AI-COG: Comparing Cults: Armstrongism vs. Hebrew Roots Armstrongism and the Hebrew Roots Movement: Two Peas in a Legalistic Pod

In the same vein as our previous article about the Sacred Name Movement, we also wanted to expose the similarities of Armstrongism with the Hebrew Roots Movement.

---

When one cultic movement isn't enough, why not jump to another one that preaches the same legalistic gospel? This is precisely what many former Armstrongites do when they leap into the Hebrew Roots Movement (HRM). The transition feels seamless, almost as if Armstrongism were a mere gateway drug to an even deeper obsession with Old Testament legalism. In this article, we'll explore the striking similarities between these two groups, their shared disdain for orthodox Christianity, and why both movements ultimately fail to grasp the gospel of Jesus Christ.

A Shared Love for the Old Testament (and a Deep Suspicion of the New) Both Armstrongism and the Hebrew Roots Movement treat the Old Testament as if it were the pinnacle of God's revelation, while viewing the New Testament as a somewhat sketchy, heavily Greek-influenced afterthought. Sure, Jesus is acknowledged, but He tends to be relegated to the role of "law enforcer" rather than Savior. Instead of seeing Christ as the fulfillment of the law (Matthew 5:17), they see Him as the guy who came to make sure we all eat kosher and keep the Sabbath properly.

The HRM, much like Armstrongism, teaches that Christians must keep the Torah, arguing that the early church went astray by abandoning its Jewish roots. This is remarkably similar to Herbert W. Armstrong's claim that "traditional Christianity" was corrupted by pagan influences, necessitating a "restored" understanding of God's truth (which, conveniently, he alone rediscovered).

The Obsession with the Sabbath and Holy Days If there's one thing Armstrongites and Hebrew Rooters can bond over, it's their shared disdain for Sunday worship. In both groups, Sabbath-keeping is not just a preference—it’s the ultimate litmus test for true believers. If you worship on Sunday, you’re practically bowing before the sun god Baal.

Armstrongism and the HRM both demand adherence to Old Testament feast days, claiming they are still binding. Armstrongites take their calendar straight from the playbook of HWA, while HRM followers often dabble in rabbinic calculations to determine when exactly to blow their shofars and bake their unleavened bread. Either way, both groups live under the illusion that God is far more concerned with whether you fast on the right day than whether you understand the gospel.

Dietary Laws: The True Measure of Holiness One of the most ridiculous ways both groups measure righteousness is through diet. Armstrongites won’t touch pork or shellfish, and HRM folks do the same—but with extra zeal, often adopting full kosher observance. In their world, nothing screams "true believer" like scrutinizing food labels for hidden pork gelatin while ignoring the weightier matters of faith, grace, and love.

Paul’s rebuke of dietary legalism in Colossians 2:16? Must be a mistranslation! Instead of reading Scripture in context, both movements cling to Leviticus 11 as if it were the gospel itself.

Hebrew Name Obsession In classic cultic fashion, both Armstrongism and the HRM have a thing for linguistic exclusivism. Armstrongites insist on calling Jesus "the Word" or "the Eternal," while Hebrew Rooters insist that only "Yeshua" (or some other variation like Yahushua) is the proper name for the Messiah.

Dare to say "Jesus"? You might as well be invoking Zeus! Never mind that the apostles wrote the New Testament in Greek and referred to Him as Iēsous—these groups prefer their own reconstructed "pure" names, as if God refuses to hear prayers uttered in anything other than the cult mandated terminology.

Authority Issues: Who Needs the Church? Another shared trait is a deep distrust of church history and traditional Christian doctrine. Armstrongism teaches that all churches except their own are deceived by Satan, and the HRM promotes a similar narrative—claiming that Christianity lost its way by embracing Greek philosophy and abandoning Jewish customs.

Both groups revel in being "set apart" from mainstream Christianity, convinced they alone hold the truth. This results in endless theological rabbit holes, as members constantly debate calendars, Hebrew pronunciations, and other trivialities while missing the entire point of the gospel.

Legalism vs. the Gospel At the core of both Armstrongism and the Hebrew Roots Movement is the same fundamental error: a failure to grasp the sufficiency of Christ’s work on the cross. Instead of embracing salvation by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), they insist on returning to the yoke of the law, despite Paul’s clear warnings against it (Galatians 5:1-4).

Their obsession with Old Testament law keeps them from experiencing the freedom found in Christ. They see grace not as the power of salvation but as a mere "helping hand" to keep the law better. This is why so many who move from Armstrongism to Hebrew Roots simply exchange one form of bondage for another.

Conclusion: From One Cult to Another The Hebrew Roots Movement is, in many ways, just Armstrongism with more shofars and Hebrew terminology. Both reject the gospel of grace in favor of legalistic rule-keeping. Both see themselves as the "one true remnant." And both twist Scripture to fit their own pre-determined theological conclusions.

Ultimately, the real gospel—the one found in Scripture—teaches that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. It’s not about feast days, Sabbath-keeping, or avoiding bacon. It’s about trusting in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Anything else is just another dead-end road paved with self-righteousness and spiritual pride.

---

Comparing Cults: Armstrongism vs. Hebrew Roots © 2025 by Ai-COG is licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0

---

Support ::Armstrongism investigated::

By Ai-COG · Launched 2 months ago

::Armstrongism investigated:: takes a Deep Dive into the cultic murky world of the Worldwide Church of God and its offshoots. If you love investigating cults stick around and prepare to dive deep!

 

Op-ed: The Seventy Weeks Prophecy

 

Double-click graphic to enlarge more

The Seventy Weeks Telescopic Prophecy

by Multi-Part Man

 

The graphic above pictures my interpretation of the “seventy weeks” prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27, informed by relevant Scriptures; it is reasonably straightforward, so just a few observations:

 

The Seventieth Week is a Prophetic Week for both The Christ and the Antichrist.

 

The end of the 69 weeks and the beginning of the 70th week is the start of The Christ’s ‘week’. The Antichrist’s ‘week’ begins seven years before the return of The Christ. The Christ’s week is a ‘telescopic’ week while the Antichrist’s weak is a ‘continuous’ week.

 

Both The Christ and the Antichrist are assassinated and resurrected in the middle of their ‘weeks’. Before the assassination the Antichrist he is the seventh king and after his resurrection he is the eighth (Rev 17:11). Antiochus Epiphanes, the OT Antichrist and the eighth king of the Seleucid dynasty provides a type for the Antichrist/Beast.

 

The first half of each week is a time of relative peace, while the second halves are characterised by war. Joshua, son of Nun and the conquest of Canaan provides the ‘type’ for Joshua, Son of God in His conquest of the world. The battles of Jericho and Jerusalem are the initial battles respectively and the northern coalitions of Jabin and Gog are the final major campaigns respectively - but there is still a lot of conquest to follow. The setting up of the tabernacle at Shiloh then provides the type for Ezekiel’s temple.

 

From Daniel 7 a ten-king kingdom will appear out of the old Roman Empire. The little horn/Antichrist will come up amongst the ten kings and became the leader toppling three of these kings (Da 7:24), presumably replacing them with his own appointments.

 

The beginning of the Antichrist’s week begin with a covenant with the Jews (Dan 9:27a), which appears to involve the building of a Temple. An earthquake in Jerusalem similar to the “earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah” (Zec 14:5) may level the Muslim buildings on the Temple Mount to facilitate the building project.

 

The covenant will be broken with the assassination of the Antichrist, by a Jew? to fulfil typology, and then the sacrifice and the oblation will cease (Dan 9:27) and the persecution of the Jews will begin and this will continue for “a time and times and the dividing of time” (Dan 7:25).

 

“Telescoping: The leaping of a prophecy from a near to far horizon without the notice of intervening mater” (J. Barton Payne, Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy, p.xviii).

 

Both the image of Daniel 2 and the Beast of Daniel 7 are telescopic in that there is a time gap between the kingdom of iron and the kingdom of iron and clay/ the kingdom of the fourth beast and the kingdom of the ten kings.

 

With Titus and Hadrian the Jewish state came to an end and the qualifications to be a part of the image, from the Jewish perspective, was over. It was not until the declaration of the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 that the requirements to be part of the image could begin to be fulfilled.

 

During the first half of Christ’s prophetic week He raised up, or laid the foundation, of Israel the Church and commissioned it go and teach all nations (Mt 28:19-20). In the second half of His week He raises up Israel the Kingdom and commissions it to be “a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth” (Isa 49:6). While this Scripture is written from the ‘principal’ perspective the fulfillment is by the “agent” — compare Paul’s application of this Scripture in Acts 13:47.

 

At the end of the first half of Christ’s prophetic week He returned to the higher realm of heaven; after His second half He returns to the lower realm of heaven, with the Saints, and rules the earth from the heavenlies recently vacated by Satan and the demons.

 

The Seventy Weeks ends when Christ takes up residence in the Messianic Temple just as he had taken up residence in the Mosaic Tabernacle and Solomonic Temple. The graphic below pictures the fulfilment: “And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever (Eze 43:7a).

Dave Pack: R*pe Never Happens If You Are Serving God In This Church

 

When Prophecy Fails

The Bible contains many failed propehcies. In the Old Testament and used as proof of basically nothing correct, the WCG appealed to the Prophecy about Tyre to prove its validity. The prophecy about Tyre failed spectacularly to this day.

The Book of Revelation is a failed prophecy. Apologetics will insist it was for both then and now again but this is simply not true. Letting go of failed prophecy is not something the true believer does easily or at all.

The Apostle Paul, and others in the NT failed miserably in their understanding of the Second Coming in their time.

Paul ended up having to admit that prophecy, which he made many of in his "soon" and "shortly" preaching could and ultimately, did fail. I often wondered how many lives he somewhat ruined as they prepared by not marrying or "giving all", with his own prophetic wishful thinking.

"Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will fail" ,Paul was, at least, able to admit

(From the United Church of God)

=========================================

Dave Pack can't "unveil" it, so he simply has to "explain" it

In our time, we have Fake Apostle and Notta-real-Minister, David C Pack, who is obcessed with predicting Christ's Second Coming, failing now again over his inarguable truth of it being, for sure, March 29th now past. This marks the 93rd false teaching on this topic for Dave in just the last two years.

Caught in his own prophectic loop, one wonders why does anyone listen to this charlatan anymore?

======================================

"These failed prophecies are not just mistakes. The reveal something deeper about the nature of belief, human psychology and the power of expectation"

"When scientific claims fail, they are discarded. When religious prophecies fail they are often reinterpreted, delayed or ignored."

"Science is willing to be wrong and adjust. While religious belief often bends reality to fit its narrative"

==================================

These 6 minutes explain the phenomenon of reworking failed prophecies so that one can pretend they did not fail....

...and why they stay.

Jana Brock: Raised In A Cult

 

This video is the introduction to a my Raised In A Cult series I intend to publish about a very specific high demand religion called Armstrongism - a church labeled as a cult by many people since its founder died. Eventually, it splintered off into other churches but many still adhere to the original doctrines of Herbert W. Armstrong. 

I was a third generation member of this cult. My paternal grandparents were one of several founding familes here in the Pacific Northwest. Eventually, the church was renamed Worldwide Church of God. Armstrong amassed great wealth off the backs of his church members, many of whom were living at or near the poverty line. 

Worldwide Church of God splintered off after Armstrong died. Many members left but many fiercely defend those cult teachings, even today. One documentary ("Called To Be Free") features leaders of Worldwide Church of God talking about how their doctrine was wrong and how hard their mistakes were to correct with church (cult) membership. That’s all well and good for the paid ministers and their families, but it does nothing to correct the immense harm inflicted on countless families around the world, including mine. Not one of them admitted to the immense harm that was done to the membership all those years. 

There is no way to know how many people have suffered needlessly because of high-demand religions (aka cults) and their harmful teachings. 

Many bible-based churches are nothing like what I learned growing up. They are filled with good people who have good intentions and live good lives. If you choose to go to church, hopefully you can find one of them. 

Be well, Jana

UCG Also Looking Back To Exodus For Passover Prep

 

You can tell it is getting close to Passover time in COGland. The overemphasis on law-keeping is flying fast and furious. UCG is asking their members to look back to Exodus and the law as they prepare to crucify Christ once more in a high school gym or Masonic Lodge. Instead of focusing on the deep, rich things that Christians have understood for centuries about Christ, they prefer to prostrate themselves at the foot of the law, expecting it to save and forgive them.

Timeless and foundational principles are found throughout the book of Exodus as God begins to bring His people out of Egypt and teach them His way. In Exodus 1, for example, Pharaoh determines the children of Israel have grown too many. As a result, he decides to kill a number of God’s people and commands the midwives to carry this out as each male child is born. The midwives do not all follow Pharaoh’s order. They are right in their actions. Killing in any of its forms, as Christ magnifies in Matthew 5:21-22, is wrong 

 

The Bible is clear we are to obey our master’s instructions and requests unless they are ungodly. To defy is against God’s way (Ephesians 6:5-8). But, if we are asked by any leader at work, in government or anywhere else, to do something that is contrary to God’s way, we don’t do it. Acts 5:29 is clear in this respect: “But Peter and the other apostles answered and said, ‘We ought to obey God rather than men.’” 

 

Always do things God’s way. His way leads to peace, unity, joy, fulfillment and true love for Him and each other (agape). 

 

Remember why we are here 

 

Brethren, remember we are here to become like Christ. Remember your calling, remember the eternal purpose for which God has called you and to which you committed. Nothing in this physical life compares with what God has prepared for those who truly love (agape) Him. 

 

As we prepare for Passover, now just a little over four weeks away, let us truly examine ourselves and purpose to endeavor together to follow Him with all our hearts, minds and souls.
Continuing in Christ’s service,
Rick Shabi

LCG: It's Close To Passover And You Need To Read The 10 Commandments Booklet

 

It's another day in LCG and their focus is on the law instead of finding freedom in the one they claim to follow.

Eliminating Spiritual Leaven: The Scriptures indicate that leaven is to be removed from our homes and not eaten during the Days of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12:15). We need to remember that this is a physical exercise to help us realize the importance of identifying and removing spiritual leaven that tends to creep into our lives from the world. Spiritual leaven involves breaking the commandments of God, compromising or rebelling against His instructions, and exhibiting the attitudes and works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19–21). Yet we are also instructed to eat unleavened bread for seven days (Leviticus 23:6). As we prepare to take the Passover and go through the Days of Unleavened Bread, it may be helpful to reread the booklet on the Ten Commandments. We need to ask God to help us see any spiritual leaven that we need to eliminate from our lives so we can really become more like our Father and more like our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail

How about instead of reading some worthless COG booklet you read Romans, Galatians, and 1 Corinthians without any COG literature next to you?

Galatians 2:16: "I know that a person is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, so we also believe that we will be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified."