A layman's commentary on Matthew 24. Chapter 24 verse 14. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world

 Our last post on Matthew 24 opened with “Because Iniquity will abound.” Jesus equated this iniquity to false prophets and lawlessness. 

There are two prominent translations of the Greek word anomia, and the King James gives us this. 

“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” 
Matthew 24:12 KJV

A common alternative reads like this.

“And because lawlessness shall abound, the charity of many shall wax cold.” 
Matthew 24:12 JUB

Lawlessness in Greek means the condition of (being) without law, choosing to be ignorant of it, violating it (the law;), or contempt for the law. It also means iniquity.

Shall abound is the Greek word plēthunō and also means to increase or multiply.

Here it is, February 20, 2024, and I just read how, in one of the Northern African nations, a young couple was recently beheaded for rejecting Islam and turning to God. So, where there is NO COMMON law, a twisted religious belief gives you the freedom to chop people’s heads off?

Can you not see how the war that Israel is having with Hamas in Gaza is turning our hearts to cold stones?

Jesus was addressing His Jewish disciples about their questions: 

“What will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” 

• Get this straight in your thinking. His coming pertains to the physical return of Jesus as the warring Messiah that the Jews are looking for. 

• The end of the age will be in part His wrath (the wrath of God being poured out upon the Jews and the nations during the seven years) and includes the few extra moments that we associate with the transition into the millennial kingdom, where Jesus will sit as the Judge over the earth.

Some think Jesus’ return in the clouds for His church - His bride, is the end. Well, yes, but only for His church. At this point, He only comes in the clouds and gathers His bride to Himself in the clouds. We, the church, will be with Him forever from this point on. 

We received this admonition from Jesus.

“But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.”
Matthew 24:13 NASB: 

“But he that endures unto the end.” 

Endure is the Greek word hupomenō  and means to stay under (behind), to remain; figuratively, to undergo, bear up under (trials), have fortitude, persevere: endure, take patiently, suffer.

Considering the anguish and pain coming upon the world, who would sign up to bear the trials to come? 

No one, so this is speaking to those who (1) have missed the rapture and decided to give their lives to Christ. And (2) it speaks to those who will now have to give their necks to the sword, become saints in God’s eyes, and eventually enter into the kingdom of God; and (3), therefore undergo, stay under this torment, and have fortitude; because God, who is faithful, will bring these “saints” into His kingdom.

Have you ever asked, even facetiously, what it means to be saved? 

Safe is the Greek word sōzō  and means to deliver, protect, heal, preserve, and make whole.

If you survived the time of God’s wrath, then I would think you were delivered, protected, and preserved. On the other hand, if you had your head lopped off, then words like healing and made whole would be in order. 

After all that, I want you to look at a scripture passage.

“Nevertheless, hold fast to what you have until I come. And to the one who overcomes and continues in My work until the end, I will give authority over the nations.” Revelation 2:25-26 BSB

Pay attention to the words “hold fast to what you have until I come.” Seriously, what do you have?

Some people don't have much, but I can confidently assure you this has nothing to do with money.

“But hold fast what you have till I come. And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations— “
Revelation 2:25-26 NKJV

An alternate version that may make more sense.

“Nevertheless, hold fast to what you have until I come. And to the one who overcomes and continues in My work until the end, I will give authority over the nations.”
Revelation 2:25-26 BSB

People often ask, what will the martyred saints do during the 1000 year reign?

If you have read the Revelation, you know that the martyred saints sit on thrones and rule over the nations. Since authority and rule will be dealt out swiftly, then it seems appropriate that these people who brutally lost their lives would be the ones who meet swift punishment.

Hold fast or hold on is the Greek word kratéō (G2902) and means to use strength, seize, or retain. It also means to keep, lay hold of, obtain, retain, take, cleave to, apprehend, and guard.

So what, then, are we holding on to?

Some are clinging to their survival bunkers, but that will not help them, for God will find them no matter where they hide. Some hold fast to their great wealth, but their money will not save them, and the digital monetary system may take of that. 

This overcoming is accomplished by holding on to the Lamb (Jesus) and expressing their renewed affection for Christ for the rest of their lives, however short that may be.

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.” 
Revelation 12:11 NKJV

Who are the “they” in verse 11? 

Revelation 12:10 tells us they are the brethren; whether they came to know Jesus Christ during the age of grace or came to Jesus through the seven years of God’s wrath is irrelevant. Verse 11 explains that these people were killed while here on earth. 

In light of the context, which we have been chewing over, where does this next statement take place?

“And 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.”
Matthew 24:14 NKJV

I had been rebuked by a man who was undoubtedly intelligent (he ran the public works department of a large city), but when it came to the Bible, it might as well have been a foreign language to him. He told me that Jesus could not come back because the gospel had not been given to every living person – at least, that was the implication of what he said. 

Yet, verse 14 conveys that after the church’s catching away, those who come to accept Jesus will preach the gospel (the gospel is simply the good news of the kingdom) will be preached (proclaimed, declared) in all the world. 

Think about this statement, “in all the world.” We are rapidly watching attitudes change to hostility against those who stand up for scripture and the name of Jesus Christ. You have heard the saying, no doubt, that the squeaky wheel gets the grease; they get attention because that minority is making the loud, obnoxious noise and, therefore, getting their way and being appeased; all the while, the church remains silent. 

I am part of a very proactive church, and my pastor was recently invited to open the US Senate in prayer. He had to submit a prayer, in which many standard terms among the Christian community were banned. He tore up that prayer, wrote a quick one-page prayer, and said what the Holy Spirit wanted him to say. He is now taking tremendous flak, mainly from Senate Atheists, over what he did. You might accuse him of sabotaging himself by making those changes and, therefore, making himself susceptible to whatever they dish out upon him; I happen to think it was a demonstration of great strength by choosing to do what God has asked us to do, and that is to stand up for what is morally right. 

Did you notice that Matthew 24:14 tells us that the actions of these “tribulation” saints would be considered to be preaching to all the world as a witness to all the nations?

“This gospel of the kingdom,” is the Greek word kērussō and means to herald, proclaim, or publish.

“Be a witness” is the Greek word marturion and means evidence given and something that defines your current actions.

The nations, to a Jew, are anybody that is not a Jew and as loathsome as eating bacon.

God, it seems, doesn't concern Himself on whether you come to Him before the wrath or after, you are still His. Allow me to show you something.

“So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Revelation 13:4-8 NKJV

“They” points to those who have chosen not to come to Jesus since the catching away of the church. 

This event will be so dramatic it is hard to understand why they would have continued to turn their back to God. A bizarre and stunning explanation has been erupting on the news for several years now, and that is what the government calls aliens and unexplained aerial vehicles. For many years, I have been trying to tell people that these fallen angels are demonic manifestations. They, being God-created beings, are not subject to gravity, our limitations of time, or the limitations of a dimensional understanding.

This next one is hard to understand. “They worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast.”

The dragon is Satan, and it tells us that they worshiped him. 

Worshiped is the Greek word proskuneō, meaning to kiss like a dog licking the master’s hand. Prostrating oneself.

So these lunatics are worshiping Satan because he gives power to the antichrist, otherwise known as the beast. 

We have never seen Satan, although many of you base your impressions of his appearance on a characterization they saw in a movie. So, let me give you a clue that will explain what he looks like. 

The (Amplified Bible) in looking at Isaiah 14:12, says this about Satan. 

“How have you fallen from heaven, O light-bringer and daystar, son of the morning!...”

The King James version calls him Lucifer.

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! ...”

And finally, the English Standard Version.

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn!...”

Lucifer is the Hebrew word hêylêl, and it also means morning star.

According to The Ultimate Cross-Reference Treasury, Lucifer is his original name and was or is a bright and eminent star that ushered in the sun and the morning. Still, here, it is metaphorically taken for the high and mighty king of Babylon.

Ezekiel 28:12 refers to him as the king of Tyre and tells us that he was “the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.”

“You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, ...” Ezekiel 28:13 ESV 

“You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.” Ezekiel 28:14 ESV

“You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, until unrighteousness was found in you.” Ezekiel 28:15 ESV

But in that day when the nations shall see Satan get judged.

“Those who see you will gaze at you and consider you, saying, Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms?-- “
Isaiah 14:16 AMP