"What did Jesus mean when He said, 'this generation will not pass'?"

[valiant]

This is one of my pet peeves, so to speak in that, people try to force "this generation" as referring to the generation that Jesus was speaking from.

There is no force about it. 'This generation' was a standard phrase of Jesus and always referred to the generation to which he was speaking. It is you who change it to suit your theories.

In Matt.24, after Jesus told them "not one stone would be left upon another" Jesus' disciples as him "when will this happen and what will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age." Jesus then proceeds to list all of the signs preceding his return leading up to the end of the age.

It is literally 'when will these things be. And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age.' He differentiates 'these things' (leading up to the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD) from the sign of His coming, of which He did not know the time, and the end of the age.

And within a generation 'these things' were fulfilled. There had been wars, devastating earthquakes, false prophets and messiahs, the destruction of the Temple, The Great Tribulation of the Jews had begun and the Gospel had reached 'the world' as known (Rom 1.8).

 

[plainguy]

To paraphrase, the verse should read as the following:

"Truly I tell you, this generation, the one where all of these signs begin to appear, will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened."

I'm certain that Jesus is grateful for you clearing up what He meant to say by "this generation". One temple stone not being left to stand upon another in 70 A.D. by the roman army was simply a mere coincidence. The prudent bible scholar never utilizes those things definitive in scripture .. and proceed from this point. No ... rather, it is incumbent that we proceed seeking to harness Christ's meaning and intent by deciphering ourselves what He meant to say ... and not going by what He actually said. A simple example of this is fathoming how a people who have lived one-thousand years in the presence of our gloriously resurrected Lord (and saints in their gloriously resurrected bodies) will instantly say to themselves, .. hey, this Jesus guy isn't all that. Let's gather an army and overthrow him. Is Jesus the high priest that performs the animal sacrifices during this millennial kingdom ... as a "memorial" to Himself ? He is now our high priest, isn't He ? Because surely, His glorified presence with pierced hands and side won't serve enough as a memorial itself. Sadly remarkable how far some are willing to go to fit Christ's words into an understanding that serves their own.

 

[MarcR]

This is one the weakest eisegesis arguments presented by the dispensationalists.

The fig tree does not represent "Israel" in the passage, he's comparing all the signs to the sprouting of leaves of most tress "Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;"

The sign starting the series of "signs" is Jerusalem compassed with armies conveniently left out in the above quote:

Luke 21:20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.

Ye Olde Protestants were much more educated on the bible, the dispensationalists have been totally out to lunch since Darby.

Adam Clarke's commentary:

Matt 24:32

Learn a parable of the fig-tree - That is, These signs which I have given you will be as infallible a proof of the approaching ruin of the Jewish state as the budding of the trees is a proof of the coming summer

I am not a dispensationalist! I am a literalist. The Fig tree is a figure of Israel in many passages throughout the OT and extra-Biblical Jewish literature. Why should it not be understood that way here? Neither you, nor Adam Clarke, whom I deeply respect, are infallible. It is not unusual for commentators of good scholarship to disagree on some interpretations.

 

[Hizikyah]

Luke 21:23, Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” The things that Jesus had been speaking of the rise of the Antichrist, the desolation of the holy place and the darkening of the sun did not happen during the lifespan of people alive in Jesus’ day. Obviously, Jesus must have meant something different when He spoke of “this generation.” What did he mean?

Luke 21:32, "“I tell all of you with certainty, this generation will not disappear until all these things take place."



Mat 24:33, "In the same way, when you see all these things, you will know that the Son of Man is near, right at the door."24:34, "I tell all of you with certainty, this generation will not disappear until these things happen


He was saying that when ALL the things He was prophecising about happen "THAT" generation will not pass before He returns.

 

[celib]

With all due respect, we should be able to tell what generation is being spoken of by reading the scriptures.

Then explain to me the parable of the fig tree. God bless

 

[Willie-T]

Just because you do not understand does not mean nobody understand, Jesus would not teach something that nobody understands, watch the video in the previous letter and understand. if you don't understand that does not qualify you to say who is right. God bless

Jesus DID teach to people who understood the Scriptures well. It is people today who don't seem to care to learn as much as they knew back then. Most of us seem to prefer to guess and speculate according to how we see Scripture through modern eyes.

 

[dcontroversal]

The three gospels that contain the chapters indicative of the end (Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21 must be viewed in light of the following....

a. The fact that Matthew's version contains dual prophecy and application to both the destruction of Jersualem by Titus and the end of the age which does not happen in 1st century AD

B. Mark is more indicative of the end of the age which did not happen 1st century AD

c. Luke fills in and fleshes in both with color and unique application to the end of the age which did not happen in 1st Century AD

The beauty of the word and the fact that it is applicable to any church in existence when it all goes down allows for such language....just like Matthew had application to both 70 A.D. and Titus as well.as the end of the age is similar to what is said here in Luke.....the generation that is alive when PARTICULAR evemts and signs take place will not pass until ALL THINGS written take place.....

 

[garee]

The Bible speaks of two generations or beginnings as genesis’. That can be seen in the plural use of generation (generations ) when they, not it as if one was created

Gen 2:4 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,

One, the first generation the generation of Adam also called the evil generation as natural un converted man describing those who walk by sight after the rudiments of this world . Its genealogy ended when the father confirmed ....Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. It traced back to Adam, as seeds (many) fleshly.


And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Josep Luk 3:22

Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God. Luk 3:38

Second is the generation of Christ it began at the birth of the Son of man ending the genealogy of the spiritual seed (one) Christ, which began with Abraham.

Mat 1:1 The book of the “generation of Jesus Christ”, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Mat 1:17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.

It is in respect to the new creation. The first resurrection when the Old Testament saints came out of the graves.

In lieu of the new, then the Lord says, I tell you the truth, "this generation will not pass away until all of things have happened." It would be the same as saying heaven and earth shall pass away but his law that governs this creation will not pass until all things are fulfilled.

He was not promoting that we seek after signs .They were signs of observation as in things will on as they are until the last day. Just like in the time of Noah wars and rumors of wars, men marrying having families business as usual . Christ said it is an evil generation (the generation of Adam) that does seek after signs. In requiring a sign before they commit faith unto our faithful Creator .they stumble over the cross walking by sight..

There were those who had thought His kingdom had come.

Mark 13:31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

Paraphrased it would be.... this generation of Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words of my law shall not pass away.

Luke 16:17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.