When all of the prophecies mentioned in Matthew 24:14—“And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come”—have been accomplished, the Lord will make his appearance again.
The validity of this commission remains intact. Before his disciples, by the power of the Holy Spirit, have completed this commission, he will not return. Jesus assures that his promises to his children will be fulfilled and has offered them all the assistance they require.
Therefore, before God returns, we as His servants have a crucial responsibility ahead of us. He waits until all the nations have disciples (Matthew 28:19–20) and “the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (Romans 11:25).
The people of Israel
As predicted in Ezekiel 36:24 and Isaiah 11:12, “I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land”—the Jews will return to their homeland before to the return of the Lord Jesus. (Amos 9:11–15) [Israel shall be restored]. According to Zechariah 14:4, Jesus’ feet will eventually be seen “standing on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east.”
Satan has attempted to ruin Israel and lure its people into idolatry for as long as it has existed. One instance is when a Syrian king attempted to force the Jews to give up their special destiny as a people in the second century BC. However, the Jewish people emerged later as a result of the Maccabees’ valiant struggle. Jesus was going to be born into this country.
“The Lord destroys peoples’ schemes and brings the advice of the nations to naught. Blessed are the people that the Lord has designated as his heritage, the nation whose God is the Lord! (Psalm 33:10–12).
Both Jews and Gentiles
Additionally, there is opposition to Jesus’ second coming. But because Jesus’ atoning death fully satisfies God’s demands, He has [finally vanquished Satan]! When He returns, as described in Revelation 1:7, “He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of Him,” the full effects of this victory will become apparent.
When that happens, the Jewish people will see Him, just as Zechariah 12:10 predicted: “And I will pour out a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that, when they look on Me, on Him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for Him.”
By placing their faith in Jesus Christ, both Jews and Gentiles will be saved (Romans 3:29-30). “Transplanted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree” (Romans 11:17) are the non-Jewish believers from the nations. Paul reveals a riddle to the believers from other countries in Romans 11:25–26: “Until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, a partial hardening has come upon Israel. And all of Israel will be redeemed in this way.
Are you ready?
As you read about Jesus coming back, are you prepared to meet him? Do you consider him to be your Lord and Savior? Are you committed to his global missionary commission? Do you offer up prayers for Israel’s restoration and for peace?
But above all, praise Him for his compassionate plan including all of the world’s nations! We have the authority and duty to declare Jesus as the Savior and the impending Judge. There is an extreme urgency to this.
Jesus gave us the assignment to serve as His witnesses before taking His heavenly flight. Furthermore, He pledged to provide us the strength we need to complete this work (Acts 1:8). He bestows upon us the Holy Spirit’s power. Give Him your whole attention and allow Him to work in you. Allow Him to get you ready for our Lord Jesus’ return (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Serve as His witness today because everything Jesus predicted in Matthew 24 and Luke 21 is actually taking place!
A sure evidence that Jesus’ second coming is approaching is the large number of Jews returning to their homeland. As the Lord’s servants, we offer thanks to him for keeping his word, we pray for his second coming, and we are compassionate toward those who do not yet know Jesus.
