 to see everyone back. We are continuing our study of prophetic texts on Sunday evening combined with our future hope on Sunday mornings and combined with our study of Daniel eschatology during small groups all the intent to help us with our eschatology over the next few months. So we come now again to Matthew chapter 24 and the Lord's Olivet Discourse and beginning in verse 32 where the Lord says now learn this parable from the fig tree when its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves you know that summer is near so you also when you see all these things know that it is near at the doors assuredly I say to you this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place heaven and earth will pass away but my words will by no means pass away let's pray a father in heaven thank you Lord for the blessed privilege of studying your word together and particularly Lord this glorious text in Matthew 24 where you speak of your coming in the end of the age thank you Lord for the clarity of these words and the wisdom of them and their help to us and help us Lord live in light of them helps to be watchful help us to be discerning help us to be understanding here spirit of God that we acknowledge our weakness and we need you to help us with understanding these texts thank you amen we're in Matthew chapter 24 our text specifically verses 32 to 35 the parable of the fig tree but as the Lord begins now Matthew 24 just to sort of set the stage for us and remind us refresh our memory with respect to where we've been so far the Lord has rebuked the Pharisees he has rebuked the religious elite in Jerusalem he leaves the temple the house of God to them desolate and now he sits on the Mount of Olives outside of Jerusalem the week of his death speaking with his disciples and in Matthew chapter 24 in verse 1 the disciples looking at the buildings showing the Lord the buildings of the temple that they can see from the western slope of the Mount of Olives Jesus draws their attention in verse 2 to those buildings and he said to them do you not see all these things assuredly I say to you not one stone shall be left upon another this shall not be thrown down that was staggering a startling statement to the disciples and so it draws questions from them to the Lord and beginning in verse 3 as the Lord sat on the Mount of Olives the disciples came to him saying tell us when will these things be and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age two questions that the disciples ask of the Lord when will these things be concerning the destruction of the temple the temple mount and those buildings that they're looking at and then what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age and as we work through Matthew chapter 24 we noted that verses 4 through 14 deal with that time of tribulation that describes the time that we're in the time of the church age beginning then with the first advent of the Lord Jesus Christ and proceeding through our time even today where in verse 5 many will come in my name saying I am the Christ will deceive many you will hear of wars rumors of wars the sea that you are not troubled all these things must come to pass but the end is not yet nation will rise against nation kingdom against kingdom there will be famines pestilences and earthquakes in various places and all these things are the beginnings of sorrows or the beginnings of birth pains they're going to deliver you up to tribulation the Lord says and kill you you'll be hated by all nations for my name's sake verse 10 many will be offended they'll betray one another will hate one another many false prophets will rise up and deceive many and because lawlessness will abound the love of many will grow cold but he who endures to the end shall be shall be saved verse 14 gives us the pivotal instruction during this time our pivotal responsibility during this time when the Lord says that this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations and then the end will come this specifically references the church age our time and our responsibility to preach the gospel so we come to verse 15 we have the sign that the Lord refers to in verse 3 or the questions that the disciples ask of the Lord in verse 3 therefore the Lord says in verse 15 when you see the abomination of desolation that sign spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place whoever reads let him understand then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains let him who is on the house top not go down or take anything out of his house let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes but woe to those who are pregnant and those who are nursing babies in those days pray that your flight may not be in winter on the Sabbath for then verse 21 there will be great tribulation great tribulation such as not been since the beginning of the world until this time no nor ever shall be and unless those days were shortened no flesh would be saved but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened and here the Lord gives us an overview of that time at the end at the end prior to his coming a time of great tribulation now the intent of the Lord to this point in the Olivet discourse really is to prepare his disciples and to prepare us for what's coming right the common exhortation biblically with reference to the coming of the Lord is this expectation of watchfulness this command for us to be prepared and again I'm reminded of the connection of that instruction to the Lord's instruction to his disciples in John 16 turn to John 16 there with me actually John 15 John chapter 15 beginning in verse 18 and the Lord's intent in this is to prepare us for what's coming we see the Lord doing that in an intimate setting in the upper room with his disciples in John chapter 15 beginning in verse 18 and here the Lord tells his disciples listen if the world hates you you know that it hated me before it hated you if you were of the world world would love its own yet because you are not of the world but I chose you out of the world therefore the world hates you remember remember the Lord says the word that I said to you servant is not greater than his master if they persecuted me they will also persecute you if they kept my word they will keep yours also but all these things they will do to you for my name's sake because they do not know him who sent me look down at verse or chapter 16 verse one what's the reason the Lord has spoken these things to the disciples verse one these things I have spoken to you that you should not be made to stumble they will put you out of the synagogues yes the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God's service these things they will do to you because they have not known the father nor me but these things I have told you that when the time comes you may remember that I told you of them these things I did not say to you at the beginning because I was with you in other words the Lord is preparing his disciples for what's coming so that when these things come about they don't think in their minds right the Lord has forsaken me the Lord has abandoned me these horrible events these persecutions these difficulties the affliction that I'm facing is not an indication that the Lord has abandoned me but rather it's an indication that the Lord is in sovereign control of all things that come to pass even this affliction that I'm facing right the Lord is in sovereign control Lord is saying be watchful be ready be attentive these things will take place they will take place so be prepared for them be prepared in your heart be prepared in your mind don't be troubled and don't be made to stumble I'm telling you beforehand this is what is coming to pass this is what's going to happen right with the discussion on the Mount of Olives with his disciples essentially the intention of the Lord is the same right preparing his disciples for what is coming the content or the consistent message of the New Testament with respect to end times with respect to eschatology specifically with respect to this age of tribulation in which we now live for us to be watchful for us to be prepared for us to put our faith and trust in the Lord and not to swerve not to take a step for the right or the left right but to follow him let not your heart be troubled brother sister right the Lord is in control so he tells us this to prepare us for what's coming now we have the Lord's instruction in verse 20 and chapter 24 Matthew 24 with respect to his coming and of the end of the age and as we come now to the parable of a fig tree beginning in verse 32 we have a summary parable if you will for the discussion that's taken place on the Mount of Olives between his disciples and himself right it summarizes the conversation that's taken place and the overall message the overall intent of the parable is that you and I would watch that we would be watchful that we would understand the times that we would not waver that we wouldn't falter but that we would continue following the Lord continuing trusting the Lord even when these difficult circumstances come upon us now as we come to the parable it's important for us to remember altogether the purpose of the parables and the Lord gives us that in Matthew chapter 13 turn to Matthew 13 with me Matthew chapter 13 as the Lord is speaking in parables the disciples come to the Lord in verse 10 Matthew 13 verse 10 and they essentially ask the Lord why do you speak to them why do you teach them why do you instruct them in parables and so in Matthew chapter 13 verse 11 the Lord answers and says to them because I speak to them in parables because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven but to them it has not been given for whoever has to him more will be given and he will have an abundance but whoever does not have even what he has will be taken away from him therefore I speak to them in parables because seeing they do not see and hearing they do not hear nor do they understand and in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled which says hearing you will hear and shall not understand seeing you will see and not perceive for the hearts of this people have grown dull their ears are hard of hearing their eyes they have closed less they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears less they should understand with their hearts and turn so that I should heal them but the Lord says right in verse 16 but blessed are your eyes for your eyes see and your ears they hear for assuredly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desire to see what you see and did not see it and to hear what you hear and did not hear it so as the Lord speaks to them in parables he does so essentially here with two purposes even in Matthew 24 verses 32 to 35 with respect to the parable of the fig tree he preaches this parable essentially with two reasons one parables were for helping the disciples to understand an important truth to reveal an important truth but secondly their design the parable their design to conceal important truths from the deaf and blind so I have to ask the question upfront do your ears hear do your eyes see do you perceive hear this parable is for God's people to perceive what the Lord is saying with respect to his coming in the end of the age right this parable given to reveal truth here to the disciples of the Lord as they sit together on the Mount of Olives specifically in our text that truth concerning the end of the age now in our text verses 32 to 35 the Lord Jesus Christ is still answering their questions from chapter 24 verse 3 specifically when will these things be and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age and so the Lord then in answering your questions and bringing a summary of their conversation to this point he commands his disciples with an imperative a command in verse 32 the Lord says now learn this parable from the fig tree learn this lesson right it's important to understand this pay attention get this he says i'm going to give you an example from our context that you can clearly understand i'm going to give you a word picture i'm going to give you an analogy or a metaphor so to speak that will make complete sense to you if you apply it rightly and then i want you to apply that clear sense apply that clear meaning to our discussion regarding the sign of my coming and the end of the age were to take the analogy to take the word picture and apply its understanding to what the Lord has taught regarding his all of that discourse the end of the age and his coming in matthew 24 right learn this parable from the fig tree but he would have well understood fig trees unlike many of us today i know nothing about fig trees other than what i can read on wikipedia right and that's about it and that was earlier in the week how they grow the conditions in which they grow many of us know nothing about them in that respect but the disciples knew a lot about them they knew a lot about fig trees it was a staple crop in israel during the first century they know when the parent when the fig tree blossoms when the fig tree produces fruit they know the conditions under which the fig tree produces fruit they know what they need to do to the fig tree to get it to produce fruit they knew a lot about fig trees this would have been extremely common to them it would have been a clear metaphor a clear analogy that they would have well understood so the Lord says them in verse 32 there at the end considering the fig tree when its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves you know that summer is near when its branches already become tender and puts forth leaves you know that summer is near now based upon the very common observation at that time that the twigs or the branches of the fig tree get tender as they fill with sap just before summer and based upon the trees newly budding leaves you know disciples you know that summer is near that tenderizing of those branches filled with sap the budding of the fig tree the leaves coming in was clear and irrefutable in arguably connected to that tree soon to produce fruit and the coming of summer the coming of summer you know that summer is near seeing a fig tree in that connect in that condition would raise expectations of summer where there would be soon ripe figs on the tree a time when there would be an expectation of a harvest of figs a harvest of figs right when you see its branch has already become tender and put forth leaves you know that summer is near look at verse 33 so you also here's the analogy right here's the connection just in the same way that you understand that from the fig tree so you also when you see all these things know that it is near at the doors know that it is near at the doors now the first question we have to ask them in verse 33 so what is the Lord referring to by it right know that it is near by considering the parable of the fig tree is a sort of summary if you will a summary parable that the Lord's discussion with his disciples about his return and about the end of the age it in this context is referring to the perugia the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ right the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ when you see all these things Christ coming is near Christ coming is at the very doors right the next question then we're looking at verse 33 and we want to understand the connection of the parable to what the Lord is teaching the next question we have to ask of our text in verse 33 is then what does the Lord mean by all these things all these things the statement there that statement all these things doesn't make sense if the Lord is referring to verses 29 through 31 when he's describing his own coming right it doesn't make sense when you see the month of the son of man appear you know that the son of man is near it rhymes but it doesn't make sense to interpret it that way right it's illogical when you see the son of man appear you know that the son of man is near now it doesn't apply to verses 29 to 31 it applies to the verses that precede that considering again that this is a summary parable wrapping up or summarizing this conversation that the Lord is having with his disciples it's best to see all these things in verse 33 as referring to those events or circumstances described by verses 4 through 28 by verses 4 through 28 those events that begin with a time of tribulation right a time like birth pains that increase in frequency that increase in severity ending in a time of great tribulation where in verse 15 you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet right where in verse 24 you see false christ and false prophets rise and show great signs and wonders then know when you see all of these things from verse 4 through verse 28 you know that the son of man is near at the very doors at the very doors right at first note this with me this does not mean that the signs of the great tribulation given in verses 15 to 28 can point the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ right you can't take out your calendar or your abacus or your computer and figure out from the signs given verses 15 to 28 exactly when the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is although we may observe the signs given and we in this generation may observe the signs given look at the reality of verse 36 verse 36 says of that day in our no one knows not even the angels of heaven but my father only that hasn't stopped people in history from guessing right and they're since they're they're believing they're presenting facts in many cases that doesn't give them cause to sit or pause from making their speculations about this time but verse 36 is clear of that day and hour no one knows not even the angels of heaven but my father only secondly it also doesn't mean that the nearness of the son of man can only mean a doctrine of immanency in other words that the return of Christ is the very next thing on the prophetic calendar doesn't necessarily mean a doctrine of immanency either all these things and the nearness of the son of man described as at the doors does not necessarily lead to a doctrine of immanency but a doctrine of expectancy right the new testament frequently refers to being expectant to be watchful to be ready that it could come at any time to be watchful right we are to be on the watch with the expectation that the coming of jesus christ is near is near and that expectation has been the case since the first century right since the lord was having this conversation with his disciples once the lord departed from them by means of the cross and ascended to his father the expectation is that he will soon return look over at philippians chapter four with me philippians chapter four we see this in a subtle way presented by paul in philippians chapter four look with me at verse four right since the first century there's been an expectation a doctrine of expectancy so to speak an attitude of expectancy that the lord would soon return philippians chapter four look at verse four paul says rejoice in the lord always again i will say rejoice let your gentleness be known to all men the lord is at hand same word there right same word as at the doors in matthew 24 same word at hand we see that throughout the new testament this expectancy this attitude of expectancy with respect to the lord's return now speaking back in matthew 24 speaking of an attitude of expectancy and what is to be expected as the return of the lord jesus christ i want you to notice something else with me about the parable of the fig tree look at verse 32 matthew 24 verse 32 now learn this parable from the fig tree when its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves you know that summer is near so you also when you see all these things know it that it the coming of the lord is near at the doors the lord is at hand when the fig tree puts forth leaves you know that summer is near what takes place for fig trees immediately or shortly after summer what takes place is the harvest figs are harvested harvest in the bible is often associated with judgment judgment specifically at the end of the age turn back with me to matthew matthew chapter 13 matthew chapter 13 harvest often associated in the bible with judgment or the end of the age if you look at matthew chapter 13 and drop down to verse 36 13 36 so then jesus in verse 36 sent the multitude away and went into the house and his disciples came to him saying explain to us the parable of the tears of the field he answered and said to them he who sows the good seed is the son of man the field is the world the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom but the tears are the sons of the wicked one the enemy who sowed them is the devil the harvest is the end of the age and the reapers are the angels therefore as the tears are gathered and burned in the fire so it will be at the end of this age the son of man will send out his angels they will gather out of his kingdom all things that offend and those who practice lawlessness and will cast them into the furnace of fire there will be wailing and mashing of teeth and then the righteous will shine forth as the son and the kingdom of their father he who has ears to hear let him hear look over at mark chapter four mark chapter four and again we see the same connection here between harvest and the end of the age or harvest and judgment mark chapter four look at verse 26 and the Lord said in verse 26 the kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground and should sleep by night and rise by day and the seed should sprout and grow he himself does not know how for the earth yields crops by itself first the blade then the head after that the full grain in the head but when the grain ripens immediately he puts in the sickle because the harvest has come and a parable of the kingdom look at revelation chapter 14 revelation chapter 14 again same connection made here now at the end of the age revelation 14 look at verse 6 revelation 14 verse 6 then i saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth to every tribe nation tongue and people staying with a loud voice fear god and give glory to him for the judgment has come and worship him who made heaven and earth the sea and springs of water and another angel followed saying Babylon is fallen is fallen that great city because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication and then a third angel followed them saying with a loud the beast and his image and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of god which is poured out full strength into the cup of his indignation he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the lamb and the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever and they have no rest day or night who worship the beast and his image and whoever receives the mark of his name here is the patience of the saints here are those who keep the commandments of god and the faith of jesus and i heard a voice from heaven saying to me right blessed are the dead who die in the lord from now on yes says the spirit so they may rest from their labors and their works follow them and i looked and behold a white cloud and on the cloud sat one like the son of man having on his head a golden crown and in his hand a sharp sickle right we see that sickle in mark chapter four this is an instrument of harvest right an instrument in this case of judgment another crying in verse 15 came out of the temple crying with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud thrust in your sickle and reap for the time has come for you to reap for the harvest of the earth is ripe so he who sat on the cloud cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth and the earth was reaped so this use of the sickle this connection of the harvest to judgment jude describes it this way he says behold when the lord comes the lord comes with 10 thousands of his saints to execute judgment on all to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him this connection right to the parable of the fig tree that will be setting up or setting the stage for what follows in matthew 24 regarding a judgment text there on the mount of olives the lord jesus christ speaks to them of judgment in verses 36 through 44 just sets the stage sets the stage for that furthermore if you look at our parable verse 34 the lord continues he says assuredly now assuredly i say to you he emphasizes the importance of what he's about to say assuredly i say to you verse 34 this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place now this generation it's given commentators trouble given me trouble has given us trouble understanding exactly what's meant here there's several different options that can be taken with respect to its interpretation this generation will by no means pass away until all these things take place one option is this it means the disciples generation right the generation in which those disciples are living that generation alive at that time would not pass away until all these things and again the reference to all these things versus 4 through verse 28 verse 4 through verse 28 all these things will by no means this generation will by no means pass away until all these things take place that gives us difficulty it gives me difficulty because all the events described in verses 15 through 28 have not taken place yet right the abomination of desolation has not taken place yet the greatest of all periods of tribulation verse 21 that one is still future right cosmic suns and the coming of the son of man have not taken place yet right if you take this interpretation you're essentially pressured to take a purely spiritualized interpretation of those events specifically in verses 15 to 28 it doesn't seem to me to be the most acceptable view of the text right second possibility is this this generation verse 34 is used to describe the entire period of the church the church age from the first coming of the lord jesus christ to his second coming and the weight of this argument being the use of the word generation for extended time periods principally in the old testament where this generation is used to describe the generation of the flood or the generation of the wilderness and again a compelling argument but often in the old testament when generations are used that word is used it's used in the plural to refer to multiple generations not in the singular it just doesn't seem to match up well with what the lord is saying in verse 34 matthew chapter 24 34 in that case would be describing then the generation of the church or the generation of the church age in this generation of the church will not pass away until all of these things take place compelling argument but it just doesn't seem to carry the most weight a third possible interpretation of several seems most plausible to me and that's this when the lord says this generation in verse 34 it simply refers to those people alive at the time that the fig tree begins putting forth leaves right the generation that is alive when they see the leaves budding the generation that sees the abomination of desolation the generation that witnesses the signs and wonders of false christ and false prophets in other words that generation or the generation that witnesses all those things will not pass away until it all comes to pass right this generation will by no means pass away until all these things take place all these things again the coming of the son of man the end of the age the gathering together of his elect and the glorious consummation of all these things right that generation when they begin to see those signs that generation alive at that time will not pass away until all of those events take place in other words what's being communicated here is that it's a short time right when that's fine the abomination of desolation is seen in Matthew 24 verse 15 from the time you see the sign of the abomination of desolation in verse 15 it's a short time before the coming of man right before you see the lord jesus christ coming in the clouds of heaven that generation alive at that time won't pass away before all those events all these things come to pass so an answer then to the disciples question concerning when he will come and when will be the end of the age jesus says that it will happen very soon after those signs are witnessed before the generation that sees them passes away the generation alive when these last signs occur do not have to wait long before the lord returns right verse 34 then assuredly i say to you this generation the generation that sees all these things will by no means pass away till all these things take place meaning the time in which all these things takes place is short they take place in the rapid fire progression something we'd expect right considering verse 22 the lord says in verse 22 that unless those days were shortened no flesh would be saved they are shortened right shortened such that the generation alive at that time will not pass away until all those things take place but for the elect sake the lord says those days will be shortened shortened to the degree that that generation will see them in other words it's a again fueling a doctrine or an attitude of expectancy of expectancy the generation that witnesses those things may be the generation that is alive now i tend to think so maybe the generation that's alive now it fuels an attitude of expectancy an attitude of watchfulness the lord then ends his brief parable in synopsis the summary with words referring to the authority and the veracity and a permanence of his everlasting word in verse 35 heaven and earth will pass away but my words will by no means pass away and the grass withers withers the flower fades but the word of our god stands forever watchfulness watchfulness what's important for us to remember watchfulness be ready let not your heart be troubled when you face persecution be ready don't sleep while your master tarries be watchful be ready be about the lord's work this is going to fuel or add to our interpretation of verses 36 to 44 of that day and hour the lord says no one knows not even the angels of heaven but my father only as the days of noah were so also will the coming of the son of man be present the days before the flood they were eating and drinking marrying and giving and marriage until the day that noah entered the ark and did not know until the flood came and took them all away so also will the coming of the son of man be then two men will be in the field one will be taken the other left two women will be grinding at the mill one will be taken and the other left watch therefore for you do not know what hour your lord is coming but know this that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into therefore you also be ready for the son of man is coming in an hour you do not expect who then is a faithful and wise servant who his master has made ruler over his household to give them food and do season blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes will find so doing assuredly I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods but if that evil servant says in his heart my master is delaying his coming and begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with the drunkards master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of and will cut him into and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth and such will be the fate of all those outside of the Lord Jesus Christ right cut into an apportioned place in torment a place in hell with the hypocrites whether it be weeping and gnashing of teeth your outside of Christ turn from your sin and put your faith and trust in him right for brothers and sisters God's people be watchful be about the Lord's work and let's glory and revel and looking forward to our glorious appearing of our great God and Savior the Lord Jesus Christ amen amen let's pray father in heaven or thank you for this exhortation God thank you for these commands thank you for this clear picture this clear analogy of the fig tree that help us Lord to live with expectancy of your soon return help us to be watchful help us to live for you fervently during this time preaching the gospel preaching the gospel such that when you come and gather your elect from the four corners of the earth you will receive the full reward of your suffering and be glorified you'll be praised and worshiped for all eternity to the great joy rejoicing of your people we look forward with great anticipation to that day thank you Lord for this time together and study of your word in Jesus name amen