Yes/No - Will the good news ever be preached through out the earth?

eyeslice

No - not by Jehovah's Witnesses.

There seems to be no clear line from the Society on how much preaching needs to be done before the "end". The "stones would cry out" principle is sometimes aluded to but I was/am a little vague on the official line.

If we take the preaching in the USA and assume that everyone has at least heard of Jehovah's Witnesses, this has taken over a hundred years effort in what is basically a Christian, population now 250 million (very approx. I know). Now, take China and India, these represent at least a third of humanity, approx. 2 billion. I know there are Witnesses in China and Indian, but in orders of magnitude, they are virtual non-existent. Besides, these are non-Christian countries and despite quite a large effort post WW2 to send missionaries in, there was none of the explosive growth experienced in Africa and South America, areas of the world already Christian.

eyeslice

Sentinel

Hummmm, I think this site given to us by Simon, has certainly done lots of good work in that area!

/<

Elsewhere

According to Paul, this had happened in his lifetime... the preaching work had reached the entire earth:

Romans 10:17,18

17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.

Colossians 1:23

23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven

Romans 16: 25,26

25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, 26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

Romans 1:8

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

Colossians 1:5,6

5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; 6 Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world

Mary

My opinion is "no". For example, all the people Charles Russell's generation preached to are dead. Virtually all the generation that Rutherford preached to are also long gone. The Society will ALWAYS be able to come up with the phrase that "there are many who have not had the opportunity to hear ~~our rhetorical bullshit~~ The Good News", simply because of the circle of life. Each days, people are born and people die. There will always be those who have never been called on by the Witnesses. This is just another ploy of the GB's dangling the carrot in front of the donkey. The insinuation is "well, if only YOU would get out in Service and preach, then maybe Armageddon WOULD come!"

The scriptures used by Paul indicates that he felt the Good News had been preached to everyone back then, but we know it wasn't. Those living in North America had no idea that someone named Jesus had ever lived.

MicStroz

I believe that it will, but only in the hearts of men that comes

with an understanding of our Lord Jesus Christ and his message

contained in the bible. Read the Bible!

Valis

Hell No!

stillajwexelder

I know there are Witnesses in China and Indian, but in orders of magnitude, they are virtual non-existent.

Eyeslice - no. Recent letter read to all congregations in USA for preaching campaigns in territory seldom worked. there were areas of Nebraska, the Dakotas and even Tennessee that had not been worked for many years-- so goddamit if the work can not even be fully done in the USA what hope the rest of the world. Also on West Coast of Ireland there are islands that do not get worked for 3 or 4 years at a time -- if witnesses do call every 5 years there will still be not-at-homes. Now take your case of China and India -- population growth alone there is so rapid, the territory will never get worked unless they have sudden miraculous explosive growth as in Russia - and even then if it does not happen inm the USA it can not happen there

mineralogist

You could just forget about this. In germany there are some places where even the normal territory work isn't done like normal - i.e. the territory is worked over if you went through with advertising the mags. Before it was said to reach almost everyone. So - NO the good news by JW won't be over the whole world. (and besides - what is the good news? which "holy" book do you mean?)

Carmel

Okay you opened pandora's box. There is not one continent, nation, or island that has not had the gospel preached. Actually this had been almost accomplished in the middle of the 19th century. The Edict of Toleration signed in 1844 began the flood of Israelis back to the Holy Land. The formation of Israel as a nation state in 1948 sealed the deal. The thing is done! Perhaps the "thief" has been in the house and the home owner was unawares!

Think about it.

carmel

JH

How can 6 million people preach to 6 billion? Even if all 6 million witnesses were in China alone, they couldn't do the job.

Yes/No - Will the good news ever be preached through out the earth?

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