Dixon Cartwright Shutting Down The Journal: News of the Churches of God

Issue 199, The Journal: News of the Churches of God

Issue 199 of The Journal is out.

Besides the shocking revelation that Dixon Cartwright is shutting down the Journal, it is filled with several interesting articles, both in a good way and a bad way.

One of the lead article sis by UCG's Don Hooser on "Is there ever an appropriate reason to leave the church?"

Hooser claims that for those who fall away and stop attending church fall into darkness and will have a hard time every finding the light again. He also goes on to say that for those that leave the church that the Holy Spirit automatically leaves you.  Utter bullshit!  UCG wonders why people don't want to be baptized, this kind of crap is why!

This straying away from the truth of God’s Word is dangerous, though, because it can eventually lead to a complete falling away from the Church. The farther you stray from the light, the greater the darkness and the difficulty in finding your way back.
To completely fall away means to lose the Holy Spirit: The “light goes out.” For you to leave the Church means the Holy Spirit has left you. 

Hooser's bullshit just keeps getting deeper.  Those who leave the COG immediately become degenerate sinners where they will find it is impossible to come to repentance.  Because of that, they crucify Christ over and over and over and over again.  The poor dude has died so many times on the high school gym or Masonic Lodge stage that it has to be exhausting for the guy to have to keep climbing back up on the cross!

According to Hebrews 6:4-6, to completely fall away means it is “impossible” to come to “repentance,” since the fallen away “crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.”

This happens in conjunction with a complete hardening of the heart to “sin willfully” (Hebrews 10:26-31) 

There is an article about Spokesmen Club.  Men and women in the church either loved it or hated it with a passion.  Some claimed it helped them to overcome speaking fears, others got sick of the horrendous verbal and spiritual abuse dished out by abusive ministers and idiot members. 

There is the continuing series of flashback articles regarding the glory days of the church and the horrible result of the changes in the  mid-1990's.  As usual, they whitewash the story as if all of the people who now led the splinter groups are martyrs for the truth.  Ha Ha.

Alton Billingsley is back with his usual end of the world scenario.  With the horrific damage from hurricane Irma to the wildfires in California, the end is now here. Read it and weep.

Read issue 199 here.

United Church of God Struggles To Understand Why People Who Attend With Them Choose Not To Be Baptized

United Church of God continues to struggle to understand why they cannot seem to connect with their members and potential members.  They have dumped hundreds of thousands of dollars on failed campaigns and personal appearances that generate 0-1 new attendees.  Then, once they start attending, they see no need to get baptized.

A spontaneous discussion ensued about baptism. Why are more people who attend with us not baptized? We have people of all ages sitting in our midst who do not feel the compunction to obey the first command given to the Christian church: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

Why don’t more people take “the plunge?” Do they not understand the importance of this most important decision in life? Do we in the ministry not point out how imperative this step is? Are people not wanting to be “held accountable” by being baptized?

So what is UCG to do?  Force them into Bible Studies?  Ruin a fun Feast by having Bible Studies for the wayward heathens?  Apparently so, as many of the people are filled with misunderstandings that UCG seeks to clear up.

In the discussion, various pastors commented about how to improve this situation without unnaturally forcing one to act before they are prepared. But, what can we do to make them “ready?” Elders gave various suggestions, including focused Bible studies for those not baptized to allow prospective members to think about this critical decision. This type of special Bible study could even be held at the Feast of Tabernacles. For some of those who are not yet baptized, there may be a misunderstanding about what is required to be baptized and a study of the subject could clear this up.

Then UCG  quotes Matthew 11:28-30 as if it is something that they do on a regular basis.  This verse is specifically for those that Christ has seen abused and mistreated by the law keepers and Pharisees. Grace brings that rest that they seek, but yet is always just beyond their reach because they refuse to believe they don't have to constantly be doing something.

Christ told the public: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). While we sacrifice to be a disciple of Christ, it is an easier road to travel than had we not made the decision to become a Christian.

His yoke is easy and the burden is light

Living Church of God members are to not let twiggy ideas or personal agendas lead them astray

Living Church of God has another Chicken Soup for the Soul Friday night message for their faithful in the church.

The problem with it all is that it is just another rehash of a tired and worn our record that has been skipping for 20 some years now. They have been preaching a message that they call the gospel, which is filled with doom, gloom and almost no hope at all for anyone, including their members.

LCG members are encouraged to be lights to the world, yet turn their backs on the world around them. When is the last time LCG, as a church, told its members to be lights by helping at homeless shelters, or to feed the hungry, or care for the orphans who are not church members?  When have their members made sandwiches or meals for the police or fire departments in their neignborhoods who have to work on holidays or during times of disasters or emergencies?  When has LCG ever shown their thanks like this?  What about cooking a warm meal for the prostitutes or drug addicts who have no hope in their lives?

God forbid if LCG members get caught up in such twiggy ideas or being peripheral agents of grace!  It is better to ignore them, or at least beat them up with the law.

Oh, and LCG members are to NEVER let "personal agenda's" ever overwhelm their lives, especially Headquarters employees, and leadership.  Has there ever been a COG HQ filled with more backstabbing than LCG?  Given the long history of members and employees spilling the beans on HQ shenanigans, we all know that "personal agenda's" is the game of the day, and the children of the dead leader and his relatives live in an alternate universe from the rest of the membership.

Living Church of God members are to NEVER sit around and complain about the hypocrisy at HQ and in the leadership.

Living Church of God members are to develop their minds to be just like Christ's.  As usual, LCG members have to be constantly doing something to please their God. Unless they continually are working and working and working and working to please their God, they bear the burden of stirring up it's wrath.  Living Church of God's continual denial of being true followers of Jesus leaves LCG members with no ultimate hope.  Constantly having to do things makes them feel good, but still leaves them distant and longing for the grace some sincerely seek, but never quite find.

Where Is Your Heart?
Jesus urged His disciples to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). He said, “My food [My nourishment, what motivates Me] is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work” (John 4:34). Jesus was a mission-oriented person who challenged His disciples to follow in His footsteps (Matthew 4:18-22). Truly dedicated Christians are committed to that same mission—preaching the Gospel, warning the world, feeding the flock and being real Christian lights and examples to those around them (Matthew 10:6-7; Mathew 24; 1 Timothy 4:12; 1 John 2:15-19). They cannot afford to get side-tracked on peripheral issues or twiggy ideas (2 Timothy 2:14-19). They don’t let personal agendas—economic, political or romantic—pull them off course (Matthew 13:18-23). They don’t listen to rumors, and they don’t stand around and complain—they focus on what is good and what is positive (Philippians 4:8). They don’t let interpersonal differences hinder their spiritual growth or their relationship with others (Romans 12:14-18). Their goal is to develop the mind of Jesus Christ (Philippians 2:5-11). The Sabbath is a good time to ponder the question—Where is Your Heart?
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail

Does the Living Church of God Have A “more sure word of prophecy”?

Living Church of God is making the claim that they have a better understanding of prophecy than any other Church of God out there.  Given how horrendous the track record of the entire COG movement has been in regards to prophecy, it amazes me that LCG has not learned its lesson in keeping their mouths shut about it.  Rod Meredith has uttered as many if not more failed prophecies than Herbert Armstrong ever did.

Watch Bible Prophecy!

Many today recognize the world is heading down a dangerous road politically, morally and militarily. While the news media report on events and trends, reporters and commentators do not understand the real significance of what they see or where these events are leading. This is why Jesus told His disciples to stay alert and watch for the fulfillment of specific prophecies that will mark the approaching end of this age (Matthew 24). Jesus also warned in the parable of the ten virgins that many will be caught napping and unprepared by the surge of events that will precede His return to this earth (Matthew 25:1-13). God has given His Church a “more sure word of prophecy” (2 Peter 1:19, KJV) so His Church can warn the Israelite nations and the world about the real significance of both current and impending world events (Ezekiel 3 and 33). However, misguided teachers and preachers discount the importance of Bible prophecy and instead prefer to entertain and make people feel good. As we see world events building to a prophetic crescendo, let’s make sure we are building a closer relationship with God and that we are learning to live by every word of God—as we continue to watch world events and pay attention to Bible prophecy.

Have a profitable Sabbath,

Douglas S. Winnail

How Dare Potential LCG Members Worship God In Their Own Way!

An LCG member went this to me.  Apparently, an LCG minister was visiting a potential group who wanted to join the Living Church of God and was doing some things that LCG did not approve of.  How dare this man have a different way of worshipping God than the tired and worn out standard church service format that Herbert created in the 1940's.  After all, Jesus used the same format!

Another individual, an ex-preacher, had a strong feeling that the Holy Spirit was telling him to desire to preach again. He has a small following and is using our format, keeping Feast days, etc. His service is evangelical, incorporating his own ideas in what seems more like a simple prayer service with singing, praying and using our literature to teach from as it suits him. I explained that if he wants to work with us, he would have to follow our Church service format in a service that we organize. We’ll see if he will change his ways. I counselled him to channel his efforts in setting himself straight, submitting to God and finding stability in his family and professional life. If he does that, he’ll have focus and will be kept busy for quite some time.

One of the biggest mistakes Armstrongism made when it started growing overseas was to demand that church members there do things exactly like Pasadena did, even though their culture was entirely different. Sabbath dress had to be suits for men and fairly long dresses for women, even though it was hotter and more humid than Pasadena.  From the depths of Africa to the Philippines, people had to imitate Pasadena.

When all of the daughters of the mother church split off to do their own thing in the 1990's they had a golden opportunity to move into the 21st century as dynamic church organization instead of living in the 1940's.  Instead, it is more important to conform and be Stepford brethren than it is to be grace-filled agents of love and mercy.

COG Members Will Make It Into Kingdom ONLY If They Listen To The True Apostle

Indeed, the first four seals of Revelation resulted in a great number of spiritual casualties in God’s Church. All that remains out of nearly 96,000 baptized people that experienced the Apostasy is about 150 people. Since that time (after the Sixth Seal was opened), God has been adding new people He has been calling into His Church who are being prepared to be the foundation of the Church at the start of the Millennium. 

Those reading this will likely be rather dumbfounded by the fact that nearly 30,000 people who were of the last third of His Church that was scattered have all refused to accept that they ever experienced an Apostasy. Yet their own lives are the true witness (testimony) due to the fact that they are part of just one of the 600+ organizations that are made up of those who were scattered. Their small size, compared to the 96,000 baptized members that existed at the time of the Apostasy, is the very proof of the Apostasy being true. 

Yet there is good news about all who became scattered and that will yet be covered. It has already been stated that there will be 63,000 people from among all who were scattered that will have opportunity to enter into the Millennium if they accept what God offers them around the beginning of 2019. Yet even then some will not accept and they will not be given the opportunity to live on into that new age at Christ’s coming. It needs to be stated here that NONE of these will be part of the 144,000. 

Most of these people whom God offers this to will come from among those 600+ organizations that became scattered in the Church. There will also be a very large amount from the third that simply gave up when the Apostasy occurred, but it will be far less than those of the third that were scattered. The least amount that will be awakened spiritually and given this opportunity will be among those who believed the lie and who moved back toward traditional Christianity. Their numbers will be rather small. 

Who would have ever guessed that two of the Church of God's most corrupt and degenerate church members would end up being the two witnesses?

90% Of Puerto Rico Destroyed, But Every Single LCG Members Home Left Unscathed

Greetings from Charlotte, 

Most members have returned from the Feast and reports indicate that God blessed our Festival sites this year. Panama City, Florida, was threatened by Hurricane Nate, but it moved westward and did not disrupt the Feast other than to shut down swimming in the Gulf for a couple days as the “waves roared.” In our Executive Luncheon this week, Mr. Mario Hernandez gave us a very inspiring report on the Feast conducted by non-U.S. affiliates in Cuba, where there were 60 locals and ten visitors for a total of about 70 at the first Feast held on that island nation. It appeared that it would be shut down the day of the Opening Night, but God intervened in a powerful way and the Church was shown great favor by the end of the Feast. We have been in contact with Mr. Raul Colon, our minister in Puerto Rico, and although the island was devastated by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, all our members are okay and no one has sustained any serious loss. (See report below for more details.) The Church is working with Mr. Colon to provide disaster relief assistance to members who have need for it. We are also encouraged to learn that all our members are safe with homes intact in the U.S. Virgin Islands. This is remarkable, considering that 90 percent of these islands were destroyed. Life is not going to be easy for those affected by these powerful storms, but our members are doing well under the circumstances and the Church is monitoring the situation.—GEW

This is the same line the church has feed members for decades.  Hurricanes turned around and left feast sites undamaged but in turn destroyed Cuba along with peoples lives.  It was a miracle!  Tornadoes turned around and spared members homes, but in turn wiped out entire neighborhoods.  It's a miracle!  Earthquakes wiped out out cities, but every single church member escaped unscathed.  Its a miracle!

The Church of God has Rejected the Real Prophet and the Two Witnesses

The Two Witless Witnesses

The Church knew that in time God would provide two prophets for the end-time who would be known as the two end-time witnesses. Back in the 1970s, it was speculated that those two might even be the two who were seen as being the primary leaders of God’s Church at that time—Herbert W. Armstrong, who was God’s apostle, and his son, Garner Ted Armstrong, the leading evangelist at that time. However, they were not those witnesses, and those two witnesses would not come on the scene until nearly three decades later.

When people read about the Seals of Revelation, everyone in the past has taken them to mean that they are all literal, physical events that must unfold. Even today, the true Church that became scattered back in 1994, as the result of a great prophesied Apostasy, has looked upon the seals in only a physical manner. God had not yet revealed those things to His prophets; prophets had not yet been established in His Church. The Church was not accustomed to having any such thing as prophets in it.

When God began to reveal the true meaning of the Seals of Rev- elation to me, as His prophet, the Church that had become scattered did not receive it. They would not receive what was revealed because they would not receive me as a prophet being sent by God. Although it is yet to be covered, God has prophesied that he will offer to 63,000 who were scattered the opportunity to come to see the truths of these prophecies before Christ’s return. 

Maybe Someone Will Lead Us Astray Before We Get There

The fate of so many in the Church of God

COG's Turning Blind Eye To Assisting Those In Need

Bill Goff is one of the few COG members who seem to be actually doing a physical work, by putting his faith into practice, in taking care of the orphans and destitute in rural Africa.  He has been doing this for many years now by building orphanages and housing for those in need.  Every once in a while he tries to ask other COG's to assist him.  Guess what, they won't.  This should not be surprising after all, it is the Church of God.

Kenya and many other African nations are suffering terrible droughts right now in addition to horrendous political situations.  Many are dying from malaria and malnutrition.  Goff has been active in caring for these people.

As many of you know, I have been in Kenya for about two Months now, assisting at the orphanage and visiting various church groups, trying to encourage them with "assurance" that The Kingdom of God "IS" coming, and that the suffering that they are currently experiencing (and it is much) will eventually end. How I wish we could make others in the churches of God aware of the need here. I am sure others would chip in and help if we could only make them aware of the suffering their impoverished brethren are enduring. But getting past the hierarchy that continues to flourish in the various churches of God, and exposing the suffering of our brethren here is a difficult thing to do. Again I was refused by another church group leader to address their congregation. My only request was to make others aware of how difficult life is here for these brethren of ours, and how just a little assistance can help so many more of our brethren.

You can see some of the work he does here.
SaveSave

God Work's With Me Through "Progressive Revelation"

Church of God prophets and apostles have always believed in "progressive revelation."  God supposedly reveals deeper and darker secrets to them as they become more enlightened. We forever heard, "here a little, there a little" as church leaders claimed to have more revealed knowledge given to them by their gods.  Their gods are constantly giving them new insights and "direct" revelations that are channeled into their minds.  Usually, this happens the most when various COG prophets and apostles make utterances that never come to pass, and they have to spin the story that God has either delayed his coming due to the church not being ready, or that God has one more powerful final push yet to come that will amaze the world.  99.99% of the time these men are trying to cover up their lies.  The modern-day Church of God has never had a prophet or an apostle who has ever told the truth, and that includes the self-appointed prophets spanning the country from California to Ohio.

God does not always just reveal something to me immediately, but instead, he does so over a period of time, and the Church has come to understand this as “progressive revelation.” Generally, this is done so that He can reveal several other related matters as well in order to eventually reveal a far clearer understanding, future focus, and ability to understand His will. This is part of a process whereby God also trains, molds, and fashions His servants to have greater unity of mind with Himself, as they are being prepared for specific future placement of service within His Family. 

There will be a chapter dedicated to the timing of end-time events, and more will be covered in that chapter regarding things that have been addressed here as well. It is likely that by the time that chapter is written God will have revealed more, as this has been my experience over the years in how God works with me. There are patterns that I have become accustomed to, and that is comforting, because God has given me greater confidence and strength, through time, as I have witnessed how His power works to reveal His truth and will.  Ron Weinland

When Christ Returns There Will Be 50 Days Of Pure Hell

The convoluted mind of the Only True Church of God prophet knows no end to the idiocy that comes out of his mouth:

On the day that Jesus Christ begins his return to this earth, he will become manifest above the atmosphere of this earth, and after this, God will then begin a process of pouring out those plagues. Rather than pouring all of them out in a single day, God will now do so throughout the period of 50 literal days. Yet just before these plagues begin to be poured out, the 144,000 will be resurrected. 

This event of Christ appearing in the atmosphere above the earth begins in the midst of God’s Holy Days during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It is on the same day when the o ering of the Wave Sheaf was performed yearly at the temple. This has incredibly awesome significance and meaning that has now been added to this timing for Christ’s coming, because it now ties together in an awesome manner both the Wave Sheaf O ering during Unleavened Bread and the o ering of the Wave Loaves on the day of Pentecost. 

The offering of the Wave Sheaf in the Old Testament represented Jesus Christ as the first of the firstfruits, and the o ering of the Wave Loaves on Pentecost represents the rest of the firstfruits of God—the 144,000. Jesus Christ was the first of the firstfruits of God, and the 144,000 are the rest of the firstfruits of God. Although these are resurrected on that day of the Wave Sheaf, they will not stand on earth until 50 days later on the day of Pentecost, along with Jesus Christ. That Pentecost reveals that they have been fully received of the Father and are now established to reign in the Kingdom of God on earth from that day forward. 

This all has very profound meaning in the greater fulfillment of God’s great plan of salvation. 

From the point of that day, which represents when the Wave Sheaf was o ered, the Seven Last Plagues can begin to be administered in a completely different manner than had been purposed before in 2012. Now these plagues can be interspersed throughout this entire 50-day period, and they will be. Each of these can also occur at different times, in different areas, with different lengths of duration, and any can be repeated if God so chooses. 

This entire process is one of the means whereby God is revealing His desire to extend great mercy to as many people as possible in this final end-time. The means of God’s intervention and use of these plagues reflects that desire and purpose that He is seeking to work out, whereby a vastly greater number of people can potentially be delivered into the Millennium. Though there will still be great suffering and death, that number can be reduced mightily throughout this time period if people will only humble themselves before God. God is extending much mercy through this process, as people are being offered a far greater opportunity for being saved alive. If they will not be humbled by this process and begin listening to God, then the last of these days will be very strong against those who are destroying the earth, because mankind will be humbled before Christ returns. 

This entire process, although very catastrophic in nature, is all designed to heighten the potential for mankind to become humbled, and then to become motivated with the desire to listen. People must be brought to the point where they will begin to look at themselves realistically and far more truthfully in order to acknowledge great change must take place in themselves. 

Yet again, throughout the administration of these plagues, the level of destruction that will be administered rests solely upon how those who are destroying the earth respond. If they still will not be humbled, they will simply be destroyed, and that total number could still be in excess of 3.5 billion people. This period of the plagues will be mankind’s last opportunity to begin to listen to God. God has been very patient and full of mercy. It is mankind that has refused to listen to Him, and is instead bent on its own self-destruction. 

I Am Never Wrong! God Keeps Changing His Mind As To The Final Day of End Time

It is interesting how when Church of God leaders make such horrendous predictions that never happen they never admit that they were wrong, but that their god had changed its mind.  None of our Church of God leaders today ever accept any responsibility,  They are incapable of ever being wrong. When our professional COG liars, like Bob Thiel, James Malm, Dave Pack, Gerald Flurry, Ron Weinland and others make prophecies and wildly insane predictions, not a single one has ever been right.  Not ever!  God has always reset the date for some reason.Things have been delayed because the brethren are not ready, or some other absurd excuse. None of these men have any humility and will never admit they were wrong.  It is always something else's fault.

For now, however, it is important to know that for the day of Pentecost of 2012, God had revealed that it would be a “prophetic day” in which He would pour out the Seven Last Plagues. 

There was a time by mid-2008 that God had set for when He would make a final judgment as to when Christ would come, as to whether it would be the first date He had revealed to His Church, Pentecost of 2012, or whether it would be seven years later on Pentecost of 2019. 

It is important to understand that there is a very great difference in how those final plagues would be poured out depending upon which date God would judge was best for the establishment of His Kingdom on earth. If these had been poured out on that final “prophetic day” in May of 2012, it would have been such a destructive event and would have so shocked and stunned the world that on the following day the world would have been ready to listen to God. No matter the date, when Jesus Christ does return, the world will have been made ready to listen to God. 

 If You Will Listen, God Will Listen 

It is necessary to understand the use of the term for a “prophetic day,” as this is extremely important in what is about to be covered. This is simply a prophetic expression for a very specific time period in which God alone must reveal the actual period it defines. These periods vary according to God’s purpose and design, and again, no one can know the actual period of a specific “prophetic day” that is spoken of, unless God reveals it. 

The seven-day week that God gave to mankind prophetically pictures 7,000 years, where a “prophetic day,” in this case, is 1,000 years. In this example, the seventh day Sabbath is equivalent to the 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ. 

There are several examples where a prophetic day is equal to one year in actual fulfillment. There is also the seventh Holy Day that is called the Last Great Day. It is a prophetic day that foretells of a 100-year period that follows the Millennium in which a second life is given to most of mankind who have lived and died throughout the span of human life. 

Any period of time can be represented as a “prophetic day,” and the actual duration of what God will fulfill in it can only be known after He reveals it. In the case of the Seven Last Plagues, their duration for when God directly intervenes is actually the last “prophetic day” of mankind’s self-rule on earth, but that does not mean it is a literal one-day period. 

Seven Last Plagues in a Determined “Prophetic Day” 

As mentioned, the “prophetic day” God had determined for 2012 as being the first possible date for Christ’s coming was the literal one-day period that would have been on Pentecost of that year. 

For all of the reasons being stated in this chapter, God judged that seven additional years be granted to mankind before the final stages of the end-time should commence, and that Pentecost of 2019 would be the next date set for Christ’s return to this earth. It will be on that day that he will once again stand upon the Mount of Olives as scripture foretells. In making this change, God has also made a change in the duration for which that last “prophetic day” is to be fulfilled. Instead of that period being defined as a literal one-day period as it was before 2012, God is now defining that “prophetic day” as 50 actual days.

Door For Tribulation Opened On September 11, 2001.

Our ONLY Church of God prophet has this to say about the tribulation.

This Sixth Seal was opened on September 11, 2001. Everyone in the world should be familiar with the expression “9/11.” This opening is the announcement of a transition in time when events concerning great tribulation coming on this earth become the primary focus point for all the cataclysmic events that are prophesied to take place. 

This day was not only when the Sixth Seal was opened, it was the day for the beginning of the First Thunder of Revelation.  The opening of this seal is a forewarning of what would follow over all the earth once it became time for the events of the Seventh Seal to be fulfilled. 

The Seventh Seal was opened on November the 14th of 2008, and will now soon begin to be fulfilled. It is from this date that world conditions began to move peoples and nations toward those events that will begin to become fulfilled in the dramatic conflict that engulfs mankind in a worldwide economic collapse, as well as the third and final world war. These catastrophic end-time events will complete the fulfillment of this Seventh Seal. 

However, what happened at the opening of the Sixth Seal on the 11th of September in 2001 was a prophetic event that was fulfilled. It was actually the FIRST physical event that not only served to fulfill a small beginning for end-time tribulation that had just begun, it served as a prophetic sign of what would follow that would thrust the world into that third world war—a nuclear war. 

Seven buildings were destroyed, and there are Seven Trumpets of the Seventh Seal. This says a lot, and more than most can know.

Here is the symbolism of what is described in the first part of the Sixth Seal. As the two towers fell from the sky, the eerie sight of a cloud rolled open and over New York, as a scroll opening across the sky and later rolled together again. From all inside, the sky became black as the sun disappeared. The e ect of dust in the air caused the moon to turn reddish in color, and the stars simply seemed to disap- pear. All these things are forebodings of what will come throughout all the earth, but it begins first with the collapse of the United States. 

So....the tribulation has been going on for close to 17 years now?   Seriously?