(HWA)What Mr. Armstrong Taught

Mr. Armstrong came to understand hundreds of truths (which had been lost over the centuries) over a period spanning his entire 52-year ministry. Late in his life, he often said that he was learning more than at any previous time. Therefore, it is natural that Mr. Armstrong would not have seen himself as the one prophesied to restore all things until later in his ministry—when he had largely finished the process.

Mr. Armstrong had much to say about the Elijah prophecy and how it was being fulfilled in his lifetime. The following extensive series of statements reveal his thinking and how he came to his conclusions. The serious reader will wish to very carefully examine:

“I did not know it as a young man, late teens, 20s and into my 30s, but God was guiding my life from birth...Jesus Christ, through His written Word, opened my mind to the prime basic truths He wanted me to have in starting me out as His servant...God’s time had come! His time for one, of whom John the Baptist was type and forerunner, to prepare for Christ’s second coming...I did not seek these basic foundations of truth of my own volition! Jesus Christ revealed them...He was preparing one called and chosen by God, even against that one’s will, for an important service in restoring the law and government of God to earth—even in the comparatively small Worldwide Church of God. He was preparing one whom He conquered and brought to repentance and faith, for this great end-time commission!”
Good News, Apr. 1980, pp. 25-26

“Nineteen-and-a-half centuries ago A VOICE CRIED OUT in the material wilderness of the Jordan River, announcing the imminent coming of the human Jesus to His material Temple and His physical people Judah, who Himself was to announce the far-future KINGDOM OF GOD to take over the GOVERNMENT over all the earth!

“Today God has raised up A VOICE CRYING OUT in the spiritual wilderness of religious and political CONFUSION, announcing the imminent SECOND COMING of the GLORIFIED Jesus in Supreme Almighty POWER to His SPIRITUAL Temple (His Church then translated into Spirit immortality)—to His SPIRITUAL people the Church—this time ESTABLISHING the KINGDOM OF GOD that shall take over the RULE of ALL NATIONS with the GOVERNMENT OF GOD. No longer the government of MAN deceived, swayed and manipulated by SATAN THE DEVIL!

“YOU are one who has been behind that VOICE CRYING OUT THE WORLD’S ONLY GOOD NEWS!”

Co-worker letter, Aug. 27, 1980

“But John the Baptist was a man in the power and spirit of Elijah. John the Baptist came to prepare the way before the First Coming of Christ. He was a type of someone to prepare the way for the Second Coming of Christ.

“I’m going to say something to you now, that I would not have said five or six years ago under any circumstances. I don’t go out trying to fulfill prophecy. BUT Jesus said, by their fruits you know. And sometimes you look back on fruits and you can tell some things you couldn’t tell in advance before the fruits had been performed.

“So now prior to the Second Coming of Christ, there is someone... with a voice in the spiritual wilderness...crying out amid religious confusion...and preparing the way not for a physical Jesus, but a glorified Christ...

“God was going to raise up someone who is going to prepare the way for the Second Coming and calling people, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. That’s exactly what Elijah did physically. He reminded them that they had gotten away from the Kingdom and the Government of God, and needed the restoring of the Government of God.
“And now before the Second Coming, as John the Baptist fulfilled that before the first coming, someone...had to build the spiritual temple. Of course, God is doing it all. Christ is the One who is doing it.

“God has built it, but He has used me.

“Do you think that has happened? Do you think we’re near the time of the coming of Christ? Has anyone proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom of God? Has anyone proclaimed the law of God? Has anyone been calling on them to repent?

“The job God has called me to do is a prophesied job. It has been being done.”

Worldwide News, Mar. 6, 1981, pp. 10-12

“As John the Baptist prepared the way, in the PHYSICAL wilderness of the Jordan River for the first coming of the HUMAN Jesus (both man and God), then coming to His MATERIAL temple, and to His PHYSICAL people Judah, ANNOUNCING the Kingdom of God to be set up more than 1,900 years later, SO God would use a human messenger in the SPIRITUAL wilderness of 20th-century religious confusion, to be a voice CRYING OUT the Gospel of the KINGDOM OF GOD, about the SPIRITUAL CHRIST, coming in SUPREME POWER AND GLORY to His SPIRITUAL TEMPLE, to actually ESTABLISH that spiritual KINGDOM OF GOD.

“Brethren, HAS THAT BEEN DONE BY THIS CHURCH?

“Did God raise up a one-man LEADERSHIP [a ‘voice of one’] to be used by Him...in proclaiming after 1,900 years the true GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD in ALL THE WORLD—to even go to kings and heads of nations (Rev. 10:11)—in bringing the Church back to the FAITH ONCE DELIVERED (Jude 3)?

“HAS THIS HAPPENED, IN YOUR DAYS, AND HAS GOD BROUGHT YOU INTO THIS PROPHETIC FULFILLMENT AS A PART OF IT?
“HAS ANYONE ELSE DONE IT?”

Co-worker letter, Mar. 19, 1981

“God inspired a prophecy in Malachi 3:1-5, saying he would send a human messenger to prepare the way before Christ’s coming: Malachi 3:3-5')">Verses 3 to 5 show the prophecy speaks of one preparing the way before his SECOND Coming—our time now—although the four gospel books in the New Testament speak of John the Baptist as being in the power and spirit of Elijah, preparing the way before Jesus’ FIRST coming. But God uses the DUALITY principle throughout the Bible. John the Baptist was the type, or forerunner, of the one preparing the way before Christ’s SECOND coming. As John was a voice crying out in the PHYSICAL wilderness of the Jordan River, preparing the way for the HUMAN Jesus to come to his MATERIAL temple in Jerusalem, to his PHYSICAL human people Judah, with the gospel message about the FUTURE Kingdom of God, SO Malachi 3:1-5 and 4:5-6 foretell one in the power and spirit of Elijah to come in OUR TIME, NOW—a voice crying out in the SPIRITUAL wilderness of modern religious confusion, preparing the way for the DIVINE Christ to come to his SPIRITUAL TEMPLE (his Church Ephesians 2:21) to ESTABLISH the KINGDOM OF GOD as a ONE-WORLD GOVERNMENT ushering in the happy, peaceful WORLD TOMORROW!”

The Plain Truth, Letter from Mr. Armstrong, June 20, 1982

“What about the prophet Elijah? The original Scriptures, prior to Christ’s first coming, close with these words: ‘Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come [second coming] and smite the earth with a curse [total destruction]’ (Mal. 4:5-6).

“Was John the Baptist the Elijah that was to come? When asked that question he said, ‘No.’ Jesus explained that John had come ‘in the power and spirit of Elijah’—a different man, but carrying out the mission preparing for Jesus’ first coming. This is also explained in Malachi 3:1-5, speaking of him as a human messenger preparing the way for Christ’s coming as the ‘messenger of the covenant’—the NEW covenant. But this (Malachi 3:2-5')">verses 2-5) is speaking of preparing the way before Christ’s SECOND coming!

“Now notice what Jesus said: ‘Elias [Elijah] truly shall first come, and restore all things’ (Matt. 17:11). Notice at that time, John the Baptist already had come, completed his mission preparing the way before Jesus’ first appearing—yet Jesus said, ‘Elijah truly SHALL first come.’ Elijah was yet to come, IN THE FAR FUTURE, although John’s mission was already completed and he was in prison. Then Jesus continued: ‘But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not [did not recognize that he was Elijah], but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.’

“John had come in the power and spirit of Elijah, but they did not recognize who he was.

“Now why, then was Elijah YET, in the future, to come—just before the ‘day of the Lord?’ Matthew 17:11, Jesus said to ‘restore all things.’ John the Baptist DID NOT do that! Even Jesus did not come the first time to ‘restore all things.’ He came over 1,900 years ago to announce the KINGDOM OF GOD, which will restore all things. He came to set up his CHURCH—but not then to set up the KINGDOM. The Church was merely the embryo that shall BECOME the Kingdom of God WHEN RESURRECTED—when changed to immortal SPIRIT—at Christ’s second coming.

“Now notice where Jesus is NOW! He (God) ‘shall send Jesus Christ...’ back to earth, ‘whom the heaven must receive UNTIL the times of restitution [restoration] of all things...’ (Acts 3:20-21).

“Jesus shall come, SOON NOW, to RESTORE ALL THINGS! He did NOT restore all things when he first came. John the Baptist did not ‘restore all things.’ But the one who was to ‘restore all things’ just before the ‘day of the Lord’ and preparing the way for Christ’s second coming, was YET to come, in the future, as Jesus said.

“Now what are the ‘all things’ to be RESTORED? ‘Restitution’ means restore to a former state or condition. It DOES NOT and CAN NOT mean restoring things to a condition as they were in the days of Adam and Eve. It was Adam who was given the opportunity to ‘restore all things’ as they were before Lucifer and the angels SINNED—before Lucifer became Satan and his angels became demons. Before that, THE GOVERNMENT OF GOD ruled the earth. Lucifer sat on the throne of the earth, administering the GOVERNMENT OF GOD by the LAW OF GOD! Sin is the transgression of the spiritual Law. It is the GOVERNMENT OF GOD that needs to be restored. Adam failed.

“Jesus QUALIFIED to restore God’s government—to set up the KINGDOM OF GOD, ruling over the earth, administering the GOVERNMENT OF GOD. Jesus’ Gospel Message was the GOOD NEWS that he would (at his second coming) RESTORE the government of God through the KINGDOM OF GOD. That was the true GOSPEL! That Gospel was suppressed within 22 years (Gal. 1:6-7), and was not proclaimed to the world until THIS CHURCH began proclaiming it—within the United States beginning 1934, and going worldwide beginning 1953—precisely a century of time cycles after it had been suppressed!

“Have WE, through this Work, RESTORED anything? Indeed we have! We have RESTORED the TRUE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST—through us JESUS CHRIST has already begun RESTORING the KNOWLEDGE of what had been taken away—the GOVERNMENT OF GOD. Through us the living Christ has been preparing for his SECOND COMING for the PURPOSE of RESTORING ALL THINGS!
“NONE OTHER has RESTORED the knowledge of the fact GOD’S GOVERNMENT was established on earth, and then DESTROYED and taken away by the Cherub Lucifer (Satan) and his demons.

“Jesus did NOT restore God’s government at his first coming. Instead, he proclaimed the GOOD NEWS (Gospel) of it. He was crucified for the SINS of the world, he overcame Satan, he qualified to establish and rule God’s Kingdom, THEN HE ASCENDED TO HEAVEN.”

Co-worker letter, Aug. 24, 1982

“Jesus said the Elijah shall yet come and restore all things. [The original] Elijah did not restore what was taken away...The government of God was taken away. It was to be restored...God raised me up to restore it. God raised me up to restore the government of God. But it is only restored so far in the Church. I have no authority from God, no ability, to restore the government of God any further than just over you brethren in the Church. But that has been done. That has been done, brethren. You go back and read Malachi 3:1-5 and Malachi 4 ALL. [And] where Jesus said, ‘Elijah truly shall come’—even after John the Baptist was put in prison, he was yet to come. He [the Elijah] was to restore. John the Baptist didn’t restore. You’d better realize what this Church is and what you are behind when you say you are behind me 100 percent.”

Sermon, Oct. 2, 1982

“In the Bible God says NUCLEAR WAR IS COMING—on our present generation. He sends me to proclaim to the world Christ’s true Gospel of the Kingdom—a VOICE CRYING OUT IN THE SPIRITUAL WILDERNESS OF RELIGIOUS CONFUSION! The GREAT TRIBULATION—nuclear war—will come! But for the elect’s sake (GOD’S CHURCH), God will cut the nuclear war short BEFORE all mankind is blotted out of existence! Millions and billions will be destroyed—AND SOON! But God will protect us in his Church!”
Co-worker letter, Dec. 18, 1983

“... Matt. 17 ALL...The disciples asked Jesus, Well how did they [the scribes] say then that Elijah is going to come? Now John the Baptist had already come. And Jesus said, Elijah truly shall come and restore all things. But, he said, I say unto you Elijah is come already, and they did with him what they pleased, and they beheaded him and killed him. And John the Baptist was already killed when he said that, but he said Elijah shall come. What has been restored? The gospel of the kingdom of God has been restored. The government of God has been restored in this Church! And something has been restored brethren! And Christ is coming to restore everything and world government, not just the Church, but the whole world! And we are to reign and rule with him.”

Sermon, Feast of Tabernacles, Sep. 21, 1983

“People are being deceived. People are being misled, and it’s time for a voice to cry out. It’s time for a voice to awaken the people to this deception, and to come out of this religious Babylon, just as John the Baptist prepared the way for the first coming of Christ. A voice crying in the wilderness, the physical wilderness of the Jordan River proclaiming the way for a physical Jesus to be born, placed in a manger and coming to his physical people, Judah, his own who received him not. So a voice is to cry out today preparing a way in the wilderness of modern, spiritual, and religious Babylon to come out of this Babylon and preparing the way for the second coming of Christ when He’s coming in power and glory as the Lord of lords and the King of kings to rule and to sit on that throne that Satan’s been sitting on for six thousand years...And I tell you the Day of the Lord is coming!

“...Malachi 4 ALL and beginning with Malachi 4:5, ‘Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and the dreadful Day of the Lord.’ It’s talking about the Day of the Lord and before that time someone will come. Elijah the prophet lived a long time ago. He is gone and dead. But someone will come in the power and the spirit of Elijah. John the Baptist came in the power and spirit of Elijah but he was not Elijah, preparing the way for Jesus Christ at His first coming. He was a voice crying out in the physical wilderness of the Jordan River, and preparing the way for the physical Jesus born of the human virgin, Mary...coming to His physical people, Judah, and the physical temple at Jerusalem at that time built of stone and wood and precious stones. Now a voice is to cry out before the second coming of Christ coming in power and glory, as the King of kings and the Lord of lords to rule the Earth and to replace Satan...!

“...And some voice has got to come in the spiritual wilderness of Modern Babylon or confusion and call the people out of this Babylon as you read in the eighteenth chapter of the Book of Revelation, ‘come out of her My people,’ and prepare the way for the spiritual Christ to come in power and glory as the King of kings and the Lord of lords and to come to His spiritual Temple, the Church that will rise and meet Him in the air, changed from mortal to immortal...

“I tell you my people we are coming to that time. And it...is time for a voice to cry out and to tell the people that we are coming to that time, and as they come out of this Babylon of religious confusion of our day and believe the Word of God. Because there are many that are preaching something altogether different today. It’s time to believe the Word of God and exactly what it says.

“Now it continues here in the fourth chapter of Malachi, ‘And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their fathers lest I come and smite the earth...’ it says ‘with a curse’ here but the original Hebrew word there was a word that means ‘utter destruction.’ In other words the time when no flesh would be saved alive unless God comes to intervene and cut those days short. We’re coming to that time now. We are very close to that time. [Author’s note: When God would have had to destroy the earth.] Now you need to understand these things...”
The World Tomorrow broadcast, Aug. 4, 1984

In his final sermon, Mr. Armstrong said, “There was an Elijah to come and to restore things in the Church. THAT HAS HAPPENED and what has been restored is the government of God—and many of the truths, at least 17 or 18 principal, vital doctrines of truth, have been added to about the three that had survived in the Sardis era of the Church.”
Feast of Trumpets, Sep. 16, 1985

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