Is this a prophetic fulfillment? Fig tree prophecy

[NewMusic]

But what you missed is who the 'vineyard' in that parable is. Isaiah 5 showed that it is the "house of Israel", i.e, the ten northern tribes of Israel that God scattered out of the holy land never to return, as a 'people'. So if the people Jesus gave His 'vineyard' to is His Church, then who is that 'vineyard' that He gave them?

Ding! It is STILL the house of Israel, the ten lost tribes. The majority of them were scattered among the Gentiles where The Gospel would be preached, to Asia Minor and Europe. And they with believing Gentiles would become the historical western Christian nations. Haven't you ever read the prophecy to Ephraim, who was the head tribe over the ten tribes, that his seed would become "a multitude of nations"?

I just read Isaiah 5 and it's also addressed to the House of Judah and Jerusalem, along with Israel.

 

[Keraz]

It refers to the Roman "nation."

Sorry Randy, this is where we totally diverge.
That you are quite wrong is clear from the 'fruit' of Rome.

 

[Keraz]

Are those people believers in Christ?

Yes. Jesus came to save them and them alone. Matthew 15:24
He was successful.

I just read Isaiah 5 and it's also addressed to the House of Judah and Jerusalem, along with Israel.

Yes, a remnant of the Jews, those who are Messianic Christians now, will survive and join with their brethren, Jeremiah 50:4-5
They and those people grafted in by faith, will all be the Israelites of God.

 

[marks]

. . . No particular literal fig tree is a marker . . . the meaning is that just as signs of things to come in the natural realm are observable, so signs of things to come in the super-natural realm are also observable. . .

Thank you!!

 

[marks]

I don't believe biblical prophecy was designed to get people waiting anxiously to see if their interpretation is correct. I've waited virtually all of my life to see if Lindsey would be disproven when he calculated 1st that a generation was 40 years, and then expanded the time of a "generation" to something later. Everybody thought the limit of a generation was "70 years," and now you claim it is "80 years."

Do you really think God operates this way? It's juvenile! Prophecy was designed to promote godly living, and to create proper expectations of opposition for the believer. We are to endure to the end--nothing about waiting to see if within 80 years the end comes.

Time spans were not the purpose of prophecy when it comes to anticipating the fulfillment of the Kingdom. Rather, the burden is on actually becoming a member of the Kingdom and then sustaining that decision through perilous times.

Well said!!

Much love!

 

[marks]

The word translated as 'generation; in Matthew 24:34, means - the people living at that time.
So from the point of May 1948, when the 'fig tree' came alive again, [the establishment of the Jewish Sate of Israel], there will be people alive who will see all the prophesied events leading up to the glorious Return of Jesus.
I fully expect to be one of them, even tho I was born in 1941.

"Those of a common birth", meaning, all alive in a certain time, or, those born at a certain time (think GenX), or, those born from a common source, that is, a people group, such as, "the Jews".

Much love!

 

[marks]

Weird logic.

Not Scriptural teaching.

I don't have much to say about how people think or what they think, but I can certainly compare their ideas to the Bible, and for me, if God says, fig, He doesn't mean date, and when Jesus says parable . . . it's actually a parable.

Much love!

 

[marks]

My experience has been that people don't know when He is speaking or how recognize His voice when He is speaking to them.
I had a friend who.would call me all the time asking if I would pray and see if God had a word for her. I would intercede and He would give me a word to give her. Then one day He said tell her she needs to learn to hear from me herself, I am not going to give her another word through you.
So she called me a couple of days later and I told her what God said....she was soooo upset and said "I can't hear Him like you can!" I said yes you can and you will....just listen.
It's not that He isn't speaking...it's people don't have faith that they are hearing Him speak.

I've always loved what a friend of mine said one day, " . . . and then I realized, I was having a conversation with the Creator of the universe!"

It took me some convincing that this voice inside is God, but He has convinced me.

Much love!

 

[marks]

Okay...this was my first time to ever hear Him speaking to me....

I went to church all my life, got saved when I was 7. After I became an adult I joined the adult Sunday service. We had a wonderful pastor who just happened to preach his sermon on the very sin I committed that week. At the end of the sermon he invited anyone who needed to come to the alter to rededicate, get saved or be delivered to come forward. I was there every single service. One Sunday after church and getting saved again I went home threw my body on the floor and cried to God uncontrollably and said "I give up, this Christianity thing is too hard and no matter how I try I seem to always mess up!"
Then I heard a voice, it wasn't really audible to my ears but it was very audible in my mind. It said to me "Patty, who do you think I am?"....instinctively somehow I knew he expected me to say something so I said you are God...He asked a second time, I replied a little more hesitantly since the 1st answer didn't seem to be right and said "umm The Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the I AM...(I got it right this time for sure!)...then He asked a 3RD TIME!!! I stuttered and searched my memory of what I was taught about who God is and finally I said what do you want me to say...
He replied soooooo lovingly and tender and said "I am your Father, and as much as you love your daughter so much more do I love you that you can't comprehend it. As your daughter grows up and makes mistakes you will correct her, discipline her at times but never ever ever will you stop loving her because of her mistakes. And neither will I stop loving you just because you make a mistake. Allow yourself to be led of the spirit, repent daily and always forgive...as I will always forgive you. Seek Me daily, walk with me, talk with me, tell me what's on your heart. I AM YOUR FATHER!" So wow..
I was approximately 23 y.o. when this happened and it liberated me from condemnation. I now know I am truly saved! Amen!

Beautiful!!

Much love!

 

[marks]

I think that's why we don't hear directly from God a lot. Besides this, if He spoke directly to us, we would rely on that all the time, and would become puffed up in pride, telling everybody how to run their lives.

I think we are all unique, with unique relationships with God.

I've come to rely on His voice in me, myself. But I've also come to see this as remedial, that if I were stronger, I wouldn't need so much help. If I were more mature . . . but who knows? I am who I am, and He knows me, and what I need.

Much love!

 

[marks]

We can be sure that He speaks through our circumstances.

There a line in "Oceans" I find very profound, "Your sovereign hand shall be my guide". Are we trusting Him sufficiently as to know that any circumstance in life is being managed by our Father?

Much love!

 

[marks]

Eehhh...no....
He talks to me everyday...we have a relationship and I love talking with Him...
So I have to disagree with your suggestion...He told me to talk to Him daily...He loves our time together...and when I am praising and worshipping Him in song He enters my praises and I can feel His presence so strong that I can't help but cry tears of joy....I have never felt such love as I do when I am in His presence.

I've come to see that God created us so that He could share in our lives with us, and to share Himself with us at all times.

He is here, He loves me! I am forgiven and beloved.

Much love!

 

[dev553344]

You 100% right. There will be a remnant of that generation still alive. I know that I will be one of them, you may be one of them also.
I to was born in 1941. and am part of the Fig tree generation. But I was told buy the Holy Spirit that I will be alive when Jesus returns.
So there is no doubt that we are in the end times.

I've felt strongly and I think it was from God, that Jesus will return soon.

 

[marks]

You seem to have turned it around. Now you're talking about *you* talking to Him! I never said we don't talk to Him. That's called prayer. That's called Walking with God.

I'm talking about God speaking *audibly* to us. Is that what you're claiming you do every day? If so, I seriously doubt it. I don't think God trusts us enough to be that intimate, although we'd all like that. Perhaps we just have to prove ourselves over the long run, until we're mature enough to handle His power and majesty?

I'm not talking about audibly, but I'm convinced that voice inside is His.

To me, it's not a matter of me "proving myself", the only things I seem to prove from myself, well, nevermind!

But He knows what we need, and what is good for us. I've learned to ask questions a lot. It used to be that He'd direct a Bible reading (Bible roulette) which would give me very direct answers. Or I'd come with a particular need, like, an anxiety attack, or some bitterness of shame, and He would give me passages of love and comfort. That's how I came to love God more. Finding His mercy and unfailing love in response to my shame.

Now, Bible Roulette never works. He told me when to stop, but I still try it sometimes. It never works anymore. Because He wants me to address Him directly, and He wants me to trust what I already know. Or so it seems to me.

Much love!

 

[marks]

Pointing to Scripture and declaring it allegory without any Scriptural directive to do so is to interpret the Bible according to your own fancy. You can claim "spiritual understanding", that's what everybody does.

We live by every word of God, but not by someone else's words. Claims of having some private interpretation of what you call allegory is only occassion to ignore the word written, and supplant it with your own.

Just sayin'

 

[marks]

The problem everybody is having is trying to change the meaning of what Jesus said in Matthew 24, which Jesus Himself gave the interpretation of His lesson. No need to add or subtract from His words.

Exactly!

Much love!

 

[dev553344]

I'm not talking about audibly, but I'm convinced that voice inside is His.

To me, it's not a matter of me "proving myself", the only things I seem to prove from myself, well, nevermind!

But He knows what we need, and what is good for us. I've learned to ask questions a lot. It used to be that He'd direct a Bible reading (Bible roulette) which would give me very direct answers. Or I'd come with a particular need, like, an anxiety attack, or some bitterness of shame, and He would give me passages of love and comfort. That's how I came to love God more. Finding His mercy and unfailing love in response to my shame.

Now, Bible Roulette never works. He told me when to stop, but I still try it sometimes. It never works anymore. Because He wants me to address Him directly, and He wants me to trust what I already know. Or so it seems to me.

Much love!

God speaks to me thru the Holy Spirit often.

 

[Stumpmaster]

I've felt strongly and I think it was from God, that Jesus will return soon.

The time is near, and getting nearer every day, but relative to vast eternity.

Rev 1:1-3 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, (2) who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. (3) Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

 

[Randy Kluth]

I'm not talking about audibly, but I'm convinced that voice inside is His.

To me, it's not a matter of me "proving myself", the only things I seem to prove from myself, well, nevermind!

But He knows what we need, and what is good for us. I've learned to ask questions a lot. It used to be that He'd direct a Bible reading (Bible roulette) which would give me very direct answers. Or I'd come with a particular need, like, an anxiety attack, or some bitterness of shame, and He would give me passages of love and comfort. That's how I came to love God more. Finding His mercy and unfailing love in response to my shame.

Now, Bible Roulette never works. He told me when to stop, but I still try it sometimes. It never works anymore. Because He wants me to address Him directly, and He wants me to trust what I already know. Or so it seems to me.

Much love!

True that is. We've all played the game, that you called "Bible roulette."

And I can identify with the compassion of God coming at times when we're down and feel forsaken. So I'm not even talking about God's ability to *communicate* with us--we all know He does that. How else did we come to Christ in the 1st place? God convicted us! And anytime we even think about disobeying God, we are convicted by the Holy Spirit to stay true to our conscience. He speaks through our conscience.

I would never argue that God doesn't speak to people. Nor would I argue that some Christians see angels. Not the point. God can communicate with Christians any way He sees fit--it's His prerogative.

My issue comes with those who have an experience with God, and suddenly they become experts on how to talk with God, or how to hear God. They think they've become a messenger boy for God, to tell everyone else how to do as they did, connect with God, and be blessed.

So I just talk about what I experience and know--I'll let others speak for themselves. But when someone says God spoke to them and told them Jesus is coming back before they die, then I start questioning that, particularly when they are interpreting Scriptures wrong to arrive at that understanding. Jesus did not speak of the generation that would see his Return, but rather, of the generation that would see every stone of the temple come down!

So my thing is teaching, and if someone wishes to claim God spoke to them and gave them an interpretation that I feel is wrong, I *must* question their honesty. I don't believe the guy heard from God at all. Perhaps he mixed up his own spiritual euphoria with what he thought was an exciting message, even if false.

I've been a Pentecostal Christian for about 50 years, and I've heard a number of claims to hear God audibly. But the messages received often don't amount to more than a personal message of little consequence to others. All Christians who are born again claim to hear from God through their spirits. But very few claim they experience a regular diet of audible words from God!

Most often God speaks in our conscience because, I think, God wants us to make the decision to do things by consulting with His Spirit. God gets glory when we make the decision ourselves to do right, rather than have God spell out everything we must do. Thanks for your comments.

 

[Davy]

I just read Isaiah 5 and it's also addressed to the House of Judah and Jerusalem, along with Israel.

But in Isaiah 5:3 God is rebuking Judah specifically, because after God had done everything needed to setup His vineyard to bring forth grapes, it had brought forth "wild grapes" (meaning poison fruit). Judah was to be His "pleasant plant", like overseers of His symbolic vineyard (majority of the children of Israel).

And thus Lord Jesus in Matthew 21 was reminding the Jews of this parable-prophecy in Isaiah 5 about the vineyard (ten northern tribes of Israel).

If you don't know about scattered house of Israel, which is put only for the ten northern tribes of Israel after Solomon's day, then I suggest you study from 1 Kings 11 through 2 Kings 17, and also what is shown in 1 Chronicles about that time also.