The Incredible Human Potential?

Once upon a time, Herbert W Armstrong declared that his book, The Incredible Human Potential, was “the most important book since the Bible!” In that book, Armstrong wrote that God had originally created the earth and the universe for angels to finish. He said that many of those angels had sinned and had consequently forfeited their right to that inheritance. According to Armstrong, this led God to decide to create humankind and give them the opportunity to inherit what the angels had lost in their rebellion. Moreover, Armstrong believed that God had created humans out of matter, so that they could be destroyed if they sinned and not have to suffer in eternal torment like the angels which He had created to be immortal.

And, just in case anyone would suggest that this brief summary is a mischaracterization of what Herbert Armstrong actually taught, I have included below a number of lengthy excerpts from his book: 

“Angels inhabited this earth before the creation of man. And the government of God was administered on earth until the rebellion of the sinning angels. How long these angels inhabited the earth before the creation of man is not revealed. It might have been millions - or even billions - of years. More on that later. But these angels sinned. Sin is the transgression of God's law (I John 3:4). And God's law is the basis of God's government. So we know these angels, apparently a third of all the angels (Rev. 12:4), sinned - rebelled against the government of God. And sin carries penalties. The penalty for the sin of the angels is not death, as it is for man. Angels are immortal Spirit beings and cannot die. These Spirit beings had been given dominion over the PHYSICAL EARTH as a possession and an abode. The universal, worldwide sin of the angels resulted in the physical destruction of the face of the earth.”

-Chapter 4, page 41, The Incredible Human Potential

“He had created a beautiful, perfect creation in the earth. He populated it with holy angels - probably millions of them. He put over them, as king, on an earthly throne, the archangel - the cherub Lucifer. Lucifer was the supreme masterpiece of God's creative power as a single separately created Spirit being. He was the most perfect in beauty, power, mind, knowledge, intellect, wisdom, within the almighty power of God to create. God can create nothing higher or more perfect, by instantaneous fiat. Yet this great being, knowledgeable, trained and experienced at God's own throne in heaven over the universe and the administration of the government of God, had rejected that government, corrupted his way, rebelled against administering or even obeying it. He had led all his angels astray and into the sin of rebellion and disloyalty.”

-Chapter 4, pages 50-51, The Incredible Human Potential

“God saw that no being less than God, in the God Family, could be certainly relied on never to sin - to be like God - who cannot sin. To fulfill His purpose for the entire vast universe, God saw that nothing less than Himself (as the God Family) could be absolutely relied upon to carry out that supreme purpose in the entire universe. God then purposed to reproduce Himself, through humans, made in His image and likeness, but made first from material flesh and blood, subject to death if there is sin unrepented of - yet with the possibility of being born into the Divine Family begotten by God the Father.”

-Chapter 4, page 52, The Incredible Human Potential

“This earth, originally, was intended to be the abode of a third of all the angels. The angels, beholding the earth at its creation, found it so beautiful and perfect they shouted spontaneously for JOY! (Job 38:4-7). It was to provide a glorious opportunity for them. They were to work it, produce from it, and preserve and increase its beauty. And at this point, it is well to understand the nature of God's original creation: It is like the unfinished furniture available in some stores. This furniture is "in the raw" - it is finished all but for the final varnish, polish, or paint. Some can save money by doing this finishing themselves - provided they have the skill to do so. This furniture may be of fine and superb quality - yet lacking the final beautifying completion. So it is with God's creation. It is perfect, but subject to a beautifying finish which God intended angels to accomplish. The original "unfinished" creation was produced by God alone. But He intended angels, prehistorically, and MAN, now, to utilize creative power - to finish this part in God's creation - of adding the final beautifying and utilitarian phases of what shall be the FINAL COMPLETED CREATION! And whether or not it had been revealed to the angels, it was a supreme TRIAL AND TEST. It was to be the PROVING GROUND of obedience to GOD'S GOVERNMENT and their fitness to develop into final finished creation the millions of other planets in the vast universe.”

-Chapter 5, pages 54-55, The Incredible Human Potential

“So the angel potential was to take over the entire universe - to improve and finish the billions of physical planets surrounding the uncountable stars, many of which are SUNS. The sun in our solar system is merely an average-size sun. Some which we see as stars are actually many, many times larger than our sun. Our solar system, vast beyond the imagination of most minds, is only a part of our galaxy, and there are many galaxies! In other words, the physical UNIVERSE which the mighty God created is vast beyond imagination! How GREAT is the GREAT GOD! He intended angels, and now MAN, to have a vital part in the final creation of the endless universe!”

-Chapter 5, page 55, The Incredible Human Potential

“The penalty of sin by the angels was not death - for God had made them immortal spirit beings who cannot die. What God gave them was THIS EARTH as their abode and opportunity to qualify to possess and beautify the entire UNIVERSE. Their penalty (they are still awaiting final judgment up to now) was disqualification - forfeiture of their grand opportunity, perversion of mind, and a colossal earth-wide CATACLYSM of destruction wreaked upon this earth.”

-Chapter 5, pages 56-57, The Incredible Human Potential

“Look, now again at God's overall supreme PURPOSE. It is to develop GODLY, PERFECT CHARACTER IN THE MILLIONS OF MANKIND WHO SHALL DO THIS CREATIVE COMPLETION THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE LIMITLESS PHYSICAL UNIVERSE! That is THE AWESOME PURPOSE! For this PURPOSE, God started by creating millions of angels - Spirit beings. Then He created the PHYSICAL UNIVERSE and this earth, and He put angels here to develop this earth, ruled by THE GOVERNMENT OF GOD. But the king He set as ruler - LUCIFER - rebelled, revolted, misled a third of all the angels, and THE GOVERNMENT OF GOD no longer governed the earth. Lucifer was the supreme masterpiece. If Lucifer and his angels went wrong, there was no assurance the other two thirds would not. As God surveyed this tragic cataclysm, He must have realized it left HIMSELF as the ONLY BEING who will not and CANNOT SIN! The only possible ASSURANCE of accomplishing His great PURPOSE was for Him now to reproduce Himself!”

-Chapter 5, page 59, The Incredible Human Potential

Having established what Herbert Armstrong taught in this book that has been considered by many within the Armstrong Churches of God to be essential theology, the question comes to mind: Is the teaching correct? Do Armstrong’s conclusions comport with what is revealed in Scripture?

As Herbert and his followers was/are fond of employing “prooftexts” to establish the legitimacy of their teachings, that technique will also be employed in this post to answer the questions posed. However, it should be noted that my use of the technique does not constitute an endorsement of it is an entirely reliable technique for establishing or defending doctrine. Nevertheless, in this instance, I believe that Scripture is clear enough to refute the above referenced teachings of Armstrong.

First, Scripture clearly refutes the notion that this earth was ever intended to be the possession or abode of angels. We read in Jude 6 about “the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode…” Jesus Christ told his disciple that he “saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” Luke 10:18 Likewise, in the twelfth chapter of the book of Revelation we read: “And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Revelation 12:7-9

Second, and closely related to the first point, Scripture refutes the notion that the angels ever had any part of man’s potential. In the book of Hebrews, we read that Christ inherited a more excellent name than any angel. Hebrews 1:1-4 The text continues: “For to which of the angels did He ever say: ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You’? And again: ‘I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son’?” Hebrews 1:5 In other words, God NEVER said this to any angel! Continuing the thought, we read: “But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: ‘Let all the angels of God worship Him.’ And of the angels He says: ‘Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire.’” Hebrews 1:6-7 And, just so that there wouldn’t be any room for misunderstanding, the thought is restated more emphatically toward the end of the chapter: “But to which of the angels has He ever said: “‘Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool’? Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” Hebrews 1:13-14 Clearly, angels were created to serve those who will be saved!

Moreover, the thought reaches its logical consummation in the following chapter. In the second chapter of Hebrews, we read: “For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. But one testified in a certain place, saying: ‘What is man that You are mindful of him, Or the son of man that You take care of him? You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, And set him over the works of Your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet.’ For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.” Hebrews 2:5-9 Did you catch that? God has NOT put the world to come in subjection to angels – THAT WAS/IS NOT THEIR POTENTIAL. Indeed, we are informed that Christ took on the nature of humans so “that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.” Hebrews 2:14 Which brings us to Herbert’s assertion that angels are immortal.

Paul wrote to Timothy that immortality is a God quality. I Timothy 6:16 Moreover, there are several passages of Scripture which indicate that Satan and his minions will be destroyed. We read in the book of Isaiah: “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.” Isaiah 14:12-25 And, after making clear that Satan is the subject of the text (see Ezekiel 28:12-15), we read ““By the abundance of your trading

You became filled with violence within, And you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones. ‘Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, That they might gaze at you. ‘You defiled your sanctuaries By the multitude of your iniquities, By the iniquity of your trading; Therefore I brought fire from your midst; It devoured you, And I turned you to ashes upon the earth In the sight of all who saw you.  All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you; You have become a horror, And shall be no more forever.’” Ezekiel 28:16-19 And, finally, in the book of Revelation we are informed that Satan and his minions will be cast into the Lake of Fire (see Revelation 20:10), which is the second death.

Moreover, even if Scripture wasn’t so clear on this point, it does not make sense that God wouldn’t have the ability to destroy anything which “He” has created. While angels apparently have the ability to exist indefinitely at God’s pleasure, it does not follow that they are immortal. And, since we are told that there will not be anymore sorrow, crying or pain in the new universe, the continued existence of Satan and his minions anywhere would make that statement a lie (see Revelation 21:1-4).

Third, as I have written in numerous other posts over the years, the notion that God is working on “Plan B” is absurd! As has already been pointed out, the book of Hebrews utterly refutes the notion that angels ever had ANY part of man’s potential. Moreover, the notion that all of the angelic host would lose out on their inheritance because one third of them sinned is contrary to any notion or sense of Divine justice. And, finally, Scripture makes plain that God planned for mankind’s salvation and inheritance before the “foundation of the world” (see Matthew 25:34, Ephesians 1:4, I Peter 1:20 and Revelation 13:8). In short, whatever God intended for humankind was intended from the outset. There has never been any failure of that plan, or any modification of that plan because of some failure on the part of those who were created!

Thus, Herbert Armstrong’s The Incredible Human Potential should NOT be regarded by anyone as a source of sound biblically based theology. By his own standard of scriptural prooftexts, his teachings are shown to contradict the Bible and cannot be reconciled with what is revealed there.