Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web of Corrupt Leaders

Friday, December 6, 2019

Before there was Herbert W. Armstrong there was William Miller

I founded Something Or Other Publishing because I believe everyone has a story to tell. Mine includes Herbert W. Armstrong - a religious leader, of Quaker stock, who was ordained in the Church of God 7th Day before he launched a Christian movement of his own. At its peak the Church founded by HWA claimed over 100,000 members and a media and education empire that, at the time of his death, had global influence. The Church of God 7th day, and thus Armstrong's church, grew out of the so-called Great Disappointment of 1844, in parallel with the Adventism of Ellen G. White.

These three, and a number of other religious movements owe a debt of gratitude to the work of William Miller and his preaching and teaching about the interpretation of prophecies related to the return of Jesus to this earth. They were the inheritors of a religious fervor generated by the expectation that though Jesus said no man knew the day or the hour, He Himself, along with Daniel and other prophets, had left carefully coded math that could help "the wise" arrive at the exact year

That year was 1844 which came and went without the expectations of the faithful being fulfilled. Many believers concluded that something must have been wrong with the calculation.  They started a process of providing new interpretations. Some made calculations to push the date forward, while others determined that the date was related to activities in heaven, rather than to Christ returning to earth. But were there other possible explanation

Jay Tyson has written a book which looks to the example of the Wise Men of the East—those Zoroastrian magi from Persia who undertook a successful search for the promised One of their age—a search that took them far beyond the boundaries of their own country, religion, and culture.  As they searched for ‘the King of the Jews,’ they remained open to the unexpected ways in which God often fulfills His promises.

"The Wise Men of the West—A Search for the Promised One in the Latter Days" asks, “What if some wise men from the West had carried out a similar search in the 1840s?
What if they had followed Jesus' instruction to look to the east? What might they have found? And how might their discoveries, even today, enhance the legacy of William Miller?" Interestingly, his main protagonist is a Quaker like HWA's parents. "The Wise Men of the West" invites the reader to a voyage of discovery which may provide answers to those who were left hanging when HWA, like William Miller, died without the events he had spent his life teaching about coming to pass. At least not in the way he expected.

Wade Fransson
Founder of Something or Other Publishing


Buy the book on Amazon  




7 comments:

  1. I dont know who "The Wise Men of the West" , might be, but it certainly is not composed of Malm, Thiel, Pack, Flurry, Weinland, Franks, Ward, Hulme, etc.

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  2. The book was written by a Bahá'í convert, whose religion was founded in the supposedly Biblically significant year 1844. The year 1844 AD was also the year 1260 AH, and Bahá'ís today still view Miller's prophecies as mostly correct, just aimed in the wrong direction.

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  3. And then, there was recovery!

    Back in the '80s, there was a band from Kansas City, Kansas, called "Shooting Star". I was both inspired by them, and borrowed from them to effect my recovery from Armstrongism. Incredible songs! "Breakout!" "Hang On For Your Life! "Only Flesh and Blood" And especially, "Last Chance to Believe in Yourself". These were all songs that inspired. They had deep and powerful personal meaning, and you couldn't help but to be lifted up every time you heard them! They were the soundtrack for me for much of the '80s, and I wore out several of their cassettes in my little Chevy S-10 pickup, and the police pursuit Mustang I bought from the CHP auction.

    Recently, I became rehungup on them. Van McLain, the brains behind the songs, may be the only rock star to have ever succumbed to the West Nile virus, but what a legacy he has left behind on youtube! Who couldn't feel uplifted watching the interplay between Van and Janet Jameson who plays electric violin? It's just awesome. I don't care what HWA had to say about the roosters screaching, rock and roll has got to be about the most inspiring music in the history of mankind. It is sad to imagine anybody who was deluded into foregoing such an uplift.

    BB

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  4. Byker Bob,
    Herbert Armstrong's tirades against screeching, Satanic Rock music ring just as hollow today as many of his other teachings. If Satan was there to influence Van, Janet and Jimi, then he was also there to influence Mozart, Beethoven and Wagner! Herbie's personal tastes in music are thankfully not synonymous with those of Almighty God!

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  5. I'm no spring chicken, so I have to know beforehand via many favorable reviews, that a book is worth my time.

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  6. The "other interpretations" about 1844 still seem to be underway somewhat in the SDAs. I've heard preachers on their radio networks still hint that there had to be a purpose for what happened then.

    Wasn't the most recent "wise man of the west" Oakland's Harold Camping? Yet Family Radio is still around - with his messages now banned from the air.

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