Herbert W. Armstrong Quote
“And I am here to announce to you tonight, that this world is going to come crashing down! But it is going to be replaced with a far better world that will be filled with happiness and love, and with peace and joy and happiness, and with greater production by far than anything we have dreamed of having yet, and where everybody will be well educated and rightly and properly educated. I feel a responsibility, and a voice has to cry out in this wilderness of religious confusion, this wilderness of a Babylon of ideas and everybody against everybody else. Someone has to cry out with that message and announce to you what is going to happen as certain as the sun is going to rise and set tomorrow. Now I know you haven’t heard anything said like this before, but I have been sent here by that eternal ever living creator God. The God over all races and all people and all nations, to tell you the truth! Which missionaries have failed to tell you, which religions have not known and have not been able to tell you, which the colleges and universities do not teach, which science doesn’t even understand! But you have been told tonight!” Ambassador for world peace 1985
World Tomorrow Commentary (MP3 audio)
World Tomorrow Commentary (MP3 audio)
End-time Proverbs
- If you think you cannot be deceived, you already are!
- The most difficult thing for a human being to do is to admit error! HWA
- Heresy like leaven spreads until it FILLS its host—at which point it KILLS its host!
Reflections….
Since www.HerbertWArmstrong.ca went online in August of 2003, it has become increasingly apparent that there are MANY people who still value ALL of the Truths that were restored to the Church through the ministry of Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong.
Because of the continued shift away from ALL of the Truth—the resultant splitting of the ‘Church’ has continued unabated. ALL of the competing groups are responsible for this deplorable condition that can only be characterized as a ‘party spirit’. Many brethren are disheartened by the corporate tug-of-war that has ensued, leaving people caught in the middle as victims of a power struggle. Along with this, there exists a palpable spirit of criticism.
The Churchof Godat large, now more accurately conveys the image of, ‘the fragmentation of the Body in the spirit of competition’, rather than, ‘the UNITY of the spirit in the bond of peace’. Isn’t it time for ALL of God’s people to seriously consider rediscovering our roots and get back to ALL of the Truth that was restored to God’s Church through His end-time apostle Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong? Many realize that the last time there was unity among God’s true people, was just before the apostate false leaders of the WCG began to destroy Mr. Armstrong’s remarkable legacy. Will God continue to allow His Church to languish in a condition of Laodicean lukewarmness and division? Jesus Christ the true head of the church is NOT divided, only men divide the Body of Christ.
Although the determination of a number of groups to ‘do the work’ is truly commendable, it has become almost impossible for brethren to support various positions that have been taken, since so many are at the best, contradictory.
The Kingdom of God
by
Robert G. Goddard
Just what, why, how and even when is the Kingdom of God? In this article we shall explore the most important doctrine in the Bible. TheKingdomofGod, when properly understood, answers the most important questions that confront mankind. The correct understanding of theKingdomofGodgives clarity to the real purpose that God is working out here below and the purpose of human existence.
In Genesis 1: 1; we are ushered onto the scene of a massive CATASTROPHISM that had occurred at some long ago time before the dawn of human history. [We use the word catastrophism rather than ‘catastrophe’ because it is a more expansive word denoting cataclysmic events that would absolutely have disrupted the so-called condition needed to promote uniformitarianism – a catchphrase for evolutionary development of life.] On a related note, it is sad to see so many professing Christians wreathing with embarrassment in trying to explain why their faith and understanding of the bible requires belief in a 6,000 year old planet, or there about. The truth of the bible has been entirely misrepresented on this point. God does NOT, NEVER HAS AND NEVER WILL, create anything in Tohu and Bohu. These are the two Hebrew words used to describe the condition that the original created earth had become, that is; without form and void; see Genesis 1: 2. In effect, God’s original creation was so beautiful that it is recorded that the angels (including Lucifer, which means light bringer or morning star of the dawn) shouted for joy upon seeing it.
Job 38: 7
When the morning stars sang together,
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
This verse records the angels, who were created sons of God, shouting for joy at the original creation of the earth (including the vast endless universe). This according the bible could have happened millions or evens billions of years ago [your choice]. That is the plain truth of the bible, that missionaries have failed to teach, and universities have not known and that this world has been completely blinded to. WHY?
This Lucifer and his original third-of-the-angels had much to be joyful about. God in His original plan had given them the responsibility of administering the GOVERNMENT OF GOD to the pre-Adamic world. Unfortunately, we read that the one who was originally named ‘light bringer’ turned away from the government of God and became a destroyer or ‘Apollyon’ the prince of darkness. Hence upon trying to overtake the Throne of God and being cast down, this original act of rebellion resulted in the destruction of the earth that we read of in Gen 1: 1. Isa 14 and Ezek 38 are parallel accounts of this monumental event.
At this point the government of God had been removed from earth. This necessitated a change in the original plan of God. His purpose of administering the government of God was still there, but how was He going to bring this about? On the 6th day of the recreation week; and God [Elohim – a ‘uniplural’ meaning more than one] said; “let [Us] make man in our image after our likeness” Gen. 1: 26. God began the supreme act of reproducing Himself. It was now time to initiate the process of bringing about a human family that would ultimately qualify to become part of His divine family, in order to administer the Government of God, beginning on earth.
The first man Adam was given opportunity to replace Satan as ruler of this earth. Having been presented with the choice of taking from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
or the tree of life, he rejected the opportunity of having access to the mind of God through the Holy Spirit. Thus, upon taking of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he consigned his descendents to the prerogative of ‘taking to oneself’ or deciding for oneself what is right or wrong, truth and error, good and evil. Under the sway of the ever active Satan the Devil still sitting on earth’s throne, humanity has now after 6000 years come to the tumultuous ‘time of the end’, where the earth is again in grave peril of becoming Tohu and Bohu, without form and void!
This is the disastrous result when the government of God is not being administered. There are two opposites. The government of man under the sway of Satan brings about every evil result; competition, strife, hatred, greed and destruction. The government of God brings about happiness, productivity, peace, joy and every good result! We might add at this point that the twisted perverted mind of Satan has gotten increasingly more evil and destructive. This is becoming increasingly more apparent as we see world events play out in an ever more bizarre and destructive way. It has now become Satan’s goal and purpose to destroy God’s plan including humanity and planet earth. The weapons of mass destruction are now in place that can do this. Terrorism (both state and local) is now rampant. Rogue states armed with nuclear weapons make ominous threats almost daily. Surely a strong hand from someplace is desperately needed!
Four thousand years after the incident of the two trees in the garden of Eden, a messenger from a divine source was sent bearing a message. Jesus Christ (meaning Saviour and Anointed One) at about the age of 30 began through His original ministry, the public proclamation of theKingdomofGodin 27 A.D. This officially marked the beginning of the entire theology or religion of ‘Israel’ which now included ‘grace’. We read of this in Isaiah’s sweepingly majestic prophecy in Isaiah 9:6-7;
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and
the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His
name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, The mighty
God, the everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the
increase of His government and peace there shall be no
end, upon the throne of David, and upon His Kingdom,
to order it and to establish it with judgement and with
justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the
Lord of hosts will perform this.
The book of Malachi records a dual prophecy. Behold I send my messenger (John / and the continuing ministry of the Church in the last days) and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord whom you seek shall suddenly come to His temple, [this happened during Jesus’ first coming when He came to a material temple and to physical Israel. He is going to come again at His second coming to a spiritual temple, the Israel of God, a people made ready for their God!] even the messenger of the covenant. Yes, Christ is the messenger of the new covenant that will finally be established when /He returns and sets up His Kingdom! Continuing; ‘Whom you delight in’ (when He shall come to be glorified in His saints, 11Thess 1: 10): behold, He shall come says the Lord of Hosts. The following verses continue well into His second coming; Mal 3: 1-.
In the fall of 27A.D. at the outset of His ministry, before He had selected His original disciples, Christ was in Jerusalem. Rumours had already been rampant of this new dynamic ‘preacher’ who had already performed some impressive miracles. This had been brought to the attention of the religious leaders of the day of whom Nicodemus was one. This same man for fear of the Jews came to Jesus by night. He explained that it was quite obvious that: ‘we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no man can do these miracles that you do except God be with Him’. Jesus immediately responded by saying: ‘except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God’. Nicodemus was quite perplexed. He responded by saying; ‘how can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mothers womb and be born? Christ answered; ‘except a man be born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. marvel not that I said unto you, you must be born again. The wind blows where it will, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from, and where it goes: [so is everyone that is born of the spirit’.] Nicodemus was stunned. He had never heard anything like this before in his life. This completely altered his entire understanding of the Kingdom of God. This went far beyond the perceived first century teaching of the re-establishment of the Kingdom of David, thus enabling the Jews to throw off the hated yoke of Roman occupation. Christ’s clear statements implied that average members of society could become a part of theKingdom ofGod.
The apostle Paul wrote that, ‘flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; neither does corruption inherit incorruption’, 1Cor. 15: 50. And yet in verse 49, he clearly shows that, as we have born the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly’. Clearly the transcendent potential of man is to be born into the family of God. The Kingdom of God is the family of God grown great. Jesus Christ was born again into the family of God by resurrection from the dead. In the exact same way, we must be born again as well.
In returning to Genesis 1: 26, God’s obvious original intent is to reproduce Himself and thus re-establish the Kingdomof Godon earth. He created man in His image after His likeness. The original Adam was a mere clay replica whose boundless human potential could only be realized by ultimately taking on, or acquiring the divine nature, the same nature, as Jesus Christ. Christ’s hand picked ‘chief apostle’ wrote about this in 11Pet 1: 4; ‘whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature’…
This implies that we MUST keep God’s law in order to even begin to have His divine nature. This is the rule by which Christ’s government will be established. Isaiah 2: 6 shows that ‘out of Zion shall go forth the law’ during the millennial reign of Christ. We are now to be living by that same law.
In Daniel the second chapter, we read of a ‘Stone’ (Christ) that was cut out without hands. This stone would come back to earth and set up a Kingdom that would break in pieces and consume all other kingdoms, and would stand forever. This Kingdom involves the resurrected saints also ruling with Christ over the entire earth for one thousand years. (See 11Tim 2: 10, Rev. 5:10, and Rev. 20: 6.)
This Kingdom is not unlike any other kingdom in that it has; law – God’s law; land or territory – the earth; government – the family of God; the governed – all mortal human beings still alive on earth. Most succinctly stated, the Kingdom of God is: the government of God administered by the Family of God into which we may be born!
Another pre-condition to entering that Kingdom can be found in two ‘sister’ scriptures. In Mk 1:15, we must #1] Repent, and #2] Believe the Gospel [that of the Kingdom.] In Acts 2: 38, we must #1] Repent, and #2] Be Baptized. Anyone who has not fully repented believed the very same Gospel which Jesus preached, and then is baptised, will never be in God’s Kingdom (all arguments to the contrary not-withstanding!)
Very briefly, we must include the fact that the Church is most assuredly the Kingdom of God in embryo. We are now in the process of training to rule with Christ. We are striving to live according to the law of God. We must be learning to abide by the government of God. We must be following the Living Jesus Christ where His ‘body’ is, that one unique institution that will transform over into the Kingdom of God. This is where that foundation of the apostles and prophets (patriarchs), exists, Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone; Eph 2: 20. In Mat 13: 31, the Church is likened to a ‘grain of mustard seed’ which is the smallest of all seeds, but when it is grown it becomes the greatest of all herbs….Though small and persecuted down through the centuries, the Church truly shall become the greatest of all Kingdoms.
At the end of the age, as the Philadelphian era of the Church of God, in order to even qualify to be among those Kings and Priests – of that yet future government of God, we MUST be about doing our Father’s business. Mat 24: 14; And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. This ‘good news’ announcement, MUST first be proclaimed into all the world by the church, and then and only then shall the end come. Jesus Christ was a forecaster of ‘good news’. Nothing has really changed!
In closing, let us quote from the ‘evangelist prophet’ some of the most inspiring passages of the bible:
Isaiah 11: 6-9
The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie
down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling
together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the
bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the
lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on
the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the
cockatrice den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy
mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord,
as the waters cover the sea.
Isaiah 2: 2-5
And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s
house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted
above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go
and say, Come you and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house
of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us His ways, and we will walk in His
paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from
Jerusalem. And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many
people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears
into pruninghooks : nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither
shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come you and let us walk
in the light of the Lord. Amen!