Mark 13:28-31

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TALKS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS

The Parable of the Fig Tree

BACKGROUND NOTES



DOCTRINAL POINT(S)

  1. The return of Israel is not a coincidence.

  2. The duration of the Jewish people is not a coincidence.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

  1. Why not make a better investment of your time and money?

QUESTIONS

  1. State the two categories of the signs given in the Olivet Discourse.

  2. List the events that characterize each of these signs.

  3. What is the difference between a parable and an illustration?

  4. Explain the parable of the fig tree.

  5. Why did Jesus curse the fig tree?

  6. When was the nation of Israel set aside? When was Israel reborn as a nation?

  7. Is the return of Jews to Israel just a coincidence? Is the duration of the Jewish people just a coincidence?

ANSWERS

  1. General and specific

  2. General signs characterize the times from the first century to the Second Coming of Christ. Specific signs immediately precede Christ's return.

  3. A parable is more than an illustration. Items in a parable are representative.

  4. The fig tree represents the nation of Israel, and the Lord indicates that we need to keep our eyes on Israel for future events to unfold. When Israel begins to get active again as a nation, then we will know that we are getting near the end times (just as you know summer is coming when the leaves of the fig tree are put forth).

  5. It was a dramatization of God's dealing with the nation Israel.

  6. When it was overrun by the Romans in 70 A.D., and the temple was destroyed. In 1948, Israel was reborn as a nation, after a long winter of almost 2,000 years.

  7. No, the Lord predicted this, particularly in the parable of the fig tree. The Lord's return cannot be far off, because Israel once again is a nation (the fig tree putting forth leaves). No, the duration of the Jewish people is evidence of the eternal authority and accuracy of the word of God. Throughout their history, they have been persecuted and scattered, but they have endured. Down through the centuries, the Jewish race has continued to exist while other nations have perished. Some leaders, like Hitler, tried to exterminate the Jews, but the race has continued because of God's protection and plan.

DISCUSS/CONSIDER

  1. Re-read the parable of the fig tree, and try to understand more fully the importance of this to us today.

  2. Recount the recent history and happenings in Israel in light of prophecies concerning the nation Israel.

CHALLENGE

  1. Counsel yourself concerning the expenditure of your time, money and energy in light of the imminence of the end times.

KEY VERSES

  • "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away." (Mark 13:31)



Mark, Talks, New TestamentDeb HarmsMark 13:28-31