August 13, 2021 Brethren Letter
Dear Brethren,
For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. (Matthew 24:21)
Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:36)
Tonight, I’m sending the second part of Mr. Armstrong’s Brethren, Co-Worker letter dated August 14,1978. Again, in his letter he describes the prophecies spoken of in the Book of Daniel, and the related prophecies found in the Book of Revelation.
Please have a wonderful Sabbath.
Your Brother in Christ,
Gary Liebold
The continuation of Mr. Armstrong’s Letter (August 14, 1978)…
It was in 1935 when Mussolini declared he had restored the “Holy Roman Empire” yet, as stated, I do not remember that it was regarded as sufficiently newsworthy to make the front pages of newspapers. I did read the dispatches — but it was not given big headlines. Probably only a few even noticed it. It was such an insignificant revival of the Holy Roman Empire that the world in general considered the empire “WAS NOT,” and yet it was. This was the sixth “head” of the “beast”.
Verse 9: the seven heads of this medieval-modern empire are symbolized as seven mountains on which the “woman” sat. I have already explained there were “valleys” in between the times when this European empire rose to its greatest heights.
Verse 10: Revised Standard Version,”They are also seven kings” or kingdoms — eras — five of whom have (at the time of the vision) “fallen … one is” (1935), “and the other is not yet come.”
Verse 11: And this beast “is the eighth and is of the seven.” That is, it is of, follow-ing after, as part of, the seven heads of the thirteenth chapter “beast” — and it is the eighth. The seven were Babylon, Persia, Greece with four heads, and the Roman Empire of 31 B.C.- 476 A.D. This is a continuation of the same Gentile system. It is the final stage of the entire system dating from 604 B.C. to Christ’s Second Coming, when it shall go into perdition! (Utter destruction!)
Verse 12: We have been talking about the seven “heads” of this “beast” — Justin-ian, Charlemagne, Otto, Charles, Napoleon, Mussolini, were the SIX! The “ten horns” are part of the seventh “head” perhaps now in the election of a new Pope, coming. These ten horns are not described as successive kingdoms, one after the other — but as ten literal contemporaneous kings. But, as of the time of division — 1935 to now — they have not yet received their kingdoms. But they are to receive power as kings, for just a very short period — perhaps three and one-half or more years.
They are to be ten heads-of-state over ten European nations, temporarily united as a “United States of Europe.” They are symbolized in Daniel 2 as the ten toes, of iron and miry clay — which will not mix, and therefore shall be short-lived!
Definitely, however, they shall last for at least two and one- half years of the three and one-half years of the “Great Tribulation” — which they will instigate. And also the very brief period of “THE DAY OF THE LORD” which is the central theme of the whole book of Revelation. This latter could be up to one year at the end of the “Great Tribulation.”
But they will give all their military and monetary power to the central ruler over the TEN — the coming European leader — one I may already know.
These ten, with their leader, will fight against Christ at His coming — but He will END their rule. This places the whole seventeenth chapter “beast” as shortly before Christ’s coming.
Now to pick up the thread of our story from the beginning — from the creation of Adam. The six-thousand-year sentence God placed on the world from Adam is ready very soon to expire.
The ten-tribed kingdom of Israel, taken to Assyria as slaves 721-718 B.C. had, with the ancient Assyrians, migrated into Europe within a hundred years — by or before Judah’s captivity by Babylon 604-585 B.C. The Assyrians are the Germans of today. Ephraim- Manasseh settled in the British Isles. The tribe of Reuben settled in France. Dan may have settled in Ireland — or Denmark, or both.
Others of the ten tribes settled in Western Europe — Holland, Norway, Sweden, Bel-gium.
Meanwhile, a contingent of Judah (Jews) had gone back to Jerusalem and Judea to build the second temple, 70 years after Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Solomon’s temple. Other parts of Judah had migrated to such countries as Russia, Poland, and many Balkan countries. Many Jews from those countries have been returning to modern Israel since 1948.
But Jews were living in Judea when Jesus was born. Gentiles of the Babylonian Mystery religion had been in the area of Samaria north of Jerusalem.
Jesus sent His twelve original apostles to “the lost sheep of the House of Israel” — actually then unknown to the world — having lost their identity, living in Western Eu-rope (not including Italy, Spain and Portugal). That is why we find very little in the book of Acts or New Testament history about Peter, after some few years following Christ’s resurrection and the founding of the Church of God. That explains why we read more about Paul — who was the chief apostle to the Gentiles.
But two years after the founding of the Church of God, 31 A.D., a tremendous persecution set in. By about 59 A.D. the churches in Galatia had turned to another gospel — Christ’s gospel message had been suppressed. The Church had gone virtu-ally underground — but it survived through all generations. Thousands were mar-tyred during the “Dark Ages” of the medieval “Holy Roman Empire.”
But, today, we find a trace of some of the original Christian faith of Jesus in Brit-ain, Europe, South America, besides the United States.
In 1933 God raised up a new era of His true Church. It is the “Philadelphia” era of Rev. 3:7-13, when Christ has “opened the door” into foreign Gentile nations — which doors had been closed to Christ’s message — so that the message of the GOSPEL OF
THE KINGDOM OF GOD might, AT LAST, (after nineteen centuries when it was sup-pressed) go into those nations. And all this, just before the GREAT TRIBULATION and the end of this six-thousand-year day of man.
Now, finally, I come to what it is of LIFE-AND-DEATH importance for you to under-stand!
Our labors in GOD’S WORK will be ended soon after the resurrection of the im-pending United States of Europe!
UNDERSTAND these end-time PROPHECIES! According to Daniel 11:40-45, this re-vived “Holy Roman Empire”, “shall enter into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown.”
Then, verse 44, news out of the north-east (Russia and China) shall worry him — the Communists will be stirring to invade and destroy Roman Catholic EUROPE! Therefore, this power (U.S. of Europe) “shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace…in the glorious [land]” (Palestine — Judea — Israel).
Continue Dan. 12:1: “And at that time shall Michael stand up” (Rev. 12:7), “the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation …” (compare Matt. 24:21,22 — the Great Tribulation), then shall soon follow the coming of Christ, the resurrection of the dead in Christ, and the KINGDOM OF GOD!
Now notice what Jeremiah adds to happen at this precise juncture: (Jer. 30).
“Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble” (verse 7). This is the same GREAT TRIBULATION — as Matt. 24:21,22 has it: “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved [alive]: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.”
Jeremiah 30 is more specific. While it is to be a time of WORLD TROUBLE such as never before occurred, yet it is PRIMARILY “the time of JACOB’S TROUBLE.”
Now who is “Jacob” in these last days? THANK GOD! He revealed to me 51 years ago that the so-called “lost ten tribes” of Israel (of Jacob) had migrated to Western Europe, Britain, and finally the United States. In Ambassador College from its very opening day, I had to fight diligently and continually to keep Christ in and Satan’s world out! The so-called “intellectuals of higher education” constantly sniped away at BASIC TRUTH which God had revealed to me — on which God’s Church for our time is based. They found three or four little nonimportant errors in the booklet “The United States and British Commonwealth in Prophecy” originally written some 51 years ago. As their tiny nonimportant errors were brought to my attention, they were eliminated! But finally, my son, assuming an authority never delegated to him had this most important booklet cut down to almost nothing, then put out of circu-lation entirely! That booklet, or book, is again being printed — “error-free” — and will be vigorously circulated. That book had a great deal to do with the very building of the Worldwide Church of God!
When prophecy tells us this is to be the time of “Jacob’s trouble,” that means, pri-marily, the United States and the British people!
Now that we are coming down to the very time, it is A LIFE-AND- DEATH matter to God’s Church that we UNDERSTAND!
Now the prophecy says, news from Communist countries will cause this “beast” power to “go forth with great fury to destroy” (Dan. 11:44). He will thereby instigate “THE GREAT TRIBULATION.” But whom will he seek to destroy? Jacob! And the dy-ing Jacob in Egypt, with his hands crossed on Ephraim and Manasseh (Joseph’s sons) said, “let my name (JACOB) be named on them” (Gen. 48:16). Today they are the U.S. and the British!
Undoubtedly GERMANY will head the new resurrected “Holy Roman Empire.” Who conquered the German armed fist twice — in the two great world wars? It was Britain with the United States pouring in the real knockout power! Who will they go forth to DESTROY? Britain and the United States!
Read the latter portions of the “U.S. in Prophecy” booklet prophecies, showing that our cities shall be destroyed (Ezek. 6:6). A third of our populations shall die from disease epidemics caused by famine, and another third shall be killed by mili-tary action and the remaining third scattered — as slaves to Europe (and probably some to South America) (Ezek. 5:12).
Our work will be ended soon after the resurrection of the “Holy Roman Empire” — the impending “United States of Europe.” The Laodicean era of God’s Church — the seventh and final era — will exist during the Great Tribulation.
But our “Philadelphia” era brethren are promised divine PROTECTION — to be taken to a place of safety (Rev. 3:10 and 12:13-16) which PLEASE READ!
Brethren, IF we are to be taken to a place of protection from the GREAT TRIBULA-TION, we shall have to have real faith in Christ and His promises!
A spiritual REVIVAL within the Church is virtually a LIFE-AND- DEATH matter of URGENCY NOW! I ask you, pray as never before!
With deepest love in Jesus’ name,
Herbert W. Armstrong