Preaching the Gospel
After Jesus had risen from the dead, He met with the disciples and gave them instructions as to what they were to do. This is known as the great commission.
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you." Matthew 28:18-20a NASBJesus lived a life of perfect obedience to the will of the Father. He overcame the world and offered Himself as the ultimate sacrifice for sin. As a result, He was found worthy to be given all authority in heaven and on earth. Rather than immediately banish Satan and rule over the nations, Jesus instructed the disciples to go into all the nations and preach the gospel of the new covenant. This would fulfill the promise that God made to Abraham that in him, all the nations would be blessed.
"In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." Genesis 22:18 NASBWe know from Galatians 3:16 that the seed is a reference to Jesus. All the nations would be blessed as the followers of Christ take the gospel message around the world. This time of preaching the gospel to all the nations is known as the times of the Gentiles. The term Gentiles is another word for nations.
And Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Luke 21:24b NASBJesus gives us this sign as a marker so we’ll know that the gospel has been preached around the world. Jerusalem is no longer being trampled underfoot like it had been since the first century so we know that the gospel has gone out to all the nations fulfilling the times of the Gentiles. This means that we are presently in the end times when the seals are being opened.