Yisrayl Hawkins and the House of Yahweh (HOY): Armstrongism, Failed Prophecies, Bigamy, Child Labor, and Abuse Allegations

Yisrayl Hawkins (born Buffalo Bill Hawkins), leader of the House of Yahweh (HOY) in Eula/Clyde, Texas, positioned himself as a modern-day prophet and one of the "two witnesses" of Revelation. His movement, which emerged from Sabbatarian and Church of God traditions, heavily emphasized apocalyptic end-times scenarios. Like many high-control groups, HOY used urgent doomsday predictions to foster fear, demand total commitment, and retain members. These prophecies repeatedly failed, yet the group adapted explanations or shifted dates—a classic pattern in failed prophetic movements.

A Pattern of Unfulfilled Predictions

Hawkins’ track record of prophetic failure spans decades:

• 1999–2002: In the 1999 Channel 4 documentary Welcome to Armageddon, Hawkins declared that four-fifths of the world's population would be wiped out between then and mid-2002. When challenged, he replied confidently: "There is no possibility that it could not take place just as I have told you." The date passed without incident. 
• 1993–2000: He tied the Israeli Peace Accord of October 13, 1993, to the start of a seven-year Tribulation, predicting Christ’s return by October 14, 2000. This too failed. 
• 2006 Nuclear War: In a February 2006 newsletter, Hawkins announced that nuclear war would begin on September 12, 2006. When that date passed, he revised the timeline, claiming the war was “conceived” on that date and would be “born” nine months later (June 12, 2007). 
• 2007–2008: That deadline also failed. Hawkins then set June 12, 2008, as the start of nuclear war. After this final major miss, he stopped setting specific new dates for global catastrophe, though the group continued emphasizing imminent end times.

Ex-members described how these shifting predictions created a cycle of heightened anxiety followed by rationalizations: “It was only conceived,” “Yahweh gave more time,” or “The warnings delayed judgment.” One former member noted that the world was supposed to end “at least three or four times” during her involvement, with excuses always provided.

These failures align with Deuteronomy 18:22 in the Bible: If a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord and the thing does not happen, “that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken.” Hawkins’ unfulfilled words mark him as a false prophet by his own scriptural standard.

Ties to Armstrongism

The House of Yahweh did not emerge in isolation. It draws heavily from Armstrongism—the teachings of Herbert W. Armstrong and the Worldwide Church of God (WCG). Both stress Torah observance, rejection of “pagan” holidays, British Israelism (or similar identity doctrines), and a strong apocalyptic framework. Hawkins radicalized these elements: claiming to be one of the two witnesses, establishing a physical “place of safety” on the Texas compound, and enforcing stricter controls. The pattern of date-setting, fear-mongering, and post-failure adjustment is a shared legacy.

Bigamy, Child Labor Violations, and Abuse at the HOY Compound

Beyond failed prophecies, the group faced serious legal scrutiny over practices at its 44-acre compound. Authorities investigated allegations of polygamy (bigamy), child labor exploitation, and sexual abuse.

In February 2008, Yisrayl Hawkins (then 73–74) was arrested and charged with four counts of promoting bigamy and one count of practicing bigamy, along with child labor violations. 

Prosecutors accused him of performing polygamous weddings and maintaining multiple wives—former members and reports estimated at least two dozen wives. State records showed him listed as the father of children born in 2007 to young women in the group. His initial bail was set at $10 million before being reduced.

The bigamy charges were ultimately dismissed in October 2009 as part of a plea deal. 

Hawkins pleaded no contest to four misdemeanor counts of child labor violations involving children working on the compound. He received 15 months of probation and fines. Children were reportedly required to work long hours (e.g., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) in fields, a cannery, and butter operations.

The Case of Yedidiyah Hawkins

The most disturbing incidents involved sexual abuse by group elders. In 2007, Yedidiyah Hawkins (age ~40), an elder in the House of Yahweh and reportedly one of Yisrayl’s associates, was arrested for aggravated sexual assault of a child. He was convicted in October 2008 of molesting his 11-year-old stepdaughter under the pretext of performing “cervical cancer checks.” Testimony revealed he used a gynecological speculum (purchased online) on the girl, with abuse alleged to have occurred over years, beginning as early as age 8. A former member testified that some elders knew and failed to report it.

Yedidiyah was sentenced to 30 years in prison in December 2008. The case highlighted broader concerns about an environment where polygamy was taught as doctrine (with sermons promoting it as early as 1993), young women faced pressure into sanctioned unions, and child protection failures occurred. Civil suits and investigations also addressed failure to report child sexual abuse. These events compounded the human cost: families fractured, children exposed to labor and alleged exploitation, and a culture of control reinforced by apocalyptic urgency. Ex-members described the group as enforcing isolation, heavy tithing, restricted education, and total allegiance to Hawkins.

Videos and Documentaries

Several documentaries and interviews expose these dynamics:

• How I Escaped My Cult (Freeform, 2025 episode on HOY) features ex-member Debby detailing life inside, apocalyptic preparations, control tactics, and her escape. 
• The 1999 Channel 4 Welcome to Armageddon documentary includes direct interviews with Hawkins making bold predictions. 
• YouTube hosts ex-member testimonies, news segments on the 2006–2008 dates, the 2008 arrests, and discussions of compound life.

Exposing the Lies of Armstrongism

The repeated failures of Yisrayl Hawkins, combined with the documented legal issues of bigamy promotion, child labor, and sexual abuse cases like Yedidiyah Hawkins’, stand as a stark warning about the dangers of date-setting, rigid prophetic speculation, and unchecked authority in high-control groups. Armstrong’s system and its offshoots promised unique “revealed truth” — yet foundational predictions collapsed, requiring constant reinterpretation, while members paid a heavy personal price.

True biblical prophecy does not rely on shifting timelines or human leaders’ charisma. It calls for discernment, testing spirits, and fruit that lasts (Matthew 7:15-20). Movements like HOY demonstrate how mixing legalism, isolation, apocalyptic fear, and authoritarian control can harm vulnerable people seeking meaning. Hawkins is gone, but the cautionary tale remains: Beware any group that claims exclusive access to God’s timeline while demanding your total allegiance and isolating you from accountability.

Silent Pilgrim

Restored Church of God: David C. Pack is a Lying False Prophet

 

David C. Pack is a Lying False Prophet

David C. Pack is a lying false prophet. To believe otherwise requires willful foolishness and stubborn denial of the overwhelming documented facts that are freely available to all who care to examine.

It would be far too kind to describe David C. Pack as being the least truthiest minister in the COGs. The stark reality is that the Pastor General of The Restored Church of God is a bald-faced liar. He does not just issue verbal mistakes or fumble into biblical whoopsie daisies, but he intentionally deceives the brethren whom he professes to love.

As a Christian impostor, he counts on his mind-numb worshippers being so mentally exhausted that they will fail to realize the numerous contradictions and intentional lies he utters ex cathedra. The human idol and Pope of Wadsworth makes up his own rules as he goes along, ignoring Bible verses he claims to uphold.

The only escape David C. Pack has from being a certified prolific liar is if he turns out to be a theological moron with a neurological condition that prevents him from remembering anything longer than 30 seconds ago.

The only rational conclusion any critically thinking human being can conclude is that, with the preponderance of the evidence, David C. Pack is a lying false prophet.

This video provides a fraction of the receipts:

Dave’s delusional prophethood was extensively covered in the 2024 article, “Prophet David C. Pack,” but due to his most recent declarations, an update was in order.

 

I would like to see Bradford G. Schleifer try to grease his way out of this one:

Part 579 – June 7, 2025
@ 57:01 And it would be easy to throw my hands up and just say, “No man knows the day of the hour.” And oh, do the mockers love to hit me on that. “Oh, this man is a false prophet.” I've never claimed to be a prophet.

Part 447 – June 6, 2023
@ 2:02:42 Now, the fact that He's [God] revealing this to me, I have to be a prophet.

@ 2:02:58 I have to be Elijah now.

Part 27 – May 7, 2016
@ 1:46:53 I knew I understood I was Elijah.

Part 273 – December 12, 2020
@ 2:29:03 That prophet has to talk about it. If it's not me, brethren, then you better go looking for him.

David C. Pack was so convinced that he was the Elijah to come that he preached that God would destroy the earth if his commission was stopped.

First a Moses, Now Elijah—130 Proofs! (Part 3) – January 24, 2015
@ 1:16:51 Or is it something bigger that causes the devil to want me dead above all human beings on earth? If Elijah's commission is stopped, God said He would destroy the earth, brethren. Now, if you’re uncomfortable with me holding that job, it couldn’t be as much as I am.

Ah, shucks, fellas. If you keep me from doing my job, the entire earth blows up. Gee whiz.

No wonder David C. Pack called me "That devil, Marc Cebrian" at the supper table during the Feast of Tabernacles in 2023:

@ 1:16:58 If the devil can kill or discredit or block me using every means possible, he can make God put God in a position to destroy this planet.

My apologies to the inhabitants of the earth. The purpose of exrcg.org was not to annihilate the globe. But fear not, people of the little blue dot, for even David C. Pack came to his senses and agreed with me. He undeclared he was a prophet.

Part 291 – February 27, 2021
@ 1:02:14 I am not Elijah. Not yet. But as an apostle, the Bible does say, Paul did say, “For we know in part and we prophesy in part.”

Unfortunately for Dave, only God installs men into positions of authority. Humans cannot do that. Either David C. Pack was never a prophet to begin with and presumptuously stole the title for himself, or he is a prophet ordained by God and has since proven himself to be false.

Which is it, Brad? You can rope Ed in on that one and confer. I will eagerly await your generic non-answer excuse why it is okay to allow that blaspheming liar to continue as RCG’s figurehead.

 

Dave walked back being Elijah, but held onto his "prophesying" assertions by altering the meaning to be "just teaching what the Bible says." But slathered with healthy portions of wishy-washy verbiage.

Part 501 – March 30, 2024
@ 27:42 So, it's possible, it's possible, I guess, I'll just say, maybe that I'm prophesying things that are gonna happen.

Part 583 – July 12, 2025
@ 01:30 Now, I’m not setting a date. I’m presenting an immensely powerful pile of evidence for examination… If a date is set, the material will do it. Not me.

So, the material has been wrong 144 times since August 30, 2013, and not David C. Pack. Gotcha.

Even after unlawfully revoking his own Elijah status, Dave continued to lie to the church while claiming God’s authority and speaking in His name.

Part 471 – September 30, 2023
@ 1:43:41 I just don't know. And I’m not here to tell you the day. I’ll never do it again. I’ll never do it again.

Did Dave learn his lesson?

Part 602 – October 18, 2025
@ 1:49:40 Now, if the three bedrock points covered today… can all be wrong, all of it's just all wrong, we can just acknowledge together today that I couldn’t possibly ever offer another date in their place. Could never be done.

Did David C. Pack stop lying?

Part 617 – January 17, 2026
@ 1:31:48 It wudden’t Trumpets. And it wudden’t Abib 1, and it wudden’t Tevet 10, and I was trying to figure—we got it. We got it!

Daniel’s 1335 did not begin on February 2, 2026, on Shevat 16, but that was the sermon that invented the hilarious Regret-O-Meter. I would also like to formally thank David C. Pack of The Restored Church of God for providing this immortalized moment of raw hubris and a supreme vanity.

Did Dave finally realize how awful he was at his self-assigned job and come to a horrific realization that God is not backing up anything he preaches?

Part 631 – April 11, 2026
@ 1:49:45 I know the exact date, absolutely, 1000% that the Kingdom is coming, and you know it can't be later than the Second Passover, and that's 19 1/2 days away.

Dave tries to utilize gaslighting and lies to erase the past. Only an enemy of the church would dare write down what he said and remind you about it. Contrary to his assertions, I do not want anyone in RCG dead. I just want them to remember.

Part 634 – May 2, 2026
@ 1:39:35 But Elijah the Prophet has not yet appeared. I am not Elijah. Nobody is.

David C. Pack circumvents scripture to once again manifest his own “because I say so” theology that conveniently excuses his perpetual failings. Using self-serving logic, he conjures biblical excuses without being able to quote a verse or provide any proof.

Just like any false prophet would.

@ 1:39:43 I’m still a messenger and an apostle, and I can err. I can get dates wrong… Surely, everyone knows I can err.

This is an admission of defeat without assuming any accountability.

@ 1:40:20 But, I can err. A prophet, when Elijah is raised as a prophet, a prophet cannot err because he gets the words directly from God’s mouth.

@ 1:40:51 I’m not getting any words from God’s mouth.

So, that makes preaching 144 wrong dates since 2013 perfectly fine now.

David C. Pack currently denies that he is a prophet and is not Elijah. Because he is “just an apostle,” he self-pardons himself from past responsibility and is perpetually excused for making prophetic “mistakes.” But boy, if one of those dates popped, he would be hopping up and down while pissing himself with excitement that he finally got one right, and crying out at the top of his lungs how right he was.

Dave often teaches that a carnal mind has an amazing ability to find a way to justify sin and disobedience. His ego cannot let him consider that he is doing this right now. By claiming he is not a prophet, he desperately tries to defuse the accurate observation that he is a false prophet.

There are no "take-backs" in Bible prophecy, Dave.

In this way, the Pastor General is retroactively excusing his fraudulent declarations by hiding behind a non-existent biblical loophole. On August 30, 2013, David C. Pack had a singular opportunity to be proven legitimate. And he failed. Which is why he will continue to fail into the grave.

David C. Pack is a hypocritical blaspheming liar, false apostle, false teacher, and false prophet. He discredits himself, and his own words dissolve all of his credibility. He does not speak with God's authority or on God's behalf. The Holy Spirit does not inspire David C. Pack to preach what he does.

No amount of lying or gaslighting will change the reality that David C. Pack is a false prophet.

Marc Cebrian

See: David C. Pack is a Lying False Prophet

The Immense Pentecost That Never Was

 

Elisha’s Double Portion vs. Thiel’s Double Fantasy – A New Covenant Reality Check

Bob Thiel's "Double Portion" Claim Falls Apart Biblically (and by the Fruit Test).

Bob Thiel repeatedly points to a December 15, 2011, anointing by LCG minister Gaylyn Bonjour. During a routine laying on of hands, Bonjour (moved, he said, by the Spirit) prayed that God would grant Thiel a "double portion" of His Holy Spirit—explicitly likening it to Elisha's request from Elijah in 2 Kings 2:9. Thiel has treated this as divine validation of his prophetic office, a mantle-passing from Herbert W. Armstrong's era, and proof of special end-time anointing for his "work" in the improperly named "Continuing" Church of God (CCOG).

1. The OT "Double Portion" Was About Inheritance and Succession—Not a Bigger Dose of the Spirit

In 2 Kings 2:9, Elisha asks for a "double portion" of Elijah's spirit (ruach). This was the legal right of the firstborn son (Deuteronomy 21:17)—a double inheritance share. Elisha was requesting to be recognized as Elijah's prophetic successor, not "twice the Holy Spirit power."

Elijah's ministry involved dramatic miracles (fire from heaven, drought, etc.). Elisha did perform notable acts, but the Bible doesn't frame it as "twice the Spirit"—it was about carrying forward the prophetic office in a new era.

This was a unique transitional moment in Israel's history under the Old Covenant. It has nothing to do with New Covenant believers claiming graded levels of the Spirit.

Thiel (and some in COG circles) rips this out of context and treats it like a magical upgrade prayer that magically confers super-prophet status. That's not how Scripture works.

2. The New Testament Knows Nothing of a "Graded" or "Double" Holy Spirit

One Spirit: Ephesians 4:4 – "There is one body and one Spirit..."

Given without measure: John 3:34 (speaking of Christ, but the principle applies to the Spirit's fullness in the new era).

All believers participate equally: 1 Corinthians 12:13 – "For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body... and all were made to drink of one Spirit."

Varieties of gifts, same Spirit: 1 Corinthians 12:4 – Different manifestations, but the same Spirit distributing as He wills. No hierarchy of "Spirit levels" among believers.

Poured out on all flesh: Acts 2:33, Joel 2:28-29. Pentecost was a historic outpouring with signs appropriate to that moment in salvation history—not a model for individuals claiming bigger helpings later.

Jesus Himself: "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Luke 11:13). No fine print about "double portions for self-appointed prophets only."

The New Testament presents the Holy Spirit as the same undivided gift to all who believe (John 7:38-39; Romans 8:9, 14-16; Galatians 3:2-5; Ephesians 1:13-14). There's no biblical category for "double portion," "triple anointing," or any such invented hierarchy. It's a human invention—often used in charismatic or restorationist circles to claim special status. God the Father isn't bound by our formulaic prayers. The Spirit blows where He wishes (John 3:8).

3. Thiel's Claim Collapses Under Biblical Tests for a Prophet

Even if we grant the 2011 prayer happened exactly as described, the fruit and fulfillment tests destroy any claim of special anointing:

Deuteronomy 18:21-22: If a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord and the thing does not happen, he spoke presumptuously. Thiel has a documented track record of failed predictions, date-ish hints, and "strong possible" scenarios that fizzle, which we have chronicled here extensively

Matthew 7:15-20: "You will recognize them by their fruits." Look at the scandals in CCOG's African congregations (adultery, persecution of Priscilla, witchcraft allegations, arrests, cover-up accusations involving named leaders like Evans Ocheing, etc.). Thiel's responses often involve deflection, attacks on critics, and doubling down rather than humble repentance or correction. Narcissistic patterns, heavy emphasis on his own dreams/interpretations, and authoritarian top-down control don't scream "double portion of the Spirit of Christ" (who was meek and lowly).

Galatians 5:22-23: The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Contrast that with the biting, accusatory tone often directed at ex-members, other COG groups, and anyone questioning his office.

The very minister involved, Gaylyn Bonjour and LCG leadership, later distanced themselves from this mythical double portion and Thiel's delusion that he was a prophet. Thiel ran with it anyway and built an entire identity around it.

4. It's Just Another COG "Mantle" Fantasy

Armstrongism has a long history of claiming special succession, restored truths, and unique anointings while rejecting the plain New Covenant reality: the veil is torn, the Spirit is poured out on all believers (Jew and Gentile, male and female, great and small), and we are all priests in Christ (1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:6). No need for modern "Elijahs" with double scoops of Spirit to mediate.

Thiel's "double portion" is self-serving mythology—much like other failed prophets in the movement who invoke dramatic Old Testament imagery to prop up their authority. It becomes meaningless theater when the life, teachings, and outcomes don't match the New Testament pattern of the Spirit-filled church.

Bottom line: The Holy Spirit isn't a quantifiable resource you level up like a video game character. He's a Person—the same for every believer who asks in faith. If Bob Thiel did receive the Holy Spirit, he received the same offer as every other Christian. The evidence shows he hasn't operated in any special double-portion power. The biblical record, the fruit, and the failed prophecies prove it.

This fits perfectly into the broader pattern of Armstrongist leaders inventing extra-biblical mechanisms to claim superiority. The real freedom is in the New Covenant: one Spirit, full access through Christ, no graded anointings required. Keep exposing the wackiness—it's a public service.

hat tip to a commenter here:

The notion of a double portion of the Holy Spirit intrigues. The phrase “double portion” comes from Elisha’s request to Elijah: “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit.” (2 Kings 2:9)

As a double portion was the legal right of the firstborn son (Deut 21:17).
Elisha was asking: to be Elijah’s successor, to inherit the prophetic office. This is not the same as asking for twice as much of the Holy Spirit. Something entirely different. 

In the NT in areas where we read of the Holy Spirit we see: One Spirit (Eph 4:4); Poured out (Acts 2:33); Given without measure (John 3:34); All believers drink of one Spirit (1 Cor 12:13) - there is no hint or record I can find of a double portion or a triple portion or any such notion of a graded amount. 

SO one must conclude It all seems to be an invention of men . One is left wondering whether prayers invoking a ‘double portion’ etc have any theological meaning at all? God the Father is the One who gives the Spirit, and does not get bound by some prayer of mere men. It becomes meaningless. The Spirit given is the same for all. “The Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.” Jesus said. (Luke 11:13); 

(“There are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.” (1 Cor 12:4) and at Pentecost what is evident was a burst of manifestations appropriate to that moment in salvation history. The signs increased, not the Spirit Himself. So again there is no biblical record of a ‘bigger Spirit,’ a ‘double portion,’ or any graded hierarchy of Spirit‑levels. The Spirit remains one, undivided, and given without measure.)

Bob Thiel’s Masterclass in Meekness: How the Humblest Man Alive Heroically Resigned from LCG the Exact Second Before They Could Kick His Mantle-Bearing Behind Out

Bob Thiel, the Paragon of Meekness and God’s personally anointed mantle-bearer, so graciously left the Living Church of God before those spiritually bankrupt Philistines could summon the audacity to kick him out.

There have been these dreadfully improper reports circulating about me — Bob Thiel, the meekest, most truth-obsessed volunteer doctrinal advisor the Church of God has ever been blessed to endure. Some petty, truth-hating, Laodicean little souls have actually dared to whisper that I was kicked out of the Living Church of God. How delusional! Allow me, in my trademark overflowing modesty, to correct the record once again with yet another lovingly exhaustive manifesto proving, beyond any reasonable doubt, that I heroically stormed out first — before those clueless, mantle-less wonders could possibly have the nerve to show me the door.

The simple reason I left? 

LCG had tragically, pathetically lost the Philadelphia mantle. You know, that sacred, invisible, ever-shifting divine participation trophy that somehow always ends up pinned to the chest of whoever writes the longest self-congratulatory article. They simply didn’t value truth the way I value truth — which is to say, they didn’t immediately rewrite every booklet the instant Bob Thiel sent a strongly-worded email. And when a church has the sheer gall to disagree with me, what’s a truly humble servant to do? Stay and work through it like some pathetic, compromise-loving Laodicean? Don’t make me laugh. The only righteous, Spirit-led response is to declare the whole rotten outfit cursed (Jeremiah 48:10 — suck on that!), fire off a resignation, and found your own church within hours. Because nothing screams “I’m doing this purely for doctrinal purity” like birthing a rival organization before your old one even finishes printing the letter that called you out.

Let’s rewind to 2005, when the great Dr. Roderick C. Meredith himself — presiding evangelist, no less — personally recruited little old unpaid me to play hall monitor for the doctrinal committee. How unbelievably gracious of him. For years, I patiently, repeatedly, endlessly reminded them (with the loving persistence of a dripping faucet) of all the promises they’d made to fix their literature, doctrines, prophecy disasters, and historical howlers. Did they keep them? Of course not. These arrogant, promise-breaking ingrates actually had the nerve to keep teaching things they knew were wrong. 

Imagine the sheer, satanic wickedness of leadership that doesn’t drop everything to obey Bob Thiel the moment he points out a theological comma out of place. Shocking. Appalling. Practically criminal.

By 2011 the mask had completely disintegrated: these people treated Matthew 18 like it was some optional suggestion for the little people. Instead of following proper biblical protocol — privately confronting poor, innocent, flawless me first — they had the breathtaking, jaw-dropping temerity to criticize me publicly. In writing. To the entire church. Without first booking a sacred Bob Thiel reconciliation summit and offering me a foot massage. The absolute horror! So, rather than stoop to ordinary church discipline like some common, spineless compromiser, I concluded that LCG had forfeited the “pillar and ground of the truth.” Time to pack my bags, hit send, and launch the Continuing Church of God on the internet that very afternoon. Because the most humble thing any man can do when he disagrees with leadership is immediately start his own religion and crown himself the new Philadelphian gold standard.

Then came the unforgivable “falling away” doctrinal shift. LCG had the nerve to teach something I disagreed with — something that didn’t perfectly echo my personal, infallible exegesis of what Herbert W. Armstrong really meant. They even had the audacity to imply that dissenters had a “spirit of error.” How dare they suggest I might be the one mistaken! Clearly the sacred mantle could not possibly survive in an organization so willfully blind to the blazing, radiant light of Bob Thiel.

I also learned, to my profound and deeply wounded shock, that LCG leaders were reluctant to proclaim certain doctrines boldly because they feared losing TV stations or their precious little 501(c)(3) status. What pathetic cowards. What sniveling, compromise-ridden compromisers. Meanwhile, I, the fearless lion of Judah, was ready to roar… the moment I had my own YouTube empire and website, naturally. They even spent money trying to slow me down. The betrayal! The sheer, ungrateful audacity!

And then — the final, glorious, smoking-gun proof: December 28, 2012. Dr. Meredith sent me a letter absolutely dripping with “improper railing accusations” and “false witness.” After reading this vicious, unchristian assault on my flawless character, I did the only truly Christ-like thing possible: I called my local pastor, declared my moral inability to remain one second longer, fired off my resignation, and officially launched CCOG within hours. See? I left first. Purely voluntary. Anyone who calls this an expulsion is a filthy, truth-suppressing liar spreading improper reports. Case closed, you miserable slanderers.

But we mustn’t forget the mandatory mantle-passing fan fiction, because what would a Bob Thiel article be without it? Multiple LCG evangelists — including Meredith himself — repeatedly told me God “may consider” me a prophet. One even accidentally bestowed a “double-portion” anointing straight out of 2 Kings 2. I responded with the perfect, jaw-dropping humility you’d expect by spending the next decade meticulously cataloging every whispered compliment, complete with timestamps, screenshots, email chains, and solemn declarations that it was definitely God, not my ego the size of a small planet, at work.

Oh, and the fruits — never, ever forget the fruits! While LCG was pathetically groveling on its knees begging God for a measly 15% growth, CCOG exploded like a doctrinal supernova — fastest-growing xWCG group in the 21st century, touching 220 countries, millions of views, etc. Clearly God’s personal, glowing seal of approval on my decision to leave before those mantle-less heathens could kick me out. (Dr. Meredith even emailed me in February 2013 begging me to come back. Proof positive I wasn’t expelled! Who on earth pleads with a kicked-out heretic to return? Exactly.)

So here’s my humble little challenge, you remaining LCG holdouts still foolish enough to imagine they might have the Philadelphia mantle: read every single article I’ve ever written, watch every single video, study every doctrinal nit I’ve ever picked, and then admit I was right all along. Or keep wallowing in your pathetic Laodicean delusion, you poor, deluded, blind-as-bats sheep.

In summary, I — Bob Thiel, anointed prophet, mantle-bearer extraordinaire, fastest-growing-church founder, and the only man humble enough to start an entire new organization the same day he dramatically quit the old one — left LCG because of their shocking lack of integrity, their stubborn refusal to bow before my corrections, their blatant violation of Matthew 18, and their unforgivable failure to recognize that the mantle had obviously, gloriously, and permanently passed to me the moment Gaylyn Bonjour muttered “double portion.” I was not kicked out. I left voluntarily, like the noble, self-sacrificing hero of every single Armstrongist splinter story ever written.

You’re welcome, Church of God world. The final phase of the work is now safely in the only hands pure and humble enough to handle it.

Why There is NO NEED For Prophets In The New Covenant and Any COG Leader Today Who Claims They Are One, Is A Liar

Biblical Tests for Prophets: Straight from Scripture, No Loopholes Allowed

The Bible doesn't leave us guessing on how to identify a true prophet versus a false one—especially crucial when Armstrongism's landscape is littered with self-proclaimed "Elijahs," "Zerubbabels," and "prophets" whose track records read like a comedy of errors. Deuteronomy 18:15-22 is the gold standard for the office. God promises a prophet like Moses, but the test is ironclad: "When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him" (Deuteronomy 18:22, ESV). One miss, and they're out. No "it was conditional," no frantic booklet revisions, no "well, it partially came true in a spiritual sense." True prophets get it right—100%.

Deuteronomy 13 adds another layer: Even if signs or wonders come to pass, if the "prophet" leads you after other gods or away from God's commandments (as revealed at the time), they're false. In the New Covenant era, this translates to anything contradicting the finished work of Christ or adding to the closed canon. Jesus Himself warned, "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits" (Matthew 7:15-16). Fruits include doctrine, character, financial integrity, and whether their message produces freedom in Christ or bondage, fear, and tithing pressure.

The New Testament reinforces this. "Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21). "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1). Testing involves alignment with Scripture, the fruit of the Spirit (not narcissism or control), and consistency with the gospel of grace. Prophets in the NT church (Ephesians 4:11) were foundational for the early era, often involved in forth-telling truth or specific guidance, but the office isn't a perpetual hierarchy demanding ongoing "new truth" beyond the Bible. The completed canon and indwelling Spirit equip every believer (2 Timothy 3:16-17; John 16:13).

Bob Thiel's Claims as a Case Study in Failing the Tests

Bob Thiel (Bwana Bob, the self-styled Crackpot Prophet of the Continuing Church of God) provides a textbook example of why these tests matter—and why modern claimants fall flat. He has an in-depth article on his sites titled "How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God," where he lays out criteria, cites dreams, anointings, comments from Roderick Meredith, and more to justify his role.

On December 15, 2011, I was anointed with oil by a Living Church of God minister (Gaylyn Bonjour) who prayed God would grant me a 'double-portion' of His Holy Spirit. This was not planned by him in advance, but happened after I asked for prayer related to some meetings I was to have. He later confirmed that what he did could not be undone. I also had dreams consistent with how God says He communicates with prophets (Numbers 12:6; Acts 2:17-18). Dr. Meredith had earlier stated that God may consider me to be a prophet. ... In my case, I have not made false prophecies, but have had the relatively few I have made confirmed... On October 3, 2008, Dr. Roderick C. Meredith... stated that God may consider me to be a prophet... In late January/early February 2009, Dr. Meredith told me over the telephone that if he (Dr. Meredith) was raised to the office of apostle, he was considering ordaining me (Bob Thiel) as a prophet... The CCOG has the signs/fruits and fruits of Acts 2:17-18, including the fruits of a prophet... CCOG has been the fastest growing COG in the 21st century.

But apply the actual biblical tests, and it unravels. His framework rests on Herbert W. Armstrong's discredited British Israelism, failed 1975 prophecies (which he defends or reinterprets), and a legalistic Old Covenant shadow that the New Covenant renders obsolete. Dreams and vague "warnings" about geopolitics are spun post-hoc as fulfillment—classic false prophet tactics. Deuteronomy 18 demands precise predictive accuracy, not elastic news analysis that can be retrofitted. His "fruits"? Division, attacks on critics (including ex-members exposing scandals like those in Kenya), heavy emphasis on tithing and his unique role, and a track record of propping up a system rife with authoritarianism and unfulfilled end-time dates across COG splinters. Jesus said you'd know them by fruits, not by self-published articles defending one's own prophethood or membership tallies that ignore quality, doctrine, or the New Covenant's freedom from such hierarchies. Thiel's approach sidesteps the New Covenant's sufficiency, turning "prophecy" into a perpetual fundraising and control mechanism rather than pointing to Christ's completed work.

This isn't unique to Thiel—it's the Armstrongist pattern: endless "prophets" chasing relevance through speculation while ignoring the clear biblical verdict on their predecessors' flops.

Resting in the Superior New Covenant Reality

In the end, the proliferation of "crazy men" in Armstrongism isn't a bug—it's the inevitable feature of clinging to an outdated, hierarchical model that the New Covenant explicitly surpasses. Hebrews 1:1-2 declares it plainly: God spoke through prophets in the past, but now He has spoken fully and finally through His Son. Jesus is the Prophet par excellence (Deuteronomy 18:15 fulfilled), the Great High Priest, and the King whose kingdom is not built on endless middlemen but on direct access for all believers. The New Covenant, promised in Jeremiah 31:31-34 and unpacked in Hebrews 8-10, internalizes God's law on our hearts, ensures we all know Him without a special class of intermediaries, and secures complete forgiveness—rendering the old system's shadows (including ongoing prophetic offices for new revelation) obsolete.

The foundation of apostles and prophets (with Christ the cornerstone) was laid once for all (Ephesians 2:20). We build on it today through teaching, pastoring, and the ordinary gifts of the Spirit, not by awaiting the next "Elijah" to rewrite doctrine or set dates. The canon is closed; adding to it or claiming extra-biblical authority invites the warnings of Revelation 22:18-19. The Holy Spirit, given to all at Pentecost, guides, convicts, and equips—no need for self-appointed watchmen demanding allegiance and cash while their predictions crumble or their "double portions" and dreams conveniently affirm their own authority.

Armstrongism's endless parade of false prophets—like Thiel's elaborate self-justification via anointings, selective Meredith quotes, dream interpretations, and growth stats—exposes the bankruptcy of that system: it produces fear, division, financial exploitation, and disillusioned lives rather than the freedom, joy, and fruitfulness of resting in Christ's finished work. Sarcasm aside, it's heartbreaking—families fractured, vulnerable people exploited (including those African congregations dealing with real scandals), all in the name of "restoring" something Jesus already perfected. The biblical tests exist precisely to protect us from this. Test everything against Scripture. Hold fast to the good. Reject the wolves in prophetic sheep's clothing who fail Deuteronomy's accuracy standard and Jesus' fruit test.

The beauty of the New Covenant is this: You don't need the latest COG "prophet" to navigate the times. You have the living Word, the indwelling Spirit, and the completed revelation in Christ. That's abundance, not lack. Walk in that freedom, expose the wackiness where it persists, and let the clown car of self-proclaimed Elijahs—complete with their in-depth articles proving their own specialness—fade into irrelevance. The true Prophet has spoken—everything else is just noise.

Look at Me! I’m an Intellectual! Crackpot Bob's Latest Sabbath Persecution Factoid Frenzy

Crackpot Bob, the self-anointed greatest prophet in the entire annals of Christian history (according to the only person who matters: himself), has blessed the world with yet another sermon on Sabbath Persecution. What a shock! These COG "prophets" really do have the creative range of a broken record player stuck on "fear, doom, and send in more money." Can't let the sheeple get too comfortable, after all. Got to keep them whipped into a perpetual state of paranoia and tithing frenzy. It's the standard operating procedure for these groups—same sermon, different title, endless reruns.

This latest masterpiece is classic Crackpot Bob: pretending to be some towering intellectual while desperately papering over the vast empty spaces in his knowledge with an avalanche of disconnected factoids. Forget developing three or four solid points and actually delving into them with depth and clarity. No, that would require real preaching skill. Instead, Bob machine-guns his listeners with trivia, historical scraps, and speculative "what ifs" until their eyes glaze over. Even the old Worldwide Church of God, that one holy catholic Mother Church of Armstrongism, laid this out plainly in their Spokesman Club Manual—which, according to multiple accounts, our double-blessed wonder never quite managed to finish.

But of course, every Crackpot Bob sermon must ultimately circle back to the main attraction: Bob Thiel. Look at me! See how much I pretend to know! Aren't you impressed by my research? God gave me a double blessing so I could share all this truth with you lucky few! Aren't I just the greatest thing since sliced unleavened bread? It's less a sermon and more a prolonged humblebrag wrapped in end-time paranoia.

Anyway, as Crackpot Bob loves to drone on, here are the "points" from his sermon:

Jesus said His followers would face persecution and should pray that their fleeing would not be on the Sabbath. The Bible clearly teaches that those who keep God’s commandments will be persecuted (Revelation 12:17; 14:12-13), and the Sabbath is one of them (Exodus 20:8). 

• In the 19th century, Seventh-day Adventist Ellen G. White predicted that a ‘National Sunday Law’ would originate in the United States which would result in the persecution of Sabbath keepers around the world–is that consistent with Bible prophecy? 

• The original Christians kept the Sabbath. When and why did the Greco-Roman Catholics adopt Sunday? 

• Was cowardice during the reign of Emperor Hadrian a factor? 

• What about the sun worshiping, cross promoting, Emperor Constantine and his ‘Edict Against Heretics’? 

• Were the faithful grouped with the unfaithful by him? 

• Did Pope Gregory I denounce Sabbath promoters as the “preachers of Antichrist” in an official papal pronouncement? 

• Were many supposedly killed as Jews during the Spanish Inquisition actually Christians and others who kept the Sabbath? 

• Have some Greco-Roman Catholic prophecies related to the final Antichrist been misapplied to be against Jesus when He returns? 

• Might some of them also been misapplied by referring to the coming two witnesses of Revelation 11 as false prophets? 

• Does the New Testament enjoin the Sabbath? 

• Are Gentiles prophesied to keep the Sabbath? 

• Do some Greco-Roman Catholic prophecies teach that those who have crosses on their foreheads will fight against those who do not have them? 

• Is there an Eastern Orthodox prophecy against a former Roman Catholic who lived in the ‘five cities’ who advocates the Sabbath? 

• Is a public executioner of the Sabbatians (Sabbath keepers) prophesied? 

• Do the prophesies in Revelation and Daniel support the view of two different times of murderous persecution, with the second period lasting 3 1/2 years (time, times, and half a time) or 42 months? 

• Does the Bible show that true Christians will be beheaded in Revelation 20? 

• Does the Bible show that true Christians (such as Philadelphian ones) will be burnt to death? 

• If so, are there any Greco-Roman prophecies or past practices consistent with that? 

• What is the only doctrine of Antichrist listed in the latest ‘Catechism of the Catholic Church’? 

• Are there ties between the Sabbath and the millennium and a 6000/7000 year plan? 

• Did the old Radio/Worldwide Church of God tie the prophecies in Daniel 11:32-35 to end time Philadelphian Christians? 

• Could the ‘Great Monarch’ of Greco-Roman Catholic prophecies be the coming European King of the North Beast power that the Bible warns against? 

• Will there be false Christians who pretend that they are real true Church of God Christians? 

• What day of the week did the original catholic church honor? 

• When will persecutions against Sabbath keepers end? 

• Does the Bible show that Jesus will return, establish the kingdom of God to rule the earth, and bless those that keep the Sabbath? 

Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more.

And more... and more... Who the hell is still paying attention after the first twenty factoid dumps?

In the end, this is why the old Worldwide Church of God, the Global Church of God, and the Living Church of God all refused to ordain him. They knew the truth that his loyal followers refuse to admit: Bob Thiel is simply not an effective speaker or leader. He couldn't preach a coherent, engaging sermon to save his life, let alone build and shepherd a healthy congregation. So instead of accepting that reality, he declared himself a prophet, started his own group, and now floods the internet with these rambling data dumps disguised as divine revelation. It's the same old Armstrongist playbook—fear-mongering about persecution that never quite arrives on schedule, mixed with self-promotion and historical trivia that mostly proves one thing: Crackpot Bob can copy and paste better than he can preach.

Meanwhile, actual New Covenant believers rest in the finished work of Christ rather than obsessing over which day of the week will trigger the next Inquisition. The real tragedy isn't the supposed coming Sunday Law—it's how many sincere people are still trapped listening to this endless parade of speculation, propping up a man who was rejected by every major COG organization for good reason. 

Keep watching, brethren. The only real persecution here is what Crackpot Bob's sermons inflict on common sense and attention spans.