Matthew 24:32: "“Now learn the parable from the fig-tree: when its branch already becomes tender and grows-out (its) leaves, you-know that the summer (is) near."
Matthew 24:33: "So also you — when you-see all these (things), you know that (it) is near, at (the) doors."
1st century audience?
Jesus said: "Now learn the parable from the fig-tree: when its branch already becomes tender and grows-out (its) leaves, you-know that the summer (is) near. So also YOU — when YOU-see all these (things), YOU know that (it) is near, at (the) doors" (Matthew 24:32-33).
Jesus addressed His 1st century disciples when He said these things.
Jesus also said 1 verse later to His 1st century disciples: "Truly I-say (to) YOU that this generation by-no-means will-pass-away until all these (things) take-place" (Matthew 24:33-34).
1st century biblical fulfillment?
Jesus said: "Now learn the parable from the fig-tree: when its branch already becomes tender and grows-out (its) leaves, you-know that the summer (is) near. So also YOU — when YOU-see all these (things), YOU know that (it) is near, at (the) doors" (Matthew 24:32-33).
Among the "YOU" addressed here, "JAMES" (Mark 13:3) was present, as evidenced from the parallel account to Matthew 24 found in Mark 13, as it is written in the context just before Jesus spoke that "Peter and JAMES and John and Andrew were-questioning Him privately" (Mark 13:3).
"JAMES" mentioned in Mark 13:3 can be traditionally believed to be the same that wrote the epistle of "JAMES" (James 1:1) later in the 1st century. It is written in that epistle: "be-patient, brothers, until the COMING (of) the Lord. Behold — the land-worker waits-for the precious FRUIT (of) the LAND, being-patient with it until it-receives (the) early and late (rain). You also be-patient. Establish your hearts, because the COMING (of) the Lord HAS-DRAWN-NEAR. Do not be-groaning against one-another, brothers, in-order-that you-may not be-judged. Behold — the Judge stands in-front-of the DOORS" (James 5:7-9).
There are similarities with what Jesus said in Matthew 24:30-33 and James 5:7-9:
Matthew 24:30: "they-will-see the Son (of) man COMING on the clouds (of) heaven".
James 5:7: "be-patient, brothers, until the COMING (of) the Lord."
Matthew 24:32: "learn the parable from THE FIG-TREE: when its branch already becomes tender and grows-out (its) leaves, you-know that the SUMMER (IS) NEAR."
James 5:7: "the land-worker waits-for the precious FRUIT (of) the LAND, being-patient with it until it-receives (the) early and LATE (RAIN)."
Here the "FRUIT (of) the LAND" (James 5:7) could be similar to what a "FIG-TREE" (Matthew 24:32) could bring forth, and the "LATE (RAIN)" (James 5:7) was expected to happen in spring, a season to which it could be said that the "SUMMER (IS) NEAR" (Matthew 24:32).
Matthew 24:33: "So also you — when you-see all these (things), you know that (it) is NEAR, at (the) DOORS"
James 5:8-9: "Establish your hearts, because the coming (of) the Lord HAS-DRAWN-NEAR. [...] Behold — the Judge stands in-front-of the DOORS"
For more similarities between Matthew 24 and James 5:
The "fig-tree"?
Jesus said: "Now learn the parable from the FIG-TREE: when its branch already becomes tender and grows-out (its) leaves, you-know that the summer (is) near" (Matthew 24:32).
In the parallel account to Matthew 24:32 found in Luke 21:29, Jesus mentioned more than the FIG-TREE, saying: "Look at the FIG-TREE, AND ALL THE TREES" (Luke 21:29).
The "FIG-TREE" is only mentioned in 2 accounts in Matthew: only in Matthew 24:32 and Matthew 21:19-21.
In Matthew 21:19-21, the FIG-TREE was mentioned to be cursed to not produce any more fruit to the age, as it is written about Jesus that "having-seen one FIG-TREE near the road, He-went to it and found nothing on it except leaves only. And He-says (to) it, “May fruit no longer come from you — to the age”. And the FIG-TREE was-dried-up at-once" (Matthew 21:19). The FIG-TREE here was found with "leaves only" and was missing fruit, and was cursed as a result.
The "FIG-TREE" can sometimes be correlated with the people of Israel. For example: "Judah and ISRAEL were dwelling, having safety, each (one) under his grapevine and under his FIG-TREE" (1 Kings 4:25). Could it be that there would be a timing in which the people of Israel would be found with leaves only and missing fruit and so be cursed as a result?
"Summer is near"?
Jesus said: "Matthew 24:30: "they-will-see the Son (of) man COMING on the clouds (of) heaven
Now learn the parable from the FIG-TREE: when its branch already becomes tender and grows-out (its) leaves, you-know that the SUMMER (IS) NEAR" (Matthew 24:32).
The "SUMMER (IS) NEAR" (Matthew 24:32) in spring, the season just before summer.
In a similar account later in the 1st century in James 5, it is written: "the land-worker waits-for the precious FRUIT (of) the LAND, being-patient with it until it-receives (the) early and LATE (RAIN)" (James 5:7).
Here the "FRUIT (of) the LAND" (James 5:7) could be similar to what a "FIG-TREE" (Matthew 24:32) could bring forth, and the "LATE (RAIN)" (James 5:7) was expected to happen in spring, a season to which it could be said that the "SUMMER (IS) NEAR" (Matthew 24:32).
You know that "it" is near?
Jesus said: "So also you — when you-see all these (things), you know that (IT) IS NEAR, at (the) DOORS" (Matthew 24:33).
Instead of "you know that (IT) IS NEAR" (Matthew 24:33), the parallel account to Matthew 24:33 found in Luke 21 reads: "you-know that THE KINGDOM (OF) GOD IS NEAR" (Luke 21:31).
In a similar account later in the 1st century in James 5, it is written: "THE COMING (OF) THE LORD HAS-DRAWN-NEAR. [...] Behold — the Judge stands in-front-of the DOORS" (James 5:8-9).
Could there be a link between "THE COMING (OF) THE LORD" (James 5:8) which "HAS-DRAWN-NEAR" (James 5:8) and the "THE KINGDOM (OF) GOD" (Luke 21:31) which "IS NEAR" (Luke 21:31)?
Earlier in Matthew 16, Jesus talked about "the Son (of) Man COMING in His KINGDOM" (Matthew 16:28). Here when the Son of Man is "COMING" (Matthew 16:28), He is coming in His "KINGDOM" (Matthew 16:28). In that passage, "His KINGDOM" (Matthew 16:28) would also be the "KINGDOM (OF) GOD" (Luke 21:31), as the kingdom can also for example be called "THE KINGDOM (of) CHRIST and GOD" (Ephesians 5:5).
1st century events
Jesus said in Matthew 24:30-31: "they-will-see the Son (of) man COMING on the clouds (of) heaven with power and great glory. And He-will-send-out His angels".
Jesus then added: "
Now learn the parable from the fig-tree: when its branch already becomes tender and grows-out (its) leaves, you-know that the SUMMER (IS) NEAR. So also you — when you-see all these (things), you know that (it) is near, at (the) DOORS" (Matthew 24:32-33).
Historians wrote about an event that happened around spring of AD 66 (as summer was drawing near), in which an army of angels was seen in the clouds around the start of the First Jewish-Roman War that led to the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple.
The 1st century historian Josephus wrote in "The Wars of the Jews":
(6.5.3): "[o]n the twenty-first day of the month of Artemisius [Iyyar], a certain prodigious and incredible phenomenon appeared; I suppose the account of it would seem to be a fable, were it not related by those that saw it, and were not the events that followed it of so considerable a nature as to deserve such signals; for, before sunsetting, chariots and troops of soldiers in their armor were seen running about among the clouds, and surrounding of cities."
Here "the month of Artemisius [Iyyar]" would be happening in spring, and so at that time it could be said that "the summer (is) near" (Matthew 24:32), as summer is the next season after spring.
The army in the clouds was also seen around Jerusalem where the people of Israel could have gathered around that time, who could also be symbolic of a "fig-tree" (Matthew 24:32). This "fig-tree" would not have been producing fruit at that time, and so would have been cursed as a result, as the First Jewish-Roman War started the same year around that time which lead to the destruction of the city and the killing of many of its inhabitants as a result.
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