This Generation shall Not Pass Away (Part 2)

This Generation shall Not Pass Away (Part 2)

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.

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclopaedia_Judaica

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

https://israelforever.org/interact/blog/names_of_israel_tracing_our_history_and_identity/

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.

This Generation shall Not Pass Away (Part 1)

 

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.

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/List_of_dates_predicted_for_apocalyptic_events

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:

https://advancingtruth.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-parousia.html

https://advancingtruth.blogspot.com/2020/05/return-of-christ-biblical-time-frame.html

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.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dktDvPiIAglDyzZC55WJkcpnhujfInF6/view?usp=sharing

Ten examples to counter the Israel Only theory

 Ten examples to counter the Israel Only theory,

This is to answer:

Proponents of Israel Only (IO) - those who professed that God only came for Israel but not for the whole world.

[1] Solomon: 

“Moreover, concerning a foreigner, who is NOT OF YOUR PEOPLE ISRAEL, but who comes from a far country for the sake of Your great name and Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm, when they come and pray in this temple; then hear from heaven Your place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, THAT ALL PEOPLE OF THE EARTH may know Your name and fear You, AS DO YOUR PEOPLE ISRAEL, and that they may know that this temple which I have built is called by Your name” (II Chronicles 6:32-33).

Solomon’s prayer lines up well with Isaiah’s prophecy, also quoted and applied by Jesus in His day, that the temple had a purpose of serving as “a house of prayer for ALL NATIONS” (Isaiah 56:7; Mark 11:17).

Solomon’s heart for the nations is also revealed in his only Psalm (72), in which he said things like “ALL NATIONS shall serve Him” (verse 11), “His name shall continue as long as the sun. And men shall be blessed in Him; ALL NATIONS shall call Him blessed” (verse 17), and “let the WHOLE EARTH be filled with His glory” (verse 19).

[2] David and Asaph:

 “I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son. Today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You THE NATIONS for Your inheritance, and the ENDS OF THE EARTH for Your possession’” (Psalm 2:7-8); “Arise, O God, judge the earth; for You shall inherit ALL NATIONS” (Psalm 82:8).

[3] Unknown author (perhaps David or Asaph):

“God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us. that Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among ALL NATIONS. Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let ALL PEOPLES praise You. Oh, let THE NATIONS be glad and sing for joy!” (Psalm 67:1-4).

[4] David: 

“Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord; Nor are there any works like Your works. ALL NATIONS whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name” (Psalm 86:8-9).

[5] Isaiah: 

“And now the Lord says, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel is gathered to Him… Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give you as a light to the GENTILES, that You should be My salvation to the ENDS OF THE EARTH’” (Isaiah 49:5-6).

As it is elsewhere, the pattern is Israel first, but not Israel only (e.g. Mark 7:27; Acts 3:25-26, 13:46; Romans 1:16).

[6] James / Luke / Amos: 

“Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles. And after they had become silent, James answered, saying, ‘Men and brethren, listen to me: Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written: “After this I will return and will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen down. I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up, so that the REST OF MANKIND may seek the Lord, even ALL THE GENTILES who are called by My name, says the Lord who does all these things”’” (Acts 15:13-17).

[7] Paul:

“Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, ‘Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious… God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood EVERY NATION OF MEN of men to dwell on ALL THE FACE OF THE EARTH, and has determined their preappointed times and THE BOUNDARIES of their habitation, so that THEY SHOULD SEEK THE LORD, IN THE HOPE THAT THEY MIGHT GROPE FOR HIM AND FIND HIM, though He is not far from each one of us’” (Acts 17:22-27).

[8] Paul: 

“And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the nations by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you ALL THE NATIONS shall be blessed.’ So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham… Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’), THAT the blessing of Abraham might come upon the GENTILES in Christ Jesus, THAT we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith… Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as of many, but as of one, ‘And to your Seed,’ who is Christ… And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:8-9, 13-14, 16, 29).

[9] Rabbi Elazar: 

“These seventy bulls that are sacrificed as additional offerings over the course of the seven days of Sukkot, to what do they correspond? They correspond to the SEVENTY NATIONS OF THE WORLD, and are brought to atone for their sins and to hasten world peace. Why is a single bull sacrificed on the Eighth Day of Assembly? It corresponds to the singular nation, Israel” (Sukkah 55b.9).

Rabbi Elazar was a first century AD Jewish religious leader and also a direct descendant of Ezra the Scribe. Not only was Rabbi Elazar clearly anti-IO, but in this statement he confirmed that Israel had a mission-oriented role to play with regard to the 70 nations of Genesis 10 all the way up to the first century AD. He confirmed that Abraham’s descendants were not chosen to selfishly hoard God’s blessings for themselves or chosen only for the purpose of blessing themselves.

[10] Philo: 

Philo (20 BC – AD 50) said “that the offering at the altar of the first-fruit from the land of Israel serves an efficacious purpose ‘both to the nation…& for the WHOLE HUMAN RACCE… The reason for this is that the Jewish nation is to the WHOLE INHABITED WORLD what the priest is to the State’” (quoted by G.K. Beale in The Temple and the Church’s Mission, 2004, pp. 164-165).

Philo was a first century AD Hellenistic Jewish philosopher who was influential in the Jewish world. He was not IO, and he affirmed that Israel was chosen to serve as priests to the ENTIRE HUMAN RACE. He affirmed that their first fruit offerings were conducted on behalf of non-Israelites everywhere.

Researched by Adam Maarschalk

https://answeringisraelonly.wordpress.com/2020/08/28/leaders-of-israel-who-opposed-israel-only-10-examples/

Jesus Coming in His kingdom (the Kingdom of God)

Jesus Coming in His kingdom (the Kingdom of God).

The coming of Jesus in heaven is the sign or manifestation of the coming of Jesus in the kingdom of God. Jesus brought the manifestation of the kingdom of God in AD70 when Jesus came upon His people as the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple took place. It was the end of the era of Judaism and the beginning of the greater era of the Kingdom of God.

It is imperative to note that if one has an improper eschatological view, your perspective in life and understanding of Scripture will be hindered even though your redemption is not brought into question. Wrong perspective leads to wrong outlook of life. Right eschatology leads to right perspective and right outlook of life. This proper understanding of the coming of the kingdom of God brings our lives to align with Scripture and right perspective.

So it is important to note that the Coming of Jesus in Matthew 24:30, is the same as the appearing of the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, is the same as Jesus coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, is the same as the new era of the coming of the kingdom of God, is the same as destruction of the Temple and its Judaistic practices and the ushering of the New Jerusalem, the Kingdom of God.

Someone took notice of the 40 years phenomena in the Bible and said it took 40 years for natural Israel to get to the promised land, and it also took 40 years for spiritual Israel to get to New Jerusalem.

That means natural Israel took a total of 40 years to get from captivity in Egypt to the promised land. They had to go through the desert around Sinai and in the process received God's Laws through Moses, their leader. Also it took 40 years for new spiritual Israel, the new believers, to go from the finished work of Christ on the cross to the manifestation of the kingdom of God in AD70, which was the manifestation of the New Jerusalem after the destruction of the Old Jerusalem and its Temple.

In the bible, the term "kingdom of God" is interchangeable with the term "kingdom of heaven". The religious Jews during the times of Jesus do not want to speak or write "God" because they thought it was too holy a term to use, so they used the term "heaven". They had a mental fear of using the name of God in vain, so to be safe, they use the term heaven instead of God, particularly in the book of Matthew which was primarily written to the Jews.

When you study Matthew 24, you will realized that it speaks about the manifestation of  the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God.

An analogy would be like comparing to a water tank that had a small hole and the hole was about to get bigger. In the beginning, the water trickles down slowly, but as the hole gets bigger, the water starts to gush down in greater measure, many times bigger that it was before.

The coming of Jesus in the heavens and the coming of the kingdom of God is liken to a greater gush of the water coming down to the earth.

We come to an important key verse in understanding timing of eschatology in Matthew 16:28.

Mat 16:28  Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.

In reading this in its proper Context and Audience relevance, we can specifically conclude the following:

- Jesus was speaking to the people right there and then. He was not addressing people before that or people who lives 2000 years after that statement

- Jesus was saying that those who were hearing Him then will NOT die, until they see Jesus come again in His kingdom. When did Jesus come again? He came again at the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple. He came for His people to save them, those who left for the mountains. He came to witness the destruction of the Old Mosaic Covenant, so that He can usher in the beginning of the New Covenant. Even though Jesus rose again from the dead earlier, but it was the complete destruction of Temple that brought an end to the Old Covenant, the Old Era. In between the Cross and the destruction of the Temple, the Old Covenant and the New Covenant was existing together! The total destruction of the Temple practices brought an end to the Old Covenant.

Those who heard Jesus spoke witnessed the coming of Jesus in His kingdom of heaven i.e. the kingdom of God, just as what Jesus said they would. Just as what Jesus told the disciples in Matthew 24:30.

Mat 24:30  Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 

This happened in AD70. It happened in their future, but it is our past and not our future.

The kingdom of God was inaugurated or begin and was initially manifested with the arrival of Jesus in His anointed ministry. It did not begin in Jesus birth nor during the time He was as a baby in the manger

When Jesus first began His earthly ministry, He preached that the kingdom of God was at hand (that means now it is existing).

Mar 1:15  and Jesus saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” 

The kingdom of God began to manifest then in His early ministry, but it was a small manifestation and a local demonstration. There were signs of the manifestation of the kingdom of God, with miracles, healings, signs and wonders. But it was a small trickle and confined to the area or district where Jesus and His disciples were. It was not a worldwide event or a massive outpouring.

As Jesus ministry began to grow, He began to preach that the kingdom of God is "within" you.

Luk 17:20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 

Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is "within" you. 

This word "within" can be said to be translated better by understanding the original Greek word "entos", which actually means "inside of".

Jesus is telling the Pharisees that the kingdom of God will be "on the inside" of you. Some translations use the word "in the midst" which is wrong.

It is interesting to note that this Greek word "entos" only appears TWICE in the New Testament. Once in Luke 17:21 and the other in Matthew 23:26.

Mat 23:26  You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside (Greek: "entos") of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. 

Jesus told the Pharisees to clean the "inside" of the cup, not the "within" the cup, and not in the "midst" of the cup.

Qn: When did the kingdom of God went from the outside to the "inside" of you?

An: There are many theories, but my understanding is that when Jesus paid for the sin of the world, there was a vacuum space inside the hearts of people to be filled with the kingdom of God. So at the cross, after the sin debt was paid in full, and when Jesus said "it is finished", the hearts of humanity was ready to be filled with the kingdom of God.

Several years after the ascension of Jesus, we read of what Paul wrote about the kingdom of God in Colossians 1:13.

Col 1:13  He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.

It was a past tense, and a done deal. Jesus has already transferred us into His kingdom and now His kingdom is inside of us.

In retrospective, we can say that the kingdom of God began at the initial anointed ministry of Jesus. But it is also an ever growing and expanding kingdom throughout all humanity. As long as more and more of the world gets the knowledge of the kingdom of God inside of us (God in you, the hope of glory), the kingdom of God will continue to expand forever and ever.

In the Old Testament, in Habakkuk 2:14, we read of an old prophecy that speaks of the knowledge of God spreading throughout the whole world.

Hab 2:14  For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. 

I believe this verse speaks about the ever expansion of the kingdom of God.

Qn: So where does Matthew 24, the chapter on eschatology fits in with the ever expanding kingdom of God?

An: I believe the coming of Jesus in power and glory, the coming of the Son of Man in heaven, the coming of the kingdom of God in AD70, the destruction of the Temple, and the ushering of the New Covenant or the New Jerusalem (they all meant the same or happened at the same time), has brought about a great beginning and expansion for the kingdom of God to be inside you. I believe Paul referred to this as the "age to come".

When Jesus began this eschatology lessons as an answer to his disciples curiosity in Matthew 24:3, He was drawing their attention not just to the negative aspect of the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple, but to a positive aspect,to a greater glory of the coming of the New Covenant and with a greater expansion of the kingdom of God.

The Gathering of the elect

The Gathering of the elect

The term "gathering of the elect" is found in Matthew 24:31.

Mat 24:31  And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 

Jesus had spoken of the gathering of His people before Matthew 24. In Mat 23:37-38, we read of how Jesus lamented over Jerusalem because He was trying to gather His people together like a hen gathering her chicks, but they were not willing to be gathered. And because of that, their house i.e. their Temple will be left desolate, thus prophesying about the imminent coming destruction of the Temple by the Roman armies in AD70.

Mat 23:37  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 

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

Jesus gathering was a spiritual gathering. The Temple will be destroyed but the Temple that He is building in us will live forever. God had this intention of living inside of us by His Holy Spirit, like what Paul would say "God in us, the hope of glory" and "You are the Temple of the Holy Spirit". Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well, that a time is coming where the worship of God is not a locality like Jerusalem or a mountain, but will be within us as long as it is in spirit and truth. But alas to say, the Jews rejected Jesus, and rejected His gathering, and so God had to bring down the entire system of Jewish religion (Judaism) centred around the Temple, so that He can execute His gathering of the elect.

Some futurists have said that Mat 24:31 refers to a future event called the rapture where "angels" and spiritual beings will gather His people from the world. This is not true, and has been taken out of the context of the entire chapter of Matthew 24 which is not speaking of our future event but of their soon coming event of the destruction of Jerusalem.

In a parallel passage to Matthew 24, we read in Mark 14:61-62, where Jesus is talking to the high priest and the Sanhedrin that they will physically see Jesus coming in power and with the clouds of heaven.

Mar 14:61  But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” 

Mar 14:62  And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” 

This is not our future event called the rapture!. This happened 2000 years ago when the high priest and the Pharisees and the Jewish people actually saw the coming of Jesus to gather His elect. Those that did not believe in Jesus and His message were not gathered because they did not acknowledge Him as their Messiah. They did not see this Jesus as their Savior and they only wanted to see what they had envisioned in their minds. For that they crucified Jesus to get rid of Him who was an stumbling block to their plans. They refused to be counted as part of God's elect and when Jesus came again for the salvation of His people, they missed out the gathering.

The English word "angel" in Matthew 24:31 came from the original Greek word called "aggelos". "Aggelos" does NOT mean a spiritual being or angel. In fact, the Greek word "aggelos" actually mean "messenger" and that's all. A pastor can be called an "aggelos". An evangelist can be called an "aggelos". Anyone who carries a message is called an "aggelos". In fact John the Baptist was called "aggelos" several times in the bible, and John was never a spiritual being but a human.

Luk 7:24  When John's messengers (aggelos) had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 

Luk 9:52  And Jesus sent messengers (aggelos) ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. 

Mat 11:10  This is he (John) of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger (aggelos) before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ 

Mark 1:2  As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger (aggelos) before your face, who will prepare your way"

Luke 7:27  This is he (John) of whom it is written, “‘Behold, I send my messenger (aggelos) before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ 

2Co 12:7  So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger (aggelos) of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 

Jas 2:25  And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers (aggelos) and sent them out by another way? 

Of course, angels can be messengers but messengers need not be angels.

The translators of Matthew 24:31 felt that the word "aggelos" should be translated as angels, but a proper word should be just "messengers".

Q: Why should "aggelos" in Matthew 24:31 be translated as "messengers" and not "angels"?

A: After Jesus died and was resurrected, there was a huge gathering of people believing in Jesus due to the working of the Holy Spirit, and particularly the work of spreading the gospel by His disciples (human messengers). The apostles took the message of Jesus to all the 4 corners of the land from the east to the west, and from the north to the south (thus the term "four winds").

So you can see that it was human messengers who took the gospel and took up the task of the spiritual gathering of believers in Jesus and not angels. In fact, angels or spiritual beings had never been given the task of presenting the gospel of Jesus. It was the task of Jesus disciples like you and me. We now are the "aggelos" - human messengers of Jesus taking the gospel to the whole world, to bring about a continuous gathering of the elect.

When Caiaphas prophesied that Jesus will cause the  nation of Israel to be in trouble because Rome is  going to destroy them in John 11:49-52, the author John added that Caiaphas was not just prophesying about this Jesus but also about the great gathering of all the children of God because of the work of this Jesus. This gathering of God's children had always been in the eternal plan of God.

Milton Terry in his book "Biblical Hermeneutics" 1898 wrote about this gathering of the elect:

[  This verse has been understood figuratively of the sending forth of the messengers of the gospel to gather unto Christ an elect church in place of the outcast Israel. In that sense, it was a procedure which followed the Parousia and still continues ]

Q: Why is this procedure still continues?

A: It is because we are still seeing the gathering of the people of God through the presentation of the gospel. This is the mandate to take the kingdom and spread it all over the earth. We are part of that gathering and  we are part of the messengers who gathers. It is not angels  that are presenting the gospel. We are the messengers that are the presenters of the gospel.

Jesus also prophesied earlier before this Matthew 24 passage about this gathering in Matthew 8:11-12.

Mat 8:11  I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, 

Mat 8:12  while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. 

Those that were outside of Judaism will be gathered from the east to the west, while those that had the kingdom will be left out, even those who claimed to have the blood line of Israel and the 12 tribes.

Q: How did the early church viewed this gathering spoken of by Jesus?

A: In Acts 15, we read of the great gathering even affecting the Gentiles, those that were outside of the Jewish community. Peter had a vision in Acts 10 to prepare him to accept Cornelius (a Gentile of Italian origin) to be part of the gathering of the elect. Paul and Barnabas also testify of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles in their ministry. Because this phenomena was a new happening, the council in the church in Jerusalem called a meeting to discuss this issue of Gentiles coming to believe in Jesus.

James the leader of the council made a decision and quoted Amos 9:11-12, saying that this gathering of the Jews and Gentiles was in agreement to the prophecy by Amos about the gathering of the elect of God, and the rebuilding the tabernacle of David.

Side note: The tabernacle of David had no walls and God met with His people and vice versa regularly. James is saying that Jesus is fulfilling the building of the tabernacle of David so that all the people can come to know God. And for that to happen, the tabernacle of Jerusalem must fall down then only can the tabernacle be rebuilt.

Paul told the Galatian church in Gal 4:22-26, to give up on Hagar and Ishmael (the old Jerusalem) and to go for Sarah (the new Jerusalem). The old Jerusalem is the earthly Jerusalem that was destroyed in AD70. The new Jerusalem lives forever in the Temple of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

We are  now the new Jerusalem that is  gathered into Jesus Christ. Paul tells us in Eph 1:10,

Eph 1:10  That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 

Jesus is still in the process of gathering all things unto Himself.

Exra Palmer Gould in his book "Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Mark's gospel" 1896, wrote regarding to Matthew 24:31

[  All the processes by which men are brought to the acknowledgement of Christ and the obedience of the kingdom belong to the gathering of the elect. The angels represent the invisible heavenly agencies in an earthly event. The introduction of them means that there is that invisible divine side to a human transaction, back of all that men are doing for the conversion of the world is the Lord Jesus Christ with the hosts of heaven.

As for the time, it begins then at the  time of the consummation of the Jewish age because Judaism was  the great obstacle at that time to the universal spread of the kingdom. Under its influence, Christianity threatened to become a mere appendage of Judaism to have the particularism, formalism and legalism of that religion grated up it in such a way that it could never become a universal religion. With the removal of this obstacle, could begin not the gathering of the elect but the gathering of them from the four quarters of the world, the universal gathering.   ]

God would find it fit to break outside of the borders of Judaism and Jerusalem to go get the rest of the world. He removed the great obstacle.

Q: Someone asked that could it be that the "gathering of the elect" meant the physical gathering of the believers just before the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple?

A: Yes, it can mean that as well. If we consider the Context of the passage in Matthew 24, the "gathering of the elect" can refer to the gathering of the believers outside of Jerusalem while the city was being destroyed by the Roman armies as described in the parallel passage of Luke 21:20-21.

Luk 21:20  But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. 

Luk 21:21  Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it.

What did Luke meant by "Jerusalem surrounded by armies"?

Acccording to history, the First Jewish–Roman War began in the year AD66. It started with religious tensions between the Greeks (of Roman citizenship) and the Jews. The tension increased when the Jewish rebels attacked the Romans due to their taxation policies.

In response to the Jewish uprising, the Romans plundered the Jewish Temple and executed about 6,000 Jews in Jerusalem leading to a huge rebellion against Rome.

The small Roman military garrison of Judea was then easily defeated by the Jewish rebels and the pro-Roman king Agrippa II fled Jerusalem together with his Roman officials.

When the rebellion was growing, Cestius Gallus, the governor of Syria, brought the Syrian army together with auxiliary forces to try to restore order and quench the rebellion.

See:

https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/history-of-the-jewish-war/neros-war-i-the-blunder-of-cestius-gallus/96D313480094F1FE648A41266B60CCA4

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cestius_Gallus

However, despite making several attempts, the Syrian and Roman armies were ambushed and defeated by the Jewish rebels at the Battle of Beth Horon and 6,000 Romans were killed. This shocked the leadership at Rome.

When these events were happening, the Christian believers, especially the Jews who remembered the many warnings of Jesus about Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, began to flee Jerusalem for the hills of Judea.

That was the physical meaning of the "gathering of the elect".

See a similar description about the war in my previous post:

https://advancingtruth.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-great-tribulation.html