by Rev. Roger F. Campbell Author: "Herbert Armstrong, Mr. Confusion"
ARMSTRONGISM QUESTION: How can you believe in an everlasting hell when Malachi 4:1-3 tells us that the saints will walk in the ashes of the wicked? ANSWER: To apply Malachi 4:1-3 to the Bible doctrine of hell or eternal punishment would be entirely out of context. This portion of scripture has nothing to do with the souls or spirits of men but refers to the physical death of the wicked at the second coming of Christ. QUESTION: Where is there a mention in the Bible of man’s im mortal soul? ANSWER: There is a great deal of Scripture having to do with the conscious existence of both the saved and the lost. It is true that the words immortal soul used as such, do not appear in the Bible. It is also true that the term millennium does not appear in the Bible, yet Herbert Armstrong does not reject the teaching concerning the millennium, and in fact has written a lengthy article in the Plain Truth (March, 1958) entitled “WHERE WILL THE MILLENNIUM BE SPENT?” It is then inconsistent for him to reject the true Bible teaching of man’s existence after death on the basis that the words immortal soul are not to be found in the Bible. The words of Jesus, in Luke 16:19-31, give a fearful glimpse into hell where the wicked rich man is able to hear, see, feel pain, and speak. The appearance of Elijah and Moses on the mount of transfiguration gives ample evidence that the righteous are in heaven immediately after leaving this earthly existence. Multiplied statements o f the Apostle Paul further verify this doctrine such as Phil. 1:19-21; II Cor. 5:1-10; II Timothy 4:6; I Thess. 4:14. Herbert W. Armstrong rejects the teaching that the individual is in a conscious existence after physical death in an effort to escape the true Bible teaching on the destiny of the lost in hell and of the saved in heaven. Like the “ Jehovah’s Witnesses,” his favorite proof verse for this teaching is Ezekiel 18:4: “ The soul that sin- neth, it shall die.” What Armstrong carefully avoids in order to protect his “no eternal punishment” teaching, is the truth that spiritual death does not mean the cessation of existence. For example, before a man is saved, he is spiritually dead according to Ephesians 2:1, yet he does not cease to exist,
S ince the publication of my analysis of the teachings of Herbert W. Armstrong, entitled “ HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG: MR. CONFUSION,” my mail has in deed been interesting. There was the man from Idaho who wrote me reg ularly for several weeks but who would not sign his letters. Perhaps I shall never know who this (friend??) is. There was the letter from Illinois containing the in formation on the direct messages from John the Baptist, and the one from the lady in Texas addressed to: All. Rev. Preachers, Pastors, Ministers, and Doctors of Divinity, whom, she said, were all confused and were false prophets with the exception of 7,000 true prophets known only to her and her friends. Much of the response was very gratifying, such as the letter from the lady in Canada who wrote to say that she was “ tickled pink” to get a glimpse into what Arm strong teaches, and then she went on to tell how her husband, who had accepted Armstrong’s teaching on certain eating habits, had now “ lost his appetite for the doctrines of the Plain Truth." Many letters were from Pastors who are now using the article in tract form, to show their people the truth about Armstrong’s mixed up theology. I was especially pleased to give permission recently to have the article reproduced in Chinese by Rev. Earnest Loong, a mis sionary and publisher in Hong Kong. Along with comments and criticisms have come many questions. Many of than, I believe, were from those who were earnestly seeking the truth about facts and doctrines that were not dealt with in “HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG: MR. CONFUSION.” The six questions and answers that follow are those which have appeared to be uppermost in the minds of those who have written, called, or who have come in person to find the way from “ CONFUSION” to Bible truth. QUESTION: If Herbert W . Armstrong is so confused, how did he know that there would be a United States of Europe twenty-five or thirty years ago? ANSWER: The teaching of a union of nations in Europe is by no means original with Herbert W. Armstrong. Students of the prophetic scriptures have been predicting the Revival o f the Roman Empire for many years. In his book Lectures on Daniel, published in 1911, Dr. H. A. Ironside wrote about this, as did many others before the era of Arm- strongism.
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