Herbert W Armstrong In His Own Words
The Myth & The Man
Questions about the Myth–Answers from the Man
Why question The Myth?
If you are unfamiliar with the ministry of Herbert W. Armstrong
("HWA"),
you may wish to click the above link to some background material relevant
to this page.
This material is part of a Field Guide profile of The Worldwide Church of God (WCG) Under Founder Herbert Armstrong. Click here to go to the main page of the WCG profile.
The following is from a list of questions regarding Armstrong's ministry. To see the other questions on the list, click on the link at the end of this page. Please Note: Red highlighting has been added to some sections to call attention to certain phraseology. CAPITALIZATION for emphasis was all in the originals as written by Herbert Armstrong. He was addicted to the use of capitalization in all his writing.
Q. 7 The members of the Radio Church of God were so scattered in the early years of the organization—Surely Herbert W. Armstrong (HWA) would have wanted them to get together with one another even if there was no official congregation or minister in the area ... wouldn't he?
Excerpt from "Should We Listen to Others?" by HWA, Good News magazine, May, 1960
"However, Scripture teaches against brethren assembling in small groups in private homes without a minister to lead them! You read in Acts 14:23 that Paul and Barnabas ordained elders in every church. There were no churches without ordained leaders. If you did not read the article in the Good News on this point of a few brethren in a locality meeting together when there is no minister, write in for it. THIS OUR MEMBERS ARE FORBIDDEN TO DO!"
[Hmmm... but what about "worship"?...]
"You can join THOUSANDS of our own church brethren in DAILY WORSHIP, by sitting quietly before your radio while The WORLD TOMORROW program is on the air. DO YOU?"
Complete article: "Should We Listen to Others?"
Q. 8 Herbert W. Armstrong (HWA) never claimed the title of "prophet", so why do some consider him to have been a false prophet?
Most prophets in the Bible didn't "claim the title" of prophet, either. They were called prophets by others because they did what the word prophet implies—speaking on behalf of God, proclaiming His plans and His will to others about matters which are not directly revealed in scripture. Including, on occasion, the "timing" for such plans.
Herbert Armstrong never set one specific date for "the Return of Christ." But on numerous occasion he made dogmatic statements about a specific time frame for prophecies to be fulfilled. This is the same thing most Biblical prophets did. And Armstrong most assuredly claimed at times that he was speaking by the authority of God Himself, not just sharing his own speculation about what the Bible might say. Here is one such example:
February, 1967 Plain Truth, p. 47
The ‘Day of the Eternal’—a time foretold in more than thirty prophecies—is going to strike between 5 and 10 years from now! You will know, then, how REAL it is. You will wish, then, you had heeded. I am not writing foolishly, but very soberly, ON AUTHORITY of the living Christ!
A few of the quotations below are by subordinates of HWA, published in the Plain Truth magazine in the 1950s and 1960s. But given the fact that HWA was at that time in the prime of his personal control of the ministry, and editor of the Plain Truth magazine, he would have had absolute control of the contents of the magazine. And thus their comments would have been in the magazine only if he were in full agreement.
(All quotations below, including all from Coworker Letters, are from HWA unless noted differently, and all are from the Plain Truth unless noted otherwise.)
Setting the prophetic standard
PT December 1956, p. 3 (author anonymous)
This is how you can know who is preaching the truth today—when what he says comes to pass…. 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… 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!
PT August, 1957 (Roderick C. Meredith)
WHERE ARE God’s true prophets today?… Listen! This work has been warning America of definite and tremendous events to come for many years! The popular, denominationally supported evangelists often… 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.
"Just What Do You Mean… KINGDOM OF GOD?" 1962 edition (HWA)
If the deceived religionists who think the CHURCH is the Kingdom of God were right,
and there is not going to be any supernatural and all-
Checking the Record Against That Standard
Fact: Herbert Armstrong began publishing the Plain Truth in February, 1934.
PT February 1934, page 3
… we may be absolutely certain that we are in, and for about three years have been
passing through, this great world-
In the fifth issue, June/July 1934, he published a hand-
He clearly marks 1936 as the "END OF THE AGE," to be immediately followed by the heavenly signs and then the "Day of the Lord."
When "the Day of the Lord" didn't come in 1936, he began a long career of predicting,
often dogmatically, ever-
PT March 1938, p.8:
Mussolini and the Pope will hatch up an idea between [them] of setting up a world headquarters at Jerusalem—and so Mussolini’s armies will enter Palestine (Dan. 11:41), and eventually will capture just half of the city of Jerusalem! (Zech 14:2)
PT January 1939, p. 4:
Mussolini will fight Christ!
PT August 1939, p.6
Once war is resumed, it must continue on thru the great Tribulation, the heavenly signs, the plagues of the Day of the Lord, and to the second coming of Christ, at the last battle, at Armageddon!… But this you may know! This war will be ended by Christ’s return! And war may start within six weeks! We are just that near Christ’s coming!
PT May/June 1941
Hitler now emerges as the "BEAST" of Revelation!
PT September/October 1941
Our God is now about to punish… if our stiff-
PT August 1952 p. 14 (Herman Hoeh])
The next Pope will be a miracle worker, a supposed proof that God is using him to order and pacify the world!" [The next pope was Pope John XXIII. He never claimed to be a miracle worker and never tried to organize or pacify the world.]
PT August, 1952, p.1
[Headline to article by HWA]:
Hitler Did Not Die! Adolph Hitler's fake suicide in his Berlin bunker now is exposed
as history's greatest hoax! Positive evidence comes to light Hitler did not die-
PT January 1955 p. 1, 15 (Hoeh)
The assistant Chief of the U.S. Weather Bureau, I.R. Tannehill painted a gloomy future for America in one of the nation’s leading magazines. The last few years of drought and floods are just a foretaste of famines soon to occur! "Real trouble," he states, "is just around the corner." By the 1970s, he continues, "our water demands may make the supply critical even in good rain years. WHAT WILL WE DO WHEN THE GREAT DROUGHT OF 1975 settles down upon us? That’s your question." Yes, that is the question!—and prophecy proves it will happen—before 1975!"
[NOTE: That is the beginning of the article… the end is a pitch for tithing! As follows…] "Only remember that if you do not square yourself with the Almighty Ruler of the universe, that He will collect from you all your past obligations by casting you out of your very own home. These are strong words, but they are true. God Almighty has spoken through His servants the prophets that He will punish our people for their sins. He will let our own lust cause such droughts, floods, pestilences and famines that we will be totally consumed and carried away captive to other nations as slaves within 20 years… Tithing is God’s challenge! Are YOU going to practice what He commands you? It is your only protection from the coming disaster that faces our nation."
November, 1956, p. 3 (Hoeh):
… millions of Christians in the United States and Britain will be MARTYRED—and that within the next 16 years!"
Coworker Letter 2/13/59
Today we are in the SEVENTH YEAR of our SECOND 19-
BUT—speaking of this terrible world-
Does that mean we have far LESS than the remaining 12 years of our allotted two 19-
The United States and the British Commonwealth in Prophecy. 1967 edition
The events prophesied to strike the British and American peoples in the next four to seven years are SURE! ... These colossal world events, shrinking the first two world wars into insignificance, WILL COME, on schedule."
Coworker letter, April 17, 1967
Right now, just prior by not more than five to seven years, to the coming terrible
Day of the Lord, the living Christ has moved swiftly to open the all-
EXCEPT … as reported by the Ambassador Report … "Just as Herbert was making ready
to do his first broadcast over Radio Jerusalem, the Six-
Makes you wonder if the Israelis were able to "surprise" God with their war!
Unless otherwise noted, all original material on this Field Guide website
is © 2001-
Careful effort has been made to give credit as clearly as possible to any specific material quoted or ideas extensively adapted from any one resource. Corrections and clarifications regarding citations for any source material are welcome, and will be promptly added to any sections which are found to be inadequately documented as to source.
Return to Top of Page and the Navigation Bar