The Fall of the Berlin Wall, World Freedom Day, and Proclaim Liberty for ‘A World Held Captive’
Berlin Wall, 1989 (Wikipedia)
The Berlin Wall began to be torn down 35 years ago:
November 9, 2024
Communist East Germany closed its border in Berlin on Aug. 13, 1961, when it erected a wall that eventually turned into an increasingly elaborate fortification snaking through the city and around capitalist West Berlin.
The heavily fortified border —the Berlin Wall— plugged the last gap between East and West.
On Nov. 9, 1989, the border was opened, and the Berlin Wall ceremoniously came down as the world watched. It marked the beginning of the end of the Cold War and the fall of the Communist dictatorship in East Germany, paving the way for German reunification in 1990 and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Most of the wall was torn down quickly after, but 35 years later, there are still places where visitors can see its remains.
What was the Berlin Wall?
The Berlin Wall was built in 1961 and for 28 years, it stood as the front line of the Cold War between the Western world order, led by the U.S., and the Soviets. …
The 96-mile-long wall was built by the communist regime to cut off East Germany from the supposed ideological contamination of the West and to stem the tide of people fleeing Germany. It cut through the middle of the city center and surrounded West Berlin.
But not even barbed wire and the Wall could stop people from fleeing. The efforts to perfect the border fortifications in Berlin continued until 1989. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/berlin-wall-germany-anniversary-35-years-history/
November 9th marks the … anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
We spoke with British historian Frederick Taylor, an expert on the Berlin Wall and author of the Book “The Berlin Wall – A World Divided 1961-1989” about what prompted East German authorities to build the wall in the first place.
Under the terms of the 1945 Yalta Agreement, the victorious allies of World War Two divided Germany into four sectors, or zones of occupation: the American, British, French and Soviet zones.
About 160 kilometers inside the Soviet zone lay Germany’s capital Berlin. The city was also divided into four sectors along the same lines as Germany. …
Historian Frederick Taylor …
Berlin Wall Erected
The historian said on the night of the 12th to the 13th of August 1961 tons of wood, cinder blocks and barbed wire were funneled into East Berlin.
“Basically what they did first was to run barbed wire around everything, block many cross-streets that went from East to West Berlin with concrete tank trap material and cinder blocks. There were guards every few yards watching the workers who were putting up these barriers, and basically they did the whole thing in less than 12 hours,” said Taylor.
“By Sunday morning, the morning of Sunday August the 13th, 1961, everybody woke up, East and West Berliners alike and found that essentially, a barrier had been built. It wasn’t yet a wall, it was a fence. A barbed wire fence with cinder blocks to block the streets and prevent vehicles getting through.”
Taylor said the barbed wire beginnings of the Berlin Wall divided overnight, with savage finality, neighborhoods, families and friends.
Families and Neighborhoods Divided
“Wherever you were on that night, you had to decide what to do. If you were a Westerner staying in the East, they’ll let you back, no question about that. If you were an Easterner staying in the West, say with relatives, which of course, it was a weekend, actually, a lot of people, several thousand in fact, were staying in the West and they had to decide what to do: to go back to their families or to stay in the West. Many, many of them decided to stay with considerable sacrifice. But also, simply there were neighborhoods – the new barrier ran literally down the middle of streets.”
The historian said it was about a week later that the first proper wall-like structure was constructed, south of the Brandenburg Gate. When fully built, the wall was about 43 kilometers long where it cut through the center of Berlin and more than 110 kilometers long as it divided West Berlin from East Germany. In addition, there were more than 300 watchtowers, as well as minefields, floodlights and guns that fired automatically.
Taylor described the feeling of many East Germans.
“It’s the great tragedy of this time. It was the dashed hopes, the disappointment, the claustrophobia, the ghastly feeling of this lack of freedom of movement, the freedom to breathe, the freedom to feel. I think that when I talked to people who lived through all that, that’s always the most striking thing. I think it’s very hard for us to understand,” said Taylor.
For the next several decades, East Germans tried to escape to freedom by using various methods, from climbing the wall to tunneling underneath it. Chances of making it were slim. But Taylor says people were willing to risk everything for the promise of a better life that lay just beyond the Berlin Wall. 11/07/14 http://www.voanews.com/content/berlin-wall-anniversary-sparks-look-at-history/2512615.html
The fall of the Berlin wall freed people from a type of oppression–but ultimately, will not bring about world freedom (cf. Revelation 13).
35 years after the fall, we do see a more prosperous Germany, despite some of its current problems. Germany has been the main engine for Europe and has again became a major player in the world.
Many in Germany have celebrated the fall of the Berlin Wall. While the fall of the Berlin Wall was a good thing, what ultimately will happen in that part of the world will not be. But most will not heed biblical prophecy.
I remember listening to a prophetically-related sermon by the late Dr. Hoeh at the Worldwide Church of God Feast of Tabernacles in Tuscon, Arizona in October 1979 where he explained that he and Herbert W. Armstrong believed that the two legs of the Beast in Daniel 2, with its two feet (vs. 33), represented both West and East Europe (including specifically Germany). He taught that this meant that the nations in Eastern Europe would ultimately not be under the power of the Soviet Union, but would become independent of it, and ultimately be part of a supranational European state.
About that time, I remember reading an article in TV Guide (which then had the highest circulation of any periodical in the USA) basically teaching that the prophetic positions of Herbert W. Armstrong “bordered on lunacy.”
Why?
Because, among other things, the Worldwide Church of God taught that East and West Europe would unite, Europe would have its own currency, and that the USA would fall from its position in the world.
Decades later, on January 1, 1999, the Europeans had a European currency called the euro. A decade later, a supranational state was approved by the last of the European Union members, when the Czech Republic signed the Lisbon Treaty on November 2, 2009. The state formed officially on December 1, 2009. Thus, the position of Herman Hoeh on this point has been shown to have been correct. World events also show that the position about the decline of the USA is also happening.
Right after the Berlin wall fell in November 1989, I was asked to give the closing prayer at WCG church services in Fresno, California. In that prayer, I mentioned that we were witnessing prophecy being fulfilled right before our eyes. One of the reasons that I stated that was because many in that congregation seemed to be losing their zeal and belief about Bible prophecy. They did not seem to see the prophetic significance of what was happening. Many who once were believers, no longer loved the law of God and became scorners (Psalm 1).
Sadly, this has afflicted many throughout history. The prophecies of the Bible are coming to pass right before our eyes today. Jesus taught:
34 But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man. (Luke 21:34-36)
Will you be a zealous believer in them or will you let the cares of this world overtake you as Jesus warned against?
World events continue to line up with the understanding of biblical prophecy that we in the Continuing Church of God have. Will you now pay attention?
Now, as the 45th US President, Donald Trump declared November 9th as World Freedom Day. Joe Biden seems to accepted that as the following suggests:
A Proclamation on World Freedom Day, 2024
Today marks 35 years since the Berlin Wall came down. Its fall was one of the greatest advances in human dignity in my lifetime. As we celebrate this anniversary, may we all remember that what brought the Berlin Wall down and lifted the Iron Curtain is what keeps the flame of liberty shining bright around the world: the determination of free people everywhere who never fail to stand up for their freedoms and their democracy.
I still remember when, as a young Senator, I visited West Berlin and saw what it meant to live in a divided city, country, and continent. Then, in 1989, along with millions of people around the world, I watched the 70,000 brave souls gathered in Leipzig, Germany, crying out for freedom. After the wall came down, some feared the reunification of Germany would revive old hatreds and rivalries, but leaders of America and Germany dreamed together of a much better future. The achievement of a Germany whole and free lives on, exceeding everyone’s expectations, and the dream of Europe whole and free remains the work of our time. My Administration is committed to pushing back against Putin’s vicious attack on Ukraine. It is another battle in the long struggle for freedom and against aggression and tyranny.
Together with our partners and allies, the United States is continuing to fight for the freedom and rights of people around the world. We are working to build a future where women and girls share equal rights and opportunities in their communities; where Indigenous groups, people with disabilities, and racial, ethnic, and religious minorities live free from discrimination; and where LGBTQI+ people can live lives free from fear and hate. And we must all stay committed to supporting democracy around the world — and at home. I call on the American people to stand up in defense of our democracy because every generation must do the work of defending, protecting, and safeguarding it.
The future will be won by those who unleash the full potential of their people to breathe and think freely, innovate and educate daringly, and live and love openly and without fear. That is the soul of democracy — and I have seen it all around the world, from the brave men and women who brought down the Berlin Wall to the people who are fighting in every region for freedom, justice, and dignity. Today, may we strengthen our commitment to our democracy and to one another, knowing that the darkness that drives autocracy is no match for the flame of liberty that lights the souls of free people everywhere.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 9, 2024, as World Freedom Day. I call upon the people of the United States of America to remember the hope symbolized by the fall of the Berlin Wall and reaffirm our dedication to freedom and democracy.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.
JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.
Of course, the world is not truly free today as Satan is still on his throne.
In his book, A World Held Captive, Herbert W. Armstrong wrote about how Satan got there:
Job 38 says plainly the earth was created when angels had been previously created. God placed a throne of GOVERNMENT on the earth. Both Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 reveal the cherub Lucifer being placed on the throne of the earth. II Peter 2:4 reveals that angels SINNED. Lucifer was a super archangel. Lucifer had been trained in the administration of God’s government on the very throne of God in heaven. He was supremely beautiful, dazzling in brightness. Vanity seized him. Vanity is self-glory, self-centeredness, concern for self even to the point of hostility toward others. He became jealous, envious, resentful and hostile against God his Creator. He turned hostile to the law of God. He turned to a way of life of vanity, covetousness, envy, rivalry, competition, violence and destruction. And this hostile way of life is itself a LAW. It is the law of vanity, self- concern, “do your own thing,” rebel against the authority of God. That, then, became the basic LAW of the GOVERNMENT of Lucifer, whose name was changed to Satan the devil. The name Satan means “adversary.”
So the government of God on the earth had been replaced by the government of Satan. …
Precisely at this point we come to the very root of the world in which you live today. This is where it all started. This is the point in time where today’s world was started on a course still continuing in our time. All that had gone before — the existence of the God family from eternity — the creation of angels — the creation of matter and the material universe, the presence of angels on the earth, the THRONE and GOVERNMENT placed on earth — the SIN of Lucifer and earth’s angels, the replacing of the GOVERNMENT OF GOD by that of Satan over the earth …
Adam had been created with the potential to be born a son of GOD. Even though not as yet even a begotten son of the GOD FAMILY, he had been created as potentially just that. Once he succumbed to Satan’s WAY of choosing to “do his own thing,” in rebellion against a deliberate command of God, he became spiritually the property of Satan. He actually had succumbed to the GOVERNMENT of Satan, choosing the LAW of that government, leading automatically into attitudes of self-glory, coveting, competition, desire to GET rather than God’s way of GIVE.
All humanity came out of Adam and Eve. The present world was FOUNDED in them. The WORLD has ever since been HELD captive! The world had thus chosen THE WAY of the kidnapper, rather than of the potential Parent!
But God the Father was to pay the ransom price and even yet bring his potential spiritual children back to him. …
Jesus, unlike the first Adam, did choose the tree of LIFE. He did obey God. He met, conquered and qualified to replace Satan on the throne of the earth. …
Why the Church Age?
Since Jesus founded the Church — the foundation of the coming world of God — more than 1,950 years have passed. One might wonder, WHY these more than 1,950 years of the “church age,” before establishing the Kingdom?
God’s purpose is to choose and call certain ones out from the ways of Satan’s world, and train them to become teachers and rulers when God sends Christ back to earth as KING of kings and LORD of lords to rule, teach and convert all who then shall be willing. All who have lived in this world and become set in its wrong and evil ways must be taught the right ways of God.
Those converted and finally saved in the Church then shall be kings and priests and given power to rule and teach all others (Rev. 2:26-27; 3:21; 5:10). For this nearly 2,000 years of training, Jesus has been High Priest and head of the Church, in heaven supervising his Church.
On Christ’s return in supreme power and glory, Satan shall be removed from earth’s throne. Jesus Christ will sit on the throne of David ruling over Israel and also on the THRONE OF THE EARTH, now still held by Satan. (Armstrong HW. A World Held Captive. WCG booklet, 1984)
Yes, Jesus will return and Satan will be bound:
11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. (Revelation 19:11-13)
1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. (Revelation 20:1-3)
And Jesus was prophesied to proclaim liberty:
1 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn, (Isaiah 61:1-2)
And Jesus stated He fulfilled that prophecy on a Sabbath:
16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:16-21)
Each week, when we keep the Sabbath, we, in essence, have a certain liberty from the world and its systems.
As far as proclaiming liberty to the captives, that is one reason that the Continuing Church of God has had its English language booklet, The Gospel of the Kingdom of God, translated into over 1,500 languages and dialects.
Regarding eternal liberty for the world, God has a plan which will result in people of every nation and race being saved:
9…I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Revelation 7:9-10)
God has a plan where people of every nation will be able to rule:
9…You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
10 And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth. (Revelation 5:9-10)
God has a plan where “all flesh shall see the salvation of God” (Luke 3:6):
21 And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Shall be saved. (Acts 2:21)
1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:1-4).
God has a fantastic, and loving, plan.
Liberty and freedom will reign.
Pray, as Jesus said (Matthew 6:10), for God’s kingdom to come.
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN: Why Did God Create Anything? Why Did God Make You? This free online book helps answers some of the biggest questions that human have, including the biblical meaning of life. Here is a link to three related sermons: Mysteries of God’s Plan, Mysteries of Truth, Sin, Rest, Suffering, and God’s Plan, Mystery of Race, and The Mystery of YOU. Here is a link to two videos in Spanish: El Misterio del Plan de Dios and El Misterio de Satanás, el Misterio de la Verdad, el Misterio del Reposo.
Human Nature: Good or Evil? a Did God create humans evil or good? What is human nature? Where does it come from? Here are links to two related sermons: Human Nature: Its Cause and Solution and Human Nature: Where Did it Come From?
Did God Create a Devil? If not, what happened? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet.
The Sabbath in the Early Church and Abroad Was the seventh-day (Saturday) Sabbath observed by the apostolic and post-apostolic Church? Here is a related sermon video The Christian Sabbath and How and Why to Keep It.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. It is available in over 1,500 languages at ccog.org. Here are links to four kingdom-related sermons: The Fantastic Gospel of the Kingdom of God!, The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
Proclaiming the Gospel in Over 1500 Languages Which languages are being used to fulfill Matthew 24:14? Are all languages significant? Here is a link to the sermon: Behind the Work 2024: Languages for the Kingdom.
Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about the peoples of Africa, Asia, South America, and the islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon; When Will the End of the Age Come?; Rise of the Prophesied King of the North; Christian Persecution from the Beast; WWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.
Universal OFFER of Salvation, Apokatastasis: Can God save the lost in an age to come? Hundreds of scriptures reveal God’s plan of salvation Will all get a fair chance at salvation? This free book is packed with scriptures showing that God does intend to offer salvation to all who ever lived–the elect in this age, and the rest in the age to come. Here is a link to a related sermon series: Universal Offer of Salvation 1: Apocatastasis, Universal Offer of Salvation 2: Jesus Desires All to be Saved, Mysteries of the Great White Throne Judgment (Universal Offer of Salvation part 3), Is God Fair?, Will God Pardon the Ignorant?, Can God Save Your Relatives?, Babies, Limbo, Purgatory and God’s Plan, and ‘By the Mouth of All His Holy Prophets’.
Who Was Herbert W. Armstrong? How is He Viewed Today? Includes quotes from the 1973 edition of The Autobiography of Herbert W. Armstrong and explains who he was and how he should be viewed today.
Herbert W. Armstrong, the Philadelphia Church, & the Mantle Herbert Armstrong claims God had him raise the Philadelphia up. Are there reasons to believe that the Philadelphia mantle in now within the CCOG? Here is a link to a related sermon: Herbert W. Armstrong and the Philadelphia Mantle.
Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18? Does any church have the confirmed dream and prophetic signs of Acts 2:17-18? Should one? Here is a link in the Spanish language: ¿Tiene la CCOG confirmadas las señales de Hechos 2: 17-18?
Church of God Leaders on Prophets Have there been prophets throughout the church age? Are any supposed to be around in the last days? What have COG leaders stated or written about prophets? Here is a link to a related sermon: Church of God Leaders on Prophets.
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