注釋
“天上的萬象都要消沒，天被卷起，好像書卷。其上的萬象要殘敗，像葡萄樹的葉子殘敗，又像無花果樹的葉子殘敗一樣。”【以賽亞書 34:4】“這世代還沒有過去”
這句話被懷疑者們用來作為質問基督的可信性的論據。那一代人不是已經“過去”了嗎，這些事怎麼還沒有成就呢？但進一步想想，那一代人真的已經過去了嗎？不妨再看看全句：
“我實在告訴你們：這世代還沒有過去，這些事都要成就。天地要廢去，我的話卻不能廢去。”并注意到在此之前的應許：
- “因為我必賜你們口才、智慧，是你們一切敵人所敵不住、駁不倒的。”【路加福音 21:15】
今天，我們常用“過去”表示“死”的意思，但我們注意到，一般來說，這個詞在新約裏的用法與此不同。這個詞含意是滅亡，忽略，忘記，遺漏的意思。在這種意義下，如果對一個人的記憶還存在，他就還沒有“過去”。在原文裏，這裏有“絕對不會”的意思，也就是說，他們甚至不至于"接近于過去”。事實的確如此。因為那一代基督徒的話和生命仍然繼續主導著基督徒們。
另一個可能的解釋是他所指的是最後一代基督徒──因為他們在被提之前不會死去，這可看作是對他們經受大災難的激勵。或更廣泛地說，那一代的人在所有的事都成就之前不會滅亡。
“你們看見這些事漸漸地成就”
【路加福音 21:9-19】 指的是戰爭、災難和逼迫。
【路加福音 21:20-23】指的是耶路撒冷在公元70年所遭受的破壞。
（但也許有雙重應驗）
【路加福音 21:24】指的是過去二千年。
【路加福音 21:25-27】指的是啟示錄中所講，但還未發生的事。
另見被提。
Rap
Look at the fig tree and all the trees
When you see their leaves blow in the breeze
Then you know that summer is near.
So God's kingdom is almost here
When you see happen the things I say
And this generation will certainly not pass away
Until all the things I said come about
And I speak the truth without any doubt
Heaven and earth will pass away
But my words remain long past that day.
And indeed what he says has been true
For the words of those men and their deeds too
Continue their influence as they've been heard
They've not passed away, they remain through the Word.
When you see their leaves blow in the breeze
Then you know that summer is near.
So God's kingdom is almost here
When you see happen the things I say
And this generation will certainly not pass away
Until all the things I said come about
And I speak the truth without any doubt
Heaven and earth will pass away
But my words remain long past that day.
And indeed what he says has been true
For the words of those men and their deeds too
Continue their influence as they've been heard
They've not passed away, they remain through the Word.