Basic HTML Version
WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA 91123
HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG
PASTOR GENERAL
May 16, 1985
Dear Brethren and Co-Workers of Christ:
I am writing from my desk aboard our aircraft high over the
Mediterranean flying from Jerusalem to Munich, West Germany. On
this current trip after a stopover in London, we flew to the very
cradle of civilization in Damascus, Syria, probably the oldest city
still inhabited, then to Amman, Jordan, and Jerusalem, where this
present civilization will end and Christ will set up the capital of
the world tomorrow--the everlasting Kingdom of God and a world of
peace and happiness.
Keep your eyes on the Middle East, for the final world crisis
will center on that area. While we were there, U.S. Secretary of
State George Shultz was also there, following President Ronald
Reagan's much-publicized European trip. Secretary Shultz was in
Cairo, Jerusalem and Amman working for a new breakthrough in the
Middle Eastern strife and especially the question of the West
Bank in Palestine.
In Jerusalem, I had a personal meeting with Prime Minister
Shimon Peres. He had a meeting a couple days before with Secretary
Shultz. I asked him how he viewed the Middle East question as of
the moment. He replied, "I am very hopeful we may have a break-
through soon."
Mayor Teddy Kollek hosted a luncheon for me and visited with
Aaron Dean and me in our hotel suite. The Europeans are very
seriously concerned about President Reagan's strategic defense
initiative and his Star Wars technology. Even if the Star Wars
defense destroyed Soviet missiles en route to the United States,
because of Europe's close proximity to Russia, the Soviets could
launch shorter range missiles with far less time to impact at an
altitude too low for the satellite defense system to destroy them.
The Europeans fear this would leave Europe defenseless against
Soviet nuclear attack.
The very fact that Chancellor Helmut Kohl of West Germany has
agreed to go ahead with President Reagan's plan seems likely to
turn the rest of Europe more strongly against the United States.
Slowly but surely events are working toward a coming conflict
between Europe and the United States as prophesied in the Bible.
U.S. Secretary of Labor William Brock has issued a public statement
threatening a trade war between the United States and Europe. All
these events are tending to drive Europe and the U.S. further and
further apart.
Trouble is definitely on the horizon as God has forewarned in
prophecy.
We still have much work to do and not much time to do it. We