注释
“天上的万象都要消没，天被卷起，好像书卷。其上的万象要残败，像葡萄树的叶子残败，又像无花果树的叶子残败一样。”【以赛亚书 34:4】“这世代还没有过去”
这句话被怀疑者们用来作为质问基督的可信性的论据。那一代人不是已经“过去”了吗，这些事怎么还没有成就呢？但进一步想想，那一代人真的已经过去了吗？不妨再看看全句：
“我实在告诉你们：这世代还没有过去，这些事都要成就。天地要废去，我的话却不能废去。”并注意到在此之前的应许：
- “因为我必赐你们口才、智慧，是你们一切敌人所敌不住、驳不倒的。”【路加福音 21:15】
今天，我们常用“过去”表示“死”的意思，但我们注意到，一般来说，这个词在新约里的用法与此不同。这个词含意是灭亡，忽略，忘记，遗漏的意思。在这种意义下，如果对一个人的记忆还存在，他就还没有“过去”。在原文里，这里有“绝对不会”的意思，也就是说，他们甚至不至于"接近于过去”。事实的确如此。因为那一代基督徒的话和生命仍然继续主导着基督徒们。
另一个可能的解释是他所指的是最后一代基督徒——因为他们在被提之前不会死去，这可看作是对他们经受大灾难的激励。或更广泛地说，那一代的人在所有的事都成就之前不会灭亡。
“你们看见这些事渐渐地成就”
【路加福音 21:9-19】 指的是战争、灾难和逼迫。
【路加福音 21:20-23】指的是耶路撒冷在公元70年所遭受的破坏。
（但也许有双重应验）
【路加福音 21:24】指的是过去二千年。
【路加福音 21:25-27】指的是启示录中所讲，但还未发生的事。
另见被提。
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.