Where in the bible does it say those who see israel become a nation will not perish until all these things have been fulfilled?

Answer 1

The Bible doesn't say that.

The latter part is found in Matthew 24... what is commonly called the "Olivet Prophecy," when His disciples queried Him about His comment on the destruction of the Temple... and exactly when He would finally establish the Kingdom of God on earth.

Jesus lists a chronology of events and things for which to watch to know when to expect His revealing of Himself as King of kings and Lord of lords.

By the time He gets to the statement in question... His chronology describes the Great Tribulation, the "heavenly signs" of the darkening of the earth that cuts it short... as well as His return to earth with clouds and His gathering of His saints by His angels [all of which is still in our future]. Then He says in verse 32:

"Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: so likewise ye, WHEN YE SHALL SEE ALL THESE THINGS, KNOW THAT IT IS NEAR, even at the doors.

"Verily I say unto you, THIS GENERATION SHALL NOT PASS, TILL ALL THESE THINGS BE FULFILLED." (Matt.24:32-34)

Many people think He was talking about the "disciples' generation"... but that's not what He said. The disciples never saw the Great Tribulation [a time of 'global distress' unlike any in world history - verse 21], nor the possibility of all life on earth ending [verse 22]. They never saw the sun and moon darken the earth and stars falling from heaven and the powers of the heavens shaken [verse 29]. And they never saw Jesus coming in the clouds [verses 30-31].

They only saw Him disappear into them [Acts 1:9].

Jesus wasn't talking about their generation... He was talking about "the generation that SHALL SEE all those things!" And so far... no generation has.

But "Israel becoming a nation" isn't mentioned as a contingency [as such].

Jesus only mentions events in and around "Jerusalem" as one of the things to look for.

"When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the Holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)..." (verse 15).

Luke records: "...when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh." (Luke 21:20)

The disciples [or some of them] may have lived long enough to see or hear about the destruction of the Temple... which has led some to believe that this prophecy is fulfilled.

But while that battle imperiled and took lives locally... all life on earth was in no danger of ending.

The sun and moon kept on shining... and Jesus never returned... nor sent His angels to gather His elect.

And "Jerusalem" became "unimportant" to world history in the ensuing centuries. And Zechariah's prophecy remained unfulfilled:

"Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and Jerusalem." (Zech.12:2)

[certainly, the "people round about" Jerusalem in 70ad "trembled" in that "siege." Jerusalem was certainly a prophetic factor and a "cup of trembling" then]

But Zechariah's prophecy goes on to include THE WHOLE WORLD.

"And in that Day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for ALL PEOPLE: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE EARTH BE GATHERED TOGETHER AGAINST IT." (verse 3)

From the time that Rome destroyed the Temple in 70ad... until 1948... Jerusalem was "unimportant" to "all the people of the earth."

In 1948 all the nations on earth suddenly began to become involved in every event that occurred in and around that city. From that time till now... the poweder keg that Jerusalem has become is a weighty "burdensome stone" to all the nations of the earth... as they all hold their breath, daily, hoping that it doesn't spark World War III.

So, while Jesus didn't say it outright in the "Olivet Prophecy"... it was the sudden establishment of the modern "State of Israel" in 1948 that caused Jerusalem to become the "burdensome stone" for all the people of the earth that had truly never existed before.

And it was right around the same time that the infancy of "world-ending" nuclear warfare was launched in the world and began to develop.

The Bible doesn't say it as the question asks it... but the establishment of the "State of Israel" in 1948 is a strong indicator that that generation is the one that has been witnessing the development, so far at least, of Zechariah's prophecy.

Jerusalem was "surrounded by armies" in 70ad... but wasn't a "burden" to all the people of the world.

Today, Jerusalem is that prophesied burden to all nations. It's surrounded by hateful enemies who are arming themselves with nukes, chemicals and anything and everything else available to them that they might dedicate to its utter destruction. Weapons, which if unleashed globally, have the potential to fulfill Matthew 24:22.

The indicators are strong that that "generation" is now living that shall not pass before it sees all of Jesus' descriptions fulfilled.

Time is counting down in God's plan. The generations are passing... and sooner or later one of them will be the one to witness prophecy's fulfillment.

Coincidentally... I was born in 1948 -- my generation. I'm now 63 years old. How much more time does my generation have before it passes?