THIS GENERATION by Wm. Penniman

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Feb 3, 1881

"THIS GENERATION."

By Wm. Penniman

BY WM. PENNIMAN.

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

Greenfield defines the original genea thus: "A family, generation, descent, Matt. 1:17, also an age, race, generation of men, including, upon the average, a space of fifty years. Luke 1:50; 7:31."

Liddell & Scott's Greek lexicon also defines the word as race, generation, etc.

Smith's Bible Dictionary is very explicit in defining the word generation: "1. Abstract:—time, either definite or indefinite. The primary meaning of the Hebrew dôr is revolution: hence, period of time. From the general idea of period comes the more special notion of an age or generation of men, the ordinary period of human life. In the long-lived, patriarchal age a generation seems to have been computed at one hundred years (Gen. 15:16; comp. 13, and Ex. 12:40); the latter reckoning, however, was the same which has been adopted by other civilized nations, viz., from thirty to forty years (Job 42:16). For generation in the sense of a definite period of time, see Gen. 15:16; Deut. 23:3, 4, 8, etc. As an indefinite period of time:—for time past, see Deut. 32:7; Isa. 58:12; for time future, see Ps. 45:17; 72:5, etc. 2. Concrete:—the men of an age or time. So generation equals contemporaries (Gen. 6:9; Isa. 53:8); posterity, especially in legal formulæ (Lev. 3:17, etc.); fathers or ancestors (Ps. 49:19). Dropping the idea of time, generation comes to mean a race or class of men. In A.V. of N. Test., three words are rendered by generation. For the abstract and indefinite, see Luke 1:50; Eph. 3:21 (A.V. "ages"); future: Acts 15:21 (A.V. "of old time"); Eph. 3:5 (A.V. "ages"), past. For concrete, see Matt. 11:16."

It will be seen that the above definitions favor the idea of indefinite time, and that we are not now to look for a generation to last a hundred years or as long as it did in the patriarchal age. Mr. Barnes in commenting upon Matt. 24:34, says: "A generation is about forty years. The destruction of Jerusalem took place about forty years after this was spoken." But the question before us is, and it is certainly a very important one, Do the words, "this generation," etc., refer exclusively to the generation living before the destruction of Jerusalem, or do they refer to the one now living which has witnessed certain signs in these last days? These words of our Saviour are certainly very remarkable, and demand our serious attention, for he says, in truth or most certainly this generation, or as the original reads, hee genea autee, the same generation, etc. Therefore the same generation which witnesses the signs "will not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." And to make the language yet more forcible he says: "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."

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 this must depend upon what is included in the words "till all these things be fulfilled." Mr. Barnes in commenting upon "all these things," says: "The words of Christ in describing the destruction of Jerusalem had a fullness of signification that would meet also the events of the Judgment, and which meaning would not be filled up till the world was closed." Admitting then that by "these things" Christ meant those signs which were to precede the destruction of Jerusalem, it would only prove the two-fold meaning of his words, making that wicked and almost faithless generation, typical of the last generation, and Jerusalem, the doomed city, of the defiled and destined earth.

If it can be shown that all of "these things" were not fulfilled before the destruction of Jerusalem, then most certainly the words apply to the last generation on the earth, or to the one which witnesses the signs in the sun, moon, and stars. On page 48 of Exposition of Matthew Twenty-Four, we read: "The phrase, 'all these things,' does not embrace the mourning of the tribes of the earth, and the sign of the Son of man. Neither does it embrace the shaking of the powers of the heavens; for that does not take place until the seventh vial is poured out." If it can be shown that "all these things" of the 34th verse does not include "these things" spoken of in the 3d verse, then most certainly Christ spoke of the signs which the last generation would witness, instead of those which would be witnessed by the one which preceded the destruction of Jerusalem. "And Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and his disciples came to him for to show him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." "These things," in this connection, refer to the destruction of the buildings of the temple, and also of Jerusalem. Moses and the prophets also predicted this (Deut. 28:49–53; Lev. 26:29–33; Jer. 25:17, 18; 26:29; Dan. 9:26).

After Christ uttered this prediction he crossed the brook Kedron with his disciples and ascended the Mount of Olives. "And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be?" (When shall the buildings of the temple, or when will Jerusalem, be destroyed?) "And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" Christ had plainly told them what would take place, but he had not told them the time of these calamities. It is, therefore, quite natural for the disciples to inquire as they did. They wished to know when "these things" would come, or when all these calamities would come upon the Jews. It is evident that there are but two questions, and that Christ answered both of them. If the subject under consideration (or the passing away of "this generation") is not a full, answer to the first question then it must be of the second. Therefore, in order to fully understand the answer to the second, we must find what is included in the answer to the first. The answer to the first will include what was fulfilled before, and in, Jerusalem's destruction.

Before telling the disciples what would take place, Jesus cautions them saying, "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." Before the destruction of Jerusalem, there is no history of any false christs. Josephus mentions one, but he is not considered a false christ by the best writers. Barnes in his notes on Matthew 24 mentions only Doritheus, the Samaritan, and Simon Magus. The Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge names twenty-four, all of whom appeared between the time of Emperor Adrian and the year 1682. As one or two are not many, consequently this prophecy extends beyond the fall of Jerusalem. We will admit that there were "wars and rumors of wars" before the destruction of Jerusalem as history records these events, but they were not special signs of the doom of that city, neither are they of the end of the world, as wars are calamities which have been in all ages. The language of Christ implies this, as he says in connection, "All these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet." Why is the end not yet? "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows." If these things were only the beginning of sorrows, then certainly much more would come before the end; therefore they were not special signs that the end was near.

We will further admit that the prophecy concerning the rising of nations and kingdoms against each other, and also concerning famines, pestilences, and earthquakes, were fulfilled in the period intervening the prediction and the fall of the city. The prophecy in regard to wars, was not fully fulfilled in those times; for what were large armies, a few battering-rams, bows, arrows, slings, and darts, in comparison to the tremendous machinery, and implements of the present day, or of modern warfare? The invention of gunpowder and fire-arms, which are modern inventions, have added much to the honors of war. The aggregate of national expenses in Europe, as well as in the United States, is the result of the cost of war, and of preparations for war. These facts show that we are living in the time of the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy. "Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up. Beat your ploughshares into swords, and your pruning-hooks into spears; let the weak say, I am strong." Joel 3:9, 10. Look at the wars of Europe, and those of Napoleon, who caused the death of 6,000,000 of people; the wars of the Crimea, and the late Franco-Prussian war. The late American conflict was probably, in some respects, the most terrible war which has ever been. Is it not wonderful that the leading nations of Christendom are still equipping large armies for the work of death and destruction, sending them forth with their chaplains, supplicating the same God to aid them in butchering each other? We therefore conclude, that the prophecy concerning wars, has a wider fulfillment this side of Jerusalem.

Famines, pestilences, and earthquakes, are not mentioned by Christ as signs of his second coming, but he taught that they would occur all the way down the stream of time, to the end. It is said that these also occurred between the ascension of Christ and the destruction of the Jewish temple; but it is certain that they were not developed in an extraordinary manner, until since that time, as facts will prove. (See "Brief Exposition of Matthew Twenty-four.") The great earthquake at Lisbon, November 1, 1775, was no doubt the fulfillment of Rev. 6:12. By this earthquake, 50,000 were killed in the city of Lisbon. This must be the most extensive that ever occurred or of which we have any record, as Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean, were affected by it. Over 15,000,000 square miles of the earth's surface were disturbed by it.

In a work entitled, "The Coming Earthquake," the author gives a table, showing the increase since A. D. 58, to 1850. Before A. D. 58, only four disastrous ones were recorded in 1700 years. From A. D. 58 to end of 9th century 197 in 900 years, of these 15 disastrous. From 9th to end of 15th century 532 in 600 years, 44 destructive. From 15th to 18th century 2,804 in 300 years, and two destructive. From 18th century to 1850, 3,240 (50 years), 33 disastrous. This is a wonderful increase. It may be said, "Are not all of these convulsions in nature the result of natural causes? and can they not be accounted for on philosophical and scientific principles? In answer to this question, let me say, Is there not an overruling Providence over these natural causes, so that they become subservient to the will of the great Author of these laws, and are the agents through which he accomplishes his great designs? Most certainly the prophecy concerning earthquakes has a fulfillment this side of the fall of Jerusalem.

(To be Continued.)