Session 18: This Generation

Christ taught that there were two generations of Israel related to Jerusalem, its temple, and the future:
(1) The generation of his day, like the one in Jeremiah’s day, was unregenerate and unrepentant; they killed the prophets sent to them and remained unfaithful. This generation would see another destruction of their temple in their lifetime, as foretold by Daniel.
(2) A second generation, their offspring, would repent and respond to the gospel; they would experience the “new covenant” and be filled with the Holy Spirit. They will take part in the restoration of Israel and its temple in the messianic kingdom.

Based on his understanding of Isaiah, Paul also described two generations of his fellow Jews:
(1) the Jews of his day, who were largely unrepentant and hostile to Christ and the gospel; and
(2) a future generation of repentant Jews, who will believe in their Messiah.

Paul, too, connected this future generation of repentant Jews to the time when Israel will experience the messianic kingdom. All of these events foretold by the prophets are as certain to occur on this Genesis earth as the fixed operation of the sun and the moon.