Herbert W. Armstrong taught that the Church of God would always continue to grow in understanding and knowledge of God's truth. There can never be a point in time that we stagnate, otherwise we cannot be God's Church. Yet today we are in a time where many are stagnating, or growing in lies that contradict the word of God and what was restored to the Church by God through Herbert W. Armstrong. Despite this, God has continued to bless his remnant Church with a deeper understanding of his word, especially as it pertains to this End Time. These have been revealed by God through Ron Weinland, God's end-time prophet. All who will be a part of the remnant God is calling will come to agree with these truths. The 18 Truths restored during Philadelphia separated God's Church from the World and are all that is vital for salvation. These are what identifies God's true Church and who his people are in the present era of great confusion in the former Church of God that was scattered in the Laodicean era. Most represent a transition from a strictly physical view to a deeper spiritual understanding. These do not take precedent over what was restored to the Church during Philadelphia.
The following are not in any particular order of importance. Some overlap and some could be expanded upon or combined to either lengthen or shorten the list.
The context of 2 Thessalonians 2 is before the return of Jesus Christ, not the time of the Apostles. The word 'apostasy' means "To forsake and depart." Never before has this happened from within the leadership of the Church of God and never before has there been a departure from the Church of this magnitude by the membership. This had to happen before the unfolding of end time events that would lead to the return of Jesus Christ. Many in the scattered Church believe that this has not yet happened, and so by implication believe they must grow far larger than what Worldwide was to fulfill this prophecy.
Mr. Tkach tried to change the law of God. By doing so he exalted himself onto the same level and even above God. The word 'sit' in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 means "To be given authority." Mr. Tkach was given authority in the Church and turned against God. Joseph Tkach Sr. died 40 weeks to the very hour that he delivered this sermon, a sign to the Church that God dealt with Mr. Tkach directly and Christ was now coming.
If the Man of Sin, who sat in the temple of God, was Joseph Tkach Sr., then the temple of God must be the Church of God. This was taught by Mr. Armstrong before his death, however many in the Church do not teach or believe it today. This can also be corroborated by 1 Corithinians 3:16-17 and 6:19. Only God's presence makes anything holy, a temple built by the Jews today could not be holy because they are not God's people.
The abomination of desolation was meant to be established in the holy place, what is holy on this earth besides God's Church? Where is God but with his people? Prophetically God alludes to Jerusalem in this time as like Sodom and Egypt (Revelation 11:8), not holy. Daniel 12:8-11 is about a time of trial and refinement. The daily sacrifice taken away by the abomination of desolation are the sacrifices those in God's Church make to stay in the faith, such as observance of the Sabbath, Holy Days, prayers, and tithing. The word 'set up' in verse 11 also means 'uttered.' Those that fell for the lies of Joseph Tkach were cut off from God and no longer had access to God through prayer or repentence. These are daily sacrifices that were taken away by such deception. It is not about a daily sacrifice to be performed in a future temple by the Jews. Mr. Armstrong taught there will not be a temple built till after the return of Christ.
The discussion between Christ and the disciples in Matthew 24 is all focused on the end time. Christ stated that all of these stones will be cast down before he returns. This happened at the time of the scattering of God's Church, the spiritual temple of God.
The Church of God formerly believed that at the end there would be two eras coexisting side by side, Philadelphia and Laodicea. One was to go to a place of safety and one, Laodicea, would have to go through the great tribulation. Yet history has shown that ALL who are in Laodicea are Laodiceans. While some may exhibit some of the traits of the other eras, all are primarily lukewarm and full of pride until they acknowledge and repent of this condition in their lives and God begins to work in their lives again.
God will not be around sin, and pride is sin. Pride and spiritual sluggishness permeated the Church of God through the mid-90s and the entire Church was separated from God, as prophesied in Revelation 3:16. Until this condition is acknowledged and repented of God will not work in the lives of Laodiceans. Even after that point spiritual sluggishness is a condition that must always be fought by Laodiceans today.
The Church used to believe that there were 5 wise virgins who went on to the wedding and the 5 who were foolish were rejected by the bridegroom. Yet the Bible says all of the virgins fell asleep, and it does not say who was accepted by the bridegroom. Many in the scattered Church today go through the motions of religion like the Protestant world, talking about the truth but without genuine zeal for it. As stated previously, only those who repent of the Laodicean condition will be accepted by Christ at this end-time. Only God can awaken someone out of the spiritual sleep that has encompassed the whole Church.
Troubles in the Church began in the 1970s. Ministers began to rebel against Mr. Armstrong and the Laodicean condition began to slowly set in. While Mr. Armstrong tried to put the Church 'back on the track' as he stated many times, he openly doubted just how many people really got it. He warned the Church many times that they were falling asleep during the 1970s and 80s up until his death. This is what was being spoken of in the verses before Matthew 24:14, with wars and rumors of wars and earthquakes, "but the end is not yet." Earthquakes do not mean geological events but shakings. After Mr. Armstrong died and the gospel had been preached into all the world Laodicea and the end times began. Verses 15-28 describe the Church being scattered, fleeing into the mountains (organizations), and greater trials upon the Church, including spiritual warfare, deception, and famine. Events like these will occur in the world, but these scriptures apply specifically to the entire Church today.
The Church has always taught that the seals of Revelation could only be understood by understanding Matthew 24. However the Church itself did not know what Matthew 24 truly meant, and most of those that are scattered still don't today. As we lived through these events, it has became evident that Matthew 24 was about the Church and so was Revelation 6. The first seal is about the Abomination of Desolation. The second is about spiritual warfare in the Church between individuals and families in the Church. The third is about a famine of the preaching of the word of God (Amos 8:11). The fourth seal is about a perpetuation and worsening of all of these conditions in the scattered Church organizations that sprang up from Worldwide after the apostasy. False doctrine that tear apart the Church, warfare amongst families and organizations, and a famine of the word of God continue to exist in the environs of the Church today.
After the Abomination of Desolation, approximately 1/3rd of the Church remained in Worldwide, 1/3rd gave up completely, and 1/3rd went into the various organizations that formed afterwards. The last third was to endure further trials, mirroring what God said about Laodicea. God prophesied that only 10% of the last third will survive this time of trial, a remnant that is prophesied in many other areas of the Bible.
The belief in a place of safety is no different than the Protestant rapture. The wings referred to in Revelation 12:14 are symbolic of protection, as are the skirts in Ezekiel 5:3. This is in reference to a specific time period of protection for a few individuals God began calling to be a part of a remnant before the others. That period of time, three and a half years, has already come and gone. Those symbolically protected in Ezekiel 5:3 were thrown into the fire too in verse 4 and the rest of Revelation 12 describes the remnant continuing to deal with troubles from the serpent. Revelation 12:17 is not about a lukewarm Church but one that is zealous, having the testimony of Christ in their lives. This is not the case for the majority of the Church today, it is true only for the remnant God is calling.
The majority of the Church has not repented of the Laodicean condition, remaining prideful and lukewarm. Ezekiel 6 describes God condemning and bringing about destruction upon the 'mountains' of Israel, which alludes to the various organizations that exist today calling themselves the Church of God. In verse 8, and in many other parts of the Bible, God promises to bring through all of this tribulation a remnant as a witness of what God is doing and what the scattered Church has done during Laodicea. Only God can do this, it is not by our own efforts or righteousness.
This has only been partially understood by the Church. Many New Testament scriptures refer to Christ coming in the flesh. Much of the Church has taken this physically, meaning that he will return to this Earth or that he indeed came to this earth as a man. Often the literal Greek translation is a present progressive term, meaning "Continually coming into the flesh," or better stated living in us continually until we sin. This is a testimony of his work and his Church.
This, too, is connected to the rapture theory. Many in the Church that was scattered believe and teach that those resurrected from the dead will go to heaven for 'training' before Christ returns. This precludes the change from mortal to immortal of those still alive but sealed by God. There is no agreement as to how long this timeframe is, different ministers teach different time periods. Such teaching is false and cannot be biblically supported. All who have been sealed throughout 6,000 years will meet Christ in the air at his return. The sea of glass is metaphorical and not in the 3rd heaven but refers to the meeting of Christ in the air. To draw an analogy, we go before God's throne when we pray, yet we are not literally before God's throne. The same principle applies here.
Ever since the 1970s there have been ministers throughout the Church teaching that Christ fulfilled some aspects of Passover on the 15th day of Abib and not the 14th, which was when the Israelites observed Passover. Mr. Armstrong taught that this was false, yet it continues today. Along with fulfilling the symbolism of the Passover lamb, Christ also fulfilled the symbolism of the Passover sacrifices performed by the Levitical priesthood on the afternoon of Passover before the beginning of the 15th. This has not been fully understood.
The Philadelphia era taught that there would be 144,000 who were sealed and resurrected along with an innumerable multitude that would be changed from mortal to immortal at the return of Christ. This is false. In order to enter into the God family one must be tried and tested over a lifetime, not 3 and a half years (even if they are the worst times of all history). Those who live through the tribulation will be a continuation of the Church into the Millenium. The innumerable multitude in Revelation 7 are the same 144,000 sealed and resurrected at the time of Christ's return. All have gone through great tribulation to be a part of the God Family. They are called innumerable simply because from a physical vantage point no human could count such a gathering of people, and only God knows who they are and where they fit in his government.
Very few in the Church that was scattered teach this today, despite the fact he even preached it to the Church for years. Ministers often leave this subject up to personal interpretation. Mr. Armstrong described himself as a voice crying out in the wilderness and stated in Mystery of the Ages that he had fulfilled the prophecies of the Elijah to Come. At the time of Sardis when Mr. Armstrong was called the Church was about to die out. It had already lost most of the truth. God changed this through Mr. Armstrong's ministry, revitalizing the Church of God. Sadly much of what was restored has been wittled away at by those professing to continue on in Mr. Armstrong's name. This process is a continuation of the Abomination of Desolation.
This is also something Mr. Armstrong stated was true in Mystery of the Ages and in other sermons and publications. Such has been rejected as a whole by the splinter organizations of the Church of God, believing rather that they will fulfill this scripture. This is believed partially because the scattered Church does not realize that Matthew 24 is about the Church and not the world. After Mr. Armstrong's death, end time prophecies began to be fulfilled.
1 John 2:18-24 describes antichrists as already being present in that timeframe. These were individuals appearing to be a part of the Church of God but spiritually they were not in it. No Pope has or ever will even appear to be a part of the Church of God. It had to be made clear that they were not truly a part of the Church. One who denies what has been revealed to the Church by Christ puts him or herself out of the spiritual Church and back into the world. This works against the purpose of God, which is to bring about a family. The remnant God is working with are the only ones in the scattered church that are not antichrist today.
The teaching that Jesus Christ had always existed is a holdover from the Protestant teaching of the Trinity that has only recently been revealed to the Church of God. This is supported by many Old Testament scriptures where the Lord (Yahweh, who we believed was Christ) is prophetically conversing with the coming messiah. God has held back this understanding until now due to how soon Christ will be returning.
Many of these are further discussed in the booklets Time is Running Out and Time Has Run Out. Eight sermons by Ron Weinland during the Feast of Tabernacles 2005 discuss the truth concerning the God of the Old Testament and can be listened to on the CD 2. Also an article outlining many scriptures that God the Father was the God of the Old Testament has been provided in this collection. It is entitled The God Named Yahweh.