Now God Speaks to You Ministers

Excerpts from an article by Herbert W. Armstrong
Good News Oct/Nov 1979

 

   THE MESSAGE OF THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL IS GOD'S MESSAGE TO US TODAY

A modern Ezekiel raised up

Since the original writer, Ezekiel, was not able to go to the people of the house of ISRAEL, God showed me years ago that it remained for God to raise up "modern Ezekiel" to carry this prophetic message to the modern Israel of today -- and that means, primarily, the English-speaking people.

I have proclaimed the Ezekiel messages to our peoples by radio, television and by personal appearance and in print for more than 40 years.  NO ONE ELSE HAS!

The Church of God is founded on the apostles and the prophets, Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone.  The PROPHETS upon whom the Church is founded are NOT New Testament prophets.  Only four are mentioned — and NOT ONE OF THEM contributed any doctrines or beliefs to the Church — but the apostles did, and they quoted at great length from so-called "Old Testament" prophets.

   ...EZEKIEL'S MESSAGE IS FOR US TODAY! 

He started His Work and His Church in a very small way BUT IT GREW AND GREW and became a large WORLDWIDE Church.

God in due time added you ministers to 1) feed the local flocks, and 2) to stand staunchly and loyally WITH ME in carrying Christ's Gospel to the world.

...God has called us, that we must all "SPEAK THE SAME THING" (I Cor. 1:10) in perfect harmony and love, that we be of ONE MIND — the MIND OF CHRIST!

But now I do feel we must seriously consider God's warning message to our nations and to the ministry of His CHURCH through Ezekiel.  This is of CRISIS importance right now.

A message to the lost 10 tribes

I proclaimed much of Ezekiel's message to Manasseh and Ephraim during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.  But I was ahead of my time...  We are now coming into the TIME for proclaiming Ezekiel's message.

...speaking of the American and British peoples: "Wherefore, as I live, saith the Lord Eternal . . . A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and a third part shall fall by the sword [the sword of nuclear destruction in our day] round about thee; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds . . . Thus shall mine anger be accomplished, and I will cause MY FURY to rest upon them" (5:11-13).

God's FURY is an expression used many times in prophecies to indicate the troubles soon to strike us — great tribulation and first phase of the "day of the Lord" — which shall climax in CHRIST'S SECOND COMING!

It is clearly evident that this prophecy is for our peoples and for OUR TIME — ...

...Continuing into chapter 6, "In all your dwelling places THE CITIES SHALL BE LAID WASTE" (verse 6).  This could be accomplished only by NUCLEAR DESTRUCTION.  The TIME of this prophecy is now JUST AHEAD OF US!

Verse 7, "And the slain shall fall in the midst of you, and ye shall know that I am the LORD."  This latter is an expression many times used by Ezekiel referring to the second coming of Christ.

 Speaking to the clergy

...speaking especially to the ministry of God's Church, I want to include some of chapter 34, ....

  LET US BE CAREFUL LEST ANY OF THIS APPLY TO THE MINISTRY OF GOD'S CHURCH!

"Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord ETERNAL unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? [with the Word of God] . . . The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick" (verses 2-4).

Some of our ministry wanted to do away with healing.  God put HEALING in His Church.  He put it in 1,900 years ago through the original apostles.  He put it in today's era of the Church through me, His apostle.  DO NOT BE GUILTY OF NEGLECT IN THIS IMPORTANT DOCTRINE.  ...Catholic and Protestant ministers RELY ON HUMAN DOCTORS AND MEDICINES! 

...verse 4, "neither have ye sought that which was lost"  ...some few of our ministers have rejected this TRUTH, and even tried to destroy it from the Church.

...Continue in Ezekiel 34:4-11: "But [even though you did not seek to locate the lost house of Israel, you were ministers AMONG THEM, unknown to yourselves, and] with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.  And they were scattered [spiritually into many sects and denominations] because there is no shepherd . . . my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.

"Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD . . . Thus saith the Lord ETERNAL; Behold I am against the shepherds [be careful this does not apply to any of you]; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more .. .

 Dire punishment is ahead

...Beginning 1800 to 1803, we inherited the vast national promises of material wealth, power and prestige that God promised our father Abraham.

Yet what have we done with these blessings?  We have turned from our God, ...have taught instead the godless theory of EVOLUTION.  ...allowed our FAMILY LIFE to be destroyed.  ...morals have sunk into the cesspool.  We have endorsed and given our national blessing to SODOMISM.  We have been unethical and dishonest in our business and commercial dealings.  We have rejected God's Sabbath... and God's ways, and turned to Satan's ways.

...And soon God will send such drought, ....our CITIES shall be destroyed, ...The remaining third of our proud people will be REMOVED from this country into SLAVERY!

Those left of us finally will repent.  God says He will not make a FULL END of us!

Finally (Ezek. 20:33, 42-44): "As I live, saith the Lord ETERNAL, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury [the last plagues] poured out, will I RULE over you . . . And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall bring you [not Judah, the Jews, but our people ISRAEL] into the land of Israel . . . 

And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall loathe yourselves . . . And ye shall know that I am the LORD . . . O ye HOUSE OF ISRAEL" (not Judah, the Jews).

Then shall come the KINGDOM OF GOD!  Satan shall be abolished.  Christ with the Church converted to spirit immortality shall rule!  And PEACE, and HAPPINESS and JOY shall flood the earth! (End of excerpts)