What Does Matthew 24:34 Mean? This Generation Will Not Pass

What is "this generation" in Matthew 24:34?

Near the end of the Olivet Discourse, Jesus said,

"Most certainly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things are accomplished" (Matthew 24:34).

The Olivet Discourse contains prophecies of Jesus in Matthew 24:1-25:46 pertaining to:

the destruction of Jerusalem
the sign of His coming
the end of the age.

Matthew 24:1-3 explicitly presents these three topics in the form of two questions which the disciples asked Jesus. The remainder of chapters 24 and 25 contain the answers of Jesus regarding those three topics. The gospels of Mark and Luke also contain accounts of the Olivet Discourse. I will repeat Matthew 24:34 again for your convenience:

"Most certainly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things are accomplished" (Matthew 24:34).

Critics have said that those who heard the prophesies contained in Matthew 24 did "pass away" before all those things were accomplished... they allege that the prophecies of Christ were wrong... that Jesus was a false prophet. What does Matthew 24:34 mean by the phrase "this generation"? The proper interpretation of the chapter depends on a correct, contextual and scriptural application of that phrase to Mathew 24. Were the prophesies of Matthew 24:4-34 completely fulfilled with the destruction of the temple in 70 AD? Or, are some of those prophesies currently unfulfilled, to be fulfilled by events in our future? If so, has "this generation" of Matthew 24:34 passed away? No.

Scriptures preceding Matthew 24 have expressly told us what Jesus meant by "this generation".

Please read on, but please read prayerfully.

You will see that Jesus did not refer to a physical generation but an evil, spiritual generation... a single spiritual generation which spans centuries and millenniums, from Cain to the present day…. the spiritual offspring of Satan who are rulled by what the book of Revelation calls Jerusalem, the great harlot.

For nearly half a century I struggled with the meaning of "this generation" in Matthew 24:34. I did not find the answer through numerous commentaries or sincere preachers. All of the explanations I heard seemed inconsistent in some way with the text. I waited in faith, knowing that, because of the light I saw at my conversion... that Jesus was the Son of God. The answer came to me after weeks of prayer in the word. I prayerfully admonish you to ask God to open your eyes to see. I prayerfully admonish you to read His words using the intimate reading methods described in subchapter 1.1 titled, "Learning to Read: Five Paths".

"Most certainly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things are accomplished" (Matthew 24:34).

On the very day that Jesus spoke those words, He told his listeners exactly what He meant by "this generation". I will now direct you to those scriptures, because I am one who points to Him and to His word.

Jesus entered the temple in Matthew 21:23:

"when he had come into the temple..." (Matthew 21:23)

Jesus conversed with those in the temple from Matthew 21:23 through the end of Matthew 23. He left the temple in Matthew 24:1,

"Jesus went out from the temple" (Matthew 24:1).

As Jesus left the temple in Matthew 24:1-2 He made comments about the future destruction of the temple. Then in Matthew 24:3, as He "sat on the Mount of Olives", probably facing the temple, the disciples questioned Jesus about those particular comments. Jesus answered those questions and advised them about those future times in Matthew 24:4 through the end of chapter 25. Verse 1 of chapter 26 reveals that he "finished all these words".

All of the conversations from Matthew 21:23 to Matthew 25:46 occurred on ONE DAY!

ONE DAY

And in THAT DAY, Jesus told them exactly what He meant by the phrase "this generation".

Please prayerfully continue to hear...

The phrase, "this generation" was used only five times in the book of Matthew. It was used four times in the book of Matthew prior to its use in Matthew 24:34. "This generation" referred to those who would not hear Christ in Matthew 11:16. In Matthew 12:41 and also Matthew 12:42, "this generation" referred to "an evil and adulterous generation" (see 12:39). In Matthew 23:36 "this generation" referred to those who were guilty of the murder of Abel and all other righteous men in the old testament.

So, "this generation" in the book of Matthew referred to:

Those who don't hear Christ (11:16, 17-19)
Evil Generation (12:39, 41)
Evil Generation (12:39, 42)
Murderers of all righteous men who were murdered in the Old Testament (12:35-36)

A prayerful examination of Matthew 23:36 will add surprising clarity. If you wish to understand, please prayerfully consider Matthew 23:29-36 below. Your mind is totally incapable of understanding. Only by revelation from the Holy Spirit within will you understand (1 Corinthians 2:14, Luke 24:45). Please pray as you read the words of Jesus:

"²⁹ "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the tombs of the righteous, ³⁰ and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn't have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.' ³¹ Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets. ³² Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. ³³ You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna (Hell)? ³⁴ Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, ³⁵ that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar. ³⁶ Most certainly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation" (Matthew 23:29–36).

Please prayerfully consider the last verse:

"Most certainly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation" (Matthew 23:36).

While speaking to the Pharisees in roughly 30 AD, Christ said that "this generation" was guilty of the murder of Abel who was murdered in roughly 4000 BC and also guilty of the murder of Zachariah, which by most accounts occurred in roughly 800 BC.

Jesus said in verse 35,

"Zachariah... whom you killed"

Christ said that guilt for the murder of Zachariah in the last book of the Hebrew Bible, Chronicles, and all righteous men murdered before him, from the first book of the Hebrew Bible, Genesis, would fall on "this generation". That is guilt for murders which occurred over thousands of years. The murder of Zachariah is recorded in 2 Chronicles 24:20-22 in the Christian Bible.

Now, Abel was the son of Adam and Eve who was murdered by his brother Cain, in 4000 BC.

Cain murdered Able.

Does this mean that every person who had the misfortune to be alive at the time of Christ in 30 AD, will be held guilty for the murder of Abel? Of course not. We are not punished for the sins of others. We are only punished for our own sins (Ezekiel 18:20, Romans 5:15, 7:9). Jesus didn't say that "all people now living" would bear that guilt. "All people now living" would include his disciples and Himself. Jesus said "this generation" would be guilty.

How could Christ say in verse 35 that those Pharisees to whom he was speaking in 33 AD were guilty of the murder of Abel in 4000 BC.... that they killed Zachariah in 800 BC?

I will repeat the relevant passage.

Jesus said to those Pharisees in 33 AD,

"that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar. ³⁶ Most certainly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation" (Matthew 23:35–36).

He said "whom you killed". Verse 36 makes it clear that the Pharisees to whom Jesus spoke to in 33 AD were part of "this generation". What physical generation living in 33 AD could have been guilty of the murder of Abel in 4000 BC and Zachariah in 800 BC? None. No physical generation spans over 4000 years.

If Jesus was not speaking of a physical generation, what did he mean by "this generation"?

In other words...

If no physical generation spans over 4000 years, or even 800 years, how could Christ say in verse 35 that the generation to whom he was speaking to in 33 AD was guilty of the murder of Abel who was murdered his brother Cain in 4000 BC and the murder of Zachariah in 800 BC?

He was not speaking of a physical generation.

He was speaking of a spiritual generation...

the generation of Satan.

Yes, the devil has children:

"In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn't do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn't love his brother" (1 John 3:10).

In the flesh, a generation is composed of those who were born of the flesh to a certain person of the flesh. This is a physical generation. All of the children of my earthly (fleshly) father are one generation, even though they may have been born over a period of 40 years. But a generation in the spiritual realm is composed of those who were born of a spirit, even though they may have been born over a period of many thousands of years. And births of spirit are all of one kind or another... as sons of God or sons of Satan. Prayerfully consider God's holy words:

Genesis 3:15 tells us that Satan, the serpent in the Garden of Eden has offspring. God said to Satan:

"I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring" (Genesis 3:15).

In John 8:44 Jesus told the Pharisees that they were sons of the devil:

"You are of your father, the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning..." (John 8:44).

In the book of Matthew, on the very same day that Jesus spoke of "this generation" in Matthew 24, Jesus told the Pharisees that they were sons of hell (23:15)… That they worked to keep men out of the kingdom of heaven, (23:13)… That they worked hard to lead men to hell, (23:15)… That they were sons of those who murdered the prophets (23:31). In John 8:44, Jesus called the Pharisees sons of the Devil.

If the Pharisees were the sons of the Devil... and if Cain who murdered Able was a son of the Devil... then the Pharisees and Cain would have the same spiritual father.... they would be of the same spiritual generation... even though they were born thousands of years apart. And in the same way, those who killed Zachariah eight-hundred years before would be of the same spiritual generation as the Pharisees.

Sons of Satan, whether born today, three-thousand years ago or six-thousand years ago are of the same spiritual generation, because they have the same spiritual father. In the same way... I am in the same fleshly generation as my brother, even if he was born 40 years before me. The book of Matthew makes this very clear in the first chapter: "To Abraham was born Isaac… To Isaac Jacob… To Jacob Judah, etc. etc. for a total of fourteen generations (1:17). Isaac was one generation of the flesh. Jacob was another generation of the flesh and etc. The ancestry of man is traced both according to the flesh and according to the spirit... as Jesus was a descendant of David "according to the flesh" but was "the Son of God... according to the Spirit" (Romans 1:3,4).

Notice that there is an ancestry "according to the flesh" and an ancestry "according to the Spirit". Man has two ancestries. Fleshly and Spiritual.

In summary, there were four mentions of the phrase "this generation" in the book of Matthew before the critical and pivotal use of that same phrase in Matthew 24:34, where Jesus said, "this generation will not pass away until all these things are accomplished". And all five uses of the phrase occurred on the same day, either inside or outside of the temple. Yes, all of the text from Matthew 21:23-25:46 occurred on the same day.

So, on one particular day Jesus said "this generation" will not pass away until all these things take place" in Matthew 24:34. Earlier in that very same day, he also made all those statements I quoted from Matthew 23 about the Pharisees being sons of hell, working hard to send others to hell, keeping people out of heaven and being guilty of the murder of Able 4000 years before... and guilty of killing Zachariah 800 years before. So, the chapters in Matthew previous to Matthew 24:34 have told us how to understand Matthew 24:34.

When Jesus said in Matthew 24:34, "Most certainly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things are accomplished". He was speaking of a spiritual generation... the generation of Satan.

But there is more to learn from this... much more.

Are you ready? Please prayerfully consider my words regarding the scriptures.

The fact that Jesus, speaking to a particular individual Pharisee, who is a member of "this generation", being of the generation of Satan, could intend by His use of the word "you" to mean, not only that individual, but the entire spiritual generation to which that individual belonged, has tremendous implications for understanding Matthew 24 and the parallel text in the other synoptic gospels, Luke 21 and Mark 13. I will explain further.

Who is "You" in Matthew 24?

I first began to struggle with understanding Matthew 24 and the parallel passage in Luke 21 in the 1970's. I have been praying and waiting for God to reveal an interpretation which would not contradict any verse in those chapters when I read through each of the two chapters, from beginning to end. It wasn't until 2022 that He chose to make it clear to me... half a century later. I knew that it was not scripture which had a flaw because of the light I saw at my conversion, which I wrote about in the subchapter titled, "My Conversion". It was my understanding that was flawed, not the scripture.

I will repeat my last paragraph from the earlier section titled, "Who is This Generation in Matthew 24:34?":

The fact that Jesus, speaking to a particular individual Pharisee, who is a member of "this generation", being of the generation of Satan, could intend by His use of the word "you" to mean, not only that individual, but the entire spiritual generation to which that individual belonged, has tremendous implications for understanding Matthew 24 and the parallel text in the other synoptic gospels, Luke 21 and Mark 13.

In Luke 21, Mark 13 and Matthew 24, Jesus is speaking directly to the disciples in roughly 30 AD. He repeatedly addressed them as "you", saying that they would see and hear certain things. Jesus prophesied what "you" would see or do twenty-four times in Luke 21, twenty times in Mark 13 and eighteen times in Matthew 24. Jesus said that they would see and hear certain things.

Some believe that Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 were completely fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. According to this interpretation, everything which he said "you" will see or hear did occur in 70 AD.

But all the things said to "you" in Luke 21:28, 31 and Matthew 24:44, according to other interpretations, did not occur at 70 AD. According to these other interpretations,

the "redemption" (Luke 21:28),
the Kingdom of God (Luke 21:31),
the rapture (Matthew 24:30-31) and
the "coming" of the "Son of Man" (Matthew 24:44,33,42)...

did not occur at the destruction of Jerusalem or in the lives of those individuals who were addressed as "you" on that day or in their lifetimes.

Matthew 24:29-34 really does appear to fit the rapture prophecies with the Son of Man coming on the clouds (24:30), the great trumpet (24:31), gathering the elect (24:31), from one end of the sky to the other (24:31). Click here to read about the rapture. I don't believe that the rapture occurred at the destruction of Jerusalem or in the lives of those individuals who were addressed as "you" on that day.

Matthew 24:33-34 stated:

"Even so you also, when you see all these things, know that he is near, even at the doors. Most certainly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things are accomplished" (Matthew 24:34).

But, I will say it again... The fact that Jesus, speaking to a particular individual Pharisee in Matthew 23:36, who is a member of "this generation", being of the generation of Satan, could intend by His use of the word "you" to mean, not only that individual, but the entire spiritual generation to which that individual belonged, then...

Jesus's use of the word "you", speaking to particular individuals who were children of God, could intend by His use of the word "you" to mean the generation of God... not just those particular individuals who happened to be standing in front of Jesus at that time. So, Jesus could have intended by His use of the word "you" to mean ALL OF GOD'S TRUE CHILDREN... THE GENERATION OF GOD. If by His use of the word "you", Jesus meant "THE GENERATION OF GOD', apparent contradictions, including that seen by some in Luke 21:28, 31 and Matthew 24:44 are resolved and the entirety of many texts are reconciled.

Conclusion

Here is the controversial passage:

"³³Even so you also, when you see all these things, know that he is near, even at the doors. ³⁴Most certainly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things are accomplished" (Matthew 24:33-34).

If Jesus intended "you" to refer to THE GENERATION OF GOD, and "this generation" to mean the children of Satan, then the difficulties are removed.

Praise be to God!

To make it very clear, I will re-quote the above scripture. But I will change the words "you" and "this generation" into the phrases which reflect the intended meaning of "you" and "this generation". I will place these substituted phrases in ALL CAPS.

"³³Even so you also, when THE GENERATION OF GOD see all these things, know that he is near, even at the doors. ³⁴Most certainly I tell you, THE GENERATION OF SATAN will not pass away until all these things are accomplished" (Matthew 24:33-34).

If you will read through Matthew 24, substituting "the generation of God" for the word "you" and also substituting "the generation of Satan" for "this generation", the difficulties of Matthew 24 disappear.

Praise to God!

When the GENERATION OF GOD "sees all these things"... in other words, when the GENERATION OF GOD sees the last of "these things", then Christ is "near... at the doors". "These things" may occur over thousands of years since the GENERATION OF GOD spans thousands of years. After "all these things are accomplished" the GENERATION OF SATAN will "pass away"... probably meaning the physical death of all offspring of Satan who are living at the second coming (Revelation 14:17-20, 19:17-21) and probably meaning that Satan will have no additional offspring after the second coming.

The Book of Revelation

Here is how I see that the above passages integrate into the book of Revelation. The rapture (Revelation 14:14-16) is followed by death of the GENERATION OF SATAN in Armageddon (Revelation 14:17-20, 19:17-21), the millennial kingdom (20:1-9), the judgement (20:10-15) and then the eternal state of the new Jerusalem (21:1-22:5). It appears that Everyone who is not raptured in Revelation 14:14-16 will be killed in Revelation 14:17-20 and Revelation 19:17-21... the last day, the end of the age. Click here to read the subchapter titled, "Will the Rapture Come Before the Tribulation", for an in depth study of the timing of these events, from the scripture.

The seventh trumpet and seventh bowl revelations of Armageddon are presented in Revelation 14:17-20 and 19:17-21, respectively. To see why 14:17-20 and 19:17-21 both address the same period of time, click here to read the subchapter titled, "Chronology and Organizational Structure in the Book of Revelation".

Now, back to our study of "this generation" in Matthew 24.

Spiritual Generation View

What I have presented above and in my exegesis below, contains my view of the Olivet Discourse, as contained in Matthew 24-25 and other passages. I considered a variety of names for this view and settled on the "Spiritual Generation View". As I wrote above, this view came to me through prayerful consideration of scripture. Accordingly, if other opinions regarding this view are available at the present time, I have not seen them.

According to the Spiritual Generation View the word "you" and the phrase "this generation", when used in Matthew 24, have the following meanings: "This generation" means the generation of Satan and "you" means the generation of God. So, the Spiritual Generation View is only concerned with the meaning and application of those two terms. It does not presume that the prophecies in the Olivet Discourse have been fulfilled. It also does not presume that they have not been fulfilled.

The Spiritual Generation View:

is created by express statements of scripture, and
does not create contradictions within the Olivet Discourse.

The Spiritual Generation View is established by express statements of scripture in two ways: 1) Because scriptures expressly state that there is an ancestry "according to the flesh" and an ancestry "according to the Spirit" (Romans 1:3, 4). Various scriptures above also expressly stated that man has God as Father or Satan as father, one or the other (1 John 3:10, John 8:44, Genesis 3:15). 2) Luke 23:35-36 expressly stated that "this generation" was guilty of all murders, through all centuries, beginning with the murder of Able by Cain. So, the type of generation Jesus spoke of is not a physical generation. It is a spiritual generation that spans thousands of years.

So, scripture establishes the GENERATION OF GOD and the GENERATION OF SATAN, both of which span thousands of years.

The Spiritual Generation View recognizes these two spiritual generations.

Whether some or all of the events in Matthew 24 have already occurred or not, the Spiritual Generation View does not create contradictions. A generation that spans thousands of years can see events occurring over thousands of years. So, the GENERATION OF GOD would have seen the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, as prophesied in Matthew 24:15-22. The GENERATION OF GOD will also see the rapture as prophesied in Matthew 24:29-31 and the second coming of Christ as prophesied in Matthew 24:36-41.

Physical Generation View

A Physical Generation View of the Olivet Discourse presumes that the phrase "this generation" in Matthew 24:34 pertains to the physical generation which existed at the time that Jesus spoke those words at roughly 33 AD. A Physical Generation View presumes that the word "you" refers to that same physical generation.

A contradiction is created by the Physical Generation View in regard to any prophecy addressed to "you" or pertaining to "this generation", if, in fact, those prophecies were not fulfilled before the deaths of all individuals who were a part of the generation which existed in 33 AD.

For example, the Physical Generation View creates a contradiction with Matthew 24:33, 24:42 and 24:44, which read:

"Even so you also, when you see all these things, know that he is near, even at the doors... Watch therefore, for you don't know in what hour your Lord comes... Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you don't expect, the Son of Man will come. " (Matthew 24:42).

Since the second coming has not occurred, the "Lord" has not come. But according to the Physical Generation View, those addressed as "you" were supposed to see the second coming, thus creating a contradiction.

Currently Popular Views

Currently popular views of the Olivet Discourse are the Futurist View and the Historical View (Preterist and Partial Preterist). The Preterist View sees all of the prophecies of the Olivet Discourse as being historical, having all been fulfilled in our past. The Partial Preterist View contends that some but not all of those prophecies have been fulfilled, leaving some to be fulfilled in our future. The Spiritual Generation View is different from the Futurist and Historical views in that the Spiritual Generation View:

is created by express statements of scripture, and
does not create contradictions within the Olivet Discourse.

Futurist View

The Futurist View holds that all of the prophecies of Matthew 24 will be fulfilled in the future, that they have not yet been fulfilled. This view is not expressly stated in scripture, but is a conclusion of man based on reasoning.

When the Futurist View is combined with the Physical Generation View, it creates contradictions. In Luke 21 and Matthew 24, Jesus is speaking directly to the disciples in roughly 30 AD. He repeatedly addresses them as "you". In Luke 21, Jesus addresses them as "you" twenty-four times. In Matthew 24, Jesus addresses them as "you" eighteen times. The Futurist view, combined with the Physical Generation View, treats those addressed as "you" as individuals, rather than the generation of God. Jesus said that they would see and hear certain things... things which the Futurist View contends have not yet happened. So... those individuals did not see them... even though Matthew 24:34 says that they would see them. The Spiritual Generation view does not create this contradiction since a spiritual generation spans thousands of years and accordingly can view events in 4000 BC, 100 AD or 3000 AD.

Historical View

The Historical View holds that some or all of the prophecies of Matthew 24 were fulfilled in our past, in the first century. As I wrote above, the Historical View may be divided into two types: Preterist and Partial Preterists. The Preterist Historical View contends that all prophecies in Matthew 24 have been fulfilled. The Partial Preterist Historical View holds that only some have been fulfilled. These views are not expressly proved in scripture, but are conclusions of man based on reasoning.

When a Historical View is combined with the Physical Generation View, it creates contradictions. The Physical Generation View holds that "you" in Matthew 24 refers that physical generation who heard the Olivet Discourse in the first century. So, if any prophecies in Matthew 24 are interpreted as having not been fulfilled within the life time of those original first century hearers, they end up with an unfulfilled prophecy, a contradiction. For example, Matthew 24:29-34 appears to be the rapture and the rapture has not occurred. And verse 33 says, "... when you see all these things, know that he is near, even at the doors". So, verse 33 says that "you" will see "these things", meaning the rapture events of 24:29-31. But that physical generation did not see the rapture. So, verses 29-34 create a contradiction for the Preterist View and some Partial Preterist Views. So, these preterists must try to interpret Matthew 24:29-34 as something other than the rapture to eliminate the contradiction.

This contradiction issue does not exist with the SPIRITUAL GENERATION VIEW, since a spiritual generation spans thousands of years and accordingly can view events in 4000 BC, 100 AD or 3000 AD.

Matthew 24:29-34 really does appear to correlate with all seven elements of the rapture.

Below are the SEVEN ELEMENTS OF RAPTURE PROPHECY, with the verse in Matthew 24 which correlates with each of the seven elements:

Last trumpet: 24:31
Jesus in the clouds: 24:30

Ascent of saints to Jesus in the clouds: 24:31
End of the age: 24:3, 33, 35-41
Voice of the archangel: 24:31
Only the Father knows the day: 24:36
The last day: 24:3, 35-41

Click here to read to open the subchapter titled, "Will the Rapture Come Before the Tribulation?" An explanation of the seven elements of rapture prophecy appears at the top of that page.

If you agree that Matthew 24:29-34 is the rapture, and if you don't believe that the rapture has already occurred, your view will contradict Matthew 24:33 if you interpret the word "you" in Matthew 24:33 to mean the physical generation who originally heard verses 29-34 in the first century. Those individuals did not see the rapture. But according to the Spiritual Generation View, the GENERATION OF GOD, which spans the centuries, can and will see it. The Spiritual Generation View resolves the contradictions which occur in the other views.

An Exegesis of Matthew 24: The Spiritual Generation View

24:1-2 Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple.

24:3 The Disciples ask two questions: 1) When will the temple be destroyed? 2) What will be the sign of Jesus' coming and the end of the age?

24:4-14 Things that will precede the destruction of Jerusalem. Between the resurrection of Christ in roughly 33 AD and the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 AD, many claimed to be the Messiah^* (24:5) and wars occurred^* (24:6-7): Jewish wars in Seleucia, Caesaria and Alexandria, civil war in Rome^* and Roman wars with Britain and the Parthian empire (current day Iran) over Armenia. In this period also there were famines^* (24:7) and earthquakes^* (24:7) in Pompeii, Colossae, Smyrna, Miletus, Chios, Samos, Laodicea, Heirapolis, Campania, Crete, Rome and Judea^*. * See Victorious Eschatology by Eberle and Trench, pp 20-26.

24:14 Romans 1:8 could indicate that 24:14 had been fulfilled when Romans 1:8 was written (before the destruction of Jerusalem).

24:15-22 The destruction of Jerusalem (and the temple). Because of the intense suffering resulting in the death of 90% of Jerusalem's inhabitants in 70 AD, this tribulation will never be surpassed. Daniel's prophecies are completely fulfilled with the destruction of Jerusalem according to Luke 21:20-22. The destruction of Jerusalem in Luke 21:20-21 is the "days of vengeance" that fulfill "all things which are written" (Luke 21:22). Obviously, the book of Daniel was written at the time Jesus spoke those words. Click here for an explanation of Luke 21:20-21 and an exegesis of Luke 21.

24:23-51 Answer to second question: What are the signs of the second coming and the end of the age?

24:23-27 False Christs appear.

24:28 The carcasses could be those martyred by the antichrist, 666, before the rapture of Revelation 14:14-16, at the second coming. They could also represent the followers of Satan who die at the second coming at that time. Carcasses of both will be present at that time and that may be the meaning of this mysterious passage. The persecution and martyrdom of Christians in the great tribulation is described in great detail in the book of Revelation (especially Revelation13:1-14:13). In Revelation 17:6, the Great Harlot is "drunken with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus".

24:29-31 Rapture and resurrection of believers to meet Jesus in the clouds (Revelation 14:14-16). Click here for more info.

24:29 Notice in 24:29 that the rapture and resurrection occur "immediately after the tribulation". But immediately after which tribulation? Here are two possibilities.

Possibility 1) The "tribulation" is the destruction of Jerusalem prophesied in 24:21. The problem with this interpretation is that Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD and the second coming did not occur at that time. This interpretation requires another destruction of Jerusalem in our future, in order for the rapture of verses 29-31 to occur "immediately" after the tribulation of 24:21. A second fulfillment of the prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem is a possibility but not a certainty.

Possibility 2) Verse 29 is saying that the rapture of 29-31 will occur "immediately" after the tribulation of the immediately preceding verse, verse 28. Verse 28 says, "wherever the carcass is, that is where the vultures gather". Verse 28 may describe the murderers of the Christian martyrs gathering as "vultures" around the Christian carcasses just before the return of Christ, or alternately the deaths of the followers of Satan at Armageddon.

These events, the great martyrdom and Armageddon, do occur sequentially, with Armageddon coming immediately after the great martyrdom. If verse 28 represents the martyrdom or Armageddon or both, the great difficulty of Matthew 24 is resolved by the Spiritual Generation View. (The generation of God seeing both the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD and the rapture and return of Christ in our future). After the tribulation of 24:28, when multitudes of Christians are killed by the antichrist (666), Christ returns and the rapture occurs (29-31).

I will summarize possibility 2 in this way: Verses 23-51 are answering the second question: What are the signs of the second coming and the end of the age? Verses 23-27, especially 27, prophesy the second coming. So, verse 28 appears to represent Armageddon and or the martyrdom of multitudes of Christians at the hands of 666. Christ discontinues the martyrdom by rapturing the remaining Christians in 29-31and then defeats Satan's generation in Armageddon.

Click here for more information about the timing of the tribulation and the rapture. Proponents of Pre-Tribulation rapture theory may correctly identify 29-31 as the rapture, but incorrectly assert that the rapture comes before the tribulation, even though verse 29 expressly states that the rapture in 29-31 comes "immediately AFTER the tribulation". The all caps in "AFTER" are mine.

24:32-34 As God's raptured and resurrected children watch at Christ's side, in the clouds, observing the signs of 24:4-31, they know that Christ's coming to judge is "at the door" (24:33). I understand the word "you" in verse 33 to mean THE GENERATION OF GOD. So, I understand it to mean that the GENERATION OF GOD, which spans thousands of years, will see "all these things". And when the GENERATION OF GOD sees the last of them, Christ is "near... at the doors".

24:34-35 This generation, the generation of Satan, is about to "pass away" in 24:36-41.

24:36-41 Christ second coming as He touches the earth to execute the judgement at Armageddon (Revelation 14:17-20; 19:17-21). The generation of Satan passes away. To see why Revelation 14:17-20 and 19:17-21 both address the same period of time, click here to read the subchapter titled, "Chronology and Organizational Structure in the Book of Revelation".

24:42-51 Warning to "be ready".

24:45-47 We will "be ready" if we are making disciples when He comes. Click here to learn how to "be ready" for Christ's return. Christ said that it is easy. It is.

24:48-51 The wicked slaves are false disciples who will be cast into Hell (24:51). Remember that Jesus said that the religious leaders of His day were son's of Satan (John:44). Everything in the earth is God's slave (Psalm 119:91). Some are wicked and some are saved by grace. The English word "slave" or "servant" in 24:48 is a translation of the Greek word doulos, which means slave. It does not mean servant as our current word is understood... as a wage earner. Doulos indicated ownership of one person by another. In Psalm 119:91, the same word, doulos, is used in the Septuagint, the Greek version of the Old Testament. Psalm 119:91 says that "all things" are God's slaves, His property. Both the evil and the good are God's property, created by and owned by Him.

In the Spiritual Generation view, "this generation", the generation of Satan, will not pass away until all events mentioned in 24:2-31 have occurred. And, those addressed as "you" in Matthew 24, being understood as the GENERATION OF GOD, did and will see what Matthew 24 said that the GENERATION OF GOD would see.

Matthew 23 has shown us how to understand "this generation" and "you" in Matthew 24.

PRAISE TO GOD!

The Great Harlot Rules The Generation of Satan

Chapter 18 of the book of Revelation describes the great harlot with very similar language to that used by Jesus to describe "this generation". The dominion of the great harlot appears to be synonymous with "this generation", the generation of Satan.

The book of Revelation tells us that the great harlot is called by many names... and that she "reigns over the kings of the earth" (17:18). And if she reigns over the kings of the earth, she reigns over the people of the kings.

Here are the two scriptures which show that "this generation" is synonymous with those ruled by the great harlot. Both are described as being responsible for all murders of God's people through all of history:

The Great Harlot is responsible for all murders of God's people through all of history:

"In her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on the earth" (Revelation 18:24).

This Generation is responsible for all murders of God's people through all of history: :

"Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar. ³⁶ Most certainly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation" (Matthew 23:35–36).

Both "this generation" and the great harlot are described as being responsible for all murders of God's people through all of history. So, both terms appear to reflect the same spiritual generation, the generation of Satan. In the book of Revelation, the great harlot is called by many different names. I will present those names below along with other information from the book of Revelation which is pertinent to the topic of this page.

In the book of Revelation, the great harlot is presented by the following names:

The Great Harlot (17:1) = Woman in Purple and Scarlet (17:3,4) = Babylon the Great (17:5) = The Great City (17:18) = Jerusalem (11:8) = Sodom (11:8) = Egypt (11:8)

Revelation 11:8 identifies the Great City as the city which crucified Christ. So it identifies the Great City as Jerusalem. It also identifies the Great City mystically with Sodom and Egypt. The Jerusalem of 11:8, which is the same as the Great Harlot of 17:1, is not the New Jerusalem. If you read the description of the New Jerusalem from Revelation chapters 21 - 22, it will be obvious. To read more about the New Jerusalem as compared to Jerusalem, click here and scroll almost to the bottom of the page.

The book of Revelation tells us that Jerusalem "reigns over the kings of the earth" (17:18), engaged all nations in sexual immorality (18:3), made merchants rich (18:4), deceives all the nations with sorcery (18:23) and

killed "all who have been slain on the earth" (18:24).

So, Jerusalem is an immoral, commercial, satanic, murderous sovereignty.

Jerusalem, aka the great harlot, sits on the scarlet beast (17:1,3).

So, Jerusalem and all its synonymous names do not refer to a geographical city of one specific time period, but a sovereignty that is guilty of all murders, beginning with Cain. See Psalm 2:2 and 89:27. Being guilty of all murders beginning with Cain points to the Generation of Satan (Matthew 23:29-36) who is Prince of this world (Ephesians 2:2, John 12:31, 1 John 5:19, Colossians 1:13).

As you saw above, Jerusalem is also called the Great Harlot. She is referred to as a Queen (18:7) and God's people are called to come out of her (18:4). She will be destroyed by plague, famine and fire (18:8). Also known as "the great city", she will be divided into three parts (16:19).

Being a sovereignty which spans all of human history, but which is also subject to plague, famine and fire... Jerusalem appears to be an immoral, deceptive, spiritual, demonic sovereignty whose rule is visible in earthly rulers of flesh and blood.

And since Jerusalem (the great harlot) is responsible for all murders of God's people through all of history... and since the generation of Satan commits all the murders of God's people through all of history.. It appears that the city called Jerusalem in the book of Revelation, aka the great harlot, rules "this generation", the generation of Satan.

So, "this generation" of Matthew 24 is an evil, spiritual generation... a single spiritual generation which spans centuries and millenniums, from Cain to the present day…. the spiritual offspring of Satan who are rulled by what the book of Revelation calls Jerusalem, the great harlot.