The best explanation of Matthew 24 and 'This Generation', that I've read so far
by Island Man 28 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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cofty
post hoc attempt to justify a failed prophecy.
It's no different from the "invisible presence" or the "overlapping generation".
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AFRIKANMAN
Its good thinking on the matter !
Very interesting read - and the folks there dont piss all over your head for commenting ..................even if you end up being a little off-center.
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kneehighmiah
That's a good forum. Respectfull posters. No one is forced to agree with the author. You can trash his premise without being ganged up on
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rocketman
Actually, I tend to agree with the assessment in the article, namely, that Jesus was referring to only the last part of the prophecy and that's the generation he was talking about - the one that sees 'the sign of the Son of Man' appear in heaven as related in verses 29-31.
In fact, I think the Society should have (and possibly still will in the future) applied 'this generation' to the generation that witnesses and lives during the Great Tribulation.
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Wasanelder Once
Well, if it were the WT's thinking to begin with that it was just a Rock Music Generation that Jesus was talking about he wouldn't have used the word that indicates a generation! lol These fools will do anything to make it work. Hey look what I pulled out of my butt! IT works, lets call it new light.
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steve2
It's great that the forum this was drawn from allows discussions. It's nice when people treat each other as intelligent and capable of forming their own views. But that has nothing to do with the truth or otherwise of the well worded opinion piece seeking to present yet another explanation of Matthew 24...like we really need more explanations!
The continued poring over of ancient texts to find a way to make them "fit" is always going to be discomforted by the fact that he ain't returned...and each generation spins their stories to provide nice "reasons" for why he ain't returned and to adduce "facts" that prove his return is so close. Think: Little boy and crying wolf.
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cofty
The best confirmation of what Jesus actually meant is to see how the early church viewed his words.
What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not - 1Corinthians 7:29
It was an apocalyptic cult making excuses for it's failures from the beginning.
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Crazyguy
I was thinking the same scripture cofty. Paul as well as john talk about the end being very near. John says in revelations that those that pierced him would see him and that the time was so short not to hide away the prophecy. In the last chapter of revelations john talked about the end being near in 5 verses.
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cofty
Also - In 1Thess. 4 we see the early church wrestling with questions that arose from the failure of Jesus to return as promised. Some had died already and the others wanted to know what would become of them.
According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.
There is not the slightest doubt in the mind of any honest, unbiased reader that Jesus promised his parousia would happen within the lifetime of his first followers and that the early church believed that.
Jesus was a false prophet.