Matthew 24:34 says, “Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” Mark 13:30 says, “Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pas, till all these things be done.” And Luke 21:32 says, “Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.”
I don’t know who named our recent generations. Looking on Google I found a list of ten, dating from 1890 to 2025: the Lost Generation, the Generation of 1914, the Interbellium Generation, the Greatest Generation, the Silent Generation, the Baby Boomer Generation, Generation X (Baby Bust), Xennials, Generation Y (The Millennials), Generation Z, and Generation Alpha. These say nothing of the generations gone on before, whatever man called them.
Matthew begins his gospel with, “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” He starts with Abraham and lists who begat who all the way to Joseph, whose wife, Mary, begat Jesus. He sums it up in verse 17, “So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.” Generations are important to God, spoken of over and over in the Scriptures. Jesus spoke of an evil generation in His day seeking a sign (Matthew 12:39 and 16:4, Mark 8:12, and Luke 11:29).
In our three texts, Jesus spoke of a generation in the last days who would witness all the end-time events He spoke of. Of course many would die before the end. The generation would be in the process of passing away. Most likely the old people of this generation would witness all these events.
I believe, as do many, that this generation was born in 1948 with the rebirth of Israel in their land, fulfilling the prophecies of Isaiah 66:8 and Ezekiel 37:1-14. I therefore call them Generation “I” for Israel. Being born in 1948, though not an Israelite, I can bear witness that many of the signs that Jesus spoke of are happening today. Many of the “I” Generation have passed away. I have had plenty of opportunities myself, including a near drowning not long ago.
Though Jews and Gentiles are living together in days of the “I” Generation, they are still two separate groups. Luke 21:24 says, “And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” All eyes are on Israel today. Prophecy is unfolding quickly.
While I am counting years from 1948, our texts are actually a promise to Israel. In the end, all the nations who fight against Jerusalem will pass away leaving only the “I” GENERATION!”
