Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Emergent Village

Home
Progressive Christian
Was the Gospel Preached in “All the World”?

Was the Gospel Preached in “All the World”?

Last updated on: March 23, 2012 at 1:46 pm by rileyobrienpowell

Was the Gospel Preached in “All the World”? 2012-03-23T13:46:32-05:00 rileyobrienpowell

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Was the Gospel been preached to all the world? A Fulfilled Perspective

When you’re speaking with someone who is new to the topic of Fulfilled Eschatology, (or preterist theology, the understanding that all Bible prophecy, including Jesus’ coming, was fulfilled by 70AD) there are many questions that come up. One frequent flyer is, “Doesn’t the Bible say that the Gospel must be preached to the whole world before the End and Jesus can come?”

And if I sense they’re actually interested in learning something new to them, I gladly engage, “Yes! The Bible says that. But I no longer think it means what you’re probably thinking…” It’s true, the Bible does say that. In fact, it says it several times, in several ways.

But the Bible also says something else that most Christians miss – even most pastors and theologians today. And it’s something worth knowing. Would you believe that the Bible says the Gospel WAS PREACHED to the 1) WHOLE WORLD, to 2) ALL NATIONS, to 3) ALL THE WORLD, to 4) EVERY CREATURE UNDER HEAVEN and even to the 5) ENDS OF THE EARTH — all BEFORE 70AD?

Read it for yourself.

Surprised?

This shows that, yes, Jesus’ prophecy about the Gospel being preached to ‘all the world’ – as HIS AUDIENCE understood it – was fulfilled. But, like many misunderstood fulfilled prophecies, it was fulfilled according to the way THEY understood their terms, in 1st c Palestine, not the way WE define those same words today, in 21st c America. This is why it’s important to remember original audience relevance. We must continue to try and put ourselves in their sandals and progress in our understanding of what THEY thought Jesus taught. We must continually ask, “What did THEY think this meant? In what sense do THEY interpret this passage?”

Indeed, the Gospel had been preached to what THEY considered to be the whole world. And “the end” that THEY were anticipating – that is, the end of the Old Covenant world – came to pass, in 70AD, when the very center and symbol of that world, Temple and Jerusalem, were destroyed. This is why all the New Testament writers said the Last Days were back THEN. They were not talking about the New Covenant age beginning with a pronouncement of last days of history or the world. What sense would that make? They were talking about the Last Days of the Old Covenant AGE, which ended in 70AD.

The “end” that Jesus said would come after the Gospel reached “all the land” was a COVENANTAL END. It was the end of our redemption from the curse of Adam and the consummation of our New Relationship of life in God in the way of Jesus. This is why Jesus called it the “End of the Age”. He meant the ‘End of the Old Covenant Age’ that THEY were in, which was the age of keeping the Mosaic law, sacrifices, circumcision, kosher and incomplete atonement. That burdensome life was not the way it was meant to be. They dreamt of freedom, of complete atonement and peace with God. The hope of Israel was Exodus and everything it stood for; to be resurrected from that age of bondage with, in and through their atoning Messiah.

There is no reason, from the text to believe that Jesus was ever talking about the ‘end of the world’, neither in that passage, nor any other passage. Despite poor Bible translations which misinterpret ‘end of the age’ for ‘end of the world’, a look at the Greek reveals that Jesus was always talking about the end of the Old Covenant AGE – NOT the material world. Jesus was anticipating a new world order, a new spiritual reality, a Kingdom of God’s children finally at peace with God, FREE from Mosaic law and sacrifice. We are citizens of that Kingdom now. That Old Covenant age passed away with a roar and flames of fire at the destruction of the Temple. And this happened just as and when Jesus said it would in his Olivet Discourse — TO that first generation of saints to whom the New Testament teaching was delivered (Mt 24, Mk 13, Lk 21). Once again, original Hebrew audience relevance and context are key to understanding what kind of “end” and what scope of “world” THEY were talking about.

Does a fulfilled view of this prophecy negate one’s desire to share the Gospel in the wider world today? Of course not, as evidenced by the powerful and prolific ministries of people with a fulfilled view. But it effects our motivation and our message. We don’t need to act as if we’re sharing God with people to hasten a mysteriously “delayed” coming of Jesus. (As if good news is telling people that they get to wait indefinitely with us for something good or awful that may or may not ever occur in their lifetime. How is that good news?). Instead, we can joyfully and confidently go forth sharing a returned, present and reliable Jesus; One who is HERE WITH US right now. One who has glorified us as Sons and Daughters. One in whose resurrection life we live and move. One who is working in and through us amidst the ups and downs of life on earth NOW. We can be confident in this because He did what He said He would do… and when.

– Riley O’Brien Powell

For more from a Fulfilled perspective, see LivingtheQuestion.org

Fulfilled Eschatology

Preterism

Realized Kingdom

Theology

Previous Post

March 23, 2012

Mark Driscoll and Accountability

Next Post

March 23, 2012 A Hunger for the Kingdom

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Addiction Advent Atheism Authority Bible Cartoons Christian Year Christmas church church planting Civil Rights Community Contemplative Spirituality Culture emerging church Empire Eschatology Evangelism Events Gender Healing Humanism Islam Justice Kingdom Lent Movement Building Multi-Faith Music mysticism New Wave Emergence origins Personal Poetry politics Prayer Preaching Privilege Racism Religious naturalism Resurrection salvation SKEPTIMERGENT Theology Trauma Uncategorized

Select a Month December 2017 November 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What city did the wise men visit to see King Herod before finding Jesus?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Hebron Bethlehem Nazareth Jerusalem