This Generation shall Not Pass Away (Part 1)
These words are taken from Matthew 24, a passage of bible verses that has been contentious over the last 200 years or more. It has birthed numerous conflicting teachings (Pre-trib, Mid-trib, Post-trib, and many more others) that I believe has crippled the Christian community as a whole. The world look at them and laughed at their conflicting and disunited stand on so many issues resulting in more than 40,000 DENOMINATIONS (not churches), and failed to see how the "church" can become relevant to those who do not know God.
These words are taken from Matthew 24, a passage of bible verses that has been contentious over the last 200 years or more. It has birthed numerous conflicting teachings (Pre-trib, Mid-trib, Post-trib, and many more others) that I believe has crippled the Christian community as a whole. The world look at them and laughed at their conflicting and disunited stand on so many issues resulting in more than 40,000 DENOMINATIONS (not churches), and failed to see how the "church" can become relevant to those who do not know God.
Looking at Matthew 24:32-34
Mat 24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree. When its branch is still tender and puts out leaves, you know that summer is near.
Mat 24:33 So you, likewise, when you see all these things, shall know that it is near, at the doors.
Mat 24:34 Truly I say to you, This generation shall not pass until all these things are fulfilled.
Also looking at the parallel passage of the same words spoken by Jesus in Luke 21:29-32
Luk 21:29 And He spoke a parable to them: Behold the fig-tree and all the trees.
Luk 21:30 Now when they sprout leaves, seeing it you will know that summer is now near.
Luk 21:31 So also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.
Luk 21:32 Truly I say to you, This generation shall not pass away until all these things are fulfilled.
A third similar passage is found in Mark 13:28-30.
Let us look at it from 2 different perspective: the "timing" perspective and the "Greek language" perspective.
Timing perspective
Mat 24:34 This generation shall not pass until all these things are fulfilled.
and
Luk 21:32 This generation shall not pass away until all these things are fulfilled.
Notice from these 2 verses, Jesus did NOT say "some" of these things will be fulfilled. He also did NOT say that some will be fulfilled "now" and some will be fulfilled "later".
Jesus said ALL these things be fulfilled and be fulfilled during THAT generation. It is THAT generation that will NOT pass away.
Qn: What generation was Jesus referring to?
Qn: What Context was Jesus talking about?
If you remember, that Jesus was speaking and responding to the disciples in the Context of their 3 questions found in Matthew 24:3. What 3 questions? They are "When will these things happen? What will be the sign of your Coming? What will be the sign of the end of the Age?"
So Matthew 24:34 is still referring to the Context of the 3 questions asked by the disciples.
Note: Jesus has NOT changed the Context of their conversation. Jesus has NOT changed the audience. Jesus did NOT stopped talking to His disciples, and then switched to a new audience with a new topic.
Note: Today, some teachers or translators have changed the Context of the interpretation of this verse. They have interpreted Matthew 24:34 to be in OUR present day timeline and this is because they took verse 32: "learn the lesson from the fig tree", to mean it refers to Israel !!.
Thus when they read verse 34, they get confused and cannot reconcile what they believe in verse 32.
For example, a Catholic commentary said that Matthew 24:34 is a very troubling verse. Because if Jesus really meant that "this generation" refers to "the generation standing there", then everything written in Matthew 24 would had already have happened. Either that or Jesus was WRONG !
So these irresponsible teachers created an alternative scenario to say that these things did not happen because Jesus did not mean or refer to "the generation standing there" BUT Jesus referred to a "future generation", a generation that is different from that generation standing in front of Jesus.
Qn: How did they create a "different generation" in the middle of Matthew 24?
An: They interpret the "fig tree" as NOT a "real fig tree". They translate that Jesus was not literally speaking about a real fig tree but He was just figuratively speaking about the fig tree. He was just using the fig tree as an illustration. This man-made created scenario cannot accept that Jesus was just talking about a "normal fig tree" that is going through a seasonal change with its leaves. When summer is approaching, the leaves of the tree starts to sprout. Instead they refer to the "fig tree" and say that it is Israel (and not a real normal fig tree) that is in the process of blooming.
This alternative interpretation is what many churches are teaching today! Shocking! They say that "if you look at Israel going through a seasonal change, these things will come to pass" I honestly CANNOT accept such thoughtless bible interpretation.
They are trying to explain what Jesus meant without taking Him at His words, so they created a theory to say that the fig tree refers to Israel.
If really the "fig tree" refers to Israel, then Luke 21:29 cannot exist, where Jesus said "look at the fig tree AND ALL these TREES". Jesus was referring to a seasonal change in the trees (plural) with leaves sprouting. Not just a particular fig tree and say that it is Israel. What is the point of quoting "all the trees" if Jesus was only talking of the "fig tree" to mean Israel.
The purpose of using Luke 21:29 to parallel Matthew 24:32 is to show that the trees were just a description of seasonal change and NOT referring to Israel nor Judaism.
Let's look at what Thomas Newton wrote in his book "Dissertations on the Prophecies" printed in 1754. This is a 260 year old commentary. He said:
"He proceeds to declare that the time of His Coming was at no very great distance and to show that He had been speaking all this while of the destruction of Jerusalem, he affirms with His usual affirmation in verse 34, "Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled."
It is to me a wonder how any man can refer part of the foregoing discourse to the destruction of Jerusalem, part to the end of the world or any other distant event when it is said so positively here in the conclusion "all these things shall be fulfilled in this generation."
It seems as if our Saviour had been aware of some such misapplication of His words by adding yet greater force and emphasis to this affirmation in verse 35 "Heaven and earth shall pass away but my words shall not pass away." "
Thomas Newton showed us that even 260 years ago, there had been a lot of scholarly work done on this passage, as a fulfilled passage. There is a lot more done by these early church fathers that the last "less than 200 years", that try to put these scriptures out in our future.
Greek Word
The word "generation" as used in Matthew 24:24 is from the Greek word "genea" which means "by implication an age of a period or of persons".
Let's look at some more usages of the same Greek word "genea" in the New Testament, so that we can get an idea of some parallel usages, and how it should be properly interpreted.
Luke 11:50 so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation (genea).
Luke 1:50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation (genea) to generation (genea).
Act 13:36 Now David, having done God's work for his generation (genea), went to sleep, and was put with his fathers, and his body came to destruction.
Heb 3:10 Therefore I was provoked with that generation (genea), and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’
Matthew 1:17 So all the generations (gena) from Abraham to David were fourteen generations (genea), and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations (genea), and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations (genea).
In Matthew 1:17, there are 42 generations (14 x 3 = 42).
Mis-interpretation
Common mis-interpretation to Matthew 24:34 said that the word "generation" does not mean "age of a period or of persons". They say it meant "race". They conclude that "this RACE of people shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled". This translation would take it to mean that Jesus was referring to a certain "race of people", and by race, we take it as "skin colour" or "DNA", not religion, because race and religion are two different things.
That means they believe that this "race of people" will pass away. But they won't pass away until all these things are fulfilled and gone.
But Jesus did NOT interpret "generation" as "race", if not Matthew 1:17 above would mean there is a total of 42 "races" in the genealogy of Jesus. Did Jesus have 42 races in His genealogy?
Can we read Matthew 1:17 like this:
So all the races from Abraham to David were fourteen races, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen races, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen races.
Of course NOT!. It does not make any sense at all.
They cannot redefine the definition of "generation" just because the actual/real definition does not fill their theology.! They need to change their theology to fit in the Context and the real definition of the word.
It is biblical irresponsible and reckless to make up a definition just because the definition within the Context does not fit in to their theology.
It is also irresponsible to create an alternative generation, a different generation of the future and to remove the Context and Audience relevance of the passage.
It is irresponsible to say Israel is the fig tree, so when Israel blooms, then we will know these things will be fulfilled.
Let's look at another verse: Acts 2:40
Act 2:40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation (genea).”
In Acts 2:40, the early church was dealing with the coming judgement on Jerusalem, and they were aware of this because they were standing in front of Jesus in Matthew 24, and they remembered the words of Jesus! So Peter said "save yourself from this crooked generation".
Peter did not say "save yourself from this crooked race".
He used generation as it is, because he understood that that generation is going to go through the judgement in accordance to Matthew 24:34. Peter was physically present there when Jesus said it "this generation shall not pass away until all these be fulfilled".
See another commentary from John Gill who is a predecessor of Charles Spurgeon, the famous preacher, in his book "Exposition of the New Testament Vol. 2" published in 1809.
(Note: you can also find this from John Gill Commentary in the e-sword bible program. It comes together with the app/program).
Gill expounded on Matthew 24:34 and said:
" "Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass",.... Not the generation of men in general; as if the sense was, that mankind should not cease, until the accomplishment of these things; nor the generation, or people of the Jews, who should continue to be a people, until all were fulfilled; nor the generation of Christians; as if the meaning was, that there should be always a set of Christians, or believers in Christ in the world, until all these events came to pass; but it respects that present age, or generation of men then living in it; and the sense is, that all the men of that age should not die, but some should live
"till all these things were fulfilled"; see Matthew 16:28 as many did, and as there is reason to believe they might, and must, since all these things had their accomplishment, in and about forty years after this: and certain it is, that John, one of the disciples of Christ, outlived the time by many years; and, as Dr. Lightfoot observes, many of the Jewish doctors now living, when Christ spoke these words, lived until the city was destroyed; as Rabban Simeon, who perished with it, R. Jochanan ben Zaccai, who outlived it, R. Zadoch, R. Ishmael, and others: this is a full and clear proof, that not anything that is said before, relates to the second coming of Christ, the day of judgment, and end of the world; but that all belong to the coming of the son of man, in the destruction of Jerusalem, and to the end of the Jewish state. "
These old commentaries (john Gill, Thomas Newton etc.) were the defacto standard way of defining these verses for hundreds if not thousands (2000 years) of years.
Matthew 24:34 IS ONE OF THE VERSES THAT IS OF CRUCIAL IMPORTANCE to the interpreting of verses regarding Timelines, Historical relevance and Context of writings.
Dispensationalism
Wrong interpretation from Dispensationalism (this theory originated from John Darby in 1830). He disregarded most of the earlier writings of early church fathers.
Some dispensationalist or futurist interpret that Matthew 24:32 preceeds and influence verse 34., and that when Israel (the fig tree) will undergo a change, a blooming, this will usher in the end and the judgement of the world from the events described in Matthew 24.
Later, Hal Lindsey a modern contemporary writer, wrote his famous book "The late great planet earth" in 1970 trying to exponentiate the dispensation theory from Darby, and that book sold millions of copies, especially in the US, making Hal a very very rich man.
In his book, Hal, one of USA's most famous dispensationalist and end time prophetic writers, put the year 1948 as the blooming of the "fig tree" according to Matthew 24:32 because Israel returned to their own state and became a nation in 1948. He said that from 1948 and for the next 40 years (because 1 generation is generally accepted to mean 40 years), all these events in Matthew 24 will take place, and then the End will come, and Jesus will come again, and there will be new heaven and earth.
Hal's followers from around the world then in September 1988, on Rosh Hashanah on the Jewish calendar, were expecting the "rapture of the church" to occur and the "second coming of Jesus" to happen. There was even a popular book published that says "88 reasons why the Rapture would be in 1988".
They thought that when Israel became a nation, when the fig tree blooms, in 1948 so 40 years after 1948 i.e. in 1988, the Rapture and the Second Coming were supposed to happen. Well, it did NOT happen. Coming back to this year 2021 (33 years after 1988), it still did NOT happen.
For your information, there had been countless predictions and non-fulfillments of Raptures and Second Comings for the last hundreds of years.
See these links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predictions_and_claims_for_the_Second_Coming_of_Christ
How many many millions upon millions were deceived. No wonder there are 40,000 denominations, so many factions, so much divisions, so much separation and apostasy.
If you are interested to read on my writings on the Second Coming, here are some links:
Concluding Questions:
In reflective conclusion, here are some questions to ponder:
Qn: When are we going to give up? When are we going to think reflectively and say we are WRONG?
Qn: When are we going to stop taking text out of Context and trying to make it say something that it is not supposed to say?
Qn: When are we going to accept that Jesus has abolished the old law (or old covenant) and that justice had already been served for what happened at the Cross? And that it is time for all of us to be kingdom spreaders, living kingdom lives, instead of fooling oneself as an "Escape Artist".?
Instead of looking at how to get out of here, it is time to find out how to live the abundant life through here.
Instead of waiting for the trumpet to blast to take us away, we should be the trumpet blast that makes a difference to change lives in this world.
This is the challenge for all. Let us do it today.
We are not the generation that Jesus spoke about, but we are a generation of today. What is this generation going to do?
PS: For those interested I include a link to the book "Dissertations on the Prophecies" by Thomas Newton in my cloud storage. I don't know whether it is legal for me to distribute it, so I will make it available for a month only.
