3241.—The Length of a Generation
How many years are there in a generation? Does not Matthew 1 teach that there are about forty-two years in a generation? May we not take that as fixing the time of a generation? The Bible gives us no method by which we may definitely fix a generation. The very fact that it gives different lengths of time of a generation shows that it would have us fix up no definite time. The generation in Noah's time seems to have been 120 years. At least God placed that limit upon that generation. Coming down to the days of Abraham, then we have it stated in the 15th chapter of Genesis that his seed should be a stranger in a land that was not theirs, and should serve that nation where they were strangers, 400 years, but in the fourth generation they would come back to Canaan. That would fix the generation there at one hundred years. In Matthew 1 we have a record of 42 generations from Abraham to Christ. From the time that Abraham begot Isaac, which would be the beginning of the next generation, it was about 1898 years. That divided by 42 would make a little more than 45 years to a generation. From Abraham to David was about 898 years of 14 generations, which would make more than 64 years to a generation. From David to the carrying away into Babylon, 394 years of 14 generations, making about 28 years to a generation; while from the carrying away into Babylon to Christ, a period of 606 years, covering 14 generations, would make about 43 years to a generation. So you see there is no uniformity regarding the length of a generation. God has purposely hidden from us this fact in order that men in the last days may not be setting time for Him to come.