The Last Generation

Some big questions when studying eschatology are when will all of these events play out? Will it happen in my lifetime? Based upon prophecies, signs, trends, and other factors, we can get an idea as to how close we are until what is written in the book of Revelation becomes a reality.

On May 14, 1948, Israel became a nation-state. This arguably fulfills verses such as:

Isaiah 66:8
New International Version

“Who has ever heard of such things?
Who has ever seen things like this?
Can a country be born in a day
or a nation be brought forth in a moment?
Yet no sooner is Zion in labor
than she gives birth to her children.”

and

Ezekiel 37:21-22
New International Version

“and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms.”

Some eschatologists see this as the start of the prophetic clock; the beginning of “the last generation.” Where does the term “the last generation” come from? Among other related passages, Jesus said in

Matthew 24:32-35:
New International Version

“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 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.”

In this case, the fig tree represents Israel; the fig tree in the Bible often symbolizes prosperity, security, and the spiritual health of a nation, particularly Israel. My interpretation, which could be wrong, is the re-birth of Israel is tied to the fig tree referenced in Matthew 24:32-35. 

Then again, “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened” could simply mean that once the signs of the end begin to appear, they will happen quickly (New International Version, Matt. 24.34). Either way, once the dominoes start to fall it will happen quickly.

We are now 77 years from 1948 and are starting to see many signs converge. The world is becoming more chaotic and signs are converging. In Matthew 24:4-8, the Bible says:

Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.”

We are now seeing the beginning of these birth pains and can conclude it will only intensify and accelerate from here on out. Here is a timeline illustrating the aforementioned:

Another massive indicator of incoming unprecedented events is given by the global financial system. Both global and U.S. debt are skyrocketing. Money runs this evil world. As the financial system becomes worse, tensions among people will only escalate. Any of us are capable of committing horrible sins in order to survive. With the world interconnected like never before, we can see how a collapse, in say, the U.S. empire will affect other countries. It also shows how we are getting closer to the one-world government. The “Great Reset” is inevitable. Here is a graph of just the U.S. debt (it’s even worse in 2025 and compounding):

       We can see the debt is going parabolic. The move is unsustainable. As Stein’s law says, “if something cannot go on forever, it will stop.” The debt chart is nearing the “hockey stick” moment in which the whole system blows up. I’m no financial expert nor am I giving financial advice, but the math is saying this is inevitable. There is no paying off the debt or reversing the situation. The U.S. may be able to somewhat delay it but it’s just a matter of time before something gives.

The world, and the U.S., are trending towards a breaking point. As to how it exactly unfolds, nobody knows except for God Himself and what His Word says in the Bible. With that being said, there is abundant evidence we can piece together in order to help construct some type of timeline from a probability perspective. Based upon the probabilities, I would say it is extremely likely we are very close to the start of the Tribulation. Even if we aren’t, what lies ahead is nothing short of catastrophic. Put your hope and trust in Jesus Christ, and not in this rapidly decaying world.