A Full Generation, Or Less?

In “Why is God waiting so long”, as well as a few other places, you state that Daniel’s 70th week could begin as early as 2011, which would finish everything off in 2018. Is there any evidence in the bible to suggest that God would make the tribulation exactly one generation from the start the end times, as opposed to less than one?

Q. Thank you for your time in answering this question, and for all the work you do for this website. In “Why is God waiting so long”, as well as a few other places, you state that Daniel’s 70th week could begin as early as 2011, which would finish everything off in 2018. I understand the math, but Matthew 24:34 states that “This generation shall not pass until all things are fulfilled. So although 2011 would finish everything before 2018, if the tribulation started in 2008, or even tomorrow, everything would still be fulfilled before a generation passed (with time to spare).

Is there any evidence in the bible to suggest that God would make the tribulation exactly one generation from the start the end times, as opposed to the possibility of less than one full generation from the start of the beginning of the end time? I can see it as a very real possibility, since God is very precise, but I don’t see anywhere where it is promised.

A. No, there isn’t any rule that the Lord will have to wait till the last minute to fulfill His prophecies. 2 Peter 3:9 does hint that He’ll wait as long as He can. But as a practical matter there are several events that have to take place before the Great Tribulation can begin. We have to have the Rapture of the Church, the Battle of Ezekiel 38, the beginning of Daniel’s 70th Week, the building of a Temple in Israel and the rise of the anti-Christ to name some of the major ones, and as you indicate, the time is growing short.

My intent was not to say that these things cannot happen until then, but that the time is rapidly approaching when they will have to happen.

And please take note. Its’ a lifespan we’re talking about here, not a generation. The prophecy of Matt. 24:34 says that everything including the 2nd Coming will be fulfilled within the lifetimes of those being born when the signs begin (this generation shall not pass away until all these things have happened).

A Biblical lifespan is 70 or so years, and the earliest date to begin the count is 1948. The latest is 1967, making for a 19 year “window of opportunity” within which all End Times prophecies will be fulfilled. With the passing of June 2007 the interpretation of Matt. 24:34 as referring to a 40 year generation is now clearly revealed for the mistake that it was.