The end of this age will come when this gospel of the Kingdom has been preached in the whole world as a witness to all nations. This is a very important statement. It means that the politicians, philosophers, or scientists don’t have the real initiative for the history of this world. The responsibility belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ.
The Church’s is the only group of people who can bring about the closing of this age by preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom which is to proclaim that Jesus alone saves and that He is coming again. It won’t be a humanistic gospel that is so prevalent now, but it will be the preaching of the message that came from the lips of Christ the Messiah Himself, and by the apostles, that must be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations.
After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Revelation 7:9-10 NKJV)
The above scripture in the Book of Revelation tells us that a great multitude of people, all of whom received salvation through faith in Jesus Christ—the Lamb of God, will come from all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues. In other words, before this age will come to a close there should be at least one representative from every nation, tribe, and tongue who has received the salvation offered through Jesus, the Son of God.
And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. (Acts 17:26-27 NKJV)
Therefore after this gospel of the Kingdom is preached to all every group of people in the world, then will the end come. It is we, the followers of Christ and the citizens of God’s Kingdom who should bear the responsibility of proclaiming the gospel to the world. Unless we take this responsibility seriously the sufferings, sickness, hatred, wars and poverty that are increasing day by day may overtake us, plus the added strain of persecution.
So the question is: Are the things we are living for worth Christ dying for? We need to ask ourselves: Are we concerned primarily with worldly success- a career, material comfort, financial independence, status in the community? Or do we prefer the opportunity to be used by God to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom as a witness to all nations, wherever He opens a door for effectual service? D.L. Moody once said:
If I know my own heart today, I would rather die than live as I once did (in sin) a mere nominal Christian, and not used by God (who saved me) in building up His Kingdom. It seems a poor empty life to live for the sake of self.
Remember when God calls people, He enables them to fulfill their callings even in the most unlikely circumstances. When we stand before the judgement seat of Christ, one of the questions He is going to ask every one of us is this: “What did you to advance the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom to all nations? That is what He told us when He commanded that:
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen (Matthew 28:19-20 KJV)
When we look at when the disciples were going to a village called Emmaus which was about several miles from Jerusalem. Jesus Christ appeared to them through and opened their minds to understand the Holy Scriptures. When He was with them, He told them that everything written about Him in the Law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled. He then told them that:
Repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high. (Luke 24:47-49 NKJV)
In the Book of Acts Luke records again that once again He was eating with them, and He commanded them to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. (Acts 1:4-5) The last question that Jesus was asked before He left the earth was, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”(Acts 1:6)
The disciples also continually wondered about His Kingdom. When it would come; what their role would be. They probably thought that the Messiah would be an earthly king who would free Israel from Roman power. But the Kingdom Jesus spoke about was, a spiritual Kingdom established in hearts and lives of believers. He replied that:
It is not for you to become acquainted with and know what time brings [the things and events of time and their definite periods] or fixed years and seasons (their critical niche in time), which the Father has appointed (fixed and reserved) by His own choice and authority and personal power. But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth. (Acts 1:7-8 AMP)
Jesus is saying the Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times and they are not for us to know. He reiterated what He said in Matthew 24:36 that: But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.
Our two main responsibilities are to preach the Gospel to all nations in the power of the Holy Spirit because God’s power and presence dwells in believers in the person of the Holy Spirit, and to pray that it would please the Lord to send out faithful laborers into His vineyard, for if they send themselves, they are good for nothing!
Then He said to His disciples, the harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few. So pray to the Lord of the harvest to force out and thrust laborers into the His harvest.” (Matthew 9:37 AMP)The Kingdom of God is at hand! The King is coming and He is sending us before Him to prepare His way.
