This Generation shall Not Pass Away (Part 2)
Looking at Matthew 24:34,
Looking at Matthew 24:34,
Mat 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
This is a key verse to the understanding of Matthew 24, and also to eschatology.
When you understand this, you can understand what Jesus meant when He said in Matthew 16:28, and Luke 9:27
Mat 16:28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
Luk 9:27 But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.
Cyrus.I. Scofield
Today, we want to look at a major mis-translation that happened around the 20th Century and caused the modern contemporary church particular in USA to deviate from age-old truths of our early fathers of Christianity.
This was in the author's personal remarks in the Scofield Reference Bible. C.I. Scofield compiled the Scofield Reference Bible in 1903 and he printed his commentary alongside the bible verses that were in the KJV version.
(Note: One of his major mistake was he included the calculation of the date of Creation in Genesis to be 4004 BC. He must have no knowledge of the early Chinese civilization dating back more than 5000 BC.)
Through the influence of his notes, many American Christians began to adopt a dispensationalist theology (you can check it up on Wikipedia).
Scofield was a proponent of dispensationalism and his reference bible encouraged Christians to discard off all previous writings of the early fathers especially regarding eschatology.
We want to look particularly at how his interpretation of Matthew 24:34 caused a whole group of his followers to deviate from the original intention of the bible. His definition of "generation" did not account properly for the original Greek word "genea".
In his references, Scofield said:
[ The word "generation" (genea) refers to race, kind, family, stock, breed and he is sure of that because none of "these things" (meaning the worldwide preaching of the kingdom, the great tribulation, the return of the Lord in visible glory, the regathering of the elect) occurred at the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus in AD70.
The promise is therefore the generation, nation or family of Israel will be preserved until "these things" are wonderfully fulfilled to this day. ]
Well, Scofield was WRONG. He uses the Greek word "genea" and substituted it with the Greek word "genus", and they are totally different in meaning.
"Genus" means a kind, or nation, or an offspring or a stock.
Qn: Where is "genus" used in the bible?
An: 1 Peter 2:9
1Pe 2:9 But you are a chosen race ("genus"), a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
The KJV used the words "you are a chosen generation" but it actually means "you are a chosen RACE". This is the correct interpretation of 1 Peter 2:9 that uses not the old English language.
Scofield used this definition "genus" to replace the word "genea", and they are totally different in meaning.
"Genea" means "by implication an age, the period or the persons", NOT "the kind, nation, offspring, or stock". See my earlier Part 1.
When you put in the WRONG Greek word into Matthew 24:34, the whole meaning has changed, and that was what actually happened in his reference notes.
Just for study, there is another Greek word that was translated into the word "generation" in the old English language, and that is the Greek word "gennemu". You will find it in Matthew 23:33:
Mat 23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation (gennemu) of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
Gennemu means offspring or fruit.
Later translations replace the phrase "generation of vipers" with "offspring of vipers", "brood of vipers", "children of vipers", to reflect a more correct translation.
David Chilton
David Chilton, a 20th century writer wrote the book "The great tribulation" that countered Scofield's references particularly in eschatology.
You can get a copy of his book at:
https://web.archive.org/web/20070412234633/http://freebooks.commentary.net/freebooks/docs/214e_47e.htm
David wrote concerning Matthew 24:34:
[ Some have sought to get around the force of this
text by saying that the word "generation" here really meant "race" and that Jesus was simply saying that the Jewish race would not die out until all these things took place. Is that true? I challenge you. Get out your concordance and look up every New Testament occurrence of the word "generation" which in the Greek is "genea" an see if it means "race" in any other context.
Not one of these references is speaking of the entire Jewish race over those thousands of years. All used the word in its normal sense of the sum total of those living at the same time. It always refer to contemporaries. In fact, those who say it means "race" tend to acknowledge this fact but explained that the word suddenly changes its meaning when Jesus uses it in Matthew 24:34.
We can smile at such a transparent error but we should remember that this is very serious. We are dealing with the Word of the living God. ]
David Chilton is absolutely correct. If you believe that Jesus was referring to the race of Israel, or the nation of Israel, in Matthew 24:34, then you must believe that Israel is a race of people, or that Judaism is not only a religion but a race?
The real "Israel of God"
With that in mind, I want to address the real meaning of the term "ISRAEL OF GOD". The apostle Paul used this term in the New Testament writings and give a clear understanding of how the early church, the Christians view this term "Israel of God".
Encyclopedia Judaica
According the the Jewish "Encyclopedia Judaica Jerusalem" that was published in 1971 in volume 30, and under its sub-title "Anthropology, physical", it describes the physical anthropology of Israel.
It says:
[ It is a common assumption and one that sometimes seem ineradicable even in the face of evidence to the contrary that the Jews of today constitute a race of homogeneous entity easily recognizable. From the preceding discussion of the origin and early history of the Jews, it should be clear that in the course of their formation as a people and a nation, they had already assimilated a variety of racial strains from people moving into the general area they occupied.
This had taken place by inter-breeding and then by conversion to Judaism of a considerable number of communities. Thus the diversity of the racial and genetic attributes of various Jewish colonies of today render any unified racial classification of them a contradiction in terms.
Despite this, people readily accept the notion that they are a distinct race. This is probably reinforced by the fact that some Jews are recognizably different in appearance from the surrounding population.
That many cannot be easily identified is overlooked and the stereotype for some is extended to all, a not uncommon phenomenon. ]
Collier's Encyclopedia
In the Collier's Encyclopedia, 1977, volume 13, Collier said:
[ This is a common error and persistent modern myth in the designation of the Jews as a "race". This is scientifically fallacious from the standpoint of both physical an historical tradition. Investigations by anthropologists have shown that Jews are by no means uniform in physical character and that they nearly always reflect the physical and mental characteristics of the people among whom they live. ]
Fig tree = Israel = Race?
With the Jewish references above, we should note that Judaism is a religion. It is not a race, just like Christianity is not a race. Anyone can convert to Judaism. You don't have to be a certain race, class, gender of nationality. It is open to all. Judaism has many new converts. The followers of Judaism are called JEWS. Just like the followers of Christianity are called Christians, and the followers of Islam are called Muslims.
You are NOT Jewish by race but you are Jewish because you follow Judaism. You can become Jewish by choice just like you become Christian by choice. When someone converts to Christianity, you don't say that they have joined a new race. They are whatever race they were, before and after they joined Christianity. Judaism is the same way. We hear of different races being Christian, and also different races being Jewish.
See:
History of the Jews
and how to become a Jew.?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conversion_to_Judaism
The reason we are clarifying this is because of the poor translation of those proponents of dispensationalism. They referred to Matthew 24:34 and said that it referred to the nation of Israel's people in regard to a race and NOT a generation.
Geopolitical Israel since 1948
Israel re-emerged as a nation in 1948. For a lot of dispensationalists or futurists, this started a type of prophetic clock. But actually, Israel's re-emergence was not prophetic but it was just geopolitical. It is basically politics and largely influenced by the geographical factors NOT prophetic at all.
Whatever conflicts that is going on there in the Middle East with reference to nation of Israel is a geopolitical issue and NOT a prophetic issue. It is in particular a land territory issue.
The Israel of the Middle East that we see today is NOT, I humbly repeat, is NOT the Israel of God, that we read in the New Testament or the New Covenant.
The true Israel of God
Let us look at Paul's writing in Galatians 3:26-29.
Gal 3:26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.
Gal 3:27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.
Qn: Who are the Abraham's offspring? Who?
An: Those who are in Jesus Christ in accordance with Gal 3:26-29. This was written almost 2000 years ago by Paul stating that everyone is equal in the eyes of God, and if you are Christ's, you are Abraham's offspring. Through faith in Jesus, you are all equal and called Abraham's offspring.
Qn: In other passages of bible verses, who are the offsprings of Abraham?
An: It is the Jews. The Jews get the promises of Abraham, not others. But now, under the New Covenant, Paul is affirming us that there are more than the Jews who get Abraham's promises. Through Christ, EVERYONE gets the promises.
Let us look at the same book of Galatians and see what Paul continues to tell us: Galatians 6:15-16
Gal 6:15 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.
Gal 6:16 And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the ISRAEL OF GOD.
Qn: What does the term "Israel of God" means?
An: It means, in Christ you are a son of God. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, neither male not female. In Christ, you are all Abraham's seed and offspring. In Christ there is neither circumcision (a Jewish rite) nor uncircumcision. In Christ you are a new creation, and if you walk by this rule, you are the ISRAEL OF GOD.
For Paul, there is no geopolitical Israel. The same should go for us today. There is only an Israel of God that belongs to Christ. When you come in through Christ, you are the Israel of God.
The Israel of God is no longer the descendants of Abraham, as determined by Paul and the New Testament about 2000 years ago. It is not a modern new interpretation but a fundamentally biblical one.
The Israel of God is not the race of the Israelites. The Israel of God are those who accepts Jesus Christ.
Should we be judged for the sin of crucifying Jesus?
Dispensationalism tells you that God is going to send judgement to us in the future generation as per Matthew 24 because we have sent Jesus to the cross and for being the recipient of previous generations' sins.
Please note that when Jesus said, "this generation shall not pass away", He was referring to that generation of His time. And according to historical records, the judgement of the day of vengeance did come upon that generation, those that were standing there, that generation that put Jesus to the cross.
Jesus accused that generation of killing Him, which they did.
Jesus or God does not hold this present day generation guilty of previous generation sins. There is no more generation sins nor generation curses in the New Covenant. The bible should be interpreted in its Context and Historical relevance.
Dispensationalism says that God is going to pour judgement upon the generation after the "rapture", for the sins of the generations before the "rapture". This is WRONG interpretation and WRONG theology. They cannot be made responsible to suffer for the wrongs of the previous generations.
Even when Jesus was about to be crucified, the Jews told Pontius Pilate that the consequences of their sins and actions be upon them and their children only i.e. that generation only. (See Matthew 27:25).
In the same way, it would be wrong, immoral and unjust to hold all present Germans guilty for the actions of the previous generation of Nazi killers during the Adolf Hitler regime.
Similarly, we are not guilty for the sins of the fathers. In Christianity, you have been delivered from the idea of generational curse and the sins of our fathers.
So likewise, dispensationalists are wrong to interpret that Matthew 24:34 is referring to the judgement coming to our generation. This judgement was towards that generation - the generation that put Jesus to the cross - that generation that brought destruction to Jerusalem. This is the correct historical timeline and interpretation of the bible.
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