Signs of the Times – Part one

“Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”— Amos 3:8.

The truth of the prophet’s words may readily be perceived in surveying God’s past dealings with His people. In every instance where the nation of Israel has been chastened for their iniquity, the Lord has given them ample warning of their impending punishment. The holy prophets have been employed to instruct and warn Israel in the ways of God, of whom Ezekiel is an outstanding example. “Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel : therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.” (Ezek. 3:17). Each historical milestone in the history of the rebellious nation has been foretold by His servants, the prophets. For every important work which the creator has wrought in the earth has been the subject of prophetic messages to all who have ears to hear. There is hardly an element of Christ’s life and ministry that has not been elaborated upon in the Old Testament scriptures. “Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you : Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.” (I Peter 1 :10, 11).

Is it therefore, not reasonable that we should expect the Lord to indicate through the prophets the times and seasons that would usher in the most glorious age the earth has ever known ? Indeed it is ! The kingdom of God which comprised such an important part of Christ’s preaching, has been dealt with inexhaustibly in the prophets. They have embellished the subject with such glowing terms that down through the ages the servants of God have sought with longing eyes to witness its erection. The faith of the elect has been enriched and strengthened with the glorious prospect of someday becoming an integral part of its domain.

This column of the Tidings, God willing, will be reserved for current topics which, in the light of prophecy, have a direct bearing on the time when the kingdom of God will be established. The matter of just when God will begin his rule in the earth has always been of great concern and anticipation in the hearts of the believers. The apostles. on several different occasions looked for its inauguration during the time of Christ’s earthly ministry. It was not until after Pentecost when they were endued with power from on high that they actually understood it would only be established when their Master returned in power and great glory. (Acts 3:20,21)

Jesus did, however, speak of many signs that would unerring­ly indicate its close proximity. The signs of which he spoke, we believe to be within sight of all of us to­day. Though the indications of its nearness would be completely hid from those who know not God, they would be unmistakenly indica­tive to the household of faith, caus­ing them to look up and lift un their heads in full assurance that the long awaited kingdom was about to be realized.

In answer to his disciples’ inquiry as to the sign of his coming, and of the end of the world, Christ had many things to say. They were not to be fooled into believing that he was in the earth without their being gathered to him. Though news were to reach the followers that the Lord had actually come and was even then in some remote region of the earth, they were to regard it not. “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west ; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” There would be no mistaking the fact that their master had arrived, for the first work to engage his attention would be the raising of the dead and the gathering of all his people from the four corners of the earth. (I Thes. 4:13-18).

Jesus then commenced to relate to them certain happenings in the earth which would serve to show them that the kingdom of God was at hand. A perusal of his re­marks as recorded by Luke 21 will enable us to recognize these events when they occur.

The first and possibly most important sign Christ spoke about to his disciples concerned the nation of Israel. “And they (Israel) shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations : and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” (Luke 21 :24). The Jews were to be dispersed into all regions of the earth, in which they would be pursued by their enemies and slain with the edge of the sword, while their land, the land of Palestine, was to fall under Gentile dominion. This allusion to Israel’s expulsion from the land was fulfilled to the letter in 70 A.D. when the land was sieged by Titus. Since that time and until relatively recent years, Palestine has been under Gentile rule.

This condition was to prevail until “the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” The return of the Jews to the land covenanted to their fathers and the termination of Gen­tile rule in the holy land, was to serve as a positive and irrefutable indication to the observing Christian that the times of God were about to begin.

Later on in the same chapter, Jesus relates a very intimate prophecy to his followers in the form of a parable. “Behold the fig tree, and all the trees ; when they now shoot forth ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.” (verses 29-32) Christ often spoke to his disciples in parables that the true meaning behind the lesson might be obscure to the Jews whose only interest was to catch him at his words. “It is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.” (Matt. 13:11) If designed to mystify some who heard them, it is obvious that parables cannot be strictly and literally interpreted. A parable never teaches itself. It is primarily designed to illustrate or emphasise a truth with the employment of a sometimes fictitious narrative. Such is the case before us now. Christ’s reference to a fig tree and its shooting forth in the spring of the year is not to be taken literally. Millions of trees have done just that since his words have been spoken, and the kingdom of God has not yet arrived.

The key to understanding this symbol of the parable may be found in a little research. By the use of a good concordance, one may readily see for himself that the symbol of the fig tree has been used elsewhere in the Bible in reference to Israel. In Joel 3 :7 the prophet speaks of the desolation suffered by Israel at the hands of their enemies ; “He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree ; he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away ; the branches thereof are made white.” Christ also, in cursing the unfruitful fig tree (Mark 11 :13 & 14) and relating the parable of the barren fig tree (Luke 13:6-9) foretold the punishment to be inflicted on the barren and unfruitful nation of Israel.

The shooting forth of the nation of Israel after being barked and having her branches made bare, and after having been scattered throughout the kingdoms of the world was to suffice as a very real sign to those saints living in the latter days that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. The twentieth century is witnessing the fulfilment of Christ’s prophecy. For many years now, the Jews have been returning to Palestine in great numbers and in strict accord with Bible prophecy. 1958 will mark the tenth anniversary of the formation of the new state of Israel. Though confronted with inestimably odds, the little nation was destined to establish herself firmly in the very soil their fathers once trod.

To the student of the Bible, Israel in the land again after twenty centuries of wandering in the Gen­tile nations is by far the strongest sign in our day of the nearness of Christ. The declaration of Palestine as a homeland for the Jews, and the withdrawal of Gen­tile dominion in the land will surely mark the end of Gentile times. We have the blessed assurance of the Master that “this generation (that witnesses these events) will not pass away till all be fulfilled.”