Matthew 24:32-51 The Parable of the Fig Tree (Mark 13:28-31; Luke 21:29-33)

Transcription

1 Matthew 24:32-51 The Parable of the Fig Tree (Mark 13:28-31; Luke 21:29-33) P a g e 1 Good Morning Church, it is good to be here with you. We are going to continue our Study of the Gospel according to Matthew today. For the last few weeks, we have been studying in depth, a teaching Jesus gave on the Mount of Olives. This sermon is known as the Olivet Discourse. Jesus has been answering 3 very specific questions found in verse 3 of chapter 24. Jesus has just given the disciples a timeline of events that will happen to the Jews, regarding the End of the Age, and Jesus Second Coming. And last time you and I were together, we studied verses describing the pinnacle of all human history, Jesus Second Coming.

2 P a g e 2 One day all of creation in heaven and on earth will come under the rule and reign of the Messiah, or the Christ. It will be a spectacle that will either bring dread and fear into the unrepentant sinner, or joy and acclamation for those who have patiently endured until the end of the age. Now, I will remind you often of the fact that this sermon, the Olivet Discourse is for the future Jewish reader, who will be living through the Tribulation period. Now right after Jesus gives the picture of what His Second coming will look like, He goes right into the signs of the times before this day. He will use a parable first, with the Fig Tree once again representing the Nation of Israel. Let us read this first part together verse 32 of Matthew 24.

3 P a g e 3 24:32 "Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near at the doors! 34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. Now the first thing we must do here is identify what or who this fig tree is representing to understand fully what Jesus is saying here as a sign of His Second Coming being near. Now in the Old Testament the Fig Tree is often used to represent the Nation of Israel In passages like Hos 9:10 "I found Israel Like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers As the firstfruits on the fig tree in its first season. And Joel 1:7 in regards to Israel, God says. He has laid waste My vine, And ruined My fig tree; He has

4 stripped it bare and thrown it away; Its branches are made white. P a g e 4 And in other places the Jews are likened to a vine or a Fig Tree. And Jesus speaking about the Jews in this discourse, says to learn this parable from the fig tree. He says when the tree s branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves that the reader knows the summer is near. Now He is telling this parable in reference to the Jews as being a sign of the Second Coming. When we see New Growth in this Nation we know this event Jesus is talking about is near. Remember in Matthew 21 verses Jesus cursed the Fig Tree representing Israel because of their rejection of Him at His First Coming. They failed to bring forth fruit and were cursed and withered and died.

5 Now, presently God has chosen the Church to bring forth fruit that He desires. P a g e 5 But as we read this sign that Jesus lays out for us here in Matthew 24, we see their will be a time when this Nation will start to bud again, and they will have growth miraculously. Well in 1948 this Nation after almost 1900 years of being dispersed and spread all over the world, they against all odds became a nation again. Now approximately 2500 years before this nation was reborn the prophet Ezekiel had an interesting vision. Let s look at Ezekiel 37 together Ezek. 37:1-14 The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. 2 Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. 3 And He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" So I answered, "O Lord God, You know."

6 P a g e 6 4 Again He said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, 'O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: "Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. 6 I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord."'" 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them. 9 Also He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, 'Thus says the Lord God: "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live."'" 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.

7 P a g e 7 11 Then He said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, 'Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!' 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God: "Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 13 Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. 14 I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it," says the Lord.'" And understand this, our eyes are seeing in our day the power of the Word of God. Right now the bones are being put together, the sinews and the skin are starting to cover the bones. And in the Great Tribulation the Spirit of God will open their eyes to who the Messiah is in the Jews own land.

8 But now we are seeing Ezekiel s prophecy starting to take shape, in our day P a g e 8 You see no other ethnic group has been able to maintain its national identity without a national homeland for more than five generations. Chuck Smith Yet the Jews for hundreds of years were able to keep their own identity among other nations, among many other nations. Usually, it only takes one generation to grow up in the culture of a different people group before assimilation takes place. How many Hivites have you met today? How many Amorites or Edomites? They all over the years assimilated into cultures that ruled over them. Jess and I noticed this when we were working with the Armenian Church for a short period of time. The first generation immigrants to the United States held to all their traditions and heritage.

9 But their children that were born here in the United States, going to Western Schools, watching Western entertainment, socializing in our malls and other popular spots. P a g e 9 They quickly took on the western cultures look, styles, and other defining attributes. And it was a seemingly impossible fight for the older generation to keep the next generation s ideas and beliefs traditional. This is why they stopped Jess and I from coming to teach the bible to them, they wanted instead for the younger generation to learn Armenian History and traditions. Last we heard the younger group has all but left coming around the Armenian Orthodox Church. So assimilation usually happens very quickly. Yet the Jews, somehow, miraculously they could never be assimilated into the nations for which they lived. Perhaps this is one of the sources of the animosity that is held toward them all across the world.

10 Yet, because they were able to, through much adversity, to hold onto their identity. The Prophecy of Ezekiel 37 is coming true. P a g e 10 And Jesus says when you see the Fig Tree beginning to Blossom you know that His coming is near. He explains when these things began to take place the reader will know it is near, at the doors! Then He says something in verse 34 that has confused many people. He declares that this generation will by no means pass away till these things take place. Now, this could mean one of two things, the generation that sees these signs will be that generation that witnesses His coming. Or I think a better explanation is this. The word generation, the Greek word genea usually refers to a national kind of an ethnic group and so what Jesus is prophesying is that the Jews would not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Chuck Smith

11 They would be preserved. P a g e 11 The generation listening to Jesus never saw the Second Coming, so if it was the generation of Jews Jesus was addressing, we would have to dismiss Jesus at all of His words. But Jesus is saying the Jews as a nation, they will not pass until they see the signs mentioned before Those signs being Great catastrophes and persecutions. There will arise a pivotal sign: the abomination of desolation. When the abomination of desolation appears, there are warnings to Israel to flee after the abomination. On the heels of the abomination of desolation comes great tribulation, and cosmic disturbances. In culmination, Jesus Christ will return in glory to the earth. Guzik

12 P a g e 12 And the Nation of Israel itself will be the key to this prophetic timeline, as Jesus explains in the parable of the Fig Tree here. Like I have said before, that prior to 1948 commentators had trouble putting all this together. They had to spiritualize the Nation of Israel, or they made even bigger leaps of faith declaring the Church has replaced Israel. But you all know, and cannot be deceived, you can understand when God addresses the Jews in scripture that God truly has set them for this prophetic timepiece. We no longer have to allegorize these events. The Jews in our day are back in the Land, and that is a huge sign, and an indicator that things are beginning to move in the direction of Christs return. Now remember, the church is still waiting to be raptured, and when we see things taking place and the stage being set for the Great and Dreadful Day of the

13 Lord, and then we know the Rapture is coming even sooner. P a g e 13 Jesus declares in verse 35 Heaven and Earth will pass away, but His Words will hold true. And even as we have discussed, against all probability Jesus Words are coming true in the budding Nation of Israel. And because we see that impossibility happening, we can trust without a doubt that all of these events Jesus discussed on the Mount of Olives they will come true. Now Jesus has just warned of what to look for, what will be the signs of this time period very broadly. Now these are just things to help the reader understand that the event is getting closer and closer, yet Jesus gives a warning next. No One Knows the Day or Hour (Mark 13:32-37; Luke 17:26,27,34,35; 21:34-36) 36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as

14 P a g e 14 the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Now after telling the reader when you see all these things, know that it is near. He says but of that specific day or hour no one will know. Angels cannot reveal when, only the Father who is in heaven knows when specifically the Day and hour will be. So every time you hear a prediction, that some man has unlocked the code or mystery to the return of Christ, you can go to that day, and confidently write, Jesus will not come this day. From the earliest days of the church all the way to modern history there has been countless predictions of Christ s Second Coming.

15 P a g e 15 Hundreds of these predictions have been made, from some even well-known and respected Christian leaders, and they have been confident about predicting this event. But you now know, if you ever have anyone try to give you a specific date to be ready, you can confidently know that will not be the date. Do not be deceived and sucked into the hype, no one is above the Word of God, this is our Authority in these matters. Jesus Words will go on into eternity. So Jesus says no man or no angel will be able to predict His Second Coming. Jesus illustrates this by using the Judgment God brought to this earth in Genesis 6, the flood of Noah s day. Jesus says it will be like the days before the flood, the people were immersed in the here and now. The material world is where their heart lay.

16 P a g e 16 They ate and drank thanklessly, they married and lived their lives as though there was no God to be accountable too. They lived selfishly and perverted. They lived for the momentary pleasures of this life. Let s read the description from Genesis 6 that Jesus is saying the last days will look like. Gen 6:1-2 6:1 Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, 2 that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. In verse 1 we see men began to multiply on the face of the earth, so we see a time when the population will increase. I asked you before to look at world population charts, and today men are multiplying on the earth like never before.

17 As sexual perversions increase in our day, as the sanctity of marriage is deluded and mocked the population is jumping rapidly. P a g e 17 In 2014 Pew Research Center reported that fewer than half of the Children in the United States live in a traditional family with a mother and father. As the morality of our Judeo-Christian culture crumbles, and sexual perversion increases, the population is exploding at incredible rates. We see in Genesis 6 abnormal sexual relationships between fallen angel and the daughters of men. Really when Jesus says they were marrying, and given in marriage, in Genesis 6, there is a very specific marriage mentioned. Between woman and something very unnatural. Their offspring created these mutated forms of God s creation. Gen 6:4 There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them.

18 P a g e 18 Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. We see in the Days of Noah that s God s Creation was manipulated, the genetics of His creation were thwarted and twisted into these mutant creations. Other sources outside our cannon of scripture speak of even the plants being genetically modified and animals were scientifically changed into these abnormal beings. I can confidently say that today we are living in similar times, the farming industry is fueled by the genetic manipulation of their crops and animals. DNA manipulation is another controversial science that is once again normalized in our world. Transhumanism, or evolving the human race beyond our current and mental limitations especially through science and technology is gaining popularity and even becoming a society norm. The Transhumanist Party is even putting presidential candidates into the elections.

19 P a g e 19 In 2016 Zoltan Istvan, the Transhumanist Party founder ran for president, and of course he did not win. But he has gained notoriety and is going to run for Governor in the fine state of California in So we are seeing a rise in once again tampering with God s genetic codes, and a normalizing of things that God abhors. I want to encourage you to look up our study on Genesis 6 on our Website, and refresh your mind on what the days will look like as we come closer to Jesus return. The days preceding the flood men lived carelessly and self-indulgently. Ironside Corruption and violence filled the earth. God s message being preached in Noah s day was spurned as some fairy tale, education and knowledge put man in arrogant opposition to God their Creator. Now while they carried on in their advancements and achievements, they married and partied, they lived as though this life was all there was.

20 And suddenly the flood came upon them and destroyed all the works of their hearts. P a g e 20 They were so preoccupied with this world no one heeded the warnings of the coming judgment, no one understood it would be there last day or even hour. So too with the advancement of this age, as the heart of our civilization beats for self-preservation, the betterment of our human condition, more comfort, more ease, more wealth, more, more, more! That Great and Dreadful day of the Lord will come suddenly upon a preoccupied mankind. In that day, the same as those absent-minded people in the flood were swept away, so will the rebellious people of the Great Tribulation be swept away in Judgment as Jesus illustrates next 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of

21 P a g e 21 the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Now these verses often are mistaken for describing the Rapture of the Church. But remember Jesus is not talking to the church here He is speaking to the Tribulation believing Jews, and they will not know the moment Jesus will come, but they will know the signs of His soon return. And when they see these signs they can have this confidence that any moment Jesus will come, and at His arrival a terrible judgment will ensue. And those who are found like those rebellious antediluvian or pre-flood men and woman, those who were found in rebellion and entrenched only in the cares of this life, they will be snatched away in a terrifying moment of judgment.

22 P a g e 22 Two men working shoulder to shoulder in a field, one will be a servant working with a heart expecting and anticipating Jesus return, and that man will be left to enjoy the Millennial Kingdom and partake in the glorious rebuilt earth. One will be taken and cast into the lake of fire. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be consumed with the worries of this world, lost in her pursuits of pleasure and gain. The other will be waiting patiently for her coming Messiah. The woman found with her heart prepared in faith will be left to enjoy the glorious Kingdom, and then her faith will be rewarded. The other woman will be swept away just as those in the days of Noah were swept away in judgment. Jesus illustrates further with a master of a household, if that man knew when the thief was coming he would be watching earnestly and anxiously for his arrival.

23 P a g e 23 Then Jesus tells the reader You also be ready, for when you least expect it, the Son of Man will come. So there will be two types of responses when Jesus comes in great power and glory. One will be that of shock and horror, and the other will be of joyful praise and relief. The word for Watch in verse 42 means to remain awake, vigilant. The Word watch has a different meaning here for the Tribulation believer then the watching that the church is doing for the Rapture. Today we have comforting hope as we wait to be taken up in the air to be with our Lord. The watching in the future day will be a watching with fear and anxiety. If you look in the Greek there are somewhere around 9-12 different words for watch, describing different aspects of this word.

24 Once again, we find the English language leaves us without the true depth of the word here in the scripture. P a g e 24 Let me illustrate this by a man, who goes deer hunting. Every year this man goes into the woods to about the same spot. He puts up camp, and early in the morning he goes over to his special spot on the hill and sits down by the trunk of an old tree and waits. After a while he hears a noise in the brush and thinks it might be a deer. He lifts his rifle and waits. He is watching for a deer. Now this same man when he gets home, his friend has set him up for a blind date. The instructions he has as he sits in the restaurant waiting, is to watch for a beautiful woman in a red dress. Now that man is waiting and watching in anticipation for the arrival of his blind date. Now down the road those two marry, and have child, the child is a couple years old, and is at the hospital and the man and his wife are sitting by the bedside of a little child.

25 The child has a burning fever, and the doctor has told them that the crisis will peak about midnight, and the child might not make it. They are watching the child and clock closely. P a g e 25 Now that is a different type of watching than watching for a deer or waiting for a blind date. This is watching with anxiety. And I think it will be somewhat with the same feeling that they will watch for our Lord s second coming.1 You see today we ready our hearts in hope of the Rapture, there will be a different kind of anticipation on the heart of the Jews in the Great Tribulation Remember last time, the prophet Zechariah in Zechariah 12 said the Jews will look upon Him whom they pierced, and they will mourn and grieve. The church is not waiting for a righteous judgment; we are watching in hope, and waiting to go be with the Lord. When Jesus arrives back to this earth after the rapture it will be in awesome power and might. 1 McGee, J. V. (1997). Thru the Bible commentary (electronic ed., Vol. 4, p. 132). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

26 Nothing like this world has ever seen before. P a g e 26 And next Jesus illustrates further what He expects to find when He returns. And the difference between those who were expecting Him and those who were consumed with the cares of this world. The Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant (Luke 12:41-48) 45 "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, 51 and will cut him in

27 P a g e 27 two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Jesus here of course is instructing those believers in the Tribulation, and explaining to them not to be deceived into thinking there is more time. They are to endure through those brutal years of Satan s final effort to turn man s heart against God. Now remember the deception will be so great, that if it were possible it could even deceive the Elect. Think about how difficult it is today to keep your faith. Today we have the Holy Spirit indwelling in us, empowering us for the work of God, and yet we fight daily to ward off the flesh and temptation, we have to be vigilant to see through the deception even today. But it will be even more difficult in the Tribulation. Jesus gives them His Words of instruction here, to stay busy unto the Lord, faithful to Him, they have the sure Word of His promises, and He will come back.

28 P a g e 28 But if they fall into the temptation of the evil one, and they allow the thought to come into their mind that Jesus will not return, Jesus illustrates for us, that that servant who forsakes these instructions, and begins to be consumed with this life. That servant will be caught by surprise, at an hour he is not aware, and he will be met with eternal punishment. Notice the wicked servants message The Masters return is far off. We have time to play, to be drunk, to live violently. We only need to straighten up before our Master comes, there is plenty of time. This is the same deception that Satan uses in our day. Live for yourself, live for pleasure, You only live once. There will be no consequences. You have more time, just come to Jesus later, His Grace will always be available, have fun now though.

29 P a g e 29 William Barclay tells of a fable which tells a story of three apprentice devils who were coming to this earth to finish their apprenticeship. They were talking to Satan, the chief of the devils, about their plans to tempt and ruin men and women. The first said: I will tell them there is no God. Satan said: That will not delude many, for they know that there is a God. The second said: I will tell them there is no hell. Satan answered: You will deceive no one that way; they know even now there is a hell for sin. The third said: I will tell them there is no hurry. Go said Satan and you will ruin them by the thousands. You see the most dangerous of all delusions is that there is plenty of time. The things we put off today might never get remedied if tomorrow never comes.

30 You see the rebellious neglect their duty, for the thought that they have more time. The faithful servant fulfills his or her duty faithfully, daily. P a g e 30 And in Jesus illustration the servant found faithful was given still a greater place. The servant who failed was severely dealt with. Now some today even have the thought that perhaps they will just wait to come to Jesus until after the Rapture of the Church, and in the Tribulation they will choose to follow Christ. If you cannot live for Him now, you will not be able to do it when the Great Deception is at work unrestrained here in the world. This is the best time to come to the Lord, and serve Him with your whole life, until He takes us home. We all have a place in this work, if we all come together, and find our place in this time of Grace.

31 P a g e 31 If we all consumed ourselves with being that dutiful servant who will be found so doing when the Master returns, we could turn this community upside down. You see we all have a place, and when we serve faithfully, with no complaining, or striving to be something we are not, then Great things will happen. We must not fall for the temptation that we have more time. Now perhaps God has been speaking to you to get busy about His Kingdom work. Maybe you keep putting it off, I ll do it later. After I finish this season or chapter of my life I plan on serving more. After I get this taken care of I will start giving my time and money to the work of God. That mindset is part of Satan s scheme to keep you from your duty, he will always have something else to keep you busy, and he will always give you opportunity to choose yourself over the Lord s work.

32 You will always be filled with excuses. P a g e 32 If the Lord is speaking to you, I would encourage you to throw the excuses in the trash this morning. And come and pray with the Elders this morning to see where you can start serving the Lord. We might have only a week before He comes for the church, or it might 50 years, but when you finish your race, you want to finish busy about His business, being faithful with what He called you too do. Now, perhaps you are putting off surrendering your life to Jesus, until later on in your life, maybe you think you have more time to party, to rebel, to live for yourself. I will tell you it will only get harder, as you live out your days rejecting this wonderful offer of grace, your heart will grow harder and harder, and you might find yourself meeting Jesus unexpectedly as your judge, you might find yourself out of time. You see you can come to Jesus as Savior this morning, and live with the hope of His return, instead of

33 P a g e 33 wondering if when He comes you will be caught with your hands in the cookie jar. None of us are promised tomorrow, come to Jesus today. Amen? So next time we will be in Matthew Chapter 25, Jesus will continue His Sermon, and He will continue to illustrate for us the importance of living our lives in this state of Watching.