First understand that the disciples are asking two questions because Jesus foretold the destruction of the temple. Here are the questions:
- When will these things happen?
- What will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age?
The Timing
In regard to the "this generation" statement (some people mistakenly think that Jesus was just wrong) in vs. 34, it helps me to know that the "take place" verb is translated from γενηται. This is an ingressive, aorist, state of being verb. That means that these happenings "begin" before the generation passes, not necessarily that they begin and end. So, this means that a complex of events which are bracketed by Jesus' ascension and his return only get set in motion. I do not recommend calling the things of this chapter into the service of constructing an elaborate and detailed end-times timeline.
The first event that happens as the beginning bracket is a transfer of power. It's a two-part event that the Matthean plot has been building up to. The stage was firmly set when Jesus said that "this mountain would be removed" after the cleansing of the temple (Matt 21:21). "This mountain" was undoubtedly the temple mount.
The first part was Jesus' arrival at the throne (vs. 30).
Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, 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.
(Matthew 24:30 ESV)
Though the eventual return of Christ is addressed in Matthew 24 (i.e., the parousia), vs. 30 does not refer to that. Jesus' return (Greek word παρουσια) is spoken of three times in this chapter, but vs. 30 is ερχομενον. That is to say, his coming to the throne. It's just like Matthew 26:64 when Jesus tells the chief priest that he will ascend to the throne. Look at how parallel this is:
Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
(Matthew 26:64 ESV)
The shift in power from the temple to the Christ is also attested to in the apocalyptic language of vs. 29. Language like this was used in the Old Testament to speak of shifts in political power. See Isaiah 13:10 where the fall of Babylon is spoken of. See Amos 8:9 where the fall of Israel is spoken of.
So the answer to when is that it's a complex of events that begins at the ascension (which, though apparently removed nearly 40 years, is closely related to the destruction of the temple) and comes to completion at Jesus' return. This complex of events only began in that generation.
Nothing in this event is signaled by wars, famines and earthquakes (vs. 7). These are only birth pangs that will continue. So when people surmise that the end is here because there seem to be more earthquakes, they are right in the sense that the end has already begun, but they are wrong to think that they signal the imminent return of Jesus. That day will come upon us unexpectedly (vs. 36). Jesus' return is the second event; it brackets the end of these complex of events.
The Signs
It seems like tribulation, executions, and hatred for Christians will be a sign that we are in said time-bracket (vs. 9). It seems like the not-so-serious believers giving it up, betrayals happening, false prophets showing up, and etc., will be signs that we are in said time-bracket (vss. 10, 11). These signs point to the truth that the complex of events have begun.
The abomination of desolation (vs. 15) seems to be placed at the beginning bracket. Jesus is making a play on a historical event. In 167 B.C. Antiochus Epiphanes (a Gentile king) entered the temple and sacrificed a pig. It took three years of guerilla warfare for the Jews to regain the temple. Jesus says this to give a sign that something like this will happen again. This time it will be the arrival of the Roman army at the temple; they destroyed the the temple in A.D. 70. Luke is a little more specific here (Luke 21:20). Jesus warned people to get out of town when the Romans showed up. Some people ran for the city walls. I don't recommend pulling this abomination out and forcing it into service on another timeline.
The great tribulation (vs. 21) seems also to be a part of the beginning bracket, along with the abomination of desolation and the ascension. Things got really bad inside of the city walls during siege. Starvation, torture (over food among Jews), and even cannibalism. Josephus gives a harrowing account of it. I don't recommend pulling this "great tribulation" out and forcing it into service on another timeline.
Don't be fooled by false christs (vs. 23) or false prophets (vs. 24), as if they might be a sign of the end's imminence. If you find yourself scratching your chin trying to figure out if this might be the Christ, he's not. When Jesus comes back there will be no chin scratching. It will be abundantly obvious. Like lightening that shines all the way from east to the west (vs. 27).
The Not-A-Rapture-Of-Believers
Jesus is coming back. This coming (the Greek word is παρουσια) is mentioned in vss. 27, 37, 39. It's going to be like the Noah thing. Specifically, when judgment comes at the arrival of Jesus, the ungodly will be destroyed and the righteous will remain. There is nothing in verses 40 and 41 that suggest that believers are taken away; they're not. The parables of Matthew 13 attests to the removal of everything that causes sin and all lawbreakers. They are gathered up and removed; the righteous remain; the meek inherit the earth. I do not recommend calling these verses into service to support a rapture of believers.
A Timeline?
A final thought on the propensity to use these things to build a timeline of events: these events should probably be viewed as a complex of events rather than a sequence of events. Many of the things we see here are probably typical conditions that show up in incidents and outbreaks, spurts and stops, throughout this time-bracket. We will continue to see tribulations, executions, false prophets, false christs and so forth until Jesus returns.
The Main Things
- There was a shift in power . . . from the Temple to the Christ.
- Jesus is coming back.
- Be ready (the parables that follow tell us more about that).
