Confusion abounds.

Today, millions of Bible readers and scholars continue to be baffled and confused by Jesus’ allegedly cryptic words and his emphasis that those who were there with Him at the time would witness all these climactic end-time events—i.e., “all these things.” Most debate centers on what generation Jesus was really talking about when He referred to “this generation.” Let’s also note that He emphatically warned his first hearers, “Watch out that no one deceives you” (Matt. 24:4). As we shall see, his warning is just as relevant today as it was back then. So, if we take Jesus at his literal word (as they did) and hold to an authoritative view of Scripture, “all these things” must have occurred within the lifetime of his disciples exactly as and when He said. Nothing short of the credibility of Jesus Christ is at stake. Surely Jesus didn’t make a mistake or intend to mislead his disciples. The only other alternative is that He spoke truly—just as He said He did.

Skeptics contend that Jesus’ Olivet Discourse is an empty prophecy, since neither Jesus’ generation, nor any generation since, has seen its “complete” fulfillment. However, his prophesied stone-by-stone destruction of the Temple complex is historical fact. It occurred in A.D. 70 – 73, precisely within the time period Jesus said. Yet most people of the world have been led to believe that the rest, and most, of Jesus’ other prophetic words are still to be fulfilled.

To side-step the plain meaning and utmost importance of Jesus’ words, prophecy teachers and futuristic theologians have devised every kind of strained exegesis (an explanation or interpretation of a word, sentence, or passage), linguistic gymnastics, and sophisticated arguments imaginable. Not surprisingly, every attempt over the centuries to evade the force of this passage and place its fulfillment beyond the 1st-century timeframe Jesus specified has brought nothing but embarrassment and discreditation to the Church as well as undermined the deity of Christ and the integrity of the Scriptures.

Sources:

1 The Perfect Ending for the World by John Noe

2 The Last Days According to Jesus by R.C. Sproul

3 Last Days Madness by Gary DeMar

4 The Works of Josephus translated by William Whiston

5 Josephus the Essential Writings by Paul L. Maier