Poor Dave. He still cannot get it through his thick head that NO ONE in the hundreds of splinter groups of Armstrongism give a rat's ass about him. He is particularly incensed that over 1 1/4 billion dollars have passed through the doors of various COG's instead of his:
This should automatically bring to mind the large organizations that formed after the apostasy, having come out of God’s House thinking they could form many houses and still all be part of the Body of Christ—part of God’s House (Church). How interesting that in regard to wealth these organizations have collectively taken in a great many hundreds of millions of dollars (perhaps up to one and a quarter BILLION dollars when totals are combined).
The next verses are powerfully instructive. God
outlines what the people (including ministers) expected to accomplish
through their works, followed with descriptions of how it always came to
little or nothing.
Verses 5-7: “Now therefore thus says the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways. You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but you have not enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earns wages earns wages to put it into a bag with holes. Thus says the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.”
Read this passage a second time, more slowly. God TWICE tells the
people to “Consider your ways.” Yet most brethren today are not even reading Haggai, and those few who are do not do so with much or any understanding. These articles are part of God telling YOU to consider your ways! God is reaching out to His people, explaining that, cut off from Him,
their efforts have brought no real “yield.” Think of the splinters.
After up to two decades, most of them are roughly the same size—or
smaller. Their “works” are also roughly the same size—or smaller. Some much smaller! Phrase by phrase, God is telling His people in these other “houses” that what they are doing is not working.
Their “earnings” go into “a bag with holes.” Keep asking as you read, and this could have begun at verse 2,
who are these people that are associated with God’s House—who so
perfectly fit the description of today’s many thousands in the big and
small splinter houses that came out of the Worldwide Church of God?
Dave's god is so pissed right now with the various COG leaders that he is has caused a "great drought" to dry them all up. All except his of course, The Restored Church of God is the most superfantabulous Church of God ever created. Dave's cult is unparallelled in the world for it's awesomeness. All the other COG's tremble in fear at the mere mention of Dave's name!
Verse 11: “And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground brings forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labor of the hands.”
This verse details what are seen to be categories of God’s punishment that are being intensified.
First, the Hebrew for “drought” is more correctly translated
“desolation.” Similar but different Hebrew words are typically used when
drought or dearth is the intended meaning. Unable to
understand prophecy, and in light of not understanding the symbolism of
“dew” and “fruit” in Haggai 1:10, the King James translators thought maybe God’s carefully chosen word (choreb) had to do with some ancient drought in Israel. But the subject is desolation—or wasting—of the houses attended by “this people.” This verse reveals that God is bringing DESOLATION to them in seven separate areas.
Each term has critical meaning. This is a loving God’s attempt to
further WAKE THE PEOPLE AND MINISTERS UP, and what is happening in this
process is thoroughly explained in my NINTH announcement, which
described them as seven trends or conditions occurring in the splinters today.
According to Dave when the hundreds of splinter groups all implode the tens of thousands of COG members will be streaming back to him in fear and obedience.
The last verses of Haggai 1 should be read and understood as a single very powerful summary statement. Clearly something dramatic happens that causes ACTION. Suddenly God’s people all come back together in a spirit of FEAR and OBEDIENCE—ready to go to work in the Temple. The why is not important at this time, rather just that it happens.
Verses 12-15: “Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with ALL the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him [they finally grasped the intent of Haggai’s message], and the people did fear before the Lord. Then spoke Haggai the Lord’s messenger in the Lord’s message unto the people, saying, I am with you, says the Lord. And the Lord stirred up
the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and
the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the
spirit of all the remnant of the people; and THEY CAME and DID WORK in the House of the Lord of hosts [God’s one Church], their God, in the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.”
The group described as “this people,” but residing in separate houses, is seen to suddenly understand the reason
behind their failed efforts. Key Hebrew words bring important meaning.
“OBEYED” also means “to hear intelligently (often with implication of
attention): consider, diligently, discern, give ear, listen, (be)
obedient, obey, perceive, regard, understand.” The word “FEAR” means “to
fear; to revere; to frighten: dread (-ful).” Recognize it is God’s
Spirit that ultimately stirs His people to act, alongside a final
culminating event found elsewhere in Scripture. The Hebrew for “STIRRED”
means “(through the idea of opening the eyes); to wake: lift up, raise
up, stir up.” “All” of God’s people are foretold (twice) to return from
their houses to work again in God’s House. A full reunification is coming! And notice the Scripture describes it occurring in a single day. God reassures His people that “I am with you” (in this case, back with them)—and to “fear not” in the human sense of fear—after He previously had held back blessings from their groups.
This great event is supposed to happening ONE day, according to Dave.
The greatest question reappears: Who is this group that comes back to God’s House in a single day?