Church of God News

African nurses with Ebola patient

COGwriter

The number of people killed by the Ebola virus is rising, especially in west Africa:

July 31, 2014

The historic outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in West Africa continues to spread. Two nations have declared public health emergencies, and Liberia is pleading for help trying to bring the virus under control.

More than 700 people have died — including one American — as the virus spread across four countries, making it the largest Ebola outbreak ever. Some aid organizations have ordered staff to leave the region.

The president of Liberia, where there are over 320 known Ebola cases — has issued emergency measures, reports CBS News correspondent Debora Patta, putting the country on a virtual lock-down.

Ebola treatment centers in Liberia have been overrun by the sick and the dying. In a desperate effort to contain the virus, the government has shut schools and closed many borders, but they admit it’s too much to handle on their own.

“Our government has declared this now as a humanitarian crisis that is above the control of the national government,” assistant minister of health Tolbert Nyenswah told CBS News.

Nyenswah appealed for more international aid, specifically medical staff experienced in treating the disease, which has no known cure or vaccine and even with good treatment, is rarely survivable.

“This virus, if it is not taken care of, will be a global pandemic,” Nyenswah warned.  http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ebola-outbreak-spreads-in-west-africa-liberia-pleads-for-help/

July 31, 2014

Sierra Leone’s President Ernest Bai Koroma has declared a state of emergency to help the country deal with the worst ever outbreak of the Ebola virus.

In a national address, Koroma said the government is quarantining areas where the disease is found, restricting public meetings, searching houses to identify infected people and updating procedures for passengers at the country’s main airport.  The measures will be in place for 60 to 90 days.

He said Sierra Leone is “in a great fight,” and that Ebola is beyond what any one country or community can defeat.

Regional issue

The president announced he will go Friday to Guinea to meet with his Guinean and Liberian counterparts.

Those countries along with Sierra Leone have been at the center of the outbreak, which the World Health Organization says has now killed at least 729 people since February.

The toll includes a man with U.S. and Liberian citizenship who died in Nigeria last week.

The WHO says the total number of Ebola cases in West Africa stands at 1,323.  http://www.voanews.com/content/sierra-leone-declares-emergency-to-combat-ebola/1968640.html

July 31, 2014

A U.S. congressman has asked the Obama administration to impose an immediate travel ban on the citizens of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, as well as on foreigners who have visited those countries, to contain the spread of Ebola to the United States.

Congressman Alan Grayson of Florida, a member of the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, said the restriction should be lifted only when 90 days have passed without a newly reported case.

He said the ban should be expanded to any other country that reports a case of Ebola.

Danger to American public

Grayson said the Ebola virus presents an enhanced danger to the American public.

“The countries represent a danger to the rest of the world and because the best way to deal with the situation is to isolate the areas that are affected until hopefully the infection burns itself out, as it has in the past,” Grayson said. “We are talking about this time a fundamentally different circumstance, however.

“This is the largest outbreak in history; it’s the deadliest outbreak in history,” he added.

Grayson said, with Liberia already taking steps to close its borders, his travel ban request will only be assisting in that effort by saying that the Ebola-affected countries remain isolated until the infection disappears.

He said his travel ban, if granted by the Obama administration, would not include Nigeria, at least for now.  http://www.voanews.com/content/obama-administration-asked-to-impose-ebola-travel-ban-to-us/1968617.html

July 31, 2014

The largest known outbreak of the lethal Ebola virus in West Africa is prompting authorities as far away as Asia to take preventive measures, although scientists say a global spread of the disease is unlikely.

At South Korea’s Incheon International airport, a major  hub for air travel in Asia, quarantine inspections of arriving passengers are being enhanced.

Screening passengers

Authorities say all passengers are being recorded by an infrared camera to detect fevers.

South Korea Foreign Ministry spokesperson Han Hye-jin says this is being done because Ebola is becoming a big concern…

Australia is also cautioning against travel to Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Australia’s chief medical officer, Chris Baggoley, says the possibility of Ebola arriving there is “very low.” But all border protection agencies are on alert for possible symptoms in people arriving by air or sea.

Dr. Nicholas Day, director of the Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit in Bangkok, says these enhanced port screenings, implemented in Asia during previous swine and bird flu scares, are no panacea.  http://www.voanews.com/content/asia-on-alert-for-ebola-outbreak/1968678.html

Here is some of what the World Health Organization (WHO) says about Ebola:

• Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness in humans.
• EVD outbreaks have a case fatality rate of up to 90%.
• EVD outbreaks occur primarily in remote villages in Central and West Africa, near tropical rainforests.
• The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission.
• Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are considered to be the natural host of the Ebola virus.
• Severely ill patients require intensive supportive care. No licensed specific treatment or vaccine is available for use in people or animals.

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Ebola first appeared in 1976 in 2 simultaneous outbreaks, in Nzara, Sudan, and in Yambuku, Democratic Republic of Congo. The latter was in a village situated near the Ebola River, from which the disease takes its name.

Genus Ebolavirus is 1 of 3 members of the Filoviridae family (filovirus), along with genus Marburgvirus and genus Cuevavirus. Genus Ebolavirus comprises 5 distinct species:

• Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV)
• Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV)
• Reston ebolavirus (RESTV)
• Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV)
• Taï Forest ebolavirus (TAFV).

BDBV, EBOV, and SUDV have been associated with large EVD outbreaks in Africa, whereas RESTV and TAFV have not. The RESTV species, found in Philippines and the People’s Republic of China, can infect humans, but no illness or death in humans from this species has been reported to date.

Transmission

Ebola is introduced into the human population through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals. In Africa, infection has been documented through the handling of infected chimpanzees, gorillas, fruit bats, monkeys, forest antelope and porcupines found ill or dead or in the rainforest.  http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/

As I reported here before, bats (see FAO warns of Ebola virus risk from eating fruit bats) and pigs (see Pigs May Spread Deadly Ebola Virus), both a biblically unclean animals, appear to be a cause of spreading Ebola in some areas. Ebola is a horrible virus, and may turn into a major pestilence.

Regarding pestilences, notice the following by George Ritter:

Epidemics Of The Future

The world has yet to see the last of widespread disease epidemics. That, in effect, was what Jesus Christ told His disciples in the pivotal Olivet prophecy recorded in Matthew 24 and Luke 21.

Right along with wars and famine came pestilence: “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places” (Matt. 24:7). These were some of the prophetic signs that Christ listed in answering the question, “What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world [age]?” (Verse 3.)

Granted, pestilence, famine and war have been ongoing problems that have plagued mankind ever since the dawn of history. But the main thrust of Christ’s message is futuristic. The overall context of the Olivet prophecy readily attests to this fact. In verses 21 and 22 of Matthew 24, Christ referred to a time when the total annihilation of human life would be a distinct possibility. Only with the recent development of multiple-megaton nuclear weaponry could such an event have become a reality.

The book of Revelation also underscores the fact that such tumultuous times are yet in store for the future. John’s apocalyptic scenario centers around the events surrounding the Day of the Lord (Rev.1:10). In the sixth chapter we see war, famine and pestilence (the last three of the four horsemen of John’s vision) riding together at this critical juncture in world history.

The Pale Horseman Rides

With both the black horse of famine and the red horse of war riding roughshod over the earth, it is only natural for the pale horse of pestilence to follow hard on their heels. Ezekiel also described the devastating effect this deadly triad can have: “A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and I will scatter a third part in to all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them” (Ezek. 5:12).

Parallel prophecies found in the Old Testament clearly indicate why man will continue to suffer from the ravages of disease. Notice this cause-and­effect relationship as outlined in the 28th chapter of Deuteronomy: “But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God,” warns man’s Creator, “the Lord will make the pestilence cling to you until He has consumed you from off the land, which you go to possess. The Lord will smite you with consumption [wasting, degenerative disease], with fever and inflammation [possibly infectious contagions).... and the tumors, the scurvy [deficiency disease] and the itch, of which you cannot be healed. The Lord will smite you with madness [mental disorders] and blind-ness and dismay of heart [emotional trauma]” (verses 15, 21-22, 27-28, The Amplified Bible).

Misgovernment, greed and oppression over the course of nearly 6000 years of history have saddled the human race with the unwanted burden of disease. For instance, man’s proclivity to crowd into disease — prone cities is indicative of this problem. And it is interesting to note that Bible prophecy seems to indicate that this crowd-at­all-costs policy will eventually backfire on the human race. Notice Leviticus 26:25: “… And when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you… .” Also Ezekiel 7:15: “The sword is without, and the pestilence and the famine within: he that is in the field shall die with the sword; and he that is in the city, famine and pestilence shall devour him.”  (4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse – The Pale Horse – Disease Epidemics. Ambassador College Press, 1975)

In modern times, the spread of diseases is so much easier than in more ancient times.

The Bible warns of pestilences and other problems. Nearly 2000 years ago, Jesus taught:

7…And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. (Matthew 24:7-8)

We seem to be in the time Jesus called “the beginning of sorrows.”

Notice also the following end time prophecies:

12 One-third of you shall die of the pestilence, and be consumed with famine in your midst; and one-third shall fall by the sword all around you; and I will scatter another third to all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them. (Ezekiel 5:12)

⁷ When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” ⁸ So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth. (Revelation 6:7-8)

Many believe that infectious diseases and possibly bugs are part of the “beasts of the earth” that are prophesied to kill a significant portion of humankind in Revelation 6:7-8, especially in the light of what Jesus taught in Matthew 24:7-8 and what is also recorded in Ezekiel 5:12 and other scriptures.

Remember that Jesus said:

37 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch! (Mark 13:36-37)

Some items of related interest may include:

When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2014, 2015, or 2016? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2013 o 2014? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language video The Great Tribulation Will Not Begin Before 2017.
The New Testament Church and Unclean Meats Are foods considered to have been unclean in the Old Testament considered to be food in the New Testament? This article discusses this from the perspective of the New Testament. It also has a list of clean and unclean animals. It also answers the question, is pork healthy or is pork dangerous? There is also a sermon-length video on this: Christians and Unclean Meats.
Blood Moons and Prophecy There are four ‘blood moons’ expected in 2014 and 2015. Do they signal the Day of the Lord or the return of Jesus Christ? A related YouTube video is also available: Blood Moons, Prophecy, 2014, and 2015.
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse What do each of the four horseman of the Apocalypse represent? Have they began their ride? Did Jesus discuss the any of this? Might their rides coincide with the “beginning of sorrows? Do they start their ride prior to the Great Tribulation? Did Nostradamus or any other ‘private prophets’ write predictions that may mislead people so that they may not understand the truth of one or more of the four horseman? There is also a related YouTube video titled The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse What is the pale horse of death and pestilences? What will it bring and when? Spanish: El cuarto jinete de Apocalipsis, el caballo pálido de muerte y pestilencia.
GMOs and Bible Prophecy What are GMOs? Since they were not in the food supply until 1994, how could they possibly relate to Bible prophecy? Do GMOs put the USA and others at risk? Here is a related YouTube video GMO Risks and the Bible.
Korea in Prophecy, Any Witness? Where did the Korean people come from? Does God have a plan for the Koreans? Is Korea mentioned in any prophecies? Will Koreans be among the first in the Kingdom of God? Here is a machine-translated link to that article in Korean: 한국의 언어로 : 한국 예언, 모든 증인에?; here is a link to that article in Mandarin Chinese: 在预言中的韩国：有任何证人吗？
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for Asia? Who are the “Kings of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon? A YouTube video of interest may be Is China THE Threat to the United States of America?
Africa: Its Biblical Past and Prophesied Future What does the Bible teach about Africa and its future? Did the early Church reach Africa? Will God call all the Africans?

COGwriter

Herbert W. Armstrong was born 122 years ago, on July 31, 1892. And a lot has happened in the world since he was born. From automobiles to the space age, from paper to computers and the internet, from WWI to WWII to terrorism, from societal respect for biblical principles to abortion & homosexual marriage “rights.” There have been changes.

But “he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:17).

Even though we in the most faithful COGs actually do not celebrate (but do acknowledge) birthdays, nor do we celebrate his (see also the article Did Early Christians Celebrate Birthdays?), since many who come to this page know relatively little about him that this would be a good time to tell a few things about him.

We of the Continuing Church of God believe that God used Herbert W. Armstrong to restore much truth to the true Church of God and to raise up the Philadelphia era of the Church of God. Over the decades that I have been associated with the Church of God, I have repeatedly found both biblical as well as historical proof that the specific truths that he claimed he restored were in fact true. And in fact, the early church did teach them.

One day I may put together a single article showing that early professors of Christ did teach all these truths (and I do have most of them in a book I am currently working on–but it is much too large for an article). For now, however, I would refer readers to the following two articles:

Did You Know What the First Changes the Tkach Administration Made? Some have said healing, others other subjects, but probably the first change had to do with eliminating being part of the Philadelphia era. This article documents what those changes were and compares the Tkach list of restored truths to HWA’s list of restored truths. It contains many quotes from HWA.
History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? This page has articles documenting many beliefs of the early Church–and all these are doctrines that HWA taught.

Furthermore, while Protestants like to point to leaders like Martin Luther and John Calvin, the truth is that unlike them, Herbert Armstrong was not involved in getting people killed–the true church does not do that (see Military Service and the Churches of God: Do Real Christians Participate in Carnal Warfare?). The same is true about many Roman Catholic Popes who instituted persecutions in forms such as the Inquisition. Some information on what those non-COG leaders have done to others throughout history may be found in the article Persecutions by Church and State.

Another difference between Martin Luther, John Calvin, Eastern Orthodox leaders, and Roman Catholic Popes vs. Herbert Armstrong is that HWA actually did believe more in the idea of sola Scriptura. He clearly tried to teach what the Bible taught, yet the other churches have all demonstrated their preference for tradition over what the Bible actually teaches. Articles that help document that would include:

Sola Scriptura or Prima Luther? What Did Martin Luther Really Believe About the Bible? Though he is known for his public sola Scriptura teaching, Martin Luther’s writings about the Bible suggest he felt that prima Luther was his ultimate authority.
The Similarities and Dissimilarities between Martin Luther and Herbert Armstrong This article clearly shows some of the doctrinal differences between in the two. At this time of doctrinal variety and a tendency by many to accept certain aspects of Protestantism, the article should help clarify why the COG is NOT Protestant.  Here is a related sermon video: Martin Luther and Herbert Armstrong: Reformers with Differences.
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Continuing Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? This documented article answers those questions.
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Orthodox Church and the Continuing Church of God Both groups have some amazing similarities and some major differences. Do you know what they are?

Furthermore, HWA did more to get the truth of God to the world as a witness than any did since biblical times. Two articles of related interest may include:

Do You Believe God Used Herbert Armstrong to Raise Up the Philadelphia Era of the Church of God? Nearly everyone while in WCG used to believe this, most do not seem to anymore.
Should the Church Still Try to Place its Top Priority on Proclaiming the Gospel or Did Herbert Armstrong Change that Priority for the Work? Some say the Church should mainly feed the flock now as that is what Herbert Armstrong reportedly said. Is that what he said? Is that what the Bible says? What did Paul and HWA expect from evangelists?

Anyway, Herbert Armstrong always taught:

Don’t believe me – BELIEVE YOUR BIBLE – BELIEVE GOD! I always say…check up! Listen without prejudice, with open mind, then check up–go to your BIBLE, and BELIEVE what you read there. (Armstrong HW. Personal from the Editor. Plain Truth. September 1963.)

This is what I encourage readers of this website to do.

To see some of what Herbert Armstrong wrote and why he believed a lot of what he did, please see the article:

Who Was Herbert W. Armstrong? How is He Viewed Today? Includes quotes from the 1973 edition of The Autobiography of Herbert W. Armstrong and explains how he is and should be viewed today.

Xi Jinping

COGwriter

China has taken another step in its fight against corruption:

Chinese state media praised the Communist Party’s decision to open a corruption probe into retired senior politician Zhou Yongkang.

The party announced late Tuesday it is investigating Zhou, China’s former security czar, for unspecified “serious disciplinary violation.”

The 71-year-old Zhou, who retired in 2012, was a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, China’s highest governing body.

The investigation breaks a longstanding, unwritten rule that China’s top leaders would be immune from such discipline.

In an editorial, the party-controlled Global Times said the move “reveals the zero-tolerance stance of the Chinese leadership toward corruption.”

It said the Chinese public embraced the probe, saying it is now “more convincing” to believe all officials will be subject to the rule of law.

‘Strict discipline’

The official Xinhua news agency said the announcement shows the party’s determination to “purify itself and run itself with strict discipline.”

Since taking power in 2012, President Xi Jinping has carried out a highly publicized graft crackdown, vowing to go after both high-ranking “tigers” and low-ranking “flies.”

Zhou is the highest-ranking official yet to be brought down. His downfall was expected, since many of his associates and family members have been targeted in recent months.

He is a close ally of disgraced former Politburo member Bo Xilai, who was sentenced to life in jail last year for taking bribes, embezzlement and abuse of power.

For now, the investigation into Zhou is being handled by the party’s internal disciplinary committee.

State media reported Wednesday that it is very likely the committee will expel Zhou from the party and transfer his case to the courts, where defendants have little chance of escaping conviction.  http://www.voanews.com/content/chinese-state-media-praise-zhou-corruption-probe/1967814.html

Xi Jinping, in the past, has also stated he would try to reduce corruption by Chinese officials (China’s New Leader Formally Installed and Claims He Wants to Fight Corruption) and he even took the unusual step last month of encouraging the stopping luxury advertisements to attempt to reduce lust (China bans luxury ads in an attempt to fight corruption).

How effective the banning of advertisements and this latest restructuring will be to accomplish this can be debated. But it is interesting that the Chinese apparently have properly connected lust of the eyes with the sin of corruption. Notice some verses in the Bible that seem to do so:

16 For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world. (1 John 2:16)

4…corruption that is in the world through lust. (2 Peter 1:4)

7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” (Romans 7:7)

It is quite true that governmental corruption is one of the significant risks that China’s government is now facing. Covetousness, lust, and corruption are wrong, and certainly is not limited to Chinese government officials. Of course, then, attempting to reduce “the lust of the eyes” could be helpful.

The Bible also teaches against those who take bribes:

3…they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice (1 Samuel 8:3).

9 Do not gather my soul with sinners,
Nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
10 In whose hands is a sinister scheme,
And whose right hand is full of bribes. (Psalms 26:9-10)

23…Everyone loves bribes,
And follows after rewards.
They do not defend the fatherless,
Nor does the cause of the widow come before them. (Isaiah 1:23)

12 For I know your manifold transgressions
And your mighty sins:
Afflicting the just and taking bribes;
Diverting the poor from justice at the gate. (Amos 5:12)

So, taking steps intended to reduce government officials from taking bribes is a positive step.

Yet it is not just officials taking bribes, etc. that upsets Chinese citizens.

China still has a major problem with pollution, and government corruption is part of the reason.  Notice the following pollution report:

BEIJING — River water turned red in an eastern Chinese city in recent days, sparking fears of another environmental crisis in China.  The incident is just the latest in a series of environmental scares for people in China.

Late last week, residents in Wenzhou, China, awoke to find the river running through their city a crimson shade of red. Some also complained of an acrid smell in the air.  The local environmental protection bureau investigated the incident and said they found no sign of discharge from the factories that line the river, including a paper manufacturer, food coloring company and clothing-maker…

While the river contamination may not be the sign of the end of times, environmentalist Ma Jun said it signifies a crucial time in China’s fight against pollution.

“So I think the next 20 years will be quite critical.  The government needs to make efforts to reduce pollution to provide a safe and healthy environment for this generation,” Ma stated.

The river water change is the latest of several environmental incidents in China.  In 2012, the Yangtze river also turned red from illegal dumping by a nearby factory, and last year more than 2,000 dead pigs were found floating through a river in Shanghai.  China’s government has also identified several hundred so called “cancer villages,” where the rates of cancer are unusually high due to industrial pollution.

Pollution, a growing problem

Ma said there are more than 1,700 water pollution incidents in China every year.

“China is facing a serious water pollution challenge.  Much of our rivers, lakes and even our aquifers are polluted. Especially in the densely populated regions. This has posed a serious risk.  Up to 300 million residents don’t have access to safe drinking water,” said Ma.

Earlier this year Chinese Premier Li Keqiang vowed to wage war on pollution.  Environmental activists say that war will depend on enforcement of existing Chinese laws, which would be welcomed by the residents of Wenzhou, where 80 percent of the water off of the city’s coast is considered polluted.  http://www.voanews.com/content/china-wenzhou-river-turns-red/1966473.html

This pollution affects everyone’s health, thus could be a rallying point for protests against the Chinese government. Corruption hurts people.

Presuming its problems are not solved, China likely will have more civil unrest (it currently has some in some parts of the country), and at some point likely massive civil unrest. But, even taking small steps to reduce covetousness and make bribe-taking more difficult, could help some, especially if the amount of pollution can be reduced.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Genesis and Chinese Characters Where did the Chinese people come from? This article provides information showing that the Chinese peoples must have known about various accounts in the Book of Genesis up until their dispersion after the Tower of Babel.
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: The Sabbath and Some of God’s Witness in China When did Christianity first come to China? And is there early evidence that they observed the seventh day sabbath?
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for Asia? Who are the “Kings of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon?
The Bible, Christians, and the Environment How should Christians view the environment? Does the Bible give any clues? What are some of the effects of air, water, and land pollution? Is environmental pollution a factor in autism and death? Do pollutants seem to double the autism risk? What will Jesus do? A YouTube video is available titled Air Pollution, Autism, and Prophecy.
CCOG.ASIA We in the Continuing Church of God also have the url www.ccog.asia which has a focus on Asia and has various articles in Mandarin Chinese as well as some in English, plus some items in other Asian languages. 我们在继续神的教会也提供此网址 www.ccog.asia, 关注于亚洲并且有各种各样的中英文文章，其中一些用菲律宾语翻译的文章也正在进行中，准备添加到这个网站中。 HHere is a link to our Statement of Beliefs in Mandarin Chinese 继续神的教会的信仰声明.

Higgs Event by CERN

COGwriter

A reader sent me a link to the following related to CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC):

In the fall of 2015 CERN will begin colliding groups of 70 million lead hadrons at 287 tev, unpacking millions of quarks in each collision. Those quarks will be first accelerated at light speed, acquiring relativistic mass, becoming heavier strange quarks, the substance of a strange quark-gluon soup called a ‘strangelet‘. The strange liquid has the potential to become stable and start an ‘ice-9′ big-bang reaction. If that happens that effectively transforms the Earth into a pulsar.

While CERN adamantly denies to the public and the press that production of Strangelets is possible, it runs a program called CASTOR for Centaruro And STrangelets Object Research, whose researchers affirm in their inner reports to the company the ‘likely’ probability of creating them. This is in accordance to the most advanced literature on the subject, but of course, it must be hidden to the public and the naive press…

2) In 2015, when it ramps up to 7 Tev, it will cross the 10 Tev barrier in its collisions.

In 2015 the LHC will accelerate protons and hadrons at maximal energy, colliding them at over 1 Pev, producing heavy, bottom, charm and top quark-gluon liquid condensates, aka Higgs, possible substances of black holes. The quark-gluon soup it will produce will be far denser and attractive than strangelet liquid, hence the process of accretion of the Earth will be self-similar to the strangelet event but much faster.  http://cerntruth.wordpress.com/

Abstract. We have received and will show in this article astonishing documents leaked out of CERN internal servers, about the CASTOR  project, a Centauro and STrangelet Object Research to hunt for strangelets ‘likely‘ to be produced at the LHC.

According to those internal documents CERN has been lying for years to the press and in the suits, since it always affirmed that it won’t produce the ultra-dangerous, ultradense ‘strangelets’, the liquid explosive made of up, down and strange quarks, responsible of the ice-9 reactions that cause supernovas (below’s graph).

In those documents CERN affirms there is a 65-70% of chances of producing negative strangelets, which according to standard science on strangelets today, will provoke the ice-9 reaction (name taken from Cat and Cradle’s book in which a physicist destroys the world throwing a new type of water that freezes the planet, since an ice-9 reaction will condensate the planet in a 15 kilometers ultra-dense strange star).

Thus CERN has been lying and it is playing with all mankind a Quantum Russian Roulette game with 4 shots out of 6, 66% chances of extinction. This will be even if we survive the biggest genocide of history, calculated multiplying probability and victims: 66% x 6.6 billions=4.4 billions, 1000 times the Holocaust. http://cerntruth.wordpress.com/2011/12/27/119-terrorists-will-start-production-of-strangelets-irony-or-destiny/

While I do not believe that CERN’s project will cause some type of immediate holocaust and actually wrote back in 2008 that CERN was not about to destroy the world then with its Large Hadron Collider (see Why Prophecy? Because the World Will Not End Next Week ), the reality is that I do believe that destructive technology may be a result of CERN’s work.

As far as strangelets go, there has been work done related to them at CERN’s LHC (see Model of Centauro and strangelet production in heavy ion collisions).

There are also reports that the risk for stangelets has been overstated:

“(The) 22-week gold-gold run will include 3 weeks at low energy to complete beam energy scan, 15 weeks at high energy for detailed studies of plasma, plus time for cool down and warm up of magnets,” said Berndt Mueller, Brookhaven’s Associate Laboratory Director for Nuclear and Particle Physics.

The boosted luminosity of the particle beams and the lower energy collisions will optimize the production of quark-gluon plasma — an obvious boon for physics. But this is exactly what concerns law experts Johnson and Baram.

“Critics have called for serious attention to the possibility that the collider might generate a subatomic object called a ‘strangelet,’ which could, if certain assumptions are correct, start a chain reaction converting everything into ‘strange matter,’” they write. “The process would, according to Sir Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal of the United Kingdom, leave the planet ‘an inert hyperdense sphere about one hundred meters across.’”

An inert hyperdense sphere. That doesn’t sound good. Doomsday never sounds good.

A strangelet is the speculative boogieman of particle physics. They are hypothetical post-collision particles that condense from the primordial matter to form an up, down and a strange quark which combine to make a strangelet. Although they have yet to be detected from any particle collision experiment, the risk posed by the potential existence of strangelets, argue Johnson and Baram, should be investigated. One theory suggests that should stranglets be created, a chain reaction with ordinary matter could rampage around the planet, reducing Earth to a hyperdense sphere.

ANALYSIS: Higgs Boson Discovery = Cosmic Doomsday?

According to the original RHIC risk assessment in 1999, scientists stated: “Elementary theoretical considerations suggest that the most dangerous type of collision is that at considerably lower energy than RHIC.” Originally, the RHIC was designed to operate at energies of 100 GeV. But now physicists are becoming more interested in lower-energy collisions in exactly the range where the original risk assessment said was “most dangerous.” The three weeks of lower energy collisions between gold ions will occur at 7.3 GeV.

The RHIC upgrade comes at a time when a new spending bill was signed into law by President Barack Obama, establishing a commission that will evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the Department of Energy’s national laboratories, including Brookhaven. In their op-ed, Johnson and Baram say that this would be the perfect time for the commission to not only look into budgetary concerns, they should “take a sober look” at the RHIC’s potential of “destroying the whole planet.”

Of course, the op-ed sounds alarming, especially as this isn’t some conspiracy theory being bandied around by a self-proclaimed “expert.” However, we are talking about the very, very, very low probability of strangelets being generated in the RHIC, particles that are purely hypothetical in nature. http://news.discovery.com/space/could-rhic-strangelets-spawn-doomsday-140213.htm

That being said, the reality is that the Higgs boson was also only considered to be theoretical until CERN proved otherwise with the LCH in the past year or two–a Nobel prize was awarded for demonstrating that it did in October 2013 (see CERN’s Large Hadron Collider and the Noble Prize for Physics).  Also, it should be noted was believed, as recently as a few years ago, that antimatter could not exist more than a few nanoseconds, at most, yet CERN had it for 17 minutes (see ERN Makes Major Strides with Antimatter).

My point is NOT that stangelets will necessarily destroy the planet.  My point is that the reality is that the work being done in Europe (CERN is the European Organization for Nuclear Research) has destructive potential. While the USA has Brookhaven, it is not being upgraded, etc. to the degree that Europe’s LHC is nor is it likely to match Germany’s upcoming F.A.I.R. which is another advanced supercollider.

Since the Bible shows that the world will marvel at the military ability of the end time European Beast power (Revelation 13:4) and that the nation with the strongest fortresses (currently the USA) will be destroyed by the final European King of the North Beast (Daniel 11:39), that the CERN LHC and other projects in Europe have the potential to make that happen.Americans. And Americans may not like the results of the projects, like LHC, that the Europeans are working on.

Since the Beast of Revelation 13 will be European (Europa, the Beast, and Revelation and the YouTube video Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?), I have long felt that the Large Hadron Collider project had major military potential and warned of that back in 2009 (see Thiel B. 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect. Nazarene Books, 2009, p. 85).

Furthermore, notice some of what I wrote in one of my books related to Barack Obama, the USA military, European military, the Beast, and technology:

Instead of completely strengthening the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS), Barack Obama’s Administration instead decided to rely on Europe’s upcoming Galileo “GPS” for part of the U.S.A.’s military defense (U.S. and the EU to collaborate on the usage of Global Navigation Satellite Systems. Wire Update, BNO News, July 31, 2010). This would appear to give the rising European power a unique offensive and defensive capability against the U.S.A. (cf. Daniel 11:39; Revelation 13:3-4). It is dangerous to have a potential enemy control portions of one’s military communications systems.

Instead of increasing the U.S.A.’s role in particle collider technology, similar to some previous administrations, Barack Obama’s Administration has greatly weakened that. So much so, there is only one remaining U.S. particle accelerator and it is at risk of being gutted or shut down (Matson J. Nuclear Decelerator: Last U.S. Particle Collider is on Chopping Block. Scientific American, August 24, 2012). This is an area where Europe has clearly gained the lead over the U.S.A. since Barack Obama became president…

The Bible shows that the Beast will have special help from “unclean spirits” (Revelation 16:13) and will be considered to be unconquerable (Revelation 13:4).

Notice what the Bible says about this:

3…And all the world marveled and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” (Revelation 13:3-4, NKJV)

Notice that the military power of the Beast was something that the world will marvel, be astonished about. Why? Because no one really thought that the European Beast power had the military ability to defeat the U.S.A. with its Anglo-allies (Daniel 11:39), and then the Islamic King of the South (Daniel 11:40-43). Revelation 13:3-4 also supports the idea that the Beast may rise up because of violent civil unrest in Europe.

Technology may be key to a powerful European military. One aspect could include particle collider research. The number of colliders in the U.S.A. has dwindled down to one under the Obama and Bush Administrations, and the remaining one is facing budget cuts and possible closure. Yet, in Europe, it now has the leading one in the world, CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and in 2012, Germany announced that it is planning a possibly even more advanced one called FAIR (FAIR stands for the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research).

I believe that Germany’s FAIR, along with the LHC and other technology, will help the Europeans produce military weaponry to fulfill certain end time prophecies. Since Revelation 13:4 is discussing what seems to be a unique type of warfare, this warfare likely includes certain high-tech weapons (electromagnetic pulse, neutron, unique delivery systems, etc.) that will be effective for a while (ultimately the Europeans will be overcome by what appears to be a Russian-led, mainly Asian, confederation, cf. Jeremiah 50:41-43 & Daniel 11:44, possibly by exploiting some technological flaw, like creating a software virus, etc., while also amassing troops, etc.). The FAIR and the LHC projects are also likely to spin-off economic benefits that may help propel Europe to be (for a short while) the economic leader of the world (cf. Revelation 18).

While the U.S.A., Australia, and others are currently worried mostly about China, the European developments will not be good for the Anglo-descended lands, including England. (Thiel B. Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term. Nazarene Books, 2013, pp. 47, 121-122)

Large physics projects tend to produce military weaponry. And by not having the more conventional military equipment like tanks in Germany, the USA itself will not be in a position to as effectively deal with whatever high-tech military equipment that Europe develops.

The power in Europe is starting to rise up. And yes, ultimately, what is likely to come from Europe’s Large Hadron Collider and/or Germany’s FAIR collider, will be used to as part of an attack on American (USA and possibly Canadian) forces. Additionally, I believe that Europe’s Galileo or similar technology (Galileo is an upcoming competitor to GPS that the USA has said it will partially rely on for its own military needs; see also Europe’s Galileo ‘GPS’ Hits Another Milestone and USA GPS and EU Galileo linking was expected) will help the Europeans when that happens as well as to help prevent counter-strikes by the USA.

Europe is moving forward with its space and military plans and few in the USA seem to realize that when it gets enough power, the USA will lose all of its.

The understanding of the Continuing Church of God that the Europeans will be able to attack and takeover the United States and its Anglo-descended allies (cf. Isaiah 10:5-11; Daniel 11:39) is correct and will come to pass. And as I have speculated for years, the Large Hadron Collider and similar projects may be a factor in making that happen.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

European Technology and the Beast of Revelation Will the coming European Beast power would use and develop technology that will result in the taking over of the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies? Is this possible? What does the Bible teach? Here is a related YouTube video: Military Technology and the Beast of Revelation.
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
Might German Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg become the King of the North? Is the former German Defense Minister (who is also the former German Minister for Economics and Technology) one to watch? What do Catholic, Byzantine, and biblical prophecies suggest?
Germany’s Assyrian Roots Throughout History Are the Germanic peoples descended from Asshur of the Bible? Have there been real Christians in Germanic history? What about the “Holy Roman Empire”? There is also a You-Tube video sermon on this titled Germany’s Biblical Origins.
Germany in Biblical and Catholic Prophecy Does Assyria in the Bible equate to an end time power inhabiting the area of the old Roman Empire? What does prophecy say Germany will do and what does it say will happen to most of the German people?
Large Hadron Collider may result in military applications The Europeans have the largest physics project on the planet. Some scoff, but might it result in military applications? May the Large Hadron Collider help fulfill Revelation 13:4?
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for Asia? Who are the “Kings of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon? A YouTube video of interest may be Is China THE Threat to the United States of America?
The Eurasian Union, the Kings of the East, and Bible Prophecy Is there a Eurasian union that will be formed? Is one being formed right now? Are any leaders working on that in the 21st century? Does the Bible teach that there will be a Eurasian union? If some type of Eurasian union is formed, who might it benefit and who will it destroy? A related video would be Is The Eurasian Union Rising?
Russia: Its Origins and Prophesied Future Russia in prophecy. Where do the Russians come from? What about those in the Ukraine? What is prophesied for Russia and its allies? What will they do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end?
Is Russia the King of the North? Some claim it is. But what does the Bible teach? Here is a link to a video, also titled Is Russia the King of the North?
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term This is a 160 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Barack Obama and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled (which the book documents in detail) and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also has a chapter about a Republican choice. This book is available to order at www.barackobamaprophecy.com. The physical book can also be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Barack Obama Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic Catholic, Kenyan, and other America-Related Prophecies? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.

COGwriter

The Continuing Church of God is produced a video about concerns about pornography on our YouTube channel called Bible New Prophecy.

COGwriter

A new report claims that 35% of USA Americans have debts which have been turned over to collection agencies:

July 29, 2014

WASHINGTON —

More than 35 percent of Americans have debts and unpaid bills that have been reported to collection agencies, according to a study released Tuesday by the Urban Institute.

These consumers fall behind on credit cards or hospital bills. Their mortgages, auto loans or student debt pile up, unpaid. Even past-due gym membership fees or cellphone contracts can end up with a collection agency, potentially hurting credit scores and job prospects, said Caroline Ratcliffe, a senior fellow at the Washington-based think tank.

“Roughly, every third person you pass on the street is going to have debt in collections,” Ratcliffe said. “It can tip employers’ hiring decisions, or whether or not you get that apartment.”

The study found that 35.1 percent of people with credit records had been reported to collections for debt that averaged $5,178, based on September 2013 records…

Wages have barely kept up with inflation during the five-year recovery, according to Labor Department figures. And a separate measure by Wells Fargo found that after-tax income fell for the bottom 20 percent of earners during the same period.  http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2024187331_apxdebtstudy.html

In the covetous American society, it is little wonder that debt is such a problem.  Of course, this is a problem both for individuals who are in debt and the USA as a whole, as it is in debt more than any nation in the history of humanity.

Debt was prophesied as a curse for disobedience.  Notice a few scriptures:

43 The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. 44 He shall lend to you, but you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail. 45 Moreover all these curses shall come upon you and pursue and overtake you, until you are destroyed…47 “Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, 48 therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you. 49 The LORD will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you will not understand, 50 a nation of fierce countenance, which does not respect the elderly nor show favor to the young. 51 And they shall eat the increase of your livestock and the produce of your land, until you are destroyed; they shall not leave you grain or new wine or oil, or the increase of your cattle or the offspring of your flocks, until they have destroyed you. 52 They shall besiege you at all your gates until your high and fortified walls, in which you trust, come down throughout all your land; and they shall besiege you at all your gates throughout all your land which the LORD your God has given you (Deuteronomy 28:42-45,47-52).

7 The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender. (Proverbs 22:7)

6 “Will not all these take up a proverb against him, And a taunting riddle against him, and say, ‘Woe to him who increases What is not his–how long? And to him who loads himself with many pledges’? 7 Will not your creditors rise up suddenly? Will they not awaken who oppress you? And you will become their booty. 8 Because you have plundered many nations, All the remnant of the people shall plunder you. Because of men’s blood And the violence of the land and the city, And of all who dwell in it. 9 “Woe to him who covets evil gain for his house, That he may set his nest on high, That he may be delivered from the power of disaster! 10 You give shameful counsel to your house, Cutting off many peoples, And sin against your soul. 11 For the stone will cry out from the wall, And the beam from the timbers will answer it. (Habakkuk 2:6-11)

As far as the report that real income has not risen in the five years since the USA has supposedly been in economic recovery, let me simply state that since the USA began to legalize abortion, the financial standard of living of its people overall has stagnated, as opposed to increasing as it had previously.  Notice some related comments:

In real terms, as mentioned above, US growth in the 21st century seems to have fallen back to medieval levels. Why?…Because the economy failed to produce real growth. After 1973, wages, for example, adjusted for inflation, went nowhere. (Bonner B. Economic Growth in the Internet Age. Daily Reckoning, June 23, 2011)

The typical working stiff earns less real money today than he did 40 years ago. (Bonner B. Economic Long Live the 1%. Daily Reckoning, November 25, 2011)

Coincidence or curse? The reality is that prior to abortions becoming “legalized” in the late 1960s and then nationally in 1973, most people in the USA seemed to understand that it was not wise to consume more than you produce. Now, with more abortion and less understanding of other basic biblically-supported economic concepts, a culture that accepts this type of debt and living off of others has flourished. But it will NOT last.

Additionally, the various court/political decisions this week related to homosexual marriage in states such as Virginia and North Carolina only add the sins of the USA and its risk of destruction as Romans 1:18-32 point out.  Add to that increased societal acceptance of various forms of pornography, and the recipe for disaster is being concocted.

Many seemingly believe that the USA will not suffer total collapse, but they are in error. The Bible teaches that event the nation with the strongest military will be taken over (cf. Daniel 11:39), and that will occur sometime in the 21st century (for details, see Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? and Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel).

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
Abortion, the Bible, and a Woman’s Right to Choose Do you know what the Bible teaches on this? Has the Roman Catholic Church allowed abortions? What about the real Church of God? Some may also, or instead, wish to view the YouTube video Abortion, the Bible, and US Debt.
The Bible Condemns Homosexuality “Same-sex marriage” for “gays” and lesbians is becoming more acceptable to many. What does the Bible teach about homosexuality?  Can homosexuals change?
Pornography: A scourge on society Is pornography harmless fun? Does the Bible teach anything about it? What are the views of some involved with it? Here is a link to a YouTube video Pornography: Harmless Fun or a Scourge on Society?
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2021 or 20xx? There is also a video titled The 6000 Year Plan: Is the end of humanity’s reign almost up?
Can those in the USA/UK see the Handwriting on the Wall? Is everything fine in the USA/UK or is it like the days of Noah? Can we learn from the handwriting that appeared on a wall thousands of years ago? Here is a link to a related YouTube video Can you see the ‘Handwriting on the Wall’?
British are the Covenant People What do ‘British’ and ‘Britain’ mean in Hebrew? Are the descendants of the Anglo-Saxons people of the covenant? Does the British royal family connect to the throne of David? What does the Bible teach? What does history show us? Is there any DNA evidence related to British-Israelism? When did Christianity make it to the British Isles? Could Jeremiah have made it to the British Isles? What type of Christians made it to the British Isles? Did the last King of England believe in British Israelism?
Hillary Clinton in Prophecy Prophecy, Hillary Clinton? Are there prophecies that Hillary Clinton may fulfill? Are there any prophecies that she has already helped fulfill? Could Hillary Clinton be apocalyptic? Could Hillary Clinton be the final Antichrist?
Canada in Prophecy: What Does Bible Prophecy, Catholic Prophecy, and other Predictions Suggest About the Future of Canada? There are prophecies that suggest involvement with Canada. And many are not positive about its future.
Protestant and Church of God views of the United States in Bible Prophecy Is the USA mentioned in Bible prophecy? Some Protestants say yes, while others say no. What does the Bible really teach? Learn the truth about this. There is also a video available: Is The United States Mentioned In Bible Prophecy?
Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians. We all know the Bible prophecies famines. Should we do something? Here is a version in the Spanish language Escrituras sobre Preparación física para los Cristianos.
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church Did you know that? Do you even know what the gospel of the kingdom is all about? You can also see a YouTube video sermon The Gospel of the Kingdom.
Just What Do You Mean the Kingdom of God? A booklet that was written by Herbert Armstrong answers questions about the Kingdom.
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West?
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term This is a 160 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Barack Obama and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled (which the book documents in detail) and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also has a chapter about a Republican choice. This book is available to order at www.barackobamaprophecy.com. The physical book can also be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Barack Obama Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic Catholic, Kenyan, and other America-Related Prophecies? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.

Signing of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 1987

COGwriter

The USA came out and publicly accused Russia of violating part of a 1987 nuclear arms deal:

WASHINGTON — The United States has concluded that Russia violated a landmark arms control treaty by testing a prohibited ground-launched cruise missile, according to senior American officials, a finding that was conveyed by President Obama to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia in a letter on Monday.

It is the most serious allegation of an arms control treaty violation that the Obama administration has leveled against Russia…At the heart of the issue is the 1987 treaty that bans American and Russian ground-launched ballistic or cruise missiles capable of flying 300 to 3,400 miles…

Russia first began testing the cruise missiles as early as 2008, according to American officials, and the Obama administration concluded by the end of 2011 that they were a compliance concern. In May 2013, Rose Gottemoeller, the State Department’s senior arms control official, first raised the possibility of a violation with Russian officials…

enior officials said the president’s most senior advisers unanimously agreed that the test was a serious violation, and the allegation will be made public soon in the State Department’s annual report on international compliance with arms control agreements.

“The United States has determined that the Russian Federation is in violation of its obligations under the I.N.F. treaty not to possess, produce or flight test a ground-launched cruise missile (GLCM) with a range capability of 500 kilometers to 5,500 kilometers or to possess or produce launchers of such missiles,” that report will say…

The Russians have also raised their own allegations, a move that American officials believe is intended to muddy the issue and perhaps give them leverage in any negotiations over compliance. One month after Ms. Gottemoeller raised the American concerns, the Russians responded by pointing to the United States plans to base the Aegis missile system in Romania. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/29/world/europe/us-says-russia-tested-cruise-missile-in-violation-of-treaty.html

Some believe that the 1987 agreement was a major factor in ending the cold war between the USA and the old Soviet Union.  One may wonder if part of the reason this was publicly announced yesterday was to add public pressure on European politicians to agree to stronger sanctions against Russia, as EU leaders are supposed to do that today, while fighting continues in eastern Ukraine:

July 29, 2014

(Reuters) – Intense fighting between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine killed dozens of civilians, soldiers and rebels, as Kiev pressed on with an offensive on Tuesday including near the wreckage of Malaysian flight MH17.

Shells hit the centre of Donetsk, a city with a pre-war population of nearly a million people where residents fear they will be trapped on a battlefield between advancing Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed rebels who have vowed to make a stand.

In Brussels, European officials met to discuss imposing the first broad-based sanctions aimed at sectors of the Russian economy, a step that would start a new phase in the biggest confrontation between Russia and the West since the Cold War…

European officials were meeting in Brussels to debate the measures on Tuesday, seeking steps that would hurt Russia without causing too much damage to their own economies.

Meanwhile on the ground, fighting has only intensified since the air crash, with Ukrainian government forces trying to press on with an offensive that saw them push rebels out of their bastion of Slaviansk at the start of the month.

Rebels who retreated from Slaviansk to Donetsk say they will make a stand inside the city. Fighting has also intensified in towns and villages near the border, where the government says it aims to assert control to block rebel reinforcements and arms shipments from Russia.  http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/29/us-ukraine-crisis-east-idUSKBN0FY0OX20140729

July 29, 2014

European Union countries reached agreement on Tuesday to impose new economic sanctions against Russia, targeting its oil industry, defense, dual-use goods and sensitive technologies, according to diplomats.

The measures will also shut state-owned Russian banks out of European capital markets.

The decision was reached by EU ambassadors at a meeting in Brussels.

The new sanctions, imposed on Russia over its role in the conflict in Ukraine, will be subject to review after three months, according to one diplomat. http://www.voanews.com/content/eu-set-to-impose-tougher-sanctions-on-russia/1967118.html

The White House said Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “losing” the war in Ukraine and that the European Union was set to target Moscow’s economy with new sanctions…http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jul/28/white-house-says-russia-losing-war-ukraine/

The Europeans are hoping that Russia will not push further, while Russia is trying to decide what to do.  Russia can decide that it may want to officially and publicly support the separatists in Ukraine and send in its own troops.  So far, it has resisted that because of concerns about sanctions, trade, and international relations.

Notice also the following:

Putin’s Strategy Is Complicated by Rebel Setbacks in Ukraine, Sanctions

Pro-Russia Rebels Suffer Setbacks as West Readies Tougher Sanctions; Kremlin Prepares for Deeper International Isolation

July 29, 2014

Moscow appears to be digging in, even as the situation for the pro-Russia rebels in Ukraine deteriorates.

At a hastily called news conference, Igor Girkin, a Russian citizen who is the top defense official in the separatist Donetsk People’s Republic, said his forces had evacuated more than 100 wounded fighters to Russia because “I can’t rule out the total siege of Donetsk from all sides.”…

Although Russia offered modest concessions for international monitoring, it has actually substantially stepped up supplies of weapons to rebels across the border, according to Western officials.

“We expect the European Union to take significant additional steps this week, including in key sectors of the Russian economy,” said Tony Blinken, Mr. Obama’s deputy national security adviser. “In turn, and in full coordination with Europe, the United States will implement additional measures itself.”

The Kremlin has taken steps to prepare Russians for deeper international isolation. On Monday, Mr. Putin gathered top defense-industry officials at his residence to discuss how to replace imported technologies amid “risks of a political nature.”

In a nationally televised speech to security chiefs last week, he warned that while Russia’s nuclear deterrent protects it from military conquest, rivals still seek to undermine the country “in the economic sphere and politically.” Mr. Putin vowed to work to head off any such threats to Russia’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Mr. Putin’s balancing act over the past several months—keeping the pressure on Kiev with covert support for the rebels while avoiding serious economic penalties from the West—had managed to satisfy both the nationalist hard-liners and the business elite within Russia…

Broadening the sanctions “will be in some way a disaster,” economically and politically, for both sides, said one longtime European diplomat. “But we cannot be indifferent. We had to react.”…

“The situation is much more ominous than it was a week ago,” said Thomas Graham, a former White House Russia-policy chief. “Putin is underestimating the West. But are we underestimating how much he will risk in Ukraine?” http://online.wsj.com/articles/russia-digs-in-as-western-pressure-mounts-over-ukraine-1406573577

Many in the West do not realize that Vladimir Putin considers that Ukraine is part of Russia.  He has long wanted it to be part of his upcoming Eurasian Union. He believes it was a mistake that Ukraine was even allowed to be a separate state in the old U.S.S.R.

Vladimir Putin considers that allowing Ukraine to be part of the European Union makes it an enemy instead of an ally–that is not acceptable to him.  Thus, he wants Ukraine, or at least parts of the eastern Ukraine.  He is not going to allow that region to slip away without action. While he has ended up with Crimea, that is likely not enough for him.

In the long-run, those who are descended from the Medes, which includes various ones in Russia, Crimea, and at least parts of the Ukrainian lands, will align together in the future (Jeremiah 51:27-29).

Those called Medes are also shown to destroy the final Babylon according to both Isaiah and Jeremiah:

1 The burden against Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw…

17 “Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them,
Who will not regard silver;
And as for gold, they will not delight in it.
18 Also their bows will dash the young men to pieces,
And they will have no pity on the fruit of the womb;
Their eye will not spare children.
19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,
The beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride,
Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. (Isaiah 13:1, 17-19)

11 Make the arrows bright!
Gather the shields!
The Lord has raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes.
For His plan is against Babylon to destroy it,
Because it is the vengeance of the Lord,
The vengeance for His temple. (Jeremiah 51:11)

27 Set up a banner in the land, Blow the trumpet among the nations! Prepare the nations against her, Call the kingdoms together against her: Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a general against her; Cause the horses to come up like the bristling locusts. 28 Prepare against her the nations, With the kings of the Medes, Its governors and all its rulers, All the land of his dominion. 29 And the land will tremble and sorrow; For every purpose of the Lord shall be performed against Babylon, To make the land of Babylon a desolation without inhabitant. (Jeremiah 51:27-29)

The fact that there are multiple kings of the Medes indicates that multiple powers involved in this end time confederation represent multiple governments. Perhaps, such as Russia, Belarus, Crimea, etc.

Catholics may find it of interest to note that even among their scholars, it is taught that the “Babylon” of Jeremiah 51:11 is referring to a European power: “the Roman Empire” (Kurz W. What Does the Bible Say About End Time? A Catholic View. Nihil Obstat: Hilarion Kistner, Imprimatur: +Carl Moeddel, July 19, 2004. Servant Books, 2004, pp. 48-49).  The European Union is an attempt to revive a version of the old Roman empire.

Russia will remember the sanctions and other difficulties the West imposes.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Russia and Ukraine: Origins and Prophesied Future Where do the Russians come from? What about those in the Ukraine? What is prophesied for Russia and its allies? What will they do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end? You can also watch the short video Ukraine in Prophecy?
Russia in the Bible and in Prophecy Is Russia mentioned in the Bible? It it is where is it? Is there any evidence of a people moving to the land that the Russians now occupy? What do Catholic and other prophecies say about Russia? What does the Bible teach? How are Protestants often in error on this? Is there more in biblical prophecy for Russia than war? Does God have a plan to save Russia and her allies? Does Russia have a history involving Sabbath keepers? Does scripture tie Russia in with Armageddon? Will Russia help defeat the end time Babylonian power? What did the Apostle John, and the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel, write about Russia? This is a sermon-length video.
Ezekiel 38: For Russia & Iran in Our Day? Is Ezekiel 38 about to be fufilled? A related video is available titled Ezekiel 38: For Russia, Ukraine, & Iran Now?
Bible News Prophecy July-Sept. 2014: The Coming Eurasian Union Here is the latest magazine from the Continuing Church of God. The cover of which shows Vladimir Putin and features an article about the coming Eurasian Union.
Hillary Clinton in Prophecy Prophecy, Hillary Clinton? Are there prophecies that Hillary Clinton may fulfill? Are there any prophecies that she has already helped fulfill? Could Hillary Clinton be apocalyptic? Could Hillary Clinton be the final Antichrist?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2014, 2015, or 2016? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2013 o 2014? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon video: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives.
The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 This prophecy could give up to 3 1/2 years advance notice of the coming Great Tribulation. Will most ignore or misunderstand its fulfillment? Here is a link to a related sermon video Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation.
Blood Moons and Prophecy There are four ‘blood moons’ expected in 2014 and 2015. Do they signal the Day of the Lord or the return of Jesus Christ? A related YouTube video is also available: Blood Moons, Prophecy, 2014, and 2015.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church Did you know that? Do you even know what the gospel of the kingdom is all about? You can also see a YouTube video sermon The Gospel of the Kingdom.
Just What Do You Mean the Kingdom of God? A booklet that was written by Herbert Armstrong answers questions about the Kingdom.
Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations? Some claim that these passages refer to a gathering of 10 currently existing nations together, while one group teaches that this is referring to 11 nations getting together. Is that what Revelation 17:12-13 refers to? The ramifications of misunderstanding this are enormous.
World War III: Steps in Progress Are there surprising actions going on now that are leading to WWIII? Might a nuclear attack be expected? Does the Bible promise protection to all or only some Christians? How can you be part of those that will be protected? A related video would be Is World War III About to Begin? Can You Escape?
Wars, rumors of wars, and the Apocalypse Jesus foretold a time before the end where there would be wars and rumors of wars. The Apocalypse (the Book of Revelation) warns of the red horseman of war. Now, even secular writers, like Larry Edelson, are worried that wars and rumors of war are the most menacing problem that now haunts the earth? Are they right? What is the solution? This is a sermonette-length video.
Is Russia the King of the North? Some claim it is. But what does the Bible teach? Here is a link to a video, also titled Is Russia the King of the North?
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
The Eurasian Union, the Kings of the East, and Bible Prophecy Is there a Eurasian union that will be formed? Is one being formed right now? Are any leaders working on that in the 21st century? Does the Bible teach that there will be a Eurasian union? If some type of Eurasian union is formed, who might it benefit and who will it destroy? A related video would be Is The Eurasian Union Rising?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term This is a 160 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Barack Obama and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled (which the book documents in detail) and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also has a chapter about a Republican choice. This book is available to order at www.barackobamaprophecy.com. The physical book can also be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Barack Obama Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic Catholic, Kenyan, and other America-Related Prophecies? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.

Imagined Depiction of Zephaniah (center) Speaking

COGwriter

“The prophet Zephaniah lived and wrote about 630 B.C.” (Armstrong HW. The Proof of the Bible, 1958) during the time of Josiah, king of Judah (Zephaniah 2:1).

God inspired the Prophet Zephaniah to write the following:

1 Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O undesirable nation, (Zephaniah 2:1)

Although it has certain misunderstandings, the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary realized that the gathering together was intended for a religious group or assembly:

Zephaniah 2:1

Gather yourselves together – to a religious assembly, to avert the judgment by prayers, (Joel 2:16, “Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders,” etc.)  (from Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1997, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

When are they to gather together?

2 Before the decree is issued, Or the day passes like chaff, Before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you, Before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you! (Zephaniah 2:2)

The gathering is to take place will before the day of the Lord (which happens about 2 1/2 years after the Great Tribulation of Matthew 24:21 begins) and before some type of decree is issued.

Who does God want to gather together?

The end time Christians.  Notice what Jesus stated and something the Apostle Peter wrote:

19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. (John 15:19, NKJV)

9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:  10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10, KJV)

This is a peculiar people.  These are people who the world does not desire.  These are Philadelphian Christians.

How do we know that Zephaniah 2:1-3 is related to Christians?  Because the decree is for the end time and because of what else God inspired Zephaniah to write:

3 Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth, Who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. (Zephaniah 2:3a)

The above is a reference to Christians as they are to be the “meek of the earth” (Matthew 5:5) and to Philadelphians who “have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility.”  These are Philadelphian Christians who understand that church leaders need to have integrity and are willing to be humble enough to accept the authority of a church led by a low-level prophet in the absence of a clear apostle (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11-15).  They are humble enough to not think that they should remain ‘independent,’ as many who once were part of the old Worldwide Church of God, during this Laodicean time, have done.

Why does God tell them they may wish to be gathered together? So:

3…It may be that you will be hidden In the day of the Lord’s anger. (Zephaniah 2:3b)

Interestingly, the Hebrew words translated as Zephaniah means “Yahweh Hides” or “Yahweh Has Hidden” (Holy Bible: Vine’s Expository Reference Edition, p. 826).

Why have I written that Zephaniah 2:1-3 has to do with Philadelphian Christians?

For they are the only ones who will actually ‘gather together’ as they should.

Why?

Because it is they who will lead the final phase of the work and it is only to the Philadelphians that Jesus promises to protect from the coming hour of trial, also referred to as the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord:

7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,

‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”:  8 “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.  9 Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie — indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.  10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.  11 Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.  12 He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.

13 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”‘  (Revelation 3:7-13)

Notice that the Philadelphians are doing the work of God, have kept God’s word, have not denied Christ’s name/authority, and are persevering in the truth.

Yet, other churches around at the end, such as the remnants of Thyatira (Revelation 2:18-29) and Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6) are not promised that protection.  Nor are the many Laodiceans (Revelation 3:14-22)–even if they are somehow gathered together–as they have gathered together in places that Jesus did not wish them to.

Are not all real Christians going to be protected?

No.  The Book of Revelation is clear that after the Philadelphians are persecuted (cf. Daniel 7:25a; 11:29-36), that group will flee to a place of protection, while the rest of the true Christians will not flee and then be subject to severe persecution:

13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child.  14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 12:13-17)

What kind of decree will be issued?

A decree that may allow those who are gathered together and who listen to it an opportunity to be protected (Zephaniah 2:1-3).  A decree that the Philadelphians will listen to and flee.

When is a decree to be issued?  After an event that Jesus told of that He tied to the writings of the Prophet Daniel:

15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), (Matthew 24:15)

14 “So when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not” (let the reader understand), (Mark 13:14a)

What did Jesus say happens next?

16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.  18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.  21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. (Matthew 24:16-21)

Notice also:

5 Declare in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say:

“Blow the trumpet in the land;
Cry, ‘Gather together,’
And say, ‘Assemble yourselves,
And let us go into the fortified cities.’
6 Set up the standard toward Zion.
Take refuge! Do not delay!
For I will bring disaster from the north,
And great destruction.” (Jeremiah 4:5-6)

The decree to ‘gather together’ will be repeated in the area of Judah just before the time of great destruction.

Why a decree?

Apparently, to make it easier for people who read what Jesus said to better be able to understand that Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14 and Daniel 9:27b and Daniel 11:31 had been fulfilled.

By whom will the decree be made?

The Bible says:

7 Surely the Lord God does nothing,
Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.
8 A lion has roared!
Who will not fear?
The Lord God has spoken!
Who can but prophesy?  (Amos 3:7-8)

The prophet may make the decree personally and/or pass it on to another authority in the church to make.

Who is the only Church of God in the 21st century to teach all of this?

The Continuing Church of God.

If you are not with the group that is leading the  final phase of the work will you not be able to flee if you wait until the last moment? While that may be remotely possible for some, remember that God inspired Zephaniah to admonish God’s people to ‘gather together…before the decree is issued.’

Most will discount this and many will scoff.  Most COGs do not have any when considered to be a prophet, and those other than CCOG who claim to, have prophets that have been proven to be false (e.g. PCG, CGPFKG, TPM).

Furthermore, I read a post recently from a CCOG scoffer who picked at the very idea that one should suggest that a COG is Philadelphian and those part of such a COG will have be subject to being protected in a place of safety.

He and many others do not realize how important Jesus taught paying attentions to world events and prophecy is.  Notice something Jesus taught:

34 “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.  35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.  36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.“  (Luke 21:34-36)

Notice Jesus said to watch and pray ALWAYS.  He was referring to prophetic matters. THIS CAME FROM JESUS, BUT MANY SCOFF AT PROPHECY for differing reasons (cf. 2 Peter 3:1-7)–yet being a prophetic scoffer is a mistake (cf. 2 Peter 3:8-9).

Jesus realized that if people did not pay attention to prophecy and pray alway, they would not properly take the steps to “be counted worthy to escape all these things.”  Yes, God uses prophecy as a motivator for people.  Remember that God used Jonah to warn Nineveh (Jonah 3:1-4) and they repented (Jonah 3:5-9), and they did not get the punishment they were going to get then (Jonah 3:10).

Jesus specifically told the Laodiceans, in a prophecy, that they needed to repent (Revelation 3:19) or face consequences (Revelation 3:14-19, and that they would be rewarded for doing so (Revelation 3:20).  The Laodiceans are Church of God Christians “who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12:17).

Many COG groups no longer officially teach the idea of “church eras,” and various ones also teach against it (though many are silent about them).  Those that are unwilling to accept the idea of church eras, have tended to misunderstand Jesus’ teachings to the seven churches and will, unless they change, not accept the related truths today.  Many do not realize that not teaching church eras was one of the first changes in doctrine implemented by the Tkach Administration after the death of Herbert Armstrong (see The 18 Restored Truths: Do You Know What the First Changes the Tkach Administration Made?).

Of course, the old Worldwide Church of God clearly did teach church eras.  Notice one related quote from the late Herbert W. Armstrong:

“Greetings, everybody! This afternoon I want to speak on the mission of the Philadelphia Era of the Church, this Church today in comparison to the first era of the Church, the Ephesus Era of the Church. It’s been seeming more and more to me, as the years go by, that the Bible was written primarily for the Philadelphia Era of the Church…Today’s mission of the Church you will find in Matthew 24:14. And this gospel of the kingdom…that is the same gospel that Jesus preached…shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”(Armstrong HW. Mission of the Philadelphia Church Era, December 17, 1983)

The Continuing Church of God has the same mission and the same commitment to fulfilling Matthew 24:14 that Herbert Armstrong advocated.  Matthew 24:14 is a PROPHETIC MESSAGE and it does tie in with world news and the condition of the world.

Although many Laodiceans do believe in church eras and do believe that they should watch events related to biblical prophecy, sadly, they have compromised and accepted compromised leaders who, unless they repent, will not know when the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21) that will begin.  This is documented in the article The Laodicean Church Era.  Sadly, most lack the motivation and humility to make the necessary changes.

Notice also the following from the old Worldwide Church of God:

“Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger,” cried the Prophet Zephaniah (2:3).

A sermon-on-the-mount-type character is required. If you develop such Christlike character, the chances of your escaping the great tribulation are very good.

God’s anxiety for the physical welfare of His people is recorded by the Prophet Isaiah: “Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold [here is the reason for hiding], the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity …” (Isa. 26:20-21).

Notice that verse 21 ties right back into the Christian’s prophetic responsibility: watching significant world events individually (and warning the world as a Church) as well as praying to be worthy to escape the punishments of God on this sick and dying world.

Watch! (Schroeder JR. Christ the Revelator. Good News, 1975)

The old WCG taught that Zephaniah had to do with being protected, yet few teach that today.

Since no later that 2007 (see Will Many Not Expect The End?) I have written that Zephaniah had to do with Philadelphians being ‘gathered together’ so that they would be protected from the coming trial that will hit the earth.

We in the Continuing Church of God “have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19, KJV).”

Should we not be “exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25)?

We in the Continuing Church of God boldly teach the need for Philadelphians to be ‘gathering together’ today.  Will you heed God’s instructions as the Prophet Zephaniah was inspired to write?  Would you possibly like to be protected?  If so, will you ‘gather together’?

A new, and related YouTube video, is available: Zephaniah’s ‘Gather Together’ Prophecy.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Petra This article discusses a biblical ‘place of safety’ and includes quotes from the Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong on this subject–thus, there is a biblically supported alternative to the rapture theory. There is also a video on the subject: Might Petra be the Place of Safety?  Here is something related in the Spanish language: Hay un lugar de seguridad para los Filadelfinos. ¿Puede ser Petra?
This is PETRA! This is a 1962 Good News article by the late Dr. Hoeh.
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2014, 2015, or 2016? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2013 o 2014? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon video: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives.
Elijah: Past and Prophesied Information about the original Elijah and some information about the Elijah-related prophecies.
The Elijah Heresies Does the Bible teach that there will be a future Elijah? Must it be Herbert W. Armstrong?
How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God There are many false prophets, yet many overlook what the Bible teaches about how to recognize a true one. How can Christians determine who is a true prophet? This article contains a scripture-based checklist to assist with this determination.
How to determine if someone is a true prophet of God This is a sermon on YouTube addressing a subject that most in the Church of God do not seem to have looked into very much. It discusses scriptures and dispels some improper assertions that some associated with the COG have made about prophets in this time.
Why Be Concerned About False and Heretical Leaders? There have been many false leaders–here is some of why you should be concerned about them.
The Churches of Revelation 2 & 3 from 31 A.D. to present: information on all of the seven churches of Revelation 2 & 3. There is also a YouTube video: The Seven Church Eras of Revelation. There is also a version in the Spanish language: Las Siete Iglesias de Apocalipsis 2 & 3.
1. The Ephesus Church Era was predominant from 31 A.D. to circa 135 A.D. The Church of James, Peter, Paul, and John, etc.
2. The Smyrna Church Era was predominant circa 135 A.D. to circa 450 A.D. The Church led by Polycarp, Melito, Polycrates, etc.
3. The Pergamos Church Era was predominant circa 450 A.D. to circa 1050 A.D. An especially persecuted Church.
4. The Thyatira Church Era was predominant circa 1050 A.D. to circa 1600 A.D. The Church during the Inquisition.
5. The Sardis Church Era was predominant circa 1600 A.D. to circa 1933 A.D. Discusses early history of the Seventh Day Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, and COG-7th Day.
6. The Philadelphia Church Era was predominant circa 1933 A.D. to 1986 A.D. The old Radio Church of God and old Worldwide Church of God, now basically the most faithful in the Church of God, like who hold to the beliefs and practices of the Continuing Church of God.
7. The Laodicean Church Era has been predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. These are non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG.
The Final Phase of the Work What is the final phase of the work? Who will lead it? Do you have the courage to support it? Here is a related YouTube video titled The Final Phase of the Work. The written article has been translated into Spanish La Fase Final de la Obra.
Leading the Final Phase of the Work Matthew 24:14 teaches “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come ” will be fulfilled and RCG is not the group doing this. Who is leading the final phase of the work? What did Herbert Armstrong and the old WCG teach about that and about prophets? Does Bob Thiel meet the criteria that the Bible and the old WCG set? What is the proof? What has the Continuing Church of God been doing?  This is a sermonette length video.

COGwriter

The Huffington Post reported the following about Pope Francis’ activities:

July 28, 2014

VATICAN CITY (AP) – Pope Francis has become the first pope to visit a Pentecostal church, pressing his outreach to evangelicals who represent Catholicism’s greatest competition for Christian souls around the globe.

Francis flew by helicopter Monday to visit the under-construction Pentecostal Church of Reconciliation in the southern city of Caserta. He met privately with a Pentecostal preacher who is an old friend, Giovanni Traettino.

Speaking to some 350 Pentecostal faithful in the church, Francis apologized for Catholic persecution of Pentecostals during Italy’s fascist regime and stressed that there was unity in diversity within Christianity.

He acknowledged the remarkable nature of his visit, saying: “Someone will be surprised: ‘The pope went to visit the evangelicals?’ But he went to see his brothers.” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/28/pope-francis-pentecostal_n_5627430.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592

While this is apparently a first, it is part of a Babylonian plan.  It is only AFTER Jesus returns that the true unity of faith can and will come per Zechariah 2:12-16, Ephesians 4:13, and Revelation 11:15-18. See also Beware: Protestants Going Towards Ecumenical Destruction!.   What is now happening it related to Babylon.

Catholic and biblical prophecies warn against this:

Priest H. Kramer (20th century): In the vision of the Seer now appears a second beast rising out of the earth, having two horns like a lamb but speaking like a dragon…In other places he is called the false prophet…This prophet may re-establish the pagan Roman Empire and build the “Great Harlot”, Babylon… The False Prophet…will persuade all infidels, apostates and apostate nations to worship and adore him…Antichrist ”sitteth in the temple of God” (I Thes. II. 4). This is not the ancient Temple in Jerusalem…this temple is shown to be a Catholic Church…The False Prophet will proclaim the resurrection of the Roman Empire. (Kramer H., p. 318,320-323)

2…Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! 3 For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.” 4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. 5 For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. (Revelation 18:2-5)

1 One of the seven angels that had the seven bowls came to speak to me, and said, ‘Come here and I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute who is enthroned beside abundant waters, 2 with whom all the kings of the earth have prostituted themselves, and who has made all the population of the world drunk with the wine of her adultery.’ 3 He took me in spirit to a desert, and there I saw a woman riding a scarlet beast which had seven heads and ten horns and had blasphemous titles written all over it. 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet and glittered with gold and jewels and pearls, and she was holding a gold winecup filled with the disgusting filth of her prostitution; 5 on her forehead was written a name, a cryptic name: ‘Babylon the Great, the mother of all the prostitutes and all the filthy practices on the earth.’ 6 I saw that she was drunk, drunk with the blood of the saints, and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus; and when I saw her, I was completely mystified. (Revelation 17:1-6, NJB)

9 ‘This calls for shrewdness. The seven heads are the seven hills, on which the woman is sitting…18 The woman you saw is the great city which has authority over all the rulers on earth.’ (Revelation 17:9,18, NJB)

Yet, many cannot see that the final Babylonian religious group is forming.

Gaza Tunnel (Marius Arnesen)

COGwriter

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu says Israel will fight until all Gaza tunnels are destroyed:

July 28, 2014

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel will not end its operation in Gaza before destroying all the Hamas-built tunnels, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an address to the nation.

Neutralizing the tunnels is the first step toward demilitarization of Gaza, Netanyahu said Monday night in a nationally televised speech from the Israel Defense Forces headquarters in Tel Aviv.  He said the international community must demand the demilitarization of Gaza and monitor the building materials that enter Gaza in the future.

“We need to be prepared for a continued operation,” Netanyahu said. “We will fight to defend our citizens, our children.”

Netanyahu’s call to continue the operation until the tunnels are destroyed appeared to be a rejection of President Obama’s insistence on an immediate and unconditional cease-fire, a message he conveyed to Netanyahu in a phone call Sunday afternoon.

IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz said the “complex” operation in Gaza could continue for several more days, adding, “The price is painful, but we remain determined.”  http://www.jta.org/2014/07/28/news-opinion/israel-middle-east/netanyahu-israel-will-not-end-gaza-war-till-tunnels-destroyed#ixzz38n8Zvjyb

Hamas and Israel do not get along and the fighting is continuing:

July 28, 2014

A fragile truce in Gaza for a Muslim holiday broke down Monday as a mortar shell fired from the Palestinian territory killed at least four people in Israel, prompting the army to resume attacks on Hamas militants.

The renewed fighting, which also killed at least six Palestinians, came despite intense international pressure on both sides to cease fire immediately.

An emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council called for “an immediate and unconditional humanitarian cease-fire,” echoing U.S. President Barack Obama‘s appeal in a phone call to Mr. Netanyahu on Sunday.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon leveled his strongest criticism yet against Israel, accusing it of “pummeling” Gazans with “indiscriminate destruction.” He warned Israel to fulfill its obligations as an “occupying power” to protect civilians.

Israeli officials are saying the military needs more time to achieve their goals of degrading Hamas’s rocket arsenal and neutralizing cross-border tunnels, which Palestinian militants are increasingly using to attack Israel.

Hamas, the Islamist group that rules Gaza, called Sunday for a 24-hour truce to mark the Muslim feast of Eid al-Fitr which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan. The feast began on Monday and lasts for three das {sic}.  http://online.wsj.com/articles/israeli-strikes-on-gaza-break-lull-1406551863

July 28, 2014

Decrying the deaths and displacement of civilians, United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon called for an immediate break in the fighting in Gaza, a territory in “critical condition.”

“In the name of humanity, the violence must stop,” he told reporters Monday from the organization’s New York headquarters, hours after the U.N. Security Council called for “an immediate and unconditional humanitarian cease-fire” in Gaza.

“More suffering and siege conditions will only hurt innocent civilians, further isolate Israel, empower extremists on all sides and leave our world far less safe,” Ban said.

The 21-day conflict between Israel and Hamas militants already has killed more than 1,049 people and displaced at least 167,000 Palestinians, the U.N.’s main agency in Gaza said. Most of the Palestinian dead have been civilians. Israel says it has lost 43 soldiers and three civilians.

Tensions escalated Monday when an explosion that rocked a hospital and nearby park Monday killed at least 10 people, including children. Palestinians contended an Israeli missile hit Shifa Hospital; the Israelis said the attack came from a failed Hamas rocket…

Netanyahu rejected the demand, later telling U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon that it dealt with “the needs of a murderous terrorist group that attacks Israeli civilians” while neglecting the security needs of the Jewish state. http://www.voanews.com/content/un-calls-for-immediate-unconditional-cease-fire-in-gaza/1966307.html

Despite pleas from the USA President and the head of the United Nations, Israel has determined that it needs to continue this campaign.  Some reports indicate that Israel was surprised by the number and size of the tunnels, so apparently it has decided to spend more time trying to eliminate them.

Of course, if tunnels were built once (which they were), they can be built again.

While ultimately prophecy shows that much will not work out well for the Palestinians and those in Gaza (see Fighting stops and starts: What is ahead for Gaza? and Gaza and the Palestinians in Bible Prophecy), Bible prophecy also shows that trouble is coming to the land of Israel (Daniel 11:31-43), more than its Prime Minister Netanyahu seems to believe.

Here are a few:

20 But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. (Luke 21:20)

15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. (Matthew 24:15-17)

22 Behold, the noise of the report has come, And a great commotion out of the north country, To make the cities of Judah desolate, a den of jackals. (Jeremiah 10:22)

The modern nation of Israel contains many descendants of Judah and a time of desolation is coming to it.

Furthermore, notice one prophecy related to the Palestinians (called Philistines below) harming Israel:

8 The Lord sent a word against Jacob,
And it has fallen on Israel.
9 All the people will know —
Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria —
Who say in pride and arrogance of heart:
10 ‘The bricks have fallen down,
But we will rebuild with hewn stones;
The sycamores are cut down,
But we will replace them with cedars.”
11 Therefore the Lord shall set up
The adversaries of Rezin against him,
And spur his enemies on,
12 The Syrians before and the Philistines behind;
And they shall devour Israel with an open mouth.  (Isaiah 9:8-12)

Although Benjamin Netanyahu may be able to vastly delay the time of destruction, destruction is coming to the country he currently leads.

Israel, some time in the future, will agree to a ‘peace deal’ that will give relief for a few years per Daniel 9:27, but that will not end well for Israel (Daniel 11:31-39, see also The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27).

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. A video of possible interest may be Will Will USA Spying Help the Beast Power?
Will the Anglo-Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2014, 2015, or 2016? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What is the seven-year deal? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000?
Gaza and the Palestinians in Bible Prophecy What does the Bible teach about Gaza and the fate of the Palestinians?
The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 This prophecy could give up to 3 1/2 years advance notice of the coming Great Tribulation. Will most ignore or misunderstand its fulfillment? Here is a link to a related sermon video Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation.
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future What does the Bible say about Jerusalem and its future? Is Jerusalem going to be divided and eliminated? Is Jesus returning to the area of Jerusalem? There is also a related YouTube video you can watch titled Jerusalem To be divided and eliminated.
United Nations: Humankind’s Last Hope or New World Order? Is the UN the last hope for humanity? Or might its goals end up with sinister results? A related video would be United Nations and Vatican Are Planning the New World Order.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term This is a 160 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Barack Obama and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled (which the book documents in detail) and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also has a chapter about a Republican choice. This book is available to order at www.barackobamaprophecy.com. The physical book can also be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Barack Obama Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic Catholic, Kenyan, and other America-Related Prophecies? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.