Why is it that the Church of God, Armstrongist movement, is filled with so many self-appointed blowhards who think they have a divine right set before them to do miraculous things, like discover the lost Ark of the Covenant?
Back in October 2013, while attempting to take some photos and to video some of the remains of the Church of God on Jerusalem’s Western Hill, I was approached by a Jewish rabbi named Avraham Goldstein of the Diaspora Yeshiva. He asked why I was there, so I explained it. He then asked me if the Continuing Church of God would like to be involved in an archaeological project related to that general area. He mentioned doing excavations related to what some believe is David’s tomb, located below. Many consider that only a legend and not the real location–though the actual location of David’s tomb has not been verified in many centuries. However a Jewish rabbi who claimed to visit it in 1163 A.D. stated it was below this particular Mt. Zion.
Avraham Goldstein also believes that the ark of the covenant may be directly below or near it via tunnels. He offered to take me below in the tunnels on my next visit to Jerusalem. I told him that I was interested, but I have not been to Israel since. Yet, I expect to go again within the next several years.
The Great Bwana continues:
The following is an interview from a narrator named Joseph (J below) and the Jewish rabbi Gerald Goldstein of the Mount Zion Foundation (RGbelow).
RG: We are standing on the roof of King David’s Tomb. Look around you at the view. You can understand why David wanted to take out this fortress before attacking Jerusalem itself…Samuel 2…Scripture is also very clear about where Kind David brought the Holy Ark of the Covenant. It says here in chapter 6 that he brought the Ark of the Covenant up to the City of David, that is the fortress of Zion…here to this very place… MOUNT ZION, dancing all in a very ecstatic and wonderful way…J: So this place really is Mt Zion!RG: Well there is a real established tradition, first recorded in writing by a student of the Ramban over 800 years ago, which says exactly this. Prior to the building of the Temple, Mt Zion… this very Mt Zion where we are standing…is where the Ark of the Covenant and the Divine presence resided. (Glick N. The Authenticity of Mt Zion and King David’s Tomb. 2010 יום שני, 2 באוגוסט. http://rabbinathanglick.blogspot.com/2010/08/authenticity-of-mt-zion-and-king-davids.html viewed 11/17/13)
If the ark of the covenant is now below the Church of God on Jerusalem’s Western Hill, known as Mt. Zion, that would have ramifications for the world as well as the Continuing Church of God.
Now enter some more crazies into the picture. The Prince of the Power of Air has been broadcasting around the world and found fertile ground in the imagination of some devotees of the Great Bwana Mzungu.
Unbeknownst to me until late September 2013, a woman named Fesilafai Fiso Leaana of New Zealand had a dream after going to bed on December 8, 2012. Here is a report that Fesilafai Fiso Leaana wrote about her dream:
A few months before my dream, my husband and I noticed a contradiction in practice, regarding the sabbath commandment in LCG, from there we started to pray continuously for God to lead us to where the truth is. It seems God has answered our prayers through the dream.
The dream began with myself and approximately 70 New Zealand Living Church of God brethren, then suddenly LCG vanished (I was wondering where is LCG?) and I was left standing with approximately 10 people excluding myself, on a very high building. We were standing on the very top of the building, where I couldn’t see the bottom, there were no other buildings, just this building. I could not see the bottom of the building but just clouds below the building and clouds surrounding the building which led to a beautiful white mountain – a mountain that had no ends on either side. The building was pretty close to the mountain, I could see the top of the mountain. The mountain was all white and so beautiful. I remember that I began to be filled with joy and peace. But also wondering how we got up on this building and confused why there were no other buildings but the clouds seemed like it was hiding the building and I felt protected or it felt like a safe place. I looked around there were still only about ten people there, the only person I could clearly recognize was Shirley constantly working, the approximate ten others were just sitting and standing around. So I walked around the building looking for the large crowd from LCG, but all I kept returning to was that Shirley was working and doing different types of work alone while the others were still sitting and standing around the building with me. I wondered why she was working a lot. I could not find LCG.
Someone needs to find out what edibles this woman was eating! Holy crap!
Then suddenly a message came to my mind: “There is a secret in the mountain”. And I was so happy to know that, I was still feeling elated and could still see the beautiful white mountain and wondered about the secret. Then I asked: “What is the secret?” Then the message said, nobody knows the secret in the mountain but only you have received this message that there is a secret in the mountain. Then I asked ‘what is the secret in the mountain?’ I received a message to my mind that told me that “the secret in the mountain is the Ark of the Covenant”. Then the dream abruptly ended because I woke up. And immediately, I woke up my husband and recounted the dream to him, and I told my husband that it reminded me of when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on the mountain and that the mountain was also covered with clouds.
Within several weeks of the dream, ten people in New Zealand, including Shirley Gestro (the Shirley above) began to attend the newly formed Continuing Church of God. For more information about Fesilafai Fiso Leaana’s see Temple Institute claims about the ‘Foundation Stone’ not truly scriptural and differ from Continuing Church of God beliefs and Dreams, the Bible, and the Continuing Church of God.
Biblically, mountains can symbolize government (Psalm 30:7; Isaiah 11:9; Daniel 2:35; Zechariah 4:7) and white purity or cleanness (Isaiah 1:18; Revelation 7:14, 19:14). Clouds around a mountain (or at least the top of it) could show a separation—maybe a separation that keeps many from seeing all of the truth (cf. Job 22:14; Lamentations 3:44) or recognizing top leadership?
The dream seemed to be a signal to confirm that the Philadelphia mantle was not with the Living Church of God, but instead was associated with someone that that had something to do with the ark of the covenant.
In the Spring and Fall of 2013 (which is before I learned of Fesilafai Fiso Leaana’s dream), a couple of different people emailed me and asked if the Continuing Church of God might possibly be involved in actually finding it–and those two people knew nothing about the dream that Fesilafai Fiso Leaana of New Zealand had related to the Continuing Church of God when they originally asked me about it as it was not reported publicly until November 2013. We may have future involvement on this ark matter.
Thiel thinks he's going to find the Ark, actually, it will be the temple of doom that he discovers!
ReplyDeleteI doubt thr Ark even exists today. After all, it was created 3500 years ago, and even if it was found, it would be in a ruined state, just like the Old Covenant it was a part of.
DeleteWell, after watching this video of the Rabbi, I realize why Bob and him have much in common. 1) Whacked out speaking styles and ideas 2) Crooked book shelf.
ReplyDeleteTake a look...
https://www.facebook.com/mzwpc/posts/172376110932180/?paipv=0&eav=AfZz7H5ZPCWRW7Mu5J88lW4_TrUg8AHp0V7TReusEvkhry7l61HnnCmMwT31Y-E8Hds&_rdr
Back in the 1950s, any self-respecting barbershop had copies of the Police Gazette. If anything, it contained even more outrageous claims than the National Enquirer. Poorly researched stories, conspiracy theories, and outright lies made people laugh if one ever mentioned reading a story in the Police Gazette. As a kid back then, I didn't know any better than to share some of the things we learned from Armstrongism with friends and classmates. In addition to comparing me to Hitler, people also asked me if I had gotten my information from the Police Gazette, a tabloid format quasi-newspaper which often made the same claims as did HWA and his lackeys.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad to see that Armstrongite ministers have never moved past this basic mold. Bob Thiel still deals in the same types of sources and information today that HWA disseminated back in the 1940s through 1960s. It's actually the only way one can support Armstrongism. Bogusness on top of bogusness.
How can anyone talk bumbling Bob serious with his fake credentials and being a wannabe prophet?
ReplyDeleteMental illness on display here.
ReplyDelete"However, Bob, your own remarkable vanity and “dreams of greatness” have greatly affected your ability to think clearly many times. Over the last few years, many of us have noted that you have begun to think of yourself in terms that are not realistic. Also, to abet your desires to be a “great one” in the Work, you have carefully and cleverly twisted and enlarged upon many things people have mentioned to you."
ReplyDelete- Rod Meredith being uncannily perceptive again.
Word from the cave is that the wood inside the outer gold coating rotted away and collapsed centuries ago. Searching for this ark is just as futile as finding Noah's, although anything is possible. Permafrost and glaciers are melting everywhere, after all.
ReplyDelete"The cave"?
DeleteBob is desperate to find any legitimacy for his work that he can.
ReplyDeleteThis dream can be interpreted as a prophecy that only about 15% of the church will be taken to the place of safety.
As for the "secret in the mountain", it is not about giving Thiel the incentive to get on a plane to find glory in search of the ark or about accrediting his work as holder of the Philadelphian mantle but about loyal believers standing true to the new covenant and law. Thiel shouldn't gloat over the fact that these members left LCG for CCOG because CCOG may just be nothing more than a stopover, which is standard routine for many.
As for the ark, doesn't 2 Maccabees 2:4-10 state that Jeremiah buried it in a cave underneath the temple?
If Bob knows the Scripture as well as he does Catholic prophecy, he should know what Jeremiah said about the ark in Jer 3:16, so instead of chasing it like Indiana Jones he ought to be looking to heaven where the real ark is located. (Rev 12:19)
See, Bob? Don't jump to vain glory (to exalt yourself) but have regard for the greater purposes if indeed you say you have the gift of prophecy.
2 Maccabees has it in Mount Nebo. Another legend has it on the Temple Mount. There are also two claimed African locations as well as the Irish one.
DeleteI'll see you one ark of the covenant and raise you the holy grail. 😜
ReplyDelete