The PCG just printed an article in the latest Royal Vision titled “ Is Gerald Flurry a False Prophet”1 Once again written by Joel Hilliker, apparently the appointed defender of GF‘s position as a “prophet.” Yet the very fact that PCG feels the need to even print an article of this nature should raise eyebrows. Why, if GF is a true prophet, do they feel the need to defend the supposedly fulfilled prophecies he has made? Wouldn’t these prophecies stand out for all to see and speak for themselves? On a positive note, the only way they would put something out like this to the cult’s membership is if there were people questioning the validity of GF’s self proclamation of being Gods “prophet” inside their organization!
In this article JH attempts to defend and excuse GFs prophecy failures. He starts by once again making the false claim that Trump’s political future was dead after he lost the 2020 election and that GF was the only one who knew of Trump’s future political rise. He then asked this question, “Does the Bible say that getting the details or the timing wrong on such a prophecy disqualifies someone as a true prophet of God?” Of course, JH would have you believe that it doesn’t. He then spends 6 pages talking about the importance of prophecy which is a set up to tell you that GF is a “different type of prophet” and because he didn’t use the expression “In the name of the Lord” Deuteronomy 18:22 doesn’t apply to him!
He then uses a statement from another false prophet, HWA, to justify his claim about what kind of a prophet he is. Quoting HWA:
“Emphatically I am NOT a prophet, in the sense of one to whom God speaks specially and directly, revealing personally a future event to happen or a new truth, or new special instruction direct from God—separate from, and apart from what is contained in the Bible. And I never have claimed to be. There is no such human prophet living today! The Bible is the written Word to God—and for our time now, it is COMPLETE! Never have I claimed that God reveals to me new truth not contained in the Bible—in addition to, or apart from the Bible” (February 1972 Tomorrows World).
Of course, NO scriptures are given or quoted to back up this claim of different types of prophets existing, we are expected to just take the word of a proven false Prophet/Apostle as HWA. He then makes the claim that prophets like GF only explain the infallible words of the Bible under divine inspiration. Except GF has claimed to hear a voice “directly from God” (The New Throne of David) telling him of new revelation. This is only brought up at the end of a sidebar in the last paragraph trying to minimize its importance. What about the specific words “in the name of the Lord”? Well, if this is a precondition to giving a prophetic statement, then we can erase all “claimed” fulfilled prophesy by GF as not prophetic! He has never once used those words while proclaiming a “prophecy.” So let’s cut the BS. If a claimed prophet of God, as you state GF is, says “this is against Bible prophesy, or this is according to Bible prophesy, or this is revelation,” then he is using the inspired written Word of God to back his position as a prophet. If those statements are proven false, he is proved to be a fraud! Deuteronomy 18:22 absolutely applies.
JH then tries to justify the failure of GF by quoting scriptures about prophesying “in part” and quotes scriptures in Daniel 12:9. The problem with that is Daniel wrote the words down exactly as God instructed and left it alone; he didn’t go about claiming to know what these prophesies were. If he had he would have been a false prophet as well!
JH then uses the supposed failure of Jonah’s prophecy of the “destruction” of Nineveh in 40 days (Jonah 3:4). This is a whopper of scripture twisting because it is easy to prove that Jonah’s preaching was 100% accurate. While JH will have you believe that the prophecy was only for the total destruction of Nineveh, that is not what the Bible says. The Verse states, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” In the KJV the key word here is overthrown. Joel uses the word destruction which he knows is incorrect! Overthrown is the Hebrew word Haphak (Strong’s 2015). The meaning of the word is “to turn, overturn, change, reform.“ The word’s most common usage is to describe physical turning, metaphorical transformations, such as changing one’s heart or circumstance. The word conveys a sense of complete change or reversal, often with significant consequences.” (Strong’s Lexicon) A complete change did happen in Nineveh because they repented! If they had not repented, undoubtedly a change by destruction would have occurred. But either way, Jonah was 100% correct in his prophecy! That sort of scripture twisting to justify GF failures shows the desperate state the PCG is in, trying to mitigate the damage.
He then says, “Occasionally, people misinterpret prophecies or assume a timeline that a prophet did not specify” (classic blame shifting) as if this is the case with GF, that people misunderstand what he says or misinterpreted. Unfortunately for PCG, it is well documented exactly what GF has said and he is the one who gave specific time frames. JH also uses scriptures such as 1 Corinthians 13:9, “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part” as excuses for GF to be able to be wrong when “prophesying.” The issue here is that the Apostle Paul knew he didn’t have the entire knowledge and told them so. JH uses this as a catch all, a way out, when GF is wrong. Instead, it should be used as a dire warning that you better not speak a prophecy so emphatically unless you have all knowledge revealed. It’s not an excuse to justify failed prophecies, it’s a warning to those who go about claiming prophetic understanding.
JH also has an entire sidebar about Biblical prophets being fallible. Again, he sites examples of prophets doing or being wrong as all men are. The examples he sites are apples and oranges to what GF has done and said. Neither of the two examples were the prophets actually prophesying to the world or even others. Nathan telling David to …. “Go do all that is your heart; for the Lord is with thee” 2 Samuel 7:3 and then God correcting Nathan that very night is a stretch to say the least. First of all, Nathan was talking directly to David and answered his question that very moment. David knew God didn’t prophesy the answer to Nathan that very second and again God corrected the problem immediately, not after David started building the temple. That’s not so in GF’s case. The “prophecy” failed, God never corrected the mistake, because God is not with GF. The other example is of Jeremiah believing God would save one of Zedekiah’s sons which wasn’t even a prophecy! Keep grasping, maybe you will catch a straw.
He sums up the article with a list of supposed fulfilled prophecies that are really just some standard world events that they shoehorn into something GF has said in the past or claims of some revealed knowledge that will be proven false in the near future.
When one reads this article for what it is, you can only come to the conclusion that the PCG has no faith in the “prophecies” of GF! They spent 6 pages excusing his prior failed prophecies with, “he is a different type of prophet, he didn’t use the words in the name of the Lord,” and a few failed attempts at trying to give Biblical examples of similar failures that don’t hold water! PCG will never hold GF accountable, and nothing he “prophesies” can be relied on to be accurate. I guess knowing what GF has prophesied is going to happen with Jeroboam (Trump) and Antiochus (Tkach Jr) they need to be proactive in justifying the yet to come failures of these prophecies; otherwise, there will be no “Throne” left for Prince Stephen [SF] to reign on.
By Cole [name changed] (former PCG member)
February 23, 2025
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.
Related Letters & Articles:
Joel Hilliker Writes RV Article, “Is Gerald Flurry a False Prophet?” (February 22, 2025 letter)
GF Denies He Gave a Prophecy/So Much Vanity Coming From GF’s Mouth (2-4-21 letter)
If One Writes as a Prophet He Cannot Back Off From That (10-3-10 letter which shows God holds those who claim to be his servants or teachers to a higher standard than the rest of us.)
Did Herbert Armstrong Set Dates?
Includes several examples, plus an HWA quote saying there is “no prophet today.”
Biblical Titles Gerald Flurry Has Appropriated for Himself
Gerald Flurry Says He “Made a Mistake” in His Article on Trump
GF’s false prophecy is now a “mistake” and God speaks in a “coded” way (1-27-21)
How Gerald Flurry’s Failed Trump Prophecy Was Shifted To “God’s Prophecy”
Shows how this was done in a subtle way instead of owning up to a false prophecy (1-22-21)
Are There Modern-Day Apostles and Prophets? by Shawn Brasseaux [offsite article]
Footnote:
1 Published in the March-April 2025 Royal Vision. [Note: The link above to the article by Hilliker will open as a PDF download from ESN’s site.]