Jesus: "THIS generation"...

[throughfierytrial]

I believe the generations spoken of here may be defined as pre and post Christ....

Luke 16:16:
“The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing their way into it.

Perhaps?? In any event we know that Jesus wasn't calling a generation one life span...that would make Him out to be a false prophet.

 

[robycop3]

Perhaps.

Certainly, all the events He prophesied in the Olivet discourse did NOT come to pass in the lifetimes of those alive while He was here the first time. Those who believe in a certain "school of faith" are always making up excuses trying to shoehorn those events into history. Well, THAT DOESN'T WORK! Jesus was NOT using allegorical language nor consigning those events to the spirit world when He answered His disciples' question.

Remember how the Olivet Discourse began. Some of His disciples were making small talk, expressing admiration for the temple. Jesus decided this was the time to reveal some of the future to them, so He told them that not one stone of the temple would remain upon another, that it'd be totally destroyed. So, they asked Him when "the end of the age" would be, etc, so he answered them, in the everyday language of that time/place. No allegory, no parables.

But again, we must look elsewhere for "this generation". The events that DID come to pass within the disciples' lifetimes were the destruction of Jerusalem & the temple, & the flight of some Jews to Pella. There's both documentation and physical archaeological evidence of the occurrence of those events, which occurred just as Jesus prophesied. Their literal fulfillment proves the rest of His prophecy is literal. it simply hasn't yet occurred.

 

[ebedmelech]

i agree, and I've never said anything different, that for one to be saved, one MUST come to Christ, be one a Jew, Greek, or Slobbovian. But when the jews build their new temple, THEY will consider it a holy place, a house of God, and so will many others, even though it won't be a house of God in reality. And no matter where one would do it, I don't believe there's any greater insult and abomination to God than one's declaring himself to be God. And the antichrist beast will do so in that new temple.

It's NOT about what the Jews consider anything to be though, it's about what the NT says the temple is. This is your error. How many times must you read scripture telling you believers (Jew or Gentile) are the temple of God before you believe that?

It doesn't miss the point at all. Jesus' parables were based upon reality so that those who believed Him could understand His teachings. Jesus used parables to clarify His teachings.This parable is based upon the customs of that time/place, how weddings and wedding feasts went down.

On the contrary...I'll just share with you what Jesus said about His parables against what you just said...Matthew 13:10-17:
10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”
11 Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.
12 For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.
13 Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
14 In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; You will keep on seeing, but will not perceive;
15 For the heart of this people has become dull, With their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes, Otherwise they would see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I would heal them.’
16 But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.
17 For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

The parables Jesus gave serve the same purpose today...and yes they are based on *reality* BUT the reality Jesus intended. They remain applicable and we KNOW this becuase it is the Holy Spirit that opens the eyes of those who believe. What I said IS THE POINT, you have missed it.

There's nothing...NOTHING...in Scripture indicating they're not literal. How does GOD expect men to believe His word if it isn't mostly-literal?

The Holy Spirit is how!

Yes, after His 1K reign while Satan is confined & unable to cause men to sin.

Where is that stated in scripture?

Yes, it IS...based upon the literalness of Scripture.

Which is how you're missing what the scripture is really communicating. Scripture IS literature from God's perspective, not yours or mine. God communicates in many forms in scripture...and because you don't recognize that you don't see that.

One cannot see what doesn't exist, or hasn't yet happened.

You missed it...I didn't.

Yes, we WILL. maybe not in my lifetime(I'm almost age 67) but it isn't in the DISTANT future.

I'm 60...so what really remains is as the end times unfold, we're all going to be wrong about something to a greater or lesser degree. God's word is to deep to have completely correct.

Absolutely. And that's why I do NOT menlive any of man's private interps of Scripture. God's word is our ONLY source of knowledge of Him. And part of satan's war against God and man is his scrambling of the truth of God's word thru the many private interps he causes his homeboys to make and for many others to believe.

I won't touch what you just said there with a ten foot pole! I will ask this...Who is it God chooses to spread His word? Why does the "five fold ministry" include "apostles, prophets, evangelist, pastors, and teachers to equip the saints"? (Ephesians 4:11, 12)

No, it HASN'T!

So you say...but something certainly happened in 70 AD...and you flat refuse to acknowledge it. It's heavily recorded history, both secular and scripture.

If it HAD, you could show me ample evidence that the beast, false prophet, mark of the beast, cosmic disturbances, & the glorious return of Jesus, SEEN BY ALL, have already occurred. Sorry, Sir, you haven't shown me SQUAT!

If you flat refuse to do the research then you will easily continue to deny based on facts you remain ignorant of. It's that simple. I gave some very good resources. You can either look at them seriously, or not.

Did you read Inkfingers' post in this thread? Like me, he demands **proof** "this generation" has come & gone.

Inkfingers can go to the very resources I gave you...or not.

 

[robycop3]

The maddening prob of "quote failure" has reared its ugly head again.


Ebedmelech:

It's NOT about what the Jews consider anything to be though, it's about what the NT says the temple is. This is your error. How many times must you read scripture telling you believers (Jew or Gentile) are the temple of God before you believe that?[/qupte]

How many believers have had sacrifices to God performed in them?

The Jews are gonna build another temple, in which sacrifices will be performed until the 'beast' stops them, and soon after, enters that temple & proclaims himself God. That's plain in Scripture. It hasn't yet happened, but it WILL.

On the contrary...I'll just share with you what Jesus said about His parables against what you just said...Matthew 13:10-17:
10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”
11 Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.
12 For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.
13 Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
14 In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; You will keep on seeing, but will not perceive;
15 For the heart of this people has become dull, With their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes, Otherwise they would see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I would heal them.’
16 But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.
17 For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

The parables Jesus gave serve the same purpose today...and yes they are based on *reality* BUT the reality Jesus intended. They remain applicable and we KNOW this becuase it is the Holy Spirit that opens the eyes of those who believe. What I said IS THE POINT, you have missed it.

Apparently, the Holy Spirit has granted us the ability to know the meaning of Jesus' parables, as He has provided us a brief overview of His earthly life and ministry.

And Jesus' parable about the wedding feast was based upon the customs of that time/place, and its meaning has nothingta do with what you say it does.

The Holy Spirit is how!

But, does the HOLY SPIRIT go outside Scripture, or add new meanings to it? NEWP!

Where is that stated in scripture?

Rev. 19:19-20
Rev. 20:1-3
Rev. 20:7-10

Which is how you're missing what the scripture is really communicating. Scripture IS literature from God's perspective, not yours or mine. God communicates in many forms in scripture...and because you don't recognize that you don't see that.

What i see is you doing the same as many others...trying to make Scripture fit one's own agenda by offering up new meanings for certain passages that aren't there, and inventing hypotheses, conjectures, tall tales, and guesswork.

You missed it...I didn't.

Right. I don't share in your imagination. I deal in REALITY.

I'm 60...so what really remains is as the end times unfold, we're all going to be wrong about something to a greater or lesser degree. God's word is to deep to have completely correct.

And my years of study of history and prophecy have shown me that prophecy is LITERALLY fulfilled.

I won't touch what you just said there with a ten foot pole! I will ask this...Who is it God chooses to spread His word? Why does the "five fold ministry" include "apostles, prophets, evangelist, pastors, and teachers to equip the saints"? (Ephesians 4:11, 12)

Now, let me ask YOU this...say you were led to Christ by your grandma. Where did she acquire HER knowledge of Him? Where did your pastor acquire HIS knowledge of Jesus? They all acquired that knowledge from THE BIBLE, plain-n-simple.

So you say...but something certainly happened in 70 AD...and you flat refuse to acknowledge it. It's heavily recorded history, both secular and scripture.

No, I don't refuse to acknowledge it...I refuSe to believe it was the great trib, etc. If it was, WHO WAS THE 'BEAST'? WHO WAS HIS FALSE PROPHET? WHAT WAS THE MARK OF THE BEAST?

If you flat refuse to do the research then you will easily continue to deny based on facts you remain ignorant of. It's that simple. I gave some very good resources. You can either look at them seriously, or not.

Your resources don't match SCRIPTURE. One very glaring FACT. Jesus said He'd return IMMEDIATELY AFTER THOSE DAYS. And he said His return would be SEEN BY ALL. By all Scriptural descriptions, His return will be a super-glorious event in which He will cast the beast & his false prophet alive, directly into gehenna, and He will then reign on earth with His saints for 1k years. it's absurd to believe that's already happened!

Inkfingers can go to the very resources I gave you...or not.

Looks as if he already has, and come up with the same conclusions as I.