The Vatican, China, & Taiwan
Pope Benedict XVI
While I have long felt that the United States and the Vatican would overlook certain agreements with Taiwan as China gains prominence–but I had thought that the Vatican would have waited a bit longer to agree to this.
However, apparently the Vatican is getting close to this as a news item today shows:
AFP – Feb 21, 2008
WASHINGTON (AFP) — China said Wednesday it had learned that the Vatican was prepared to sever all relations with Taiwan in order to forge long-suspended diplomatic ties with Beijing.
Ye Xiaowen, China’s minister of state administration of religious affairs, said after talks with the Vatican’s envoy in Washington that Pope Benedict XVI was also prepared to discuss Beijing’s insistence that the administration of the Catholic Church in China is an internal matter.
Beijing has imposed two conditions — recognition of the one-China policy that precludes independence for Taiwan, and of religious affairs as an internal Chinese matter — for any diplomatic ties with the Vatican.
“First the Pope must recognize that the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole representative government of both Chinas, and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory,” Ye told reporters. (http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gCN9zL6DyJ3m5-hgppIEEXCFgdcA)
The Bible shows that the world will all worship the Beast (Revelation 13:3-4) and the kings of the east will apparently come together (16:12)–I believe that this annoucement is another step to prepare for this. I also believe that Taiwan and China will increase cooperation and may end up in an agreement similar to China and Hong Kong.
The Chinese, themselves, do have biblical ties. They were involved with many of the events in the Book of Genesis up until the Tower of Babel when they mainly left and went east.
It may be of interest to note that a Chinese symbol for Prohibition is the combination of the symbols for two trees (mù) and command:
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To Prohibit |
It should be noted that God, while He originally prohibited one tree, later prohibited access to the second tree (see Genesis 3:22-24). And thus this, along with other ancient Chinese writings, seems to show that the Chinese were involved in the early events of the Book of Genesis, as the Bible itself indicates.
Several articles of possibly related interest may include:
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Genesis and Chinese Characters This article provides information showing that the Chinese peoples must have known about various accounts in the Book of Genesis up until their dispersion after the Tower of Babel.
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: The Sabbath and Some of God’s Witness in China When did Christianity first come to China? And is there early evidence that they observed the seventh day sabbath?
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for China? Is it a “King of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where?
Two Horned Beast of Revelation and 666 This article explains how the LCG views this, and compares this to Ellen White.
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”?
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