Does Matthew 24:32-36 Establish a Generation During Which the Rapture Will Take Place?
Let's ask this question of two theologians who are similar in their prophetic system.
Hal Lindsey would answer YES to this question:
"When the signs just given begin to multiply and increase in scope it's similar of the certainty of leaves coming on the fig tree. But the most important sign in Matthew has to be the restoration of the Jews to the land in the rebirth of Israel. Even the figure of speech "fig tree" has been a historic symbol of national Israel. When the Jewish people, after nearly 2,000 years of exile, under relentless persecution, became a nation again on 14 May 1948 the "fig tree" put forth its first leaves.
"Jesus said that this would indicate that He was 'at the door,' ready to return. Then He said, 'Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place' (Matthew 24:34 NASB).
"What generation? Obviously, in context, the generation that would see the signs--chief among them the rebirth of Israel. A generation in the Bible is something life forty years. If this is a correct interpretation, then within forty years or so of 1948, all these things could take place. Many scholars who have studied Bible prophecy all their lives believe this is so (The Late Great Planet Earth, Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1970, pages 53-54)."
Thomas Ice and Tim LaHaye would answer NO to this question:
"Much confusion has resulted from many well-meaning people trying to identify the 'generation [that] will not pass away until all these take place' (Matthew 24:34). Some start this generation at verse 31 and believe that it's talking about the generation beginning at the time Israel became a nation in 1948. The passage of time, of course, has disproved that idea. It's better to interpret this verse in its context: that is, the generation that sees the events of the Tribulation will also see the coming of Christ and the other events leading to the end of the age. This avoids harmful speculations about the future, for no man knows the day or the hour (Matthew 24:36) (Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice, Charting the End Times, Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2001, page 37)."
Since the days of the Great Late craze I have believed, as have Barbieri, Chafer, Pentecost, and Walvoord, what Ice and LaHaye are now teaching. That is, the buds of the fig tree represent the signs of the tribulation/second coming in the immediate previous context of Matthew, not the 1948 organization of the present day nation of Israel. Thus the Rapture, which occurs before the tribulation/second coming, will not necessarily happen during the 1948 generation.
Here are some reasons why:
There is no pattern in Scripture that a fig tree only represents the nation of Israel (e.g., Judges 9:11; Psalms 105:33; Proverbs 27:18; Isaiah 34:4; Micah 4:4; Nahum 3:12; James 3:12; Revelation 6:13).
The re-establishment of Israel as a nation is not available in the context as an antecedent to "all these things (verse 33)"--but the signs, which take place during the tribulation/second coming, are available in the context (verses 9-30a).
A similar passage uses a fig tree to represent events that take place during the tribulation (Revelation 6:12-17).
History has shown that one of the dates implied for the second coming by those who teach that the fig tree budding in the spring is the re-establishment of Israel as a nation, was wrong (14 May 1988 where a generation is believed to be 40-years).
Once the re-establishment of Israel occurred (14 May 1988), the rapture became soon rather than imminent--but Scripture only speaks of an imminent rapture (Romans 13:11-12; 1 Corinthians 1:4-7; James 5:8-9; 1 Peter 4:7).
The method of salvation taught by the Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons has lost credibility because they have set wrong dates for the second coming. Therefore, we should avoid even the appearance of date setting so that the true Gospel might not loose credibility.
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© 2004, Ken Bowles -- February 05, 2004, Edition