Co-Worker Letter – June 22, 1983
HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG PASADENA, CALIFORNIA, 91123
Pasadena
June 22, 1983
Dear Brethren and Co-Workers with Christ:
World events are beginning to move more rapidly toward the Great Tribulation, the END of this world, the return of Jesus Christ in SUPREME POWER AND GLORY to set up God’s WORLD TOMORROW of peace, abundance and eternal life offered to all.
The Pope’s dramatic visit to his native Poland has added greatly to setting the stage for the prophesied REUNION OF EUROPE – the resurrection of the medieval “Holy Roman Empire.” The prophecy of Revelation 17 shows that when this occurs the coming of Christ will immediately follow. The reunion of Europe will immediately presage the Great Tribulation. This will be cut short by the divine intervention of the Day of the Lord, and the second coming of Christ to usher in a NEW world of PEACE, joy and salvation.
The prophecy of Daniel 2, concerning the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a stupendous image, foretold the rise of other world empires to follow Babylon of 604 B.C. Following was to come the Persian Empire, to be succeeded by the Greco- Macedonian Empire, and it in turn by the Roman Empire of 31 B.C. to A.D. 476. It was restored by Justinian in A.D. 554, first with a Roman leadership, then a French in 800, then the German dynasty of Otto the Great called the Holy Roman Empire. It was followed by the Habsburg Austrian dynasty, and by a brief “restoration” under Mussolini, when it “was, and is not, and yet is” (Rev. 17:8), this in turn is to be followed (and is NOW FORMING) by a UNITED EUROPE of 10 nations, covering both East and West Europe, as pictured by the feet and toes of Daniel 2:44.
The Pope’s visit to Poland, terminating tonight, is a MOST SIGNIFICANT event in breaking loose probably five Soviet satellite nations in Eastern Europe, so they may be united by the Catholic Church with five Western European nations. It will become a colossal THIRD WORLD POWER, possibly greater than either the Soviet Union or the United States.
On NBC News, Marvin Kalb reported, “Throughout this trip the Pope has come through as a type of spiritual superpower.”
The Pope puzzled and greatly disturbed Moscow. He appeared as a holy religious figure, but he spoke in undisguised POLITICAL overtones, as one of supreme AUTHORITY, swaying the MILLIONS of Poles in his audiences to a demand for freedom from the chains and enslavement of the Communists. Since he APPEARED as a holy man for peace, the Communists couldn’t see how they could stop him or prevent what he was putting into the minds of the Polish people.
Czechoslovakia is ready at first opportunity to break loose from Russian domination. Rumanians insist they are “Communist,” but not “Russian Communist,” and are far from ardently loyal to the Kremlin. Yugoslavia has never considered itself to be “Russian Communist.” Greece is not in the Russian orbit, and is working ardently for the new United Europe. The eastern and Roman Catholic Churches are now virtually in accord, and the eastern church has agreed to accept the supremacy of the Pope.
The thrust of Pope John Paul II in Poland was “the spiritual unity of Europe,” irrespective of frontiers as existing since the Yalta Conference. The Polish people have been under a Moscow-controlled public press. The people there have not been able to hear the voice of any leader except that controlled by Moscow. But MILLIONS heard the Pope, and he got his message over and the Polish public was AROUSED and stirred and inspired. You may expect something to come of this.
Meanwhile, prophecy is being fulfilled by GOD’s Church. When Jesus was asked for the sign that his coming was near, he said, “This Gospel OF THE KINGDOM shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end [of this world] come” (Matt. 24:14). While you have been backing me proclaiming that Gospel for the first time in 1,900 years into ALL THE WORLD, the weapons of mass destruction have been produced that could ERASE ALL LIFE FROM THE EARTH. That had to happen before the Great Tribulation. All prophecies leading to the END OF THIS WORLD are being rapidly fulfilled. God’s Church is being put BACK ON THE TRACK – made READY for Christ’s coming!
Yes, IT IS LATER THAN WE PROBABLY THINK!
We must put our whole hearts and efforts into this closing Work of God for these last days of this present evil world.
It is now summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Last Sabbath I spoke at the first camp of the summer at Orr, Minn. Two church congregations, one from Minnesota and one from Michigan, came for the service. It’s simply a WONDERFUL camp for youths ages 12 to 18. But I found they seriously NEED additional dormitories and equipment to cost about $50,000. That amount is not available for the camp in the Church budget for this year, but if members and co-workers would send, each one an additional contribution over and above your tithes and regular generous offerings, just for that purpose, it will be kept separate and used for that purpose only.
There is nothing else on earth doing so much for YOUTHS, who will be LEADERS in the soon-coming WORLD TOMORROW, as these summer camps. There are none other on earth like them. I know you will respond generously.
Please pray daily for me, as I do for you.
With deep love, in Jesus’ name,
Herbert W. Armstrong