7 Reasons why Herbert W Armstrong’s Elijah teaching
10 Reasons why Herbert W Armstrong's
"Elijah teaching" is doctine
--and why the teaching
that HWA is Elijah, is doctrine.
7 Reasons why Herbert W Armstrong’s Elijah teaching
7 Reasons why Herbert W Armstrong’s Elijah teaching
1. Malachi's prophecy that Elijah would come in the endtime, before the
Day of the LORD is doctrine, and Herbert W Armstrong taught it.
2. The prophecy of Jesus made (in Matthew 17 after John the Baptizer's
death), that the final Elijah would "restore all things" is doctrine which
Herbert W Armstrong taught and applied to himself, in what he
considered his best book, "Mystery of the Ages", as well as in other of
the Church's publications and in various public statements especially in
his latter years.
3. Herbert W Armstrong started by restoring a correct understanding of
doctrine in the Church with his keeping of the Sabbath, before any of
the still living Church of God ministers were born, followed by the
restoration of the Holydays doctrine. Therefore, no other minister can
legitimately claim to be Elijah, since he was prophesied to restore ALL
THINGS. Mr Armstrong preceded any other endtime minister in doing
this, besides going on to restore the rest of the doctrines in the
Church, which the faithful ministers and members still hold fast to.
4. The doctrine of the third Elijah can only refer to someone who restores
all things after the first century great falling away from truth. That could
never have happened comprehensively with Israel globally dispersed,
until the media age some 1900 years later, of which Herbert W
Armstrong was the communications pioneer in the Church of God.
5. Herbert W Armstrong's prophetic doctrine was exactly the same as all
the Bible prophets (Acts 3:19-26). By definition that makes him a
prophet. That he shied away from calling himself "a prophet" probably
had more to do with his wisdom in avoiding persecution from the
unconverted, and/or his humility. He explained that he was not a
prophet in the sense of one who gives new Scripture, but as the
restorer of all things, he was the one God used to make plain what all
the previous prophets prophesied. God reveals his secrets first to his
prophets (Amos 3:7). Therefore, the first person to understand the
sealed endtime prophecies of Daniel and Revelation would have to be
both a prophet and specifically be Elijah, who restores all things.
Further proof that Herbert W Armstrong is that prophet is the fact that:
(a) HWA was the first person in history to understand the
prophecy in Revelation 17:10 which referred to the
doctrine of the rise of the 6th Head of the unHoly Roman
Empire. Without knowing that, one is without a key
endtime prophetic time-line marker.
(b) HWA's doctrinal understanding of Rev 17:10 was
uniquely opened during the only 444-week-long window
that it was possible to see it in the present tense form that
the prophecy was written. No-one else can claim that.
(c) HWA's early doctrinal understanding of the Book of
Revelation, which he dogmatically taught was unveiled
for the first time through him, and his "Beast Chart", which
combined, remain the prophetic outline that his disciples
continue to use.
6. Having a prophetic ministry longer than a Jubilee Cycle, and using
modern communications methods that reached more people than all
the Bible prophets combined which likely resulted in more
conversions than anyone else, Herbert W Armstrong must rank as up
with the greatest prophets of old. Which further indicates he is the final
Elijah. What better path to salvation than HWA showed, can any
supposed Elijah-still-to-start-his-ministry make? If there were such a
prophet his restoration would have to overthrow every doctrine
Herbert W Armstrong taught, in order to restore all the things this
Elijah-come-too-late would promote. We've already had such men,
and they've all proved to be false prophets.
7. Herbert W Armstrong's doctrine over many years was that he was
the first person in 1900 years to comprehensively preach the Gospel of
the Kingdom of God. Whether he ever realized it or not, this was a
claim to do what only Elijah was prophesied to do: restore ALL things.
No-one else was prophesied to restore part of them before the endtime
Great Falling Away from Truth, which we now know followed Mr
Armstrong's death.
8. Herbert W Armstrong taught the doctrine that he is the Apostle to the
Philadelphia Era of the Church. An Apostle is one sent by God. Since
God promised to send Elijah the prophet in the endtime, by definition
Elijah is an Apostle, as HWA claimed he was. Christ the Head of the
Church, said: "...This is the work of God, that you believe on him
whom he has sent" (John 6:29). While refering to himself, in principle
this applies to anyone whom God sends, and it most certainly applies
to the final Elijah, whom God promised he would send. The reality is,
that Elijah could only restore all things in the entire Church during the
Philadelphia Era, which was prophesied to be the most ideal one in the
endtime. It couldn't have happened in today's Laodicean climate, nor
can it happen during the Tribulation night when America, Britain, the
State of Israel, and Church members are scattered, decimated, and
many are desperately trying to survive in captivity.
9. Herbert W Armstrong taught as doctrine that he is the final Elijah,
whose voice crying in the spiritual wilderness, prepares the way
for the Second Coming of the LORD. Either that is true or he was a
false prophet, and none of his disciples are genuine. As a descendant
of King David, if HWA had been brought up Jewish, one of his
barmitzvah readings* (which some rabbis take to be prophetic of the
boy's life) would be from Isaiah 40, which summarizes how Mr
Armstrong saw his ministry. He had no control over that, and was
probably never even aware of it. His other reading was of Moses not
being allowed to cross directly into the Promised Land. In light of
everything else stated here, its unlikely this is mere coincidence.
Especially since God has yet to deal with the Jews regarding the
identity of the Elijah who appears in the latter days. Mr Armstrong
visited the State of Israel over 40 times, and personally knew all its
Prime Ministers from Golda Meier until the incumbent one when he
died. Besides visiting over 70 other countries to deliver his message to
members, the public, and more world leaders in their offices than
Henry Kissinger knew how. No Bible prophet or Apostle came close to
reaching the total
amount of people Mr Armstrong
did.
10. What better path to salvation than HWA showed, can any supposed
Elijah-still-to-start-his-ministry make? If there were such a prophet his
restoration would have to overthrow every doctrine Herbert W
Armstrong taught, in order to restore all the things this Elijah-come-
too-late would promote. We've already had such men, and they've all
proved to be false prophets.
The plain truth is, Herbert W Armstrong is the endtime Elijah he claimed to be:
it is an important doctrine he taught, and prevents genuine ministers
from tampering with the rest of the doctrines true Philadelphians
are commanded by Christ to hold fast to.
______________________
*Although not brought up in that faith, Herbert W Armstrong's mother was of Jewish descent,
through the Royal line of King David of Israel. Jewish descent today is reckoned through the
mother. Had Mr Armstrong been brought up Jewish, being born on July 31, 1892--7 Ab in the
Hebrew Calendar--his barmitzvah readings, which he would have had to recite in the
synagogue when 13, would have been Isaiah 40:1-26 and Deuteronomy 3:23 to 7:11.
Looking back after his death, it would be difficult to choose a more fitting summary of Mr
Armstrong's ministry than the prophecy in Isaiah 40:1-26. The passage contains themes that
he many times preached about; it states that God will come with a "strong hand" [with an
Armstrong?]; and speaks of "The voice of him that cries in the wilderness, Prepare you the
way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God". This is the very
description Mr Armstrong applied to himself, which was also applied in Scripture to John the
Baptist, a forerunner of the endtime Elijah (Matthew
3:3).
The reading from Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11 starts with Moses' plea to God to change his
mind, and allow Moses to walk into the Promised Land before he died--which God turned
down. Mr Armstrong had anticipated being alive when Christ returned, which would have
allowed him to cross over alive into the Promised Land of the Messiah's coming Millennium.
God didn't allow it. The passage also contains the second giving of the Law (The 10
Commandments), which Mr Armstrong also gave in the sense that he spiritually magnified the
Law in a way similar to what the Messiah had done at his First Coming, as no-one else has
done.
This passage also contains the famous injunction (the Shema) which Jew's recite daily
and regard as the essence of their faith: "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God [is] one LORD"
(Deuteronomy 6:4).
Herbert W Armstrong, as the endtime Elijah, clarified how God is One--in the light of the
Messiah's New Covenant revelations. The Tribe of Judah is going to be compelled to re-
evaluate how it is that God is One, at the Second Coming of the Messiah--when Jesus comes
with all power, and rules Israel according to the Law, as the immortal Son of God, while God
the Father remains in Heaven.
Geoffrey R. Neilson
(Bricket Wood 1964-7)
Cape Town