Skeptic Questions about Jesus answered, 4

The contention: Did Jesus give a false prophecy in Matthew 24:34's Olivet discourse saying that the generation that lived then must see all Jesus' prophecies fulfilled?


Matthew 24:

ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι οὐ μὴ παρέλθῃ ἡ γενεὰ αὑτη ἑως ἂν πάντα ταῦτα γένηται.

ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ παρελεύσεται, οἱ δὲ λόγοι μου οὐ μὴ παρέλθωσιν.

34 Truly I say to you, In no way will this generation pass away until all these things have occurred.

35 The heaven and the earth will pass away, but My Words will not pass away, never! (LITV)

The specific word of being put aside, of passing away in removal (such as by neglect from being upheld and affirmed) is pererchomai. In verse 34, it is found in the aorist subjunctive active. In verse 35, it is found first in the future middle, then in the aorist subjunctive middle.

The aorist subjunctive active is speaking of a simple undefined action being accomplished by the subject of the verb in the subjunctive mood, or that assertion about which there is some doubt upon the part of the hearer. In the Aorist subjuctive middle, the speaker here is concerning himself or acting in some way as to infer upon himself that his words will NEVER BE SET ASIDE, and NEVER PASS AWAY. Ou shows that it will "certainly not", and me speaks of a conditional negative. Therefore, not even an astronomical chance...or under no condition ...will -- such and such -- pass away.

But what is that such and such in verse 35? His words. Now in verse 34, is there a condition of certainly not under any condition the generation passing away, or his words?

In Matthew 1:17, we see Matthew uses genea as a "genealogical circle of time" as a synonym to genesis (Matthew 1:1) in which he lists the Patriarchial lineage from Abraham down to Messiah's step-father.

Matthew's other applications of genea are found in 11:16, 12:39, 12:41, 12:42, 12:45, 16:4, 17:17, and 23:36.


Matthew 11:16 But whereunto shall I liken this generation [this people]? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows,

12:39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation [this people] seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: 41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, [this people], and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. 42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation [this people], 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.

16:4 A wicked and adulterous generation [people] seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

17:17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation [people], , how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.

23:34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you [this people here in Israel and in the diaspora] prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: [such as the context of the book of Acts] 35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew [who slew Zacharias, that generation, or that people..i.e., their fathers?] between the temple and the altar. 36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation [this people].

In the context that Matthew consistently uses, in no way shall this people...i.e., the Jew...pass away, until all these things be fulfilled.
The confusion is because of the oft either / or dual application in which genea could be descriptive of this generation as well as this people.

In other words, Christ affirms the Covenant of Faith made to Abraham, Christ affirms the prophet Jeremiah in Chapter 31 of that book, and Christ affirms that He is devoted to them, despite their whoring after other gods and idols like their Fathers before them for the last 15 plus centuries. And the application of how Jesus interprets the Burning Bush passage as testifying how that G-D is a G-D of the Living and that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are testified to as being alive in Exodus 3...also needs to be brought in how to interpret Jesus properly.

In Torah, G-D consistently offers heavenly things...the Jew demands earthly things. No to manna, yes to cabbages and leeks and quail. No to the commandments and a Heavenly voice, yes to open fornications and revelry and worship of wealth as a golden calf and god. No to Divine appointment such as Moses and Aaron's offices, yes to rebellion and self appointment (like Korah). Paul in Galatians 3:5-18 points to a better way.

Until the Jew (or Gentile, for that mater) can grasp the Heavenly, and deny the Earthly, he will always reject G-D and His Christ...and accept pretender after pretender who appeals to his earthy nature instead. This is the perverse genea...any people in any generation who reject G-D's Messhiach, the breath of our nostrils (Lamentations 4:20).


As I noted, there is a synonymous link between genea and genesis in Matthew 1:17 and 1:1.

This genea...
This genesis of people.

What is Jesus saying?

He is saying, "Beginning here" after the form of his teaching about Himself as the foundation stone of the Church, and Peter being the first little rock who is laid upon the New Testament foundation of Christ (Matthew 16:16-18).

Thou art Peter, and upon Me I will build My Church. But moreso than that.

Re: Revelation 19:10c - "for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Or inverted - "the spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus."

Hence, "beginning here, upon My word of Revelation" I will build my Church, I will build a generation or genea of people who will never pass away. This is what is implied, and how to read Christ.

In Matthew 24, what is the context of the verse in question?

31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:

33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

So who shall not pass away? In the context of the above, the genea that is called "the elect". Christ redeems His "Christians" who are truly believe Him by Faith and practice their daily trusting into the Father through Him.

Matthew 24:14
"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."

The Gospel was not preached in every nation as yet.

Earlier in the same chapter we read another condition:
"For many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many."

This is yet to be fulfilled, for these imply deceiving magics and miracles so as to fool the lost. But at the same time, we know that Mathew 24:14 will be fulfilled only when Revelation's 144,000 Israeli men who are virgins will evangelize the world for Jesus in every nation on Earth. This prophecy is yet to come. It cannot be discounted because Christianity has never ceased to exist.

Hence, because the Jews still exist as a race and people, and Christianity still exists and has always had Jews as part of that Faith, the prophecy of Jesus stands. And because the end of the world and the passing away of the Earth has never come, we will never be able to stand in judgment in the Present to say whether Jesus' words could not survive the passing away of this planet. In fact, we would be obliged to confirm its likelihood, be they shipped off to another galaxy in a satellite by NASA; or by faith, accepting that Jesus as G-D from G-D, is above and beyond Time and Creation, which He Himself spake into Being as from G-D the Father, way back when at the Beginning.

Skeptic Questions about Jesus answered, 3

"Is Mary permitted to touch Jesus after the resurrection?

Yes – “. . . they came and held him by his feet, and worshiped him.” (Matthew 28:9)

Not mentioned in Mark

YES -- “Behold my hands and my feet . . . handle me and see . . . .” (Luke 24:39; 1 John 1:1)

No -- Jesus said to her, “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father . . . .” (John 20:17)"
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Response:

In the Greek, "touch me not" is read as "me mou haptou".

Haptou is a form of touching that travels or exerts so as to manipulate or to influence a compliance (such as by force or pain).

Therefore, the negative imperative in the Greek is telling Mary in today's lingo, is Jesus telling Mary to - "knock it off", "quit touching and pushing me all over".


It isn't a sensual touching she does, but a gruff (are you real, a zombie, or what?) kind of old washer-woman pushy-pushing around kind of a touch. Although resurrected, the body was possibly in some kind of vulnerable state that had not yet reached a state of completion; but this is my speculation on the inference left by the language of the text. The timing of perfection of the resurrected body appears only to be when a person is about to ascend to Heaven to the Father. So it is a justified speculation that I make, as well as explains why Jesus could also eat campfire fish with his disciples after that He rose from the dead on the Third Day.

In effect, the gruff manner and the type of response by Jesus to Mary de facto dispels the myths of anything other than a platonic relationship between Jesus and Mary as well.

Skeptic Questions about Jesus answered, 2

Who carried the cross?

Simon of Cyrene (Matthew 27:32)
Simon of Cyrene (Mark 15:21)
Simon of Cyrene (Luke 23:26)
Only Jesus himself carried the cross. (John 19:17)
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Answer:

When in doubt, first reread the Scripture, and check the Greek source of the New Testament translation.

“Going forth, then; they found (a) man, (a) Cyrenian --by name, Simon -- ; This one they compelled [by force] in order that he bear the Cross of Him.” Matthew 27:32

“They seized*into*possession* then, Jesus, and led away, and bearing the Cross of Him, He went out into that called, “Of a Skull-cap” , the place of which is called in the Hebrew ‘Golgotha” , where Him they crucified.” -- John 18:16b - 18a


In the above, John testifies that when Jesus was led away, He most certainly was bearing the cross. It says "He went out" bearing, but doesn't say he necessarily "arrived" bearing.

In the Greek, John is clearly clarifying a misconception that some may have had that Simon carried the Cross virtually the whole way, rather than halfway or less, from where the Dung Gate road and the Siloam Water Gate road met south of the Temple in the Lower city.

Because Simon was in Temple Service at the time of his being pressed into service, he could only exit and enter Jerusalem by the Dung Gate route, and therefore any other route than south from Antonio and East on the Water gate road is in error...even though this upsets hundreds of years of scholarship presumption, my presentation of the route appears to be absolutely correct as taken from both New and Old Testament requirements, and even earliest Church Tradition which mentioned a descent into Hinom (valley).

Now, in the 50s A.D., some confusion may have surfaced in the early Church amongst the Gentiles that Simon could possibly have carried the Cross from as far north as the Fortress Antonia, from which Jesus moved and carried the Cross South and then East from, prior to Simon’s being pressed into service. For this reason, John clarifies...and does NOT contradict. The answer, from Antonio's Gabbatha to the Dung Gate road, Jesus carried the Cross alone, and headed out toward Calvary. John never says that Jesus never had help later, and writes in such a context in the Greek.

So from Gabbatha north west of the Temple, south and then east on the (Gihon) Water Gate Road until the Dung Gate Road intersects it, Jesus carried the Cross alone. After which, Simon was kicked about with the knees by the Romans into compliance, and then took up the Cross. There is therefore no contradiction here.

Skeptic Questions about Jesus answered, 1

At what time was Jesus crucified?

Not mentioned in Matthew

9:00 a.m. -- “It was the third hour when they crucified him.” (Mark 15:25)

Not mentioned in Luke

12:00 p.m. -- Jesus was not crucified until after the sixth hour! (John 19:14-15)
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Review:

“Was then (the) third hour, and they crucified Him.” (Mark 15:25)

“It was then, Preparation of the Passover, hour then about the sixth,
And he says to the Jews, Behold (look and see), the king of you!
They then cried, Away, Away, Crucify him!…then, therefore, he delivered up Him
To them in order that He might be crucified.” (John 19:14-15)

John was written by a Kohen Priest by the name of John, the Son of Zebedee, who was related to the High Priest by either marraige or by blood. Hence, the Gospel of John is written from a Levitical Priest's perspective and way of viewing the hours of the day.

The Preparation of the Passover , from the Kohen / Priestly point of view, from inside the Temple ritual, began at 3 am.

The priests starting duty would awake and wash in 40 se'ah or 340 liters of water or more (Yoma 3,3). The G'vinay (like a priestly combo watch crier and drill sergeant) would yell their rear ends up and about. One was so loud a screamer, the Jerusalem Talmud says Agrippa rewarded him, as he was heard as far as 8 parasangs {23 miles} away (JT Shekalim 5,1), which is obviously an exaggeration.

The priests would then enter into the holy area {only} of the chamber of hewn stone and do assignment "lottery". They would then assemble in squads, with squad leaders bearing torches, unlock the access to the Levitical courts, and undergo various other pre-dawn rituals to verify the sanctity of the Temple, the presence of the 93 Temple Vessels, etc. Once the search is over, and "all is well" is sounded, only then can the preparation ofthe High Priest meal offering begin.

Another lottery for pre-dawn ash removal from the altar andotherassignments will then be conducted.

On the Preparation of the Passover, Sukkot, and at the dedication of the firstfruits of Shavuot (Pentecost), this activity of the priests must begin at the start of the 3 am Watch.

Hence, it was the sixth hour at 9am on this Preparation of the Passover day, in the proper interpretation of John 19:14. Tovia got it wrong again, as his objections often do.

John, as a sacrificing Kohen Priest who wore his own high priest garb and still sacrificed the unblemished lamb on Pesach, even after the Resurrection and destruction of the Temple, wrote and spoke from this vein. The High Priest’s or final Passover lamb, was sacrificed at 3 pm at the 12th hour with the equivalent expression as Jesus stated upon the Cross as if a High Priest over His own sacrificial life (as it were), saying, “It is finished”.

Hence, there is NO contradiction, as both the Synoptic Gospels and John are therefore both designating 9 am.