Question:
Does the term “this generation” in Matt. 24:34 refer to the generation to which Christ was speaking, or to another? The term “this” seems to apply to His own time.
Answer:
Let us consider the following points: First, what Jesus provided was a prophecy regarding His coming and the signs associated with it. He was responding to the disciples’ threefold question: “When shall these things be? What shall be the sign of Thy coming and of the end of the world?” Consequently, He was not speaking solely for that generation, but for all the generations leading up to His second coming.
Second, since it was the Spirit of Christ that inspired all the prophets, the Master must have considered all the various prophecies that pointed toward His second coming. The Bible is a cohesive book, with all its prophecies focusing on the second coming of Christ and the fulfillment of God’s promises through Him. Therefore, in the significant prophecy recorded in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21, our Lord not only provided various literal signs of His coming but also assumed that those alive just before His return would have some knowledge of other significant events leading to that climax.
Third, Jesus, knowing that His Spirit inspired the prophets, understood that all the prophecies given by Daniel, as well as those to be given later through John, Paul, and others, would be preached prior to His second coming. He knew the message of Joel would go forth: “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain.” He also knew that the 2,300 days mentioned in Daniel 8:14 would find their fulfillment in 1844 and that the days foretold by the prophets, as expressed in Revelation 10:7, would be fulfilled. In fact, all the various lines of prophecy would converge in these last days in which we are currently living. Jesus knew that His faithful servants would proclaim these things in obedience to His command, ensuring that everyone would hear the message of His coming. Thus, the signs He provided would reinforce all the other prophecies given in His Word. The term “this generation” would not refer to the generation that listened to His words but rather to the generation in which these prophecies culminated. The term “this” does not necessarily refer to the immediate present; words in the present tense are often used to refer to the future.
For instance, in Exodus 12:2, “This month shall be unto you the beginning of months.” This was given at the very start of the first month, Abib. Instruction is subsequently given regarding the Passover. Then notice the twelfth verse, which applies fourteen days later: “For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the first-born.” “This night” does not refer to the specific time at which the Lord spoke with Moses but to a time fourteen nights later. Another example can be found in Psalm 2:7: “Thou art My Son; this day have I begotten Thee.” “This day” does not refer to the time when the psalmist wrote, a thousand years before Christ, but to the time when the Lord was raised from the dead and took His official position at the right hand of the Father. These examples, and others that could be cited, demonstrate that the term “this” can refer to the future as well as the present.
Our Lord guided His disciples through various signs, some of which did not indicate that His coming was imminent, while others would increase in intensity as that day approached. Three signs, however, would precede His coming closely: the darkening of the sun, the darkening of the moon, and the falling of the stars. The darkening of the sun and the moon, along with the falling stars, were to be understood not just with the physical eye but in light of the prophecy. There have been many occurrences of the sun and moon darkening, as well as various meteor showers. However, what the Master referred to was to occur at a specific time—”in those days, after that tribulation”—which denotes the long period of persecution during the Dark Ages. Just prior to the conclusion of that era, marked by the 1,260 years of Daniel 7:25 and Revelation 12 and 13, the darkening of the sun and the moon occurred, followed a few years later by the falling of the stars.
These signs must be understood in the context of our Lord’s prophecy to signify the end, and they could only be recognized after the falling of the stars took place on November 13, 1833—the most significant meteor shower recorded in astronomical history.
However, the message that would convey to the world the tidings of Christ’s second coming, which would prepare the world for His arrival, could only be said to go forth in its entirety at the end of the 2,300 days, beginning in 1844. This marks the start of the final great threefold message detailed in Revelation 14:6-14, a key aspect of which is the declaration, “The hour of His judgment is come.”
Therefore, the generation our Lord referred to was the one that would deliver the final message of mercy to the world and announce His coming. This message includes all the signs associated with His return, not only those found in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21, but also in various prophecies throughout His Word.
Just as the generation that Noah warned about the impending Deluge did not pass away until the foretold event occurred, and just as the generation that first heard the message of our Lord’s coming received that message, so too will the last generation that hears the message of His return witness that event. He delays it for a long time to give the world a chance to repent. The vision may seem to be delayed, but this is due to God’s patience and compassion for those who have not yet turned away from their sins.
At Sure Word Ministry, we believe we are the chosen generation set to witness these events fulfilled, so that we may stand before the Son of Man in His glory.
