Has the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses cited scriptures to support their claim that their message of hope will change to one of judgement before Armageddon?

[Jack Ryan]

...

[Evacuated]

Rev 16:21 "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."

Jehovah has used hail illustratively in connection with executional forces "hailing" down his judgement on opposers. Isaiah 28:2 (Assyrians), 28:17 (Babylonians).

This has been considered to likely provide a backdrop to understanding the unusually heavy hail decribed at Rev 16:21 in a figurative way. It has been explained as referring to weighty judgement messages, notifying mankind of Jehovah's impending destruction of the system of things. Literal hailstorms as experienced during the 10 plagues, have not been ruled out either. And of course, the destruction of false religion by political powers will be a heavy experience for those of rebellious mankind at the time of this prophetic "plague of hail."

[Melinda Mills]

 

(Isaiah 61:1, 2) 61 The spirit of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah is upon me, Because Jehovah anointed me to declare good news to the meek. He sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And the wide opening of the eyes to the prisoners,  ² To proclaim the year of Jehovah’s goodwill And the day of vengeance of our God, To comfort all who mourn,

 Judgement messages are released concomitant with the preaching of good news of the Kingdom and the year of goodwill.  The scripture above shows both  the year of good will and the day of vengeance being declared.

(Remember also the numbered Kingdom News tracts released over the years.)