Are we living in…
‘The Latter Days’?
Over 3,500 years ago, Moses was inspired to write this startling prophecy:
“For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you IN THE LATTER DAYS; because ye will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands.” (Deuteronomy 31:29)
Around 2,500 years ago, the prophet Daniel used the same term, “IN THE LATTER DAYS” , and indicated that this event was in the far future.
“Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days : for yet the vision is for many days.” (Daniel 10:14)
“The Latter Days” Is The Same As “The Time Of The End”
In Daniel chapter 11, Daniel was inspired to write yet another prophecy about an end time event. At the time of the end, the King of the South is to ‘push’ against, or attack, the King of the North, and the King of the North responds by taking over most of the Middle East and cutting off the daily sacrifices in Jerusalem. (Daniel 11:40)
Prophecy Active - Right Now!
“I will break the pride of your power…” (Leviticus 26:19)
When we look at recent news events, we can see this happening right now!
When it comes down to weapons of war, one of the ultimate weapons is the mighty aircraft carrier.
The United States Has The Largest Carrier Fleet In The World
“The United States operates the world’s largest aircraft carrier fleet by a massive margin. As of 2025, the US has 20 carriers in active service, including 11 traditional aircraft carriers and 9 helicopter carriers. That is nearly three times more total carriers than China, which ranks second globally with 7. American carriers form the backbone of the country’s global naval power projection. The fleet includes some of the largest and most technologically advanced warships ever built, including the nuclear-powered Gerald R Ford-class supercarriers.” (worldpopulationreview.com)
But - Only 4 Of 11 US Aircraft Carriers Are Operational
“The US Navy’s carrier fleet is stretched thinner than it looks on paper. Out of 11 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, only 4 are currently operational. The rest are either docked for repairs, undergoing refueling, or stuck in overhaul cycles that can drag on for years. That’s not a rumor. That’s the July 2025 status confirmed by fleet trackers and Navy dispatches.” (citizenwatchreport.com)
All Eyes Are On One Warship - The USS Gerald R Ford
“Having the Ford in position to strike Iran, and potentially to defend Israel, would significantly add to the firepower provided by the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Gulf of Oman and the many other US assets in the region. In a full-scale scenario, if Iran launches all available missiles and drones and sends out all its fast-attack craft, submarines and ships, it may manage to inflict serious losses on the US, up to and including the sinking of one or more US warships – though probably not the carriers. The stakes are high.” (telegraph.co.uk)
The USS Gerald R Ford Retreating From Iran
“America’s new $13 billion aircraft carrier forced to retreat from Iran war because eco-friendly toilets won’t flush. The ship was also hit by a fire on March 12 in a laundry area, which filled multiple sections with smoke, damaged berthing spaces and left some living quarters unusable. Smoke is believed to have spread through the ship’s air circulation system, contaminating mattresses and linens and rendering some areas virtually unliveable. It comes just days after Trump made a scathing remark about Great Britain’s aircraft carrier, calling it a ‘toy’ before mocking the UK’s decision to send ships when the Iran war is over.” (dailymail.co.uk)
Iran Claimed They Targeted The Premier American Aircraft Carrier
“Tehran has claimed responsibility, asserting IT SUCCESSFULLY TARGETED THE PREMIER AMERICAN AIRCRAFT CARRIER.” (zerohedge.com)
Ford Carrier Damage Far More Severe Than Pentagon Acknowledged
The damage inflicted looks a lot more like a missile strike as opposed to a fire in a tumble dryer!
“Newly surfaced footage obtained by CNN indicates that a severe fire aboard the USS Gerald R Ford - the world’s largest aircraft carrier - inflicted far more extensive damage than the Trump administration initially admitted to the public. Early in the conflict it was forced to depart Mideast regional waters and retreat West in the Mediterranean, before undergoing extensive repairs at port in Croatia.
Pundits were skeptical of official explanations, which suggested an accidental fire was sparked in the laundry room aboard the giant vessel. The major blaze erupted in March at a moment Iran claimed to have directly hit US naval vessels, but the crisis was consistently downplayed by Pentagon officials at the time.
The obtained video reveals severely destroyed sleeping quarters, showing sailors’ bunks entirely reduced to charred, twisted metal. The ceiling directly above the berthing areas appears completely gutted by the intense flames, while exposed wiring hangs from overhead and thick ash blankets the floor.
One sailor and eyewitness stationed on board the aircraft carrier told CNN: ‘I seriously thought we were going to lose the ship. It’s either fight or die.’ This doesn’t sound like some localized fire in a small compartment, BUT A MASSIVE EMERGENCY - which as we now know derailed the Ford’s ongoing Iran mission in CENTCOM regional waters.
According to prior revealed details, it took the carrier’s crew approximately 30 hours of continuous damage control to fully extinguish the fire, clear out the wreckage, and importantly prevent the fire from reigniting. Some 600 sailors were displaced and left without access to their standard bunks, it had been revealed soon after the event took place.
While the definitive cause of the fire remains unclear, Tehran has claimed responsibility, asserting it successfully targeted the premier American aircraft carrier.” (zerohedge.com)
Iran’s Regime Is Confident Of Victory
“More than 13,000 air strikes have proved that American and Israeli jets rule the skies above the Islamic Republic. Yet, despite everything, the regime strives to create an aura of brazen confidence. After Donald Trump denounced Iran’s ‘totally unacceptable’ response to an American peace plan, the foreign ministry spokesman in Tehran replied simply: ‘We don’t care if others are happy or not.’ Having suffered 40 days of round-the-clock bombing from two of the most formidable air forces in the world, Iran is now enduring a US naval blockade designed to strangle its seaborne oil exports and sever its economic lifeline once and for all. So is the regime’s defiance justified, or evidence of delusion and folly?” (telegraph.co.uk)
Iran’s New Plan To Take On The US
“Iran’s leaders have learnt a fundamental lesson from the war with the United States: the West runs on oil, and Iran sits astride the routes that carry it. ‘Any renewed aggression on the part of the enemy must be met with a response that directly targets the vital interests of the United States and its allies,’ it said.
It sets out four steps:
The first step is a halt to oil exports from Hormuz. Iran would seek to stop all crude leaving the Strait of Hormuz, attacking tankers and laying sea mines. They would also look to launch attacks on neighbours’ production and refining infrastructure so severe, the doctrine said, that it could not be rebuilt ‘for several years’. This is the single most powerful lever Iran holds.
The second plan of attack is opening a second front in the Red Sea. Closing Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb together would put Iran’s hand on two of the arteries linking Europe, the Middle East and Asia at once.
The third is raising the human and financial cost to the US. The doctrine urged a strategy of ‘cost-imposition’, using asymmetric strikes to inflict heavy casualties on US forces quickly enough to drive Washington’s cost-benefit calculation ‘to zero or negative’.
The fourth is a deliberately ambiguous shift in doctrine. Arguing the enemy had trampled Iran’s past red lines, Iranian military analysts urged Tehran to maximise ‘strategic ambiguity’, putting options on the table that would force ‘every military analyst to reconsider the new boundaries of Iran’s deterrent power’. Put more extreme red lines on the table, daring the US to break them and threatening a more extreme response.” (telegraph.co.uk)
America Has Suffered A Strategic Defeat Against Iran
“The moment has arrived. The evidence is in. The jury has concluded its deliberations and the verdict is clear. Donald Trump’s war against the Islamic Republic of Iran can now be declared a strategic defeat for the most powerful nation on Earth. It is with great reluctance and significant anguish that I reach this conclusion.
The final nail in the coffin of America’s hopes came on Sunday, when Trump called off ‘the biggest attack since World War Two’ amid talks that could hand Tehran at least partial control of the Strait of Hormuz. He also expressed his hopes that the latest ‘deal’ – how many deals have there supposedly been now? – would lead to ‘an end to Iran’s nuclear threat’.
After six months of on-off fighting which could cost upwards of a trillion dollars, the US and Gulf states now lack sufficient munitions, both offensive and defensive, to impose a decisive strategic outcome. Meanwhile, despite sustaining remarkably heavy losses during Trump’s epic fury, the regime in Tehran remains bloody but unbowed, its grim hands tight on the levers of coercion: its remaining missile capabilities and the ability to disrupt the Strait of Hormuz.
Not only is the threat from Iran undefeated, but American deterrence has sustained a generational level of damage. To make matters worse, its stock of munitions are running low. All the worst people in the world, from Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping to the maimed Ayatollah himself, are laughing and sharpening their knives.” (telegraph.co.uk)
Iran Security Chief: Hormuz Closed “Until America Corrects Its Behaviour”
“Iran’s top national security official warned Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States ‘corrects its behavior,’ issuing a sweeping list of demands as Vice President JD Vance said Washington remains in the ‘middle of the game’ and is continuing to apply diplomatic, economic, and military pressure on Tehran.
Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and a former senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander, demanded that the United States end military action and threats against Iran and its regional allies,
- lift its naval blockade
- withdraw US naval and air forces from around Iran
- lift sanctions
- unconditionally release frozen Iranian assets
‘Until America corrects its behavior, the Strait of Hormuz will not be reopened,’ Zolghadr said in a statement carried by Iranian state media. ‘These are the demands of the Iranian people, which they have loudly proclaimed during 160 days of steadfast presence in the field and in the streets,’ he said. Zolghadr also vowed that Iran’s Supreme National Security Council ‘will never back down, whether in war or in negotiations’.
IRGC General Hossein Mohebbi reinforced that position Saturday, saying the reopening of Hormuz is ‘completely independent’ of the Iran-Oman negotiations and would come only after Washington accepts Tehran’s conditions.” (breitbart.com)
US Aircraft Carrier On Way To Relieve USS Lincoln
“The deployment, which was originally set to end in May, has been repeatedly extended. No return date has been announced, but on Thursday multiple outlets reported the US was preparing to replace the carrier with the USS George Washington as part of a previously scheduled rotation plan.
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal listed the reported hardships on the carrier, where about 5,000 people currently live, in a letter to Hegseth.
‘Shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues, deteriorating mental health, deck safety concerns and disruptions in the mail system, which have caused many care packages in route to the ship to be lost in transit for months,’ the Democrat, who serves on the Armed Services Committee, wrote.
‘These reports warrant immediate attention, but they also raise a broader question: whether the Navy can sustain the operational tempo now being demanded of its carrier force.’” (bbc.co.uk)
Pentagon Hiding Missile Shortage From White House
“Rumours are spreading across the administration that the Pentagon is concealing a shortage of interceptor missiles, which are needed to resume the war. Sharing ‘bad news, or realistic news, doesn’t seem to end well for anybody’, an insider told The Telegraph. Analysis by the Royal United Services Institute in March calculated the US and its allies had burned through more than 11,000 munitions in the first 16 days of war, and predicted they were a month away from running out of critical munitions.” (telegraph.co.uk)
Now - Trump Wants To Unleash “Economic D-Day”
“Now Trump wants to squeeze the life out of Tehran with another tactic: taking down its crippled economy. Trump said last week that he was about to launch an ‘economic D-Day’ and ‘economic warfare… on an unprecedented scale’ to end the conflict. ‘These maniacs are on the ropes and these HISTORIC MEASURES will cripple them and their ability to project terror worldwide,’ he said on his Truth Social site.
But if Trump thinks unleashing US financial firepower will finally turn the tide of the six-month-old conflict, he is in for a rude awakening. Iran’s mullahs have suffered economic onslaughts before and analysts say Trump is deluded to think he can succeed where others have failed.” (telegraph.co.uk)
And The Truth Is…?
Did an Iranian missile disable the mighty USS Gerald R Ford? The truth is very difficult to find. But it seems that the fire on the USS Gerald R Ford was serious enough to take it out of service for at least a year and cause a huge amount of damage.
Is the US really running low on missiles? Some have been transferred from South Korea back to the Middle East - and the President called off a planned assault on Iran. Now we have economic warfare.
Financial pressure - the US at war with the bond market as interest rates rise.
Who Is Winning The war?
The Iranian government is still running the country. They are still claiming victory. They are saying that they “will never back down, whether in war or in negotiations.” They still claim to control the straights of Hormuz. They are playing for time - the longer this war drags out the higher the cost to America. So far, this war has cost the US over one trillion dollars! All financed on borrowed money!
If You Think The US National Debt Is $40 Trillion …Think Again!
“That $40 trillion figure is $136 trillion short! The actual total national debt is more than $176 trillion. At that level, each and every federal taxpayer is liable for $1.1 million in outstanding debt.” (pjmedia.com)
America: A Nation Under A Curse!
FINANCE
In Deuteronomy 28 we read about the blessings for obeying God:
“…Thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.” (Deuteronomy 28:12)
“…The borrower is servant to the lender.” (Proverbs 22:7)
Trump Is In Another Unwinnable War With The Bond Market
“As US debt rockets, the president and allies are scrambling to prevent a financial earthquake. Trump urged the American public not to worry about the bond markets’ jitters. Trump’s gamble, with the world’s biggest debt stockpile, is that he can keep the party going. But in trying to take on the bond vigilantes, Trump and Bessent may inadvertently have started another unwinnable war.” (telegraph.co.uk)
Then the curse for disobedience …the reality of today’s world:
“The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low. He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail.” (Deuteronomy 28:43-44)
POWER
Remember the curse in Leviticus 26:19 - “And I will break the pride of your power…”
The pride of the US navy - the USS Gerald R Ford, the largest aircraft carrier in the world, the most expensive carrier ever built, it boasts not one but two nuclear reactors, carries over 75 aircraft and 5,500 crew - had to leave the war zone due to blocked toilets and a fire in the laundry room! I think the pride in the power took a bit of a hit!
Between America and Israel, they have flown over 13,000 missions against Iran, and Iran is still going strong! And after this huge onslaught, Iran is still defiant. They will drag this war on and on - knowing that they are in control holding much of the world hostage.
Now it looks like Iran could join in the Mecca agreement!
“Iran has been invited to join the Mecca Agreement for Mutual Defense, the new security alliance established by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan earlier this month, Al Mayadeen reported on Saturday, citing a senior Iranian official. The invitation has not yet been officially confirmed by Iran's Foreign Ministry or by any of the three countries that are parties to the agreement. Mehdi Rahimi, head of the Iranian parliament's Khaneh Mellat news agency, told the channel that ‘Iran has received an invitation to join the Mecca Agreement, and the matter is under review.’ Rahimi added that countries in the region ‘are moving toward seeking a regional security umbrella,’ and claimed that this represented ‘a victory for Iran, because it has been calling for this for a long time.’” (jpost.com)
Leviticus 26:19 - A Two Part Prophecy
The pride in American power is being broken - but don’t forget the second part of the verse...
“AND I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass:”
The two are mentioned - together. What do we see in both Britain and the US? Drought! Our food supply is under threat. Many nations that normally export food are also having problems. Russia has banned all exports of wheat while fresh fruit and vegetables are in short supply in Europe.
Coming up - El Niño! The Super El Niño that we are currently experiencing is setting new water temperature records in the Pacific Ocean on a daily basis. More droughts and floods fulfilling the prophecy in Amos 4:7. “I have withholden the rain from you …I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city:”
Just In The Last Few Weeks:
- USS Gerald R Ford - the premier aircraft carrier: disabled
- Second carrier short of basic supplies
- US running low on missiles
- US interest rates on debt rising - America is drowning in debt
- Iran’s regime is still confident of victory!
- Wild weather - floods and drought
- Now - the threat of El Niño
- The Mecca agreement starting to unite the Muslim nations - the foundation for the King of the South
“But THE END OF ALL THINGS IS AT HAND: be ye therefore SOBER, and watch unto prayer.” (I Peter 4:7)
(sober - From G4998; to be of sound mind, that is, sane)
It looks like the “latter days” have arrived!
But The Warning Was ALWAYS There …From The Very Beginning!
Moses was inspired to write:
“For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you IN THE LATTER DAYS; because ye will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands.” (Deuteronomy 31:29)
The prophet Jeremiah warned that God would complete His plan:
“The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in THE LATTER DAYS ye shall consider it perfectly.” (Jeremiah 23:20)
Jesus Christ gave us this time setting in Matthew 24:
“And THIS GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and THEN shall THE END COME.” (Matthew 24:14)
In his book ‘Mystery of the Ages’, God’s end time apostle stated:
“This gospel now has been preached into every nation. During its 50 years of proclamation, nuclear energy has developed with capacity for the first time in history to destroy every human alive on earth.” (Mystery of the Ages - Chapter 4)
At the end of his book ‘The United States And Britain In Prophecy’, Mr Armstrong concludes:
“By God’s direction and authority, I have laid THE TRUTH before you! To neglect it will be tragic beyond imagination! To heed it will bring blessings, happiness and GLORY beyond description!
The decision is now YOURS!”
So: Are we living in the “Latter Days”?
Watch the signs of the times!
The Breadth of the Gospel
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” (John 1:12)
On numerous occasions Mr. Armstrong would be forthright in telling his audience -- whether TV, Radio or the church -- that the gospel had not been preached to the world for nineteen hundred years UNTIL the World Tomorrow programme went on Radio Luxembourg in January 1953. As he pointed out in his sermon "Foundation of New World" December 31 1983...
Jesus explained to His disciples something that the world never did understand. It was all about the Kingdom of God, which is the overruling purpose of God. And that was Jesus’ message – the Kingdom of God. The world didn’t understand that; and they don’t yet, because that gospel has not been preached to the world. They have not preached the gospel of Christ. They have preached man’s gospel about Christ. They’ve merely preached about the person.
The person, Jesus, was a Messenger. The gospel is His Message. That is not preached, and was not in the world until God opened radio to me before the days of television; and it was proclaimed all over the United States in a 19-year time cycle. And then, precisely a century of time cycles from the time that the gospel was SUPPRESSED, Radio Luxembourg, the most powerful radio station on earth, was opened up in Europe; and the gospel went out to Europe. ("Foundation of New World" December 31 1983)
But we might ask -- surely the "cloud of witnesses" mentioned in Hebrews 11 and God's persecuted people through the Middle Ages must have understood the message Christ brought, considering the horrendous trials they were willing to suffer? It would appear that they certainly did have the concept of being strangers and pilgrims in this society (Hebrews 11:13-16) and an appreciation of "the recompence of the reward" (Hebrews 11:26), but so much of the detail, the vast scope of the gospel had been lost over the centuries, as Mr. Armstrong found when he came into contact with the Sardis church:
Now, it [the truth] had gone down; and they had lost … I found that the Sardis Church still had the truth about the Sabbath day and the law of God to an extent. They didn’t have all of the truth even about the law of God. They still had the true name, Church of God. That’s all they had. They knew that we don’t go to a burning hell if we’re wicked. They knew we don’t go to heaven. They knew that Christ would come and there would be a thousand year reign on earth; but they had no idea what that thousand year reign would be like. They didn’t realize the truth about the Kingdom of God and what it will be like. (How You and I Came to Be Here, May 16 1981)
The keeping of the Sabbath has kept God's church alive over the centuries, but it wasn't until the middle of the 20th century that the real magnitude of His message was revealed, and revealed to an individual who was willing to believe and obey what he saw written in the Bible. Initially Mr. Armstrong was stunned to see that the gospel message Christ brought explained how man's potential was to be born again -- and this time as a son of God. (John 3:3-8). And rather than a trinity, the Bible clearly stated "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God" (John 1:1,2) -- i.e currently a Family consisting of two persons, whose overall objective is to reproduce themselves -- to expand the God Family into multiple billions of spirit-born sons, who would inherit eternal life in glory and power, exploring the limitless universe, to "plant the heavens". The most amazing revelation of all time! What better news could there ever be?
Only One Gospel
As the apostle Paul wrote to the church in Galatia: "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ." (Galatians 1:6,7) It's clear that from Paul's God-given understanding, there is only the one gospel, but as we will go on to see this one and only gospel has more than one dimension to it, and is much, much broader than the world -- and even many in the wider church -- currently understand. Let's take a look at just three of them:1) The "Good News" of the Kingdom:
- And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (Matthew 24:14)
This particular aspect is usually picked out as THE gospel message by the wider church, but in fact it was the understanding Mr. Armstrong had of his role, and he said categorically that he had completed it. In Revelation 10 it mentions how the individual was to "prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings." (Revelation 10:11) ... and he did so -- emphasising the two ways of life -- before presidents, prime ministers, kings and emperors . No one else has done so since. As Mr. Armstrong mentioned in his sermon : "A Positive Message", 1 December 1977
Forty three years ago [1934] God conferred on me - not on the church, not on a team, not on a partnership, because Garner Ted was only three years old then - He conferred on ME the responsibility of the Great Commission to get the gospel message of Jesus Christ to the whole world for a witness to all nations. And I am the one He’s going to hold responsible. God has always worked through one man. We seem to want to begin to forget that now and think that God works through committees, or works through teams... ("A Positive Message", 1 December 1977)
2) The "Good News" of Peace:
- And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things (Romans 10:15)
This quote Paul took from Isaiah 52: How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! (Isaiah 52:7) ...the understanding of what the gospel is all about is very much to do with PEACE - among individuals, families, nations and eventually out to the universe, as mentioned in the previous chapter:
- And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people (Isaiah 51:16)
3) The "Good News" of the Uncircumcision:
- But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) (Galatians 2:7,8)
The breadth of the gospel includes the fact that God is no respecter of persons and that the gentiles can indeed be part of His universe-ruling family! -- "That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:" (Ephesians 3:5,6)
There are other general classifications: the Gospel of Jesus Christ, of the Grace of God, and of Salvation. But they are "building blocks" of the one true gospel and all fit within the good news of a coming new civilization -- a world ruling government administered by individuals who, during their human lifetime, developed the character necessary for the job. Who, in fact, understood the lesson of the two trees - and lived it.
Limited by the Jews
After spending 40 days after His resurrection with His disciples and teaching them more about the Kingdom of God, their query still was.. "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? (Acts 1:3,6). In their as-yet-unconverted minds, the Kingdom of God was just for the nation of Israel and it would mean booting out the despised Romans and their harsh rulership, there and then!
It appears that even John the Baptist has his reservations about the Messiah and what he felt a Messiah should be doing...
- Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,
- And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?
John was looking for ACTION, and Christ's response was to point out that yes, there's action, but also much more going on here than you and so many others have expected of the Messiah. There's a breadth to His work that you don't yet understand.
- Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:
- The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. (Matthew 11:2-5)
As recorded in Acts 10 regarding the household of the gentile centurion Cornelius:
- And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy [Spirit]. (Acts 10:45)
- When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. (Acts 11:18)
The early church had not yet come to the understanding that God's plan was for ALL humanity, and He is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (II Peter 3:9)
Limited by traditional Christianity
And greetings friends. This is Herbert W Armstrong with the Good News of the World Tomorrow. My friends, one of the most shocking things that can possibly happen is to wake up to find out that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not what we have believed at all and that we have not heard it. And that what we have believed is exactly the opposite of what the Bible says and what Jesus actually taught. (The purpose being worked out here below - WT 27 April 1979)
There are numerous "gospels" in worldly Christianity and the vast majority concentrate on the person of Christ and forgiveness of sin, and how to improve conditions in the world, and their overall aim is to get as many people "saved" in this life, so they can go to heaven when they die. But look at what Mr. Armstrong had to say in Foundation of a New World, December 31, 1983:
Jesus did not come to try to save this superstructure. What He came for was to start another building altogether. God had started a potential building that could have been His building, but Adam rejected Him and turned to Satan and Satan’s way instead. Now God is going to let it CRASH! God is going to let this world COME DOWN! GOD IS NOT TRYING TO SAVE THIS WORLD, and this world is going to CRASH DOWN and go into extinction.
Now those words are a little bit shocking, I think, to most people. I don’t think they should be to you, brethren, because I think you’ve already heard enough to understand. But most religions think Jesus came to save this superstructure. That’s what they are trying to do. They don’t say, “Come out of the world.” They’re PART OF THIS WORLD. The Catholic church is part of this world. The Protestant churches – the Methodists, the Presbyterians, the Baptists, the Lutherans, the Congregationalists, and so on – they’re all PART OF THIS WORLD... But they are deceived, and they are trying to save this world. (Foundation of a New World, December 31, 1983)
Clearly, what traditional Christianity has ignored/rejected is the message recorded in Isaiah 42, where God lays out His overall plan -- from Christ's first coming when "a bruised reed he shall not break" (verse 3) to His second coming in power and glory:
- The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies.
- I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once.
- I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools.
- And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them. (Isaiah 42:13-16)
The Breadth of the Good News
In contrast to worldly Christianity's view of the gospel, what we have been given to understand is awe-inspiring. Yes, it includes the person of Christ and His sacrifice for our sins, but it also goes on much, much further. Consider the breadth of just some of the information contained within "the good news of the Kingdom of God" ...
Why Christ died and rose again; Why we were born; The spirit in man; God's Holy spirit is a gift on repentance; The message of the two trees; Satan's rebellion and broadcast; How to have a happy marriage and family life; The seven laws of success; What are the true values; How to prosper financially; Divine healing; Death is not the end; Where the nation of Israel is today; Who are the Jews; What is Armageddon; Who is the Beast of Revelation; Who is the Great Whore of Revelation; The angelic realm; How to understand prophecy; The Plan of God in the Holy days/Leviticus 23; Sabbatical year and Jubilee year; Called to be teachers, not just salvation; The spiritual application of God's laws; The coming Utopia on earth.
The vast majority of the above truths have been withheld from the world, and only revealed "to babes"....those very few God has called over the past 6000 years. What an incredible privilege to have had our minds opened to understand the breadth, depth and momentousness of the real Gospel Message! As Mr. Armstrong wrote in "The Incredible Human Potential, chapter 2 - The Startling Revelation of what was Christ's Gospel"
It is impossible for me, in a few words, to make it clear enough with sufficient emphasis to cause the reader to comprehend the supreme, tremendous meaning and importance of that true gospel message.
And even today, when heard, it is seldom really understood in all its colossal significance because Satan has thrown up such a smokescreen of false and counterfeit religions, “gospels,” and teachings that the hearer or reader is left confused in doubt and unbelief – or in a state of indifference to the most important things in life.
Nevertheless, now just before the END of this age, Almighty God has decreed that “this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come” (Matt. 24:14). This is the message the Eternal God is delivering now, by His end-time apostle, to the heads of governments in world capitals all over the world.
The true gospel, when viewed with all that it embodies – the reason for it, the prehistoric truth of earth’s first inhabitants, the reason humans were created and put on earth, the CAUSE of all the earth’s evils and sufferings, the nature of the human mind, the need for spiritual salvation and what it is, the coming world tomorrow of peace, what lies on beyond, and man’s ultimate incredible potential – becomes the most all-encompassing subject that can enter the mind of man. Beside it, everything else shrinks to total unimportance. It is greater than any story of man ever written before. (The Incredible Human Potential, chapter 2)
- For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
- Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
- That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
- That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
- May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
- And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
- Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
- Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21)
Latest Audio - 2026-08-22
“Just what is an APOSTLE?”
Today we find the Church of God in a “wilderness of religious confusion!”
The confusion is not merely around the Church – within the religions of the world outside – but WITHIN the very heart of The True Church itself!
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