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and the rich tones of old music or'the
Occident created an atmosphere that
visibly moved the statesmen in their
easy chairs in front of the golden
shrine of Charles. And it is to let the
European public know that a new era
in the development of the European
Community is being rung in ."
Al the end of the conference, lhe
Bonn
Generai-Anzeiger
(September
16) commented: " In Aachen, lhe co–
operation of both neighbors reached
such a leve! that it can scarcely be
improved upon, and their joint Euro–
pean will has never befare been man–
ifested so convincingly.... Not even
de Gaulle and Adenauer, in whose
tradition Schmidt placed this meet–
ing, swore to German-French unity
with such strong words and dared, in
a similar manner, to appeal to Char–
lemagne as key witness."
One thing is for sure. Schmidl
and Giscard went to the right place
to find the "inspiration " they
needed to propel Europe further,
and at greater speed, down the road
of unity.
Roman Empire's Reviva!
The events surrounding the unique
conference in Aachen, not widely re–
ported in lhe English-language press,
should not come as a surprise to long–
time readers of
The· Plain Truth
magazine. Over the years the editors
of this publication have repeatedly
warned its readers in North Ameri–
ca, Britain, Africa, Australasia and
elsewhere thal the Bible prophesies
there will arise an end-time powerful
economic-mi litary-religious union in
Europe- a power so awesome that il
will astound the entire world when it
finally takes shape (Rev. 17:8). This
union, moreover, will represent a fi–
nal reviva! of the ancient Roman
Empire.
In the June-July 1934 issue of
The
Plain TrU!h-only
the fifth issue of
the magazine-Editor Herbert W.
Armstrong wrote, on page 6, thal
"Scripturc prophesies
TWO GREAT
MILITARY POWERS
lO arise in lhe lasl
days-one lhe reviva! of the Roman
Empire by a federation of 1
O
nations
in the territory of the ancient Roman
Empire; the other, 'Gog,' or Russia
with her allies.... "
Mr. Armstrong further stated that
The
PLAIN TAUTH February 1979
"the 17th chapter of Revelation tells
us the ancient Roman Empire will
once more be revived, this time by a
federation of
JO
nations...."
Shortly after World War 11 , while
Europe and especially Germany lay
prostrate, Mr. Armslrong made the
amazing prediclion- based upon Bi–
ble prophecy- that Germany would
rise again. and lhat America's
wartime enemy would lead a Euro–
pean power bloc. Note the signi-
((
Emperor Charlemagne,
crowned by Pope Leo in
A. D. 800, united
practical/y al/ of Western
Europe under his rule.
' '
ficance of these "predictions. "
"The Germans are now rearming!
A new Germany is rising on the ruins
of World War 1
J.
America 's main en–
emy will soon be on her feet again"
(
The Plain Truth,
Junc 1952, p. 2).
"Germany is destined to be the
leader in any European union. She is
the economic heart of Europe and is
rebuilding fasler lhan any other Eu–
ropean nation"
(The Plain Truth,
September 1953, p. 3).
These predictions have come true.
In 1978, West Germany at Jast sur-
passed the United States as the
world's greatest exporting nation!
And it is the German industrial pow–
erhouse around which all the other
member states of the Common Mar–
ket revolve.
West Germany and her partners in
Europe, lo be sure, are democratic
nations today. Bul in the long march
of European history, democracy as a
form of government , especially in
Germany and ltaly, is of compara–
tively short duration. Moreover,
democratic institutions in Europe
have yet lo pass the test of a severe
national crisis, such as an economic
depression.
And now, at the very height of
democratic development in Europe,
we witness the strange spectacle of
key political personalities harking
back to Charlemagne-the " King
Father of Europe"-for inspiration
to guide them in the here and now.
Role of the Papacy
In the October 1951 issue of
The
Plain Truth,
Mr. Armstrong made
another rather startling prediclion.
On page 13 of lhat issue he said that
" the pope a lone can provide lhe lead–
ership, lhe unifying, solidifying ele–
menl to make this United Stales of
Europe- this resurrected Roman
Empíre- a reality."
This rather bold assertion might
still seem startling to sorne. But it
must be realized that the power of
the Roman Catholic Church, if-or
when- marshaled, is very likely the
only cement thal can hold the nations
of Weslern Europe together. Even lo–
day, Europe's two major powers,
France and West Germany, remain
seriously divided as lo how a ''United
States of Europe" should be con–
structed. The Germans favor a tight
federated Europe; the French remain
committed to a looser confederated
Europe in which each nation (espe–
cially France) wi ll retain its own
idenlity.
The French, moreover, despite
lheir current close ties with West
Germany, remain suspicious of lheir
powerful neighbors. The
Wall Street
Journal ,
December 5, 1978. re–
ported : "Underneath the presenl re–
Jationship remain latent French fears
of Germany. France has made plain
11