QT 4/6/2022 Matt 24:32-35, Major on the majors, minor on the minors

Matthew 24:32–35 (ESV) — 32 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

 

NOTE: The simplest way to view this is as Jesus said it -- all these things (what Jesus just said) must come to pass before Jesus' second coming occurs (except verses 30-31 because they are the second coming and part of the aftermath). The difficulty is the word "generation" and the potential use of imagery with the "fig tree" as Israel (occurred in Matt 23:19-21). The "generation" could simply be the last group to see all the signs, or it could be the "generation" of Israel that begins to see these signs. Israel did not exist until 1948, and if a generation is 100 years as seen in Gen 15:16 (400 years of slavery for 4 generations), then the combination of the truths would suggest sometime before another 26 years (2048). But Israel has had temporary control of the land before and one could argue that they still do not control Jerusalem. In which case, is the city still "trampled by Gentiles" and not under Israel's control? The capital was only recently recognized as Jerusalem. The answer to all of these questions is that we do not know. So what do we know? We know how we should live and we know what is acceptable behavior and we know that God's want us to grow in our relationship with him. If we know these things, then those are things we should be focused on.

 

PONDER:

1. Am I growing in my relationship with God? Do I meet him in his word and prayer every morning?

 

PRAYER: Father, help not to worry about the things that I have no control over. Help me to focus on the things I know and the things that I can do (with your strength). Help me to be a faithful and good witness of your Son to a dying world. A world which desperately needs truth before it destroys itself in angst.