By Dan Maines

Generation cannot mean Race
The New Testament starts off with the genealogy of Christ. Matthew 1:17 tells us a generation is 42 years. And generation is describes as a "time period" rather than Nationality. So generation cannot mean "Race". Verse 17 tells us a generation is from one ending point to a start of another.

So, from verse 17 the captivity in Babylon until Christ, are fourteen generations. The reign of King Zedekiah ended in 586 B.C. So, from 586 B.C. until the birth of Christ is 589 years (589/14=42) From this verse we can see that a generation is about 42 years, However most scholars see a generation as a 40 year time period. As we can see, "generation" is about time.

The verse does not say "all the races from Abraham to David are fourteen races". "Generation" (genea Strong's G1074) does not mean "race" (genos Strong's G1085).

The KJV translates Strong's G1074 in the following manner: generation (37x), time (2x), age (2x), nation (1x).

The KJV translates Strong's G1085 in the following manner: kind (5x), kindred (3x), offspring (3x), nation (2x), stock (2x), born (2x), diversity (1x), miscellaneous (3x).

KJV Strong's G1074 matches the Greek γενεά (genea).
"generation*" AND "G1074"
occurs in 32 verses in the KJV.

Mat 1:17 - So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations (G1074), from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations (G1074), and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations (G1074).

Mat 11:16 - "But to what shall I liken this generation (G1074)? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions,

Mat 12:39 - But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation (G1074) seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

Mat 12:41 - "The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation (G1074) and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.

Mat 12:42 - "The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation (G1074) and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.

Mat 12:45 - "Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation (G1074)."

Mat 16:4 - "A wicked and adulterous generation (G1074) seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." And He left them and departed.

Mat 17:17 - Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation (G1074), how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me."

Mat 23:36 - "Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation (G1074).

Mat 24:34 - "Assuredly, I say to you, this generation (G1074) will by no means pass away till all these things take place.

Mar 8:12 - But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, "Why does this generation (G1074) seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation (G1074)."

Mar 8:38 - "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation (G1074), of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."

Mar 9:19 - He answered him and said, "O faithless generation (G1074), how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me."

Mar 13:30 - "Assuredly, I say to you, this generation (G1074) will by no means pass away till all these things take place.

Luk 1:48 - For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations (G1074) will call me blessed.

Luk 1:50 - And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation (G1074) to generation (G1074).

Luk 7:31 - And the Lord said, "To what then shall I liken the men of this generation (G1074), and what are they like?

Luk 9:41 - Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation (G1074), how long shall I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here."

Luk 11:29 - And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, "This is an evil generation (G1074). It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.

Luk 11:30 - "For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation (G1074).

Luk 11:31 - "The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation (G1074) and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.

Luk 11:32 - "The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation (G1074) and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.

Luk 11:50 - "that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation (G1074),

Luk 11:51 - "from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation (G1074).

Luk 16:8 - "So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation (G1074) than the sons of light.

Luk 17:25 - "But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation (G1074).

Luk 21:32 - "Assuredly, I say to you, this generation (G1074) will by no means pass away till all things take place.

Act 2:40 - And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation (G1074)."

Act 8:33 - In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation (G1074)? For His life is taken from the earth."

Act 13:36 - "For David, after he had served his own generation (G1074) by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption;

Act 14:16 - "who in bygone generations (G1074) allowed all nations to walk in their own ways.

Act 15:21 - "For Moses has had throughout many generations (G1074) those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath."

Eph 3:5 - which in other ages (G1074) was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:

Eph 3:21 - to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations (G1074), forever and ever. Amen.

Phl 2:15 - that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation (G1074), among whom you shine as lights in the world,

Col 1:26 - the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations (G1074), but now has been revealed to His saints.

Heb 3:10 - Therefore I was angry with that generation (G1074), And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways.’

Not one of these verses is speaking of the entire Jewish race over thousands of years! It always refers to contemporaries and those living at the same time in the first century. If you still think that "generation" means "race" then you acknowledge the fact that man has done this for you. And that's why you give "generation" another meaning in Matthew 16:27-28 and Matthew 24:34

In Matthew 24:34 and other places talking about "generation", If Jesus didn't mean His current generation then why didn't He say that generation of a future generation. "This generation" means the generation He lived in. Some futurist's make up there own idea of what "this generation" means.

That generation was the final generation of the Mosiac Covenant. The context of Matthew 23&24 is about the generation that was living in it.

When Christ said "when you see", He said it to his disciples in His generation not to you and I 2,000 years later. It's nonsense! to even think that "this generation" is speaking about mankind in general. Generation, does not mean race!