And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
All Commentaries on Matthew 24:14 Go To Matthew 24
John Chrysostom
AD 407
After this again, what is more grievous than all, they shall not have so much as the consolation from love. Then indicating, that these things will in no degree harm the noble and the firm, He says, Fear not, neither be troubled. For if you show forth the patience that becomes you, the dangers will not prevail over you. And it is a plain proof of this, that the word shall surely be preached everywhere in the world, so much shall you be above the things that alarm you. For, that they may not say, how then shall we live? He said more, You shall both live and preach everywhere. Therefore He added moreover, And this gospel shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all nations, and then shall the end come, of the downfall of Jerusalem.
For in proof that He meant this, and that before the taking of Jerusalem the gospel was preached, hear what Paul says, Their sound went into all the earth; Romans 10:18 and again, The gospel which was preached to every creature which is under Heaven. Colossians 1:23 And do you see him running from Jerusalem unto Spain? And if one took so large a portion, consider what the rest also wrought. For writing to others also, Paul again says concerning the gospel, that it is bringing forth fruit, and growing up in every creature which is under Heaven.
But what means, For a witness to all nations? Forasmuch as though it was everywhere preached, yet it was not everywhere believed. It was for a witness, He says, to them that were disbelieving, that is, for conviction, for accusation, for a testimony; for they that believed will bear witness against them that believed not, and will condemn them. And for this cause, after the gospel is preached in every part of the world, Jerusalem is destroyed, that they may not have so much as a shadow of an excuse for their perverseness. For they that saw His power shine throughout every place, and in an instant take the world captive, what excuse could they then have for continuing in the same perverseness? For in proof that it was everywhere preached at that time, hear what Paul says, of the gospel which was preached to every creature which is under Heaven. Colossians 1:23
Which also is a very great sign of Christ's power, that in twenty or at most thirty years the word had reached the ends of the world. After this therefore, says He, shall come the end of Jerusalem. For that He intimates this was manifested by what follows.
