There are some aspects of the Greek language that are seldom, if ever mentioned. First, it is not good exegesis to use a definition or meaning from an English dictionary for a given word. The context of the verse in which the word appears may not reveal the exact definition either. The remote context and the subject of the message may be the only way to find the meaning of a word. Immediately, eutheos--pronounced: yoo-theh'-oce (G2112), is such a word. The English definitions of the word are right now, without delay, instantly in the sense of time with no intervening event or lapse of time between the action and or actions of another event. Since those definitions don’t give the correct meaning to what Jesus said, it is necessary to look elsewhere. The context of verse 29 and the definition given by Greek dictionaries, lexicons and concordances do not help much either because the definitions of the Greek words in the scriptures depend on how they are used outside of the scriptures. The usual definitions from the Greek sources are directly at once and soon. Those definitions are lacking also. The entire message context must be considered to find the correct meaning. The question then is one of ascertaining what Jesus meant when he used the word translated immediately.

Greek words do not usually use time for event happenings as are commonly used by some other languages such as English. The word immediately does not give any indication for a length of time between tribulation and what followed in verse 29. Next would give the sense of the events to follow, but when it will happen time wise still isn’t told.   

Earlier Jesus said that there would be some standing there who would not taste death until all was fulfilled, but he didn’t say when that would be. Paul used the word sustello--pronounced: soos-tel'-lo (G4958) translated short in I Corinthians 7:29 when he wrote on marrying and marriage. The meaning is varied, but it means in the context of the scriptural message that a time-interval is coming to an end. What interval is ending? It is the interval between the time he wrote the letter and the impending tribulation which began in AD 62-63. But Paul did not state the day, week, month or year when the interval would come to an end. Paul wrote I Corinthians between AD 57 and 58. Sustello, short would be an interval of 4 to 5 years. Thus there is another pointer for the meaning of immediately.

When Jesus answered the question in verse 3, he answered with a description of events that would signal the beginning of the end instead of giving a firm date and year. Jesus spoke of the next event after tribulation and used the word translated immediately (eutheos--pronounced: yoo-theh'-oce G2110) since he was making reference to the next event which is the pattern throughout the Bible, but it gives no indication of the length of time between tribulation (trouble) and the destruction of Jerusalem. Actual dates, years and length of time between events are only known by examining the history outside the Bible which corresponds to the biblical events. Dates and years serve to anchor the biblical events for historical record and show that the events took place found in the Bible message. 

Approximately 4 years after the end of the tribulation, the siege of Jerusalem began. He said in verse 29, Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: The descriptive language Jesus used the same words as Isaiah used in 13:9-13 when he wrote of the demise of the Babylonian Empire: 9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. 10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. 11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. 12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. 13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger. Jesus was referring to the end of the political, governmental and social order when he uttered those words meaning the end of the Mosaic Law, priests and the temple. Verse 29 conforms to verse 2 where Jesus spoke of the temple stones being thrown down. That meant the end of the Jewish system of ritual and laws and verse 29 states what will occur when the destruction of Jerusalem begins.

             Part XII will continue the discussion of verses 28 and 31.  

 © 09-18-2012 DEC