Matthew 24:14 - The Gospel is preached everywhere?
Here is an excerpt from my book called, “In the Last Days.” It has been slightly edited to fit this shorter context.
There is a theory in the church that says Jesus will come when the gospel is preached everywhere. The concept is when the gospel is preached to every nation, tribe and people group, then that signals Jesus will come. This notion comes from what Jesus said when describing the last days.
This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14)
This thinking is erroneously used to say we must hurry up and spread the gospel and should increase our missionary budget. It is true we should spread the gospel and increase the missionary budget according to what Jesus said in the great commission.
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18–20)
But it is not true that Matthew 24:14 links these two concepts together and this violates the law of the excluded middle (law of logic). Context is important, so let’s examine the context of Matthew 24:14.
And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.
“Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.“Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:4–14)
Jesus describes what is to come as a series of linked events that leads up to the end which culminates in “this gospel” being preached in the whole world “as a testimony.” The key phrase here is “as a testimony.” It is not a declaration of spread or breath, but of “intensity.”
Again, consider the two witnesses and why they are called witnesses. In a more general definition you could say they are witnesses of the gospel and their job is to witness to the whole world that Jesus is Lord. Remember the two witnesses are doing their witnessing when the antichrist is walking around saying he is god and demons are assisting him in performing miracles like making a statue to speak. So God pulls out all the stops and grants His two witnesses unprecedented authority (intensity) to witness in those times. In Revelation 11:7, it says the following.
When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them. (Revelation 11:7)
The “testimony” of the two witnesses is the fulfillment of what Jesus spoke about the gospel being preached and then the end comes. When their testimony is complete and they are taken into heaven, then the end will come. We know this because this is the last thing written in the scriptures as an event that must be fulfilled before Jesus returns. So what Jesus is referring to in Matthew 24:14 is the testimony of the two witnesses and not a generalized movement.
There is a theory in the church that says Jesus will come when the gospel is preached everywhere. The concept is when the gospel is preached to every nation, tribe and people group, then that signals Jesus will come. This notion comes from what Jesus said when describing the last days.
This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14)
This thinking is erroneously used to say we must hurry up and spread the gospel and should increase our missionary budget. It is true we should spread the gospel and increase the missionary budget according to what Jesus said in the great commission.
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18–20)
But it is not true that Matthew 24:14 links these two concepts together and this violates the law of the excluded middle (law of logic). Context is important, so let’s examine the context of Matthew 24:14.
And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.
“Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.“Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:4–14)
Jesus describes what is to come as a series of linked events that leads up to the end which culminates in “this gospel” being preached in the whole world “as a testimony.” The key phrase here is “as a testimony.” It is not a declaration of spread or breath, but of “intensity.”
Again, consider the two witnesses and why they are called witnesses. In a more general definition you could say they are witnesses of the gospel and their job is to witness to the whole world that Jesus is Lord. Remember the two witnesses are doing their witnessing when the antichrist is walking around saying he is god and demons are assisting him in performing miracles like making a statue to speak. So God pulls out all the stops and grants His two witnesses unprecedented authority (intensity) to witness in those times. In Revelation 11:7, it says the following.
When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them. (Revelation 11:7)
The “testimony” of the two witnesses is the fulfillment of what Jesus spoke about the gospel being preached and then the end comes. When their testimony is complete and they are taken into heaven, then the end will come. We know this because this is the last thing written in the scriptures as an event that must be fulfilled before Jesus returns. So what Jesus is referring to in Matthew 24:14 is the testimony of the two witnesses and not a generalized movement.