Correspondence: Distress of Nations (Matt. 24:32-33)

From: Correspondence

From: Young Christian: Volume 8, 1918

• 3 min. read • grade level: 5

Ques. What does Matt. 24:32, 33³²Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: ³³So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. (Matthew 24:32‑33) teach? ( See also Mark 13:28, 29²⁸Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near: ²⁹So 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); Luke 21:29²⁹And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; (Luke 21:29).) Does it mean the distress of nations at the present time?

Or is it like Rev. 6? M. D.

Is the olive tree (Rom. 11) Christ or the Church? Into what were the Gentiles graffed?

W. G.

Ans. There are three trees specially mentioned in the New Testament. The vine, the fig and the olive; each teaches its own lesson.

1st. The Vine. Israel was the vine brought out of Egypt (Psa. 8:8⁸The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. (Psalm 8:8)), but it became a degenerate vine. The Lord setting it aside, said: "I" am the true vine, and My Father is the husbandman,... and ye are the branches." This was while He was on earth, and now as crucified, dead, risen and ascended to the Father, He is Head of His body, the church. Our relationship with him is members of His body. (Rom. 12:4, 5⁴For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: ⁵So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. (Romans 12:4‑5); 1 Cor. 12:12-27¹²For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. ¹³For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. ¹⁴For the body is not one member, but many. ¹⁵If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? ¹⁶And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? ¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? ¹⁸But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. ¹⁹And if they were all one member, where were the body? ²⁰But now are they many members, yet but one body. ²¹And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. ²²Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: ²³And those members of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. ²⁴For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked: ²⁵That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. ²⁶And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. ²⁷Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. (1 Corinthians 12:12‑27)). This is a living union where no cutting off can be. The lesson now for us in the vine is a lesson on fruit bearing-a lesson on how to walk in communion with the Lord. We all should know how easy it is to get out of communion with the Lord, and we need to remember that He has said, "Without Me ye can do nothing (Ver. 51. The word for us here is, "Abide in Me.”

2nd. The fig tree is Israel in the flesh, that bore nothing hut leaves, though the Lord had taken great pains with it. The Lord cursed it, showing us that it never will bear fruit. (Compare Luke 13:6-9⁶He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. ⁷Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? ⁸And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: ⁹And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. (Luke 13:6‑9); Matt. 21:17-20¹⁷And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there. ¹⁸Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. ¹⁹And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. ²⁰And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! (Matthew 21:17‑20); Mark 11:12-14¹²And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: ¹³And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. ¹⁴And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it. (Mark 11:12‑14).) But in John 1:48-5o we see Nathaniel (the figure of the believing remnant among the Jews), an Israelite in whom is no guile, under the fig tree, showing us how the Lord respects the godly ones, and after the death of Christ, when the Holy Spirit came, those godly Jews were brought into the body of Christ, and into the House of God (1 Cor. 12:12, 13¹²For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. ¹³For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:12‑13); 1 Tim. 3:15¹⁵But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. (1 Timothy 3:15); Acts 2:5-47⁵And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. ⁶Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. ⁷And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? ⁸And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? ⁹Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, ¹⁰Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, ¹¹Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. ¹²And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? ¹³Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. ¹⁴But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: ¹⁵For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. ¹⁶But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; ¹⁷And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: ¹⁸And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: ¹⁹And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke: ²⁰The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: ²¹And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. ²²Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: ²³Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: ²⁴Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. ²⁵For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: ²⁶Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: ²⁷Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. ²⁸Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. ²⁹Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. ³⁰Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; ³¹He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. ³²This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. ³³Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. ³⁴For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, ³⁵Until I make thy foes thy footstool. ³⁶Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. ³⁷Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? ³⁸Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. ³⁹For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. ⁴⁰And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. ⁴¹Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. ⁴²And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. ⁴³And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. ⁴⁴And all that believed were together, and had all things common; ⁴⁵And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. ⁴⁶And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, ⁴⁷Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. (Acts 2:5‑47))

3rd. The olive tree is God's witness or testimony on the earth. Abraham was called out to be this, then his children, Isaac and Jacob, then Israel, then because of Israel's failure, some of them were broken off, and the Gentiles were graffed in. Israel had what was of God-the Word of God, Moses and the prophets (Rom. 3:2; 9:4²Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. (Romans 3:2)
⁴Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; (Romans 9:4)), but now it is in the Christian profession we find what God owns. The Holy Spirit dwells in us and with us, and we have the whole Word of God-the Bible. Then the Gentile assembly is seen to fail, and these wild olive branches will be broken off, and the natural branches grafted in again. So that when the Church, the body of Christ, is taken home at the coming of the Lord for His saints, the testimony will again return to the Jews, and Israel as a whole will be saved. No child of God can be broken off from Christ. He cannot cease to he one of His members, he cannot lose his salvation.

When the Jews get back into their land, and are seen prospering, it is the fig tree budding, but they are in unbelief, and do not believe on the Lord Jesus as their king till they see Him.

Till the Lord Jesus comes for to take home His heavenly people, there is no prophecy being fulfilled. The distress of nations spoken of, and Rev. 6 are to be after we are gone.

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