An Inconvenient Plain Truth

I have some truth for you ...some plain truth.

Herbert Armstrong.
Now, there's a name many of you have never heard before. Many of you have no idea who he was. Before there was a Gerald Flurry or a Rod Meredith, there was Herbert Armstrong. He is the "the founder, Pastor General, and spiritual and temporal leader of  the ... Worldwide Church of God". He is the reason why there are Church of God groups today. I want to help you to know more about him in order that you can know more about your own Church of God organization.

Herbert Armstrong's primary publication - the flagship magazine of the Worldwide Church of God - was "The Plain Truth". This was the face of the entire church in print. The articles are by various authors but everything that went out in the Plain Truth was officially approved and officially representative of the church.

Know this! These articles didn't just go out to the world in the name of Herbert Armstrong or the Worldwide Church of God - it was said, repeatedly, that they went out in the name and authority of Jesus Christ and God Almighty!

For today's post, I've read nearly every Plain Truth magazine throughout the 1950's and I've brought you some quotes straight from the magazines. The 1950's should be more than enough. They are representative of the previous years and the years since, all the way up to today!

I ask you to read these quotes for yourself. Keep in mind every one of them are from the 1950's. Compare what was being said then to what is being said now. The modern leaders of the Church of God groups are all students of this material, and in Rod Meredith's case he authored some of it. While you read, ask yourself what would you think about these quotes if some completely other church group had written them - the Plymouth Brethren, for example.

FRESHNESS DATING

Here are over 60 time-specific quotes from The Plain Truth magazine in the 1950's:

"It will take a few years for all this to develop to a point where this Nazi-Fascist rebirth of the ROMAN EMPIRE will be ready to STRIKE with the most tremendous power ever conceived by man. But it’s already developing - and FAST! Much more rapidly than people know! Most certainly it is easily possible the thing will be fully developed and ready to strike in SEVEN years! Yes, TIME IS RUNNING OUT ON US, FAST, AND WE’RE TOO SOUND ASLEEP TO REALIZE IT!"
-Plain Truth March 1950, p.5

"ONE THIRD of our people will die from starvation, malnutrition, and epidemics of disease in the greatest national tragedy ever to hit the world up to that time! And this is not a fanciful fairy story - this is PROPHESIED, and CERTAIN - and in the next FEW YEARS!"
-Plain Truth March 1950, p.5

"Only ONE THIRD - a bare 50 million out of our 150 million population - will be LEFT ALIVE! Two thirds of the people YOU know - of YOUR FRIENDS, acquaintances, relatives, members of your family - will be killed!"
-Plain Truth March 1950, p.6

"The fact that nearly all the prophecies refer directly to the END-TIME events of this 20th Century, A.D."
-Plain Truth October 1951, p.14

"But this I DO know. SOMEWHERE there lives, and breathes and walks, TODAY, the very man who is to rise up as the LEADER Of this UNITED STATES OF EUROPE. The IDENTITY of the individual is not revealed, but it IS definitely prophesied that such a man is living, and PLANNING, under cover, AT THIS VERY MOMENT."
-Plain Truth June 1952, p.2

"For it is those of this very present generation who shall be worshiping this “Beast” or his “Image,” or shall have received his “mark,” that will suffer the unspeakable tortures of the SEVEN LAST PLAGUES!"
-Plain Truth June 1952, p.5

"The time is at hand! The plagues of Gods WRATH will be poured out..."
-Plain Truth June 1952, p.5

"Every sign tells us these things will happen, plunging the world into the most frantic, frenzied state of anguish ever known, WITHIN A MATTER OF A FEW YEARS!"
-Plain Truth June 1952, p.5

"But now, once in the END of this age, just before God takes all power and authority and rule away from mortal man forever, God’s last and final intervention in the affairs of THIS WORLD IS occurring before your very eyes!"
--Plain Truth June 1953, pp.1-2

"This same DUAL PRINCIPLE runs all thru prophecy! First, a former, or preliminary fulfillment which is merely the type or forerunner of a second, the final climactic fulfillment occurring, usually, during this CRISIS AT THE CLOSE we already have entered!"
-Plain Truth July 1953, p.4

"’These days are more terrible than most realize. The time is ominous, storm clouds are brewing above and below the horizon. Within less than a quarter of a century this world will be plunging to destruction in order that men might know once and for all time that rhe Creator RULES and that His laws alone bring peace and happiness."
-Plain Truth Nov. 1953, p.13

"John was projected into the period of OUR present, and the immediate future. ... Ezekiel was not actually taken to Jerusalem, but the SPIRIT lifted him up and carried him IN VISION to Jerusalem. In like manner, John, IN SPIRIT, was carried to see IN VISION the events of the DAY OF THE LORD - the events ALREADY, now, beginning to take place on earth - the events YOU AND I SHALL LIVE TO ACTUALLY SEE! This vision is VITAL! The theme, or subject, of the prophecy is NOT the Middle Ages - it is the teeming, chaotic PRESENT - this very time you and I are just now starting to LIVE THRU! GOD HELP US, then, to UNDERSTAND! And so the very purpose of this Book is to show US of this generation NOW LIVING, the coming world-shaking events of the DAY OF THE LORD - the time of GOD’S JUDGMENTS at this age - END leading up to, and climaxing in, THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST, and the happy, peaceful WORLD TOMORROW!"
-Plain Truth Aug.-Sep. 1954, p.6

"John appears to be taken up to heaven, to the very throne of God. There, projected some 1900 years into the future - into our PRESENT LIVING GENERATION - he sees, in VISION, the events already occurring, and those SOON TO TAKE PLACE, on the earth."
-Plain Truth Oct. 1954, p.3

"But in verse 14, Jesus interrupted to tell them WHEN the end shall come - AFTER THE VERY EVENT NOW TAKING PLACE - YES, ACTUALLY TAKING PLACE THIS MINUTE. [quotes Mat. 24: 14]. ... And THAT’S the world event of THIS VERY HOUR! THIS HOUR is THIS SCRIPTURE FULFILLED IN YOUR EARS! He that hath an ear to hear, LET HIM HEAR! ... so here we have THREE successive world-shaking events to come-first, and, now, NEXT to occur in a very few years, THE GREAT TRIBULATION."
-Plain Truth Oct. 1954, p.15

"We are now in the very WORLD-CRISIS at the CLOSE of the allotted duration of man’s rule over his fellows."
-Plain Truth Nov-Dec. 1954, pp.15-16

"[Title] A Prophecy for Today!" "This last resurrection - the TENTH - has, of necessity, to be in OUR TIME, and YET IN THE FUTURE ... There you have it! The TEN Dictatorships forming the UNITED EUROPEAN EMPIRE - a resurrected ROMAN EMPIRE - which the United States and the British governments are now bending every effort to bring about! But this United Europe will not cleave together long - IT COULDN’T! The prophecy reveals its very SHORT duration - 'must continue a SHORT SPACE,' - 'receive power as kings ONE HOUR with the Beast.' WHEN it, therefore, arises, THE SECOND COMING WORLD will be very NEAR. And today we SEE this very thing BEING FORMED. It may take a very few more years. But it is ON ITS WAY - conditions are shaping to this end far more rapidly than anyone seems to realize - yes, IT’S LATER THAN YOU THINK! These things are already BEGINNING to come to pass!"
-Plain Truth Nov-Dec. 1954, p.16

"Weather Bureau experts are frankly frightened about America‘s future. They KNOW that within 20 years this nation will be toppled from its dizzy economic heights by the worst drought in history! Here are the FACTS and what prophecy says WILL HAPPEN!"
-Plain Truth Jan. 1955, p.1

"Prophecy proves it [great drought] will happen - before 1975! Here are the FACTS."
-Plain Truth Jan. 1955, p.1

"WE CAN understand it [prophecy - specifically Revelation], because JESUS CHRIST is the Revelator! HE is the interpreter! And we have found HIS interpretation, which is TRUE! Yes, we CAN know where world affairs today are LEADING. We CAN know what’s GOING to happen during the next 5, 10, and 20 years!"
-Plain Truth Jan. 1955, p.3

"WORLD WAR IS HERE - NOW!"
-Plain Truth Feb.-Mar. 1955, p.1

"Here is an amazing prophecy, which few understand, yet which explains the real meaning behind Russia’s struggle for world dominion. It explains what‘s going to happen to our nation IN THE NEXT TWENTY YEARS!"
-Plain Truth Sep. 1955, p.1

"He has revealed that there remains only the one more 19-year cycle (of which we are well into the 4th year already) - after which it will be Too LATE!!! It’s far later than we think!"
-Plain Truth Apr. 1956, p.2

"What happens by the middle of the 1960s ... This SEVEN YEARS of national trouble takes us - if the dates which appear so definitely indicated by these prophecies are correct - from 1965 to 1972! Many of you will remember that over three years ago we told you of the strong indication that the last half of this - Gods-work of spreading the gospel of the Kingdom of God to all the world would probably end in 1972!"
-Plain Truth Apr. 1956, p.22

"Notice what God says is going to happen to our people in about ten years from now!" [Goes on to describe severe drought, war, Communism, economic collapse, slavery...]
-Plain Truth Apr. 1956, p.23

"WOULD you say that it is an amazing thing if 2600 years ago there were men who could look down into the future and foretell what is going to happen to Egypt? - and to all major nations in the next 15 or 20 years in this last half of the 20th century? You would say that that is impossible, I suppose. But Is It? Such men did exist! Such prophecies were made."
-Plain Truth May 1956, p.1

"To understand the time, the place, and all the facts of the prophecy of Ezekiel 38, we need to begin at the 1st chapter of Ezekiel’s prophecy and read the book clear through. ... [goes on to speak about British-Israelism] ... Ezekiel’s Message is for our day - and it is, therefore, a message for America and Britain, NOW! ... No such destruction and captivity has ever yet come to the House of Israel since this was written! Therefore it is still in the future - IN OUR TIME! It is a warning to Britain and America - NOW!"
-Plain Truth July 1956, pp.3-4

"Coming to chapter 6, the local scene of the vision shifts to the mountainous land of Palestine - but the MESSAGE is for AMERICA AND BRITAIN, today!"
-Plain Truth July 1956, p. 4

"If YOU would rather hear God’s Truth in place of the soothing cries of 'Peace, Peace' (Jer. 6: 14), write in immediately for Mr. Armstrong’s AMAZING booklet, '1975 in Prophecy!' This startling booklet is profusely illustrated with pictures-actually showing you a step-by-step account of what God says IS GOING TO HAPPEN within the next 10, 15 to 25 years!"
-Plain Truth Sept. 1956, p. 14

"No matter WHAT the immediate and temporary outcome of the present Suez Canal crisis, Britain and America will not have control of it when this amalgamated European power rises up-and it will occur inside of 15 or 16 more years - perhaps sooner."
-Plain Truth Sept. 1956, p. 20

"The Nazi underground is now plotting a war that shall end AT ARMAGEDDON! It is the START of the final WORLD WAR! It is NOW being prepared UNDERCOVER! Do you really REALIZE it? IT IS STARTING NOW! This war now secretly being prepared will Only END with the SECOND COMING OF CHRIST! Are you ready for that event? It is now NEAR - EVEN AT THE DOORS! Now is the time to GET READY, for Jesus said, 'BE ye also READY!' REPENT! BELIEVE! PRAY!"
-Plain Truth Oct. 1956, p. 18 [article title: "The SUEZ Crisis In Prophecy!"]

"The Prophecy for OUR DAY ... And notice, this coming martyrdom will be like the previous one - only 1000 times more terrible in intensity. Christians living today are to be martyred 'as their brethren were' in past ages.... This coining horrifying tribulation is now being plotted in secret, underground, by a fascist [Hitler and his Nazis hold up in a secret compound in Antarctica] Babylonish religious [Roman Catholic] political system ...
-Plain Truth Nov. 1956, pp.5-6

"For many years, the Plain Truth magazine has been bringing you the actual prophesied events scheduled to happen within the next 10, 15 or 25 years."
-Plain Truth Feb. 1957, p.14

"If you haven’t yet read Mr. Armstrong’s amazing point-by-point summary of prophetic events from now until 1975 - write in immediately for the booklet '1975 in Prophecy.' We’ll send it to you by return mail."
-Plain Truth Feb. 1957, p.14

"In less than 40 years all nations are going to live in a Utopia! They will be forced to learn the ways of peace. A Utopia of God’s making - not man’s - is fast approaching."
-Plain Truth Mar. 1957, p. 3

"Notice that this whole abominable system is to culminate in a great False Prophet who is to be manifest in OUR TIME - before Christ’s second coming and is to be destroyed by Christ when He returns. This diabolical individual is living TODAY!"
-Plain Truth Mar. 1957, p. 15

"For You - for your family and loved ones - the really significant point in this is that these men and many of their counterparts in Germany and France are NOW beginning to build the very power which God says will ultimately destroy our people! And they are basing it on the same principles and describing it in almost the EXACT way that The PLAIN TRUTH has been warning you to watch for over the past twenty years! Prophecy is future REALITY! It is NOW taking place before your very eyes!"
-Plain Truth Apr. 1957, pp. 7-8

"[Speaking of Ezekiel chapter 5] No such destruction and captivity has ever yet come to the House of Israel since this was written! Therefore it is still in the future - IN OUR TIME! It is a warning to Britain and America - NOW! ...  Coming to chapter 6 [of Ezekiel], the local scene of the vision shifts to the mountainous land of Palestine - but the MESSAGE is for AMERICA AND BRITAIN, today!"
-Plain Truth June 1957, p. 4

"WHETHER YOU want to believe it or not, you are CERTAIN to be affected by the rapid fulfillment of Bible prophecy!"
-Plain Truth Aug. 1957, p.3

"Here is something DEFINITE! Here is something you can TEST and PROVE! ... God is going to use this power to PUNISH us for our sins and our rebellion against His laws! This is DEFINITE. Most of you will live to SEE it come to pass!"
-Plain Truth Aug. 1957, p.4

"After 1965, we are destined to run into increasing trouble with the Gentile nations. America and Britain will begin to suffer from trade embargoes imposed by the brown and oriental races, and by the coming German-dominated United States of Europe” or “European Empire” - whatever it will be called. We will begin to experience the pangs of starvation and of scarcity of goods! ... Finally, when we are weakened from drought, hunger, disease and riots within our borders - and our economy crippled by foreign trade embargoes - the revived “beast” power in central Europe will attack us! Fully one third of our people will perish in the hydrogen bomb attack."
-Plain Truth Aug. 1957, p.6

"But meantime, these prophecies are REAL! They are DEFINITE and SPECIFIC. They WILL COME TO PASS! ... You can KNOW! You can be SURE! You are NOW BEING WARNED!"
-Plain Truth Aug. 1957, p.6

"In former articles in the Plain Truth magazine, we have shown you what the Almighty God says is SURE to happen to OUR NATION within the next few years. We have made those articles specific - definite, actually NAMING the nations which will be involved, and showing from the scriptures what your Creator says will happen. Here is another specific occurrence that you are going to SEE happen! [Describes wars never again being won by military might, rather there will be trade wars.]
-Plain Truth Oct. 1957, p.4

"World War III Is Already Begun! Believe it or not, the next world war is already being fought - and America and the British Commonwealth of Nations are rapidly LOSING that war! ... There is at this moment a tremendous world-wide struggle going on for domination of WORLD TRADE - and we are LOSING OUT, EVERYWHERE!"
-Plain Truth Oct. 1957, p.4

"Germany, after becoming REUNITED with Eastern Germany, and finally united with a group of NINE OTHER NATIONS in Europe, is destined by the sure, un-breakable, unchangeable Word of God to CONQUER THE UNITED STATES AND THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH OF NATIONS!"
-Plain Truth Oct. 1957, p.5

"Methods of warfare have changed. Most people, however, are not really aware of HOW these changes will affect THEIR LIVES in the next few years. It has suddenly become possible for madmen in seats of great power to speak the word that might plunge this fear-filled world into a great, awe-inspiring HYDROGEN BOMB WAR! Frightened scientists and world leaders WELL KNOW such a war could mean the frightful END OF ALL HUMAN LIFE! This is REAL! THIS IS YOUR LIFE!"
In what way could we possibly be besieged? IN A TRADE WAR!
-Plain Truth Dec. 1957, p.19

"Trade War Here Now !"
-Plain Truth Dec. 1957, p.20

"Two years ago, Mr. Herman Hoeh showed in this magazine how God’s word prophesied DISEASE EPIDEMICS would strike the United States in TWO SHORT YEARS! THOSE EPIDEMICS ARE BEGINNING NOW! And they will grow MUCH WORSE! God prophesies that finally, within the next fifteen years, fully ONE THIRD of our whole population will die of dis- ease and famine! While we are so weakened-with a monstrous problem of dead and dying in our lands, we will “call” upon our “hired lovers” such as Germany."
-Plain Truth Dec. 1957, p.23

"YOU ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE LONG TO WAIT, NOW, TO FIND OUT WHETHER THE BIBLE SPEAKS WITH AUTHORITY! For your Bible foretells all about today’s chaotic scientific world bent on the destruction of WHOLE NATIONS! It tells what is SOON GOING TO HAPPEN! You won’t have long to wait-then you’ll KNOW - yes, and most of you will come to know too late!"
-Plain Truth Jan. 1958, p.4

"SLAVE LABOR CAMPS are coming back! America is heedlessly plunging toward the greatest national humiliation of her history! It’s time you faced the cold FACTS of prophecy - it’s time you KNEW the truth about YOUR OWN FUTURE!"
-Plain Truth June 1958, p.1

"Now turn to Ezekiel 25. Here is another prophecy for our day. Here is a prophecy revealing what is going to be the fate of the Allied intervention in Jordan and the Lebanon. This is a prophecy to be fulfilled in the early 1970’s. This prophecy has never been fulfilled before! ... My sanctuary, [a temple or sanctuary is yet to be built by the Jews in Jerusalem!) when it was profaned [which shall happen in less than 14 years from now]..."
-Plain Truth Oct. 1958, p.4

"Jesus said certain specific things HAD TO HAPPEN prior to the “end of the age.” Read it! This is a prophecy for NOW! ... In the pages of The PLAIN TRUTH, and over The World Tomorrow broadcast, you have been reading and hearing forewarnings of these very occurrences that are NOW BEGINNING TO MAKE THE NATIONS’ HEADLINES! It’s time to wake up, and realize WHO is causing it to happen!"
-Plain Truth Nov. 1958, p.4

"Jesus Christ Himself had foretold this event! [The first broadcast of the World Tomorrow radio show]... What really occurred that Sunday morning precisely at 10 o’clock was a momentous event. It was the fulfilling of a definite corner-stone prophecy of Jesus. More than that, it was the initial, start-off event of the fulfilling of some 90% of all the prophecies in the Bible! And approximately a third of the whole Bible is prophecy!"
-Plain Truth Jan. 1959, p.3

"For years, The World Tomorrow broadcast and The Plain Truth magazine have been shouting this message - revealing from the prophecies in your Bible the coming UNITED EUROPE now being formed. But first Germany must PULL OUT of NATO, and she must have an understanding with Russia!"
-Plain Truth Jan. 1959, p.8

"YOU LIVE IN THE PROPHESIED 'TIME OF THE END!' The end of all man’s allotted 6,000 years is at hand! And it's MUCH CLOSER THAN YOU THINK!"
-Plain Truth Jan. 1959, p.8

"Prophesied for OUR TIME! ... This [speculation about reunited Germany spearheading a European 'Beast Power'] is conclusive PROOF the prophecy is for OUR TIME - the time just prior to the return of Jesus Christ. ... Almost unnoticed by the world that CRISIS IS ALMOST UPON US! ... As already reported in the pages of The Plain Truth, a vast TRADE WAR is underway."
-Plain Truth Jan. 1959, p.9

"Jesus promises protection from the colossus that is rising to bathe the world in blood. A time of GREAT TRIBULATION is just ahead - and may well come within 13 years!"
-Plain Truth Jan. 1959, p.14 .. [Why 13 years? 1972!]

"Here, Daniel saw four great BEASTS. And again, nearly all of the commentaries, the Bible reference books, are agreed on the historical fulfillment of this chapter. But almost NO-ONE, it seems, understands the PROPHETIC SIGNIFICANCE FOR OUR DAY, NOW!"
-Plain Truth Apr. 1959, p.5

"The six nation “Euromart,” or the “common market” now in effect in Europe, already comprises the bulk of the nations included in the “ten toes” of Daniel 2, and the “ten horns” of Revelation 17! So far, Germany, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg and Italy have bound themselves together into a single unit for economic cooperation. FOUR MORE ARE TO FOLLOW!"
-Plain Truth Apr. 1959, p.17

"Mr. Armstrong reports from Germany the world‘s greatest miracle of our time. It was prophesied. It spells DOOM for U.S.A. in ten to fifteen years - unless we HEED!"
-Plain Truth Aug. 1959, p.3

"And yet, about 90% of all of the prophecies in the Bible pertain to events that are yet to happen in the next 10 to 20 years from now, believe it or not!"
-Plain Truth Aug. 1959, p.3

Compare what you've just read to what God says in Deuteronomy 18: 20-22.

PROPHECIES OR PREDICTIONS??

What is a prophet? Is he not one sent from God with a message?
What is the difference between a prophecy and a prediction? Is it not that one claims to be sent from God? A prediction comes from men; a prophecy is revealed by God.
Which are these?

"I do not speak to you by authority of men, or any politically organized church of men - but in the name, and by the AUTHORITY of JESUS CHRIST, the living HEAD of the TRUE CHURCH OF GOD!"
-Plain Truth July 1953, p.6 (bold mine)

"The most startling book of this generation is Mr. Armstrong’s forthcoming book ['The United States and Britain in Prophecy"] revealing tremendous prophecies closed and sealed until now!"
-Plain Truth June 1954, p.1 (bold mine)

"And the time has come for The Eternal - the Creator - RULER of the universe - to reveal to us exactly HOW world events, from here, are going to work out the tremendous CLIMAX of that divine PURPOSE! The whole earth is now shaking with convulsions, preparatory to the mightiest happenings of earths history! We are now in the very CRISIS AT THE CLOSE of this present evil and unhappy world!"
-Plain Truth Aug.-Sep. 1954, p.1 (bold mine)

"But today we live in the dynamic, exciting, terrible “time of the END” - the world-crisis at the CLOSE of the Age! The prophecies and mysteries of God, sealed until now, are today REVEALED to those whom God has chosen to carry His last Message to the world as a witness! Jesus Christ, Head of His Church, is the REVEALER! Christ has opened these mysteries to His servants! The time has come for God’s servants to open up to YOU-to lay bare before your startled eyes-these tremendous prophecies of the Book of REVELATION!"
-Plain Truth Aug.-Sep. 1954, p.2 (bold mine)

"THERE’S the key to this riddle! The Lion of the Tribe of Judah - the ROOT of David - is JESUS CHRIST! No MAN can interpret this momentous prophecy - but Jesus Christ - God the SON - here standing BEFORE the throne of God the Father - here standing at the very RIGHT HAND of God - is able to open these seals, and to REVEAL to us the meaning. JESUS CHRIST is the Revelator! ... Jesus Christ is the Revelator who alone can open up the MEANING of this greatest of all prophecies, pertaining to WORLD EVENTS TODAY, and the tremendous world-happenings of these immediate years JUST AHEAD!"
-Plain Truth Aug.-Sep. 1954, p.7 (bold mine)

"If I am to bring you the REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST, I certainly cannot bring you the popular INTERPRETATIONS you have been hearing from MEN - from the great religious leaders of THIS WORLD."
-Plain Truth Oct. 1954, p.15

"But we’ve seen that the one MASTER-KEY to this tremendous prophecy is the fact that JESUS CHRIST IS THE SOLE REVELATOR - the SOLE INTERPRETER!"
-Plain Truth Nov-Dec. 1954, p.3 (bold mine)

"We were very plainly told that NO MAN can understand, or REVEAL the meaning of this prophecy. .. But NO MAN can interpret this Book of Revelation. JESUS CHRIST is the Revelator. The Apostle John was not the Revelator. No modern religious leader is the revelator. This is the Revelation of JESUS CHRIST, and we must accept HIS revelation - HIS interpretation - or fail to understand! THAT’S the master key of this mysterious PROPHECY."
-Plain Truth Nov-Dec. 1954, p.4 (bold mine)

The authority, the message, the understanding, the interpretation, the revelation -- none of it supposedly came from any man at all. It came straight to you, through the Plain Truth, directly from the throne of the Almighty God. This was key! The master key! We were warned, "Accept HIS revelation ... or fail to understand!"
Definitely not predictions.

'YOU HAVE SAID IT'

Is there any way to test if it really is a prophecy? Is there any way to prove if it really is from God?
Don't take my word for it; read it for yourself!

"Scripture is full of warnings about false ministers and false prophets. The world is filled with such men and organizations today. Out of this Babylon of confusion God must somewhere have His work TODAY. How do you recognize it? Here is the test Jeremiah was inspired to give: 'The prophet that prophesieth of peace, when the word of that prophet shall come to pass, THEN SHALL THE PROPHET BE KNOWN THAT THE LORD HATH TRULY SENT HIM' (Jer. 28: 9). That is how you can know who is preaching the truth today - when what he says comes to pass."
-Plain Truth Dec. 1956, p.3

"But who today understands what the prophets foretold? Why, only the ministers today whose word comes to pass! - those who are appointed and guided by God to preach the truth! Those whose utterances do not come to pass have not spoken the prophecies truly. We give you here the record of what we have been proclaiming for the past 2 years - a message which no other voices, to our knowledge, have been proclaiming.... But what we have been warning you about is happening! - precisely as we have stated.... This is how you can know that our work is not of men but of God!"
-Plain Truth Dec. 1956, p.3

"WHERE ARE God’s true prophets today! In this age of world chaos and sudden death, you had better rid your mind of preconceived ideas and prejudice and honestly seek to find out! Listen! This work has been warning America of definite and tremendous events to come for many years! ... They use the words “may," “could,” or “might.” They are afraid to be definite and specific! The truth of the matter is that they DARE NOT be specific about the future because they just DO NOT KNOW what the Bible says is going to happen! But on “The World Tomorrow” broadcast and in this magazine we have dared to unlock the Bible prophecies and apply them to specific nations and events that are NOW being affected. Do you grasp the SIGNIFICANCE of this?"
-Plain Truth Aug. 1957, p.3 (bold mine)

Out of their own mouths! By their own words!

Gerald Flurry says, "He was right!"

Was he? Did these things come to pass just as they said? Were they accurate? Did those people really understand? Were they inspired by God? Were they "true prophets"? If these were written by the Branch Davidians, would you accept them?
The word "prophets" was used; dates were set; divine inspiration was claimed; fulfillment was guaranteed -- on God's authority. They called Herbert Armstrong "Elijah"; the greatest of the prophets!
No. It never came to pass. By their own criteria they are not true.

Anything that they were supposedly "right" about was only partial, since they added circumstances and conditions that never came to be. For example, they claimed that Germany would reunite, leave NATO, make a pact with Russia, unite with nine other European nations under the leadership of the Pope, start a trade war with the United States and the British Commonwealth then destroy them with hydrogen bombs and enslave any survivors, then turn to conquer Palestine, then turn to fight a nuclear war with Russia and China, and finally come to an end in the Second Coming of Christ - all by the end of the 20th century (actually 1972). They cannot then claim "He was right" just because Germany reunited and joined the E.U.! Every other condition, which were every bit as important as these two, failed to materialize. What in fact came to pass was not what they said would come to pass!
...Just like today, when new predictions are made and never come to fruition.

Where is Ron Weinland? In prison for tax evasion. What of his predictions from his book "2008: God's Final Witness"? Failed. Twice! And he's going for a THIRD try!! Yet calls himself "the spokesman of the Two Witnesses", and an even better "Elijah" than Armstrong!
What about Rod Meredith? Some of the above Plain Truth quotes are from Rod Meredith. And he calls himself "God's Annointed"!
What about Dave Pack's prophecies of COG splinters all reuniting by the Feast of Tabernacles 2013? Failed. And because they failed he calls himself a "true Apostle" and "Joshua" [implying Armstrong was "Moses"]!
What about Gerald Flurry? Read our article "Flurry's Follies". Gerald Flurry idolizes Herbert Armstrong perhaps more than anyone else does, and calls himself the "Elisha" because Herbert Armstrong was called "Elijah"!
I haven't the space nor time to go over the remaining hundreds of other splinter-group leaders, but I suspect you will find more of the same. The apple never falls far from the tree.

They are doing the same things today, giving the same messages today, that have failed and failed ever since Adventism was invented in the 1830's. They keep hoping you'll give them more time [what they really hope you'll give them is more money] - by Pentecost; just 1 more year; just 3 to 4 more years; just 5 to 10 more years; just 25 more years.

CONCLUSION

Well, there you have a pretty good introduction to who Herbert Armstrong was.

Is any of this news to you? It was news to me! Why were people told to burn this material? Why was it hidden? Why was it even so much as glossed over? If these things were so "true", so Divinely inspired and revealed by Jesus, why not proclaim these exact same words loudly even today? When does a truth revealed "by AUTHORITY of JESUS CHRIST, the living HEAD of the TRUE CHURCH OF GOD" become an inconvenient truth? Is this how truth conducts itself?
Ask yourself .. what kind of true system comes from a line of false prophets? (The Worldwide Church of God is a descendant of the Adventist movement of William Miller and Ellen G. White. We have several posts on this, including: "True History of the True Church".)  What kind of "true" system produces so many false prophets? What kind of "true" system hides and changes its past? How is that even possible for a "true" church?

God's beloved and desperately sought after children, trust me, I know you just want to please God with your whole heart, but I wonder something....
How much longer are you going to tolerate false prophets and false apostles? How much longer will you fear them? How much longer will you prop them up while they heap titles and honors upon themselves? How much longer are you going to look the other way while they make excuses for themselves? How much longer are you going to let them make a living off of you?



(JER. 5: 31) The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule by their own power; And My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?
(JER. 14: 14) And the Lord said to me, “The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart."
(EZE. 22: 18) Her prophets plastered them with untempered mortar, seeing false visions, and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when the Lord had not spoken.
(MAT. 7: 15) Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
(MAT. 24: 11) Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.

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It is important that you understand; Everything on this blog is based on the current understanding of each author. Never take anyone's word for it, always prove it for yourself, it is your responsibility. You cannot ride someone else's coattail into the Kingdom. ; ) Acts 17:11
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The Plain Truth About the End-Time Elijah

“ANKARA, Turkey – The Turkish man who shot Pope John Paul II nearly 29 years ago emerged from prison Monday, declared himself a messenger from God… ’I will meet you in the next three days,’ Agca said. ‘In the name of God Almighty, I proclaim the end of the world in this century. All the world will be destroyed, every human being will die. I am not God, I am not son of God, I am Christ eternal.’”

-Fraser, Suzan, “Pope John Paul II gunman released from prison”, Yahoo News, 1-18-2010

INTRODUCTION

This is part 2 of a 2 part post regarding the end-time Elijah. [You will find part 1 here.]

In the last post I went over the absurdity of claiming oneself to be a fulfillment of prophecy. In this part I would like to look more closely at the verses involved with the "Elijah to come", and get a better idea about what a butchery of scripture this nonsense is.

I left off from part 1 with this verse:

(DEU. 18: 22) 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.

Deuteronomy 18 is so important to keep in mind at times like this since it makes the gravity of the situation abundantly clear. This is no joking matter. We have people who have elevate themselves to titles and offices and commissions, supposedly in service to God, who think they are somehow exempt from the words of the Bible. Ron Weinland is only one of many.

But maybe there are some who think this is a light matter; being a false prophet is not a big sin. Hey, it’s not like they tried to kill the Pope, right? I appeal to such a one to spend time dealing with the minds of people who have been crushed under the weight of these false prophets. 

When these precious souls realize the lies, when they see their faith misplaced, when they see the emptiness of all the work and the and the promises, when they see the tithes stolen, when they see the years wasted, when the pointlessness of the broken relationships dawns on them, when the false god they were sold evaporates and they have no means of trusting the true God anymore, let alone trusting other people, and they feel ashamed and betrayed and even personally guilty (although it’s not their fault) - take a walk in their shoes; shoes I have been in - then there will be no doubt how grave a thing this is.

(LUKE 17: 1-2) 1 Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses [snares, stumbling blocks, occasions to fall] should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones [cause them to stumble, to fall away].

God thinks this is a subject of grave importance. I must agree completely.

We still need to see what “this thing” is, I guess. Let’s start at the beginning.

ELIJAH IN SCRIPTURE

(MAL. 4: 5-6) 5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. 6 And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”

Malachi states that Elijah the prophet will come. It doesn’t say Ron Weinland will come. There are several groups who believe that the original Elijah the Tishbite will literally be resurrected before the second coming. If you take the prophecy literally and alone, it would appear this can be fulfilled by none else. Good thing we have more than just this one verse to help us understand. The angel Gabriel is sent to explain this prophecy to us. He speaks to Zacharias and Elizabeth, the parents of John the Baptist.

(LUK. 1: 17) 17 He [John the Baptist] will also go before Him [Jesus Christ] in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Gabriel speaks of nothing less than the fulfillment of Malachi 4. The modern Elijahs all believe they know better than Gabriel – who stands in the presence of God. But if Gabriel were correct, wouldn’t there be some other evidence to this effect?

(MATT. 11: 14) 14 And if you are willing to receive it, he [John the Baptist] is Elijah who is to come.

At this point, I think a little perspective would help matters. It was a very common teaching that Elijah the Tishbite would arrive before the Messiah’s first coming. The teachers of that day thought they knew the general timing and meaning of the prophecy. Notice that in Matthew 17 and Mark 9, the Apostles ask, “Why do the scribes say…?” We have to keep in mind that the Jewish scholars and teachers had no concept of a second coming. They did not do what Herbert Armstrong did (wrongly), and assign almost every prophecy to a future second-coming of the Messiah. “The day of the Lord” to them was the time of His first coming. The Apostles were with the Messiah, but where was Elijah? I personally feel this is the very reason why the Apostle John began his Gospel speaking of how John the Baptist came first.

Some commentaries would point out that the scribes were using the absence of Elijah as proof that Jesus was not the Christ. Three of the Apostles had witnessed Elijah in a vision but were told not to share this with anyone. John Gill’s Expository extrapolates that to mean the Apostles wanted Jesus to allow them to counter the scribes with this. But Jesus only explained about John the Baptist.

(MATT. 17: 10-13) 10 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 11 Jesus answered and said to them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. 12 But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.”13 Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.

The disciples understood Jesus was talking about John the Baptist. Ron Weinland understands Jesus was talking about Ron Weinland.

Let’s see that once again.

(MARK 9: 11-13) 11 And they asked Him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 12 Then He answered and told them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13 But I say to you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him.”

There you go. Those are all of the verses about the Elijah to come. Surprisingly simple and focused on Christ, are they not?

DAY OF THE LORD

The entire claim of being the end-time Elijah rests on nothing more than the belief that the “day of the Lord” refers to the second coming, and not a span of time that begins at the first coming. That is it. There is no more substance to it than that. Private interpretations regarding timing.
But is that even a good understanding of what "the day of the Lord" is? Have we not read what Peter said in Acts 2:

(ACT 2: 16-21) 15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: blood and fire and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. 21 And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Peter said that the "last days" and "the day of the Lord" were already upon them on that very day. Are we to believe that neither Peter nor Gabriel nor Jesus had any idea what they were talking about?
Herbert Armstrong taught us to expect the fulfillment of these things in the future, but we didn't get that from the Bible. The Bible specifically and without confusion states that these things have been fulfilled. So must "the day of the Lord" refer to the second coming? Certainly not.
Many say, "It could be dual in fulfillment." It could be. But isn't that just speculation built on more speculation? It could be, but we have a perfectly fine and Biblical explanation already that doesn't require it to be. No one has to speculate about that. We know it is fulfilled in the past.

Keep in the forefront of your mind that these supposed Elijahs demonstrate a complete lack of ability to understand or predict God’s timing. Who would be surprised that they completely misunderstand this timing as well?

“Lying is the outcome of people being right in their own eyes and stubbornly holding to their own viewpoint, regardless of evidence to the contrary.”

-Ron Weinland, “2008: God’s Final Witness”, p. 27

CONCLUSION

No man in the entire Bible but John the Baptist is said to fulfill this prophecy. There is no mention of a repeat appearance in Revelation or Daniel or anywhere else. Gabriel announced that it regarded John the Baptist. Jesus – the one who inspired the prophecy - by His own mouth confesses several times that the entire prophecy was fulfilled already by John the Baptist (MATT. 3: 15). The Elijah was to announce the Messiah, and according to the Messiah, all that was written about Him is fulfilled (LUKE 24: 44). John the Baptist IS the end-time Elijah! The Apostles understood and accepted this. Even the scribes, to their credit, wondered about it enough to inquire about it (JOHN 1: 19-23). 

Yet these modern false prophets say, “No, Jesus isn’t telling it straight. The prophecy is about the second coming… and therefore I am Elijah. The prophecy is about me! Send me your tithes.”

Incredible! The hubris involved in such a thing is off the scale!

PARTING THOUGHTS

None of this comes as any real surprise. False prophets lift themselves up (JAS. 4: 10) to such lofty heights in the sight of everyone, but they fail miserably and they will come to nothing. Because what does God say (MATT. 18: 4)?

I wonder which of these Elijahs will fast for forty days and forty nights? If I were approached by an Elijah, this would be the second thing I would require as proof (the first being humility). It should be no problem whatsoever for Elijah. I recommend everyone demand this of Ron Weinland, and then withhold your tithes until day 41.

The Elijah did come, and the religious leaders didn't recognize him. The religious leaders still do not know. I wonder why? Could it be “I I I I… Me me me me... money, money, money"? The following are paraphrases of actual statements made by Ron Weinland:

I am the Elijah/prophet/Apostle/Witness/spokesman/Zerubbabel/John’s Counterpart… I have been given a commission… I have received… I pronounce curses whenever I choose and call down fire and turn water to blood… I chose the fifth thunder… I am important… I am the true minister… Humble yourself and accept me as your minister, teaching you, or you will die… My book is the truth… The miracles are to prove me… Prophecy was hidden so it could reveal me… The seven thunders and the book of Revelation and all prophecy and the whole Bible was reserved to be revealed at this end-time through God’s end-time prophet - me… You will know that I am who I say I am… I am the most formidable prophet God has ever used in all 6,000 years of human history… God magnified me in a way no prophet has ever been magnified before… I exercise great power, more than all other prophets combined….

Me me me me! I I I I! Remind you of anyone else?

(LUKE 18: 11-12) 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’

I, I, I. Me, me, me!

That’s not at all how the Elijah was. John the Baptist drew attention to God and not himself. He knew that if only people would listen to Christ, he himself would not be needed at all. He knew he would diminish (JOHN 3: 30), and that didn’t bother him a bit.

This raises an important point. If by some chance there is to be a final fulfillment of this Elijah prophecy, it most certainly will not be fulfilled by a self-aggrandized, self-righteous narcissist who lacks the spirit of Elijah, or the humility of John the Baptist, and who utterly fails to prophesy accurately. These false Elijahs do not match the correct pattern in any way. Not one way!

When asked if he was Elijah or a prophet, the greatest prophet ever born said "no." Ron Weinland, on the other hand, writes book after book, going on the radio and the Internet and touring across the globe, in order to proclaim that he is both a prophet and Elijah. False prophets call themselves Levites in order to collect tithes, but they refuse to wear the priestly garbs of a Levite. No way on earth would they lower themselves to wear camel’s hair like Elijah and John the Baptist. Ron Weinland also calls himself one of the Two Witnesses, but he has yet to put on sackcloth (REV. 11: 3) - either literally or figuratively! And these men want us to believe in them based on their great swelling words (JUD. 1: 16)?

You don’t need to watch prophecies fail to see that these people are false prophets. I tell you a better way!

(MATT. 7: 15-20) 15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

What are his fruits? Did I not relate to you about the broken minds in the wake of Herbert Armstrong, Ron Weinland, Rod Merideth, Gerald Flurry, Harold Smith, Dave Pack, etc, etc, etc? If you are one of these, hurt by these deceivers – like I was – I want you to contact the Exit and Support Network right away.

(II PET. 2: 1-3) 1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.

I want to put the entirety of II Peter 2 here, but for space I will not. I ask that everyone read that chapter now on their own. I’ll move ahead.

(JUD. 1: 10-13) 10But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. 11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. 12 These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; 13 raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

Big words, no? Not my words, mind you. It’s something important to God when his children are harmed by false prophets and con artists. From the gravity of every verse on this subject, I’d gather God takes it quite seriously. That’s something you would expect a false prophet to take into consideration.

I started this post with Deuteronomy 18: 22. I would like to end with verse 20:

(DEU. 18: 20) 20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’

PERSONAL NOTE

I don't want anyone to die. I don't enjoy their end. I simply don't know how they will escape it - only an unprecedented act of mercy by God will do. I don't revel in what they bring on themselves. I pray for them, and I ask everyone of you to pray for them, that they will repent in time and undo what they've done. May God have mercy on their souls.

For years I followed these men. I donated to their ministries. I taught what they said was true. I unwittingly aided in the deception and enslavement of minds; precious minds of God-loved souls. I feel compelled to apologize again because these men I once supported have caused so very much harm to so very many people. I tell people over and over that it isn’t their fault that they were deceived. Easier said than done. But I escaped - you can too.

Praise God in the Highest, His mercy has set me free! All things are for His glory.

Maybe you are one of these people who are hurting. If you are anything like me, if you feel pain, guilt, anger, remorse, frustration, if you see the cracks in the Armstrongist system and want out, or even if you have left and simply do not know where to turn, I highly highly suggest that you get in contact with the Exit and Support Network. They have been of immense help to so many. You are not alone!

God bless you and keep you. May His face shine upon you, and bring you peace.

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It is important that you understand; Everything on this blog is based on the current understanding of each author. Never take anyone's word for it, always prove it for yourself, it is your responsibility. You cannot ride someone else's coattail into the Kingdom.

Acts 17:11

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Elijah - Ron Weinland or Herbert W, Which?

There is again a buzz stirring among the Armstrongist splinter groups. Recently Ronald Weinland, founder and leader of the “Church of God – Preparing for the Kingdom of God”, has declared himself to be the end-time Elijah, in reference to a private interpretation of Matthew 17: 11 and Mark 9: 12. Even though a number of people are already writing about this, and others are preparing to write (they no doubt have more to say and will do a better job than I can), I write about it for no other reason than I have been asked politely to write about what the Bible says concerning the end-time Elijah.

I think it would be the best approach to write this in two parts. This first part will not be so much about what the Bible says, but I will attempt to show the absurdity of any man proclaiming himself to be a unique fulfillment of prophecy. And I would like to start by showing the great number and diversity of people who do.

WILL THE REAL ELIJAH PLEASE STAND UP

Some people say the actual Elijah will be resurrected before the end, thus making Elijah himself the end-time Elijah. Some people say their entire ministry is the end-time Elijah, and no single man, thus making their whole church the end-time Elijah. I have a better idea.

Elizabeth Elijah Nikomia is certainly the one. It’s her middle name!

Jahtruth is certainly the one. He’s got only one name!

Father John is certainly the one. He’s from Zimbabwe.

Charles Meade is certainly the one. Would Elijah live anywhere besides Florida?

William Branham is certainly the one. He has a supernatural halo. Photographs don’t lie!

Towards the end of the 1800’s the rage was “The Third Angel’s Message.” Now it’s the “Third Elijah’s Message.” Brought to you by Frank T. Clark. Certainly the one.

Or, if you prefer to chat with the Elijah, you can find him at Yahoo.com. You simply cannot argue with the provided headshot. For the love of Scott, his email address is elijahthetishbite! (<- The one.)

Just look at all of the wild-eyed, self-appointed prophets of doom. Marvel at the sheer volume of people contending for the title. Which could it be? Which is the real end-time Elijah? Choose wisely! You're salvation depends on it.

"But without a doubt the king of all end-time Elijahs was our very own Herbert (the W doesn’t stand for anything) Armstrong. If for nothing else than the rabid evangelism of his remaining followers who demand HWA was indeed “Elijah to come.” It has been elevated to a matter of salvation. Disavow at your own risk. Still, some foolishly dare to disavow:

"Although God has personally given Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong no commission, he nevertheless feels that virtually every commission God has ever given is his. Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong either thinks he is, or is to do the job given to: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, the 'watchman,' the 'inkhorn,' the one who 'cries aloud and spares not,' Elijah to come, a type of John the Baptist, either Joshua or Zerubbabel, one of the two witnesses, an apostle, a 'messenger' one who 'prepares the way,' Hosea, Malachi, Moses (anyone who disdains Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong’s authority or position is immediately compared to Korah), Daniel, Joel, Amos, etc., etc., etc. And, of course, he primarily feels he is to fulfill Matt. 24:14 -- see Rev. 14:6 for the most likely individual to take care of that job." 

-Taken from Robert Garringer's 1975 letter to Charles Hunting, as posted on the Exit and Support Network website.

Does that not illustrate how ridiculous it is to take upon yourself so many titles? What kind of person would do such a thing?

    Enter Ron Weinland.

Here is Ron’s explanation in his own words:

“As God has made me both an apostle and a prophet for this end-time, He has also given me to fulfill prophecies being the spokesman of the two end-time witnesses of Revelation 11. In addition, He has given me to fulfill the prophecies of the 'Elijah to come' and of Zerubbabel.”
-Ron Weinland, "The 'ELIJAH TO COME'", 12-24-2009

It’s getting a little crowded in here with all those titles. How many Elijahs can there be?

(I COR. 8: 2) 2 And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know.

THE ELIJAH WORK

Ron Weinland doesn't stop there. He also states other “truths”, like this one:

“Herbert W. Armstrong did restore truth to the Church—truth lost during Sardis.”

"Restoring the truth" is a term used by many Armstrongists. This is how they define the "Elijah work." The Elijah will come, and his work is to "restore the truth". What truth? Why, the truth lost during the Sardis era of the church, of course. Ron claims Herbert Armstrong did this!

“Sardis” and "Sardis era," you see, are codes, loaded language if you will, for the Church of God (Seventh Day). Armstrongism is a branch of Seventh Day Adventism. Adventism teaches that the church throughout history came in waves, called eras. They point to Revelation chapters 2 and 3 and they say those were not cities in one place and one time but eras in various places across time. The COG7 is the church group out of which Herbert Armstrong sprung, so it gets a special nod as being the direct ancestor to Armstrongism. Or, as they would see it, the previous era of the church. The COG7 is Sardis, and Worldwide Church of God is Philadelphia.

But it also needs to be de-legitimized in order that Armstrong's own church can be sold as the "one true church." (There can be only one!)

In the fall of 1937 Herbert Armstrong was fired and his ministerial credentials revoked. Having no axe to grind whatsoever (I say that sarcastically), Herbert Armstrong often referred to the COG7 as the Sardis Era (aka The Dead Era) of Revelation 3, and his own church, the Worldwide Church of God, as the Philadelphia Era (aka the Beloved Era).

He lifted this idea, among others, without due credit from one Mr. G. G. Rupert.

I do not want to go into whether or not Revelation 2 & 3 spoke about church eras in time or not. I hold that they do not, and I will provide some links below to reinforce my stand. But Herbert Armstrong held that they did. I only provide this background as an FYI.

You need to know these sorts of things when you're an Elijah, you see.

What I will get into next are the historical facts of the Adventist movement and what they believed. The "Elijah work" is to restore truth, after all, and what people claim is that Herbert Armstrong restored truth. If I can demonstrate that Herbert Armstrong restored no truth, or that truth was never "lost" in the first place, then we have a strong case against Herbert Armstrong being the end-time Elijah, and by extension, Ron Weinland. Or any other Armstrongist minister for that matter.

QUICK SUMMARY

To sum up so far:

We have Herbert Armstrong, a down-on-his-luck detergent salesman who supposedly was called by God to lead the one true church. He was supposedly called to restore some lost truth. This is the what Armstrongism believes the Elijah will come to do. He supposedly will restore lost truth. For this and other things, he was fired from the Church of God (Seventh Day) and started his own church.

We also have Ron Weinland, who would like to be that Elijah. So, Weinland tips his hat to Armstrong, saying that Armstrong restored eighteen truths, thus making HWA a "type" of the Elijah. Weinland says 18 because Armstrong's own church said 18. Then, Weinland must himself invent an even greater, more impressive list of truths that he restored. This makes him even more Elijah than Herbert Armstrong, and sets him about the real Elijah work.

Don't worry about exactly what these "truths" are quite yet. We'll get to that shortly.

WHAT WAS "LOST"?

In his hat-tip to Herbert Armstrong, Ron Weinland claims this:

"John the Baptist was not used by God to 'restore' anything. However, we did see Herbert W. Armstrong used in a very unique way to “restore” truth to the Church that the era of Sardis had lost (they only had three basic truths remaining). God said of Sardis that they were spiritually dead and that was because they had consistently become weaker through time by losing many foundational truths of God. The Church had become so weak that it was ready to die completely."

-Ron Weinland, "The 'ELIJAH TO COME'", 12-24-2009

However, oh best beloved, is this even so? I can provide evidence that it is not.

For that, let's go to the early 1900s and see what the Church of God (Seventh Day) was teaching.

A. N. Dugger was arguably the greatest leader of the COG7 during the years Herbert Armstrong was a minister of that group. A short-list of the COG7's doctrinal beliefs was compiled by Mr. Dugger in 1936. Note that the date 1936 was one year before Herbert Armstrong was sacked, and it was ten years before the Radio Church of God was officially incorporated.
This list comes in handy when compared to the earliest list of "truths restored" by Herbert Armstrong. An official publication of the Worldwide Church of God makes this claim:

"When Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong came among the Oregon Conference era of the Church of God (Seventh Day), the church had the right name, the law, the Sabbath and the tithing system."
"The WorldWide News", August 25, 1986, p. 5

Count those "truths" again. I see four, not three. So, right off the bat, Ron Weinland is wrong.

This can get real confusing real quick, so I have made a chart so you can more easily see what the COG7 believed in 1936 versus what the Worldwide Church of God printed in 1986 as the "18 essential, basic truths that God restored to His Church through our late Pastor General Herbert W. Armstrong." 
Why did I choose the list published by the WCG in 1986? Because there are several lists of "18 truths restored" floating around out there. They do not all match up. So we went to the earliest, most official version we could find.

You will find the information for the COG7 list printed in A. N. Dugger's report in the 1936 Census on the Salem Oregon COG7 group's doctrinal beliefs, which I got from chapter 11 of a history on the Seventh Day Church of God on giveshare.org. You will find the information for the WCG list printed in "The WorldWide News", August 25, 1986, p. 5.

I would draw your attention to the first 4 "truths" in the column on the right. These are the four, not three, "truths" that supposedly remained at the end of the "Sardis era". The ones HWA "restored" begin at number 5.

Church of God (Seventh Day), 1936		Worldwide Church of God, 1986
1.      The Bible was held to be the only inspired writing. 2.      The Holy Spirit is that which abides in the believer and not a third person. 3.      Christ was in the tomb exactly three days and three nights, rising at the end of the Sabbath. 4.      The apostolic organization and government must be followed today. 5.      The "Church of God" is the inspired Bible name for God's people. 6.       Prayer and anointing will save the sick. 7.       Laying on of hands (at baptism) is to be practiced. 8.       Lord's Supper is to be observed annually at the beginning of the 14th of Nisan. 9.       The Sabbath is to be observed from even to even. 10.    Payment of tithes on increase is obligatory. 11.   Participation in carnal warfare is condemned. 12.   The Law of clean and unclean meats is to be observed in this age. 13.   Habitual use of narcotics and habit-forming drugs, alcohol and tobacco is condemned. 14.   Under this gospel age the judgment is upon the house of God. 15.   The return of Christ will be literal, personal and visible, is imminent, and He will sit on the throne of David in Jerusalem, ruling the world with the righteous saints on the earth. 16.   Righteous saints will be resurrected at His second coming. 17.   There will be a final regathering of the dispersed nation of fleshly Israel. 18.   The dead are unconscious. 19.   The wicked dead are resurrected to final judgment, with no probation but will be eternally destroyed. 20.   The Third Angel's Message is a present day message. 21.   The seven last plagues are literal and fall at the end of the gospel age.			1.      The proper name of the one true church is the “Church of God”. (#5) 2.      The Ten Commandments and certain other Old Covenant laws are still binding today. (#9, #12) 3.      The correct day of worship is a seventh-day Sabbath. (#9) 4.       A tithing system is still mandatory for today. (#10) ---------------------------- 5.      The Government of God would be in force on earth at Jesus’ return. Before then, the Elijah would restore the true government to the one true church. That government is one-man-rule, top-down. 6.      The true Gospel, restored after 1,900 years, is that Jesus will return and rule on earth. All other churches teach a false gospel. 7.      God is reproducing Himself. Man is to become god-beings; members of the Family of God. 8.      God is not a Trinity. God is a Family of separate beings. 9.      Man does not have an immortal soul. Death is soul-sleep. 10.   Man is separate from animal in that we have a different, non-conscious spirit within us. 11.   The one true church will rule with Christ forever, but the rest of the world will be brought into the God Family, too. 12.   The one true church is not the Kingdom of God on earth now; not until the return of Christ. 13.   No one comes to the one true church except those God the Father calls, and all who accept the call come to the one true church. 14.   The one true church is judged now, the rest of the world will be given a second chance at life and obeying God. 15.    The Millennium is literal, 1,000 years in length, and will be on earth. 16.   The Holy Spirit reveals the truth of God to our minds. Without the Holy Spirit, man is incapable of understanding or accepting the truth of God. 17.   Salvation is not assured yet. Christians are only “begotten” now – as adopted sons and heirs. We are not “born again” in this life – as natural children and inheritors. 18.   British-Israelism (Anglo-Israelism) is true. 19.   British-Israelism is the key to understanding prophecy. 20.   The Old Covenant Holy Days of Israel are mandatory for all people today. 21.   The Hebrew calendar is the one true sacred calendar. 22.   There are three tithes, not just one.

Notice the overlap in "truths". In the left-hand column, have colored the numbers red if they overlap the beliefs in the right-hand column.

#2 on the left is a rejection of the Trinity, corresponding to #8 on the right. 

#8 & #9 on the left show a clear adherence to the Hebrew calendar, corresponding to #21 on the right. 

#14 & #16 on the left both show the church in a different judgment than the general population, corresponding to the first part of #14 on the right. 

#15 on the left speaks of a literal, earthy Millennium, and corresponds to #5 & #15 on the right. 

#21 on the left speaks of a pre-Millennial Tribulation period, and works hand-in-hand with the literal, earthy Millennium, which corresponds to #11, #12, & #15 on the right.

#18 on the left speaks of soul-sleep, corresponding to #9 on the right.

Why, that's not three truths, as Ron Weinland said. That's not even four truths, as Armstrong said. That's nine truths.

In a list this short, those numbers are significant. Several additional "truths" that were supposedly lost by the COG7 and restored by Herbert Armstrong, that never were actually lost in the first place.

Now, just for the sake of being circumspect, let us see some conflicts.

#4 on the left speaks of government, but it conflicts with the style of government in #1 on the right. 

#19 on the left speaks to a judgment of the wicked but contradicts the second half of #14 on the right which says the wicked will have a probationary period.

As a last tidbit, if you are so inclined, you can see what Grace Communion International has to say about these "18 truths". In case you don't know who that group is - on April 16, 2009, the Worldwide Church of God changed its name to Grace Communion International. Same organization that put out the original list, but with a new name and a new outlook. Here is their own critique of their old material: "Eighteen 'Truths' Restored by Herbert Armstrong".

WHAT WAS "RESTORED"?

Continuing on from our earlier quote, Ron Weinland goes immediately on to say this about Herbert Armstrong's Elijah-like work:

"God prevented it from dying out by raising up Herbert W. Armstrong and his wife, Loma, in order to restore lost truth to the Church. Mr. Armstrong is well-known for restoring 18 foundational and basic truths of God that were necessary for the Church (for salvation) in order to be revived and restored to spiritual strength once again. God had strengthened and restored 21 foundational truths for the Church."

-Ron Weinland, "The 'ELIJAH TO COME'", 12-24-2009

There were not merely three "truths" remaining, as Ron Weinland’s very true list of “truths” claims, but as we saw in our chart above there were no less than nine overlapping beliefs between the COG7 and the Worldwide Church of God. Three times as many as the highly accurate Elijah said.

What's more, if we disregard the list of 18 "truths" and go on to other beliefs held by Armstrongism that didn't make the list, that number only grows!

Here is where the conflicts get really interesting.
If you read the article from the August 1986 article of the WorldWide News, you will see many boisterous statements like this one, 

"What other church on earth has taught [past tense] that God is a Divine Family and the plan of God is to reproduce Himself through Divine Children, Christ being the first? Absolutely none!"

And this one, 

"The Church of God never understood this until Mr. Armstrong."

Now, think about this --
If Armstrongism is the only church in the history of the earth to teach a certain thing, then it cannot also be the second church to teach this thing. That only makes sense, right? Seems axiomatic. If you're the first you can't be the second.

But the Worldwide Church of God was not the first to teach that. What other church on earth did? Why, the Mormons, of course! The Mormon church, the Latter Day Saints, teach that very thing. And did well before Herbert Armstrong was even born. Now, I will grant the Mormon version is slightly different than the Armstrong version, but not by all that much.

Armstrong borrowed without asking this doctrine from the Mormons and added into his own set of doctrines.

Sets the lie to these “restored truths” does it not?

A CATCH-22

Knowing that he wishes to be seen as Elijah, Ron Weinland has a choice to make. He can either discredit his predecessor, or he can outshine him. To discredit Herbert Armstrong is to lay the axe to your own root. Too much rides on Armstrong's authority. So, Weinland must outshine him.

Having tipped his hat to Herbert Armstrong as a type of Elijah, Ron Weinland now needs to grow the list of "truths" and add to them. He must invent - errr, I mean "reveal" - more truths than Armstrong did. Weinland's list now exceeds 50 "truths". That's more than 30 additional "truths". Almost twice as many as the original. (<- The one.)
Well, if you are going to outshine your idol, do it with gusto, I say. 

Funny thing about this whole decision to discredit or outshine is that it puts Weinland into a sticky situation. You see, a few years ago, Ron Weinland opened his big mouth to bash a competing leader of a competing Church of God splinter group, and what he said is of great interest to this discussion.

I would call your attention to something pointed out by MikeDDTFA on Ronweinland.info. I want to emphasize the erratic behavior of the man who claims to be Elijah.

Here is a snippet from the COG-PKG FAQ page, copied live from the website on 1/15/2010, regarding this Elijah business:

"The Living Church of God, under the leadership of Roderick Meredith, is also asleep spiritually. Roderick C. Meredith is guilty in his failure to acknowledge Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong as the prophesied Elijah to come, who would restore all things to God's true Church. In a sermon series where Roderick Meredith's own words are quoted from taped recordings, Ronald Weinland has exposed the leadership of the Living Church of God for refusing God's true witness of what God accomplished through His end-time apostle (See 'Sermon Archives' for 2001, beginning in a four part series on Oct. 27, 2001). In doing this, Roderick Meredith has denied God Himself."

If Rod Merideth doubted that Herbert Armstrong was the Elijah, and Ron Weinland has condemned Mr. Merideth as a denier of God Himself for this act, what then becomes of Ron Weinland for doing the exact same thing!? When Weinland says that he is the real Elijah, that is no different than saying Armstrong was not the real Elijah. How is that not denying God?
And then, Weinland goes on to say Armstrong was to restore "all things." All things? So, no long list for Ron? I'm aghast.

Do you see the hole he has dug for himself? If he doesn't deny or outshine Armstrong, then he can't be the Elijah, but if he does deny or outshine Armstrong he denies God by his own standard. It's a catch-22!

He says something at one place and time, then says something completely different in another place and time. This is not merely opportunism, it's madness and sheer hypocrisy!
A false prophet is always exposed by his own mouth.

Then again, this is how Ron Weinland has always been. He once threatened to disfellowship a man, specifically a member of his Toledo, Ohio congregation named Dale Gill, for claiming Jesus Christ is a created being, a thing which Weinland now professes to be a truth specially revealed to him by God!

Do you see how these Elijahs get ideas from others, incorporate it into their own doctrines, then claim it came from God?

WERE THE TRUTHS EVER TRUE?

Let us focus attention on Ron Weinland’s precise wording: “truths lost during Sardis.”

These truths were not “lost during Sardis” at all, whatsoever. Most were added, one might even say invented, during the years between 1846 and 1936 - most of them by Ellen G White. These were not truths held by the Apostles and guarded by the "true church". The group here referred to as the Sardis Era did not start with these truths and fall away from them. This is fantasy!

Not one of these things, not even the seventh-day Sabbath, was a held belief at the assigned beginning of this Sardis Era (which was defined as 1315 AD to 1934 AD, according to Herman Hoeh’s “True History of the True Church”). The seventh-day Sabbath doctrine was introduced to William Miller’s Adventists by one Ms. Rachel Oakes somewhere between March 1843 and autumn 1844. And from there it was passed down to Herbert Armstrong.

I have much more information for you on this topic from these three posts:

50 Truths – Part I

50 Truths – Part II

50 Truths – Part III

I believe these three links will fill you in sufficiently to prove all that I am claiming here. But if you are truly interested in the history and beliefs of the various eras, I urge you to read my study on “The True History of the True Church – Reviewed.” [the link works in IE and FireFox, but may be problematic in Chrome.] You may get a brief glimpse into its contents in this post:

True History of the True Church?

Ron Weinland’s “truths” are false. His fantasies masquerade as truth.

(ISA. 5: 20-21) 20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

What can anyone say about a man who treats truth with such disrespect? Can we trust a single thing that comes from his mouth? What is “I am such and such a thing” from a man who disregards truth? Will such a person not blurt out whatever comes to mind? And why wouldn’t he? Would he hold back for fear of misleading the innocent? Hardly!

He concludes with unmitigated gaul:

“Yes, time will prove I am who I say I am. And that is my commission to proclaim such a message!”

Time will do no such thing, because time has respect for truth.

I want to share another point with you. 

Did you happen to notice something missing from their lists? What point of Christian doctrine could be missing from every one of these lists? It's the Gospel, of course! Not a single one of these lists, not a single criteria for being an "era of the true church", ever includes the Gospel. Never. Doesn't that strike you as odd the finished work of Christ on the cross is never included, but points like soul sleep are included? Which do you think gets more time in the Old Testament - the coming and victory of the Messiah, or the name of the true church?

WAIT AND SEE

This is precisely the “wait and see” game that Herbert Armstrong hobbled himself with.

“I want to tell you that all this weather disturbance means a terrible famine is coming on the United States that is going to ruin us as a nation inside of less than 20 more years. Alright, I stuck my neck out right there. You just wait 20 more years and see whether I told you the truth. God says, if a man tells you what’s going to happen, wait and see. If it does not happen, he was not speaking the word of God; he was speaking out of his own mind. You watch and see whether these things happen. You’ll see who’s speaking to you, my friends.”

-Herbert Armstrong; from an audio recording made in the late 1950’s

“Wait and see, my friends,” he would say, “then you will know who was speaking to you.” But we waited, and we saw a false prophet, and he died and came to nothing.

His prophecies have all failed. His empire crumbled. His greatness sold off in pieces. His kingdom divided among his servants.

Now Ron Weinland mimics his idol in this very same game. But I want you to never forget his own words, because a false prophet is always brought down by his own mouth:

“If by Pentecost…”

On March 29, 2008, Ronald Weinland blurted out this absolute statement:

“If by Pentecost [2008], I’m just going to make this real clear to everyone - if by Pentecost it is not powerfully and abundantly clear that there has been a great deal of destruction that will clearly encompass a third of all plant life in the U.S. and at least the clear results of this mingled with blood the death of very much animal life and the beginning of large numbers of human life then I will stop preaching. Just so all the critics and everyone out there will understand. I am true to my word in these things. OK? And for all the critics if by the end of July and for most likely around Pentecost if nothing has clearly caused great destruction and death I will make it very clear that I was a false prophet. I will do exactly what I said I would do on all of those interviews that I have held; to do less, ah.. well.. would be quite insane.”

-Ron Weinland, “Three More Weeks” sermon; timestamp 1 hour 28 minutes

“You’ll see who’s speaking to you, my friends.” None of what he so dogmatically stated came true… not even his promise to stand down. Failure from start to finish. But we must ask ourselves, what is the motivation of these things? Who is glorified by all of this bluster and nonsense? God?

(ROM. 11: 36) 36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

God will be glorified when the truth comes out in the due course of time, but now, today, God is not glorified by this mess at all. Ron Weinland isn’t even glorified, though that is what was intended.

(ROM. 2: 23-24) 23 You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? 24 For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” as it is written.

What, then of the manifold claims of how “God did this”? When the prophecies fail, that too is assigned to God. They blame God! They made it into God’s fault! “God was tricking Satan,” they say.

(ISA. 55: 11) 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

I recommend you go to Ronweinland.info and read the section on “Ron Weinland’s False Prophecies.” Take some time to review the many changes in timelines, in exact dates set, in specific names mentioned, in destructions prophesied, and think about them.

(PRO. 22: 20-21) 20 Have I not written to you excellent things of counsels and knowledge, 21 that I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth, that you may answer words of truth to those who send to you?

Where is there any certainty in these shifting "truths"?

Knowing how Ron Weinland treats “truths” – rewriting them as it suits him; knowing how he went back on his word; knowing how Ron Weinland and Herbert Armstrong have utterly failed to prophesy anything correctly; knowing that Ron Weinland claims Herbert Armstrong – his own source of authority and anointing – was wrong in several major areas (including his own identity and even the very nature of Christ – big things); knowing that Ron Weinland and Herbert Armstrong have rewritten their own history several times, and now pass as fact a manufactured past; knowing they descend from Ellen G. White and William Miller, two people that even Herbert Armstrong and Ron Weinland both readily admit were false prophets; knowing that there are multiple people all claiming to be Elijah for this or that reason… how can any right mind, any open eye, any listening ear, any discerning heart, give this man the benefit of the doubt that he is a prophet/Witness/Elijah/Zerubbabel?

(ISA. 59: 3-4) 3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue has muttered perversity. 4 No one calls for justice, nor does any plead for truth. They trust in empty words and speak lies; they conceive evil and bring forth iniquity.

We are all encouraged to ignore all those blatant failures and just forge ahead anyway! Suspend your disbelief. Abide in Ron's word! Purchase your salvation from him! Just a few more years, a few more years, and you’ll see.

CONCLUSION

But if all these things are shown plainly as untruth, and we cannot trust the claims of a man, what shall we do? Get out of there! Abandon that man and leave him to his own end. And pray that God have mercy on his soul.

(I TIM. 6: 3-5) 3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, 4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, 5 useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.

Turn rather to God. Turn to His word.

(JOHN 17: 17) 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

(JOHN 8: 31-32) 31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Free at last! Eyes open. Ears hearing. Where, then, should we start within God’s word of truth?

(DEU. 18: 22) 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.

[Part two is located here.]

I also recommend you read this article by Seeker of Truth: "Herbert W Armstrong: End-Time Elijah?"