Thank you for the question on Eschatology, future events, “What does Matthew 24:32 mean? Is he saying that the generation that seen Israel become a nation will see the second coming so would that mean that if theirs a rapture it’ll happen this year & if theirs (there’s) not the great tribulation will begin this year?” (I made some spelling corrections in the question to help me understand your question.)
To begin with Matthew 24 is not an easy passage to interpret. Bible scholars differ in their interpretation. I am giving a perspective on this passage for one’s consideration.
Matthew 24:32–35 says this, “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it[e] is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words” (NIV).
In this passage, the phrase, “all these things” is cited twice. It emphasized the nearness of the events. The question before the reader is Jesus referring to all that was just previous spoken or the question that is originally asked in verse 1–2. I cite the passage for this is relevant, “Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
The interpretation for one’s consideration is that Jesus is referring to the imminent destruction of the Temple which happened in 70 CE. He says, “Do you see all these things?…every one will be thrown down.” Thus the verse 32–33 refers back to the question of the beautiful stone walls that will be torn down.
Is it possible that Jesus is referring more than the temple? One has to make that determination for oneself. My current understanding is that Jesus is giving a broad view beyond the Temple’s destruction to a future judgment on Israel before his Second Coming.
Since Jesus already states that no one knows when the Son of Man will return, not even the angels, one can’t conclude the timeframe of the Second Coming. The formal recognition of the State of Israel in 1948 can’t be interpreted that the Second Coming of Jesus happened. It hasn’t. The recognition of the State of Israel leads to the rebuilding of the Temple whereby the Antichrist will desecrate it. The Temple has not yet been rebuild and from my limited reading there are Jews who are rebuilding the furniture of the Temple with the priestly gowns, even making plans to rebuild the Temple. The Jews returning to the Promised Land at least some of them lays the foundation for the homeland and the prospect for building the Temple. The rise of the United Nation, the World Court, the World Monetary Policy contributes to the framework for the rise of the Antichrist before the return of Jesus Christ.
The “rapture” is not found in Matthew 24. The persons being taken and the persons remaining when the Messiah returns is interpreted as to those individuals entering the Kingdom of God and those individuals being removed for judgment. There are other Christians who hold to a different viewpoint than what I have expressed and consideration must be given to their viewpoint.
As a eschatological timeline, one view is this: the Gospel is preached to every people group whereby Jesus Christ comes to “rapture” his followers before the beginning of the seven years of Tribulation. Upon the conclusion of the Great Tribulation, the Lord will return on earth, known as the Second Coming of Christ.
The other viewpoint is that the followers of Jesus will remain through the Great Tribulation and will be “rapture” at the end of the Tribulation and return with Jesus Christ.
In both position, there is the Second Coming of Christ. The debatable question is this: ‘When is the rapture, before the Great Tribulation or at the end of the Great Tribulation?” I would like to think that the Lord will return for his followers before the Great Tribulation.
SUMMARY: The return of Jews to the State of Israel and the rise of the United Nations, the World Court, and the World Monetary Policy are indicators that we are closer to the return of the Lord.
For more perspectives: