Herbert W. Armstrong

The Mystery of MELCHIZEDEK Solved!
"And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High. And he [Melchizedek] blessed him [Abraham] and said, 'Blessed be Abram by God Most High, maker of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!' And Abram gave him [Melchizedek] a tenth of everything" that is, a tithe of all, for a tithe means a tenth (Genesis 14:18-20, RSV).

THE SIN OF INTERRACIAL MARRIAGE
This world says the cause of racial problems is segregation, when in fact the opposite is the case.

Just What Do You Mean...Kingdom of God?
Is it the CHURCH? Is it something "setup in the hearts of men"? Is it the British Empire? Is it "the good within you"? Is it "the Millennium"? Each of these is widely taught - yet none is right!

Herbert W. Armstrong Was Ahead of His Time!
Mr. Armstrong was ahead of his time. The principles of prophecy he spoke of remain absolutely true: a final revival of the unholy Roman Empire is prophesied and the EU is forging ahead with that Frankenstein Monster now.

The Plain Truth About Herbert W. Armstrong and the Worldwide Church of God
Herbert W. Armstrong was courageously teaching the plain truth around the world, announcing the good news of the Wonderful World Tomorrow, the Kingdom of God that will soon be established with the return and reign of Christ.

Was Herbert W. Armstrong Elijah?
Was Herbert W. Armstrong the prophesied individual to come in the power and spirit of Elijah, as taught by the former Worldwide Church of God and still believed by many of the branches of the Sabbath-keeping Church of God?

Herbert W. Armstrong and the Worldwide Church of God Mentioned in Israeli Newspaper
One of the Worldwide Church of God beliefs is that there will be a politico-military mess that will take place by next year. In their opinion, Germany, and maybe even Italy, will attempt to conquer the world. That attempt will ignite a world war that will take two thirds of the world's population, but that afterwards there will begin a true peace for planet Earth. The members of the Worldwide Church of God will be among those that survive and they believe that eventually their beliefs will be accepted by all the Earth.

Is All Animal Flesh Good Food?
Were all animals made clean? What about the unclean animals shown to Peter in a vision? Here is a straightforward Bible answer, giving the New Testament teaching. This subject is important to your health and well-being!

Accusations Against Herbert W. Armstrong
Those who truly are Christians understand that the Christian thing to do, especially in light of the fact that the worst accusations against Herbert W. Armstrong would be thrown out of court, dismissed for lack of evidence, is to give Herbert W. Armstrong the benefit of the doubt, as we would want, knowing we're to love our neighbor as ourselves...

A hard-line Armstrongist?

A hard-line Armstrongist?

A Sabbath-keeping Church of God brother in Oregon brought this "Ambassador Watch" post to my attention:

How does he do it?

A few quotes from it in italics and my response:

David Ben-Ariel (original name David Hoover) is a hard-line Armstrongist (a former member of WCG in Toledo)

My name was legally changed from David Hoover to David Ben-Ariel twenty one years ago, for religious reasons, as related within my articles God-given Names and From Toledo to Jerusalem.

Now which is it? Armstrongist or Armstrongite? Those who hate the plain truth of the Bible that Herbert Armstrong faithfully taught are confused as to what they would brand us who agree with the Word of God over the idolatrous traditions of Catholics and Protestants, apostate Christians, Christian reprobates.

A hard-line Armstrongist? I've also been called a hard-core Zionist (since I'm a Christian-Zionist) and racist of the week since I believe racism is not the unpardonable sin! Life goes on.

he has fallen afoul of PCG after a dalliance with that group
Philadelphia Church of God Leads Laodicean Era (Part 1)

Philadelphia Church of God Leads Laodicean Era (Conclusion)

he posts extreme far-right political and pro-Zionist material

Everything I post is biblical. It could appear "extreme far-right" to those out in left field or who have yet to align their ideas with God's Word (Isaiah 55:7-9) . I recognize that everything political has religious ramifications and everything religious has political ramifications. There's no escaping it. Why deny it?

Dangerous Ideas?
Separation of Church and State? Says Who?

God's One Government Has Two Branches!

When Caesar Plays God: When the State Oversteps its Bounds


He made the news in 1996.

 
How well I remember!
 
The Jerusalem Post, Jan. 8, 1996, had a front page story about how the GSS sought my deportation for alleged involvement in a "plot to blow up the Al-Aksa mosque." And now for the rest of the story:
 
Still At Large!
 
But let us not forget a full page article that appeared in the Galilee in 1982:
 
Herbert W. Armstrong and the Worldwide Church of God Mentioned in Israeli Newspaper
(Israel Work History (Worldwide Church of God))

which led to a life-long friendship with Miriam Weiss:
Miriam Weiss: Kibbutz Mother and Holocaust Survivor

The Press published East Toledoan calls his book, Beyond Babylon, God’s final warning in 2005.

Gerald Flurry didn't appreciate my brief appearance on the Fox 25 Special Report on Philadelphia Church of God

Gerald Flurry's Outrageous Attack Against David Ben-Ariel

Hoover's fanaticism
It's rather fanatic to continue to call somebody by their former name rather than by their legal name, isn't it? Hoover is a great name but my surname is Ben-Ariel. It's also evident that my God-given determination and zeal isn't appreciated by those who lack such spiritual qualities. Regardless, my agenda is to serve the Great God of Israel, sharing the plain truth of His Bible and announce His soon coming Kingdom of God-Beings to rule on Earth and save all mankind from extinction. This clarity of mind, vision and purpose also includes serving as an emissary of Joseph (revealing the Israelite origins of the West). This God-given message must reach those high and low, rich and poor, regardless of race or religion.  

Despite being the most prolific COG blogger by a country mile, Hoover's influence appears to be minimal - in fact almost non-existent - within the various factions of COGdom.
 
God knows whatever influence I have now or later, as a little known blogger, as an e-vangelist, is irrelevant to my calling and responsibility to get the Word out (how folks respond is their responsibility, not mine), but what I do know is this:
 
‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts (Zechariah 4:6).
 
Armstrong's shattered empire  

Today, as prophesied, the brethren are scattered in different groups and organizations. Even as the early Church of God headquarters in Jerusalem was history just before their Great Tribulation, the destruction of the Temple and dispersion of the Jews, the Judean Church of God members fleeing to Pella (while the Church of God congregations continued to function in Asia Minor as the apostles carried on their God-given missions to the scattered tribes of Israel), the organized Work of God under Herbert W. Armstrong (that was centered in Pasadena, California) is history.- Gerald Flurry is an egomaniac and false prophet!

We await the appearance of the Two Witnesses who will restore, by their presence, the Church of God headquarters to Jerusalem.


For Zion's sake,
David Ben-Ariel

Any church you can "join" is NOT God's Church

Any church you can "join" is NOT God's Church
The Plain Truth
April, 1968

THE BIBLE ANSWERS Short Questions FROM OUR READERS
There are so many denominations, how does one recognize the
Church Jesus founded?
B. E., Canada

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    The Greek word "ecclesia" translated "Church" in English means "the called-out ones"! 

     On the other hand, in the WORLD the very first great event Jesus foretold would be a deceptive COUNTERFEIT Christianity.

     "Take heed," said Jesus, "that no man deceive you. For many shall come IN MY NAME, SAYING I AM CHRIST; and shall deceive many!" (Mat. 24:4-5.)

     Notice carefully! These deceivers would come in Christ's name, saying Jesus IS the Christ. They would be calling themselves "Christian," but would in fact be the devil's representatives. It was NOT THE FEW who were to be deceived by them -- but THE MANY! It was the FEW who were to become TRUE Christians! (Mat. 7:13-14.)

     That isn't what the world believes, is it? Probably that isn't what you have always heard, and come to assume.

     But it is WHAT JESUS CHRIST SAID! How deceived this world has become!

     Yes, MANY would come in Jesus' name, proclaiming that Jesus IS the Christ -- preaching about Christ to the world -- yet, actually DECEIVING THE WORLD! (Mat. 24:5.)

     Simply by preaching ABOUT the PERSON of Christ -- extolling is virtues, worshipping Him, yet DENYING HIS MESSAGE -- the GOSPEL OF HIS KINGDOM!

     What a CLEVER counterfeit! And most of those preaching in Christ's name are SINCERE -- sincerely WRONG, themselves DECEIVED!

     It is SATAN who has deceived them! Satan has deceived the WHOLE WORLD!! (Rev. 12:9) He is the author of this confusion (I Cor. 14:33).

     It is SATAN who has made himself the god of this world (II Cor. 4:4) -- and is thus worshipped as though he were God! This world DOESN'T KNOW THE TRUE GOD, strange as that may seem. This world believes that if one just "accepts Christ" -- just "makes a decision for Christ" -- just "worships Christ" -- that is all that is necessary for salvation!

     That's what MANY preach today! But what did JESUS CHRIST teach? Did He say it was possible to WORSHIP Him, and STILL BE UNSAVED? 

     Listen to His words: "In VAIN do they WORSHIP ME," said Christ, "teaching for doctrines the commandments of men ... making the word of God of none effect through your tradition" (Mark 7:7, 13).

     Hard to believe, isn't it? You've probably been so drugged, so poisoned, so deceived, by this world's deceptions -- SATAN'S COUNTERFEITS -- that even the words of Christ are difficult to believe! Well, GOD HELP YOU TO BELIEVE CHRIST! It is one thing to believe ON Christ -- that is, on His person. It is something altogether different to BELIEVE CHRIST -- to BELIEVE WHAT HE SAYS!

     Very few really understand what the true Church is. 

     Jesus purchased THE TRUE CHURCH by shedding His blood for it (Acts 20:28). The TRUE Church is not some politically organized denomination which one JOINS or becomes a member, of in order to be "saved." Jesus did not die for some one religious denomination or another -- called a church. 

     Joining a local church congregation does not put you into God's true Church! Any church you can "join" is NOT God's Church!

     You CAN'T JOIN the true Church; only God can PUT YOU INTO IT BY HIS SPIRIT (I Cor. 12:13). God alone can make you a member of His Church -- if you surrender your life to Him.

     God will give that Spirit only to those who are willing to "OBEY HIM"! (Acts 5:32.)

     When YOU receive God's Spirit -- which is the spirit of a sound, sane mind (II Tim. 1:6-7), you become at that moment a newly begotten member of the body of Christ -- which is the true Church of God!

     The receiving of God's Spirit and the MIND OF CHRIST (Phil. 2:5) upon REPENTANCE and BAPTISM PUTS YOU INTO, baptizes you into God's TRUE Church!

     "For by ONE SPIRIT are we all baptized into ONE BODY to (I Cor. 12:13).

     YOU can be part of God's true Church by earnestly repenting of your sins -- disobedience to GOD'S LAWS -- by asking God to cover your sins through the blood of Jesus Christ, by calling on God's true servants to baptize you, and by claiming God's promise of the gift of His Holy Spirit. In that way, and that way ONLY, does anyone enter into the true Church.

     Church attendance is not the most important thing! Church attendance does not, by itself, mean CHURCH MEMBERSHIP in God's sight! Some people view "church going" as an end in itself. But it most definitely IS NOT.

     God expressly forbids His people ever to join in with the worship of counterfeit church bodies -- no matter how "close" to the truth they might seem! Only the genuine worship of God with His TRUE Church is acceptable to Him!

     You need to thoroughly EXAMINE YOURSELF. You NEED TO BE SURE!

(Archived as Any church you can "join" is NOT God's Church at COG Booklets and Articles

Gerald Flurry is an egomaniac and false prophet!

Re: Was Peter the Chief Apostle?
Who was the human leader of the early New Testament Church? Was it one man, or a committee? Does the Bible tell us? By Fred Dattolo

************

Yes, Peter was the most outspoken, dominant and chief apostle under the Apostle Christ to Jews (Galatians 2:7-8). However, it's clear God worked through all the apostles doing miracles (not just Peter), and brethren supported the apostles (not just Peter), and it was the apostles' doctrine (not Peter's). Regardless, that was then, this is now.

There is no line of succession from Peter to Gerald. Peter also wasn't an egomaniac and false prophet like Gerald Flurry has revealed himself to be (who basically proclaims himself God in the Temple). Don't be so blind and gullible! We're to take all the scriptures on any given subject and see the Big Picture.

Ideally, the Church of God groups would work together and respect each others' ministry, as Paul and Peter did (and in that holy spirit I've shared articles from the PCG, the LCG and UCG all over the Internet even though shamefully none of them has even so much as given an honorable mention to Beyond Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall), and I'm on record for initially supporting Gerald Flurry as the leader in these last days of civilization as we know it:

Whether we like it or not, God, in His infinite wisdom, chose Gerald Flurry to reveal to God's Church what was going on -- and thereby allow us to show our true colors by how we responded to Malachi's Message. (That doesn't mean Mr. Flurry is infallible or that he doesn't need to continually apply the principles of Malachi's Message to himself and organization, as we all do as explained in my article Worldwide All Over Again?). - Philadelphia Church of God Leads the Laodicean Era (Part 1)

I no longer support Gerald Flurry because he has clearly become worse than Diotrephes!

I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say. For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, he himself does not receive the brethren, either, and he forbids those who desire to do so and puts them out of the church. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God. (3 John 1:9-11)

It appears Satan was feeding Diotrephes' ego (Diotrephes means "fed by Jupiter"). Diotrephes demanded brethren follow him and him alone. John wrote of Diotrephes' rejection of "we" and "us" - he didn't write about his rejection of Peter. John didn't agree that they should just blindly follow "God's man" or whatever Diotrephes had set himself up as, but to imitate what is good. Diotrephes was clearly evil. Gerald Flurry is evil for magnifying himself (2 Corinthians 4:5).

Today, as prophesied, the brethren are scattered in different groups and organizations. Even as the early Church of God headquarters in Jerusalem was history just before their Great Tribulation, the destruction of the Temple and dispersion of the Jews, the Judean Church of God members fleeing to Pella (while the Church of God congregations continued to function in Asia Minor as the apostles carried on their God-given missions to the scattered tribes of Israel), the organized Work of God under Herbert W. Armstrong (that was centered in Pasadena, California) is history.

Gerald Flurry had a God-given opportunity to serve the brethren and has failed, even though God has given him some victories like he did for Ahab for His Overall Purpose and can work though anybody or anything (Philippians 1:15) - including a pagan Gentile sorcerer and a High Priest and can even raise up rocks to do His Work if He chooses to.

Remember salvation is not a group affair, contrary to those who brainwash some to believe such a doctrine of demons. We're to maintain a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ: work out your own salvation with fearfulness and trembling. We're to obey God rather than men who often set themselves up as God! Yet too many are still looking to men or organizations to save them:

1 Corinthians 1:12-14
12 Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

Even as the apostles informed the Gentiles if they followed certain basic requirements, they did well, so too today, regardless of which group or organization (if any) they're associated with, the brethren do well to remember the Sabbath and holy days, dietary laws, and basic doctrines.

We await the appearance of the Two Witnesses who will restore, by their presence, the Church of God headquarters to Jerusalem.


PCG: Carrying on "Business as Usual"
Philadelphia Church of God Leads Laodicean Era (Conclusion)

God is reproducing Himself!

Re: Hebrew midwives

#13. To: BobCeleste (#6)

Or perhaps a follower of Armstrong. But whatever, as one who denies the diety of Christ, you are damned.

Neither Herbert W. Armstrong or the Worldwide Church of God denied the deity of the Preexistent Word or the resurrected Christ. As Bible believers, we not only acknowledge Yahshua's divinity, but gladly share the glorious good news that he was the FIRSTBORN of many brethren: God is reproducing Himself!

Born Again and Heaven and Hell
Born Again: The Kingdom of God!
Kingdom of God-Beings to Rule Earth from Jerusalem!

In the beginning was the Word...

Here is one of many examples of how Herbert W. Armstrong clearly taught that Yeshua was the Word with God in Heaven before he was divested of divine glory to become human so we could become divine:

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men (John 1:1-4)..."

"So here we find revealed originally two Personages. One is God. And with God in that prehistoric time was another Personage who also was God; one who later was begotten and born as Jesus Christ. But these two Personages were spirit, which is invisible to human eyes unless supernaturally manifested. Yet at the time described in verse one Jesus was not the Son of God and God was not his Father. "

Who and What Is God?

White Israelite by race and Christian-Zionist by grace

Re: Hebrew midwives

#1.  David, I have noticed that instead of writing God, you instead use G-d. Do you consider yourself to be a Jew or a Christian?

Yitzchak Reuven is the author of the article and utilized that traditional Jewish practice. On occasion, if I'm writing specifically to a Jewish audience, I've become "all things to all men" (as the New Testament teaches) and done the same.

I am a white Israelite by race and a Christian-Zionist by God's grace.

German-American Israelites?
The English-Speaking Nations of White Israelites

It's terrible that traditional Christianity, apostate Christians, pimp their baptized paganism, their replacement theology of Sunday for Sabbath and whitewashed pagan holidays for the biblical festivals, and shamefully misrepresent God, Yahshua and Christianity to Jews, Israelites and Gentiles. Thankfully, that will soon be history when all learn about the God of Jacob.

Israel and Judah Must Get House in Order Before King Messiah Arrives