When
we first came into contact with the WCG, it was 1983. We were unaware of the scandalous receivership and ousting of
Garner Ted, and the failed prophecy of 1975
(the year Christ was to return). Many had left, and we were the beginning of the influx of new
recruits who were oblivious to the organization’s shady past. Petra was still on the minds of the remaining members, in spite
of the failed prophecy, and we heard references about it in casual
conversations between long time members. It wouldn’t be long before we began to question what this
thing called "Petra" was.
We
were informed (by a deacon and minister's daughter) that Petra was
the "place of safety" that God was going to take us to when the
Great Tribulation would start (said to be January 7, 1972, which HWA
said was the end of a "19-year time cycle"). It was located in the deserts of Jordan, and when it was time
to flee, God would make sure He would give the warning to His Apostle,
Mr. Armstrong. At that
time, we would sell all of our worldly possessions and send the money
to Pasadena. Then, HWA
would purchase jetliners and we would head to Jordan ("on eagle's
wings"). They told us
that HWA had made all these arrangements with King Hussein.
Once
we got there, we would walk into Petra on foot and then set up camp and go through some type of "final
training" (Gerald Waterhouse would head this). God would provide food by probably sending manna again (only WE
wouldn’t grumble like the ancient Israelites did because we were too
spiritually mature), and God would miraculously give us water to drink
(probably from a rock that Herbert would strike). We would stay there, protected for 3-1/2 years, while the rest
of the world would have to suffer the terrible plagues of the Great
Tribulation. Then Jesus
would return and we would be changed into spirit beings (that was our
salvation). Now all this
sounded exciting enough, but I did have a few nagging questions.
I
wanted to know what would happen if a woman was pregnant when Christ
returned? HWA answered
that question during a taped sermon where he declared that "God
is going to close up all the wombs of the women during this time." This not only would take care of birth control needs, but
sanitation needs as well (think about it).
What about people who were on medication? God would heal them while we were there.
What about adults and children who were wearing orthodontics? God will make sure that there would be members who are doctors
and dentists. God would
use them to take care of our needs (like setting broken bones). I was fascinated by their total faith in God’s provision. I completely missed the boat when I failed to think thoroughly
about these answers. Were
these fleeing doctors and dentists going to haul all their medical
equipment and supplies to Petra? Why did we need the medical profession there with us in the
first place--couldn’t God supernaturally heal broken bones alongside
of the diabetics and cancer patients? Why would the ministry instruct us not to see doctors, but
assure us that they would be with us in Petra? Man-contrived beliefs will always have loopholes.
As
we spent more time in "the church," it was clear to us that getting to
the "place of safety" was the ultimate goal of each member. It seemed any world event (from wars to natural disasters) were
interpreted as a possible "trigger" for the end times. I recall one Feast where we met a lady who said that we would
flee in 1993, because all the planets in the solar system were going
to line up. The
speculations never ceased among paranoid parishioners, nor did any
dire predictions ever come to fruition.
Over time,
we developed a phobic fear toward world events. Back in 1991, Iraq invaded Kuwait, and President George
W. Bush, Sr. ordered American troops to fight in the Gulf War. This was a time of anxiety in the Church. Was Saddam Hussein the catalyst that would give rise to the
evil False Prophet and Beast power? There was much speculation among the members. Would we be fleeing in the near future?
Herbert Armstrong, "God’s Apostle," warned us for decades that
these events would unfold in this very generation. Was HWA the "Moses," the "Lawgiver," who wasn’t
allowed to enter the Promised Land, and Joseph W. Tkach Sr. the "Joshua"
who would finally lead us there? HWA told us that America would "never win another war," and
that God was going to "break the pride of our power." Since he was in direct contact with God on a daily basis, then
he should know, right? I
never wavered in my faith toward "God’s Apostle."
God was using him to finish the "End Time Work," and I was
going to follow him all the way. To doubt, we were told, meant we lacked faith and I never
wanted to be accused of "shrinking back," so I put my whole,
complete faith into "God’s Church."
Money was pouring in to headquarters so "the Work" would
make its last, great push to the finish line, since we were certain
that this was the beginning of the end.
One
hundred days later, the U.S. declared victory in defeating Iraq. Not only was Iraq defeated--they were completely clobbered. (Remember General Schwartzkopf's famous dictum:
"The Mother
of All Wars has turned into the Father of All Retreats"?)
Now
let’s understand the significance of this war. Didn’t "God’s Apostle" say that America would never
win another war? What
happened? Members became
restless and began to question. To quell the upheaval, members were
told,
"The Gulf War really wasn’t a war--it was a mere military
skirmish. Herbert
Armstrong meant
"a World War--that America would not win the next World
War."
To see whether this claim holds any water, let's go back into
history and see whether these words hold true.
HWA
began his work in 1934, between two World Wars. He continued to proclaim that America would not win World War
II ("God is going to break the pride of our power!! America will not win another war!!!"), and that the Great
Tribulation would begin, and Jesus would return. Of course, we know from our history books that America was
victorious during this war and Christ's return did not occur. When we questioned our minister about these statements, he
replied,
"Mr. Armstrong was following the Scriptures (Daniel 11) as
these events were unfolding. But
when events began to unfold in verse 10 (…and one shall certainly
come, and overflow, and pass through:...), and he saw the armies 'overflow
and pass through,' he realized that God was not ready to completely
fulfill His words at that time. It
became apparent to Mr. Armstrong that 'God wasn’t finished with His
Work yet.' " So now
we see a false prophet at work. He
declared that Jesus would return during WWII, but when it didn’t
happen, he justified it as "God’s fault for changing his mind." He also ensured his future position as God’s prophet by
declaring "the Work" wasn’t finished yet.
Now
let’s look at the 1950's, 60’s and 70’s. The 50’s brought us the Korean War, the 60’s brought us the
Cuban Missile Crisis, and the 70’s had us mired in the Vietnam War.
America seemed that she couldn’t decisively win a war
anymore, and Herbert Armstrong capitalized on those fears. He told us over and over that
"God was breaking the pride of
our power" by not letting us win another war with puny little
countries such as Korea, Cuba, and Vietnam.
Notice
that the Gulf War was downgraded to a
"skirmish" while Korea,
Cuba, and Vietnam were considered
"wars." It seems that there was one standard for defining
"wars"
(anything America lost), and another for defining
"skirmishes"
(anything America won). Instead
of admitting that their prophecies failed, they would redefine the meaning of
"war"!! Members
were told that the Gulf War was just the
"beginning
of woes, when nation shall rise against nation, kingdom against
kingdom, but the end is not yet." So this
was another way to bow out of a false prophecy. Members would also be blamed for
"not
being without spot and wrinkle (as if humans could ever be
perfect)--the Bride wasn’t ready for Jesus to return for her." This is a typical cult tactic--shift the blame away from the
false prophet and on to the membership.
I
guess I never questioned as to
"why" we even needed to go to Petra
in the first place? Wasn’t
God powerful enough to protect us right where we were? God protected the Israelites from the plagues while they
still lived in Egypt! If
God was able to do it then, why can’t He do it today? And another thing I never, ever considered: Where in my Bible does it say that Petra is the
"place of
safety"? I couldn’t
find one single Scripture that did.1 Was this Petra teaching "adding to" the Bible? What does God say He will do to people that
"add to" the Scriptures? I believed
what I was told instead of proving it for myself with the
written Word of God. We
were always so proud that we
"proved all things" and ridiculed
others outside of "the church" as people who
"followed
traditions without question." I think we were guilty of the same when it came to Petra.
I finally
learned that our place of safety and refuge is in Christ, and when we
are in Him, there is no fear, because "Perfect love casts out all
fear." (I John 4:18) If
we fear the end, then we need to ask, "Where did I get this fear
from? If God is Love,
then why am I so scared of the end?" Cults use fear to keep members in check. We need to ask ourselves, "Does God function this way?" Again, ask yourself, "Why am I afraid to leave this group?" If your answer is, "I am afraid of being left behind and
losing out on my salvation," then you need to closely examine why
this group perpetuates this teaching.
Today,
I have no longer have fears. I am in Christ, and I know upon my death,
I will be with Him for all eternity. Exploitive
groups don’t want you to know this, and they don’t
want you to have this, because once you gain this knowledge, they know
they can no longer wield power over you. Remember how Paul talked about the
"simplicity in Christ"? It truly is that simple-- loving the Lord with your whole
heart. It doesn’t have to be an endless act of obeying strict
rules, and fearing that if you mess up, you will miss your ticket to
Petra.
By Lindsey
Exit & Support Network™
April 11,
2004
Note: One
teaching during the early years was that the "church" (WCG) would flee on
the Night Much To Be Remembered (the day which pictured Israel going
out of Egypt).
Why Was Petra Chosen as
the Place of Safety?
Raymond Cole
(evangelist in WCG; died 9-25-01) told David Robinson (when asked why Petra?)
that many of the Psalms included the word "Sela" which means
"rock" and Petra meant "rock" so that must be it.
(Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web,
p. 237)
Loma Armstrong is said to be
the one that actually came up with Petra as the place of safety
(although her husband Herbert got the credit). She supposedly read an article in
the National Geographic magazine that had an article on "Petra,
The Rose Red City" and afterwards suggested to her husband that Petra
was probably the place of safety. So it became church doctrine. (Ibid.,
p. 237)
WCG and the Place of Safety
Teaching:
After Herbert Armstrong, Loma and their son
Richard
took a tour overseas, the second installment of "Loma Armstrong's
Diary" (covering their visit to Petra) was
published in the November 1956 issue of the Plain Truth. (The
November issue was also accompanied by a horrifying article by Herman Hoeh
entitled:
"Are Christians Again to Be Martyred?" and stated, "YOU are among its
intended victims!" It was complete with pictures of grotesque piles of
dead bodies from the Holocaust. This would no doubt cause members to
want to flee to a "place of safety.")
In the January 1958 Good News
Herman Hoeh authored: "We Saw PETRA!" This
article covered a trip that he and C. Paul Meredith had taken to the
Middle East and their "opportunity" to visit Petra.
Hoeh also wrote the article: "If World
War III Comes--There is a Way of Escape!" (June 1963
Plain
Truth). The April 1962 and October 1963 Good
News similarly contained articles on Petra, including a number of pictures of
the area. (For more about what these articles said, see
Philadelphia Church of God and the Place of Safety.) WCG members
were taught they would flee to Jordan on jumbo jet airplanes that the church
would own and then walk the rest of the way into Petra on foot.
WCG ministers
predicted the date of January 7, 1972 for the time when members would flee
to the "place of safety." When this date failed to materialize, other
dates were given: 1975, 1979, 1981, 1984, etc. The December 1981 Plain
Truth editorial by HWA was entitled, "There Is a Way of Escape." HWA
used this idea as a money-making tool.
Members Were Taught There
Was a Place of Safety:
It was back in the 1950's
(when WCG was known as Radio Church of God) that members believed that
they were going to Petra as a literal place of safety. In fact, in the
January 1958 Good News Herman Hoeh (1928-2004) wrote an article
("We Saw PETRA!) about a trip
that he and C. Paul Meredith took to Petra. In it he wrote:
"We do not yet
know absolutely where the prophesied place of escape may be. But the
recent trips to Petra have led to uncovering important new Bible
evidence strongly indicating Petra to be the probable place of
safety!" (p. 1)
HWA's Duplicitous
Statements on the Place of Safety:
Feb. 25, 1982 Co-Worker
letter from Herbert W. Armstrong:
"I hope to arrange for the use of
Petra as a possible refuge or place of safety during the Great
Tribulation when I see King Hussein. Pray for this please."
July 16, 1982 Co-Worker
letter from HWA:
"Incidentally, I know many of you seem to have
your hearts set on going very soon to Petra as "the place of
safety" during the soon-coming Great Tribulation. Well, GET YOUR
MINDS OFF PETRA. Brethren, I HAVE NEVER said that Petra definitely is
the place of protection where God will take us. I HOPE IT IS
NOT!"
The above two quotes show how
HWA would state something and then later deny he ever said it. This is
very common with false teachers.
Certain Offshoots Continue
Same
Teaching:
A number of totalistic
WCG offshoots continue to teach
about a "place of safety." Read:
Philadelphia Church of God and the Place of Safety.
Footnote by ESN:
1
Some of the verses HWA and his ministers used in order to try and show that
members would be living in the caves of Petra (in Jordan) during the tribulation were:
Isaiah 2:10: "Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear
of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty."
Isaiah 16:1-4: "Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from
Sela to the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion. For it
shall be, that, as a wandering bird cast out of the nest, so the
daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon. Take counsel, execute judgment; make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday; hide the outcasts; bewray not him that
wandereth. Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler:..."
Isaiah 26:20: "Come,
my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about
thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the
indignation be overpast."
Isaiah 33:16: "He shall dwell on
high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread
shall be given him; his waters shall be sure."
Isaiah 42:11: "Let the wilderness and
the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth
inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the
top of the mountains."
Daniel 11:40-41
"...and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of
Ammon."
Revelation 12:14:
"And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she
might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished
for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the
serpent."
Questioning Herbert W. Armstrong
(was he who he said he was?) (many articles)
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