The original article this was based on was written in 1956 and republished year after year, well into the early 1970s. Each time, the prophecies grew more elaborate.
Then, lo and behold, 1975 came and went, and Herbert backpedaled so fast even GTA couldn’t keep up.
Who could forget that in 1971, construction began on Herbert’s $11 million monument to himself, even as members were still told that 1975 would be the final year before everything hit the fan?
Shortly after this, the Worldwide Church of God, Herbert, and others faced lawsuits over financial mismanagement. Around the same time, the Jonestown tragedy unfolded, with 918 people taking their own lives or being killed by their cult leaders.
Armstrongites took these events as clear signs that the end was near and Satan was furious.
Meanwhile, during this same period, the Jehovah’s Witnesses were also unraveling after proclaiming 1975 as the end times. Given that Herbert Armstrong borrowed heavily from the JWs, it’s no surprise they faced nearly identical problems.
Check out this video about the Jehovah’s Witnesses and 1975. Just swap WCG for JW, and it’s practically the same story.
Hat-tip to a reader here for this:
Our folly as human beings is on display here. It’s played out in the political sphere also. We seek messiahs with a ‘message’. Always looking, always searching for truth. And it continues to this day. And will do so, on into the future. In our search for El Dorado many will be hurt and scarred. But search we do. We are mortal beings and seek an escape from the present and all its complicities and at times horrors. This has gone on for millennia. There is nothing new under the sun here as the ‘preacher’ in Ecclesiastes comments.
ReplyDeleteHis conclusions are direct and too the point as we read. How tragic our ‘condition’ is. And how tragic for the families that have been torn apart by religious zealotry. A pox on these b*st*rds responsible. My hope is for those who were damaged by all this, and there are many, have now found liberty and freedom with healing.
Change the name of the organization to expand and expose the guilty, and the story and effects are virtually the same! Actually, I did not realize that the JWs, a much larger organization, had suffered the same things we had with 1975 until I began my further education via the internet as the new millennium began. I knew that JWs had taught that "this world's system" would soon come to an end, but knew not that they had reached the same mathematic conclusions regarding the date as had our own revenue-generating "scholars".
ReplyDeleteThe funny thing is that so many of us during this era leading up to 1975 had considered the JWs to be kooks and misfits, but we were not? In terms of lasting effects, I realized by the 1980s that I needed therapy to get past them, fought the distrust which had been instilled in us regarding professional help, and obtained it. Had I continued without that, I'm convinced that my life would have been permanently ruined.
BB
so many of us during this era leading up to 1975 had considered the JWs to be kooks and misfits
DeleteI remember hearing that the staff who cleaned out HWA's library after his death found quite a bit of old JW literature. You might not have been knowledgeable about the JWs, but HWA most certainly was.
Yes, 4:28. He had actually written articles in the PT and GN proclaiming that he was never a Jehovah's Witness, or Seventh Day Adventist, which was technically true. However, he kept his influences, the people he plagiarized, to himself! I had never heard of GG Rupert either, until reading posts from that same cleaning crew that there were also some of Rupert's collateral materials in the private HWA library.
DeleteYou must always wonder about someone who publically refers to his acolytes as "dumb sheep". We were not so dumb! We did end up figuring it out!
BB
It's worthwhile looking this up on Youtube.com and reading the 180 plus comments so far. One example is "I know at least 3 couples from that time. They decided not to have children. Today they are Old, Sick, Broke and alone. WT does not care and has blamed them for taking those decisions."
ReplyDeleteSpeculate Tishri 20, 2025 CE. End of 6000 years. End of Daniel's 70 weeks.
ReplyDeleteYeah right, 11:02! Cue the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again!"
DeletePut your name to that prophecy, coward.
DeleteActually according to the Gen preflood genealogy in the LXX we might already be past 6000 years.
DeleteI remember reading about in the late 60s that GTA and a few others had come to doubt the 1975 prophecy and 19 year time cycle but HWA and a few other hard liners resisted any change to the narrative. Then when it came it went, headquarters tried to spin that they NEVER said that 1975 was gonna be the start of the end in spite of old literature and tapes of sermons saying otherwise. Is Flurry having his Celtic dance troop scheduled to perform at Adullam?
ReplyDeleteI will always remember the absurdity of the WCG changing its decades old narrative from German Bombs dropping on America in January, 1972 and the beginning of the Great Tribulation, to the new spin which came from HWA a month later (when people started questioning) that the significance of the end of the 19 year time cycle in the first week of January, 1972 was (drum roll, please)... Advertising in Reader's Digest!
DeleteInstead of hundreds of millions of people dying in the Great Tribulation, HWA picked a Church media event just like he did in 1953 (World Tomorrow broadcast going to Europe), to keep his 19-year time cycle alive and intact. You can't make this stuff up, and the absurdity of it all woke a lot of people up - including me.
Richard
For me, the object lesson of all the prophecy jive is that you should never join an organization that exalts prophecy and subordinates loving God with your whole heart, mind and soul and your neighbor as yourself. Armstrongism even went so far as to assert that the gospel was really about prophecy. If you join such and organization, you will be pierced through with many sorrows. Remember 1844.
ReplyDeleteScout
I don't recall the JW's specifying 1975. But during the 70s and 80s, some literature emphasized 1914 - that Jesus would return before the last people born in that year passed away.
ReplyDeleteYet regional summer JW conferences still attract thousands of people. So things have not collapsed as much as this video indicates.
As I understand it, PCG also has encouraged members to throw out literature from its early years.
Nah, 1972 was the year. Maybe ‘75 was after the 3 1/2 years, but it was all about ‘72. I am certain of this because I was to graduate in ‘72 and my mother made no provision for me to go to college that year. SMH
ReplyDeleteMy observation is that the long term benefits of being a member of any organization is zero. The group allows its members short term benefits, but then demands its pound of flesh in return.
ReplyDeleteYea the 1975 in prophecy hurts the framework of prophecy within Armstrongism. See in armstrongism this had to take place within their framework: red heifer (daily sacrifices), evil dictator coming out of Germany, the false prophet (pope) out of Europe, a united states of Europe being the beast power, the king of the south having a potent military, a place of safety clearly defined and located, and of course a church making herself ready (supposedly being the WCG), with the two witnesses being able to shut up heaven for a couple of years prior, along with the great tribulation that was to occur beforehand.
ReplyDelete1975 hurts the faith within Armstrongism. Here we are 50 years later and everyone makes mistakes, but are they gonna learn from their mistakes?
Only “Two score and Ten” will tell,
Tank
What - next you will tell me you don't believe in 19 year time cycles? :)
ReplyDelete