Heaven and earth will pass away

 

Heaven and earth will pass away


This phrase "heaven and earth will pass away" is in Matthew 24:34-35,

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

Mat 24:35  Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Nowadays we often hear from others that when they talk about "heaven and earth pass away", generally they are referring to an apocalyptic catastrophe or phenomenon that is going to happen in the end of the Age.

It has been interpreted to mean a universal worldwide event where God destroys the heavens (or heavenlies) and the earth.

But what is important is what does it ACTUALLY mean that "heaven and earth will pass away"?

Qn: What does it meant to that generation during the time of the New Testament? What does it mean to the Jewish audience (meaning audience relevance) who were standing there listening to Jesus?

Qn: Could this phrase "heaven and earth shall pass away" meant differently to what we would have interpreted in this 21st Century?

We need to take note particularly with THEIR understanding of the Old Testament together with all their "imageries" and "figurative Hebrew language".


Let us look at the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:17-18

Mat 5:17  Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 

Mat 5:18  For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished (fulfilled). 

According to verse 18, there are 2 things that MUST happen. They are:

1. Heaven and earth is going to pass away

2. All those details of the Law will be fulfilled (or accomplished).

That means all the smallest details of the Law (the iota, dots, jots, tittles, details) of the Law are fulfilled, when heaven and earth pass away.

Qn: Firstly, when was the Law fulfilled?

An: Jesus was the one who fulfilled the Law.

Jesus was the fulfillment of the Law for our righteousness. Jesus did what we could not do. We cannot live by our performance to achieve the righteousness of God. Jesus did it on our behalf. Jesus fulfilled ALL the demands of the Law.

Paul said in Galatians 3:24-25

Gal 3:24  Wherefore the Law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 

Gal 3:25  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 

The Law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. Christ fulfilled all the requirements of the Law.

The author of Hebrews 8:13 wrote:

Heb 8:13  In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one (old covenant) obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. 

It means the Old Covenant was growing old, and was ready to vanish away. The Law was the Old Covenantal Law between God and Israel. So the Law together with the Old Covenant is obsolete at the time of writing of Hebrews, and it is ready to disappear completely.


My question to ponder is: What would the Jews have understood, when they hear the term "heaven and earth".?

The Jews would only understood this from their Holy Book, which is mainly the Old Testament. This was the book that they were familiar with from birth till death.

Then let us look at their book in Deuteronomy 32, the famous "song of Moses". (Note: This song was again repeated in the book of Revelations).

Deu 32:1  “Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak, and let the earth hear the words of my mouth."

In verse 1, Moses was singing this to Israel, and directed the entire song to Israel.

Moses interpreted "heavens and earth" as towards the nation of Israel. He was NOT singing out into the skies or the whole earth so that they can hear his voice or song.

Moses was dealing with the "heavens and earth" standing right in front of him, that is Israel.

Continuing the song of Moses,

Deu 32:22  For a fire is kindled by my anger, and it burns to the depths of Sheol, devours the earth and its increase, and sets on fire the foundations of the mountains. 

In verse 22, God is now speaking through the song of Moses, that He will devour the earth. This is a statement of the judgement of God. What does this mean?

God is angry and the judgement of God will come upon Israel if they break covenant or disobey the laws of God.

What is the nature of this judgement? It is spelt out in Deuteronomy 28:45-57.

Verse 49 says another nation like the eagle will destroy them.

Verse 52 to 57 says there will be "destruction, cannibalisms, wars, persecution" that will befall them just as it was fulfilled in AD70.

In AD70, the Roman empire (the nation that comes as the eagle flies, whose language they could not understand) came against them as per Deuteronomy 28.

This is the song of Moses warning Israel (heaven and earth) of the pending judgement of God that if they do not keep the covenantal laws with God, God was going to consume the earth with fire (Deut 32:22).

So in Deuteronomy (part of the Pentateuch books of Israel), we have the phrase "heaven and earth" to refer to the people of Israel.


[ Interesting note: that in Revelations 15, after the defeat of the beast, after the victory over the beast, after the role of the beast is finished, Israel once again sings the "song of Moses" AND adds to it the "song of the Lamb". The Lamb refers to Jesus.

Revelations 15:1-3 brings Jesus into the picture after that Age and generation had passed away. ]


Another example:

Let's look at another Old Testament passage familiar to the Jews in Isaiah. This may not be familiar to the modern Christians in this Century, but this is very familiar to the Jews listening to Jesus in Matthew 24.

Isa 51:13  and (you) have forgotten the LORD, your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, and you fear continually all the day because of the wrath of the oppressor, when he sets himself to destroy? And where is the wrath of the oppressor? 

It says God stretched the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth. 

Does this mean that God was doing the same creative work similar to Genesis 1 thousands of years ago.

Look at verse 16:

Isa 51:16  And I have put my words in your mouth and covered you in the shadow of my hand, establishing (planting) the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth, and saying to Zion, ‘You are my people'.

It says God planted the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth. He was ACTUALLY referring to the people of Zion (i.e. Israel). God was not referring to some cosmic body somewhere in the universe. Isaiah 51 is not the same as in Genesis 1, where God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1).

God is specifically referring "heavens and the earth" to His people, and not the planets.

Qn: Who is God dealing with here?

An: God was dealing with the Jews, Jerusalem, His people, Israel, Zion. The same group of people that were standing in front of Jesus, when Jesus quoted "heaven and earth will pass away" in Matthew 24:35.

The Old Testament has always been a historical record of how God deals with His people (Jews, Hebrews, Israel) and how they responded to His laws and covenant. It then leads them to Jesus as per Galatians 3:24.


Another example:

Isa 24:1  Behold, the LORD will empty the earth and make it desolate, and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants. 

This verse speaks about the coming judgement on the nation of Israel. 

Further in the same chapter,

Isa 24:19  The earth is utterly broken, the earth is split apart, the earth is violently shaken. 

Isa 24:20  The earth staggers like a drunken man; it sways like a hut; its transgression lies heavy upon it, and it falls, and will not rise again. 

It wasn't the physical earth that is drunken and going to be broken. It was Israel that was going to receive judgement from God written in a figurative language. It is saying Israel will fall and not rise again.


Another example:

Isa 34:4  All the host of heaven shall rot away, and the skies roll up like a scroll. All their host shall fall, as leaves fall from the vine, like leaves falling from the fig tree.

Isa 34:5  For my sword has drunk its fill in the heavens; behold, it descends for judgment upon Edom, upon the people I have devoted to destruction. 

The rotting of the heavens, the rolling of the skies, the falling of the host of heaven is referring to the judgement upon the people of God, Israel, in Edom. Israel will receive destruction.


We have seen that there are many other passages that speaks about the destruction of the heavens and earth, the passing of the heavens and earth, and the judgement that was coming upon the heavens and earth.

If God was indeed speaking about the physical cosmic heavenly bodies and the physical planet earth, then the literal heavens and earth would had been destroyed many many times, again and again.

Did God destroyed the literal "heavens and earth" many times over and over again?

Of course not. But throughout the history of Israel, God sent judgement to Israel again and again, because of their not keeping the covenantal laws of God. 

Many prophets and leaders of God had tried to coax the Jewish people to return to their Covenant with God, but they failed. That was why God continually used the phrase "judgement on the heavens and the earth" to mean destruction of Israel.

This was the figurative interpretation of "heaven and earth" that all the Jews know from their holy book.

Removal of the heaven and earth

Look at another verse from Hebrews 12:26-28

Heb 12:26  At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” 

Heb 12:27  This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. 

Heb 12:28  Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 

Where did the author of Hebrews get this passage? He got it from Haggai 2:6

Hag 2:6  For thus says the LORD of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land.

The author of Hebrews was quoting Haggai and added his own interpretation.

In verse 26, he quoted Haggai 2:6

In verse 27, he tells us what Haggai really meant, the true interpretation.

In verse 28, he tells us the timing of when these things will happen, and that we will be receiving the kingdom that is not going to end, an everlasting kingdom, a kingdom that cannot be shaken.

This is the same prophecy in Daniel, where the Son of Man who stood before the Ancient of Days, was given a kingdom that will never pass away.

Dan 7:13  I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 

Dan 7:14  And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. 


Hebrews 12:26-28 is therefore a repeat of the same prophecy in Haggai and Daniel, that once the "heavens and earth" are shaken and removed, then that will usher in a kingdom that cannot be shaken and will not end.


Qn: Who will be receiving this everlasting kingdom that will not be shaken?

An: According to Isaiah 65:1, it will be you and me, those who have put their trust in Jesus and His finished work at the cross.

Isa 65:1  I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, “Here I am, here I am,” to a nation that was not called by my name. 

We are that "nation that was not called by His name". We are not Jews. We were not God's covenantal people, the nation of Israel. This scripture refers to us - the Gentiles that were not named as God's own people.


What happened to the Jews? Isaiah 65:9 said that God did not forget them, but brought forth a remnant from the "offspring of Jacob".

Isa 65:9  I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, and from Judah possessors of my mountains; my chosen shall possess it, and my servants shall dwell there. 

And true enough, in AD70, the Jewish believers who believed Jesus and heeded His warnings in Matthew 24:16, fled from Jerusalem to the mountains of Judea. Isaiah 65:9 was fulfilled in Matthew 24:16. 

In the same manner, Revelations speak of the 144,000 that fled to the mountains to escape the judgement of God. 

See: https://advancingtruth.blogspot.com/2020/05/flee-to-mountains.html

and https://advancingtruth.blogspot.com/2020/05/144000-and-666-revelations.html

Isaiah 65:13-15 tells us that God is changing Israel to another people, and not the same people that He had. He is giving His name to another group of people, and the Gentiles will be called sons of God.

Paul said that those who are in Christ are the new Israel of God.

Gal 6:15  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision has any strength, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. 

Gal 6:16  And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them and upon the Israel of God. 


John Gill in his commentary said of verse Isaiah 65:15:

[  ... and call his servants by another name; a new name, as the Septuagint and Arabic versions; the name of the people of God, the Gentiles formerly were not called by; but now all that believe in Christ, whether Jews or Gentiles, are His people; the name of the sons of God, a name better than that of sons and daughters of the greatest potentate;  ]


This new group of people will be called new heaven and new earth. The old heaven and earth was Israel. The new heaven and earth is the new Israel of God.

Isa 65:17  For see, I am making a new heaven and a new earth: and the past things will be gone completely out of mind. 

Qn: Where is this fulfilled?

An: In Revelations 21:1,5

Rev 21:1  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. And the sea no longer is. 

Rev 21:5  And He sitting on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said to me, Write, for these words are true and faithful.

So Revelations 21 is not a futuristic event in another millennium. The new heaven and earth was ushered in when Jesus brought in the New Covenant through the finished work of Jesus at the cross.


Hebrews 8:13 tells the audience in that generation that it was going to happen.

Heb 8:13  In that He says, A new covenant, He has made the first one old. Now that which decays and becomes old is ready to vanish away. 

and Heb 12:28 above tells us that the shaking will take place, and His kingdom will come and remain forever.


In recap, Isaiah prophesied that a people who did not know His name would find Him, and that is us, and we did.
God will bring a people out of Jerusalem, and He did.
God will create a new Jerusalem, a new heaven and earth, and He did.
And Revelations 21 tells us what the new heaven and earth is.

So when Jesus in answering to His disciples questions in Matthew 24:35, told them that "heaven and earth will pass away", He was using the Hebrew language in the way that they could understand. It was in the Context of the nation of Israel.

Through the passing of the old "heaven and earth", God has created a new Covenant, a new system through Jesus Christ.

No more the Old Covenant. No more the old temple system. No more animal sacrifices. God has made all things new with the New Covenant.


Peter and Paul used the same figurative language

When the apostle Peter said "the elements will burn with fire", he was also using the same language, and together with the same words of Paul who said "enslaved to the elementary principles of the world".

2Pe 3:10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a rushing noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. And the earth and the works in it will be burned up. 

2Pe 3:11  Then, all these things being about to be dissolved, what sort ought you to be in holy behavior and godliness, 

2Pe 3:12  looking for and rushing the coming of the Day of God, on account of which the heavens, being on fire, will melt away, and the elements will melt, burning with heat? 

Gal 4:3  In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. 

Gal 4:9  But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? 


When Peter looked towards his future (not our future), he saw that there will soon come upon them the melting of the elements by fire, and the "heavens and earth will pass away". Peter saw the judgement that was soon coming upon the nation of Israel and the house of God. The house of God was their Temple. God's judgment was coming upon their Israel and their Temple.

We are now passed THAT judgement that happened in AD70.

Matthew, Mark, Luke and Paul calls us as living in the "age to come" where we are living in the age of the grace of God, and God has made us as the new Temple, the living house of the living God.

Mark 10:30  who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.

Luke 18:30  who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.

Ephesians 1:21  far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

Minor note:

Some contemporaries have referred to the Temple as both "heaven and earth" and that is ok. The judgement of God upon the nation of Israel, is not only on its breaking of God's covenantal laws, but also the demolition of the Temple, that stands for Judaism, and the performance base religion of sacrifices to please God. So both Israel and its Temple suffered the judgement of God in the term "heaven and earth passed away".

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