Prophetic interpreters line up on this passage in two categories. Some say the fig tree refers to the return of the Jews to the land of Israel in 1948. Others say that the budding of the leaves on the fig tree refers to the signs (all these things, v. 33) that Jesus listed in the first 28 verses of Matthew 24.. Two views. Both have merit.

But it is not an “either-or” proposition. It is a double reference prophecy. Both meanings are attached to the one prophecy.

For example, the last two verses of the Old Testament tell of the future coming of Elijah. Jesus said that this prophecy referred to John the Baptist. (Mat 11:13-14) But He said it also referred to Elijah the prophet who would appear in the last days. Both meanings are attached by our Lord to Malachi 4:5-6, and therefore both are true.(Mat 17:10-13)

In the same vein, the prophecy instructing the Jews to flee Jerusalem has a double reference. It refers to the time of the Abomination of Desolation in the middle of the Tribulation in Matthew 24:15-21, but it also refers to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD in Luke 21:20-24. (There is even a triple reference since it refers to the second coming of Christ in Luke 17:30-31)

In like manner, Matthew 24:32 refers to both Israel and the last day signs. Since Israel is the center of these signs, it is a perfect picture as the metaphorical fig tree with its budding leaves depicting all of the other signs.

The “generation that will not pass away” is the generation that sees all of the signs in place—not just the beginning of the signs. Though Jesus was speaking directly to His disciples when He gave this prophecy, as is often the case in prophetic Scripture, He was speaking to a future generation represented by the disciples (future believers, e.g., Deu 28:64-68; Mat 23:37-39).

How do you interpret Daniel 12:4?

"But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase." (Daniel 12:4

This passage refers to the speed of the unlocking of the prophetic truths contained in Daniel as this age draws to a close. This in itself is a significant prophecy. Knowledge of the meaning of end-time prophecies will skyrocket as true Bible-believers “run to and fro” sifting and sorting the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation and all of the other prophetic passages, making sense of them as the Holy Spirit unseals their deeper truths.

This passage must be read in the light of its own context (Daniel 12:4-10, see below) and in the light of the Biblical usage of the phrase “to and fro” in Amos 8:12 and Zechariah 4:10.

The phrase in both passages depicts a ‘busy searching’ back and forth. Amos uses it particularly as a searching through the Word of the Lord (albeit the apostate nation was looking in the wrong places).

Daniel, then, portrays exactly what is going on today among Bible believers—there is a Holy Spirit-driven zeal to carefully and meticulously sift and sort, correlate and clarify Bible prophecy (in light of today’s uniquely prophetic events) which in past generations has only revealed its shadows.

Jesus said that at the End Time people would understand the prophecies of Daniel

Daniel said that he “could not understand” the prophecies given him. It was explained to him by the angel that those prophecies “are concealed and sealed up until the end time.” (Dan. 12:8-9)

However, Jesus said there would be a generation that would “read and understand” the prophecies of Daniel. (Mat. 24:15)

Since not only the Rapture, but also the beginning of the end is always near (imminent), then “those with insight” (believers) will be enlightened to the mysteries of God’s prophetic truths, beyond the understanding of any previous generation, as the prophecies are unsealed in these last days.

Of course, when Jesus issued His command that in light of certain signs we are to know that His second coming is near (Mat. 24:32-33) His command presupposes that the prophecies would be unsealed to the generation that begins to see those signs (see first article at top of page). We (since the Jewish alyahs began in the days of Scofield, Larkin, etc) are children of that generation.

Certain environmental catastrophes befell Egypt in the ten plagues of the Exodus. Then, through Amos, God gave forewarnings to backslidden Israel through a specific series of hardships, which included environmental disasters. (Amos 4:6-13)

To apostate Judah God forewarned of “My four severe judgments,” which included environmental “famine.” (Eze. 14:21)

In effect, God has revealed a pattern of environmental forewarnings in Scripture so that, when they come, we may, in fact, be warned!

Today America has made an “about-face” from its Judeo-Christian beginnings. As a result, the U.S. is experiencing pre-tribulational warnings through environmental chaos (as is the whole world). And meteorology is confounded by these “extreme weather events.”

But Moses, Ezekiel and Amos and the prophets warned of it. Environmental catastrophes are both a warning of impending judgment and a pre-sign of the end-time ultimate judgment of the Great Tribulation.

Naturalists and evolutionist, who dominate not only science but government, sociology, psychology, etc., call it “global warming,” and that is actually OK as far as it goes. It is like calling “fire and brimstone” on Sodom and Gomorrah an abundantly-warmed meteorite from space.

But the meteorite was not the cause. God sent it (if that is what it was). God uses nature, as the prophets quoted above tell us, to deliver warnings and judgments. So one may attribute today’s extreme weather events to “global warming,” but the Bible doesn’t stop there—God is sending it to warn a lost and apostate world that He means business.

Whereas the Western Leg has already begun its revival in the form of the EU, the Eastern Leg must be revived to complete the reappearance of the basic outlines of the Roman Empire in these last days. The Mediterranean Union appears to be a first step in that direction, with its close association with the EU.

Whatever the case, the prophecies don’t predict a revival of half of the Roman Empire—any more than they foresaw the rebirth of half of Israel in the last days. Just as the Jews had to return to the same geo-physical land with the same approximate boundaries as those of ancient Israel in order to be recognized as the prophesied Rebirth of Israel, the Roman Empire must reunite its parts within the same approximate geo-physical land and boundaries—east and west— for it to be recognized as the prophesied Revived Roman Empire. Just as both the southern and northern kingdoms of Israel must reoccupy their original boundaries as a single Kingdom at the end time (the 2 “sticks”, Eze. 37:37:15-23), so too must Daniel’s 4th kingdom be reunited in both the eastern and western divisions (the 2 “feet”, Dan. 2:40-43).

But how, one might ask, can it be possible for the Muslim-Mid East (eastern foot) to come together politically with the EU-Europeans (western foot)? Aren’t they political, religious and cultural opposites? The answer, of course, is that the unthinkable with man is thinkable with God—He says in Daniel 2:41-43 that “iron and clay” opposites will combine no matter what we may think. The western-”Christian/secular” EU will combine (though not adhere) with the eastern-Muslim Mid East, and then and only then will we recognize the revival of the original Roman Empire.

The EU is accomplishing that with astonishing historic and prophetic accuracy. Turkey and/or the Mediterranean Union is the bridge to link the west with the east and fulfill in recognizable form the Revived Roman Empire.

Are signs of the times unique to our day?

Everything that has been discussed on these pages is unique to our day. My great grandmother, and all of the generations before her, did not witness the rebirth of Israel, the umbrella of Internet linkage over our planet, the global threat of universal atomic destruction, the unification of the old Roman states, etc. She read about these things in the Bible as dimly-lit prophecies, but we are seeing them appear in newsprint in flaming reality! 

What are the most important spiritual signs of the end times, both positive and negative in nature?

and upon her forehead a name was written, a mystery, "BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." Revelation 17:5

The “harlot” religions that were first spread worldwide through the forced migration from Babel at the dawn of post-flood civilization are predicted to reunify at the end time. (Gen. 11) That is why Babylon is referred to as the “Mother of Harlots.” (Rev. 17:5) The Catholic Church, or “Romanism,” is not that “mother” of all false religions, as some might suppose. Even though a “super-harlot” of today, that religion is still a “daughter-harlot,” as are all of today’s major religions aside from Biblical Christianity (Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, etc).

The “mother” will be manifested when the “daughters” are reunited where they began—Babylon. The tape of history will rewind back to the unified Babylon of Genesis 11, politically, religiously, economically, etc. Then the prophecies of Jesus regarding “many false christs” and “many false prophets”(Mat 24: 5, 11, 24) will find fulfillment from within the One-World “Mother of Harlots” religion.

The end-time ball is rolling toward the soon fulfillment of the one-world religion at this very time. Virtually every two or three months we hear of yet another consortium of false religions joining together into some kind of one-religion bond. This linkage of these various “daughter-harlots” will soon evolve into a single massive unification of world religion. That is the negative sign.