1975 in Prophecy!

1975 in Prophecy! is a digest-sized booklet warning of what Armstrong predicted[1] would be nuclear war and subsequent enslavement of mankind, leading to the return of Jesus Christ as a benign dictator. It was written by Herbert W. Armstrong and illustrated by Basil Wolverton of Mad magazine fame, and published in 1956 by the Radio Church of God (WCG).

Front page

Summary

The book gives Armstrong's views on the events described in the book of Revelation and bible prophecy. Armstrong stated that his church was operating on two 19-year cycles. The second cycle began after January 7, 1953, when The World Tomorrow was first broadcast over Radio Luxembourg, meaning that the second cycle would end around the beginning of February 1972.[2]

Story outline

It was intended not as a work of fiction but as a warning to the reader of what was scheduled to happen. The timeline was uncertain and although the title of the booklet was specific, 1975 was not mentioned in the text in relation to biblical prophecy. All specific dates within the booklet were in relation to events or outcomes not specified by the Bible. The biblical prophecies are ambiguous as to their timing.[3]

...The prophecy does Not reveal exactly which ten nations will be included—but this resurrected Roman Empire will bind together some 250 to 300 millions of peoples! That is more manpower than Russia, or the United States has. The strong indication of these prophecies, then, is that some of the Balkan nations are going to tear away from behind the iron Curtain.... When this United States of Europe emerges....

The booklet was written in 1956 during the Cold War years. It stated that the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and other English speaking ("Israelite") nations, contrary to popular cultural belief, would neither be attacked nor destroyed by the Soviet Union but that a nuclear World War III would destroy the countries. The attack would come from a German-dominated United States of Europe, led by a Nazi-style dictator, identified as "The Beast" and dominated by a religious leader, who would probably be a Roman Catholic Pope, identified as the Antichrist.

In the aftermath of the nuclear attack, one third of the populations would be dead. Another third would then die as a result of simultaneous attacks from abnormal weather patterns which would create drought, destruction, and epidemic diseases. The remaining third would then be taken into slave labor camp captivity by the United States of Europe.[4]

Armstrong was also certain that the USSR would not attack the United States or United Kingdom but disintegrate instead:

"... some of the Balkan nations are going to tear away from behind the iron Curtain."

Literary style

The literary style of this publication is in a form of advertising script mixing capital and lower case words at whim. Armstrong had previously written in this style as an advertising copywriter in Chicago. Enhancing the text were graphic illustrations by Basil Wolverton.

Fact, fantasy, and fear

The impact that 1975 in Prophecy! had on the reading public can be understood only in the context of the Cold War years, when nuclear attack was anticipated and threatened.

Balancing scientific advances, wrote Armstrong, would be the disintegration of society due to increasing mental health problems, crime statistics, and divorce. Then, he announced that he would reveal the end of the story first.[5]

...we are really going to have world peace! We are going to have actual UTOPIA—far beyond the dreams of today's world-planners! It will not be a millennium of man's devising, however. It will not be a world of idleness and ease—but one of production, plenty, health and happiness.

What Armstrong promised was not a Christian evangelical rapture of spirit beings but a rescue of human beings living in a physical world, into which Jesus would return as world dictator, for the good of humanity.

Central to his discussion of prophecy was the emergence of the United States of Europe.[6]

While our prime objective seems to be idleness, ease and luxury, the German mind and heart and interest appears set on just one thing—hard, energetic WORK that will yet put "Deutschland Uber Alles!"—"Germany Over All!"

Armstrong stated:

...even this coming military–political leader does not yet know how many, or precisely which European nations will join in this United Nazi Fascist Europe.... The German-dominated European combine will blast our cities and industrial centers with hydrogen bombs.... And that surviving third will be up-rooted from their homes—transported like cattle as slaves to Europe, and probably some to South America....

However, Armstrong was certain that if Britain joined the European Common Market, either before or after it became the United States of Europe, Britain would withdraw, and would eventually be attacked by ten nations in the ultimate federation of a

"...resurrected Roman Empire... bind[ing] together some 250 to 300 millions of peoples!"

gollark: I have not been to Ohio because it is wildly unsafe.
gollark: Anyway, ignoring the wrong people, anarchoprimalism/primitivism is actually bad.
gollark: Yes.
gollark: https://mikipedia.fandom.com/wiki/Tetrational_Rotation_Theorem
gollark: Clearly someone doesn't know about the tetrational rotation theorem.

See also

References
  1. Stähler, Axel (2009). "Chapter Ten". In Stähler, Alex; Stierstorfer, Klaus (eds.). Writing Fundamentalism. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 226. ISBN 9781443811897. Herbert W. Armstrong predicted in his 1956 non-fictional pamphlet, 1975 in Prophecy!, that 19 years hence tye nuclear apocalypse was to be triggered by Europe united under the rule of the Antichrist.
  2. Armstrong, Herbert W. (1956). 1975 in Prophecy! (PDF). Pasadena, California: Radio Church of God. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  3. Armstrong, Herbert W. (1956). 1975 in Prophecy! (PDF). Pasadena, California: Radio Church of God. p. 10.
  4. Armstrong, Herbert W. (1956). 1975 in Prophecy! (PDF). Pasadena, California: Radio Church of God. p. 10.
  5. Armstrong, Herbert W. (1956). 1975 in Prophecy! (PDF). Pasadena, California: Radio Church of God. p. 2.
  6. Armstrong, Herbert W. (1956). 1975 in Prophecy! (PDF). Pasadena, California: Radio Church of God. p. 10.
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