Commentary on the Four Gospel Books
The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ
G137 The Parable of the Fig Tree
and the Coming of the Lord Jesus to Receive the Church
Matthew 24:32–36; Mark 13:28–32; Luke 21:29–33

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All Scriptures quoted in this article are from the New King James Version (NKJV), unless otherwise noted (https://www.biblestudytools.com/nkjv/).

Matthew 24:32-36

32 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.

33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near–at the doors!

34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.

35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.

Mark 13:28-32

28 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.

29 So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near–at the doors!

30 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.

31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

32 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Luke 21:29-33

29 Then He spoke to them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees.

30 When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near.

31 So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.

32 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.

33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

Let us imagine the disciples sitting beside the Lord Jesus on the slope of the Mount of Olives in the final days before He would suffer death. The disciples pointed to the magnificent Temple and asked, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3).

The Lord Jesus answered His disciples in a loving and very clear way. According to the record of the Apostle Matthew, He prophesied about the destruction of the Temple (Matthew 24:2 — fulfilled in the year 70), about the birth pains signaling the final days of human self-rule (24:4–8), about how during that time God’s people would be persecuted and the Gospel would be preached to all nations (24:9–14), about the Antichrist attacking Israel in the latter half of the End Times and defiling the Temple (24:15–22), about false Christs and false prophets appearing at that time (24:23–28), and about terrifying celestial signs before His glorious return to the earth to destroy the Antichrist and those who follow him and to establish the Millennial Kingdom (24:29–31).

Right after that, the Lord Jesus used an image very familiar to the people of Israel to help them (and us today) recognize that the “final time frame” is approaching. That is the parable of the fig tree. This is not a vague teaching but a gentle yet urgent reminder: observe the signs, stay watchful, and be ready for His coming—especially His coming to take the Church out of the world before the End Times.

Matthew 24:32

32 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.

Mark 13:28

28 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.

Luke 21:29-30

29 Then He spoke to them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees.

30 When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near.

Let us imagine the Lord Jesus pointing to a fig tree nearby as He spoke about the parable of the fig tree.

In the land of Canaan, the fig tree sheds its leaves in winter and puts forth tender shoots and leaves in the spring. This is a sure sign that summer (the harvest season) is near.

In the Old Testament, the fig tree often symbolizes the people of Israel:

• A green fig tree, full of fruit: represents the people of Israel who are faithful and blessed (Hosea 9:10; Jeremiah 24:1–10).
• A withered fig tree, without fruit: represents the people of Israel under judgment because of disobedience to God (Jeremiah 8:13; Joel 1:7; Amos 4:9).
• Sitting under the fig tree: represents peace in the time of the Messiah, filled with blessing (Micah 4:4; 1 Kings 4:25; Zechariah 3:10).

The Lord Jesus once cursed a fig tree that bore no fruit (Matthew 21:18–19; Mark 11:12–14). That fig tree was a picture of the people of Israel at that time, hardened in heart, leading to the judgment in the year 70.

We may understand that the image of the tender branch putting forth leaves represents the remarkable restoration of the nation of Israel after 2,533 years of exile:

• On May 14, 1948, the modern nation of Israel was reestablished. This is the fig tree being “planted again” in the Promised Land of Canaan.
• On June 7, 1967, during the Six-Day War, Israel regained full control of Jerusalem. This is the fig tree “budding” vigorously.

These two historical events are clear signs that “summer,” that is, the final time frame, is very near.

We notice that Matthew and Mark both record “the fig tree,” but Luke records: “the fig tree, and all the trees.”

It may be that the words of the Lord Jesus originally included “and all the trees,” but Matthew and Mark recorded only “the fig tree” to emphasize its symbolism for the people of Israel, while Luke recorded the saying in full.

It is also possible that the original statement of the Lord Jesus did not include “and all the trees,” but the Holy Spirit inspired Luke to add the explanation “and all the trees,” making it more suitable for his Greek audience, who were less familiar with the fig tree, helping them better understand the parable.

In either case, all Scripture is the Word of God: the words spoken directly by God, the Father, and by the Lord Jesus and the words inspired by the Holy Spirit for those who recorded them.

In fact, from the beginning of the 20th century until now, along with the reestablishment of Israel, many nations have been formed or have gained independence (being “planted”) and have developed (“budding”) [1]. And whether the words of the Lord Jesus included “all the trees,” or whether the Holy Spirit inspired Luke to include that phrase, this too is one of the signs indicating that the final days are near.

Matthew 24:33

33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near–at the doors!

Mark 13:29

29 So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near–at the doors!

Luke 21:31

31 So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.

“All these things” include: the birth pains—that is, wars and rumors of wars, nation rising against nation and kingdom against kingdom, famines, earthquakes in various places, pestilences, the persecution of God’s people…, and most importantly, the Antichrist rising to power and leading an army to attack Israel.

Some English Bible versions have translated it as “He is near” instead of “it is near.”

In the original Greek, the verb “ἐστιν” (eimi – G1510) /i-mee/ is in the present tense, used in the third person singular, but without an explicit subject. It may be translated as “it is,” referring to “summer,” the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven, or it may be translated as “He is,” referring to the return of the Christ to the earth.

Based on the context, “summer” is the subject, and “summer” represents the Kingdom of Heaven, not the Christ Himself. When compared with Luke 21:31, we can see more clearly that the translation “it is near” is more appropriate.

This means that the Lord Jesus was speaking about an event that is coming, not about a person who is present.

This is very encouraging for the Church today. As we see many signs increasing, we know that the Church being taken out of the world is very near. It is “at the doors.”

Matthew 24:34

34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.

Mark 13:30

30 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.

Luke 21:32

32 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.

“This generation” refers to the generation that witnesses the budding of the fig tree (Israel in 1967). According to Psalm 90:10, a generation typically lasts about 70–80 years.

From June 7, 1967, until now has been nearly 59 years. By June next year, it will mark 60 years, and 60 years is considered the age of retirement in the Bible. It is very possible that this could be the starting point of the End Times. But before that, the Church will be taken out of the world.

Time is shortening; we are living in the last days. The generation that saw Israel regain sovereignty over the city of Jerusalem will not pass away before all that the Lord Jesus spoke concerning the last days is fulfilled, including the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom. This is both a powerful comfort and a solemn warning.

Dear readers, you are encouraged to read the sermons “The End Times and the Year 2027” [2] and “The End Times and the Years 2030, 2040” [3] to better understand the meaning of the statement: “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.”

Matthew 24:35

35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

Mark 13:31

31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

Luke 21:33

33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

All three Gospels record the same solemn declaration of the Lord Jesus. After His prophecies about the end of the present world and His return to the earth, the Lord Jesus gives an absolute foundation: His Word.

Heaven and earth as they now exist—that is, the entire material universe in which humanity lives—are not eternal. Even modern science affirms that the universe has a beginning and will have an end. The Bible declares that what is visible is temporary. Peter wrote: “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10). The present material world was formed and exists by the Word of God, and it will also be destroyed by that same Word (2 Peter 3:7).

In complete contrast to the dissolution of heaven and earth are the words spoken by the Christ. They do not merely endure—they will never pass away. Not the smallest part, not a single word, not one jot or one tittle (as the Lord said in Matthew 5:18) will be abolished or fail. This is because those words proceed from the Eternal One, the Self-Existing and Eternal One. John 1:1 declares: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with *God, and the Word was God.” Therefore, every word He speaks carries His eternal nature.

Though the present heaven and earth will pass away, every prophecy of the Christ will be fulfilled to the very letter. Not one promise will fall away, and not one warning will be nullified.

The Lord Jesus did not declare something new but reaffirmed and sealed a truth that had been proclaimed by the prophets for centuries. God is unchanging, and so is His Word.

“The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)

The image of “grass withers, the flower fades” portrays the fragility and transience of everything belonging to the flesh and to this world—including the might of empires, the beauty of humanity, and even the present “heaven and earth.” All are like a flower that blooms and then fades. But the Word of God is the opposite: it stands firm, endures, and remains forever through every age and every upheaval.

“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10-11)

These two Scripture verses emphasize the certain effectiveness of the Word of God. Rain and snow never fall “in vain”—they always make the earth fertile and bring forth crops. In the same way, every word that God speaks has a purpose and will surely accomplish it. No prophecy fails, and no promise is ever broken. Fulfillment may seem delayed from a human perspective, but it is certain and complete according to God’s timing.

The declaration of the Lord Jesus brings two things:

• Assurance: When all the pillars of the world collapse—financial, political, natural, or physical—God’s people have a firm anchor: the Word of God does not waver. We can place absolute trust in all His promises.
• Warning: Since heaven and earth will pass away, we should not build our lives on what is temporary. The only things that remain forever are the Word of God and the souls who live according to it.

Three times, across the three Gospels, the statement of the Lord Jesus is recorded: His Word is absolutely imperishable. Heaven and earth—no matter how stable they seem—are created things that will be rolled up like an old scroll. But the Word of the Creator transcends all time and space. When we face the storms of life or the very end of human history, let us stand on the firmest foundation: every word the Lord has spoken. Not one of those words will ever pass away.

Matthew 24:36

36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.

Mark 13:32

32 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

This is one of the Bible verses that raises many questions, and it is also one of the most important teachings about the humility of the Christ and the responsibility of the Church. There are two aspects that need to be clearly distinguished: first, the voluntary limitation of the Lord Jesus in His human nature; second, the ability of God’s people to discern the time frame through the Holy Spirit.

When the Lord Jesus spoke these words, He was in His human nature, voluntarily limiting certain divine attributes in order to live fully as a human being. The Apostle Paul explains this clearly:

“Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:6-8)

{The appearance of man in a wider meaning consists of both the nature and the characteristics of humanity, including: the physical body, outward appearance, sensations and emotions, thoughts, attitudes, actions, and way of life…}

The phrase “humbled Himself” refers to the voluntary laying aside of the use of certain divine powers and infinite knowledge in order to live within the full reality of a human being. Therefore, while in the flesh, the Lord Jesus “did not know” the day or the hour—not because He could not know as God, but because He chose not to know in the way of a truly humble and obedient man before the Father.

He lived in complete dependence on the Father through the Holy Spirit, setting an example for us of a life of faith.

After conquering death and rising from the dead, the Lord Jesus entered into His full glory. He declared: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). At that point, He returned to the fullness of His divine glory, no longer limited by the flesh or by self-humbling. Naturally, He knows the day and the hour. In fact, after His ascension, the Lord Jesus is the One who reveals all things to the Church, as recorded in the book of Revelation.

While He was on earth, the Lord Jesus did not know the day or the hour to tell the disciples, but after He returned to heaven, the Holy Spirit was given to lead the Church into all truth. The Lord Jesus Himself promised:

“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” (John 16:13)

The phrase “things to come” includes events related to the end of the age and the return of the Christ. The Holy Spirit—who dwells in the Church—does not work blindly but reveals the will of God to God’s people.

Moreover, the prophet Amos affirms a principle that runs throughout the Scriptures:

“Surely the Lord God does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.” (Amos 3:7)

This means that God does not act without prior warning. Before bringing judgment, He gives warning through His prophets (as with Noah before the Flood, Abraham before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and Jonah before the destruction of Nineveh). Likewise, before the Lord Jesus returns to receive the Church, He will also reveal it to His servants.

God’s Word teaches that the Church is not an organization but a Kingdom of priests (1 Peter 2:9). In that Kingdom, every true believer is a prophet, priest, and king in the Christ. This does not mean that everyone is called to the prophetic office in a special sense but that every believer, having the Holy Spirit dwelling within, can receive illumination and guidance from Him.

Therefore, the Lord can and will make known to His true people that the time frame of His coming is drawing near, even though we do not know the exact “day and hour.” But the “time frame” or “season” is something God’s people are allowed—and ought—to discern.

The Lord Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and the Sadducees for their spiritual blindness:

“Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.” (Matthew 16:1-3)

They were experts in the weather, yet blind to the signs of what God was doing among them: prophecies being fulfilled, the Christ present among them, and the Kingdom of Heaven drawing near.

If those who opposed the Lord were rebuked for their spiritual blindness and inability to discern the times, then God’s people—who are led by the Holy Spirit—ought all the more to recognize them clearly. It cannot be that the Church would be less discerning than the Pharisees and the Sadducees regarding the signs of the times.

We do not know the exact day and hour, but we can—and should—know that the time frame is drawing near.

Many misuse the phrase “no one knows the day or the hour” to justify laziness, lack of watchfulness, or even to oppose any study concerning the time of the Lord’s coming. But the Scriptures do not teach this.

The Word of God teaches:

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25)

This verse contains an important assumption: the Church can “see the Day approaching.” If the Church were completely unable to recognize the nearness of “that Day,” then this exhortation would be meaningless. The Holy Spirit would not tell us to exhort “one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” if we had no ability to perceive that nearness.

Thus, there is a clear distinction between:

• “The exact day and hour” — no one knows, and we are not permitted to speculate or set it.
• “The nearness of that Day” — the Church can and should discern it through the signs, through the Word of God, and through the illumination of the Holy Spirit.

It is the Holy Spirit and the Word of God that enable us to recognize the time of the Lord’s coming so that we may live watchfully, diligently gathering together and encouraging one another. Not through mathematical calculations, sensational predictions, or false dreams and visions, but through:

• Understanding of prophecy (2 Peter 1:19–21).
• Recognition of the social, moral, natural, political, and military signs foretold in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21.
• The inward leading of the Holy Spirit—who “searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10).

God has also appointed seven feasts in Leviticus 23 as a beautiful prophetic timetable for the spiritual ministries of the Christ.

The four spring feasts have been fulfilled precisely:

• Passover: The Lord Jesus died in place of humanity to redeem them from the penalty of violating the commandments of God.
• Feast of Unleavened Bread: The Lord Jesus grants those who believe in His atoning death a new, holy way of life according to God’s Word.
• Feast of Firstfruits: The resurrection of the Christ Himself and the new birth of God’s people in the Church, leading to the future resurrection of the physical body.
• Pentecost: The giving of the Holy Spirit to those who believe in the atoning death of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The remaining three fall feasts are yet to be fulfilled:

• Feast of Trumpets: This may correspond to the time when the Christ takes the Church out of the world—an event that will occur before the End Times.
• Day of Atonement: This may correspond to the time when the whole nation of Israel repents and submits to the Christ—an event that will take place in the middle of the End Times, when God brings them into the wilderness to escape destruction by the Antichrist.
• Feast of Tabernacles: This may correspond to the time of entering into the Millennial Kingdom—an event that will occur after the End Times.

The Feast of Trumpets aligns very well with the Christ taking the Church out of the world before the End Times. It is associated with the sound of the horn (shofar) and a sudden gathering—similar to “the trumpet of God” mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17, when the Lord Jesus descends into the air to receive the Church.

Since all the spiritual ministries of the Christ are tied to appointed times, both the taking of the Church and His glorious return to the earth (bringing the End Times to a close and opening the Millennial Kingdom) must fall within one of the three fall feasts. We do not know which year, but whenever the Feast of Trumpets arrives (as this year, on September 11–12, 2026), God’s people have all the more reason to hope, to stay watchful, and to be ready.

Today, we are living amid “birth pains” that are clearly increasing. Since late February 2026, the conflict between Israel–the United States and Iran has escalated seriously into a large-scale war, with waves of airstrikes, missile exchanges, and instability spreading to Lebanon (Hezbollah), Gaza, and surrounding regions. Israel continues to face pressure on multiple fronts yet still stands firm amid hostile encirclement—the fig tree in the midst of the storm, yet not uprooted.

War, rumors of war, humanitarian crises, and global energy instability are reminding us: the signs of the last days are becoming clearer than ever.

In such a context, we do not panic, but we must be all the more watchful. Let us not be like the Pharisees and the Sadducees, who were blind to the signs of the times. Let the Holy Spirit and the Word of God help us discern that the time of the Christ’s coming to take the Church out of the world is drawing near. Let us remind and encourage one another (Hebrews 10:25), live holy lives, proclaim the Gospel, and always be ready like faithful servants waiting for their master to return.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but the Word of God stands firm. The fig tree is budding. Summer is near. Lord, come in this Feast of Trumpets this year. Amen.

We conclude this lesson here.

May the Holy Spirit guide us into all the truths of God’s Word (John 16:13). May the Word of God sanctify us (John 17:17). May the Faithful *God of Peace Himself sanctify our spirit, soul, and body entirely, without blame (1 Thessalonians 5:23), at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Beloved Savior. Amen!

Timothy Christian Huynh
Priscilla Christian Huynh
04/04/2026

Notes:

[1] https://x.com/i/grok/share/48375ea4942b483ea0415288d04f44d5

[2] https://preachingfromthebible.net/067-the-end-of-the-world-and-the-year-2027/

[3] https://preachingfromthebible.net/075-the-end-of-the-world-and-years-2030-2040/

About Using “*God”, “the God” and “holy spirit”

Wherever the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts of the Bible use a definite article with a noun to denote GOD, we translate it into English as *God or “the God” to refer to God the Father. We understand that “God,” without a definite article, was used as a collective noun for all and any of the three Persons of the Godhead. And “God,” with a definite article, was used to refer to God the Father.

In the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, the term “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) without the definite article “the” (το) is used to denote the power of God, which is given by God the Holy Spirit. “The Holy Spirit” (το πνευματι το αγιω) is God, and “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) is the power that comes from God.