Why did Jesus say, when speaking to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”, in Matthew 24? His disciples had asked him what the signs would be for the coming of the end of the age, and this was a part of his answer. You see, this answer could lead to some confusion because Jesus is speaking only to the Jews, not the Church. What does he mean by “this generation”? Many, many generations have passed since he spoke these words. The answer is in the term “generation.” It would be nice if the translators would use words that make things plane and not appear to be contradictory. When I looked up the word, here is what I found:
From (a presumed derivative of) G1085; a generation; by implication an age (the period or the persons): - age, generation, nation, time.
The Bible is not contradictory; the translators may be using words that we understand differently. If they had included the word “nation,” we would understand the text to mean the Jewish nation would not pass away until all these things take place.
Why do some people think Christians will face tribulation? Because he also mentions “the elect,” which are the saved. If all the saved are ruptured, it can only mean those Jews who accept Jesus as Savior after the rapture of the Church.
Forgive me for rambling this morning, but if I’m a little confused by some words in this chapter, I’m sure others are too. I’m just trying to clear up the muddy water.
And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. Matthew 24:22
Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Matthew 24:34
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