howdy,
you wrote:
Consider what the Insight on the Scriptures book (vol 1) says on pg 987 concerning the preaching work that Jesus told his disciples to do...
"He also told them that their preaching would reach to "the most distant part
of the earth." For about three and a half years afterward the holy spirit
led the disicples to confine their preaching to Jews and Samaritans. Then Peter
was sent by God to bring the good news to the household of the army officer
Cornelius. From that time on, the good news was declared to the greatest possible
extent over the widest area."
Consider also the scripture at Colossians 1:23
"provided of course, that YOU continue in the faith, established on the
foundation and steadfast and not being shifted away from the hope of that
good news which YOU heard, and which was preached in all creation that is
under heaven. Of this good news, I Paul became a minister.
was the good news preached in all the inhabited earth? It appears so. So, back to the question, what was the sign of Jesus' presence? The signs were all the things mentioned at Matthew 24:4-14
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The reference to the Good News being preached in "all the inhabited Earth," is really in truth limited to the author's "world", in this case the Jewish world. At this period in time, the Jews were concentrated in Jerusalem and the next largest Jewish community was in Bablylon (having remained and prospered there since the Babylonian Capitivity). Additionally, there were very large and significant Jewish populations as far away as lower Egypt and all around the Mediterranean, collectively this is known as the Diaspora or scattered ones. (By the way I am not including the deported Jews from Israel that were transplanted by the Persians to Turkey as they largely lost their Jewish identity, these ones are the so-called "Lost Tribes.")
Giving the benefit of the doubt to the Apostles words, we can say that the Good News was preached to all of these lands and communities (perhaps as the result of Jerusalem pilgrims who converted to Christianity--think of the account of the Ethiopian Eunich and Peter).
So in this sense the scriptures regarding the Good News being preached to ALL the inhabited Earth were fullfilled.
HOWEVER, the fact is that by this time there were or had been sizable populations and thriving cultures in North and South America, Africa, Norther Europe, Asia, etc. etc.. These people did not have the Good News preached to them at this time.
Thus the truth is that the above fullfillment is not a literal one but a figurative one applying only to the Jewish System.
(By the way, in my belief, I feel strongly that the SAME understanding should be applied to the FLOOD of Noah, i.e. I believe that the "Flood" was a real event, and that it destroyed NOAH's World, but not the whole literal world...Note: understanding the Scriptures in this way does not detract from the import of the message of warning as the destruction of Noah's community and the local area was real.)
Getting back to the topic, I agree with you that what is being discussed is the Jewish System of things.
The Bible has always been a book about and for, primarilly God's chosen people, the Israelites. Christ and Jehovah God has opened the way for non-jews to gain the salvation and blessings that they as a nation have lost by rejecting Christ.
But as far as Daniel and other Bible writers they were still principally concerned about the Jewish System. All scriptures should they have any first and secondary meaning must be understood first from the application upon the Jewish System and only secondly applied to the rest of the world.
Similarly, I feel strongly that any teleological conclusions today must be premised upon seeing a fullfillment upon the same Jewish System, even today.
Thus, for example if we look for a modern fulfillment of the scripture regarding the proclamation of "Peace and Security" (1 Thes 5:3), this should come principally upon the Jewish state--represented today by the modern nation of Israel (and the surrounding historically Jewish area).
Should the political efforts of all involved ever bring real peace and security to the Middle East, then all persons should be in eager expectation because indeed Armageddon may be near.
--Eduardo