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From Mr. Armstrong About Us Prospective Members Contact Us Admin Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Welcome to the Vigilant CHURCH of GOD The Vigilant Church of God presents the Truth directly from the scriptures to help and guide the scattered Churches of God. The work of KNOCKING AND MEASURING is the work that Jesus Christ is doing in this final era and the Vigilant Church of God is committed to being a Messenger in the service of Jesus Christ. Sabbath services are held in an on-line meeting room. To join this service, Contact Us. Latest Sermon on Spotify Visit Vigilant Radio podcast at: Spotify Featured video for former Worldwide Church of God members See all videos HERE View all YouTube videos Featured video for members of the scattered Churches of God “Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him” We, in the Vigilant church of God (VCG), are witnesses to the knock of Jesus Christ (Rev. 3:20) being delivered and fulfilled to the Church of God in this Laodicean era. After the death of Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong, who led, under Jesus Christ, the Philadelphia era of the Church of God, an apostasy occurred leading into the Laodicean era. Some fled out of that apostasy forming many different, divided, confused Churches of God with different leaders and watering down doctrines that were restored in the 20 the century. God allowed time, to test the church, to see what each individual would do. The condition of the Church of God, revealed in Rev. 3:14-22 and many other scriptures, prompted God to raise up a work, after approximately twenty-five years into the testing, using a small group of individuals to be a tool in the hand of Jesus Christ in delivering the knock and midnight cry to the Churches of God that have strayed from Him. We, in this VCG, are witnesses to the very fact that Jesus Christ has raised up a messenger (Rev. 3:14), to deliver the knock of Jesus Christ and the midnight cry and to measure (Rev. 11:1-2) the churches of God in Laodicea, which the messenger indeed did. On our Youtube channel , we have over 250 videos that testify to this very fact! At the death of the messenger to the Church of the Laodiceans, the knock of Jesus Christ HAS BEEN FULFILLED. God tested ancient, physical Israel for forty years in the wilderness. Is it mere coincidence that, as of January 16, 2026, it’s been forty years since the death of Mr. Armstrong. Could it be that the test of Laodicea is at its end? Time now is extremely short; Christ is at the doorstep. Again, the VCG are witnesses to the fulfillment of the knock of Jesus Christ being delivered, the handwriting is on the wall. The time to act is NOW, the trumpet has been blown! We, in the VCG, hold the banner of truth up, we echo the inspired words of Matthew 25:6 “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet Him.” Get prepared, get ready, watch and wait, “For the Bridegroom cometh!” Please view the video above “The Trumpet has been blown” Popular Videos Must Listen Jesus sends His leader Mr. Michael Venish 00:00 / 1:04:36 As a member of a Church of God which splintered off of the Worldwide Church of God - Please listen to this message Latest Sermons The Key to Victory Mr. Mike Downing 00:00 / 30:57 Lift Up the Banner Dr. Burrus Smith 00:00 / 38:13 Check Your Blind Spot Mr. Gerhard J Coetzer 00:00 / 53:21 The LOVE of God and YOU Mr. Michael Venish 00:00 / 52:44 Handwriting-is-on-the-Wall Mr Michael Venish 00:00 / 1:19:50 Important Message In John 5:17 Jesus says ".... My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. " To find out what He meant, listen to the audio below... The Knock of Jesus Christ - Rev. 3:20 Mr. Ellery Burgess 00:00 / 29:06 Follow this link Listen to all Audio here Vital Study Aid SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES FOR THE FUNDAMENTAL DOCTRINES OF THE CHURCH OF GOD This listing was composed by ministers of the Worldwide Church of God approximately 1984 or before and was used in the Graduate Spokesman's Club in the Chicago area and is presented here unchanged. While this listing is very detailed, it is not an exhaustive listing of the doctrines of The Church of God. View Doctrines Follow this link

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Prospective Members Page ...not looking each of you to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others (Phil. 2:4). Prospective Member’s Guide Vigilant Church of God herewith welcomes you as a prospective member. Please study this guide thoroughly and feel free to contact us with any questions you may have. Contact details are at the end of this guide. Laodicean Era vs. Philadelphia Era While it is vital to understand the difference between the two Church Eras, if you do not understand Church Eras as it appears in the Book of Revelation, do not be overly concerned, as you will learn what they are by the end of this study (1 Tim 2:15). The first and arguably the most important to understand is that the Philadelphia Era ENDED in 1986 with the death of Mr. Armstrong, the last Apostle and also the type of Elijah (Mal 4:5). The commission of the Philadelphia Era was to take the Gospel to the whole world (Matt 24:14). Mr. Armstrong accomplished this and with his death that phase of the Work was finished. Many C.O.G leaders teach that this is still the Philadelphia Era OR at least that their organisation is a “remnant of Philadelphia”. THIS IS FALSE! The Bible does not teach this, but false leaders use this statement to continue taking tithes and drawing a salary, making merchandise of the brethren (2Pet 2:3) with feigned (fictitious) words. The very truth is that we are now, since the death of Mr. Armstrong, deeply into the Laodicean Era where both leaders and brethren are lukewarm and indifferent (Rev 3:16-17), not believing the Gospel has been preached and that Matthew 24:14 has been fulfilled. So, if this is true, what is the Work of God now, and what are the brethren of God supposed to do, since the Work of preaching the Gospel is complete? Well, here starts your exciting journey with Vigilant Church of God! The Work of the Church of The Laodiceans Notice precisely how your Bible address the final Era of God’s Church in Rev 3:14: “And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write;” (plural) Yes, instead of Christ, the Leader of this Work, addressing the Laodicean Era as a whole, He address each believer individually, knocking on each one’s door (Rev 3:20), asking them to invite Him into their lives once again by “buying gold tried in the fire” (returning to the truth) and anointing their eyes (repenting from a lukewarm attitude) so they may once again believe as before, when Mr. Armstrong restored all things. Read or listen to his own words here . Please take time to study the following material as it will help you to understand the Work in this Era on VCG website: Read “About US” and listen to “The Knock”: https://www.vigilantcog.com/about-us Read or re-read “Mystery of the Ages” or listen to the audio book: https://www.vigilantcog.com/from-mr-armstrong Read the booklet “Tithing”: https://www.vigilantcog.com/_files/ugd/7e4368_d67f1f94721d44e89e6ce34c57e1a4b7.pdf Review VCG video “Save Yourself Brethren”: https://youtu.be/akOi0Vo_zjQ Review VCG video “The Greatest DOCTRINE – restored”: https://youtu.be/gDuXMitpUH0 Review VCG video “The Greatest Doctrine part 2”: https://youtu.be/f0JzgVO8s3M While the above material is given to understand the Work we are doing, there are many more items available on the website, so we urge you to review all you can in the time you have available. While a prospective member, you will be assigned an experienced preaching elder to help guide you through this path to full membership with Vigilant Church of God. Contacts: (Phone or Whatsapp) Mr. Gerhard Coetzer +27 64 248 5710

Who Are We? The Church of God was prophesied to scatter - Daniel 12:7 The Vigilant Church of God is a group of people who believe Jesus Christ raised up an apostle in the 20th century to lead the Philadelphia era of God's Church. That man was Herbert W. Armstrong. In Matt. 28:19-20, Christ gave the commission to preach the gospel to all nations, to His original apostles, not to the Church. When He gave that commission to the apostles, the Church had not yet been born. Christ gave this great commission to the apostles 10 days before the spirit begotten Church of God even existed. Jesus Christ gave that same commission to His end-time, last apostle, Herbert W. Armstrong. Christ spelled it out in clear words in Matthew 24:14 “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations: and then shall the end come” (emphasis ours). Christ also laid the original foundation of the Church by the original apostles, along with the prophets of the old testament, as the apostle Paul said in Ephesians 2:20. Down through the centuries and through great persecution, much, even most, of that foundation became lost. As Christ always places truth in the Church through apostles, so in this end-time, He raised up an apostle to restore that same, original foundation of truth. The commission that Christ gave to his end-time and last apostle, Mr. Armstrong was, two-fold: To preach the gospel of the kingdom to all nations as a witness and to restore the complete, original foundation (the truth) to the Church. Mr. Armstrong faithfully completed the job he was given to do. Matthew 24:14 is a prophecy that has now been fulfilled. Christ said that it would be done, Mr. Armstrong said that he had done it, and many of us saw it being done. Please view the video "The Gospel Has Been Preached" Accomplishing that two-fold commission was the work (of an apostle) in the Philadelphia era of God's Church. It was the work of God and Jesus Christ did that work. Mr. Armstrong often said this is not the private work of Herbert W. Armstrong, this is God's work and Christ is doing it. He said he was the only man that Christ was using. Mr. Armstrong always gave all the credit to Jesus Christ. That was the assigned work of the Philadelphia era and once the job was accomplished, God allowed the apostle, Mr. Armstrong, to die after faithfully serving the Church of God for more than 5 decades. That ended the Philadelphia era, and thus Jesus Christ closed the door to that work. It is Jesus Christ who actually does the work of God and we saw that the work that He did in the 6th era was taking the gospel to all nations as a witness. When that job was done He closed that door and that era ended. So the next era began, which is the 7th and final era and Christ called it Laodicea. What is the work that we find Christ doing in this era ? Rev.3:20 says “Behold I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” Read verses 19-21. The work that Jesus Christ is now doing, in this Laodicean era, is knocking on the hearts of each person who has the Spirit of God dwelling in him/her to open and allow them in to feed them. Though this era thinks it still has the OPEN DOOR OF PHILADELPHIA, it has in actual fact closed the door to Christ! Rev. 3:20 shows that Christ is outside of His Church, not inside. He is calling on them to repent and return to the full truth that He, Christ, had placed in the Church during the previous era, the Philadelphia era. Christ is now measuring His Church, as described in Rev. 11:1-2. The Vigilant Church of God promotes the work Jesus Christ did and is doing through Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong. We believe he was used in the spirit and power of Elijah, to restore the TRUTH and raised up the Philadelphia Work (Revelation 3:7-13). We understand completely that Mr. Armstrong was merely a man whom Christ used as His tool to do that work and we, like Mr. Armstrong give all the credit to Jesus Christ and God the Father. Isaiah 2:22 says “Cease ye from man, whos breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?” We are also totally aware of Jeremiah 17:5 “Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.” Therefore we trust Jesus Christ and His judgment, by respecting the leader that He chose to use. The work of KNOCKING AND MEASURING is the work that Jesus Christ is doing in this final era and the Vigilant Church of God is committed to being a tool as a Messenger in the Hand of Christ, as He does this Work. Therefore, we as a small group are committed to the message of the knock of Christ and holding fast to the faith once delivered. First to the original apostles and finally, to this end-time apostle (Herbert W. Armstrong). We are holding fast to all of the truth of Revelation 3:11, set in the Church by Jesus Christ through His final apostle, Herbert W. Armstrong. The work of preaching the gospel to the world and the Ezekiel work to Israel has been completed. Mr. Armstrong fulfilled those commissions. Listen to Mr. Armstrong saying, "The Work will be finished when I die." For more information, contact Vigilant Church of God at our CONTACT PAGE. "The Knock" sermon by Mr. Ellery Burgess The Knock of Christ - Mr. Ellery Burgess 00:00 / 00:00

Messages to the Churches of God And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein (Rev 11:1). Latest Video Previous Videos Where Does Their Mission Come From Play Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied All VCG Videos On Youtube The Last Apostle-2nd Peter Measuring the Church of God - Part 1 Measuring the Church of God -Part 3 Do you Remember Measuring the Church of God -Part 5 Mystery of the Ages WHO Lays the FOUNDATION? Hold fast to 20th Century TRUTH Measuring the Church of God -Part 2 Measuring the Church of God -Part 4 The Bride Measuring the Church of God -Part 6 The Church Measuring the MINISTRY

Explore our in-depth churches of god bible study resources to gain insights into God's word. Discover the truth with churches of god bible study. Bible Studies Below is a small sample of our Bible Studies. To access the full collection, contact us The Book of James "Study to show yourself approved" "Study to show yourself approved" "Study to show yourself approved" "Study to show yourself approved" The Armor of God The Armor of God - Part 1 The Armor of God - Part 2 The Breast Plate of Righteousness - Part 1 The Belt of Truth - Part 2 12 Rules for Bible Study Pray for guidance Be willing to accept correction Prove all things Realize the Bible never contradicts itself Be sure to read the Bible as it is written Check the context carefully, that is read all the scriptures around the verse in question Get all the scriptures "let God be true and every man a liar" Don't put vague scriptures first Use several translations Don't establish doctrine with Bible helps Mark your Bible Why is the Bible the most misunderstood book in all history? The most twisted, distorted, maligned, misrepresented and lied-about book there is? Because people refuse to believe it means exactly what it says! This second installment explains twelve simple, basic rules to help you understand the plain truth of God's Word! Do YOU understand the Bible when you read it? Or, have you not even bothered to study your Bible because you felt it was out-of-date? Because the old English is difficult to understand? Or because you felt the Bible was supposed to be mysterious? You Can Understand! The Bible is the instruction book of the One who created you. It is His instruction TO YOU, explaining clearly and plainly how you can have a happy, filled-with-interest, abundant and successful life! God's Word reveals the purpose for your being! It explains the REASON for human suffering. It explains WHEN and WHY and HOW GOD IS going to intervene to relieve that suffering! It therefore ought to be the one book everyone should understand! But why has it been so grievously misunderstood? Because almost no one, it seems, has been willing to apply the twelve rules of Bible study. The First Six Rules To summarize, briefly, before going on to the seventh rule of Bible study, here are the first six rules: Rule 1 — Pray for guidance. Rule 2 — Be willing to accept correction. Rule 3 — Prove all things. Rule 4 — Realize the Bible never contradicts itself. Rule 5— Be sure to read the Bible exactly as it is written. Rule 6 — Check the context carefully — that is, read all the scriptures around any particular verse in question. This brings us to rule number seven. Up In last month's PLAIN TRUTH, the first six of the twelve simple, basic rules of Bible study were explained thoroughly. If you are a new reader and missed this first article because you were not on The PLAIN TRUTH mailing list last month, just write and ask for the August issue of The PLAIN TRUTH — it will be sent to you just as freely as you received this issue. Click on image for detailed first six rules. Click on Image for the last six rules. Bible Study Plain Truth Aug 1964_0033, _0034, _0043 and _0044 Rule 7 Get All the Scriptures No one scripture can OF ITSELF, taken OUT OF CONTEXT, be used to establish the Truth. "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any PRIVATE interpretation" (II Pet. 1:20 ). God has put His Bible together in a very unusual manner. He has written it so that men could study it intricately in its original languages, poring over its pages for their entire lifetime — AND YET NEVER COME TO A KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH. Many people have memorized great sections of the Bible and yet not come to realize what those sections mean. You must take the whole Bible in its entire context, getting ALL OF THE SCRIPTURES in that Bible ON ANY ONE SUBJECT BEFORE you can come to the knowledge of that particular subject from God's point of view. "Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little...." That is how the converted mind is to study the Bible. Yet, when the unconverted study God's Word a little here and a little there they are STILL NOT ABLE TO UNDERSTAND the Message of God's Truth because they do not have His Holy Spirit guiding them. That Holy Spirit — the very mind and understanding of God — is the power that inspired those words in the first place, and WITHOUT THAT SPIRIT TO INSPIRE THE UNDERSTANDING, THE DOOR TO THE WORD OF GOD REMAINS SHUT! (The Holy Spirit is given ONLY to those who OBEY God — Acts 5:32 .) Continuing from Isaiah: "... But the word of the Lord WAS unto them {those who DISOBEY} precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken" (Isa. 28:9-10 , 13 ). Oftentimes people think that the Bible is CONTRADICTING itself when actually all it is doing is SUPPLEMENTING itself. A good example of this is found in Matthew 27:37 as compared to Luke 23:38 . Here Matthew and Luke APPEAR to contradict one another in their statements as to what was written on the sign affixed to the stake upon which Jesus Christ was crucified. Now while you're going through this article, just take time to GET YOUR BIBLE and USE this example to PROVE that getting ALL of the scriptures on any one subject WILL give you God's understanding on it. In order to find out WHAT was written on that sign, WHO wrote it, and HOW MANY languages it was written in, you will need to put at least four scriptures together, not just two. So turn first to Matthew 27:37 , and WRITE DOWN what the Bible says was written on that sign. Then, GO RIGHT ON to Mark l5:26 and write beneath what you have written what MARK says was written on that sign. Then do the same with Luke 23:38 and also John 19:19 . Put them all together and you will see what was written on that sign. If ONE of these scriptures were left out you would not know that it was PILATE who did the writing. If TWO of these scriptures were left out you would not know that the writing was originally done in THREE LANGUAGES. These four bits of information, each from a different author, supply us with a complete record of what was written there originally. No one scripture contradicts the other — each only serves to complement and round out the information of the other. Click on Image for the last six rules. Bible Study Plain Truth Sept 1964_0014, _0015 & _0018 Up Rule 8 Let the Bible Interpret the Bible So many people write in to The WORLD TOMORROW and comment how much they enjoy MR. ARMSTRONG'S INTERPRETATION of the Bible. Over and over again you will hear Mr. Armstrong explain to the radio audience that it is NOT HIS INTERPRETATION that is being heard over The WORLD TOMORROW, BUT ONLY PLAIN BIBLE TRUTH! In your edition of the King James Bible the book of Revelation will probably be entitled, "The Revelation of ST. JOHN THE DIVINE." This is an excellent example of MAN'S INTERPRETATION. Now in order for you to understand WHAT the book of Revelation IS — WHOSE revelation it is, TO WHOM it was written and WHAT it is about — all you have to do is read the first few verses of THE BOOK ITSELF! In fact the very first words of the very first verse DIRECTLY CONTRADICT MAN'S INTERPRETATION of the Bible with the plain Bible statement that this book is, THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST!" (Rev. 1:1 .) Romans 3:4 is a good clear principle to live by in this EIGHTH rule of Bible study — "... let GOD be true, but every man a liar." This book of Revelation has long been an enigma to the people of the world — GOD SAYS it is a book of REVELATION. THE WORLD SAYS it is a book of HIDDEN MYSTERY. PEOPLE have come up with many weird interpretations for the book of Revelation — yet the book of Revelation is VIVID in its own clear description and needs no interpretation! Continue in Revelation 1: As you read in verse 12 that John saw seven GOLDEN CANDLESTICKS, you don't have to WONDER what these seven golden candlesticks are — all you have to do is READ ON until you come, in the CONTEXT, to verse 20 and that verse tells you plainly that the seven candlesticks ARE the seven churches. In verse 16 it states that John saw SEVEN STARS in the hand of the Son of man. There is no need to go into great, eloquent illustrations of what the seven stars are, because again verse 20 reveals the plain Bible truth — no interpretation necessary — that the seven stars ARE the angels of the seven churches. And so it goes through the rest of the Bible. All you have to do is be patient and search God's Word and you will come up with God's clear answers to the muddled questions of mankind. Up Rule 9 Don't Put Vague Scriptures First Perhaps a better general statement of this NINTH RULE of Bible study would be: NEVER ESTABLISH A DOCTRINE BY A VAGUE OR DIFFICULT-TO-BE-UNDERSTOOD SCRIPTURE. Too many people ASSUME that the vision which Peter had regarding the unclean beasts lowered to him on a sheet affirms that God "cleansed" unclean meat. Because they TAKE OUT OF CONTEXT a verse, unclean of itself, that says, "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common" (Acts 10:15 ). However, all they need to do is read on TWO MORE VERSES and verse 17 very plainly says that PETER HIMSELF DOUBTED what the vision meant when he saw it — he didn't jump to any conclusions, but vague-scripture quoters are eager to! Further reading in the same chapter will explain what Peter finally came to understand about the vision — read verse 28: "God hath showed me {by means of this vision} that I SHOULD NOT CALL ANY MAN COMMON OR UNCLEAN." Don't overlook TENTH rule. Up Rule 10 Use Several Translations In Matthew 27:46 Jesus Christ, while hanging on the stake before He died, used the ARAMAIC translation of the first verse of Psalm 22. Even though the original Word of God was inspired in the Hebrew or the Greek, God has allowed it to be translated into nearly every language spoken by mankind. If we were going to be particular about which language we used or which translation, then we would all have to learn Hebrew and Greek and study the Bible in its original languages. The King James Version was written 353 years ago. In the time since, the English language has undergone many changes. Sometimes those texts which are vague and unclear in the King James can be cleared up very easily by just reading a MORE MODERN TRANSLATION, such as the Moffatt or the Revised Standard Version. There is one thing to note about the King James translation and that is regarding italics. This word ITALIC is written in italics. Words that look like this in your King James Version are NOT in the original languages but are SUPPLIED by the translators. So everywhere in the King James Version where you notice words in italics they are supplied to help you understand the meaning of the sentence. However, since the translators were carnally minded, they did not always supply the words correctly. So some of these words in italics are incorrect and do not help but rather hinder your understanding. On the other hand, NOT ALL OF THE WORDS WHICH ARE SUPPLIED by the translators are in italics. Take I John 5:7 for instance, where the reference to three who bear witness in heaven is a completely erroneous reference inserted by a monk-copyist in the Middle Ages. The fact is this particular verse appears only in the King James Version and is in NONE of the other translations of the Bible. Often these difficulties will be cleared up by merely reading another translation and comparing it to the King James. Any questions arising after a thorough reading through several translations of any one verse will be few, and can be handled by studying further in Bible helps. If there are WORDS that you have difficulty in understanding, remember not only to look them up in an English dictionary such as Webster's, but if possible in A BIBLE DICTIONARY OR IN STRONG'S CONCORDANCE so that you can see what the meaning of the word in the original is. Sometimes people will look up a word in a modern dictionary and find a definition that is not at all the SENSE of the word as used in the King James Version. Take for example the word "conversation" in I Peter 3. Conversation to us today means talking between two people. A modern dictionary will give this definition. However, in the time of King James this particular word meant THE ENTIRE CONDUCT of a person and that is the meaning in the BIBLEusage of this word. In order to understand it then, you need to understand the meaning of the ORIGINAL word, and not just the meaning in a modern dictionary. But this leads to our ELEVENTH rule. Up Rule 11 Don't Establish Doctrine With "Bible Helps" "Clarke's Commentary" and the commentary by Jamieson, Fausset and Brown are good reference works — as is Halley's "Pocket Bible Handbook". Sometimes in the back of Bibles there will be sections called "Bible Helps." Even the marginal references in your Bible, which SOMETIMES prove to be very helpful, are often misleading. These "helps" often turn out to be the insidious instruction of Satan himself and they may lead you astray. Therefore, all of these Bible helps should be used ONLY to establish historical or grammatical facts related to the Bible and MUST NOT be used TO ESTABLISH DOCTRINE OR TO INTERPRET THE MEANING OF THE BIBLE ITSELF. The chain reference in my Bible in the center of the two columns at Revelation 1:10 says, "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day..." and by the Lord's day there is a little "z". In the column by the "z" there are two scriptural references — one to Acts 20:7 and the other to I Corinthians 16:2 which both refer to the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK but have nothing to do with the Lord's day which is explained in the rest of the book of Revelation. Yet to find out what the BIBLE says about what day Jesus Christ is Lord of, read Mark 2:27-28 ! "And he said unto them, the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath: therefore THE SON OF MAN IS LORD ALSO OF THE SABBATH." So, with Bible helps you must remember to use them only for technical facts and not for interpretative facts. And now, rule TWELVE: Up Rule 12 Mark Your Bible! Perhaps you have thought the Bible should not be marked. But realize that what is HOLY about the Bible is not the paper, ink and leather out of which it is made, but the WORDS OF TRUTH the SPIRITUAL FACTS! Any PHYSICAL tool you can employ — such as marking with a pen or colored pencils — to help you remember and apply the spiritual truths in your life, is right with God! He expects you to USE His written Word to worship HIM — not physical paper ant ink! Sometimes we hold back from marking the Bible and think that we'll do it later — especially when we're listening to a point that we need to remember about a particular scripture — but we never seem to get around to it. It's always so difficult to get out the pencil and ruler, and have our hands clean. So I have found over years of experience that the best way to mark the Bible is to JUST MARK IT! When you find out for instance that the word "conversation" in I Peter 3:1 ought to be "conduct," the thing you need to do is to IMMEDIATELY WRITE DOWN "conduct" in the margin and draw a little line and circle the word "conversation" in the verse. This way you will always remember. Use These Rules Apply these twelve rules diligently, and your Bible study will be both interesting and rewarding. And if you are not already one of the nearly SEVENTY THOUSAND students of the "Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course " — Click Link for it NOW! Don't put it off! This course is designed to help you study YOUR BIBLE. It employs all of these twelve rules of Bible study — it can help YOU REALLY UNDERSTAND YOUR BIBLE as you never have before. This course is entirely free of any cost to you! You'll always be glad you did! Up

Prophetic Q & A 2 Peter 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. Greetings friends and brethren... the Vigilant Church of God is not a prophecy website. Our duty is to feed the flock of Jesus Christ, "occupying" until His return. However, the Bible instructs us not to be negligent regarding prophecy, at least from an observer's point of view. There are no true prophets alive today, although many would like to present themselves as such. This page is intended to educate visitors regarding the most pertinent view presented on platforms such as Youtube, where a host of true and false information is available. We present Truth straight from the Bible and therefore do not endorse OR reject any of the views presented by outside "experts". We hope you will enjoy this page as we explore prophetic questions and answers, occasionally giving our opinion, based on the only source of Truth - The Holy Bible. Who is currently seen as the Antichrist? Some of the current candidates are: Klaus Schwab Founder of the World Economic Forum Continent: Leader: Role: Influence: Europe Civil Founder of the World Economic Forum, 2025 non-executive role at the World Economic Forum Global agendas, address social issues alongside corporate and political leaders. View Video "In the new world, it is not the big fish which eats the small fish, it's the fast fish which eats the slow fish" ~ Klaus Schwab King Charl es III Monarch of United Kingdom Continent: Leader: Role: Influence: View Video "On an increasingly crowded planet, humanity faces many threats – but none is greater than climate change. It magnifies every hazard and tension of our existence"~ King Charles III Europe Royal Monarch of UK, Prince of Wales, Supreme Governor of the Church of England, “Defender of the Faith”(s). Global agendas. Symbolic head of Commonwealth Vladimir Putin President of Russia Continent: Leader: Role: Influence: Europe and Asia Political President of Russia, Global Diplomat Energy leverage. Large Military and Nuclear power. In War with Ukraine. View Video "A great leader is that which defends his people" ~ Vladimir Putin Donald Trump President of the United States Continent: Leader: Role: Influence: North America Political President of United States, Global Diplomat Leading Economy and Military power. Global peace talks. Foreign policies have global impact. View Video "As president, my highest aspiration is to bring peace and stability to the world." ~ Donald Trump Pope Leo XIV Leader of Roman Catholic Church Continent: Leader: Role: Influence: View Video Europe (born in USA) Religious Leader of Roman Catholic Church, Sovereign of Vatican City Global religious influence over a billion Catholics, prioritized global peace and unity, also the "Jubilee of the Poor". "I would like that our first great desire be for a united church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a leaven for a reconciled world" ~ Pope Leo XIV Elon Musk CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, xAi, "X" Continent: Leader: Role: Influence: North America (born in RSA) Tech/Business CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and xAI. Owner of X (* twitter) Global tech influence, including AI, global communications platforms, space exploration View Video “The least scary future I can think of is one where we have at least democratized AI…[also] when there’s an evil dictator, that human is going to die. But for an AI, there would be no death. It would live forever. And then you’d have an immortal dictator from which we can never escape.”~ Elon Musk

Sermon Archive Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock (1 Peter 5:2-3). Below is a small selection of our Sabbath Sermon messages. Contact us should you require full access. Watch - Ellery Burgess 00:00 / 00:00 A Bond Slave - M. Venish 00:00 / 00:00 The Binding power of the AIR - Michael Venish 00:00 / 00:00 Acts 3 and the Gospel - M. Venish 00:00 / 00:00 LOT'S WIFE LOOKED BACK - MICHAEL VENISH 00:00 / 00:00 Be Illuminated by God's Word - M. Venish 00:00 / 00:00 UN MYSTERY OF THE AGES - GERHARD COETZER 00:00 / 00:00 Beware of Worldly Wisdom - M. Venish 00:00 / 00:00 Time to CHANGE not FEAR - M. Venish 00:00 / 00:00 Government - M. Venish 00:00 / 00:00 Drunkards of Isaiah 28 - M. Venish 00:00 / 00:00 Two Witnesses - M Venish 00:00 / 00:00 Suffer As Good Soldiers - G. Coetzer 00:00 / 00:00 Human Nature the Hidden Enemy - Dr. Burrus Smith 00:00 / 00:00 What is Important? - M. Downing 00:00 / 00:00 The Sabbath Day Is Much More - M. Venish 00:00 / 00:00 Thus Says The Eternal - G. Coetzer 00:00 / 00:00 Salvation And You - M. Venish 00:00 / 00:00 Put Your Trust in the Living God - D. Smith 00:00 / 00:00 Faith x 2 - M. Venish 00:00 / 00:00 Physical Salvation for the Jews - B. Smith 00:00 / 00:00 God Declares Who We Are - M. Downing 00:00 / 00:00 It's Not AbouT Growth... But HIS Likeness - M. Venish 00:00 / 00:00 Passover, Crucifixion and Resurrection Timeline - G. Coetzer 00:00 / 00:00 Blessed Is He - M. Venish 00:00 / 00:00 Becoming Moses - M. Venish 00:00 / 00:00 In Those Days - G. Coetzer 00:00 / 00:00 Satan and Sin Before Man - M. Venish 00:00 / 00:00 Becoming Moses - M. Venish 00:00 / 00:00 Lessons From King Josiah - G. Coetzer 00:00 / 00:00 Are We Preparing - J. Schiphorst 00:00 / 00:00 What Christ Did For US - M. Downing 00:00 / 00:00 God's Benefits Include Truth - M. Venish 00:00 / 00:00 Our Children Refresh The Earth - M. Venish 00:00 / 00:00 A Royal Key - M. Venish 00:00 / 00:00 Trust - M. Venish 00:00 / 00:00 What Is Better? - G. Coetzer 00:00 / 00:00 Reaffirming The Wonder Of Salvation - M. Venish 00:00 / 00:00 To Revive The Humble And Contrite Ones - M. Venish 00:00 / 00:00 Resist Discouragement - G. Coetzer 00:00 / 00:00 The Knowledg Of The Real Jesus - M. Vnish 00:00 / 00:00 A Power Inherent - Michael Venish 00:00 / 00:00 Loyalty, A Zeal For God - M. Venish 00:00 / 00:00 At One - M. Venish 00:00 / 00:00 The Day Of Christ - M. Venish 00:00 / 00:00 The Tale Of Two Brides - B. Smith 00:00 / 00:00 Visit our Vigilant Radio Podcast at Spotify

COMING... Feast of Tabernacles 2026

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From the BOOK Your word is a LAMP that gives light to wherever I walk (Ps 119:105). CONTENTS (click on a title to go there) Beware of false Prophets What is the Savior's Name? TRIALS What is the WORK of the Church of God TODAY? Please reload False Profits Beware of FALSE prophets! In this age of the Laodicean Church of God, many lay-members have taken it upon themselves to enter the Temple of God to perform the work of a priest. Why this lack of understanding of who works at the Altar, who lights the Lamps and who makes the Shew bread? How serious does Jesus Christ, the Head of His Church take these infringements in His Temple? Including lay-members who despise the Government of God, these lay people are teaching without Christ's authority. "Wolves in sheep's clothing," Christ called them. Will you be misled by a soft and fleecy exterior? Here is help from God's Word to see through the disguise. God reserves His strongest condemnation for those who claim to be speaking for Him, but are actually leading people away from the true God. "Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that use their tongues, and say, He saith. Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams... and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all... for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the Lord of hosts, our God. "Therefore, behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you, and will forsake you, and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and cast you out of my presence; And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten" (Jer. 23:25-40). Christ's warning Throughout His ministry, Jesus Christ gave repeated warnings to avoid false teachers. In the Sermon on the Mount He cautioned: "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them" (Matt. 7:15-20). Christ said we should look at the fruits. What fruits should we examine? Obviously not those in which a wool-covered wolf could most easily pass himself off as a sheep. We should expect a false prophet to attempt, with all his heart, to look like a real one, or what he thinks is a real one. As Paul wrote: "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers [Did you know Satan has ministers?] also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works" (II Cor. 11:13-15). We should expect a warm and ready smile. We can be confident of an outward expression of accommodation, at least at first. We should also expect humility — lots of [false] humility. So those "fruits" are untrustworthy. What next? Perhaps we should consider "good works" such as missionaries, converts, hospitals, drug clinics or free meals for vagabonds and vagrants? Surely if they preach in the name of Christ, that is good fruit, isn't it? No, not necessarily, according to Jesus Christ. Right after telling us to beware of false prophets and to look at their fruits, He continued the Sermon on the Mount by saying, "Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 7:21). Referring to Christ as the Lord is not conclusive proof of good fruit. Doing what God says, is. "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? [preaching, hospitals, missionaries] And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you." Startling as it may seem, many people who have used Christ's name, who have accomplished many beneficial works, often at great sacrifice to themselves, were never recognized by Him as His servants. They used that name falsely! He continued, "depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (verses 22-23). Instead of doing the will of the Father, they did iniquity. What is iniquity? The word iniquity in Matthew 7:23 was translated from the Greek word "anomia" — literally against law or lawlessness. Christ said that He never knew, and would send away those that work lawlessness. False prophets find it troublesome to define sin. If forced to do so, they usually try to express sin as vaguely and unspecifically as possible. They reason that there is no point in losing followers by condemning what their congregations enjoy doing or bluntly refuse to change. Most will even refuse to consider the Bible definition in I John 3:4, "Sin is the transgression of the law." Leader and layman alike want nothing to do with God's law. Under any circumstances. Period. "Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets," the founder of Christianity said. Yet most people that come in His name, claiming He is Christ, think exactly that. He continues, "I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not one iota, not a dot [not one little bit], will pass from the law until all is accomplished [everyone is keeping it]. "Whoever then relaxes [let alone breaks] one of the least of these commandments and teaches men [to do] so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:17-19, Revised Standard Version). God's law expresses God's will. It shows the way He wants us to go. He does not want His law relaxed, diluted or slackened. He wants it kept fully, from the heart (Rom. 6:17-18). In spite of Christ's words, many will claim that they are "free from the law" or "the law is done away." The Ten Commandments, to some, need not be kept. If that be true, it would mean the "faithful" are free to have another god before God the Father. They may take His name in vain, crush His holy Sabbath underfoot, steal, lie, commit adultery and covet until they turn bright green — all without guilt or sin. No wonder Christ will tell them "depart"! Yet that is the ungodly doctrine many have been taught. Laymen are not without some blame. "This is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord: which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits" (Isa. 30:9-10). For pastors of godless flocks, it is easier to change the message than the members. Many non-biblical observances are now called "Christian" for that precise reason. Yet, the main responsibility God lays at the door of the false prophets. "There is a conspiracy of her [the nation's] prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof. Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and the profane [God has set some days as Holy Days (also, the first tenth of all income is holy to Him (Lev. 27:30)], neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean (God did not intend all animals for food) and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths (God says the seventh day - why does anyone attempt to keep the first?) and I am profaned among them" (Ezek. 22:25-26). Legalistic? Occasionally, a minister who upholds the law is accused of being legalistic. Every minister should be known for godly mercy. But mercy does not mean relaxing the law of God. It means God granting forgiveness for the repentant, those who acknowledge their sins and strive to turn from them. On the other hand, God denounces the false prophets for not showing the right, but unpopular way. "I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran; I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil ways and from the evil of their doings" (Jer. 23:21-22). When God created mankind, He knew we would need a lot of forgiving. That is why Christ was "slain from the foundation of the world" (Rev. 13:8). Christ's blood covers our sins, not when we wallow in sin (knowingly continue to break God's law), but when we forsake sin, ask His free gift of forgiveness and begin to obey Him. False prophets don't give the straight story about sin. They give their own ideas about what sin is. A true minister knows that God defines sin, not man. And the law of God is that definition (Rom. 3:20). Inside the Church Not all false prophets come from outside the Church. Some were formerly faithful servants of God, but swerved from the "straight and narrow" path. The apostle Paul called the ministers of Ephesus together during his last visit to that ancient city. He knew that false prophets would soon descend upon the flock of God. So he alerted the leaders to the dangers that both pastors and flock would face. "Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you [overseers], to care for [feed] the church of God which he obtained with the blood of his own Son. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock." These wolves would mostly come from outside the Church. But worse, "and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things [distorted doctrine] to draw away the disciples after them" (Acts 20:28-30, RSV). Faithful pastors protect the flock from those who would spoil them. But some of those called and ordained in God's true Church would covet Christ's sheep. So they would turn from the teachings and the teachers they had originally acknowledged. Then set up their own government, with themselves at the top. That is treason, one of the most vicious attacks the flock of God must endure. A faithful minister would always submit to those leaders whom Christ chose, trained and put in authority over His Church. Christ's words are especially clear. "A person who speaks on his authority is trying to gain glory for himself. But he who wants glory for the one who sent [commissioned] him is honest, and there is nothing false in him" (John 7:18, Good News Bible). Christ faithfully honored, obeyed and glorified the Father who sent Him. The apostles of Jesus Christ, whom He sent into all parts of the world, responded to Him in the same spirit of honor and respect. They in turn were to ordain other men to various Church offices under themselves to see to the spiritual needs of the people as God added to the Church. Except for Judas, all the apostles remained faithful to the One who sent them. But that was not true of some of the, individuals whom the apostles ordained and sent. Paul said some would turn from serving the needs of Christ's flock under the government of God to serving their own interests instead. Peter's warning Peter alerted the Church of the same danger. "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in [to the Church] damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that brought them [they were converted], and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways: by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words [in sheep's clothing] make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not" (II Pet. 2:1-3). Everyone can make a mistake. But usually, true prophets become false prophet; to receive for themselves the respect and contributions due to God's true representative. Wolves wear sheepskins to eat mutton. The prophet motive becomes the profit motive. Why a following? Peter said many would follow the wrong way. Why do false prophets have a following? First, God says that the entire world is deceived (Rev. 12:9). The inhabitants of the earth are separated from God and don't know it. They are cut off from His law, from His mercy and from His Spirit. God will make all of those freely available to every human who ever lived. But not at this time. Only a few are called now. The rest are blinded to God's ways. Many simply inherit their religion from their parents. They never question it deeply, just accept it as they do their name and nationality. But a more basic reason is that most people prefer looking good to doing good. After telling Isaiah to "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins," God complains of their love of religiosity. "Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinance of justice; they take delight in approaching to God" (Isa. 58:1-2). Many people want a religion that has all the trappings of godliness but few of the constraints. Choirs and candles are pleasant. Sabbaths and tithes are not. Preachers that are innocuous are tolerated. Those who expect their congregations to conform to the Word of God will be told to go. False prophets have followers because many people want a religion more than they want God. You can choose from hundreds of different types of "Christianity." Some are very sober. Others are actually wild. Some are strict, others lenient. You can be soothed or shouted at, but you won't be "lost" if you attend regularly. Or pick from the hundreds that never mention the name Jesus Christ. False prophets don't need to use His name. Marx and Mao didn't. Converted members of the true Church can fall into the same trap. Paul wrote Timothy: "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables" (II Tim. 4:2-4). False prophets respond to the itching ears of wayward sheep. The wolves entice them away from life toward death. Constantly, in Paul's writings, he records how often he had to contend with false prophets and false brethren. He wrote Timothy how to recognize them quickly. "Anyone who teaches novelties and refuses to fall in with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the doctrine that tallies with godliness, is a conceited, ignorant creature with a morbid passion for controversy and argument which leads only to envy, dissension, insults, insinuations and constant friction between people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the Truth. They imagine religion is a paying concern" (I Tim. 6:3-5, James Moffatt translation). Why does God permit false prophets? Why does God allow wolves to have access to His flock? Why doesn't He expose them before they do any harm? He has His reasons! The first and most basic scripture about false prophets explains why. "If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul" (Deut. 13:1-3). God wants his flock to stay with Him and the truth no matter what. Those with "itching ears" desiring to turn away from or relax His law or overthrow the stewards He chose will have the opportunity to do so. Maybe, upon seeing the fruit of their own heart, some will acknowledge their wrong way and return to the flock. He is confident the true sheep will not be led astray by false prophets. Referring to Himself as the shepherd of the sheep, He said: "And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers" (John 10:4-5). His sheep acknowledge Him. They acknowledge His doctrine. "Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his way, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself" (John 7:16-17). They would respect those whom Christ placed as leaders. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me" (John 13:20). Jesus warned, "For false Christs and false prophets shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect" (Mark 13:22). The flock of God is certain to encounter many trials and tests — false prophets and treasonous pastors among them. But the true sheep of His pasture, who seek His leadership and His will, won't be led astray and devoured. Thankfully, it is just not possible. Christ's sheep will see the fake fleece and run! Savior's Name What is the Savior's NAME ? Good News February 1980 Are Hebrew terms for the Creator God - rather than English or Greek titles - the only ones accepted or recognized by God? Is some one name absolutely essential for salvation? Here's evidence from the original texts of the Bible. Must we use only Hebrew terms when speaking of the Creator? Should we say Yahweh rather than God? Is it a sin to use the name Jesus Christ and to call His true people the Church of God? Is God's name Jehovah? Despite the fact that the Hebrew text of the Old Testament contains many divine names and titles, the major argument propagated by certain religionists centers around the word many English translations have rendered Lord. Let's examine this word - the tetragrammaton YHWH. The Old Testament text as it was preserved for many centuries consisted only of consonants, though semi consonants were used to indicate certain long vowels. The exact pronunciation, with the correct vowel sounds , was preserved only by oral usage. The vowel sounds were not written down until about the sixth or seventh century, A.D. At that time, Jewish textual scholars known as Masoretes (hence Masoretic text) devised symbols to represent the vowels. They added these symbols (vowel points) to the consonantal text of the Old Testament. It was only at this time – centuries after both the Old and New Testaments had been completed – that the then-current pronunciation as orally preserved was written down. But the tetragrammaton, the Hebrew name YHWH, had long before ceased to be pronounced by the Jews as too sacred to be uttered. Whenever reciting orally, they always substituted the word Adonai (Lord) or occasionally Elohim wherever YHWH appears in the text. This practice began long before the time of Herod. Later, in the sixth or seventh century, wherever the Masoretes found the word YHWH, they inserted the vowel points of Adonai or Elohim (not the original vowels of YHWH) to give the synagogue reader the clue to use the acceptable word. It was from the consonants YHWH plus the vowel points of Adonai that the impossible form Jehovah was later created by Catholics only partially knowledgeable of the Hebrew language and text. Hebrew scholars are quick to admit that the exact vowel sounds and pronunciation of YHWH are not absolutely certain. Most feel that Yahweh (pronounced Ya-hweh, with the second syllable sounding like the whe in where) is a close approximation . But this reconstruction is partly based on transliterations into Greek by some of the so-called church fathers several centuries after the writ ing of the New Testament. This Jewish custom of substituting one word for the other was already practiced, for example, by the Essene sect at Qumran, who left us the Dead Sea Scrolls. For several technical reasons we need not list, it is certain the Qumran sect had stopped pronouncing YHWH as early as the beginning of the second century B.C. If the correct pronunciation were known at all in New Testament times , it has not survived in writing. Some scholars disagree with the pronunciation Yahweh. Some believe the name was Yaho or Yahwo or Yahu. There is simply no way to be absolutely sure how it was pronounced when YHWH introduced this name to Moses. And, of course, vowel pronunciation is always subject to great change through the centuries and from region to region. Even if Ezra and later generations pronounced this name Yahweh, how had Moses pronounced it? After all, that would have been the only correct way - if exact pronunciation is what matters. Consider also this factor. Today's Jews have traditional pronunciations for Hebrew vowels and even consonants - and hence words – different from one another in various parts of the world, even in the same generation, just as English speakers from various parts of the world pronounce English words differently. Were there no differences in Hebrew dialects in Bible times between the Nile and the Euphrates? Linguistic records such as Judges 12:6 indicate there were . .[f the exact pronunciation were all important, what about those today whose native tongue or dialect is different? They' can't form the sounds of Yahweh correctly. Are they all without hope? What about the man today who says Yahvah instead of Yahweh? Any who continue to support a. requirement to designate the Creator as YHWH - regardless of how he might think it should be pronounced - must explain the statement in Exodus 6:2-3: "And Elohim spoke unto Moses and said unto him , I am YHWH. And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as EI Shadday [God Almighty]. But by my name YHWH I was not known to them" (all Bible quotes used in this article are translated directly from the Hebrew or Greek). No YHWH before Moses Did Elohim mean what He said? - that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob did not even know the name YHWH? Or must we try to explain away this passage by saying (as some do) that Abraham actually used the . name YHWH but just didn't understand it? On the contrary, these two verses strongly indicate the name YHWH was simply not revealed as the name before Moses. Supporting evidence for the statement of these verses is found in an examination of the theophoric names of people who lived before Moses - names, that is, bearing some form of divine name within them. Our modern society seldom uses such names except for names actually taken from the Bible. But Hebrew society was different. So we find many names in the Bible with an E[, or Yah or Yahu (short for YHWH) in them. For example, early in the Bible we run across names with E[ in them. Genesis 5:12 mentions Mahalaleel whose name means praise of El. Genesis 10:28 lists Abimael - a father is El. Jacob changed the name of Luz to ' Bethel (house of El Gen. 28: 19) and later had his own name changed to Israel , he perseveres with El. Similarly, we find the divine name Shadday, which first appears in Genesis 17:1, in the name Zurishaddai, meaning my rock is Shadday, (N um. 1:6). Zurishaddai lived before the exodus. Yet we find no human names with YHWH (including Yah or Yahu or any shortened form of the name) until after the time of Moses. A careful examination of all the biblical names before the time of Moses reveals no trace of the ' name YHWH. Some are bound to ask why the name YHWH is used in the text all through Genesis if it were not known before Moses. It's simple. By the time the book of Genesis was composed, the name YHWH was known and was simply inserted into the text. This means that such men as Abel and the other preachers of righteousness before the flood, as well as Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph - righteous men for more than 2 millennia - never so much as heard this name that some today emphatically assure us is absolutely necessary for salvation! The many names of God A careful study of the Bible reveals the Creative Family has a multitude of meaningful names and titles, but yields absolutely no prohibition against translating them into another language. Nowhere in the Bible are we told that only the Hebrew form is permissible. On the contrary, we are given positive examples of these names being translated into other languages. Many do not realize that several sections of the Old Testament (Dan. 2:4 through 7:28; Ezra 4:8 through 6:18; and 7:[2-26) are written in Aramaic rather than Hebrew. Aramaic was not the language Moses spoke. Nowhere in these Aramaic sections do we find YHWH, or any Hebrew names for the deity. Instead we find the Aramaic form Elah. Similarly, we find no Hebrew names in the New Testament. Instead we find the Greek terms theos (God) and kurios (Lord). Furthermore, the New Testament uses kurios in quotations from the Old Testament where YHWH is used in the Hebrew, such as Matthew 3:3, quoting from Isaiah 40:3. New Testament: inspired or corrupted? Of course, some would rather throw out God than their false theory about sacred names. So they theorize that the New Testament has been corrupted. But what they claim would have required no less than one of the most thorough editing jobs in all history! For not a single Greek New Testament manuscript shows any evidence for the use of original Hebrew YHWH supposedly put there by the authors for their Greek readers! Someone would have had to have superhuman powers to gather every single Greek manuscript scattered around the entire Mediterranean basin and carefully expunge YHWH from all New Testament manuscripts and substitute the Greek kurios. The apostle Paul certainly spoke Hebrew (Acts 21:40), but he was under no illusions that only Hebrew names for God were acceptable. Not only did he use Greek terms in his letters, but even a common greeting in Aramaic, which was widespread in the early Church. When Jesus spoke Greek to someone He used the Greek form of His name. He inspired His servants to use that same form in the New Testament. He didn't say that YHWH is the only name by which we must be saved - nor Hebrew Yehoshua, or Yahshua. Instead, the apostle Peter uses the Greek form lesous in Acts 4: 10-12 and goes on to state that whoever calls on the name of kurios (Lord without the in front of it) will be saved! Why shouldn't we then use the English forms Jesus and Lord? Meaning of YHWH Each of the many divine names and titles describes some aspect of the Creative Family's character. The Bible does not emphasize a pronunciation - a particular combination of laryngeal vibrations modulated by the mouth. It emphasizes that we understand the meaning of the divine names and titles in order for us to be more like our Savior Jesus Christ. As we cannot be absolutely sure of the vowels in YHWH, we cannot be positive about its exact grammatical form . But scholars generally feel it is some form of the verb to be. Some suggest He causes to be, others He exists . But perhaps no better interpretation can be found than the Greek statement of Revelation I :8, referring to Jesus Christ: "I am the Alpha and the Omega [in English we would say the A and the Z, the first and the last], says the Lord God, the One who is being, who was being, and who is coming, the Almighty." What's in a name? God names things what they are. YHWH means the self-existent one ---,--- the "Ever Living " as the Fenton translation uses - the "Eternal" as in the Moffatt translation. There is much in a name. Jesus has been given a name above all, in heaven or earth. There is power and authority in His name - the only name by which we may be saved. To act in His name is to act by His authority, as "power of attorney." The New Testament, written entirely in the Greek, as inspired by God's Holy Spirit, in quoting from the Old Testament, did not quote the Hebrew names, but translated them into the Greek, as we also translate them into English. Christ said He came to reveal the name of the Father (John I: 18;17:6,26). Yet we would search in vain for any discussion of its pronunciation or requirement to use only Hebrew. What then is meant by these verses? What Christ revealed is the way. . He revealed the way to life, which is the way of the character of God. . That character is the origin of His names - expressed by whatever different language. The same character in us will lead us to have eternal life like God and to bear His names that summarize His character. "But this is eternal life, that they might know thee the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ (John 17:3). We don't get to know God by concentrating on a few Hebrew characters or their English transliterations. So the use of only one name for Jesus Christ or a certain unmistakable pronunciation of that name is not a prerequisite for entering God's Kingdom. Don't be misled by any such false teachings . Trials TRIALS By Mr. Ellery Burgess The subject of trials has been on my mind recently. Some trials are what I call, “run of the mill” issues, but some are severe, or as the Apostle Peter said, “fiery”. In 1 Peter 4:2 Peter said, “Beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you”. Yes, some trials are fiery, but they are to try us. There is a purpose for them. In the next verse Peter tells us, “But rejoice inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ's sufferings: that when His glory is revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy”. He is not saying to rejoice because we are in fiery trials, but rather, to rejoice because we are being allowed to partake of Christ's suffering. Because that will build godly character in us. The King James Version of the Bible, in the model prayer that Jesus gave to His disciples, records Jesus as saying, “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”. The Good News translation says, “Do not bring us to hard testing but keep us safe from the evil one”. That is the correct translation of what Christ actually said and is in perfect agreement with what James said in James 1:13, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man”. When we look at what Christ said about the hard testing and Keep us safe from the devil, the connection seems to be that Satan is bringing about the trials. Brethren, trials and especially hard ones will have one of two effects on us. They will either draw us closer to God, or they will drive us farther away from Him. They can cause us to become resentful and bitter, that God would allow us, to be in this predicament and reason, 'why does God not deliver me out of it?' but what would be the correct approach? Although trials must come and sometimes they are even fiery, there is a way to deal with them, that will give us God's help to endure them and overcome. Once we find ourselves in trials, any and all trials, and especially the fiery ones, the very first thing we need to do, is to find a private place and go to God in prayer. I mean fervent, heartfelt, supplication. We can cry aloud, even with tears, to our God and ask Him to help us and allow us, to see what we need to learn and give us a heart to submit to Him and His will. Also, remember what Paul said, “There has no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able: but will with the temptation also make a way of escape, that you be able to bear it” 1 Cr. 10:13. Remember God is ALWAYS in control! There is another point I want to make, that is very important. Anything that happens to us, God allows it for our good. In Romans 8:28 Paul writes, “And we know that all things work together for our good to them who love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose”, and in verses 38-39, he said, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor heights, nor depths, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord”. Work What is the WORK of the Church of God today? by Burrus Smith We find the answer in John 6:28-29. “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." In the 20th century, God sent one man… Herbert W Armstrong, and he came preaching the same message. How many today believe what was said by this man? Mr. Armstrong died Jan 16, 1986. I have seen his grave. He awaits the resurrection. The work God gave him to do is finished… or is it? Let’s turn to Revelation chapter 10:10-11 “And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” In a message, given by Mr. Gerald Waterhouse in 1980, titled “ Measuring the Temple ”, he states: “Mr. Armstrong is the man that is used, right up to Christ’s coming. Is Mr. Armstrong being used by God today? From the perspective of 1980, Mr. Armstrong had died in 1977 to be revived from cardiac arrest and beginning in 1978, with vigor took the gospel before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings. Mr. Armstrong with power, finished the work God gave him to do, as stated in Matthew 24:14, and died in 1986. Let’s notice a key point that Mr. Waterhouse brought up: “Mr. Armstrong will reach the world twice. Not once but twice. It says, you must prophesy again. You can’t do anything again … unless you have done it at least once .” Another key point is: “Mr. Armstrong’s death (in 1986) brought the work to an end… if the work had kept going, there would be no way to do it again" ( Measuring the Temple ). What about the Great Commission of Matthew 24:14? Are we to reach the world again, to preach the gospel of the kingdom unto all the world for a witness? It is not referring to the Great Commission, as Mr. Armstrong had not reached all the world at the time of this message. It is not to be done again for it is a sign and marks the end of the Philadelphia era work, and has been accomplished. That prophesy has been fulfilled. It was a sign, a great miracle. It cannot be done again, otherwise it would be two signs. H e states: “Mr. Armstrong is the man that is used, right up to Christ’s coming. Is Mr. Armstrong being used by God today? Mr. Armstrong did prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings. The doors that were opened to Mr. Armstrong in the Philadelphia era, to carry this message with power to the world have been closed by Christ. Today, the internet allows Mr. Armstrong’s trumpet to penetrate all the world on a scale he could hardly have imagined. The internet is a tool that Mr. Armstrong did not have available while he was alive. Yet his voice, his message can be found any time of the day by anyone in the world who has a computer and internet connection. The "gates of hell" cannot prevail against his message. Through the internet, Mr. Armstrong continues with the message Jesus Christ gave him to deliver. We understand Revelation 11:1 from a different perspective in history than Mr. Waterhouse in his message in 1980. However, it is important for us to understand the teaching of the Church during this time period, for it has significance to us today. Mr. Waterhouse goes on to say, quoting Mr. Armstrong: “God raised me for a purpose… to get the Church back on track… to prepare the bride and lead you people into the Kingdom of God without spot, blemish, or wrinkle. Mr. Armstrong came to see during this time that the Temple Christ would return to is a spiritual Temple, and that Temple is his people bearing his Holy Spirit and being led by his Spirit to do his work. Mr. Armstrong’s hands laid the foundation for the spiritual temple during this time, and his hands finished it by the Spirit of God (Zechariah 4:6-10). Is that temple complete today or is it still in preparation? Mr. Armstrong recognized the need for the Bride to make herself ready. The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel (Mark 1:15). Do the work of God, support his messenger and believe what he said with one mind. Prepare yourself for the Kingdom of God. Prepare the bride. Remove every spot, blemish and wrinkle .

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