Fig Tree Date Speculation And Standing Firm...

You said:


So what other trees were born in 1948? 
All the tree with the fig tree spring forth....so if you take this to be Israel and not a parable about  "31So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand" - so that we know when we see a  tree or trees that bear fruit, it is a sign.  Otherwise, many nations were all birthed in 1948 and I fail to see that as a historical fact.

The actual verse says:


All the trees with the fig tree.  Its a singular event used in a parable. If we use Israel in 1948 as the reason, all the other trees must be in 1948. Otherwise, all the trees don't shoot forth in summer. They shoot forth in summer, winter, fall and spring.  That is not what the verse says.
The verse puts emphasis on "all the trees" and "when they shoot forth". 
If the fig tree is Israel, we'd have to explain Israel was cursed to never grow fruit and yet somehow it was supposed to.

Yet the fruit was about believers bearing fruit.

The parable of the fig tree involves Israel but it is not solely about Israel as venge points out. Rather than focus on Matt 24:32 in a silo, lets add some other verses dealing with the topic and see what we arrive at (or at least what Mike arrives at )

In Luke 21:29 we have a slightly different account that provides some insight into what Venge is saying
In the synoptic accounts Jesus is expounding on Isaiah 5:1-7
Here Israel is the vineyard, not the fig tree. Isaiah is predicting the captivity to the Babylonians. The land was left desolate, thorns & thistles grew, temple destroyed, etc. Jesus is saying in the gospels, "what happened back then is going to happen again" Instead of Jeremiah being rejected by the people and imprisoned by the Babylonians, Jesus would be also be rejected and imprisoned by Rome (Rome = Babylon - rejecting truth, mystery/false religions -> see 1 Pet 5:13 where he identifies Rome as Babylon).

In ancient rabbinic times the fig tree was a metaphor for the tree of life, others the tree of knowledge as described below (link included)
Other areas where we see the fig tree symbolism - Micah 4:1-4, Zec 3:10
Whichever tree the fig tree may have been we do know that Adam & Eve took leaves from the fig tree to cover their nakedness, in an attempt to hide their disobedience & sin. 
It does appear to me fig leaves indicate good works. Adam & Eve tried to justify themselves with the fig leaves, their works.

Eze 47:7 When I returned, there, along the bank of the river, were very many trees on one side and the other... 12 Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine.”

Rev 22:2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Judges 9:8 ‘The trees have diligently gone to anoint over them a king, and they say to the olive, Reign thou over us. 9 And the olive saith to them, Have I ceased from my fatness, by which they honour gods and men, that I have gone to stagger over the trees? 10 And the trees say to the fig, Come thou, reign over us. 11 And the fig saith to them, Have I ceased from my sweetness, and my good increase, that I have gone to stagger over the trees? 12 ‘And the trees say to the vine, Come thou, reign over us. 13 And the vine saith to them, Have I ceased from my new wine, which is rejoicing gods and men, that I have gone to stagger over the trees?

Who is the bramble?!
14 Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us. 15 And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon

Is Israel exclusively a fig tree? No, not at all. Paul calls them an olive tree in his analogy. We have to account for all of these not just isolate the fig tree 

Rom 11:17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree

stormyknight ,

Good morning.  The concept of the parable should be what Christ was preaching.  He gave them the idea of a tree sprouting, and all the trees (fruit bearing trees) as an example of his return.  Not that we need to look to a nation for his return. I dont see anywhere, and it provides confliction, when we use it as an example of Israel's resurgence. Otherwise, when May 15th, 2028 comes - 1 day after its 80th birthday...and we are still here...can we put this to rest?


mike ,

As you said, Israel is not always the fig tree - if it is even a fig tree.  It is more an Olive Tree..

Egypt was said to have lost its fig trees.


Then in Hosea 2:12, God punishes Israel. How is she the fig tree if her fig trees are destroyed? Its a rhetorical question. I dont need an answer...but seeing her as fig tree (singular) places the verse in an awkward position. 


Whether a fig tree or an apple tree, the fruit (fig in this case) was known for its sweetness. There were 2 kidns of trees, fruit bearing - which were saved from destruction because Israel needed them for food to live and trees like the Pine tree where theyd be used in war, housing and good for fire.

They were told not to destroy fruit bearing trees. It has a symbolic result too. In many accounts, The fruit bearing trees were described as people. Some bore fruit, others did not. Fruit bearing people were worth keeping and they could not just bring forth 1 type of fruit, but many different manners of fruit based upon their faith; those zealous of good works. Adam was shown to have used a fig leaf as covering his nakedness. That is, his shame. The implication is amazing when describing Adam using a fruit bearing trees leaf to cover his sin. That is what we should be doing!

Matthew 3:10 relates:

This reflects the fig tree and all the trees. Not a specific nation. We are to bring forth fruit, we are to teach others and have them bring forth fruit. What is it like to see in a time of darkness, fruit bearing trees all of sudden appear ? Something unthinkable...yet when we see it, he is very near, even at the door. Israel should not be the answer we look to. Christ is our answer, fruit bearing trees is what we need to be and what we should notice other tree's in our lives. 

It’s not just a new season that comes mike after the winter figs, it’s a new year!!!! A new year with trees bearing figs leaving a year where they were rotten.

If we just look at the parable as a basic parable, not assigning outside labels to things...in context, Jesus is speaking of the signs of His return. He says when they see "these things" (Luke 21:25-26 “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken.") Then the generation seeing these things will not pass away but will also see His return.

Just like when you see a tree getting leaves, then you know that summer is coming. When they see "these things" then they know His return is very, very soon.