4. Since when has Mark 13:10 been undergoing fulfillment, and when did this fact begin to be realized?

⁴ Jesus’ prophecy in Mark 13:10, “Also, in all the nations the good news has to be preached first,” has not been undergoing fulfillment during the past nineteen centuries. It is only since the second decade of our twentieth century that this prophecy has been undergoing fulfillment. This began to be realized by the International Bible Students Association and the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society since the end of the second decade of our century. In the magazine issue of July 1, 1920, of The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ’s Presence the article was published entitled “Gospel of the Kingdom” and based on the theme text, “‘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.’​—Matthew 24:14.” In the last six paragraphs it said:

5-7. How did that issue of The Watch Tower present that new understanding of Matthew 24:14?

⁵ “It will be noted he does not say the gospel that has been preached to the meek throughout the entire Gospel age shall be preached. What gospel then could he mean? The gospel means good news. The good news here is concerning the end of the old order of things and the establishment of Messiah’s kingdom. It means the dark night of sin and sorrow is passing away. It means that Satan’s empire is falling, never to rise again. It means the sun of righteousness is rising rapidly, its healing beams penetrating the darkness and driving back that which obscures the truth and bringing to the people that which will bless, comfort, strengthen and uplift them. . . .

⁶ “It will be observed that in the order named this message must be delivered between the time of the great world war and the time of the ‘great tribulation’ mentioned by the Master in Matthew 24:21, 22. This message could not have been delivered prior to the beginning of the world war. Clearly, then, the Master intended for us to understand that a time would come when the church must declare to the world as a witness that the old order is ending and will shortly pass away forever. . . .

⁷ “What a blessed privilege the church now has of being the ambassadors of the Lord’s kingdom and engaging in delivering the good news.”​—Pages 199, 200.

8. (a) What confirms the truthfulness of that “good news” of the Kingdom? (b) Who deserved to hear such “good news,” and why?

⁸ Since the publishing of that new, up-to-date understanding of the prophetic words of Jesus Christ more and more evidence has piled up in the world events and conditions and in the experience of the International Bible Students to prove that God’s Messianic kingdom was indeed born in the heavens at the due time in 1914 and that “this good news of the kingdom” means the fresh, brand-new information that tells of God’s established kingdom. No news of the day could surpass that for real goodness. For this reason the whole world of mankind deserved to hear this good news, “this gospel of the kingdom.” (Matt. 24:14, AV; NW) And according to Jesus Christ all the world of mankind has to hear it. “In all the nations the good news has to be preached,” said he.​—Mark 13:10.

“IN ALL THE NATIONS”

9, 10. (a) In obedience to that prophetic command, what was done? (b) How has this work expanded since the middle of World War II?

⁹ In obedience to the prophetic command to Jesus’ disciples, the earnest endeavor was made to preach to all the nations.

¹⁰ In the midwar year of 1943, in which year the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead for training missionaries was opened up by Jehovah’s witnesses (previously known as International Bible Students), there were fifty-four lands from which the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society of Pennsylvania was receiving reports on the preaching of “this good news of the kingdom.” More new political nations have been born on earth, and today the organization of the United Nations has 119 member nations, including Pakistan, Burma, Indonesia, Jordan, Israel, Zambia, Malawi, Ghana, and so forth. But today, at the close of the year 1967, Jehovah’s witnesses are reporting from 197 lands on their preaching of “this good news of the kingdom” there. This means preaching even behind the Communist Iron Curtain and under Fascistic dictatorships and in the face of religious persecution, nationalism and militarism.

14. (a) What notice must be served upon the nations? (b) Who has limited the time for this, and why must it be done before he acts?

¹⁴ According to the regular way followed by God in dealing with the ancient nations in Bible times, notice must be served upon the worldly nations of the oncoming war and of their certain destruction at the hands of God’s anointed Executioner, Jesus Christ. Hence the good news has to be preached in all the nations. The nations must be confronted with the fact of the established kingdom of God, the rightful government for ruling all the earth. The nations must be made to know in advance not only of the coming destruction but also of the direction from which and the agency by which the everlasting destruction comes upon all the political nations at Armageddon. The time for serving this notice is limited by the Great Timekeeper, Jehovah God, and this fact makes the work of serving the notice most urgent. God Almighty will not act until this work has been done “first.” He will not lay himself open to be accused of taking undue advantage of his enemies.

15. (a) How do we know whether the “good news” is such to all persons? (b) For whose benefit, then, must the “good news” be preached first?

¹⁵ The message of the Messianic kingdom does not mean “gospel” or “good news” to all people on earth. To those refusing God’s kingdom the message preached by Jehovah’s witnesses is not good news. Not strange, then, that many do not take it seriously or try to ignore it, whereas others oppose it and misrepresent it. If they are in political positions of power, they try to suppress it so as to keep others who might like to hear the message from hearing. To persons who have lost confidence in human governments and who grieve at world conditions morally, religiously, socially and politically, the message of God’s established Messianic kingdom is the good news for which they have longed. These are the ones that benefit from the preaching of the good news. They accept it, act upon it and stand in a favored position to escape the certain destruction that will befall Kingdom opposers. It is for the everlasting good of such persons inclined to receive the message as good news that the Kingdom message has to be preached first, that they may be able to act now to avoid destruction.

PREACHING AND TEACHING

16. What did Jesus say should be done as to the “good news,” and yet what should we not think?

¹⁶ However, did you notice Jesus Christ said that “in all the nations the good news has to be preached”? He did not say that ‘in all the nations the good news has to be taught.’ What is the difference? Or what difference does that make? That word “preached” should not necessarily make us think of a priest or clergyman who in professional garments gets up into a church pulpit to give churchgoers a religious sermon. Why not?

17. (a) In the original Greek text, what does the word “preached” basically mean? (b) What would the preachers not necessarily be doing?

¹⁷ The Greek verb translated “to preach” is kerýssein. This Greek verb, which occurs many times in the inspired Greek Christian Scriptures, means basically “to make proclamation as a herald; to be a herald, officiate as a herald; to be an announcer; to summon by herald; proclaim (as a conqueror).” The related noun is kéryx and means “herald; public messenger; envoy; crier (who made proclamation and kept order in assemblies, etc.).” Another related noun is kérygma, which means “that which is cried by a herald; proclamation; announcement (of victory in games); mandate; summons.” So, not inappropriately, The New English Bible, of 1961, reads, at Mark 13:10: “But before the end the Gospel must be proclaimed to all nations.” (Also Yg; Ro) This means that the proclaimers would be acting like heralds. They would not necessarily be acting as teachers, conducting Bible studies.

18. So in Mark 13:10, what did Jesus prophesy would be done?

¹⁸ Thus Jesus prophesied that, after the establishment of the Messianic kingdom, the good news would be heralded, announced, proclaimed, and in this way notice would be served upon all the nations. At least, the good news would be heralded, let give ear to it and accept it whoever will, or let turn a deaf ear and reject it whoever will. At least all the nations would be given the witness. Never should they be able to say that the “good news” never came their way in this “time of the end” before Armageddon.

19. So for what did Jesus say, in Matthew 24:14, “this gospel of the kingdom” would be preached?

¹⁹ That is why the statement in Matthew 24:14, which corresponds with that in Mark 13:10, says: “This good news of the kingdom will be preached [or, heralded, proclaimed] in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.” (NW) “This gospel of the Kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the earth as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come.” (NEB) Looking forward to our day, Jesus Christ refrained from prophesying that the heralding, proclaiming or preaching of this good news of the Kingdom to all the nations would be for the converting of them to Christianity, in order to line up all nations on the side of God’s kingdom.