This Generation – Luke 21:25-33

Years ago I had to have surgery, and I was prepped and waiting on a gurney outside the operating room when the surgeon came by and checked on me.  He asked me if I was nervous and if I needed something to calm me.  I was absolutely not nervous so I waved off the meds.  Boy was I sorry.  When they wheeled me into the operating room and put me on the operating table, I got extremely anxious.  I was shaking uncontrollably.  It was one of the worst feelings I have ever had.  So when Jesus describes the “fear and foreboding” coming upon the world at his coming, I know that will be some serious suffering.

“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.  (Luke 21:25-33 ESV)

When Jesus comes with redemption to inaugurate the full expression of the kingdom of God on earth there will be nothing secret about it.  Everyone will see him coming in the clouds with power and great glory.  People will already be in tremendous dread of God’s anticipated judgment.  The disciples will have these signs Jesus has explained to help them know Jesus’ coming is near.

Jesus’ statement, “this generation will not pass away until all these things take place,” has produced several interpretations: (1) Some think “this generation” refers to the disciples who were alive when Jesus was speaking, and “all these things” refers to the beginning but not the completion of the sufferings described in vv. 4–25. (2) Others see in “all these things” a prediction with multiple fulfillments, so that Jesus’ disciples will be both “this generation” that sees the destruction of the temple in AD 70 and also those at the end of the age who see the events surrounding the “abomination of desolation” (v. 15). (3) Since “the generation of …” in the OT can mean people who have a certain quality (cf. Ps. 14:5; 24:6; cf. Gk. genea in Luke 16:8), others understand “this generation” to refer either (a) to “this generation of believers” throughout the entire present age, or (b) to “this evil generation” that will remain until Christ returns to establish his kingdom (cf. Matt. 12:45; Luke 11:29). (4) Others, particularly some dispensational interpreters, understand “generation” to mean “race” (this is another sense of Gk. genea) and think it refers to the Jewish people, who will not pass away until Christ returns. (5) Others understand “this generation” to mean the generation that sees “all these things” (Matt. 24:33), namely, the generation alive when the final period of great tribulation begins. According to this view, the illustration of the fig tree (v. 32) shows that when the final events begin, Christ will come soon. Just as “all these things” in v. 33 refers to events leading up to but not including Christ’s return, so in v. 34 “all these things” refers to the same events (that is, the events described in vv. 4–25).

This last interpretation makes most sense to me.  “This generation” is the generation who sees the signs that show the kingdom is near.  Once those signs are evident, the fulfillment will come about.