Today’s reading: Matthew 24 and Psalm 97
Matthew chapters 24 and 25 are Jesus’ own sermon on His second coming. Chapter 24 starts out with the disciples asking with immense anticipation, “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”
Jesus responds, “Take heed that no man deceive you.” I thought this was one of the most interesting (and totally loaded response) in the chapter so I wrote on it for BibleJournal.net almost 2 years ago.
Since I have the privilege of another opportunity to write on this chapter I would like to discuss another statement Jesus made that stood out to me.
“Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” (Matthew 25:34)
The question here is, who is ‘this generation’? There are several interpretations, one popular is that ‘this generation’ refers to the elect. In my estimation, Jesus would have just said ‘you’ or something clearer if that were the case. I have come to think this is a statement of the elapsed timing of the tribulation. That is, a generation of time will pass from the beginning to the conclusion of the end of days. Put another way, the generation that sees the beginning of the birthing pains of the end days will also see Jesus’ return. What do you think?
32 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. – Matthew 24:32-34
Christmas is almost here! It’s a great time to renew and refocus our anticipation of Christ’s second coming!