Matthew 24:14, commentary and pictures

This gospel of the kingdom will be carried to all the world as a public witness to every nation, and then the end will come with Jesus returning in power and great glory to judge the world. For a witness does not mean the whole world will be converted, but that the gospel in its purity will be given until every person has heard, understood, and had opportunity to decide for or against God. God appointed this worldwide preaching as the sign marking the close of earth's history, showing the end is near at hand though not revealing the day or hour. That final witness is the last gospel message, the third angel's message swelling to the loud cry united with the first and second angels' messages of Revelation 14, the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. It lies in human power to hasten the Lord's return by carrying the good news to all the earth, and had the church done her appointed work the world would have been warned and He would already have come, while neglect, selfishness, unbelief and disunity have delayed the warning.

Setting in Olivet Discourse

The verse belongs to the discourse on the destruction of Jerusalem and the coming of Christ at the end of the world, joining those two crises so that its words extend beyond the fall of Jerusalem to the final events of earth's history for those living in the last scenes as well as for the disciples. The destruction of Jerusalem foretold in the same chapter serves as a type of the world's final destruction by fire, while the worldwide preaching of the gospel as a witness to every nation is placed before the end comes and before the coming of the Son of man. The prophecy sketches the history of the present dispensation to the complete restitution of all things, with the closing scenes of this world's history as its most thrilling and momentous part. It opens the account of the church in her warfare and sufferings on the way to promised redemption, leading to the final triumph of the people of God, the destruction of Satan and all his followers, the total and eternal extirpation of evil from the universe, and the renovation of the earth as the everlasting inheritance of the saints when the great controversy is concluded.

The verse stands within the description of Christ's second coming to the world given in Matthew 24 and 25, with warnings to watch and be ready because the day and hour are unknown. It portrays the condition of the church at Christ's coming and should arouse earnest zeal in the heart of the true believer. The chapter answers the disciples about the signs of His coming and the end of the world by outlining important events in the history of the world and the church between His first and second advents, including Jerusalem's destruction, the church's persecutions, signs in the heavens, and Christ's coming in His kingdom. Its closing teaching about those awaiting Christ's return, about two classes of servants looking for Him, continues into Matthew 25, where the ten virgins represent the last-day church and its experience.

The memorable discourse was given a short time before Jesus entered Gethsemane to bear the sins of the world. He spoke it as a partaker of human nature, wearied with the work of the day after the Pharisees had pressed Him on various subjects while watching His words to condemn Him. He exhausted His strength by prolonging His words of prediction and warning, in keeping with His principle that He must work the works of Him that sent Him while it is day. The words were spoken with prophetic eye looking down the stream of time to the very end of earth's history to mark out with prophetic pencil the very things that would take place then. They are a lifted danger signal and a specification of dangers that will surely come, which the people of God should carefully study, read and understand rather than rush on blindfolded receiving messages that are not true.

Its predictions are being fulfilled in the present time with unmistakable fulfillment showing Christ's coming at hand, and must be brought to everyone's attention. Its prophecies are to be carefully explained because they contain truths that decide eternal destiny, to be studied again and again and brought before all, with ministers and teachers leaving matters of lesser consequence to present them and call the church to arouse. The verse is the climax of Christ's solemn warning to take heed that no man deceive, coming after many false Christs, wars and rumors of wars, nation rising against nation and kingdom against kingdom, famines and pestilences and earthquakes in divers places as the beginning of sorrows, deliverance up to be afflicted and killed and hatred by all nations for His name's sake, many offended and betraying and hating one another, many false prophets deceiving many, iniquity abounding with the love of many waxing cold, and the promise that he who endures to the end shall be saved. The time of Christ's coming is not revealed to satisfy curiosity about its secret time, but the verse calls God's people to heed His words, prepare themselves for that great event, perform faithfully their individual duty, give to others the warnings He gave, and watch in readiness because the time of trouble comes as a thief in the night.

The prophecy outlines what is to come upon the world between Christ's departure and His return in power and glory, including the humiliation, reproach and persecution His followers would face during that time. It warns of judgments on cities whose inhabitants dishonor God and reject messages of reproof, and its signs and instruction were given to the disciples to help later believers discern the times and prepare for the great conflict. The signs of the times warn that the Son of man will soon be revealed in the clouds of heaven, and because these signs are rapidly being fulfilled people must not ignore them or become indifferent but should remain watchful. Its call to proclaim the final message of mercy gives Christians the duty to warn those perishing in sin and to support gospel work with the means entrusted to them, for using those means for self-gratification instead brings eternal loss.

Meaning of Gospel Witness

The gospel of the kingdom must be proclaimed throughout the world as a witness to every nation, and after that worldwide witness the end will come. That end is the coming of Jesus with power and great glory to judge the world and to usher in God's appointed day of judgment. The warning of approaching doom belongs with the prophecies of Daniel and John that point to the time when it is due, and its scope is the salvation of the world rather than the work of only one or two places. Those who claim to believe the gospel must therefore work most earnestly to advance the truth in all its lines, using every entrusted talent of influence, means, and ability, so that a people may be prepared to stand and witness that Christ is their personal Saviour. The church fulfills this commission when its members, each according to ability, work in needy fields at home and abroad, with God's power going with Spirit-filled workers visiting house to house, opening the Scriptures to darkened minds while angels impress hearts thirsting for life.

For a witness does not mean that the whole world will be converted. The gospel in its purity, the truth in clear unmistakable language, will be given to the whole earth until every person has heard, understood what is truth, and had opportunity to decide for or against God. Loyalties will then be revealed in choices concerning God's law, each person judged by light received, with Christ patiently waiting until the work is accomplished and probation remaining open until the proclamation is complete and the warning has been heard by all. The stream of living water deepens and widens in every field near and far under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, divine providence removes mountains of difficulty, ordinary workers called from the plow and from common commercial work are educated together with experienced workers to labor effectively with power, and a series of events reveals that God is master of the situation until the whole earth has been warned.

The gospel to be carried to all nations is Christ Himself, the pearl of great price who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. It is the story of redeeming love of Christ and Him crucified, the good tidings of His grace, flowing from His whole life of pure disinterested benevolence in which He did not please Himself and laying that same selfless example on all who know Him. God designs its light to extend to every soul upon the earth as surely as the rays of the sun penetrate to the remotest corners of the globe. Its purpose is to let light shine in moral darkness by placing truth in contrast with error, and when the church fulfills Christ's purpose as the light of the world by scattering into all lands instead of congregating together and shunning responsibility and cross-bearing, letting Christ's light shine out and working as He worked for salvation, light is shed upon all that sit in darkness and in the region and shadow of death and the gospel is speedily carried to all the world. Were every believer a living missionary and worker together with God, fired with zeal to tell the story, with earnest persevering prayer bringing the Spirit to fill men with power for service and angels going before to prepare hearts, the message for this time would speedily be proclaimed in all countries to every people and nation and tongue before Christ comes in power and great glory.

To the world the message is a savor of life if accepted and condemnation to death if rejected. Like seed sown on all kinds of soil it brings forth fruit in some thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold, while some falls on poor soil and brings forth nothing. Preachers are to sow beside all waters and not be discouraged when results are small, for Christ took His stand by the lakeside and thoroughfares sowing gospel seed with many hearers but few followers, and Noah preached one hundred and twenty years before the Flood with only eight saved in the ark, yet his giving of light and warning in words and work condemned the world in their rejection of it. The flood shows that people may receive warning yet perish if they reject it and carry on as though it did not matter, and the last-days truth likewise warns, tests, and proves the world as Noah's preaching did, with publications translated into other languages helping carry its warning to every nation so people tested by its light may turn from transgression to obedience to God's law.

This worldwide witness takes place amid persecution, and the conflict gives Satan's agencies a final opportunity to reveal their principles before the world, angels, and people. Attempts to suppress its teachers cannot stop the work, and persecution can extend the truth. Those who proclaim present truth should expect opposition, as the conflict between truth and error continues to the end of the world's history. That proclamation occurs when every power of evil is at work and minds are confused by many competing voices claiming to have Christ, truth, a message from God, and great light, while landmarks are removed and the pillars of faith are attacked. After that witness a more decided effort is made to exalt the false sabbath by an oppressive law, casting contempt on God Himself by supplanting the day He blessed and sanctified, while Satan and his angels work wide-awake and intensely through human agents to obliterate the knowledge of God, and then the mighty angel lightens the earth with his glory, proclaims the fall of Babylon, and calls God's people to forsake her.

Sunday-keeping is not yet the test, and Sunday can be used for missionary work. Later people will be pressured to abandon the Sabbath and observe Sunday under threat of losing freedom and life. Therefore the truth must be presented more fully to the people as a witness before that end-time crisis comes.

Prophetic Sign Fulfilled

God has appointed the preaching of the gospel throughout the world as a witness to all nations to mark the close of this world's history, and its rapid fulfillment shows the end is near and at hand when the destiny of every soul will be forever fixed. It does not reveal the day or hour of Christ's return, yet the day of the Lord hastens on apace and will come suddenly and unexpectedly upon all who dwell on the earth, as a snare and as a midnight thief bringing sudden destruction from which there is no escape. Its footsteps are muffled and do not arouse the world from deathlike slumber while false watchmen cry all is well and peace and safety, so all must be ready and not settle to rest in imagined security nor leave a place open for the enemy, keeping the solemn fact of the sudden near end constantly before the world and the churches and letting no interpretation of prophecy rob the conviction that the great event is near at hand.

It is a definite prophetic waymark confirming that the events foretold in Matthew 24 will surely come to pass, its fulfillment unmistakable and showing Christ's coming at hand. It is to be studied again and again and brought before all as truth deciding eternal destiny, with ministers and teachers leaving matters of lesser consequence to present it and arouse the church. It was fulfilled in preaching to every creature before the fall of Jerusalem and will again be fulfilled before the coming of the Son of man by preaching the everlasting gospel to every nation and kindred and tongue and people, ushering in God's appointed day of judgment. As in the apostolic age God will bring out every ray of light and send it into all the earth with the power of His Spirit, and the early disciples fulfilled the work in a short time after the Holy Spirit empowered their witness despite fierce opposition, for truth armed with the Spirit's power conquers evil and Christ's followers will ultimately triumph.

Its fulfillment was first associated with the spread of Protestant missions, but its complete fulfillment came to be understood as connected with the worldwide spread of the Advent movement. The preaching of Christ's soon return in power and glory and of the judgment in England and elsewhere, including the message pointing to 1844, was part of this worldwide proclamation. The long wait for Christ's coming does not mean the doctrine is mistaken, for God's forbearance toward the wicked is part of His merciful plan to save souls while holding back judgments until the warning has been sounded to all. Believers are to wait for the promised time rather than say or act as though the Lord delays His coming, and the end is not yet so near while many thousands have not heard the solemn message and while places remain unworked and people have not heard the truth, which should awaken responsibility to carry that witness as the last message of mercy that would do a wonderful work if fully felt.

Matthew 24:3-14 gives the signs heralding the second advent, including the perils of the last days and the heavier pressure of the powers of darkness, and those signs are now fast fulfilling and so common they are scarcely considered. They show this is the very last days and the last conflict just previous to the coming of the Lord, with the end of all things at hand and stormy times ahead requiring faith and courage without unbelief or discouragement. Faithful watchmen who recognize world events will not be surprised or unready, but Bible believers must earnestly continue laboring and do their very best work until the work given them is finished, watching, preparing to meet the Lord, while God arranges advantages to arouse attention, sends His message into the highways and byways to meet the needs of the feeblest, and gives healing to sin-sick souls from everlasting love so the light of grace shines from many places. The delay after the disappointment over the time gave time for this worldwide work, and angels are now preparing the way for truth to reach all nations, the message having already been carried to many countries with new fields opening in new countries. Yet thousands in the cities and in the byways and highways still must hear the last warning to a perishing world, with a vast field still untouched and only a few working here and there, so cities must be worked diligently, those who know the truths must be untiring in warning those who never heard, and finishing the witness requires a large measure of the Holy Spirit with consecrated, converted, humble agencies who accept Bible truth, live and obey it, consecrate heart, mind and soul, pray more and talk less and labor together with God to bear fruit, because Satan is doing his best to destroy souls, there is no time to lose, and God's sending His Son to suffer a shameful death to save souls calls His followers to labor and suffer to carry that witness.

Identity of Last Message

The gospel of the kingdom to be carried to all the world as a witness is the last gospel message, to be proclaimed openly with no concealing of the principles of faith. It is the third angel's message, to be sounded by God's people and swelling to the loud cry as the worldwide witness goes forth, united with the first and second angels' messages revealed in Revelation 14 from the sixth verse to the close. It is the commandments of God and the testimony and faith of Jesus, the burden of the work, sounding for nearly forty years before the revelation of the Son of man, and ascertaining its full meaning is duty, with all transactions to be in accordance with the Word of God. It is to be given to the whole world through an evangelizing ministry of the Word in books and periodicals, carried on now as never before, showing that the end of all things is at hand. Those publications proclaim the third angel's message and make known and show a people who keep God's commandments and have the faith of Jesus.

The Lord has appointed a time to bind off His work and bring it to its close when the truth for the last days has been proclaimed as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come. That time of preparation is prolonged when Satan's power comes into the very temple of God and manipulates things as he pleases and when human beings restrict God's work by Satan's influence within it. The message to go to all the world before the end is the message of the Saviour's soon coming in power and great glory, to be given with solemn dignity in every branch of the work. The world is a large vineyard to be worked so that every part produces fruit, requiring medical missionary work united with the gospel ministry with the living principles of truth kept pure, uncontaminated by anything that would dim their luster. When those who bear the heavy burdens stand true and steadfast to the principles of truth, the Lord will preside over the work and will uphold and sustain them.

The period of probation remains open until this worldwide proclamation is complete, and God's people are responsible for giving the message clearly so that His name is glorified. Its saving truths are God's means of resisting moral corruption, and the third angel's message carries them with power to restore God's moral image in humanity as the final testing message to a fallen world. The message of Christ's righteousness is to be sounded from one end of the earth to the other to prepare a people to meet Christ at His second coming, and this proclamation includes the third angel's message. The gospel must be preached to every nation as a witness, though many will not receive or value it because lesser concerns occupy them. Its proclamation is to shine amid moral darkness, setting truth in contrast to error.

That worldwide warning exposes falsehood and calls people to the pure gospel, the faith once delivered to the saints, and loyalty to God's law and religious liberty. Christ's followers also bear witness through visible good works that glorify God, as grace progressively develops faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love, making them fruitful in knowing Christ. God's oath that all the earth shall be filled with His glory means His character of merciful kindness and tender love revealed to all mankind. It is meeting rapid fulfillment today as missionary activities bear rich fruitage with men and women from every kindred, tongue, and people made accepted in the Beloved, and soon the gospel message will have been proclaimed to all nations.

The presentation of health principles is united with this message but never independent of it or taking its place. Medical missionary work is joined to this gospel work and cannot be separated from it, supporting the worldwide carrying of the gospel, while those doing this work are to remain distinct from the world. The gospel to be preached in all the world is the third angel's message, the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus, proclaimed with a loud cry as the burden of the work.

Hastening or Delaying End

It is in human power to hasten the return of the Lord and the coming of His kingdom, for the kingdom of grace is already established as sinful, rebellious hearts yield to divine love and in believers' hearts as they obey, while the kingdom of glory will not come until the good tidings of Christ's grace have been carried to all the earth for a witness to all nations before His second coming. Only those who devote themselves to His service to open blind eyes and turn people from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among the sanctified, pray in sincerity for the kingdom to come. By giving themselves to God and winning other souls to Him through missionary work, by bearing fruit to God's glory and spreading the gospel seed until the final harvest is ripe, by scattering instead of congregating, and by not only looking for the day of God but hastening it, believers hasten the coming of His kingdom and the final ripe harvest, with His coming also linked to His character being fully reproduced in His people. Sharing in this worldwide witness is cooperation with God in bringing sin and the misery it causes to an end.

Had the church done her appointed work as ordained, the whole world would before this have been warned and Jesus would already have come with power and great glory. The warning was meant to have been carried long ago, and if the position held thirty years before had been kept there would have been no need to call for patience. The message of Christ's return is to be given with living power and earnestness, calling people to the hope of His return and preparing them for the end, with God's power going with Spirit-filled workers visiting house to house, opening the Scriptures to darkened minds while angels impress hearts thirsting for life.

The worldwide warning has been delayed because Satan has blinded understanding and the whole army of the powers of darkness is warring to keep the message from those who do not know it. Professed followers neglected weighty responsibility, lost first love, and gave way to a hard, selfish spirit instead of working as God's instrumentalities, with laziness, indolence and speechlessness bringing condemnation. Unbelief has hindered progress and the work must advance beyond a few places, while opposition and disunity among those who knew the truth diverted time, strength and resources from warning the world of coming judgments, leaving the work years behind. Though the gospel had reached a large part of humanity, generations had not welcomed Bible religion or continued to know the Lord, and human teachings obscured God's law as the foundation of His government, delaying proclamation to every family despite God providing power and means for people to work with Him nigh and afar.

Christ waits in patience for His people to do their duty to carry life and salvation as a witness to all parts of the earth and to unwarned cities, and when the world is warned the work will be completed and then the end will come and He will come to take His people to Himself. The Lord has appointed a time to bring the work to its close when truth for the last days goes forth openly with no concealment as the third angel's message swelling to the loud cry, but Satan's power entering the very temple of God to manipulate things as he pleases and human beings restricting God's work can prolong the time of preparation. Lack of faith, spirituality and divine power hinders the coming of the kingdom, while earnest persevering prayer brings the Spirit to fill men with power for service, and were every believer a living missionary fired with zeal the message for this time would speedily be proclaimed with angels going before to prepare hearts. Neglect by diverting resources and efforts to worldly interests, to self-indulgence, to expensive food enterprises, and to unnecessary buildings and conveniences where work is established hinders progress, and every year's delay makes the work more intricate and dangerous.

The way is opened for the world to hear when God's people awake to responsibilities and meet neglected obligations by giving back to God His own in tithes and offerings, with love of Christ in the heart, thorough self-sacrifice and earnestness supplying funds for home and foreign missions, multiplying resources and opening a thousand doors of usefulness. God reserved tithes and offerings to advance the work that it might be a praise in all parts of the earth and provide meat in His house to sustain servants in opening the Scriptures nigh and afar, and withholding that portion robs God and turns away blessing by living to please self in selfishness instead of denying self, taking up the cross and following Christ's humble self-denying example. Had that purpose been carried out with faithful giving and self-sacrificing effort, Christ would have come ere this and the saints would have received their welcome into the City of God.

Carrying the Worldwide Witness

The commission is universal in scope, not confined to one or two places, to any certain locality or to a certain class of workers, but to all cities, villages, nations, kindreds, tongues and people that can be reached, to those nigh and afar off, poor as well as rich and lowly as well as honored, in needy fields at home and abroad. This includes the major cities and the nearby fields where millions from many nations have not heard and stand ready to receive, Central Europe until the message triumphs and calls out a prepared people, Europe where few workers labor and churches in Denmark, Sweden and Norway need workers in every city with encouragement and instruction for new believers, and places like Nashville. The work God calls for is this worldwide mission carried by willing, loyal workers putting ability and resources to wise use, with each responding, Here am I, send me, rather than hiding talents in the earth or crowding together content merely to receive in cities and towns while hungry souls need the Bread of life.

The field must be extended until every part hears, branching into new territory and regions beyond and into dark, neglected, unpromising and destitute places never yet entered, instead of treading over and over the same ground, centering in one or few places, congregating together, or absorbing means and workers in expanding buildings and conveniences where work is already established. The light and truth for this time, including the soon coming of Christ, is not to be shut up within churches that already know it but shed abroad to every kindred and nation and tongue and people, for this preaching in all the world is the great closing work and last warning to a sinful world lying in wickedness and corruption, and failure reveals appalling indifference while men are absorbed in worldly gain and pleasure with thousands giving no thought to salvation. Means are not to be absorbed in large institutions, hygienic restaurants for temporal advantage, or schooling while work moves slowly, and houses of worship that stand as witnesses to truth and memorials of God's Sabbath and lights amid darkness are part of establishing truth in many countries, languages and peoples, yet buildings must be solid and presentable at least cost with nothing for show so means remain for other countries.

Publications are a chief means of carrying the promise of the soon coming and present truth from city to city and country to country, translated into every language so all people can be reached nigh and afar off. Bibles, books and periodicals already in print and yet to be issued bear divine credentials as the special message for this present time, warning of Satan's work, exposing his plans and deceptions to counterwork God, opening eyes to discern the situation and dangers of the times, and leading to lay hold by faith on Christ and His righteousness, for the world is perishing without this message. This is done through organized canvassing and humble colporteur-evangelists reaching those otherwise never enlightened, placing light before many without delay because the end is near, with literature showing a people keeping the commandments with the testimony of Jesus. The books to go now are Daniel and Revelation, The Great Controversy, Patriarchs and Prophets, and The Desire of Ages, joined with loud third-angel proclamation, medical work and prayer for the sick to prepare hearts, and to every worker Christ promises divine efficiency for success.

The work advances by Spirit-filled workers visiting house to house and opening the Scriptures to darkened minds while angels impress thirsting hearts, with divine providence removing mountains of difficulty and the stream of living water deepening and widening in every field near and far until the whole earth has been warned in purity in clear unmistakable language heard and understood. Ordinary workers taken from the plow, the vineyard and common commercial work are educated together with experienced workers to labor effectively and proclaim what matters to earth's dwellers with power, and missionary education, schools with the Bible as textbook, and trained translators, publishers and practical missionaries hasten it when believers faithfully take up work with divine power working with human effort. God's providence opens country after country to heralds where honest hearts seek saving truth, so training workers is vital to finish without delay, and a series of events will reveal God as master of the situation.

Every believer has duty as living missionary and witness, bound by eternal law to make proclamation the first work and show belief in life, each according to ability working in needy fields at home and abroad, for when the whole church does this the world will be warned. All entrusted talents of influence, means and ability must be used most earnestly to advance truth in all its lines so a people may be prepared to stand and witness Christ as personal Saviour, inviting others who pass it on until the Word encircles the globe, teaching others as the seventy were taught to carry on truths revealed for those in darkness. This includes warning, reproving and rebuking as need requires, using talents in evangelism, and if the unwilling refuse God will give the message to others, even stones.

Fulfilling the witness requires self-denying, self-sacrificing cooperation with Christ, learning His meekness and lowliness, divesting every particle of selfishness, spending nothing on flowers, feathers or bodily decoration, refusing present enjoyment, self-glorification and indulgence, keeping the soul clean in holiness, praying more and talking less, watching, praying and working instead of idle expectation, weeping or excuses of winter, inconvenience, family, money, sickness or suffering. It requires arising to labor for time and eternity with vigilant untiring effort against the enemy, with students given special opportunities in school term to learn practical missionary work and place themselves in the channel to receive and impart light, and with ministers upheld by prayers following like sharp sickles lest overburdened they fall because others refuse to lift burdens. Shorter sermons and exercises can better serve hearers and preserve speaker health and piety, and work including sanitariums should introduce truth for this time and the last message of mercy, not merely bring crowds through doors.

It requires giving means, using entrusted funds to meet growing needs, sharing fairly between home and foreign missions, sustaining servants to open Scriptures nigh and afar, planting truth elsewhere, and supporting workers in the field by faith with self-denying saving and giving, valuing souls as Christ did in giving His precious life and suffering for those in peril of everlasting destruction. Neglect of unwarned cities and foreign fields left without warning delays the work and leaves no excuse in judgment, while readiness means putting on Christ's righteousness and working in harmony with Him, His ministers and all believers to prepare to meet the Lord. Worldwide scope makes gospel preaching the priority in investing the Lord's means.

Varied approaches reach all classes, since different people are drawn to different aspects, with small sanitariums in many places outside cities where city influence is least felt rather than few large central institutions run like the world, bringing patients messages that promote health of soul and gathering God's people more effectively. Health and temperance lectures with prayer, singing and plain Bible talks without theatrical display, instruction on wholesome food, camp-meetings, public efforts, publications, and hygienic restaurants where converted workers use contact to win souls and teach truth rather than merely operating businesses all sow the gospel in cities, for teaching how to preserve physical health opens many opportunities. Medical missionary work is joined to and inseparable from gospel work while remaining distinct from the world.

God graciously gives a respite before the end in which the warning, the truth for this time, must go with no delay into all parts including dark places to perishing ignorant souls, using every heavenly power, meeting and surmounting obstacles as a great work entrusted to those who know truth. Time is short, wickedness increasing and golden opportunities neglected while the deceiver who deceived angels works untiringly with seductive wiles having deceived millions to deceive the whole world, so all nations must be warned and instructed without delay to seek the Lord, keep judgment before people, and prepare to stand and witness Christ and meet Him. The message is to be proclaimed everywhere from home to home and country to country, for many wait to hear it, and God's Spirit gives true missionaries power to save all who accept the invitation.

The promise that God's Word shall not return void guarantees fulfillment, covering earth with knowledge of God as waters cover sea, and this calls for revival of Bible study worldwide with attention not to men's assertions but to the Word as open book and great textbook carrying evidence of truth in every page. Schools and churches must provide Bible teachers and means to educate students as Bible workers qualified to put on armor of righteousness, proclaiming truths by which all will be judged, and as this is done a mighty work will be wrought. Increasing activity in new lines and enterprises shows the closing work is underway and the great work for the last days is soon finished and nearing completion.

Abounding iniquity with love waxing cold finds its counterpart in this generation, calling the church to awake, put on Christ's righteousness, preserve first love, stay spiritually awake, stand for principle and endure to the end to be saved while giving the message. Christ's tears on Olivet were for those then living, especially those calling God's servants' earnest uplifted voice fanaticism and enthusiasm, so servants must proclaim without fear though some dismiss them. God's people must search Scriptures to communicate truths, lead others to the path for the ransomed, and teach by precept and example obedience to all commandments through grace, clothed in Christ's righteousness, employing every talent as sacred trust to help those for whom He gave His life. The mission was hindered when selfishness and neglected opportunities left regions unentered and churches unestablished that self-sacrificing means could have reached, whereas as work spreads the seventh-day Sabbath as God's memorial of creation would have been honored.

Resources must advance every place with each locality aiding others, God's money, talent, intellect, wealth and influence used to save the world and prepare a people to stand in the Lord's day, with no exclusive showing, religious aristocracy, or absorption in favorite lines while other fields are feeble. Until proclamation to every nation, kindred, tongue and people is complete, God's power defends His people amid worldwide conflict and bloodshed as the four winds are soon loosed. The closing message is truth for this time, and disrespect toward its presentation can confuse people and lead them from its significance, so sacred truth must impress the world with work and resources directed to fields ready for harvest, not spent on hopeless lines. Stormy times ahead require faith and courage without unbelief, for God arranges advantages to arouse attention, sends His message into highways and byways for the feeblest, and gives healing to sin-sick souls from everlasting love, calling all to know His ministry and mercy-seat so grace shines from many places. The verse points to unfinished warning work that must go to places not yet heard, requiring more laborers and more thorough missionary work because the close of time is near with little time left.