What is out-of-context is "Jesus taught that their generation would witness the end of the age."
which age ? there is boat load of them. birth then death and then grave then resurrection , birth death and grave and resurrection. over and over.. he is the answer to the end of all of the ages. he is the fulfillment of all of the ages.
from Adam to David . time , times and a half time. from first king to king ..
MOses / Joshua to the end of this age and the catching away of the women in REV 12 , will be time times and half time thus the establishment of the kingdom . which she was hidden away from the dragon times times and half time, and will be again for 12?? days .
from Jesus birth and death to a new heaven and a new earth will be born Approx on the morning of the third day , just like he was approx resurrected on the morning of the third day.
these are just a few "AGES " that have and do prove he will complete them all just as he had completed the rest of them .
if the resurrection happens tomorrow it isn't the end of the ages. The new heaven and new earth will be. so what was his answer?
only in our head does the book of REV and the anti-christ mean an end of something .
I think we must keep the overall context of Scripture in mind. It's about God and Israel, the covenants between them, and the story of her redemption. Since we now have the complete story in book form, we have a certain advantage over those actually living it out.
I believe we can positively identify the generation of which Jesus referred. Since Scripture is about Israel and her covenants, we must go back to the time when God first made a covenant with her.
Notice the words of Moses concerning the generation of Israel in her latter days:
Deuteronomy 31:29 "For I know that after my death you will become utterly corrupt, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you. And
evil will befall you in the latter days, because you will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger through the work of your hands."
Deuteronomy 32:5 "They have corrupted themselves; They are not His children, Because of their blemish:
A perverse and crooked generation.
Deuteronomy 32:20 And He said: '
I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end will be, For they are a perverse generation, Children in whom is no faith.
Moses warned this newly formed nation of her latter days. He said that future generation would be identified by three characteristics: Perverse, Crooked, No Faith.
We know that Old Covenant Israel had entered into her last days:
Hebrews 1:1 "
God, who at various times and in various ways
spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,
Hebrews 1:2
has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds"
The New Testament gives the following description of the first century AD generation:
Jesus:
Matthew 17:17 "Then Jesus answered and said, "O
faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me."
Peter:
Acts 2:40 "And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, "
Be saved from this perverse generation."
Paul:
Philippians 2:15 "that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault
in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world"
As far as I know, the first century is the only time Israel was described using all three terms.
Combined Jesus, Peter and Paul characterized first century Israel just as Moses prophesied: A perverse and crooked generation in whom is no faith!
With this in mind, there is no ambiguity in Jesus' Words: "Matthew 24:34 "Assuredly, I say to you,
this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place."