What is the Catholic Church’s interpretation of the following passage from Matthew, Chapter 24
32 "Learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near.
33 In the same way, when you see all these things, know that he is near, at the gates.
34 Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.
35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
36 But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.
The reason I ask is that some of my Protestant friends who focus on the end times interpret the fig tree as Israel being re-constituted in 1948, and believe that the Jesus will return before the generation born in 1948 passes away.
I have been searching the web for a few days but cannot find a Catholic view of this. Any links to such sites would be appreciated.
Here is one Catholic view of it, though I do not agree with it, because the Lord Jesus Christ has not returned in the clouds of heaven in the same way he ascended to heaven.
catholicdoors.com/homilies/kingdom.htm
To narrow down the time of the coming of the Kingdom of God, Jesus said to learn from the fig tree. “As soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates.” [Lk. 21: 29-31; Mt. 24:32-3; Mk. 13:28-9] The Kingdom of God was no longer years away but rather as close as the Summer season when the fig tree will put forth its leaves. The Gospels of Matthew and Mark state “HE IS NEAR” while the Gospel of Luke states that “THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NEAR”, at the very gates. That means that the Son of Man and His Kingdom was to arrive at that time, in the days of Jesus.
The signs that were given before the end of “this generation” were the things that followed the death of Christ. When carefully reviewing the entire content of Chapter 24 from the Gospel of Matthew, it reveals that the Son of Man, Jesus Himself, already came as in the days of Noah and few were aware of it, being blinded by their worldly ways. [Mt. 24:36-9]
As was previously said and needs to be taught to the misled Catholics, this truth is supported by the fact that the destruction of the Temple happened in year 64 A.D. [Mt. 24:1-2] The first signs refer to the persecution of the early Christians. [Mt. 24:3- 12] Matthew 24:13-5 refers to the growth of the Church. The destruction of the worldly Jerusalem also happened around 70 A.D. [Mt. 24:15-21] A few survived the invasion and were taken as prisoners. [Mt. 24:22] Then followed deception, the anti-christs of the early Christian Church who were preaching false teachings, etc… [Mt. 24:23-28]
WHEN THE KINGDOM OF GOD BEGAN
Let us look at the following Bible passages. “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near.” [Mt. 3:2] “From the time Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near.’” [Mt.4:17] “As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven has come near.’” [Mt. 10:7] “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is near; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.’” [Mt. 26:18] “Then He came to the disciples and said to them, 'Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.” [Mt. 26:45-6]
In each of the above passages, we see the meaning of the words “has come near” and “at hand.” These words are not symbolic of something one hundred or one thousand years away but rather of something just about to happen.
To further understand the coming of the Kingdom of God, it is necessary to look at other passages. In Matthew, we read, “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” [Mt. 11:12]
Who is the violent one who took the Kingdom of Heaven by force? It is Satan! “There was a war that broke out in Heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, but they were defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in Heaven. The great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world - he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” [Rev. 12:7-9]
Then arrived the Kingdom of God! “Now have come the salvation and the power and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of His Messiah, for the accuser of our comrades has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.” [Rev. 12:10] “When the seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!’ Jesus said to them, ‘I watched Satan fall from Heaven like a flash of lightning.’” [Lk. 10:17-8]
The fall of Satan from Heaven was the beginning of the establishment of the Kingdom of God in Heaven. The Archangel Michael prepared the way for Christ’s Kingdom in Heaven and on earth. Christ was raised from the dead, the Firstfruit of many to follow in His Kingdom. [1 Cor. 15:20]
“They, (the Christian martyrs) have conquered Satan by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they did not cling to life even in the face of death.” [Rev. 12:11] The Kingdom of God came on earth through the faithful martyrs of the early Catholic Church who gave their blood to conquer the deception of Satan, placing Christ as the Ruler of this world.
