Changes

According to all non-Catholic and non-Orthodox groups and sects and churches, after the original apostles died, the false church did come in and largely destroy the visible Church. This is commonly called the Great Apostasy. Because of persecution, often including threats, imprisonment, torture and death, most people gave in and departed from the truth of God’s Way and therefore from the true Church. This period is sometimes called by anti-Catholic [[Apologetics|apologists]] “The Lost Century.” They all assert that, as Jesus promised, His True Church has always survived, even when forced by the [[Heresy|heretical]] and violently [[Persecution|persecuting]] [[Authoritarianism|authoritarian]] forces of [[Trinity|trinitarian]] [[orthodox]]y to go underground, that it has never completely disappeared or been destroyed—though it has certainly remained a “little flock” that has kept His Word, and the Church that has always been kept in God’s name.

According to all non-Catholic and non-Orthodox groups and sects and churches, after the original apostles died, the false church did come in and largely destroy the visible Church. This is commonly called the Great Apostasy. Because of persecution, often including threats, imprisonment, torture and death, most people gave in and departed from the truth of God’s Way and therefore from the true Church. This period is sometimes called by anti-Catholic [[Apologetics|apologists]] “The Lost Century.” They all assert that, as Jesus promised, His True Church has always survived, even when forced by the [[Heresy|heretical]] and violently [[Persecution|persecuting]] [[Authoritarianism|authoritarian]] forces of [[Trinity|trinitarian]] [[orthodox]]y to go underground, that it has never completely disappeared or been destroyed—though it has certainly remained a “little flock” that has kept His Word, and the Church that has always been kept in God’s name.

Herbert W. Armstrong claimed that God called him in the fall of 1926. After he was ordained in 1931, he claimed that God began, in late 1933 early 1934, to use him in a special way to restore His full truth to His Church and to raise up and lead the New Testament Church. Using as a basis the doctrinal ''schema'' of [[Dispensationalism]] Armstrong preached that the Bible teaches, in Revelation 2 and 3, that God has worked with His Church through seven separate and successive eras. In these two chapters of Revelation, he asserted that Christ describes each era in some detail. The first five eras or dispensations (with the exception of the second) are seen by him as being described as having their own unique set of doctrinal and spiritual problems that eventually led to their downfall. Each time this happened, he says, God raised up a new leader to establish the next era. These seven eras are Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. Originally, these were seven cities that lay close together (in this order) on a mail route in Asia Minor (now western Turkey). According to Mr. Armstrong's [[exegesis]] each city reflected corresponding attitudes that would exist in the seven eras that it represented, and that Christ was able to use these cities to show a pattern that would span the history of His Church over the next 2,000 years, from AD 31 until His Return (the ''[[Parousia''). He preached that when God called him in the fall of 1926, the New Testament Church had arrived at the end of the fifth era (Sardis), and that God began, in late 1933, to use him in a special way to restore His full truth to His Church and to raise up and lead the sixth era—Philadelphia. His followers accepted the doctrine that God used Mr. Armstrong to restore truths that had been lost to His Church for centuries.  

Herbert W. Armstrong claimed that God called him in the fall of 1926. After he was ordained in 1931, he claimed that God began, in late 1933 early 1934, to use him in a special way to restore His full truth to His Church and to raise up and lead the New Testament Church. He was an ardent promoter of the doctrine of Anglo-Israelism in his teachings on the ''lost ten tribes of Israel''. Using as a basis the doctrinal ''schema'' of [[Dispensationalism]] Armstrong preached that the Bible teaches, in Revelation 2 and 3, that God has worked with His Church through seven separate and successive eras. In these two chapters of Revelation, he asserted that Christ describes each era in some detail. The first five eras or dispensations (with the exception of the second) are seen by him as being described as having their own unique set of doctrinal and spiritual problems that eventually led to their downfall. Each time this happened, he says, God raised up a new leader to establish the next era. These seven eras are Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. Originally, these were seven cities that lay close together (in this order) on a mail route in Asia Minor (now western Turkey). According to Mr. Armstrong's [[exegesis]] each city reflected corresponding attitudes that would exist in the seven eras that it represented, and that Christ was able to use these cities to show a pattern that would span the history of His Church over the next 2,000 years, from AD 31 until His Return (the ''[[Parousia]]''). He preached that when God called him in the fall of 1926, the New Testament Church had arrived at the end of the fifth era (Sardis), and that God began, in late 1933, to use him in a special way to restore His full truth to His Church and to raise up and lead the sixth era—Philadelphia. His followers accepted the doctrine that God used Mr. Armstrong to restore truths that had been lost to His Church for centuries.  

David C. Pack says that God called him into His truth in 1966. His relationship with Herbert W. Armstrong primarily began when he met and married Armstrong's secretary in 1971. He considered that he was "blessed to learn and to know God’s marvelous Plan and to be personally trained by Herbert W. Armstrong."

David C. Pack says that God called him into His truth in 1966. His relationship with Herbert W. Armstrong primarily began when he met and married Armstrong's secretary in 1971. He considered that he was "blessed to learn and to know God’s marvelous Plan and to be personally trained by Herbert W. Armstrong."

This passage describes Christ’s offer to all who have held fast to part of the truth. (Philadelphians hold to all of it, because they are determined to “let no man take their crown” – Revelation 3:11) He will continue to call Laodiceans “by name” and knock on their doors until there is no time left in this age. (This knocking process is thoroughly addressed in their book ''“Anoint Your Eyes” – Christ’s Warning to His People.'')

This passage describes Christ’s offer to all who have held fast to part of the truth. (Philadelphians hold to all of it, because they are determined to “let no man take their crown” – Revelation 3:11) He will continue to call Laodiceans “by name” and knock on their doors until there is no time left in this age. (This knocking process is thoroughly addressed in their book ''“Anoint Your Eyes” – Christ’s Warning to His People.'')

David C. Pack asserts that {{cquote|"just as Mr. Armstrong strove to live peacefully alongside the Sardis era of the Church, and bore them no ill will, we are striving to live peacefully (Philadelphia means “brotherly love”) alongside these other groups and bear them no ill will. We hope and pray that many more will continue to awaken to Christ’s warning and come out of them, and we are striving to warn them of what lies ahead. (In fact, a great prophecy found throughout the Bible shows that all of God’s people will be regathered back into the true Church—one organization—at the end of the age.) However, this booklet is not written for or specifically directed to these weak brethren. It is to instruct new people that God is calling now (those hearing the truth for the first time)—but must include the above brief description of Church eras so that they are better able to understand recent events in the true Church, and to avoid the same pitfalls into which so many others fell!}}

David C. Pack asserts that {{cquote|...just as Mr. Armstrong strove to live peacefully alongside the Sardis era of the Church, and bore them no ill will, we are striving to live peacefully (Philadelphia means “brotherly love”) alongside these other groups and bear them no ill will. We hope and pray that many more will continue to awaken to Christ’s warning and come out of them, and we are striving to warn them of what lies ahead. (In fact, a great prophecy found throughout the Bible shows that all of God’s people will be regathered back into the true Church—one organization—at the end of the age.) However, this booklet is not written for or specifically directed to these weak brethren. It is to instruct new people that God is calling now (those hearing the truth for the first time)—but must include the above brief description of Church eras so that they are better able to understand recent events in the true Church, and to avoid the same pitfalls into which so many others fell!}}

''The Restored Church of God'' proclaims that the world is built on the foundation of Satan’s way. As “god of this world,” he has constructed his own governments, cultures, educational systems, and other institutions—and he has also built his own “churches” (II Cor. 11:13-15). All of these together are seen as forming a “building,” with a vast superstructure, but one that is founded upon “sand,” instead of the “rock” (I Corinthians 10:4) that is Jesus Christ! Christ is not trying to build or to rebuild—repair!—the governments, institutions or churches of Satan’s world. Soon these will all be swept away by the “rain, wind and floods,” that He described in Matthew 7:24-27. 

''The Restored Church of God'' proclaims that the world is built on the foundation of Satan’s way. As “god of this world,” he has constructed his own governments, cultures, educational systems, and other institutions—and he has also built his own “churches” (II Cor. 11:13-15). All of these together are seen as forming a “building,” with a vast superstructure, but one that is founded upon “sand,” instead of the “rock” (I Corinthians 10:4) that is Jesus Christ! Christ is not trying to build or to rebuild—repair!—the governments, institutions or churches of Satan’s world. Soon these will all be swept away by the “rain, wind and floods,” that He described in Matthew 7:24-27.