“It seems incredible indeed!…They [higher education, universities] do not know WHAT man is or WHY he came to be!  That is the great Mystery Number 3 that has never been understood by humanity.”  (p. 96)

Thus begins this lengthy third chapter of MOA. HWA begins his usual bombardment of questions about this mystery of man, which "has baffled higher education." I hope our readers are beginning to see the pattern and can guess what is coming next—the discrediting of all authorities!

Right from the outset, HWA’s book begins to date itself. He states that, "higher education…with virtual unanimity…no longer considers the possibility of a designed and planned creation by a God of supreme mind, perfect intelligence, and limitless power." Untrue. Not all scientists are atheists. Many, in fact, are Christians. Since the discovery of DNA, scientists have unlocked the code of life. Scientists are awed by the complexity and design of the gene, and there are scientists who are considering the "intelligent design" theory. Even some secular scientists are abandoning the theory of evolution, stating that there hasn’t been any clear evidence to support this theory over the last 150 years. Although they do not acknowledge God, they are at least honest enough to admit that evolution is inconclusive, and that they need to start looking in other directions for answers. So in spite of HWA’s dour observations, humanity has considered the possibility of a designed creation, and Creation Science believes in a "designed and planned creation" by a Creator. But this matters little to HWA. His goal is to paint the world in black and white, draw a line of demarcation, and push the reader to stand on one side or the other. This is the method used by HWA to sift out his sheep.

HWA continues to trash education for being "utterly helpless to solve its problems of mounting and continually escalating evils." Education can "give no purpose for human existence." It has become "entirely materialistic," a "combination of agnosticism of evolution, the politics of Karl Marx¹, and the morals and social patterns of Sigmund Freud." HWA intentionally selects what he considers the dregs of society to represent the evil empire that he is constructing in the minds of his principled readers. While it may be true that education gives no purpose for human existence, it certainly does give human existence a purpose! Where would the world be without doctors, inventors, engineers, etc. who have made our lives more enjoyable? How many of us have broadened our lives through education? God has given us all gifts and talents, and it is not sinful to use them nor is it sinful to want to improve upon them through further education. There is an underlying purpose for HWA to stain "education" as we will later see. But HWA must stir up feelings of discontent and helplessness over a "society gone wrong." He can’t introduce a better product if the reader is already satisfied.

Amusingly, the politics of Karl Marx do not match the politics of capitalism (i.e., "the civilized world today" as HWA claims), but they certainly bear a close resemblance to the government of HWA’s church!² Although HWA’s doctrines seem specific, many of them are very vague, but he does promise prosperity living for following his tithing doctrines. He claims sole, authoritative command in his organization, which he insinuates is for the good of all. He gives the illusion that there are no class distinctions in his church, making members address each other as "brethren" and ministers as "Mister" (the Communists addressed each other as "comrade"), but in reality there was a social caste system in his top down government. The individual was unimportant, and members were all expected to "give all" to the Work.

HWA doesn’t stop at demonizing higher education. Not only have the "custodians of KNOWLEDGE" failed to know the mystery of man, but:

"Religion does not reveal, for it also doesn’t know! Yes, incredible—but TRUE!" (p. 98) [emp. mine].

Once again, another profound statement by HWA that has been declared by his own mouth as "truth." HWA will spend an inordinate amount of time hammering away at religion and education in this chapter. It is imperative that he destroys all vestiges of credibility before he can begin to construct a whole new belief system in the minds of his readers.

Even though he wants the reader to think that he is revealing the mystery of man, in reality he will continue to use this opportunity to induce fear, doubt and mistrust toward respected establishments, namely education and religion. He fully understands these institutions influence the hearts and minds of men.

In this third chapter of MOA, HWA will continue to magnify Satan’s sway, and most notably, he will bring his church into the forefront as a net to catch those who are fleeing the corrupt society he has designed. He will also use this chapter to draw sharp lines through traditional Christian doctrines, forcing the reader to stand on one side or the other, thus sifting out his "sheep." Also of note is his usual modus operandi of calculated confusion. This consists of topic introduction, discrediting, reiterating past doctrine, irrelevant arguments, reintroduction of the original topic several pages later, and ending with a faulty conclusion.

[NOTE: Through the rest of this chapter all capitalized headings are by the author in order to organize the subject matter better.]

IGNORANCE DUE TO SATAN BEING GOD OF THIS WORLD

Now let’s take a look at something called an "inconsequential argument." On page 98, HWA tells us that Satan sits on the throne of the earth and has "blinded the minds of intellectuals as well as other levels of society." His proof? Let’s follow this colorful illustration:

Consider for a moment, the most highly trained mind with several letters of advanced degrees following his name. He is highly trained in certain specific areas in which he has extensive, complicated and intricate knowledge. But ask him about some area of knowledge outside his specialized field and he is as much in ignorance as those who are lacking in the more advanced labyrinths of education." (p. 98)

According to HWA, a man who spends his whole life learning about and performing intricate brain surgeries is absolutely clueless when it comes to piloting a 747 Jumbo jet. And the professional airline pilot who spent countless hours in training doesn’t know a hill of beans about gene mapping. Why, all this ignorance absolutely proves that Satan sits on the throne of this world!

All sarcasm aside, can you begin to see these inconsequential arguments are nothing more than smokescreens designed to bring the reader to HWA’s faulty conclusions? Carefully examine the closing statement by HWA following this smokescreen:

This ignorance cannot be explained except by the invisible and unaware influence of the supernatural evil power of Satan the devil and the unseen demoniacal spirit beings. (p. 98)

Is this true? Shouldn’t God’s apostle also be measured by the same standards he is willing to dole out on others? Let’s try it: God’s man knows the Bible like the back of his hand—he’s the only expert on earth today that can decode the Bible—but he can’t pilot his own Gulfstream III Lear Jet. What ignorance! And this ignorance cannot be explained except by the invisible and evil power of Satan! But wait a minute! Let’s back up and rethink this using HWA’s own logic. Since HWA isn’t blinded by the devil, then he should know how to do everything from brain surgeries to gene mapping! Can you begin to see the fallacy in HWA’s empty arguments?

Come to think of it, why does HWA spend so much time illuminating the devil? All cults know that in order to unify members toward a common purpose or goal, there must be an "enemy" to fight against. This keeps the members distracted so they can’t focus on the actions of the leadership. Yes, the Bible says that the devil does influence the world, but he has no hold over the saved believer. HWA made members believe that if they weren’t careful to follow all the rules of the government of God, the devil would blindside them, and cause them to be "disqualified," thus terminating their salvation process. The member’s salvation was conditional upon obedience and total submission to the organization.

Here’s another interesting blunder in HWA’s vast arsenal of knowledge:

The primary divisions of this world’s civilization—government, religion, education and science, technology, industry—all shy away from God. …The mention of God embarrasses them. (p. 98)

HWA carefully lumps "religion" in with the different sectors of the world’s civilizations, stating that, "the mention of God embarrasses them." Religion embarrassed by the mention of God? Perish the thought! How would they stay in business? In his zeal to mix religion in with everything else gone wrong in society, God’s apostle plainly goofed.

Even though HWA says God isn’t judging mankind, let’s examine some of the judgmental remarks he has made concerning the learned of the world:

They are smugly ignorant and unaware of the TRUE VALUES and the incredible but real human potential. (p. 105)

Real truth is revealed. Unless revealed it remains a mystery, utterly unknown to the deceived and vain intellectuals. (p. 105) [emp. mine]

But why all this contempt toward intellectuals? Could it be that HWA is leading the reader to another calculated destination of wrong conclusions?

Jesus Christ thanked God that the real truths are hidden from the wise and prudent and revealed to those who are babes in materialistic knowledge. (p. 105)

The pattern is repeated over and over. Nobody knows anything, everyone is ignorant, but "real truths" that are "hidden" are "only revealed" to HWA and his church. His proof? Because they are "babes in materialistic knowledge." But HWA has a deeper reason for trashing education and the worldly "educated." He wants his readers to believe that "experts" are Satan’s puppets, perpetuating worldly "lies" and they should never be listened to unless they want to fall into deception. Once in the church, pursuit of higher education will be discouraged, under the guise of positioning oneself in the continual influence of Satan through these "worldly" institutions. Of course, HWA leads his members into believing that Ambassador College is God’s divine institution and members need to send their children to AC for a "godly education" to recapture "true values." The next generation will be further indoctrinated in HWA’s faulty doctrines and sent out into the world to support his growing empire. This is how a sly and calculating cult leader isolates his members and dominates their lives.

And if the reader had any dreams of furthering his education, HWA will stamp that out in a hurry:

The psychology taught in our day is self-reliance. Rely on the innate powers within you, they teach. An atmosphere of self-reliant professionalism pervades most modern university campuses. It is the spirit of vanity. The university student is induced to think of himself as becoming a professional—that is, he considers himself elevated above those who have not had his brand of education. Through basic concept of evolutionary theory, he feels himself completely above those who believe in God and the Lord Jesus Christ. He regards them with disdain. (p. 122)

There are some interesting comments made in this paragraph. It’s clear that HWA is bearing some kind of grudge toward anyone who pursues an education. Could it be because he never completed an education? The university student is training to become a professional in the field of his choice. He is deserving of the title of "professional" because of the years of training he must undergo to become an expert in his field. You wouldn’t want a surgeon with three months of training to operate on your loved one, would you? All unbelievers regard believers with disdain, but HWA wants us to believe that this attitude exists exclusively with the "educated." Of course, I’ve already covered HWA’s true purpose for perpetuating this idea.

BIBLE A HIGHLY CODED BOOK

Under the subtitle "Earth’s Face in Devastation," (p. 99) HWA quickly jumps to the sinning angels and reiterates his version of the gap theory. He then introduces a "biblical principle" and quotes Isaiah 28:9-10 "…precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little." Now let’s observe another clever set up. HWA states:

But most who try to apply this principle in biblical understanding take each "little" verse out of its context, to "interpret" their own ideas into it.

The very fact that its truths are revealed here a little, there a little means it is a coded book, not to be understood until our present time of the end….

…the Bible is like a jigsaw puzzle. Until the various pieces of a jigsaw are put properly together, the true picture does not emerge. (p. 100)

Need I point out the hypocrisy in HWA’s first statement? The next two statements confirm the hypocrisy of the first statement. We are not to "interpret our own ideas" into Scripture, but HWA tells us that only he can put Scripture together properly in order for a "true picture" to emerge (after all, he is special). One can see, over and over again in MOA, how HWA interpreted his own ideas into Scripture, and how he plainly lies and deceives through misquoting, misrepresenting, and grossly omitting information so the "true picture" of what he wants you to believe emerges—and now he wants you to take his word for it that everybody else "interprets their own ideas into Scripture and takes the Bible out of context"! HWA claims that the "educated" and "those of advanced intellect" are willfully ignorant. If anyone was willfully ignorant, it was HWA—he willfully ignored what the Bible taught! And for all his scorn toward education, why did he want to represent himself as "highly educated," buying himself a "doctorate" from Angeles University of the Philippines?³ How many old timers remember hearing HWA being addressed as "Dr. Armstrong"? Isn’t this absolute hypocrisy?

Another line of demarcation has been drawn by HWA. Those who challenge this exclusive claim will cease to go any further, no longer buying into the idea of blindly following this man’s self-proclaimed authority to interpret Scripture properly. The rest who didn’t notice the shift in final authority accepted this claim because they didn’t perceive or recognize this transfer of power. They were too inexperienced and trusting, believing that this man, who seemed to hold the Word of God with such high esteem, would ever take advantage of them. They felt he had taught them more about the Bible than they ever knew, so they begin to put their trust and belief in him, and his claims of "being sent by God" to reveal hidden Scriptures. Quite frankly, they were intrigued by what he had to say and wholeheartedly wanted to gain "UNDERSTANDING." They were so mired in this mystery that they entirely missed the wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Do the verses in Isaiah 28 really "prove" that the Bible is a coded book? In Isaiah 28, the major prophet begins the chapter by pronouncing woes to Ephraim and Jerusalem. Verses 7-8 discuss how the priests and prophets became infected with the sin of drunkenness, unable to adequately guide the nation—pathetic leadership indeed. Verse 9 in full context is a rebuke from Isaiah.

Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts?

Here Isaiah questions the "leaders" ability to teach since he compares them to toddlers "just weaned from milk." HWA discarded this part of the verse between the dot-dot-dots "…", a method he employs throughout his literature. The response to Isaiah from the leaders is in verse 10 (precept upon precept…here a little, there a little). They are scornfully mocking Isaiah by returning a child’s "nyah, nyah, nyah!" The Bible footnote says: Transliterated, the Hebrew monosyllables are Sav lasav, sav lasav, Kav lakav, kav lakav, Ze’er sham, ze’er sham. These imitations of a young child’s babbling ridicule Isaiah’s preaching.⁴ In verse 13, God returns their mockery, repeating it back to them. Because of the leaders’ obstinacy to heed Isaiah, he continues to prophecy of their coming defeat by the Assyrians. When read in context, this verse does not prove that the Bible is a coded book. When one believes the "coded book" myth, he has unconsciously given HWA permission to be the final authority in Bible interpretation, which is exactly what HWA wants.

HWA was a master at "cookie cutting theology." He would cut out a verse from one chapter, cut out another from another chapter, and present them together to create doctrines that support his beliefs. He would omit portions of Scripture to "prove" whatever he wanted to prove. This is how a cult leader is able to deceive his followers into thinking the "truths" in the Bible are hidden and God has given him the ability to properly interpret "confusing" (or hidden) Scriptures. The reader thinks they are "proving" what the Bible says because he tells them to read these Scriptures themselves. But these Scriptures don’t make sense unless the person reads them in the order that HWA teaches they should be read, and if you believe his explanations of them. One doesn’t see that they are only reading partial Scriptures, jumping around from here to there to piece the Bible together, Armstrong-style, arriving at the conclusions he intended.

Beginning on page 100, HWA introduces the concept of the Bible being a coded book and a jigsaw puzzle. Seven pages later, we find the adjective "highly" added to this "coded book," and stated as "fact." Let’s carefully think through this illogical statement. If God "reveals and instructs" with the Bible, why would he code it? When you are given an instruction manual with your new lawn mower or computer, is the manual "coded"? What would be the point? If you give first-time parents an instruction book on newborn baby care, how does it help the parents if the instruction book is highly coded? How can a highly coded book "reveal and instruct"? Why would a loving God do such a thing? Does Scripture support this idea?

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (II Tim. 3:16-17)

Can the reader begin to see that HWA fabricated this false belief so he could place himself as the one who can decipher the Bible? The reader’s lack of training in Scriptures is not "proof" that Satan has withheld this knowledge from him. If one opened up an aviation electronics manual, could he fully understand the schematics if he’s never been trained in aviation electronics? What about a manual on dentistry or human anatomy? What about industrial chemistry? Like any other profession, one must be trained in order to have better understanding of what he is reading. Lack of thorough understanding in these fields does not point to society suppressing "truth." Acquiring biblical knowledge is no different. The fact is that many people are weak in culture, history, foreign languages, and Bible eschatology, which makes the Bible difficult in many places (especially the Old Testament), but not completely impossible to understand, as HWA would want the reader to believe. This is why we have Bible reference materials to help us have a more in-depth understanding of certain Scriptures, and as we keep on reading the Bible, God will open up our minds and hearts to understand it.

MAN HAS MORTAL SOUL

HWA informs us that the "soul is mortal" and quotes Genesis 2:7 which says "man became a living soul." He states that, "this verse does not say ‘man is, or has, an immortal soul.’" True, it doesn’t say that, but using his own arguments, this verse doesn’t say man is a "mortal soul" either. It simply says that Adam came to life when God breathed the breath of life into him (a living soul). This is another clever, but invalid argument.

HWA expounds on the word "nephesh," and states that the soul is physical and can die. He pronounces his teaching as "TRUTH" and "believed by very few denominations." He emphatically pronounces this as "another PROOF that identifies the one true Church of God!" Once again, HWA validates his own doctrines by his own pronouncements! Naturally, he fails to mention that the "very few denominations" are cults. The Jehovah’s Witnesses use these very same arguments to support their mortal soul doctrine, and since the JW’s have been around longer than HWA, then it appears that God has been revealing this "truth" to another denomination, and a cultic one at that! Of course, if we use HWA’s own reasoning—that belief in this mortal soul doctrine is "proof that identifies the one true church"—this would qualify the Watchtower Society as part of the one true Church! Interestingly, HWA doesn’t trace his church lineage through them!⁵

It is no secret, even to the present leadership of the various Church of God organizations, that HWA pilfered most of his doctrines.⁶ It was already observed in the previous chapter, his borrowing from Mormonism (man is God in embryo/future God beings). Here is an interesting little comparison to see whether HWA spent his "research time" ingesting literature from the Watchtower Society. Let’s compare the paragraphs in his MOA with paragraphs quoted from a small book published by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society entitled, "You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth" (1982, 1989).

HWA says in his MOA:

But God made MAN of MATTER! This was necessary for the supreme accomplishment God willed.

"And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into this nostrils the breath [air] of life; and man became a living soul" (Gen. 2:7). Man, formed from material dust of the ground, upon breathing air, BECAME a living soul. It does not say man is, or has an immortal soul. What was formed from material ground BECAME a soul.

The word "soul" is translated from the Hebrew in which Moses wrote, from the word nephesh. The Hebrew nephesh here means a breathing animal. Three times in the first chapter of Genesis animals are called nephesh: Gen. 1:20, "moving creature"…, Gen. 1:21, "great whales, and every living creature"…; Gen. 1:24, "living creature"….The translators in translating into the English language used the English "creature," but in Genesis 2:7 they translated the same nephesh into the English word "soul" – man became a "living soul" (nephesh).

Therefore the SOUL is physical, composed of matter, and can die. (pgs. 103-104)

Compare that to the Watchtower Society’s publication:

God created man from the earth to live on the earth, as the Bible says: "Jehovah God proceeded to form the man out of dust from the ground and to blow into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man came to be a living soul." (Genesis 2:7) From this we can see that man was a direct creation of God. In a special act of creation, God made man a complete, whole person. When God blew into man’s nostrils the "breath of life," man’s lungs were filled with air. But more than that was accomplished. God thereby gave life to the man’s body. This life-force is sustained, or kept going, by breathing.

Notice however, that the Bible does not say that God gave man a soul. Rather, it says that after God started man breathing "the man came to be a living soul." So the man was a soul…(p. 72)

Some persons have said that what makes man different from the animals is that man has a soul but the animals do not. However, Genesis 1:20 and 30 says that God created "living souls" to live in the water, and that the animals have "life as a soul." In these verses some Bibles use the words "creature" and "life" instead of "soul," but their marginal readings agree that the word "soul" is what appears in the original language…

Since animals are souls, when they die their souls die…What about human souls? As we learned in the previous chapter, God did not create man with a soul. Man is a soul. So, as we would expect, when man dies, his soul dies. (pp. 77-78)

HWA continues with this argument:

…Scripture plainly reveals that when you die you are dead. According to the Bible, the dead don’t hear anything, see anything, think anything or know anything. The dead have absolutely no awareness of any kind: ‘For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished…’" (Eccl. 9:5-6) (p. 125)

Scripture warns us to make the most of life now while we have the opportunity: "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going (Eccl. 9:10 Revised Authorized Version). (p. 126) [Note: The NKJV is known in Great Britain as the Revised Authorized Version]

Notice the similarities with the Watchtower’s publication:

Simply stated, death is the opposite of life. The Bible shows this at Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10. According to the Authorized or King James Version, these verses say: "For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest."

This means that the dead cannot do anything and cannot feel anything. They no longer have any thoughts…(p. 76-77)

Take special note of what HWA says in the second paragraph, which is repeated in the third paragraph:

I have explained earlier that the spirit in man of itself does not see, cannot hear, cannot think….At death, "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. (Eccl. 12:7)

The departed human spirit at death is in fact a spiritual mold, of itself unconscious, yet in the resurrection bringing into the resurrected body all the memory, knowledge and character as well as form and shape of the person before death. (p. 110)

The spirit is the depository of memory and character. The spirit is like a mold. It retains even the human form and shape of the deceased, so that in the resurrection to judgment those who have died shall look as they did in life, retain whatever character they established in life, remember everything that was stored in their memory. But in the meantime, in death, there is no consciousness – they "know not any thing" (Eccl. 9:5) (p.127)

Now carefully observe the wording in the third paragraph of the Watchtower’s book:

As we have seen, the "spirit" is something different from our soul. The spirit is our life-force. This life-force is in each of the body cells of both humans and animals. It is sustained, or kept alive, by breathing. What does it mean, then, when the Bible says that at death "the dust returns to the earth…and the spirit itself returns to the true God who gave it"? (Eccl. 12:7) (p. 79)

At death man’s spirit, his life-force, which is sustained by breathing, "goes out." It no longer exists. So man’s senses of hearing, sight, touch, smell and taste, which depend upon his being able to think, all stop working. According to the Bible, the dead enter a state of complete unconsciousness. (p. 77)

The resurrection is indeed a wonderful miracle. The person that died may have built up a great amount of experience and knowledge and many memories over a lifetime. He developed a personality that made him different from any other person that ever lived. Yet Jehovah God remembers every detail, and will restore this complete person when He resurrects him….Humans can record voices and pictures of people, and play them back long after the people have died. But Jehovah can, and actually will, bring back to life all persons who are living in his memory! (p. 174)

HWA clearly derived his mortal soul (and other) teachings from the Watchtower Society. More noteworthy though, are HWA’s bootlegging of the Watchtower’s explanations. These teachings have been around since the early 1900’s. It appears that it is actually the Watchtower Society, and not God, that had been revealing these "truths" to HWA all along.

It is also interesting to note that Charles Taze Russell (founder of the Jehovah’s Witnesses), wrote a book entitled Divine Plan of the Ages. His successor, J. F. Rutherford wrote one entitled, The Finished Mystery.  The similarity between the titles of those two and HWA’s Mystery of the Ages should be evident. [emp. mine]

Now I want our readers to examine another gross misrepresentation by HWA:

Much supposed "Christian" teaching has been that God created the first man a perfect immortal being, but that when God was not looking Satan stole in and wrecked this wonderful handiwork of God. Salvation is then pictured as God’s effort to repair the damage, and to restore mankind back to a condition as good as when God first created him. (p. 125)

It seems to me that it was HWA who taught that God created Lucifer a perfect immortal being, but when God wasn’t looking for all those millions of years, Lucifer rebelled and wrecked this wonderful handiwork of God and destroyed the whole universe. Salvation is then pictured as God’s effort to repair the damage by sending Adam to dethrone Satan and restore the government of God on earth back to the condition as it was before God first created him. You see, HWA engages in gross misrepresentation of the Christian gospel, but will scream "persecution" whenever anyone returns the favor!

Notice how HWA supports his mortal soul teaching using his own writings as a credible source to back up his claims ("I quote now from an article in The Plain Truth March 1985…"). (p. 125). It seems he didn’t want to use the Watchtower Society’s literature as one of his sources since he derived this teaching from them. He wouldn’t want his readers to get suspicious, would he?

Let’s continue to examine each of HWA’s arguments concerning the immortal soul. He quotes Acts 13:22 and Acts 2:29 to support his beliefs that David, a man after God’s own heart, didn’t ascend into the heavens. He also quotes John 3:13, stating that Jesus, himself, said that, "no man hath ascended up to heaven." These arguments seems pretty convincing, until the Scriptures are read in context, something that HWA has repeatedly failed to do. Let’s examine them:

Beginning in verse 22 of Acts 2, we see Peter, filled with the Spirit, boldly giving his notable sermon to the Jews. He begins by declaring that Jesus of Nazareth, who performed many miracles in their midst, was crucified by their hands, but that God raised him up. Peter quotes Psalm 16:8-11, showing from David’s own writings that he was speaking of the Messiah and not of David, himself:

"For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will you allow Your Holy One to see corruption.

In verse 29, Peter is reminding the Jews that David’s body had never been raised, so this prophecy could not be speaking of him. Peter continues to give proof after proof that Jesus was the Messiah. When Peter spoke that David "did not ascend into the heavens," he was correctly testifying that Jesus, only, had been bodily resurrected. Remember, Jesus is the Firstfruits—the only One thus far that has been raised with both body and soul together to immortality! This is why Jesus was the only person in history who ascended bodily into the heavens—that’s why His body was not found in the tomb. This is precisely what these Scriptures are saying. In context, the focus of these Scriptures is proof that Jesus is the Messiah by His fulfillment of the prophecy uttered by David in Psalm 16—not "proof" that David didn’t go to heaven, as HWA tried to make it seem. Read Peter’s entire sermon in context and you will easily understand this.

Two books on ESN's booklist: Armstrongism and Ambassadors of Armstrongism plus the online book, Reasoning With Jehovah's Witnesses, will objectively and soundly refute these false doctrines with Scripture.

HUMAN SPIRIT IMPARTS INTELLECT TO THE BRAIN

The next area where HWA identifies another "truth" has proven interesting as well.

Now we come to another truth, so far as I know, exclusive to the one true Church. (p.104)

HWA goes through a series of discussions about "how the human mind functions," describing it as superior than that of animals even though they may be equal or greater in size. Of course he must throw in: "Few indeed know WHY!" I hope our readers are beginning to see who those "few" are and the set-up here. Believing what HWA says is how he defines "truth," and those who believe him gain the elite status of being part of the "one true Church."

HWA continues with the question, "What is the real value of human life?" contrasting a newborn babe and an elderly person (p. 106). He asks the reader, "Could you supply the correct answer?" Of course you can’t, and HWA knows that. This question was designed to make the reader feel insecure for his inability to answer it, while producing a sense of "awe" toward HWA for knowing the answer. One has to go all the way to pages 110-111, slog through a long and confusing dissertation about the human brain, in order to find the answer to this question proposed on page 106. The true answer is simple: God values ALL human life, but HWA doesn’t mention that. Instead, he launches into the word "UNDERSTANDING" deflecting the reader’s attention toward his profound wisdom, which he wants you to believe came from God.

It is worthy to note here that HWA also attempted on page 6 to make the reader think that he is "wise" because he agrees with HWA’s writings, and now "understands." This is why HWA capitalizes the word "UNDERSTANDING" throughout his literature. By carefully extracting the phrase "none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand" he once again sets up a "reader-can’t-win-Herbert-can’t-lose" scenario. If the reader chooses to believe him, he is pronounced "wise" for "understanding truth" (HWA’s doctrines). If he chooses not to believe him, he is "wicked" and the rejection of HWA’s doctrines is "proof" of the reader’s lack of understanding. He is immediately cast into Satan’s camp of the "blind and deceived" (and he definitely doesn’t get invited to church!).

HWA informs the reader that there is a spirit in man, which he dubs the "human spirit." He claims that this human spirit cannot see, hear, taste, smell, or feel, nor can it think. It’s supposed to "impart intellect to the brain." He repeats this phrase at least ten times between pages 105-111. Did HWA get this idea from Scripture? Believe it or not, in every instance where he used this phrase, he failed to give a single Scripture to support it! Look this up yourself! Start on page 104, under the subheading, "How Human Mind Functions" and read clear to the fourth paragraph on page 111, where HWA completes his thoughts. There are only two Scriptures quoted, neither of them having to do with the human mind! The first Scripture listed is on page 105 (Matt. 11:25), a repeat quote speaking of Jesus "revealing truth to babes." This is a clear set up for the reader to believe everything that he is told in the following pages. The next Scripture reference is on page 108 (Gen. 2:7), which is about God breathing into man the breath of life. And that’s it! Like a good TV commercial, HWA repetitiously chants what he wants the reader to believe, and omits the facts. Say it—repeat it—it’s fact—believe it. Advertising experience has served him well.

So one can correctly conclude that this idea that "the human spirit imparts intellect to the brain" did not come from Scripture since the apostle himself could give no Scripture to back it. I hope our readers by now understand that whenever HWA repeats certain words and phrases and uses capital letters, this is a "red flag" that needs to fall under careful scrutiny.

SWITCHING ALLEGIANCE—BECOMING A TRUE BELIEVER

How was HWA able to get his readers to switch their allegiance away from God and onto himself, without the reader noticing? It was very subtle indeed, and worth a closer look.

And can he [the human] instruct his Maker? Should he not, rather, open his mind, and listen when his Maker reveals to him the very reason for his being? (p. 107)

Real translation: "Stop disbelieving what I am telling you. Open your mind and listen to what I am telling you. I will reveal to you the very reason for your being, and I will speak directly for God." Here is a major shift in ultimate authority. This is where HWA begins to blend himself with God. He has stopped quoting Scripture, but he speaks as though he is speaking directly for God, making it seem that these very words are coming from God’s own lips. HWA is carefully escorting the reader into the category of "true believer". He initially broke down the reader’s resistance by getting the reader to disbelieve all outside authorities. He then introduces his doctrines in easy to understand terminology, making the reader feel that he is finally understanding the Bible, all the while gaining the reader’s trust. He now challenges the reader to open their minds and listen to him, subtly transferring himself in God’s place, positioning himself as one who speaks for God.

Its [the Holy Bible] profound message is opened to human understanding through the presence and in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit injected into the human mind that has surrendered and yielded completely to the revelation in belief and obedience. To such a one the TRUTH is made plain…. (p. 107)

Real translation: "You must completely surrender yourself, wholly believe my revelations of the Bible, and be obedient to what I say. Once you are completely yielded to my teachings, the Holy Spirit will be able to inject understanding into your human mind and the "TRUTHS" in the coded book will finally be made plain to you." This is where the reader takes the plunge. He is told that in order for him to have the Holy Spirit "inject" his mind to understand these mysteries, he must let go of any doubts, believe what HWA tells him, and obey. Wanting to know and "understand" more, the reader makes a conscious decision to "believe." This theme will be repeated a dozen pages later. These are repeated attempts to break down the resistance of the reader.

The next attempt is disguised as Adam rejecting God’s Law and Government (which, in reality is HWA’s law and government). I want the reader to carefully observe that this chapter was designed to bring the reader into total submission to HWA. Let’s now examine the phrases HWA uses in this section:

But instead Adam chose a different kind of knowledge—he took TO HIMSELF the knowledge of good as well as evil. He wholly relied on himself—both for the KNOWLEDGE as well as power of performance of good as well as evil. He REJECTED reliance on God and chose the course of SELF-reliance. The only righteousness he could acquire was SELF-righteousness, which to God is like filthy rags. (p. 119)

[Adam and Eve] Taking of its fruit was taking to themselves the knowledge of what is good...deciding for themselves…This, of course, means rejection of God’s LAW, which defined for them the right and the wrong. (p. 119)

With her, he [Adam] took to himself the determination of what is right and what is wrong—thus DISBELIEVING what his Maker had said, REJECTING God as Savior and Ruler—rejecting God as the source of revealed BASIC KNOWLEDGE. He believed and followed Satan’s WAY! (p. 119-120)

Look at the subtle (and not so subtle) message in these paragraphs. HWA introduces the notion that "thinking for oneself" is outright rejection of God’s law (and ultimately God). Carefully examine the words in CAPITAL LETTERS. What is the message HWA is trying to get across? Here is another set-up. By thinking for yourself, you are REJECTING reliance on God (HWA), and by doing so, you have become SELF-reliant and SELF-righteous, which makes you nothing but a "filthy rag" in God’s (HWA’s) sight. By REJECTING and DISBELIEVING God (HWA), you are cutting yourself off from the source of revealed BASIC KNOWLEDGE. By doing this, you are following Satan’s WAY. The reader can’t win—HWA can’t lose. This is called "learned helplessness" that cults employ to create a co-dependency in members upon the organization. Members give up their right to think for themselves, believing that this pleases God, because the leader, who now speaks for God, "says so."

HWA is subconsciously mind-controlling his readers, and if the reader has already surrendered final authority to HWA, he stops looking for scriptural proofs and simply believes what he is told. This is faith—in the cult leader as final authority. This is how subtle the transferal of faith in God to faith in a human leader as God’s sole representative who speaks for Him happens. Once the reader becomes a convert, he will never see the world through the same eyes again. Everything that proceeds from Armstrong’s mouth will be regarded as "fact," and any differing information will be categorized as "Satan’s lies." HWA has sifted out his sheep.

ANTI-TRINITARIAN

HWA knows he has deceived his readers into thinking that God is a family, and not a Holy Trinity, so he must continue to flail away at this core belief. Let us see another instance where he misquotes Scripture to "prove" his anti-Trinitarian views (p. 112-113):

"But God hath revealed them [spiritual things] unto us by his Spirit…." (I Cor. 2:10) Notice particularly spiritual knowledge is not revealed by a Person called the Holy Spirit.

"For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?…" (verse 11).

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (verse 14).

Now let’s read the whole verse in context. The print in green lettering is what HWA omitted from these verses:

But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. (v. 10) [emp. mine]

For what man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. (v.11)

Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Spirit teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (I Cor. 2:10-14)

Why would HWA extract these verses out of context? Is it because he doesn’t want the reader to see that the Holy Spirit "searches," "knows," and "teaches"—verbs that could disprove his doctrine that the Holy Spirit is just a mere "instrumentality"?⁷

HWA throws out the question, "If the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity, then is not the spirit in man also another man?" Another question designed to make the reader come to a faulty conclusion. If you agree that the second half of the question is false—that the spirit in man doesn’t mean there is also another man—then you are set up to believe that the first half of the question must be false. HWA knows that most people’s knowledge of the Trinity is on shaky ground, and he capitalizes on this by asking these kinds of questions. Just because the spirit in a man is not a separate man or person does not prove or disprove the Holy Spirit is or is not a person. The two are unrelated in this matter. HWA uses a sophistic argument here to disprove the Holy Spirit is a person; an entity, without examining other relevant passages of scripture. Is this Biblical? Is this the methodology of a true servant of God?

And just in case the reader continues to hold dear any Trinitarian views, HWA will pronounce the sin of blasphemy upon him:

That, also, explains why, on reading in the New Testament of God the Father, and also of Jesus being God, they [theologians] came up with the false theory of the Holy Spirit being a "Ghost" or third Person of a Trinity, thus blaspheming the Holy Spirit and LIMITING God and doing away with all knowledge that converted humans can become members of the very divine God FAMILY…(p. 129)

Accusing one of blaspheming the Holy Spirit is accusing one of committing the "unpardonable sin." This is a very serious accusation, not to be taken lightly, and deserving thorough examination. Does the Bible teach that belief in God being a Trinity, or saying that the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity is the sin of "blasphemy"? Interestingly, HWA omitted any scriptural references to shed more light on this repugnant sin. Why would something as serious as this not have a scriptural back up? Could there be a reason?

Let’s examine Matthew 12:24-32 and Mark 3:22-30 where the "unpardonable sin" is committed, and read this in context. Here, the scribes and Pharisees accuse Jesus of using the power of Beelzebub to cast out demons. The scribes and Pharisees knew this wasn’t true, but deliberately slandered Jesus—deliberately rejected—and denied what the Holy Spirit did through Him. Jesus pronounces a stern and irrevocable judgment upon them for attributing to Satan the unmistakable works of the Holy Spirit. These Scriptures do not say that belief in the triune nature of God is blasphemy, or that believing the Holy Spirit being is a Divine Personage, or the third Person of the Trinity, is committing blasphemy.

So once again, you have HWA twisting Scriptures, speaking with authority, and giving no scriptural support to his claims. HWA used this argument to induce readers to shed what remaining beliefs they had regarding the Trinity. He stoops to fear tactics, making the reader believe that he had been committing a grievous sin against God. He knows that many of his readers know nothing about blaspheming the Holy Spirit—they only know that "blasphemy" is something "bad" and that one "shouldn’t do it." He, of course, does this to evoke emotions—a technique he uses repeatedly. The reader feels frightened that he may have been committing this particular sin, although unknowingly.⁸ He feels anger, and begins to believe that his lack of knowledge on this subject is "proof" that pertinent information had been withheld from him by "deceived Christianity." His foundational trust in orthodox religion continues to crumble, which is precisely what HWA wants. HWA quickly offers a better alternative—membership into the God Family. I hope our readers can see the set-up.

The final area in this chapter where HWA dates himself can be found on page 130:

For the first 6,000 years—now almost completed—all but the predestined FEW were cut off. [emp. mine]

HWA exhausted his followers by beating them around "the Gun Lap." He repeatedly prophesied that the 6,000 years was almost complete and the end was near. Let’s look at the math of this Master Plan theory:

First few days of time—Adam messes up

4,000 years later—Jesus comes to earth (page 38, 132)

1,927 years later—God calls HWA to begin "the Work."

4,000 + 1,927 = 5,927 years have passed

1985—MOA written. "The most important book since the Bible."

1985 subtracting the 1,927 above = 58 years

5,937 + 58 = 5,995 years passed, only 5 more years to go to equal 6,000 years of man’s inept "misrule" on earth.

6,000 + 1,000 (millennium) = 7,000-year Master Plan!

Of course, HWA died in 1986, and this prophecy did not come to pass. Even if one added the five extra years onto the 1985 date, which would bring the end of the 6,000 years of man’s misrule in 1990. Fourteen years have passed, and this prophetic calculation has proven false. It appears that this 6,000-year plan has been a human concoction.⁹

Now let’s compare what HWA says about his 6,000 theory to the Watchtower Society’s publication:

Let's see what Deuteronomy 18:22 has this to say about all this:

"When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor comes to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him." (emp. mine)

According to God, you shouldn’t be afraid of any of HWA’s doomsday prophecies coming true, since the date for them to occur has expired. Don’t spend your life hanging on to a false prophet’s presumptuous sayings—you are free to go.

THE RESURRECTION

HWA claims that "traditional Christianity" "says nothing about the future resurrection of the billions who have died in Adam." (p. 124) This is false. Every Christian reference resource acknowledges the resurrection because it is a Biblical teaching. The reader’s lack of Biblical knowledge on this topic isn’t "proof" that Christianity doesn’t say anything about it. Look at the footnotes of any Reference Bible. In reference to John 5:25-29, the footnote in The MacArthur Study Bible, 1997 says: "The theme of these verses is resurrection. Jesus related that all men, saved and unsaved, will be literally and physically resurrected from the dead." It appears that "deceived traditional Christianity" fully understands and teaches a future resurrection of all men. There are countless Christian resources that thoroughly explain the resurrection. In the book The Great Doctrines of the Bible (William Evans, Moody Press, 1912-1979), is a quick rundown of this topic on page 245:

THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD

THIS DOCTRINE CLEARLY TAUGHT IN THE SCRIPTURES

1. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

2. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

THE NATURE OF THE RESURRECTION

1. LITERAL RESURRECTION OF THE BODIES OF ALL MEN

2. RESURRECTION OF THE BODY NECESSARY TO COMPLETE SALVATION

3. THE NATURE OF THE RESURRECTION BODY

1. In general

2. The Body of the Believer

3. The Body of the Unbeliever

THE TIME OF THE RESURRECTION

4. OF THE RIGHTEOUS

5. OF THE WICKED

According to the copyright date of this book, this particular doctrine has been understood by "deceived traditional Christianity" since 1912—a full two decades before God supposedly gave this truth to HWA to preach to the world. But, as usual, HWA will not give credit where credit is due because it is not in his best interest to do so.

Here is another resource that speaks of the Resurrection (International Bible Encyclopedia, 1915; "Immortality," by James Orr):

The Resurrection

The fullness of the blessedness of immortality implies the resurrection. The resurrection is a cardinal article of Christ's teaching (Matthew 22:29-32; John 5:25-29; 11:23-26). He Himself is the Lord of life, and life-giver in the resurrection (John 5:21,25,26; 11:25, "I am the resurrection, and the life"). The resurrection of believers is secured by His own resurrection. Jesus died; He rose again (see RESURRECTION). His resurrection carries with it the certainty of the resurrection of all His people. This is the great theme of 1 Corinthians 15. As Christ lives, they shall live also (John 14:19). The believers who are alive at His Parousia shall be changed (1 Corinthians 15:51; 1 Thessalonians 4:17); those who are dead shall be raised first of all (1 Thessalonians 4:16). The resurrection body shall be a body like to Christ's own (Philippians 3:21)—incorruptible, glorious, powerful, spiritual, immortal (1 Corinthians 15:42,53). This is not to be confused with sameness of material particles (1 Corinthians 15:37), yet there is the connection of a vital bond between the old body and the new. This is the hope of the believer, without which his redemption would not be complete.

Look up "Resurrection" in Nave’s Topical Bible. Look at any study Bible’s footnotes. Look through any religious resource on the topic of "resurrection" and you will find it. HWA had access to all these resources, but he falsely accuses Christianity for not believing in the Resurrection. He purposely diverted the reader to graphic depictions of heaven and hell (p. 124), making the reader believe that the doctrine of the Resurrection was exclusively revealed to him. HWA emphatically tells the reader that, "deceived traditional Christianity, in doctrine after doctrine, teaches the diametric opposite of the truths revealed in the Bible!" (p. 125) In this case, it appears that he is in agreement with Christianity concerning this particular doctrine. Even though he morphs his own version of the Resurrection, it is interesting to note his complete silence concerning Christianity’s teaching about the Resurrection. If he had read all the Bible encyclopedias, historical records, lexicons, etc., that he claimed to have read, then how could this core doctrine have escaped his attention? He didn’t even bother to attack Christianity on this particular doctrine, which should make one immediately suspicious. Undoubtedly, he was afraid to draw any undue attention to the fact that Christianity embraced this teaching long before God revealed it to him. Wouldn’t a true apostle of God give some credit to a "deceived religion" for having at least one doctrine right?

FEW CALLED AND CHOSEN

HWA will continue to smash away at Christianity, leaving any form of credibility in shambles. Feeling confident that he has stirred up considerable confusion over cherished doctrines, he will point the way out of this mess toward his church. Let’s see how he offers the bewildered reader a carefully calculated alternative:

…you have chosen the ‘GETTING,’ ‘TAKING’ way of Satan. Therefore I sentence you and the world ….to 6,000 years of being cut off from access to me and my Spirit—except for the exceedingly FEW I shall specially call. And that FEW shall be called for special service preparatory for the kingdom of God. (p. 120)

Those few called during this first 6,000 years...shall sit with me in my throne, and have power under me to rule all nations under my Supreme Rule. (p. 121)

…God CLOSED OFF THE TREE OF LIFE...except in the case of chosen prophets for the writing of the Bible, and of the Church called out of this world by Jesus Christ. (p. 122)

The most universal false teaching, believed by virtually all churches...except the one and only true and original Church of God…(p. 127)

Few UNDERSTAND this basic master plan of God. (p. 127)

…all but the predestined FEW were cut off. (p. 130)

…[a] counterfeit gospel ABOUT Christ was being proclaimed by all but the persecuted FEW who loyally remained as the small and persecuted true original Church of God. (p. 131)

Meanwhile the Holy Spirit has been closed to all but the prophets and the called-out-ones of the true Church. (p. 132)

…and those specially called out for training to become rulers and teachers under Christ…(p. 132)

Those very few called…have had to do what Adam refused to do….(p. 133)

According to HWA, God is calling "the few, the BRAVE, THE MARINES!!!" HWA offers the reader the lofty position of elite status, a tremendous "perk" for choosing his church. After his dreadful representation of "traditional Christianity," is there any wonder why the reader would gravitate toward HWA’s alternative? Once again, the skillful salesman leads the reader to choose his product.

Once in the organization, the convert will learn that he is part of the 144,000 elite "chosen ones" who will rule with Christ during the Millennium. From where did HWA get this idea? Below are excerpts taken from the Watchtower Society’s publication entitled, "You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth" (1982, 1989):

How small a number will that class of Kingdom rulers be? Will it include only the apostles and other early followers of Jesus? No, the Bible shows that the "little flock" will include more. At Rev. 14:1, 3 the Bible says: "And I saw, and look! The Lamb standing upon the Mount Zion, and with him 144,000…who have been bought [or taken] from the earth."…So rather than all good people going to heaven, the Bible reveals that only 144,000 tried and faithful persons will be taken there to rule with Christ. (p. 124)

But why does God choose these rulers from among humankind? Why not have angels rule with Christ? Well, it was here at the earth that Jehovah’s right to rule was challenged. It was here that the faithfulness of men to God could be put to the test under opposition from the Devil. It was here that Jesus proved his full loyalty to God under test and gave his life as a ransom for mankind. So it was from the earth that Jehovah arranged to take a "little flock" of persons to be associated with his Son in the heavenly kingdom. They are the ones who, by their faithfulness to God, proved false the Devil’s charge that men serve God only for selfish reasons…(p. 125)

Also, think how wonderful it will be to have as rulers persons who proved faithful to God on earth, many of them even sacrificing their lives in behalf of the Kingdom. Angels have not faced such kind of testings. Nor have they experienced the problems common to humankind…But the 144,000 will understand because they have had these very problems…Therefore they will deal with their earthly subjects in an understanding way. (p. 125)

…In all, only 144,000 persons finally make up the "congregation of God"…The Bible also refers to this congregation of 144,000 members by such terms as "the bride, the Lamb’s wife," "the body of the Christ," "the temple of God," "the Israel of God," and the "New Jerusalem."

Jehovah God did not change his purpose for the earth and mankind on it after Adam started the human race down the path of sin and death. Had God done so, it would have meant that God was not able to carry out his original purpose. His purpose from the beginning was to have an earth-wide paradise filled with happy, healthy people, and that purpose still stands. The only new thing that God introduced was his arrangement for a new government to carry out his purpose. As we have seen, his Son, Jesus Christ, is the main ruler in this government, and 144,000 persons will be taken from among humankind to rule in heaven with him.

These rulers in heaven will make up the "new heavens" of God’s new system. Yet it is clear that if there are to be such righteous rulers over the earth, then there must be those over whom they rule.

Even though the Watchtower Society believes that the 144,000 go to heaven, one cannot help but notice the similarities in wording and concept. HWA undoubtedly borrowed the main idea and modified it to suit his agenda..

HEAVEN AND HELL

HWA, like all cults, paints the "worst case scenario" when it comes to the doctrines of heaven and hell, making Christianity seem "cruel" at worst and "unfair" at best. HWA must stir up feelings of repulsion to get the reader to reject his previous beliefs. He depicts heaven as "eternal idleness, freedom from responsibility and bliss in ease and laziness." (p. 124) In his other publications, he depicts an elderly retiree sitting in a nursing home playing cards, and makes vindictive remarks about the righteous "sitting on clouds, plucking harps, shuffling through harp music, and looking up into the face of the Master for ALL ETERNITY!" This description is laughable and an outright misrepresentation of the facts. For a man who claims to know so much about the world’s various religions, he has yet to accurately represent what orthodox Christianity truly taught and believed. This is quite intentional on his part, no doubt. Sadder still, is the Subject Index on page 376 of the MOA under the topic of heaven. HWA makes two small references to heaven—that it is the "headquarters of the universe," and that "no man, except Jesus, has ascended to it."

Could there be a reason for Biblical Christianity to promote heaven as the final reward of the saved? Can they back it up with Scriptures, or are they merely promoting the traditions of men? Let’s see if the Bible has anything to say about heaven:

Heaven is a definite place where God the Father dwells (Matt. 6:9) "Our Father who art in heaven." The Lord’s throne is in heaven (Psalm 11:4), and so are His angels (Mark 13:32). Christ came down from heaven (John 6:38), and ascended to it (Acts 1:9-11) to sit at the right hand of the Father (1 Peter 3:22). The Holy Spirit was sent down from heaven (1 Peter 1:12). That is where the believer’s hope is found (Col. 1:5), his inheritance (1 Peter 1:4), his reward (Matt. 5:12), his treasure (Mark 10:21), and where his name is written (Luke 10:20).

Its size is inconceivable, because from it the New Jerusalem descends, described as 1500 miles square, (Rev. 21:10-16). It is "up," above the atmospheric and starry heavens (Gen. 7:23; 22:17), possibly in the north (Isa. 14:13; Ps. 75:6, 7). It is called the third heaven (2 Cor. 12:2; Eph. 4:10), and is thought to be a sphere (Job 22:14).

Believers go to be with Christ in heaven at death, (Phil. 1:23), and according to Paul, it is far better than life on earth, being a place of joy and pleasure, (Ps. 16:11). From heaven believers will descend with Christ when He returns to earth, (1 Thes. 3:13; 4:13-16). The calling of Christians is heavenly (Heb. 3:1). Evidently because of the poverty of language, the eternal state is described in terms of the absence of sorrow, pain, death, and other "former things," (Rev. 21:4). (Excerpted from The Great Doctrines of the Bible, Evans).

The Nave’s Topical Bible on "heaven" has the following Scriptures listed:

Did our readers notice that after every thought there is a Scripture to back it up? Now pull out your Strong’s Concordance and look up the word "heaven." There are five full columns of references. Even after removing all the words that refer to the expanse of the sky, there are still more than the two Scriptures besides the ones represented in the Subject Index of the MOA. Why would God’s apostle not bring these verses to our attention? Is he trying to hide something? Why would he do that? If HWA is telling his readers the "truth," then the Scriptures would prove him right, wouldn’t they? Truth doesn’t disturb truth—truth only disturbs error.

In conclusion, "deceived Christianity" seems to have a biblical basis for their claims of heaven, while HWA makes claims without giving a single Scripture to back them. In this case, we need to take HWA’s advice: Don’t believe him—believe your Bible!

Now let’s look at HWA’s representation of the hell of "traditional Christianity." He describes it as "a definite place of eternal continuous burning fire where they [the unsaved] shriek and scream in indescribable pain and agony forever and ever without hope." (p. 124) On page 125, HWA gives another example of "saved mothers" who have "gone to heaven" and are "conscious of their lost sons who are shrieking and screaming in indescribable torture of hell fire." Given this shallow view, is it any wonder that we are revolted by this description? Naturally, you won’t find the word "hell" in the Subject Index of MOA.

From where did HWA get his teachings of hell? Under the subtitle "Devil-Inspired Teachings" we read:

It was the Devil who told Eve: "You positively will not die." (Gen. 3:4, Rev. 12:9) But she did die; no part of her lived on. That the soul lives on after death is a lie started by the Devil. And it is also a lie, which the Devil has had spread, that the souls of the wicked are tormented in a hell or purgatory. Since the Bible clearly shows that the dead are unconscious, these teachings could not be true…

We have seen that hell (Sheol or Hades) is a place of rest in hope for the dead. Both good and bad persons go there, to await the resurrection. We have also learned that Gehenna does not mean a place of torment, but is used in the Bible as a symbol of everlasting destruction. In the same way, "the lake of fire" is not a literal place of fire, but represents the "second death" from which there will be no resurrection. Hell could not be a place of torment because such an idea never came into the mind or heart of God. Additionally, to torment a person eternally because he did wrong on earth for a few years is contrary to justice. How good it is to know the truth about the dead! (p. 89, "You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth," Watchtower Society, 1982, 1989).

He got them from the Watchtower Society!

HWA, like all cults, stirs up feelings that God is somehow "unfair" —that a "loving God" would "never do such an awful thing." He gives his readers a candy-coated version of justice—that people wouldn’t be evil if only they’ve been "given a fair chance." He develops a better justice system, introducing a salvation plan that fits all. He markets God’s solution for wickedness as too harsh—besides, his "new, improved version" has better "consumer appeal."

Let’s see from where HWA got his version of "universal salvation":

It is true that this man [the thief on the cross] did bad things. He was "unrighteous". Also, he was ignorant of God’s will. But would he have been a criminal if he had known about God’s purposes? To find out, Jesus will resurrect this unrighteous man, as well as thousands of millions of others who died in ignorance. For instance, in past centuries many people died who did not know how to read and who had never seen a Bible. But they will be raised from Sheol, or Hades. Then, in the paradise earth, they will be taught God’s will, and they will have the opportunity to prove that they really do love God by doing his will. (p. 171)

What picture does Judgment Day call to your mind? Some imagine a great throne, and in front of it a long line of persons who have been resurrected from the dead. As each person passes before the throne, he is judged by his past deeds, all of which are written down in the Judge’s book. Based on the things he did, the person is sent either to heaven or to a fiery hell.

The Bible, however, gives a much different picture of Judgment Day…Contrary to popular opinion, he [Christ] will not judge persons on the basis of their past sins, many of which may have been committed in ignorance…(p. 175)

During Judgment Day those who survive Armageddon will work to make the earth a paradise. Into this paradise the dead will be welcomed back…During Judgment Day all the people will learn about Jehovah, and they will be given every opportunity to obey and serve Him. (p. 177-178)

It is under such paradise conditions that Jesus Christ and his 144,000 associate kings will judge humankind. People who choose to serve Jehovah will be in a position to receive everlasting life. But, even under these best of circumstances, some will refuse to serve God….So even after being given full opportunity to change their ways and to learn righteousness, such wicked ones will be destroyed. Some will be put to death even before Judgment Day ends. They will not be permitted to remain to corrupt or spoil the paradise earth. (p. 178, "You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth," Watchtower Society, 1982, 1989).

So there you have it. Doctrine after doctrine copied from the Watchtower Society. Should one believe a man that derives his teachings from a cultic organization? Is there any wonder why Biblical Christianity teaches the diametric opposite of what HWA taught? Maybe there’s a really good reason for this!