Marcus O'Reillius said:
Notice in verse 13 that the "end" is tied to being saved for the one who "endures".
Notice in verse 14 that the Great Commission must be preached in the whole world and then that same end will come.
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. Matthew 24:13
This can have two meanings. First, that those who endured in their faith, even under persecution and being killed for their faith, would be saved.
Secondly, that the believers who endured until the end of the Roman siege would be saved. Some believers were taken captive by the Jews and held until the end, when their captors suddenly surrendered to the Roman army. Titus took the captors prisoner, but let the believers go free.
Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible:
He that shall endure unto the end–shall be saved. The word “end” here has by some been thought to mean the destruction of Jerusalem, or the end of the Jewish economy. And the meaning has been supposed to be, he that perseveres in bearing these persecutions to the end of the wars shall be safe. God will protect his people from harm, so that not a hair of the head shall perish. Others, with more probability, have referred this to final salvation, and refer the “end” to the close of life. He that bears afflictions and persecutions faithfully–that constantly adheres to his religion, and does not shrink till death–shall be saved, or shall enter heaven.
John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
But he that shall endure to the end, In the profession of faith in Christ, notwithstanding the violent persecutions of wicked men; and in the pure and incorrupt doctrines of the Gospel, whilst many are deceived by the false teachers that shall arise; and in holiness of life and conversation, amidst all the impurities of the age; and shall patiently bear all afflictions, to the end of his life, or to the end of sorrows, of which the above mentioned were the beginning:
the same shall be saved; with a temporal salvation, when Jerusalem, and the unbelieving inhabitants of it shall be destroyed: for those that believed in Christ, many of them, through persecution, were obliged to remove from thence; and others, by a voice from heaven, were bid to go out of it, as they did; and removed to Pella, a village a little beyond Jordan1, and so were preserved from the general calamity; and also with an everlasting salvation, which is the case of all that persevere to the end, as all true believers in Christ will.
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
Messiah Himself confirmed after His resurrection, when they brought up the same question concerning the restoring of the kingdom to Israel, He turned their minds from that subject, and said,
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 2:10
He is telling them that they would receive the Spirit and that they would be witnesses until all the nations of the Roman Empire.
“Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.” Acts 2:9-11
The promise of salvation was given to the Jews first. 3,000 Jews believed on Messiah on the day of Pentecost, who then took it back to their nations.
“For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”Acts 2:39, 41, 47
But we need to look behind a key word: world — this time, it isn’t aion, and it also isn’t kosmos, the word which indicates the broadest possible connotations. This time, it is oikoumene, a word used to express only the Roman Empire (cf. Acts 11:28, Luke 2:1).
It is significant that this is the only place Matthew uses this word; he has selected it carefully as a geographical delimitation; it is also significant that he has used this word rather than kosmos as he did with reference to the spreading of the Gospel correspondent with the separation of the justified and the wicked. The gospel had to be preached to the Roman Empire as a whole before the end of the age.
Marks recording of the Olivet Discourse says nations, not the whole world, as in the whole earth.
Mark 13:10 And the gospel must first be published among all nations.
The Greek word for publish is kerusso which means: to herald (as a public crier), especially divine truth (the gospel):—preacher(-er), proclaim, publish.
The four Gospels were written (published) before the desolation of the temple, and copies were made and spread around to the different cities where the Gospel had been preached and assemblies had been created.
“End” = end of that age and of the City of Jerusalem [The Jewish state, City, and Temple], NOT the end of the world. (FNL)
Was this fulfilled? Let’s look at Scripture references to show the spread of the Gospel:
“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.” Romans 1:8
“But I say, Have they not heard (the Gospel)? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.” Romans 10:18
“Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:” Romans 16:25-26
Upon the Apostle Stephen’s stoning, a great persecution was raised against all who professed their belief in the Messiah. We are immediately told by St. Luke, that “there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem;” and that “they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.”
An early legend says they cast lots and divided up the world to determine who would go where, so all could hear about Messiah. They suffered greatly for their faith and in most cases met violent deaths on account of their bold witness.
Peter undertook a missionary journey to Lydda, Joppa and Caesarea.
Andrew went to the “land of the man-eaters,” in what is now the Soviet Union. Believers there claim him as the first to bring the gospel to their land. He also preached in Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey, and in Greece.
“Doubting” Thomas was probably most active in the area east of Syria. Tradition has him preaching as far east as Parthia and India, where the ancient Marthoma Christians revere him as their founder.
Philip preached in many villages of Samaria and the cities of Caesarea. He possibly had a powerful ministry in Carthage in North Africa and then in Asia Minor, where he converted the wife of a Roman proconsul.
Matthew the tax collector and writer of a Gospel, ministered in Persia and Ethiopia.
Bartholomew had widespread missionary travels attributed to him by tradition: to India with Thomas, back to Armenia, and also to Ethiopia and Southern Arabia.
James the son of Alpheus, is one of at least three James referred to in the New Testament. There is some confusion as to which is which, but this James is reckoned to have ministered in Syria.
Simon the Zealot, so the story goes, ministered in Persia. Surnamed Zelotes, preached the Gospel in Mauritania, Africa, and even in Britain
Matthias was the apostle chosen to replace Judas. Tradition sends him to Syria with Andrew.
John was the leader of the church in the Ephesus area and is said to have taken care of Mary the mother of Messiah in his home. The churches of Smyrna, Pergamos, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, and Thyatira, were founded by him.
Luke – The evangelist, was the author of the Gospel which goes under his name. He traveled with Paul through various countries.
In the book of Revelation, Messiah addressed the established assemblies of beleivers of Ephesus, Pergamos, Smyrna, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea; which were all in the Roman province of Asia.
Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible:
And this gospel–shall be preached in all the world. The evidence that this was done is to be chiefly derived from the New Testament, and there it is clear. Thus Paul declares that it was preached to every creature under heaven, Colossians 1:6,23 that the faith of the Romans was spoken of throughout rite whole world, Romans 1:8 that he preached in Arabia, Galations 1:17 and at Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, Romans 15:19. We know also that he travelled through Asia Minor, Greece, and Crete; that he was in Italy, and probably in Spain and Gaul, Romans 15:24-28. At the same time, the other apostles were not idle; and there is full proof that within thirty years after this prophecy was spoken, churches were established in all these regions.
For a witness unto all nations. This preaching the gospel indiscriminately to all the Gentiles shall be a proof to them, or a witness, that the division between the Jews and Gentiles was about to be broken down. Hitherto the blessings of revelation had been confined to the Jews. They were the peculiar people of God. His messages had been sent to them only. When, therefore, God sent the gospel to all other people, it was proof, or a witness unto them, that the peculiar Jewish economy was at an end.
Then shall the end come. The end of the Jewish economy. The destruction of the temple and city.
John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
And this Gospel of the kingdom, Which Christ himself preached, and which he called and sent his apostles to preach, in all the cities of Judah; by which means men were brought into the kingdom of the Messiah, or Gospel dispensation; and which treated both of the kingdom of grace and glory, and pointed out the saints’ meetness for the kingdom of heaven, and their right unto it, and gives the best account of the glories of it:
shall be preached in all the world; not only in Judea, where it was now confined, and that by the express orders of Christ himself; but in all the nations of the world, for which the apostles had their commission enlarged, after our Lord’s resurrection; when they were bid to go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature; and when the Jews put away the Gospel from them, they accordingly turned to the Gentiles; and before the destruction of Jerusalem, it was preached to all the nations under the heavens; and churches were planted in most places, through the ministry of it:
for a witness unto all nations; meaning either for a witness against all such in them, as should reject it; or as a testimony of Christ and salvation, unto all such as should believe in him:
and then shall the end come; not the end of the world, as the Ethiopic version reads it, and others understand it; but the end of the Jewish state, the end of the city and temple: so that the universal preaching of the Gospel all over the world, was the last criterion and sign, of the destruction of Jerusalem; and the account of that itself next follows, with the dismal circumstances which attended it.
