Since Pack’s colossal prophecy failure, he is now switching to saying that “eventually” it will all happen1; i.e., the dramatic influx of members from the WCG splinters into his exclusive organization and the removal (death) of three top splinter group leaders that was to happen by August 31, 2013.
Restored Church of God will then be “much larger than the largest splinter,” he says.2
Following is a letter ESN received on September 7, 2013:
David C. Pack’s prophesy regarding end-time church unification has failed; therefore, he is doing damage control. Here is an small excerpt of what he announced: [quotes taken from Special Announcement #26, September 6, 2013, “How Long Will You Wait for God’s Prophecies?”]
“I will explain a week after the Feast EXACTLY what was misunderstood about the prophecy’s timing. It appears we will not be waiting a long time—not another year—for its fulfillment.”
Earlier announcements have been corrected. He has gone through all the announcements and “updated” them. He is rewriting RCG church history before the membership’s eyes.
Here is another quote from Pack:
“Of course, some may just go home. Unavailable to you will be healings, blessings and almost daily exciting announcements of God’s Church and Work. (Just view our “Behind the Work” film right after the Feast of Tabernacles to see the sharp contrast with your group.) Or would you rather support the exciting Work of God being done in His Church, under His government, in His full truth, while experiencing the peace, joy, love and unity only possible in one Church?”
He says he was off on the timing:
“Before covering vital points and scriptures that all should now keep in mind, it is of course obvious there was an error in the prophecy’s timing. There may be other details that are wrong. I always knew this and said it to the Church more than once.”
With Pack it is always “Us verses Them.” He creates division and confusion in the RCG and other offshoots of WCG by making all these false statements.
P. S. The last I heard Pack supposedly had 1700 people with him. –[name withheld]
Following are exact words excerpted from Pack’s July 5, 2013 Special Announcement: [bolding ours]
Why Reunification THIS YEAR!
Last Friday’s announcement closed with when the Haggai prophecy will occur—that all brethren will be reunited this summer, in time to attend the Feast of Tabernacles together in 2013. (Recall that Haggai means “My Feast.”) This announcement presents 24 reasons for this timing. There is much PROOF! Preparation for understanding them begins with understanding of the day and the month of the prophecy’s fulfillment. Grasping how these dates appear in code paves the way to seeing how God has hidden the year until the time of fulfillment, when He would have to reveal it in advance. And He must do this in a way that is clear and certain to His people who are preparing for it.
Recall that Haggai 1:14-15 states that “all the remnant of the people…came and did work in the House of the Lord of Hosts, their God, in the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.” Elul is the sixth month in God’s sacred calendar. It is August 30 this year in the Roman calendar. Also notice that this date in Haggai does not reflect the pattern of the other three dates mentioned in that short book, dates that Haggai received a message from God. Rather, it describes an action that occurred on a particular date. And this particular date is consistent with people being reunited by the Feast of Tabernacles. (It is also consistent with other scriptures describing things GOD is going to do in a particular month, which you will learn more about in three and four weeks when these postings are projected to end.)
Pack has now rewritten (“updated”) the above Special Announcement and retitled it: Why Reunification SOON! He starts off by saying, “This announcement presents many reasons that reunification is drawing near. There is much proof!” And: “Haggai’s prophecy cannot be far off.”
One can read the entirety of it on RCG’s site to see how it does not contain what the original said.
Following is a letter we received on August 7, 2013 but did not post at the time:
The ministers (and most likely all members) of the RCG are fasting today. They were told that today starts the month of “Elul” on the Hebrew calendar, and that this is the month that the deaths of three other splinter leaders and the unification of the splinters has been predicted by David Pack. Of course, this “remnant” will be unified under Pack’s leadership. This also gives Pack the excuse to blame the members when nothing happens. –[name withheld]
David Pack did indeed blame his members. (A trait of false prophets.)
Notice excerpts from his September 6, 2013 Special Announcement: [bolding ours]
How Long Will You Wait for God’s Prophecies?
“Christians should always want God’s will in every matter. This includes matters of prophetic timing. If God intends to fulfill this prophecy in another time frame, then Christians should want that time frame, not their own. … So then, how long will you wait for prophecy? The answer should be until God’s will is done. … Paul reminded the Corinthians [I Corinthians 13:8-10] that there are always elements within prophetic events which we do not have. We only have a partial picture. But everyone wants the complete picture. I certainly do. But God says knowing “part” must be enough,… I join the apostles who misunderstood certain prophetic timelines. (But so have all of you old-timers in the Church done the same.)”
Yet Pack previously had said: [bolding ours]
“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.” (Special Announcement #12, May 3, 2013 “HAGGAI—A Prophecy for OUR TIME! (Part 1).”
The above is merely one more of Dave Pack’s “All or Nothing Statements.”
Other Changes
Dave Pack’s Special Announcement for August 2, 2013 has now been re-titled from “Final Announcement” to “Time to Prepare.” Some changes noticed are: [bolding ours]
Under “Notification” by God:
Some weeks ago, when explaining the year that the prophecy is fulfilled, I listed perhaps two dozen reasons for 2013.
The rewritten article (entitled “Time to Prepare”) has the above words changed to:
“Notification” by God. Some weeks ago I explained that this prophecy’s fulfillment is not very far off.
At the end of his special Announcement entitled “Final Announcement” he says:
Four days remain until Elul 1 (Tuesday evening), when the Great Shepherd, Christ, begins actively shepherding the remnant!
At the end of “Time to Prepare,” the above words about “four days remain” have been removed and he only says:
Keep watching for additional announcements to be posted as more prophetic elements are made clear.
Many more changes by Pack could probably be found, but this was all we had time for.
The Word of God tells us that false prophets are not to be believed. (Deuteronomy 18:22) In spite of this, we will always find evil workers, who head fraudulent religious groups, attempting to cover over their lies by saying such things as, “It was God who revealed it. I’m not a prophet. I’m only telling you what He said.” We never see them accepting responsibility for their fiascoes, or having compassion on those who were coerced into sending in huge offerings; even selling their homes and properties. Instead, they continue in their drunken quest for money and power, bragging, boasting, and exploiting as many as they can. The victims end up blaming and questioning themselves.
By D. M. Williams
Exit & Support Network™
September 7, 2013
UPDATE: Another of Dave Pack’s failed prophecies is in his November 2007 sermon: Exposé of “Clarion Call—The Time is Now!” where he says “the latest Christ could return is Trumpets 2021” and “the Tribulation will begin in the spring of 2018 at the latest.” Also read: 2012 letter to ESN: “David Pack’s Propaganda Statements in His Co-Worker Letter.” Also January 6, 2020 letter to ESN: David Pack Predicting Christ Will Return This Year.
UPDATE 2-8-21: Dave Pack has predicted the return of Christ many times. His latest was saying that Christ would return on the Sabbath on February 5, 2021.
“God backs me even if I am wrong.” ~David Pack (quoted from AR#32, “Dave Pack’s Reign of Terror”)
Related Material:
Profile of a Sociopath (A number of abusive, religious leaders may exhibit many of these behavioral characteristics)
If One Writes as a Prophet, He Cannot Later Back Off From That (2010 PCG letter)
David Pack Still Predicting a Huge Inrush of Members (2014 letter)
Why I Left Restored Church of God (2013 testimony; this man was at HQs; mentions Pack’s failed prophecy)
Did Herbert W. Armstrong Set Dates?
Recommended Book:
When Prophecy Fails by Leon Festinger shows how, in spite of failed prophecies, members in apocalyptic groups will usually make some other excuse and go right on believing.
Footnotes:
1 Special Announcement #25, August 2, 2013, “Time to Prepare” (RCG website)
2 Special Announcement #17, June 7, 2013, ” ‘BACK TOGETHER’—What This Means!” (RCG website)