It was in 1994 that Gerald Flurry Labeled Iran the "King of the South"

PCG's thetrumpet.com has released an anonymous column (June 22) that, while trying to "prove" that Iran is the King of the South, states that Gerald Flurry first labeled Iran as the King of the South in 1994. Not even Gerald Flurry's booklet, The King of the South, reveals that fact.

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

This idea is total nonsense. Iran is east of what is now the State of Israel. Biblical writers viewed geography as centered upon the Holy Land. If an area is labeled "south" that means south of the Holy Land. Iran is not south of the Holy Land. It is east of it.

(Also it needs to be stated that many people have always paid close attention to Iran the whole time since its revolution in 1979. It may not have grabbed newspaper headlines in 1994 as easily as now but many people were always watching it, not least officials in the US government.)

But Gerald Flurry has simply changed this doctrine, proclaiming this to be "new revelation" that supposedly prove that God is with Gerald Flurry and no one else.

His first "new revelation" was Malachi's Message. 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.

However it must be said that this doctrine of the King of the South has changed a lot over time. First HWA labeled Ethiopia to be the King of the South in the days before World War II. He did this anticipating that Mussolini (and later he said Hitler) would be the feared European Beast Power who would conquer and enslave America and Britain. Even after the spectacular failure of this false prophecy and the fall of Mussolini and Hitler HWA continued to teach that the King of the South prophecy was fulfilled in Ethiopia.

But over time some within WCG, such as Garner Ted Armstrong and Keith Stump, speculated that a future King of the South would arise. But they usually assumed that it would be Arabs who would fulfill this role. They did not get specific and say Iran is the King of the South but it was left vague. Although HWA himself did not write of this (as far as I know), he never tried to stop such talk.

Some, on the other hand, like Dave Pack (he who falsely said the COGs would unite under him in 2013), have decided there will be no future fulfillment of the King of the South and simply say it was Ethiopia.

More on this topic may be seen in the post concerning Gerald Flurry's booklet, The King of the South.

(In this booklet Gerald Flurry predicts Christ's return as "probably within 10 or 15 years or less." He wrote that in the 2003 version and those words are still present in the current version.) 

A PCG Testimony

Exit and Support Network has released another testimony from an ex-PCG member once again showing the depravity of authoritarianism that exists within this group.

I had not been a member long when the no-contact rule started to emerge. This ruling states that anyone in a splinter group is Laodicean. Then they had some members cut off their own grown children if they were raised in the PCG and didn't come into the PCG [become a member]. From what I can gather from what I have experienced and seen and heard, it has nothing to do with "Laodiceans," only control. They are afraid of what can be found out from others that have exited and how cruel and deceitful the ministers can be.

This no contact policy within PCG has often been mentioned. According to PCG's leadership any "Laodicean" is too be shunned by PCG members.

I have not previously heard that children of PCG members reluctant to join PCG are also shunned by their parents. It is a most shameful thing that parents shun their own children just to coerce them into joining PCG.

With behavior like this it is no wonder why PCG is so widely regarded as a cult.

Reading PCG's Booklet, Ezra and Nehemiah (Part 1)

Let us now read Gerald Flurry and Dennis Leap's booklet, Ezra and Nehemiah: Building God's Temple. This booklet was first published in 1997. It was later revised in 2005. You can read the current version of this booklet on their website. That is the same version I am reading for this post.

I have been noticing lately that several of Flurry's booklets are devoted to arguing that only PCG is the legitimate continuation of HWA's WCG. He claims to have God's exclusive favor, being the only true church, as opposed to the numerous other COG splinter group formed in the aftermath of the Tkach changes. Will he and Dennis Leap say that here?

Ezra and Nehemiah discuss these events [concerning the history of the Jews' return from exile] in great detail. But few people realize that these ancient events are actually prophecies for our time. ... This booklet reveals the heavy prophetic flavor contained within the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.

In many of Flurry's booklets he insists that (insert name of Biblical book here) is all about the Tkach changes, the rise of PCG in opposition to that, PCG members get to go to the place of safety and all others are doomed to endure the Great Tribulation. Will Flurry and Leap say the same thing in this booklet?

Chapter 1

This chapter opens with Flurry discussing Hezekiah. He is portrayed as a righteous man who later fell because of his pride that the King of Babylon sent messengers to him to inquire of his health. This has already been discussed in the post concerning Flurry's booklet, Isaiah's End Time Vision (Chapter 12).

He ends that section with condemning "the Laodiceans" for not acknowledging HWA as the end time Elijah.

What is the main problem with the Laodiceans today? They do not want to face the really hard questions like—why all of these doctrinal changes? They don’t want to face the really hard question—was Herbert W. Armstrong God’s end-time Elijah? Why? Because they want to
be a part of Babylon. (p. 4.)

In fact many COGs have this teaching. As has been documented elsewhere on this blog, Flurry continuously claims that all of the Laodiceans do not teach that HWA is the end time Elijah. This is complete nonsense but that is what he says repeatedly.

Also I will add that Chapter 12 of Isaiah's End Time Vision is not present in the 2004 version of that booklet, so that section, originally appearing here in Ezra and Nehemiah, was added into Isaiah's End Time Vision after this booklet came out.

He then talks about how the Jews returned from exile and that there were prophets among them. He insists that they were talking about the Tkach changes, the rise of PCG, PCG members go to the place of safety and all others are doomed.

Most religious scholars and even Laodicean ministers teach that the minor prophets primarily contain history. They believe that the minor prophets have no great value for us today. This is radically different from what Herbert Armstrong taught. Mr. Armstrong knew—and taught—that the minor prophets contained vital prophecies for today.

The minor prophets are end-time books. “In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the Lord, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:23). This verse shows that Haggai is an end-time book. Remember, the phrase “in that day” always refers to the end time. (pp. 5-6.)

Or maybe he was talking about Zerubbabel.

Or maybe Flurry is using these words to get peoples' money.

Then (big surprise!) Flurry says the Book of Haggai is all about HWA.

The events discussed in the book of Haggai have great meaning and significance for our time now. This book in particular shows the special relationship between the second temple and Zerubbabel. It shows that there was to be an end-time Zerubbabel commissioned by God to build a glorious temple. Mr. Armstrong knew and taught the Church that he fulfilled this role in the end time. Any Laodicean minister or member who knew Mr. Armstrong and willfully denies this fact is not only deceived, but has become very corrupt—spiritually. (p. 6.)

Flurry also uses this thought to claim many of the other COG groups deny that HWA was the end time Zerubbabel.

On pages 6-7 Flurry quotes from HWA's January 20, 1964 co-worker letter. This is the same letter that Flurry quotes in his booklet Haggai: Proof of God's Work Today as discussed previously on this blog.

Flurry then goes on to say that (PCG's) God is always faithful to his promises. So you had better join PCG and pay Flurry and Co. lots of money or you will die in the Great Tribulation.

God has also made a covenant with His end-time spiritual nation—the Church. God expects us to wholeheartedly obey His commandments, statutes and judgments. God’s end-time Laodiceans have become lukewarm in their law-keeping. Terrible punishment is coming. God is using the PCG to warn them. ... Let’s now look more closely at these fascinating books of the Bible! (p. 9.)

Flurry then says it is necessary for the church's ministers to be purified.

We also see in Ezra that the true success of the temple construction project depended upon the purification of the ministry. God’s ministers, or priests, are the temple guardians. “... For the priests and the Levites were purified together, all of them were pure, and killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves. ..." (Ezra 6:19‑22). A corrupt king and priesthood led to the destruction of Solomon’s temple. A purified priesthood was necessary for the temple to be rebuilt.

Any successful temple building must begin with a pure ministry! All the priests and Levites were “purified together.” Notice that the priests were cleansed first and then the people (verse 20). God expects the ministers to keep themselves pure of heathen filthiness. And He also expects the people to keep themselves pure. When God’s people corrupt themselves, God begins their cleansing by purifying the ministry first.

When God’s ministry purifies itself, then we can be sure that we have all the power of God behind us. Anciently, when the priests and people purified themselves, God performed great miracles for them. (pp. 9-10.)

This is a bad analogy. The purification spoken of in Ezra refers to ritual purification in order for the priests to be able to approach the Temple, not purifying indoctrinating themselves to believe what HWA and Flurry taught them.

While describing the return of the Jews to Judaea Flurry and Leap condemn the frequently made assertion that many from the Kingdom of Israel that fell to Assyria in 721 B.C. also returned at that time.

Some scholars want to say that the people from the house of Israel also returned to Jerusalem at this time. This is just not true. The people who returned to Jerusalem were “children of Israel,” but they were not from the tribes of the “house of Israel.” (p. 11.)

Then why was Anna, who was mentioned in Luke, of the tribe of Asher?

Considering that scripture it is clear that many from the Kingdom of Israel probably also returned at this time. However it would appear that those people became culturally absorbed into the Jews, hence they all, collectively, became known as Jews.

Also it needs to be stated that the idea that the British and the Americans are decended from Biblical Israelites, which is called British Israelism, is completely false British Israelism, is completely false. It is total nonsense.

Also see DNArefutesBI on this topic. There is no ancestral link between White Europeans and the Jewish people. It is nonsense.

The chapter ends with these words "warning" the people in the other COG groups that they must join PCG or die.

Because of the great spiritual wealth God gave the Laodiceans, their coming captivity will end in the loss of their physical lives—for one half of them, their spiritual lives will be lost as well! There is still time to repent—but the window of opportunity is closing rapidly! (p. 12.)

Once again we see PCG's leaders crudely threatening COG members that they must join PCG or die in the Great Tribulation.

My word! That chapter was boring. Much of this I had already read in a version of Isaiah's End Time Vision and Haggai: Proof of God's Work Today. To be fair I will state that the section regarding Hezekiah's supposed fall was added in a later edition of Isaiah's End Time Vision so that was perhaps original for this booklet. I hope the rest of this booklet is not like this.

Chapter 2

Now the authors say that PCG must be united as one man by rallying around God.

God’s Philadelphia work cannot be truly successful unless there is unity—unity among the ministers—unity among the brethren—all unified together! The way we attain this level of unity is by rallying around God.

How much evil is there in division? How much rebellion is there in division? Disunity and division are harmful to all individuals involved and negatively affect the entire work. ... Being in subjection to each other requires true humility. Each member should strive to be in subjection to God’s faithful ministers. And God’s Philadelphia ministers must tirelessly serve the needs of God’s Philadelphia Church above their own. That is being in subjection one to another! (p. 13.)

So shut up and do what the PCG minister tells you to do.

But elsewhere it is taught that God only works through one man at a time, and that this one man is Gerald Flurry according to PCG, and also PCG has one man rule, the rule of Gerald Flurry. PCG's leaders say it is the rule of God, but actually it is the rule of Gerald Flurry.

 Then the authors talks about how the Jews built the altar first.

This fact may appear to be somewhat strange to us at first look. (p. 14.)

Is "first look" grammatical? I have never heard of this expression before.

The Philadelphia Church of God ministry is committed to fully support all of the doctrines established in the Church by Mr. Armstrong. This does not mean we will not come to understand new truth. A thorough study of our literature reveals that the PCG is growing significantly in its understanding of prophecies concerning the Laodicean era. (p. 15.)

The authors have just made two contradictory statements. On the one hand they claim "to fully support all of the doctrines established in the Church by Mr. Armstrong."

Then in the next breath the authors say that PCG may "come to understand new truth."

Some of these new truths have contradicted what HWA taught. For instance HWA taught that Prophet under the New Testament dispensation have no administrative authority. This is what HWA taught from 1953 till the day he died. But in 1999 Gerald Flurry proclaimed himself to be That Prophet. PCG has even altered Mystery of the Ages in order to obscure the facts surrounding what HWA really taught.

This claim that PCG is able to reveal "new truth" essentially allows PCG's leaders to alter HWA's teachings (and even his writings) at will.

We must build the PCG ministry and God’s Church on a foundation that was previously laid. We must reset the altar upon its bases. Where do we find the correct foundation? This foundation was laid by Herbert Armstrong! (p. 15.)

But as previously stated, if new truth should come along and be accepted by PCG's leaders the teachings can be changed at will.

As always the Laodiceans are threatened with the Great Tribulation unless they join PCG, pay then three tithes, attend services every Saturday, attend the Feast of Tabernacles as ordered, do whatever the PCG minister says, shun any Laodicean (even close family members), etc, etc.

The Laodiceans today are not offering according to God’s law. God is growing increasingly fed up with their religion (Malachi 2:1-3). Unless they repent, they are going to suffer Judah’s fate. (p. 16.) 

What did they do wrong?

Since Mr. Armstrong’s death, all of the Laodicean groups have rejected the restored knowledge about the government of God. They no longer believe in government from the top down. They no longer accept the fact that God leads through one man at a time. They have set up their own forms of a “committee” type of government. They no longer have God’s government. (p. 16.)

This is nonsense. Many other COG groups have one man rule, just as PCG has. (As established elsewhere "government of God" means "one-man rule".) Some of the more extreme COGs even boast that one can only be a true Christian by being in their group and no other. Why does Flurry say untrue things?

All of the Laodicean groups have rejected Mr. Armstrong as God’s end-time Elijah. (p. 17.)

Many COG groups teach that HWA was the end time Elijah. Why does Flurry say untrue things?

The Worldwide Church of God (WCG), the Global Church of God, and the United Church of God have all turned away from this revealed form of government—but they act like they still have God’s government! (p. 18.)

I find it odd that Flurry and Leap are still talking about the Global Church of God in this booklet, which was revised in 2005. One would have thought they would have updated this statement.

The authors then gave advice about how to set up PCG as a prosperous church.

The only way we can do this is through prayer, Bible study, fasting and meditation. We must carefully counsel and teach the men, women and children what God has entrusted to our care. Counseling and speaking are our first lines of contact with God’s people. These are the two main tools we have to build with. A solid temple is built through Bible-based counseling and basic sermons. Counseling and sermon preparation are the toughest parts of our jobs. (p. 20.)

That's the hardest part?

Also non-COG readers will not be aware that in the world of the COGs "counseling" is when a minister gives advice which is expected to be followed. Alas, very often this has been used to treat people in an exploitative and distressing manner.

Then the authors talk about what PCG members need to do to produce a great church.

You as a PCG member must strive to be the best member you can be, just as each of our ministers must strive to be the best minister he can be. Your approach to your spiritual life determines whether you are a cedar tree or a pine. A craftsman is only as good as the quality of the material he works with. Inferior building materials produce weak structures. PCG members must dedicate themselves to becoming the very best spiritual material. (p. 21.)

And how is that done?

The way we ensure that we are of the highest quality spiritual material is through obedience to God’s law and government. (p. 21.)

In other words, do as you are told. Do not ask questions. Do not let conscience be your guide. Leave your brains at the door.

Chapter 3

In this chapter the authors begin by stating that PCG's ministers must use God's government and create a haven of holiness for PCG members.

Then the authors say this.

God’s ministers must also learn to detect enemies of the work. ... The true but sad history of God’s Church has always been that some people in our midst are actually enemies, feigning a cloak of fellowship, with the sole intent of destroying the work. As builders of God’s temple, we must grasp this reality. ... we must be ever watchful of “adversaries.” God does not expect us to seek fellowship with all people that profess to be “seeking God.” (pp. 24-5.)

PCG's ministers are scared that "enemies" will arise within PCG?

What paranoid madness!

God uses men to do His work on this Earth. So does Satan the devil. He will plant people within our congregations to disrupt, harm and destroy the work of God. It generally does not take long to determine who should fellowship with us and who should not. Eventually, some people’s true motives come to light. (p. 25.)

My word! Flurry and Leap are paranoid. Or at least that is how they portray themselves.

Flurry and Leap then mock the other COG groups and accuse them of relaxing.

The word weakened in Hebrew means “to relax” or “to lose courage” ... . That is exactly what Satan wants all of God’s people to do—relax! Look at what Satan has done to the Laodiceans. They are doing a great job of relaxing. They have also lost courage in guarding true doctrine. (p. 25-6.)

In fact many of the other COG groups continue to believe most of HWA's doctrines. It is inaccurate for Flurry and Leap to accuse them of relaxing. It is impossible to believe all of his doctrines because he made many false predictions and he even went back and forth on several issues so no one believes everything he taught. Why do Flurry and Leap say untrue things?

God’s ministers must make sure that all members of the local congregations are striving to live by Church doctrine and obey God’s laws. God’s true Church has always had its enemies. History shows that our adversaries have always tried to work from within our own ranks. We must maintain a careful, spiritual watch over our flocks. (p. 26.)

Wow. Flurry and Leap must really want PCG members to keep paying their three tithes and extra offerings.

After that he then appeals to the example of HWA to further justify this behavior to take care and "enemies" and "adversaries".

As Flurry and Leap are fear mongering about coming crises to hit PCG. To support this alarmist fear mongering the authors quote a newspaper ad from 1994. 

The Milwaukee Journal published the following ad for a powerful religious organization in its Parade magazine on April 17, 1994: (p. 26.)

The ad is then quoted at length ending with these words.

“You might like to read something about Bible interpretation. Write for our free pamphlet Some Bible Beliefs Have to be Wrong” (emphasis mine).

This ad is a sign of things to come. It probably shows that our message is being heard by these people. Could the officials of this religious organization be watching our Key of David broadcast closely? If they are, they’re very unhappy with our message.

What are Flurry and Leap talking about? Well, turns out that Some Bible Beliefs Have to be Wrong is actually a Catholic pamphlet criticizing some of the heresies of the Jehovah's Witnesses. It was produced by the Knights of Columbus in 1963.

So it seems more likely that these Catholics are trying to warn people about the errors of the Jehovah's Witnesses. At least that is what they are advertizing.

Also running a newspaper advertizement is not persecution and it is not that much a crisis. Unless you are worried that a lot of people may stop paying you money. It is quite likely a large share of income is from non-PCG members. That was certainly the case in HWA's WCG before the receivership crisis. That is one reason why the receivership occurred, the initiators of the lawsuit wanted to reach out to non-WCG member co-workers and reveal that there were severe problems regarding how finances were managed.

We may not be the high and mighty of this world. We may not be the well-known of the WCG. We may not be evangelists—but we do have credentials. We are God’s servants. We have God’s backing. We get our authority from Almighty God! (pp. 29-30.)

Flurry often feels the need to explain away why no prominent WCG leader chose to join PCG. When PCG started up the prominent leaders of WCG chose not to follow him. As far as I know aside from Gerald Flurry and John Amos no other WCG minister joined PCG. Those who had personally worked with HWA himself were not impressed with PCG and did not join. This should have been obvious to Flurry because he was just another WCG minister.

Instead quite a few ministers left WCG and started up or joined rival COG groups. Flurry must have hated that his claim to be the only legitimate successor to HWA should be weakened in this way. He would have hated seeing all those potential converts join other COG groups and thus not paying PCG any money.

Alas, in 2000 he, through M. Nash, ordered PCG members to shun the members of rival COG groups. Instead of being satisfied that he created one of the major COG splinter groups he jealously wanted it all and instructed PCG members to shun the members of other COG groups.

When the PCG made its humble entrance on the scene in 1989, many said we would not last five months. We were not intimidated! After completing our first year, someone said we were a peanut shell on a big ocean going nowhere. We continued working for God! Now, with more than 15 years in operation—now, after broadcasting on over 80 television stations—now, after growing to over 300,000 in our Philadelphia Trumpet subscription—we don’t hear many comments like those listed above. (p. 31.)

Who are the many who said PCG would not last five months? Who said they were like a peanut shell? Was it Meredith?

So The Philadelphia Trumpet has 300,000 subscribers he reveals. Is it still like that?

Today, people often ask, “Where does Mr. Flurry get his authority? Where does Mr. Flurry and the PCG get the authority to rebuild a temple? [He actually means a church here.] ” ... The documents authorizing the PCG and our work are the writings of Herbert W. Armstrong. The PCG is the only church that holds onto all of what Christ established in the Church through Mr. Armstrong. No other church associating itself with the name of Herbert Armstrong can truthfully make that claim! (p. 30.)

PCG cannot truthfully make that claim. They have changed numerous doctrines of HWA and even altered his writings for their convenience. Herbert W. Armstrong said New Testament prophets had no administrative authority, even writing this in Mystery of the Ages. That is what HWA taught from 1953 till the day of his death. Gerald Flurry says he is That Prophet and uses this title to justify his rule over PCG. To keep Flurry happy PCG's leaders simply altered HWA's writings. They have made at least two other alterations to his writings as well.

The facts surrounding the beginning of the Philadelphia Church of God are not only exciting, they are unique to modern-day, true Church history. No minister had ever been fired, prior to December 7, 1989, for fully supporting Mr. Armstrong! (p. 30.)

How can anyone "fully support... Mr. Armstrong"? HWA went back and forth on several issues and he made many false prophesies. How can these be supported?

HWA predicted Christ would return in 1936, then the end of World War II, then 1975, then he predicted Christ would return by 2005 in his last book, Mystery of the Ages. These false prophesies have all failed. How can HWA be fully supported on these issues? Is it right in God's eyes to support error?

HWA said (1) makeup was fine and proper, then (2) he said it was sinful, then (3) HWA allowed it again, then (4) HWA pretended to never know about it being allowed again in order to get his second wife to divorce him and banned it again. You must decide he was wrong at some point and right at another point. How can HWA be fully supported? Is it right in God's eyes to support error? (Flurry has decided HWA was right to ban makeup and has continued to impose this makeup ban.)

Also notice how Flurry and Leap give no acknowledgement whatsoever to Jules Dervaes. It needs to be stated 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. Flurry has been able to do so many things because of what he took from Dervaes' writings and Dervaes is treated as though he does not exist. His (unintended) vital contribution to establishing PCG is simply ignored.

I am impressed with how cult-like this statement is. This statement is perfectly designed to discredit every other COG group and to "prove" that one must obey Gerald Flurry and do what he says, even if it means shunning family and friends or paying three tithes and extra offerings. All the ministers who were fired by HWA under his watch are simply discredited for defying HWA. Even if HWA later did as the disfellowshipped minister wanted he got no credit for his foresight but was cruelly treated as a non-person not worth mentioning and Gerald Flurry continues with ignoring such people. 

Also did any of the other ministers who were fired from WCG alter HWA's writings?

And so chapter 3 comes to an end.

This was always going to take awhile so I shall end this post here and continue with Chapter 4 and onwards in a future post.

To be continued...

(Update: June 24, 2014: The rest of this booklet is discussed in Part 2 and Part 3 of this discussion.)

LCG's "Pre-engagement Counseling"

This is from LCG's June 9, 2005 Weekly Update.

Pre-engagement Counseling Dr. Jeff Fall presented an excellent lecture on pre-engagement counseling at our recent Pastor’s Conference. Here is a summary of his main points: The Church has historically suggested premarital counseling for all couples considering marriage. The intended purpose has always been to help couples themselves better determine if they are "right for each other" in God's sight and to increase their opportunity for success in a potential marriage. Regrettably, in all too many cases, once a couple is engaged, the couple's focus is finished with evaluating their relationship and whether or not they are right for each other. Because their main concern is now on planning the wedding, they are far less evaluative of their relationship. Counseling can readily be simply an afterthought. Pre-engagement counseling makes far more sense. The couple may be dating seriously but they have not publicly committed to marriage in an engagement and they are much more open to honestly evaluating themselves as potential marriage partners. This, in turn, gives much more opportunity for God to guide their decision-making. To better serve our membership in these critical decisions, the Church requests that all couples considering marriage seek pre-engagement counseling from the ministry before any formal engagement.

What is the result of such policies?

With rules like this being imposed upon LCG members it is no wonder that horror stories like this have occurred. Here is one testimony from a former Living University student. This testimony has been mentioned in a previous post.

I began to become more and more concerned with the way I was being treated and the way in which my girlfriend [in LCG] was expected to act and react and interact. I was told to ignore her completely, told not to talk to her, to avoid sitting next to her. We both thought we were doing the right thing but it doesn't change how miserable I made her feel. It doesn't change that people in the future will still be subjected to such abuse quite frankly under the guise of a minister telling you "God" wills it and that He is testing you. I am sorry for the way I let people manipulate me into treating her that way. I was always told "wrong time," it's "not God's will." In reality the idea was that I needed to be indoctrinated properly, to dedicate my life to the group (through baptism) then be "a useful tool in God's hands" so that they would have assurance I would pledge total allegiance, lifelong loyalty and service to their group and place it before anything else. Although, of course, that's not what is said. You're told it's "the one true God" you're worshipping. My girlfriend became a threat to my potential "to be used", because if I came to Living University, fell in love with her, left and got married (even if we remained in the group) what an awful waste that would be of a perfectly good potential minister. We're always told there's a shortage of young men.

The reason LCG's ministers keep interfering in the romantic lives of their members is because LCG is a cult.

Alas, COG ministers have had a long history of interfering in romantic relationships starting with HWA himself. Many veteran COG ministers bear the shame of participating in the imposition of HWA's divorce and remarriage rules until 1974. Many marriages were arbitrarily dissolved following bizarre rules set by HWA regarding what marriages were legitimate or not.

Roderick C. Meredith bears a lot of responsibility for this. He was the man HWA appointed to impose this draconian abomination upon Radio/Worldwide Church of God members. And when HWA finally was persuaded to abandon this monstrosity Meredith was one of the last who gave up on this monstrous doctrine.

One would think that with this shameful history that COG ministers bear that LCG ministers would have some sense of shame about these things, but clearly this pattern of abuse seems to be alive and well within LCG.

LCG's John Ogwyn Lied about Herbert Armstrong

If anyone is interested you can buy the late John Ogwyn's writings for the Amazon Kindle. Here is the first in the series, "Proof of the Bible". It was released for the Kindle on October 29, 2013. It appears to be the transcript of a "Bible Study" he gave on July 21, 1987.

There are ninety-one such "Bible Studies" by John Ogwyn available for sale for the Amazon Kindle. However if you look hard enough you can still find these writings viewable on the Internet. They are still online on the Internet.

I pity anyone who would pay money to buy his writings because John Ogwyn was a shameless deceiver. Look at what he wrote for the first issue of LCG's recruitment magazine, Tomorrow's World, in 1999.

It was an understanding of [biblical] prophecies that led Herbert W. Armstrong, our predecessor in this Work of God, to write in the April 1952 Plain Truth [he actually meant Good News here], at a time when the Russian boot seemed permanently planted on eastern Europe, that East Germany would be reunited with West Germany and that Russia would "be forced to relinquish her control over Hungary, Czechoslovakia and parts of Austria" (p. 16). (John Ogwyn, 'NATO at 50--Historic Past, Hopeful Future?', Tomorrow's World, May-June 1999, p. 11.)

Very deceptively there is no mention of the fact that HWA taught that Christ would very soon return. From 1953 onwards HWA taught that Christ would return in 1975. One would never know HWA made such false prophesies reading John Ogwyn.

The fact that HWA made such false prophesies prove that HWA was a false prophet. The Holy Bible itself stands as a witness that HWA is a false prophet and commands Christians to pay no heed to such persons as HWA.

When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him. (Deuteronomy 18:22.)

By continuing to claim HWA was a servant of God John Ogwyn violated this command of God and was therefore in a state of rebellion against God on this matter.

In case anyone suspects this is another man observe these words from the preview for this "Bible Study", Bible Study #97, Book of Revelation Series - Revelation 11-13. Here John Ogwyn mentions his booklet, The Beast of Revelation, and is boasting of its continuity with HWA's teachings. He is comparing the chart in his booklet, The Beast of Revelation, with older charts HWA came up with in pre-World War II issues of The Plain Truth.

There was one difference, and I will show you exactly what it was. If you will go to the far right hand side, it says, "Italy and Germany ending in the HitlerMussolini Axis 1870-1945." See that? The only difference in the original chart was the fact it said, "Italy, united by Garibaldi, 1870-[blank]" because it was 1937 or 1938 and 1945 hadn't gotten here yet. Mr. Armstrong didn't know the date would be 1945. He didn't know what date to put in there, but that was the only difference.

Of course HWA did not know that Mussolini's fascist regime would end in 1945. Actually HWA taught that Mussolini would conquer the United States and gather his forces to fight Christ at the second coming. Later HWA changed this teaching to say Hitler would do these things. But none of that is mentioned by John Ogwyn.

Also HWA taught that Mussolini would be the Beast who would conquer America. For a long time HWA taught that Mussolini was the real mastermind puppet master behind Hitler. It took a long time for HWA to catch up with the rest of the world and see it was Hitler who was the source of the turmoil in Europe, not Mussolini as he so confidently claimed.

John Ogwyn admits that "Mr. Armstrong didn't know the date would be 1945." But HWA's errors were far worst then Ogwyn lets on here. HWA was completely wrong about many things.  These facts prove HWA was a false prophet.

John Ogwyn also notes how as an Ambassador College student he was able to read many of the oldest issues of The Plain Truth. He avoids mentions the numerous false prophesies he made in those days. Those false predictions prove HWA had no special access to God's secret knowledge as he claimed.

At the time he gave that talk it would have been fairly difficult to read such materials. Thankfully the old issues of The Plain Truth are now freely available on the Internet and they reveal the great errors HWA taught in those days.

John Ogwyn graduated from the unaccredited Ambassador College in 1971. He worked as a minister in HWA's WCG, then the Global Church of God after Meredith left Tkach's WCG, and after the schism within GCG erupted as a power struggle between Meredith and a Board he felt was insufficiently subservient to him Ogwyn chose to throw in his lot with Meredith.

Alas, he is no longer alive. He died on June 14, 2005, shortly after Pentecost, of MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). His death is discussed in the July-August 2005 issue of Living Church News.

(While looking through the website of a certain self ordained false prophet, namely Bob Thiel, I learned that John Ogwyn's funeral was also blighted by near tragedy. While returning from the funeral another LCG minister, Glen Gilchrist, was repeatedly bitten by a spider and from this contracted the same infection that killed John Ogwyn. Thankfully he survived. However he has himself since passed on recently.)

I am not going to speculate over why John Ogwyn's writings have now been released in this manner. I will not comment about the people who have released these writings. But people deserve to know the truth about what John Ogwyn wrote and that he wrote in a highly misleading manner about HWA.

John Ogwyn deceived people about HWA. And I was one of those people. It was eight years before I woke up that HWA was not a man sent by God. 

John Ogwyn even insinuated that Christ would return by 2017. That was the message of one of his "lessons" in the so-called "Bible Study Course" that LCG supplied to me. It was in Lesson 2 that this fear inducing "lesson" was placed in. Very likely LCG has since altered that false and deceptive speculation from that indoctrination course.

John Ogwyn has been discussed elsewhere on this blog.

A Lie that Tricked Me discusses how he deceptively claimed HWA miraculously foresaw world events back in the 1950s. There is no mention of the fact that from 1953 onwards HWA claimed that Christ would return in 1975.

Notes on LCG's Beast of Revelation discusses how John Ogwyn mimics HWA's charts in his booklet, The Beast of Revelation. Indeed they are quite similar. It is also highly deceptive in claiming that

LCG's John Ogwyn's Failed Prophecy on Iraq discusses one column he wrote in 2003 speculating that Iraq would splinter apart into nation states divided by the Euphrates river. Nothing in the current crisis in Iraq prove that it will splinter apart in that particular way.

HWA and Polycarp discuss how John Ogwyn misleadingly taught that Polycarp was a true Christian but Ignatius of Antioch was part of the alleged apostasy that created what later became the Roman Catholic Church. In fact Polycarp spoke of Ignatius with high regard, and Ignatius also spoke of Polycarp with great respect. This is clearly seen in their writings. Polycarp and Ignatius were of one accord, not bitter rivals as John Ogwyn ignorantly claimed.

How LCG's John Ogwyn Discusses the Stanley Rader Era shows how he tends to gloss over why there was so much turmoil within WCG in the 1970s.

The Receivership LCG's John Ogwyn Barely Mentions discusses how he skirted away from the serious issues surrounding the receivership crisis.

xHWA on Armstrongism's Distorted Dogmas of History shows that, alas, this dishonest approach to COG history is very widespread within the COGs.

Anyone spending money on the highly biased and very misleading writings of John Ogwyn is wasting their money. Why waste money on the writings of a man who had so little regard for what really happened?

Reading PCG's Booklet, God is a Family

Let us now take a look at Stephen Flurry's booklet, God is a Family. Stephen Flurry went to work with his father in setting up the Philadelphia Church of God after his father was fired from Tkach's WCG. Stephen Flurry quickly rose up the ranks within PCG. In 1995 his first booklet for PCG, God is a Family, was published. This booklet teaches HWA's dogma of the God Family. This booklet has since been revised in 1999, 2004 and 2010. You can read the current version of this booklet on their website. However for this post I am going through the 2004 version, which appears to be very similar to the current version.

This booklet teaches that God is a family of divine beings presently composed of God the Father and God the Son but at the return of Christ church members will be born into the God Family and become God beings as fully divine as God the Father and God the Son. The Holy Spirit is reduced to some sort of impersonal force of God.

We now begin.

Chapter 1

Remember this particular point made by Mr. Armstrong, because it is crucial in disproving what the WCG is now teaching about the Family of God. The Word was made the Son of God when He was begotten by God of the virgin Mary and later resurrected as the firstborn Son of God. Prior to that time, He was not the Son of God, nor was there in all actuality a Family of God—yet! Again, John 1:14 says that when the Word was made flesh, He was “begotten of the Father.” The Word became the Son! (pp. 2-3.)

Apparently even with two members of this God Family it did not really count as a family. Yes, Stephen Flurry, that makes a lot a sense. So we now learn somehow there was no God Family in the beginning. I did not expect to read that from Stephen Flurry.

Now I am aware that in Mystery of the Ages HWA taught that Christ was the Word at first but only after being conceived in the womb of the virgin Mary did he become the Son. But I cannot recall HWA claiming that this meant there was no God Family before Christ's conception. I cannot recall HWA saying that because the Word was not yet the Son that the two two present God beings cannot be called the God Family. 

Mr. Armstrong went on to explain how God is now a family consisting of God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son. Mr. Armstrong, however, did not say the word Elohim technically meant the “God Family,” because as we have already pointed out, there was no family until Jesus Christ was begotten of God and became the Son. (p. 3.)

I will say again that I cannot recall HWA ever saying that God was not a Family until Christ was conceived in the womb of the virgin Mary. HWA did say Christ did not become the Son until then, but I cannot recall ever reading that it is wrong to call them the God Family until after the conception. At present I cannot believe Stephen Flurry's contention. I do not believe that is what HWA taught.

In this chapter Stephen Flurry criticizes an article by Dr. K. J. Stavrinides that condemns the God Family doctrine.

Dr. K. J. Stavrinides, a WCG scholar, wrote an article in the August 3, 1993, Worldwide News titled, “Does Elohim Refer to a Family of Divine Beings?” In the conclusion of the article, Dr. Stavrinides says, “The attempt to make elohim reflect a family of divine beings is not only impossible historically, linguistically and culturally; it is theologically wrong, and inappropriate in the discussion of the true God.” (pp. 3-4.)

This article is often mentioned in this chapter. Even when explaining the God Family doctrine PCG's leaders make sure to incite the widespread anger and resentment against the Tkach changes among those who continue to believe most of HWA's teachings.

In contrast when I first learned of the God Family doctrine by reading Roderick C. Meredith's booklet, Your Ultimate Destiny, he never directly discussed the Tkach changes there. Actually LCG's recruitment writings rarely mention the Tkach changes but simply present HWA's dogmas.

We have already read Romans 8:29 where it says Jesus Christ was the “firstborn among many brethren.” Christ was first. Many brethren are to follow after Him. The Greek word for “brethren” is adelphos. That word is used frequently throughout the New Testament. Thayer’s Lexicon says this about its usage in Romans 8:29: “Christians, as those who are destined to be exalted to the same heavenly [glory] … which he [Christ] enjoys.” Christ was born as a Son by a resurrection from the dead (Romans 1:4; Colossians 1:18). And we will be born as sons by that same process! God is a family! (p. 10.)

HWA's God Family dogma is so easily proven that Stephen Flurry has to use a 'worldly' commentary (that does not believe in the God Family doctrine at all) to prove it. He has to twist the Thayer's Lexicon's words and make it appear as though it support HWA's dogma. I have no doubt that if one approached the author of those words they would most strenuously deny the meaning Stephen Flurry implies here. Thayer's Lexicon does not teach the God Family doctrine, despite what Stephen Flurry implies here.

We are children and joint-heirs with Christ, due to inherit what He did, if we remain faithful. Paul concludes the verse by saying we will be “glorified together.” Concerning that word glorified, Thayer’s Lexicon says, “to be exalted to the same glory to which Christ has been raised.” How plain! God is a family into which we have an opportunity to be born! (p. 11.)

The authors of Thayer's Lexicon would object that their words are being used in this manner. Their words are being twisted to lend support to HWA's teaching. If Stephen Flurry can play so fast and loose with the Thayer's Lexicon why should anyone trust what he has to say?

What is the Thayer's Lexicon that Stephen Flurry inaccurately appeals to? It was written by one Joseph Henry Thayer (1828-1901). Who was he?

He studied at the Boston Latin School, and graduated from Harvard in 1850. Subsequently he studied theology at the Harvard Divinity School, and graduated from Andover Theological Seminary in 1857.

He served as a minister in Quincy, in 1859–64 in Salem, Massachusetts, and in 1862–63 was chaplain of the 40th Massachusetts Volunteers during the US Civil War. He was professor of sacred literature at Andover Seminary in 1864–82, and in 1884 succeeded Ezra Abbot as Bussey professor of New Testament criticism in the Harvard Divinity School. He died soon after his resignation from the Bussey professorship. (Wikipedia.)

Or, in COG jargon, Thayer was a Sunday keeping, false Christian, who possessed the mark of the Beast by observing Sunday, the type of "professing Christian" that the COGs love to belittle and condemn as blind heretics.

Furthermore Thayer served as a chaplain for Union soldiers during the American Civil War. This contradicts HWA's teaching forbidding service in the army. He is far removed from what HWA and the Flurrys would call a "true Christian".

Thayer never taught the God Family doctrine. Why does Stephen Flurry pretend as though he did?

I will say again, Joseph Henry Thayer would be absolutely horrified that his words are being twisted to appear as though he supports the God Family doctrine. He never believed in it or taught it.

Where did the Trinity doctrine come from? Stephen Flurry says it came from Satan.

The Trinity doctrine doesn’t include any of us because it limits God to three. Satan can’t be in the God Family. He doesn’t want man to be there either. So he inspired the Trinity doctrine, which teaches a closed Godhead. (p. 11.)

What a mature and reasoned way to settle an argument. Just say, Satan did it!

Is that how he settles all arguments? Is that how he solves problems among disaffected PCG members? Is that what he says to any PCG member unhappy at any injustice such a person would see within PCG?

Chapter 2

In this chapter Stephen Flurry presents seven supposed proofs that supposedly prove that the Holy Spirit is just an impersonal force and not a personal being as is taught in most Christian churches.

Considering how he tried to portray Thayer's Lexicon as saying things it does not I find it very hard to take his words at face value.

It is also worth considering that even as early as 1995, when this booklet was first published, Gerald Flurry was boasting that PCG had an "annual income" in "the 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.) 

This was done largely by continuing to teach much of what HWA taught, including his anti-trinitarianism. It is no wonder that Stephen Flurry is highly motivated to alienate the reader from Trinitarian churches so that they are more likely to join PCG and pay three tithes and extra offerings, which Stephen Flurry lives off of. How can Stephen Flurry be taken seriously? 

It should also be stated here that many of the ideas within Malachi's Message, which PCG teach to be the Little Book of Revelation 10, 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.

Within this chapter Stephen Flurry tries to explain away Matthew 28:19 and weakly insist those words do not support the doctrine of the Trinity.

Another scripture many trinitarians use to “prove” the Trinity is Matthew 28:19: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy [Spirit].” The fact that the first two mentioned, God the Father and Jesus Christ, are two separate Beings does not make the Holy Spirit a separate being also.

If we understood the first two points covered in this chapter, this verse becomes quite plain. We are reconciled to God by the death of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:10). God the Father brings us to and grants us repentance (Romans 2:4). After repentance, we are to be baptized (Acts 2:38). It is after baptism that God gives us His Spirit. It is the Spirit that actually begets us as sons of God (Romans 8:9, 14, 16-17). As the begetting agent that comes from God, the Holy Spirit then is the earnest, or down payment, of our salvation (Ephesians 1:14; Romans 8:16). That is why we are baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. (p. 23.)

But none of those words explain why if the Holy Spirit is not a being like the Father and the Son why is it that Jesus Christ speaks of the Holy Spirit as though He is equal to the Father and the Son. If the Holy Spirit is not a personal being Matthew 28:19 makes very little sense. One would think if the Holy Spirit was just a thing then Jesus Christ would speak of "it" as such in Matthew 28:19.

I will state here that in my opinion no one in the COGs has ever convincingly explained away Matthew 28:19 to prove that it does not support the doctrine of the Trinity.

Also Stephen Flurry never mentions Acts 5:3-4 though.

But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? ... why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. (Acts 5:3-4.)

How can one lie to a thing?

(I am indebted to George Mather and Larry Nichols' book, Discovering the Plain Truth, for that insight.)

He ends the booklet with these words.

Christ said, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). If it’s truth, you can be sure you will be able to understand it. God’s truth is not delivered obscurely while surrounded by a cloud of mystery like the Trinity doctrine. Once God’s truth is revealed, you will be able to prove it. God is a family. Mr. Armstrong not only said God is a family, he proved it. And so can you. (p. 24.)

I will say again, if the God Family is so easily provable why does Stephen Flurry twist the words of Thayer's Lexicon to inaccurately pretend that it supports this idea when Joseph Henry Thayer never supposed this idea?


Actually the idea of the God Family has no scriptural support whatsoever.

Isaiah 42:8: "I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images."

Isaiah 43:10: "Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me."

Isaiah 44:6: "Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts: I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God..."

Isaiah 44:8: "Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any." (From Mike of Mike's Enlightenment Page.)

I would also like to share these words from Felix Taylor, Jr.

Many years I have took in and on out the library (and I have personally now on photostat), The Armstrong Empire written by [the late] Joseph Martin Hopkins and he too disproved the God Family doctrine. At age 21, I started to begin to take what he wrote seriously.

Here is an excerpt from the book on page 104, "Armstrong caricutures the Trinity as sitting loftilly in condescending disdain of lowly humanity. In doing so he brushes aside clear scriptural teaching about the nature of God and the nature of man, and the contrast between the two. ... The purging of Isaiah's sin [in Isaiah 6], symbolized by the touching of his lips with a live coal from the alter, by no means gave him the illusion that he had been elevated to the level of deity. the goodness attainable by regenerated human beings stand in stark contrast to the glory of the Holy One; and Isaiah was moved to observe that not our evil but "our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment" (64:6). "O Lord." he acknowledged, "thou art our Father; we are the clay, and thou art our potter; we are all the work of thy hand (64:8)."

Here is the nail in the coffin of my belief in the God Family doctrine in my study in 1991. Continuing on page 104, "The vision of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21 goes completely against the doctrine that men can become God. The Apostle John describes,

A great voice from the throne saying, "Behond, the dwelling of God is with me. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God Himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death sall be no more...for the former things have passed away"(vv.3-4)

Far from being identified with God as God, the redeemed are described as being in fellowship with God while at the same time remaining distinct and seperate beings. Verse seven promise that "He who conquers shall have this heritage, and I will be HIS GOD and he shall be MY SON"--a flat contradiction of the teaching that the destiny of the faithful is to be God."

HWA's God Family doctrine is nonsense. Stephen Flurry is preaching nonsense in this booklet.

The God Family doctrine has been discussed elsewhere on this blog.

The God Family discusses how I first learned of this doctrine and how Roderick C. Meredith claim it was 'revealed' to HWA's group.

A Problem in the God Family Doctrine discusses how HWA taught that humanity was simply Plan B for God. According to HWA God originally intended to have Angels govern the Universe but Lucifer's rebellion forced God to create Humanity instead. This aspect of HWA's God Family doctrine is never discussed in Stephen Flurry's booklet.

Called to the Truth? Will all in the God kingdom be Equal? discusses how the COGs teach that those who become God Beings at the return of Christ will be superior in rank then all other people who become God Beings afterwards, even though all are supposedly as fully God as God is God. The COGs nevertheless teach that there will be ranks and that the God Family will be divided into an elite (the deified church) while the rest will be inferior in rank. This aspect of the God Family doctrine is never discussed in Stephen Flurry's booklet.

Part 2 of Reading PCG's Booklet, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

Let us now continue to look through Wayne Turgeon and Gerald Flurry's booklet, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. This booklet was first printed in 1995. It was later revised in 2001, 2005, 2008 and 2013. Here I am reading through the 2005 version. Last time I only read Chapter 1 as that was the only chapter written by Gerald Flurry. The rest was written by his son-in-law Wayne Turgeon. You can read the current version of this booklet on their website. However I am reading through the 2005 version of this booklet for this post.

We continue from Part 1 which covered Chapter 1.

Chapter 2

In this chapter Turgeon asserts that cataclysmic wars barely conceivable to the human mind are just about to occur. We are in the end of the end time!, he blares out in this booklet. 

Though Christ was addressing His disciples then, He had a much larger audience in mind—the multiple billions who inhabit this Earth today—at the end of the end time. (p. 15.)

It is now nineteen years since this booklet was first released. Nine years since this version of this booklet was printed.

Turgeon talks about wars. He injects a lot of fear inducing talks about nuclear war, nuclear winter,the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Today, the independent Soviet states still have a similar destructive potential. Between America and the former Soviet Union, there is over 700 times the destructive power of all the bombs dropped by the Allies on Germany and Japan in World War II. (pp. 18-19.)

This statement is still present on page 18 of the current 2013 version of this booklet. This is a curiously inaccurate statement. Shortly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union the other newly independent republics agreed to hand over all their nuclear weapons to Russia. That is one reason why Russia was not afraid to annex the Crimea from Ukraine.

Here is one intriguing article that discusses how Kazakhstan give up its nuclear weapons from Eurasianet.org, Why Did Kazakhstan Give Up Its Nukes?, written by Joseph Kucera in 2013.

When Kazakhstan became independent 22 years ago and inherited some of the Soviet Union's nuclear weapons, it decided to give them up. If you follow Kazakhstan at all, you know this because Kazakhstan's government doesn't waste a single opportunity to mention the fact.

Kazakhstan has made its status as one of the few governments to ever give up nuclear weapons the centerpiece of its efforts to position itself as a responsible member of the global community. It has started the anti-nuclear weapons testing group The Atom Project, and hosted international diplomatic negotiations on Iran's nuclear program.

Kazakhstan, of course, not only hosted Soviet nuclear weapons but was the site of Soviet nuclear weapons testing, with devastating consequences for the long-term health of Kazakhstan's people. In the narrative that Kazakhstan has constructed since then, it was the searing experience of being subject to nuclear tests that made Kazakhstan give up its nukes.

Why is Turgeon so badly informed about such matters? Why is it that even in the current 2013 version of this booklet contains this woefully outdated information? Why do PCG's leaders continue to allow these words to misinform readers? This is especially bizarre since he is in a group that devotes so much resources to "watching" world events.

After that astounding error Turgeon talks about how these future wars will worse then anything you know.

With a little imagination, we can see that John is not just speaking of conventional warfare, but mainly radiation sickness, the effects of germ warfare and other modern weapons. (p. 21.)

No wonder so many PCG members are so fearful of the future. No wonder they are willing to throw away so much money to them in order to save themselves from the dire "prophesies" of people who follow a man who said Christ would return in 1975.

But Jesus Christ said it will happen! The Bible even reveals what percentage will die! Notice the “kill ratio” foretold about 1,900 years ago. “And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths” (Revelation 9:17-18). We could speculate on the exact particulars of nuclear weapons and radiation fallout, but the end result will be the same—one third of all humanity will die! (p. 22.)

Strange. I thought that Scripture referred to the sixth trumpet, not the second seal. This booklet is advertized as being about the four horsemen of the Apocalypse who are symbolized by the first four seals. Yet here Turgeon is talking about the sixth trumpet instead.

After that Turgeon talks about how end time events supposedly will culminate with the forces of the revived Holy Roman Empire assembling their forces together in the Holy Land only to be destroyed by the returning Christ. He then says only after that will the world truly know peace.

Meanwhile, a resurrected Holy Roman Empire (the abomination of desolation) will destroy anyone in its path caught unawares. Only a small remnant will escape. The majority, including God’s lukewarm Laodicean Church, will be slaughtered or enslaved in the Great Tribulation. Those who escape will be the ones who warn today in the tradition of the endtime Elijah, Herbert W. Armstrong (Ezekiel 3 and 33). We have no choice but to warn those we love. (p. 25.)

This paragraph captures so much of PCG's distinctive worldview.

When Turgeon writes of "a small remnant" he really means PCG members. One of PCG's promises is that anyone who joins them will be saved from the Great Tribulation. However this fear of the Great Tribulation seems to be often used to keep PCG members subservient to PCG's leaders regardless of their true feelings.Also one of the many requirements of PCG members is to pay three tithes and extra offerings. The PCG members are told that if they are not in PCG then they shall be cast into the Great Tribulation and that is one reason why they remain in PCG despite the problems in there.

Also to link these doom and gloom prophesies with a demand to WCG members to repent by joining PCG, which Gerald Flurry has been constantly preaching since publishing Malachi's Message, is Gerald Flurry's distinct twist to PCG's teachings compared to what was taught in HWA's WCG.

It needs to be stated 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.

Also Gerald Flurry uses teaches that HWA was the end time Elijah. He uses this doctrine to discredit the other COG groups. He often claims that no other COG groups teach that HWA is the end time Elijah. This is not true at all. Many within the COGs happen to share this belief. Despite this fact Flurry has made this deceptive claim again and again. He even made this claim earlier in this very booklet.

None of the Laodiceans today recognize Mr. Armstrong as this end-time Elijah. And it is to their own shame! (p. 6.)

Gerald Flurry has made this most deceptive claim again and again.

Again, none of the Laodiceans believe Mr. Armstrong was the end-time Elijah. That is why they are blind to the real meaning of 2 Thessalonians 2! (Gerald Flurry, The Little Book, 1995 version, p. 19. Page 18 in the current version.)

They all agreed that the first-century Elijah was John the Baptist. Today all of the Laodicean churches of God reject Mr. Armstrong as the end-time Elijah. They all reject the government Christ taught through him. (Gerald Flurry, From the Beginning, 1996, 2001, p. 51.)

All of the Laodicean groups reject Mr. Armstrong as the end-time Zerubbabel or Elijah because they first rejected God’s government! And since God’s government is based on His law, they have caused the members to stumble at God’s law! (Gerald Flurry, Haggai: Proof of God's Work Today, 2005 version, p. 7.)

All of the Laodiceans reject Mr. Armstrong as fulfilling this end-time Elijah role! (Gerald Flurry, Isaiah's End-Time Vision, 2013 version, p. 102.)

Why does Flurry say untrue things? Over and over again.

Also Turgeon calls upon PCG members to "warn those we love." Tragically PCG's leaders have ordered PCG members to have no contact with the members of WCG or any other COG group, the so-called Laodiceans. PCG's leaders have claimed that they are merely trying to warn the Laodiceans by doing this. That is nonsense. PCG's leaders are simply trying to control PCG members in a most frightful way. PCG's leaders are deathly afraid that PCG members will come in contact with other COG groups and leave them. It is possible that Turgeon's words were written before 2000 so originally they might have had nothing to do with PCG's no contact policy. But now those words are very likely used by PCG ministers to justify this most wicked and cruel no contact policy.

Chapter 3

Here Wayne Turgeon fantasizes about the severe famines that supposedly is just about to occur because of PCG's God's wrath. He brings up nuclear winter, the eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815 which caused all the Earth to have no summer that year, makes alarmist statements that the US could very easily run out of food, etc, etc. Says nuclear war would greatly hamper such preparations. Reading this it is no wonder why so many PCG members seem to be so fearful about the future and why they ignore the authoritarianism in order to be saved by entering the place of safety.

Tragically, more deaths, about 10 times as many, can be attributed to some form of malnutrition (the wrong foods) as opposed to starvation (lack of food). (p. 31.)

Here Turgeon is likely alluding to PCG's restrictions on what meats can and cannot be eaten.

Ezekiel 5:12 reveals that one third of the United States and the British Commonwealth, including countries such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand, will be killed in the opening volleys of war. Many of these people will die from the combined destructiveness of the third and fourth horsemen—famine and pestilence. Verse 10 describes our citizenry’s last, desperate act of survival—cannibalism! (For more details of what lies immediately ahead for us, please send for our free booklet on Lamentations). (p. 32.)

PCG's old booklet was uses Lamentations is discussed in a previous post.

The future appears very bleak. But there is a way of escape (Revelation 12:13-17). God will hear and forgive anyone who will repent. The only ones promised divine protection are those few who have yielded to God and His way of life. (p. 33.)

Translation: join PCG or face your worst fears.

Chapter 4

Here Wayne Turgeon fantasizes about various disease epidemics he claims are just around the corner and are about to strike any moment from now.

Look up pestilence in any Bible concordance and you will be amazed by the link between the second, third and fourth horsemen representing war, famine and pestilence (Jeremiah 21:9; 27:13; 29:17-18; 32:24; 34:17; 38:2; 42:16-17; 44:13). These three horsemen derive their origin directly from the first horseman of religious deception, as we have already shown. (p. 35.)

PCG wants you to think that all these terrible things are caused by other religions not following PCG's teachings.

Closer to home, an influenza epidemic in 1917-18 killed about half a million Americans. (p. 38.)

Wayne Turgeon is wrong. That influenza occurred in 1918-19.

Turgeon ends this booklet with these words.

God will mercifully end the deadly sweep of the four horsemen just before they eradicate mankind from off the Earth. Finally, man will have the sweet, childlike attitude that God can work with in the wonderful World Tomorrow (Matthew 18:1-6). Are we each working out our own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12) so we can be a part of God’s great master plan for humanity? (p. 43.)

So we see yet another fear inducing booklet produced by PCG in order to get more members who, scared out of their wits of fear of nuclear war, germ warfare, disease epidemics, famines, cannibalism, the darkness of nuclear winter, etc, etc, pay three tithes and extra offerings because PCG promises that if one joins PCG they shall escape all these things. Meanwhile the leaders of PCG enjoy the fruits of this life at the expense of thousands of PCG members who have not yet realized they are being financially and mentally exploited.

Fred Coulter Demonizes The Journal

Edward Malone has written a most intriguing article in the latest issue of The Journal (pp. 1, 22-23.) discussing Fred Coulter, leader of a COG group called the Christian Biblical Church of God (CBCG), and how he has been demonizing The Journal to his followers. He mockingly said that it should be called Heresies to Deceive Those Who Are Trying to Be Faithful.

It appears what he was specifically condemning was articles questioning the observance of the Passover at the start of Nisan 14 as was done in HWA's WCG and is done in Fred Coulter's CBCG.

Quite understandably The Journal called him out on this.

Although he was specifically offended at The Journal presenting a wide range of views regarding the dating of Passover it is clear that Fred Coulter is trying to maintain control over his followers within the CBCG. The real issue is that Fred Coulter does not want his followers reading alternative views that might cause them to question his authority or even leave. That would cut his income.

Fred Coulter's insouciant recommendation for how The Journal should reform itself is quite revealing of the streak of authoritarianism that is all too often seen among the COGs. It may be read on page 22.

Essentially Fred Coulter reveals that he wants The Journal to toe the party line that he sets. Of course in reality he has no control over The Journal, so instead he is trying to keep his followers from accessing an alternative source of information.

When people try to cut off people from an alternative source of information very often they do not have the readers' interest in mind. He is simply trying to manipulate CBCG members into only reading Fred Coulter approved writings and only think what he tells them to think. This also makes it easier for them to continue sending their money to him.

That is the real reason Fred Coulter has tried to demonize The Journal. He is trying to monopolize the information CBCG members have access to. He wishes to maintain his hold over them. He is not trying to keep them secure in the truth, he is trying to protect his income.

Edward Malone's article also provides fascinating background information regarding Fred Coulter, for instance that he became a minister in 1965. He left after being disgusted with Stanley Rader's ordination as an Evangelist.

Having read John Tuit's The Truth Shall Set You Free and David Robinson's book, Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web, it is clear that there was a lot of dissent and anger among WCG members regarding Stanley Rader's role within HWA's WCG. There was widespread fear (largely justified as far as I can tell) that he was trying to make himself HWA's successor and would take over WCG after HWA's death. Rader was (somehow) deposed by HWA in 1981.

Fred Coulter has been discussed before on this blog.

This post reveals Fred Coulter's leanings towards conspiracy theories. He claims that "Zionist Jews" are part of the "Synagogue of Satan" in at least one article.

This post looks at a study paper written by one Carl Franklin, produced by Coulter's CBCG, that inaccurately scapegoats Stanley Rader and the IRS for instituting one man rule within HWA's Radio Church of God. It inaccurately presents an article as though it was from 1958 promoting one man rule that was actually first printed in 1953 long before Rader got involved by Franklin's account.

Alas, Fred Coulter's grudge against Stanley Rader appears to have caused him to adopt some frightfully inaccurate views and even publish a paper that inaccurately presented a 1953 article as though it was made in 1958.

Edward Malone's article also alludes to the fact that Roderick C. Meredith ordered LCG members not to associate with Fred Coulter in 2008. You can read The Journal's article about that. Meredith's announcement may be read in the June 12, 2008 weekly update.

Edward Malone and The Journal should be commended for this article.

It is wrong that Fred Coulter should seek to control his followers within the CBCG by demonizing The Journal. He is just trying to protect his income.

Reading PCG's Booklet, The King of the South

Let us now look through Gerald Flurry's booklet, The King of the South. Here Flurry teaches that the King of the South will be Iran. According to him Iran will arise and collaborate in destroying the State of Israel. But soon afterwards it shall also be destroyed by the European Beast Power shortly before the return of Christ. This booklet was originally published in 1996. It has since been revised in 2001, 2003, 2007, 2008 and 2011. You can read the current 2011 version of this booklet on their website. However for this post I am looking through the 2003 version.

The cover seems quite similar to the original cover for Hosea and God's Adulterous Wife.

Chapter 1

Daniel 11:40 tells us the king of the south will “push” at the king of the north. When does this push occur? It must happen after the book of Daniel was revealed in this end time. Daniel 12:9 tells us the time of the end BEGAN WHEN DANIEL WAS REVEALED. So the king of the south must arise after Daniel was revealed to God’s end-time Church—to Herbert W. Armstrong. However, many of the specifics of Daniel’s book have been revealed to the Philadelphia Church of God today. (p. 2.)

As is typical of Flurry he claims to bear "new revelation" that was not revealed to HWA.

Today I believe that much of the king of the south’s land area will be south of Jerusalem, but not all. For example, Sudan is already in the radical Islamic camp. Algeria may be there very soon. But all of the king of the south’s land area is south of the end-time king of the north. (p. 3.)

Here Flurry is changing a doctrine of HWA. HWA always taught that the King of the South would be south of Jerusalem. In the Bible "south" means south of Jerusalem. But here Flurry has changed south to mean south of the King of the North. That is not what HWA taught.

The king of the north is comprised of several nations, led by one nation, Germany. It makes sense that the king of the south would have a similar composition. All indications point to Iran as the nation that produces the king of the south. Since the early 1990s, we have believed and taught that Iran would lead the radical Islamist world and be the king of the south. Today Iran is “king” in the Middle East. (p. 5.)

This is nonsense. In fact most Arab nations hate Iran, largely because they are Shiite while most Arab states are run by Sunnis. Traditionally there have often been intense rivalries between the Arab and Iran. This statement just confirms that Flurry does not have a clue what is really happening in the Middle East.

Actually the COGs have had a long and tortured history regarding this doctrine of the King of the South.

In the days before World War II and during it HWA taught that Halie Selassie was the King of the South. HWA claimed Daniel 11:40 was fulfilled when Mussolini led the conquest of Abyssinia in 1936-7. HWA claimed that the ancient Egypt discussed in Daniel 11 ruled Ethiopia for a time so the Ethiopian Emperor was the end time heir of Hellenistic Egypt. However linked to this teaching was his insistence that Mussolini was the beast who would unify Europe to conquer America and lead these forces to battle Christ in the Holy Land.

After World War II when HWA's prophecy that Mussolini (and then Hitler) was the beast failed spectacularly HWA still taught that Daniel 11:40 was fulfilled in 1936-7. However as early as the 1960s some in WCG, such as Garner Ted Armstrong, speculated that there would be a future King of the South arising among the Arabs. Then in the December 1980 issue of the Plain Truth, possibly influenced by the turmoil of the Iranian revolution at the time, Keith Stump wrote an article entitled Seeing the World Through Islamic Eyes, which taught there would be some sort of "Arab-Moslem confederation" that would be the King of the South.

What, then, does the Bible say of the future of Islam?

The New Testament of the Bible was completed more than 500 years before the birth of Mohammed. Yet the Bible does not ignore the future of Islam!

Bible prophecy reveals the coming emergence of an Arab-Moslem confederation in the Middle East. It is referred to in prophecy as "the king of the south" (Dan. 11:40). This confederation will play a crucial role in end-time events.

At the prophesied return of Jesus to this earth at that critical juncture in history to save mankind from self-destruction (see Matt. 24:22) and usher in a millennial rule of peace and prosperity, God's government will be established over the entire earth. All nations will submit to him. Church and State will be united under his rule. There will be one Church—one God—one religion-- ONE SUPREME GOVERNMENT! (Rev. 19:16.) (Keith Stump, 'Seeing the World Through Islamic Eyes', Plain Truth, December 1980, p. 26.)

No attempt was ever made to link this personage with Halie Selassie, as far as I know.

As far as I can tell this idea did not gain mainstream acceptance among the COGs until after HWA's death. Flurry saw this idea that was in the air at the time and gave it specificity by claiming Iran would fulfill this role. Flurry from early on taught that the King of the South would be Iran. (At least that is what he says here.) He had to change the previous dogma to do so but PCG members meekly followed this doctrinal change.

Meredith also adopted this dogma claiming there would be an end time King of the South, even insinuating he would claim to be the Mahdi. Flurry however never mentions anything about the King of the South being a self proclaimed Mahdi.

More on this topic can be read at a previous post.

We now continue with Flurry's booklet.

The Iraq campaign is the latest round in America’s global war on terrorism. But where did all of this world terrorism begin? Iraq is a dangerous part of the equation, but it is not the head of the terrorist snake.

We must go back in history to see terrorism’s roots. It’s not enough to destroy the branches. We must pull the terrorist tree up by the roots. It’s the only way to win this war. (p. 6.)

So Flurry says Iran is the real problem and if the USA wants to defeat terrorism then they should take on Iran.

Back in 1994, then-Secretary of State Warren Christopher called Iran “the world’s most significant state sponsor of terrorism.” How pathetic to make such a statement and do nothing about it! (p. 6)

Here Flurry accuses the American government of causing the Shah's fall by nit-picking at his flaws thus letting Islamic Fundamentalists seize power.

In 1981, Mike Wallace of the television program 60 Minutes interviewed Ayatollah Khomeini (who had come to power only two years before). He told the ayatollah that Sadat had called him a “lunatic.”

Almost immediately afterward, within just days, President Sadat was assassinated!

That is the kind of power the leader of radical Islam has! (p. 7.)

Correlation does not mean causation. And besides from what I understand it was Egyptian Islamic Fundamentalists who murdered President Sadat, largely because they were furious that he had made peace with the State of Israel. I had never heard that Iran was involved in that.

When the Sadat assassination occurred, Mr. Armstrong said it was a turning point in Middle East history! And that was almost an understatement. But virtually nobody in the media saw—or they refused to see—what A WORLD-CHANGING EVENT that was! (p. 7.)

HWA very often liked to speak melodramatically like that. Flurry tends to do that as well.

Middle East peace treaties dominate the news—as all kinds of peace treaties did just before World War II began! It is just another major sign that WAR IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE IN THE MIDDLE EAST! And it will lead to World War III. (p. 14.)

So talk of peace treaties is a sign that World War III is just around the corner, so says Flurry.

For example, our refusal to use our military might is often not righteousness, as we like to believe, but despicable weakness resulting from our sins. We simply lack the faith, character and courage to fight against Iran, the number-one terrorist nation today. Unless we change our ways, we will prove too weak to survive! (p. 15.)

So if anyone thinks going to war with Iran is a bad idea then you are not a man.

Pages 16-18 has an inset essentially accusing Iran of assassinating Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al-
Hakim on August 29, 2003 with a car bomb that also killed about 90 people. As far as I know no one really seems to know who did that foul assassination. This has since been removed in the current 2011 version of this booklet.

OUR ULTIMATE SUCCESS WILL BE DETERMINED BY OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. If God is for us, we can’t lose. But if God is against us, we can’t win. And Bible prophecy relates that God is against us and is cursing us. We should repent and become a true superpower! (p. 20.)

Of course elsewhere Flurry teaches that the Americans and British will not repent as a nation but individuals may repent and escape to the place of safety and avoid the Great Tribulation, namely join PCG and pay Flurry and Co. three tithes and extra offerings.

After having toppled Saddam Hussein, America and Britain have a marvelous opportunity to pressure Iran. We have a huge country from which to operate, and it adjoins Iran. It would stand no chance against our massive power. Then we would have heavy influence over a large portion of the world’s oil. (p. 20.)

So is this all about the oil, Flurry?

The most powerful Islamic country in the Middle East is Iran. Can you imagine the power they would have if they gained control of Iraq, which was at one time the third-leading exporter of oil in the world? I predicted as far back as 1992 that this could happen.

Here is what I wrote in December of 1994: “Such a takeover [of Iraq] by Iran would SHOCK the world—especially Europe. It would be a strong impetus for Europe to unite quickly. Such a move would, in all likelihood, give Iran power to cause a sizable increase in the price of oil. [In reality, they would then control virtually all of the Middle East oil.] This could help trigger a collapse of the Western world’s weak currencies. This in turn could cause Europe to quickly unite into the most powerful economic bloc in the world. That very event is prophesied to occur in your own Bible!” (“Is Iraq About to Fall to Iran?”, Philadelphia Trumpet).

You should read that paragraph again! (p. 21.)

If you can read it once you do not need to read it again. Flurry is just trying to hog all your attention upon what he is saying.

Then Flurry claims that America's military victories are helping to set both the King of the North and the King of the South to cement their regional power.

Saddam Hussein was the only leader that Iran feared. Now the U.S. has taken him out of the way. But does America have the will or strength to guard the spoils of war? Prophecy states that it does not.

Has the U.S. now cleared the way for Shiite Iran to rule over Shiite Iraq?

It was the U.S. that overpowered Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic in 1999’s Kosovo war. He was the only leader in Europe that Germany feared.

THE STAGGERING PARADOX MAY BE THAT U.S. POWER CLEARED THE WAY FOR BOTH THE KING OF THE NORTH AND THE KING OF THE SOUTH—AND ULTIMATELY PAVED THE WAY FOR ITS OWN DESTRUCTION, IF WE DON’T REPENT. (p. 21.)

After this Flurry fear mongers that the Iraqi Shiites are well organized and threatening to seize control of Iraq. He implies that they will do so at Iran's behest. 

Well, of course they organize themselves. They are their own people and they are not mindlessly waiting for some white Americans to tell them what to do. They organize themselves out of their self interest just like anyone else. Also back in 1991 Saddam Hussein suppressed a revolt among the Shiites with much loss of life. No doubt many Shiites saw that it was impossible to trust the Baathist regime.

Remember, it was just in the 2002 State of the Union address that President Bush labeled Iran number two in the “axis of evil.” Right after Baghdad fell, threatening hints were dropped that Iran had better watch its step. Now—although the U.S. is being discreet about it—Iran is being looked to as an ALLY to motivate the Iraqi Shiites into establishing order within the area of conquest! (p. 23.)

Iran was never an ally of the US and the US never tried to do so. Instead what happened is that many Iraqi Shiites chose to cooperate with the Americans and their allies. Some nevertheless chose to wage war upon Coalition forces.

On page 24 Flurry quotes a Stratfor report saying that Iraq could become theocratic like Iran.

“A democratically elected constitutional assembly means a Shiite-dominated assembly. ... The net result will be a constitution written by Shiites. This raises an interesting question of what kind of constitution will be written. It will undoubtedly be democratic—but democratic on the order of the Iranian model” (Sept. 15, 2003). (p. 24.)

In fact it did not become a mullah led theocracy. Stratfor was wrong. And Flurry was inaccurate with this opinion.

In a September 2003 interview with the IRNA news agency, Iran’s last president, Hashemi Rafsanjani, gave a chilling version of these events. “Even though the United States has a physical presence in the countries that surround us, THE REALITY IS THAT THE UNITED STATES IS IN FACT SURROUNDED BY IRAN,” he said. Is this just bluster? Look at the situation honestly, and you can see that it is true! Iran has indeed “surrounded” America, because it is the KING of terrorist-sponsoring nations! (p. 24.)

That sounds like bluster to me.

After that Flurry then relates the COG dogma inherited from HWA's WCG that the King of the South shall push at the King of the North (a future, German led European Beast Power) and Europe will crush the King of the South. However it must be said that to say the King of the South will be Iran is a distinctly Flurrian twist to this teaching. The other COGs tend to believe the King of the South will arise among the Arabs, not Iran.

And the reason there is so much arguing over the future of Jerusalem is because of Satan. The Israelis and the Palestinians are just reacting to Satan's bad moods, according to Flurry. 

Jesus Christ will be here in the very near future. And He will bring peace to the entire world! That is one big reason there is so much violence over Jerusalem in this end time. Satan knows that God is going to rule the world, and even the universe, from Jerusalem. (p. 26.)

Interlude: A Mysterious Alliance

On pages 27-29 there is an insert article claiming the Middle East will be divided in two in the end time. Some nations will be allied with Iran, the supposed King of the South. But other Arab nations will not be allied with Iran and so escape the severe attack upon Iran by the European Beast Power. But after Iran's fall these Arab nations will ally with the European Beast Power and destroy America, Britain and the State of Israel.

An old article by Herman Hoeh (who is not mentioned by name) is quoted to support the assertion that Turkey is Edom today. This is nonsense. The Turks speak a Turkic language totally unrelated to Hebrew or Arabic. Other Turkic languages include Azerbaijani, Uzbek, Kazakh, Uyghur, Turkmen, Tatar and Kyrgyz. Are they all Edomites? If the Turks are really related to Israel as common descendents of Isaac why do they speak a completely unrelated language?

Also Hoeh's article a condemns interracial marriage.

In the current 2011 version this insert has been expanded into a separate chapter.

Chapter 2

(In the current 2011 version this is now Chapter 3.)

In this chapter Flurry accuses the Roman Catholic Church of planning to create the European Beast Power to seize control of Jerusalem for herself. He cites the painful history of the Crusades as evidence of what the Papacy has done through history. Flurry claims the Crusades are merely faint foreshadows of what the Papacy will do in the end time while allied with the future European Beast Power.

History proves the Catholic Church to be one of the most militant institutions ever created. It does not believe in a democratic philosophy. (p. 31.)

PCG does not believe in a democratic philosophy either. In fact they advocate one-man rule under Gerald Flurry. How hypocritical and deceptive of Flurry.

Jerusalem is considered a holy place by both religions. It is indeed considered the “center of the universe” to the Catholics. They believe conquering Jerusalem makes them righteous. That has been their ideology from the beginning. It is still true today. ... They believe in war as an instrument to achieve their religious goals.(p. 33.)

What Catholic today believes this? This is fanciful nonsense used to inaccurately demonize Catholics and the Papacy.

Those memories have provoked Arabs and Jews to massacre Catholics throughout history in a similar manner—all in the name of religion. (p. 34.)

Jews massacring Catholics? Where? When? What on Earth is Flurry talking about?

Why would Europe risk such serious problems, even warfare, over this tiny island?

Even the people building the EU don’t fully understand what is happening. There is a spirit and force behind these events that the world does not see. (p. 36.)

Here Flurry insinuates that the EU leaders are already under the influence of Satan in choosing to accept Cyprus as a member of the EU while being more reluctant about Turkey.

We must understand the Holy Roman Empire and the Crusades to understand the Catholic passion for Jerusalem. They have a long history of spilling rivers of blood over Jerusalem. (p. 39.)

What Catholic wants to do that today? This is just a sickening, fact free delusion.

There has never before been trouble like this. God promises to protect His people physically. Otherwise, they would perish in a nuclear nightmare. (p. 41.)

Here "His people" mean PCG members. One reason that many ex-WCG members were attracted to Flurry's group is that he promises that PCG members will go to the place of safety but all WCG members and members of any other COG group will be cast into the Great Tribulation.

That chapter, filled with fact free anti-Catholic hysterics, was very hard to read. It is removed from any semblance of reality. He simply uses the doom and gloom writings of HWA and presents them yet again to readers to create a false sense of crisis in the minds of his readers. But what he writes in this chapter is nonsense. This is not to belittle what happened during the crusades but no one in the Papacy is planning to do this? It is just manipulative demagoguery to get peoples' tithes. 

Chapter 3

(In the current 2011 version this is now Chapter 4.)

In this chapter Gerald Flurry discusses the supposed role of PCG members within end time events.He speaks very highly of the activities of PCG in this chapter.

Now notice how deeply God’s very elect are embedded and emphasized within the 11th and 12th chapters of Daniel. ... The word exploits means heroic acts. The very elect “stand firm and take action” (Revised Standard Version). (p. 42.)

What sort of "heroic acts" is he talking about?

Our six-year court battle is an example. The PCG won that battle, when it looked like we had no chance of winning. God gave us the victory. Now the copyrights to Mr. Armstrong’s writings belong to us. If you are unfamiliar with this story, we will be happy to send you information on it. (p. 42.)

PCG did not win that court case. Why does Flurry say untrue things?

Here we see a small group of people with a God-sized message. The whole world should heed today. But most people won’t become converted until Christ returns—which is probably within 10 to 15 years or less. (p. 43.)

This is from the 2003 version. Looking at events from 2003 this would means that Flurry is saying that Christ will return "probably within" 2013 to 2018 "or less."

This prophecy has failed.

This exact same passage is still present in the current 2011 version on page 47. The words have not been changed. If we date it from 2011 then this means Flurry seems to teach that Christ will return "probably within" 2021 to 2026 "or less."

So we see that Gerald Flurry has indeed been setting dates to frighten PCG members to remain under his one man rule.

We now continue.

Apparently even if you become a PCG member, or even a PCG minister, it is fated that you may still "fall away" from "the truth."

Verse 33 says many will fall. That refers to the Laodiceans. Here it says some. So EVEN SOME OF THOSE WHO UNDERSTAND AND ARE DOING GOD’S WORK WILL FALL. God is talking to the end-time Philadelphians directly!

Daniel said this was for a “time appointed.” It’s for a specific time period—our time. And right up to the very end, some of us will fall. Haven’t we all seen that happen? The word try in verse 35 means to smelt, like smelting metal. It means a fiery trial. Even when people come into this remnant and understand, they can still fall.

Should we be shocked if some few leave? God says it will happen right up to the end. We are in a war. And in a war, there are casualties. Will you be a casualty? It will happen “even to the time of the end.”

This is dangerous knowledge. Eternal life is at stake for God’s people. In the midst of world calamities, God reveals that this small, loyal remnant will have spiritual war casualties. (p. 44.)

What a way to preemptively justify disfellowshipping and marking any disaffected PCG member or even minister.

As is Flurry's way he insists that some other part of the Bible, this time Daniel 11-12, is really all about the Tkach changes, the rise of PCG in opposition to that, PCG members going to the place of safety and all others being left behind in the Great Tribulation. He has been saying this ever since he published Malachi's Message in 1990.

“In his estate” means he’s sitting in the seat of the God of gods. This is a parallel prophecy to II Thessalonians 2:4. He’s in God’s seat saying that he is God—not by his words, but by his deeds! For the word estate, the margin says stead. (Gesenius’ Lexicon says “in his place.”) He’s in the place of Christ. This is happening in God’s sanctuary. This man betrayed God.

The “god of forces” is a demon army. Satan and his fallen angels have been cast down to this Earth (Rev. 12:9, 12), and they are more wrathful than ever before. That is because they know their time is short. God is about to cast them into outer darkness.

This demon army fights God’s Church—spiritual Israel—most of all. (p. 45.)

Also it must be stated that much of Gerald Flurry wrote in Malachi's Message was 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. So first Flurry takes Dervaes' ideas and use it in a booklet, then he repeats it to his indoctrinated followers again and again and again in booklet after booklet.

They finally learn that there was a prophet of God in their midst after the Tribulation has struck. Not several prophets—only one!

There is only one safe way. We must get God’s perspective—see through His eyes. (p. 45.)

As noted elsewhere Flurry teaches that God only works through one man at a time. Naturally Flurry says he is that man. Flurry states this in the booklets that uses Isaiah, Joel, the booklet entitled From the Beginning and very likely others I am not aware of.

Only the loyal “sons” are protected. The Laodicean rebels failed to honor their Father (Mal. 1:6). They are not protected. (p. 46.)

This is one of Flurry's promises to PCG members that he repeats again and again: that PCG members will go to the place of safety and be protected from the Great Tribulation. All others will be left behind. This is one reason so many PCG members are willing to remain in PCG despite the many problems this presents to them.

Flurry ends this booklet with these words.

God protects those saints who “turn many to righteousness” (Dan. 12:3). This is in the context of the king of the south. Getting out this message is why we understand God’s revealed truth. Our work is to give people a chance to turn to God. Those who do not turn will be a witness to God’s message. The coming Tribulation and Day of the Lord suffering will finally awaken them. They will know how to repent because of our message. God rewards us as no other saints. We are to shine like the stars and the brightness of the firmament forever! We are to be the only bride of Christ. (p. 47.)

And so Flurry's booklet ends.

In this booklet Flurry says Christ will probably return within 10 or 15 years or less.

Flurry says Iran is the King of the South.

And Flurry says modern day Catholics are just like the medieval Crusaders. What delusional madness that is.