From His Heart

Speaker 1

The Bible makes it clear from the lips of Jesus that no one knows the day or the hour of his return. And so we are foolish to try and date set. We can't know the date. Jesus said even in his humanity he didn't know.

He knows in his deity, he knows in his glorification. But part of his becoming a man was emptying himself of certain rights and privileges that were his as God. And he didn't know the day or the hour.

The angels, angels don't know. It's heaven's most guarded secret.

Speaker 2

This is from his heart with Pastor Jeff Shreve. Thank you for joining us today as we explore the sobering truths found in the parable of the Fig Tree. Now this story draws a parallel between Noah's Ark and the cross of Christ. Just as there was room on the ark for more people to be saved, there is still room at the cross for all who will come to God in repentance and faith. God's Grace is available now, but the door won't stay open forever.

This month we're airing messages from Pastor Jeff Shreve's new nine lesson series, "When the Son of Man Comes," a study of Matthew, chapter 24 and 25. It's also our gift of thanks to you for your support this month of any amount to this ministry. You can get the series in the format of your choice when you call 866-40-BIBLE or go to fromhisheart.org if you can.

Now, though, open your copy of God's Word to Matthew chapter 24. And here again is Pastor Jeff to uncover the deeper meanings we find in this message: A fig tree and a flood, Matthew 24.

Speaker 1

I'll begin reading. In verse 32, Jesus said, "Now learn the parable from the fig tree. When its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So you too, when you see all these things, recognize that he is near right at the door. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away."

So the first illustration that he gives is the illustration, the parable of the fig tree. What does the fig tree teach us? The fig tree teaches us this: it teaches us about the certainty of his coming. You can mark it down. Heaven and earth may pass away, but his word is not going to pass away. And it is a sure thing that he is coming again.

Now, the fig tree parable is interesting because if you've studied Bible prophecy at all and read different prophecy experts as I have, you know that one of the things that people say about the fig tree is that the fig tree represents Israel. They will go to different passages of scripture to say, okay, well, in the Book of Hosea, chapter 9, verse 10, the Lord likens Israel to a fig tree. In Jeremiah 24, he compares Israel and a fig tree. Joel 1, he compares Israel and a fig tree.

Many remember in the New Testament, Matthew 21, where Jesus goes to a fig tree. He was hungry, and he goes to a fig tree because he saw it had leaves, but when he went there, it had leaves and no fruit. He curses the fig tree and says, "Nobody's going to eat fruit from you again." The fig tree withered and died. People say, well, that represents the Jewish religion. It had become just an outward expression. There was no fruit to it. It just looked like it had fruit, but it didn't. When you got closer, all you saw was the outer accoutrements of religion, but there was no life. There wasn't anything real.

That's exactly what Jesus said to the Pharisees. "You guys look good on the outside. You wash the outside of the cup and of the dish, but you don't wash the inside. The inside is what matters, and that is all filthy. You're like whitewashed tombs. You look good on the outside, but you're rotten on the inside."

So you can make the case that, well, maybe Jesus here, when he's talking about the parable of the fig tree, is talking about Israel. And here's the leap that people make: they say he is speaking to what happened in May of 1948, when Israel became a nation again. Now, obviously, that is huge for Israel to be declared a nation again. May 14, 1948, Israel, which had been destroyed and scattered when the Romans came in in 70 AD and the temple was destroyed, well, Israel wasn't a gathered people anymore. They were scattered all over.

Here it is after World War II, and Israel is given statehood on May 14, 1948. That's a huge key in Bible prophecy. Why? Because the promises that God makes to Israel have to— I mean, Israel can't be dispersed abroad over the face of the earth, and for those promises to come true, they have to be back in the land.

So my friend Dr. Ed Hindson, who's in heaven, calls May 14, 1948, Israel becoming a nation again, a state again. He calls it the super sign. You know, we talk about the signs of the end times. Well, he says that's a super sign because that is setting the stage for all the prophetic events to come into being. And I would agree with that.

He points to Isaiah 66, verse 8, as a verse that refers to what happened with Israel. This is what it says in the Good News Bible: "My holy city is like a woman who suddenly gives birth to a child without ever going into labor." Ladies, wouldn't that be wonderful if you could give birth without going into labor? As I told you, labor pains hurt. When Debbie was in labor and she was squeezing my finger as her Lamaze coach, I thought she was going to break my fingers because it hurt so bad. I said, "I hurt with you," because she was making sure of that.

But can you imagine having a baby without labor pains? Well, that wouldn't happen. And then he says, "Has anyone ever seen or heard of such a thing?" Well, no. "Has a nation ever been born in a day?"

Speaker 2

No.

Speaker 1

Zion will not have to suffer long before the nation is born. Israel was born in a day, May 14, 1948. The super sign that sets in motion what God is going to do in the end times. You know, the tribulation period begins with the Antichrist coming on the scene and signing a treaty with Israel and the rebuilding of the temple there on the Temple Mount. Well, how can that happen? None of that can happen if Israel is not regathered into the land. So I agree with Dr. Ed Hindson. That is a super sign that is really, really important.

But here's the question. Is that what Jesus was talking about to Peter and James and John and Andrew? They were the ones asking him, when will these things be? What will be the sign of your coming in the end of the age? I don't think that's what he was referring to there. I think what he was saying is this: the generation that sees all these signs take place will see his return. See, because here is the trouble that you run into. If you say the fig tree, the parable of the fig tree is all pointed to May 14, 1948, then you say, okay, well, he said, once you see leaves and you see that the fig tree is starting to produce and the leaves are coming out. And then you just know, well, when does that happen? When does a fig tree start to bud? It starts to bud in March, April, late March, early April. And so what does that tell you? That tells you that, oh, okay, we're getting close to summer. Summer is near. Very easy parable. They had all understanding that.

But if it means that Israel, okay, that means Israel is going to be a nation again. And then this generation will not pass away until all these things come to be. Well, 1948 would start the clock of the generation. And so most people, especially in the 70s, Hal Lindsay, the late Great Planet Earth was a very popular book. And they said, well, hey, a generation is 40 years because God told those Israelites that they would wander in the wilderness for 40 years until that generation had all died. So a generation is 40 years. So 1948, Jesus has to come back in 1988.

And there was an astronaut, Edward Wisnat, and he wrote the book that sold a lot of copies, millions of copies, and it was titled 88 Reasons why Jesus is Coming Back in 1988. Spoiler alert, he didn't come back in 1988. And Edward Wisenot, not to be, you know, forlorn, he wrote another book, and he wrote this book, and it was called the Rapture Report 1989. And he said, I missed it by a year. He didn't write after that. That was his last book. I think he should have written a book in 1990: 90 Reasons why I am wrong.

But see, you're not supposed to set dates. And if 1948 is the start of this generation shall not pass away until all these things come into being, well, then you have to say, well, wait a minute. Maybe a generation is longer than 40 years. And so people have gone back to the Bible. Genesis 15, the Lord said to Abraham, for your people are going to be enslaved for 400 years, and in the fourth generation, you're going to be back in the land of Israel. So they say, oh, well, a generation is not just 40 years, it's 100 years. And so we got some time here. We can still say 1948, because we have, you know, until 2048. And so they say, well, that gives us some breathing room.

There's another passage of scripture in Psalm 90 that says a man's life is 70 years, or if due to strength, 80 years. And so some say, well, what's a generation? It's between 70 and 80 years. And so you get kind of locked in on that 1948 date, if that's what Jesus was talking about. But I think what he was talking about, although 1948 is important, Israel becoming a nation is important. He's just saying, hey, the generation that sees these signs that I'm telling you about—wars and rumors of wars and famines and earthquakes and all these things. The generation that sees the abomination of desolation, just know that generation is not passing away.

This isn't going to be something that's dragged out over 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 years. No, my coming is going to be very near. I'm right at the door. Just like when you see the fig tree that's starting to bud and starting to produce leaves, you know that summer is very, very near. And so the purpose of the parable of the fig tree is he is speaking of the certainty of his return.

Speaker 2

What a magnificent parable and promise we have from Christ that he will return and we need to be ready. Pastor Jeff will return in just a moment to continue to explore the similarities of the fig tree and the flood. And that's the title of today's message.

We're so thankful that you're here today and that you support From His Heart ministries. It's through your prayers and gifts that the unchanging truth of God's word is reaching around the world. Recently, a man named Frank wrote to us and he said, "Thank you for your ministry. I so appreciate the fact that you speak God's word with every sermon. You don't sugarcoat it or water it down. God's word is presented. And you are such a blessing to me, and I want to be a blessing to you with this gift. May God continue to bless you as you make the message understandable and relatable."

Well, that's a wonderful lesson. And that happens when truth is proclaimed without compromise; hearts are stirred, faith is strengthened, and people find hope in Christ. With your support from His Heart, you can help expand our outreach in a hurting and desperate world. This year, as we are beginning to translate these broadcasts into five new languages, we are making it more understandable and relatable to this world. A big task that only a big God can accomplish.

For your support, we'd like to say thank you by sending you Pastor Jeff's new nine-message series, "When the Son of Man," a Study of Matthew, chapters 24 and 25. Call 866-40-BIBLE to get your copy, or go online to fromhisheart.org to make your secure gift, and your copy will be on its way.

We're reaching the world with this powerful and needed word. Thank you, and God bless you. Now let's get back to part one of this timely message: A fig tree and a flood.

Speaker 1

Not only the fig tree, but then also he speaks of the flood, Matthew 24. I'll begin reading in verse 36. But of that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered the ark. And they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away. So will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Then there will be two men in the field. One will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill. One will be taken and one will be left. Now the fig tree teaches us about the certainty of his coming and his return. And the flood teaches us about the suddenness of his return. It is certain he's coming. And when he comes, he comes quickly. He comes suddenly. That's what Jesus says in Revelation, chapter 22. Behold, I am coming quickly. And that means suddenly, rapidly. When you don't expect it, boom. He will come.

And the Lord likens his return to the days of Noah. For the coming of the Son of Man, verse 37, will be just like the days of Noah. So the question comes into our minds, well, what were those days like? What were the days of Noah like? They were terrible days. And they're days that we see fast approaching in our day today. The days of Noah were days of societal disaster and degradation. They were awful days.

And we read about those days in Genesis chapter 6. The Lord makes it clear. I mean, Noah's day is the day of the flood. The flood came during his lifetime. The flood came when Noah was 600 years old. The flood came after 1,656 years from the day of creation, when the Lord created man. Until the flood, you chart all the genealogies, and you come up with 1,656 years. Now, a hundred years before that, or 120, depending on how you understand Genesis chapter 6.

Speaker 2

6.

Speaker 1

God spoke to Noah and told him to build the ark because he was getting ready to destroy the world with a flood. And this is why he did it. Genesis, chapter 6, verses 5 through 7.

Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth. That means that the word "great" means abounding, abundant, widespread. It was great on the earth. And that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The Lord was sorry that he made man on the earth, and he was grieved in his heart.

The Lord said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals, to creeping things, and to birds of the sky. For I am sorry that I have made them societal disaster." The wickedness of man was great. The land was filled with great wickedness. So much so that every intent of a man's heart was only evil continually, from the time he woke up till the time he went to bed.

Speaker 2

Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil.

Speaker 1

Widespread wickedness. That word for wickedness means distress. It means evils. It means miseries. It means afflictions. It means calamities. It was an awful time. But not only was it a day of great wickedness, it was a day of moral corruption. Moral corruption. And the Lord goes on to say in Genesis, chapter 6, verses 11 and 12, now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence. God looked on the earth and behold, it was corrupt. For all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. The word corrupt means to ruin. It means to spoil. It means to go bad. Have you ever eaten something that has gone bad? Something rotten? That's what the Lord thinks of sin.

And if you can imagine where men, women, boys, and girls, every intent of their heart is only evil continually, from the time they get up until the time they go to bed, there was moral corruption. There was, thirdly, rampant violence. Because the Lord says the Earth was filled with violence. And in Genesis 6:13, he says this: Then God said to Noah, the end of all flesh has come before me. For the earth is filled with violence because of them. Behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth.

Now, something very, very interesting. The Hebrew word for violence is hamas. And this is pictured with Cain killing Abel. You know, interestingly about Cain and Abel. So Genesis 3 is the fall. Genesis 2, everything is awesome. The man and his wife were both naked, and they were not ashamed. And they had fellowship with God, and they had dominion over all the creatures. And they had all these fruit trees that were just wonderful to eat, and they were together. Everything's wonderful in Genesis 2. Genesis 3, everything falls apart because they sin against God.

In Genesis 4, then their children, Cain the oldest, kills Abel, his brother. And why does he kill him? This is what will blow you away. God told them, when you come before me, you come with a blood sacrifice. We know that's true because Hebrews 11 tells us, by faith, Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice than did Cain. Now, how do you get faith? Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17. You can't have faith without the word of God, because what is faith? Faith is responding to the word of God. It's taking a step on the word of God. That's what faith is.

And so Abel offered a sacrifice that was a blood sacrifice. And he did it by faith because God told them to come that way. Cain didn't come that way. He brought the fruit of the ground. And as I've told you before, no matter how hard you try, you can't get blood out of a turnip. And he had turnips and potatoes and all this stuff that he grew in his farm. He offered that to the Lord. The Lord didn't want that. So he didn't have regard for Cain in his offering.

And he told Cain very kindly, very lovingly, "Cain, why are you so angry? Why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? But if you do not do well, let me tell you something. Cain, sin is crouching at the door. It is ready to pounce on you like a wild animal is crouching at the door. And you must master it." And Cain never answers the Lord. He goes out and he has some kind of subterfuge, and he gets his brother out in the field and he kills him.

And he basically says to God, "You want a blood sacrifice? I'll give you a blood sacrifice." And he kills his brother Abel. And then the Lord comes to Cain and says, "Where is your brother Abel?" He said, "I don't know. Am I my brother's keeper?" He said, "The voice of your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground." From the start of Cain killing Abel, the wickedness is coming into the world.

And then we're introduced to a man named Lamech. And Lamech is the first polygamist in the Bible. Genesis, chapter four. Lamech had two wives, Adah and Zillah. And Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, listen to me, O wives of Lamech. I have killed a man for wounding me and struck down a boy for striking me. And if Cain is avenged sevenfold, Lamech will be avenged seventy-sevenfold." He just is so full of arrogance and so full of violence.

And that sets the tone for what that day and age was like. It was filled with hamas, it was filled with violence, and life was cheap during the day and age of Noah. And then, fourthly, there was demonic oppression and demonic possession and demonic activity.

Speaker 2

You're listening to the message of Fig Tree and the Flood. And tomorrow in the broadcast, we'll continue right there after a short review. So make plans to be with us again for the conclusion of this lesson. It's from Pastor Jeff's new nine-message series, When the Son of Man Comes, a study of Matthew 24:25. It's also our gift of thanks to you for your support this month of any amount to From His Heart. To get yours, call 866-40-BIBLE (866-40-24253) or go online to fromhisheart.org. Your gift will impact the world as we share the good news around the world.

Listen, at From His Heart, we strive to touch hearts and homes and change lives each and every day. And yes, we're on your local radio station and on many hundreds more each day. Also, on television each week in 182 countries and available worldwide online all the time. But we also talk regularly to people around the world through the prayers that they leave on our prayer page online. Will you join us in prayer there and pray for the thousands of others who leave their requests for you to pray for? Your help in praying for others on our site is allowing that encouragement to make a real impact around the world. You can also leave a request and have others pray for you too. Just go to fromhisheart.org and click the prayer link.

Well, I'm Larry Nobles. Thank you for joining us today, and we invite you to be here next time for part two of the lesson A Fig Tree and a Flood here on From His Heart, the listener-supported broadcast ministry of Dr. Jeff Shreve, who believes that no matter how much you may have messed up in life, God loves you and has a plan for your life. Find out more at fromhisheart.org.