Matthew 24:32-36

They Must Take Note Of The Signs But The Date Of His Coming Is Unknown (24:32-36).

Jesus now makes clear to them the purpose of what He has been saying. The coming events that He has been describing which will lead up to His coming will be like the leaves on a fig tree which proclaim that the summer and the fruit is coming. They will point to the fact that ‘He is near, even at the doors'. Thus they will be able to continue forward through all that comes, confident in His nearness, and knowing that He is waiting, as it were, outside the doors ready to enter when the time is ripe. And they will be sure that in His own good time those doors will open. Indeed Revelation 3:20 reveals that if any individual responds and opens the door, He will come into him and they will sup together. But for the world at large that door will remain closed until the time of God's choosing.

Notice that ‘all these things' refers specifically to the signs prior to His coming. This is made absolutely clear in Matthew 24:33. We can compare also Matthew 24:3 where ‘these things' refers to the demolishing of the Temple, and what accompanies it. The words do not therefore include His actual coming. And ‘all these things' will occur within the generation of the men to whom He is speaking, which as we know they did, at least in part. But He warns them that while they will indicate that He is ‘near, even at the doors' so that they can be ever confident of His nearness (Matthew 28:20) and His purposes, He does not Himself know the time of His coming (Matthew 24:36). The leaves may grow, but the timing of summer is in His Father's hands. He can tell them no more.

Analysis.

a “Now from the fig tree learn her parable. When her branch is now become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that the summer is near” (Matthew 24:32).

b “Even so you also, when you see all these things, know you that He is near, even at the doors” (Matthew 24:33).

c “Truly I say to you, This generation will not pass away, until all these things be accomplished” (Matthew 24:34).

b “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35).

a “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matthew 24:36).

Note that in ‘a' the leaves show that summer is near, but in the parallel no one but that Father knows when that Summer will come. In ‘b' all the things that He has described will reveal that He is near, even at the doors, and in the parallel this is more certain than the continued existence of Heaven and earth. Centrally in ‘c' is the promise that all the necessary introductory signs will occur within that generation.