News and Announcements

HAGGAI—A Prophecy for OUR TIME! (Part 3)

By David C. Pack

NOTICE: This is the FOURTEENTH in a series of special weekly announcements that appear every Friday. They collectively unveil the massive, ongoing expansion that God’s Church, Work and Headquarters are experiencing. There is a reason for this expansion! The reader should contrast these Friday announcements to the increasing bad news and bad events in UCG, LCG, PCG, COGwa and ALL splinters and slivers of the Worldwide Church of God. You must see what they are NOT announcing, and why they never will—and what GOD is bringing upon them. The place to start reading is either the fifth announcement—“God’s People Back Together—SOON!”—or the first one to catch up on all you have missed. If you begin with the fifth announcement, then read those before and after it. They are all important. An enormous and detailed prophecy is now being carried out by God. He is preparing events to soon bring His people back together—all of them. It is not my task to convince you the prophecy is true. God will do that! My job is to systematically lay out the specifics of what will happen and WHY—good and bad, pleasant and unpleasant. YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS A SINGLE WEEK! If you do, CATCH UP. Also, you will miss the full impact if you skip sections of these announcements.

Before returning to Haggai (Part Three), two important announcements can be made official. They involve the second and third buildings of our new Headquarters campus, both previously introduced. Construction is now tentatively scheduled to begin on our Mail Processing Center in mid-June. This two-story 12,000-square-foot building will house the Church’s mailing and in-house print operations, as well as the Landscaping and Construction Departments. And construction will now begin on our Media Center in mid-July. Over 4,000-square-feet in size, this one-and-a-half-story building will be a truly state-of-the-art facility. It will contain three studios of different sizes, as well as our growing Media Production Services Department (already six full-time people, with others on the way in September). We are currently finalizing construction documents.

Also, we officially moved into the new Hall of Administration building on Monday and everything went extremely well. Incredibly, God’s Work was only “down” for one business day. The building has already turned out to be much more beautiful—and functional—than anyone anticipated. We are still receiving furniture, hanging pictures, finishing certain “touches” here and there—and of course unpacking. The thought that three buildings will be in place and complete before Thanksgiving on a magnificent campus has all of us inspired beyond words. Perhaps also before Thanksgiving we could be announcing a beautiful fourth building—the Student Center.

Part Two of this series covered Haggai chapter one. This includes the meaning of the “houses,” the people who occupy them, as well as the ongoing process of punishment that God is bringing to those He calls “this people.” If you have not yet read Part One and Part Two, stop and read them first. Otherwise, this article will make no sense to you. The first two parts provide crucial context for all that we will see in Haggai 2. We learned that, cut off from Christ, organizations outside God’s ONE Church are doing works amounting to almost nothing, and what little they are doing God declares that He is “blowing away.” (Part Two carried a policy statement to all ministers that is repeated at the end of this announcement.) But there is more to understand about chapter one before examining chapter two. We pick up repeating Haggai 1:12:

“Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with ALL the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the Lord.”

First recall that verses 12 and 14 both use the term “ALL” to describe the remnant returning to work in God’s House. As with some instructions recorded multiple times in the Proverbs and elsewhere, God occasionally repeats a word or phrase to bring stronger emphasis to His message. Understand God’s intended meaning in the word “all.” The Hebrew word means “whole…all, any or every…altogether…whatsoever.” Take this word for exactly what it means. A loving God is bringing “all”—ALL!—of His people (everyone who has the Spirit of God) back to His Church. Other Scriptures (to be seen later) make plain that every true Christian around the world who does not take action—at a certain crucial moment evidenced in verse 12—will lose God’s Spirit. (My article on this subject—“God’s People Back Together—SOON!”—provides more proof of this.) Think of it this way. There will not be any remnant of the remnant! Those who do not come, have ended their relationship with God. Other passages outside Haggai make this PLAIN. For now, just know that God is unmistakably clear that this is what happens to such people. In weeks to come, this moment of decision will be more fully explained. We saw that the people are waiting for reunification, but mistakenly believe it is not yet time. When God provides a clear opportunity, He expects His people to ACT—and quickly! I repeat: those who do not—whether laymember or minister, rich or poor, young or old—will LOSE GOD’S SPIRIT!

Another point from verse 12 becomes absolutely critical to examine—and understand. Since Haggai says that the remnant “OBEYED the voice of the Lord their God,” it becomes obvious that previously “this people” had been DISobeying God. Otherwise, why this statement by God? But what were they disobeying? Here is a partial list: They rejected God’s command to be part of His one Church, which then automatically put them in disobedience to His one government. Third would be that they were not doing His Work (explained momentarily). They were also (unwittingly) stealing God’s tithes and giving them to His enemies. In addition, these enemies were teaching a wide range of other “damnable heresies” that caused God’s “truth” to be “evil spoken of” (II Pet. 2:1-2). Acceptance or tolerance of these many false beliefs had put the remnant in a further state of very REAL DISOBEDIENCE. How so?

“Obeying the Truth”

Even those who are newly converted understand that Christians obey God. They know that they must obey the Ten Commandments and other of His laws. But there is a related vital element of obedience that almost no one considers—and it has application to Haggai’s prophecy. Most of God’s ministers have been derelict in teaching this closely related Bible principle.

In numerous verses, God specifically commands His true followers to also “obey the truth.” Most generally think of God’s many truths as things to be believed—or understood—not as things that must be obeyed. Has this not generally been your thinking? In fact, how often have you heard Bible doctrines described in this context? For instance, the apostle Paul told the Romans that some had not “obeyed the gospel” (10:16). Have you not generally seen the gospel as something to believe rather than obey?

Here is what the apostle Peter wrote, and it introduces how obedience to truth is tied to conversion. Read carefully: “Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren…” (I Pet. 1:22). The Greek word for obey carries the additional meaning of “attentive hearkening [listening],” “compliance” and “submission.” This is strong.

Further, obedience to points of truth is seen in this passage to be inseparable from three things: (1) the purity of one’s conversion, (2) the role of God’s Spirit—the “Spirit of truth” (John 14:17; 15:26)—actively assisting in obedience to true doctrine and (3) how one genuinely loves the brethren. The last point becomes very difficult (in fact, impossible) when most of one’s brethren are scattered throughout other competing, disagreeing organizations where he can never see or know them. This verse cannot be read any other way.

But the subject grows much more serious.

Next notice what Paul wrote to the Galatians: “O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ has been evidently set forth…?” (3:1). The Galatians had become confused and foolish, allowing themselves to be tricked—“bewitched”—into believing something other than the truth. The Galatian congregations had lost sight of the true gospel and fallen under a curse (1:6-9).

Paul later summarized what happened: “You did run well; who did hinder you [Greek: “beat back”] that you should not obey the truth?” (5:7). This latter verse describes the problem with the splinters today. Now think. Scores of thousands of God’s people once understood exactly what was the Church that Jesus built. For decades they “ran well.” But today, having themselves grown foolish, they have also been “bewitched” and “beaten back”—now having become disobedient in belief, thinking they can now reside in many “churches,” as long as they call them “branches” of the true Church.

This sets up a final passage that puts the gravity of the matter into its fullest context—that of how GOD sees disobedience to truth.

Paul also wrote to the Romans about some who were “contentious,” who wanted to argue about established truth: “But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, [comes] indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that does evil” (2:8-9).

God views those who will not hold to the truth—will not obey it—as obeying unrighteousness! Beginning Bible students learn that “All unrighteousness is sin” (I John 5:17).

How many of God’s people even REMEMBER this passage, let alone all the others cited?

Disbelief of truth is now seen to be SIN! We could ask: How much worse is the sin of rejecting truths that stand among the greatest in all of God’s Word? The close of Romans 2:8-9 brings this subject into perspective. It speaks of God’s “indignation” and “wrath”—and of the “tribulation” and “anguish” He has prepared for those (“every soul”) who commit what He calls the “evil” of DISOBEYING TRUTH.

May this reality guide your thinking as you continue to read!

One More BIG Related Point

Before leaving the subject of obedience, it is more than interesting that Haggai’s prophecy specifically states that the remnant also “OBEYED…the words of Haggai the prophet,” which is of course its own part of the Word of God. First, God gives special—double—emphasis to the importance of obedience to what He expects. But this phrase also reinforces the understanding that not every form of obedience to God directly involves the Ten Commandments, or even other basic commands outside the Ten. In light of the last subhead, understand that God expects you to OBEY Haggai’s prophecy either NOW, for those who fully understand its implications, but no later than the moment described in verse 12 when it arrives. In effect, God twice tells you in this prophecy we had all better obey Him. This paragraph underscores the need to have Haggai’s prophecy carefully explained as I am doing. People cannot obey what they do not know or understand. Turn and reread Haggai 1:12. Notice that the people obey Haggai “as the Lord their God had sent him.” Grasp this. God “sent” Haggai with a truly unique prophecy—we might say one with special intent. The people are described as “obeying” that intent. This is the sole purpose for this prophet with such a small book bringing such a BIG MESSAGE.

Now a crucial related point.

Realize that something caused the remnant to FEAR—“and the people did fear before the Lord” (vs. 12). This is on top of obeying Him. Fear is invariably a reaction to something that happens. Whatever took place was so powerful it brought obedience in a single day. There is no hesitation described. As I have mentioned in previous announcements, a final culminating event wakes up “this people” and causes them to MOVE en masse, no matter the “house” (church) of which they were a part.

Adding More to Part Two

Let’s again read verses 13-15: “Then spoke Haggai the Lord’s messenger in the Lord’s message unto the people, saying, I am with you, says the Lord. And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of ALL the remnant of the people; and THEY CAME and DID WORK in the House of the Lord of hosts [God’s one Church], their God, in the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.”

Think. The remnant is described as coming to work in an existing House of God. It does not say they came to build the House. This is what the ancient Jews in Ezra’s account did! Ezra details the Jews building Zerubbabel’s temple (the second temple), where there was not yet even a foundation in place. They came together to build from the ground up a completely destroyed temple. The more than casual reader will want to read the book of Ezra to understand this. This becomes yet another proof that Haggai describes PROPHECY, not history. The remnant arrives to work in a structure already built, but in a comparatively smaller, and somewhat neglected, condition. The Church that Jesus Christ built in AD 31 does still exist, and it is readying for the return of God’s people. While God says His House “lies waste” in verse 4, He makes plain that this does not mean non-existent because, again, the remnant comes to work IN it. See the difference.

Also, do not fall into the idea that this people is working inside a literal building that is separate from where they live. This is not describing people who work “in” a factory for eight hours and then go home each night before coming back the next day to again work “in” the factory. Christians ARE God’s House. Christians are either inside or outside it 24 hours a day! God’s Church is not something we leave and enter on a daily basis as with a physical House of God in Old Testament times.

Consider further from Part One. The “remnant” also could not possibly be referring to Jews in modern Israel. First, there is no physical temple on Earth today. Then try to imagine a large number arriving to work in it in one day. Besides having no existing temple to work IN, why would many Jews suddenly come? Also, modern Jews as a whole were never in the Worldwide Church of God (WCG), thus would not fit the description of being a “remnant.”

Next notice again (from Part Two) that Haggai 1:15 describes this event as happening “in the second year of Darius the king.” For those who believe these dates pertain to the Persian King Darius (who lived over 2,500 years ago), remember the modern Zerubbabel is also described as the “son of Shealtiel” and Joshua as the “son of Josedech.” The modern types of these two men are obviously NOT sons of these two fathers of long ago, yet this is what the Bible says. The Bible is speaking in code about what are two modern leaders. Mr. Armstrong certainly knew that the ancient Zerubbabel having been born to a man named Shealtiel had nothing to do with the prophetic fulfillment of this role. The same would be true of whoever is the modern Joshua regarding the irrelevancy of the ancient figure Josedech.

Similarly, the description of the YEAR of fulfillment must also be in code. If God specified the exact year He had in mind, the entire world would know when the prophecy would be fulfilled. Get this! Now think. God does not name in the Bible (or need to) the modern Elijah of Malachi 4:5-6 and Matthew 17:11 because His Spirit will guide those who are looking to Him to see who fulfilled this role. Fruits, as well as who fit the profile, reveal that man’s identity (Herbert W. Armstrong). Similarly, to believe the prophecy is fulfilled during the reign of Darius would mean Haggai is an historical account, and not PROPHETIC. The thoughtful reader will understand this “message in code” and absorb it into his thinking in readiness for what God will do.

Chapter Two

With this background, we now begin examination of Haggai 2.

Verses 1-2: “In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the Lord by the prophet Haggai, saying, Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and to the residue of the people, saying…”

The next phase of this prophecy is described as taking place 26 days later—on what is the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles (not the Last Great Day). Do not miss the shift forward in timing, and recall that Haggai means “My [God’s] Feast.” Think of this short book as containing a “Feast related” prophecy, but especially in regard to the second chapter. This is one great reason proving the people all return to God’s Church on the 24^th day of the sixth month (Elul) of God’s sacred year! (There are other reasons that will be explored later.)

Also note that instead of God solely addressing Zerubbabel and Joshua, He includes the “residue of the people.” (“Residue” is the same Hebrew word as “remnant.”) God now speaks directly to the remnant since all of God’s people are back together, and have been for almost four weeks. As the whole Church is galvanized back into one after a period of separation for decades, certain critical messages must be heard at the Feast. Verse three becomes what should be considered as a summary of God’s instruction to the regathered remnant. (Think of it as a sermon outline for God’s ministers.) God next asks a crucial question that becomes another proof of who the chapter one “houses” are, and how they came out of something much bigger.

2:3: “Who is left among you that saw this House in her first glory? And how do you see it now? Is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?”

First remember that this cannot be describing the temple that the Jews worked on 2,500 years ago. The context reveals that God is addressing those who previously saw the Worldwide Church of God at its peak. One of the first questions for the remnant is: How many remember God’s House—His Church—as it used to be—in “her first glory”? The Hebrew for “first” can also mean “former, of old time, past.” We might ask: How many brethren today remember the size and “grandeur” of the Church that existed, and the mighty Work that was done, under Herbert W. Armstrong? How many remember the way God’s Church was structured, and the wonderful unity that existed within it? God is telling the remnant to bring the past back to mind, and to consider the state of His House (the Church) today.

Another important point. God does NOT say His House/Church is completely gone, but rather it is “AS nothing”—that it looks tiny “in comparison” to how it looked during the Philadelphian era. Almost 152,000 people attended the Worldwide Church of God Feast of Tabernacles in 1990 (how many others did not attend?)—the Church’s zenith in attendance. Today, God’s Church consists of only a few thousand. The remnant will no doubt multiply this number many times over. But, because the remnant is but a remnant, it obviously does not mean the Church returns to being over 150,000. Thus, this unified group of faithful brethren is given special encouragement in the next verse.

2:4: “Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land, says the Lord, and WORK: for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts.”

God’s people are told to be “strong” and for a SECOND TIME God reminds them, “I am with you.” The context of God’s emphasis is on DOING THE WORK! The Hebrew word for “strong” is a tremendously powerful word, and should be read several times to understand what God intends His people to begin focusing on now that they are no longer wasting time and energy “running” back and forth among their own divided “houses.” Strong means “to fasten upon, to seize…be strong, courageous, help, repair, be obstinate, conquer, be of good courage, be established, fortify, make hard, harden, hold fast, play the man.” The remnant is instructed to be “courageous” and “play the man”—be STRONG!—to help accomplish God’s Work in the difficult final run-up period preceding Christ’s Return. And to realize they are not alone.

The different Hebrew words for “labor” and “work” used throughout Haggai also bring critical meaning. There are four, and they are all different. (This is one reason the reader cannot speed through Haggai—a book rich in meaning below the surface.) The first of the four words appears in 1:11, where God calls for desolation upon the “labor of the hands,” among other categories described in Part Two. This word means “toil…a work, produce, property (as the result of labor).” This is not just talking about menial labor, but the “result” or “produce” of that labor. God desolates their efforts during His punishment.

The second of the related words is in 1:14 (turn there). It describes the work that the remnant does after returning to God’s House. The Hebrew can also mean “deputyship…ministry; generally employment…or work…business…occupation…” The remnant returns to the true Work of God, with an added implication of formerly disaffected ministry being involved.

The third word for “work” is in 2:4 (in all caps above) and has by far the most powerful meaning of the four. As you read its definition, think in terms of God’s Work: “To do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application: accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, bear, bring forth, be busy, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), execute, finish, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, be industrious, keep, labor, maintain, make, be meet, be occupied, bring (come) to pass, perform, practice, prepare, sacrifice, serve, be warrior, work (-man).” This truly remarkable word carries awesome meaning for every member of God’s Church who is determined to come and complete the greatest Work the world has ever seen! The fourth word will be seen momentarily.

2:5: “According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you: fear you not.”

Verse 5 adds more encouragement to the remnant, and becomes further proof that this is a group of true Christians with God’s Spirit. The ancient Jews returning from captivity did not have God’s Spirit. This passage destroys any lingering idea that this prophecy is describing “ancient Jews” (or modern Jews?!). These are people who already have God’s Spirit—“so My Spirit REMAINS among you.” Therefore, it cannot even be referring to people who are in some way coming to conversion, never mind those who are outright unconverted. Let’s speak plainly. “This people” have God’s Spirit—and are a “remnant” (remember the Hebrew means “holdover” or “surviving portion”) of many others who were once in God’s House.

God is also telling His people not to fear. This is similar to what Christ said in Luke 12:32: “Fear not, little flock.” A loving, gracious and merciful God knows He must provide tremendous encouragement and support to a group of people who just experienced the horrific desolation outlined in Haggai 1, but also the culminating event, which will have a great “shocking effect” on ALL who witness it.

In weeks to come, it will also become clear why God specially emphasizes that His “covenant” will continue with this people. For now, understand that the passage is written in code as though it applies to those who kept the Old Covenant (“came out of Egypt”)—but remember that ancient Israelites were NOT given the Holy Spirit. You have already seen MANY reasons this prophecy has to be talking about converted people in God’s spiritual House at the end of the age. In fact, the very next verses in context drive this point home—makes it impossible to misunderstand.

2:6-7: “For thus says the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the Desire of all nations shall come [referring to Jesus Christ’s Return]: and I will fill this House with glory, says the Lord of hosts.”

The period described is obviously the Day of the Lord—when heaven and earth will be shaken, alongside all nations of Earth! This obviously is the time just before the Return of Jesus Christ, Who will be coming to His ONE House. This is why you better get over the idea that God’s people can be in MANY houses. Christ is not only returning to His one House, but He will be coming back to a House currently being neglected because, no matter their feelings or what leaders tell them, most today are OUTSIDE that House. Remember the preceding verses are recorded as being spoken on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles. We might say, of course they are. Look at the Feast-related subject. The prophecy jumps forward a few years in time, speaking of earthquakes and the heavenly signs described in Revelation, because it is being said at the Feast of Tabernacles. I repeat: This cannot be a historical account, and you have just seen more proof. Haggai’s book is PROPHECY—no wonder it includes people who were away from God and His House for decades being refreshed on what that House is ultimately for—the place to which Jesus Christ returns! Verse 7 refers to Him returning to “fill God’s House with GLORY.” The rebellious, divided, disagreeing, competing, heresy-infested splinters of today—far from glorious—are also far from being ready to receive CHRIST’S glory.

2:8: “The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, says the Lord of hosts.”

The Hebrew for “silver” by implication means “money.” “Gold” can also mean “precious metal.” This is an important message to God’s servants carrying out His end-time Work. God is saying that He controls (owns) vast financial resources and can provide them for His Work. In fact, He will do this in part simply because all of God’s tithes and offerings are going to one place. God is saying that He is going to redirect funds that are currently being stolen by leaders who will soon be removed from office. God will take care of the needs of His Church. Also realize that this message is to the remnant. Caught up much more deeply in the world, and in the everyday coveting going on there, they must be reminded that everything on Earth belongs to God. They must return to sacrificing for His Work as we all once did under Mr. Armstrong’s leadership.

2:9: “The glory of this latter House [obviously referring to God’s Church] shall be greater than of the former, says the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, says the Lord of hosts.”

This verse describes God’s Church far exceeding any previous physical temple, including Zerubbabel’s, which was finished in 515 BC. One last time: This becomes the single greatest proof—and Mr. Armstrong well understood this (you read his quotes)—that Haggai is a prophecy about the Church of God being ready for Christ’s Return at the end of the age. For a short time, now just ahead, enemies of God’s House (His Church) will be silenced. This respite given to the Church will be necessary to complete the great “short Work” (Rom. 9:28) of “prophesying again” (Rev. 10:11) foretold to occur at the end of the age. Besides the peace that God will give to His regathered Church, the passage also references the place where the greatest peace of all will originate—the kind that all nations long for—WORLD PEACE!

180-Degree Turn

Those coming to understand the truth of this prophecy are facing or likely will face a growing level of persecution. An analogy is helpful here. This persecution could now be seen as wind in your face. It will grow louder and may blow harder until it almost feels violent. But realize that it will be SHORTLIVED. The wind will suddenly turn 180 degrees and be at your back. It will be a wind that helps push the ENTIRE CHURCH forward to finish God’s Work—when everyone is working together in the Temple. Patiently endure! Do not worry about who else agrees with you. Many more soon will.

Also, be careful of saying, “I want all of us back together,” but then blow your opportunity when God provides the path. Recognize that Satan will do everything in his power to overthrow your understanding of Haggai. The devil can never defeat God, but he can defeat individuals who permit him. Do not be among them!

Finally, explained briefly in a previous part, recognize that God would necessarily have to send a man to explain the things of Haggai. Who else is even attempting this—any of it? Can you name even one person? SOMEONE had to do it. And God would not choose—or ever use—a man who appointed himself.

Make yourself focus on, digest and COME TO GRIPS with the prophecies in Haggai. Examine—and prosecute—any resistant thinking! Do not be slipshod in matters of such colossal importance to YOU!

There are more verses to understand in Haggai 2. Directed to today’s ministry, but also related to the brethren, they will be covered in Part Four.

HAGGAI—A Prophecy for OUR TIME! (Part 2)

By David C. Pack

NOTICE: This is the THIRTEENTH in a series of special weekly announcements that appear every Friday. There is one that follows it. They collectively unveil the massive, ongoing expansion that God’s Church, Work and Headquarters are experiencing. There is a reason for this expansion! The reader should contrast these Friday announcements to the increasing bad news and bad events in UCG, LCG, PCG, COGwa and ALL splinters and slivers of the Worldwide Church of God. You must see what they are NOT announcing, and why they never will—and what GOD is bringing upon them. The place to start reading is either the fifth announcement—“God’s People Back Together—SOON!”—or the first one to catch up on all you have missed. If you begin with the fifth announcement, then read those before and after it. They are all important. An enormous and detailed prophecy is now being carried out by God. He is preparing events to soon bring His people back together—all of them. It is not my task to convince you the prophecy is true. God will do that! My job is to systematically lay out the specifics of what will happen and WHY—good and bad, pleasant and unpleasant. YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS A SINGLE WEEK! If you do, CATCH UP. Also, you will miss the full impact if you skip sections of these announcements.

Read to the conclusion, especially if you are a MINISTER. A policy statement appears that you will want to know.

This is Part Two in a series of articles announcing an awesome prophecy in Haggai about all of God’s people coming back together. Last Friday’s announcement (the twelfth one) laid the groundwork. We saw Mr. Armstrong taught that Haggai and Zechariah were prophecies for God’s people alive in the end time. Historical background, general principles about understanding prophecy and the biblical definition of God’s House were explained, along with the first two verses of Haggai. With only the foundation laid, we have just begun what there is to learn. Part Two is not the place to begin.

The task from this point on is not to include much detail by examining every Hebrew word, which certainly could be done. There is a great deal of backup material that proves the brief summary points included here. Some concise proof is included so the reader sees that comments are not mere assertions based on my or anyone else’s opinion.

As we go verse by verse through Haggai remember that every verse is prophetic. You should be able to easily see this. Recall that prophecies usually include symbols and GOD must always interpret them. Haggai is filled with symbols. This means remembering one of the greatest rules of Bible study is that the Bible interprets itself. I nor any other man have authority to “interpret” the meaning of a symbol God uses. He must do this through His Word.

One more short quote from Mr. Armstrong (there were three others in Part One) sets the stage for what we will cover. It comes from his 1978 Opening Night Feast message titled “Zerubbabel’s Temple” (CAPS reflect his delivery—italics are mine):

“Now these books in the Old Testament are not so called ‘Old Testament stuff.’ They were written for us. I’m going now to the book of Haggai. What I just read was in the last book in the Old Testament, in Malachi. But, these books were written at a time when BOTH Israel and Judah were IN CAPTIVITY. And the only people at Jerusalem was that small contingent, comparatively small, of the Jews who had been sent back 70 years after the destruction of the Temple (which means about, let me see, that would be right around 475 BC) to build the second Temple…As it starts out, you may think this is just some old history. Oh, no, it isn’t. This is a prophecy for NOW. So, let’s listen.

“‘In the second year…’ [Haggai 1:1]. This is Haggai—just about the second or third to the last book in the Old Testament.

“‘In the second year of Darius the king [and this was the Persian, Medo-Persian Empire now], in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the [Eternal] by Haggai, the prophet, unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel [now Zerubbabel is the governor of Judah.]…and to Joshua [who is the high priest] the son of Josedech…saying, Thus speaketh the [Eternal] of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built’ [Haggai 1:1-2].

“You know, that’s a prophecy for today. And that’s what we’re saying today. And when you see what the Lord’s house is, you will see that what I’ve been saying to you up to now is absolutely true.”

Verse by Verse

Now begins verse by verse examination of the book. We pick up repeating Haggai 1:1-2, which opened with God describing a group of people—“this people”—who are detached from His “House.” Notice again:

“In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying, Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the Lord’s House should be built [repaired].”

This verse starts with “the Lord” speaking to Zerubbabel and Joshua. It is immediately necessary for a crucial inset. Like so many other teachings of God from Mr. Armstrong’s time, the truth of the identity of Zerubbabel (and Joshua) has come under attack. This must be briefly addressed.

Zechariah 4:9 states, “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this House; his hands shall also finish it [the foundation].” There are two elements to this verse: (1) Mr. Armstrong laid the foundation of God’s Church, meaning that the groundwork—the “restoring of all things” (Matt. 17:11)—was completed for the Temple (God’s Church) to be finished in our time. And (2) he established the standard (s) of God’s Church—the Philadelphian standard(s). If you reject Mr. Armstrong’s role as Zerubbabel, believing he got this wrong, many other BIG doctrines he taught (too many to name) fall apart like a house of cards. (I have explained this in many other places.)

Their former thinking now overthrown, recognize that many former Worldwide Church of God (WCG) brethren no longer believe Mr. Armstrong fulfilled the role of Zerubbabel—and many of these are adamant in their new position. These articles may or may not help such people. But we might ask: If Mr. Armstrong was wrong about this, who else could have been Zerubbabel? Who else finished laying the foundation of God’s House? You will see the prophecy plainly speaks about a man who did this.

Many of God’s people now regularly waste time reading what are no more than gossip columns (disguised as blogs) produced by laymembers whom God does not authorize to teach—anything! Proverbs warns, “An ungodly man digs up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire” (16:27), and such “columnists” almost invariably do plenty of digging up evil against Mr. Armstrong. As the Psalms direct, these rebellious “haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves to Him” (81:15), but instead they lampoon all forms of government, including most of all the government of God in His Church. These loathe the idea that Mr. Armstrong could have been ANYTHING special. They have NO IDEA what they are talking about when some claim that Zerubbabel is Christ, or others that Joshua is Christ. Imagine Christ inspiring the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to carry messages to Himself, or rather to both of “Himselves” since He might be both Joshua and Zerubbabel. Next imagine Christ telling Himself (twice) as He does in Haggai to “fear not” and to “be strong” and that “I am with you.” How would the God of the Old Testament be with Himself? Now imagine Christ saying He “stirred up the spirit” (Hag. 1:14) of Himself when speaking of doing this to either Zerubbabel or Joshua, or both. Further—and this is all plainly found in Zechariah 3—Joshua is: (1) seen standing with the Lord, (2) described as receiving Christ—“the Branch”—at His Return and (3) an angel duly charges (“protests” to) him about matters no angel would DARE say to Christ, who is God.

Understand. Certain biblical illiterates have spoken out, trying to quickly “answer the matter before they hear it” (Prov. 18:13), because they must influence you away from the coming explanation and facts in this series. They know that otherwise you will reject their silly ideas for what they are. From their perspective, this must not be allowed to happen. They must block correct thinking at all costs early on. Will you let ignorant laymembers or even ministers do this to YOUR thinking?

Why do so many brethren (and even ministers) who once knew better, including perhaps you, listen to these confused UNAUTHORIZED, government-of-God-hating false teachers? This will for some come at a terrible price. But it is not too late for you.

Now back to Haggai 1:1-2. God is delivering a prophetic message to Zerubbabel and Joshua, each in his own time. Again, God introduces a group called “this people” who are under the impression that they are not yet supposed to build the House of God, seen in Part One to be the Church of God (or Body of Christ). Their contention is that “the time is not come” to build or repair God’s House. Realize “this people”—we will see to be the great majority of GOD’S PEOPLE TODAY—are not saying they do not desire to build God’s House, but rather that the time for doing this is not yet come. See this. They have fallen into a series of wrong “ways” and wrong attitudes that block their thinking. (Competing false leaders over them have helped foster their wrong conclusion.) Near the article’s end we will revisit the identity of these people, and show who they cannot be. At this point they are someone, and they have to do with the Church of God. Mr. Armstrong’s four quotes (Part One and Two) make this much absolutely plain. Those who remember that God’s Church is also His “House” have another incontrovertible proof of this. For now, just think of “this people” as they are described—people in some way associated with God’s House—His Church—but who would rather spend time in their own houses (churches) instead of God’s House (Church). Let’s see.

Verses 3-4: “Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it time for you, O you, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this House [God’s Church] lie waste?”

God says this group dwells in paneled (the Hebrew meaning of “cieled”—think of wainscot in upscale homes, as one Bible commentary states) “houses.” (This certainly eliminates the ancient Jews, who will be addressed at the end of this Part Two.) This should automatically bring to mind the large organizations that formed after the apostasy, having come out of God’s House thinking they could form many houses and still all be part of the Body of Christ—part of God’s House (Church). How interesting that in regard to wealth these organizations have collectively taken in a great many hundreds of millions of dollars (perhaps up to one and a quarter BILLION dollars when totals are combined). Meanwhile, God says that His House lies “waste.” His Church still exists because Christ said it could never be destroyed (Matt. 16:18). But it has moved far from its previous glory. God later even says as much. “This people” seem to want to do some kind of Work, but are confused about where, what and how.

The next verses are powerfully instructive. God outlines what the people (including ministers) expected to accomplish through their works, followed with descriptions of how it always came to little or nothing.

Verses 5-7: “Now therefore thus says the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways. You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but you have not enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earns wages earns wages to put it into a bag with holes. Thus says the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.”

Read this passage a second time, more slowly. God TWICE tells the people to “Consider your ways.” Yet most brethren today are not even reading Haggai, and those few who are do not do so with much or any understanding. These articles are part of God telling YOU to consider your ways! God is reaching out to His people, explaining that, cut off from Him, their efforts have brought no real “yield.” Think of the splinters. After up to two decades, most of them are roughly the same size—or smaller. Their “works” are also roughly the same size—or smaller. Some much smaller! Phrase by phrase, God is telling His people in these other “houses” that what they are doing is not working. Their “earnings” go into “a bag with holes.” Keep asking as you read, and this could have begun at verse 2, who are these people that are associated with God’s House—who so perfectly fit the description of today’s many thousands in the big and small splinter houses that came out of the Worldwide Church of God? How could they be some other people doing something else, somewhere else? Make yourself come to grips with who (and what) God is describing. If you have an alternative, believing Mr. Armstrong misunderstood Haggai about it being for God’s Church today, why does your alternative better fit all that we have so far read, and will yet read? If you have, why have you accepted the teaching of those who reject so many other of Mr. Armstrong’s teachings?

Verse 8: “Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the House; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, says the Lord.”

This is further instruction—in fact a COMMAND!—to the people to get busy building (remember, the Hebrew can mean repairing) God’s Church, and that He will be glorified when they get busy and obey Him. By contrast, God is obviously not glorified when His people are divided throughout competing organizations, and when they are not helping “repair His (ONE) House.” The following verse grows more serious, revealing the result of the people’s stubbornness.

Verse 9: “You looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when you brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? says the Lord of hosts. Because of Mine House that is waste, and you run every man unto his own house.”

Again, this people and their leaders are seen to be producing almost no fruit. Their actions “came to little,” although they were expecting “much.” When they went to reap fruit of their labor, God declares that He “blew upon it,” meaning HE brought it to nothing. The margin adds “blew it away”—and the splinters’ efforts generally do look very much blown away. God’s plain reason for this: “you run every man unto his own house,” while His Church lies “waste.” Do not miss God’s meaning and how it applies to YOU and the group YOU attend! The Hebrew word for God’s “House” and the people’s “houses” is the same—bayith. There is a parallel in play. God has His Church and the people have their many churches. The context makes obvious that this is not speaking of individual people and their personal dwellings (their homes), but rather parallel “houses” occupying people in a way that puts them in contrast (and competition) with GOD’S House—that is NOT GETTING THE ATTENTION HE WANTS!

The people and ministers of these different organizations should have known that their efforts would come to nothing. Think. How often did these thousands of people sing the following hymn from the WCG Hymnal, “Except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it” (Psa. 127:1)? What other house than His own do you think God is talking about when He warns people not to build their houses? God is certainly not upset that people are building their individual dwellings. Again, Christ built His spiritual House—His Church (Matt. 16:18)—and men build their houses—their places of worship—their churches. God’s people were supposed to understand what the Baptists, Lutherans, Methodists and Catholics never understood. Like the Protestants, the splinters are building houses and doing works that are not blessed by God. Worse, God is actively BLOCKING their efforts—blowing them away!—in a fashion that He is not doing at this time with the churches of the world, with which He has never had ANY connection! Anyone who knows the barest basics of prophecy knows that the world’s churches and ministers are to be dealt with later.

Verse 10: “Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit.”

This verse describes God’s long ongoing punishment on His people due to their actions. How so? Dew is a biblical type of God’s blessings. (Read Psalm 133.) Dew is also related to water, which symbolizes God’s Holy Spirit (John 7:37). God is saying that He has removed His blessings from this group, including the outpouring of His Spirit. The Hebrew for “stayed” means “to restrict…hold back or…prohibit…forbid, keep (back), refrain, restrain…shut up, be stayed, withhold.” In summary, these organizations are cut off from God’s Spirit, and as a result produce no fruit—they are “stayed from fruit.” (For years, our annual “Fruits letters” have demonstrated the sharp contrast between God’s Church and the other groups.) Take time to read the context of the word “dew” in Psalm 133, but also these New Testament references—Gal. 5:22-23; Heb. 6:4-8; James 5:4-8—which explain God’s analogy of water bringing physical fruit from the earth and God’s Spirit bringing spiritual fruit in lives and organizations.

The next verse describes God intensifying—turning up the heat on—His punishment in the face of the group’s continuing resistance to returning to His Church. What He brings to bear is SERIOUS, and you must understand the process being described.

Verse 11: “And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground brings forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labor of the hands.”

This verse details what are seen to be categories of God’s punishment that are being intensified. First, the Hebrew for “drought” is more correctly translated “desolation.” Similar but different Hebrew words are typically used when drought or dearth is the intended meaning. Unable to understand prophecy, and in light of not understanding the symbolism of “dew” and “fruit” in Haggai 1:10, the King James translators thought maybe God’s carefully chosen word (choreb) had to do with some ancient drought in Israel. But the subject is desolation—or wasting—of the houses attended by “this people.” This verse reveals that God is bringing DESOLATION to them in seven separate areas. Each term has critical meaning. This is a loving God’s attempt to further WAKE THE PEOPLE AND MINISTERS UP, and what is happening in this process is thoroughly explained in my NINTH announcement, which described them as seven trends or conditions occurring in the splinters today.

Experienced, and even many inexperienced, Bible students would understand some of the verse 11 terms as they are found throughout the Bible. Each could be carefully explained in a way that would make this article too long. The land is simply the pastoral “field” that (from the time I was called 47 years ago, and before) has always been the term used to describe God’s Church around the world. It is the people—the landscape, if you will—of the Church. A mountain is a type of government throughout Scripture. Mr. Armstrong well knew this. Many paragraphs could be taken to prove it, but do your own research. “Mountains” plural are the governments of the splinters. One look today and it is obvious these governments are ALL in trouble—unproductive, divided, outright splitting, or electing one terrible leader after another, etc.

MANY verses make plain that corn, wine and oil refers to tithes and offerings. Take the time to look them up so you have no doubt what God is talking about. This is why I have previously announced and explained that the big organizations are all seeing a significant loss of income (no matter their denials) that will only grow worse. Here are just two verses from Deuteronomy: “You shall eat before the Lord your God, in the place which He shall choose to place His name there, the tithe of your corn, of your wine, and of your oil…that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always” (14:23), and “The firstfruit also of your corn, of your wine, and of your oil…shall you give Him” (18:4). I repeat: Many other verses say the same. God is diminishing the tithes and offerings going to these groups, which should ALL have been coming to HIM—all 1.25 billion dollars that false leaders have STOLEN from Him. This is but one reason, and it is a big one, that God intends to soon REMOVE these leaders.

Here is what I covered in the NINTH announcement, describing the phrase “that which the ground brings forth”: As groups long cut off from the Vine, Jesus Christ, and outside His Body, but still having a little of God’s Spirit, the production of even this small amount of God’s Spirit will dissipate and dry up. This is already happening. Part of this will be co-workers and donors drying up. Consider. All that in a sense “naturally grows of itself” will disappear with organizations starving toward nothing. Now think. All “widget” companies of the world get some “return.” But these “returns” in the splinters will disappear! Also, there will be a growing sense when attending services, or working at various headquarters, that one is in a kind of wilderness that is growing colder. All perceived advancements (basically smoke and mirrors that were never real, anyway) will come to a grinding halt—and possibly soon. But this is not saying fruit from God will disappear, because there has never been any in these groups. Christ did not build, and has never headed, ANY of these organizations.

A desolation of men carries a pretty obvious meaning—and it is not good. Just look around the groups. Again, read this part of my NINTH announcement, which also discusses the meaning of cattle in Haggai 1:11. The last category—labor of the hands—is equally obvious in meaning. The “works” that these men carry out—their “labors”—which leaders describe as the Work of God (and they were always far from this), God declares that He is destroying—desolating or wasting. This is why the “works” of all the big groups are today so visibly contracting (or, like COGwa or COGaic, have been all along doing virtually nothing). In light of this prophecy, think carefully whether you want to believe this general shrinking of efforts today in the splinters is merely coincidental with Haggai’s description. Now add our explosive trajectory upward in contrast. Is THIS also a coincidence?

We will learn later of certain verses in the second chapter of Haggai that explain further intensifying of the level of punishment God is bringing, and how even this augmentation did not ultimately yield a repentant and obedient people. You will see that the people and their ministers are “dug in.” God must hit them hard—and believe me when I tell you He is going to hit them harder than they can imagine. But He need not hit you in this way.

Dramatic Turn of Events

The last verses of Haggai 1 should be read and understood as a single very powerful summary statement. Clearly something dramatic happens that causes ACTION. Suddenly God’s people all come back together in a spirit of FEAR and OBEDIENCE—ready to go to work in God’s House. The why is not important at this time, rather just that it happens. Let’s read:

Verses 12-15: “Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with ALL the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him [they finally grasped the intent of Haggai’s message], and the people did fear before the Lord. Then spoke Haggai the Lord’s messenger in the Lord’s message unto the people, saying, I am with you, says the Lord. And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and THEY CAME and DID WORK in the House of the Lord of hosts [God’s one Church], their God, in the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.”

The group described as “this people,” but residing in separate houses, is seen to suddenly understand the reason behind their failed efforts. Key Hebrew words bring important meaning. “OBEYED” also means “to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention): consider, diligently, discern, give ear, listen, (be) obedient, obey, perceive, regard, understand.” The word “FEAR” means “to fear; to revere; to frighten: dread (-ful).” Recognize it is God’s Spirit that ultimately stirs His people to act, alongside a final culminating event found elsewhere in Scripture. The Hebrew for “STIRRED” means “(through the idea of opening the eyes); to wake: lift up, raise up, stir up.” “All”—ALL!—of God’s people are (twice) foretold to return from their houses to work again in God’s House. A full reunification is coming! And notice the Scripture describes it occurring in a single day. God reassures His people that “I am with you” (in this case, back with them)—and to “fear not” in the human sense of fear—after He previously had held back blessings from their groups.

The Remnant—Plainly Identified

The greatest question reappears: Who is this group that comes back to God’s House in a single day (clarified momentarily)? The answer should by now be obvious. Remember, several times in Haggai “this people” are also called a “remnant.” And remember that the Hebrew means “a remainder or residual (surviving) portion: that had escaped, be left, remnant, rest.” These people were a holdover—a “residue” (2:2)—from a previous time—a “surviving portion,” by implication of a once larger number of people. God’s choice of word makes the answer PLAIN. See it!

The people called a “remnant” (or “residue”) cannot be referring to ancient Jews. Mr. Armstrong well understood this. Only three aspects of Haggai’s prophecy can remotely relate to history: (1) Two ancient figures named Zerubbabel and Joshua did live during that time, but even these were to be prophetic types for our modern age. (2) A remnant of Jews from captivity lived in 520 BC, but these are technically not referenced in Haggai. (3) These Jews did come together (in what could be seen as another type) to start rebuilding Zerubbabel’s temple. But there is no historical evidence that these ancient Jews at any point refused to build—NONE! History in fact records that those Jews who returned to Jerusalem worked diligently and gave generously to rebuild the physical temple that was fairly quickly completed by 515 BC as soon as King Cyrus afforded them the opportunity.

Consider further. If chapter 1 were referencing long ago Jews during Haggai’s time, what other “houses” were they involved with? How could Haggai 1 be about Jewish history when God’s overall message is to a group that must come to work in God’s spiritual House just before Christ returns (2:7)? Another crucial point: Haggai “the prophet” is mentioned numerous times, and if God wanted this book to be an historical account, would He not have merged it into Ezra and Nehemiah? Why is the term “this people” found in a prophecy? Also, Haggai always uses “this people”—with not one reference to any Jews. The reason is that He was NOT TALKING TO JEWS!

Also, Haggai cannot be describing Baptists, Catholics, Methodists or any other worldly denominations. A world cut off from God does not know what is His House, including where it is, who constitutes it, or what its work is. And remember that God’s Word is written to His servants—not the world! All critics, opinion writers, gossip columnists and false prophets take note: NO TRUE ALTERNATIVES EXIST. Haggai MUST be describing individuals with God’s Spirit (that’s what God stirs in them) who are residing in “houses” (organizations) created by men, but who are a holdover/surviving portion from an earlier time. How obvious!

Finally, and this is the most crucial point of all, God says the remnant “CAME and did work IN the House of the Lord.” The plain meaning of English is that they were SOMEWHERE ELSE—they were OUTSIDE God’s House—and returned to it to be put back to work INSIDE (“in”) it. Also—and this is just as obvious—having been occupied elsewhere, they had NOT been doing GOD’s Work. This is impossible to misunderstand.

Note the DATE that God says the remnant “came” back to “work” in His House: “They came and did work in the House of the Lord of hosts, their God, in the four and twentieth day of the sixth month” (1:14-15). Read the passage aloud until your ears ring. It cannot be talking about the second year of a king who lived over 2,500 years ago, no more than the rest of the dates in Haggai are somehow part of history in a book that is entirely a PROPHECY. It is absolutely crucial that you see this!

Parts Three and Four cover Haggai 2, and continue extraordinary understanding. They tie everything together.

HAGGAI—A Prophecy for OUR TIME! (Part 1)

By David C. Pack

NOTICE: This is the TWELFTH in a series of special weekly announcements that appear every Friday. There are now two that follow it. They collectively unveil the massive, ongoing expansion that God’s Church, Work and Headquarters are experiencing. There is a reason for this expansion! The reader should contrast these Friday announcements to the increasing bad news and bad events in UCG, LCG, PCG, COGwa and ALL splinters and slivers of the Worldwide Church of God. You must see what they are NOT announcing, and why they never will—and what GOD is bringing upon them. The place to start reading is either the fifth announcement—“God’s People Back Together—SOON!”—or the first one to catch up on all you have missed. If you begin with the fifth announcement, then read those before and after it. They are all important. An enormous and detailed prophecy is now being carried out by God. He is preparing events to soon bring His people back together—all of them. It is not my task to convince you the prophecy is true. God will do that! My job is to systematically lay out the specifics of what will happen and WHY—good and bad, pleasant and unpleasant. YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS A SINGLE WEEK! If you do, CATCH UP. Also, you will miss the full impact if you skip sections of these announcements.

As mentioned in last Friday’s announcement, many of God’s people are becoming excited about the prospect of coming back together. For decades, brethren have lamented that they are divided into competing groups. Most have probably asked at some point, “Is this scattering God’s will? Why would God allow us to be attending in so many organizations?” Various reasons for this have been presented. But over time, most gradually came to accept this new condition, even though Christ and His Word do not authorize it. Others attempted to simply redefine the biblical definition of the true Church to fit the new church “landscape” (i.e., God’s Church now consists of many groups or “branches”). Still others feel something should be “done about it!” All attempts by brethren to “unite the groups” have failed. Neither has an “Elijah” arrived to bring everyone together (as some falsely anticipated, claiming Mr. Armstrong did not fulfill this role). The feeling of nostalgia for the “old days” remains strong among most of God’s people. They want things “the way they used to be.”

God knew our time would come, and foretold that an apostasy would strike His Church at the end of the age (II Thes. 2:3). But what has not been known until now is that God also recorded that an end-time regathering of His people into one organization would occur. I have referenced this in multiple recent Friday announcements. This TWELFTH announcement begins the explanation of this colossal prophecy. The body of the prophecy is found in the books of Haggai and Zechariah (many related verses are elsewhere), and the detail God brings will shock you. Virtually no one speaks of Haggai, or Zechariah 3 and 4—or is even thinking about them. For many people, elements of this series will be a refresher, but it will also be revelatory to everyone. First, important background is necessary.

What Most Once Knew, But Almost All Forgot!

One-third of the Bible is prophecy—history written in advance. How often did Mr. Armstrong say this? Over four-fifths of this future history is yet to be fulfilled. Tragically, most of God’s people have fallen into near total ignorance of and terrible confusion about the Bible’s prophetic meaning. This includes being now largely unable to recognize the speed, sequence and seriousness—and the awesome magnitude!—of certain onrushing prophecies, even the basic ones—those made plain in the Bible and referenced time and again by Mr. Armstrong. This is on top of not truly comprehending what any of them actually means! Many have questions, but few are getting right answers. The result? So many just cannot untangle the maze of what happens when, as well as where and to whom—and why!

Most in the world who write about the Bible do not realize that this Book interprets itself. Mr. Armstrong certainly understood this, and this is why God could reveal through him the true meaning of prophecy that he could make so plain to readers and brethren. Mr. Armstrong knew that if a symbol is mentioned within a prophecy—any prophecy!—and virtually every prophecy involves symbols—the Bible’s Author would not leave the most crucial questions, those involving all humanity—AND HIS CHURCH!—subject to human interpretation. He would provide clues—necessary vital keys!—to understanding the correct meaning of the large portions of His Word devoted to future events. Nowhere is this more true than with the book of Haggai. This short book of just 38 verses is filled—brimful and running over—with symbols, but again, God must provide their meaning—every one. You will see that He does. This includes key sections of Zechariah.

While prophecy can be made easy to understand, most ministers in the Worldwide Church of God never took the time to truly master the established correct sequence of end-­time events in order to make it easy and interesting to their pastorates. These men were ignorant (and some woefully so) of even the basics, and were generally left to almost completely avoid teaching a full third of the Bible—the correct understanding and flow of prophecy. Tragically, this is not only true of most ministers and brethren today, it has grown worse because so many in the splinters have ingested false prophetic understanding. This would not have happened if they could have weighed it against truth they had proven.

False Prophets Plaguing God’s People

If brethren had better understood prophecy—had through the years been hearing the clarity of its many crucial truths for our time—they would not be following raging false prophets like Gerald Flurry or outright fiction writers like Ron Weinland, who mangles EVERYTHING about prophecy! Recent, newer self-appointed “prophets”—those far out on the lunatic fringe of the so-called “COGs”—have done their part to confuse the smaller numbers within their reach.

False prophets come with many faces. Most in the world specialize in confusing, incomplete, deceitful theories of how the future will play out. The nonsense of these conflicting scenarios is without end. All bring their own interpretations—none correct. False prophets also come in all sizes, both in the world and among God’s people. Think of the splinters. Large—Gerald Flurry. Medium—Ron Weinland. Small—not worth naming. None should follow such men to the kitchen, never mind the kingdom! Yet thousands do. Sadly, almost like Muslim extremists, many followers of such “prophets” over time become permanently “radicalized.” (Thankfully, some false prophets will be exposed sooner than others. Christ will NOT return in 16 days, as Weinland declares. Hundreds with him and thousands who read his material will soon know they were deceived by no more than a common criminal!)

It is a testimony to many brethren’s woeful ignorance of God’s “sure word of prophecy” that anyone—ANYONE!—would believe such unbiblical butchery as these men spew. The folly of their teachings, combined with their botched predictions, causes most to view their efforts as laughable—a bad joke. But others are swept up in them. What is not a joke is that the truth of prophecy becomes very difficult to recapture for their disillusioned followers, but also for others who are turned off by it all. This is the real danger of false prophets. They blur and undermine the truth of Bible prophecy. Over time, they cause people to forget what is the truth—when they may once have known it well.

I have taught prophecy ­extensively—­and ­correctly!—the truth of established understanding—­for over 40 years, probably much, much more than ANY other pastor during this same period. I wanted people to know what lies ahead. So I taught very thorough ­class-­like workshops in every one of my Worldwide Church of God pastorates, covering all the basics and more, verse-by-verse through Daniel and Revelation, with a great many passages included from other ­books. (Here is but a partial list of what I have covered in sermons.)

But grasp this. I am neither a prophet nor have I any self-prescribed “authority” to bring prophecies. What will be shown over the next weeks is entirely GOD’S prophecy—from HIS WORD—explained and conveyed through the only office He ever uses to bring biblical truth to His Church (Acts 2:42; Eph. 2:20). The Bible warns that “no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation” (II Pet. 1:20). But God does work through His chosen servants. In fact, He never reveals His Plan through anyone else. Therefore, finding the one He leads becomes crucial.

The Place to Begin

We begin with basic instruction in Zechariah 8:9. God tells His people living at the end to “hear” the words of Haggai and Zechariah. Notice: “Thus says the lord of hosts; let your hands be strong, you that hear in these days [our time now] these words by the mouth of the prophets [Haggai and Zechariah], which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the lord of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.” This series of announcements will bring the plain understanding about how Haggai and Zechariah relate to God’s people—including YOU. It is absolutely crucial, and God right here says as much, that you realize Haggai cannot be fully understood apart from Zechariah—and vice versa. Each is incomplete without the other.

First mentioned in the book of Ezra, Haggai and Zechariah were prophets who served alongside each other around 520 BC, and “prophesied” during the time of the Jews returning from Babylonian captivity (Ezra 5:1)—when the Temple in Jerusalem was being rebuilt. They recorded PROPHECIES—not history—which had no application for the ancient Jews of their time. Haggai speaks of a “remnant” returning to work in a spiritual temple, with Zechariah adding key details. We will see Mr. Armstrong understood this, and that he laid the foundation to understand Haggai’s prophecy today. He was not ambiguous. After reading this and upcoming Friday announcements, you will have no doubt of Mr. Armstrong’s accuracy, and that he paved the way to understanding what these announcements will contain from now on. The reader will see that the events described in these books clearly take place at the end of the age. (For instance, Jesus Christ’s Return is plainly described in oft-quoted verses near the end of Zechariah.) Haggai and Zechariah recorded events that have mostly not yet happened, although elements of what they foretold have greatly advanced since Mr. Armstrong’s death. While these prophets include instruction to the ancient figures Zerubbabel (a governor) and Joshua (the high priest), these leaders were types of men who would come two and a half millennia later. Each is spoken to in his own time. Mr. Armstrong also knew this. It will later in the series be made clear from Zechariah that these modern types worked primarily sequentially, not in parallel. But simple observation makes this obvious. Otherwise, who—where—was Joshua in our common past?

The books of Ezra and Nehemiah were written well after Haggai’s and Zechariah’s time (several decades). Ezra was the priest and scribe used to gather all the books for final Old Testament canonization. He also wrote Chronicles. Nehemiah, sent to be governor over Judea by Persian king Artaxerxes, assisted Ezra as part of what was called the “Great Assembly.” Ezra and Nehemiah were originally one book through the canonization process before being separated much later. Ezra had come to Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity. Cyrus, the Persian king of Babylon, had made a decree to rebuild the Temple (Ezra 5:13), and just under 50,000 Jews returned to rebuild Jerusalem and other cities. The Temple was fully rebuilt by 515 BC, so it was long in place by the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. This will be important as we cover Haggai.

Key Dates—Years and Months

Now for crucial historical context on the physical temple in Jerusalem. In 539 BC, the Medo-Persian empire defeated the Babylonians. God almost immediately after the victory commissioned King Cyrus of Persia to rebuild both Jerusalem and God’s temple (Isa. 44:28). Ezra 6:3-4 records Cyrus’ decree to carry out the instruction. Begun in 537 BC, this second temple, usually referred to as “Zerubbabel’s Temple,” took 21 years to complete (including a long work stoppage)—until 515 BC. It remained in use for 496 years, until 19 BC.

Zerubbabel’s Temple was an extraordinary structure, but it was well understood to be inferior to Solomon’s in both workmanship and quality of materials used. In fact, these shortcomings became the pretext under which it was dismantled by Herod the Great, giving way to what is usually referred to as “Herod’s Temple” or the “Renovation of the Temple.” This renovation (still considered to be the second temple by the Jews) began in early 19 BC and continued for 46 years (John 2:19-20) until late 27 AD, the year Christ’s ministry began.

Ezra and Nehemiah describe the rebuilding of the Temple under the ancient Zerubbabel and Joshua, as well as the restoration of the city of Jerusalem and the “wall” surrounding it. Both these projects involved specific times—the sixth and seventh months of the sacred (Hebrew) year—the months Elul and Tishri. These are basically our August and September (into October). Ezra and Nehemiah provide interesting support background about the period in which Haggai and Zechariah lived, but their accounts are NOT part of the prophecy. These books recorded historical events that took place after Judah had been taken captive in 585 BC. In summary, one final time, Haggai and Zechariah contain prophecies, while Ezra and Nehemiah are historical accounts. Keep this basic. I repeat: it will be crucial to remember when these announcements are attacked for a short time.

One more date-related point. Haggai and Zechariah are recorded with a series of dates attached to their message. This is unique and different from the writings of all other Old Testament prophets. Like Ezra and Nehemiah, Haggai is also centered around the sixth and seventh months of the sacred year, except that it also involves God saying things through Haggai in the ninth month (Keslev) in the Hebrew year. These months are crucial to recognize and understand because the very name “Haggai” means “My [God’s] Feast, pilgrim Feast or festival gathering.”

What Mr. Armstrong Understood

Herbert W. Armstrong taught more than a little about Haggai and Zechariah. We will see he understood that he had fulfilled the prophetic role of Zerubbabel. He tied this to Zechariah 4:9 in understanding that it said he had “laid the foundation” of God’s Church. Two short quotes and another longer one demonstrate what Mr. Armstrong knew and taught for 12 years, from at least 1974 to his death. Understand that Mr. Armstrong gave whole sermons on this subject and wrote time and again about it. So what you read here is a mere sampling that is sufficient to lay crucial foundation for these articles. Realize much more could be included:

“All the way through Haggai and Zechariah, the local TYPE, of Zerubbabel and Joshua building God’s House, is in reality a prophecy which actually refers to OUR TIME NOW, and the soon coming of CHRIST to RULE all nations and bring WORLD PEACE!

“God said to those people under Zerubbabel and Joshua, they were wasting their labor, ‘sowing much, and bringing in little.’ This was due to their selfishness, lack of zeal for the work God called them to do, and self-centered WAY OF LIFE. Then, verse 12, Zerubbabel, and Joshua, and the people repented and OBEYED God, and feared God, and WENT TO WORK getting God’s job done!”

Co-Worker Letter, August 29, 1974

An aside before continuing: Mr. Armstrong in time came to realize that he would die, and without knowing Joshua’s identity. It is not the immediate purpose here to identify Joshua. That will come later. But it is important to realize that Mr. Armstrong knew he was Zerubbabel and that Joshua would follow Zerubbabel and be revealed in his time. As with learning that he was Zerubbabel, and then teaching this to the Church, Mr. Armstrong obviously realized that Joshua would similarly learn his own identity and also similarly teach it to the Church. Of course, merely because of the apostasy, this would not happen in any way that Mr. Armstrong could have imagined. Mr. Armstrong’s last sentence will be touched on later.

“In reference to the temple, God said through Haggai, ‘For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come…and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts’ (Haggai 2:6-9).

“Notice! This is a PROPHECY—for the future. The TIME? The present and immediate future.

“But THIS IS NOW PROPHECY—no longer HISTORY! It is speaking of OUR TIME, late in the 20th century! This ‘latter house’ is the temple to which the GLORIFIED CHRIST shall come at His second coming—soon now, in our lifetime. It is speaking about the temple to which the GLORIFIED Christ shall come in our day!..”

“‘Now therefore ye are…fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household [family] of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto AN HOLY TEMPLE IN THE LORD’ (Eph. 2:19-21).

“Brethren in Christ, WE ARE THAT TEMPLE!”

Co-Worker Letter, July 24, 1979

Mr. Armstrong plainly understood God’s intended meaning about a GREAT PROPHECY that has now extended into the early 21st century. A final longer quote reveals what he taught in 1981 about his role as a final “Zerubbabel”:

“…turn to Haggai 2, beginning verse 3. Zerubbabel was governor of a colony of Jews sent from Babylon back to Jerusalem 70 years after destruction of Solomon’s temple, to build a new temple. This also was the days of prophets Ezra and Nehemiah. Zerubbabel was builder of this second temple. It was the temple to which Jesus came at His first appearing as a human.

“Verse 3, the former temple of Solomon was then as nothing compared to its original physical glory. God commands Zerubbabel to be strong and work to build the temple (verse 4). Verse 6 goes into a far-future prophecy of a time just before Christ’s Second Coming, when God will shake the earth and shake all nations, and the ‘GLORY OF THIS LATTER HOUSE SHALL BE GREATER THAN OF THE FORMER’ (verse 9). The temple Zerubbabel built of stone, wood and physical materials was nowhere near as glorious as the former temple of Solomon! This is a PROPHECY speaking about the temple to which Christ shall come the second time, in supreme POWER and GLORY—a temple far more glorious than Solomon’s!

“To WHAT temple will Christ come very soon now? Are the Jews going to demolish the Moslem temple, Dome of the Rock, which stands on that site now, and build a new super-glorious temple? NO! Turn to Ephesians 2:19-22. The Church at Ephesus was composed of former gentiles. They are no longer foreign gentiles, but fellow-citizens with the saints—a spiritual NATION. They are also a FAMILY—of the ‘household’ of GOD—the GOD FAMILY. As a BUILDING they are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ being chief cornerstone. As a BUILDING, they are fitly framed together (in UNIFIED ORGANIZATION) growing into a HOLY TEMPLE!”

“Zerubbabel built the second temple to which Jesus came the first time. John the Baptist prepared the way before the FIRST coming. But WHO was to build the SPIRITUAL temple to which Christ shall soon come the second time? Who was to prepare the way before His Second Coming?

“Remember God does things in DUAL stages. As Zerubbabel built the first temple of MATERIAL stone, wood and other materials, he was a forerunner or type of one through whom Christ would raise up or build the SPIRITUAL TEMPLE—His Church of our time, prior to the Day of the Lord and Christ’s Second Coming. [Editor’s Note: Reread this last sentence. If you have forgotten or never knew what Mr. Armstrong taught, do not miss the meaning now.] As John the Baptist prepared the way, in the PHYSICAL wilderness of the Jordan River for the first coming of the HUMAN Jesus (both man and God), then coming to His MATERIAL temple, and to His PHYSICAL people Judah, ANNOUNCING the Kingdom of God to be set up more than 1,900 years later, SO God would use a human messenger in the SPIRITUAL wilderness of 20th-century religious confusion, to be a voice CRYING OUT the Gospel of the KINGDOM OF GOD, about the SPIRITUAL CHRIST, coming in SUPREME POWER AND GLORY to His SPIRITUAL TEMPLE, to actually ESTABLISH that spiritual KINGDOM OF GOD.

“Brethren, HAS THAT BEEN DONE BY THIS CHURCH?

“Did God raise up a one-man LEADERSHIP to be used by Him in building this spiritual TEMPLE and in proclaiming after 1,900 years the true GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD in ALL THE WORLD—to even go to kings and heads of nations (Rev. 10:11)—in bringing the Church back to the FAITH ONCE DELIVERED (Jude 3)?

“HAS THIS HAPPENED, IN YOUR DAYS, AND HAS GOD BROUGHT YOU INTO THIS PROPHETIC FULFILLMENT AS A PART OF IT?

“HAS ANYONE ELSE DONE IT?”

“I have shown you that the book of Haggai is a PROPHECY. Zerubbabel’s temple, to which Jesus came at His first coming, was a TYPE of the SPIRITUAL TEMPLE (God’s CHURCH) to which, in its resurrected GLORIFIED state, it will be the GLORIOUS TEMPLE to which Christ will come SOON NOW IN OUR TIME.

“Zerubbabel, therefore, was the typical forerunner of one Christ would use to build that GLORIFIED SPIRITUAL TEMPLE—God’s Church of this END TIME.

“In Zechariah 4:6 and 9, God says of this former type: ‘This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power (humanly), but by MY SPIRIT, saith the Lord of hosts.’ In Revelation 3:8, Christ says of the leader of today’s Church, ‘I know thy works; behold I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength (only a little strength humanly), and has kept my word, and hast not denied my name.’ This Work in our day has not been done by human strength or power, but by FAITH and the POWER OF GOD’S SPIRIT.

“Further, ‘The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house (the first temple); his hands shall also FINISH IT!’ So far as I know, GOD HAS NOT RAISED UP ANYONE ELSE TO FINISH THIS WORK HE HAS USED ME IN DOING! [Editor’s Note: Recognize that Mr. Armstrong could not have known an apostasy would occur, resulting in hundreds of groups forming.]

“God could take my life in the next breath—or He has power to keep me on the job as His instrument for as long as He deems necessary.

“I have NEVER SAID I expect to live until Christ comes.”

Co-Worker Letter, March 19, 1981

The whole Church once thrilled (or should have) to such powerful letters as these. Mr. Armstrong was absolutely certain of the role he fulfilled, and held to the same thinking for many years. Of course he well understood what was at stake in getting this right. Have you remembered that Mr. Armstrong fulfilled a role concerning this special prophecy, typed by Zerubbabel? Did you not once understand this? Do you recall that he understood Haggai and Zechariah covered events in our time? The third excerpt above practically explodes with meaning, and several points must be emphasized. First, the ancient Judean governor Zerubbabel’s work was a direct type of what Herbert W. Armstrong would be used to do with a much GREATER Temple to come long after. Second, Mr. Armstrong would lay the foundation of the New Testament spiritual Temple at the end of the age. Third, it was foretold that Mr. Armstrong would finish what he started (Zech. 4:9), meaning the Church of God would not only be built on the right foundation of the fully restored truth, but it would over time grow to be a marvelous finished spiritual product unlike anything the world had ever seen!

What Is the “House of God”?

You saw Haggai spoke of “God’s House.” Let’s examine the biblical definition of this “House.” The House of God and the Temple of the Lord are all terms for the New Testament Church of God. Solomon’s magnificent Old Testament Temple was often referred to as the “House of the Lord.” But this is also a New Testament term for the Church. The apostle Peter wrote that “judgment must begin at the house of God” (I Pet. 4:17). I Timothy 3:15 describes the Church of God, calling it “the house of God…the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” This is basic.

Again, the New Testament Church and Body of Christ are also called the “Temple of the Lord.” A number of passages throughout the New Testament make this plain. It appears several times through the epistles of Paul. We saw from Mr. Armstrong that Ephesians 2:20-21 makes clear the Temple is another name for God’s Church: “[Christians] are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the Chief Corner Stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together grows unto an holy temple in the Lord.”

Mr. Armstrong well understood all these and other verses. The Church of God, the biblical Body of Christ and the Temple of the Lord or House of God are all the SAME THING. In the context of Haggai, this is vital. God still has a HOUSE—one true CHURCH—somewhere on Earth today. But it has not yet been restored to its previous “glory.” You will see Haggai says this will happen.

Introduction to Haggai

With this background, we are ready to examine Haggai. The opening verses in chapter 1 introduce the central problem among God’s people today—one I have alluded to several times in previous Friday announcements. In verses 1-2, God addresses a group—“this people”—who say “the time is not come” to build (Heb. repair) God’s House: “In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying, Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the Lord’s House should be built…” This is just 10 verses before the one Mr. Armstrong referenced, “and the people repented and OBEYED God, and feared God, and WENT TO WORK getting God’s job done!” (his emphasis), in describing what eventually happened. Note that several times in Haggai “the people” are called a “remnant.” The Hebrew means “a remainder or residual (surviving) portion, that had escaped, be left, remnant, rest.” This means they were a kind of holdover from a previous time—a remnant, a surviving portion, by implication of a once larger number of people. God’s choice of this word makes this much more plain.

It is THIS VERSE 12 that will SOON be fulfilled! HOW this will happen is our study.

It becomes clear that this group (actually seen to be many groups) had come to believe God’s Church should not yet be rebuilt—again, the Hebrew means repair(ed). They had become convinced (by leaders and events) that the status quo is acceptable. We will later see that “this people” reside in “houses,” plural, built by men. For those who don’t wait and choose to read ahead in Haggai, the verses that follow rebuke certain men and people for building their own houses and running back and forth between them. You will see that they are not blessed due to their rebellious conduct. And you will read God’s instruction to these people in “other houses,” and how He says that His House “lies waste” because of their actions, as well as their inaction. A prophecy for our time, Haggai is NOT talking about ancient (or modern) Jews. I will cover this in much greater detail next week. Do not miss what God reveals!

Finally, a grave caution. Understand that your leaders will almost certainly race to defeat proper understanding of this prophecy. Some will claim that Mr. Armstrong taught something different about it. But you have seen his quotes. He understood that he was a type of Zerubbabel and left open who fulfilled the role of Joshua. You will learn why. The book of Haggai cannot be discussing the long-ago temple that the ancient Zerubbabel built 2,500 years ago. It is a PROPHECY for US TODAY! Will you let deceitful liars, seeking to hold on to power in their “houses,” defeat your understanding before the prophecy can be explained in all its glorious detail? Or will you REJECT their efforts? Ultimately, it makes no difference whether they believe this prophecy—or even whether you believe it. It will be fulfilled—and SOON.

This announcement has laid crucial foundation for all that will follow. There is much more to understand. Incredible detail is involved. God explains His Purpose from every possible angle. It took me many sermons—MANY hours!!!—to cover all that is involved. Thousands have heard and understand much more than you are reading. This series of articles is but an overview. Haggai 1:12 declares that “the remnant” not only “obeyed the voice of the Lord their God,” but also “the words of Haggai the prophet.” One must know Haggai’s words to obey them. The time for obedience is NOW for those who learn the truth of this prophecy. Sadly, most of God’s people are not even reading Haggai, never mind understanding or obeying it. This had better change fast.

Part Two (of four) will explain more about who are the “houses” of Haggai chapter 1, but also go further…

New Media Center

By David C. Pack

NOTICE: This is the ELEVENTH in a series of special weekly announcements that appear every Friday. There are now three that follow it. They collectively unveil the massive, ongoing expansion that God’s Church, Work and Headquarters are experiencing. There is a reason for this expansion! The reader should contrast these Friday announcements to the increasing bad news and bad events in UCG, LCG, PCG, COGwa and ALL splinters and slivers of the Worldwide Church of God. You must see what they are NOT announcing, and why they never will—and what GOD is bringing upon them. The place to start reading is either the fifth announcement—“God’s People Back Together—SOON!”—or the first one to catch up on all you have missed. If you begin with the fifth announcement, then read those before and after it. They are all important. An enormous and detailed prophecy is now being carried out by God. He is preparing events to soon bring His people back together—all of them. It is not my task to convince you the prophecy is true. God will do that! My job is to systematically lay out the specifics of what will happen and WHY—good and bad, pleasant and unpleasant. YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS A SINGLE WEEK! If you do, CATCH UP. Also, you will miss the full impact if you skip sections of these announcements.

Be sure to read all of this week’s announcement. Something important appears at the end.

The World to Come™ broadcast will soon be among the most watched religious programs in the world. Eventually it will be number one! To keep pace with its continuing rapid expansion, we are pleased to introduce the construction of a third building to be added to our Headquarters Campus—a Media Center. (It joins the almost completed Hall of Administration and the recently announced Mail Processing Center.) With The World to Come now reaching millions across the world, this tremendous media growth is causing us to outgrow our current television studio. More space, equipment and manpower is required. (For those who missed past announcements detailing our dramatic television expansion, be sure to read them.)

This over 4,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility will house three studios of different size, as well as our growing Media Production Services Department (MPS). These vitally important studios will contain various beautiful set designs, coupled with the very latest technology. More workspace will also be available for our media team to assemble the professional graphics, news footage, powerful statistics, music and other elements that make up The World to Come program. Besides regular broadcasts, MPS also produces extensive annual “Behind the Work” films, along with the Church’s many other video and audio productions.

The Media Center will include a much expanded main recording studio—double the size of our current one. It will also have a cutting edge video editing suite, a photography studio, conference space, video machine room and expanded workspace for the graphic designers and video editors, both current and future. The building will be treated with state-of-the-art soundproofing, which creates the best possible recording conditions.

In an image-driven “video” world, a separate media building becomes a necessity. The constantly evolving television and Internet landscape of today’s media environment mean we must be ready to adjust accordingly, and sometimes quickly. The future will make clear in what ways television and video production will be further used within the final Work of God, but the Media Center puts us in a position to suddenly shift as the industry does.

Preliminary planning, architectural work and engineering work have already taken place. So has some site preparation. We hope to begin construction within the next couple months. The building will reflect the blended quality and craftsmanship of the original Worldwide Church of God Pasadena campus. Preliminary renderings of the Media Center are shown below from three angles:

On a related note, the Hall of Administration completion is “on track” for our May 10 move, just two weeks away. We expect to have 95 employees and all offices fully up and running by opening time on May 14 (with one day off because it’s the Sabbath). It is times like this when we are especially thankful to have the wonderful, harmonious Government of God in place within His one Church. It is the greatest reason by far that this giant endeavor can be done so smoothly, efficiently and rapidly, with God’s Work scarcely missing a beat. (Those interested may also view the regular brief slideshow update containing recent photos of the Hall of Administration.)

I thought it would also be inspiring for the reader to view a series of renderings of the entire “business” portion of the Headquarters Campus as it will eventually look. (Realize that almost none of the extraordinarily beautiful trees, bushes, flowers, water features and landscaping are yet shown.) A number of perspectives give the sense of how much the central part of the overall campus has been designed to resemble the Ambassador Campus in Pasadena. It is our hope that three of the five buildings will be in place and complete soon after the Feast of Tabernacles this year:

Next Friday I will start bringing the scriptural details of the prophecy revealing that all of God’s people will soon be back together. In time this will include exactly HOW and WHEN this will occur. The first elements of this “explaining” process will take three or four Friday announcements.

Consider this. Enough time has passed that an irony is developing regarding this prophecy. Having read the announcements, a great many people, apparently throughout the splinters, are growing in excitement about the “idea” of soon being back together in one organization. This much is good, and wonderful to hear. Strangely, some or maybe many of these people are at the same time known to resent me because I have said that their organization will disappear. Think just at the most basic level. Assume for a moment that what I am announcing is true—and it IS TRUE! So obviously, for God’s people to be together, ALL organizations but ONE must “go away,” meaning everyone must leave them to enter that ONE organization—the ONE Church that Christ built. Continue thinking at the most basic level. EVERY splinter leader would support this, but of course only if HE led that one organization.

The question is not what I or any other leader thinks about who will lead God’s Church, but rather what GOD thinks—whom HE has decided is its leader. Think further. No leader, including ME, would ever have any “voice” in this. There is one great clue, however, that can be offered for brethren who believe we will one day be together and who are thinking even a little below the surface about HOW this would be. This includes the obvious steps that must precede the coming together. First, God has to REVEAL that this coming together will happen—and that HE is going to bring it about. And He must use SOMEONE to announce it. Whom do you think GOD would use to make clear His plan? The answer is obvious: whoever is His CHOSEN LEADER. THIS becomes really the only major point necessary at this time to comprehend the way God would reveal His SUPREME PURPOSE for His Church. Think still further. Would He reveal His plans through a particular man in one organization, and then turn and put all of His people under another man in another organization? OF COURSE NOT. That would make God the author of confusion. Think a final time. Why do no other leaders understand ANY of the awesome and incredibly detailed prophecy that I am about to present—the what, when, where and how this reunification will occur?

Lastly, expect the top leaders of at least the bigger organizations (including YOURS) to resent and attack, mock and deride, what they were not shown—and to be angry that I am declaring that they (the top men) will soon be OUT OF BUSINESS and REMOVED FROM POWER—EVERY ONE OF THEM! Repentant ministers and many faithful splinter employees will carry on, serving solely in God’s Church. (A growing number are already contacting us.) All declarations of “support” for and “loyalty” to the top leaders coming from ministers and members in the wake of these announcements will be meaningless, of absolutely no value. This is because they cannot stop what GOD is doing, and will do! By now, you should at least want to know what will be explained. The announcements of coming weeks and months will shock you beyond imagination!

Make no mistake. The last three paragraphs are TRUE! Read them again, this time more carefully.

Check this page EVERY Friday. Do not miss even ONE ANNOUNCEMENT! They are about to grow serious, before growing much more serious…

The Cover-ups!

By David C. Pack

NOTICE: This is the TENTH in a series of special weekly announcements that appear every Friday. There are now four that follow it. They collectively unveil the massive, ongoing expansion that God’s Church, Work and Headquarters are experiencing. There is a reason for this expansion! The reader should contrast these Friday announcements to the increasing bad news and bad events in UCG, LCG, PCG, COGwa and ALL splinters and slivers of the Worldwide Church of God. You must see what they are NOT announcing, and why they never will—and what GOD is bringing upon them. The place to start reading is either the fifth announcement—“God’s People Back Together—SOON!”—or the first one to catch up on all you have missed. If you begin with the fifth announcement, then read those before and after it. They are all important. An enormous and detailed prophecy is now being carried out by God. He is preparing events to soon bring His people back together—all of them. It is not my task to convince you the prophecy is true. God will do that! My job is to systematically lay out the specifics of what will happen and WHY—good and bad, pleasant and unpleasant. YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS A SINGLE WEEK! If you do, CATCH UP. Also, you will miss the full impact if you skip sections of these announcements.

Last Friday’s announcement stated that I would explain the short-term strategy that leaders will employ to try to explain away worsening trends their organizations are suffering. This TENTH announcement speaks to the necessary cover-ups that will come from the top leaders (they are already taking place) in the face of increasing bad news confronting them.

For a while these men will be able to cover up some or much of what is happening, but the moaning and howling over the trends explained last week will eventually be deafening. It will probably shortly grow MUCH WORSE, when all denials about decline will become impossible to sustain. The tsunami of facts, evidence and proof will overwhelm all ability to deny the truth.

Think. The top men in these organizations now face a dilemma—and it is REAL. They have two options: (1) Speak little or nothing about financial and other problems in their organizations. In essence, act as though nothing is happening and put on a “happy face” or (2) be honest with their membership.

Both options come with a “downside.” The first permits no appeal for additional funds to keep going—to be able to continue “business as usual” in order to avoid major cutbacks. While this allows “happy sounds” to continue, the bad conditions only grow worse because they are not being alleviated. Brethren are not being brought in to help. The second option—admitting things are bad and growing worse—leads to more and more brethren realizing that these Friday announcements are TRUE! Even more people would then see they are sending God’s tithes down the drain. This would make problems worse.

In the end, it makes no difference which option leaders choose. GOD is doing this to them! There is absolutely nothing they can do. No one can stop GOD. For now, until circumstances force public admission of (deep) decline, expect more cover-ups. They look like this:

1) Outright denials that there is “trouble.”

2) Minimizing falling income.

3) Twisting the “narrative” of what is happening to fit agendas.

4) Declarations that “everything is fine,” even to the point of “protesting too much.” In a sense, this will confirm what is occurring for those who can discern such denials for what they really are—admissions.

5) Announcing that “God is testing us!” when God is not working through them and has never led them.

6) Claiming “Satan is attacking us!” when their problems are God’s doing.

7) Speak of unity even though the organization is shot-full of dissension and division.

8) Introduce more false teachings to distract members with supposed doctrinal “advancements.” But leaders will be careful not to go too far too fast, as did the WCG leaders, knowing this would trigger an exodus, the opposite of what they are so desperately seeking to avoid. For example, paralleling the WCG apostates, UCG announced that it plans to spend much time at its May conference discussing “spiritual gifts.” Besides appealing to people’s vanity—because brethren can now see themselves as “gifted”—this becomes its own form of obfuscation. It gets people’s minds off the ongoing daily train wreck (UCG) in which they exist.

9) Create other diversions to distract members. Announce new programs, projects, committees, promotions, etc.

10) Marginalize, attack and disfellowship members and ministers who leave or won’t buckle under pressure.

11) Attack the one exposing what is happening, and try to get him to stop so they can get away with what they are doing. But he won’t stop.

Top leaders must continue employing these and other techniques (more could be listed) in months to come to get you to believe all is well. They must put a positive face on what is really NO expansion, NO advancement and NO progress of ANY kind. They must spin events and speak falsely or the truth of their condition would be known—and that must not be allowed to happen. See through hollow comments, and shallow cover-ups.

Recognize that opportunists will circle overhead and move in. Bloggers, critics, false prophets and other self-appointed leaders without the facts will further confuse everything more than they are already. As organizations continue their slow-motion, but accelerating collapse, these outsiders will look to garner a greater following. Others will mock and lampoon these announcements because, like most in the world who make only a pretense of being Christian, they have no true interest in what God’s Word says.

A medical/nursing analogy is helpful here. Skilled medical professionals understand that outward signs on the human body often reflect disease at the core. Examples might be skin diseases stemming from liver problems, or foot neuropathy stemming from diabetes—a bad pancreas. The peripheral areas—the extremities or margins—of the splinters will tell much about the structure and foundation deeper inside. Watch these things. Leaders will seek to convince members that the core is fine. But the vital organs are all in trouble—approaching Stage Four, the cancer is spread throughout the body. Actually, the leaders are publicly leaking more than a little about conditions to those who are listening carefully. I could cite the names of leaders and many specific quotes that are now coming often. Do your own homework.

Let’s look at the splinters, starting with the United Church of God. This may be the most weak and broken organization ever built by men who thought they were serving God. UCG literally has more false doctrines than true ones. And brethren there are so used to narcissistic public discussions about taking care of ministers that they have grown numb to this constant focus on self-preservation. With income dropping, and a decimated leadership in recent times, what could hardly seem to get worse will.

The same is true of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association (COGwa), which also constantly emphasizes ministerial job security, retirement and benefit packages. Almost no work of any kind is being done there. For instance, now well over two years old, they just produced their first booklet (an e-booklet only, not hardcopy). This is worse than pitiful. And they just publicly reported (without embarrassment), “The PC Department emailed 40 people and telephoned an additional person for a total of 41 outgoing contacts for December 2012” and “The Personal Correspondence Department mailed 77 responses (including one surface mail letter) in January 2013, making the month’s activity one of our highest” and “We sent out 49 emails and one surface mail letter in February, for a total of 50…” Astonishing! These are both truly much ado about nothing—ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

The Philadelphia Church of God recently announced that it has seen a drop in income in virtually every category, including some with severe drops, all since 2013 began. One category did stay flat, which means it declined just due to inflation. Never forget that inflation requires at least minimal growth for any organization to just tread water. This is the single greatest reason that the splinters growing at a few percent annually look almost exactly as they did 15-18 years ago.

The COG-PKG false prophet (Ron Weinland), currently in prison, will probably soon see his group collapse or even completely disappear. One month from today, at sunset on May 19, after Christ did NOT return on Pentecost, hundreds or many hundreds of people may leave him that night. In fact, giant cracks having already appeared in his organization, he announced a fast for this week. Where will these hundreds go? Weinland is already conditioning people to stay, and probably simultaneously working on how to explain being wrong again—both of these while coming to grips with over three more years in prison.

The Living Church of God is sinking perhaps faster than anyone—media pullback, contracting income and continuing financial incompetence, internal dissension, rampant health problems, people leaving, etc. And regarding false doctrine, its leadership is doubling down on errors. The Council in LCG is now quietly talking of introducing what will be more false teachings.

Many thousands are reading these Friday announcements and either agreeing with them or hoping they are true because it means we will all be back together. THEY ARE TRUE! However, seeing that large numbers are not moving toward God’s Church, and being too weak to act on their own, these thousands choose the easier path of believing there is safety in numbers. Every Christian should have known at baptism that safety comes from God, not large “numbers.” Salvation is personal. “Work out your own” (Phil. 2:12). Sadly, most are unable to hear the still small voice of Christ in them because it is being drowned out by the DEAFENING ROAR of deceit surrounding them.

Look closely at events and trends reported by your and other organizations. Examine—prosecute!—what is written! See the “fruits” of organizations for what they are. Do not allow yourself to any longer be deceived. Don’t leave your salvation to leading “angels of light” who are really “deceitful workers” that have “transformed themselves into ministers of righteousness” (II Cor. 11:13-14). See through ALL the cover-ups!

Seven Worsening Trends Coming Upon the Splinters!

By David C. Pack

NOTICE: This is the NINTH in a series of special weekly announcements that appear every Friday. There are now five that follow it. They collectively unveil the massive, ongoing expansion that God’s Church, Work and Headquarters are experiencing. There is a reason for this expansion! The reader should contrast these Friday announcements to the increasing bad news and bad events in UCG, LCG, PCG, COGwa and ALL splinters and slivers of the Worldwide Church of God. You must see what they are NOT announcing, and why they never will—and what GOD is bringing upon them. The place to start reading is either the fifth announcement—“God’s People Back Together—SOON!”—or the first one to catch up on all you have missed. If you begin with the fifth announcement, then read those before and after it. They are all important. An enormous and detailed prophecy is now being carried out by God. He is preparing events to soon bring His people back together—all of them. It is not my task to convince you the prophecy is true. God will do that! My job is to systematically lay out the specifics of what will happen and WHY—good and bad, pleasant and unpleasant. YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS A SINGLE WEEK! If you do, CATCH UP. Also, you will miss the full impact if you skip sections of these announcements.

Many thousands have read previous Friday announcements about what is foretold to happen to the organizations that formed after the Worldwide Church of God apostasy. Many of these have asked what the downward spiral of these big groups will look like through the run-up period to God bringing all of His people back together into one organization. This and next week’s announcements will cover two crucial aspects of what to watch for. The following Friday (April 26) or the one after (May 3) will likely be the natural time to begin introducing the biblical framework of the prophecy, including specific verses. At this point, I have merely alluded to the prophecy’s last chapter—the reuniting of all God’s people!

What is coming in the prophecy’s present chapters is not complicated to understand. God makes clear that what happens will fall into seven categories! Brief summary statements are all that is necessary to understand HOW—in what WAYS—the splinter organizations will decline and eventually collapse after a final, prophesied culminating event. Nothing will stop this—NOTHING!—and its arrival is as sure as sunset. The following trends are already happening—and will slowly or rapidly worsen. For over five months, I have been announcing and explaining in The Restored Church of God that these things would happen, and why. These items are what God lists in His Word:

(1) More and more people will leave, and are already leaving, the big and medium-sized organizations.

(2) The governments, headquarters and various corporate boards within these organizations will experience more politicking, confusion and division, possibly including splits.

(3) Declining income—people leaving or withholding tithes and offerings—including lower Holy Day offerings—is happening and will worsen. (But remember, income can be level, or even slightly up, while the organization’s actual scope and reach is shrinking because inflation alone eats up small increases, and usually more than this. Hiring of staff and ministers [other than replacements] and all forms of true expansion have basically already come to an end.)

(4) As groups long cut off from the Vine, Jesus Christ, and outside His Body, but still having a little of God’s Spirit, the production of even this small amount of God’s Spirit will dissipate and dry up. This is already happening. Part of this will be coworkers and donors drying up, which will worsen number 3 above. Consider the following. All that in a sense “naturally grows of itself” will disappear with organizations starving toward nothing. Think. All “widget” companies of the world get some “return.” But these “returns” in the splinters will disappear! Also, there will be a growing sense when attending services, or working at various headquarters, that one is in a kind of wilderness that is growing colder. All perceived advancements (basically smoke and mirrors that were never real, anyway) will come to a grinding halt—and possibly soon. But this is not to say that fruit from God will disappear, because there has never been any. Christ did not build and has never headed any of these organizations.

(5) An increasing loss of ministers and administrators will occur—leaders at various levels will be taken away. This will be due to terminations, resignations, disability, defection, death and disqualification, etc. And this will involve wives. (This part of the announcement could easily include a growing list of ministers’ names [and wives] that began to significantly increase in the mid-autumn, but had also been happening before then.) After a point, ministers will start losing their jobs and find themselves scrambling to survive. Also already happening, this will include disfellowships (of brethren or ministers) to preserve supposed “unity.” Unable to break people and ministers who will not compromise the truth, leaders copying the very methods of the Worldwide Church of God apostates because they are led by the same spirit will summarily “deal with” these said-to-be “rebels” and “enemies” who are “sowing division.” This new, greater level of truly dark, devilish conduct coming from the top of these organizations against those who won’t give up the truth—people they cannot break—will worsen. I know what some are suffering, and what more will. I’ve tasted such tactics by compromised, evil leaders.

(6) There will continue to be shrinkage and loss of financial reserves—accumulated wealth, if you will—that have been built up by organizations against “rainy days.” There will also be the break-up and loss of some assets, as scheduled payments begin to be missed because the “rain” won’t stop. This will likely come after organizations have cut back in easier areas hoping this will stanch bleeding. It won’t work. The bleeding will not stop.

(7) Media “doors” will continue to close. Simple lack of income will force organizations to shut more and more of what splinter leaders have long called and presumed to be “open doors before us.” (For instance, just TODAY, yet again, the Living Church of God has suddenly dropped another major television outlet. Having in March dropped its Sunday ION Television slot, it is now also quietly dropping its WEDNESDAY slot—and thus ION altogether—with its last airing date to be May 15. Truly incredible, this very day (to be announced tomorrow) LCG is also touting to its members how its income is doing better over recent days! You must watch for these inconsistencies carefully crafted to hide the shrinking—the retreating—of the “work” these organizations do.)

Take note. These things will not of themselves break the stubborn resolve—and resistance to what God is doing—of thousands of brethren, and hundreds of ministers, who will remain “holdouts” in the face of ever more evidence—powerful facts! Therefore, God will bring a culminating event, which could be called the eighth thing to happen, in a way that implodes these groups OVERNIGHT and leaves thousands of people in utter shock at what they just witnessed. Those who are regularly reading these announcements will be somewhat less surprised, but also stunned. This event will be explained in the future.

Understand. Private bemoaning and lamenting about these things—and real worry—is already occurring, and to a growing degree, with public concern becoming louder. More and more thinking ministers and brethren will fret and grind their teeth, asking, “What is going on?”

An analogy will help. Corporate “bones” will begin to crack or break, sometimes quietly if the “bone” is small, but other times with loud snapping sounds if they are structural “weight bearing bones”—corporate femurs or tibias, so to speak. All attempts to solve problems and repair breaches—and to prop up organizations—will come to nothing.

Brethren, think carefully about WHERE you send tithes and offerings. Remember that tithes (and offerings) BELONG TO GOD. You will want to ponder long and hard whether you want to send what is GOD’S to be poured down the drain toward NO GOOD END! Banking tithes because you are unsure of where they belong is not stealing them. Giving them to God’s enemies IS! You once understood this during a period of uncertainty in the Worldwide Church of God. Ask: Why would now be different?

Leaders will mock and ridicule as ludicrous what they will see as baseless assertions in this announcement. Think. What choice do they have? They must do this! Our extraordinary advancement, expansion, blessings and fruit—SUCCESS in the face of their FAILURE—threatens them. These leaders will wish I would just “leave them alone.” (Translate this, “Quit telling people what’s really going on. We need them in the dark.”) They (so will others) will say, “How presumptuous—and arrogant—of David Pack to make such pronouncements! Who does he think he is?” Certainly these statements are provocative. But these things WILL HAPPEN, and the even barely discerning reader will see they already are! What is written in these announcements are not the “forecasts” of another ignorant, false prophet kook (you know the names). I am not a prophet. These are GOD’S words, made most clear in Scripture. There is no need to invent these things (Rom. 1:30). This would just invite what would be well-deserved ridicule when they didn’t come to pass. But neither is there need to defend them—nor in any way to convince you of them. God will. Like all of God’s designated servants, my job is to inform, prepare and warn of what God says is coming.

God loves His people—all of them, and no matter where they are. He is not going to abandon them under false governments and false leaders, spewing false doctrines within organizations He did not build. He is duty bound to show them where to go, and in fact to deliver them Himself—if they will follow.

Great numbers are thankful and excited about these weekly announcements. Naturally, others are dubious. And also naturally, some few attack the author. Though enthusiasm is growing—over 11,000 have downloaded just my article, “God’s People Back Together—SOON!”—most will not come here in any great numbers YET because of the blizzard of lies about The Restored Church of God in general, and me in particular, that they cannot seem to fight their way through. The “culminating event” will be the only thing able to awaken some people. God knows this.

In sharp contrast to the seven trends above, the picture in The Restored Church of God will be entirely different—and the opposite. God’s Church will continue to grow and EXPLODE with His blessings! YOU WILL WATCH THIS. In fact, you will be unable to miss the chasmic difference between us and your organization!

Keep reading these weekly announcements to regularly learn more of what we will be doing and of what is coming. Next Friday I will cover WHY these things are happening, as well as the short-term strategy that leaders will employ to try to explain away what they are unable to stop. Do not miss next week!

Preeminent Golf Course Developer to Shape the Grounds for The Restored Church of God Campus

By David C. Pack

NOTICE: This is the EIGHTH in a series of special weekly announcements that appear every Friday. There are now six that follow it. They collectively unveil the massive, ongoing expansion that God’s Church, Work and Headquarters are experiencing. There is a reason for this expansion! The reader should contrast these Friday announcements to the increasing bad news and bad events in UCG, LCG, PCG, COGwa and ALL splinters and slivers of the Worldwide Church of God. You must see what they are NOT announcing, and why they never will—and what GOD is bringing upon them. The place to start reading is either the fifth announcement—“God’s People Back Together—SOON!”—or the first one to catch up on all you have missed. If you begin with the fifth announcement, then read those before and after it. They are all important. An enormous and detailed prophecy is now being carried out by God. He is preparing events to soon bring His people back together—all of them. It is not my task to convince you the prophecy is true. God will do that! My job is to systematically lay out the specifics of what will happen and WHY—good and bad, pleasant and unpleasant. YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS A SINGLE WEEK! If you do, CATCH UP. Also, you will miss the full impact if you skip sections of these announcements.

God has opened yet another door to His Church—another blessing, and one coming with a major discount. We are delighted to announce that the campus for The Restored Church of God Headquarters in Wadsworth, Ohio, will be shaped and sculpted by world-renowned golf course developer John C. Copeland. Mr. Copeland has been involved in more than 50 golf course projects in 12 countries, and the extraordinary skill of this man and his team will ensure a beautiful setting for the rapidly expanding Work of God.

Some background. In 1983, Mr. Copeland was invited to join the “Golden Bear” staff of golfing legend Jack Nicklaus. For 15 years he constructed “Jack Nicklaus courses” all over the world, including annual upgrades to PGA National Resort & Spa’s “Champion Course” in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, current home of the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic. Our landscaping manager, who himself led the development of several very large golf resorts around the world, worked with Mr. Copeland on this project. Among his many projects as then Vice President of Field Operations for Paragon Golf Construction, Inc. (a Jack Nicklaus company), Mr. Copeland was instrumental in the planning and development of Gleneagles golf club/resort in Scotland, the location of the 2014 Ryder Cup. As president and CEO of his own company, Superior Golf Concepts, Inc., he is now involved with projects throughout the United States, but also the world. Most recently, because of his expertise in building environmentally responsible golf courses, well-known developer Donald Trump has currently engaged him in an extensive renovation of the Ritz Carlton Golf Club located in Jupiter, Florida.

Mr. Copeland’s shaping skill and meticulous attention to detail will provide a gorgeous environment for the Headquarters Hall of Administration and other buildings soon to come. Planned to reflect the magnificent Pasadena Ambassador campus, the exquisitely shaped grounds will offer an inspiring location for Church activities, including weekly services, ministerial conferences and a convention site for the annual Feast of Tabernacles. The elegance of the grounds and dignity of the Hall of Administration, in the center of numerous buildings, will also provide a fitting environment to receive visiting dignitaries. Simply beautiful, the campus will be a location without equal in Ohio.

Mr. Copeland’s work will assist in creating a jewel in the Wadsworth local community, and we are pleased to announce that there will be a public area where residents may enjoy spectacular flower gardens and specially decorated grounds. Overseeing only about four or five projects anywhere in the world at one time, Mr. Copeland came to know about our campus development, and “feels honored” that he could participate for “as long as needed.” We plan to use his services through all phases of our development.

Regular readers know that our campus development is just one part of this large and growing Work. Occasionally, only a few statistics are enough to provide special insight: The Restored Church of God is now receiving many thousands of letters and emails each week. Responses from The World to Come™ broadcasts are growing exponentially. Our viewership is going straight up. Hardcopy literature distribution is skyrocketing. Statistical downloads are becoming enormous. Our websites are absolute titans on the Internet. (And we do not “gin up” our statistical ranking, as does UCG for instance, by linking local sites to one grand total to look much bigger than we are.) We are also seeing a tremendous number of new co-workers and donors due to the immense worldwide television effort. The number of brand new contributors in March over February was about 80 percent more than we typically see. And recognize that six of our new TV contracts have not yet taken effect.

God’s Church is into the final powerful PUSH of His Work—and ascent upward further into the “world conversation” that we know we are destined to experience in an ever greater way.

Almighty God almost certainly planned for this for a long time, maybe even thousands of years, but we did not imagine growing so big so fast. NO ONE COULD! We in The Restored Church of God are truly grateful for what God is doing. And the Work today should be seen as just a drop in the bucket compared to what we know is still going to be done. Of course, this is in part because of the coming fulfillment of the great prophecy about the reunification of God’s people that lies just before us—that involves the readers of these weekly announcements.

A couple sample statistics from March tell the tale: Easter is a time when many around the world are curious about origins. Many thousands daily find the truth on our websites, and much of it through organic (non-advertised) searches. On Easter Sunday alone, over 60,000 visitors came to just ONE of our websites—averaging an astonishing 2,500 visitors per hour, but peaking at over 4,700 per hour (1.3 per second). We reached people from 182 countries and territories—in ONE DAY! On Easter day, 44,369 Easter booklets were downloaded. (Then there are the thousands of people who requested the Easter booklet in hardcopy form.) Imagine what Mr. Armstrong would say about just this one statistic—seen nowhere else.

Truly, just as Mr. Armstrong wrote publicly in his last letter, and expressed privately to others, the “greatest Work” DID “lie ahead”—and the greatest part of that Work to be done STILL lies ahead! You can be part of it.

Brethren in every splinter: God continues to bless HIS Work! Ask yourself why He is not doing this in the organization you attend. Ask why God’s one Church experiences such unity, genuine love, harmony, peace, production, massive expansion, growth in all categories of measurement, open doors, surging income, while yours sees only competing ideas, contentions and disunity. Ask why, as God’s Church continues to blossom, your organization continues to wither.

Make no mistake: Conditions in all the splinters will get worse—MUCH worse—not better! But we will all be back together soon.

Remember to keep watching this page EVERY FRIDAY for special announcements! Do not miss next week.

New Mail Processing Center—Several More World to Come Television Timeslots

By David C. Pack

NOTICE: This is the SEVENTH in a series of special weekly announcements that appear every Friday. There are now seven that follow it. They collectively unveil the massive, ongoing expansion that God’s Church, Work and Headquarters are experiencing. There is a reason for this expansion! The reader should contrast these Friday announcements to the increasing bad news and bad events in UCG, LCG, PCG, COGwa and ALL splinters and slivers of the Worldwide Church of God. You must see what they are NOT announcing, and why they never will—and what GOD is bringing upon them. The place to start reading is either the fifth announcement—“God’s People Back Together—SOON!”—or the first one to catch up on all you have missed. If you begin with the fifth announcement, then read those before and after it. They are all important. An enormous and detailed prophecy is now being carried out by God. He is preparing events to soon bring His people back together—all of them. It is not my task to convince you the prophecy is true. God will do that! My job is to systematically lay out the specifics of what will happen and WHY—good and bad, pleasant and unpleasant. YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS A SINGLE WEEK! If you do, CATCH UP. Also, you will miss the full impact if you skip sections of these announcements.

(1) We are thrilled to announce a second building on our new Headquarters campus—a 12,000-square-foot Mail Processing Center (MPC). Site work begins next week, with construction quickly to follow. Our tremendous media growth (more is listed below) is causing literature distribution to explode. This requires much more space, equipment and manpower. The new MPC will house the Church’s mailing and in-house print operations, as well as the Landscaping and Construction Departments. This second building is also being built WITHOUT the need for BANK FINANCING! (Incidentally, it is our hope that we can soon announce a third building.)

The newest building is shown from two angles so viewers can also enjoy a sampling of the beautiful gardens that will dress the whole campus. (Reflecting the Pasadena campus, more gardens will appear, including even in some areas shown here.)

(2) Be sure to view the short time-lapse video of the Hall of Administration construction, spanning from May 17 through March 22.

(3) New Zealand had been left out of the initial worldwide media expansion. But The World to Come™ television program will now be seen on three separate stations in New Zealand. The first is a Sunday 5:30 a.m. timeslot on TVNZ TV ONE. New Zealand’s best channel, this is also its top slot for religious programming. It became available when it was suddenly vacated by the Philadelphia Church of God. Various recent slots have suddenly come to us because of financial difficulties in the big splinters that held them. (For instance, according to several listings, LCG now also appears to have abandoned its high-viewership BET time slot. This is part of God’s Plan being carried out.) The second New Zealand station being added is PRIME. It is at 7:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings. A third slot (Thursday evening primetime) is on The Word Network, through satellite at 8:30 p.m.

(4) The fourth media addition this week is in Davenport, Iowa. We will be on Fox KLJB, Sundays at 7:00 a.m. starting April 28.

To appreciate the expansion of The World to Come just in the United States, one only needs to see our jammed 12-page media brochure (four pages one month ago and half a page two months ago). We now reach 599 outlets in the United States through ION stations, ION cable affiliates, CW Plus, The Word Network, and various independent stations. We are reaching 37 metro areas with 3 outlets, 232 with 2 outlets, and 328 with at least 1 outlet. Since January God’s Church has gone from under 50 metro areas to 599—just in the U.S. We also overlay Canada on 3 networks, all of Europe on 2, South Africa on 2, New Zealand on 3, and almost all remaining nations on at least 1 network. Consider this. Under Mr. Armstrong, it is commonly said that God’s Work eventually reached a peak of 357 U.S. television stations (outlets). Not a perfect comparison because of the very different circumstances in the way television access works today, we have (very conservatively) 907 “outlets”—TV stations, cable and broadband coverage, but not counting satellite coverage, in these metro areas. Satellite reaches tens of millions more people in a way that Mr. Armstrong never could. So do our websites and YouTube on an Internet that also never existed in Mr. Armstrong’s time. These yield an increasing additional millions of World to Come video views annually. And we are just beginning!

Remember, keep watching this page EVERY FRIDAY for continuing special announcements! You will be stunned weekly at the developing—and crescendoing—announcements you see.

Massive Television Expansion of The World to Come Continues, Plus Other Advancements

By David C. Pack

NOTICE: This is the SIXTH in a series of special weekly announcements that appear every Friday. There are now eight that follow it. They collectively unveil the massive, ongoing expansion that God’s Church, Work and Headquarters are experiencing. There is a reason for this expansion! The reader should contrast these Friday announcements to the increasing bad news and bad events in UCG, LCG, PCG, COGwa and ALL splinters and slivers of the Worldwide Church of God. You must see what they are NOT announcing, and why they never will—and what GOD is bringing upon them. The place to start reading is either the fifth announcement—“God’s People Back Together—SOON!”—or the first one to catch up on all you have missed. If you begin with the fifth announcement, then read those before and after it. They are all important. An enormous and detailed prophecy is now being carried out by God. He is preparing events to soon bring His people back together—all of them. It is not my task to convince you the prophecy is true. God will do that! My job is to systematically lay out the specifics of what will happen and WHY—good and bad, pleasant and unpleasant. YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS A SINGLE WEEK! If you do, CATCH UP. Also, you will miss the full impact if you skip sections of these announcements.

For the last five Fridays in a row, I or The Restored Church of God have made dramatic announcements. These weekly postings will continue indefinitely every Friday! You will want to return each week to see what is being announced. Bear in mind that all of the following additional television expansion, listed momentarily, is being added while we are still building our Headquarters campus without use of bank financing. (We expect to announce next Friday the start of a second building, again without bank financing. We will unveil the building next Friday. A timelapse video of our Hall of Administration will also be posted at that time. And we are on schedule to occupy the “Hall” seven weeks from today.)

First, note that almost 5,000 people (over 700 per day) already have read last Friday’s posted article, “God’s People Back Together—SOON!” The letters we are receiving from all the major splinters have been MOST GRATIFYING. Many are waking up to what they let themselves come to believe without careful analysis. To understand the weekly announcements that will continue, you must read this article!

Second, The Restored Church of God has now launched (today) its new Chinese-language website. This adds an eighth language to the Church’s range of translations! For the first time, God’s Church is publishing the true gospel for over 700 million Mandarin Chinese-readers on the Internet worldwide. Four booklets are now available, and additional literature will be added regularly. Revelation 10:11 states that when God’s Church “prophesies again” it is to be “before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” This is being done with ever greater power.

Third, the POWERFUL worldwide expansion of The World to Come™ television broadcast continues with the addition of 187.6 million new television households around the world. God continues to GREATLY bless His Work. We continue exploding forward and rocketing straight up in every regard. PCG, LCG and UCG all are suffering shrinking income and loss of media coverage as a result (having done nothing, COGwa has nothing to lose)—and this will quickly grow much worse, with repercussions in all directions for these rapidly declining organizations.

The World to Come has now added more coverage in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East and North Africa—but also South Africa by next week. This is coming just 14 days after a huge announcement on March 8. Perhaps take time to read the list of 203 stations added just two weeks ago.

(A) All across Scandinavia and Europe, The World to Come will reach 113.1 million households on the Gospel Channel. This network is broadcast throughout the continent on satellite, as well as Sky UK and Canal Digital in Norway.

(B) More millions in Australia and New Zealand will be reached through satellite coverage via The Word Network! Also, both TV ONE and Prime TV networks in New Zealand will launch on Sunday, April 7 to a combined 3.1 million households—effectively blanketing that nation three times. These new stations will be available via Freeview, Sky satellite and cable providers across the country. (We expect to announce additional nationwide network coverage in Australia next month or very soon.)

(C) The Middle East and North Africa will also receive new coverage on Arabsat through The Word Network. More than 56 million African and Middle Eastern households can now receive God’s truth! The Word Network now reaches an estimated 610 million households worldwide. (More new broadband coverage on this network reaches the island of Jamaica.)

(D) In South Africa, all subscribers of one network will soon be reached with a Sunday afternoon prime-time slot.

(E) In Canada, through the Winnipeg superstation Joytv11, The World to Come will now be aired to 5 million households (growing to over 8.5 million later this year) via Bell ExpressVu satellite, as well as a variety of cable providers. This complements the 7.4 million subscribers on recently launched Grace TV, who can watch on Shaw Direct satellite, Rogers cable and a variety of other providers. Combining these two stations gives the Work full national coverage across Canada.

In a private meeting with a senior vice president of ION, we just learned that included in our latest national ION Television package is cable coverage in virtually every metropolitan area in the country. This means The World to Come will reach an additional 12.8 million households through cable affiliates where ION Television does not have a local station. We did not realize the enormous scope of what was coming to us when LCG abandoned its ION slot, but also how we would benefit when they abandoned other slots. (The World to Come now reaches almost every U.S. household through either ION Television, The CW Plus, cable affiliates and satellite, but also some independent stations.)

These 212 cities are covered by ION through cable affiliates:

1. Abilene, TX
2. Albany, GA
3. Albuquerque, NM
4. Alexandria, LA
5. Alpena, MI
6. Altoona, PA
7. Amarillo, TX
8. Anchorage, AK
9. Appleton, WI
10. Asheville, NC
11. Auburn, ME
12. Augusta, GA
13. Austin, MN
14. Austin, TX
15. Bakersfield, CA
16. Baltimore, MD
17. Bangor, ME
18. Baton Rouge, LA
19. Bay City, MI
20. Beaumont, TX
21. Beckley, WV
22. Billings, MT
23. Biloxi, MS
24. Binghamton, NY
25. Bismarck, ND
26. Bloomington, IL
27. Bluefield, WV
28. Boise, ID
29. Bowling Green, KY
30. Bozeman, MT
31. Bristol, VA
32. Burlington, VT
33. Butte, MT
34. Cadillac, MI
35. Cape Girardeau, MO
36. Casper, WY
37. Champaign, IL
38. Charleston, SC
39. Charlotte, NC
40. Chattanooga, TN
41. Cheyenne, WY
42. Chico, CA
43. Cincinnati, OH
44. Clarksburg, WV
45. Colorado Springs, CO
46. Columbia, MO
47. Columbia, SC
48. Columbus, GA
49. Columbus, MS
50. Columbus, OH
51. Corpus Christi, TX
52. Davenport, IA
53. Dayton, OH
54. Decatur, AL
55. Decatur, IL
56. Dickinson, ND
57. Dothan, AL
58. Duluth, MN
59. Eau Claire, WI
60. El Centro, CA
61. El Dorado, AR
62. El Paso, TX
63. Elkhart, IN
64. Elmira, NY
65. Erie, PA
66. Eugene, OR
67. Eureka, CA
68. Evansville, IN
69. Fargo, ND
70. Fayetteville, AR
71. Flint, MI
72. Florence, AL
73. Florence, SC
74. Fort Myers, FL
75. Fort Smith, AR
76. Fort Wayne, IN
77. Fresno, CA
78. Gainesville, FL
79. Glendive, MT
80. Grand Junction, CO
81. Great Falls, MT
82. Green Bay, WI
83. Greenville, MS
84. Greenville, SC
85. Greenwood, MS
86. Hannibal, MO
87. Harrisburg, PA
88. Harrisonburg, VA
89. Hastings, NE
90. Hattiesburg, MS
91. Helena, MT
92. Huntsville, AL
93. Hutchinson, KS
94. Idaho Falls, ID
95. Jackson, MS
96. Jackson, TN
97. Jefferson City, MO
98. Johnson City, TN
99. Johnstown, PA
100. Joplin, MO
101. Kearney, NE
102. Keokuk, IA
103. Kingsport, TN
104. La Crosse, WI
105. Lafayette, LA
106. Lake Charles, LA
107. Lansing, MI
108. Laredo, TX
109. Las Vegas, NV
110. Laurel, MS
111. Lebanon, PA
112. Lima, OH
113. Lincoln, NE
114. Little Rock, AR
115. Longview, TX
116. Louisville, KY
117. Lubbock, TX
118. Macon, GA
119. Madison, WI
120. Mankato, MN
121. Marquette, MI
122. Mason City, IA
123. Medford, OR
124. Meridian, MS
125. Minot, ND
126. Missoula, MT
127. Mobile, AL
128. Moline, IL
129. Monroe, LA
130. Monterey, CA
131. Montgomery, AL
132. Montrose, CO
133. Mount Vernon, IL
134. Myrtle Beach, SC
135. Naples, FL
136. North Platte, NE
137. Oak Hill, WV
138. Omaha, NE
139. Ottumwa, IA
140. Paducah, KY
141. Panama City, FL
142. Parkersburg, WV
143. Pasco, WA
144. Peoria, IL
145. Petersburg, VA
146. Pine Bluff, AR
147. Pittsburg, KS
148. Plattsburgh, NY
149. Pocatello, ID
150. Port Arthur, TX
151. Portland, ME
152. Presque Isle, ME
153. Pueblo, CO
154. Quincy, IL
155. Rapid City, SD
156. Redding, CA
157. Reno, NV
158. Richland, WA
159. Richmond, VA
160. Riverton, WY
161. Rochester, MN
162. Rochester, NY
163. Rock Island, IL
164. Rockford, IL
165. Rogers, AR
166. Saginaw, MI
167. Salinas, CA
168. Salisbury, MD
169. San Angelo, TX
170. San Diego, CA
171. San Luis Obispo, CA
172. Santa Barbara, CA
173. Santa Fe, NM
174. Savannah, GA
175. Scottsbluff, NE
176. Sherman, TX
177. Shreveport, LA
178. Sioux City, IA
179. Sioux Falls, SD
180. South Bend, IN
181. Spartanburg, SC
182. Springdale, AR
183. Springfield, IL
184. Springfield, MO
185. St. Joseph, MO
186. St. Louis, MO
187. Steubenville, OH
188. Tallahassee, FL
189. Temple, TX
190. Terre Haute, IN
191. Toledo, OH
192. Topeka, KS
193. Traverse City, MI
194. Tucson, AZ
195. Tupelo, MS
196. Tyler, TX
197. Utica, NY
198. Valley City, ND
199. Visalia, CA
200. Waco, TX
201. Watertown, NY
202. Wausau, WI
203. West Point, MS
204. Wheeling, WV
205. Wichita Falls, TX
206. Wichita, KS
207. Wilmington, NC
208. Yakima, WA
209. York, PA
210. Youngstown, OH
211. Yuma, AZ
212. Zanesville, OH

Be sure to come back next week.

Article: “God’s People Back Together—SOON!”

By David C. Pack

NOTICE: This is the FIFTH in a series of special weekly announcements that appear every Friday. There are now nine that follow it. They collectively unveil the massive, ongoing expansion that God’s Church, Work and Headquarters are experiencing. There is a reason for this expansion! The reader should contrast these Friday announcements to the increasing bad news and bad events in UCG, LCG, PCG, COGwa and ALL splinters and slivers of the Worldwide Church of God. You must see what they are NOT announcing, and why they never will—and what GOD is bringing upon them. The place to start reading is either this fifth announcement—“God’s People Back Together—SOON!”—or the first one to catch up on all you have missed. If you begin with this one, then read those before and after it. They are all important. An enormous and detailed prophecy is now being carried out by God. He is preparing events to soon bring His people back together—all of them. It is not my task to convince you the prophecy is true. God will do that! My job is to systematically lay out the specifics of what will happen and WHY—good and bad, pleasant and unpleasant. YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS A SINGLE WEEK! If you do, CATCH UP. Also, you will miss the full impact if you skip sections of these announcements.

Announced earlier, the most important and conclusive article I have written to the Worldwide Church of God splinters has been posted! I promise this will be the single most crucial one you will ever read. If you do not read it all, it will be the worst decision you have made since God called you. Believe this!

If there were just one book or article I have written that you could be compelled to read, this would be it. Start it, and you will almost certainly go on to read (and study) it multiple times!

God wants His people together. A detailed and powerful prophecy reveals that He is planning to bring it about. This article introduces how and why God’s people—every last one—will SOON be back together!

The World to Come – Nationwide U.S. Sunday Morning Debut

By David C. Pack

NOTICE: This is the FOURTH in a series of special weekly announcements that appear every Friday. There are now 10 that follow it. They collectively unveil the massive, ongoing expansion that God’s Church, Work and Headquarters are experiencing. There is a reason for this expansion! The reader should contrast these Friday announcements to the increasing bad news and bad events in UCG, LCG, PCG, COGwa and ALL splinters and slivers of the Worldwide Church of God. You must see what they are NOT announcing, and why they never will—and what GOD is bringing upon them. An enormous and detailed prophecy is now being carried out by God. He is preparing events to soon bring His people back together—all of them. It is not my task to convince you the prophecy is true. God will do that! My job is to systematically lay out the specifics of what will happen and WHY—good and bad, pleasant and unpleasant. YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS A SINGLE WEEK! If you do, CATCH UP. Also, you will miss the full impact if you skip sections of these announcements.

March 10, 2013, marks the national Sunday morning (6:30 a.m. ET) ION Television debut of The World to Come™ in the U.S.—reaching more than 88.6 million households in the 88 major metropolitan areas with ION stations. (It will air Wednesday mornings at 6:00 a.m., also nationwide, for three weeks to help viewers transition to our new Sunday slot.) The following Sunday, March 17, sees the program debut across the U.S. on The CW Plus network also at 6:30 a.m. ET. The list now includes 203 total cities. In addition to these two quantum leaps is the launch of two new independent stations: Wednesday, March 13, 6:00 a.m. on WLYH in Harrisburg, PA and Sunday, March 17, 6:00 a.m. on WRBU in St. Louis, MO. Two other previously announced independent stations launched this last week in Charlotte, NC and Cincinnati, OH.

This surge forward places The World to Come—the premier biblically-based television program—among the prime religious programming timeslots. (On Friday, March 22, we will announce the new cities and nations to be added in April. On Friday, March 15, I will post a crucial new article for all those who have God’s Spirit. Do not miss either announcement.)

Below are the 88 cities with ION local stations. ION Television is also available on satellite nationwide in the U.S. (including Alaska and Hawaii) on DISH and DIRECTV, as well as in select areas via cable affiliates. See local listings for times and channels.

1. Akron, OH – WVPX
2. Albany, NY – WYPX
3. Ames, IA – KFPX
4. Atlanta, GA – WPXA
5. Battle Creek, MI – WZPX
6. Birmingham, AL – WPXH
7. Boston, MA – WBPX
8. Buffalo, NY – WPXJ
9. Cedar Rapids, IA – KPXR
10. Charleston, WV – WLPX
11. Chicago, IL – WCPX
12. Cleveland, OH – WVPX
13. Dallas, TX – KPXD
14. Daytona Beach, FL – WOPX
15. Denver, CO – KPXC
16. Des Moines, IA – KFPX
17. Detroit, MI – WPXD
18. Dubuque, IA – KPXR
19. Durham, NC – WRPX
20. Fort Pierce, FL – WPXP
21. Ft. Lauderdale, FL – WPXM
22. Ft. Worth, TX – KPXD
23. Grand Rapids, MI – WZPX
24. Greensboro, NC – WGPX
25. Greenville, NC – WEPX
26. Hartford, CT – WHPX
27. High Point, NC – WGPX
28. Honolulu, HI – KPXO
29. Houston, TX – KPXB
30. Huntington, WV – WLPX
31. Indianapolis, IN – WIPX
32. Jacksonville, FL – WPXC
33. Kalamazoo, MI – WZPX
34. Kansas City, MO – KPXE
35. Knoxville, TN – WPXK
36. Lexington, KY – WUPX
37. Los Angeles, CA – KPXN
38. Lynchburg, VA – WPXR
39. Manchester, NH – WBPX
40. Melbourne, FL – WOPX
41. Memphis, TN – WPXX
42. Miami, FL – WPXM
43. Milwaukee, WI – WPXE
44. Minneapolis, MN – KPXM
45. Modesto, CA – KSPX
46. Nashville, TN – WNPX
47. New Bedford, MA – WPXQ
48. New Bern, NC – WEPX
49. New Haven, CT – WHPX
50. New Orleans, LA – WPXL
51. New York, NY – WPXN
52. Newport News, VA – WPXV
53. Norfolk, VA – WPXV
54. Oakland, CA – KKPX
55. Oklahoma City, OK – KOPX
56. Orlando, FL – WOPX
57. Philadelphia, PA – WPPX
58. Phoenix, AZ – KPPX
59. Pittsburgh, PA – WINP
60. Portland, OR – KPXG
61. Portsmouth, VA – WPXV
62. Providence, RI – WPXQ
63. Raleigh, NC – WRPX
64. Roanoke, VA – WPXR
65. Sacramento, CA – KSPX
66. Salt Lake City, UT – KUPX
67. San Antonio, TX – KPXL
68. San Francisco, CA – KKPX
69. San Jose, CA – KKPX
70. Sarasota, FL – WXPX
71. Schenectady, NY – WYPX
72. Scranton, PA – WQPX
73. Seattle, WA – KWPX
74. Spokane, WA – KGPX
75. St. Paul, MN – KPXM
76. St. Petersburg, FL – WXPX
77. Stockton, CA – KSPX
78. Syracuse, NY – WSPX
79. Tacoma, WA – KWPX
80. Tampa, FL – WXPX
81. Troy, NY – WYPX
82. Tulsa, OK – KTPX
83. Washington, DC – WPXW
84. Washington, NC – WEPX
85. Waterloo, IA – KPXR
86. West Palm Beach, FL – WPXP
87. Wilkes-Barre, PA – WQPX
88. Winston-Salem, NC – WGPX

The following 115 cities either have station affiliates for The CW Plus (111), or are independents (4). (Select cities in this list are also broadcast on cable affiliates and local satellite packages. See local listings for times and channels.)

89. Abilene, TX – KTXS-DT2
90. Ada, OK – KTEN-DT2
91. Albany, GA – WSWG-DT3
92. Alpena, MI – WBAE
93. Anchorage, AK – KYUR-DT2
94. Augusta, GA – WAGT-DT2
95. Beaumont, TX – KFDM-DT2
96. Bend, OR – KTVZ-DT2
97. Billings, MT – KTVQ-DT2
98. Biloxi, MS – WBGP
99. Bismarck, ND – KWMK
100. Bloomington, IL – WHOI-DT2
101. Boise, ID – KYUU-LP / KBOI-DT2
102. Bowling Green, KY – WBKO-DT3
103. Bozeman, MT – KXLF-DT2 / KBZK-DT2
104. Brownsville, TX – KCWT / KNVO-DT4
105. Butte, MT – KXLF-DT2 / KBZK-DT2
106. Cadillac, MI – WBVC
107. Casper, WY – KWYF / KFNB-DT2
108. Charleston, SC – WCBD-DT2
109. Cheyenne, WY – KGWN-DT3 / KCHW
110. Clarksburg, WV – WVFX-DT2
111. Columbia, MO – KOMU-DT3
112. Columbus, GA – WLTZ-DT2
113. Corpus Christi, TX – KRIS-DT2
114. Dickinson, ND – KWMK
115. Duluth, MN – KDLH-DT2
116. El Centro, CA – KECY-DT3
117. Eureka, CA – KUVU-LP / KVIQ-DT3
118. Fairbanks, AK – KATN-DT2
119. Fargo, ND – WDAY-DT2 / WDAZ-DT2
120. Fayetteville, AR – KHBS-DT2 / KHOG-DT2
121. Florence, SC – WWMB-DT2
122. Fort Smith, AR – KHBS-DT2 / KHOG-DT2
123. Ft. Wayne, IN – WPTA-DT2
124. Glendive, MT – KWZB
125. Grand Junction, CO – KJCT-DT3
126. Great Falls, MT – KRTV-DT2
127. Greenville, MS – WBWD
128. Greenwood, MS – WBWD
129. Gulfport, MS – WBGP
130. Harlingen, TX – KCWT / KNVO-DT4
131. Hastings, NE – KWBL
132. Hattiesburg, MS – WHPM-DT2
133. Holyoke, MA – WBQT
134. Idaho Falls, ID – KIFI-DT3
135. Jackson, TN – WBJK
136. Jefferson City, MO – KOMU-DT3
137. Jonesboro, AR – KJOS
138. Joplin, MO – KSXF
139. Juneau, AK – KJUD-DT2
140. Kearney, NE – KWBL
141. Kirksville, MO – KWOT
142. Lafayette, LA – KATC-DT2
143. Lake Charles, LA – KVHP-DT2
144. Lansing, MI – WLAJ-DT2
145. Laredo, TX – KGNS-DT2
146. Laurel, MS – WHPM-DT2
147. Lawton, OK – KAUZ-DT2
148. Lima, OH – WBOH
149. Lincoln, NE – KWBL
150. Longview, TX – KYTX-DT2
151. Lubbock, TX – KLCW-DT1
152. Macon, GA – WBMN
153. Mankato, MN – KWYE
154. Marquette, MI – WBKP-DT1 / WBUP-DT2
155. Mason City, IA – KTTC-DT2
156. Meridian, MS – WTOK-DT3
157. Minot, ND – KWMK
158. Missoula, MT – KPAX-DT2
159. Monterey, CA – KION-DT2
160. Montrose, CO – KJCT-DT3
161. Myrtle Beach, SC – WWMB-DT2
162. North Platte, NE – KWPL
163. Ottumwa, IA – KWOT
164. Panama City, FL – WJHG-DT2
165. Parkersburg, WV – WCWP
166. Pasco, WA – KIMA-DT2 / KEPR-DT2
167. Peoria, IL – WHOI-DT2
168. Pittsburg, KS – KSXF
169. Pocatello, ID – KIFI-DT3
170. Port Arthur, TX – KFDM-DT2
171. Presque Isle, ME – WBPQ
172. Richland, WA – KIMA-DT2 / KEPR-DT2
173. Riverton, WY – KWYF / KFNB-DT2
174. Rochester, MN – KTTC-DT2
175. Rockford, IL – WREX-DT2
176. Salinas, CA – KION-DT2
177. San Angelo, TX – KWSA
178. Savannah, GA – WGSA-DT2
179. Scottsbluff, NE – KGWN-DT3 / KCHW
180. Sherman, TX – KTEN-DT2
181. Springdale, AR – KHBS-DT2 / KHOG-DT2
182. Springfield, MA – WBQT
183. St. Joseph, MO – WBJO / KNPN-DT3
184. Steubenville, OH – WBWO
185. Superior, WI – KDLH-DT2
186. Sweetwater, TX – KTXS-DT2
187. Terre Haute, IN – WBI
188. Traverse City, MI – WBVC
189. Tyler, TX – KYTX-DT2
190. Valley City, ND – WDAY-DT2 / WDAZ-DT2
191. Victoria, TX – KWVB
192. Weslaco, TX – KCWT / KNVO-DT4
193. Weston, WV – WVFX-DT2
194. Wheeling, WV – WBWO
195. Wichita Falls, TX – KAUZ-DT2
196. Wilmington, NC – WBW
197. Yakima, WA – KIMA-DT2 / KEPR-DT2
198. Yuma, AZ – KECY-DT3
199. Zanesville, OH – WBZV
200. Charlotte, NC – Independent station WAXN (launched March 3)
201. Cincinnati, OH – Independent station WSTR (launched March 6)
202. Harrisburg, PA – Independent station WLYH
203. St. Louis, MO – Independent station WRBU

In April, The World to Come begins nationwide Sunday, April 7 at 5:00 a.m. in New Zealand on TVNZ TV ONE—the nation’s top network, reaching 95% of television households. It immediately follows BBC News. TVNZ will join existing international broadcasts on Grace TV in Canada (reaching over 70% of households there), The Word Network (558.4 million estimated households worldwide), Sky UK (67% of the UK subscription TV market), Sky Italia (24% of Italian homes) and Tata Sky (over 10 million subscribers in India).

Check our new station listing page on worldtocome.org to find your city.

*All television identifiers are registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Stunning New Book

By David C. Pack

NOTICE: This is the THIRD in a series of special weekly announcements that appear every Friday. There are now 11 that follow it. They collectively unveil the massive, ongoing expansion that God’s Church, Work and Headquarters are experiencing. There is a reason for this expansion! The reader should contrast these Friday announcements to the increasing bad news and bad events in UCG, LCG, PCG, COGwa and ALL splinters and slivers of the Worldwide Church of God. You must see what they are NOT announcing, and why they never will—and what GOD is bringing upon them. An enormous and detailed prophecy is now being carried out by God. He is preparing events to soon bring His people back together—all of them. It is not my task to convince you the prophecy is true. God will do that! My job is to systematically lay out the specifics of what will happen and WHY—good and bad, pleasant and unpleasant. YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS A SINGLE WEEK! If you do, CATCH UP. Also, you will miss the full impact if you skip sections of these announcements.

A completed new book, Mounting Worldwide Crisis in Agriculture, by Dale L. Schurter, trumpets a truly dire warning of the severe damage that man has inflicted on Earth’s soil—the ultimate source of all food.

This absolutely fascinating and thoroughly researched and documented volume introduces and carefully explains the devastating cumulative worldwide effects of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, including insecticides, herbicides and fungicides. It exposes the truth behind Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), monoculture farming and other manmade techniques used, as well as revealing the sobering implications now confronting all nations. But the book also brings to light the wonderful good news of how our planet’s ecosystem can and will be renewed by God—not men.

Mr. Schurter, the world’s foremost authority on biblical agriculture, has traveled to dozens of nations teaching sustainable husbandry based on God’s laws. As an ordained minister of The Restored Church of God, he directs the Agriculture Education and Research Institute (AERI), a program of the Church’s educational arm, Ambassador Center. He also served as Director of Agricultural Education, Research and Production at Ambassador College in Big Sandy, Texas, a liberal arts college founded by Worldwide Church of God Pastor General Herbert W. Armstrong.

Filled with many, many shocking facts, Mounting Worldwide Crisis in Agriculture conclusively PROVES that the Revelation 6 Black Horse of famine and Pale Horse of pestilence are BOTH galloping full-speed toward civilization. In fact, the book’s power will make you hear their pounding “hooves” just over the horizon.

Dramatic World to Come Television Expansion Continues

By David C. Pack

NOTICE: This is the SECOND in a series of special weekly announcements that appear every Friday. There are now 12 that follow it. They collectively unveil the massive, ongoing expansion that God’s Church, Work and Headquarters are experiencing. There is a reason for this expansion! The reader should contrast these Friday announcements to the increasing bad news and bad events in UCG, LCG, PCG, COGwa and ALL splinters and slivers of the Worldwide Church of God. You must see what they are NOT announcing, and why they never will—and what GOD is bringing upon them. An enormous and detailed prophecy is now being carried out by God. He is preparing events to soon bring His people back together—all of them. It is not my task to convince you the prophecy is true. God will do that! My job is to systematically lay out the specifics of what will happen and WHY—good and bad, pleasant and unpleasant. YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS A SINGLE WEEK! If you do, CATCH UP. Also, you will miss the full impact if you skip sections of these announcements.

As God continues to enormously bless His Church, The World to Come™ is expanding its television reach by 118 stations in February, March and April, in both the United States and other parts of the world.

Some background. Many may be aware that The Living Church of God (LCG) is suddenly losing most if not soon all of its national Canadian TV coverage. However, LCG has also abruptly canceled its powerful Sunday nationwide ION slot in the wake of public announcements about financial difficulties.

(1) Therefore, on March 10, The World to Come now moves from its Wednesday morning slot to LCG’s Sunday 6:30 a.m. (ET/PT) slot. This makes our program available to all 88.6 million households covered by the ION Television network and satellites nationwide!

(2) Furthering this major U.S. media expansion, The World to Come will also begin airing (in high definition) across the country on The CW Plus network starting Sunday, March 17 at 6:30 a.m. (ET/PT). The CW Plus affiliates reach 16.2 million households in 110 smaller designated television markets (out of 210).

(3) Also in the U.S., the expansion includes (1) Charlotte, NC, on WAXN TV64 at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 3 (also high definition). Other new independent stations include (2) Cincinnati, OH, on WSTR MyTV beginning Wednesday, March 6 at 6:00 a.m., (3) Harrisburg, PA, on WLYH CW beginning Wednesday, March 13 at 6:00 a.m. and (4) St. Louis, MO, on WRBU MyTV beginning Sunday, March 17 at 6:00 a.m. These cities reach another nearly four million households. (The World to Come now reaches almost exactly six of every seven U.S. television households.)

More independent stations (and additional nations) will be added on a monthly basis—with the goal of reaching all 210 U.S. Designated Market Areas with television by the end of 2013.

(4) Internationally, The World to Come begins nationwide in New Zealand on TVNZ TV ONE (the nation’s top network—reaching 95% of television households) on Sunday, April 7 at 5:00 a.m. It immediately follows BBC News.

(5) Just last Sunday, Grace TV in Canada also began broadcasting The World to Come. This channel reaches over 70% of Canadian households with a television. Viewers may watch on Shaw Direct Satellite from coast to coast. Other sources available include Shaw Cable, Rogers, Source Cable, Telus TV and several others. The broadcast may be also watched around the world via live Internet streaming on computers, smartphones and tablet devices at gracetelevision.net. A full listing of providers and channels may also be found at this same web address.

These networks join existing international outlets including The Word Network (558.4 million estimated households worldwide), Sky UK (67% of the UK subscription TV market), Sky Italia (24% of Italian homes) and Tata Sky (over 10 million subscribers in India).

While the big splinters (including LCG) are pulling back Internet advertising spending, we are pleased to announce that our already large Internet advertising budget has been increased by 57% in 2013. This week alone, we had just under 300,000 downloads. But, since we are the largest biblically based publishing operation in the world, much of this tremendous traffic is non-paid organic.

When God’s Church is pleasing Him in all points, and is totally unified, He blesses it. Many thousands have read my annual “Restored Church of God Fruit” letter. Consider doing this if you have not already.

Therefore, return here regularly for more inspiring announcements of BIG media growth in ever more powerful ways as God continues opening doors within the great “OPEN DOOR” of Revelation 3:8 He has put before His one Work. Imagine the scope and size of God’s Work when it completes in 11 weeks its much-needed, multi-million-dollar Headquarters building being constructed without bank financing.

Time is short. BELIEVE US WHEN WE SAY WE ARE JUST BEGINNING!

*All television identifiers are registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Annual Open Letter – “The Restored Church of God: Much Fruit—Proof God Leads This Church!”

By David C. Pack

NOTICE: This is the FIRST in a series of special weekly announcements that appear every Friday. There are now 13 related ones that follow it. They collectively unveil the massive, ongoing expansion that God’s Church, Work and Headquarters are experiencing. There is a reason for this expansion! The reader should contrast these Friday announcements to the increasing bad news and bad events in UCG, LCG, PCG, COGwa and ALL splinters and slivers of the Worldwide Church of God. You must see what they are NOT announcing, and why they never will—and what GOD is bringing upon them. An enormous and detailed prophecy is now being carried out by God. He is preparing events to soon bring His people back together—all of them. It is not my task to convince you the prophecy is true. God will do that! My job is to systematically lay out the specifics of what will happen and WHY—good and bad, pleasant and unpleasant. YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS A SINGLE WEEK! If you do, CATCH UP. Also, you will miss the full impact if you skip sections of these announcements.

My latest letter to members of the WCG offshoots highlights yet another year of The Restored Church of God’s unparalleled growth. In light of Jesus’ words, “You shall know them by their fruits” (Matt. 7:16, 20), the fruit borne in 2012 becomes clear evidence of God’s guidance and blessing on His Church—for those who read with an open mind.