1975 in Prophecy! was written by Herbert W. Armstrong and illustrated by Basil Wolverton and first published in 1956 by the Radio Church of God. This digest-size booklet captivated thousands of lives which included Bobby Fischer and Michael Dennis Rohan, by fear of the future. No longer in publication it is now valued for its illustrations.
Summary
Timeframe
The events described were to begin shortly after February 1972 and climx during 1975. Armstrong stated that his church was operating on two, 19 years cycles. The second cycle began in January of 1952 when The World Tomorrow was first broadcast over Radio Luxembourg, meaning that the second cycle would end around the beginning of February, 1972.
Story outline
This was not intended as a work of fiction, but as a warning to the reader of what was scheduled to happen. It was written in 1956 during the Cold War years. It stated that the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia and other Anglo-Saxon nations would neither be attacked nor destroyed by the Soviet Union, but that a nuclear World War III would destroy these 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 be 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.
Armstrong was also certain that the USSR would not attack the USA or UK 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. Herbert W. Armstrong had previously written in this style as a advertising copywriter in Chicago. Enhancing the text were graphic illustrations by Basil Wolverton (famous for his drawings in MAD magazine.)
Fact, fantasy and fear
The impact that 1975 in Prophecy! had on the reading public can only be understood in the context of the Cold War years were nuclear attack was anticipated and threatened. In 1956 this booklet was not attempting to predict the future, it was stating future events as fact and some events did come true by 1975:
... In the dream-world MAN is devising for tomorrow, it will no longer be necessary to cook food on stoves. Food is to be cooked by heat waves in packages. ... When you pick up your telephone, you'll see the party at the other end!
Balancing scientific advances, wrote Herbert W. Armstrong, would be the disintigration 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.
... 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.
Many aspects of the prophecy by Herbert W. Armstrong have matured into reality and many aspects have not. But central to all of his themes was the emergence of the United States of Europe:
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 Ueber Alles!" - "Germany Over All!"
Armstrong stated that:
... 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 prior to World War III, that Britain would pull out and that it would be attacked by ten nations in the ultimate federation of a:
... resurrected Roman Empire ... bind(ing) together some 250 to 300 millions of peoples!.
Distributed worldwide
1975 in Prophecy! was advertised free of charge on The World Tomorrow radio network and in the pages of free subscription magazine called The Plain Truth magazine. It was offered in conjunction with another publication called The United States and the British Commonwealth in Prophecy which revealed that the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and certain sections of Western Europe, were all a part of the so-called Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. Multiple thousands of copies of these two booklets were distributed worldwide.
When this booklet first appeared it had the effect of frightening enough people to send money to the Radio Church of God that the church grew financially out of all proportion to its actual membership base. Once the reader reached the end of the booklet he or she learned that all was not lost:
You may escape the Great Tribulation. No PLAGUE will come near you. And, finally, given the precious gift of eternal life, you shall be used I God's Kingdom teaching and ruling those human beings made joyous in that PEACEFUL WORLD TOMORROW!
Footnotes
Because Herbert W. Armstrong had an advertising background he was conscious of themes and slogans. He changed the name of his religious radio program from Radio Church of God to The World Tomorrow after the The World of Tomorrow theme of the 1939 World's Fair in New York. Religious music was removed from his program and replaced with a closing jingle made in Hollywood. His announcer was Art Gilmore who became famous for voice-over introductions on the Highway Patrol and other TV shows. Gilmore began Armstrong's announcement with variations of the words:
The World Tomorrow! Herbert W. Armstrong brings you the plain truth about today's world news with the prophecies of the world tomorrow.
Bobby Fischer began listening to The World Tomorrow broadcast in 1962 and by the time of the Match of the Century in late 1972, he was still not certain whether the timetable was still on track but a little off the mark. As a result he donated thousands of his winnings to Herbert W. Armstrong. When it became obvious to all concerned that no such timetable was in motion, the entire Worldwide Church of God began to fall apart. Fischer became more confused than ever.
Also caught up in this mad story was Michael Dennis Rohan in Australia, one of the nations scheduled for famine, disease and nuclear destruction. His actions in 1967 to burn down the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, was carried out as a part of his zeal to hasten these events and the return of Jesus.
See also
External link
1975 in Prophecy! online version with illustrations http://www.cgca.net/pabco/1975pro.htm
Last updated: 05-02-2005 20:05:19
