One Year Anniversary – The Gospel Proclamation
TGP Newsletter – January 31, 2023
Thirty-three years ago, a love for our Heavenly Father and His Word of prophecy compelled Harold E. Lafferty to devote his time, efforts, and resources to strengthening the household of faith through prophetical commentary and “exegesis”, as he would often say. A true “watchman unto the house of Israel” (Ezekiel 3:17), his dedication and perseverance continued for thirty-two strong years until his sudden falling asleep in December of 2021.
The news was an unexpected jarring to countless brothers and sisters across the globe. Adding to my own personal shock was the discovery that he decided to leave his labor of so many years entrusted into my hands in the hopes that I would carry on the work. Having admired the man as a prime example of a Bible student from my youth, I was immensely humbled. Filled with a mixture of apprehension and sense of duty, I decided to undertake the effort of continuing The Prophecy Letter, a labor of love that I intend to continue until the day of my own falling asleep or, Lord willing, until the return of our Master, who certainly seems at the door!
It has now been exactly one year since I distributed the first Gospel Proclamation newsletter, announcing Harold’s falling asleep and my plans for The Prophecy Letter moving forward. As I’m sure many would agree, it is difficult to believe that we have already gone all the way around the sun.
I want to express my heartfelt appreciation to my readers for all of their comments, questions, support, and feedback throughout the year. Picturing myself from the reader’s perspective, I might have had some reservations about remaining a subscriber to The Prophecy Letter now that it was being distributed by someone other than Harold. His newsletter was so personal and communicated his unique voice and perspective, and suddenly, without warning, it was being compiled by a new, unfamiliar brother. To all who decided to stick around, I extend my sincerest thanks. It is my heartfelt hope that the efforts put forth have been profitable to even a small degree.
For myself, I can joyfully say that it has been a wondrous blessing and an incredible pleasure not only to dedicate time and thought to the discussion of prophecy, but to forge new relationships with fellow brethren that will, Lord willing, last for the rest of eternity!
Brief Reflections on the First Year
The first year for The Gospel Proclamation was a sort of trial-and-error period for how best to conduct the website and newsletter. Like anything, it was also a time-balancing act. There were so many prophetical developments in 2022 that it was difficult to cover even a majority of them to a degree I thought was satisfactory. Another reason for this was due to the timing in which I received The Prophecy Letter. The news came to me while in the midst of finishing a house for my wife and I and working full time as well. Time, therefore, was often scant.
I can confidently say, however, that this responsibility has been one of the chief pleasures in my life and the purpose to which I will gratefully labor to the best of my ability. It has helped shape me into an overall more learned, responsible person and has cultivated knowledge of the Word and history that I otherwise would not have gained. I thank the Lord continually for this wondrous blessing, and it is my sincerest hope that others have benefited from it. Indeed, the entire aim of The Gospel Proclamation and The Prophecy Letter is to inspire independent Bible study, glorify our Father in Heaven, and strengthen our faith in these trying last days.
Looking to the Year Ahead
With the new year, I intend to make a few adjustments. One thing is quite minor in my opinion, and you might have already noticed it. I intend to refer to myself more frequently as “I” instead of “we”.
Saying “we” is a practice used by many and one that I have used with this website up to this point, but I don’t see the precise reason for it and have frequently found myself questioning the practice. There have been numerous times when I found its usage to confuse and blur the meaning of my words, making it difficult for the reader to discern whether I am speaking of myself or a group to which I belong. For the sake of clarity and honesty, I will be saying “I” more often unless a specific scenario makes “we” more fitting.
That, however, is minor. There are two main objectives for the year ahead:
Firstly, I chose to entitle the website The Gospel Proclamation because my intention was to discuss the many aspects that are essential to salvation; to discuss what the Gospel is and what one must do become partakers of it. Looking back on the first year, little has been achieved in this regard.
Although the various letters throughout the year were sprinkled with aspects of the Gospel call and first principles, I had hoped to write more focused, specific articles on them. The aforementioned tasks and regular ecclesial duties limited my available time, and the rapid developments in the world made it necessary to devote the time that did exist to prophecy. In the coming year, Lord willing, I hope to proclaim the Gospel more directly as well.
Secondly, for the past few months, I have been working on a fairly large project. It is another one of the culprits behind the less-frequent newsletters as of late. In awe of the Lord’s working amongst the nations over the past 150 years, I have decided to begin writing a thorough, heavily researched series on how the Lord has operated in the kingdoms of men to bring back His nation of Israel and set the nations in order in preparation for the second advent of Jesus Christ.
Beginning with the Zionist movement in the late 1800s, the project will work through the following years with an aim of shedding light on the invisible, but obvious, hand of God. It will also discuss how the Middle East became what it is today and how the individual players of the latter-day wars have been angelically coerced to take their prophesied form. It is undoubtedly an extensive work, but one that I am simply thrilled to compile. Though it will not be fully completed for some time – potentially years – I intend to publish each chapter as each one is finished.
I would normally expect to finish the project sooner, particularly since our house is finished (for now). However, the Lord has added yet another tremendous blessing: due at the end of March is my wife and I’s first child! Ensuring that the child will be brought up in “the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4) is a top priority and will undoubtedly require diligent attention and care, things which we are delighted to provide! Time will, therefore, inevitably be limited for our typical discussions of Scripture and prophecy, but I will certainly labor as much as my feeble, mortal frame will allow.
It is my fervent hope that 2023 will be the year that these efforts will no longer be necessary. Rather, may all be warmly in the immediate presence of our Lord and Master, reigning with him in Jerusalem and beginning the wondrous process of turning the kingdoms of this world into the kingdoms of our Lord (Revelation 11:15). I pray the Lord’s Divine guidance and comfort for us all as we approach that glorious day when we will finally know the perfect sabbath of our Lord.
As the Jews say, “Next year in Jerusalem!”
“Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).
Regards to all through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Tanner Hawkins
The Gospel Proclamation YouTube Channel
TGP Newsletter - September 10, 2022
Dear Brethren,
We are pleased to announce the creation of The Gospel Proclamation YouTube channel! It was created merely out of necessity as we had promised some that we would upload a video exhortation to the website, but the file was too large to upload to our Google Drive. The channel has thus been formed and, Lord willing, will be utilized in the time ahead to help teach, promote, and defend the Gospel of our Lord. The channel is accessible by simply searching "The Gospel Proclamation" in YouTube or by clicking on this link: The Gospel Proclamation - YouTube.
Website Update
TGP Newsletter - April 5, 2022
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We have made an update to the website that we hope others find profitable. Chapter links have been added to all of Brother Harold Lafferty's commentaries on the books of the Bible. While the chapter of every book was already accessible by a table of contents at the top of the page, we have added links to the side navigation bar so one does not have to scroll all the way to the top to jump to a different chapter.
For those who may not be familiar with the website, these insightful commentaries can be accessed by following these steps:
1. Go to The Gospel Proclamation homepage. This can be searched online or can be accessed by clicking on the header of any of our emails.
2. On the left navigation bar, click on "eTPL".
3. Click on "Studies in", and then select the book you are looking for. Each chapter can be accessed by the drop-down arrow next to each book at any time.
If anyone has trouble or discovers an issue, please let me know!
"The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace" (Numbers 6:24-26).
With love in Christ,
Tanner Hawkins
The Future of The Prophecy Letter
TGP Newsletter - January 31, 2022
Dearest Brothers and Sisters,
It has been over a month since the last Prophecy Letter was distributed over the globe. We know the sad news concerning our Brother Harold Lafferty has been widely dispersed, but we desire to ensure that all are properly informed. “There is a great man fallen this day in Israel” (2 Samuel 2:38). Our beloved Brother Harold now awaits the resurrection, having fallen asleep in Christ this past December.
The news was a shock to the entire Household. When it was shared, the extent of the loss was difficult to absorb. Even at this present time, we cannot say that the numbness has completely subsided. The Household mourned and will continue to mourn the loss of an incredibly spiritual, knowledgeable, and inspirational Brother.
Brother Harold had spent all of his days laboring diligently “in the Master's service”, as he would often say, exhorting and expounding upon the Word of the Lord, most prominently PROPHECY. As all know, he invested his skill and great knowledge of God’s Word into his newsletter and website - The Prophecy Letter.
When Brother Harold fell asleep, there was great concern among many brethren that all of his labor with the website would be lost. A great many feared what might happen to The Prophecy Letter.
A few weeks before Harold's falling asleep, he had suffered a fall in his home which placed him in the hospital. Prior to this, he had given some thought to a successor for the website, indicating that it seemed prudent at his age of 93 years old. The fall shook him and caused him to begin more avidly seeking one out. The following is an excerpt from an email he had sent to a Brother after his fall:
“I took a headfirst fall down our stairs on the 11th of December and spent three days in the hospital due to a severe forehead injury… All that focuses my attention more on this: I need to appoint a successor for my work. I've been giving it a lot of thought and think I have a good candidate in young Tanner Hawkins of Southwest Missouri. I've not approached him on this yet but I think it's now good time to talk with him about the possibility of bringing him on board as an associate editor with a clear path forward. He is grandson to Bro. Jim Washeck, current Editor of the Advocate.”
Brother Harold had not yet reached out to us, but he had also revealed these plans to the Editor of the Advocate around this same time. It was from two different brethren that we later learned of Harold’s intention.
We have revered Brother Harold as among the Pioneer brethren. His vast knowledge, love, and dedication for God and His Word made him a truly inspirational Brother. It is difficult to describe how humbling it was to learn of his plan to bring us onto The Prophecy Letter with a view to taking it over one day – an offer we would have gratefully but timidly accepted. Though we held frequent conversations with Brother Harold regarding prophecy and latter-day events, we relish the very thought of having been able to work alongside and learn from him. After discussing the matter of succession with Brother Harold’s family and numerous other Brethren, we have inherited Harold’s website and works. It is our purpose to ensure that Brother Harold’s charter will continue until that day that our Lord returns to raise him up. "For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest" (Isaiah 62:1).
We seek, however, not only to preserve Harold’s work, but to continue and expand its scope to encompass not only prophecy, but all aspects of God’s Truth. We have therefore created a new website entitled The Gospel Proclamation, where both of Brother Harold’s websites have been reproduced under the heading eTPL so they may continue their service to the Household. The Prophecy Letter will forge ahead.
We will continue the work of expounding the Word of the Lord and providing frequent, sporadic updates regarding latter-day prophecy. As we are continuing Harold’s work, we have decided to call our prophecy updates The Gospel Proclamation Prophecy Letter, abbreviated as TGP Prophecy. We have sent out two Prophecy Letters this past week and will be resending them for the sake of those who were not on the mailing list at the time, so please forgive us for the redundancy.
We humbly invite all to peruse the new website and submit any questions or comments you have. Our contact information is posted at the bottom of every email we send. The Gospel Proclamation website is new, so it does not presently contain many articles, but will grow with time as did Brother Harold’s.
We cannot compare ourselves to the man who performed the work before us, but we assure all that the effort will receive our greatest, most rigorous attention and energy. We aim to “strengthen the things that remain” to the end that we all might “be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ" (Revelation 3:2, 1 Peter 1:7). We humbly and fervently pray for the Lord’s great help in this task before us and hope that the days of all of our laboring might be short.
In the One Hope of Israel,
Tanner Hawkins