Archive for August, 2008

Tropical Storm Fay for a While May Stay

Thursday, August 21st, 2008


Hurricane Noel Near Peak Intensity in 2007

COGwriter

Floods hit China, Myanmar, the Caribbean and the USA Midwest in 2008.

Tropical storm Fay killed several in the Caribbean.

Now it is causing flooding in Florida:

Aug. 21 (Bloomberg) — Tropical Storm Fay lingered off the northeastern coast of Florida, causing widespread flooding in the state, prompting rescues and leaving thousands without power.,,

Fay May Strengthen

Fay may strengthen before heading back over land, bringing as much as 15 inches of rain to parts of northern Florida, according to the hurricane center advisory. Isolated parts of the state may even get 30 inches, the center said. The system continues to cause “widespread flooding” along parts of the state’s east central coast, the Florida Division of Emergency Management said on its Web site.

In Brevard County, “severe flooding in some neighborhoods” led authorities to keep schools closed today, the county said on its Web site. Schools were also shut in the counties of Clay, Volusia, Indian River, Flagler, Putnam, Marion, St. Johns and Alachua, their governments said on their Web sites.

Wikipedia had this to say about Fay this morning:

As of 8 a.m. EDT (1200 UTC) August 21, Tropical Storm Fay is located within 15 nautical miles of 29.2°N 80.7°W, about 20 mi (30 km) east of Daytona Beach. Maximum sustained winds are 50 knots (60 mph, 95 km/h), with stronger gusts. Minimum central pressure is 994 mbar (hPa; 29.35 InHg), and the system is nearly stationary.

Tropical storm-force winds extend out up to 150 mi (240 km) from the center of Fay.

Rainfall amounts of 6 to 12 inches (150 to 300 mm) are expected over northeastern Florida, with isolated storm total amounts to 30 inches (750 mm) possible. Rainfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches (75 to 150 mm) are expected over southeastern Georgia and the northwestern Bahamas. Storm surges of 1 to 3 feet (< 1 m) are possible along the Atlantic coast of Florida.

Isolated tornadoes are possible across northeastern Florida and southeastern Georgia.

There seems to have been more flooding that usual this year in the USA and Asia.

Weather disasters are increasing and are prophesied to get worse.

LCG has long had a booklet of possibly related interest titled “Who Controls the Weather? ” that is available for those interested in more on this subject.

Catholic Bishops Seem to Endorse McCain

Wednesday, August 20th, 2008

Wat Abortion

Bas-relief at Angkor Wat, dated circa 1150, depicting a demon performing an abortion by pounding a mallet into a woman’s belly.

COGwriter

Zenit.org (a pro-Vatican news service) reported:

US Bishops Look at Election

Call Faithful to Form Consciences

WASHINGTON, D.C., AUG. 19, 2008 (Zenit.org).- The U.S. bishops’ annual Labor Day message calls the faithful to use Catholic social teaching to guide them as they cast their votes this November…

Given the coming national elections, the Labor Day statement reminds Catholics to use Church social and moral teaching to assess issues of economic justice, human life and dignity.

Bishop Murphy cited the bishops’ “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” and stressed the need to form a correct conscience and base votes on platforms that best respect human life and dignity.

“An informed conscience moves beyond personal feelings and individual popularity,” he wrote. “An informed conscience asks first what is right and true. An informed conscience examines the candidates and the issues from the perspective of human life and dignity, the true good of every human person, the true good of society, the common good of us all in our nation and in this world.

“What can I add to that? Never forget that human life is the supreme good in this world. Never forget that human dignity is not an expendable commodity but belongs to everyone without exception.

“Every day we are pro-life. Every day we are champions of human dignity. Our voices and our votes should shape society by bringing these inalienable truths into every particular proposal and program, every particular candidate’s projects and plans.”

There is only one national election in the USA–the one for president.

In it, John McCain claims to be pro-life and Barak Obama states he favors abortion rights (as most likely will his vice-presidential pick–who may be known very soon), thus the US Bishops seem poised to endorse John McCain possibly without actually mentioning him by name.

Of course, true Christians do not vote, nor would they ever endorse intentional abortion. Whether the US Bishops will be able to influence the outcome of the election is not clear.

Several articles of possibly related interest may include:

Abortion, the Bible, and a Woman’s Right to Choose Do you know what the Bible teaches on this?
Should a Christian Vote? This article gives some of the Biblical rationale on this subject. Would Jesus vote for president? Is voting in the Bible? This is a subject Christians need to understand.
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Living 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? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States Some claim that Barack Obama is the prophesied “son of Kenya”. Might Bible prophecy be fulfilled if he is elected president?
There are Many COGs: Why Support the Living Church of God? This is an article for those who wish to easily sort out the different COGs. It really should be a MUST READ for current and former WCG members or any interested in supporting the faithful church. It also explains a lot of what the COGs are all about.

James Malm Challenges COGwriter

Tuesday, August 19th, 2008


People Who Make Predictions Need to Be Sure that the Bible Supports those Predictions

COGwriter

Two days ago, in response to my posts related to him, James Malm contacted me and asked me to post the following statement:

“James insists that he is not a prophet and is merely publishing the results of his studies as I am publishing mine.”

So I have posted that at his request. But I will add, that this simply is not so–James Malm and I are not the same in our approach or results.

I have never predicted any prophetic event would happen in 2008, other than that Ronald Weinland (Concerns About Ronald Weinland’s Church of God-Preparing for the Kingdom of God), the True Bible Code (Europe to Launch Satellite for Galileo, But More False Witnesses), Geoff Neilson (Sep-Oct 2007 Journal Out), Yisrayl Hawkins (Pentecost and Prophecies), Tim Carpenter (Yes, There Was An Earthquake, But…), and James Malm were all wrong about their end-time predictions for 2008. I cited the Bible for my proof, and thus far I have been correct on all of them (there is still another 6 weeks before James Malm’s first date passes)–and yes I published my objections to all of them before dates and events proved them wrong. And that was based upon the Bible, not my opinions.

For those that did not read my 2007 post (and those that do can go to At Least Two Wrongly Claim Great Tribulation Will Begin in 2008), James Malm specifically wrote before and stated:

Please, do not confuse me with R Weinland. I strongly disagree with most of what he says. For one thing I endeavour to provide scriptural backing for everything that I say. However I do say that 2008 is a critical year. As stated on the website I expect the Abomination (the man of sin) to be set up at the end of Sep and to go to the Holy Place within 75 days, triggering the occupation of Jerusalem. We shall know soon enough if I am correct!

Sincerely James Malm

He, thus made a specific prediction for something to occur in September 2008 (and which, as regular readers of this page are aware, I say cannot possibly happen according to Daniel 9:26-27–see End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? for details). And even though I both emailed and posted to him that the King of the North could not be ready by 2008, he disagreed in 2007 and still does so.

While I normally do not post nor accept challenges, I did accept one last night after receiving another email from James Malm.

In his last email to me, even after telling him that my only prediction in 2008 was that the end (meaning the Great Tribulation) could not come then, he actually wrote the following and included a challenge:

Dear Robert
Yes, you did make a prediction. You predicted that nothing will happen. If something does then you will be the false prophet. Will YOU issue an admission that YOU were a false prophet? I will make a deal with you. If I have your promise to do so, then I will promise to issue a public admission that I have been wrong! Let me know!…James Malm

My response to him was:

If I am wrong, I will clearly admit it. So yes we have a deal. I hope that you will be clear if you were wrong.

However, since for him to be correct the saints would need to be given into the hand of the Beast power (see Daniel 7:25), I probably have nothing to lose :). I will stick by what I wrote, hopefully he will not pull a Ronald Weinland and decide he needs more time or come up with some excuse.

James Malm is not a writer on prophetic matters that one should believe God is leading. He is one out on his own who has decided to have his own work–and Laodicea is basically composed on two Greek words which mean “people decide”.

Articles of possibly related interest may include:

Why Be Concerned About False and Heretical Leaders? There have been many false leaders–and here is some of why you should be concerned about them.
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies 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 ofthe 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?
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 Living Church of God.
The Laodicean Church Era was predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. Non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG.

Russia Moving In or Out?

Monday, August 18th, 2008

Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev: What Will the Russian President Do?

COGwriter

In its latest weekly update, LCG reported:

The Russian Bear Is on the Move Again. The Russian economy is booming, thanks to oil and gas, and Russia is investing heavily abroad. Russian firms now own stock in Air Berlin airline, shipyards in the Baltic ports of Wismar and Rostock, and even in Deutsche Bank. This year, some 1,300 Russian firms will do business in Germany—to the tune of nearly 200 billion Euros (Deutsche Welle, August 6, 2008). Due to an abundance of funds, Russia is also making her weight felt on the world scene. Now, because the Georgian government is interested in joining NATO, the southern province of Ossetia wants to break and become a separate nation, and is seeking Russian help to do so. Russia, of course, does not want a former satellite nation to become a NATO member and has threatened to take action against Georgia to prevent this. For decades after the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia was considered a “non-player” in geopolitics. But now, with her new-found wealth, Russia has emerged as a powerhouse and nations are paying attention to her moves—including Europe and the United States (TimesOnline, August 6, 2008). Russia is greatly updating its military capabilities, building alliances with large Asian nations like China and India, and is again acting independently of the West. Bible prophecy warns that at the end of the age, a great army will arise to challenge the European Beast power (Daniel 11:44-45, Revelation 9:13-19). We may be watching the beginnings of a future confrontation between Russia and her European counterparts.

One hour ago, the news reported (bolding mine):

MOSCOW (Bloomberg News) — Russia began pulling its forces back from Georgia to the separatist region of South Ossetia, a senior military official said, as Georgia claimed Russian troops are still advancing into its territory.

“We’re pulling out to the South Ossetian border,” Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy chief of Russia’s General Staff, told reporters in Moscow today. “We’re not talking about a full withdrawal.” Georgian Deputy Interior Minister Eka Zhguladze said Russian forces “are heading deeper into Georgian territory from the town of Khashuri,” near the city of Gori, which remains under Russian control. A second Russian column is moving toward the town of Sachkhere, west of Gori. Nogovitsyn said Russian forces “aren’t moving any farther forward.”

“If anyone thinks he can kill our citizens, our soldiers and officers who are serving as peacekeepers, and not be punished, we will never allow this,” Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told veterans in the southern city of Kursk today. “Anyone who tries this will receive a devastating response.’ http://www.sltrib.com/ci_10236058

Russia is involved in prophecy and eventually Europe will massively receive “a devastating response (though not for at least 6 years from now).

There will be wars and rumors of wars–see that you are not troubled (Matthew 24:6).

Several articles of possibly related interest may include:

Russia: Its Origins and Prophesied Future Where do the Russians come from? What is prophesied for Russia? What will it do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end?
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”?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies 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?
End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? There is a Mayan calendar prediction for change in 2012. 2012 changes were also centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans and the Hindu Indians (who were not even on the same continent). Do these Mayan/Hindu/Hopi prophecies have any value? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Does the Dresden codex show destruction of the earth by flood? Can the great tribulation start before 2012?
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? When does the six thousand years of human rule end?

Vision Passes UCG

Saturday, August 16th, 2008

The Above Map Show the Number of Internet Users By Country

COGwriter

Because I reported that Vision was not doing well (see COGaIC: Vision Lacking), yesterday when I noticed a dramatic change in its Alexa ratings, I thought for the first time ever to report the one week Alexa rankings for a variety of COG-related websites (Note: right after I did this, Alexa updated again, so the statistics are here are for the prior week–but are still fairly close to current).

And while one week numbers do not make a trend (and Alexa has flaws), they sometimes can be interesting. Here is what they showed yesterday morning (the lower the number, the more popular the site was):

Vision.org (D. Hulme) 112,158

UCG.org 113,728

TheTrumpet.com (G. Flurry) 136,487

BibleStudy.org (A. Ruth) 161,564

WCG.org 164,106

COGwriter.com 191,814

Tomorrowsworld.org (LCG) 199,120

The-End.com (R. Weinland) 208,408

Bibbletools.org (CGG) 228,223

TheRCG.org (D. Pack) 258,001

TheShiningLight.info (James Malm) 532,145

GarnerTedArmstrong.org (ICG) 582,735

CGI.org 646,783

BornToWin.net (R. Dart) 761,233

Enduring.org (C. Bryce) 1,696,249

COG21.org (R. McNair) 1,716,027

COG7.org (W. Rose) 1,999,321

CGFNW.org (Harold Smith) 2,051,032

EternalGod.org (Norbert Link) 2,193,496

CBCG.org (Fred, Coulter) 2,356,258

Triumphpro.com (W. Dankenbring) 2,604,380

TheJournal.org 3,685,275

Now the above list is NOT all-inclusive. Also, if a group has multiple official sites, I only listed the one that had the highest ranking.

It seems that after I posted on August 5, 2008 that Vision was not doing well, they did something as its rating the week before was about 241,835. I doubt that they will stay on top–this is the first time I recall seeing Vision passing UCG. But for the last two weeks they were.

I reported the weekly data also because it shows that D. Pack and R. Weinland dropped (both of them were ahead of UCG at times in the past), but that some did well the same week. But those who call or consider themselves prophets and apostles through self-appointment will ultimately not do well (see 2 Peter 2:1-3).

And one of those is James Malm, another self-appointed public predictor whose predictions I have denounced at my website–he will probably increase his influence the remainder of 2008 and into early 2009 (I began reporting on him in 2007, see At Least Two Wrongly Claim Great Tribulation Will Begin in 2008).

But getting back to internet impact, if combined sites (many groups have multiple sites) are considered for the normal three month interval (the standard Alexa ranking), then in terms of internet impact UCG would be 1st or 2nd, LCG would be 1st or 2nd (including COGwriter and YouTube), PCG would be third, A. Ruth 4th, RCG 5th or 6th, and Ron Weinland 5th or 6th.

If all media (internet, tv, radio, and print) are considered, the COGs who currently are most effective in reaching people in order would be LCG, UCG, PCG, ICG, and then probably CEM.

Several articles of possibly related interest may include:

Attending the Church of Choice This article discusses whose choice is important to worship God; should you attend the church of your choice or the church of God’s choice?
Unity: Which COG for You? Why so many groups? Why is there lack of unity in the Churches of God? Has it always been this way? What can/should be done about it?
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? Some say the Church should mainly feed the flock now as that is what Herbert W. Armstrong reportedly said. Is that what he said? Is that what the Bible says? What did Paul and Herbert W. Armstrong expect from evangelists?
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.
There are Many COGs: Why Support the Living Church of God? This is an article for those who wish to more easily sort out the different COGs. It really should be a MUST READ for current and former WCG members or any interested in supporting the faithful church. It also explains a lot of what the COGs are all about.

J Tkach on Megachurches

Saturday, August 16th, 2008

TRANSFORMED FROM TRUTH

Worldwide Church of God Transformed from Truth to Fairy Tales

COGwriter

Joseph Tkach, president of the Worldwide Church of God was in the following news story:

Many Evangelical Denominations Have No Megachurches,Survey Finds

Christian Post – Aug 14, 2008

Many evangelical church denominations have no megachurches, a new survey finds.

Evangelical leaders participating in the July survey of the National Association of Evangelicals reported that their denomination has few, if any, large churches.

Moreover, “none” was the top answer from evangelical leaders when asked about the role megachurches play in their denominations.

Joseph Tkach of the Worldwide Church of God said megachurches play no role in his denomination.

“We view them as a modern invention that does not follow the pattern of the early church. And of course, we do not view all of the megachurches as being the same. Some are exceptionally good and some are not,” he said.

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080814/many-evangelical-denominations-have-no-megachurches-survey-finds.htm

Perhaps, Joseph Tkach and the other “evangelicals” should consider that the evangelical movement itself is a fairly modern invention, starting essentially with the dispensationalists on the 19th century.

The true Church of God, which the OLD WCG was part of, has existed throughout history.

Several articles of possibly related interest may include:

The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?
News Articles Related to Church History This link is to articles on Church history that were once published on the COG News Page.
The Churches of Revelation 2 & 3 Do they matter? Most say they must, but act like they do not. This article contains some history about the Church of God (sometimes referred to as the continuation of Primitive Christianity) over the past 2000 years.
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 Living Church of God.
The Laodicean Church Era was predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. Non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG.

Russia Threatens Poland with Nuclear Attack

Friday, August 15th, 2008

Hiroshima after Atomic Bomb

Nagasaki Atomic Blast

The above photos of Hiroshima and Nagasaki reflect what nuclear attacks are like

COGwriter

In a unsettling announcement, Russia indicated that it will attack Poland early if it (Russia) uses nuclear weapons:

Russia threatens nuclear attack on Poland over US missile shield deal

Russia threatened a nuclear strike against Poland after a landmark deal to site American global anti-missile shields in the country.
Telegraph – Aug 15, 2008

Only 24 hours after the weapons agreement was signed Russia’s deputy chief of staff warned Poland “is exposing itself to a strike 100 per cent”.

General Anatoly Nogovitsyn said that any new US assets in Europe could come under Russian nuclear attack with his forces targeting “the allies of countries having nuclear weapons”.

He told Russia’s Interfax news agency: “By hosting these, Poland is making itself a target. This is 100 per cent certain. It becomes a target for attack. Such targets are destroyed as a first priority.”

Russia’s nuclear rhetoric marks an intense new phase in the war of words over Georgia. The Caucasus conflict has spiralled into a Cold War style confrontation between Moscow and Washington in less than a week.

The stand off between the two cold War powers was underlined by Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, who dismissed US claims that the silo is a deterrent against ‘rogue states’ like Iran as “a fairy tale”. He told reporters at the Black Sea resort of Sochi: “The deployment of new missile defence facilities in Europe is aimed against the Russian Federation.”…

Russia’s deteriorating relationship with the West was strained further when US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday visited Georgian capital Tbilisi and concluded a ceasefire deal with Russia. It was the highest profile gesture of American political support for Georgia’s embattled government since the conflict began.

Echoing President Bush’s demands for a withdrawal from Georgia, she evoked the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia 40 years ago. “Russian forces need to leave Georgia at once. This is no longer 1968,”she said.

Mikheil Saakashvili, the Georgian president, who was standing next to Miss Rice, said: “We were screaming to the world that Russia was going to do this…We are looking evil directly in the eye – this evil is very dangerous not only for us but for everybody.”

Even as he was speaking a convoy of 17 Russian armoured personnel carriers was spotted advancing along the main highway to within 34 miles of the Georgian capital Tblisi, their deepest move yet inside the country…

Radek Sikorski, the Polish foreign minister, told The Daily Telegraph the new US missile shield deal, and its timing, was unrelated to Georgia. “It [the deal] is a coincidence,” he said. “Georgia made a dramatic backdrop to it, but the timing had nothing to do with Georgia. We have offered Russia the right to inspect at any time. It only has the capabilities we say it does, which is to say, nothing to do with Russia.”

Donald Tusk, the Polish prime minister, hinted that the US had pledged to back Warsaw in the event of Russian aggression towards Poland. He said that he only agreed to host the US defence shield on the condition that the US agreed to help augment Poland’s defences with Patriot missiles, which are intended to ward off any threat from Russia. “We have crossed the Rubicon,” he said. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/2566005/Russia-threatens-nuclear-attack-on-Poland-over-US-missile-shield-deal.html

The Bible teaches:

15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways;
17 And the way of peace they have not known.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Romans 3:15-18)

Hopefully, the Russians do not wish to fulfill this.

There will be wars and rumors of wars–see that you are not troubled (Matthew 24:6).

Several articles of possibly related interest may include:

Russia: Its Origins and Prophesied Future Where do the Russians come from? What is prophesied for Russia? What will it do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end?
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”?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies 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?

African Fought the Allegorists

Friday, August 15th, 2008

South African Village
African Hut

COGwriter

When Origen and some of the other late 2nd/early third century Greco-Roman allegorists started to do away with a literal millennium, there were protests by people who preferred to believe the Bible. One was an African bishop/pastor named Nepos.

Here is what The Catholic Encyclopedia reported:

An Egyptian bishop, Nepos, taught the Chiliastic error that there would be a reign of Christ upon earth for a thousand years, a period of corporal delights; he founded this doctrine upon the Apocalypse in a book entitled “Refutation of the Allegorizers” (Chapman, John. “Dionysius of Alexandria.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 5. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. 14 Aug. 2008 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05011a.htm>.).

Note: Chialism is the Greek equivalent of the Latin term millennium.

A nineteenth century anti-millennial scholar named Giovanni Battista Pagani went as far as to write the following about Nepos and those who supported the millennium:

…all those who teach a millennium framed according to Jewish ideas, saying that during the millennium, Mosaic law will be restored…These are called Judaical Millenarians, not as being Jews, but as having invented and upheld a millennium according to Jewish taste. The principal authors of this error were Nepos, an African Bishop, against whom St. Dionysius wrote his two books on Promises; and Apollinaris, whom St. Epiphanius confound in his work against heresies (Pagani, Giovanni Battista. Published by Charles Dolman, 1855. Original from Oxford University. Digitized Aug 15, 2006, pp. 252-253).

It should be of interest to note that neither Nepos nor Apollinaris were Jews, but were condemned for having a religion that had “Jewish” beliefs. And since Apollinaris is a Catholic saint (see chapter ), it should be clear that the respected and non-Jewish Christian leaders in the early third century clearly did hold to ideas that were condemned by the allegorists.

The following from Dionysius clearly shows that Nepos was still respected after he died (Nepos died prior to Dionysius’ mid-third century writing of the following) and really did not refute him from a biblical perspective:

But as they produce a certain composition by Nepos, on which they insist very strongly, as if it demonstrated incontestably that there will be a (temporal) reign of Christ upon the earth, I have to say, that in many other respects I accept the opinion of Nepos, and love him at once for his faith, and his laboriousness, and his patient study in the Scriptures, as also for his great efforts in psalmody, by which even now many of the brethren are delighted. I hold the man, too, in deep respect still more, inasmuch as he has gone to his rest before us. Nevertheless the truth is to be prized and reverenced above all things else. And while it is indeed proper to praise and approve ungrudgingly anything that is said aright, it is no less proper to examine and correct anything which may appear to have been written unsoundly. If he had been present then himself, and had been stating his opinions orally, it would have been sufficient to discuss the question together without the use of writing, and to endeavour to convince the opponents, and carry them along by interrogation and reply. But the work is published, and is, as it seems to some, of a very persuasive character; and there are unquestionably some teachers, who hold that the law and the prophets are of no importance, and who decline to follow the Gospels, and who depreciate the epistles of the apostles, and who have also made large promises regarding the doctrine of this composition, as though it were some great and hidden mystery, and who, at the same time, do not allow that our simpler brethren have any sublime and elevated conceptions either of our Lord’s appearing in His glory and His true divinity, or of our own resurrection from the dead, and of our being gathered together to Him, and assimilated to Him, but, on the contrary, endeavour to lead them to hope for things which are trivial and corruptible, and only such as what we find at present in the kingdom of God. And since this is the case, it becomes necessary for us to discuss this subject with our brother Nepos just as if he were present (Dionysius of Alexandria. From the Two Books on the Promises. Copyright © 2008 by Kevin Knight. Viewed 8/14/08).

In other words, Nepos knew his Bible, but did not hold to the same position that allegorists like Dionysius of Alexandria held. But those who held to Judaeo-Christian beliefs, while slightly chastised, simply were almost never condemned by the early allegorists.

Why?

Because many of the allegorist writers basically knew that the original apostles and followers they appointed did retain various “Jewish” practices and they could not yet get away with condemning to harshly.

And while that really changed after Constantine who wrote:

Let us then have nothing in common with the detestable Jewish crowd (Eusebius’ Life of Constantine, Book III chapter 18.)

The fact is that the original church always had some practices that would be considered to be “Jewish”. Yet, there were African and other leaders who fought the rising Greco-Roman confederation of allegorists.

Several articles of possibly related interest may include:

Africa: Its Biblical Past and Prophesied Future. What does the Bible teach about Africa, its history, and its future? Will God call all who are from Africa?
What is the Appropriate Form of Biblical Interpretation? Should the Bible be literally understood? What do the writings of the Bible, Origen, Herbert W. Armstrong, and Augustine show?
The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?
Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism? Was the millennium (sometimes called chiliasm) taught by early Christians? Who condemned it. Will Jesus literally reign for 1000 years on the earth? Is this time near?

CG7 and 150 Years of Faithfulness?

Thursday, August 14th, 2008

Rebuilt Gymnasium in Sardis.

This is one of the most impressive buildings in the area of any of the seven churches of Revelation 2 & 3. However, it has been recently and massively rebuilt as its original condition was in ruin. And while it and its size are impressive, it no longer functions as it once did.

COGwriter

Under the banner 1858-2008 “Celebrating 150 Years of God’s Faithfulness” is an article by CG7’s (Denver) president Whaid Rose that begins with:

Every year is special in its own way, and 2008 will be remembered for special things: the 60th birthday of the new Israeli state, the year the 42nd US President was elected, and CoG7’s 150th (sesquicentennial) anniversary.

And while I believe that God has been faithful for more than 150 years, I do not believe that CG7 has been as faithful as it should have been.

On the same page as Whaid Rose’s article is a photo of a Bible and underneath it states:

“My Bible and my Bible alone.” – Gilbert Cranmer

And if CG7 would rely on that, they would be more faithful than they are.

Actually, the lack of faithfulness to the Bible was the major reason that Herbert W. Armstrong left CG7. And while CG7 is large by COG standards, biblical indications are that there are very few in it, “who have not defiled their garments” (Revelation 3:4).

Although it is still not trinitarian, some trinitarian views within CG7 appear to be tolerated. CG7 published the following on the nature of God in a question and answer format in its Jan-Feb 2002 Bible Advocate: Question, “What is your position on the Trinity?” CG7 answer,

Historically, we are a non-Trinitarian church, preferring other views of this complex subject. Some of us are comfortable with Trinitarian statements.

But if some doctrine is not true, then no one should be “comfortable” with it in a real COG.

Several articles of possibly related interest may include:

Church of God, Seventh Day: History and Teachings Nearly all COG’s I am aware of trace their history through this group. Whaid Rose is the president of the largest CG7 group (Denver). Do you know much about them?
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.
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.
Binitarian View: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning Is binitarianism the correct position? What about unitarianism or trinitarianism?
Did Early Christians Think the Holy Spirit Was A Separate Person in a Trinity? Or did they have a different view?
Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity? Most act like this is so, but is it?
Was Unitarianism the Teaching of the Bible or Early Church? Many, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, claim it was, but was it?

Pope Prohibits Yahweh

Thursday, August 14th, 2008

Pope Benedict XVI Sitting & Wearing White

Pope Benedictus XVI

COGwriter

The following unusual item was in the news yesterday:

No ‘Yahweh’ in songs, prayers at Catholic Masses, Vatican rules

Catholic News Service – Aug 12, 2008

WASHINGTON (CNS) — In the not-too-distant future, songs such as “You Are Near,” “I Will Bless Yahweh” and “Rise, O Yahweh” will no longer be part of the Catholic worship experience in the United States.

At the very least, the songs will be edited to remove the word “Yahweh” — a name of God that the Vatican has ruled must not “be used or pronounced” in songs and prayers during Catholic Masses.

Bishop Arthur J. Serratelli of Paterson, N.J., chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship, announced the new Vatican “directives on the use of ‘the name of God’ in the sacred liturgy” in an Aug. 8 letter to his fellow bishops…

“By directive of the Holy Father, in accord with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, this congregation … deems it convenient to communicate to the bishops’ conferences … as regards the translation and the pronunciation, in a liturgical setting, of the divine name signified in the sacred Tetragrammaton,” said the letter signed by Cardinal Francis Arinze and Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith, congregation prefect and secretary, respectively.

The Tetragrammaton is YHWH, the four consonants of the ancient Hebrew name for God.

“As an expression of the infinite greatness and majesty of God, it was held to be unpronounceable and hence was replaced during the reading of sacred Scripture by means of the use of an alternate name: ‘Adonai,’ which means ‘Lord,'” the Vatican letter said. Similarly, Greek translations of the Bible used the word “Kyrios” and Latin scholars translated it to “Dominus”; both also mean Lord. http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0804119.htm

Now this who subject is a touchy one as there are many who falsely believe that the entire New Testament was originally written in Hebrew (it was basically written in koine Greek) and that not using the name Yahweh or Yahveh (or something similar) is a violation of the second commandment.

Of course, the New Testament was not originally written in Latin (Jerome translated into Latin and his translation has been the standard for the Catholics of Rome) either.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the Tetragrammaton should be pronounced “Jehovah”.

In most Protestant translations of the Bible, the Tetragrammaton is not translated but instead the term LORD (all caps) is used.

Many of us in the COGs instead of worrying about precisely pronouncing a word whose pronunciation is not known for certainty, often translate the Tetragrammaton when reading scripture out loud as “Eternal”, “the I Am”, or “Self-Existing One” which is what the Tetragrammaton is defined to mean (cf. Exodus 3:14).

Several articles of possibly related interest may include:

Why the Names Jesus and Christ in English? Was the New Testament Written in Hebrew or Greek? Various groups believe that the name Jesus should not be used, but instead other pronunciations and spellings. This is an article, which appeared in the The Living Church News by the late evangelist John Ogwyn, addresses this, as well as if the New Testament was written in Hebrew or Greek.
God’s Names and the Jewish Reading Tradition This article which appeared in the The Living Church News by John Wheeler, addresses this, as well as a few other Hebrew and Greek points.
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Living 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? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions.
Similarities and Differences Between the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Living Church of God Both groups claim to represent the original Christian faith. Do you know much about them? Both groups have some interesting similarities, but many major differences. Would you like information on how to deal with Jehovah’s Witnesses?
There are Many COGs: Why Support the Living Church of God? This is an article for those who wish to more easily sort out the different COGs. It really should be a MUST READ for current and former WCG members or any interested in supporting the faithful church. It also explains a lot of what the COGs are all about.