Pastor Jeff Durbin teaches on the Great Tribulation and the Olivet Discourse. What does it mean when Jesus says Israel will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven? What was Jesus quoting from when He referred to this? When did the Lord Jesus say this would occur? (Hint: “this generation“)
Note: Even though Pastor Durbin hails from the postmillennial perspective, AMILLENNIAL.org finds his teaching on “coming on the clouds” completely accurate. Though largely in sync with one another, the amillennial and postmillennial perspectives’ greatest difference remains amillennial’s more pessimistic view of the end times versus postmillennial’s assertion Christianity will expand as a physical presence to cover the globe (which actually seems very premillennial, when you say it like that.)
Did Jesus get his return wrong in Matthew 10:23? How should we understand Jesus’ meaning? What does “the coming of the Son of Man” mean? Here, Matthew 10:23, Daniel 7 and Matthew 28 are explained.
In Matthew’s Gospel in chapter 10, Jesus tells his disciples that they will not finish going throughout the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. Now, some people look at that and say this is clearly an evidence of where Jesus was wrong. He has not come back yet and the gospel has been preached throughout much of the whole world. But that reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the context of this passage. In order to understand what Jesus means, you have to understand what’s going on both in the Gospel of Matthew and also where the term, “the Son of Man” comes from.
First, what’s going on in the Gospel of Matthew? Well, Jesus tells His disciples to go out into the towns of Israel and to proclaim the coming of the kingdom, to proclaim what Christ is doing. But He tells them to not go to the Samaritans and to not go to the Gentiles. That’s very important to remember as we try to figure out why He tells them that. Still, what does it mean, this term “the Son of Man”?
Well, the term, “the Son of Man” comes from Daniel 7. There the prophet Daniel gives this vision of these four great beasts who rise up. These four great beasts represent different kingdoms of men that God eventually smites down and brings to nothing. Then there’s this vision of God sitting upon His throne in all His glory and one “like a son of man” comes to God the Father, and He has given all authority over the nations. So the “coming of the Son of Man” is not Him coming back to the earth, but it’s Him coming to the Father and being anointed with glory and honor and power and authority over the nations.
It’s the same thing that’s going on then in Matthew with that “Son of Man” term. Jesus says, “The Son of Man will not come until,” or “He will come before the gospel has gone out to all the nations” meaning all the towns of Israel. So what does that mean? Well, it means that the Son of Man is going to come to the Father and receive authority over the nations (per Daniel 7) before the gospel has been preached in all the towns of Israel.
And that’s exactly what happens in the Gospel of Matthew.
In Matthew 28, after the resurrection, Jesus tells His disciples that this prophecy has been fulfilled because He has been given all authority in Heaven and Earth. He tells His disciples not to just preach to the towns of Israel, but to go into preach to all nations. So the prophecy of the coming of the Son of Man in Matthew 10 is fulfilled in Matthew 28 as Jesus–through His death and resurrection–is given all authority in Heaven and Earth and He has commissioned His church to go out now and to preach–not just to the Jews–but to every nation.
This is the fourth message in an end-times series by Dr. Sproul on the last days. Jesus’ prophecy of His return includes both literal predictions and apocalyptic language. How do we know when to understand the Scriptures literally or symbolically?
This is the third message in the end-times series by Dr. Sproul on the last days. At the Mount of Olives, the disciples asked Jesus when He would return. In this message, R.C. Sproul considers Jesus’ surprising answer.
This is the 5th in a series of classes on the end times by R.C. Sproul. Critics have argued that Jesus did not return when He predicted. In this message on the last days, Dr. Sproul examines this supposedly unfulfilled prophecy and defends the Bible’s credibility.
If we look at other instances of “this generation” in Scripture, we see a clear pattern emerge:
Genesis 7:1
“And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.”
(Refers to that generation.)
Psalm 12:7
“Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.”
(Refers to that generation.)
Psalm 71:18
“Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.”
(Refers to that generation.)
Psalm 95:10
“Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:”
(Refers to that generation.)
Matthew 11:16
“But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows,”
(Refers to that generation, first century.)
Matthew 12:41
“The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.”
(Refers to that generation, first century.)
Matthew 12:42
“The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.”
(Refers to that generation, first century.)
Matthew 23:36
“Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.”
(Refers to that generation, first century.)
Mark 8:12
“And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.”
(Refers to that generation, first century.)
Luke 7:31
“And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?”
(Refers to that generation, first century.)
Luke 11:29
“And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.”
(Refers to that generation, first century.)
Luke 11:30
“For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.”
(Refers to that generation, first century.)
Luke 11:31
“The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.”
(Refers to that generation, first century.)
Luke 11:32
“The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.”
(Refers to that generation, first century.)
Luke 11:50
“That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;”
(Refers to that generation, first century.)
Luke 11:51
“From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.”
(Refers to that generation, first century.)
Luke 17:25
“But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.”
(Refers to that generation, first century.)
But, for some reason, there is a strong desire by some well-meaning folks, to try and separate “this generation” in Matthew 24:34, Mark 13:30, and Luke 21:32 by 2,000 years so it can mean our current generation. This is abusing the text.
Matthew 24:34
“Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.”
Mark 13:30
“Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.”
Luke 21:32
“Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.”