The strong hand from someplace
Church of God the Eternal has admitted one thing about Herbert Armstrong's trips to world leaders that I have never seen other COG's admit. This will sure frost the butts of certain self-appointed "men" who salivate at the mear mention of HWA's name.
From 1968 to the mid-1980s, did those national leaders receive a bone-chilling warning about the imminent return of Christ, with His new government soon to dethrone those current kings, presidents, and prime ministers? Did Mr. Armstrong speak to them the way Elijah spoke to King Ahab, and as John the Baptist spoke to King Herod? Was the entire world warned with mighty signs and miracles about their national sins and the need for repentance? Has there even yet been the kind of “witness” comparable to that which God prophesied will occur before the arrival of His Son? No such warning message was ever proclaimed by Mr. Armstrong to kings, and we have not even yet seen the fulfilment of that prophecy of a true warning Work. Instead, with Mr Armstrong’s visits to heads-of-state, diplomacy was the order of the day, including expensive gifts to dignitaries, and only a very veiled message about Jesus Christ—often without ever using His name! Is that really what we saw from Elijah and from John the Baptist? Is that truly the way we think God is going to make final preparation for Christ’s return?
So again, in evaluating Mr. Armstrong’s very strong and sincere belief in 1968 that God had tasked him with a brand new commission, what do the fruits actually show in hindsight? The nations were not warned as God promised He will do, and Jesus Christ did not return following the conclusion of years of those international state visits. According to Mr. Armstrong’s own standard of proof, this aspect of his work does not pass muster.
Besides warning the world before Christ’s imminent return, visiting heads-of-state was also expected to “open doors” to allow the Worldwide Church of God more access to preach the Gospel to these leaders’ peoples. But God had already opened doors for radio broadcasts and print publications in most of these areas, even without visiting their national leaders (like King Leopold of Belgium). But what about the bonds he forged with leaders in countries like Japan, especially? The hope was that this personal rapport with the Japanese Prime Minister and other officials would “open the door” for eventual church congregations in Japan. But that never happened! There were a whole lot of state banquets and formal meetings with dignitaries across Asia, but those contacts never produced congregations! The one country in that region where the church flourished was in the Philippines (a Catholic country), and that work had been accomplished beginning in the early 1960s, long before visiting world leaders became a goal."
And in every other country where the church had been previously shut out from operating (like most of the Buddhist nations), even after years of hob-knobbing with Buddhist dignitaries, the church mostly was still shut out from forming congregations there! So once again, what were the real fruits? The claim was made repeatedly that this activity would “open doors.” But the Gospel of Jesus Christ was never really preached there, and the church did not gain any significant foothold because of those meetings. No fruits!
