I have listened to most of your commentary and i am greatly intrigued by it. Understanding prophecy in the Bible has greatly strengthened my faith.
However I do have a question concerning Matthew 24:34 and of course the word generation in the verse. I am aware that it can be translated as generation or race and I also understand it is your view that the latter is the correct translation. Because of this you have taught, and correct me please if I am mistaken, that because of Psalms 90:10 and also because of the 1948 rebirth of Israel that we can add 70 years to 1948 to get 2018 and therfore the 2nd Coming of our Lord must happen before that date.(I also know that many consider the 1967 regathering of Jersusalem to be the date we should time the 2nd coming to and I am in agreement with this because of the 1st coming being timed to the rebuilding of the temple).
My question, and I know I shouldn’t question God’s timing but I just cannot help but wonder, is that why has our God waited so long? 2018 is just around the corner and 2037 is also near too. In your opinion, why has God waited until almost the end of the 70 years? I also wonder if either of those dates can be considered legitimate because of Israels constant feud and border disagreements with Palestine. Maybe Israel is still a skeleton and skin has yet to come upon it and make it completely whole. If so then we cannot consider Israel to have completely fulfilled the prophecy yet. I ask these questions with the utmost respect and gratitude for your ministry.
What I’ve taught is that there are three possible interpretations of the word generation in Matt. 24:34,
1) the generation alive at the time when Jesus was speaking,
2) the Jewish race through all time, and
3) the generation being born when the first End Times signs appear.
I hold to the third interpretation, that all end times prophecies will be fulfilled within the lifetimes of those being born when they begin. Psalm 90:10 puts a Biblical lifetime at 70 plus years. Adding 70 to 1948 when the first End Times sign appeared brings us to 2018.
However if the first coming is a legitimate precedent for the 2nd, we would really have to begin counting when Jerusalem became an undivided Jewish city again, since all first coming prophecies keyed off the rebuilding of Jerusalem, not the Jews’ return to the land. (Daniel 9:25) That means we have to add 70 to 1967, the year Jerusalem became an undivided Jewish city again, bringing us to 2037. Jesus seemed to give emphasis to this view in Luke 21:24.
What I’ve said is that the time of fulfillment can be complete as early as 2018 but no later than 2037. That means that Daniel’s 70th week could begin as early as 2011.
But remember, we’re talking about all the end times signs, including the 2nd Coming here, not the Rapture. It could happen at any moment now.
As to your question on why God tarries, I think the answer is found in 2 Peter 3:9. “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”