The Librarian

Anything Bible, Biblical Archaeology, Current Events, Rumor busting, Urban Legends or JW related would be relevant.
I enjoy helping people get answers to their questions they were always too afraid to ask or couldn't find the answer.
If I can't answer it... I'm sure someone worldwide on here will know where the answer is.
Need a Publication you can't find in my Master Publications List? Ask for a copy....
Please also try using the search function on the upper right hand side first to avoid duplicates.
Agape!
p.s. - The reason you don't see any posts below this is because I usually split these questions off into their own threads. ICYMI earlier.
Preguntas en español aqui por favor

REFLECTION BEFORE APRIL 5. 2017
 Let us be clear.
By definition, in Russia we are and will always be an extremist sect.
But so were the early Christians.Acts 24: 5
We are accused of separating families. That is malicious misrepresentation of something that happens on time. For something Jesus said: (Matthew 10: 34-37) Do not think that I came to put peace on the earth; I came not to make peace, but a sword. 35 For I came to cause division, and the man shall be against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the young wife against her mother in law. 36 Truly the enemies of man shall be persons of his own house. 37 He who cares more for father or mother than for me is not worthy of me; And the one who has the greatest affection for a son or daughter who is not worthy of me.
We are accused of fomenting hatred
Another misrepresentation of Jesus' words: (Luke 14:26) "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and sons and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own soul, he can not be my disciple .
The reality is that as families come to know the Truth, some members go on spiritual paths and others do not. It is an inevitable consequence. We do not encourage hatred.
They forbid us to preach the good news.
Neither is this new. The first Christians were threatened to leave the preaching. (Acts 5: 27-29) So they brought them and stood them in the hall of the Sanhedrin. And the high priest questioned them, 28 and said, "We bid you positively that they should not continue to teach on the basis of this name, and yet, look, they have filled Jerusalem with their teaching, and are determined to bring the blood of This man over us. " 29 In response, Peter and the [other] apostles said: "We must obey God as ruler rather than men.
Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia face all these allegations.
To placate the Russian authorities, witnesses have stopped using information carts in the streets. They have stopped using many Watchtower publications in the halls of the kingdom.
But, will they stop preaching ABSOLUTELY?
We have no doubt that AS ORGANIZATION, the lawyers, will be seeking agreements with the government for our own sake.
But, there is another very delicate aspect.
There is no doubt that the Russian Orthodox Church is behind this issue.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, which forbade all forms of religion, the Orthodox Church is now reemerging. President Putin had been secretly baptized in Soviet times. He is now the greatest advocate of this church.
This church-state alliance is the greatest threat to Jehovah's Witnesses.
Is the faith of our Russian brothers up to the circumstances that come?
Will your faith bear the test of our beliefs?
Because since 1914 we have taught that the King Jesus Christ already rules between nations and that Babylon the Great can no longer bend our people. But the Orthodox Church is moving to completely crush the witnesses, confiscating Bethel headquarters and every kingdom hall throughout Russian territory.
Will Jesus Christ deal with the enormous flood of letters sent to the government and judges? In spite of these letters, we witness not forget to PRAY INTENSELY for our own in the eyes of the Almighty Jehovah. (Acts 4:29) And now, Jehovah, pay attention to their threats, and grant to your slaves that they continue to speak your word with all boldness,
Of course, if letter writing as a strategy works and the court fails in favor of the organization, Jehovah will be credited with giving the theocratic organization another resounding victory.

Сторожевая башня (2001)
 

The meaning of the Hebrew word "amen."
 

Anything Bible, Biblical Archaeology, Current Events, Rumor busting, Urban Legends or JW related would be relevant.
I enjoy helping people get answers to their questions they were always too afraid to ask or couldn't find the answer.
If I can't answer it... I'm sure someone worldwide on here will know where the answer is.
Need a Publication you can't find in my Master Publications List? Ask for a copy....
Please also try using the search function on the upper right hand side first to avoid duplicates.
Agape!
p.s. - The reason you don't see any posts below this is because I usually split these questions off into their own threads. ICYMI earlier.
Preguntas en español aqui por favor

Jehovah’s Witnesses Public Talk Watchtower Meeting 2 April 2017


Via

Microfibers from our clothes are poisoning the oceans.

World News

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Ulysses V Glass
Joseph and the Operation of Jehovahs Holy Spirit
3/22/1971 
Florida
1:56:55

See also:
 

Holy Spirit, or Holy Ghost, is a term found in English translations of the Bible, but understood differently among the Abrahamic religions.[1][2]

For the large majority of Christians, the Holy Spirit (or Holy Ghost, from Old English gast, "spirit") is the third divine person of the Holy Trinity: the "Triune God" manifested as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; each person itself being God.[1][2][3]

Jehovah's Witnesses view the Holy Spirit, not as an actual person separate from Jehovah, but as His "energy" or "active force", that he uses to accomplish his will in creation and redemption.[63]
Symbolism
The Holy Spirit is frequently referred to by metaphor and symbol, both doctrinally and biblically. Theologically speaking these symbols are a key to understanding of the Holy Spirit and his actions, and are not mere artistic representations.[34][66] Water – signifies the Holy Spirit's action in Baptism, such that in the manner that "by one Spirit [believers] were all baptized", so they are "made to drink of one Spirit".[1Cor 12:13] Thus the Spirit is also personally the living water welling up from Christ impaled[Jn 19:34] [1 Jn 5:8] as its source and welling up in Christians to eternal life.[66][67] Anointing – The symbolism of bless with oil also signifies the Holy Spirit, to the point of becoming a synonym for the Holy Spirit. The coming of the Spirit is referred to as his "anointing".[2Cor 1:21]. The title "Christ" (in Hebrew, messiah) means the one "anointed" by God's Spirit.[66][67] Fire – symbolizes the transforming energy of the Holy Spirit's actions. In the form of tongues "as of fire", the Holy Spirit rested on the disciples on the morning of Pentecost.[66][67] Cloud and light – The Spirit comes upon the Virgin Mary and "overshadows" her, so that she might conceive and give birth to Jesus. On the mountain of transfiguration, the Spirit in the "cloud came and overshadowed" Jesus, Moses and Elijah, Peter, James and John, and "a voice came out of the cloud, saying, 'This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!'"[67][Lk 9:34–35] The dove – When Christ comes up from the water of his baptism, the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, comes down upon him and remains with him.[66][67][Mt 3:16] Wind – The Spirit is likened to the "wind that blows where it will,"[Jn 3:8] and described as "a sound from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind."[Acts 2:24] [66] Jesus and the Holy Spirit
In the Farewell Discourse Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to his disciples after his departure,[11] 
The New Testament details a close relationship between the Holy Spirit and Jesus during his earthly life and ministry.[8] 
Bible books of Luke and Matthew, state that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of Mary.

Specific New Testament references to the interaction of Jesus and the Holy Spirit during his earthly life, and the enabling power of the Holy Spirit during his ministry include:[8][9][31]

"Spirit without measure" having been given to Jesus in John 3:34, referring to the word spoken by Jesus (Rhema) being the words of God.[32]
Baptism of Jesus, with the Holy Spirit descending on him as a dove in Matthew 3:13–17, Mark 1:9–11 and Luke 3:21–23
Temptation of Jesus, in Matthew 4:1 the Holy Spirit led Jesus to the desert to be tempted
The Spirit casting out demons (Matthew 12:28), in Exorcising the blind and mute man miracle
Rejoice the Spirit in Luke 10:21 where seventy disciples are sent out by Jesus
In Matthew 26:41 during the Agony in the Garden before his crucifixion, Jesus tells his disciples to watch and pray, in order not to fall into temptation for "the Spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak"
Acts 1:2 states that until his death and resurrection, Jesus "had given commandment through the Holy Spirit unto the apostles"
Referring to the sacrifice of Jesus to be sacrificed out of obedience to the father, the Letter of Paul to the Hebrews 9:14 states that Jesus "through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish unto God"
In his Farewell Discourse to his disciples, Jesus promised that he would "send the Holy Spirit" to them after his departure, in John 15:26 stating: "whom I will send unto you from the Father, [even] the Spirit of truth... shall bear witness of me".[10][11]

The Holy Spirit as a dove in the Annunciation by Rubens, 1628
Fruit and Gifts of the Spirit
The "fruit of the Holy Spirit"[52] consists of "permanent dispositions"[52], virtuous characteristics engendered in the Christian by the action of the Holy Spirit.[53] 
  "..On the other hand, the fruitage of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, 23 mildness, self-control. Against such things there is no law." - Galatians 5:22-23
In the Letter to the Galatians these nine characteristics are in contrast to the "works of the flesh" and highlight the positive manifestations of the work of the Holy Spirit in believers.

The "gifts of the Holy Spirit"[52] are distinct from the Fruit of the Spirit, and consist of specific abilities granted to the individual Christian.[48] They are frequently known by the Greek word for gift, Charisma, from which the term charismatic derives. There is no generally agreed upon exhaustive list of the gifts, and various Christian denominations use different lists, often drawing upon 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12 and Ephesians 4.[54]
  Denominational variations
Icon of the Fathers of the Council holding the Nicene Creed
Some Christian denominations, have doctrinal variations in their beliefs regarding the Holy Spirit. A well-known example is the Filioque controversy regarding the Holy Spirit - one of the key differences between the teachings of the Western Church and Eastern Orthodox beliefs, ranking at the level of the disagreement about the papal primacy.[56][57]

The Filioque debate centers around whether the Nicene Creed should state that the Spirit "proceeds from the Father" and then have a stop, as the creed was initially adopted in Greek (and followed thereafter by the Eastern Church), or should say "from the Father and the Son" as was later adopted in Latin and followed by the Western Church, filioque being "and the Son" in Latin.[58]

Towards the end of the 20th century, discussions took place about the removal of Filioque in the Nicene Creed from Anglican prayer books along the lines of the Eastern Orthodox approach, but these still have not reached a state of final implementation.[59]

The majority of mainstream Protestantism hold similar views on the theology of the Holy Spirit as the Roman Catholic Church, but there are significant differences in belief between Pentecostalism and the rest of Protestantism.[1][60] Pentecostalism has a focus on "Baptism with the Spirit", relying on Acts 1:5 which refers to "now you will baptize with the Holy Spirit".[61] The more recent Charismatic movements have a focus on the "gifts of the Spirit" (such as healing, prophecy, etc.) and rely on 1 Corinthians 12 as a scriptural basis, but often differ from Pentecostal movements.[62]

Non-trinitarian views about the Holy Spirit differ significantly from mainstream Christian doctrine. Jehovah's Witnesses view the Holy Spirit, not as an actual person separate from God the Father, but as God's "energy" or "active force", that he uses to accomplish his will in creation and redemption.[63]

Mormons believe that the Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead. He is a personage of spirit, without a body of flesh and bones.[64] He is often referred to as the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of the Lord, or the Comforter.[65] See also

Holy Spirit - Talk by David Gibson Jr. in the UK (pre-1980)
Joseph and the Operation of Jehovahs Holy Spirit - Talk by Ulysses Grant - 1971
The Word Spirit in the Bible - Paul Illingworth
  Early Church Fathers viewpoints:
GREGORY OF NAZIANZEN - ON THE HOLY SPIRIT
Theodore of Mopsuestia - on the Holy Spirit
ORIGEN OF ALEXANDRIA ON ISAIAH 48v16 References
Millard J. Erickson (1992). Introducing Christian Doctrine. Baker Book House. p. 103. T C Hammond; Revised and edited by David F Wright (1968). In Understanding be Men:A Handbook of Christian Doctrine. (sixth ed.). Inter-Varsity Press. pp. 54–56 and 128–131. Grudem, Wayne A. 1994. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity Press; Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. Page 226. Acts and Pauline writings by Watson E. Mills, Richard F. Wilson 1997 ISBN 0-86554-512-X, pages xl–xlx Jesus and the Gospels: An Introduction and Survey by Craig L. Blomberg 2009 ISBN 0-8054-4482-3, page 280 Grabe, Petrus J. The Power of God in Paul's Letters 2008 ISBN 978-3-16-149719-3, pp. 248–249 Spirit of Truth: The origins of Johannine pneumatology by John Breck 1990 ISBN 0-88141-081-0, pages 1–5 Jesus in Trinitarian Perspective: An Introductory Christology by Scott Horrell, Donald Fairbairn, Garrett DeWeese and Bruce Ware (Oct 1, 2007) ISBN 080544422X pages 208-213   John by Andreas J. Köstenberger 2004 ISBN 080102644X, page 442 The Gospel of John: Question by Question by Judith Schubert 2009 ISBN 0809145499, pages 112–127 Lord, giver of life by Jane Barter Moulaison 2006 ISBN 0-88920-501-9 page 5 Vickers, Jason E. Invocation and Assent: The Making and the Remaking of Trinitarian Theology. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2008. ISBN 0-8028-6269-1, pages 2–5 The Cambridge Companion to the Trinity by Peter C. Phan 2011 ISBN 0521701139, pages 3–4 Companion Bible–KJV–Large Print by E. W. Bullinger, Kregel Publications, 1999. ISBN 0-8254-2099-7. Page 146. Robin W. Lovin, Foreword to the English translation of Karl Barth's The Holy Spirit and the Christian Life (1993 ISBN 0-664-25325-3), page xvii Millard J. Erickson, L. Arnold Hustad, //Introducing Christian Doctrine// (Baker Academic 2001 ISBN 9780801022500), p. 271 "Norfolk schools told Holy Ghost 'too spooky'". The Guardian (London). 2005-04-11. Retrieved 2010-05-04. Matthew 28:19 "Holy Spirit", Jewish Encyclopedia The Gospel of Luke by Luke Timothy Johnson, Daniel J. Harrington 1992 ISBN 0-8146-5805-9, page 195 1, 2, and 3 John by John Painter, Daniel J. Harrington 2002 ISBN 0-8146-5812-1, page 324 The anointed community: the Holy Spirit in the Johannine tradition by Gary M. Burge 1987 ISBN 0-8028-0193-5, pages 14–21 Theology of Paul the Apostle by James D. G. Dunn 2003 ISBN 0-567-08958-4, pages 418–420 A Concise Dictionary of Theology by Gerald O'Collins, Edward G. Farrugia 2004 ISBN 0-567-08354-3 page 115 Holy People of the World: A Cross-Cultural Encyclopedia, Volume 3 by Phyllis G. Jestice 2004 ISBN 1-57607-355-6, pages 393–394 1 & 2 Thessalonians by Jon A. Weatherly 1996 ISBN 0-89900-636-1, pages 42–43 The Acts of the Apostles by Luke Timothy Johnson, Daniel J. Harrington 1992 ISBN 0-8146-5807-5, pages 14–18 A Bible Handbook to the Acts of the Apostles by Mal Couch 2004 ISBN 0-8254-2391-0, pages 120–129 Reading Acts: A Literary and Theological Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles by Charles H. Talbert 2005 ISBN 1-57312-277-7, pages 24–25 Karl Barth (1949). Dogmatics in Outline. New York Philosophical Library. p. 95. The Gospel According to John: An Introduction and Commentary by Colin G. Kruse (Jun 2004) ISBN 0802827713, page 123 The Cambridge Companion to Christian Doctrine by Colin E. Gunton (Jun 28, 1997) ISBN 052147695X, pages 280–285 "Catholic Encyclopedia:Holy Spirit". Pope Pius XII (1943). //Mystici Corporis Christi//. See discussion in "Person". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913. "Catechism of the Catholic Church: The Dogma of the Holy trinity". Luke 1:35 Harrington, Daniel J., SJ. "Jesus Goes Public." America, Jan. 7–14, 2008, p. 38 [Mt 3:17] [Mk 1:11] [Lk 3:21-22] John 15:26 John 14:16 Theology for the Community of God by Stanley J. Grenz (Jan 31, 2000) ISBN 0802847552 page 380 Baptism in the Early Church: History, Theology, and Liturgy in the First Five Centuries by Everett Ferguson (Mar 29, 2009) ISBN 0802827489, page 776 Systematic Theology by Lewis Sperry Chafer 1993 ISBN 0-8254-2340-6, page 25 The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete New Testament by Warren W. Wiersbe 2007 ISBN 978-0-7814-4539-9, page 471 The mystery of the Triune God by John Joseph O'Donnell 1988 ISBN 0-7220-5760-1 page 75 Millard J. Erickson (1992). Introducing Christian Doctrine. Baker Book House. pp. 265–270. Though the term "born again" is most frequently used by evangelical Christians, most denominations do consider that the new Christian is a "new creation" and "born again". See for example the Catholic Encyclopedia [1] The Holy Spirit and His Gifts. J. Oswald Sanders. Inter-Varsity Press. chapter 5. T C Hammond; Revised and edited by David F Wright (1968). In Understanding be Men:A Handbook of Christian Doctrine. (sixth ed.). Inter-Varsity Press. p. 134. CCC nos. 1830-32. The Epistle to the Galatians (The New International Commentary on the New Testament) by Ronald Y. K. Fung (Jul 22, 1988) Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing ISBN 0802825095, pages 262–263 Erickson, Millard J. (1992). //Introducing Christian Doctrine//. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Publishing Group. ISBN 0-801-03215-6; ISBN 978-08-0103-215-8. 2nd ed. 2001. Chapter Thirty - "The work of the Holy Spirit" (pp. 275ff.). ISBN 0-801-02250-9; ISBN 978-08-0102-250-0. Shaw, Russell; Stravinskas, Peter M. J. (1998). //Our Sunday Visitor's Catholic Encyclopedia//. Huntington, Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor Publishing. p. 457. ISBN 0-879-73669-0; ISBN 978-08-7973-669-9. Kasper, Walter. The Petrine ministry. Catholics and Orthodox in Dialogue: Academic Symposium Neld at the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. Paulist Press. p. 188. ISBN 978-0-8091-4334-4. Kinnamon, Michael; Cope, Brian E. (1997). The Ecumenical Movement: An Anthology of Key Texts and Voices. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 172.ISBN 978-0-8028-4263-3. The Holy Spirit: Classic and Contemporary Readings by Eugene F. Rogers Jr. (May 19, 2009) Wiley ISBN 1405136235, page 81 Introduction to Theology by Owen C. Thomas and Ellen K. Wondra (Jul 1, 2002 )ISBN 0819218979, page 221 David Watson (1973). One in the Spirit. Hodder and Stoughton. pp. 39–64. Encyclopedia of Protestantism by J. Gordon Melton 2008 ISBN 0816077460, page 69 Encyclopedia of Protestantism by J. Gordon Melton 2008 ISBN 0816077460, page 134 "Is the Holy Spirit a Person?". Awake!: 14–15. July 2006. "In the Bible, God's Holy Spirit is identified as God's power in action. Hence, an accurate translation of the Bible's Hebrew text refers to God’s spirit as "God's active force."" http://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/130.22 "True to the Faith", p. 81http://www.lds.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/language-materials/36863_eng.pdf David Watson (1973). One in the Spirit. Hodder and Stoughton. pp. 20–25. Catechism of the Catholic Church: Symbols of the Holy Spirit (nos. 694-701). Vatican website: //Catechism// item 1137 Renaissance Art: A Topical Dictionary by Irene Earls 1987 ISBN 0-313-24658-0, page 70 Gardner's Art Through the Ages: The Western Perspective by Fred S. Kleiner ISBN 495573558, page 349 Vladimir Lossky, 1999 The Meaning of Icons ISBN 0-913836-99-0, page 17 We Believe in the Holy Spirit (Ancient Christian Doctrine, No. 4) by Joel C. Elowsky (Jul 13, 2009) InterVarsity ISBN 0830825347, page 14 The Holy Spirit: Classic and Contemporary Readings by Eugene F. Rogers Jr. (May 19, 2009) Wiley ISBN 1405136235, pages 121–123  

No one can or should try to judge the claim of any specific individual. However the current teaching is only saying that if any persons claim to have become "of the anointed" after the first group died out, then the length of their life doesn't matter anyway in trying to determine the length (or makeup) of the generation. The point has nothing to do with whether their claim has any "merit." 
The first generation is assumed to have died out already, although who could say for sure if there was not a 120 year old brother or sister somewhere who was of the anointed at age 16?  If so, that first group has not died out yet, but will likely die out in the next year or so. If we assume that the last member of group one died on January 1, 2000 at 12:01 am EST, then it is quite possible that two brothers who were twins, born in say, 1980, could both be of the anointed. If one of the twins (let's say, the younger one) started professing to be of the anointed at three minutes before 12:01 am EST on January 1, 2000 then he would be part of the "generation" that would not pass away. If the other one (let's say, the older one) started professing to be of the anointed at three minutes after his twin brother, then he would not be part of that generation.
So it's even very possible for a younger person to be a part of the generation where his older brother is not part of it.
Hope that makes sense.
 

in France  in the city Avignon .There Is an old Song..on the Broad off Avignon whe danse.in cercle...i  work in This city and i live 10 km from....

the bridge off Avignon. i do a mistake  my English Is not very good

Here is a book about Christians in Russia during the Cold War era [printed 1964]. Called "The Faith of the Russian Evangelicals" by Pollock. There are several areas that talk about "Jehovah's Witnesses" in Russia. Here is one quote :"Jehovah's Witnesses have spread like wildfire in Russia...have not endeared them to the historic Churches throughout the world, enrage the Soviet authorities. Jehovah's Witnesses are opposed to all governments, most of whom treat them as somewhat a joke. The Soviet Government treat them as a deadly serious threat..." [page 150].    Interestingly although the Soviet Union was dissolved over 25 years ago, today the Russian Federation Government still considers them a "Deadly serious threat" since they have branded them "extremist" and have even banned their website noted below. The only country so far to have done so!      UPDATE : On April, 5 2017 the Supreme Court in Russia may BAN Jehovah's Witnesses. Out of over 2,000 religions in Russia WHY are they picking only on this small religion of peaceful people and proclaim they are the same as terrorists by banning them?  {FROM EBAY LISA.JOEYWIT}

mentioned here:
 

You should use the Gallery area for sharing many photos like this.....
You can even make albums etc...
I made a category called Nature for you. 
https://www.theworldnewsmedia.org/gallery/category/14-nature/
 

The following op-ed appeared in The Moscow Times on July 26, 2015
How will Europe's human rights court respond to a government that treats a pacifist religious group as a dangerous extremist cell? The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) will answer that question this summer when it rules on whether Russia's prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses under its extremism law criminalizes freedom of religion or belief.
A ruling against the Kremlin could be a landmark decision for Russia, affecting not only Jehovah's Witnesses. From Muslims to dissenting members of the Moscow Patriarchate Russian Orthodox Church (MPROC), other Russians are also caught in the wide net cast by this overly broad law.
Under the extremism law, religious material is banned throughout Russia once a higher court upholds a lower court ruling that it is "extremist." Convicted individuals face up to four years in prison. As of this June, Russia's list of banned materials reached 2,859 items, having started in 2007 with 15 items.
The ECHR is reviewing 22 cases of Russian court bans of 72 Jehovah's Witness texts, including a children's book called "My Book of Bible Stories."
Russia enacted its extremism law in 2002, just months after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the United States. Two of the law's provisions defined religious extremism as promoting the "exclusivity, superiority, or lack of equal worth of an individual" and "incitement of religious discord" in connection with acts or threats of violence.
How did these provisions allow Russia to target Jehovah's Witnesses or other peaceful religious minorities?
MY THOUGHT : 10  “This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: ‘In that day thoughts will come into your heart, and you will devise an evil plan. 11  You will say: “I will invade the land of unprotected settlements.*+ I will come against those living in security, without disturbance, all of them living in settlements unprotected by walls, bars, or gates.” 12  It will be to take much spoil and plunder, to attack the devastated places that are now inhabited+and a people regathered from the nations,+ who are accumulating wealth and property,+ those who are living in the center of the earth. EZEKIEL 38.

702017108_E_cnt_1.pdf

MARCH 21, 2017
RUSSIA,
Jehovah’s Witnesses Mobilize Global Response to Threat of Ban in Russia !
Make your participation a matter of prayer.—1 Tim. 2:1-4.
Personal letters should be mailed no later than April 1, 2017.
Send a personal letter to one or more of the officials listed  at  the  end of these instructions.   You may send more than one letter to the same official:      scroll  down  to  the  ADDRESSES....
NEW YORK—Threatened with an imminent ban on their worship in Russia, Jehovah’s Witnesses are responding with a direct appeal to Kremlin and Supreme Court officials for relief through a global letter-writing campaign. The Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses is inviting the over 8,000,000 Witnesses worldwide to participate.
On March 15, 2017, Russia’s Ministry of Justice filed a claim with the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to label the Administrative Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia as extremist and liquidate it. The claim also seeks to ban the activities of the Administrative Center. If the Supreme Court upholds this claim, the Witnesses’ national headquarters near St. Petersburg will be shut down. Subsequently, some 400 registered Local Religious Organizations would be liquidated, outlawing the services of over 2,300 congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia. The branch property, as well as places of worship used by Witnesses throughout the country, could be seized by the State. Additionally, individual Jehovah’s Witnesses would become subject to criminal prosecution for merely carrying out their worship activities. The Supreme Court is expected to rule on the claim on April 5.
“The Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses wants to heighten attention to this critical situation,” states David A. Semonian, a spokesman at the Witnesses’ world headquarters. “Prosecuting non-violent, law-abiding citizens as if they were terrorists is clearly a misapplication of anti-extremist laws. Such prosecution is based on completely false grounds.”
The Witnesses’ global campaign is not without precedent. Nearly 20 years ago, Witnesses wrote to defend their fellow worshippers in Russia in response to a smear campaign by some members of the government in power at the time. Additionally, Witnesses have initiated past letter-writing campaigns to motivate government officials to end persecution of Witnesses in other countries, including Jordan, Korea, and Malawi.
“Reading the Bible, singing, and praying with fellow worshippers is clearly not criminal,” adds Mr. Semonian. “We hope that our global letter-writing campaign will motivate Russian officials to stop this unjustifiable action against our fellow worshippers.”
Letter-Writing Campaign Supporting Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia
Instruction Sheet March 20, 2017

Format
 If you own a personal business, you may use business letterhead.
 Use your own language. There is no need to have letters translated into Russian. If you are fluent in Russian, you may write letters in Russian.

 Letters should be one page in length and should be typewritten or neatly handwritten.
 Give attention to proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation.—be pp. 71-73.

 Add your personal signature to the letter.

 No copies of letters need to be sent to the elders, to the branch office, or to anyone else.

 Literature should not be included.

 Use your personal return address on the envelope. Be sure that the address of the official you are writing to matches that listed at the end of these instructions.

 Send by postal mail with sufficient international postage. Do not use e-mail.
Content.

 You are writing to the official to request his intervention. Express the hope that the Russian authorities will stop the legal action being taken against the branch office and the congregations in Russia so that our brothers and sisters can continue to gather peacefully for Christian meetings without interference. You could express appreciation for the laws of the Russian government that guarantee freedom of religion to all citizens.

 Letters should be candid but respectful. Summarize key facts in your own words. Letters may refer to one or two facts listed below or more recent information published on jw.org. Keep in mind that “a mild answer turns away rage,” and “a gentle tongue can break a bone.”—Prov. 15:1; 25:15.

 You could briefly mention how our meetings and publications have benefited you personally and your family. Do not mention the names of individuals in Russia who are Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Facts

 On March 15, 2017, the Ministry of Justice in Russia filed a claim with the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation seeking “to declare the religious organization, the Administrative Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses, extremist, ban its activity, and liquidate it.” A decision by the Supreme Court in favor of this claim will have dire consequences for all of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia. The Administrative Center and 400 local legal entities used to own or rent Kingdom Halls would be dissolved. This means that the branch
Instruction Sheet
March 20, 2017


Page 2
property in St. Petersburg and Kingdom Halls throughout the country could be seized by the State. In addition, each of the more than 170,000 Witnesses could be criminally prosecuted merely for meeting for worship, reading the Bible together, or talking to others about their faith.

 Russia’s “Federal Law on Extremist Activity” is being misapplied to Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia. Jehovah’s Witnesses strive to be good citizens. We are known worldwide for our peaceful activities, and under no circumstances would we ever resort to any activity that could legitimately be construed as “extremist” or criminal in nature.

 The activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses and the publications that we produce encourage love of God and neighbor, love for family, and respect for government. There is absolutely nothing “extremist” or criminal in such Bible-based publications.

Addresses:
 President of Russia
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin 23 Ilyinka Str.   -  Moscow Russian Federation 103132
 Prime Minister of Russia
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev 2 Krasnopresnenskaya Naberezhnaya Moscow Russian Federation 103274
 Prosecutor General
Yury Yakovlevich Chayka Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation 15A Bolshaya Dmitrovka Str. Moscow Russian Federation GSP-3 125993
 Minister of Justice
Alexander Vladimirovich Konovalov Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation 14 Zhitnaya Str. Moscow Russian Federation GSP-1 119991
 Minister of Foreign Affairs
Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation 32/34 Smolenskaya-Sennaya Square Moscow Russian Federation 119200
 The Chairman of the Supreme Court
Viacheslav Mikhailovich Lebedev
Supreme Court of Russian Federation 15 Povarskaya Str. Moscow Russian Federation 121069
 

You should use the Gallery area for sharing many photos like this.....
You can even make albums etc...
I made a category called Nature for you. 
https://www.theworldnewsmedia.org/gallery/category/14-nature/
 

From a recent Watchtower article 

Wow! Smart move on their part. Will it sway the court at this late stage?
For all the latest news regarding Russia and Jehovah's Witnesses see this category:
https://www.theworldnewsmedia.org/forum/633-russia/
For those that don't know our terminology:
And one of these years I will get around to posting the missing chapters in these projects...
https://www.theworldnewsmedia.org/forum/38-the-holy-bible/

Master Chronological List > 1914
Pastor Charles Taze Russell pointed to 1914 as the end of the "Gentile Times" or "The Appointed Times of the Nations."

Subsequent President of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society Judge Joseph F. Rutherford established 1914 as the date of "Christ's Invisible Return" and crowning as King of God's Kingdom in 1920 which had been previously believed to be 1878. Hence, Jehovah's heavenly Kingdom is established.

Jehovah's Witnesses teach that Satan and his demons were cast down to earth from heaven after October 1, 1914 at which point the end times began.

From 1914 C.E. to the early part of 1918 C.E. or 1,260 days Jehovah's people preached a "sackcloth" message concerning Christendom and the world, in fulfillment of Revelation 11:3, 4. See re pgs. 164-7 pars. 10-18, also see yw pgs. 264-307, also bf pg. 592.

[KING OF THE NORTH is now Germany, the KING OF THE SOUTH is the alliance between Great Britian and the United States of America, see Daniel 11:27-29], Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife, Countess Sophie Chotek, duchess of Hohenberg were assassinated on June 28th in Sarajevo, Bosnia, (now in Bosnia and Herzegovina), by a Serb nationalist. This action precipitated World War I. 
 
On October 2, 1914, Jesus took the throne. Shortly thereafter, a war in heaven broke out wherein Satan and his demons were cast from the heavens. Satan then became so enraged that he began to wreak havoc upon the earth. One of the first things he did was to start the Great War (WWI). So WWI must have started a few days after October 2, 1914.
 
“World War I set the violent twentieth century in motion. It was the first use of chemical weapons; the first mass bombardment of civilians from the sky; the century’s first genocide.” So begins the 1996 PBS series The Great War and the Shaping of the Twentieth Century.


The war’s horrendous prosecution and unsatisfactory end were made even worse by the Versailles Peace Conference, a conclave which created the false peace that only allowed the combatants to rearm and proceed to a second conflict which was even more destructive than the first one. World War II merely took up the Great War’s unfinished business. Indeed many historians call both conflicts Europe’s “Second Thirty Years’ War.”

The First World War led to the birth of the first communist dictatorship. The world flirted with nuclear destruction as that dictatorship engaged in a murderous rivalry with its erstwhile allies. When the USSR finally imploded, some of the splinter states which emerged from its ruins fell to either fighting among themselves or suffering internecine bloodletting. And the problems elsewhere in southwest Asia as well as the Middle East can be traced to hatreds fostered by European colonialism which the Great War only intensified.

The world we have today had its birth pangs in World War I. It was Austria-Hungary’s invasion of Serbia on 28 July 1914 that caused a myriad of dominoes to fall—and they are continuing to tumble even now.


The war shattered an entire world order. In 1914, sixty percent of the world's population lived under the rule of kingdoms or empires. Today less than ten percent do so. The only important royal dynasty to survive the war was the House of Windsor and that was not without challenge. The fragmentation of these empires led to the rise of independent states which continues down to this day as the doctrine of "self-determination", promulgated by Wilson at Versailles, continues to govern many movements in our time.

But what makes the Great War different from its predecessors is that it was the first fought in all four quarters of the globe and by blocs of nations as opposed to just a few. Its carnage also was unmatched in previous world history. Nobody knows how many actually died although estamates range from fourteen to twenty million. Among its aftershocks were the Spanish Flu, the pandemic that killed more people than the war itself, and widespread famine. So to say that the Great War was not much different from earlier ones entirely misses the point,
 
  Post by Jehovah's Witnesses News, Library, History, Videos, Talks, Illustrations.  
 
July 28, 1914. Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia. August 1, 1914. Germany Declares War on Russia. August 3, 1914. Germany declares war on France. August 4, 1914. Britain declares war on Germany. August 6, 1914. Austria declares war on Russia. April 6, 1917 - The United States declares war on Germany.
Depiction from the Nov 1, 2014 Watchtower:

Older depiction from the 1982 book "You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth":

Related Links and Questions
Jehovah’s Witnesses gather for convention - 1914 and 2014 - USA-Texas-Arlington - USA-Texas Fort Worth

1914-2014 - One Hundred Years of Kingdom Rule!

Where did you find the theme text for 1914?

Jesus said that "This generation will not pass away until all these things occur." Did he mean the generation that saw saw World War 1 in 1914?

What shows that Christ became King in 1914?

When Jesus began ruling as King in 1914, was that the start of the Millennial reign of the Messianic Kingdom?

IBSA Historical Video from that year 

 
Watchtower Publications from 1914
YearText: “Be strong and courageous.” Joshua 1:9
w-E * The Watch Tower 
Countdown Card 
Berean Studies on The New Creation - C.T. Russell 
The Photo-Drama of Creation 
What Say the Scriptures About Our Lord's Return (his Parousia, Apokalupsis and Epiphania)


Return to the Master List of Watchtower Publications listed by Year

Watchtower_May_15_1984_pages_1_to_7.pdf
Previous Watchtower Publications quotations concerning 1914
“Some persons living A.D. 1914 when the series of foretold events began will also be living when the series ends with Armageddon.” - The Watchtower, September 1, 1952, p. 543

THE TRAIN ILLUSTRATION - Awake!, October 8, 1968, p. 5

“The fact that fifty-four years of the period called the ‘last days’ have already gone by is highly significant. It means that only a few years, at most, remain before the corrupt system of things dominating the earth is destroyed by God...Jesus was obviously speaking about those who were old enough to witness with understanding what took place when the ‘last days’ began. Jesus was saying that some of those persons who were alive at the appearance of the ‘sign of the last days’ would still be alive when God brought this system to its end.” - Awake!, October 8, 1968, p. 13


“But there are people still living who were alive in 1914 and saw what was happening then and who were old enough that they still remember those events. This generation is getting up in years now. A great number of them have already passed away in death. Yet Jesus very pointedly said: ‘This generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur.’ Some of them will still be alive to see the end of this wicked system. This means that only a short time is left before the end comes!” - The Truth That Leads To Eternal Life, 1968 ed., p. 95

“However, there are people still living who were alive in 1914 and saw what was happening then and who were old enough that they still remember those events. This generation is getting up in years now. A great number of them have already passed away in death. Yet Jesus very pointedly said: ‘This generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur.’ Some of them will still be alive to see the end of this wicked system. This means that only a short time is left before the end comes!” - The Watchtower, February 15, 1969, p. 101

“Men of this world offer you nothing stable, nothing sure. Their promises and predictions of better things have failed time and again. Why let yourself be carried along with them in a steadily downward course to ultimate disaster due to rejecting God’s will? God’s prophetic Word has not failed. Time has confirmed its truthfulness, its unerring accuracy. The generation that saw the start of the time of distress that began in 1914 is now dwindling in numbers. Before it passes off the scene the prophesied ‘great tribulation’ will come. You can be among the joyful survivors, experience deliverance from a world system that has proved oppressive, unworkable and death dealing.” - The Watchtower, February 1, 1971, p. 69

“And the remaining ones of that generation of 1914 are still talking about it. Some of them will be talking about it right down to the time when the ‘great tribulation’ wipes Satan’s wicked system of things off the face of our globe. For Jesus Christ himself assures us: ‘Truly I say to you that this generation [the generation that saw the ‘beginning of pangs of distress’ in 1914] will by no means pass away [completely] until all these things occur. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away.’--Matthew 24:3,8,34,35.” - The Watchtower, May 1, 1982, p. 15

“After drawing attention to the many things that have marked the period from 1914 onward, Jesus said: ‘This generation will by no means pass away until all these things [including the end of this system] occur.’ (Matthew 24:34,14) Which generation did Jesus mean? He meant the generation of people who were living in 1914. Those persons yet remaining of that generation are now very old. However, some of them will still be alive to see the end of this wicked system. So of this we can be certain: Shortly now there will be a sudden end to all wickedness and wicked people at Armageddon. Some of the generation living in 1914 will see the end of the system of things and survive it.” - You Can Live Forever In Paradise On Earth, 1982 ed. p. 154

ILLUSTRATION: “1914 The Generation That Will Not Pass Away” - The Watchtower, May 15, 1984, title page

“If Jesus used ‘generation’ in that sense and we apply it to 1914, then the babies of that generation are now 70 years old or older. And others alive in 1914 are in their 80’s or 90’s, a few even having reached a hundred. There are still many millions of that generation alive. Some of them ‘will by no means pass away until all things occur.’ --Luke 21:32” - The Watchtower, May 15, 1984, p. 5

“From a purely human viewpoint, it could appear that these developments could hardly take place before the generation of 1914 disappears from the scene. But fulfillment of all the foretold events affecting the generation of 1914 does not depend on comparatively slow human action. Jehovah’s prophetic word through Christ Jesus is: ‘This generation [of 1914] will by no means pass away until all things occur.’ (Luke 21:32) And Jehovah, who is the source of inspired and unfailing prophecy, will bring about the fulfillment of his Son’s words in a relatively short time.--Isaiah 46:9,10; 55:10,11.”
- The Watchtower, May 15, 1984, pp. 6-7

“Today, a small percentage of mankind can still recall the dramatic events of 1914. Will that elderly generation pass away before God saves the earth from ruin? Not according to Bible prophecy. ‘When you see all these things,’ Jesus promised, ‘know that he is near at the doors. Truly I say to you that this generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur.’--Matthew 24:33,34” - The Watchtower, May 1, 1992, p. 3

“Most important, this magazine builds confidence in the Creator’s promise of a peaceful and secure new world before the generation that saw the events of 1914 passes away.” - Awake!, October 22, 1995, p. 4


“Eager to see the end of this evil system, Jehovah’s people have at times speculated about the time when the ‘great tribulation’ would break out, even tying this to calculations of what is the lifetime of a generation since 1914. However, we ‘bring a heart of wisdom in,’ not by speculating about how many years or days make up a generation, but by thinking about how we ‘count our days’ in bringing joyful praise to Jehovah. (Psalm 90:12) Rather than provide a rule for measuring time, the term ‘generation’ as used by Jesus refers principally to contemporary people of a certain historical period, with their identifying characteristics.” - The Watchtower, November 1, 1995, p. 17


“Therefore, in the final fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy today, ‘this generation’ apparently refers to the peoples of earth who see the sign of Christ’s presence but fail to mend their ways...Does our more precise viewpoint on ‘this generation’ mean that Armageddon is further away than we had thought? Not at all! Though we at no time have known the ‘day and hour,’ Jehovah God has always known it, and he does not change.” - The Watchtower, November 1, 1995, pp. 19-20

“Most important, this magazine builds confidence in the Creator’s promise of a peaceful and secure new world that is about to replace the present wicked, lawless system of things.” - Awake!, November 8, 1995, p. 4
 
One hundred years on from the Great War

 

FAZENDO EXELENTES PESQUISAS.OBRIGADO MESMO.

True Tom, your mention of Kim Jong Un reminded me of this cartoon:
 
........and of course we have rasPutin, "he mad monk" and Donald "Duck" in the US
oops..........the mad monk........sorry, forgot the "t"

Part of a series on 
Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, Inc. was established to organize and administer the congregational affairs of Jehovah's Witnesses in the United States.[11][12] It filed for incorporation on August 21, 2000 in New York State as a “domestic non-profit corporation” in Putnam County, New York.[13] An incorporation record was also filed with the State of Florida on March 3, 2006, as a "foreign non profit corporation" with agency in Collier County, Florida.[14] As announced to congregations in January 2001, the Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses is a corporation used by their United States Branch Committee, which oversees the preaching work of Jehovah's Witnesses in the United States, Bermuda, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.[15] All Branch Committee members are appointed by and report to the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses.[16][17] As with other agencies of Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses may correspond directly with any district overseer, circuit overseer, local body of elders, or individual, or it may assign someone else to communicate on its behalf. Any of these persons or groups may function as an agency acting at the explicit direction of the Governing Body.[18][19]

Reader has a question about this corporation in 2014
2000_NY_Certif_of_Incorporation-Christian_Congregation_of_JWs.pdf

11^ Letter from Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., to All Bodies of Elders in the United States, dated February 27, 2001.
12^ Our Kingdom Ministry, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., 2002 January p7
13^ NYS Dept of State, Division of Corporations, site retrieved March 23, 2009
14^ "Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, site retrieved March 23, 2009". Sunbiz.org. Retrieved 2012-12-31.
15^ Our Kingdom Ministry, September 2005, page 1
16^ The Watchtower, January 15, 2001, page 14-15
17^ The Watchtower, July 15, 2006, page 20
18^ Awake!, June 2006, page 19
19^ The Watchtower, April 1, 2007, page 25