This Generation

[gracechick]

Help me understand the verse that says This generation will not pass away before Jesus returns. How does the Greek roughly translate to our modern language as I have always struggled with this.

I know we are not to know the day or the hour, but notice we could know the season, the generation, year or even month then. Maybe

 

[zeke37]

what generation was he speaking about when He said it? He was telling us of the end times, not His generation. SO, IMO the setting forth of the shoot of the fig tree generation began in '48.
born in '48, that generation will see the end times....61 years old now!!!!

 

[gracechick]

What I don't understand is the Jews wondered in the wilderness until all the generation coming out of Egpyt died and the Bible calls a generation 70 years. So are we counting from that year up until the year 2018 or will most of that generation be in Heaven before the rapture?
I am questioning as the time seems so ripe for His return perhaps now and at least within the next few years...

 

[Knee V]

Well, regardless who the subject is (I have my opinions and I'm not about to get into that dead-horse debate), the Bible never says that a generation is 70 years, or 40 years, or any other particular length of time.

 

[HisdaughterJen]

Well, regardless who the subject is (I have my opinions and I'm not about to get into that dead-horse debate), the Bible never says that a generation is 70 years, or 40 years, or any other particular length of time.

Technically, it does.

Psa 90:10The length of our days is seventy years-- or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.


Isa 23:15At that time Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, the span of a king's life. But at the end of these seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the prostitute:


God allows a thing to happen for 70 years and then He moves.


Isa 23:17At the end of seventy years, the Lord will deal with Tyre. She will return to her hire as a prostitute and will ply her trade with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth.

Jer 25:11This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
Jer 25:12"But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, for their guilt," declares the Lord, "and will make it desolate forever.



Jer 29:10This is what the Lord says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place.



Jerusalem and Israel were destroyed/dispersed 70 years after the birth of Christ.

Mat 23:34Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town.

Mat 23:35And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

Mat 23:36I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation.

Mat 23:37"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.

Mat 23:38Look, your house is left to you desolate.



The generation that Jesus was speaking of was the generation that was right in front of Him. It came to pass just as He said it would. Israel has been desolated since 70 AD.


Since there is Biblical precedent for the rebirth of Israel as well as the 70 year thing, I would expect that life on earth will be very different starting in or around 2018...meaning that Jesus will probably be reigning by then.

 

[Super Kal]

when it comes to this, I do have some questions, because this does confuse me...

knee-v, if you say the Bible does not tell us how long a generation is, then how do you take into account Number 32:13 or Matthew 1:17?

Numbers 32:13
"And the LORD'S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed."

Matthew 1:17
"So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations."

 

[HisdaughterJen]

when it comes to this, I do have some questions, because this does confuse me...

knee-v, if you say the Bible does not tell us how long a generation is, then how do you take into account Number 32:13 or Matthew 1:17?

Numbers 32:13
"And the LORD'S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed."

Matthew 1:17
"So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations."

Wandering in the wilderness for forty years does not constitute a generation. They wandered for forty years until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord was consumed.

 

[Super Kal]

still doesn't change Matthew 1:17

 

[Biblewriter]

The scriptures already cited establish both time periods. But which applies to this question? We notice that Jesus did not say that a new generation would not arise before that time, but that this generation would not pass. That sets the time span, not as the time between one generation and the next (roughly 40 years) but as the length of a lifespan (roughly seventy years.)

It seems to me that Jesus was saying that those who saw all these things begin to come to pass would see it all finished. That sets the time span as 70 years, not 40.

But when did it begin? It does not seem unreasonable to count from the time Israel again became a nation. That was in 1948. If and only if these interpretations are correct, it will all be over in 2018, just nine years from now.

 

[HisdaughterJen]

The scriptures already cited establish both time periods. But which applies to this question? We notice that Jesus did not say that a new generation would not arise before that time, but that this generation would not pass. That sets the time span, not as the time between one generation and the next (roughly 40 years) but as the length of a lifespan (roughly seventy years.)

It seems to me that Jesus was saying that those who saw all these things begin to come to pass would see it all finished. That sets the time span as 70 years, not 40.

But when did it begin? It does not seem unreasonable to count from the time Israel again became a nation. That was in 1948. If and only if these interpretations are correct, it will all be over in 2018, just nine years from now.

I agree.

Could the starting point have been any earlier than May, 1948? Could it have been in 1945 when the Nazi regime fell and they were released from the prison camps and the idea for a state of Israel came into being? There was a UN resolution in Nov, 1947.

 

[HisdaughterJen]

still doesn't change Matthew 1:17

Where does it say anything in Matt 1:17 about the length of a generation?

 

[kotel]

40 years as the generation has passed us, 70 years is all we got left to work with. I favor the Nov 29, 1947 date as the beginning of our generation that ends with the second coming.

 

[Super Kal]

so would 40 years be considered a generation?

 

[Biblewriter]

I stressed the words and only if in my previous post.

We can NEVER be certain that ANY of our interpretations are correct. So we cannot legitimately say that it will all be over in another nine years.

 

[kotel]

so would 40 years be considered a generation?

I consider 40 years as applying to the current generation spoken of and 70 years to be the ending of a generation.

The generation spoken of by Jesus on the Mount of Olives was his disciples. From the time he spoke to his disciples to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD was about 40 years.

 

[Gary777]

Help me understand the verse that says This generation will not pass away before Jesus returns. How does the Greek roughly translate to our modern language as I have always struggled with this.

I know we are not to know the day or the hour, but notice we could know the season, the generation, year or even month then. Maybe

"THis generation" would put the events of matt 24 sometime before 40 years from when it was spoken. History shows that Jesus' dating of the destruction of Jerusalem was spot on.
In verse 30, some bibles translates this "peoples of the earth shll mourn" or even "nations of the earth shall mourn". But the expressions should be correctly translated "tribes of the land shall mourn". It is the exact same expression used in rev. 1:7 and bibles like youngs literal translates it ""tribes of the land", which is Israel.
This is important, because if it is "nations of the earth" then we have to say that this hasnt happened yet, and we are forced to look for another future date, other than the one Jesus used, with "this generation"

This is from John Wesleys commentary:

"Mat 24:34 This generation of men now living shall not pass till all these things be done - The expression implies, that great part of that generation would be passed away, but not the whole. Just so it was. For the city and temple were destroyed thirty - nine or forty years after."


Robertsons word picture:
"Mat 24:34
This generation (hē genea haute&#772. The problem is whether Jesus is here referring to the destruction of Jerusalem or to the second coming and end of the world. If to the destruction of Jerusalem, there was a literal fulfilment. In the Old Testament a generation was reckoned as forty years. This is the natural way to take Mat_24:34 as of Mat_24:33(Bruce), “all things” meaning the same in both verses.
"
(this is important, because if "all things" means the same thing, and that is the immidiate way to understand it - it would be confusing if "all things" meant two different things - then "all things" are talking about the things that must precede the coming and the judgement, and not thee events themselves. If "all things" included the coming and the judgement itself, then we had to look for a future date, because that obviously havent happened yet. In other words, the "all these things" that was supposed to happen within that very generation did not include the final coming and the judgement.)

Jamison fausset brown:
" Christ’s prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem, and warnings suggested by it to prepare for His second coming. "

(in other words, matt 24 is about year 70 and ppl in that generation would see it, but it projects warnings for Christ judgement over the world. )


Barnes:
"Mat 24:34
This generation ... - This age; this race of people. A generation is about 30 or 40 years. The destruction of Jerusalem took place about forty years after this was spoken."

 

[vinsight4u]

This generation (as in the sees the signs generation) will not pass once the signs begin. See all these things, then know, then look up for our redemption is near.

Jesus told His generation that the only sign they would see is the sign of Jonas.
as he was three days in the fish
so - Jesus would be three days in the earth

Jesus also told His generation that they would not see signs from heaven.

Jesus also foretold of how wars and rumours of war would have to come to pass first, and the end is not nigh.
As in that generation isn't the sees the signs as the last generation either.
Paul and those of the days of Jesus did not have time before 70 A.D. to get through all the wars and rumours of wars time that was to come before the final time of - nation shall rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom.

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

This generation (as in the sees the signs generation) will not pass once the signs begin. See all these things, then know, then look up for our redemption is near.

Jesus told His generation that the only sign they would see is the sign of Jonas.
as he was three days in the fish
so - Jesus would be three days in the earth

Jesus also told His generation that they would not see signs from heaven.

Jesus also foretold of how wars and rumours of war would have to come to pass first, and the end is not nigh.
As in that generation isn't the sees the signs as the last generation either.

Paul and those of the days of Jesus did not have time before 70 A.D. to get through all the wars and rumours of wars time that was to come before the final time of - nation shall rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom.

What say thee of Matt 24:3 and Revelation 15:1?
I and a lot of others view this as fulfilled on the OC Nations of "judah and israel". Thoughts?

Matthew 24:3 Of sitting yet of Him on the mount of the olives came toward to Him His Disciples according to own saying "be telling to us! when? these shall be and what? the Sign of Thy ParousiaV <3952> and of the together-finish/sun-teleiaV <4930> of the Age"

Reve 15:1 And I visioned another Sign in the heaven, great and marvelous, Messengers seven, having stripes/blows seven, the last, that in them is-finished/etelesqh <5055> (5681) the fury of the God.

 

[vinsight4u]

What say thee of Matt 24:3 and Revelation 15:1?
I and a lot of others view this as fulfilled on the OC Nations of "judah and israel". Thoughts?

Matthew 24:3 Of sitting yet of Him on the mount of the olives came toward to Him His Disciples according to own saying "be telling to us! when? these shall be and what? the Sign of Thy ParousiaV <3952> and of the together-finish/sun-teleiaV <4930> of the Age"

Reve 15:1 And I visioned another Sign in the heaven, great and marvelous, Messengers seven, having stripes/blows seven, the last, that in them is-finished/etelesqh <5055> (5681) the fury of the God.

Hi to you

The vials are full of the wrath of God, and Israel can only be punished with things that come in small portions so as to correct her. I see the vials as they can't start till after the 7th trumpet gives God the okay to destroy them which destroy the earth. I believe the vials are destined to come down on the beast of Iraq and those that followed him, worshipped his image, took his mark. The vials are only to cause wicked people to suffer and die.

 

[Notrash]

what generation was he speaking about when He said it? He was telling us of the end times, not His generation. SO, IMO the setting forth of the shoot of the fig tree generation began in '48.
born in '48, that generation will see the end times....61 years old now!!!!

There are many who believe and those numbers are increasing that Jesus was talking of the end of the AGE which is the correct translation of Matt 24:3. The "age" they were referring to was the old covenant age; i.e. the conditional land/nation covenant given by moses to the 'nation' of Israel just before they crossed jordan river. The old covenant was a type and more accurately an anti-type of the new covenat. The nation of Israel and the old covenant served to confirm the NEW covenant and the true Messiah. (not Nimrod and the snake or other religions).

The end of that old covenant age was prophesied as part of the old covenant itself in Duet 32. The old covenant is summarized in Chapters 11-32. Daniel's prophecies and some of Isaiahs and many others refer to the time of the end of the inferior covenant, not the time of the end of the world. The creation was called "GOOD".

"THIS Generation" was those people to whom Jesus was speaking to.
I don't even believe that accuracy and truthfullness in the intention of the words allows for a dual fulfillment or second fulfillment.
Jeremiah 31 says that as long as the ordinances of the sun, moon and seasons continue, those of like kind (seed) of Israel the individual reborn son of God will not cease from the earth.

The shooting of the fig tree was when Judea pushed against Rome along with severl others of the nation states (and all the trees) within the Roman empire in the late 60's AD.

The word "generation" has several branches and also some synonyms.
Genea,
Genemma,
Genos,- those of a like kind
syggeneia
Patria...

The phrase "this generation" occurs in 15 verses in the NT, and is always used in reference to the people being addressed, not some "other" or "future" generation. Bible Wheel Forum - View Single Post - This Generation (Matthew 24:34)

Grace chick;
You need to quote or refer to the verse you are thinking about.
Jesus did return as "the comforter" Himself in the Holy Spirit form and person. He told the disciples that He would come to them as the Comfortor. He also appeared to them often after his resurrection. And he returned 'in the clouds' (the word used for clouds specifies cloud formations not 'the heavens') when the cloud formations of Roman soldiers appeared over judea as a premonition of God's judgment upon wayward people of the latter end of the old covenant. This was prophecied as part of the old covenant itself when Moses spoke it to the Israelites ending in Duet 32.

The nation of "Israel" was 'reborn' at least twice to 3 times in history. 135 AD ended a 3 yr state in Jerusalem.

The present 'nation' of Israel is not the old covenant nation...as it cannot be since that covenant ended it's effectuality. The 'nation' was not 'born' by a U.N. decree by a narrow margin. It was 'born' by the Balfour declaration after WW I which was drafted by the first talmudic U.S. supreme court justice (Brandeis) who was appointed as supreme court justice through Pres Woodrow Wilsons beign blackmailed by one Samuel Untermyer. (known as the one of the worlds leading zionist) The foundations for the rise of the state of Balfour was in the works for probably 100's of years beforehand. The teachings of dispensationalism/ futurism and the scofield bibles false interpretation of blessing of national Israel of the old covenant was the means that were used to conquer and change american religious collective thought into supporting and sympathising with those presenting a continuation of old (judged) covenant.

Romans 10. For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, &#8220;The man who does those things shall live by them.&#8221;[b] 6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, &#8220;Do not say in your heart, &#8216;Who will ascend into heaven?&#8217;&#8221;[c] (that is, to bring Christ down from above) 7 or, &#8220;&#8216;Who will descend into the abyss?&#8217;&#8221;[d] (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? &#8220;The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart&#8221;[e](that is, the word of faith which we preach):

If Jesus is near you, in your mouth and in your heart, why are you looking for him to come again when he is already HERE and hopefully IN you. Sometimes we have a tendency to abase ourselves in false humilty with the idea that God would not reside within mankind. But we are created in His image and he indwells those who are made righteous by calling upon him in faith.

Didn't Jesus say the kingdom of God is within 'you' talking to those who believed that he was the living son of God which had been revealed to them by the Father.?