Chapter One

A key issue in understanding the timing of the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and His redemptive work in fulfilling the Everlasting Covenant, is the Bible’s explicit use of time statements. The modern “evangelical” world has insisted upon taking God’s precise time declarations and distorting them to fit a fleshly hope ( “Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.” (Philippians 3:19). Most professing Christians are so engrossed in an eschatological outlook that will take them out of their miserable world that they misunderstand the nature of the kingdom of God. They are so consumed with a world that will give them perfect physical peace and health, that they totally disregard not only the abundance of Scripture that explains the nature of the kingdom but also the very clear time references that pertain to the imminence of the kingdom of God. Consequently, for many, their only hope is in a physically realized future kingdom and god and not in the present riches of the glory of Christ.

If you have gone through any eschatological battles concerning the kingdom of God, you probably have been confronted with the difficulty of what seem to be very definitive time statements. When I was a premillennial dispensationalist, I was confronted more than once by postmillennial moderate preterists (These are futurists who believe that all or most of the book of Revelation pertained to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, with the exception of the majority of chapter twenty. Many great Reformers, such as John Owen, were moderate preterists). Those who affirmed the verity of the time statements kept bringing me back to the same passages:

Matthew 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: 2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
Revelation 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
James 5:7-9 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. 9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.
Philippians 4:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
1 Peter 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

I remembered reading those words as a young teenager, when I always thought, “It (the Second Coming) sure seems like it was supposed to take place back then!” Nevertheless, I could not let the moderate preterists know that. Therefore, I always responded, “Oh, but see, 2 Peter 3:8 says ‘But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.’ ” Then in my pride and tradition, I would interject, “God’s ways are not our ways,” attempting to look like spiritual superman in the eyes of men. As a premillennialist, I always followed the “literalist” interpretation. However, when confronted with the clear time references in Scripture, suddenly I would throw out my literalist hermeneutic.

God saw my heart. He alone knew of my neglect and misuse of certain Scriptures. Even the unknown deception that existed in my heart (Jeremiah 17:9) He was always seeing. “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.--Hebrews 4:13 cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:4. He shows such incredible mercy toward His children. He has been faithful in abasing and scourging this son whom He has received.

If you have gone through the same experience or a similar experience, know that you are not alone. Regardless of our past or our present, we are responsible for giving an answer to every man that asks a reason for the hope that is in us. Moderate preterists are gravely inconsistent. Even in my own ignorance I could see their inconsistency. In spite of this inconsistency, God has called us to accept what is true and discard the rest. In other words, once God shows you His Truth, get the spoil (the Truth) and run for your Life (Romans 16:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:21; 2 Timothy 1:13)!!!

THE COMING OF THE LORD DRAWETH NIGH
(Drawing Near)

There are several Greek words used in the N.T. for the phrase “at hand.” We will focus on some of these words as they pertain to the nearness of the kingdom of God. However, there are some comparisons that need to be made with other passages that are not related.

We first see the phrase at hand in the ministry of John the Baptist. It is very interesting to note that the first proclamation of any warning or salvation message that John preached was, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). The phrase used here for at hand is the Greek word eggiken (hggiken) and has the essential meaning of drawing near. (In the chapters on fulfillment, we will study the person of John the Baptist, his prophetic significance, and why he said the kingdom of God was approaching, or drawing near).

The futurist, of course, would argue from 2 Peter 3:8:

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

That is, God’s timing is not our timing, therefore, it could mean millions of years. Inspite of this, many futurists affirm that we are in the last days. They make this claim based upon their analysis of certain events that are taking place throughout the world. Consequently, predictions are made to convince people that Jesus is about to come. A question that should be asked is: if one interprets the rest of the time statements with the thousand-year-as-a-day hermeneutic, why not use this hermeneutic with the phrase “last days” as it appears in Scripture? The reason: it would take away all the excitement of wild-eyed predictions of men like Hal Linsdey, Harold Camping, and hundreds of other false prophets. Yet, they tell us we are wrong for interpreting the time statements literally. This amounts to picking and choosing when they want to apply a literal hermeneutic with the time statements. Therefore, they neglect Scriptures they are unable to defend, especially when confronted with other Scriptures that support the same idea. There are several examples of the phrase, at hand showing its meaning of obvious approaching nearness. The following Scriptures should make apparent that, if we take the dangerous position of interpreting time statements in Scripture to not mean what they say, the Bible would lose all meaning as it pertains to time and space:

Matthew 26:45-46 Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.
Luke 22:1 Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.

Even pertaining to physical proximity, we see the word eggizo or at hand used in a very transparent manner to show the nearness of the person or object.

Luke 22:47 And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him.
Luke 24:15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
Acts 22:6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.
Acts 23:15 Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you to morrow, as though ye would inquire something more perfectly concerning him: and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him.

These verses support the plain use of the term at hand or drawing near. To assume otherwise or impose vain twisting upon these words of God as they pertain to the coming of Christ is very dangerous and affects the continuity and integrity of Scripture.

The phrase at hand (eggizo) concerning the Day of the Lord should stand very clear in terms of intention and meaning as we see in these next passages.

Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as YE see the day approaching (eggizo).
Romans 13:11-12 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is OUR salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
James 5:8 Be YE also patient; stablish YOUR hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
1 Peter 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand: be YE therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

A very important aspect of these passages of imminence is the use of words like, “ye,” “your,” and “our.” Who were the apostles addressing? How would the audience on the receiving end of these letters interpret these time statements? According to the faulty interpretation of modern “evangelicals,” the response of a first-century believer might be something like, “Well, Paul does not really mean what he says, or Peter for that matter. ‘At hand’ does not really mean ‘at hand’. Peter, Paul, and James were just trying to keep them on their toes.” If this is true, as many evangelicals affirm, would this not be lying against God and the first-century churches? There is one of three possibilities: Either Paul was mislead thus, the Holy Spirit lied and did not lead him and the rest of the apostles in all truth; the apostles were liars and deceived thousands of church members; or they were telling the truth and Jesus Christ did return when He and the apostles said He would. Using the thousand-years-as-a-day argument to interpret time statements in Scripture is vanity and makes God out to be a liar. God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar!

We also must consider the fact that the apostles were promised of God that He would lead them into all truth. Yet many professing Christians claim that the apostles really thought Jesus Christ was going to return in their generation, but that the apostles were mistaken. Would this not mean that Jesus lied to them?:

John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into ALL TRUTH: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.

Was the apostle Paul incorrect in assuming that the Day of the Lord was at hand or drawing near? If, in fact, he was led in all truth, why would he write a letter to poor, unsuspecting Christians building their hopes only to realize, “Oh, you mean ‘at hand’ really meant a thousand years? I sure wish somebody would have told me that thirty years ago.” Neither Paul nor the rest of the apostles nor the churches to whom they were writing were mistaken.

Not only were the apostles certain that the Lord was returning in their generation, but they also were obeying a strict command of our Lord:

Matthew 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Even the Lord Jesus preached His first gospel message with the identical words of John the Baptist.

Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Very clearly, first-century believers knew that the Lord’s coming was drawing near. Our Lord Jesus and His apostles knew that the Day of the Lord was approaching and would come upon their generation. The word of God abundantly supports this.

THE TIME IS AT HAND
(Imminent)

If the apostles were correct in saying that the coming of the Lord Jesus was drawing near, they were also correct in saying that the coming of the Lord was ready. The phrase at hand is used in a more urgent sense than that of the word eggizo or drawing near. The word eggus is used to mean ready or up to the point. Interestingly, Jesus first used the term as it pertained to His coming:

Matthew 24:32-33 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: 33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

We must first cast down imaginations that would try to twist the meaning of this term. Other passages use the same term confirming the vanity of twisting the term when it pertains to the coming of the Lord.

Matthew 26:18 And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time (speaking of His death) is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.
John 2:13 And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,
John 7:2 Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand.

It is clear that the phrase at hand in these verses cannot be interpreted to mean two thousand years. Was Jesus speaking in vague terms which no one could undertand? Was He just an unknown guru for whom time meant nothing? Are His statements concerning time to be interpreted as exclusively transcendent to finite humans? If so, then we must interpret the apostles’ use of time statements the same way. Some argue that, whenever time statements are used in reference to the coming of the Lord, God’s time is not our time. Where do we find this hermeneutic in Scripture? It simply is not there. In fact, from the verses just cited, we see that God’s time (Jesus’ time) is our time. In light of the clear interpretation of these passages, the verses dealing with the coming of the Lord will come to life, especially as we ponder what a first-century Christian would think. Modern day evangelical prophecy experts argue the transcendent nature of God’s time. However, when they see what they call a “sign of the times” they immediately conclude that we are definitely in the last days. Why do we not apply this same hermeneutic with their definition of last days. If at hand is God’s transcendent timing, and the apostles were not really saying that Jesus was returning in their generation, then why not say that the last days are God’s timing as well? Why not say that Jesus may not return for another two thousand years? Many futurists comfortably interpret time statements depending on whether the statements apply to the return of Jesus Christ: i.e. if the time statements are not referring to the coming of the Lord, then interpret them literally. If they are referring to the coming of the Lord, then God’s time is not our time. We believe that Christ’s use of time statements during His physical ministry on earth are to be interpreted the same way the apostles interpreted them: God’s time is our time. This is true especially as we consider not only the everyday use of time statements by Jesus Christ, but also the urgency in the N.T. Scriptures concerning warnings that the return of Jesus Christ was imminent during the writing of the N.T.

One thing we can know for certain, and that is, we could never know that the time was near or ready until the signs in Matthew 24 came to pass. Once again, we must remember what Christ said immediately after He described the signs that would come to pass just before His return:

Matthew 24:32-33 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: 33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

These sobering words of Jesus should convince us that it would be a lie for any of the apostles to say that the coming of the Lord was near or ready unless the signs had already taken place. But what saith the Scripture?

Philippians 4:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
Hebrews 6:8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
Hebrews 8:13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
Revelation 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Revelation 22:10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

In order for the apostles and Jesus to be telling the truth, and in order for the Bible to be fully inspired by God, the signs in Matthew 24 would have had to have taken place for the integrity of the apostles and Scripture to be upheld. When an apostle uses the same word (eggus) that our Lord used in the Olivet discourse in proclaiming the readiness of Christ’s coming, it must have an impact on our view of Biblical eschatology. The gainsayers might argue that the apostles were not aware that they were using the same word. This argumentation ultimately attacks the authority and inspiration of Scripture. Every jot and tittle of the holy Scriptures is fully harmonized and cohesive, always relating to itself (Psalms 19:7,8 “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.”). With the word of God being perfect, sure, right, and pure, it is very presumptuous to assume the apostles were not thinking about what they were writing. The apostles did not write the words of God without carefully considering every other word of God; after all, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:20-21). All the apostles knew and understood the Olivet discourse, and they would never write anything that would contradict the words of Jesus or mislead the people of God.

THINGS WHICH MUST SHORTLY COME TO PASS
(A Brief Space of Time)

The same interpretive principle must be implemented with the terms “shortly” and “quickly.” The primary verses we are considering with the word translated “shortly” are found in Romans 16:20; Revelation 1:1; 22:6:

Romans 16:20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly (cf. Genesis 3:15). The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
Revelation 22:6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.

Strong’s first definition for the Greek word used in these passages (tachos) is “a brief space of time.” Notice the appropriateness of this definition as it is used in these other passages.

Acts 22:18 And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
Acts 25:4 But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself would depart shortly thither.

It is very doubtful that Paul would have waited until September of 1994 before he left Jerusalem. With these verses using the exact same word, we can only conclude that the apostle John was initiating the Apocalypse with the URGENT warning that Christ was returning in a brief space of time. The N.T. Scriptures support that Satan was about to be crushed (Romans 16:20), and Christ was returning shortly.

Revelation 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
Revelation 2:16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
Revelation 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Revelation 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
Revelation 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be (cf. Matthew 16:27,28).
Revelation 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

There are many views regarding those whom John was addressing when he identified the seven churches and their various problems. When I was a dispensationalist (or dispensensationalist), I was always told that the seven churches represented the different time periods throughout church history. Of course, the dispensationalist would always identify the twentieth-century church as Laodicea. Some even have the audacity to identify the beginning of the Plymouth Brethren movement as the church of Philadelphia (I would caution those who speak well of themselves [Revelation 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:] ). I will confess that John Nelson Darby’s hyper-dispensational teaching is very popular today and is widely approved by many modern “churches.” However, “Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets” Luke 6:26.

As we examine the apostle John’s addressees in Revelation 2,3, we see time statements of urgency that could only be referring to those living at that time. To the church of Ephesus he writes:

Revelation 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto THEE quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

To the church of Pergamos he writes:

Revelation 2:16 Repent; or else I will come unto THEE quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

To the church of Thyatira he mentions Jezebel, the false prophetess. He warns:

Revelation 2:22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. (Does this not tell us about the timing of the great tribulation?)

He also counsels Thyatira:

Revelation 2:25 But that which YE have already hold fast till I come.

To the church of Sardis he writes:

Revelation 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on THEE as a thief, and THOU shalt not know what hour I will come upon THEE.

To the church of Philadelphia he writes:

Revelation 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

We see that at least five of the seven churches were admonished because of the urgency of Christ’s coming. The other two received admonishments that are clearly referring to a near judgment.

John used the word quickly, not only because he had direct revelation from God, but also because he understood the Lord Jesus Christ and the Olivet discourse. John had seen the signs and, therefore, knew that his generation were the ones who would be alive at the Lord’s coming. This brings us to an important phrase concerning the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

YET A LITTLE WHILE
(A Very, Very Little While)

Jesus said in John 7:33 “Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me,”; and in John 13:33, “Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.” Christ obviously did not wait two thousand years to ascend to the Father to take the throne; nor was Jesus physically on the earth for two thousand years. John 12:35 reads “Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.” John 14:19 also says, “Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.” The Greek word mikron is used in these verses which clearly speak of “a small space of time or degree” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance). In Hebrews, a phrase is used that is employed nowhere else in the N.T., yet it contains the same word used in the above passages:

Hebrews 10:36-37 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

The Greek phrase “a little while” is eti gar mikron oson oson. Translation: “For yet A VERY LITTLE WHILE.” There is not a Greek scholar who can contend with this phrase. The promise remains certain: “He that shall come will come, and will not tarry.” How many times have we heard people say, “If the Lord tarries we will do this or that?” The passage says He “will NOT tarry.” Once again, “He that shall come WILL come.” He did not fail. Not only did He come, but He came when He said He was going to come: “in a little while.” We must also consider the audience addressed here. Verse 36 says, “For YE have need of patience, that, after YE have done the will of God, YE might receive the promise.” Here we see the guarantee that they would receive the Promise, and that in a little while. Were they disappointed? Did Christ or the writer of Hebrews fool them? Did Christ lie? God Forbid! “For it is impossible for God to lie.” God was holding true to the promise He gave on Mt. Olivet. He told His disciples that their generation would “not pass away until all things be fulfilled.” This brings us to a very crucial word concerning the coming of Christ and His kingdom.

ALL THESE THINGS SHALL COME UPON THIS GENERATION
(Within Forty Years)

The word generation was one of the first words that truly made me think that Christ said He was returning in the lifetime of the apostles. I was about thirteen or fourteen years old at the time. I went to my dispensationalist pastor to find the answer. (After all, pastors have all the answers...don’t they?) He graduated with a Th.M. from Dallas Theological Seminary with honors in Hebrew and Greek. The answer I received from him regarding the definition of the word generation was, “It means race.” He said this with authority.

Back then, I was not familiar with using the Strong’s concordance so I just took his word for it. That was my problem. I took his word for it. I did not find out until years later when confronted by an inconsistent preterist that the word generationdoes not mean “race.” This inconsistent preterist told me it meant exactly what it said and that I should check it with Strong’s. I did. He was right! There is a word in the Bible that does mean “race.” It is the Greek word genos. (1085. genos, ghen'-os; from G1096; "kin" (abstr. or concr., lit. or fig., indiv. or coll.):--born, country (-man), diversity, generation, kind (-red), nation, offspring, stock). Unfortunately for me, so I thought, the word for generation is genea. (1074. genea, ghen-eh-ah'; from (a presumed der. of) G1085; a generation; by impl. an age (the period or the persons):--age, generation, nation, time.) Strongs’s Nevertheless, the inconsistency of this “preterist” in separating the 70 A.D. destruction of Jerusalem from the glorification of saints became very apparent. Needless to say, the great and sovereign God changed my stubborn heart. He even changed my will. “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth” (Psalms 110:3). For this I praise the reigning King!!!

Back to generation: First, it is imperative to understand the Bible’s explicit definition of the word generation. This can be found in the book of Hebrews:

Hebrews 3:7-10 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. 10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.

Another passage that defines the word generation is found in Acts 8 where the Ethiopian eunuch is approached by Philip while reading Isaiah 53:

Acts 8:33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.

Jesus probably did not live more than thirty three years. “His generation” and “His life” are terms that correlate with each other, signifying the timing of His life and ministry. Also, in Acts, is the sermon of Paul regarding Christ and His fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant:

Acts 13:36 For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:

What happened after David “served his own generation?” He died. His serving his own generation was the period of time that he was king of Israel. How long did David serve his generation, i.e. how long was he king? We find an indisputable passage that defines the generation of which Paul spoke:

1 Kings 2:11And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.

In light of these clear definitions of generation, let us look at the other passages containing the same word.

Matthew 11:16-19 But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, 17 And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. 19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.

Jesus was referring to the Pharisees of His day. This is proven by vs.18, in which He mentions the name of John the Baptist, and vs.19, where He mentions Himself. It was particularly their generation that came into contact with John and Jesus, and the Pharisees rejected them both; thus, the words: “But whereunto shall I liken THIS generation?”

Matthew 12:38-42 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, WE would see a sign from thee. 39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: 40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. 42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

Clearly, the Pharisees wanted proof that Jesus was truly the Messiah and the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant. Therefore, they wanted to OBSERVE the lame walk, the blind see, and the deaf hear. It is because of this that Jesus said, “An evil and adulterous GENERATION seeketh after a sign.” Jesus was addressing them. Even beyond that, He told them that the Gentiles would rise in the judgment with their generation. Yet another passage that identifies the specific generation to whom Jesus was referring is found in Matthew 17:

Matthew 17:14-17 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, 15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is a lunatic, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. 16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. 17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with YOU? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.

The generation that had the privilege of seeing the miracles of Christ was continually being reproved for its lack of faith. They actually were able to SEE the miracles and still doubted the power of God. Christ, accordingly, designated THEM as a faithless and perverted generation. The question of Christ in regard to their faithlessness is certainly proof of the identity of their generation: “how long shall I be WITH YOU?” It is unmistakably clear in this passage that Christ exactly defined his audience.

Peter told the people in his day to “save yourselves from this untoward generation” (Acts 2:40). The whole theme of the epistles was urgently preparing the professing Christians for the Day of the Lord. The Jews of the first-century were warned to not draw back unto the perdition of the condemned Pharisees. Peter compelled the Jews to repent from the dead works of the Pharisees.

In Luke 17, we find a passage pertaining to the second coming that also uses genea:

Luke 17:24-25 For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. 25 But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.

It is obvious which generation crucified the Lord of glory: i.e. the generation by whom He suffered many things. Interestingly, Jesus said, “He must first suffer many things and be rejected of this generation.” This definitely gives strong implication that the timing of the two events (Christ’s suffering and His coming: cf. 1 Peter 1:11) is within the same generation, or forty-year period.

Perhaps the strongest passage (besides Hebrews 3:7-10) that classifies the limit of scope pertaining to those who would be alive at the second coming is found in Matthew chapter twenty-three:

Matthew 23:13-39 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. 14 WOE unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. 15 WOE unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. 16 WOE unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! 17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? 18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. 19 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? 20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. 21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. 22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. 23 WOE unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. 25 WOE unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 WOE unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. 29 WOE unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, 30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. 32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. 33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? 34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: 35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. 36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. 37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Seven times Jesus identifies His audience as “scribes and Pharisees.” He labels them as hypocrites, fools, blind guides, full of extortion and excess, whited sepulchres which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness, and lastly, generation of vipers. The Greek word used in vs.33 for generation is different from that in vs.36 It is the word gennema which Strong’s defines as offspring. If Jesus wanted to clarify that He was referring to the race or offspring in vs.36, He certainly would have used gennema. However, this is not the case. Jesus was ever so explicit in declaring to the scribes and the Pharisees that upon them “would come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. 36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.”; in other words, “upon those living now.”

Do not begin to think the attributes Jesus used to describe the Pharisees do not apply to the false teachers of our generation. They most definitely do. However, we are not to interpret the Bible based upon our experience but, rather, base our experience upon the Bible. That is, the apostates of our day are not the Pharisees of Christ’s day. They may do the same things and end up in the same lake of fire, but they are not the same people. In fact, if we carefully analyze our experiences and compare them with Scripture, we will find that what we previously thought were fulfillments of prophecy in our day were actually fulfilled during the lifetime of the apostles.

An extremely lucid passage that unequivocally associates the timing of the first-century generation is in the Gospel of Mark:

Mark 8:38-9:1 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. 9:1 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.

Finally, we see the word generation used in the Olivet discourse. After describing the signs that would take place before the destruction of the Temple, Jesus uses the same word generation to let the hearers know that He would do “all these things” before their forty-year generation would “pass away.”

Matthew 24:32-34 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: 33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. 34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

We have already examined the use of the word eggizo (drawing near) and eggus (at hand), and that the epistles clearly teach that the coming of the Lord was drawing near and at hand. Eggus is the same word used in Matthew 24:32,33. Therefore, Jesus was teaching that the generation to whom He was speaking would experience His parousia.

As we have seen, the very clear time statements of Scripture conveyed with certainty that the coming of the Lord was going to take place during their lifetime. We noted that a first-century recipient of one of the epistles would never assume that an inspired writer of the Bible would be trying to fool his audience. When Paul said “at hand,” or James said “draweth nigh,” the audience knew what the writers were communicating. There are numerous other passages that would positively lead the hearers to believe that Jesus was coming back during their generation. These passages will not contain such explicit time statements as those we have previously studied. Rather, these passages will expose the grammatically natural assumptions of the audience as they understood the Lord and the inspired apostles.