Will we see the Lord return in our generation? There have been many believers before us who thought the Lord would come in their generation. If you believe in the Doctrine of Imminency (essentially that there is no prophetic event that must happen prior to the return of the Lord), then you should expect it at any moment, certainly in your generation.

For centuries, the church has taught the doctrine of the second coming. There have been many students of Bible prophecy who thought that they had found a pattern in Scripture or had some unique insight to make various predictions of the Lord’s return. During World War I, the people of the world thought the Lord was about to return and that they were in the Tribulation. In World War II, Hitler was branded as the antimessiah, and again, the world was “coming to an end.” With the state of Israel being re-established, the evangelical world has come alive with a host of “end-time” predictions, all leading to the return of the Lord. To date, they have all been wrong.

It is not wrong to believe in the second coming, but it is wrong to hang on to a specific, speculative date.

Compounding this is the number of prophecy books and internet broadcasts discussing every aspect of the prophetic topics, laying out the chronology of the ages, the Tribulation, the antichrist’s identity, etc.

On the other hand, because of these failed expectations, some of our brethren have given up on any interest in the subject of the second coming. A “pan-theory” of the second coming is that “it will pan out in the end.” Still others are opposed to hearing or teaching the prophetic as they view it as “doom and gloom,” too scary, and divisive.

Let us agree on something before we go any further in this discussion. If we are not the last generation, then the entire subject of the second coming is an academic discussion at best concerning eschatology (the study of last things). The first question then must be asked and answered for a serious review of end-time prophecy. That question is, “Are we the last generation?”

If we answer that question “no,” then you need not read further, as I intend to present evidence that we are. If, however, you want to consider some compelling evidence that we are that prophesied generation, then read on.

Let me share my experiences with end-time speculation. When I was 14 years of age, attending Abilene High School in Kansas, there was a national news report that someone had predicted the end of the world at specifically 2 pm Eastern time on a particular Monday. I was in Miss Edberg’s Latin class at 12 noon on Monday, and my class ended at 1 pm Central time. That meant that, if it was the end of the world, I would have my last hour of life in Latin class with Miss Edberg. I was frightened by this prospect (not of dying, just a lousy last hour of my life). You know the rest of the story. The world did not end and Miss Edberg assured us, “The world does not end by taking Latin.” That was a speculative end-time prediction, and I correctly concluded that it was foolish.

As a young man in the Navy, I began to grow spiritually in the Lord, taking my faith seriously, and I read the book “The Late Great Planet Earth.” This book, written by Hal Lindsey, rocked my world. I was in the Vietnam War, in California with earthquakes, and the USSR was threatening the whole world. I also had learned that there were a lot of weird diseases that you did not want to get.

Well, there you are! Wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, disease, famines, and a lot of people were very profane. I was convinced that the Lord was surely about to return, and I needed to tell my family and friends to get ready and start reading the Bible a lot more.

When I had the opportunity to share my faith with my fellow sailors and they rejected my offer to accept the Lord, I would shift into “He is about to come any moment.” I would tell them I could be zapped up at any moment, and they would be left behind because of the rapture. I scared ‘em good and some of them did pray the “sinner’s prayer.” That made me think that it must be true.

My family and friends really thought I had gone crazy and “found religion.”

Then Hal Lindsey published another book, “Eighty-eight Reasons Why Christ Comes in '88.” That book went on sale for half price in Christian bookstores in 1989.

Remember the “Left Behind” series of books by Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye? They came up with a whole bunch of stories that tried to explain the tribulation events in Revelation. They were wrong, but they made a bunch of money on these stories.

All of those materials were based on the “pretrib” rapture (the sudden, at any time, return of the Messiah, collecting the believers up to the clouds, and then leaving the world to suffer the tribulation).

Quite honestly, I have watched all this end-time prophecy speculation result in discouragement for the believers, their expectations being dashed, so that many believers just drop the subject along with their public faith.

President Joe Biden was once asked by an evangelical Christian about the second coming. You need to remember that Joe is a non-practicing Catholic, and he does not know anything about God or the Bible. So, do not be too hard on him, but there are a lot of believers who think the same way.

Many presidents have sought Christian support for their campaigns, and the subject of the second coming is a political land mine that can blow up at any time. If a president says he shares the same faith as the evangelicals, then the question arises as to whether he might make decisions for the nation and the world based on the idea that the Lord could be coming at any moment. Liberals would then need to pull their hair out and drink Drano to deal with their panic. If a president says he will make decisions with his cabinet and advisors, then how can he be led by God’s Spirit? I guess all of that “God bless America and pray for our troops” is to make us all feel better.

Consider this question. Has God told us about the end of the ages? Has He shared with us prophecies that are specific signs we will see? Has God planned for one specific generation to see His coming?

The answer is “yes,” but few believers, even those interested in the subject, know what the signs are!

There are specific signs of the end. Simply said, there is going to be a Great Tribulation with many judgments from God. There is going to be an antimessiah, a false prophet, the 144,000 specifically-marked saints, and tribulation saints. At the end, there is going to be a resurrection day that we will see, and believers who are still alive will be lifted up into the clouds with those risen from the dead. And there is to be a big “Day of the Lord” when God judges the unbelievers—all of them.

Neither their silver nor their gold
Will be able to deliver them
On the day of the LORD’s wrath;
And all the earth will be devoured
In the fire of His jealousy,
For He will make a complete end,
Indeed a terrifying one,
Of all the inhabitants of the earth.

Zephaniah 1:18

Thus I will punish the world for its evil
And the wicked for their iniquity;
I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud
And abase the haughtiness of the ruthless.
I will make mortal man scarcer than pure gold
And mankind than the gold of Ophir.
Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,
And the earth will be shaken from its place
At the fury of the LORD of hosts
In the day of His burning anger.

Isaiah 13:11–13

By the way, the gold of Ophir was a legend; it did not really exist.

It is all going to happen in one generation. As the Messiah said,

“Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”

Matthew 24:34

After World War II, several things began to change in the world. For one, the population of the world began to increase. In the post-war years, many families had children—a lot of children. This generation of children became known as the “baby boom generation.”

They stretched the schools that educated them, and they entered the work force in great numbers, along with emerging technology. Airplane and automobile traffic increased. Consumer electronics, such as radio and television, began to shape the culture. Societal and government forecasters were very concerned. As soon as the “baby boomers” reached maturity, they began having children. In 1990, the world reached 6 billion inhabitants (more than the total number of people who had ever been on the earth throughout history). And then the baby boomers were coming up on their “retirement” and the potential strain on Social Security.

Something else happened that rocked the world. The Jewish people, who had been scattered throughout the world for nearly 2,000 years and nearly exterminated in the Holocaust, returned to the land of Israel and reestablished the nation again. The declaration was made in May of 1948, and the War of Independence ended in July of 1949 with the armistice.

In terms of end-time prophecy, an incredible prerequisite was satisfied. All the end time prophecies require that there be a nation of Israel with Jerusalem as its capital. This prophecy leads to the Jews having control of at least part of the temple mount with an operating altar. We have the nation and the city, but the altar is not yet established.

Let us review the specific prophecies of the last generation and compare how no other generation can compare to the generation we are part of today.

The Prophet Daniel was given a series of visions leading to the coming of the Messiah.

I kept looking in the night visions,
And behold, with the clouds of heaven
One like a Son of Man was coming,
And He came up to the Ancient of Days
And was presented before Him.
And to Him was given dominion,
Glory and a kingdom,
That all the peoples, nations and men of every language
Might serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
Which will not pass away;
And His kingdom is one
Which will not be destroyed.

Daniel 7:13–14

In particular, Daniel was given certain prophecies regarding the last generation before the kingdom.

Now I have come to give you [Daniel] an understanding of what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision pertains to the days yet future.

Daniel 10:14

At the conclusion of Daniel’s book, a detailed description is given for the last generation.

Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.

Daniel 12:1–4

Let me share my understanding of this important passage. The “time of distress” is the Great Tribulation. “Many who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake” is the resurrection and the rapture. “Those who have insight will shine brightly” is a reference to the 144,000. The “end of time” is the last generation.

The last generation is described as “many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.” There are three prophecies for the last generation. First, there will be many; they will be a very large population of people (that the world will take note of). The second is that this generation will travel extensively (more than any other generation in history). The third is that technology will explode beyond anything the world has seen before.

This is an excellent description of the “baby boomers.” At present, the baby boomers are hitting their retirement years. How long will it be before the “baby boomers” are no more?

Today, the world’s population is approximately 8 billion souls. Many citizens of developed nations have traveled extensively, and our technology is beyond the imaginations of our predecessors. Presently, we are developing “artificial intelligence” for many aspects of our lives.

There are many more detailed prophecies about the last generation given by the prophets and the Apostles. To sum them up, the last generation is supposed to be like the last generation before the Great Flood, namely, lawless, violent, evil, insolent, scoffers of God, and lacking all understanding of what God is about to do when He judges the world.

This last point is particularly disturbing since we have so many prophecy books, programs, movies, and ministries all talking about the coming of the Lord and how crazy our world is. Today, we have preppers, conspiracy theorists, alien investigators, and UFO’s (now called UAP—unidentified aerial phenomena). We have rampant presumption, incorrect expectations, and exhausting fear for the end times. What we do not have is an understanding of the true signs of the end or what the last generation will be doing before the Lord returns.

It is not as though the Lord did not explain this. He said there would be many false prophets (much confusion and misinformation). He also said certain things would happen, but that would not be the end. He listed “wars and rumors of wars,” “diseases like pandemics,” and “earthquakes in a variety of places” (like Oklahoma, for instance). These are not the signs of the end, but everyone thinks they are.

As a result, the real sign of the end is not known, seen, or even anticipated.

Yeshua said the sign of the start of the Great Tribulation would be a specific prophecy given by Daniel.

“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), …

“For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.

Matthew 24:15,21

“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. 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. 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.

Matthew 24:29–31

Yeshua said that first the Great Tribulation of 3 1⁄2 years begins and ends, then the Messiah returns, and there is a resurrection. From start to finish, there are 1335 days involved.

Daniel himself said it very specifically.

As for me, I heard but could not understand; so I said, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?” He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time. Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand. From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days! But as for you, go your way to the end; then you will enter into rest and rise again for your allotted portion at the end of the age.”

Daniel 12:8–13

The last generation is to see Israel set up the altar with the daily sacrifice (morning and evening lambs) taking place, and then, when it is shut down by the antichrist, that is day 1 of the Great Tribulation. Only in this generation have we seen Israel again as a nation, with Jerusalem as its capital, wanting to be on the temple mount.

If you have been following the news of the last 20 years, the religious Jews have trained some priests, gathered the stones for the altar, collected a cornerstone for the new temple, and made new items needed in the temple service. However, for security reasons, the government of Israel has restrained the Jews from claiming a part of the temple mount to build an altar.

Is it possible that we are the last generation on the cusp of the Great Tribulation?

Now, what do we do about this? How should we conduct ourselves? What about my career, my kid’s education, and my retirement?

There is an old Jewish proverb that goes like this: What would I do if I knew the Messiah would be here tomorrow? Answer: Plant a tree. (Take the long view; besides, there will be trees in the Kingdom.)

Let me give you my perspective. I know that in the future I am going to sit down to a nice dinner with friends. That does not mean I have to set the table right now.

The Lord said that we are to wait for him. That means we are expecting Him but not presuming His immediate coming.

Right now, I am watching for the political landscape on the Temple Mount to change, permitting the Jews to build that altar and begin the daily sacrifice. Maybe it will come through negotiation or war. I am sure that it will be controversial because the prophecy says it will be shut down after it is set-up. How long will it be up? We have no choice but to watch and wait. The Lord is not coming until the Great Tribulation is done.

Let us answer our beginning question: “Are we the last generation?” Yes, there is absolutely no doubt that we are the last generation. Every prophecy on the subject fits us like a glove. In the history of the world, we are the showcase generation to see the coming of the Lord on the clouds of heaven with great power and glory. We will also see the two witnesses, the 144,000, the false prophet, the judgments of Revelation, world war, financial collapse, and death on a scale the world has never seen.

And we will be part of the greatest deliverance of God’s people, so that even the angels, patriarchs, and prophets will be amazed. You might want to look at planting a tree. ■

Shalom,