I love studying Bible prophecy!  Fulfilled prophecy is a plumb line in which we can confirm the veracity of Scripture. Prophecy is the lens through which we can interpret present day events.  Prophecy is the hope we have that God is in control of the future.  Past, present, and future, prophecy validates God’s Word.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the greatest prophet who ever lived, and it was He who answered His disciple’s questions about the last days.  As He exited the temple one day, several of His disciples accompanied Him to the Mount of Olives where they asked three questions that have been repeated throughout history.  Those questions are recorded in Matthew 24:3:

As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying,
“Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming,
and of the end of the age?”

Those are truly loaded questions worthy of an entire study.  Perhaps we’ll do that another day.  But for now, will you take 3 minutes to read the entire chapter of Matthew 24 before finishing this post?

Welcome back!  You just read Jesus’s answers to the disciples’ questions.  Don’t you feel informed now!?!

I want to focus on one section of Matthew 24: verses 32-41, Jesus’s parable of the fig tree.  This section is also worthy of an entire teaching, but let’s just pull a couple of nuggets from the gold mine.  Notice in verse 32, Jesus says to learn from the fig tree.  Why the fig tree?  Why not a vine, or an olive tree?  In Scripture, Israel is compared to each of those type trees, so why a fig tree in this context?

Psalm 80:8-11 describes God bringing a vine (the Israelites) from Egypt, and planting them in the land of Canaan.  Indeed, they took root and grew deep.  John 15:5 relates that spiritual privilege to us, as Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”   Israel is a vine, which symbolizes spiritual privilege…yet Jesus did not say “Learn from the vine” in Matthew 24.

The Lord referred to Israel as “a green olive tree” in Jeremiah 11:16-17.  Then, in Romans 11:17-27, the apostle Paul referred to that olive tree when he revealed the “grafting in” process of Gentiles (wild olive tree) to the Jewish line.  Israel is an olive tree, which symbolizes religious privilege…yet Jesus did not say “Learn from the olive tree” in Matthew 24.

In Matthew 24, Jesus used a fig tree to symbolize Israel.  Jesus cursed the fig tree in Matthew 21:18-20 (and Mark 11:12-14) because blossoms of fruit appeared before leaves and it was not yet time for figs.  For three years, Jesus ministered in Israel, seeking fruit from the Jewish nation, but found none.  Thus, though the tree was not destroyed, it was cut down.  Figuratively, Israel was “cut down” at times in history, but not destroyed.  On May 14, 1948, Israel was re-born as a nation (as prophesied in Ezekiel 36-37).  Israel is a fig tree, symbolizing national privileges.

So, in Matthew 24:32-33, Jesus said:

“Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.”

In essence, Jesus said, “All the things I just told you (verses 4-31) are signs of the last days.  But when the branches of the fig tree…the nation of Israel….puts forth its leaves, I will be right at the door!”  Friends, Israel was not a nation prior to May 14, 1948, but on that day she put forth her leaves!   Israel has claimed its national privilege, and, according to Jesus, THAT is a key sign of the end of the age!

The greatest prophet who has ever lived…who also happens to be God…told His disciples (and us) very clearly what the most crucial sign of the last days is, and that prophecy was fulfilled in 1948.

We are truly living in the end of days.  The Bible clearly states that no one knows the day or the hour of His return (Matthew 24:36), and we are not to set dates.  But the Bible also clearly states that we are to know the times and the season.  I don’t know how long the season lasts, but we’re in it!

On a side note: Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year celebration, begins Wednesday (9/24/14) at sunset.  L’shanah tova!