THE JOSHUA, DAVID AND SOLOMON GENERATION
(week 19/13
OLUBI JOHNSON
Matthew 24:32: “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.
Matthew 24:33: So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!
Matthew 24:34: Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.
Here, the Lord Jesus teaching prophetically, tells us that the generation that is on the earth that sees all the signs of the end that He has been mentioning: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places”; will be the generation that sees the close of this age.
In other words, the generation that sees the nation of Israel restored back to Palestine after she had been uprooted from Palestine and scattered throughout the Roman Empire by the Roman General, Titus in 70 AD, is the generation that will see the close of this age.
Now, Israel was restored back to Palestine as a geo-political nation in May 1948, so we start counting the end-time or finishing generation from 1948.
But how long is a generation?
About 100 years according to
Genesis 15:13: Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years.
Genesis 15:16: But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”
So, we expect to see the close of this age about 2048: NOW BECAUSE THESE TIMES ARE PROPHECTIC SHADOWS (Heb. 10:1, Col.2:17, Jn. 16:13), the time may be some years earlier or later than 2048 fulfilling the scripture that says “no one knows the day or hour” (Mt. 24:36); though, we are expected to know the times and seasons (1 Th. 5:1-2).
This is why the scripture enjoins to hasten the time or redeem the time (2 Pet. 3:12; Eph. 5:16) so the diligence or slothfulness of the church can either hasten or delay the day and hour of the Lord Jesus’ physical return and the close of this age: HENCE PROPHETIC MESSAGES LIKE THIS to give understanding of the times and what Israel (typifying the church) ought to do to hasten the time (1 Chr. 12:32).
Now in this end-time generation, we have 3 sets of people:
1. 1st generation Christians who were born in “Egypt” (1 Cor. 10:1-11): their parents were not born-again and filled with the Holy Spirit: praying with tongues (Ac. 2:4, 1 Cor. 14:2, 5).
2. 2nd generation Christians who were born in “the wilderness” (1 Cor.10:5): their parents were born-again and filled the Holy Spirit: praying in tongues so they grew up seeing the ‘pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night’: typifying the supernatural presence of God (Ex.40:38).
3. 3rd generation Christians who will be born in ‘Zion’ (Ps. 50:2): they will be born when there will be a significantly large number of Christians who will have experienced ‘cleansing perfection’ and will be manifesting the glory of God: some by the inherited and some by the ‘borrowed’ anointing of the spirit without measure (Jn. 3:34).
These 3 sets of Christians are mentioned in
Isaiah 59:21: “And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD: “My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring,” says the LORD, “from this time forth and forevermore.”
The 3rd set is yet to be born as at the time of this message and writing: May 2013 because the Church has not yet occupied ‘Zion’ and manifested the glory of God by the power of the Spirit without measure; however, the scripture speaks of them in
Psalms 22:30: Posterity shall serve Him; they shall tell of the Lord to the next generation.
Psalms 22:31: they shall come and shall declare His righteousness to a people yet to be born–that He has done it [that it is finished]! [John 19:30.]
It is this generation that will finish the purpose of God: to close this age!
In our article next week, we will see how anybody, however young or old, who determines to walk with God, get a spiritual education and so grow into the perfection and fulness of Christ can be a part of this Joshua, David and Solomon generation. We will also see the prophetic significance of the names: Joshua, David and Solomon.
