This Wicked and Perverse Generation

 

This page is merely a list of the 25 times that Jesus used the word “generation” in the Scriptures. Every single reference was to the Jews living at that time. Out of these 25 times all but one was prophesying “gloom and doom”. For these 24 times, the context was always before the Cross (which took place around 30AD) and it was always used negatively towards those unbelieving Jews.

All verses were taken from the NASB. If you click on the Book and Chapter number, it will connect you to the Book and Chapter. If you click on the Verse number, it will take you to the parallel of 30-some versions of the Bible for that exact verse.

 

MATTHEW ~

 

Matthew 11:16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places, who call out to the other children…”

Matthew 12: 39″But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet…”

Twice in Matthew 12:41 & 42 ~41“The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 42“The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.”

Matthew 12:45“Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.”

Matthew 16:4“An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” And He left them and went away.”

Matthew 17:17“And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.”

Matthew 23:36“Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.”

Matthew 24:34“Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”

 

MARK ~

 

Twice in Mark 8:12″Sighing deeply in His spirit, He said, “Why does this generation seek for a sign? Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.”

Mark 8:38“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

Mark 9:19″And He answered them and said, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!”

Mark 13:30“Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”

 

LUKE ~ 

 

Luke 7:31“To what then shall I compare the men of this generation, and what are they like? 

Luke 9:41″And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.” 

Five times in Luke 11: 29-32″As the crowds were increasing, He began to say, “This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah. 30“For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31“The Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation at the judgment and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 32“The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.”

Twice in Luke 11:50-51 “so that the blood of all the prophets, shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, 51from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the house of God; yes, I tell you, it shall be charged against this generation.”

Luke 17:25“But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.”

Luke 21:32“Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place.”

 

If you made it this far, you probably noticed that many of these are repeats within the different authors. You may also be wondering about the one other occasion that Jesus mentioned “generation”. Here it is ~ Luke 16:8 “The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. “

 

That is every occasion that we have recorded of Jesus using the word “generation”. Based on this overwhelming evidence, who do you think he meant when he said ~

Matthew 23:36“Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.”

Matthew 24:34“Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”

 

 

 

**I have since added this beautiful summary by Dr. Jonathan Welton **

• This generation never responded correctly to God: Matt. 11:16-19; Lk. 7:31-34

• When this generation came to demand a sign, Jesus didn’t submit to their demands: Mark 8:11-12

• This generation was called wicked, adulterous, sinful, unbelieving, perverse, warped and crooked: Lk. 11:29; Mk. 8:38; Matt. 17:17; Mk 9:19; Lk. 9:41; Phil 2:15

• The Queen of Sheba would’ve condemned this generation: Matt. 12:42; Lk. 11:31

• Even the men of Nineveh would’ve condemned this generation: Matt. 12:41; Lk. 11:32

• As Jonah was a sign of judgment to Nineveh, Jesus was a sign of judgment upon this generation: Luke 11:30

• Jesus would suffer many things and be rejected by this generation: Luke 17:25

• This generation would not pass away until all the curses of Matthew 23 would come upon this generation: Matt 23:34, 36

• This generation wouldn’t pass away until the destruction of Jerusalem had occurred: Mark 13:30; Lk. 21:32, Mt. 24:34

• All the sin and bloodshed of the Old Testament would be charged against this generation: Luke 11:49-51

• After Jesus swept Jerusalem clean spiritually, Jerusalem became seven times worse in that wicked generation leading up to the 70AD destruction: Matt. 12:43-45

• Peter pleaded with his audience to save themselves from the corruptness of this generation: Acts 2:40