Matt. 24: 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲.
THE TRUE GOSPEL ENDS THE WORLD
“Tell us, when shall these things be and what shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the world?” Math 24:3 kjv
( “–Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the CLOSE OF THE AGE ?” RSV.
. ❞…𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀
❞ (𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻).
It is absolutely clear then, that what we are dealing with has nothing to do with the end of the globe” but rather the system of things that was in operation before the coming of Christ.
❞𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨❞ were those things that characterized that particular age in question which the presence of Jesus the Christ came to put an end to, in order that the worship of God might be perfected. Hence, “the close of the age.”
We shall therefore consider two more verses in Matt. 24 to further clarify what we are talking about.
Notice this, that Mathew 24 is a fulfilled Book, it wasn’t meant for your age, all the signs given really took place in AD 70.
In Matt. 24:6 we read;
‘𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝘀, 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗲 𝗯𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗱, 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘆𝗲𝘁,❞ 𝗞𝗝𝗩.
❞𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙢𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙮𝙚𝙩,❞ 𝙏𝙇𝘽.
Here Jesus is saying that wars and rumors of wars does not in any way signal His return. But unfortunately, these are the same verses of scripture that the popular TV evangelists and ‘big men of God’ have used, and are still using to date to put men in fear of the imminent return of Jesus Christ.
Some in our days have taken to the Russian and Ukraine war to state that Jesus will soon return or that this will signal the third world war.
They look around the world for war ‘hot spots’ on CNN, etc., and jump to say, “Here it is, this is the sign of the end of time.”
But Jesus said, no, that is not the sign of my corning.
Notice also that Jesus was dealing with a particular age (𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙩. 24:34, ❞…𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙗𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙)
indicating that these words of Jesus had to be fulfilled before the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70.
Looking at it from the historical perspective, the period in question was such a rough one for the Jews.
In Seleucia, record has it that 50,000 Jews were killed. The Jews were seriously risen against in Alexandria. In the battle of the Jews and Syrians in Caesurae, about 20,000 Jews were killed.
Over there in Rome, within the space of 18 months, four Roman Emperors came to a violent death. A Roman historian (the Annals of Tacitus) whose historical record covered this period prior to the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70, made use of language such as!
“𝘸𝘢𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘴, 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘎𝘢𝘶𝘭, 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯’𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘪𝘯 𝘈𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢, 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘎𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺,” 𝘦𝘵c
So you see, to the average believer in the language of Jesus, they know that ‘the end of the world’ was not referring to the end of planet earth, even as Jesus indicated.
But rather to the “end of the Jewish economy” that has to do with the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, which must take place after these events.
Therefore to the Jewish Christians, these events were necessary as a sign of what to expect in the future.
They were so certain that the sayings of Jesus were relevant to their days. To them, it has nothing to do with a future date of about 2,000 years later. They also knew that the Lord was directly in an unmistakable manner speaking about Jerusalem and the Temple.
Again, listen to this;
❞𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲,❞ 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁. 𝟮𝟰:𝟭𝟰 𝗞𝗝𝗩.
What “𝗲𝗻𝗱” do you think He was referring to? It was the fall of Jerusalem. You need to understand that 𝘁𝗵𝗲 ❜𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗,❜ as used here, has nothing to do with the universe or wherever there is a human being.
But rather, it was referring to 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗝𝗲𝘄 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲.
Wherever there was a Jew was ‘the end of the world.’ That is why we read that,
“…ye being in time past gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision by that which is called circumcision in the flesh made by hands, that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world,” Eph. 2:11-12 KJV.
Meaning that, only those who were in that Covenant had God in the world.
Therefore, those (the Jews) are the people that ought to receive the Gospel of the Kingdom then, before the “end shall come,” for Jesus came only for the lost sheep of Israel. Matt. 15:24.
And “𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐮𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐞𝐰𝐬…,❞ 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝟏𝟏: 𝟏𝟗 𝐉𝐁.
So then, when we are talking of the world here, we are talking of wherever there was a Jew; i.e., the Graeco-Roman world.
For they were destined to hear the Good News before the fall or punishment comes to Israel. The earliest testimonies of the apostles will be against the faithlessness of Judaism (Matt. 10:18).
Therefore, before the fall, the Gospel had already reached the main parts of the Roman Empire where you could locate a Jew.
Facts and evidence in scriptures.
For instance,
❞…𝙬𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙃𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚,❞ 𝙍𝙤𝙢. 1:5 𝙆𝙅𝙑.
Paul never went around to all the nations of the world before he died. He did not even get to Africa, but yet ‘the obedience was to all nations.’
Now see this; ❞𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗹𝘆, 𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗺𝘆 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗹𝗹, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱,❞ 𝗥𝗼𝗺. 𝟭:𝟴.
Can you imagine that? The faith of the Jewish Christians in Rome was being spoken of throughout the whole world? What life was the Jewish Christian living that we heard of here in Africa?
What this passage means is that, among the Jews of the dispersers (James 1:1) wherever they were, the faith of the ones in Rome was being spoken of.
Again, to the Church in Colossians, we read of “…the hope…which is come to you, as it is in ALL THE WORLD…and be not removed away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every CREATURE which is under heaven whereof I Paul am made a minister,” Col. 1:6,23 KJV.
Mind you, this letter was written between 62-63 AD before the fall.
Again, here is Paul declaring that the gospel had reached the entire world and every creature has heard it.
Can you believe that? When did the gospel get to Africa? Can we say all creature-mankind today has heard the gospel preached to them?
Missionaries still tell us today that there are people who have not yet heard this gospel even here in Africa.
So what do we mean by, “The Gospel preached to all creatures under heaven?” It is simply referring to wherever there was a Jew. And the Jew never lived in Africa, America, or Australia but in 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲 which 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 ❞𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱.❞
“The world” therefore was wherever there was an Israelite, and the Levitical priesthood which stood for Judaism. Please see also 1Thes. 1:8.
And so we read about the Jews in relation to Matt. 24:14,
“…yet faith comes from listening to this Good News…the Good News about Christ. But what about the Jews? Have they heard Gods word? Yes, for it has gone wherever they are: The Good News has been told to the ends of the earth,” Rom. 10:17-18 TLB.
And this letter was written in AD 56-58, some 12 years before the fall of Jerusalem.
Therefore Paul confirmed the fact that the Gospel got to all the earth before the final judgment came to Israel in AD 70. Are you following this?
In (Acts 19:27) we are told the goddess Diana was worshipped in Asia and THE WORLD.
Is this not a clear indication that the world as used here speaks of the Graeco Roman Empire. For the goddess Diana was not worshipped here in Africa where am writing from.?
In summary: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙖𝙣, 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙖 𝙤𝙛 𝙂𝙤𝙙.But the planet earth that is serving the purposes of God remains.
To be continued…