The Long, Slow Crawl to Atonement
David C. Pack of The Restored Church of God has been exceptionally boring over the last five months. After his 144th attempt at legitimacy failed on Pentecost (May 24, 2026), the Pastor General retreated back into the biblical dismal swamp to reconvene with his prophetic acolytes in the Third Floor Executive Imaginarium.
With the handholding of Coffee Kid and Pepper Boy, the trio recycled a successful strategy that has been useful in the past: Teach a date for coming Kingdom of God (kinda) that is way out there (probably) and spend months leading up to it belaboring every point possible while sprinkling pauses in the speaking schedule.
The last five months in The Restored Church of God have been all about how the Kingdom of God will arrive maybe here, or maybe there, but settled on the Day of Atonement (possibly in 2027, at first). A few weeks ago, Dave introduced the idea that the Kingdom to Israel would occur "about" one year before that. You know, in 2026-ish.
Dave giveth a third Kingdom, and Dave taketh away. The Kingdom to Israel IS the Kingdom of God.
The Kingdom of God Will Arrive on the Day of Atonement
Tishrei 10 – September 21, 2026
(But if not this year, then next year. Or the year after that.)
The more interesting developments for exrcg.org have been behind-the-scenes. There was notable blowback from the NPR/PBS broadcast in July, mainly due to Kevin Denee publicly stating he is writing a book about his experiences.
· I had a five-hour lunch with Randall Pack (Dave’s oldest son) and numerous conversations with him and his brother, Robert. There were a lot of concerns about what and how I report on RCG. I received plenty of notes for improvement.
· I wrote a letter for David C. Pack and gave it to Randall. His dad read it.
· The Director of Church Administration called me on my cell phone to caution me about the "facts" I publish and warned me that there are "dangers" in continuing such actions.
· The Director of Church Administration urged five staff members to write to me personally to “set the record straight” “if they wanted to.” Two ministers and three lay members sent unsolicited, sternly worded emails in which they demanded that I not share their information with anyone.
That information will be shared soon.
But in the meantime, it has been a long, slow crawl to Atonement. Tishrei 10 will begin next Sunday night on September 20, 2026.
There has not been much content worth posting on exrcg.org. David C. Pack's new hesitation and prophetic timidity created a lack of compelling video content. Based on my discussions with Randall and Robert, their dad has expressed a desire to pull back on "the date setting" and has privately regretted going down that road.
Too little, too late on the whole false prophet issue, however. Regardless of how much Dave wants to reinvent himself as “just preachin’ what the Bible says,” he is permanently disqualified from ever being a true minister of Jesus Christ or someone you can believe, even if he just tries to tell you the time.
The last sermon I analyzed was “The Greatest Untold Story! (Part 629)," given on March 28, 2026, in the article Certain Uncertainty, when the most gullible in The Restored Church of God were still hoping for a theological Hail Mary to happen in mid-2026.
What wonderful prophetic material have the members of The Restored Church of God been force-fed on their Sabbaths since? Here is a summary of the last five months. If you invest the time to read each one, the patterns of hilarity reveal themselves.
Part 630 – April 8, 2026
The Passover should be a festive, joyful occasion and will no longer be somber in RCG. They will eat real unleavened bread instead of small bits of matzo and drink more than just a thimble of wine. Children may be allowed to attend.
Part 631 – April 11, 2026
RCG dissolves ministerial “ranks.” The Worldwide Church of God did not understand the true Government of God. All men are ordained as “elders” and only once. Being an evangelist or prophet is a “gift” but not a rank. Local elders and preaching elders have been dissolved, and Dave admits Herbert W. Armstrong invented those positions so more men could avoid the Vietnam draft. Dave knows the "exact date" the Kingdom is coming, but would not say.
Part 632 – April 18, 2026
The Kingdom of God will come on the Second Passover this year, or there will be a one-year wait.
Part 633 – April 25, 2026
Nothing will happen on the Second Passover. Zero chance, in fact. But what about Pentecost?
Part 634 – May 2, 2026
There are three kingdoms once again. God is helping Dave explain that the day that “cannot tarry” is Pentecost. He reiterates that he is not Elijah the Prophet (yet) and excuses himself from the consequences of being wrong in the past.
Part 635 – May 16, 2026
There are two kingdoms once again. The Kingdom of God coming on Pentecost is perfect. But we will not really know if a date is correct until it passes and the Kingdom's arrival reveals it.
New Moon Special Comments – May 17, 2026
The Kingdom of God will not come on Pentecost. God acts in His own timing, and things will happen when He decides it. Dave became "most uncomfortable" with Pentecost.
Part 636 – May 30, 2026
Being on the path to the Kingdom of God is an incredible privilege, and Dave has great respect for those in RCG who have remained faithful.
Part 637 – June 13, 2026
Dave is the victim of many false stories and big lies. You cannot imagine. One member quit because his daughter died, and Dave blamed the man's bitterness for his departure. RCG will eventually know the day that "cannot tarry," but not yet.
Dave does not carry a cell phone, but he has a cell phone. He does not believe he will ever be tempted by pornography, but his denial did not sound all that convincing.
@ 1:11:08 I don’t carry a cell phone. “Mr. Pack, what? You don’t carry a cell phone?” No, and I never will. I have one,that, I guess, if I in an emergency, I could use it. But it's a complete waste of time. There's too much in there that I I don't ever want to be tempted with. I don’t think I’d be tempted to go to a porn site. I haven’t. I don’t. I’ve never felt the temptation. I guess if it was in the palm of my hand, maybe it'd be a little different.
Part 638 – June 20, 2026
A period of watching for the Kingdom of God is a range of days. Dave teases a list of 159 truths RCG has learned, whether restored or discovered. Thankfully, he does not read it all, and he will not post it in Member Services because “evil men” would post it publicly.
Part 639 – June 27, 2026
Figuring out prophecy is a long and complex process that produces a picture with alternatives. Dave believes the Kingdom will no longer end on a weekly Sabbath, but an annual one. Dave grew suspicious of a fascinating date. Maybe it could be Av 10, but maybe not.
@ 46:24 We are watching. Not with absolute certainty, but uncertainty. Not with absoluteness, but with possibility. We’re supposing. Or wishing that it’s the right date.
Part 640 – July 11, 2026
Dave agonized, but there was a sudden "bang," and it was so easy to see. The Kingdom of God is coming on the Day of Atonement, and Dave is so certain, he stakes God's name on it. But is it this year?
@ 1:00:07 He [Jesus Christ] was sent to preach the Kingdom of God. I'm gonna say, on the authority of Almighty God, His Kingdom comes on the Day of Atonement.
Part 641 – July 18, 2026
The Kingdom of God can only come on Atonement and potentially only this year. There is an avalanche of proof. Dave’s goal is to lock the day. If it is not this year, then “don’t bother looking for any other day.” He admits that RCG does not understand the 1335 correctly.
@ 1:14:23 But I’m trying to show you that it is absolutely Atonement. It’s a lock.
Part 642 – July 25, 2026
Does the Kingdom of God arrive on the Day of Atonement this year?
@ 48:53 And the main purpose being to show the Day of Atonement is immutable. It's impossible that that's not the date. A different year? We'll we'll get into that.
@ 1:26:34 It's impossible that the Kingdom of God does not come on a Day of Atonement. It's impossible. Not improbable or highly unlikely. It's impossible.
Part 643 – August 1, 2026
There are three kingdoms once again. The Kingdom to Israel comes before the Day of Atonement and before the Kingdom of God. Dave baits RCG members at the beginning of the sermon.
@ 00:47 The Day of Atonement for the Kingdom of God, lasting seven and a half years to a Passover and the and the Millennium, and then the second iteration of the Kingdom of God are set and established. They cannot move. They’re immutable. And it’s just helpful to state that that that can’t change.
And he pulls a switcheroo at the end of the sermon.
@ 1:32:16 It says it closes with one bad month. So you can figure out the Kingdom of God is not coming this Atonement. On the other hand, we may learn this Kingdom starts before we ever get to Atonement.
@ 1:32:44 So on the one hand, I'm gonna just tell you the Kingdom of God is pushed off. But the Kingdom to Israel could start well before what would have been Atonement.
Part 644 – August 1, 2026
God conceals His truths through grievous mistranslations. The Kingdom of God will not arrive on the Day of Atonement until 2027. The Kingdom to Israel will probably come this year, but when is up for discussion. Dave gives himself another pass for teaching false prophetic dates.
@ 18:35 So I'm not predicting anything. I'm explaining verses in the Bible.
Part 645 – August 8, 2026
Dave hoped this would be his final message. If the Kingdom was just one year long, then it would start August 21. RCG is on a short clock. Potentially.
@ 17:51 Nobody knows about this Kingdom. It took me 11 years to be clear about it. But we not only know about it, we know how long it is. And basically almost exactly when it starts. I think.
Part 646 – August 15, 2026
Dave continues to "lock down" that there is a First Kingdom, which is the Kingdom to Israel. It will arrive on an undetermined Sunday at dawn “sometime ahead.”
@ 1:39:21 For now, every Sunday dawn, every one is a candidate. There's some evidence that Elul is in play.
@ 1:40:24 We'll just have to see when God has planned. And I'm waiting to be able to show an unbreakable date that cannot be exceeded. I sincerely do not know. I'm suspicious of some things, but know that a Sunday dawn away from a Sabbath, holy day, or new moon would completely disguise God coming as a thief on the fast Day of Atonement over a year later. Whenever that would be.
Part 647 – August 29, 2026
Dave rejoices at the “simplicity in Christ” finally arriving, but fails to see the irony of his convoluted theories. He provides a list of 95 proofs why there are three kingdoms, but reveals another list of 65 points that prove that wrong. He explains why there are other fascinating possibilities for when the Kingdom to Israel may start and how long it could be, because it could be three years instead of one.
@ 1:37:18 Now, you know, if it's a Sabbath, okay [chuckles], I guess we could sit and say there are six possibilities that exist for the for the other Kingdom. Maybe it's not Atonement. We could we could say. Even Tishrei 3 is a moed. It's wonderful. But you've got five Sabbaths plus Atonement. There's six Sabbaths in Tishrei, so I don't know. Could it be different? Could it be rounded in some way? Could the Second Kingdom start at Tabernacles, or the Last Great Day, or the last Sabbath of the month? I don't know. Is it technically the First Kingdom is days upon years? I don't know. That's that's a hard one to know. But there are six possibilities.So, you know, Trumpets is the first one.
Simplicity in Christ has indeed arrived at The Restored Church of God.
Part 648 – September 5, 2026
In The Restored Church of God, lying to brethren on the Sabbath while speaking in God’s name is acceptable when it has dramatic value.
Dave announces at the beginning that “nothing’s changed.” Until it does twenty-four minutes later, when he removes the shot glass Kingdom to Israel off the table because the Kingdom to Israel is also the Kingdom of God. There are only two kingdoms once again.
Dave drags RCG members through another laborious exercise to illustrate how hard Bible prophecy is to figure out and gives options for how maybe it is the Day of Atonement this year, after all. 1,500 days from Atonement 2026 to Atonement 2030 just makes a heck of a lot of sense. For now.
Consider yourself caught up.
Five months of doctrines in The Restored Church of God summarized in three pages. And for the spiritually depleted brethren, it has been a long, slow crawl to the Day of Atonement across nine sermons.
But remember: If it is not this year, then it could be next year. Or the year after that. Or the year after that. Or the year after that.
The RCG brethren have a longer, slower crawl to nowhere if they keep listening to David C. Pack.
20 comments:
Anytime I heard Dave utter the words "immutable" and "impossible" I know there will be an immediate failure.
If he still has followers, they can only blame themselves for following such an obvious fraud!
Ty for the update. I appreciate your work
I can only wonder about the mental health of the remaining members of the RCG. They must be going up and down from states of wild hope to deep depression from all these failed prophecies. How many of them are under a doctor's care by now? Pack should be under a doctor's care like yesterday!
Was starting to wonder about the updates! Got to wondering if Dave had croaked, had a stroke or whatever. Looks like Marc has been consolidating weeks instead of doing a bi-weekly ever changing date. Dave seems to be focused on Atonement without a clue as to the year. Three kingdoms? Two? At least he maintains his confusion!
Wow. In this information age, people are still trapped in cultic groups! David Pack is too obvious a charlatan for even an insane person to follow!
I had thought that maybe he had finally come to his senses, or with advancing age, perhaps his health was failing.. Prophecy failure on the level he was amassing it is unsustainable.
Proofs of Insanity
David C. Pack has made a mockery of so-called “proofs.”
David Pack's 56 “proofs” for his big August 31, 2013 prophetic date guess did not prove it. Dave Pack's 130 “proofs” that he, rather than HWA, is Elijah did not really prove it. Dave Pack's dozens of so-called “proofs” for things do not really prove anything, other than that he is insane.
Now, if anyone ever comes to you claiming to have proven something, but they have only one, or two, or even three proofs for it, you can simply laugh them off. How could so few proofs ever really prove anything when even all of Dave Pack's dozens of so-called “proofs” never really prove anything, other than that he is insane?
Within the group it is now my understanding that they see this as an adjunct. It feels to me it comes across more the way the telecasts did back in the old days. I think he spitballs from the pulpit his personal bible study and fwiw the remaining membership seems to either enjoy or ignore it the same way they did Armstrongs sermons the few he gave
He bluntly told me he is not a prophet because hes been wrong far to much and apparently has stated this alot from the pulpit at least recently? He promised me up and down he would not set another hard date so there is that too? I also literally had a new member tell me straight to my face that I went to college with that what he appreciates about my father the most is how quickly he admits when he is wrong? So there is that aspect that they see this all as the gray stuff to chat about thats perfectly ok to discuss and be wrong as long as the black and white stuff stays the same?
I think its the natural byproduct of a group so small that spent 10s of millions of dollars on an HWA google ad gospel budget and a paid field ministry on all these tiny congregations that simply did not grow. Now you have the biggest donors sort of heading up small bible groups who may enjoy this sort of thing and the church has evolved into more of just an inward looking bible group that likes old school christian living and a prophecy series thats speculative. There is none of the control that exists in any of these other groups since the ministry all got let go
Certainly if you dont like the vibe you would have left by now. How would you not?
Thats my take anyway. I was more concerned about the inner workings of the church on my visit up there. Anybody can ask me anything they want about that too.
I should add because I was not aware....the scattered members hear a christian living sermon taped and delivered by a different minister at HQ if they are meeting together in the field. They supposedly only listen to DCPs messages as a podcast on their own later. So 90% at least of the members may not be even listening to this other than just to skim it. Perhaps others pour over it like Marc lol. I do not know. I suggested to Marc that he perhaps the most devout follower of these sermons on the planet and we got a laugh out of it. So I dont think for many it defines their theology or even think much of it whatsoever. Only the HQ people hear these as a sabbath sermon and thats only when he speaks which I think he plans much less of it is the impression I got.
Finally for frame of reference for me...this was the first time Id been up there since 2011. First time on the new place. The last time was back in the strip mall office thing next to the Bob Evans where they got started. It was quite an eye opener to be able to traverse it all and form some of my own conclusions discussing this all in his living room after all those years.
Hes well aware that I support literally none of it and was still ok with me sharing virtually everything I heard with Marc. Quite an amazing 2 days honestly. They have absolutely nothing to hide that I could see.
If Jesus were on the job he would protect his flock and turn Pack into an ash heap. So I guess Jesus does not exist. What shepherd stands by and does nothing but watch while the wolves eat up the flock?
Naw, Dave, not atonement......maybe 2nd day of the feast.
I am glad that Randall has a relationship with his father and can supposedly ask any questions wants, but I am shocked at how easily Randall flippantly pretends that his dad is a benign individual that most in the church do not listen to. That is a load of crap. His father is an abusive liar that has spiritually, mentally, and financially abused his followers for years. People still live in fear of him because if they leave his cult he says they loose their eternal salvation. He is a false prophet who has built his little kingdom off the financial backs of his followers, many elderly men and women who gave everything and now suffer greatly. He doesn’t care about them at all.
The very Bible that his dad loves to get his absurd prophecies out of says that if a prophet tells just one lie, they are to be killed. It is amazing how COG leaders choose to ignore this when they start lying to their followers. After all, they take everything in the Old Testament literally, don't they? Do you honestly believe that whenever the kingdom he claims is coming along with his false christ that he will be held in high esteem and praised by that christ? If his christ is real, it will put him to death for lying and hurting so many people.
Love your dad as your father but stop making excuses for the horrendous damage he is causing with his lies and manipulations.
“Dave Pack: The Long, Slow Crawl to Atonement”
“The Kingdom of God Will Arrive on the Day of Atonement
Tishrei 10 – September 21, 2026”
Klepto-Dave Pack-of-lies is forgetting and mangling everything that Herbert W. Armstrong had taught. Dave's shameful followers and their “itching ears” are getting nuttier all the time. HWA had speculated that when Jesus returns it might be on the Day of Trumpets.
God's Plan Of Salvation
Herbert W. Armstrong and the Worldwide Church of God under his leadership taught that God's annual festivals listed in the Holy Bible in Leviticus 23:1-44 picture God's plan of salvation.
In the New Testament of the Holy Bible, Jesus was killed on Passover and the Holy Spirit came later to start the Church of God on the day of Pentecost.
Herbert W. Armstrong speculated that when Jesus returns to Earth, it might be on the very day of Trumpets of whatever year Jesus comes back.
Then the day of Atonement pictures the putting away of Satan for the 1,000 years of the millennium to keep him from deceiving the nations any more until the 1,000 years are over.
The seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles picture the millennium, and then the Last Great Day pictures the Great White Throne Judgment.
My relationship with my father has been a complete void for decades and not because youre wrong. I spent a single weekend there for the very first time and much of it was spent with Marc on a Saturday while they were all at church. I talked to a couple members at HQ and others away in my area for the other thoughts. Certainly they dont speak for how I would feel. I did find it to be an interesting perspective to talk to a few current members tho. We can all agree that its hard to understand and that was an experience i wanted to share.
I have no defense for the threats he makes to peoples eternal salvation. NONE. Some of the bits and pieces and quotes thru the years you cant comprehend what goes thru my mind when I hear him speak these things. Its surreal. Its also literally why I cut myself off from him for so long. I couldnt even look at him without thinking of it. But I also understand its the playbook. This whole movement was built on that crap so for me its not about love or forgiveness. Those types of thoughts dont really exist in that realm. Maybe at my age now its all more about simply understanding people and determining if there is any sort of common ground at all.
So just think more in terms that I simply made a trip up there and saw the place. Got to meet Marc for the first time after much time on the phone and we(mostly I) talked our ears off. He joined and left more recently and offers insight I dont have so thats to be expected we dont align on everything. Hes going to share some stuff quite frankly we learned together so Im getting ready a bit for that process. My brother in law is writing a book about his experience and I need to get right with whats going to be in that book too. This perhaps was the start by engaging with them and getting up to speed about it all mentally. Its definitely opened up some wormholes in me.
Randall, thank you for your comments here that I found to be informative. Best wishes.
How can one mentally ill person fix another?
Two dark sentences (Dan 8:23) of Herbert? After coming back Jesus waits 9-10 days to have put Satan away on Atonement? Don't think so.
Seven days of the feast picture the millennium?? But one day is as 1000 years to God. Seven days picture 7 millenniums. Creation week in Genesis may picture 6000 years for man, the 7th day of rest the "millennium."
Agreed, thanks for the courage it took to do this with Marc. I met you once a long time ago. It's unfortunate your dad has fallen so far, and hurt so many people. It's more unfortunate that he doesn't care, and laughs it off. I feel sorry that he'll have to give account for it all someday, and suffer some difficult consequences. But I really feel sorry for the folks who have stayed there and have lost total perspective of what a Christian really is.
Fascinating, Randall. Sounds totally neutered and filled with ennui. Nothing at all in common with the sorts of things reported in Ambassador Reports of the '70s, '80s, and '90s. This does not even sound like a man who would any longer be offended by a staff member's bright yellow truck, or a member wearing non-tie shoes to sabbath services in lieu of laced oxfords.
Now that you describe it in this manner, it occurs that we really have not heard of Dave having cruel enforcers like a Cal Culpepper or a Dennis Leap. Still, there is the legacy of financial exploitation of the members on a grand scale via "common".
Ah! Still too much! This is a man committed to his version of Armstrongism, whether he has become more tolerant of others or not. Not my place to judge, and I would not presume to advise. Best wishes is all I can say.
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