Not really--and it's genea haute, fyi. It could just as easily mean "this race" as "this generation."
Jonah was not a sign to every generation of Ninevites (the entire race). He was a sign to that generation only. And thus the parallel to Jesus’ reference to the Jews of His day.
Actually, that reference works contrary to your intended interpretation, since it parallels "Ninevites" (a people) with genea, suggesting the latter is also in reference to a people rather than a period of time. In fact, Jonah was indeed a sign to future generations of Ninevites--they disregarded the sign, so God sent His judgment.
This is how Jesus consistently used the phrase.
Actually, the way Yeshua used the phrase is consistently ambiguous about whether He is referring to a people or a period of time, except where it favors the "people/race" interpretation. For example:
Mat 12:39 But He answered and said unto them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas . . ."He was picking up on the phrase from the Old Testament (see Deut. 1:35).1Co 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
The phrase "this people" has equal grounding in the Tanakh (cf. Isa. 6:9), so again you're not proving your case--a necessary case, for preterism--that genea haute can only mean "this generation" and not "this people."
And on that note, I've got to go soon. I may have time for another brief exchange, but hopefully no one will take it amiss if I vanish for a bit.
Actually, the way Yeshua used the phrase is consistently ambiguous about whether He is referring to a people or a period of time
How does quoting one verse by Jesus and one by Paul demonstrate Jesus was "consistently ambiguous" with the phrase? Jesus was perfectly consistent in speaking of Jonah to that generation, the ones who actually saw Him come forth from the earth after three days.
Paul obviously is speaking in more general terms of Jews vs. gentiles. But Paul's usage does not make Jesus’ words ambiguous in the least.
Same word, different case. I picked up Luke 11:30.
Actually, that reference works contrary to your intended interpretation, since it parallels "Ninevites" (a people) with genea, suggesting the latter is also in reference to a people rather than a period of time. In fact, Jonah was indeed a sign to future generations of Ninevites--they disregarded the sign, so God sent His judgment.
I think you are mistaken. The message of Jonah preached to Nineveh was, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" Nineveh did repent and God spared the city, i.e., that city at that time. There was no future Jonah to preach to the city at some later date.
Jesus is specifically contrasting the city-wide repentance of that generation of Ninevites with the then living generation of Jews who would not repent at the greater than Jonah. Even though Jesus came with a sign, "three days and three nights in the heart of the earth", yet Israel did not repent and they were judged; that generation --- not some far future one.
The phrase "this people" has equal grounding in the Tanakh
But that's not the phrase used in Deut 1:35 is dowr {dore}, and is not translated as "people" or "race". E.g., "And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation." (Exodus 1:6) “And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations. “ (Ex. 30:8) The phrase seems to be time-limited in the singular or more all encompassing when used in the plural form
The Hebrew am (Isa. 6:9) fits that bill for the more general "people".
There is also the matter that God does not extend His wrath beyond the "the third and fourth generation" of those who hate Him (Ex. 20:5; 34:7).
To suggest, as futurists do, that a far future generation of Jews are destined to receive the wrath of God (Luke 19:41-44; 21:22) is a great injustice to the Word of the Almighty.
It is clear that the “this generation” to which Jesus refers is the generation UPON WHOM all those signs come.
This’ll happen, that’ll happen, the other’ll happen...and on the generation that all that comes, “this generation will not pass until all these things be fulfilled.”
Which is why Jesus says, “Watch.”
It is also a point about which full preterists and futurists agree. ALL of those things will happen.
Every eye did not see the 70 AD return, all nations did not mourn, and, in short, no one ever commented on it.
And, of course, Jesus, Peter, and Paul all indicated that Jesus return would be after a very long time.
So much that Peter had to IN 65 AD, to people concerned with the promise of a “soon” coming, illustrate with: “A day with the Lord is as a thousand years...”