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Line 10: − + − − Herbert W. Armstrong claimed to be called and sent by God to the nations to preach and restore the truth of the Kingdom of God, emphasizing the following points. + − + − *History records that this happened in '''[[Typology|type]]''' during (and after).+ − − 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. 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.
→History
==History==
==History==
Herbert W. Armstrong is to the Worldwide Church of God what [[Joseph Smith]] is to the Mormons, [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Ellen G. White to the Adventists]], [[Mary Baker Eddy]] to the Christian Scientists, and what [[Charles Taze Russell|"Pastor" Russell]] is to the Jehovah's Witnesses. Armstrong is its "founder," "prophet," "chosen apostle," "ambassador," and "head."
Herbert W. Armstrong was to the Worldwide Church of God (before the changes after his passing) what [[Joseph Smith]] is to the Mormons, Ellen G. White to the [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]], [[Mary Baker Eddy]] to the Christian Scientists, and [[Charles Taze Russell]] to the Jehovah's Witnesses. Armstrong was the group's "founder", "prophet" "chosen apostle", "ambassador", and "head"; without Armstrong WCG would simply never have existed in any significant form.
Armstrong claimed to be called and sent by God to the nations to preach and restore the truth of the Kingdom of God, emphasizing the following points:
*Peter warned, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you” (II Peter 2:1-3).
*Peter warned, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you” (II Peter 2:1-3).
*Before his death, Paul explicitly warned of an event that would take place in our time, prior to Christ’s Return. Notice: “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to feed the Church of God…For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:28-30).
*Before his death, Paul explicitly warned of an event that would take place in our time, prior to Christ’s Return. Notice: “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to feed the Church of God…For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:28-30).
*History records that this happened in '''[[Typology|type]]''' during (and after). 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."
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.
On Jan. 7, 1934, the Radio Church of God took to the air with the remarkable teachings of its founder, a former advertising man named Herbert W. Armstrong. Among them: that the British and their colonists in America had descended from the Lost Tribes of Israel, that God was not a Trinity but a family (Father and Son, but no Holy Ghost) and that the apocalypse would begin in 1936 (later postponed to 1943, then 1972, then indefinitely).
On Jan. 7, 1934, the Radio Church of God took to the air with the remarkable teachings of its founder, a former advertising man named Herbert W. Armstrong. Among them: that the British and their colonists in America had descended from the Lost Tribes of Israel, that God was not a Trinity but a family (Father and Son, but no Holy Ghost) and that the apocalypse would begin in 1936 (later postponed to 1943, then 1972, then indefinitely).