Herbert W. Armstrong - Theology and Teachings

Theology and Teachings

• Worldwide Church of God (WCG) members believed that Herbert W. Armstrong was Christ's first apostle since the first century. Armstrong taught that God only works through "one man at a time" and that he was God's selected representative on earth for his time.
• Armstrong taught a form of Sabbatarianism, explaining that; by creating Sabbath (on the seventh day of creation, through resting - not work) God "HALLOWED the seventh-day of every week (Ex. 20:11)" and therefore made "future TIME holy!" Rest Sabbath is thus commanded for all mankind and should be kept holy from Friday sunset to sunset on Saturday The Worldwide Church of God conducted its worship Services during that period, accordingly, on Saturdays. Armstrong further explained that Christ is "Lord of the Sabbath" (Mt. 12:8) for it is He who 'made' it for mankind, thus it is a "blessing.. to be ENJOYED, to spiritually REFRESH, in blessed fellowship and communion with CHRIST!" - He believed that the observance of Sunday as the "Lord's Day" was a papal and/or satanic corruption introduced without authority from God or the Bible.
• Armstrong adhered to a form of British Israelism which stated that the British, American and many European peoples were descended from the so-called Ten Lost Tribes of Israel, using this belief to state that biblical references to Israel, Jacob, etc., were in fact prophecies relating to the modern day, with literal application to the USA, Britain, and the British Commonwealth. In the course of this teaching, he also accepted the concept of an Assyrian-German connection and often made identifications of other nations in "Bible prophecy", such as Russia and China.
• As a result of this, Armstrong believed that a unified Europe (identified by him as a "revived Roman Empire" and as the "beast" of Revelation 13) would oppose Jesus at his second coming in the battle of Armageddon. Furthermore, he stated repeatedly that this unified Europe would have previously defeated and enslaved the American and British peoples. He often pointed to the European "Common Market" or European Community as its precursor, but tended to refer to it as "a kind of United States of Europe." Splinter groups (previously members of the Worldwide Church of God) today usually identify the current European Union as the unified Europe Armstrong devoted much writing to.
• Armstrong taught that God's purpose in creating mankind was to "reproduce Himself", and that the process of being "born again" was not instantaneous—that the believer (as a result of baptism by immersion) was only "begotten" until reborn as a spirit being at the return of Jesus. These "begotten" believers were referred to by him as the "firstfruits" of a divine harvest and were perceived as the "true Christians" of the current age. The (re)birth of the "begotten" was referred to as the "first resurrection." As Christ is "the FIRST born from the dead" (Col. 1:18), Armstrong concluded that many other "sons" (begotten by God's Spirit) would also be brought "to glory" (Heb. 2:10) at that "first resurrection" (Rev. 20:5). Those 'begotten' will then be instantaneously 'born anew' (John 3:3) but not again, "a second time", as "perishable" flesh and blood mortals (1 Cor. 15:53) but as "imperishable", immortal Spirit 'God' beings. He concluded that; "Until the resurrection, therefore, we cannot see, enter into or inherit the Kingdom of God. WE CANNOT BE BORN AGAIN UNTIL THE RESURRECTION!" -
• Armstrong continually preached that Jesus Christ would return to earth to "rescue" humanity from the brink of self-annihilation, resulting in the establishment of "God's government" during a 1,000 year 'Millennium' and utopia under the rulership of Christ and his "first fruits", constituting of Armstrong's believers converted into "spirit beings" at the "first resurrection". During this period of time, those surviving the "great tribulation" would be given the chance to voluntarily accept "God's way of life." Christ is in heaven "until" the "times of restitution" (Acts 3:19-21) when God's government, world peace and utopian conditions shall be restored to this earth.-
• Armstrong did not accept the concept of eternal judgment in this life. He believed that those who had died as unbelievers prior to the return of Christ existed in a state of "unconsciousness" (see Soul sleep) until a second resurrection, during which they would be offered the choice to submit to God's government. As part of this tiered resurrection, the truly "wicked" who would not accept God's government and laws in any form would be judged guilty of rebellion against God and annihilated (cease to exist). This included "first fruits" that had previously rejected their "calling", therefore committing the "unpardonable sin", who would be resurrected in a third resurrection to face their judgment and "eternal death". Armstrong identified this as the "second death" mentioned in the book of Revelation. This was considered the fate of all "first fruits" (baptized members) that "leave the church" - i.e. depart from Armstrong's teachings, causing members some reluctance to question church authority and teachings at risk of being considered rebellious or being excommunicated and effectively condemned to eternal death at the third resurrection.
• In Armstrong's view, the scourging of Jesus prior to crucifixion "paid the penalty" for physical disease and sickness, allowing the option of divine healing. The crucifixion itself was considered to be the act which enabled God to allow humanity into the three-tiered resurrection scheme, as Jesus had paid the initial death penalty for breaking the Law.
• Armstrong did not accept Trinitarianism, believing it to be a doctrine of satanic authorship as part of a "counterfeit Christianity" (which he identified as the Roman Catholic Church). He believed that the Holy Spirit was part of God's essence, a power from him that suffused all creation and through which God was omnipresent and able to act at all places and at all times.
• Because of his teachings identifying both the primacy of Sabbath and the "identity of modern Israel", Armstrong would come to accept that the Mosaic Law had not been "done away." Although he excluded certain segments he regarded as "already fulfilled", "ceremonial" or otherwise unfit, he taught adherence to the Levitical food regulations and the observance of the "Holy Days" of the Mosaic Law. The Worldwide Church of God taught seven 'Festivals of God' (Passover, Days of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles, Last Great Day) and regarded such to be 'worship' days including Sukkot or "Feast of Tabernacles." The latter was practiced by setting up church "conventions" in various cities worldwide to which their various congregations had to attend, leaving homes and booking into hotel-type accommodation. For many, this eight-day festival was a 'highlight' of the year.
• As part of a larger paradigm in which common observances were often discarded, Armstrong rejected traditional holidays such as Christmas, Easter, Halloween and the celebration of birthdays, stating that all of these were of pagan origin. A similar principle extended also to the display of crosses and depictions of Jesus.
• Armstrong placed much emphasis on faith in God for healing and taught against the medical practice, except in the case of "repair" (setting of broken bones, cleansing of wounds, etc.). Medical intervention was consequently frowned-upon, there were consequently numerous controversial incidents involving death of members or member's children due to lack of medical attention. Armstrong spoke highly of principles of good diet (outside of the Levitical food regulations) and proper living, and members of the Worldwide Church of God as a result tended to gravitate towards whole grains, home-grown vegetables etc., although such acts were not an express tenet of faith.
• Armstrong taught against fornication, masturbation, adultery, homosexuality and other practices he viewed as aberrations, authoring the book God Speaks Out On The 'New Morality (later retitled The Missing Dimension in Sex) on the subject. As a result of this fundamentalist view on morality, he also taught against the use of cosmetics, long hair on men, and other matters of personal appearance.
• Armstrong and the Worldwide Church of God viewed Revelation 2, which contains seven messages to seven churches in Asia Minor at the time of its writing, to actually be descriptive of seven "church eras" in chronological order. He stated that the "Sardis" church era ended with his severance from the Church of God (Seventh-Day) and that the "Philadelphia" era officially began in October 1933. "Laodicea" would follow wherein lukewarmness would be the "dominant Church attitude at the end." His great concern was that they, "undoubtedly of the Philadelphia era", were "in serious danger of BECOMING also the Laodicean era." He apparently modified such era teaching from an earlier version preached by a previous Church of God, Seventh Day minister, G. G. Rupert. This concept has assumed greater importance among current WCG splinter groups, as those that practice Armstrong's teachings tend to view the modern Worldwide Church of God (and sometimes other splinter groups) as "Laodicean" or entirely Protestant.
• Armstrong instituted a three-tiered annual tithing process for his followers. The first tithe (10% of member's gross household income) went to the Worldwide Church of God organization, which viewed itself as the "Melchizedek priesthood" with Jesus Christ as the High Priest with the rank of Melchizedek, which priesthood superseded the Levitical priesthood, and thereby entitled to support by tithes. The second tithe (a second 10% of member's gross household income) was saved by members and used as individual support during the "Feast of Tabernacles." The third tithe (a third 10% of members gross household income), which was paid every three years per member, was used to support widows and other members in need. The church did not overtly solicit funds from outside but did accept donations from "co-workers" and commonly sent "co-worker" letters that often called for money to be sent.