Mkuu, kwa uelewa wangu mdogo nafahamu waebrania wanachukulia generation kama ukingo wa watu wa waliokuwa hai katika kipipndi fulani, mfano sisi na baba zetu na watoto wetu tunaweza kuwa a generation, utafika wakati hakutakuwa na mmoja wetu aliye hai (when the las of us dies) generation yetu inakuwa imepita. Tukiangalia Mwanzo 15: 13-16 ([SUP]13[/SUP]....Ujue hakika ya kwamba wazawa wako watakaa kama wageni katika nchi isiyo yao,watakuwa watumwa na kuteswa kwa muda wa miaka mia nne,....[SUP]16[/SUP] wazawa wako watarudi hapa katika kizazi cha nne,...) Hapo naona miaka mia nne imechukuliwa kuwa generation nne, hivyo kwa wastani generation moja miaka mia (japo sehem zingine kwenye biblia inaonesha ni less). Angalia pia Mathayo 16 mstari wa 28 Yesu anakuwa more specific.
Nawasilisha MKuu.
Sio uelewa mdogo mkuu, tunajifunza wote.
There are two keys to understanding the prophecy of the Lord's Second Coming as revealed in Matthew 24, known as the Olivet Discourse. The first is to understand Matthew 24:3 while the second is that Mark and Luke write about this topic. The three together: Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 are called synoptic gospels and need to be studied together for the complete picture and understanding.
The reason Matthew 24:3 is so important is it shows that the Lord Jesus is addressing three questions.
These topics must be kept in mind when reading the chapters to understand what question He is addressing. The three questions are:
1. When shall these things be? (This is the destruction of the temple that was currently standing.)
2. The sign of your (Second) coming.
3. The end of the world.
Matthew 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us,
when shall these things be? and
what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of
the end of the world?
With this in mind, let's look at Matthew 24:34 and the context in which it was located. In the preceding verses, the Lord was addressing question three which is the "sign of his coming". This is found in verses 29-31.
Matthew 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear
the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (31) And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Then in the following verse, He gives a parable about the the "fig tree" putting forth its leaves you know the summer is near. The fig tree blooms very late in the spring, and when it does, you know that summertime is very close. It is as a timepiece or calendar for an event.
Matthew 24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
The use of the word fig tree is very significant because in the Bible it can represent the nation of Israel. God uses this metaphor and others like it because the nation is supposed to bear spiritual fruit for Him. This is a very important parable as it is found in all three gospel accounts: Mark 13:28 and Luke 21:29.
Hosea 9:10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the
fig tree at her first time …
When studying the gospels there are many times that the Lord uses a parable about the fig tree. They are usually about bearing fruit which Israel was not and the destruction of the tree for being fruitless. In Matthew 24:32, He is talking about the fig tree coming to life and getting ready to bear fruit and not its destruction.
The context of Matthew 24:34 is the generation that sees the events coming to pass regarding the end of the age and the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus. THIS generation shall not pass until all the events are fulfilled.
Matthew 24:29,30 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear
the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
(31) And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
(32,33) 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.
Luke 21 gives a tremendous key to the setting of the generation mentioned in Matthew 24:34. Luke establishes that it is connected with the destruction and restoration of Jerusalem. So, events involving Jerusalem become the setting for the final generation. In verse 21, Luke writes about the destruction and what to look for. This is describing when the city is about to be destroyed. This answers the first question: When Shall These Things Be?
Luke 21:20 And when ye shall see
Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. (21) Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.
Luke then goes on to say that the destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity of the people would not be forever. That Jerusalem would be under the control of the non Jews for only a certain period of time. The exact amount of time is not mentioned, but the conclusion would be known as the events would focus on Jerusalem.
Luke 21:24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and
Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles,
until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
After the end of the non Jewish control of Jerusalem would come the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. So, according to the synoptic gospels regarding the Olivet Discourse, we are now living in the generation that will not pass away until all things be fulfilled.
Luke 21:25,26 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
(27)
And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
The Jews are once again back on the land and Israel is a nation. As prophesied by the Lord Jesus and the prophets, Jerusalem is once again the capital of a Jewish nation. Hebrew was a dead language, but it was revived and is the national language of Israel. They even have shekels for money! The fig tree is once again ready to bloom, so we know that the summer or Second Coming of the Lord Jesus is near.
Luke 21:32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.
The Lord then went on they should watch for they never knew when these events would start to take place.
Matthew 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
The watching is not limited to this generation but every generation until the Lord Jesus returns.