Christianity, Cults and Culture

COGR – A New Dominion Coming?

January 17, 2024

Good day! I am writing a series of short reviews of abbreviated COGR video clips. I am looking for input and comments. If it makes it easier I will be glad to supply a Word document so comments can be put in the document and we can communicate directly. My email address is lattema@icloud.com. I hope you find these reviews helpful.

Transcript:

And that travailing brought forth a man child, which is a great harvest of souls. A nation born at once here, Micah, is telling us that after captivity that First Dominion would return again. And it would again be another travail and another bringing forth signifying a harvest of souls at the end of time.

Underlying text:

⁶ “In that day,” declares the Lord, “I will gather the lame; I will assemble the exiles and those I have brought to grief. ⁷ I will make the lame my remnant, those driven away a strong nation. The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever. ⁸ As for you, watchtower of the flock, stronghold of Daughter Zion, the former dominion will be restored to you; kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem.” ⁹ Why do you now cry aloud— have you no king ? Has your ruler perished, that pain seizes you like that of a woman in labor? ¹⁰ Writhe in agony, Daughter Zion, like a woman in labor, for now you must leave the city to camp in the open field. You will go to Babylon; there you will be rescued. There the Lord will redeem you out of the hand of your enemies.

Commentary:

Part of the COGR mythology is the idea that there was a first Dominion at the time of the original apostles and that first Dominion continued until the apostasy. Based on Micah 4, the COGR  believes they are beginning a second Dominion where the end-time apostles will restore the earth and have dominion over it until Jesus returns. This is based on the idea that the OT redemption of Israel from Babylon was a pattern that will be repeated. According to Addison, Micah, in chapter 4, provides a foretelling of not just what will happen to the Jews of Micah’s day but also a typology describing what will happen with the end-time apostles of this day. Important to him is the statement about dominion. In Micah 4:8, the refugees are assured that dominion (like the dominion of David and Solomon) will be restored. Addison carries this forward to the NT. He claims a first dominion between the resurrection and the time of apostasy that followed the apostles’ deaths. For Addison, the verse in Micah promises to restore dominion to the church. Just as the early church began in travail and brought forth a multitude of believers, the current church can anticipate a dominion. That dominion will result in large-scale conversions and a massive influx into the COGR. 

This passage, mirrored in Isaiah, promises the Jewish people that they will be delivered from their captivity and restored. Many commentators see this as a typology that also applies to the New Testament. With the resurrection of Christ, the entire world is given the opportunity to move from captivity to death into a kingdom of life. They understand our current age is when Gentiles and Jews are streaming into God’s Kingdom. Others also see a more literal fulfillment when, after Christ is enthroned on earth the kingdoms will stream into the Kingdom of God.

Addison says the dominion he awaits could not have happened at the beginning of the morning time (during the beginning of the church age) because the church, God’s people, had not been scattered. Therefore, this gathering must occur at the end of time during the evening-time of the church, after the apostasy. This regathering also comes with a re-establishment of the dominion that David had.

As in other areas, the COGR sees itself as a representative of God’s kingdom, and they do not see these verses as being fulfilled by the resurrection of Christ. They anticipate people recognizing their group as representing or being Jesus on the earth and being converted. The entire world will literally be pilgrimaging to Ohio, bearing their wealth to New Jerusalem.

However, it must be stressed that there is no Biblical connection between the Micah passage and the book of Revelation so what is being suggested is pure speculation. Likewise, assuming that there was a First Dominion during the time of Christ and immediately thereafter does not seem to have a historical basis. The church never had dominion in the first century.