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Author: Stephen Weller
656 words, 3 minutes read time

Which Generation?

Scripture: Matthew 24:34-35; Mark 13:32

In the previous lesson Jesus used the leafing our of a fig tree to indicate that summer was near as an illustration to show that the signs given in Luke 21:25 – 26 indicate the soon return of the Son of Man; the coming of the kingdom of God. In this lesson we will continue this theme.

^{Mt 24:34} “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. ³⁵ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. ^{Mk 13:32} But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

What “this generation” refers to is not clear and is interpreted in various ways. The footnote for Matthew 24:34 in the ESV Study Bible lists five opinions which I will only summarize. (1) It was the generation of the disciples who lived at the time of Jesus. (2) It does not refer to a single generation but to multiple fulfillments. (3) It could refer to a group of people with a certain quality, the generation of believers throughout the entire present age, or the evil generation that remains until Christ returns. (4) It might refer to the Jewish people who will not pass away until Christ returns. (5) It could refer to those who will be alive to see the final events of the great tribulation period just before Christ returns.

Some day we will know what this means but for now all we have are opinions. One thing we do know is that the words Jesus predicts here will never pass away as they are more stable and lasting than creation itself. An illustration of this is found in Isaiah 40:8 ESV: “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” Also, in Isaiah 55:10 – 11 ESV: ¹⁰ “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, ¹¹ so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

When will these things happen has been the topic of many books, articles, conferences, sermons and various conversations. Those who engage in predicting such a time should read this verse and obey it by not predicting a time of the return of Jesus Christ, because no one knows. Jesus states that only the Father knows.

The statement that only the Father knows has raised some concerns with some. They say that if Jesus doesn’t know then he can’t be God. However, the Scriptures are clear that the Son of God was sent to earth and took on the flesh of a man through a virgin birth. It was when “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Jesus was both man and God; the Son of Man. As a man, we have to accept that there were certain things he didn’t know as he had to learn as we did, but at the same time he had understanding beyond his learning. Knowledge of the exact time of his return at the time he spoke these words was something he as a man did not seem to know.

Conclusion

The things of end times will take place, but the return of Jesus Christ is not known, not even by the Son, but by only the Father. For some reason this knowledge is withheld from the incarnate life of the Son.