The Son of Man Residing In Wadsworth Facing External Threats

 

External Threats

 

David C. Pack of The Restored Church of God is a blaspheming liar and a hypocrite moved by the spirit of antichrist. That is not an opinion but a documented fact of observation. He is That Prophet, the Branch, the Shepherd and Stone of Israel, the Messenger of the Covenant, and now he is “like the Son of Man” from Revelation 14.

 

Over the past several weeks, David C. Pack has been replacing Jesus Christ in the Bible with himself. He has become the Vicar of Christ.

 

That accelerating trend should chill The Restored Church of God members to their bones. There should be a stampede out the door. Instead, they sit quietly, scribble in their notebooks, and passively accept their role as sheep for the slaughter.

 

Acts 20:29-30

For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

 

During “The Greatest Untold Story!” Parts 467-469, David C. Pack continued his pursuit of perverse things. He proved that he must increase while Jesus Christ must decrease. No matter what he teaches about the Father and Jesus Christ, he is always somehow in the mix. A new Trinity has been established in Wadsworth.

 

 

The opening prayer before a message gives the congregation an opportunity to come before God and ask for His blessing upon the message so the Holy Spirit may inspire the man to speak the truths of God in a way that honors Him.

 

The man speaking is the one who needs this prayer the most. Clearly, this does not apply to David C. Pack.

 

One quiet observation I never focused on was David C. Pack’s behavior during the opening prayers. He must forget the cameras are recording while everyone else in the room has their eyes closed and heads down. The livestream audience sees him. Those who watch the raw recording see him.

 

He is often taking a drink, shuffling papers, sucking on his glasses, rubbing his eyes, or wiping his nose. He is doing everything except paying attention. He was too rushed to do any of that before the prayer, so during it while people are not looking at him is the perfect time to secretly get physically ready.

 

I have seen this many times but said nothing. Until now.

 

Dave casually admits to things and does not know what he is saying.

 

Part 469 – September 14, 2023

@ 00:02 I didn’t hear a word he said [opening prayer], and he was right here. But I heard the "amen," so I knew my cue like my children used to be. They didn’t understand, but they knew to say amen and dig in.

 

Dave's asides expose his character more authentically than he realizes. Hypocrisy comes so naturally to him that he does not even notice when it happens. He has made it an easy habit of avoiding the commanded assemblies in his own church. He has skipped Sabbath Services, AM Services on Holy Days, and many “regular” Feast of Tabernacles days even when he is not traveling.

 

Acknowledging that he does not pay attention during the opening prayer is a drop in the bucket.

 

David C. Pack cannot be bothered to actively participate in the opening prayer. Pausing to humble himself before God with everyone else is unnecessary. After all, it is the men of lesser stature who need God's blessing and inspiration.

 

God’s blessing? No, thank you.

 

In the early days of RCG, Dave was in the front of the room, so everyone could see him as an example of how they should strive to be. In 2012, when I came to One Park Centre in Wadsworth, he was sitting in the center of the room.

 

But when the Campus was built, Dave strategically placed his chair at the very back of the room against the wall next to the kitchen door so he could sneak in and out unnoticed.

 

In rare cases, when he was in the room for other men’s sermons, he often read the newspaper, took notes, or had loudly whispered discussions with other men. I have personally witnessed David C. Pack leave the room at the start of a sermonette and sneak back into his chair just before the last song. This was a regular routine at Headquarters, and those seated in the back could testify to this.

 

Commanded assemblies are for the little people, I suppose. He gets plenty of spiritual food from his own preaching and has need of nothing from men beneath him. After all, what would they possibly teach him that he does not already know?

 

In 2020, during the First Day of Unleavened Bread Offertory, Mrs. Pack put the green envelope into the basket because her husband was elsewhere. At least she knew to not come before the Lord empty-handed.

 

Regarding the opening prayer comment, I find it humorous that the Pastor General of The Restored Church of God likened himself to children who do not understand. He has absolutely no comprehension of that which he does not understand.

 

 

Part 468 – September 9, 2023

@ 1:04:52 “…for he,” this man, “is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap.” …But, this man's responsibility, his job assignment, and it says it, he's been a refiner before you ever got to the year, and I wanna just say that and some didn't make it. His personality or his style of speaking (however you wanna say it), I know I’m a very incisive, a very precise man…I wanna be gentle, and kind, and patient with people and in counseling sessions. I think I am.

 

@ 1:05:40 But, the way I speak, I'm incisive, and I've been told by people…that I tended to be that way. And it made a lot of people angry and uncomfortable. …But, this man is described by God, not me.

 

@ 01:06:03 If Zechariah calls him a poker, he’s the guy–guess who kindled the fire that Christ finds when He gets here?

 

Luke 12:49 

I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?

 

@ 1:05:25 Now, I never, I never thought for one split second before days ago that was anybody but Christ. I never ever, for one minute of my life (and God hears me in heaven), ever saw myself as that person.

 

And yet, here we are. 

 

With this clarified understanding courtesy of The Restored Church of God, we can now read Malachi 3:2 with perfect doctrinal precision for the very first time.

 

Malachi 3:2

But who may abide the day of Dave’s coming? and who shall stand when Dave appears? for Dave is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap.

 

I wonder if Stepford Prime will be commissioned to help create a more accurate version of the Bible that strips away the corruption of those Jewish and Christmas-keeping translators.

 

Well, if only there was more time. Right, Ed?

 

 

Part 468 – September 9, 2023

@ 30:34 Now, who is the Sixth King? Ready? I don’t know. Okay, let’s go to the next thing. [audience laughs] I referenced–no. No. We’ll talk a little bit about it. Everybody seems to want to know that.

 

The Sixth Head of Revelation will be responsible for the deaths of thousands, and knowing his identity would be critical to the people of God. But instead, it is a ha-ha-ha moment.

 

@ 31:04 Let me open by saying I’m not sure which of two prime candidates is the correct one. I’ve been torn between them for a while.

 

@ 32:32 It may not be good to identify him. It may not be something that should be said. God, or we could ask, Did God give two possibilities because He wanted us unable to miss him more than to know and then to state his identity. You know, if I’m to be wise and faithful (and we all are)…if we are, it may not be a good thing to go shooting a name out there. The moral of the story maybe don't look like a candidate. [laughs] Okay?

 

Reserve this quote for when Dave is overcome by his temptation to name names in the future. Like when he declared that setting a date was “particularly arrogant" and did it again right after, Dave will absolutely pin the Sixth King's tail on the Unidentified World Figure donkey.

 

@ 37:07 And I there are I’ve got a lot of research. I could get into it. But, I think I’m just not gonna do it. It’s important to know there is a Sixth King. I think wisdom says don’t get too far into describing him. But maybe I've done enough. So, we’ll leave it at that.

 

By listening to all seven minutes and the hints Dave throws in about the most powerful man in the world, who is also Catholic, left little to the imagination he was referring to United States President Joe Biden. Perhaps my letters to the Russian Consulate spooked him.

 

In a way, I am relieved. The idea of also writing the US State Department made me nervous.

 

But, Dave being Dave, he could not stop from dropping another hint later.

 

@ 1:28:55 …that [Sixth] King is harmed this church now. Our income is down because of the horrific policies that are in place in the world today. Inflation is ravaging a lotta pocketbooks in the church. Yours.

 

The problems with The Restored Church of God are always external. The forces hampering Dave and his hireling enablers in Wadsworth are threats from without rather than decay from within. The core of RCG is rotten, and it starts with their human idol. Pastor General David C. Pack is responsible for the downward movement of RCG, but he cannot see it because the concept of accountability is too unacceptable to consider.

 

@ 1:29:14 But it's ravaging the church's pocketbook, as well. Banks are nervous. The little banks are struggling. It’s a challenge to keep rolling.

 

All the problems plaguing RCG originate from outside the Campus walls rather than from inside the heart of the Pastor General. If you fix him, you fix the problems. But, it is easier to blame everything else under the sun rather than the one person casting spiritual darkness on the church.

 

Once you throw out the true Gospel, the true Jesus Christ, and the true God, true blessings go with it. It is what I like to call "Cascade Learning." Blaspheme God and steal the names belonging to His Son, and what cascades is further grief and difficulty.

 

 

David C. Pack believes he cannot be the root cause of RCG’s measurable downfall.

 

There is always an external reason for the failings of David C. Pack and The Restored Church of God. Us v. Them is a warm blanket on a cold winter night.

 

When people leave, they are impatient and will never make it anyway. “This is taking too long!” They cannot wait to disobey God and eat pepperoni. (There is turkey pepperoni, folks. Don’t leave over that.) When teens leave, they are seduced by the devil’s world and just want to drink beer and watch porn. When the income tanks, the rotten policies of the US Government under President Biden, and the faithless, covetous brethren who will not give up their Common are the cause.

 

And when the Kingdom of God did not arrive on Trumpets, there is a gaggle of culprits to blamestorm. The Jews infected Dave’s thinking. Herbert W. Armstrong and The Worldwide Church of God indoctrinated him with inaccurate understanding. The translators really enjoyed mucking up the Bible, making it almost impossible to understand what God really meant. God wants to continue to test His people just to see “who’s gonna give up” because the Mystery of God needs to be finished.

 

Further examples of outside threats come in the flavor of former members. We are a persnickety bunch.

 

Part 468 – September 9, 2023

@ 50:12 And we lost som–a lot of people. We kept more than we lost, but we lost a lot.

 

Dave's nose just grew two feet. I call shenanigans on this as a statistical lie. The Restored Church of God was established in 1999. There is no way to look at the membership numbers over 24 years and claim more people are still in RCG than have left.

 

Just looking at this infamous RCG Ministerial Conference photo alone should tell the tale. The circled faces are still there. The rest left.

In this one photo of 74 total, only 22 remain. Read Dave's statement and imagine how it can be remotely accurate.

 

Perhaps Jim “Coffee Kid” Habboush performed his signature accounting magic to present numbers in a way that makes this appear real in Dave’s head. There must be an unspoken asterisk like it only applies to the last six months or something. Since he did not qualify the statement, Dave presented intentionally deceptive information that may be “accurate” on a carefully crafted piece of paper in the Third Floor Executive Imaginarium. But do not buy it. Not for a second.

 

David C. Pack has not publicly acknowledged “that devil Marc Cebrian” like he has at the Feast of Tabernacles supper table. I catch hints occasionally that he might be referring to exrcg.org, but I do not think I am the only source of woes.

 

I know local advocate Dawn Blue is of particular annoyance to them. She got blamed when Brad was booted from the local Wadsworth Neighbor’s Facebook group, even though she had nothing to do with it. He pled his case to the Wadsworth #2 group. The reception there was far from warm.

 

@ 49:59 But we had to endure this world. And I mean, we’ve been under attack.

 

@ 50:37 And that’s, you know, that’s all I feel I can say here.

 

To get Dave to exercise the slightest amount of prudence is a huge compliment. I cannot say he directly refers to these articles, but he must know that some who leave RCG have already reached out to me far in advance for advice and support.

 

@ 01:06:12 Who didn't handle refining fire and fullers' soap? A lotta people left because they couldn't take the heat. They didn't wanna get washed up, cleansed by the Word of God, or take the heat.

 

That entire statement is fiction. Nobody leaves RCG because of "heat" or resistance to being "cleansed by the Word of God." In his eyes, people depart due to their own sins and shortcomings. It could never be because he is a proven false prophet and blaspheming liar heeding to the spirit of antichrist.

 

Those same people who cannot handle Dave’s heat use Is “That Prophet” Alive Today? and “30 Reasons to Follow the Truth” as tools to cross the fence once and for all. Dave talks them out of RCG…not me.

 

@ 1:17:03 This a powerful statement. “You were made a gazing stock.” We’re mocked like you wouldn’t believe right now. You just wouldn’t believe it.

 

While uttering these statements, he was teaching the brethren to expect Jesus Christ “maybe Tuesday,” “maybe Thursday night,” “maybe Friday morning,” and “maybe on Trumpets.” Meanwhile, none of those happened. Jesus Christ did not invisibly bring Dave his new commission on a silver platter.

 

Who is more worthy of justified mocking than David C. Pack? He holds my deepest disregard and righteous indignation. I would tell him to his face if I had the opportunity. (Invite me over, Brad. You know I would come without hesitation.)

 

Elijah mocked the Prophets of Baal. The enabling hirelings at Headquarters serve a human idol in The Restored Church of Another god. They are worthy of mocking since they mock God by supporting the Spirit of Error.

 

Brad Schleifer • Ryan Denee • Ed Winkfield • Jaco Viljoen

Jim Habboush • Andy Holcombe • Salasi Jezhi • Frank Lydick

Ken Orel • Tim Ranney • Raymond Garb • and the rest

 

Shame upon the lot of you.

 

@ 1:17:19 We were companions with people who would go out and do that to us, but they once sat with us. Wow. Wow, that’s a hard one. It’s one thing if you’re attacked by people out in the world or in the Splinters who were never here, but some of ‘em were our companions. And then they go out and pile on. And then, they think it’s gonna be smooth sailing? Apparently not.

 

Post-leaving RCG is hardly smooth sailing. It is a gut-wrenching decision that takes months or years to reach after much Bible study, fasting, and prayer with tears. Leaving what you believed and the people you served alongside is a traumatic experience. But it was the right choice for all of us.

 

 

While trying to make a case for Trumpets this year, Dave made the points I would make about why he is a biblical fraud and can never be trusted. It is astounding how the words of David C. Pack destroy the reputation and credibility of David C. Pack.

 

Part 468 – September 9, 2023

@ 1:24:13 But, is that what [God] would do? And then we’re the people watch one day every year until we hit that good year.

 

The most straightforward answer, never part of the discussion, is that David C. Pack is plain wrong.

 

@ 1:24:23 We’d be known as the crazy people who wait for Christ every Feast of Trumpets.

 

Dave said that as if it were a potential future tense. Since the inception of exrcg.org, the prophecy-addiction lunacy of David C. Pack has been well-established in the public sphere. It is now a part of the online record of history. That is not future tense, Dave. It is past tense.

 

@ 1:24:27 It would get out. Don't worry. If we went past this year, I promise you there are people in this church who will be gone on Monday after Trumpets. I promise you. They won’t stay and wait.

 

And rightly so. How many times can a false prophet expose himself in the presence of Bible-reading believers who continue to choose not to take action? Sadly, only a fraction of a percent will leave over this, but double-digits know what is going on is wrong yet still do nothing.

 

What are they waiting for? Dave is “like” Jesus Christ now. Once he starts doing miracles, the door has been shut, and they will be unable to escape.

 

@ 1:24:38 They were never gonna go first. But those people would whiz out there and say all kinds of things.You can be sure of it, and then, we'd be known. So, the question would be: Is that what would God sentence us to being mocked and slandered?

 

Remember, Dave is making a case for why Trumpets on September 16 was certain. It had to be true because if Dave’s god tricked him again, there would be uncomfortable consequences for the brethren.

 

And yet, here we are.

 

For the record, The Restored Church of God and David C. Pack are NOT being slandered. They should hire an attorney to take legal action if they are being slandered.

 

slander

the action or crime of making a false spoken statement damaging to a person's reputation

 

libel

a published false statement that is damaging to a person's reputation; a written defamation.

 

The key to slander and libel is that the statements must be false. The exrcg.org website has been dedicated to the verifiable documentation of professional blaspheming liar David C. Pack and his cowardly enabling hirelings. No articles on the website written by me or other former members contain any libelous content.

 

The interviews posted on the website conducted by Dawn Blue and Mike and Jeff from CGI contain zero slander. Zero. None. Zip. Zilch. Nada.

 

Another crucial element of slander is that the statements damage a person's reputation. David C. Pack has a horrible reputation dating back to his days at Ambassador College. Dennis Diehl would gladly raise his right hand to solemnly affirm.

 

So, it is impossible…it is impossible for David C. Pack’s reputation to be further damaged.

 

If he wanted to complain about someone, he should complain about himself. He is his own worst critic.

 

 

The Restored Church of Another god members do not assemble to learn about the ways of God. They come to learn about Dave. Their Sabbaths focus on Dave so he can teach them about the ways of Dave and the wonderful things Dave will do.

 

Part 468 – September 9, 2023

@ 1:19:06 Now, the Bible (we’ll say one last time), Elijah knows, the Goodman knows the day and tells the little flock. That would seem to hafta include the year…So, let’s close with some things about this year.

 

@ 1:19:34 But Amos 3:7-8, I’ll just say, God finally made His plan clear to me. Elijah coming first now, and three kingdoms is just unbreakable. It’s too simple to get wrong. Can’t change. We been at this place for three months. And now you know it could never change. I couldn’t come back in some other year and give ya a different picture.

 

And yet, he presented a different picture yesterday. Early reports on Part 470 show that The Feast of Tabernacles is back on the watch list as Trumpets fades in the rearview mirror.

 

When something is "too simple to get wrong," you can rest assured David C. Pack will botch it. He has been blowing it since 2012 and will continue to do so. When he states something cannot change, rest assured it will. He will always come back to give clarifying updates.

 

It is his curse. It is his nature. But, brethren, you do not need to partake of his madness. The problems with RCG are not external in nature but internal. The whole head is sick. And you know this.

 

Just because you don’t know where else to go does not mean you can stay. Read Is “That Prophet” Alive Today?—The Rise of False Prophets. Listen to the three-part sermon "30 Reasons to Follow the Truth" by David C. Pack. He gives 90 reasons why you must flee The Restored Church of Another god. 

 

Do not heed my words. Heed his.

Marc Cebrian

See: External Threats

Our Apologies To Bob Thiel

 

Exclusive video of Banned carrying Bob Thiel inside during 

his current temper tantrum.

We know it is tough being the most incredible Church of God leader to ever get it all right since Peter and James fought and bickered in Jerusalem over who had it right. 

It has to be tough that sooooooooooooooooo many consider you a blabbering buffoon and fail to acknowledge your divinity as a double-blessed self-appointed leader of the church. We regret we have been led astray by your detractors in the Living Church of God who still mock you to this day.

We regret we have fallen short in our recognition of you as the Chosen One. 

The chiefest of Chief Overseers ever to exist. 

The One who was preordained as the world was being formed to come in these perilous end times to save the Laodicean members of the church as you preach the gospel to all nations through a bunch of booklets no one ever reads, kind of like all the Bibles you have sent over to Africa.

We regret we do not believe your nightmares dreams that you claim are from from your god. But, given the track record in the church over the last 80-some years of an endless stream of men who dreamed up their authority to rule over others, it's really hard to take you seriously. We apologize. We will try harder.

It has to be hard sitting in your position of privilege in Arroyo Grande as you have to contend with such bad representatives in Africa whom you have no control over. We regret that they are using you just for your money, computers, Bibles, and free seeds. We are also sorry you had to be caught up in the church-hopping routine of African church leaders who are constantly looking for the next handout from gullible Americans. That has to be a hard piece of unleavened bread to swallow.

Bob, rest assured that we are here for you anytime. 

All the time.

We will make sure no one ever forgets who you are.

But hey, you keep on being you!

Origins: Did or Now Do Old Testament El or YHVH or New Testament Jesus Have Wings?

(Note: Pardon length for any short attention span lurkers. It's a big and fascinating topic :)

Dave Pack says yes...

However...Not after the Israelite Priesthood got ahold of them, though winged Gods were the order of the day before the Priesthood of Israel clipped them. 

No images or idols of El or YHVH sprouting wings exist. While El does have depictions in idols, YHVH does not being too sacred a god to depict, or whose name should even be spoken.  Other names were substituted to address this problem such as "Lord" , "Adonai", "Yah" and "Jehovah".

"Yahweh" is the accepted way to pronounce it, if you dare, however. 

The God YHVH

...before the Lord (YHVH) became depicted as Jesus, radiating "wings" of sunlight declaring himself to be the light of the world. 

John 8:12

Again, Jesus spoke to them saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light"

So, if you have "seen me, you have seen the Father" no wings for either Jesus or Father EL.

However, Dave Pack speculates...

Part 469 – September 14, 2023

@ 05:14 So, here’s my question: Is it possible God has wings? The Father has wings? Would that make it possible? Certainly, dudn’t say it outright, but would it be possible? Hmm.

 

@ 12:47 Does Christ have wings? Now, the world doesn’t know God or Christ have wings if they do. They are never depicted that way. Angels, yes. And sometimes saints. But not generally

========================

 

There is no depiction of the Israelite of El or his lesser, at the time, YHVH, a member of the Divine Council of the Gods having wings once El evolved into YHVH adopted by the Israelites.

Malachi 4 does intrigue using terminology he did however....

A most honest scripture about the nature of God as "The Sun". In this context, "His wings" are the sun rays represented by wings. The reference in Malachi is a memory of the Sun Gods of Egypt

"But unto you that fear My name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in His wings; and ye shall go forth and grow up as calves from the stall."

Malachi 4:2

Pharoah Akhenaten 

The Pharoah, abandoned polytheism and declared Ra, the Sun God the only true God. After his brief and tumultuous reign, the Priestcraft of Egypt restored polytheism to Egypt.

Pagan winged gods were very commonly depicted. 

Winged God of Assyria

The God Ninurta of the Sumerians

Winged Hittite God

Winged God of Persia

====================

 The original God of Isra-EL, borrowed from the Canaanites who first worshipped EL is not depicted with wings. Nor is His son, Baal the storm god. Wings seem to have been removed from the gods of the surrounding nations when adopted by the Israelites.

Biblical Israel was polytheistic until it evolved into the more familiar monotheism. Before it did, EL/YHVH was a jealous God who did not take kindly to other lesser gods being brought into His presence.   It was not an argument that there were no other gods. It was merely a demand they not be brought into His presence based on his jealously and need to be worshipped as supreme with no competition from the other existing gods around Israel. 

Who Is El?

El was known as the supreme god of the Canaanites in the mythology of the ancient Near East. He was the father of gods and men and the creator deity. He is sometimes depicted as a bull and known for his tremendous power and strength.

Origins

El was an important god in Canaanite mythology. It is believed that he lived on Mount Saphon, close to the ancient Syrian city of Ugarit. He was very respected and was considered by the people to be all-knowing and all-powerful. He was incredibly wise and compassionate to those that came to him for guidance, but not always.

Offspring Baal (Also associated with Molech) Baal was also depicted as a Bull with the Sun symbol as El.  Bull worship was very common as the age of taurus was 4400 to 2300 BCE.

Mithras slays the Bull Taurus

 Mithras slaying the Bull icons depict the end of age of Taurus and the beginning of the Age of Aries the Ram/Lamb. At the end of both dominant ages, when the Sun is in the Spring Equinox, the god (Constellation) was slain. 

The Bull (Age of Taurus) died when the Sun moved into Aries and the Lamb of God died at the end of the Age of Aries, i.e. Jesus. 

Then began the Age of Pices, the two fish, which were adopted by the Christian Church as symbols of it as "fishers of men". and reminiscent of Jesus miracle of the two fish" 

This age is now ending and the Age of Aquarius, the Water Man is next up. 

Baal in human form

Originally, YHVH was a lesser god in the Council of the gods of El. This is the "US" that El is speaking to in Genesis when El says "Let us make man in our image" It is also the "US" of the Divine Council of the Gods EL is explaining to why man must be expelled from the Garden of Eden. 

Both the Knowledge of Good and Evil and living forever are only for the gods. The two trees in the Garden were "god-fruit" trees and the fruit of them was not for humans. Putting them in the midst of the garden, however, is like putting candy on the coffee table in the living room and warning the kids not to touch them or else. 

(Personally note: If Adam and Eve had no knowledge of good and evil before eating the forbidden fruit, why blame them? Seems they did not yet understand the good of obeying God and the evil of not). 

 

Genesis 3:22

And the Lord God (EL)said, (To the Elohim or members of His Divine Council of the Gods) “Behold, the man has become as one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat and live for ever”—

...out you go. 

=============================

The following is an analysis of just how El evolved into YHVH and in the process, Any "wings" attached to previous gods of the Levant were clipped. 

Are Yahweh and El the same god OR different gods?

First, the name Israel is not a Yahwistic name. El is the name of the deity invoked in the name Israel, which translates: “May El persevere.”2 

This suggests that El was seen as the chief god in the formative years of Israel’s religious practices. In fact, the etiological story explaining the origin of the name Israel occurs in Genesis 35:9-15, where Jacob obtains this name through the blessing of El Shaddai, that is “El of the Mountain.”

Second, there exist numerous parallels and similarities between descriptions and cultic terminology used for El in the Canaanite texts and those used for Yahweh in the biblical sources (see below). At some point, it is ascertained, the cultic worship of Yahweh must have absorbed that of El, through which means Yahweh assimilated both the imagery and epithets once used of El.

Finally, there is strong confirmation of this assimilation in the biblical record itself. 

In the oldest literary traditions of the Pentateuch, it is El who regularly appears and not Yahweh, or Yahweh as El! The patriarchal narratives identify El as the deity to whom many of the early patriarchal shrines and altars were built. For example, we are informed in Genesis 33:20 that Jacob builds an altar in the old cultic center of the north, Shechem, and dedicates it to “El, god of Israel” (’el ’elohe yišra’el ). There is no ambiguity in the Hebrew here: ’el must be translated as a proper name, El.3 The textual tradition from which this text derives, the Elohist, ultimately remembers a time when El was the patron god of Israel.

That El was the deity worshiped at Shechem is also attested in Judges 9:46, which speaks of the shrine of “El of the covenant.” The god of the shrine at Bethel, which literally translates, “house of El,” is additionally El—”I am El of Bethel” (Gen 31:13; cf. 35:7)—and appears to Jacob as El Shaddai (35:11; cf. 48:3). Jacob has another encounter with El at Penuel, which is so named because Jacob sees El face-to-face (32:31). 

Moreover, Isaac blesses Jacob through El Shaddai (28:3), and likewise Jacob blesses Joseph “by El of your fathers” (49:25). “El who sees” is given as the etymology of Beerlahai-roi in Genesis 16:13. And we are informed that Abraham journeys to the old cultic shrine at Beersheba, where he plants and worships a tree and calls on the name “El the eternal” and at the same time Yahweh (Gen 21:33). Contrary to Genesis 33:20, where the Shechemite El is presented unambiguously as the “god of Israel,” in Genesis 21:33, El is apparently already assimilated to Yahweh (see below). Finally, Genesis 14:18-22 speaks of “El the most high,” of whom the Canaanite Melchizedek is priest at Jerusalem.

This assimilation between Yahweh and El, or El into Yahweh, is present in much of the Priestly material as well. In fact, the Priestly source largely advocates this assimilation. In Genesis 17:1, the Priestly writer states that “Yahweh appeared to Abram and said to him: ‘I am El Shaddai.’” And Exodus 6:2-3, in contradiction to J (#11), has Yahweh assert: “I am Yahweh. And I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El Shaddai, and I was not known to them by the name Yahweh.” Although the verse suggests an identification between Yahweh and El “of the mountain,” the verse also subtly recognizes an ancient distinction between the god of the patriarchs (El) and the god of the Mosaic era (Yahweh). But the assimilation is clear here: the patriarchs who worshiped El in the past were actually worshiping Yahweh, claims the Priestly writer.

Perhaps it is necessary at this point to ask: Who was El? And why is he even mentioned in the Bible in the first place, let alone as the god of Israel in the older literary traditions of Genesis?

Our knowledge of El predominantly comes from an invaluable corpus of tablets discovered in 1929 in the ancient city of Ugarit, a major city-state of the second millennium BC located on the northern coast of Syria, modern day Ras Shamra.4 The Ugaritic tablets are the best available witness to Canaanite religion and religious practices, and thus also “to the background from which the religion of Israel emerged, and to the Canaanite beliefs that it shared, adopted, compromised with, and sometimes rejected.”5 The Ugaritic literature depicts El as the sovereign deity of the Canaanite pantheon. He is frequently referred to as “Father of the gods,” “the eternal King,” and “Creator of all living beings.” El’s other epithets include: “El the Kind, the Compassionate,” “the Bull,” “the Ageless One,” and “the Father of Years.” He is depicted as bearded, and residing in a tent or a tabernacle, whose throne rests on Cherubim. He is the god of blessings and of covenants.

Many of these epithets and images later become assimilated to Yahweh. For example, Yahweh is often depicted as bearded, as King of the gods, as Compassionate, and as residing in a tent, whose throne, like that of El, rests on Cherubim. There are, in addition to this, numerous El epithets in various strains of biblical tradition—epithets that through a process of assimilation and adoption later become associated with Yahweh. We have already encountered El Shaddai, “El of the Mountain.” Like Yahweh who is associated with the mountain of Sinai and later in eschatological traditions with Zion, so too El resides on a mountain. Other patriarchal narratives attest the use of El Olam, “El the Eternal” to whom Abraham plants and worships a tree at Beersheba, El Elyon, “El the Most High,” the god of Melchizedek (Gen 14:18-24), and El Roi, “El who sees” (Gen 16:13).

These various El epithets are associated with different shrines: El Shaddai with Bethel, El the Most High, the creator of the heavens and the earth, with Jerusalem, El the Eternal with Beersheba, El who sees with Beerlahai-roi, and El the god of Israel with Shechem.6 Many of these shrines and altars to El were established by the patriarchs themselves (e.g., Gen 21:33, 28:18, 33:20, 35:14). It has also been suggested that the name Yahweh might have originally been a cultic epithet of El! The etymology of Yahweh, yhwh, is still unclear, but one proposal is to see it as the causitive imperfect of the Canaanite-Proto-Hebrew verb hwy, “to be.”7

It is propable therefore, as many commentators have contended, that the early Israelites actually worshiped El through his epithet ‘Yahweh.’ This process of assimilation is usually presented the other way around in the biblical literature: Yahweh is worshiped through the epithets of El: Shaddai, Olam, and Elyon.

Contrary to these biblical traditions that suggest an assimilation between Yahweh and El, there are other passages that seem to indicate that Yahweh was a separate and independent deity within El’s council. Deuteronomy 32:8-9 is one of those rare biblical passages that seemingly preserves a vestige of an earlier period in proto-Israelite religion where El and Yahweh were still depicted as separate deities: Yahweh was merely one of the gods of El’s council! This tradition undeniably comes from older Canaanite lore.

When the Most High (’elyôn) gave to the nations their inheritance, when he separated humanity, he fixed the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of divine beings. For Yahweh’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage.

There are two points to take away from this passage. First, the passage presents an apparently older mythic theme that describes when the divine beings, that is each deity in the divine counsel, were assigned and allotted their own nation. Israel was the nation that Yahweh received. Second, Yahweh received his divine portion, Israel, through an action initiated by the god El, here identifiable through his epithet “the Most High.” In other words, the passage depicts two gods: one, the Most High (El), is seen as assigning nations to the divine beings or gods (the Hebrew word is elohim, plural “gods”) in his council; the other, Yahweh, is depicted as receiving from the first god, the Most High, his particular allotment, namely the people of Israel. Similarly, in another older tradition now preserved in Numbers 21:29, the god Chemosh is assigned to the people of Moab.

Other biblical passages reaffirm this archaic view of Yahweh as a god in El’s council. Psalm 82:1 speaks of the “assembly of El,” Psalm 29:1 enjoins “the sons of El” to worship Yahweh, and Psalm 89:6-7 lists Yahweh among El’s divine council.

Thus there seems to be ample evidence in the biblical record to support the claim that as Yahweh become the supreme national deity of the Israelites, he began to usurp the imagery, epithets, and old cultic centers of the god El. This process of assimilation even morphed the linguistic meaning of the name El, which later came to mean simply “god,” so that Yahweh was then directly identified as ’el—thus Joshua 22:22: “the god of gods is Yahweh” (’el ’elohim yhwh).

Noteworthy also is the fact that unlike the god Baal, there is no polemic in the Bible against El, and all the old cultic centers of El, those in Jerusalem, Shechem, and Beersheba, were later accredited to Yahweh. Since the large majority of patriarchal narratives that speak of shrines and altars to El are found in the northern kingdom, such as Bethel and Shechem, and, on the other hand, many biblical texts seem to accredit Yahweh’s origin to the southern Negeb, current scholarly hypothesis is that the worship of El in the north and of Yahweh in the south eventually merged. This thesis finds further support in the incident of Jeroboam, who may have acted to reestablish the cult of Yahweh-El at Dan and Bethel via his “golden bulls” (#155). In sum, the biblical literature, spanning as it does hundreds of centuries of cultural and the cultic traditions, preserves divergent views, portraits, theologies, and origins of its god Yahweh. We will come across others.

======================

So apart from a personal view of no gods with or without wings, I suspect David C Pack is just spinning more time killing foolishness which one, as "The Foolish Shephard" would, of course be expected to do to fit the title, as he does. 

Bob Thiel's "Man Of God" In Africa On The Run From The Police

 

Almost-arrested Radson Mulozowa 

with his kissing cousin wife 

being interviewed by Police

Lets see how Bob Thiel lies about this: 

Here we see a sick Radson Mulozowa begging Police not to arrest him on recent fraud charges as he claims he was too sick to go to prison. So, the Police let him go to the hospital with a warning to see them in 2 Days. Of course, he didn't show up to the Police station, now he's been on the run. 

 

The charges are as follows: 

 

My son Andre and me personally sponsored 130 Bibles to a tune of $1,400.00, plus also gave Radson Mulozowa an extra $600.00 to distribute the Bibles. He showed us the Bibles in his house a few days before we left for the CCOG Feast in Malawi 2021. He promised to give out the Bibles to all leaders in Malawi and Mozambique and one Bible to each household. 

 

Shortly after, I started getting allegations that the Bibles were never distributed. Radson Mulozowa assured me they were distributed but he didn't take pictures as his phone wasn't working and the allegations were false. I believed him because Dr Thiel said Evans Ocheing ordained him and Evans can be trusted as a Man of God.   

 

Fast forward, when I questioned Radson Mulozowa at the Police station during my recent trip to Malawi, he denied that he even knew me and denied I had anything to do with the Bibles. I was shocked he would lie to my face. So, I knew right then he sold those Bibles and lied. I stared at him the whole time and he wouldn't even look at me. Then I showed the authorities the proof of my receipts of money sent to him to purchase Bibles and also funds given to distribute Bibles. Also, the pictures we took at his house with the Bibles. The Police gave him 2 Days to bring evidence. Radson claimed he had a list of people given Bibles at his office. Police told him to come back on Monday with list. He of course never showed up or called. Can we say not good? 

 

Another thing that shocked me was Dr. Thiel's letter to the Police in defence of Radson Mulozowa saying I had no right to investigate the allegations. I really lost totally any respect I had for Dr. Thiel, for this action of trying to defend a criminal so the truth wouldn't come out. 

 

By the way Dr. Thiel knows full well who the American in Malawi was trying to impersonate him. He just doesn't want to admit it, as he always avoids answering questions or carefully guards his words to avoid responsibility. Also, what I find interesting in this videos Radsons' Kissing Cousin Wife that Dr. Thiel has been saying isn't a wife but his Cousin, really Folks!!!!!!!! 

 

The Rabbit Hole gets Deeper!! Terry Nelson