<The Parable of the Fig Tree>
The Bible prophesied that Jesus would appear a second time (Heb. 9:28). Ahnsahnghong-whom the Church of God believes in as their Savior-is Jesus who has come a second time, according to the prophecy.
Then, when is Jesus prophesied to come a second time? Why does the Church of God believe that the Second Coming Christ is Ahnsahnghong?
Through the parable of the fig tree, Jesus revealed that He would come for the second time in 1948, when Israel-represented as the fig tree-would gain its independence. Ahnsahnghong came in 1948 according to the prophecy of the fig tree, so the Church of God believes in Him as the Second Coming Christ.
Then, does the Bible disclose when Jesus will come?
<Signs of the End of the Age>
When the disciples asked about the signs of Jesus’ second coming and of the end of the age, Jesus said:
Matt. 24:3-33 『"...At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, And all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on The clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door."』
Since it is written, "As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that it is near," we must come to know the timing of the fig tree and we must receive Jesus when He comes a second time.
<The Fig Tree Stands for Israel>
First, we must understand what the fig tree represents. As it is written,
Luke 13:6-7 『Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?'"』
What does Jesus’ looking for fruit on a fig tree planted in a vineyard, for three years, mean? It means that Jesus preached the gospel to the Israelites for three years, searching for the fruit of the gospel. Therefore, the fig tree stands for Israel. Through many other Bible verses, let’s confirm that the fig tree in the vineyard represents Israel.
Isa. 5:7, KJV 『For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant.』
In the above verse also, the vineyard represents the country Israel, and the plant [the tree] stands for the people of Israel. Let’s look at another verse concerning this.
Jer. 24:5 『"This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Like these good figs, I regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I sent away from this place to the land of the Babylonians.’"』
Since it is written that God regards the exiles from Judah as the good figs, it is clear that the fig tree stands for Israel.
<The Fall of Israel>
In Luke 13:7, Jesus told His disciples to cut down a fig tree that had not borne any fruit. Just as He had told them, Israel-which rejected the gospel that Jesus had preached for three years-was completely destroyed by Roman soldiers in A.D. 70. Following its collapse, the people of Israel were scattered all over the world, as a stateless people, for about 1,900 years.
<The Revival of the Fig Tree: Israel>
After much time had passed, the fig tree-that had been cut and dried up-began to revive. Its twigs got tender and its leaves came out. When did all of this happen? The revival of the fig tree occurred in 1948. On May 14, 1948, Israel proclaimed her independence and recovered her sovereignty. The fig tree, which seemed to have completely died, revived.
At that time, Jesus came for a second time, as was prophesied. He was Christ Ahnsahnghong, whom every Christian had been waiting for. The Church of God received Ahnsahnghong, the Second Coming Jesus, as Savior.
Rom. 11:26 『And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob."』
Ahnsahnghong, the Second Coming Jesus, came from Zion in 1948, as had been prophesied in the parable of the fig tree. Now He is calling you. Will you let Him stand at your door, or will you open the door and receive Him?
We earnestly hope that you will open your door and receive Ahnsahnghong-the Second Coming Jesus-and be given the promise of salvation.
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