THIS GENERATION by William Penniman

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Feb 10, 1881

"THIS GENERATION."

By William Penniman

BY WM. PENNIMAN. "Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." Matt. 24 : 34.

As noticed in our last, the objector to the doctrine of Christ's soon coming says that "this generation" refers exclusively to the one living before the destruction of Jerusalem. But that this cannot be the case, we will find upon further investigation.

Our Lord says in the 9th verse of this memorable chapter: "Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you; and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake." It is true that the persecution under Nero took place before the destruction of Jerusalem. In this persecution, Peter and Paul and others were put to death. But during the long time of papal persecution, it is estimated that from fifty to one hundred million were slain. Is it true that Christians were hated of all nations before the fall of Jerusalem? Those at all acquainted with church history know that Christians have been persecuted more since that time than they were before. "And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." We will not deny the partial fulfillment of a part of this prophecy previous to the destruction of Jerusalem. But those conversant with the history of the church, know that it has been fulfilled to the letter, both in the pagan and papal persecutions.

The word prophet, in the Bible, sometimes means a teacher. Taking it in that sense, have we not a striking fulfillment of the prophecy (at the present time) that "many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many?" See Eze. 13 : 9, 10; Jer. 6 : 13, 14; 14 : 13, 14. What would these false teachers, or prophets, be the most likely to teach, and to predict? Certainly they will teach false doctrines; and we read that "the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." 2 Tim. 4 : 3, 4. We will not take time to enumerate the false doctrines of which the "many prophets" or heaps of false teachers proclaim to the world. Christ probably had reference partly to their contradiction of what he had told his disciples.

The great point which our Lord wished to bring before his disciples, was his second coming; and secondly, what would be the signs of it, and of the end of the world. It would seem quite natural that he should refer to those who denied his teachings, and predicted the contrary. There were many false prophets at the time of Noah, who said there would not be any flood. No doubt there were many who said Jerusalem would not be destroyed. So now there are many who teach the fabulous doctrine of the world's conversion, and prophesy that "there is a good time coming, and that Christ will not come in thousands of years."

The facts of history prove that the great apostasy did not arise in the first century of the Christian era. The abundance of iniquity did not, in this century, cause the love of many ("the many") to wax cold. The present age has been called "the age of crime," or the age of iniquity. It is difficult to tell whether the professors of Christianity have most contaminated the world, or whether the world has most corrupted them. It is thought that this prevalence of iniquity is in the church; if so, Christ must have reference to these times. In "Exposition of Matthew Twenty-four," we read: "The prevalence of iniquity in the unconverted world alone, would stimulate the church to greater diligence, and more godliness, instead of being a cause of apostasy. Hence the iniquity here mentioned is in the very heart of the professed church, diffusing its chilly influence through the whole body. As the result, the love of many shall wax cold."

The apostle says: "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away." 2 Tim. 3 : 1-5. These sixteen sins characterize the professed followers of Jesus Christ, in this, the last generation.

Again, the word many in the phrase, "the love of many shall wax cold," has the article, and that gives it the signification of totality, or at least an approach to it. (See Robinson's Greek and English Lexicon on the word polus.) Then, according to this rendering, there must be an almost total apostasy implied in this passage, and not merely a want of zeal in the Christian faith. Campbell also renders the word as meaning the "greater part." We read of no such apostasy before the destruction of Jerusalem, nor in the life-time of the apostles. History gives no record of it. We must, therefore, look to some other period for the fulfillment of this prophecy, and that period must be included in the days of the generation "that should not pass till all these things be fulfilled."

"But," says one, "Did not Christ mean the destruction of Jerusalem when he said, 'But that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved?'" It is evident that he meant the word end just what he meant in the next verse, which reads: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come." It will not do to substitute death or the destruction of Jerusalem, either in the text last quoted, or in the 6th verse, "but the end is not yet." Where, then, does this text bring us? It brings us down in the last part of the last days.

As the 14th verse is so closely connected with the subject, it demands considerable attention. It is of no avail to say that this prediction was not fulfilled before the destruction of the city, even if there is no evidence that the gospel had not been before that event preached in America, Oceanica, or in all the habitable islands of the globe, for the objector can easily prove that there may be nothing more meant by the passage than the then known world. And to prove this, he will ask you if all the then known world was not taxed in the days of Augustus Cæsar, and if it is probable that Satan showed our Saviour anything more than the then known world? The word aion not only means world, but also age. Here the objector may have a show of argument, as this word is used in the question of the 3d verse, "What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" This may be interpreted Jewish age or economy. But mark, Christ does not say, Then shall the end of the age or of the world come, but then shall the end come. Had the closing words of the question of the 3d verse read as follows: end of the world, (sunteleias tou kosmou) then there could have been no mistake as to what the disciples wished to know, for the word kosmos is not defined to mean age, but the word aion may mean both; we therefore see the wisdom of our Saviour in not using either of these in his answer, but instead, "then shall the end come." This shows plainly that the disciples wished to know not only some signs of Jerusalem's overthrow, but also, what was far more important, the signs of the end of the world.

We therefore see the "fullness of signification" in Christ's answer, and also a miniature exhibition of what took place then, and the largest and most comprehensive view of what would take place before the end of the world.

Paul declares that the gospel was preached to every creature under heaven. Col. 1 : 23. That the faith of the Romans was spoken of throughout the whole world. Rom. 1 : 8. And again (Rom. 10 : 18), "Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world." It is quite probable that Paul spoke of the Roman world, or all the world then known; and for aught we know, all then inhabited. There is proof that within thirty years after the prediction, churches were established throughout the length and breadth of the Roman empire; but the end of Jerusalem did not then come, and did not come till about ten years afterward. Hence we cannot see a complete fulfillment of this prophecy till since the beginning of the first signs of the end; for we read, "when these things begin to come to pass, then lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh." Now we know the gospel has been proclaimed (and the soon coming of Christ is included in it) not to Asia, Africa, and Europe only, but also to America, Oceanica, and to all parts of the world.

What was the object of disseminating this gospel of the kingdom, or the good news that the Lord had come, that salvation was free to all who would accept the plan and obey, and that he was coming again (not personally), not only to destroy Jerusalem, but would come visibly in the end of the world? The twofold, and perhaps threefold, answer to this question is found in this 14th verse: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world [what for?] for a witness to all nations, and then shall the end come." The Greek word marturion may also be rendered testimony or proof, also information. The question may arise, proof of what? Certainly not merely a proof that he had come, for that is evident; but further that he is coming again, and that his coming is near. The last clause of the verse shows that it has reference to time; and then shall the end come. It also stands as a witness or testimony against those who do not embrace it. It witnesses against them since they have the information, or light, and do not receive it. There are some events which were to precede the coming of Christ, which are not special signs that his coming is near; but in this event, we have a prominent sign that the end is near at hand.

This text does not teach the conversion of the world, nor the thousand years' reign of the saints, as many suppose, as it does not imply that every one will hear the proclamation. It is evident that the gospel which has been preached throughout the Christian age, is not so much a sign that Christ's coming is near, as that which is now preached, having direct reference to his soon coming. Campbell's translation favors the idea that we can look upon the proclamation of this gospel as one of the latter day signs: "And this good tidings of the reign shall be published through all the world for the information of all the nations, and then shall come the end." Whiting's version also, gives the same thought: "And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the world, for a testimony to all nations, and then will the end come."

Taking the view generally held in regard to this text, is not the work of spreading the gospel already accomplished, or nearly so? In William Miller's lectures, p. 288, we read: "Is not this sign already accomplished? The Bible has been translated into more than two hundred different languages, and missionaries sent among all nations known to us on the globe." "Rev. J. O. Chould, author of a voluminous work, a history of missions, from the apostolic age down to the present day, being asked last May (1842) if he knew of any nation which never had received the gospel, replied that he did not." (See "Prophetic Expositions," pp. 1, 4, 7, by J. Litch.) Rev. Mr. Janes, and Dr. Nathan Bangs, have given a similar testimony. We notice in Life and Light for Woman, published monthly by the Woman's Board of Missions (October, 1880), the following: "The word of God is printed in two hundred and fifty languages and dialects, and widely diffused, read, and studied. The nations that sway the scepter of the world in wealth, in letters, in science, and in art, are both Christian and Protestant. Every land has been thrown open to the soldiers of Christ." If, on the other hand, we take the position that this gospel of the kingdom has reference to Christ's second coming, and the end of the world, we have just as good evidence of its fulfillment. E. R. Pinney, in his "Exposition of Matthew Twenty-four," says: "As early as 1842, second advent publications had been sent to every missionary station in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, both sides of the Rocky Mountains. Joseph Wolf, the Jewish missionary, we find from the journal of his labors, visited most of the missionary stations in the East from 1831 to 1834, and preached this doctrine. The commanders of our vessels and the sailors tell us they touch at no port where they find this proclamation has not preceded them." For further and abundant evidence in regard to the extent of this proclamation and the numbers engaged in it, the reader is referred to "Exposition of Matthew Twenty-four," by Eld. James White.

We have endeavored to show that the signs spoken of indicate the occurrence of certain events. We will next consider the question, When shall these things be?