Herman L. Hoeh (former evangelist in the Worldwide Church of God; deceased since 2004) wrote an article in the June 1963 Plain Truth entitled "If World War III Comes--There is a Way of Escape!" Hoeh also wrote, "This is PETRA!" in The Good News, April 1962, implying that Petra would be the "place of safety." The article included a number of photos of Petra. Hoeh directed the question to members as to whether they were going to believe God "no matter where He revealed they should go and no matter by what route." He said God's will was to be revealed to "God's ministers" alone (the same as Flurry teaches). This place of safety was only for those who remained faithful and obedient to the "government of God" (i. e. HWA and Headquarters). 

The October 1963 Worldwide Church of God Good News had a full picture of Petra on the front cover. The article, which was authored by David Jon Hill,1 was entitled, "PETRA!" It told how Petra had "no water," and "no visible food supply," but "plenty of caves." Along with several pictures, this article talked about what a member's "attitude" should be toward the "place of safety" and that having "complete faith in God" was going to be the "only real protection" after they arrived there, and if they couldn't have absolute faith in God NOW for everything, they simply wouldn't be there. The date members of the WCG were to flee to this "place of safety" was January 7, 1972 (which was considered the end of a "19-year time cycle").

Philadelphia Church of God (headquartered in Edmond, Oklahoma) claims to follow all of Herbert Armstrong's teachings and likewise causes members to focus on "strong indications" that Petra will probably be the place they will flee to.2 During the feast in 1998, members were shown the video "Behind the Work" in which there was much emphasis on Petra.3 Nevertheless, Gerald Flurry has made it clear that "only those who finish God's Work are to be taken to a place of safety."4 He has even referred to it as their "ticket" by saying: "Backing and supporting this message is your ticket to a place of safety and a magnificent reward."5 Also read December 2002 letter: Flurry's Ramblings, which quotes Flurry's words about Petra as the "place of safety"; December 2004 letter that tells about PCG members Going to a Petra Exhibit and June 17, 2004 letter showing how Flurry hinted that the place of safety will be in Jordan.

In Flurry's 2005 booklet (Jude - The Most Urgent Prophecy Yet for This End Time!) he refers (as did HWA from the 1930's on) to a "coming holocaust just ahead of us." The cover on this booklet depicts the shadow of an adult leading a child by the hand and gives the impression that they are fleeing for their lives from impending doom. Notice some quotes: [bolding ours]

"We are getting very close to the time when we will be taken to a place of safety, as was the church in A.D. 70."

"God's church again will have to be delivered to a place of safety."

"'And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands [10,000] of his saints' (Jude 14)."

"This verse ties in with Deuteronomy 33:1-2, which speaks of 10,000 saints coming from Mount Paran, located in Petra, Jordan. It is a prophecy about Christ personally bringing His people back from a place of safety in the end time. This, too, shows the time frame of Jude's message. This book is aimed at the PCG today!"

In order to keep from appearing too dogmatic about Petra being the "place of safety," he sometimes writes as he did in his revised 2000 booklet, The Key of David: [bolding ours]

Munitions of rocks is better translated strongholds of Sela, referring to the famous city of Petra. This rock fortress has been used over past centuries as a well-defended stronghold. It is the perfect place for God to protect His people from nuclear fallout and other dangers of nuclear war. Still, we don’t know for certain where that place of safety will be.

However, PCG members still believe they will be going to Petra. Our article: Memories About Petra shows what WCG members were taught by Herbert Armstrong about this "place of safety" in Jordan (and which is very similar to what PCG members are being taught). At the end of that article the following topics are briefly covered: "Why Was Petra Chosen as the Place of Safety?" "WCG and the Place of Safety Teaching," "HWA's Duplicitous Statements on the Place of Safety," and "Certain Offshoots Continue Same Teaching."

PCG members are exhorted to be "willing to die" for their faith. One example follows: [bolding ours]

"And Christ wants to know what His wife's going to do.  Do you really LOVE ME?  DO YOU LOVE ME, God says, ARE YOU PHILADELPHIANS?  Philadelphians do.  Laodiceans don't.  And they'll die for God.  That's certainly what they'll do, if that is required." ("Disfellowshipping in God's Family of Love," Sermon by Gerald Flurry, January 3, 1998)

(Of course, "dying for their faith," has also included turning down necessary medical treatment.)

In this same sermon (when later referring to Malachi 3:16-17) Flurry said:

"God says that He is going to take them to a place of safety." (Ibid.)

In 2003 Flurry figured January 16, 2010 could be the start of the Great Tribulation or some other disaster to happen. (January 16 is the month and day that Herbert W. Armstrong died in 1986 and is considered an important date to members. It is also considered the end of another "19-year time cycle.") Today Flurry has told his members they may have a little more time to "finish the Work," but at the same time he continually emphasizes that "time is running out." Notice:

"[We are] specifically in the last hour of the last end of the Matthew 24 end of the latter days." (The Last Hour, 2004)

"We are in the last hour—only a tiny little span of time to finish this Work." (Dear Brethren and co-workers in Christ letter, 2/2/04)

 "We have only 'minutes' left to do God's work of warning the world." (Jude, 2005)

Flurry's warning (which is identical to HWA's) is that only those who are involved in "the Work of God" (i. e., loyal to Headquarters) with their focus on the Kingdom of God will be taken to the "place of safety" and the others (considered Laodiceans) will be left behind to burn in the "fires of nuclear war."

Yet he continues to build buildings on his land and to coerce members into "donating to the building fund" (Read: February 2, 2004 Dear Brethren letter). Construction on a Hall of Administration began in 2004 (a 2005 photo of it may be viewed here) and plans were finalized in 2005 for an Auditorium (called a House for God) to be built on 170 acres. (Update: Read 2007 article: Gerald Flurry Plans to Build a "House for God")

While Flurry has stated that there must be 10,000 members before they flee to the "place of safety," PCG's membership has been declining from the 7,000 they claimed several years ago and in 2004 was closer to 5,000 or less. Today many local congregations are reported to be only between 10 and 25 members. They have closed down some small congregations with the members now traveling to larger ones. Members continue to exit.

A few questioned whether it is possible that the land on which Imperial College6 is located could be used as some type of compound in case of a government siege? Flurry bought land for their college in 2003 with a small landing strip, along with building a swimming pool and other buildings in 2004. They put in their own sewage treatment system on this land and it might be capable of temporarily handling over 7000 people. (See: My Nightmare in Philadelphia Church of God.) An announcement was made in 2001 that the swimming pool was also to serve as an emergency water supply in case of fire, or other needs. Some members believe that the reason Flurry has constructed these buildings was because they were going to "need a place of protection in the future" or else "members may have to gather in Edmond before fleeing to Petra." Could this airstrip be used to flee the country? Those who have viewed the area up close say there is not much room for a runway and, besides, there are utility poles close by and PCG can't do anything to remove those. This hardly would be adequate to transport a group of people out of Edmond.

Petra is a considered a tourist attraction and especially since Y2K Jordan has been much more cautious about apocalyptic groups who are saying they are "preparing for Armageddon" and wanting to move into their land. They have even sent some back home. Furthermore, after a trip there, Flurry is no longer welcome in Jordan. 

Still, some who have family inside PCG have wondered if Gerald Flurry will become fanatical enough to actually attempt to take members to an isolated, secluded place, and could it possibly end up to be another Jim Jones catastrophe? First of all, PCG is considered nowhere near a militant Jim Jones or David Koresh cult, even though there may be similarities in doctrine between Koresh and PCG.7 

Secondly, before jumping to conclusions and panicking, we need to ask ourselves some logical and sensible questions:

As Gerald Flurry continues to use the "place of safety" ploy the same way HWA did, members will fear to leave PCG lest they be left to go through the Great Tribulation. Leaving PCG, in their minds, is the same as "leaving God." Flurry tells them, "Fear of God must always be with us."9 But this is the wrong kind of fear. It is the fear of a man whom they are unknowingly putting between themselves and the Lord Jesus Christ. They do not know they have been deceived, as countless thousands before them were deceived by the false teacher and false prophet Herbert Armstrong.

By D. W.
Exit & Support Network™
December 2, 2005
Updated January 30, 2008

NOTE: Read some of the verses WCG used to justify Petra as the Place of Safety.

Footnotes:

1 David Jon Hill died November 2002.

2 June 23, 1990 sermon by Gerald Flurry to PCG members; Nov./Dec. 1998 issue of Royal Vision; "The Place of Safety," The Philadelphia Trumpet, July 1995; The Key of David by Gerald Flurry, Jude by Gerald Flurry, 2005, Habakkuk by Gerald Flurry, p. 27, and others.

3 October 15, 1998 email to ESN.

4 The Philadelphia Trumpet, "The Place of Safety," July 1995.

5 "Malachi's Message, Chap. 9, p. 144.

6 Imperial College was renamed Herbert W. Armstrong College in December 2005.

7  David Koresh and his members all kept the Seventh day Sabbath and also believed the books of Daniel and Revelation had been unsealed. They claim to have the Key of David. They teach that the Daily (a.k.a. the "Continual") has been taken away. They give the identification of the tribes of Israel today. They teach about the Elijah messenger. They hold to clean and unclean foods. They teach about the two trees, and the two witnesses. They also claim to understand the firstfruits harvest. They claim New Truth and New Revelation. They distinguish their faith as special and unique and they believe they are God's chosen people and are living in the end times. More can be read in: "An Open Letter to our Acquaintances in The Church of God."

8 There have been many variations on this theme in PCG. Sometimes the date they watch is January 16 (when HWA died); other times they think it will happen on one of the feast days; i. e., the Feast of Tabernacles. In the WCG, it was never clear either. In earlier years the Night Much To Be Remembered was thought by some to be the night to leave the country; later the date was figured to be January 7, 1972 (the end of a 19-year time cycle).

9 Jude by Gerald Flurry, 2005.

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