Our Lord’s prophecies regarding Israel have a direct relation to the future of the church. What has God been doing in the last few years with Israel, and what is to come in the days ahead?

The final phase of God’s work (I)

Christian Chen
Synthesis of a message shared in the “Ranchillo” Conference (Chile) in January 2003.

“Now learn the parable from the fig tree when its branch has already become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near... Surely I say unto you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away.” (Matthew 24:32).

In Matthew’s gospel, our Lord uttered prophetic words in two different ways: one by action, and the other by words. Our Lord took action and cursed the fig tree so in that action our Lord really predicted the future of the temple of God and also the future of Israel. So then in 70 AD, now when the Romans took over the city of Jerusalem, then the nation of Israel disappeared from this planet.

But then we must remember that there was another prophecy by our Lord: “Learn the parable from the fig tree when its branch has already become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. Even so you too when you see all these things, recognize that it is near, even right at the door.”

This prophecy was fulfilled. On May 14th 1948, the whole world witnessed the rebirth of the nation of Israel. So we definitely know that our Lord will come back very, very soon. So since 1948, May 14th, many prophecies have been fulfilled. When we study the prophetic words of Christ, now we are very sure that the Lord is coming very soon, especially since September 11th 2001. Not only New York has changed: the United States is no longer the same, and the whole world is no longer the same. September 11th was actually a wake-up call for many Christians. It reminds us again of the prophetic words of Christ.

God’s Timetable

Now we know that in the eternal past, God had a purpose, God had an eternal plan and then according to that plan, He then began to work. When He began to work, then the universe began to move. Now any physicist will tell you what time is: the reason we have time, is all because of the motion of the universe. The motion of this universe is due to God’s work. So when God began to work, time began. So today we have our time, and now we understand that it is something between two parentheses: we have the eternal past and the eternal future. Between these two eternities is our time. So when we have time, it means that God is busy working. Thank God, you remember, two thousand years ago He gave us His only begotten Son, who died for us on the cross; so our Lord accomplished a wonderful work of redemption, which is all part of God’s eternal working, this is all part of God’s eternal purpose. Now we know that’s the beginning of time.

Now we have a question: how many percent of God’s workings have been accomplished? Now if you go back to the bible, God put His timetable in the Word of God. He told us, “I am going to do this, I’m going to do that.” Now that’s why we have about 1800 prophecies in the Bible. This is indeed the Will of God. It pleased our father to reveal His wonderful plan through the Word of God. For that reason, just by studying prophecy in the Bible, we will learn something: according to God’s timetable, how much of that work God has accomplished.

I still remember when my daughter was getting married, she spent a whole year to prepare for the wedding. So I wanted to get her a gift, so I gave her some software, to plan the wedding. So that software was very interesting, because it was able to carry out all my daughters’ plans. When she turned on the computer, it told her “There are only 270 days to go until your wedding.” So in this way, she was able to plan her wedding. And because she had many things to work out, that software would list all those things left to do. So when she listed all those things one by one, she was actually predicting something. You see that prophecy actually tells us she was working toward her wedding.

So after a while, she would check how much she had accomplished. Now suppose only half of the work had been done, and still half had yet to be fulfilled, now you can be sure that the wedding is still far off. But suppose 90% of the work has been done, then you are sure that her wedding is very, very soon.

Now, that’s why we study prophecy; not just to satisfy our curiosity. The blessed words of Christ do not have, as their principle objective, to satisfy our curiosity. Christ’s prophetic words are for us to know His work and to show us how much God has accomplished in His work.

What is the final phase of God’s work?

Now interestingly, if you go back to your bibles, you will find more than 1800 prophecies, which is almost 27% of the bible. Now out of these 1800 prophecies, you discover there are actually 737 independent events. Now among these you will find 590 major events. Now we ask one question: If the bible is full of prophecy, what is the rate of fulfillment of those prophecies? According to bible scholars, out of 590 major events, 570 of them have been fulfilled. In the whole bible, there are only 20 events left to be fulfilled. Now what is the rate of fulfillment? More than 97%, so this proves that the bible is indeed the Word of God.

What does that mean? God has almost reached the end of His working. When God finishes His work, then time will end. Then that’s the last page of human history. Now brothers and sisters, this statistic will tell you two things: first, that the bible is truly the Word of God, and second, that God has almost finished His work.

Now our question is this: what is the last phase of God’s work? Now, before the Lord’s return, we cannot afford to waste our time. We have to be one with God’s work. Let me ask you one question: are you doing the work of God, or are you doing your work for God? There is a big difference here. Today we are very, very busy.

There was an old man who had just lost his companion. His daughter knew her father’s heart, so no matter how busy she was, every evening she was always there to eat with her father. Then ten days before Christmas, she disappeared upstairs right after finishing her meal, and her father was very lonely. So for those ten days, the father really missed the presence of his daughter. Then on Christmas Eve, she appeared again and gave a wonderful present to her father; she had spent ten nights just trying to make a sweater for her father. But then her father wept and said to his daughter, “I’m very grateful for what you did for me, but how I wish you had been with me every night.” Oh, today we are very busy!

According to our Lord, there is a Father who had a prodigal son who went away. One day he came back, but we must not forget that the father had two sons. Not only the prodigal son is the prodigal son; so too the elder son. One prodigal son from afar and one from within the house. He was very busy in the fields, and never sympathized with the heart of his father. When his father was so happy that he other son finally came home, remember, his elder son was very busy, but never entered into the joy of the father.

So brothers and sisters, if God is going to finish His work, if we are not mistaken, we have to find out what is the last phase of God’s work. So when we study prophecy, actually it shows us something about God’s eternal will. It is a tragedy for workers, who are so busy with the work of God, yet they do not know God’s timing, and they miss the final stage of God’s work. So brothers, what is the final phase of God’s work? Why did our Lord utter some prophecy about Israel? Actually, the Lord’s prophecy about Israel is very important.

Israel is a parable

When we study our bibles, we have many questions about Israel. Now if that’s God’s will, if that’s the last phase of God’s work, then why Israel? So when we come back to the words of Christ, there is a very important phrase, Learn the parable from the fig tree. Now remember, everything that relates to Israel is nothing but a parable. Now what is the teaching here, what is the teaching behind that parable? Now, if you are able to answer that question, then you are very close to understanding what the last phase of God’s work is. Then we will answer His call and we will be one with His work. Especially when time is very short. So why did the Lord say, Learn the parable from the fig tree? Yes, there will be prophecy about the future of Israel, but behind that, God wants to teach us something much, much bigger. Something will really touch our heart.

Now if you know the bible very well, Abraham had two classes of descendants. One will be like the sand on the seashore; the other class will be like the stars in the sky. So that represents the earthly people of God and the heavenly people of God. Now the way that the Lord deals with His earthly people is the same way that He will deal with His heavenly people. So when all the saints are being called into God Himself, into God’s family, what you see will be the stars in the heavens. So let us remember, God has an earthly people in Israel, but God has a heavenly people in the church. Christ loves His church and gave Himself for her. Christ not only loved you and me, the church is the body of Christ, something which was always in the dear heart of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now I have a question: what is the future of Israel? That is our concern, but if you really know the eternal will of God you will ask another question: what is the future of the church?

Do you think the church has a tomorrow? Let us be honest. What is the true condition of the church today? According to the bible, Christ loved His church and He will wash his body with the word. Then one day, He will present Himself a church glorious. Now then, is this not prophecy? But then, look around us today, read you church history and remember what our record is today. Do we dare to say the church will have a tomorrow? When you see that our flesh is on the throne, division is unavoidable. Yet is it not true, that upon the Lord’s return, He will present Himself a church glorious? Are we working toward that direction? A church will satisfy God’s heart, not just our hearts. That’s why the bible says he will present himself a church glorious, holy and without blemish. Now let us ask one question: Does the church have a tomorrow? So time is running out; the Lord will return very soon.

So what should the final phase of God’s work be? Now the answer is this: Learn the parable from the fig tree. The principle is very simple. If you go back to the Old Testament, we will learn how God dealt with His earthly people. If you come to the New Testament, you will learn how God deals with His heavenly people. Then you discover a spiritual law: the way in which God dealt with his earthly people is the same as how He deals with His heavenly people. When you look at the history of His earthly people, and you compare it with His dealing with His heavenly people, you will be surprised: these two histories are actually parallel. So the prophecies about His earthly people are the same prophecies of His heavenly people.

If you study prophecy, you will find a line of interpretation. As all biblical students know, biblical prophecy has what’s called a “dual fulfillment”. With many prophesies you will find immediate fulfillment and remote fulfillment; this is called “dual fulfillment.” However, more than that, the dual fulfillment means this: when applied to the earthly people, then the same rule should be applied to the heavenly people. When you look at the history of these two peoples, they are parallel. When you look at their futures, again they are parallel.

Let me illustrate this. For example, if you go back to Israel’s history, how many times was Israel captured? Twice. Once 500 years before Christ, when they were captured into Babylon. Then after 70 years, they came back to their own land. Then 70 AD, once again, the people of Israel were captured, but this time it was not in Babylon but in the whole earth. Then they began to be scattered, and after 1800 years, on May 14th 1948, they began to come back from every corner of the world. Now 500 BC, they were captured into Babylon and returned from Babylon, and then in 1948, after being captured to the whole world, they came back from over 104 countries over the world. So there are two captivities and two returns to their homeland. This is the history of the people of Israel. What does this say about the heavenly people?

If you study your church history, you will see that when the church was in the Dark Age, the church had been captured into Babylon. You know the story of how, only when Martin Luther and John Calvin had been raised by the Lord, were the people brought out of Babylon. You can see how the church had been captured into Babylon, and finally came back, especially since the sixteenth century through the work of Martin Luther and John Calvin. Now we have an open bible, now we also have the truth of justification by faith. Thank the Lord! Now we can see how the people of God had been brought back from Babylon. But then, if you study church history again, in the nineteenth and twentieth century, you discover that the church had been captured into the whole world. Now it was not just a system, but that the people of God had been divided; they are separated. So now God has to call them back from the four corners of the world and then they will come back to the will of God.

So if we study the history of heavenly people, then you find that the story is exactly the same. If you study your church history carefully, we discover that when the church was taken captive into Babylon, there was a false and fallen system. But now, even though the church has been separated from Babylon, and everything is according to the bible, we have been divided; the body of Christ has been divided. So if we are honest, where are the people of God today? They have been scattered, like dry bones all over the world. No more life! The church ought to be the body of Christ, but because of death within the body, now our flesh is on the throne; division after division. Then we ask one question: Does the church have a tomorrow? Do we really believe that Christ will present himself a church glorious? Now your only encouragement and comfort is from the prophetic Word of God. So for that reason, when we study prophecy of Israel, at the same time we are actually studying the prophecy of the church: everything that happens to the earthly people will happen to the heavenly people. I don’t have time to go through them one by one, but let me try to summarize this quickly. Let us try to discover what will happen to the future of Israel and the future of the church.

Four meanings of the fig tree

Now, when we talk about the birth of the nation of Israel, then the bible compares Israel with a fig tree. Now if you go back to the Old Testament, and do a complete study about fig trees, they certainly do represent the nation of Israel, yes, but also something more than that. (I only have time to give a conclusion; we don’t have time to prove this) The fig tree also represents the land of Israel, and also the city of Jerusalem, and also the temple of Israel.

Sometimes we oversimplify the fig tree, so we miss the lesson here. So if we limit the fig tree only to the nation of Israel, the fulfillment of this prophecy is only limited to May 14th 1948 but actually, the fig tree also refers to the land of Israel. What does this mean? If the fig tree represents the land of Israel, not only will the nation of Israel be reborn, the people of Israel will also come back to their own land. That’s very important.

So now we have two meanings. One is the rebirth of the nation of Israel, and the other is the coming back of the people of Israel to their own land. Now in the beginning, the fathers of the Sions had a dream; to create a nation in Argentina, because they wanted their own nation. It was impossible for them to go back to Israel, so they just tried to recreate a nation within Argentinean territory. But that never happened. Because according to the Lord’s prophecy, not only should the nation of Israel be reborn, but they also ought to come back to their own land. The British government tried to convince them not to go back to their home land, but that they would give them a huge piece of land in Uganda. They told them they could build their nation there. But that never happened. Now you know very well, the people of God came back from 104 nations and the prophecy has been wonderfully fulfilled.

But more than that, the fig tree also represents the city of Jerusalem. So what does that mean? One day, Jerusalem will have to return to the bosom of Israel. For almost two thousand years, during every Passover, they greeted one and other saying: “Until next year, in Jerusalem.” This was their dream for over 1900 years. To their surprise, in 1967, during the War of Six Days, and to the surprise of the whole world, the city of Jerusalem came back to the bosom of Israel.

But more than that, the temple of God was destroyed. Now you will not find a temple on Mount Moriah. But we must remember, that’s part of God’s recovery, and finally we will see, before the Lord’s return, the temple must be rebuilt. So brothers and sisters, this fig tree actually involves four aspects.

The reconstruction of the temple

Now we must ask a question: Is it possible that one day on Mount Moriah that you won’t find two mosques but that the temple will have been rebuilt? You know very well if anything like that happens, it will mean a Holy War for the whole world. Now, one fifth of the world’s population will never allow that to happen.

During the Gulf War, some people were praying that Saddam Hussein would use missiles to attack Israel, because those missiles were not very accurate, and that they would fall on Mount Moriah. Then the problem would be solved. No, it was not that simple. This is a problem that no-one today can solve.

Think about it; Mount Moriah is just one mountain in all of Israel, and the world is so big, so why did the descendents of Isaac and Ishmael fight over this one mountain? More than that, according to archaeological discoveries, actually inside the mosque, you will find a huge rock, and they imagine that must be the place where Abraham offered his son Isaac. But the most surprising discovery is this; archaeologists discovered that on this rock, there is a rectangular depression, and if you measure the size of that rectangle, it is the same size as the measurements for the ark. What does that mean? Actually, that rock is the foundation stone for the Holiest of Holies. So if one day, the temple ought to be rebuilt, the Holiest of Holies must be upon that rock. So you either have a mosque or you have a temple. Either you will die or I will die.

Now things become more complicated; they not only fight for the whole mountaintop but over a stone. For that reason, two years ago, with the help of the United States, they tried to find a solution. Israel was willing to give up 92% of its territory but the peace-talks were a failure.

So there are only two issues involved which always have something to do with the fig tree. What are those two issues? First, Arafat wants to make Jerusalem his capital and second, he wants to represent the Muslim world to take back the sovereignty of the temple mount. So now you can see this becomes a very difficult issue. That’s why today there is such a serious conflict.

Four movements of recovery

So, brothers and sisters, there are four movements in God’s recovery with Israel: First, the nation, second, the land, third, the city, fourth, the temple.

Is it possible that the third temple will be rebuilt? The answer is very simple; was it possible for Israel to become a nation on May 14th 1948? It was almost impossible; it was a miracle, but according to the prophecy in the bible, somehow a British empire was raised by God in accordance with Isaiah. Now God used the British government as his instrument. It was a miracle that the nation of Israel be reborn. The same thing applies to their coming back to their land. What happened in 1967? Jerusalem came back to the bosom of Israel. Unless God moves His finger, nothing will happen. So God is trying to teach the people of Israel that it’s all by grace, everything is by the miraculous work of God.

So how is it possible that one day the third temple will be built? From the human point of view it is almost impossible. But brothers and sisters, if you understand the parable of the fig tree; before our Lord’s return, even though we have been captured into this world and divided, He will present Himself a church glorious. Now the temple of God always typifies the church. So if one day the temple of God can be rebuilt, if it is true with the earthly temple, it will be true with the heavenly temple of God. So God uses Israel as an example; we must rejoice, because God will never fail.

So the temple represents the church; Jerusalem represents God’s testimony; the land represents the unsearchable riches of Christ; the nation of Israel represents the Kingdom of God on the earth. Brothers and sisters, once again, these four movements of God’s recovery must occur. This will cover the last phase of God’s work.

So the church means the temple and the city is God’s testimony, and today, when Christ presents His church as a glorious church, then we will have a testimony for this world; this is what Jerusalem represents. In Paul’s letters, the land represents the unsearchable riches of Christ, and if we really believe what the Lord is doing today, the church can never be in poverty. When we gather together, you will discover the unsearchable riches of Christ, and more than that, one day we will all witness, when the church is in its glorious condition, then you will discover that only Christ is seated on the throne. When Christ is the head of the church and king of the throne, this is heaven on earth. This is the Kingdom of heaven on earth.

Everything is connected with Israel. One day, it will be fulfilled in the church. So because of that, if we go back to the bible, we will discover that some prophecies will be fulfilled with Israel, but at the same time, they will be fulfilled in the church. This is what God is going to do; this is the last phase of God’s work.

So brothers and sisters, our time is running out. Either we are going to meet our Lord or our Lord will come back and receive us. We must ask ourselves one question: Are we one with God’s work or are we involved with our work? Are we working for God or working God’s work? If we are working in God’s work, then we must know what the final phase of God’s work is.

Yes, all the flesh around us will disappoint us, all the spiritual condition in the church around us will discourage us. Are we going to give up? Thank God? Only God can work out His work. If we try to work we are bound to fail; without doubt we will fail. But God will never fail. We are not indispensable; only Christ is indispensable. If we really see that, then because of God’s prophecy, we will be encouraged, because we know that finally, Christ will present Himself a church glorious.

May the Lord really speak to our hearts. I am very encouraged. Even though we are divided today, we know from the Word of God that He will present Himself a church glorious.

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