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WorldWatch |
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Vol. 1, No. 3 Published by the Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association |
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"TODAY, THE HISTORY OF A
With the signing on of ELEVEN European Nations to the European Monetary Union's new money, the "Euro," Prime Minister Romano Prodi, speaking from Rome, said, "We have achieved the objective we set ourselves from the first day of our government!" What will the new monetary union mean? Will the nations joining in a single currency form the eventual "United States of Europe"? by Garner Ted Armstrong For 42 years, I have continually warned that a "United States of Europe" would form in central Europe, comprising more than 250 million people; a huge industrial, economic and military power which would eventually challenge the United States; that a 10-nation combine would form which would fulfill the Bible prophecy of the "Beast" which would fight Jesus Christ at His return. Specifically, I pointed out that the eventual United Europe would be formed among nations which were, during most of those 42 years, under the heel of Soviet domination; part of the "Warsaw Pact"; nations such as East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia [since divided into the Czech Republic and Slovakia], Hungary, Bulgaria, and Romania. Too many times to count, I appeared before large audiences and said, "The last chapter of European History has not been written," before launching into a description of how the Cold War would NOT result in Russia advancing into Palestine; how, instead, the aforementioned nations would COME OUT from behind the Iron Curtain; how a "United States of Europe" would eventually form. Time and time again, I named the nations which would eventually emerge as a part of a United Europe. Now, the Soviet Union has imploded, dividing up into many squabbling, sometimes warring states. Russia teeters on the brink of bankruptcy and civil war. President Yeltsin is in poor health; says he will not run for President of Russia again, and is being challenged by ultra nationalistic and communist leaders. RUSSIA, while NOT the "beast" power of Bible prophecy, will figure very prominently in world events of these next few years, and in the great Battle of Armageddon. Long ago, the pope in Rome called for a "United Europe stretching from the Atlantic wall to the Urals." The Ural mountains are EAST of Moscow! Think that through! Today, Germany is the strongest nation in Europe. However, all is not well in this vibrant nation, and signs of unrest bode ill for the future. Acute political unrest, massive unemployment, the rise of neo-Nazi groups, economic malaise; all threaten peace and security in Germany. What is ahead for Germany and Europe, and what will it mean to YOU where you live? Over Fifty Years Of Witness And Warning When the Berlin wall came down, I took two of my sons, Mark and David, with me, and went to Berlin. I began an article there following my TV programs done at the wall, at the Brandenburg Gate, and at famous "Checkpoint Charlie." That article was published in a special edition of "20th Century WATCH" magazine, and then later made into a booklet entitled "United States of Europe, When?" In that original article, I reprinted about FIFTY quotations from previous years; many taken from older issues of the "Plain Truth" magazine, of which I was executive editor; from such CGI publications as "Twentieth Century WATCH," and "The International News." Before you read several of these sensational quotations, REMEMBER! All during the Cold War, including the most chilling moments of all, such as the Kennedy-Khrushchev missile standoff over Cuba, when the world held its breath believing we were on the brink of nuclear war, my father and I were saying "Bible Prophecy does NOT predict a war between the U.S. and Russia! Russia will NOT be the power that occupies Palestine (Daniel 11:40-45). Russia is NOT the "beast" of Bible Prophecy! Yet, ALL the popular, big-name, best-selling televangelists and Protestant evangelicals were saying just the opposite! One of the most popular prophetic scenarios in best-selling books with themes like "Armageddon" or "Doomsday," or "The End of the World" was that RUSSIA would advance into Jerusalem! None of their predictions came true. Instead, the Soviet Union collapsed, and now, a UNITED EUROPE is forming! Now, notice what we have consistently written and preached for all these many decades: The PLAIN TRUTH, June, 1952, p. 11: "The 10 `horns'...in the 17th chapter [of the Book of Revelation] ...will be...the revival of the BEAST, the Roman Empire, `out of the bottomless pit,' by a `United States of Europe,' or federation of 10 European nations within the bounds of the old Roman Empire" (that includes such nations as mentioned above, in eastern Europe!). The PLAIN TRUTH, September, 1953, p. 1: "...This [riots had just occurred in East Germany], is the beginning of an East German revolt against Red tyranny. Czechoslovakia, Poland and other conquered nations behind the Iron Curtain have witnessed similar uprisings in recent weeks. It will take time [it certainly did!], but Russia is going to lose out in some of these countries..." The PLAIN TRUTH, November, 1954, p. 7: "Word comes from the College of Cardinals that the possibility of the new pope being chosen (when that becomes a necessity) from the ranks other than Italian is not too remote. The next pope could be the man who will unite Europe!" [Editor's note: This was about 25 years ahead of its time! When Wojtila, a Pole, was elected as Pope John Paul II, he was powerfully instrumental in Poland for nurturing "Solidarity" and for prying Russia's grip loose from Poland and Eastern Europe]. The PLAIN TRUTH, February, 1962, p. 5: "On the WORLD TOMORROW program, and in the pages of the PLAIN TRUTH, we have been shouting to a heedless world for [many] years this was going to occur...it would come as an ECONOMIC force, bringing unprecedented prosperity to Europe. But also, it is to become a political and military combine—a gigantic third power bloc in the world, that will include more population, greater man- power, and possibly even greater military resources than either the United States or Russia. When this giant combine—a United States of EUROPE—finally emerges as such before a startled and dumbfounded world, it will last only a very short time. It will fight against Jesus Christ at His Second Coming!" [Editor's note: Read Revelation 17:12-14 with Revelation 19]. The PLAIN TRUTH, March, 1962, p. 26: "Fascism in Europe is about to be reborn in respectable business attire, and the Treaty of Rome will finally be implemented to its fullest extent...the dream of a Holy Roman Empire returning to power to dominate and direct the so-called forces of Christian mankind of the Western world [this dream] is not dead, but still stalks through the antechambers of every national capitol of continental Western Europe...IN THE DETERMINATION OF THE LEADERS IN THE COMMON MARKET NATIONS TO RESTORE THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE WITH ALL THAT THAT MEANS [Northwest Technocrat, Vol. XXV, No. 205]. United within ancient boundaries of the Holy Roman Empire; united by the common spiritual bond of universal Catholicism; united in a burgeoning and booming industrial economy that dominates today's world; united geographically in the most productive and industrial complex on earth—at least TEN NATIONS OF MODERN EUROPE WILL MARCH ONTO THE SCENE OF WORLD HISTORY AS THE GREATEST SINGLE FORCE EVER SEEN BY MAN!" "This United Europe will form a nonaggression pact or political alignment of some sort with the Soviet East. This United Europe will then consolidate its gains..." The PLAIN TRUTH, November, 1962, p. 10: "Just as certainly as we restore Western Europe to economic prosperity, and then to military power, a successor to Hitler will emerge, gain control of this power through a `United States of Europe,' which we [the U.S. government] are also encouraging, and we shall then wake up, too late, to realize we have restored our fascist enemy the power to destroy us!...battlefields are becoming economic, just as we said they would ...the movement is...forming toward complete political consolidation!" The PLAIN TRUTH, November, 1962, p. 21: "Listen, now, to some of the most shocking news of recent times! "ONLY THOSE DEAF TO THE SOUND OF HISTORY can fail to be excited by the French-German rapprochement and the steady movement toward the `making of Europe'...Historically, political union over so great a space came only from conquest or from the spread of a common culture. Where, in modern times, Napoleon, Bismarck, Hitler and Stalin failed, reason and mutual necessity are succeeding. A European political union would mean little if the ultimate power of deciding whether it fights...and dies...is going to rest with the Americans." Ibid. p. 22: "In a recent address at Harvard University, Professor Walter Hallstein, President of the European Economic Community, said...the... market is...highly political. He considers it the substructure for a hoped-for United States of Europe. He said, `I want to stress that...it is political, not just that it tends toward a political goal.'" The PLAIN TRUTH, January, 1963, p. 5: "Daring new plans for monetary reform and economic planning are on the drawing boards. These will so inextricably mesh the economies of the Six, reports Time, that they will `clear the way for the final goal of a POLITICALLY UNITED EUROPE.'" The PLAIN TRUTH, March, 1963, p. 3: "...a German STRONG MAN is the logical choice to ascend to the helm of the new POLITICALLY UNITED EUROPE." Ibid. p. 14: "Der Spiegel...was especially critical of the great number of former Nazis who were being wooed by Bonn to join the government ranks. The West German regime defended its policy of permitting former top-ranking Nazis to become an integral part of the new German democracy." The PLAIN TRUTH, October, 1964, p. 48: "Germany—A UNITED GERMANY with her former territories restored—is ready to emerge as the strongest nation on earth at the head of a revitalized...Europe! The power colossus is then going to deal a death blow to the United States and Britain..." The PLAIN TRUTH, December, 1964, p. 16: "...God shows that in this end time He is going to use the modern Assyrians...the Germans—to dominate a United Europe." The PLAIN TRUTH, April, 1965, p. 19: "In spite of Mr. Churchill's farsightedness, [this was written just after Churchill's death, Ed.], he could not see far enough into the future to visualize the outcome of a United States of Europe. He did not know from Bible prophecy that it would be comprised of ten nations, dominated politically by a Roman-Fascist-like system and religiously by a great universal, militant church. He could not foresee that this great politico/religio/economic power bloc of ten nations would not only refuse Britain membership [in the final United States of Europe—the ten], but would ultimately prove the undoing of the Anglo-Saxon peoples of America, Britain, and the Commonwealth countries." The PLAIN TRUTH, May, 1967, p. 4: "Second to building up a strong Germany, Adenauer's efforts [this was written after "Der Alte" had died] were dedicated to the establishment of a United Roman Europe—a union of Germany with those lands once within the confines of the Roman Empire" [emphasis mine: NOTE: Today, the nations of Eastern Europe are not only long since out from under Communist domination, but are being gathered into NATO; being admitted as members of the new European Union, and being tabbed as a part of the new economic union; signing on to the "Euro," the new European currency! Remember, this was written over 21 years ago, when all mainstream protestant evangelicals were saying RUSSIA was the "beast" of prophecy, and ignoring Germany and Europe!]. The PLAIN TRUTH, October, 1968. [Editor's note: I had just returned from Munich and Bonn, following interviews with the late Franz Josef Strauss, who was then head of the Christian Socialist Union of Bavaria, and former Defense Minister. The article in the October issue included a lengthy question and answer session with Herr Strauss]. p. 6: "One of our major conditions [Strauss said] is that the desire for admission to the Common Market is not based upon the motivation to impede political integration. We want...members who are ready and prepared to join us on the way toward a political integration with the long-run goal of the United States of Europe." Later, underlining the fact that Strauss had become a strong proponent of European acquisition of nuclear weapons, he said, "I believe the Europeans should take more responsibility for their own defense...I see as the only chance... that of building up a Europe—integrating the Federal Republic of Germany into that Europe and building bridges from an attractive, economically powerful, political and influential Europe with can defend herself—including a nuclear potential—to add to the power of the Europeans." Many More Articles Written Through The Seventies The PLAIN TRUTH kept publishing articles such as those quoted above all through the seventies. Space does not permit reprinting them all. By 1978, when I had incorporated as "The Church of God, International," I wanted to launch another magazine. We were not able to do so until the summer of 1979, when, on the very first cover of our new publication called "Twentieth-century WATCH," I featured a West German missile-firing tank under the title, "A Monster Stirs: West German Military Power Increasing." Here is a quote from that article: "Hitler imagined a `thousand year Reich' with himself...at the pinnacle of power, and dreamed of a millennial reign of `German supermen' over the world, as if he applied these prophecies [of a coming `Messiah'] to himself. This new leader of a united Europe, who will probably be a German, will attempt to fulfill the very same dream, proclaiming himself a great leader over the other 10 `kings' (in today's terminology, they could be presidents, premiers, prime ministers, etc.) and so wield power over a 10-nation combine, which will be the greatest power bloc the world has ever seen." Twentieth-Century WATCH, Winter 1984: cover story pictured the Berlin Wall with East German border guards: lead article, "Will Germany Reunite?" I wrote, "A West German official recently said, `I get mad when Americans and others dismiss it [German reunification] as an impossible dream.' Said a 42 year old engineer in Munich. `Why can't we be like others, proud of who we are, without everyone calling it "New German Nationalism?" On Page 29 I wrote, "There may be no such thing as the remotest dream [remember, this was written in 1984—five years before the Berlin wall came down!] in the mind of a living German that a reunited Germany, at the head of a future United States of Europe, could ever conquer the United States of America. But, even as many Germans understand, the current world situation is not the last chapter, either in European history, or in American history. The future will too soon be upon us." From a transcript of a sermon, May 22, 1982: "...we may see a strange alliance between the Soviet Union and Western Europe...an alliance of nations including Germany, and a `United States of Europe.'" From a transcript of a sermon, April 25, 1987: "Many of you in this room have heard me saying that the prelude to World War III is going to be the collapse of the present day world economy, followed by the emergence of despots, dictatorships, and ultra-nationalists...governments in countries all over the world, especially [in] Germany. The reunification of Germany in the context of a unified Europe and the creation of a ten-nation central bloc...will become the United States of Europe, and challenge the United States of America." From a transcript of a sermon, Charleston, South Carolina, May 16, 1987: "..some...understand that Adolf Hitler was trying to put together the dream of...German geo-politicians like Haushofer and Makinder...to create in the heartland of Europe...a United States of Europe; a vast trading combine which would embody all of those industrial, inventive people from the Urals to the Atlantic...the Poles, Czechs...the Germans...and... East Germany...Adolf Hitler was nothing more than a weak revival of a prophesied seven resurrections of [the]...Roman Empire which was predicted to exist...until the time of the second coming of Christ...10 kings are going to fight Christ at His coming..." I could fill many more pages with similar quotations spanning many years! When the Berlin Wall came down, two of my sons and I watched the greatest celebration we had ever witnessed! We watched as segments of the wall came down; as East German border guards sold their hats and articles of their uniforms to eager West Germans for souvenirs. We chipped away at the wall with thousands of others, and brought pieces of it home with us. All the quotations you just read were found as a result of my desire to immediately publish a special edition of our magazine to shout out, `WE TOLD YOU SO!' Germany was REUNITING! Eastern Europe was COMING OUT FROM BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN; the Soviet Union was imploding; Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania were becoming independent nations! Had my father, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong been alive, he would have done precisely the same thing! He would have researched all that he and I and others had written for DECADES; he would have then written a powerful article, shouting out to his readers, "WE TOLD YOU SO!" Shockingly, those he left in charge of the church and colleges God had used him to build treated these monumental events as if they were only a minor thing. Now, in the light of all the foregoing, here are some of the important developments of very recent date: Britain Scales Back Army In Europe The British Labor government is about to dramatically cut back the size of its forces in Europe. George Robertson, the Secretary of Defense, has conducted a six-month "Strategic Defense Review"and is recommending that hundreds of tanks and troops be withdrawn from Germany. Calling such forces "cold war relics," Robertson intends cutting back in Britain's frigates and nuclear-powered submarines; cutting back in the number of RAF fighter aircraft, and reducing by about one third the size of the territorial army. That means Britain's "Army on the Rhine" will be cut by a third, and will lose more than one half its tanks. The tanks will be placed in storage in England. During the mid 1970's, as the cold war dragged on, Britain maintained four divisions in Germany, or about 55,000 troops. Now, there is only one division, fewer than 17,000 men, which will be further reduced to about two thirds its present size. For decades, economics have been the key factor in the scaling down of U.S. and British armed forces. Many voices in both governments have whined about the high costs of maintaining British and American forces in Europe; about both Germany and Japan being able to "dwell under the U.S. nuclear umbrella," with only small percentages of their GNP's being spent on defense, while vigorously competing against the U.S. and Britain in world markets. Long ago, I warned that there would come either a rewriting or a reinterpretation of the post World War II constitutions of both Germany and Japan, which prohibited either country from sending its troops abroad; allowed each country only "defense" forces. Now, both constitutions have been reinterpreted, and BOTH Germany and Japan are able to inject armed forces into regional disputes outside their own borders. Germany Agrees To NATO Expansion As the "Euro" progresses toward complete adoption, so that Europe will have a common currency, so does "The North Atlantic Treaty Organization," or NATO, continue to expand. Not only is Europe uniting economi cally, and moving toward political unity as well, but EASTERN European nations are being wooed and won by NATO, thus joining in with Western Europe and the U.S. in a MILITARY pact! Recently, the Bundestag, or the lower house of the German parliament, approved admission of Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic as MEMBERS OF NATO! The vote was 555 to 37. As if in repayment for Eastern European support, Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel told the Bundestag that German reunification would not have been possible without the support of states in central and east Europe. "That's why it was and is a moral obligation for us Germans to help them to return to Europe through membership in NATO and the European Union," he said. Gerhard Schroeder Challenges Kohl; Most
Germans Want To Germans will decide whether to keep Chancellor Helmut Kohl in office, or replace him this September! With the reunification of Germany over nine years ago, the German economy was dealt a staggering blow. Trying to swallow up its poverty-stricken, depressed brother to the East, which had stagnated under decades of Communist mismanagement, proved to be horribly expensive to the Bundesbank and the West German government. Not much progress has been made. Can anyone imagine the consequences of such massive unemployment that ONE IN FIVE in the labor force is out of a job? That is exactly the situation in East Germany! 20% unemployment! Now, it is a major political issue, and one which Gerhard Schroeder intends using. He has been telling the German people that Helmut Kohl is to blame. Do not think for a moment that all Germans are FOR the new common currency, the "Euro," to replace their prized "marks." During a recent television interview and debate, arguing about the upcoming elections, 83 per cent of the Germans who called in were AGAINST adoption of the "Euro," and wanted to keep their Deutschemarks. Many other nations feel the same way — notably Britain. The money of a nation is like a national symbol; like a sign of national sovereignty. Bible prophecy says the "Beast" power will be controlled by a symbolic woman (Revelation 17), representing a great false church, which will be like an "IMAGE" of the Beast itself. This means that a great ecclesiastical hierarchy will have adopted the POLITICAL structure of a GOVERNMENT! It will be a STATE, and a "state religion," holding sway over many countries. Eventually, it will enforce upon its citizens a certain STAMP, or MARK! Notice, "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: "And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. "Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred threescore and six" (Revelation 13:16-18). Romulus was the founder of Rome. His name in the Latin language adds up to 666! Notice that the saints, those who have overcome Satan, this evil world, and their own human natures by the power of God's Holy Spirit, are those who have refused to accept the "Mark of the Beast!" "And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God. "And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God" (Revelation 15:1,2). Millions of professing Christians have not the faintest idea WHO, OR WHAT is the Beast? They do not know what is the "IMAGE of the Beast," and are ignorant of the meaning of his "mark". A "mark" is an identifying sign, or symbol! The right hand is a symbol of agreement, or willingness, while the forehead is a symbol of acceptance into the mind and heart. By "shaking hands" with the Beast and the image of the Beast; i.e., SUNDAY worship and observance of PAGAN holidays and the sign of the cross, millions unknowingly have accepted the "mark of the beast." Primarily, this is metaphorical; symbolic. Yet, it may eventually have a LITERAL fulfillment as well. The German "dollar" is the MARK! The French "dollar" is the "FRANC," which is merely the French word for MARK, or STAMP! Isn't it interesting that the two most powerful nations in Europe have money which is called the "MARK"? And isn't it interesting that, while many hope to adopt a common European currency, most Germans are against it? Many years ago, Brian Connell, for over 20 years a Reuters correspondent, living in Germany, explained how the German political system is very different from that in Britain and the U.S. He showed how the industrialists could grant "subventions" to the political parties; how 14 of the largest 15 giants of industry were former card-carrying Nazis. He warned that any interruption in the new-found wealth of West Germany could lead to the diversion of those political funds into "less savory quarters." He meant, of course, massive funding for ultra right-wing fanatics, like "Neo-Nazis." With many, many Neo-Nazi incidents occurring in Germany; pro-Western Germans themselves are becoming alarmed. With unemployment soaring, millions of frustrated German youths are turning toward ultra-nationalistic, right-wing organizations. Cornelia Schmalz-Jacobsen, head of the German government's Office of "Foreign Affairs," spoke of the dangerous amount of "xenophobia" (fear and hatred of foreigners) gripping Germany. "Hardly a day passes without some sort of incident...the public appears to be pushing these incidents out of its conscience and is becoming accustomed to the attacks [thugs called "skinheads," wearing Nazi symbols have murdered and beaten many foreigners in Germany] as everyday events. The "Land" German word for "State" of Brandenburg around Berlin has mobilized a commando squad to respond to emergency calls about Neo-Nazi attacks. The squad is equipped with special weapons, high-speed vehicles and helicopters. In only the first week of its operation, it arrested 23 Neo-Nazis as the result of violence. The new Nazis are moving into a vacuum left by fifty seven years of, first, Hitler's Nazi rule, and then by Communist brutality. With no jobs, no hope for the future, and such a past, millions of young Germans seek some sort of self-esteem in xenophobic doctrines. Already, it is the "Jew," or the "American," or the Turk, or the Greek, or the Pole, or the Czech, or the Spaniard, and "traitors" in their own government who are to blame. Said Marita Boettger, the Eberswalde official in charge of foreigner relations, "The old value system was abandoned, and nothing replaced it. Many parents feel overwhelmed by this society because they depended so long on the state and the party to train their children. So a lot of young people are running around without any kind of values, and they fall for these primitive ideas about national superiority." Soon, the COLLAPSE of the fragile global economy will occur! Already, the dark specter of imminent COLLAPSE of the Japanese Economy, which would DRAG AMERICA DOWN WITH IT has been warned by none other than the head of one of the largest of Japanese firms, SONY. Out of economic chaos will arise DICTATORS. Who will emerge, in the not-so-distant future, as the new STRONG MAN of Germany, and of Europe? His title, in the Bible, is "The BEAST."!
China Working On MIRVS; Upgrading Nuclear Missiles As reported last month, the Clinton Administration was urging China to accept U.S. nuclear technology (for peaceful purposes, of course) as an incentive to abandon its vigorous programs of selling missiles, missile components and missile technology to such nations as Pakistan, Syria, and Iran. Now, the top Pentagon official who specializes in nuclear warfare scenarios claims China is working on a major program of nuclear modernization. General Eugene Habiger, commander of the U.S. Strategic Command in Nebraska, said China was working on developing multiple-warhead missiles which would be capable of hitting any part of the U.S. from China with the possible exception of southern Florida. He also added that Russia is producing a new "strategic missile," meaning an ICBM capable of hitting targets anywhere in the U.S., called the "SS-27." Russia is also building new nuclear submarines armed with MIRVS (Multiple-warhead, Independently-Targeted Re-entry Vehicles), and has new bomber-launched cruise missiles. In spite of all this, the general said he was optimistic the Russians would ratify the START II (Strategic Arms Limitations Treaty) this summer.
HIGH-RANKING ISLAMIC "IMAM" Like a mystical mob straight out of a science fiction movie, hundreds of thousands of white-robed, shouting, shoving, pushing, elbowing Muslims strove with one another to get closest to their "holy rock," the "Kaaba" as they circled the box-like structure that houses the rock in Mecca. CNN and all the major news media reported the event many times as the "Hajj," or "Pilgrimage" of Muslims to Mecca occurred. One of the requirements of each of the world's more than one billion Muslims is to make at least one pilgrimage to Mecca in a lifetime. At the frenzied height of the "Hajj," the devotees must circle the rock seven times. Outside Mecca, on the Mina plain, is a stone pillar which is called "the pillar of temptation." Worshipful Muslims gather here to chuck rocks at the pillar in a ritual that claims to show they have resisted the temptation of Satan. As they throw the stones, they chant "Allahu Akbar," which means "God is great." The crowded masses were treated to an impassioned sunrise sermon by one of the three highest-ranking clerics of the religion called "Imams." The Ayatollah Khomeini laid claim to the title of "Imam of the Imams," asserting that he talked directly to God. An "Imam" alone has such private and direct communication, according to the religion. One Abdel-Rahman al-Sidess had allegedly received orders from on high to wage a "holy war" against the Jews in Israel. Calling the Israelis "a bunch of aggressors," he said "Jihad" was necessary to liberate Jerusalem from Israeli control, and to reclaim Palestinian lands lost when Israel defended itself against the combined armies of six surrounding Arab states in the 1967 6-day war. Abdel-Rahman said, "We have to raise the banner of jihad to liberate our holy Jerusalem from the malicious Zionism, and we hope that day will be soon."
TERRORIST BOMB-MAKER'S DEATH SPARKS When Israeli forces finally tracked down and killed Muhyideen al-Sharif, notorious for having made many of the bombs that blew unarmed men, women and children to bits in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, his friends and allies decided to produce a video tape to publicize their avowed intent to murder more Jewish civilians. The video starred a terrorist who is high up on Israel's "most wanted" list, Abdel Awadallah, a leading member in "Hamas." His face covered by a black and white checkered "kaffiyeh," like that worn by Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat, Awadallah said, "By virtue of our holy struggle and by virtue of the holy fighters among our ranks, we will bring sadness and horror into the heart and home of every Zionist!" Even though it was known, and admitted by Awadallah that Palestinian security officials, including Jibril al-Rajoub, who is Security Chief, were complicit in Sharif's killing, Awadallah said, "We in Izz el-Deen al-Qassam brigades hold only the Zionist enemy responsible...even if we have proof of direct or indirect involvement of members of the Authority [fellow Arabs; Palestinians who have been given arms by Israel to police their own autonomous regions]...the response will only be against the Zionist enemy."
RUSSIAN SCIENTISTS HELPING IRAN When the old Soviet Union imploded, hundreds of thousands of bureaucrats, petty officials, and scientists found themselves falling on hard times. Suddenly, Russian scientists who had been working for years inside the massive Soviet nuclear program; working on such things as guidance systems for MIRV's, rocket fuel, the Russian space program, missile technology, or the Russian nuclear program, found themselves out of work. At best, a middle-echelon scientist might have worked up to a tiny flat in a crowded Moscow suburb (the waiting list was upwards of five years just to find a place to rent), and been able to drive a small car. No wonder, then, that thousands of such men began looking elsewhere for jobs. Today, Russian scientists are found throughout the Middle East. In a kind of "have nukes, will travel" scenario, their expertise is available to the highest bidder. Look to the Middle Eastern oil producers to have the most money, and a deadly motive—the eventual destruction of Israel! Now, it has been reported that the "Federal Security Service," the new name for the KGB, Russia's equivalent of the CIA, has been actively recruiting such scientists for Iran. The Iranians have sought technological help from all over Europe, from Russia, and from China in their eagerness to build a modern missile and nuclear program. Ever mindful of their disastrous eight-year war with Saddam Hussein, the Iranians are also keenly aware of U.N. and U.S. inspection of Saddam's suspected chemical, biological, and nuclear sites, while they are under no such scrutiny. For many years a pariah to some nations, particularly the U.S., the Iranian government has been making overtures to heal the wounds from the Carter and Reagan days of hostage-taking and overt sponsorship of anti-Western terrorists. Now, Iran wants to go nuclear. It is all done under the cover of innocent "business." The firms engaged in technological development hire the scientists by offering "contracts," just as might an American firm interested in hiring a German to work in NASA. Fancy paperwork is all that is needed to obfuscate the fact that the Russian government is involved. The Washington Post reported that the "Russian government is either unable or unwilling to stop the flow of scientists from traveling to Iran."
THE MAFIA'S NEWEST MONEY-MAKING SCHEME—NUCLEAR WEAPONS The name "Mafia" and the word "money" are virtually synonymous. "Mafia" is actually taken from two Sicilian words which mean, broken down, "my thing." "Cosa Nostra" means "our thing". The new "thing" in which the Mafia in Sicily and Italy is involved is the sale of nuclear bomb components! Now, Italian police have arrested at least fourteen men who were attempting to sell high-grade uranium rods to Middle Eastern buyers. Police seized a heavy uranium rod from a warehouse in a suburb of Rome, weighing 22 pounds, though it was only 27-inches long. Police said there are eight more such rods missing, and being sought. Undercover Italian police managed to infiltrate the mob members involved in the scheme by posing as buyers, representing Middle Eastern governments. Two of the Mafia gang members were arrested as they drove to Switzerland to receive a payoff from a Swiss bank. Those arrested included seven men suspected of belonging to the "Magliana Gang," which is an Italian branch of the Sicilian Mafia, known for everything from terrorism to murder. Also being sought were four Sicilians, including a friend of Benedetto "Nitto" Santapaola, reputed "godfather" of the eastern Sicilian mafia, who is in prison. One of the greatest fears expressed by the U.S. government, as well as Israel and many western European countries, is that nuclear weapons might find their way into the hands of terrorists. Oil-rich nations in the Mideast, particularly Iran, have been known to fund some of the most violent terrorist organizations. Syria harbors many terrorist cells, which launch attacks against Israel from southern Lebanon. So far, the terrorists have only been able to use massive car and truck bombs, as they did in Saudi Arabia against a U.S. Air Force barracks. What will happen when a fanatic suicide bomber carries a suitcase-size nuclear weapon into a crowded big city, and detonates it? Such a horrifying scenario is why thousands of agents representing nearly all of the major western nation's security forces, such as the British MI-5, the American CIA and FBI, Interpol, and the Israeli Mossad, are continually on the lookout for those who deal in chemical, biological, and nuclear technology for a price.
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Week at the Website Office Someone e-mailed us the other day asking, "Just what does it take to administer the GTA Evangelistic Association's Internet Website?" Here is what we do week in and week out to keep the site going. Sunday All through the day, as everyday, we constantly check for incoming e-mail and either process it or forward it to the appropriate people. Monday All through the week, there are a number of volunteers that send us news stories from the news services listed at the website. They each pick stories that are the most appropriate for our site and e-mail them to the News Director, Bill Jeswine. He sorts through the scores of stories and makes the final selection for posting in the News Feature pages of the site. This section compares today's breaking news with the prophecies talked about in Matthew 24, namely, wars, famines, pestilence, earthquakes, sorrows and information about the Third Temple being built at Jerusalem. After the final selection of news stories are made, we update the website. Tuesday Armstrong for his answer or input. The website office has built up a file of over 150 Bible questions that have been asked and answered. These files are indexed by subject for easy referral when the question is asked again. Some of these questions and answers are used in either the Mailroom, Bible Study, or Frequently Asked Questions sections of the website. Wednesday In the coming months, we will introduce new technology that will make it so the user only click on a button to see the whole video without first downloading it from the website. By the time you read this article, we will also have placed on the site, the sermon Mr. Armstrong gave in Tyler on the 21st of March. Thursday This day, like Monday is a day for posting news stories in the Feature Pages at the website. Our goal is to keep the news feature pages updated regularly. In the Endtime section, however, we keep about 15 stories for each element of prophecy and rotate in the new stories as they come along. This section is not as time-sensitive as the regular news sections. Thursday also finds the office staff working on certain church projects such as Project Church Town, Project Computer and Project E-mail. For Project Church Town, we are working with the Headquarters Office and Tom Kerry, Area Coordinator and minister in New Orleans to compile a complete database of all Intercontinental Church of God church towns. For each town in the database, we list the Area Coordinator; local minister, host, or local contact; number of adults and children and the number scheduled to attend the Feast this year. Project Computer is our effort to establish one contact in each church town that has a computer, e-mail and access to the Internet. This contact person will then have an instant communications link to the Headquarters Office, reports, letters and breaking news of the Work. Project E-mail will make it possible for everyone in the church to have e-mail regardless of whether they have a computer or not. With an e-mail account, each member will have access to even more information and contact with church members around the world. All of these church projects are designed to keep the greater congregation closer together in our unity. Friday For various reasons certain items like weekly audio and video tapes do not reach their destination. We receive a number of inquiries as to the whereabouts of these items. The website office makes contact with Headquarters by e-mail or phone to help insure that these items get to their destination. Sabbath So such is a normal week at the website office. I want to thank everyone that contributes to the success of the site and to all of those that have visited the site and sent letters and e-mails. After a long week in the Website Office it is encouraging to receive letters such as these: Dear Website Office: Congratulations!!!! I have been a net surfer for a several years and have visited many of the Church of God Web sites - This is one of the best I have seen. The news links alone are enough to cause anyone, church member or not, to bookmark this site - nice work folks! JP Dear Mr. Armstrong, Congratulations. Staying in touch with Mr. Armstrong's work has been a bit difficult since WGN stopped.
GARNER TED ARMSTRONG What a paradox! At the very time when terrible danger threatens, God's Word foretells that His people will be mostly ASLEEP! Human nature includes a strange psychological quirk called "denial." Millions of people who are terribly overweight continually tell themselves, "I'm not as big as many people — besides, I'm going to do something about it tomorrow." Alcoholics tell themselves they are only "social drinkers" and that they really do not have a problem. But the most bizarre cases of denial are those when people who are in imminent danger of losing their lives will sit tight, and take no action! Some years ago, an elderly Kansas couple heard a noise that "sounded like a freight train" during a tornado warning. They decided it was a freight train, and stayed inside their mobile home. Both died when a tornado demolished their home. The nearest railroad, according to the article I read, was about 40 miles away! Not so many years ago, when an airliner crash landed and caught fire, even though many escaped, there were some who died in the flames, because they sat still with their seat belts still fastened, when all they needed to do was unfasten them, get up, and run away! Today, many people who KNOW BETTER are in denial about the meaning of the times in which they live! Many are DELIBERATELY ignoring Bible prophecy, and the ominous developments all around them which presage the beginning of the Great Tribulation to fall upon America and Britain. God holds the leaders responsible for withholding the witness and warning from those who follow them. Jesus Christ warned, "For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, "And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away: so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (Matthew 24:37-39). The force of the expression "knew not" is that they did not "realize"; did not deeply apprehend what was about to happen to them! Yet, Noah had preached, shouted, witnessed, warned, pleaded with them for one hundred and twenty long years! From a purely human perspective, one might say Noah was the greatest failure as a preacher that the world has ever seen. They heard him, but they did not believe him! Drowning is a terrible, agonizing way to die. MILLIONS drowned, when all they needed to do was listen to Noah's preaching, and then act on it! But they were hard-hearted; they were completely submerged in their own society; heedless of the impending disaster. "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. "And it repented the Eternal that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart" (Genesis 6:5,6). Noah's many years of witness and warning failed to move the perverse, evil society around him. Just as Jesus Christ predicted, there are those today who, looking back over forty or more years of hearing about the Tribulation, are simply "tired" of hearing about it. They are "bored." Not realizing that we are now CLOSER to the Tribulation with the passage of years, not further away, they turn to the carnal pursuits of materialism. Peter prophesied, "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, `Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. "For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: "Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished. "But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgement and perdition of ungodly men" (2 Peter 3:3-7). Strangely, the very people who SHOULD KNOW BETTER; those who have heard the witness and warning about the coming United States of Europe, the beginning of the GREAT TRIBULATION upon America and Britain; those who have heard about the ominous significance of the construction of a temple in Jerusalem; of the placing of the Abomination of Desolation, are among those who are ASLEEP to the dangers of the world in which they live! The LEADERS of many of these have lulled them to sleep! "Oh, he was saying those things thirty or forty years ago," they might scoff. Noah preached for TWELVE DECADES. There was plenty of time for people to grow weary of the preaching of Noah as they watched the huge ship he was building grow and grow until it became the most familiar object on the landscape. One thousand years is but A DAY to our God. A few decades like only moments! But to carnal-minded human beings who are quickly "bored" if something doesn't happen according to their schedule, even a decade or so is like a lifetime. Jesus Christ was the greatest PROPHET who ever lived! His message was NEWS — GOOD news about the greatest earth-shaking, world events in all history; the intervention of Almighty God Himself in human affairs! Christ's Olivet prophecy is REAL! It is TRUE! The beginning elements of the great tribulation are IN PLACE, now! Yet, it is at THIS VERY TIME that Christ said many of His people will be ASLEEP! Notice, "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? "Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing [busy doing Christ's bidding; performing HIS WORK! The analogy Christ used is that of a "chamberlain" or a "butler," who had been placed over his lord's "household," responsible to care for it, and for the other servants. That means Christ's CHURCH, which is the instrument in His hands to accomplish HIS WORK on this earth!]. "Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. "But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; "And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; "The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, "And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 24:45-51). There are those who REFUSE to take part in the WORK of God; the work of preaching the ADVANCE GOOD NEWS of Christ's coming globe-girdling, world-ruling KINGDOM! TENS OF THOUSANDS of those who heard the witness and the warning, and who were brought OUT of this sun-worshiping, Babylonish, professing "Christian" world of pagan doctrines, have GONE RIGHT BACK INTO the world! They have once again turned to PAGAN holidays, with pagan fertility symbols like the egg, the rabbit, mistletoe, and the Christmas tree! They have ABANDONED the very KEY which unlocks Bible prophecy; the knowledge of the identity of the United States and Britain in the Bible. They have made "religion" and "church-going" and "belonging to a church" an end in itself! Many will still be "playing church"; basking in each other's fellowship, when the Great Tribulation comes crashing down upon them! Notice what Christ prophesied about the condition of the CHURCH just before God intervenes in human affairs: "Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. "And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. "They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: "But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. "While the bridegroom tarried, they all [note this well!] slumbered and slept. "And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. "Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. "And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. "But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. "And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. "Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. "But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh" (Matthew 25:1-13). Notice that they ALL slept! They ALL knew that the Lord was going to come. The wise had more of God's Holy Spirit; they were PREPARED, even though they were asleep! But when the shocking announcement came, they were READY! The foolish convinced themselves there was plenty of time; there was no need to worry — tomorrow would be another day. Such is the condition of thousands today; thousands who KNOW the truth about Israel; about the prophecies concerning the Tribulation, the Abomination of Desolation; the advance of the armies of the Beast power into Palestine! They KNOW, and they have PROVED that this world is lost in a Babylonish "mystery" religion. Yet, because their LEADERS have given them "license" to once again blend right back into this world, they have willingly done so! As Peter predicted, they are "willingly ignorant." Such people would have accused Christ of being a "sensationalist." They would have sneered at Him for His tumultuous warnings; His predictions of the coming Tribulation. During the time of Haggai, the people sneered about God's work; about His temple, which is a type of His church. Haggai wrote, "This people say, `The time is not come, the time that the Eternal's house should be built'" (Haggai 1:2). Instead, they had their minds on their OWN houses (verses 4 through 11); on their own pleasures, personal possessions, and daily pursuits. Paul warned, "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. "For when they shall say, Peace and safety [today, that is exactly the attitude of many of God's people who KNOW the truth about prophecy]; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. "Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. "Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober" (1 Thessalonians 5:1-8). God's people will be alert. They will be watching world happenings. They will be busily engaged in proclaiming the coming world-ruling government of God — preaching a message of witness and warning, just as Christ commanded. After describing the unimaginable horrors of the tribulation to His disciples, Christ told them, "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man" (Luke 21:36).
"Dear Garner Ted. I was so glad to receive your March 23rd letter! So full of good news and happiness. The Lord does take care of His own...always see that I get `WORLDWATCH' and thanks for the new booklet `Here's The Best News You Could Ever Hear.' May God continue to bless you and all connected with the new church." Tennessee. "Dear Garner Ted, Shirley and Family: Just a few lines to let you know that we are sharing and have shared the trauma of the last few months. In Isaiah God speaks of the potter creating a vessel for God. God wasn't satisfied with the way the council members wanted the vessel made so He smashed it and let you go free to reform it the way He wants it. It is being blessed tremendously as we can see by the FRUITS...it is amazing how rapidly things have come back on line. We've hardly felt a pause before getting your NEW tapes, booklet, information on Passover, Feast of Tabernacles, etc. God is using you to reveal the Beast and False Prophet. No one else talks about it with any emphasis..." California. "Dear Mr. Armstrong and Family: I received your tape yesterday on `Modern Weapons in Prophecy,' and just finished hearing it. Sure helps us to hear you again and to know we do have a minister used of God to feed us with His word in these evil and last days. There are lots of people that love and pray for you around here. Be strong and of good courage. May God use you more and more — for our loved ones need to know God." Tennessee. "To: Mr. Garner Ted Armstrong: ...I am sitting here at 11:30 P.M. because I could not wait to thank you for the video `WORLD GOVERNMENT' which I have just finished viewing. It is amazing to me how clearly you communicate the TRUTH about God's plan for mankind, the state of His Church and the state of the world we live in in one short hour. I have always felt that your sermons were inspired by our Lord, and I enjoy them immensely, but this is one of your best. I thank God for turning our heads and hearts back in the right direction and that we can once more look forward with joy and happiness to the time when GOD'S government will clean up the terrible mess that man has made of our so-called civilization." Canada. "Dear Mr. Armstrong. I wish to thank you for the three...tapes you sent to me. I realize you are more pushed for time and money now than normal even though you must have worked very hard for many years. I know that God will be with you...I do not worship you but I do dearly love you because of the truth you have helped me to see in my Bible and how you have made it possible to better understand Jesus. Your teaching has shown me more understanding than I have ever had..." Texas. "Dear Mr. Garner Ted: How shocked and saddened I am about events that have happened to God's church...I could not believe what happened last fall. I was devastated! Satan never sleeps! God has kept you young. I first listened to you in the fall of 1960 and your latest tapes sound the same! How can you start over at 68! God must be with you! I am!" Washington.
Television Log of GTAEA • Sacramento, CA_RCC-TV, cable ch. 20, 9:30 a.m., Sun. • Inter-Mt.-Cable_WPRG TV-5, 10:30 a.m., Sun. • Ft. Wayne, IN_Cable Access, ch. 10, 8:30 p.m., Tues. • Harold, KY_WPRG, ch. 5, 10:30 a.m., Sun. • London, KY_Frontier Cable, ch. 5, 7:30 p.m.,Thu. & 2:00 p.m., Sun. • New Orleans, LA_WGNO-ABC, 6:00 a.m., Sat. • Muskegon, MI_WMKG ch.40 air, cable 98, 11:00 a.m., Sun. • Springfield, MO_KOLR-NBC, 6:30 a.m., Sun. • Syracuse, NY_WTVH-CBS, 5:30 a.m., Sun. • Greenville, TN_Frontier Vision, ch. 20, 2:00 p.m., Sun. • Olympia, WA_TCTV Comm. TV, ch 3, 10:00 a.m. & 4:30 p.m., Sat.
Radio Log: • Fordyce, AR_KBJT AM 1570, 10:30 a.m., Sun. • Daleville, AL_WTKN AM, 2:00 p.m., Sun. |