As a WCG pastor, sad I know, there were a few topics I never gave a sermon on, ever. British Israelism, Divine Healing only and The Place of Safety.
The first made no difference to me, even if proven and it is debunked, because it does not reflect the teachings or message of the New Testament which always seemed the focal point of Christianity. (That was meant to be somewhat sarcastic :)
The second, Divine Healing Only was just ignorant and dangerous to one's health. I also strongly felt and reminded fold that adult parents really had no right to exhibit "faith" for a sick child. That's both unfair and dangerous. If the adult wanted to trust for divine healing only without medical help, fine. But you cannot make that decision for your children. Be responsible.
And the third, The Place of Safety seemed concocted and the cause of more fear and questions in the congregations I cared to address, but should have, and downright stupid. "Hide me in the grave until thy wrath be passed" seemed more desirable to me and I was not about to tell any congregation that HWA or whoever said, "It's time to flee!"
Dr Bob," I'll Tell You When to Flee", is a big fan of the dangerous and insane concept of the Church around the world, all 200 of them, fleeing to the Place of Safety, whether to Petra or the back room of Bob's office.
Here Bob repeats Dr. Hermann Hoeh's long ago views, which I am sure, were he alive, he would disavow.
Of course, typical of the WCG schtick on such topics, it was "never before understood" until now, or then. It actually should read, "Never Before as Misunderstood Until Now". I would remind Bob that when he was in WCG, Gerald Waterhouse, or "Watermelon" as my kids called him, was the Church spokesman for the who, what, where when and why of the insanity of the Place of Safety. I would remind us that nothing of what he wasted the time of tens of thousands over came to pass or could come to pass. He is now hidden in the grave.
Sorry, too many people in the first crowd fleeing picture. These are probably more accurate
"Let’s open our Bibles to see why Petra has puzzled scholars and Bible students for centuries.
The true Church of God is pictured in Revelation 12. It is symbolized by a woman-the bride of Christ. But it is a persecuted woman-a Church hated by the world. According to verse 6 the Church fled the first time from her persecutors for 1260 years – during the Middle Ages. But verse 14 unveils another flight of the Church-in the very last days. This time the duration is only 3 1/2 years! “And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle”-supernatural deliverance-“that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time”–3 1/2 years.
This prophecy has never been understood by the world because the world cannot understand to whom this prophecy refers."
Notice that the power behind the “secret society” is expected to be hidden in a cave:
Anne Catherine Emmerich (October 1820): I saw the secret society undermining the great church and near them a horrible beast … concealing itself in a cave (Emmerich AC. The Life and Revelations of Anne Catherine Emmerich, Volume 2, p.290).
I also believe that somehow demons influenced a mystic Catholic saint and prophetess named Hildegard to warn that those in a place with caves worked for the devil and were an advanced group that support the Antichrist. "
And fly from those who linger in caves and are cloistered supporters of the Devil. Woe to them, woe to them who remain thus! They are the Devil’s very viscera, and the advance guard of the son of perdition.
Therefore, O you My beloved children, avoid them with all devotion and with all the strength of your souls and bodies. For the ancient serpent feeds and clothes, them by his arts, and they worship him as God and trust in his false deceptions…Because they are afraid of My people, they do not openly resist these institutions of Mine, but in their hearts and their deeds they hold them as nothing. By devilish illusion, they pretend to have sanctity; but they are deceived by the Devil, for if he were to show himself to them openly, they would understand him and flee him. By his arts he shows them things he pretends are good and holy, and thus deludes them. O woe to those who persevere in this death!
But because the Devil knows he has only a short time for his error, he is not hastening to perfect infidelity in his members; you, you evil deceivers, who labor to subvert the Catholic faith. (Hildegard of Bingen. Scivias. Paulist Press, Mahwah (NJ), pp. 301-302).
Since I believe that the mystic was demonically influenced, she is actually warning against supporting the true Christians who will be protected who she is claiming are the “supporters of the Devil” (probably because they will oppose the Catholic Church). Since she calls them the advanced guard “of the son of perdition,” she seems to be referring to a group of people who will be protected in caves just before Christ returns (I stated that because certain Catholic prophecies seem to refer to the returning Christ as the “antichrist”, who is also sometimes referred to as “the son of perdition.
