Booklets
The Prophesied
and
GENERATION
We all want to know the time of the "end" and Jesus gave his discipiles the parable of the fig tree and generation as a way of estimating that time (Mat. 24:3; 32-34).
(We trust that the "end" is only of the "world" of thought that hated Jesus and his disciples - - John 15:18-19; 16:2 - - not the globe. Some say the end of the "age." I say it's the end-time, but only of evil - - Rev. 21:4, 7.)
Answering the disciples, Jesus said many terrible things will appear, then said the end will come after the preaching of "this gospel of the kingdom" (Mat. 24:14). Kingdom-encounters by people reaching for God in troubled times will be a factor in the harmless and helpful bible-pattern taming and replacing of the destructive carnal-mind "world."
Jesus listed many more bad things that would appear on earth. Then after those things, he said we would "see the Son of man coming" (24:30).
But again, we still want to know when. Giving an idea of the time, Jesus said, "Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is...even at the doors" (Mat. 24:32-33). But he adds that "of that day and hour knoweth no man" (v. 36).
Yet he had (we thought) narrowed the time when he said, "This generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled" (v. 34).
In those days, followers expected Jesus to return quickly to set up his kingdom. Therefore, "this generation" fitted in with the early end of the world. But time passed without the predicted bad events, and no return of Jesus, and no kingdom on earth.
Today, interpreters have pulled the time into the present - - considered by many to be the latter or last days (of evil), the time of fulfillment of all Bible prophecies, and end-time of evil.
An early assumption in the modern era was that the "fig tree" was the nation of Israel in its founding in 1948. But after 20-year and even biblical 40-year "generations" without the "end," some moved the "fig tree" to 1967, when the Jews retook Jerusalem. That plus even 40 years is 2007 - - and now we hear that a "generation" might be a longer time-span than 40 years.
Could the "generation" and "fig tree" have other meanings?
Divine healing (with related benefits in history and today) shows God's power to destroy evil - - leading to fulfilling the Bible's main thrust, the end of all evil as in Revelation 21:4,7.
The "generation" consists of any people - - then or since - - breaking evil's control with divine power, as Jesus did and told us to do.
Thus the "generation" of overcomers can span from Jesus' time to evil's end - - and I think Jesus counted the earlier Old Testament overcomers.
Is "generation" ever used in the Bible for other than human generations? Yes, such as for a group or type, for example (of the good guys), "Ye are a chosen generation...." (I Pet. 2:9-10).
Divine power was exhibited from the OT forward, but the Israelites were nonetheless often defeated, and later, Early Christian power vanished.
However, divine power - - "tender" in earlier times and again in the modern era - - is today stronger and growing rapidly worldwide. This time all factors are in place for sustained growth and victory.
Christianity stands on the edge of its broad Overcoming Era.
"The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations" (Rev. 22:1-2)
This prophecy relates to the leaves on the trees of life on either side of the heavenly stream. Are they like the leaves of the "fig tree," which also relate to healing?
Yes, both emblemize healing.
The fig tree starts small and grows, while the trees of life lining the stream are an expanded depiction of the same thing. The purpose is, "the healing of the nations."
Israel the nation is itself a healed condition (or partly so) - - the dry bones risen, the desert blooming, as the result of many prayers over many centuries.
The ongoing biblical "This generation" is the greatest. It fought evil in all the Scriptures and since - - and will (with more development) do the followers' part of conquering all evil in conjunction with the divine.
(All who have been in the great fight of good vs. evil - - even in physical wars such as WWII - - have a part, but spiritual warfare is much more advanced, and non-destructive.)
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