World News and Trends: Italy: Latest sick man of Europe
Italy, with its weakening economic system, seems to be falling in importance. Yet, the Bible reveals a key role for Italy in the end times.
According to journalist Peter Popham in the British Independent, "Although [Italian Prime Minister Silvio] Berlusconi may scoff, his country has become the sick man of Europe." Economic growth is in the doldrums at 0.6 percent and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has sharply criticized Italy for its meager level of financial growth. The European Commission is likewise very unhappy with its ballooning budget deficit, which is considered in some quarters a long-term danger to the euro.
Said a London Times feature article: "The weak point in Europe's monetary union is Italy . . . Since joining, Italy has lost competitiveness against other euro members. The economic situation in Italy has the potential to develop into a full-blown crisis."
And yet biblical prophecy strongly indicates that Italy will have a major role in the fulfillment of key end-time prophecies. To understand further, request or download our free booklets Are We Living in the Time of the End? and The Book of Revelation Unveiled. (Sources: The Independent, The Sunday Times [both London].)
An Article from:
Good News Magazine: September - October 2005
Course Content
Jerold Aust
Jerold Aust has served in the ministry for 52 years, as a public speaker for 58 years, a published writer for 38 years, and is employed by UCG’s Media and Communications Services. He is a Senior Writer, interviewer, and editor for Beyond Today Magazine and has taught Speech Communication for UCG’s ministerial online program and the Book of Revelation for ABC.
Jerold holds a BA in theology from Ambassador College, Pasadena (1968), an MA in Communication from California State University, Fullerton (1995), a distance-learning Ph.D (2006), and a Famous Writers School diploma in non-fiction writing (1973). Additionally, he studied post-grad communication at University of Southern California (1995), radio, TV, voice-overs, and Public Relations at Fullerton College (1995-1996), and graduate communication at Wichita State University (1978). Jerold has taught communication at the University of South Alabama (7 years) and ABC (17 years). His published works include, Ronald Reagan’s Rhetoric: Metaphor as Persuasion and EZSpeakers: Public Speaking Made Easy in 7 Steps. Jerold's overarching goal is to share with humankind its incredible destiny!
John Ross Schroeder
John died on March 8, 2014, in Oxford, England, four days after suffering cardiac arrest while returning home from a press event in London. John was 77 and still going strong.
Some of John's work for The Good News appeared under his byline, but much didn't. He wrote more than a thousand articles over the years, but also wrote the Questions and Answers section of the magazine, compiled our Letters From Our Readers, and wrote many of the items in the Current Events and Trends section. He also contributed greatly to a number of our study guides and Bible Study Course lessons. His writing has touched the lives of literally millions of people over the years.
John traveled widely over the years as an accredited journalist, especially in Europe. His knowledge of European and Middle East history added a great deal to his articles on history and Bible prophecy.
In his later years he also pastored congregations in Northern Ireland and East Sussex, and that experience added another dimension to his writing. He and his wife Jan were an effective team in our British Isles office near their home.
John was a humble servant who dedicated his life to sharing the gospel—the good news—of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God to all the world, and his work was known to readers in nearly every country of the world.
