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Posted by Tentmaker
In Reply to: p.s. #####
: I would be interested in your thoughts
: on the following article:
Tentmaker:
I've wrestled with "this generation" with one of the
best
Concordant brethren in the Greek, Louis Abbot. I edited
his book
"Analytical studies." I read an article on 'this generation'
by a Church of
Christ pastor, Don Preston, on that Greek phrase. I gave
a copy to Louis and
asked him to comment on it. He did. Louis' arguments
fell flat...VERY flat.
I was among the Concordant brethren much more at that
time than now. I had
not a denominational motive to not want to see what Louis
was saying, but he
was just plain wrong on this. His Plymouth Brethren/Concordant
Brethren
eschatology was preventing him from seeing what was plainly
there in the
Greek. That's my opinion. I don't have a copy of that
article by Don
Preston, but here is one from a similar view. Like I
said, comparing the two
views, the Concordant/Plymouth Brethren Dispensationalism
point of view fell
flat. They had to really twist several Greek words to
make their theory
work. One of those words is genea:
Part Two - Greek: Genea
By Donald Hochner
This is the second of five articles to examine the Greek
words, since the
full Preterist view is consistent with the Scripture,
the Greek words in the
NT, and the historical records. Most Futurists' views
have fallen short in
their failure to properly take into account the historical-grammatical-cultural
context of the prophecies (specifically what they meant
to their first-century audience). One of many problems some futurists have
is identifying the correct definition of the word, "generation." They interpret
the word, "generation" as
it is used today or in the future. The Bible was written
for us, but it was not
written to us. We will look into the eschatological passages
of the Bible with
this word "generation." The Bible I am using is the New
American Standard Bible.
When you see the phase "this generation," ask yourself,
the question, "which
generation?" We can look the word "generation" in Thayer's
Greek-English
Lexicon of the NT, and we can see that the Greek word
is "genea." It says,
"The whole multitude of men living at the same time."
Also we find in
William F. Arndt and Wilber Gingrich, A Greek-English
Lexicon of the NT and
Other Early Christian Literature: "basically, the sum
total of those born at
the same time, expanded to include all those living at
a given time.
Contemporaries."
I have noticed that many Bible commentators dance around
the meaning of the
word "generation." Some say that Jesus was speaking to
a generation that was
not going to exist until thousands of years in the future.
Others claim that
the whole Jewish "race" was in view. Those are NOT sound
Biblical
interpretations. The Greek word "genos" rather than "genea"
is the best
translated "race" as in Acts 7:19; 17:28; Gal. 1:14;
Phil. 3:5; 1 Peter 2:9.
Take a look at the following passages that contain the
word "generation,"
which is the period from 30-70 AD (40 years):
1. Matt. 11:16 (Luke 7:31) - "But what shall I compare
this generation?" In
previous verses Jesus was talking about John the Baptist,
who was Elijah the
prophet in Mal. 4:5,6 (see Luke 1:13-17 & Matt. 17:10-13)
before the great
and terrible day of the Lord in 66- 70 AD. I would recommend
you to read
some of articles in other links at the end of this article.
So, Jesus cannot
compare "this" generation of the wicked with any other
generation.
2. Matt. 12:39 - "But He answered and said to them, "An
evil and adulterous
generation craved for a sign; and yet no sign shall be
given to it but the
sign of Jonah the prophet." Clearly, Jesus was speaking
to the Jewish
leaders, an evil and adulterous generation that was seeking
for a sign. Let
us look at the illustration of Jonah which Jesus said
applied to Him:
*There was a great storm in which Jonah was caught and
he was sleeping. The
men on the boat were afraid. Then the sea was calmed
supernaturally
(Jonah 1:4-16).
*There was a great storm in which Jesus was caught and
He was sleeping. The
disciples on the boat were afraid. Then the sea was calmed
supernaturally
(Mark 4:37-39).
*Jonah was in the great fish for 3 days and 3 nights
(Jonah 1:17). *Jesus
was in the tomb for 3 days and 3 nights (Matt. 12:40).
*God had supernaturally raised Jonah out of the great
fish's belly of Sheol
(2:2, 10).
*God had supernaturally raised Jesus out of the tomb
and Hades "vomited" Him
(Acts 2:31).
*Jonah was a sign to Ninevah.
*Jesus was a sign to Jerusalem.
*Jonah preached to the Ninevites that God was going to
destroy them in 40
days (Jonah 3:4).
*Jesus (and His apostles) preached to the Jews in Jerusalem
that God was
going to destroy them in that generation (40 years -
Matt. 23:31-38).
*40 days of preaching caused Ninevah to repent. *40 years
of preaching did
not get Jerusalem to repent!
*God called Ninevah the great city (Jonah 1:2; 3:2; 4:11).
*God called
Jerusalem the great city (Rev. 11:8; 17:3, 5, 18).
3. Matt. 12:41, 42 - "The men of Nineveh shall stand up
with this generation
at the judgment, and shall condemn it because they repented
at the preaching
of Jonah; and behold, something is greater than Jonah
is here. The Queen of
the South shall rise up with this generation at the judgment
and shall
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." Jesus was
saying that the men of Nineveh and the Queen of the South
would rise up
(from the dead) with this generation at the judgement.
This is CRITICAL!
Obviously, it has occurred in the first century, otherwise
Jesus is a false
prophet. Case closed and court adjourned.
4. Matt. 12:43-45 - Read these passages and Jesus say,
"That is the way it
will also be with this evil generation." He was talking
about how the
demoniac spirits will get worse in the generation to
which He was speaking.
5. Matt. 16:4 - "An evil and adulterous generation seeks
after a sign; and a
sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah."
And He left them, and
went away." Jesus was repeatedly saying that the Jewish
leaders were still
seeking after a sign in an evil and adulterous generation.
6. Matt. 17:17 (Mark 9:19 & Luke 9:41) - "And Jesus
answered and said, "O
unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall
I be with you? How long
shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me." Jesus
knew many were in the
unbelieving and perverted generation He was addressing-
a generation with
much demoniac activity around them.
7. Matt. 23:36 - "Truly I say to you, all these things
shall be upon this
generation." Jesus pronounced His "woes" on the Jewish
leaders in this
chapter (read all of Matt. 23). Jesus ended His indictment
of Israel's first
century religious leaders with this shocking surprise:
"Behold, your house
(temple) is being left to you desolate!" (v. 38). The
temple was burned and
destroyed in 70 AD by the Roman armies.
8. Matt 24:34 (Mark 13:30) - Truly I say to you, this
generation will not
pass away until all these things take place." Clearly,
Jesus answered His
disciples' questions stating the events in this chapter
would come upon
their generation. Read some of Jesus' parables that apply
to that generation
to whom He was speaking (Matt. 21:33-46; 22:1-14 and
Luke 19:11-27, 41-44).
We should not miss the straightforward manner of which
Jesus spoke
concerning the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
Let me add something about Matt. 24 from Eusebius, the
Christian historian
from the late third century. He said, "The whole body,
however, of the
church at Jerusalem, having been commanded by a divine
revelation, given men
of approved piety there before the war, removed from
the city, and dwelt at
a certain town beyond the Jordan called Pella. Here,
those that believed in
Christ, having removed from Jerusalem, as if holy men
had entirely abandoned
the royal city itself, and the whole land of Judea; the
divine justice, for
their crimes against Christ and his apostles, finally
overtook them, totally
destroying the whole generation of these evildoers from
the earth...these
facts, as well as the whole tenor of the war, and each
particular of its
progress, when finally the abomination of desolation,
according to the
prophetic declaration, stood in the very temple of God,
so celebrated of
old, but which now was approaching its total downfall
and final destruction
by fire; all this, I say any one that wishes may see
accurately stated in
the history written by Josephus." (Eusebius' Ecclesiastical
History, Book 3,
Ch. 5) (emphasis mine DWH)
9. Mark 8:38-9:1 - "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My
words in this
adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will
also be ashamed of him
when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy
angels." He was
saying to them, "Truly I say to you, there are some of
those who are
standing here who shall not taste death until they see
the kingdom of God
after it has come with power." This is one of clearest
and most powerful
messages by the mouth of Jesus. We cannot get around
this one with the
Futurist's views because the Lord was talking to His
disciples, and not some
absent and future third parties. Bingo! Case closed!
10. Luke 11:29-32 - The same as in Matt. 12:41, 42. Jesus
repeatedly said
"this generation" seven times in this chapter. How does
the Futurists deal
with this???
11. Luke 11:50, 51 (Matt. 23:36) - "In order that the
blood of all the
prophets, shed since the foundation of the world, may
be charged against
this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood
of Zechariah, who
perished between altar and the house of God; yes, I tell
you, it shall be
charged against this generation." Jesus was saying from
the beginning (from
Abel) to that generation (by 70 AD), all of these people
shall rise up in
the judgment. Read the context in verses 46 to 54 and
the other passages
from this article.
12. Luke 17:25 - "But first He must suffer many things
and be rejected by
this generation." Read in this context, verses 22-37.
All these things Jesus
said would be upon His generation but first He must suffer
many things and
be rejected by the Jewish people.
13. Luke 21:32 (Matt. 24:34 & Mark 13:30) - "Truly
I say to you, this
generation will not pass away until all things take place."
As we have
already read, Jesus said this in Matt. 24:34 (Mark 13:30)
but notice in Luke
21:22 says "because these are the days of VENGEANCE,
in ORDER THAT
ALL THINGS WHICH ARE WRITTEN MAY BE FULFILLED." This
is a
very important passage because it teaches that all things
written in Scripture were fulfilled by 70 AD. Also notice in verse 23,
"Woe to those who are with child and those who nurse babes in those days;
for there will be great distress upon the land,
and wrath to this people." Of which land and people was
Jesus speaking this
context? It was the land of Israel and the Jewish people.
14. Acts 2:40 - "And with many other words he solemnly
testified and kept on
exhorting them, saying, 'Be saved from this perverse
generation!'" Read Acts
2:16-21 in Peter's sermon. He told the Jewish people
they were living in the
last days (Heb. 1:2) before the great and glorious day
of the Lord in their
generation. Read Moses' warning for the Jewish people
in the future
generations in Deut. 28-32.
15. Phil. 2:14-16 - "Do all things without grumbling or
disputing; that you
may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children
of God above
reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation,
among whom you
appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word
of life, so that in the
day of Christ I may have cause to glory because I did
not run in vain nor
toil in vain." Clearly, Paul knew he was in the midst
of perverse generation
because the day of Christ is at hand.
16. Heb. 3:9-11 - "Where your fathers tried Me by testing
Me, and saw My
works for forty years. Therefore I was angry with this
generation, and said
'They always go astray in their hearts; and they did
not know My way'; as I
swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter MY rest." The
writer warned the
Jewish Christians not to fall back into Judaism as the
Israelites did in the
wilderness for 40 years with Moses. He further shows
that many did not enter
the typical rest (promised land) because of unbelief
or apostasy, thereby
exhorting the believers to remain faithful lest they
fall after the same
example of unbelief. That generation was a "wilderness"
period for the
church (30 to 70 AD). Now we have entered His rest and
inherited the kingdom
of God, New Jerusalem since 70 AD. Read and study carefully
in chapters 3
and 4 of this book.
Lastly, here is a quotation from the Jewish historian,
Josephus, which he
wrote about the Jewish War in his generation. When the
Jews revolted against
Rome, he wrote, "It is, therefore, impossible to go distinctly
over every
instance of these men's iniquity. I shall, therefore,
speak my mind here at
once briefly, that neither did any other city ever suffer
such miseries, nor
did any age ever breed a generation more fruitful in
wickedness than this
was, from the beginning of the world" (Josephus' War
V:X:5 c.f. V:XIII:6;
Matt. 24:21; Dan. 12:1) (emphasis mine DWH). What Josephus
saw after the
destruction of Jerusalem, he wrote, "...and made the
whole city run down
with blood, to such a degree indeed that the fire of
many of the houses was
quenched with these men's blood. And truly so it happened,
that though the
slayers left off at the evening, yet did the fire greatly
prevail in the
night; and as all was burning, came that eighth day of
the month Gorpieus
[Elul], upon Jerusalem, a city that had been liable to
so many miseries
during this siege, that had it always enjoyed as much
happiness from its
first foundation, it would certainly have been the envy
of the world. Nor
did it on any other account so much deserve these sore
misfortunes, as by
producing such a generation of men as were the occasion
of this its
overthrow" (Josephus' Wars VII.IX.5) (emphasis mine DWH).
Now, I challenge you to determine which of these verses
refers to a time of
our future. Did you know that the liberal responds about
this in the
following way: "We know Jesus didn't return in the first
century. Therefore,
the NT writers were mistaken in their predictions of
an imminent return; and
since inspired men cannot write mistaken things, they
must not have been
inspired!" When God communicates time to man, He reasons
with His people in
a way that man can understand Him. So, if the futurists
really want to get
to the heart of the issue, they had better deal with
the imminency
statements. In other words, to say that "this generation,
at hand, quickly,
or near" meant two thousands years is to put the integrity
of the NT at
risk.
Since I am Reformed in my soteriology (doctrine of salvation),
I have gladly
adopted the full or consistent Preterist position of
eschatology. I have
realized that it is the only Biblical system that truly
cries "sola
scriptura!" It allows the Scripture to interpret itself
and upholds the law
of hermeneutics - the grammatical-historical hermeneutic.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Donald Hochner - Sovereign Grace Preterist Page
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