What Did Jesus Really Mean by “This Generation”? When Jesus said, “This generation will not pass away until all these things take place,” (Matthew 24:34) He wasn’t talking about the people alive in His day. He was pointing to a future generation—one that would witness the signs of the Tribulation and live to see His return in glory. And now, with Israel reborn, the fig tree budding, and the world stage shifting, that generation may already be here. ⸻
Matthew 24:34 – “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”
Who is “this generation”?
Not the generation of the disciples, because:
1.“All these things” (v. 34) includes the Abomination of Desolation (v. 15), great tribulation (v. 21), and the visible return of Christ (v. 30)—none of which happened in the disciples’ lifetimes.
2.Jesus did not return in A.D. 70. That would contradict v. 30, where “all the tribes of the earth will mourn” when they see Him.
3.Jesus said “immediately after the tribulation of those days…” (v. 29) He would return—again linking this prophecy to the end-time generation.
4.In Matthew 23:39, Jesus told Jerusalem, “You will not see Me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
That has not happened yet.
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“Generation” (Greek: genea) here refers to:
The people alive during the time when these end-time signs begin to unfold—especially the generation that sees the Abomination of Desolation, global persecution, heavenly signs, and Jesus returning in glory.
This interpretation keeps the passage literal, chronological, and consistent with Daniel and Revelation.
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The Israel Angle: The Fig Tree Buds
Right before this verse, Jesus says:
“From the fig tree learn its lesson…” (Matt. 24:32)
Throughout Scripture, Israel is pictured as a fig tree (Hosea 9:10; Jeremiah 24; Luke 13:6–9). After centuries of exile, Israel was reborn as a nation in 1948—a prophetic miracle unlike any other in history.
Many see this as the fig tree budding—signaling that we may already be in the early part of the final generation.
Isaiah 66:8 – “Can a nation be born in a day?”
It was.
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“God’s prophetic time clock is Israel. When the Jews are in the land, the clock starts ticking.”
— Dr. Mark Hitchcock, The End: A Complete Overview of Bible Prophecy and the End of Days
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Refuting the Preterist or Allegorical View:
Preterists claim “this generation” meant the people of Jesus’ time, concluding that most of Matthew 24 was fulfilled in A.D. 70.
But:
Jesus did not return in A.D. 70.
The sun was not darkened (v. 29).
No gathering of the elect (v. 31) occurred.
And all nations did not mourn at seeing Him (v. 30).
To say all this was fulfilled is to spiritualize the text, ignore clear prophecies, and erase the hope of a literal return.
2 Peter 1:20 – “No prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.”
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Once the Tribulation begins (with the covenant confirmed, Daniel 9:27), the events unfold rapidly over 7 years, culminating in Christ’s return.
Jesus meant:
“When you begin to see these things, that generation—the one alive at the time—will see them all. It won’t stretch over centuries. It will finish swiftly.”
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Cross-References:
•Daniel 9:27 – The covenant that begins the final 7 years
•Daniel 12:1–2 – Great Tribulation and resurrection
•Luke 21:28 – “When these things begin… your redemption draws near”
•2 Thessalonians 2:3–4 – The Antichrist must appear
•Revelation 6–19 – A clear, compact, end-time sequence
•Isaiah 11:11–12 – God regathers Israel a second time
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Jesus was not talking about His own generation—but the final one.
When those signs begin—look up, for your redemption draws near! (Luke 21:28)
And now that Israel is back in the land, the fig tree is budding.
The countdown is real.
This generation will not pass away… Are you ready for what’s coming next?
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