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Soviet Crisis
(Continuedfrom page 14)
deal with the West : a complete with–
drawal of Soviet milita ry forces
from Eastern Europe in exchange
for the withdrawal of American
troops (today numbering 300,000)
from Western Europe. Such a pro–
posa! would likely find favor with
the increasing numbers of Ameri–
cans who would like to strike from
the overburdened U.S. budget the
enormous cost of maintaining U.S.
servicemen in Western Europe–
and with many West Europeans who
are disillusioned with America and
desi rous of doing more for them–
selves in the way of defense.
The resulting política! vacuum
might then be filled by a new en–
tity-an association of East and
West European nat ions in a new
era of aii-European cooperation!
The countries of Eastern Europe
would become free to exercise their
right of self-determination. In view
of their historical and cultural links
with Western Europe, they would
undoubted ly seek to associate
themselves with an evolving West
European union.
This would effectively end the
political division of the Continent
that has prevailed since 1945. Even
the long-delayed reunion of divided
Germany might be achieved within
such a framework of general Eu–
ropean reunification.
The nations of Western Europe
have much to offer those of East–
ern Europe in the way of economic
aid and consumer products, and
eager East Europeans know it.
Even the Soviet Union itself
might then seek greater economic
cooperation with the nations of
Western Europe. Already, reform–
minded Soviet leader Mikhail Gor–
bachev has indicated he wants to
pursue more productive initiatives
with Western Europe. Conceiv–
ably, sorne sort of new Rapallo–
type economic and d iplomatic pact
might eventually be hammered out
between the U .S.S.R. a nd the
evolving European union.
Now consider the far-reaching
prophetic
implications.
Revived Roman Empirel
The above events would , in short,
create the circumstances necessary
38
for the prophesied emergence of a
United Europe, proclaimed for
more than 50 years by this
magazine.
Bible propbecy reveals that an
end-time reviva! of the ancient Ro–
man Empire will once more arise in
Europe. This confederated Europe
will rapidly become an immense
economic, political and mil itary
power- a Third Force in world af–
fairs, a superpower in its own right.
This powerful union, prophecy tells
us, will be composed of " ten
horns"-meaning lO na tions or
groups of nations (Rev. 17:3).
Notice further that the ancient
prophecies of Daniel picture this
system as a human image standing
on
two
legs.
The original Roman
Empire was broken into two
"legs"-the Eastern Empire at By–
zantium (Constantinople) and the
Empire of the West centered at
Rome. Thus it is probable that the
coming reconstituted Roman Em–
pire will also be composed of two
distinct yet cooperative parts: one
comprising nations of Western Eu–
rope, the other incorporating na–
tions released from Soviet domi–
nance in Eastern Europe.
Moreover, the 10 toes of the im–
age of Daniel 's prophecy (Dan.
2:41-43) correspond to the 10 end–
time national units described as
" horns" in Revelation 17. These 1O
entities constitute a political sys–
tem that will domínate the West–
ern world and will exist at the re–
turn of Jesus Christ, when he will
establish the kingdom of God on
this earth and bring us peace at last
(Dan. 2:44, 45).
Given the fact of five toes on
each foot, it is possible that five
entities will come from Western
Europe and five from the East.
That the toes are described as be–
ing composed of "iron mixed with
miry clay" indicates an imperfect
adhesion. Will this be the result of
count ries of Eastern Europe retain–
ing sorne aspects of communist
economic practice?
Role of Religion
Religion
is also destined to play a
major role in loosening the Soviet
grip on Eastern Europe and inspir–
ing enthusiasm for European unity.
The religious and nationalistic fer–
vor being stirred in Eastern Europe
by a Polish Pope is already trou–
bling the Kremlin . The Pope's
voice is a source of enormous influ–
ence in that region. Many East Eu–
ropeans have caught his vision of a
pan-European alliance against the
secular materialism of our modern
age.
In recent years, Pope John Paul
11
has spoken frequently and force–
fully about the "spiritual unity" of
Europe, and has appealed for Eu–
ropeans in both halves of the Con–
tinent to " revive your roots." The
cultural, religious and political im–
plications are obvious. As one news
commentator plainly observed dur–
ing one of the Pontifrs visits to the
East: "The Pope has undertaken
the liberation of Eastern Europe."
Not surprisingly, Bible prophecy
reveals that the coming confeder–
ated Europe- like the medieval
Holy Roman Empire-will be a
powerful
church-state
union, not
merely a mercantile arrangement.
Many European political figures
and leading churchmen are pub–
licly expressing their belief that a
revived alliance between church
and "empire" may be the key- the
only
key-to European survival in
the face of Soviet-U.S. confronta–
tion. The Roman Catholic Church
is pushing its historie role of at–
tempting to cement together the
diverse peoples of the Continent.
The stage is being set! Events are
moving inexorably in the direction
of European reunification. What is
transpiring today on both sides of
the
1
ron Curtain are the first steps in
the refashioning of Europe into a
new, yet old, alignment. As George
Bailey suggests in bis perceptive
book
Germans :
"Can we be sure
that history has
writtenfinis
to what
was perhaps the grandest design
ever conceived by man: the Holy Ro–
man Empire?"
Forces already have been set in
motion that will revolutionize the
face of Europe. A powerful New
Europe
is
on the horizon. Bible
prophecy is about to be fulfilled,
with astonishing consequences for
Protestant Britain and the United
S tates.
The coming restoration of the
Roman Empire will astound the
world! Europe- a
United
Europe,
East
and
West- will once again be
a power to reckon with!
o
The PLAIN TRUTH