age, generation, nation, time

Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

(begotten). In plural, the genealogical register (Gen. 2:4; 5:1⁴These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, (Genesis 2:4)
¹This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; (Genesis 5:1); Matt. 1:1¹The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. (Matthew 1:1)); family history (Gen. 6:9; 25:12⁹These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. (Genesis 6:9)
¹²Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bare unto Abraham: (Genesis 25:12)); men of the existing age (Lev. 3:17¹⁷It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood. (Leviticus 3:17); Isa. 53:8⁸He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. (Isaiah 53:8); Matt. 24:34³⁴Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. (Matthew 24:34); Acts 2:40⁴⁰And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. (Acts 2:40)).

“Generation” From Concise Bible Dictionary:

This is used in various senses in scripture.

1. As from a father to his son, or from a king to his successor, γενεά, as in the three series of “fourteen generations” in Matthew 1:17¹⁷So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations. (Matthew 1:17), though the same term is applied where names have been omitted. See GENEALOGY OF THE LORD JESUS.

2. In a much wider sense, as when the Lord said of the unbelieving Jews, “This generation shall not pass away till all these things be fulfilled” (Matt. 24:34³⁴Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. (Matthew 24:34); Luke 21:32³²Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. (Luke 21:32); compare Deut. 32:5,20⁵They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation. (Deuteronomy 32:5)
²⁰And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith. (Deuteronomy 32:20)). The unbelieving Jews still exist and will until the events take place.

3. As offspring, γέννημα, where there was a moral likeness, as “generation of vipers” (Matt. 3:7⁷But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (Matthew 3:7)).

4. As class, family, etc., γένος. Ye are “a chosen generation” (1 Pet. 2:9⁹But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: (1 Peter 2:9)).

5. As signifying perpetuity; God’s dominion is “from generation to generation” (Dan. 4:3,34³How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation. (Daniel 4:3)
³⁴And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honored him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: (Daniel 4:34)).

“Time, Times” From Concise Bible Dictionary:

Time has been described as “the measure of motion,” as seen in the movements of the heavenly bodies; or as “the duration of periods,” of which we can conceive a beginning and an ending. It stands in contrast to ETERNITY, of which no beginning and no ending can be conceived.

Christians are exhorted to “redeem the time” (Eph. 5:16¹⁶Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:16); Col. 4:5⁵Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. (Colossians 4:5)). This does not mean “to make up for lost time”; but to seize every favorable opportunity. In Daniel 2:8⁸The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me. (Daniel 2:8) the king said that the wise men sought “to gain the time,” that is, obtain a delay in the hope that the king might relent, or that something might happen that would save them.

As to the various events foretold by God that have yet to come to pass, it is not for the Christian to know “the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power” (Acts 1:7⁷And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. (Acts 1:7)). But, on the other hand, when two events have been foretold, the one of which must take place before the other (as the “rapture” of the saints before the day of the Lord when He will return with His saints), Christians are expected to know about them, for the apostle Paul writes “Of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night” (1 Thess. 5:1-2¹But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. ²For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. (1 Thessalonians 5:1‑2)). If is further explained in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10³Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; ⁴Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. ⁵Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? ⁶And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. ⁷For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. ⁸And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: ⁹Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, ¹⁰And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. (2 Thessalonians 2:3‑10), that the day of the Lord could not come before the revelation of the Antichrist. Still as to the when of this and of the “rapture” of the saints, we are not to know, but are to be always ready for the latter.

Of the children of Issachar it is said that they were men “that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do” (1 Chron. 12:32³²And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment. (1 Chronicles 12:32)). They understood the mind of God, namely, that David should be king of the whole of the twelve tribes. So the Holy Spirit can direct the saints to the particular line of truth most suitable to the period in which they live, and teach them what they ought to do; as, for example, a line of truth and action for the present state of the church is pointed out in the Second Epistle to Timothy, agreeing, as it does, with the later addresses to the Seven Churches in Revelation 3.

The word “time” is used in Daniel 7:25²⁵And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. (Daniel 7:25); Daniel 12:7⁷And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. (Daniel 12:7); Revelation 12:14¹⁴And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. (Revelation 12:14), for a “year”: hence “time, times, and a half “ signify three years and a half. See SEVENTY WEEKS. The expression in Revelation 10:6⁶And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: (Revelation 10:6), “time should be no longer,” is better translated “there should be no longer delay.”

Strong’s Dictionary of Greek Words:

Number:

1074 (find all occurrences in KJV Bible)

Greek:

γενεά

Transliteration:

genea

Phonic:

ghen-eh-ah’

Meaning:

from (a presumed derivative of) 1085; a generation; by implication, an age (the period or the persons)

KJV Usage:

age, generation, nation, time