In the recent Annual Meeting of October 2023 Jeffrey Jackson presented New Light on the final witnessing timing and the Great Tribulation. Whereas in the past and as recently as 2019 Jehovah's Witnesseses believed in 2 distinct new messages being delivered during the time of the end, first the "good news of the Kingdom" from Marthew 24:14 and secondly a "more hard hitting message" likened to hailstones during the Great Tribulation based on a erroneous interpretation of Revelation. For example we see the following quotes in very recent Watchtower articles. In the October 2019 study edition of the Watchtower, Jehovah’s Witnesses were alerted to watch for various features of the coming great tribulation. Among these was a change in their preaching message:
During the great tribulation, the message that we proclaim will likely change. Currently, we are preaching the good news of the Kingdom and we are endeavoring to make disciples. But at that time, we may well deliver a message as hard-hitting as hailstones. (Rev. 16:21) We may proclaim the impending doom of Satan’s world. In time, we will find out exactly what our message will be and how we will deliver it. Will we use the same methods we have used for over a hundred years to accomplish our ministry? Or will we use some other methods? We will have to wait and see. In any case, it seems that we will have the privilege of boldly proclaiming Jehovah’s judgment message!—Ezek. 2:3-5.
9.Quite likely, our message will provoke the nations into trying to silence us once and for all. Just as we rely on Jehovah for support in our ministry now, we will need his support then. We can be sure that our God will fill us with power to accomplish his will.—Mic. 3:8. (The Watchtower October 2019 study edition pg. 16 pars. 8,9 see also The Watchtower July, 2023 pg 2 par. 3)
This was also presented in a 2015 article entitled “Your Deliverance Is Getting Near”:
This will not be the time to preach the “good news of the Kingdom.” That time will have passed. The time for “the end” will have come! (Matt. 24:14) No doubt God’s people will proclaim a hard-hitting judgment message. This may well involve a declaration announcing that Satan’s wicked world is about to come to its complete end. The Bible likens this message to hailstones when it says: “Great hailstones, each about the weight of a talent, fell from heaven on the people, and the people blasphemed God because of the plague of hail, for the plague was unusually great.”—Rev. 16:21. (The Watchtower July 15, 2015 pg. 16 par. 9)
SO WHAT IS THE CORRECT UNDERSTANDING?
First of all are there any verses to support a message of judgement?Please go and watch my last video on the Great Tribulation , where I make the case that it is a 7 year period the End Times, or the final week of years of Daniel 9. As in the days of Jesus where He preached the good news of the kingdom for 3 1/2 years and had the Jewish nation accepted him as the Messiah that would have trigered also the next half or the last 3 1/2 of years of the Great Tribulation. As we know that didn't happen as Jesus was rejected and so these last 3 1/2 are still future.
What will this message of judgement look like? We get a small glimpse in Rev.11:3-6 where the 2 witnesses of the Tribulation deliver this message to the world. (Read these verses)"I will cause my two witnesses to prophesy for 1,260 days dressed in sackcloth.” 4 These are symbolized by the two olive trees and the two lampstands and are standing before the Lord of the earth. 5 If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouths and consumes their enemies. If anyone should want to harm them, this is how he must be killed. 6 These have the authority to shut up the sky so that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying(=or judgement witnesing), and they have authority over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every sort of plague as often as they wish"Rev. 11:3-6
Does this look like a witnesing of good news to the nations or witnesing of judgement? By the way this witnessing takes place for exactly 3 1/2 years or 1260 days based on a 30 day lunar calendar month. As in the days of Exodus, God send his 2 witnesses, Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh to deliver a message of judgement, did they proclaim a message of peace and good will OR a message of destruction? By the way, the similarities of the 2 witnesses with Moses and Aaron are quite striking in this part of Revelation.
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