Jesus said that this generation will not pass away until his kingdom comes. But they all died. ??
Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened (Mt 24:34 – NIV).
First of all we can unanimously agree that “this generation” is about the people who lived during Jesus’ time. Or close to it as a “generation” in this time was typically 40 years.
Second we know that they “will certainly not pass away” is about the generation that Jesus was addressing and they’re dying.
Then what did Jesus mean when he says, “until all these things have happened”?
1) The Stones will be Cast Down
Many assume that text is about the return of Christ. But what is its immediate context? The big clue is found in verse 2:
“not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down” (Mt 24:2).
This is how this section is introduced. This is even more clear in Mark 13.
And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!”
And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” (Mark 13:1-4).
The subject is the temple and the stones. The disciples ask Jesus, when will “these things” take place?
When we hear of the stones not being left but rather thrown down, there is really only one thing that this means and that is the destruction of the temple in AD 70.
The future emperor Titus did exactly that. He destroyed the temple and threw the huge stones over the edge to where they crashed and broke apart. You can actually walk among those stones today.
2) At that time many things would happen
Many will claim to be the Messiah and deceive the masses (v. 5)
• You will hear of wars and rumors of wars (v. 6)
• Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom (v. 7)
• You will be handed over to be persecuted to death (v. 9)
• Many will turn away from the faith and betray and hate each other (v. 10) • Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people (v. 11)
• The love of most will grow cold (v. 12)
The events that the rest of the text describes indeed happened. Wars were rampant at the time, false prophets were everywhere, and persecution marked the believers. Literally.
3) The gospel was preached in all the known world at that time (v. 14)
Many in far off jungles to this day have never heard the gospel. And it is clearly the LORD’s desire that all hear (Mt 28:18-20).
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come (Mt 24:14).
Doesn’t this mean that the gospel has to be preached to the entirety of the whole world? Every single person on earth? And after that the end will come?
It’s important to understand what the “whole world” constituted in the first century. At that time it meant the world known at that time. Of which the Bible teaches that the gospel was preached to “all the world.”
• First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world (Rom 1:8).
• So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: “Their sound has gone out to all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world” (Rom 10:17-18).
• We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth (Col 1:3-7).
• And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister (Col 1:22-23).
All these writings were written prior to AD 70. And Paul proclaims that he preached to the whole world. That is the whole known world as he knew as he did not have internet, globes and the like.
Wouldn’t Jesus, if he was God, know that the world was bigger than their concept of the world? Absolutely. But he was talking to them in language that they would understand.
So there was indeed a fulfillment. The gospel was preached to the known world prior to AD 70. And then the “end” came.
Then what was “the end”?
4) Jesus references the Daniel Prophecy (Mt 24:15-16)
We saw already in verse 2 that there was a clear reference to the fall of Jerusalem with the stones being thrown down. But “the end” is referenced even further in verses 15-16.
“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. (Mt 24:15-16).
Jesus is referencing the word of Daniel here. So what does Daniel say?
…the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. (Dan 9:26-27).
The “sevens” are time frames he saw. During the time of Jesus, Daniel says
• The Anointed One will be put to death (which happened to Jesus when he was killed on the cross)
• The city and the sanctuary will be destroyed (which happen in AD 70)
• War and drama will continue (always and ever) • He will confirm a covenant (which he did with the new covenant upon the cross – cf. Jer 31:31; Luke 22:20))
• He will put an end to sacrifice and offering (which he did when he died and then Jerusalem was destroyed) An abomination that causes desolation will take place (which happened when the temple was utterly destroyed and a Gentile stood in its place)
5) He then instructs the people to flee to the mountains v. 15-16
let the reader understand— then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. (Mt 24:15-16).
There is no point in fleeing to the mountains if God is going to come and deliver all his people during the second coming. Nor is the warning for people to not run back to their house or not to go grab their jacket (v. 17-18). They needed to leave quickly and right then.
This would not make sense if Jesus is coming again to take them. But it does make sense when the armies of Rome are at the door and there is not even a second to spare.
6) The Distress is Unparalleled (v. 21)
The distress of this time would like no other in history past or present.
21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be (Mt 24:21)
How is this possible considering the Holocaust? Where millions died? If the distress was measured in body count alone, then this would be an issue.But there was more that was happening that was distressing than piles of the dead. It was everything all combine
• Hundreds, some would even say up to 30,000 were crucified in Jerusalem until the wood ran out not just in Jerusalem but all the wood from the surround area1
• Hunger was said to be so bad and times so desperate that mothers ate their children (Lam 4:10).
• The Mosaic Law was over
• Sacrifices and Offerings ended
• The majority of Jewish people would be dispersed from their homeland for almost 2000 years. A remnant would always remain but the majority would be dispersed.
It wasn’t just the end of Jerusalem. It was the end of everything – the Mosaic Law, the sacrifices, the temples and so much more.
7) The Fulfilled Prophecy in v. 29 is one of Prophetic Judgment (v. 29)
This text has actually been fulfilled multiple times:
“Immediately after the distress of those days
“‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’
(Mt 24:29)
This is a rhetorical description of judgment. This same phrase was used in Isaiah to speak of God’s judgment upon Israel for their rejection of Him (Is 13:10; 34:4). That judgment would result in them going into captivity into Babylon.
It is used once again here to talk about another terrible judgment. God is going to bring judgment upon their unbelief and the temple will be destroyed.
8) Jesus was coming in the clouds
The texts says some strongly prophetic words:
Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory (Mt 24:30).
This again comes out of Daniel 7 where Jesus comes, having been given dominion, authority, glory and worship.
People are about to face judgment. And it’s scary. and there’s mourning.
9) The Trumpets are the Message of God going forth.
And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other (Mt 24:31).
The imagery of trumpets were used when special announcements were to be made from heaven. We see this clearly in Revelation 9.
God is gathering his elect. He calls them to himself. Those who receive him will receive life. Those who reject him will face death.
But there would be a future fulfillment. The events of Jerusalem have multiple fulfillment, something we see often in Scripture. That fulfillment will come when Jesus returns the Second Time.
We know that this is the case here by what comes in the next verses.
So in short it is true what Jesus said. Some would endure the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70. That generation did not pass away before it came to pass.
And it will happen again. Another judgment. It’s best we be ready.
