Concerning the Isles Afar Off and the Light That Reached the Ends of the Earth

Of the Distant West and the Testimony of the Nations

Thus saith the Lord, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters:
“From the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same, My name shall be great among the Gentiles” (Malachi 1:11).

And it came to pass, when the gospel went forth from Jerusalem, that the Word of the Lord ran swiftly, not only into Asia and Greece, but toward the utmost bounds of the earth.

Among the isles and coasts of the far west, there arose a land rich in hills and rivers, bordered by the great sea—the land now called Portugal.

Though the name of Portugal is not found in the scrolls of the prophets, yet the Word of God was destined to reach its shores, for it is written:
“They shall declare My glory among the Gentiles” (Isaiah 66:19),
“I will send those that escape of them unto the isles afar off, that have not heard My fame” (Isaiah 66:19).

The Ancient Coastlands and Maritime Ways

In the days of Solomon the king, ships of Tarshish sailed forth upon the sea, bringing gold and silver, ivory and precious things (1 Kings 10:22). And though Tarshish is a place debated by the scholars, many have looked to the western shores of Iberia, where the ocean meets the mountains, as a land touched by ancient seafarers.

The prophets spake of “the isles of the Gentiles,” and “the ends of the world,” and Portugal became one of those far places where the seed of the Word would fall upon fertile ground.

Places of Wonder in the Land of the Setting Sun

In the latter days, the message of Christ came to Portugal by way of Roman roads and apostolic fervor, through the Latin tongue and the sacred Scriptures.

  • In Braga, one of the oldest cities of Iberia, the name of Christ was lifted up in early centuries, and bishops bore witness to the faith at councils and assemblies.

  • In Lisbon, where the Tagus meets the sea, churches were built upon Roman ruins, and the Word was read aloud in the language of the people.

  • In Évora, stones still stand that echo the days when temples of men were brought low before the glory of the risen Lord.

And throughout the land, crosses were raised, Scriptures were translated, and pilgrims walked paths of devotion—bearing witness that Portugal, though distant from Jerusalem, became a house for the name of the Lord.

A Nation Called to the Harvest

And in the age when ships once again sailed from her ports, missionaries were sent forth to far lands, bearing the Bible, the testimony of Jesus Christ, and the hope of salvation.

As it is written:
“Their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world” (Romans 10:18).

Let it be known, therefore, that the Word of God is not bound by borders, nor is the light withheld from distant places. Portugal, though not named in ancient Scripture, is written into the story of redemption through the work of the Spirit and the enduring witness of the Church.

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