Matthew 24:14, "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."
Many say that the preaching of the gospel will go to the whole world and then Jesus will come. We know that in Matt. 24 we have the signs of the coming tribulation and the second coming at the end of the tribulation for the kingdom. We see the shadows now in the church age but the substance will come in the tribulation age after the rapture. Because we see the shadows getting shorter, we know the rapture is near.
What is this preaching of the kingdom? Let the Scripture speak.
1. The Shadows in the Church Age. In the church age the gospel is to be taken to the whole world [Acts 1:8; Matt. 28:19], but it is not a requirement for the rapture or the Lord’s second coming. Let me qualify that by a question.
What is the gospel of the kingdom? [v. 14].
It is the end-time message of the imminence of Christ’s coming kingdom. In the church age we proclaim the gospel of grace or salvation, in the tribulation the message will be the coming 1,000 reign of Christ in his promised literal kingdom. The Gospel of the kingdom is used 3x in the gospels and 2x by John in reference to the kingdom or millennial reign. It is never used in the epistles in regard to the gospel of salvation by grace.
2. The Substance in the Tribulation. We have the two great witnesses in the tribulation after the church is taken out [Rev. 11], and the sealed 144,000 witnesses [Rev. 7, 14].
The angel of Rev. 14:6-7, “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, (7) Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”
In Rev. 14:6-7 we have the fulfillment of Matt. 24:14.
