Learn the Parable of the Fig Tree (Mt. 24:32-42)
I.
introduction
B.
Those who are living in the final generation of
natural history need to know this. Two questions are often asked. First, can they
know if they are living in that generation? Second, how
will they know if they are living in the last generation? What are the
signs? The good news is that there is much biblical information on this because
Jesus wants His people prepared for His end-time purposes. Jesus would not tell
us of the circumstances around His coming and then say no one could know
it.
II.
Learn the parable of the fig tree: know the
generation of His return
3“…And what will
be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?...32Learn
this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become
tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.
33So you also, when you see all these things, know that it
is near--at the doors! 34Assuredly, I say to you, this
generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.
35Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words [these
prophecies, etc.] will by no means pass away. 36But of that
day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only…42Watch…you
do not know what hour your Lord is coming. (Mt. 24:3, 32-42)
B.
Learn the parable from the fig tree (24:32): The lesson from a fig tree is easy
to understand. A fig tree loses its leaves in wintertime. Its leaves begin to come forth in the spring, and
figs become ripe in the summer. When we see the leaves sprout in the spring, we
know the summer harvest is near. Thus, when the biblical signs of the times all
take place, we know that the end of this age is near.
1.
The biblical signs of the times must occur in a
way that commands global attention, making headline news, for them to function
as a prophetic sign that has a clear message from God.
2.
As fig leaves signaling the summer can be seen
by anyone who pays attention, in the same way, the events signaling the second
coming will be obvious to anyone watching for them.
3.
Jesus made a loving statement in telling us how
to interpret the signs of His coming. He was saying that when the earth is
covered in the darkness and despair of winter, then the “leaves” begin to come
forth with the promise of new life leading to the summer harvest.
4.
When His people see the biblical signs, they are
to know that He is on the move. Though it looks like winter and that darkness will
never end, the signs of the summer harvest begin to appear. The signs of the
times give us hope and
encouragement that Jesus’ coming is near.
C.
When you see all these things (24:33):
“All these things” or the signs spoken of Matthew 24:4-28. There is only one
generation in which God’s people will see all the future signs described in
Matthew 24 and Luke 21 occurring at the same time making headline news on a
global basis.
1.
Jesus gave 12 negative sign trends that will
bring distress to the nations and indicate the generation of His return (Mt.
24:4-14; Lk. 21:11, 25). These trends include deception by false
christs/prophets (Mt. 24:4-5, 11), ethnic conflict (Mt. 24:7), economic
warfare (Mt. 24:7), famines, pestilences, and earthquakes
(Mt. 24:8), hatred of believers (Mt. 24:9), relational breakdown in
society (Mt. 24:10), lawlessness, or increased sin and
rebellion (Mt. 24:12), fearful sights (Lk. 21:11), great signs
in the sky and disturbances in the sea (Lk. 21:11, 25).
2.
Some of these trends have always existed, but in
the end times they will have a distinct intensity that will make global
headline news. They will constitute a prophetic sign with a message from the
Lord that can be discerned by the Body of Christ worldwide.
3.
Now, for the first time in history, most of
these trends and the developments leading to key end-time events are happening
in an alarming measure at the same time on a global basis.
For example, Israel had to become a nation before the abomination of desolation could occur.
For example, Israel had to become a nation before the abomination of desolation could occur.
4.
Jesus, the Man we love, gave His people much
insight into what He considered to be the most important things to know about
the generation in which He returns.
5.
The signs of the times tell those who are under
siege that Jesus will return to rescue His people. The generation that
sees “all these things” will be rescued (Mt. 24:30; Lk. 21:27). Israel was not
rescued in AD 70 nor were “all these things” fulfilled in the first century.
6.
Had a first-century believer tried to apply a
preterist understanding to Matthew 24, by the time he saw “all these things” it
would have been too late for him to flee Jerusalem. Jesus told the first-century
believers to flee Jerusalem when the siege first
started (Lk. 21:20-21).
D.
Know that it is near (24:33): Jesus
commanded one generation of believers to know
that His return was near. It was
the generation who would see all the things that He prophesied in Matthew 24.
33When you see all these things, know
that it is near--at the doors! 3…This generation will
by no means pass away till all these things take place…. (Mt.
24:33-34)
1.
Believers
are to recognize when these things begin
in the generation Jesus returns (Lk. 21:28, 32). The end-time distress of
nations will have a recognizable beginning, increase in intensity over a generation, and culminate at His return.
Unexpectedly—those surprised by the
increasing distress will be more vulnerable to fear (Lk. 21:26, 34).
28When these things begin to happen…lift up your heads,
because your redemption draws near…32this generation
will by no means pass away till all things take place…34Take
heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down…that Day come on
you unexpectedly.”
(Lk. 21:28-34)
(Lk. 21:28-34)
2.
By
observing the biblical signs of the times, believers who are alive in that
generation are to know that it is the generation of Jesus’ return, yet without
knowing the exact day or hour.
3.
My
opinion is that we may be in the early days of the generation in which Jesus will
return.
In other words, it is possible that there are people alive today who will see the return of Jesus.
It could be the 20 year olds or the 2 year olds who may see His return—no one knows with certainty. This is by God’s design because He wants us to move forward by faith as we search the Word and live in deep connection and relationship with Him through the Spirit.
In other words, it is possible that there are people alive today who will see the return of Jesus.
It could be the 20 year olds or the 2 year olds who may see His return—no one knows with certainty. This is by God’s design because He wants us to move forward by faith as we search the Word and live in deep connection and relationship with Him through the Spirit.
4.
My
opinions on this generation are based on observation
of the biblical signs, not on personal revelation
such as prophetic visions. We must insist that our faith be based on what the
Bible says, not on personal revelations about the timing of His return.
5.
Over
150 chapters in the Scripture have God’s end-time plan as the main subject.
When we combine the prophecies in these chapters we get a fuller picture of
biblical signs of the times.
6.
Paul taught that the Church should know the
times and seasons related to Jesus’ coming.
1Concerning
the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should
write to you…4But you, brethren, are not in darkness [ignorance] so that this Day should overtake
[come on you unexpectedly] you as a thief... 6Therefore…let
us watch. (1 Thes. 5:1-6)
7.
It
is essential for God’s people to have understanding in that hour so that they
embrace what is right and refuse what is wrong. For example, a counterfeit
justice and unity movement will emerge in that hour—the harlot Babylon will
include global religious and economic agendas (Rev. 17-18). Some believers will
embrace the agenda associated with the harlot Babylon or aspects of it because they
do not know what the Scripture says about it.
8.
What
people believe will be an issue of life and death, not just theological debate.
Do you have biblically-informed convictions about the significance and trends of
the last generation?
6My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
(Hos. 4:6)
9.
Israel’s unresponsiveness to Jesus was related
to their not knowing the time of their visitation. He wept over Jerusalem because they did not respond
rightly (Lk. 19:41-44).
E.
This generation (24:34): This generation will not pass away till all these
things take place.
1.
A
generation in Scripture may last up to 100 years—the Lord spoke to Moses of
Israel’s captivity in Egypt as lasting 400 years or 4 generations (Gen. 15:13-16).
2.
The
time referred to as this generation is
the generation in which “all these things” take place. Some of “these things” had
a partial fulfillment when Rome destroyed Jerusalem in AD 70.
3.
It
is clear that the fullness of what Jesus prophesied will not be happen until
the end of the age. Other uses of the phrase “this generation” in Matthew
(11:16; 12:41, 42, 45; 23:36) refer to Jesus’ contemporaries. This is determined
from each contexts, not from the phrase by itself. Thus if the contextual
factors in Matthew 24 do not refer to AD 70, then it points to the future.
4.
Matthew
24 speaks of a divine rescue of those
under siege at the end of the age by Jesus’ coming (24:15, 29-31), which did
not happen in the Roman siege of AD 70 (Lk 21:20-21).
F.
My words will not pass away (24:35):
Heaven and earth will pass away, but Jesus’ words will not pass away. It may
have seemed different for the apostles to believe that all these signs would
occur in one generation (Mt. 24:34). Jesus compared the reliability of His
prophetic words in Matthew 24 to the reliability and durability of heavens and
earth (Mt. 24:35).
1.
The emphasis on Jesus’ words in verse 35 is not
on His general teachings, but on the reliability of His prophetic words given
in Matthew 24.
2.
Paul taught that the form of this world is
destined to pass away in the future (1 Cor. 7:31).
31For the
form of this world is passing away. (1 Cor. 7:31)
III.
Like the days of Noah: unaware of living in a
prophetic generation
A.
Jesus’ main message here is sometimes
missed—that people alive in the generation He returns could understand the
prophetic significance of that time frame, but many will not (Mt. 24:36-42). Here Jesus implied that most of the
people living in the generation of His return will not know it. The secondary
application is that the generation will be violent like Noah’s and immoral like
Lot’s.
36But of that day and hour no one knows, not
even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37But as the days
of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38For
as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and
giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39and did
not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will
the coming of the Son of Man be. 40Then two men will be in the
field: one will be taken and the other left. 41Two women will be
grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42Watch
therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. (Mt.
24:36-42)
B.
The day and the hour (24:36): But of
that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels, but only the Father. God
could prophetically reveal the timing of Jesus’ return to His servants, but He
chose to leave the specific day and hour unknown so that His people must cultivate a heart of faith with hunger to
know His heart and to walk closely with Him in that generation. Jesus
emphasized that His people would not know the day or hour of His return (Mt.
24:39, 42, 44, 50; 25:13).
C.
It is ironic that this qualifier to the command
to know the generation is used as an
argument against knowing the generation. Many use this verse to justify their unfamiliarity
and lack of study of biblical prophecy. They use this passage in the opposite
way that Jesus intended it in its context.
D.
Days of Noah: The majority were
unaware of what would happen even in light of Noah’s preaching (2 Pet. 2:5). They
went about engaged in the ordinary activities of daily life completely unaware
of the significance of what would happen in their generation. The surprise of
Noah’s flood parallels the lack of understanding that the majority will have in
the most significant hour of human history.
5[God]…did
not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah…a preacher of righteousness,
bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly… (2 Pet. 2:5)
E.
Noah and his family prepared for many years without
knowing the specific day or hour.
7By faith Noah, being divinely warned of
things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the
saving of his household… (Heb. 11:7)
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