Afterword: Why God Revealed Prophecy to Herbert W. Armstrong
And what He expects you to do about it
This booklet has given you many examples of Herbert W. Armstrong’s explanations of biblical prophecy proving accurate. Why is this important? The implications are earthshaking—and personally life-changing.
The first, most important lesson you must take from this is that those biblical prophecies had an all-knowing Author—and that this same all-powerful God is bringing them to pass!
Herbert W. Armstrong said fulfilled prophecy is the greatest proof of God’s existence and of the inspiration of the Bible!
Prophecies uttered thousands of years ago and canonized in the Bible are coming to pass in modern times—unfolding right now before our astonished eyes. No man could possibly bring those things about.
And the fact that so many of those are already unfolding is proof that you can count on the fulfillment of those remaining prophecies that have not yet taken place. Many more biblical prophecies are being prepared step by step through today’s events.
Many people claim to know God. But how many really know the Almighty God of prophecy? Most people pay little attention to this crucial third of the Bible. But if you ignore prophecy, you do not really know the true God.
Understanding how and why God reveals prophecy teaches you a lot about Him.
And these prophecies will impact your life and the lives of your friends and family. God doesn’t give prophecy to entertain us or to merely reveal His power and supremacy. Bible prophecy is God’s warning to you about your future. Will you listen and respond?
The Ultimate Author of Prophecy
Realize: The source of true prophecy is not any man, no righteous prophet, not an angel. In fact, it is not even Jesus Christ. Matthew 24:36 shows that Christ does not know the timing of His own return, which is at the center of all end-time prophecies.
The ultimate source of true prophecy is God the Father!
Read the first verse of the book of Revelation, the greatest book of prophecy in the Bible: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.”
Note: This verse clearly says “the Revelation of Jesus Christ” was given to Him by God—God the Father! The Father gave it to His Son Jesus Christ, who delivered it to an angel, who gave it to a man, the Apostle John. Yet most Bible publishers title the book “The Revelation of St. John the Divine,” introducing confusion and entirely ignoring the divine Source! This is one clear example of why, in the world today—full of evangelists, preachers and self-proclaimed prophets—none truly understand Bible prophecy!
The fact that prophecy originates with the Most High God is deeply inspiring. It shows the weight God places on prophecy. And very few understand this, but it also highlights the government structure of the God Family. It all points back to God the Father.
Though traditional Christianity asserts that Jesus is the center of the gospel message, Jesus Himself said: “[M]y Father is greater than I” (John 14:28). He came to Earth to declare the Father (John 1:18). God the Father is the God Being who is and always will be the Head of the entire God Family. We can only truly understand prophecy when we keep the Father in the picture. You can read more about this in the first chapter of Mr. Flurry’s booklet Daniel Unlocks Revelation, titled “The Father Focus in Prophecy” (request a free copy).
Bible prophecy reveals God the Father, His love for you and His plans for your future. This is the prism through which we must consider the prophecies revealed through Herbert W. Armstrong. God has introduced Himself to you. Will you reciprocate?
God Must Reveal His Truth
How does God reveal His truth? Again we must look to the Bible. In Revelation 1:1, we saw God revealed that prophecy through Christ, through an angel, to a man named John.
Here is another towering lesson we must learn: God specifically reveals the meaning of His prophecies through individuals of His choosing.
Matthew 11:25 says God the Father hides His truth “from the wise and prudent.” Among the scholars of this world, you will scarcely find anyone willing to humble themselves before God to receive revelation. We cannot look to this world’s scholars to understand God’s Word and His prophecies.
Throughout the Bible, we see God revealing His truth to specific human leaders. God worked with Noah, Abraham, Moses, the prophets and the apostles. If people wanted to know God’s revelation, they had to seek it from these men. This truth is reinforced in multiple passages. Carefully consider these scriptures:
“Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7).
“[B]y revelation he [God] made known unto me [the Apostle Paul] the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit” (Ephesians 3:3-5).
“[W]e speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:7-10).
“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy [Spirit]” (2 Peter 1:19-21).
The Bible is unlike any other text in the world. Every word was directly inspired by God—and it cannot be understood without God revealing it—and He does that through “his servants the prophets.” 1 Peter 1:12 shows that even angels do not understand Bible prophecy until God the Father reveals it to human beings.
That is why Bible prophecy is not of any “private interpretation.”
Thus we see two significant reasons why our world of religion does not understand Bible prophecy: First, people do not honor God the Father, the Source of revelation; and second, they reject His human messenger.
“God’s revealed word doesn’t come from men,” explains Gerald Flurry in The Epistles of Peter—A Living Hope. “The word prophet in the Old Testament means ‘an interpreter of God.’ In other words, God revealed Himself to these men, and they taught what He revealed! They would have been powerless without the Holy Spirit moving them. They were moved by the Holy Spirit. This is how God speaks to mankind. God gives each person on Earth the responsibility to know when men are moved by the Holy Spirit.”
Once you have proved that God exists, that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, you must prove who God’s human messenger is.
All this can be done through Bible prophecy. Prophecy is a significant means by which God reveals both Himself and the men through whom He is working.
The booklet you are reading has enabled you to prove whether Mr. Armstrong was moved by the Holy Spirit and received revelation from God, or whether he used his private interpretation.
Recognizing the truth in Mr. Armstrong’s explanations shows that God was behind that man. You aren’t simply reading the teachings of an astute Bible scholar—you are reading revelation given to a man by the living Creator God, who is communicating those prophecies for specific reasons!
Fulfilled prophecy powerfully proves Herbert Armstrong was God’s prophet. This reality ought to inspire further important questions. What other biblical truths and teachings did Mr. Armstrong teach? Wouldn’t these also be revealed truth from God?
Here is another crucial question. When Herbert Armstrong died in 1986, through whom did the living God continue to communicate?
Advance Knowledge
Look once more at Revelation 1:1: It tells us that God gives us prophecy “to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass.” God gave this prophetic message to show us things that are about to happen—before they do. Only the omnipotent God can do that! No false god would be capable. (Read God’s challenge to impotent idols in Isaiah 41:21-24; also Psalm 33:10-15.)
God says through the Prophet Isaiah, “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure” (Isaiah 46:9-10).
When God says something, He ensures it happens. He follows through. This is the foundation of our faith! We can have absolute confidence in the God of prophecy. Like Abraham, we can be “fully persuaded that, what [God] had promised, he was able also to perform” (Romans 4:21). That is faith.
Why would God want us to know in advance that certain things will happen?
There are times when we only recognize the accuracy of a prophecy after it comes true. Christ specifically told His disciples that as we see prophecies fulfilled, it should vindicate God in our minds and strengthen our faith: “And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe” (John 14:29).
Often, however, God gives prophecy as a warning to alter our behavior, or a motivator to regulate our spiritual life.
Jesus Christ, in His great Olivet prophecy, gave His disciples several signs to watch for in advance of His Second Coming, and said, “[W]hen ye shall see all these things, know that it [the day of His return] is near, even at the doors” (Matthew 24:33). Like many of the Bible’s prophecies, these were advance warning that should keep us attuned to the urgency of the time we live in.
It is through prophecy that God warns us of the consequences of disobedience to Him. Many prophecies foretell of judgment that is coming on the wicked and terrifying punishments that will befall rebellious people. God gives them for the same reason a loving parent warns his disobedient child before disciplining him: It is a prod to correct our behavior and to turn to Him. “Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11).
Prophecy is an expression of God’s mercy. He wants to help us avoid punishment and receive blessings. Bible prophecy is a warning.
We must take these invaluable warnings seriously—believe God—and act.
When we come to understand there is a God orchestrating events and bringing His prophecies to pass, we see the seriousness of His warnings, and we recognize our responsibility to obey Him. It is highly motivating spiritually! As Christ said after giving the signs of His return, “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. … Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24:42, 44). Knowing the shortness of time incites us to be ready by following after righteousness.
The Beauty of Repentance
Consider the prophecies you have read about in this booklet. God revealed them to Mr. Armstrong to forewarn of the future of America and Britain, of Europe, of the Middle East, of Asia—and to show where today’s momentous events are taking this world.
Has this book had a spiritual impact? Has it proved the existence of the living God? Has it revealed where God is working? Has it built your faith in the God who inspired and revealed these prophecies?
There are many people who have heard what Mr. Armstrong taught and say, If this or that prophecy comes to pass, then I will believe God sent him. Thus they dismiss all the prophecies that already have been accomplished.
And then—all too often—when the prophecy does come to pass, they still do not act!
If that is your attitude, then heed Jesus Christ’s admonition in Matthew 12:39-40: “An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
What is the connection to Jonah the prophet? Mr. Flurry explains: “The Jews could observe and prove that Christ was in the grave three days and three nights. By this sign, they could prove that Jesus Christ truly was the Son of the living God—their very Creator, who is far greater than the Prophet Jonah.
“Then if they understood and believed this sign, they could learn a vital lesson. The people of Nineveh repented when Jonah warned them” (Jonah: A Strong Warning to God’s Church; emphasis added).
You can read this inspiring story in the book of Jonah. God’s prophet delivered a warning: “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown” (Jonah 3:4). That is a prophecy. Here was the reaction: “So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them” (verse 5). The king proclaimed that the people should “turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?” (verses 8-9).
How did God respond? “And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not” (verse 10). He withheld His punishment!
What a powerful illustration of the power of prophecy—and the beauty of responding to it as God intends!
When Jesus brought up this example to the faithless people of His day, He concluded with this fierce condemnation: “The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here” (Matthew 12:41).
The people to whom Christ was speaking refused to repent—and they ended up killing Him.
God wants us to react to a great many of His prophecies the same way the Ninevites did: by simply believing Him, having faith that what He says is true—before the words of the prophet come to pass—and repenting.
If we reject all the evidence God lays before us, if we cling to our skepticism and, as Christ said, are always “seeking after a sign” that God’s prophecies are sure, we will find ourselves in the middle of the prophesied Great Tribulation before we repent!
Believe His Prophets
What does God expect us to do instead? The answer is simple: “… Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper” (2 Chronicles 20:20). We need to not only believe God but also believe His prophets. This leads us to repent of our evil ways, to follow God and honor the Father—and to support the man He has chosen.
Yet here is the tragedy. Tens of thousands of dedicated members of the Worldwide Church of God did support Mr. Armstrong, but after his death, they fell away.
Astoundingly, none of those who departed from what Mr. Armstrong taught understand Bible prophecy today! They have lost the testimony of Jesus, which is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10). In fact, many of them today say prophesy not! (Amos 2:12; Isaiah 30:10).
These lukewarm Christians have proved by their actions that they failed to understand this most crucial lesson we hope you take away from this booklet: why God revealed His prophecies to Mr. Armstrong.
Because they failed to understand this, they rejected this pivotal prophecy from Jesus Christ Himself in Matthew 17:10-13:
“And His disciples asked Him, saying, ‘Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.’ Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist” (New King James Version).
This points back to God’s prophecy that He would send an end-time Elijah just before the Second Coming of Christ (Malachi 4:5-6). John the Baptist was a forerunner, who prepared the way for Christ’s first coming. But the ultimate fulfillment occurred in this end time, in the days before Christ’s return. God sent a prophet in the spirit of Elijah.
This man has come and gone already. That shows how near the end of this age we are—how close we are to the fulfillment of all the other end-time prophecies.
God expects us to know who this man is, though the world as a whole does not. It was the man whose words and warnings you have been reading throughout this booklet: Herbert W. Armstrong.
“People didn’t recognize who John the Baptist was. And people today didn’t recognize the office of Mr. Armstrong,” Mr. Flurry notes. “But what is more shocking, even most members in Mr. Armstrong’s own Church failed to recognize who he really was! That is why they are Laodicean! All of the Laodiceans reject Mr. Armstrong as fulfilling this end-time Elijah role! Christ prophesied that they would be blind (Revelation 3:17). They are blind beyond belief! But notice, the true disciples understood—just as God’s Philadelphian disciples understand today” (Isaiah’s End-Time Vision).
Just as Christ’s disciples understood who John the Baptist was, His disciples today understand who Mr. Armstrong was.
“Christ is the Head of His Church, but He also uses a man to be the physical head. He has done that throughout the ages,” Mr. Flurry continues. “… It is through the man that Christ implements His government. Satan, the god of this world, and rebels hate that government and always work to demonize that man. This is not about following a man—it’s about following God’s man.” There is a clear structure from God the Father to Christ to His human messenger, who is supported by a group of people, the Church, to get God’s message to the world.
God the Father is about to send His Son to this Earth a second time—this time in power and glory! What is uppermost in God’s mind is the restoration of His government on Earth (Acts 3:19-21). By revealing the prophecies of the Bible to one man, God begins this restoration process. Prophecy thus not only shows where God is working but also impels us to come under this government and to accept God’s wonderful way of life that it teaches and administers.
In the decades since Mr. Armstrong’s death in 1986, God has continued to reveal His secrets to one man, an apostle. Today God’s warning message of the coming events, as well as the good news of the wonderful World Tomorrow—the work started through Mr. Armstrong—continues to be trumpeted around the world by this work as a witness.
You can escape the horror of the next few years by heeding that witness. Prove the prophecies of the Bible. Recognize the Author behind those prophecies, the all-powerful God who inspired them and is now bringing them to pass. Honor the Father by turning your heart to Him. Believe in Him, so shall you be established. And find and support the man He is using and the Work that man is leading. Believe His prophets, so shall you prosper!