David,
Please bear in mind that Jesus is not referring to the "end of time" here, but to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
The words "last days", or "latter days", are lifted from the Old Testament, and are first presented to us by Moses. However, to him, they did not speak of the end of history, but the end of the Old Covenant, and the destruction that befalls Israel in 70 AD:
DEUT 31:29
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."
DEUT 32:28-29 (please read the whole chapter for more insight)
28 "For they are a nation void of counsel,
Nor is there any understanding in them.
29 Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this,
That they would consider **their latter end**!
So, "latter days" refers to the last days of Israel's place in the Old Covenant, not the end of the world. This is why all of the New Testament writer speaks of themselves as living in the last days. (For more info on this, please read this article: http://jeff-turner.org/?p=325)
Now, Moses also gives us the timeline for when these "latter days" would be:
DEUT 32:43
43 "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people;
For **He will avenge the blood of His servants,
And render vengeance to His adversaries;
He will provide atonement for His land and His people**."
The Latter days are described as the days in which Gentiles find themselves included with God's people (New Covenant), when God avenges the blood of His servants, and also during the time that He makes atonement for His land and people. All of these are first century events!
The avenging of the blood of His servants only ever took place one time:
MATTHEW 23:35-36
35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation.
There is no denying that first century Israel was judged for shedding the blood of all of God's servants, including those who came after Christ, and Christ Himself. Jesus was clear, this judgment would come upon the then present generation.
Then, in the next chapter, Jesus describes, in apocalyptic language, the nature of His coming in judgment against Jerusalem, which ties in directly with what He had just finished predicting in chapter 23.
Then, He once more confirms it:
MATTHEW 24:34-35
34 I tell you the truth, **this generation** will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Once more, Jesus makes it clear that the judgment for the shedding of His servants blood, will come upon first century Jerusalem! This is the coming spoken of in the very next verse, the "coming" which only the Father knew the approximate date of. This is not a reference to the final appearing, resurrection and judgment of the living and the dead. This is a reference to the first century coming of the Lord in judgment against Israel. This is what Moses called the last days, and what the New Testament writers referred to as the "last days" as well.
Peace!
