INTRODUCTION'
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Why is a book on the subject of “That Prophet” specifically, and prophets in general, necessary? For this reason: The Restored Church of God (RCG) is committed to creating every tool necessary to help those who desire to be faithful brethren—no matter their current splinter—know what the Bible instructs as events following the apostasy continue to develop. Many of God’s people are still resolved to fully obey God but need help to do this. This volume provides crucial assistance to those who joined one particular group—the Philadelphia Church of God (PCG)—the organization that formed first after the apostasy!
But it also offers vital instruction to everyone who has been in any of the offshoots of the Worldwide Church of God (WCG).
A certain very ominous and loud alarm bell has tolled throughout the splinters and slivers! A new and truly grave danger has come to face all of God’s people, and I had to decide whether or not to “answer the bell” that it represented. While helpful to everyone, this book is primarily directed to those who followed the first leader, Gerald Flurry, who left the WCG and formed PCG—but, secondarily, also to any who is tempted to follow one claiming to be a prophet. Regardless of this man’s original plans, both his intentions and the titles that he now claims changed in an appalling way. This is our attempt to help thousands who are languishing there know whoand what they follow. We cannot ignore the plight of so many following either this man or others like him. (The first section, now longer and with chapters, once appeared as the booklet Is “That Prophet” Alive Today?)
The increasing danger of false prophets and the proliferation of their foolish ideas (in the name of “understanding prophecy”) among God’s people has grown so great that another, separate article had to be written later just to address what more and more of God’s people are now encountering.
At the same time, another need arose for other articles to be added to our original booklet, written in early 2000. That early booklet was almost entirely about this subject. But over time there were other related issues that presented themselves, which had arisen because of the many reported experiences of those in the first splinter. The PCG represented a unique situation—one that was entirely unlike the problems that were being faced by God’s people in all of the other splinters. It became obvious that additional assistance in sorting through a variety of other problems was necessary for those who had gone with this early organization. This meant that our initial booklet about “That Prophet” had to be expanded into a full book, covering all of the necessary information to help people escape the clutches of that organization.
In addition, a variety of related questions arose about the Two Witnesses. These needed to be answered against this background.
In the summer of 2003, because of the above-described spread of false prophets, I wrote the article “Matthew 24 ALL – The Rise of False Prophets.” It was initially placed in our book Surviving “Perilous Times”,” which had also been published at that time. We have added that article to this book as Section II.
Almost none of God’s people ever took the time or had an interest in studying what God says about prophets—true and false. Similarly, very few even knew that Mr. Armstrong said or taught anything about them, including how to recognize true and false prophets, the function and purpose of God’s prophets, when there is and is not a need for a prophet or prophets to arise and how prophets interface and work with apostles. Virtually no one knows that Mr. Armstrong had anything to say about “That Prophet.” Yet, both he and other ministers in the Church did address this subject in a number of publications. But no one had ever assembled this material.
The problem grows much greater when one considers that most throughout the ministry within the splinters are in almost the same condition as the laymembers. They also know almost nothing about the subject of the biblical office of prophet. Their ignorance is truly a tragic state of affairs—and it has directly contributed to the rise of false prophets in this age. If they had better done their homework—and fulfilled their responsibility to teach God’s people about true prophets and to warn them about false prophets—this book might not have been necessary. This ignorance is perhaps the very biggest reason that some former ministers have become confused, thinking that they hold the office of prophet today. (One former Church Pastor, Ron Weinland, has come to believe himself to be one of the Two Witnesses, and, incredibly, claims his wife is the other. The material you will read would have protected this man from such foolish presumptuousness.)
It is my hope that many ministers, elders and deacons—leaders!—will also read this vital book, and will act on it, which means sharing the truth that it contains with others! Of course, such courage could come at some price for those who do.
Section III comes directly off the previous section. Titled “Who Are the ‘Sheep’ of Ezekiel 34 ALL?”, this was also originally an article in Surviving “Perilous Times.” Written in 2003, it followed the “Matthew 24 ALL” article in that book because it is a classic example of how people mangle fundamental prophecies, as Section II describes. It also reflects a prevalent mindset among many who no longer follow the one claiming to be That Prophet. This is because the abuse they received in his organization led them to misunderstand the correct application of Ezekiel 34 ALL. This will be made clear. By no means, however, are all those who subscribed to the thinking addressed in Section III former members of PCG. Many now use this chapter to justify the decision to never again come under ministerial authority.
Now for some important background explaining Section IV. At the end of 2000, I produced a list of almost 200 doctrinal changes that were occurring within the splinters. Most brethren there had come to believe that all the doctrinal errors had been left behind in the WCG. Of course, this was far from true. Old Protestant teachings were exported out of the WCG and into the splinters, and new false doctrines and ideas have been born in the splinters, under the banner of “growth.”
The new list of false teachings in the splinters appeared as part of an article titled “Endless False Doctrines—How Most Are Still Being Fooled!” A large portion of that list had to do with the false biblical understanding and the false prophecies that the leader of the PCG was preaching and publishing. The list we prepared was by no means a complete list of all the errors of that organization. That would not be possible. It would probably not be possible to come close. However, Section IV is a list of 78 errors the leader of PCG has spread. (We also decided to let the list of errors remain in that article within Surviving “Perilous Times” so that the longer list could remain intact, and still reveal the big picture of what is happening outside the Philadelphia remnant. It was important that brethren throughout the splinters understand that the spread of false doctrine was occurring in all the groups that had formed in the breakup of the WCG.)
Finally, after working with literally hundreds of God’s people who had escaped the Philadelphia Church of God, there came a point at which it was obvious that we needed to help these brethren in a special way. Many of these people had been terribly abused in an appalling fashion that others have not experienced, but can benefit from understanding. They had also been indoctrinated into a way of thinking that is almost impossible to comprehend for those who have not been in that organization. Working with them became its own education. While some recovered fairly easily, others struggled in ways they could not always understand.
Over time, it became clear that there were certain unique problems that they were wrestling with, that were completely unlike anything I was seeing in people coming from any of the other groups. A pattern presented itself. I also found that many of them were truly wonderful, zealous people, completely unlike their leaders, and unlike what many in the other groups had presumed them to be.
In the fall of 2004, I asked a group of former PCG leaders, who had come with RCG, to write an article for those who had shared their experience and who had also come with RCG. These men very carefully compared notes, obtained counsel from others, and produced an extensive article outlining the critical issues with which PCG and former PCG brethren were wrestling. Several men in our Church Administration Department and I then added a number of elements to this article from our own experiences. Originally published in our Pillar magazine, produced for all the members of RCG, this article now appears as Section V here.
Many who never joined or attended the Philadelphia Church of God will be tempted to not take the time to read this book. They will feel that it “does not apply” to them. For a variety of reasons, dismissing it would be a tremendous mistake! Everyone can learn from what is happening in that organization—and in the tiny “slivers” that have emerged from their parent “splinter.” The Philadelphia Church of God stands as a testimony to the great power, influence and truly grave danger presented by false prophets. I urge everyone who has the Spirit of God to thoroughly study this material until you have a true sense of that danger and fully comprehend what it means to God’s people at the end of the age! Other similar organizations are forming, and seducing ever more of God’s people.
Recognize that this book is not an attempt to single out the Philadelphia Church of God for special attention. Unique problems exist in virtually all of the organizations that emerged from the Worldwide Church of God. Within reason, we have attempted to also identify problems specific to each of them. I have a God-ordained duty to explain the false doctrine, division, confusion, hatred and other generally deplorable conditions foundthroughout the many groups of the seventh era. The reader must come to see that these problems all have to do with the fact that every one of these splinters is outside the Body of Christ—the one, unified organization where the living Jesus Christ is the Head and is leading and working. Our book The True Church – One Organization, or Many? covers this subject in detail.
My responsibility to warn the nations of modern Israel and to warn and teach God’s people is thoroughly explained in the two-part sermon “Watchman to Israel—Messenger to Laodicea!” Every member of everysplinter should make time to hear this most important sermon!
Finally, recognize that some few points, as well as references to other parts of the Splinter Explanation Packet, overlap or essentially repeat themselves in the book because they fit the context of sections that were not always under one cover.
You are urged to pay very close attention to the lessons and instruction contained throughout.
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