“Elijah in the wilderness“
A past edition of Outreach, put out by the Churches of God, UK, had the following:
Where Is Elijah?
If Jesus is to return any time soon, then ‘Elijah’, according to some teachers, should be alive and kicking somewhere on earth…
John the Baptist reflected the life-style of the first Elijah—rough-hewn, godly, dwelling in the desert. He had the same message, to confront ungodliness, ‘…to turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God’ (v.16)—a mission he surely accomplished Matthew 3:5-6). A people prepared for the message of Jesus.
But ‘Elijah’ will also return ’…before the coming of the great and dreadful day of Jehovah’ (Malachi: 4:5). That day—the great ‘Day of the Lord’—is ushered in by the returning Jesus who said ‘…I will come again’. Elijah’s message will be a call to repentance, a return by mankind to the true God—a call heard worldwide. John, in Revelation, speaks of ‘…my two witnesses’ (ch 11:3ff), and their mission does indeed ‘prepare the way of the Lord’. They reflect both the work of both Elijah [eg drought] and Moses [eg plagues].
It will be an awesome time of tribulation upon those who continue unrepentant, unheeding of the call to turn to God. Their mission will end at the return of Jesus, when they will be glorified with Him, together with the rest of the ’firstfruits harvest’ (Revelation 11:3-12).
The above group has tended to maintain an affiliation with COGOM. COGOM has tended to take more of a hands off view on prophecy (and, in my view, misworded some of the above–Jesus ushers in the Day of the Lord, but He does this about a year before He returns).
Although people, like the discredited Ron Weinland (see Concerns About Ronald Weinland’s Church of God-Preparing for the Kingdom of God) and David Pack (see Why Not the Restored Church of God?) have claimed to be ‘Elijah,’ neither of them are.
Yet, the Bible does show that there will be an ‘Elijah’ who is alive before Jesus returns and that it is likely that he will be one of the two witnesses. And as Jesus is likely to return within the next couple of decades, it is reasonable to consider that he must be alive today.
Could he be one who has restored information on church history, doctrine, prophecy, and the reason that God created anything? Could he be one reaching people around the world with the Gospel of the Kingdom of God in over 1,000 different languages? Or has God not chosen to have him do much at this stage?
Was it Herbert W. Armstrong?
No.
Did Herbert W. Armstrong ever think he might be Elijah?
Most definitely.
The late evangelist Raymond McNair admitted:
However, on occasion, Mr. Armstrong may have expressed some doubt in regard to his calling and ministry, concerning himself being the end-time “Elijah,” (McNair, Raymond. Was Mr. Armstrong Who He Said He Was? Ad in Connection’s section of The Journal, June 30, 2004).
Yes, HWA expressed some doubt–not simply may have. Herbert W. Armstrong admitted to Aaron Dean, his long-time personal aide (and Aaron Dean told me this personally on several occasions for over the past two+ decades) that he might not have understood the biblical passages on the Elijah correctly before he died, and that God could raise someone else up to fulfill the Elijah role. Furthermore, HWA specifically expressed doubt to the late evangelist Dibar Apartian (and who also told me). Dibar Apartian did not believe that HWA was the Elijah when we discussed this several times and he agreed with me about this.
Those with a WCG background might find the following quote from Herbert W. Armstrong of some assistance here as he wrote:
I have been asked “Are you the Elijah?” And I say “No.” (Armstrong, Herbert W. Congress of Leading Ministers Hears Defined and Reemphasized Spiritual Organization of Church. Worldwide News, March 6, 1981, p. 10)
Also, in HWA’s sermon, given on the last day of Unleavened Bread in April 1985, HWA stated the following:
You know there is a prophecy about John the Baptist, while the prophecy is talking about Elijah. But if you read in Elijah {“Malachi”} 3 and verses 1-5, it is talking, not about someone preparing the way for Christ’s first coming, but when Christ comes to set on the throne of the earth and remove Satan. You read verse 1 and you can apply that to John the Baptist. But you read on through verses 2,3,4, and 5 and you find its talking about the second coming of Christ. The things He will do then, but He did none of those things that are in verse 2,3,4, and 5 when He came the first time. Now John the Baptist did fulfill verse 1. Even Jesus said so. Jesus said that he had come in the spirit and power of Elijah. Was he Elijah? No he wasn’t. They asked John the Baptist, ‘Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘No I am not’. He wasn’t a liar. He knew the truth. He was not Elijah. Am I Elijah? No, definitely not! Now I met Elijah. Elijah has come to me and announced that he was Elijah, but I showed him the way out of the office. I did not believe him.
Those with a WCG background might find the following quote from Herbert W. Armstrong of some assistance here as he wrote:
Those called into the Church were called not merely for salvation and eternal life, but to learn the way of God’s government and develop the divine character during this mortal life in the Church age …
Also Malachi 4:5-6 pictures the Elijah to come at the very end of the Church age (Mystery of the Ages. 1985, pp. 201, 349).
And when was the “Church age” supposed to end according to Herbert Armstrong’s old church? Notice:
God has set before us an open door and no MAN can shut it. God can shut it, and He will when the work is finished and the Philadelphia Church goes to a place of safety. …The Laodicean Church is not going to be worthy to escape to a place of safety. When it is too late, they will find that the Church of Philadelphia has gone to safety (What Is the “LAODICEAN CHURCH”? Good News August 1959 Vol. VIII, Number 8).
Now since the Church age has not ended, and the Day of the Lord has not yet come, then it follows that Elijah was to come on the scene publicly after this was written.
HWA, himself, wrote:
Jesus shall come, SOON NOW, to RESTORE ALL THINGS! He did NOT restore all things when he first came. John the Baptist did not “restore all things.” But the one who was to “restore all things” just before the “day of the Lord” and preparing the way for Christ’s second coming, was YET to come, in the future, as Jesus said. Now what are the “all things” to be RESTORED? “Restitution” means restore to a former state or condition (Armstrong HW. Brethren & Co-Worker Letter, August 24, 1982).
Note that HWA states ONE (Elijah) comes just before the day of the Lord—an event that still has not occurred, hence some additional restoration beyond what HWA did is needed–and this has been happening in the Continuing Church of God. CCOG has restored more than any COG in the 21st century and under the human leadership of Bob Thiel it continues to do so. In time, God will make the final Elijah clear to all willing to see (this is NOT saying that he MUST be Bob Thiel–but we believe it will be a leader in CCOG).
In that same a co-worker letter dated August 24, 1982, HWA wrote:
Now why, then, was Elijah YET, in the future, to come – just before the “day of the Lord?” Verse 11, Jesus said to “restore all things”…Have WE, through this Work, RESTORED anything? Indeed we have! We have RESTORED the TRUE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST–through us JESUS CHRIST has already begun RESTORING the KNOWLEDGE of what had been taken away–the GOVERNMENT OF GOD. Through us the living Christ has been preparing for his SECOND COMING for the PURPOSE of RESTORING ALL THINGS!…It is the living JESUS CHRIST who had been ACTUALLY DOING the Work. He has used YOU and me as his INSTRUMENTS! WHAT A PRIVILEGE AND JOY!
Note how many times HWA used the expressions ‘we’, ‘us’, and ‘you’–in the context that helped fulfill the Elijah role. As stated earlier, it was HWA’s original position that the Philadelphia Era of the COG was the fulfillment of the Elijah role. It was clearly still his position in 1982 that he himself was not the only possible one to fulfill an Elijah role. And while HWA says that the Philadelphia portion of the COG restored many things (and apparently will restore ALL THINGS under the direction of its final leader), he never stated that there was nothing else that needed to be restored. Amongst other items, there were items on church history and end time prophecy that HWA did not restore that are now being restored.
Furthermore, it should be noted that a careful reading of another one of HWA’s articles supports the idea that the Philadelphia era will need to have something else be restored. HWA wrote:
This very WORK OF GOD for our day is foretold in the prophecy of Revelation 3:7-13. But there it is revealed that we, today, are a people of but little strength – little power (verse 8)! – within ourselves though we have faithfully KEPT GOD’S WORD! The impact of this WORK OF GOD today is going out only through the power of God! Are you having your part in this very WORK OF GOD? But – let’s face it! – WE DO NOT HAVE WITHIN OURSELVES, AS GOD’S INSTRUMENTS FOR HIS WORK TODAY, ANYWHERE NEAR THE POWER OF GOD THAT ACTIVATED THAT ORIGINAL FIRST-CENTURY CHURCH! For that very reason, the living Christ says (verse 8), He has opened to us the gigantic door of MASS COMMUNICATION! The magnified power of the microphone and the printing press. Yet that is only physical, mechanical power! The REAL POWER that makes God’s Work vital and alive is the Holy Spirit of God! (Armstrong HW. Christians Have Lost Their POWER! Plain Truth, Jun 1958).
The Greek word translated as strength, dunamis, which HWA refers to as power, is the same Greek word that is normally translated as ‘miracle’ or ‘miracles’. Thus, Revelation 3:8 shows that the Philadelphia Church will have some type of miracles, and although I agree with HWA’s position that the initial power/miracle had to do with electronic media, I also agree with him that the old WCG did not have, “ANYWHERE NEAR THE POWER OF GOD THAT ACTIVATED THAT ORIGINAL FIRST-CENTURY CHURCH.” Thus, HWA acknowledged, howbeit indirectly, that the power of God had not been fully restored to his WCG. And it should be noted that dreams and gifts of prophecy were given to the first-century church (Acts 2:17-18) and thus, according to his own writing, there should be these type of occurrences at the end. One group in the 21st century has that (see Dreams, the Bible, the Radio Church of God, and the Continuing Church of God and How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God).
The CCOG may be the only COG that has ALL the 18 restored truths that Herbert W. Armstrong pointed to as restored to the Philadelphia portion of the COG in its official Statement of Beliefs–see Statement of Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God.
In addition to that, here is a summary of other matters restored in the CCOG:
Dreams & Signs of Acts 2:17-18: That was done by God, not man, consistent with the prophesies in Acts 2:17-18. The giving of confirmed dreams shows Divine confirmation of the CCOG. No true Christian church has had so many confirmed dreams and signs as the Continuing Church of God in the 21st century. Hopefully, YOU FULLY ACCEPT how God has chosen to work.
Why God Created Anything: Is not that a fundamental item the most faithful Christian church would teach?
Why God Did God Create You: Is not that also a fundamental item the most faithful Christian church would teach?
Why God Made Other People: Is not that also a fundamental item the most faithful Christian church would teach? (See also the free eBook: The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN: Why Did God Create Anything? Why Did God Make You?)
Teaching all things Jesus taught as Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:19-20; see also The Final Phase of the Work). The Continuing Church of God has intentionally covered every verse in the New Testament where Jesus’ words are recorded–is not that something the most faithful Christian church would do?
Church History–Jude wrote that Christians are ” to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3)–by better documenting that, the Continuing Church of God has done more that way than any Christian church in the 21st century.
Laying on of Hands Succession and List: While there were attempts at a succession list in the 20th century, the most complete laying on of hands succession list in the Church of God was produced in the Continuing Church of God this century.
Violent Sports (see also Is American Football Evil?) Early Christians would not watch violent sports, despite the popularity of American tackle football in the USA, the Continuing Church of God put out a biblical and historically-appropriate teaching against that.
Details and Ramifications of Being Non-Trinitarian (see also the free eBook: Mysteries of God. What is God?)–by better documenting that, the Continuing Church of God has done more that way than any Christian church in the 21st century.
The Final Phase of the Work and Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word: We are in the last days before the start of the Great Tribulation. The Continuing Church of God has done more to teach about the final phase of the work as well as preparing for the short work of Romans 9:28 and the famine of the word (Amos 8:11-12) way than any Christian church in the 21st century.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God translated into more languages under the CCOG than any COG in church history. Furthermore, we seem to be the only COG in the past several centuries to more fully distinguish between the millennial and post-millennial phases of the Kingdom of God.
Romans 11:25 and the Full Number of the Gentiles: While this had been taught in the 20th century, to a degree, more has been taught and emphasized about it, as well as trying to fulfill part of it by the Continuing Church of God than any Christian church in the 21st century.
Major and massive details, including more scriptures complied, on God’s plan of salvation (see also Universal OFFER of Salvation, Apokatastasis: Can God save the lost in an age to come? Hundreds of scriptures reveal God’s plan of salvation) than looks to have been done before. Would not the most faithful Christian church have put together the most scriptures about God’s plan of salvation?
Prophecy. The Laodicean churches have so many errors in prophetic understanding that they will not know when the Great Tribulation will start nor when it is time to flee to the wilderness (watch also 50+ Laodicean Prophetic Errors). Is not that not something the most faithful Christian church would know? The Continuing Church of God has restored numerous prophetic truths as well as has pointed out errors that the non-Philadelphian COG churches teach.
Habakkuk 2 and Debt (e.g., see Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel): While a previous COG started to do this after my urging, it then backed away from it. So, the truth about how debt is a prophesied part of why the United States of America will be destroyed was restored by me, now in the Continuing Church of God.
Identity of the Man of Sin of 2 Thessalonians 2: The Church of God in the 20th century had this wrong. Several leaders once in it, such as Aaron Dean and certain leaders in the Living Church of God, admitted that the position taught by the Continuing Church of God is the correct one, yet their respective churches teach the scripturally-wrong position.
Daniel 11:39 and the Start of the Great Tribulation: All the headquarters-based evangelists at the Living Church of God told me I was correct on that and that LCG would change its official statement of fundamental beliefs to reflect that, yet they still improperly teach the start of the Great Tribulation is Daniel 11:40, not 11:39. And unless they, and most of the other COGs, change, they will not know when the Great Tribulation will start until afterwards. Hence, they will not know when to flee in time (cf. Revelation 12:14-17).
USA-Samaria Identification: Although many groups understand the connection between the United States of America and the tribe of Manasseh, they do not seem to understand that prophesies related to Samaria also are for the United States. The doctrinal letter answerer at LCG concurred that I was correct about that, but LCG never adopted the view.
Mark of the Beast: The mark of the beast is MORE than Sunday and may well involve a type of cross. That is also consistent with what Christians taught centuries ago and that has been restored in the Continuing Church of God.
Attaining the Unity of God (see also What is Your Destiny? Deification? Did the Early Church Teach That Christians Would Become God?). Roman Catholics teach that the trinity is the unity of God. In the CCOG, we teach that is not, but restored the truth about what early second century Christians taught.
Why Do Christian People Die?: The truth is that people die when it is best for them. We have added scriptural truths to what the Church of God taught in 20th century.
Those who are first are part of the first resurrection (Revelation 20:4-6), but many who are not part of that, those who are last, will be first.
Information on the Third Resurrection (see also Universal OFFER of Salvation, Apokatastasis: Can God save the lost in an age to come? Hundreds of scriptures reveal God’s plan of salvation). The third resurrection is NOT just for the incorrigibly wicked, despite what many were taught in the 20th and 21st centuries. The fact that it is for all who were not part of the first resurrection is a truth restored by the Continuing Church of God.
The reason there was both a Passover and Atonement sacrifice representing Jesus (see Should You Keep God’s Holy Days or Demonic Holidays?). The Day of Atonement comes after the Feast of the Trumpets. Its final fulfillment is after the end of the church age. In the Continuing Church of God we have pointed out that while Christians in this age follow the Passover service Jesus instituted, the Atonement sacrifice points to the fact that God has a plan for those not called in the church age.
These truths have been restored in the last days–in the 21st century!
There is a 21st century Elijah, and that individual would be expected to be part of the Continuing Church of God.
The Continuing Church of God put out the following sermon on its ContinuingCOG channel:
1:11:07Was John the Baptist the prophesied Elijah or at least a type of Elijah? Is there an Elijah to come? Have Sabbatarians been teaching this a long time? What were 18 truths that Herbert W. Armstrong said God had him restore? Was anything to be restored in the last days, consistent with Daniel 12:4 and Matthew 17:11? Was God supposed to restore dreams and prophets in the last days? Did the Worldwide Church of God teach such would happen again? Have we seen signs of Acts 2:17-18 in the Continuing Church of God? Is Bob Thiel the final Elijah or one of the two witnesses? Why or why not? Has there been the restoration of important truths in the CCOG? Is the CCOG at least setting the foundation for the 21st century Elijah? Dr. Thiel gives information relating to all of that in this sermon.
Here is a link to the sermon: 21st Century Elijah.
When Herbert W. Armstrong was directing it, the old Worldwide Church of God (WCG) taught:
These two witnesses are two human beings who are given extraordinary power for 3 1/2 years just prior to Christ’s return (verse 3). If any man attempts to hurt them before their ministry is up, “…fire proceeds out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies” (verse 5). Note how similar this is to the power given to Elijah (II Kings 1:9-15). They also have power over the rainfall, to produce drought and famine as did Elijah (Luke 4:25; I Kings 17:1-7), and to smite the earth with plagues (Rev. 11:6). Their mission will be to give one final warning (Armstrong HW, editor. The Plain Truth Personal Correspondence Department response on the two witnesses to Mr. and Mrs. Thiel. September 13, 1984).
Herbert Armstrong was NOT one of the two witnesses.
Sadly, just as many would not hear Elijah’s nor John the Baptist’s messages, relatively few will pay much attention to the end time Elijah as well.
That is not a surprise as most Christians in the end times were to be Laodicean, and Jesus warned the Laodiceans since they would not ‘get with the program,’ that they would be punished (Revelation 3:14-18).
Of course, if you are willing to believe the truth and do what the Bible teaches, that does not have to include you.
As far as restoration goes, the Continuing Church of God put together the following sermon on its ContinuingCOG channel:
1:15:45
Jesus stated that an Elijah to come would restore all things (Mathew 17:11). Did Herbert W. Armstrong restore anything? Consistent with Daniel 12:4, were there truths that were to be restored in the 21st century? What are some that have been restored? What about church history, the original catholic church, the faith once for all delivered to the saints, and apostolic succession? What were the last days signs of Acts 2:17-18? What about teachings on violent sports, the fulness of the Gentiles, using scores of languages to help fulfill Matthew 24:14, non-trinitarian ramifications, prophetic matters, the identity of the man of sin, Daniel 11:39 and the start of the Great Tribulation, the identity of Samaria, the connection between Habakkuk 2:1-8 and the United States of America, the final phase of the work, the mark of the Beast, and the third resurrection? Has the Continuing Church of God been restoring matters in the 21st century? Dr. Thiel addresses these questions and more.
Here is a link to the sermon: CCOG: Restoring All Things.
The Elijah’s restoring of “all things” means that he is to be restoring information that the true Church of God once understood, but later must have lost or misunderstood.
The problem is that just as many would not hear Elijah’s or John the Baptist’s messages, relatively few will pay much attention to the end time Elijah as well.
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
The Elijah Heresies Does the Bible teach that there will be a future Elijah? Must it be Herbert W. Armstrong? Three related sermons are available Elijah: Prophecies and Heresies, Elijah, Herbert W. Armstrong, and CCOG, and 21st Century Elijah.
Continuing Church of God, Elijah, and Restoring All Things Have all things been restored? Is there restoration going on? Is there supposed to be a 21st century Elijah? Here is are links to two related sermons: 21st Century Elijah and CCOG: Restoring All Things. Here is a link to a related sermon in the Spanish language: La restauracion de todas las cosas.
Elijah: Past and Prophesied Information about the original Elijah and some information about the Elijah-related prophecies.
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, French: L Histoire Continue de l Église de Dieu and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.
The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN: Why Did God Create Anything? Why Did God Make You? This free online book helps answers some of the biggest questions that human have, including the biblical meaning of life. Here is a link to three related sermons: Mysteries of God’s Plan, Mysteries of Truth, Sin, Rest, Suffering, and God’s Plan, and The Mystery of YOU.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. It is available in over 1,000 languages at ccog.org. Here are links to four kingdom-related sermons: The Fantastic Gospel of the Kingdom of God!, The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
Why Be Concerned About False and Heretical Leaders? There have been many false leaders–here is some of why you should be concerned about them. Here is a related article in the Spanish language ¿Por qué estar preocupado acerca de falsos y heréticos líderes?
Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18? Does any church have the confirmed dream and prophetic signs of Acts 2:17-18? Should one? Here is a link in the Spanish language: ¿Tiene la CCOG confirmadas las señales de Hechos 2: 17-18? Here is a link in the French language: Est-ce que l’Église Continue de Dieu confirme les signes d’Actes 2:17-18? A related sermon in the English language is also available: 17 Last Days’ Signs of the Holy Spirit.
Church of God Leaders on Prophets Have there been prophets throughout the church age? Are any supposed to be around in the last days? What have COG leaders stated or written about prophets? Here is a link to a related sermon: Church of God Leaders on Prophets.
How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God There are many false prophets. How can Christians determine who is a true prophet? There is also a sermon-length video titled How to determine if someone is a true prophet of God. Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Cómo determinar si alguien es un verdadero profeta de Dios?
The Dangerous Rise of Preterists Has the Great Tribulation finished? What was the view of early Christians? Why is the preterist view dangerous? A related sermon video is titled Preterism: You’ve Gotta Be Kidding…Right?
Why Be Concerned About False and Heretical Leaders? There have been many false leaders–here is some of why you should be concerned about them.
Herbert W. Armstrong, the Philadelphia Church, & the Mantle Herbert Armstrong claims God had him raise the Philadelphia up. Are there reasons to believe that the Philadelphia mantle in now within the CCOG? Here is a link to a related sermon: Herbert W. Armstrong and the Philadelphia Mantle.
Who Are The Two Witnesses? What is their job? What does the Bible reveal? What has the Church of God taught on this subject? Might even Roman Catholic prophecies give some clues here? A related sermon is available: Prophecy and the Two Witnesses. Here is a related link in Spanish/español:¿Quiénes son los dos testigos?
The Final Phase of the Work What is the final phase of the work? Who will lead it? Do you have the courage to support it? Here is a related YouTube video titled The Final Phase of the Work. The written article has been translated into Spanish La Fase Final de la Obra.