By Pastor Mike Taylor of "Before It's News.com" – CLICK HERE TO VISIT
“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: as soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.”
Look at the world around us. Are not the signs of the soon return of our Lord and Savior not displayed according to God‘s Holy Word on the condition of this world? What are those signs? Let’s list just a few:
1.the moral decay of this world,. The USA is the last nation to expound Godly principles, unfortunately its star is fading as the last great hope of the world. It was likened unto a shining city on a hill, but moral decay will bring her to the pit.
2.the death of 50 million individuals upon the altar of convenience through abortion, or a whole generation in our nation alone, not counting international. This is synonymous with passing the children through the fires of Molech in land of Canaan and ancient Israel. A practice God says He loathes.
3.the decay of the foundation of the nation, the family. Homosexuality, same sex marriage, civil unions, and adoption of children into these families, (sic) and whole generation void of the teachings of the Word of God that’s found in your bible.
4.The push recently for a One World government based on climate change? Who really buys this scientific (sic) junk? Catholicism wanting all religions to unite (One World Religion)?
5.the removal by legislation of God from all aspects of legal and civil proceedings, from our schools, from our courts, and from our lives.
6.the removal of our basic freedoms in the USA and a socialist agenda to match Europe and the rest of the world.
These are just a few, and we could name many more of the symptoms of a world ripe for judgment and the return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
THE RETURN OF CHRIST IMMINENT
As Christians we should be cultivating fruit worthy of repentance, as we see the possible end of days approaching. We should be aware of our surroundings, as Christ commanded us “to watch”. We are to be prepared for what could be coming on the earth very soon. We should be living like He will come today, and He just might.
Just think of the world that we may be living in. Even worse than what we are witnessing right now and it’s hard to imagine. The symptoms of the end of the age are piling up quickly, but as the old saying goes, “you ain’t seen nuttin’ yet!”
Jesus warns in Matthew 24:24. “For there shall arise false Christ’s, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”
We see that happening today, in our news, on our TV sets and publications. Obviously, unless you are well grounded in the Word of God and sound doctrine, a person could be deceived when counterfeit miracles are performed and will lead the person away from the truth. If a true Christian hides the Word of God in his heart and his mind, no manner of lies that mimic God’s truth will fool the redeemed child of God. But we must stay close to God by His Holy Spirit and grounded in His Word. That’s a warning from our God and Savior. (Matthew 24:24)
But what should we be doing as Christians in these last days of the closing Age?
Titus 2: 11-14
11. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12. teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly, in this present world:
13. Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
14. Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
And at the same time Jesus Christ gave us a command found in Luke 21:36,
“watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”
Jesus commands us to be watchful, alert, studying to “show thyself approved” (II Timothy 2:15) and not neglectful, sticking our heads in the sand and trying to blend into this world. This should be, for each of us, a time of joyous anticipation of the soon return of our King, our Saviour, and our Redeemer. Not a time to be fearful, but sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a dying world.
ISRAEL’S REBIRTH, AN END TIME EVENT
Jesus gave us hints in the Word of God to the time of the signs of His return. Let us look at Matthew 24:32-33
“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: as soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.”
I have often pondered what Jesus was saying concerning the fig tree. What do you think? Let’s look at examples in the Bible where the fig tree was used, as in these scripture passages to prove a point.
Matthew 21:18-20:
“In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry, and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs on it, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, ‘may you never bear fruit again!’ And immediately the fig tree withered up. The disciples were amazed when they saw this and asked, How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”
At first glance, it appears that Jesus was upset and disappointed because He was hungry and no figs were found, but was that all He meant? Jesus knew when He went to the fig tree that He would find no figs, as it was not their season. Jesus never did or said anything that did not have a deeper meaning. Figs are symbols of the nation of Israel and its faith, or the lack thereof. Israel was like the fig tree with full leaves. It looked righteous, and looks like it was following Jehovah, but produced no fruit of righteousness, faith, or obedience.
In other places in the Bible, Israel is compared to either a fig tree or an olive tree. Let’s go to Jeremiah chapter 24
24:1 The LORD shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the LORD, after that Nebuchadnezzar 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.
24:2 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.
24:3 Then said the LORD unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.
24:4 Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
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 people of Israel are compared to figs here, both good and evil in the mentioned verse above.
When Jesus cursed the fig tree, He symbolically and prophetically placed a curse on Israel for their unbelief. The reason for the curse is straightforward. The fig tree, (Israel) failed to bear fruit (faith) even though its leaves indicate it was in season (the appointed time for the coming of the Messiah). Due to it’s lack of fruit, the fig tree withered,. Likewise, Israel’s lack of faith when presented with her Messiah led to the eventual destruction of the Jewish Temple at the hands of the Romans in AD 70. For 2000 years, the nation of Israel ceased to exist and its people persecuted and cursed. They were sent into exile and dispersed into all the other nations. And Israel was no more.
Let’s look at another parable concerning the fig tree, Jesus speaking:
In Luke 13:6-9. “He spake also this parable; a certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none..
then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none; cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?
And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:
and if it bear fruit, well, and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.”
For three years, Jesus spread His message throughout Israel performing miracles, exhibiting unprecedented knowledge of the Scriptures, and offering ample evidence of His claim to be the long awaited Messiah. Yet despite three years of testimony, Israel refused to believe in the One whom God had sent.
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