Commercial Break: Prophecy Hardly Comes Alive

 

“”If you pick up any of the four Gospels and read them at random, it will not be long before you learn that such and such an action or saying, attributed to Jesus, was done so that an ancient prophecy should come true. If it should seem odd that an action should be deliberately performed in order that a foretelling be vindicated, that is because it is odd. And it is necessarily odd because, just like the Old Testament, the "New" one is also a work of crude carpentry, hammered together long after its purported events, and full of improvised attempts to make things come out right.

—Christopher Hitchens,

There are numerous Biblical prophecies, some vaguely fulfilled, others strangely unfulfilled. Of course, like the Bible, the Quran also contains what its followers maintain are fulfilled prophesies. Christians tend to find these unconvincing or silly — which is coincidentally the attitude which non-Christians have towards the claimed biblical prophecies.

Some Christians claim that fulfilled prophecies — if they actually existed — would prove that the Bible is inerrant or even literally true. Creationists conclude it is accurate even on scientific subjects.

This article examines various prophecies from the Bible and gives an analysis of whether or not they have been fulfilled.

https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Biblical_prophecies#The_nature_of_prophecy_in_the_Bible

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

The topic and use of Biblical Prophecy is a huge drawing card and tool used by the Splinters to draw people to them.  While a huge topic, one fact of history remains clear. Many if not most Biblical prophecies never came to pass or failed miserably. This is true for both the Old Testament and the New.  

The Book of Revelation, a favorite of the Churches of the God and one which they alone possess the keys to or have the puzzle solving skills to reveal its real meaning and timing, is historically and simply a failed first century prophecy for that time just prior to the Fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. I realize most will yell foul but this is the truth and why the Book of Revelation was never meant for today. Hard to grasp and swallow I know. 

Apologetics will fix this reality by insisting that "not yet" is the real answer and so the Bible is accurate but just not yet.  This is bogus theology and historical sleight of hand. IMHO of course, and that of many critically thinking Biblical scholars and historians. 

Time would fail, as well as attention spans to cover this topic here as it deserves but it is an important one because so many Church of God members are assured that they live in the end times and "it won't be long now."  Actually, everyone will die in time and not see that which they are assured they will see in their lifetimes. The Apostle Paul made the same mistake and after all his many references to soon, shortly and quickly, faded, he had to admit at least he fought a good fight and it would happen "someday". 

So, a sample of teaser realities in the world of Bible prophecy badly mistaken and unfulfilled. A comprehensive analysis of both OT and NT prophecies and how they failed is to be found at the site above for those with a true interest in the topic. 

Of course, apologetics exist for every apparent failed OT and NT prophecy but that is to be expected if one insists in the inerrancy of scripture or the fact that it is a puzzle one has to figure out or a code one has to break to unveil it at last!

As well, I completely understand the emotional reactions and responses that such topics create depending on our wishful or actual understanding of the topic. Prophecy is the carrot used by most of the Splits, splinters and slivers to draw people in and they do it with fear over the times in which we live, as has been done by "the prophets" for the last 4000 years. 

I personally predict that Bob Thiel, Dave Pack and Gerald Flurry will all die with nothing of their interpretations of the times as they relate to their concept of Biblical Prophecy having actually come to pass. 

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

Nebuchadnezzar would destroy Tyre  (A Favorite WCG Proof of God)

In Ezekiel 26:1-21, God states that Nebuchadnezzar II (a neo-Babylonian monarch, reigned circa 605 to circa 562 BCE, notable for his ambitious military conquests^[2]) would conquer, sack, and completely destroy the city of Tyrus (Tyre) and that Tyre's land would never be built upon again:

The ruins of modern Tyre

However, this never occurred. After a 13-year siege, Tyre compromised with Nebuchadnezzar and accepted his authority without being destroyed. Despite being conquered and razed by Alexander the Great 240 years later,^[3] Tyre still exists.^[4]

Ezekiel even admits that Nebuchadnezzar failed to conquer Tyre three chapters later in Ezekiel 29:18

Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre, every head was made bald and every shoulder was rubbed bare, yet neither he nor his army got anything from Tyre to pay for the labor that he had performed against it.

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

Damascus would be destroyed

Damascus, a heap of ruins

Isaiah 17:1-2 tells us that Damascus will be laid waste, and it will remain uninhabited forever.

An oracle concerning Damascus. Behold, Damascus will cease to be a city, and will become a heap of ruins. Her cities will be deserted for ever; they will be for flocks, which will lie down, and none will make them afraid.

Damascus is currently the capital of Syria and has a population of approximately 1.5 million people. But it is remarkable that the words "for ever" are completely absent in the Masoretic Text^[11] (the Hebrew version of the Bible officially in use among Jews) and the Text of the Great Isaiah Scroll^[12] (the oldest complete copy of the book of Isaiah), but in the Septuagint (a Greek translation of Hebrew Bible) one can find the expression "εις τον αιώνα"^[13] meaning literally "till the age", that in certain contexts can mean "for ever". It could be an addition of a translator.

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

Egypt would be a barren wasteland

In Ezekiel 29:1-15, God states that Egypt will be made into a desolate wasteland:

...

This passage is one of the most erroneous in the Bible. Since Ezekiel was penned, Egypt has never been recorded as a 'desolate waste'. There is no historical evidence of a time when people have not walked through Egypt; when for forty years Egypt was uninhabited after the civilization started there; or for when Egypt has been surrounded by other desolate countries.^[5] God sets out a checklist of specific events that will occur:

1. Egypt and everything from the tower of Syene to Ethiopia will be desolate and waste
2. God will own the Nile
3. No humans will walk through Egypt
4. No animals will walk through Egypt
5. Nobody will live in Egypt for 40 years
6. Egyptians will leave Egypt and be scattered among other nations
7. After 40 years of scattering, Egypt will be repopulated by the scattered Egyptians
8. Egypt will be a weak kingdom, and will never control "the nations"

Never happened.

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

The Nile River would dry up

In Ezekiel 30:12, God promises to dry up the Nile:

I will dry up the streams of the Nile and sell the land to evil men; by the hand of foreigners I will lay waste the land and everything in it. I the LORD have spoken.

There is no evidence that this has happened in recorded history. At least not yet?

Zechariah

The prophet Zechariah makes some audacious and even absurd predictions, but one that happens to stick out is his prophecy that the Nile River will be dried up.

Zechariah 10:11 tells us the following:

They shall pass through the sea of Egypt, and the waves of the sea shall be smitten, and all the depths of the Nile dried up. The pride of Assyria shall be laid low, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart.

Once again, the Nile has never been 'dried up'.

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

Jesus will be called out of Egypt

NOTE: There are 8 "And thus it was fulfilled" tales about Jesus birth written by Matthew. All of them misquote and misuse the original OT text and make them mean for him what they never actually meant when written. 

Matthew 2:15 cites Jesus' return from Egypt as being the fulfillment of a prophecy:

And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

The source is Hosea 11:1:

When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.

Note that the quote as it appears in Matthew is incomplete. The first part, the reference to Israel, is missing. In fact, the passage in Hosea is not a prophecy of Jesus leaving Egypt but rather a reference to the exodus of the Israelites.

In defense of the claim that Matthew gave an incomplete quote to hide the fact that Hosea was not intended as a prophecy, biblical inerrancy site AboutBibleProphecy.com notes, "Matthew wasn't trying to hide anything, he was trying to show that the life of Jesus had many parallels with the history of the Jewish people."^[ It should be noted, however, that per Matthew's own words he in fact intended to show that the words of "the prophet" were "fulfilled" and not to show a parallel.

It should also be noted that among the gospel accounts the journey of Jesus to Egypt is unique in Matthew.

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

Jeremiah prophesied Judas' silver

Before Judas commits suicide in Matthew, he renounces the money he got for betraying Jesus. It is stated that the chief priests used that money to buy a field, and this act somehow fulfilled a prophecy made by Jeremiah.

Matthew 27:5-10 explains this:

And throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed; and he went and hanged himself. But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since they are blood money.” So they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.”

The problem is that no such verse exists anywhere in the Book of Jeremiah.

There is a reference to something like this in Zechariah 11:12-13, but it is has nothing to do with Judas and the purchase of a potter's field.  Close enough for Matthew I suspect even though he got the book wrong and then misquoted it. 

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

Why is the recognition that Biblical Prophecy has failed in many circumstances? Because Biblical prophecy is used far too often and inaccurately to motivate the fearful to give monies that they to not have to men who they should not listen to. They will be given a false life narrative and waste an inordinate amount of life time trying to figure out just where they are in Biblical Prophecy as if it can never fail. 

Even Paul admitted they do and I suspect that was near the end of his life when he realized "this does not apply to us". His "we shall not all die" turned into "Oh well, I guess we do".

I recognize the irritation with the topic factor for many. However it is a good exercise in "seeing if these things be so".  

https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Biblical_prophecies#Wrong_prophecies

Crackpot Prophet of Doom and Glooms Say People Need To Be More Hopeful

 

Our most highly esteemed authority on EVERYTHING was sent to earth by his god to deliver the end-time warning message to the world and those lazy Laodiceans. Week after week it is one message after another about impending doom. Disease, famines, money collapse, floods, earthquakes, disasters, wars, and death are just inches away from knocking on everyone's door. 

His god is angry, just itching to destroy 2/3rds of humanity to appease its anger. In fact, it is sooooooooooo angry It needed to send one final warning to the world through the greatest prophet the church has ever seen since the days Abraham walked the earth. No one, and I repeat NO ONE in the entire world is doing such mighty work. Dave Pack, Gerald Flurry, Ron Wineland, and Alton Billingsley all cower in fear of the Great Bwana Mzungu Thiel, the Great Savior of Africa, and 100 Caucasians.

His constant mind stream of doom and gloom has no end and yet the other day he made a post about how people should be hopeful. Forget the fact his god is going to destroy your world, send famines and earthquakes to destroy your home, starve your children, and kill off your family and friends, our Great Bwana Mzungu Bob says you are to remain hopeful.

How to Be More Hopeful

The New Testament teaches that Christians are to have hope. What are ways to be more hopeful? Pocket, a secular source, recommended an article about that. In this video, Dr. Thiel goes over many points of that article and ties them into numerous scriptures that teach about hope. Dr. Thiel also notes that multiple times, the Apostle Paul taught about faith, love, and hope together. Dr. Thiel also quotes Jesus related to not worrying and seeking first the Kingdom of God. Furthermore, he refers to mysteries of God’s plan that most do not understand. He also reads what the Bible promises will occur in the new earth.

Of course, brethren, remain hopeful after reading Bwana Bob's articles on:

G20 connectivity to lead to Middle East peace? Perhaps it will contribute to gathering at Armageddon? 

 

9/11–do not think greater terror will not hit the USA! 

Neither Donald Trump, Joe Biden, nor Michelle Obama are the solution for the USA 

  

Over 2,000 reported dead after earthquake in Morocco–any tie to Ezekiel 38? 

 

‘Ruling Class Is Using AI To Censor Posts On Social Media That Buck The Official Narrative’ 

 

Shofars, Yehuda Glick, the year of creation, and religious end-time politics 

 

Semaglutide may help some with type 1 diabetes and obesity, but there are issues 

 

International ‘clean air day’ and Europe’s unhealthy air pollution 

 

CBS: Earth just had its hottest summer on record, U.N. says, warning “climate breakdown has begun” 

 

‘Japanese Scientists Find that Covid-19 and all of the variants are Laboratory creations: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Have Been Released Upon Us’ 

 

NFL 2023: Early Christians would not have watched 

 

First they banned burqas, now abayas and the AfD is making gains–change is going to happen in Europe 

 

‘Burning Man’: Debauchery, Temple, and Tower of Babel? 

 

EU Digital Services Act censorship and the ‘Call of Duty’ to use AI to Spy on Gamers 

 

Ed Dowd Says a “Mad Max” Scenario Is Unfolding for USA Collapse in Five Years 

 

ZH: “The Endgame Is Clear” – Gold’s Role Rises As Dollar Hegemony Falls 

 

BibleNewsProphecy: Biological Weapons and the 4th Horseman of the Apocalypse 

 

Brazil exporting more corn and soy than the USA–the times of the Gentiles is close 

 

Sermon: Evil is Affecting the Food Supply 

 

MS: Wild Mobs Of Young People Totally Out Of Control 

I365: Farmer revives the Biblical Balm of Gilead and Temple Incense 

CNN: Smuggler with ties to ISIS helped migrants enter US from Mexico, raising alarm bells across government 

 

German Strategies For or Against BRICS? 

 

What did Joe Tkach identify as ‘Satan’s Throne’? 

 

Forbes predicted a bad decade for the 2020s, but missed a lot 

 

I365: Rare blue supermoon to appear with Messianic undertones 

Michael Snyder and Sarah Palin on dangerous USA issues 

EU ‘Digital Services Act’ in place: Yes, it is a prelude to the ‘famine of the word’

Hope is only found outside the improperly named "continuing" Church of God. Its god has nothing to offer to anyone.

Proof Texting Scripture To Mean What You Think It Should Mean

I Corinthians 5:8 as a Prooftext for Christian Observance of the Feast of Unleavened Bread

In response to my post Get Ready: The Fall Holy Days Are Almost Upon Us, CGI's Jeff Reed cited I Corinthians 5:8 as a prooftext for the obligation of Christians to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread. I responded by pointing out that Paul was addressing a particular problem in the Corinthian Church - a man was openly in a relationship with his stepmother. I quoted almost the entire chapter in my response and demonstrated that Paul regarded the toleration of this man's sin by the wider community as something that was corrupting/leavening the whole congregation/batch of dough. I went on to underscore the fact that Paul's reference to Christ as the Christian's Passover Lamb - the thing which makes us free of sin/unleavened - is what the apostle intended for them to celebrate.

Nevertheless, Jeff responded: "Lonnie's comments...are an interesting example of how the same text can be viewed so differently. To me, the entire context points to keeping the Festival. It is very clear. It sure sounds like Paul was speaking to people who kept the feast. Or how else would they understand the symbolism he is teaching? Use that same language to a group of Baptists and see if they understand the meaning without additional explanation. What Paul says makes more sense to an audience keeping the feast. Paul even gives instructions in chapters 10 and 11 about proper observance of the Lord's Supper (New Testament Passover), which precedes the Days of Unleavened Bread. Another indication this letter was probably sent shortly before the Festival was to take place."

First, I agree with Pastor Reed that this is a prime example of how a passage of Scripture can be viewed very differently by folks with an agenda (like proving that Christians are obligated to observe the festivals commanded in Torah). However, absent that agenda, if the passage is viewed in context (meaning subject matter and place in the larger epistle), I don't think that there is much room for confusion here. I invite my readers to read Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians (especially chapter 5) and make your own determination about the focus of his remarks. Was he talking about the Feast of Unleavened Bread or was he addressing the situation with a sinning brother and his situation's impact on the larger community?

Also, in so far as the passage is related to any festival, I would like to suggest that it clearly refers to the New Testament Passover - the Lord's Supper! After all, Paul did state that "Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed <for us>" Hence, in this context, Paul's remarks about the proper observance of the Eucharist in the eleventh chapter of the same epistle is much more consistent with the passage from the fifth chapter than any suggestion that he was speaking about the Feast of Unleavened Bread (unleavened bread was also an integral part of the Old Testament Passover). In other words, if Paul was focused on any festival, he was clearly speaking about New Testament Passover.

Finally, of course, these Gentile folks would have been familiar with these references to Torah! They would have been an integral part of Paul's preaching about Jesus Christ! Remember, Christ and his apostles used the Torah, Prophets, and Writings of the Hebrew Scriptures to preach the Good News about salvation through him to everyone - Jews and Gentiles. That does NOT, however, suggest that Christians should observe the Torah festivals - that would be a leap in logic that Scripture simply does NOT make.

Jon Brisby: Wrong Hair Length Will Result In Loss Of Eternal Life!

 

From a Church of God Eternal source:

There's a fine line to walk for those who wish to enter into Armstrong heaven. Jon Brisby of Church of God Eternal (COGE) drew that fine line at hair style. No longer are hair cuts merely an administrative policy, now the wrong haircut will keep you out of the Kingdom of his Armstrongist god. 

 

In Brisby's September 2023 monthly letter to his retarded church "Natural Law and Common Sense" 

 

Brisby quotes 1 Corinthians 11:14-15 

 

"Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering." 

 

Nevemind that the context of the passage is not actually about hair length, instead its about family structure and responsibilities, and Paul is simply using hair length as a metaphor. Brisby overlooks the context and built a doctrine on the literalizing of a metaphor.

The Borg Queen Brisby told his mentally disabled church: 

 

"...rest assured this concept is important to God, because violation of it without repentance will result in the loss of eternal life."

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE! 

 

Yes you will now lose your eternal life over hair style. 

 

What hair style will earn you a place in Armstrongite heaven? The hair style divinely revealed to Herbert W. Armstrong from Jesus himself! 

 

This is a far cry from Church of God Eternal's Fundamentals of Beliefs 

 

#22 which states: "We believe free moral agency involves the right of free choice, without coercion from the ministry or lay members. 

 

Therefore, the basis of baptism and the hand of fellowship must not involve conformity to outward appearance. Each member must be given the right to develop individually and is responsible before God for his own actions. It is not the Church’s responsibility to force members into conformity resulting from fear of disfellowship or ostracism." 

 

But Brisby is his own man, no longer restricted by Raymond Cole's constitution, and no outdated document from the founding father of his church is going to tell him what to do.

The 25 Year Heads-up: "But I'll tell you what, I'm not going anywhere..."

As I have noted in the past, one of the easiest ways to know what David C Pack is going to do or claim to be in the near future is to listen to him project what it is he would never do or ever claim to be.  Out of his own mouth, as Marc points out meticulously, the abundance of his heart speaks volumes as his claims to never ever really means watch out here I come. 

 One of the finest examples of projection in the history of religious delusions was written by Dave himself. 

Is “That Prophet” Alive Today? The Rise of False Prophets 

– David C. Pack

 

If he claims titles belonging to the all-powerful living Jesus Christ, then he is no less than a blaspheming idol, seeking to replace Christ with himself. This is serious…

p.32

 

No description of false prophets is complete without explaining one final characteristic. These deceivers always seem to find new ways to elevate themselves to greater offices and roles!

p.51

 

This never-ending acquisition of more titles better secures the false prophet’s followers under his spell.

p.52

 

Next, the blasphemy accelerated, as the leader quickly took more and more divine titles to himself.

p.117

Here we see that Dave has pre-told us exactly what he both is going to do and the internal fears he has in doing it. However, these concerns are only what others who claim such things should entertain. Dave is a special case and an exception to all the rules of scripture.

When Dave says something can't possibly be, then rest assured, it can be and often is. When Dave says can't possibly be any other way, be assured that it certainly can be and no doubt will be. When Dave declares that he has absolutely proved something to himself, then relax as he will soon disprove it and prove something even more seat gyrating that will be discarded when absolute and irrefutable proof of his next delusion presents itself. 

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

We must never forget Dave's classic quote of what was to come low these many years ago. (Forgive reposting it yet again but it is the foundational insight into Dave's warped theological fantasies to come and his request for those who have the eyes and ears to see and hear it to point it out to him. 

This is the only prophecy that Dave Pack has ever gotten correct in his life. 

Dave Pack, more than any other sliver leader, clearly outlined ahead of time what he was about to do and continues to do by declaring he would never do it.  It's just how the mind of Dave the fake title taker and Apostle, falsely so called, is.  

 "I want to make a statement about...me..."

NOTE: Nothing rare here to see. Every statement since has been about Dave telling us all who Dave believes himself to be. 

"now, if I became deceived, I will never tell you what I'm going to tell you now...I am telling you if I go off into strange ideas, misconduct, rebellion, you name it, don't follow me."

NOTE: Correct, to date, he never has again brought this plea up to his deluded members.   Dave did not really mean this. The "you name it" arrived long ago and Dave has made it more than clear that to not follow Dave and to leave RCG is to consign yourself to either suicide  or the Lake of Fire. 

" want to tell you that now, because if I start doing that I'm gonna try to get you to follow me! I'm gonna come to you and tell you it doesn't apply, it doesn't mean me, no, no, no, no, no, no, it's OK to follow me because ABCD and XY and Z.

NOTE:  Here Dave is struggling with his inner problem child. And to date, Dave has done all this and is about to make every effort to get them all to follow him.  Dave has indeed made it clear that nothing he is now doing is inappropriate, magical thinking or just plain ego centric and authoritarian delusional thinking.  Dave does not have the capacity for self-examination and self-introspection. At least not publicly. 

" Do you understand what I'm saying? Listen to me now, when I tell you don't follow me" 

NOTE: Evidently they did not which was just fine with Dave

"if I go off into weird ideas, or if I get off into other things that are total absolutely unscriptural conduct, because if I do I'm gonna paint it with a different face and try to get you to follow me. Do you understand what I'm saying brethren? "

NOTE: Mission accomplished Dave. And lucky you. The RCG membership, ministry and Board of Enablers has yet to catch on. 

"Please remember that, because I promise you that if I become deceived, I'll forget it, and I'll want you to forget it.."

NOTE: Yes brethren, it's now 2023 and you have yet to remember this. Dave has indeed already forgotten what he said and, so far, is pleased you forgotten it too. 

".And  I hope you'll remember it well enough to quote it right back to me...But I'll tell you what, I'm not going anywhere."

David C Pack

December 12, 1998

NOTE: Well some do and will continue to do so until you give up your fake titles and admit you have been a "type" of "The Foolish Shephard" in the OT where you spend way too much time making a theological fool out of yourself. 

Dave Pack's presence in the real world or religion and theology is miniscule. Ask 1000 people if they ever heard of David C Pack and there is a good chance you will get 1000 "no, can't say that I have."   Dave is huge in his own mind and to a few hangers on who may come to wish they had never heard of David C Pack. Soon, I suspect, this will become abundantly clear. 

While the RCG and Dave Pack are nothing in the real world, they will serve as yet another religion gone wrong precautionary tale. 

Dave Pack's Psychological Warfare

 

Psychological Warfare

 

David C. Pack is conducting psychological warfare against the brethren of The Restored Church of God. Claiming to be the Branch during "The Greatest Untold Story! (Part 465)," given on September 2, 2023, was only the first of other Christ-centric roles he "discovered" belong to him. Early reports of Parts 466, 467, and 468 indicate this does not let up.

 

David C. Pack’s sudden trend is as disturbing as it is destined for epic disaster. Whether he realizes this before or as he stands before the Judgment Seat of Christ is unknowable.

 

In a chat with Kevin Denee this morning, I wrote that this development is so deranged it makes the date-setting secondary. As his failures mount, his biblical significance increases. This is a mind game of self-preservation. At this point, David C. Pack being “just” a false prophet seems mild by comparison.

 

By assuming more roles belonging to Jesus Christ, David C. Pack manipulates the brethren to believe that the more he is proven wrong now, the more doubly right he will be confirmed later. To doubt him is to stand on unholy ground. You are not just disagreeing with a man but rebelling against God’s apostle, Joshua, Elijah, That Prophet, the Lead King, and the Branch.

 

That is a twenty-foot Goliath. Are you sure you want to defy him with only the Bible in your hand?

 

 

Is “That Prophet” Alive Today? The Rise of False Prophets – David C. Pack

 

If he claims titles belonging to the all-powerful living Jesus Christ, then he is no less than a blaspheming idol, seeking to replace Christ with himself. This is serious…

p.32

 

No description of false prophets is complete without explaining one final characteristic. These deceivers always seem to find new ways to elevate themselves to greater offices and roles!

p.51

 

This never-ending acquisition of more titles better secures the false prophet’s followers under his spell.

p.52

 

Next, the blasphemy accelerated, as the leader quickly took more and more divine titles to himself.

p.117

 

…prophecy describing Christ’s Return. That prophecy refers to “raising unto David a Righteous Branch” and “a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.” It also states that “in His days Judah shall be saved.” This obviously parallels Deuteronomy 18. Carefully study all of Jeremiah 23. Most of it is about false prophets! But verses 5-8 are referring to Christ, and are central to the chapter. God inspires Jeremiah to include this section because the ultimate great Prophet—who stands above all of the false prophets plaguing both ancient and modern national Israel, and the Church—is Jesus Christ!

p.31

 

 

The only way to get David C. Pack to say “I am the Branch” during Part 465 is to string the bits and pieces from across ninety-nine minutes. That is his intentional oratory sophistry.

 

Part 465 – September 2, 2023

@ 25:29 So, I’m gonna ask you, Who is the Branch? Not Christ.

 

@ 39:45 Now, this twig is a descendant of Jesse and David. And I am…

 

@ 54:18 So, this man is here…Whether you call him Elijah, or Joshua or David, or the Twig, or whatever you wanna call him, he’s here.

 

@ 41:15 So, if somebody wants to throw stones at me, then I’d say, “Well, then, you call Christ a Branch. Be very careful doing that.”

 

Not only is David C. Pack the Branch, but to hold to the idea Jesus Christ is the Branch insults the Son of God. That is psychological warfare. It is vile, devious manipulation.

 

@ 43:30 You could never say Christ’s name is the Branch. You would reduce Him, practically defile him to say that…

 

@ 44:46 That’s impossible. It degrades Him terribly.

 

If you do not accept this new teaching immediately, you risk offending God. It is hard to deny the cultish mind control at work.

 

Since the idea of Jesus Christ being the Branch is so antichrist, will Brad officiate an RCG literature book-burning celebration in the Grand Garden this week?

 

 

For those who remember Herbert W. Armstrong explaining how XYZ was Jesus Christ and could only be Jesus Christ…well, there are more rough seas ahead.

 

After David C. Pack established he is the Branch by association and playing a shell game with words, the shortcut to other titles was like slipping into a warm bath.

 

@ 1:30:26 “And I will raise up for them a Plant of Renown.” Well, that’s a fig tree. He’s a Branch, but he’s the Plant of Renown. And He’s the Fig Tree.

 

With David C. Pack as the Branch, Genesis 49:24 can be read correctly.

 

Genesis 49:24

But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)

@ 1:33:02 “Joseph is the shepherd, the stone of Israel.” I thought that meant Christ had to come to Joseph. That is not talking about Christ. It’s talking about the man who was just named as the Shepherd of Israel…

 

@ 1:34:13 I finally figured out there cannot be a Fourth Kingdom, and there are other problems. It trainwrecks things. But, oh, how helpful it is to find out that is not Christ coming out of Joseph to Jerusalem. That is a man who is a servant called a Branch who is the Shepherd of Israel who (like all of us) is a stone and a branch. And a king. And a priest.

 

@ 1:33:52 But this is a stone who’s the Shepherd of Israel. Now, if you think that’s Christ (which I did) [laughs] if we think that’s Christ, then when was Christ gonna build a Kingdom in Joseph?

 

@ 1:35:50 So, it’s a different man who comes out of Joseph. Had we known, had I known the identity of the Branch or this Shepherd, there’d a never been any thought of a fourth kingdom.

 

 

As the Branch, David C. Pack will sit on David's throne before Jesus Christ.

 

@ 46:12 But if the Branch is not Christ (and we started correctly), and Christ rules here [7-Year Kingdom], there's some man who is not a vine, but the Branch. And it says here…in verse 13, "he shall bear the glory.”That's the key. He’d not in glory. That's interesting. "He bears the glory, and he sits and rules on his throne. And he shall be a priest on his throne, and the council of peace shall be between them both." Now, between who? The only two people that are mentioned there are the temple of the Lord. People seek the Lord and David, their king. So the only two people mentioned there are this Branch identified (again like Zechariah 3) as Joshua. And the Lord. Now, of course, Christ is in the picture…

 

David C. Pack will bear the glory and sit and rule on his throne. But, he will not come out and say that.

 

 

Over the years, David C. Pack has built his case that Jesus Christ is not a man. This was alarming while I attended The Restored Church of God. If Jesus Christ is not a man, then we have no Savior. I wonder if anyone left in The Restored Church of God is as concerned about this as I am.

 

Dave makes this abominable, repulsive point over and over in Part 465. I remember bristling in the chilled Main Hall Meat Locker back then. It struck me as David C. Pack denying Christ.

 

The years of spiritual degradation have not yet proved me wrong.

 

@ 44:52 And to call Him “a man?” He’s the Son of God called the Son of Man (all right, fine). But, here, he's just "the man."

 

Jesus Christ is a man. He emptied himself of all divinity and glory and came from the womb of Mary. He died, but His body saw no corruption. The Father raised Him from the dead, and He ascended to heaven.

 

@ 52:56 The last man to sit on David’s throne was named David, but he was a servant and he was a man. Christ was neither. Christ is, of course, the ultimate servant of all mankind, if you wanna put it that way. And He was the Son of Man. But He's not a Branch.

 

Romans 5:15

…much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

 

1 Timothy 2:5

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

 

1 John 4:2-3

Hereby know you the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof you have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

 

 

One of the weapons in the psychological warfare arsenal is to blame The Worldwide Church of God for foolishly relying on the Jews to understand their own language and religion.

 

Herbert W. Armstrong was sincere but sincerely wrong for trusting worldly Hebrew scholars. Since Dave’s god felt righty-okay letting HWA be wrong for decades, poor David C. Pack is just a victim of circumstance, don’t cha know? He was forcibly conditioned with fraudulent beliefs because his god allowed ignorant “leaders” to sear toxic ideas into members’ heads.

 

@ 48:30 How do I work this out? It’s because the church’s understanding of who is the Branch was utterly wrong. Borrowed from the Jews.

 

Dave lists the associated understandings that The Worldwide Church of God taught incorrectly for decades but then sprayed perfume on the dung pile he left squatted upon Herbie’s grave.

 

@ 49:13 But, you know, this wonderful man who’s my father in the gospel saw what he did. But, he didn’t understand that we were foretold in a variety of verses to see all of this Mystery right before it came to pass. Under thirteen days away now.

 

We cannot forget about the careless pork-eating King James translators who keep barbing Dave in the eye. They are no less guilty than the Jews.

 

@ 53:33 Now, this is where it gets really interesting. Really interesting. We’re gonna deal with our (I thought hope for the last time) two giant mistranslations that Mr. Armstrong couldn’t have known about. So, we’re gonna clear them up right now. And it gonna be mind-blowing.

 

HWA could not have known because the “mistranslations” are imaginary, born from the corrupt mind of David C. Pack.

 

Jeremiah 23:5-6

Behold, the days come, says the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called ^[H7121], THE LORD ^[H3068] OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS ^[H664].

 

@ 54:36 “And this is his name,” so, he has another name, “whereby he shall be called.” Now, comes one of the Bible’s greatest mistranslations. It says, “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” Now, if you’re reading that, you’re like me. There no way that’s not God. No way that’s not the Father. Here’s the problem. His name is The Lord IS Our Righteousness. Not this man is the Lord who's our righteous. He wears a name. He's known as the Branch, and his other name is The Lord Is Our Righteousness. So, this man executes righteousness.

 

What a frightening world it would be if humans had to endure David Crowl Pack "executing righteousness." He would undoubtedly relish the first part of it for people like me, Gary, and Dennis. But none of us are going to lose any sleep over that.

 

@ 55:34 The correct in the Hebrew is “The Lord IS.” And that problem repeats itself…

 

David C. Pack has fully embraced the "talking until it becomes true” ideology. But he also put himself in a real pickle. He cannot trust the Jews to understand their language or religion, but he cannot trust the King James translators, either. All he can do now is proceed with what seems right in his own eyes.

 

And the brethren “just gotta believe” on his say-so.

 

Brad will brush me off as assigning motive again, but when Dave cites no sources nor explains how this new revelation was proven to be fact, only one option emerges. It became a reality because David C. Pack needed it to be so.

 

A fact without substantial evidence is called a guess. Dave is guessing there is a mistranslation because he cannot prove it. Just like the other times he has had to take a Sharpie to the Bible.

 

Since blame is easier than authenticating, David C. Pack neglected to offer his sources. So, I will.

 

Through the power of the Interwebs, you can find five Bible translations rendering the not-in-the-Hebrew IS of Jeremiah 23:6 and 33:16. The King James translators did not insert italics for good reason.

 

Five of the seventeen listed English translations on BlueLetterBible.org had the rendering with “is” in Jeremiah.

 

NLT–New Living Translation   •   ESV–English Standard Version   •   CSB–Christian Standard Bible

RSV–Revised Standard Version   •   BBE–Bible in Basic English

 

This was a lynchpin point. If David C. Pack could not explain away the Branch being called “The Lord Our Righteousness,” his entire glass house would shatter. It is now acceptable practice within The Restored Church of God to revise their beliefs and literature based on the NLT, ESV, CSB, RSV, and BBE text.

 

Oh, imagine the possibilities for further change.

 

This is the one point Dave’s entire Branch theory rests upon. RCG brethren have to buy this as a mistranslation because, without it, all his other presumptions of human logic are decimated.

 

David C. Pack and the hirelings at Headquarters are counting on people being so lulled to sleep that they will not bother to “prove all things.” They adopt it because a man tells them to.

 

 

Fear-mongering is always a crucial element of psychological warfare. Dave tells the brethren about fearful things but not to be afraid. 

@ 1:30:03 Keep your eyes open. It’s not Trumpets yet. There’s some serious indication that potential world hell breaks out before we get there. And maybe before I can speak next Sabbath. So, I wanna at least drop that hint. Fear not. Don’t be afraid of anything.

 

Then why tell them in the first place? Just in case something happens, he can claim the “See. I Knew” victory flag.

But that was a week ago and nothing happened. Of course.

 

@ 1:17:37 I woulda never seen these things had God just not suddenly put it in my mind. “Wait a minute. Something’s wrong here. We we the Branch.” And then, it went from there some days ago. These mysteries are now all cleared up.

 

Ten years of his god putting lies into his mind has not yet worked out. But this is somehow different? 

 

David C. Pack has literally made it his career and life mission to degrade Jesus Christ and God the Father. His unabashed blasphemy and demonic doctrines are pure filth. But, the brethren eat it up.

 

Now that David C. Pack has secured his role as That Prophet and the Branch without causing stampedes out the door, he is free to claim any and all titles under the sun.

 

@ 1:31:44 Lemme just keep saying, you know, accept all of this.

 

David C. Pack is a spiritual rapist smothering his victims with the preternatural weight of his biblical importance. As the fight drains out of them, he whispers in their ear, "Just accept all of this." Some thought giving up the struggle would be less painful and over soon. But they are in for a rude awakening. The biblical assault has been ongoing for over a decade and will continue because David C. Pack’s prophetic libido is insatiable.

 

The brethren suffer through this psychological warfare in silence as the doctrinal corruption of The Restored Church of God heaps to heaven.

 

David C. Pack has them pinned down. It will not stop. And things can only continue to get worse.

Marc Cebrian

See: Psychological Warfare

The Post Feast Letdown: What Your Best-Ever FOT Is Lacking

What Your Best-Ever FOT Is Lacking

By The COG Catholic

Every COG sermon I’ve heard about how to have the best-ever Feast of Tabernacles offers the same advice: commit to serving others.

• Be an usher!

• Be a parking lot attendant (wave those orange cones)!

• Help organize and decorate the meeting hall!

• Work with the audio-video crew!

• Join the choir!

• Serve at the information booth!

• Find new ways to serve!

But even if every attendant were to sign up for a volunteer position (cutting back on their COG’s expenses), at some point you will still hear a sermon or sermonette about how to combat “post-feast letdown.”

Post-feast letdown

After a week of joining others in celebrating the future thousand-year earthly reign of God’s Kingdom—the “World Tomorrow”—the mere thought of going “back into the world” is a downer.

Recently, an active COG member also confided to me that he always looks forward to the feast, enjoys it, but then leaves on an “empty tank,” feeling as if he had just squandered another opportunity for spiritual growth.

This is not unusual.

The problem

Despite what you’re led to believe, usually, it’s not that the feast is so spiritual that the contrast of going back into the world is a letdown. The truth is that, in many cases, “the feast” is indistinguishable from a feel-good convention, with its lineup of speakers, its organizational rah-rah cheerleading, its seminars (on all manner of topics), its entertainment, its stage bands, its fine foods, and its social activities.

What you actually experience is a natural letdown from a manufactured high.

A “good feast,” you believe, is one in which you make a ton of new friends and enjoy a full activity schedule. It might include skating, a family dance, pizza parties, go-karts, cookouts, singles dinners, couples dinners, ministers dinners, youth day, a movie night, raffles, site-seeing tours, beach volleyball parties, and other opportunities for fun and fellowship.

But the reality for many is that the feast is a very un-spiritual time, despite all their self-congratulatory talk about how blessed they are to be “called” to understand and keep “God’s feasts.” It’s a fun convention that allows people who were directly or indirectly affected by the Armstrongs to catch up with each other.

In short, you believe a good feast is a fun feast, a full feast—which makes for a fast, fatiguing feast.

The solution

Be honest: How many of you pray at the feast? I don’t mean just bowing your head after announcements while a deacon asks God through a microphone to “inspire the speaking and the hearing.” I mean deep, silent, personal, meditative prayer to get in tune with God’s will for your life.

I hope your experience is different, but when I attended COG FOTs, it never occurred to me to pray with any depth. Instead, after a full day of fun and noisy activity, I’d offer up a late check-in prayer at night as I drifted to sleep.

Years after my separation from COG culture, however, I began making “silent retreats.” They usually take place over a long weekend (maybe three days) with other men who come for the same purpose.

At the peaceful, scenic retreat house, we are all provided our own simple living quarters (no TVs, no telephones, no Bluetooth speakers, no wet bars).

We wake up early and spend each day not bombarded with sound system checks or engaged in chit-chat, but in complete silence. (Sometimes we all forget what that sounds like.) Usually, there are a few scheduled spiritual talks given by the retreat master, offering reflections on Christian teaching. Attendance at the talks is not compulsory but is usually helpful. If tired, naps are encouraged. The rest of the day is reserved for private prayer and meditation in solitude.

This can take the form of praying during an outdoor walk by oneself. It could be going to the library to prayerfully read the Scriptures, or to read books about the lives of heroic Christians who lived before us. It could be seeing Jesus eye to eye in prayer, examining our own life in light of the gospel.

We’re called to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect — how do we measure up? Where have we made the most progress, and where have we made the least? What’s our game plan?

We must honestly assess where we stand, realizing full well that God is never angry with our failures, but is always calling us deeper into the life of Christ, wooing us to come closer to him. While he is not indifferent to sin, he is patient with us. He is doing a work in us, and we have to let him. We remember the love with which he searches for and embraces his prodigal children.

The difference

It took no time at all to see how my annual silent retreats compared to the annual Feast of Tabernacles I grew up with.

With FOTs, time flew because I was having fun, and I hated going home because that was not as fun. I’d have to wait another year to hang out with my new friends at the pool party or arcade. It was a downer. Back to the daily grind, back to the salt mine.

But my silent retreats—I hardly mind when they’re over, because I’m rejuvenated. Having put aside for a time the daily cares of the world in order to refocus my spiritual life, I actually look forward to going home and living a rededicated Christian life. Refreshed rather than run down, I’m up for the challenge. I feel better equipped to live out my calling in Jesus.

My advice to feastgoers

My purpose here is not to dissuade you from observing the holy days of Leviticus. That can wait for another post. Instead, for now, I encourage you to observe the fall feast with spiritual intensity, and not as if it were “God’s Vacation Plan.”

Decide your priority ahead of time. Refuse the pizza parties, the volleyball games, the socials, the family fun shows, the singalongs—all the noisy distractions. “Just say no.”

In a word, you must get away and pray. Be still in your soul. Listen to the still, small voice of God in your heart, because prayer is never a one-way conversation.

You already took more than a week off from work and school, so use that time wisely. Take walks on the beach by yourself, accompanied only by the seagulls. As massive and powerful as the ocean is, teeming with life, see it as a metaphor for God’s power and might. As one created out of nothing, meditate on your life’s direction and purpose. Slow down to read and ponder the Scriptures—not just Leviticus 23, but also the Gospels, which reveal how Jesus fulfills all that the Scriptures foretold through its historical shadows and figures. He should be at the heart of every prayer.

It’s not going on a fall vacation that God honors, but a humble and contrite heart.

If you commit to seeking God’s face and his will for your life, taking time to silence the noise of distraction that surrounds you, and being persistent in prayer, then who am I to judge you? I have complete faith that he will lead your next steps.

But it will be up to you to follow.

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The COG Catholic currently blogs at https://write.as/thecogcatholic.