Language Loss

“Of the world’s 7,000-odd languages, almost half are expected to disappear by the end of the 21st century,” writes the Economist.

If we measure the completion of the Great Commission by the number of ethnolinguistic groups left on the list - which is largely defined by language - then striking 3,500 groups from the list is one easy way to “jump” toward the finish line.

But it also brings to mind a striking question: is every language to be represented before the throne? What does that verse mean?

For example, if a language “dies” without any believers in it - has the Great Commission failed?

Obviously not - but then, what precisely does the verse mean, and what are we measuring?