Do You Hold to Any of These Laodicean Prophetic Errors?

By COGwriter

Main street of ancient Laodicea

Laodicea is the seventh of the seven churches listed in the Book of Revelation. The Laodicean Church became predominant towards the end of the twentieth century.

After Herbert Armstrong died, his designated successor, Joseph Tkach, Sr. claimed that while he could not fill Herbert Armstrong's shoes, he would walk in his footsteps and not change biblical doctrines. However, he did not keep his word but compromised with doctrine, advocated lawlessness, etc. This caused many to fall away, and others to scatter. Many Laodicean groups later formed.

Since Jesus had negative things to say about Laodicea (see Revelation 3:14-21), all who truly are dedicated to the Bible would want to be part of the remnant of the Philadelphia Church era, as currently represented by the Continuing Church of God. Or risk having to go through the Great Tribulation.

Jesus told the Church of the Laodiceans:

14 And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, 'These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:
15 "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
17 Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'--and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked--
18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." ' " (Revelation 3:14-22, NKJV throughout).

There are several differences in the statements to the church of the Laodiceans that do not seem to be included in the messages to the other churches.

These unique statements include: the term for the location being plural (vs. 14), being lukewarm (vs.15-16), being vomited out (vs.16), thinking they are self-sufficient while not knowing that they are miserable and blind (vs. 17), being counseled to buy gold refined in the fire (vs. 18), that those among them that Jesus loves will be rebuked and chastened (vs. 19), and that Jesus has to knock to find out if any will answer (vs. 20). Jesus also condemns their work.

Here is a link to a related video: 50+ Laodicean Prophetic Errors.

Laodiceans Misunderstand Bible Prophecy

One thing that I have noticed is that the Laodiceans, as well as those of the remnants of the Sardis Church, misunderstand end time prophecy.

On that Day of Pentecost, here is some of what the Apostle Peter taught:

14 … “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.  (Acts 2:14b-18)

Most Laodiceans do not accept that God has been doing that in the 21st century.

Those with a partial WCG background should consider that the late Pastor General of the old Worldwide Church of God, Herbert W. Armstrong, taught that Acts 2:-17-18 had a future application in a 1981 sermon:

Joel 2:28-29 And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: (29) And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

So there is a time coming when God will start pouring out His spirit on human beings. … Day of Pentecost, 3000 were baptized. Peter preached a sermon. They were pricked in their hearts. God began to draw them. God was now… Remember He said, “I will pour out of my spirit on all flesh.” All right, there’s a duality of that. (Armstrong HW. Building The Temple. Sermon, February 14, 1981)

Herbert W. Armstrong said the time was coming when God would pour out His Spirit. There was a duality to what Peter preached in Acts 2–and that duality is for the last days--our current time!

But those of Sardis have lost truth (Revelation 3:1-6) and those of Laodicea think they do not need anything (cf. Revelation 3:17), yet this has led them to misunderstand many aspects of prophecy. Jesus told both those groups of Christians to repent related to this current time.

As far as prophetic misunderstandings in various claimed COG groups that I have personally denounced, here is an abbreviated list:

1. Many COG groups (ICG, CGI, UCG, COGaIC, CG7-D, CGG, CEM, etc.) do not officially teach and/or do not believe in the idea of Church eras (The Churches of Revelation 2 & 3), though they sometimes teach about the churches of Revelation. They tend to take more of a preterist (past) view of those churches, despite the fact that many statements made to them had to have future prophetic ramifications (e.g. Revelation 1:19; 3:3; 3:10). Because of that they do not teach certain prophetic aspects of this, most do not see their own problems and will have to go through the Great Tribulation.
2. Many COG groups do not believe that the Gospel of the Kingdom of God still needs to be preached to the world as a witness per Matthew 24:14 (e.g. GCW, PCG), do not really make that a high priority (e.g. COGWA, CGG), or do so in less than truly loving the truth (cf. Jeremiah 48:10; see Why Bob Thiel Left the Living Church of God), hence do not have the real Philadelphian work. As only the Philadelphians are promised to be protected from the hour of trial that will come on the whole world, they will not understand when Matthew 24:14 is fulfilled or when to flee per Matthew 24:15. Hence they do not have or lead the Philadelphian work. Only the Philadelphians are promised to be protected from the hour of trial that will come on the whole world (see also There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Petra ). See also Should the Church Still Try to Place its Top Priority on Proclaiming the Gospel or Did Herbert W. Armstrong Change that Priority for the Work?
3. At least three groups misunderstand the Gospel and COG doctrines so much (PCG, CGPfK, and RCG come to immediate mind) that I question if their top leaders are actually converted members of the COG. The leaders of those groups have had major predictions be proven false (CGPFK, PCG, and RCG).
4. Many, if not most, COG groups do not realize that the Great Tribulation begins with the King of the North invading the USA. UK, and/or their Anglo-Saxon descended allies (Daniel 11:39; see Who is the King of the North?; see also USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses).
5. Many COG groups misunderstand the identity of the King of the South (Daniel 11:40-43), and some have the wrong prophetic sequence regarding the King of the South (see PCG and LCG do not understand the end-time King of the South sequence–do you?). This is not the order that Daniel 11 teaches (see Who is the King of the North?). This view overlooks the fact that since the Great Tribulation is the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7), that it begins with the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies like the United Kingdom getting invaded (cf. Daniel 11:39).  Some of the groups cling to this sequential error, because it was once held by the late Herbert W. Armstrong, who changed his view by 1979 (Armstrong, Herbert W. The Time We Are In, Now. Pastor General’s Report-Vol 1, No. 15, November 20, 1979).  Since the King of the North will eliminate those of the strongest fortresses (the USA, Canada, etc.) in Daniel 11:39, prior to invading the King of the South in Daniel 11:40, those who hold to this view will not know when the Great Tribulation will begin until after it has started.
6. Some (CEG, GCG-UK) teach that there is no biblically-required King of the South, while at least one group is unsure (CGF-NW)–but this is an error (see also Is the Future King of the South Rising Up?). This error contributes to other prophetic errors that those groups have.
7. Some have insisted that the final King of the South will be from the nation of Ethiopia. This is partially based upon a mistranslation in the KJV version of the Bible as well as a position that the late Herbert Armstrong once held. However, he changed his position in the 1960s and 1970s to an Arabic-Muslim confederation. Those who insist that the final King of the South must be Ethiopia will not possibly realize that the Great Tribulation will begin until it is too late (RCG once held that position, but later changed it; in 2018 LCG has pushed involvement, but not specifically kingship for Ethiopia).
8. Several COG groups (like CGG, RCG, PCG, COGWA) clearly misunderstand Daniel 9:27, the second half of which ties in with Daniel 11:31 and Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:15. Those who misunderstand it will not have a proper pre-warning of what is happening nor likely know when the Great Tribulation will begin (see also The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27).
9. Various COG groups (UCG, COGWA, COGaIC, RCG, and CGOM, come to immediate mind, but they are not the only ones) have so many areas of undefined prophecy that they will not know what certain events will mean. And groups who define matters wrongly will have problems that way as well (PCG and LCG come to immediate mind, but so do nearly all other COG claimed groups).
10. A couple of groups, such as  Church of God-Preparing for the Kingdom of God and Triumph Prophetic Ministries, have been repeatedly proven wrong about their dates for the start of the Great Tribulation and (like RCG) the return of Jesus Christ. Those who rely on the leaders of those groups really do not understand biblical prophecy.
11. Certain groups teach improper interpretations of the 1335, 1290, and 1260 days of Daniel 12 (CGPFK is one) or have other problems with that (most other COG groups) that they will not understand when the Great Tribulation will start. Herbert Armstrong changed his view on this by 1979 and many never understood the change.
12. Most COG groups fail to understand Habakkuk 2:2-8 and hence are not properly getting the warning out to the USA and UK (see Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel). PCG totally misses it, and LCG, while it once would teach it, has backed off because of what appears to be internal politics. The rising ‘time bomb’ of USA debt is something that needs to be pointed out and Habakkuk 2:2-8 points out the biblical threat that this poses. It should be proclaimed and we in CCOG are doing it. Many do not realize that Habakkuk 2:2-8 is related to fleeing and the start of the Great Tribulation, that the time will come when those Philadelphians who understand it in its proper timeframe will flee (see also There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Petra), and is one of the reasons for the attack against the indebted descendants of the tribes of Joseph.
13. At least one group (LCG) is no longer certain that France or certain other Israelitish nations will support the Beast power (see Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations?). This differs from the position specifically taught by the late Dibar Apartian (see The ‘Lost Tribe’ of Reuben: France in Prophecy?) as well as what the Bible teaches (see Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations?). Those who misunderstand this are likely to not possibly realize when the final Beast power has formed.
14. Many COG groups have various ‘Elijah heresies’ (most CGI-derived groups as well as RCG come to mind). Because of this, they will not be able to recognize the final Elijah.
15. Some think that either there is no Elijah to come (ICG, CGI) or that it is the church and perhaps not an individual (cf. LCG), which goes against Jesus’ teachings on the subject in Mark 9:12-13 (for more details, see The Elijah Heresies).
16. Some independents and some groups (PCG comes to mind) insist that the late Herbert W. Armstrong was the final ‘Elijah to come’ despite the fact that he has been dead since 1986, and that death disqualifies him according to his writing about that (Mystery of the Ages. 1985, p. 349; see also The Elijah Heresies).
17. Leaders of at least two groups (CGPFK and RCG), who once insisted publicly that Herbert Armstrong must be the final Elijah, now falsely claim that they hold that role.
18. At least one group has confused the final Elijah with the return of Jesus (LCG comes to mind).
19. Many groups do not understand the differing persecutions (and other matters) to come in Daniel 7:25, 11:30-39, Matthew 24:9-22, and Revelation 12:14-17, hence when the prophesied wave of persecution initially hits the Philadelphians primarily (and not them), they will not see this persecution as evidence that the Great Tribulation is about to begin. The old Radio Church of God specifically applied the persecuting scriptures of Daniel 11:32-35 to the end time Philadelphian church (see also Persecutions by Church and State).
20. Most groups that came out of groups once led by the late Garner Ted Armstrong (ICG, CGI, CEM, etc.) do not seem to teach that there is a physical place of safety (despite what Revelation 12:14-16 teaches), hence they will not be inclined to flee towards one just prior to the start of the Great Tribulation (see also There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Petra).
21. One CG7 group (CG7-S) has the place of safety as the 'sea of glass' and before the Bible says Christians will be there.
22. Most ‘independents’ do not believe that they need to ‘gather together’ prior to the time to flee despite what Zephaniah 2:1-3 teaches, hence it is not likely they will be inclined to flee together when a group they are not part of does just prior to the start of the Great Tribulation (cf. Revelation 12:14-17; see also There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Petra).
23. At least one group (PCG) misunderstands the final Prince of Rosh. Those who insist on a pre-return of Jesus Christ for the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38 will be disappointed as that is in scriptural error (see also Ezekiel 38: For Russia & Iran in Our Day?).
24. At least one COG group (CG7-D) basically teaches that most of the events of Revelation have already taken place and no one needs to be concerned about coming persecution as none supposedly is coming (see also The Dangerous Rise of Preterists). Jesus warned those of Sardis to be careful about losing the doctrinal understandings they had (Revelation 3:1-6), and this loss of prophetic knowledge proves that those in Sardis will not know when the Great Tribulation will begin.
25. At least one COG group (LCG) erroneously believes that the abomination of desolation of Daniel 11:31 occurs after the King of the North invades the King of the South (Daniel 11:40-43; see PCG and LCG do not understand the end-time King of the South sequence–do you?). Since this will not happen that way, those who hold to that position will not understand when the Great Tribulation will begin.
26. At least one group (RCG) totally misunderstands various prophecies in Haggai and Zechariah and have expected a type of COG reunification that is not prophesied. Those who rely on this and other misinterpretations will not know when the Great Tribulation will begin.
27. At least one group (LCG) erroneously teaches that the ‘Falling Away’ warned about in 2 Thessalonians 2 has mainly to do with the world and Protestants and not the Church of God (see The Falling Away: The Bible and WCG Teachings). This improper emphasis seems to be leading to a falling away of certain prophetic understandings for those who hold to it. That said, LCG 11+ years later later distanced itself from some of its changes in this matter (see Gerald Weston pushes LCG’s position on the ‘Falling Away’ closer to the biblical, COGwriter, position).
28. Some groups teach (UCG, COGWA, LCG, CEG) that the man of sin who sits in the temple of God (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4) is the Antichrist/false prophet, not the Beast of the Sea. Yet, it is this Beast of the Sea, the final King of the North (Daniel 11:35-36; see also Who is the Man of Sin?). So, when this happens, those who hold to the wrong position will not understand its prophetic ramifications. The Beast identity of the ‘son of perdition’ (cf. Revelation 17:7-11) is important to understand in the end times.
29. At least two groups teach that the ‘man of sin’ is (or could be) Joseph Tkach, Jr. (PCG, COG-FF). This absurd position also partially leads to many other misunderstandings.
30. At least one group (RCG) has improperly declared Satan will enter a COG leader to make him the man of sin (see Who is the Man of Sin?).
31. A few teach that a Jewish temple in Jerusalem must be rebuilt before Jesus returns (CBCG, RCG, COGFF, CEG, and TPM teach this, as do some in LCG). While this is remotely possible it is not required (the “temple of God” in the New Testament has to do with a Christian, not a modern Jewish, location; see Why is a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem Not Required?). Since this will not happen as a few sometimes teach, those who hold to that position will not understand when the Great Tribulation will begin.
32. At least two groups (PCG and LCG) teach that the Beast power will consist of 10 or 11 current nations in the European Union (see Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations?). The European Union has 27 nation members with several others hoping to join it. And while it may lose nations, the reality is that if the Beast power rises up when there are more than 11 nations in it, those who hold to that position will not understand when the Great Tribulation will begin. Under Herbert Armstrong, the old WCG taught in at least a dozen documents (Plain Truth, Good News, Tomorrow’s World, booklets, Co-worker letter, Bible Correspondence Course) that this passage referred to 10 nations or GROUPS OF NATIONS. Presuming it will be another number of nations, those who insist on 10 or 11 will not realize when the Great Tribulation will begin.
33. Some groups (CBCG and CGG) teach that the ten kings are to be in charge of ten regions around the world as opposed to being a primarily European power (though CBCG acknowledges that 10 European regions are possible). Overlooking what will happen in Europe could mean that such a group would not understand when the Great Tribulation would begin (see also Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations?).
34. None of the Laodicean or Sardis COGs seem to teach that the "strongest fortresses" in Daniel 11:39 refers to the USA--but it does (see also USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses). Although the evangelists at LCG all agreed I was correct about this, when I checked LCG's two major websites in the past, there was no place where LCG teaches this--this is an improper and dangerous error of omission for LCG--and for the other claimed COGs.
35. At least two groups seem to teach that the first verse in the Daniel 11 sequence relating to the beginning of the Great Tribulation is Daniel 11:40 (LCG does this in its Official Statement of Fundamental Beliefs, whereas PCG does it elsewhere). Instead, they should teach that it begins with Daniel 11:39 (see also USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses), which is shortly after Daniel 11:31, which is also consistent with the start of the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7; see also Who is the King of the North?). Those who hold to the Daniel 11:40 position will not understand when the Great Tribulation will begin.
36. The leader of at least one former group (GOI, James Malm--died Spring 2020) has claimed that the Great Tribulation could begin within a year for the last dozen or so years. Since he did not recognize why this was in error, any who still accept his logic (or similar guesses) will not truly know when the Great Tribulation will begin. Of course, if it someone guesses each year or the correct year, some may accidentally get it right, but will not know enough how to handle it.
37. One group (CGF, a PCG split) claimed that the Great Tribulation would begin in 2023--but that was too early (see also When Will the Great Tribulation Begin?).
38. At least one group has publicly claimed that God has no prophets today and will not have any until the two witnesses are empowered (LCG comes to mind). This downplays how God works (cf. Ephesians 2:20), what is expected for now (cf. Acts 2:17-18), and that the Bible teaches, "Surely the Lord God does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7) (see also How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God). Does anyone think God provided no possible warning related to the coronavirus which impacted the feeling of peace of the world more than almost anything since WWII? Yet, this author did in 2013 and 2014.
39. At least one group (CGG) teaches that the Beast power is not European. Since the Beast power will arise in Europe, those who do not understand this will not realize when the Great Tribulation is about to begin (see also Europa, the Beast, and the Book of Revelation).
40. At least one group (LCG) teaches that the European Union will collapse like the old Roman Empire. But the lessons of history and the Bible contradict that (details are in the article Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations?).
41. One group ( PCG) erroneously teaches that Vladimir Putin is the Prince of Rosh of Ezekiel 38 (details are in the article PCG: Teachings Unique to the Philadelphia Church of God).
42. One group (CGFF) taught that Hillary Clinton would be President of the United States by now; whereas one (PCG ) strongly asserted that Donald Trump would remain in office and Joe Biden would not assume office.
43. One group erroneously taught (PCG) that half of the Laodiceans would die before April 30, 2021 (see PCG: Teachings Unique to the Philadelphia Church of God).
44. At least two groups (CGG and CG7-S) assert that the three angels of Revelation 14 are (or may be) humans, not angels (see also
    Church of God on the Three Angels' Messages and 'Babylon').
45. Two groups (PCG and CGFF) have falsely asserted that the restrainer in 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 was Herbert W. Armstrong. That is wrong (see also What is Restrained and Who is Restraining in 2 Thessalonians 2:7?).
46. At least two groups (BICOG and TPM) have taught that a US president is the King of the North or could be the Antichrist.
47. Many groups do not teach much about prophecy (I have received complaints that this is the case for UCG and COGWA, to name just two). How can Christians be "complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17) and live "by every word of God" (Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4) if prophecy (which is between 1/5 to 1/3 or so of the word of God) is not taught? Well, you cannot properly do so. This is very lukewarm (cf. Revelation 3:14-19).
48. Nearly all COG groups and independents do not accept that God has been fulfilling prophecies of Acts 2:17-18 (see also Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18?). Laodiceans do not accept God's standards, but prefer their own interpretations on how God works.
49. Laodicean groups often say the end is near, but do not have a history of explaining when each of the first three seals of Revelation 6 may have been opened, or at least an ante-type of those has been happening. CCOG, however, has (see ‘Authoritarianism Emerges in Response to Threats of Pandemics and Famine’ like after the 4th Horseman of the Apocalypse).
50. One group has published (LCG), without retraction, that Russia is/may be one of the two legs of Nebuchadnezzar's vision. That is wrong.
51. One group has published (LCG) that Ukraine may be the leading nuclear force against Europe. Ukraine, however, has no nuclear weapons, so this makes no sense.
52. Most groups have no teaching about Iran and Isaiah 22:6-9, hence this is another area that are lacking knowledge in.
53. Most groups do not teach that Gaza will end up with terrritory that Israel now dominates--but that will happen (see also Gaza and the Palestinians in Bible Prophecy).

Some will come up with their preferred rational as why not to agree with the position of the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) on these matters. Yet not only are they biblical, on most of those points, the old WCG taught what I believe that the Bible teaches on them (on the few that it did not, one is consistent with a November 1979 HWA writing and on the others, a former adviser to HWA told me that HWA would have agreed with me on those as well, as one he had not investigated and some others were not issues when he was alive--and, of course, the Bible, and not HWA's opinion, is the standard).

It should be noted that leaders in the Living Church of God and/or the United Church of God confirmed to me personally that I was biblically correct on pretty much all the above points (there were some I did not discuss with them), despite the fact that their respective churches hold to several of the errors pointed out above. Those who rely too much on a compromised ministry (Ezekiel 34:7-10) to teach them prophecy that is not truly in accordance with scripture need to realize that according to Jesus' words in Revelation 2 & 3 and Luke 21, only relatively few Christians will be protected from the hour of trial that will come upon the whole world.

There are also more prophetic differences that other COG groups have from the Bible. The reality is that without the right emphasis on the final phase of the work, holding the Bible in sufficiently high regard, practicing Philadelphian love, and ignoring one anointed like Elisha, the COG groups that ignore prophetic warnings are doing so to their peril.

The Laodicean Church is not going to he worthy to escape to a place of safety. When it is too late, they will find that the Church of Philadelphia has gone to safety (What Is the "LAODICEAN CHURCH"? Good News August 1959 Vol. VIII, Number 8).

Laodiceans and others who rely on non-Philadelphian understandings of prophecy will fail to "gather together before the decree is issued" (Zephaniah 2:1; watch also Zephaniah's 'Gather Together' Prophecy), and hence have to go through the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21-22), as they will not be protected (Zephaniah 2:1-3, Revelation 12:17; see also There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Near Petra).

Without repentance, those who hold to certain of the listed errors will NOT be protected from the coming Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21) as they will not even know when it will begin until it has already started.

While some discount prophecy, notice what Jesus admonished His faithful to do:

 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 21:35-36)

Are we not a lot closer to the end now than when Jesus stated that?  Should you not be watching world events as properly explained in the light of Bible prophecy?

Too many are complacent. The Bible warns against that:

9 Rise up, you women who are at ease, Hear my voice; You complacent daughters, Give ear to my speech. 10 In a year and some days You will be troubled, you complacent women; For the vintage will fail, The gathering will not come. 11 Tremble, you women who are at ease; Be troubled, you complacent ones; Strip yourselves, make yourselves bare, And gird sackcloth on your waists. 12 People shall mourn upon their breasts For the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine. 13 On the land of my people will come up thorns and briers, Yes, on all the happy homes in the joyous city; 14 Because the palaces will be forsaken, The bustling city will be deserted. The forts and towers will become lairs forever, A joy of wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks — (Isaiah 32:9-14)

14 The sinners in Zion are afraid;
Fearfulness has seized the hypocrites:
“Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire?
Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? (Isaiah 33:14)

Many Laodiceans in the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand (and any that may be in the tiny nation of Israel) will apparently also convince themselves that the USA has enough power, so they are safe. Here are two scriptures pointing out the error of that position:

1 Woe to you who are at ease in Zion, And trust in Mount Samaria, (Amos 6:1)

39 Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain. (Daniel 11:39)

Certain prophecies tie the USA in with Samaria (see Anglo - America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel and Spiritual Samaritans: Old and New), and notice that the power with the strongest military is going to be conquered--in the 21st century that would be the USA! (See also USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses.)

The various Laodiceans will not properly understand end time prophecy, and that will contribute to them NOT fleeing when they should (cf. Matthew 24:15-21; Revelation 12:14-17).

A video of related interest is titled 17 Laodicean Errors in Prophecy.

Laodiceans Think They Have More Time Than They Do

The Laodiceans will not heed God's true prophet(s) before the start of the Great Tribulation, nor the two witnesses (which will be prophets) until it is too late.

Notice the following warning:

1 Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together,
O undesirable nation,
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!
3 Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth,
Who have upheld His justice.
Seek righteousness, seek humility.
It may be that you will be hidden
In the day of the Lord's anger. (Zephaniah 2:1-3)

Christians are the "undesirable nation" to the world (cf. 2 Peter 2:9-10).

Notice it is those who properly gather together BEFORE the decree (to flee) is given may be protected.

The New Testament warns:

12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, 15 while it is said:

“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

16 For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? 17 Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.  (Hebrews 3:12-19)

Make the right decision today. Be a Philadelphian and be able to enter the rest from the coming hour of trial (Revelation 3:7-13).

The Apostle Paul wrote:

11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. (Romans 13:11-14)

It is high time to take action (vs. 11). Support the Philadelphian, not Laodicean, work (vss. 12-13). Do not make carnal excuses (vs. 14).

The NEW TESTAMENT admonishes CHRISTIANS to take action TODAY! Do not wait until it is too late.

Based on Jesus' words (Revelation 3:14-22), the Laodiceans will not respond when they should!

Will you wait until it is too late to be protected from the coming Great Tribulation (cf. Zephaniah 2:1-3; see also There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Near Petra)?

Jesus condemns the Church of the Laodiceans because they have a work that is lukewarm and not one that is cold or hot (Revelation 3:14-15). All the Churches of Revelation 2 & 3, except Smyrna, which has died out, and Philadelphia, a portion of which remains are all criticized for their work and/or behavior. Many had a lukewarmness towards the work. This lukewarmness towards the work of God, while existing to some degree by some throughout history, became more prevalent after the death of Herbert W. Armstrong in 1986. 

Laodiceans Do Not Fully Accept How God Works

In the Continuing Church of God, "We 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).

Yet, sadly, most end time Christians are Laodicean and do NOT accept how the Bible shows that God works (see also Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18?).

The Bible shows that part of the final phase of the work is being done by God’s Spirit through His people (with God and angels directly handling other parts, e.g. Revelation 14:6-11), but many will not have the faith to believe:

6 This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel:
‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’
Says the Lord of hosts. (Zechariah 4:6)

7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)

5 Look among the nations and watch —
Be utterly astounded!
For I will work a work in your days
Which you would not believe, though it were told you. (Habakkuk 1:5)

It is God’s Spirit that provides the signs of confirmed dreams and prophecies in the last days.

The Apostle Peter taught that would happen, even though many in his time dismissed God working:

14 … “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.  (Acts 2:14b-18)

We are in the last days (see also Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End?).

Therefore, dreams and prophesy were expected for our day!

CCOG has them (see also Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18?)! This includes confirmed dreams and prophecies.

Notice some related to dreams:

Chart of Some CCOG-Related Dreams

Date	Given to	Dream(s)	Fulfillment
2003	K. Sani Mao	One dream was on the validity of the Sabbath, but the second showed a ‘C’ meaning CCOG or COGwriter to align with.	Became part of the CCOG in November 2018.
c. December 2008	Bob Thiel	The dream showed evangelist Roderick Meredith, who had long called Bob Thiel a friend and who he was on regular speaking terms with, would stop speaking with him. He would drop down as Bob Thiel rose and their lines crossed–seemingly a mantle passing. There was also another dream related to Isaiah 6:8 and apparently the passing of the mantle; the precise year unclear.	Dr. Meredith stopped speaking with Bob Thiel  in the Spring of 2012. CCOG formed December 28, 2012. The mantle seemingly passed sometime between 2009-2012.     The passing of the mantle potentially related to Bob Thiel was specifically brought up by Gaylyn Bonjour in 2011 and 2012.
December 8, 2012	Fesilafai Fiso Leaana	Approximately 10 people  would separate from LCG, including Shirley Gestro and go to a group. A second part was related  to the Ark of the Covenant.	The fulfillment related to departure from LCG and 1o people going to CCOG occurred within several weeks of the dream and included Shirley Gestro (CCOG did not form until weeks after the dream). The part related to the Ark of the Covenant was partially fulfilled during September 2013.
c. November 2013	Frederick Ochieng	God wanted Frederick’s  father Evans to join with Bob Thiel to do the work that would grow.  Also, this work would have involvement from New Zealand.	The number of CCOG Africans went from a dozen to the almost three hundred (that had been with Evans) in 2014, to over 4,000 by 2019. Also, Frederick said he was unaware that CCOG had any New Zealand component before having that dream and New Zealand has played important roles in supporting CCOG.
c. March 1, 2014	Senhor Pires	Bob Thiel would be speaking to a large group that would all be black, with him the only white person.	Fulfilled March 17, 2014 when Bob Thiel spoke before church leaders in Nairobi, Kenya.
c. January 2017	Nimrod Ondigo	Bob Thiel would anoint him with oil.	Fulfilled on February 9, 2017. Nimrod did not have any reason to know that he would be ordained by Bob Thiel as a deacon as Bob Thiel did not do any ordinations in his previous trips to Africa. Also Bob Thiel did not learn of his dream until about two weeks later.
January 2019	Premkumar Ninthoujam	Alexsandar Veljic would get to Manipur, despite visa and travel issues that looked to prevent him, plus Sani Mao would be anointed with oil.	Alexsandar Veljic arrived in Manipur on January 10, 2019 and ended up anointing Sani Mao as a deacon on January 12, 2019 as Bob Thiel had tentatively authorized (but had not let Sani Mao know).

(The above list has dreams that were given to different ones of different ages in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and the South Pacific. For more details on the dreams, confirmations, and dreamers, see the article Dreams, the Bible, the Radio Church of God, and the Continuing Church of God).

Notice some prophetic fulfillments:

Coincidences or Divine Intervention?

Category	Event	Fulfillment
Prediction	During late August 2008, Bob Thiel told LCG minister Davy Crocket that unless evangelists would implement certain matters that God was about to strike a top LCG leader with something.	LCG’s top evangelist, Roderick C. Meredith, suffered a ministroke on September 19, 2008.
Prayer	On February 4, 2009, Dr. Meredith asked Bob Thiel to pray that he would live another 7 – 15 years, so Bob Thiel did.	Dr. Meredith died on May 18, 2017–a little over 8 years after that prayer.
Predictions	In July 2009, Bob Thiel’s book 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect went to press.	By December 22, 2012, 32 predictions in that book were at least partially fulfilled. For details, go to https://www.cogwriter.com/Confirmed2012BookEvents.htm
Possible Divine Intervention	During the Feast of Tabernacles in October 2009, an odd feeling came over me that pointed to looking to see if the beginning of sorrows may have began.	After researching and finding that events consistent with the ride of the 1st horseman occurred, I telephoned Dr. Roderick C. Meredith and told him. While his church had taught that the beginning of sorrows had not begun prior to that, it taught shortly after that telephone call that it had begun.
Speculative Prediction	On June 24, 2010, Bob Thiel warned that “Certain biblical, Chinese, and other prophecies…discuss that how Australia itself may become taken over. By virtue of her timing, Julia Gillard may inadvertently pursue policies that will lead to the fulfillment of various end time prophecies.”	On November 10, 2011, because an agreement with Julia Gillard, US troops were stationed in Darwin, Australia, and by November 18, 2011 China pointed to this as a reason to consider military action against Australia.
Speculative Predictions	From 2010 to 2015, Bob Thiel made and/or posted speculative predictions related to Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg.	By late 2017, 7-11 predictions (depending on how they are included) related to Herr Guttenberg were at least partially fulfilled. For details, go to https://www.cogwriter.com/karl-theodor-zu-guttenberg-king-of-the-north.htm
Prayer	Although told by two LCG ministers (Dr. Jeff Fall and Gary Ehman) in the late Fall of 2011 that he did not need to have hands laid on him to be a prophet, Bob Thiel prayed that something would happen related to his ‘prophet’ situation in a planned December 2011 trip to Charlotte, North Carolina.	On December 15, 2011, Gaylyn Bonjour anointed Bob Thiel and prayed that he be granted a double-portion of God’s Spirit. Gaylyn Bonjour said this was reminiscent of the passing of the mantle, that he realized what he may have unintentionally did, and that what he did could not be undone. This answered Bob Thiel’s prayer. Gaylyn Bonjour also confirmed on November 28, 2019 his belief that his prayer was answered.
Prayer	On December 16, 2011, Richard Ames prayed that Bob Thiel would continue his evangelical/prophetic efforts and LCG evangelists Dr. Meredith and Dr. D. Winnail gave Amen concurrence–as did Bob Thiel.	Bob Thiel has continued evangelical/prophetic efforts and has been the human leader of the fastest growing COG group in the 21st century, known as the Continuing Church of God. These show the fruits of a true prophet, consistent with Jesus’ criteria in John 7:15-20.
Prediction	On December 19, 2011, Bob Thiel tried to meet with Dr. Meredith to tell him that it seemed God was telling him that his wife Sheryl was about to be struck with something serious.	In Dr. Meredith’s letter dated 1/12/12, he reported that his wife Sheryl (who was much younger than he) was stricken with stage four cancer. She later died on November 29, 2013.
Speculation	On May 12, 2013, I warned in an online post about the threat of new coronaviruses and speculated that “novel” diseases could be a threat.	In 2019, a “novel coronavirus,” later renamed COVID-19 emerged and devastated peace and normalcy around the world. In 2020, I tied that in with the possibly start of the ride of the 2nd horseman of the Apocalypse.
Prediction	On December 5, 2013, Bob Thiel posted that governments, particularly in Europe,  would one day not allow cryptocurrencies like BitCoin to be private and unregulated.	In late November 2021, the European Union released a paper called “Proposal for EU Regulation on Markets in Crypto-Assets.” On December 7, 2022, the EU passed rules to rules that are to “be extended to the entire crypto sector, obliging all crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) to” eliminate the possibility of privacy through various customer “due diligence” requirements.
Predictions	In a book published on January 19, 2017, Bob Thiel listed many predictions related to the upcoming Donald Trump presidency. Plus he published others at cogwriter.com In a book published on January 20, 2021, Bob Thiel listed many predictions related to the upcoming Joe Biden presidency.	By mid 2019, events aligned with at least 19 predictions related to the Trump Administration. For details go to https://www.cogwriter.com/donald-trump-prophecy.htm       By the year after Joe Biden took office, his Administration had already fulfilled numerous predictive warnings in that book. Some detailed proof can be found in the following: Have published COGwriter warnings about Joe Biden come to pass?
Prediction	In 2013, in an article about the future of Ukraine and Russia, Bob Thiel said that at least part of the territory in Ukraine would support Russia.	On March 18, 2014, Russia officially annexed Crimea.
Prediction	On March 18, 2019, Bob Thiel posted: It remains my view that Crimea and at least parts of eastern Ukraine will ultimately align with Russia. International sanctions will not stop biblical prophecies from being fulfilled.	Sanctions did not stop Russia.
Prediction	On February 22, 2022, two days before Russia’s ‘special military operation’ into Ukraine began, Bob Thiel posted: I expect that Donetsk and Luhansk will either be annexed by Russia and/or join its Eurasian Economic Union.	On September 30, 2022, Russia formally annexed Donetsk and Luhansk.

Clearly the above are not all coincidental nor the only result of analytical news skills and biblical knowledge, particularly on those that were related to the health of Dr. and Sheryl Meredith.

Did any other COG leader warn about the coronavirus being a potential problem in 2013 and that Russia would end up with territory that Ukraine had in 2013 or 2022?

Jesus said that fruits were the criteria to determine true vs. false prophets (John 7:15-20). The Continuing Church of God has the true fruits.

The apostles were confirmed by signs that followed them (Mark 16:20) and there have been signs that have confirmed the Continuing Church of God. And the old Radio/Worlwide Church of God pointed to a dream that preceded its formation as part of its confirmation that it had God’s blessing.

Remember, the prophet Amos was inspired by God to write:

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)

Laodiceans, however, do not accept any true prophet of God at this time, nor will they accept the Two Witnesses until it is too late for nearly all of them to be able to flee.

Norman Edwards wrote that PRIDE was the reason Christians would not accept true prophets at this time (see
Church of God Leaders on Prophets). Who would admit to believing in any prophet of God today since there have been, and still are, false ones? Well, Christians who truly believe what was written in Acts 2:17-18 and who are willing to check out the facts to see if that was so.

Please accept the criteria that God, not some organization claiming to best represent Him, has set for determining who is a true prophet of God (see also How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God and Church of God Leaders on Prophets). Do not add non-biblical criteria, which is what most have done.

Can you believe since this is being told to you?

Most will not believe, but that was prophesied in places more than just Habakkuk 1:5:

6 “Don’t say such things,” the people respond. “Don’t prophesy like that. Such disasters will never come our way!” (Micah 2:6, New Living Translation)

16 … You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel, And do not spout against the house of Isaac.’ (Amos 7:16)

People will not want to hear!

Most end time Christians are Laodicean and WILL NOT accept a true prophet of God, including the two witnesses, until it is too late for them to take sufficient action!

Consider the following which will affect God’s people:

26 Disaster will come upon disaster,
And rumor will be upon rumor.
Then they will seek a vision from a prophet; (Ezekiel 7:26)

Will you wait until it is too late (cf. Zephaniah 2:1-3; see also There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Near Petra)? Will you wait until after prophesied disasters to hit before heeding God’s messages and messengers?

Would you, instead, follow the lead of one that did meet all of the biblical requirements for a prophet as he tried to follow Christ? If you heard about one, what would you really do?

If you believe in biblical church governance and do not accept any self-appointed “apostles,” should you not consider the Continuing Church of God as its top human leader meets the prophetic criteria and that the CCOG has the confirmed fruits of Acts 2:17-18?

Remember that seven times related to the seven Churches of Revelation 2 & 3, Jesus states:

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches" (Revelation 2:7,11,17,29:3:6,13,22).

Thus the biblical messages to each of the churches is important for people to heed.  People need to ask themselves which church they should support.

Do they want to “persevere” (Revelation 3:10) and support the Philadelphia work?  Or do they want to be part of the “people decide” group that Christ will vomit from His mouth (Revelation 3:16)?

Conclusion

Although the Apostle Paul wrote:

19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22)

Christians, who believe they are in need of nothing, like the Laodiceans, do seem to despise, or at least insufficiently value, prophecies and that God would now have any prophets.

The bulk of those in the COG who were once part of the WCG or who were called later are now Laodicean. Only a relative few decided to continue to support the work of the Philadelphia portion of the Church of God, as is being led by the Continuing Church of God.

While that does not mean that there cannot be any Laodiceans in Continuing Church of God, it does help show where the Philadelphia mantle resides.

The Apostle Paul warned Christians:

40 Beware therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you:

41 'Behold, you despisers,
Marvel and perish!
For I work a work in your days,
A work which you will by no means believe,
Though one were to declare it to you. (Acts 13:40-41)

Jesus warned that the Laodiceans would think they had all they needed. But they do not.

Jesus also said He would knock the on the door to the Laodiceans (Revelation 3:20). He did NOT say he would knock their door down to force Laodiceans to change! He said He would knock. Can you accept His knocking?

Jesus also told the Laodiceans to “anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see” (Revelation 3:18). The salve is responding to the work of God’s Spirit as His word teaches would  impact the last days (cf. Revelation 3:22). Jesus “advised the spiritually blind Laodiceans to buy eyesalve of Him that they might have spiritual vision” (The Seven Cities of Asia Minor. Study guide for Ambassador College–Worldwide Church of God).

Will you answer Jesus’ criteria in the Bible? Do you have the proper spiritual vision to realize that prophetic dreams were to exist in these last days?

Although Jesus gave many signs (John 2:11; 6:2, 26; 7:31; 9:16; 11:47; 12:37), the religious people of His day apparently wanted different ones:

37 But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, 38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke:

“Lord, who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” (John 12:37-38)

Jesus denounced those who wanted different signs from Him (Matthew 12:38-39). Laodiceans are unwilling to accept God’s signs–that’s the biblical reality. God does not always show signs the way many seem to think He has to.

The apostles were confirmed by signs that followed them (Mark 16:20) and there have been signs that have confirmed the Continuing Church of God. And the old Radio/Worlwide Church of God pointed to a dream that preceded its formation.

Please accept the criteria that God, not some organization claiming to best represent Him, has set for determining who is a true prophet of God. Do not add non-biblical criteria, which is what most have done.

If you are uncertain about what to do, please be like the Bereans and search “the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11),“Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ” (Colossians 4:2-3), and do what God, above what any human, would want you to do (Acts 5:29).

The Continuing Church of God is unique (see How does the Continuing Church of God differ from other Sabbatarian COG groups?).

As the Apostle Peter wrote: "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed ..." (2 Peter 1:19a, KJV).

The Laodicean groups all have significant errors in their teachings and understanding of prophecy. Unless they change, they will not possibly know when the Great Tribulation begins before it does.

While most of those groups will not sufficiently change, you, personally can.

Also consider that the Continuing Church of God is the only COG organization with so many of the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18 associated with God's Spirit (see Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18?).

Would not that be expected of the most faithful remnant of the Philadelphian era in the last days?

If you are not part of Continuing Church of God, what will you do about this?

Will you heed Jesus' call to change, not be Laodicean, and to support the end time Philadelphian work?

Here is a link to a related video: 50+ Laodicean Prophetic Errors.

Want to see more of ancient Laodicea? Then go to Joyces Photos of Laodicea

Back to COGwriter home page

B. Thiel, Ph.D. Do You Hold to These Laodicean Prophetic Errors? https://www.cogwriter.com/laodicea-errors.htm (c) 2019 /2020 /2022 /2023 /2024 0302

Links of Historical Interest May Include:

The Churches of Revelation 2 & 3 from 31 A.D. to present
The Ephesus Church Era predominant from 31 A.D. to circa 135 A.D.
The Smyrna Church Era predominant circa 135 A.D. to circa 450 A.D.
The Pergamos Church Era predominant circa 450 A.D. to circa 1050 A.D.
The Thyatira Church Era predominant circa 1050 A.D. to circa 1600 A.D.
The Sardis Church Era predominant circa 1600A.D. to circa 1933 A.D.
The Philadelphia Church Era predominant circa 1933 A.D. to 1986 A.D.
The Laodicean Church Era predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present

Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from the 1st through 21st centuries.

Some items of related interest may be:

Laodicean Warning for God's People Is there really a place of safety? Do God's people need to be warned? Warned for what?

CBCG: Christian Biblical Church of God and its Teachings Fred Coulter's group--they tend to explain conspiracies, calendar issues, and have a "sea of glass" teaching. Plus they produce books on various subjects.
CCG: Teachings of the Christian Churches of God This group, led by Wade Cox, rejects the deity of Jesus and has other unusual teachings.
CCOG.ORG Continuing Church of God The Philadelphian organization striving to be most faithful amongst all real Christian groups to the word of God to fulfill Matthew 24:14, Matthew 28:19-20, and Romans 11:25 with literature in over 100 languages.
CG7.ORG This is a website for those interested in the Sabbath and churches that observe the seventh day Sabbath.
CG7-D: Church of God, (Seventh Day): History and Teachings Nearly all COG's I am aware of trace part of their history through some affiliation with this group. Loren Stacy is the president of the largest CG7 USA group (Denver). Do you know much about them?
CG7-S: Church of God 7th Day, Salem (West Virginia) This group formed by A.N. Dugger in 1933 when he split from the CG7 group he was once president of.
CGCF: Beware, Doctrinal Compromise is in the Air! Discusses some doctrines that CGCF may have had to change in order to merge with United.
CGI: Teachings of the Church of God, International This article focuses on where CGI differs from the old WCG.
CGG: Church of the Great God This group, led by John Ritenbaugh, says the bride must first be made ready (it de-emphasizes the priority of public proclamation of the gospel). Might this lead to a selfish bride? This group also seriously seems to misunderstand end-time prophecy.
CGPKG: Concerns About Ronald Weinland's Church of God-Preparing for the Kingdom of God Ronald Weinland falsely claimed to be one of the two witnesses God is raising up, that the Great Tribulation began on December 14, 2008, Jesus would return late September 2011, that Jesus would return on May 27, 2012, and later that Jesus would return on May 19, 2013. Why else does the Bible show that Ron Weinland is a false prophet? He has other views which show he may not be part of the Church of God.?
CGSC: Church of God, Southern California This article discusses some of how David Antion's group differs from the old WCG.
CEM: Teachings of Christian Educational Ministries The late Ron Dart's former confederation (not a church).
COGaIC: Church of God, an International CommunityThis is the group led by David Hulme. It has minimized parts of biblical prophecy and does not teach church eras.
COGIT: Church of God, In Truth This is what I'd call a calendar group. See also: Calculated or observed calendar?
COGOM: Church of God Outreach Ministries This was a CGI spin-off that says it is not a church.
COGWA: Concerns about Church of God, a Worldwide Association This is the largest group that came out of the United Church of God.  Here is some history and concerns about it. UCG's former president Clyde Kilough and UK CEO Peter Hawkins are part of it.
CRMI: Christian Renewal Ministries International They teach Hebrew.
Independent/Unaffiliated: Independent Members of the COG: Herbert W. Armstrong Comments, Plus Questions and Answers What did Herbert W. Armstrong teach about being independent of the organized Church? Should independents who claim to accept Herbert W. Armstrong's teachings support the end time Philadelphian work? Here is a link to a related sermon: Church of God Unity. Watch also Zephaniah's 'Gather Together' Prophecy.
GCG: In Their Own Words: Doctrinal Differences Between the old United Church of God and the old Global Church of God Older quotes from the leadership and some of the membership of these two organizations are included without added commentary (until the end and the 7/31/98 update) which highlighted some of the differences between them.
GCW: God's Church, Worldwide is another group to claim it is the most faithful, but like others has different priorities.
ICG: Intercontinental Church of God This was Garner Ted Armstrong's last group; it is now led by Mark Armstrong.
J7DCG: Jerusalem 7th Day Church of God A sacred name group claiming A.N. Dugger and a Jerusalem headquarters.
LCG: What About the Living Church of God? Are there Doctrinal Differences with the Continuing Church of God? This article explains some information and doctrines of the Living Church of God, now led by Gerald Westin, and some concerns about them. (En el idioma español: ¿Qué hay acerca de la Iglesia de Dios Viviente? ¿Hay diferencias doctrinales con la Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios?) See also Why Bob Thiel Left the Living Church of God.
Legacy: Teachings and Practices of Legacy Institute Works mainly in Asia and is led by Leon Sexton. It has various misunderstandings.
MCGSD: Meridian Church of God Seventh Day A group that was a split from the old Stanberry COG.
PCG: Teachings Unique to the Philadelphia Church of God Simply calling oneself 'Philadelphia' does not make one so (see Revelation 3:7-9), nor does Gerald Flurry calling himself "that prophet" make it so. This article provides many quotes from this group which tries to look faithful.
RCG: Why Not the Restored Church of God? This group, led by David Pack, claims to be the most faithful. The information in this article suggests otherwise. Here is a version in the Spanish language: ¿Por qué no la Iglesia de Dios Restaurada?
SCG: It's Not Stedfast This group, was led by Arlen Berkey. It claimed it was the most faithful, but like others had different priorities.
Shining Light: Error-Ridden James Malm Not Doing an Elijah Work James Malm was one who misunderstood and improperly maligned.
TPM: Teachings of Triumph Prophetic Ministries William Dankenbring's former ministry--incorrectly speculated on various dates and held to some odd doctrines.
UCG: Differences between the Living Church of God and United Church of God This article provides quotes information from two of the largest groups which had their origins in WCG as well as commentary.
WAY: Worldwide Assembly of Yahweh This is what I'd call a sacred name group.  See also The Bible, Church History, and Sacred Names.
WCG-claimed Adherents: Comments on the Teachings of Ron Wallen, Philip Neal, Kenneth W., GRUMPS, Jesse Arellano, and others who Profess(ed) that WCG has God's Authority Can one still believe what Herbert W. Armstrong used to teach and still be in WCG? This article addresses this important issue.

Links to the above group's websites can be found at COGlinks.