Friday, May 4, 2018
In God’s sovereign foreknowledge He has identified numerous events that must first take place before Christ gathers the saints at “the first resurrection” (Rev. 20:4–6), “at the last day” (John 6:40), not meaning, however, that we can know “that day and hour” (Matt. 24:36). One of those events is Jesus’ teaching that “this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matt. 24:14).
In view of Matt. 24:14, some, even pastors, believe there is really no need to teach the end-times because the Church is nowhere near completing the task of preaching the gospel “in all the world as a witness to all the nations”. But that shortsightedness misses the truth wherein the Holy Spirit said that “the gospel which you heard…was preached [note the past tense] to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister” (Col. 1:23).
The widespread preaching of the gospel began immediately after Pentecost when “about three thousand souls were added to them” (Acts 2:41). It was then much later when Paul said by the Spirit that the gospel “was preached…to every creature under heaven”. So, just because man is historically unfaithful in the generational continuance of the gospel, does not mean the gospel was not at one time already preached “to every creature under heaven”, because it was.
Consider ancient Israel’s neglect of God’s Word, a people “who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it” (Acts 7:53), a people who, generation after generation forsook the continuance of God’s Word. Likewise, the same generational neglect accompanies Christianity wherein many have carelessly failed to generationally pass down God’s Word.
And believers comprising the true Church of this late hour which numbers “few” (Matt. 7:14) as compared to the global population, will never accomplish preaching the gospel to every nation, tribe and tongue. As God promised, that task will only be accomplished by God’s angelic host.
Here’s how. At some point during the great tribulation, during the last 3 1/2 years of this age, the Holy Spirit said by the apostle, “Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth – to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people – saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come’” (Rev. 14: 6–7). Where the Church is unable, God is limitlessly able.
Jesus said “with God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26). But the preaching of the gospel “to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people” will not be accomplished by Christians, we are too few. But with God, however, all things are possible, and in that context He will send forth His angel at the appointed time to preach the gospel “to those who dwell on the earth – to every nation, tribe, tongue and people”. God will get this done, not the Church, and then the end will come.
The world needs the undiluted preaching of the whole gospel, not just select portions that sound good to man. The Spirit reminds us, “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord God, that I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, but shall not find it” (Amos 8:11–12).
That famine arrived by evidence of 400 years of silence from God in the intertestamental period. In secondary fulfillment of Amos 8:11–12, the world is now experiencing yet another famine “of hearing the words of the Lord”, in that, much preaching and teaching today glorifies man and not Christ. God’s Word has largely been diluted by false teachers and culture-accommodating men and women who need to have their own hearts pierced by the “two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit” (Heb. 4:12) rather than seeking the praise of man.
Consequently, many people in the corporate-styled institutional church are spiritually starved, and they “run to and fro”, going from book to book, conference to conference, and program to program, looking for something, anything to satisfy the hunger in the depths of their soul…and they’re not finding it, for much of what they hear is disingenuous fluff, without repentance and without self-denial to take up one’s own cross, the very hallmark of being a follower of Christ.
The gospel has suffered loss due to generational neglect and a diminishing love for God. But if we love God and fellowman, we must each use the talents God has given us, and minister those truths to “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38), and teach the coming judgment and redemption of God – judgment for the unbeliever and redemption for the believer who actually believes Christ and prepares to endure to the end as Jesus taught.
The preaching of the gospel of the kingdom “to every nation, tribe, tongue and people”, will not be accomplished by the Church, but will be accomplished by God. Consider, there are peoples, tribes and tongues right here in America, the nation from which the gospel has gone forth more than any other, who have never heard the gospel. If it is so here in America, and it is, then on what basis shall the Christian expect to fulfill Matthew 24:14? Only God can fulfill it.
While we are commanded to fulfill the great commission of Matt. 28:19–20 to the best of our ability, we should not think we can accomplish that which is God’s sovereign work to perform. But what is imminently before us is the time of the end, and Antichrist’s seven-year tribulation. And a vital part of the gospel includes those end-time truths, especially for this final generation, because Jesus said “But he who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matt. 24:13).
Now this highly relevant 4/25/2018 end-time headline from Charisma News: “Pope Invites Leaders of All Christian Denominations in the Mideast to Peace Summit”. I have taught for years that the Vatican is the final beast-kingdom of Dan. 2, and that Pope Francis, its current head, will draft the peace “covenant with many” (Dan. 9:27) which begins the seven-year tribulation. I’ll share more on this subject next Friday.
Marlin J. Yoder
Thanks Marlin for your declaring that man will not succeed in the preaching of the gospel, but angels will according to Scripture. It is a shame that man’s message has become just that, man’s message, distorted, and much deceiving overall.
I have recently found it most interesting that in the midst of all the end time warnings spoken of by Jesus in Matthew 24, Matthew 24.13 so vividly stands out as if to cry, THIS IS IMPORTANT!!! “But he [or she] who endures to the end shall be saved.” In the previous 12 verses Jesus warned of the 70 AD destruction of the Jewish temple, He gave us a biblical warning of taking heed that no one deceives us, because many will be coming in Jesus’ name falsely and ever claiming or proclaiming Jesus to be the Christ or coming Messiah.
Prior to verse 13 Jesus spoke of wars and rumors of wars, and cautioned us not to be troubled by what many would say are difficult or perilous end times, and considered by most to be if not bad news, certainly not thought of as good news by the many less than spiritually minded individuals. But Jesus continued His end time warnings to Christians, who would hopefully be reading His words as we plunge closer and closer to the end of this age and His coming again.
Therefore, Jesus warned of nation rising against nation and kingdom rising up against kingdom, both spiritually and physically. He warned of coming famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. And these according to Jesus, are all but the beginning of sorrows, or the beginning of difficult and perilous end times.
And if these things were not enough, Jesus predicted the delivering up of Christians to tribulation and death. And if a person was to escape death, Christians would then be hated by all nations for Christ Jesus’ name sake. Jesus acknowledged that many one-time Christian believers would become offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.
And as extremely difficult all these things will be to the true enduring to the end Christian believer, there is more to be warned of and prepared for! For according to Jesus, many, not a few, and not some, but many false prophets will rise up and deceive many, not a few, and not some, but many will be deceived even after Jesus’ warning in advance to take heed that no one deceives you.
And because, also, according to Jesus lawlessness or iniquity will abound in the end times, the love of many [one-time believers], not a few, and not some, but many, the love for God and for others will grow cold just as Jesus declared in His letter to the Ephesians in the book of Revelation. And there the only remedy was true repentance and a returning to their first love of God and Jesus Christ.
Up to this point in Matthew 24, it would be difficult to find much good news unless you spiritually realize that all these beginning of sorrows eventually lead to the coming of Christ in great glory and to the gathering of His enduring to the end saints. That is GOOD NEWS!!!
But finally, some real and what could truly be considered as good news was revealed by Jesus in verse 13. “But he [or she] who endures to the end shall be saved.” I could not stress too much just how important this verse is. According to Jesus, whoever endure to the end shall be saved. Therefore, what happens to the many who do not endure to the end? What happens to those who do not believe that it is important to endure to the end of their lives and or to the end of this age?
According to Jesus it was and remains important enough to endure to the end to thereby be saved, that the Holy Spirit made sure these words of Jesus were repeated and were recorded in three (3) various places in the gospel accounts. These words, “But he [or she] who endures to the end shall be saved”, can be found in Matthew 10.22, Matthew 24.13, and in Mark 13.13.
But the key to just how important this good news of verse 13 is, “But he [or she] who endures to the end shall be saved”; is found in verse 14, the very next verse. For according to Jesus, “And this gospel [good news] of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come.”
Marlin, you are absolutely correct when you bring to our attention the angels of Revelation chapter 14 preaching the everlasting gospel. And yet, what exactly is Jesus declaring the gospel to be in Matthew 24. 13-14? He warned that those who endure to the end shall be saved, and then immediately declares, “And this gospel of the kingdom [the gospel of enduring to the end] will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations [by angels according to Revelation 14], and then the end will come.”
Thanks Marlin for your continued efforts to bring the Word of God in truth to the world. May it forever be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our paths.
In Him Always, Brother Mike…
Thank you Brother Mike for your comment
The only thing the everlasting Gospel can be is the Gospel of the Kingdom of God hear on earth to start with a thousand reign right here on earth. Also Dan. Chapters 2 and 7 also establish there shall be no end (everlasting Gospel) to this Kingdom. God Bless you as the word in John !6:13 states when the Spirit of truth come he will guide us into all truth. Bro George Moberly