THE GOSPEL AND THE END

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Mar 29, 1899

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 25, No. 13.

THE GOSPEL AND THE END.

THERE is no more positive promise or prophecy in all the Word of God than the statement, "This Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." Matt. 24:14. This text needs no explanation, for, like all of the literal language of the Bible, it explains itself. It is a simple, positive, direct announcement of a great truth.

"This Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations." Even a little child can understand so plain a promise and prediction as that. All the world will have the chance to hear "this Gospel of the kingdom." Many will turn away from it and refuse to hear it, but it will bear witness to them just the same.

The statement is equally positive that when this Gospel of the kingdom is preached in all the world, "then shall the end come." There are no conditions nor qualifications. The Word is spoken after the direct manner of divine truth, telling us first of the Gospel of the kingdom being proclaimed in all the world, and then that the end comes. We may doubt this statement of the Word of God, we may quibble over it if we like, but all the while it stands there in its simplicity of clear, strong utterance. And in thinking over the matter do not forget that it is Him at whose word the world was created and at whose command the starry universe marches through space, who has said, "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 mighty power and infinite accuracy of the word of the Eternal God makes it absolutely impossible for this promise to fail.

"This Gospel of the kingdom" is the same Gospel that Jesus taught. Of this Gospel Paul says, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first and also to the Greek." Rom. 1:16. "The Gospel of Christ" "is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." The Gospel, then, is God's power, and it brings salvation, and salvation is the victory over appetite, and passion, and every other form of sin. The Gospel is not a theory, it is not some man's views about the Bible, it is not the prescribed views of some particular school of theology, but it is "power." And it is nothing short of the power of God unto salvation.

When Christ proclaimed the Gospel, it was with saving power. Multitudes followed Him, and His power brought them complete salvation. He spoke to them the forgiveness from sin, and that word of pardon was so complete and powerful that it carried with it the healing of all their diseases and bodily deformities. The blind were made to see, the deaf to hear, and every pain and wasting disease gave place to the thrills of perfectly vigorous health at His command or touch.

And the Master did not confine this mighty power of the Gospel to His own personal ministry. In His parting commission to His disciples, "He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe: In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." Mark 16:15-18. In this commission it is stated that certain signs shall follow the believers. It was not the twelve apostles merely that were clothed with power, but "these signs shall follow them that believe." Then according to the Lord's own commission and decree the believer is to be filled with power and act as a willing instrument in the hand of the Lord in casting out devils, healing the sick, speaking with tongues, etc.

75. ARMENIAN (Modern). Ինչու որ Աստուած անանկ սիրեց աշխարհը մինչեւ որ իր միածին Որդին տուաւ . որ ամէն ով որ անոր հաւատայ՝ չկորսուի, հապա յաւիտենա֊ կան կեանք ունենայ :

SPECIMENS OF TRANSLATIONS MADE BY AMERICAN MISSIONARIES.

John 3:14.

182. GILBERT ISLANDS.

Ba e bati taniran te aomata iroun te Atua, ma naia are e ana Natina ae te rikitemana, ba e aona n aki mate ane onimakina, ma e na maiu n aki toki.

195. ZULU. (South Africa.)

Ngokuba uTixo wa li tanda kangaka izwe, wa li nika inDodana yake ezelweyo yodwa, ukuba bonke aba kolwa kuyo ba nga bubi, kodwa ba be nobomi obungapeliya.

The Gospel age began with this mighty power among the believers. The apostles, as well as many who believed through their ministration and preaching, went to all parts of Palestine and the greater portions of Southwestern Asia and Southern Europe, proclaiming this "power of God unto salvation," with great effect and success. There were multitudes of believers as the result, and the mighty power of God was exercised among the vilest of heathen in lifting them out of their abominable depths of idolatry, and all the abhorrent vices and gross debaucheries that are found in the worshiper of gods of wood and stone.

The churches that were raised up by the apostles among the Gentiles in Corinth, in Galatia, in Ephesus, etc., were not led to sign some confession of faith and thereby adopt a creed of human origin, while they knew nothing of the power of God unto salvation. They were not led into some mere forms of worship and schooled in certain ceremonials, but the fulness of the Gospel in the plenitude of its power was presented to them, and they were made new creatures in Christ Jesus. They were no longer semibarbarous heathen, but were Christians. To the church at Corinth Paul wrote: "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Cor. 6:9-11.

Thus we see that the Gospel that Paul preached in Corinth had the mighty and cleansing power of God in it. And the Gospel of the kingdom that Christ and the apostles gave to the world not only cleansed from sin, but in that cleansing was the healing from all disease. And it is "this Gospel of the kingdom," that was covered up soon after the apostles' times beneath the gross superstitions and apostasies of the Dark Ages, that is yet to be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations. The earth is to be lightened with its glory. The Master has said it, and it will be done.

The Word of God is that through which the Gospel is carried to the world. And did you ever consider the marvelous facts in regard to how copies of that Word are being multiplied and sent into all the world? It was never true before that all the world had the Bible, but to-day there are but few of even the lowest tribes who do not possess at least some portion of the Word of God in their native tongue. The Bible or some of its parts has been translated during this century into over 350 languages and dialects, and over 274,000,000 copies of it have been circulated during the last 9 decades. At the present time more than 6,250,000 copies of Bibles, Testaments, and portions of the same are being sent out each year.

These Bibles are the text-books that carry the Gospel of the kingdom. And our Heaven-appointed Bible Societies are scattering the seed broadcast everywhere. Some crisis will yet arise that will turn everybody's attention to the Word of God, and men who truly believe it will be anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power as were the disciples on the day of Pentecost. Then, as these go everywhere teaching the Word, the signs that God has appointed to follow the believer will be mightily manifested. "This Gospel of the kingdom," just as Jesus gave it, and just as He taught, and with all the power that He exercised in person while here among men, will soon be "preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."

Everything shows that the last days are reached, and the time for this proclamation of the Gospel with apostolic power is at hand. Who will give themselves to a study of God's Word and devote themselves to Him so that they may have a part in this great work? This is no time for would-be Christians to stand as idle spectators. These days demand the most earnest and devoted action. God has scattered His printed Word into all the world, among the various nations and tongues and dialects. He is waiting now for men to study it, believe it, and teach it everywhere in "the demonstration of the Spirit and of power." The persons are coming forward to do this work. Will you be among them? T.