18 Truths Restored by Herbert W. Armstrong Armstrongs "18 Truths" 1 The go!ernment of "od.

When #hrist $omes% He &ill restore "ods go!ernment to the &hole earth. 'o you $an be sure the one to $ome in the s(irit and (o&er of )li*ah &ould restore "ods go!ernment in his $hur$h. When Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong $ame among the +regon #onferen$e era of the #hur$h of "od ,'e!enth -ay % the $hur$h had the right name% the la&% the 'abbath and the tithing system. .ut they also had a go!ernment of men% &ith a biannual $onferen$e% !oting *ust like they do in the &orld. 4 The "os(el of the kingdom of "od has been restored after 1%566 years. The #hur$h of "od ,'e!enth -ay did not ha!e a $lear understanding of the gos(el 7 they em(hasi8ed &hat they $alled a "third angels message." 9 The (ur(ose of "od% that &e are to be born of "od and be$ome "od. "od is re(rodu$ing himself% and no other $hur$h on earth kno&s that or (rea$hes it. As a $ounterfeit% they talk about being already born again. 1 Who and &hat is "od: "od is neither one (erson or the Trinity. "od is a family into &hi$h &e may be born and also be$ome "od. Kernel of Truth Where!er #hrist is% the kingdom is (resent. Armstrongs Mistake /esus taught that /ohn the .a(tist fulfilled Mala$his (ro(he$y ,Matthe& 110112 13014 . Herbert Armstrong identified himself as the fulfillment of Mala$his (ro(he$y. #ongregationalism is a legitimate form of $hur$h go!ernment.

The $hur$h should (rea$h the gos(el of the kingdom of "od.

Herbert Armstrong belie!ed the kingdom of "od to be only in the future. He belie!ed the message of the life% death and resurre$tion of /esus to be a substitute% or false gos(el. There is only one "od. Humans are not be$oming "od. ".orn again" is a .ible tea$hing.

"od $alls (eo(le to be his $hildren.

"od is $reating a s(iritual family.

Testimony of '$ri(ture is that "od is one and re!eals himself in three distin$t (ersonalities. As Matthe& 48015 tea$hes% &e are ba(ti8ed into the name of the ;ather% the 'on and the Holy '(irit. +ur heritage is not to be$ome "od% but rather% glorified $hildren of "od. Whether de$eased humans are un$ons$ious or not until #hrist returns is not of (rimary do$trinal im(ortan$e. =t is a mistake to allo& a se$ondary issue to $ause di!ision.

< What is man: -o &e ha!e an immortal soul: +r are &e *ust an animal: What ha((ens at death: The dead are un$ons$ious and they dont kno& anything. The #hur$h of "od ,'e!enth -ay (eo(le understood some of &hat ha((ens at death% but not fully. > The human s(irit in man. What makes the differen$e bet&een a human mind and an animal brain is that there is a human s(irit &ith a human brain. That s(irit is not the $ons$ious (art of the man. Arid it needs to be united &ith the '(irit of "od.

Man is not *ust an animal.

"od $reated humans su(erior to animals and sal!ation e?tends only to humanity.

'$ri(ture s(eaks of the soul and the body ,Matthe& 16048 % as &ell as the s(irit in man.

3 The $hur$h is only the firstfruits% and not the end of "ods (lan of sal!ation. "od isnt trying to sa!e the &hole &orld yet. =t starts &ith us% and &ere being taught and trained so that &e% under #hrist% &ill be tea$hers and rulers &hen #hrist $omes to rule in the Millennium% &hen he starts to sa!e the rest of the &orld. 8 The $hur$h is not yet the kingdom of "od% but &e are the embryo that &ill be$ome the kingdom of "od. The W#" is the one and only true $hur$h@ 5 +nly those &hom "od the ;ather $alls and dra&s to him $an be $on!erted no&. Ao other $hur$h kno&s that or belie!es it. +nly those "od $hooses and $alls no& $an $ome in and be$ome (art of the firstfruits. 'atan has de$ei!ed the &hole &orld% and the $hur$h is $alled out of that &orld. 16 The resurre$tion to *udgment% the "reat White Throne /udgment. "od has a (lan to sa!e those &ho ha!e not had an o((ortunity for sal!ation and &ho are no& dead in their gra!es. They ha!e not had the Holy '(irit. Their time is $oming. .ut our time $omes first% and &e ha!e to fight the de!il% and they &ont. =n the *udgment% theyll be found guilty and $ondemned to death. Theyll ha!e their first $han$e to kno& that #hrist $ame and (aid the death (enalty for them. Theyll be allo&ed to a$$e(t that (ayment% and theyll ha!e 166 years to (ro!e they &ant to li!e differently than they did in their first life. 11 The Millennium. The kingdom of "od &ill rule nations on earth% and #hrist and the saints &ill rule and bring (ros(erity to the entire earth. The #hur$h of "od ,'e!enth -ay understood the time duration% but% be$ause they did not adeDuately gras( the full meaning of the gos(el of the kingdom of "od% they kne& little in the 1596s of &hat the Millennium &ould be like. 14 The Holy '(irit $oming into us only begets us. =t o(ens our minds so &e $an understand the $oded book% the .ible. )ye has not seen nor ear heard the things "od has in store for us%

The $hur$h is $om(osed of a har!est of the (eo(le of "od.

Raising (remillennial dis(ensationalism to the le!el of (rimary do$trine $auses di!ision in the body of #hrist.

The $hur$h is not yet all that it &ill be.

The .ible does not $all the $hur$h an embryo. The saints are already in the kingdom ,#olossians 1019 . There is no one $or(orate organi8ation on earth that is "the one and only true $hur$h." All #hristian $hur$hes tea$h /ohn >011. =t &as an error to tea$h that the W#" &as the "one and only true $hur$h of "od" and anyone outside the W#" &as (art of the "&orld" and therefore de$ei!ed.

/ohn >0110 "Ao one $an $ome to me unless the ;ather &ho sent me dra&s him."

)!eryone &ill stand before the *udgment seat of "od.

'e!eral e!angeli$als belie!e that those &ho did not hear the gos(el in this life &ill be $onfronted &ith it at the final *udgment% and those a((ointed for sal!ation &ill belie!e and a$$e(t /esus as 'a!ior and Bord. Herbert Armstrong assumed su$h (eo(le &ould need another lifetime to "(ro!e" faith by obedien$e. The mention of "166 years" $omes from =saiah ><046% &hi$h Mr. Armstrong $onne$ted &ith Re!elation 460<% 11C14 as des$ri(ti!e of a se$ond (hysi$al life for humans &ho ne!er heard the gos(el in their first life. There is no (roof that these !erses should be $onne$ted. .y eDuating the millennial reign of the saints &ith the kingdom of "od% Herbert Armstrongs gos(el be$ame a message fo$using only on the future. Aeither /esus nor the a(ostles (rea$hed a "millennial gos(el."

Re!elation 46 s(eaks of a 1%666Cyear reign of the saints &ith /esus.

The Holy '(irit o(ens our minds so &e $an understand the truth of "od in the .ible.

This truth has been (art of #hristianity for $enturies. =t did not need to be "restored" by the "endCtime )li*ah."

des$ribed briefly in the .ible. "od does re!eal them to his $hur$h by his '(irit that resides in us. Without that '(irit% &e $annot understand the .ible. 19 We are only begotten no&% not born again. We are heirs% not yet inheritors. The Holy '(irit begets us as $hildren of "od% but &e are not yet born. 11 The identity of modern =srael. What are Ameri$as roots% our national identity: We are Manasseh% one of the lost 16 tribes of =srael. Aumerous other grou(s ha!e some kno&ledge of this truth% but no ma*or denomination does. The #hur$h of "od ,'e!enth -ay offi$ially re*e$ted this truth. 1< Ero(he$y $an be understood only if you kno& that &e are =sraelites% and &hat (ro(he$ies a((ly to us and &hi$h do not. 1> The annual festi!als% the feast days. What other $hur$h kno&s about them or kee(s them: Where did you hear it from: "od re!ealed it to Mr. Armstrong. 13 The authority of the sa$red $alendar% (reser!ed by the /e&s. .efore Mr. Armstrong re!ealed this to the #hur$h of "od ,'e!enth -ay % they &ere $onfused as to &hen the year should begin. 18 'e$ond and third tithe. What other $hur$h kno&s these (oints: The se$ond tithe is for "ods feast days. +ther $hur$hes do not kee( these feasts% so they ha!e no reason to ha!e se$ond tithe. Third tithe is for the needy% (rimarily &ithin "ods $hur$h. $o(yright 1553 The Holy '(irit begets us as $hildren of "od and #hristians are to gro&. #hristians &ill be glorified and made immortal at the resurre$tion ,1 #orinthians 1<0<4C<12 1 /ohn 904 . Ameri$a o&es its blessings to "od. Herbert Armstrong misunderstood the )nglish translation as &ell as the "reek original. The .ible des$ribes #hristians as $hildren of "od% already born again ,1 Eeter 109% 492 /ames 1018 . There is no (roof in either the .ible or history that Ameri$ans are des$endants of the northern 16 tribes of =srael. The Ae& Testament &itness is that all 14 tribes of =srael &ere re(resented in /udea and usually referred to $olle$ti!ely as "/e&s" ,Matthe& 160>2 A$ts 10162 <0412 190412 4>03 . AngloC=sraelism leads to misunderstanding the .ible.

Many (ro(he$ies a((lied to the (eo(le of =srael.

The old $o!enant festi!als ser!ed as shado&s of /esus #hrist ,#olossians 401>C13 .

The annual festi!als &ere $ommanded for an$ient =srael. "od did not $ommand anyone else to kee( them% either before or after the $ru$ifi?ion of /esus #hrist ,Hebre&s 8019 . The /e&ish $alendar has no authority o!er #hristians be$ause the old $o!enant is obsolete ,Hebre&s 8019 .

The /e&s $al$ulate the /e&ish $alendar and the dates of the annual /e&ish festi!als.

The Ae& Testament tea$hes sa$rifi$ial generosity ,Buke 14099C912 4 #orinthians 801C5% 142 1 #orinthians 509C1< . Tithing is an a((ro(riate form of &orshi(% de!otion and ste&ardshi(.

#ommands for the se$ond and third tithe are found only in -euteronomy. They &ere (art of a $o!enant no& de$lared obsolete ,Hebre&s 8019 .