What's going on in Ukraine 🇺🇦???

[JW Insider]

7 hours ago, Anna said:

An interesting podcast interview with Nina Khrushcheva on Putin:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2tTjibdYwBJYDems73h1YE?si=Rzgv8KX1TZyPqTdZ3rp-9A

Today, I heard part of an interview with her on NPR. An interesting intrigue about her grandfather, Nikita Krushchev, is that he was a Ukrainian saboteur AGAINST the Soviet Union, and for several years he was secretly supporting the Nazi party in an effort to undermine Stalin. This likely makes very little sense to most of us, but is presented by some Russian scholars to explain some otherwise inexplicable episodes under Stalin. Historically, of course, Stalin was successful in initiating the Nuremburg trials. The United States was not totally on board with this, and the US secretly and sometimes openly hired former Nazis for various government positions. It is fortunate that Stalin actually was successful in pushing for these postwar trials, in that they provide a memorable "punctuation point" to the Nazi regime.

[Dmitar]

It's hilarious how you people are beginning to act like those misguided witnesses in the 70s, about 1975. This is the nonsense that got them started. How many years have you people criticized the Watchtower for doing the EXACT same thing you people are doing, now? 😂😂 

[JW Insider]

16 hours ago, ComfortMyPeople said:

But, look, I think there is a lot of evidence that the USA is the king of the north. I hope to have time one day to explain myself better, just to advance two things:

I appreciate your perspective and @Arauna and @Thinking, too, of course, because you have all put a lot of thought and study into the application of the prophecies. I thought I would get into more hot water than I did by mentioning how arbitrary our identification can seem, and even how non-neutral it can seem.

@TrueTomHarley pointed out that even the world sees the pushing between the two antagonistic world powers, US and Russia. Of course, that's what world powers will always do. It's the nature of the beast(s).

I think that the GB is correct to point out that conflicts between major powers (like Russia and the US, for example) really do fit the kind of pushing that we see described by Daniel about the King of the North and King of the South. But I also don't think it matters that we think we can identify each of them specifically.

It's pretty obvious to me that Daniel 11 is making a specific point about the Seleucid and the Ptolemaic empires, and how that would affect the lives of those who tried to remain faithful among Jehovah's people while "caught in the middle" -- in the Land of Decoration. There is no specific reason, imo, to try to make it any one specific modern drama between two specific powers. Jesus already made use of Daniel 11, showing how it would apply again with Rome.

But I can't see what difference it should make to us if USA/UK and allies are somehow more like Rome, or if Russia and its allies are the ones more like Rome. Is Russia the current entity that is more like the Seleucid empire, or more like the Ptolemaic empire? Is that really the point? Or is it that we should keep our faithfulness when stuck in a world caught between such beasts? I think the point is that we don't take sides with either, we stay alert, use discernment, don't stumble, and we don't think of using violence:

(Daniel 11:14) . . .“And the violent ones among your people will be carried along to try making a vision come true; but they will stumble.

And most importantly, to know that the ultimate solution is our faith in God's kingdom as the only hope even during the worst of all tribulations:

(Daniel 12:1) . . .“During that time Miʹcha·el will stand up, the great prince who is standing in behalf of your people. And there will occur a time of distress such as has not occurred since there came to be a nation until that time. And during that time your people will escape, everyone who is found written down in the book.

[Thinking]

19 hours ago, Pudgy said:

I always thought that if things get really bad in the United States I could escape to Australia, but it seems that Australia has become or is becoming a totalitarian state.

It all began when they confiscated everyone’s guns.

Dogs are kept in quarantine for somewhere between 6 to 12 months over here…..

[Space Merchant]

4 hours ago, Thinking said:

Dogs are kept in quarantine for somewhere between 6 to 12 months over here…..

Sadly in Australia, during Authoritarianism, dogs can be terminated should someone give the call, this was the case when Authoritarianism was scaling up in the country.

As of right now, Australia still upholds Authoritarianism. Absolute Power corrupts Absolutely.

[Anna]

16 hours ago, Thinking said:

es I find it very confusing..ever since I came into the truth over forty years I have never understood this…America and England have ruled over so many lands with unbelievable power  and extreme cruelty..just take Australia alone..they decimated a beautiful people to gain that country…Russia didnt….Africa..the same…Even India was ruled by English for a time and in modern times they decimated so many middle eastern countries…but Russia didn’t…so I have to ask what lands has he flooded over

Wasn't the KON supposed to make its appearance in the last days? (since 1914). In that case, Colonial America and Britain wouldn't count.

[Melinda Mills]

  

On 2/25/2022 at 10:53 PM, Pudgy said:

….. And considering the question of neutrality and how God is it relates to the affairs of men more and more I’m wondering of Joseph‘s relationship to the Egyptian government of his time. He was the third ruler of the land, Under the son of Pharaoh, and my guess is he was roughly the equivalent of here in the United States the Secretary of Defense.

Since he was obviously a Hebrew, did he give his allegiance to the government of Egypt which in those days was the Pharaoh in the house of Ra?. It is my understanding that the term pharaoh actually means “the house of Ra“.

Joseph controlled the food supply for the nation of Egypt for at least 14 years in a time when everybody had a tendency to steal food for at least seven of those years.

I can easily visualize Joseph having to order armed soldiers to protect those granaries during the times of starvation especially.

Considering the responsibilities of his job as Secretary of Defense and Agriculture, do you think it bothered him to control the forces that protected the assets of the Egyptian government, and Egyptian people? To chastise them unto death?

I can easily visualize bandits in raiding parties attacking the granaries, and him having to kill them to make them stop. Perhaps not personally, but ordering the forces that were necessary to have it done.

I can also easily visualize Joseph maintaining his integrity to God and maintaining his allegiance to God, while serving the house of Ra in the exact same way as if his allegiance was to Egypt, and perhaps at some point in time he did have to give that also to the Pharaoh, even if only a secondary allegiance in order to protect Egypt’s food supply, which naturally extends to protecting Egypt’s borders from invasion by outside nations that we’re devastated by starving populations during the day 7 “lean years.”.

  All governments have the 'sword' or else they cannot maintain the peace and good order.  Note what the apostle Paul said in the Christian era at Romans chapter 13 verses 1 and 4:

1 " Let every person be in subjection to the superior authorities, for there is no authority except by God; the existing authorities stand placed in their relative positions by God. ....4  for it is Gods minister to you for your good. But if you are doing what is bad, be in fear, for it is not without purpose that it bears the sword.  It is God's minister, an avenger to express wrath against the one practicing what is bad."

In the 20th century BCE when Joseph was administering Egypt I would think that things were even stricter.  Also in the period when he Jewess Esther was Queen of Persia (some time between the period 493 to 475 BCE) use of the sword was fairly liberal; one could not come in to the King unless he/she were invited. They did so under the penalty of death.

When Adam an Eve listened to Satan and sinned, God knew that human kings/governments would come on the scene.  That is why he told Samuel, that the Israelites did not reject him, Samuel, it was Jehovah whom they rejected when they asked for a king.  As early as Genesis 49 we see prophecy relating to the the coming of royal offspring eventually leading the Jesus, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, who was to be the root of David.  His throne would eventually be a heavenly throne and has in fact become so.

Therefore what human kings/governments do is allowed by God to keep order on earth.

There is no record, as far as I remember,  of Joseph's dealings with ordinary citizens  but whatever he did seemed was fair and in good taste. He was later given total power over everyone in the Egyptian realm except for Pharaoh himself. Pharaoh recognized in 30-year-old Joseph the man wise enough to administer affairs during the time of plenty and the time of famine.  Joseph was therefore constituted second ruler in Egypt, Pharaoh giving Joseph his own signet ring, fine linen garments, and a necklace of gold and other trappings of high office.   

Fast forward to when his brothers came to Egypt to buy food, he sent them back to fetch his younger brother and gave them a series of tests to see if their murderous attitude had changed.   He then revealed himself to them, hugged them and cried profusely and told them: "Now do not feel hurt and do not be angry with yourselves because you sold me here; because for the preservation of life God has sent me ahead of you.  For this is the second year of the famine in the midst of the earth, and there are yet five years in which were will be no plowing time or harvest. Consequently God sent me ahead of you in order to place a remnant for you men in the earth and to keep you alive by a great escape. So now it was not you who sent me here, but it was the true God."  Genesis 45;1-8; 14,15.

Being a ruler did not stop him from being a servant of God; even if he had to order the execution of thieves it would not have stopped him from being righteous in God's eyes, because God had given that authority to the state.  

That Joseph was approved by God is seen in the fact that the twelve tribes of spiritual Israel mentioned in Revelation  7 verse 8, includes his name, whereas in the literal twelve tribes of Israel  his sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, are mentioned.  Also in the Christian Greek Scriptures Joseph is included in the "great cloud" of Witnesses whose faith is worthy of imitation.  It mentioned at verse 22 of chapter 11 of Hebrews that "By faith Joseph, nearing his end, spoke of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and he gave instructions concerning his bones. We see his actual request at Genesis 50:24,25. That this was carried out we see in the record at Joshua 24:32: "The bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought up out of Egypt, were buried in Shechem in the portion of the field that Jacob had acquired from the sons of Hamor,  Shechem's father, for 100 pieces of money; and it became the inheritance of the sons of Joseph."

I wanted to include God's approval of the worship of the Syrian war chief Naaman on becoming a worshipper of the True God but don't wish to be too long. Check the record at 2 Kings 5:15-18. 

 However, for Christians it is a little different.  The apostle Paul goes further than Jesus in explaining the spirit of the Christian law. Since Jesus's ransom  sacrifice, all nations are one under Christ. When Peter cut off the high priests ear in the garden of Gethsemane at the time of Jesus' arrest, Jesus healed it and restored the ear and rebuked Peter., saying those who live by the sword shall perish by the sword. He had told Christians to be neutral in John 17:15-17, namely "..They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world."  That the character of a soldier was not in keeping with the character of a Christian, the apostle Paul wrote to Titus and Timothy: 1 Tim 3:2, 3: 2 "The overseer should therefore be irreprehensible, a husband of one wife, moderate in habits, sound in mind, orderly, hospitable, qualified to teach, 3  not a drunkard, not violent (or a smiter - footnote), but reasonable, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money...". 

History of the first century Christians show they did not take jobs which entailed violence of any sort, but they cooperated with those who had the sword by obeying the laws of the land.  (Romans 13)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Thinking]

2 hours ago, Anna said:

Wasn't the KON supposed to make its appearance in the last days? (since 1914). In that case, Colonial America and Britain wouldn't count.

Why?…they were active..but I’m not sure I have understood  your question 

[Thinking]

4 hours ago, Space Merchant said:

Sadly in Australia, during Authoritarianism, dogs can be terminated should someone give the call, this was the case when Authoritarianism was scaling up in the country.

As of right now, Australia still upholds Authoritarianism. Absolute Power corrupts Absolutely.

 

4 hours ago, Space Merchant said:

Sadly in Australia, during Authoritarianism, dogs can be terminated should someone give the call, this was the case when Authoritarianism was scaling up in the country.

As of right now, Australia still upholds Authoritarianism. Absolute Power corrupts Absolutely.

They have a massive amount of control legally attained..which in itself was corrupt…most people here do not realise that as we  were by nature not interested in politics .It seems legally everything is in place for them to start turning on anyones faith when they see fit .

[Matthew9969]

17 hours ago, Dmitar said:

It's hilarious how you people are beginning to act like those misguided witnesses in the 70s, about 1975. This is the nonsense that got them started. How many years have you people criticized the Watchtower for doing the EXACT same thing you people are doing, now? 😂😂 

This statement coming from someone who's turned his parents basement into his own personal bunker.

[Anna]

1 hour ago, Thinking said:

Why?…they were active..but I’m not sure I have understood  your question 

I'm sorry. What I should have simply said is that Russia was not the king KON in colonial times, it only became the KON in the time of the end. Before the first world War the KON was Germany I believe and Anglo America has always been the king of the south. I don't know who the KON was supposed to be in the 18th century....

[Space Merchant]

1 hour ago, Thinking said:

They have a massive amount of control legally attained..which in itself was corrupt…most people here do not realise that as we  were by nature not interested in politics .It seems legally everything is in place for them to start turning on anyones faith when they see fit .

The paradigm is very cunning and callous, there is a reason as to why they censor people for speaking truth. As in regards to faith, they have planted their seeds in the educational institutions, something of which people are oblivious to the workings of the higher education system.

The next couple of years is going to be vastly different since the culture war started back up again.