Luke 21:29-33 (ESV)

And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

This is a difficult passage. Let’s tackle the last verse first.

Heaven and earth will pass away obviously means the end. But how can heaven pass away? Eternity is eternal. The Greek word translated here as “heaven” is “ur-an-os” and it can mean “heaven” (eternity) or “the heavens” (the sky, including outer space). Here, it can’t mean eternity. The earth, sun, moon and stars will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Jesus’ words will outlast the universe. Hmmm. Sounds like we’ll still study the Bible in eternity. Never thought about that.

Now, let’s look at verse 32. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. The Greek word translated as “generation” is “genea.” The Bauer, Arndt, Gingrich and Danker (BAGD) lexicon defines genea as:

1. family, descent, possibly nation – those descended from a common ancestor,
2. generation, contemporaries – the sum total of those born at the same time, expanded to include all those living at a given time,
3. age – the time of a generation,
4. not clear, family or origin may be closest. [See Acts 8:33, 1 Clement 5:1 and Isaiah 53:8 in the Septuagint.]

If it’s the first definition, it means that the Israelites (or some generalization thereof) will not be wiped out. However, many early Christians assumed it’s the second definition. They were surprised when the Lord tarried. Nevertheless, many scholars still prefer the second definition. However, they struggle to reconcile this chapter with the realities of history. But there’s a better reason to doubt that genea means generation. Why would Jesus impose a deadline on His return?

“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” – Matthew 24:36 (also Mark 13:32)

Even He doesn’t know when He’s coming back.

One of the things the first century Christians had that we don’t have is deadline pressure. They thought He was coming back in their lifetime. That kept them alert and on task. Conversely, we tend focus on other things. If Jesus hasn’t come back for the last 20 centuries, what’s the chance He’ll come back in this one?

Better than you might think. The Bible predicts that in the end times Israel will exist as a nation and that the ending will start in the Middle East.

The stage is set.

The weekly study guides, which include discussion questions, are available for download here:

https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/91-deep-studies