Sunday, November 25, 2012

The fig tree, and all the trees

“He told them this parable: ‘Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.’” Luke 21:29-31
Recently we saw a similar verse to this in Mark’s gospel, in which, similarly to Matt. 24:32, Jesus only mentions the fig tree, referring to Israel. This discourse in Luke’s gospel, although similar in many respects, was actually given at a different time (at the temple, Luke 21:5, as opposed to on the Mount of Olives, Matt. 24:3, Mark 3:3). We know that Jesus repeated some of His statements and teaching to the disciples on multiple occasions. So here, He talks about “the fig tree and all the trees.” Israel, we know, is what the fig tree symbolises. So then, “all the trees” refers to all the other nations. Jesus is talking about the end times approaching; as we have seen, the nation Israel has been regathered in their own land. But the end times scenario doesn’t only involve Israel. It involves the whole world: certain nations aligned together in Ezekiel 38-39, a one-world government arising from the revived Roman empire. Today we see ‘all the trees’ sprouting leaves, moving into position for that final scenario. And so we know that the time is near when Jesus will return.

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