“And Then Shall the End Come”
End-Times Considerations
I welcome discussion and even criticism.
“Can Jesus come back before the gospel has been preached into all the nations/people groups?”
When asked by the disciples in Acts 1 about the restoration of the kingdom to Israel, Jesus said it is not for them (or us) to know, but instead that the disciples would be empowered by the baptism in the Spirit to be His witnesses unto the uttermost parts of the earth, that repentance for remission of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations (ethnos, people groups) as He says in Luke 24. In the most well-known Great Commission statement in Matt. 24, Jesus likewise says his disciples are to go and make disciples of all nations (ethnos), promising to be with his disciples even to the end of the age. A few chapters earlier, in Matt 24, our Lord said that his disciples, (He says “you,” not any other group), will be hated by all nations (ethnos) and that this gospel of the kingdom would preached for a witness/testimony to all the nations, and then shall the end come. (I have quoted the passages cited below for ease of reference).
This all being clear from Scripture, could the Lord Jesus return before these clear and direct inspired statements from His own mouth are fulfilled?
Acts 1:6 So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 7He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (All scriptures NASB95)
Luke 24:44Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, 47and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name TO ALL THE NATIONS, beginning from Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things. 49And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” (Allcaps mine)
Matthew 28:18And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19Go therefore and make disciples of ALL THE NATIONS, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with YOU always, even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 24:9 “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated BY ALL NATIONS. 10At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. 12Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. 13But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. 14This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to ALL THE NATIONS, and then the end will come. |
[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 2/26/22 2:43 pm
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