End-Time Prophecy, Part 3

It's called a tree, the tree, a flood, and drunkards. We have been covering from Matthew 21 through 25, understanding, as I will reinforce that, that Matthew 21, starting in verse 18, all the way through 25, happened in one day. Christ spoke all these things, and from the early morning to the late evening, He covered all these. And these were in-time prophecies as He was giving them to us. And we've covered those from the parable of the Talents, to the virgins, to the four horsemen, to the seven seals. We have covered these in our Scripture sermons in the last little while. So today I want to go to Matthew 24, and there is something He says there, and He gives a story about a fig tree. And I find it interesting because I really have never seen a live fig tree. Anyone here? Yes? You've seen live fig trees. Never had one on the farm. Didn't know what they looked like. So I had to do a lot of studying research on figs and fig tree. And I found it interesting that the fig tree, figs and fig tree were actually mentioned more than any other tree in the entire Bible. More than the oak, more than the olive tree. Over 50 times, 50 times plus, was the fig trees mentioned, which I found interesting because it was really the very first tree that was ever mentioned back in Genesis 3. You might remember the story as we found that Mother Eve learned how to sow. And she sowed some fig leaves together for covering. And so then, as I studied into the fig tree, I also found out that the fig tree, which could actually, different varieties, grow up to 40 feet tall. But most were 15 to 20 to 25 feet tall. And the leaves are very large. I did not know that, looking at the fig trees. I didn't realize that, which probably made Eve's job a little easier to try to sow those leaves together. She didn't have to sow all of them. But I found that fig trees were wanted by most people at that time because they were used for food. You could either pick a fig, ripe and eat it. You could pick your figs and dry them and store them and have them later. It was even mentioned that in Hezekiah's time, figs were actually used in a poultice as a type of healing properties that were there. But one of the things that was most useful in the tree was that it was large and it gave a tremendous shade. And so you could actually find a respite, you might say, under a fig tree. And so I found them to be very interesting because I guess I've never really broken down and studied it before.

But I also found that the fig tree was used symbolically all through the Scriptures as a tree and as a time of prosperity. It also is a symbolic sign of the thousand-year millennial reign of Christ. It makes you find it in the Scripture. So it is, to me, a very important tree. I wanted to learn whatever lessons I could. And so I want you, if you will, to go back to 1 Kings 4. If you don't mind, 1 Kings 4.

Find my way back there. 1 Kings 4. I'm going to read back in verse 20.

150 bushels of fine flour and 300 bushels of meal. 10 fat at oxen, 20 oxen from the feet pastures, and 100 sheep besides deer, gazelle, roebuck, and fat at fowl. For he had dominion over the river on this side, which we've already covered. But it says, And he had peace on every side all around him. So it was a very prosperous time, as we know from other Scriptures, that silver was gold, was valuable, but silver had become so commonplace in the time that it was almost as if it were stones or rocks on the ground. So it had to be one of the most prosperous times ever in the history of the world. And it was all because God blessed him.

But it says something here in verse 25. It says, And Judah and Israel, being they were still together at the time, dwelt safely each man under his vine and his fig trees, from Dan as far as Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. So the fig tree is a symbol of prosperity, safety, peace. And like you turn to one other one as we go there. Because it's also mentioned in Isaiah 36 and verse 16, which I don't want to go there, because that's where the Rab Shaka, speaking for Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, actually made an offer to Judah at the time and said, That's all right, I won't destroy you.

I'll just take you away from here and take you to a wonderful land where you will have your own vine and your own fig tree, promising them and letting them know that he was offering them prosperity. That's what he was saying anyway. But I'd like you to turn to Micah. Micah 4, because this is a prophetic scripture of what it will be like during that thousand year period of time, when Christ will reign on this earth, a time we are all looking forward to. And it says in Micah 4, Micah 4 and verse 3, it says, Jesus Christ shall judge between many peoples and rebuke strong nations afar off.

They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. A time we all picture, even a symbol that's before the United Nations today, that they obviously do not look at when they walk in the door every day, as they see this man beating these swords into plowshares. And it says, nations shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. It's done. War is over.

Nothing but peace. And then it says, but everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken. So we come to this point of seeing this symbolicness, if I can use that word, of the fig tree. And so I want to go back to Matthew 21, where this day started. This is three days before Christ's death, and this is the very start of the day. And in that very morning, Matthew 21 and 18, it says, Now in the morning as he, Jesus Christ, returned to the city, he was hungry.

Any of you hungry? And seeing a fig tree by the road, he came to it and found nothing on it but leaves. And he said, Let no fruit grow on the tree ever again.

And immediately the fig tree withered away. So someone might say, well, Christ sounds kind of spoiled. Didn't get what he wanted, so he cursed fig tree. But you must remember, this is an amazing day where he is going to cover so many things. He is going to teach so many lessons that it starts even in the morning. And you remember, this will be remembered as the first thing he did. I want to do something today that I've never done before. I want you to hand this back on each side. And if you'll switch rows when you come there.

Take one, please. Take one and pass it on. Even if you don't want to use your hands, there's actually a little thing there. For those of you, this is actual figs. Actually, they're from Turkey.

So I will feed you from Turkey, not Turkey, but I will feed you figs from Turkey today. And you might, for those of you that don't necessarily like fruit, those are what I used to eat when I used to have my choice of cookies called fig newtons. Yes? Ampey gives one thumb up. Okay? High in iron. High in iron, okay.

Our nurse teaches us that they're actually good for you because I would expect that if Christ is eating them, wouldn't you? Don't think he'd eat many happy meals from McDonald's. I think he would. But as you pass that through, pass that back, and you can switch and those fig newtons will come here, and the figs will come the other way, I want to tell you and have you think about the fig tree because the unique thing about a fig tree, and I know that, is actually the fruit of the tree grows first, and the fruit comes on the tree. And after the fruit is beginning to become ready to eat, the leaves appear.

So now you can see why Jesus Christ, he would have seen this tree from a distance, and there were leaves already on the tree. Switch sides. So he would have gone to this tree since there were leaves there expecting there to be fruit, fresh fruit. He was going to have his morning fruit. So he goes there and there's nothing there. And he cursed it. So when you see the leaves, you know that the figs are ready to eat.

Now I want to go because this fruitless tree that we're looking at here, it is a good lesson that Christ is teaching. That happens first thing in the morning, and by the afternoon, if you will go with me to Matthew 24. We know this is part of the Olivet prophecy that he is talking about in the afternoon. And so what we covered last week in the seven seals, the four horsemen and various things. Good. We will have some left over for after snacks, after the sermon today. I actually brought some fruit also, so it's back there under the cooler. But like you go to Matthew 24, as we are here in Matthew 24, we start in verse 32, being we ended in 31 last week. So Matthew 24, verse 32, this is prophecy for us today, as it was last week. Prophetic teaching for the end time for you and for me, as followers of Christ. Verse 32, Now learn the parable from a fig tree, when its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near at the door. Assuredly I say to you, this generation will by no means pass till all these things are fulfilled. Another prophecy for us, and he's talking about this tree. He's talking about the fruit of this tree from which you just have eaten, or eating now. But he's saying that when you see, as he saw early that morning that there were leaves on the tree, he knew it was harvest time. He's also saying, as we see these things that are happening in the world today, and we see what happens in Matthew 24, 1-31, and we see all those signs of the ends of time, we should know harvest is near. The end time is near, and God will harvest His people. But I'd like to look at something else. A fruitless tree is useless. Growing up, my father planted a peach tree. We had an orchard behind our house, and we had our garden there. He planted all these trees, and we would get various things from the tree. We had an apple tree, we had a pear tree, we would have these things. We actually got those from the trees in Tennessee, but he planted a peach tree. We all liked peaches, because anytime we'd go to Georgia, we'd go down and get us some peaches. They had great peaches when I was growing up. We'd get this little basket, and we'd peel them and eat them in the car on the way home. They were fabulous. We'd say, well, we don't get to Georgia that much unless you grow our own. Well, we found out after the second year, third year, fourth year, that tree just kept staying where it was, and there were no peaches ever on that tree. And so my dad would try to prune a little bit. He would actually, you know, maybe we need to put more fertilizer in the peach tree. Maybe it's not like the others. We didn't have to do much to the other trees. So he tried all these things for four or five years, till I remember I was a teenager. And I saw him out there, and there was no tree there. He had pulled the tree up out of the ground. He didn't just cut it down. He picked it up and dug it out and threw away. He said, I've wasted enough time on this.

Brethren, this is an incredible teaching tool for us. Do we bear fruit? Do we bear fruit in our lives? God just didn't call us to exist here today. He doesn't call us just so that we can say nice at ease to everyone. He called us to develop character, to be like Him. As Abraham tried to be like Him, he's asked us to be like Him. He's asked us to produce fruit. You must ask yourself as we look at ourselves to examine ourselves and say, are we like that tree that Jesus Christ came to in the morning? Do we look Christian? Do we look Christlike and have all kinds of leaves? But we do not bear any fruit. There's no fruits. You mean born?

Are we? We must ask ourselves that question. I'd like you to turn over, if you will, to John 15. The last night, Jesus Christ would be able to spend with His disciples. There's something here at that Passover night in John 15. John 15 and verse 5, this is very important to Christ. Verse 15 and verse 5, He said, I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him will bear what? Much fruit. We're supposed to have fruits of His Spirit in our lives, and it shows. For without me you can do nothing.

He even makes that point down in verse 8. He said, by this my Father is glorified that you bear much fruit. So you will be my disciples. Verse 16, You did not choose me, but I chose you. Isn't that a big statement? That is a big one. You didn't choose Christ?

I think I'll follow Christ this year and maybe Muhammad next year. No. You can't choose. But He says, You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you. Appointed. Appointed you that you should go and ... Do what? Bear fruit. That's why we've been called. Bear fruit so everybody can go and say, Oh, wow! That faith is so righteous. We need to glorify faith. Let's stop what it is. Is that they see that fruit and they glorify God. That's what it's all about. We're bearing fruit that came from Him.

Because most people are going to look at somebody and say, I wouldn't do that. I'd take care of myself first. All right? This is what it's about. Are we bearing fruit? Are we a tree with all kinds of leaves but no fruit? Are we here to bear fruit? Can we be honest with ourselves? Bill and I were talking about that last night. We have to be honest with ourselves. You know, I'm doing pretty good. Or can we say, you know, I'm okay in this area, but boy do I sure fall and stumble in that area.

And we have to say it in our prayer. Because we need Him to help us in those areas. In those areas so that we can improve and bear fruit in those areas in our lives. So there's two lessons from the tree. One is a symbol of watching and discerning the times. We should think about that tree when we look at what's happening in the world today.

Those are the signs of the times. It should remind us when we eat something about harvest time. Because there will be a time, as we just read last week, when His angels, as it says in verse 30-31 in Matthew 24, and His angels will gather from the four corners of the world. His elect! That's harvesting! That's God's harvest. We want to be a part. But I can pretty well guarantee you from Scripture, it says, as He did, what did He say earlier in 21? He cursed that tree.

If we're not going to bear fruit, I can guarantee you there's no reason for God to harvest us. It's that important. It's that important. It's also symbolic of watching our own tree, seeing in our own lives that we are bearing the fruit. Make sure if there's leaves, there's fruit. Or maybe we need to look at ourselves and say, I've had a little spiritual funk. I'm in a spiritual funk. I have a stale spiritual life. I need to produce more fruit. And I need help. Because obviously, I'm not doing very well on my own. That's having to be honest.

And perhaps it's time for our lives, our physical and our spiritual lives, that they have a little pruning. How about a little fertilizer? We need to prune and fertilize our tree before the flood. Before the flood! We had the opportunity, or not a very good opportunity this past year, if you saw the movie, Noah, barely gag it.

It was an insult to my intelligence. Just glad I rented it from Redbox and only paid $1.95 and didn't pay $10 at a movie theater. It's a joke. But as we're going through Matthew 24, and we're back there, because it talks after he leaves this fig tree. It talks about the flood. Not a flood, like I wrote here, but it talks about the flood. I want you to think for a moment, if you can, if you can visualize what it was like at that time, 1600 years roughly after Adam and Eve, when we were in the Garden of Eden.

It had never rained one single day on planet earth. Didn't need to. Water came up from the ground. Heavy dews. And so here this crazy old man with three likewise crazy sons were helping him build this humongous ark. And he was actually telling people, because we know, as 2 Peter said, he was a preacher of righteousness. So obviously he did preach. How long he preached? We don't know. I think it's a pretty good guess that it was over 100 years that he preached. But can you imagine if you were there on earth at that time, 3500 years or so ago, 4500 years, and you were in the boat and rains came.

A flood! You couldn't even see a hand in front of your face with all the driven in times of flood. You might have done that this past week when you went through Texas, right? You've driven in a flood where you could barely even see in front of you. You can imagine this happening. And you're in the dry. You really aren't worried about it. And you see the water rising. And it had to get pretty high all over the ground to pick up that huge, humongous ship.

And you also, at that time, would have probably heard, being the doors were locked, you heard screaming and people crying out, because all of a sudden you weren't so crazy anymore. And you know there's going to be a time when we're not so crazy anymore, and it's coming. But I want you to think about this flood. What if you were out of that boat? You were outside. And all of a sudden you had been hearing this crazy old man preaching all those years that something's going to happen, but you just laughed, because 20 years went by, 30 years went by, 40 years went by, 70 years, and this crazy old man is still saying the same thing, that there's going to be water coming down from heaven.

And then it happens. And Jesus Christ is giving this at that time, saying the signs of the times. This is what's going to happen before the world is on the brink of destruction. It's going to happen. Let's go there. Verse 36, But of that day and hour, Jesus Christ is speaking here, still the Olivet prophecies, But of that day and hour no one knows, no, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

But as in the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of man be. And he gives that incredible example. So as it was in Noah, so it will be just before his return. What? What? It says, For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered the ark.

He said, well, what's the big deal? We just had a marriage two weeks ago. Yeah, we just got done eating. We're drinking. What's wrong with that? But just think about what he said. In Genesis 6, somewhere in verse 4-5, it actually says that the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was so great on the earth that every intent of their hearts were to do evil.

So this is what it will be like, except as it says here, it will be so commonplace that nobody will think anything about it. You're going to be eating and drinking and marrying, and it will just be an evil society. And nobody will think, well, that's just the way it is. Every intent of their heart was so evil, he would have liked to found others.

As a matter of fact, it's even thought by two or three pseudo-historians-type guys, I went and heard a lecture by one, that the art was built so big that there was plenty of space left for quite a few people, if not hundreds and hundreds of people. Maybe somebody would have repented. Didn't. No, it's just theory. I'm not going to say that actually happened.

But, what about? They were eating and drinking and marrying and giving them marriage, but everything was evil. Made my gut branch yesterday when I heard what our judicial branch decided to do yesterday. And then the executive branch last night, deciding to shine all these multicolor lights over the entire White House so that they could show their support for this. Do you believe that this marriage, that they were talking about giving and giving a marriage, they were just husband and wife? No! It's whatever they wanted. They were evil! Evil! Everything! God looked at them and said, I can't stand to see you anymore! It's so bad, I've got to wipe you off the face of the earth.

I've got to kill this tree. I've got a lot of trees that I've got to get rid of, because there's no fruit at all. And it said, and they did not know until the flood came, and it what took them all away. So also will be the coming of the Son of Man. Are you building your spiritual ark? Have you started construction of it yet? Yes, there needs to be a spiritual ark built in each of our lives. That is how we will get through the last days. Will you be preserved or washed away? This is the most used story to validate the rapture theory in the entire Bible. All these churches that teach you rapture.

All this stuff's bad is going to happen that Christ talks about in the Olivet prophecies, but just before, seven years before, everybody's just going to be standing here working, and we just disappear. Or you're working on your car, and all of a sudden, you're gone. And so they use a scripture which, to me, is asinine, because they use Christ's own words to support their life. And that's not what it says at all. And yet, I hear theologians, PhDs, everything you can think of, talking of using hermeneutics, the interpretation of scripture, and how you take the context of it, and the content, and you read it, and don't read stuff into it.

And they take the scripture, and most of them use it. What does this scripture say? Let's read it. Can we do 39 and not have any preconceived ideas that the world likes to give you? Because that's part of understanding scripture, is reading it for the first time again, even though you've read it 20 times. He says, Read what it says.

I don't want to be, in that context, the one that's taken away. Because the one that's taken away, as it just says, the flood came and took them all away.

Yet, the world uses this scripture to say, the one taken away is taken up into heaven. That's not what the scriptures say.

They have it totally backwards.

Two women will be grinding into meal, one will be taken away, and the other left. And they make it sound like the one. I got raptured away.

4,500 years ago, people got raptured away in water and drowned. I don't want to be taken that way. And that's a lie.

And it says, Look, it says, Watch, therefore, for you do not know the hour your Lord is coming.

Watch!

But know this, if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would not have watched, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore, you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming in an hour when you, who's talking about? The disciples. When you do not expect it. The world, they don't even believe in God anymore, as a whole. They definitely don't believe He's a Savior who's going to come down and save mankind. But He's talking to us. These are His disciples. That's why it's in time for us. He's going to come at an hour when you do not expect. And yet you hear theory after theory after theory. Oh, He's coming back this time, this time. No, He's going to come at an hour when we do not expect it.

And that's why He says, Watch, watch. I could go back to Mark 13 for me. Just a second, I'll try to wrap this up today. Mark.

Mark 13. Because this was Mark's account of the Olivet prophecy, and this is one of those things that adds the perspective to it, so that we can understand that. Mark 13, verse 35, says, Watch, therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming. In the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning, lest coming suddenly, he finds you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all, watch. Watch. That's what we're doing here. Watching. Watching.

So are you. Building your spiritual arc. Are you putting pitch, pitch, tar, something that seals out the world? Are you putting that on your arc? Do you have that spiritual pitch inside and outside, just like Noah did on that arc? He put pitch inside and outside to seal and keep the stuff outside, outside. Are we doing that? Are we doing that? Because if we do, we do not have to worry about a flood of world events coming upon us.

Finally, we get to the drunkards.

Drunkards.

In Matthew 24, verse 45 through 51, it gives us incredible teaching for the end time. And it says, Who then is faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find him so doing. Assuredly I say unto you, he will make him a ruler over his goods. He has a reward for the servant who is doing what he's supposed to be doing.

But he also has a curse for those who are not.

Doing what they're supposed to be doing. He said, but if that evil servant says in his heart, See, you have good servants, you have evil servants. He's talking about the end days, end times. But if that evil servant says in his heart, My master is delaying his coming. He's not coming back. My father told me he was coming back in his lifetime. He ain't coming back.

Why worry? Let's just enjoy. And he begins to beat his fellow servants. Or in other words, treat everybody badly. What does it matter? I'm going to get mine. And to eat and drink with the drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware. And he will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.

I'd like you to turn back to one other thing. I think you turn back to this verse. In Luke 21, it's part of the Olivet Prophecy. It's one of the few other additions to what is said in Matthew 24.

Luke 21, verse 30. Let's do verse 34. This is the same prophecy, except Luke adds this to Matthew. Matthew covers most of it. But it says, verse 34, Luke 21, But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and that day come upon you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. It's going to come like everybody. Nobody's going to know. Watch, therefore, in verse 30.

Watch, therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape. Not in Matthew 24. That you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and you will be able to stand before the Son of Man. Incredible teaching. We covered last week in our Bible study, our first part on Esther, and we saw the history of the Medo-Persian Empire, and we saw how it fell apart. And I gave you some historical accounts of how they just became caught up in living life, because it's good. They had everything. If they were back in our time, you might say they had electricity.

They had grocery stores. They had wealth. They had everything. Internet. High speed. Because at their time, they had it all. But their downfall came because of their love of excess and entertainment. The rise and fall of the Roman Empire. If you've ever read that book. You see, it deteriorated from the inside. And we saw how even the, how they lost the Persian Empire, how the soldiers would actually take all their food and their drink and their harlots out to the battlefield.

And the Greeks just came in and rolled. We see the Babylonian Empire that was conquered by the Medo-Persians. We see it in Daniel 5. Okay, we remember the count of Belshazzar. Remember the finger of the writing on the wall? Everybody remember that story?

The finger was writing on the wall? Remember Belshazzar had what? What was he doing? Partying! And he had said he had a thousand of his people in there drinking. And they even brought the reason they did that. They brought those vessels from the temple. Filling them with wine.

What happens? That very night, he was killed. And the empire was overthrown. They came through the walls of Babylon. Nobody saw it coming. They were having great wine and having a great time. Drunkards. Isn't it amazing when you see sports and you see, even in sports, whether it's boxing, whether it's these teams, it's very hard to win back-to-back titles.

The reason it is, is you get lax. You get to the top you achieved, and then you start living. You start living higher. You get to live a different way. You become too comfortable. This is what this is saying. This is what Jesus Christ was saying. Don't get to where you are hanging out with the drunkards. To where you are just like, oh, it's party time at our condo. Like I said, we're the youngest people there. But we see, down where we cooked, we grilled out last night.

Every day at 5-5.30, nothing, not necessarily anything, but you have these people who will come down from the deal. It's happy hour, they call it. So they will all bring their alcohol down to this thing. And there are some that just have a glass of wine, nothing. But you've got those people that just, they bring their whole bottles down.

And they just drink, they call it, well, we're medicating today. Okay? This is what it's talking about. You know, and they're just like the happy people. Yeah, yeah, we're just... Christ is saying, don't get caught up in that. That's not for you. Have you some wine. Nothing wrong, but don't do that. Don't become. That's why He's so... Viamen in 1 Timothy 3, He's Viamen in Titus, to the deacons and to the elders. And He both says, if you want a deacon, you want an elder, make sure one thing He says two or three times, not giving too much wine. Order money. Yes.

But He's saying, that's going to be the tendency. Let's not be so worried about things. He says in 1 Thessalonians, be sober. Sober. Sober because He says He comes as a thief in the night. 1 Thessalonians 5. It follows 1 Thessalonians 4, which tells us what's going to happen when we're resurrected. 1 Thessalonians 5, it warns you about the last days, what it's going to be like for the day of the Lord. To be sober, be vigilant, and not be carried away with the world. Don't hang with the drunkards.

Why would He say it unless He knew it was going to happen? We're all going to be caught at a time, and as it says in Thessalonians, we're all going to be saying, and they will also say in the church, peace and safety, peace and safety, peace and safety, and then the end will come. Brethren, let's watch our spiritual life. Let's look at these examples that He's given us in Matthew 24.

Let's take a lesson from the tree and a flood and drunkards, and let's make sure that we have already started and will continue to build our spiritual ark for the last days.