The Gospel was Preached in all the World Already! -

the gospel of the kingdom preached in all the world

The Gospel has been preached in all the world already, according to the Apostle Paul. The way that the King James Version bible translated Matthew 24:14 has misled many Christians in their expectations of a still future literal return of Jesus.

According to the KJV, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Matthew 24:14

Thus, year after year, much emphasis is given in the measurement of the spread of the gospel among the nations of the globe. Christians believe that when this has been accomplished, then the ‘end will come’ and Jesus will finally return after his 2000 year absence.

Once more the KJV has misled Christians

However, when we look at the original greek word which the KJV has rendered as ‘world’, we can see the shocking truth of what Jesus was really talking about.

What Jesus actually said was that the preaching of the gospel in all the ‘Oikoumene’ was a sign that the end had come. However, ‘Oikoumene’ does not mean the entire globe! What is the meaning of ‘Oikoumene’?

Jesus was not speaking of a 21st Century World, neither was he speaking of the Global World

In the context of Jesus, his apostles, Jerusalem and Israel, the Oikoumene was all land and nations where the people of Israel dwelled, both local and foreign. It so happened that the Roman Empire ruled these lands and nations in the time of the New Testament scriptures.

At the time of the New Testament, Rome had conquered Judaea and the diaspora of the Jews and other scattered tribes of Israel. The scattered tribes lived in the diaspora or dispersion. These nations had then become part of the Roman Empire.

Remembering Jesus’ mission was to the ‘Lost sheep of the house of Israel’; we need to understand that his apostles preached the Gospel of the kingdom to the ‘people of Israel’ (rendered in the KJV as ‘nations’), located in Judaea and the disapora, within the Roman Empire (rendered in the KJV as ‘world’).

The Apostle Paul said the Gospel had already gone to the ends of the earth

Let’s see how Holy Spirit-filled Apostle Paul understood this. In Romans 10:15-18, Paul indicated that the Gospel was already being preached, but “they [the Israelites] have not all obeyed the gospel.”

He testified concerning the preachers of the Gospel in his day, that “their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.”

Don’t miss this incredible testimony from Paul. He was saying that in his day, circa 55AD, the gospel had already gone into all the earth and unto the ends of the world! Even though many had not obeyed the gospel, it was to them a witness, as Jesus had said.

The apostles already preached the Gospel to every creature!

Again, let’s see another incredible testimony from the Apostle. Paul wrote about “the gospel; which is come unto you, as it is in all the world.”

Paul went on to say that “the gospel, which ye have heard, …was preached to every creature which is under heaven!” Col 1:5, 6, 23

Here Paul echoed the Gospel Commission given by Jesus, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15. Creature in this context, was not referring to beasts and insects, but to people – the people of Israel.

The ‘End’ that was to come was the end of the Sinai Covenant and the Old World

The Old Kosmos Age was soon to end, and with it the Old Covenant and its associated Laws, Temple, City and Land. The apostles preached the gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven to Israel before that end came. Those who believed, were not destroyed in the war with the Romans in 66-70AD. Paul indicated that in his time, all Israel had heard the Gospel. What did Jesus say would happen when all Israel heard the Gospel of the Kingdom? The end would come!

The end of the Old Kosmos Age and the end of the Sinai Covenant did come! It all happened at the destruction of the Old Covenant Temple and the Old Jerusalem in 70AD.