America in Bible prophecy - Proof that Americans are descendants of Israel's 'Lost' Tribes

The Plain Truth why
only Herbert W Armstrong
can be The Endtime Elijah

Herbert W Armstrong claimed to be the final Elijah.
This article proves that he was not only who
he claimed to be, but that God ensured that
no one else can be this endtime prophet.

By Geoffrey R. Neilson
Ambassador College, Bricket Wood alumnus (1964-7)

Daniel the prophet was told that certain prophecies given to him could not be understood until the time of the end. The "endtime" would be characterized by three unique things: an extraordinary increase in, and acceleration of travel back and forth; an unequalled explosion of knowledge; and many people becoming purified spiritually. See Daniel 12:1-13.

Since God does nothing without first revealing it to his own prophets (Amos 3:7), the understanding of Daniel's sealed prophecies would have to be first understood by a prophet of God. And when it happened, it would signal that the endtime had started

In the closing verses of Malachi, the last book of prophets in the Hebrew Scripturesā€”and the last book of the Old Testament--God promised to send Elijah the prophet in the endtime, before Heaven visibly intervenes in world affairs.

After John the Baptist (who was also a type of Elijah) was dead, Jesus predicted that another --then yet future Elijah--would "restore all things" (Matthew 17:11). That prophecy also showed that after Jesus, and the disciples whom he trained, were off the scene, there would come a great falling away from what they taught, which would necessitate a restoration by the final Elijah.

The New Testament shows there was a progressive departure from God's truth. The elderly and last of the original first century Apostles, John, wrote in his last epistle, that Diotrophes disfellowshipped genuine members from the true Church, while promoting heresy. Long after that first century falling away from truth, Elijah's Restoration, however, would only come in the endtime, prior to the Day of the LORD, about 1900 years later.

The original Elijah will be in the first group of faithful-to-God humans to be resurrected at the blowing of the last and great seventh Trumpet (1 Corinthians 15:50-55). That will occur about a year after the end time Day of the LORD starts. The Book of Malachi, in contrast, prophesied that the final Elijah was to come in the endtime, before the Day of the LORD (Malachi 4:4-6)ā€”that is, before the original Elijah is resurrected.

Three different Elijahs are referred to in Scripture. The original Elijah, John the Baptist who paved the way for Christ's first coming, and the final Elijah who prepares the way for Christ's second coming, by getting a people ready, spirituallyā€”through proclaiming primarily to the Tribes of Israel the nature of the glorious Kingdom of God to be established on earth, and how they can be part of it.

Unless the final Elijah came, God predicted that he would utterly destroy the Earth, as the Hebrew in Malachi 4:6 states. (This meaning is correctly translated in Zechariah 14:11). The reason for this is, because just as in the days of Noahā€”there would then be so few righteous people left, that God would be compelled to destroy almost everyone.

It makes no sense that the final Elijah's Restoration would be immediately before the Day of the LORDā€”that is, during the Great Tribulationā€”because during that period the Tribes of Israel will be decimated, with the survivors made slaves in captivity, as many Bible prophecies show. Not an ideal time to restore the peaceful way of life of God.

It will not be possible for Israel in the Tribulation to observe the Sabbath and Holydays, enjoy Godly family life, follow divine dietary laws that bring good health, study for a career, be gainfully employed and able to tithe to support God's Work, have freedom of worship, enjoy uplifting recreational activities, or live in a stable society.

Thus Elijah could not restore all things during the Tribulation. The Book of Lamentations gives an idea of the terrible condition Israel will be in during that greatest ever holocaust. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Jesus, all predicted it would be the worst period in human history ever. Elijah's Restoration of ALL things has of necessity to be accomplished in the era before the Great Tribulation.

The End time

The prophet Daniel was told to seal the meaning of the book he wrote until the time of the end ; when many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase (Daniel 12:4). Thus the time of the end when a remarkable increase in Bible knowledge occurs, can only be the same time when Elijah restores ALL things. And that must be the same time that there is a general increase in knowledge and travel. There's only one period in history that fits the definition: the 20th Century.

The 20th Century saw the invention and development of aircraft, and the huge increase of air, road, rail, sea, and even space transportā€”plus the unprecedented escalation of local and global travel. Nothing like it ever happened in any previous century.

The 20th Century also saw the first widespread use of motion pictures, radio, television, computers, the mass production of printed matter of every kind, and voice and data recording machinesā€”which spread knowledge around the world as never before.

"The Times [of London] ATLAS OF THE 20th CENTURY--The Definitive Account of Our Century" published in 1996 calls the 20th Century, "The Revolutionary Century", because is introduced so many changes never before experienced in previous centuries.

Therefore, the 20th Century is the only one in which one has to look for Elijah's Restorationā€”and for Elijah. Elijah's arrival also signals the start of the endtime.

In addition there was to be a great falling away from truth in the end time, (see 2 Thessalonians 2). But one cannot have the end time Great Falling Away from Truth, unless there is FIRST OF ALL a greater RESTORATION OF TRUTH from which a great many things can fall.

The only such restoration prophesied in the endtime before God visibly intervenes in world affairs is the final Elijah's Restoration of All Things.

The largest departure from original doctrine in the about 2000-year history of the Christian church, according to Protestant historian Dr Ruth Tucker, occurred in the Worldwide Church of God after the 1986 death of Herbert W Armstrong who founded it in 1933.

There has been no greater doctrinal falling away ever in all Christian history. Therefore, The Greatest Restoration of Doctrine in history must have preceded it. And the one who did the restoring must be the final Elijah who was prophesied to accomplish that feat.

Therefore, Herbert W Armstrong must be the final Elijah who was prophesied to come in the endtime to restore ALL things, and understand the previously sealed prophecies given to Daniel.

In his day, the three characteristics of the endtime first became evident and prominent: In the 20th Century there was an extraordinary increase in knowledge and travel back and forth and many people were purified spiritually as a result of Herbert W Armstrong's Worldwide Church of God. Its ministers and members observance of the Bible's annual 8-day-long Feast of Tabernacles gatherings, which he organized internationally, were the largest and longest church meetings of their kind, worldwideā€”and in the history of the world. Members, baptized as adults, also observed the Passover, Day of Atonement, and other Bible Holydays, as part of the purifying process that God ordained in the Holy Bible.

The 20th century was the very time that Herbert W Armstrong was a pioneer in the use of advertising, radio, television, and he published what remains the highest circulation ever news magazine in all history, The Plain Truth, which explained events in the light of Bible prophecy, laws and principles--and proclaimed the true Gospel or Good News of the coming Kingdom of God. This was the very same message that Jesus Christ and his first century Apostles preached, but to the biggest audience any genuine servant of God has so far reached.

Furthermore, born in 1892--as a gifted writer, speaker, editor, publisher, educator, builder, philanthropist, promoter of some of the world's premiere cultural events, and one of the most famous descendants of King David of Israel in modern timesā€” Mr. Armstrong had the unique perspective as a Church of God leader, of seeing the world change from the horse and buggy age into the endtime predicted to come in Daniel's prophetic book.

If Elijah has not yet come, then nothing has been restored, and everyone's religion is in a state of huge disrepair until he does come. The plain truth is: Elijah has come already.

HWA had unique insight

Daniel the prophet was told that no one would understand endtime prophecies given to him, until the endtime. Herbert W Armstrong uniquely saw--in the present tense (as the prophecy was written)--when the 6th king of Revelation 17:10 arose. This king is described as "one is". Because Mr Armstrong saw this event unfold in the light of Bible prophecy--at the time it was fulfilled--he came to understand its prophetic significance.

This was only possible to do during the exactly 444-week-long duration of the Rome-Berlin Axis (led by Mussolini and Hitler) from 25 October 1936 to 28 April 1945, when Mussolini died. That period ended over seven years before the first five Evangelists were ordained in the era of the true Church of God that Mr. Armstrong raised. Therefore, none of them--or any later minister--can claim to be the first person to understand endtime Bible prophecy, or to have started Elijah's Restoration of ALL things.

Daniel had very specifically prophesied that "...at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships..." The understanding of that prophecy would be a marker that the endtime had commenced. If none of the prophecy has yet been fulfilled, then the endtime hasn't started, and no-one yet understands endtime prophecy.

In the context of watching the Rome-Berlin Axis, Mr Armstrong saw that Italy had secured two ends of Ethiopia for herself. Her inland thrust led to a war in 1896 against Ethiopia, which Italy lost. This was unique because it was the only defeat of a European power by an African state. It was thus both unexpected and a great embarrassment to the losers.

Mr Armstrong saw that in the 1930's that the "king of the north" (then) ended with Mussolini, the sixth king of Revelation 17:9-10, and that the "king of the south" applied (then) to Ethiopia (Abyssinia) which Mussolini later defeated.

Mr Armstrong soon understood--even before World War 2 was over--that the prophecy did not only apply to the start of the endtime with Mussolini's actions, but also was applicable to the start of THE END of the endtime, when it applied to the 7th and final king over the resurrected 'Holy' Roman Empire, who will be the human directing the First Beast of Revelation 13. The fulfillment of the prophecy could not commence until after the 6th king had passed from the scene. This Mr. Armstrong recognized before anyone else.

The prophecy in Revelation 17:9-10 linked to the line of non-Israelite empires that the Book of Daniel predicted would culminate in successive resurrections of the church-and-state Roman Empire, of which one revival now remains to appear. Only Christ was given the power to open the seals on the Book of Revelation. As Head of the True Church he reveals Truth first to his Apostles in the Church, a rank that the Worldwide Church of God came to agree belonged to the senior Mr. Armstrong.

Prophecy, Mr Armstrong saw, often has a dual application. See Daniel 11:40-44. The second half of the dual application of this prophecy involves the seventh king of the 'Holy' Roman Empire, who will invade the Middle East, most significantly Jerusalem and the Holy Land of Israel, about three-and-a-half years before the Second Coming of Christ.

In hindsight, the above understanding can be seen to have confirmed that endtime prophecy had been opened because the endtime had started--and that Herbert W Armstrong alone first saw this.

That means Herbert W Armstrong has to be a prophet, since God does not first reveal his secrets to people who aren't prophets (Amos 3:7). Logically, Mr. Armstrong would have to be Elijah the prophet, because Elijah alone was prophesied to restore ALL things.

Elijah's Restoration is total

Since the final Elijah was to "restore ALL things", he had to restore the first thing in the endtime, and the last thing--and everything inbetween. That leaves no room for a second prophet to restore anything. It also means that the first person in the endtime to restore anything in the true Church of God had to be Elijah. And he had to restore everything else.

Mr Armstrong acknowledged that he was not a prophet in the sense of one delivering original Scripture, which is not the prophesied role of the endtime Elijah, who was predicted to RESTORE understanding and practice of what had been previously given and lost.

Herbert W Armstrong was a prophet in two ways. He clarified and co-ordinated what all the previous prophets had predicted. And, he prophesied of the coming Kingdom of God to a far greater audience worldwide than all of the Bible prophets combined.

Since he is the final Elijah, it is only logical to conclude Mr Armstrong's booklet "The Book of Revelation unveiled at last! " was correctly titled, and was the first published correct explanation of this book.

Religious author Arthur Pink, who claimed to have read every book about the Book of Revelation, once claimed that more books have been written about Revelation than any other book in the Bible. All of them--unless based on the revelation from Heaven to the endtime Elijah--must be in error.

Using the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation, in conjunction with Jesus Christ's keys to understanding endtime prophecy found in Matthew 24, Mr. Armstrong identified where we are in Bible prophecy. That is, that the end time had started.

Elijah is both Prophet and Apostle

Jesus, the Christ--or Anointed One--the Messiah, said, "...This is the work of God, that you believe on him whom he has sent" (John 6:29). While he was referring to the fact that God sent him, in principle this statement is true of anyone God sends. It most definitely applies in principle to the endtime Elijah whom God promised he would send.

Therefore, to deny that Elijah is Elijah, is to fail to do the Work of God. It also denies God fulfilled his promise to send that prophet to do the Almighty's Work, which is a very serious charge. Therefore, identifying who Elijah is, is important.

Interestingly, one of the key phrases Herbert W Armstrong used was "do the Work of God". He applied this to what he was doing--preaching the same Gospel of the Kingdom of God, which Jesus Christ proclaimed and commanded be preached to all nations, with the support of his disciples. (See Matthew 24:14; 28:19-20).

Herbert W Armstrong declared for decades that he had restored the preaching of the true Gospel (or Good News about the coming Kingdom of God), which had not been widely proclaimed for about 1900 years.

That wording was a humble way of Mr Armstrong saying that he is the final Elijah, since only that prophet was prophesied to restore all things in the endtime. And that restoration would have to, at the least, go back to the Truth Jesus and his first century Apostles preached.

Since the final Elijah was to "restore ALL things", he had to restore the first thing in the endtime, and the last thing--and everything inbetween. That leaves no room for a second prophet to restore anything. It also means that the first person in the endtime to restore anything in the true Church of God, had to be Elijah. And he had to restore everything else. There is no disputing that Mr Armstrong--who first came to a knowledge of the truth from 1926, was ordained in 1931, incorporated what became the Worldwide Church of God in 1933, and started Ambassador College in 1947 to educate a ministry (the first of whom were ordained in 1952). In other words, he long preceded any of the ministers he ordained in teaching God's truth, and all lay members. Therefore, none of them can legitimately claim to be the final Elijah.

Elijah was to come in the Church age. Therefore he cannot be a Jewish rabbi who rejects Jesus as Messiah. Neither can he be a professing-to-be-Christian minister who claims the Law (of God) is done away, or who doesn't keep the Law--since Elijah was "to remember the Law of Moses" given to him by God. Being a descendant of King David of Israel, Mr. Armstrong was both authentically of Hebrew lineage and authentically Christian. He both taught the Law of Moses as it applied to the Church, and accepted Jesus as Messiah.

Elijah's Mission was first of all to ALL of Israel

That the final Elijah's mission was to preach to all of the Tribes of Israel can be seen from the opening verse of the Book of Malachi, which is addressed to all Israel. Malachi means messenger. Elijah is the messenger whom God promised to send to Israel in the end time (Malachi 1:1; 3:1; 4:5). Even before Herbert W Armstrong started the church he raised, or The Plain Truth magazine or The World Tomorrow broadcast, he identified where the main 'lost' Tribes of Israel were. Which is exactly what the end time Elijah would be required to do in order to deliver God's message to them.

Any rabbi or professing-to-be-Christian minister who doesn't know where the Tribes of Israel are today, cannot be the endtime Elijah.

In later life, Mr Armstrong claimed to be and was acknowledged by the ministry and the membership of the original Worldwide Church of God, to be the endtime Apostle of God.

The word Apostle means one sent [from God]. In other words, an Apostle is a messenger of God. That is the very title that God himself gives to the endtime Elijah. Scripture confirms the final Elijah is also a prophet (Malachi 4:5).

People usually are exactly what they claim to be, or the exact opposite. This article demonstrates that Herbert W Armstrong is the prophet he claimed to be, and no one else can be the final Elijah. God ensured that this is the case. There's no honest way to get around it.

The 7 Eras of the true Church

Mr Armstrong did not teach that no one understood God's Truth in the 1900 years before he came on the scene, but that there was not a full understanding or proclamation of the true Gospel during that period. And that no one had the means to preach the true Gospel to the extent he did before the media age, of which he was a pioneer.

He showed that there are seven successive eras of the true Church, which have an unbroken link from the time of Christ starting the Church to Christ's second coming. The gates of the grave would not prevail against the Church (Matthew 16:18). Put another way: it would never die out. The summary of the seven Church Eras in Revelation 2 and 3 shows, however, that not all eras were equal in understanding and practice.

The one with the most vibrant works of them all, would be the second-last one, the Philadelphia Church or Era. This is the only one that could accommodate Elijah's Restoration, faithfully keeping God's Word, not denying his name, and operating with an open door to proclaim the Gospel. Besides, this era of the Church is in the end time--immediately preceding the Great Tribulation, which comes on the whole world (Revelation 3:6-13), from which faithful members of this era are protected, during that time of trouble (Revelation 12:7-17).

Elijah's Restoration could not be accomplished in the last or Laodicean Era of the true Church. That is when The Great Falling Away from Elijah's Restoration has its climax. It is true that the Two Witnesses do great things in the Laodicean Era, but their mission is one for a time of trouble.

As the person who raised this era of the Church, no one else but Herbert W Armstrong could be the human messenger referred to in Revelation 3:7. He must be the olive tree who leads and represents the Philadelphia Era lampstand. His disciples are advised to hold fast to what Christ restored in the Church through him. Therefore, anyone letting go of what Mr. Armstrong taught, cannot be Elijah or one of his disciples.

Elijah's Warning Message

The fact that this modern prophet's arrival, and proof of his identity, can now be absolutely 100% corroborated, has profound implications for everyone on the planet. Unless Elijah came, God said he would utterly destroy the Earth! (Malachi 4:6 in the Hebrew, as correctly translated in Zechariah 14:11).

No one in history has more widely promoted the truth than the authentic latter-day Elijah, that the Jews (Judah) are only one of the 12 Tribes of Israel. And, that the Anglo-Saxons of America and Britain are the leading and birthright Tribe (Joseph)--the chief modern descendants of ancient Israel's 10 Lost Tribes.

No one has warned the modern descendants of the "Lost Tribes of Israel", in plainer language; more boldly; for a longer period; and on a wider scale: Unless the USA and UK return to genuine Bible-based worship of the true God, they will be taken into national captivity by today's generation of their ancient enemy (the Assyrians)--who now dominates the rising European beast power already threatening British and American sovereignty.

No one has more vigorously warned of the many troubles America and Britain are now facing--which are leading to the unprecedented Holocaust which Daniel the prophet foretold would eclipse World War 2 (Daniel 11:40-45; 12:1).

On January 7, 1934--seemingly from nowhere--at age 42, but with a wealth of experience in business, advertizing, and life, plus eight years of serious independent Bible Study behind him, Herbert W Armstrong burst on the American scene with what became The World Tomorrow radio broadcast, (and The PLAIN TRUTH magazine, less than a month later).

For decades these 30-minute ad-libbed programs of Mr Armstrong (and later his youngest son, Garner Ted Armstrong who sounded much like him), generated more purchased radio time than any other in history, eventually on over 600 stations. No-one warned America more. 7 offshore ships also carried the broadcast to Britain.

Herbert W Armstrong's message was right out of the pages of the Bible, but as up-to-date as the latest news bulletin:

GOD IS SOON GOING TO ESTABLISH
HIS KINGDOM ON EARTH, WITH
HEADQUARTERS AT JERUSALEM, UNDER
THE RULERSHIP OF THE MESSIAH.

It was the same message the Apostle Peter referred to: "ā€¦Jesus Christā€¦heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began" (Acts 3:20-21). Mr. Armstrong's spoken words can equally be described by these verses, which therefore define him as also being a prophet.

That statement should galvanize the alert reader to the realization that Herbert W Armstrong is indeed a genuine prophet of God. He preached this message to a greater audience than all the Bible prophets combined.

Mr. Armstrong restored all things in the true Church, after which there has been the Great Falling Away from God's truth. Jesus Christ will restore all things in Israel and eventually in the whole world.

The 1260-day prophetic ministry of the Two (God-empowered) Witnesses coincides with the length of the Tribulation, when Israel is in captivity. There's no way the Two Witnesses could restore all things to Israel during this time of upheaval, once one understands the real identity of Israel.

Besides, the whole Hebrew Calendar revolves around a cycle of 7 periods of 7 years, plus the 50th Jubilee Year. This includes 7 sabbatical years in which farmland is laid to rest. The 1260 days of the Two Witnesses would not even allow for the restoration of one Land Sabbath. Yet failure to observe the Land Sabbaths was part of the reason Israel was originally evicted for disobedience from the Promised Land--and must be a factor in Israel's endtime eviction (Exodus 23:10-11; Leviticus 26:33-35).

By contrast, Herbert W Armstrong's endtime Elijah Restoration, from 1926 until he died in 1986, was about 60 years long. That is longer than a Jubilee cycle. Therefore, he could restore all things.

The first thing he restored was a proper understanding of how to observe the weekly Sabbath, with the spiritual intent that God intended--without the burdensome pharasaical prohibitions which stem from human tradition and not Scripture. He restored observance of the seven annual Holydays of Scripture, and showed how those days symbolized the Plan of God for Mankind. He restored the knowledge of the identity of the Tribes of Israel--and reached them with his message. Altogether he restored at least 18 different major doctrines.

During his long ministry, Mr Armstrong also instituted experimental farm projects in the Green Belt of Hertfordshire, near London, England and in Big Sandy, Texas, in the USA. There his staff ran farms that implemented the Land Sabbath and other Bible principles of farming, and taught interested farmers around the world the same knowledge.

The Two Witnesses will neither have the time, nor the opportunity, to restore such values to Israel.

The endtime Elijah is a unique prophet, who is associated in Scripture with the equally special servant of God, Moses.

Few men have had as long and full a life, or ministry, as Herbert W Armstrong, which would allow them to do the Work of the endtime Elijah. Few have had his tireless energy, combined with extraordinary talents of extemporaneous professional speaking ability; concise, clear writing style; advertizing and other media skills; matched with an unparalleled understanding of Bible prophecy and doctrine.

Besides this he had excellent business acumen; educational leadership; a keen appreciation of and fostering of the arts; the know-how to restore fine old buildings and build magnificent new ones with gardens, which gained awards and international recognition.

Few could also have had his royal lineage through King David of Israel, and have personally known as many famous people and heads of state, royal personages, world- class entertainers, media, business, and ordinary people. Few could have had and done all this and also have raised and headed a groundbreaking, worldwide church, with a worldclass major circulation magazine, and delivered 30-minute daily global radio and television extemporaneous speeches.

The point is, not many men have the credentials to be the endtime Elijah, although a number have claimed this title. Only one person can legitimately be that prophet. These proofs show that person can only be Herbert W Armstrong.
Anyone who does not restore the knowledge about Israel's identity, and preach it to the Lost Tribes of Israel, cannot be Elijah. Anyone who does it in the endtime after Herbert W Armstrong, is too late to be Elijah. The Plain Truth is that Elijah has come already!

Mr. Armstrong's own words that he is Elijah

In "Mystery of the Ages", completed near the end of his long life, Herbert W Armstrong clearly identified himself as the endtime Elijah, as these extracts (from pages 9-10 and 139-140) show:

"We now live in the era biblical prophecy calls the last days--the last generation before the coming of Christ to rule and accomplish on earth what mankind should have done. In these last days, according to biblical prophecy, knowledge, spiritual as well as material, was to be increased. The true Church of God was to be set back on the track, restoring the glorious apostles".

"In the book of Isaiah is a 'NOW' prophecy: 'The voice of him that cries in the wilderness, Prepare you the way of the Lord...lift up your voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say...Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: and his work before him' (Isa 40:3,9-10)".

"That voice now cries out!"

"The prophet Malachi confirmed this: 'Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom you delight in: behold he shall come says the Lord of hosts' (Mal 3:1)".

"The Elijah to come"
[Mr Armstrong's own section heading]

"Both of these prophecies have a dual application. First, they refer to John the Baptist, who prepared the way before Jesus' human ministry more than 1900 years ago. BUT, as a prototype, or forerunner, these prophecies foretell one to prepare the way before Christ's Second Coming as king of kings and Lord of lords to RULE over ALL NATIONS!"

"Malachi's prophecy, like Isaiah's, if you will read on past the first verse, refers to a human messenger preparing the way before Christ's now imminent Second Coming, this time in supreme POWER AND GLORY as Ruler over all nations!"

"Understand the duality principle here. These prophecies refer to a type and its fulfillment."

"John the Baptist was a voice crying out in the physical wilderness of the Jordan River area, preparing for the human physical Jesus' First Coming to a material temple at Jerusalem, to a physical Judah. But that was a prototype, or forerunner of a voice 'lifted up' (greatly amplified by modern printing, radio and TV), crying out in the midst of today's spiritual wilderness of religious confusion, announcing the imminence of Christ's Second Coming as the spiritually GLORIFIED Christ, to his spiritual temple (the Church resurrected to spirit immortality. Eph 2:21-22)".

"Jesus came, over 1900 years ago, to announce the FUTURE kingdom of God. He's coming this time to ESTABLISH that kingdom. That endtime last warning message is now going out worldwide in amplified power".

"It's going before kings, emperors, presidents, prime ministers of nations--and to their peoples, on all continents and all nations of the earth!"

Since Mr Armstrong was doing all these things, in the context of his book, it is clear that he identifies himself as the prophesied-to-come endtime Elijah. This is confirmed in the next extract from pages 348-349 of "Mystery of the Ages" under the section heading:

"Elijah to Come in Our Day".
[Mr Armstrong's own section heading]

"Remember, once again, God's principle of duality. As Jesus said in Matthew, the prophecy of Malachi 3:1 applied to John the Baptist in type; but if you will continue reading through verse 5, it becomes very clear that the prophecy is speaking of one to prepare the way before the Second Coming of Christ. John the Baptist was a voice crying out in the physical wilderness of the Jordan River, preparing the way for the First Coming of Christ, as a physical human being, to his physical Temple at Jerusalem and to the physical people of Judah, announcing the advance good news that the kingdom of God would in the future be established. But also preparing the way before his Second Coming was a messenger of whom Elijah was a type. A voice crying out in the worldwide spiritual wilderness of religious confusion, preparing the way for the spiritual glorified King of kings and Lord of lords to come in the supreme power and glory of God to his spiritual temple, the Church (Eph 2:21), to actually establish the kingdom of God".

"Further, in Matthew 17:1-8, Peter, James and John saw the vision of Moses, Elijah and Christ glorified in the kingdom of God. Then in verse 10 the disciples asked Jesus, 'Why then say the scribes that Elias [Elijah] must first come?' Remember John the Baptist had finished his ministry and had been imprisoned before Jesus even begun his ministry. At the time the disciples asked this question, John the Baptist had come and been put to death. Yet Jesus answered, speaking of the yet future, '[Elijah] truly shall first come, and restore all things' (verse 11)".

"This could not possibly refer to John the Baptist. John the Baptist restored nothing, but called on people to repent in preparation for the First Coming of Jesus as a physical human".

"In the first few years of the New Testament Church, Jesus' true gospel had been suppressed and supplanted with a false gospel--not the gospel of Christ (the kingdom of God) but man's false gospel about a Christ who did away with his Father's commandments".

"Also Malachi 4:5-6 pictures the Elijah to come at the very end of the Church age--at a time when, if this endtime message were not proclaimed, the glorified Christ would come and smite the world with total destruction. (The word curse in this verse is translated from the Hebrew, which in Moffatt's translation is given the meaning total destruction)".

[Mr Armstrong obviously referred to himself in the above description, humbly acknowledging he was the endtime Elijah. He, and other ministers supporting him, had often said he was doing "an Elijah-like Work".

[He further stated in "Mystery of the Ages" under the section heading

"Education in the World Tomorrow":

"This Headquarters Church, at Christ's own world capital of Jerusalem, then, undoubtedly will be given the administration of the world's new system of education".

"Also the indication is that the teaching of spiritual truth--of the true gospel, the spiritual conversion of the world--will be directed, worldwide, from this Headquarters Church, under Elijah and the overall direct supervision of Jesus Christ" (page 349).

Some Conclusions About The Endtime Elijah

Knowing the identity of the endtime Elijah is a major sign of where we are in the timetable of Bible prophecy! If he hasn't come, neither has the end time.

The plain truth is that Herbert W Armstrong publicly acknowledged that he is the endtime Elijah, in various ways and over a long period of time, because he is the legitimate bearer of that title, and showing the end time must be near its end.

In order for the prophecies to be fulfilled that the Gospel was to be preached worldwide shortly before Christ's return, the Lost Tribes had to first be identified again in our day. This was never comprehensively and publicly done until Herbert W Armstrong did it in the 20th Century.

Since the Wicked one--whom Christ will destroy at his Second Coming--has a 1260-day-administration in the endtime, which only starts AFTER the Great Falling Away from truth which has already occurred in God's Church: It is clear that the endtime Elijah has to finish his Restoration Work BEFORE the Falling Away, BEFORE The Great Tribulation, BEFORE the appearance of the Wicked one.

No greater falling away from original doctrine taught, has ever taken place in any church more than it did in the Worldwide Church of God, therefore, this has to be the great falling away predicted by the Apostle Paul.

Any religion claiming to have had a continuous and firm grip on all God's truth from the 1st Century (or before)--without the need for the endtime, pre-Kingdom of God Elijah, to restore all things--cannot be the true faith of God!

The plain truth is that 1900 years later, Herbert W Armstrong restored all things necessary for salvation.

The inescapable truth of the Bible is: If the endtime Elijah has not yet come, then no 20th or 21st Century church has yet comprehensively understood God's truth--and none will until Elijah restores true worship.

If the endtime Elijah has not yet come, then we are not in the end time, and the Book of Daniel is still sealed.
Herbert W Armstrong was a pioneer in religious broadcasting. No-one claiming to be Elijah before him, could ever have surpassed the extent of Mr Armstrong's media reach in his day, and is now too late to claim they first restored all things in the endtime true Church of God.

The very world leaders Mr Armstrong witnessed to, will doubtless be key ones he interacts with at the time of their resurrection over a thousand years from now, to bring Israel and the nations to conversion, under the ruling King of kings, and Lord of lords, Jesus the Messiah, in conjunction with Moses. This indicates that Herbert W Armstrong's Work was far more important and far-reaching than even many of his disciples--or critics--understood. It perhaps also explains why ever since his death--there has been a sustained attempt by some (under the influence of Satan)--to discredit him.

Since God was behind this whole operation, the probability is that Herbert W Armstrong's ministry reached at least some representatives of all 70 of the original nations mentioned in Genesis 10, as a reference point for when God deals with them in the future. Imagine the impact the over 1000-year-old glorified Mr. Armstrong will have on the many Heads of State he met in his lifetime, when they are resurrected after the Millennium.

The whole issue of Church Government is important because of its relevance to God's Kingdom. It never has been just about the present. This is a lesson Laodiceans have to learn if they are to be used in God's Kingdom.

Ambassador Colleges were a unique foretaste of the Wonderful World Tomorrow which Herbert W Armstrong prophesied would come.

Elijah in the endtime, was to direct the important God-orientated leanings of the heart of the faithful patriarchs of Israel to their latter-day descendants, chiefly in the British domain and the United States of America. This is precisely what Herbert W Armstrong did.

Anyone who genuinely repents as a result of Herbert W Armstrong's ministry, who is of
Israelitish stock, has their heart turned to that of their patriarchal fathers, as the prophecy foretold!

Falling in the context of his promise to send the endtime Elijah, God's reminder to remember his Law, has to be a key component of the message of that prophet.

As the American news analyst and broadcaster Ted Koppel once pointed out, the headline news of any day usually revolves around infractions of the Ten Commandments. They are a living, invisible force, that when transgressed exact an automatic penalty.

The Law of Moses is actually the Law of God, which the Creator revealed through him, on Mount Sinai, codified in Ten Commandments, listed in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5.

The statutes and judgments based on the Ten Commandments are found in the rest of Exodus, and the books of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. They, and the Ten Commandments were for all Israel. Mr. Armstrong in particular showed how they relate to the Church, which is not a civil state like ancient Israel, and therefore has no authority to carry out certain of these instructions prior to God's Kingdom.

No-one more vigorously and widely promoted the Law of God which God gave through Moses, to the 20th Century descendants of the Tribes of Israel, than did Herbert W Armstrong.

"Be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead...This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:10-12).

The endtime Elijah would not only have to promote the Law of Moses, he would have to also promote the name of Jesus Christ, as the Messiah and Savior. THOSE TWO REQUIREMENTS ELIMINATE MOST JEWISH OR CHRISTIAN CLAIMANTS TO THE TITLE "ENDTIME ELIJAH".

Herbert W Armstrong, however, fulfilled both of these requisites superabundantly. God saw to it that he was both genuinely Jewish and genuinely Christian. No-one in modern British, American, or Jewish history, has taught more descendants of Israel (and others) to observe ALL the Holy Days of God, with understanding of their meaning, more than Herbert W Armstrong!

Herbert W Armstrong's restoration of Bible Truth included unveiling the meaning of the Book of Revelation, at last. That was not possible in any previous era of the Church, since the keys to open it--in the Book of Daniel--were shut until the endtime!

Herbert W Armstrong is the major prophet who introduced the endtime!

His major prophecies have global and eternal consequences, reflecting an understanding of God's blueprint for humanity, which only the endtime Elijah could restore.

Herbert W Armstrong is the endtime prophet Elijah whom God promised to send to restore all things; raise an alarm about the impending destruction of the world unless Israel (and the nations) repent; and to proclaim the Good News that the soon-coming Messiah is going to establish the world-ruling Kingdom of God on Earth, with headquarters in Jerusalem.
The endtime sequence is clear:

Some 1800 years after the 1st Century Falling Away from Christ and the Apostles' teachings, the endtime Elijah begun to Restore All Things. At the end of his Great Restoration, when he died, there was The Great Endtime Falling Away from what he Restored, precipitated by a Man of Sin sitting in the spiritual Temple of God. Sometime after that, the Wicked one (a world figure) will be revealed, whom Christ will destroy at his second coming.

The endtime Elijah's Restoration is, therefore, complete--BEFORE the Wicked one appears. "The Wicked one" can only refer to the First Beast (as a latter-day type of Nimrod or Nebuchadnezzar)--or the False Prophet who directs all worship toward him. They are only empowered for 1260 days at the start of the Tribulation.

THUS, THE ENDTIME ELIJAH HAS TO COMPLETE HIS RESTORATION:

BEFORE THE LATTER-DAY FALLING AWAY.
BEFORE THE BEAST AND FALSE PROPHET ARE EMPOWERED.
BEFORE THE TRIBULATION STARTS.
BEFORE THE TWO WITNESSES START THEIR 1260 DAYS, WHICH PARALLEL THOSE OF THE WICKED ONE!

In his latter days, Mr. Armstrong said that the Temple in 2 Thessalonians 2 refers to the Church. His successor must therefore be the Man of Sin--who shewed himself he is 'god' by attempting to alter and do away with the Law of the One Lawgiver, God, which had been restored in the Church. In that sense the Man of Sin exalted himself above God in his own mind, while sitting in the spiritual Temple or Church of God. The prophecy must be dual, because the Wicked one will claim to the whole world that he is God.

Those who have followed the Man of Sin in the Church will be affected by the Lawless one, whom the whole world is going to worship. The Wicked one will come with "...the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders...And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that [are] perish[ing]; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved".

They rejected Elijah's Restoration of Truth and/or the Government of God in the Church.

"And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe [the] lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (See all of 2 Thessalonians 2).

"The lie" referred to above is probably the age old one Satan the deceiver has always promoted, that he is God. If so, it means that those who have Fallen Away from Elijah's Restoration are going to be deceived into worshipping the Devil, thinking he is God.

Since Herbert W Armstrong in the media age reached more people than anyone, and those in the Church through him ultimately represent two Eras, it is likely that the Man of Sin is so named because he has caused more people to fall away than anyone else in history.

Can Elijah be one of The Two Witnesses

The Two Witnesses will be clothed in sackcloth, a symbol of mourning. Elijah comes bringing reconciliation between elders and their offspring--a time of rejoicing.

The Two Witnesses will kill anyone who tries to harm them, with miraculous fire from their mouths. They will stop rain, cause drought and probably famine. They'll have the power to turn bodies of water, rivers, lakes, dams, reservoirs, seas and bays, into blood that destroys drinking water, fish life, and has other negative consequences. The Two Witnesses will have the power to bring about worldwide plagues of greater impact than Moses brought on Egypt. (See all of Revelation 11).

These are all acts of destruction, not restoration.

The mission of the Two Witnesses is to be witnesses of God. God calls them "my two witnesses" partly because he owns them and sends them; partly because they testify of him and his Work.

That includes testifying about the Work God did through Elijah's Restoration.

The Two Witnesses must witness that God faithfully sent the endtime Elijah as he promised to. They will be able to do this because they are very familiar with the Work of God, and longstanding faithful participants in it. Witnesses in a court case must be eye-witnesses who give firsthand evidence of events they've seen and experienced. God is preparing a court case against Israel, and the whole world, before he renders judgment.

The only way that Elijah can be one of The Two Witnesses, is if he returns as one of them. For about 2500 years Jews have (mistakenly) believed the original Elijah (who is dead) will return from Heaven, where he never went. Jesus testified that no human except himself had been to Heaven. Since Revelation 11 deals with The Two Witnesses, the phrase "rise and measure the temple" can mean that they are to be resurrected to measure the spiritual temple or Church. Since they are the two olive trees and the two lampstands, they both lead and represent the final two churches or Church eras.

How can anyone but Herbert W Armstrong be "the Endtime Elijah”-- the human messenger to the Philadelphia Era? He was its founder and leader all his days until his death. Shortly afterwards, many departed from the truth he taught. We can no longer describe the time we are in as the Philadelphian Era.

During the Feast of Tabernacles in 1978, Mr. Armstrong came to the fullest belief that he was also the endtime Zerubbabel who starts building the endtime Temple (or Church) and finishes it by the miraculous power of God's Spirit. In addition Mr. Armstrong prophesied to his son Ted when disfellowshipping him, that he is the Joshua referred to in the Book of Zechariah, who must return to fulfill prophecy. This Joshua is to be given new garments [which in Bible language can refer to a new body].

Therefore, it cannot be ruled out in scripture, that Elijah and his son may yet return as The Two Witnesses. No one in the end time true church has ever witnessed to the world on behalf of God more than the two Armstrong's. Who else better represent Philadelphia and Laodicea?

If they do miraculously return, that would also fulfill many of the predictions about Philadelphians and Laodiceans in the Tribulation, which God allowed Gerald D. Waterhouse to present to his church congregations worldwide. Why would Christ have allowed that if it has no relevance, or is a blatantly false prophecy?

What else could a yet-to-come Elijah restore in the Church of God that Mr Armstrong didn't, which would provide a better resurrection or salvation than members are already assured of?!

In the Church, the answer is--NOTHING! Unless he returns to complete some part of his mission.

Herbert W Armstrong fulfilled The Mission Of The Endtime Elijah, comprehensively preaching to his constituency--The Modern Descendants Of The House Of Israel. Mr Armstrong also Branched Over The Wall. Assisted By The Worldwide Church Of God Ministers, and its Membership and Co-Workers, he and The Ministry traveled to many countries where people requested a visit, spreading The Gospel globally, and Baptizing an International Congregation Of Latter-Day Saints, In preparation for The Coming Kingdom Of God.

Herbert W Armstrong Is The Only Major Person to come at The Right Time, to The Right Audience, with The Right Message, who could qualify to be The Endtime Elijah. Anyone else was too early, and Is now too late, to fulfill that office!

No-one else but Herbert W Armstrong has, does, can, or will, fit the profile of the endtime Elijah.

The plain truth is: Herbert W Armstrong is The Endtime Elijah.

Can HWA Also Be The Endtime Zerubbabel?

The last chapter of Haggai predicts events to occur shortly before and into the Day of the LORD, which involve an endtime Zerubbabel. If the prophecies refer to Herbert W Armstrong, as he believed, this sequence of events shows when he may return as both the final Elijah and Zerubbabel to finish the Work he began.

Many Jews incorrectly believe that the original Elijah, (deceased for about 2500 years), will return. For the endtime Elijah to return is not a harder miracle for a God who can do all things.

Evangelist Gerald D. Waterhouse related in a sermon shortly after the event, that Herbert W Armstrong told him and others, when he had come to his fullest realization that he is the Zerubbabel who is prophesied to start and finish the endtime spiritual Temple of God.

Mr Armstrong had believed the prophecies about Zerubbabel referred to him, for perhaps 15 years before, but not to the same intensity as during the Feast of Tabernacles in 1978, the last day of which is 21Tishri in the Hebrew calendar. (That day was about 14 months after Mr Armstrong had died temporarily and been revived).

The next day, on the Last Great Day in 1978, Mr Armstrong battled to get ready for church services. He had to lie down several times before finishing the task. The moment he walked into the hall, however, he felt empowered by the Spirit of Godā€”and gave a 140-minute sermon. He took this to be a miraculous confirmation--not by human power or might, but by God's Spirit--that he is the end time Zerubbabel.

What is interesting about this, is that the prophecy in Haggai 2:1 addressed to the endtime Zerubbabel came on the seventh month, in the 21 st day of the 7th month, Tishri ā€”the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles.

Whether that prophecy was fulfilled in 1978, or only a type then of what is still to come, is uncertain.

What is certain, is that the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles in 2006 is exactly one 28-year Sun Cycle, in the Hebrew Calendar, after Mr Armstrong's empowerment to speak in 1978. If God is working to a 3-Sun-Cycle-long endtime, from Trumpets 1926 to the blowing of the 7th Trumpet, (as this author conjectures), then the following timeline is relevant:

(The 19-year time cycles Mr Armstrong referred to were Moon Cycles in the Hebrew Calendar, which also has 28-year Sun Cycles).

CHART SHOWING 3 SUN-CYCLES FROM TRUMPETS 1926 to TRUMPETS 2010
With some key events in the ministry of the end time Elijah/Zerubbabel

31 Jul 1892
(-12457th day before being called)
Herbert W Armstrong born in Des Moines, Iowa, USA.

This was at the height of the British Empire, between the Golden and Diamond Jubilees of Queen Victoria; and during the time of 23rd US President. HWA died in time of the 40th US President.

The year 1892 saw the following firsts for the USA:

First radio broadcast demonstration; Practical duplex telegraph patented by Edison;
Automatic telephone system invented; Portable typewriter patented; Addressograph invented;
Automobile tyre patent; Basketball invented; First movie studio built; First web-fed four-color rotary press used; First concrete road built. These are all things Mr Armstrong needed and later used in spreading the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. (See Famous First Facts by Joseph Kane; publisher: H.W.Wilson; NY 1950).

ELIJAH (HWA) DAY 1
9 Sep 1926
Feast of Trumpets
Idealized date Herbert W Armstrong was first activated as the end time Elijah.

2496
9 Jul 1933
Start of the 6-week campaign that Herbert W Armstrong regarded as "the real start of this Work". This was the probable start of the Philadelphia Era of the true Church of God.

2600
21 Oct 1933
Radio Church of God incorporated.

2678
7 Jan 1934
The PLAIN TRUTH magazine launched.

2703
1 Feb 1934
The World Tomorrow broadcast officially stated

7700
8 Oct 1947
Ambassador College started with 4 students and 8 faculty.

7920
15 May 1948
State of Israel declared Independence at midnight between the previous Roman calendar day and this one.
Exactly 22 prophetic years inclusive from Day 1.

8538
23 Jan 1950
Jerusalem proclaimed the capital of the State of Israel.

9600
20 Dec 1952
First 5 Radio Church of God Evangelists ordained by Herbert W Armstrong.
1000 weeks to the day after the Radio Church of God started.

9616
5 Jan 1953
The World Tomorrow first broadcast to Europe over Radio Luxembourg, the most powerful station in the world then.

9764 (55671th day of the United Kingdom)
2 Jun 1953
Queen Elizabeth II crowned.
36 prophetic years, inclusive to the day, after General Allenby retook Jerusalem.

10835
8 May 1956
Herbert W Armstrong first visited Jerusalem.
Altogether he went there over 40 times according to his legal advisor Stan Rader's book, "Against the Gates of Hell". HWA was 64.

10839
12 May 1956
Herbert W Armstrong's first Sabbath in Jerusalem.
2300 days between the first day Jerusalem was proclaimed capital of the State of Israel and this day. 18 May 1956 HWA was in Rome.

17404
3 May 1974
Possible date (of Bible Study?) when Herbert W Armstrong--with GTA also seated on stage--said that they "stood back-to-back", and "passed the mantle" to Garner Ted Armstrong. If this was a gift and calling from God, then it can't be revoked (Romans 11:29), and is the most likely time Garner Ted officially became "Joshua" in God's eyes.

17407
6 May 1974
Ambassador Auditorium, the largest symbol of the true Church on earth, was dedicated to "the Great God".

17895
6 Sep 1975
Feast of Trumpets: the Church expected Christ's return to Earth.

The LORD delayed His Coming. There can't be a delay without first having a prior expected time of arrival. This reinforces HWA's role as the prophet Elijah. A Church without this genuine delay described in Matthew 25:5, can't be the true one.

Many in the congregation of the true Church subsequently began to smite their fellow brethren spiritually, as was prophesied.

18605
16 Aug 1977
Herbert W Armstrong technically died, but was revived.

The importance of this event was overshadowed by the death on the same day of Elvis Presley, and the huge media attention that received. Probably a satanic diversion to obscure what God was doing with the end time Elijah/Zerubbabel. Elvis was himself claimed to have revived. An apparent counterfeit. Note that Elvis re-arranged can be Evils, Veils, Levis, Lives, and that he was worshipped worldwide by many people.

Mr Armstrong took his own death and revival to mean that Revelation 10 indicated he should preach again, and to many kings, leaders, and nations.

18700
19 Nov 1977
Anwar Sadat's historic visit to Israel. It started the 'peace process' that is leading to the greatest war in human history--the Great Tribulation. HWA later met him officially. Garner Ted maintained he gave President Sadat the idea to visit Israel.

18914
21 Jun 1978
Garner Ted Armstrong incorporated the Church of God International.

18917
24 Jun 1978
Herbert W Armstrong called for a fast because "the church is in mortal danger".

18919
26 Jun 1978
Herbert W Armstrong's letter to members of the Worldwide Church of God, announcing Garner Ted Armstrong had been disfellowshipped (for the third time). Mr Armstrong prophesied to GTA that he was Joshua and that he had to come back to fulfill the prophecies concerning him, according to Gerald D. Waterhouse in a sermon shortly afterwards.

19037-8
22-23 Oct 1978
Last Day of the Feast of Tabernacles (21st Tishri) in which Herbert W Armstrong came to his fullest realization that he is the endtime Zerubbabel. In very frail condition he had great difficulty getting to church services the next day, the Last Great Day (22 Tishri), but was empowered once there to deliver a strong sermon. Confirming for him he is the endtime fulfillment of the prophecies concerning Zerubbabel.

Pope John Paul II took office on last day of Tabernacles, (after being elected on 16 Oct 1978: 19031). Note the action of Satan again, attempting to hide the day's true significance regarding God's endtime Apostle.

19110
3 Jan 1979
Satan attempted to destroy the Worldwide Church of God through the California Receiver's invasion. It also involved a diversionary tactic to draw attention to resistance of it, which led to the promotion of HWA's successor--allowing him to cause the far more damaging Great Falling Away from Truth in God's Church.

19306
17 July 1979
European Parliament started, which is leading to the resurrected Roman Empire Beast Power in Europe, which Herbert W Armstrong had predicted before World War 2 was over.

20326
3 May 1982
Herbert W Armstrong presented with "Elijah's Cup" Steuben Crystal, in recognition of his status by his leading fellow ministers, the Advisory Council of Elders and their wives. The inscription "The cup of Elijah, the prophet" was inscribed on the cup in Hebrew characters.

20477
1 Oct 1982
Helmut Kohl took office as Chancellor of Germany.
The Chief architect of United Germany and United Europe.
According to Dr Herman L. Hoeh's chronology 1892 was 2520 years after the band was put on the Gentile tree--and then released [I conclude] with this event. (See Daniel 4). He predicted the event in principle for this year, well before it happened, as the chief historian assisting Herbert W Armstrong.

Vine's Expository, which defines in English the Greek words of the New Testament, points out that Revelation 7:14 ought to contain the phrase "the great tribulation" since it is the definite period of the greatest trouble ever. The gematria for this _expression is the (70) great (249) tribulation (959) in Greek is 1278.

From 1 October 1982--inclusive of the first and last days, until the estimated start of the Great Tribulation, 29 March 2007/Day 29422--(if God is working to an endtime lasting three 28-year Sun Cycles--starting with Herbert W Armstrong's idealized time of being called as the final Elijah on the Feast of Trumpets 9-9-1926--is exactly 1278 weeks!
Is that just a co-incidence, or is God working to a detailed plan of days, weeks, and years, linked to numerical values corresponding to his Word, which he will fully reveal in the future as evidence of his hands-on guidance of the unfolding events of endtime prophecy?

21433
14 Aug 1985
Herbert W Armstrong finished "Mystery of the Ages" in Jerusalem, on the 37th Anniversary of Israel's Independence. The book identifies him as the endtime Elijah and shows he restored all things necessary for salvation, including the government of God in the true Church. 37 is a symbol of God's Word, and thought to be the most sublime number of all by some. The Church's post office box number was 111ā€”or 3x37.

21558
16 Sep 1985
Last public sermon by Herbert W Armstrong, on 60th Feast of Trumpets (inclusive) since his calling.

21674
10 Jan 1986
Herbert W Armstrong "passed the baton" to his successor who became a Man of Sin sitting in the spiritual Temple of God--showing himself, not the whole world, as will the Wicked one whom Christ executes at the Second Coming--that he is 'god', in the sense that he presumed he could change the Law of the One Lawgiver.

By the definition given in "Mystery of the Ages" this was the start of the Laodicean Era--when the baton was passed. The chief Laodicean however, must be GTA Joshua--not HWA's successor who claimed to be a more righteous Joshua, but turned out to be the biggest apostate in the end time Church. Considering there are only 144,000 firstfruits, and the greatest amount are likely to have been called in the 20th Century media age, he probably caused more saints to fall away than anyone, in which case he would be the Man of Sin.

HWA's successor acknowledged he could not fill Mr Armstrong's shoes, but pledged to walk in his footsteps. This he did--but backwards, in occult style, dismantling what the endtime Elijah restored--causing the prophesied great endtime Falling Away from Truth (2 Thessalonians 2).

No-one else in the endtime church has witnessed worldwide to the extent the founder of the Philadelphian Era did, to whom Christ opened the doors to preach the Gospel, and his gifted son Garner Ted. No-one but Herbert W Armstrong could be the First Witness who leads and represents the 6th Lampstand, Philadelphia. He is the Elijah who restores all things.

By necessity the final Elijah who restores ALL things, would have to be both the first man God used in the endtime, and the last to restore anything. This suggests he will return.

By deduction, no-one else could be the Second Witness who leads and represents the 7th Lampstand, Laodicea, than Garner Ted Armstrong.

These are the Two Olive Trees who represent The Two last Lampstands, Philadelphia and Laodicea.

21680
16 Jan 1986
Herbert W Armstrong died.
Exactly 53 prophetic years (53x360 days) after the Radio Church of God started.

This phase of Elijah/Zerubbabel's Work was over, but not the Church's Work.

21683
19 Jan 1986
Herbert W Armstrong buried in Los Angeles.
On a hot day, a cloud appeared--unusually, from nowhere in the blue sky--shielding the 3000 attending. Was this linked symbolically to the cloud of the first Elijah? (1 Kings 18:41-46).

The endtime Elijah to restore all things is associated with a cloud (Matthew 17:3-5; 10-11).

21901
25 Aug 1986
Joseph W. Tkach published an article saying 18 Truths had been Restored in the Church by Herbert W Armstrong (in The Worldwide News the newspaper for members of the Worldwide Church of God). Mr Armstrong had not limited it to that number. This article further acknowledged that Elijah had restored all things.

22111
23 May 1987
Joseph W. Tkach's "Worldwide News" article: "As Passover Approaches...New Understanding of the Meaning of Christ's Broken Body and the Church's Teaching on HEALING". Probably the first major published heresy made to the members of the true Church after Mr Armstrong's death, striking at the foundational doctrine and faith of the Body of Christ. This was only a year and a third after Mr Armstrong died, and JWT had said he'd walk in HWA's shoes; only 30 weeks after JWT publicly put in print that HWA had restored 18 major truths in the Church.

23074
10 Nov 1989
Berlin Wall unexpectedly opened...leading to the re-unification of Germany which Herbert W Armstrong had predicted for decades would lead to the resurrected unholy Roman Empire, Beast Power, which would defeat America and Britain.

23260
15 May 1990
Joseph W. Tkach repudiated Herbert W Armstrong's most widely distributed book, "The United States and British Commonwealth in Prophecy"--in an article in the Pastor General's Report which went to Worldwide Church of God ministers.
HWA had shown that endtime Bible prophecy cannot be understood without knowing the prophetic identity of these two nations, (something he established before he started preaching to them. This shows how deep JWT's heresy was, and how quickly it surfaced.
Interestingly, there were literally 1150 days inclusive from JWT's Passover heresy to this one, perhaps typifying the 1150 evenings and mornings of the yet future Abomination of Desolation. (Daniel 8:11-14 refers to 2300 evenings and mornings, or 1150 days).

23401
3 Oct 1990
German Re-unification: Berlin, the militaristic Prussians' former capital, became capital of Germany again.
Confirmation that Mr Armstrong's prediction that Germany would rise again, made before the end of World War II, was correct. Even Churchill thought it would take a thousand years. Mr Armstrong also long predicted Germany would re-unite, which many in the world didn't think possible because of the Communist grip on East Germany. 22220 days inclusive from Herman L. Hoeh's birth.

23507
17 Jan 1991
Gulf War against Saddam Hussein began.

23564
15 Mar 1991
United Germany recognized as a sovereign state when Soviet Union deposited final ratification document of 4 victors of WWII.

16-17 Jul 1994
24784 (70691)
Hebrew Calendar start of 9 Ab War in Heaven against largest Wandering Star, Jupiter--symbol of Satan--the chief god of the Babylonians and Romans (who both wrecked the Temple of God on 9 Ab). Theoretical Phase 1 of SATAN'S SECOND COMING in this author's opinion].

The Jupiter Collision was the largest explosion in the history of mankindā€”came exactly 7x7 years after the first atomic explosion at Trinity--and symbolizes the Second War in Heaven in Revelation 12 better than anything else.
A heavenly sign of Satan's Second Coming. (See Acts 19:35 KJV, and mythology surrounding Jupiter, who is Lucifer. Diana of the Ephesians was the Greek name for Jupiter's consort, who symbolizes the Fallen Woman of Revelation 17 and 18). Diotrophes, a type of the Man of Sin, means "Jupiter fed"

The pre-existent Jesus saw Satan fall like lightning from Heaven. Diana had a huge asteroid over the entrance of her Temple which was believed to have fallen from Jupiter. The sacrifices Jupiter preferred were bulls, cows, and goats. The later burning of such animals due to mad cow disease--a curse resonant of God's predictions in Leviticus and Deuteronomy--in Britain, may be part of the homage Satan exacted from a country where only 37% believe in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

153 (a significant biblical number) of days later...

24937
17 Dec 1994
Joseph W. Tkach's Atlanta 'New Covenant' sermon, which first presented the affianced Bride of Christ with an alternate, lawless, and indecent Marriage Proposal on behalf of the Bridegroom's chief rival suitor and adversary.
Given at the start of the pagan Saturnalia which HWA showed was the basis for Xmas, and repeated in Big Sandy on the last day of the Saturnalia 24 Dec 1994 (Day 24944). Led to the scattering of the end time Church. Possible official start of The Great Falling Away from what Elijah restored.

28131
15 Sep 2003
Garner Ted Armstrong--to whom his father once gave his mantle--and whose preaching brought many into the true Church-- died unexpectedly in hospital. For GTA to be the Joshua of the Book of Zechariah, he has like his father Elijah/Zerubbabel, to return to complete his mission.

29255
13 Oct 2006 (21 Tishri). A Friday.
The last day of the Feast of Tabernacles in 2006. One 28-year Hebrew Calendar Sun Cycle since HWA came to the full realization he was the endtime Zerubbabel.

Possible date (found in Haggai 2:1) that HWA/Zerubbabel may be revived to finish his Work.

29318 15 Dec 2006
24th Kislev in Hebrew Calendar.
The day of the month referred to in Haggai 2:10-23.
Alternate possible date that HWA/Zerubbabel may be revived to finish his Work.
37+37 prophetic years after the start of The World Tomorrow broadcast.
37 is a biblical symbol for the Word of God. The Radio and Worldwide Church of God's Post Box number was 111 or (37+37+37).

IF GOD HAS ALLOCATED 3 SUN CYCLES FOR THE ENDTIME--ENDING 2010:
Then the 1335 Days look like this, as per HWA's view of how they are counted

29347
13 Jan 2007
1335 DAYS START COUNTDOWN
7667 days after HWA died.

27 Feb 2007
29392
1290 DAYS START: Abomination of Desolation.
The end of this day starts United Kingdom Day 75300 (10x10x753 days).
753 is the numerical value of "Satan" in Revelation 12:9.
33rd Anniversary of Herbert W Armstrong's first overseas campaign

29422
29 Mar 2007
1260 DAYS START: Start of The Great Tribulation.

30327
19 Sep 2009
Feast of Trumpets: Possible start of DAY of the LORD.

888+888 weeks after the Feast of Trumpets 1975, when HWA and the Philadelphia era of the Church he started expected Christ's return --before the LORD delayed his Second Coming.

2197 days inclusive after Garner Ted Armstrong died.

888=numerical value of "Jesus" in Greek.
2197=numerical value of both "Jesus of Nazareth" and of the full description of Satan in Revelation 12:9.

8 Sep 2010
30681 (76588)
This evening will start the Feast of Trumpets 9 Sep 2010.
End of 3 Sun Cycles from Day 1 of HWA (9 Sep 1926).

9 Sep 2010
30682 (76589)
Feast of Trumpets 2010.
START OF 4th SUN CYCLE SINCE TRUMPETS 1926.
A possible time when 7th Trumpet of Revelation blows.

If this author's evaluation is correct that God is working to a 3-Sun Cycle long endtime, then the prophecy about the endtime Zerubbabel's appearance to finish his Work, is likely to occur this year.

Can Herbert W Armstrong be the endtime Elijah? This article and the website below proves
no-one else can be that prophet.

Can Herbert W Armstrong also be the endtime Zerubbabel?
Who else could be?

No-one else started the end time spiritual Temple.
So how could anyone else but HWA be Zerubbabel who also finishes it?

It will be finished by God's Spirit, not by human power.
It will take a miracle for The Two Witnesses to rise (be resurrected: Rev 11:1))
and measure the spiritual Temple.

The plain truth is Herbert W Armstrong is The Endtime Elijah. Every indication is that he is also the endtime Zerubbabel. We know he delivered the message of Ezekiel to endtime Israel. He was also like a latter-day Moses who gave spiritual Israel the Law. As his ambassador to the church congregations Gerald D. Waterhouse has said, there are many types in the Bible which Mr Armstrong fulfilled in the end time. The chief ones are mentioned here.

This material may be better understood by also reading the article "Can Elijah be one of the Two Witnesses?"--at the end of the section "7 Proofs HWA is Elijah" --and/or other articles on the author's website, which is dedicated to Herbert W Armstrong's ministry as Elijah.

http://www.freewebs.com/usa-in-prophecy/

Geoffrey R. Neilson
GeoffNeilson@gmail.com

Box 22256
Fish Hoek
Cape Town 7974
South Africa