THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS
The Bible predicts that before the Lord Jesus comes to earth, the old Roman Empire will be revived. We know that the old Roman Empire was quite large and that its empire has now disintegrated into many powerful nations. The many great nations in Europe are but small parts of the Roman Empire. The Bible tells us that these nations will eventually become a federation of ten nations. The head of this federation will be Antichrist. We believe that the League of Nations now is the forerunner of this federation. Those who study prophecy should pay attention to the League of Nations. Mr. Panton has pointed out that although England has rejected the proposal in Geneva, this rejection will not succeed, because all the nations in the League were under the former rule of the Roman Empire. Russia, Germany, and America were not under the rule of the old Roman Empire. At present, the nations that rule over Rome are Italy, Greece, France, Spain, and England. All these are main parts of the Roman Empire.
DICTATORSHIP IN EUROPE
The whole of Europe is turning more and more toward dictatorship. Mussolini is the originator. It seems to be working for him to cover up the economic crisis with personal politics. Belgium has allowed its king to dictate its finances. Its government has handed over control of its finances to its king, and it is about to hand over absolute control to him, just as Italy has done to Mussolini. France is doing the same thing, and other nations are following suit. The deposed Greek ruler liked to call himself "the Greek Mussolini." All these things are rapidly fulfilling the prophecies in the Bible. One day a great dictator will come and will rule over the finances, politics, and commerce of the whole of Europe. This dictator will be the small horn in Daniel 7. How soon will he appear?
THE DIMINISHING PROTESTANTS
The archbishop of ______ said that he was shocked at the condition of the believers in continental Europe. Mr. ______ of Manchester University has written us, saying:
This summer I went to a Protestant parish. There was a Protestant church there. Every day it pulled the bell twice, once at 11 o’clock before noon, and once at 4 o’clock in the afternoon. But I did not see anyone entering the church or coming out of it. I asked the supervisor what this meant. He told me that the bell was for the villagers. I asked, "Does this not also mean that there is a service?" He said, "No. Before the War, there might have been one. But not anymore." At present, the Roman Catholic Church is getting stronger and stronger. The Thames reported on July 31, 1926, the words of Mr. ______ saying, "Men are interrogated and punished in Spain for singing in their own homes; they are not allowed to preach or to mention the Bible in public."
(Collected Works of Watchman Nee, The (Set 1) Vol. 07: The Christian (5), Chapter 7, by Watchman Nee)
