I’ve been receiving emails from concerned brothers and sisters in Christ who are trending towards anxiousness regarding Christ’s Parable of the Fig Tree. The reason for this apprehension is because the most prevalent and popular interpretation is that the Fig Tree represents Israel’s rebirth as a nation and that that generation is not to pass away until all be fulfilled. This uneasiness is because Israel was founded on May 14, 1948, and that a generation, according to Psalm 90:10, is 70 to 80 years. Being as the Tribulation is seven years in duration, it would appear that we are running out of time.
In other words, 80 years from 1948 is 2028, minus the seven-year Tribulation, gives us 2021 (or early 2022) as the latest possible year for the rapture of the church. This time frame is obviously quickly fading away and would give us essentially zero time for any gap that many believe should take place between the rapture and the beginning of the Tribulation, which commences with the signing of the covenant between Antichrist, Israel, and the many (Daniel 9:27).
Since some of my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ are beginning to become distressed over this issue, I thought it an appropriate time to offer an alternative interpretation that I hold to, in an effort to help still their hearts and quell any spiritual angst concerning this issue.
Let’s first take a look at the passage in its entirety.
“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” (Matthew 24:32-34). (The Parable of the Fig Tree is also found in Mark 13:28-30 & Luke 21:29-31.)
It is The Parable of The Fig Tree that uniformly wraps up Christ’s exposé on the last days – that led up to His Second Coming in the previous verses – with His emphasis on the nation and people of Israel. Many of the earliest verses in the Olivet Discourse preceding this passage are beneficial to the church as well, as she will be living side by side with the nation of Israel until the rapture of the church. Yet Christ’s monologue, up until the rapture passages at the conclusion of the Olivet Discourse, is explicitly answering the disciple’s questions concerning Israel, His Second Coming, and the end, “… when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew 24:3).
It isn’t until Christ wraps up answering their explicit questions that He reveals to them the mystery of the rapture. (Please see Jesus Was the First to Teach the Rapture! for more on this subject.)
Israel is the Fig Tree
“Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh” (Matthew 24:32). (emphasis mine)
The obvious point that we initially need to make in this study is that the Fig Tree is a metaphor for Israel. We see this in Christ’s cursing of the fig tree in Mark 11:12-14, 20-21. There is a symbolic association with the cursed fig tree with that of Israel’s rejection of their Messiah, and that they, as a people and a nation, would be cursed – but not forever. They would be dispersed from their land – but not forgotten. Finally, they would be regathered as a reborn nation in the last days until the Abomination of Desolation will disburse them one last time during the middle of the Tribulation. Therefore, the message of the Lord in The Parable of the Fig Tree seems to be alluding to Israel’s future in the end times. The question is: “Exactly when in the end times?”
Most commentators would say that this verse is speaking of Israel’s rebirth as a nation, and this where I believe we tend to get tripped up. Allow me to explain.
If the passage was saying something to the effect of “… when his branch sprouts forth,” then we could definitely see an allusion to the rebirth of the nation. But note that the Fig Tree’s branch is “yet tender, and putteth forth leaves.” What does Christ mean by “tender, and putteth forth leaves”? I propose that it’s not Israel’s rebirth in 1948, but Israel’s youth as a sovereign nation that Christ is referring to. I believe He is indicating that Israel is to be “young” in His parable, and this, I surmise, can mean any time after the rebirth of Israel as a nation until she retook Jerusalem on June 7, 1967.
In the Lucian account, we see an interesting addition:
“And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand” (Luke 21:29-30). (emphasis mine)
Note that there are other trees, or other nations, in Luke’s gospel. These would be Israel’s neighboring countries, virtually all of whom are enemies of the people of God.
What’s so interesting about Luke’s account, in relation to Israel’s youth, is that these other nations (trees) also “shoot forth,” denoting their youth as well. We see this truth in history when European empires began withdrawing from the Middle East after World War II, giving countries such as Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and Iraq their own autonomy. At the same time, of course, Israel became a nation again! This seems to have been what Christ had in mind when considering a young “Fig Tree” (Israel) and “all the trees” (Israel’s newly autonomous, surrounding enemy nations).
So, in relation to time, we may have a little more of it than most people think when considering the popular interpretation of this parable. But, for me personally, I don’t think we have much time left – especially when one considers current events, national alliances foreseen by the prophets, and unmistakable signs of the impending Tribulation we see on the horizon.
I reason that the Lord’s statement – concerning Israel’s youth in this parable – as being rather vague is because He doesn’t want the church to be in the business of setting dates that are strictly in the hands of the Father (Mark 13:32). There are no admonitions in Scripture from either Christ or His apostles that the church is to try and guess the timing of the rapture; only that we are to be aware of when the season approaches, and that that day should not overtake us as a thief (1 Thessalonians 5:4).
Because the Fig Tree is Israel, we should expect the rest of the parable to be exclusively for God’s chosen people and their nation concerning the last days. And this is exactly what I believe we are looking at as we move along.
A Very Interesting Statement!
“So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors“ (Matthew 24:33). (emphasis mine)
The preceding three verses before The Parable of the Fig Tree are what Christ most assuredly had in mind when He says, “… when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.”
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:29-31).
When the Tribulation saints – Jew and Gentile believers in Christ – “see all these things” mentioned by Christ up to this point in the Olivet Discourse, then they should “know that it is near, even at the doors.”
Christ, here, uses similar language that He does for the rapture, yet very different because of the qualifier, “when ye shall see all these things,” which the Lord never says to His church. Why?
Obviously, when the Jews – and the whole world – see Christ coming back to earth, they will know that all is fulfilled and the Millennial Kingdom is at hand. So, what exactly is Christ referring to when He says, “when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors”? It has to be to His Second Coming. But if they know when He will come back – by counting down seven years from the signing of the covenant between Antichrist, Israel, and the many (Daniel 9:27), or three and one-half years from the time of the Abomination of Desolation – why is He implying that they won’t know exactly when He is near until they see all these things mentioned right up until His Second Coming?
We see this same idea in the preceding verse of The Parable of Fig Tree in Luke’s account. The verse that I’m going to focus the reader on is often taught as being a command to the church, but the context favors the target audience of the Jews and Tribulation saints just before the Second Coming of Christ. (I do think that it is fine for the church to use this popular colloquial that we’ll be looking at below, even though it was meant for the Jews; after all, the church uses countless Old Testament passages for her comfort, edification, and encouragement that were originally written by, and for, the people of Israel).
Let’s look at this passage in its entirety. Remember, this passage comes just prior to The Parable of the Fig Tree.
“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:25-28). (emphasis mine)
[Note: We shouldn’t get caught up in the “when you see these things begin” versus “when you shall see all these things” because they are essentially synonymous. The last seven vial judgments that come upon the earth at the end of the Tribulation are going to be in rapid succession, and the destructive power of each judgment will be over just as soon as they begin.]
Just as in the Matthew account, Luke 21:25-27 is speaking exclusively to the conditions of the world just as Christ is preparing to come back at His Second Coming. The last thing He says is, “And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory,” signifying His Second Coming.
In the very next verse (Luke 21:28) – a verse commonly employed by those in the church – Christ says, “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” What things? The condition of the world, just mentioned in Luke 21:25-27, when Christ comes back to earth at His Second Coming: “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”
This is very complimentary to Matthew 24:29-31 and Mark 13:24-26, both of which come immediately before The Parable of the Fig Tree.
[Note: Interestingly, in all three accounts of the Olivet Discourse recorded in the synoptic gospels, the cut-off verse between the teaching of Jesus on the disciples’ questions – concluding with the Second Coming – and leading into Christ’s teaching on the rapture is: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my Words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35, Mark 13:31, and Luke 21:33). And, in all three cases, it is The Parable of the Fig Tree that leads into this concluding statement of our Savior as He introduces the doctrine of the rapture.]
What’s going on here? We know that Christ’s enemies will be waiting for Him at His Second Coming in the Valley of Jehoshaphat and surrounding areas – as they know He is arriving soon because they have been called together by the frog-like spirits that come from out of the mouths of Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet (Revelation 16:13-14, 16) – but it seems they don’t know the exact timing for His return. And when you hear these words from our Lord, it appears the Jews won’t know exactly when He’ll arrive either. Why does it seem that the world won’t know exactly when Christ is coming back at His Second Coming, even though they ostensibly should know? Answer: There seems to be a loss of time at the end of the Tribulation!
Time Stands Still and Lost in Time?
With all of the destruction of the Tribulation period, shouldn’t we expect at least some phenomena that the world has never experienced before at the end of the Tribulation? I believe we should, and it has to do with time.
Let’s begin by looking at the universal conditions in the heavens just before Christ comes back to earth.
“Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner” (Isaiah 51:6a).
“And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree” (Isaiah 34:4).
“The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining” (Joel 2:10).
“The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining” (Joel 3:15).
“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory” (Mark 13:24-26).
These will be the heavenly conditions that Christ said will be “after that tribulation,” but there had to be some specific events that got them to that place to begin with! And, here, I believe, is our first hint to the issue of time.
Notice that “the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars of heaven shall fall…” The sun, moon, and stars are a major means in how we calculate the passing of time on earth. If the sun is dark, the moon doesn’t give her light, and the stars “shall fall,” then how are the inhabitants of the earth to calculate the passage of time? One may suggest by the rotation of the earth – which they would be correct in that assertion. But without the light of the sun, how do they know that the earth is even rotating on its axis?
Which leads us to a few other interesting facts about the end of the Tribulation, beginning with three of the last four vials judgments in Revelation.
The Fourth Vial: Electronic & Technological Destruction
From my article The Mark of the Beasts I discuss the fourth vial in Revelation:
“And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory” (Revelation 16:8-9).
The fourth vial will be the most destructive EMP attack the earth will have ever experienced and is carried out by the wrath of God on a Christ-rejecting world.
“Power was given unto him [the angel when he poured his vial upon the sun] to scorch men with fire.” We can be sure that this fire and subsequent heat will fry the satellites in the earth’s orbit – as well as every electrical circuit on earth… The world’s electrical grid – whatever will be left after seven-plus years of devastation and destruction – will be no more.
We see this solar EMP event in Isaiah:
“Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound” (Isaiah 30:26).
Not only will all electrical circuitry on earth be destroyed, but within this particular judgment of a massive electromagnetic pulse, batteries of every kind will be disabled as well. I think we can confidently say that there won’t be a working clock left on earth!
The Fifth Vial: Antichrist’s Kingdom Goes Dark
Also from The Mark of the Beasts concerning the fifth vial of Revelation:
“And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds” (Revelation 16:10-11).
This darkness will no doubt have supernatural characteristics, but one can’t help in wondering if the earth will have stopped its rotation… thus reminding us of Christ’s visually charged statement:
“For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:27).
It’s at this point that I can almost hear the Lord Jesus Christ’s prophecy that “… except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (Matthew 24:22).
With the blast of the sun in the fourth vial judgment, and the darkness that follows in the fifth, I believe we can safely deduce that the sun thereafter will be rendered lifeless and dark. We just saw this prevalent theme of darkness pervading the heavens at the end of the Tribulation throughout the Tanakh (Old Testament) and the Words of Jesus Himself. Here are a couple more.
“The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness” (Zephaniah 1:14-15).
“Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?” (Amos 5:20).
In addition to the utter darkness prevailing at the end of the Tribulation, it seems the earth may have lost the ability to rotate on its axis. Do we see this possibility in any other passages of Scripture?
More Scripture Confirming Earth Rotational Problems
The seventh vial of Revelation:
“And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great… And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great” (Revelation 16:17-18, 20-21).
The combinations of the fourth, fifth, and seventh vials have resulted in absolute devastation for the earth, leaving her essentially dead. This seems to be exactly what Isaiah saw when he wrote:
“Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof… The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word. The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left” (Isaiah 24:1, 3-6).
“… for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake. The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage” (Isaiah 24:18b-20a).
When taken all together – electrical circuitry and batteries utterly destroyed with no working clocks to measure the passage of time; the sun darkened; no light from the moon; and stars falling from the sky, rendering men unable to tell the passage of days, weeks, months, or seasons; the earth turned upside-down, shaking, swaying, and reeling to and fro (and possibly even coming to a complete halt), with the inhabitants of the earth unable to calculate a 24-hour day – it seems that what we have here is a terminating of the ability to accurately observe the passing of time! No wonder the Lord said:
“So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors“ (Matthew 24:33). (emphasis mine)
The only unanswered question in all of this is, “How long will this last? How long will the inhabitants of the earth be unable to accurately tell the passing of time?” The answer can’t be told because we just don’t know. The world will know that the time of Christ’s coming is near but won’t know when the exact time will be. But God, who created time, will know exactly when the last day of Daniel’s 70th 7 (or 70th week) will end, and then the King of kings and Lord of lords will come back at that very moment to destroy His awaiting enemies and set up His glorious Millennial Kingdom.
The Generation That Sees a Young Israel Will Not Pass Away
Let’s bring to mind the opening statement to Christ’s Parable of the Fig Tree:
“Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh” (Matthew 24:32). (emphasis mine)
Christ wraps up The Parable of the Fig Tree with the promise that the generation that sees the Fig Tree (Israel) young with her “branch yet tender, and putteth forth leaves” will not pass away “till all these things be fulfilled.”
“Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled” (Matthew 24:34).
Conclusion
Here’s a quick review of what we’ve ascertained in this study.
- From the wording of the text, we should understand that it isn’t Israel’s rebirth as a nation that Christ had in mind regarding The Parable of the Fig Tree but of the nation’s youth after her rebirth.
- The Lord was somewhat vague in what this youth explicitly entails, which suggests to us that He doesn’t want His church to be setting specific dates, but He does want us to know the season.
- Israel, as a nation and a people, seems to have a similar command to be watching for Christ’s return at His Second Coming as the church has for the rapture, except they will have undeniably specific, prophetic, end of Tribulation signs to know that His Second Coming is near.
- In analyzing the conditions at the end of the Tribulation, we can reasonably surmise that the explanation for why the Tribulation saints – Jew and Gentile believers in Christ – won’t know exactly when Christ comes back at His Second Coming is because the passage of time will no longer be able to be discerned for an indefinite duration at the end of the Tribulation.
- The generation that sees Israel and her neighboring nations in a youthful state of autonomy – an unspecified youthful age – will be the generation that will not pass away until Christ comes back and sets up His Millennial Kingdom.
In light of this study, I believe that the body of Christ can rest assured that we are not running out of time in regard to The Parable of the Fig Tree and that Christ – as He always should be regarded because He is trustworthy – is always faithful to His Word.
We have a little more time left because the Lord is patient in wanting all to come to repentance. He is longsuffering to all because He loves all and desires that every person put their faith and trust in His only begotten Holy Son for their salvation.
But the sands of time are most certainly running low, and the Lord’s church must be about their Master’s business of reaching the lost with His saving gospel while there is still time left. When we get to heaven, there will be one thing for certain – we won’t have anyone to witness to until the glorious Millennial Kingdom of Christ.
So, please, Saint, take advantage of what precious little time we have left and get busy bringing Jesus to people and people to Jesus before it is too late.
Love, grace, mercy, and shalom in Messiah Yeshua, and Maranatha!
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