The word “generation” (Gk: ‘genea’) can refer to the age or period of the members of a family as determined by the average span of life (Genesis 31:3; Matthew 1:17, 17:17; Mark 9:19; Luke 9:41, 16:8; Acts 2:40), as well as all the people of a given period (Matthew 24:34, Mark 13:30, Luke 1:48, 21:32, Philippians 2:15), and the period covered by the lifetime of a generation (Acts 14:16; 15:21, Ephesians 3:5, Colossians 1:20). If the word is repeated twice or with another time word, it indicates an infinity of time. God was very intentional in not giving a direct answer regarding the length of a generation and the length of a biblical life span. The length of a generation varies depending on the historical period.
Some Scholars say the term “generation” means an average life span and refers either to the generations in which Jesus lived while on Earth or to the generation living when the end time signs begin to occur. Others say it is not a physical generation but a wicked one that continues today.
According to the Jewish calendar, the year 5780 is the year of creation. Abraham was born in 2167 BC. He was “ninety-nine years old” in 2068 BC (Genesis 17:1). David was crowned King in 1010 BC, the southern kingdom of Judah was deported to Babylon in 586 BC, From Jeconiah, born about 616 BC, to Jesus, born between 6 to 3 BC, 14 generations have passed. The numbers appear to be linked to the following verses, which state that seventy weeks of years, or 490 years, would pass between the restoration of Jerusalem and the coming of the Messiah. Since generations were commonly placed at 35 years, this equates to 14 generations.
“Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.” (Daniel 9:24-27 ESV)
Fourteen Generations
“So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.” (Matthew 1:17 ESV)
Matthew’s genealogy traces the ancestors of Joseph, the legal father of Jesus. The structure of the genealogy descends from father to son, beginning with Abraham. Matthew divided the genealogy into three groups of fourteen generations, separated by important historical points. Abraham to David; Solomon to Jehoiakim; Jeconiah to Jesus. It is believed by some that names which appear in earlier records were omitted because he abridged them to aid in memorization as a literary structure, as did many of the teachers of Israel had done for centuries, including Jesus. Matthew was documenting the proof of ancestry from the line's origin to establish a point or simplify it.
Matthew showed God's sovereignty over all three phases of the Jewish nation's rise, fall, and salvation. The first set of “fourteen generations” covered 1,058 years (2068 BC to 1010 BC); God started with one man - Abraham - and blessed his descendants into a great nation. The second set of “fourteen generations” covered the fall of Israel over 424 years (1010 BC to 586 BC) into apostasy, turning its back on God and being destroyed. The third set of “fourteen generations” covered their salvation with the arrival of God to save them from their sin over 580 years (586 BC to 6 BC). Matthew appears to have shown the perfection of God’s plan to reveal Jesus as the true Jewish King - the son of David.
Various Generation Lengths in the Bible
40 Years
The number 40 is used interchangeably for days and years throughout the Bible.
“And the Lord’s anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord was gone.” (Numbers 32:13 ESV)
“For forty years I loathed that generation and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways.” (Psalm 95:10 ESV)
70 or 80 Years
“The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away” (Psalms 90:10 ESV)
Forty-year-old Caleb and Joshua plus another 40 years in the desert wandering equals 80 years old. So, one generation is one lifetime and could be around 75 or up to 80.
100 Years
"Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him." (Genesis 21:5 ESV)
“Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions.” (Genesis 15:13-14 ESV)
Four hundred years divided by four generations equals 100 years.
107.5 Years
"The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of 430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt." (Exodus 12:40-41 ESV)
Divide 430 by four equals 107.5 years.
120 Years
“Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” (Genesis 6:3 ESV)
During the days of Noah, God said there were 120 years before the birth of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, where He would not strive with the human race before the corruption of the world had reached its height, and He would withdraw His spirit and give them up to destruction if they did not repent and change their ways.
The length of human life in the 21st century can reach 100+ years, depending on health and circumstances. Still, the average is 70 or 80 years, like it was from the time of King David, so it is impossible to determine the exact length of a biblical generation adamantly.
The Four Generations
"And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I. And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes." (Genesis 46:2-4)
Four generations lived in Egypt before the Exodus: Levi, Gershom, Amram, and Moses. Each generation lasted about 50 years - Moses was in his 70s when his first son was born and 80 when his second son was born. Other generations were not as old. Joseph had his two sons in his 30s.
During the famine, when Jacob, at Joseph's special invitation, had brought all of his family into "Egypt," the count began on the four generations. (See Genesis 46:8,11; Exodus 2:21-22, 6:16,18,20,26-27)
The Fig Tree
"Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. Heaven and Earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." (Luke 21:29-33 ESV)
“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” (Matthew 24:32-34 ESV; see also Mark 13:28-31)
Jesus cursed the fig tree beside the road as He and the disciples entered Jerusalem. The fig tree is believed to refer to Israel based on several Old Testament prophets (Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Joel). The blossoming of a fig tree shows that harvest is coming soon, so the prosperity of the nation of Israel will mark the fulfillment of the End Times Jesus spoke of. He knew that a generation of Jews would reject him in Israel. Many Bible scholars believe that the words, “when you see all these things, you know that he is near,” refers to Israel becoming a nation for the final time in 1948.
Future Timelines
In the Olivet Discourse, Jesus stated: "'this generation will not pass away until all these things take place" (Matthew 24:33 ESV). In this context, "all these things" refers to everything discussed up to that point. That specific generation would see the destruction of the Temple, but could also be referencing the generation that will witness the endtime events or the birth pangs before the first 42 months of the Tribulation, the last 42 months of the Great Tribulation, and the return of Jesus.
So, when did that generation begin? According to the Bible, the maximum length of a generation is 120 years (Genesis 6:3). A typical fruit found in Israel is the fig, which grows on a tree and can live hundreds of years, so it cannot be used to determine a timetable. It is mentioned in the Bible as representing Israel (Jeremiah 24:1-10; Hosea 9:10). As noted, Jesus referred to a fig tree about the future of Israel.
The Bible tells us that Israel would become a nation, but they would be scattered worldwide (Daniel 9:26; Zechariah 7:13-14,10:9; Deuteronomy 28:36-68,29:22-28; Ezekiel 36:18-19; Isaiah 6:9-13; Lamentations 4:12-19; Matthew 23:36-39,24:1-35; Luke 21:20-24). Other Bible prophecies are interpreted to mean there would be a second rebirth of Israel as a Nation (Hosea 3:4-5; Psalm 102:12-22 Isaiah 11:11-13, 14:1-5,66:7-11,60:9; Amos 9:9-15; Ezekiel 36:1-15,24,38:8; Jeremiah 31:8-40; Matthew 24:32-33).
The most specific prophecy that virtually all Bible teachers agree upon points to the return of Jesus is the restoration of the nation of Israel. In 1917, the British government issued a public statement called the Balfour Declaration during the First World War that announced support for establishing a national home for the Jewish people. That began the prophetic fulfillment that branches of the fig tree would become tender and put out its leaves.
Jeremiah prophesied that Jewish people across the Earth would begin returning to their promised land after a period of exile from "the north county and out of all the countries where" God "had driven them" as a result of persecution so that they could reestablish their national identity and set the stage for the coming of the Messiah who would bring deliverance from all enemies (Jeremiah 16:14-15 ESV).
Russia is a land north of Israel; more than one million Russian-speaking Jews are now in Israel. They are also returning from all the countries where the Jewish people were scattered. There is also a growing gathering of Jewish people choosing Jesus as their Messiah, which will continue until He returns.
"Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob, and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins." (Romans 11:25-26 ESV)
On May 17, 1948, Israel was 'raised from the dead' and declared itself a sovereign nation (Jeremiah 16:15-16; Zechariah 14:3; Ezekiel 37:21-22). Centuries after Rome conquered Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple in 70 AD, Jerusalem was no longer under Gentile rule when the Jewish people gained full possession of Jerusalem in 1967 AD after a miraculous victory in the Six-Day War. That was almost 2,000 years after the end of the day's clock started when Jesus said, "Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled" (Luke 21:24 ESV). God declared He would re-gather the "outcasts of Israel" from all the nations where He scattered them so it could be one of the "these things" that the generation living at the time of Jesus' return will experience.
The Taking Away of the Church (Aka: the Rapture)
"For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 ESV)
Today, it is rare to talk about the taking away of the Church, commonly called the 'Rapture,' or the end of days, even though Christians are implored to encourage one another with that promise (1 Thessalonians 4:18). I think that is most likely because prophecy ‘experts' have given specific dates for the return of Jesus that have come and gone, like the way of the dinosaurs, over the years.
Back in the '70s and '80s, thanks to such books as the "Late Great Planet Earth" by Hal Lindsay and the 'Left Behind" series of books by Tim Lahaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, the dominant belief was that a Pre-Tribulation Rapture would take place based upon Israel becoming a nation in 1948 and a biblical generation being 40 years. I remember a book written by NASA engineer Edgar C. Whisenant, called "88 Reasons Why The Rapture Will Take Place In 1988." (January 1st, 1988) Nearly five million copies were sold. When it didn't happen, he published another book called "The Final Shout: Rapture Report 1989," which was essentially an '89 Reasons Why...' book. He continued to predict more years until he died in 2001 when Jesus ‘raptured’ Him.
There are four camps people fall into about the Rapture. The 'No-Trib' says there will be no 'taking away.' The 'Pre-Trib' says it will happen before the seven-year Tribulation period starts. The 'Mid-Trib' says it occurs before the Great Tribulation begins at 43 months. The 'Post-Trib' says it will happen at the end of the Tribulation period, which was the dominant belief in the church up until the 19th century. Another small group is 'Pan-Trib'; they want to see how it will all pan out! Interestingly, there is very little historical church evidence that the current Pre-Tribulation Rapture theory was taught in the church before the 1800s.
CONCLUSION
If 70 years is an average life span and you add it to 1967 AD, then 2037 AD is the year Jesus returns with “power and great glory!" If 100 years is the average life span and you start at 1948 AD, it comes to 2048 AD. If 120 years is the length of a generation and you add that to the year 1917 AD when the branches of the fig tree became tender and sprouted leaves again, it lands on September 10 (Rosh Hashanah), 2037 AD.
However, the simple truth is that human beings see things through a dark window. There is no absolute certainty in any interpretation because it is simply speculation and an act of futility to try and give a dogmatic estimate for the day Jesus returns.
"Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely." (1 Corinthians 13:12 NLT)
The church has been saying for over two thousand years that the return of Jesus is imminent, which has caused some people to lay everything aside and prepare for His return, resulting in the world's ridicule. The first-century church also experienced this.
"Above all, you must understand that in the last days, scoffers will come, scoffing and following their evil desires. They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." (2 Peter 3:3-4 ESV)
Jesus prophesied this in the parable of the Ten Virgins: "As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept" (Matthew 25:5 ESV). No matter when the Bridegroom comes for His Bride, every Born-Again Christian should be prepared and maintain a sense of great expectation (Matthew 25:6). He commanded us to watch for His return and used parables to emphasize this command (See Matthew 24:42-51, 25:1-13; Mark 13:35-37).
Peter also addressed this in his second letter and reminded people that God works on His own time:
"But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." (2 Peter 3:6-9 ESV)
All the signs pointing to the imminent return of Jesus are present, and this is the first generation in which this is true. So, we should look up to see the signs that the Kingdom is near (Luke 21:28-33). The time of Jesus' return is unknown and unknowable. Yet, we should be prepared by continually trusting Him because He will return as a thief in the night at the appointed time - and not one microsecond sooner - no matter how much of the Earth's wealth and world systems the Church has taken dominion and control over, or because there is universal unity or that much of the world has been put under the Old Covenant laws.
When Jesus was asked what the primary sign of His coming again was and when the end of the age would be, He said, "Watch out that no one deceives you" (Matthew 24:4 NIV). The end times will not be preceded by a great revival or another Pentecost but by a time of great deception.
There will be a multitude in the church who will be taught false doctrine and be deceived by many false apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors, and will stray from the written Word of God, which will cause their hearts to become cold and calloused as they fall away from the faith (2 Thessalonians 2:3, 6-10). There will also be wars and constant talk of wars. There will be hunger and natural disasters. Many will be killed and martyred for believing in Jesus as the Christ (Matthew 7:15-23, 24: 3-12; Mark 13; 2 Thessalonians 2:3; 2 Peter 2:1).
We must have a comprehensive working knowledge of Scripture in order to not to be deceived or misled and be victorious spiritual warriors against wolves in sheep's clothing. The Bible commands every Christian to test "the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1 NIV).
The ultimate reality is “No man knows the day or the hour” (See Matthew 24:36-44 NIV). However, we can watch the times. My best advice is to PLAN your life as if Jesus isn’t coming for 100 years, but LIVE your life like He is coming TODAY because He just might for YOU!
MARANATHA!
