Generations

                                                   

Basic Timeline

|--Before Time Began----------Time----------Beyond Time--|

     Sat down with Brother Littleton at Family Camp this year and he asked me, “What's the word?” My response? “Generations. How many years are in a one generation?” Bro. Littleton said that generational lengths are determined by cultural eras. What a generation was in early Genesis is not what a generation was in Malachi, nor was that the same as in Matthew or even now. From parent to infant is one generation.

     Consulting King James Bible Word Book*, I read that generations means “the whole body of individuals born about the same period; also, the time covered by the lives of these”. Also from this book I see that generation in the New Testament has two meanings. In Matthew 1:1, 18 the word generation means 'birth'. In 1 Peter 2:9, the word is rendered 'children, offspring'.

     Vines' Expository Dictionary gives these same definitions for generations: (1) Age; (2) Origin, lineage, birth; (3) Offspring. Somewhat helpful, but not as helpful as Brother Littleton. So much more interesting conversations are had with people in person than through a study book, but am grateful I have such books with me.

     Why do I want to know what a generation is? Well.........the first time the word is used is in Genesis 2:4, when God tells us “These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that The Lord God made the earth and the heavens.” Here, the word generations means 'history, descent (referring to family), birth) using the Hebrew dictionary.

     But the word is not translated the same in every passage of The Old Testament. In Exodus 3:15 “And God said moreover unto Moses, 'Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Is'rael, The Lord God of your fathers, The God of Abraham, The God of Isaac, and The God of Jacob, has sent me unto you: this is My Name for ever, and this is My memorial unto all generations.” Here, the word means 'revolution of time, an age, a dwelling: posterity'. A revolution of time goes clockwise in a circular motion, which could refer to passage of time, as the earth revolves around the sun giving us day and night repeatedly. 

     These two definitions of generations are repeatedly used in The Old Testament. The first explains generations as historical fact. The second explains generations as the passing of time. Each reference needs to be separately looked up to know what it actually refers to. For instance, Psalm 14:5 “There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous.” Revolution of time, a dwelling.

     Psalm 24:1-6 “The earth is The Lord's, and the fullness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. Who shall ascend into the hill of The Lord? Or who shall stand in His Holy place? He that has clean hands, and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from The Lord, and righteousness from The God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek Him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Se'lah.” Again, a dwelling.

     I bring up these two specifically as examples because we know that God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3 “But Thou art holy, O Thou that inhabits the praises of Israel.) In other words, God dwells in the praises of His people. And who are His people?

     In The New Testament, the word generations refers to: kin, diversity, nation, age, kindred, offspring, stock, age, time. 1 Peter 2:9,10 “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” These are God's people.

     Acts 8:33 “In His humiliation His judgment was taken away: and who shall declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.” This verse refers to Jesus Christ. His generation, His descendants  are they who believe that He is Lord, that He is Savior, that He is the Only Begotten Son of God. His generations are the people of God; they who love Him and keep His commandments.

     Now, we come to one of the verses on my mind which started this whole thing to begin with. Deuteronomy 7:9 “Know therefore that The Lord thy God, He Is God, The Faithful God, which keeps covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations.” How many is a thousand generations if generations vary? Here the definition of generations is the second one: the passage of days, of time. These are God's people.

     A thousand generations of them that love Him and keep His commandments. We cannot know how many this is, because only God can keep perfect track of who is righteous is His sight. Their names are written in The Lamb's Book of Life. We will know these generations later in heaven and we will get to meet all of them eventually. 

     But only if our names are written in The Lamb's Book of Life. How do you get your name in that Book, you ask? You must be born-again. When your name is called by The Holy Spirit and you feel yourself being drawn, led, to Jesus; and you answer this call, you have taken the first step to being born again. Repentance means to turn your back on sin and turn your face to Jesus. How can you do this when you cannot see Jesus?

By faith, by believing that Jesus Is. By believing that Jesus died for you and rose from the dead; the first act washes away the sin from your heart, the second gives you eternal life through His life.

     John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him shall not perish but have ever lasting life.” You are whosoever. You can trust in Jesus to wash away your sins through the blood He shed on the cross He was nailed to. You can trust in Jesus to give you eternal life with Him. You just have to believe.

     Hebrews 11:1, 3 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen....Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by The Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” Faith is believing that something is real, is true, even if you cannot see it right now. We believe that tomorrow will come even though tomorrow is not yet. We have faith that the sun will rise at day, the moon at night. We cannot see tomorrow but we believe it will happen anyway, and so we prepare for it.

     Just as we prepare for eternity. An eternity with God is better than an eternity without God. “For whosoever was not written in The Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:15. That is an eternity without God. It is not my eternity, for my name is written in His Book.

Is yours?