The article challenges the Iglesia Ni Cristo’s (INC) interpretation of the biblical phrase “the ends of the earth” as referring to the last days or end times. It argues that this interpretation is incorrect, distinguishing between the phrase “ends of the earth,” which refers to geographical locations, and “end of the world,” which may refer to time. The article emphasizes that INC’s use of Matthew 24:6 as support for their claim is flawed due to differences in language and meaning. It concludes that INC has no scriptural or linguistic basis for its claim and encourages a more accurate understanding of biblical language.
The phrase “ends of the earth” can carry both a geographical and a spiritual or prophetic meaning. While the article argues for a purely geographical interpretation, the Bible often uses metaphors to convey deeper truths. For instance, in Psalm 22:27 (“All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord”) and Psalm 67:7 (“God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear Him”), the phrase is not just about distant lands but also indicates the farthest reaches of humanity coming to recognize God, which is also seen as part of end-times prophecy. These passages demonstrate that “ends of the earth” can represent the global acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty, which aligns with the unfolding of last days events.
In Acts 1:8, when Jesus tells His disciples that they will be His witnesses “to the end of the earth,” the immediate fulfillment of this command is the geographical spread of the gospel. However, the future fulfillment would point to the last days, when the gospel will have reached its full global extent, signaling the approach of the end times. This is consistent with a dual fulfillment framework, where an event has a present-day application (the disciples’ mission) and a future, eschatological significance (the completion of that mission before the last days).
While the article emphasizes that “ends of the earth” is a geographical phrase, the dual fulfillment perspective does not deny this. Instead, it acknowledges that biblical phrases often have multiple layers of meaning. The phrase can refer to geographical distances in its immediate context but also point to the end times, when the global reach of the gospel signals the nearing of the “end of the world” in a spiritual and prophetic sense.
In conclusion, the dual fulfillment interpretation would argue that the phrase “ends of the earth” carries both immediate and future significance, aligning with the biblical pattern of prophecy. The INC’s view that “ends of the earth” refers to the last days is consistent with the metaphorical and prophetic language used throughout Scripture, where a single phrase can encompass both geographical and eschatological meanings. This interpretation is not an invention but follows the biblical tradition of seeing prophecies unfold in stages, with final fulfillment in the last days.
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