Matthew 24-25 Fulfilled in AD 70, Part 7: (Matthew 24:32-34) The Terminal Second Exodus “This Generation” From Moses to Jesus

Introduction: The Fig Tree, the Appointed Time, and the Terminal Generation

The parable of the fig tree in Matthew 24:32–34 and Luke 21:29–32 is not a vague cipher for modern geopolitics, but a precise covenantal sign rooted in the Song of Moses. Just as the budding branches and new leaves signal summer’s nearness, so the specific first-century signs Jesus listed signaled that the appointed time—the kairos—foretold in Deuteronomy 32:35 LXX was “near” and “at the door” (Matt. 24:33; Luke 21:31). Moses had prophesied of a “perverse and crooked generation” (Deut. 32:5, 20) whose rebellion would heap up covenantal guilt and bring about God’s vengeance at the appointed time, when that time was “near” (32:35), resulting in judgment, vindication, and the raising up of a new covenant people (32:36–43).

Jesus explicitly identified His contemporaries as that terminal generation, declaring, “this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened” (Matt. 24:34). In the rabbinic world of Jesus’ day, the anticipated Second Exodus—the transition from the old covenant “this age” to the new covenant Messianic “age to come”—was sometimes framed as a 40-year generational period. Jesus’ ministry, death, resurrection, and parousia were the fulfillment of that expectation. His “this generation” was not an elastic phrase, nor a reference to a race or abstract class, but—grammatically and historically—a literal 30–40 year span encompassing His audience.

False Views Addressed in This Chapter

1. “Jewish Race” View– Popularized in the Scofield Reference Bible and maintained by some Zionists before 1948, this interpretation treats “generation” (genea) as “race” (genos), ignoring the lexical distinction in the LXX and NT.
2. Moral Class View– Held by some Amillennialists and Dispensationalists, this sees “generation” as a timeless group of either wicked or righteous people.
3. Future ‘Super Sign’ Generation View– A modern Zionist twist linking “this generation” to those alive after Israel’s 1948 founding, often stretching a “generation” to 70–100 years to postpone failed predictions.
4. Distant Future Generation View– The idea that Jesus was referring to some far-off group who would live when the signs begin, ignoring the force of the demonstrative “this” and the fact that the AD 30–70 generation witnessed all the signs fulfilled.

Premillennial Zionist prophecy teachers frequently interpret the fig tree as the modern State of Israel, claiming its sprouting in 1948 fulfills this parable and starts the countdown to Christ’s return and thus the 1948-1988 was allegedly the “terminal generation.”  When the predicted rapture failed to occur in the 1980s, the definition of a generation was repeatedly expanded. Yet in context, the budding fig tree—and “all the trees” (Luke 21:29)—signifies the observable fulfillment of the Olivet Discourse signs in the first century: the gospel’s proclamation throughout the Roman world (Matt. 24:14), Jerusalem surrounded by Roman armies (Luke 21:20), and the “days of vengeance” (Luke 21:22) that matched Moses’ prophecy (Deut. 32:35-43).

Luke’s “all the trees” broadens the imagery beyond Israel, emphasizing a covenantal transition rather than a modern geopolitical event. If the fig tree is Israel, “all the trees” logically represents the surrounding nations. But Jesus’ earlier cursing of the fig tree (Matt. 21:18–19) underscores Israel-after-the-flesh’s fruitlessness and the kingdom’s transfer to a new covenant nation bearing fruit (Matt. 21:43–45; 1 Pet. 2:9).

This understanding forms the foundation of inspired New Testament imminence. The “appointed time” of Deuteronomy 32 became the “near” kairos of the Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24:32–43; Luke 21:8, 20–32), echoed in apostolic language—“at hand,” “about to,” “shortly,” “soon,” “quickly,” “at the door,” “in a very, very little while and will not delay,” etc.  The nearness of the appointed time in both Moses’ Song and Jesus’ prophecy anchors the inspired New Testament’s imminence and affirms the faithfulness of God’s word.

Contextual Signs and the Fulfillment of “All These Things”

The disciples’ question in Matthew 24:3—“when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”—is answered across three key texts, each reinforcing the imminence within “this generation” (Matt. 24:34; Luke 21:32). First, Matthew 24:14 declares, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come,” indicating the Great Commission’s completion within the Roman Empire as a sign (cf. Rom. 10:18, 16:25-26; Cols. 1:5-6, 23). Second, Luke 21:20 specifies, “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near,” pinpointing the Roman siege (AD 67-70) as the decisive marker. Third, Matthew 24:34 culminates, “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened,” encapsulating the full scope of the discourse.

The immediate context of Matthew 24:1-34 and Luke 21:5-32 leaves no ambiguity about “all these things.” These include: (1) general signs not marking the end (Matt. 24:6-8); (2) specific signs of the gospel’s global reach and Jerusalem’s siege (Matt. 24:14; Luke 21:20); (3) the Great Tribulation (Matt. 24:21); (4) fulfillment of all Old Testament prophecy (Luke 21:22); (5) the fall of Israel’s religious rulers, its “stars” (Matt. 24:29); (6) the flight of Christians from Judea to escape wrath, fulfilled in the “days of vengeance” (Luke 21:20-24; AD 67-70); and (7) the gathering of the elect or redemption (resurrection) at the Son of Man’s coming (Matt. 24:30-31; Luke 21:27-28). The use of recapitulation in Matthew 24-25—repeating themes of the day and hour, passing heaven and earth, and judgment parables (e.g., Matt. 25:31-46)—confirms that all these events, including the eschatological wedding and judgment of nations, fall within this generation.

Scholarly support strengthens this exegesis. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon defines “generation” (genea) as “the whole multitude of men living at the same time”,[1] citing Matthew 24:34 among examples. Vine’s Expository Dictionary concurs, noting it as “a period ordinarily occupied by each successive generation, say, of thirty or forty years”,[2] Colin Brown offers a common sense perspective: “In Matthew it has the sense of this generation, and according to the first evangelist, Jesus expected the end of this age… to occur in connection with the judgment on Jerusalem at the end of that first generation.”[3]  He further elaborates, “Such prophecy of judgment on Israel… took place with the destruction of Jerusalem, the desecration of the Temple and the scattering of Israel—all of which happened within the lifetime of ‘this generation,’” citing parallels with “Isaiah 13:10 and Joel 2:28-32 applied to historical in time events such as Acts 2:15-21.”[4]  Interestingly enough, Brown also sees the possibility that 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 and 2 Peter 3 could be using symbolic and apocalyptic language as Jesus does in Matthew 24:29-31—an argument and exegesis I gave in the previous chapter / article.

Misinterpretations of “This Generation”

(1). The Jewish Race or (2). Moral or Immoral Human Race View

Dispensational Zionists and other futurist systems have proposed several misinterpretations of “this generation,” often diverging from its contextual meaning. The Scofield Study Bible, influenced by Khazarian Rothschild Zionist funding at Oxford, suggests Jesus meant the entire Jewish race would persist until all prophecies are fulfilled:

“The word ‘generation’ (Gr. genea) is used in Scripture in the sense of race, kind, family, stock, or breed. So our Lord uses the word here, not of the men then living, but of the Jewish race—the chosen people… They shall not pass away till all be fulfilled.”[5]

Unfortunately, this embarrassing interpretation of genea is not just limited to Premillennial Zionists.  Even desperate Amillennialists such as Anthony A. Hoekema interpret “this generation” as:

“By ‘this generation,’ then, Jesus means the rebellious, apostate, unbelieving Jewish people, as they have revealed themselves in the past, are revealing themselves in the present, and will continue to reveal themselves in the future.  This unbelieving and evil generation, though they reject Christ now, will continue to exist until the day of his return, and will then receive the judgment which his their due.”[6]

Hoekema therefore must interpret Christ’s second coming in Matthew 24:32-33 and in the rest of the NT being “near” as “always near.”[7]  I mean if you are going to butcher the Greek meaning of “generation” you might as well be consistent and butcher the meaning of “near” as well.

Some drop the endless “Jewish race” view and insert a class of people representing either good or bad (they can’t make up their mind) of people in chronological order that are allegedly to last before these events are to be fulfilled. They argue “this generation” describes an evil last-days people across centuries, but adjectives like “evil” or “adulterous” (Matt. 12:39) describe Jesus’ contemporaries, not a timeless trait. The context of their rejection and crucifixion (Luke 17:25) and AD 70 judgment (Matt. 23:36) refutes this.

Scholar	Quote
John Chrysostom (AD 407)	“What does he refer to when he says ‘this generation’? He is speaking not of the generation then living but of the age of believers. … The generation of the faithful shall remain through all things that will surely come to pass.”[8]
John Nelson Darby (1800–1882)	“The difficulty as to ‘this generation shall not pass away’ is a prejudice flowing from the English use of the word ‘generation.’ It is quite as much used for a moral class in scripture, as for the period marked by human life; and if Deuteronomy 32:5, 20 … be referred to, the sense is plain.”[9]
Leon Morris (1914–2006)	“Right up to the time when all these things happen there will be people of the same stamp as those who rejected Jesus while he lived on earth.”[10]
Neil D. Nelson Jr.	“‘This generation’ (24:34) represents an evil class of people who will oppose Jesus’ disciples until the day he returns.”[11]
Evald Lövestam	“Apart from the … all instances of γενεά in Matthew occur in a pejorative context … (cf. Lövestam 1995: 8).”
Herman Ridderbos	“‘This generation’ constitutes ‘the people of this particular disposition and frame of mind who are averse to Jesus and his words.’”[12]  “…held by Jerome, who understood by ‘this generation’ the human race or the Jews especially.”[13]

John Nelson Darby at least correctly tried to connect the “perverse and crooked generation” of Deuteronomy 32:5, 20 with Matthew 24:34, but neglected to tell you what the LXX (Greek version / translation of the Hebrew in Deut. 32:5, 20) was which is genea and not genos.  NT writers and the LXX maintain a lexical distinction—when the sense is ethnic or genealogical, genos is used; when the sense is temporal generation, genea is used, even when moral labels are applied.

Major Premise:  In Deuteronomy 32:5, 20, the Hebrew dor (דּוֹר) refers to a time-bound generation—the contemporaneous covenant community—while the Septuagint (LXX) translates it as genea (γενεά), which likewise denotes a contemporaneous generation that can be morally qualified. When the LXX and New Testament writers intend to convey “race” or “ethnic stock,” they consistently use genos (γένος) instead of genea.

Minor Premise:  Jesus (Matthew 17:17; 24:34), Peter (Acts 2:40), and Paul (Philippians 2:15) directly draw from the LXX rendering of genea in Deuteronomy 32:5, 20 to describe their contemporaries as a “crooked and perverse generation.” The Aramaic Peshitta of Matthew 24:34 employs ܫܪܒܬܐ ܗܕܐ (sharbtā hādā), literally “this generation,” with the demonstrative adjective this limiting the referent to those then living. This identical Aramaic construction is used in Matthew 17:17, showing an unbroken semantic link from Deuteronomy 32 to Jesus’ prophecy.

Conclusion:  Because the Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic forms of “generation” in these passages are consistently used for a time-bound group of contemporaries, and because Jesus, Peter, and Paul explicitly apply the Deuteronomy 32 language to their own audiences, “this generation” in Matthew 24:34 must mean the contemporaries alive during Jesus’ earthly ministry—not an abstract class of people or the Jewish race.

This interpretation hinges on the assumption of a continuous “Jewish race” with a divine right to the land, a notion that crumbles under a historical and a grammatical hermeneutic as well as a genetic scrutiny. Furthermore, the destruction of genealogical records in AD 70, when the Jerusalem temple was razed, eliminated any provable lineage to the ancient tribes, rendering claims of a racial Jewish identity untenable. Genetic studies and historical evidence further undermine this view, revealing that modern “Jews” are largely descended from the Khazarian Empire, not the Semitic Israelites of the Old Testament.

The American Peoples Encyclopedia (1954) notes, “In the year 740 A.D. the Khazars were officially converted to Judaism. A century later they were crushed by the incoming Slavic-speaking people and were scattered over central Europe where they were known as Jews” (at 15-292).[14] The Encyclopedia Britannica (1973) concurs: “The findings of physical anthropology show that, contrary to the popular view, there is no Jewish race… The only race to which the Jews have not achieved assimilation is the Nordic.”[15] Even “Jewish” sources prove this such as The Encyclopedia Judaica Jerusalem (1971), “It is a common assumption… that the Jews of today constitute a race, a homogeneous entity easily recognizable… [but] the diversity of the racial and genetic attributes of various Jewish colonies of today renders any unified racial classification of them a contradiction in terms.”[16] Similarly, the Encyclopedia Americana (1986) states, “Some theorists have considered the Jews a distinct race, although this has no factual basis… [they] belong to several distinct racial types… due to voluntary or involuntary miscegenation and the conversion of Gentiles to Judaism” (vol. 16, p. 71).[17] Collier’s Encyclopedia (1977) adds, “A common error and persistent modern myth is the designation of the Jews as a race! This is scientifically fallacious… Jews are by no means uniform in physical character and… reflect the characteristics of the people among whom they live.”[18]

Dr. Benjamin H. Freedman, in a 1947 letter to the National Economic Council’s Newsletter, exposes the Khazarian origin: “Political Zionism is almost exclusively a movement by the Jews of Europe. But these Eastern European Jews have neither a racial nor a historic connection with Palestine. Their ancestors were not inhabitants of the ‘Promised Land.’ They are the direct descendants of the people of the Khazar Kingdom… About the 7th century A.D., the King of the Khazars adopted Judaism as the state religion… Neither then nor since was there such a thing as a Khazar whose ancestors had come from the Holy Land.”[19]

DNA studies corroborate this, indicating that 80-90% of Zionist “Jews” in modern Israel, and 97% of the global Jewish population, trace their lineage to the Khazarian Empire, not Abraham, while many Palestinians exhibit closer genetic ties to ancient Hebrews.[20] In 2001 Dr. Arilla Oppenheim who is a biologist at Hebrew University was the first to publish an exhaustive DNA study of the origins of the Jews.  She concluded that just about all Jews came from the Khazar bloodline:  see her article in American Journal of Human Genetics entitled, The Y Chromosome Pool of Jews as Part of the Genetic Landscape of the Middle East.  Also see Dr. Eran Elhaik article, The Missing Link of Jewish European Ancestry:  Contrasting the Rhineland and the Khazarian Hypotheses, published in Oxford Journal on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.  Also see: Ranajit Das, Paul Wexler, Mehdi Pirooznia and Eran Elhaik, The Origins of Ashkenaz, Ahkenazic Jews, and Yiddish, 2017.

The burning of genealogical records in AD 70 further severs any claim to a racial priesthood or tribal identity, as the covenant underpinning “Judaism” ended with the “scepter departing from Judah” (Gen. 49:10) in AD 70. Since no provable “racial Jews” or “Levites” remain, the foundation for a racial claim to Palestine collapses, even if a temple were rebuilt.

This racial myth fuels support for the modern Khazarian Rothschild State of Israel, which has driven endless Middle East wars, yet promises no blessing to the Church or the United States. The Rothschild dynasty, originating with Mayer Amschel Bauer (later Rothschild), leveraged Talmudic principles and stolen wealth—gained by betraying William IX and financing both sides of conflicts—to orchestrate the 1917 Balfour Declaration, securing British support for a Jewish homeland in exchange for U.S. entry into World War I.[21] The 1948 establishment of Israel involved funding terrorist groups to displace 800,000 Palestinians, with the Israeli flag’s six-pointed star (a Rothschild symbol) and blue lines reflecting The Greater Israel Project and territorial ambitions, including allied nations like Egypt and Jordan. Frederic Morton writes, “On Saturday evenings… Mayer would invite the rabbi into his house… [and] recite from [the Talmud]… while the entire family must sit stock still and listen,” highlighting its influence on their “demonic drive” for power (Morton, The Rothschilds, 1962, p. 39).[22] President Andrew Jackson condemned such bankers as a “den of vipers,” warning of revolution if their operations were understood (Jackson, Public Papers, 1832).[23] John F. Hylan, New York Mayor, called them an “invisible government… a small group of banking houses” (Hylan, Speech, 1911).[24] Friedrich Edlen von Scherb noted, “The house of Rothschild has arisen from the quarrels between states… The misfortune of states and peoples has been its fortune” (von Scherb, Historical Reflections, 1840).[25] Supporting this Rothschild state posing as the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, rooted in a fabricated racial claim and economic manipulation, contradicts biblical blessing (Gen. 12:3) and entangles nations in conflict, not peace. Clearly, aligning with this entity does not fulfill the promise to “bless those who bless you” (Gen. 12:3), but rather invites geopolitical strife.  Per Paul in Galatians 3 Christ is the “seed” and those united to Him in faith form the true new covenant “Israel of God” that the nations need to listen to in order to be blessed – not the Globalists / Rothschild / “Israel.”

(3). The 1948 Generation View

A third view, popularized by Hal Lindsey, claims the generation witnessing Israel’s 1948 rebirth and the 1967 Jerusalem recapture is the end-time cohort: “We are the generation that will see the end times… and return of Christ.”[26]  Chuck Smith reinforced this, asserting, “I believe the Lord could come back for His Church any time before 1981 (1948 + 40 – 7 = 1981).”[27] Yet, the absence of a rapture in the 1980’s undermines this, and the “times of the Gentiles” (Luke 21:24) aligns with AD 67-70’s 3½-year treading, not 1967.

(4). A Distant Future Generation View

A fourth interpretation posits a future generation witnessing these signs whenever they begin. However, Jesus’ use of “this” (houtos), not “that” (ekeinos), ties it to His contemporaries (Matt. 24:34; Heb. 3:10 uses “ekeinos” for a past generation). Not only this, but as I demonstrated earlier all the signs were fulfilled during the AD 30 – AD 70 “this generation.”

Biblical Usage of “Generation” or “This Generation”

Within Matthew, “generation” (genea) consistently denotes a contemporary cohort. Matthew 1:17 traces 42 generations from Abraham to Christ, each a 35-40-year span (Eccl. 1:4). Matthew 11:16 critiques “this generation” for misjudging John and Jesus, linking it to imminent expectations (Matt. 11:14). Matthew 12:39-45 calls it “evil and adulterous,” tying Jonah’s sign to their judgment, worsened by rejecting Christ (Matt. 23:32-36). Matthew 23:36 confirms “all these things” on the Pharisees’ generation, fulfilled in AD 70. Luke 1:50 speaks of mercy across “generation to generation,” and Luke 17:25-30 connects Christ’s suffering and AD 70 judgment to “this generation.” These uses reinforce a 30-40-year timeframe, not a racial or future span.

Thomas Ice, a Dispensationalist, concedes, “In Matthew 23:36, ‘this generation’ refers to Jesus’ contemporaries,”[28] yet struggles to extend this to Matthew 24:34, proving too much for his system.

The Terminal Generation and Inspired Imminence in New Testament Eschatology

In interpreting “this generation” in Matthew 24:34, it is crucial to recognize that Jesus, Peter, and Paul consistently identify their first-century audience as the prophesied terminal generation of Moses’ Song (Deut. 31:29–32:43). This deliberate identification underscores a foundational truth: their generation was the fulfillment of Moses’ warnings about a “perverse and crooked generation” within Israel’s covenant history that would face their final eschatological “end” (Deut. 32:5, 20, 29). By grounding their teachings in this Mosaic prophecy, Jesus, Peter, and Paul generated inspired imminence—the divinely revealed expectation that the “appointed time” (kairos) for Christ’s second coming, judgment, and the old covenant’s dissolution was truly “near,” “at hand,” and “about to” unfold. Drawing from Deuteronomy 32’s themes—perversity, filling up sin, judgment, vengeance, de-creation, and resurrection—they affirm Moses’ eschatology as fulfilled imminently in AD 70. Jesus sets the foundation, Peter applies it amid Pentecost’s outpouring and apostolic trials, and Paul integrates it into Gentile inclusion and resurrection hope. This unified witness challenges futurist theology, which often neglects or reinterprets these time texts to project fulfillment into a distant future generation, overlooking the inspired urgency that points to AD 70’s covenantal shift as the prophesied climax.

Jesus and the Song of Moses

“And Jesus answered, ‘O faithless/perverse and crooked generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me’” (Matt. 17:17).

Jesus’ eschatology is deeply intertwined with the Song of Moses (Deut. 31:29–32:43), where He identifies His first-century generation as the prophesied terminal generation facing judgment and the birth of a new covenant nation. In Matthew 17:17–20, Jesus echoes Deuteronomy 32:5, 20, labeling His contemporaries a “faithless and perverse generation,” fulfilling Moses’ warning of Israel’s “last days” (Deut. 31:29; 32:5, 20). This generation would reject the Messiah (Deut. 32:15, 18), fill up its sins (Deut. 32:23, 34), fail to discern its end (Deut. 32:28–29), and provoke God to raise a new nation (Deut. 32:21), all culminating in de-creation judgment (Deut. 32:22) and “vengeance” (Deut. 32:35–43) that would be “near” when the “appointed time” (kairos, LXX) would come.

Jesus develops these themes in Matthew 21–25, where His rejection as the “Rock” or “Cornerstone” (Matt. 7:24–27; 21:42–45; Deut. 32:4–5) leads to the kingdom’s transfer to a new people or “nation” (Matt. 21:43-45; Deut. 32:21). He declares “this generation” will witness the temple’s destruction, Great Tribulation, and His coming in judgment and vengeance (Luke 21:20-32; Deut. 32:5, 20), using de-creation or wrath and fire coming upon the land language (Matt. 22:7; 24:29, 35; Deut. 32:22) to describe the old covenant’s end. Blood guilt fills up (Matt. 23:29–36; Deut. 32:23, 34), blindness persists (John 12:37–40; Deut. 32:28–29), and vengeance arrives at the “appointed time” (Luke 21:8, 20–32; Deut. 32:35 LXX). Resurrection and gathering occur at His coming (Matt. 24:30-31; Deut. 32:39), fulfilled spiritually in AD 70 as the new covenant spiritual body was raised out of the physical corpse of the old’s.

This identification of the terminal generation aligns with Jesus’ broader mission to fulfill the Law and Prophets in His generation (Luke 21:22-32; Matt. 5:17-18). By invoking Moses’ prophecy, Jesus underscores that His ministry marks the climax of Israel’s redemptive history, where apostasy leads to judgment but opens the door for Gentile inclusion. The Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24–25) serves as the capstone, blending Moses’ warnings with Daniel’s visions to affirm AD 70 as the “appointed time of the end” (Dan. 9:26-27 LXX; 12:4 LXX).

Transitioning to the apostolic witness, Jesus’ teaching sets a precedent of inspired imminence that His followers would amplify. His declaration that “the kingdom of God is near” (Luke 21:31) and “all these things” would occur within “this generation” (Matt. 24:34) establishes a temporal framework that futurists often reinterpret, yet it aligns with the Mosaic expectation of an imminent “end” (Deut. 32:29). R.T. France supports this, noting, “The ‘nearness’ in Matt. 24:33 reflects an eschatological urgency fulfilled within the generation Jesus addressed.”[29]

Jesus’ use of “perverse generation” is not mere rhetoric but a direct fulfillment signal, urging repentance amid signs of judgment. This urgency reflects Moses’ plea for discernment (Deut. 32:29), which Israel lacked, mistaking a carnal kingdom for the spiritual one Jesus proclaimed (John 6:63) which was merely an exegesis of the spiritual and Messianic kingdom prophesied by Daniel (cf. Dan. 2 and 7). By framing His return as “near” (Matt. 24:33), Jesus creates inspired imminence, reality futurists often dismiss by redefining time texts to fit distant expectations to a different generation. Thus, Jesus bridges Moses’ eschatology to His parousia or coming in vengeance, framing AD 70 as divine vindication and the covenantal turning point.

Peter and the Song of Moses

“And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this crooked generation’” (Acts 2:40).

Peter’s eschatology draws from the Song of Moses (Deut. 31:29–32:43), portraying his generation as the terminal one facing judgment and the rise of a new covenant nation. In Acts 2:40, Peter cites Deuteronomy 32:5, 20, urging escape from “this crooked generation,” fulfilling Moses’ and Joel’s “last days” warning (Deut. 31:29). He links the “last days” “appointed time” “day of the Lord” being “near” of Joel 2:28–3:14 (LXX) with Deuteronomy 32 in Acts 2:14–21, 40 tying it to Christ’s coming in the judgment of AD 70.

In 1 Peter 2:4–8, Peter identifies Christ as the rejected “Rock” or “Cornerstone” (Deut. 32:4–5, 15, 18; Isa. 28:16; Ps. 118:22), with Judaizers as “blots and blemishes” (2 Pet. 2:1–13; Deut. 32:5), leading to an imminent judgment in AD 70. He forms a new “holy nation” (1 Pet. 2:9–10; Deut. 32:21), fulfilling Moses’ prophecy of Gentile inclusion (Hos. 2:23; Isa. 43:20–21).

Peter’s letters affirm the “last days” imminence (1 Pet. 1:4–5, 20), with “salvation of the soul” “ready to be revealed” at the “appointed time” (kairos; 1 Pet. 1:4-12; 4:5, 7, 17; Deut. 32:35 LXX). Scoffers deny the end (2 Pet. 3:3–4; Deut. 32:28–29), but de-creation judgment burns the old covenant land / mountains / “heavens and earth” (2 Pet. 3:5–13; Deut. 32:22; Isa. 65–66), fulfilled in AD 70’s covenantal collapse. Vengeance comes as a “thief” (2 Pet. 3:10; Deut. 32:35, 43), judging persecutors and vindicating believers. Resurrection and vindication occur at Christ’s coming in AD 70 when old covenant Israel is “cut off” from the real new covenant “people” (Acts 2:20-21, 40; 3:23; Deut. 32:35-43).

Peter’s Pentecost sermon (Acts 2) frames the Spirit’s outpouring as the “last days” inauguration, blending Moses’ warnings with Joel’s signs to signal impending judgment. This aligns with Jesus’ Olivet Discourse, where cosmic upheaval precedes the new covenant’s full arrival.

Peter’s warnings against scoffers (2 Pet. 3) highlight Israel’s failure to discern Moses’ “latter end,” a blindness fulfilled in AD 70’s rejection of the spiritual kingdom. His de-creation imagery underscores the old order’s fiery end, birthing the new creation where righteousness dwells. By declaring the “end of all things is near” (1 Pet. 4:7), Peter creates inspired imminence, urging holiness amid tribulation.

Building on Jesus’ foundation, Peter extends the theme of inspired imminence to his audience, reinforcing that the “appointed time” (1 Pet. 4:7, 17) was not a distant hope but a “near” reality. His use of Joel’s prophecy (Acts 2:17-21) to interpret Pentecost as old covenant Israel’s “last days” initiation underscores the urgency, a point futurists tend to relegate to a future era, missing the historical fulfillment.

 Paul and the Song of Moses

“…that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world…” (Phil. 2:15).

Paul’s eschatology echoes the Song of Moses (Deut. 31:29–32:43), viewing his generation as the terminal “perverse and crooked” one (Phil. 2:15; Deut. 32:5, 20) facing the “end” (1 Cor. 10:11; Deut. 32:29). In Romans 9–11, he cites Deuteronomy 32:21 (Rom. 10:19), showing Gentiles provoke Israel to jealousy, forming a new covenant nation (Gal. 6:16; Deut. 32:21) that is also identified as “all Israel” that would be imminently “saved” at Christ’s coming (Rom. 11:25-27; 13:11-12).

Paul identifies Christ as the rejected “Rock” (1 Cor. 10:4; Rom. 9:30–33; Deut. 32:4–5, 15, 18), stumbling Israel and fulfilling prophecy. De-creation language describes the “appointed time” of the old covenant world’s passing (1 Cor. 7:29–31; Deut. 32:22), fulfilled in AD 70.

Blood guilt “fills up” (1 Thess. 2:14–16; Deut. 32:23, 34), with wrath at “the end” (telos; Deut. 32:20). Blindness persists (2 Cor. 3:13–16; Rom. 11:7–10; Deut. 32:28–29), but the “appointed time” (kairos) is “near” or “soon” for judgment and resurrection (1 Cor. 7:29-31; Rom. 8:18–23 YLT; 13:11–12; Acts 24:15 YLT; Deut. 32:35 LXX).

Vengeance repays persecutors (2 Thess. 1:5–10; Rom. 12:19; Deut. 32:35, 43), fulfilled in AD 70 on the “man of lawlessness” (likely a Zealot or high priest figure who was “now” alive when Paul wrote; 2 Thess. 2:3–12). Resurrection is corporate and spiritual (Deut. 32:39; 1 Thess. 4:15–17; 1 Cor. 15; Rom. 8:18–23), raising the Church from Adamic death at Christ’s parousia in AD 70, fulfilling Daniel 12 and Isaiah 25–27. This would result in the dead ones inheriting eternal life with the living being joined together in one new covenant body.

Paul’s warnings in 2 Timothy 3:1–9 describe “last days” difficulties, already manifesting through false teachers opposing truth like Pharaoh’s magicians resisted Moses (Ex. 7–8). This echoes Deuteronomy 32’s rebellious generation, fulfilled in first-century apostasy.

In Romans 9–11, Paul’s remnant theology draws from Deuteronomy 32, emphasizing God’s faithfulness despite Israel’s hardening. Gentiles’ inclusion as a “foolish nation” fulfills Moses’ prophecy, provoking jealousy and leading to “all Israel’s” salvation (consisting of the believing remnant Jews of the first century and Gentiles)—resurrection life from the dead (Rom. 11:15, 25-27; Deut. 32:39).

Paul’s resurrection doctrine, rooted in Deuteronomy 32:39, is progressive: an “already” inner transformation (Rom. 6:4–11) consummated at Christ’s “about to be” or “near” glory, redemption, and coming (Rom. 8:18-23 YLT; 13:11–12). This corporate raising from Adamic and old covenant death aligns with Moses’ vision of life after judgment. By declaring the “end of the ages has come” (1 Cor. 10:11), and Christ’s second coming was “near” (Phil. 4:5), Paul creates inspired imminence, a reality futurists neglect by delaying fulfillment.

Transitioning from Peter to Paul, the apostolic continuity of inspired imminence is evident. Paul’s emphasis on the “end of the ages” (1 Cor. 10:11) and the “near” second coming of Christ (Phil. 4:5) builds on Peter’s urgency, reinforcing that the “appointed time” was a first-century reality, not a future projection. N.T. Wright supports this, stating, “Paul’s language in Romans 13:11-12 suggests an imminent eschatological horizon within the first century.”[30]

Before leaving Philippians 2:15, it is worth underscoring that this is the only New Testament text Thayer (following Strong’s) cites in an attempt to justify translating genea as “race.” Yet their citation provides no exegetical or contextual defense for such a rendering. In context, Paul is not making an abstract statement about ethnic lineage, but is directly echoing the LXX of Deuteronomy 32:5, 20—precisely as Jesus does in Matthew 17:17 and Peter does in Acts 2:40—where genea refers to a living, contemporaneous, “crooked and perverse generation” under covenantal judgment.

To read Paul differently here would require severing his words from the explicit Mosaic context that both Jesus and Peter maintain, without any linguistic or historical warrant. On the contrary, Paul’s deliberate use of this Deuteronomic framing shows that he too understood himself to be living in the terminal generation prophesied by Moses. This explains why, within the same letter, Paul’s inspired eschatology pulses with imminence—anticipating the resurrection, the transformation of the body, and the Parousia of Christ as events “eagerly awaited” (Phil. 3:20–21) and “near” (Phil. 4:5).

It is telling that BDAG—the leading critical lexicon of New Testament Greek—never lists “race” as a legitimate meaning of genea. BDAG consistently defines it in temporal and contemporaneous terms, in full harmony with the way Jesus, Peter, and Paul use the word. Strong’s and Thayer’s departure from this standard, on the basis of a single verse (Phil.2:15) and without exegetical defense, is not only linguistically weak but also hermeneutically inconsistent. If they had followed BDAG’s evidence-based approach, the race theory would have been dismissed outright.

When read through this covenantal lens, Philippians 2:15 becomes yet another confirmation that New Testament imminence is inseparable from Jesus’ own declaration: “this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place” (Matt. 24:34). Paul was not pointing to a distant, undefined era, but to the same forty-year, first-century countdown that Jesus and Peter proclaimed—a prophetic clock already ticking toward its appointed AD 70 climax.

Condensed Overview: Jesus, Peter, and Paul’s Eschatological Harmony

Theme (Deut. 31–32)	Jesus’ Development	Peter’s Development	Paul’s Development
Rejection of the Messiah – the Rock (Deut. 32:4–5, 15, 18)	Christ as rejected “Cornerstone” (Matt. 7:24–27; 21:42–45). Fulfilled: AD 70 kingdom transfer.	Christ as rejected “Cornerstone” (1 Pet. 2:4–8). Judaizers as “blemishes” (2 Pet. 2:1–13). Fulfilled: AD 70 judgment.	Christ as rejected “Rock” (1 Cor. 10:4; Rom. 9:30–33). Fulfilled: AD 70 stumbling/judgment.
Terminal Generation (Deut. 32:5, 20)	“Perverse generation” sees all fulfilled (Matt. 17:17; 24:34). Fulfilled: AD 70 end.	“Crooked generation” (Acts 2:40). Fulfilled: AD 70 judgment.	“Crooked generation” (Phil. 2:15). Fulfilled: AD 70 end.
Last Days and End (Deut. 31:29; 32:29)	Judgment/end in “this generation” (Matt. 23–25). Fulfilled: AD 70.	Salvation “ready” in “last time” (1 Pet. 1:4–5, 20). Fulfilled: AD 70.	“End of ages” arrived (1 Cor. 10:11). Fulfilled: AD 70.
New Covenant Nation (Deut. 32:21)	Kingdom to new people (Matt. 21:43). Fulfilled: AD 70 Church.	Church as “holy nation” (1 Pet. 2:9–10). Fulfilled: AD 70.	Gentiles provoke jealousy (Rom. 10:19). “Israel of God” (Gal. 6:16). Fulfilled: AD 70.
De-creation Language & Israel’s land and mountains burn (Deut. 32:22)	Old covenant “heaven/earth” passes & Christ “burns” their “city” (Matt. 22:7; 24:29, 35). Fulfilled: AD 70.	Old “heavens/earth” burn (2 Pet. 3:5–13). Fulfilled: AD 70.	World’s “form” passes (1 Cor. 7:29–31). Fulfilled: AD 70.
Covenantal Wrath (Deut. 32:23, 34)	Blood guilt filled; wrath in “this generation” (Matt. 23:29–36). Fulfilled: AD 70.	Judgment not delayed (2 Pet. 2:3; Acts 2:19–21). Fulfilled: AD 70.	Sins “fill up”; wrath “to the end” (1 Thess. 2:14–16). Fulfilled: AD 67–70.
Lack of Discernment (Deut. 32:28–29)	Blind to spiritual kingdom (John 12:37–40). Fulfilled: AD 70.	Scoffers deny end (2 Pet. 3:3–4). Fulfilled: AD 70.	Hardened, veiled (2 Cor. 3:13–16; Rom. 11:7–10). Fulfilled: AD 70.
Vengeance and Repayment (Deut. 32:35, 43)	Coming repays in “this generation” (Matt. 23:39; 24:30). Fulfilled: AD 70.	Coming as “thief” judges (2 Pet. 3:10). Fulfilled: AD 70.	Repays persecutors (2 Thess. 1:5–10; Rom. 12:19). Fulfilled: AD 70.
Resurrection and Gathering (Deut. 32:39)	Elect gathered at trumpet (Matt. 24:31). Fulfilled: AD 70 spiritual resurrection.	Judgment of living and dead or salvation “near” at Christ’s coming (Acts 2:21; 1 Pet. 1:4–5). Fulfilled: AD 70.	Dead raised, living transformed (1 Thess. 4:15–17; 1 Cor. 15). Fulfilled: AD 70 corporate resurrection.
Appointed Time (Kairos) (Deut. 32:35)	Kairos “near” for fulfillment (Luke 21:8, 32). Fulfilled: AD 70.	The Judgment of living and dead “near” at kairos (1 Pet. 4:5, 7, 17). Fulfilled: AD 70.	Kairos “near” for resurrection (Rom. 8:18; 13:11–12; 1 Cor. 7:29-31). Fulfilled: AD 70.

Jesus, Peter, and Paul collectively affirm that their first-century generation fulfilled Moses’ Song, marking the old covenant’s end and the new covenant’s rise in AD 70. Jesus initiated this by identifying His contemporaries as the “perverse generation,” Peter applied it amid Pentecost’s outpouring and apostolic trials, and Paul extended it to Gentile inclusion and a imminent resurrection hope. Together, they draw from Deuteronomy 32’s motifs to declare the “appointed time” (kairos) as “near,” culminating in judgment, de-creation, and a new creation nation. This unified testimony resolves Matthew 24:34’s “this generation,” proving it was not future but the literal timeframe for eschatological fulfillment.

By framing their teachings in Moses’ prophecy, they created inspired imminence—the NT’s time texts like “near,” “at hand,” and “about to” are divinely revealed, pointing to AD 70. Futurist theology often neglects this by reinterpreting imminence to fit distant expectations, missing the urgent call to endure amid AD 70’s judgment. Critics who dismiss this as unfulfilled undermine Scripture’s inspiration and reliability, but AD 70’s historical reality confirms Moses’ prophecy and the apostles’ inspired interpretation, urging us to embrace this fulfilled and realized hope and not a “sick” “hope delayed” futurism (Prov. 13:12).

The Second Exodus Inheritance Generation of Hebrews

“Therefore, I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways’” (Heb. 3:10).

 The writer to the Hebrews uses ekeinos (“that generation”) when referring to a past group distinct from his audience—contrasting with Jesus’ use of houtos (“this generation”) in Matthew 24:34, which denotes contemporaries. Strong’s Concordance confirms this: ekeinos (1565) is rendered “that” (99x), “those” (40x), or “the same” (20x), whereas houtos(3778) appears as “this” (157x), “these” (59x), or “he” (31x), pointing to present immediacy. Had Jesus intended a future generation, ekeinos would have been the natural choice, as in Hebrews 3:10.

Note: Strong’s should have followed BDAG’s lead—BDAG never assigns genea any meaning other than “contemporaries.”

Hebrews 3–4 and 10 draw a typological parallel between Israel’s 40-year wilderness generation and the New Covenant “generation” awaiting its promised rest. Hebrews 10:25–37 cites multiple OT passages (including Deut. 32) to declare that this “another day” of Sabbath rest was “drawing near,” with Christ’s coming in judgment, vindication, and salvation to occur “in a very little while, and will not delay.” This return would usher in the Second Exodus inheritance—the “heavenly country” and “city” longed for by Abraham (Heb. 11:10, 16; 13:14 SLT).

First Exodus / Second Exodus Parallels

First Exodus / Types & Prophecies	Second Exodus / Anti-type & Fulfillments
1) Moses sent after 400 years of Israel’s groaning in Egyptian slavery	1) Jesus sent after 400 years of prophetic silence and humanity’s slavery under sin
2) Threatened at birth, flees until wrath of king passes	2) Threatened at birth, flees until wrath of king passes
3) Moses fasted 40 days in wilderness; received Law on a mountain	3) Jesus fasted 40 days in wilderness; gave Sermon on the Mount
4) Moses appointed 70 elders over 12 tribes	4) Jesus called 12 and sent 70 with authority
5) 3,000 die at giving of Law	5) 3,000 saved at giving of Spirit
6) Fading Old Covenant glory on Moses’ face, gone by AD 70	6) Enduring New Covenant glory in Christ’s face
7) Delivered Israel from physical slavery in Egypt	7) Delivered from spiritual slavery—OC Jerusalem as “spiritual Egypt” seeking to use the “administration of death” as a means to enslave through works based salvation instead of grace.
8) After 40 years, Moses disqualified from entering land	8) After 40 years, Jesus brought His people into heavenly hand and city inheritance
9) Miracles proved Moses was God’s prophet sent to deliver from physical slavery	9) Miracles proved Jesus could deliver from sin and death – “so that you might know the Son of Man has power to forgive sin, pick up your mat and walk”
10) Spirit empowered skilled workers for Tabernacle during 40 years	10) Spirit given for 40 years to build and mature NC Temple until OC’s “end”
11) Feasts as “types and shadows” of Messiah’s coming work	11) Messiah was “about to” fulfilled the Law and feasts, removing the old system
12) Moses foretold “last days” generation facing judgment and Messiah’s reign	12) Jesus foretold “this generation” would see Israel’s end and His kingdom
13) Trumpet at Sinai, God descended in cloud to marry Israel	13) Trumpet at Zion, Christ gathered Church in glory cloud to marry her
14) Exodus through Red Sea birthed Israel as heaven and earth	14) Deliverance from Law and tribulation birthed Church as new creation

The First Exodus provided the prophetic pattern: deliverance after 400 years of bondage, 40 years of testing, covenant at a mountain, divine glory, miraculous provision, trumpet blasts, and a promised inheritance. Moses himself foretold in Deuteronomy 31–32 a future “perverse and crooked generation” whose “end” would be “near” at an appointed kairos, when God would judge, avenge His servants’ blood, and raise His people to life (Deut. 32:5, 20, 35, 39).

Jewish expectation—seen in rabbinic tradition—anticipated a similar 40-year Messianic generation bridging the Old Covenant age and the New as Dr. Cohen explains,

“Many Rabbis believed that the period of the Messiah was to be only a transitionary stage between this world [age] and the world [age] to come, and opinions differed on the time of its duration.  How long will the days of the Messiah last?  R. Akibs said, Forty years, as long as the Israelites were in the wilderness.”[31]

Jesus fulfilled this precisely:

1. AD 30–70 became the 40-year “this generation” of testing and covenant transition.
2. His 40-day fast paralleled Moses’ Sinai ascent; His appointment of 70 disciples pointed to the nations (Gen. 10–11) or the nations of the Roman world hearing the gospel before AD 70.
3. Pentecost reversed Sinai’s judgment, inaugurating the Spirit’s building of the New Covenant Temple.
4. The second exodus and marriage motif of the trumpet call of Matthew 24:31 gathered the elect into the heavenly Zion (Heb. 12:22; cf. Rev. 10-11 and 14), consummating the marriage covenant in AD 70 (Rev. 21–22).

This was not a drawn-out interim but the prophesied terminus—the Second Exodus’ completion. The old heaven and earth (OC temple system) passed away, and the Church emerged as the New Creation, inviting all nations to enter the heavenly land through the gates (Rev. 22:17).

Conclusion: The Near Appointed Time and the Fulfilled Generation

The fig tree parable is not an open-ended puzzle for speculative date-setters, but a covenantal countdown that Jesus tied directly to specific signs to be fulfilled in His own generation. Read in the light of the Song of Moses, it marks the culmination of the Second Exodus—a 40-year wilderness generation between the old covenant “this age” and the new covenant “age to come,” a framework known to some rabbis before Christ and alive in His day. Moses foresaw a “perverse and crooked generation” whose rebellion would fill up covenantal guilt, bringing judgment, vindication, and a new covenant people at the kairos—the appointed time—when it was “near” (Deut. 32:5, 20, 35–43 LXX).

Jesus declared that His contemporaries were that terminal generation. The demonstrative “this” leaves no grammatical room for distant future groups, no racial abstraction, and no moral-class generalities. It meant the living audience before Him—a 30–40 year span that began in AD 30 and ended with Jerusalem’s destruction in AD 70. Every sign He listed—the worldwide gospel proclamation, the surrounding of Jerusalem by armies, the great tribulation, the cosmic sign language of judgment—was fulfilled before that generation passed.

The four false interpretations—the “Jewish race” theory, the moral class idea, the 1948 ‘super sign’ generation extension, and the distant future generation view—fail because they either ignore the demonstrative force of “this,” violate the lexical distinction between genea and genos, or stretch the prophecy to accommodate failed expectations.

Instead, the grammatical-historical reading, anchored in the Deuteronomy 32 prophecy and confirmed by the rabbinic 40-year model, harmonizes perfectly with inspired New Testament imminence. The “near” kairos of Moses became the “at the door” “near” “appointed time” coming of Christ in the Olivet Discourse, echoed in apostolic urgency: “in a very, very, little while and will not delay” (Heb. 10:37), “the end of all things is near” (1 Pet. 4:7), “the Judge is standing at the door” (James 5:9), “the appointed time is near” (Rev. 1:3; 22:10). These were not rhetorical flourishes—they were Spirit-inspired confirmations that the covenantal transformation was imminent in the first century.

The parable of the fig tree, therefore, is not a quaint horticultural illustration—it is the covenantal timepiece of redemptive history. Every leaf that unfurled in Jesus’ prophecy testified to God’s flawless fidelity: promises kept, judgments executed, salvation accomplished, all exactly when He said they would be. The kairos was upon them; the generation was marked; the kingdom had come in unshakable power, enthroned in the midst of His Church. The second coming of Christ in the fiery collapse of Jerusalem stands as the most staggering, irrefutable apologetic for the Christian faith—a public, historical vindication of the Messiah’s word and reign. And yet, multitudes overlook it, their eyes fixed on the horizon for a kingdom of carnal grandeur, while the true King reigns in glory, gathering His people from every nation into the eternal city whose light will never fade.

Study Questions

1. What is the significance of the Greek term kairos in Deuteronomy 32:35 LXX, and how does Jesus use it in the Olivet Discourse?  How does Peter and Paul use kairos in connection with inspired NT immense as well?

2. In what ways does Jesus’ phrase “this generation” grammatically and historically refer to His contemporaries rather than to a future group or race?

3. How did some rabbis in the first century understand the “days of the Messiah” as a 40-year Second Exodus period, and how does this expectation align with Jesus’ ministry and prophecy?

4. What is the difference between genea (“generation”) and genos (“race”) in the LXX and NT, and why is this distinction important for interpreting Matthew 24:34?

5. How do Jesus, Peter, and Paul each draw from Deuteronomy 32 to identify their own generation as the “perverse and crooked generation”?

6. What major first-century signs, according to the Olivet Discourse, indicated the nearness of the appointed time?

7. How does Luke’s addition of “all the trees” in Luke 21:29–31 broaden the meaning of the parable beyond modern political Israel?

8. What theological and prophetic implications arise from Jesus cursing the fig tree in Matthew 21:18–19 in light of His fig tree parable in Matthew 24?

9. How do the three specific signs—gospel proclamation throughout the Roman world, Jerusalem surrounded by armies, and the Great Tribulation—reinforce a first-century fulfillment?

10. What are the four false interpretations of “this generation” discussed in the article, and how does each fail when tested against Scripture and historical context?

11. How do the parallels between the First Exodus and the Second Exodus strengthen the argument for a covenantal 40-year transition between AD 30 and AD 70?

12. What role does “inspired imminence” play in NT eschatology, and how does it challenge futurist re-interpretations of time texts?

13. How does the destruction of genealogical records in AD 70 undermine modern claims to a divinely mandated racial or ethnic Jewish identity?

14. In what ways does the AD 70 fulfillment of the fig tree parable affirm the reliability of God’s promises and the prophetic timetable given by Jesus?

[1] Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 1889, p. 112

[2] W.E. Vine (edited by F.F. Bruce), VINE’S Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Iowa Falls, Iowa: World Bible Publishers, 1981), 42

[3] Colin Brown, The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology Vol. 2, (Grand Rapids MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 37-38.

[4] Ibid., 38-39.

[5] Ibid. C.I. Scofield, Scofield Reference Bible, 1917, p. 1035.

[6] Anthony A. Hoekema, THE BIBLE AND THE FUTURE, (Gand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing, 1979), p. 117

[7] Ibid., p. 126.

[8] John Chrysostom, Homily 77 on Matthew 24:34, in Homilies on the Gospel of Saint Matthew, trans. George Prevost, rev. M.B. Riddle, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, vol. 10, ed. Philip Schaff (New York: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1888), 464. Available at New Advent.

[9] John Nelson Darby, The Collected Writings of J. N. Darby, Prophetic No. 2, vol. 9 (London: G. Morrish, n.d.), 277.

[10] Leon Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1992), 613; cited in Neil D. Nelson Jr., “‘This Generation’ in Matt 24:34: A Literary-Critical Perspective,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society38, no. 3 (1995): 383.

[11] Neil D. Nelson Jr., “‘This Generation’ in Matt 24:34: A Literary-Critical Perspective,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 38, no. 3 (September 1995): 386. Available at ETS.

[12] Herman N. Ridderbos, Matthew, in The Bible Student’s Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1987), 502; cited in du Toit, “‘This Generation’ in Matthew 24:34,” 3.

[13]  Herman Ridderbos, THE COMING of the KINGDOM, (Philadelphia, PA: P&R Publishing, 1962),  p. 499.

[14] The American Peoples Encyclopedia (Chicago: Spencer Press, 1954), vol. 15, p. 292.

[15] Encyclopedia Britannica (Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 1973), vol. 12, p. 1054.

[16] Encyclopedia Judaica Jerusalem (Jerusalem: Keter Publishing House, 1971), vol. 3, p. 50.  See also The New Jewish Encylopedia (1962), pp. 190, 251, 265-266, 381, 411

[17] Encyclopedia Americana (Danbury: Grolier, 1986), vol. 16, p. 71.

[18] Collier’s Encyclopedia(New York: Crowell-Collier Publishing, 1977), vol. 13, p. 573.

[19] Benjamin H. Freedman, Letter to the National Economic Council’s Newsletter (New York, 1947), unpublished manuscript.

[20] E. Elhaik, “The Missing Link of Jewish European Ancestry: Contrasting the Rhineland and Khazarian Hypotheses,” Genome Biology and Evolution 5, no. 1 (2013): 61-74, supports the Khazarian hypothesis with genetic data.

[21] Walter Laqueur, A History of Zionism (New York: Schocken Books, 2003), p. 188, details the Balfour Declaration’s political context.

[22] Frederic Morton, The Rothschilds (New York: Fawcett Publications, 1962), p. 33.

[23] Andrew Jackson, Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States (Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1832), vol. 2, p. 590.

[24]

[25] Friedrich Edlen von Scherb, Historical Reflections on European Finance (Vienna: Imperial Press, 1840), p. 127.

[26] Hal Lindsey, The 1980’s: Countdown to Armageddon, (New York: Bantam, 1980), see back-cover, and p.144

[27] Chuck Smith, End Times, (Costa Mesa, CA: The Word for Today, 1978), 35.

[28] Tim LaHay and Thomas Ice, THE END TIMES CONTROVERSY THE SECOND COMING UNDER ATTACK, (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2003), 94.

[29] R.T. France, The Gospel of Matthew (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2007), p. 920.

[30] Wright, Paul: In Fresh Perspective, 2005, p. 85.

[31] Rev. Dr. A. Cohen, Everyman’s TALMUD, (New York: E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc., 1949), p. 356.  Emphasis MJS.