CHAPTER
THREE

The Sign of the Times
 
 
 

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"when you shall see the fig tree . . ."

    There is no better commentary on prophecy and the Second Coming of Christ than Jesus himself. The week of the Lord's Passion, in preparation for His going away, He delivered two primary messages to prepare His disciples for their mission: The Olivet discourse and the Last Supper. We need to put this in perspective. The disciples had been with Jesus for over three years and received the best teaching in the universe. In His last week, Jesus chose to reinforce two lessons of paramount importance. What would you consider to be the two most important theological doctrines after salvation? Jesus choose prophecy and the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit of Love.

    It has been said that the Bible contains as much as twenty-five percent prophecy. The last book in the canon, Revelation, is completely prophetic; and the first prophecy of Messiah is found in Genesis (3:15). Throughout the rest of the Old Testament are many more prophecies of the Anointed One^a.

    Israel is referred to as God's "fig tree" (Joel 1:7,12; 2:22), and the symbol of the fig tree can be seen in the modern state of Israel (research references). On the Monday before Jesus went to the cross, He cursed a fig tree, "And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only , and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee . . ." (Mat. 21:19 KJV). Seeing the green leaves of the fig tree, He expected some fruit to satisfy their hunger. The fig tree had the appearance of vitality and thus the promise of fruit, but a closer inspection revealed it was barren. This object lesson must have stood out when the following day on the Mount of Olives Jesus gave his final message on the prophetic timetable and punctuated it with the key:

    "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." (Mat. 24:32-34).

    The fig tree Jesus cursed was the nation of Israel. The fig tree was a type representing the first century Jewish establishment which would reject Messiah on Good Friday 30 A.D. and be cursed with destruction by the Roman legions forty years later (just as Jesus predicted in Mat. 24:2 -- note: Titus destroyed the Temple on the 9th of Av, AD 70). In Luke, Jesus verifies the meaning of the fig tree parable (Luke 13:6-9). When Israel rejected their Messiah, they were cut down and dispersed throughout the world a second time (the first dispersion being the captivity to Babylon in 606-586 BC).

    The fig tree symbolizes Israel's national existence. In Matthew chapter 24, Jesus answers the disciples' questions concerning the end-time, i.e. "when are these things going to happen and what is the sign of your coming and the end of the world?" Jesus gives the budding of the fig tree as the key sign to interpret the mystery. Historically speaking, we know that the fig tree, the nation of Israel, was cursed and withered in 70AD. The meaning of the fig tree budding again is evidently a rebirth of the historical nation at a future time. The budding is symbolic of the nation of Israel coming back into existence again after the dormant winter period of world-wide dispersion.

    The United Nations declared Israel a nation in May of 1948! Through many wars and conflicts, that nation is still there and the central focus of world attention. Jews from all over the world are returning to their ancestral homeland by the boat, plane, and truck load. For over 1900 years, the budding fig tree was just a dream and prayer for the wandering Jewish people; but after the Holocaust, God restored the nation in one day, "Who hath heard such a thing? Who hath seen such a thing? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once?" (Isa. 66:8).

    No power on earth can stop the fulfillment of God's prophetic word (Isa. 11:11-12). The Egyptian bondage was not a dispersion^b, for the Jews had not yet captured the land in order to be returned to it. The first dispersion was to a specific country, Babylon, as captives. However, this prophecy of Isaiah speaks of a second world-wide dispersion after the time of Messiah (verse 10 points to the "root of Jesse", Jesus, who shall bring salvation to the Gentiles).

    Ezekiel mentions a regathering and the establishment of the nation (Eze. 38:21-22). For almost 19 centuries, the land of Palestine was a wasteland while the Jews were persecuted all over the world from one Gentile country to another . Now, after many years of fighting by the sword, they have in these latter years been gathered out of many people-groups back home to the mountains of Israel which had been a wasteland. According to prophecy, the nation of Israel will never be dispersed again (Amos 9:14-15). Amos is not referring to the Babylonian captivity here, since the Jews were returned to their land after 70 years as prophesied (Jer. 25:11, Dan. 9:2) and then later dispersed all over the earth for almost nineteen centuries. Jeremiah also predicts a regathering after a world-wide dispersion^c (Jer. 30:10-11).

    In June of 1967 during the Six Day War, Israel recaptured Jerusalem after precisely 1900 years (the Roman army besieged Jerusalem in 67 AD). Any reasonable doubt concerning the accuracy of the prophetic word must be dispelled with the repatriation of the ancestral Jewish capitol. However we must realize that according to scripture, the times of the Gentiles^d (Gentile domination of the world) is not over until Christ returns. The Gentile powers will control the Holy City one more time before the return of our Lord. The times of the Gentiles are not over yet.

    According to Ezekiel in his vision of the valley of dried bones, the nation is reborn from its scattered and desiccated state but is still spiritually dead. After the dry bones are brought back together then the breath of life shall empower the reconstituted skeleton at a future time (Eze. 37:1-14)

    The context clearly states that Ezekiel is prophesying about the nation of Israel. Them bones, them bones, them dried bones were brought together on May, 14th 1948. The nation is still spiritually dead, without Christ and dead to the truth of the Gospel, as opinion polls indicate. The vast majority of Jews are atheists, agnostics, and very often secular humanists. In general, this spiritual state shall persist until Jesus returns at Armageddon, and the nation shall see Him whom they have pierced (Zech. 12:10). At that time, Israel, the Jewish people, shall be saved.

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    Immediately following the Parable of the Fig Tree in Matthew 24:34, Jesus refers to the generation that would see the terrible signs mentioned in answer to the Disciples questions about the end of the world. He uses the term generation to explain the time span encompassing the signs mentioned earlier in the teaching. Jesus asserts that the generation to see the end time signs begin would be the generation to see His glorious return: "Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled" (Mat. 24:34). Previous to this, He gives the prophetic key which signals the beginning of these things. The generation which would see (witness or live at the time of) the initial sign, the budding fig tree, would in some sense still be in existence to witness His next arrival.

    There is in a historical sense a fulfillment at the time of Jerusalem's destruction by Titus in 70 AD, but the complete fulfillment has not occurred (as witnessed by many signs which did not occur at that time, especially Mat. 24:15 referring to the Abomination of Desolation which historically occurred almost two hundred years early by Antiochus and is yet to happen in the future, Rev. 11:1-2, Dan. 9:27;11:31;12:1-11 "the time of the end"). This is a double fulfillment prophetic passage, i.e. there are at least two levels on which the prophetic statements can be understood. The destruction of Jerusalem in the Disciple's lifetime was a foreshadowing of the events which will be fully realized at the Parousia, Second Coming of our Lord (Zech. 10-12). At the end time, all the armies of the world will surround Jerusalem, not just the Roman army, and the culmination will be the victory of God's people over the heathen, not the vanquishing of the Jew's by pagan Gentiles.

    In Matthew 24, the reference to "generation" can only mean in an eschatological prophetic sense, the time period which would witness the budding of the fig tree (the rebirth of the nation of Israel). We are that generation.

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    In Matthew 23:36, the Lord makes a parallel statement to the one given in Matthew 24:34, and there He is referring to the generation of which the disciples are a part. After a scathing denunciation of the hypocrisy of religion, the Lord pronounces judgment upon that "generation of vipers". He says that their generation would receive the punishment for the centuries of persecution executed upon the servants of God, "That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth", Matthew 23:35. When would this begin? When they committed the ultimate persecution, the crucifixion of God himself! This is illustrated in Mat. 12:33, the Parable of the Wicked Husbandman. The end of that generation of judgment was the destruction of their pride and joy, their grand religious edifice, "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate" (Mat. 23:38 KJV).

    In the original language, the chapter and verse divisions do not exist. As Jesus finished telling the Pharisees about the end of their generation, He proceeded to walk out of the Temple area. As He was walking toward the Mount of Olives, the disciples asked for clarification. Jesus graphically describes the events that are now verified historically surrounding the Temple's destruction. It is recorded that a firestorm engulfed the Temple and the gold coverings melted down between the cracks of the stones. The soldiers toppled the great stones to scrape the melted metal from the stones (Mat. 24:2).

    The disciples expected an immediate fulfillment of the Messianic Kingdom. Jesus, in answer to the their inquires (Mat. 24:3), proceeded to explain the signs that would result in His return, the grand finale of prophetic history. The Master had already addressed the end of the present generation, the destruction of the Temple and Jewish nation by the Romans, and gave His response in terms of the culmination of the end times, our generation.

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    Since there are varying interpretations of what a "generation" means in the scripture and even different opinions on what the key event is for the reborn state of Israel, let's do some basic math. We have established from the Olivet Discourse that the budding of the fig tree is the alpha sign, the event which begins the last generation. The State of Israel celebrates this every May 14th (since 1948). However, some scholars consider the taking of Jerusalem, the ancestral capital, in the June 1967 War as the primary rebirth event (concluding that the integration of Jerusalem into the newly formed State was necessary to achieve reformation according to exacting Biblical fulfillment). Both of these positions have merit and must be considered.

    The Bible most commonly refers to generations of forty years and seventy years depending on the context. If we make several projections based upon the alpha event candidates, 1948 and 1967, extending out by a generation of 40 to 70 years, we arrive at a very general time frame for pre-Millennial prophetic realization, i.e. the return of Jesus. This gives us an idea of when the Lord will come back, even if our understanding of a generation is defined as those individuals who are alive to witness a chronological segment of history, i.e. a generation is comprised of the human beings who will see the beginning signs through to the end (as the generation alive at the time of Noah).

    Of course, there are those who believe that the existence of the nation of Israel is a fluke, even though Israel is the focus of world attention after disappearing from the earth for 1900 years. Many of this persuasion believe that all prophecy has been fulfilled in the past. There are those who sleep and those who watch (Eze. 33). Only Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimethea out of the entire complement of seventy plus Sanhedrien Elders, the leaders of the Jewish religious establishment, recognized the first coming of Christ. The same situation exists now.

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Alpha Event                                              Generation                                          Omega Event
 

1948	plus 40 years =	1988
1967	plus 40 years =	2007
1948	plus 70 years =	2018
1967	plus 70 years =	2037

    The first projection extrapolates from the founding of the State of Israel in 1948 out one 40 year generation bringing us to 1988 as the time of His Coming. It is clear from our perspective of history that this did not occur. We can eliminate that from our consideration. The next forty year generation projection based upon the 1967 recapture of Jerusalem takes us to the year 2007 AD. Obviously at this time, we cannot discount this possibility, and there are many who are now studying the Bible code who believe this is the most likely candidate. The other two projections are based upon the same beginning dates but project out 70 years to 2018 and 2037 respectively. Which is correct? We shall all live to see, either in this body or another. The re-establishment of the nation of Israel is indisputable as the key sign of the end times. Jesus told us who the generation would be. We have met that generation, and it is us.

    From the above projections based upon key interpretive eschatological theories, i.e. scholarly end-time opinions, it is clear that the many of the saints alive today will still be alive to witness the unfolding of the end of the world as we know it. Given the state of medical science and the fact of ever-increasing longevity, most baby boomers and post-boomers will witness the Coming of Christ. Since the vast majority of the world population living today is post-boomer in age, the vast majority of today's world population will live to see the events written in the book of Revelation. This statement could not have occurred in the preceding two millennia. Selah

    "As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they did not know until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of man." (Matthew 24:37-39) - JESUS.

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^a Predicted and fulfilled prophecies concerning Christ's Life:

 Prophecy : Old Testament Text : New Testament Fulfillment

• - Seed of woman Gen 3:15 Gal 4:4
• - Born of a virgin Isa 7:14 Mt 1:18-25
• - Seed of Abraham Gen 22:18 Mt 1:1
• - Seed of David  Jer 23:5 Lk 3:31
• - Tribe of Judah  Gen 49:10 Rev 5:5
• - Family of Jesse  Isa 11:1  Lk 3:32
• - Born in Bethlehem   Mic 5:2 Mt 2:1-6
• - Immanuel   Isa 7:14  Mt 1:22-23
• - Priesthood  Ps 110:4  Heb 5:5-6
• - Judge  Isa 33:22  Jn 5:22-23
• - King   Ps 2:6  Jn 18:33-37
• - Anointed by the Spirit  Isa 11:2  Mt 3:16-17
• - John the Baptist  Isa 40:3  Mt 3:1-3
• - Ministry in Galilee  Isa 9:1-2  Mt 4:12-17
• - Miracles  Isa 35:5-6   Mt 9:35;11:4
• - Parables   Ps 78:1-4  Mt 13:34-35
• - In the Temple   Mal 3:1  Mt 21:10-12
• - Jerusalem entry on donkey Zech 9:9  Mt 21:1-7
• - Stone of stumbling Isa 28:16  1 Pet 2:6-8
• - Light to Gentiles Isa 49:6  Acts 13:46-48
• - Betrayed by a friend Ps 41:9  Jn 13:18-27
• - Sold for 30 pieces of silver Zech 11:12  Mt 26:14-15
• - 30 pieces thrown in Temple Zech 11:13  Mt 27:3-5
• - 30 pieces buys potters field Zech 11:13  Mt 27:6-10
• - Forsaken by His disciples Zech 13:7  Mk 14:27+50
• - Accused by false witnesses  Ps 35:11,20,21  Mt 26:59-61
• - Silent before accusers  Isa 53:7  Mt 27:12-14
• - Wounded and bruised  Isa 53:4-6 1 Pet 2:21-25
• - Beaten and spit on  Isa 50:6  Mt 26:67-68
• - Mocked  Ps 22:6-8  Mt 27:27-31
• - Hands and feet pierced  Ps 22:16  Jn 20:24-28
• - Crucified with thieves  Isa 53:12  Mt 27:38
• - Rejected by His own people  Isa 53:3  Jn 19:14-15
• - Hated without cause  Ps 69:4  Jn 15:25
• - Cloths divided and gambled for  Ps 22:18  Jn 19:23-24
• - Gall and vinegar offered  Ps 69:21  Mt 27:34
• - His forsaken cry  Ps 22:1  Mt 27:46
• - Committed Himself to God  Ps 31:5  Lk 23:46
• - Bones not broken  Ps 34:20  Jn 19:32-36
• - Heart broken  Ps 69:20  Jn 19:34
• - His side pierced  Zech 12:10  Jn 19:34+37
• - Darkness over the land  Amos 8:9  Lk 23:44-45
• - Buried in rich man's tomb  Isa 53:9  Mt 27:57-60
• - Raised from the dead  Ps 16:8-11  Acts 2:24-31
• - Ascended to God  Ps 68:18  Eph 2:8-10
• - Seated at right hand of God  Ps 110:1  Heb 1:3,13    [return]

^b Definition:
Dispersion = The scattering of the Jewish people by their conquerors which resulted in resettlement in foreign lands.  [return]

^c see Jer. 16:14-15; 24:6; 31:35-36 and Isa. 43:5-7   [return]

^d The Time of the Gentiles is the time between the captivity to Babylon and the Return of Christ as illustrated by Daniel's vision of the Image in Daniel chapter two. The Image represents the continuous domination of Gentile world powers until the "Stone", who is Christ, returns and mashes image's ten toes (Dan. 2:34-35). Revelation 11:2 proves that the recapture of Jerusalem in 1967 by Israeli forces did not bring a close to the Time of the Gentiles, only Christ's mashing appearance at Armageddon can accomplish that feat.
[return]

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