This Generation

[MountainChristian]

This Generation

1. The great Flood - Genesis 7:1 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

2. Exodus from Egypt - Deuteronomy 1:35-36 Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers, ³⁶ Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the LORD. Psalm 95:10-11 Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: ¹¹ Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.

3. Jesus' time

   1. never satisfied - Matthew 11:16-19, Luke 7:31-35 And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like? ³² They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept. ³³ For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil. ³⁴ The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! ³⁵ But wisdom is justified of all her children.

   2. Looked for a sign - Mark 8:11, Matthew 12:38-42, Luke 11:29-32 And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. ³⁰ For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation. ³¹The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. ³² The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

   3. Adulterous and Sinful - Mark 8:34-38 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. ³⁵ For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. ³⁶ For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? ³⁷ Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? ³⁸ Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

   4. Rejected Jesus (0033ish) - Luke 17:25 But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.

      1. Had no chance to see Jesus on Throne - Luke 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: ²¹ Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

   5. Going to receive judgment (0070) - Matthew 23:33-36, Luke 11:49-51 Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: ⁵⁰ That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; ⁵¹ From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

      1. Flee to the Judaean Mountains – Luke 21:20-24 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies

4. Future people, worst judgment of all times – Matthew 24, When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, Mark 13:14-37, Luke 21:25-28 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Luke 21:29-36

 

What will we do if we are the last 'this generation'? Psalm 12:7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

[Covenanter]

A search for "this generation"  indicates that it always refers to the generation alive at the time of writing/speaking. The warnings of Jesus in the Gospelswere to the Pharisees & others who rejected him. 

Several folk here have suggested/asserted that "this generation" in Mat. 24:34  Mark 13:30  Luke 21:32  cannot mean the generation alive in Jesus' day, & who rejected him. The grounds for this are nothing to do with the clear meaning of the words, nor the overall context, but that some of the signs in question supposedly did not happen as Jesus said they would. 

Hebrews underlines "this generation" by quoting Psalm 95 referring to 40 years  - the time God allowed for the Israelites who were afraid to enter the promised land to die in the wilderness, and for their children to mature. 

[Alan]

Brethren

MountainChristian is correct in every point that he mentioned. And, spefically, the point, number 4. His interpretation of "this generation," as quoted below is the only possible interpretation.  

"4. Future people, worst judgment of all times – Matthew 24, When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, Mark 13:14-37, Luke 21:25-28 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Luke 21:29-36. "

Any other interpretation is a private interpretation. 2 Peter 2:20 and 21

 

[MountainChristian]

A search for "this generation"  indicates that it always refers to the generation alive at the time of writing/speaking.

The past - Psalm 95:9-11 9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. 10 Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said , It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: 11 Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.

Present - Luke 21:24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

The Future - Mark 13:27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

In 70ad they did not led them away, and gather them home at the same time. In one it's mankind leading them away, and it's angels bring them home. 

[Covenanter]

Brethren

MountainChristian is correct in every point that he mentioned. And, spefically, the point, number 4. His interpretation of "this generation," as quoted below is the only possible interpretation.  

"4. Future people, worst judgment of all times – Matthew 24, When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, Mark 13:14-37, Luke 21:25-28 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Luke 21:29-36. "

Any other interpretation is a private interpretation. 2 Peter 2:20 and 21

 

While it is open for discussion as to whether Jesus is referring to his second coming for resurrection & judgment in some of the details, or to the terrible events of AD 70, there is no Scriptural justification for interpreting "this generation" of Jesus denunciations to be any other generation than the people he was referring to, who rejected him so vehemently. 

e.g. Mat. 24:23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 25 Behold, I have told you before. 26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. 27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Many have claimed to be the Messiah (or Muslim Madhi, etc) but Jesus makes it absolutely clear there will be no mistaking his coming - like lightning. He is not there saying that he would come like lightning as one of the signs prior  to the prophesied destruction. 

The primary question following Jesus' prophecy was "When?" He gives detailed signs as to when to flee the city, which we understand from the history of the time enabled the Christians to escape the destruction. Then he gives the answer - before this generation passed. The destruction of Jerusalem occurred before all of this generation passed as prophesied.  

Any other interpretation is a rejection of the clear words of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Mat. 24:1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. 3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: 33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. 34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.