How can disciples be made of all nations if the apostles will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes?
The assumption in Matthew 10:23 is that the apostles will travel through the land of Israel as preachers until the return of Jesus—but how does this fit with Matthew 28:18–20? To see how these and promises such as those of Matthew 16:28 and Matthew 24:34 must be understood, see Matthew 22:1–14 and Matthew 23:38–39: since the chosen people have rejected the Messiah and his message, the gospel went to the Gentiles, with the Jewish people set aside. This rejection is why the promise of the coming of the Son of Man has, for them, become a judgment involving abandonment by God and the destruction of the city (Matthew 23:37–39). Yet this judgment is not eternal (Matthew 23:39; Luke 21:24), for a time will come when the Lord will once again take up the cause of his chosen people Israel (see Romans 11:1–36).
Not being finished with all the towns could also mean that the apostles’ task is never finished, because of those who never convert (see Romans 10:14). This exegesis connects to what follows in Matthew 10:24–25 regarding the relationship between disciples and their Master.
The underlying assumption here in Matthew 10:23 is that the apostles will continue to travel through the land of Israel as preachers until the return of Jesus. How would this be harmonized with Matthew 28:18–20, though? In order to understand how these and other promises such as those of Matthew 16:28 and Matthew 24:34 are to be understood, see Matthew 22:1–14 and Matthew 23:38–39: because the chosen people have rejected the Messiah and his message, the proclamation went to the Gentiles and the Jewish people were set aside. This rejection is the reason why the promise of the coming of the Son of Man in glory has, for them, been turned into a judgment that entails abandonment by God and the destruction of the city (Matthew 23:37–39). Yet this judgment is not eternal (Matthew 23:39; Luke 21:24), for a time will come when the Lord will once again take up the cause of his chosen people Israel (see Romans 11:1–36).1
Not being finished with all the towns means that the task of the apostles is never completed as there will be those who never convert (see Romans 10:14). The exegesis here directly connects to what follows in Matthew 10:24–25 regarding the relationship between disciples and their Master.2
23 Quand on vous persécutera dans une ville, fuyez dans une autre. Je vous le dis en vérité, vous n'aurez pas achevé de parcourir les villes d'Israël que le Fils de l'homme sera venu.