As mentioned in the previous episode, we did say that the reason why people are doubting the coming of Christ is because of misconstrued scriptures. In this sequel, we want to consider one or two of those misconstrued scriptures.
1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. Matthew 24:1-2
Jesus entered the temple in Matthew 21:23 and stepped out of the temple in chapter 24. So, it was when he came out that the conversation of Matthew 24 started. The disciples came to him whilst sitting across the temple, because Mount Olive was east of the temple – as a matter of fact, sitting on mount Olive gives a beautiful view of the temple. That was what the disciples were showing to Jesus because the temple was one of the prides of the time, an edifice that the world admires. Imagine them telling Jesus how beautiful the temple is, supposing him to exalt their national pride, but started to hear something different. Jesus said to them that they should not see the temple because it was going to be thrown down, and truly, historian agreed that the destruction of the temple was one of the most precise prophecies of the Bible, there is no doubt that it happened in 70 AD.
Now, there is a misconstruing in this verse because there seems to be a timestamp on some of Jesus’ word which looks unfulfilled in those timestamps. One of the misconstrued words in this Matthew is, “this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled”. In responding to the disciples’ questions (note that the disciples asked three questions), Jesus talked about six things: 1) the world going through a birth pain – ready for a new life, and that was when he mentioned the experience of pestilences, nation rising against nation, war, famines, earthquakes etc. and he mentioned that all these are the beginning of sorrow, meaning that they will continue to happen, not just that, but they will get worse. Obviously, what was obtainable 2000 years ago when Jesus made those statements isn’t what is obtainable now, the birth pang has increased, and it will continue to increase. If we therefore pay attention to the part that says, all these are the beginning of sorrow, we will know that there is a time-continuity factor. The world wasn’t going to end when Jesus left the scene. 2) hatred for the name of Christ: we see that happening today. 3) Iniquity abounding – the type of iniquity that will make the love of the diligent cold. Before your love can grown cold, it means it was once burning in you, so this love isn’t just referring to anybody but those who genuinely love God. 4) the signs in the heavens. 5) false Christs and false prophets, which is also fulfilling right before our eyes. 6) is the coming of the son of man in great glory.
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. 35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. Matt 24:32-35
Let’s read the account of Luke in Luke 21 and the account of Mark in Mark 30.
29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; 30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. 31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. 32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. 33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. Luke 21:29-33
30 Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done. Mark 13:30
We see here Jesus affirmatively saying that a generation would not pass till all those things we have summarised are fulfilled. Since it is certain that it must come to pass, the next question we want to ask ourselves is, what generation?
Looking at it from some projections, some people say that it is the Jewish Age. The Jewish age as believed by some ended when Titus conquered the land of the Jews. Christ made that statement in AD 33, and Jerusalem was invaded in AD 70 which made it 37 years apart. We know that a generation is 40 years. Looking by this, it appears that the prophecy of the invasion of Jerusalem happened in that generation, but the question now is, all the things Jesus said in Matthew 24, did they also happen in AD 70? No! Because the coming of the son of man did not happen in AD 70. Therefore, this insight doesn’t give a perfect fulfilment of that passage.
The second assumption is that Jesus was talking about the people on ground (alive) at that time, but of all of them are all gone, and not all those prophecies are fulfilled. We can’t rest on that as well. If we also pick the parable of the fig tree, Israel gained their independence in 1948, adding 40 years to that is 1988, and not all the prophecies are fulfilled, let’s try to elongate it by 70 years according to David in psalms, that would be 2018 and we are still here on earth. So that doesn’t clearly interpret that prophecy. Brothers, if you can punch calculator to know when Jesus would come, Jesus would not say that no man would know of that day and hour when Christ would return. Now, this is easy for someone to have doubt and conclude the Bible is wrong, but no, it is not. Heaven and earth will pass away, but Christ word would not to unfulfilled.
The truth is, there is nothing you can do to convince someone who would not believe. Matthew 24:2 that we read about fulfilled precisely, yet some people because of this would give their conclusion, but the truth is, nothing is wrong with God’s word, it is your interpretation of it that is wrong. So, what generation is Christ talking about?
It will interest you to know that Jesus had used this statement, “this generation” in his conversations in the temple before he finally used it in verse 34. Remember he entered the temple in chapter 21.
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. Matt 23:29-36
Let’s read other places where Jesus uses the word, “this generation”
16 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. Matthew 11:16-19
38 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: Matt 12:38-39
33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. 34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. Matthew 33-35
You can trace your ancestral lineage to two sources. You can trace it physically, but you also have spiritual ancestry. This is applicable to every man including Christ himself (Rom 1:3). Physically Jesus was the son of David and spiritually, the son of God. This people that Jesus keeps referring to as generation of vipers, what is he really saying? Let’s see it in John 8:39-44
39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. 40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. 41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. 42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Physically, the people Jesus was talking to were descendant of Abraham, but spiritually, they are descendant of Cain, and right here, he identified their ancestry, he told them, they are of their father the devil. To ask you? What is your spiritual lineage? If you are not renewable by the word of God, you may need to consider where you are from, because there was no way the religious people of Jesus’ time would have believed him. They are not from God. Before Jesus came, John had been calling them that – generation of vipers! They are the seed of the serpent. Jesus said, all these things must come upon this generation. You want to ask yourself, why was he holding them responsible for Cain’s sin – the killing of Abel? These are people in AD 33, He knows it’s the same generation. He was accusing them of killing Zacharias. It’s the same spirit – the same serpent. Therefore, this generation will not pass until Christ (the seed of the woman) gets His victory. And that is why what will happen in the chapter is the son of man coming in glory. Christ’s word cannot be wrong. The seed of the woman would bruise the head of serpent!
Brothers, the word of God cannot change, you are the one to change, so you need to check yourself to ensure that the word of God is renewing you. We have the highest calling to be called the bride of Christ, and we believe that this is the message that is introducing us to the bridegroom. Before the king comes, there must be somebody heralding his coming, the king we are expecting is the king of kings. The first time the king came, His coming was heralded, John did that. And if the king is coming this second time, somebody has to herald His coming, William Marrion Branham did that. We know that by the nature and fruit of that ministry. We are glad to be called into it. Shalom