Melinda Mills

Apostates are known by their words and actions.  It is possible that this group we are presently in would be on somebody's list as well. 
I was warned by a sister about this group  and also by an elder when he read my post on the Internet where I said that we should abandon sayings like "religion is a snare and a racket", seeing that God has overlooked the days of ignorance.  Resurrecting those sayings means that we have not progressed in our understanding. I also said that we are also a religion so that should not make sense. The elder said that "at that time we were not a religion".  Well, that just shows you. 
We have to be firm and sound in mind as to what we will believe.

I see you are trying to bring something positive to a negative post 🙂. The truth is though, apostates are an entirely different category to the average person who never was one of Jehovah's Witnesses. The average non Witness would probably side with us, and not Apostates. Nobody likes bullies, and would wonder why all the vitriol. There are a number of people who are for us, even doctors concerning the blood issue for example. (Found on our website).
Just the other day on the ministry I had a lady who thanked us and told us she admired what we do. This wasn't the first time someone said something like this, and I am sure all of us had someone like that at some time. On the other hand we should expect to be hated (by the public) because Jesus said so. And we should also expect opposition from those who were once among us.
A few days ago I was doing some reading on the Yarovaya Law (the law responsible for all the trouble for the Witnesses in Russia), and found that this law was created by a woman named Irina Yarovaya. This got me to wondering whether her "attack" on religion (besides Orthodox) was actually personal, and whether her attack on evangelism specifically, was even more personal.  Then all kinds of ideas came to mind. Did she have a family member who became a Witness and refused blood, or higher education etc. did she blame the Witnesses? Then a plethora of other situations came to mind but I will not post them here because they could be deemed defamatory. (All I will say is pictures speak a thousand words and Russian women are in a league of their own. I can think of a few lady Bible characters though as well).
 

Did he explain what we were before then? I wonder if Rutherford would think the same today, since we are a religion now. He probably would, because religion IS a snare and a racket, except for the true religion 🙂.

Apostates are known by their words and actions.  It is possible that this group we are presently in would be on somebody's list as well. 
I was warned by a sister about this group  and also by an elder when he read my post on the Internet where I said that we should abandon sayings like "religion is a snare and a racket", seeing that God has overlooked the days of ignorance.  Resurrecting those sayings means that we have not progressed in our understanding. I also said that we are also a religion so that should not make sense. The elder said that "at that time we were not a religion".  Well, that just shows you. 
We have to be firm and sound in mind as to what we will believe.

A few with those names are probably members of their local PTA. Or, if in the United States, the Republican or Democrat political parties.  
Yikes, so many apostate groups.
Seriously, though, I don't know where you found such a list. I haven't heard of hardly any of them. But I do see that many good and active Witnesses have "Theocratic Ministry School" listed as their "school/college/education" in their Facebook profiles. Perhaps they should all be warned?

As vitriolic as the spiteful crticisms of apostate opposers are, there is a remarkable tide of recognition of the integrity of Jehovah's Witnesses, even among those who do not share our beliefs.
Speaking of the voluntary stand of Jehovah's Witnesses against the oppressive demands of the Nazi and Fascist regimes in Germany and Italy this observation was recently made:
"We owe it also to their sacrifice that there was the powerful push in civil society that gave birth to the European project and also the European Court of Human Rights"
Guido Raimondi.  President of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) 1 November 2015 – 5 May 2019
The views of other non-Witness dignitaries can be seen here.

Apostates are known by their words and actions.  It is possible that this group we are presently in would be on somebody's list as well. 
I was warned by a sister about this group  and also by an elder when he read my post on the Internet where I said that we should abandon sayings like "religion is a snare and a racket", seeing that God has overlooked the days of ignorance.  Resurrecting those sayings means that we have not progressed in our understanding. I also said that we are also a religion so that should not make sense. The elder said that "at that time we were not a religion".  Well, that just shows you. 
We have to be firm and sound in mind as to what we will believe.

God hears prayers of all those righteously disposed.

(Acts 10:30-33) Then Cornelius said: “Four days ago counting from this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour; just then a man in bright clothing stood in front of me 31 and said: ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been favorably heard, and your gifts of mercy have been remembered before God. 32 Therefore, send to Jopʹpa and call for Simon who is called Peter. This man is a guest in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.’ 33 I then sent for you at once, and you were kind enough to come here. So now we are all present before God to hear all the things you have been commanded by Jehovah to say.”

(1 John 3:19-22) By this we will know that we originate with the truth, and we will assure our hearts before him 20 regarding whatever our hearts may condemn us in, because God is greater than our hearts and knows all things. 21 Beloved ones, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have freeness of speech toward God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we are observing his commandments and doing what is pleasing in his eyes.
 
(Psalm 65:2) 2 O Hearer of prayer, to you people of all sorts will come.
 

Two recent developments have occasioned specific rebukes from the U.S. State Department. 
1) the sentencing of 6 Witnesses to jail terms of 2-3 years.
2) the torture of at least 7 in Surgut, which Russian authorities at first denied but ultimately said proved necessary because the Witnesses resisted with martial arts techniques.
Of course, every other faith is kept track of as well—it is not just Jehovah’s Witnesses. Still, a State Department release of last year specifically mentioned just two groups. 1) Muslims, and  2) Jehovah’s Witnesses. All others were lumped into a single third category: 3) Others.
Of course, Trump might always consult with his son-in-law who can recall to him his dealings with the Witnesses from whom he purchased Bethel buildings—that they were people with whom “a handshake deal meant something.” He lavished praise on them in that video that JW.org took down as the Presidential campaign got underway, presumably so that agent Jack would not attempt to portray Witnesses as part of Trump’s election machine.
JTR, who does not hesitate to speak abusively of those whose counterparts the apostle Paul dared not, might well be right on this one, but I am not holding my breath. The two Presidents did want to get along, but I am not sure that the occasion hasn’t passed. Any overtures between them have been soundly scuttled by the American media. It is even as though when the kings of the north and south indicate that they would like to agree, outside forces intervene to make sure that they can’t, as though to to enforce the current understanding of Daniel’s prophesy that the two will hate each other’s guts right down to the end.
It is also possible that Trump senses in his meeting on religious freedom an opportunity to defuse accusations that he is anti-Muslim. It is Muslims who are under attack today, probably more so than Christian groups, and probably spurred on by the perception of how readily a certain strain of it goes on to embrace violence. Who can say what Trump is up to? To say he is a bull in a china shop, one must accept the premise that the status quo among world and national leaders is a “china shop.” But he might well be likened to a junkyard dog in a junkyard. Who can say where he goes next?
At any rate, he sidesteps an agenda of climate change policy and hosts his own religious freedom meeting instead. Religious freedom is embedded in the U.S. Constitution, primarily the Bill of Rights. Climate change is not, and Trump plainly doesn’t trust it, viewing it as a mostly concocted wedge to drive socialism more firmly into the world fabric. Instead, he goes to country after country, as though the personification of capitalism, to cut deals. He reverses decades of policy that holds that “giving away the fort” trade-wise will trigger political change, as newly monied populaces rise to overthrow the tyrannical governments that rule them, like a worldwide “Arab spring.” There is not much evidence that it works that way. It certainly didn’t with the Arab spring, and China is doubling down on its willingness to oppress, even in the face of material prosperity.
So will JTR’s prophesy come true, that Putin will reverse JW persecution by year’s end?
I agree that they are both pragmatic. But Trump is firmly resisted. And Putin may be as well. The New York Times speculated that he may not be so firmly in control as is assumed, partly because after he says: Why are we persecuting  Jehovah’s Witnesses? This must be looked into. the persecution does nothing but intensify. Even as the JW ban was under consideration, one pundit asked: why would they do it? There was no question that they could, but why would they? They do nothing but make themselves look ludicrous and thugs on the world stage. But it has been “pedal to the medal” since. The succeeding act was to rule the New World Translation as extremist—not a Bible at all—and thus paint themselves before all as breathtakingly ignorant, since anyone with even a modicum of scholarship knows that it is.
The anti-religion campaign has only intensified. Deprived of the New World Translation, Jehovah’s Witnesses there resort to any translation. So courts have found that some verses even there are actually “extremist.”
In doing so they have bought into the nonsense of the BITE model promoted by “anti-cultists” in the West. Such has become the wisdom that carries the day in Russia, however stretched the idea might be. It’s founder, Stephen Hassan, has just written a book about Trump: “The Cult of Trump—a Leading Cult Expert Explains How the President Uses Mind Control.”
https://freedomofmind.com/announcing-my-new-book-with-simon-and-schuster-entitled-the-cult-of-trump/
When you think that half the country has fallen under cult influence, it is evidence in my view that you have drunk too much of your own Kool-Aid. It is also evidence that the entire BITE anti-cult movement is little more than a political movement. It is little more than a tool of the left. It is a new culture of victimization elevated to sainthood. And it has been allowed to define Russia’s response to any religion not on the “approved list”—which in the Christian category, there is only one: the Russian Orthodox Church.

Whoops, I deleted that comment prior to your response, and can't put it back. But in order for yours to make sense, it was this:
JTR: When TheWorldNewsOrg guy (or gal) makes a post it's rarely about JWs or in a category about JWs.

I have never heard any JW explain that.
It needs no explanation.
It's like when an Eagle swoops down on a lake, and snatches a large fish out of the water, it's talons deeply embedded in the fish's body, that this is that natural order of things, and is entirely natural, appropriate, and the way the REAL WORLD works, and is supposed to work.
The fish, and many JWs of course, may have a different opinion.
Perhaps in the New System, from a boat they can toss straw up in the air for Eagles, and what falls in the water the fish will eat, and insects and rodents will rule the Earth.
 

I remember in 10th grade Biology class the teacher asked us what was the difference between Cow milk like we bought in the stores, and human mother's milk for human babies.
I raised my hand and when she called on me, I answered,
"Mother's milk comes in more attractive containers!".
 

I am a woman and have been an active JW since 1942.   I do not agree that “most JW women are lonely and suffering from massive depression”.  You are entitled to your own opinion but you should keep it to yourself and not post on this site. Since you are not a woman, you are not in a position to make such a judgment. 
Henceforth when I see you have made a posting, I will immediately delete it. 

This is really nice. I'd like to see a time when those JW.ORG boats area as ubiquitous as Red Cross, etc. That would be a great witness, too. There are times when the logistics can go wrong, too. (I heard about the warehouse of supplies destined for P.R. last year.) As it is, still, I think we normally do a lot better in this regard than nay-sayers say. And there's a lot of willingness to help that can go untapped if we don't speak up and join in with others. This is where we can really "shine" as an organization.

Apostates do not really need to destroy the GB's credibility ... the GB  does a comprehensive job of destroying their own credibility, with no help from anybody.

Russian scholars—they are awfully smart over there—found extremism in an Old Testament phrase in the course of building a case against Jehovah’s Witnesses. It was not in the New World Translation—that entire work has been declared extremist and is therefore shelved. It is a passage found in any Bible, even the one used by the Russian Orthodox Church. 
The offending verse is Psalm 37:29 [36:29 in Eastern Bibles]: “The righteous will inherit the earth and will live in it forever.” 
This verse is actually a threat toward “unrighteous persons,” the experts discerned. It is “about dismissiveness (contempt, aggression) toward a group of persons on the basis of religious affiliation.” It furthers the “‘propaganda of inferiority’ on the basis of religious identity.”
In other words, they are sticking up for the unrighteous in that land. “Well—they’re people, too,” is their stroke of wisdom. If the “righteous” are to be favored with inheriting the earth and living there forever, then the unrighteous should be there, too.
It is breathtakingly stupid reasoning, and yet it is the reasoning that carries the day in Russia. But we should not laugh at it, because it is more evil than stupid, and it is the work of opposers who know what they are doing and will do it here when the time is right. The reasoning is the same—it is only more unmasked in Russia than elsewhere, but it ought to serve as a heads-up for elsewhere.
In both places it is the reasoning of those who hate God. They do not hate him so long as He knows His place. If He allows societal trends and critical thinking to carry the day, He is welcome, but only then. If He tries impose upon people His own standards of “righteousness,” He is not. If He allows the will of the people to prevail, He is welcome. If He says, as in John 6:45: “They will all be taught be Jehovah,” He is not—unless He means that the will of the people is the will of Jehovah. He should know that His role is to sit in the back seat and keep His mouth shut.
The entire warfare of opponents denouncing disfellowshipping is a reflection of their frustration at having the window slammed shut on their fingers as they try to break into the house with their new and improved morality—morality that is not God’s. They are livid that they cannot do that, and so they rail against the tool that thwarts them, even trying to declare it illegal.
The book “Secular Faith - How Culture Has Trumped Religion in American Politics” attempts to reassure its secular audience through examining the changing moral stands of churches on five key issues. The book points out that today’s church members have more in common with atheists than they do with members of their own denominations from decades past. Essentially, the reassurance to those who would mold societal views is: “Don’t worry about it. They will come around. They always do. It may take a bit longer, but it is inevitable.” Jehovah’s Witnesses have thwarted this model by not coming around. Disfellowshipping—the ability to expel those who refuse to conform to the conduct and speech that they signed on for—is their trump card. It is a last-ditch method of discipline, when all else has failed, to ensure that the Christian congregation remains true to its underpinnings, something that cannot happen without the trump card held in reserve—or at least it never has happened. (See post here)
It is a God-ordained tool from the One who knows humankind better than they do themselves. Actually, humans know it well, too, but they forget it when it stands in their way. If they did not know it, there would be no such thing as advertising—the ultimate manipulative device founded on the premise that humans can be swayed any which way given sufficient propaganda. Corporate interests would not pour billions into advertising if they were not convinced human behavior could be molded. “We made Miller the number two selling brand in the country, and everybody said: ‘Nobody will drink that stuff,’” said Mickey Spillane.
“Righteousness” is an antiquated term for those peddling a new morality and a trashing the traditional one. The term is a threat to them. It is a term that is no longer allowed in Russia, but how far behind can the West be? Acceptable human conduct should be determined by group norm, not imposed by some Bully from above, it increasingly says. The war against disfellowshipping is at root a manisfestion of those who would fight against God.
Says the apostle Peter: “For the time that has passed by is sufficient for you to have worked out the will of the nations when you proceeded in deeds of loose conduct, lusts, excesses with wine, revelries, drinking matches, and illegal idolatries. Because you do not continue running with them in this course to the same low sink of debauchery, they are puzzled and go on speaking abusively of you.” (1 Peter 4:3-4)
They do speak that way. But as the discordant ones accumulate in the “low sink of debauchery,” they finally are emboldened to say as well: “Water’s fine here in the low sink! Who are you to judge?” The qualities Peter speaks of are simply not the anathema that they once were. Some are openly embraced. 
So “righteousness” as defined by a God is an insult. To speak of a world where righteousness will prevail is extremist in Russia, and therefore illegal. For now, in the West, it is just gauche and small-minded. That is changing. If it truly is that God will allow only the righteous in the new world of his making, then anyone on His side will do whatever they can to be that way. Opponents today want to make that illegal, or at least they want to make illegal the means to do it. 
The climate is not just right for opposers here to declare that the righteous inheriting the earth is extremist, as they have in Russia, but that is what many want to do—and it will likely reach that point one day. Should it happen, it will be a development that is on script, and so thereby can be said to be okay. It will not be unexpected. The miscreants are angling for it now.
Nikolai Gordienko, of the Herzen Russian State University in St. Petersburg, once stated: “When the experts accuse Jehovah’s Witnesses for their teachings, they do not realize that they are actually making accusations against the Bible.” Jehovah’s Witnesses represent it. They practice it as best they can. The gloves have come off in Russia. They came off long ago with regard to human rights, but now they also come off with regard to the intent of Witness persecution there. It is not Witnesses that are opposed. It is God who is opposed—the Witnesses are just the middlemen who represent him. 
Gamaliel cautioned religious leaders in the first century regarding Christians: “Do not meddle with these men, but let them alone. For if this scheme or this work is from men, it will be overthrown; but if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. Otherwise, you may even be found fighters against God himself.” That’s exactly who is in the crosshairs of opponents today—who is He to tell us what is righteous? they glower. Banning the Witness organization was not enough for those opponents in Russia. Banning the New World Translation was also not enough, for the same verses hateful to those demanding moral relevance are found in any translation of the Bible.
How far will opponents get in their quest to enlist the world’s sympathy that they got kicked out of a religion for refusing to abide by the rules—in essence, for refusing to be “righteous?” Time will tell, but until the Lord intervenes, the playing field is tilted their way. The individual rights of those who would kick over the traces garners popular support. The individual rights of those who would impose upon themselves a force greater than they to safeguard against their own weaknesses means nothing. 
During Soviet times, dissidents stated that the underlying attitude of authorities was that they didn’t really care if you believed their lie or not, so long as you knuckled under to their power to define reality. Declaring the Psalm extremist—“The righteous ones will inherit the earth and they will live in it forever”—is an example of the pattern reasserting itself: “Yes, it is ridiculous, but who cares? It is what we say it is.”
In the West it is still deemed necessary to believe the lie—that the “offenses” of the people who endeavor to represent God are the objection, and not God himself. That can be expected to change. The offenses are blown up and misrepresented, but they are not, in most cases, untrue. They are, however, not the issues to watch. The issues to watch are those relating to God’s purpose to establish an earth in which righteousness prevails.

Billy downvoted about a hundred or so of my posts in the last day or so, that I posted over the past year or so.   I got copies of each post downvoted in my email, yesterday.
I enjoyed reviewing what I had said.
When he does that, does EVERYBODY get a copy of what he down votes, or just the person being down voted.?
After about 70, I got bored, and realized how Adolph Hitler got people to agree with him, no matter what he said or did..
Billy appears to think EVERYTHING the Watchtower has ever said, or written, is the Word of God.
This collective body of thought is only best guesses ... assuming the very best of motives, and no interest in keeping money and power, and building an Earthly empire of rank and privilege. beautiful buildings, and the adoration of many millions of Jehovah's Witnesses, and an unlimited expense account.
My rough guess is that 85% of everything that they have ever said is self aggrandizing drivel, and flat wrong .... but then again, what I did learn from "The Truth" over the past 60 years ... that precious 15% ... has made my life better, and kept me from getting killed or incarcerated, and given me three magnificent children, so there is that!
...and of course, there is a great joy and satisfaction of actually know the REAL truth about who the Creator of the Universe is !
Holding to THAT Truth has allowed me to swim with sharks without being eaten alive.
I think it was American Patriot Nathan Hale who said "My Country, right or wrong ... but my Country".
I am inclined to share those sentiments about the truth, in "The Truth".
What should I do  ? ... wait until it's perfect?
That does NOT include supporting or agreeing with the 85%, as BillytheKid46 does.
... and defending the indefensible.
 
 

I would hope that you would consider that the most humble man on the face of the earth at the time, repented of his sin, most likely by bowing low ‘toward the earth’ before the Lord. Num 12:1-3; Exod 34:8,9  I would also hope that you realize that the scriptures Melinda provide from Heb 11 showed that his faithfulness to God was a paramount example for others to follow, including us today.
Why did Moses speak bitterly to the people?
They aligned themselves with Baal of Peor
and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods.
29 They angered the Lord with their deeds,
and a plague broke out against them.
30 But Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and the plague was stopped.
31 It was credited to him as righteousness
throughout all generations to come.
32 They angered the Lord at the Waters of Meribah,
and Moses suffered[b] (“and it was evil for Moses”) because of them;
33 for they embittered his spirit,[c] (“they rebelled against his Spirit)”
and he spoke rashly with his lips.”  Ps 106:28-32
 
 “Harden not your hearts as at Meribah and as at Massah in the day of temptation in the wilderness,
9 When your fathers tried My patience and tested Me, proved Me, and saw My work [of judgment].
10 Forty years long was I grieved and disgusted with that generation, and I said, It is a people that do err in their hearts, and they do not approve, acknowledge, or regard My ways.
11 Wherefore I swore in My wrath that they would not enter My rest [the land of promise].”
From that one “grave” error, as you call it, Moses did not harden his heart as the people he led had. He always upheld God’s ways, and God never rejected him, but rewarded him with eternal life.   Ps 99:6 Moses enter God’s rest in spite of God’s judgment that he would not enter the Promised Land.
He rebelled once, and it is quite obvious he repented for his error; otherwise he would not have been seen on the “holy mountain” with Jesus and Elijah:
Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” Matt 17:1-4
Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. 2 He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house.
5 “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. Heb 3:1,2,5 
As God’s holy prophet, the blessings Moses received was far greater than entering the Promised Land – he entered the heavenly “city that is to come”.  Heb 13:14; Eph 2:19-21 (Rev 18:20)
 

*** Bible Citations ***
23 By faith Moses was hid by his parents for three months after his birth, because they saw that the young child was beautiful and they did not fear the order of the king. 24 By faith Moses, when grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharʹaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing to be mistreated with the people of God rather than to have the temporary enjoyment of sin, 26 because he considered the reproach of the Christ to be riches greater than the treasures of Egypt, for he looked intently toward the payment of the reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, but not fearing the anger of the king, for he continued steadfast as seeing the One who is invisible. 28 By faith he observed the Passover and the splashing of the blood, so that the destroyer might not harm their firstborn. 29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as on dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted it, they were swallowed up.
 

When Jesus gave us an example of his love by giving us his life - we became obligated in the same way - to love others more than our own life. If everyone does this willingly on the entire earth ..... just think how the world will change! Social studies 101 for the new system!

They were " in the right place but it must have been the wrong time"  Malcolm John Rebennack Jr.
As for the billionaire illustration, we are not suggesting that Jehovah pays us to go to assemblies are we?

We have to pray, meditate and make out minds over - not just when we are at meetings, all the time. Earnest effort is required at all times.
 

You mean like pee?

This forum currently contains a recent topic where the subject of the 1918 imprisonment and 1919 release of Rutherford and his associates has come up. There is a lot of misinformation under that topic. I'm no expert on the subject, but it's still obvious that even some who present themselves as experts can be misinformed.
There is plenty of documentation and verifiable information out there on the topic, and while there's no real shame in being misinformed, we should be careful not to present ourselves as experts. When a person presents themselves as an expert, their misinformation becomes disinformation. We should strive for honesty.
And it's not that going back to this history is necessarily all that important, but our publications have made it part of fulfilled Bible prophecy, and therefore any mishandling of information about it becomes all the more serious. Also, sometimes when such historical topics are brought up some Witnesses are quick to complain that there is no reason to go back and rehash that old material. Note however, that it is our recent books and Watchtower magazines that regularly bring up such material for review. The "God's Kingdom" book discusses it. Even one of the most recent Watchtowers brings it up again (October 2019 Watchtower):
*** w19 October p. 3 1919—One Hundred Years Ago ***
    While the eight brothers were imprisoned, faithful Bible Students circulated a petition calling for their release. These brave brothers and sisters gathered more than 700,000 signatures. On Wednesday, March 26, 1919, before the petition was submitted, Brother Rutherford and the other responsible brothers were released.
     In a speech to those who welcomed him home, Brother Rutherford said: “I am convinced that this experience we have all gone through is merely to prepare us for more strenuous times. . . . Your fight has not been to get your brethren out of prison. That was merely a side issue. . . . The fight you have been making has been for the purpose of witnessing for the Truth, and those who have done it have received a wonderful blessing.”
     The circumstances surrounding the trial of our brothers may give indication of Jehovah’s direction. On May 14, 1919, the appeals court ruled: “The defendants in this case did not have the . . . impartial trial to which they were entitled, and for that reason the judgment is reversed.” The brothers had been convicted of serious crimes, and these judgments would have remained on their records if they had only been pardoned or if their sentences had merely been commuted. No further charges were laid. As a result, Judge Rutherford retained his legal qualifications to defend Jehovah’s people before the Supreme Court of the United States, something he did many times after his release.
I won't personally get back to this topic for up to a day or so, but welcome anyone with information to present what they know about it, or have heard about it. We can start with our own publications and Wikipedia, of course. But anything that seems like valuable information or interesting questions could be presented for evaluation by all who are serious about such history.

I write from memory but as far as I remember this refers to the period after Jesus started ruling in heaven during the first world war. Mal 3 refers to the cleansing which took place in this time.
The king of the fortresses after this in Daniel 11  then then stands up (Russia) and the king of the south pushes against him (cold war era).  The last part of verse 40 and 41 - 44 will soon go into fulfillment.   ( I also think that Russia and China have the same imperialistic goals at present).   The west has almost been conquered by the cultural communistic agenda and the One World Government of the UN is starting to rule covertly as we speak. (Look at other headings on this forum such as Migrant compact 2018).They want the full Agenda 2030 to be in place by the year 2030.
The Northern Seleucid king Antiochus IV put Zeus in the temple at Jerusalem and profaned it - this will happen again because they will force all religions to accept the UN god - the old god of the fortresses (UN religion will be forced on us) which will run this system of things.  The morality the UN will prescribe like a bible -  will be the new morality we are starting to see appearing out in the open in gender politics with transgenderism totally accepted and being indoctrinated in universities and schools.   They will expect all religions to accept this as well or face the consequences....it may be at this time that priests, rabbis and imams pretend not to be religious leaders etc.....religion will be unfashionable.     UN will call peace and security and then all hell will break lose.