Armstrongism and The Gap Theory

In Armstrongism, the Gap Theory is not merely one possible interpretation of Genesis 1:1-2—it is presented as a foundational “revealed truth” that unlocks the Bible’s hidden meaning and harmonizes Scripture with the scientific evidence of an ancient earth, fossils, and dinosaurs. Armstrong wove it deeply into his theology in works like Mystery of the Ages (1985) and the booklet Did God Create a Devil?, calling it a “surprising truth… unrecognized by religion, by science and by higher education.”

Armstrongism’s Core Teaching on the Gap

Genesis 1:1 records God’s original perfect creation of the heavens and the earth “in the beginning.” This creation was beautiful, harmonious, and “very good.” It happened an unknown length of time ago—Armstrong said it “might have been millions—or even billions—of years” (or even “trillions” in some statements). This original world included plants, animals, and the full fossil record we see today. 

 

A long, unrecorded “gap” of time follows. During this period, Lucifer (Satan) and one-third of the angels rebelled against God. Their sin turned the earth into a state of ruin and chaos. Armstrong taught that this angelic rebellion caused a global catastrophe—sometimes called “Lucifer’s flood”—that destroyed the original creation, leaving the earth “without form, and void” (tohu wa bohu—waste and empty, chaotic and in confusion).

Genesis 1:2 therefore describes the ruined earth after that catastrophe, not the initial state of creation. Armstrong emphasized: “God did not create the earth in a state of waste and confusion. The earth became chaotic as a result of the sin of the angels.” The Hebrew word hayah (“was”) is understood here as “became,” showing a transition from perfection to ruin.

Beginning in Genesis 1:3, God performs a re-creation or restoration of the earth in six literal 24-hour days, roughly 6,000 years ago. This is the week that produced the world we know, including Adam and Eve and the animals listed in Genesis 1. The original creation (including dinosaurs) is not re-created; only a new order is established on the ruined planet.

This view allows Armstrongism to accept the mainstream scientific timeline for the earth’s age and the fossil record while preserving a strictly literal six-day creation week—just not the original one.

How Armstrongism Specifically “Deals With” Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs (along with the entire pre-Adamic fossil record—trilobites, marine reptiles, extinct mammals, etc.) belong entirely to the original creation of Genesis 1:1. They lived, died, and were buried during the long gap period. When Lucifer rebelled, the resulting cataclysm wiped them out, producing the layered fossil beds and geological formations we observe today. The six-day re-creation in Genesis 1:3 onward does not include new dinosaurs; they remain only as fossils in the ground from the ruined former world.

Armstrong tied this directly to Satan’s fall: the decay, death, and destruction visible in the fossil record (including diseased bones and extinction events) resulted from angelic sin before Adam, not from human sin. This fits Armstrongism’s broader doctrine that Satan was once the ruler of the earth, that sin and chaos entered creation through him, and that the six-day week was God’s act of restitution—a preview of the ultimate “restitution of all things” (Acts 3:21) at the end of the age.

Key Differences from the General Gap Theory

The version taught in Armstrongism is essentially the classic “ruin-reconstruction” or “Lucifer’s flood” form of the Gap Theory, but presented with unique emphasis:

It is not just a scientific accommodation—it is central to understanding God’s plan, the origin of evil, and why the earth was in chaos when the Spirit of God began moving on the waters in Genesis 1:2.

Armstrong rejected evolution but fully embraced deep time via the gap, insisting the Bible itself requires it.

He used the same proof texts as other gap theorists (Isaiah 45:18, Jeremiah 4:23, Isaiah 34:11, Ezekiel 28, etc.) but framed them as “God’s revelation” through him as apostle.

A Note on Broader Scholarship

While Armstrongism holds this as essential doctrine, the grammatical, contextual, and theological problems with the Gap Theory (the waw-disjunctive structure of Genesis 1:2 forbidding a chronological gap, the normal meaning of “was” rather than “became,” the lack of any biblical mention of a prior world or Lucifer’s flood, and the conflict with passages like Exodus 20:11 and Romans 5:12) remain the same as outlined in the earlier responses. Most Hebrew scholars and creationist organizations across the spectrum still consider it unsupported by the text itself.

In Armstrongism, however, the Gap Theory is embraced as the correct understanding that resolves the apparent conflict between Genesis and the fossil/dinosaur evidence—placing the ancient world and its destruction firmly in the unmentioned “gap” while keeping the six literal days of re-creation intact.

Yes, the Gap Theory directly attempts to "deal with" dinosaurs (and the broader fossil record) by placing them in the supposed long period of time between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2.

How the Gap Theory Handles Dinosaurs

Genesis 1:1 is interpreted as God’s original, perfect creation of the heavens and the earth — a fully functional world that included plants, animals, and creatures like dinosaurs (and possibly other extinct life forms or even "pre-Adamic" beings in some versions).

During this ancient "gap" period (millions or billions of years), the geological ages unfolded, dinosaurs lived and died, and the fossil record formed.

Then, a catastrophic judgment — often called "Lucifer’s flood" or a global cataclysm linked to Satan’s rebellion and fall — destroyed that original world, leaving the earth "without form and void" (tohu wa bohu) as described in Genesis 1:2.

Starting in Genesis 1:3, God begins a re-creation or restoration of the earth in six literal days, populating it with new animals and eventually Adam and Eve. The dinosaurs from the gap period do not appear in this re-created world (except perhaps as fossils in the ground).

This approach allows gap theorists to accept the mainstream scientific view that dinosaurs lived and went extinct tens of millions of years ago, while still holding to a literal six-day creation week (just not the original creation).

Common Details in Gap Theory Versions

Dinosaurs and the entire fossil record (trilobites, marine reptiles, mammals, etc.) belong to the pre-gap "original creation."

Death, suffering, and extinction happened long before Adam’s sin — the catastrophe in the gap is blamed for the mass die-off.

Some versions also squeeze in ice ages, "ape-men," or other prehistoric elements into this gap.
Criticisms of This Explanation (from Young-Earth Creationist Perspectives)

Young-earth creationist groups (such as Answers in Genesis, ICR, and Creation Ministries International) strongly reject this handling of dinosaurs for several reasons:

• It introduces death and suffering on a massive scale before Adam’s fall, which conflicts with passages like Romans 5:12 (death entered through sin) and the idea that the original creation was "very good."

The Hebrew grammar of Genesis 1:2 does not support a chronological gap or a "became" ruined state, as explained previously.

Exodus 20:11 says God made everything (heavens, earth, sea, and all in them) in six days — leaving no room for a prior creation full of dinosaurs.

Dinosaurs can be accounted for without a gap: they were created on Day 6 as land animals (Genesis 1:24-25), lived alongside humans, and most died in Noah’s Flood (with some possibly surviving briefly afterward). Biblical descriptions like Behemoth in Job 40 are sometimes seen as fitting certain dinosaurs.

Reasons Why the Gap Can't Be Supported

 
The Gap Theory claims that a vast period of time (millions or billions of years), including Lucifer’s rebellion and a global catastrophe (“Lucifer’s flood”), occurred between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. It places dinosaurs and the fossil record in this “gap,” while Genesis 1:3 onward describes a six-day re-creation. This view, popularized in Armstrongism, attempts to reconcile the Bible with an old earth. However, it is fundamentally flawed for several key reasons:

• Hebrew Grammar Forbids It 
• Genesis 1:2 begins with a waw-disjunctive construction (a standard Hebrew way to give background information). It does not allow a chronological gap or the translation of “was” (hayah) as “became.” The verse simply describes the initial unformed state of the earth, not a ruined world after catastrophe.
• No Scriptural Support for a Prior World 
• The Bible never mentions a pre-Adamic creation, Lucifer’s flood, or a ruined earth before the six days. Exodus 20:11 clearly states that God made the heavens, earth, sea, and everything in them in six days — leaving no room for an earlier creation and destruction.
• Theological Problems with Death Before Sin 
• The theory places widespread death, suffering, and extinction (including dinosaurs) before Adam’s fall. This contradicts Romans 5:12 and 1 Corinthians 15:21–22, which teach that death entered the world through human sin, not through angelic rebellion.
• Misinterpretation of Key Phrases 
• The phrase “without form and void” (tohu wa bohu) describes the raw, unformed state of creation before God shaped and filled it — not a state of judgment or ruin. Isaiah 45:18 simply means God did not create the earth to remain empty, not that an initial formless state was impossible.

In short, the Gap Theory is an understandable but unsuccessful 19th-century attempt to accommodate deep time. It reads ideas into the text that are not present and creates more contradictions than it solves. The straightforward reading of Genesis 1 presents one creation event: God created the heavens and earth, initially unformed and unfilled, then shaped and filled it in six literal days.

This interpretation upholds the unity and clarity of Scripture without forcing an artificial gap between the first two verses.

One of the main reasons people adopt or promote the Gap Theory is precisely to "deal with" dinosaurs and the fossil record by shoving them into that unmentioned ancient period. However, as noted, the theory itself is not supported by the actual text of Genesis or standard Hebrew exegesis. It remains a popular attempt at harmonizing the Bible with deep time, but it creates more theological and textual problems than it solves for many Bible believers.

The 1975 Prophecies That Never Happened: How the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Worldwide Church of God Built—and Then Denied—Expectations of Doom

When you watch this video, you will see how the WCG was almost exactly like the JW's 

when it came to members dealing with the prophecies.

The 1975 Prophecies That Never Happened: 

How the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Worldwide Church of God 

Built—and Then Denied—Expectations of Doom

In the decades after World War II, two fast-growing religious movements captured the imagination of hundreds of thousands of believers with urgent warnings about the end of the world. The Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Worldwide Church of God (WCG), founded by Herbert W. Armstrong, both tied Bible prophecy to the specific year 1975. Their publications painted 1975 as the climax of 6,000 years of human history, the trigger for global catastrophe, and the possible start of Christ’s millennial reign. Followers sold homes, quit jobs, postponed marriages, and poured resources into the organizations in anticipation. When nothing apocalyptic occurred, both groups faced mass disillusionment—and sharp accusations that they had lied to their members.

Neither organization ever printed the exact words “Armageddon will strike in 1975.” But both used language that made the year seem inevitable, authoritative, and biblically certain. When the date passed quietly, they pivoted to denial, blame-shifting, and quiet revisions. Here is the documented record.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses: “Six Thousand Years End in 1975”

The foundation was laid in 1966 with the book Life Everlasting—in Freedom of the Sons of God. It presented a “trustworthy Bible chronology” showing that Adam was created in 4026 B.C.E. Adding 6,000 years brought the timeline to the fall of 1975:

According to this trustworthy Bible chronology six thousand years from man’s creation will end in 1975, and the seventh period of a thousand years of human history will begin in the fall of 1975 C.E. … How appropriate it would be for Jehovah God to make of this coming seventh period of a thousand years a Sabbath period of rest and release, a great Jubilee sabbath for the proclaiming of liberty throughout the earth to all its inhabitants!

The Watchtower magazine amplified the excitement. A 1968 article titled “Why Are You Looking Forward to 1975?” asked readers to consider whether the Battle of Armageddon might conclude by autumn 1975. A 1968 Kingdom Ministry bulletin told congregation leaders: “Less than a hundred months separate us from the end of 6000 years of man’s history. What can you do in that time?” District conventions featured slogans like “Stay Alive Till ’75.” In some countries, elders openly urged members to sell property, pioneer full-time, and avoid long-term plans.

The message was unmistakable to those inside the organization. Thousands of families liquidated assets, delayed having children, and devoted every spare hour to preaching. When 1975 ended with no Armageddon, the exodus began. Many who had sacrificed careers and savings felt betrayed.

The Watch Tower Society’s response was consistent and revealing. In October 1975 it acknowledged “considerable individual speculation” but insisted its publications “have never said that the world’s end would come then.” By 1976 it blamed members’ “own understanding” based on “wrong premises.” A later article claimed the disappointment was a faith-testing “sifting” process and quietly adjusted the chronology by inserting an undetermined gap between Adam’s and Eve’s creation. The organization has never admitted it manufactured false hope; it has only denied making an official prediction.

The Worldwide Church of God: “1975 in Prophecy!”

Herbert W. Armstrong’s Radio Church of God (renamed the Worldwide Church of God in 1968) took a different but equally dramatic approach. In 1956 Armstrong published the 32-page booklet 1975 in Prophecy!, lavishly illustrated with apocalyptic artwork by Mad magazine cartoonist Basil Wolverton. The booklet contrasted humanity’s “fantastic push-button world” of technological progress with God’s coming wrath. It warned that by the mid-1970s a devastating drought would kill one-third of the world’s population, followed by nuclear war that would kill another third, with the survivors sold into slavery. Christ would then return to establish the Kingdom of God.

The booklet became a cornerstone of WCG outreach, distributed by the millions alongside The United States and Britain in Prophecy. Armstrong’s radio broadcasts and The Plain Truth magazine hammered the same theme for nearly two decades: the Great Tribulation and Christ’s return were scheduled for the early-to-mid 1970s, with 1975 as the outside limit. Members were told the church would flee to a “place of safety” (often identified as Petra, Jordan) in 1972, emerging in 1975 to rule with Christ.

When 1975 arrived and passed without tribulation, famine, or nuclear holocaust, Armstrong quietly withdrew the booklet from circulation. He never issued a formal retraction or apology. Instead, later writings simply stopped mentioning specific dates. After Armstrong’s death in 1986, the WCG underwent massive doctrinal changes and eventually abandoned Armstrong’s prophetic framework entirely. Offshoot groups that retained the original teachings have since tried to reinterpret or downplay the failed timeline.

The Common Pattern: Bold Implication, Then Denial

Both organizations followed the same playbook:

• Authoritative chronology presented as “Bible truth.”
• Urgent language that stopped just short of an explicit date.
• Life-altering actions encouraged among the rank-and-file.
• Post-failure blame placed on members’ “misunderstandings” or “speculation.”
• No formal admission of error—only claims that the organization never said what everyone inside clearly heard.

Critics argue this constitutes deception. When leaders publish detailed timelines, circulate countdown bulletins, and celebrate slogans like “Stay Alive Till ’75” while simultaneously insisting “we never set a date,” the result is classic bait-and-switch. Followers who acted in good faith were left financially and emotionally devastated, while the organizations retained power and continued to demand loyalty and donations.

The 1975 episode is not ancient history. It remains one of the clearest modern examples of how date-specific prophecy can be used to control behavior, extract commitment, and then be memory-holed when it fails. Both groups survived the scandal, but thousands of former members never recovered their trust—either in the organizations or in the very idea of end-time prophecy delivered by men. The record shows that when religious leaders promise the end is precisely calculable, history has a way of proving them wrong—and their followers pay the price.

A Devastating Legacy: The Human Wreckage of 1975

When the calendar flipped from 1975 into 1976, the world did not end. But for thousands of sincere believers in the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Worldwide Church of God, something far more personal did collapse: their entire sense of reality, security, and hope.

They had believed with all their hearts. They had sold their homes, emptied their savings, quit their jobs, postponed marriages, skipped college, and turned their backs on careers—because their leaders had painted 1975 as the unmistakable, Bible-guaranteed finish line of human history. The promises were delivered with the full authority of “God’s organization” and “God’s apostle.” The urgency was relentless. The stakes were eternal.

Then the date passed in silence.

What followed was not merely disappointment. It was a slow-motion spiritual and emotional catastrophe. Families who had liquidated everything woke up to empty bank accounts and no retirement. Young people who had sacrificed their educations found themselves in their thirties with no credentials and no future. Parents who had refused to have children because “this system won’t last that long” faced the quiet grief of empty nests and irreversible regret. Marriages fractured under the weight of dashed expectations and mutual blame. Depression, anxiety, and in some cases suicide shadowed the years that followed.

The organizations offered no apologies, no restitution, and no accountability—only the cold insistence that they had “never said” what every member clearly heard. The very leaders who had stoked the fire of urgency now stood back and watched the faithful burn, then blamed the victims for misunderstanding.

For both groups, 1975 was not just a failed date on a chart. It was a betrayal that shattered lives. It robbed people of their best years, their financial stability, their education, their families, and, for many, their faith itself. The damage was not abstract theology—it was measured in foreclosed homes, broken marriages, abandoned dreams, and decades of quiet despair.

Decades later, the survivors still carry the scars. Some rebuilt. Many never fully recovered. All of them learned the same bitter lesson: when religious leaders weaponize prophecy to demand total sacrifice, the only thing that truly ends in 1975 is the innocence of those who believed them.

The world kept spinning. But for countless ex-members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Worldwide Church of God, time itself stopped in the autumn of 1975—and part of them has never moved forward since.

Progressive Revelation In Armstrongism Is An Escape Hatch For Members To Turn A Blind Eye To Outright Lies

Progressive Revelation

more commonly used in COG groups: "new revelation," "new understanding," 

or "God is revealing more truth", 

is a key doctrinal mechanism in Armstrongism that lets members reinterpret failed prophecies as "incomplete earlier understanding" rather than outright lies or false prophecy. 

It keeps many loyal because it turns potential disillusionment 

into renewed hope and commitment.

What "Progressive Revelation" Means in Armstrongism

Herbert W. Armstrong (HWA) taught that God reveals His truth gradually—first the basics, then deeper insights as the end times near. He didn't always call it "progressive revelation" exactly, but he practiced it: adjusting doctrines over decades (e.g., on divorce/remarriage, healing, or prophecy timing) and presenting them as God opening new understanding through him as God's apostle.

Post-1986 splinter groups kept this idea but supercharged it. Current leaders claim God is now giving them fresh revelation or clearer insight into prophecy, end-time events, church government, or specific details HWA "didn't fully understand." This is not the standard Christian idea of progressive revelation (where later truth builds on earlier without contradicting it). In COG splinters, it often means revising or spiritualizing past predictions when they fail.

Examples tied to the leaders you asked about earlier:

• Gerald Flurry (PCG): Heavily pushes "new revelation." Malachi's Message was called a "new vision from God." He has introduced things like the "new stone of destiny" (HWA's prayer rock) as a major divine update that "clarifies" prophecy and moves the throne of David to PCG. Failed timelines (e.g., Obama/Trump predictions) get reframed as God giving "sharper focus" or additional revelation.

• David Pack (RCG): Constantly announces "new truth," "new doctrines," or "growth in understanding" revealed directly to him. Dozens of specific return dates or reunification prophecies that failed are explained as partial earlier understanding—God is progressively revealing the full picture through Pack.

• Ronald Weinland (COG-PKG): Adjusted his 2008/2012 timelines and Two Witnesses claims by saying God revealed more as events unfolded.

• Crackpot Bob: While Crackpot Bob often criticizes "progressive revelation through tradition" in other Christian churches, he still uses the functional equivalent: special dreams, the "double portion" mantle, and his unique prophetic role give "new understanding" of current events as prophecy fulfillment. Failures or unfulfilled expectations get folded into "God is revealing more through the Philadelphia remnant" narrative.

Why do members stay in spite of failed prophecies?

It solves the cognitive dissonance problem perfectly for those who want to stay:

• It absolves the leader (and God) of error: Deuteronomy 18:21-22 says a true prophet's words must come to pass. "Progressive revelation" dodges this: "It wasn't a false prophecy—it was based on incomplete revelation at the time. God has now given us more light." Members aren't forced to call their leader a false prophet; instead, they see him as the humble channel for ongoing divine updates.

• It turns failure into excitement and urgency: Every missed date becomes proof that "we're getting closer—the revelation is accelerating!" It creates a cycle: prediction → failure → "new understanding" → new prediction → renewed zeal and tithing. Members feel privileged to be part of the "cutting-edge" group receiving God's latest instructions.

• It reinforces loyalty to the current leader: Leaving would mean rejecting God's current channel of revelation. You're not just leaving a church—you're becoming "Laodicean," blind to what God is doing now. Staying shows you're submissive to the "mantle" and willing to grow in understanding.

• It fits the sunk-cost and fear psychology: Many have decades invested (family, friends, identity, tithes). Progressive revelation lets them salvage all that: "We weren't wrong; we just didn't have the full picture yet." Plus, the fear of the Tribulation and "place of safety" only for the faithful remnant makes questioning risky.

Cult recovery groups call this a classic false-teacher tactic. True biblical revelation doesn't require constant resets or blame-shifting. When circumstances change, genuine prophets don't "update" failed words—they repent or admit presumption. Instead, these groups modify expectations to protect the leader's authority, exactly as happened with the Elijah/HWA identification over the years.

In short, "progressive revelation" (in its Armstrongist form) is the escape hatch that lets members stay psychologically and spiritually comfortable despite the track record of unmet prophecies. It keeps the system going by promising that this time—with the latest revelation—the end really is near and the leader really is God's man. That's why, even with all the documented failures across PCG, RCG, COG-PKG, CCOG, and others, some dedicated members double down rather than walk away.

Dave Pack/RCG: Blind faithfulness that abandons critical thinking is a doom spiral

 

Certain Uncertainty

There is one certain thing about David C. Pack: He is uncertain.

The wanna-be/hafta-be apostle, inept prophetic guru, and theological yarn-spinner vacillates between having “an avalanche of proof” about the date for the arrival of the Kingdom of God one week, but then dismantles his own theories the next.

The Pastor General of The Restored Church of God was certain his understanding of the unicorn date of Abib 24 (April 10) was God-inspired during “The Greatest Untold Story! (Part 628),” given on March 21, 2026, but became certain of his uncertainty during Part 629.

Part 629 – March 28, 2026
@ 26:38 Abib 24 is impossible. And now we can put it to bed, and we can start talking about are we waiting for three and a half days to Passover?

What took him two hours to preach during Part 628 was dismantled in seconds during Part 629. This triggered the Part 628 Regret-O-Meter bigtime.

Dave whined like a little schoolgirl about how hard his self-assigned job is, while again blaming the Jews for his biblical blunder. The irony of his using multi-sided dice as a visual aid for how challenging prophecy is was lost on him. I cannot help but wonder if this was Bradford Schleifer winking at us.

“The Greatest Untold Story! (Part 629)," given on March 28, 2026, is peak Dave Uncertainty. The Pastor General was Mister Wishy-Washy, Mister Maybe-Maybe Not, and Mister I Dunno in one wrapper.

One moment summarized the heart, spirit, and tone of Part 629. It is certain to make you chuckle.

@ 1:04:48 And and then you hope you can figure it out. If he knew, he'd tell you. It's pretty obvious that I don't know, or I'd be telling you. Or if I or I do know, but I'm not yet ready to tell you. I guess you could see it either way. I don't wanna tell you which it is. I may not know. I may know. I've thought I knew before.

That is a stellar example of WCG Ambassador College's preaching skills in action.

Tell them what you might tell them. Kinda tell them maybe sorta, I guess. Express your doubts about what you may or may not have told them if they wanna see it that way, perhaps.

David C. Pack is certainly uncertain throughout Part 629. Members in the Main Hall at Headquarters must have been wondering why he would even bother to preach if he was so uncertain about so much.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

The tone of a sermon is often set within the first few minutes. The brethren of The Restored Church of God certainly felt the same dread I used to when Dave would introduce doubts up front.

@ 02:31 Well, we have Abib 24 in hand. It's right, or it's not.

In times past, I knew that was to point at which to set my pen down. The rest of the sermon was just like that, but worse because it took him one hour and 49 minutes to build to a stunning conclusion:

@ 1:47:58 I’ma just tell ya what I think. I have big doubts about Passover, but it's a very real possibility. I have big doubts about it.

Those bookends encapsulate what members are subjected to week after week after week. And they pay this guy to do that. He studies the Bible all week just to preach uncertainty on the Sabbath.

@ 04:28 Two enormous problems drove last week's position, where we where we went to Abib 24. They got resolved, and we're gonna talk about them.

That is Packian-speak for "I'm gonna throw out what I just preached." But someone has to accept the blame.

@ 19:17 And the unicorn date we talked about last week became the 24th. Why? Because the Jews said so. And they have a wonderful track record of getting nothing right. That's the beauty of ‘em. They get nothing right.

In my mind’s eye, I can see Brad at the back of the hall subtly smirking and shaking his head when Dave blurts out unintentional comedy like this.

The exquisite irony that pours forth from David C. Pack’s mouth is astonishing perfection. From his own lips, he has said. God has a sense of humor and is a fan of irony. Dave’s ears cannot hear what Dave’s mouth says. The fatty hubris mass within his skull cannot tolerate self-awareness because it would have a devastating effect on the candy glass walls of his delusion.

Nobody at Headquarters would dare ask, “Mr. Pack, how is your track record?” That person would be certain to know they would be escorted off the property post haste.

For those who wonder if David C. Pack’s certain uncertainty is just a colorful exaggeration, this archive of accurate quotes stands as a witness to who speaks the truth.

@ 27:10 Because it could be Passover, or maybe we’ll see, no, it's not.

@ 29:43 So, you see how what as I study, I'm conflicted. Now, I'm I’m not really conflicted anymore…

@ 55:08 …and they overlay the seven Days of Unleavened Bread. I am not saying, and this where they [chuckles – plays with dice] you could they they move, and you try to figure out, “Wow, that would mean it’s Passover.” It would mean it could be. Or it could be a different seven days. Now, I hope you find this very interesting because I'm taking you deeply into why this was complicated for so long. For so, so long.

@ 1:04:08 Did you think, “Oh, that’s Passover?” Or did you think it could be? Certainly could be. This has been my challenge for a long time, on when God is gonna act.

@ 1:05:21 I'm trying to help you understand. Get ready for Passover, what we're covering. Wanna say it again. Because it could be Passover, and it may not be.

Why RCG members should never take David C. Pack seriously in 3…2…1…

@ 1:31:50 We wondered if the 1335 back there was the date. Then is it Abib 1? Is it Abib 3? Then my next question in the back of my mind, is it Abib 10? I I could I could I could just take a sidebar right now and spend two hours telling you why it looks like it could be Abib 10.

Just like he spent two hours telling them it was Abib 24 the week prior. Abib 24 was a unicorn date that was revealed to him by God, and he had an avalanche of proof to support it. Ponder that.

David C. Pack cannot discern between God’s inspiration
and his own imagination. That should sober
every member in The Restored Church of God.

The theme of certain uncertainty was carried from beginning to end. No topic was spared.

The theme of certain uncertainty was carried from beginning to end. No topic was spared.

@ 1:46:49 There’s an entirely different way to mark the 1335 days that we’ve never once discussed, and I’m pretty sure it’s right. It’s either now over ten days ago. Or we haven’t even gotten to it.

@ 1:48:37 You could ask, “Why would God have us go through all the preparation and all the messages and so forth, and we don't keep it?” [chuckles] …Maybe it's just to test our faithfulness to see if we will.

Right. This is what the brethren of The Restored Church of God need more of, since they have been needlessly suffering continuous uncertainty since August 30, 2013: Testing their faithfulness.

Blind faithfulness that abandons critical thinking is a doom spiral.

David C. Pack is an incompetent, blaspheming, hypocritical liar, false prophet, false apostle, false teacher, theological nincompoop, ineffective speaker, biblical fraud, religious charlatan, covetous thief, and notorious faith breaker. All of that is certain.

@ 1:48:57 So, it’s important to prepare for Passover. And we did. …and we'll know in three and a half days. But I have pretty big doubts, and I wanna leave those with you because you'll prepare and run through the tape in case the tape is further out by some little bit.

The brethren who seek the finish line tape will certainly come to understand it is further out by a lot. So far out that David C. Pack and those who worship him shall never see it in this lifetime.

All these doubts and uncertainties did not stop Dave from dropping a single hint of where they are heading next: Iyar 1 (April 17, 2026).

@ 26:09 The chag that Israel kept, the unicorn date we may be waiting was surely the next Sabbath of Iyar 1.Which, by the way, again, was not just a Sabbath, it was a new moon, and would make it really a chag. A double season of refreshing, if you will. I’m not saying that’s the date. But if it is the date, we ought to know which date we’re waiting for.

After he officially announces Iyar 1 as the unicorn date, there will be a sense of more certain uncertainty.

After 142 failures, it is hard to feel any empathy for the brethren of The Restored Church of God. David C. Pack needs to keep cranking out new dates just over the horizon to continue the impression of growth and better understanding.

One thing is certain: No one should feel uncertain about the perpetual failure of David C. Pack and the deceptive treachery of those who support him.

Marc Cebrian

See: Certain Uncertainty

Who Can Keep the Most Obscure Old Covenant Rules While Claiming Everyone Else Is Apostate?

Many members of the Church of God just wrapped up another thrilling observance of the Days of Unleavened Bread, complete with two or three mandatory days off squeezed into the week. Meanwhile, fearless leader Wade Cox has once again blessed his followers with the privilege of taking eight full days off work — just like the good old days of the Worldwide Church of God. And don’t worry, the fun isn’t over yet: another glorious nine or ten days off will be required for the Feast of Tabernacles. How thoughtful of their employers and school administrators to fully support this divine scheduling.

Cox and a few other extreme Church of God splinter groups love to claim they alone are preserving the pure, inspired truth that Herbert W. Armstrong supposedly taught in the early glory years. In their eyes, 99% of the rest of “COGland” has sadly fallen into apostasy, doing whatever they feel like. But fear not — the Coxites stand alone as the one true church, no matter how whack-a-doodle their rules get. After all, what other group can boast of converting half to three-quarters of the entire African continent, including plenty of Muslims? Even the most ambitious crackpot leaders in other splinters could never pull off such a miracle.

One of the more unique distinctions of the Coxites is their belief in a created creature they call Christ — a being who will return not in gentle grace, but to whip some serious ass because he’s so ticked off. This future Messiah will then implement the entire system of laws given to Moses at Sinai. As they proudly declare:

When Messiah comes again, he is going to introduce, in total, the system of law that he gave to Moses at Sinai.

They also insist there is only one true God (named Eloah), which conveniently explains why Jesus must be a created creature:

How many true Gods does it have? The Bible texts are very plain, and they say that there is only One True God Eloah and He sent Jesus Christ, and on understanding that fact depends eternal life (Jn. 17:3). His name is Eloah (Prov. 30:4-5; Ezra Ch. 4-Ch. 7, F015ii). No man has ever seen Him or can see Him and He alone is immortal (Jn.1:18; 1Tim 6:16).

How refreshing — a theology where the Savior has to earn His stripes by coming back angry and enforcing ancient civil laws.]

But the real litmus test for true Christianity, according to CCG, is following the “proper calendar.” The Coxites are teh calendar police of teh COG movement. Anyone who dares use the common Hillel calendar (you know, the one most Jews and nearly every other Church of God group follows) is automatically branded an apostate. The Mother Church apparently got led astray by the Church of God (Seventh Day), which cowardly adopted the Hillel system because — gasp — there’s no Temple or Sanhedrin left to confirm the first faint crescent moon sighting.

Thankfully, the Coxites have people stationed around the Middle East scanning the skies for that sacred first glow. As they boldly proclaim:

The true Church keeps the Temple Calendar, and always has done so, over the last two millennia. The Sardis system went into apostasy from 1940 over Hillel in both the COG(SD) and the RCG and later WCG and offshoots. CCG keeps the Temple Calendar.

They also still keep the glorious eight-day Passover/Unleavened Bread observance that the Worldwide Church of God wisely dropped decades ago. Because nothing screams “New Covenant freedom” like forcing eight straight days off work for bread without yeast.

Some other gems of the Coxites include:

The True Church of God has to keep the Law and the Testimony that comes from the Law, including the Sabbaths, New Moons and the Feasts, and the Jubilee system. Only CCG does this

The church is also governed by the Law in all aspects and anyone teaching that the Law is done away or that any aspect of the Law, apart from the sacrificial law, does not have to be kept is not part of the Body of Christ.

If you or your church is not doing these things or teaching that they are not required then they are not inspired. Get away from them.

And just in case you were hoping for a little normal life: CCG prohibits any trading or ordinary activities on New Moons or Sabbaths. So no sneaky donut or coffee runs, no popping into a movie, and heaven forbid you stream a little Netflix on a New Moon day. The horror!

Meanwhile, Back in the New Covenant…

While all this calendar-watching and law-enforcing sounds exhausting, the New Testament offers a radically different message. Christians are not governed by the “testimony of the law” or bound to the Old Covenant system. As Paul plainly stated:

For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” (Romans 6:14)

Of course, grace doesn’t mean “sin all you want,” but it does mean we are no longer under the heavy burden of the Mosaic Law as a means of justification or sanctification. The law served its purpose as a tutor to lead us to Christ. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under that tutor (Galatians 3:24-25). Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17), not through perfect moon sightings or eight-day forced vacations.

The ancient Temple calendar (based on actual visible crescent moons and barley ripening in Israel) was practical for a centralized nation with a functioning Sanhedrin. The Hillel calendar was a later, calculated system designed to keep scattered Jews unified after the Temple was destroyed. Neither one is presented in the New Testament as a requirement for Christians. Insisting that true salvation depends on getting the calendar exactly right — while labeling everyone else an apostate — is legalism dressed up as “restored truth.” Eastern skies for crescent moons. Must have completely slipped their minds in all

So there you have it, folks. If your pathetic little church isn’t making you take multiple weeks off work each year, banning Netflix on New Moons, teaching that Jesus is a created being who will return in a furious rage to re-impose the full Mosaic Law on everyone, and loudly declaring itself the only true church on the planet while the rest of us wallow in apostasy — well, according to Wade Cox and his elite band of moon-watchers, you’re probably doomed to eternal failure. How tragic.

It’s truly astonishing that the apostles somehow managed to plant churches all over the Roman Empire without ever mentioning these absolutely essential requirements like eight-day Unleavened Bread vacations, New Moon food purchases or cooking, or scanning the Middle Eastern skies for crescent moons. Must have completely slipped their minds in all the excitement of preaching the gospel of grace.

Thank goodness we have the Coxites to set the record straight after two thousand years. Because nothing captures the liberating joy of the New Covenant quite like turning Christianity into an exhausting game of “Who Can Keep the Most Obscure Old Covenant Rules While Claiming Everyone Else Is Apostate.” Grace? Pfft. Who needs that weak sauce when you can have legalism, sky-scanning, and a perpetually angry created Messiah instead?

True Christianity is defined by faith in the eternal Son of God who fulfilled the law for us, not by how strictly we police the skies for crescent moons or how many vacation days we sacrifice to prove our superior devotion. Grace still reigns — even if some groups would rather trade it for a perfectly observed calendar and a very, very angry returning Messiah.

The conclusion is now much more heavily sarcastic while still tying everything together clearly. Let me know if you'd like any further tweaks!

Dave Pack's Regret-O-Meter v2 (Part 628)

The Real Reason Jesus Was Delayed AGAIN In Meeting Up With Dave Pack

There are priorities when one arrives after a long journey, and what better place to stop off first than at

 the Giant Eagle!