Download Lessons From A Fig Tree Luke 21:29

Lessons From A Fig Tree
Luke 21:29-33
Introduction
Each generation must ask and answer the question; “Are we the final generation?” The
parable Jesus offers is given to the first generation of disciples and the final generation
that must witness the visible, Second Coming of Jesus Christ (vv.27-28).
The signs of Christ’s return are covered in verses 5-28. In verse 8 Jesus says, “Take heed
that you not be deceived”. Jesus knew every generation would have religious racketeers
and prophecy for profit, profiteers; sensational saints, some motivated by greed, others
sincere but misguided. The only way to keep our balance and avoid deception is to know
the Scriptures and obey what God tells us to do.
One of the temptations people face when they study the Bible is to make the text say
what we want it to say rather than what it really says. In recent years Matthew 24 and
Luke 21 have been placed in the exegetical torture chambers of prophecy buffs and endtime enthusiasts.
In Luke 21 Jesus speaks of deception by false teachers (v.8); destruction by wars (vv.910); devastation by disasters (v.11); deliverance to tribulation (vv.16-17) as believers are
persecuted. There is destitution and death and distress and then delight as Jesus returns to
rule and reign. Jesus points to signs in nature, signs in society, spiritual signs, signs of
technology, signs in world politics, signs of Israel. What do the signs mean? False
teachers mean multitudes will be tragically deceived. Wars mean terrible times are
ahead, natural disasters, floods and earthquakes remind us human suffering will intensify.
When believers see other believers persecuted, they know that God will right every
wrong and solve the problem of human injustice. When believers see the armies
surround Jerusalem they will know the time of the Gentiles is about to end and Israel will
be restored once and for all. When believers see the sky is falling, bizarre astronomical
phenomena, they know their Lord is at hand. The signs are visible—rapid—and certain.
The day and the hour of Christ’s Return are known only by God (Matt.24:36). Believers
are to be ready. There is no excuse for being caught off guard. We still want to know.
We like the intoxicating power of correctly predicting the future. If we can predict the
future, we can control the future. False prophecy and false prophets usually fly in the
face of common sense.
Now Jesus tells his disciples “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees”.
What lessons can we learn from trees?
The Lesson Of Visibility (vv.29-31)
(v.29)
Then He spoke to them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees”.
Remember what a parable is—an earthly story that illustrates a heavenly truth. The word
“parable” means to lay one thing along side of another. Parables served a dual purpose in
the Bible, and in the ministry of Jesus. Parables were meant to reveal truth to some, and
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Lessons From A Fig Tree
Luke 21:29-33
conceal truth from others. When Jesus spoke parables to the religious leaders of his day
without an explanation—it was to conceal a matter. When Jesus spoke parables to his
own disciples with an explanation-it was to reveal a matter.
In Matthew’s gospel Jesus says in 24:32a; “Now learn this parable from the fig tree:” In
Luke’s gospel Jesus says; “Look”. In Matthew’s gospel Jesus says; “Learn”.
“Look” and “learn” seem to indicate the desire to reveal rather than conceal. The Greek
expression for look; eidon-is used over 350 times in the Gospels. It means to “see” to
“perceive” “to realize” “to know”. The verb “learn” in Matthew’s gospel is manthano. It
means to genuinely learn or understand in such a way that you accept something as true
and apply it to your life! The word was often used in the way we use the word habit.
The parable really isn’t complicated. You can tell what time of the year it is by looking
at a tree. When a fig tree sprouts leaves, you know summer is near. When you see these
signs, you know the Kingdom is near. The fall of Jerusalem means the plan of God is
moving forward (v.20). All that’s left on God’s divine calendar after the collapse of the
city are the cosmic signs, which indicate the end is really near. The parable in effect is
saying, keep looking, keep watch, keep your eyes open to what God is doing.
We first learn about the fig tree in Genesis 3:7. It is the first time in the Bible where a
tree is called by name. Ancient writers saw in the fig tree a type of man made religion
and human righteousness which is used as a shield to hide human sins. “Then the eyes of
both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig
leaves together and made themselves coverings”.
The fig tree produces large soft, velvety leaves which are very attractive and lovely to
touch. Man made religion is very much like those leaves. Human beings know they are
not quite fit to stand in the presence of God, so we manufacture human religious
programs and think our religion will satisfy God. Fig leaves shrink quickly and reduce in
size to about one fourth their original size. In other words—they fail to hide what really
needs to be hidden. So it is with man made religions. They are not able to cover man’s
sin, or hide our iniquity. Only the blood of Jesus Christ is sufficient to cover us and
satisfy the demands of God.
My Grandfather Geraci loved figs and had fig trees. My Grandmother would make
Italian fig cookies every Christmas. Fig trees have no blossoms on their branches—the
blossom is inside the fruit. Many tiny flowers produce the crunchy little seeds that give
figs their unusual texture. Figs are harvested fully ripened and partially dried on the tree.
It is true that the Bible speaks of nations as “trees”. For example, the nation of Assyria is
depicted as a cedar tree (Ezek.31:3). The Amorite nation as an oak (Amos 2:9). The
nation Israel as a fig tree (see The King is Coming; H.L. Willmington; pp.326-345). In
Hosea 9:10;
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“I found Israel Like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers As the firstfruits on the
fig tree in its first season. But they went to Baal Peor, And separated themselves to that
shame; They became an abomination like the thing they loved.” Baal Peor means “Lord
of the Gap”
Hal Lindsey and others interpreted this parable to speak of the creation of the Jewish
State. On May 14th, 1948; Israel as modern state came to life. Lindsey suggested the
creation of the state of Israel, coupled with verse 32; “this generation shall not pass”
meant the super-sign had come, and we are in fact that terminal generation and captured
the imagination of a generation with rapture fever. His book, “The Late Great Planet
Earth” became the best selling non-fiction book of the 1970’s.
I first heard this as a very young, impressionable, naïve Christian. Israel was reborn in
1948. Jerusalem was recaptured from the Jordanians in 1967 and in 1973 a six day war
was fought in October. Bible teachers like Hal Lindsey taught Israel was the fig tree and
the generation alive when Israel became a nation (1948) would witness the second
coming of Jesus Christ. He taught with what seemed like unquestioning authority a
Biblical generation was 40 years; 40 plus 48 = 88-7 years for a time of torment (the
tribulation) and you have an ETA for Jesus as 1981.
The problem with Lindsey and everyone else who believed Israel was the fig tree
(including me) was we failed to read the passage and let the passage speak for itself.
Jesus makes an unmistakable statement that any person who has ever watched tees
grow—knows—trees bloom in the spring. Budding trees means spring is in the air and
summer is near. Since Jesus is speaking to his disciples, it seems reasonable that Jesus
wants them to understand the meaning of the parable. If Israel is the fig tree, and the
budding leaves refer to a reborn Israeli state, the meaning of the parable would have been
utterly lost to the disciples! Is this parable a complicated allegory or a simple analogy? I
believe the parable is a simple analogy! When you look at a tree, watch the leaves
beginning to pop out, you know fruit season is just around the corner! Jesus is using this
analogy to speak of the nearness of His Coming in relationship to the signs and signals
we have studied at length. Does the Bible speak of Israel as a fig tree? The answer is
yes. In Genesis the fig tree is a type of false religion. In Judges chapter 9:10-11 Gideon
is the fig tree. In the Song of Solomon figs are a type of prosperity. It depends on the
context.
Jesus does not identify the “fig tree” and “all the trees” as Israel or other nations. He may
have had that in mind—but if he did—it was to conceal the matter. To say the fig tree is
Israel is to make the passage obscure and unintelligible to all except a 20the Century
Christian. Some have suggested the budding leaves speak of revival in the restored state
of Israel, but for the last 50 years the state of Israel has been closed to the gospel of Jesus
Christ and has put pressure to outlaw the preaching of the gospel.
Here the parable is simple and uncomplicated. Jesus is using a simple fig tree to illustrate
a timeless truth! In Matthew 24:32-33 Jesus says; “When its branch has already become
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tender and puts forth leaves you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all
these things, that it is near—at the doors!
When the sap flows into the branches, the branches become tender and new leaves appear
on the tree. A budding tree means fruit is right around the corner! Ripened figs would
drop from the tree. Good fruit is harvested. Bad fruit is thrown away! The illustration is
simple—when signs transpire, in frequency and intensity, when the signal is made, the
return of Jesus Christ is near!
Prophecy was never intended to disappoint the saints, but to give them hope! That
is why the second coming of Jesus is called the Blessed Hope. Paul wrote; 2 Timothy
4:8; “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the
righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have
loved His appearing”. Did Paul believe he was a member of the final generation? I
think so. He longed for Jesus to appear.
Few things are more disappointing than false hope based on false interpretations of the
Bible. One thing is certain. The Bible teaches Jesus will return physically, literally,
bodily, gloriously, to judge the unrighteous, to reward the righteous, to fulfill prophecy,
and establish a kingdom.
John MacArthur writes; “The Lord’s return will be as real and as historical an event as
His first coming. Believers look back to the moment of saving faith in Christ, when their
souls were redeemed. They look forward to the return of Christ, when their bodies will
be redeemed and they will enter into the promised fullness of salvation. In that day Satan
will be defeated, the curse lifted, Christ worshipped, the creation liberated and restored,
sin and death conquered, and the saints glorfied” (Matthew p.60),
Luke adds, “and all the trees”. If nations are trees—the nations most mentioned in the
Bible are Israel, Iraq, Assyria and Egypt.
Is this a parable about the recreation of the
modern state of Israel, or is it something else? Luke 21:
30
When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now
near. 31 So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God
is near.
When the trees are already budding—in the Old King James it says, 30 When they now
shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.
The verb for “budding” is proballo and is only used here and in Acts 19:33 in the Greek
New Testament. It means “put forward” in the sense that the trees are putting forward
and clearly means “sprout leaves”.
Could it be the meaning of the parable is much more simple and obvious? Trees put forth
their buds or flowers in the spring, summer follows spring. As certain as summer follows
spring, so is the certainty that these signs will in fact signal the Savior’s return. The idea
is not to look for the creation or the destruction of the modern state of Israel, but rather
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know what is going on! The important thing is the believer knows that God is keeping
His promises and that His Word will not fail (see TBEC Vol.1; p.263).
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“Behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts
and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the LORD
your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them
has failed.
Jos 23:14
Have you ever been lost on a freeway or a highway or in a strange city? You look for a
sign to point you in the right direction. The signs Jesus speaks of are to point us toward
an object, the Lord Jesus Christ. Signs are intended to keep us on the right track, and
headed in the right direction. They are meant to guard and protect us from going in the
wrong direction, or be led astray. The sign is also intended to give assurance and
confidence, assurance and confidence that we won’t be caught off guard, or taken by
surprise.
The Lesson Of Rapidity (v.32)
32
Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take
place.
A few weeks ago a couple in our church approached me and asked the question, “What
does this passage mean? In verse 32, what does “generation” mean and to whom does it
apply?
This is one of the most difficult verses in Luke’s gospel. “This generation” seems to set a
specific time frame for these events, all of which certainly did not take place in the
lifetime of the disciples. It seems clear that whatever generation means—it did not refer
to the generation that Jesus addressed or the generation that stretched to 70 A.D. The Son
of Man did not return visibly at that time.
Some argue that Jesus simply got it wrong. Jesus made a mistake. I suspect that can’t be
right. Jesus is not speaking of the historical timing of his coming, but rather of the events
surrounding His return. If Jesus was wrong about the timing of His return, or that He will
return; He runs the risk of being wrong about other things!
I suspect Jesus had another generation in mind. Some have argued that generation refers
to the Jewish people. Another option is the generation of humanity as a whole or to the
evil generation of humanity. In other words the end will come before humanity is wiped
out. Such a view is possible, though it seems a little unusual to give this phrase that force
of meaning. I suspect the preferred view is the generation—present in verse 25—“and
there will be signs in the sun, the moon, and in the stars; and the earth distress of nations,
with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring”. In other words, those who see the
beginning of the end in the cosmic signs will see the arrival of the decisive era in the Son
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of Man’s return. Once the events of the final act commence, they will take place quickly
(see Darrell L. Bock; The NIV Application Commentary; pp.538-539).
Warren Wiersbe in his commentary writes; “Some who doubt that Jesus will literally
return say that this statement applies to the generation of the Apostles, so that “the
coming of the Lord” was either the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2) or the
destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. But none of the signs Jesus mentioned took place
before or during those events. Nor did they climax with the deliverance of Israel and the
establishing of the kingdom” (TBEC; Vol. 1p.263). The devastations in 70 AD did not
include global famines and earthquakes. The believers were not hated by all nations.
False Christs and false prophets were evident but not everywhere; and the gospel of the
Kingdom of God had not yet been preached in the whole world. The sun did not become
blood, the stars didn’t fall, and most importantly, Jesus did not return. Wiersbe goes on
to suggest that Jesus probably was referring to the generation that would be alive on earth
at the time all these things take place. He further suggests that it would not take a whole
generation, but rather the events, would take place rapidly, swiftly.
The meaning of the Parable is the final generation will not have to wait long! Those
who witness the birth pains, will witness the birth-the second coming of Jesus Christ
(except the people who are killed in catastrophic judgment). The books of Daniel and
Revelation make it clear the total time of judgment will be seven years.
The Lesson Of Certainty (v.33)
33
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
Jesus reminds the disciples of the certainty, the truth, the fact, the reality, that all these
signs, are sure, eternally established, irrevocable. Jesus is certain He is right—and that
reality will collapse before He is proven a liar. The disciples of Jesus must rely on His
Word. Jesus uses the strongest language possible—“Heaven and earth will pass away,
but My words shall not pass away”
Certainly that means the obvious—Heaven and earth will be done away with. The sun
will collapse. The earth will be consumed by fire. God will create a new heaven and a
new earth. Everything you see will one day be gone! Our bodies will fail, the planet will
dry up, the sea will disappear, the Word of the Lord will not fail. Every single prophecy
and every single promise of Jesus Christ will come to pass.
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But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall
pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also
and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
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Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought
ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, (2 Peter 3:10-11)
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Jesus places His Words on the level of the Word of God; all that Jesus has said, about the
fate of Jerusalem, the great tribulation, the persecution, the religious deception, His
return—all of it will happen.
Bishop Moule once said; “Christ absolutely trusted the Bible; and though there are in it
things inexplicable and intricate that have puzzled me so much, I am going, not in a blind
sense, but reverently, to trust the Book because of Him”.
Some men still doubt Jesus’ words. They assume the whole idea of the second coming is
some Christian myth, wishful thinking, the figment of hopeful imagination.
God knew this would happen.
First, I want to remind you that in the last days there will be scoffers who will laugh at
the truth and do every evil thing they desire. 4 This will be their argument: “Jesus
promised to come back, did he? Then where is he? Why, as far back as anyone can
remember, everything has remained exactly the same since the world was first created.”
2 Pe 3:3-4
Three things are certain to happen in human history.
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All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Mt 24:8
21
For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the
world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Mt 24:21
27
Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
Lk 21:27
Conclusion
Philip Lovejoy tells the story of a ride he took in 1955. “A lumber merchant friend of
mine drove me in a jeep up Mt. Cushman in Vermont. Near the tip of the mountain I
noted some six-inch deciduous seedlings. I asked him when they would be good as
lumber and he replied, “In the year 2015 A.D.” (at that time 60 years into the future).
Since that was way beyond his life-span I asked him why he had planted these trees and
he replied, “Because my grandfather planted some on the other side of the mountain for
me”.
We plant the seed for future generations.
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