John Calvin Commentary Matthew 24:14

"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all the nations; and then shall the end come." — Matthew 24:14 (ASV)

And the gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world. Our Lord, having delivered a discourse that caused considerable sorrow, timely adds this consolation, to lift up minds that were dejected, or to support those that were faltering. Whatever Satan's schemes may be, and however numerous the multitudes he carries away, yet the gospel will maintain its ground until it is spread through the whole world. This might indeed appear to be incredible; but it was the duty of the apostles, relying on this testimony of their Master, to cherish hope against hope, and, in the meantime, to strive vigorously to discharge their office.

Regarding the objection raised by some, that to this day not even the slightest report concerning Christ has reached the Antipodes and other very distant nations, this difficulty may be quickly resolved. For Christ does not absolutely refer to every part of the world, and does not fix a particular time. Instead, He only affirms that the gospel—which, all would have thought, was immediately to be banished from Judea, its native home—would be spread to the furthest ends of the earth before the day of His last coming.

For a testimony to all nations. He describes this as the purpose of preaching. For although God has never left Himself (ἀμάρτυρον) without witness (Acts 14:17), and although in a special way He testified to the Jews concerning Himself, yet it was a testimony remarkable beyond all others when He revealed Himself in Christ. Therefore, Paul says that He was manifested in due time (1 Timothy 2:6), because this was the proper season for calling the whole world to God. Let us, therefore, learn that, wherever the gospel is preached, it is as if God Himself came into our midst and solemnly and expressly implored us, so that we do not wander in darkness as if not knowing where to go, and that those who refuse to obey may be rendered inexcusable.

And then will the end come. This is improperly restricted by some to the destruction of the temple and the abolition of the service of the Law; for it should be understood as referring to the end and renovation of the world. Those two things having been blended by the disciples, as if the temple could not be overthrown without the destruction of the whole world, Christ, in replying to the whole question that had been put to Him, reminded them that a long and melancholy succession of calamities was at hand, and that they must not hasten to seize the prize before they had passed through many contests and dangers.

In this manner, therefore, we should explain this latter clause: “The end of the world will not come before I have tried my Church, for a long period, by severe and painful temptations,” for it is contrasted with the misconception that the apostles had formed in their minds. From this, we should also learn that no particular time is fixed here, as if the last day were to follow in immediate succession those events that were just foretold. For believers long ago experienced the fulfillment of those predictions we have now examined, and yet Christ did not immediately appear.

But Christ had no other design than to restrain the apostles, who were disposed to rush with excessive eagerness to the possession of heavenly glory, and to show them the necessity of patience. It was as if He had said that redemption was not as near as they had imagined it to be, but that they must pass through long and winding paths.