A Two-Part Question for JWs about Matthew 24:14

[Skeptical]

This question is primarily asked to JWs, but anyone with a Bible-based view may participate in this discussion. But my two-fold question is: According to Matthew 24:14:

14 And this good news of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations,+ and then the end will come.

a) What exactly was the good news of the Kingdom that was preached in the first century CE?
b) Since Jesus was referring to all the inhabited earth during the first century, what "end" was he referring to?

And the reason why I ask these questions is because I understand that JWs have a different interpretation of what the gospel or good news is compared to other Christians. Also, since the inhabited earth during the first century went beyond the Roman province of Judea and the city of Jerusalem, what concern would "the end" be for Christians living in other regions of the inhabited earth? (Colossians 1:23)

[JehovahsWitness]

JW, you must not have read my post #16...

No, I read your post #16. You pointed out the same thing, namely that the then known world back then covered Asia, Europe, and Africa!... my response was as follows:

Yeah, but the known world went beyond Jerusalem and the Roman province of Judea.

Yes... So? Do you think you could see your way to writing in a sentence or two ( in your own words) what your point is?

I repeat: I simply don't understand what your point is, which is why I asked you to explain in a few sentences what your are trying to say.

[Skeptical]

JW, you must not have read my post #16...

No, I read your post #16. You pointed out the same thing, namely that the then known world back then covered Asia, Europe, and Africa!... my response was as follows:

Yeah, but the known world went beyond Jerusalem and the Roman province of Judea.

Yes... So? Do you think you could see your way to writing in a sentence or two ( in your own words) what your point is?

I repeat: I simply don't understand what your point is, which is why I asked you to explain in a few sentences what your are trying to say.

Well, I would say that either:
1) You are employing JW spiritual warfare if they still do that and if you even know what that means.
2) You are not as smart as I am assuming that you are. Or...
3) You're very young and need someone to spoon feed you what I am otherwise clearly saying.

[JehovahsWitness]

Well, I would say that either:
1) You are employing JW spiritual warfare if they still do that and if you even know what that means.
2) You are not as smart as I am assuming that you are. Or...
3) You're very young and need someone to spoon feed you what I am otherwise clearly saying.

Well I prefer to debate the posts rather than the poster. If you ever choose to actually make your point in a way I can understand I will of course consider responding. In the meantime I wish you a most excellent and sunfilled weekend,


JW

[Skeptical]

Well, I would say that either:
1) You are employing JW spiritual warfare if they still do that and if you even know what that means.
2) You are not as smart as I am assuming that you are. Or...
3) You're very young and need someone to spoon feed you what I am otherwise clearly saying.

Well I prefer to debate the posts rather than the poster. If you ever choose to actually make your point in a way I can understand I will of course consider responding. In the meantime I wish you a most excellent and sunfilled weekend,


JW

Well, let me see if I can break things down easier for you by asking you: Why would first century Christians who were living in in Asia and Africa be concerned about the catastrophic events that would occur in Jerusalem foretold by Jesus in Matthew 24:14? Or in other words, if you knew of a prophecy about something terrible that would happen in the city of Los Angeles, then if you lived in the city of New York, why would you be concerned about that?

[JehovahsWitness]

Why would first century Christians who were living in in Asia and Africa be concerned about the catastrophic events that would occur in Jerusalem foretold by Jesus in Matthew 24:14?

Matthew 24:14 does not speak about events in Jerusalem. The verses that concern Jerusalem and the end if the temple based system of worship there are Luke 21:20 -24

Would 1st century Christians in far away regions have been concerned about the plight of Jerusalem as described in Luke 21:20 -24?

Christians living outside the region would , (we can presume), have been concerned for the plight of their brethren, but they would not have been directly effected by the fulfillment of the features of Jesus prophecy that applied to the destruction lf Jerusalem.

I think its fair to say hearing that Jesus had predicted such a catastrophic event more than 30 years before it happened and that his predictions came true, would be faith strengthening for Christians wherever they lived, even though those outside of Judea would not have had to follow the specific instructions he gave .



JW

[Skeptical]

Why would first century Christians who were living in in Asia and Africa be concerned about the catastrophic events that would occur in Jerusalem foretold by Jesus in Matthew 24:14?

Matthew 24:14 does not speak about events in Jerusalem. The verses that concern Jerusalem and the end if the temple based system of worship there are Luke 21:20 -24

Would 1st century Christians in far away regions have been concerned about the plight of Jerusalem as described in Luke 21:20 -24?

Christians living outside the region would , (we can presume), have been concerned for the plight of their brethren, but they would not have been directly effected by the fulfillment of the features of Jesus prophecy that applied to the destruction lf Jerusalem.

I think its fair to say hearing that Jesus had predicted such a catastrophic event more than 30 years before it happened and that his predictions came true, would be faith strengthening for Christians wherever they lived, even though those outside of Judea would not have had to follow the specific instructions he gave .



JW

Thank you for that clarification with Luke 21:20-24. Also, I used Matthew 24:14 because I was guessing that it is the more popular chapter of the synoptic gospels that Christians use to demonstrate last days prophecy. However, at the end of verse 14, there's a phrase, which is primarily the same in most of the translations that I've seen, and they are the words, "and then the end will come." Therefore, the point that I have been trying to make with this thread is: Is it true that for Christians who lived outside of Judea, the meaning of the end coming was supposed to have been referring to some sort of remote time period that was far away from their current time period? (Because my contention is that non-Judean Christians in the first century had the belief that the end would come during their lifetime.)

P.S.

I think its fair to say hearing that Jesus had predicted such a catastrophic event more than 30 years before it happened and that his predictions came true, would be faith strengthening for Christians wherever they lived, even though those outside of Judea would not have had to follow the specific instructions he gave .



JW

Well, I've heard the argument that a lot of Bible prophecies were written after the fact, however, I have not studied that idea enough for me to give any further explanation on it.

[JehovahsWitness]

...at the end of verse 14, there's a phrase... "and then the end will come." ... Is it true that for Christians who lived outside of Judea the meaning of the end coming was supposed to have been referring to some sort of remote time period that was far away from their current time period?

Yes and not just for the non-Judean Christians, "the end" refered to in Matthew 24:14 referred to the end not just of the Jewish temple but of the world system.

The initial question the disciples asked in Matthew 24 verse 3 was threefold, covering [ 1 ]the destruction of the temple, [ 2 ] the parousia - Christ's presence [ 3 ] the end of the entire world system. Jesus interwined features that would help his disciples identify all three events. So, some of the features dealt with [ 1 ], some dealt with [ 2 ] and others dealt with [ 3 ].

Matthew 24:14 = [ 3 ]

To learn more please go to other posts related to...

GENTILE TIMES , LAST DAYS and ...THE SECOND COMING *

*The Return of Christ

[JehovahsWitness]

DID SOME OF THE FIRST CENTURY CHRISTIANS BELIEVE THE END WOULD COME DURING THEIR LIFETIME?

There is good reason to believe that at least some did expect the end of the world system would come in their lifetime. Indeed we have the recorded remarks of the disciples of Christ in ACTS 1 :6 where they asked (not for the first time) Jesus " “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?” (Luke 19:11). Paul had to correct misinformation that the resurrection of the Anointed Christians had already taken place. So false expectations as regards timing seems to have been a perennial problem in the first century.


JW

For more on this topic please go to other posts related to...

LAST DAYS and ...THE SECOND COMING *and ... "DELAYS "DEBUNKED,

*The Return of Christ

[Bust Nak]

2) You are not as smart as I am assuming that you are. Or...
3) You're very young and need someone to spoon feed you what I am otherwise clearly saying.

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[2timothy316]

Why would first century Christians who were living in in Asia and Africa be concerned about the catastrophic events that would occur in Jerusalem foretold by Jesus in Matthew 24:14?

Matthew 24:14 does not speak about events in Jerusalem. The verses that concern Jerusalem and the end if the temple based system of worship there are Luke 21:20 -24

Would 1st century Christians in far away regions have been concerned about the plight of Jerusalem as described in Luke 21:20 -24?

Christians living outside the region would , (we can presume), have been concerned for the plight of their brethren, but they would not have been directly effected by the fulfillment of the features of Jesus prophecy that applied to the destruction lf Jerusalem.

I think its fair to say hearing that Jesus had predicted such a catastrophic event more than 30 years before it happened and that his predictions came true, would be faith strengthening for Christians wherever they lived, even though those outside of Judea would not have had to follow the specific instructions he gave .



JW

I am interested in the event and I live thousands of miles from Jerusalem and it was 2000 years ago. I even did research on the Arch of Titus. Very faith strengthening.