I've gotta say I had never heard that a generation is 52 years from any other Bible scholar or source. After watching the show, it does actually make some sense the way Jack explained it.

 

For those who haven't seen it, he gets that figure by claiming that God woke him up at 4:45 in the morning and asked him if he had missed something when he originally made his dvd offer about 2012. He claims the rapture should be calculated from the recapture of Jerusalem instead of the Israel-being-born-in-a-day date of 1948. Adding 52 years to 1967 equates to 2019. Then subtracting the seven year tribulation, he comes to the date of 2012, possibly correlating to the popular Mayan calendar. The following are recaps I found on the net from another viewer of the episode:

 

“Well he's referring to what I've said in the past, that in Mark 1:17, there were 42 generations, and that is from Abraham to Christ, a total of 2160 years. So when one divides 42 into 2160, it comes out to basically 51.5 years. So a generation is not 40 years as we so often said, or others have said, but 51.4. Then when we get to Luke chapter 3, verses 23 to 38, there are 77 generations from Adam to Christ and that's 4,000 years. When one divides 77 into 4,000, he also comes out to 51.9 years. So a generation is 51 years. We begin counting this countdown to the return of Christ from the time that Jerusalem is captured by the Jews, Luke 21:24, because the 70 weeks are determined upon thy people, the Jews, Daniel 9:24. So when one adds 51.5 to 1967, when the Jews captured Jerusalem, it comes out to 2018.

 

and

 

"In the light of everything we've said today this is such an important question. I have read the book The Fingerprints of the Gods. It's a tremendous volume and it covers the Inca and Aztec calendars, both ending on December 25th, 2012. Now, what could it mean? When they talk about the end of the world, as far as the Incas and Aztecs are concerned, they don't mean the end of the world because they have five endings and one of them was Noah's experience with the flood. It didn't end the world. Furthermore, as you know and as I’ve said already in this program, the world is never going to end, Isaiah 45:17 and Ephesians 3:21. So what could it mean? Oh, I'm excited. In Matthew 1 verse 17 it lists 42 generations from Abraham to Christ. 42. Historically, that covers 2,160 years. Divide 42 into that number and you come out to 51.4 years. What's the countdown? Jerusalem being taken by the Jews, for Jerusalem starts the seven-year period of tribulation, Daniel 9:24. Add 51.4 to 1967 and you come out to 2018. But I just saw this, this week: you add the extra six months because it happened in June of '67 and the 4/10 and you come out to 2019 and take away the 7 from that and you come out to 2012. "

 

Anyway, possibly another piece of the puzzle we are looking for as we all watch.

 

Steve Mullin