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rope? Most certainly, yes. But
more impor tantly a gateway to
Germany-the Federal Republic
for now-but how long before a
gateway to
al/
of Germany, includ–
ing the German Democratic Re–
public of East Germany? More
about that later.
Germany, 011 and Rotterdam
The Columbia Encyc/opedia
makes a vitally important point in
its write-up about Rotterdam: "Eu–
ropoort, a large harbor area oppo–
site Hoek van Holland built largely
in the 1960s, is designed chiefly for
unloading and storing petroleum.
Rotterdam owes its importance
mainly to the transit trade with the
Ruhr district of NW Germany,
with which
it
is connected by sev–
era! waterways and oi l pipelines"
(page 2,364, fourth edition).
Petroleum products still make the
world go round. Their importance
accelerates in any world crisis.
In recent years much has been
made of oi l glu ts and falling
petroleum prices. Even the power of
the Organization of Petroleum Ex–
porting Countries (OPEC) has been
substan t ially eroded. But temporary
trends can be deceiving. Long-term
prognostications ind icate an abso–
lute dwindling pool of oil. Why? Be–
cause the world is consuming oil at
a rate of 900 billion gallons a year!
Reserves still underground are vast,
but will not last all that long.
INTERNATIONALDESK
(Cont
i
nued from page 16)
the book of Revelation Jesus Christ
looked across the centuries and
showed the apostle John the condi–
tions that would follow a future
union of European nations.
Many today seek the union of
Europe for peace and prosperity,
little realizing that they are paving
the way for another g reat catastro–
phe.
But among the predictions of fu–
ture world turmoi l, has the Bible
foreseen a world that must struggle
to preserve its dwindling forests?
In Revelat ion 8:7, we read that
"a third of the t rees were burned
up ..." (Revised Authorized Ver–
sion throughout). And in the ninth
chapter of Revelation there is de–
scribed in the symbolic language
24
Oil shortages in the foreseeable
future wil l grab the headlines once
again. Storage and reserves in Rot–
terdam will grow in importance for
Germany- more so in the future
than now.
However, a report in
E lseviers
Magaz ine-a
Dutch weekly- is
well worth noting. Said the ti tle:
.. Holland I s Becom i ng an O il
Land." To sum up the art icle: The
Netherlands will produce 25 percent
of their petroleum needs by the end
of 1985. In five years' time, est i–
mates run as high as 50 percent.
This is all due to a discovery
right under Rotterdam of poten–
tially the biggest oil fi eld in Hol–
land. Already it is pumping more
petroleum than the tradi tiona l
fields in the east of the Nether–
lands. We can only guess as to its
future importance for Holland and
Germany. But its value to heavy
industry in incalculable.
The East German Link
Despite political fits and starts, in–
ter-German trade is growing. Eco–
nomic links between Bonn and
Eas t Berlín are imperative for East
Germany and even the Soviet
U nion, both of which desperately
need West German deutsche
marks.
Consumer products in both Ger–
manys are becoming more homoge–
neous. Remarked one businessman
in West Berlín about clothing
of prophecy a great army, as nu–
merous as locusts, that will swarm
across the heartland of Eurasia.
But even as they marshal their
forces, notice how they are com–
manded to take care of what re–
mains of vegetation and the trees.
"They were commanded not to
harm the grass of the earth, or any
green thing,
or any tree,
but only
those men who do not have the
seal of God on thei r foreheads"
(verse 4).
Even in a desperate st ruggle for
world domination, these armies will
be forced to take care of what re–
mains of t he earth 's resources.
Other prophecies show that the cat–
aclysmic events of "Satan's last
stand" will play havoc wi th all life:
man, beast-and trees. (For a full
explanation of these prophecies,
readers should request our free
made in East Germany: "You can
hardly see the difference. They are
using Western designs"
(Interna–
tional Herald Tribune,
May 7).
The Soviet Union has good rea–
son to rest rain a potential political
unification of the two Germanys.
But the Soviets are
not
preventing
ever closer economic ties. Contin–
ues the
Tribune
article: " ... East
Germany and the Soviet U nion
have accepted a special relationship
between the two Germanys in the
economic field that both continue
to reject on the political Ievel."
But what began as economic co–
operation may well turn into polít–
ica! cooperation within the scope of
an expanding Common Market.
Our point is that Rotterdam may
. eventually wind up as a key oil
supply depot for both East and
West Germany. European political
borders have proved changeable in
this 20th century. Whole countries
and empires have disappeared from
the European political map. Transi–
tory artificial and unnatural bor–
ders have been imposed.
Profound political changes will
shock humanity before this century
ends. Bible prophecy forecasts as–
tonishing events in Europe. A new
10-nation superpower wi ll arise in
Europe. And Rotterdam will play a
key role in these events.
Keep watching world events.
K ee p r ead in g
The Plain
Truthl
o
booklet
The Book of Reve/ation
Unveiled at Last.)
Much of the damage, worldwide,
is already done . Large areas of
Africa, Asia and South America
that were once verdant have become
barren wastelands. Sorne nations
have plundered their forests more
in one generation than did their
forefathers
in
thousands of years of
peaceful co-existence with the land.
To save the dying forests of Europe
will demand a level of immediate
internat ional cooperation and re–
straint that is unlikely in today's
greedy, shortsighted world. Ger–
many's lovely trees are, tragically,
destined to be ruined before a hap–
pier world tomorrow, ofGod's mak–
ing, restares sanity and harmony to
this battered and sadly misused
planet.
-John Halford
Th•
PLAIN TRUTH