Gerald Flurry wrote an article, “The Bible Hymnal in Prophecy”1 where he said:
“Herbert W. Armstrong introduced some original hymns to the Church of God, composed by his brother Dwight, in 1952. Over the next 20 years, more Bible-based hymns were composed and added—derived mainly from the Psalms—until 1974, when it reached the form known in the Church of God today. There is no other hymnal like The Bible Hymnal! Other hymnals have lyrics with poetic fluff, or lies, or praises to the congregation and not to God, or songs about the name or the person of Christ while ignoring His message. But God’s hymnal is built on the psalms of the Bible.” [bolding ours]
After telling us how the Psalms are songs, inspired by God, and He intends them to be sung, he tells us about how Dwight Armstrong (HWA’s youngest brother) “was able to work for 35 years composing this great hymnal.” And, “It was beautiful music inspired by God Himself.”2
GF focuses in on one of the hymns Dwight composed which was: “By the Waters of Babylon” (based on Psalm 137) and how it is a “powerfully prophetic psalm.”
Wasn’t this Psalm actually about the Israelites when they were in captivity in Babylon and mourning the loss of Jerusalem? How does that apply to us today? Here is GF’s spin on it:
“These are the Laodiceans—God’s lukewarm saints—in the Great Tribulation. They are in captivity in Babylon, and remembering the righteous Zion, which symbolizes God’s Church. They remember the work of Mr. Armstrong and how God used that man. They even remember the work his brother did to compose a wonderful hymnal!”
Those words are absolutely insane except to those who engage in Scripture twisting.
He goes on to say:
“These saints remember the Zion of God’s end-time Elijah, and they weep. These are the repentant Laodiceans, and they are weeping because of their rebellion against God. They want to change, and here they begin to amend their attitude in an amazing way.”
Referring to Psalm 137:8 he applies it to “God destroying the last resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire and the great Communist hordes to bring peace to Earth.” He says the Laodiceans “finally decide to proclaim God’s message.” [bolding ours]
These words are nothing but the wild imaginations of GF.
He says Psalm 137 implies that these (Laodicean) prisoners will start singing from the Hymnal, page 103, and “Nothing would impact the people of the Holy Roman Empire so powerfully.”
He becomes even more unhinged when he says,
“But suddenly, on June 28, 2006, they [referring to the court trial with the WCG] released the hymnal into the public domain so anybody who wanted to could have it. Why? … Did God force them to do that because of this prophecy in Psalm 137? I certainly think He did.”
As he goes on in this ludicrous article, he says,
“These hymns were created through God’s end-time Elijah [HWA] and his brother [Dwight]. They were inspired by God. These are God’s hymns!”
This articles gets more nonsensical.
GF tells us that hymnals in other churches (i. e., churches outside of PCG) have lyrics that are “poetic fluff; “praises to the congregation and not to God”; “songs about the name or the person of Christ while ignoring His message.”
These are outrageous and absurd statements spoken without knowledge.
HWA (as GF) taught that Christ was only a “Messenger” bringing the message of “the Kingdom of God.” He de-emphasized Christ as Savior; downplaying how He came to pay for all our sins and give us eternal life. He concentrated instead on Christ when He was living under the old covenant before His death, burial and resurrection.
Let’s hear what some survivors who have written ESN have said about this hymnal of Dwight Armstrong’s.
Quote from child survivor:
“I got more joy out of watching the high school janitor sweeping the hallway floor than being in that auditorium listening to those awful sermons and singing those terrible hymns.” [Taken from Glad I Didn’t Have to Attend HWA’s Cult Any Longer Than I Did!]
Another child survivor wrote:
“I had personally discovered how very comforting the words of the old hymns were but I retreat to them far more often now for comfort because even the Bible can seem uncomforting when you’re having a bad day, because of the old teachings…” [Taken from: It’s Been a Long Painful Journey]
One former WCG member said:
“There were many reasons why I left WCG. … I missed and yearned for many of the old sacred hymns that told the story of Jesus and the gospel message of salvation.” [Taken from Why I Didn’t Like the New Music in WCG]
Instead of “poetic fluff,” “lies,” and other lame words from the mouth of GF, reading through the words of sacred hymns can speak to us of Jesus and His love. Shouldn’t that give us more assurance than immersing ourselves in and singing hymns based on the Psalms? The hymns HWA (and also GF) scorned were sacred hymns that were cherished and sang over and over and passed on down through generations.
HWA’s goal (as well as GF’s) was to make us as different from Orthodox Christians as possible. This was part of their control. It also was satanic because, at the same time, we were being removed from Jesus, His love and His true message of grace, forgiveness and eternal life. (John 1:17; Ephesians 1:7; 1 John 2:25, etc.) The same lies are continuing today through authoritarian WCG splinter groups, such as the Philadelphia Church of God. It is also promoting ideologies that GF knows are not true in order to deceive others so that he might exploit them financially. In other words, it’s a form of marketing.
GF finishes by saying,
“We need to learn them deeply and hang onto them [the words in this hymnal] and keep singing them—and we will be singing ourselves into the wonderful World Tomorrow, into the very Kingdom of God!”
How ironic (and deceitful) that GF can talk about how “beautiful” these hymns are, even saying members will be singing them in the “World Tomorrow,” yet turn around and treat those who have left PCG, are still a member, or who have never been a member, with harshness, callousness, and cruelty, causing families to end up having their lives ruined. Unbelievable!
By D. M. Williams
Exit & Support Network™
December 2, 2024
Recommended Article:
Why Herbert Armstrong Couldn’t Have Been God’s True Apostle
Related Article:
Did Herbert W. Armstrong Change Words to Sacred Hymns?
Shows proof that he did.
Footnotes:
1 September 9, 2024
2 GF would discount Christians like Fanny Crosby (1820-1915) who wrote more than 8,000 hymns and gospel songs in spite of her blindness. She could sometimes create seven songs a day. In the intro to The Bible Hymnal Herbert Armstrong says it took Dwight Armstrong “some little time” to compose them; i. e., 35 years.