Has the Gospel reached and been preached to all Nations?

[Scott Downey]

...and futurists must ignore scores of plain time statements given in the scriptures, i.e., "the time is at hand", or "a very little while", or "must shortly come to pass", or "I come quickly", really means thousands of years...and still waiting.



Only in your futurist imagination.

Your own interpretation of that parable your using as a return of the SON in 70 ad, does not mention the SON as returning. Who comes back is the landowner, the father of the son. so it does not fit what your trying to make it fit can it.

 

[Scott Downey]

That parable is of course the jews having the vineyard of the earth taken from them, and still yet, the vineyard of the earth has not been given to the saints of the most high yet.
The meek shall inherit the earth. But they have not inherited it yet have they. If you say they have, then just look at the news. Plenty of evildoers running around working their evil and wicked ways

Daniel 7 fits much better the parable with v26, the court of God the vineyard owner taking away dominion from the wicked and v27 God's people inheriting the earth to render to Him what He requires OF HIS PEOPLE

23 “Thus he said:

‘The fourth beast shall be
A fourth kingdom on earth,
Which shall be different from all other kingdoms,
And shall devour the whole earth,
Trample it and break it in pieces.
24 The ten horns are ten kings
Who shall arise from this kingdom.
And another shall rise after them;
He shall be different from the first ones,
And shall subdue three kings.
25 He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,
Shall persecute the saints of the Most High,
And shall intend to change times and law.
Then the saints shall be given into his hand
For a time and times and half a time.

26 ‘But the court shall be seated,
And they shall take away his dominion,
To consume and destroy it forever.
27 Then the kingdom and dominion,
And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven,
Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High.
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.’

 

[kyredneck]

Your own interpretation of that parable your using as a return of the SON in 70 ad, does not mention the SON as returning. Who comes back is the landowner, the father of the son. so it does not fit what your trying to make it fit can it.

The 'lord' of the harvest is 'kurios', not 'pater'.

When we get to heaven do you think we're going to see three, or one? Will the Father be over here, and the Son over there, and the Holy Spirit over there?

9 for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, Col 2

 

[Yeshua1]

Never mind the scripture, right?



The end (consummation) of the age did come, before that generation passed away.

The end would have been the Second Coming event!

 

[Yeshua1]

But Jesus did not return, 'what will be the sign of your coming'

Jesus says, and then the end will come after the gospel was preached to all nations
What end? End of Jerusalem, end of old covenant?

It was not the end of the old covenant in 70AD, that happened with the crucifixion and resurrection.
'this is my blood of the new covenant poured out for you'
And the veil of the temple was torn in half, signifying a new and open way to God.
The temple and OC relationship ceased then.

Did not Jeremiah state that Israel would in that Day have a new covenant between her and God?

 

[Yeshua1]

...and futurists must ignore scores of plain time statements given in the scriptures, i.e., "the time is at hand", or "a very little while", or "must shortly come to pass", or "I come quickly", really means thousands of years...and still waiting.



Only in your futurist imagination.

Did the second coming happen yet?

 

[Scott Downey]

The 'lord' of the harvest is 'kurios', not 'pater'.

When we get to heaven do you think we're going to see three, or one? Will the Father be over here, and the Son over there, and the Holy Spirit over there?

9 for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, Col 2

Your really deflecting now. It is so obvious. the parable does not fit your forcing it,

 

[kyredneck]

Your really deflecting now. It is so obvious. the parable does not fit your forcing it,

...and you're doing the typical dispy thing of chopping the scriptures up to where the underlying continuity is no longer recognizable. The lord of the harvest of Mt 21 is the same Son of man of Mt 26, and the husbandmen, chief priests, Pharisees, high priest, Jews of that generation, etc., were the targets of the 'miserable destruction' and wrath to come.

64 Jesus said unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Henceforth ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven. Mt 26

The righteous blood of all those slain on the earth (land) came upon that wicked generation:

34 Therefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: some of them shall ye kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city:
35 that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of Abel the righteous unto the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom ye slew between the sanctuary and the altar.
36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. Mt 23
(24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all that have been slain upon the earth. Rev 18)

It was a time of great tribulation and wrath unto 'that people' of 'that generation':

22 For these are days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
23 Woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days! for there shall be great distress upon the land, and wrath unto this people.
32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all things be accomplished. Lu 21

"all things which are written may be fulfilled"; "This generation shall not pass away, till all things be accomplished"

 

[SGO]

I'm sure glad the OP did not ask the question, "How many people have you shared the gospel with this year?"

 

[Lodic]

There are two words used for "earth" in the NT. "Oikumene" means "the inhabited earth", which is how they reference the Roman Empire. "Kosmos" is used to indicate the entire world. In Luke 2:1, Caesar Augustus decreed that a census be taken of all the earth. Obviously, Augustus did not want a census of everyone on the planet, but this was limited to the Roman Empire. Likewise, when Jesus said that the gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world, He is speaking of the Roman Empire. This was fulfilled in the first century according to Romans 1:8, Romans 16:25-26, Colossians 1:3-6, Colossians 1:21-23, and 1 Timothy 3:16. Remember that Jesus said "this generation" would see all the things that He was talking about take place.

Some on this thread have commented that the Preterist view requires multiple comings of Christ. This is not necessarily true. God "came" in judgement several times in the OT (e.g. Joel 3:12-17). Jesus "came" in judgement on Jerusalem in AD 70, but did not literally return to earth as He will at the 2nd Coming.

Has the Gospel reached and been preached to all nations? In the literal sense, I'm not sure. In the sense that Jesus was using, yes, the Gospel spread throughout the entire Roman Empire before the destruction of the Temple in AD 70. All of that being said, we certainly still have His mandate to continue to make disciples of all nations. That will not change until He returns.

 

[kyredneck]

when Jesus said that the gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world,

Question: Who are 'they' in this text?:

18 But I say, Did they not hear? Yea, verily, Their sound went out into all the earth, And their words unto the ends of the world. Ro 10

[add]

30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who followed not after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith:
31 but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.
32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by works. They stumbled at the stone of stumbling;
33 even as it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence: And he that believeth on him shall not be put to shame.
1 Brethren, my heart`s desire and my supplication to God is for them, that they may be saved.
2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.
3 For being ignorant of God`s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.
4 For Christ is the end of the law unto righteousness to every one that believeth.
5 For Moses writeth that the man that doeth the righteousness which is of the law shall live thereby.
6 But the righteousness which is of faith saith thus, Say not in thy heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down
7 or, Who shall descend into the abyss? (That is, to bring Christ up from the dead.)
8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach:
9 because if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved:
10 for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be put to shame.
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek: for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich unto all that call upon him:
13 for, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 and how shall they preach, except they be sent? even as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of good things!
16 But they did not all hearken to the glad tidings. For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
17 So belief cometh of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
18 But I say, Did they not hear? Yea, verily, Their sound went out into all the earth, And their words unto the ends of the world.

 

[Lodic]

Question: Who are 'they' in this text?:

18 But I say, Did they not hear? Yea, verily, Their sound went out into all the earth, And their words unto the ends of the world. Ro 10

[add]

30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who followed not after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith:
31 but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.
32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by works. They stumbled at the stone of stumbling;
33 even as it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence: And he that believeth on him shall not be put to shame.
1 Brethren, my heart`s desire and my supplication to God is for them, that they may be saved.
2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.
3 For being ignorant of God`s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.
4 For Christ is the end of the law unto righteousness to every one that believeth.
5 For Moses writeth that the man that doeth the righteousness which is of the law shall live thereby.
6 But the righteousness which is of faith saith thus, Say not in thy heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down
7 or, Who shall descend into the abyss? (That is, to bring Christ up from the dead.)
8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach:
9 because if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved:
10 for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be put to shame.
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek: for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich unto all that call upon him:
13 for, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 and how shall they preach, except they be sent? even as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of good things!
16 But they did not all hearken to the glad tidings. For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
17 So belief cometh of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
18 But I say, Did they not hear? Yea, verily, Their sound went out into all the earth, And their words unto the ends of the world.

I believe Israel is the "they" referred to. The passages seems to speak of how Israel rejects salvation by faith, which is where the quote from Ps 19:4 comes in. The context made me think of Romans 1:18-20, which says that God's righteousness has been revealed throughout the entire world. Based on this understanding, I must conclude that the Gospel has indeed been proclaimed throughout the world.

 

[Dave G]

Did not Jeremiah state that Israel would in that Day have a new covenant between her and God?

She does.
Through the elect out of Israel.

 

[Dave G]

I asked the question to my class at church as its clear that the internet has reached across the globe, and even Russia, China and even in the wilds of Africa you can see the truth. I don't see what more is needed unless you practically read the words of scripture to each and every individual, which I don't think is what Christ meant. What are your thoughts.

The Gospel is still going forth, Hobie.

At the appointed time, when all of God's elect are called ( the fullness of the Gentiles is come in ) and God's wrath comes upon the nations, the end will come.
The Lord Jesus will return.

I think we have spread the Gospel to all nations and peoples,

I do not, as there are some peoples and languages that I don't see as being reached quite yet.

But IMO, we are close...
Perhaps only a matter of days, weeks, years or even yet a few decades.

For example, the third temple has yet to be built.
Anti-Christ has yet to be revealed ( that didn't happen in 70 A.D., but the destruction of the second temple did ).
The False Prophet has yet to force people under threat of death to take the "Beast's" mark.
Society has yet to completely break down under the strain of God's constant plagues, earthquakes, stars falling from the sky and so forth.

The Lord Jesus will come again and rule from His father David's seat of power at Jerusalem for 1000 years,
and His saints will rule and reign with Him ( Revelation 20:4-6 ).

 

[Dave G]

But Jesus did not return, 'what will be the sign of your coming'

Jesus says, and then the end will come after the gospel was preached to all nations
What end? End of Jerusalem, end of old covenant?

It was not the end of the old covenant in 70AD, that happened with the crucifixion and resurrection.
'this is my blood of the new covenant poured out for you'
And the veil of the temple was torn in half, signifying a new and open way to God.
The temple and OC relationship ceased then.

I agree.

The New Testament was inaugurated when the blood of that covenant was shed on the cross.
The veil of the Temple was rent in two to signify that the Lord had kept the first one, and established a second.

" In that he saith, A new [covenant], he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old [is] ready to vanish away." ( Hebrews 8:13 ).

"Hath made" is past tense...
"That which decays and waxes old" is because it is already dead.

As some have said, the two covenants co-existed for 40 years...
But two covenants with differing terms ( "Law" and "Grace" ) cannot co-exist at the same time, for that would make the Lord a liar and a covenant breaker.
The way I see it, the first was fulfilled by the Lord Jesus in His lifetime, and He then instituted the second.
His death, burial, resurrection stood for more than one thing...
But mainly the end of one and the beginning of the other...this one eternal between Him and His people.

I also see that His prophecy of the second temple being leveled happened when the Lord brought Rome against Israel in 70 A.D. ( the vineyard parable ), and we now wait for the rest of Matthew 24 and Mark 13 to finish being fulfilled...
Which we are in the process of.

Nations rising against nations and so forth...still happening.
Yet, no abomination of desolation immediately followed by the worst plagues that have ever happened to men...
If it had, one would think it would have been in the history books...but it isn't.



His work on the cross, though, is finished... now we wait for Him to come.

 

[kyredneck]

18 But I say, Did they not hear? Yea, verily, Their sound went out into all the earth, And their words unto the ends of the world. Ro 10

I believe Israel is the "they" referred to.

Yes. Thank you. Even a casual look at the text verifies that.

when Jesus said that the gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world, He is speaking of the Roman Empire.

...and this is where I disagree with you. This is the world Christ was referring to, the old covenant 'arrangement', which by far exceeded the confines of the Roman Empire:

20 Jesus answered him, I have spoken openly to the world; I ever taught in synagogues, and in the temple, where all the Jews come together; and in secret spake I nothing. Jn 18

Consider the extent of 'the dispersion' kosmos, the wandering Jew:

5 Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. Acts 2

21 For Moses from generations of old hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath. Acts 15

It was this network of synagogues throughout all the nations that served as the conduit for the gospel to spread with lightning speed and to be ‘preached in all creation under heaven’ before that generation passed away, even before the NT was completed.

...and the preaching at Pentecost was literally a gospel bomb with all those devout, now believing Jews going back home and telling others the good news.

Imagine this:
11 so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Isa 55

 

[kyredneck]

I believe Israel is the "they" referred to.

18 But I say, Did they not hear? Yea, verily, Their sound went out into all the earth, And their words unto the ends of the world. Ro 10

Whose sound, whose words went out to all the earth, unto the ends of the world? Hint, also Jews.

Acts of the Apostles 1:8

Acts of the Apostles 2:6-11

 

[utilyan]

Plenty folks got different gospels here. Some bout the only thing in common is God and Jesus name tags.

From the devil is the scapegoat lamb that takes the sins of the world to God is so ticked off at everyone he abused his only son.

 

[Lodic]

18 But I say, Did they not hear? Yea, verily, Their sound went out into all the earth, And their words unto the ends of the world. Ro 10

Whose sound, whose words went out to all the earth, unto the ends of the world? Hint, also Jews.

Acts of the Apostles 1:8

Acts of the Apostles 2:6-11

While these passages, as well as the others you posted show the origins of how the Gospel spread throughout the world, I believe Jesus was telling the disciples that the Gospel would spread throughout the Roman Empire within their lifetime.

The passages you shared strongly support the view that the Gospel has indeed been preached all over the world.

 

[Hobie]

(I don't mean to post this to cause any offence to the OP; it is just a wonderful story that I love to tell and I am glad of the opportunity to share it.)

A Cautionary Tale

In the late 19th century, a rich Englishman called Robert Arthington got caught up in the eschatological hope associated with the evangelical revivals. He thought that he could hasten Christ’s return by using his wealth to sponsor missionaries to spread the gospel to what he thought were the few remaining unreached peoples. Their job was to stay just long enough to translate a gospel and make a few converts before moving on to a new place.

He sent missionaries to various parts of Northeast India and they had extraordinary success. So much success, in fact, that two of them wanted to stay. They realised the enormity of the task: They wanted to translate the entire Bible, they wanted to establish schools and hospitals, they wanted to transform the society and disciple the first Christians. When they refused to move on, Arthington withdrew their funding. The missionaries were compelled to leave and the field was handed over to another mission board (who also did an excellent job).

When Arthington died a few years later, the Baptist Missionary Society received a large bequest from him. In an ironic twist, this funding was used to send the original missionaries back again, and they continued where they had left off. These two individuals are now honoured with an annual State Holiday (Missionary Day) in remembrance of their service to the people.

If you’ll permit taking a verse out of context, if our mindset is simply about speedy gospel distribution, “but we have not love”, then perhaps our activities are like a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

Very nice story, many of our friends were missionaries and they would be shocked to see how the Gospel has spread today.