A generation in the Bible is 40-70
years:
Tribulation “one generation” from 33 A.D. is exactly 70 AD
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The Titus Arch in Rome that celebrates the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD by Titus as Matthew 24 prophesied. |
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The signs of Matthew 24 prophecies the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD not the second coming and certainly not some “Rapture” theology that was invented in 1830 AD by John Darby. When Christians saw the signs, they fled the city and were saved.
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When and how long is "This Generation"?
Tribulation “one generation” from 33 A.D. is exactly 70 AD
Second coming or destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD?
1. “Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. ” (Matthew 23:36)
2. “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. ” (Matthew 24:34)
3. “But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. ” (Luke 17:25)
Introduction:
1. Jesus said in Matthew 24 that the tribulation and the “end of the Temple” would come within one generation.
2. A generation is 40 years. Jesus prophesied in 30 AD. The Temple was destroyed 70 AD… exactly one generation later.
3. The speculation of how long a generation is in the Bible is wide and varied because Rapture advocates ignore the obvious contextual fulfillment of 70 AD and look to some future generation “time clock”, usually in 1948 when Israel gained statehood. They saw 1988 as a time of the second coming because it was 40 years after 1948. They were wrong again.
I. Will Occur In This Generation: MT 23:36; 24:34; LK 17:25
A. Generation: Greek: Genia,
- Translated 42 times, "generation(s)"; 1 time, "kind": Lk 16:8
2. “So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations. ” (Matthew 1:17)
3. “which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; ” (Ephesians 3:5)
4. “The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. “The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. ” (Matthew 12:41–42)
5. “Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. ” (Matthew 23:36)
6. “Sighing deeply in His spirit, He said, “Why does this generation seek for a sign? Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” ” (Mark 8:12)
7. “As the crowds were increasing, He began to say, “This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah. ” (Luke 11:29)
B. It Is Quite Obvious That Jesus Refers To 30 AD Generation:
1. In the parallel of Lk 17:25 He says, "First Christ must be rejected by this generation"
2. Jesus said this generation will be held especially responsible for his crucifixion
a. Mt 23:34-36 You will crucify prophets I send, guilt upon will be on this generation
b. Lk 13:31-35 it cannot be that a prophet perishes outside of Jerusalem, Oh Jerusalem...
3. To make this refer to 1947 AD is totally contrary to the context.
C. Three Basic Interpretations of Generation in Mt 24:34:
Three interpretations |
Comments |
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1 |
-About 40
years |
Agrees
totally with Bible's usage: Lk 17:25 |
2 |
-Generation refers to the entire "race" of Jews |
Where
does Bible use the word this way |
3 |
-"This
generation" In Mt 24:34 refers to some |
Jesus'
hearers did see signs & did flee city! |
II. Heaven & earth vs Jesus words
- Jesus interjects, for the first time, a comment on the ultimate end of the world where he says that no man can know the hour. This directly contrasts with the signs of the end of the Jewish Temple which man can know the hour.
- Keep in mind that although there were signs of when Jerusalem would be destroyed, that they were commanded to keep on the alert because they would not get more than a days notice! Harold Camping predicted the very day, to the very hour: Sunset May 21, 2011. This is contrary to even the signs Jesus gave the Christians in the first century to keep alert when the temple would be destroyed.
- Just as Noah did not know the day till God told him to enter the ark, so too Jesus’ disciples did not know the day until Titus surrounded the city with his army. Harold Camping’s slogan, “Noah Knew” is as ridiculous as it is unbiblical.
- Perhaps Jesus used s simply a figure of speech like He used in Mt 5:18 “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. ” (Matthew 5:18)
III. No man knows hour
- "this hour" refers back to when heaven and earth will pass away.
- Pre-tribulation rapture teachers need to keep this in mind that date setting is forbidden in relation to the second coming and the end of the world.
IV. One Left-One Taken:
- A Christian and a non-Christian are working in a field. The armies of Titus approach to surround the city. The Christian remembers Jesus’ words and flees to the mountains (one is taken) but the non-Christian runs into the city and dies (one is left)
- Unbeliever left, Christian taken when warning signs are heeded in 70 AD by fleeing city
- This certainly doesn't teach anything like the popular "rapture theory"
V. Keep alert: “Noah didn’t know”
- While Jesus gave signs of 70 AD, the Christians were commanded by Jesus to keep alert so the day does not end in their death.
- This above all, refutes the idea of a Rapture because if we live as Christians day to day and ignore any supposed “signs” of the second coming, we will be saved anyway.
- Jesus warned that if they disciples did not keep alert, they would suffer dead and loss.
- What is fascinating about the signs Jesus gave the Christians in keeping watch about when the city of Jerusalem will be destroyed, is that they did not know the day or the hour just like the second coming.
- False teacher Harold Camping predicted the end of the world in 2011 AD. One of his slogans was, “Noah Knew… so can we”. Of course this is pure deception because although Noah, like us, know the end is coming, Noah did not know the day or hour until God told him to enter the Ark and God sealed the door with pitch. Camping uses this slogan to justify his ridiculous date setting of 1994 and 2011, both of which failed.
- Here Are Some Parables Jesus Applied TO 70 AD were there were signs but no man knew the day or hour:
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PARABLE |
MEANING |
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Like lightning |
Highly visible to all |
But no man knows the day or hour |
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Parable Of Fig Tree |
Signs, but be alert |
But no man knows the day or hour |
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Like Days Of Noah & flood |
No signs so be alert |
But no man knows the day or hour |
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Like Days Of Lot & Sodom |
No signs so be alert |
But no man knows the day or hour |
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Like Thief |
No signs so be alert |
But no man knows the day or hour |
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Like Master Returning To Slaves |
No signs so be alert |
But no man knows the day or hour |
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Like ten virgins |
No signs so be alert |
But no man knows the day or hour |
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Like talents |
No signs so be alert |
But no man knows the day or hour |
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Mt 24:36 "no man knows the hour" |
No signs so be alert |
But no man knows the day or hour |
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Second coming, end of the world |
No signs so be alert |
But no man knows the day or hour |
Conclusion:
1. It is crystal clear that the tribulation of the Jews in 70 AD was within one generation of when Jesus said it would happen. The temple was destroyed by Titus.
2. Rapture teachers and premillennialists are ignorant and blind to this simple teaching and look to the generation starting in 1948 when Israel became a nation.
Steve Rudd
We Speak truth in LOVE
“you are
seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth” John 8:40
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