Vanderhoven7 - Jesus was clearly talking about the stones of the literal temple. Find me one Bible scholar which thinks otherwise. Even the Watchtower admits this.
We know that happened. But in the last days, it was to occur again on a spiritual level. (1 Cor 15:46) The Wt. is responsible for throwing down and scattering “living stones”. Forgive me if I am wrong, but I believe you never were a JW, is that right? For some who have spent years inside, you come to understand the perils the anointed are facing – that is, after you awake from its delusion. The GB are believed to be anointed (doubt all, in my opinion), “living stones”/ priests/ a “faithful slave/steward”/ of God’s spiritual household. (Luke 12:42; Matt 24:45) Yet, they have barred their brothers and sisters in Christ from working as a body under their Head, while the GB have their own “Gentile” elder body, not anointed, whom they work with. This “body” is under their “head” and direction, the GB, connecting with them; and the GB rely on them to convey their doctrine of men. (Luke 22:24-26) The anointed on the other hand, are threaten from gathering under Jesus Christ, from answering only to his word, to his guidance under Holy Spirit. The sarcastic threats come through statements such as…
“…anointed Christians do not view themselves as being part of an elite club. They do not seek out others who claim to have the same calling, hoping to bond with them or endeavoring to form private groups for Bible study. Such efforts would cause divisions within the congregation and work against the holy spirit, which promotes peace and unity.” W 16 pg 24
Can you imagine the arrogance to tell an anointed one, who experienced Holy Spirit poured into their heart, that they cannot bond and study the word of God with their own spiritual brothers and sisters in Christ? This “unity” and false sense of peace and security (1 Thess 5:3) that the organization strives to maintain under false prophets/christs as their only head, is an evil dichotomy to the unity that God’s anointed priests are to support under Jesus Christ. (1 Cor 12; Rom 12:3-9; Eph 4:1-5)
1 Cor 12:24-26 – “Instead, God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the less honorable, 25 so that there would be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other. 26 So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”
They have fallen into a trap of a powerful deception. This “steward” is wicked, the “faithful and discreet slave” is wicked. And the anointed have been greatly deceived into supporting it. (Luke 16:1-2; Matt 24:48-51)
Matt 24:24-25 - For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. 22 And unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the [j]elect (“chosen ones” – Isa 43:10; 1 Pet 2:9) those days will be cut short. 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the [o]elect (“chosen ones”).
25 Behold, I have told you in advance.“
Acts 20:29-31 - “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Men will rise up even from your own number and distort the truth to lure the disciples into following them. 31 Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for three years I never stopped warning each one of you with tears.”
2 Pet 2:1-3 – “There were indeed false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, and will bring swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved ways, and the way of truth will be maligned because of them. 3 They will exploit you in their greed with made-up stories. Their condemnation, pronounced long ago, is not idle, and their destruction does not sleep.
1 Tim 4:1 – “Now the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will depart from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, 2 through the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared.”
The book of Revelation was written after the destruction of Jerusalem.
Rev 11:1-2 - Then I was given a measuring reed like a rod, with these words: “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count those who worship there. 2 But exclude the courtyard outside the temple. Don’t measure it, because it is given to the nations,[c] (“Gentiles”) and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months.
The “Gentile” elder body that “represents the priesthood” is a doctrine that cannot be “challenged”. The “holy city” is New Jerusalem, the Temple of God, comprised of “living stones”. 1 Pet 2:5,9; 1 Cor 3:16,17; Gal 4:26 The Wt. “Beast” has mentally, spiritually and emotionally, trampled the anointed “saints” through false doctrine, and threats of loss of family and friends, if they dare stand for the teachings of Jesus Christ. (John 16:2; Heb 13:13) Their “daily sacrifices” of praise to be offered from their heart, has been removed and replaced by a counterfeit priesthood in the elder body, who offer sacrifices of praise to an organizational idol, their fortress. (1 Pet 2:5; Heb 13:15; Mal 3:14-15; Dan 11:36,38;8:11,24; Rev 13:1-2,5-7,4) (Dan 8:25; 2 Thess 2:8)
They, who should be the teachers (Mal 2:7) have been symbolically disrobed and silenced, mimicking what a wicked slave and entourage expect them to teach. We have ample proof that anything taught beyond the realm of the Wt., is considered apostasy.
Dan 7:23-25; Rev 11:1-2; Dan 12:11
Vanderhoven7 - Regarding the reference to "this generation" at Luke 21:32, Professor Joel B. Green notes: "In the Third Gospel, 'this generation' (and related phrases) has regularly signified a category of people who are resistant to the purpose of God.
"A category of people". That's a good way to put it, but how broad is that category. We can look at the physical generation of the time of Christ, and we can also consider the two spiritual generations since Gen 3:15. Two seeds at war, that arise or “generate”.
“Our father is Abraham,” they replied. “If you were Abraham’s children,” Jesus told them, “you would do what Abraham did. John 8:39
41 You’re doing what your father does.” “We weren’t born of sexual immorality,” they said. “We have one Father—God.”
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I came from God and I am here. For I didn’t come on my own, but he sent me.
They are part of a generation of vipers. Matt 12:34, two translations:
“You offspring of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil (wicked)? For out of the fullness (the overflow, the superabundance) of the heart the mouth speaks.”
“O generation of vipers, how can you speak good things, whereas you are evil? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”
“You are of your father the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44
Those who rightfully have as their Father, God, are of a righteous generation.
Hallelujah!
Happy is the person who fears the Lord,
taking great delight in his commands.
2 His descendants will be powerful in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed. Psalm 112:1-2
We are the physical offspring of our father and mother, one generation.
We can choose our Father, God, and our mother, the new covenant/promise of life fulfilled in the completed Temple, with the Bride of Christ. (Gal 4:24,26,31; Rev 21:2), and be born of God's Spirit, or…we can choose Satan as our father, and the covenant promise of death – Babylon the Great, as our “mother”, and be born of Satan's spirit. (Isa 28:15,18)
Each comprise one spiritual generation - a "crooked and twisted generation" - Deut 32:5; Acts 2:40
Or, a righteous generation in imitation of God. Eph 5:1; Phil 2:15