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The preaching of the Gospel of the kingdom started at the ministry of the Lord Yeshua. He himself preached it. Then, in chapter 10 of Matthew, he instructed his 12 disciples to preach it unto the lost sheep of the House of Israel who were scattered abroad. The apostle Paul also proclaimed it outside of Judea. During that time, the Gospel of the Kingdom spread to “all the world” according to several passages of the New Testament (Rom 1:8, Rom 10:18, Col 1:6, Col 1:23). And because of this, the “preaching” in Matthew 24:14 had seemingly been fulfilled at their time. But what preaching is meant in the verse?
(Matthew 24:14 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.
The Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached AS A WITNESS. This verse belongs to a paragraph (Mat 24:9-14) which is about persecutions and martyrdoms, so, we should look at it in the context of the particular paragraph.
The Lord Yeshua said in the paragraph mentioned and in the similar paragraphs in Mark and in Luke that his disciples (and followers) will be persecuted and some of them will be put to death. They will be brought before councils, governors, and kings – for what?
Mark 13:9-11 KJV
(9) But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.
(10) And the gospel must first be published among all nations.
(11) But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.
Luke 21:12-13 KJV
(12) But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake.
(13) And it shall turn to you for a testimony.
Read also the warning of the Lord to them in Matthew 10 when he commissioned them to preach the Gospel:
(Matthew 10:18 KJV) And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
They will be brought to councils, governors, and kings to testify or to make their testimonies to them (with the help of the Spirit of the Father). These things together with the persecutions and martyrdoms they will suffer are A TESTIMONY to the people where they will be brought according to these verses. Now, if we will look at the other English translations of Mat 24:14, we will see that they rendered the Greek word for “witness” as “testimony.” Here is Strong’s Greek definition of this word:
G3142 μαρτύριον marturion mar-too’-ree-on
Neuter of a presumed derivative of G3144; something evidential, that is, (generally) evidence given or (specifically) the Decalogue (in the sacred Tabernacle): – to be testified, testimony, witness.
Can the reader now see how Mat 24:14 should be understood? The Gospel of the kingdom shall be proclaimed in the “whole world” by persecutions, martyrdoms, and testimonies of the saints to high officials of “all nations” rather than by free preaching. The definition itself of the Aramaic word for “testimony” in Mat 24:14 supports this thing:
CAL DEFINITION:
shdw noun sg. emphatic
shdw, shdwtˀ (sāhdū, sāhdūṯā) n.f. testimony Nab emph. śhdtˀ
1 testimony Com. –(a) as a textual witness of the OT in the NT Syr. –( B) pl. : evidence of virginity Gal.
2 martyrdom Syr.
3 the tablets or ark of the covenant Sam, Syr.
4 proclamation Sam. –(a) warning Sam.
These events by which the Gospel will be preached BEFORE THE END COMES are what Mat 24:14 is telling about. We should look at these events if we want to know more about the End.
(Matthew 24:14 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.
The Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached AS A WITNESS. This verse belongs to a paragraph (Mat 24:9-14) which is about persecutions and martyrdoms, so, we should look at it in the context of the particular paragraph.
The Lord Yeshua said in the paragraph mentioned and in the similar paragraphs in Mark and in Luke that his disciples (and followers) will be persecuted and some of them will be put to death. They will be brought before councils, governors, and kings – for what?
Mark 13:9-11 KJV
(9) But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.
(10) And the gospel must first be published among all nations.
(11) But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.
Luke 21:12-13 KJV
(12) But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake.
(13) And it shall turn to you for a testimony.
Read also the warning of the Lord to them in Matthew 10 when he commissioned them to preach the Gospel:
(Matthew 10:18 KJV) And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
They will be brought to councils, governors, and kings to testify or to make their testimonies to them (with the help of the Spirit of the Father). These things together with the persecutions and martyrdoms they will suffer are A TESTIMONY to the people where they will be brought according to these verses. Now, if we will look at the other English translations of Mat 24:14, we will see that they rendered the Greek word for “witness” as “testimony.” Here is Strong’s Greek definition of this word:
G3142 μαρτύριον marturion mar-too’-ree-on
Neuter of a presumed derivative of G3144; something evidential, that is, (generally) evidence given or (specifically) the Decalogue (in the sacred Tabernacle): – to be testified, testimony, witness.
Can the reader now see how Mat 24:14 should be understood? The Gospel of the kingdom shall be proclaimed in the “whole world” by persecutions, martyrdoms, and testimonies of the saints to high officials of “all nations” rather than by free preaching. The definition itself of the Aramaic word for “testimony” in Mat 24:14 supports this thing:
CAL DEFINITION:
shdw noun sg. emphatic
shdw, shdwtˀ (sāhdū, sāhdūṯā) n.f. testimony Nab emph. śhdtˀ
1 testimony Com. –(a) as a textual witness of the OT in the NT Syr. –( B) pl. : evidence of virginity Gal.
2 martyrdom Syr.
3 the tablets or ark of the covenant Sam, Syr.
4 proclamation Sam. –(a) warning Sam.
These events by which the Gospel will be preached BEFORE THE END COMES are what Mat 24:14 is telling about. We should look at these events if we want to know more about the End.
