Tender Branches and Leaves of a Fig Treeappear Before Summer Begins

Tender Branches and Leaves of a fig treeappear before Summer begins.

You see the signs before Summer Comes.

You see the signs before Jesus Comes.

The Parable Jesus told us to Learn

The Parable of the Fig Tree.

I am very aware that where I live that Summer is getting very close, the Sun is now rising very early and setting later. The angle of the Sun has changed, the days are getting warmer, the nights are not as cool. The birds are singing a lot earlier, I can see that the grass is getting green again, the trees and plants are shooting new leaves. Daylight saving has begun. I can smell the native flowers blossoming and I can see all the flowers. I was at a Park on Wednesday looking at all of the beautiful trees and leaves and flowers, I realise that Summer does not really begin until all the signs are seen, smelt and heard. I was very pressed by the Parable of the Fig Tree.

I have been guilty till now in not obeying the command of Jesus to His Disciples.

There is a Parable in the Gospels that Jesus told His Disciples to learn so that they may have a clear understanding about the Coming of Jesus Christ.

This Parable is found in Matthew 24:32-33, Luke 21:29-31 and Mark 13:28-29.

In Luke 21:29Jesus told his disciples aparable; Jesus starts with the following words,Beholdthe fig tree, and all the trees;When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.

Do you remember when John the Baptist was with his disciples before Jesus came? When Jesus waswalking towards them John said "Beholdthe Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world"

The reason why John said Behold is because Jesus was standing before them, this wordBehold means to Look and See. They could literally see Jesus before them.

Jesus uses the same Behold word when he begins to tell his disciples about the Parable of he Fig Tree. It was something that the disciples could see right in front of their eyes. Fig Trees and many other Trees were in front of them and around them. They were growing on the mountains and in the valleys.

I have a friend that has lived in Israel and I was talking to him about this Parable, he is not a Christian but he told me about what beautiful blossoming is seen in March and April as Summer draws near, he remembers coming from the Desert intoJerusalem, he took many photos as it was glorious. He also stated that the most beautiful colours were in this period just before Summer. Now back to Jesus telling us the Parable.

Jesus says LOOK and SEE" the Fig Tree and all of the Trees, when they are now shooting forth you SEE and KNOW for yourselves that Summer is very near.
Jesus then says, So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.

Jesus said the followingin Matthew: “Now learn a Parable of the Fig Tree; when his branch is yet tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that Summer is near.”

Jesus said to Learn the Parable NOW.

I have to confess that many years ago I read this parable of Jesus but sadly I did not do what Jesus had commanded, I did not learn the Parable at the time of my reading.

As I have tried to do so far with all of my Blogs, I have tried to place myself at the Feet of Jesus, and also I have placed myself as being the one that asked Jesus the question.

Jesus is talking Face to Face with you and also me and Jesus is saying; “David and my other disciples, I want you to NOW learn a parable of the Fig Tree. When its branch is yet tender and begins to put forth new leaves you know that Summer is very close.

I have never understood the fullness of what Jesus was saying, I have never placed myself as to be the one sitting at the feet of Jesus at that exact time that He was talking to His Disciples.

If you are interested in what I am saying and want to learn more about the parable that Jesus wants us to learn now, then please pick up your Bible and a pen and pad and continue with me.

Let us sit at the Feet of Jesus as though we were with Him back then in that exact place of Israel and at that exact Month of Nissan.

Let us now take a journey back in time and picture ourselves with Jesus in Israel, Jesus is talking to us and it is not long till Jesus was going to be killed.

Did you know that Jesus was talking to His Disciples about two days before the Passover Feast was going to begin?

Yes it is true, Jesus was talking to His Disciples privately about His Coming, All of Matthew 24 and Matthew 25 was one time that Jesus talked to His Disciples about His Coming, it was not different discussions over many days. It was a time when the Disciples were talking and listening to Jesus. When you read Matthew 24 and 25 you will see that they are mainly all Red Lettered.

Jesus was doing the Majority of the talking and the Disciples were listening.

Matthew says in Chapter 26 that Jesus had finished talking about His Coming and Jesus then says “you know that after two days the Feast of the Passover will commence and the Son of Man is going to be betrayed and crucified.

This means that Jesus was talking about the Parable of the Figtree in the Hebrew Month of Nissan. This Month of Nissan is the 3rdMonth in their year.

The First Hebrew Month Shebat which is in our usual Month of January is the Coldest Month in Israel and it has dark, gloomy days with very heavy rainfall. The Month of Shebat is the New Year for Trees.

The Second Hebrew Month Adar is usually in our month of February and it is during this Month that rainy days and sunny days alternate frequently. There is a saying that goes The Month of Adar is “the One Eyed” because it has a dark face on one side and a bright one on the other. Some will also say that the Month of Adar has no bounds and “the storms have a smell of Summer in it”

Now we come to the Month that Jesus was talking to His Disciples, it is the Third Month, the Month of Nissan, the Coldest Month is gone. The month of cold rains and sun is gone. Now we have a Month of Sunshine with heavy winds. The Month of Nissan is known as being the period of the Latter Rain, it is this Latter Rain that supplies nourishment to the Barley and Wheat Crops, it is the time just before the crops are White for Harvest.

The period of Summer is getting very close, usually as an average Summer begins around the 28thof Nissan. Jesus was actually talking to His Disciples just before Summer.It is the next Month the Month of Iyyarusually our April that the Barley Harvest begins, it is the time that the snow is melting on the peaks of the Mountains. It is the time of vegetation, the Fruit Trees are in Blossom and they are showing their young foliage, the Peach trees, the Pomegranate trees, the Olive trees, the Fig trees and many more.

Jesus was in fact telling this Parable of the Fig Tree at a time when they could totally relate to what He was saying. The Disciples could see the Fig trees from where they were standing, they could look at the trees and see the small tender branches beginning to form, and they could see the new leaves beginning to form.

There are various types of Fig Trees, there is a Fig Tree called the Summer Fig Tree and they usually drop their figs in June onwards once the Fruit is ripened.

The Bible usually speaks of Two Seasons, Winter and Summer, Jesus was talking to His Disciples as Summer was drawing near.

Jewish writings from the 4thCentury AD show that the Fig Trees were a part of their lives, the Fig Trees were a sign of Peace and also Prosperity, there was a large Fig Drying industry in that region around that time. The Seasons were a sign to mankind that God is in control; it is God that determines the times of Seasons just like God determines the Timing of the Coming of Jesus Christ.

I did a little research on the Internet and was surprised to find out on the Trip Advisor that Israel has two main seasons, Winter and Summer. The Winter is colder with showers and the Summer is hot.

Winter generally starts in October/November and ends in March.

Jesus was talking to His disciples at around the end of Winter and just as Summer was about to begin, this is what made the Parable so relevant to the Disciples, they could look around and see the physical trees starting to shoot. They could feel the temperature beginning to change.

Another thing that I found interesting is that at the end of March in Israel before the last Sunday, daylight saving begins.

Another interesting thing that I found was that when Israel became a State in 1948 they introduced what was called Summer time in Israel, this was an interesting find.

The Temperature in Israel is mainly 12 to 17 degrees Celcius from November to March and then roughly 21 to 26 degrees Celcius from March till October.

Between March and April which was the time Jesus was talking to His disciples the Temperature begins to change from an average of 15 degrees Celcius to 21 degrees Celcius. Summer was definitely approaching at the time.

So now you and I know that we are sitting with Jesus in the Month of Nissan, in Israel. Summer is near and we can see some growth on the Fig Tree, let us NOW Learn the Parable that Jesus wants us to learn.

Jesus says in Matthew 24:32 “Now Learn a parable of the Fig Tree”.

Ok Jesus what is the Parable you want us to learn?

Jesus Now tells us what the exact Parable is that He wants us to Learn.

Jesus says “When the Fig Trees branch is young and tender and these tender branches begin to grow leaves then you KNOW that Summer is near”

In Luke 21:30 Jesus says when they shoot forth, you SEE and you KNOW for yourselves that Summer is about to happen.

That is the Parable Jesus wants us to learn, have you ever gone out into your yard and looked at the trees just before summer begins?

Have you ever gone out in Spring and seen and touched the New Tender Branches and looked closely at the new leaves just starting to shoot out?

I have but I have never considered to do that when I am Learning this Parable, I am guilty.

But NOW, I am realising what Jesus is saying, we all know no matter where we live in the world that before Summer comes we will see the tender branches and the new leaves beginning to grow.

Do we walk out in the middle of Winter while it is snowing and look at the Branches and Leaves as though Summer is Near?

NO! We don’t.

Do we expect Summer to begin in the middle of Winter?

NO! We don’t.

The seasons are appointed by God and there is an order.

The Physical reality is that there are Physical signs that are seen before Summer begins.

Jesus wants us to fully understand this so that we can then understand what He states to us next.

One thing that is true in our normal life is that we do not know the exact day that Summer begins, here in Australia we have a Calendar that is divided up into 4 seasons, on our Calendar the 1st of December is listed as the 1st day of Summer. What is the difference between the 30th of November and the 1st of December?

There is no difference, man has created a Calendar and divided the 12 months by 4 seasons and declared that the 1st Day of December is the 1st Day of Summer.

If you live in the Tropics like Darwin there are only two real seasons, Summer and Winter, there is no snow.

If you live in the Southern part of Australia there is snow, there is leaves falling off of deciduous trees, the 4 seasons are more real.

We will always see the leaves forming and tender branches growing before Summer comes.

In Matthew 24:33 Jesus says “SO, LIKEWISE you,when you shall seeall these things, you KNOW that it is near, even at the Door.

The Likewise part of this means that he is now referring back to His words about all of the earthly events that he said previously in Matthew 24, this includes the Wars, Famines, Pestilences, Earthquakes,Abomination of Desolation, Great Tribulation, the End of the Great Tribulation and the signs in the Sun, Moon and Stars that are seen after the Tribulation has ended.

Jesus did not say just one of the events, Jesus did not say just three of the events, Jesus said WHEN YOU SEE ALL THESE THINGS, then you know His Coming is near and at the Door.

You know Summer is near when the Temperature changes continuously, the Weather changes, the rain changes, the winds change, the branches become tender, and the leaves begin to grow. Not just the Fig Tree but all trees.

LIKEWISE! We know that the Coming of Jesus is near when we see ALL of the signs Jesus mentioned, NOT just a few.

In Lukes account of what Jesus said in Luke 21:29 Jesus said LOOK the Fig Tree and ALL the Trees shoot forth new tender branches and leaves. It was not just the Fig Tree but all Trees.

We see the exact same thing in our lives today, we walk outside and it is not just one type of Tree that shoots leaves before Summer but All Trees.

If Jesus said all the events will be seen before He is at the Door, then it is True, Jesus said it not me.

Jesus said this in Matthew.

Mat 24:29Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

Mat 24:30And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Mat 24:31And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Jesus very clearly stated that His Coming is after the Signs are seen in the Sky which takes place after the Great Tribulation has ended.

Jesus goes on to say.

Mat 24:32Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summerisnigh:

Mat 24:33So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near,evenat the doors.

Mat 24:34Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

Mat 24:35Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Jesus makes it very clear, the Great Tribulation ends and after it ends the Signs are seen in the Sun, Moon and Stars.

All of the events taking place on the earth are like tender branches and leaves beginning to grow just before summer.

Jesus even goes on to talk about that Same Day of His Coming after the Signs are seen in their Fullness.

Mat 24:36But of that day and hour knoweth noman,no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

Jesus is not talking about a totally different Day, He is talking about the exact same Day just as He was about Summer that Comes after the branches become tender and grow new leaves.

Do you want to learn the Parable that Jesus taught?

Do you want to Understand the parable that Jesus taught?

We don’t look out the window and look at the Trees in Winter expecting Summer, therefore we should not be looking up, lifting our heads until we see all the events.

Jesus said it this way in Mark.

Mar 13:24But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,

Mar 13:25And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.

Mar 13:26And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

Mar 13:27And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.