Gentlemen, I don’t argue that generation cannot refer to a “people group,” as I think it does in every case. However, “this generation” refers to the “people group” of the context (the Jews in Matthew) all living at the same time.
The dictionaries say that the adjective “this” refers to something NEAR in time or place, as opposed to something far away.
Jesus didn’t give the day nor hour of his return, but he did say it would occur in his generation.
Let the casual reader notice that we’re not arguing about what the Bible says here. Westbrook and I agree on what Jesus said. We don’t agree on the meaning of the term “this” in Mt. 24.34, tho we do agree on the other four times it’s used in Matthew.
Thanks for your responses, gentlemen.
The phrase this generation (and its related uses) in the gospels always refers to the generation of Jews then living at the time of Jesus. That's the plain sense use.
We find a similar language which was surely the model for Christ's words in Deuteronomy:
'Surely not one of these men of this evil generation shall see that good land of which I swore to give to your fathers, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him and his children I am giving the land on which he walked, because he wholly followed the Lord.' (Deut. 1:35,36)This was spoken of the generation who disobeyed the Lord and wandered in Sinai for 40 years till the guilty died off. They did not receive the blessing.
The LORDs anger burned against Israel and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation of those who had done evil in his sight was gone. (Numbers 32:13)It is not speaking of the entire race of Jewish people.
The parallel is obvious to what happened in AD70, when the generation who killed the son of the landowner were punished in the sack of Jerusalem and destruction of the temple. As we read:
Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. (Matt. 23:36)
For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. (Luke 21:22)