Are We The Final Generation?
The 10 Events of the Final Generation – A Commentary of Matthew 24
Mat 24:32-34 NASB “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; (33) so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. (34) “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.
After giving His prophecy on end time events in Matthew 24, Jesus teaches us something very important. We learn that all that He just said would happen in one generation. A generation is about 40 years in biblical terms. So if we look at the events, which I’ve broken down into 10 distinct prophecies, we can examine them to see if the final generation has started. If it has, we could see the coming of Jesus Christ in our lifetime (assuming we live out a full life).
The verses of Matthew 24 describe ten specific final events/signs of the last days. Most of these events have occurred throughout history but in the final years they will occur in this exact order described in Matthew 24. The order is what makes them distinct; don’t just look at the events but look for the exact order to know whether we are the final generation. The events are like tumblers of a lock being unlocked. These ten signs in this order are what unlock the end times.
Just because we see some prophecies being fulfilled from the Bible is no indication we are the last generation. It must happen exactly as Jesus said only here in Matthew 24 and Mark 13 and Luke 21 where these prophecy of the last generation are given in the parable of the fig tree.
Notice Jesus is talking about a fig tree producing leaves in the spring in anticipation of summer. So the point is that the fulfillment of ALL the prophecies happen in a short amount of time once they begin – not thousands or even hundreds of years.
So, what are those 10 events that determine if we are in the final generation?
FIRST EVENT: False Christianity Abounds
Mat 24:5 NASB “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many.
- There are many on earth today claiming they are gods. They think they have the “christ spirit”. These are your New Age cultists that are led by people such as Oprah Winfrey. Multitudes of people follow their ways to destruction.
- The word “Christ” simply means “anointed.” Therefore, I believe this passage could also mean many will come saying “I am anointed,” i.e. I am a Christian. All Christians are anointed by the Holy Spirit. But those referred to here are false christians bringing false doctrines into the churches. We live in an abundance of false doctrine in the churches today!
- This has been fulfilled in the last 20 years with false doctrines under the title of prosperity telling people to give to get a blessing. Today we see universalism being taught under the title of grace which gives permission to sin without needing to ask for forgiveness and without having to repent. Gnosticism is also growing wildly in the world.
- However, the real essence of false christianity lies in the religion of Roman Catholicism which (falsely) claims billions of adherents.
CONCLUSION: FIRST EVENT IS FULFILLED!
SECOND EVENT: Wars and Rumors of Wars, Famines, Plagues and Natural Disasters
Mat 24:6-7 NASB “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. (7) “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.
- Wars can mean simply disputes, strifes, quarrels, and small skirmishes, not just world wars. It may be referring to quantity more than quality of the battles.
- “Rumors of wars” seems to speak of the reporting of these disputes and potential disputes by the media.
- In 2020 we have seen an abundance of riots: from BLM, to quarrels against governments because of draconian lock-downs and mask mandates, to the break-in at the US Capitol. The world is in a state of insurrection and revolution since the year 2020.
- Kingdom against Kingdom seems to refer to God’s Kingdom vs. the Devil’s: abortion, homosexual agenda, transgender agenda, moral decay, sexual perversity, pornography, hedonism, etc…all on the rise rapidly today.
- Famines: People starved because the world’s food supply chains were broken. Food costs were already on the rise before COVID but food has become very expensive since 2020.
- Plagues would certainly include COVID-19 that swept the world in 2020. COVID-19 was a worldwide pandemic which is a definition of a plague.
- Earthquakes can be referring to actual earthquakes, which we have heard lots of in the last couple of decades. However, the Greek word for earthquake could also be referring to winds like hurricanes. We have seen many of these with greater frequency and severity in the last several years.
CONCLUSION: SECOND EVENT IS FULFILLED!
The above are “the beginning of birth pangs,” according to Matthew 24:8. This means the first two events/prophecies happen in the early days of the final generation.
THIRD EVENT: Deadly Persecution Against True Christians and Apostasy
Mat 24:9-10 NASB “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. (10) “At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another.
- This is not talking about Jews but rather Christians because they alone believe in Jesus’ name. Christians will be persecuted unto death, like in the early church.
- We are currently hated because of Jesus but that hatred will grow throughout the earth.
- A falling away is destined to come as the persecution against Christians rises. The false christians and weak Christians will fall away and betray Christians – even their own family members.
CONCLUSION: THIRD EVENT BEGINNING TO BE FULFILLED
This is beginning today. We see the world hates Christians like never before. They don’t just dislike us – they want us to die. We are the enemy of all they hold dear. We have not seen deadly persecution worldwide yet but I believe that is the next major event we will see. It will be followed by a great apostasy. If we are the last generation, the generation that will see the coming of Jesus, then this must come next.
FOURTH EVENT: Many False Prophets Arise Deceiving Many
Mat 24:11 NASB “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.
- We see false prophets today; just check Youtube. But there is coming a great increase of them.
- Due to the persecution of the previous event, we will see many false prophets rise up to try to lead Christians into deception and lies. Many Christians will be in a state of fear due to the persecution. Fear makes people vulnerable to deception.
- Though we see false prophets today, for they have always been around, I do not believe we see the explosion of false prophets mentioned in this verse yet.
CONCLUSION: FOURTH EVENT IS NOT FULFILLED
FIFTH EVENT: Because of Lawlessness, Hatred For One Another Abounds
Mat 24:12-13 NASB “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. (13) “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.
- We have seen a huge push to disarm society worldwide. This agenda will be furthered until the end, leaving the world populace helpless against the world government’s advance.
- We see a big movement in the U.S. to defund the police or abolish the police. This is taking traction today to set up what is to come. The local police will be forced to give up their guns in many places causing lawlessness and crime to abound. This will allow the divisions in society (white vs. black; poor vs. rich) to turn deathly violent. A world government police force will take over many places and they of course will have guns. Your nation’s soldiers will occupy some other land while foreign soldiers under the United Nations banner will act as an international police force in your nation.
- The judicial system will be so corrupt criminals will know they can do anything they want. We see the root of it today. Lawlessness will abound. (So don’t give up your guns!)
- Without law and order, love will grow cold.
- Communism/Marxism will nearly completely take over the world through a one-world government. I mention Communism/Marxism here because they are the ones that sow strife and division into nations so as to take over…like we see today in the United States.
- Today we still see law and order for the most part.
CONCLUSION: FIFTH EVENT IS NOT FULFILLED
SIXTH EVENT: The Completion of the Gospel Being Preached
Mat 24:14 NASB “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a
testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
- We look forward to this positive prophecy that the Church will finally finish its mission: To go into all the world and preach the Gospel. We are so very very close to this being fulfilled! Because we are so close, I believe we easily could be the generation that sees the Lord’s return. However, we are not there yet.
CONCLUSION: SIXTH EVENT IS NOT FULFILLED
The Following events, seven through ten, comprise “The End” as described in Matthew 24:14.
SEVENTH EVENT: The Abomination of Desolation
Mat 24:15-22 NASB “Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), (16) then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. (17) “Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. (18) “Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. (19) “But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! (20) “But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. (21) “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. (22) “Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
- The Abomination of Desolation is an event prophesied by Daniel that has come to pass once. However, Jesus teaches us here it will happen again only worse – much worse.
- This is going to happen in the nation of Israel starting at a rebuilt Jewish third temple. The antichrist will come into the temple, blaspheme God, desecrate the temple, proclaim he is God and proceed to slaughter all the Jews he and his armies can find in Israel. ⅔ of Jews will die.
- The Abomination happens around the mid-point of Daniel’s 70th week according to Daniel 12:11. (The sacrifices cease sometime early in the 70th week. Then 1290 days later the Abomination of Desolation takes place.) See graphic here.
- This will be the greatest tribulation and persecution the Jews have ever faced since the world began.
- This event will be cut short by the ninth event – the Wormwood asteroid strike.
CONCLUSION: SEVENTH EVENT IS NOT FULFILLED
EIGHTH EVENT: People Desperate for Jesus’ Coming Will Be Told Lies
Mat 24:23-28 NASB “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. (24) “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. (25) “Behold, I have told you in advance. (26) “So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them. (27) “For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. (28) “Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
- Lies will abound through false prophets but also in the world’s media. Lies of Jesus’ supposed coming will spread like wildfire to the ignorant. The ignorant will not know Jesus is coming in the sky not on land. He will not come as a man hiding away in some secret cave or building.
- The Pre-Tribulation Rapture doctrine being blatantly wrong will become apparent to some causing them to question the Bible and their faith in God.
- Fear will abound due to the announcing of a worldwide pending disaster that throws the world into complete panic. That disaster is the coming Wormwood asteroid strike prophesied in Revelation 8 and 9. This fear will lay the groundwork for many false prophets to rise and say, “Everything is going to be fine! Jesus is coming to get us first.”
- Christians will be very upset seeing the end time events take place and they have not escaped in the Rapture. Many will be terrified thinking the Rapture already happened. This is due to wrong teaching about the timing of the rapture that was so prevalent in the Church for the last 100 years.
- The world will be in chaos due to news of the impending Wormwood asteroid strike: markets will crash, worldwide famine, Mark of the Beast to buy and sell, crime, violence, desperation, and lots of deception from the media and world government
CONCLUSION: EIGHTH EVENT IS NOT FULFILLED
NINTH EVENT: The Wormwood Asteroid Strikes the Earth
Mat 24:29 NASB “But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
- The “tribulation of those days” is referring to the slaughter of the Jews at the Abomination of Desolation.
- The Wormwood asteroid comes in the latter part of the Great Tribulation cutting the days short. If the days were not cut short, there would have been much more slaughtering of Jews and Christians. The asteroid will essentially bring all activities of man to an absolute halt. Man will try to hide in caves fearing the wrath of God to come.
- This is the same event as the Sixth Seal and the first six Trumpets in Revelation.
- Natural disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions will abound. Many many people will die – nearly 2 billion according to Revelation 9:15 over the following 1 months.
- The asteroid strike will cause an impact winter. The earth will go dark. Almost all plant life will die causing terrible famines and death.
- When men come out of their caves, the world they know will be gone forever. Man is instantly thrown back to the Iron Age in terms of technology. Since all commerce ended, no more cars will drive because there is no gas. Most of the earth will be dark because the skies are dark and there will be no electricity in many place. Truly a dark day, literally.
- We must wait at least 5 months after the Wormwood asteroid strike before Jesus returns according to Revelation 9:5. It is uncertain how long after the 5 months we will have to wait for Jesus and the Rapture but it must be at the Last Trumpet / Seventh Trumpet according to 1 Corinthians 15:52. The Rapture and God’s wrath happens on the same day according to Luke 17:24-30. The Wormwood asteroid strike was not the wrath of God; it was only one of the final judgements of man getting the penalty due for his sin. (I believe that the asteroid may have been set in motion the moment Adam ate of the fruit. So it was a timeclock floating out there in space until the right moment.)
- (God’s wrath is ONLY described in the Bible at the very very end: Revelation 11:18; 14:10, 19; chapters 15, 16, & 18. ALL of which are after the Wormwood asteroid strike)
CONCLUSION: NINTH EVENT IS NOT FULFILLED
TENTH AND FINAL EVENT: The Resurrection and Rapture at the Coming of Jesus Christ!
Mat 24:30-31 NASB “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. (31) “And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
- Let no one teach you that these verses are not the Resurrection / Rapture. They certainly are.
- Jesus shows up in the sky – THAT is the Resurrection / Rapture.
- He will gather His elect at the Trumpet call, the Last Trumpet which is the Seventh Trumpet of Revelation.
- The dead in Christ will rise first, then those of us who remain will be caught to be with Jesus “in the sky”…”on the clouds of the sky”.
- We will then be taken to the Wedding Ceremony of the Lamb and the Wedding Feast in Heaven. Then we will return to Earth to watch Him complete God’s wrath on the wicked men of the earth.
