Did Jesus say that the generation that sees Israel become a nation again (i.e. in 1948) will not pass away until they witness His second coming?
In Matthew 24, the disciples of Jesus asked Him, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen (i.e. when the Jewish temple will be utterly destroyed), and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3). Jesus proceeded to answer their questions in the verse following, and gave them very specific signs that will precede His coming and will also mark the end of the age (Matthew 24:4-31). After giving them these details, Jesus added this: “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” (Matthew 24:32). This same account is also recorded in Mark 13 and Luke 21, and in Luke’s account we are shown the full extent of what Jesus said. The parable wasn’t just about the fig tree but all other trees as well: “Then He told them a parable: ‘Behold the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they put forth leaves, you see it and know for yourselves that summer is now near’”(Luke 21:29-30).
If Jesus had left this parable with no interpretation, then we could come up with our own suggestions or opinions as to what the elements of the parable represent and what the entire parable means. The confusion would then be that because some words in the Bible have more than one unique meaning or application, different people can come up with entirely different meanings/applications for the elements in the parable based on their preference, and can therefore make the parable mean whatever they want it to mean based on their preferred narrative. But this confusion is totally cleared, when Jesus Himself tells us exactly what He means. And once He does that, we are forbidden to add to or take away from His words: “Every word of God is flawless…Do not add to His words, or He will rebuke you and prove you a liar” (Proverbs 30:5-6). See also Revelation 22:18-19.
Even so, concerning the parables of Jesus, this is what the Bible says:“and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples”. True to this Scripture, we find Jesus explaining this parable and how it must be applied to His disciples right after He gave it: “Then He told them a parable: “Behold the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they put forth leaves, you see it and know for yourselves that summer is now near; so you also, when you see these things happening (or when you see all these things) recognize that the kingdom of God is near (or Jesus is near, right at the door). “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place” (Luke 31:29-32; See also Matthew 24:32-34). In Jesus’ own words, just as putting forth leaves by the fig tree and all the other trees obviously and naturally indicates that summer is coming, so also when we witness all the signs He said will precede His coming (See Matthew 24:4-31), we should know that His coming is indeed very near. In other words, according to Jesus, the fig tree and all the other trees putting forth leaves represent all the signs He said will lead to His coming. And summer in the parable also represent His coming. The key application of this parable was also to get us to look, not just for a single or some random or some new sign, but all the very specific signs Jesus had just told them will precede His coming (see Matthew 24:4-31).
By this, Jesus also affirmed that there will be a group of people that will see all the signs He said will precede His coming; and when those people (or generation in existence at the time) see all those signs, they should know that He is right at the door (Matthew 24:33; see also Luke 21:31). He immediately followed this statement by saying, “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place” (Matthew 24:34; see also Luke 21:32)”. Which specific generation was Jesus referring to? He indicated that in the preceding verse: ‘those group of people or the generation that will see all the signs He had talked about” (Matthew 24:33;Luke 21:31). So, in Jesus words, the generation that sees all the signs He mentioned should not just know that He is right at the door but will also not pass away until they see everything He had talked to them about, which included His second coming. In other words, all the end-time signs will be fulfilled in one generation. Those who see the beginning of the (actual) end time signs (i.e. the opening of the first seal – Revelation 6) will also witness His coming. Interestingly, in the words of Jesus, the signs He gave (i.e Matthew 24:4-29) were to precede His specific coming, where He will appear by Himself in the clouds of the air (not on a white horse) after the great tribulation, and His saints who will be on earth will be gathered from earth to Him in the air (not descend with Him from heaven on white horses), and at that time there will be angels and a great trumpet involved (Matthew 24:29-31). Paul quoted Matthew 24:29-31 almost verbatim, referring to that as the time when faithful believers will be caught up or raptured to meet Jesus in the air at His coming (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
However, the very interpretation and application Jesus Himself gave for His parable has been ignored. And the fig tree putting forth its leaves has been made to represent Israel becoming a nation in 1948. Consequently, the whole parable has been interpreted to mean that the generation that saw Israel become a nation in 1948 will not pass away until they see Jesus’ second coming. However, this interpretation largely contradicts the very interpretation Jesus’ Himself gave on many levels.
First of all, in the words of Jesus, the application of His parable was for us to consider not just a single sign, but all the signs He had previously mentioned. However, this other contrary interpretation ignores Jesus’ application of His parable and reduces the entire meaning and application of the parable to just looking at only a single sign; a sign which is not even mentioned in the list of signs Jesus gave to precede His coming. Jesus never listed Israel becoming a nation as one of the signs to precede His coming, and the interpretation He Himself gave for His parable makes no mention of Israel becoming a nation. Rather, the signs He gave included wars and rumours of wars, pestilences, earthquakes, famines, intense persecution and the great tribulation (see Matthew 24:4-31). Secondly, Jesus’ parable did not just refer to the fig tree putting forth leaves but all trees doing same. Therefore if we claim that the fig tree putting forth leaves is Israel becoming a nation again, then obviously, “all trees putting forth leaves” in the same parable must also represent “all nations becoming nations again”. Thus, it is not only Israel that must become a nation again but all nations as well—and the generation that sees both “Israel” and “all other nations” become nations again will not pass away until they witness Jesus’ coming. In 1948, all nations did not become nations again like Israel did. Thus, even if we ignore the very meaning Jesus gave for His parable and randomly interpret “putting forth leaves” as “becoming a nation again”, then 1948 cannot be the year to look at since in that year all the existing nations or nations that had existed prior did not become nations again. Thirdly, the fact that we can see the people of Israel metaphorically referred to as figs on a fig tree (e.g. Hosea 9:10) does not mean that every time we see a fig tree in the Bible, that has to definitely represent the nation of Israel. Fig tree in the Bible also refer to the natural plant, fig tree. For example in Mark 11, Jesus cursed a fig tree, saying “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” (Mark 11:14). This was an actual tree Jesus cursed. Moreover, according to the Scriptures, this fig tree can never metaphorically refer to Israel. This is because whereas no one was ever to eat from this fig tree again and so this fig tree died and ceased to exist forever, the Bible says that God Himself will remove ungodliness from Israel in these last days, and all Israel will be saved (Romans 11). And Jerusalem will become a glorious land from where Jesus will rule over all the earth at His second coming, and all nations will go to Israel yearly to Jesus to celebrate the feasts of booth (See Zechariah chapters 12-14). Thus, whenever, we see “fig tree” appear in the Bible, the context must tell us exactly what it means, not we ascribing our preferred meaning to it. For example, fire in the Bible has been associated with the “Holy Spirit”, (Acts 2:1-4). Jesus also used fire in one of his parables and explained it to mean an actual fiery furnace where all the children of disobedience will be kept forever (Matthew 13:24-30 and Mathew 13: 36-43). Therefore, we are in error when we see the “fire” associated with all sons of disobedience (e.g. Matthew 13:36-43, Revelation 14:9-12, Revelation 20:15), and claim that this is the fire of the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 2:1-4). Similarly, we are in error when we neglect context and claim every fig tree in the Bible has to definitely represent Israel. Fourthly, on what biblical grounds or Scripture, do we claim that “putting forth leaves” mean becoming a nation again? We cannot randomly assign meanings to biblical words, or force biblical words and phrases to correspond to current events. Of a truth, Scriptural text have deeper meanings associated with them. However, these deep meanings are not random. They are also not based on what appeals to us individually or logically while contradicting the entire biblical context. Israel becoming a nation in 1948 was indeed a glorious miracle which, I believe, can be linked to biblical prophecy. However, as shown above, Jesus neither listed this as one of the signs of His coming. Nor did he interpret “the fig tree and all other trees putting forth leaves” to mean all Israel and all other nations becoming nations again—events which have not happened yet, not in 1948 or 1967 (when Jerusalem was reunified under Israel following the six-day war).
When we look at the life of the Apostle Paul, he did not rule out the possibility that the rapture, also referred to in Scripture as the second coming of Jesus (Matthew 24:39-31, 1 Thess 4:13-18, Hebrews 9:28) could happen in His day (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52). This was something he looked forward to (1 Corinthians 16:22, Titus 2:13). This is the perspective every generation should have since Jesus noted that His end-time message was not just for his twelve disciples but for all of us to watch for His coming (Mark 13:37). However, although Paul expected the rapture or Jesus’ second coming in His day, we don’t find him preaching that Israel had to become a nation before he and his generation could qualify to witness the Lord’s coming. Obviously, Israel becoming a nation was not even an end-time sign he and those in his day could preach since Israel was a nation then, and they looked for the Lord’s return even at that time. Most especially, Jesus never mentioned Israel becoming a nation again as part of the end-time signs. Thus, compared to the scriptures, this sign of Israel becoming a nation in 1948 is a very recent end-time sign men have added to the list of signs Jesus’ gave to precede His coming. Meanwhile we are warned not to add to the words of Scripture lest God proves us liars (see Proverbs 30:5-6).
Jesus admonished that we should take heed to both how and what we hear/read because these two influence whether we will increase in true understanding or go deeper in error till we become void of understanding (see Luke 8:18, Mark 4:24). Thus, we are admonished to stick with exactly what the Scripture says, not adding to it or taking away from it (Proverbs 30:5-6, Revelation 22:18-19). Even so, if we stick with the totality of what Jesus exactly said in his end-time parable, I believe there is no way we can simply focus on just the “fig tree” and ignore “all the other trees” and come up with a conclusion that the generation that saw Israel become a nation in 1948 is the generation that will witness the Lord’s coming. As per Jesus instruction in Mark 13:37, I believe every generation that has and will exist after Jesus ascension to heaven is a candidate to witness His return. Thus, even if Jesus returns 40-120 years from 1948 or 1967, I don’t believe that biblically justifies the erroneous interpretation of the fig tree prophecy.
This doctrine of “Israel becoming a nation in 1948 representing the final generation” has been a common theme associated with the pre-tribulation rapture doctrine. Those who may have thought this generation should be 40 (Numbers 32:13) or 70 (Psalm 90:10) years from 1948 have already failed in their predictions. Others may be waiting for 80 to 100 or 120 years (Psalm 90:10, Genesis 15:13-16, Gensis 6:3) from 1948 or 1967 before they may be convinced that they misinterpreted the fig tree parable. But, if we have not stuck with exactly what Jesus said but have come up with interpretations that ignores and contradicts Jesus interpretation of His own parable (e.g. Luke 21:29-32), then how much of our end-times understanding has been based not on what the Scriptures say, but what we have made it out to be? For while, Jesus actually noted that the generation that sees the great tribulation will also witness His second coming (Mathew 24:29-31), some or all believers in the pre-tribulation rapture have substituted the “great tribulation” with “Israel becoming a nation in 1948”. This is an error, and will unfortunately deceive many, who will be left unprepared, thinking that they were to escape the great tribulation through the rapture.
Let us therefore heed the words of Christ and be careful not just what we hear but how we hear or read (Luke 8:18, Mark 4:24) lest we be deceived.
Kwadwo Omari, PhD
July 27, 2022