JEFF DURBIN APOLOGIA STUDIOS: "THIS GENERATION" MATTHEW 24:34

Matthew 24 and "This Generation"

Truly, I say to you, this generation (ἡ γενεά αὔτη) will not pass away until all these things take place. (Matthew 24:34 cf. Mark 13:30; Luke 21:32).

Partial preterist Jeff Durbin speaks very confidently about bible prophecy, but he should be worried. Those who misinterpret the scriptures will face God's judgement. (Revelation 22:18-19 cf. Deuteronomy 4:2; Proverbs 30:5-6).

 

Durbin's preterist claims are perplexing on a number of levels, especially the claim that 70AD fulfilled the events of Matthew 24. It is self-evident that the key events from Matthew 24:15 onwards are yet to be fulfilled and did not occur during the lifespan of Jesus' audience. Ecumenist CS Lewis' claimed that Mathew 24:34 is "the most embarrassing verse in the Bible".1 Unless we choose to follow Lewis' poor example and accuse Jesus of error, then we should give Matthew 24:34 proper consideration in light of other passages of scripture. (Luke 1:37). The general consensus is that the book of Revelation was written in 95AD, following the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD. This information indicates a future fulfillment of events following the abomination of desolation event. (Matthew 24:15-30). The book of Revelation describes "what must soon come to pass" (Revelation 1:1,3,19;4:1; 22:6,16). The Greek context of "come soon" suggests that eschatological events will happen quickly and suddenly rather than within a short period of time. Jesus' failure to identify the time of His return (Matthew 24:36 cf. Matthew 25:19 cf. James 5:7-8) should deter dispensational date setters and preterist deniers from making false assumptions. 

One interpretation of Matthew 24:34 is that it refers to a future generation, i.e., those alive when the predicted events occur. I was relatively happy to accept this interpretation until recently. However, Ryan Meyer's thesis and subsequent book "This Generation in Matthew 24:34 and The New Exodus: (SJCTMS 2)"2 based on the lexical background of the noun "generation" is compelling.

Meyer argues that commentators have misunderstood the word "generation" and have applied it to the English understanding of the term. He cites the Brill Dictionary of Ancient Greek. Meyer: "They have all kinds of translation options or glosses depending on the category. It could mean something like race, family stock, breed descendants, place of birth origin." 3  Other lexicons confirm this information.4

Further evidence for Meyer's thesis is found in the Old Testament use of the equivalent Hebrew term (dowr) in what is referred to as "the Song of Moses" in Deuteronomy 32. The phrases: they are a crooked and twisted generation.. for they are a perverse generation.. (Deuteronomy 32:5,20) refer to the Hebrew people group rather than a specific generation. Meyer argues convincingly that Jesus' use of "generation" in Matthew 12:39 and again in Matthew 24:34 allude to the Song of Moses. It is widely acknowledged that Matthew has rich connections to the Old Testament. The exact number of Old Testament citations in Matthew varies among scholars, primarily because they are often indirect references and quotations. 

This comprehensive interpretation of "generation" is groundbreaking in that, rather than interpreting this term solely as a temporal generation contemporaneous with Jesus’s earthly ministry, a qualitative sense of the phrase becomes a viable alternative. In other words, according to Meyer, "this generation" is a transtemporal term that refers specifically to a people group, namely the Jewish people collectively. 

Throughout the Old Testament, the theme of Israel's unfaithfulness and God's subsequent rebuke is a recurring narrative that underscores the covenant relationship between God and His chosen people. This relationship, established through the Abrahamic, Mosaic, and Davidic covenants, is marked by God's faithfulness and Israel's repeated lapses into idolatry and disobedience.5  Despite the frequent rebukes and warnings given to Israel, the prophets also spoke of a future hope and the restoration of Israel. The concept of a "New Exodus" refers to the prophetic and eschatological expectation of a future deliverance and restoration of Israel and Judah, analogous to the original Exodus from Egypt. Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant they broke, though I was a husband to them. But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people. (Jeremiah 31:31-33). 

1. Most Embarrassing Verse In The Bible
2. This Generation in Matthew 24:34 and The New Exodus: (SJCTMS 2): Meyer, Ryan E., Marsh, Cory M.: 9798988237648: Amazon.com: Books
3. A Better Understanding of This Generation in Matthew 24:34 with Ryan Meyer
4. Strong's Greek: 1074. γενεά (genea) -- Generation
5. Topical Bible: God's Rebuke of Israel's Unfaithfulness