The Voice of Reason: Herbert Armstrong's Anglo-Israelism and his rejection of Trinitarianism

Wednesday, 12 March 2025

Herbert Armstrong's Anglo-Israelism and his rejection of Trinitarianism

https://t.co/Io240zGmo2
— Cyborg of Secular Koranism (@Book_of_Rules) March 11, 2025

https://vincentbrunoshadowban.blogspot.com/2022/07/vincent-bruno-shadow-ban.html

5:00 Sugar rush

How to create a religion

7:00 Herbert Armstrong

10:00 CIA and Anglo-Israelism

Christian Zionism is running on Armstrongism.

What is Herbert Armstrong’s contribution to Anglo Israelism?

Herbert W. Armstrong significantly contributed to the popularization and dissemination of Anglo-Israelism (also known as British-Israelism) in the 20th century, particularly through his role as the founder of the Worldwide Church of God (WCG) and his extensive media outreach. While he did not originate the doctrine, Armstrong adapted and amplified it, making it a cornerstone of his theological framework and reaching a wide audience through his publications, radio broadcasts, and television programs.
Anglo-Israelism is the belief that the Anglo-Saxon peoples, particularly those of Britain and the United States, are the direct descendants of the "Ten Lost Tribes" of Israel, which were dispersed after the Assyrian conquest of the Northern Kingdom of Israel around 722 BCE. Armstrong built on earlier works, most notably J.H. Allen’s 1902 book Judah’s Sceptre and Joseph’s Birthright, which he heavily relied upon—sometimes to the point of near-plagiarism—for his own book, The United States and British Commonwealth in Prophecy (later retitled The United States and Britain in Prophecy). This work became one of his most influential publications, with millions of copies distributed over decades.
Armstrong’s contribution can be broken down into several key aspects:
Mass Popularization: Armstrong leveraged modern media—starting with radio in 1934 via The World Tomorrow program and later expanding to television—to spread Anglo-Israelism to a global audience. His magazine, The Plain Truth, further amplified his message, reaching millions of readers at its peak. This made Anglo-Israelism more accessible and widely known than it had been under earlier proponents like Richard Brothers or John Wilson, who relied on smaller-scale publications and lectures in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Theological Integration: Armstrong integrated Anglo-Israelism into a broader prophetic framework, claiming it was a "master key" to unlocking biblical prophecy. He argued that identifying Britain (as the tribe of Ephraim) and the United States (as Manasseh) as Israel’s descendants was essential to understanding end-time events foretold in the Bible. This gave the doctrine a sense of urgency and relevance, tying it to his predictions about the Second Coming and the establishment of God’s Kingdom.
Church Doctrine: As the leader of the WCG, Armstrong made Anglo-Israelism a central tenet of his church’s teachings, distinguishing it from mainstream Christianity. He taught that the promises made to Abraham—national greatness and prosperity—were fulfilled not in the Jewish people (whom he associated primarily with the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi) but in the Anglo-Saxon nations. This belief shaped the identity and mission of his followers, who saw themselves as part of a chosen lineage tasked with spreading this revelation.
Adaptation and Refinement: While drawing heavily from earlier British-Israelite writers, Armstrong refined the narrative to suit his audience and era. For example, he emphasized the United States’ role alongside Britain, reflecting the geopolitical realities of the 20th century. He also linked the doctrine to other distinctive teachings, such as Sabbath observance and a rejection of mainstream Christian holidays, creating a cohesive system known as "Armstrongism."
Legacy and Controversy: Armstrong’s promotion of Anglo-Israelism left a lasting imprint, even after his death in 1986. While the WCG (renamed Grace Communion International) abandoned the doctrine in the 1990s under new leadership, numerous offshoot groups—like the Philadelphia Church of God and the Living Church of God—continue to uphold it. Critics, including historians and biblical scholars, have long dismissed Anglo-Israelism as lacking historical or genetic evidence, pointing to its reliance on speculative etymology (e.g., linking "British" to the Hebrew berit-ish, meaning "covenant man") and selective scripture interpretation. Nonetheless, Armstrong’s efforts ensured its persistence in certain religious circles.
In summary, Herbert Armstrong’s contribution to Anglo-Israelism lies in his transformation of a niche 19th-century idea into a widely recognized 20th-century religious doctrine. Through his media empire and church, he gave it unprecedented reach, theological weight, and a modern twist, cementing its place in the landscape of alternative Christian movements—despite its rejection by mainstream scholarship and his own church’s later disavowal.

Is there a link between the Schofield Bible and Armstrongism?

There is no direct historical or textual link between the Scofield Reference Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong’s teachings (often called "Armstrongism"), but there are some indirect connections worth exploring, particularly in how both intersect with broader trends in biblical interpretation and prophecy. Let’s break this down systematically.
The Scofield Reference Bible
The Scofield Reference Bible, first published in 1909 by Cyrus I. Scofield, is a study Bible that popularized dispensationalism—a theological framework that divides history into distinct periods (dispensations) in which God interacts with humanity differently. Its annotations emphasize a premillennial eschatology, including the rapture, the tribulation, and the restoration of Israel as key prophetic events. Scofield’s notes interpret many Old Testament prophecies as applying to a future literal restoration of the Jewish people in the land of Israel, distinct from the Church, which he saw as a separate entity in God’s plan.
Armstrongism and Anglo-Israelism
Herbert W. Armstrong, founder of the Worldwide Church of God (WCG), taught a different prophetic system rooted in Anglo-Israelism (or British-Israelism). He claimed that the Anglo-Saxon peoples (primarily Britain and the United States) were the descendants of the "Ten Lost Tribes" of Israel and thus the true inheritors of God’s promises to Abraham for national greatness. Armstrong rejected much of mainstream Christian theology, including the rapture, and focused on a literal interpretation of prophecy tied to his Anglo-Israelite identity. He saw the Church as "spiritual Israel," but distinct from the physical lineage he attributed to Britain and America.
Key Differences
Israel’s Identity:
Scofield: Identifies modern Jews (descendants of Judah) as the Israel of prophecy, with a future restoration in Palestine.
Armstrong: Identifies Britain and the U.S. as Israel (via the lost tribes), relegating the Jews to a secondary role as descendants of Judah only.
Eschatology:
Scofield: Emphasizes dispensational premillennialism, with a secret rapture and a focus on a Jewish-centric tribulation.
Armstrong: Rejects the rapture, teaching a "place of safety" (often linked to Petra) for the Church during end-time events, with a millennial kingdom centered on Anglo-Israelite nations.
Theological Framework:
Scofield: Dispensationalism separates Israel and the Church as distinct entities with different destinies.
Armstrong: Blends Israel and the Church, seeing the WCG as spiritual Israel and Anglo-Saxon nations as physical Israel, with no strict dispensational divisions.
Potential Indirect Links
While Armstrong never explicitly cited the Scofield Bible as an influence, there are some contextual overlaps:
Prophetic Literalism: Both Scofield and Armstrong adopted a literal approach to biblical prophecy, seeing Old Testament promises as applicable to specific modern nations or peoples. Scofield applied them to the Jews; Armstrong to the Anglo-Saxons.
20th-Century Prophecy Culture: The early 20th century saw a surge in interest in end-time prophecy, fueled by works like the Scofield Bible. Armstrong emerged in this milieu, beginning his radio ministry in 1934, and may have been indirectly shaped by the same zeitgeist of prophetic speculation—even if he rejected dispensationalism.
American Evangelical Influence: Scofield’s work deeply influenced American evangelicalism, creating a fertile ground for alternative prophetic interpretations. Armstrong, operating in the U.S., could have encountered Scofield’s ideas through his early religious explorations (though he claimed his teachings came directly from scripture and British-Israelite sources like J.H. Allen’s Judah’s Sceptre and Joseph’s Birthright).
Evidence of Connection (or Lack Thereof)
No Direct Reference: Armstrong’s writings, such as The United States and Britain in Prophecy, do not mention Scofield or his Bible. His primary source for Anglo-Israelism was Allen’s book, not dispensationalist literature.
Opposition to Mainstream Views: Armstrong frequently criticized evangelical doctrines like the rapture and eternal hellfire, which Scofield endorsed, suggesting he saw himself in opposition to Scofield-influenced theology.
Different Audiences: Scofield’s work targeted mainstream Protestants, while Armstrong’s appealed to a fringe audience skeptical of traditional Christianity.
Conclusion
There’s no substantive link between the Scofield Reference Bible and Armstrongism in terms of direct influence or shared authorship. However, both reflect a broader 20th-century trend of reinterpreting biblical prophecy in light of contemporary geopolitics—Scofield through a Jewish lens, Armstrong through an Anglo-Saxon one. Their differences in theology and focus (dispensationalism vs. Anglo-Israelism) outweigh any superficial similarities. Armstrong’s system appears to have developed independently, drawing more from British-Israelite traditions than from Scofield’s dispensational framework. If anything, the Scofield Bible might have been part of the prophetic cultural backdrop Armstrong reacted against rather than built upon.