Reading PCG's Booklet, The King of the South (2016 Version)

Recently PCG has released a new version of Gerald Flurry's booklet, The King of the South, promoting Gerald Flurry's dogmatic proclamation that Iran is the "King of the South" fated to arise to power but doomed to be defeated by a future German led European Empire. The booklet was originally released in 1996 but has been altered several times. Compared with the 2011 version additions have been made to Chapter 1 and pictures have been added. The 2003 version of this booklet was discussed in a previous post.

Let's take a look and see what has changed with this latest reprinting of Gerald Flurry's booklet compared with the 2011 version.

They replaced the original cover which contained a picture of some Muslims praying and replaced it with an illustration based on the Iranian national flag.

I hope PCG Headquarters is aware that the Kufic script in the Iranian flag is a well known Islamic religious phrase which translates as "God is greater."

Who is the "King of the South"?

In Armstrongism who "the King of the South" is supposed to be has had a convoluted and confused history. Before 1945 HWA taught that Abyssinia (modern day Ethiopia) was the King of the South and that the Emperor Haile Selassie was the "King of the South." But after 1945 this idea lost its usefulness but was still present in some of HWA's writings. But one cannot get the lay members to "watch" world events with that an idea that had passed its time. This "King of the South" idea would be made useful again.

From the 1960s onward WCG writers such as Garner Ted Armstrong and Keith Stump taught that there would be a future "King of the South" to arise in the Middle East. But WCG's leaders tended to assume that the "King of the South" would arise among the Arabs. They were not particularly fixated on Iran.

In 1994 Gerald Flurry dogmatically proclaimed that Iran would be the "King of the South." One evident problem this idea is that in the Bible geography was described relative to the Holy Land. Iran is east, not south, of the Holy Land. Most other COGs have not imitated Flurry. But despite this Flurry and his follows have to this day enthusiastically promoted Flurry's dogma particularly after 9/11. Convincing potential recruits that Iran is the "King of the South" serves to "prove" that Gerald Flurry can see the future by divine guidance.

But in 2015 a deal was made that would allow Iran to keep developing civilian nuclear technology while being monitored by International Atomic Energy Agency personnel. If there is peace between the United States and Iran this would discredit PCG's claim that Gerald Flurry can see the future by divine revelation. So PCG's leaders despise this deal and hysterically denounce it and belittle it in order to prop up Gerald Flurry's prophecy that Iran is the "King of the South" and his claim of being able to see the future.

Chapter 1 

 Flurry obliquely admits that he proclaimed Iran to be the King of the South in 1994.

Daniel 11:42 implies that Egypt will be allied with the king of the south, or Iran. This prophecy indicates there will be a far-reaching change in Egyptian politics! We had been saying since 1994 this would occur, and look at Egypt today. The nation’s foreign policy and political orientation is visibly changing in a way that threatens to transform the region. (p. 11.)

Pages 8-14 contains discussion of the fall of Mubarak, the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood and Morsi, and his fall in 2013 after which he was replaced by Sisi.

But even after the Muslim Brotherhood was deposed from power with much loss of life Flurry insists on presenting them as a sinister menace to be feared.

Even though President Morsi was ousted ... in July 2013, the Muslim Brotherhood still enjoys tremendous support in Egypt. (p. 13.)

Flurry insists that too many people in the West do not take the Muslim Brotherhood seriously.

Many in Israel and the West have underestimated the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood and the popular support for anti-Israel policies. (p. 13.)

Gerald Flurry had long fixated on the Muslim Brotherhood, a political party in Egypt. For years Gerald Flurry and his imitators in PCG had been scare mongering that the Muslim Brotherhood would gain power in Egypt. And then suddenly in 2011 it seemed much more likely and by 2012 it had finally happened: The Muslim Brotherhood ascended to power led by President Morsi. But PCG's leaders had no idea that just one year later Morsi would be overthrown and his political party thrust out of the halls of power accompanied with much bloodshed. PCG's prophecy failed.

In certain circles some people are very fixated on the Muslim Brotherhood. Some of them talk of the Muslim Brotherhood in quite an absurdly paranoid manner that is detached from reality. Some have even insisted that the Muslim Brotherhood have infiltrated the federal government.

Considering that such people say such outlandish things like this how can Flurry claim that there is widespread apathy about the Muslim Brotherhood? If anything some people are fixated on them in a paranoid and unrealistic manner as some sort of secret society of boogeymen.

Furthermore in Egypt this particular movement is out of the halls of power. We need to discuss political movements in a realistic manner. Exaggerated paranoia makes it harder to accurately assess what is really happening.

Page 15 features a map showing some of the countries being discussed in this booklet.

Flurry's Fanciful 1500 Year Crusade

It is generally understood that there were nine Crusades. The first occurred in 1095-9. The ninth crusade took place in 1271-2. The last of the Crusader states was conquered with the fall of Acre in 1291. The Crusades occurred in that time period. But Flurry seems to be ignorant of how this word is normally used.

Iran could also potentially get control of Jerusalem, its third-holiest site. I believe Jerusalem is more important to Iran than the oil is. The Islamic people have fought the Catholic Crusades for about 1,500 years over control of Jerusalem. (p. 16.)

What 1500 year Crusade is Flurry talking about? There were nine Crusades occurred between 1095 and 1272. This is not a creative way of using that word. It is never used like that. This suggests Flurry does not even know what the Crusades are.

Why didn't anyone at PCG Headquarters editing this booklet bother to correct this ahistorical statement? Is there even one there who knows that this is an incorrect use of the word "Crusade"?

It is well known that many within PCG are quite devoted and have trusted Gerald Flurry with their lives. They think if they stay loyal to PCG they will get to go to a place of safety.

Do they realize that Gerald Flurry does not even seem to understand what the Crusades are?

***

Pages 20-23 contains a discussion of Tunisia.

Pages 23-28 contains a hysterical denunciation of the deal with Iran.

One of the most worrying aspects of Iran’s growing power is its flirtation with nuclear weaponry. Iran has had a nuclear program of its own for many years. Information leaks have shown that Iran, while publicly stating that its program is purely for energy use, actually wants other nations to know it could be a nuclear threat. In May 2011, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran had worked on developing a trigger for a nuclear bomb. (p. 23.)

PCG has been accusing Iran of trying to make a nuclear bomb for a long time. Here is Joel Hilliker shrilly insisting that Iran will get nuclear bombs back in 2005.

That’s not to say that all the charades are over. There will likely be more talk. We may even witness military strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. But Bible prophecy strongly indicates that talks will fail and any action will not be tough enough to deter Iran in the long run.
Iran will get its nukes. (Joel Hilliker, "A Man With a Dangerous Mission", August 2005.)

So in 2005 Joel Hilliker was fear mongering that Iran will get nuclear weapons. But earlier in 2001 he claimed that Iran had already purchased nuclear weapons from somewhere in the former Soviet Union.

Iran is the one Mideast country with the power, the determination and the resources to be the king of the south. Its long-held objective is to become the undisputed leader in the region. Not only is it at the TOP of the State Department’s terrorist list because of its vast links to regional terror groups (including Hamas and Hezbollah), Iran has been stockpiling weapons and delivery systems (former Soviet nuclear warheads and weapons-usable nuclear material; thousands of tons of chemical blister, blood and choking agents; artillery mortars, rockets, aerial bombs and Scud warheads) and building production capabilities (manufacturing biological agents and long-range missiles; pushing for uranium-conversion facilities) for years. Make no mistake about it: Iran is the head of the snake. (Joel Hilliker, The Head of the Snake, November 2001.) 

So back in 2001 PCG was claiming that Iran had possessed "former Soviet nuclear warheads". Whatever happened to these warheads? Why is PCG no longer making this claim? Was this claim wrong?

Fifteen years later Iran still has no nuclear bomb. What is taking so long? The Manhattan Project only took four years. Why is Iran taking so long to do this?

Perhaps Iran is not even trying to build a nuclear bomb? In 2003 Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei issued a fatwa denouncing the possession of nuclear weapons as un-Islamic.

And now back to the booklet.

One peculiar feature of PCG distinct from the other COGs is a superstitious fixation on January 16, the date HWA died in 1986. Flurry teaches that HWA's death signaled the beginning of a supernatural war in the Heavens in which Satan was cast down to the Earth. He teaches that signs indicating that Christ will soon return will occur on that date. Flurry alludes to that superstition of his below.

January 16, 2016 marked the implementation of the nuclear deal with Iran. The U.S. and the European Union lifted sanctions on Iran, released over $100 billion in frozen assets, and welcomed Iran into a whole rush of economic deals. And they received nothing in return. (p. 23.)

They just negotiated with Iran to allow IAEA inspectors to intensively monitor what Iran does with the nuclear power technology for ten years. Flurry is wrong to make this wild accusation that the United States and other parties to the negotiations got "nothing in return." This hysterical claim is simply untrue.

Flurry also quotes a certain British right wing columnist that PCG's leaders trust a lot to insinuate that Iran might already have a nuclear bomb thanks to North Korea.

In other words, Iran may be working with North Korea so it can deploy a nuclear bomb in a way that prevents anyone from knowing where it came from! That is as deceptive and dangerous as it gets. (p. 25.)

Flurry states that the State of Israel launched an airstrike against Syria in 2007.

Iran’s connection to North Korea is something the Trumpet has watched for several years. In our November-December 2007 issue, I quoted some statements from a Spectator article titled “We Came So Close to World War III That Day”: “Israeli intelligence tracked a North Korean vessel carrying a cargo of nuclear material labeled ‘cement’ as it traveled halfway across the world. On September 3, the ship docked at the Syrian port of Tartus. ... Soil samples and other material [Israeli commandos] collected [at the cargo’s destination] were returned to Israel. Sure enough, they indicated that the cargo was nuclear. ... Israeli F-15I jets were scrambled and, minutes later, the installation and its newly arrived contents were destroyed” (Oct. 3, 2007).

Who was behind that alarming event? “Syria is a surrogate of Iran,” I wrote. “The king of the Muslim world is Iran.” ...

Israeli jets made short work of those efforts back in 2007, but that did not end Iran-North Korea nuclear cooperation! (pp. 25-26.)

Pages 37-38 contains scare mongering that Iran will gain influence within Iraq by sending aid to Iraq to help defeat the terrorists and murderers of ISIL.

Pages 43-45 contains absurd claims that Germany has military forces surrounding Iran now.

This is accompanied with a map on page 42 insisting that the Germans can launch a whirlwind attack to destroy Iran. This is hysterical nonsense.

Chapter 2

Here Flurry discusses his teaching of the "Psalm 83 nations" which he introduced in 2011 during the height of the Arab Spring. Flurry teaches that not only is Iran the King of the South but a rival, pro-EU bloc of nations which he calls the "Psalm 83 nations" will arise opposed to Iran. After the European Beast Power defeats Iran these "Psalm 83 nations" will be allied with Europe and help plunge the world into the Great Tribulation.

This chapter is the same as the previous 2011 version. 

Chapter 3

Here Flurry retells the Crusades in order to demonize the modern day Papacy and predict that the Europeans will soon unite as an unstoppable military superpower that will soon crush Iran and conquer and enslave the United States, Britain and the State of Israel. He calls this the "final Crusade."

Flurry asserts that the European Union accepted Cyprus as a member state in order to have a military launching pad to attack the Middle East and Iran. This is a hysterical and paranoid accusation.

This chapter is the same as the previous 2011 version.

Chapter 4

Here Flurry then alludes to the Tkach changes and discusses Christ's return.

This chapter is the same as the previous 2011 version.

Original 1996 cover.

And so we that PCG has released again another polemic against Iran designed to convince people that God is with Gerald Flurry by convincing them that his 1994 proclamation of Iran being the King of the South is true.

But PCG's leaders have made many false predictions since their founding in 1989. They are but false prophets. There is no need to fear their dire proclamations.