This is a multiple fulfillment understanding of where we are on the end times timeline - Gods timeline and why many believe we are living in the end of days.
1st - We need to understand the multiple verses pertaining to the Fig Tree. There are many verses in the bible talking about the Fig Tree. Mark 11:12 - Mark 11:20-25 - Mark 13:28-30 - Luke 6:43-45 - Luke 12:6-9 - Luke 21:29-33 - John 15: 1-8.
The Verse I want us to look at is Luke 21:29-33, which reads: He told them this parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees. 30 When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. 31 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 "Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
So what does this full verse mean? It simply means that the generation that sees Israel reborn and the fig tree "put out its leaves" is the same generation that will see the completion of the Tribulation and the return of Jesus Christ (Second Coming). Remember, this verse is in the imperative mood, which means it is a command for us - not just a parable to be overlooked!
Let's break this down
- It has been investigated and assessed that the Fig Tree is Israel. When identifying that the Fig Tree = Israel sprouts leaves scholars have related this to the reformation of the state of Israel in 1948 (For more information view Prophecy Fulfilled: Israel Becomes A Nation In 1948 | The Midnight Oil).
And guess what? Israel, a country that had not really existed as a separate nation for nearly 2,500 years, was declared a new sovereign state by an act of the United Nations on May 14, 1948!
On 14th of May 1948, the state of Israel was proclaimed a nation! Since 1948, we have seen Israel put forth leaves on her tender branches both economically, military, financially and spiritually, and Israel has become a world force always on news all over the world. If the leaves of the fig tree can be said to have sprung forth in 1948, then the generation is 70 years old this year!
- It says in verse 31, when you see these things happening know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell you this generation will not pass until they see all these things happen.
- When Jesus says “this generation,” the Greek word for generation here is genea. Genea refers to a particular age or time. Combined with the statement "all these things take place," which would include all the events of the seven year Tribulation - everything that Jesus had been talking about...the birth pains (vs. 4-14). The abomination of desolation (vs15). The need to flee because of the impending dangers (vs. 16-28) and the catastrophic chaos of the universe (vs. 29), brings us to the conclusion that the generation in existence when Israel was formed will not pass away (die) before the Second Coming.
So How long is a generation?
There's another obvious question concerning this parable: how long is a generation? The length of a generation has not always been constant since the days of Adam and Eve. From the time of Adam up to today, humanity lifespan on earth has been deteriorating. The answer to this question can be found in the most significant and definitive declaration in the Bible for the life span of man which is given in Psalm 90 (Psalm 90:10). The Psalmist states that the life span of man is normally seventy years, eighty years if blessed with outstanding health: "The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they be eighty years, yet is their labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away." (Psalms 90:10) It's interesting that, even though Moses wrote Psalm 90 over 3,000 years ago, and he lived to be 120 years old, today, 70 years is almost exactly the average life expectancy of human beings worldwide. The average life span of those living today in Israel is between 70 and 80 years! It is reasonable to conclude that the generation Christ was talking about in the parable of the fig tree will also be 70 to 80 years in length. In fact, Christ’s parable of the Fig Tree in Matthew 24:32-35 and Moses’ length of a generation in Psalm 90:10 seem to go hand in hand! Labour and sorrow is figurative of the great tribulation that is soon cut off, thus Jesus ends it when He comes riding on a horse to Armageddon battle and we fly away. If we use a generation of 80 years (with years of labor and sorrow) according to Psalms 90:10, then the year for 1948 generation to be over is (1948 + 80 years): 2028. Taking into account the seven-year tribulation period, that would place the latest year for rapture and the beginning of the great tribulation to occur as (2028 – 7)
Israel's rebirth, along with recent prophetic events, are a strong indication that the generation Christ was talking about has already been born, and the return of Jesus Christ to establish His reign for a thousand years is very close at hand. Considering Israel will mark 70 years (normal life span of man) of statehood on May 14th this year, and the signs of the time are all around us, we must remain watchful and alert and continue spreading the gospel! Time is running out.
I am not attempting in any way, shape, form or fashion to set a day and hour for the return of Jesus, but I am revealing the season for His return. While the Bible says we don’t know the day or hour, it certainly says that we know the times and seasons (1 Thessalonians 5:1-10). Otherwise, what was the point of giving signs that would indicate His coming was near? The time of the "last days" that Jesus referred to, is not "in the future", and it's not "coming soon". It is here right now. Stay alert, Jesus is coming!