The Fig Tree Generation
As an odd approach to the hotly debated subject of what the Fig Tree Parable means (sometimes called the Fig Tree Prophecy or Generation) I thought rather than simply camping out in the Olivet Discourse, it would be instructive to pull back and broaden our focus to include the Old Testament. Crazy, right? Well, not so much. The Old Testament demonstrably informs the New Testament as well as the reverse. This should not even be a subject for debate considering The Author of the one is the same Author of the other. But I digress.
In Matthew 24:34 Jesus said that "This generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled," speaking about all those things he had been saying. The word "generation" is from the Koine Greek, 'genea' and it means a generation; by implication an age (the period or the persons: - age, generation, nation, time.)
Now some will pick and choose and say it means a specific nation and people. I do not even have a problem with 'genea' or "generation" as a translation meaning a particular people, but if you are going to translate it that way, you had better not ignore the context as that of Jesus answering the disciple's questions concerning, "When!" So to say that only a race is what it means exposes an agenda and is a tad bit dishonest as, we just saw, it can as well refer to an age or time, and either way is isolating the word in an entire context of meaning. Say it means a race if you will, but do not leave out the "time" references as Jesus answers their question of "when" will these things take place.
Now what do we do with that? As is often said, we must rely upon the context. Well what can we tell about the context? No specific nation or people are named. Despite the fact folks will say Matthew is all about Israel so this is about Israel will not pass before everything is fulfilled, I say two things: One, is, "ya think!" I mean, of course Israel will still be here as God promised, but, Two, If Matthew is all and only about Israel then explain to me why it is the only gospel that mentions "church?"
Context, in particular immediate context, verse 32 mentions how you know a particular time of the year has arrived; summer! Then in verse 33 Jesus says, "so likewise" indicating he is talking about a segment of time. He is not talking about a people or nation because he says "when you see all these things, know that it is near, at the doors." Are a people an "it" or are they a "they?" The very verse in question uses the word "till" or "until" indicating time, "till all these things be fulfilled." Easy, right? Unless one has an agenda to paint a different picture.
In dabbling with the chart above (which is admittedly incomplete and could use some tweaking) I first considered the debate over the 1948 date. May of 1948 is when, after much politicking and cajoling on the part of several influential Jews, the United Nations were persuaded to recognize Israel as the rightful home to Jews anxious to return to their ancestral home once more as in the days of old. The United Nations, many members grudgingly, voted and agreed to a certain plot of land in the then lifeless desert. None had the temerity to deny the holocaust survivors their desire considering what Hitler had just put them through.
One fellow recently challenged me online (you know... where all the real scholars reside) that since it was the United Nations who did this and not God, that 1948 is a "bust" as far as the prophetic Regathering of Israel into The Land is concerned. Being confident of Sovereign God's ability to move men, I pointed out that in Ezekiel 38 we see the Gog and Magog invasion at a future time in Israel. On the surface, it would seem to be so, for we read:
10 ‘Thus says the Lord God: “On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an evil plan: 11 You will say, ‘I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will go to a peaceful people, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates’— 12 to take plunder and to take booty, to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited, and against a people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of the land.
And yet, does Gog come up with this on His own? Or does Sovereign God move upon Gog for His own purposes? Let's back up in the chapter to verse 4 where God proclaims:
4 I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords.
And again in verse 16 the Lord declares:
16 You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me, when I am hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes.”
You get the idea. Well, so anyway, concerning Israel there is pretty much zero prophetically of import to name from the first century until "in the latter days" as God declares in Ezekiel. We see in the chart above passages that reveal mostly four distinct stages:
1. Diaspora
2. Regathering
3. Judgment
4. Completion
Note please the arrows that describe how the passages refer to several events. In the above listed passages of scripture we see that God assures Israel they will be judged, disciplined and scattered among the nations. We note historically this began in 70 A.D. and really settled demonstrably in 135 A.D. when much of Jerusalem was plowed under by Rome and the land was officially renamed Palestine by emperor as a strong message. Then nothing.
What else the passages above reveal is a particular timing when there is to be a Regathering, Judgement of the nations and a Completion; a fulfillment of all God's promises for Israel. In addition to the wording in Ezekiel of "in the latter days" we see of that particular era, "in those days," "in that day, "a time," "days are coming," etc. Please read. This is merely a briefing. The texts are of paramount importance.
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