"Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Jesus didn't say things would be "largely fulfilled/incompletely fulfilled", He said ALL. There are many things yet to happen which is why the preterist cop-out of the 70 A.D. temple destruction being IT fails. Even a cursory read of Jeremiah 31 more than proves God is not done with Israel and there are signs happening right now that indicate Christ's return may be imminent.
In the Gospels, "this generation" (hē genea hautē) refers consistently to Jesus' contemporaries (those who rejected Him). To suggest it refers to a group living 2,000 years later (the "Fig Tree" starting in 1948) is a modern invention.
When Jesus says "all these things" will happen to "this generation," He is specifically answering the disciples' first question in Matthew 24:3: "When will these things [the destruction of the Temple] be?" The "all" was indeed fulfilled in AD 70: the Temple was leveled, the animal sacrifices ceased forever, and the Old Covenant world passed away.
The Book of Revelation and the Olivet Discourse are not just about the end of the world, but the end of the Old Covenant
Jesus didn't offer a "partial" fulfillment; He offered a local fulfillment that prefigures the universal one.
The Dispensational View is contrary to the Bible -- the dispensationalist view is that God has a separate, earthly plan for national Israel involving a rebuilt stone temple and animal sacrifices.
In contrast, the Bible says that the "New Covenant" promised in Jeremiah 31 was instituted at the Last Supper. The Church is the "Israel of God" (Galatians 6:16), where Jew and Gentile are united in one Body. To return to animal sacrifices in a third temple would be to return to "shadows" after the Substance (Christ) has arrived (Hebrews 10).
The "signs happening right now" that dispensationalists point to have been "happening right now" for 200 years of failed Rapture predictions.
The Catholic perspective is that we are already in the End Times. The "Last Days" began at Pentecost. We don't look for political signs in the Middle East to tell us Christ is near; we find Him truly present now in the Eucharist.
Your "Preterist cop-out" charge fails to realize that the destruction of the Temple wasn't just a building falling down; it was the definitive sign that Jesus is the High Priest of a New Covenant that will never pass away. We aren't waiting for a "Rapture" to take us away from the world; we are waiting for the Resurrection to transform it.
Look at Luke 21, where Jesus clearly distinguishes between the destruction of the Temple (which happened to "this generation") and His final return (which remains in the future). However, the events leading up to AD 70 fulfill His words with chilling accuracy.
The dispensationalist argument fails to see that Jesus was a true Prophet. If He said "this generation" (those standing there) would see "all these things," and those things didn't happen, He would be a false prophet. Jesus’ Prophecy (Luke 21) Historical Fulfillment (AD 64–70) Historical Proof v. 8: False Messiahs ("The time is at hand!") 8 He answered, “See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’[c] Do not follow them! Numerous rebel leaders claimed divine or messianic status during the Jewish Revolt. Josephus (Jewish War) records figures like Theudas and "The Egyptian" who led thousands to slaughter. v. 9-10: Wars and Insurrections ("Nation will rise against nation") 9 When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end.” 10 Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. The Roman Empire faced the "Year of the Four Emperors" (69 AD); civil wars erupted in Judea and Rome. Tacitus and Suetonius record the massive internal Roman instability and the bloody Jewish-Roman War. v. 11: Great Earthquakes & Famines 11 There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky. Severe famines and seismic activity occurred across the Mediterranean. Agabus predicted a great famine (Acts 11:28); Tacitus and Pompeii's destruction (63 AD) confirm seismic activity. v. 12: Persecution ("Before all this, they will lay hands on you") 12 “Before all this happens,[d] however, they will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. The Great Persecution under Nero began in 64 AD after the Fire of Rome. Peter and Paul were martyred in Rome; the Book of Acts records the Sanhedrin’s trials of the Apostles. v. 20: Jerusalem Surrounded ("When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies...") 20 “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, know that its desolation is at hand. The Roman Legions under Cestius Gallus (66 AD) and then Titus (70 AD) besieged the city. This is the literal "Abomination of Desolation" in Luke's Gospel—pagan armies in the Holy Land. v. 21: Flight to the Mountains 21 Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. Let those within the city escape from it, and let those in the countryside not enter the city, 22 for these days are the time of punishment when all the scriptures are fulfilled. Christian history records that the faithful fled Jerusalem before the final siege. Eusebius (Church History) notes that Christians fled to Pella because they remembered Jesus' warning. v. 24: Led Captive / Trampled 24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and be taken as captives to all the Gentiles; and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles[g] are fulfilled. 97,000 Jews were taken captive; 1.1 million perished. The Temple was leveled. Josephus records that the Romans literally plowed the Temple site, and the "times of the Gentiles" over Jerusalem began.
The Error of Dispensationalism: It tries to force the 21st century into a 1st-century warning.
The Error of Extreme Preterism: It claims verse 27 (the Son of Man coming in a cloud) was only the fall of Jerusalem.
The Catholic/Apostolic View: The fall of Jerusalem was a visible, historical judgment that serves as a permanent "sacrament" or sign of what the Final Judgment will look like. Jesus uses the language of "clouds" and "stars falling" (apocalyptic imagery from the Old Testament) to describe the fall of a government or nationIn Matthew 24, Jesus provides even more specific "liturgical" and covenantal language than Luke.
Your, boatbums, objection—that "it couldn't be AD 70 because the world didn't end"—misses the Covenantal Context.
Jesus’ Prophecy (Matthew 24), Historical Fulfillment, Historical/Scriptural Evidence v. 5-7: Wars & Rumors of Wars, "The ""Pax Romana"" collapsed into civil war and the Jewish Revolt.", Josephus records that the Galilee and Judea were ""flowing with blood"" from 66 AD onwards. v. 14: Gospel Preached to the Whole World, "The ""Oikoumene"" (the Roman world) heard the Gospel before AD 70.", "St. Paul explicitly states in Colossians 1:23 that the Gospel had been preached ""to every creature under heaven.""" v. 15: The Abomination of Desolation ,"Pagan Roman armies (the ""abomination"") entered the Temple ""holy place.""", "In 70 AD, Titus’s soldiers brought their pagan standards into the Temple and offered sacrifices to them." v. 21: Great Tribulation, The siege of Jerusalem was one of the most horrific events in ancient history., Josephus describes mothers eating their children due to famine and the deaths of 1.1 million people. v. 24: False Prophets & Signs ,"Deceivers led the starving Jews to stay in the city, promising divine rescue.", "Historians record ""prophets"" who told the Jews to stay in the Temple even as it burned, leading to a massacre." v. 29: Sun Darkened / Stars Falling, "Apocalyptic ""de-creation"" language for the fall of a political/religious power.","In the OT (Isaiah 13:10), this language is used to describe the fall of Babylon. Here, it describes the fall of the Jewish State." v. 30: Sign of the Son of Man, Jesus is vindicated as King because His prophecy against the Temple came true., "The destruction of the Temple was the ""sign"" that Jesus was now reigning in the true heavenly Temple."
The fig tree was NOT 1948 - that was a symbol Jesus used for the 70 ad judgement - if the leaves appear, summer is near. To a 1st century Jesus follower, the Roman armies were the 'leaves" showing that the judgement Jesus promised was only months away
By pushing this to 1948, dispensationalists make Jesus’ promise to his disciples ("you will see...") a confusing deception. Catholic doctrine holds that Jesus was perfectly accurate: He warned the 1st-century Church to flee, and because they listened, they survived the "Great Tribulation" of AD 70 while those who ignored Him perished.
Then, In Matthew 24:30, Jesus says: "Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."
This is Vindication language rooted int he Old Testament - Jesus is quoting Daniel 7:13. In Daniel’s vision, the Son of Man is not coming down to earth to stay; He is coming up to the "Ancient of Days" (God the Father) to receive His kingdom.
The coming - refers to Jesus’ Ascension and His subsequent enthronement in heaven.
The "sign" that the Son of Man is in heaven reigning was the destruction of the Temple. As long as the Old Temple stood, it appeared the Old Covenant was still in force. Its fall proved that Jesus was the true High Priest and King.
In the Old Testament, "cloud-coming" is a common metaphor for God’s judgment on a specific nation. It does not mean God physically sat on a literal cloud like in Isaiah 19:1: "See, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt; the idols of Egypt tremble before him." (God didn't literally ride a cloud; He used the Assyrians to judge Egypt).
In AD 70 Jesus "came on the clouds" by using the Roman armies to execute his judgment on the city that rejected Him.
Jesus told his disciples they would see it. To say "all" didn't happen in that generation is to miss the moment Jesus was vindicated as the new and eternal Temple.