Post 9 of Already Fulfilled: Misused Prophecies in the End Times Debate
“Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.”
— Matthew 24:34, KJV
Of all prophetic chapters, Matthew 24 and Luke 21 are perhaps the most misunderstood. For many, they are the go-to texts for predicting the rapture, the Antichrist, and the so-called Great Tribulation. But these chapters are not about a distant future. They are about the soon-coming destruction of Jerusalem — which occurred in AD 70, exactly as Jesus warned.
Let’s take a closer look.
Three Questions, One Clear Context
In Matthew 24:3, the disciples ask:
“Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”
“The end” here is not the end of the planet, but the end of the age — the age of the Old Covenant system centered in Jerusalem and the temple. Jesus had just told them:
“There shall not be left here one stone upon another…” (v.2)
What follows is a prophecy — not about our future — but about their near future.
False Prophets, Wars, Famines, Earthquakes
“For many shall come in my name… Ye shall hear of wars… famines, pestilences, earthquakes…”
— Matthew 24:5–7
All of this happened in the decades leading up to AD 70. Josephus, Tacitus, and other historians record widespread unrest, false messiahs, famine in Jerusalem, and massive earthquakes across the Roman world.
The Abomination of Desolation
“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation… then let them which be in Judaea flee…”
— Matthew 24:15–16
This was fulfilled when the Roman armies surrounded Jerusalem. Luke makes it plain:
“When ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.”
— Luke 21:20
Christians in Jerusalem took this warning seriously and fled to Pella. Those who didn’t perished in one of history’s most horrific sieges.
“This Generation Shall Not Pass”
“This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.”
— Matthew 24:34
Jesus meant exactly what He said. That very generation — the one alive when He spoke — saw these things take place. There is no need to stretch “generation” to mean thousands of years.
What About the Coming of the Son of Man?
“They shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds…”
— Matthew 24:30
This is Old Testament judgment language — like Isaiah 19:1, where the LORD comes on a cloud to judge Egypt. Jesus “coming” here is not His second coming, but His coming in judgment against Jerusalem — just as He came in judgment against Egypt, Babylon, and others in history.
The Elect Gathered: Not a Rapture
“He shall send his angels… and they shall gather together his elect…”
— Matthew 24:31
This is not a secret rapture. “Angels” (Greek: angelos) means messengers. The elect are gathered by the Gospel — as the Church goes forth into all nations. This began after Pentecost and continues today.
The Takeaway: Read the Text in Context
Luke 21:22 says:
“These be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.”
Not some things. All things. The prophecy of Jesus was not partially fulfilled. It was completely fulfilled — in that generation, in AD 70.
Misreading these chapters leads to speculation, fear, and false doctrine. But rightly understood, they confirm the power, accuracy, and authority of Jesus Christ.