Members of a Russian cult, calling itself the True Russian Orthodox Church, have sealed themselves inside a cave in the Penza region of Russia, 400 miles southeast of Moscow. They are awaiting the end of the world, which they believe will occur in May 2008. Cult leader Pyotr Kuznetsov has been arrested by police and is presently undergoing psychiatric examination. The rest of his followers remain inside the cave, along with large quantities of food, water and fuel, which they say will last them throughout the winter. The group have threatened to ignite the fuel if the Russian authorities attempt to vacate them from the cave. Russian Orthodox Monks are attempting to negotiate with the group.

Quote: "The sect's leader is Pyotr Kuznetsov - a divorced 43-year-old architect from Belarus. Kuznetsov travelled across Belarus and Russia, spreading his message of apocalyptic doom, before settling in the village 18 months ago, locals said. Several dozen believers followed him. They moved into abandoned houses, refusing to use electricity. "They are simple Christians," a local priest, Father Georgy, told NTV television. "They say: 'The church is doing a bad job, the end of the world is coming soon and we are all saving ourselves.'"

I find this news very disturbing. While the message this cult is proclaiming is true, in that the end of this world system is coming, it seems that Satan is doing his best to spread confusion and to discredit the Word of God. Last July we had a similar cult in Kenya which claimed that the battle of Armageddon was going to begin last September, and that the radiation from a nuclear war in the Middle East would kill off all the unbelievers. Deceit is a lie wrapped up in the truth, and Satan always uses a little bit of the truth to get people hooked. Then you have the Branch Davidian, the Heaven's Gate cult, Mormonism and many others, that supposedly base their beliefs on the Bible, but twist the prophecies to suit their own religion in order to keep people ensnared in their system. It's always the same. When May 2008 comes and goes, some other false prophet will stand up and proclaim a new date, or else they will manipulate things in such a way so as to retain their following. For example, the Jehovah's Witnesses have made many false prophecies over the last hundred years, predicting the return of Christ and the appearance of the apostles. Unfortunately its not only the cults that are making false predictions. Preterists claim that Jesus Christ returned spiritually in 70AD, while the Bible clearly states that He would come bodily to this earth. "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven", Acts 1:11. Again many influential Christian leaders have made false predictions, such as Pat Robertson, who apparently claimed that the tribulation period would begin in 1982 or 1984, and predicted an Al Qaeda attack on the US in late 2007. Now I'm not trying to knock anyone, but what I am saying is that we need to be so careful when it comes to prophecy. A lot of people today are claiming to hear from God and are making all sorts of predictions which aren't based on the Word of God. When false prophets speak in the Lord's name and their predictions fail to come to pass, it discredits the Word of God in the eyes of unbelievers. As a result of these false prophets, people will be turned away from the truth. That's what the Scriptures say, by them "the way of truth shall be evil spoken of", 2nd Peter 2:2. Let us remain faithful to God's Word in these last days, and learn to avoid those who would teach us otherwise. "For many false prophets are gone out into the world", 1st John 4:1.

Jeremiah 23:28-32
The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD. Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour. Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith. Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.

Source BBC, Guardian, Bible, Humanism By Joe, American Chronicle