tribulation is not the wrath of God — the last plagues. It is the wrath of Satan (Rev. 12:12), inflicted at the behest of HIS apostate church by the coming “United States of EUROPE” and against the true people of GOD! It is a persecution — a torturing — a martyring of the saints of God — the very elect who cannot be deceived (Matt. 24:24). Except those days of Great Tribulation be shortened, no flesh would be saved. But, for THE SAKE OF GOD’S PERSECUTED SAINTS those days shall be shortened.

Notice this same section in PCG’s version:

This coming great martyrdom is THE GREAT TRIBULATION (Matt. 24:9, 21-22). This tribulation is not the wrath of God—the last plagues. It is the wrath of Satan (Rev. 12:12), inflicted at the behest of HIS apostate church by the coming “United States of EUROPE” and against the people of GOD! It is a persecution—a torturing—a martyring of the saints of God who have become lukewarm and lost God’s protection. Except those days of Great Tribulation be shortened, no flesh would be saved. But, for THE SAKE OF GOD’S PERSECUTED SAINTS, those days shall be shortened.

Now some with PCG will conclude that the change is accurate and so that this is not a big deal.

They, however, would be wrong for at least two reasons.

The first is that this is another proof that PCG is NOT faithful to what it claims that it is.

And secondly, because the change is NOT completely accurate.  While it is true that the lukewarm Laodiceans will not receive protection that is promised to the Philadelphians (the real ones, not the false ones like PCG who claim the name, cf. Revelation 3:9), the truth is that many people will be converted through the preaching of the two witnesses and apparently the third angel’s message during the time of the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.

These converts are NOT likely to be "lukewarm."  They will likely help the two witnesses and many of these converts will be martyred during the time of the Beast and the Antichrist.

PCG has repeatedly adjusted (in a negative manner in most cases) the biblical truths that the late Herbert W. Armstrong taught.

The change to Who or What is the Prophetic Beast? is just the latest.  Hopefully, those associated with PCG will wake up and realize that it is NOT the faithful remnant of the Philadelphia portion of the Church of God.

Government

Since Mr. Armstrong's death, all of the Laodicean groups have rejected the restored knowledge of the government of God. They no longer believe in government from the top down...One Man Leadership...All of these Laodicean groups have rejected Mr. Armstrong as God's end-time Elijah. And THEY HAVE REJECTED THE TRUTH THAT GOD WORKS THROUGH ONE MAN AT A TIME...Jesus Christ gave authority to Peter as the chief apostle...The other apostles were sent around the world--only Peter had authority to bind and loose!...Now all of the Laodicean groups have rejected these scriptures. God sent Mr. Armstrong to restore all things (Matt. 17:11). God sent Mr. Armstrong to restore His government in the Church. The Worldwide Church of God (WCG), the Global Church of God, and the United Church of God have all turned away from this revealed form of government (Flurry, Gerald and Leap, Dennis. Ezra and Nehemiah: Building God's Temple. Booklet. 1997. pp.17-18).

And so, we really have to gear things up for this time we’re living in. It’s not a normal time. It’s not even like it was in Mr Armstrong’s time. This is truly an abnormal time in this last hour, that this world has never, ever seen before. And so our work has to be geared to that. Our message has to be geared to that....And so, if we are going to prophesy again, it basically means we’re going to have the same message, we’re going to have the same Government, we’re going to have the same law, and so you and I have to submit to that law and Government that Mr Armstrong was taught through Jesus Christ and we, we so we couldn’t prophesy again really unless we knew what that Government and law was...Mr Armstrong, in his era almost never worked directly with the Regional Directors. Now, what he did, was place one man over the ministers and I can name some of them; Rod Meredith, Wayne Cole, I believe Dennis Luker for awhile, and Joe Tkach and Garner Ted Armstrong (Laughs) … I think was in there as well, and you know something? That never, ever worked! Now I’m not saying the government didn’t work to the extent that Mr Armstrong could preach the Gospel round the world; it certainly did but that one man over the ministry never did work, and Mr Armstrong said it didn’t. And you know why it didn’t work? Because that man would...well, overstep himself and he was, actually ended up running the Church...Mr Armstrong went to world leaders! What do you do when you have to go to world leaders? How do you run the Church when you don’t have anybody to do what you want them to do? And of course they didn’t, and of course, every time he had problems to deal with and he even said (Whining) near the end of his life that system never did work...See, I feel it’s critical that I stay in touch with the Regional director’s, UNLIKE what Mr Armstrong did...So I think, in essence, God is saying ... this is not something, that, uh is, is unimportant. I think God is saying alright, NOW LET’S CHANGE THE GOVERNMENT TO FIT THE TIMES! Here we are in a time of no more delay. We’re in the last hour, and I think Christ is saying ‘I WANT YOU TO RISE UP AND I WANT YOU TO RUN THIS THING DIFFERENT THAN THE WAY IT WAS DONE IN THE PAST...Instead of setting up that normal machinery to meet the highly abnormal need, the normal standards were not good enough at such a critical time. So they had to change the way they administered the Government. And so we enter into this time, brethren, and let me tell you, it’s getting to be pretty, pretty, fiercely bad. We enter into this time and Jesus Christ is showing me that there really is a change in the administration of our Government. There really is a change in that. Satan has been cast down. Now that’s a different situation...Mr Armstrong’s structure of Government really will not work ... to get this job done...NOW LET ME TELL YOU, I CAN PROPHESY WITHOUT HESITATION AND ABSOLUTELY KNOW THAT I’M RIGHT: YOU’RE GONNA SEE THAT AS WE GO ALONG, THE GOVERNMENT OF THIS CHURCH IS GOING TO BE ATTACKED LIKE NOTHING ELSE EVER HAS IN THIS CHURCH!" ...But what is the Gospel? What is it. Well, it’s the Good News of the coming Family of God, which is administered by the Government of God; the very same Government that we have today, that’s what the Gospel is! And so we’re learning to administer that Government...If we don’t love the Government of God, all we are is a laodicean. That’s ALL we are. We must love the Government of God most of all! (Flurry G. Prophesying Again Part 4, November 1, 2003. Sermon transcript at http://www.pcog.info/, January 13, 2004).

It appears that since G. Flurry says that HWA's governance did not work, that G. Flurry's form is superior and that his is the 'government of God'. Thus, it appears that G. Flurry has rejected at least a portion of the restored truth about governance (see also The Bible, Polycarp, Herbert W. Armstrong, and Roderick C. Meredith on Church Government).

More claims:

Only that group which declares the Micah [7:1] revelation does God's work (Flurry, Gerald. U.S. Justice and our 'Evolving Constitution'. Philadelphia Trumpet. January 2001. p. 6).

It is of interest to note that a literature search revealed that to the best of my knowledge, Herbert Armstrong never produced any literature about Micah 7:1, thus apparently was not part of a group that did Mr. Flurry's version of 'God's work'. Herbert Armstrong tended to emphasize Matthew 24:14;28:19-20.

Broadcasting to over 400 million people worldwide, The Key of David has received various international awards in recognition of its contribution to broadcast excellence (Key of David Website, 6/01/01).

It should be noted that according to the February 2002 Philadelphia Trumpet PCG appears to be on 26 stations (See station listing at keyofdavid.com web site, and note that many stations are listed multiple times). 400 million seems to be a potential audience, not the actual one, in 2001. PCG now claims 200 stations and a potential audience of 600 million.

Gerald Flurry has clearly changed the work as he also wrote,

The commission is no longer to preach the gospel to the world (Daniel-Unsealed at Last!, 2004, p.45).

This is NOT what HWA taught. In HWA's sermon The Mission of the Philadelphia Church Era,

I want to speak on the mission of the Philadelphia Era of the Church...Today's mission of the Church you will find in Matthew 24:14. And this gospel of the kingdom…that is the same gospel that Jesus preached…shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come...Now He said the mission of this Church, then, that this gospel of the kingdom shall be proclaimed in all the world for a witness unto all nations and then shall he end…the end of this world…come, and the second coming of Christ to introduce the world tomorrow, another world altogether...And how in Revelation 18:4 that God has called us out from among them, to be separate. Well, brethren, all those things have been restored and there is a mission for this Church that never applied, and has never been done by any other Church. This gospel of the kingdom has been restored and shall be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations.

"Mr. Armstrong has been dead 20 years now. But did the Almighty God who empowered his work die? Is God too weak to do the same marvelous work today—simply because a man has passed from the scene? (Flurry G. From the Editor: An Open Letter to the Churches of God. Philadelphia Trumpet. February 2006).

PCG simply does not have what Gerald Flurry suggests is the same marvelous work today. And that is one of the main reasons I do not support PCG (I also reject that God's true angel gave Gerald Flurry Malachi's Message, etc.).

Now, notice something from the January 2019 edition of the Philadelphia Trumpet magazine:

In Matthew 24, Jesus Christ gave more signs of what would occur before His return. Among these descriptions, one statement flashes like a lightning bolt: “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (verse 14). …

But in the 20th century, a time of increasing dangers and weapons of mass destruction, God used an end-time Elijah to restore all things—including the gospel message of the Kingdom of God. That man preached the same gospel that Jesus Christ preached—and did so “in all the world for a witness” for the first time in almost 2,000 years! Herbert W. Armstrong preached that message to tens of thousands of members of the Worldwide Church of God, to millions of World Tomorrow radio listeners and television viewers, and to millions of Plain Truth readers.

He wrote in a Sept. 17, 1982, letter to Church supporters, “Jesus’s sign we are near the end of this world (Matthew 24:14), which you have backed me in proclaiming to the world—the gospel of the Kingdom of God—has been going to the world in great power!” (Hilliker J. Four Signs the Second Coming is Near. Philadelphia Trumpet, January 2019)

Yes, Herbert W. Armstrong reached many. But notice that, according to Jesus, the end comes when Matthew 24:14 has been fulfilled (to God’s satisfaction).

Well, the end, meaning the Great Tribulation in this context (cf. Matthew 24:14-21) has not began, and cannot begin for at least 3 1/32 more years (see When Will the Great Tribulation Begin?).

Haggai 2:9 states, 'The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts. As I wrote in the Haggai booklet, that verse is a prophecy that God would build a physical house of God through an end-time type of Zerbubbal!...NOW WE UNDERSTAND THIS VERSE AS PROOF GOD PROPHESIED THAT THE AUDITORIUM-HIS HOUSE--WOULD BE BUILT IN THIS END TIME!...'IN THIS PLACE' The jewel in the crown of Pasadena headquarters: Ambassador Auditorium...The abomination will stand in the holy place...GOD IS POINTING US TO THE SOURCE OF THE SPIRITUAL ABOMINATION: ITS HEADQUARTERS BUILDING...The Laodiceans didn't truly grasp what Mr. Armstrong taught about the abomination of desolation, and now they'll have to EXPERIENCE IT (Flurry G. Daniel. PCG Booklet, 2004, pp.42-45).

Herbert Armstrong specifically said,

When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:). And you find in Luke 24:20 that that refers to the same thing, and the abomination of desolation, there spoken of, was Jerusalem being surrounded by armies. Now that applied to 70 A.D. It is going to apply again because so many things happen in a dual manner, sort of a one-two punch as I sometimes call it, and Jerusalem will again be surrounded by armies. In fact, it is to a great extent right now. (Mission of Philadelphia Church Era. Sermon, 12/17/83).

HWA also taught,

Luke 21:20 speaks of the same thing as "Jerusalem compassed with armies." This is the correct meaning of this "abomination." It is the armies--not a statue--that make Jerusalem desolate. From this time (Dan. 12:11) to Christ's coming will be 1290 days. Now, verse 12, "Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the 1335 days." Never before have we understood these periods of 1260, 1290, and 1335 days. But it seems evident, now, a blessing is pronounced on us-GOD'S CHURCH--who wait and endure until the 1335 days--approximately 1335 days prior to Christ's coming. But since no one can know the day or the hour of His coming, we probably shall not be able to know the exact day that this 1335 days begins. But apparently that is the time when OUR WORK SHALL END. That will be a time when the UNITED EUROPE shall appear --the revival of the medieval "Holy Roman Empire." We shall then be warned, and readied to be taken to a place of refuge and safety from the Great Tribulation. Forty-five days later "the beast's" armies will surround Jerusalem. Thirty days later the Great Tribulation will probably start with a nuclear attack on London and Britain--and possibly the same day or immediately after, on United States and Canadian cities. [Armstrong HW. The Time We Are In, Now. PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT - VOL.1, NO.15 NOVEMBER 20, 1979].

Three nations are going to experience the Great Tribulation. (Flurry G. Satan Cast Down (2014). November 16, 2014)

Third Tithe

In October 2004, Robert Kuhne reported,

Although the PCG still teaches its members to pay the third tithe (RV July/August 2004, pg. 28), a member who was seeking third tithe assistance recently told us that Ron Frasier personally told him "the church has discontinued that program."And a former PCG minister confirmed to us that the PCG does not distinguish between first, second, and third tithe, but treats them all the same to support "the work," which of late has been the construction of beautiful homes for the inner circle PCG ministry. Construction of an auditorium is also soon to start.

Actually, a chart of how 2005 income was spent by PCG was in the PCG Pastor General's Report dated April 8, 2006. The chart shows,

Assistance $ 79,502.11 1%.

Although the chart rounds this "Assistance" to 1% of expenditures, it actually is less than 2/3 of one percent of PCG's income. Thus this seems to confirm Robert Kuhne's report. PCG apparently collects third tithe, but does not seem to distribute it as the old WCG did.

Membership Data and Other Statistics

In October 2004, Robert Kuhne reported,

Gerald Flurry has admitted that the PCG saw a 6% decrease in membership during the year 2003. If we apply this 6% decrease to our calculated number of 5550 members above, we get a 2004 membership of about 5217 members. Below is his quote: I'll tell you something that, well I just want you to know the truth, what's happening, but we, we are in good financial standing right now. In 2003, this stunned me a little bit, we actually decreased in members by six percent. Six percent from 2002. ... When you think about that six percent decrease, brethren, and really it happened the year we finally won the court case ... it certainly has the stench of spiritual death. ... What about the six percent decrease in the members - what does that mean? ... What is going to happen to those people? ... It is about spiritual death. ... Six percent of God's family just died or are dying. [G.F. sermon, That Prophet, 2/7/04, tape1:side2] In 2003 we had a six percent decrease in members. [G.F. sermon, Spiritual Revolution, 4/17/04, side2] Comment: 'Evangelist' Marvin Campbell was reported to have said at the 2004 PCG feast site in Greenville, South Carolina, that church membership was 5153. This is very close to our calculation above after applying the 6% decrease admitted by Gerald Flurry. It would appear that the PCG has only limited appeal to those unfamiliar with HWA, and that a significant number of current PCG members are becoming aware of the facts.

Stephen Flurry reported that PCG has: "a modest income of $14 million or so" (Flurry S. Raising the Ruins, Part Two. The Philadelphia Trumpet, August 2009, p. 31).

PCG reported the following statistics:

160,876

Telephone calls received in 2008

8,686,008

Trumpet magazines distributed in waiting rooms in the last 10 years

Source: http://www.pcog.org/article.php?articleid=82

On January 7, 2011, Stephen Flurry reported the following:

Worldwide attendance stands at about 5,500. Serving those brethren, we have 72 ordained ministers—41 of them employed by the Church. Counting ministers and employees, 115 people work for the Church full-time. Another 60 are on payroll as part-timers. We’ve added 55 employees just since 2006, when the college first started turning out four-year graduates.

Our total worldwide income in 2010 amounted to $20.6 million—a solid 5 percent increase over 2009. Seventy-two percent of that revenue is donated by members of the Philadelphia Church of God. The other 28 percent comes from co-workers and donors who voluntarily offer their financial support. http://www.thetrumpet.com/index.php?q=7818.6421.0.0

In October 2011, the following was reported:

Shane Granger, marketing director for the Philadelphia Church of God…said Edmond is one of 18 sites around the world that will be attended by 4,700 members of the Philadelphia Church of God, which has 200 congregations spread over 65 countries.

Either some PCG members have been lost this year and/or about 15%  of its membership was not expected to attend the Feast of Tabernacles in 2011. Because of its extra-biblical requirements for membership, etc., I am hesitant to conclude that PCG is actually a COG.

In November 2011, the following was apparently reported in a co-worker letter written by Gerald Flurry:

…our building fund donations are $700,000 less than they were last year. I want you to think about that.

Before we built Armstrong Auditorium, we sent a letter to our Church members only, asking for pledges to the building fund. We used those pledges to determine how much we could invest in construction and loan repayment until all the construction costs were repaid in full. We’ve enjoyed using the auditorium for over a year now, but we still have a big balance left on the loan–over $7Million…And if our ways are pleasing God, no recession or depression could make a bit of difference.

Now, presuming that the above is authentic, this suggests that PCG may have shrank (shrinking membership would tend to be a factor in less donations, recessions would as well).

Here is additional proof that PCG has shrank:

God blesses us in many ways, and He asks for so little in return. Every year, we have opportunities to contribute to God’s Work through tithes, holy day offerings and funds for building, airplane and other projects. But there is another way we can give that has proven to produce much fruit: congregational fundraisers. These fundraisers provide great value to God’s Work.

There are more than 100 Philadelphia Church of God congregations spread across the globe. Most of these congregations have few members. (Krueger J. Fundraising for God. May 4, 2018. https://www.pcog.org/articles/4808/fundraising-for-god)

Unleavened Bread only Needs to be Eaten Two Days

In a disturbing move, in April 2013, PCG put out the following:

CANADA

EATING UNLEAVENED BREAD
During the Days of Unleavened Bread, there was some confusion in several congregations about the requirement to eat unleavened bread. Exodus 13:7 states that unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days. Does this mean that we must eat unleavened bread on each day of this Feast? NO. It is not required to eat unleavened bread for seven days. This instruction means that whenever bread is eaten during this Festival it must be unleavened. It does not mean unleavened bread must be eaten each day.

The command to eat unleavened bread is like the commandment in Exodus 20:9 that states: “six days shall you labour …” This does not mean we must work each day, Sunday to Friday. It means that whenever we work, it must be during the six days preceding the Sabbath. Likewise, the instruction that unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days means that whenever bread is eaten during the Days of Unleavened Bread, it must be unleavened. We are not required to eat unleavened bread each day.

Mr. Flurry wants us all speaking the same thing, as God has instructed us in His Word. Let’s all take note of this teaching so that there is peace and harmony in all churches on this issue. (Announcements. Philadelphia Church of God, April 13, 2011

But the Bible teaches:

15 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. (Exodus 12:15)

UCG has a similar position which is based on tradition instead of the Bible--for details please see UCG and Its Unleavened Bread Study Paper.

As far as PCG's claimed argument, humans do actually do their work on the six days of the week whether or not they are physically at a job, hence I disagree with PCG's assessment here.

PCG's Message

Notice:

We have only a tiny span of time to do God's warning Work! Our message is about the death of nations! (Ezek. 33:11). No message even comes close to the importance of our message! (Flurry, Gerald. Member and Co-worker letter, 3/13/02).

So God lets us work in this most exciting time ever in this world, and B, right to the very transition time of Jesus Christ but notice, We have a different commission...We’ve got a different work, and it IS a work that’s going to qualify you to be in Headquarters forever (Flurry G. Prophesying Again Part 4, November 1, 2003. Sermon transcript at http://www.pcog.info/, January 13, 2004).

Must Find an Individual to Find God

PCG also has the following unusual teaching:

So Micah was told to DECLARE this message. That means that there has to be a type of Micah today who is DECLARING this same message. Remember this message is tied directly to Christ's return (Mic.1:3). It is for the end time! It is up to you to find the individual who is delivering that message. That is the only way to find God (Flurry, Gerald. U.S. Justice and our 'Evolving Constitution'. Philadelphia Trumpet. January 2001. p. 6).

Problem with Alcohol

Here is part of what Robert Kuhne reported:

In 1993 Gerald Flurry was arrested and taken to jail after being found intoxicated and passed out behind the wheel of his automobile.  The PCG membership was never told the truth about this incident, only that he was cited for having a couple of empty beer containers inside his car.

I read the court documents and police report that are at Robert Kuhne’s website.

The court documents state:

ON OR ABOUT THE 18TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 1993, THE CRIME OF BEING IN ACTUAL PHYSICAL CONTROL WAS UNLAWFULLY COMMITTED IN OKLAHOMA COUNTY, OKLAHOMA BY GERALD RAY FLURRY WHO WILFULLY AND KNOWINGLY WAS IN ACTUAL PHYSICAL CONTROL OF A MOTOR VEHICLE…WHILE HE WAS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF INTOXICATING LIQUOR…AGAINST THE PEACE AND DIGNITY OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA.

The documents also state that  “the crime of transporting an open container of intoxicating liquor was unlawfully committed by…Gerald Ray Flurry”.  Thus, the documents state that Gerald Flurry committed two crimes.

In the police report, the officer stated that Gerald Flurry was “passed out behind the wheel”.  The officer stated that when Gerald Flurry was asked for his driver’s license, he said he did not have it.  But the officer stated that Gerald Flurry took out a $20 bill instead.  The officer repeatedly told Gerald Flurry to put the money back in his wallet and asked for his driver’s license.  The officer noted the smell of “a heavy odor of liquor” from Gerald Flurry’s breath.  The officer observed that Gerald Flurry “had trouble standing still without staggering”.  When the officer asked Gerald Flurry if he had been drinking, he indicated that he had.

The officer “administered three field sobriety tests” and Gerald Flurry “failed all three sobriety tests”.  The officer concluded that Gerald Flurry’s alcohol levels exceeded the legal maximum.

The police report then states:

“At approximately 2248 on 9-18-93 this officer informed the male subject later identified as Flurry, Gerald Ray that he was under arrest for APC and TOC.”

APC is apparently an abbreviation that means “Actual Physical Control” , essentially having a motor vehicle under your control while “under the influence of intoxicating liquor” (another court document has the abbreviation “DUI”).  And TOC is apparently an abbreviation that means “transporting an open container-liquor”.

After arresting Gerald Flurry, the officer had his vehicle impounded and transported him “to Oklahoma County Jail in OKC”.

In his own handwriting, Gerald Flurry wrote (and signed):

If the District Attorney presented the evidence to a jury, they could find me guilty of the charge.

Gerald Flurry also pleaded “nolo contendre” to the charges and someone paid one or more fines on his behalf.

Of course, people do make mistakes and sometimes get arrested for them. My main point in posting this is that Robert Kuhne, who was a PCG member for some time after this, states that the PCG membership was not told the truth about this matter. The court documents apparently tell more than PCG's membership was told about this.

Parallels between him and Joseph Smith

David "Persuitte believes that Smith also stole his ideas from the sources available to him in his day, especially from Vermont minister Ethan Smiths View of the Hebrews (first published in 1823), which had been published only a few years before." More information on that is included in Persuitte's book Joseph Smith and the Origins of the Book of Mormon (2nd Edition) which is available at http://www.christianity-books.com/Joseph_Smith_and_the_Origins_of_the_Book_of_Mormon_2nd_Edition_078640826X.html

In a college class decades ago, I recall hearing that Joseph Smith tended to drink to excess, claimed an angel led him to a cave that contained most of what we now call the Book of Mormon, that the Book of Mormon was not quite original, and that Joseph Smith claimed to be a prophet.

A police report, posted at the www.pcg.info website on Gerald Flurry, suggests that he drank to excess, while Gerald Flurry himself claimed that a "mighty angel" revealed Malachi's Message to him, and Gerald Flurry regularly claims to be a prophet. Furthermore, Robert Kuhne claims that much of Malachi's Message is not original to Gerald Flurry but was very similar to something written by Jules Dervaes a few years earlier.

Specifically R. Kuhne wrote,

The Letter To Laodicea is a collection of seven letters written by a former WCG member, Jules Dervaes, to the late Pastor General of the WCG, Joseph W. Tkach, Senior. His letters contain the heart and core of Malachi’s Message and pre-date it by almost two years. This is the single fact I discovered which forced me to reevaluate Gerald Flurry's claim that Malachi's Message was a revelation from God. The evidence below positively establishes the dates of the two writings: Gerald Flurry says he received his "revelations" in 1989 (DUAL pg. 27 top; 1995 letter). Click the image below to read the letter. Malachi’s Message was originally written in 1989 (MM pg. ix p4; LB pg. 4p3). The Letter To Laodicea (request a copy at www.viadelrey.com) was written c. 1987 and delivered to Joseph W. Tkach, Sr. by certified mail.

I do not accept that either Joseph Smith or Gerald Flurry received their information from one of God's faithful angels, nor do I believe these self-appointed individuals are prophets. While the Bible does make clear that God will give some the gift of prophecy towards the end-time, I do not believe those two were recipients.

Wrong About the "Prince of Rosh"

Gerald Flurry apparently claimed to have received some type of supernatural message that made him conclude that Russian President Vladimir Putin is the "prince of Rosh" in Ezkiel 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).

This is the article from the February 2014 Trumpet:

Russia used military force to invade the former Soviet nation of Georgia in August 2008. I wrote the following in our October 2008 Trumpet issue: “Russia’s attack on Georgia in August marks the beginning of a dangerous new era in history. This was the first military strike of a rising Asian superpower—and there will be more! … Will the Georgia strike actually spark European unification? Will a crisis occur over Ukraine? That area is the breadbasket of Russia, and surely it is willing to wage war over that as well.”

The German-led European Union has failed to understand and take a strong stand against Russian President Vladimir Putin. This man has become even more aggressive since the Georgia attack—as we said he would.

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.

Now, instead of linking with Europe, Ukraine is on course to become a member of Russia’s Customs Union. There it will join Moscow’s fellow dictatorships, Kazakhstan and Belarus.

When the Ukrainian government made this about-face, the people staged massive protests! They felt betrayed and oppressed. They fear Russia’s lengthening authoritarian shadow.

“This is no trivial matter,” columnist Charles Krauthammer wrote. “Ukraine is not just the largest European country, it’s the linchpin for Vladimir Putin’s dream of a renewed imperial Russia, hegemonic in its neighborhood and rolling back the quarter-century advancement of the ‘Europe whole and free’ bequeathed by America’s victory in the Cold War” (Dec. 6, 2013; emphasis mine throughout).

This was an audacious move by Russia! But America did nothing. Washington has become so weak that it wouldn’t even support the Ukrainian protesters with words!

Few Americans realize what a massive disaster this is for America and its future. As Russia, China, Iran and a German-led Europe expand their empires and grow in strength, American foreign policy has become an international joke!

America’s military might is shrinking fast, and it has a completely broken will.

The Ukraine crisis exposes U.S. weakness most of all. The American superpower has disappeared from the world scene!

That means that one of those fierce, tiger-like empires will soon pounce on the U.S. That is the lesson of history. But far more importantly, your Bible prophesies that it is going to happen.

America is sleeping through the Ukraine crisis. But Europe is deeply alarmed by what happened to this country that is right in its own neighborhood!

The changes this crisis provokes in Germany and Europe will shake the nations!

The Ukraine debacle has taken us a giant step closer to World War iii!

Restoring the Russian Empire

Some Europeans recognize that Putin’s power maneuver on Ukraine is no isolated incident.

Back in 2005, the Russian president called the demise of the Soviet empire “the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century.” Given the dozens of millions of Soviet citizens who were imprisoned, persecuted and murdered under that authoritarian system, most of us would say the opposite! Those hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian protesters certainly think the opposite. But not Mr. Putin. He not only mourns the ussr’s collapse—he is bent on rebuilding it and restoring the glory of imperial Russia!

Putin made these goals clear in 2008 by invading Georgia. He is doing everything he can to prevent Georgia, Ukraine and all other former Soviet countries from developing closer ties with Europe.

Mr. Putin also recently pushed the U.S. out of his backyard by pressuring Kyrgyzstan to kick America out of Manas air base. This is America’s only military base left in Central Asia. It is the main supply base for U.S. operations in Afghanistan. Putin offered Kyrgyzstan a big arms deal if it would not renew America’s lease in Manas, which ends in July, and he got his wish. He also convinced the Obama administration to back down over a missile defense shield America had planned to build in Europe.

Russia’s deep involvement in the Middle East has allowed the brutal Syrian regime to retain power. It has also been instrumental in allowing Iran to continue pursuing nuclear weapons.

Domestically, Putin has transformed the Russian media into a propaganda machine. He has severely curbed the power of democracy and emasculated Russia’s parliament.

Putin and his Kremlin cronies have used their political might to seize some of Russia’s most lucrative companies, like oil firm Yukos. Back in 2003, Jane’s Intelligence firm wrote this about these government seizures: “[I]t is becoming clear that Russia is undergoing a profound political convulsion. This amounts to nothing less than the birth of the Second Russian Republic. … The new republic will continue to be a mixture of market and state-controlled economic forces. But it will be a country in which President Vladimir Putin controls both the political and economic levers of power. The Russian president has staged his own coup” (Nov. 5, 2003). This trend has intensified since that was written.

Under Putin’s reign, nuclear-armed Russia is also transforming its military machine into a modern, technological, 21st-century force.

By all of these heavy-handed tactics, President Putin has not only brought Russia back into play as a world power, he has also secured his position at the nation’s helm.

This world has a lot of authoritarian rulers. 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’

Back around a.d. 90, the Apostle John recorded an amazing prophecy: “And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them” (Revelation 9:16). That means an army of 200 million men! That is more people than were alive in the world when that prophecy was recorded. This is an end-time prophecy that we are certain to see fulfilled very soon.

The Bible gives some important details about this largest army ever assembled on Earth. It tells us which nations will contribute soldiers to it. It shows it will include the combined forces from several Asian nations. It refers to this Asian confederacy as the “kings of the east” (Revelation 16:12). It also reveals that it will have one lead country—and one individual at the head.

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.

Scholars generally agree that “Gog” is Russia, and that “the land of Magog” includes China. The descendants of Meshech and Tubal have been found together throughout history. In Assyrian and Greek histories, Meshech appears as Musku, Muski or Mushki—all names related to the Russian spelling of Moscow, as you can read in the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. What about Tubal? On the eastern side of the Ural Mountains lies the city of Tobolsk, named after the Tobol River, derived from Tubal. Tobolsk was once the seat of Russian government over Siberia and was basically considered Russia’s Asian capital.

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.

‘God’s Army’

Details about this army are revealed in passages such as Revelation 9:13-21, Revelation 16, Daniel 11, Jeremiah 50 and Joel 2. In verse 11 of Joel 2, this 200 million-man Asian force is actually called God’s army. God is the one who will raise up this war machine! Why?

God is going to use this colossal Asian force to confront the military of united German-led Europe, which will also be on the scene at this time. It will obliterate Europe, but not the main European armies. These armies will meet to fight at Armageddon, but Christ will bring them to Jerusalem to fight Him and be defeated. This is God’s punishment on the Europeans for their sins—especially for their brutal treatment of His people Israel (e.g. Revelation 18:5-6; Jeremiah 50:29-31).

Current events show this army taking shape already. You can see it in Putin’s growing authoritarianism, and also in his outreach to other Asian powers. Russia has supplied China with many military armaments over the last decade or so; it also helped the Chinese go nuclear. For many years the Russians have been allied with China, at least to some degree.

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). Gomer refers to Japan, which wields some of the world’s most advanced weaponry and technology. Ethiopia and Libya should be translated “Cush” and “Phut.” Though some of Cush and Phut migrated to African nations, the rest settled in parts of India. The context of this passage shows that it refers to modern-day Indians (and perhaps Pakistanis) rather than Africans.

This is significant because India has a population of 1.2 billion people—plus an advanced nuclear arsenal! When you put India and Japan together with Russia and China, it is easy to see how an army of 200 million soldiers could be formed. With other Asian nations joining in, you quickly reach combined populations of 2.5 to 4 billion people! Under extreme circumstances like those described in these end-time prophecies, it is not hard to imagine one in 10 or 20 people going to war.

We need to deeply think about the fact that God calls this Asian force His army. It shows who is really orchestrating all of these cataclysmic events, and who is really behind the overall picture. Is it Vladimir Putin? No, it is the Almighty God!

The Armageddon Armies

This immense war between European and Asian forces will end in the return of Jesus Christ! But here is something shocking: Even after most of Earth’s population has been personally afflicted by nuclear war and complete destruction, the survivors will still be unwilling to turn to God! Revelation 11:15-18 show that, as Christ descends to Earth, the nations will be wrathful toward Him. What is left of the European and Asian armies will actually join forces to fight against Christ after He returns.

Revelation 17:12-14 and Daniel 8:25 prophesy that Christ will defeat these powers. The conclusion of that battle will mark the beginning of a peaceful and prosperous new age for the entire Earth!

“After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them” (Ezekiel 38:8). “After many days” (several years), Gog and his allies make another attack on Jerusalem. This occurs after Israel has been “brought back from the sword” and is ruled by Christ from Jerusalem.

Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 discuss a time before and after the coming of the Messiah.

God’s people must warn the world for the Creator because of this terrible, terrible future. He commands, “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand” (Joel 2:1). This is a message for “every inhabitant on Earth,” the Anchor Bible says. The alarm and the warning must go out! There is no time to lose.

Verse 2 shows that this prophecy is about Gog and his allies, and the worst catastrophe in mankind’s history: “A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.”

Verse 3 says a “fire devoureth before them.” What kind of fire? Look at the context: “[A]nd behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.” Not even a blade of grass is going to escape them. This is clearly talking about a nuclear attack!

A Garden of Eden lies before them, but after they’ve passed over it, only a barren wasteland remains. Can you imagine such a thing happening on this Earth? Well, if you look around and see the choices our nations are making, you would expect that to happen. Just look at how rapidly we are proliferating nuclear weapons! Russia, China, India and Pakistan all have nuclear bombs. The Pakistanis will probably be allied with Gog, and India almost certainly will.

Verse 6 says that “all faces shall gather blackness.” This is a bleak and sorrowful time. “The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining” (verse 10). This describes a nuclear winter. People won’t even see the stars because of the nuclear fallout. Read more about this in my article on page 20.

Envy Spawns an Uprising

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.

Ezekiel 38 makes plain that after Jesus Christ defeats the European and Asian armies in the battle at Jerusalem, He will allow the surviving Asian forces to return to their homelands. Ezekiel 38:4 states, “I [God] will turn thee back” in the first Jerusalem battle. (But in the second battle of Jerusalem, He destroys all of their armies, as we will see.) Then Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords, will gather His scattered people, the end-time descendants of Israel, around Jerusalem. He will start His global restoration by blessing that area.

As the years go by, the Asian powers start to become envious of all the wealth they see in Jerusalem. They see a prosperous but unarmed area—and, in another burst of rebellion, decide they want to take it. So they muster their forces for one final attempt to overthrow Christ’s rule in the Holy City. God allows them to come into the Holy Land. But their plan is doomed!

This second attack by a Gog-led army might involve a somewhat smaller number of soldiers than the earlier 200 million-man army. However, the populations of these Asian nations are so large that, even after their defeat in the battle at Jerusalem, it may not take very long for them to replenish their numbers and to be back around 200 million.

But why will God allow this rebellion to happen? It is for a very clear reason!

The prophecy continues with God telling Ezekiel to “prophesy and say unto Gog … thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army” (verses 14-15). Then verse 16 gets to the purpose behind this. It shows why God allows this attack: “[A]nd I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me .…”

How is God going to use this situation to ensure that the rebellious peoples of the world finally know Him? By speaking the only language they understand: the language of force. The nations are going to know because of the total victory God will have over Asia’s burst of rebellion.

The nations of Israel also had to learn the hard way: “And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity …” (Ezekiel 39:23; see also verses 27-28). Israel also had to get to know God by being conquered in a nuclear war. (If you don’t know who Israel is, request our free book The United States and Britain in Prophecy.)

Who Will Be Buried?

During the Cold War era, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev famously said to America, “We will bury you!” But this Ezekiel prophecy shows that it will actually be the great army of Russia, China and other nations that will be buried! And it will be buried in a place and at a time they would never imagine.

In Ezekiel 39:11, God says, “And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel ….”

This is where God buries this massive army! Only one sixth of the huge force will survive to return home this time (verse 2). The rest will be buried just east of the Dead Sea (verse 11). It will give new meaning to the name Dead Sea! And the number of fallen is so huge that it will take seven months to bury all the bodies and to clean up the area! (verse 12). What an unbelievable spectacle!

God lets this bloody attack happen because it is the only way He can make some rebellious peoples finally believe that He is God! He allows it because it is the only way He can get the heathen to know Him! You can see in these verses that is what He says: They get to know me. That is what it takes to get through to the people He calls “the heathen” in Ezekiel 38. And everybody today, it seems, is acting like the heathen. They certainly are not obeying God.

Do you realize how astounding it is that modern conditions make the fulfillment of these key prophecies possible? God prophesied these things through His Prophet Ezekiel about 2,500 years ago. At that time, no one could even conceive of such widespread and rapid destruction. But now nuclear bombs and chemical weapons are capable of destroying all life on this planet. God knew these technological advancements would come about, and He told Ezekiel about it and gave him that understanding.

This Gog-led uprising against Jerusalem will be the last great rebellion on Earth for nearly a thousand years.

Zechariah 14:16-17 show that after this event, God is going to begin to teach the whole world. He will cause all nations to come up to Jerusalem and keep the Feast of Tabernacles each year. That festival will be observed all over the world by these Gentile nations as well as Israel, and what an amazing time that will be! You need to understand that Feast of Tabernacles through our booklet Pagan Holidays—or God’s Holy Days—Which? (free upon request). It will show you God’s master plan, and will inspire and move you as nothing else could.

God’s Message

Joel 2:12 explains what all of this is about: “Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.” That’s God’s message to the people of the world. He wants us to turn to Him. All of this is about getting the men and women of the Earth to turn to God. God is a God of love.

“[H]e is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil” (verse 13). This merciful, kind, gracious God wants us to turn to Him because of all the emptiness and suffering we are bringing on ourselves! Right now, He lets us go our own way because that’s what we chose. All right, God says, You go ahead, and I’ll let you see that you cannot rule yourself.

“Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God?” (verse 14). How do you know what God will do for you? If you turn to Him, He will pour out all kinds of blessings on you! That’s what He says.

“Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly” (verse 15). This says to make some noise and tell the people what God prophesies to us! How often do you hear a message such as this from any religious body? I don’t hear 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! We need to watch what is happening in Russia and how Europe responds to it. Daniel 11:44 talks about “tidings out of the east” troubling Europe. Mr. Putin’s tactics in Ukraine, Georgia, the Middle East and elsewhere are already deeply troubling to Europe. If you study Moscow’s foreign policy under Putin’s leadership, it is plain that the ultimate goal is to eventually conquer the whole world. Europe is certainly aware of this goal and is closely watching its neighbor to the east. Russia’s resurgence—which we see happening in headlines every day—shows that end-time Bible prophecies are rapidly being fulfilled!

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.

Notice also that in 2017, his people were publishing that he got his view about Vladmir Putin from the Bible:

March 30, 2017

How Can We Know Putin Will Survive?

The Trumpet can make such assertions with confidence because they are based on specific forecasts from a reliable source: the Bible. The Bible contains detailed foresights that say a Russian strongman will rise and exert enormous power on other nations.

Revelation 9:16, written around a.d. 90, describes an Asian army that will amass 200 million men: “And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.” That is a force that contains more people than were even alive at the time that was written.

Revelation 16:12 labels the leadership of this massive military as the “kings of the east,” indicating a bloc of Asian countries. Ezekiel 38 shows specifically which nations would comprise this bloc and details about its leadership: “And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, ‘Son of man, set thy face unto Gog, of the land of Magog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy concerning him” (Ezekiel 38:1-2; kjv, Young’s Literal Translation). Anciently, Rosh or Rus was the name of Russia. The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary and several other Bible sources recognize this.

The passage then describes the campaigns of this force led by this “prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal.” Who is the “prince” steering this massive army?

A careful examination of these scriptural passages and others, matched to the framework of modern current events, makes the answer visible.

In the September 2014 issue of the Philadelphia Trumpet, editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote:

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! … This much is absolutely certain: 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. … The only question is whether or not Putin personally finishes the entire prophecy. (Jacques, Jeremiah. Do the Russian Protests Mean a ‘Slavic Spring’ Is Near? March 30, 2017 https://www.thetrumpet.com/15607-do-the-russian-protests-mean-a-slavic-spring-is-near)

Since the Trumpet has this vital understanding of Vladimir Putin’s role in end-time prophecy, we believe it unlikely that a “Slavic Spring” is on the horizon for Russia—at least not one that would take Putin out.

Gerald Flurry did not get this 'Prince of Rosh' view from the Bible--either it came from his own imagination and/or through demonic influence. Now trying to claim he got this from the Bible is wrong.

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.

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.

Mystery of the Ages Lawsuit Comments from Former PCG Couple

Robert & Claudia Kuhne, who are former PCG members, reported the following regarding the PCG's settlement with WCG,

With the PCG now able to freely print and distribute Mr. Armstrong's material, is this the miracle from God that Gerald Flurry has "prophesied"? As mentioned above, miracles are events that cannot be explained without invoking divine intervention. If you examine the circumstances surrounding this latest development, you can easily see that it is no miracle and Gerald Flurry's "prophecy" has not been fulfilled. Gerald Flurry's "prophecy" consisted of three parts, namely that
1) he would win the court case, and that
2) God would provide a way for him to
3) mail out Mystery of the Ages again. While he may now be able to mail out MA again, that right was not won in court and there is no evidence that God had anything to do with it. What has actually happened is that Gerald Flurry lost the court case and, facing an impending damages trial, had no choice but to offer settlement and pay for what he tried to get for free.

Gerald Flurry has been forced to offer payment rather than endure the humiliation of having damages assessed against him. He didn't win any war, rather the WCG has forced him to "say uncle" and pay for what they said he stole. His choice was a simple one: pay damages decided by a jury and receive nothing but humiliation, or pay a settlement (probably more than the damages would have been) and receive the right to print MA and be able to boast of a miraculous fulfilled prophecy. No divine intervention is required (i.e. no miracle)...And there is no divine intervention required to explain what the WCG did. They simply agreed to sell MA, which they do not value anyway, for a sure $3 million, rather than take their chances on what a jury might award them (probably less than that). Even though the WCG won the court case, it appears they were going to have difficulty proving much in the way of damages, so they opted to try to recover court costs by accepting the PCG settlement offer. The WCG was not successful in keeping Mr. Armstrong's material out of print, but they did succeed in forcing Gerald Flurry to pay a high price for it...Gerald Flurry has known all along that he could make part of his "prophecy" appear to be fulfilled by offering money, and that is why he was so bold in his RV Sept./Oct. 2002 article, "Habakkuk Reveals the Outcome of Our Court Case." If fact, settlement overtures were going on at the very same time he came out with his so-called "new revelation" from Habakkuk. Rather than Habakkuk revealing the outcome, I think it was the $3 million. Please don't be fooled by Gerald Flurry's sleight of hand. It is like a magician - you may not be able to explain how he does the illusion, but you KNOW it is a trick. You may not know all the details of how Gerald Flurry has pulled off this illusion, but you KNOW that God does not do miracles for someone practicing the deceit detailed throughout the rest of this document...We apologize if any part of this letter seems strong or offensive because we do not intend it that way. We just want you to know where we stand and the real reasons, and be motivated to seriously look into what we have discovered" (The PLAIN TRUTH About Malachi’s Message And THAT PROPHET, http://www.pcog.info/ 3/29/03).

Donald Trump is a modern Jeroboam and J. Tkach is a modern Amaziah?

Gerald Flurry wrote the following:

Who Is the Modern-Day Jeroboam?

March 3, 2017

Donald Trump’s victory in the United States presidential election gives us a clear indication as to where we are in Bible prophecy. …

It seems obvious that God is telling us we have now entered the time frame of Amos chapter 7. What does that time frame mean for America and for you? God has revealed to me more understanding from Amos 7.The book of Amos has some of the strongest prophecies in the Bible, with little emphasis on the positive message. But there is great hope in this prophetic book. …

The Time of Jeroboam

“Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand” (Amos 7:7). A plumbline is usually used in measuring a building or in construction. But God uses it differently here: This is about measuring the destruction that is to come upon the nations of Israel. This destruction is not random; God is measuring it carefully and precisely. And it will bring about the most wonderful results imaginable.

“And the Lord said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more” (verse 8). This is God talking! He has warn ed these nations several times to try to wake them up, but they have ignored those warnings. So, He says, I’ll warn one last time!

We are entering the last time God passes by the people of Israel before they are destroyed! This is a time of extreme urgency!

And notice: This is in the context of an end-time Jeroboam. Verse 9 continues: “And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”

When God says, “I will not again pass by them any more,” He is talking about not passing by them in the time of Jeroboam.

Who is Jeroboam? Who is this specific man that the Bible talks about in the time frame of the last time God passes by to show the end-time nations of Israel how to solve their problems and difficulties, and to warn them of the consequences of their failure to do so?

This passage strongly indicates that God is going to rise with the sword in the time of Jeroboam. The Moffatt translation renders the end of verse 9 as, “I will attack Jeroboam’s house.” …

Here is a severe end-time prophecy, and God is talking about an individual. God names names! We must understand these names and the roles these men play if we are to understand these end-time prophecies! It is essential that we know who these individuals are. …

God is revealing the identity of significant individuals in Bible prophecy in this end time especially—I believe like He’s never done before. He wants us to understand this because it is leading directly into the Great Tribulation and then the coming of the Messiah! Though it is extremely distressing news in the short run, what it leads to is great news!

An Accusation of Treason!

Amos’s prophecy continues: “Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words” (Amos 7:10).

Who is this “priest of Bethel”? “Bethel” means house of God. “Amaziah the priest of Bethel” is prophetic language referring to a man who came from within the Church of God in this end time. You can see from the prophecy in Revelation 3 beginning in verse 14 that the last era of God’s true Church before Christ’s return—the very time frame we are in right now—is the Laodicean era, a lukewarm church that has turned its back on God. Amaziah is a very rebellious Laodicean minister.

Here Amaziah is accusing Amos, God’s true prophet, of treason! Amos is a type of the man in this end time who is proclaiming God’s warning message to Israel today. So this is a prophecy of a real clash between a false minister and a true prophet of God.

I believe Amaziah the priest is the same man as the leader of God’s Church whom we battled with for copyrights to the truth and message of God (Amos 9:1, 11-12). …

Look again at Amos 7:9, and you see more religious imagery. As our booklet on Amos, The Lion Has Roared, explains, “the high places of Isaac” refers to the Laodicean Church. “The sanctuaries of Israel” are the religions of this world, like the evangelicals.

Mr. Trump received over 80 percent of the evangelical vote and a large portion of the Catholic vote. He really is leading most of America’s “religious” people. But where is he leading them?

The Land Cannot Bear His Words

Amaziah’s message to Jeroboam is, “The land is not able to bear all his words.” What “words” are so difficult to bear? Amaziah explains: “For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land” (Amos 7:11).

In the short run, this is bad news. …

At the time of the end, Jeroboam is going to be laden with problems and difficulties, but his biggest problem is going to be the message of God coming out of this organization! …

America’s president says, “I will make America great again.” Notice the big “I”: I will make America great again—not God—like I made myself great. That is going to be the ultimate disaster. Men vainly think they can do magnificent things. That is one of the most deceitful thoughts anyone can have! Yet that is what we are facing in this time of Jeroboam.

America, the British peoples (including Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa) and the Jewish nation are facing horrendous problems. Only God can save these nations. …

“Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there: But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king’s chapel, and it is the king’s court” (Amos 7:12-13). Amaziah is being directed by Jeroboam about what to say. He’s saying, Tell them to get out of here! This is “the king’s chapel,” the president’s domain—this is our religious place. Get out of this land because we will have none of that message!

This man becomes “Jeroboam” because he is fighting against God and God’s Work—along with Amaziah the priest, who is a spiritual Antiochus. The modern-day Jeroboam commits the same sin that Jeroboam did anciently. …

The modern-day Jeroboam is causing other religions to look to him—not the true God. It is going the same way it did anciently, only in this end time there is a much greater abundance of truth. …

Isaiah 22:20-22 is a related end-time prophecy. It begins, “And it shall come to pass in that day”—an expression that always means the end time, which is today. God says He will call a man and lay upon his shoulder “the key of the house of David.” This is not only about the key of David, but specifically about the key of the house of David—meaning the descendants of David, physically and spiritually.

God says we must have this message today, yet most people have rejected it and followed Jeroboam.  …

Amos “warned the people that the supreme moment of their success was but the prelude to their doom” (Soncino commentary). This is what we are looking at with Donald Trump assuming the American presidency. Some people believe there was good news in this election. The Republican side was ecstatic. Right after the election, Rush Limbaugh said, “We just got our country back!” But they didn’t! The “good news” is a mirage. It is a false hope.

This is actually a prelude to America’s doom. A man is on the scene whose house God is going to take out by the sword!

Now, in his article about Jeroboam, Gerald Flurry got a few things right. Donald Trump does have a major problem with vanity, and without God, he cannot truly ‘make America great again.’ Gerald Flurry is correct that the USA needs to turn to God or face certain destruction.

It is possible that someone may assassinate Donald Trump.

Now, if Gerald Flurry was trying to say that the Great Tribulation will occur in the first term of a Donald Trump presidency, he was totally wrong.

He reminds me of Don Billingsley who first was certain that Hillary Clinton had to be elected and claimed God told him that, then he switched after the election (see CGFF’s Don Billingsley glosses over his error regarding Hillary Clinton, then switches to why God allowed Donald Trump to win).

Gerald Flurry originally claimed that J. Tkach, Sr. was the ‘man of sin’ of 2 Thessalonians, then switched to J. Tkach, Jr. after the Sr. Tkach died–both of those position are wrong (see also Who is the Man of Sin of 2 Thessalonians 2?).

Gerald Flurry is NOT a type of the prophet Amos as he indicates (Gerald Flurry was the one who had a major copyright lawsuit). Furthermore, he is now calling Joe Tkach, Jr. ‘Amaziah’ and a Laodicean leader. This is wrong. Joe Tkach, Jr. is not even part of the Church of God, and thus is NOT a Laodicean church leader. Even Joe Tkach, Jr. would tell you he is NOT a Church of God leader (he considers himself, correctly, to be some type of Protestant–the true Church of God is NOT Protestant).

Gerald Flurry’s comment that MOST Americans have rejected God is correct, yet his suggestion that MOST have followed Donald Trump is not true.

Anyway, no, I do not believe that Donald Trump is ‘Jeroboam.’ Notice the following about him from the Bible:

26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, "Now the kingdom may return to the house of David: 27 If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah."

28 Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!" 29 And he set up one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. 30 Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan. 31 He made shrines on the high places, and made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi.

32 Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. And at Bethel he installed the priests of the high places which he had made. 33 So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had devised in his own heart. And he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and offered sacrifices on the altar and burned incense. (1 Kings 12:26-33)

Jeroboam told the children of Israel to turn away from the God of the Bible, worship idols, and change the time of the Feast of Tabernacles. Donald Trump has basically told the religious people that he will get some of their religious rights restored, which is really not the same thing as the situation with Jeroboam. Gerald Flurry sees some parallels here that are not biblically relevant.

Now, is it possible that PCG will upset Donald Trump. Yet, I in no way believe that will fulfill any  biblical prophecies in Amos.

That being said, as I have written here for years, I do believe that the faithful Philadelphia remnant, which is NOT PCG, will one day likely be accused of treason for telling that truth about what is happening in the USA and Europe and explaining what that means prophetically. This will lead to the ‘famine of the word’ that Amos 8:11-12 refers to (see also Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word).

Overlooks Ancient Church Records?

Gerald Flurry posted the following.

No End to the Third Epistle of John

January 27, 2023 …

During the “lost century” from a.d. 70–170, Church history was blotted out of secular history. The only Church records from this time are in the Apostle John’s epistles.

God’s Church went into the lost century preaching the gospel message of Jesus Christ. A very different church emerged from the lost century … https://www.thetrumpet.com/26896-no-end-to-the-third-epistle-of-john

Gerald Flurry’s statement about the only Church records from 70-170 A.D. being the Apostle John’s epistles is wrong on two levels.

First, the Book of Revelation was penned by John during that time, so there was more than just his epistles (the epistles being 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John). John’s gospel account seemed also to be penned during that time.

Second, Gerald Flurry’s assertion has clearly overlooked writings from Church of God leaders such as Polycarp, Ignatius, and Melito, as well as fragments of from other Church of God leaders.

let me also add that while there were those who falsely claimed Christianity in the first and second centuries, it was not until the third century that they seemed to have gained dominance.

Anyway, no, the time from 70-170 A,D, was NOT a “lost century” where there were no Church of God records.

As far as Polycarp goes, notice that both the late Pastor General of the old Worldwide Church of God, Herbert W. Armstrong wrote:

It is significant that after his release John trained Polycarp elder of Smyrna, a city near Ephesus in the province of Asia. … At neighboring Smyrna, Polycarp presided over the Church of God for half a century after John’s death. Polycarp stood up boldly for the truth while many fell away and began having fellowship with the Catholic bishops of Rome. History relates that following the example of Peter, Paul and John, Polycarp wrote many letters to congregations and individuals, though all these have perished, save one in an edited version. (Armstrong HW. The Church They Couldn’t Destroy. Good News, December 1981)

Gerald Flurry also wrote something similar himself:

John’s death around a.d. 100 symbolized the death of the Ephesus era.

Polycarp, who was serving as a minister in Smyrna, took John’s place as physical head of the Church under Christ. Polycarp presided over God’s Church for about half a century after John’s death. His apostleship, based out of Smyrna, represented the early years of the Smyrna era, though there were other small congregations of God’s true Church scattered throughout Asia Minor, Syria and Judea.

Under Polycarp’s direction, God’s Church in the east strove to faithfully follow the commandments and traditions as taught by Jesus Christ. They kept the seventh-day Sabbath, the holy days, and the Passover on Nisan 14. (Flurry G. Chapter 5 Fighting to Save the Truth From the booklet The True History of God’s True Church, (c) 2020. https://www.thetrumpet.com/literature/read/12589-the-true-history-of-gods-true-church/1576 accessed 01/28/23)

So, since Gerald Flurry is clearly teaching that Polycarp was a faithful Church of God leader, do we have any writings from him?

Yes.

Here are links to one that is certain and another that he may have written:

Polycarp’s Letter to the Philippians Did Polycarp refer to all the books of the New Testament in the early 2nd century? This is Roberts and Donaldson’s translation, corrected by me in one place, where they made a small error in translating Latin by omitting one word.

Polycarp, Fragments from Victor of Capua This may have been written by Polycarp or “pseudo-Polycarp”.

Furthermore, after Polycarp was killed, the following was sent out:

The Martyrdom of Polycarp This was written shortly after Polycarp died; likely involving Papirius. A mistranslation is corrected in this version.

All three documents were prior to 170 A.D.

Let me also add that in Polycarp’s Letter to the Philippians, Polycarp endorsed the writings of Ignatius of Antioch–those were written between 105-140 A.D. according to nearly all scholars.

PCG’s Gerald Flurry also wrote:

Tradition tells us that Polycarp was more than 80 years old when he confronted Anicetus. He returned to Smyrna, where he endured continued persecution from the Roman government. He suffered continual isolation from the churches in Rome, but he would not change doctrine. Though he was an old man, he fought vigorously against doctrinal heresy. Polycarp was arrested shortly after this confrontation and burned alive for failing to worship Caesar. (Eusebius described the miracles surrounding this event in great detail.)

After Polycarp’s death, the apostolic mantle—and the work of protecting the truth—fell to his disciple, Polycrates. (Flurry G. Chapter 5 Fighting to Save the Truth From the booklet The True History of God’s True Church, (c) 2020. https://www.thetrumpet.com/literature/read/12589-the-true-history-of-gods-true-church/1576 accessed 01/28/23)

Related to the above, it should be noted that Polycarp lived 104 years according to ancient records–for details, check out the article: Polycarp of Smyrna: The Heretic Fighter.

It should also be pointed about that while Polycrates did hold the apostolic mantle, there were other leaders between Polycarp and him.

We in the Continuing Church of God consider that the following had laying on of hands apostolic succession in Asia Minor:

Peter/Paul/James through death circa 64-68 (mainly oversaw churches from Asia Minor and Jerusalem, though Paul was imprisoned in Rome)
John through death circa 95-100 (oversaw churches from Ephesus of Asia Minor)
Polycarp through death circa 155-156 (oversaw churches from Smyrna of Asia Minor)
Thraseas through death circa 160 (oversaw the churches from Eumenia, but died in Smyrna)
Sagaris through death circa 166-167 (died in Laodicea of Asia Minor)
Papirius through death circa 170 (oversaw churches from Smyrna of Asia Minor)
Melito through death circa 170-180 (oversaw churches from Sardis of Asia Minor)
Polycrates through death circa 200 (oversaw churches from Ephesus of Asia Minor)

The historian Tertullian reported that those of the Church of God in Smyrna said that they had apostolic succession and had a list of leaders from Polycarp through Polycrates (Tertullian seemingly wrote that during the time of Polycrates).

Meaning?

Gerald Flurry is in error as those of the Church of God in Smyrna did not claim the mantle went directly from Polycarp to Polycrates.

As far as Polycrates himself goes, he (around 192 A.D.) listed those leaders as faithful.

Furthermore, we have writings and fragments of writings from a couple of those prior men to 170 A.D.

Why does any of this matter?

His post shows that either he is forgetting a lot and/or that he no longer understands much about early Church of God history

Knowledge of proper Church of God history will be demonstrated by the true Philadelphian Christians in the 21st century, consistent with prophecies in Daniel 11:29-36 as well as prophecies by Jesus as recorded in places such as Luke 21:12-15.

Those who have enough of “the love of the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:10) should clearly be able to see that Gerald Flurry is NOT God’s prophet nor a teacher who truly understands early Church of God history.

Comments from a One-Time PCG Member

Here are some comments from another former-PCG member:

I recently left the Philadelphia Church of God...The ministers believe they are the only members in the inner court of God's spiritual temple. To them it is practically a sin to do something as simple as offer a condolence to a nonmember, especially if that person is a member of another Church of God. To them such people are nothing but nasty Laodiceans who are to be treated as though they have been marked. I know this because an Edmond minister said this several years ago in a sermon. He said brethren in any of the other offshoot churches should be regarded as marked and disfellowshipped. The longer I am out of the PCG, the more I see how hypocritical and arrogant it is, specifically the ministry, which rules by fear and intimidation. Yet most of the lay members are honest, decent and faithful. I hope they wake up in time to see how misled they are (Daniel, Michael. Letter to the Editor. The Journal. April 30, 2001, p.4.).

Now Gerald Flurry is building a headquarters complex and college campus just north of Edmond. Yet we are supposed to be in a time of "no more delay." Approximately $200,000 homes are to be built on this land for the ministry, and this information comes from a headquarters minister himself; it is not just a rumor (Daniel, Michael. Letter to the Editor. The Journal. April 30, 2001, p.4.).

Comments from another Former PCG Member

A former PCG member, sent me (Dr. Thiel) the following that she sent to another PCG member years ago:

Dear *****: It seems there is no longer a powerful work being done by the PCG. And that is one of the main reason's we are called now! But remember that even "stones can cry out" to get the God's work done. God will work through whoever is willing to do it. As the PCG's work has sunk, another organization has been rising to the challenge.

Concluding Comments

There are also some relatively minor differences as well. An example would be that in the May 2002 edition of the Philadelphia Trumpet, PCG's Gerald Flurry wrote that he felt that the then 60 year-old Edmund Stoiber who was then running to be Germany's chancellor was a likely candidate to be "the king of fierce countenance of Daniel 8" (vss.23-24). Although he presents some interesting reasons for his position, I personally wrote years ago that I felt that Stoiber may be a little to old to fulfill that position. Then later, Gerald Flurry changed his mind.

PCG now teaches "The Trumpet believes that Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg could be the Daniel 8 man. Time will tell, but this is a man we need to pay close attention to" (McDonald B. EUROPE’S IRON-ANDCLAY UNITY. Philadelphia Trumpet, May-June 2014, p. 15). I would that, I too, have been watching Herr zu-Guttenberg for this possibly role, but never Edmund Stoiber (see Might German Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg become the King of the North?).

Another difference is that PCG still has not (as far as I can tell) figured out what HWA's list of 18 restored truths actually was (as far as I can tell, they basically use the Tkach list, though I would say that they actually do teach most of what the Tkach administration left off the list). However, most is not the same as all. It seems clear that PCG has rejected the truth about what the true Gospel is (and its priority on proclamation) as well as changed governance.

PCG is bizarre in that it emphasizes faithfulness to governance so highly, condemns those COG groups that changed it, yet admits that it changed governance itself. Cannot those in PCG see the clear contradiction in PCG's positions here?

It is also odd how PCG has changed several writings of Herbert Armstrong while claiming that they are the most faithful to what he taught. It remains wrong about Iran, despite now trying to insist that Gerald Flurry has fulfilled predictions related to that.

An obvious, and MAJOR, problem with PCG, documented in this article, is that PCG does not seem to know the difference between the holy and the profane. Although Gerald Flurry claims, "The PCG is the only Church that holds onto ALL of what Christ established through Mr. Armstrong", this is simply not true. PCG claims that Mystery of the Ages contains "God's inspired words," yet edits some out. PCG claims that Malachi's Message is the "little book" of Revelation 10. PCG added extra-biblical requirements for attending services. Remember what the Bible says, "For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book" (Revelation 22:18).

Gerald Flurry has taken so many titles to himself that this should at least give his followers reason to pause and consider. He simply does not have the fruits for some of those titles and others are inappropriate for other reasons. Gerald Flurry is not God's prophet. Those interested in learning the truth about Christian prophets should study the article 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? There is also a sermon-length video titled How to determine if someone is a true prophet of God. The most faithful COG group, is not PCG which mainly labels itself "Philadelphia," but the Continuing Church of God that leads the Philadelphia remnant.

PCG itself has massive organizational idolatry. So despite its insistance on knowing/keeping the law, its excessive reliance on non-biblical doctrines eliminates it from being Philadelphian.

Gerald Flurry was proven wrong about his speculation in 2020 that the European Union would be pared down to 10 nations by June 2021 (notice his statements in PCG claims Revelation 17:12 prophecy can happen this year! James Malm wrong about 2021).

He was proven wrong when he insisted that Donald Trump would remain in office (see also PCG’s Gerald Flurry partially admits his mistake, but again asserts Donald Trump will be back; ‘Office of the Former President’).

Regarding Donald Trump, while I was proven right on at least 20 warnings related to him, Gerald Flurry was shown to be false (see PCG changes Donald Trump position, but without admitting that it’s leader was CLEARLY IN ERROR AND PROVEN TO BE FALSE).

Gerald Flurry was proven wrong when he proclaimed Joe Biden would not serve as US President (see Biden-Harris Inaugurated: Gerald Flurry and Don Billingsley again proven wrong).

He was proven wrong when he claimed 1/2 of the Laodiceans would be killed by April 30, 2021 (see PCG’s Gerald Flurry AGAIN being proven wrong on his alleged Amos 7 predictions).

There have been other wrong ‘prophecies’ from Gerlad Flurry (see also Longtime PCG congregant brings out some false predictions by Gerald Flurry).

Gerald Flurry is a false prophet. He is not a prophet of God:

21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’ — 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him. (Deuteronomy 18:21-22)

However, just because Gerald Flurry is a false prophet, that does not mean that God has no true prophets, as such are foretold in scripture to exist now (cf. Acts 2:17-18; see also Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18?).

See also How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God.

Gerald Flurry has proven himself to be a false prophet. This should be obvious to any who have the love of the truth.

Although it has been reported that "The doctrinal differences among the Churches of God are miniscule. You can't get a knifes edge between us on doctrines" (Dart, Ron. CEM Founder Talks About Bickering, Bridges, the Future. The Journal. July 31, 1999. p.6), this author does not believe that one can examine the teachings of groups, such as PCG, and come to that conclusion (nor apparently would Herbert Armstrong, for proof please check out some quotes from HWA on holding fast to doctrine).

It seems that PCG has admitted to making more major changes from HWA's teachings than almost any other group I am aware of that claims to be faithful to HWA's teachings (RCG is another in that category).

Laodicean Warning to God's People you have read this far you are probably a current or former member of one of the Churches of God and may be interested in reading this warning article which was published in The Journal.

Additional articles of interest may include The Philadelphia Church Era, The Laodicean Church Era, Statement of Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God, and Are the Laodiceans the Modern Sadducees and Pharisees?

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