Matthew 24:34 – This Generation – Abiding Foundations

That’s incorrect, the study of the word genea is generated by its usages in the gospels and the LXX. It is when we study all the appropriate contexts that we can make a conclusion regarding what the word means contextually. My conclusion is derived by my study of the word, not the other way around.

//The section you cited of the use of generation as a pejorative, in each case in Matthew, is also in the near demonstrative. You make a false dichotomy to claim it’s not both.//

Unfortunately, you’ve failed to understand the argument. The trans-historical position recognizes the “near demonstrative” and includes both. You’re not representing the argument, nor the position accurately. I correct Demar on this as well.

https://sakeofthetruth.wordpress.com/2022/07/13/responding-to-gary-demars-critique-of-my-article-pt-2/

//No. It is truly that generation on whom the *condemnation* of the bloodshed fell on. The text says nothing of them as the agents of each murder. Jesus had already ruled out the inclusive trans-historical generation you seek to push into this text in 23:31. “You are the *sons* of those who murdered the prophets.”//

Incorrect, you’re ignoring vs. 35.

35 so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.

The claim is that the contemporaries of Jesus killed Zechariah, the son of Berechiah. This is simply impossible. I point this out to Demar as well:

https://sakeofthetruth.wordpress.com/2022/07/14/responding-to-gary-demars-critique-of-my-article-pt-3/

What is also impossible is that their fathers killed Abel (in any real sense), since we know that Abel was killed by Cain (which disconnects this group from Israel). What Jesus is doing is connecting all of them together as one unit (trans-historical), which extends outside of the Jews of Jesus’ day all the way back to Cain. Even the fathers of the scribes and Pharisees weren’t responsible for Abel’s death.

The other issue here is why the *sons* are being punished for the sins of the fathers if they are in no way connected? Why is the guilt of all righteous blood shed on earth falling on them? Did they kill Abel all the way down to Zechariah? No, impossible. Their fathers did as per vs. 31-32. This cannot be reconciled with Ezekiel 18:20 (from your perspective) which states:

20 The soul who sins will die. The son will not bear the iniquity of the father, nor will the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.

Yet, here we are told that the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth is tied to the contemporaries of Jesus. The reason they are all connected is because they are all tied to the seed of the serpent (Gen 3:15).

John 8:44
You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

1 John 3:8
The one who does sin is of the devil, because the devil sins from the beginning. The Son of God was manifested for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.

1 John 3:10
By this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifested: everyone who does not do righteousness is not of God, as well as the one who does not love his brother.

1 John 3:12
not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.

Jesus connected them all together as one unit and sees them as one unit as John rightly does in his gospel and his epistles. Jesus does this later with the separation of sheep and goats. The goats here are of the Father the devil and they are connected to their fathers because they are likened to their fathers, they carry the same qualitative attributes. This is why they are judged for their fathers iniquities, because they are all a part of the evil and wicked generation. This evil and wicked generation will exist until the time (all these things take place) when the wheat is separated from the chaff (Matthew 13) and the sheep are separated from the goats (Matthew 25).

My position is the only position that unifies all the information. The reduction of genea down to a singular generation (i.e., the contemporaries of Jesus) is simply not how Jesus uses the term, nor how anyone would understand the term. Other scholars have noted this as well:

https://sakeofthetruth.wordpress.com/2025/01/24/compiled-resources-responding-to-the-preteristic-understanding-of-matthew-2434-this-generation/

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3 thoughts on “Matthew 24:34 – This Generation”

Pingback: Compiled Resources Responding to the Preteristic Understanding of Matthew 24:34 “This Generation” – For the sake of the truth
erirad93 says:

April 4, 2025 at 11:08 am

Sorry, but this whole piece led with the conclusion to arrive at the premise.

The section you cited of the use of generation as a pejorative, in each case in Matthew, is also in the near demonstrative. You make a false dichotomy to claim it’s not both.

“In a text filled with important details we have one piece of information that stands out. In (vs.35), the second person plural “you” is used of the scribes and Pharisees as being the agents that murdered Abel down to Zechariah.”

No. It is truly that generation on whom the *condemnation* of the bloodshed fell on. The text says nothing of them as the agents of each murder. Jesus had already ruled out the inclusive trans-historical generation you seek to push into this text in 23:31. “You are the *sons* of those who murdered the prophets.”

It is the futurist who does not reconcile Matt 23:31 with 23:36.

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1. sakeofthetruth says:
  
  April 4, 2025 at 11:43 am
  
  That’s incorrect, the study of the word genea is generated by its usages in the gospels and the LXX. It is when we study all the appropriate contexts that we can make a conclusion regarding what the word means contextually. My conclusion is derived by my study of the word, not the other way around.
  
  //The section you cited of the use of generation as a pejorative, in each case in Matthew, is also in the near demonstrative. You make a false dichotomy to claim it’s not both.//
  
  Unfortunately, you’ve failed to understand the argument. The trans-historical position recognizes the “near demonstrative” and includes both. You’re not representing the argument, nor the position accurately. I correct Demar on this as well.
  
  https://sakeofthetruth.wordpress.com/2022/07/13/responding-to-gary-demars-critique-of-my-article-pt-2/
  
  //No. It is truly that generation on whom the *condemnation* of the bloodshed fell on. The text says nothing of them as the agents of each murder. Jesus had already ruled out the inclusive trans-historical generation you seek to push into this text in 23:31. “You are the *sons* of those who murdered the prophets.”//
  
  Incorrect, you’re ignoring vs. 35.
  
  35 so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.
  
  The claim is that the contemporaries of Jesus killed Zechariah, the son of Berechiah. This is simply impossible. I point this out to Demar as well:
  
  https://sakeofthetruth.wordpress.com/2022/07/14/responding-to-gary-demars-critique-of-my-article-pt-3/
  
  What is also impossible is that their fathers killed Abel (in any real sense), since we know that Abel was killed by Cain (which disconnects this group from Israel). What Jesus is doing is connecting all of them together as one unit (trans-historical), which extends outside of the Jews of Jesus’ day all the way back to Cain. Even the fathers of the scribes and Pharisees weren’t responsible for Abel’s death.
  
  The other issue here is why the *sons* are being punished for the sins of the fathers if they are in no way connected? Why is the guilt of all righteous blood shed on earth falling on them? Did they kill Abel all the way down to Zechariah? No, impossible. Their fathers did as per vs. 31-32. This cannot be reconciled with Ezekiel 18:20 (from your perspective) which states:
  
  20 The soul who sins will die. The son will not bear the iniquity of the father, nor will the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.
  
  Yet, here we are told that the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth is tied to the contemporaries of Jesus. The reason they are all connected is because they are all tied to the seed of the serpent (Gen 3:15).
  
  John 8:44
  You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
  
  1 John 3:8
  The one who does sin is of the devil, because the devil sins from the beginning. The Son of God was manifested for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.
  
  1 John 3:10
  By this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifested: everyone who does not do righteousness is not of God, as well as the one who does not love his brother.
  
  1 John 3:12
  not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.
  
  Jesus connected them all together as one unit and sees them as one unit as John rightly does in his gospel and his epistles. Jesus does this later with the separation of sheep and goats. The goats here are of the Father the devil and they are connected to their fathers because they are likened to their fathers, they carry the same qualitative attributes. This is why they are judged for their fathers iniquities, because they are all a part of the evil and wicked generation. This evil and wicked generation will exist until the time (all these things take place) when the wheat is separated from the chaff (Matthew 13) and the sheep are separated from the goats (Matthew 25).
  
  My position is the only position that unifies all the information. The reduction of genea down to a singular generation (i.e., the contemporaries of Jesus) is simply not how Jesus uses the term, nor how anyone would understand the term. Other scholars have noted this as well:
  
  https://sakeofthetruth.wordpress.com/2025/01/24/compiled-resources-responding-to-the-preteristic-understanding-of-matthew-2434-this-generation/
  
  LikeLike