I disagree with all of you who claim that Jesus didn’t mean those people He was speaking to at the time.
Because, to the High Priest who questioned Him about whether or not He was the Messiah, the Son of God, the Gospel says [Matt 26:64], "And the high priest said to Him, ‘I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.’ 64Jesus said to him, ‘You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.’
That man, that High Priest, will experience the ressurrection [of the unrighteous?] and personally see what Jesus said he would.
So, “this generation” applies to those He was speaking to, perhaps also to others.
I want to revisit this, because after reading through I think that this is the best possible explanation. Jesus literally meant, “Those standing here today (this generation) will not pass away until these things happen”
A skeptic will argue that the generation has passed away, so often the Apologist will say, “Generation means the Jews, who still exist; so it’s reasonable for Jesus to say this.” Where I have come to the conclusion that Jesus literally meant the people he was talking to then and there and I’ll explain why.
Let’s look at some of the Prophecies that haven’t come true yet:
Matthew 24: 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.
29 “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.’
30 “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.
34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.
Let’s look at what Jesus said in verse 30 specifically:
“And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven”
Should we assume that Jesus is only speaking of the people living on earth at that time will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds? Or also those who have passed away but have not yet passed onto their second death? I believe the latter. Although the Generation of people who were talking to Jesus at that time have now died, they have not died eternally and that Generation (and every generation) will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of Heaven.
2 Thes 1:8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might 10 **on the day he comes to be glorified **in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.
Again, here we have Paul speaking of those who have done evil will be punished with everlasting destruction on the day Jesus comes to be glorified. Is Paul also only speaking of those living on the Earth at that time, or is Paul speaking of all Generations, including the “This Generation” that Jesus mentions. Again, the latter. This is made clear when Paul says, “This includes you” but the people he wrote to have now passed away.
Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
This is the second death, immediately after the return of Christ which will be seen by all including the Generation that Jesus spoke to in Matthew 24.
Jesus concludes His prophecy in Matthew 24:
35
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Contrast that with what Revelation says next:
21 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”
for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.
Also, I do believe the Prophecy has a double meaning with the destruction of the Jewish temple, but Jesus was right in a sense that these things will happen within the next 40 years, but they will also happen well into the future. “This Generation” refers to the generation living at that time before their first death and, “This Generation” refers to the generation living after their first death but before their second death.
