PROPHECY
THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST

 labored efforts of those who make the destruction of Jerusalem to be the main event referred to, and typical of that of the world, at the day of Judgment, and who quote this passage in proof of what they call a double sense of prophecy, and of the fallacious rule of interpretation founded on it.

It is certain that the word [genea,] γενεά very often, both in sacred and profane writers, means a race, a family, a tribe, a nation, a class of persons united by sameness of character, disposition, or other ties, a people of common origin. Scapula assigns genus, progenies, as its proper meaning, and quotes Philo de Vita Mosis, as authority—καταλείπει μεν πατρίδα και γενεαν και πατρώον οικον. A Writer in the Investigator, vol. i. pp. 53-56, has quoted, in proof of this meaning, from Homer, Iliad Y. 303, 304,—

And from Hesiod, Ε. και Η. 281,—

And Josephus, A. J. 1. 10,—Ό θεός και παιδα αντω γενησεσθαι εξαγγέλλει και πολλην εξ εκείνον γενενα,—" a numerous race."—And Septuagint, Josh. 22. 27,—Των γενεων ημων μεθ' ημας.—"Our generations after us."

The following passages are given in proof of the absolute import of the word, as synonymous with a tribe, or people, or nation, without reference to the ancestor:

Sophocles, Ajax, 190—Τας ασωτου Σισυφιδαν γενεας. Euripides, Hecuba, 470—Ύιτανων γενεαν—"The race of the Titans." AEschylus, Agamemnon, 1538—

εκ τωνδε δομων αλλην γενεαν τριβειν θανατοις αυθενταισιν.

"To afflict another race (or family); opposed to that of the Plisthenidae,"

Pindar, Nem., VI. 54—παλαιφατος γεvεα, "an anciently celebrated family."—Homer, Iliad E. 265,—

Tης γαρ τοι γενεης ης Tρωι περ ευρυoπα Ζευς δωχ' υιος ποινην Γανυμηδεως.

"Of that breed (or race) of horses."

The following, among other passages from the Septuagint, may be added to the above:—Psalm, 14. 5; 24. 6 ; 73. 15. Gen. 31.J3. Lev. 25. 41. The word is used in the New Testament in the sense of race, tribe, people, nation. See Phil. 2. 15, where our translators render it nation- The above is sufficient to justify the remarks of the learned Mede, who in Epist. 12, p. 752 of his works, says, "I prefer, as I said," speaking of the import of the word in this passage, "gens Judaeorum; for what reasons nihil nunc attinet dicere. No man can deny but this is one of the native notions of γενεά, yea, and so taken in the gospels: as in the foregoing chapter, Matth. 23. 36, Verily I say unto you, all these things shall come ετι την γενεαν ταυτην—upon this nation. So Beza renders it twice in the parallel place, Luke, 10. 50,51, and seven times in this gospel. Again, Luke, 17. 25, The Son of Man must be first rejected απo της γενεάς ταύτης—Beza, a gente istd. The LXX. renders by this word [heb.], populus, [heb.], familia, [heb.], progenies, patria. See Gen. 25. 13, and 43. 7; Numbers, 10. 30, &c. I suppose here is enough for the signification of the word."

We are not concerned to decide which one, or whether both of these critical expositions should be adopted. The idea evidently is, that the things which Christ predicted, should now begin to develope themselves. The Jewish people, or race, should not perish till all should be fulfilled: according to Mede, or according to Cuninghame, the men of that day should not all have died, till the scenes Christ predicted should begin; or blending both,—the Jewish race should not become extinct during the whole course of the days of vengeance, in which all the things he predicted were to be fulfilled. See Stonerd's Dissert, on the Disc, of Christ, pp. 188-193.

Much more might be added here. Sufficient has been said to rescue this passage from the use which has been made of it, for confirming the double sense of prophecy, and introducing that confusion, which the spiritual interpreter and the rules of exegesis founded on the assumed double sense of prophecy, have always led to, in the interpretation of these predictions of Jesus Christ.