The Librarian

Russia Legal Update | January 2017

Via

President Putin Calls Report That Russia Has Compromising Intel On Donald Trump "RUBBISH!"

What part of Italy are you from Francesco? Add yourself to our Member Map above.
I remember some of your music from a couple years ago.

Their motive is always the same.
Source

Experiencia muy linda del Anuario del 2006
 
Katuku Nkobongo es inválido; no puede andar. Un domingo, durante la visita del superintendente de circuito, corrió la noticia de que fuerzas rebeldes estaban avanzando hacia la aldea en la que él vivía. Todo el mundo huyó. Uno de los últimos en marcharse fue Mianga Mabosho, el superintendente de circuito. Cuando este se montó en la bicicleta para ponerse a salvo, oyó una voz que le decía desde una cabaña cercana: “Hermano, ¿me va a dejar aquí?”. Era Katuku. El hermano Mabosho lo ayudó enseguida a subir a la bicicleta y salir de la aldea.
Para llegar a Zambia tenían que dirigirse al sur por terrenos muy accidentados, por lo que Katuku no tuvo más remedio que subir a rastras por las laderas escarpadas. El hermano Mabosho recuerda: “Aunque yo subía a la cima de las colinas con mis dos piernas, ¡él llegaba antes que yo! Cuando lo veía, decía para mis adentros: ‘¡Este hombre no puede andar, pero parece que tiene alas!’. Cuando finalmente llegamos a un lugar más seguro y nos dieron de comer, le pedí a Katuku que hiciera la oración. Se me saltaron las lágrimas al escuchar su sentida oración. Haciendo referencia al capítulo 40 de Isaías, dijo: ‘Tus palabras son muy ciertas, Jehová. Los muchachos se cansan y también se fatigan, y los jóvenes mismos sin falta tropiezan, pero los que esperen en ti recobrarán el poder. Se remontarán con alas como águilas. Correrán, y no se fatigarán; andarán, y no se cansarán’. Y añadió: ‘Gracias, Jehová, por hacerme más rápido que las águilas del cielo’”.

You understood it perfectly. Most of the time, we don't catch such things because we rarely read the original source material. We don't usually give these items a second thought, or if we do, we at least give the benefit of the doubt to the writer.
This reminds me of several times when I witnessed the "editing" process at Bethel. Artists are sometimes given articles to read that have not gone completely through the editing and proofreading process, but I'm not talking about any of those times -- although they were often interesting, too. So often the focus was on things like: "Don't say it that way, it makes us look [some negative attribute]." For now I'll use an older example that fits the subject of the topic.
*** w68 5/15 p. 314 Happiness Results from Making the Most of One’s Talents ***
For years Anton had been in the insurance business. While such issues as buying war bonds caused strained relations with his business associates, it was the slogan “Millions Now Living Will Never Die,” which the Bible Students were then preaching, that caused him to sever his connections with the insurance business and enter the real estate field. There his natural abilities enabled him to become highly successful, buying, selling, building, financing and managing houses, hotels, apartment and office buildings.
On reading the highlighted line, you might never think that Anton [Koerber's] so-called "business associates" were fellow Bible Students. While it's true that "life insurance" became a surreal topic of discussion among many of the Bible Students, I'm told that the real argument was whether or not Rutherford had compromised the Watch Tower's neutrality by effectively encouraging the brothers to  purchase War Bonds (Liberty Bonds/Loans; Victory Bonds) during WWI.
The same issue of buying "US War Bonds" was the primary specific issue in Brother Klein's experience here:
*** w84 10/1 p. 22 ‘Jehovah Has Dealt Rewardingly With Me’ ***
Shortly after my baptism in 1918, my loyalty to fellow Bible Students was put to the test. World War I was raging, and even though the most prominent brothers had been unjustly imprisoned over the war issue, the need for Christian neutrality was not fully appreciated by those then taking the lead. A few who saw the issue clearly took offense and separated themselves from the Bible Students, calling themselves Standfasters. They warned me that if I stayed with the Bible Students I would lose out on being of the “little flock” of Jesus’ anointed followers. (Luke 12:32) Mother, though not yet dedicated, helped me to make the right decision. I could not see myself leaving those from whom I had learned so much, and I therefore decided to take my chances with my Bible Student brothers. It really was a test of loyalty.
The wording above definitely implies that Rutherford was out of the picture at the time, and not involved in the wording of the decision, but notes and documentation discovered at Bethel around the time of the article show that Rutherford was in on it.
I once told my experience of sitting next to Bert Schroeder as he started to rewrite an experience that an older brother was telling about life at Bethel in past decades on "Family Night" (mostly a Bethel talent show). It's not so relevant to the topic here.
From what I was told, that article about Anton Koerber, already mentioned above, was very controversial in several places, and I think, in re-reading it, that you can just about start to pick up on some of the "behind-the-scenes" issues, even if no one had mentioned it.  
*** w68 5/15 p. 315 Happiness Results from Making the Most of One’s Talents ***
He worked out contracts with radio stations and radio networks for broadcasting the Kingdom good news. He also proved of assistance in acquiring property in Brooklyn, New York, in South Lansing, New York, for the Kingdom Farm and Gilead School there, and in Toronto, Canada, for the Bethel home and factory there. . . . He had a share, back in 1925, in fighting for licenses for radio stations owned by the Watch Tower Society. For some twenty-five years and more he appeared before presidents, cabinet members and members of Congress to serve them with the many resolutions adopted by Jehovah’s witnesses at their various assemblies, always keeping in mind the fact that he was Jehovah’s representative on behalf of his brothers. . . . In 1935, he was sent to Germany to try to get the printing presses at the Watch Tower Society’s Magdeburg branch, which had been seized by Hitler, transferred to Russia, with the hope of opening a branch in Russia. . . . Shortly thereafter Anton returned to his real estate activity, after which he again became active as a full-time pioneer minister. Then in 1952 he was able to arrange his affairs so as to be able to travel as a circuit minister for the Watch Tower Society. . . . That Anton had the right view of secular work was apparent in a number of ways. One of these was the generosity he showed toward those who had served God’s kingdom full time over many years at such places as the Brooklyn Bethel. . . . His very positive personality at times caused misunderstandings with his brothers, resulting in his being on the sidelines, as it were, for a time. . . .
It might be hard to imagine how a "very positive personality" was responsible for misunderstandings that resulted in him being 'sidelined' as it were. My source, a respected brother in Writing, says that one of the reasons for the "controversy" behind this article was that Anton Koerber was actually a multi-millionaire whose generosity was very selective to specific brothers of his choosing. And he supposedly "bought" his assignments as a regional overseer and circuit overseer. When he didn't get his choices he threatened to take his "skills" to one of the other Bible Student sects. This could be false, of course. But the respected brother who told me was only someone who "seconded" the story as I had already been told from a less respected source.

Thanks for your comments. I see you have a lot of first hand information. Very interesting all you mention about these different matters. And I'm glad I understood more or less accurately!
The same you mention about the brothers in the headquarters is the same I've seen in my own country, regarding some deeds of our branch. I find it normal, because I've done the same myself as elder. Yes, we're humans... 
 

Life by Judge Rutherford

Door to Door record
1934
4:37

Our sisters gather for a photo while enjoying a day cleaning the Garden at Bethel
Via

Denmark Branch Office of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Via

While that stone formation is interesting.... wouldn't her being a "pile of salt" mean that rain would have dissolved her salty remains away completely over time?

What Your Peers Say—Belief in God
Via

Denmark Branch Office of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Via

For anyone else still interested at all in this question, or this subject, I should mention that there are easily about 100 pages of resources and material on the subject that has not been touched upon yet. I doubt that we will get through very much of it, but I thought that the explanation in The Centennial Review appeared quite accurate and speaks of similarities without attempting to prove causation. Naturally, it's long and I can't quote all much of it. These will be excerpts from 21 pages, with some portions highlighted. There are certain problems with his overview of WT and JW teachings, but at least shows a good awareness of most of the historical changes. The things he gets wrong includes the exact relationship he implies between Russell and Second Adventism, and I think this is worthy of more discussion under a separate topic. (I didn't mention it before, but I think that AllenSmith was right in a prior post where he credits B W Schulz with the most accurate history on that topic, although I wouldn't mind hearing where Allen differs from Schulz' view.)
THE BLACK MUSLIMS: AN AMERICAN MILLENNIALISTIC RESPONSE TO RACISM AND CULTURAL DERACINATION Author(s): Perry E. Gianakos Source: The Centennial Review, Vol. 23, No. 4 (FALL 1979), pp. 430-451
Black Muslims have ties to two earlier American black nationalist groups and share some of the ideas of each: the Marcus Garvey movement of the late 1920's and the Moorish-American Science Temple movement of Noble Drew Ali (the former Timothy Drew of North Carolina).5 The Islamic elements in the Black Muslim belief system probably derive originally from the Drew movement, but they were reenforced by W. D. Fard, the "Arab peddler" whom some Muslims believe to have been Allah. Appearing mysteriously in Detroit in 1930, Fard assumed leadership of the Moorish movement upon the death of its founder the year before, claiming at the time to be the "reincarnation of Noble Drew Ali." The movement soon split into factions, one of which led by Elijah Muhammad (the former Elijah Poole of Georgia) remained faithful to Prophet Fard (Master Wallace Fard Muhammad). It is this faction — "The Nation of Islam" — to which C. Eric Lincoln gave the name "The Black Muslims." According to E. U. Essien-Udom, how ever, in the early sixties Malcolm X and other Black Muslims denied any connection with the Moorish movement and asserted Fard's uniqueness (pp. 35-36). Fard's origin, though, remains a mystery, as does his disappearance in June, 1933.6
The influence of at least two other American religious movements — both millennial in character — can be detected in the Black Muslim eschatology: the Jehovah's Witnesses and, to a lesser extent, in their economic activities, the Mormons. The millennial element, of course, also links the movement to traditional Christian groups and ultimately to Judaism. Similar ities to the Ras Tafarian movement of Jamaica, now established in northeastern United States, derive solely from common links to the Garvey movement.7
...
Answers to the question of specifically when the millennium will begin have been offered by various groups over the years. Most of these predicted dates have been derived from abstruse and highly individualistic juggling of Biblical numbers — a latter day adaptation of the Hebrew Kabbala. As one would conclude, as long as the beliefs remained vital, these dates were subject to constant revision. In the United States, probably the most famous of these predictions, because so many people acted on it, even going so far as to purchase "ascension robes," was that of William Miller in 1832, who predicted that the Advent would take place in 1843. During the Civil War period, other millennialists believed that the Advent would take place in 1866, and that the war then raging was but the prelude. E. L. Tuveson, for example, has discovered this note of expectancy in Julia Ward Howe's "Battle Hymn of the Republic," composed during the period.14 More recently, the Jehovah's Witnesses — founded in 1872 in Pittsburgh around a nucleus of former Millerites — have offered a series of date, all of which, of course, have had to be revised. Charles Taze Russell, the founder of the group, made his first prediction in 1878. which he later pushed forward to 1914. His successor in the movement, Judge J. R. Rutherford, first set the date at 1925, and subsequent calculations of the Watchtower Society moved the date up to 1975.15 The Reverend Billy Graham has wisely refrained from announcing a date, but, in citing the chaos of the present era as an unmistakable sign, for the past five or six years he has been preaching an imminent second coming. The Black Muslims, themselves, originally took the Jehovah's Witnesses' date — 1914 — but explained that a "grace" period had been granted to allow American Blacks to heed the message of Muhammad. The "final" date was to be 1970. It is presently expected that the event will take place some time before the year 2000, though whether this, too, is to be modified or abandoned under the new leadership is not clear.16
...
One must preface an examination of millennialism in the Black Muslim "social myth" by looking first at the celebrated break between Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X, supposedly over Malcolm's remarks on the assassination of President Kennedy. Though unstated at the time, the break resulted from a conflict over different millennialistic assumptions, assumptions which mirror perfectly the disparities that exist between those followers of the Edwardsean, activist or northern, millennialistic version and the southern, or passive, version currently publicized by the Reverend Billy Graham: in short, between post-millennialism and premillennialism. Such a change or shift (from pre- to post-millennialism), which was implicit in Malcolm's evolving position, as we shall see, would have required an abandonment of much of the Black Muslim "social myth," a step which Elijah Muhammad was not disposed to take. The Kennedy remark became a convenient excuse for Muhammad to rid himself of a charismatic personality who threatened to destroy the "social myth" which had been so successful.21 The most obvious indication that the Black Muslim movement is premillennialist is its original belief in separatism and its long-standing injunction against political activity on the part of its members, including voting. Since the government is corrupt, it would be sinful for any righteous Muslim to participate.22
... man is by nature evil and his civilization doomed to destruction, there is, of course, no reason to integrate with it nor attempt to "reform" what is obviously "unreformable": hence separation with expectancy. Until that "final" day, however, Black Muslims expect the system to treat them justly, and Muslim leaders enjoin their members to obey all just authority. Since they must, they submit, although, as in the celebrated draft refusal case of Muhammad Ali and others, they do not submit in all things. In their attitude toward government the Black Muslims resemble the Jehovah's Witnesses, who regard all government — not just the American or Caucasian ones — as imperfect. All governments, in fact, are "obstacles" standing in the way of the establishment of Jehovah's Kingdom, the only perfect government. (Both Elijah Muhammad and Judge Rutherford, leader of the Jehovah's Witnesses, were sent to jail for obstructing American war efforts. Rutherford in 1914 and Muhammad in 1942).25 ...
Because the Fard movement in Detroit in 1930 appears to have modeled itself in many respects on the example set by the Jehovah's Witnesses, one may be easily tempted to conclude that it was responding to a set of conditions similar to those which precipitated the founding of the Jehovah's Witnesses. Black Muslim resemblances to the Jehovah's Witnesses, however, are traceable to a congruence of aims rather than to a similarity of originating conditions. Because in the beginning days of the movement Fard had no copies of the Koran to give to his followers — most of whom were illiterate — he had urged them to listen to the radio sermons of Judge Rutherford of the Jehovah's Witnesses. These sermons were consistently and sufficiently anti-religious establishment to serve Fard's aim, namely to alienate his followers from their traditional "white" Christian beliefs. Fard was shrewd enough, however, to warn his followers not to take the white man's worlds literally. They were, he warned, "symbolic," requiring "translation" by him in the Temple service. But one suspects that there was little in Rutherford's broadcasts requiring "translation," for his diatribes against established Christian religions were so extreme that he was banned from a number of radio stations. Rutherford's performance thus emboldened Fard to do the same: Christianity was the Negro's "graveyard," he declared, "the slave holder's religion."33 Fard recognized that in order for his followers to accept a new identity the old one had to be destroyed: they were to become, in the parlance of the present day, "born-again Muslims." But Detroit in 1930 was not the same as Pittsburgh in 1872, though both situations gave rise to despair, the originating emotion of millennial movements; nor were the Southern rural blacks who made up the bulk of Fard's followers in Detroit the same as those white, laboring-class Second Adventists in Pittsburg some sixty years earlier. Fard's followers faced a different and an even more despairing situation, compounded now as it was by the additional cruel factor of racism.
For while many southern rural blacks had migrated to the Detroit area during the period of the first World War, so had many southern whites, most of whom brought their racism with them. The Ku Klux Klan had become very strong in Michigan during the post-war period, and fully half of the state's membership of 70,000 resided in Detroit. During the twenties they almost captured the mayor's office. Several council members, in fact, were known to be Klan members. A particularly ugly racial confrontation had taken place in 1925 over the "Henry Sweet affair," but Clarence Darrow's brilliant courtroom victory in that case served, for the moment at least, to prevent the racial situation from deteriorating further.34 The tense racist environment remained, however, and undoubtedly facilitated the founding of the first Black Muslim community.
...
Under the leadership of Wallace D. Muhammad and his successors, the future of the Black Muslims promises to be different in some respects. The "white devil" belief is being abandoned, which means that the "Yakub" myth will be discarded and that whites are now eligible to join the organization.44 The belated recognition that Malcolm X was "ahead of his time" suggests that we shall see the Black Muslims become politically involved. In terms of millennial belief, such a shift means an abandonment of the premillennial pattern and an endorsement of the post-millennial position, since a more activist program was what Malcolm X was urging at the time of his break with [Elijah] Muhammad.
--- end of quotation ---
That was long, but it indicates a second level of complexity to the question. Much of the supposed influence, as Allen has pointed out, is not even related to doctrinal influence. In this I fully agree that there was something very important that Fard and Elijah Muhammad thought they saw in Rutherford's philosophy and social positioning and practice that they considered useful in their method of "peddling" a new religion. Also there was a more general reason to point to the doctrinal teachings of Rutherford due to their anti-establishment and anti-Catholic emphasis.
We can leave to the side for the moment any questions about just how they happened to pick up on the idea that 1914 was the time when the lease of the world's rulers ran out, or the 6,000 years since Adam leading to a 1,000 year millennium to follow, or that they as a chosen people would survive Armageddon into a new world. But that doesn't mean we covered all of the similarities yet. For example, even though Babylon the Great is considered to be America herself, the NOI taught that Babylon had fallen just shortly after 1914, in the sense that she was now doomed, and that her complete fall would be accomplished by the time of the final battle of Armageddon. At the time the Watchtower taught that Armageddon had already begun but the judgment was cut short for more to be chosen to survive. So even some ideas that seem different to us today, were actually a closer match at the time. But admittedly, causation of influence is a complex subject.
What make it more complicated is that there has been change in doctrine in both religions, JWs and NOI. Over time, the NOI may, in some ways find itself apparently more similar to JWs on some millennial doctrines, especially as they adopt a less racist and more inclusive philosophy. But it would be a mistake to think that changes they make now are evidence of influence back in the 20's and 30's. So, as I've pointed out before, no one can just look at any of these similarities one by one, outside the historical context of the full doctrine of NOI, and believe they are always seeing causation by influence. Some of the similarities will derive from coincidence, just by virtue of being another millennial religion that pulled a few ideas from the Bible (such as the 144,000, etc.).
The Nazi philosophy was a millennial philosophy, too, we must remember, but they were definitely not influenced in any way by the Watch Tower.

JANUARY 16, 2017
RUSSIA
Russian Appellate Court Dismisses Witnesses’ Appeal Against Warning
On January 16, 2017, the Moscow City Court dismissed the Witnesses’ appeal that challenged the legality of the Prosecutor General’s warning issued against their national headquarters. The three-judge panel rejected all arguments filed by the Witnesses’ attorneys and rendered its decision after a 10-minute recess. The decision upholds the October 12, 2016, Tverskoy District Court decision that ruled in favor of the Prosecutor General’s Office. The warning, dated March 2, 2016, is now enforceable. However, it is still unclear what implications the warning will have on the Witnesses’ religious freedom in Russia.
https://www.jw.org/en/news/legal/by-region/russia/decade-long-attack-religious-freedom-intensifies/
 

pdf
Russia’s Decade-Long Attack on Religious Freedom Intensifies.pdf
mp3

Your browser does not support the HTML5 audio tag.

 

JW’s Preaching in Washington DC at the Presidential Inauguration of Donald Trump
Via

Our Christian Life Meeting 19 January 2017 - Jehovah’s Witnesses

Via

Our Christian Life Meeting 19 January 2017 - Jehovah’s Witnesses

Via

WHAT AHAZ DID
·        (2 Kings 16:8, 9) Ahaz then took the silver and the gold that was to be found at the house of Jehovah and in the treasuries of the king’s house and sent the king of Assyria a bribe. ·        (2 Chronicles 28:21) “For Ahaz had stripped the house of Jehovah and the house of the king and the houses of the princes and made a gift to the king of Assyria; but it was of no help to him” WHAT HEZEKIAH DID
·        (2 Kings 18:13-16) “In the 14th year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib the king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. 14 So King Hezekiah of Judah sent word to the king of Assyria at Lachish: “I am at fault. Withdraw from against me, and I will give whatever you may impose on me.” The king of Assyria imposed on King Hezekiah of Judah a fine of 300 silver talents and 30 gold talents. 15 So Hezekiah gave all the silver that could be found at the house of Jehovah and in the treasuries of the king’s house. 16 At that time Hezekiah removed the doors of the temple of Jehovah and the doorposts that King Hezekiah of Judah himself had overlaid, and he gave them to the king of Assyria”
It sounds quite similar, isn’t it?
COMPARING THE ACTIONS OF BOTH, FATHER AND SON
We find the following about the father, Ahaz:
*** it-1 p. 62 Ahaz ***
·        Rather than put faith in Jehovah, however, Ahaz, out of fear of the Syro-Israelite conspiracy, chose the shortsighted policy of bribing Tiglath-pileser III of Assyria to come to his aid. (Isa 7:2-6; 8:12) … Meanwhile he mutilated much of the copper temple equipment and rearranged other features in the temple area all “because of the king of Assyria,” perhaps to pay the heavy tribute imposed on Judah In other words, he showed lack of faith and confidence, right?
But, regarding his son, Hezekiah, we think very different. With relation to the identical action he took against the temple, we, instead read:
*** w68 3/15 p. 170 par. 9 True Worship Under Challenge ***
·        No doubt this was part of Hezekiah’s theocratic war strategy, a move to gain time, and to put him in a better position to grapple with the enemy. In a most recent publication, the 2000 book “Isaiah’s Prophecy-I”, we simply found a description of the facts, but without questioning the implications:
*** ip-1 chap. 29 p. 385 pars. 4-5 A King’s Faith Is Rewarded ***
·        Perhaps hoping to protect Jerusalem from an immediate assault by the relentless Assyrian army, Hezekiah agrees to pay Sennacherib an enormous tribute of 300 silver talents and 30 gold talents.—2 Kings 18:14. Since there is not enough gold and silver in the royal treasury to pay the tribute, Hezekiah retrieves what precious metals he can from the temple. He also cuts down the temple doors, which have been overlaid with gold, and sends them to Sennacherib.
 
 
 
THE QUESTION
Recently, when I saw the clip about Hezekiah during our midweek meeting, I recalled one thought time ago I was wondering: Could it be possible that Hezekiah, in first instance, yielded at some degree with the Assyrians, then received punishment from God, recovered the faith and, finally, got the needed relief from Jehovah?
Not sure if this question would be filled under polemic questions, not my intention. After all, if the king stumbled a little then recovered completely. And his record also has another known error, (2 Chronicles 32:25) “…did not respond appreciatively to the good done to him, for his heart became haughty, bringing indignation against him…” But, also, showed repentance.
TIMETABLE IMPORTANCE
One factor may be easy to miss is the fact that: Assyrian invasion, Hezekiah’s illness, his recover, the deliverance, all these events happened AT THE SAME TIME approximately, and it perfectly fits with a different order of happenings.
·        (2 Ki 18:2) “He was 25 years old when he became king, and he reigned for 29 years…” ·        (2Ki 18:13) “In the 14th year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib the king of Assyria came…” ·        (2 Kings 20:5, 6) “Here I am healing you. On the third day you will go up to the house of Jehovah.  I will add 15 years to your life” My maths are bad, but if he reigned by 29 years, and a period of 15 years was added when was healed. (29-15=14). His 14th year of reign, when the Sennacherib’s invasion, was the same year when he was sick.
And this leads to this important conclusion:
The three Bible records we have are open to another chronology of facts.
·        (2 Kings 19:35-20:1) “On that very night the angel of Jehovah went out and struck down 185,000 men […] In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death.” Note IN THOSE DAYS, not AFTER THIS or equivalent expression. ·        (Isaiah 37:36-38:1) “And the angel of Jehovah went out and struck down 185,000 men […] In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death.” Again, note IN THOSE DAYS. ·        (2 Chronicles 32:23, 24) “And many brought gifts to Jehovah at Jerusalem and choice things to King Hezekiah of Judah, and he was greatly respected by all the nations after that. In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death.” The same, IN THOSE DAYS, not necessarily AFTER the deliverance. As we’ve stablished the invasion and the illness was at the same time, when all the records mention not after but those, the possibility arises that the order was different. The order the next graphic try to indicate.
 
 
 

 
THE ILLNESS REASON
Just let us read these words:
(Isaiah 38:1) “In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came and said to him, “This is what Jehovah says: ‘Give instructions to your household, for you will die; you will not recover.’” If Isaiah had been a physician we could think he was diagnosing the king. But Isaiah was the God’s agent. It must have sounded like a sentence. Perhaps it explains this expression in the supplication of Hezekiah: (Isaiah 38:17) “You have thrown all my sins behind your back.”
THE POSSIBLE SECUENCE OF FACTS
·        Assyria threats Judah. ·        Hezekiah despoils the temple of Jehovah to satisfy Sennacherib ·        Jehovah causes the illness of the kink, as punishment ·        The king repents and, as sign, a celestial phenomenon happens, observed by other nations ·        Jehovah releases his people from the Assyrians ·        Other nations give gifts to the King of Judah ·        Babylonians came to Jerusalem after seeing the signal ·        Hezekiah shows them the treasures THE REASON BEHIND THE (DES)ORDER
Not always the records in the Bible books are presented in sequential order. Let’s take Ezekiel, by example.
*** it-1 p. 793 Ezekiel, Book of ***
·        For the most part, Ezekiel’s prophecies and visions are arranged chronologically as well as topically. The four verses of chapter 29:17-20 are placed out of their chronological order (compare Eze 29:1; 30:20), but topically they belong here with the prophecy against Egypt. So, we see that sometimes something is presented according its thematic or topic. In our case, as the Babylonians came to Jerusalem after the deliverance from the Assyrians, it could be the reason to group or link together the illness record AFTER the Assyrian defeat.
CONSECUENCES
Well, if we were still living in our “good times” of types-antitypes we would have a nice type here. Nevertheless this sequence achieve this goal: it explains better these points
·        Ahaz and Hezekiah did similar damage to the temple. They both deserved punishment. ·        The illness of Hezekiah seems to be a penalty from God  
 
Well, at least, there is this possibility, I think.
 

Hand made JW Cake in Anguila
Via

via TheWorldNewsOrgWorld News

People are naive if they think the news we get is not controlled ... and the noose  is tightening.  While keeping the masses happy with their day to day posts on social media about mundane things our speech freedoms have been eroded. What we post on social media is becoming more and more  controlled.
Soon our preaching work will also become an issue because there is no tolerance for the ugly truth about this system and its institutions any more. While government (USA) pretends to be a sheep it is a dragon. 
There is a trend all over the globe to control certains aspects of the news we receive... the unpleasant truths are suppressed ... to keep us all in la-la land.  But the nasty realities will soon surface ... and then they will be suddenly upon us...

Fmadriaga, I feel the same way also.