Jehovah and Jehoshua -- James Parkinson, General Convention, June 26, 2011. (MP3) LEFT ClICK to play; RIGHT CLICK to download
Brother Parkinson discusses many things in this discourse. Overall, I am in agreement with much that he says. I will make a few comments:
To my understanding, ancient Hebrew actually does not have "tenses" as such; it does have what many refer to as "aspects" and "moods". Most scholars, not all, claim that ancient Hebrew has two of what could be called 'tenses', although there is some room for doubt in calling these "tenses," since it may be misleading. The two different formations of verbs, however, are often presented as reflecting a completed action, or an incomplete action. Such is often called the perfect tense (completed action) and imperfect tense (incompleted action), but some have considered such designations to be misleading. Beyond this, many scholars have presented other various theories of this or that verb "tense" in ancient Hebrew, usually as it applies to some specific word, and/or regarding a specific usage of some specific word. The truth is that verb tense as we know it in ancient Hebrew is determined by context as much as by form. -- page 44, footnote.
Regarding the generation that will not pass away: While I can say there is a possibility that Brother Parkinson may be correct, I have a hard time thinking of the church as passing away. It would have to refer to the church as passing away in death as individuals in this present age. I believe that Jesus was more likely not referring to the church, for the church is of the new generation that will not pass away, that generation will continue forever. Rather, I believe that Jesus was referring to the old generation existing through Adam. The passing away of the Adamic generation is described by Jesus as the passing away of the present heavens and earth.
See my related studies on "This Generation"
Brother Parkinson discusses many things in this discourse. Overall, I am in agreement with much that he says. I will make a few comments:
To my understanding, ancient Hebrew actually does not have "tenses" as such; it does have what many refer to as "aspects" and "moods". Most scholars, not all, claim that ancient Hebrew has two of what could be called 'tenses', although there is some room for doubt in calling these "tenses," since it may be misleading. The two different formations of verbs, however, are often presented as reflecting a completed action, or an incomplete action. Such is often called the perfect tense (completed action) and imperfect tense (incompleted action), but some have considered such designations to be misleading. Beyond this, many scholars have presented other various theories of this or that verb "tense" in ancient Hebrew, usually as it applies to some specific word, and/or regarding a specific usage of some specific word. The truth is that verb tense as we know it in ancient Hebrew is determined by context as much as by form. -- page 44, footnote.
Regarding the generation that will not pass away: While I can say there is a possibility that Brother Parkinson may be correct, I have a hard time thinking of the church as passing away. It would have to refer to the church as passing away in death as individuals in this present age. I believe that Jesus was more likely not referring to the church, for the church is of the new generation that will not pass away, that generation will continue forever. Rather, I believe that Jesus was referring to the old generation existing through Adam. The passing away of the Adamic generation is described by Jesus as the passing away of the present heavens and earth.
See my related studies on "This Generation"
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