A DIFFICULT END TIMES SCRIPTURE

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The difficult passage is Matthew 24:34: “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place,” the key question is, what does the term “generation” represent? The Greek word genea can mean a race of people, the total of those born during a certain timeframe, or a specific time (i.e., an age).  

This passage is part of the Olivet Discourse, which is Jesus’ response to the disciple’s questions on the end times that precede His second coming to Earth. While Bible commentators assume different positions on what genea represents, none that I know of believe it refers to those alive at that time because “all these things” described earlier by Jesus in the chapter did not take place back then and still have not taken place today. Further, Jesus could not be referring to the generation listening to Him then because He had previously said the kingdom had already been taken away from that very same generation and they would not see it (Matthew 21:43).

That being the case, some, like theologian Charles Ryrie think genea means the Jewish race, while a slight majority (including myself) believe Jesus was referring to those alive who would see “all these things” that make up the end times, the Great Tribulation period in human history. Either interpretation could be valid, but the main point is that the text, given His previous statements in Matthew, isn’t saying Christ meant those alive in the first century.   

In other words, Jesus wasn’t wrong in what He said. Next, when it comes to, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone” (Matthew 24:36), and Jesus’ knowledge on earth, we take a deep breath and realize we are staring into the face of the Incarnation’s mystery. The best we can do is piece together what the Bible tells us.

We’re told that Jesus aged like all of us, “increased in wisdom” (Luke 2:52), and that He voluntarily set aside some of His divine attributes like omniscience, during His kenosis, when He “emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7).

Scripture also says that Jesus, during His time in this world, knew just what the Father showed Him. The Old Testament predicted this, saying: “I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him” (Deuteronomy 18:18).

On this, Jesus Himself said: “I do nothing on my own authority but speak just as the Father taught me” (John 8:28), “For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment — what to say and what to speak” (John 12:49).

That being true, Jesus evidently was shielded from the exact time of His return while alive then but has no doubt resumed His omniscience now that He has returned to His glorified state.

So, even though I’m a C. S. Lewis fan, I think he got this one wrong. The bottom line is there is nothing embarrassing about Jesus’s words regarding His return and the “generation” who would be alive to see it.

We are seeing the end times’ Scripture prophecies playing out in our day. Jesus’ second coming to Earth, first to raise to life the dead Saints and then to rapture those Saints alive before pouring out His wrath upon the unrepentant, is not too far off. One of the major prophecies signifying the end times is an apostate church that has compromised with the world on homosexuality, gay marriage and even transgenderism as demonstrated by Episcopal Bishop Budde in the sermon in Washington Cathedral with Trump present and she prayed on behalf of transgender children. What did she mean? God created male and female and that cannot be changed no matter what drugs and surgery is used.