Starting with Moses 3,500 years ago and running through the prophets of the Old Testament, the theme of a return of Jews, who were scattered throughout the world, has been consistently and dramatically preached in the Bible. Its fulfillment had taken so long that even the most faithful servants on earth had begun to believe that its interpretation must be spiritually applied to the Church and that Israel would never again return to the land promised to them by God. But in His time and according to His perfect plan God has made it happen. It took persecutions, World War II and an awful holocaust for the Jews to migrate back. Only such catastrophic things could have ever moved an entire people to leave the security and convenience of the lives they had built for themselves in every nation of the world to converge on a tiny desert wilderness barren from centuries of neglect.

In view of the current state in Israel, history prevails on us to address the ‘fig tree” from Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21.

1. “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: Lo likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” Matt. 24.32-34
2. ”Now learn a parable of the fig tree; when her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near, So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.” Mark 13.28-29
3. ”Behold the 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 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.” Luke 21:29,30

What is this parable of the fig tree? In order to find the answer, we must go back to the Old Testament. In Jeremiah we read this;

“Then said the Lord unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah?
  And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.
  And again the word of the Lord came unto me saying, Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge, them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.
  For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again unto this land …” Jeremiah 24:3-6 

Some might ask; “What does this have to do with the current conditions of Israel now”? It is pretty clear that God is likening the nation Israel to figs. In this passage, he not only says He will scatter them, but He will gather them again to the land He gave to their fathers. There may be more but, in my own study of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, God speaks through His prophets of the scattering of Israel nine times, and twelve times of the re-gathering of the nation. The promise is also found once in Exodus and once in Amos. Is there any doubt how important this matter is to the Lord? I am convinced there are more references to this matter in the Old Testament that I haven’t taken notice of. Let me share three of the most obvious:

”But, The Lord liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.” Jer. 23:8

“Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.” Ezekiel 11:17

“And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the Lord thy God.” Amos 9:14&15

As mentioned before, three gospels make mention of Jesus’ instructions to learn the parable of the fig tree! When studying the combination of both the Old and the New Testament references to this matter, it is clear that Israel’s scattering from, and regathering to the land is what the parable spoken of by Jesus is all about.

Here we borrow a segment from Hal Lindsey’s The Late Great Planet Earth, a section he calls Perfect Parable: “When Jesus looks into the future and describes the conditions which would prevail at His coming, He puts the Jews back in the land as a nation. … The most important sign in Matthew has to be the restoration of the Jews to the land in the rebirth of Israel. Even the figure of speech ‘fig tree’ has been a historic symbol of national Israel. When the Jewish people, after nearly 2000 years of exile, under relentless persecution, became a nation again on 14 May, 1948 the fig tree put forth its first leaves.”

Jesus said that this would indicate that He was ‘at the door,’ ready to return. Then He said, “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place”. Matt. 24:34 What generation is he talking about here? Obviously, the generation that would see the signs. A generation in the Bible is traditionally forty to eighty years. Since 1948, all these prophetic wonders have taken place and it stands to reason we are in the generation spoken of in the Gospels. Three of the gospels (Matt., Mark and Luke) that mention the “fig tree sign” we find this verse; “This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled”. What things? All those things that Jesus told His disciples, and is telling us today, those signs, would signal His soon return.

Are you part of the watching generation Are you listening? Are you keeping track of Jesus’ own prophecies coming to pass daily in our presence? Have you ever studied His Words as He sat on the Mount of Olives and instructed those closest to Him whom He dearly loved? If you haven’t now is the time! Matthew, Mark and Luke!

The following is quoted from the: THE REDEMPTION PLAY: Act 5 scene 2 “The Fig Tree has Budded” by T M Smith:

In the days of Hosea and Jeremiah, just before they were overrun by the merciless empire of Babylon, God had pronounced this judgment on Israel:

“According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me. Therefore will I be unto them as a lion: as a leopard by the way will I observe them: I will meet then as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them. O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help. I will be thy king: where is any other that may save thee. (Hosea 13.6‑10)

  – and;

“For lo, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the Lord; and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.” Jer. 30.3

After two thousand years the Jews came home in 1948. After wandering, the shedding of tears, and blood, they came home. Notice the animals used in Hosea’s prophecy are the same animals that comprise “The Beast”, those beasts that trampled Israel during the time of the Gentiles. As the prophet Hosea had said, the Antichrist Empires of Babylon (lion), Greece (leopard), Persia, (bear), and Rome (the wild “beast”) had torn Israel into pieces and scattered her across the face of the earth, they had devoured and slain her, so she could know by experience that God is her only helper. All of the trespasses of the Beast upon Israel were allowed under the promise that she would eventually return home to possess the Promised Land.

The return of the Jews to Israel is the greatest single sign that the last week of Daniel’s prophecy and the reign of the Antichrist is closing in upon the world. The end of the time of the Gentiles is at hand, judgment is coming on the earth and the King of Kings is readying to set up his throne in Jerusalem, where he will rule the nations in righteousness.

The prophet Jeremiah pre‑scribed the history of the return and eventual salvation of the nation in this passage of Scripture:

“Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the Lord; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid.
  For I am with thee saith the Lord, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee: but I will correct in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.
   For thus saith the Lord, thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is grievous.
 There is none to plead thy cause, that thou mayest be bound up: thou hast no healing medicines.
   All thy lovers have forgotten thee; they seek thee not; for I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the multitude of thine iniquity; because thy sins were increased.
   Why criest thou for this affliction? thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity: because thy sins were increased I have done these things unto thee.
  Therefore all they that devour thee shall be devoured; and all thine adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; and they that spoil thee shall be a spoil, and all that prey upon thee will I give for a prey.
For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord; because they called thee an Outcast, saying,This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.
  Thus saith the Lord, behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob’s tents, and have mercy on his dwelling places; and the city shall be builded upon her own heap, and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof.
  And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry; and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few;
   I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small. Their children shall also be as aforetime, and their congregation shall be established before me, and I will punish all that oppress them.
   And their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me:
for who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me? saith the Lord. And ye shall be my people and I will be
your God.
   Behold the whirlwind of the Lord goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked.
  The fierce anger of the Lord shall not return, until he have done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it.” Jer. 30.10-24

“And he told them a parable;
  Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; when they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled”

It is vital that a man know the times in which he lives. Jesus strongly rebuked his people for knowing how to read the signs in the skies so they could forecast the weather from day to day while not being able to read the spiritual signs of the time. The Jewish nation as a whole did not know it was the time for the first coming of the Messiah because they ignored the signs of their day. Likewise today, the world and unfortunately much of the Church, ignore the signs of the second coming with a willful ignorance. (2 Pet. 3.3‑5) More than any other sign of the end, the budding and shooting forth of the nation Israel makes possible the fulfillment of all the promises to the Jews, the judgment concerning the nations, and the final rule and worship of the Beast in Jerusalem.

The prophet Jeremiah likened the nation of Israel to figs, while the Song of Solomon symbolically tells us that the coming of the Beloved One of Israel would occur when the fig tree budded and the green figs shot forth. Israel is God’s very own personally planted, watered, pruned, and purged fig tree. This is the tree from which God will reap the harvest of a redeemed nation with a pure heart toward Him. God planted the tree with the root of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; he watered it and gave it increase with David; he pruned it by captivity, and purged it through dispersion and persecution. Israel was cut to the stump after the coming, and death, and resurrection of its King. All, so the Gentiles could be grafted into the tree of life according to God’s wisdom and mercy. And now, in our day; in these End Times, we consider the fig tree’s new life.

A nation long dead is revived; Israel’s dry bones raised to life. Them bones, them bones, oh, them dry bones, from Ezekiel 37, once just a spiritual sung longingly by the black slaves of America, has literally come to pass. Israel’s rebirth serves as a constantly flashing stop sign along the prophetic way, warning all, to stop and consider: the time of the end is at hand.

Just as Hosea said, so Daniel outlined the Antichrist Progression of Empire

“According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me. Therefore will I be unto them as a lion: as a leopard by the way will I observe them: I will meet then as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them. O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help. I will be thy king: where is any other that may save thee. Hosea 13.6‑10

Babylon
was the kingdom in power when Daniel had his dream of Chapter seven. It was the most glorious of all kingdoms to come and the image of a lion standing on its legs like a man and being given the heart of a man reminding us of King Nebuchadnezzar who was made like a beast but then restored and given a heart of a man.

Persia
lay just around the corner. Symbolized by a bear the Persians would take the Babylonian possessions and make it a cohesive empire. They set up systems of governors and provinces which could be ruled from a central location. They were renowned for their ruthlessness. Thus: the picture of a bear with ribs in its mouth devouring much flesh.

Greece
In 340 B.C. Alexander the Great took a band of Greeks over the Hellespont into Asia Minor and within three short years had taken over the Persian Empire. By 332 B.C. Alexander the Great had taken over the known world. Thus: the picture of a leopard with wings. With lightning speed he had subdued the world. But upon his death at Babylon in 332 B.C. the kingdom was divided to the four winds. His generals made four separate kingdoms portrayed in the symbol of the four headed leopard.

Rome

Rome vaulted to world dominance during the last two centuries before Christ. It marched the antichrist spirit throughout the world and lived up to the prophecy of stamping the world under its feet. No nation or land could withstand the force of its will.

    Daniel’s dream has come to pass, though it took six hundred years for the first part of it to be fulfilled. Now we wait on just the last part about the ten horns of the Roman Empire and the “little horn”.

        We can take heart because Daniel’s amazing vision of the kingdoms of history has already come true, so we know the rest is shortly to come to pass also.