[Twelfth in a series of posts on Last Things]
Encore Post:
One of the most popular of the signs Jesus predicted would happen before the Second Advent is the success of the missionary mandate. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world,” Jesus predicted. (Matthew 24:14) This sign appears to be, unlike the other signs, a unique condition, one that was not fulfilled during the ministry of Jesus. Millennialist prophecy scholars note that it wasn’t until the 19th century that missionaries reached many parts of the world. While this is true, it is based on an English translation of the prophecy. The passage is better translated: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole inhabited world — the civilized world of the Roman Empire. (οἰκουμÎνῃ–oikoumene–Ecumene)”
The Greek language of the New Testament uses several words that are translated as ” world in our English Bibles. The Greeks and Romans used οἰκουμÎνῃ for the lands of the Roman Empire. They thought of humanity as made up of two classes of people, the civilized Graeco-Roman nations and the barbarians. κόσμος (kosmos–cosmos) was the word Greek philosophers used to speak about the universe. In Jewish-Greek writing it carries the sense of all creation and especially all peoples — this is the word used in John 3:16. The word γῆς (ges–the root of our word geography) was used for the physical world, translated as earth or the land.
This prophecy, then, is similar to the others we’ve examined. It does not give Christians a trigger for calculating the date of the Second Advent. It describes the age between Christ’s Ascension and his return: the gospel proclaimed among all peoples. It was fulfilled already when, according to tradition, St. Paul reached Spain, known in his day as “The End of the World.” The apostles themselves could speak of the gospel as already proclaimed in all creation under heaven (Colossians 1:23).
And it continues to be fulfilled wherever Christians preach the good news of salvation, wherever they live. As they fulfill Christ’s sending, baptizing and teaching, the Holy Spirit uses their witness to create faith, call the lost to faith, and build Christ’s church. This sign is not a countdown but a description of the Church’s work through the whole New Testament age — and it is why God patiently delays the end (2 Peter 3:9). Through the preaching of the gospel, Christ continues to call sinners to himself, and wherever sinners are baptized into Christ and trust in him for salvation, this prophecy is being fulfilled.
When he completes this task and our mission is accomplished, Jesus will return to bring his bride home. Until that day, the Church keeps doing what her Lord commanded: preaching the gospel, baptizing, and teaching.
Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog
The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack
Rev. Robert E. Smith
Pastor Emeritus
Fort Wayne, Indiana
©2019-2026 Robert E. Smith. All rights reserved. Permission granted to copy, share, and display freely for non-commercial purposes. Direct all other rights and permissions inquiries to cosmithb@msn.com
