Herbert Armstrong - A comparison of Herbert Armstrong & Joseph Rutherford of the Jehovah Witnesses
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...