'And as He sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the SIGN of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?' {Matthew 24:3}This question by the disciples to Jesus, is recorded in Matthew, Mark and Luke. They're phrased a little different, but they are all asking the same question. Two questions were being asked:
1.Tell us, when shall these things be?{Matt 24:3}This is regarding the destruction of Jerusalem
2.What shall be the SIGN of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?{ibid}
Jesus answered the first question by explaining all the events that would lead up to the destruction of Jerusalem. In doing so, He was also showing what would lead to the end of the world. Then He addressed the second question: 'What shall be the SIGN of thy coming, and of the end of the world?'
Here is His answer: 'Behold the FIG TREE, AND ALL THE TREES; WHEN they SHOOT forth, ye see and KNOW of your own selves that SUMMER is NOW NIGH at HAND.'{Luke 21:29}
'Now learn a parable of the FIG TREE; WHEN HER branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye KNOW THAT SUMMER IS NEAR.' {Mark 13:28}
Jesus deals with a SINGULAR event to show when SUMMER is near:
Summer=Harvest
Proverbs 6:8; Proverbs 10:5; Jeremiah 8:20
Harvest=End of the world
Matthew 13:39;30
THE SHOOTING/BUDDING/SPROUTING of the FIG TREE IS THE SIGN!
What is the FIG TREE?
'Whoso keepeth FIG TREE shall eat the fruit thereof: SO HE THAT WAITETH ON HIS MASTER shall be honoured.'{Proverbs 27:18}
It is someone who WAITS FOR THEIR MASTER-An Advent believer.
'I found ISRAEL like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the FIG TREE..'{Hosea 9:10}
So the FIG TREE represents God's people Israel, who at some point were waiting on their Master to return.
So who are the 'other trees'? They are the Non-Jews; the Gentiles.
The shooting forth, is not in regards to the other trees. It's the FIG TREE that Jesus was seeking for fruit to be borne. So the SIGN is when there will be a DISTINCTION made between Israel and the Gentile world; and this distinction will ONLY be evident when the Fig Tree is budding. This is a time when the BEGINNINGS(budding, sprouting, shooting)of Israel takes place. It is when God BEGINS TO GROW a denominated people.
But this is not in the context of when God FIRST gathered to Himself a denominated people at Mount Sinai. The context is at SUMMER, the END OF THE WORLD.
Luke 21, is telling us that there will come a time when God will gather together a people, who will be once again called Israel. A time when there will be a MARKED LINE OF DISTINCTION between Israel and the Gentile world. At the END OF THE WORLD.
'And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and SHALL CHOOSE JERUSALEM AGAIN.' {Zechariah 2:12}
When did this take place?
'..and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of Gentiles, UNTIL the TIMES OF THE GENTILES BE FULFILLED.'{Luke 21:24}
The 'times of the Gentiles' is when Israel was no longer the chosen people to be the depositaries of God's sacred oracles. The promulgation of the Gospel was given to whoever willed. But there came a point in history when that era would close, fulfilled. That time was the termination date of Jerusalem being trodden down by the heathen. When was that?
'But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles...and the HOLY CITY shall they TREAD UNDER FOOT FORTY AND TWO MONTHS.'{Rev 11:2}
The 'FORTY AND TWO MONTHS' is 1260 years. The 'HOLY CITY' that was trodden down during the 1260 years of Papal persecution, were GOD'S PEOPLE. This ended in 1798. So the fulfillment of the 'times of the Gentiles', when Israel was no longer a people, was at the END OF JERUSALEM (GOD'S PEOPLE) BEING TRODDEN DOWN: 1798.
1798 is when 'the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled', but notice that the verse doesn't say the 'time' (singular), rather the 'times' (plural). What I am getting at is that there is more than one date which can be rightfully called, 'the times of the Gentiles'. We can see this clearly, when we understand the 2,520 year prophecy (Leviticus 26), that deals with the curse that came upon Jerusalem for breaking the covenant that was given to them on Mount Sinai. Please bear in mind that Jerusalem was made up of two tribes; both broke the covenant, so both did the time.
The Northern Kingdom(Israel) had 2,520 years of being TRODDEN DOWN in an enemy's land: 728-1798.
The Southern Kingdom(Judah) had 2,520 years of being TRODDEN DOWN: 677-1844.
Literal and Spiritual Jerusalem was trampled down until 1798 AND 1844. God began to grow Israel again from 1798 all the way through 1844. That's forty six years; the same length of time it took to re-build the temple.
1844 was the year that the time of the Gentiles was COMPLETED. The Advent believers officially became Spiritual Israel, a Denominated People.
The experience of ancient Israel on Mount Sinai, when they received the Law and was married to God, was repeated on October 22nd, 1844:
Mount Sinai
'And all the ppl saw the THUNDERINGS, and the LIGHTNINGS..'{Exodus 20:18}
Mount Sinai experience on October 22nd, 1844
'And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in His temple THE ARK OF HIS TESTAMENT(THE LAW): and there were LIGHTNINGS, and voices, and THUNDERINGS..'{Rev 11:19}
THE DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN ISRAEL IS THE SIGN!
Now, what has THAT got to do with the END OF THE WORLD? In other words, how is 1798-1844 (the history of the Adventist Church being formed, present truth?)
'I am often referred to the parable of the ten virgins, five of whom were wise, and five foolish. This parable has been and will be fulfilled to the very letter, for it has a special application to this time, and, like the third angel's message, has been fulfilled and will continue to be present truth till the close of time.'{RH, August 19, 1890 par. 3}
When we arrive at the repeat of what took place during 1798-1844, you can be sure that summer is nigh at hand. However, that's not sufficient for me to know that okay, the events of that history is being repeated. No, not enough. The burning question of my heart, is: 'Lord, what was the relationship that You had with Your people during that time which caused them to have such ardent love for their Saviour? To lead them to labour tirelessley for the salvation of their family and friends, and everyone else in between? To strengthen them to face the mockery of those who rejected them and spoke evil of them? And to give them such a readiness of heart and mind that if You at that time, they would have been prepared to meet You?' For whatever their experience was with Christ during that time of gathering, is also to be repeated in this time of gathering before the harvest is past. What an exciting day it will be, when we finally meet face to face the Man Whom we have grown in love with. It's so worth getting ready for. I want what the Millerites had with Jesus, but even more. The question that we need to ask ourselves is, have we come to that point in time when the repeat of this sacred history has arrived?
What happened in 1798, to cause the gathering?
'But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to THE TIME OF THE END: many shall run to and fro, and KNOWLEDGE SHALL BE INCREASED...How long shall it be to the END OF THESE WONDERS?...it shall be for a TIME,TIMES, and AN HALF; AND WHEN He shall have ACCOMPLISHED to SCATTER the power of the HOLY PEOPLE...the words are closed up and SEALED TILL THE TIME OF THE END. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly & none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.'{Dan 12:4,6,7,9,10}
Okay, let's rap this up in these few moments remaining:
The book of Daniel will be sealed UNTIL:
1.Time, times, and a half=1260 years of Papal supremacy, ending in 1798.
2. When He shall have ACCOMPLISHED TO SCATTER the power of the HOLY PEOPLE. The Scattering terminated on October 22nd, 1844.
There was an unsealing of knowledge, an INCREASE OF KNOWLEDGE FROM THE PROPHECIES FOUND IN THE BOOK OF DANIEL, beginning in the year 1798.
We also see:
1.The COLLAPSE of a power from the bottomless pit.
In the Bible there are only three religious manifestations of satanic power:
Catholicism
Islam
Atheism
In 1798, the civil power of Roman Catholicism, aka the Papacy, came down.
2. We see three powers involved:
The King of the North(Papacy)
The King of the South(Atheism,in the form of France)
The U.S.A
3. Rome rises in the garb of the birth of Apostate Protestantism.
4. The prophecy pointing to the fulfilment of the vision of Daniel 8:14, began to get unsealed.
The beginning of the repeat, in 1989 we see:
*The COLLAPSE of a power from the bottomless pit: Atheism, in form of Soviet Russia. The STRONGHOLD of atheism.
*The same three powers involved:King of the North: Papacy; King of the South: Atheism; U.S.A.
*Rome rises as her first obstacle is uprooted (Daniel 11:40).
*The prophecy pointing to the vision of Daniel 11 (the Sunday Law) began to get unsealed.
The remaining events of the 1800's, you will can read about in my blog study on history repeating. Yes it's beautiful to see the events match exactly, but that won't amount to a hill of beans if my relationsip with Jesus on a moment by moment basis, doesn't line up, and exceed what the early Advent believers had.
Oh how Jesus wants to come!
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