High points of Gerringer’s letter posted below.
To see how inspired and Godly this supposed “understanding” has been, I would like to quote from just a few of the writings of Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong and others in the Worldwide Church of God. I would first like to refer to one of the original issues of the Plain Truth, June, 1934. On page 3 Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong has drawn a chronological chart of end-time events.” In this chart the “tribulation” is diagrammed as ending in 1936. 1936 is also labeled “End of Age.” Immediately thereafter are the “heavenly signs” and then the “Day of the Lord.”
Now to quote Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong in the May/June, 1941 issue of the Plain Truth: “Since the last issue many things have occurred, every one in accordance with prophecy! … War events thunder on, rapidly approaching the prophesied climax! … Hitler now emerges as the “BEAST” of Revelation! Bible prophecy shows the Roman Axis forces will take Egypt, Suez, Palestine, –even Gibraltar. Britain will go down. And, unless we turn as a nation to God our beloved United States will have to go under … We lack space for more detailed comment on specific prophesied events in this number. Without (a spiritual turnaround) we (USA) lack TOTAL Defense, without which we shall never win. We are at the END of the present order. ARMAGEDDON is now just a short way off.”
Now to quote Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong, September/October, 1941 issue of the Plain Truth, page 7: “What does Hitler’s invasion of Russia mean? What does BIBLE PROPHECY say about it? As usual, there are many ideas. So FEW, it seems, have a right understanding of the Bible and its prophecies (You can say that again!) Plain Truth readers know world events, before they occur. … Hitler MUST BE THE VICTOR in his present Russian invasion! A settlement will be reached, giving Hitler the supplies and resources he must have and undoubtedly part of Western Siberia. The terms will give Hitler assurance that the Red army is unable to attack him, as Hitler turns his wrecking machine to the British Isles, the United States, and Palestine. Hitler will emerge from this Russian campaign stronger than ever, free to turn the entire might of his forces against Britain — and AMERICA!”
Plain Truth, May, 1950, page 5, Herbert W. Armstrong: “Most certainly it is easily possible the thing (US of Europe) will be fully developed and ready to strike in seven years! Yes, time is running out on us … One third of our people will die from starvation … and in the next FEW YEARS!”
Plain Truth, Aug., 1952, page 10, Herbert W. Armstrong: “Thus it has been proved conclusively and beyond doubt, that Hitler did not die — his body was not there — HE HAD ESCAPED! … The next Pope will be a professed miracle worker, as supposed proof that God is using him to order and pacify the world!”
Plain Truth, April, 1956, pages 3, 23, 24, Herman L.. Hoeh: “PLAGUES are coming –and, according to this prophetic warning, in about two years from now. … For seven long and frightful years we are going to suffer as never before –until we are left “few in number!” We have about reached our population peak, despite the guesses of our political and industrial planners. In another ten years for fear of Communist terrorism it won’t be safe to live in Asia or in Africa.’… This most important Work will in all probability be completed in 1972: The coming Fascist-religious revival of Europe will conquer us within a prophetically indicated 17 years!”
“1975 in Prophecy!” 1956, pages 10, 12, 20, Herbert W. Armstrong: “Indications of prophecy are that this drought … will strike sooner than 1975 — probably between 1965 and 1972! At the outset of article I stated that the KEYS that had kept prophetic doors locked and closed from human understanding have now been found — or, more properly, been given to us by God …
Yes, millions of lukewarm inactive professing Christians will suffer MARTYRDOM — and that before the anticipated push-button leisure-year of 1975 dawns upon us!”
Plain Truth, August, 1957, page 5, Rodrick C. Meredith: “We will soon find that hoof-and-mouth disease will spread COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTROL! These things are not far off. They are here and NOW! DISEASE EPIDEMICS are prophesied to begin soon! America, WAKE UP! After 1965, we are destined to run into increased trouble with the Gentile nations. America and Britain will begin to suffer from trade embargoes….We will begin to experience the pangs of starvation and of scarcity of goods!”
“A True History of the True Church”, 1959, page 27, Hoeh: “God has given His Church — THIS CHURCH — just two nineteen year cycles … The first cycle passed. Then God suddenly opened the door for the second cycle in January, 1953.”
Plain Truth, December, 1962, page 42, Herman L. Hoeh: “Russia and China Will NOT Split . -. Russia and China are to remain allies!”
Plain Truth, Jan., 1963, page 21, Herbert W. Armstrong: “Somewhere along about seven to ten years from now the REVOLUTION IN THE WEATHER will become a national and international calamity. Drought, epidemics of disease, will reap a mounting harvest of death across North America — and in Britain. Economic depression will strike …And the time will be right for the new United Europe to strike!”
Plain Truth, June, 1963, page 46, Rodrick C. Meredith: “This coming, revived Holy Roman Empire which is prophesied to arise in Europe and CONQUER America and Britain within the next ten to twelve years …
Plain Truth, Mar. 1964, page 48, Herman L. Hoeh: “We face a national catastrophe before 1975!”
Plain Truth, Nov. 1964, page 32, Eugene Walter: “In the next few years it is entirely possible that some of the satellite countries will break away from Russia altogether. East Germany could well become reunited with West Germany. Rumania and Hungary are also good candidates to join the West.”
Plain Truth, May 1965, Page 21, Raymond F.. McNair: “The greatest proof that the ‘times of the Gentiles’ have not yet ended is the simple fact that the Gentile Arabs are still in possession of the old city of Jerusalem. They will remain in control of this city until the second coming of Christ.”
Plain Truth, Mar. 1966, page 22, Charles Dorothy: “Hitler escaped, probably to Argentina!”
Plain Truth, Feb. 1967, page 47, Herbert W. Armstrong: “The ‘Day of the Eternal’ … is going to strike between 5 and 10 years from now!”
“The United States and the British Commonwealth in Prophecy,” 1967, pages XI-XII, Herbert W. Armstrong: “The events prophesied to strike the American and British peoples in the next four to seven years are SURE! That is why the events of the next four to seven years may prove this to be the most significant book of this century. These colossal world events, shrinking the first two world wars into insignificance, WILL COME, on schedule.”
Plain Truth, Feb., 1970, page 27, Raymond F. McNair: “Will Britain ever be admitted to the Common Market? Probably not!”
I have given you about twenty quotes out of about one hundred which I have collected — predictions made by Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong and others which did not materialize. The Worldwide Church of God always tries to speak with dogmatic assurity; however in the case of prophecy, their absolute-ism has been quite reckless.
In the Feb., 1972, Tomorrow’s World, pages 30-31, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong tries to claim they never really made specific predictions: “It has never been our intention to SET DATES! Yet, in our human zeal and enthusiasm we have a few times come close to it or appeared to.. Yet, in our zeal, we have used ‘possibles’ and ‘probablys’ and even appeared to set dates we really didn’t intend to set.”
“A True History of the True Church”, 1959, page 27, Hoeh: “God has given His Church — THIS CHURCH — just two nineteen year cycles … The first cycle passed. Then God suddenly opened the door for the second cycle in January, 1953.”
Cycle? What cycle? Herbie knows nothing about cycles. There is no Armstrong cycle. Must have to do with foot washing. That still breaks me up, the foot washing, some had to do. I was unaware until today that god “suddenly” needs open a door to let a cycle occur.
Like the old saying. The higher the monkey climbs the tree, the more he shows his ass. Withiout his success, we might never have been exposed to it.
The 19 year time cycle was supposedly a period where certain planets and celestial bodies aligned. Unfortunately, even this was somewhat confusing because many of us hear “nineteen and a half year time cycles”. I could never reconcile 19 with 19.5 years and wondered how that worked out. I guess we were supposed to wait for 39 years for the alignment, which, if you think about it, is one year short of 40 and 11 years short of a Jubilee (which was supposed to be a cycle of 7 times 7 years with one thrown in).
Of course, this leads us to the calendar, which is mentioned in the letter. No, Herbert Armstrong never understood the calendar as Mr. Gerringer mentions. This led Herbert Armstrong to do really stupid things like assume Pentecost was on Monday. If the calculations are correct, the WCG simply didn’t keep 60% of Feasts and Holydays at the right time. It’s sort of a moot point except to demonstrate that Herbert Armstrong was incapable of understanding science, and, if there is such a thing, he was also incapable of understanding “spiritual” things. Let’s just say that he was immoral, unethical and illegal and did not have the qualifications of a minister at all — he was disqualified by Scriptural standards.
The problem with this is that when people begin to understand the lies, they become apathetic because they know what they have been told is wrong, but feel they can do nothing about it. I have seen this both in religion and in business. Listen for “nothing ever changes around here” and the appearance of Dilbert Cartoons (a less than subtle protest). This, in turn, is followed by rebellion. This is what we have seen in Armstrongism, reproduced in the cult spit-offs which themselves have splinters.
In the end, the cycle of lies, realization of lies and rebellion leads to the revolt that ends in freedom.
The trick is not to enter the cycle again with yet another cult.
The trick is not to enter the cycle again with yet another cult.
How very true Doug. One I knew ended up moving to an eastern religion. And as James our editor points out that Herbie also churned out Atheists in vast number.
There is a lot of “40” used in the origional tablets. It’s origion from over 400,000 years ago, ie after Enki, the Annunaki god who’s power was forty. You will notice thru the ages the powers of 60, 50, 40 are common, for in that patheon the god of heaven and earth was Anu who’s power was 60, and of Marduk son of Enki who’s power was 50 (thus the fifty names of Marduk)
Actually Doug any time you read fourty days and nights..it shows our blood, or that we are of Enki, two strand DNA. So desert wilderness, Jesus with his 40 day gig all refer to a much much earlier time, before religion was created.
Doug I’ll better explain where those last comments came from. When in WCOG the last thing, the worst thing, was to try to learn or study the “Nephilim” is what they called the old ones. Absolutely forbidden by Herbie.
So that’s exactly what I did. It’s all in plain view on stone, the origional Sumerian tablets you can read under various translations, unchanged in thousands of years. These tablets make a mockery of man made religion. The meek (US) did inherit the earth as Enki ruled we would, being lord of earth, and be freed of being slaves, rather than exterminated as the Annunaki royals wanted to. I sometimes wonder if we should have been exterminated.
I sometimes wonder if we should have been exterminated
Only the narcissists, sociopaths, psychopaths and nutjobs.
You gotta love ancient science fiction.
Apparently Neal Stephenson was doing some reading on the ancient Sumerian scripts. he did an excellent Sci-Fi on it called “Snowcrash”.