The Christ in Prophecy Journal

Fisher on Hebrews 10:25 – The Ultimate Sign

Gary Fisher


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What is the most potent sign that demonstrates conclusively that we’re in the season of the Lord’s return?

Hebrews 10:25 says, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” That verse makes it clear that there are signs that we are to watch out for that will identify the season of the return of Jesus Christ. I’ve asked my old friend and Bible prophecy expert Gary Fisher of Lion of Judah Ministry if he believes that the signs of the times indicate that the season of the Lord’s return is upon us.

Sign of the Return of Israel

My last sign I’ll point to is the one that I love the most. I’ve saved it for last because I want to end on it. Jesus in Matthew 24 talked about the greatest sign that would show when He was soon going to appear. Jesus said in Matthew 24:32, “Learn the parable from the fig tree, when it’s branches become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer…” I pause to add a parenthesis to explain that when He says summer as a season it’s because we don’t know the day or the hour, but Jesus is giving us a license to know the season meaning era.

Jesus continues in verse 33, “You know that summer is near, even so, you too when you see all these things.” There’s that word “see” again, just like Hebrews 10:25 also says. “When you see all these thing recognize that He is near, right at the door.”

In Matthew 24:34 Jesus declares, “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” What generation is He speaking of? The generation that sees the budding of the fig tree is who He’s talking about.

And, what is the fig tree spoken of here? What is God using this symbolism for? You can find the answer to by going to Joel 1:7 and Hosea 9:10. Hosea 9:10 is God speaking in first person. He says, “I saw your forefathers as the first fruits on the fig tree.” Jesus is referring to the fig tree here. And so Jesus is saying we are to watch the fig tree, and when we see it blossom we will know the season of the Lord’s return is near.” We are living in that very season! We have lived in the world for 2,000 years not seeing a physical Israel, but on May 14, 1948, physical Israel was born. Today the Jewish people are moving back to it from all over the world, exactly like the Scripture declares. It is a sign that Jesus is about to appear.

Isaiah 11 declares that in the Last Days the Jewish people would come from all over the world. I was raised in a denomination that taught that Isaiah 11 was fulfilled in the dispersion of the Jewish people to Babylon, but that cannot be true because Isaiah 11 says that they will come from the four corners of the world. They will come from the East, the West, the North and the South. There is only one time in history where they’ve come from all over the world, and that time is now. Those people are moving into Israel. Some 6.5 million Jewish people are now living in the land of Israel, and they are still coming in by the month.

The prosperity of Israel is also prophesied in the Bible. In Ezekiel 36, God said that He would bless the children of Israel and the land of Israel and that they would enjoy prosperity like never before. Today Israel has $188 billion economy and it is still growing. It’s stronger than any other Middle Eastern nation, and we are going to see more.

Amos 9:15 says Israel will never, ever again leave the land. So, people today are asking, “What will happen to Israel? Are they there to stay?” Yes, they are there to stay. And, why are they there? Because, in Zechariah 12-14 it says the Messiah will come to Israel and so there has to be a physical Israel for Him to come to. Zechariah 12:10 says, “They will look on Him whom they have pierced. They will mourn for Him as one who mourns for an only son.” Zechariah 14 says He will be declared King on that day.

My question to you is, “Is He King of your heart?” You can make Jesus the Lord and King of your heart today. Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead you shall be saved.” Now is a good time to do that with all of these things developing in the world. I encourage you accept Jesus as your Savior this very day.

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Dr. David Reagan

Dr. David Reagan is the Founder and Evangelist Emeritus of Lamb & Lion Ministries. He is a life-long Bible student, teacher, and preacher and he led over 45 pilgrimages to Israel. Dr. Reagan was the host of the radio then television program Christ in Prophecy for nearly 40 years.

32 CommentsLeave a Comment

  • I cant help but wonder… when He says the generation that sees the regathering of Isreal…… does that mean those born then.. or those who were grown up then….. and is a generation 40 yrs?

  • Hello Susie
    Personally – my view is that the 'generation' are the Jews who are living at the time who witness these events and is not reliant on a number like 40years or 70years or even 120years. Others disagree.

    God bless 🙂

  • Hi sue! My prayers have been with u and ur husband ….. hope all is going well 🙂
    Gee, i wish the bible would have said…. the generation that sees the regathering of Isreal, and is 20 ish yrs old, will not pass before these things r fulfilled!!! Haha

  • Thank you Susie.
    Hubby is doing well except for feeling sore, that isn't stopping him from getting around and about.

    I am ashamed to say I have been asleep for most of the day. I have been so tired from not doing much at all. Tension I expect, and relief its all done and dusted.

    Billy may know, but I am uncertain what Nathan and Dr Reagan teach on this; so they may not agree with me – its like Billy told you about Nathan; we can think for ourselves because we aren't expected to be clones of Lamb and Lion.

    Its just important to get the foundations laid straight and then build up with caution and with the Sword of the Spirit held tight at all times.

    It’s all about being built up in The Faith and walking with The Holy Spirit and not running off in the flesh ahead of Him thinking ourselves wiser than we really are. Willing to consider we may be wrong and to accept wise council is a must. It doesn't mean we have to automatically agree every point – just be prepared to change a view if needs be. God's Grace always being the overall number one factor. I’m sure you realise this, there HAS to be at least one advantage to getting on in years methinks!

    We can agree to disagree amicably and not be ‘bull-headed’ 😀
    (That’s me I’m talking about, no-one else)

    Maranatha – as soon as you like!
    (Hug)

  • Sue, i totally agree with all the above….. i feel the main reason God directed.me to l&l is bacause sound doctrine, which we share ( hug back ), is the absolute most important thing! I dont think i would feel comfortable if we were all parrots! (Thx for the analogy billy .. hug to u too) haha i am interested in what u all have to say.. because of that reason! And cuz we all are obviously on the same page with what really matters. The fellowship is welcome and so much appreciated! I knew the Lord would "hook me up" proper!! Haha as far as yesterdays anon and todays cripple comment….. im gettin up there too and really dont shock easily. I think those too of the same mentality must have vone to school together or somethin! 🙂 yes Lord! Do come quickly!!!

  • Hello Susie,
    I have wondered about that very same question many times. Here's my take on it (I think it's the same as EI's if i understood her correctly): Since the statement is that this generation shall not pass away until all these things take place. . . then that means that the time frame should be roughly 100 years (give or take a few) because the youngest living in that generation could possibly live as much as 100 or so years- even if only a few of them. Hope that made sense:)
    God bless,
    Katie

  • God bless u too katie! And… yea thats kinda how i understand it too … but i was so hoping soneone would give me some insight on a more specific (sooner) time frame!! Haha! Im just extremely excited about it but im not tryin to sound stupid. I just cant wait to see his face! To thank him in person! O what a moment of joy that will be for us! 🙂

  • Ha!- but, I understand your anxiousness to meet Him. You never know, could be tomorrow:)
    Sure do hope I see all of my family and friends saved first though. That's the only thing that makes it bittersweet for me.

  • Monin' … i pray for my family constantly and inject my concern that they have a personal relationship with Him too… i was raised catholic….. but i am living proof that some of them are saved. 🙂

  • I hope this quick sketch doesn’t hinder or confuse, but this is what I have learned via Dr. A Frucht’as well as L&L.

    Matthew 24 concerns the Jews, Israel and the Messianic Kingdom on earth although the mystery church, yet to be born, is alluded to.

    Vs.32-34. The fig tree, at its starting to leaf indicates the season of summer has begun, it is the first tree to leaf and it is a horticultural sign.

    All these signs – what signs?

    The signs Jesus is giving in answer to the disciples three questions in vs 3. Jesus answers are not all recorded by Matt but are spread between the three synoptic accounts.

    The 1st question concerns the destruction of the Temple which was still future and was fulfilled in AD70.
    The 2nd question concerns the coming or approach of Jesus return.
    The 3rd question concerns the end of the age (aion) The Rabbi’s taught there was this present age, and when that ended, the age of the Messiah would begin.

    Vs 4-6 are ‘non’ signs, what could be expected but the end is not yet.

    Vs8 says that vs 7 is the START of the signs for Jesus coming/approach. Kingdom against kingdom… is idiom for the first ever World Wars 1 & 2. that resulted in the rebirth of Israel.

    The sign of the Abomination of Desolation which takes places at the midst of the Week at the end of the first 1260 days. The particular generation of Jews that sees the START of all these things will not die away; some will die due to the horrors, but the remains of that particular generation shall not die away before there is a fulfilment of Jesus’ words and all Israel is saved.

    From the A.O.D, the ‘midst of the week’ is a further 42 months (1260 days or 3 ½ yrs) until the end of the ‘week’ which is the time of the 2nd Coming of Jesus. Some of this generation of Jews will survive until the very end.

    Hopefully Nathan will put a link to Dr.Reagans article on this.

    God bless
    MARANATHA!

  • Hello EI-
    Ok, think I got it- your saying that the generation that sees the rebirth of israel will not (all) pass away and some will survive to the bitter end of the tribulation? Or, are you saying that the start is the 1st 2 world wars, which would push the timeline back much earlier?
    🙂
    Katie

  • Hi sue! I love reading ur explainations ( dont worry, i dont expect any of us are all knowing 🙂 ) …. but u make it easy to search the scripture and think outloud … kinda like im talking to u as i read it again….. just wanna say thanks!! Ur a gem 🙂

  • Hello Susie and Katie

    I have tried to be vague because I think I vary a bit with Dr.Reagan who I THINK places the fig tree with the re-establishment of Israel in 1948 – which may be right?

    This is A.F’s version taken from 'Footsteps of the Messiah', which I agree with, in The Olivet Discourse appendix V.
    Matt24:32-35; Mark 13:28-32; Luke 21:29-33.

    The fig tree is being used LITERALLY as an illustration, not a symbol for Israel, because Jesus makes no mention of the re-establishing of Israel, it is only ‘surmised’… Luke 21:29 reads ‘Behold the fig tree and ALL the trees’. If the fig tree = Israel, what do the other trees represent? If it means other nations, then since 1948 the, number of nations have risen, so when would that generation countdown actually begin?

    Neither the fig tree or the other trees refer to any nation, rather its when all the trees start to blossom, it is a sign the season of summer is near because the blooming starts in the spring. In the same way, when all the EVENTS Jesus spoke about begin to occur, then they (the Jews) can know the return of Jesus 2nd Coming is near.

    Rather, the event Jesus was speaking of is the Abomination of Desolation which He links with Daniel 12:11. When the generation of Jews that see this event, which is in the midst of the Week, then those Jews who observe it, will know that Jesus will return to earth exactly 1260 days later (42 months/3 ½ years)
    So the ‘generation’ is not those that see the re-establishment of Israel in 1948, but the Jewish generation which sees the event of the AoD., and survive the horrors, they will still be around at the 2nd Coming 3 ½ years later.

    It is Luke’s account which states the AoD signals the coming of the Messianic Kingdom, and the Kingdom of 1000 years, will be the result of the 2nd Coming. The surviving, believing Jews will repopulate Israel for the Kingdom.

    “The point of the illustration is to provide a word of comfort that the worldwide attempts to destroy the Jews is destined for failure, for the Jewish generation that sees the AoD will still be around when the Messiah returns.” (Page 648)

    All that said, the beginning of the sorrows started with WW1&2, and since that time there has been an increase of wars, earthquakes, pestilence… year upon year – so it is still good news for prophecy watchers. The Rapture has always been imminent; but at this late hour, we are recognising the signs building for the the 2nd Coming.

    I am not insisting I am right; it is something to consider. 🙂

    God bless

  • Very interesting sue! I have a question for ya, which im sure u have considered this, im just curious what ur take may be……. if the budding fig doesnt represent israel, what is the purpose of it in the arc of the covenant? ( be patient with me 🙂 haha))

  • Hello Susie

    I think you must mean Aaron's rod that budded and bore Almonds,
    which Moses placed in the Ark.
    Hebrews 9:4

    Fig trees have figs, not almonds 🙂

  • Oh sue!!! Haha!! See… i knew u would be patient with me!!!! Thanks for the clarification! I needed to study for another year or so before trying to interject on any intelligent conversationa about prophecy huh?!!!! Haha good thing God blessed me with a rich sense of humor!!!!

  • Dear Susie

    You are doing fine, it shows you are thinking things through and that's healthy. I have learned my best lessons by getting things wrong.

    Don't concern yourself with my comment. Put it on a shelf out of the way for now and stick with L&L and you won't go far wrong.

    God bless your studies.

  • Sue, i appreciate ur last comment, however…. please understand one thing about me ( if u care to) and that is this……….. u and i have not met ( yet ) but what u think matters to me as l&l does…… i am soooo in love with my Lord Jesus… and ur imput is not only intelligent, but also caring…. u see … i am in this for tbe true long haul… i may sound silly to some, but my one and only focus in on my savior…… and sue… u r my sister in Christ… and i really do love ur imput and ur support more than u could know. So my point is…… l&l isnt ny only interest here… love in Christ… susie! :))))

  • Susie, you may want to drop in here occasionally, at a sister site where EI always posts "interesting stuff" too…

    This particular article with comments is a little long but contains a much needed expose of deceptive teachings.

  • DrNofog, thank u soooo much for the link…. i have read it once, but will research it tomorrow…. it is very intreging…. enlightening shall i say! Hmmmm i am very grateful for sound guidence so i can grow in my knowledge of our Lord and the world we live in 🙂 ty :))

  • Hello,I was asked to give my name,I am the one who sent links by avraidire.com.My name is Brando and I am a Christian.

    About prophecy the Bible says FALSE prophets can say real prophecies to misguide others.

    NOSTRADAMUS is considered to have said true prophecies but EVERY time he made a prophecy with an EXACT YEAR,it NEVER came true.It was SIX times,and here it is in English.

    http://www.avraidire.com/2010/03/was-nostradamus-a-true-prophet1503-1566/

  • Since we don't know for sure what a generation is, a literal translation of "generation" would mean a lifespan. In Genesis 6:3 God droppedthe age of man down to 120 years. Psalm 90:10 reflects that man's length usually is between 70-80 years.

    The text then bears weight to the idea that the peoples of this day who have witnessed Israel's restoration are the group/age/race/generation that will have the Tribulation befall them. This is substantiated by all the end time signs that are occurring today (for more info, see this article).

  • Hello Brando

    I am so glad you are writing in English. It may only be a narrow channel of water that separates France from England, but I am very limited to the most basic French – mostly from my Cookery Books 😀

    Yes, Nostradamus, was a false prophet, but at least he spoke from his own thoughts and didn’t pretend to speak for the God of the Bible. The dangers are from those who say ‘thus saith The Lord’; being deceived, they deceive others, speaking from their own minds and pretending that God had told them what to say. These are the wolves in sheep’s clothing.

    Looking briefly at your link; I see you support women teachers in the Church. To be a teacher is to have authority and the Bible does not allow for a woman to have authority over a man. This comes down to God’s Divine order to prevent deception and anarchy.

    The Holy Trinity is such an example of Divine order. The Son does the will of the Father while the Holy Spirit witnesses of both the Father and the Son.

    My husband has authority over our household and I accept and respect that authority as unto The Lord Himself. I am his helpmeet by his side, not a doormat for his feet.

    Eve was deceived by the serpent and Adam disobeyed God’s direct command, so his wife’s ‘leadership’ took Adam away from God’s direct command to ADAM ‘you shall not eat…’ That rebellion resulted in the fall. Perhaps Adam failed in his duty to teach Eve about God's command?

    It has nothing to do with ability or being subservient in any way; it is obedience to God’s Word for His plan and purposes for His creation.

    Great to hear from you!
    God bless.
    Maranatha!
    Sue

  • The writings of the early Church Fathers (100 to 300 A.D.) reveal that one of the earliest prayers of the Church was "Maranatha!" (1 Cor. 16:22). That word is actually an Aramaic phrase that means "Our Lord come!"

  • Susie said "I needed to study for another year or so before trying to interject on any intelligent conversationa about prophecy huh?!!!!"

    I say…Even the greatest most educated and intelligent Bible teachers that have ever lived, I think, will find that thier knowledge of the Bible amounts to nothing compared to what is to come…lessons from Jesus and all the OT and NT prophets and disciples themselves. Then and ONLY then will any of us get an education that is 100% true without specualtion, theory, predjudice, agendas, errors, etc.

  • billy ….. i wish i could thank u and sue in person to get this accross properly……. i cannot express how deeply touched i am at ur kindness and patience. How beautiful a picture of Christs words is this… u guys make a widow feel not so alone anymore.. i tell ya… thru some tears …. thank u and how very touched i am that u guys take the time for me.

  • Hi! Speaking of Irvin baxter, he's on TBN's Praise the Lord right now along with Perry Stone discussing this very same topic regarding the generation of the end times and more.
    Apparently, Irvin finally decided when he thinks the rapture will occur- he's post trib and he thinks the tribulation will be only 3.5 years. This is quite interesting to see pre-trib and post trib view points discussed on the same program. Wish I had tivo because I know I'm going to stay up way later than I wanted to!

  • Hi katie!! I watched thag ptl also!!!! Im in az so i am 2 hrs earlier than the central time this blog posts but i couldnt wait to comment on that myself!! R friends here referred me to a site called soundchristians.com a few days ago cux i had questions about irvin baxter. That is a most helpful site. Irvin was so obviously uncomfortable i thought. I actually was starting to listen to him a few times but my spirit became restless quickly when i began to figure out he thinks we r in the the (first 3 yrs) trib right now. Check out that site if u have a chance …. the only thing i didnt really agree with when i read it was their comment about les feldick. I listen to him all the time and he is very humble and at least so far, i have never heard him act like he knows more than any scholar… but anyway….. ptl will repeat itsself so hopefully r friends on this site can catch it! Im very curious ti get every ones opinions. I love to learn and i enjoy so much hearing what these guys think! 🙂 🙂 God Bless!!

  • Hi Susie- glad you got to see it too! I loved Crouch jr.'s statement that Perry stone has the intellect of hal lindsay, but sounds like gomer pile:)
    Overall, though I have to say i was irritated that the Crouch's seemed to be leaning towards Irvin's post trib view point just based on liking what they heard from irvin, while discounting the much more well studied arguments that Perry was making.
    At the end Crouch jr. said (paraphrase) that what it boiled down to for him was: are we getting ready to disappear or are we getting ready to have the greatest opportunity for evangelism that the church has ever had, as irvin believes. And, of course he chose the latter, but not based on biblical facts, but what felt right to him. If only Perry had had more of a chance to respond to that. I mean, the examples of god removing the righteous from wrath is all over the bible! Argh! Oh well, was still quite fascinating to watch!
    God bless you too!
    Katie

  • Hi katie…. yea… i dont think irvin baxter should even be on tbn. I want to know….. why doesnt he believe in the dictrine of the Holy Trinity? Is a person saved if they only believe in the offices of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit? I would say thats all thru scripture too…

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