Important Information for Members of the Fig Tree Generation

The more I read and study the context of the Bible, the more I realize how little I truly know and understand the historical foundation of the Word. And the more I realize just how much the modern Church has failed to interconnect the ancient history (pre- and post-flood) to the New Testament. So much prophecy is given to us, and yet we fail to pursue any kind of meaningful link or association with what Jesus reveals to us in His prophecies of the End Times. We're told that only the New Testament pertains to us modern Christians. Everything older than that is subject to misinterpretation, corruption, or mythology. 

Let's face it. True Christians are discerning that we are in the Last Days. We see it all around us ... in the geopolitical sphere [nations against nations; kingdoms against kingdoms]; in the natural world [earthquakes, volcanoes, famine, pestilence]; and in the diabolical and demonic actions of mankind [people being slaughtered; children being sold in the sex slave trade; and false science being used as a means to kill off millions of people in the most inhumane way]. We see how rapidly AI is becoming out of control as it appears to be the advance apparatus to force us into the Beast System.

Yet, Jesus gives us the clues to how we can understand what is coming and how it will affect us. The question is ... Are we willing to look at it and then seek further answers from Him on how to move forward in faith?  The problem is that in the last couple of hundred years, the Church has managed to restrict teaching any of the antediluvian period of history, which had a huge influence on the Old Testament prophecies, of which the prophets and Jesus taught. [Antediluvian is the time period chronicled in the Bible between the fall of man and the Genesis flood narrative. It is associated with ancient civilizations and their knowledge. It began to be fazed out in the late Victorian era (1850-1901). 

And, yes, I am well aware of how careful we need to be about discerning how much of this information is to be included alongside God's Truth in His Word. Satan has always sought to mislead and misconstrue God's Word to lead believers down a wrong path. But I also discern that our God is so big, that everything about Him and His plan to redeem the world cannot begin to be contained in a Book of 1500 pages. Everything in the Bible is about Jesus and God, but everything that contributes to knowledge about them is more voluminous than my leather-bound Bible. So, I am willing to consider there's more information I need to know, and which may not be shared from our modern pulpits. I believe wholeheartedly in Proverbs 25:2 ... It is the Glory of God to conceal a matter, and the glory of kings to search it out. So it's at this point that I trust the Holy Spirit to guide me. 

All these thoughts bring me to the point of this blog ... I believe we are the Fig Tree Generation that Jesus speaks about in Matthew 24 (and elsewhere throughout the four Gospels). From the fig tree, learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that He is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 

So, let's begin with this question: What are "all these things" that Jesus says will take place? It's in Matthew 24 that Jesus tells us the Signs of the End of the Age: Many will come in His Name and lead many astray. We will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Nation will rise against nation; kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes across the globe. Then the tribulation will come and the faithful will be put to death, and be hated by all nations for His name's sake. Many will stumble in their faith and betray one another and hate one another. There will be many false prophets leading many astray. Lawlessness will increase, and the love of man will grow cold. Only the ones with strong faith will endure to the end and be saved from the evil that seeks to destroy God's relationship with mankind.

As in past generations, we, too, can identify with these signs. So, what is the lesson that we should be learning if we discern that we are actually this Fig Tree Generation? If you will recall, there is another reference to the fig tree in Matthew 21 that connects to the Matthew 24 account... In the morning, as He was returning to the city, He became hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, He went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And He said to it, "May no fruit ever come from you again!" And the fig tree withered at once.

Can you see that the fig tree is "all leaves, no fruit"? In the End Times, when Jesus's prophecy of war, rumors of war, famine, pestilence, and tribulation kicks off, I fear too many of our Churches will look like this fig tree (false advertising). They will look and act like they are promoting the Kingdom, but in reality, they will be promoting false and deceptive "religion", and bearing little or no fruit. Jesus is warning us that like the barren fig tree, the Church in that [fig tree] generation will also wither away because He will curse it like He did the Pharisees, who only produced a false and deceptive religion, and did not receive the Kingdom He came to bring.

In addition, it is my discernment that the Fig Tree Generation will suffer the Judgment of the Lord! They are the generation who will endure the End Times. But will they be found fruitful for the Kingdom -- or just bear religious doctrine that leads men astray with no foundation in [and of] God? And this is where I manage to offend my fellow Christians; albeit, that is certainly not my intention. I know so many Christians who profess a true heart for revival, in the hopes that we can stave off these End Times events. I honor their hope and faith, and sure wish I felt a worldwide revival was in our near future. I just don't discern it in my spirit, and the Word doesn't tell me it will happen. The Word tells me that the signs in Matthew 24 is what we will experience! 

Yes, Christians have a heart for revival, but how many have the stomach for what Jesus prophesied? Are they prepared in their mind and spirit to stand firm in their faith when the persecution comes? We like to read the Bible verses that talk about us as victors and over-comers, but don't want to hear the ones in which Jesus clearly prophecies persecution. Our resilience, endurance, and perseverance must be both physical and spiritual. We can praise the Lord and live joyously, knowing His promises of Eternal Life are true. At the same time, I am discerning that everyone must soon decide for themselves (through deep personal conversations with Jesus and Holy Spirit) what their righteous response will be when faced with Evil and persecution. Now is the time to make that decision.

I will next be writing on the First International Congress that seeks to establish the Noahide Laws, happening in November of this year. But first, please take the time to consider and pray about a sanctified understanding of the Fig Tree Generation. That understanding plays a big part in consideration of this International Congress. Prophetic times are upon us! Please stay alert and may Yeshua HaMashiach be your refuge, your fortress, and your Deliverer! Amen!         

2 Timothy 3:12-13      Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and imposters will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 

Are We the True Biblical "Fig Tree Generation"? And What Does That Mean?

I love it when the House Church that meets in our home comes together and we get immersed in the reading, dissecting, and understanding of the Word! Biblical concepts that we have heard countless times from the pulpit suddenly come alive with new meaning as we study the historical, social, and faith contexts that point us to the promises of God's Kingdom on earth. This past gathering of the faithful was no different.

We are studying the Book of Mark and this week we tackled the enigmatic parable of the Fig Tree and whether we can [or should] identify as "the Fig Tree Generation" that Jesus mentions in Matthew 24, Mark 11, and Luke 21. Before I try to answer that dilemma, let's consider the significant symbolism of the fig tree throughout the Bible. We often find it to be a symbol of the nation of Israel and the promise of abundance, blessings and favor from God. In the Old Testament, [specifically in 1 Kings 4:25] we see fulfillment of those promises in "the days of Solomon": And Judah and Israel lived in safety, from Dan to Beersheba, every man under his own vine and his own fig tree.

Whether Israel lived in that blessing and favor, OR in judgment or desolation, was evidenced by the fig tree's fruitfulness. In the Book of Jeremiah, in Chapter 6:16-18, we see that the symbolism of the fig tree mirrors God's judgment, when He castigates Israel: Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, "We will not walk in it." I appointed watchmen over you and said, "Listen to the sound of the trumpet!" But you said, "We will not listen." Therefore hear, you nations; you who are witnesses, observe what will happen to them... 

As a consequence, we then see God's judgment play out in Jeremiah 8:13 ... I will take away their harvest, declares the Lord. There will be no grapes on the vine. There will be no figs on the tree, and their leaves will wither. What I have given them will be taken from them. You may think that was over 2600 years ago and it really doesn't pertain to us Christians in the 21st Century. But the same complaints that God had against the nation of Israel in the Old Testament, we see that Jesus had in the New Testament, and I now see in today's Churches. The root of God's judgment is pictured in the parable of the fig tree ... and it's all about spiritual barrenness in the form of False Religion! 

Let's take a good, hard look at what Jesus reveals to His disciples in Mark 11 regarding the condition of the fig tree they found on their way from Bethany to Jerusalem. Remember, this is during the Passover Week leading to Jesus's Crucifixion. After His triumphant Entry into Jerusalem for the Holy Week, Jesus is greeted with resounding shouts of praise: Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!  [By the way, this reception is highlighting the crowd's recognition that Jesus is, indeed, the Messiah]. 

After entering Jerusalem, he went to the Temple where He had a good look around, assessing and inspecting the "standing" of the people. This fulfills the prophecy of Malachi, in Chapter 3:1-3, which states that God would send His messenger to prepare the way for Him. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, He is coming ... But who can endure the day of His coming, and who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap [which cleaned, and whitened, and purified cloth]. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. 

After His inspection, Jesus returns to Bethany, where He and His disciples are staying the night [just a mere two miles from Jerusalem]. The next morning they head back to Jerusalem and on the way Jesus, being hungry, spies a fig tree full of leaves. This is where we need to come into the full understanding of this passage and what it means for us. Fig trees don't normally have leaves on them unless they have figs on them, too. From Jesus's perspective, the fig tree was displaying false advertising! The tree put forth a pretense of having fruit; it had the outward appearance that would cause someone [in this case, Jesus] to expect He would find fruit to nourish Him. But the tree was barren and had not produced any fruit!

Here's where I think some of our Bible translations have caused confusion about the full context of the lesson from the fig tree. For example, how many of us heard in our churches that Jesus cursed the fig tree? Read Mark 11:13-14 again. My Bible doesn't say that. In fact, the Word simply says, And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if He could find anything on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And He said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again. That was actually a prayer that Jesus spoke over the tree, which most certainly resulted in a negative outcome, but I do not believe it was spoken as a curse; in malice or spitefulness; but rather as a warning and prophecy of what happens when you falsely represent yourself as being righteous and bearing fruit. Remember -- after inspecting the fig tree and prophesying that it would never bear fruit, the Bible makes sure we know this fact: And His disciples heard it. The disciples must have been thoroughly confused [just as we have been 2000+ years later when we read those verses]!     

The prophecy of Malachi says that the Lord will inspect the standing [the status and reputation] of the "sons of Levi" [the priests] to see if they have fulfilled their role as intermediaries between God and the people, facilitating worship and maintaining the sanctity [sacredness] of the Temple. We all remember the stories from Sunday School of Jesus overturning the tables of the money-changers whom the priests had allowed to defile and dishonor the Temple, making it a marketplace and a den of thieves, rather than a House of Prayer, for which God had designed it. This passage is what immediately follows the short passage about the fruitless fig tree. Starting to get the picture?

If not, read Matthew 24:32-35. Here we get more information about the lesson we are to learn from the fig tree... From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So, also, when you see all these things, you know that He is near, at the very gates. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. This is a very explicit prophecy for "the fig tree generation". 

Let's break it down. When a fig tree buds, there is an inevitable result ... summer is near and that means fruit is coming. In other words, there is an expectation. In the lexicon of parables, He is pointing to the fruitfulness of the Kingdom of God. In this passage in Matthew, Jesus has just foretold the signs of the End of the Age, which also forecasts the Coming of the Son of Man. What are the signs? Matthew 24 spells it out ... many coming in His Name, leading people astray; wars and rumors of wars; nation rising against nation and kingdom against kingdom; famines, earthquakes, persecution; false prophets and lawlessness; the abomination of a false god standing in the Temple in Jerusalem, declaring Himself the Most High... and finally great tribulation. So when He says to look at the fig tree and understand, and then follows that up with So, also, when you see all these things, you know that He is near... this generation (the one that sees these destructive signs) will not pass pass away until [ultimately] they see His return! That generation will be known as The Fig Tree Generation!  

So when you connect the dots of the picture Jesus is trying to present to His disciples you get this understanding: Jesus is chastising the religious leaders in Jerusalem because [like the fig tree], they have been giving a false pretense of bearing fruit for God's Kingdom on earth. They have done a disservice to the flock by not leading them, or teaching them, that they should be bearing fruit for the Kingdom! Jesus even asks [in Matthew 24:45-46], Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his Master has set over His household, to give them food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his Master will find so doing when He comes.

As an addendum to this exegesis on the Fig Tree Generation, I present my personal opinion... We are certainly seeing the signs of the End of the Age, and now that the Jewish people are back in their Homeland, is Jesus ready to return? And if so, will He find fruit among His followers on the earth? Have our churches borne fruit for His Kingdom? Or, like the Pharisees at His First Coming, will He find lots of leaves [a false pretense of fruit], but no actual fruit? Have the religious leaders of our day taught and encouraged their flocks to make disciples of Christ, teaching them to observe all that He commanded us to do -- heal the sick, cast out demons, cleanse the lepers [of their spiritual corruption, degradation, and defilement], raise the dead, and spread the Gospel of the Kingdom (Matthew 10:7-8 and 28:16-20)?

That's a very serious question we should be asking ourselves! Jesus made it very clear what He expects. If you are going to proclaim that you are fruitful [by broadcasting to the world with a grandiose show of worldly leaves], then when He comes, He expects to find fruit from your endeavors! I don't know if we are the destined Fig Tree Generation. We are certainly close to fitting the criteria more than any previous generation. All we need is the Anti-Christ to declare himself the Most High God. And if we are truly that close, I would hope we are all examining ourselves. Have we borne fruit for our Master? Or have we just clothed ourselves in a false image as fruit-bearers? I know what the Lord says to the Churches in Revelation 1-3, and it is sobering. 

In conclusion, the fig tree has proven to be abundant in its symbolism. It represents Israel [in both ancient and modern times]; their prosperity, judgment and hope. And its lessons for Israel give us great insight for our own relationship with God, and of our future. The image of the fig tree represents our faithfulness, our fruitfulness, our readiness for the return of Jesus, and the consequences should we be found spiritually barren. But it also offers us the promises of God and His blessings of inheritance if we show ourselves faithful to do all the things that bear fruit for His Kingdom. May you receive the promises of God's abundance, blessings and favor, as you sit under your own fruitful fig tree.  

Joel 2:22      Fear not, you beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness are green; the trees bear their fruit; the fig tree and vine give their full yield.