Quote Originally Posted by Matthehitmanhart View Post
The first text (Matt 24:34) is without question the one which gets the most press in discussions like these, since it appears towards the end of Jesus’ lengthiest eschatological discourse, and everyone has a special stake in defending their particular view of that passage. When taken at face value, however, Jesus appears to be saying that all of the events forewarned in that discourse (from the beginning of birth pangs to the coming of the son of man) would come to pass within the generation of his audience at that time. Unable to accept this face value reading, some have suggested alternative ways of understanding Jesus’ use of the word “generation”, such as translating it instead as “race” or “nation”. But considering Matthew’s usage of the word throughout his gospel (1:17; 11:16; 12:39, 41-42, 45; 16:4; 17:17; 23:36), and the other texts which we will consider below, such an alternative translation has little to commend it, and appears to be driven more by a particular ideology than any real interest in accurately representing the original meaning of the text.
I disagree with your view that the term "generation" indicates a moment in time, i.e. a time period. Your interpretation isn't taking the term "generation" at face value, which is a word that indicates all the people born and living around the time period, not the average period of time during which children grow up and have children of their own. When Jesus uses the term, he refers to people, not to the passage of time. Time isn't "evil and adulterous and craves after a sign." People are "evil and adulterous and craves after a sign." Time isn't going to stand in judgment with the Queen of the South; People are going to stand in judgment with the Queen of the South. Time is not unbelieving and perverted; people are unbelieving and perverted. This "generation" refers to people, not time.


The second text (Matt 10:23) has received less attention than the first, but it places the timing of Jesus’ expectation in an even clearer light. The disciples will not even finish going through all the towns of Israel before the son of man comes.
Mathew 10:23 isn't an escatological statement. In this context we find that Jesus has sent his apostles out to prepare various cities for his ministry. He intends to preach in each of these cities a few months later. The apostles will go out in advance of Jesus and he will come later in the year to preach in their cities.

The third text (Matt 16:27-28) only solidifies this impression further. There are some of Jesus’ hearers who will live to see the kingdom of the son of man, when he comes in the glory of his father and rewards everyone for their deeds.
Considering the first verse, this leaves us with a conundrum, depending on what Jesus means by the word "until". When we hear the word "until" we hear,

Until = "condition 'A' will continue to exist up to a particular point in time 'T'"

Under this meaning of the word "until", the emphasis falls on the set of conditions in view, that is, the current generation will continue in existence during the time when the course of events known as "all these things" takes place. "This Generation" will not pass away during that time. However, under this meaning of the word "until", "this generation may never pass away.

But according to your interpretation of Matthew 24:34, Jesus is actually saying (I think)

Until = "condition 'A' will be coterminous with condition 'B'"

That is, the course of events he describes will take place before the generation passes away. None of the events will take place after the generation has expired. But eventually the generation will expire. Implied (seemingly in your view) is the correlate point "this generation will not pass away until time T, but it will pass away after that. But if I were to say, "the clock will continue to tick until the clock strikes 12" it might be the case that the clock will continue to tick even after the clock strikes 12. All I want to say is that the clock won't stop ticking at least as long as it takes for the clock to strike 12. I'm not saying that it won't continue after that. I'm not necessarily saying that once the clock strikes 12 the clock will stop ticking.

“Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”

Jesus is saying that the generation will not end during the course of events known as "all these things" but he isn't necessarily meaning to imply that "this generation" will pass away at all. In fact, given that he previously said that his own people would experience a time of great tribulation such that if the duration of time were not shortened, no flesh would be saved alive, his point seems to be that his people (or this generation if you like) will survive beyond the course of events known as "all these things". His emphasis seems to be on the fact that his people will survive after these things, not on the fact that these things will take place during the near future.

Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the son of man coming in his kingdom.”

Even here, the emphasis is on the fact that some will be around to see the son of man coming in his kingdom, and they may never taste death after that.