The Gospel Goes Around the World

Back to The Bible's Difficult Scriptures Explained!

Before covering one final and most powerful proof of the real authority behind the Bible, one additional proof needs to be examined. It requires a brief, special explanation.

God called Herbert W. Armstrong in the fall of 1926. He was baptized in 1927, and ordained in 1931. By early 1934, he had begun a radio broadcast and had written the first issue of The Plain Truth magazine. That humble beginning, in Eugene, Oregon, was the start of the fulfillment of a stunning Bible prophecy. It foretold the restoring and preaching of the true gospel of the kingdom of God as a witness around the world, just prior to the Return of Jesus Christ.

The world has believed a false gospel about the person of Jesus Christ. Until Herbert W. Armstrong was raised up to powerfully take the true gospel around the world to hundreds of millions of people, the knowledge of Christ’s soon-coming, world-ruling government had been lost for nineteen centuries.

Mr. Armstrong wrote two booklets proving the authority of the Bible. The following quote concludes his later booklet, entitled The Bible Superstition or Authority…And Can You Prove It? It appeared under the subhead “A Present Day Proof” and expanded the above story:

“There is a present day proof of the existence of God and the authenticity of the Bible. It concerns this very booklet before your eyes this minute, and the work that produced it.

“The central prophecy given by Jesus Christ himself is found in Matthew 24:1-51, Mark 13:1-37, and Luke 21:1-38. These are three accounts by three inspired writers writing on the same theme.

“I refer to Matthew 24:14, ‘This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come.’ Jesus was speaking.

“He was replying to a question by the apostles, ‘What shall be the sign of thy coming, and the end of the world?’ (Mt 24:3). This is the only place in the Bible where the words ‘end of the world’ appear.

“Jesus was speaking to his disciples atop the Mount of Olives, facing Jerusalem from the east. The gospel of Christ, the only gospel he proclaimed and taught, was the kingdom of God. In Mt 24:11 of this same speech Jesus warned them that many false prophets would arise. In Mt 24:4 Jesus warned these apostles: ‘Take heed that no man deceive you.’ He was speaking to them. He had preached to and taught them the good news of the kingdom of God. In Mt 24:5, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘For many shall come in my name,’—every place in the Bible when people came in the name of Christ they were appearing as his representatives or ministers, ‘saying I [Jesus] am Christ, and shall deceive many.’

“That happened. Within a very short period after the Church was founded on the day of Pentecost, A.D. 31, a violent controversy arose concerning whether the gospel to be proclaimed was the gospel of Christ—Jesus’ own gospel that he proclaimed and taught, or a gospel about Christ. Jesus had come as a messenger bearing a message from God about the kingdom of God. That message was his gospel. But soon many were ignoring Jesus’ gospel—the kingdom of God—and preaching merely that Jesus was the Christ, preaching about the messenger, ignoring his message or gospel. That is still continuing today. In Galatians 1:5-6 we learn they were, only 20 years after the Church was founded, turning to another gospel than that which Jesus taught.

“For 1,900 years this went on. Then, beginning 1934, the true Church of God started the…World Tomorrow program, for the first time in 1,900 years proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom! Meanwhile, during the years we have been proclaiming this gospel, the weapons of mass destruction have been produced that can erase all humanity. The end of the world—of this age—is near!

“That very fact is another proof of the authority of the Bible!

“Yes, it truly is time you knew the truth!”

The Restored Church of God continues to fulfill this prophecy by carrying on the Work God begun through Mr. Armstrong.