Jesus said that in the last days, near Judgment Day, He would come again in the flesh to lead humankind to the truth of salvation. Then, when will He come? The Bible clearly gives us the answer through the parable of the fig tree.
“Learn the Lesson From the Fig Tree”
Two thousand years ago, the disciples asked Jesus about the time of His second coming (Mt 24:3). Explaining about this, Jesus told them to learn the lesson from the fig tree.
“At that time . . . They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.” Mt 24:30–33
After Jesus said, “Learn this lesson from the fig tree,” He added, “When you see all these things, you know that it [He] is near, right at the door.” This means that we can know when Jesus comes again, through the parable of the fig tree.
What Does the Fig Tree Represent in the Bible?
According to the Bible, the fig tree represents Israel (Jer 24:5). Jesus, too, compared Israel to the fig tree.
The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it . . . In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” Mk 11:12–14, 20–21
When Jesus and His disciples were leaving Bethany, He saw a fig tree and went to look for fruit on it to satisfy His hunger. Although He searched for fruit on the tree, He did not find any; because it was not the season for figs. Nevertheless, Jesus cursed the fig tree and let it wither. Fig tree is one of the most common trees in Israel. Moreover, Jesus, who is in very nature God, surely knew the season for figs.
Why then did Jesus curse the fig tree? He did not just curse the tree itself, but wanted to make known His will through that incident. The fig tree without fruit represents Israel who rejected Jesus. Jesus cursed the fig tree to teach us that the Israelites, who rejected Jesus and His gospel, would be destroyed in the future.
Parable of the Fig Tree & Fall of Israel
Jesus prophesied about the fall of Israel through another parable.
Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’ ” Lk 13:6–9
In the parable, the man who looked for fruit on the fig tree for three years refers to Jesus. He preached the gospel in Israel for three years after He was baptized at the age of thirty until He died on the cross. This fact is compared to looking for fruit on the fig tree for three years.
In the parable, the man did not find any fruit on the fig tree and said, “Cut it down.” The reality of this parable is found in Jesus when He warned the people of Israel that they would be judged and destroyed by God because they rejected Him and His gospel.
When the man said, “Leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it,” this meant that Jesus would not destroy Israel immediately after His crucifixion, but would give them an opportunity to repent.
After the Crucifixion, Jesus gave Israel forty years of the opportunity to repent and turn to the gospel (Eze 4:6). However, the people did not accept the gospel, and God let Israel fall in A.D. 70. Thus, the prophecy, “If not, then cut it down,” was fulfilled.
Jesus’s Prophecy About the Fall of Israel
Jesus straightforwardly prophesied about the fall of Israel when He was speaking with His disciples.
“When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations . . .” Lk 21:20–24
Just as Jesus prophesied, Israel was destroyed by the Roman army led by Titus in A.D. 70. The walls of Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed with no stone left on another (Mk 13:2). The Jewish historian, Josephus, wrote in detail about the horrors of the fall of Jerusalem. He wrote that 1.1 million people were killed and 97,000 survivors were taken captive. The prophecy was fulfilled just as Jesus said, “They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations.”
Restoration of Israel & Second Coming of Christ
Jesus said that Israel would not remain ruined forever, but would be restored in due time.
“[J]erusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” Lk 21:24
The Bible says that there is a certain period of time when Jerusalem has to be trampled on by the Gentiles. This means that Jerusalem will be restored to the Jews once that period ends. After A.D. 70, Jerusalem was inhabited by the Gentiles, and the Israelites wandered around the world for about 1,900 years as a stateless people. It was not until 1948, after World War II, when Israel miraculously returned to the land of their forefathers and declared independence. Jesus prophesied about Israel’s independence through the lesson of the fig tree in the book of Matthew.
“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.” Mt 24:32–33
In winter, trees look dead with their twigs withered after losing their leaves; however, in the springtime and summer, their twigs get tender and leaves come out. This is a prophecy that Israel, represented by the fig tree, will be restored when the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
Jesus said, “Learn the lesson from the fig tree,” and added, “When you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.” The restoration of Israel was a sign that Jesus came again to this earth. Israel is the only nation that has ever recovered its lost country in about 1,900 years. Historians call Israel’s independence a miracle that will never happen again in human history. Those who are unaware of this prophecy may think that Israel’s independence was possible because the Israeli people were special. In actuality, God used Israel’s independence as the sign of His second coming.
God accomplished this miraculous work to let us know that Jesus would come again in 1948 when the fig tree was revived. His purpose for coming again is to knock on people’s hearts and preach the gospel of the Kingdom (Rev 3:20). Therefore, Jesus was to come a second time and began to preach the gospel in 1948 when Israel became independent.
According to this prophecy, Christ Ahnsahnghong came a second time to this earth. He was baptized In 1948 when Israel was independent, and began to preach the gospel, that is, the truth of the New Covenant that no one had kept for a long time. Therefore, Christ Ahnsahnghong is Jesus who came a second time as testified in the Bible.