Matthew 24:34 and Preterism

Preterism is an eschatological framework that views most, if not all, of the Bible's prophecies as being complete in the year 70 CE. It is a very complex and difficult issue which i won't even attempt to deal with here. But I do want to bring to the attention of all the readers of this blog to a fairly controversial text:

(Matthew 24:34) . . .Truly I say to YOU that this generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur. 

Many preterists believe the phrase "this generation" must have been a reference to the disciples exclusively, since it was them that Jesus was addressing. Granted, this appears to be the most logical and rational interpretation of this text. However, the text says "this generation" wouldn't pass away or fade out "until all these things occur." All these things involves the whole Olivet discourse. In order to avoid Jesus from looking like a false prophet, they interpret this to, in essence, say 'You disciples will see all these signs leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem and then I will come back.' So, in essence, Preterists view all Bible prophecies as fulfilled in 70, including the entire book of revelation. In fact, they believe the whole book of Revelation was written prophesying the destruction of Jerusalem. 

This sort of interpretation could in fact be convincing (if one were to analyzing the arguments they set forth). It has explanatory power. It works beautifully in interpreting these texts. It places the great tribulation as something past and not future. The "great crowd" of Revelation that walks out of the "great tribulation" are the Jews themselves that didn't die in 70 CE. Like I said, this framework has great explanatory power. But so much so in fact, that it literally explains you out of the Christian faith. That is, it skips over the resurrection of the dead and over Jehovah's plan for the earth. 

But in this entry I will contend that "this generation" need not be exclusively a first century generation that would witness the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE.  We have to remember that Jesus was a Jew. We have to keep in mind Hebraisms. In Hebraic thought, many times they would 'totalitize' a concept, saying or audience. 

See for example Matt 23:35 where Jesus accuses the religious leaders of his day of murdering Abel and Zechariah. He even referred to them as "YOU," clearly indicating them as the audience, though we know it was not 'them' who killed them. This is the same sort of "YOU" Jesus uses in the Matt 24 discourse.

We also have many scriptures written to, by and for David that we later apply to Christ.The audience of the passages was David---always. However, we later apply them to Christ. In a similar manner, why can't Christ speak to the apostles in 33 CE of the things that must occur but be referring to something other than just a first century application? We do this with OT passages dealing with Christ all the time.


We have good reasons for believing that "this generation" isn't contingent on its first century context. That is, we have good reasons for believing that "this generation" wasn't only including the disciples of Jesus in 33 CE. Jesus could have easily 'totalitized' what he meant by "this generation" as he did in Matthew 23:35 in regards to the religious leaders of his day, though the religious leaders of his day didn't do what he said they did.