Readers may wonder why the Twenty-First Century WATCH often includes articles containing a warning to the world and specifically to the Anglo-Keltic nations.
Why Is So Much Time and Effort Put Into This Thrust?
Readers will recall that the Intercontinental Church of God published a booklet on The Long Tradition of Prophetic Insight and Accuracy which demonstrated that clear back to the early 1950s, Herbert W. Armstrong, his son Garner Ted and others were trumpeting a warning that in due time, a German-led United Europe would emerge which would turn radical and militaristic. Temporarily it would be allied with Russia and other powers. They even predicted that the countries under Communist rule in eastern Europe would break away and join with western Europe in this prophesied union. If you have not yet read that booklet, we urge you to avail yourself of it.
In the meantime, the Anglo-Keltic nations which we identify as the descendants of ancient Israel, it was predicted, would come under duress and gradually decline, suffering internal disasters such as drought, famine and disease epidemics (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28). Probably civil war will ensue (even if on a small scale), making it impossible for those nations to continue at the helm of the world. Yes, a third of the Israelitish people in our countries will die, or shall have died, by famine and disease epidemics! The future is dire and frightening.
This decline will open the doors to hostile powers taking advantage of our weaknesses. Like ravenous beasts, they will devour our nations, which will lead to another third that will die from that war and of invasion, with the cities being destroyed (Ezekiel 6:6). The remaining third will be carried to the lands of our enemies as slaves (Ezekiel 5:12).
It will be the great Tribulation (Matthew 24), or time of “Jacob’s [Israel’s] trouble” according to Jeremiah 30:7, at which time Israel will be destroyed and scattered.
Garner Ted Armstrong himself wrote articles such as Great Tribulation Coming on America and Britain –– But WHY?; Is America in Decline?; The Beast of the Apocalypse: What is it?; New Order Coming in Germany and many more. He, like his father and other writers, were decades ahead of their time. They could clearly see what the prophesies were saying and they felt it necessary to trumpet a warning. No matter how long it took.
Today, a strong warning –– even fierce at times –– must be trumpeted, regardless of the scoffers and deniers; regardless of the consequences the Church and its members may face.
It doesn’t replace the true Gospel of Christ –– the coming Kingdom of God on earth. Yet it dovetails beautifully into the Gospel message of the future Messiah Who shall save the enslaved and usher in a golden age of peace and plenty. Ezekiel therefore also contains a message of hope, protection, love and blessings for those who repent (Ezekiel 37).
Why we Warn
This Work (and others similar to us), undertakes this warning out of concern and because we care. It is not a message to scare you, but to wake up individuals, families and nations.
One could get the impression of a “don’t care” attitude today among many Christians. Or a view that “the two witnesses will do the Work” so “we can have a nice social club each week at church services” approach. We, of all people, have a duty of care and a burning desire to warn our peoples. Otherwise, our indifference will be noted by God and we will pay the consequences. Matthew Henry’s Commentary, written in the 18th century has an excellent message for us in this regard: “Lukewarmness or indifference in religion is the worst temper in the world. If [true] religion is a real thing, it is the most excellent thing, and therefore we should be in good earnest in it… If religion is worth anything, it is worth every thing; an indifference here is inexcusable: Why halt you between two opinions? If God be God, follow him; if Baal (be God), follow him … Christ expects that men should declare themselves in earnest either for him or against him” (A Commentary on the Whole Bible, Vol. 6, p. 1135).
We need to be earnest as Matthew Henry declares –– fired up with real ZEAL to reach out to warn our peoples before it is too late! The big question is whether we have love for our national brethren, and in fact, all peoples, or a lukewarm and lazy attitude which hides our light –– the prophetic message –– under a bushel. Do we want to reach out or protect our hides? Do we have a “give” or a “get” attitude? Remember what our Bible warns us about: those who wish to save their lives will inevitably lose it (Matthew 16:25).
The Ezekiel Watchman
“Ezekiel”?! The very name conjures up thoughts of an Old Testament prophet railing against a sinful nation. A man whose message is studded with condemnations and wild visions unable to be understood. Warnings about lengthy periods of intense death causing diseases, famines, slavery. Mysterious visions about chariots, rods, Gog and Magog, a millennial temple. What do all these mean? Why should a Church of the twenty-first century take the book seriously? Surely, many say, the book of Ezekiel was a message only for his time or are the ramblings of a very weird man.
But is this fair? Is this really the case or are these perceptions about Ezekiel unfounded? Can his prophecies be understood today? And do his writings have any relevance for us living in the midst of a pulsating, secular, humanistic and godless Western world?
His message for Israel in the last days is not a general, overall prophetic message. It is one filled with detail, of terror and warning that our nations will be defeated in battle and millions taken into captivity in foreign lands. THAT is the core of the Ezekiel Warning. We can also call it the Captivity Doctrine.
The use of the term “Ezekiel’s Message” is not to refer to the entire message of the book, but a particular feature or aspect of it –– specifically warnings of soon-coming invasions bent on defeating the House of Israel.
“But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand” (Ezekiel 33:6).
We have a duty of care to proclaim this Watchman witness to our peoples and to trumpet it to its fullest extent. By way of reiteration, the Ezekiel Warning is not merely publishing articles on prophecy. It is a particular type of prophetic warning: a distinct warning to the “lost” tribes of Israel that they will be invaded, conquered and taken into captivity in foreign lands where many will die –– to the extent that only one tenth of the one third which go into captivity will return in the second Exodus (meaning that only 3.3% of the original total of Israelites will be left alive for Christ, the Messiah, to rescue, as we understand at this time).
Ezekiel 33 makes it clear that if Israel’s Watchman does not blow a trumpet blast warning about impending captivity, the bloodshed of many will be on his head! The truth about Israel, detailed prophecy and the Warning Watchman are amongst the most critical issues facing the Churches today, which are entrusted by God to carry out this responsibility –– one of the most important given to any group of people in history! It must not go to sleep at the wheel.
Clearly, the only conclusion one can draw from Ezekiel 33:6 is that if we do not carry out this vital mission, the blood of many will be upon our heads. Let us now see if we will be self-willed and come up with excuses to bow to God’s Word and to blow the trumpet warning!
To trumpet a warning, our peoples must first know their identities (awakening our peoples to their identity is sometimes known as the Israel Message) –– an educational message proving their identity. That means that the outreach to them must become extensive. It has to be.
What About YOU?
We urge our peoples (in fact ALL peoples) to come to their senses and to turn back from decadence and ways that the great God of the universe finds offensive. It may be that He will tone down the intensity of Tribulation and reduce the impact of the rod and spare you and your loved ones if you do repent.
This message needs to go out in a thunderous way, to wake up our peoples before it is too late. The groups sending out this message for a long time have been well and truly ahead of their time, but they cannot be ahead of the time for eternity. Something will give soon, triggering a fascistic United Europe under the helm of Germany to arise. It will come, wait for it.
Garner Ted’s father wrote: “Soft words and pretty speeches do not arouse people out of this pleasant dream. It takes a jolt!” (Herbert W. Armstrong, “Personal from the Editor,” Plain Truth, September 1965).
Will you repent and turn to God while you still have time and join in this crusade to warn our peoples of impending doom?
While this message may seem dour, that is not all there is to it. Beyond the gloom there is HOPE! For God will send Christ as Messiah to rescue His people and usher in a Millennial age of peace and prosperity for the peoples of Israel and for all nations (Ezekiel 37)!
