Gerald Flurry and the Philadephia Trumpet magazine (sponsored by the Philadelphia Church of God) offer an invaluable service to mankind with articles of insight and understanding based upon Bible prophecy.
I respect the Philadephia Trumpet magazine's contribution to God's Work, even though they refuse to send it to me since I am a former member of the PCG even though I've probably promoted it more than any of their evangelists. For the record, I am an e-vangelist - not a televangelist - as the vast majority of my God-given Work is on the computer, sending emails and writing articles that appear all over the world of the internet.
I give credit where credit is due, so help me God. However, everybody makes mistakes. We all have our blind spots and that's perfectly understandable. Perhaps God permits some mistakes to observe how we respond to constructive criticism, whether we're willing to grow, and to remind us to forever be diligent that what we teach is in accordance with His Word and that all truth belongs to God - not to any one man, group or organization (1 Corinthians 4:4-7), even if they think they're rich and have need of nothing (Revelation 3:17).
Are we set in our ways or do we maintain the childlike attitude, humility and willingness to change whenever necessary, as we experienced with our "first love" and initial conversion? What is inexcusable is when mistakes are clearly pointed out, beyond any shadow of a doubt, and we prefer traditional darkness rather than walk in our new light of understanding (John 3:19-21). Why remain a slave to idolatrous tradition when the plain truth can set you free?
Gerald Flurry confused Mount Hermon with Mount Carmel on several occasions, so I wrote him and kindly pointed it out. He admitted in a letter to me that he had confused the two. (That's when I was still an official member of the PCG and contact was possible, as far as they're concerned). I knew Flurry had made a mistake since I was blessed to have lived next to both mountains: I lived next to Mount Carmel when I was a volunteer at Kibbutz Ramat Yohanan, and I lived next to the snow-covered Mt. Hermon at Kibbutz Dan during Operation Desert Storm, as I mention in From Toledo to Jerusalem.
I used to cringe when I would read the Philadelphia Trumpet magazine and find references to "Palestine," knowing that such a Satan-inspired term was used by the pagan Romans to spite the Jews after defeating and dispersing them, renaming the holy land after Israel's anicent enemies, the Philistines.
"Palestine" reflects the dark mind that would erase the name of our father Israel off the map (Psalms 83:4), as the wicked Iranian leader has recently called for, and the use of "Palestine" is totally unscriptural! We ought to call the Promised Land of Israel what God in His Bible has clearly named it: Israel - not Ishmael, not Philistine. How simple. All the more when you understand how politicized the usage of "Palestine" has become, aiding and abetting the sworn enemies of our Jewish brethren when we don't refer to the Jewish homeland as Israel.
I wrote Gerald Flurry, his son Stephen Flurry and others to protest using the accursed "Palestine" rather than Israel, and it appears to have registered with them for awhile, thank God, and then they reverted to their bad habit. I haven't noticed lately whether or not they still use the wrong word for the Jewish homeland. I hope not. Regardless, it is Israel and God forbid it ever become "Palestine!"
Gerald Flurry's most recent article on Jerusalem repeats his false teaching that the "Palestinians" will conquer East Jerusalem, followed by Europe control of all Jerusalem.
Here are a few excerpts:
From the Editor: Jerusalem Is About to Be Cut in Half
The Zechariah 14 Prophecy
"For I [Jesus Christ] will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city" (Zechariah 14:2). Note the big overview Zechariah gives us. There are three phases to this crisis. Zechariah starts at the Second Coming of Christ, the third phase, and works his way backward chronologically."
Christ is not working backwards, but Flurry has got it backwards! Zechariah 14 clearly states international opposition against Jewish sovereignty over Jerusalem, leading to the European Union seizing the whole city - "THE CITY shall be taken" - and following that, undoubtedly trying to appease the Arabs, the European Union forcibly divides Jerusalem.
Other prophecies reveal that Jerusalem will suffer under the EU jackboot for 3 1/2 years. When the "time of the Gentiles" is up, King Messiah will return from Heaven (in full view of all mankind) and liberate Jerusalem and fight against our enemies. This is the BIBLICAL ORDER OF JERUSALEM'S FALL, DIVISION AND LIBERATION.
Continue with Flurry's article:
"The verse starts with Christ conquering the European and Asian powers who are gathered together for battle. Then there is a semicolon, which means all these events in verse 2 are linked and closely associated."
The verse doesn't start with the European and Asian powers gathered for "Armageddon," that comes later. It starts with international opposition to Jewish sovereignty over Jerusalem, led by fascist Europe under the evil influence of the bloody Roman Catholic Church that has its evil eye on Jerusalem.
"The first semicolon introduces the second phase of this violent time. The city shall be taken, houses rifled and women ravished. This is when the king of the north (Europe) conquers the whole city of Jerusalem (also America and Britain), shortly after he conquers the king of the south (Daniel 11:40-41)."
There are no semicolons in Hebrew. Europe will strike terror into the Muslim world with a swift victory against them, a lightning strike that will go to their head, and then Europe will brutally betray and seize all of Jerusalem, divide it, and occupy Jerusalem.
The final revival of the Roman Empire will remain stationed in the Holy Land, headquarters Jerusalem, until the King of the Jews, the King of Israel, returns to reign, deposes Europe's wannabe divine emperor (and his religious promoter) who have trespassed upon the Temple Mount and polluted the Temple. Yeshua will liberate His City, the City of the Great King, and administer world justice from the throne of King David.
"The Palestinians will take half of Jerusalem. They say even now that a Palestinian state must include East Jerusalem, which already is comprised mostly of Palestinians, and the Temple Mount. They want Jerusalem, with the Temple Mount, as their capital. If they take the Temple Mount, you could see that act quickly provoking more war. The Temple Mount is holy to three great religions: Judaism, Islam and Christianity. It is the Jews' holiest site. The Arabs consider it their second- or third-holiest site. Christians, especially Roman Catholics, put more emphasis on the whole city. (Remember the Crusades?)"
The "Palestinians" are in no position whatsoever to take anything. Everything they have the Israelis have foolishly surrendered to them. It is because the Arabs demand East Jerusalem (actually they want all of Jerusalem) that Europe will seize Jerusalem and rip Israel's heart in two, while keeping the Temple Mount (with its imminent Third Temple) for themselves.
"The Palestinians could--and, I believe, will--conquer the Temple Mount and refuse access to anybody else. "
The Temple Mount is the third most holy spot for Muslims, following Mecca and Medina, since legend has it Mohammad ascended to Heaven from that sacred site, although the Koran does not mention Jerusalem even once, although it's mentioned over 600 times in the Hebrew Bible.
Satan knows the importance of Jerusalem even if some professing Christians and Jews have forgotten it, which is why Satan has stirred up the Nazi-Muslims to covet the Temple Mount and pollute it with their foreign objects that must soon be removed - either by an Act of God (earthquake) or responsible Israeli action - restoring the Temple Mount as the Temple Mount. Appropriately, the Temple Mount Faithful and the Temple Institute are educating folks in Israel and around the world, both Jews, Israelites and Gentiles, preparing for that glorious day.
The Nazi-Muslim's already occupy the Temple Mount! They've illegally denied the religious rights of Christians and Jews since 1967. That's when Moshe Dayan (cursed in Jewish history for such a sin that stinks to High Heaven) despised God and Judaism's holiest site - the Temple Mount - and surrendered it to the shocked Muslim authorities after it had been miraculously liberated during the Six Day War.
I was unjustly deported from Israel for highlighting the plight of the Temple Mount under Nazi-Muslim occupation - in various articles read throughout Israel (and since throughout the world). The Israeli authorities shamefully look the other way daily as the Muslims flout Israeli law that supposedly guarantees "freedom of access" to religious sites.
Even though the British "ordained" Chief Rabbinate forbids those who listen to them (they have no legal authority regarding the Temple Mount) from entering the Temple Mount compound, more educated and faithful Jews know there are "permitted places" they can make holy pilgrimage to without sinning. The Temple Institute and others arrange such holy tours for those Jews who want to properly visit the Temple Mount according to halacha (Jewish law).
Why should anybody listen to the religious prostitutes of the Chief Rabbinate, paid for and in service to the state, especially when Chief Rabbi Yonah Metzger just invited the Dalai Lama to help him create a UN of religions in Jerusalem? What an invitation for disaster! What spiritual blindness or colloboration with the dark forces that are intent on wresting Jerusalem from the Jews.
Thankfully, God commands Israel to build His Santuary, a House of Prayer for All Peoples, based upon His Word and Will that will soon be fulfilled.
David Ben-Ariel is a Christian-Zionist writer in Ohio and author of Beyond Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall. With a focus on the Middle East and Jerusalem, his analytical articles help others improve their understanding of that troubled region. Check out Beyond Babylon.