Bible Study Seattle

“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.

“Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that He is near, right at the door. 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. But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” Mark 13:24-32

What is the lesson of the fig tree? “I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your forefathers as the earliest fruit on the fig tree in its first season.” Hosea 9:10

“Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the captives of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans.” Jeremiah 24:5

Israel is compared to a fig tree. Jesus says that when its branch becomes tender and it puts forth leaves, we will know that summer is near. But when is summer?

It is surmised that the Fall occurred in the fall. About the same time as the feast of trumpets. It follows then, that the first season is fall, followed by winter, spring, and summer. This seems to match the Hebrew day: sunset begins fall, followed by winter from midnight till 6am. Then in morning starts spring, and finally summer is from noon till sundown. This would also be the seasons of the Millennial Sabbath. Summer would be the final 250 years.

Many people have used Jesus’ statement to prophecy that all that Jesus spoke about should be fulfilled within a generation of 1948. But that cannot be true. If a generation is 120 years, then the church may be complete by 2068, but certainly ‘all these things’ will take much longer to accomplish. We must think in God’s terms, not man’s. The noonday sun will not be shining until 750 years into the Millennium. Jesus will likely come down to fight in an obvious manner right before the Day of Atonement, which is more than 500 years into the Millennium.