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Herbert W. Armstrong Post Office Box 431, Tucson, Arizona, 85702
Manila, Philippines
January 20, 1981
Dear Brethren and Co-Workers with Christ:
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 Revelation. 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 which 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