Thought Provoking

In Matthew 24:32-34, Jesus tells us the parable of the fig tree. He says, “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.”

In part 2 of our study, we learned that the fig tree represents national Israel and that the end time clock started ticking when Israel became a nation on May 14, 1948. Today, we’re going to focus on the last sentence of this portion of Scripture, “Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.”

The word verily means truly. Whenever you see Christ use the word “verily” in the Bible, you can substitute the word “truly.” Since Christ is God and God cannot lie, we can be absolutely certain that when Jesus says verily, He means it. So this time He is saying (and I paraphrase here), “Truly, before this generation passes all these things I’ve told you about the end times will be fulfilled.”

The key to understanding this verse is to understand what Christ means when he says “This generation.” What is a generation? Many teachers proclaim that a Biblical generation is 40 years long because there are a number of places in Scripture where the word generation is tied to a period of 40 years. And while the word generation is often tied to a period of 40 years, I believe it’s a leap of faith to assume the word generation means 40 years. For example, look at this passage from Numbers 32:13, often used as an illustration of a 40 year generation:

“And the LORD’S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed.”

When I read this verse, I understand it to say that the Israelites will wander in the wilderness until all the people who were responsible for kindling the Lord’s anger are dead. To me, it doesn’t say a generation is 40 years long, but what if I’m wrong and a Biblical generation is 40 years long. Let’s apply this measure to Matthew 24:34. We know the end time clock started ticking in 1948. Forty years added to 1948 is 1988. If a Biblical generation is 40 years, then the Rapture occurred in 1988 and the world ended shortly thereafter. Since we’re all still here, 40 years is obviously a wrong number. It doesn’t work in this Scripture passage. So how long is a generation? Let’s keep digging for the truth.

According to the definitions found in the Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon, the word “generation” in Matthew 24:34 is translated from the Greek word γενεά (pronounced genea). It is the word from which we derive the term “genealogy” in the English language. Strong’s provides four definitions for this word:

1. fathered, birth, nativity
2. that which has been begotten, men of the same stock, a family
   1. the several ranks of natural descent, the successive members of a genealogy
   2. a race of men very like each other in endowments, pursuits, character.
      1. esp. in a bad sense, a perverse race.
3. the whole multitude of men living at the same time
4. an age (i.e. the time ordinarily occupied be each successive generation), a space of 30–33 years.

We already know the fourth definition is not the right one to apply to Matthew 24:34, but what about the others. The first definition doesn’t give us any reasonable way to apply the term generation to a specific timeframe.  It doesn’t fit in the context of Matthew 24:34. That leaves us the 2nd and 3rd definitions to contend with.

In Matthew chapter 1, we are given a record of Christ’s genealogy from Abraham to Joseph. This isn’t the Joseph of Genesis, but the Joseph that is the stepfather of Jesus and husband of Mary, the mother of Christ.  Here Matthew spells out 3 sets of 14 generational tiers. The first set of 14 generations ends with David. The second set of 14 generations spans the time to the Babylonian deportation. The 3rd set of 14 generations spans the time from the Babylonian captivity to Christ.

The word generation in Matthew 1 is the same word used in Matthew 24:3, genea. In this context the generations are measured by the lifespans of the men mentioned in each generation. Could it be that Christ might be applying the same duration to Matthew 24:34—the lifespan of man? If he is, how long are we talking about?

Psalm 90:10 says, “The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.”

This verses teaches that the human lifespan is meant to be 70 to 80 years long. This is consistent with today’s actuarial tables. If you go to buy life insurance, the rates are calculated using an actuarial factor of 78 years for a normal healthy adult male. This is consistent with what the Bible teaches. Now I know that people can die at any age, but as an average we should think 70 to 80 years.

Now that we have a better understanding of what Scripture teaches concerning generations and lifespans, let’s play what if. What if Jesus means 70 or 80 years in Matthew 24:34? What if the definition of generation in Matthew 24:34 is Strong’s third meaning, “the whole multitude of men [people] living at the same time,” in this case the time when Israel became a nation. What does that give us in terms of understanding this prophecy?

What it means is that before all the people pass away who were alive on May 14, 1948, any where in the world, the end times will be fulfilled and we shall see the return of Christ. When is that going to be? We don’t know. But in terms of times and seasons, it could mean anytime between now and 2018 or 2028. Does this fall within the realm of possibility? I believe it does. But I also believe that it also falls within the realm of possibility that Christ could return today or tomorrow. Today or tomorrow is still before “this generation passes.” I think that what’s holding our Lord back is the fact that entire world has not yet been evangelized. (Remember Matthew 24:14? “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”

The clock is ticking and we need to be ready. Time is short and getting shorter every day. Are you ready to share the Gospel with others?

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.—Proverbs 11:30, (AV)

In 1 Thessalonians 5:1–3 the Apostle Paul says, “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.”

As pertinent as Paul’s message is, it’s just as significant to note what he doesn’t say in this passage. He doesn’t say that he doesn’t know the times and seasons for the return of Christ. He states that he’s not going to tell the Thessalonians because they don’t have the need to know. This is a far cry different than not knowing. But what it is it that Paul knows that he’s not talking about.

I believe the Bible is full of clues about the end times. Bear with me now. I’m not saying I know when the end will come. I don’t. What I am saying is that I believe the Bible teaches that we are very close to the end times. To illustrate what I mean, Paul likens the destruction of the end times “as travail upon a woman with child.” Women know when they are pregnant. They look forward to the birth of their child, yet despite our greatest medical advances, the due date is never precise when dealing with a natural birth. It’s not until the water breaks that the new mom rushes off to the hospital to have their child.

In Matthew 24:32-34, Jesus tells us the parable of the fig tree. He says, “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.”

A parable is a type of analogy.  They are stories that use commonplace illustrations to express spiritual concepts. According to Matthew 13:34-35, Christ used parables in abundance in fulfillment of the prophecy found in Psalm, 98:2.

All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. —Matthew 13:34–35, (AV)

So what does the parable of the fig tree really mean? Figs were used in the Old testament to represent Israelites. To understand this, let’s look at Jeremiah 24:1-2:

“The LORD shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the LORD, after that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon. One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad.”

In this portion of Scripture, Jeremiah is having a vision of two baskets of figs. One basket is full of very nice ripe figs, the other very bad figs, rotten to the core. The meaning of the good basket of figs is found in Jeremiah 24:5, “Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.”

The meaning of the bad figs is found in Jeremiah 24:8, “And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil; surely thus saith the LORD, So will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt:”

In both of these verses the Lord is using figs to illustrate different types of people found within the children of Israel. Do you agree? I hope so, because in Hosea 9:10 we see clearly the Bible calls the children of Israel the “firstripe in the fig tree.”

“I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved. ”—Hosea 9:10, (AV)

So now we have two places in Scripture where the children of Israel are referred to as figs. But what about the fig tree? I believe the fig tree is national Israel, the home of the figs. Historically, Israel as a national presence faded from existence after the Emperor Titus destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD. The area once occupied by the nation of Israel became known as Palestine. On May 14, 1948, Israel once again became an independent nation and recognized as such by the world’s political powers. I believe that when Jesus says, “When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh” means that the end time clock started ticking when Israel became a nation in 1948.

Of course, we have the benefit of hindsight to understand this significant event in the prophetic clock. But interestingly enough, I found documented evidence where Bible believing pastors of days gone by believed that this portion of Scripture meant that Israel would one day again become a nation. I found this documented in The Pulpit Commentary. This is reference material I sometimes use when studying the Bible. As far as I can tell, it was first produce in the 1890’s. Back then the pastors asked the question, “Could this mean that Israel will day become a nation again?” Of course, the answer is yes. It happened in 1948. Tick-tock, tick-tock.

We’ll continue our exegesis of this portion of Scripture in Realm of Possibility—Part 3.

Harold Camping, President of the Family Radio broadcasting system, has been exposed as a false prophet and heretic. When I was growing up in the Northeast, Family Radio was by and large the only Christian radio station I could receive. In my listening area, it broadcasts as WFME on 94.7 on the FM dial. When I first started listening to the station, I enjoyed listening to Harold Camping’s Open Forum program. That is, until I started hearing things that don’t align with Scripture. For example, he teaches there is no literal hell. Upon death, an unbeliever enters the grave and no longer has any consciousness. Or when speaking of his salvation, Camping said he’s always been saved since birth because he stands as one of God’s elect. It’s statements like these that demonstrate he’s probably not saved at all. He doesn’t understand God’s salvation plan. And there’s so much more that he’s taught in the name of God that God never wrote in the Bible.

Camping was wrong when he predicted the end of the world would happen in 1994. He is wrong again with his latest prediction of the Rapture occurring on May 21, 2011. Since that date has come and gone, he has since revised his prediction that the world is due to end on October 21st of 2011. He’ll be wrong again of course. Matthew 24:36 says, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”

Even our Lord Jesus Christ Himself didn’t know the time of the end while He was living His life here on earth as a man. It’s just not for humans to know. No matter how smart we think we are or what kind of math we use to determine the date of the Rapture or end of the world, we’ll never be right. God is the only one who knows and He’s not telling. So as far as Harold Camping being a false prophet is concerned, beware of him, pray for him and know that he’s under God’s condemnation although he doesn’t even realize it.

But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.—Deuteronomy 18:20, (AV)

Yet, even though Camping has been exposed as a false prophet and teacher, the Rapture is a real future event. The word “Rapture” does not appear in Scripture. It is the term given to an event described in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

The term “Rapture” is an English noun derived from the Latin verb rapiō, with a literal meaning of “I catch up” or “I snatch.” As far as I’ve been able to discover, the term was first used by Philip Doddridge in a sermon preached at Welford in Northamptonshire, March 9, 1737 titled Practical reflections on the character and translation of Enoch. Enoch, as you may be aware, is the first person in the Bible to be translated (raptured) and not experience a physical death. Enoch was 365 years old when he was raptured. (see Genesis 5:23-24, Hebrews 11:5)

Paul continues this thought in 1 Thessalonians 5 tying it to a discussion of Christ’s second coming. But again, Paul warns, “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.”—1 Thessalonians 5:1–3, (AV)

Christ talks about the end times in Matthew 24. He speaks about the false prophets who will rise up and say here is Christ or there is Christ just as Camping did when he predicted the Rapture on May 21st. The Rapture is a “here is Christ” event. And as we get closer to His return, (and I do believe we are closer than ever before), we need to be very careful about who we listen to for spiritual guidance. We need to study the Bible for ourselves and not take everything a so called “Bible scholar” says as Gospel. God meant His Word to be in the hands of the common man. The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth if we call upon Him.

Most Christian leaders will say there’s nothing left in the prophetic calendar that needs to be fulfilled before Christ returns, but I disagree and I could very well be wrong. I believe there’s one event Christ talks about in Matthew 24 that has not been accomplished yet. Our Lord speaks of it in Matthew 24:14, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”

The Gospel has been preached for ages, yet there are still unreached people groups in the world. And according to Matthew 24:14, when these people are reached, the end will come. I believe there’s a real urgency for men and women all over the world to stand up and be counted for God. People who teach the Gospel truth. People with soul winners’ hearts. Not false prophets and teachers like Mr. Camping, but real men and women of God who share Jeremiah’s fervor when he said, “…But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay. ”—Jeremiah 20:9(b), (AV)

So when will Christ return? I don’t know. But, we will explore this topic in greater depth as we continue with Part 2 of the Realm of Possibility.