This
two-word question
Has
caused quite a stir
And
what was clearly expressed
Became
particularly blurred.
Not
so much what was said
But
what was said about it,
The
views became the news-
Another
people’s habit.
Throughout
the book of Mathew
The
word generation is used,
Thirteen
times you will find it
You
can go there and peruse.
Of
the thirteen times recorded
Twelve
were spoken by Jesus,
This
generation in that time
Could
not be speaking of us.
We
know what it is not
It
is not any generation since,
“This
generation” is found six times
And
that is my sure defense.
Which
generation did Jesus mean?
That
to which he was speaking,
That
generation of vipers, it is clear,
Overtly
selfish and self-seeking.
Of
the Pharisees and Sadducees
That
came to his baptism,
This
generation of vipers, he called them,
That
lavished him with criticism.
That
evil and adulterous generation
Seeking
after a sign,
Yet
right before them was that sign
But
they saw it at no time.
Here
was the sign of Jonas
That
occurred in their generation
But
they could not see the forest-
The
trees were a major problem.
“All
these things,” Jesus said,
Shall
come upon this generation,
What
things was he speaking of?
To
this, we must pay attention.
“Verily
I say unto you,
This
generation shall not pass,
Till
all these things be fulfilled.”
“What
things?” again I ask.
Matthew
24 gives the answer
Beginning
with the standing temple,
“Not
one stone will be left upon another”
He
said to his disciples.
For
the temple had been abused,
It
had become a virtual idol
And
the god the Pharisees worshipped
Was
not the God of the Bible.
As
Jesus sat on Mount of Olives
He
explained to them “these things”,
These
were troubles like never before-
The
future appeared quite grim.
Many
will claim to be Christ
And
deceive a lot of the people,
They
will hear of wars and rumours of war
But
they were not to be troubled.
Nation
shall rise against nation
And
kingdom and against kingdom,
Famines,
pestilences and earthquakes
Will
also add to this problem.
These
are but a few
Of
the difficulties they would face,
It
was of that generation Jesus spoke:
That
generation, that time, that place.
A
proper reading of the fig tree
Indicates
that summer is nigh,
That
generation understood this parable
On
its timing they could rely.
That
generation did not pass away
Till
all these things were fulfilled,
Who
are we going to believe?
Jesus
or contrary theologians still?
“This
generation” did not mean us
And
none of that generation is alive,
The
old covenant age has long ended
Now
it’s time for the Gospel drive.
Jesus
spoke of the end of that age
In
judgement the Son had come,
The
temple was destroyed and its rituals
And
the new covenant had begun.
Let
us be a part of the new temple
That
temple not built with hands,
There
is no need for another
From
the beginning this was God’s plan.
That
temple of living stones
Established
on and being built by Christ,
Why
worry about the dome on a rock
When
our living temple will suffice.
Let
us not return to Judaism
As
many had done in that day
But
let us evangelize until Jesus comes
Because
he is the life, the truth, the way.
Stewart
Russell © May 2020
