Dear Brethren and Co-Workers with Christ:
A drastic, world-shaking turn of events may occur unexpectedly this year.
This is the “Fortieth Year” and historically the 40th year has been the year of a drastic turn in national and world events.
It was after 40 years that Moses left Egypt as a prince and fled to Midian. It was at the end of another 40 years when God called Moses at the incident of the burning bush to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery in the great migration to the promised land. It was at the end of that 40 years that Moses died and Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordan river into that promised land. These were actually turning points in national events of world significance in history.
It was at the foot of Mt. Sinai that the nation of Israel was born at the great ceremony after God had in a voice of thunder spoken the words of the Ten Commandments in the hearing of the more than two million people that composed the new nation of Israel. It was at the end of 40 days of fasting atop Mt. Sinai that Moses received the two tablets of stone on which God with his own finger had engraved the words of the Ten Commandments. It was at the end of 40 days of total fasting that Jesus qualified to wrest the government of the whole earth from Satan after the great temptation recorded in Matthew 4.
And now in 1985 we are at the end of 40 years since the founding of the United Nations and 40 years since the dividing of the continent of Europe right down the middle as a result of the Yalta Conference, February 4 to 11, in 1945. The nations of Europe had been involved in wars among themselves, culminating with the Second World War. That conference made a drastic change in the nations of Europe. The Eastern bloc of nations was gobbled up by the Soviet Union — came under Soviet domination. The Western bloc of European nations came under the military protection of the United States. (Editor: Herbie claimed he spoke for God. Funny neither saw this coming.)
Thus Europe was divided right down the middle, between the world’s first two superpowers, the U.S.S.R. and the U.S.A. Germany was divided with the eastern area under Soviet domination and the western area dependent on United States power to protect it from communist takeover.
Dissatisfaction has been mounting in Europe. The Western nations of Europe are tired of being under the American umbrella. The Eastern bloc of Europe has suffered increasingly in economy and insufficient technological progress. Now there is growing talk about Germany being once again united in the “Fatherland.” httpv://youtu.be/UYtbEJfQtDI
For more than 40 years now The PLAIN TRUTH has been proclaiming an outstanding series of Bible prophecies of something due soon to occur in Europe that will change the whole world and shake up the lives of every one of us. (Editor: This of course was all bullshit. Herbert Armstrong’s “outstanding series of Bible prophecies” was nothing more than an attempt to create prophecy from the headlines of the day.
“Bible prophecies of something due soon to occur in Europe that will change the whole world and shake up the lives of every one of us.” Armstrong, as usual, was characteristically vague (as usual) as to “what” this event was going to be.)
httpv://youtu.be/AORrIlQGATM
Daniel’s prophecy in chapter 2 pictures 10 nations in Europe in our time right now, as the 10 toes on the two feet of the great symbolic image. Five of those toes picture five nations in Western Europe and five in Eastern Europe. Then is pictured a great stone, representing Christ at his soon Second Coming, smiting those toes, and coming to rule in the Kingdom of God over all those and all other nations on earth. This is further explained in the 17th chapter of Revelation, depicting those 10 nations of Europe uniting under the Roman Catholic Church. In the last decade certain leaders in Europe have been working feverishly to bring about such a reuniting of Europe. I have personally spoken to the principal leaders in this struggle, and to leaders in Spain, Greece and Austria.
For some reason God has been holding back the fulfillment of this prophecy — BUT IT IS CERTAIN TO OCCUR! Could this 40th year be the year that will bring it about?
Meanwhile God’s Work is growing now as never before. The first two TV broadcasts of this year each broke all records for responses from viewers. Those records were surpassed in February, with over 17,000 telephone responses from a single telecast.
I am now hard at work on a new book. It probably will be the largest and
most important book I have ever written. The title is MYSTERY OF THE AGES. It is being written as a textbook for the second year Theology class in Ambassador College. It will be published before the fall new school year begins. Copies will be made available to you.
Meanwhile remember this is the shortest month of the year and therefore one of our most difficult financially. You have your own vital part in keeping this greatest Work on earth going — and GROWING.
With love and prayers, in Jesus’ name,
Herbert W. Armstrong