https://youtu.be/N_ftTVylM-M?si=L44406oHYSuBKajr
So today we are considering, the Watchtower's new take on the "hailstone message", and if you don't know what that is , they used to believe that according to Revelation 16:21 they would be preaching a hard hitting message during the time of the End. Now, let's read the verse first from the New World Translation: "Then 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"
Now this is their new understanding as it appears from the 3rd paragraph from their new Watchtower Study Edition for August 2025 and their article:When will the preaching work end, has this to say:
"Our clarified understanding of Matthew 24:14 also adjusts our understanding of the hailstonelike message foretold at Revelation 16:21. Further examination has revealed that the two scriptures complement each other. How so? The answer lies in how people respond to the Kingdom message. To “those who are being saved,” wrote the apostle Paul, the message is good news, “a fragrance of life.” But to God’s enemies, it is bad news, “an odour of death.” (2 Cor. 2:15, 16) They hate the Kingdom message because it exposes their world for what it is—wicked, ruled by Satan, and headed for destruction.—John 7:7; 1 John 2:17; 5:19."
The Watchtower used to have a very different vibe when it came to interpreting scriptures like Revelation 16:21. Back in the day, they saw the “hailstone-like message” as a real verbal smackdown—a fiery, no-holds-barred condemnation of the wicked, complete with harsh words that would make even the toughest sinner squirm. Think of it as the biblical similar of a fire-and-brimstone preacher screaming at you from a street corner, telling you exactly how much God despises your life choices. It was the kind of message that could make you feel like you’d been hit by an actual 45-pound hailstone, metaphorically speaking, of course. But oh, how the times have changed! Now, the Watchtower is all about playing nice because apparently, they’ve realized that coming across as a nasty cult isn’t a great look when you’re trying to keep the donations rolling in.
These days, their magazines couldn't be more watered-down if they tried, with front covers that are so painfully inoffensive they might as well be background noise at a dentist’s office. We’re talking titles like “Wars, When Will They Ever End?” or “Racism: Why Can’t We Be More Kind?”—the kind of vague, feel-good topics that make you want to roll your eyes so hard you might see your own brain. Do these articles inspire anyone to stop and think? Hardly. They’re about as effective as a wet paper towel in a hurricane. Passersby don’t even glance at them, probably because they’re too busy scrolling X on their phones to care about the Watchtower’s lukewarm attempt at relevance. Imagine if they actually went for something with some bite, something that would make people stop dead in their tracks—like “Abortion: God Will Kill You for Killing Your Baby!” or “Divorce: God Hates You for Abandoning Your Family!” Now that would get attention. People would be swarming the literature carts, not to grab a copy, but to set the whole thing ablaze in a fit of rage. It’d be a spectacle—carts up in flames, news crews racing to the scene, and the Watchtower plastered across every TV station in the land. They’d be trending on X for all the wrong reasons, but at least they’d be trending, right? Now, that would be a hailstone message worth delivering, and that would secure them a place in God's heavenly kingdom, right?
Of course, the Watchtower isn’t about to take that kind of risk. Why would they? They’re not here to actually preach a bold message or judge the world—they’ve got bigger fish to fry, like keeping the organization afloat and the money flowing. It’s all about perpetuating their own existence, not rocking the boat with anything that might make them look too controversial. And let’s be real, controversy doesn’t exactly scream “please donate to our cause.” So instead, they churn out these toothless magazines, hoping no one notices that their ministry has become about as relevant as a flip phone in 2025. But here’s the interesting part: a lot of Jehovah’s Witnesses are starting to wake up and smell the irrelevance. They’re asking the hard questions, like, “Why is our ministry so pointless?” or “When are we actually going to preach the end-times judgment message against the nations like we’re supposed to?” These aren’t just idle complaints—they’re the kind of questions that could make even the most loyal Witness start to wonder if they’ve been wasting their Saturdays for nothing.
Faced with this growing discontent, the Watchtower knew they had to come up with an answer, and boy, did they deliver! Instead of admitting that maybe, just maybe, their approach has been a bit pathetic—lacking any real backbone or meaningful stand for their faith—they decided to pull a classic move: blame the public! According to their new, oh-so-clever interpretation, the whole issue isn’t their fault at all. Nope, it’s all about how people react to the Kingdom message. If the public likes it, then it’s a sweet-smelling fragrance, like a bouquet of roses on a spring day. But if they don’t like it—and let’s face it, most people don’t—then it’s a hailstone message, crashing down on them with all the subtlety of a divine temper tantrum. See how that works? It’s the perfect cop-out! The Watchtower gets to keep doing what they’re doing—churning out bland articles, and avoiding any real confrontation—while shifting the blame onto the very people they’re supposed to be reaching. If the message doesn’t land, it’s not because the Watchtower’s approach is weak; it’s because the public is just too stubborn to appreciate their brilliance. How convenient.
This new spin ties back to their “clarified understanding” of Matthew 24:14 and Revelation 16:21, where they now claim the preaching work and the hailstone judgment are two sides of the same coin.You see, in the past their understanding was that Matthew 24:14 was the "message of good will" that will be followed by the message of judgement, or hailstone message in Revelation 16:21 during the Great Tribulation and that made alot more sense. Now, with this new understanding, they don't have to swift gears. They can carry on preaching this irrelevant lacklurst message and still call it the hailstone message.It's all about perception. See how that works?
Matthew 24:14 is all about spreading the Kingdom message, which they’re doing in the most non-confrontational way possible, and Revelation 16:21 is the symbolic fallout for those who reject it. It’s a neat little trick—they get to keep their hands clean while still claiming they’re delivering a hard-hitting message, just not in the way they used to. Gone are the days of fiery rhetoric and bold proclamations; now it’s all about perception. If you’re on board with the message, it’s a breath of fresh air. If you’re not, well, you’ve just been hit with a metaphorical hailstone, and that’s on you, pal. It’s the kind of mental gymnastics that would make an Olympic gymnast jealous, and it lets the Watchtower off the hook for their lackluster ministry while still making them feel like they’re fulfilling some grand prophetic role.
At the end of the day, this whole debacle just highlights the Watchtower’s priorities. They’re not here to shake things up or challenge the world with a bold, unapologetic message. They’re here to keep the organization humming along, safe, and sound while avoiding anything that might make them look too extreme. Meanwhile, their own members are left wondering why their ministry feels so hollow, and the public remains blissfully unaware of their existence, unless they happen to trip over a literature cart on their way to get coffee. It’s a far cry from the days when the Watchtower wasn’t afraid to deliver a message that packed a punch, but maybe that’s the point. In a world where image is everything, the Watchtower would rather play it safe than risk being seen as the judgmental group they claim not to be—even if that means their message has all the impact of a whisper in a windstorm.
Now, let’s take a page out of the Watchtower’s playbook and examine how Jesus, the apostles, and early Christians like Paul and Stephen preached judgment with a boldness that would make today’s literature carts tremble. These early preachers didn’t tiptoe around the truth with feel-good platitudes; they delivered God’s message with unapologetic fire, even when it meant facing hostility. Their words, as recorded in the Bible, show a stark contrast to the Watchtower’s current soft approach, proving that real judgment preaching isn’t about playing nice—it’s about speaking truth, no matter the cost.
Jesus set the tone in Matthew 23:33, directly confronting the religious leaders: “Serpents, offspring of vipers, how will you flee from the judgment of Gehenna?” No sugarcoating there—just a blistering condemnation of their hypocrisy, warning them of fiery destruction. The crowd didn’t exactly roll out the welcome mat; the leaders later plotted to kill him. Then there’s Stephen, the first Christian martyr, who didn’t hold back in Acts 7:51-l53: “Obstinate men and uncircumcised in hearts and ears, you are always resisting the holy spirit; as your forefathers did, so you do. Which one of the prophets did your forefathers not persecute?” The response? His audience “were cut to the heart” and stoned him (Acts 7:54, 58). Paul was just as direct in Acts 13:46, telling the Jews who rejected the message: “It was necessary for the word of God to be spoken first to you. Since you are rejecting it and do not judge yourselves worthy of everlasting life, look! we turn to the nations.” Their reaction? They “stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and threw them outside their boundaries” (Acts 13:50). These men preached judgment with clarity and courage, facing death and exile rather than diluting the message—something the Watchtower might want to ponder the next time they print another bland cover.