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Author: Stephen Weller
516 words, 3 minutes read time

The Parable of the Fig Tree

Scripture: Matthew 24:32; Luke 21:29-31

With the previous lesson we struggled through some difficult verses on the arrival of the Son of Man. With this lesson we will begin the parable of the fig tree and its relationship to the end time.

^{Lk 21:29} And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. M^{t 24:32} As soon as its branch becomes tender, ^{Lk 21:30} and as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. ³¹ So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near, ^{Mt 24:33} and that he is near, at the very gates.

A parable is a simple story that is based on something real, in this case a fig tree, used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson. Jesus directs their attention to the fig tree, and all trees, which are included in only the Luke account and asks them to think about the season of the year when the branches become tender and begin to come out in leaf. When that happens, you know that summer is near.

Jesus is using the event of leaves forming on branches to indicate a future event; the coming of summer. Then in verse 31, we come to the analogy with the words “So also, when you see these things taking place.” “These things taking place” with the fig tree was the event of leaves forming. The parallel event of “these things taking place” are the signs of verses 25 and 26. The formation of leaves on the fig tree indicates the coming of summer, while the signs of verses 25 and 26 indicates the soon return of the Son of Man; that the kingdom of God is near, at the very gates.

In the ESV translation of the New Testament “kingdom of God” occurs 67 times. It is something we are to seek (Matthew 6:33), it is a difficult place for some to enter (Matthew 19:24), it is at hand and requires one to repent and believe in the gospel to enter (Mark 1:15), child-like faith is required to enter (Mark 10:15), there are secrets associated with it that only believers can know (Luke 8:10), we are to go and proclaim it (Luke 9:60), it will be a place of blessing for those who will eat bread there (Luke 14:15), a requirement to enter is to be born again (John 3:3, 5), through many tribulations we must enter it (Acts 14:22), it does not consist in talk but in power (1 Corinthians 4:20), the unrighteous will not inherit it (1 Corinthians 6:9), and only the imperishable will enter (1 Corinthians 15:50). These are some examples of its usage.

Conclusion

Just as the formation of leaves on the fig tree indicates that summer is near, so do the signs recorded in Luke 21:25 and 26 indicate the soon return of the Son of Man.