Herbert W. Armstrong was ahead of his time!

I'm often accosted by some who mindlessly cut and paste a list of Herbert W. Armstrong's "failed prophecies."

I respond Herbert Armstrong was ahead of his time and served as an early warning system. What follows is one of these many exchanges:

...is it really enough to dismiss this written record as "being ahead of his time?"

Yes. Why don't you just be honest and admit you hate Herbert W. Armstrong because he spoke the plain truth that CANNOT be refuted? that your traditional Churchianity is merely baptized paganism the Bible condemns as part of Mystery Babylon? For exposing your SUNday as a pagan counterfeit of the biblical Sabbath; your pagan holidays you've sought with your replacement theology to replace the biblical festivals; that sheeple like you bleat they're born again and don't have a clue what they're talking about, since we're born again at the Resurrection only; that God is not the sadist traditional Christians make Him out to be; that the meek inherit the Earth -- not float off to Heaven; that you're not an immortal soul, eternal life is a gift from God; the wicked will be destroyed, ashes under our feet; we can become literal God-beings, members of the Kingdom-Family of God?

Why don't you just confess and forsake your sins of murderous hatred against HWA for slaughtering your "sacred cow" and exposing it as religious bull from Babylon?

Haven't I refuted Herbert Armstrong by showing his timing was off?

No. The apostle Paul also thought Christ would return in his lifetime. He was ahead of his time, as he, like Herbert W. Armstrong, later realized.

The enemies of God and Herbert W. Armstrong can't refute the plain truth of the Bible that anybody can read and see for themselves. That's why they have such a murderous hatred against Christ in him, just like the "religious" violently opposed Jesus for standing up for the TRUTH over their tradition.

May such misguided folks repent of their mob mentality against God's servants, and learn to go against popular error instead and start teaching the plain truth of the Bible (that contradicts their present idolatrous traditions). Otherwise they'll die in their sins and traditional darkness (John 15:22).

...by what criteria did he speak truth?

Mr. Armstrong spoke the plain truth by the criteria of the Bible that counterfeit Christianity has rejected for their own traditions. The Bereans were noble for checking out what Paul said compared to THE BIBLE - not compared to their traditions (Acts 17:11).

...are you denying he said the things I posted?

I said Herbert 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.

I'm stating categorically that what you've thrown up against Herbert Armstrong is a DIVERSIONARY TACTIC, a dishonest attempt to discredit him, since you can't refute the black and white of the Bible he taught on the plain points I've made and you know it. Who do you think you're fooling by such pretense? God? Man? Why play your foolish games?

Proof that you're offering lame excuses is because every one of your popular traditional ministers or groups have taught and said worse things that, unlike HWA, aren't even true according to biblical prophecy, such as Russia attacking America (when Mr. Armstrong alone warned it will ultimately be a German-led Europe that attacks us that even some Protestants now agree is true) and yet we never see you get all hot and bothered about them or post against them or call them false prophets. Why your glaring double standard? Perhaps you're too blind to see it yourself, but now that it's been brought to your attention, prayerfully think about it and see this is the plain truth.

"For exposing your SUNday as a pagan counterfeit of the biblical Sabbath; your pagan holidays you've sought with your replacement theology to replace the biblical festivals" --

I believe Judaizers were addressed by Paul, not by me.

According to your vain traditions and popular error, Paul would be a Judaizer since he kept and taught the biblical Sabbath and festivals, just like Jesus did and will command all nations to keep when He returns and reigns in Jerusalem.

Are you in denial of this plain truth? It says Christ will command both Jews, Israelites and Gentiles, all nations, to keep the Feast of Tabernacles -- not pagan Xmas or Easter (should tell you a lot right there!)- when He reigns from Jerusalem with the glorified Saints, then brilliant God-Beings. Is Jesus a Judaizer? Rather, your kind are Roman wolves in sheep's clothing with your replacement theology, seeking to demonically replace the Sabbath with pagan Sunday, the biblical festivals with your hollow days of pagan origins that GOD HATES, and you do many other similar things with your idolatrous and tinsel traditions.

"...that God is not the sadist traditional Christians make Him out to be; that the meek inherit the Earth - not float off to Heaven;" -- who said anything about floating off? I have specifically said our hope is in the new earth.

Thankfully, you're correct about the New Earth, but your traditional Churchianity teaches folks go to "heaven or hell" when they die, which is a RELIGIOUS LIE. And I see you still misrepresent God as a sadist rather than a loving God who puts the wicked out of their misery, who mercifully destroys them completely in the Lake of Fire and lets them return to dust while the rest become divine.

"that you're not an immortal soul, eternal life is a gift from God;" -- Yes, a gift already given to all.

Another RELIGIOUS LIE. Why don't you believe the clear teachings of the Scripture rather than Catholic-Babylonian doctrines of demons? Satan said, "You shall surely not die." In other words, you're an immortal soul! Yet God's Word says the soul that sins it shall die, and Revelation speaks of the second death (from which there is never a resurrection), and Jesus spoke about destroying both body and soul in "Hell fire." Why don't you believe Him? God isn't the sadist you counterfeit Christians with your serpentine ministers make Him out to be.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not PERISH (death), but (on the other hand) have everlasting life."

Life or death - those are the only two choices. Not life and life. And who would consider it a gift if they had eternal life in torment? You're not even being logical or biblical. "The wages of sin is DEATH, but the gift of God is eternal life" (Romans 6:23). Life or death, plain and simple. And "no murderer has eternal life dwelling in him" (1 John 3:15).

"the wicked will be destroyed, ashes under our feet; we can become literal God-beings, members of the Kingdom-Family of God? Why don't you just confess and forsake your sins of murderous hatred against HWA for slaughtering your "sacred cow" and exposing it as religious bull from Babylon?" --

I don't believe you ever answered as to why HWA was lying to you about the Greek language, his sole basis for his beliefs; that it does not concern you......

Why are you still wrestling dishonestly, desperately, with YOUR straw man? I've clearly shown how biblical it is to know and believe and teach we're to become literal God-Beings and I don't need to know Greek to read it in the Bible and believe the simplicity that is in Christ.

Why are you so dishonest and trying to squirm around clear statements like "flesh and blood does NOT inherit the Kingdom of God," and "we shall see Him as He is for we shall be like Him," and even as we've born the human image of Adam, so we'll bear the divine image of Christ, the FIRSTBORN OF MANY BRETHREN.

Why don't you believe those clear Scriptures that you're afraid to address and go off on your little tangents, dishonestly? Why don't you let the Truth set you free from your lying traditions? Why resist the Holy Spirit of truth? You should praise God for exposing such darkness to you and be glad to forsake the Babylon you're in enslaved within.

Regardless, it's your choice: you can become dust or divine, have eternal life or eternal death. But, like God, I encourage you to CHOOSE LIFE.

 

Herbert W. Armstrong Was Ahead of His Time!

12 Days of Global Warming

Spiritually bankrupt souls like hypocrite Al Gore crave some messianism in their lives and so preach the false gospel of global warming.

The Reason for the Season?

The Reason for the Season?

By Douglas S. Winnail

Billions of people are caught up in Christmas celebrations each year, but do they really understand the truth about Christ’s birth? The answer is right in the pages of your Bible!

At year’s end, busy shoppers and party-goers turn their attention to annual Christmas celebrations. But how often do they stop to ask: Why? What do trimming a tree, decorating the house with lights, stockings, pine boughs and flying reindeer, hanging mistletoe and taking the children to see Santa Claus have to do with the birth of Jesus Christ—the supposed "reason" for the season? Why do sleigh bells and carols about "peace on earth, good will toward men" ring hollow as headlines report increasingly violent crimes, international terrorism, spreading droughts and famines, continuing wars and declining morals? Why do so-called Christian nations perpetuate anti-Christian customs that make life an endless round of momentarily pleasurable, but largely meaningless, social activities? Though credible scholars and historians universally recognize the fact, the average professing Christian has no idea that the customs surrounding Christmas originally had nothing to do with Jesus Christ! Even the widely held idea that Jesus was born on December 25 is known to be a fabrication! Contrary to the common tradition, Jesus was probably born in the fall, because Scripture recounts that sheep were in the fields (Luke 2:8)—a situation that would not exist in December. Jesus was also six months younger (Luke 1:24–27, 36) than John the Baptist, who was conceived in late June (after his father had served the eighth course of Abijah—see Luke 1:5; 1 Chronicles 24:1–19). Josephus, the Jewish historian, explains that 24 courses of priests served in the temple for week-long periods twice a year, beginning in the month of Nisan (in the spring, about April). John, conceived in June, would have been born in March, meaning that the six-months-younger Jesus would have been born in September—not on December 25! So, why do people celebrate Christ’s birth on December 25—even though Scripture nowhere gives that date, and does not even teach that Christians should celebrate Christ’s birthday at all? Late December is the time of the winter solstice, one of the major festival periods in the ancient world. Historians note "the birth of many solar saviors and dying gods is celebrated at this time, usually on December 25th" and that "Christmas is a wonderful amalgamation of many religious traditions, ancient and modern, pagan, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Mithraic, and Christian" (The Pagan Book of Days, pp. 132–133). Modern Christmas is a composite of several year-end festivals celebrated in pagan Rome. The Saturnalia, (December 17–21) was a time of "extravagant decadence" when slaves and masters traded places for a few days. It was a season of revelry where the common greeting was "bona Saturnalia." Next came the Sigillaria—the feast of dolls—on the 22nd when toys were purchased and given to children. The Brumalia (December 25) was celebrated as the "Birthday of the Unconquered Sun, when the days began to lengthen after the solstice" (Christmas and Christmas Lore, Crippen, p. 7). These were times of feasting, drinking and debauchery. The Egyptians also celebrated the rebirth of the sun in the form of an infant several thousand years before the Romans (see The Golden Bough, St. Martin’s ed., pp. 471–472). By contrast, the early Christian Church did not celebrate Jesus’ birthday as long as the teachings of the Apostles remained intact. In fact, as late as 245ad, the church scholar, Origen "repudiated as sinful the very idea of keeping the birthday of Christ" (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th ed.). However, in an effort to gain converts, "the church at Rome definitely fixed on the 25th of December as the birthday of the Lord" in the 4th century (Crippen, p. 6). The choice of the winter solstice festival and the birthday of the sun-god were deliberate. New "converts" could continue their popular pagan customs uninterrupted—but under a new "Christian" name! People follow the same fabricated practice today—largely ignorant of what is hiding behind the "Christian" façade. But have you ever wondered if there is more to life than this? Have pagan customs adopted by mainstream Christianity replaced more meaningful biblical practices? The Hidden Dimension It may come as a surprise, but the Bible outlines a specific series of festivals or feast days that the people of God are commanded to observe. While many have been taught that these festivals were Old Testament practices and are no longer relevant to Christians, nothing could be further from the truth! The festivals outlined in Scripture (see Leviticus 23 and Deuteronomy 16) are extremely significant and packed with meaning. They outline God’s plan of salvation for humanity, and reveal the major steps or events in that plan. The sequence of the festivals reveals the true purpose of human life! That purpose is exciting, inspiring—and humbling—yet it has been obscured by pagan holiday traditions professing Christian churches have absorbed! Church services—commanded assemblies—on each of the Holy Days review the meaning of the festivals. Notice what historian W. D. Davies wrote about early Christian practices: "Everywhere, especially in the East of the Roman Empire, there would be Jewish Christians whose outward way of life would not be markedly different from that of the Jews. They took for granted that the gospel was continuous with [the religion of Moses]; for them the New Covenant, which Jesus had set up at the Last Supper with His disciples… did not mean that the covenant made between God and Israel was no longer in force. They still observed the feasts of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles; they also continued to be circumcised, to keep the weekly Sabbath and the Mosaic regulations concerning food." [Judeo-christianisme, "Paul and Jewish Christianity," 1972, p. 72, quoted by Samuele Bacchiocchi, From Sabbath to Sunday, p. 151]. Historian Edward Gibbon made a similar observation: "The first fifteen bishops of Jerusalem were all circumcised Jews; and the congregation over which they presided united the law of Moses with the doctrine of Christ. It was natural that the primitive tradition of a church which was founded only forty days after the death of Christ, and was governed almost as many years under the immediate inspection of his apostle, should be received as the standard of orthodoxy. The distant churches very frequently appealed to the authority of their venerable Parent" (The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, chapter 15, section 1, p. 389). What is this sequence of biblically ordained festivals? The annual sequence begins in March-April, with the Passover, followed by the Days of Unleavened Bread. The Passover is an annual reminder of our need for a Savior and forgiveness of sin. The Passover lamb offered in the Old Testament (Exodus 12:3–6) foreshadowed the coming of Jesus Christ to die for the sins of mankind (John 3:16). Even after Jesus fulfilled the symbolism of the sacrificial lamb (Isaiah 53:7; John 1:29), the Apostles and the early Church observed the New Testament Passover (Luke 22:14–16; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26) as an annual memorial of Christ’s sacrifice. During the seven Days of Unleavened Bread, leaven is removed from dwellings, conveying the lesson that to obey God we must put sin (symbolized by leaven) out of our lives. This is what Christian growth—repenting, changing, growing and overcoming—is all about. The Apostles and the early Church kept the Days of Unleavened Bread to perpetuate the meaning of those days (Acts 2:38; 20:6; 1 Corinthians 5:7–8). The next New Testament Church festival, Pentecost, comes in late May or early June, commemorating the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the disciples (Acts 2). The Feast of Pentecost ("pentecost" comes from the Greek for "count 50") is also called the Feast of Harvest or Firstfruits because it came at the beginning of the summer harvest. This harvest was small, picturing God’s plan to call just a small group of people to salvation in this present age (Matthew 13:10–17; John 6:44–66; 1 Corinthians 1:26–28), before He begins working with all mankind. The annual observance of Pentecost is a constant reminder that God has a special purpose for those called to be firstfruits (Revelation 14:1–5), and of the special understanding that comes by receiving and nourishing the Holy Spirit (John 14:15–16, 26; 16:13; 2 Timothy 1:6–7). These first three annual festivals picture events in God’s plan of salvation that have already happened. Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection fulfilled the meaning of the Passover nearly 2,000 years ago, so we no longer sacrifice a lamb—but we continue to observe the Passover at His command as a memorial of that important event (Luke 22:19). The Days of Unleavened Bread picture Christians’ ongoing process of putting out sin from our lives. The events of the Day of Pentecost—the giving of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of the New Testament Church—inaugurated the Christian era in 31ad. The next four festivals in God’s sequence are still prophetic, picturing major events that have yet to occur! When we observe these festivals, we can better understand the future, and we can have hope. These festivals outline the remaining steps that will culminate in God’s plan of salvation for humanity—a plan that has largely been hidden from the world by false man-made holidays such as Christmas! Revealing the Future The Feast of Trumpets pictures a soon-coming event that will change the course of human history forever—the return of Jesus Christ. Bible prophecies associate the Second Coming of Christ with the blowing of the seventh trumpet (Revelation 11:15). Trumpets are used to make announcements, mark the feasts and sound alarm during times of war (Numbers 10:1–10). Cataclysmic events will precede the Second Coming of Christ (Matthew 24; Revelation 6; 8; 9). Jesus will return to a planet torn by war and tribulation to save mankind from utter self-destruction (Matthew 24:3–7, 21–22). He will conquer human armies that will resist His return (Revelation 19:11–19). At His return the saints (the "firstfruits") will receive immortality (1 Corinthians 15:51–54) and reign with Christ on this earth (Daniel 7:26–27; Revelation 5:10). The annual observance of the Feast of Trumpets keeps us mindful of these incredible events. It supplies real hope in a world filled with bad news. The Day of Atonement pictures the fact that Satan—the real instigator of the evils and troubles in this world—will be bound for a thousand years when Christ returns (Revelation 20:1–2). This future event was foreshadowed in the Old Testament observance of this festival when the priests sent a goat into the wilderness bearing the sins of Israel. Though modern translations of the Bible refer to this animal as the "scapegoat," suggesting it was without guilt, Jewish traditions correctly identify this goat as symbolic of the prince of fallen angels—Satan (Leviticus 16:8–10). The other goat used in this ceremony, killed for the sins of the nation, foreshadowed Jesus Christ’s sacrifice. God’s command that we fast on the Day of Atonement teaches us the need for humility and reminds us of our need to become at-one with God (see Leviticus 23:27; Psalm 35:13; John 17:11). The Feast of Tabernacles pictures the coming of the Kingdom of God to this earth. This seven-day festival offers an annual foretaste of the thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ and the saints (Revelation 20:4–6). During this period, also called the "Millennium," the government of God will bring peace and justice to this earth and restore all things (Isaiah 9:6–7; Acts 3:19–21). It will be a time of harmony (Isaiah 11:6–9), health and abundance (Isaiah 35; Amos 9:13). The government of God will proclaim the laws of God from Jerusalem to the whole world (Isaiah 2:2–4). Unlike our present age, when only a very few receive the knowledge of God’s Way, during the Millennium all will be taught to obey God and experience the wonderful blessings that come as a result! The Last Great Day is the final festival on God’s annual calendar. It pictures the Great White Throne Judgment period, described by the Apostle John (Revelation 20:11–12), when the Holy Spirit will be made available to those who had never before had their minds opened to God’s way (John 7:37–39; Ezekiel 36:24–27). They will be resurrected and have their first opportunity to accept Jesus Christ and obey Him through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Yes, the message of the Last Great Day is that those who died without hearing the Gospel are not lost! They are not burning right now in hell. They are waiting in the grave for this great resurrection. Those who then choose to live according to God’s way will receive immortality, but those who reject God’s way will be consumed in a lake of fire (Revelation 20:14–15). Warnings and Hope "That sounds interesting," you may be thinking, "but what does it matter if I observe Christmas instead of those Old Testament festivals?" You may feel that you "love the Lord" and that you are honoring Jesus by celebrating His birth. "I’m just ‘baptizing’ those old pagan customs by offering them to the Lord," you may think. Well, what does the Bible say about this approach? God told the nation of Israel to follow His commandments and not alter them (Deuteronomy 4:1–2). Through Moses, God repeatedly warned the Israelites not to forget His commandments (Deuteronomy 8:10–14) and to avoid being captivated by the false religious practices of pagan nations. God specifically warned, "do not inquire after their gods, saying ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods" (Deuteronomy 12:30–31). Again, in this context, God states: "Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it" (Deuteronomy 12:32). These clear warnings are repeated in the Old and New Testaments. The prophet Jeremiah pointedly told the Israelites, "Learn not the way of the heathen.… For the customs of the people are vain" (Jeremiah 10:2–3, KJV). Jesus even said, of religious people, that "in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men" (Matthew 15:8–9, KJV). The Apostle Paul gave similar admonitions (1 Corinthians 10:6–7; 2 Corinthians 6:14–17). However, in spite of these clear warnings, the history of the Israelites—and of the modern professing Christian churches—has been to ignore and reason around God’s very clear instructions. Rebellious human beings have substituted customs that God says are evil, for festivals God designed to keep them mindful of His great plan of salvation and the true purpose of life. People professing to be Christian have listened to false teachers "who call evil good, and good evil" (Isaiah 5:20). They have been deceived by religious leaders, "who suppress the truth in unrighteousness" (Romans 1:18). They have "exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshipped and served the creature [pagan customs] rather than the Creator" (Romans 1:25). But you, personally, can make a different choice. When you start observing the biblical festivals God has ordained, you will begin to understand what life is all about. The Bible and the world around you will begin to make sense as never before. The excitement and fulfillment you will experience will make the frivolities and falsehoods of pagan holiday practices seem empty by comparison. If you have not already done so, please write to the regional office nearest you (listed on page 30 of this magazine) and request your free copy of our booklet, The Holy Days: God’s Master Plan. Then you will truly begin to understand the reason for the season!

Grateful for Joseph's Birthright!

George Washington issued our country's first Thanksgiving Proclamation on October 3, 1789. In it, President Washington wrote:

"Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor . . .

"Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be--That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks--for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war--for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted--for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

"And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions--to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually--to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us--and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best."

As the United States is Manasseh, the son of Joseph, who was prophesied to become a SINGLE GREAT NATION, we have shared in JOSEPH'S BIRTHRIGHT and have every reason to be grateful to God for His Faithfulness and tender mercies this Thanksgiving Day and every day!

Joseph isn't Jewish!
The Plain Truth About the Lost Ten Tribes
The United States in Prophecy!

The Crucifix

The Crucifix - a Christian or pagan symbol?

By Wyatt Ciesielka
Sabbath, November 21, 2009

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has sparked a heated debate with the Greek Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and Italian mayors over the role of the crucifix in Italian society (Christian Telegraph, November 18, 2009). But, a more fundamental issue should be addressed. Is the cross even a Christian symbol in the first place?

Alarming the churches and local authorities is the ECHR’s ban on displaying crucifixes in Italian schools. Greek Bishop Nicholas “lamented that at this rate youngsters will not have any worthy symbols at all to inspire and protect them” (BBCNews, November 12, 2009). The leader of the Greek Orthodox church, Archbishop Ieronymos, “echoed comments by the Catholic Church that the ECHR is ignoring the role of Christianity in shaping Europe’s culture, laws, and identity” (Interfaith.org, November 16, 2009).

But what is the real history and meaning behind this religious symbol? Did Jesus Christ, the Apostles, or the original New Testament Church adore the cross as “a worthy symbol to inspire and protect them?” Should you?

The story of the cross as a religious symbol begins in ancient Babylon. Upon Nimrod’s death, his wife Semiramis exalted her infant son, Tammuz, as Nimrod re-born. God-king worship became quickly entrenched among the ancient Babylonians…and the Tau symbol – the first character of Tammuz’ name became a key symbol in Babylonian worship.

It is historically indisputable that the Tau was an integral part of pagan religious worship in pre-Christian culture. The cross was sewn into pagan priests’ costumes, worn by vestal virgins, and adorned pagan temples. (See, Alexander Hislop’s: The Two Babylons and The Catholic Encyclopedia, “The Cross and Crucifix,” page 517, 1913 edition). The Tau took various forms such as Τ and ϯ and would sometimes incorporate a circle representing the sun – an integral part of the Babylonian Mystery Religion.

After death, Nimrod was worshipped under various names including Marduk, Bel, Baal and Beelzebub. Baal-worship, a continuation of Babylonian religion, was what God rebuked ancient Israel for when they “did evil in the sight of the LORD. They forgot the LORD their God, and served the Baals and Asherahs” (Judges 3:7). It was in service to this pagan deity that ancient Israel sacrificed their infant children as burning sacrifices (Jeremiah 32:35). Baal worship was a terrible abomination in God’s sight.

But Nimrod worship spread throughout the ancient world. Nimrod-reborn as Tammuz was associated with the Tau symbol in the pre-Christian, pagan worship of the ancient Babylonians, Orientals, Philistines, Egyptians. It crept into what became the Roman Catholic Church and then was adopted by the various Protestant denominations. The pagan Tau now adorns most church buildings and priestly costumes – just as it did in the ancient, pagan world! But it never adorned Christ, the Apostles or the membership of the original New Testament Church.

To argue that this heathen symbol “is now OK to use and honor because the meaning now points to Christ,” is not only to ignore that Jesus Christ and the Apostles and the original New Testament Church never worshipped or revered the cross (they saw it for what it was – a pagan symbol and a cruel instrument of death), but is also to ignore the words of Jeremiah the prophet – “Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen” (Jeremiah 10:2, KJV).

While human memory is short, and most simply do not understand the pagan history of the cross, the Almighty God does remember where the symbol came from! He remembers the cry of burning infants sacrificed to Baal (Ezekiel 16:20&21)! He remembers the cruel instrument of crucifixion upon which many died, even including His Son.

For more on how ancient pagan Babylonish practices been adopted into modern false-Christianity, read the Tomorrow’s World article, The Lady of Nations; the study paper, Who is the Harlot of Revelation 17?; and the booklet The Beast of Revelation: Myth, Metaphor or Soon-Coming Reality?.

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C.H. Spurgeon on Christmas and Roman Catholicism

Charles Haddon Spurgeon on Christmas

From a sermon preached by C. H. Spurgeon on Dec. 24, 1871:

We have no superstitious regard for times and seasons. Certainly we do not believe in the present ecclesiastical arrangement called Christmas. First, because we do not believe in the mass at all, but abhor it, whether it be sung in Latin or in English. Secondly, because we find no Scriptural warrant whatever for observing any day as the birthday of the Savior; and consequently, its observance is a superstition, because not of divine authority. 'Superstition' has fixed most positively the day of our Savior's birth, although there is no possibility of discovering when it occurred. ... It was not till the middle of the third century that any part of the Church celebrated the nativity of our Lord; and it was not till very long after the Western Church had set the example, that the Eastern adopted it. ... Probably the fact is that the "holy" days were arranged to fit in with the heathen festivals. We venture to assert, that if there be any day in the year, of which we may be pretty sure that it was not the day on which the Savior was born, it is the 25th of December. ... Regarding not the day, let us, nevertheless, give God thanks for the gift of His dear Son.

C.H. Spurgeon on Roman Catholicism

"Cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho." Joshua 6:26
"Since he was cursed who rebuilt Jericho, much more the man who labours to restore Popery among us. In our fathers' days the gigantic walls of Popery fell by the power of their faith, the perseverance of their efforts, and the blast of their gospel trumpets; and now there are some who would rebuild that accursed system upon its old foundations. O Lord, be please to thwart their unrighteous endeavours, and pull down every stone which they build. It should be a serious business with us to be thoroughly purged of every error which may have a tendency to foster the spirit of Popery, and when we have made a clean sweep at home we should seek in every way to oppose its all too rapid spread abroad in the church and in the world. This last can be done in secret by fervent prayer, and in public by decided testimony. We must warn with judicious boldness those who are inclined towards the errors of Rome; we must instruct the young in gospel truth, and tell them of the black doings of Popery in the olden times. We must aid in spreading the light more thoroughly through the land, for priests, like owls, hate daylight. Are we doing all we can for Jesus and the gospel? If not, our negligence plays into the hands of priestcraft. What are we doing to spread the Bible, which is the Pope's bane and poison? Are we casting abroad good, sound gospel writings? Luther once said, 'The devil hates goose quills,' and doubtless, he has good reason, for ready writers, by the Holy Spirit's blessing, have done his kingdom much damage. If the thousands who will read this short word this night will do all they can to hinder the rebuilding of his accursed Jericho, the Lord's glory shall speed among the sons of men. Reader, what can you do? What will you do?"

From "Evening By Evening" by Charles Spurgeon
Uhrichsville, Barbour and Company, 1991.

David Ben-Ariel, Herbert Armstrong, Lost Ten Tribes

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Fearing death?

Re: Do you fear death?

I don't fear death...
I trust in the tender mercies of God to bless me to be in the First Resurrection at Yahshua's glorious return!

When we die, we're dead until the resurrection. Nobody goes to "Heaven or Hell," contrary to traditional misunderstandings and popular religious lies.

Pearly Gates (David Ben-Ariel YouTube Video)


Dead & Buried (David Ben-Ariel YouTube video)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Where's our attitude of gratitude?

The Israelite Origins of the United States

This recent exchange with a gentleman at the History Channel Forum is just in time for Thanksgiving Day. God help us to remember our Hebrew roots and biblical responsibilities and always have an attitude of gratitude for His tender mercies!

The twelve tribes themselves are not European in origin

The Twelve Tribes of Israel - the Anglo-Saxon-Celtics and white peoples of Northwestern Europe -- are Israelite in origin. We're the so-called "Lost Ten Tribes." We were taken captive by the Assyrians and later, as prophesied, migrated north and west into Europe and King David's dynasty continues in the Sceptered Isle.

Of the 12,000 from each tribe to be taken on judgement day, how many do you think will be of mixed blood?

If they're so mixed the Holy Spirit wouldn't have inspired John to write specifically of the unique tribes of Israel. They're obviously not "mixed" enough to disqualify them from being considered, in God's eyes, this or that specific tribe of Israel. Undoubtedly we have married among ourselves to some extent, yet still this or that tribe dominates in our ancestry, having sifted through various countries (we can say we're English, Irish, Dutch), but we're still ISRAELITES.

When Revelations was written the author probably had no idea that the Jews would have dispersed across the globe as they have or intermarried as they have with other peoples

John was a prophet and the Holy Spirit undoubtedly inspired him to know the other prophecies in the Law and the Prophets that clearly foretold the reach and expansion of all Twelve Tribes to the far ends of the Earth - not just the Jews! The Jews are only a small part of the big family of Jacob-Israel.

It's written in Amos that we (the Northern 10-tribed Kingdom of Israel) would migrate, sift through the nations, and yet not lose our identity (as far as our ethnic make-up is concerned, our basic DNA).

assuming that you are a Gentile

God's mercy extends to all peoples, although His plan calls for the Jews (and Israelites) first and then the Gentiles. God has called our peoples, the Jews and the Joes, Israelites, to ultimately become His Servant Nation to bless all nations.

I am a Joe (descended from Joseph/Anglo-Saxon-Celtic heritage), as well as a Jew, scion of King David, as our family goes back to the British and Scottish Royal Families. Apparently I'm also a descendant of two Mayflower Pilgrims, John and Priscilla Alden, and collateral descendant of three American presidents.

[The Scripture] doesn't apply to America because we were given nothing. We TOOK everything we have from the natives

The United States was given primarily to the descendants of Joseph and the other Northern tribes of Israel, with some Jews living among us (even though God has given them a Jewish Homeland).

Just like ancient Israel had to be willing to fight to secure their inheritance, so did we. Sometimes we were more honorable than others, just like Jacob with Esau, but regardless Manifest Destiny was to be and was fulfilled in us. We didn't take from the natives as it wasn't theirs to begin with -- it belongs to our Great Creator God and to whomsoever He gives it, as is His divine prerogative.

The various natives took from each other and had a violent history towards different tribes and were carried away with their raw paganism. Some were more advanced than others.

Deuteronomy 6:10-12
10 “So it shall be, when the LORD your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, 11 houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant—when you have eaten and are full— 12 then beware, lest you forget the LORD...

we built the cities, invented our gadgets and things, built a gargantuan economy, paved the roads, assembled a massive military, etc. all by ourselves. God had nothing to do with these things

God works in and through and for people at the same time. He warned us not to develop such an unhealthy and pompous attitude of vainly imagining we did all these things without His help and inspiration, even giving us the health to accomplish great things. God has blessed our efforts. It's true that God helps those who help themselves. The "Protestant work ethic" is a biblical work ethic.

Deuteronomy 8:9-20
9 a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper. 10 When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you. 11 "Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, 12 lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; 13 and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; 14 when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God...17 then you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.'

18 "And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. 19 Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the LORD your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish. 20 As the nations which the LORD destroys before you, so you shall perish, because you would not be obedient to the voice of the LORD your God.

As Abraham Lincoln warned, he said we had forgotten our Great God and encouraged all to repent and pray that God might save our nation. We were spared that God might fulfill His many prophecies, His wonderful promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob about the peace and prosperity of their descendants because of ABRAHAM'S OBEDIENCE.

God has given us these many things and wonderful years and we have forgotten him as self-made men and women who vainly imagine we don't need God and this is all our doing, the work of our hands, so God - who controls the weather - will strip these things out of our hands and show us how we're at His mercy to humble us and bring us back to Him and remind us to keep His commandments, His holy Sabbath and biblical festivals, the "Jewish holidays," and reject the replacement theology and pagan holidays of bloody Rome!

If we have god to thank for the invention of the airplane then we have him to thank for 9/11.

That's just plain ridiculous. What we do with a gift is our responsibility. Everything has the potential to be a blessing or a curse. God gives us free moral agency to determine what we will for ourselves, what we will do with what we've been given: whether we'll squander our inheritance or use it wisely, with an attitude of gratitude and loving obedience.

I see you conveniently did not address Isaiah 24 I quoted, which says:
1. Behold, the LORD makes the earth empty, He makes it waste, and turns it upside down, and scatters abroad its inhabitants.
2. And it shall be, that as it is with the people, so with the priest; as it is with the servant, so with his master; as it is with the maid, so with her mistress; as it is with the buyer, so with the seller; as it is with the lender, so with the borrower; as it is with the taker of usury, so with the payer of usury to him.
3. The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD has spoken this word. 4 The earth mourns and fades away, the world languishes and fades away, the haughty people of the earth languish.
13. When this happens: in the midst of the land among the people, it shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and like the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done. 14 They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea. 15 Wherefore glorify you the LORD in the fires, even the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea. 16. From the furthermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous. But I said, My leanness, my leanness, woe to me! the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yes, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously. 17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth. 18 And it shall be, that he who flees from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he who comes up out of the midst of the pit shall be caught in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth shake. 19 The earth is completely broken down, the earth is fully dissolved, the earth is exceedingly moved. 20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and its transgression shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.

These verses prophesy destruction of everything and everybody which does not jibe with what you're telling me.

I did not ignore it and I did address it. Mankind will get to the point of no return: except for divine intervention no flesh would be saved alive, no human being would remain, just as Yahshua and the Prophets foretold. Within that Scripture it reveals survivors who are praising God, which I have highlighted.

Matthew 24:21-22
21 For then there will be great tribulation [Time of Jacob's Trouble], such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake [the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob] those days will be shortened.

Isaiah 1:9
9 Unless the LORD of hostsHad left to us a very small remnant,
We would have become like Sodom,
We would have been made like Gomorrah.

Isaiah 43:1-3
1 But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:
“ Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
3 For I am the LORD your God,The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I gave Egypt for your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in your place.

God always saves a remnant to keep His promise alive to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that He would be their God and the God of their descendants (which means they must always have some descendants). This GOOD NEWS is why the first chapter of Beyond Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall is appropriately called, "Survival Guaranteed!"

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Watch the United States in Prophecy! for further information.

Check out the new David Ben-Ariel blog!

God Given Names

Monday, November 9, 2009

I was born David A. Hoover on January 10, 1960 in Bowling Green, Ohio. However, I legally changed my name to David Ben-Ariel (with the help of my Jewish lawyer) during the Spring of 1989. It cost me $300.00.

It also required that I take out a small ad in a newspaper announcing my intentions 30 days beforehand. I placed my ad in the Bowling Green Sentinel.

I also had to appear before a judge (it depends on what county you were born) for him to privately question my motivations. Continue reading “God Given Names”

 

Israel’s Unjust Deportation of David Ben-Ariel

November 9, 2009

As a Christian-American member of the Temple Mount Faithful Movement, I had been privileged to participate in their legal demonstrations during my 10-month stay in Jerusalem awaiting dual citizenship. Israeli television often showed me with my Jewish friends carrying Israeli flags throughout the Old City. Continue reading “Israel’s Unjust Deportation of David Ben-Ariel”

The Plain Truth

Do You Prefer TRADITION Over Truth?

Is the Plain Truth Too Strong?

The Rapture

Don't Fall for the Rapture!
We meet the returning Christ in the air and RETURN TO EARTH - to the Mount of Olives - and reign with but under Him, composing the Kingdom of God: just like the Bible clearly says once we remove traditional blinders.

The REAL JESUS Can't Return Until...
Prophecy clearly reveals that the REAL JESUS CHRIST will not return to Earth from Heaven (in full view of all mankind -- not from some secret EU or Vatican chamber or desert cave) until after Jerusalem has suffered under a Gentile EU occupation for three and one half years

The Rapture or Place of Safety?
We know those who are accounted worthy to escape WWIII, those with a prayerful attitude and watchful spirit, growing and overcoming and sensitive to the lead of the Holy Spirit (Luke 21:34-36), will be more than provided for in "Her Place," as our gracious Lord of Hosts has promised (Revelation 12:14).

http://www.davidbenariel.org/

The Plain Truth Prevails!

Enemies have attacked http://www.davidbenariel.org/ but the plain truth of the Bible, history and currents events, as shared by David Ben-Ariel in his many articles, can be found in many other places throughout the Internet world. The plain truth prevails!

Jeremiah 15:10-21
10 Woe is me, my mother,
That you have borne me,
A man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth!

http://www.davidbenariel.org

http://beyondbabylon.blogspot.com

http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/73354/david_benariel.html

http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=David_Ben-Ariel

http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/author.cgi?C=10267

http://rs39.com/davidbenariel/

http://www.pushhamburger.com/david.htm

Many YouTube videos, including
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDxc1ZTFGCk

Google David Ben-Ariel!

Speaking of Science

Christianity, Judaism, and Science

1 Timothy 6:20 (King James Version)
20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called...

Legitimate science is not opposed by true Christianity or Judaism, as evident by books like these:

The Hidden Face of God: Science Reveals the Ultimate Truth
by Gerald L. Schroeder

The Science of God: The Convergence of Scientific and Biblical Wisdom
by Gerald L. Schroeder

And articles:

Does The Bible Teach There Were Human Prototypes? by David Ben-Ariel

And booklets:

What Science Can’t Discover About the Human Mind by Herbert W. Armstrong.



http://www.davidbenariel.org/

Encouragement from a Sister

Nancy commented on Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?

I'm glad someone isn't afraid to actually put the TRUTH out there that is in the Holy Bible, which other "Christians" blatantly ignore. They are not innocent because they do not know the truth which they can easily find in the Holy Bible...if they read it. Thanks a lot!

God Bless you brother in the name of Christ.
 
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Thank you for encouraging all who dare to share the plain truth of the Bible.

Please watch:
The Plain Truth (David Ben-Ariel YouTube Video)