40 Ways in Which
Triumph Prophetic Ministries
DIFFERS from the Worldwide
What
are the major differences between this Work of God and
the Worldwide
off-shoots of Worldwide?
What about our differences with
the Messianic Jews, and “Messianic Israel” groups? Where
is God’s REAL “Work” being done, today? How important is
the understanding these things and God’s TRUTH?
William F. Dankenbring
About
three thousand years ago, the prophet Elijah stood on
Elijah
declared, in dramatic, thundering words: “How long will you waver between two
opinions? If the Lord is God, follow
him; but if Baal is God, follow him” (I Kings
Two
thousand years ago, the apostle Paul was faced with a similar dilemma. It was an age of apostasy from the truth of
God. False doctrines were being taught
right inside the
In
the sixteenth century A.D., the vast professing Christian church had gone
astray from the simple teachings of Christ. A rigid formula of legalism and
Catholic authoritarianism had supplanted the true teachings of Christ. The
selling of “indulgences” was widely practiced throughout
When
Martin Luther, a new Catholic priest, wrestled with his own conscience and
conflicting Christian values, by studying the Scriptures, he found the Catholic
Church had forsaken many of the basic teachings of Christ. After several years, his differences caused
him to be put out of the Church and declared a “heretic.” In 1521 he was
ordered to appear before a meeting of princes, theologians and nobles by
Charles V, emperor of the
Luther'’s response became historic. He replied:
“Unless I am convinced by the clear testimony of Scripture or by
clear reason
(for
I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known
that
they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the
Scriptures I have quoted
and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I
cannot
and I will not retract anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go
against
conscience. I cannot do otherwise.”
Luther’s
example, of standing up to wrongly used authority, which tries to suppress
truth, is one of great value and worth in this end time, when Christ said that many
shall be deceived (Matt.24:5). He
warned that false prophets would deceive all but the “very elect” (v.24).
But
who are the “very elect”? They can only
be those who are faithfully looking into the Word of God, and not to supposed
highly esteemed human leaders, for their faith, instruction, and spiritual
understanding! God's Word is the
standard for us to judge everything! To merely
follow men, because they occupy high offices in the church, today, is a very
great mistake, for God, in due time, may very well remove them from their high
office in His righteous anger and furious indignation at their stubborn
intransigence and refusal to grow in grace, truth, and knowledge. He will surely punish all who reject
knowledge (Hosea 4:6). Those who refuse
to admit error, and to repent when proven wrong, will be cast out by Christ
Himself when He returns to establish His Kingdom!
When
the leaders of the Worldwide Church of God persecuted me, sixteen years ago, and
cast me out of the Church, because of my writing books on Biblical topics, my
eyes were drawn to Christ's blazing words in Matthew 5, beginning in verse 11:
“Blessed are ye, when men shall REVILE you, and PERSECUTE you, and shall say
all manner of EVIL against you falsely, for my sake. REJOICE, and be exceeding glad: for great is
your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before
you” (Matt.5:11-12).
Jesus
went on to say, “Ye are the light of the world.
A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a
candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
“Let
your light so SHINE BEFORE MEN, that they may SEE you good works, and glorify
your Father which is in heaven” (Matt.5:14-16).
God wants us to let our light SHINE FORTH. If and when He grants us graciously new truth
and understanding, of His Word, or the amazing prophecies for the end time, we
are commanded by Christ to LET IT SHINE FORTH!
It would be a sin to bury it, or suppress it or to hide it under a pot
or bed!
But
when we do so, we must be prepared to pay the price, even if it means being
“cast out” of any modern church congregation which claims to be the true
In
this article I am going to show you the ways in which we, in this
ministry, are different from other churches in our teachings, doctrines, and
Scriptural understanding. In particular,
I will show you where we differ from the past and present teachings of the
Worldwide Church of God, and many of the various “off shoots” that sprang up from
the spiritual apostasy that rent that church, as well as how we differ from
“Messianic Jews,” and “Messianic Israel” groups.
I
urge you to study this article carefully, and then do further research, and
send for the particular articles which give additional proof, evidence and
insight into the areas where we are different.
In fact, I CHALLENGE you to do so – for your own salvation could be at
stake! Surely you don’t want to be
deceived, or to believe a “lie”, do you?
In
each one of these areas you can study for yourself, and PROVE the truth! It is up to YOU.
ERROR
#1 -- the Primacy of Peter—Peter was the “chief apostle.”
Herbert
W. Armstrong began teaching in recent years that Peter was the chief of the apostles
and had authority over the others. This
was a distinct change from what the Church used to teach. The Catholic Church, of course, had always
claimed this. However, Jesus told His
disciple that they were not to call one another, or select ones among
themselves, "Rabbi," or "Master," or "Lord,"
"for ONE is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren"
(Matt.23:8). Peter was not over the
other apostles in authority, despite the self-serving claims of Herbert
Armstrong. Rather, he and Paul were equals
(see Galatians 2:7-9). If Peter had been
over Paul in authority, then Paul would have sinned by his rebuking Peter
publicly (Gal.2:11-14). The truth is that Peter was the apostle to the Jews;
Paul was the apostle sent to the Gentiles; and the other apostles were sent by
God to other tribes of
ERROR #2 -- the "
At
one time Herbert Armstrong admitted that truly converted people could belong to
other churches. He even admitted that the "
This
claim is sheer nonsense. God's Church is
a spiritual organism, not a human corporation.
It comprises all those in all Churches who have truly surrendered their
lives to Christ in baptism, and have repented of their sins, and are serving
Christ to the best of their knowledge and understanding of the Word of God
(Acts 2:38). Therefore, although all
Churches today have gone astray in some measure, some much more than others, it
is very possible for many true Christians to be members of several different
Churches (all of which, in spiritual type, are described in Revelation 2-3),
including Adventists, Church of God Seventh Day, other smaller groups, and
various Evangelical churches. Who are we
to try to sit in judgment of others? The
Word of God will judge each and every individual. One does not have to be a member of the
Worldwide Church of God in order to be saved!
Such an idea is utter nonsense. A
careful study of Revelation 2-3, the letters to the seven churches, shows the
In recent years, of course, the remnant
Worldwide Church of God has itself repudiated the idea that it is the
"only"
ERROR #3 -- Christians do not need to
“qualify” for Salvation!
Joseph Tkach
introduced this new doctrine after the death of Herbert Armstrong. He wrote in the Good News magazine
that "qualifying" is not necessary for salvation, a distinct change
from the historical teaching of the Church.
For years the Church has taught that we cannot "earn"
salvation by good works. However, Tkach changed this concept to include we cannot
"qualify" for salvation. A
rather strange, subtle twist to the truth!
Of course, the Scriptures show that we are justified by Faith, not by
works; and we are saved by Faith, not by human effort, rituals, or works
(Eph.2:8-9). Nevertheless, good deeds ARE necessary for salvation (verse 10), because God has ordained that we walk in them. If we don't, we disobey Him and break His
commandments. Jesus said to enter life
we must "keep the commandments" (Matt.19:17).
However, the word "qualify," if
it is used to mean "earn" salvation, by our works, merely confuses
the issue and creates a muddle of the truth.
Any dictionary shows that 'qualify" does not mean "earn,"
as a "reward." Rather, it is a non-religious term and simply means
"get ready for," to prepare for," "meet the conditions
for." To be saved, we must meet God's conditions for salvation -- which
are belief in Christ, repentance, and surrender to Christ, to serve Him all our
lives (Acts 2:38;
ERROR
#4 -- There is no such thing as "Physical Sin" -- breaking physical
laws is not a sin!
According to the
Worldwide Church of God, there is no such thing as "physical sin,"
and breaking physical or health laws is not "sin," even though it may
hurt your body or kill you. But God says
the wages of "sin" is death (Rom.6:23). To say that breaking the laws
of physics, chemistry, gravity, is not "sin" or
"lawlessness" is plain dumb (I John 3:4). The
ERROR #5 -- Christians no longer need to observe Sabbath
or to keep the annual holy days!
For years I was warning the
people of the Worldwide Church of God that their leadership was plunging into
sheer apostasy. From 1987 I have been
shouting the warning. But few
listened. Few heeded. It seemed as if very few really cared any
more.
Then, Joseph Tkach
really exposed himself for what he really is.
He proudly claimed, in a sermon given at Big Sandy, Texas, that the
Sabbath day and annual holy days of God are "abolished" by the New
Covenant! We no longer need to observe
them! In fact, he said, we only do so
now as a matter of "tradition," but if you wish to, you may now WORK
on the Sabbath and annual Holy days!
The sheer blatancy of this new teaching
should not cause us to marvel. Christ
warned us that
there would be false prophets rising up in the last days (Matt.24:4-5, 12, 24).
Paul warned also that men would come
teaching doctrines of demons (I Tim.4:1-2), deceiving and being deceived (II
Tim.3:13). Men who would exchange the
truth of God for fables and fantasies (II Tim.4:3-4).
For the truth on these subjects, write for
our articles "Sabbath Versus Sunday,"
"Does It Matter What Days We Observe?”
"Which Day is the Christian Sabbath?" and "The Annual
Holy Days of God."
ERROR #6 -- the New Covenant
abolishes the laws of God -- except those clearly defined and stated in the New
Testament. This includes the law against
eating unclean meats, such as shellfish, pork, or other "delicacies."
In conjunction with the
idea that the Sabbath and annual holy days are abolished, the new revised
Worldwide Church of God has also repudiated the laws against eating unclean
meats, an claims that the New Covenant abolishes ALL the "Old
Testament" laws, except those clearly reiterated in the New Testament!
Yet, Jesus Christ said He did not come to
abolish or destroy ONE JOT OR TITTLE of the Laws of God (Matt.5:17-19). He told a young rich man who asked Him the
way to eternal life, "If you would enter into life, KEEP THE
COMMANDMENTS" (Matt.19:17).
The apostle Paul clearly taught that
God's Law is "holy, just, and good" (Rom.7:12). He said that God's law is SPIRITUAL
(Rom.7:14), and that which is spiritual is ETERNAL (II Cor.4:17-19). David also spoke highly of the law of God -- read
Psalm 119. How could God do away with
His Law, which is the very essence of His own spiritual CHARACTER and likeness?
Write for the articles "Is Obedience
Required for Salvation," "A New Look at Galatians," "Is the
Law Nailed to the Cross." Also,
write for the article, "Should a Christian Eat Unclean Meats?”
ERROR #7 -- Cremation is all right -- it is your own
decision.
The Bible clearly shows from Genesis to
Revelation that Cremation is a pagan practice, stemming from the doctrine of
the immorality of the soul. It is also a
type of the 'lake of fire' which will consume the wicked. The Bible example of all the saints is
burial, in expectation of the resurrection.
Christ Himself was buried, setting us an example (I Pet.2:21, I John
2:6). My article on this subject proves
beyond question that cremation is a practice Christians should avoid.
ERROR #8 -- Daniel's 2300 days are really
1150 days, were fulfilled as such in the days of Antiochus Epiphanes, and do not really apply today
This may not seem like a major “error,”
but it was primarily for disagreeing with this teaching that the Worldwide
Church of God cast me out of their midst in 1987! The simple truth is,
it has never understood the prophecy of Daniel's 2300 days. Herman L. Hoeh has
taught that these are 1150 days and refer only to the time of Antiochus Ephiphanes. However,
this is not true. The Bible itself
clearly shows that an "evening and a morning" equal one day (Genesis
1), and 2300 evenings and mornings equal 2300 days (see Adam Clark's
Commentary, Jamieson, Faucet and Brown's Commentary). Thus 2300 days equals 2300 years in
fulfillment (Num.14:34; Ezek.4:6). During the time of Antiochus, the
abomination of desolation lasted exactly three years -- not 1150 days. History proves it!
Amazing as it sounds, from the date
Alexander the Great first defeated the Persians at the
ERROR
#9 -- Daniel's 1260,1290 and 1335 Days Not Understood by Worldwide Church of
God and its off-shoots today.
In
the last chapter of Daniel a mysterious prophecy of 1260, 1290 and 1335 days is
given. The Worldwide Church of God has
no answer as to the meaning of the 1335 days.
However, they postulate that the three periods of time all end at the
point of Christ's return, and therefore the 1290 days begins 30 days prior to
the 1260, and that this 30 day period is the time
allowed for the Church to flee to a place of safety. Does this idea make any sense? Daniel is told, 'Blessed is he that waiteth,, and cometh to the 1335
days" (verse 12). This clearly
implies the 1335 continues on beyond the end of the 1260 and 1290. This suggests that the 1290 continues on past
the 1260. In other words, all three
periods of time BEGIN at the same point.
They do not end at the same point.
Daniel
ERROR
#10 -- Herbert W. Armstrong taught that the Jews will not rebuild a
The prophecies of the Bible very plainly
teach that a real, literal, physical temple or sanctuary will exist on the
For
evidence and proof that a temple or sanctuary must be rebuilt prior to the
return of Christ, compare II Thess.2:4; Rev.11:1-2; Matt.24:15; Dan.9:26-27;
Dan.8:11-13; Dan.11:31; Psalm 79:1, for starters. Also, send for my article, "Will a
ERROR
#11 – The Worldwide Church of God taught that God does not bind marriages in
the world, only marriages performed in the Church are binding. True or false?
Originally,
Herbert Armstrong taught divorce was never sanctioned by the Word of God for
any cause; marriages could be dissolved only in the case of "fraudulent
intent" or deception on the part of one of the couple. This teaching caused severe trauma,
heart-break, and the breaking up of thousands of families -- a terrible tragedy
never justified by the Word of God.
Jesus plainly said that in the case of "fornication" -- porneia, in the Greek -- a marriage was not binding,
and the partners would be free to remarry.
The definition of this Greek word caused Herbert Armstrong no
end of trouble. Not a Greek scholar, or
even a student of Greek, and seemingly blind to the definition of this word
found in Greek lexicons, he insisted it only applied to 'premarital sex"
when used in the New Testament! Yet Paul
used it in I Corinthians 6:18, which Moffatt
translates as "immorality." The truth is, porneia refers to all kinds of sexual excess,
promiscuity, whoredom, adultery, harlotry, as well as premarital sex! This simple understanding would have saved
thousands of families from incredible needless suffering and spiritual
"martyrdom." Broken homes, with children the innocent victims, would
have been saved, rather than imperiously demanded in order to satisfy a rigid
and heartless misinterpretation of Scripture!
But then, in 1974, the Church went to the
opposite extreme, and declared that only marriages performed inside the Church
were recognized by God as binding. Of
all the incredible, self-centered, arrogant, proud nonsense! Thus the Church went from the right-hand
ditch to the left-hand ditch, and fell in.
Interestingly, now even marriages recently performed inside the Church
are allowed to dissolve and the partners to remarry. If you would like to read the real
"plain truth" about divorce and remarriage, according to the Bible,
then write for my article on the subject. It will make it truly plain and
understandable. It is so sad that so
many people had to suffer so greatly because of one man's incredible ego and
spiritual blindness. Of course, the
Worldwide Church of God today has totally repudiated all the marriage teachings
of Herbert Armstrong.
ERROR #12 -- The
The Worldwide Church of God once taught
that tithing is binding upon Christians as divine law, and that three tithes
are required -- the first tithe to God, besides offerings; the second tithe for
the annual festivals (any excess to go to the ministry); and every third and
sixth year out of the seven year cycle a third tithe for the Church "third
tithe fund." Over the years must
controversy arose over how this "third tithe fund" was used. At times it was used to help purchase and/or
to buy fuel for the jet aircraft of the Church, and to help pay ministers' travel
expenses during the fall festival. Widows needs, which was originally one of the primary
purposes of this tithe in ancient
This abuse of authority and corruption of
the use of money is standard operating procedure for human nature, of
course. An old saying goes, "Power
corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely." It was corruption and the
abuse of money that led to the Reformation in the Middle
Ages, even more than doctrinal error.
The Worldwide under Joseph Tkach and his son, however, has totally repudiated the
teaching of the Bible concerning tithing.
They claim Christ abolished ALL God’s commandments, except those defined
in the New Testament.
The truth is, although Jesus taught
tithing as a commandment or law of God which we should obey (Matt.23:23) -- He
said He did not come to abolish ONE SINGLE SOLITARY law of God (Matt.5:17-19)
-- He never intended His Church to make "tithing" such a burden on
the backs of the people of God! Of
course, true Christians should "tithe" ten percent of their income,
as faithful Abraham and Jacob did, to God, as the means of support for the New
Testament Church ministry (Gen.14:20; 28:22; I Cor.9:7-14). However, the Church completely misunderstood
the subject of "second" and "third" tithes! As the Septuagint translation of the Old
Testament, made in 250 B.C., shows, the
"third" tithe was actually the "second" tithe in the third
and sixth years of the seven year Sabbath cycle!
The truth is, tithing was a law of God BEFORE
the Levitical priesthood even existed
(Gen.26:5). The tithe was later
transferred to the Levites, for their support (Lev.27:30-32; Num.18:21). However, when Christ came and instituted the
Church, He transferred the tithe from the Levites to His ministry
(Heb.7:4-12). "For the priesthood
being CHANGED, there is made of necessity a change also of the
law." Notice! Not a doing away with the tithing law, but a
CHANGE IN THE LAW! What change? A change necessitated because of the change
in priesthood's, from Levitical to Melchisedek! Christ
is a high priest after the order of Melchisedek. Now the tithes should go to HIS
representatives -- the true ministers of God -- for the support of their
spiritual work, and livelihood! What
could be clearer
ERROR
#13 -- When should we observe Pentecost?
The
Jesus
Christ said the Pharisees sat in Moses' seat (Matt.23:2-3), not the Sadducees,
and that we should 'do all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe." The
Pharisees always counted Pentecost from the day after the first annual Sabbath
which began the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
They were a conservative religious sect, whereas the Sadducees were a
very liberal, politically oriented sect which even denied the resurrection, the
existence of angels, and spirit (Acts 23:8).
The apostle Paul himself had been a Pharisee (Acts 23:6). Strange, isn't it, that
the
Who
were these Samaritans? They were pagans
who occupied the territory of northern Israel after the ten tribes were taken
captive by Assyria, developed a strange religion combining elements of the Old
Testament perverting them, and adding to them pagan doctrines (see II Kings
17:23-41). These Samaritans even built
their own temple on
For
more information on this subject, write for the articles, "What Is the
Correct Day to Observed Pentecost?", "The Astonishing Truth about
Pentecost!", "Pentecost -- the Final Answer!" and "Just Who
Were the Pharisees? "
ERROR #14 -- Church Authority—this is the ONE principle taught by Herbert Armstrong which is still embraced by MOST of the offshoots of Worldwide, as well as Worldwide itself!
The
Worldwide Church of God, in following the example of Herbert W. Armstrong, has
adopted a very rigid and lofty form of Church Government. Ministers “rule” over the flock, potentially
in every area of their lives. Members
are encouraged to counsel with their local minister in just about
everything. Ministers have authority to
even judge people’s attitudes and to disfellowship
individuals who disagree with them on some point or issue, on the basis of
"bad attitude." Of course, sometimes the minister errs and gets
caught, and is reprimanded, but nevertheless the abuse of authority is
commonplace. Herbert Armstrong set an
example of high and imperious living and overbearing authority. Woe unto any one who dared to question him on
anything. Ministers have been fired for
less! One minister merely demurred
firing a loyal subordinant when called long distance
by Herbert Armstrong’s assistant, and told to do so, wanting to know why; the
next day he found himself removed from his sensitive position and recalled back
to
Ministers
wear their authority like a uniform of the German Gestapo; they carry it like a
sheriff s badge. Any who get "out
of line,' or ask too many questions, are viewed with suspicion and eventually
dealt with. All must conform to the
edicts and policies and statements coming from "headquarters," or
else suffer the consequences -- disfellowshipment.
Jesus
Christ never approved of such an approach toward Church government. Peter said elders should feed the flock of
God "which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint
but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being
LORDS over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock" (I
Pet.5:2-3).
Christ
Himself warned His disciples, "But he that is greatest among you shall be
your servant' (Matt.23:11). He cautioned
His disciples, "Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles EXERCISE DOMINION
over them, and they that are great exercise AUTHORITY upon them. But it shall not be so among you.- but
whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will
be chief among you, let him be your servant" (Matt.20:25-27).
Somewhere
over the years this concept of the loving shepherd leading his flock with love
and devotion has been lost. Instead, we
find human nature coming to the forefront and ministers wielding authority like
tiny despots, little hitters, and even prying into peoples
lives and advising them on such silly things as what color truck or automobile
to purchase. Perversely, it seems like
some gullible sheep have a strong sheep instinct to conform, and they enjoy
being humiliated and abused, like some battered wives. At least they get attention that way! Paul had to face this same problem. He wrote to the Corinthians, “For ye suffer
fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.
For ye suffer, if a man BRING YOU INTO BONDAGE, if a man DEVOUR YOU, if
a man take of you, if a man EXALT HIMSELF, if a man SMITE YOU ON THE FACE” (II
Cor.11:19-20).
Incredible,
isn't it? Yet so many brethren seem to
actually enjoy being beaten down by authoritarian ministers! Today we live in the age of the “Monster
Minister,” who brags, struts, puffs out his chest like a pompous pouter pigeon,
and barks orders like a gunnery sergeant in the army! For shame!
God calls them “CRUEL shepherds” (Jer.23; Ezek.34), who rule over the
flock with FORCE! Write for the articles
on “Is There Government in the
ERROR
#15 -- The
In Revelation 12 we read that God will
protect some of His people from Satan’s wrath "in the wilderness"
(Rev.12:14). Jesus warned His servants
that when they saw
Where is the future "place of
safety"? Revelation 12:6 shows that
during the Middle Ages the Church fled the boundaries of the
The idea that God will lead thousands of
Church members from locations around the globe to a hostile desert, to a barren
rocky region in southern Jordan, and feed all of them there for three and one
half years -- carrying them on jet aircraft, and steamships from around the
world -- seems preposterous, to say the least.
Nevertheless, some of the offshoots of the Worldwide Church of God have
never given up that bizarre belief. If
they do ever “flee” to
Write for the article "Amazing New
Evidence -- Where Is the Place of Safety?"
ERROR
#16 – Was Herbert Armstrong the Elijah to come?
Although God did use Herbert and Loma
Armstrong to raise up a Work of God during these
end-times, and in some areas Herbert Armstrong did recapture a certain amount
of truth and true values, nevertheless, in the final analysis he was not the
prophesied Elijah to come. The one
coming in the power and spirit of Elijah is yet to appear. Herbert Armstrong died before the culmination
of prophetic events. The Elijah to come
will very likely be one of the two witnesses (Rev. 11).
Herbert Armstrong's own family deserted
him and left the Church he founded. His
daughters left the Church years ago when the Church legislated on the issue of
cosmetics and make up. His son rebelled
against Herbert Armstrong in 1978 in a power struggle over who was to run the
Church. The Church has not had much
success in dealing with its young people, and the children of members. Yet the Elijah to come is to be one who
“shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the
children to their fathers” (Mal.4:6). Herbert Armstrong did not even succeed
with his own family!
The church itself has had a terrible
record in dealing with young people, alienating them, and turning them
off.
Since the Church has failed miserably in
this area, Herbert Armstrong could hardly have been the Elijah to come who
truly will bring families back together.
Because of the teachings of Herbert Armstrong on divorce and remarriage,
he did more to break up homes and marriages than any other minister in
modern times! And his neglect of
spending time with his own children as they grew up, and abuse toward them, set
a tragic example for the entire
Documentation is available for those who
desire it. Write for our articles,
"How Are The Mighty Fallen!" and "Back
to
These facts prove conclusively that
Herbert Armstrong, who himself admitted at times that he was not a
"prophet," could not be the prophet Elijah who is to come preparing
the way for the Messiah. Since he was
NOT the prophet Elijah, this means that Gerald Flurry, of the so-called
Philadelphia Church of God, could not be his successor, “Elishah,”
nor is he “that Prophet” who was to come, as he himself so audaciously claims
to be! He is nothing more than another
definitely “false” prophet of the end times!
ERROR #17 -- the
Years ago Ted
Armstrong wrote a booklet on child rearing which, for many years, was the standard child-rearing text used by parents in the
Worldwide Church of God. Herbert
Armstrong used to boast of his sores expertise in this area, pointing to his 'well-behaved
sons' as models of comportment. However,
the child-rearing booklet was a collection of negative, authoritative
misstatements and mumbo-jumbo which led many
Many years ago, I heard a headquarters
minister in
ERROR
#18 -- the
In the Worldwide Church of
God as it has been constituted for decades, it is a sin for any member or even
a deacon to preach the gospel. Members
are told they must be quiet, silent witnesses, and only answer questions of
non-members as they are asked. This is
very strange since Jesus Christ commanded His disciples, to whom He gave the
command to preach the gospel to every creature, and the command to teach
all nations (Matt.28:19), to also teach those who repent and believe "ALL
THINGS WHATSOEVER I HAVE COMMANDED YOU" (Matt.28:20).
In other words, the command to preach
the gospel was passed down to EVERY MEMBER of the Church, according to their
ability and talents. Today, if any
deacon or lay member were to "preach" without authorization from
headquarters, they would be disfellowshipped! However, this was not the way things were
done in the apostolic Church. In that
Church even deacons who were not ordained as elders or "high ranking
ministers" did mighty works, and were "full of faith and power"
(Acts 6:8).
In Acts 8 we find that great
persecution came upon the Church after the death of Stephen, and the brethren
"were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except
the apostles' (Acts 8:1).
What did these scattered lay members do?
Did they remain silent, and leave the preaching to the apostles? Notice!
"Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere
PREACHING THE WORD" (verse 4)!
The original true
One of these early unordained
"preachers" whom God inspired was a deacon named Philip. Contrary to the kind of Church government
established by Herbert Armstrong, and maintained by Joseph Tkach,
this mere "deacon" had the audacity, the effrontery, the boldness, to
PREACH to the unconverted peoples around him!
He did not remain silent. He did
not make himself into a powerless wimp, or a weak-kneed pansy who couldn't
talk. He didn't allow men to change him
into a little “church mouse.” What did
Philip do? "Then Philip went down
to the city of
Philip was “preaching those things
concerning the
In the New Testament we do find that
there are different offices in the
ERROR # 19 -- the
There were prophets in the early
The apostle Paul clearly described the
office of "prophet" as being important to the Church. He wrote to the Corinthians, "And God
hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily PROPHETS, thirdly
teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments,
diversities of tongues" (I Cor.12:28).
Paul wrote to the Ephesians, "And He
gave some, apostles; and some, PROPHETS; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors
and teachers" (Eph.4:11). In fact, prophets were considered part of the
FOUNDATION of the Church (Eph.2:20). Paul wrote of the "mystery of Christ,
which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been
revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles AND PROPHETS' (Eph.3:5, NIV).
How then, could Joseph Tkach dare to say that the office of prophet is not
necessary today? Back in the years 1965
to 1969, when I worked in the Letter Answering Department of the Church, we
used to send out letters to people saying that since we now have the entire
Word of God, the Bible, there is no further need of
prophets. But that kind of reasoning is
circular; it is foolish; it begs the question.
How do we KNOW we have the "entire" Word of God? Cannot God add to His Word from this
generation, or the future, if He chooses to do so?
Scripture reveals God has always sent
prophets ESPECIALLY when the ministers or priests failed to do their duty,
corrupted God's truth, and began to apostatize from the way of God! Today the ministry has a “prophesy not”
attitude, just as was foretold in the book of Amos (Amos
We are living in a time of unprecedented
crisis, both in the world AND IN THE
The truth is that the modern Worldwide
Church of God, because of their negative attitude toward prophecy, has rejected
revealed truth and prophetic knowledge from God! It claims it has "knowledge," but
knowledge "puffs up," as Paul said (I Cor.8:1). It is BLIND to what
is occurring in the world, and to its own desperate situation itself.
This fact also is true of the
OFF-SHOOTS of the
The 14th chapter of I Corinthians deals
almost entirely with the “gift of prophecy” (I Cor.14:1). Paul said it is
something we should all desire (same verse).
He adds, 'Wherefore, brethren, COVET TO PROPHESY" (verse 39). And, to those who are negatively disposed to
the idea of prophets, Paul warns, "Despise not prophesyings"
(I Thess.5:20).
Will there be prophets of God during
these end times? Of course there will
be! Peter was inspired to write, quoting
from the prophet Joel, "And it shall come to pass IN THE LAST DAYS, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and
your sons and your daughters SHALL PROPHESY. . ." (Acts 2:17-18).
I could go on and on, but this should be
sufficient. If you would like to study
this subject further, then write for the articles, "Are There Any Prophets
Today?" "Just What Is a Prophet?", "Where Have All the
Prophets Gone?" and "If John the Baptist Were Here, Today -- Would
You Recognize Him?"
ERROR #20 -- the
In the Bible God clearly says He is 'Yahveh-Ropheka," or "God our Healer" (Exodus
God says if we would obey His laws, in
truth and reality, we could be spared from these modem "curses" of
the industrial and "civilized" world.
Modern medicine, however, sadly ignores the laws of God and His codes
which would lead to radiant health. Read
our articles on “Bible Health Keys,” and “The Lost Keys to Health.” Also, be sure to read our booklet, “Does God
Heal Today?”
The Bible nowhere condemns the wise use
of doctors, or medicine, when a person is ill.
In fact, Solomon wrote that a “cheerful heart doeth good like a
medicine.” Herbs have been used to
facilitate healing since the beginning of time.
However, not everything in modern medical practice is necessarily wise
or good. “In a multitude of counselors
there is wisdom,” Solomon wrote.
Doctors are human, like everybody else.
Some
medical procedures are very risky. Even
vaccinations have proved to be fatal to some people. Some people’s lives have been ruined and
devastated by inept and unnecessary surgery.
The
Worldwide Church of God was wrong when it used to preach against ALL medical practice
and inveigh against doctors as practicing ancient witchcraft. Oh how wrong they were! But that does not mean we should all plunge
over to the opposite extreme and now endorse ALL medical practices and
procedures.
ERROR
#21 – Herbert W. Armstrong and the
In my article "
However, Herbert Armstrong consistently
claimed
ERROR #22 -- the
Perhaps the first area where I wrote
something which differed from the ideas of Herbert W. Armstrong was in this
area. In my book Beyond Star Wars, published
in 1978, I asked, “Will the devil, and his angels, be
ultimately destroyed? Or will their
spirits roam forever in the new universe that God will create?”
I go on to quote II Peter 3:10-13 to show
that only "righteousness" will dwell in that new heavens and new
earth. I explain, "There will be no
trace of wickedness in that new world -- not the vaguest hint of wickedness
(Rev.21:8). God will finally rid himself of his arch enemy, this competitor,
this arch villain, this age-old rebel.
Some believe that the devil, being a spirit creature, cannot be
destroyed or put to death, and that he will simply be cast out into outer
darkness, into the infinite regions of space, to foam out his bitterness and
hostility for ever."
I went on to explain, "But I am
convinced that such is not the case.
Christ the Creator took on himself the nature and form of a man, and suffered
death -- but was resurrected from the dead.
Even so, I believe it is certainly within the capability of the Creator
God to change Satan from a spirit being into flesh, or physical matter, and
then cremate his remains in the lake of fire so that nothing is left but smoke
and ashes -- so there will be no vestige or hint of his former existence in the
New Age to come!" I then quote Malachi 4:1-4 and add, "The great
Destroyer will eventually himself be destroyed" (p.314).
When I wrote this passage, little did I
perceive the furor it would evoke in the minds of certain ministers in the
Worldwide Church of God. One accused me of heresy! But the leaders of the Church took no action
except to ask me about it. Subsequently,
I wrote a full book entitled Satan's Fate, on this remarkable
subject, in which I put together proofs and evidences
from throughout the Bible showing conclusively that Satan will be destroyed
along with his wicked demons.
The Word of God is very clear on this
subject, if we have an open mind (see Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezek.28:16-19). God, the
Creator, is all-powerful. That which He
can create, He is fully capable of destroying.
Even as a builder can destroy his building, or a man can create an
airplane, and then crash it, so the Omnipotent God can create a being, inferior
to Him, and destroy it if and when He so chooses. The demons themselves know they can be
destroyed (Mark
But Hebrews
ERROR
#23 -- The
This may seem utterly shocking to many,
but the Jews have observed the Passover correctly, at the right time, and in
the right manner, all these centuries.
Their only mistake is that they do not see how Christ fulfilled the
Passover, as our Passover Lamb (I Cor.5:7). Nevertheless, they never lost track
of sacred time. Historically, they
always slew the Passover lambs at the END of the 14th of Nisan, in the LATE
AFTERNOON -- not just after sunset on the previous evening! All historical records prove this to be
true. Therefore, the historic date for
eating the Passover meal has always been the evening of Nisan 15, AFTER the
lambs were slain in the end of Nisan 14.
When Jesus Christ met with His disciples
the night before His crucifixion, He was actually eating a regular mean
-- a meal with special significance, yes, but it was NOT the
"Passover"! Jesus could not
eat of the regular, normal
Passover that year, for obvious reasons -- He would be dead and
in His grave, fulfilling His role as our Passover Lamb slain for us!
I might also mention that the Passover in
ancient times was always a FAMILY affair, celebrated at home, with the father
or a leading man leading the ceremony. A
special “seder plate” was used, in which – as God commanded – there was matzos
(unleavened bread), “bitter herbs,” and the shankbone
of a lamb (reminding us of the lambs which were sacrificed at the place where
God put His name, the Temple of God and holy city of Jerusalem). This celebration was joyous! But those who claim they observe the Passover
amongst the various off-shoots of Worldwide, today, observe it with no
children allowed, and as a solemn, grave, austere ceremony – with the
atmosphere being almost “funereal.” What
a travesty and absurdity! Write for our
free booklet, “The Cchristian-Messianic Passover Hagaddah,” for more information on HOW this wonderful
festival should be observed by each family group, at home!
Also, be sure to write for our articles
"When Should the Passover Be Observed?" "A New
Look at the Passover", "The Awesome Mystery of the Passover,"
"When Did the Early Church Observe Passover?", and others on this
subject.
ERROR #24 -- The
Although Herbert Armstrong taught that we
should observe God’s Feast of Tabernacles, he never really got back to the Feast
the way it was commanded to be observed in the Scriptures! In Leviticus 23 we read that there are two
aspects of the Feast of Tabernacles which are central to its proper observance. We are commanded to “take to ourselves” the
branches or “fruit” of various trees and plants, and to use them to “rejoice”
before the Lord! The NIV Bible
translation puts it this way: “On the
first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, and
leafy branches and poplars, and REJOICE before the Lord your God seven days” (Lev.23:40). This speaks of the special “bundle” the Jews
call the lulav, which is held in the hands and waved
before the Lord in an act of celebration, rejoicing, and worship!
The second commandment concerning this
Festival which Herbert Armstrong overlooked states: “Live in BOOTHS for seven days” (v.42). These were little
“huts” which were constructed by the people and dwelled in during the Feast
(compare Nehemiah
ERROR #25 -- The
Who would have thought it possible, just
about twenty years ago? At the death of
Herbert Armstrong, Joseph Tkach, Sr., said he was
going to follow in the "footsteps" of Mr. Armstrong. Did he keep his promise? Since that time, he used every excuse in the
book to destroy and obliterate the teachings of Herbert W. Armstrong, and even
to expunge his books and writings, and even his memory, from the
In recent years, the Church has completely
endorsed the world's pagan/Christian "holidays" of Easter and
Christmas! Write for our articles on
"The Shocking Origin of Christmas," "Easter," and related
subjects.
The Worldwide Church of God
now teaches that Christ was crucified on a Friday and arose on Sunday. However, most of the off-shoots teach that He
was crucified on Wednesday and arose Sabbath evening, just before sunset. Both teachings are in ERROR1
The plain truth is that
when we study ALL the relevant evidence from the Scriptures, Jesus Christ was
crucified on Thursday, that Friday was a high holy
day, and He arose just before daybreak, Sunday morning! The simple truth is 1) you cannot count 3
days and 3 nights between a crucifixion Friday afternoon and a resurrection
Sunday morning, no matter how hard you try; and 2) if you count from Wednesday,
then Sunday would have been FOUR days after the crucifixion, yet the gospel of
Luke says it was THREE days afterwards (Luke 24:21).
What few understand is that when Matthew
wrote that Jesus would be in the grave “three days and three nights”
(Matt.12:40), he was reckoning the days according to the Jewish method of
counting – and “parts” of a day could be considered a “day.” Therefore from Thursday afternoon, when Jesus
died, we can count as follows: Thursday
afternoon (1 day), Thursday night (1 night); Friday (2nd day), Friday night
(2nd night); Sabbath day (3rd day), and Sabbath night (3rd
night), bringing us to just before sunrise, Sunday morning (compare John 20:1;
Luke 24:1; Matt.28:1).
New knowledge from astronomy shows us that
the New Moon of the month of Nisan, during the year of the crucifixion, 30
A.D., had to fall on a Friday.
Therefore, the Passover sacrifice day would have been 14 days later,
meaning the day the Passover was sacrificed (Nisan 14) fell on a Thursday, and
the First Day of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15) fell on Friday. To read the conclusive PROOF of these things,
write for our amazing article, “How Long Was Jesus Christ In
the Grave?”
A careful reconstruction of
Jesus’ last week demonstrates that the modern churches have a serious
misunderstanding of Jesus last supper.
It was not the Passover because it was held TWO DAYS PRIOR to the
Passover! It was not held the night
before the crucifixion, as many assume, but TWO nights before the
crucifixion!
How do we know this? We know that Jesus was apprehended by the
authorities after praying in the
Did you get that? Jesus was crucified on the stake at
Counting backward then, since we know He
was crucified Thursday morning, He was judged by Pilate Wednesday at
The proof of all these things is available
in our free article, “Astonishing, Profound New Look at Jesus’ Last Week.” Send for it and study it carefully, and you
will be dumfounded and amazed!
ERROR #28 -- Prophecies can
"fail," and are not dependable.
Joseph Tkach,
Sr., made it very plain before he died that he considered Bible prophecy a
subject riddled with speculation, error, and distrust. He said that it is not important for
Christians to "watch world events," but that rather you should watch
your own spiritual temperature -- the exact opposite of what Herbert Armstrong
used to stress over and over again!
Herbert Armstrong said if you are only concerned about your own
spiritual welfare, you will dry up and shrivel up like a prune. He emphasized that we must get our minds OFF
of self and onto God's Work! He
repeatedly emphasized the importance of Bible prophecy, stressing that 2/3rds
of the Bible is prophecy, and 90% of that applies to our end-time
generation. He believed that this IS the
"end-time."
But Joe Tkach
firmly disagreed. He taught that we
probably have another 30 years or so, or even much longer, and that we should
not be overly concerned about developments in the Middle East, the growing
world threat of war, and the rising up of the Beast! He says prophecies can "fail," as
when Jonah prophesied the fall of
Can prophecies really fail? Does God say something will happen, and then
it fails? Is God a liar? Of course not! (Mal.3:6; Titus 1:2). Fulfilled prophecy is one of the PROOFS of
God, and of the inspiration of the Bible!
God’s prophecies ALWAYS come to pass!
They cannot fail! (Isaiah 44:8;
45:11,21; 42:9; II Tim.3:16; John 10:35).
ERROR
#29 -- The
If either Herbert Armstrong or Loma D.
Armstrong were alive today, and visited a local Church service, they would be
flabbergasted -- astonished beyond words.
They would see many Church women wearing heavy make up.
Again, the Church seems to go from one
extreme to the other. God nowhere
condemns a little use of cosmetics in His Word.
It is nowhere mentioned in the Torah.
However, the whole emphasis in the Bible is on moderation in all things,
to avoid extremes. God's Word does not
specifically prohibit the use of make up or cosmetics. However, the Bible does mention the example
of ancient Jezebel, the idolatrous wife of king Ahab,
who wore heavy make up, attempting to seduce Jehu. We read, “she
painted her eyes, arranged her hair, and looked out of a window” (II Kings
ERROR #30 -- The
Who was the Pharaoh of the Exodus? Whoever he was, the Bible says he died and
perished in the raging, foaming waters of the
ERROR #31 – The
The new leadership of the Worldwide
Church of God has repudiated the identity of the
Herbert Armstrong, of course, taught that
we were "
One of the most fascinating recent
discoveries of Biblical and historical research is that the Worldwide Church of
God historically had these two identities the EXACT REVERSE of what they should
be! That is, the true
"birthright" tribe and greatest fulfillment of the prophecies
referring to the descendants of "Joseph," is that the
Ephraim was the leading tribe of the
northern kingdom of
Ancient Manasseh was divided into two major
portions -- one east of the
In prophesying of the descendants of these
two peoples, Moses said that Manasseh would have his thousands, but Ephraim his
ten thousands (Deut.33:17). It is significant that the population of the
For more intriguing information on this
marvelous fulfillment of Bible Prophecy, write for the article "Who Is The United States in Prophecy?" Also, for proof that indeed our modern
Anglo-Saxon nations are descended from ancient
ERROR #32 -- Worldwide
One of the great discoveries of Herbert W.
Armstrong was that the conventional understanding of the mainstream churches
that God is a "Trinity" composed of three Persons -- Father, Son and
Holy Spirit -- is in gross error and is a pagan concept going back to Nimrod, Semiramis, and Tammuz -- the original pagan "trinity"
of father, mother and child.
Since the death of Herbert Armstrong,
however, the Church which he founded has repudiated his research and
discoveries, and has plunged helter skelter back into
orthodox understanding of the Godhead, derived from the Roman Catholic Church,
which states that the "Trinity" is the KEY doctrine of all
"Christianity," and all who do not embrace it are heretics.
Is God a "Trinity"? Or is God a FAMILY? What is the TRUTH about the Godhead? What is the ORIGIN of the “Trinity”? Write for our articles, “Is God a Trinity?”
and “The Trinity Doctrine – Is It Biblical?”
ERROR #33 – What is the true ORIGIN of Jesus Christ? Did He pre-exist? Is He “equal” to the Father? This theological question baffles both Worldwide and all of its offshoots.
What
about Christ Himself? Was He ALWAYS
"co-equal, co-eternal" with the Father? If so, why did He Himself state, "The
Father is greater than I" (John
The Bible clearly reveals that Christ became
a true Son of the Father, and was the "beginning of the Creation of
God" (Rev.3:14) -- the "firstborn of ALL CREATION"
(Col.1:15).
This is a fascinating subject, too long to
attempt to explain here. If you would
like to know the truth about the "Mystery of God," write for our
articles, "Who Or What Was Jesus Christ Before
His Human Birth?", "Was Christ Created?", "Is God
Reproducing Himself?", "Is Jesus God?", and "The
Pre-Existence of Christ."
ERROR #34 – Worldwide and its Off-shoots do not celebrate the Feast of Trumpets properly.
God says regarding the
Festival of Trumpets, “On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a
day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts” (Lev.23:23,
NIV). And again, “On the first day of
the seventh month hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. It is a day for you to sound the trumpets”
(Num.29:1).
Do you know of ANY off-shoot of the
Worldwide Church of God which blows the trumpet – the Biblical SHOFAR – on
the “Festival of Trumpets”? We do. But none of the other groups which came out
of Worldwide, especially the major and larger groups, understands this
principle or obeys it. Yet the
commandment is very specific. It
is the heart and soul of the “Feast of Trumpets.” Why do we think God named it, “Feast of
Trumpets,” or “Blowing” or “Sounding”?
The commandment that we are to literally blow the trumpets on this day
is very plain, and yet totally disregarded!
Furthermore, most of the churches claim
that this festival portrays the great trumpet which will be blown at the second
coming of Jesus Christ. Yet it is not
called the “Feast of the Great Trumpet,” but rather, “The Feast of Trumpets” –
PLURAL! This involves many trumpet
blasts which are blown during this day.
This festival does not portray the second coming of t he Messiah at all,
but rather is a day of WARNING, and URGENCCY, a day picturing God’s great call
to REPENTANCE going out to the world, as He begins to rain down His “trumpet
plagues” (see Revelation 8-9) upon the nations of the world for their
disobedience to His divine laws. Write
for our free article, “Amazing New Insight on the Feast of Trumpets.”
Again, the
Worldwide Church of God has plunged back into
If the very day of Jesus' birth is deliberately left out of the Bible, doesn't that fact tell us something? If birthdays should be celebrated, why did God leave the date of His own Son's birth out of Holy Scripture?
The plain truth is that birth day celebrations are only mentioned twice in the Scriptures -- both times in reference to customs being observed by unconverted people -- a pagan Egyptian Pharaoh, and wicked king Herod! On both occasions, somebody was put to death.
This fact, however, should not be overly surprising. Writes Linda Rannells Lewis in Birthdays, “Birthdays have been celebrated for thousands of years. In early civilizations, where the development of a calendar made an organized reckoning of birth dates possible, the horoscopes of ruling monarchs, their successors and rivals had to be cast with care and birthday omens meticulously examined, for the prospects of the mighty would affect the prospects of the entire society. By the time of Ptolemy V this practice was well established: ‘Ptolemy, the ever living, the beloved of Ptah, the son of the two Brother-Gods, was born on the fifth day of the month DIOS,’ and this day was, in consequence, the beginning of great prosperity and happiness of all living men and women” (p. 12).
God inspired the prophet Jeremiah to write, “Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of the heaven (astrology!); for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain” (Jeremiah 10:1-3).
God expressly commands His people not to follow in the ways, customs, and practices of the heathen, pagan nations around them! Obviously, therefore, the Word of God does NOT sanction or approve of celebrating BIRTHDAYS!
God is even more explicit. Celebrating birthdays was a particularly Egyptian custom. God plainly commands His people, “After the DOING OF THE LAND OF EGYPT, wherein ye dwelt, SHALL YE NOT DO” (Leviticus 18:3). Write for our article, “The Surprising Origin of Birthdays.” (Obviously, however, this commandment is directed toward birthday parties, as such – it is not wrong for a family, in a small way, to give presents to a child as the anniversary of their day of birth comes around, or to have a special meal on that day, as a distinctly private family affair).
ERROR #36 – What about wearing of “holy garments,” such as the
prayer shawl, and “fringes” upon the corners? Notice
what the word of God says about this matter:
“Again, the LORD spoke to Moses,
saying, 'Speak to the children of
God is very clear in His instructions. He says His people are to wear unique tassels
or fringes in the four corners of their garments “throughout their
generations.” Have generations
ceased? Are people still being
born? Of course. Therefore, this commandment is still valid
and in force TODAY!
Many people are ignorant of this
commandment, and don’t realize that Jewish men often wear what is called a
“prayer shawl,” or tallit, when
attending the synagogue. It is an item
of Jewish clothing which fulfills this commandment. It has four fringes, called tzitzyot, tied to its four corners, and is
often worn in religious services, in the synagogue, and during religious
obligations and functions.
Should true Christians also wear
such clothing, or is this commandment abolished? Note the words of Jesus: “Do not think I have come to abolish the Law
. . . I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the
smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will be any means disappear
from the Law until everything is accomplished” (Matt.5:17-18, NIV).
Jesus Christ, or Yeshua,
was a Jew, and lived a perfect life. He
set us an example of how we ought to live, in every way. He was even baptized, setting us an example
(Matt.3:13-17). The apostle John tells
us: “He who says he abides in Him ought
himself to walk just as He walked” (I John 2:6). Peter adds that Christ left “us an example,
that you should follow His steps” (I Pet.2:21).
Did Jesus Christ, our example and pattern for living a holy life, therefore, wear “tassels” or “fringes” in the corners of his garments? Yes, He did! Write for our articles, “The Fringes of the Law,” and “The Truth about Holy Garments.” They will give you new insight into these matters!
ERROR #37 – Is God working out a 6,000 year
plan here on earth?
The Worldwide Church of God and its off-shoots all seem to reject this Biblical teaching and therefore are in darkness as to how close to the END of this age we really are!
The apostle Peter writes, in the New Testament, "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that ONE DAY is with the Lord as a THOUSAND YEARS, and a thousand years as ONE DAY. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (II Peter 3:8-10).
When the Messiah returns, He will inaugurate a millennial kingdom lasting one thousand years. (Rev.20:1-3). This "millennial rest" of 1,000 years is termed a “Sabbath” rest (Hebrew 4:9). If the Millennium is compared to a Sabbath day, which is the seventh day of the week, then it stands to reason that each of the previous six days are a thousand years each, showing thwat there would be approximately 6,000 years from the time of Creation until the second coming of the Lord!
The belief that there would be about 6,000 years for the time of man, till the Messiah, was a common belief of the ancient Jewish people, and of the early Christian church, and is mentioned very plainly in the Epistle of Barnabus. For more information on this fascinating subject, write for our article, “6000 Years and Beyond – Are We Nearing the End of the Age?”
ERROR #38 – What’s all this about
“counting the Omer”?
One very interesting law of God has been totally overlooked and ignored by the Worldwide Church of God, as it plunges back into apostasy, and it has also been slighted, rejected, and avoided by all the other remnant splinter groups which came out of Worldwide, and even by most all Messianic congregations. What law?
God says, “And y0u shall count
from the day after the sabbath [the Passover high
holyday] , from the day that you brought the sheaf [Hebrew, omer,
consisting of 5.1 pints of barley grain] of the wave offering seven sabbaths; seven full weeks shall they be; counting
fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath
[week]” (Lev.23:15-16, Amplified Bible).
What is this mysterious command all
about? Is this something which applies
to true Christians and believers in Christ today? Or is this just something that concerned
ancient
In Deuteronomy, God commands, “YOU
shall COUNT seven weeks; begin to NUMBER the seven weeks from the time you
begin to put the sickle to the standing grain” (Deut.16:9, Amplified Bible).
Notice that God commands His people to COUNT THE OMER during the fifty days,
from Passover until Pentecost -- numbering off the days consecutively – until
they reach the Feast of Shavuot, or Pentecost!
He commands us to DO IT -- for a great and overriding purpose!
Why?
What does the “Omer” represent?
And why are we commanded to “count” it off for seven times seven or
forty nine days, till Pentecost arrives, on the fiftieth day? This is a great mystery to most people, but
the Jews have gleaned much significance from this commandment, as they have
studied it and obeyed it, every year, in their homes and synagogues!
If you would like to understand the
mystery of the counting of the Omer, and how it applies to true Christians who
desire to obey and live by “every word of God” (Matt.4:4; Luke 4:4), as Jesus
Christ commanded, then write for our two articles, “The Mystery of the Omer,”
and “Sefirat Ha Omer – The Key to Overcoming.”
ERROR #39 – Should Christians celebrate the
Biblical New Moons?
Here is another Biblical
commandment which has been ignored by the end-time churches of God!
The apostle Paul wrote,
“Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard
to a religious festival, A NEW MOON CELEBRATION or a Sabbath day” (Col.2:16,
NIV). What’s all this about “New
Moons”? Here Paul lists the New Moons
along with the annual Festivals and the weekly Sabbath day? We know we are to observe the annual Sabbath
Days and the weekly Sabbath. But what
about the New Moon days? Doesn’t this
indicate we should observe the New Moons along with the annual Holy Days and as
well as the Sabbath day?
There is much more to this than most might
think. The day of the New Moon, when the
first faint crescent of the moon was seen in ancient Israel, was observed as a
semi-holy day, as a day when limited work was often done, a day set apart for
the beginning of a new month, when special sacrifices were offered at the
Temple of God (see Numbers 28:11-14).
Notice also what God says about the future,
when the Messiah returns: “From one
New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come
and bow down before me,’ says the LORD” (Isaiah 66:23, NIV). Obviously, the New Moons will be looked upon
as special days, when worship is done, during the Millennial
reign of Christ!
Have people been ignoring and neglecting
this day and what it represents? Here
again is an area where people have fallen short of the mark,
and neglected observance of God’s New Moons – the first day of each month of
the true Biblical calendar!
Write for our article, “Should Christians
Observe the New Moons?”
In recent years, God has increased our understanding of His Word and His commandments. One of the most important areas of discovery is the correct, inspired CALENDAR of God!
Most
people do not realize it, but God gives a very specific calendar in His Word,
one which begins with the month of Nisan in the spring. He also tells us that the beginning day of
each month is a “New Moon.” History
shows us that the New Moon in ancient
However, the record of history shows us that the Jews CHANGED THE CALENDAR in 358 A.D., four centuries after Christ, and substituted in its place a “fixed,” artificial calendar which altered the New Moons, changed the Holy Days, and POSTPONED these days by adding Jewish traditions to the calendar! The Jews themselves make no bones about this change; in fact, they even boast about it! It is clearly documented in the Jewish Encyclopedia, and many Jewish books deal with the subject. But was this fundamental change endorsed by God and His Word? If so, where’s the proof?
And why did the Jews in 358 A.D. add “POSTPONEMENTS” TO THE CALENDAR? The sad truth is, they decided that if the day of Yom Kippur fell on a Friday or a Sunday, that was too close to the weekly Sabbath day, so they altered the calendar, and postponed Tishri 1, the Feast of Trumpets, by delaying it a day – so as not to “interfere” with the weekly Sabbath! And other “postponements” they added!
The amazing fact
is, however, during Biblical times and the time of the
The truth is,
however, not every Jewish group today goes along with this calendar change made
by rabbis in the fourth century. In
particular, the Karaite Jews in modern day
The secret of the true sacred Calendar of God is vital, strategic spiritual information we all need to KNOW, and KNOW that we know! It is crucial knowledge which helps us in our efforts to keep God’s Holy Days at the appropriate times, and to obey God in ALL things!
Write for our free book, over 100 pages, proving the TRUTH about God’s own Calendar, the Bible Calendar, and how we should calculate the annual Holy Days in the very same manner in which they were observed during the time of Jesus Christ and the apostles.
It's
Time to WAKE UP!
In this article, you have learned of FORTY
distinct areas where the Worldwide Church of God, AND its many off-shoots and
splintered “branches,” have gone astray from the truth of God. But this is only the beginning! Many more changes have occurred, and are
still occurring, as the worldwide apostasy deepens and proliferates!
I feel truly like a "voice in the
wilderness," crying aloud, like an eagle in the sky, shrieking a
warning. But hardly anybody seems to care, hardly anybody is concerned or alarmed. The
Where are the real people of God? Will the REAL SERVANTS OF GOD PLEASE STAND
UP, AND BE COUNTED?
Apostasy has set in, and thousands are
sound asleep, not wanting to be disturbed by any loud, shouting, angry,
thundering voice. "Shut up!"
the people exclaim. "We don't want
to hear it!"
Sometimes, like Elijah who thought he was
the only one left really serving God, I wonder, "Where have all the true
people of God gone?" Elijah told God, "I, even I only, am left"
(I Kings
For years I felt that I must be the only
one who sees these things. Since that
time, however, others have left the Worldwide Church of God to form various
Church groups -- Gerald Flurry, who formed the so-called "Philadelphia
Church of God," Rod Meredith who later left and formed the "Global
Church of God,," and a whole flock of ministers who left with David Hulme who joined together to form the "United Church
of God."
But how many of these churches have been
willing to admit and confess the errors of not only Joseph Tkach,
but also Herbert W. Armstrong?
None of them!
Not a single one!
Somehow the Word of God has gotten buried
in the Churches, today. Oh, people give
lip service to it; they still quote from it all the time, particularly during
sermons; but they utilize the same passages over and over again. Their religion has become largely a rote
process of memorization, obedience, and thoughtless subservience.
God thunders in His Word: "Thou shalt NOT FOLLOW A MULTITUDE to do evil' (Exo.23:2). The Good
News Bible has it, "Do not follow the MAJORITY when they do wrong or
when they give testimony that perverts justice."
Rather than simply follow blindly along,
when our leaders go astray, what does God say we should do? God says, "Thou shalt
not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise REBUKE THY NEIGHBOR, and not
suffer sin upon him" (Lev.19:17).
God's Word condemns those who follow a multitude
into error, who blindly follow their blind leaders to destruction. God commands all of us, "Open rebuke is
better than secret love" (Prov.27:5). Solomon also wrote, "Faithful
are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful" (verse
6).
God further warns us, "A prudent
man foreseeth the evil, and hideth
himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished" (Prov.27:12).
Do you see the danger -- the evil? Will you "hide" yourself, and
escape the peril that lies ahead? Or
will you, like the simpleton, go merrily on your way, blind to every danger,
with supreme confidence in human leaders that cause you to err, and be
"punished" for it?
God commands, "Cease, my son, to hear
the instruction that causeth to err from the words of
knowledge" (see Prov.
God
Almighty says, "The fear of the Lord is to HATE EVIL: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward
mouth, do I hate" (Prov.8:13). Do
you hate evil so much that you refuse to compromise with it? Do you refuse to go along with error and
false instruction?
Do
you have the attitude of the Bereans who "received
the word with all readiness of mind, and SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES DAILY,
whether these things were so" (Acts
Are
you careful and cautious to "prove all things," as the apostle Paul
was inspired to instruct us? (I Thess.5:21). Consider these things well. Your eternal life and destiny and salvation
could well hang on your answer!
DO YOU STILL HAVE
THE LOVE OF THE TRUTH?
After
being a member of the Radio and Worldwide Church of God for THIRTY YEARS, I
parted company with the Church in January, 1987. Why?
How could such an incredible thing happen?
I
attended
But
today I am no longer a member of the Worldwide Church of God! How could such a dramatic change occur? What happened? Jesus Christ said, "The TRUTH shall make
you FREE' (John
The
Phillips Translation says, "Evil is ALREADY INSIDIOUSLY at
work . . ." (11 Thess.2:7). Very strong delusion has come upon this earth
-- "with evil's undiluted power to deceive' (v. 10). Because some "have refused to LOVE
THE TRUTH WHICH COULD HAVE SAVED THEM, God sends upon them, therefore, the
FULL FORCE of evil's delusion, so that they put their faith in an UTTER
FRAUD and meet the inevitable judgment of all who have REFUSED to believe
the truth and who have made evil their playfellow" (verses 10-12).
How
much do YOU "love" the truth?
If you were to find the Church were in error, would you follow it into
ERROR, or cling to the TRUTH, even if the Church rejected it?
I
was a member in good standing of the Worldwide Church of God for THIRTY YEARS,
from 1957 to 1987. Yet today I am no
longer a member! WHY? Because of the TRUTH! The apostle Paul told us to "PROVE ALL
THINGS; hold FAST that which is good" (I Thess.5:21). God revealed
precious new truth to me, and I rejoiced in it.
But
what do you do when the Church itself rejects PROVEN NEW TRUTH and clings to
error? What do you do when MEN begin to
go astray and become fearful of admitting error?
Blindness has come upon the leaders of the
In the original Hebrew, God commands us Lo
sakir paunim, which
means, "Do not recognize the face" (Deut.1:17). That means, be
impartial in judgment. Follow the truth,
no matter what! Don't follow a man into error!
The Good News Bible says, "Show no partiality in your
decisions; judge everyone on the same basis, no matter who he is." The
King James Version says: 'Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye
shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face
of man; for the judgment is God's."
Are you willingly to judge the evidence
impartially, without regard to a man's 'face," position, authority, or
power? You may not know me, personally,
but will you GIVE THE TRUTH A CHANCE?
Will you allow me to present the EVIDENCE to you, even though I was
denied a hearing by the present leadership of the Worldwide Church of God?
Your eternal life is at stake! Save yourself from the errors of this wicked
generation!
Don't be like the ostrich with its head
stuck in the sand. Don't play the fool,
and err exceedingly, as Saul did. Saul
bitterly confessed, when it was too late, "Surely I have acted like a fool
and have erred greatly" (I Sam.26:21, NIV).
What about you? If you would like to understand the
"PLAIN TRUTH" -- truth you can easily PROVE to your own satisfaction
-- on these vitally important subjects; if you don't want "men" to
lead you around by the nose, and make a FOOL out of you; if you desire to truly
SEEK GOD and value highly His TRUTH -- then be sure to write for the above
articles and booklets. They will OPEN
YOUR EYES!
Let’s notice again, Paul’s admonition in I
Thessalonians 5:21. Here it is, in
various translations:
“Prove all things; hold fast that
which is good” (I Thess.5:21, KJV).
“Test everything. Hold on to the good” (NIV).
“Never disdain prophetic
revelations but test them all, retaining
what
is good and abstaining from whatever kind is evil” (Moffatt).
“But test everything that is
said to be sure it is true, and if it is,
then
accept it” (Living Bible).
“On the other hand, don’t be
gullible. Check out everything, and
keep
only what’s good” (The New Testament in Contemporary English).
“Put all things to the
test: keep what is good and avoid every
kind
of
evil” (Good News Bible).
“But test everything; hold fast
to what is good” (New Revised
Standard
Version).
“But test and prove all things
[until you can recognize] what is good;
[to
that] hold fast” (Amplified Bible).
What about you? How seriously will you take these admonitions
from the Word of the living God? How
important is salvation, truly, to you?
How earnestly will you take these things to heart and “work out your own
salvation, with fear and trembling” (Phil.2:12)? Let’s read that in the Amplified Version:
“Work out – cultivate, carry
out to the goal and fully complete –your
own
salvation with reverence and awe and trembling [self-distrust,
that
is, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness
against
temptation; timidly shrinking from whatever might offend
God and discredit the name of
Christ]. [Not in your own strength]
for it
is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you –
energizing
and creating in you the power and desire – both to will
and to
work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight”
(Philippians 2:12-13).
Yes, what about you, my friend? How important is it to you? Will you bear the weight, make the effort,
and begin to STUDY the Scriptures and to “PROVE” the truth of what you believe,
practice, and teach to others?
How important is true righteousness
in your sight?
Jesus Christ declared, “You,
therefore, MUST BE PERFECT, as your heavenly Father is perfect [that is, grow
into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the
proper height of virtue and integrity]” (Matthew
God desires that each one of us
“search and investigate and pour over the Scriptures diligently” (compare John
How important IS eternal life in the