Article by: Kenneth J. Ester
Parable of the Fig Tree
Matthew 24:34 (NASB)
34 Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
When many read this passage in Matthew 24, they naturally assume that “This generation” that Jesus refers to are His disciples. However, logic says that if you are talking to someone and you talk about their generation, you would use “Your” and not “this”. For instance if Jesus was speaking of the generation of the disciples, when he was speaking to them, he would have said…
Truly I say to you, your generation will not pass away….
Since Jesus does not say “your generation” but instead says “this generation”, it is clear he was not speaking of the generation of the disciples. So the question is, which generation was he speaking about?
Now others have tried to say that he is speaking of the generation who witnesses all these signs he had mentioned earlier. There are two problems with that. First is that the signs are somewhat vague so any generation could claim to witness many of those signs and would not know they are wrong until their generation passes and He has not returned yet. Second is that Jesus mentions “this generation”, not after giving all the signs of the end times, but after he gives a parable. So the key to understanding this is in the parable.
Matthew 24:32-35 (NASB)
32 “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: as soon as its branch has become tender and sprouts its leaves, you know that summer is near; 33 so you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
I find His introduction to this parable interesting. He doesn’t just say “Here is a parable” but He says “Now Learn the parable”. He is telling us that this is no simple comparison that anyone could read it and understand it. You need to actually look into it and learn about it to understand it. When you start digging into it, the first thing you find is that throughout scripture, the Fig Tree often represents Israel.
The next thing you should recognize is that this parable has a comparison in it.
Clearly the Summer is being compared to the time when Jesus returns. So what does Israel have to do with the return of Jesus?
The parable says when the fig tree (Israel) branch sprouts its leaves, you know the Summer (Return of Christ) is near. If you know much about the fig tree, you know that other trees will sprout leaves in early spring, but the fig tree lays barren. It actually will begin to sprout its fruit before it sprouts its leaves. It stays barren over the spring and sprouts its leaves as Summer is setting in. Now compare that to Israel.
In 70 AD, the Romans destroyed Israel and ran the survivors out of the nation. For 1,878 years the nation of Israel was no more. It laid barren like the fig tree. Then in 1948, the Jews were given some of their land back to them and they returned home. A decade later, they were attacked again by its surrounding nations and this time they did not lose the war. In only 6 days they had defeated their aggressors to the point they had tripled the size of their land and regained Jerusalem as their own once again. From that point on, Israel's population has grown.
When you look at what happened there, and you understand that the fig tree represents Israel, it is easy to draw a comparison as the leaves being the Jewish people. The parable was about the Fig Tree (Israel) lying barren and then sprouting its leaves (the Jewish people) just before the Summer (the Return of Christ). "This generation" is the generation who does both, witness the signs He gave, as well as witness the return of the Jews to Israel. That generation will not pass until all things are fulfilled.
Since 1948 when the Jews returned to Israel, there have been some who were foolish enough to try and date when the rapture would happen. Early on, they tried to claim scripture said a generation was 40 years and so they thought the Lord would return in 1988, which means the tribulation would start in 1981 so the rapture would be before that. When that did not happen, they tried to say a generation was 70 years or something like that. Lets look at simple logic here...
Nowhere is there anything that says how long a generation is. Ask yourself, how long is a hug? How long is a life? We know when both of these start. They dont start at a specific time, but they start with an event. The hug starts when two people embrace. The life starts with a birth. There is no telling how long they will last. A hug ends when the two people separate. The life ends when? When that person dies.
Jesus clearly says that this generation will not pass. When does any generation pass? When the last person dies. Jesus tells us when the generation starts in the parable. When the Jews return to Israel. This happened in 1948. This generation will pass when everyone who was born before that event has passed away. Not before.
In any generation these days, there are always a few who reach deep into their 90's and maybe even break 100 years old. So with all likeliness, this generation will not pass until 2038 or maybe even around 2048. Some people live to be near 120 years old on the rare occasion, so this generation may not pass until 2068.
The simple truth, is this is the only logical understanding of the length of a generation. I dont care who interpreted some scripture to mean a generation is 40 years or 70 years.
Now there are many who do not accept that the fig tree represents Israel at all. If not, then I ask you this. Why did Jesus even give the parable then? Jesus was not in the habit of just telling stories because He liked the sound of His own voice. His parables always had a reason. In this case He made it clear to learn this parable. Its no ordinary parable. There was a specific reason for it and it pertained to the end times. To His coming! So if the Fig Tree does not symbolize Israel, which fits it perfectly, then what was the purpose of this parable? What was the purpose of the fig tree?
This explanation of the Fig Tree Parable is the only one I have come across so far that not only fits perfectly, but is logical as well. Jesus knew Jerusalem would be destroyed. No stone left on top of another. He also knew that Israel would return to life again one day.
I believe this parable says the Second Coming would have to happen before 2048. I dont believe it will be near that long. Too many things today are lining up for the End Times to happen and the tribulation to start in the next few years. I will not tell people it will happen on a specific year, but I believe in my own heart that people need to be ready now because it is coming soon.
If you would like to learn more about the rapture and other events in the End Times, please read this... The End Times.
Return to Pre-Trib Rapture Articles
34 Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
When many read this passage in Matthew 24, they naturally assume that “This generation” that Jesus refers to are His disciples. However, logic says that if you are talking to someone and you talk about their generation, you would use “Your” and not “this”. For instance if Jesus was speaking of the generation of the disciples, when he was speaking to them, he would have said…
Truly I say to you, your generation will not pass away….
Since Jesus does not say “your generation” but instead says “this generation”, it is clear he was not speaking of the generation of the disciples. So the question is, which generation was he speaking about?
Now others have tried to say that he is speaking of the generation who witnesses all these signs he had mentioned earlier. There are two problems with that. First is that the signs are somewhat vague so any generation could claim to witness many of those signs and would not know they are wrong until their generation passes and He has not returned yet. Second is that Jesus mentions “this generation”, not after giving all the signs of the end times, but after he gives a parable. So the key to understanding this is in the parable.
Matthew 24:32-35 (NASB)
32 “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: as soon as its branch has become tender and sprouts its leaves, you know that summer is near; 33 so you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
I find His introduction to this parable interesting. He doesn’t just say “Here is a parable” but He says “Now Learn the parable”. He is telling us that this is no simple comparison that anyone could read it and understand it. You need to actually look into it and learn about it to understand it. When you start digging into it, the first thing you find is that throughout scripture, the Fig Tree often represents Israel.
The next thing you should recognize is that this parable has a comparison in it.
- When the branches of the fig tree sprout its leaves, you know Summer is near.
- When you see all these things, know He is at the door.
Clearly the Summer is being compared to the time when Jesus returns. So what does Israel have to do with the return of Jesus?
The parable says when the fig tree (Israel) branch sprouts its leaves, you know the Summer (Return of Christ) is near. If you know much about the fig tree, you know that other trees will sprout leaves in early spring, but the fig tree lays barren. It actually will begin to sprout its fruit before it sprouts its leaves. It stays barren over the spring and sprouts its leaves as Summer is setting in. Now compare that to Israel.
In 70 AD, the Romans destroyed Israel and ran the survivors out of the nation. For 1,878 years the nation of Israel was no more. It laid barren like the fig tree. Then in 1948, the Jews were given some of their land back to them and they returned home. A decade later, they were attacked again by its surrounding nations and this time they did not lose the war. In only 6 days they had defeated their aggressors to the point they had tripled the size of their land and regained Jerusalem as their own once again. From that point on, Israel's population has grown.
When you look at what happened there, and you understand that the fig tree represents Israel, it is easy to draw a comparison as the leaves being the Jewish people. The parable was about the Fig Tree (Israel) lying barren and then sprouting its leaves (the Jewish people) just before the Summer (the Return of Christ). "This generation" is the generation who does both, witness the signs He gave, as well as witness the return of the Jews to Israel. That generation will not pass until all things are fulfilled.
Since 1948 when the Jews returned to Israel, there have been some who were foolish enough to try and date when the rapture would happen. Early on, they tried to claim scripture said a generation was 40 years and so they thought the Lord would return in 1988, which means the tribulation would start in 1981 so the rapture would be before that. When that did not happen, they tried to say a generation was 70 years or something like that. Lets look at simple logic here...
Nowhere is there anything that says how long a generation is. Ask yourself, how long is a hug? How long is a life? We know when both of these start. They dont start at a specific time, but they start with an event. The hug starts when two people embrace. The life starts with a birth. There is no telling how long they will last. A hug ends when the two people separate. The life ends when? When that person dies.
Jesus clearly says that this generation will not pass. When does any generation pass? When the last person dies. Jesus tells us when the generation starts in the parable. When the Jews return to Israel. This happened in 1948. This generation will pass when everyone who was born before that event has passed away. Not before.
In any generation these days, there are always a few who reach deep into their 90's and maybe even break 100 years old. So with all likeliness, this generation will not pass until 2038 or maybe even around 2048. Some people live to be near 120 years old on the rare occasion, so this generation may not pass until 2068.
The simple truth, is this is the only logical understanding of the length of a generation. I dont care who interpreted some scripture to mean a generation is 40 years or 70 years.
Now there are many who do not accept that the fig tree represents Israel at all. If not, then I ask you this. Why did Jesus even give the parable then? Jesus was not in the habit of just telling stories because He liked the sound of His own voice. His parables always had a reason. In this case He made it clear to learn this parable. Its no ordinary parable. There was a specific reason for it and it pertained to the end times. To His coming! So if the Fig Tree does not symbolize Israel, which fits it perfectly, then what was the purpose of this parable? What was the purpose of the fig tree?
This explanation of the Fig Tree Parable is the only one I have come across so far that not only fits perfectly, but is logical as well. Jesus knew Jerusalem would be destroyed. No stone left on top of another. He also knew that Israel would return to life again one day.
I believe this parable says the Second Coming would have to happen before 2048. I dont believe it will be near that long. Too many things today are lining up for the End Times to happen and the tribulation to start in the next few years. I will not tell people it will happen on a specific year, but I believe in my own heart that people need to be ready now because it is coming soon.
If you would like to learn more about the rapture and other events in the End Times, please read this... The End Times.
Return to Pre-Trib Rapture Articles