A “speculative personal opinion” concerning this subject.
There is no doubt that during the time of John the Baptist, there was a lot of anticipation and expectation in Judea that some prophetic event was about to happen:
Mark 1:5 …there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.
Mark 1:7 And [John] preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.
Mark 1:8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. [Holy Spirit].
Lots of people were waiting for the appearance of the deliverer of Israel to suddenly appear and liberate the nation from Roman rule – the prophesied King of Israel.
When Jesus first appeared in Public life, Phillip found Nathaniel and said to him:
We have found him, of whom Moses in the Law and the prophets did write – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. Nathaniel said unto him, Can anything good come out of Nazareth? (John 1:41-46) [Bethlehem was the expected city.]
After meeting Jesus, Nathaniel declared: Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel. (John 1:49)
Three years later, Peter, James, John and Andrew questioned Jesus about the end of the age and the establishment of the Kingdom of God. Jesus responded that of that DAY and HOUR – no man knows, but my Father only. (Mk: 13:32, Mt.24:36)
Not only did they ask about the end of the age, but they also asked about the sign of his coming (Mt 24:3).
There is no doubt that the words Jesus spoke to his disciples were written for us today:
…woe unto them that that are with child, and to them that give suck IN THOSE DAYS. (Matt. 24:19)
…except THOSE DAYS should be shortened, no flesh would be saved alive. (Matt. 24:22)
Christ was not talking about “his” generation, but one that was yet future from his – “IN THOSE DAYS”. Notice that “JUDEAH” must be in existence for this prophecy to be fulfilled – IN THOSE DAYS:
Then, let them which be in “JUDEAH” flee into the mountains…(Matt. 24:16)
Christ mentioned that “this generation” [in those days of JUDEAH] shall not pass away until all things are fulfilled. That generation will see the return of Jesus Christ in Glory, the resurrection of the saints and the establishment of the Kingdom of God. It will be easier for Heaven and earth to pass away than for his words to pass away! (Matt. 5:18)
The name Judea is a Greek and Roman adaptation of the name “Judah”, which originally encompassed the territory of the Israelite tribe of that name and later of the ancient Kingdom of Judah. The area was the site of the Kingdom of Judah, a client kingdom of the Roman Empire. In modern times, the name “Yehudah” may be used by Hebrew speakers to refer to a large southern section of Israel and the West Bank, or in the combined term “Judea and Samaria” to refer specifically to the West Bank area south of Jerusalem. This is done in Israel today.
After World War I, the League of Nations approved the British Mandate of Palestine with the intent of creating a “national home for the Jewish people.” In November 29, 1947, the United Nations approved the Partition of Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab. Six months later, On May 14, 1948, the state of Israel declared independence and this was followed by a war with the surrounding Arab states, which refused to accept the plan. The Israelis were subsequently victorious in the series of wars confirming their independence and expanding the borders of the Jewish state beyond those in the UN Partition Plan. Since then, Israel has been in conflict with many of the neighboring Arab countries, resulting in several major wars and decades of violence that continue to this day. JUDEAH is Israel today.
THIS GENERATION — What precisely is a generation? How long is a generation? Are we living in “that” generation? Will we see the return of Jesus Christ in “our” generation?
HARPER’S BIBLE DICTIONARY: generation (Heb. dor), the period of time between the birth of parents and the birth of their children; all of the people alive during that time. The OT uses ‘generation’ only loosely as a measure of time, and it is therefore difficult to use the term in exact chronological calculations. Though a generation sometimes covers up to a hundred years (Gen. 15:13, 16; Exod. 12:40), most biblical writers seem to consider thirty to forty years to be a normal generation (Deut. 2:14; Job 42:16; Ps. 95:10). Usually ‘generation’ simply refers to all of the people at a given time (Gen. 6:9; Ps. 14:5; 24:6; 49:19; 24:6; 112:2; Jer. 2:3). The days of our years (a generation) are threescore and ten. (Ps: 90:10), or 70 years.
Here are some verses of scripture that relate to “generation”-
Gen. 15:13 And they shall afflict them four hundred years.
Gen 15: 16 …in the fourth generation they shall come here again (100 years).
Ps. 95:10 Forty years long I was grieved with this generation (40 years).
Isa. 53:8 He was taken out of prison and from judgment, and who shall declare his generation? (33 years)
Ps. 90:10 The days of our years (a generation) are threescore years and ten (70 years).
If the Sate of Israel (modern JUDEAH) was established in 1948, and Jesus’ words must be fulfilled within a generation, [this generation shall not pass away], which generation could possibly apply to us: the 100 years, 70 years, 40 years, or the 33 years generation?
It cannot be the 33 year generation, or the 40. Why? It’s because if you add those numbers to “1948”, (when JUDEAH came into existence) you will get 1981, and 1988, and the end is not yet. If you add the 70 year generation you get 2018, and if you add the 100 year generation, you get the year 2048. Do you believe that the present world order will last to 2048? Really?
2018 is 9 years away at the time of the writing of this article.
Remember, no man knows the DAY or the HOUR, but can he know the approximate year? That’s the point of this article.
We are to WATCH and pray always that we may be worthy to escape all the things that should come to pass. We ought to have our vessels filled with oil [God’s Holy Spirit] so we can be prepared to “trim our lamps” and await the bridegroom with the anticipation of Phillip and Nathaniel. They knew the time was near for the Messiah to appear, and they were WATCHING, but they didn’t know the exact DAY or HOUR. Neither does any man today. But we are able to watch, and be ready.
The reason the approximate year can be known is because once the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days [or 3.5 years] “…before all these things shall be finished” (Dan.12:7,11). So, if you subtract 3.5 years from 2018, the abomination of desolation would be set up in 2014.5 (Dan.11:31); the sacrifices at Jerusalem would have begun three and one half years earlier in 2011 .
There will be three and one half years of “Peace and Safety” and economic success in this world, until the sacrifices be terminated three and one half years later in 2014.5 (Dan. 9:27); European elections in June of 2009 will create a “European President” that will speak for Europe with one voice and will be involved in a peace treaty with Jerusalem – by a world ruler called “the man of sin” or “the antichrist” (2 Thess. 2:3). This is the seven year covenant [treaty] that will allow the sacrifices in the Holy Sanctuary at Jerusalem to begin, in return for Jerusalem to be divided in two, for the sake of middle east peace (Dan. 9:27, 11:31, 12:11). After 3.5 yrs. the “covenant” will be broken (Dan.9:27) by the man of sin and he will position his armies and the abomination of desolation in the city of Jerusalem. At this time, the woman [the church] will go to “her place” for 3.5 years to a place of safety (Rev. 12:6, 14) for training in God’s governmental structure and policies. The “remnant” of the woman – the church – will be persecuted by the Dragon for a time, and times, and half a time – [3.5 years] — to be “purified, and made white and tried” (Dan. 12: 10). At the end of the 3.5 years, [at the 7th. Trumpet], the angels shall gather together all the saints [the elect] and will return with Christ to the Mount of Olives to establish his government on earth, as the year 2018 comes to a close. (Zech.14:4)
Then we come to “The Beginning”, when the kingdom, and dominion and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven [the kingdom of the Beast which had been ruling for 7 years – 3.5 years before the Peace Treaty was broken, and 3.5 years during the great tribulation] – shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him [and them- the saints] (Dan. 7:18).
Note: The next significant prophetic event to be fulfilled is the 7 year peace treaty between the head nation of the Beast Power (Germany – under direction of the Vatican) and Jerusalem, some time in 2011. If this event is fulfilled, then the Kingdom of God has drawn closer than what we ever believed. Then, look up – for your redemption draws near!
WATCH THEREFORE: FOR YOU KNOW NOT WHAT HOUR YOUR LORD DOTH COME (MATT. 24:42).
F.L.Palermo
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