"NOW LEARN THE PARABLE FROM THE FIG TREE"

We have four fig trees on our property. They have begun to unfurl their leaves and as you can see figs are forming. The leaves and figs will grow much larger before they are fully mature.

In the Lord's parable of the fig tree in Matthew 24:32, He says, "...when its branch has already become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near."

As of this writing, summer is twenty-six days away.

He then goes on to say, "...even so you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door."

To what things was Jesus referring?

The events He just spoke about - the abomination of desolation, the great tribulation against the elect, the sun, moon, and stars going out, and then His appearance in the clouds with His angels to gather the elect.

Verse thirty-four, "Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place."

What generation will not pass away and see His return? The generation that sees all the events in Matthew 24.

All these events are going to happen in a short amount of time.

Are we that generation?

We don't know yet. But He includes in His instruction, in verse forty-two, to all His disciples, "be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming."

Check back later this summer and I'll post another image after this branch has done some more growing!

CHECK OUT KRISTEN WISEN'S PREWRATH STUDY GUIDE

Kristen, daughter of Robert VanKampen (and my prewrath email friend), has written an interactive, four lesson study guide that walks you through the Scriptures which support the prewrath position on the timing of the rapture of the Church. It is free and up-loadable to your computer. Click here to go to the home page of her website and then click on "Free Prewrath Study".

I've been meeting with a friend from my church once a week and we've been going through each lesson together. We just completed lesson three. After lesson two she was convinced that the prewrath position is the most biblically sound of all the positions on the timing of the rapture.

Kristen is a gifted writer. I've read her end times novel "The Appearing" and various other manuscripts she's sent my way. In her study guide the prewrath position is plainly and simply laid out, supported clearly and easily by God's Word. Nothing is forced. My prayer is that if you take the time to go through it, the truth of God's Word on this matter will become crystal clear to you just as it has for me and is doing in the hearts and minds of so many others as well.

MATTHEW 24:10

Are the many who will fall away during the great tribulation of Mt. 24 believers that walk away from the faith?

Here’s the verse – Matthew 24:10: “And at that time many will fall away and will deliver up one another and hate one another.”

I think the answer clearly lies in the second half of the verse. Those who fall away will also deliver up one another and hate one another.

What characterizes a child of God?

1 John 3:14-16: “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”

1 John 4:7,8: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

John goes on to say that we love because He first loved us.

Paul in Romans 8:35 asks, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?"

In verse 39 Paul says no created thing (that would include ourselves) shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul told the Philippians that "He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."

When does the day of Christ Jesus occur? Immediately after the tribulation.

His Beloved, it is my position that those who fall away were never His in the first place.

Thanks to you all for your faithful visits.

CHRIST'S TEACHING ON HIS RETURN

Some believe that the Scriptures teach an any moment return of Christ, referring to it as the Doctrine of Imminency. There are many verses that tell us to expect, wait for, await eagerly, to be awake and keep awake, be ready, be sober, be on the alert, His coming is at hand, but not one claims that the coming of Christ for the elect could be in the next moment.

When I read Matthew 24 I come up with twenty-three happenings that Jesus Himself foretells will occur before His return and the elect are gathered:

1. 1-false Christs misleading many
   
2. 2-wars
   
3. 3-rumors of wars
   
4. 4-nation rising against nation
   
5. 5-kingdom rising against kingdom
   
6. 6-famines
   
7. 7-earthquakes
   
8. 8-believers delivered to tribulation
   
9. 9-believers killed
   
10. 10-believers hated by all nations on account of His name
    
11. 11-many falling away
    
12. 12-those that fall away delivering up one another
    
13. 13-those that fall away hating one another
    
14. 14-many false prophets arising
    
15. 15-many false prophets misleading many
    
16. 16-lawlessness increasing
    
17. 17-because of the increase in lawlessness most people’s love growing cold
    
18. 18-the gospel of the kingdom being preached in the whole world (see Rev. 14:6)
    
19. 19-the abomination of desolation seen standing in the holy place
    
20. 20-the greatest tribulation/persecution against the elect to ever occur
    
21. 21-false Christs and false prophets arising and showing great signs and wonders
    
22. 22-the sun darkened, the moon not giving its light, the stars falling from the sky, the powers of the heavens being shaken
    
23. 23-the sign of the Son of Man
    

Have any of these happenings occurred? I see #’s 1-9 as having occurred or occurring. #10 is becoming very close a reality if we aren't there already. I would include #16 as well. #19 can’t occur until after another Temple or Tabernacle of sorts is built and that hasn’t happened yet. #20 occurs in relation to #19 and since #19 is yet future #20 is yet future.

His Beloved, I just can’t find an imminent return of Christ taught anywhere in Scripture, but especially in what Christ taught Himself regarding what would occur before He returns and gathers the elect.