Gerald Flurry Says President Obama is an "Antiochus-type" Figure Just Like Tkach

Did you know that PCG's leader, Gerald Flurry, says President Obama is just like the Man of Sin, Tkach, and is being heavily influenced by Satan to lead America into catastrophe?

Neither did I until I read his 2013 booklet, America Under Attack. (You can read this booklet at their website.)

President Obama is labeled as "another Antiochus-type" figure specifically.

Now for many years Herbert Armstrong taught that the final Pope would be the False Prophet and Man of Sin who would use the power of the Roman Catholic Church to help give birth to a European Empire that would destroy America in a nuclear World War III.

Often this Man of Sin was symbolically linked with Antiochus Epiphanes, who infamously desecrated the Temple in Jerusalem and placed an idol there. Under his oppressive rule the revolt of the Maccabees arose to liberate their country from his tyranny. This is the Antiochus referred to in Flurry's booklet. 

Then after HWA's death, one WCG lay member, Jules Dervaes, wrote a series of letters entitled Letter to Laodicea, condemning Tkach as a sinful successor and denouncing him as a spiritual Man of Sin fated to lead WCG away from (HWA's) God's blessing.

Afterwards Gerald Flurry, likely influenced by Dervaes' idea, wrote a booklet entitled Malachi's Message to God's Church Today, in which he denounced Tkach as the Man of Sin.

(It is well known that many of the ideas within Gerald Flurry's booklet, Malachi's Message, were plagiarized from The Letter to Laodicea by Jules Dervaes, written December 1986-January 1988. It was sent to 237 WCG ministers including Gerald Flurry and John Amos. In fact on September 26, 1990 Jules Dervaes sent a letter to Gerald Flurry in which he denounces Malachi's Message as "a direct and clear plagiarism" of his work.) 

WCG's leaders, in responding to this booklet in an article in 1991, noted correctly that HWA's WCG had never taught that the Man of Sin would be a man within WCG.

Despite such inconvenient facts Flurry continued to propagate this teaching.

Later in 1995 Tkach died and was succeeded by his son, Joseph Tkach, Jr. It appears that Flurry then changed the identity of the Man of Sin from the father to the son. Having read PCG's early booklets I saw no evidence that Flurry viewed Tkach, Jr. as the Man of Sin. It was only after 1995 that Tkach, Jr. was asserted to fulfill that role. This is why Stephen Flurry, in his book, Raising the Ruins, keeps asserting that Tkach, Jr. was the real mastermind behind the Tkach changes and not his father.

But in all this Flurry never said that there would be another Antiochus-type figure until 2013 with the release of his booklet, America Under Attack. That is exactly what Flurry has done in this booklet.

This is the way Satan operates. In order to destroy God’s Church, he managed to plant a spiritual Antiochus right [Tkach, Jr.] at the top, who desecrated the spiritual temple and cast the truth to the ground. And in order to destroy the nations of Israel, Satan brings a political Antiochus [the European dictator] who will lead an army right into the Holy City, Jerusalem, to begin his physical assault (e.g. Daniel 11:31; Mark 13:14; Luke 21:20). The United States, Britain and Israel (the Jewish state, biblical Judah) are all prophesied to fall together at the hands of that European power (Hosea 5:5).

Biblical prophecy shows that Satan leads both the spiritual Antiochus and this political Antiochus.

[Now Flurry introduces his new idea.]

Is it possible that he uses the SAME STRATEGY to weaken physical Israel in between those two attacks?

Does he have another Antiochus who undermines the nations of Israel and prepares them for their destruction by the Holy Roman Empire?

The highest office in the world’s number one superpower, which happens to be a descendant of ancient Israel, would have to be a big target for Satan, wouldn’t you think? I am certain of it. (pp. 14-15.)

Later on it is strongly insinuated that President Obama fulfills this newly created role.

Further on in the booklet Flurry discusses some executive orders President Obama issued following Adam Lanza's massacre. Flurry presents these executive orders in an alarmist way and as a sign that President Obama is disregarding the laws of America.

I am sickened by what Adam Lanza did. But what makes me sicker is somebody using that massacre to promote a political ideology! I think those 23 executive orders are just about getting around the Constitution and conditioning the minds of the people to accept the president saying, Don’t worry about the supreme law of the land! Listen to me! Just like Antiochus did. (pp. 30-31.)

And shortly after that Flurry insinuates that President Obama is being influenced by Communists. He then profess to be uncertain of that but then insinuates that President Obama is being influenced by Satan in the same way that Tkach, Jr. was in implementing the Tkach changes (so Flurry would have us believe).

In a sense, this plan has been coming to pass in America. I don’t claim to know the degree to which the Communists organized it, or that the president fits a Communist plan (though there is some evidence to suggest that).

But I DO KNOW ABOUT THE DEVIL! And I know he is doing EVERYTHING HE CAN TO SINK AMERICA. And I have seen him use a man at the top—an Antiochus—to bring down an organization. And I’m watching as this government takes one step after another that is weakening this country and hastening the fulfillment of some of the most terrifying prophecies in the Bible! And I know that the devil, who is a liar and who hates law, is BEHIND THAT! (p. 33.)

And so we see that Gerald Flurry has been saying some very silly things to his followers.

What will Flurry say once President Obama hands the reins to his successor in January 2017?

How is this any different from calling President Obama an Antichrist?

(Also Flurry also insinuates that Christ will return by 2023.

Everything is set for a new government to be in place on Earth very shortly—almost certainly in less than a decade. (p. 6.)

What madness! It will be 1975 all over again.)

Fred Dattolo's Role in PCG Tragedy

Recently the COG blogosphere was shocked to learn from Exit and Support Network that Janet De Gennaro, a PCG member, committed suicide on July 20, 2014. What a terrible tragedy this is!

Now Dan De Gennaro, her father, has released a testimony regarding how his daughter was isolated from the family and how they had practically no contact with their daughter for two years until she returned in a coffin after her death by suicide.

As a former follower of LCG I am particularly disgusted and horrified with the fact that Fred Dattolo, who used to be in LCG, participated in isolating Janet De Gennaro from her family and causing her immediate family members to be cast out of PCG. According to this testimony it was Fred Dattolo who first "suspended" Janet De Gennaro's brother from PCG for an "inappropriate" comment on Facebook. Gradually the family was lost PCG's favor and were cast out, even though Dan De Gennaro was a Deacon. My word! Even Deacons are not safe from such oppressive acts within PCG.

I well remember reading Fred Dattolo's articles in LCG's recruitment magazine, Tomorrow's World, before he jumped ship to PCG in 2001. In the May-June 2000 issue he wrote an article extolling the role of the father in producing a happy family. Yet here Fred Dattolo is exposed as causing Janet De Gennaro to be cut off from her loving father and her family.

In one particular encounter Fred Dattolo says the following horrifying words.

Fred Dattolo looked at her and said, "I see this crying all the time." While this experience was obviously a normal occurrence for Fred Dattolo, we were taken aback and totally shocked by his callous attitude. He was brutal, cold and showed no concern. A true minister of God would have shown mercy, love and compassion and opened the scriptures to direct us. None of this happened.

Alas, it appears this sort of dividing of families is quite common within PCG and PCG ministers seem quite used to this sort of thing.

Back in 2007 PCG Information posted an in depth paper, Reign of Error, discussing PCG's practice of shunning unwanted persons. Part of it was directly addressed to Fred Dattolo. It is clear that Fred Dattolo continues to live in the cocoon of privilege and power as one of the overlords of PCG. Clearly such warnings had no affect on him. For his income from PCG he is clearly willing to sacrifice the happiness of any PCG member in order to stay in favor of those above him and to keep getting his income.

Gerald Flurry always seemed to have a peculiar obsession with getting his followers to separate themselves from "Laodiceans".

If the work to the world is basically finished - most of what remains to be done is separating the Laodiceans and the Philadelphians (Mal. 3:17). That should not take very long - but it will be painful! Very painful - in some cases it will break up families. (Gerald Flurry, Malachi's Message, 1990 edition, p. 78.)

These words were printed twenty four years ago. Clearly Gerald Flurry was wrong when he said this separation "should not take very long".

It also needs to be stated that this non contact policy does not appear to apply to Stephen Flurry. As noted in a previous post Stephen Flurry conducted a telephone interview with UCG's Aaron Dean in 2005 while writing his (deeply flawed) book, Raising the Ruins. This was well after PCG's no contact policy began to be enforced. According to PCG Information this policy became the rule in 2000. So it appears that this draconian rule is by no means applied equally. Higher ups like Stephen Flurry seem to have no need to fear breaking this rule.

And as for the others named Cal Culpepper has been gaining attention for apparently quite oppressive behavior as may be seen here, here and here.

As for Tim Oostendarp I have seen his name pop up while looking through Trumpet articles. But I had not heard much about him.

Also it is worth noting that when Janet De Gennaro married the marriage was not registered.

We later found out that Janet and David Privratsky were not legally married. They were only married in the eyes of the PCG ministry. Once again, the scriptures were ignored (1 Pet 2:13, Titus 3:1). Because they were not legally married, Janet was buried as my daughter, Janet C. De Gennaro.

One cannot help but wonder if this is part of a trend within PCG to not have their marriages registered. If so it only further shows PCG's tendency to isolate themselves from the surrounding society and to treat the word of PCG ministers as though it was the law.

How very tragic this is.My thoughts go out to them. They do not deserve this.

People need to know the truth. The family are to praised for bravely saying what happened in this tragedy.

[Update: August 23, 2014: Banned by HWA has now reported on this matter.]

[Update: October 10, 2014: For anyone who wants to read about this serious topic I would suggest the following:

• National Suicide Prevention Helpline

• Convoy to Combat Suicide (Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America)]

Part 5 of Reading PCG's Booklet, Jeremiah and the Greatest Vision in the Bible

Let us now read Gerald Flurry's booklet, Jeremiah and the Greatest Vision in the Bible. This booklet was first published in 1999. It is one of his "warning the Laodiceans" booklets in which Flurry claims any one belonging to any of the other COGs are doomed to endure the Great Tribulation unless they join PCG (and pay PCG three tithes and extra offerings). This booklet was later revised in 2002, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2013. For this post I am reading through the 2002 version. You can read the 2013 version of this booklet on their website.

This is a continuation from Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.

Chapter 8

This chapter is particularly intriguing because it seems to be from Flurry's original Jeremiah booklet, Jeremiah: Prophet of Doom -- or Hope? which was published in either 1992 or 1993.

Here is Flurry describing how sin is so inherent within humanity and difficult to confront.

It’s like being hooked on heroin. The key is to never let it BEGIN. Once we are hooked, it is almost impossible to repent without mind-paralyzing trials. That is how hard a sinning mind becomes. Sin penetrates our very being and becomes a real part of our lives. This should cause men to acutely fear sinning. But it rarely works that way. Jeremiah shows that even when some people know where sin leads, they still continue sinning. (p. 87.)

Here is Flurry insisting that one must trust not trust in man, but you must trust in God's man (Gerald Flurry) or else unimaginable punishment awaits you.

We are cursed if we follow a man. And yet God always works through ONE MAN to lead His Church and do His Work— like Jeremiah did.

The Laodicean ministers today talk about avoiding “the evils of one-man government.” So they rebel against God leading them with one man.

That is a deadly, satanic deception. God plainly says that we are cursed if we follow a man. But we are also cursed if we fail to follow the one man God is using—like Jeremiah! Or the man God is using today to deliver the full message of Jeremiah!

We must get this straight in our minds. Most of God’s people have rebelled against God in this end time because they trust a man! At the same time, they refuse to trust God and follow His man, His leader. We must learn this gigantic lesson or be cursed. WE ARE CURSED IF WE FOLLOW A MAN—AND CURSED IF WE FAIL TO FOLLOW GOD’S MAN! (p. 88.)

We are cursed if we fail to follow "God's man". Here Flurry is talking about himself. Flurry says he is "God's man" in the same way he says HWA was.

Also note that Flurry seems to be talking about Tkach Sr. and Tkach's changes when Flurry writes that many "of God's people ... trust a man". I recall how PCG Information asserts that Flurry first taught that Tkach Sr. is the Man of Sin and then changed this to Tkach Jr. after the elder Tkach's death in 1995. This section of writing seems to support that assertion.

In this section that criticizes Tkach in that way there is not the slightest indication that Flurry is talking about Tkach Jr. Flurry seems to be talking about Tkach Sr. here. But later he said that Tkach Jr. was the real mastermind behind the Tkach changes and Stephen Flurry echoed this view in Raising the Ruins. There is no indication here that Flurry is talking about Tkach Jr. However Flurry writes in an oblique manner that makes it all too easy for his devoted followers to simply assume Flurry's view of Tkach Jr. is to be found here when such is not necessarily the case. 

ONLY the PCG understands the prophecies about God’s Laodicean era in the book of Jeremiah and all the other prophetic books! This is a large portion of the “good” which they fail to see because they trust in a man. Therefore, God can’t use them to do His Work.

THIS IS A LAKE-OF-FIRE MISTAKE, UNLESS THEY REPENT! This is the most grotesque sin of all. They knew the omnipotent God and then put their trust in a pathetic man! They knew the God described in the first chapters of Revelation and Ezekiel AND THEN TURNED TO SICKLY MAN! How could their sin be more grotesque? (p. 89.)

Either you agree with me that Jeremiah is all about the Tkach changes or else you will go to the lake of fire. That is the message Flurry gives here. Once again Flurry crudely threatens the reader with the Lake of Fire unless he or she does what Flurry demands.

The real reason only PCG "understands" that Jeremiah is all about the Tkach changes is that Gerald Flurry has devised this interpretation of Jeremiah and injected these ideas into the Bible and curses anyone who happens to disagree with him as doomed to endure the Great Tribulation and even the lake of fire to be annihilated forever.

This spiritual tree [PCG] can easily be seen by anybody—except the blind. And remember, Jeremiah only discusses one tree with green leaves and fruit in the midst of spiritual drought. It is easy to see for those who have spiritual eyesight. The fruitful tree stands out in a spectacular way. It stands ALONE in the midst of a scorching drought. Those who CANNOT see that tree are focused on a man! That condemns them spiritually. (p. 89.)

Unless you believe that PCG is the one true church then you are blind. Do you like to say you are blind? Then you believe that PCG is the one true church. What if anyone else, your family or friends, happen to disagree? Then they must be blind. That is the message Flurry delivers here.

The indoctrinated readers believe they are chosen by God if they happen to believe that PCG is the one true church. If any say otherwise the indoctrinated reader thinks that they must be blinded in some mystical way. It also gives the indoctrinated reader a feeling of superiority and elitism compared with the "blind" mass of the rest of humanity.

After this Flurry talks about the depravity of the human heart and condemn non-PCG education for assuming humanity is basically good.

Jeremiah 17 teaches the fundamental lesson about our human minds. If we truly understand, we won’t let a day pass without intense Bible study and repentant prayer to our God. Only He can save us from our own incurably sick minds. We are deathly ill and need a PHYSICIAN. (p. 90.)

How ironic that Flurry should say we are sick and need a physician and at the same time PCG members continue to believe in Herbert W. Armstrong's anti-medicine superstition and think going to doctors is some form of idolatry.

Also note how Flurry recommends spending lots of time indoctrinating one's self into understanding and believing PCG's dogmas. In PCG "Bible study" really means learning PCG's dogmas and making yourself believe what they say.

This chapter in Jeremiah discusses hope. This is where mankind must begin if we are ever to have HOPE. There is no hope in man. There is endless hope in God. (p. 91.)

This passage was probably in the original 1992-3 booklet.

“Be not a terror unto me: thou art my hope in the day of evil” (v. 17). Again God inspired the word “hope.” In the worst day of evil there is still great hope. THE VISION CAN BE RECAPTURED NOW! If not, the Great Tribulation horror is their last chance to repent. If they wait until then to repent, they will lose a good portion of their reward. (p. 92.)

Flurry really wants WCG members to join his PCG. Flurry even claims that if any member of the other COG groups should "repent" after the Great Tribulation begins they will still live in disgrace even after being glorified as immortal God beings as fully God as God is God. It is so disgusting how these COG leaders insist that there are the great and not so great even within the God Family.

Why can’t the Laodiceans see the magnitude of the curse they are under? A curse which leads to eternal death! They refuse to see the fountain of living waters. They listen to men—not God! They have lost God’s most glorious vision of hope. (p. 92.)

Join PCG now or go to the Great Tribulation and a one in two chance of being thrown into the lake of fire. Flurry really wants more tithes payers to expand his PCG.

After that Flurry goes on to insist that one must properly observe the Sabbath. This is likely in reaction to the Tkach changes.

The Sabbath day focuses our mind BACK to God the Creator. He “rested, and was refreshed” on the Sabbath day. God doesn’t need physical rest. So how was He refreshed? The Sabbath is a type of the Millennium. A time when God will be ruling this earth and building His family. Then that family will rule the universe forever. So the Sabbath also causes us to look ahead. ...

THE GREAT GOD WAS INSPIRED AND “REFRESHED” BY THE SABBATH-DAY VISION. It will also greatly inspire you and me, if we keep the Sabbath holy.

Only that glorious vision will bring the Laodiceans back. Only that vision will keep us growing spiritually. (p. 94.)

Only if the members of Tkach's WCG make themselves excited by imagining how great and powerful they will be if they join PCG (and pay the three tithes) will they join PCG. That advice does not make much sense to me. Also many PCG members have since left PCG disillusioned with the problems there. Clearly the problems within PCG overcame their determined attempt to simply follow "God's man".

The Sabbath has become a “burden” to God’s lukewarm Church. It is no longer a “delight” to them (Isa. 58:13).

God is present in a special and powerful way on His Sabbath day. The Sabbath, instead of being a burden, should leave us on a spiritual high. (p. 94.)

Get high. On being intensely focused on what PCG's leaders say you must do for twenty four hours every seven day. Get high on knowing you are doing the right thing and that you will be part of the elite that will soon rule the world.

Strange Flurry should say that. I have read other people discussing being in PCG as having a sort of drug like effect upon PCG members. Members of other destructive cults do sometimes describe joining a cult as like being high.

Assuming this passage is from the 1992-3 booklet these words would have been written around the time Gerald Flurry got arrested for being drunk while controlling a vehicle. One cannot help but wonder if Flurry is alluding to drunkenness here and comparing that with becoming ecstatic at accepting the doctrines of HWA as filtered by Flurry.

I can give you this godly guarantee. If you start keeping the Sabbath properly, it will begin to make dramatic changes immediately in your life! Put God to the test! If we properly keep the Sabbath, we would never look to hopeless men. (p. 94.)

Yes. It will make a change to your life. It will make it harder to find a job. It will make it harder to do the other things in your life that need to be done.

It will make it easier for you to make time to spend getting spiritually high on learning PCG dogma.

It will make it easier to be misled on any given Sabbath by being told that America and Britain are descended from Israelites (not true), that Assyrians were Indo-European (not true because the Assyrians spoke a Hamito-Semitic language), that Turks are Edomites (not true), that HWA was right (not true because HWA made many false prophecies, not least of them saying that Christ would return in 1975), that grace is a license to sin (not true), that all the other COG groups deny that HWA was the end time Elijah (not true), and other pieces of misinformation so that you will do what PCG's leaders say.

And what should happen should one disagree with PCG's leaders on how to keep the Sabbath?

God will personally kindle a fire—starting with the Great Tribulation. But this fire will not be quenched—it will destroy lives forever, unless we repent. Will you heed God’s strong warning? (p. 95.)

Once again Flurry threatens the eternal lives of his readers unless they do what he says in regards to observing the Sabbath.

Flurry then describes the supposedly wicked leaders of Tkach's WCG who, according to Flurry, are denigrating the Sabbath.

However, these leaders don’t often tell their followers the brutal truth. This is the kind of mind which is “deceitful above all things” (Jer. 17:9). It is catastrophic to ever trust such a mind! The motives are often evil. (p. 95.)

Is Flurry describing himself? I cannot help but wonder if Flurry is psychologically projecting his own failings upon the leaders of Tkach's WCG.

After this Flurry goes on to condemn the Tkach changes. This reads a lot like his many other "warning the Laodiceans" booklets he wrote in the early days of PCG.

This virgin has “forgotten” her Husband. She is spiritually fornicating with the world. “They have burned incense to vanity” in their temple service, which refers to the Church today. The leaders have caused the people to stumble from the ANCIENT paths (Mal. 2:8). They have left the “cold flowing waters” from the snows of Lebanon for vanity. They have rejected much of what they were taught in the past by God’s Holy Spirit. (p. 96.)

While this criticism makes sense assuming Flurry is talking about Tkach's WCG these words are quite nonsensical when applied to the other COG groups, most of which continue to teach and practice much of what HWA taught. (Because HWA made a lot of false prophesies that are now outdated it is impossible to believe everything he taught.)

Chapter 9

This chapter is largely concerned with discussing the British throne and saying that Christ will sit on this throne.

Where is David’s throne? It is in Israel—primarily America and Britain in end-time prophecy. We have proven that truth for over 50 years. These prophecies could not be understood without knowing where David’s throne is. GOD’S VERY ELECT MUST KNOW ALL ABOUT DAVID’S THRONE AND WHERE IT IS, OR MOST OF JEREMIAH’S MESSAGE COULD NOT EVEN BE UNDERSTOOD TODAY!

Why so much emphasis on that throne? Because the only hope for America and Britain revolves around that throne! That is what Jeremiah’s message is all about. If America and Britain fail to heed these words, they will become desolate! (p. 98.)

But the British throne has nothing to do with David's throne. That is just a myth derived from the nonsense of British Israelism.

On page 99 is a picture of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation.

Jeremiah warns that each individual in Israel has a responsibility in connection to that throne. Ultimately, the whole world will submit to that throne. That is the throne on which Christ is to rule forever. The very elect is to share that rulership with Christ. That means we should have a deep concern for what is happening on that throne—now and forever. (p. 100.)

So Flurry wants the reader to be concerned about the affairs concerning the British throne. But it is not David's throne.

Also, Flurry lives in the United States. The British throne has no claim to rule over the United States. In fact the founders of the United States of America fought a six year war against British forces with great loss of life in order to attain independence from the British crown. Why is Flurry glorifying the British throne with such high regard considering that? It is just so bizarre. It is good that America and Britain were later able to greatly improve relations but this is still strange.

What if the royal family of Britain fails to heed this extremely strong warning? God will send destroyers against the rulers sitting on David’s throne who forsake God’s covenant with David (Jer. 22:7-9). Jeremiah is very descriptive of their end. ... The ancient rulers were only a type of what is to happen in this end time. THE ROYAL FAMILY OF BRITAIN WILL RECEIVE THE “BURIAL OF AN ASS” IF THEY DON’T REPENT! (p. 102.)

What a sick imagination this Gerald Flurry has. If Flurry can write of the British royal family in such a way how much worse will he regard the powerless?

THE THRONE IN BRITAIN IS THE GREATEST ROYALTY THE WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN! ... It happened for only one reason: God’s covenant with David. THE ROYAL FAMILY OF BRITAIN WILL GET THE SAME TYPE OF TREATMENT THEY HAVE RENDERED TO THE ROYAL FAMILY OF GOD! That is why British royalty will receive the burial of an ass if they don’t repent. Nothing majestic about that end. That is how God corrects them for their evil. (pp. 102-103.)

So Flurry is prophesying that the British royal family will be killed or sent into exile as slaves unless they get on PCG's good side. What utter madness!

Here is a two-fold covenant. God made a covenant that David’s throne would never lack for a ruler. He also promised that there would always be a true ministry TO TEACH THE REVEALED TRUTH ABOUT THAT THRONE. This is an unbreakable promise from the omnipotent God that there would be a continual flow of new revelation about that throne in the end time. You are reading that revelation now. This very moment you are a part of this prophecy! The amazing truth of David’s throne is a major part of our whole Work. That is why our television program is called The Key of David today. (pp. 103-104.)

This "revelation" is based on nonsense that the British are descended from the Biblical Israelites, which is not true. Silenced.co has shown that British Israelism is built on a foundation of sand. In fact DNA evidence refutes British Israelism.

Also Flurry seems to be saying that the true church would always teach the dogma from British Israelism that the British throne is the continuation of the throne of David. "God's Church" never did that until HWA introduced this nonsensical dogma.

God established His government through Mr. Armstrong— ONE MAN. IT IS THE SAME GOVERNMENT THAT IS TO BE ADMINISTERED FROM THE THRONE OF DAVID FOREVER! All of God’s Laodicean churches today have rejected that government. That is why God no longer reveals new truth to them. But God has deluged the PCG with new revelation, and it will continue to flow to God’s very elect. That is how God is fulfilling His special covenant with the ministry today, related to David’s throne. (pp. 104-105.)

Why does Flurry say untrue things? Many COG groups have one man rule just like PCG. Flurry deceptively insinuates that no other COG group have one man rule. This is completely untrue.

God was always urgent and hard-working in sending prophets to warn Judah. Jeremiah was being inspired by God. Here is the key to our success in God’s Work. We must be urgent the way God is! There is nothing more urgent than getting God’s Work done! Are we filled with God’s urgency? That means God’s Work must become our work.

This is why so few people are doing God’s Work. Generally an individual doesn’t love God and His Work more than he does his own life. His individual work is more important than God’s Work. The very elect know that they work for God. And nothing is more urgent. How rare are such people on this earth. (p. 105.)

Some wonder why PCG members stay in it despite the problems in it. Partly it is because they read words like this and believe, or at least enough to stay in PCG despite the problems there. Flurry promises them that by being in PCG they are part of an elite far more powerful and important then any other group in the world. As absurd as that is, that is what PCG members are told (as seen above) and clearly many of them believe it.

Where is the lamp today? Where is the bride? If you know where the bridegroom is, you know where the bride is! God’s very elect know who they are. They also know they are the only ones delivering God’s revealed message. Only they have God’s lamp in this dark world. If you can’t see God’s only lamp in this dark world, you are blind. And God’s very elect know how terrifyingly black it will become spiritually in this world when they are taken to a place of safety. Then the Work as we know it today will come to an end. Nobody else can repent and escape the Tribulation. (p. 106.)

Also Banned by HWA has recently pointed out that Flurry has been saying that PCG members will witness to the world from Petra during the Great Tribulation. That clearly contradicts what Flurry taught here. Yet another one of Flurry's changes.

God is revealing all of the book of Jeremiah to the PCG. That new revelation is added to the foundational revelations given to Herbert W. Armstrong. But only we understand all the words of Jeremiah. Only we can fulfill this prophecy completely.

Here is what sets God’s very elect apart. They know that God’s revelation comes only to them. They know this means a heavy responsibility. They must deliver that revelation to the entire world. Only they have the message to deliver! (p. 107.)

But PCG does not have God's revelation. It has a bizarre syncretic of beliefs and practices, many of which were devised by HWA and later modified and changed by Gerald Flurry.

God has a great controversy with this world. The “slain of the Lord” will be from one end of the earth to the other. Millions of dead people will be “dung upon the ground.” They won’t be “buried.” That is the primary meaning of “heaping up in a mound” (see Gesenius’ Lexicon). HIGH MOUNDS OF DEAD BODIES, LIKE PILES OF DUNG OR MANURE, WILL FILL THE EARTH! (p. 108.)

What a sick imagination Flurry has. Here is the reader thinking they are about to learn about Jeremiah and the greatest vision in the Bible and here is Flurry mouthing off about piles of bodies.

Chapter 10

This is foundational understanding that we must have before we can ever grow spiritually. Without any evidence, these people accused Jeremiah of being misled by his scribe Baruch. I hear such accusations at times. Proud people sometimes say I have fallen under the influence of one of our leading ministers. Their pride has deceived them into rejecting God’s authority. (p. 110.)

Who said that? I would love to know why Flurry felt compelled to deny that he was under the influence of another PCG minister. I do not know what Flurry is taking about here.

Most of God’s own people in this end time have rejected God’s revelation given to Herbert W. Armstrong. They also reject what God has revealed to the Philadelphia Church of God. They do it because they are too proud to receive God’s revelation (Matt. 11:25).

God reveals only to people who are humble. Before we can totally follow God, we must understand our own human nature and conquer it. (p. 110.) 

So if you think, What Gerald Flurry said here is absurd, then Flurry has defined that as being "human nature" which must be zealously ignored and rejected in order to avoid getting caught up in the Great Tribulation. Forget about proving all things, you must be humble or else it is the Great Tribulation and eternal disgrace within the God Family that you failed to gain a Headquarters position within the God Family. It is just phobic believes Flurry tries to induce in the reader in order to control them more effectively.

Flurry's words have no power over you. Flurry's teachings are, like British Israelism, built on nothing but sand. And we know what happened to the house built on sand in Matthew 7. It was not pretty.

We must keep the big picture. God is the potter; He continues to shape and mold us—even in concentration camps and facing death!

The bad news is good news in the long run, if we finally respond to God. But be warned. GOD WILL TAKE US INTO A RAGING FURNACE if that is what it takes to remove our pride! GOD HAS DONE THAT REPEATEDLY THROUGHOUT HISTORY! (p. 111.)

Shouldn't that be, We must keep the big picture in mind?

Again Flurry shows the sick imagination he has and how he uses his grotesque words to ensnare people and make them think they need to remain in PCG or face a fate not worth existing through. This is what Lifton called the dispensing of existence.

This is still very good news. God won’t give up on us until we give up on Him. That means there is a splendid hope in this great suffering! God is only giving us the punishment that is required to make us moldable clay in His hands! God is the potter.

This is Jeremiah’s message of hope for the end time. First, God delivers the warning message, hoping we will heed. If we don’t, then God heats up the fiery furnace of captivity and death in an effort to refine us.

GOD ONLY GIVES US THE CORRECTION THAT OUR HARDNESS REQUIRES. He takes His very elect to a place of safety (Rev. 12:14). His own Laodicean Church is plunged into a nuclear holocaust with the nations of Israel (v. 17). (p. 111.)

Sugar coating his doom and gloom ranting is just an attempt to mask the fear he is trying to induce in the reader. Flurry is just trying to confuse the reader by boldly denying he is spreading a message of doom and then contradicting the tenor of what he writes to claim it is the most wonderful and splendid thing you can ever imagine. No wonder so many people get so badly messed up within PCG as the constant stream of letters from ex-members and those badly affected by PCG testify.

God’s goal is always to bring men to repentance.

Is that bad news? Not in the long run. The bad news is when God is no longer the potter and men have rejected His loving correction. Then the clay is no longer usable. There is no more hope that they can become members of God’s family. (p. 112.)

And so Flurry threatens the reader and all PCG members that if they are unwilling to endure what those above them in PCG require of them then that one is doomed for the Lake of Fire. This is only a tool that Flurry and his collaborators use to keep people under their control.

At this point, for whatever reason Flurry feels compelled to launch a condemnation of Princess Diana who hold her up as an example of women rising up and usurping what he says is man's rightful role to rule over their women. (Flurry does condemn Prince Charles as well for adultery but Flurry chooses to focus his criticism here on Princess Diana.)

Prince Charles has PUBLICLY lived in an adulterous relationship with a married lady. Princess Diana went from one sordid adultery to another, while the whole world ogled and many followed her example! Since her death, she has widely been viewed as a saint! In truth, SHE WAS IN THE VANGUARD OF A SPIRIT THAT TURNED OUR FAMILIES UPSIDE DOWN! 

God thunders that these are nation-destroying problems!

When she married, Princess Diana had the word “obey” removed from the wedding ceremony. SHE DIDN’T WANT TO OBEY HER HUSBAND, AND CHARLES SHAMEFULLY AGREED! God holds him more accountable. Herbert Armstrong prophesied that the royal marriage would fail because of that serious omission.

Princess Diana led an unparalleled rise of feminism and rebellion against God’s law and the marriage covenant of God. It is blatant rebellion against God, and it is wrecking the families in Israel. It leads to Sodom and Gomorrah! (pp. 113-114) 

What can one say about such madness. No one claimed Princess Diana was perfect. At least she tried to help people out with her charity work. That's certainly a lot better then building up a group that has earned a bad reputation for inflicted abusive behavior upon its members.

And as for HWA prophesying that the marriage would fail that still does not change the fact that HWA and his collaborators made numerous false fear inducing prophesies. Herbert W. Armstrong's WCG even once cited a gynecologist to predict that "Nothing Can Stop Famine in the Mid-1970s" in the February 1969 Plain Truth.

Anciently, God sent only one man to warn them—Jeremiah. He was the physical head of God’s government. And today, God sends one man to warn His Church and Israel. That warning message is supported by God’s very elect. You are reading that warning. Only the Philadelphia Church of God submits to God’s law and government today—the same government taught by Herbert W. Armstrong. God used Mr. Armstrong to set His government and law before us in this end time. The Laodiceans have rejected that government. ONLY the PCG remembers and keeps God’s government! (p. 115.)

Many COG groups have one man government just like HWA's WCG. Once again we see  Flurry spreading nonsense and indoctrinating PCG members to believe untrue things. Why does Flurry say untrue things?

Also the "one man" in question here is Gerald Flurry himself.

We don’t have just some tiny little doctrinal differences with the Laodiceans. We are keeping God’s government. They are rejecting God’s government—AND KNOW IT! They were taught government through Mr. Armstrong, as were all of God’s people. God says they are without excuse! (p. 116.)

As a matter of fact many of the COG groups are very similar to PCG. However over the years Flurry has added a lot of "new revelation" (often simply reiterations of what he said in Malachi's Message) that serve to make PCG more distinct. But as for this assertion that only PCG keeps "God's government", that is simply self serving nonsense. Many COG groups practice the same form of government that HWA's WCG did, namely one man rule.

Actually it is widely known that many of the ideas within Malachi's Message were plagiarized from The Letter to Laodicea by Jules Dervaes, written December 1986-January 1988. It was sent to 237 WCG ministers including Gerald Flurry and John Amos. In fact on September 26, 1990 Jules Dervaes sent a letter to Gerald Flurry in which he denounces Malachi's Message as "a direct and clear plagiarism" of his work.

In the next words Flurry is trying to stir up fear and paranoia among PCG members so that they will never join another COG group.

What does that mean for the very elect who are delivering Jeremiah’s message today? It means the priests God planted and raised up will have the most evil thoughts and deeds toward God’s very elect! At one time they delivered the very prophecy of God. Now they are bitterly working to destroy that message and the messenger! They were fighting for God. Now they are fighting God. (p. 118.)

This is just mind manipulating nonsense. Flurry says these things because he is scared that PCG members will leave for another COG group and he will have less money because of that. So he demonizes the leaders of the other COG groups by accusing them of harboring "the most evil thoughts and deeds toward God's very elect [PCG members]".

The evil priests who tried to kill Jeremiah and his message lived in Anathoth. This was where Jeremiah was born. Today it is a little community called Anata, just outside Jerusalem. I have done a television program from there. (p. 119.)

And Flurry was able to broadcast from Anata because of the tithes of PCG members. And they tithed to him because they believed him when he claimed Tkach's WCG was the Laodicean era ignoring the previous teaching in HWA's WCG that the Laodiceans would not be made manifest until they found themselves left behind to endure the Great Tribulation. There has been a lot of talk about Tkach's changes, but this was to be the first of Flurry's changes. The fact that Flurry chose to greatly praise HWA and to retain many of his doctrines does not change the fact that these were changes just like Tkach's. However Flurry claimed his changes were "new revelation" and that if anyone disregarded what he (Gerald Flurry) said then such a person would not be saved and be doomed to endure the Great Tribulation which Flurry so loves to describe to keep PCG members in fear of the outside world.

We should be willing to invest our time, money and effort in God’s glorious Work today. God’s Work will usher in the wonderful World Tomorrow. Doing God’s Work is an investment in that incredible future! (p. 121.) 

Finally, after over 120 pages, we get to the point of this whole booklet: Flurry wants your "time, money and effort" to be used in "God’s glorious Work today", meaning to fund and maintain his PCG.

Flurry needs your time otherwise no one will be able to contribute to building up PCG for the benefit of an elite few.

Flurry needs your money because that is what his PCG lives off of. That is how he makes his living. That is how his collaborators make their living.

Flurry needs your efforts to keep his PCG operating smoothly for his benefit.

Jeremiah was no prophet of doom. He had the greatest vision in the Bible, clearly focused. If we keep this vision in our minds, we shall NEVER be overcome by discouragement!

Jeremiah was not even allowed to take a wife and have a family (Jer. 16:1-2). He was willing to make that sacrifice—in fact, ANY sacrifice—for God. He kept his mind filled with the greatest vision in the Bible.

So must we. (p. 121.)

And so Flurry's booklet ends with an appeal to sacrifice for PCG and act as though it is the most important work on Earth. Flurry says the reader must be willing to make any sacrifice for God, even one's own family. As strange as this may appear Flurry's appeals for more "time, money and effort" have actually worked quite well for him as may be seen in these words of his from the original 1995 version of his booklet The Little Book as was seen in a previous post.

Look at how the PCG has grown since Malachi's Message was first mailed just prior to January 16, 1990. Already we have bought and paid for three new buildings with over 8500 square feet and are producing a beautiful monthly magazine that is mailed to tens of thousands of homes in over 80 countries. We have access to hundreds of millions of people with our television program. Our annual income is now into the multiple millions. (Gerald Flurry, The Little Book, 1995 version, p. 7.)

And that was back in 1995.

But instead of being satisfied with what he had by 1995 Gerald Flurry constantly wants more and more and more from his followers. He has given no indication that he needs less then the reader's total commitment in this 2002 version of his booklet. And unfortunately many of his followers take his words very seriously, to their own detriment.

So after reading this booklet let us now see what we have learned about PCG's leaders from this booklet.

Now that we have gone through Flurry's booklet let's summarize what we have learned what Flurry has taught in his booklet.

• Flurry once again insists that God only works through one man at a time (sort of like the Pope) and that Gerald Flurry is now that man.

• Flurry insists that PCG is the only true church.

• Flurry again condemns the Tkach changes and all other COG groups, labeling them Laodiceans.This essentially repeats what Flurry wrote in his plagiarized Malachi's Message.

• Flurry wants you to be really scared about the dire future he insists is just about to occur.

• Flurry says one can only be protected from the Great Tribulation by joining PCG. 

• Flurry promises glory unimaginable if only you join PCG and pay three tithes and extra offerings to him and his collaborators for the rest of your life. This is the vision alluded to in the title.

• As part of this vision Flurry encourages readers to fixate their minds upon David's throne and convince themselves that have been chosen to sit on that throne (because Flurry says so).

• Flurry accuses Princess Diana as the leader of women being insubordinate towards their husbands and condemns her for this alleged deed. ("Princess Diana led an unparalleled rise of feminism and rebellion against God’s law and the marriage covenant of God." Chapter 10, p. 113. Page 122 in the current version.)

• Flurry continues to promote HWA's anti-medicine superstition which has killed so many people, as may be seen in Chapter 2, page 28 (Page 30 in the current version.): "Can you trust God to save you now? Can you trust God to heal you? (That’s a type of spiritual salvation.)" My word! What loaded and misleading words these are!

• And Flurry wants you get a "spiritual high" as you observe the Sabbath according to PCG's dictates. "The Sabbath, instead of being a burden, should leave us on a spiritual high." (Chapter 8, p. 94. Page 103 in the current version.)

And all these messages may be found in a booklet which claims to be talking about Jeremiah. But Flurry actually ends up saying all of these things.

Reading PCG's Booklet, Jonah: A Strong Warning to God's Church

Let us now look through Gerald Flurry's booklet, Jonah: A Strong Warning to God's Church. Here Flurry uses the Book of Jonah to say that those who understand "the truth" must respond to it or else face dire punishment. This booklet was first published in 1996. It was later revised in 2004. That is the version looked at in this post. You can read this booklet on their website.

Let us see what he has to say. I wonder if it is like so many of his booklets in which he says (insert name of Biblical book here) is actually all about the Tkach changes, the rise of PCG in opposition to this, and only PCG members will get to the place of safety while all others will endure the Great Tribulation. Will this booklet do that as well?

The word of God also came to the Philadelphia Church of God (PCG). God’s people are commanded to deliver this warning message along with what has already been revealed to Herbert Armstrong. ...

We can never escape our responsibility to deliver God’s message and still live—physically, spiritually or both! ...

People who receive God’s message and won’t deliver it are called wicked. If we fail to deliver God’s message, we die physically because of this failure! And 50 percent of God’s people die forever for not repenting of this sin! That is how fearfully serious it is when God reveals His message to us. ...

The most cardinal sin we can commit is to fail to deliver the message God personally gave to us! It is a monumental sin that destroys us forever, unless we repent! Jonah is a book about what happens to people who either deliver God’s message or fail to do so. It applies to all people who have had God’s truth revealed to them. ... They, like Jonah, must learn there is a prodigious penalty for running from the job God gave to them. (pp. 2-3.)

If you like what I am saying to you then you must give me money (three tithes and extra offerings) or else PCG's God will kill you!

This Flurry will say anything to get more peoples' money.

However, Jonah only received a pittance of what God revealed to Mr. Armstrong and the PCG today. So if God was angry with Jonah, He must be wrathful with the Laodiceans today! Concealing so much of God’s truth is a mountainous crime. If we bury God’s message, He is going to bury us. (p. 4.)

Behold how Flurry denigrates this distinguished forerunner of the faith. No wonder Flurry so cynically injects his legend of Malachi's Message (that the Biblical prophesies are all about the Tkach changes, the rise of PCG and that only PCG members will go to the place of safety) into more and more Biblical books. If even Jonah "only received a pittance" of divine revelation why would Flurry and his collaborators treat the Book of Jonah with any respect? Instead of letting it say what it says Flurry makes it parrot Malachi's Message.
And Flurry often does this.

Also it needs to be stated that much of Gerald Flurry's new revelations in Malachi's Message are plagiarized from the writings of Jules Dervaes, specifically The Letter to Laodicea. In fact on September 26, 1990 Jules Dervaes sent a letter to Gerald Flurry in which he denounces Malachi's Message as "a direct and clear plagiarism" of his work.

We now continue.

When God reveals His message to us, we automatically become messengers. We must deliver God’s message. How serious is it if we fail to do the job? We shall die forever! And that means we must deliver precisely the message God reveals to us. ...

We must ask God to reveal our own evil heart and then change. This is our only hope. God is sick of phony repentance and phony religion. We MUST remove any obstacle to our delivering God’s urgent message! This is how we put God first in our lives. (p. 5.)

If you want to keep the money you earned or inherited to better yourself and your family or give you are wicked and God does not love you. That is what he really means here.

The message was to “Nineveh, that great city.” The Hebrew reads: “a city great to God.” Why was Nineveh so great to God? God must have believed that Nineveh and the Assyrian empire would repent. And they did.

Whether the world realizes it or not, Nineveh is the great hope to the nations of this world. ... It was a shining example of what can happen to evil nations. It should be a great encouragement to the nations today! And it will be an example for nations in the World Tomorrow to see what could have been! (p. 7.)

Flurry speaking nicely about Assyrians. How unusual. Usually Flurry presents Germany as the great threat that in the future will destroy America and Britain in a future World War III.

The word of God came to Mr. Armstrong and the Philadelphia Church of God as it did to Jonah. Now God’s Philadelphians must collectively support this message—or receive a fate worse than Jonah’s! (p. 8.)

Pay us money or PCG's God will kill you. If you do not pay us then you must be wicked. Flurry is once again crudely threatening his readers that they must do as they told or else face the Great Tribulation. He is trying to induce an irrational phobia that Germany will soon destroy America and Britain. Alas, many PCG members truly believe these threats and that is why so many stay in PCG despite all the things that go on there.

Any person can prove when a message is from God! If they don’t believe God, it is still a witness against them (Matthew 24:14). So much tragedy could be avoided if people would believe God. If they don’t, then their own weak faith is the problem. The whole world would be in the PCG if they believed God! Because that is where God’s only message and work is! (p. 9.)

 You'd like that, wouldn't you?

One of my Ambassador College professors, Dr. Herman Hoeh, said that Germany even thought of proclaiming a national repentance before the world, after World War II. But then they decided against it because there was no precedent. They thought no nation had ever done such a thing. They didn’t even know the Bible history of their own nation! How sad. (p. 10.)

What on Earth is Flurry talking about? That is why so many Germans were put through De-Nazification courses in order to free themselves from Nazi ideology and stop thinking as this ideology dictated to them. And also many prominent leaders from the German nation have tried to address the crimes of the Nazi era and manage relations with those who were slain and oppressed by the Nazis and their heirs. So actually many Germans are trying to responsibly manage relations with the victims of the Nazi regime.

God said, “I am broken with their whorish heart.” The word broken means “broken-hearted.” The Laodiceans act like their Husband is a statue with no real love for His bride. Their betrayal has left Him broken-hearted. Any husband who loves his wife should be able to understand that emotion. (p. 10.)

Here Flurry is once again inciting hatred of "Laodiceans" in order to keep PCG members isolated from other COG groups in order to keep PCG members thinking that they can only join PCG and must remain in it or else lose God's favor.

God is saying in the strongest words that you don’t really know Him if you don’t believe His message! The Laodiceans have rejected God’s message and therefore don’t truly know Him. What a scathing condemnation. (p. 11.)

So believing in God is taught to be the same as believing what Gerald Flurry says, according to him.

God has “not said in vain” that He would punish them. How did God say this to the Laodiceans? This is being done mainly through the PCG’s warning message. The Philadelphians speak for God and are telling the Laodiceans of the evil that will come upon them. This is what the Laodiceans are going to remember in the Tribulation. (p. 11.)

This is a major reason why PCG was able to build itself up so quickly. Flurry was able to exploit the widespread disaffection with the Tkach changes among many WCG members and rallied them to resist the Tkach changes by joining PCG and then try to convert as many WCG members and ex-WCG members to join PCG as possible. However inevitably PCG reached its saturation point and, presumably, growth in membership among WCG members dried up or at least slowed down to an unsustainable level. This was inevitable.

But instead of accepting this as a fact of life in 2000 Flurry petulantly ordered PCG members to shun all Laodiceans and have no contact with them, even with close family members. This was done as a crude and heartless attempt to coerce WCG members and ex-WCG members not paying tithes to PCG to join PCG by blackmail. Of course most people seeing such extremist behavior only looked on in heart broken horror at the level of authoritarian depravity PCG has seen fallen into.

(Also, hypocritically, this does not seem to be enforced among PCG's leaders such as Stephen Flurry, who interviewed Aaron Dean (UCG) and Roderick C. Meredith (LCG) while doing research for his book, Raising the Ruins. Just look at the footnotes.)

The fourth chapter of Jonah presents another problem. Jonah was very angry that God saved Nineveh. Once we run away from God’s work, I believe it often has lasting damage. Jonah still seemed to have an attitude problem. The Laodiceans lose a large portion of their reward because of their running from God today. (pp. 13-14.)

One of the peculiar doctrines Flurry teaches is that even the Laodiceans who repent in the Great Tribulation will only be given a small role in ruling the World Tomorrow. He says even after they repented and are glorified as God beings they are still of a lower rank than the glorified PCG members.

In other words Flurry will still be mad at you for not paying him money even during the afterlife as a God being for all eternity.

Flurry ends with these words.

If God will warn a great city before He destroys it, He will certainly warn great empires. He is doing just that in this end time. That grave responsibility has fallen upon God’s Philadelphia Church. God wants us to see how terribly important His message is. We must be deeply sobered and moved when “the word of the Lord came unto” the Church of God! (p. 14.)

Intriguingly the cover for the current version of this booklet (which you can see at the link above) was made by one Darrel Tank who works with Goodsalt.com. Take a look for yourself. It is certainly not COG. So PCG which constantly denigrates "false Christians" and even orders PCG members to shun members of rival COG groups uses an image made by one of these "false Christians" (who probably never at any time believed HWA was used by God) to illustrate one of their booklets.

So we see that once again Flurry has simply used another book of the Bible, this time Jonah, and applied the script for Malachi's Message onto Jonah.

Also Flurry tries very hard to persuade the reader here that to please God one must join PCG or be cursed with the Great Tribulation because not acting upon what Gerald Flurry tells you is wicked and will guarantee PCG's God's wrath.

Part 2 of Reading PCG's Booklet, Haggai: Proof of God's Work Today

This post shall now continue looking through Gerald Flurry's booklet, Haggai: Proof of God's Work Today (2004 version). This version is not to be confused with the current 2011 version that is currently distributed by PCG. We continue from Part 1.

In this booklet Gerald Flurry endeavors to prove to readers that PCG is the legitimate successor to HWA's WCG.

Chapter 3

As is true with most of the booklets we have looked through recently Gerald Flurry endeavors to prove to the reader that PCG is the legitimate successor to HWA's WCG.

God wants His people to prove where His work is today. Is God working through the Worldwide Church? Is He working through the Philadelphia Church? Is God working through the Living Church or the United Church? This heated debate needs to be answered! Do you truly know where God’s work is today? Knowing the answer to this question is necessary for your physical protection and essential if you are to gain eternal life.

Do you know how to find God’s work? Only the Bible can reveal to you where God’s one and only work is on Earth today. Haggai contains the key to locating God’s end-time work. (p. 15.)

Of course, considering the author is the founder and leader of PCG, he will say PCG is the true work. Here Flurry speaks with a lot of self adulation for his PCG.

The PCG is not delivering a message for some little tin god. We are delivering to the Laodiceans, Israel and this world the words of the Creator of man, the Creator of angels, and the Creator who made and sustains the entire universe. The Lord of hosts has universe-shaking power. That same power is behind the Philadelphia Church.

How do we know this? Look at what this little Church has accomplished since Dec. 7, 1989. Only 12 people attended our first Sabbath service on December 16. Mr. Amos and I had no income after being fired. We planned to work for the PCG part-time while holding other part-time jobs. God had different plans.

The Philadelphia Church of God is now a worldwide work with God’s message being thundered through the Key of David television program, the Philadelphia Trumpet, and many books and booklets. Who has done this? The staff of the Philadelphia Church? No! The Lord of hosts has done this. The Lord of hosts resides with this little Church. How deeply do we know this? How deeply do we believe this? Are we willing to stake our lives on the fact that God resides in the Philadelphia Church? (p. 17.)

Every other COG also claims that God is with them. While many COG groups are, for pragmatic reasons, not interested in creating a "worldwide work" they all like to think God is with them.

Although Flurry loves to talk about how small PCG started that had long since ceased to be the case. In fact as early as 1995 Gerald Flurry was boasting that PCG had an income of "multiple millions."

Look at how the PCG has grown since Malachi's Message was first mailed just prior to January 16, 1990. Already we have bought and paid for three new buildings with over 8500 square feet and are producing a beautiful monthly magazine that is mailed to tens of thousands of homes in over 80 countries. We have access to hundreds of millions of people with our television program. Our annual income is now into the multiple millions. (Gerald Flurry, The Little Book, 1995 version, p. 7.)

We now continue with Flurry's booklet.

But why was God’s house [the first Temple in Jerusalem] destroyed? The sins of the nation forced God to leave His own house. When God leaves His house, temple or church, it is a very tragic state of affairs. It was a great calamity when Solomon’s temple was destroyed. But it was a far greater catastrophe to let God’s house today collapse spiritually! (p. 18.)

Apparently the Tkach changes were a greater catastrophe then the destruction of the Temple in 586 BC.

Now no doubt the Tkach changes were very traumatic and painful for many within WCG, but it is wrong to claim it was worse than a nation being conquered in war by a foreign power. No doubt many people were killed in the war that destroyed the Kingdom of Judah's independence. Many Jews were forcibly deported to foreign lands. If any of them were alive today I have no doubt they would not be impressed that their terrible suffering is belittled and insulted in this way.

Were any WCG members forcibly deported into strange foreign lands where it was impossible to practice the religion of Armstrongism? Did a foreign power go to war and killed WCG members en masse to subjugate them?

It is wrong for Flurry to belittle the sufferings of the Jewish people of those ancient times in this way.

We have never heard Laodicean leaders openly show scorn for God’s doctrine or work. You’ll never hear them say, “Do not prophesy.” But we do hear, “Let’s get our minds off prophecy.” God calls Laodicean sugar-coating what it is. It is rebellion. When an organization stops doing God’s work, it stops growing. (p. 18.)

Again, who is Flurry talking about? Who are these Laodiceans he condemns here? It is quite accurate to note that the Tkachite WCG chose to not focus on prophecy. However many COG groups continue to prophecy that this and that shall happen in the future. Elsewhere Flurry claims all COG groups aside from PCG are Laodicean. The non-WCG Laodiceans do not even say, Let’s get our minds off prophecy, they continue to prophesy. Why does Flurry say untrue things?

Do the people of God have time to get all caught up with riches and goods in this end of the end time? Even Mr. Armstrong warned us about this carnal condition. Where should our material focus be? On the work. ... Most of God’s people have forgotten why God called us
out of this world today—to do God’s work. That is the only reason we are called “out of season,” or before God calls all humanity. We are here to do God’s work. That is the only way we can be saved! (p. 20.)

Send your money to PCG. Do not worry about your family, children or your own financial condition. The only thing that really matters is supporting the work of PCG.

Some wonder why PCG members are so determined to send so much money to PCG, even to their financial detriment. It is partly because they listen to statements like this.

The Laodiceans also need to glorify God with their work. Today, they have not glorified God. How can teaching against God’s government ever glorify God? It cannot! (p. 21.)

Elsewhere Gerald Flurry defines God's government as one-man rule and Flurry also teaches that it only exists within PCG. (See Isaiah's End-Time Vision, 2013 version, pp. 52, 58 and 75.) Although many COG groups practice one-man rule Flurry insists they are illegitimate because God is not with them according to him. In other words Flurry is futilely condemning all other COG groups for not unquestioningly submitting to Gerald Flurry's rule. 

Remember, Haggai shows us that the Laodiceans are choking spiritually and do not realize it. Their main spiritual problem is that they are focused on physical things (verse 4). (p. 22.)

Here Flurry condemns the Laodiceans for focusing on physical things. How can Flurry condemn that kind of behavior when he decided to squander the equivalent of more than PCG's annual income in building Armstrong Auditorium? It cost $25 million. PCG's annual income as of 2012 was only $19.5 million according to his one of Gerald Flurry's booklets. It seems to me Flurry is very focused on a certain physical thing named Armstrong Auditorium.

(It should also be noted that the figure for 2012 is in fact lower than PCG's annual income for 2010 which was $20.6 million according to Stephen Flurry.)

The Laodiceans have lofty goals. They speak out with religious emotion. They appear to have righteous motives. They claim exalted titles and great numbers of ministers, yet they have rejected God’s government and work. The Laodicean groups will never succeed as they desire. (p. 23.)

According to Flurry "God’s government and work" is only to be found in PCG. So essentially Flurry is futilely complaining that the COGs refuse to unquestioningly submit themselves to Flurry's rule. "They claim exalted titles and great numbers of ministers, yet they have rejected" the church I lead, we could translate that statement. Does not sound very graceful that way, but that is what Flurry is actually saying here.

The prophets Haggai and Zechariah conveyed complimentary messages to the same people. Mr. Armstrong relied heavily on these two books while doing God’s work. ... This verse shows that Zerubbabel learned to build the temple through God’s Spirit. Herbert Armstrong learned to build through God’s Spirit. Mr. Armstrong preached the gospel, founded the Church, established a college and organized the Ambassador International Cultural Foundation solely through the use of God’s Holy Spirit. Mr. Armstrong accomplished much in his life—but the power was God’s! (p. 23.)

How did HWA rely heavily on Haggai while building up WCG? I do not believe that statement. Flurry is wrong on this point.

HWA did often quote certain passages from Zechariah but I cannot recall ever getting the impression that Haggai was particularly important for his teachings.

Also I find strange that Flurry should be so adulatory towards HWA's establishment of the Ambassador International Cultural Foundation. In fact that Foundation was a major reason why there was so much turmoil within WCG during the 1970s. Many WCG members wondered why so much money was being spent for this Foundation and HWA's visits to world leaders while WCG congregations languished with little resources, despite the great income WCG enjoyed. Why was HWA so embarrassed of his WCG when meeting with world leaders that he needed to create this Foundation in order to obscure his role as a religious leader?  Many WCG members viewed the Foundation as part of an attempt by Stanley Rader to place himself as the number two man within WCG. All this is one part of WCG history that Flurry avoids.

After this he then fear mongers about an end time Joshua, apparently either Tkach Sr. or Tkach Jr. in Flurry's teachings. This is a doctrine from his booklet, Malachi's Message. Actually it is widely known that many of the ideas within Malachi's Message were plagiarized from The Letter to Laodicea by Jules Dervaes, written December 1986-January 1988. It was sent to 237 WCG ministers including Gerald Flurry and John Amos. In fact on September 26, 1990 Jules Dervaes sent a letter to Gerald Flurry in which he denounces Malachi's Message as "a direct and clear plagiarism" of his work.

Chapter 4

Do any of the Laodicean groups understand the book of Haggai? Only in a general way. When will they understand it? When they repent of their rebellion against God’s government and law. The Laodiceans will not obey our message because they have a problem with God. They refuse to hear “the voice of the Lord.” They do not fear God enough to obey Him. Why would they ever listen to His warning message? A large number of people and ministers is not a high priority with God. What’s important to God is fear and obedience! (p. 26.)

When Flurry writes that other COG groups need to "repent of their rebellion against God’s government and law" he is actually demanding they just abandon what they have built for themselves and join PCG or be damned in the Great Tribulation.

The last statement is also intriguing in that it indicates that Gerald Flurry is more concerned to have "fear and obedience" among PCG ministers and members then having a large following. It would appear Flurry wants obedient followers more than a large following.

The PCG is God’s end of the end-time remnant. (p. 26.)

It has been nineteen years since this booklet was first published, ten years since this version of the booklet has been published. The Great Tribulation does not appear to be any closer since then.

Like Zerubbabel’s temple work, the PCG has had the humblest of beginnings. When Mr. Amos and I were fired, we knew God had given us His message. Only 12 people attended the first Sabbath service. We looked to Mr. Armstrong’s life as an example of how to do the work. My first “campaign-type” trip was into the state of Missouri. That is all the Church income would allow. This first trip was a very small beginning. (p. 27.)

Flurry loves to boast about how small PCG was initially. It did not stay that way for long. As early as 1995 Flurry was boasting that PCG had an annual income in the "multiple millions" as is seen above.

Sometimes we can make some faulty comparisons of ourselves with Laodicean groups. Humanly, we can look at the numbers and then question ourselves. But God warns us not to look at numbers, but to look to Him. (p. 29.)

In other words he is telling PCG members to pay no attention to the fact that UCG and Global COG (then later LCG) happen to be larger than PCG and have more famous WCG leaders among them.

Do not ask why so many WCG members appear unconvinced of PCG's legitimacy.

Do not ask why there may be fewer PCG members at any particular time.

Do not ask if (or why) there are more injustices among PCG compared to other COG groups.

PCG is the one and true church. Stay here.

Conveniently for Flurry if PCG members are persuaded that they must stay in PCG then they will continue to pay three tithes and extra offerings to PCG.

The God who created the universe and all of the holy angels is with the PCG. In verse 5, God encourages us to fear not. With the Lord of hosts behind us, whom should we fear? Are we fearless people? We have universe-shaking power behind us. Though the work may be difficult, we should remain festive and fearless while doing it. (p. 29.)

Why do so many PCG members remain in it despite the well documented problems that are there? Partly it is because they listen to words like this and believe them, or at least believe them enough, to remain in PCG. They think this great power is with them in PCG and that it will be gone should they leave or get shunned.

This next section is intriguing and deserves to be quoted at length. (Italics and capitals are Flurry's.)

What is God telling us here? He is showing that after Mr. Armstrong passes from the scene and just before Jesus Christ returns, THERE IS ONLY GOING TO BE A SINGLE, BRIEF SPACE OF TIME. Then God is going to shake the heavens, the Earth, the sea and the dry land. In other words, the PCG only has a very brief space of time to complete its work. There is only a brief span of time for God to determine who is Philadelphian and who is Laodicean. There is only a little time to determine who will be in Ezekiel’s temple in the World Tomorrow. Then God says He is going to fill “this house” with glory.

When we realize what God is doing through the PCG, it should be hard not to become so excited that we become almost dizzy with exhilaration. But we are humans. Sometimes we can slip into a moaning and groaning type of complaining, wishing we were back in Egypt, or the world. ...

God gave us His Spirit at our conversion. Nothing has changed. We still have God’s Spirit and God is with us. We should not fear or COMPLAIN. We must always remember that our future is going to be full of glory.

When Christ returns, the Church will be given its proper place in this world. The Church will be given prominence. Jesus Christ will share His glory with us so we can get a job done. Our future is going to be breathtaking. (pp. 29-30.)

"THERE IS ONLY GOING TO BE A SINGLE, BRIEF SPACE OF TIME....the PCG only has a very brief space of time to complete its work", Flurry says. It is now nineteen years since this booklet was first published, ten years since this version was published. Did PCG members then expect this world to still be here nineteen or ten years later?

"There is only a brief span of time for God to determine who is Philadelphian and who is Laodicean." 

What Flurry really means here is that he is demanding that the reader join PCG immediately so that he or she can start sending money into PCG's coffers right away. PCG already raked in "multiple millions" as early as 1995 so Flurry just wants more money, more members and more power.

He is also crudely intimidating the reader (most likely a WCG member or ex-WCG member) by insinuating that the reader will be damned in the Great Tribulation unless he or she joins PCG right now. He creates a sense of crisis in the reader in hopes of making the reader panic.

"We should not fear or COMPLAIN."

So if any PCG member sees something wrong that member is told he or she is the problem by complaining. So the problem which causes such complaining is stubbornly not addressed.

All the silver and gold in Solomon’s temple is a mere pittance compared to the spiritual riches God is building in our lives. The eventual spiritual glory God is going to shower us with cannot be compared with physical wealth. (p. 30.)

My word! Look at how PCG members are inculcated with this elitism that they are more important and are more privileged then anyone in the world, even more privileged then these distinguished Biblical forerunners of the faith. PCG members are told to think that knowing PCG's teachings is that important. No wonder so many PCG members develop such skewed priorities in life.

What Mr. Armstrong taught is the foundation of God’s temple in this end time. ... God’s Laodicean people could turn everything around today. God would bless them starting today, if they would only turn back to Him, His law and government. This very day can be so decisive in the life of a Laodicean. (p. 32.)

But elsewhere Flurry teaches that God's "government" can only be found within PCG. This is Flurry simply demanding WCG members and members of other COG groups join PCG and start paying three tithes to him immediately.

Flurry ends this booklet with these words. Unsurprisingly he concludes that PCG, the group he started and leads, is the one, true church one must join to escape the Great Tribulation.

If we want to find God’s work on Earth today, we must go back to the beginning of the Philadelphia era and examine stone by stone how Mr. Armstrong built the temple of God. God’s work and Church on Earth, in our time now, will be a replica of what Herbert Armstrong built. God’s only work, or Church, will fully embrace the law and government as established and taught by Mr. Armstrong. Haggai shows us that God’s very elect will know who the end-time Zerubbabel was and that these people will be gladly following in his footsteps.

The book of Haggai gives full proof that the Philadelphia Church of God is God’s end of the end-time work! (p. 33.)

Does PCG "fully embrace the law and government as established and taught by Mr. Armstrong"? If so why did PCG for their own convenience change at least three of HWA's writings, Mystery of the Ages, The Proof of the Bible and Who or What is the Prophetic Beast?

PCG's leaders, including Gerald Flurry, removed the section in HWA's Mystery of the Ages in which he teaches that Prophets under the New Testament dispensation had no authority over lay members. HWA taught this continuously from 1953 till his death. This contradicts Gerald Flurry's claim to be That Prophet, which he has taught since 1999.

Comparing the 2004 Version with the Current 2011 Version

As I suspected in Part 1 the current 2011 version is quite different.

First of all the 2011 version has been renamed Haggai: God has Begun to Shake the Nations. The 2004 version was named Haggai: Proof of God's Work Today. It should also be noted that PCG's booklet entitled Hosea also has changed in a similar manner, from emphasizing the recruitment of ex-WCG members to a greater focus on the supposedly soon coming apocalypse.

Also the 2011 version has only two chapters, whereas the 2004 version had four chapters.

The section regarding Zerubbabel as being a signet ring is placed at the start of the booklet (pp. 2-4.) and not at the end as it is in the 2004 version (pp. 32-3.).

Also the 2011 version is sprinkled with references to the court case with WCG. That is not mentioned at all in the 2004 version.

There is also a lot more speculation about world events and claiming they point to the beginning of the Great Tribulation. (See pp. 13-15 for instance.) Such things are rarely discussed in the 2004 version.

Flurry also claims certain scriptures in Haggai actually refer to PCG's Armstrong Auditorium. It is referred to as "God's House" in that section (pp. 11-13.). Of course Armstrong Auditorium was never mentioned in the 2004 version. It was not built then. If Flurry really is That Prophet why did he not see that Haggai was talking about Armstrong Auditorium before he had it built?

What a way to justify spending more money than PCG's annual income on a building that few PCG members will benefit from. Flurry claims it was prophesied to be built in the Bible.

Chapter 1 ends with these words, "The book of Haggai gives full proof that the Philadelphia Church of God is God’s end-of-the-end-time Work!" (p. 22.) In the 2004 version this was the end of the booklet.

Chapter 2 is much more similar to the 2004 version. Practically all of it is preserved from the 2004 version. Of course topics have been rearranged.

The 2011 version ends with these words.

One leading evangelist said that he would have come into the PCG if we had contacted him. Think deeply about that statement for a moment. Can God really use a person who has that attitude? What is God looking for in an evangelist or any minister? God needs men who can recognize His messenger. God wants men who have the spiritual ability to recognize His message. This is the kind of minister or member God can use. Why do people come to the PCG? Because God has stirred up His Spirit in them. We do not bring people into this Church through human effort, or human personalities, or through ministerial position. God’s Spirit draws people to us! (p. 33.)

In the 2004 version this was placed in page 27. The later sections are placed elsewhere within the 2011 version. I will say that the 2004 version's ending was more elegant then this latest 2011 version.

Conclusion

So we see that once again Gerald Flurry strives to convince people that PCG is the only legitimate successor to HWA's WCG.

He claims to have received new revelation from God, namely that Haggai is also all about the Tkach changes, the rise of PCG in opposition to that, PCG members will go to the Place of Safety and all others will be left behind.

He claims Haggai prophesied the construction of Ambassador Auditorium (then he claimed it prophesied Armstrong Auditorium).

So we see this is just another booklet Gerald Flurry has written in order to gain more triple tithes paying members and get a bigger income off of PCG members by claiming to be the only true successor to HWA's WCG. He seems to do this quite frequently.

Armstrong Auditorium Cost More than PCG's Yearly Income

[Update: May 15, 2014: I just recalled that Stephen Flurry revealed that PCG's income in 2010 was $20.6 million. So income by 2012 had actually gone down.]

Recently in a previous post I stumbled upon a statement of Gerald Flurry in which he states that the annual income of PCG in 2012 is about $19.5 million.

Additionally, the Church has a college, a K-12 school and a performing arts center. All of this is due to the fact that the income has gone from virtually nothing in 1989 to around $19.5 million annually as of 2012. God has truly blessed this “little flock.” The fruits are there for all to see. (Gerald Flurry, Colossians: First Century Parallels, 1992, 1997, 2000, 2010, 2013, Chapter 3, p. 25. Under the heading "Hearing God's Voice".)

We know from other sources that Armstrong Auditorium cost PCG about $25 million. (Exit and Support Network.)

So PCG has plunged more then its yearly income in building this white elephant that is Armstrong Auditorium.

Why didn't PCG ministers stand up against this expenditure? Are they really so desperate to flatter Gerald Flurry?

It should be remembered that Stephen Flurry, in chapter 2 of his book Raising the Ruins, made the following statement about old WCG's Ambassador Auditorium, that it was...

Yet another legacy that was neither heavy nor burdensome.

Well, PCG's leaders have now seemed to discovered that building Armstrong Auditorium has turned out to be quite heavy and burdensome.