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PASTOR GENERAL'S
REPORT
TO THE MINISTRY OF THE
WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD
VOL.3, N0.4
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA
LOOKING INTO THE NEXT FOUR YEARS
AND NINE YEARS OF DECADE OF EIGHTIES
by
Herbert W. Armstrong
JANUARY 23, 1981
In Manila it is the morning of January 20th. Later today, noon EST,
President Ronald Reagan will be sworn into office as President of the
United States for the next four years. We have just started the second
year of the decade of the eighties. WHAT LIES AHEAD, vital to us in God's
Church in the next four to nine years?
Bible prophecy does not pinpoint precise dates--or even the precise
year--of forecasted events.
During the late sixties, certain indications led me to envision the
possibility--never the certainty--that the Work of the Philadelphia era
of the Church might be completed by the first week in January, 1972.
Never did I remotely believe that could be the time of Christ's return;
the Great Tribulation, the Day of the Lord and other prophesied events
had to occur after completion of our Work proclaiming Gospel Message,
Law of God, repentance and fact of coming Kingdom of God. Nor did I set
1972 as definite date but only a possible date for completion of our
commission. Yet some members totally misconstrued what I did say, and
took it to mean definite date settings for end of this world and coming
of Christ for the new World Tomorrow...I never did, and do not now set
dates--even as to the year.
But there is an important prophecy in the tenth chapter of Reve
lation. The apostle John is recording what he saw revealed in a vision.
An angel came with his hand lifted to heaven saying, "There should be
time no longer"--or, better translated, "There shall be no more delay."
Then a voice from heaven told John to take and open a very small book
in the hand of the angel, and eat it. In his mouth it was sweet as
honey, but in his stomach very bitter. Then the voice said to John,
God's apostle, "Thou must prophesy (preach or announce) again before
many peoples, and nations, and tongues, AND KINGS."
Now what is the TIME setting of this prophecy? It is sometime
PRIOR to the sounding of the seventh trumpet, at w�ich time Christ
shall come. That is clear in verse 7. Also it is followed immediately
by the three-and-a-half-year mission of the two witnesses. Their three
and a half years BEGIN with the Great Tribulation. So the TIME of this
prophecy is just shortly before the Work of the Philadelphia Church is
finished. After that shall come the Great Tribulation, and the Day of
Lord, when there shall be supernatural disturbances striking the world
with astonishing AWE in the sky.