The Chicago Statements, Sign the Petition Matthew 24:34 Context. —Did Jesus err by affirming that the signs of the end time would be fulfilled in His era? (1.) AN INTERPRETATION OF MATTHEW 24-25 by Thomas Ice Part 32 - Matthew 24:35-36 Heaven and Earth Will Pass Away. So when "death" was threatened to Adam, the propriety of the threatening would have been seen, and the threatening would have been fulfilled, had people suffered only temporal death. No man can serve two masters Whose orders are directly contrary to one another: otherwise, if they were the same, or agreed, both might be served; but this is … vv. They think that it has to be about that specific generation in that time or else Jesus is a liar and did not come back in 70 AD and all of the Bible is false. Such is the case with the word “generation.” In years past, it had a much wider scope of meaning than is assumed today. In one of His most awesome miracles, He simply “rebuked the winds and the sea,” resulting in an Solutions to Bible “Errors” ( = Mr 13:1-37; Lu 21:5-36). Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 9:27; cf. It also makes the point of the parable (fig-tree) in plain language. Indeed, Paul speaks of a future of the nation of Israel when they will be reinstated in God’s covenantal promises (Rom. No created beings can change God’s words. Matthew 24:34 Parallel Verses [⇓ See commentary ⇓] Matthew 24:34, NIV: "Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened." EXEGESIS: MATTHEW 24-25. (2.) Please sign! Used by permission. Did this mean that these events would occur in the lifetime of His hearers? 11:11–26). Rev. “No one can serve two masters“ ( kuriois ). .--The natural meaning of the words is, beyond question. And to start with, I want to consider what this passage does not say. This calls for a closer examination of the meaning of “generation” for meanings other than that of Jesus’ contemporaries. To get what Matthew 24:34 means based on its source text, scroll down or follow these links for the original scriptural meaning , biblical context and relative popularity. Exploring the Meaning of Matthew 24 By Rev. Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place." For the exposition, see on [1355]Mr 13:1-37. till all these things were fulfilled; see Matthew 16:28 as many did, and as there is reason to believe they might, and must, since all these things had their accomplishment, in and about forty years after this: and certain it is, that John, one of the disciples of Christ, outlived the time by many years; and, as Dr. Lightfoot observes, many of the Jewish doctors now living, when Christ spoke these words, lived until the city was destroyed; as Rabban Simeon, who perished with it, R. Jochanan ben Zaccai, who outlived it, R. Zadoch, R. Ishmael, and others: this is a full and clear proof, that not anything that is said before, relates to the second coming of Christ, the day of judgment, and end of the world; but that all belong to the coming of the son of man, in the destruction of Jerusalem, and to the end of the Jewish state. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. A Tribute to Norman Leo Geisler (1932-2019), The Harvest Handbook of Apologetics (2019), A Review of, Billy Graham, Evangelism, Evangelicalism, and Inerrancy, Review of Jeffrey McDonald's biography of John Gerstner. Jesus spoke of signs and wonders regarding His second coming. The key to understanding what Jesus meant by “this generation will not pass away until all these things take place” is the context; that is, we must understand the verses that are surrounding Matthew 24:34, especially the verses prior to it. Since it is commonly believed that the tribulation is a period of some seven years (Dan. The words do not necessarily imply more than the commencement of a process, the first unrolling of the scroll of the coming ages. [Act 3:24 YLT] 24 and also all the prophets from Samuel and those following in … (Matthew 24:34) Matthew 24:34 is … 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Just as when God made a covenant with Noah, He said “set my bow in the cloud.” For instance, the venerable church father, Jerome argued that in Matthew 24:34, Jesus was referring to future offspring. 36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. Problem: Jesus spoke of signs and wonders regarding His second coming. Please explain Christ's words in Matthew 24:34, saying that "this generation" would not pass away until "all these things" have taken place. 24) reminds us that we cannot serve God and wealth. WORDS OF JESUS IN RED. Graphics Kit for Raising Awareness, Search Christ's Prophecy of the Destruction of Jerusalem, and Warnings Suggested by It to Prepare for His Second Coming. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Second, “generation” could also refer to a generation in its commonly understood sense of the people alive at the time indicated. μεῖον of the Son of man, and the phenomena that were to accompany the second coming itself. Matthew 24:34 Study the Inner Meaning 34 ܐܡܝܢ ܐܡܪ ܐܢܐ ܠܟܘܢ ܕܠܐ ܬܥܒܪ ܫܪܒܬܐ ܗܕܐ ܥܕܡܐ ܕܗܠܝܢ ܟܠܗܝܢ ܢܗܘܝܢ ܀ Study the Inner Meaning Chapter summary. 34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Search 34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. So in etymology and usage, "generation" means those born at the same time, Contemporaries. Matthew 6:24. This excerpt is from When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1992). Since there were many promises to Israel, including the eternal inheritance of the land of Palestine (Gen. 12; 14–15; 17) and the Davidic kingdom (2 Sam. So let’s see what this passage has to say to us and how we can apply it to our lives. The Destruction of Jerusalem Jesus warns his disciples that the destruction of Jerusalem would be soon. Did this mean that these events would occur in the lifetime of His hearers? In any event, there is no reason to assume that Jesus made the obviously false assertion that the world would come to an end within the lifetime of His contemporaries. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Finally, in Matthew’s Gospel, the mission will eventually turn toward the ethne, that is, the “nations, Gentiles, foreigners” in the world. This is opposed by Matthew 24:36, nor is it allowable to accept a double sense in general, and confine this phrase to a single sense. But Jesus said “this generation” would not end before all these events took place. I am a Christian, and it is my duty to seek out truth, not plainly accept what I hear or what other people say it is. Jesus intends us to understand that discipleship, which is not a special calling for an elite group like the Navy Seals but includes anyone who desires to be Christian, must be singularly focused upon a life devoted to God and his teachings. Matthew 24:34 says "I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.". Solution: These events (e.g., the Great Tribulation, the sign of Christ’s return, and the end of the age) did not occur in the lifetime of Christ’s hearers. Compare the notes at Matthew 1:22-23. This verse allows me to feel that the authority of God’s words is immeasurable. You can’t serve both God and Mammon (Greek: mamona —property, money, possessions). All rights reserved. Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass. He wrote: “By ‘generation’ here He means the whole human race, and the Jews in particular. In Matthew 24:4-34, he answers the question about the end of Jerusalem. ARE THE CANONICAL GOSPELS TO BE IDENTIFIED AS A GENRE OF GRECO-ROMAN BIOGRAPHY? Until events shall take place which shall be a fulfillment of these words, if there were nothing further intended. He has yet to explain what it might mean … Matthew 24:34, ESV: "Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place." Problem: Jesus spoke of signs and wonders regarding His second coming. In Matthew 24:4–31, Jesus is clearly giving a prophecy; He is speaking of future events. Dr. Ray Silverman . Mk 13:30-31; Lk 21:32-33) follows the Parable of the Fig-Tree which teaches the nearness of the parousia (coming) of Jesus. ‘Generation’ in … Mt 24:1-51. How to Answer Critics Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall not pass away. - Matthew 24:34 T his controversial verse is in all three of the Olivet Discourse accounts. The Defending Inerrancy initiative was founded by concerned scholars to combat the erosion of biblical inerrancy within the Evangelical community. THE CONTEXT. (These accounts are to be found in Matthew 24:1-51, Mark 13:1-37, and Luke 21:5-33). In this case, “generation” would refer to the group of people who are alive when these things come to pass in the future. Not the generation of men in general; as if the sense was, that mankind should not cease, until the accomplishment of these things; nor the generation, or people of the Jews, who should continue to be a people, until all were fulfilled; nor the generation of Christians; NIV Matthew 24:34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.