Church of God News

Replica of Ark of the Covenant
(photo from Pixabay)

COGwriter

We put together the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel, the audio portion of which was sent also for broadcast on WRMI shortwave at 5850 kHz at 0130 UTC Monday (which is 8:30 pm Eastern Standard Time on Sunday), the European Gospel Radio station AM 1323 kHz Monday  21:30-21:45 CET (European Central Time), and a WRN network of 12 USA AM/FM stations yesterday:

14:28

Where is the Ark of the Covenant?

Protestant writer Michael Snyder says that the Ark of the Covenant from the Bible is about to be find and that he knows exactly where it is. The Temple Institute believes it will be found soon and that it knows where it is. Why, supposedly, has no one uncovered it? Is Daniel 9:27 proof that the Ark of the Covenant is about to be found? What about Vendyl Jones? Is this Ark in Jerusalem in a cave or passage under what is called the Temple Mount? Does the Bible state that Jeremiah the prophet hid it just before the Babylonians took over? What about the Hill of Tara or Cairn T in Ireland? Does a comparison of a 1710 document and scriptures in 2 Chronicles 35:1-3 related to King Josiah eliminate the common view about a possible Ethiopia location? Do Muslim and Roman Catholic prophecies point to it being found? Are there any scriptures that support rabbi Avraham Goldstein’s contention that it is under or in Mt. Zion? How might the Continuing Church of God be involved? Any connection to a dream from someone in New Zealand? Does the Book of Revelation show the Ark of the Covenant being in heaven? Could there be an actual physical Ark that can be found? Dr. Thiel and Steve Dupuie discuss these matters.

Here is a link to our video: Where is the Ark of the Covenant?

Whether or not the Temple Institute knowns the location of the the Ark, developments related to the Ark of the Covenant may well have prophetic ramifications.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Church of God on Jerusalem’s Western Hill Could this building, often referred to as the Cenacle, which is located on a Mount Zion, possibly have been the oldest actual Christian church building? There is also a video titled Might the oldest church building have prophetic ramifications?
Why is a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem Not Required? Although people like Timothy LaHaye teach a third Jewish temple is required, who is ‘the temple of God” in the New Testament? Does the Bible require a rebuilt Jewish Temple? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Por qué no se requiere un templo judío en Jerusalén? Here is a link to a sermon titled The Temple, Prophecy, and the Work.
Nascent Sanhedrin and Prophecy The reconstituted Sanhedrin wants the reimplementation of animal sacrifices. A related video is titled Sanhedrin pushing animal sacrifices. And a newer one is: Sanhedrin makes burnt offering to dedicate altar!
The Red Heifer, Jewish Beliefs, and the End of the World The Temple Institute is watching a ‘red heifer.’ Why might this be important in the sequence of end time events? Here is a related link in the Spanish language Novilla roja descubierta en EE.UU. e Instituto del Templo está interesado en ella. Here are links to three related videos in English: Red Heifers and the Fate of the World and The Red Heifer and the End of the World and 5 Red Heifers and Year 5783?
Location of the Prophesied Physical Temple Leroy Neff gives his rationalse for the location of the coming temple.
Solomon’s Temple This is a a 5 minute animated film that shows one artist’s understanding of the details about Solomon’s temple.
Dreams, the Bible, the Radio Church of God, and the Continuing Church of God How has God used dreams in the past? Does God still use dreams? Did He use any involving those in the Continuing Church of God? Here is a link in Spanish: Sueños, la Biblia, la Iglesia de Dios de la Radio, y la Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios. A related sermon is also available: Dreams, COGs, and One Man Rule.
Gr3eco-Roman Catholic Prophecies: Do They Mirror, Highlight, or Contradict Biblical Prophecies? People of all faiths may be surprised to see what various Roman and Orthodox Catholic prophets have been predicting as many of their predictions will be looked to in the 21st century.
Who Are The Two Witnesses? What is their job? What does the Bible reveal? What has the Church of God taught on this subject? Might even Roman Catholic prophecies give some clues here? A related sermon is available: Prophecy and the Two Witnesses. Here is a related link in Spanish/español:¿Quiénes son los dos testigos? Here is a sermon in Spanish: ¿Quienes son los Dos Testigos?

Altar on Mount Ebal (photo by zstadler)

COGwriter

The Bible has the following:

1 Now Moses, with the elders of Israel, commanded the people, saying: “Keep all the commandments which I command you today. 2 And it shall be, on the day when you cross over the Jordan to the land which the Lord your God is giving you, that you shall set up for yourselves large stones, and whitewash them with lime. 3 You shall write on them all the words of this law, when you have crossed over, that you may enter the land which the Lord your God is giving you, ‘a land flowing with milk and honey,’ just as the Lord God of your fathers promised you. 4 Therefore it shall be, when you have crossed over the Jordan, that on Mount Ebal you shall set up these stones, which I command you today, and you shall whitewash them with lime. 5 And there you shall build an altar to the Lord your God, an altar of stones; you shall not use an iron tool on them. 6 You shall build with whole stones the altar of the Lord your God, and offer burnt offerings on it to the Lord your God. 7 You shall offer peace offerings, and shall eat there, and rejoice before the Lord your God. 8 And you shall write very plainly on the stones all the words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 27:1-8)

So an altar was supposed to be built.

Since Joshua was the leader of the children of Israel when they crossed over the Jordan, did he have such an altar built?

Yes, The Bible also has the following:

30 Now Joshua built an altar to the Lord God of Israel in Mount Ebal, 31 as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses: “an altar of whole stones over which no man has wielded an iron tool.”  (Joshua 8:30-31)

Could it have been found decades ago?

Israel365News reported the following by Aaron Lipkin:

Joshua’s Altar – How Archaeology proves the Bible

March 22, 2023

Since the 1960’s, many historians and Bible scholars (the “Minimalists”) suggested that the Bible is not a history book and that the events described in the Old Testament, never really happened or are at best, inaccurate. They claimed the Exodus and the Conquest never occurred, Moses and Joshua never really existed. Why did they come to that conclusion? Because of “lack of archaeological proof”, they claim.

In 1982, a young secular Israeli archaeologist by the name of Adam Zertal started excavating an ancient archaeological site on Mt. Ebal, near the Biblical city of Shechem in the region of Samaria, Israel. He dated the structure to the Early Iron Age (1250 BC). https://www.israel365news.com/368740/joshuas-altar-how-archaeology-proves-the-bible/

As far as the dating of the altar itself goes, while there are some broken pots that date into the 13th century BCE, the rocks themselves are not dated. If this is the altar that Joshua built, it would have been built about 150 years earlier–somewhere in the 1400-1370 BCE date. That said, Adam Zertal presented a 1985 study where he believed he was able to prove that there were different stages during the site’s development and that critics who did not believe this could be Joshua’s altar overlooked evidence (e.g. https://www.baslibrary.org/biblical-archaeology-review/12/1/2). As far as the Exodus goes, here is a link related to that: When was the Exodus? Did it Happen?

Now, initially, Adam Zertal had not believed he had found what could be Joshua’s altar. Yet by 1985, his views changed after studying more archeological data. Let’s continue with Aaron Lipkin’s Israel365News article related to him:

Like the Minimalist scholars, Zertal did not believe that the book of Deuteronomy and the book of Joshua describe real historical events, but he was intrigued by this mysterious heap of stones and the surrounding enclosure wall. …

Zertal tried to find the origin of this mysterious structure and was not able to find any architectural parallels in the Canaanite  and surrounding cultures. One day an Orthodox Jew showed him a sketch of the Second Temple Altar…the similarity was striking.

Zertal understood that he’d found an Israelite altar on Mt. Ebal. In his book “A Nation Born” he describes how he looked at the Orthodox Jew and said, “This has to be the altar that Joshua built according to the commandment of Moses. There is no other possibility. If this is Joshua’s Altar, then Joshua existed, and Moses existed and the Exodus really happened…” From that point on, Zertal believed in the historicity of the Biblical account.

So, Adam Zertal believed the evidence he uncovered.

The Israel365News article then had the following related to more recent research by Aaron Lipkin who wrote:

In 2019, I was involved in a special expedition of archaeologists that came to Israel to reanalyze the archaeological dump from Zertal’s 1980’s excavations.

We extracted the material and by using a wet sifting technique, we were able to locate findings that Zertal missed. …

Archaeologist Dr. Scott Stripling announced that the tablet contained what is probably the most ancient Hebrew inscription ever found in the Land of Israel.

The inscription was a curse, written in Hebrew, with the name of the Lord engraved in it:

You are Cursed by the God YHW, Cursed.

You will die Cursed – Cursed you will surely die.

Cursed you are by YHW – Cursed.

This is probably the most important inscription ever found in the land of Israel. …

Moses commanded the Israelites to conduct a national ceremony and proclaim the Curses on Mt. Ebal and the Blessings on Mt. Gerizim.

“And when the Lord your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it, you shall set the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal.” Deuteronomy 11:29 (ESV)

Is it possible we found a curse inscription on the mountain of Curses, related to the ceremony mentioned in the Bible?

Yes, there looks to be ties of this archaeological site and the Bible.

That said, there is also more archaeological evidence about Joshua.

For example, last August, the Temple Institute had the following in its newsletter:

Av 29, 5782/August 26, 2022 …

First Archaeological Dig Begins At Site Believed To Be Joshua’s Tomb “And Joshua sent the people away, every man to his inheritance. And it was after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of HaShem, died, being a hundred and ten years old. And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnat-serah, which is in Mount Ephraim, on the north side of the hill of Gaash. And Israel served HaShem all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, and who had known all the works of HaShem, that He had done for Israel.” (Joshua 24:28-31) Khirbet Tibnah is located on a hill in the southwest of the Samaria region, east of Shoham near Halamish. The site was populated from the Bronze Age until the beginning of the Ottoman period.

The Temple Institute had more on this at its Facebook page:

Khirbet Tibnah is located on a hill in the southwest of the Samaria region, east of Shoham near Halamish. The site was populated from the Bronze Age until the beginning of the Ottoman period.

Archaeologists have begun digging at Khirbet Tibnah in the West Bank, a site where humans have settled for about 4,000 years and which is believed to be where the biblical Joshua lived and was buried, the excavation project at the site announced on Monday.

The dig is being led by Dr. Dvir Raviv and students from Bar-Ilan’s Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology, alongside volunteers from Israel and abroad.

Khirbet Tibnah is located on a hill in the southwest of the Samaria region, east of Shoham near Halamish. The site was populated from the Bronze Age until the beginning of the Ottoman period, according to Bar-Ilan.

The site is also identified as Timnath-heres or Timnath-serah, a town which, according to the Book of Joshua, was given by the Israelites to the prophet and was where he lived and was buried. The tomb of Caleb is also believed to be at the site.

The site was surveyed in the 1800’s and is mentioned in a number of historical documents. https://www.facebook.com/templeinstitute/posts/10151729391479969

Here is some of what the Bible tells about Joshua and his burial:

29 Now it came to pass after these things that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being one hundred and ten years old. 30 And they buried him within the border of his inheritance at Timnath Serah, which is in the mountains of Ephraim, on the north side of Mount Gaash.

31 Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had known all the works of the Lord which He had done for Israel.

32 The bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel had brought up out of Egypt, they buried at Shechem, in the plot of ground which Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for one hundred pieces of silver, and which had become an inheritance of the children of Joseph.

33 And Eleazar the son of Aaron died. They buried him in a hill belonging to Phinehas his son, which was given to him in the mountains of Ephraim. (Joshua 24:29-33)

This is interesting as we get closer to the end that some archeologists continue to look for more evidence of biblical locations, figures, and events.

Now notice the following from Robert M. Bowman, Jr.:

I will highlight three pieces of evidence that support the historicity of the account found in the Old Testament.

(1) The list of cities in the Transjordan region through which the Israelites passed on their way into the land in Numbers 33:45-50 includes Iyim, Dibon-gad, Abel-shittim, and Jordan. A list of places through which Egyptian armies passed in their military incursions dating from the same general period include these four places in the same order. Ian Wilson in his book The Bible Is History quotes archaeologist Charles Krahmalkov on this point: “The biblical story of the invasion of Transjordan that sets the stage for the conquest of all Palestine is told against a background that is historically accurate. The Israelite invasion route described in Numbers 33:50 was…an official, heavily trafficked Egyptian road through the Transjordan in the Late Bronze Age.”³ By itself, this piece of information does not prove that the Conquest happened, but it does lend some credibility to the account.

(2) Although most archaeologists today think that the story of Joshua’s conquest of Jericho cannot be true, their reasoning is likely based on a mistaken chronology. As Time magazine recently put it, “Did Joshua conquer the city of Jericho? The walls of this Canaanite city did come tumbling down, say most historians, but centuries before Moses’ protégé could have arrived.”⁴ This assessment is based on the conclusions of Kathleen Kenyon, who in the 1950s dated Jericho’s fall to around 1500 BC while assuming a late date of around 1200 BC for the Conquest. The issue here, then, is one of chronology. The bottom line is that “the walls” did, in fact, “come a tumblin’ down,” just as the Bible says, although the current archaeological convention does not date the event to the period indicated by the Bible. Similar chronological difficulties attend the events of the Exodus: there are records of Egypt being devastated by the kinds of plagues recorded in the Book of Exodus, but modern archaeology dates this devastation to a period hundreds of years earlier than the Bible indicates.⁵  One should not underestimate the extreme complexities and difficulties of calibrating archaeological finds across the region with the chronological information found in ancient written sources.

(3) Scientists have discovered evidence that provides remarkable confirmation of one of the miracles of the Conquest: the crossing of the Jordan River. The book of Joshua reports that when the Israelites began to cross the Jordan opposite Jericho, the waters of the Jordan “rose up in one heap a great distance away at Adam” as they flowed down toward the Dead Sea (Josh. 3:14-17). This damming of the river allowed the Israelites to walk across the riverbed on dry ground. Critics of the Bible routinely claim that no such event occurred, and suggest that the book is crediting Joshua with a miracle similar to the crossing of the Red Sea in order to portray him as Moses’ true successor. However, we have good evidence, both internal and external, supporting the historicity of the account of Joshua’s crossing of the Jordan.

Adam was a village some fifteen or twenty miles upstream (north) from where the Israelites crossed the river. (They crossed directly across from Jericho.) There is nothing historically or religiously significant about this village other than its role as a “footnote” in this account that would explain why the book of Joshua specifies it as the place where the waters were stopped. Furthermore, a writer composing a “pious fiction” about Joshua stopping the waters of the Jordan would surely have had the waters stop right in front of the Israelites, not miles upstream. This incidental detail clearly indicates that the story is at least based on fact. https://www.namb.net/apologetics/resource/joshua-s-conquest-did-it-happen/ accessed 08/26/22

Of course, for those of us who believe the Bible, no further proof related to Joshua is needed. But for some who have heard statements from pseudo-archaeologists that deny the biblical accounts, it may be helpful for them to realize that as time goes on, more and more archaeological evidence surfaces that supports the Bible.

Many of the so-called educated have claimed many fraudulent positions, like that the biblical David was a myth. Now, notice the following:

Here is a link to that July-September 2017 edition of Bible News Prophecy magazine. Its front cover shows an ancient stela that mentions King David, and contains more information about why true science supports the Bible. In 2023, its incscription was declared to be genuine (see Mesha Stela declared to mention ‘House of David,’ hence is additional proof of the biblical text)–of course, that means it was also genuine in 2017 and before.

The Bible is true, but many do not want it to be believed.

The world’s claimed anti-biblical knowledge is false.

The Apostle Paul warned:

20 … Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge — 21 by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. (1 Timothy 6:20-21)

Be careful not to accept ‘knowledge’ from those who are contradicting the Bible.

Notice also:

9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 92 Thessalonians 2:9-12)

Do you really love the truth?

Then do not fall for their lies.

Remember to “let God be true but every man a liar” (Romans 3:4).

There was a Joshua and some are looking for even more evidence to prove that is so.

Related to Joshua and skeptics, we put together the following video:

16:34

Did Joshua of the Bible Exist?

The Temple Institute out of Jerusalem reported that the first archaeological dig has started at the site many believe was the tomb of Joshua of the Bible. What does the Bible say about Joshua’s burial? Why do places like Wikipedia and Google point to sources who say that Joshua did not exist, but instead was a national myth? Are they looking at the wrong time (13th instead of 15th century BCE)? What about archaeological evidence that points to place the Book of Judges mentions? What about the destruction of ancient Jericho? Should we trust the biblical account or those who claim to have scholarly knowledge? Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel go over these matters.

Here is a link to the video: Did Joshua of the Bible Exist?

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

EXODUS Exodus sermons, which it total cover each and every verse of that book, include Exodus 1-4: Jewish Myths or Lessons for Christians Today?, Exodus 5-7: Serpents, Blood, and Revelation, Exodus 8-9: Plagues and Prophecy, Exodus 10-12: The Last Plagues & 21st Century Prophecies, and Exodus 13-15: Passover Protection and Armageddon. Another article is Exodus 16-19 which covers all of those verses–here is a link to a related sermon: Exodus 16-19: Manna, Governance, and End Time Protection. Another article is Exodus 20 which covers all of the verses in that chapter–here is a link to a related sermon: Exodus 20: The Ten Commandments. Another article covers the verses in those chapters Exodus 21-24: These are the Judgments–here is a link to a related sermon: Exodus 21-24: Judgments. Here is a link to the article Exodus 25: Ark of the Covenant and Mercy Seat–here is a link to a related sermon: Exodus 25: Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat. Here is a link to the article Exodus 26-32 Tabernacle, Sacrifices, & the Book of Life–here is a link to a related sermon:Exodus 26-32: Tabernacle, Golden Calf, and Book of Life. A final article is: Exodus 33-40, The Final Chapters.Here are links to two related video sermons: Exodus 33-36: Moses Shown and You Should Too and Exodus 37-40: Finishing the Work.There is also more, such as the article: When was the Exodus? Did it Happen? Some deny the biblical account of the Exodus. Was Ramses II the pharaoh then? When did the Exodus occur?  Is there proof outside of the Bible that there was an Exodus? Here is a related article in the Spanish language: ¿Cuándo fue el Éxodo? ¿Ocurrió realmente? Also: Reasons, Proofs, and Ramifications of the Ten Plagues of Exodus What do you know about these plagues? What happened to the ‘gods of Egypt’? Is there any confirmation outside the Bible? Might something worse be coming? A related two-part sermon is available: Egypt and the Plagues (Part 1) and Exodus Plagues and Prophecy (Part 2). Also: Exodus and the Days of Unleavened Bread. This article discusses parts of the Book of Exodus with some connections to the Days of Unleavened Bread. Also Exodus 4:24, Why would God have sought to kill Moses? What did Moses do wrong? Do you have a similar problem?
Is God’s Existence Logical? Is it really logical to believe in God? Yes! Would you like Christian answers to give atheists? This is a free online booklet that deal with improper theories and musings called science related to the origin of the origin of the universe, the origin of life, and evolution. Here is a link to a related sermon: Evolution is NOT the Origin of Life. Two animated videos of related interest are also available: Big Bang: Nothing or Creator? and A Lifegiver or Spontaneous Evolution?
Read the Bible Christians should read and study the Bible. This article gives some rationale for regular bible reading.
Biblical Archaeology This is a website that has more information on biblical archeological as is sometimes known as the Bib Arch site.
The Old Testament Canon This article shows from Catholic accepted writings, that the Old Testament used by non-Roman Catholics and non-Orthodox churches is the correct version.
Old Testament History This is a link to articles that essentially back up the historical accuracy of the Hebrew scriptures (AKA The Old Testament).
Tradition and Scripture: From the Bible and Church Writings Are traditions on equal par with scripture? Many believe that is what Peter, John, and Paul taught. But did they? Two related sermons are available Scripture and Traditions and Tradition and Scripture.
Who Gave the World the Bible? The Canon: Why do we have the books we now do in the Bible? Is the Bible complete? Are there lost gospels? What about the Apocrypha? Is the Septuagint better than the Masoretic text? What about the Textus Receptus vs. Nestle Alland? Was the New Testament written in Greek, Aramaic, or Hebrew? Which translations are based upon the best ancient text? Did the true Church of God have the canon from the beginning? Here are links to related sermons: Let’s Talk About the Bible, The Books of the Old Testament, The Septuagint and its Apocrypha, Masoretic Text of the Old Testament, and Lost Books of the Bible, and Let’s Talk About the New Testament, The New Testament Canon From the Beginning, English Versions of the Bible and How Did We Get Them?, What was the Original Language of the New Testament?, Original Order of the Books of the Bible, and Who Gave the World the Bible? Who Had the Chain of Custody?

COGwriter

The Continuing Church of God is pleased to announce this sermon from its ContinuingCOG channel:

1:11:28

King Charles III Coronation and Prophecy

The BBC, the UK Guardian, and Buckingham Palace reported various preparations for the planned May 6, 2023 coronation of King Charles III. In March 2023, oil from the Mount of Olives was consecrated for this ceremony. The Stone of Destiny, also called the Stone of Scone, is to leave Scotland to be placed in the coronation chair in Westminster Abby for the coronation. Can any of this possibly have any connections to biblical prophecies about Judah having the sceptre, the throne of David always having an occupant, the prophet Jeremiah, Tea Tephi of Ireland, the lines of Pharez & Zerah, and the end time fate of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland? Is there an unbroken line of monarchs from Judah’s King David through to King Charles III? Does Charles have any connection to the World Economic Forum or the ‘Great Reset’? Could he or others in the Royal Family possibly be involved in fulfilling numerous prophecies in the Book of Hosea? What about the scarlet thread and the “red hand of Ulster’? Did Charles or other members of the Royal Family believe in any version of British-Israelism?

Here is a link to our sermon: King Charles III Coronation and Prophecy.

Coronation chair with Stone of Scone in Westminster Abby c. 1880
(Wikipedia)

COGwriter

The BBC reported the following:

The disputed history of the Coronation Stone

6 March 2023

On 6 May 2023, Charles III will be crowned on the sacred Stone of Scone – an ancient symbol of Scottish sovereignty whose history is mired in controversy and legend.

Westminster Abbey is one of the most famous religious buildings in the world and one of London’s key tourist sites. Built by King Edward I (Edward the Confessor) in 1040, it has been the site of royal coronations since 1066. … visitors are paying particular attention to the Coronation Chair, the seat on which English monarchs have been crowned since 1308. …

This was designed by Edward I to house the Coronation Stone, a sacred rock with mysterious origins that he brought from Scotland in 1296.

The platform is currently empty – but before the coronation on 6 May, the stone will be brought from Edinburgh Castle (where it’s housed alongside the Scottish Crown Jewels) to the Abbey when Charles III is crowned king of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Coronation Stone – also known as the Stone of Scone or Stone of Destiny – is an ancient symbol of Scottish sovereignty with links to Ireland and Spain, stolen by the English and even associated with biblical lore. …

According to legend, it was the same stone used by the biblical figure Jacob (the father of the Israelites) as a pillow in Bethel when he dreamed of a ladder reaching to heaven. From here, one of Jacob’s sons is said to have taken it to Egypt, from where it travelled to Spain and later to Ireland when the Spanish king’s son, Simon Brech, invaded the island in 700 BCE.

There it was placed on the sacred Hill of Tara near Skryne in County Meath and named the Lia Fail …

“There are a number of Lia Fail in ancient Irish history,” said Dr David Hume, an Ulster Scots historian, journalist and broadcaster. “In 496 CE, a stone was in the possession of King Fergus Mór mac Eirc who ruled Dalriada, a kingdom that spanned the Irish Sea and incorporated parts of Western Scotland.”

According to Hume, the story goes that Fergus took the Lia Fail stone from Ireland to Scotland when he moved his royal seat to Dunnadd in Argyll in 498 CE. However, it’s uncertain just how much of the story is true. The main evidence for it is in the Scottish Declaration of Arbroath in 1320 CE, signed by the Scottish nobles in an appeal to the Pope to recognise Scottish independence, which mentions an “honour” passing through the Mediterranean Sea and coming from Israel.

Whatever the truth, we know that the stone was taken to Scone Abbey in Perthshire after Kenneth I – who united the Scots and Pictish kingdoms and is known as the first King of Scotland – moved his capital from Western Scotland to Scone in around 840 CE. This “Stone of Destiny” was used for centuries in the coronation ceremonies of Scottish monarchs.

But following his victory at the Battle of Dunbar in 1296, England’s King Edward I marched north, seized the stone from Scone Abbey and had it fitted into the base of a specially crafted wooden Coronation Chair on which English – and later British – monarchs have been crowned inside London’s Westminster Abbey ever since.

However, even this history remains disputed. …

“When the Stone was returned to Scotland in 1996, the process of removing it from the chair required great care to ensure both were protected throughout,” explained Kathy Richmond, head of Collections & Applied Conservation at Historic Environment Scotland. https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20230305-the-disputed-history-of-the-coronation-stone

In 1993, my wife Joyce and I saw the stone in the coronation chair, essentially  like it looked in the photo at the beginning of this post. Since it was moved to Scotland in 1996, we saw the coronation chair without the stone when we visited Westminster Abby again in 2019.

That said, the chair and stone are expected to be used for upcoming coronation of King Charles III.

The old Radio Church of God published the following about the stone:

In Westminster Abbey is an intriguing stone, steel gray in color, mixed with red veins, twenty-two inches long, thirteen inches broad and eleven inches deep. Attached to each end is a worn iron ring by which the stone may be carried. This rock is not beautiful, yet it is more important than all the crown jewels! On it Elizabeth II was crowned.

For centuries the kings of Scotland — the ancestors of the present British royal family — were crowned upon it. Upon this stone the ancient Irish kings of this same royal family were also crowned, even as far back as five and one-half centuries before the birth of Jesus Christ.

What is the true significance of this rock? Where did it come from?

Ancient Irish annals prove the rock — which they called “Lia fail” meaning stone of destiny — did not originate in Ireland, but came by way of Spain from the East. It was brought by a white-haired old man — a prophet — who also brought a daughter of an Eastern king.

Through her marriage to the king of Ireland, she not only continued her father’s throne but also became the ancestor of a dynasty which has continued to Elizabeth II. …

Yes, on the throne of England reigns a daughter of David, a descendant of King Zedekiah’s daughter whom Jeremiah the prophet took to Ireland together with the stone of destiny. From the marriage of that young princess has descended a dynasty that has ruled Ireland, Scotland and England for over 2500 years! And all of them have been crowned over the some of destiny, Jacob’s pillow stone. (Why is the stone under the royal chair in Westminster Abbey in London called “Jacob’s Pillow Stone?” Plain Truth, July 1959)

The late evangelist Dr. Herman Hoeh (while in the Radio Church of God) wrote the following:

According to this Masonic tradition, a Prince Eochaid of Ireland came to Jerusalem several years before 585. He was present during the siege. This Eochaid (meaning Knight) was none other than Oilioll Olchaoin, the son of Siorna Saoghlach mac Dian called the Heremon. Eochaid was blood royal of the Milesian Zarah line. After the fall of Jerusalem he married Zedekiah’s daughter, named in the Masonic tradition Tea Tephi, of the Pharez line. They fled in 585 with Jeremiah and Baruch to Egypt.

The last Biblical record places them in Egypt. Masonic tradition, however, traces their journey to Ireland. Irish histories relate the arrival of a royal party in 569 B.C. (See “The Irish Prince and the Hebrew Prophet”, New York, 1896, pages 137-145). The arrivals included Prince Eochaid, his wife Tea Tephi, their son and a prophet called Ollamh Fodhla and his scribe Baruch. When they reached Tara, Eochaid was proclaimed king since his father had just died. A description from the Masonic tradition reads: “Jeremiah had joined the hands of the prince and princess over the sacred stone (lia fail) … and commanded the blessing of Israel’s God to rest upon the throne of David.” (“The Irish Prince and the Hebrew Prophet”, page 139). …

In 1296 Edward I of England declared himself king of Scotland and removed the coronation stone — Lia Fail — from Scone to Westminster. (Hoeh H. Compendium of World History. Ambassador College Thesis, 1967)

Now, Charles has officially succeeded his mother–and is to be coronated over that stone.

Here is some information in a draft of a book I have been working on and expect to publish this year titled Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America?:

Stone of Destiny

As far as the “stone of destiny” goes, my wife and I saw what reportedly is it back in 1993 when it was in the coronation throne in Westminster Abby. It was not there the last time we visited Westminster Abby (2019) as it is now stored in Scotland.

According to legend, it was the coronation stone used by the kings of Judah and some think it originally was Jacob’s. Jacob had used a pillar stone as a pillow, then anointed it with oil, and said he it would be “God’s house” (Genesis 28:18-22).

If that stone ended up in the first Temple under the Holy of Holies as some Jews claim,[i] then it was not the coronation stone of scripture as that was not out in public view (cf. Leviticus 16:1-19; Hebrews 9:7-8).

During the time of that temple, the Bible points to coronations being done at/on a pillar stone that was in public, so that would not be at the Holy of Holies:

¹² … put upon him the crown and the insignia; and  they made him king, and anointed him; and… ¹⁴ … behold, the king stood on the platform, as the manner was … (2 Kings 11:12,14, Jewish Publication Society)

¹² … put the crown on him, and gave him the Testimony; they made him king and anointed him, and … ¹⁴ … there was the king standing by a pillar according to custom; (2 Kings 11:12,14, NKJV)

During the time of Jeremiah, King Josiah of Judah made a solemn covenant at what looks to be this very same stone (2 Kings 23:3).

Various ones have asserted that the coronation stone was brought to Ireland by Jeremiah and ended up in Scotland.[ii] Fergus, son of Erc, is claimed to have taken it from Ireland and brought it to Scotland.[iii] Some others claim that the true stone was actually kept in Ireland and a substitute was what was sent to Britain (but if so, no one seems know where it is). Some others say that King Edward took the wrong stone and there is one hidden in Scotland, but it has not been publicly revealed if that was the case. [iv]

The stone that currently is in Scotland, that King Edward I had taken from Scotland and brought to Westminster Abby in the late 1200s, is made from red sandstone, but does not look red at all. Some say it originated from Scone, Scotland and not from the Middle East—if so, then one or more of the transfer legends are in error. The reports that a stone was taken from Ireland to Scotland contradicts the Scottish origin of the stone, as others have noted.[v] Hence, the Scottish origin of the stone may not be a fact like some have asserted.[vi]

It may be of interest to note that there is red sandstone in Haran, where Jacob’s pillar stone originated, as well as many other places in the Middle East, including Petra. So, it may be possible that the stone in Scotland could have come from Jeremiah, but that is not dogma as we have not scientifically examined the stone ourselves to attempt to determine its original location.

However, it should be pointed out that the phallic stone currently at the Lia Fail on the Hill of Tara was not brought by Jeremiah. Legend says Tea Tephi removed an original phallic stone which was part of pagan worship.[vii] After the Stone of Destiny went to Britain or otherwise left the Hill of Tara, a phallic stone was put back there and is there now.[viii]

That is consistent with reports that there were two different origins of the Lia Fail. One is that Tuatha de Danann brought it from Germany and it is an ancient pagan symbol, and the other is that a Milesian leader brought it over from Spain.[ix] Since Tea Tephi reportedly came to Ireland via Spain,[x] that could explain both stones (and there could be more than two).

The following from the 19^th century mentions Jeremiah and the stone:

We have seen a late work on prophecy gravely affirming that the Prophet Jeremiah died in Ireland, having been forced hither by the wandering sons of Ephraim. One of the few unquestionable facts connected with early Irish history, is the intercourse between Ireland and the Phoenicians, through Spain. The Israelitish settlers, according to the tradition, carried with them Jacob’s pillow or pillar, known as the Lia Fail or Stone of Destiny, which secured a perpetual monarchy to the people so happy as to possess it. This stone, at the crowning of the first king of the Scots in Scotland, was borrowed ….[xi]

The above legend is interesting as it looks to tie Ephraim in with the British Isles, and affirms the idea that Jeremiah also came to the isles. In the 43^rd chapter of Jeremiah, Jeremiah is shown to be with the “king’s daughters” (Jeremiah 43:1-6), but nothing like the pillar stone is mentioned with them.

That said, King Charles is expected to be coronated on a throne that will contain the ‘Stone of Scone.’[xii]

[i] Vilnay Z. Legends of Jerusalem Volume 1. Jewish Publication Society, 1973, pp. 9-10

[ii] E.g. Plain Truth Staff. The Bible Answers Short Questions From Our Readers. Plain Truth Magazine July 1959; The Christian remembrancer; or, The Churchman’s Biblical, ecclesiastical & literary miscellany. 1864, p. 2

[iii] Poole WH. Anglo-Israel Or, The Saxon Race, Proved to be the Lost Tribes of Israel. W. Briggs, 1889, p. 501

[iv] Cartwright M. Stone of Scone. World History Encyclopedia, 2018.

[v] Ibid; Johnson B. The Stone of Destiny. Hiatoric UK, viewed 03/06/23.

[vi] Enfield L. The disputed history of the Coronation Stone. BBC, March 6, 2023

[vii] Yarrow S. The Legend of Teia Tephi, Queen of Ireland. http://www.pocketoz.com.au/colours/covenant_tephi.html accessed 08/12/22

[viii] Joyce PW. The Wonders of Ireland and Other Papers on Irish Subjects, Longmans, Green, and Company, 1911, p. 70

[ix] Petrie, pp. 161-162

[x] Petrie, p. 130

[xi] The Christian remembrancer; or, The Churchman’s Biblical, ecclesiastical & literary miscellany. 1864, p. 2

[xii] Enfield L. The disputed history of the Coronation Stone. BBC, March 6, 2023

Related to ties that the British royalty has to the ancient Davidic throne of Israel, the Continuing Church of God put together the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

Here is a link to our video: Lia Fail and the British Monarchy.

Yesterday, we uploaded the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel related to another aspect of the upcoming coronation ceremony:

14:52

King Charles Setting Prophetic Stage?

Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles III will be making his first international state visit from March 26-31, 2023 by going to France and Germany. Some believe this is intended to attempt to smooth over some relations between the United Kingdom and the European Union. Could there be any connection to the goals of the World Economic Forum? Could this visit possibly help set the stage for the UK (prophetic Ephraim) to fulfill certain prophecies related to Germany (prophetic Assyria) after the start of the Great Tribulation? Are there biblical prophecies that suggest that the United States of America and its British-descended allies may turn on each other? Did Nostradamus also seem to predict that as well as some events that now seem to be happening–such as opinions not being free? Is the USA prophesied to be destroyed by a European power? Is King Charles knowledgeable about any biblical prophecies concerning the British peoples being descendants of the Israelite tribe of Ephraim? Are the North American and British peoples prophesied to have a European king over them because they refuse to repent? What to prophecies by Hosea, Daniel, Amos, and Isaiah show? Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel address these matters.

Here is a link to our video: King Charles Setting Prophetic Stage?

Painting of 1625 Titled ‘Feast of Esther’

COGwriter

The Jewish Feast of Purim 2023 begins at sunset on March 5th (some Jews begin celebrations and preparations earlier).

Before getting to that, notice that an interesting artifact has been found and translated:

March 1, 2023

A unique potsherd bearing the name of Persian King Darius the Great – the father of Ahasuerus, who features prominently in the biblical book of Esther – was found in an archaeological park in central Israel, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Wednesday.

The artifact, dating back to some 2,500 years ago, was spotted by chance by two visitors in December. One of them happened to be Eylon Levy, international media advisor to the President of the State of Israel Isaac Herzog, who was visiting Tel Lachish National Park with his friend Yakov Ashkenazi.

“When I picked up the ostracon and saw the inscription, my hands shook,” Levy recalled. “I looked left and right for the cameras, because I was sure someone was playing an elaborate prank on me.”

Indeed, the potsherd turned out to be a very rare find, as it is the first time that the name of Darius is found in Israel.

Darius reigned over the Persian Achaemenid Empire for several decades (522–486 BCE). Under his rule, the empire dramatically expanded. His son Ahasuerus would find himself reigning over millions of square miles, spanning from Egypt and the Balkans in the West to India and Central Asia in the Est.

“It happened in the days of Ahasuerus—that Ahasuerus who reigned over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India to Ethiopia,” reads the first verse of the book of Esther, who Jews all over the world will read out loud next week to celebrate the festival of Purim.

The artifact from Tel Lachish reads “Year 24 of Darius,” (in Aramaic), dating it to 498 BCE. At the time, Lachish belonged to the province of Edom/Idumea within the “Beyond the River” satrapy. As it was custom at the time, the province would pay taxes to the Persian administrative system. The taxes were collected and dispatched in Lachish, a major fortified city in the area. According to researchers at the IAA, the inscribed sherd may have been a dispatchment note written by a storeroom official working in the central administrative building. https://www.israel365news.com/367707/2500-year-old-inscription-bearing-name-of-biblical-king-ahasuerus-father-found-in-israel/

Yes, there continue to be artifacts found that support what the Bible teaches related to history.

That said, here is some information about Purim and the Book of Esther:

Purim, the joyous festival celebrating God’s miraculous deliverance of the People of Israel from their enemies. The story tells that the Persian Empire’s anti-Semitic ruler, Haman, wanted to annihilate the Jewish people. Esther courageously stepped up and defended her people, foiling Haman’s plans. …

In Israel and around the world on Purim, it is a tradition to dress up. Many children dress up as the protagonists of the Purim story and sometimes, they dress up as superheroes. But the soldiers of the IDF need not dress up as superheroes – by putting on their uniform and taking on their real-life role as defenders of Israel and the Jewish people, they have proven themselves as superheroes already.

“In every generation, there are those who threaten the existence of the Nation of Israel – including both ‘lone-wolf’ Palestinian terrorists and formal terror organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah (backed by the modern incarnation of Persia, Iran),” Dr. John A.I. Grossman, Chairman of LIBI USA, the official welfare fund of the IDF, said to Breaking Israel News. “Ultimately, it is up to each individual to decide if he or she will stand up, as Queen Esther did, on behalf of Israel. Today, these individuals are embodied in the soldiers of the Israeli Defense Forces,” he added. 03/08/20 https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/124198/soldiers-idf-modern-day-purim-heroes/

Here is some information which comes from the Book of Esther:

1 Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day, the time came for the king’s command and his decree to be executed. On the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, the opposite occurred, in that the Jews themselves overpowered those who hated them. 2 The Jews gathered together in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could withstand them, because fear of them fell upon all people. 3 And all the officials of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and all those doing the king’s work, helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them. 4 For Mordecai was great in the king’s palace, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces; for this man Mordecai became increasingly prominent. 5 Thus the Jews defeated all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, with slaughter and destruction, and did what they pleased with those who hated them. (Esther 9:1-5)

20 And Mordecai wrote these things and sent letters to all the Jews, near and far, who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, 21 to establish among them that they should celebrate yearly the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar, 22 as the days on which the Jews had rest from their enemies, as the month which was turned from sorrow to joy for them, and from mourning to a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and joy, of sending presents to one another and gifts to the poor. 23 So the Jews accepted the custom which they had begun, as Mordecai had written to them, 24 because Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to annihilate them, and had cast Pur (that is, the lot), to consume them and destroy them; 25 but when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letter that this wicked plot which Haman had devised against the Jews should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.

26 So they called these days Purim, after the name Pur. Therefore, because of all the words of this letter, what they had seen concerning this matter, and what had happened to them, 27 the Jews established and imposed it upon themselves and their descendants and all who would join them, that without fail they should celebrate these two days every year, according to the written instructions and according to the prescribed time, 28 that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city, that these days of Purim should not fail to be observed among the Jews, and that the memory of them should not perish among their descendants.

29 Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter about Purim. 30 And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews, to the one hundred and twenty-seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth, 31 to confirm these days of Purim at their appointed time, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had prescribed for them, and as they had decreed for themselves and their descendants concerning matters of their fasting and lamenting. 32 So the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim, and it was written in the book. (Esther 9:20-32)

Note: Since Purim is a national holiday and is not listed as a holy day in Leviticus 23 or elsewhere, it is not a biblically required observation for those in the Church of God. As Esther 9:27-28 points out it was a Jewish invention for Jews.

But interestingly, some believe that Jesus (who was physically a Jew) kept it:

Wieseler, Hug, Meyer Lance, Godet, Weiss, Farrar, Watkins, think that the Feast of Purim, celebrated on the 15th of Adar (or March) (2 Macc. 15:36), in commemoration of the deliverance of the people from the evil intention of Haman (Esther 9:21, etc.), was that national fast and feast which Jesus thus honoured. Purim was not one of the divinely appointed festivals, but it is also stated that the Lord undoubtedly attended one of the national and recently appointed festivals, that of Dedication (John 10:22). …

The claims of the Purim feast turn principally on the fact that, since it occurred, about a month before the Passover, on the 14th or 15th of Adar, this visit might have taken place in the course of the four months referred to in John 4:35, and therefore between the sojourn in Samaria and the Passover of John 6:4, which Jesus diet not attend. …

It must be admitted that the majority of modern critics assume the Feast of Purim to be that intended (Pulpit Commentary on John 5:1).

A feast of the Jews.—The writer does not tell us what feast this was, and we must be content to remain without certain knowledge. There is, perhaps, no Jewish feast with which it has not been identified, and it has been even proclaimed confidently that it must have been the Day of Atonement! (Caspari, Chron. and Geogr., Introd., Eng. Trans., p. 130). Our reading is to be regarded as the better one, though not a few authorities insert the article, and interpret “the Feast” to mean the Feast of Passover.The time-limits are John 4:35, which was in Tebeth (January), and John 6:4, which bring us to the next Passover in Nisan (April), i.e., an interval of four months, the year being an intercalary one with the month VeAdar (and Adar) added, or, as we should say, with two months of March. The only feast which falls in this interval is the Feast of Purim, and it is with this that the best modern opinion identifies the feast of our text. It was kept on the 14th of Adar (March), in commemoration of the deliverance of the Jews from the plots of Haman, and took its name from the lots cast by him (Esther 3:7; Esther 9:24 et seq.). (Elliot’s Commentary on John 5:1).

That being said, some have wondered about the Book of Esther in light of the current events in Iran and Israel. Iran and Israel were actually allies during the time of the Shah of Iran. And interestingly that in the time of Esther it was only a minority of the Persian empire that wanted to eliminate the Jews. It is possible that a regime change in Iran (which could be brought about by many means, including attacks by Israel) could change the relationship between the Jews and Persians (Iranians) again.

Interestingly, the connection between the original Purim and Iran has not been lost by all. Notice the following:

JERUSALEM, Israel – On the 14th of the Hebrew month of Adar, Israel celebrates the festival of Purim, a holiday that’s been observed for at least 2,400 years. This year, the festivities begin Wednesday evening and in walled cities like Jerusalem go on for two days.

“And Mordecai wrote these things and sent letters to all the Jews, near and far, who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, to establish among them that they should celebrate yearly the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar, as the days on which the Jews had rest from their enemies, as the month which was turned from sorrow to joy for them, and from mourning to a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and joy, of sending presents to one another and gifts to the poor.” (Esther 9:20-22)

In Israel, these same traditions are observed today. It’s a joyous holiday and it’s observed joyfully. The story of how God used Queen Esther to deliver the Jews scattered throughout 120 provinces still strengthens Israelis today.

Most know of Iran’s frequent declarations to bring an end to Israel. Hate speech and similar threats against America are often heard from Iranian leaders, making one wonder what motivated the U.S.-led negotiations with Iran on its nuclear program.

What’s the tie with the 5th century story? Iran is modern-day Persia, the same place where Haman, the king’s chancellor, plotted to kill every Jewish man, woman and child in the empire’s provinces.

Haman described the Jews as being different from all the rest of the people, keeping to their own traditions. But what really motivated his evil schemes was a diabolical hatred of a Jew who refused to bow down to him. Mordechai, the queen’s cousin, refused to obey the king’s edict to bow before the chancellor and it infuriated him – so much so that he devised a plot to annihilate the Jews and convinced the king to sanction it.

That threat is pretty much as real today as it was then. And it seems a little ironic that it’s the same country.

The anti-Semitic spirit driving the desire to wipe the Jews off the face of the earth is alive and well today. http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/israel/2016/march/purim-2016

Iran and Israel, It’s Purim All Over Again

Some 2,000 years ago, the Jewish people, Exiled in the vast empire of Persia faced a plot engineered by the king’s chief minister to annihilate them…Today the Jewish People in their historical homeland, the Jewish State of Israel, are once again being openly threatened by an evil Persian Empire of Terror known today as Iran. Today’s Hamans – Iranian “Supreme Leader” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Hizbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, to name just a few, are no less committed to the destruction of the Jewish People as were Haman and his ten sons of old. They openly and clearly call for Israel’s destruction and make no secret of the nuclear weapons, the type that can wipe out the Jews in one day…

Among the cohorts to today’s Iranian Hamans are the scientists working feverishly to enrich sufficient uranium to make a nuclear bomb. One such scientist was Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan Behdast assassinated in early January. Should anyone doubt Mostafa’s personal commitment to the cause of mass murder of Jews, his wife proudly clarified that telling point.

Earlier this month Iran’s FARS News Agency (FNA) reported that Fatemeh Bolouri Kashani, wife of the aforementioned assassinated Iranian scientist who was a senior official at the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, told the FNA: “Mostafa’s ultimate goal was the annihilation of Israel.”…

The primary lesson of Purim for today’s Jewish leaders is that just as in the original Purim story the Jews had to ultimately defend themselves so too today the Jews cannot pin their national survival on vague promises of support as the Iranian nuclear clock continues to tick.

As Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu heads off to Washington to meet with US President Barack Obama on the week of the Purim holiday, he will no doubt have in mind the lesson of Purim: the only ones who can be relied on to defend the Jews are the Jews themselves.

While there is a lot of truth in the above, the only one who could be relied upon to defend the Jews is God Almighty–yet He only promised to do that if they obeyed Him. And while I do not believe that Bible prophecy allows for Iran to eliminate the nation of Israel, the reality is that if there is a war between Iran and Israel, Israel will suffer much more losses than the ancient nation did during the time of Esther.

Related to more recent matters, Israel365 News posted the following last year:

This Purim; History repeats itself as Iran expected to get nukes to try to destroy Israel

March 16, 2022

On the eve of Purim, a signed agreement resurrecting the Iran deal looms imminent. For those who forgot, another lucrative agreement between a politician and a Persian ruler signed 2,500 years ago was also intended to annihilate the Jewish people. Still, it didn’t work out as planned. …

If the deal does get signed on Thursday or Friday, it will coincide with the holiday of Purim (The holiday begins Wednesday evening and ends on Thursday evening, but in Jerusalem, it is celebrated 24 hours later). This would be remarkable as negotiations have been ongoing for 11 months. …

Rabbi Winston quipped. “They are clearly not thinking this through. They could have chosen any day of the year to sign this deal, but pushing to sign an anti-Israel deal with Iran on Purim displays total ignorance. It is astounding. But that is typical of the enemies of Israel.”

“In this case, the Iran deal is, of course, a direct existential threat to Israel. But now that the negotiations have revealed the battle lines, Iran and Russia allying together, it is obvious, or at least it should be, that this endangers the entire world.” …

Despite claims by the Biden administration that the JCPOA will permanently prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, many lawmakers are convinced that is not true. https://www.israel365news.com/267537/this-purim-history-repeats-itself-as-iran-expected-to-get-nukes-to-try-to-destroy-israel/

Purim 2022, Persia: Iran’s Nuclear plot to annihilate Israel could be foiled by Russia-Ukraine war

March 7, 2022

Could a Purim Iran deal turn the world around? Upon looking at the recent developments of the soon-to-be signed Iran Nuclear deal, a Purim-like miracle could occur with modern-day Persia and their plot to annihilate the nation of Israel.

Five permanent member nations

In the bizarre reality of international politics, Russia is acting as a major party in the ongoing negotiations in Vienna by the Biden administration focused on reviving the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) known as the Iran nuclear deal. …

“It is necessary to understand clearly what Moscow wants. If what they demand is related to the JCPOA, it would not be difficult to find a solution for it,” said an Iranian official. “But it will be complicated if the guarantees that Moscow has demanded are beyond the JCPOA.”

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has made public calls for closer ties with Russia. Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine was preceded by a visit from Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to Vladimir Putin in Moscow, the first of its type in five years. …

Purim is Coming Up

Rabbi Hillel Weiss, the former spokesman for the Sanhedrin, noted that negotiations for the Iran deal have been in the works for quite some time. Before the invasion of Ukraine, diplomats had announced that it was about to be signed.

“It is not by chance that after all this time, the signing, or rejection, of the Iran deal is going to happen on Purim,” Rabbi Weiss said.

The rabbi then referred to a verse from the Book of Esther:

And so, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month—that is, the month of Adar—when the king’s command and decree were to be executed, the very day on which the enemies of the Yehudim had expected to get them in their power, the opposite happened, and the Yehudim got their enemies in their power. Esther 9:1

The reference to “the opposite happened” is understood to be a central theme of the holiday. The day that Haman established as the destruction of the Jews turned out to be a day of celebration and salvation.

Haman or King Darius

“Iran is at a point of decision,” Rabbi Weiss said. “They could follow in the path of Haman, who was not, in fact, Persian, or they can follow in the footsteps of the Persian King Darius who facilitated the return of the Jews from exile and the construction of the Second Temple.” …

“This Iran deal has always been seen as an existential threat to Israel,” Rabbi Weiss said. “It could be that coming at the same time as the war in Ukraine, at the time of Purim, could turn everything upside down.” https://www.israel365news.com/267179/purim-2022-persia-irans-nuclear-plot-to-annihilate-israel-could-be-foiled-by-russia-ukraine-war/

FM @Amirabdolahian : Agreement window is still open, but not forever https://t.co/disqfBfcv8 pic.twitter.com/055ZO49q6b

— Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran (@Iran_GOV) March 1, 2023

Irrespective of the possible JCPOA deal, Iran will one day attack Israel ((Isaiah 22:8-14). And it could happen this year or next.

The Bible is clear that the tiny nation called Israel (modern Judah) is at risk and will face military problems. Iran may well cause them.

The situation in the Middle East is tense. Regional war involving Israel, Iran, Syria, and others this year is a real possibility. Damascus, the capital of Syria, could become a ruinous heap (Isaiah 17:1). But this does not mean that the USA and Israel would get off without troubles and cost. Just like Afghanistan was a major problem for the old Soviet Union, Iran could be a major drain on the USA (and at minimum would raise terrorist issues).

It may take a regional war in the Middle East and perhaps terrorist attacks on USA-related targets for the apparent peace deal of Daniel 9:27 to take place. The situation in Syria, Iran, and Israel will change–and military conflict may well be one of those changes.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Iran in Prophecy Is Iran in Bible prophecy? If so, what does the Bible teach? What names, other than Persia, may be used to describe Iran? There are also two related videos: Iran In Prophecy and Iran and Israel Conflict.
Is the Future King of the South Rising Up? Some no longer believe there needs to be a future King of the South. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? Might this King be called the Mahdi or Caliph? What does the Bible say? A YouTube video of related interest may be: The Future King of the South is Rising.
The Arab and Islamic World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam? What about the Imam Mahdi? What lies ahead for Turkey, Iran, and the other non-Arabic Muslims? An item of possibly related interest in the Spanish language would be: Líderes iraníes condenan la hipocresía de Occidente y declaran que ahora es tiempo para prepararse para el Armagedón, la guerra, y el Imán Mahdi.
Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future What does the Bible say about Jerusalem and its future? Is Jerusalem going to be divided and eliminated? Is Jesus returning to the area of Jerusalem? There is also a related YouTube video you can watch titled Jerusalem To be divided and eliminated.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be: Are Chinese threats against Australia for real?
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
British are the Covenant People What do ‘British’ and ‘Britain’ mean in Hebrew? Are the descendants of the Anglo-Saxons people of the covenant? Does the British royal family connect to the throne of David? What does the Bible teach? What does history show us? Is there any DNA evidence related to British-Israelism? When did Christianity make it to the British Isles? Could Jeremiah have made it to the British Isles? What type of Christians made it to the British Isles? Did the last King of England believe in British Israelism?
Biden-Harris: Prophecies and Destruction Can the USA survive two full presidential terms? In what ways are Joe Biden and Kamala Harris apocalyptic? This book has hundreds of prophecies and scriptures to provide details. A Kindle version is also available and you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to your free Kindle reader app (or if you already have one or a Kindle), you can go to: Biden-Harris: Prophecies and Destruction (Kindle) to get the book in seconds.
Proof Jesus is the Messiah This free book has over 200 Hebrew prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus. Plus, His arrival was consistent with specific prophecies and even Jewish interpretations of prophecy. Here are links to seven related sermons: Proof Jesus is the Messiah, Prophecies of Jesus’ birth, timing, and death, Jesus’ prophesied divinity, 200+ OT prophecies Jesus filled; Plus prophecies He made, Why Don’t Jews Accept Jesus?, Daniel 9, Jews, and Jesus, and Facts and Atheists’ Delusions About Jesus. Plus the links to two sermonettes: Luke’s census: Any historical evidence? and Muslims believe Jesus is the Messiah, but …

Andy Stanley

COGwriter

A reader sent me a link to the following;

Carnal Christianity: A Doctrine Designed to Provoke God to Anger

The “carnal Christian” heresy, also referred to as antinomianism, has been a persistent and recurring false teaching throughout the history of the Christian Church. This heresy asserts that a person can have faith in Jesus Christ and still engage in sinful behavior with no relation to their salvation. This belief, however, distorts the doctrine of salvation by grace alone through faith alone as it fails to acknowledge the transformative effects of salvation on an individual’s life.

One of the earliest and most prominent proponents of this heresy was Marcion, a Gnostic theologian who lived in the second century AD. Marcion taught that there were two distinct gods – one depicted as malevolent in the Old Testament and the other depicted as benevolent in the New Testament. He also taught that Christians were exempt from adhering to the moral laws set forth in the Old Testament.

The early Christian Church strongly opposed Marcion’s teachings, emphasizing the unity and continuity of the divine nature throughout both Testaments. Despite this, the idea of “carnal Christianity” remains a prominent and persistent heresy that continues to invade the vast majority of modern churches today.

Scripture refutes the notion of carnal Christianity all throughout the New Testament. Take for instance Romans 6:1-2 which states: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” This passage highlights the idea that salvation through grace alone should result in a changed life, free from sin. …

Yet, it is all too common to see people call themselves Christians yet continue in sin, continue fulfilling the lusts and desires of the flesh, because they have elevated their sinful desires over their professed love for their savior. In fact, many so-called churches exist for the sole purpose of affirming the sinner in a state of unrepentance, leading them to believe that they are right with God without a change in their heart. Besides the typical dead churches of the mainline Protestant denominations, we see this as well in many mainstream Evangelical megachurches and churches that align with their beliefs. Such churches include Andy Stanley’s North Point Church, which we’ve exposed in recent days as fully affirming of homosexuality, as well as Southern Baptist megachurches like Saddleback Church, formerly pastored by Rick Warren, and First Baptist Church Orlando, both of which have aligned its movement with Andy Stanley’s antinomian heresies. https://disntr.com/2023/02/06/carnal-christianity-a-doctrine-designed-to-provoke-god-to-anger/

The above writer does not appear to be in any Church of God, so it was interesting that that writer saw some of the dangers in what tries to pass itself off as Christianity.

But it is not so much that the carnal leaders are designed to provoke God’s anger, they were prophesied to appear:

12 But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. 13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. (2 Corinthians 11:12-15)

12 These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; 13 raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.  (Jude 12)

And most who profess Christianity do not understand that has been the case with their leaders. Many forget that they are to “contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

As far as Andy Stanley goes, several years ago, World Net Daily had the following about him:

Mega-pastor Andy Stanley caught a lot of theological flak back in May for telling his congregation it was time for them to “unhitch” from the Old Testament.

This weekend, however, Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, hit back hard by comparing Stanley’s continuing controversial comments on the matter with an ancient heresy.

Writing in Salem Communications’ ChristianHeadlines.com, Mohler alluded to error of Marcion, who claimed the God of the Old Testament was not the same as the God of the New Testament. For his part, Stanley recently suggested they were the same God but “he was doing two different things.”

“We are looking here at the ancient heresy of Marcion, who argued that the Old Testament must be repudiated by the church,” wrote Mohler.

“Marcion, who lived about the years 85-160, taught that the Old Testament revealed a Creator deity who is not even the same God who sent Jesus. Unsurprisingly, he also held to a heretical Christology. The Old Testament deity was repugnant to Marcion, who argued that Christianity just make a clean break from Judaism. The Old Testament, he taught, reveals a vindictive law-giving Creator deity who bears no resemblance to the merciful redeeming God revealed in Jesus Christ. As Irenaeus, one of the most significant church fathers argued, ‘Marcion himself divides God in two, saying that one is good, the other judicial, and in so doing takes God away from both.’”

He continues: “Marcion was embarrassed by the Old Testament, and so are many modern people. Andy Stanley, at the very least, seems to fear that embarrassment in others, even if he does not identify with it himself.” …

Stanley …  claimed that “Peter, James, Paul elected to unhitch the Christian faith from their Jewish scriptures, and my friends, we must as well.” …

But what put Mohler over the edge were recent comments by Stanley in a podcast in which he said he had outgrown his simple childhood belief about the Bible and that references in the New Testament to “Scripture” “did not mean the Bible.”

“This is something I’m trying desperately to help people understand, and every time I try to explain it I get misunderstood, so here I go again,” said Stanley. “There was no ‘The Bible’ until the fourth century. When we think about the Bible we think about a book that contains the Jewish Scripture and the Christian writings, and such a thing did not exist until after Christianity became legal and scholars could come out of the shadows and actually put such a thing together. So, in the early church no one ever said in the early church, ‘the Bible says, the Bible teaches, the Bible says the Bible teaches,’ because there was no ‘The Bible.’ But the point of your question, there was Scripture but every time we see the phrase ‘the Scripture’ or ‘Scripture’ in the New Testament, as you know we have to stop and ask the question, what was this particular group of people referring to because there was no ‘The Bible’ and there was no book that contained all the Jewish Scripture because it was contained in synagogues and as you know virtually no one could read and write.”

To which Mohler responds: “Well, wait just a minute. It is true that Jesus and the apostles did not have the Old Testament and the New Testament bound together in a book (codex) form. It is, of course, also plainly true that the New Testament did not exist until it was given, book by book, by the Holy Spirit to the church in the first century. But it is not true that references to ‘the Scriptures’ or ‘the Scripture’ by Jesus and the apostles are any mystery to us. They are plainly referring to what we know as the Old Testament. There are references to ‘Moses and the Prophets’ (Luke 16:29) and to the ‘Law and the Prophets’ (Luke 16:16), but faithful Jews in the first century would emphatically have known exactly what the Scriptures are.”

“I’m convinced that we make a better case for Jesus if we leave the Old Testament or the old covenant out of the argument,” said Stanley. 08/11/18 https://www.wnd.com/2018/08/mega-pastor-accused-of-heresy-for-attack-on-old-testament/#hEPPYRWZYdmKqF7L.99

Concerning the Ten Commandments, Stanley remarked, “You are not accountable to the Ten Commandments, we’re done with that. God has done something new.” https://thewitnessbcc.com/andy-stanley-and-the-dismissal-of-the-ot/

Let’s deal with several of the issues and improper assertions by Andy Stanley. Protestant scholars have claimed that the apostate Marcion was the “first Protestant.”

First, nearly all the references to “scriptures” (21 times in the NKJV) or “scripture” (30 times in the NKJV) in the New Testament are referring to the Old Testament portion of the Bible. The only reference that is not, 2 Peter 3:16, refers to Paul’s writings which were part of the New Testament. Hence, Andy Stanley is wrong about scriptures not meaning the Bible. Jesus is mentioned at least 20 times referring to the Old Testament as scriptures in the Gospels.

Second, the full canon of the Bible was known from the time that the Apostle John penned the Book of Revelation–that was in the late 1st century (see The New Testament Canon – From the Bible and History). The belief among Greco-Roman-Protestants that it took centuries for THEM to finalize a canon does not change the fact that the canon was known by John. Notice that history affirms that John passed the canons on to Church of God leader Polycarp of Smyrna:

There remained [—]ter him a disciple[e —] name was Polycar[p and] he made him bishop over Smyrna…He was… {an} old man, being one hundred and f[our] of age.  He continued to walk [i]n the canons which he had learned from his youth from John the a[p]ostle (Weidman, Frederick W.  Polycarp and John: The Harris Fragments and Their Challenge to Literary Traditions.  University of Notre Dame Press, Notre Dame (IL), 1999, pp. 43-44)

By mentioning the term “canons,” the Harris Fragments seems to be suggesting that John passed the knowledge of the proper books of the Bible to Polycarp–and that would have been the case.

The Church of God (which is NOT Protestant) had the full Bible by the end of the first century–it did NOT wait until the Roman Empire supposedly made Christianity legal (I say supposedly because Emperor Constantine changed the ‘legality’ to go against those he considered heretics).

Third, notice something that the Apostle Paul was inspired to write:

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 That the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

The above included the Old Testament.

Here is absolute proof from the verse that preceded 2 Timothy 3:16-17:

15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:15)

Paul was writing to Timothy. At the time of Timothy’s childhood there was no New Testament. Hence, in order to be a COMPLETE “man of God” the Old Testament is needed according to what the Apostle Paul was inspired to write.

Fourth, notice that in 2 Timothy 3:15 the Apostle Paul was writing that it was from the Old Testament that Timothy was able to learn about salvation through the Messiah Jesus.

Yet, in a podcast, I heard Andy Stanley say:

“I’m convinced that we make a better case for Jesus if we leave the Old Testament or the old covenant out of the argument … you don’t need ancient prophs when somebody rises from the dead” (Jonathan Merritt interview of Andy Stanley. Seekers & Speakers, podcast. August 9, 2018).

By “prophs” he meant biblical prophecies from the Old Testament. That position is contrary to what Christians did.

The reality is that Jesus, the Gospel writers, and the Apostles frequently referred to the Old Testament to demonstrate that Jesus was the Christ. While there are too many references in the New Testament to list directly in this post, notice some examples of what Jesus and the Apostles did:

27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. (Luke 24:27)

42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was? (John 7:42)

¹⁴ But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. … ²⁸ You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’ ²⁹ “Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. ³⁰ Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, ³¹ he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. ³² This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. (Acts 2:14, 28-32)

¹² So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, … ¹⁸ But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. … ²⁴ Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days.  (Acts 3:12,18, 25)

² Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, ³ explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.” ⁴ And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas. (Acts 17:2-4)

²⁴ Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. ²⁵ This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, … ²⁸ for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. (Acts 18:24-28)

While everyone would not accept the biblical testimony, it was often used as proof by the early Christians. Philip also did this (Acts 8:32-35).

Peter and Paul did NOT unhitch from the Old Testament, nor did James (cf. Acts 21), like Andy Stanley claimed. Jesus’ resurrection did not prevent them from using Old Testament prophecies–it was a factor that increased their interest in doing so.

Consider also that Saul (soon enough after his conversion that he was not then called Paul) proved that Jesus was the Christ:

²² … Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ. (Acts 9:22)

The way he would have proven that was to use prophetic scriptures in the Old Testament. By this time he realized that Jesus had been resurrected.

He also taught that the Jews should have been able to accept Jesus from the prophecies in the Hebrew scriptures (had they been willing to do so):

²⁶ Men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you the word of this salvation has been sent. ²⁷ For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning Him. (Acts 13:23-27)

Notice also that, later, the Bereans checked out what Paul was teaching:

¹⁰ Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. ¹¹ These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. ¹² Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men. (Acts 17:10-12)

The Bereans were using the Old Testament to do this.

Furthermore, I should add that the New Testament shows that over 200 Old Testament statements and prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus. To see those, check out the free online book: Proof Jesus is the Messiah. We also have a video related to Andy Stanley: Andy Stanley opposes prophesies of Jesus?

Notice also something else that Andy Stanley said:

“You are not accountable to the Ten Commandments, we’re done with that. God has done something new.” (Jonathan Merritt interview of Andy Stanley. Seekers & Speakers, podcast. August 9, 2018).

11th century artist’s impression of Marcion

That would have been something the apostate Marcion would have supported–but not early Christians.

Fifth, in the 2nd century, Irenaeus also noted that the faithful Church of God leader/bishop Polycarp opposed Marcion:

But Polycarp also was not only instructed by apostles, and conversed with many who had seen Christ, but was also, by apostles in Asia, appointed bishop of the Church in Smyrna, whom I also saw in my early youth, for he tarried [on earth] a very long time, and, when a very old man, gloriously and most nobly suffering martyrdom, departed this life, having always taught the things which he had learned from the apostles, and which the Church has handed down, and which alone are true. To these things all the Asiatic Churches testify, as do also those men who have succeeded Polycarp down to the present time — a man who was of much greater weight, and a more stedfast witness of truth, than Valentinus, and Marcion, and the rest of the heretics. He it was who, coming to Rome in the time of Anicetus caused many to turn away from the aforesaid heretics to the Church of God, proclaiming that he had received this one and sole truth from the apostles — that, namely, which is handed down by the Church. There are also those who heard from him that John, the disciple of the Lord, going to bathe at Ephesus, and perceiving Cerinthus within, rushed out of the bath-house without bathing, exclaiming, “Let us fly, lest even the bath-house fall down, because Cerinthus, the enemy of the truth, is within.” And Polycarp himself replied to Marcion, who met him on one occasion, and said, “Dost thou know me?” “I do know thee, the first-born of Satan.” (Irenaeus. Adversus Haereses. Book III, Chapter 3, Verse 4. Excerpted from Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 1. Edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. American Edition, 1885).

Another to specifically oppose Marcion was Church of God leader/bishop Theophilus of Antioch (late 2nd century)–who supported and advocated the Ten Commandments. The Syriatic version of Eusebius’ Church History notes:

BUT as to Theophilus, concerning whom we have said that he was Bishop of Antioch, there are three treatises by him against Antolycus, and another which is inscribed “Against the heresy of Hermogenes,” in which he uses testimonies from the Revelation of John; and there are other books by him which are suitable for teaching. But those, who pertained to heretical doctrine, even at that time like tares were corrupting the pure seed of the doctrine of the Apostles; but the Pastors which were in the churches in every country, were driving them like beasts of the wilderness away from the flock of Christ; at one time by teaching and exhortation to the Brethren, but at another time openly before their faces they contended with them in discussion, and put them to shame; and again, also, by writing treatises they diligently refuted and exposed their opinions. But Theophilus, together with others, contended against them; and he is celebrated for one treatise, which was ably composed by him against Marcion, which, together with the others that I have already mentioned, is still preserved. And after him Maximinus received the Bishoprick of the Church of Antioch, who was the seventh after the Apostles.

But Philip, respecting whom we have learned from the words of Dionysius, Bishop of Corinth,2 that he was Bishop of the church of the city of Gortyna, he also composed with accuracy a treatise against Marcion (Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History, Syriac version, Book 4 (Extract), Chapter 24. Spicilegium Syriacum (1855). This text was transcribed by Roger Pearse, Ipswich, UK, 2003. Greek text is rendered using the Scholars Press SPIonic font/Polytonic Greek).

What were some of the doctrines of Marcion that Polycarp and Theophilus would have objected to?

While Simon Magus, seems to have held some similar doctrines, in an organized way Marcion:

• Seems to have been the first associated with Christianity to try to “do away” with the seventh day Sabbath.
• Seems to have been the first associated with Christianity to try to “do away” with the Ten Commandments.
• Seems to have been the first associated with Christianity to try to “do away” with the Old Testament.
• Seems to have been the first associated with Christianity to try to “do away” with the Millennium.

Because of his radical approach, some Protestants have claimed that Marcion was the first Protestant–see Marcion: The First Protestant? — even though Protestants do not agree with all of Marcion’s doctrines. Here is a link to the sermon: Marcion: The first Protestant reformer?

Oddly, though some Protestants have claimed Marcion, Marcion actually was part of the Church of Rome–even decades AFTER he was condemned by Polycarp of Smyrna.

The Catholic Encyclopedia states this about Marcion and his followers:

Marcionites Heretical sect founded in A.D. 144 at Rome by Marcion and continuing in the West for 300 years, but in the East some centuries longer, especially outside the Byzantine Empire. They rejected the writings of the Old Testament and taught that Christ was not the Son of the God of the Jews, but the Son of the good God, who was different from the God of the Ancient Covenant. They anticipated the more consistent dualism of Manichaeism and were finally absorbed by it. As they arose in the very infancy of Christianity and adopted from the beginning a strong ecclesiastical organization, parallel to that of the Catholic Church, they were perhaps the most dangerous foe Christianity has ever known …

We can take it for granted then, that Marcion was a bishop, probably an assistant or suffragan of his father at Sinope. Having fallen out with his father he travels to Rome, where, being a seafarer or shipowner and a great traveler, he already may have been known and where his wealth obtains him influence and position. If Tertullian supposes him to have been admitted to the Roman Church … His episcopal dignity has received mention at least in two early writers, who speak of him as having “from bishop become an apostate” (Optatus of Mileve, IV, v),

Rome tolerated Marcion for decades after Polycarp condemned him and eventually adopted several of his doctrines.

Many Protestants accept at least part of Marcion’s position on the Ten Commandments.

For one example, in its Ten Commandments article, Wikipedia reported:

Modern Evangelicalism, under the influence of dispensationalism, commonly denies that the commandments have any abiding validity as a requirement binding upon Christians (Ten Commandments. Wikipedia, viewed 7/30/08).

And sadly, this is a fairly common Protestant view as the following quotes may help demonstrate:

The 10 commandments are Abolished

Today Christians keep the Law of Christ which is superior! 1 Cor 9:21; Gal 6:2 (http://www.bible.ca/7-10-commandments.htm viewed 7/31/08).

The Ten Commandments Were Abolished
Saturday, 5. July 2008, 22:51:09

Introduction The ten commandments are no longer lawful: they are not binding on the Christian. Christian scripture says the ten commandments were abolished Ephesians 2:15; a bible believing person is no longer bound to follow them; in fact (http://my.opera.com/richardinbellingham/blog/the-ten-commandments-were-abolished viewed 7/30/08).

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS ARE NOT FOR CHRISTIANS (Richard Bethel. http://www.bethelministries.com/ten_commandments.htm viewed 7/30/08).

The Ten Commandments: Christ Nailed to the Cross (The Ten Commandments: Christ Nailed to the Cross. By William A Worley. Published by the Author?, 1959).

Prof. M.D. Canright, an ordained Baptist preacher says:…”The Ten Commandments and the whole Jewish law are abolished, and the Sabbath is not binding upon Christians…we are not under the Ten Commandments, but under Christ” (Religious Delusions: A Psychic Study By J. V. Coombs Published by Kessinger Publishing, 2003, pp. 34-35).

One of the Ten Commandments was not carried over into the Law of Christ…

Not all of the Ten Commandments were carried over into the law of Christ (Jeffrey W. Hamilton, preacher. La Vista Church of Christ. http://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/LVanswers/2004-11-23.htm viewed 7/30/08).

The Ten Commandments were given to the Jews; and when Christ came and died they were all nailed to the cross (The marked Bible By Charles Lindsay Taylor. Published by Pacific Press, 1922. Original from the University of California. Digitized Nov 30, 2007, p. 53).

The keeping of the Sabbath as commanded on the tables of stone was nailed to the cross…The Sabbath of the ten commandments had its mission (The Gospel Day: Or, the Light of Christianity By Charles Ebert Orr. Published by Gospel Trumpet, 1904 Original from the New York Public Library Digitized Jul 18, 2006, pp. 336-337).

While there are Protestants that claim that the Ten Commandments are in effect, many disagree. Also, the Jehovah’s Witnesses teach Marcion’s errors related to the Ten Commandments and the Sabbath (for proof, check out the article Similarities and Differences Between the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Continuing Church of God).

It is sad that even today, people like Andy Stanley promote views held by apostates such as Marcion.

Consider that Jesus said:

22 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. (Matthew 10:22)

17 … But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments. (Matthew 19:17)

Notice that Jesus is talking about those who already claim Him, yet they need to endure to the end to be saved–hence, Jesus made it clear that just claiming His name is not enough. Those who want eternal life are to keep the commandments.

Basically, if we continue to strive to keep God’s loving commandments until our physical life ends we are to attain salvation (Matthew 10:22). And scripture teaches that will happen at the first resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:50-54; Revelation 20:4-6).

Just calling Jesus ‘Lord” or thinking God has used you somehow does not make you a Christian! Jesus said:

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Matthew 7:21-23)

Jesus also said:

15 If you love Me, keep My commandments. (John 14:15)

10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. (John 15:9)

Yes, those who love Jesus keep the Commandments.

Let me also add that there is a lot of wrong with a certain Protestant misunderstanding in of the “simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3).

Notice the following from the Apostle Paul:

8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; (Hebrews 5:8-9)

Jesus obeyed and suffered and became perfect. Jesus will provide eternal salvation for those that obey Him. Is that simple enough?

Notice that, according to the Apostle Paul, obedience IS A SALVATION ISSUE!

UPDATE 02/11/23: “Carnal Christianity” is the topic of our latest uploaded video:

15:05

The Heresy of ‘Carnal Christianity’

Is there such a thing as ‘carnal Christianity’? If it is a false religion calling itself Christian, where did it start? Was Marcion of the 2nd century the first Protestant? What about Marcion and the Roman Catholic Church? Did Jesus teach keeping the commandments? Should the Old Testament be discarded? What did early Christian leaders do? What about Martin Luther? Is Andy Stanley right about the commandments, immorality, and not looking at ancient prophecies? What about the teachings and practices of Polycarp of Smyrna? Can Satan’s ministers appear to be angels of light? Do most practice false Christianity? Did Jesus condemn those who called Him “Lord,” but who practiced lawlessness? Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel go over these topics.

Here is a link to our video: The Heresy of ‘Carnal Christianity’

Yes, there are many anti-obedience heresies.

Do not fall for them.

Some items of related interest may include:

Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is are links to related sermons: Christian Election: Is God Calling YOU? and Predestination and Your Selection; here is a message in Spanish: Me Está Llamando Dios Hoy? A short animation is also available: Is God Calling You?
Christian Repentance Do you know what repentance is? Is it really necessary for salvation? Two related sermons about this are also available: Real Repentance and Real Christian Repentance.
Proof Jesus is the Messiah This free book has over 200 Hebrew prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus. Plus, His arrival was consistent with specific prophecies and even Jewish interpretations of prophecy. Here are links to seven related sermons: Proof Jesus is the Messiah, Prophecies of Jesus’ birth, timing, and death, Jesus’ prophesied divinity, 200+ OT prophecies Jesus filled; Plus prophecies He made, Why Don’t Jews Accept Jesus?, Daniel 9, Jews, and Jesus, and Facts and Atheists’ Delusions About Jesus. Plus the links to two sermonettes: Luke’s census: Any historical evidence? and Muslims believe Jesus is the Messiah, but …
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.
The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast This is a free pdf book explaining the what the Ten Commandments are, where they came from, how early professors of Christ viewed them, and how various ones, including the Beast of Revelation, will oppose them. A related sermon is titled: The Ten Commandments and the Beast of Revelation.
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism The CCOG is NOT Protestant. This free online book explains how the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants. Several sermons related to the free book are also available: Protestant, Baptist, and CCOG History; The First Protestant, God’s Command, Grace, & Character; The New Testament, Martin Luther, and the Canon; Eucharist, Passover, and Easter; Views of Jews, Lost Tribes, Warfare, & Baptism; Scripture vs. Tradition, Sabbath vs. Sunday; Church Services, Sunday, Heaven, and God’s Plan; Seventh Day Baptists/Adventists/Messianics: Protestant or COG?; Millennial Kingdom of God and God’s Plan of Salvation; Crosses, Trees, Tithes, and Unclean Meats; The Godhead and the Trinity; Fleeing or Rapture?; and Ecumenism, Rome, and CCOG Differences.
Who Gave the World the Bible? The Canon: Why do we have the books we now do in the Bible? Is the Bible complete? Are there lost gospels? What about the Apocrypha? Is the Septuagint better than the Masoretic text? What about the Textus Receptus vs. Nestle Alland? Was the New Testament written in Greek, Aramaic, or Hebrew? Which translations are based upon the best ancient text? Did the true Church of God have the canon from the beginning? Here are links to related sermons: Let’s Talk About the Bible, The Books of the Old Testament, The Septuagint and its Apocrypha, Masoretic Text of the Old Testament, and Lost Books of the Bible, and Let’s Talk About the New Testament, The New Testament Canon From the Beginning, English Versions of the Bible and How Did We Get Them?, What was the Original Language of the New Testament?, Original Order of the Books of the Bible, and Who Gave the World the Bible? Who Had the Chain of Custody?
Marcion: The First Protestant? Considered to have been an organized heretic, he taught against the Old Testament, the law, and the Sabbath. Some have considered him to be the first Protestant reformer. But was he? Here is a link to a related sermon: Marcion: The first Protestant reformer?

Before the Mesha Stele was damaged in 1869, a squeeze of the inscription was made. It is from this that many scholars base their claims today. https://t.co/so6EuRl4ff

— Biblical Archaeology Review (@BibArch) January 16, 2023

COGwriter

Israel365News reported the following:

Mesha Stele Mystery solved: King David was real, researchers say

January 17, 2023

Newly concluded research using advanced photographic techniques claim to having ended a longstanding dispute over a 2,800-year-old Moabite inscription, concluding that it is indeed referring to the royal Israelite House of David.

The Mesha Stele, also known as the Moabite Stone, was discovered intact in Jordan roughly 15 miles east of the Dead Sea in 1868. Archaeologists dated the inscription to around 840 BCE. The next year, the stele was smashed into several fragments by the Bani Hamida tribe as an act of defiance against the Ottoman authorities. In Biblical times, the location, Dibon, was the capital of Moab.

The stele, inscribed with 34 lines of text in the Moabite language, glorifies the military victories of King Mesha,  including vanquishing Israel and possibly Judah, referred to as the “House of David” and also refers to the “Altar of David.”

The account inscribed in the stele parallels, with some differences, an episode in the Books of Kings (2 Kings 3:4–28) which describes the king of Mesha in Moab rebelling against paying a tribute to the king of Israel.

The black basalt stele is the most extensive inscription ever recovered that refers to the kingdom of Israel and bears the earliest extrabiblical reference to the Israelite god. Its authenticity has been disputed over the years, and some biblical minimalists suggest the text was not historical, but a biblical allegory. Due to it being broken, archaeologists have been unable to decipher it with absolute certainty.  The Moabite phrase “House of David” consists of five letters but only the first and fourth letters of the series, bet and waw were completely clear. Three letters completing the reference to David were assumed to be taw (like modern Hebrew tav), dalet, and dalet. …

The historicity of Biblical King David as referred to in the Mesha Stele was corroborated by the Tel Dan Stele discovered in 1993 and is believed to have been created in 870–750 BCE. The stele contains several lines of Aramaic referring to an individual who killed Jehoram of Israel, the son of Ahab and king of the house of David. This is described in II Kings 9:24. https://www.israel365news.com/365546/mesha-stele-mystery-solved-king-david-was-real-researchers-say/

This is interesting as we get closer to the end that some archeologists continue to look for more evidence of biblical locations, figures, and events.

On the other hand, biased secular sources such as Wikipedia have chosen to often push an anti-biblical narrative by often referring to “scholars” who oppose scripture. Here some excerpts from its article on David:

Historicity …

A number of scholars consider the David story to be a heroic tale similar to King Arthur‘s legend or Homer‘s epics …Jacob L. Wright has written that the most popular legends about David, including his killing of Goliath, his affair with Bathsheba, and his ruling of a United Kingdom of Israel rather than just Judah, are the creation of those who lived generations after him, in particular those living in the late Persian or Hellenistic periods.^[130]

Isaac Kalimi wrote about the tenth century BCE that: “Almost all that one can say about King Solomon and his time is unavoidably based on the biblical texts. Nevertheless, here also one cannot always off

(David, Wikipedia, accessed 08/26/22)

So, Wikipedia is pushing the false narrative that David could have been a made up legend.

As far as whether to believe “scholars” over scripture, the Bible teaches:

4 … Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. (Romans 3:4)

13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:13-15)

And the so-called editors at Wikipedia are deceived and deceiving in many of their reports about biblical matters. As are biases from sources like Google.

But the Bible can be trusted. There is a God and that is provable (see also the free online book: Is God’s Existence Logical?).

Satan does not want people to believe the word of God or to act on it.

The deceived associated with Wikipedia and many other places function as his minions.

Many of the so-called educated have claimed many fraudulent positions. Many have suggested that the biblical David was a myth. Now, notice the following cover:

Here is a link to that July-September 2017 edition of Bible News Prophecy magazine. Its front cover shows the ancient Tel Dan Stele which also mentions King David, and the associated article contains more information about why true science supports the Bible.

The Bible is true, but many do not want it to be believed.

Much of the world’s claimed knowledge is false.

The Apostle Paul warned:

20 … Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge — 21 by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. (1 Timothy 6:20-21)

Be careful not to accept ‘knowledge’ from those who are contradicting the Bible.

As far as archeology and the Bible goes, many “scholars” have falsely suggested the Joshua of the Bible also did not exist.

There was a Joshua and some are looking for even more evidence to prove that is so. Related to Joshua, we put together the following video last Summer:

16:34

Did Joshua of the Bible Exist?

The Temple Institute out of Jerusalem reported that the first archaeological dig has started at the site many believe was the tomb of Joshua of the Bible. What does the Bible say about Joshua’s burial? Why do places like Wikipedia and Google point to sources who say that Joshua did not exist, but instead was a national myth? Are they looking at the wrong time (13th instead of 15th century BCE)? What about archaeological evidence that points to place the Book of Judges mentions? What about the destruction of ancient Jericho? Should we trust the biblical account or those who claim to have scholarly knowledge? Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel go over these matters.

Here is a link to the video: Did Joshua of the Bible Exist?

Of course, for those of us who believe the Bible, no further proof of David’s or Joshua’ existence is needed. But for some who have heard statements from pseudo-archaeologists that deny the biblical accounts, it may be helpful for them to realize that as time goes on, more and more archaeological evidence surfaces that supports the Bible.

Satan wants you to have doubts, God wants you to have faith.

The truth is that there was a biblical David and a biblical Joshua–do not be swayed by false narratives.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Is God’s Existence Logical? Is it really logical to believe in God? Yes! Would you like Christian answers to give atheists? This is a free online booklet that deal with improper theories and musings called science related to the origin of the origin of the universe, the origin of life, and evolution. Here is a link to a related sermon: Evolution is NOT the Origin of Life. Two animated videos of related interest are also available: Big Bang: Nothing or Creator? and A Lifegiver or Spontaneous Evolution?
Read the Bible Christians should read and study the Bible. This article gives some rationale for regular bible reading.
Biblical Archaeology This is a website that has more information on biblical archeological as is sometimes known as the Bib Arch site.
Who Gave the World the Bible? The Canon: Why do we have the books we now do in the Bible? Is the Bible complete? Are there lost gospels? What about the Apocrypha? Is the Septuagint better than the Masoretic text? What about the Textus Receptus vs. Nestle Alland? Was the New Testament written in Greek, Aramaic, or Hebrew? Which translations are based upon the best ancient text? Did the true Church of God have the canon from the beginning? Here are links to related sermons: Let’s Talk About the Bible, The Books of the Old Testament, The Septuagint and its Apocrypha, Masoretic Text of the Old Testament, and Lost Books of the Bible, and Let’s Talk About the New Testament, The New Testament Canon From the Beginning, English Versions of the Bible and How Did We Get Them?, What was the Original Language of the New Testament?, Original Order of the Books of the Bible, and Who Gave the World the Bible? Who Had the Chain of Custody?

A Silver Nugget
(Wikipedia photo)

COGwriter

Silver is an element with an atomic number of 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal, therefore it has many modern uses. Wikipedia reports:

Other than in currency and as an investment medium (coins and bullion), silver is used in solar panels, water filtration, jewellery, ornaments, high-value tableware and utensils (hence the term “silverware“), in electrical contacts and conductors, in specialized mirrors, window coatings, in catalysis of chemical reactions, as a colorant in stained glass, and in specialized confectionery. Its compounds are used in photographic and X-ray film. Dilute solutions of silver nitrate and other silver compounds are used as disinfectants and microbiocides (oligodynamic effect), added to bandages, wound-dressings, catheters, and other medical instruments. (Silver, Wikipedia, accessed 01/08/23)

Furthermore, it should be noted that silver has been used as money for thousands of years.

Israel365News reported the following:

People in biblical Levant paid in silver 3,600 years ago, study shows

January 8, 2023

he use of silver as a means of payment in the Levant began about 500 years earlier than previously thought, a new study has shown. But since silver is not found in the region, the practice required active trade with Turkey to import the precious metal.

Archaeological records show that the use of silver pieces as a pre-monetary currency seems to have begun in the third millennium BCE in Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and Syria. Previous theories stated that this practice came to the southern Levant in the Iron Age about 3,200 years ago. But a new joint study by the University of Haifa and the Hebrew University concluded that the use of silver as currency began in the region as much as 3,700 years ago in the Middle Bronze Age. …

The use of silver as a means of payment was known in Mesopotamia as early as the third millennium BCE, however, it was previously believed that in the southern Levant region, known in the Bible as the Land of Canaan, the use of silver only began in the Iron Age, starting from the 12th century BCE. Silver trading between Hazor in Israel and Mari in Syria is mentioned in financial documents found in Hazor from the Middle Bronze Age. …

After coming to the conclusion that the quantities of silver indicated its widespread use as a means of payment, and since silver does not occur naturally in the Levant, it is therefore a result of long-distance, usually maritime trade. To identify the source of silver, a lead isotope analysis (LIA) test was performed and compared to the isotopic composition of ores of known origin, as well as to other silver objects. In the examination carried out by the researchers, a similarity was found to ores originating in Anatolia, as well as to ancient silver objects found in excavations in Anatolia. In addition, other findings found in the vicinity of the hoards, such as an ax head or a pendant, which apparently originate from Anatolia, led the researchers to the conclusion that the most likely source of the silver was there.

“This is the first evidence that there was a continuous and long-term trade of metals from the Levant region to Anatolia already in the 17th century BCE,” the researchers conclude. “We know for sure that in the Iron Age, this trade existed, but our findings move the beginning of such trade in metals back at least 500 years.” https://www.israel365news.com/365003/people-in-biblical-levant-paid-in-silver-3600-years-ago-study-shows/

As far as silver goes, it was used more than 3600 years ago in the Levant.

We know that by the time of Abram/Abraham it was used:

2 Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.  (Genesis 13:2)

14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 15 “My lord, listen to me; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver. What is that between you and me? So bury your dead.” 16 And Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out the silver for Ephron which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, currency of the merchants. (Genesis 23:14-16)

Those events in the Book of Genesis took place approximately 3,900 years ago.

So, while the latest archeological announcement is getting closer, the biblical reality is that silver was used at least 200 years earlier than the batch of silver that was just discovered and dated.

As far as the use of silver, it has long been used a money.

It should be noted that the Bible does show that silver (along with gold) will have value into at least the first few couple of years of the Great Tribulation. Here are some end time prophecies from scripture that help show that:

40 “At the time of the end…43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver (Daniel 11:40,43)

14… And the wealth of all the surrounding nations
Shall be gathered together:
Gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance. (Zechariah 14:14)

12 … merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls … (Revelation 18:12)

Throughout history, governments have often debased the value of their silver currency by making it dross.

This is something that the Bible warns against:

4 Take away the dross from silver (Proverbs 25:4a).

22 Your silver has become dross, Your wine mixed with water.  (Isaiah 1:22)

25 I will turn My hand against you,
And thoroughly purge away your dross,
And take away all your alloy.  (Isaiah 1:25)

18 “Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to Me; they are all bronze, tin, iron, and lead, in the midst of a furnace; they have become dross from silver. 19 Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Because you have all become dross, therefore behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. 20 As men gather silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin into the midst of a furnace, to blow fire on it, to melt it; so I will gather you in My anger and in My fury, and I will leave you there and melt you. 21 Yes, I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and you shall be melted in its midst. 22 As silver is melted in the midst of a furnace, so shall you be melted in its midst; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have poured out My fury on you.'”  (Ezekiel 22:18-22)

7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.  8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Corinthians 5:7-8)

In the USA, its “silver” became “dross” in 1965.

What is dross?

Dross is a cheaper metal that is normally placed inside a covering of a precious metal like silver.  Governments began to do this thousands of years ago when they had financial problems.  Putting dross into silver cheapens currency.  Dross, like leaven, puffs up and makes something appear different than it is.

It seems obvious, to me at least, that God in addition to telling people to try to be pure, He was specifically warning against cheapening the money supply with dross in the Old Testament and, through the Apostle Paul, our spiritual lives with leaven in the New Testament.

Interestingly, the USA not being satisfied with simply making its silver dross, has taken so many steps to make its currency dross, through debt, “quantitative easing”, and politically-motivated spending, that it pays no attentions to God’s warnings about cheapening the money supply.

Many advocate gold, silver, and/or other precious metals as a hedge against this. And while I am NOT a gold or silver “bug” as I understand how some define that term, it is true that the Bible shows that gold and silver will have value into at least part of the Great Tribulation. Again, notice:

37 He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all. 38 But in their place he shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things. 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.

40 “At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. 41 He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; (Daniel 11:37-43)

If gold and silver were of no value then, then they would not be precious (see also Zechariah 14:13-14) to the King of the North. Gold and silver are of value into the time of the final Babylon (Revelation 18:11-16). So, in that respect, the Eastern and Roman Catholic “prophecies” are correct. It may well be that the King of the North will realize that his currency needs more gold-backing as the collapsing of the USA dollar will likely send shockwaves against other paper currencies. Gold will help stabilize whatever currency he is supporting. He even may start amassing gold prior to the invasion of the USA (Daniel 11:39) or the King of the South.

Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic prophecies discuss gold, silver, and wealth in the end times.

Notice the following Orthodox prophecies:

Saint Andrew Fool-for-Christ (c. 4th century): This king will rule…Happiness will reign in the world as it did in the days of Noah. People will become very rich…The entire world will fear this king…he will pursue all persons of the Jewish religion out of Constantinople…and the people will rejoice like in the time of Noah until the deluge came God will reveal to this king all the gold wherever it happen to lay concealed from view…(Tzima Otto, H. The Great Monarch and WWIII in Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Scriptural Prophecies. Verenika Press, Rock City (SC), 2000, pp. 113,114).

Emperor Leo the Philosopher (c. early 10th century): You will amass the gold of the nations…And you will be the leader of the surrounding powers…and those that are near will prostate themselves before your feet (Tzima Otto, pp. 76-77).

To Emperor Manuel II (d. 1425): …upon the command of the the good Emperor they will go and discover treasures of gold and silver and all this will be offered as a gift to the pious ones; later on more and more valuable treasures will be found and the Emperor will do with those treasures likewise (Tzima Otto, p. 102).

Roman Catholics may wish to consider that those last three predictions sound a lot like prophecies from two of their saints about Antichrist (Ephrem is also an Orthodox saint):

Saint Ephrem (died 375): Antichrist will use worldly goods as bait. He will entice many Christians with money and goods to apostatize…The devil will help him find all the hidden treasures of the world, even those at the bottom of the ocean. With those treasures he will attain greater success for the reign of Satan than at any other time in past centuries (Connor, pp.73.74).

Saint Mechtilda (died 1299): Antichrist will, through base and false strategem, and with presents of gold and gems, attain influence over the worldly princes. They will look up to him as their Lord and God (Culleton, The Reign of Antichrist, pp. 133-134).

So does the Great Monarch amass gold with God’s help like Orthodox prophecies suggest or does he amass gold with the help of Satan as at least one Greco-Roman Catholic saint and certain biblical prophecies (Daniel 11:43; Revelation 18; 9:20) indicate?

The answer should be obvious to all who wish to believe the God of the Bible. The Bible is clear that those who amass gold and silver at the end time will find it is not the answer:

1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. (James 5:1-3)

Roman Catholics who compromise with the Orthodox will likely be taken in by this lure of wealth. This is something that all (Roman Catholics and Orthodox) need to ponder.

The Bible is clear that those who amass gold and silver at the end time will find it is not the answer:

14 The great day of the Lord is near; It is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the Lord is bitter;There the mighty men shall cry out. 15 That day is a day of wrath, A day of trouble and distress, A day of devastation and desolation, A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness, 16 A day of trumpet and alarm Against the fortified cities And against the high towers. 17 “I will bring distress upon men, And they shall walk like blind men, Because they have sinned against the Lord; Their blood shall be poured out like dust,And their flesh like refuse.” 18 Neither their silver nor their gold Shall be able to deliver them In the day of the Lord’s wrath; But the whole land shall be devoured By the fire of His jealousy, For He will make speedy riddance Of all those who dwell in the land. (Zephaniah 1:14-18)

But again, the value of gold and silver will outlast that of the USA dollar, Canadian dollar, Australian dollar, New Zealand dollar, and the British pound (which used to be called the pound sterling as it was a silver-based currency in the past).

The Bible also warns:

10 He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; (Ecclesiastes 5:10)

As mentioned before (Zephaniah 1:18), the Bible is clear that gold and silver will for a while be less than worthless. Notice:

19 They will throw their silver into the streets, And their gold will be like refuse; Their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them In the day of the wrath of the Lord; They will not satisfy their souls, Nor fill their stomachs, Because it became their stumbling block of iniquity. (Ezekiel 7:19).

This is probably because gold and silver cannot be eaten (in times of massive and severe food shortages many people will not be interested in it) and because of the fact that if nuclear weapons are exploded, and people are ill or dying from radiation sickness, that they will not want to have gold and silver (which retain radiation) near them

The Bible teaches:

11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. (1 Corinthians 3:11-15)

4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,
But righteousness delivers from death. (Proverbs 11:4)

72 The law of Your mouth is better to me
Than thousands of coins of gold and silver. (Psalm 119:72)

However, this does not mean that owning some may not help a little bit, but that a relationship with God counts much more. It seems to also include a warning that some will apparently focus on gold and silver and not rely on God or truly give as they should to God (tithes and offerings).

Notice that the Apostle Peter clearly taught that salvation was more precious than gold and silver:

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith–the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:3-9)

17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot (1 Peter 1:17-19).

God’s plan of salvation will work and that, and not metals, is what really should be precious. And unlike precious metals, it will not perish.

Furthermore, the Bible shows that when the European Babylonian Beast power is destroyed, its gold and silver will not help it per the following prophecy in Isaiah:

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

Yet, also notice the following:

8 Though Nineveh of old was like a pool of water,
Now they flee away.
‘Halt! Halt!” they cry;
But no one turns back.
9 Take spoil of silver!
Take spoil of gold!
There is no end of treasure,
Or wealth of every desirable prize. (Nahum 2:8-9)

This suggests, to me at least, that the Beast power had a lot of gold and silver, and that it will again have value well after the Beast power is gone.

Yet, the solution for the world is NOT silver and/or gold (though both gold and silver will maintain value for about 3 years after the US dollar becomes totally worthless and can thus be of some benefit), but the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of His kingdom.

The solution for the world is NOT silver and/or gold but the return of Jesus and the establishment of the Kingdom of God.

Back in 1961, the Plain Truth reported:

INVEST IN GOD!

Because there will come a time…when the treasures of gold and silver will be cast to the bats and moles, and people will seek TRUE VALUES! (Isa. 2: 20). “They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold SHALL NOT BE ABLE TO DELIVER THEM in the day of the wrath of the Lord: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: (you can’t eat gold! ) because it (the gold and lust for material things) is the stumblingblock of their iniquity” (Ezek. 7: 19). Then is the time YOU will want to be able to say, “God is my Friend, and He will receive me, because I served Him with my mammon (money) instead of making mammon my god!”

Yes, YOU as an individual can repent of your wrong doing against God, and turn your total resources to serving Him in getting Out this message-the gospel of the Kingdom of God-the good news of the return of Christ to set up His Kingdom! Then your dollars will be wisely invested, and God will grant you FREEDOM IN GOD’s COMING KINGDOM! (Hill DJ. What the US Gold Crisis Means to You. Plain Truth. February 1961, p. 11)

Faithful Christians give tithes (see Tithing Questions and Some Answers) and offerings to support the work of God in order to help get Christ’s gospel of the kingdom to the world (for more details see Should the Church Still Try to Place its Top Priority on Proclaiming the Gospel?).

That said, the recent silver discovery does provide support to the idea that silver was used in the Holy Land earlier than many thought–and yes, Abraham used it.

01/29/23: We just uploaded the following related video:

15:10

Silver, Science, and Scripture

What is silver? What is it used for? How long has it been used? Will it have use in the future? There was an archaeological discovery that concluded that silver was used as a form of payment 3,700 years ago in the Levant (roughly the area of Israel, Lebanon, and Syria)–that was 500 years earlier than many thought it had been used there. Was silver shown to be used even a couple of centuries earlier than that by Abraham in the Bible? What is dross? Did ancient Rome have dross coins? Did the USA switch to dross coins instead of silver in 1965? Does the Bible teach against the use of dross? Does the Bible prophesy that silver will have value into the Great Tribulation? Are there Greco-Roman Catholic prophecies pointing to Great Monarch amassing precious metals and the Antichrist using wealth as bait? Will there be a time when people toss their silver into the street? Are there any radioactive risks with silver? Will gold and silver have value in the millennium? What does the word of God teach is more valuable than gold or silver? What should you invest in? Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel address these issues.

Here is a link to our video: Silver, Science, and Scripture.

Several items of possibly related interest may include:

The Plain Truth About Gold in Prophecy. How Should a Christian View Gold? What do economists and the Bible teach about gold? Gold and silver may drop in value. Inflation/deflation? What do Christians need to know about gold and silver? A video of related interest may be: Germany, Gold, and the US Dollar.
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? Three related sermons are available Let’s Talk About the Earthly Millennium, Millennial Utopia, and The Millennium.
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2031 or ? There is also a video titled 6000 Years: When will God’s Kingdom Come? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
Might the U.S.A. Be Gone by 2028? Could the USA be gone by the end of 2028 or earlier? There is a tradition attributed to the Hebrew prophet Elijah that humanity had 6,000 years to live before being replaced by God’s Kingdom. There are scriptures, writings in the Talmud, early Christian teachings that support this. Also, even certain Hindu writings support it. Here is a link to a related video: Is the USA prophesied to be destroyed by 2028? In Spanish: Seran los Estados Unidos Destruidos en el 2028?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2023, 2024, or 2025? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede la Gran Tribulación comenzar en el 2020 o 2021? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? A related video is: Great Tribulation: 2026 or 2027? A shorter video is: Can the Great Tribulation start in 2022 or 2023? Notice also: Can Jesus return in 2023 or 2024? Here is a video in the Spanish language: Es El 2021 el año  de La Gran Tribulación o el Grande Reseteo Financiero.
Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? What about other peoples? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about Africa, Asia, South America, and the Islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; and Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon,  When Will the End of the Age Come?, and Rise of the Prophesied King of the North.
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here are links to two related videos: The King of the North is Alive: What to Look Out For and The Future King of the North.
The Great Monarch: Biblical and Greco-Roman Catholic Prophecies Is the ‘Great Monarch’ of Greco-Roman Catholic prophecies endorsed or condemned by the Bible? Two sermons of related interest are also available: Great Monarch: Messiah or False Christ? and Great Monarch in 50+ Beast Prophecies.
Tithing Questions and Some Answers Answers questions about tithing and also addresses some non-biblical arguments against tithing. Should people tithe?Here is a link to a related sermon: Tithes and Tithing. Here is a link to an older sermon: Tithing Answers from the Bible.
Why Holy Day Offerings? This is a slightly updated version of an article originally by WCG evangelist Leroy Neff that was published in the old Good News magazine in September 1983. Here is a link to a related video message: Why Holy Day Offerings?
Is Second Tithe and Third Tithe Still Valid Today? Should you save and use second tithe? Some in the COGs no longer teach payment of third tithe, is this biblically correct?
Continuing Church of God Donations page This has information on how and where to donate as well as how funds received are spent. Here is a link to ta related video: How Does the CCOG Spend Tithes & Offerings?
Ending Your FINANCIAL WORRIES How can people help themselves and others financially? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject. A video of related interest would be: Dealing With Financial Worries.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. Here are links to four related sermons:  The Fantastic Gospel of the Kingdom of God!, The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.

Artist’s representation of Jacob’s ladder dream (Genesis 28:10-17)

COGwriter

The Temple Institute reported the following in its newsletter today:

“Yaakov, Yaakov!”

(Genesis 46:2)

Tevet 6, 5783/December 30, 2022

Yaakov, our beleaguered forefather, had a recurring dream, and while each dream was not identical, each dream was dreamed either upon exiting or entering into the land of Canaan, the land promised as an eternal inheritance to Yaakov’s fathers, Avraham and Yitzchak, and to Yaakov, himself. Twice, Yaakov was compelled to leave Canaan, and both time he did so with great trepidation. The first time, of course, was to flee from the wrath of his brother Esau. The second time, which we read of in this week’s parasha, Vayigash, Yaakov leaves Canaan in order to meet his beloved son Yosef.

We are all familiar with Yaakov’s dream of a ladder to heaven, which he dreamed while fleeing from Esau. Upon waking, inspired by his dream, Yaakov calls upon G-d to watch over him in his travels, and vows to establish a “House of G-d” upon his return to Canaan, should G-d do so. And then we are told, “Now Yaakov lifted his feet and went to the land of the people of the East.” (Genesis 29:1)

Yaakov’s second dream occurred when it was time for him to leave his father-in-law Lavan, and return to Canaan: “And it came to pass at the time the animals came into heat, that I lifted my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the he goats that mounted the animals were ringed, speckled, and striped. And an angel of G-d said to me in a dream, ‘Yaakov!’ And I said, ‘Here I am.’ And he said, ‘Now lift your eyes and see that all the he goats mounting the animals are ringed, speckled, and striped, for I have seen all that Lavan is doing to you. I am the G-d of Beit El, where you anointed a monument, where you pronounced to Me a vow. Now, arise, go forth from this land and return to the land of your birth.'” (ibid 31:10-13) This dream, in fact a sequel to Yaakov’s previous dream, was G-d’s answer to Yaakov’s earlier plea. G-d had, in fact, watched over Yaakov during his time out of Canaan, blessing him with children and with prosperity, and now it was time for Yaakov to come home. Following Yaakov’s dream we are told, “So Yaakov rose, and he lifted up his sons and his wives upon the camels. And he led all his livestock and all his possessions that he had acquired, the purchase of his acquisition, which he had acquired in Padan Aram, to come to Yitzchak his father, to the land of Canaan.” (ibid 31:17-18)

While not described as a dream, it can be noted that Yaakov, upon returning to Canaan, experienced his nocturnal striving with an angel.  …

Yaakov receives G-d’s blessing to go down to Egypt, and He does so by recalling Yaakov’s very first dream and very first direct encounter with G-d at Beit El. G-d assures Yaakov that His promise to make him into a great nation still stands. It will take time, but going down to Egypt, as painful as that is, and as painful as it will be for Yaakov’s progeny, is all part of the plan. Yaakov’s life, plagued with troubles as it was, was not lived in vain. He has faithfully carried the legacy of his fathers, and his own sons, at last, have lived up to the same promise and will, in turn, be the rightful possessors of their paternal inheritance.

Dreams, it turns out, do come true. Not always as we anticipate …

When actual believers read about dreams in the Hebrew scriptures, they realize that God has actually used them.

But, some have commented that they do not care to know about dreams in this century.

Do dreams and prophets have any place in the Christian Church today?

Did any dreams precede the start of the old Radio Church of God? What about the Continuing Church of God (which did not officially form as a declared entity until December 28, 2012)?

The Bible records that God often has used dreams to give messages (Genesis 20:3-7, 28:10-17, 31:10-13, 31:24, 37:5-10, 40:5-18, 41:1-32; Numbers 12:6; Judges 7:13-15; 1 Kings 3:5-15; Daniel 2:3-45, 4:4-27, 7:1-28; Matthew 1:20-25, 2:12, 2:13, 2:19, 2:22; Acts 16:9).

I had a couple of dreams prior to the start of the Continuing Church of God, and someone I did not know had one, who lived in New Zealand.

While some may wish to discount what happened with me, let us also look at something that the late Pastor General of the old Radio/Worldwide Church of God, Herbert W. Armstrong wrote about dreams:

Let me say here that in about 99,999 times out of 100,000, when people think GOD is speaking to them in a dream or vision in this day and age, it is pure imagination, or some form of self-hypnotism or self-deception. I have only come to believe that this dream was a bonafide call from God in the light of subsequent events. (Autobiography of Herbert Armstrong, (Volume 1), chapter 10, 1973, p. 194)

And that is correct. Most dreams are not from God, even if people think that they are. Notice what the Bible teaches:

7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there is also vanity. But fear God. (Ecclesiastes 5:7)

Dreams from God are shown to be correct in the light of subsequent events (though just because a dream ends up being correct, that does not of itself, prove that it was from God as there can be other factors, cf. Deuteronomy 13:1-5, but God Himself does sometimes use dreams, Numbers 12:6; Acts 2:17-18).

There are also false dreams:

2 For the idols speak delusion; The diviners envision lies, And tell false dreams; (Zechariah 10:2)

Though many discount all dreams, many also forget that Herbert W. Armstrong believed that his wife Loma D. Armstrong had a dream from God, although it took him some years to accept the validity of it:

Within 30 or 60 days after our marriage God spoke to my wife in what might have been an intense unusual dream, or a vision — but it was years later before we came to realize that this really was a message from God. (Armstrong HW. Brethren and Co-worker letter, November 28, 1956)

One night my wife had a dream so vivid and impressive it overwhelmed and shook her tremendously. It was so realistic it seemed more like a vision. For two or three days afterward everything else seemed unreal — as if in a daze — and only this extraordinary dream seemed real.

In her dream she and I were crossing the wide intersection, only a block or two from our apartment, where Broadway diagonally crosses Sheridan Road. Suddenly there appeared an awesome sight in the sky above. It was a dazzling spectacle — the sky filled with a gigantic solid mass of brilliant stars, shaped like a huge banner. The stars began to quiver and separate, finally vanishing. She called my attention to the vanishing stars, when another huge grouping of flashing stars appeared, then quivering, separating, and vanishing like the first.

As she and I, in her dream, looked upward at the vanishing stars, three large white birds suddenly appeared in the sky between us and the vanishing stars. These great white birds flew directly toward us. As they descended nearer, she perceived that they were angels.

“Then,” my wife wrote a day or two after the dream, in a letter to my mother which I have just run across among old family pictures, “it dawned on me that Christ was coming, and I was so happy I was just crying for joy. Then suddenly I thought of Herbert and was rather worried.”

She knew I had evidenced very little religious interest, although we had attended a corner church two or three times.

Then it seemed that, from among these angels in her dream, that, “Christ descended from among them and stood directly in front of us.

At first I was a little doubtful and afraid of how He would receive us, because I remembered we had neglected our Bible study and had our minds too much on things apart from His interests. But as we went up to Him, He put His arms around both of us, and we were so happy! I thought people all over the world had seen Him come. As far as we could see, people were just swarming into the streets at this broad intersection. Some were glad and some were afraid.

“Then it seemed He had changed into an angel. I was terribly disappointed at first, until he told me Christ was really coming in a very short time.”

At that time, we had been going quite regularly to motion – picture theatres. She asked the angel if this were wrong. He replied Christ had important work for us to do, preparing for His coming — there would be no time for “movies .” (Those were the days of the “silent” pictures.) Then the angel and the whole spectacle seemed to vanish, and she awakened, shaken and wondering!

In the morning, she told me of her dream. I was embarrassed. I didn’t want to think about it, yet I was afraid to totally dismiss it. I thought of a logical way to evade it myself, and still solve it. …

Do not hastily ascribe a dream to God. True, the Bible shows that God has spoken to His own chosen servants by this means of communication — primarily in the Old Testament, and before the writing of the Bible was completed. But most dreams mean nothing. And false prophets have misled people by telling false dreams, representing their dreams to be the Word of God (Jeremiah 23, where God sa ys, “I am against prophets who recount lying dreams, leading my people astray with their lies and their empty pretensions, though I never sent them, never commissioned them” — verse 32, Moffatt translation).

Certainly I did not ascribe this dream to God. It made me feel a little uncomfortable at the time, and I was anxious to forget it — which I did for some years. I was twenty – five at the time. God left me to my own ways for five more years. But when I was age thirty, He began to deal with me in no uncertain terms… (The Autobiography of Herbert W. Armstrong, 1973, pp. 187,193-194).

Loma and Herbert W. Armstrong were married in 1917. They were specifically told that they would have a work to do. Furthermore, the bright lights in the dream may have had to do with doing a work (cf. Matthew 5:16)–a work that seemed to vanish and return (flash). Thus, there was a dream from God given to a woman in the 20th century that preceded the start of the old Radio Church of God that Herbert W. Armstrong led. The Radio Church of God represented the start of the Philadelphia era and the Philadelphian work–a work that is not finished (cf. Matthew 24:14-15)–and Herbert W. Armstrong claimed that a dream given to his wife was from God, prior to the start of the Philadelphia era.

Since the Philadelphia era was raised up years after that dream, a question to ponder is, would God do anything similar to point to the continuation of the end-time COG remnant of the Philadelphians? Consider that in Loma Armstrong’s dream that there were two sets of flashing stars–there were two parts to the dream. Herbert W. Armstrong is now dead and there was a pause between the work God had him to do and the completion of the final phase of the work to finally fulfill Matthew 24:14 (cf. Isaiah 29:14).

In the past, like in 2013 and 2014, I have called the time between his death and the formation of the Continuing Church of God the transitional phase (see also The Final Phase of the Work)–which is consistent with Loma Armstrong’s dream. God will cut that final work short (Romans 9:28) which results in the famine of the word (Amos 8:12; see also Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word) which is consistent with the vanishing stars in Loma Armstrong’s dream (though there could be other interpretations–we in CCOG are continuing the Philadelphia work and expect to be the ones God will use on earth to help finish it).

Herbert W. Armstrong mentioned the dream from time to time publicly, here are two nearly identical accounts:

I’m usually pretty skeptical about God speaking to anyone today in visions or dreams. God speaks to us thru His Son, Jesus Christ — the WORD of God — and the Bible is the written Word. I didn’t really believe it then, 38 years ago, but subsequent events have verified that God did speak to my wife at that time, shortly after we were married, revealing thru an angel that He was calling us to the mission of WARNING the world of the fast-approaching END OF THIS WORLD, the Coming of Jesus Christ, and the world-ruling Kingdom of God. At the time I was unconverted, not bothering to attend church, interested only in business and making money. I was embarrassed — a little awed — but immediately tried to put it out of my mind. But at age 30 God took away my business, struck me down, took away my idol of money-making and business prestige. (Armstrong HW. Co-worker letter, November 25, 1955)

I’m usually pretty skeptical about God speaking to anyone today in visions or dreams. God speaks to us thru His Son, Jesus Christ — the WORD of God — and the Bible is the written Word. I didn’t really believe it then, 38 years ago, but subsequent events have verified that God did speak to my wife at that time, shortly after we were married, revealing thru an angel in a vision that He was calling us to the mission of WARNING the world of the fast- approaching END OF THIS WORLD, the coming of Jesus Christ, and the world-ruling Kingdom of God. At that time I was unconverted, not bothering to attend church, interested only in business and making money. I was embarrassed — a little awed — but immediately tried to put it out of my mind. But at age 30 God took away my business, struck me down, took away my idol of money-making and business prestige. (Armstrong HW. Co-worker letter, February 21, 1956)

Notice that the dream was to go until the end of the world and the coming of Jesus–since Herbert W. Armstrong has been dead since January 16, 1986–if the dream was from God then, does it not make sense that the second half of the dream would be fulfilled by another in the 21st century? We in the Continuing Church of God are fulfilling that second part of stars.

Perhaps it should be mentioned, Herbert W. Armstrong had more information about what I am referring to as the first set of stars in the dream. He wrote:

It was a dazzling spectacle … People by the hundreds came running into this broad intersection looking up to see the strange phenomena … A vast multitude of eyes were upon us … I have only come to believe that this dream was a bonafide call from God in the light of subsequent events. (Armstrong HW. The Autobiography of Herbert W. Armstrong, 9th installment. Plain Truth, August 1958, p. 18).

Eyes of a vast multitude suggest that the dream was saying that the work to be done was to have a witness to many. This happened with the old Radio and Worldwide Church of God under Herbert W. Armstrong’s leadership in the 20th century. The second set of stars in the dream, which he did not mention in the August 1958 Plain Truth, article, but did in his published Autobiography, may pertain to what I have called, for years, The Final Phase of the Work. But even if it had applicability to the ministry of Herbert W. Armstrong only, the dream, which shortly before his death he confirmed he believed was from God (per Aaron Dean, who I discussed this with on October 30, 2015), shows that one did precede the COG work he was involved in.

Consider that Herbert W. Armstrong considered that his wife Loma’s dream was from God. He also believed the first part of it had to do with the start of the Philadelphia era of the Church of God via the Radio Church of God. He did not discuss the fulfillment of the second part of the dream directly, however he taught another work would be done.

Dale Schurter, a former WCG minister, reported that Herbert W. Armstrong stated the following in 1984/1985 (shortly before he died in January 1986). Here are two accounts of this:

“A few months before Mr. Armstrong’s death, my wife and I had the opportunity to spend several hours with Mr. Armstrong in his home in Pasadena. He spoke freely of the mighty work God had commissioned him to accomplish, and related certain heartfelt comments: ‘I can say that I have finished the work God has given me to do, and am at peace about it. I have preached and taken the Gospel of the Kingdom of God into all the world as a witness to all nations.’

“Mr. Armstrong went on to say, ‘I have come to realize there will be an even greater work to follow—to go again, to “prophesy again” to all nations tongues and peoples (Rev. 10:11) before the work of the two witnesses—but with more power and with a stronger warning message. But that will be for others to do.’ He continued, ‘It will be a short work (Rom. 9:27-29), compared with the longer time to complete the work I was given, and it will be cut short. That’s when the Great Tribulation will begin, as will the work of the two witnesses. These will last for three and one-half years, at the end of which Christ will return in glory.’” (“The Greatest Work Lies JUST Ahead…” as stated in RCG letter of May 31, 2013)

When Mr. Armstrong was age 91 — about 1984 — Mona and I had opportunity to spend several hours with him in his home in Pasadena to visit and further report on work he had commissioned us to do. We were to report directly back to him. He talked freely of the mighty work God had given him to accomplish. He went on to tell us there was yet a bigger work still to be done, to go again and repeat what has been done, but with more power and with a stronger warning, just before the work of the two witnesses would begin. He said it would be a “short work” (Rom. 9:27-29) compared with the longer time to complete the work he had been given, and that it would be “cut short.” That’s when the great tribulation would begin, as would the work of the two witnesses. These would last for three and one-half years. (January 7, 2012 Dale Schurter Speaks Out: UCG Resignation Letter http://www.rcgtruth.com/2012/01/dale-l-schurter-resignation-letter_06.html)

Herbert W. Armstrong’s part of the work lasted over 50 years, and he seemingly felt that the “short work” would be much shorter than his work. And that is correct.

Here is what was in Herbert W. Armstrong’s last letter:

The greatest work lies ahead … Never before in the history of the Church has it been possible to reap so great a harvest. It has only been made possible through modern technology, beginning with the printing press, radio, television ... Each of you must commit yourself to support God’s Work … God’s work must push ahead as never before. God is opening up new doors in television (Letter, 1/10/86).

Consider that since Herbert W. Armstrong did not teach that the second part of his wife Loma’s dream was fulfilled and that he also taught a greater work was going to happen after his death. It is greater because it will fulfill Matthew 24:14, etc. That is the work that we in the Continuing Church of God are leading (see The Final Phase of the Work and Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word). It appears that the second part of Loma D. Armstrong’s dream was pointing to the Continuing Church of God–the group that best represents the remnant of the Philadelphian portion of the Church of God. As far as news doors in television and other media, check out the CCOG Multimedia page.

Dreams are a sign that God has used to confirm ‘Philadelphia.’

The Bible teaches:

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)

So, does it not make sense that if God granted a dream to a woman prior to the formation of the Radio Church of God that God could have done that prior to the formation of the Continuing Church of God?

The fact that there were also other dreams related to the Continuing Church of God that were confirmed is consistent with the fact that God has used dreams related to the Continuing Church of God.

Of course, many do not want to believe that God uses dreams or will discount the ones they hear about.

Yet, the Bible shows that God often chooses to work with prophets through a dream:

6 “Hear now My words:
If there is a prophet among you,
I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision;
I speak to him in a dream. (Numbers 12:6)

Notice that the above says that God will speak to His prophet in a dream. Notice also:

28 The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream (Jeremiah 23:28)

Many years ago I had a dream, which while I did not understand it at first, as it became more and more fulfilled over the years, I began to understand it and believe it was from God.

I was 50 at the time (which essentially makes me an ‘old man’ per Numbers 8:25; cf. John 8:57). In my dream, there seemed to be two parallel lines. Living Church of God (LCG) evangelist Roderick Meredith was on the top line and I was on the line much below. In the dream, I kept calling up to Dr. Meredith, but he never would respond. This lack of response made no sense to me during the dream. Then after what seemed to be a long time, the lines-crossed with his line dropping and my line going up.

One reason that I did not understand it at the time was that I was on relatively close speaking terms with Dr. Meredith then (he repeatedly told me he considered me to be his friend, plus he had appointed me an adviser to LCG on matters of doctrine and prophecy), so that aspect of the dream made no sense. Also, since I had no intentions of leaving Living Church of God then (and certainly no plans to start a separate church), it was not clear what the dream was saying. Another reason I was unsure about the dream then was that I had not had any anointing for the Holy Spirit beyond baptism when I had that dream.

But these matters changed eventually. For one, I was unexpectedly anointed for a ‘double-portion’ of God’s Spirit (cf. 2 Kings 2:9) on December 15, 2011 by an LCG minister named Gaylyn Bonjour.

Furthermore, over time, Dr. Meredith became more distant from me, would not keep various promises to me, and ultimately stopped speaking with me. And after I got a letter from him on 12/28/12, it was clear to me that there was no way that the Philadelphia mantle could be with him or any of his leaders. These subsequent events showed me that the dream was being fulfilled.

In late 2020, I had another dream that was fulfilled (for details, see Letter to the Brethren: December 31, 2020). In 2022, CCOG evangelist Evans Ochieng had another dream that was confirmed (Letter to the Brethren: May 19, 2022).

There have been numerous confirmed dreams associated with the Continuing Church of God (for details, check out Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18?).

Related to dreams, the Bible also teaches:

8 “And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. 29 And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. (Joel 2:28-29)

14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them,

“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 2:14-18)

28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? (1 Corinthians 12:28-30).

11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head–Christ– 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love (Ephesians 4:11-16).

Despite what the Bible supports, most Church of God groups do not seemingly accept that there are any prophets today, nor do they seem to accept that God actually sometimes speaks in dreams in the 21st century–some, oddly, seem indignant of the very idea. Part of the reason for this is that those self-proclaimed ‘prophets’ outside of the Continuing Church of God have tended to be proven to be false (see also Why Be Concerned About False and Heretical Leaders?).

But that does not mean God doesn’t ever use dreams or have any in the office of prophet or ever pour out a ‘double-portion’ of His Spirit (cf. 2 Kings 2:9-15) as happened when an ordained minister so prayed and anointed me on December 15, 2011 (see also How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God).

The Bible shows that the Apostle Peter and the prophet Joel mentioned that there would be some with prophetic dreams in the end times.

Fesilafai Fiso Leaana Had a Dream

In addition to my earlier dream (which seemed consistent with Number 12:6 and Acts 2:17), there also seems to have been at least one other dream related to the Continuing Church of God that I would like to mention in some detail here that someone else had.

Unbeknownst to me until late September 2013, a woman named Fesilafai Fiso Leaana of New Zealand had a dream after going to bed on December 8, 2012. Here is a report that Fesilafai Fiso Leaana wrote about her dream:

A few months before my dream, my husband and I noticed a contradiction in practice, regarding the sabbath commandment in LCG, from there we started to pray continuously for God to lead us to where the truth is. It seems God has answered our prayers through the dream.

The dream began with myself and approximately 70 New Zealand Living Church of God brethren, then suddenly LCG vanished (I was wondering where is LCG?) and I was left standing with approximately 10 people excluding myself, on a very high building. We were standing on the very top of the building, where I couldn’t see the bottom, there were no other buildings, just this building. I could not see the bottom of the building but just clouds below the building and clouds surrounding the building which led to a beautiful white mountain – a mountain that had no ends on either side. The building was pretty close to the mountain, I could see the top of the mountain. The mountain was all white and so beautiful. I remember that I began to be filled with joy and peace. But also wondering how we got up on this building and confused why there were no other buildings but the clouds seemed like it was hiding the building and I felt protected or it felt like a safe place. I looked around there were still only about ten people there, the only person I could clearly recognize was Shirley constantly working, the approximate ten others were just sitting and standing around. So I walked around the building looking for the large crowd from LCG, but all I kept returning to was that Shirley was working and doing different types of work alone while the others were still sitting and standing around the building with me. I wondered why she was working a lot. I could not find LCG.

Then suddenly a message came to my mind: “There is a secret in the mountain”. And I was so happy to know that, I was still feeling elated and could still see the beautiful white mountain and wondered about the secret. Then I asked: “What is the secret?” Then the message said, nobody knows the secret in the mountain but only you have received this message that there is a secret in the mountain. Then I asked ‘what is the secret in the mountain?’ I received a message to my mind that told me that “the secret in the mountain is the Ark of the Covenant”. Then the dream abruptly ended because I woke up. And immediately, I woke up my husband and recounted the dream to him, and I told my husband that it reminded me of when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on the mountain and that the mountain was also covered with clouds.

On the same day after my dream, at church service Mr Penman warned us to be careful what we read from Bob Thiel’s Obama book, because they do not support everything he wrote in it. At the time I kept your name in my mind as I did not know who you were then.

Then 3 weeks later Shirley contacted me regarding your Chronology – the exit from LCG. Shirley had all of the Chronology and gave us all a print out of it and went over it with my husband and I. Shirley kept stressing the integrity of the LCG leadership and administration was compromised as proven by your Chronology account. Then my husband and I had to make a decision whether we would continue with LCG or go with Bob Thiel (you) since Shirley, John and Kayla had already decided to be with you 🙂

We decided to go with Bob Thiel and then left the meeting but a letter from Mr. Penman and a visit from the new New Zealand minister Paul attempted to obstruct our departure and tried to dissuade us from leaving LCG and coming with you. This forced us to carefully rethink our decision.

My husband and I were alone, that’s when my husband said to me, “remember your dream? This is what your dream means, that we need to leave this church and go with Shirley”. That’s when we knew what to do. And this dream is the reason most of us in the kiwi CCOG knew that we are in the right Church, God told us to come to this Church. We reaffirmed with Shirley and others that we were going to go with Bob Thiel and my husband told them the dream for the first time and that the dream is the reason my husband and I decided to come.

Not having all the details of the dream, Shirley then prayed about the dream. She asked God for more understanding on the dream. Then the next day she was reading the book of Psalm and Psalm 25:14 JUMPED out at her: “The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant.” (email 9/29/13)

Within several weeks of the dream, ten people in New Zealand, including Shirley Gestro (the Shirley above) began to attend the newly formed Continuing Church of God.

Biblically, mountains can symbolize government (Psalm 30:7; Isaiah 11:9; Daniel 2:35; Zechariah 4:7) and white purity or cleanness (Isaiah 1:18; Revelation 7:14, 19:14). Clouds around a mountain (or at least the top of it) could show a separation—maybe a separation that keeps many from seeing all of the truth (cf. Job 22:14; Lamentations 3:44) or recognizing top leadership?

The dream seemed to be a signal to confirm that the Philadelphia mantle was not with the Living Church of God, but instead was associated with someone that had something to do with the ark of the covenant. Prior to the dream Fesilafai Fiso Leaana indicated that she had problems with how the leadership in LCG viewed the Sabbath, and that was one of the issues that I dealt with within weeks of the formation of the Continuing Church of God.

Now, I (Bob Thiel) never heard of, nor learned of, this dream until after the start of the Feast of Tabernacles in September 2013 in New Zealand (which is where my wife Joyce and I began keeping the Feast of Tabernacles in 2013).

Why is that potentially significant?

Back in 2006, when I was first asked to give a sermon at the Feast of Tabernacles, it occurred to me that never in WCG, GCG, nor LCG did I recall anyone actually fulfilling the requirement in Deuteronomy 31:10-13 about reading the “words of the law” in Deuteronomy every seven years at the Feast of Tabernacles (see also The Feast of Tabernacles: A Time to Learn the Law). So, when the opportunity to give a sermon came up (in Guatemala), I attempted to go through that book of the law. In 2012, it occurred to me that since this was to be done every seven years, that somehow I would need to do this in 2013 (seven years later), but I was not sure how this would be done. However, once the Continuing Church of God formed, I realized that this would be done at the Feast of Tabernacles in 2013 (sermons were given related to that, links to which are found in the article Feast of Tabernacles’ Sites for 2013–and seven years later,, it was also done in 2020).

After I began to cite Deuteronomy 31:10-13 and started reading the book of the law at the Feast of Tabernacles in New Zealand in 2013, Fesilafai Fiso Leaana came up to me and told me about her dream. We discussed some points about it and the ark of the covenant, etc. As it turns out, one of the items that was kept besides the ark of the covenant was the very same “Book of the Law” (Deuteronomy 31:26) that I was reading in its entirety publicly during that Feast of Tabernacles. This is a connection that, humanly speaking Fesilafai Leaana could not have known. (There are also other potential ramifications related to the ark of the covenant that I may attempt to publicly address in the future.)

Subsequent events, events that Fesilafai Leaana could not have known on December 8/9, 2012, confirmed her dream. She had no idea that the Continuing Church of God was going to form, and I had not made the decision to actually form it until after getting a letter on December 28, 2012. Fesilafai Leaana’s dream is another witness as to the proper start, etc. of the Continuing Church of God.

Senhor Pires Had a Dream

I had this dream. In it was a vision of a congregation of the Continuing Church of God inside a transparent glass bubble (like a balloon). And everyone, I mean everyone apart from the speaker, was black. The speaker was white. And I was asking myself inside that bubble…”why is everyone black here?”

It made no sense to me. I wondered why I would see this.

Although some have chosen not to believe all the facts about how and why the Continuing Church of God began, recall that the Bible teaches:

16 ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ (Matthew 18:16)

19 Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses. (1 Timothy 5:19)

Of course, since Gaylyn Bonjour always freely stated that he did the ‘double-portion’ anointing, there long had been a second witness (though various ones have their own opinion about how to interpret that).

Yet, in addition to various facts, the dream from Fesilafai Leaana looks like perhaps God was planning on making it clearer for true Philadelphians (who are in various organizations/fellowships) to see that the mantle location had truly changed. And the one from Senhor Pires showing that God had a major plan for Africans within that.

And there were others.

One, by Frederick Ochieng in Kenya, said that his father (Evans) needed to support Bob Thiel and the CCOG and indicated that would lead to major growth. There has been at least a sixteen-fold increase since that dream.

To see a chart of many affiliated with CCOG who had dreams that were later confirmed–check out the following: Dreams, the Bible, the Radio Church of God, and the Continuing Church of God.

Can you accept the word of God that He would use dreams in the end times?

How many witnesses do you need?

Email

Received the following unsolicited email by a CCOG member in the eastern USA, after he watched an earlier sermon titled Dreams, COGs, and One Man Rule:

Dr. Thiel,

Thank you for a needed sermon to inform those who have doubts about the use of dreams by God and to make it clear who God is using now to finish the final phase of His work. I know many are skeptical of one who claims they are the one God is using to lead His Work/Church. This is understandable since there are those who make such claims and are in it for themselves. Clearly you are doing what God has commissioned/called you to do. I can see no reason why you would dedicate so much time and energy in starting and leading the CCof G (what material benefit do you receive?). Materially you would be better off putting that time and energy into your business. However, the only wise option you really have is to allow God to use you as He wants since ones reward is in heaven. Therefore one should store up treasure in heaven. I do not believe you sought/seek power and prestige as some do in other so called Church of God groups.

I believe God has lead me to CCofG. He heard and answered my prayer. I finally became so disgusted with GCI and where it had lead God’s people. I had so many issues with their doctrine, and tearing down of everything God built through HWA. But I did not know where to go. I believed God called and chose me and that His church would never die out. For many years I thought the mantel passed from HWA to Mr. Tkach senior, since Mr. HWA chose him as his successor, and then Joe Jr. Of course I was wrong. I looked to the example of unfaithful kings in Israel and Judah and waited for God to appoint a faithful leader. The example of David waiting for God to remove Saul was misunderstood by me.

The last straw was a message DXX RXXXXX gave on church history about 4 years ago. He traced church history through the Catholic Church and he marginalized Mr. Armstrong’s work. I finally woke up. I asked God to lead me where His most faithful leader and body of believers was. In time and after much study of church history and those who were most faithful to the faith once delivered God lead me your website. He answered my prayer. Interestingly it was not until I had re-studied early church leaders such as Polycarp and Polycrates plus the Passover/Easter issue on other web sites, etc. that I discover Cogwriter by “accident”.

I recalled what HWA taught about church history and realized there still must be a Church of God group still faithful to biblical teachings and contending for the faith once delivered. But where and who?

The main reason I never considered a break off group from WCG in the 1990′s was because I first came in contact with Jerry Flurry’s group. I reject his teaching on the man of sin and other doctrines and his leadership style. Also, when Global started and other break off groups there was such confusion and governance issue it seemed to me it was better to stay where I was in WCG. Of course being in Connecticut we were far from Pasadena and had little first hand information.

However, I knew from scripture God did not want Christians to go it alone. He formed His church and it was ones duty to support His work as well as develop a personal relationship with God. Many of my friends just left WCG or became members in churches of this world. Some stayed with WCG. But I believed God raised up HWA to start the 6th church era and to proclaim the second coming of Jesus Christ. Therefore, how could I just be content to go it alone, (outside of His Church)? Thankfully in time God answered my prayer and I believe has led me to CCofG.

Hopefully others will wake up. Thank you for your faithful service.

It is good this member found the sermon helpful. As far as his observation that I was not seeking power and prestige, I would add that he has met with me and seen me both in the USA and Canada, and realizes that my profession, etc. could give me more of that. And yes, I would concur with his position that I would be better off financially (as well as the related stresses of ‘the burden’ associated with the work, cf. Malachi 1:1; Numbers 11:11) if I did not lead the Continuing Church of God (CCOG).

While the Bible says that ministers are entitled to be compensated per the Apostle Paul (1 Timothy 5:17-18), it also warns against worthless shepherds:

1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God to the shepherds: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? 3 You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock. 4 The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them. 5 So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. 6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them.” (Ezekiel 34:1-6)

While there is nothing wrong with wearing wool clothing, many in the ministry ended up with better clothes than perhaps they otherwise would have. Often their focus has been wrong.

Why do I not take a salary?

Two basic reasons:

1) The work would be negatively affected too much –the Apostle Paul, himself, worked in his profession at times (Acts 18:3). We must feed the flock spiritually, and that does take funds to reach people. Costs are incurred for literature, the internet, video production, graphics, printing, postage, and travel–including sending Evangelist Evans Ochieng, myself, and/or others to differing locations to minister.

2) If I took a salary a lot more people would go hungry, especially in Africa (cf. Galatians 2:10). The salary amount that would be appropriate for me by historic Worldwide Church of God standards would be more than all the money we currently send to Africa each year. That being said, while I wish we had more money to send to Africa (and sometimes Asia), as we cannot satisfy all the hungry and other needs there, we are sending what we can. We try to feed the flock physically where we can (yet, even the Apostle Peter could not always give to the needy per Acts 3:6), and that takes funds.

My not taking a salary, car, housing allowance, etc. does not mean I would never consider taking a salary, but with the ‘present distress’ (cf. 1 Corinthians 7:26) I have chosen not to do it and God has blessed our business enough that our family has our needs, etc. met.

The Work is Being Done

God still intervenes–Jacob and others listed in the Bible are not the only ones God has communicated with through dreams. Yet most who claim to believe Him and the Bible do not seem to really want to accept that.

The work (Matthew 24:14; 28:19-20; Galatians 2:10) is being done, and CCOG is a work that God has blessed with at least 3 dreams prior to its start and several since (see also Dreams, the Bible, the Radio Church of God, and the Continuing Church of God).

The CCOG has also been the fastest growing of the COG groups in the 21st century.

But many do not believe that God will work using dreams in the 21st century, despite the reality that most once part of the old WCG supposedly believed that God did in the 20th century (see also Dreams, the Bible, the Radio Church of God, and the Continuing Church of God).

Of course, most will continue to discount dreams and their confirmation as proper proof of anything they do not wish to believe. Many want more dramatic signs (Matthew 12:38; 1 Kings 19:11-12), but God does not always do it that way (Matthew 12:39-42; 1 Kings 19:12-14).

Laodiceans seem to think that even though they claim to believe the Bible, that God really is not using dreams in the 21st century. According to Jesus, Laodiceans need to repent (Revelation 3:14-22)–yet, sadly, few will in time.

Satan and his allies do not want you to believe that God has actually been using dreams–he wants you to rationalize away the prophecy in Acts 2:17-18–otherwise you might take action he opposes.

Can you believe?

If so, are you willing to support the most faithful remnant of the Philadelphia portion of the Church of God?

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Dreams, the Bible, the Radio Church of God, and the Continuing Church of God How has God used dreams in the past? Does God still use dreams? Did He use any involving those in the Continuing Church of God? A related sermon is also available: Dreams, COGs, and One Man Rule.
Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word What is the ‘short work’ of Romans 9:28? Who is preparing for it? Will Philadelphian Christians instruct many in the end times? Here is a link to a related video sermon titled: The Short Work. Here is a link to another: Preparing to Instruct Many.
The Final Phase of the Work What is the final phase of the work? Who will lead it? Do you have the courage to support it? Here are two related YouTube videos titled Final Phase of the Work: Need and Background and The Final Phase of the Work. The written article has been translated into Spanish La Fase Final de la Obra.
CCOG.ORG Continuing Church of God The Philadelphian organization striving to be most faithful amongst all real Christian groups to the word of God. This page has links to materials in over 200 languages. To see how CCOG has done so far, here are links to two sermons Continuing Church of God (CCOG) first year anniversary: What has been accomplished? and CCOG: 10 Unique Years. Here is a written link to a version of that first sermon in the Spanish language: Aniversario del primer año de la Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios: ¿Qué se ha cumplido?
Leading the Final Phase of the Work Matthew 24:14 will be fulfilled. Who is leading the final phase of the work? What did Herbert Armstrong and the old WCG teach about that and about prophets? Does Bob Thiel meet the criteria that the Bible and the old WCG set? What is the proof? What has the Continuing Church of God been doing? This is a sermonette length video.
Herbert W. Armstrong, the Philadelphia Church, & the Mantle Herbert Armstrong claims God had him raise the Philadelphia up. Are there reasons to believe that the Philadelphia mantle in now within the CCOG? Here is a link to a related sermon: Herbert W. Armstrong and the Philadelphia Mantle.
Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18? Does any church have the confirmed dream and prophetic signs of Acts 2:17-18? Should one? Here is a link in the Spanish language: ¿Tiene la CCOG confirmadas las señales de Hechos 2: 17-18? Here is a link in the French language: Est-ce que l’Église Continue de Dieu confirme les signes d’Actes 2:17-18?
Church of God Leaders on Prophets Have there been prophets throughout the church age? Are any supposed to be around in the last days? What have COG leaders stated or written about prophets? Here is a link to a related sermon: Church of God Leaders on Prophets.
The Elijah Heresies Does the Bible teach that there will be a future Elijah? Must it be Herbert W. Armstrong? Two related sermons are available Elijah: Prophecies and Heresies and Elijah, Herbert W. Armstrong, and CCOG.
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 lower level leaders? Two related sermons are available The Work per HWA and the Bible and Priority of the Philadelphia Work.Here are links to four related sermons:  The Fantastic Gospel of the Kingdom of God!, The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
Congregations of the Continuing Church of God This is a listing of congregations and groups of the Continuing Church of God around the world.
How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God There are many false prophets. How can Christians determine who is a true prophet? There is also a sermon-length video titled How to determine if someone is a true prophet of God. Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Cómo determinar si alguien es un verdadero profeta de Dios?
5. The Sardis Church Era was predominant circa 1600 A.D. to circa 1933 A.D. Discusses some early history of the Seventh Day Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, CG7-Salem, Jerusalem 7DCG, and COG-7th Day-Denver. Here are two historical sermons: Sardis Church Era: Beginnings, Doctrines, and Leaders and Sardis: SDBs, SDAs, & CG7s.
6. The Philadelphia Church Era was predominant circa 1933 A.D. to 1986 A.D. The old Radio Church of God and old Worldwide Church of God, now the remnant of that era is basically the most faithful in the Church of God, like who hold to the beliefs and practices of the Continuing Church of God.
7. The Laodicean Church Era has been predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. The Laodiceans are non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG or its offshoots.  They do not properly understand the work or biblical prophecies and will face the Great Tribulation if they do not repent. One video of related interest is 50+ Laodicean Prophetic Errors. See also Do You Hold to Any of These Laodicean Prophetic Errors?

COGwriter

The Continuing Church of God is pleased to announce this sermon from its ContinuingCOG channel: