Matthew Chapter 24

We continue from our previous post.

Verse 34 “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.”

What “generation” is being referred to here?

The generation that sees “all these things” (Verse 33)

In Scripture a generation can have various time lengths: 38, 40, 70, 80, 100, and 120 years.

Which time length is applicable here?

In the Wilderness, 40 years was a generation to the Israelites. In David’s day, a generation was 70 years. In Genesis 15:13, 16 a “generation” was 100 years. “And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; … But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.” In other words, if four generations are 400 years, then one generation is 100 years.

However, none of these time spans fit except the “120,” for the others, dating from 1878, have all come and gone without these things being fulfilled. The year 1878 is the date the fig tree put forth its leaves, and thus it is the point from which to reckon the “generation.”

Here you will note the difference between the Pastors thinking and that of Brother Shallieu. Both see the Lord’s remarks in Verse 33, viz. “when you see all these things” as referring to different things. The pastor believed “all these things” included all those signs which took place “immediately after the tribulation of those days” (Verse 29), i.e. after the 1260 years beginning with the first sign, on the “Dark Day” of 1780 and reaching to 1880, whereas Brother Shallieu sees “all these things” as referring to 1878 when “the fig tree and all the trees” would begin to put forth leaves (Luke 21:29).

 Gen 6:3 identifies 120 years as the “generation.” “And the LORD said, my spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.” At the end of the 120 years, the Ark was to be built and completed, it was to be entered, and the Flood would come, causing the destruction of the social order.

That this 120 years is the time applicable to the “generation” of Matt 24:34 is further corroborated in Matthew 24 itself, as well as elsewhere. “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming [Parousia, presence] of the Son of man be” (Matt 24:37).

Verse 37 is a valuable clue, for it suggests that that which happened in Noah’s day is a close analogy to the end of the Gospel Age, to the time of Jesus’ presence.

Elsewhere in Scripture the “120” is suggested in connection with this completion work.

Jesus said in John 4:35, “Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” The 30 days in a lunar month are calculated thus: 30 x 4 = 120 years (a day for a year). Moses died in the prime of life at age 120; that is, he did not die a natural death, but his life was terminated at the height of physical strength (Deut. 34:7).

Since Moses pictures The Christ, he could not physically enter the Promised Land because “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 15:50). In the flesh Moses could see the Promised Land from Mount Nebo (Pisgah), but he could not enter it. Thus the Lord’s people look forward to, and see by the eye of faith, the “Promised Land” of heaven, but they must cross Jordan (physically die) first before entering (inheriting) the Kingdom.”

Verse 34 continued “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.”

In order to rightly understand who or what generation is being referred to here, several questions need to be addressed.

1) In Verse 33 it says “when you see all these things”, who is this “you” here being spoken of, the same mentioned in Verse 34?

2) What are the “all these things” here mentioned? Do they relate merely to the fig tree putting forth leaves or do they include the signs which took place “immediately after the tribulation of those days” (Verse 29)? Or do they refer to ALL the various events mentioned in our Lord’s prophecy?

3) Are they all to have taken place (been fulfilled)?

In our previous post we mentioned the first three below, however there are several other ways in which this can be interpreted.

1) It represents the generation who sees the fig tree putting forth its leaves. 1878-1978 [100 yrs.] or 120 yrs. to 1998

2) It represents the generation who witnesses the signs mentioned in Verse 29 to have taken place immediately after the tribulation of those days, dating from the first sign, “the darkening of the sun and the moon”, 1780-1880 [100 yrs.] or 120 yrs. to 1900.

3) Or possibly dating from the fulfillment of both signs mentioned, viz. “the stars falling from heaven” 1833-1933 [100 yrs.] or 120 yrs. to 1953

4) Another possibility is that the generation dates from the point where “the sign of the Son of Man appears in heaven” (Verse 30 and 31).

Note: it is believed that Verse 30 refers to the period of time from 1799-1874, when many like Miller recognized from the signs and things happening, that the Lord was soon to come. The actual arrival or Parousia of our Lord (in 1874) is alluded to in the next verse, Verse 31. 1874-1974 [100 yrs.] or 120 yrs. to 1994 this covers not only to the fig tree putting forth its leaves, the Zionist movement (1878) but likewise the restoration of the nation of Israel (in 1948), and to Jerusalem being restored (in 1967).

5) Another thought is that the “generation” pertains to the nation of Israel and only to those things mentioned in the prophecy due to be inflicted upon that rebellious nation, beginning with the present generation living then and continuing on until they as a nation should repent and be prepared to say “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord“.

Thus in answer to question number 1 above as to whom is being referred to in Verses 33 and 34 we would say the nation of Israel, that generation. This also answers question number 2 as to “when you see all these things”, all these things being in reference to those things which befall Israel.

6) And last but not least is the suggestion that it dates from the very beginning of the Gospel age and includes all the various signs enumerated in the Lord’s prophecy, “this generation” being in reference to the GOSPEL generation as distinct from the previous generation, the JEWISH generation and from the age of RE-generation or restoration to come during the millennial age. (See Matt 19:28)

Here too questions numbers 1 and 2 are answered. The only difference being is that the “you” now refers to all the followers of Christ, both Jew and Gentile alike, viz.

“Assuredly, I say to you Christians, you who reside during the GOSPEL generation, when you “see all these things”, all the various events and signs mentioned in my prophecy, know that the Kingdom of God is near—at the doors!’.

Now someone may ask:

‘We here at the end of this generation may be able to see all these things, but in what way could it be said that those at the beginning of this generation see all these things?

If we attempt to apply this separately to all the various generations throughout this age it won’t work, but if we apply it to the whole Gospel generation it works, viz.

“Assuredly, I say to you [my disciples, Christians], this GOSPEL generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.”

Yes, but Verse 33 says, “When you SEE all these things”,

How did those at the beginning of the age see all these things?

The same question might be asked in regards to number 5 should we apply the “generation” spoken of as to the JEWISH generation then living, how could they see all those things pertaining to that nation take place?

This brings to mind question number 3 above concerning all these things, Are they all to have taken place (been completed, fulfilled) or are they merely to have begun?

We will take a closer look at Verses 33 and Verse 34 once again in our next post and note some discrepancies in the interpretation.