This Generation

[Rella]

Some suggestion on the meaning of this generation and how it might apply to end times.

https://www.neverthirsty.org/bible-qa/qa-archives/question/what-does-this-generation-mean-in-matthew-24/

What does "this generation" mean in Matthew 24:34?
Bible Question:
I was reading Matthew 24 where Jesus talks about "this generation" not passing away until His prophecies are fulfilled. Can you help me understand what He meant by this?

Bible Answer:
In Matthew 24-25, Jesus gave His last recorded major message. In this message, Jesus used the phrase "this generation." This article explains the phrase "this generation" which occurs in the three synoptic gospels: Matthew 24:34, Mark 13:30 and Luke 21:32.

Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Matthew 24:34 (NASB)

What does "this generation" mean in Matthew 24:34? There are three possible meanings to this phrase. We can discover the meaning after we understand the context of the verse.

What does "this generation" mean in Matthew 24:34?
Context of the Olivet Discourse
The answer Jesus gave to His disciples about the end times is called the Olivet Discourse. The context of Matthew 24:1-25:46; Mark 13:5-27; and Luke 21:8-28 is that the disciples wanted to know when "will all these things be." They wanted to know the signs of the end times. Earlier Luke 19:11 reveals the disciples assumed the kingdom of God would appear immediately, but they were wrong. Later after Christ's death and resurrection Luke 24:21 tells us that two disciples were looking for the kingdom. In addition, Acts 1:6 says the disciples asked when the kingdom would appear.Matthew 24:4 already told us the disciples were curious about the end time events. That is, the disciple's overriding concern of the disciples in the final days of Jesus' earthly ministry was about the arrival of the earthly kingdom. However, amillennialist, postmillennialist and preterists would have us believe the primarily concerned about the temple. But the message of the gospels and the book of Acts reveal that is not true. So, the content of this generation" in Matthew 24:34 is about future events, and not about the temple.

Meaning of This Generation — Option 1
The Greek word that is translated as "generation" in Matthew 24:34 is genea. This word means more than just "generation." It has the idea of birth, descent, descendants, family, and race. It was even used to refer to the end times.[1] Therefore, some have claimed that "this generation" refers to the Jewish race. That is, the Jewish race would not disappear until the tribulation and the second coming of Christ have occurred for Matthew 24:34 states that this generation would not pass away "until all these things take place." That is, all these things that are described in verses 5-24. If that were the correct meaning, then the promise would be an empty or hollow one because the Jewish race will continue until heaven and earth have passed away (2 Peter 3:10-13) is realized. This option would imply that Jesus hoped all these things would occur in some far distant future before everyone died.  So, this generation cannot refer to the Jewish race.

Meaning of This Generation — Option 2
A second view says the word generation refers to the generation of people who were alive when Jesus gave the Olivet Discourse in A.D. 33. Some claim that "generation" consistently means the people who were alive in Jesus' day throughout the New Testament. But a search for genea in the New Testament reveals that is not true. The word genea occurs forty-three times in the New Testament. The plural form of genea is used many times to refer to multiple generations and not just the people who were alive at the time of Christ. But we are interested in the singular form of genea. So here are a few examples. They are sufficient to demonstrate that the singular form of genea does not always refer to the people of Jesus' day. For example, in Luke 1:50 it is clear that generation does not refer to those in Christ's time. It says, "upon generation after generation." In Hebrews 3:9-10, generation does not refer to people to whom Jesus spoke those words either. It refers to the generation in the wilderness. The context is important. Some Bible teachers would have us believe that generation as used in the New Testament always refers to the people of Jesus' time prior to A.D. 70.

But the context of the Matthew passage is about the generation who will be living when all these things occur. That is the context of the passage. So, amillennialist, postmillennialist and preterists, without solid proof, speculate that the generation referred to a time span of thirty or forty years, since that is the time from procreation to procreation and takes them from A.D. 33 to A.D. 70. It is important to remember that generation is not a technical term. It is a general word with broad Semantic range and must be interpreted by the context.

Now if we assume that generation does refer to the people of Jesus' time, we have a serious problem with this view. First, all these things did not occur before A.D. 70. For example, the prophecy in Matthew 24:14 that states the gospel would be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations could not have occurred before A.D. 70. What we know is that the gospel may have been preached in Spain since the apostle Paul had hoped to do that. But there is no proof the gospel was ever preached there or any in any other of the continents on the globe. That is, the gospel was not preached to all nations. It is speculation that it must have occurred, but speculation does not prove occurrence.

A second point is that both Daniel 9:27 and 12:11 refer to the abomination of desolation as a future event, but Daniel 11:31 does not. Yet, some Bible teachers want us to believe Matthew 24:15 is referring exclusively to only Daniel 11:31. That was a past event. But it is more likely that Jesus referred to the future desolation event described in Daniel 9:27 and 12:11. The context of Daniel 12 is the final resurrection at the end of the age—resurrection and rewards. So, Daniel 12:11 could not have occurred in AD. 70, unless one wants to employ an allegorical hermeneutic and not a literal one.  An allegorical hermeneutic will allow the author to creatively redefine anything in the pages of Scripture that does not fit his eschatological system.

Third, Matthew 24:30 says that Christ would be seen in the clouds of the sky.

And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. Matthew 24:30 (NASB)

Some Bible teachers would have us believe that verse 30 says the people would see a sign. So, they ask what was the sign? Just notice the context. It defines the sign. It says the people would see the Son of Man.  The sign will be the Son of Man. The Greek scholar A. T. Robertson states that the correct understanding of the first part of the verse is "and then will appear the sign, which is the Son of Man in heaven." In Greek grammar this is an appositional use of the genitive case.[2] Advocates of this view state this sign occurred in A.D. 70 when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the temple. But Mark 13:26 clearly and literally tells us "they will see the Son of Man." Jesus will be the sign, and not some celestial anomalies.

Fourth, notice that Matthew 24:30 says "all the tribes of the earth will mourn" when they see the Son of Man coming. But there are no historical records of anyone seeing Jesus in A.D. 70. It is not enough to claim the second coming of Christ occurred over Jerusalem. Some Bible teachers change their literal approach to an allegorical approach of interpretation and speculate that all the tribes of the earth will mourn" means the tribes of Israel.  That is, "all the tribes of the earth" does not mean all the tribes of the earth. The whole earth does not need to see Him. But the verse says all of the tribes of the world will see this event. They would see Jesus and not some unusual event in the sky. Jesus clearly implied it would a worldwide spectacle in verse 27. Verse 27 indicates that everyone who is alive will see Him. The point is that the second coming did not occur in Jerusalem in A.D. 70. To claim that the second coming did occur in a spiritual sense begs the question why not a physical occurrence?

Fifth, the event in Matthew 24:31 has not occurred yet. Those who claim verse 31 has already occurred cannot support their claim. If all of the elect were gathered together, where did the angels collect them?

And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. Matthew 24:31 (NASB)

Did they take them to Israel? Were the saints taken to heaven? Some claim this refers to resurrected saints, but it does not say anything about a resurrection.  Preterists want us to believe this speaks of spiritual resurrections but that is an allegorical interpretation and not a literal one. Those who employ an allegorical hermeneutic do so when the literal approach contradicts their theological view.  They employ an inconsistent hermeneutic, or method of interpretation. The most logical conclusion is that this event is described in Matthew 25:31-46. The passage desribes the Goat and Sheep Judgment or the Judgment of the Nations. In the passage we are told the saints, the sheep, will enter the Father's kingdom, that is, the millennial kingdom.  The point is there is a much more logical and literal explain of Matthew 24:31, rather than to speculate it is about a spiritual resurrection, for resurrection is not even mentioned.

Sixth, according to Revelation the events in verses 29-31 are future prophecies. They are not historical events. Why? Because Revelation was written about A.D. 95-96 and not before A.D. 70. Yet, preterits argue for a change of date for the book of Revelation because it eliminates their view.

Seventh, we must realize that Matthew 24:36 reveals Jesus could not have connected the second coming of Christ to the time of the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.  Jesus could not have said "this generation" would see all of these events. That is, He could not and would not have said these events would culminate forty years later. He could not have claimed His second coming would occur forty years later when Jerusalem was destroyed. Why? Because He did not know the day or hour of all these things. He did not know the timing. But He could describe all these future things that would occur in the distance future. "This generation" does not refer to the one in A.D. 33. It refers to the generation that will live during the future tribulation before the second coning of Christ.  For more about this point, visit option 3.

So, all these things have not occurred yet. Therefore the generation died and never experienced all these things. They never experienced the tribulation that was promised in Daniel 9:27 (see Matthew 24:21) and the second coming of Christ. They never saw the elect gathered from the four winds as promised in Matthew 24:31. They did not experience all these things  because they had not yet occurred.

So, this generation cannot refer to those who were alive when Jesus taught the Olivet Discourse for they did not see the tribulation, the second coming of Christ, and the millennial kingdom. In addition, Jesus told the disciples in Luke 17:22-24 that they would not see His second coming. Further, Matthew 16:28 was realized on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9). For in 2 Peter 1:16-18 the apostle Peter says he saw "the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" and connects it to His experience on the Mount of Transfiguration. He had a foretaste of what would occur. That is a clear literal understanding of Matthew 16:28-17:9. The point is all these things have not yet taken place and are yet to occur. This view is to be rejected.

Meaning of This Generation — Option 3
The best answer to what does "this generation" mean in Matthew 24:34 is to understand the expression "this generation" as referring to those who will be alive when all these things will occur. All these things includes the tribulation (Matthew 24:14, 15, 21, 27-31). The phrase "will not pass away until all these things take place" reveals that those on the earth will experience the things that Jesus described in Matthew 24:15-28; Mark 13:14-23; and Luke 21:20-24. That is, the generation that will be alive at the start of the tribulation will experience the events of the tribulation and the second coming of Christ.

Conclusion:
The message of Matthew 24:4-36 is that the events that will occur 1) before and during the first half of the tribulation or the signs before the end (Matthew 24:5-14; Mark 13:5-13; Luke 21:8-19), 2) during the last half of the tribulation (Matthew 24:15-28; Mark 13:14-23; Luke 21:20-24), the second coming of Christ (Matthew 24:29-31; Mark 13:24-27; Luke 21:25-28), and the millennial kingdom that will follow afterward (Matthew 24:32-25:46).

When Jesus spoke about the events that will occur during the last half of the tribulation before the second coming, He was describing the events that the Jews who will be living at that point in time will experience (Matthew 24:15-28; Mark 13:14-23; Luke 21:20-24).

This is a great promise for any unbeliever who experiences the horrors of the tribulation. They will experience war, famine, and death. Lord willing, some will believe in Jesus Christ as their God, and Savior. Come quickly Lord Jesus . . .

[Hobie]

Some suggestion on the meaning of this generation and how it might apply to end times.

https://www.neverthirsty.org/bible-qa/qa-archives/question/what-does-this-generation-mean-in-matthew-24/

What does "this generation" mean in Matthew 24:34?
Bible Question:
I was reading Matthew 24 where Jesus talks about "this generation" not passing away until His prophecies are fulfilled. Can you help me understand what He meant by this?

Bible Answer:
In Matthew 24-25, Jesus gave His last recorded major message. In this message, Jesus used the phrase "this generation." This article explains the phrase "this generation" which occurs in the three synoptic gospels: Matthew 24:34, Mark 13:30 and Luke 21:32.

Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Matthew 24:34 (NASB)

What does "this generation" mean in Matthew 24:34? There are three possible meanings to this phrase. We can discover the meaning after we understand the context of the verse.

What does "this generation" mean in Matthew 24:34?
Context of the Olivet Discourse
The answer Jesus gave to His disciples about the end times is called the Olivet Discourse. The context of Matthew 24:1-25:46; Mark 13:5-27; and Luke 21:8-28 is that the disciples wanted to know when "will all these things be." They wanted to know the signs of the end times. Earlier Luke 19:11 reveals the disciples assumed the kingdom of God would appear immediately, but they were wrong. Later after Christ's death and resurrection Luke 24:21 tells us that two disciples were looking for the kingdom. In addition, Acts 1:6 says the disciples asked when the kingdom would appear.Matthew 24:4 already told us the disciples were curious about the end time events. That is, the disciple's overriding concern of the disciples in the final days of Jesus' earthly ministry was about the arrival of the earthly kingdom. However, amillennialist, postmillennialist and preterists would have us believe the primarily concerned about the temple. But the message of the gospels and the book of Acts reveal that is not true. So, the content of this generation" in Matthew 24:34 is about future events, and not about the temple.

Meaning of This Generation — Option 1
The Greek word that is translated as "generation" in Matthew 24:34 is genea. This word means more than just "generation." It has the idea of birth, descent, descendants, family, and race. It was even used to refer to the end times.[1] Therefore, some have claimed that "this generation" refers to the Jewish race. That is, the Jewish race would not disappear until the tribulation and the second coming of Christ have occurred for Matthew 24:34 states that this generation would not pass away "until all these things take place." That is, all these things that are described in verses 5-24. If that were the correct meaning, then the promise would be an empty or hollow one because the Jewish race will continue until heaven and earth have passed away (2 Peter 3:10-13) is realized. This option would imply that Jesus hoped all these things would occur in some far distant future before everyone died.  So, this generation cannot refer to the Jewish race.

Meaning of This Generation — Option 2
A second view says the word generation refers to the generation of people who were alive when Jesus gave the Olivet Discourse in A.D. 33. Some claim that "generation" consistently means the people who were alive in Jesus' day throughout the New Testament. But a search for genea in the New Testament reveals that is not true. The word genea occurs forty-three times in the New Testament. The plural form of genea is used many times to refer to multiple generations and not just the people who were alive at the time of Christ. But we are interested in the singular form of genea. So here are a few examples. They are sufficient to demonstrate that the singular form of genea does not always refer to the people of Jesus' day. For example, in Luke 1:50 it is clear that generation does not refer to those in Christ's time. It says, "upon generation after generation." In Hebrews 3:9-10, generation does not refer to people to whom Jesus spoke those words either. It refers to the generation in the wilderness. The context is important. Some Bible teachers would have us believe that generation as used in the New Testament always refers to the people of Jesus' time prior to A.D. 70.

But the context of the Matthew passage is about the generation who will be living when all these things occur. That is the context of the passage. So, amillennialist, postmillennialist and preterists, without solid proof, speculate that the generation referred to a time span of thirty or forty years, since that is the time from procreation to procreation and takes them from A.D. 33 to A.D. 70. It is important to remember that generation is not a technical term. It is a general word with broad Semantic range and must be interpreted by the context.

Now if we assume that generation does refer to the people of Jesus' time, we have a serious problem with this view. First, all these things did not occur before A.D. 70. For example, the prophecy in Matthew 24:14 that states the gospel would be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations could not have occurred before A.D. 70. What we know is that the gospel may have been preached in Spain since the apostle Paul had hoped to do that. But there is no proof the gospel was ever preached there or any in any other of the continents on the globe. That is, the gospel was not preached to all nations. It is speculation that it must have occurred, but speculation does not prove occurrence.

A second point is that both Daniel 9:27 and 12:11 refer to the abomination of desolation as a future event, but Daniel 11:31 does not. Yet, some Bible teachers want us to believe Matthew 24:15 is referring exclusively to only Daniel 11:31. That was a past event. But it is more likely that Jesus referred to the future desolation event described in Daniel 9:27 and 12:11. The context of Daniel 12 is the final resurrection at the end of the age—resurrection and rewards. So, Daniel 12:11 could not have occurred in AD. 70, unless one wants to employ an allegorical hermeneutic and not a literal one.  An allegorical hermeneutic will allow the author to creatively redefine anything in the pages of Scripture that does not fit his eschatological system.

Third, Matthew 24:30 says that Christ would be seen in the clouds of the sky.

And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. Matthew 24:30 (NASB)

Some Bible teachers would have us believe that verse 30 says the people would see a sign. So, they ask what was the sign? Just notice the context. It defines the sign. It says the people would see the Son of Man.  The sign will be the Son of Man. The Greek scholar A. T. Robertson states that the correct understanding of the first part of the verse is "and then will appear the sign, which is the Son of Man in heaven." In Greek grammar this is an appositional use of the genitive case.[2] Advocates of this view state this sign occurred in A.D. 70 when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the temple. But Mark 13:26 clearly and literally tells us "they will see the Son of Man." Jesus will be the sign, and not some celestial anomalies.

Fourth, notice that Matthew 24:30 says "all the tribes of the earth will mourn" when they see the Son of Man coming. But there are no historical records of anyone seeing Jesus in A.D. 70. It is not enough to claim the second coming of Christ occurred over Jerusalem. Some Bible teachers change their literal approach to an allegorical approach of interpretation and speculate that all the tribes of the earth will mourn" means the tribes of Israel.  That is, "all the tribes of the earth" does not mean all the tribes of the earth. The whole earth does not need to see Him. But the verse says all of the tribes of the world will see this event. They would see Jesus and not some unusual event in the sky. Jesus clearly implied it would a worldwide spectacle in verse 27. Verse 27 indicates that everyone who is alive will see Him. The point is that the second coming did not occur in Jerusalem in A.D. 70. To claim that the second coming did occur in a spiritual sense begs the question why not a physical occurrence?

Fifth, the event in Matthew 24:31 has not occurred yet. Those who claim verse 31 has already occurred cannot support their claim. If all of the elect were gathered together, where did the angels collect them?

And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. Matthew 24:31 (NASB)

Did they take them to Israel? Were the saints taken to heaven? Some claim this refers to resurrected saints, but it does not say anything about a resurrection.  Preterists want us to believe this speaks of spiritual resurrections but that is an allegorical interpretation and not a literal one. Those who employ an allegorical hermeneutic do so when the literal approach contradicts their theological view.  They employ an inconsistent hermeneutic, or method of interpretation. The most logical conclusion is that this event is described in Matthew 25:31-46. The passage desribes the Goat and Sheep Judgment or the Judgment of the Nations. In the passage we are told the saints, the sheep, will enter the Father's kingdom, that is, the millennial kingdom.  The point is there is a much more logical and literal explain of Matthew 24:31, rather than to speculate it is about a spiritual resurrection, for resurrection is not even mentioned.

Sixth, according to Revelation the events in verses 29-31 are future prophecies. They are not historical events. Why? Because Revelation was written about A.D. 95-96 and not before A.D. 70. Yet, preterits argue for a change of date for the book of Revelation because it eliminates their view.

Seventh, we must realize that Matthew 24:36 reveals Jesus could not have connected the second coming of Christ to the time of the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.  Jesus could not have said "this generation" would see all of these events. That is, He could not and would not have said these events would culminate forty years later. He could not have claimed His second coming would occur forty years later when Jerusalem was destroyed. Why? Because He did not know the day or hour of all these things. He did not know the timing. But He could describe all these future things that would occur in the distance future. "This generation" does not refer to the one in A.D. 33. It refers to the generation that will live during the future tribulation before the second coning of Christ.  For more about this point, visit option 3.

So, all these things have not occurred yet. Therefore the generation died and never experienced all these things. They never experienced the tribulation that was promised in Daniel 9:27 (see Matthew 24:21) and the second coming of Christ. They never saw the elect gathered from the four winds as promised in Matthew 24:31. They did not experience all these things  because they had not yet occurred.

So, this generation cannot refer to those who were alive when Jesus taught the Olivet Discourse for they did not see the tribulation, the second coming of Christ, and the millennial kingdom. In addition, Jesus told the disciples in Luke 17:22-24 that they would not see His second coming. Further, Matthew 16:28 was realized on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9). For in 2 Peter 1:16-18 the apostle Peter says he saw "the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" and connects it to His experience on the Mount of Transfiguration. He had a foretaste of what would occur. That is a clear literal understanding of Matthew 16:28-17:9. The point is all these things have not yet taken place and are yet to occur. This view is to be rejected.

Meaning of This Generation — Option 3
The best answer to what does "this generation" mean in Matthew 24:34 is to understand the expression "this generation" as referring to those who will be alive when all these things will occur. All these things includes the tribulation (Matthew 24:14, 15, 21, 27-31). The phrase "will not pass away until all these things take place" reveals that those on the earth will experience the things that Jesus described in Matthew 24:15-28; Mark 13:14-23; and Luke 21:20-24. That is, the generation that will be alive at the start of the tribulation will experience the events of the tribulation and the second coming of Christ.

Conclusion:
The message of Matthew 24:4-36 is that the events that will occur 1) before and during the first half of the tribulation or the signs before the end (Matthew 24:5-14; Mark 13:5-13; Luke 21:8-19), 2) during the last half of the tribulation (Matthew 24:15-28; Mark 13:14-23; Luke 21:20-24), the second coming of Christ (Matthew 24:29-31; Mark 13:24-27; Luke 21:25-28), and the millennial kingdom that will follow afterward (Matthew 24:32-25:46).

When Jesus spoke about the events that will occur during the last half of the tribulation before the second coming, He was describing the events that the Jews who will be living at that point in time will experience (Matthew 24:15-28; Mark 13:14-23; Luke 21:20-24).

This is a great promise for any unbeliever who experiences the horrors of the tribulation. They will experience war, famine, and death. Lord willing, some will believe in Jesus Christ as their God, and Savior. Come quickly Lord Jesus . . .

That text is a hard one to figure out, the only thing that makes sense is understanding what 'Generation' He was speaking about. Here is something I came across on this.."Theologians with a strong liberal bent have concluded that in these words Christ announced that He would return during the lifetime of His contemporary generation and that the parousia should indeed have taken place shortly after the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. History has shown, they say, that Jesus was simply mistaken. But is that so?

To understand Jesus' statement adequately, we must consider two crucial terms: "this generation" and "all these things." Jesus clearly identified "this generation" not with the fulfillment of some or many signs but with the fulfillment of "all these things," that is, all these signs. This has not always been recognized, so that some have named the "last generation" prematurely. What, then, is meant by "all these things"?...Are there any indications that Jesus specifically had the final generation in mind when He said "This generation will not pass away"? Some references in Jesus' Olivet discourse clearly point to the final generation:

(1) Jesus' phrase, "there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now" (Matt. 24:21; see Mark 13:19 for a variation) has a specific end-time ring. This phrase is similar to the one in Daniel 12:1, that describes the last generation of saints. Equally compelling is Jesus' prediction: Immediately after the distress of those days [of Dan. 12:1] "the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken" (Matt.24:29).

This chronological pinpointing of "all these things" in the sky "immediately after the distress,"6 can find its complete fulfillment only in the generation that experiences the endtime distress or "time of Jacob's trouble" (Jer. 30:5-7; Gen. 32:23-26) of Daniel 12:1. This will take place during the seven last plagues that cause the cosmic upheavals and directly usher in the second advent (Rev. 16:10, 17-21).7

(2) Luke's Gospel presents the cosmic signs as an unbreakable unit and process that introduces the return of Christ for the last generation: "There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near" (Luke 21:25-28).

The generation that witnesses all these things is the one that will live during the seven last plagues (see Rev. 16:10,17-21) and will certainly not pass away before it sees the advent of Christ as the Judge and Deliverer.

(3) Looking at the larger textual unit of Matthew 23-25, one can discern a broad chiastic structure (23:1-24:14 paralleling 24:15-25:46), with the phrase "this generation" occurring twice (23:36 and 24:34). Discussing this literary composition, S. J. Kidder states: "The first 'generation' was to witness the signs on earth, the second was to witness the signs in heaven."8 This means that just as the unbelieving generation of Jesus' time saw the sign of Jerusalem's destruction (23:36), so will the unbelieving generation of the end time see the sign of Christ's coming in the clouds of heaven (24:34)."

[Wycliffes_Shillelagh]

Seems like a lot of mental gymnastics to try to get around the plain meaning of the words.

[3 Resurrections]

Seems like a lot of mental gymnastics to try to get around the plain meaning of the words.

LOL, Absolutely true...lots of twisting and wiggling around to avoid a very plain statement.  Christ's first-century generation was "THIS generation".

[Rella]

Seems like a lot of mental gymnastics to try to get around the plain meaning of the words.

Oops. I almost hit the report to moderator.....

Anyhoo...

So you are on the side that Jesus was meaning those people of that day were the ones who would witness his return which has been suggested that
70AD was the date??

I never knew you Preterist leanings  . So interesting 

[Wycliffes_Shillelagh]

So you are on the side that Jesus was meaning those people of that day were the ones who would witness his return which has been suggested that 70AD was the date??

I never knew you Preterist leanings. So interesting 

My eschatology is weird.  I agree with preterists on a bunch of stuff, but they probably wouldn't consider me one of them.

[Rella]

My eschatology is weird.  I agree with preterists on a bunch of stuff, but they probably wouldn't consider me one of them.

 

[Hobie]

Seems like a lot of mental gymnastics to try to get around the plain meaning of the words.

Well, its hard to understand as we know the Second Coming wasnt then.

[Red Baker]

https://www.gracecentered.com/christian_forums/index.php?topic=78484.35

[Wycliffes_Shillelagh]

Well, it's hard to understand as we know the Second Coming wasn't then.

It would be easier to understand if we put it in the context of other Jewish books, especially those that were popular in 1st century Judea.  In Jubilees, 1Enoch and the Melchizedek Scroll (DSS 11Q13), Jewish prophecies were organized into days (1 generation), weeks (7 generations), and jubilees (49-50 generations).

When we put Matthew 24 into THAT context, it's most likely that Jesus is pointing to a specific generation from a specific prophecy.

I think the Melchizedek Scroll and 1Enoch Chapter 93 are the leading candidates for "what was Jesus referring to."

Jarrod

[Rella]

It would be easier to understand if we put it in the context of other Jewish books, especially those that were popular in 1st century Judea.  In Jubilees, 1Enoch and the Melchizedek Scroll (DSS 11Q13), Jewish prophecies were organized into days (1 generation), weeks (7 generations), and jubilees (49-50 generations).

When we put Matthew 24 into THAT context, it's most likely that Jesus is pointing to a specific generation from a specific prophecy.

I think the Melchizedek Scroll and 1Enoch Chapter 93 are the leading candidates for "what was Jesus referring to."

Jarrod

Not to divert from the discussion you are having, I think the thoughts here could be quasi-relevant.

Very long, but different....

And yes, Jarrod, I know you and @3 Resurrections wont agree. That is cool.

https://www.neverthirsty.org/bible-qa/qa-archives/question/what-does-this-generation-mean-in-matthew-24/

What does "this generation" mean in Matthew 24:34? There are three possible meanings to this phrase. We can discover the meaning after we understand the context of the verse.

What does "this generation" mean in Matthew 24:34?
Context of the Olivet Discourse
The answer Jesus gave to His disciples about the end times is called the Olivet Discourse. The context of Matthew 24:1-25:46; Mark 13:5-27; and Luke 21:8-28 is that the disciples wanted to know when "will all these things be." They wanted to know the signs of the end times. Earlier Luke 19:11 reveals the disciples assumed the kingdom of God would appear immediately, but they were wrong. Later after Christ's death and resurrection Luke 24:21 tells us that two disciples were looking for the kingdom. In addition, Acts 1:6 says the disciples asked when the kingdom would appear. Matthew 24:4 already told us the disciples were curious about the end time events. That is, the disciple's overriding concern of the disciples in the final days of Jesus' earthly ministry was about the arrival of the earthly kingdom. However, amillennialist, postmillennialist and preterists would have us believe they were primarily concerned about the temple. But the message of the gospels and the book of Acts reveal that is not true. So, the content of this generation" in Matthew 24:34 is about future events, and not about the temple.

Meaning of This Generation — Option 1
The Greek word that is translated as "generation" in Matthew 24:34 is genea. This word means more than just "generation." It has the idea of birth, descent, descendants, family, and race. It was even used to refer to the end times.[1] Therefore, some have claimed that "this generation" refers to the Jewish race. That is, the Jewish race would not disappear until the tribulation and the second coming of Christ have occurred for Matthew 24:34 states that this generation would not pass away "until all these things take place." That is, all these things that are described in verses 5-24. If that were the correct meaning, then the promise would be an empty or hollow one because the Jewish race will continue until heaven and earth have passed away (2 Peter 3:10-13) is realized. This option would imply that Jesus hoped all these things would occur in some far distant future before everyone died.  So, this generation cannot refer to the Jewish race.

Meaning of This Generation — Option 2
A second view says the word generation refers to the generation of people who were alive when Jesus gave the Olivet Discourse in A.D. 33. Some claim that "generation" consistently means the people who were alive in Jesus' day throughout the New Testament. But a search for genea in the New Testament reveals that is not true. The word genea occurs forty-three times in the New Testament. The plural form of genea is used many times to refer to multiple generations and not just the people who were alive at the time of Christ. But we are interested in the singular form of genea. So here are a few examples. They are sufficient to demonstrate that the singular form of genea does not always refer to the people of Jesus' day. For example, in Luke 1:50 it is clear that generation does not refer to those in Christ's time. It says, "upon generation after generation." In Hebrews 3:9-10, generation does not refer to people to whom Jesus spoke those words either. It refers to the generation in the wilderness. The context is important. Some Bible teachers would have us believe that generation as used in the New Testament always refers to the people of Jesus' time prior to A.D. 70.

But the context of the Matthew passage is about the generation who will be living when all these things occur. That is the context of the passage. So, amillennialist, postmillennialist and preterists, without solid proof, speculate that the generation referred to a time span of thirty or forty years, since that is the time from procreation to procreation and takes them from A.D. 33 to A.D. 70. It is important to remember that generation is not a technical term. It is a general word with broad Semantic range and must be interpreted by the context.

Now if we assume that generation does refer to the people of Jesus' time, we have a serious problem with this view. First, all these things did not occur before A.D. 70. For example, the prophecy in Matthew 24:14 that states the gospel would be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations could not have occurred before A.D. 70. What we know is that the gospel may have been preached in Spain since the apostle Paul had hoped to do that. But there is no proof the gospel was ever preached there or any in any other of the continents on the globe. That is, the gospel was not preached to all nations. It is speculation that it must have occurred, but speculation does not prove occurrence.

A second point is that both Daniel 9:27 and 12:11 refer to the abomination of desolation as a future event, but Daniel 11:31 does not. Yet, some Bible teachers want us to believe Matthew 24:15 is referring exclusively to only Daniel 11:31. That was a past event. But it is more likely that Jesus referred to the future desolation event described in Daniel 9:27 and 12:11. The context of Daniel 12 is the final resurrection at the end of the age—resurrection and rewards. So, Daniel 12:11 could not have occurred in AD. 70, unless one wants to employ an allegorical hermeneutic and not a literal one.  An allegorical hermeneutic will allow the author to creatively redefine anything in the pages of Scripture that does not fit his eschatological system.

Third, Matthew 24:30 says that Christ would be seen in the clouds of the sky.

And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. Matthew 24:30 (NASB)

Some Bible teachers would have us believe that verse 30 says the people would see a sign. So, they ask what was the sign? Just notice the context. It defines the sign. It says the people would see the Son of Man.  The sign will be the Son of Man. The Greek scholar A. T. Robertson states that the correct understanding of the first part of the verse is "and then will appear the sign, which is the Son of Man in heaven." In Greek grammar this is an appositional use of the genitive case.[2] Advocates of this view state this sign occurred in A.D. 70 when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the temple. But Mark 13:26 clearly and literally tells us "they will see the Son of Man." Jesus will be the sign, and not some celestial anomalies.

Fourth, notice that Matthew 24:30 says "all the tribes of the earth will mourn" when they see the Son of Man coming. But there are no historical records of anyone seeing Jesus in A.D. 70. It is not enough to claim the second coming of Christ occurred over Jerusalem. Some Bible teachers change their literal approach to an allegorical approach of interpretation and speculate that all the tribes of the earth will mourn" means the tribes of Israel.  That is, "all the tribes of the earth" does not mean all the tribes of the earth. The whole earth does not need to see Him. But the verse says all of the tribes of the world will see this event. They would see Jesus and not some unusual event in the sky. Jesus clearly implied it would be a worldwide spectacle in verse 27. Verse 27 indicates that everyone who is alive will see Him. The point is that the second coming did not occur in Jerusalem in A.D. 70. To claim that the second coming did occur in a spiritual sense begs the question why not a physical occurrence?

Fifth, the event in Matthew 24:31 has not occurred yet. Those who claim verse 31 has already occurred cannot support their claim. If all of the elect were gathered together, where did the angels collect them?

And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. Matthew 24:31 (NASB)

Did they take them to Israel? Were the saints taken to heaven? Some claim this refers to resurrected saints, but it does not say anything about a resurrection.  Preterists want us to believe this speaks of spiritual resurrections but that is an allegorical interpretation and not a literal one. Those who employ an allegorical hermeneutic do so when the literal approach contradicts their theological view.  They employ an inconsistent hermeneutic, or method of interpretation. The most logical conclusion is that this event is described in Matthew 25:31-46. The passage desribes the Goat and Sheep Judgment or the Judgment of the Nations. In the passage we are told the saints, the sheep, will enter the Father's kingdom, that is, the millennial kingdom.  The point is there is a much more logical and literal explain of Matthew 24:31, rather than to speculate it is about a spiritual resurrection, for resurrection is not even mentioned.

Sixth, according to Revelation the events in verses 29-31 are future prophecies. They are not historical events. Why? Because Revelation was written about A.D. 95-96 and not before A.D. 70. Yet, preterits argue for a change of date for the book of Revelation because it eliminates their view.

Seventh, we must realize that Matthew 24:36 reveals Jesus could not have connected the second coming of Christ to the time of the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.  Jesus could not have said "this generation" would see all of these events. That is, He could not and would not have said these events would culminate forty years later. He could not have claimed His second coming would occur forty years later when Jerusalem was destroyed. Why? Because He did not know the day or hour of all these things. He did not know the timing. But He could describe all these future things that would occur in the distant future. "This generation" does not refer to the one in A.D. 33. It refers to the generation that will live during the future tribulation before the second coning of Christ.  For more about this point, visit option 3.

So, all these things have not occurred yet. Therefore the generation died and never experienced all these things. They never experienced the tribulation that was promised in Daniel 9:27 (see Matthew 24:21) and the second coming of Christ. They never saw the elect gathered from the four winds as promised in Matthew 24:31. They did not experience all these things  because they had not yet occurred.

So, this generation cannot refer to those who were alive when Jesus taught the Olivet Discourse for they did not see the tribulation, the second coming of Christ, and the millennial kingdom. In addition, Jesus told the disciples in Luke 17:22-24 that they would not see His second coming. Further, Matthew 16:28 was realized on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9). For in 2 Peter 1:16-18 the apostle Peter says he saw "the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" and connects it to His experience on the Mount of Transfiguration. He had a foretaste of what would occur. That is a clear literal understanding of Matthew 16:28-17:9. The point is all these things have not yet taken place and are yet to occur. Consequently, this view is to be rejected.

Meaning of This Generation — Option 3
The best answer to what does "this generation" mean in Matthew 24:34 is to understand the expression "this generation" as referring to those who will be alive when all these things will occur. All these things includes the tribulation (Matthew 24:14, 15, 21, 27-31). The phrase "will not pass away until all these things take place" reveals that those on the earth will experience the things that Jesus described in Matthew 24:15-28; Mark 13:14-23; and Luke 21:20-24. That is, the generation that will be alive at the start of the tribulation will experience the events of the tribulation and the second coming of Christ.

Conclusion:
The message of Matthew 24:4-36 is that the events that will occur 1) before and during the first half of the tribulation or the signs before the end (Matthew 24:5-14; Mark 13:5-13; Luke 21:8-19), 2) during the last half of the tribulation (Matthew 24:15-28; Mark 13:14-23; Luke 21:20-24), the second coming of Christ (Matthew 24:29-31; Mark 13:24-27; Luke 21:25-28), and the millennial kingdom that will follow afterward (Matthew 24:32-25:46).

When Jesus spoke about the events that will occur during the last half of the tribulation before the second coming, He was describing the events that the Jews who will be living at that point in time will experience (Matthew 24:15-28; Mark 13:14-23; Luke 21:20-24).

This is a great promise for any unbeliever who experiences the horrors of the tribulation. They will experience war, famine, and death. Lord willing, some will believe in Jesus Christ as their God, and Savior. Come quickly Lord Jesus . . .

[Texas Conservative]

What about option 4?

That Jesus was describing both what would happen now and later?

[Rella]

What about option 4?

That Jesus was describing both what would happen now and later?

? I did not write it, I merely posted it.

Why don't you see if you can contact that person and ask him? I have found if you ask something sincerely you guys get all happy to talk.

Here TC... a link to email them...

https://www.neverthirsty.org/contact-us/

[3 Resurrections]

This is how Jesus defined "THIS generation".

Look at Luke 11:31 (KJV for those who like this version).  "The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of THIS GENERATION, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon: and behold, a great than Solomon is HERE."

Jesus was "HERE" speaking to the men of His own generation, and was rejected by and large by  the majority of His fellow-Israelites in those days.  ("He came unto His own, and His own received Him not." John 1:11) 

Jesus, of course, was greater than Solomon.  To reject the One greater than Solomon would earn judgment by the Queen of Sheba on that particular first-century generation of Christ's fellow-Jews, since she came from the utmost part of the earth just to hear Solomon, who was not nearly as great as Christ.

This defines "THIS generation" as the ones who were alive in Christ's days, and who rejected Him.

Luke 11:32 goes on to repeat the same kind of example with the men of Ninevah.  "The men of Neneve shall rise up in the judgment with THIS GENERATION, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and behold, a greater than Jonas is HERE."

Jesus, of course, was greater than Jonas preaching his message.  Arguing from the greater to the lesser, Jesus said the repenting Ninevites would rise up in the judgment with the men of Christ's own first-century generation who rejected His message.  The Ninevites had repented after Jonah had preached to them, (who was not as great as Christ), but the majority of Christ's own first-century generation of fellow-Israelites had not repented. 

This also defines "THIS GENERATION" as the ones alive during Christ's first-century generation. 

[Rella]

Anyone,

Was this word wrong as used by Jesus in Mathew 24:34 and if so why.... and based on what other translation you might show it to be wrong?

Greek English interlinear has Matthew 24:34 saying

1074 [e]
genea
γενεὰ
generation
N-NFS

IOW vs 24 has been translated into English to state


King James Bible
Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

NASB 1995
"Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.

THIS is a given and this cannot be argued

Strongs tells us this:

genea: race family, generation
Original Word: γενεά, ᾶς, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: genea
Phonetic Spelling: (ghen-eh-ah')
Definition: race, family, generation
Usage:a generation; if repeated twice or with another time word, practically indicates infinity of time.

If repeated twice or with another time word

AS IN NASB 1995
"Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.

Cambridge dictionary:

until
preposition, conjunction

until preposition, conjunction (TIME)

So there you have it....

Generation... first mention   UNTIL ... time

In this context and verse definitely suggests "infinity of time"

Webster:
 unlimited extent of time, space, or quantity : BOUNDLESSNESS

Cambridge:
 time or space that has no end:

Brittanica:
 Infinity, the concept of something that is unlimited, endless, without bound.

[Wycliffes_Shillelagh]

Anyone,

Was this word wrong as used by Jesus in Mathew 24:34 and if so why.... and based on what other translation you might show it to be wrong?

Greek English interlinear has Matthew 24:34 saying

1074 [e]
genea
γενεὰ
generation
N-NFS

IOW vs 24 has been translated into English to state


King James Bible
Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

NASB 1995
"Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.

THIS is a given and this cannot be argued

Strongs tells us this:

genea: race family, generation
Original Word: γενεά, ᾶς, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: genea
Phonetic Spelling: (ghen-eh-ah')
Definition: race, family, generation
Usage:a generation; if repeated twice or with another time word, practically indicates infinity of time.

If repeated twice or with another time word

AS IN NASB 1995
"Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.

Cambridge dictionary:

until
preposition, conjunction

until preposition, conjunction (TIME)

So there you have it....

Generation... first mention   UNTIL ... time

In this context and verse definitely suggests "infinity of time"

Webster:
 unlimited extent of time, space, or quantity : BOUNDLESSNESS

Cambridge:
 time or space that has no end:

Brittanica:
 Infinity, the concept of something that is unlimited, endless, without bound.

The casing of the word genea here (singular feminine) suggests that it may refer back to the fig tree two verses earlier (also singular feminine). 

If I were the translator, I might have translated like this...

Learn a parable from the fig tree: when her branch is still tender and growing new leaves, you understand that summer is near.  Likewise, when you shall see all these things [happen], know that [the end] is near, even at the doors. Truly I say unto you, her generation shall not pass, till [this pattern] has been completed.

Also, keep in mind that this comes right after Jesus has cursed a fig tree in the prior chapter, because it did not bear fruit.  The tree withered.

It's reasonable to think that the fig tree here is an emblem of Judah.  It hasn't bore fruit, and now it is about to be destroyed by its owner.

[Rella]

The casing of the word genea here (singular feminine) suggests that it may refer back to the fig tree two verses earlier (also singular feminine). 

If I were the translator, I might have translated like this...

Learn a parable from the fig tree: when her branch is still tender and growing new leaves, you understand that summer is near.  Likewise, when you shall see all these things [happen], know that [the end] is near, even at the doors. Truly I say unto you, her generation shall not pass, till [this pattern] has been completed.

Also, keep in mind that this comes right after Jesus has cursed a fig tree in the prior chapter, because it did not bear fruit.  The tree withered.

It's reasonable to think that the fig tree here is an emblem of Judah.  It hasn't bore fruit, and now it is about to be destroyed by its owner.

Hi Jarrod

Yes and no....

I sent you a PM here but in case you dont get I messaged you elsewhere with a link I want you to see why I started to look into this

Blessings