Some biblical interpreters consider that “this generation” could refer to the one that witnessed the rebirth of Israel on May 14, 1948, but this reading is controversial and depends heavily on the eschatological approach adopted.
Origin of this interpretation
The idea that the generation of 1948 would be the one Jesus had in view in Matthew 24.34, Mark 13.30 and Luke 21.32 rests on two elements:
The as a symbol of Israel: in several passages of the Old Testament (Hosea 9.10, Jeremiah 24), the represents the people of Israel. Some see in the of the budding a prophetic allusion to the “rebirth” of Israel as a modern nation.
The length of a generation: basing themselves on biblical models (such as the 40 years in the wilderness), some have estimated that a generation lasts about 40 to 70 years. Applying this calculation to 1948 has led some to think that the return of the Messiah Jesus must take place before the end of that period.
Support and limits
This interpretation was popularized by authors such as Hal Lindsey in “The Late Great Planet Earth” and taken up in certain premillennialist evangelical circles.
However, no biblical text explicitly links the rebirth of Israel to the of the . The Messiah Jesus does not mention Israel in this passage, and the may simply serve as a seasonal image to illustrate the clarity of the signs.
Moreover, several predictions based on this reading have not come true, which calls for caution in prophetic interpretation.
In summary
The idea that “this generation” refers to that of 1948 is a theological hypothesis defended by certain movements, but it is not universally accepted. It rests on a symbolic reading of the and on an interpretive chronology. Other exegetes prefer to understand “this generation” as the one that will see the signs of the end, or as a reference to the people of Israel as a whole.