Re “this generation.”
OBJECTION: In Matthew 24:34, Jesus meant “that” generation rather than “this” generation as the text reads―i.e. some future generation that will witness all the things listed in the chapter. ANSWER: A straight-forward reading of the text indicates that these prophecies would be fulfilled while some hearing Jesus’ words in the first century were still alive. No other conclusion is possible without doing violence to the text. But to confirm that it refers to the first century contemporaries of Jesus we need only to look at the other times the phrase “this generation” is used in the New Testament. It ALWAYS refers to those living in the first century. There is no serious disagreement on these other passages. Here are all the times the phrase is used outside of the Olivet Discourse. Look up these passages for yourself:
Matthew: 11:16-24; 12:38-45; 16:4; 17:17; 23:35-36; Mark: 8:12; 8:38-9:1; 9:19, and Luke: 7:31; 9:41; 11:29-32, 49-51; 17:25; Acts: 2:40.
If God had meant “race” in Mt 24:34 it makes sense that He would have used the Greek word gnos rather than genea:
https://biblehub.com/greek/1085.htm
And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.
There, obviously “generation” meant the worldly people instead of righteous people. It wasn’t talking about different age groups like we usually think of for “generation“.