Herbert W Armstrong

The biblical concept of a prophet is more functional rather than institutional, referring fundamentally to one who claims to speak on God's behalf. This observation carries into Jesus' warnings concerning false prophets.  Jesus says that " many false prophets will arise " (Matt. 24:11, 24). He does not describe a formally appointed class of prophets, but rather individuals who come onto the affairs of the world and claim spiritual authority, influence others, and lead them astray. The motives of such individuals may vary considerably. Some appear to have been sincere but mistaken. William Miller, for example, is generally regarded as an honest man whose predictions failed and who later expressed regret for the consequences. Herbert Armstrong published prophetic interpretations for fifty years and when those expectations failed to materialize, he did not respond in a manner like William Miller. Instead, he justified their  postponement and then at a later time the argu...

Tithing in the Old Testament is an interesting study. What becomes immediately clear is that it never applied to wages, trade income, craftsmanship, fishing, commercial profit, or any other form of monetary earnings. Money certainly existed, and the monetary economy was substantial - merchants, traders, craftsmen, builders, fishermen, and labourers, including agricultural labourers and many others too numerous to list, formed a significant and essential part of Israel’s society - yet none of these were ever tithed. Towns, fortified cities, royal centres, and trade hubs had significant numbers of non‑agricultural workers. Even rural villages had essential trades (smiths, carpenters, potters, weavers, builders, transport workers, fishermen, merchants). The Bible itself depicts frequent monetary transactions, which presuppose a functioning monetary economy. The biblical tithe was restricted solely to agricultural increase and herds and flocks from the land of Israel, as laid out in Leviti...

The United Church of God, headquartered in the USA, teaches that the Holy Spirit is an impersonal force rather than a divine Person - a belief inherited from the Armstrong parent church. Their website lists several reasons for this claim. The question is whether any of these reasons make biblical sense. In the document linked below, I examine each of their arguments to determine whether they have any scriptural warrant. In reading their material, one is struck by the insistence that the Holy Spirit must be an “it”- a non‑person, an impersonal force rather than a divine agent. The claim is repeated with such confidence that one might initially assume it rests on solid biblical foundations. In reality, closer inspection shows that it rests on selective readings and misunderstandings of Paul’s literary conventions, particularly his greeting formula, along with other arguments discussed below. Readers may consider the evidence and decide for themselves whether UCG claims have any merit. A ...

Herbert W. Armstrong taught that the Worldwide Church of God was the sole continuation of the apostolic church, uniquely preserved while all other Christian bodies fell into early apostasy. He claimed that God raised him up to restore truths lost for nearly two millennia, including Sabbath‑keeping, Old Testament Holy Days, hierarchical church government, and his distinctive prophetic system. Armstrong also asserted that the early church possessed a correct understanding of Israel’s identity—an understanding he believed had been lost and recovered through his ministry. A central part of his narrative was the idea of a continuous remnant of Sabbath‑keepers stretching from the apostles through various medieval dissenting groups and finally into the Church of God (Seventh Day), culminating in his own organisation I show in the linked Post in Quora just how inadequate these claims really are.  See here.    It is titled:  Herbert W. Armstrong said in his booklet ''A True H...

Jesus and the apostles observed the sabbath, the annual festivals, and other customs of the Mosaic Law because they lived within the Jewish world and Jesus was born under the Law (Gal 4:4). Some submit that believers today must do the same. Scripture certainly records how Jesus and the apostles did things on the weekly sabbath, as well as annual holydays.  These passages may reasonably be described as things Jesus and the apostles did as Jews living under the Mosaic system. But the real question is not what they did - it is what they commanded . Many discussions focus on whether sabbath‑keeping or festival observance occurred in the New Testament; my concern is whether Jesus ever required His followers to replicate those practices. In my view, the evidence shows that He did not. Please follow this link to my Post in Quora wherein I examine this subject. 

Certain groups, including the Armstrong churches (of which there are many), vehemently argue that birthdays should not be observed. The Jehovah’s Witnesses are among them. The arguments run along familiar lines: traditional Judaism did not emphasise birthdays; early Christians (mostly Jewish) did not mark them; birthday customs supposedly stem from pagan feasts; and Roman birthday celebrations were associated with astrology and household gods - the last being the most frequently repeated. These claims don’t in fact have merit. Some writers cite two Old Testament passages where pagan kings held birthday feasts, inferring that any birthday celebration is permanently tainted. Curiously, they do not mention other passages which undermine their argument. Following is a link to a Post I have in Quora that examined whether any of the claims truly carry merit. The reader may consider the evidence and reach their own conclusion. See the Quora link here . 

Armstrong, his Worldwide Church of God, and the many offshoots that exist today insist on a Wednesday crucifixion. The view often imagines a kind of conspiracy by those who hold to a Friday crucifixion, as though the traditional understanding were not only mistaken but deliberately deceptive. A Wednesday crucifixion is also held by some outside Armstrongism. It is not a commonly accepted view, but it is worth examining. Personally, I do not regard it as a matter of special importance; however, because the claim is made so forcefully - and because it accuses the Friday view of implied intentional error - it deserves careful comment. Central to the Wednesday theory is the counting method derived from Matthew 12:40, where Jesus refers to Jonah being “ three days and three nights in the whale’s belly .” Advocates insist this must mean a literal seventy‑two hours from crucifixion to resurrection. Matthew 12:40 is therefore the pivotal text for the Wednesday position, and in this study I exa...

  I have read through the Autobiography . It offers a narrative of Armstrong’s early life, but there are some unusual omissions - and as well several inaccurate claims - revealing a pattern of selective self‑presentation.   These omissions later resulted in faulty secondary genealogies being used by some to fill in the gaps incorrectly. That is why one encounters conflicting or inaccurate information online. The inaccuracies include his portrayal of his early beginnings , his account of the six‑month library study in Portland, and his later claim to have independently “discovered” radio .  In the case of the library study, the only contradictory evidence comes from Armstrong’s own later version of the Autobiography , where his description differs markedly from the earlier account.  All of these matters are documented in the following Post in Quora . The first Addendum of that Post shows the evidence for the inaccuracies. I have covered doctrinal issues separate...

Some groups - especially those influenced by Herbert W. Armstrong -claim that Colossians 2:16–17 actually commands Christians to keep the Sabbath and festivals. Most believers simply read the passage as written and see the opposite: Paul warns against being judged over these things because they were shadows pointing to Christ. To reach the Armstrong conclusion, the text must be turned 180 degrees - and that is exactly what happens. This is an illuminating example of the danger that arises when doctrine begins to drive exegesis rather than the other way around. Once a system feels free to reshape the meaning of Scripture to protect its teachings, the authority of the text is lost. In the full analysis I’ve written elsewhere, I set out the issue in detail and show why the Armstrong interpretation lacks any textual, historical, or grammatical support. For those who want the full analysis, I’ve set out the complete argument in a detailed note available here . This is a link to my posts i...

Herbert W Armstrong - Gospel preached. Herbert W. Armstrong claimed—repeatedly and with great emphasis—that only he preached the true gospel. He set out his gospel doctrine across decades of booklets, articles, broadcasts, and magazines, insisting that his Radio/Worldwide Church of God was the “one true church” tracing back to the original apostles. The identifying sign of this claim was said to be Sabbath‑keeping and alleged obedience to the Ten Commandments. Armstrong taught that all other churches proclaimed a false gospel because they were deceived by Satan. He stated this many times, and his publications make the point unmistakably. The link below takes you to my Quora post examining whether Armstrong’s gospel claims stand up to biblical scrutiny. Given that the gospel is one of the most important doctrines in the New Testament, it is essential to evaluate his assertions carefully. The post provides a detailed comparison between the Bible’s teaching on the gospel and Armstrong’s d...

There are some - including Armstrong’s Worldwide Church of God and its many offshoots - that make the claim their observation of such days, and of the ten commandments including sabbath, are important identifiers of their system being special. So special one also reads claims it is the one true church. There are booklets where they link themselves all the way back to the first century wherein the observation of such days be an important part of the aforementioned claim. There are others such as groups in the Jewish Messianic movements and various other who also argue festivals be required. In t his link to a Post in Quora I examine whether Armstrong's claims are supported in scriptures.   To be clear, people are of course free to observe any days they choose, and that choice deserves respect. The problem arises when the claim is made that such observance marks their system as the one true church. Many of the offshoots still publish booklets tracing their lineage back to the f...

 Zechariah chapter 14 is seen by certain groups as evidence that feast days are to be observed in the Millennium.  Indeed, I once thought so myself : 16  Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. 17 And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them. 18 And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the LORD afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. 19 This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. This Post in Quor a examines the issue - seeking to decide whether such idea has any biblical merit. The link takes you to a re-direct page, being the Quora post i r...

  Revelation chapter 22 verse 14 reads: [ Rev 22:14 KJV] 14 Blessed [are] they that  do his commandments , that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. I have observed how certain denominations particularly those who demand sabbath observance -as this they say is the sign of a true believer - choose to interpret the verse in question.   Indeed, one reads in their literature statements such as :  ‘ I t is only those who are willing to DO the Ten Commandments who shall enter in thru the gates into the City ’. Revelation 22:14 thereby becomes one of the most mis‑used verses by groups that teach salvation-by-law, especially Sabbatarian groups. The boast be made this identifies the one true church. In this Post in Quora I examine just what commandments/commands are in fact the subject of this verse in Revelation 22. 

Does Matthew chapter 12 concerning Jesus’s resurrection and the “sign” of Jonah have to mean exactly 72 hours? Please note in a separate Post I have addressed the Wednesday crucifixion theory. This Armstrong doctrine is used to criticize the 'world's churches' for celebrating the Friday crucifixion.  I found there are no strong grounds for Wednesday and set out the reasons.  This particular blog focusses on Matthew 12,   ‘’ For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” These words are the basis of a theory which holds that Jesus was crucified on a Wednesday, and resurrected exactly 72 hours later on the sabbath towards sunset. Whether it was a historical fact that Jonah did spend exactly seventy two hours inside a large fish we of course do not know. Jesus referred to this event, but He does not state explicitly that His citation affirms the historical c...

Some interesting similarities between Herbert W. Armstrong and Joseph F. Rutherford are worthy of note. Armstrong claimed he was an apostle and special messenger appointed to warn “Israel” (USA/UK/other Anglo nations) and the world of end‑time disasters, insisting that his Radio/Worldwide Church of God was the one true church . He taught that only he proclaimed the true gospel, while all other churches were deceived by Satan. Armstrong also said he governed the church by “God’s Government”: God the Father, then Jesus Christ, then Armstrong himself. Rutherford did not use the title “apostle,” but the effect was the same. He taught that Christ inspected all religions in 1918, chose the Watch Tower Society in 1919, and directed the “work” through its President. In this sense Rutherford mirrored Armstrong’s claims about divine authority and God’s government. What we see, therefore, are two contemporaries - living in the USA, at times only 200 km apart - each demanding recognition as God’s...

This book is one of the greatest ever written. All I can hope is bring out, in this post, teachings that stand out to me. It helps to express them in writing so as to come back to it now and again to re-evaluate. Please click here to go to my Post in Quora wherein I seek to understand its purpose and how it informs of the Gospel messag e.  I also seek to understand particular verses that some use to almost undo the very purpose of the book itself.   Edit: Why do I make the label Herbert Armstrong apply in this Post. My answer is that he was one of those who select certain verses from Romans and use them to undo the very message it contains. I explain these verses in some detail in context of the whole book of Romans. 

Herbert Armstrong's Worldwide Church of God promoted the idea that the cross is pagan.  I note that the Jehovah Witnesses have the same belief - they insist Jesus dies on a stake rather than a cross, and allege the cross is of pagan origin.   I would not at all be surprised if Armstrong took his idea from the Witnesses, he was after all a great copyist. Perhaps many in the Millerite movement held such belief.  The purpose of this pagan theory is, I believe, to denigrate and unsettle believers whilst promoting other pagan theories such as those concerning Christmas, Easter and Sunday worship.  I investigate whether these claims are true, and conclude they have no substance.  Please follow the link to my post in Quora.  See here.

I compare Armstrong’s teachings with Scripture and with mainstream Christianity in key areas such as the gospel, the new birth, and the Kingdom of God. Within this document you’ll find a number of links for further reading. See my post in Quora that sets out all the details. I cover similar issues in a related Post concerning UCG.

The United Church of God is one of the branches of the Worldwide Church of God, founded by a Herbert W Armstrong in the 1930’s, in the USA.  UCG is the biggest offshoot.   Their full name is  "The United Church of God,  an International Association ". It was established in 1995 when certain Ministers of the Worldwide Church of God didn't like changes to the doctrines of Herbert Armstrong.  Each of the offshoots essentially follow the Armstrong doctrines, and like Armstrong also claim to be the one true church - meaning of course there is now a big number of one true churches.  They have been described by another responder as:  '' 7th Day Sabbatarians, reject Christian holidays in favor of the seven Levitical Feasts and require legalistic observance of the Law of Moses as they interpret it ’.   I generally concur with that description.  They teach British Israelism, being a belief USA and UK are two of the ten tribes of ancient Israel....

  Do certain verses in Ecclesiastes support a view held by some that nothing happens after death? That it is all a big blank? I have observed how certain descendant organizations of the Millerite movement in the USA like to use verses extracted from Ecclesiastes in a desire to bolster their teaching it is all a big blank after death. Armstrong being one of that number.  They seem to vehemently oppose any other possibility. So desirous of the blank theory I've noted their embellishments by addition of a gigantic pagan conspiracy were one to suggest otherwise. I cite these verses below: 3: 21: " Who knoweth the spirit of man whether it goeth upward and the spirit of the beast whether it goeth downward to the earth?" [Ecc 9:5, 10 ESV] 5  For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. ... 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge ...