Perhaps the one Scripture most often quoted by JWs is Matthew 24:14: "This good news of the kingdomwill be preached in all the inhabited earth and then the end will come." Even after decades away from the kingdom hall, I can still rattle off that verse. I daresay all 8-plus million "active" JWs can also recite it, plus the untold millions who have left or become inactive across the decades.
It is among the top cornerstone texts used in JW communications.
But now there's a significant shift in the use of that text: JWs often focused heavily on the part of the Scripture about the end coming. They'd explain to householders that as JWs were preaching the good news in all the inhabited earth it was a further sign that 'the end is near'.
For reasons that appear at once baffling and obvious, a partially quoted Mathew 24:14 has now become the cornerstone text of JW.org - over and above such JW classics as, "You are my Witnesses", says Jehovah"(Isaiah 43:10) and "By this all will know you are my followers, If you have love among yourselves" (John 13:35).
Have a look right now if you haven't already. This is what you will find: "This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth."
Perhaps one of the most meaningful parts of that Scripture - "and then the end will come" - has been omitted.
Is this just an unthinking trimming of Scripture to make it visually fit better into the allotted space? Or is it part of a deliberate "de-urgency-fying" of the JW message because of the extended period of time they have been warning about the nearness of the end?