30aThen the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, band then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31aAnd He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His1elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
The Parable of the Fig Tree
32“Now learn athis parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.
33So you also, when you see all these things, know athat it is near—at the doors!
34Assuredly, I say to you, athis generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.
35aHeaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
No One Knows the Day or Hour
36a“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of1heaven,bbut My Father only.
37But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
38aFor as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,
39and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
40aThen two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.
41Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.
42aWatch therefore, for you do not know what1hour your Lord is coming.
43aBut know this, that if the master of the house had known what1hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.
A parable draws on human experience to convey a higher spiritual meaning, yet God creates most things with multiple functions, and the Parable of the Fig Tree both teaches a universal principle and prophesies of the coming Kingdom of God. Its prophetic nature is evident from its placement within the Olivet Prophecy, after Jesus lists several signs of His second coming. He gives the parable to highlight their time element: when the signs are "already budding," the events signaling His return will already be in motion before people realize how close the end is. His command is to watch and be ready, remaining spiritually alert and vigilant, not falling asleep like the Ten Virgins or the three apostles in Gethsemane.
Matthew 24:32-33
A parable is a story drawn from human experience that has a higher spiritual meaning. This is its principal purpose, just as a psalm is primarily intended to praise God. This does not exclude its use for other ends. God creates most things with multiple functions, and the various parts of His Word are not exceptions.
The Parable of the Fig Tree is a good example. It both teaches a universal principle and prophesies of the coming Kingdom of God. As further proof of this parable's prophetic nature, Jesus gives it in the midst of the Olivet Prophecy! He has just listed several signs of His second coming, and He presents this parable to key us in on their time element. Notice He says, "when they are already budding," meaning that the events that signal His return will be happening—in motion—before we realize how close we are to the end!
What Does Jesus Mean by the Parable of the Fig Tree (Matthew 24:32)?
Some have thought—incorrectly—that Jesus is saying that the seasons are indistinguishable except by the budding of trees. Notice what Jesus actually says in Matthew 24:32: "Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near." He is simply using the budding of the fig tree to illustrate a point about His second coming.
When spring comes and the trees put out new leaves, we know that summer is not far off. In the same way, we will know Christ's return is near when we see the events He mentions earlier in the chapter begin to occur. Verse 33 provides the key to His parable: "So you also, when you see all these things [described in verses 4-29], know that it [Christ's second coming] is near, at the very doors."
Nevertheless, Jesus warns that we will only know the approximate time of His return, that is, that it is close. He says in verse 36: "But of that day and hour no one knows, no, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only." We believe that time is quickly approaching, but we have no idea how soon it will be. The best approach is contained in the apostle Paul's admonition to the Romans: "And do this [live godly], knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed." If we live as if Christ will come tomorrow, we will always be striving to be prepared for it.
A parable draws on human experience to convey a higher spiritual meaning, yet God creates most things with multiple functions, and the Parable of the Fig Tree both teaches a universal principle and prophesies of the coming Kingdom of God. Its prophetic nature is evident from its placement within the Olivet Prophecy, after Jesus lists several signs of His second coming. He gives the parable to highlight their time element: when the signs are "already budding," the events signaling His return will already be in motion before people realize how close the end is. His command is to watch and be ready, remaining spiritually alert and vigilant, not falling asleep like the Ten Virgins or the three apostles in Gethsemane.