TRY THIS SCENARIO FOR “THIS GENERATION”!
Didn’t Jesus say” “When you see these signs, `all taken together, coming to pass, you may know `of a surety that He is near, at the very doors. Truly I tell you, this generation {the whole multitude of people living at the same time, in a definite, given period} will not pass away till all these things taken together take place” {Matthew 24: 33, 34} In verse 32 Jesus gives an illustration to show us how to view the signs He has given us. He said: “From the fig tree learn this lesson; as soon as its young shoots become soft and tender and it puts out its leaves you know of a surety that summer is near.” But not here yet!
Now if the calculations for the year 1914 are correct we might view that year as the time this little seed that would eventually produce a fig tree in full bloom was planted. So from that year a process of growth has been going on. The tree now is coming along very nicely. But the fruit that is on it is not quite ripe yet. But very close to being that! There is needed yet a little time until the fruit can be eaten and summer is here in all its glory.
Just like that tree with the unripe fruit, the sign although very close to completion is not quite all there as yet. Something is still missing! As Jesus said though, that when we saw the sign “all taken together” that “He is near “At the very doors.”
What Jesus was making reference to here is, was not the time period when this small seed was planted, nor the time period that it would take to produce fruit.. He was speaking about the time of “the Harvest season”. “The conclusion of the system of things.” “The close of the age” Mathew 13: 39,40 That is the time period that the entire sign would be clearly evident.
Since the fruit of that figurative tree is not fully ripe indicating that some of the “sign” is still missing. Some might now question: “What is it that is yet to occur? In my next article I will try to supply the answer to this question.