Church of God News

Pope Pius V

COGwriter

April 30th, is the Roman Catholic “Feast day” for one who has been designated as “St. Pope Pius V.”

Here is some of what Catholic.org says about him:

Pope from 1566-1572 and one of the foremost leaders of the Catholic Reformation…As pope, Pius saw his main objective as the continuation of the massive program of reform for the Church, in particular the full implementation of the decrees of the Council of Trent. He published the Roman Catechism, the revised Roman Breviary, and the Roman Missal…

In 1571, Pius created the Congregation of the Index to give strength to the Church’s resistance to Protestant and heretical writings, and he used the Inquisition to prevent any Protestant ideas from gaining a foot hold in Italy…His reign was blemished only by the continuing oppression of the Inquisition; the often brutal treatment of the Jews of Rome; and the ill advised decision to excommunicate Queen Elizabeth I http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=5515

The Inquisition and brutal treatment of Jews are more than blemishes; they help demonstrate that Pius V was not a successor of Peter or the other apostles.

Here is something about him and Protestantism:

Priest P. Kramer (21^st century): Pope St. Pius V teaches in his Catechism, the Roman Catechism — also known as the Catechism of the Council of Trent — that all of the Protestant religions are false religions, they’re inspired by the devil; and therefore their fruits are evil…The Protestant religions, as such, are inspired by the devil, as Pope St. Pius V teaches in his catechism. (Kramer P. The Imminent Chastisement for Not Fulfilling Our Lady’s Request. An edited transcript of a speech given at the Ambassadors of Jesus and Mary Seminar in Glendale, California, September 24, 2004. THE FATIMA CRUSADER Issue 80, Summer 2005, pp. 32-45 http://www.fatimacrusader.com/cr80/cr80pg32.asp viewed 4/15/08)

While the Continuing Church of God is not Protestant, likely Pius V included our spiritual ancestors in the above, as the general Roman Catholic position is that those who profess Christ that are not Eastern Orthodox or Roman Catholic are some type of Protestant. The Church of God preceded the confederation that became the Church of Rome and the Eastern Orthodox (see also Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church and Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism).

Nowadays, Pope Francis wants unity with the trinitarian Protestants (watch Vademecum: Rome’s Trinitarian Ecumenical Handbook), and many of them are interested (see the free online books: Continuing History of the Church of God and Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism).

Notice that Pope Pius V’s late 16^th century Catechism says only the Roman Catholic church is faithful and has salvation, with others (like Protestants) are part of the “false Church”:

The third mark of the Church is that she is Catholic…To this Church, “built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets”, belong all the faithful who have existed from Adam to the present day, or who shall exist…She is, also, called universal, because all who desire eternal salvation must cling to and embrace her, like those who entered the ark, to escape perishing in the flood…This, therefore, is to be taught as a most reliable criterion, by which to distinguish the true from a false Church…

The true Church is also to be recognised from her origin, which can be traced back under the law of grace to the Apostles; for her doctrines are neither novel nor of recent origin, but were delivered, of old, by the Apostles, and disseminated throughout the world. Hence, no one can, for a moment, doubt that the impious opinions which heresy invents, opposed, as they are, to the doctrines taught by the Church from the days of the Apostles to the present time, are very different from the faith of the true Church…But as this one Church, because governed by the Holy Ghost, cannot err in faith or morals, it necessarily follows, that all other societies arrogating to themselves the name of Church, because guided by the spirit of darkness, are sunk in the most pernicious errors both doctrinal and moral. (The Catechism of the Council of Trent: published by command of Pope Pius the fifth , pp. 77-78)

Related to that last paragraph above, it needs to be understood that by making those claims, Pope Pius V seems to be saying that the true Church should not have changed the doctrines of the Apostles. And while that is true of the Continuing Church of God, it cannot be said of the Church of Rome.

In the 16^th century, Pope Pius V’s Catechism claimed:

…the Church of God has in her wisdom ordained that the celebration of the Sabbath should be transferred to “the Lord’s day:” as on that day light first shone on the world… (The Catechism of the Council of Trent: published by command of Pope Pius the fifth. Translated by Jeremiah Donovan. F. Lucas, Publisher. Original from Harvard University, Digitized, Apr 26, 2006, p. 267)

Of course, that was not wise and the true and faithful “Church of God” did no such thing (nor did any of the original Apostles authorize it in scripture or elsewhere), it was the Church of Rome that made this change.  The wisdom of the world is condemned by God, as even Roman Catholic Bibles admit:

19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. (1 Corinthians 3:19, Douay-Rheims)

Greco-Roman Catholics and others may find the following three translations, of some passages in the New Testament book of Hebrews, of interest (note this using one Protestant and two Catholic translations):

4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “And on the seventh day God rested from all his work.”…9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience (NIV).

4 as one text says, referring to the seventh day: And God rested on the seventh day after all the work he had been doing…9 There must still be, therefore, a seventh-day rest reserved for God’s people, 10 since to enter the place of rest is to rest after your work, as God did after his. 11 Let us, then, press forward to enter this place of rest, or some of you might copy this example of refusal to believe and be lost. (NJB)

4 For he said in a certain place of the seventh day thus: And God rested the seventh day from all his works…9 Therefore there is left a sabbatisme for the people of God. 10 For he that is entered into his rest, the same also hath rested from his works, as God did from his. 11 Let us hasten therefore to enter into that rest; lest any man fall into the same example of incredulity. (Original Douay-Rheims of 1582)

When Pius V wrote of changing the Sabbath, he and those that followed him apparently wanted to reinterpret the above to not mean what they literally state (note: the more “modern” Douay-Rheims translation, that many use, no longer uses the term “sabbatisme” so many modern Catholics are unaware of what that verse really says–also most Protestants are unaware as most Protestant translators have chosen to mistranslate the verse).

Protestants, who claim not to follow Rome, may wish to ask themselves why they tend to observe Sunday, as this is a day that Rome claims it adopted and changed the Sabbath to. As well as do they want unity with a church whose ‘infallible” leader condemned them like Pope Pius V did?

While the Church of Rome is pushing its ecumenical agenda, Protestants would be wise to contend for the original faith–which is NOT Protestantism (see Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism) nor Roman Catholicism (see also Continuing History of the Church of God).

Now let me make this perfectly clear, THERE IS NO HISTORICAL RECORD THAT SUPPORTS THE EXISTENCE OF ANYTHING RESEMBLING MODERN PROTESTANTISM BEING PRACTICED BY EARLY CHRISTIANS. This fact is clearly documented in our free online book: Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism.

Protestantism is NOT  “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3c). It is NOT the faith Jude wrote Christians should “contend earnestly for” (Jude 3b).

As far as the Church of Rome goes, it continues to push further away from the original faith. The Church of Rome often contradicts scripture as well. Many of the beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church were not the Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church. This is also documented in a free online book: Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession?

Despite those facts, the ecumenical and interfaith movements are going forward. Yet, those movements do not “…contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

But all real Christians should.

Those interested in learning more about early Christianity, who is faithful and who is not, and changes that many have adopted may wish to carefully study the following items:

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.
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Continuing Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions.
The Christian Sabbath. This is a series of articles from the Catholic Mirror essentially proving that the biblical Sabbath was Saturday, that the Lord’s day in Revelation 1 is not a reference to Sunday, that the Church of Rome implemented Sunday, and that nearly all Protestants followed Rome. Here is a link to a related sermon: Catholic teachings on the Sabbath, Sunday, and Protestantism.
The Spanish Inquisition and Early Protestant Persecutions Was the Church of Rome really responsible for this? What happened? A video of related interest is titled: The Past and Future Inquisition.
Persecutions by Church and State This article documents some that have occurred against those associated with the COGs and some prophesied to occur. Will those with the cross be the persecutors or the persecuted–this article has the shocking answer. There are also three video sermons you can watch: Cancel Culture and Christian Persecution, The Coming Persecution of the Church, and Christian Persecution from the Beast. Here is information in the Spanish language: Persecuciones de la Iglesia y el Estado.
Will the Interfaith Movement Lead to Peace or Sudden Destruction? Is the interfaith movement going to lead to lasting peace or is it warned against? A video sermon of related interest is: Will the Interfaith Movement lead to World War III? and three video sermonette are also available:  Pope Francis signs ‘one world religion’ document! and The Chrislam Cross and the Interfaith Movement and Do You Know That Babylon is Forming?
What Do Roman Catholic Scholars Actually Teach About Early Church History? Although most believe that the Roman Catholic Church history teaches an unbroken line of succession of bishops beginning with Peter, with stories about most of them, Roman Catholic scholars know the truth of this matter. This eye-opening article is a must-read for any who really wants to know what Roman Catholic history actually admits about the early church.
Nazarene Christianity: Were the Original Christians Nazarenes? Should Christians be Nazarenes today? What were the practices of the Nazarenes.
Location of the Early Church: Another Look at Ephesus, Smyrna, and Rome What actually happened to the primitive Church? And did the Bible tell about this in advance?
Apostolic Succession What really happened? Did structure and beliefs change? Are many of the widely-held current understandings of this even possible? Did you know that Catholic scholars really do not believe that several of the claimed “apostolic sees” of the Orthodox have apostolic succession–despite the fact that the current pontiff himself seems to wish to ignore this view? Is there actually a true church that has ties to any of the apostles that is not part of the Catholic or Orthodox churches? Read this article if you truly are interested in the truth on this matter! Here is a link to a sermon: Claims of Apostolic Succession. Here is a related articlein the Spanish language La sucesión apostólica. ¿Ocurrió en Roma, Alejandría, Constantinopla, Antioquía, Jerusalén o Asia Menor?
Why Should American Catholics Should Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster?
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.
The Similarities and Dissimilarities between Martin Luther and Herbert W. Armstrong This article clearly shows some of the doctrinal differences between in the two. At this time of doctrinal variety and a tendency by many to accept certain aspects of Protestantism, the article should help clarify why the Continuing Church of God is NOT Protestant. Do you really know what the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther taught and should you follow his doctrinal example?
The Sabbath in the Early Church and Abroad Was the seventh-day (Saturday) Sabbath observed by the apostolic and post-apostolic Church? Here is a related sermon video The Christian Sabbath and How and Why to Keep It.
How to Observe the Sabbath? How should you keep the Sabbath? This is an old article by Raymond Cole, with updated information for the 21st century.
Sunday and Christianity Was Sunday observed by the apostolic and true post-apostolic Christians? Who clearly endorsed Sunday? What relevance is the first or the “eighth” day? A related sermon is also available: Sunday: First and Eighth Day?
Early Church History: Who Were the Two Major Groups Professed Christ in the Second and Third Centuries? Did you know that many in the second and third centuries felt that there were two major, and separate, professing Christian groups in the second century, but that those in the majority churches tend to now blend the groups together and claim “saints” from both? “Saints” that condemn some of their current beliefs. Who are the two groups?
Do You Practice Mithraism? Many practices and doctrines that mainstream so-called Christian groups have are the same or similar to those of the sun-god Mithras. December 25th was celebrated as his birthday. Do you follow Mithraism combined with the Bible or original Christianity? A sermon video from Vatican City is titled Church of Rome, Mithras, and Isis?
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, French: L’Histoire Continue de l’Église de Dieu and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.
The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?

COGwriter

Two readers tipped me off to the fact that a man who claims to be the Imam Mahdi has gotten some recent attention. Here is some information from a link one of them sent me:

This Man Claims To Be The Mahdi

April 26, 2025

Abdullah Hashem … openly claims to be “the successor to Simon Peter, the successor to Jesus Christ, and the true and legitimate Pope,” as well as the anticipated Mahdi. https://endtimeheadlines.org/2025/04/this-man-claims-to-be-the-mahdi/

Let me state that 1) Abdullah Hashem is NOT the successor to Jesus nor the Apostle Peter,  2) the title of pope was not taken by the Roman Catholics until the late 4th century–it is NOT a biblical title, and 3) you can find a list of apostolic successors in the article: Laying on of Hands Succession and List.

Here is more information about Abdullah Hashem himself:

Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq (Arabic: عبدالله هاشم أبا الصادق; born 1983), also commonly known as Abdullah Hashem, is an Egyptian-American religious leader and founder of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light (AROPL).^[1][2] Adherents of the religion believe him to be the Qa’im of the Family of Mohammed and the second of twelve Mahdis appointed in the will of the Prophet Mohammed.^[3][4] On his YouTube channel he also claims to be “the successor to Simon Peter, the successor to Jesus Christ, the true and legitimate Pope” …

In 2022, Abdullah Hashem published The Goal of the Wise, the official gospel of the religion (Arabic: غاية الحكيم). The book, which has 40 “doors” or chapters, has been translated into Arabic, Urdu, Spanish, French, German, Turkish, Azeri, and Persian.

• Hashem, Abdullah (2022). The Goal of the Wise: The Gospel of the Riser of the family of Mohammed Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq. The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. ISBN 978-1-7392629-0-7. (in English)
• Hashem, Abdullah (2024). The Mahdi’s Manifesto. The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. (Abdullah Hashem. Wikipedia, accessed 04/27/25)

the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light (AROPL), a Shia-derivative new religious movement not to be confused with the Sunni-derivative Ahmadiyya Community that is heavily persecuted in Pakistan. AROPL originated from the teachings in Iraq of Ahmad al-Hassan, whom devotees regard as the Yamani, a John-the-Baptist-like character who paved the way for the appearance of the Imam al-Mahdi, the eschatological figure who will restore a Divine Just State in the end times. The AROPL identifies the Qaim, “The Riser of the Family of Mohammed,” the end-times character who leads the actual rise for Imam Mahdi for the establishment of the Divine Just State, with Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq, a college-educated American citizen with an Egyptian father and an American mother. He is also the second in a list of twelve Mahdis (Ahmad al-Hassan being the first), and the AROPL believes he is mentioned in the will of Prophet Mohammed, a document accepted as authentic in Shiite sources. …

In 2012, even before Abdullah Hashem revealed himself as the second Mahdi in 2015, he and his followers had gathered in Egypt and had established there the first Shia-inspired school in the country. …

The Muslim Brotherhood is notorious for its anti-Shia policies, and their regime created a climate of suspicion and violence against the Shiites. On June 23, 2013, in what became known as the Abu Musallam incident, a mob of 3,000 radical Sunni Muslims attacked a gathering of Shiites, killing Shia leader Hassan Shehata and some of his followers.

It is not surprising that as a consequence of this climate the Shia-derivative AROPL was also harassed, and its community had to repeatedly relocate to escape neighbors’ hostility. 07/12/24 https://bitterwinter.org/ahmadi-religion-of-peace-and-light-members-persecuted-in-egypt/

Now, unless he changes, I do not believe that Abdullah Hashem is the Imam Mahdi that many  in Islam are hoping for.

Here is information in my free ebook Islamic and Biblical Prophecies for the 21st Century, related to the Imam Mahdi:

Islam, to a significant degree, considers itself a prophetic religion. Taken a step further, many have claimed “Islam is the religion of all Prophets,”[i] basically meaning that all the biblical prophets and any other true prophets were Muslim.

That said, when it comes to prophetic events, most Muslims seem to be looking for a leader who will arise in these end times, who is sometimes called the Imam Mahdi:

In a 2012 Pew poll, in most of the countries surveyed in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia, half or more Muslims believe that they will personally witness the appearance of the Mahdi. In Islamic eschatology, the messianic figure known as the Mahdi (the Guided One) will appear before the Day of Judgment. This expectation is most common in Afghanistan (83 percent), followed by Iraq (72), Tunisia (67), and Malaysia (62).[ii]

Mahdi means the “Guided One.” The Imam Mahdi is believed to be a leader who will unite Muslims and eliminate Islamic poverty.

Although most Muslims expect the Imam Mahdi to arise, various Islamic scholars question that and assert he is not mentioned in the Quran:

Since the Qur’an, the primary source of Islam, does not explicitly use the term “Mahdī” even though it uses words derived from the root h-d-y, the issue becomes somewhat complicated. Many questions arise regarding the person of the Mahdī, the number of the Mahdīs, and the time of his/their appearance.  …

Perhaps because some traditions associate the Mahdī with caliphs, the Mahdī came to be seen as a great Muslim leader at the end of time. [iii]

So, yes, there are differences in Islam related to the Imam Mahdi and other prophetic matters. Like the Quran, the Bible does not directly use the term Mahdi.

[i] A Beneficial Summary of Rulings for New Muslim”, translated by Shaikh Muhammed Daniel and published by The Ministry of Endowments & Islamic Affairs, Kuwait- 2nd Edition 1436/2015, p. 14

[ii] Stern J, Berger JM. ISIS The State of Terror. C. 2015, p. 219

[iii] Saritoprak Z. The Mahdī Tradition in Islam: A Social-Cognitive Approach. Islamic Studies, Vol. 41, No. 4 (Winter 2002), pp. 652, 654

…

Shi’ite Differences

Islam is divided into basically three pieces, with Sunni Muslims being the majority, with Shi’ite Muslims being the next large group, and a third smaller group knows as Sufis (who often are considered as a type of Sunni Muslim). Shi’ite Muslims tend to be considered, overall, stricter Muslims than the other groups.

The nation with the most Shi’ite Muslims is Iran. Consider also:

Shi’a Islam is distinguished from Sunni Islam mainly in its interpretation of the role of the imam in the Islamic social order. The essential distinction between Shi’a and Sunni Islam is the doctrine of the imamate, which is essential for all Shi’a.

The Shi’a believe that the human race needs divinely guided leaders and teachers, who are the imams who continue the mission of the prophets in every respect, except bringing new scriptures. The imams are endowed with ‘isma, i.e., immunity from sin and error in order to fulfill their divine mission. All Shi’a believe that without the imams the world would cease to exist, …

The imams are not only the religious teachers, they also have an eschatological significance, for they can intercede for believers on Judgment Day. Therefore, knowing the imam is necessary for salvation. This point is especially emphasized by the messianic belief in the hidden imam, Muhammad al-Muntazar al-Mahdi, who is alive and in occultation. Beginning in 872 a.d. and during the minor occultation the imam would communicate with his followers through four direct representatives from among them. Since 941, he has been in major occultation and will only reappear when the world is filled with injustice and oppression in order to establish justice and to prepare the second coming of Christ.[i]

The Shi’ites claim descent though Muhammad’s cousin Ali, whom they consider to have been a great early Imam (an Islamic leader) and then through the twelfth Imam, Muhammad al-Muntazar al-Mahdi—who they claim is still alive. Some have suggested he is in some type of suspended animation, usually called “major occultation” of the “Hidden Imam” (occultation means hidden) until he officially returns to rule.

Because of Shiite views of imams, some Sunni’s consider that Shiites are idolators and polytheists. In 2024, the Sunni-connected group ISIS went so far to set off bombs in Iran to kill Shiites, that they referred to as “polytheists.” [ii]

It should be mentioned that another of the differences between the Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims is that most Shi’ites strongly believe that their great leader will rise up, help destroy the West, and ultimately force everyone to become Muslim or die.

On the other hand, many other Muslims believe that Jesus returns after a Mahdi comes, and then the world will basically become Muslim; hence they tend to see the coming of a future Mahdi is simply a necessary step.

Shi’ite Claimed ‘Mahdi’ Scriptures

A Shi’ite Iranian professor named Reza Rezaie Khanghah wrote various claims related to the Imam Mahdi:

Imam Mahdi In The Books Of Other Religions …

Judaism 

Qaem (Qa’im) Messiah

 The Prophet Isaiah

He will judge the needy in justice, and will honestly rule for the oppressed of the earth. His belt will be fair and honest. The wolf will live with the lamb. (part 11, paragraphs, 1-10)

 Psalms Of David

The wicked are cut off, but those who trust in God, the humbled will be the heirs of the earth, will benefit from abundant health. The righteous will inherit the earth forever. (Old Testament, Psalms 37 P9-38)

 Psalms Of David

He will judge the people fairly. The sky rejoices and the earth exerts, the sea roars. The desert and everything in it is delighting. Then all the trees will sing because he comes. (Old Testament, Psalms 96)

 Daniel Prophesy

The great king who stands for the sons of your people is the Qa’im (Qaem). Many of them who are asleep will wake up, but for eternal life and their eternal shame and humiliation…Happy are those who wait. (page 1309, page 12, paragraph 1-12)

 The Prophet Habakkuk

Though he may delay, wait for him, since he will certainly come and delay, but he will gather all the nations together. (Chapter 2, paragraph 3-14)

 The Prophet Isaiah

He has to be the one who takes care of others. The doors will open. Cities will be welcomed first. The people of the universe will find peace in it. He is a man whom God has chosen and directed to conquer victory after victory and fulfill his real mission. (part 45)

Christianity

The last Mahmid Son Of Man

 The Gospel of Luke

You should be like those who are waiting for their mistress to come back from wedding, so whenever he comes and knocks on the door, he immediately opens the door for him…so you also be ready because at a time when you do not think the Son Of Man comes. (page 116, part 12, paragraphs 35-40)

 The Gospel of Matthew

See the Son Of Man coming upon the clouds of heaven with great power…but no one knows of that day and hour … at an hour you do not think the Son of Man is coming… (page 41, part24, paragraphs 1-37)

 The Gospel of Mark

Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. (page 77, part13, paragraphs 1-9)

 The Gospel Of John

And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out. (page 152, part 5, paragraphs 26-28)

 Epistle of Paul

One who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope. (Page 261, part 15, Section 12)

{ Gospel of Matthew}

Then he (Jesus) left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field. He answered, The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. … (Matthew 13:36-37) …

There have been some speeches about him in various Gospels:

“For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man…Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (Matthew 24: 27, 30)

And the same Gospel talks about ‘expectation’: “Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you did not expect.” (Matthew 24: 44)

And the Gospel of Mark talks about the responsibilities of those awaiting the savior:

But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. Be on guard, keep awake. Because you do not know when the time will come. (Mark 13:32, 33)

An interesting point regarding the Gospels: “According to American Max in the “Lexicon of the Holy Bible”, the word ‘Son of Man’ is repeated 80 times in the Gospels and accessories (New Testament), of which 30 are adaptable to Jesus Christ and the other 50 are descriptions of the Savior who will come in apocalypse; And Jesus Christ will come with him and glorify him, and no one knows the date and time of his coming but great God.” [iii]

Jews and Christians would NOT agree that these passages are references to the Imam Mahdi, nor would most Sunni Muslims. Christians, for example, consider the “Son of Man” to be Jesus as He repeatedly applied the term to Himself (e.g. Matthew 8:20, 9:6, 11:19, 12:8, 12:40, 16:28, 17:9, 17:12, 20:18, 24:27, 24:30), and most Sunni Muslims would also agree with that. Let me also add that the second chapter of Habakkuk mainly discusses what is going to happen to a highly indebted nation in the end time and does NOT resemble Islamic prophecies related to the Imam Mahdi.

That said, some Muslims (whether Shi’ite, Sufi, or Sunni) may refer to those passages as support of the biblical importance of a pan-national Islamic leader once he is on the scene. Additionally, the Bible does tell of a coming leader with certain similarities to the Imam Mahdi that will be addressed later in this chapter.

More on the Mahdi

According to the following hadith, the Mahdi will not be a good Muslim to start with:

The Mahdi shall be from the Ahlal Bait. Allah SWT will rectify him one night, and make him good in one night. (Sunnah of ibn Maajah[iv])

Muslim scholars tend to interpret the above as saying that the Mahdi was not a good Muslim as a young man, but he gets changed to be a very good one. They also believe he will be alive when the Dajjal is alive. [v]

Here is an Islamic report related to conditions that lead to the emergence of the Imam Mahdi:

Conditions before the Advent of Al Mahdi:

Amongst other things injustice, harm, starvation, murder and continuous trials will be prevalent and religious innovations common. Forbidden things will be practiced, and it will be said that wine is permitted and most do not pray. [vi]

The above is consistent with biblical prophecies on famines (Matthew 24:7), selfishness, and various forms of immorality in the last days (cf. Timothy 3:1-7). Many Muslims have rightly denounced the West for immorality and depravity. For example, Esra Erdoğan, the daughter of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, even declared that immoral Western values will result “in the ultimate victory of the Islamic crescent over the cross of the West.”[vii] Some believe a/the Mahdi will accomplish that—yet the Bible shows a different end for the crescent, while also pointing to the end of the cross of the West.

Regarding the background and appearance of the Imam Mahdi here are some Islamic assertions:

Mahdī has been described in detail. He will have brown eyes, teeth of extreme whiteness, a beauty mark on his cheek, and will be born in Madīnah of a slave-girl. There has been some controversy as regards the place of his appearance, but Morocco, Kufah, and Damascus are mentioned among the possible places. [viii]

In traditions from the Prophet (peace be It is generally believed that the Mahdi will appear at a time of anarchy and chaos that will precede the end of the world.[ix]

Should the Madhi also be the biblical “King of the South,” he might arise instead from Egypt or the Arab peninsula or elsewhere in the Middle East.

Muhammad reportedly said that the Mahdi’s name is to be Mohammad Ibn Abdullah and he will fill the earth with justice.[x] Shi’ite Muslims point to Muhammad al-Muntazar al-Mahdi. Others have other views.

Here are some hadiths related to the Imam Mahdi, who also looks to be the Caliph with wealth mentioned below as well:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The Mahdi will be of my family, of the descendants of Fatimah. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The Mahdi will be of my stock, and will have a broad forehead a prominent nose. He will fill the earth will equity and justice as it was filled with oppression and tyranny, and he will rule for seven years. (Sunan Abi Dawud 4284-5, Book 38, Hadiths 6-7)

“The Mahdi will be among my nation. If he lives for a short period, it will be seven, and if he lives for a long period, it will be nine, during which my nation will enjoy a time of ease such as it has never enjoyed. The land will bring forth its yield and will not hold back anything, and wealth at that time will be piled up. A man will stand up and say: ‘O Mahdi, give me!’ He will say: ‘Take.'”

“Three will fight one another for your treasure, each one of them the son of a caliph, but none of them will gain it. Then the black banners will come from the east, and they will kill you in an unprecedented manner.” (Sunan Abi Dawud 4083-4, Book 36, Hadith 158-159)

“A man will come to him and say: O Mahdi! ‘Give to me, give to me! So he will fill in his garment whatever he is able to carry.'” (Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2232, Book 33, Hadith 75)

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “From your caliphs there will be one in the Last Days who will distribute wealth without counting it.” (Riyad as-Salihin 1824, Book 18, Hadith 17)

“The Prophet (ﷺ) looked out at us from a room, when we were talking about the Hour. He said: ‘The Hour will not begin until there are ten signs: Dajjal, (False Christ), the smoke, and the rising of the sun from the west.'” (Sunan Ibn Majah 4041, Book 36, Hadith 116)

He is to arise when there are “black flags” arising from Khorasan [xi] (an area covering parts of Iran, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan).

The Mahdi is to be the leader of all the Muslim ummah (meaning Muslim world). [xii]

The Mahdi is to arise after a time of turmoil, [xiii] and that is consistent with the rise of the biblical King of the South who, I believe, arises during what Jesus referred to as “the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:4-8) which has “wars and rumors of war” (Matthew 24:6), a time we now seem to be in.

The Mahdi is believed to be a type of savior for Islam as well as an eliminator of Islamic poverty:

Mahdi … some time after being in place, is expected to basically eliminate Islamic poverty and hunger, plus reign for seven years. [xiv]

Based on various biblical prophecies, I do not believe that the one the Bible calls the King of the South in the latter portion of Daniel 11 will be able to reign that long—unless he reigned only in one land or smaller confederation for a time first.

That being the case, when the King of the South is defeated (Daniel 11:40-43), some Muslims will likely conclude that he was not the Imam Mahdi. Others will likely realize that Sunni Islam does teach that the Mahdi will be defeated by the Dajjal and that the Dajjal is the European King of the North (Daniel 11:40), also called the Beast (e.g. Revelation 13:4).

Chaos, the Mahdi, and Jesus

A time of sorrows and chaos is coming.

Notice the following from the New Encyclopedia of Islam:

The last days, as described in Islam, are marked by the figures of Gog and Magog (Juj wa Jajuj), the Mahdi, the Antichrist (Dajjal), and Jesus … Gog and Magog, representing the forces of chaos, have been kept at bay … At the end of time, chaos will break through the wall of Divinely imposed order, and the world will succumb to “outer darkness”. At the same time, it is believed, there will be a countercurrent, or a brief return to the state of spiritual lucidity and primordial integrity that obtained at the dawn of time. This is the reign of the Mahdi, the “rightly guided one”…

The reign of the Mahdi will be followed by that of the Antichrist … once the Antichrist has led away his followers, Jesus will then come to destroy the Antichrist in the closing moments of the cosmic drama.

Belief in the Mahdi has been rejected by noted Sunni authorities …[xv]

The Bible points to Gog and Magog coming after the demise of Antichrist and after the millennium (Ezekiel 38:2-16, Revelation 20:7-8).

Now, related to difficulties in the end times before then, Jesus taught:

9 But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately.”

10 Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  11 And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven. (Luke 21:9-11)

A hadith states:

The hour will not come till … earthquakes are become many, … senseless killing increases (Hadith from Abu Hurayrah[xvi]).

But notice concerns from some Roman Catholic prophecies:

Trappistine Nun of Notre Dame des Gardes. “Chastisement will come when a very large number of bad books have been spread.” [xvii]

Abbe Voclin (19^th century). “Horrible books will be freely available. Intellectuals will argue fiercely among themselves. Then war will break out that will see the rise of the Great Monarch.” [xviii]

So, the Great Monarch is to arise during a time of chastisement. The Bible teaches that the King of the North will arise during a time of troubles (cf. Mark 13:8-14; Daniel 11:31).

Might some of the claimed “bad books” contain actual knowledge?

That would seem to be likely.

A hadith states:

The hour will not come till knowledge is taken … (Hadith from Abu Hurayrah[xix]).

Could that mean some type of censorship is to come?

Well, the Hebrew scriptures warn:

11 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God,

“That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, Nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the words of the Lord. 12 They shall wander from sea to sea, And from north to east; They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, But shall not find it. (Amos 8:11-12)

While the above is not how many have traditionally viewed the hadith, knowledge being taken away is consistent with the “famine of the word” as well as censorship. As far as Amos’ writing is concerned, this looks to foretell more censorship of biblical knowledge — “the word of the Lord” — in the media as well as on the internet.

Various hadiths indicate that the time will come when the Quran will be taken and Islam will be wiped away.[xx]

This seems to be tied in with the rise of the Beast. Notice also the following Roman Catholic prophecy:

St. Francis de Paul (1470) … the Great Monarch … he will destroy the Mahometan sect and the rest of the infidels. He shall annihilate all the heresies and tyrannies of the world.[xxi]

John of the Cleft Rock (1340): The White Eagle (Great Monarch), by order of the Archangel Michael, will drive crescent from Europe where none but Christians will remain–he himself will rule from Constantinople. An era of peace and prosperity will begin for the world. There will no longer be Protestants {there were no “Protestants” then and author Connor of that book suggests that perhaps this word should have been translated as heretics} or schismatics…God will raise up a holy Pope. [xxii]

Some massive type of censorship would seem to be needed to try to “annihilate all the heresies.” The reference to “the crescent” is pointing to eliminating Islam from at least Europe.

Yes, censorship and the elimination of Islam is included in what that Roman Catholic prophecies are pointing to.

Prophetic Similarities

The Quran teaches:

When the sky splits open, and when the stars fall away, and when the seas burst forth, (Sura 82:1-3)

Jesus taught:

²⁹ Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. (Matthew 24:29)

The Quran teaches:

When the earth will be violently shaken, and the mountains will be crushed to pieces, (Sura 56:4-6)

The New Testament teaches:

¹⁸ And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. ¹⁹ Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. ²⁰ Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. (Revelation 16:18-20)

Notice also:

The Qur’an says: “When the earth shall be shaken to its depths and the mountains shall be crumbled to atoms, becoming dust scattered abroad” (Surah 56:4-6). Or, as previously quoted: “When the oceans are suffered to burst forth; and when the graves are turned upside down” (Surah 82:3-4). Finally, “What is the Day of noise and clamor? … It is a Day whereon men will be like moths scattered about and the mountains like carded wool” (Surah 101:1-5).

One is reminded of Biblical references, first from the Old Testament: “Therefore I will make the heavens tremble; and the earth will shake from its place at the wrath of the Lord Almighty, in the day of his burning anger” (Isaiah 13:13).  Also, the words of Jesus: “Immediately after the distress of those days, “the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky and the heavenly bodies will be shaken” (Matthew 24:29).  And, “There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events, and great signs from heaven” (Luke 21:11).[xxiii]

So, there are some similarities related to end time disastrous events.

Timing of the Mahdi/King of the South?

The Bible tells of a leader called the King of the South (Daniel 11:40-43) that sounds similar to the Mahdi that various ones in Islam are looking forward to. Even without this Mahdi, 2016 saw the world’s largest military exercise (called North Thunder) composed of 20, basically Sunni-Muslim, nations,[xxiv] which are consistent with the peoples prophesied to get together later (Daniel 11:40-43; Ezekiel 30:2-8). As far as the timing of chaos goes, we appear to be in the time of “troubles” that Jesus referred to as the “beginning of sorrows” (Mark 13:8).

So, when might the Mahdi arise? Probably within the next seven years, if he is also the biblical King of the South.

A Muslim source, pointing what he considered to be numerous proofs, asserted:

The Second Coming of Jesus and the Mahdi (AS) ………… is in the year–2023 A.D.[xxv]

In 2022 and 2023, this author denounced that as well as some Protestant declarations pointing to Jesus’ returning in 2023 or 2024 as biblically impossible.[xxvi]

At this instant (mid 2025), the earliest return date for Jesus would be 2032—and that would only be the case if the deal of Daniel 9:27 is confirmed in 2025 by the prince who will become the King of the North of Daniel 11 …

[i] SHIĪ’ITES. Encyclopedia.com accessed 02/14/23

[ii] Kourdi E, Deaton J. ISIS claims responsibility for deadliest attack in Iran since 1979 revolution. CNN, January 4, 2024

[iii] Khanghah RR. Who Is Imam Mahdi, Prophesied In Other Religions, And From Holy Fatima lineage? September 2022, pp. 18-19, 23

[iv] Yasseen, The Signs, p. 90

[v] Yasseen, The Signs, p. 90

[vi] Identification of the Prophesied Imam Mahdi. The Muhammadan Reality,

https://www.muhammadanreality.com/ImamMahdiSignsfortheSavoir.htm#Top, accessed 12/07/2023

[vii] Mek A. Erdoğan’s Daughter Takes Aim at Christianity: ‘The Crescent Will Win over Cross of the West’. RAIR, May 19, 2023

[viii] Saritoprak, p. 657

[ix] Saritoprak, p. 659

[x] Yasseen, The Signs, p. 88

[xi] Yasseen, The Signs, p. 92

[xii] Yasseen, The Signs, p. 95

[xiii] Yasseen, The Signs, p. 96; Sadr Sayyid Sadruddin. Published by Naba

[xiv] Yasseen, The Signs, p. 96

[xv] Glasse C. New Encyclopedia of Islam: A Revised Edition of the Concise Encyclopedia of Islam, 3rd edition, 2008, pp. 143, 316

[xvi] Zayed, 222

[xvii] Dupont, p 114

[xviii] Dupont, p. 114

[xix] Zayed, 222

[xx] Yaseen, The Signs, pp. 266-267

[xxi] Culleton, The Prophets and Our Times, pp. 158-159

[xxii] Connor E. Prophecy for Today. Imprimatur + A.J. Willinger, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno; Reprint: Tan Books and Publishers, Rockford (IL), 1984, pp. 33-34

[xxiii] Larson W. Signs of the Islamic End Times. Zwemer Center for Islamic Studies.

https://www.zwemercenter.com/signs-of-the-islamic-end-times/ accessed 04/08/24

[xxiv] North Thunder ‘achieved more than desired results.’ Arab News, March 5, 2017

[xxv] Abidi S. Imam Mahdi in 2023 AD. https://www.scribd.com/document/239739419/Imam-Mahdi-in-2023-AD accessed 12/04/22

[xxvi] Thiel B. Can Jesus return in 2023 or 2024? COGwriter, January 1, 2023

The Mahdi, Euphrates, and the Beast

Some in Islam seem to believe that the reign of the European Beast (Revelation 13:1-10) and Antichrist (Revelation 13:11-17; 1 John 4:1-3) will happen around the time the Mahdi‘s death.

Now, biblically, this looks to be true, to a degree, for the Arab lands. However, the Bible shows that the Beast of Revelation (also called the King of the North in Daniel 11) and the final Antichrist (a European-supporting false religious leader) will rule in Europe and also over some of the American lands (Daniel 11:39), prior to the European reign over Arab lands (Daniel 11:40-43). Hence, the Bible teaches that the final Antichrist will have power prior to the death of the biblical King of the South.

Although the belief in a “Mahdi” apparently had been a minority Sunni view and has had rejection by some Sunni authorities, “the Muslim World League issued a fatwa in October of 1976 commanding Sunni Muslims to believe in the concept of an Islamic Savior called the Mahdi.”[i]

It should also be noted that some Sunni groups want a Caliph to arise and rule an Islamic caliphate that includes all the territory from northwest Africa through the Middle East and even further east.[ii]

However, Sunnis (who vastly outnumber the Shi’ite Muslims) should not change their anti-Mahdi views (various Sunni scholars also agree[iii]) or want such a Caliph, because of what the Bible shows will happen. Shi’ites also would do well to recognize that just because someone may claim to be the final Imam (or Mahdi), does not mean that God will agree that he should be followed. Neither Sunnis nor Shi’ites should support one who will appear to possibly be the final Imam/Caliph in the next decade or so. A major leader of Islamic lands will apparently make such claims and rise up, but will be defeated soundly (Ezekiel 30:2-8).

There is a hadith that says:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “The Hour will not come to pass before the River Euphrates dries up to unveil the mountain of gold, for which people will fight. Ninety-nine out of one hundred will die (in the fighting) and every man amongst them will say: ‘Perhaps I may be the only one to remain alive.”‘ (Riyad as-Salihin 1822, Book 18, Hadith 15)

This defeat is supposed to come before Armageddon, according to Muslims, and according to other hadiths, the Mahdi will be there at Armageddon.[iv] However, the Bible points to the Euphrates drying up when kings from the east (Eurasian forces) are heading towards Armageddon per Revelation 16:12-16. And if the Mahdi is the biblical King of the South, he will have been defeated long before then. Some Muslims have interpreted a hadith which says, “Gog and Magog dig until they reach the water, whereupon they drink thereof” (Sahih Muslim, Book 41, Hadith 6931) to suggest this makes the Euphrates dry (some others interpret this to mean they make the Sea of Galilee dry instead, “Hadiths clearly mention that Gog and Magog will drink from Sea of Galilee and make it dry.”[v]). Anyway, it is possible that efforts by Eurasians could be a factor in the Euphrates river drying up.

Now let’s look at a battle-related hadith which shows a lower level of defeat than the 99%:

The Last Hour would not come until the Romans would land at al-A’maq or in Dabiq. An army consisting of the best (soldiers) of the people of the earth at that time will come from Medina (to counteract them). When they will arrange themselves in ranks, the Romans would say: Do not stand between us and those (Muslims) who took prisoners from amongst us. Let us fight with them; and the Muslims would say: Nay, by Allah, we would never get aside from you and from our brethren that you may fight them. They will then fight and a third (part) of the army would run away, whom Allah will never forgive. A third (part of the army) which would be constituted of excellent martyrs in Allah’s eye, would be killed and the third who would never be put to trial would win and they would be conquerors of Constantinople. … The Dajjal has taken your place … (Sahih Muslim 2897, Book 54, Hadith 44)

The above sounds a lot like a battle between the European King of the North and the Arabic King of the South that the late Raymond McNair mentions first below and that the Bible prophesies in Daniel 11:

Daniel 11 … mentions some of the Mideast peoples who will be involved in that struggle among the nations at the close of this age. The belligerents will include the “King of the North,” the leader of the European Union (or its final outgrowth, called the “Beast”). The “King of the South” (an Islamic leader—apparently from Egypt {or} some other Muslim state) is also referred to. The following lands/peoples are specifically mentioned: Egypt, the Holy Land (Israel/Palestine), the Ethiopians (modern Cushites, south of Egypt {like the Sudanese}), Libya {would also include Algeria, Tunisia}, Edom, Moab and Ammon. Many descendants of the ancient peoples known as Edomites or Idumeans now live in the West Bank, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Arabia, Yemen, the Persian Gulf states, etc.[vi]

²⁵ “He shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South with a great army. And the king of the South shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand, for they shall devise plans against him. ²⁶ Yes, those who eat of the portion of his delicacies shall destroy him; his army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. (Daniel 11:25-26)

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; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels. (Daniel 11:40-43)

This defeat also comes before the gathering at Armageddon, probably 1-3 years prior to it (neither the Bible nor the hadiths clearly specify how much before).

That is consistent with the European reorganization prophecies in Revelation 17:12-13.

It should be pointed out that the Muslim Brotherhood wants a confederation of lands consistent with those that will be dominated by the coming King of the South:

What is the Muslim Brotherhood?

The world’s largest and most influential Islamist movement. Founded in Egypt in 1928, the group was originally focused on ridding the country of corrupting secular influences brought by British colonial rule. Over the years, it established branches and affiliates in many countries to promote traditional Sunni Islamic morals, social justice, and the eradication of poverty and corruption. “The Islamic nation,” its charter states, “must be fully prepared to fight the tyrants and the enemies of Allah as a prelude to establishing an Islamic state”—ideally a re-established caliphate, stretching from Spain across the Middle East and Central Asia to Indonesia, to be governed according to Islamic sharia law.[vii]

While it will not end up with Spain, and how far east its rule will extend can be debated, some type of confederation of Islamic lands in the Middle East and North Africa will form.

[i] Reagen DR. Further Thoughts About a Muslim Antichrist. Bible Prophecy Today, March 16, 2009.

[ii] Understanding the Muslim Brotherhood, IKWANWEB, The official website of the Muslim Brotherhood, February 14, 2011

[iii] Nayouf, Hayyan. Translated from Arabic by Sonia Farid. Shiite scholar denies Obama link

to Muslim savior. Dubai. November 4, 2008.

http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2008/11/04/59490.html viewed 05/19/09

[iv] Yaseen, The Signs, pp. 191-193

[v] Mohammad (note that is a 21^st century person, not the Prophet of Islam) post under: Where are Gog and Magog? Allah mentions them in the Quran. Why can’t we find them? Are they humans or beasts as one hadith even mentions that they will drink a whole sea? Quora, June 13, 2023 (https://www.quora.com/Where-are-Gog-and-Magog-Allah-mentions-them-in-the-Quran-Why-can-t-we-find-them-Are-they-humans-or-beasts-as-one-hadith-even-mentions-that-they-will-drink-a-whole-sea).  However, there appears to be NO hadith that teaches that, so while that is an interpretation, it is not clear from a hadith.

[vi] McNair R. Solving the Arab-Israeli Impasse! Copyright Raymond F. McNair 2005, Church of God—21st Century

[vii] Understanding the Muslim Brotherhood. February 14, 2011. © The Muslim Brotherhood. http://www.ikhwanweb.com/article.php?id=28019 viewed 11/21/2011

Anyway, it does not look like Abdullah Hashem is the Imam Mahdi that Islam expects.

However, his public assertions are likely getting many Muslims to wonder if someone like the Imam Mahdi will rise up soon to lead the Islamic world.

The Continuing Church of God put together this sermon on its ContinuingCOG channel:

1:10:57

Imam Mahdi, women, and prophecy

What are some reasons many Muslims are devout? Does Islam consider Jesus and Muhammad prophets? Many Muslims believe that a leader called the Imam Mahdi will arise and cause poverty to cease in Islamic lands. Shiites and some Sunnis believe he is also prophesied in the Hebrew scriptures as well as being called the Son of Man in the New Testament. Is Iran using Artificial Intelligence to ensure women wear the Hijab? What is the Western view of Islam and women? Who were the four ‘”perfect women” according to Muhammad? What is the Islamic view of Western women and their dress? Did the old Worldwide Church of God suggest that the coming ‘King of the South’ of Daniel 11 may bear the title ‘Mahdi’? What about the Dajjal? What about the Beast and the Greco-Roman Catholic prophecies about the ‘Great Monarch’? Dr. Thiel address these issues and more.

Here is a link to the sermon: Imam Mahdi, women, and prophecy.

If you are interested in more on Islam and prophecy, check out the free online book: Islamic and Biblical Prophecies for the 21st Century.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Islamic and Biblical Prophecies for the 21st Century This is a free online book which helps show where biblical and Islamic prophecies converge and diverge. Here are links to related sermons: Seeing Christianity Through Islamic Eyes. and Imam Mahdi, women, and prophecy.
Seeing Christianity Through Islamic Eyes This article has information from the book, Islamic and Biblical Prophecies for the 21st Century, as well as from the old WCG and other sources. Here is a link to a related sermon: Seeing Christianity Through Islamic Eyes.
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? Two videos of related interest are: The Future King of the South is Rising and The Rise and Fall of the King of the South. Here is a version the Spanish language: ¿Esta Surgiendo el Rey Del Sur?
The Muslim Brotherhood and the Rise of the King of the South The Bible tells of the formation of a power of nations that are in the Middle East and North Africa that are part of the final “King of the South” (Daniel 11:40-43) The Muslim Brotherhood wishes to have an Islamic empire with basically the same nations. This YouTube video explains what to expect from such a confederation.
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 ‘Mary’ in the Basilica of Mary Major That Pope Francis Prayed To
(Photo by Joyce Thiel, June 2013)

COGwriter

Pope Francis’ funeral has been going on today.

Pope Francis is buried at St. Mary Major Basilica

April 26, 2025

Pope Francis was laid to rest Saturday at St. Mary Major Basilica, following a funeral Mass at St. Peter’s Square attended by presidents, princes and as many as a quarter-million more. https://apnews.com/live/pope-francis-funeral-updates

Toward Saint Mary Major

In accordance with the spiritual testament of the Bishop of Rome, the coffin will then be transported to the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major. The funeral procession will cover a distance of about four kilometers through the streets of the capital at a slow pace.

This journey will allow Romans to bid farewell to their Bishop along a path he often took to pray before the icon of the Virgin Salus Populi Romani before and after each of his 47 apostolic journeys, and even recently after his hospital stays in February and March. 04/25/25 https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-04/the-funeral-celebration-of-pope-francis-on-saturday.html

As a priest, and then cardinal, Jorge Mario Bergoglio would always call into Santa Maria Maggiore (Saint Mary Major), one of the four papal basilicas in Rome, during his regular visits to the Italian capital.

The fourth-century basilica with its distinctive bell tower is perched on one of Rome’s seven ancient hills in Esquilino, … in March 2013, on the morning after he became Pope Francis, a name chosen in honour of Francis of Assisi, the Italian saint who renounced a life of luxury to help the poor, he snuck out of the Vatican to go to pray at Santa Maria Maggiore. … Francis told Martínez-Brocal that the basilica had endeared him because of his “great devotion” to Mary, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/25/santa-maria-maggiore-why-pope-francis-buried

Shortly after he was named pontiff, on that same day in 2013, Pope Francis went and knelt down before the image claimed to be of Jesus’ mother Mary in the church known as the Basilica of Mary Major (officially called Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore). Francis bowed down and prayed to an image in that Basilica, known as the Salus Populi Romani, before and after his foreign trips.

My wife Joyce and I visited that Basilica in June of 2013 and asked a nun there where it was that Pope Francis would kneel and pray there. She pointed to the location shown in the photo at the beginning of this post.

Here is some of what Wikipedia reports about that picture:

Salus Populi Romani (English: Salvific Health of the Roman People) is a Roman Catholic title associated with the venerated image of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Rome. This Byzantine icon of the Madonna and Child Jesus holding a Gospel book on a gold ground, now heavily overpainted, is kept in the Borghese (Pauline) Chapel of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major.

The image arrived in Rome in 590 A.D. during the reign of Pope St. Gregory I. Pope Gregory XVI granted the image a canonical coronation on 15 August 1838 through the papal bull Cælestis Regina Maxima.  …

For centuries, the image was placed above the door to the baptistery chapel of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (considered the third of the Roman patriarchal basilicas) where in the year 1240 it began to be called Regina Caeli (English: “Queen of Heaven”) in an official document. Later it was moved to the nave, and from the 13th century it was preserved in a marble church tabernacle. …

From at least the 15th century, it was honored as a miraculous image,  …

Pope Francis restored the image and gave a pontifical Mass on 28 January 2018 on the anniversary of the icon’s translation at the current shrine. … Francis constructed a burial vault near the icon, intended to be his final resting place. (Salus Populi Romani. Wikipedia, accessed 04/25/25)

So, this icon was named the ‘Queen of Heaven.’

The Bible warns against burning incense to the Queen of Heaven (Jeremiah 44), but many Roman Catholics do that with scented candles in various of their churches.

Francis was focused on his version of Mary throughout his pontificate.

In his newsletter of August 1, 2020, Mike Gendron had the following:

Pope Francis has approved the inclusion of three additional invocations in the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also called the Litany of Loreto. Her new titles include: “Mother of Mercy”, “Mother of Hope”, and “Comfort of Migrants.” Read more.

We have to wonder why Mary needs more titles. She already has so many. Here are just a few of the others the Catholic Church has given to her: Advocate, Ark of the Covenant, Comfort of the Afflicted, Gate of the Dawn, Holy Mary, Immaculate Heart of Mary, Immaculate Virgin, Mediatrix of all Grace, Mother of Sorrows, Mother for the Journey, Mother of the Church, Mother of God, Mystical Rose, Our Lady of the Annunciation, Our Lady of Charity, Our Lady of Providence, Our Lady of Ransom, Our Lady of Solitude, Our Lady, Star of the Sea, Queen of All Saints, Queen of Angels, Queen of Apostles, Queen of Confessors, Queen of Families, Queen of Martyrs, Queen of Patriarchs, Queen of Prophets, Queen of Virgins, Queen of the World, and Refuge of Sinners.

The pope also entrusted China to Mary’s protection. He said, “We entrust the pastors and faithful of the Catholic Church in that great country to the guidance and protection of our Heavenly Mother, so that they may be strong in faith and firm in fraternal union, joyful witnesses and promoters of charity and fraternal hope, and good citizens.” Read more. …

Catholic Teaching: Mary “did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation. Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, para. 969).

Biblical Response: Catholics not only have another Jesus and another Gospel, they also have another Mary. By creating this counterfeit Mary, the Catholic Church has robbed the Lord Jesus Christ of His glory and honor. He is the only savior, the only Advocate and the only mediator between God and man (John 14:6; 1 John 2:1; 1 Tim. 2:5). “There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

This repeated emphasis on ‘Mary’ exceeds that of most other pontiffs. Consider that he also added THREE additional holidays to Mary during his pontificate (Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, Feast of Our Lady of Loreto–the Black Madonna, & Memorial of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus). Plus he significantly elevated the observance of the Roman Catholic Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12) in 2020.

Happening now: the Holy Fire ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

Thousands of Eastern Orthodox Christians from around the world participate in the Holy Fire Ceremony in Jerusalem 🇮🇱

We wish all those celebrating Orthodox Easter a meaningful and peaceful… pic.twitter.com/QRYZKqfegR

— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) May 4, 2024

COGwriter

Today is the Last Day of Unleavened Bread and should be observed by Christians.

Here is a suggested holy day service for the Last Day of Unleavened Bread for our scattered brethren and other interested people:

• 2-3 hymns (our songbook, The Bible Hymnal, contains the materials from the 1974 Bible Hymnal from the old WCG with new covers, plus ten additional hymns; there is also some Choral Accompaniment online).
• Opening prayer
• Offertory: Holy Day Offertory: Days of Unleavened Bread.
• Announcements (if any; though for many it will be this letter) and one hymn.
• Sermon, which for most who receive this letter via email will be a recorded one: 7ULB, Fleeing, Sin, and Destruction. Other sermons are also available at the ContinuingCOG channel.
• Final hymn.
• Closing prayer.

Passover, called Pascha by some, occurred after sunset 11 April 2025.

However, Emperor Constantine’s Council of Nicea declared in 325, that instead of the biblical date, a Sunday date should be observed–so most of the world’s churches have complied with that improper “tradition of men” over scripture.

Because of that, tomorrow is celebrated as Pascha by the Eastern/Greek Orthodox (which is the Greek word for Passover) and is celebrated as ‘Easter‘ to Protestants and Roman Catholics. The day before (which is today this year) the Orthodox believe a miracle occurs, which they call ‘Holy Fire.’

Here is something related to it supposedly coming today:

April 19, 2025

In an atmosphere of reverence and splendor, the Holy Light ceremony was held at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

Shortly after 2:30 p.m., the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III, emerged from the Holy Tomb holding 33 lit candles in each hand and distributed the Holy Light to the faithful present for the “Come, receive the light” proclamation, along with the message of the Resurrection to all humanity.

A large crowd had gathered since early morning at the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, where the Holy Fire ceremony was set to take place shortly.

The ceremony was conducted by Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem.

The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, having removed his hierarchical vestments and dressed only in a white alb (sticharion), enters the dark Aedicule holding unlit torches in his hands.

The climactic moment of the Holy Light ceremony in Jerusalem unfolds when the Patriarch receives two bundles of 33 candles—symbolizing the years of Jesus Christ’s earthly life—and enters the Holy Sepulchre. A few moments later, he emerges holding the bundles lit by the Holy Light, marking the Resurrection. https://orthodoxtimes.com/come-receive-the-light-in-jerusalem-the-miracle-has-occurred-live/

This ceremony was not part of the original Christian faith and is a fraud.

For many years, I have denounced this and said it was “not a miracle” (Thiel B. Orthodox Being Misled About “Holy Fire.” COGwriter, April 4, 2010) and back in 2015 I posted:

Eastern/Greek Orthodox … believe that ‘Holy Fire’ arrived again today … of course, real Christians do not believe that the above ceremony is a God-ordained miracle. The Eastern Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem should have the integrity to tell people the truth about this, but never does. (Thiel B. Orthodox ‘Holy Fire miracle’. COGwriter, April 11, 2015)

Well, a few years after I posted that, someone wrote a book where he mention that, privately, various members of the Orthodox clergy have admitted that this was a fraud.

His reward for publishing the truth?

He was sued! In late March 2024, he went to court.

Here is some information about that:

Journalist Dimitris Alikakos is the man accused by the Patriarchate of Jerusalem of demeaning the tradition by spreading “fake news.” …

In his book, he presents an interview with the skeuophylax Archbishop Isidoros of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, in which the latter admits that the “Sleepless Candle”, which he, himself, puts into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre during the morning of the Holy Saturday, is ignited by him with a lighter.

The former (1984–1988) skeuophylax (chamberlain) Archbishop Nikiforos makes the same acknowledgement, except that he was using matches.

He said he would never accept that the Holy Fire was a miracle. “Miracles happen when God decides, Not when we decide… Such “miracles” are performed by charlatans and magicians, not the Church.

“Our faith cannot be based on scams,” Nikiforos said. https://greekreporter.com/2024/03/21/holy-fire-jerusalem-miracle-or-scam/

Greek investigative journalist Dimitris Alikakos published a book titled Redemption—The Case of the Holy Fire in 2019. In it, he claims the holy fire springs up not from a miraculous beam of light but from a man with a lighter. Some of his journalistic methods were deceptive. But among other testimonies, he managed to obtain a video, now on the Internet, of Archbishop Isidoros, custodian and abbot of the holy sepulchre, stating how the candle gets lit. Alikakos asked Isidoros: “You go in, light [the fire] over the Holy Sepulchre, and leave [it] to be found lit by the patriarch. Is it so or not?” The answer? “So it is.” Later in the interview, Isidoros admitted, “It’s not a miracle.”

The Patriarchate of Jerusalem took Alikakos to court on March 20. According to Balkan Insight, the lawsuit claims, “As a result of the book’s publication, many Orthodox believers have increasingly doubted their priests.”

“The plaintiffs have tried to hide the truth,” Alikakos told the media. “I feel great joy and satisfaction that their video testimonies were heard in court today, where they confess that the holy fire lights up naturally,” as opposed to supernaturally. (Zekic MS. Playing With Fake Fire. Philadelphia Trumpet, May-June 2024)

Consider that the Orthodox priests also teach that theirs is the original faith, which it is not, hence they should be doubted (for details see the free online book: Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? and/or the article: Some Similarities and Differences Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Continuing Church of God).

Consider also the following from decades ago:

Mystery of Jerusalem’s Holy Fire comes to light

Telegraph, London – April 16, 2001 By Alan Philps in Jerusalem

… one Armenian torch-bearer, Soukias Tchilingirian, felt the truth had to be told. He said: “It’s not a miracle. The Greek priests bring in a lamp – one that has been kept burning for 1,500 years – to produce the Holy Fire. For pilgrims full of faith who come from abroad, it is a fire from Heaven, a true miracle. But not for us. Of course the source of the fire is ancient and symbolic. I heard this from my father and I think he knew the truth.” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/1311064/Mystery-of-Jerusalems-Holy-Fire-comes-to-light.html

As it turns out, Dimitris Alikakos was acquitted (not found guilty) on March 29, 2024 :

On Friday, Dimitris Alikakos, a Greek journalist, walked out of court in Athens without the shadow of prosecution for the first time in almost half a decade.

His alleged crime: debunking miracles. …

In 2018, Alikakos traveled to Jerusalem to investigate the ritual, which takes place every year.

“It was never mentioned by the early church, or by the apostolic or later fathers in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th century,” Alikakos’ lawyer, Athanasios Anagnostopoulos, said. “It was never sanctioned as an article of faith by the ecumenical councils. In fact, it was initially a Frankish belief that emerged in the Middle Ages.”

Alikakos told RNS that it was his own religious background that led him to the Investigation. “My father was an Orthodox priest, and he first talked to me about the fraud of the Holy Fire,” he said. …

The Patriarchate soon opened both criminal and civil cases against Alikakos and his publisher, charging them with defamation, confidentiality violations and personal data violations. They also brought a case against Google in an attempt to have Alikakos’ video removed from YouTube.

At the time, the church claimed that amongst their damages was that the Orthodox faithful would be led to doubt their priests.

The patriarchate as an organization soon backed off the case, but Archbishop Isodoros had kept up the criminal charges against Alikakos until the journalist was finally acquitted of all charges on Friday. … Alikakos said he welcomed the attention the trial brought to his investigation. “The plaintiffs have tried to hide the truth. I feel great joy and satisfaction that their video testimonies were heard in court today, where they confess that the Holy Fire lights up naturally,” …

Though the matter ended in an acquittal, its longevity speaks to the powerful position the Orthodox church still holds in Greece, whose constitution deems it the “prevailing religion” of the modern Greek state.

In recent years, Greek secularists have fought to decouple the church from Greece’s public education system, …

“Essentially, today Greek secular justice decides whether it will sever the ties of our country with the Middle Ages or whether it will continue to blindly face eternally uncontrolled and unscrupulous monstrous fraudsters, as long as the latter wear a ‘rassa,’” said Petros Tatsopoulos, a Greek journalist and former parliamentarian, using the Greek word for cassock. https://religionnews.com/2024/03/29/five-years-after-challenging-miracle-of-holy-fire-greek-journalist-is-acquitted/

Yes, religious fraud is actually one reason that there are secularists.

Anyway, notice the following report about the fire:

April 18, 2025

Truth or fiction

Today, most churches reject the version that the descent of the Holy Fire is a miracle. There are two reasons for this:

• the descent of the Holy Fire is not recorded in any Christian liturgical book, and therefore does not belong to the actions and rites that are officially approved by the Church;

• the Jerusalem Church confirmed last year that there is a constantly burning lamp in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It is from it that the Holy Fire is lit. https://unn.ua/en/news/the-holy-fire-truth-or-falsehood-where-to-watch-the-broadcast

So, there is always a fire burning in that church and that fire is apparently what is used to light the candles that are brought in. It is not a miracle nor is it holy.

Here is more information about the history, etc. about the Orthodox fire:

Where and when does the miracle occur?

The ceremony … takes place in the Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem. The date for Pascha is determined anew for every year. It must be a first Sunday after the spring equinox and Jewish Passover. Therefore, most of the time it differs from the date of Catholic and Protestant Easter, which is determined using different criteria. The Holy Fire is the most renowned miracle in the world of Eastern Orthodoxy. It has taken place at the same time, in the same manner, in the same place every single year for centuries. No other miracle is known to occur so regularly and so steadily over time. No other miracle is known to occur so regularly and so steadily over time. It happens in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, the holiest place on earth[2], where Christ was crucified, entombed, and where He finally rose from the dead. …

Typically they wait from the afternoon of Holy Friday in anticipation of the miracle on Holy Saturday. Beginning at around 11:00 in the morning the Christian Arabs chant traditional hymns in a loud voice. These chants date back to the Turkish occupation of Jerusalem in the 13th century, a period in which the Christians were not allowed to chant anywhere but in the churches. “We are the Christians, we have been Christians for centuries, and we shall be forever and ever. Amen!” – they chant at the top of their voices accompanied by the sound of drums. The drummers sit on the shoulders of others who dance vigorously around the Holy Ciborium. But at 1:00 pm the chants fade out, and then there is a silence. A tense silence, charged from the anticipation of the great demonstration of God’s power for all to witness. Shortly thereafter, a delegation from the local authorities elbows its way through the crowd. At the time of the Turkish occupation of Palestine they were Muslim Turks; today they are Israelis. Their function is to represent the Romans at the time of Jesus. The Gospels speak of the Romans that went to seal the tomb of Jesus, so that his disciples would not steal his body and claim he had risen. In the same way the Israeli authorities on this Holy Saturday come and seal the tomb with wax. Before they seal the door, they follow a custom to enter the tomb, and to check for any hidden source of fire, which would make a fraud of the miracle. (http://www.holyfire.org/eng/, viewed 04/11/15)

Irrespective of where Jesus was killed, entombed, and rose from the dead, the Bible does not endorse that the possibility that leaders of the Eastern/Greek Orthodox could be involved in regular true miracles from Him. Furthermore, according to the Bible, the Passover is to be observed at night and on the 14th day of the first month of the biblical calendar–Eastern Orthodox scholars know this, but ignore when and how the true Passover is to be observed.The Bible itself warns about deceivers and forms of deception (2 Timothy 3:13).

In 2013, Wikipedia had the following statements:

Holy Fire

The Holy Fire (Greek Ἃγιον Φῶς, “Holy Light“) is described by Christians as a miracle that occurs every year at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on Holy Saturday, the day preceding Orthodox Easter.

Description

Orthodox tradition holds that the Holy Fire is a miracle that happens annually on the day preceding Orthodox Easter, in which a blue light emanates either from the dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre or from the slab believed to be the “Stone of Anointing” upon which Jesus’ body was prepared for burial, which eventually forms a column containing a form of fire, from which candles are lit, which are then used to light the candles of the clergy and pilgrims in attendance. Pilgrims and clergy claim that the Holy Fire does not burn them.

The Holy Fire is brought to certain Orthodox countries, such as in Georgia, Greece, Russia, Belarus, Cyprus, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Macedonia, every year by special flights, being received with honors by state leaders at the respective airports.

History

The Holy Fire is first mentioned by the pilgrim Bernard the Monk, in 870 AD.[5] A detailed description of this phenomenon is contained in the travelogue of the Russian hegumen Daniil (Daniel), who was present at the ceremony in 1106 AD…

Criticism

As with all alleged miracles, many question the validity of the Holy Fire, noting, for instance, that cold-handed pilgrims generally withstand the fire for the same very brief periods of time as can be achieved with any fire.

Criticism dates at least to the days of Islamic rule of Jerusalem, but the pilgrims were never stopped, because of the significant revenue they brought to local governments even at the end of the first millennium. When the apparently uninitiated Crusaders took over the Orthodox clergy in charge of the fire, it failed to appear, increasing the skepticism among Western Christians. But feeling the lack of pilgrim revenues, Baldwin I of Jerusalem reinstated the Orthodox priests in charge, and the fire, as well as the stream of revenues, returned.

In 1238, Pope Gregory IX denounced the Holy Fire as a fraud and forbade Franciscans from participating in the ceremony.

The Ottoman traveller, Evliya Celebi, claimed that a hidden zinc jar of naphtha was dripped down a chain by a hidden monk…

Dobrokhotov and other critics, including Russian Orthodox researcher Nikolay Uspensky,Dr. Aleksandr Musin of Sorbonne, and some Old Believers quote excerpts from the diaries of Bishop Porphyrius (Uspensky) (1804–1885) which told that the clergy in Jerusalem knew that the Holy Fire was fraudulent. (Holy Fire. Wikipedia, May 5, 2013)

So, this ‘holy fire’ event supposedly began over eight centuries after the resurrection of Jesus. Hence, it is certainly not an original Christian practice, and I (and many others) have long asserted that it is NOT a miracle from God.

Why is there any importance of this at this Church of God News page?

Now, despite the hoax of ‘Holy Fire,’ the Bible warns that someone will come with signs and lying wonders to mislead the world:

8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 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. (2 Thessalonians 2:8-12)

Notice that almost all will be deceived by the coming signs.

Furthermore, notice that “fire from heaven” will be one of those signs:

11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. 12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. 14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. (Revelation 13:11-14)

Yes, someone will be able to bring real fire down from heaven (through demonic assistance–cf. Revelation 16:14)–this and certain other signs will NOT be faked.

By historically believing in “holy fire” many Orthodox have unknowingly been setting themselves up to accept the signs and lying wonders that the Bible warns about. The acceptance of signs and lying wonders over the truth of the Bible is part of Satan’s Plan. All, including the non-Orthodox, need to understand that signs and wonders are NOT of themselves proof that something is of God, including the annual ritual of “holy fire.”

So, when reports come out about this prophecy in Revelation 13:13 being fulfilled, please realize that just because fire is shown, does not mean that God caused it nor that the religion that the beast will be promoting is the true one.

Yet, at least partially because of that deception, most of humanity will, for a time, accept a compromised religion that IS NOT “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

DO NOT FALL FOR IT!

Anyway, God HAS NOT BEEN PROVIDING HOLY FIRE ON THESE ORTHODOX ANNUAL SATURDAYS. Those who believe that He did are deceived.

Of course, even if you are not Eastern Orthodox, you need to consider whether or not you believe and practice the original faith that is laid out in the Bible (see Continuing History of the Church of God), and even if you somewhat do, if you are supporting the truest Christian church (see Where is the True Christian Church Today?).

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Satan’s Plan Does Satan have a plan? What is it? Has it already been successful? Will it be successful in the future? Here are links to a two-part sermon series: What are Some of the Parts of Satan’s Plan? and Satan’s Plan is More Dramatic than Many Realize.
Early Christianity in Edessa and the Church of the East Could there have been Christian leaders there? Might Judas of Jerusalem went there? Could Macarius have been a faithful Christian?
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church. 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, and What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, and Early Heresies and Heretics, and Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, and Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, and Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List.
Passover and the Early Church Did the early Christians observe Passover? What did Jesus and Paul teach? Why did Jesus die for our sins? There is also a detailed YouTube video available titled History of the Christian Passover.
Did Early Christians Celebrate Easter? If not, when did this happen? Where did Easter come from? What do scholars and the Bible reveal? Here is a link to a video titled Why Easter?
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.
Two Horned Beast of Revelation and 666 Who is 666? This article explains how the CCOG views this, and compares this to Ellen White.
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Continuing Church of God Both groups claim to be the original church, but both groups have differing ways to claim it. Both groups have some amazing similarities and some major differences. Do you know what they are? Here is a link to a related sermon: Eastern Orthodox 40+ Similar Beliefs to the CCOG.
Some Doctrines of Antichrist Are there any doctrines taught outside the Churches of God which can be considered as doctrines of antichrist? This article suggests at least three. It also provides information on 666 and the identity of “the false prophet.” Plus it shows that several Catholic writers seem to warn about an ecumenical antipope that will support heresy.
Why Should American Catholics Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster? Is doctrinal compromise good? Here is a link to a related video Should you be concerned about the ecumenical movement?
Beware: Protestants Going Towards Ecumenical Destruction! What is going on in the Protestant world? Are Protestants turning back to their ‘mother church’ in Rome? Does the Bible warn about this? What are Catholic plans and prophecies related to this? Is Protestantism doomed? There is also a video: Charismatic Kenneth Copeland and Anglican Tony Palmer: Protestants Beware!
Orthodox Must Reject Unity with the Roman Catholics Unity between these groups will put them in position to be part of the final end time Babylon that the Bible warns against as well as require improper compromise.
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui? Here is a link to a short animation: Which Church would Jesus Choose?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, French: L Histoire Continue de l Église de Dieu and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.

(Christian Cable via Wikipedia)

COGwriter

The woke movement is being called the religion of the new world order:

The NWO Religion: How The Woke Postmodern “Faith” Glorifies Evil

April 17, 2025

The very core of the woke movement is fundamentally rooted in evil. The general definition of “evil” being a conscious act of deception and destruction, the deliberate victimization of others for the sake of personal power, pleasure and gain. When I try to imagine what a religion of evil might look like I consistently come back to the far-left woke movement along with its rabid mantras, agendas and self righteous narcissism. …

Some people (myself included) see archetypes as scientific proof of creative design; proof of God. …

For other people (globalists, leftists and run of the mill psychopaths) free will means the ability to choose not to believe in archetypes, or morality or even objective truth. They choose nihilism, but this is only part of the problem. The defiance of truth goes beyond some misguided attempt to be free from societal judgment.

Instead, evil people define freedom without responsibility as the ultimate state of being – In other words, they view the capacity to inflict suffering and destruction without regard as an evolutionary advantage. They think their lack of humanity makes them superhuman.

It’s no mistake that leftists and woke activists are obsessed with power dynamics; their new religion ensures that they cannot see the world any other way. …

They see moral order as an artificial construct that oppresses them (because they want to do evil without consequence). Moral relativism at its core requires the victimization of others as a form of rebellion against order. Of course, the injustice of this mentality is hard to dismiss but leftists have a way around that.

There’s no shortage of woke activists who have displayed a contempt for the law and for morals when they’re being judged, but they will joyfully embrace morals and the law when they think these things can be used against their enemies. Hypocritically, leftists like the idea of rules, but only for other people. Rules are a shield to prevent retribution from the people they victimize. That’s the only purpose rules serve for the woke.

To summarize, leftists are TOTAL relativists. The rules do not apply to them. The law does not apply to them. Morality does not apply to them. Conscience is non-existent for them (or it exists but they have trained their minds to ignore it). Biological reality does not apply to them. They think they are special and that boundaries should only exist for the people they don’t like.

This is pure evil. There’s no other rational way to look at it. …

Lucifer (Satan) was a servant entity that sought to surpass God and rule the universe by his own standards. The Garden of Eden is based on the idea of humanity coveting the power of knowledge without responsibility and losing respect for creation. The Tower of Babel is a tale of man’s foolish urge to centralize and control creation, building great monuments to himself in a vain effort to reach the divine.

The theme pops up over and over again, …

Luciferians declare the opposite: They say yes, they will play god, and anyone that tries to stop them is an “inferior” that deserves to be eliminated.

In this way the trio of evils combines to form the New World Order religion. Postmodernism is a war on objective truth, especially as it applies to human society. …

We need to ask, what happens when evil becomes acceptable and good becomes passe? In the end you get a black void of despair and the absence of direction or purpose. Imagine a future where your principles and conscience are used against you, holding you back while people that have no principles are given all of life’s rewards. The currency of your society becomes psychopathy and the lunatics run the asylum.

And what’s really horrifying is that we’re not very far from this Orwellian nightmare. In some ways, it’s already upon us. https://alt-market.us/the-nwo-religion-how-the-woke-postmodern-faith-glorifies-evil/

Yes, you can logically prove that there really is a God–here is a link to our free ebook: Is God’s Existence Logical?

That said, wokeness has basically become the religion of the globalist atheists and new agers in the West, meaning Europe and the USA.

Related to wokeness, the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) put out the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

16:26

Woke: Follow the True Science

What is being ‘woke’ supposed to mean? Do the woke have ”an active awareness of systemic injustices and prejudices, especially those related to civil and human rights” or are they perhaps hypocrites as an article in Newsweek suggested? What about religious rights? What about science? Are the following, which are held by much of the non-woke, scientifically/factually true: 1. Life begins at conception. 2. LGBTQ people can change their sexual orientation, and should be helped if they want it to change. 3. People of all ethnic backgrounds can be hateful racists. 4. Spontaneous generation of life is impossible. 5. XX chromosomes make one a woman, whereas XY chromosomes make one a man. 6. Heterosexual intercourse is normal. 7. Acquired immunity to COVID is not inferior to vaccine immunity. 8. If masks are required for citizens, than protesters and those who wish to enter the USA illegally should also wear them. 9. Pornography harms society. Is the Bible true? Could the woke generation been warned about in scripture? Should you join a crowd in evil? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more in this video.

Here is a link to our video: Woke: Follow the True Science.

Related to some Orwellian moves happening NOW in Europe, the Continuing Church of God put together the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel discussing various views and scriptures about that:

14:40

Is Germany Becoming Orwell’s 1984?

In his novel 1984 George Orwell described a totalitarian government that controlled all aspects of human existence. “Big Brother is Watching You” was the reality of this government. George Orwell introduced “Newspeak”, a language that was designed to limit the range of thought. He also defined his concept of “Doublethink”, which is the ability to hold two contradictory beliefs at once and, yet accept both as reality. In 1984, the Thought Police were tasked with actually controlling what people can even think, let alone what they can say! The year 1984 has come and gone, but has George Orwell’s “Big Brother” government finally started to arrive? Are many governments in the world today adopting many of the ideas and tactics outlined in George Orwell’s book? If so, what government or governments are leading the way? Has Germany just put in its own version of “Thought Police”? Think about this: There is now a German Government initiative to report your family for wrong think. Dr. Thiel quotes Luke 12:53 in our Bible and then goes on to further shine the light of Biblical prophecy on the answers to these ‘666’ matters. He provides answers from the verses of the Bible that bring prophecy to life.

Here is a link to our video: Is Germany Becoming Orwell’s 1984?

As far as a globalist religion goes, here is something from my free ebook Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America?:

The World Worships the Beast

The Book of Revelation teaches:

⁸ All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8)

The “him” above is the Babylonian European Beast.

The “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2) has worked to set the stage for this Beast to have secular and religious supporters of various types.

Secular organizations such as the World Economic Forum (WEF),[i] United Nations,[ii] and the Bilderberg Group[iii] all support a type of a somewhat ecumenical-interfaith-merged religion, allowing for certain differences, yet possibly writing their own holy book with artificial intelligence! [iv] They all promote what could be called a ‘globalist’ agenda, consistent with prophecies (e.g. Revelation 17:1-5).

The European Union does as well, however, its view is that Europe should lead a coming “new world order.”[v]

In May of 2022, World Economic Forum’s founder Klaus Schwab, who is German, said he wanted to make it “clear” — “the future is built by us.”[vi] And the WEF will work with others, like European politicians, to make that happen. WEF Chief Executive Philippe Donnet wrote related to global governance, “The world needs a leader. Europe should step up … Global leadership, especially in socioeconomic terms, could become the shared goal of European citizens.”[vii]

Furthermore, the WEF has wanted Roman Catholic involvement and Pope Francis has, at least twice, sent Klaus Schwab pro-WEF letters.[viii]

In 2020 Prince Charles, now king Charles III, endorsed the WEF’s globalist ‘Great Reset” agenda.[ix] There are prophecies about some of the UK (Ephraim) calling out to Germany (Assyria) after the start of the Great Tribulation (cf. Hosea 5:13). It is likely that at least one or more members of the British royal family will do this, though it will not turn out as they would have hoped (cf. Hosea 5:13b, 11:5).

Former German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, who has pushed for more European integration, has personally spoken at a WEF meeting a decade ago[x] and was still listed as part of the WEF on its website in 2023.[xi] Herr Guttenberg also has directly called for Europe to reorganize.[xii]

The WEF has called its version of a reorganized world The Great Reset.[xiii] Many aspects of The Great Reset align with a future the Bible warns against. In 2021, the WEF announced it would work with Big Tech and governments to be able to control and censor the internet[xiv]—such control would seem to contribute to the coming “famine of the word” (Amos 8:11-12).

In 2022, Klaus Schwab told the G20 (a group of the most influential/powerful government leaders of the world) that he believed that “a deep systemic and structural restructuring of our world” was needed.[xv] While a deep European restructuring will occur (cf. Revelation 17:12-13), it is scripturally warned against. In 2023 in a keynote speech at the World Government Summit, Klaus Schwab stated, “I agree, artificial intelligence, but not only artificial intelligence, but also the metaverse, neospace technologies, and I could go on and on … And, who masters those technologies, in some way, will be the master of the world”[xvi]–and that is basically what he called for. Bible prophecy points to computer technologies to be used by the coming Beast power (cf. Revelation 13:16-18).

On the opening day of the WEF meeting in Davos, Switzerland in 2023, Klaus Schwab called for his supporters to “master the future,”[xvii] which looks to be directed towards globalist totalitarianism. On the closing day of that conference “Tanja Fajon, Slovenia’s minister of foreign affairs, complained about countries placing their own sovereignty over the interests of the ‘world order,’ “ [xviii] (the loss of national sovereignty will happen at least in Europe according to prophecies such as Revelation 17:12-13).

Another 2023 WEF Davos speaker, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari (Pakistan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs) stated shortly after Tanja Fajon, “Here at WEF…there’s a lot of discussion about what the new world order will be…” and he also stated that that they needed to continue working towards, “building this new world order.” [xix] Having watched the video clip of this, Bilawal Zardari also looked to be calling for something consistent with the final time of the Gentiles (Ezekiel 30:3). By not appreciating warnings contained in biblical prophecies, many are pushing in a direction that will end in death and destruction that the Bible says to flee from (cf. Revelation 18:2-19).

It needs to be pointed out that this book is not asserting that the United Nations, World Economic Forum, Freemasons, Bilderberg Group, etc. cannot do anything good. They do have many positive goals, yet also have other goals that are opposed by scripture. Despite the good, the Bible warns:

¹ Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; (Psalm 127:1)

And, since these groups do not promote the supremacy of the God of the Bible, they, in that sense, labor in vain.

Related to goals of the New Age movement, consider the following:

A number of fundamental beliefs are held by many New Age followers…

• Universal Religion: Since all is God, then only one reality exists, and all religions are simply different paths to that ultimate reality. …
• New World OrderAs the Age of Aquariusunfolds, a New Age will develop. This will be a utopia in which there is world government, and end to wars, disease, hunger, pollution, and poverty. People’s allegiance to their tribe or nation will be replaced by a concern for the entire world and its people.[xx]

[i] Yanklowitz S. Global unity or chaos: Special report from the World Economic Forum! Jewish Journal, September 6, 2011

[ii] Secretary-General briefs Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question. United Nations, January 26, 2016

[iii] Richardson I, et al. Bilderberg People. Taylor & Francis, 2013

[iv] Global Agenda: Role of Faith in Systemic Global Challenges World Economic Forum, June 2016; Campbell M. WEF speaker suggests ‘New Bible’ written by AI. The Counter Signal, June 13, 2023

[v] Balázs P. ed. Europe’s Position in the New World Order. Center for EU Enlargement Studies, 2013

[vi] Klaus Schwab at World Economic Forum: ‘The future is built by us.’ World Tribune, May 23, 2022

[vii] Donnet P. The world needs a leader. Europe should step up. WEF, January 17, 2018

[viii] To Professor Klaus Schwab, Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum. From the Vatican, 12th January 2018; Franciscus PP. Message of His Holiness Pope Francis to Prof. Klaus Schwab. From the Vatican, 17 January 2014

[ix] Alessi C. ‘A golden opportunity’ – HRH the Prince of Wales and other leaders on the Forum’s Great Reset. WEF, June 3, 2020

[x] Stott M. German minister fears “infectious momentum” in Mideast. Reuters, January 28, 2011

[xi] Karl-Theodor Freiherr zu Guttenberg. World Economic Forum https://www.weforum.org/people/karl-theodor-zu-guttenberg accessed 01/21/23

[xii] Centrifugal Force An Interview with Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg. Octavian Report, c. 2017; Octavian Report video on November 15, 2017 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTL_CgBwmxo

[xiii] Scwab K, Malleret T. COVID-19: The Great Reset. Agentur Schweiz, 2020

[xiv] Hohmann L. World Economic Forum (WEF) Announces Creation of Orwellian ‘Global Coalition for Digital Safety’ Global Research, 1 July 2021

[xv] Florio G. World Economic Forum Chairman Klaus Schwab Announces His Plans For A “Deep Systemic And Structural Restructuring Of Our World” At The G20 Summit. Evie magazine, November 15, 2022

[xvi] Parker T. Klaus Schwab: Those who master new technologies “in some way, will be the master of the world.” Reclaim the Net, February 14, 2023

[xvii] Coglianese V. Editor Daily Rundown: Klaus Schwab Opens 2023 World Economic Forum With Call To ‘Master The Future’Daily Caller, January 17, 2023

[xviii] Dutton J. ‘New World Order’ Remarks at Davos Spark Flood of Conspiracy Theories. Newsweek, January 20, 2023

[xix] Dutton J. ‘New World Order’ Remarks at Davos Spark Flood of Conspiracy Theories. Newsweek, January 20, 2023

[xx] NEW AGE SPIRITUALITY a.k.a. Self-spirituality, New spirituality, Mind-body-spirit. Religious Tolerance.org http://www.religioustolerance.org/newage.htm viewed 07/29/22

The new world order religion that the globalist woke crowd will one day enforce will be intolerant, totalitarian, and deadly:

15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.  (Revelation 13:15-18)

Believe and trust the God of the Bible, not the woke Luciferian religion that much in the world are promoting.

And for now, you should be keeping the Days of Unleavened Bread if you wish to follow the faith of the original Christians.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Should You Keep God’s Holy Days or Demonic Holidays? This is a free pdf booklet explaining what the Bible and history shows about God’s Holy Days and popular holidays. Two related sermons would be Which Spring Days should Christians observe? and Fall Holy Days for Christians.
Should Christians Keep the Days of Unleavened Bread? Do they have any use or meaning now? What is leaven? This article supplies some biblical answers. Here is a link to this article in the French language: Les Chrétiens devraient-ils observer les Jours des Pains sans levain? Here are some YouTube videos intended to be viewed for the first day of unleavened bread: Let’s Talk About the Days of Unleavened Bread, Unleavened Bread: No Tolerance for Sin, Leaven and Sin, and Christians and the Days of Unleavened Bread.
The Seventh Day of Unleavened Bread What happened? Does this day have any type of fulfillment in the Book of Revelation? A related sermon video is also available: 7th Day of Unleavened Bread: Prophecy and Lessons.
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?
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is are links to related videos: European history and the Bible, Europe In Prophecy, The End of European Babylon, and Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European? Here is a link to a related sermon in the Spanish language: El Fin de la Babilonia Europea.
The European Union and the Seven Kings of Revelation 17 Could the European Union be the sixth king that now is, but is not? Here is a link to the related sermon video: European Union & 7 Kings of Revelation 17:10.
Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations? Some claim that these passages refer to a gathering of 10 currently existing nations together, while one group teaches that this is referring to 11 nations getting together. Is that what Revelation 17:12-13 refers to? The ramifications of misunderstanding this are enormous.
USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses Can you point to scriptures, like Daniel 11:39, that point to the USA in the 21st century? This article does. A related sermon is titled: Do these 7 prophesies point to the end of the USA?
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no Final End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West? Here is a version in the Spanish language: ¿Quién es el Rey del Occidente? ¿Por qué no hay un Rey del Occidente en la profecía del tiempo del fin? A related sermon is also available: The Bible, the USA, and the King of the West.
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.
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; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon;  When Will the End of the Age Come?;  Rise of the Prophesied King of the North; Christian Persecution from the Beast; WWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

Pope Leo IX

COGwriter

April 19th is a date that some in the Church of Rome honor, as one of their saints, Pope Leo IX (whose name had been Bruno). Here is some of what they teach about him:

Son of Count Hugh of Egisheim. Cousin of Emperor Conrad II. Chapter canon of Saint Stephen’s, Toul, France. Deacon. Soldier and officer in the imperial army. In 1021, while still in the military, he was chosen bishop of Toul, France, a position he held for 20 years. Commanded troops under emperor Conrad II in the invasion of Italy in 1026. http://saints.sqpn.com/pope-saint-leo-ix/

Although it is known that Christians were not militaristic, the Greco-Roman faith became militaristic around the time of Emperor Constantine (see Military Service and the Churches of God: Do Real Christians Participate in Carnal Warfare?). Yet despite claims of being a Christian, Bishop Bruno was certainly militaristic.

We in the Continuing Church of God do not consider that Pope Leo IX was a real Christian, despite him being considered a saint of the Church of Rome.

Leo IX was believed to have been a factor in causing the Great Schism between the Church of Rome and the Eastern Orthodox in 1054.

While politics and other doctrines are believed to have played a major role in the schism, some have suggested that the Orthodox tendency to somewhat honor the seventh day Sabbath (in addition to Sunday) was also a factor:

[A] treatise, entitled in Latin Adversus Graecorum Columnias was composed in the form of a debate about the year 1054 by Cardinal Humbert. The Cardinal had been sent by Pope Leo IX early in 1054 as the papal nuncios to Constantinople to endeavor to bring the Greeks into conformity with the religious practices of the Roman (Latin) Church. The mission however did not succeed. The treatise was composed as a further attempt to dissuade the Greeks from holding on to certain divergent religious practices such as veneration of the Sabbath…The Cardinal argues that the Latins in no way resemble the Jews in their observance of the Sabbath…He proceeds then to show the Greeks that they are the ones who judaize as they observe the Sabbath in the identical manner of the Jews.

Dr. Bacchiocchi observed:

R.L. Odom has persuasively brought out that the Roman insistence on making the Sabbath a day of fast contributed greatly to the historic break between the Eastern and Western Christian Church which occurred in A.D. 1054. (Cited in Bacchiocchi Anti-Judaism and the Origin of Sunday, p. 67)

So, Pope Leo IX had a Cardinal that was opposed to officially honoring the Sabbath and this was apparently one of various factors for the split with the Eastern Orthodox.

A split that has gone on for close to a thousand years, but one that the Church of Rome and the Eastern Orthodox are looking to resolve.

As far as Sabbath fasting goes, that seemed to originate with the heretic Marcion :

Marcion who fasted on the Sabbath to show his contempt for the God of the Old Testament whom he considered to be evil (Bacchiocchi S. Anti-Judaism and the Origin of Sunday. The Pontifical Gregorian University Press, Rome, 1975, p. 62).

Fasting on the Sabbath was a practice adopted by the Roman Church, but not the Churches in Asia Minor in the second and third centuries.

The Catholic and Orthodox saint Irenaeus 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. Online Edition Copyright © 2004 by K. Knight).

Polycarp, and other true early Christian writers, kept all of the ten commandments that were first mentioned in the Old Testament (an article of related interest may be The Ten Commandments and the Early Church). This is how Polycarp (and others) differed from many of the early heretics like Marcion (more on Cerinthus can be found in the article Cerinthus: An early heretic).

Another to specifically oppose Marcion was Church of God leader/bishop Theophilus of Antioch (late 2nd century). 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).

This is of interest because it shows that both Philip and Theophilus also wrote against the heretic Marcion (though the document, while apparently available to Eusebius, is currently unavailable).

Notice what the Protestant historian Kenneth Latourette stated:

Marcion insisted that the Church had obscured the Gospel by seeking to combine it with Judaism (Latourette KS. A History of Christianity, Volume 1: to A.D. 1500. HarperCollins, San Francisco, 1975, p. 126).

In other words, the original true Church of God truly did combine faith in Christ with practices that Marcion considered to be too Jewish. And Marcion was denounced by leaders from Asia Minor for rejecting the true faith.

In the third century, Hippolytus of Rome wrote:

But Marcion, a native of Pontus, far more frantic than these (heretics), omitting the majority of the tenets of the greater number (of speculators), (and) advancing into a doctrine still more unabashed, supposed (the existence of) two originating causes of the universe, alleging one of them to be a certain good (principle), but the other an evil one. And himself imagining that he was introducing some novel (opinion), founded a school full of folly, and attended by men of a sensual mode of life, inasmuch as he himself was one of lustful propensities. This (heretic) having thought that the multitude would forget that he did not happen to be a disciple of Christ, but of Empedocles, who was far anterior to himself, framed and formed the same opinions,–namely, that there are two causes of the universe, discord and friendship. For what does Empedocles say respecting the plan of the world? Even though we have previously spoken (on this subject), yet even now also, for the purpose, at all events, of comparing the heresy of this plagiarist (with its source), we shall not be silent. This (philosopher) affirms that all the elements out of which the world consists and derives its being, are six: two of them material, (viz.,) earth and water; and two of them instruments by which material objects are arranged and altered, (viz.,) fire and air; and two of them, by means of the instruments, operating upon matter and fashioning it, viz., discord and friendship. (Empedocles) expresses himself somehow thus:- “The four roots of all things hear thou first: Brilliant Jove, and life-giving Juno and Aidoneus, And Nestis, who with tears bedews the mortal font.” (Hippolytus. Refutation of All Heresies (Book VII), Chapter XVII. Translated by J. H. Machmahon. Excerpted from Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 5. Edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. American Edition, 1886. Online Edition Copyright © 2005 by K. Knight)

Marcion taught against the law and the Creator’s Sabbath–the seventh-day Sabbath. Marcion eliminated or overlooked many portions of the Bible. His attitude seems to have been similar to Luther’s in this respect (Martin Luther’s attitude toward the Bible can be found in the article Sola Scriptura or Prima Luther? What Did Martin Luther Really Believe About the Bible?).

While the Church of Rome eventually condemned Marcion, sadly, its Pope Leo IX pushed for at least one of his non-biblical practices.

As far as the Sabbath being biblical, let me point out that a series of articles in the Catholic Mirror, called The Christian Sabbath, essentially proved that the biblical Sabbath was Saturday, that the Lord’s day in Revelation 1 is not a reference to Sunday, that the Church of Rome implemented Sunday, and that nearly all Protestants followed Rome. The change from the Sabbath was not biblical and Catholic scholars have admitted this.

(Old WCG booklet cover)

COGwriter

In one of his newsletters, Mike Gendron led with the following:

Discerning Truth in a World of Deception

We are living in a world where truth is being twisted, manipulated and suppressed by hypocritical politicians, government agencies, religious leaders, corrupt scientists and the liberal media. Our debased culture is redefining truth and reality. No one knows who to trust or how to avoid being misled or deceived. The only way we can be victorious is to fight the good fight of faith against worldly ideologies. We can never let a lie of the devil go unabated and we must be discerning. This means we must examine everything and hold onto what is good (1 Thes. 5:21).

What Is Discernment?

Discernment distinguishes truth from error in order to prevent false teaching from infiltrating the church. The Hebrew word “bin” and the Greek word “diakrino” are used hundreds of times in Scripture to make distinctions, to separate things at their points of difference. It calls for black and white thinking and a refusal to color issues gray. Those who apply discernment consistently in every area of life are sure to walk in the wisdom of our Lord (Prov. 2:1-6).

Why Is Discernment Necessary?

Satan is the god of this world and the father of lies (John 8:44). We need to be aware of his schemes to deceive, corrupt, falsify, blind, destroy, devour and kill. We need to discern good from evil and expose those who call evil good and good evil. The apostle John exhorted Christians to make judgments concerning doctrinal and spiritual issues: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). All Christians are called to judge righteously by using the Word of God as the plumb line for discerning truth from error. And judge we must because the Father of Lies deals in half-truths, and his fatal lies are often coated with a thin veneer of truth to deceive the unsuspecting.

Why Do We Need Discernment?

Christians need discernment to know and prove the will of God so that we will not be conformed to this world (Rom.12:2). We also need to test the veracity of every teaching of man (Acts 17:11). Without discernment we could not identify the counterfeits from the genuine. Paul warned us that “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore, it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.” (2 Cor. 11:13-15). We also need discernment to avoid being “tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine by the trickery of people, by craftiness in deceitful scheming” (Eph. 4:14).

Mike Gendron is a former Roman Catholic who has warned against some of their changed doctrines, but sadly he has embraced others. To know what the original catholic church taught, check out our free online b ook: Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession?

Censored News recommended the following article:

We can talk to people anywhere in the world live, on facetime or Zoom and it costs nothing and this remarkable device is only a little bigger than the palm of your hand and fits easily in our pocket.

The atmosphere around our planet is covered by thousands of satellites that monitor us and help us constantly with GPS tracking devices. Millions of messages are being beamed around the world every second in the blink of an eye. We are being monitored in our cars, on the street, shopping, eating or at work. Back home we have flat screen high definition televisions in most rooms, (which also watches us). Even more gadgets, laptops, tablets and PC’s allow us to stream or download anything we may desire. Radio waves, TV signals, communication, entertainment networks. Every day, billions of invisible messages, images and videos are being transmitted all around us. The air and atmosphere is the highway of our wonderful technological world but, who owns it?

The following is an excerpt from Ephesians 2.

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, (the devil) of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

And again in Ephesians 6.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

“The Prince Of The Air”

Satan controls that highway. Satan, known in the Bible as “The Prince Of The Air,” he is in control of our airways. He is the Prince of tech and has established the foundation of his empire here on Earth through airwaves, radio waves, TV signals, communication, entertainment networks, streaming. From two black and white TV stations and an analogue radio back in 1957 to a sophisticated interconnected communication network capable of getting into the heads of almost 8 billion people today and talk about deception, we didn’t even realise, brilliant!

1 Peter 5:8, NIV: “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

Worse is yet to come, 5G is now in place along with RFID Chip technology and Artificial Intelligence which will replace everything from sex-workers to truck drivers, factory workers to soldiers, causing mass unemployment and at the same time developing a “usless society,” which will of course need a chip to enable them to receive unemployment benefits, medical checks and “proof of vaccination” against anything our government demands.

Yet, how could this have happened in such a short time?

Matthew 24: 24. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time.

We have been deceived of that there is no doubt!

In just over 60 years the devil has cleverly outsmarted our society and replaced the innocence of black and white tv shows and radio programes with a diet of sex, hate, violence and magic. Good old, Rock n’ roll, known back in the day as music of the devil, has been replaced by foul-mouthed rappers singing about rape, murder and drugs. Sex has exploded onto our screens. Teen Vogue and other children magazines have run articles teaching young girls and boys how to enjoy anal sex. Every second of every day 30,000 Americans are watching porn. Every day, 25% of all online traffic is directed at pornography with many thousands of them in search of child porn or rape. Some sexual transmitted diseases such as Gonnharea have become so widespread in people it is now immune against even the strongest antibiotics. Almost 70% of people aged between 1-49 are living with herpes and there is no cure. Most suffer oral infection but nearly 200 million have genital infection.

Satan didn’t just take over the airwaves he took over our heads…

Since the Covid virus was announced on New Year’s Eve, 2019 the world has quickly spiralled into a Hollywood Esque zombie movie filled with anarchy, hate, spite, ugliness and violence which has exploded into unprecedented levels. Just ten minutes on your Facebook timeline or Twitter will shock you into believing the world has actually lost its mind. Evil is out there but in the form of indifference, a lack of empathy or genuine feeling for our neighbour has taken root and it appears to be mutating at a similar speed as the Covid-19 virus infecting people with hate and anger. 03/26/21 https://www.thebigwobble.org/2021/03/the-prince-of-air-and-you-were-dead-in.html

Satan’s broadcast has deceived the whole world:

2 … the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2)

9 … that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan … deceives the whole world (Revelation 12:9)

Speaking of deception, notice the following from Michael Snyder:

The Vast Majority Of The Global Population Has Eagerly Embraced A Giant Deception

March 30, 2021

We were promised that 2021 would be the year when things would turn around because the vaccines would bring the COVID pandemic to an end. Hundreds of millions of doses have already been administered all over the globe, and millions more are being administered with each passing day. But the pandemic is not ending. The number of confirmed cases is now escalating dramatically, and the head of the CDC says that she is “scared” of what is ahead. …

Well, if the vaccines were going to save us from the pandemic, why hasn’t it happened already? …

Some would have us believe that cases are rising because not enough people have been vaccinated yet.

But we keep getting more and more reports of people that have been “fully vaccinated” but are still catching COVID and testing positive…

This isn’t what we were promised.

We were told that if we took the experimental shots that we would be fully protected.

But it turns out that isn’t true after all. …

Sadly, those that were expecting the vaccines to end this pandemic have been living in a fantasy world.

Lots of people have still been getting infected even after being “fully vaccinated”, and most experts believe that the new variants will soon make the existing vaccines pointless. …

But the truth is that this pandemic is not going to end any time soon. …

Is COVID the end of the world?

Of course not.

The vast majority of those that get it end up recovering.

But it is not a “fake pandemic” either, and those that were expecting the vaccines to save us were just being delusional.

Ultimately, COVID should be a major wake up call for all of us. Because if a relatively minor pandemic can cause this much global chaos, what is going to happen when a true killer pandemic finally hits us?

If the number of confirmed cases continues to rise, life will not be “getting back to normal” this summer.

Instead, there will be more lockdowns, more mask mandates, more social distancing measures and more pressure put on people to get shots.

This is the “new normal”, and it isn’t pleasant at all.

So many prominent voices have told us so many things about this pandemic, but almost all of those voices were completely wrong. https://endoftheamericandream.com/the-vast-majority-of-the-global-population-has-eagerly-embraced-a-giant-deception/

Michael Snyder is a Protestant, who has also fell for a lot of deception. Protestantism was NOT the faith of the original Christians. For details which prove that, check out the free online book: Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism.

Jesus said:

44 … the devil …. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. (John 8:44)

The idea that humans are to be non-binary is a lie that Satan has gotten many to accept in the past couple of years.

Related to Satan as the head deceiver, in a World Tomorrow telecast, the late Herbert W. Armstrong stated:

Now in Ephesians the second chapter and the first two verses where it says:

“And you [that is the people in the Church, the Christians, converted people in the Church at Ephesus;] And you hath he quickened [that is, made alive, not immortal, but spiritually alive], who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world [what is the course of this world? They were all in it before they were converted;] the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit [Satan the devil is a spirit;] the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:” (Ephesians 2:1-2)

He is working IN people. And Satan has deceived all nations, all people and all religions, believe it or not; and that’s a hard thing to believe. Some day the world’s going to wake up to the truth and it’s going to be absolutely dumbfounded and astounded when it sees the truth because it has been deceived. YOU have been deceived. I was deceived until God opened my eyes and made me willing to accept the truth. Some people hear the truth but they’re not willing to accept it.

I want you to notice, the sixth chapter of Ephesians and verses 11 and 12: “Put on the whole armour of God…” (Ephesians 6:11)

This is a message to real Christians who really are converted, who have repented and who have believed Christ and believed what He said and His message:

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of [Satan] the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood [that is, our problems and our troubles and our controversies are not with other human beings as we think], but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness [or wicked spirits] in high places.” (Ephesians 6:11-12)

Wicked spirits in high places that are really ruling the world, Satan and his demons. And the world doesn’t know it because it can’t see them, it can’t hear them. And Satan has been — he’s the prince of the power of the air. He surcharges the air with his attitude of vanity, of coveting and of jealousy and envy, of competition and strife, of wanting to destroy, of wanting to take away from others, that leads to controversy and to war and to death and to every wrong thing, every ill, every evil that is besetting this world today.

My friends, you need to know something about the devil instead of just forgetting and just saying, well, I don’t know anything about him. I have a booklet about him, just coming off the press now; Did God Create a Devil?

Yes, Satan’s broadcast is promoting wickedness around the world.

And that includes his influence over governments and “Big Tech” to promote wickedness and to call evil good.

Isaiah, however, warned against doing that:

20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
And prudent in their own sight! (Isaiah 5:20-21)

Isaiah’s writing aligns with those of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans:

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man — and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1:18-32)

Those pushing for a great reset, the UN 2030 goals, the LGBTQ+ agenda, interfaith movements etc. do “not like to retain God in their knowledge,” therefore “God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting.”

Is this a conspiracy?

Isaiah wrote:

12 Do not say, ‘A conspiracy,’
Concerning all that this people call a conspiracy,
Nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. (Isaiah 8:12)

What is going on with the ‘great reset,’ UN, LGBTQ+, and interfaith movements is not so much a hidden conspiracy–as it is out in the open–but essentially the result of humanism that is influenced by Satan for those who do not truly believe the Bible.

Understand that the Bible even shows that Satan works through religious leaders:

14 … 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 11:14-15)

The Apostle Paul warned about more than only religious leaders as well:

13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:13)

COGwriter

The Days of Unleavened Bread began at sunset April 12th last night and runs until sunset April 19th, in 2025.

A secular source posted the following:

Time of reflection and celebration …

April 12, 2025

One of the holiest holidays of the year begins for the Jewish community …. at sundown Saturday and is a time of reflection and celebration, …

This special time commemorates the Jewish people’s exodus from Egypt.

Those who celebrate … remove leavened foods and eat … unleavened bread. https://www.wvtm13.com/article/time-of-reflection-and-celebration-as-passover-begins/64465319

But this season, for Christians, commemorates more than the Exodus.

We Christians observe that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins on Passover and that we are to try to live, as He did, without sin and hypocrisy, of which leaven symbolically can represent (Luke 12:1).

The late Herbert W. Armstrong wrote:

Purpose of Festival

But let us learn the full significance of this. WHY did God ordain these feast days? What was His great PURPOSE? Turn now to Exodus 13, verse 3: “…Moses said unto the people, Remember THIS DAY, in which ye CAME OUT from Egypt…” This was the 15th of Abib. Verse 6: “Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and the seventh day shall be a FEAST unto the Eternal… This is done BECAUSE of that which the Eternal did [a MEMORIAL]… and it shall be for a SIGN” — (miraculous PROOF of identity) — “unto thee upon thine hand, and for a MEMORIAL between thine eyes” — WHY? — “that the LORD’S LAW MAY BE IN THY MOUTH… Thou shalt therefore KEEP this ordinance…”

Oh, beloved brethren, do you see the wonderful meaning? Do you grasp the true significance of it all? Do you see God’s PURPOSE? The PASSOVER pictures the DEATH OF CHRIST for the remission of sins that are past. The accepting of His BLOOD does not forgive sins we SHALL commit — it does not give LICENSE to continue in sin — therefore WHEN we accept it, our sins are forgiven only up to that time — PAST SINS.

But shall we stop there? Past sins forgiven. But we are still flesh beings. We still shall suffer temptations. Sin has held us in its clutch — we have been SLAVES to sin, in its power. And we are powerless to deliver ourselves from it! We have been in BONDAGE to sin. Let us understand the picture — the meaning. (Armstrong HW. What You Should Know About the Passover and Festival of Unleavened Bread. Good News, March 1979).

To what degree should Christians put away sin?

Completely.

As Jesus taught, “you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). Leaven symbolically can be a type of sin (cf. 1 Corinthians 5:7-8).

Like sin, leaven puffs up. As seven is God’s number symbolizing completeness, Christians are to follow the Passover with seven days of unleavened bread. The meaning and the symbolism is not complete with just Passover. Passover pictures the acceptance of Christ’s blood for the remission of past sins and the death of Jesus.

Should we leave Christ symbolically hanging on the tree (Galatians 3:13)? The seven days of unleavened bread following Passover help picture to us the complete putting away of sin, the keeping of the Commandments — after past sins are forgiven as the result of Jesus’ sacrifice.

The Days of Unleavened bread picture the life and work of the risen Jesus. Jesus ascended to the throne of God where He is now actively at work in our behalf as our High Priest, cleansing us of sin (Hebrews 2:17-18) delivering us completely from its power!

Were these days done away? Notice something else that Herbert W. Armstrong wrote:

Not Abolished With Old Covenant

Observe that the Days of Unleavened Bread are a PERIOD, having two high-day SABBATHS. And this PERIOD is established FOREVER — while the Israelites were still in Egypt — before the ceremonial law of Moses had been given or written — before God even proposed the old covenant! What the law of Moses, or the old covenant, did not bring or institute, THEY CANNOT TAKE AWAY! In Fenton’s translation, the 17th verse is translated: “consequently KEEP THIS PERIOD AS AN EVER-LASTING INSTITUTION.” The whole period is included.

This ALONE ought to prove that the HOLY DAYS — and the seven Days of Unleavened Bread — are binding today, and FOREVER!

Now, if these texts apply to the 15th, not the 14th, as they assuredly do, and is here conclusively proved, then is the Passover established FOR-EVER? Indeed it is! But THESE texts above refer to the FEAST and not the PASSOVER. In the paragraph beginning Exodus 12:21 the PASSOVER is again referred to, and verse 24 establishes it FOREVER! . . .

To observe Passover alone, and then fail to observe the seven Days of Unleavened Bread, means, in the symbolism, to accept Christ’s blood, and to continue on in sin — to say . . . the LAW is done away, we are under grace, meaning license, to continue in sin!

The seven Days of Unleavened Bread picture the keeping of the Commandments, which is another way of saying the putting away of sin. (Armstrong HW. What You Should Know About the Passover and Festival of Unleavened Bread. Good News, March 1979).

Early Christians did not believe that the Days of Unleavened Bread were done away. They kept them.

The Greco-Roman Catholic writer Eusebius recorded that Polycrates of Ephesus, around 195 A.D. wrote the following to the Roman Bishop Victor who, as the previous writing showed, wanted all who professed Christ to change Passover from the 14th of Nisan to Sunday:

We observe the exact day; neither adding, nor taking away. For in Asia also great lights have fallen asleep, which shall rise again on the day of the Lord’s coming, when he shall come with glory from heaven, and shall seek out all the saints. Among these are Philip, one of the twelve apostles, who fell asleep in Hierapolis; and his two aged virgin daughters, and another daughter, who lived in the Holy Spirit and now rests at Ephesus; and, moreover, John, who was both a witness and a teacher, who reclined upon the bosom of the Lord, and, being a priest, wore the sacerdotal plate. He fell asleep at Ephesus. And Polycarp in Smyrna, who was a bishop and martyr; and Thraseas, bishop and martyr from Eumenia, who fell asleep in Smyrna. Why need I mention the bishop and martyr Sagaris who fell asleep in Laodicea, or the blessed Papirius, or Melito, the Eunuch who lived altogether in the Holy Spirit, and who lies in Sardis, awaiting the episcopate from heaven, when he shall rise from the dead? All these observed the fourteenth day of the passover according to the Gospel, deviating in no respect, but following the rule of faith. And I also, Polycrates, the least of you all, do according to the tradition of my relatives, some of whom I have closely followed. For seven of my relatives were bishops; and I am the eighth. And my relatives always observed the day when the people put away the leaven. I, therefore, brethren, who have lived sixty-five years in the Lord, and have met with the brethren throughout the world, and have gone through every Holy Scripture, am not affrighted by terrifying words. For those greater than I have said ‘ We ought to obey God rather than man’ (Eusebius. Church History, Book V, Chapter 24. Translated by Arthur Cushman McGiffert. Excerpted from Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series Two, Volume 1. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. American Edition, 1890. Online Edition Copyright © 2004 by K. Knight).

Notice that Polycrates said that he and the other early church leaders (like the Apostles Philip and John, and their successors like Polycarp, Thraseas, Eumenia, Sagaris, Papirius, Melito) would not deviate from the Bible, and that they knew the Bible taught them to keep the Passover on the correct date, and not on a Sunday. Also notice that they always observed the day when the people put away the leaven. Polycrates also reminded the Roman bishop that true followers of Christ “obey God rather than men.”

The old Radio/Worldwide Church of God taught about Polycrates:

History has recorded for us the words of one church leader from Asia Minor. His name was Polycrates, living around the end of the second century. (Marx GO. WHY CELEBRATE EASTER? Plain Truth. March 1967)

Polycrates had been part of “the catholic church of God.” (Lesson 50 – I Will Build My Church, Part 2. 58 Lesson: Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course, 1965)

The “catholic church of God” was NOT the Roman Catholic church. For more information, check out the free online book: Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church.

Jude wrote Christians “to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). And faithful Church of God Christians were recorded as doing so.

Notice what a respected Protestant scholar reported about the second century:

the churches of Asia Minor … The most important in this festival was the passover day, the 14th of Nisan … In it they ate unleavened bread, probably like the Jews, eight days through … there is no trace of a yearly festival of the resurrection among them … the Christians of Asia Minor appealed in favor of their passover solemnity on the 14th Nisan to John (Gieseler, Johann Karl Ludwig. A Text-book of Church History. Translated by Samuel Davidson, John Winstanley Hull, Mary A. Robinson. Harper & brothers, 1857, Original from the University of Michigan, Digitized Feb 17, 2006, p. 166).

So, like the Apostle John (the last of the original apostles to die), the early faithful Christians in Asia Minor observed Passover and the  Days of Unleavened Bread.

There is a spurious document, probably from the third century, that mentioned the Days of Unleavened Bread:

17 We said unto him: Lord, after how many years shall this come to pass? He said unto us: When the hundredth part and the twentieth part is fulfilled, between the Pentecost and the feast of unleavened bread, then shall the coming of my Father be (so Copt.: When an hundred and fifty years are past, in the days of the feast of Passover and Pentecost, &c., Eth.: . . . (imperfect word) year is fulfilled, between the unleavened bread and Pentecost shall be the coming of my Father, Lat.). (The Epistula Apostolorum from Montague Rhode James in The Apocryphal New Testament (Oxford: Clarendon Press 1924), pp. 485-503)

17 … We said to him, “Lord, the things which you revealed to us at the beginning are great things. In what sort of great power will you come ? Or what sort of perceptible state ?” He answered and said to us, “Amen, I say to you that I will come like the sun shining, I being light of seven times greater than it (sun) in my glory. The wings of clouds carrying me in glory and the sign of the cross before me, I will come upon the earth and give justice to the living and the dead.” We said to him, “Lord, after how many years will these things happen.” He said to us, ” if the part of a hundred and the part of twenty are complete in the middle of the Pentecost and the feast of the unleavened bread, the presence of the Father will take place. (The Epistula Apostolorum. English translation of the Coptic text Anthony Alcock. https://archive.org/stream/EpistulaApostolorum/EpistulaApostolrum_djvu.txt accessed 11/18/15)

Presumably this means that some were keeping the Days of Unleavened Bread and felt it had some type of future applicability.

Adventist researcher Daniel Liechty reported Sabbath-keepers in Transylvania in the 1500s and later kept the biblical Holy Days (such as the Feast of Trumpets called Day of Remembrance below) (and those are days his church does not observe):

The Sabbatarians viewed themselves as converted Gentiles … They held to the biblical holidays. Passover they celebrated with unleavened bread … The first and last seventh day of Passover were full holidays (Liechty D. Sabbatarianism in the Sixteenth Century. Andrews University Press, Berrien Springs (MI), 1993, pp. 61-62).

By first and last days of Passover, he is referring to the first and last Days of Unleavened Bread. Notice that in the 1600s, those who kept the days of unleavened bread were persecuted for their beliefs:

And finally, the tragic “Accord of Deés” or Complanatio Deesiana in July 1638 definitely disjoined Sabbatarians from Unitarians. Unitarians were ordered to worship Jesus, baptize in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, and to allow their publications censured–a coerced “complanatio.” The “Judaizers” and those who rejected and cursed Jesus, however, were excluded even from the new amnesty. Sabbatarians were easy target of the new discriminatory law: they observed the Sabbath, therefore they farmed on Sundays, abstained from eating pork and blood, celebrated the Passover with unleavened bread, and refused baptism of their children–the very sign of their expected conversion” (Gellérd, Judit. Spiritual Jews of Szekler Jerusalem A Four-Centuries History of Transylvanian Szekler (Székely) Sabbatarianism. In Literature of Memory VI: Hope and Despair STH TS 870, Fall 2000 Professor Elie Wiesel. http://www.unitarius.hu/cffr/papers/sabbat.htm–12/14/02).

Note that the “Judaizers” are separate from “those who rejected and cursed Jesus.” In this region, there were both apparently true Christians (the “Judaizers” who celebrated the Passover with unleavened bread, etc.) and those who rejected Christ as Messiah (hence the Judaizers were not actually unitarian).

In the early 1600s, a Sabbath-keeper in the British Isles, named John Traske, wrote the following about observing some version of Passover and/or the resurrection:

‘the fourteenth of the March moon’ to coincide with the Jewish Passover, and should be followed by the eating of unleavened bread for seven days. (Falconer John. A Breife Refutation of John Traskes Judaical and Novel Fantyces, pp. 57-58, as cited in Ball B.  Seventh Day Men: Sabbatarians and Sabbatarianism in England and Wales, 1600-1800, 2nd edition.  James Clark & Co., 2009, pp. 49-50)

In the 20th century, the old Radio Church of God did so:

To observe Passover alone, and then fail to observe the seven days of unleavened bread, means, in the symbolism, to accept Christ’s blood, and then to continue on in sin. (Armstrong HW. What You Should Know About the Passover and Festival of Unleavened Bread. Good News magazine, April 1954)

Christians have kept the days of unleavened bread throughout the church age.

We in the Continuing Church of God still do so today.

Here is an offertory for today:

15:32

Holy Day Offertory: Days of Unleavened Bread

Why would an offering be taken up on the first and last Day of Unleavened Bread? Does this come from the Bible? Does the Bible warn that not giving tithes and offerings is robbing God? Does God promise blessings to those who give? Should the church support ministerial travel according to the Apostle Paul? What about the church using funds to support the poor, widows, and the hungry? Is the Continuing Church of God also using funds to expand the number of translations of the English-language booklet, ‘The Gospel of the Kingdom of God’? What about funds to fulfill Jesus’ commissions to the church in Matthew 24:14 and 28:19-20? Should the most faithful church be striving to reach those in the North, South, East, and West? How is the CCOG working to do so? Dr. Thiel addresses those matters in this offertory message.

Here is a link to the offertory: Holy Day Offertory: Days of Unleavened Bread.

The Continuing Church of God put together this sermon from its ContinuingCOG channel:

1:16:12

Leaven, Avoiding Sin, and God’s Ways Are Best

This is a message for the First Day on Unleavened Bread. How are sin, leaven, and this festival tied together? Are Christians really supposed to eat unleavened bread for each of the seven Days of Unleavened Bread? Why? What is leaven? How is it like sin? What did the old Worldwide Church of God teach? Do both leaven and sin puff up? Are God’s rules arbitrary or are they for our own good? What is sin? What about the Ten Commandments? Do we need to overcome Satan, society, and self? Why 7 days? Are we to do more than not sin, like doing good? Do Christians sin? If so, can they be forgiven? Do we need God’s help to overcome sin? Do people sow what they reap? Can avoidance of sin make our eternity better? Dr. Thiel addresses those points and more.

Some items of possibly related interest may include the following:

Leaven, Sin, and Why to Not Sin What is leaven? What is sin? Why is sin so bad? Can sin effect your eternity? Here is a link to a related sermon: Leaven, Sin, and Purpose.
Unleavened Bread, Jesus, and the New Testament? What happened to Jesus during the Days of Unleavened Bread? Do the Days of Unleavened Bread have any Christian meaning? Are there passages in the New Testament supporting not only keeping the Days of Unleavened Bread, but the meaning behind them? Here is a link to a related sermon: Unleavened Bread, Jesus, and the Apostles.
Keeping Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread How should Christians keep Passover, especially if they are by themselves. Why does the Church of God not require lambs for Passover? How does one keep the Days of Unleavened Bread? For a step-by-step video for Christians to keep it, check out CCOG Passover Service. Here is a link to a related article in the Spanish language: Guardando la Pascua y los Días de los Panes sin Levadura.
The Night to Be Observed What is the night to be much observed? When is it? Why do Jews keep Passover twice and emphasize the wrong date? A related animation is available and is titled: Night to Be Observed.
Should Christians Keep the Days of Unleavened Bread? Do they have any use or meaning now? What is leaven? This article supplies some biblical answers. Here is a link to this article in the French language: Les Chrétiens devraient-ils observer les Jours des Pains sans levain?Here are some YouTube videos intended to be viewed for the first day of unleavened bread: Let’s Talk About the Days of Unleavened Bread, Unleavened Bread: No Tolerance for Sin, Leaven and Sin, and Christians and the Days of Unleavened Bread.
Lesson 34 – Days of Unleavened Bread – Your Part In God’s Master Plan Radio COG 1965 unedited lesson.
The Seventh Day of Unleavened Bread What happened? Does this day have any type of fulfillment in the Book of Revelation? A related sermon video is also available: 7th Day of Unleavened Bread: Prophecy and Lessons.
Perfection? Does God have faith in humans? A message for the seventh-day of unleavened bread. A related sermon is titled: Does God have faith in humans?
UCG and Its Unleavened Bread Study Paper What does the Bible say about eating unleavened bread for seven days? What has UCG officially said about it?
Holy Day Calendar This is a listing of the biblical holy days through 2033, with their Roman calendar dates. They are really hard to observe if you do not know when they occur ? In the Spanish/Español/Castellano language: Calendario de los Días Santos. In Mandarin Chinese: 何日是神的圣日？ 这里是一份神的圣日日历从2013年至2024年。.
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church. 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, and What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, and Early Heresies and Heretics, and Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, and Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, and Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List.
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.
Faith for Those God has Called and Chosen What is faith? Can faith be increased? Are you saved by faith? What about works? Do Christians need to keep the Ten Commandments? What is the ‘faith chapter’? How do the just live by faith? Is faith one of the weightier matters of the law? How does faith come? Marque aquí para ver el pdf folleto: Fe para aquellos que Dios ha llamado y escogido. In German: Glaube für die von GottBerufenen und Auserwählten. In French: La Foi pour ceux que Dieu a Appelés et Choisis. Here is a link to a related sermon titled: Faith for the Called and Chosen.and here is a link to another sermon Faith and Courage. Here is a link to shorter version of the written article in Mandarin Chinese 一篇关于信仰的小文章. Here are links to the sermons Christian Faith and Increasing Faith.
Prayer: What Does the Bible Teach? This free booklet contains 28 biblically-based tips on improving the effectiveness of your prayers. This is a pdf. A related two part sermon is available: What Does the Bible Teach About Prayer? and What does the Bible Teach About Prayer (& Healing)?
Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is a link to a related sermon: Could God be Calling You? A short animation is also available: Is God Calling You?
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
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. Two animated videos of related interest are also available: Big Bang: Nothing or Creator?and A Lifegiver or Spontaneous Evolution?
The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN: Why Did God Create Anything? Why did God make you? This free online book helps answers some of the biggest questions that human have, including the biblical meaning of life. Here is a link to three related sermons: Mysteries of God’s Plan, Mysteries of Truth, Sin, Rest, Suffering, and God’s Plan, and The Mystery of YOU.
Universal OFFER of Salvation, Apokatastasis: Can God save the lost in an age to come? Hundreds of scriptures reveal God’s plan of salvation Will all get a fair chance at salvation? This free book is packed with scriptures showing that God does intend to offer salvation to all who ever lived–the elect in this age, and the rest in the age to come. Here is a link to a related sermon series: Universal Offer of Salvation 1: Apocatastasis, Universal Offer of Salvation 2: Jesus Desires All to be Saved, Mysteries of the Great White Throne Judgment (Universal Offer of Salvation part 3), Is God Fair, Will God Pardon the Ignorant?, Can God Save Your Relatives?, Babies, Limbo, Purgatory and God’s Plan, and ‘By the Mouth of All His Holy Prophets’.
Christians: Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God, Biblical instructions on living as a Christian This is a scripture-filled booklet for those wishing to live as a real Christian. A related sermon is also available: Christians are Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God.
Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is a link to a related sermon: Could God be Calling You? A short animation is also available: Is God Calling You?Christians: Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God, Biblical instructions on living as a Christian This is a scripture-filled booklet for those wishing to live as a real Christian. A related sermon is also available: Christians are Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God.
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.
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 three related sermons: The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.
CCOG.ORG Continuing Church of God The group striving to be most faithful amongst all real Christian groups to the word of God. There are links to literature is about 100 different languages there.
Congregations of the Continuing Church of God This is a listing of congregations and groups of the Continuing Church of God around the world.
Continuing Church of God Facebook page This has news and prophetic information.
Continuing Church of God, Africa, Facebook page This has news and prophetic information.
Continuing Church of God, Canada, Facebook page This has news and prophetic information.
Continuing Church of God, Europe, Facebook page This has news and prophetic information.
CCOG.AFRICA This is a website targeted towards those in Africa.
CCOG.ASIA We in the Continuing Church of God also have the url www.ccog.asia which has a focus on Asia and has various articles in Mandarin Chinese as well as some in English, plus some items in other Asian languages. 我们在继续神的教会也提供此网址 www.ccog.asia, 关注于亚洲并且有各种各样的中英文文章，其中一些用菲律宾语翻译的文章也正在进行中，准备添加到这个网站中。 Here is a link to our Statement of Beliefs in Mandarin Chinese 继续神的教会的信仰声明.
CCOG.IN This is a website targeted towards those of Indian heritage. It has a link to an edited Hindi translation of The Mystery of the Ages and is expected to have more non-English language materials in the future.
CCOG.EU This is a website targeted toward Europe. It has materials in more than one language (currently it has English, Dutch, and Serbian, with links also to Spanish) and it is intended to have additional language materials added.
CCOG.NZ This is a website targeted towards New Zealand and others with a British-descended background.
CCOGCANADA.CA This is a website targeted towards those in Canada.
CDLIDD.ES La Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios. This is the Spanish language website for the Continuing Church of God.
CG7.ORG This is a website for those interested in the Sabbath and churches that observe the seventh day Sabbath.
PNIND.PH Patuloy na Iglesya ng Diyos. This is the Philippines website Continuing Church of God. It has information in English and Tagalog.
CCOG Animations YouTube channel. The Continuing Church of God has some animations to teach aspects of Christian beliefs. Also available at BitChute COGAnimations https://www.bitchute.com/channel/coganimations/
Bible News Prophecy channel. Dr. Thiel has produced hundreds of videos for the BibleNewsProphecy channel. You can find them at them on YouTube at BibleNewsProphecy https://www.youtube.com/user/BibleNewsProphecy, plus also on Vimeo at Bible News Prophecy https://vimeo.com/channels/biblenewsprophecy as well as on Brighteon Bible News Prophecy https://www.brighteon.com/channel/ccogbnp and Bitchute Prophecy https://www.bitchute.com/channel/prophecy/
CCOGAfrica channel. This has messages from African pastors in African languages such as Kalenjin, Kiswahili, Embu, and Dholuo. Also available at BitChute COGAfrica https://www.bitchute.com/channel/cogafrica/
CDLIDDSermones channel. This contains messages in the Spanish language
BibleNewsProphecy Podcast. This has audio-visual podcasts of the Bible News Prophecy channgel. It plays on i-Phones, i-Pads, and Windows devices that can play i-Tunes.
Bible News Prophecy online radio. This is an audio version of the Bible News Prophecy videos. It is also available as a mobile app.
ContinuingCOG channel. Dr. Thiel has produced scores of YouTube video sermons for this channel. Note: Since these are sermon-length, they can take a little longer to load than other YouTube videos. Also available at BitChute COGTube https://www.bitchute.com/channel/cogtube/
Study the Bible Course A free online course to help you learn and study the word of God.
Statement of Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God “Contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3, NKJV), “Let brotherly love (Philadelphia) continue” (Hebrews 13:1) ” & continuing stedfastly in the teaching of the apostles” (Acts 2:42 YLT). So, what does that really mean in terms of specific beliefs–the Statement gives answers? Here is a related link in Spanish/español: Declaración de las Doctrinas de la Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios. Here is a related link in Tagalog: Paglalahad ng Mga Paniniwala ng Patuloy na Iglesya ng Diyos. Here is a related link in Mandarin Chinese ~ç~íy^v„eYOv„OáNðXðf. Here is a related link in Kiswahili: KATIKA LUGHA YA KISWAHILI. Here is a related link in Dutch: Verklaring van geloofspunten van de Continuing Church of God. Here is a related link in Deutsche (German): Glaubenserklärung der Continuing Church of God. Here is a related link in Italiano: Dichiarazione del Credo della Continuing Church of God. Here is related link in the French language: Déclaration des croyances de L’Église Continue de Dieu. Here is a related link in the Chichewa language: ZIKHULUPIRIRO ZA MPINGO WA CONTINUING CHURCH OF GOD. Here is a link in Romanian: Declarația de credințe a continuării Bisericii lui Dumnezeu. Here is a link in Portuguese: Declaração de Crenças da Continuação da Igreja de Deus. Here is a link in Russian: Утверждение верований о продолжении Церкви Божьей. Here is a link to a related English-language sermon: Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God.

Above from PublicDomainPictures.net

COGwriter

We continue to see persecution of various types:

April 9, 2025

Scripture reminds us that persecution is part of being a Christian, but few realize the scale of it today. Around the world, 1 in 7 Christians face harassment, violence, or worse simply for their faith. In Africa, this number rises to 1 in 5. …

Around 90% of Egyptians are Sunni Muslims, making Islam the dominant religion. According to Article 2 of Egypt’s Constitution, Islam is the official state religion, and the principles of Sharia Law serve as the primary source of legislation in the country.

While Article 64 of the Egyptian Constitution guarantees “absolute” freedom of religion or belief, this right is restricted in practice. Only followers of the three recognized “heavenly religions”—Islam, Christianity, and Judaism—are legally allowed to practice their faith and build houses of worship publicly.

Additionally, Article 53 of the Egyptian Constitution protects against discrimination based on religion.

But despite Egypt’s constitutional guarantees, Christians and other minority religious groups in Egypt regularly face religious freedom violations. …

In Egypt, most persecution against Christians happens at the community level, especially in rural areas. Christian women are harassed, children are bullied in schools, employment discrimination is common, and false accusations of blasphemy often trigger violent mob attacks. These incidents force entire Christian families to flee their homes in fear.

In more extreme cases in the past, churches have been bombed, leaving dozens dead or injured. Christian women and girls have been targeted for abduction, forced conversion, and sexual violence.

While Egyptian President el-Sisi often calls for unity and support for Christians, progress on the ground remains slow. Local authorities often overlook attacks and rarely offer protection, particularly in the south. This means that challenging religious freedom injustices can also pose risks to personal safety.

Christians also face countless obstacles in building or repairing churches. Despite government promises to legalize more churches and build new ones, Christians struggle to find safe and legal places of worship. Hostile neighbours and violent mobs often stand in the way. https://adfinternational.org/commentary/egypt-christians-religious-freedom

We have also been seeing bureaucratic types of religious persecution from other governments around the world.

Ecumenical News reported the following:

Authorities in Indonesia block church construction, despite 10 years of trying

April 8, 2025

Local officials in Indonesia’s East Borneo Province have refused to approve the construction of a church building even though the congregation met all requirements for the required permit to operate and tried for 10 years. …

According to the report, the church has sought the permit for 10 years, in Indonesia which often touts itself as a beacon of religious tolerance. …

The Christian congregation worked on the application for 10 years, getting the names and ID cards of 90 people approved by local officials.

They obtained the approval of 60 local people and village heads and won recommendations of the local Interfaith Forum in September 2024, according to PIS.

Hendra Kusuma, chairman of the East Kalimantan Alliance for Advocacy for Freedom of Religion and Belief, says the government fears Muslim groups that are religiously intolerant rather than enforcing rules, PIS stated.

“They are more afraid of a handful of people who reject the church’s existence, even though the state guarantees freedom of religion and worship,” Hendra told kaltimtoday.com.

Hendra said officials were shifting responsibility, as happens in many areas in Indonesia.

“We have visited all related parties, even the Ministry of Religious Affairs, but they still let the sub-district head decide,” Hendra said. “Not a single party is brave and firm enough to resolve the problem.”

The church also has received a letter of recommendation for building from the Samarinda Branch of the Interfaith Forum (Forum Kerja Sama Umat Beragama, or FKUB).

Its approval is mandatary, to issue a recommendation for the construction, Hendra said. https://www.ecumenicalnews.com/article/authorities-in-indonesia-block-church-construction-despite-10-years-of-trying/61241.htm

Sadly, this type of thing is not unique to Indonesia.

Non-Muslim countries, for political and other reasons, have also interfered with religious freedom.

Last Summer, the Ukrainian Parliament voted to ban what has been the largest religious organization in that country (see ‘Ukrainian parliament votes again to ban Russian Orthodox Church’ which was separated and renamed the ‘Ukraine Orthodox Church’ in 2018), basically for political reasons. Ukraine’s president then signed that ban into law:

August 24, 2024

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday signed a law banning the Moscow-linked Orthodox Church in Ukraine, according to a decision published on the Ukrainian parliament’s website. https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-24/news-1wkn1bfm7mM/p.html

That church was formed in 2018 to be separate from the Russian Orthodox Church and it says it is separate, but the government still banned it.

Politics and the power of the state are being used against religion.

Another trend, however, is economic pressure and basically persecution of house churches under various pretenses.

Despite them being common in the New Testament (Romans 16:5; 1 Corinthians 16:19; Colossians 4:15; Philemon 2), economic and regulatory persecutions are popping up against them in nations that have majorities of people who claim Christianity.

Notice a report related to Rwanda:

Rwanda Shuts Down 5,600 Churches Over Safety Violations

August 23, 2024

The Rwandan government has closed thousands of churches, including 100 cave churches, due to safety, health, and regulatory issues, such as inadequate soundproofing and the transactional nature of some worship practices.

According to Usta Kaitesi, Chief Executive of the Rwanda Governance Board (RGB), many affected faith-based organizations lacked basic infrastructure, proper hygiene, and safety standards, with some operating illegally. https://allafrica.com/view/group/main/main/id/00090124.html

August 23, 2-24

Rwandan authorities announced a ban Thursday on the activities of 43 faith groups across the country effective Aug. 28, weeks after thousands of illegal churches were closed.

A letter issued by the Ministry of Local Government directed districts leaders to enforce the ban, saying an ongoing evaluation found the affected faith-based organizations operating in contravention of existing regulations. …

All preachers were also required to have theological training before opening a church under the law determining the organization and functioning of faith-based organizations in the country. https://www.yenisafak.com/en/world/rwanda-announces-ban-on-over-40-religious-groups-3689727

Well, what the above left out is that Rwanda was also requiring ALL churches to own land and their own building on it.

Last Summer, the government of Rwanda shut down one of our house churches there because of that rule. It was not about safety.

Anyway, in order to comply, we had our leader in Rwanda, Moise Nshimiyimana, purchase the following piece of land:

Obese females (Pixabay)

COGwriter

Obesity remains a major issue for many nations in the West.

About Obesity

Key points

• Obesity is a common, serious, and costly chronic disease.
• In the United States, 1 in 5 children and 2 in 5 adults have obesity. …

Why it matters

Children with obesity are more likely to have numerous health conditions. These include high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. Children with obesity are also more likely to have obesity as adults. Adults with obesity have a higher risk of developing many diseases. These include heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer. Obesity costs the US healthcare system almost $173 billion a year.

Obesity also affects the nation’s military readiness. Only 2 in 5 young adults are weight-eligible and physically prepared for basic training. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/php/about/index.html accessed 04/07/25

There are now many advertisements for injectable drugs as the solution.

But are they safe?

Notice the following:

New Zealand’s government gives the green light for weight loss injections despite serious health risks reported in the UK and the US

7 April 2025

A 2025 study conducted at Washington University found a doubled risk of pancreatitis, an 11% increase in the risk of arthritis, and elevated risks of low blood pressure and serious kidney disease among 215,000 users of injectable obesity drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro.

In the UK at the beginning of this year, it was reported that the number of people who had been hospitalised due to side effects of the injectable weight loss drugs had skyrocketed.

Despite the warning signs that the injections are causing harm, the New Zealand Government has approved the weight loss drug Wegovy, with Associate Health Minister David Seymour calling it a “game changer.”

Note: Wegovy, Ozempic, and Mounjaro are injectable medications used for weight management and diabetes control.  Wegovy and Mounjaro are primarily used for weight management, while Ozempic is mainly used for diabetes management.

Wegovy and Ozempic contain semaglutide, an anti-diabetic medication used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and an anti-obesity medication. Mounjaro contains tirzepatide, a medication used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity in adults. …

The results of a 2025 study of 215,000 users conducted at Washington University has been published by Nature Medicine under the title ‘Obesity drugs: huge study identifies new health risks’. Whilst confirming that the injectable drugs can assist weight loss and reduce the impact of a number of associated illnesses such as stroke, heart disease and diabetes, they described the risk reduction as modest. Significantly, researchers found a wide range of serious adverse effects. These included a doubled risk of pancreatitis, an 11% increase in the risk of arthritis and an elevated risk of low blood pressure and serious kidney disease. https://expose-news.com/2025/04/07/nz-gov-approves-wegovy/

First do no harm?

These drugs are harmful.

The USA has decided against having Medicare pay for them:

President Donald Trump’s administration has decided not to cover expensive, high-demand obesity treatments under the federal government’s Medicare program.

CMS said late Friday that it would not cover the medications under Medicare’s Part D prescription drug coverage. Medicare covers health care expenses mainly for people ages 65 and older.

Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, proposed a rule in late November after Trump won re-election that would have extended coverage of drugs like tirzepatide (Zepbound) and semaglutide (Wegovy). The rule was not expected to be finalized until Trump took office. …

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, has been an outspoken opponent of the injectable drugs … 04/05/25 https://www.medpagetoday.com/publichealthpolicy/medicare/114985

There are issues with these drugs. And not just the potential costs to taxpayers.

In my view, what pharmaceutical companies often do is, “First look at the possible market.”

And second, “How much money can we make if we come up with a drug related to it?”

That is based on many things, including my own interactions with a couple of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies in the past.

One reason that we do not seem to hear a lot about the negative effects of these injectable drugs is because the media gets a lot of advertising money from the pharmaceutical industry.

The Bible warns:

10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, (1 Timothy 6:10)

And sadly the pharmaceutical industry, and much of the mainstream media, is directed by love of money over many things.

Chart of Semaglutide Impacts
(Source Myluckynumber7 via Wikipedia)

Wikipedia has the following:

Semaglutide is an anti-diabetic medication used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and an anti-obesity medication used for long-term weight management.^[23][24][25] It is a peptide similar to the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), modified with a side chain.^[26][27] It can be administered by subcutaneous injection or taken orally.^{[14][15][16][28]} It is sold by Novo Nordisk under the brand names Ozempic^[14] and Rybelsus^[15] for diabetes, and under the brand name Wegovy for weight management and weight loss.^[13][16] …

Possible adverse effects include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain, headache, fatigue, indigestion/heartburn, dizziness, abdominal distension, belching, hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) in people with type 2 diabetes, flatulence, gastroenteritis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).^[16] It has in the past been suspected to cause pancreatitis, and can cause gastroparesis, and bowel obstruction.^[35] Among people who were prescribed a GLP-1, 0.1% were diagnosed with gastroparesis at least six months later, which equates to a 52% increased risk of being diagnosed with gastroparesis while on a GLP-1 medication.^[36] A 2019 meta-analysis did not indicate a significantly elevated risk of acute pancreatitis.^[37]

The US Food and Drug Administration prescription label for semaglutide contains a boxed warning for thyroid C-cell tumors in rodents.^{[14][15][16][29]} It is unknown whether semaglutide causes thyroid C-cell tumors, including medullary thyroid carcinoma, in humans.^{[14][15][16][29][38]} (Semaglutide. Wikipedia, accessed 04/07/25)

Notice that the drugs are SIMILAR to GLP-1–they are not the same. Even when isolate chemicals are supposedly the same, they do not always have the same effect in the human body (An Overview of Vitamin E Efficacy. VERIS Research Information Service, November 1998).

The injectable drugs somewhat remind me of many synthetic vitamins that are SIMILAR to the real thing, but not the real thing. Folic acid, to name one, comes to mind. While folates are natural, folic acid is not–and folic acid has been implicated in various human cancers (see Folic Acid Dangers).

Let me also add that my clinical experience is that there are safer and better ways to deal with blood sugar matters than prescription drugs as well.

But financial considerations have long pushed the pharmaceutical industry.

That said, many years ag0, the Continuing Church of God put out a video about concerns about eating to much on our YouTube channel called Bible New Prophecy. Here is a link to our video: Eating Right, Eating Too Much, and Prophecy.

But yes, losing weight can be very, very difficult. But real Christians should believe the following:

13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

With prayer and proper determination, breaking away from being obese can happen.

The Bible teaches:

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
8 It will be health to your flesh,
And strength to your bones. (Proverbs 3:5-8)

32 Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. (Luke 12:32)

Do not let fear stop you from moving ahead.

Take proper action (cf. Galatians 6:9-10; Revelation 3:7-13; Zephaniah 2:1-3).

Interested in a spiritual ‘five second’ rule?

Tell yourself and pray:

I will act on the truth and not put it off because I do not feel like it. Jesus help me.

Most people can quietly pray that in 5 or so seconds.

And physically if it will help, you can count backwards from five or use some other technique to motivate you to do what is right–including with your diet. But then pray for God’s assistance.

You can eat less–take it one day at a time consistent Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:34, which when you are trying to lose weight may also mean one meal or snack desire at a time.

We also have a related video on changing your life. Here is a link to the video: ‘How to Change Your Life in 5 Seconds’.

Of course, some things take longer than 5 seconds. But asking Jesus to help you not overeat is something everyone can do.

While it may not help your weight much, exercising is good for you and your innate immune system. Related to exercise, the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) put out the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel: The Plain Truth About Exercise.

Related to food, we put out the following video: Let’s Talk About Food.

Related to Christian health, we put out the following video: Let’s Talk About Health.

We also have the following obesity related video:

14:55

Is Obesity OK with Scripture?

In March 2024, the BBC reported that research was pointed to over a billion people being obese worldwide. Professor Majid Ezzati, of Imperial College London, said “In many of these island nations it comes down to the availability of healthy food versus unhealthy food. In some cases there have been aggressive marketing campaigns promoting unhealthy foods, while the cost and availability of healthier food can be more problematic.” Does the Bible teach to eat what is good? While millions are dying from hunger, over a billion are obese. What are diseases that the obese are more susceptible to? Since the obese tend to die sooner than others, should obesity be accepted or encouraged? What did Bill Maher state about the ‘body positive movement’? Does the Bible condemn gluttony (overeating) and obesity? Did Jesus say to ‘come as you are’ or to ‘repent and believe’? What are some ways to help lose weight? Is losing weight very difficult? Can Jesus help? If you fail, should you give up? What about the five second method of changing? Should the obese eat less? If that does not work, what should they do? What about exercise? Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel address these issues.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Christian Health Matters Should Christians be concerned about their health? Does the Bible give any food and health guidelines? Here are links to two related sermons: Let’s Talk About Food and Let’s Talk About Health.
Obesity, processed foods, health risks, and the Bible Does the Bible warn about the consequences of being obese? Is overeating dangerous? Is gluttony condemned? What diseases are associated with eating too much refined foods? Two related video would be Is Obesity OK with Scripture? and Eating Right, Eating Too Much, and Prophecy.
Should Christians Exercise? What does the Bible teach? What are some of the benefits and risks of exercise? Here is a link to a related video: The Plain Truth About Exercise.
Ten Simple Rules that Lead to Health Herbert Armstrong gives his opinions on this.