New Revelation

ETHIOPIA AND THE NEW CHURCH.
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT. 1929. p. 229.
There are many ways in which the light of the New Revelation is being spread, and occasionally, as the result of individual initiative, it reaches some remote part of the world. Such a case is reported in the November-December, 1928, issue of NOVA ECCLESTIA, the periodical edited by the Rev. Baeckström and publish at Stockholm. It reads:
The Writings tell us about the receptivity of the Africans for the New Church, as in the True Christian Religion 835-840—Among those particularly interested in this subject is one of the members of the New Church in Sweden,—Mr. Oscar Svensson. Hearing that the ruler of Ethiopia,—Ras Tafari, an ardently religious man,---had made a journey for the purpose of studying the Christian religion, in the course of which he had visited Sweden, Mr. Svensson determined to make an attempt to interest the prince in the doctrines of the New Church. Knowing that the prince was skilled in the French language, he ordered from Switzerland copies of Heaven and Hell and the True Christian Religion, had them bound in beautiful leather binding, on the 19th of April, sent them to the ruler of Ethiopia.
Later on, Mr. Svensson became informed that the judges of Ethiopia was ordered to execute judgement according to the Law of Moses. On the 6th of July, therefore, he sent them the first volume of the Arcana Celestia in French, with a letter in which he offered to send them more works if it was so desired.
On the 4th of September the eagerly awaited answer came. It was dated August 14, at Addis Abeba, (Ababa), (New Flower) and reads as follows:
“We acknowledge the receipt of your amiable letter of July 10, as well as the book entitled Arcana Celestia. We are also in receipt of the two books you sent us on a previous occasion. We have found these books very interesting and delightful. We are therefore very happy to have them. We thank you very much for your kind attentions in the above mentioned letter.
“In respect to your question as to whether we desire you to continue sending us books about New Jerusalem doctrines, we would be happy to receive such books, but we beg you, in each consignment, to enclose a bill. Receive our sincere greeting, etc.”
On account of the encouraging tone of this letter, Mr. Svensson has now sent the Prince of Zion all of New Jerusalem theological works that have been translated into French, which includes the number of them, and among the whole of the Arcana Celestia.
As reported in the daily press, Ras Tafari has lately had himself declared Emperor of Abyssinia.
CYRIEL SIGSTEDT.