Centuries ago, Jesus and the prophets said to look for a number of signs which will indicate the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is near. Those signs include (but are not limited to): the rebirth of Israel as a nation (Jeremiah 23:7-8)… The Jewish people in control of Jerusalem (Luke 21:24-28)… A marked increase in travel and knowledge (Daniel 12:4)… and many more. Jesus said when you see these signs, you should “look up, because your salvation draws near” (Luke 21:28).
But in today’s article, I want to focus on just one of those signs. It’s a sign so obvious, most people take it for granted. It may even be the most important sign.
Yet, while it’s in full view of every man, woman, and child on earth, most people still ignore it. Hard to believe isn’t it? But it’s true. One of the foremost signs of the Second Coming is either ignored or dismissed by almost everyone in the world. So what is this sign?
A little less than 2,000 years ago, a Galilean man in the small province of Judea made one of the most bold and astounding prophecies in all of human history. He claimed His personal message of hope and redemption would be preached to the ends of the earth.
When He made this claim, He was a Jewish carpenter on the outskirts of the ancient Roman Empire. Even in nearby Jerusalem, only a small number of people had heard His message. His followers were ordinary – fishermen, tax collectors, and outcasts.
He didn’t hold high office. He wasn’t a member of high society. He wasn’t a celebrated military conqueror, and he didn’t live in a palace. In fact, at first glance, there was little about Him to indicate such a thing was possible.
Nevertheless, Jesus of Nazareth didn’t back away from His claim. Responding to questions about the end of the age, Jesus told His followers to look for a number of signs. One specific sign seemed especially bold. He said His message, known as the Gospel (or “Good News”), would be preached throughout the entire world – not just the surrounding towns or the nearby nations…
The whole world.
Jesus said His message would be preached far and wide so that every nation would hear it. And then? And then, “the end would come.” Here’s what He said:
“And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.” – Matthew 24:14 (NLT)
Think about that. What a bold statement. A man of seemingly limited means proclaims His message will reach the ends of the earth. This is before the telegraph. Before radio. Before television and the Internet. This is long before any form of mass communication.
In those days, messages spread mostly by word-of-mouth, and written communication traveled at the speed of sailboats and horses. Yet Jesus was clear. His message would spread to the edges of the earth.
I wonder what His followers thought when He said this? The idea must have been daunting. The Roman Empire, which was their known world at the time, included 60 million people spread over 1.3 million square miles. The idea of reaching all those people must have seemed impossible. And keep in mind, their idea of the world was limited. To them, the world consisted almost entirely of the lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. That’s the only world they knew. The first followers of Jesus knew nothing of North America, South America, Australia, Japan, and large parts of Asia and the pacific.
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