Monday, July 4, 2016

Watching PCG's Broadcast, Archaeology Filled With Hope

On July 2, 2016 PCG released a broadcast of The Key of David hosted by their leader, Gerald Flurry. They also released a transcript. The transcript dates this broadcast as being made on June 23, 2016.

Here Flurry promotes the archaeological excavations that PCG has been aiding with Dr. Mazar since 2006. He mentions that the archaeologist is not affiliated with PCG.
Dr. Mazar has had phenomenal success I think like no archaeologist in this world, and she’s in no way affiliated with us, but she is outstanding in her work.... (p. 1.)
Flurry mentions some of the discoveries this archaeological expedition made. The bulla of King Hezekiah is briefly mentioned. But he chooses to focus on the bullae of Gedaliah and Jehucal, officials who opposed the prophet Jeremiah and even detained him in a pit.

Flurry boasts that these bullae are tangible. Something that can be touched and seen. It is presented as proof that PCG's views about the Bible are right. These precious, historical artifacts do not in any way prove PCG to be right about any of their views about the Bible. 

Discussing Gedaliah and Jehucal allows Flurry to discusses Jeremiah.

Flurry then presents certain "proof texts" that leads to Flurry reciting HWA's teaching that Jeremiah took one of King Zedekiah's daughters to Ireland to marry an Irish prince and continue the throne of David which, he asserts, continues to this day with the current Queen of Britain, Elizabeth II.  

This idea is nonsense. It is an idea that HWA plagiarized from British Israelism, a movement that originated in Britain. Today genetic testing proves that the British and Americans are not descendants of the lost tribes of Israel as British Israelism and HWA claimed. British Israelism is an error. It is not true no matter how many times its adherents insist otherwise.

Flurry quotes a co-worker letter of his.
Here’s what we wrote about it in a co-worker letter. “As Dr. Mazar noted, ‘It’s RARE for science and the Bible to converge as dramatically and as TANGIBLY as they do with Jehucal and Gedaliah bullae.’ In many ways, this offers PROOF that Jeremiah was there, and because of his message they really did put him in the dungeon.” And of course, this is OUR writing, our view there. “These two princes were the reason he was imprisoned two different times, and then they set out to KILL him.” (Emphases in original, p. 3.)
Flurry says it is is a great discovery, even saying it is like (PCG's) God is talking to them. He then complains that the media are not paying as much attention to these discoveries as he wishes.
It’s as if God is just speaking from the DUST right there in Jerusalem! And yet, how much attention does this get from the world? Even the Biblical Archaeology Review wrote that these bullae “found in the course of Eilat Mazar’s City of David excavations are bringing the book of Jeremiah back to life.” It’s like it’s DYING, but now this is bringing it back to life! Why? Because it proves that what the Bible says is true. (p. 3.)
Flurry then insists that a time of catastrophes similar to what the people of Judea experienced with the Babylonian exile will soon occur. HWA and his imitators have constantly insisted that some colossal catastrophe will soon occur since the 1930s. It has never happened. HWA and his imitators are but false prophets. Their dire predictions will never come to pass. We have no need to fear them.

Flurry goes on to quote HWA's recruitment book, The United States and Britain in Prophecy.

Flurry mentions some of the first visions of Jeremiah. The boiling cauldron is interpreted by Flurry to refer to the alledgedly soon coming European superpower fated to conquer the United States in the Great Tribulation.

Flurry also mentions the almond tree and seems to insists that the almost tree refers to himself.
Verses 11 and 12 read this way: “Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree. (12) Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.” Well, I’ll just read to you that the rod of an almond tree, and it precedes the boiling pot. The Companion Bible describes it as “a watcher or an early waker because it is the first of the trees to wake from its winter sleep, and it is thus what the cock is to the birds.” And it is also described as “a vigilant watchman.” There must be a vigilant watchman to warn Israel, three nations in particular in this end time about what happened anciently and it is coming at us AGAIN if we don’t wake up! (p. 5.)
In 1999 Gerald Flurry proclaimed himself to be "That Prophet" and took for himself many titles from the Bible insisting that they referred to himself as the leader of PCG. This seems to be one of the titles he chooses to take for himself.

Viewers unfamiliar with the intricacies of PCG dogmas will be unaware that he is alluding to himself.

Flurry also briefly alludes to the Tkach changes which are denounced as an apostasy that "proves" (according to him) that the Great Tribulation will soon occur. This is nonsense. Considering the many failed predictions PCG's leaders have made over the years it is clear that PCG's leaders cannot see the future. They are but false prophets.

Flurry quotes the Mayor of Jerusalem praising these archaeological discoveries.

Flurry then confusedly complains that the media are not paying enough attention to these archaeological discoveries and that they do not view these discoveries the same way that he and PCG views them.
But when they had this celebration, there was almost no media members there at that time, and that is tragic. It’s tragic because it’s as if, well, most of the media — and I suppose that would be true here as well and other nations — but most of the media just isn’t concerned about God or the Bible. That’s not a big deal to them. And yet we’re facing human annihilation! And they’re not interested in going, even looking into what God has, to see HOW it’s going to be solved, and how they COULD solve it now, ahead of all the disasters that are coming. We could solve it now. I mean we’re about to see this Earth change dramatically. And remember, we’re going to be held accountable for these things. (p. 6.)
In PCG's loaded language the previous reference to "God or the Bible" really refers to the PCG leadership's understanding of God and the Bible. Considering how PCG insists that they are the only true Christians in all the world it is safe to assume that there are differing opinions that Flurry excludes in this loaded language. 

Maybe they learned of the many false predictions HWA and his various imitators have made over the years. HWA said Christ would return in 1975. HWA said Mussolini wold fight Christ during the second coming. HWA said Hitler would do this instead. HWA said Hitler survived and was in hiding. No wonder the media do not care what PCG or the other COGs say about the future. They are right to be unconcerned at the COGs' words.

And Flurry complains "we’re facing human annihilation!" That is a line straight from the Cold War era. During the height of the Cold War it was quite rational to be afraid that the intense rivalry would lead to a nuclear catastrophe. But with the Cold War over, and even with the current tensions with Russia over Syria and Ukraine, who is worried about that now? Flurry needs to stop acting like the Cold War is still going. Things have changed. That possibility is far less likely now.

And although Flurry holds out the possibility that catastrophe can be avoided in actual fact the COGs tend to be quite insistent that the Great Tribulation will not be delayed. However their dire predictions continuously fail to come to pass.

Flurry ends with some talk about how great things will be after Christ returns. Elsewhere PCG teaches that PCG members can become God beings as fully God as God is God though of lower rank, a heretical teaching that differs from the vast majority of Christian churches. But to attain this PCG teaches that it is necessary to become a member of PCG. Among the requirements of membership is paying three tithes.

PCG's leaders are but false prophets and those archaeological artifacts do not prove in any way that PCG is the one, true church.

(Incidentally there is no discussion about the Palestinians in this broadcast. Just a walk away from the excavation site lies East Jerusalem which is predominantly inhabited by Palestinians. Do the PCG members involved in the excavations notice those people? What do they think seeing them there? Such things are not mentioned in this broadcast.)

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