In the previous verses we saw how Israel will be a believing nation again and that the Israelites who have been scattered throughout the world will be called to return to the land. The King anointed and appointed by God has presented Himself and is present.
32 But learn this parable from the fig tree…
a similarity
The fig tree teaches us a parable, we read here. Before we go to the second sentence about the tree sprouting, we first need to know what the fig tree speaks of. That is important to know, because the Gospels contain quite a few stories involving a fig tree.
Hosea 9
10 Like grapes in the wilderness I found Israel; I saw your fathers as the first fruits on the fig tree (…)
Israel
We already learn from the Hebrew Tanakh that the fig tree is an image of the nation of Israel (compare: Jer.8:13; 24:5,8). We could perhaps have concluded this from the context of Matthew 24, because it is in a context that speaks about the restoration of Israel. Here it is about a fig tree that sprouts, but we find the opposite earlier in Matthew’s gospel.
Matthew 21
18 And early in the morning, when he went back into the city, he was hungry.
19 And he saw a fig tree by the way, and he came to it, and found nothing in it except leaves. And He said to her, “No more fruit will come to the eon. And immediately the fig tree withers away.
20 And the disciples saw it, and wondered, and said, How is the fig tree withered away so suddenly?
21 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Amen! I say to you that if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do that of the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, Be taken up and thrown into the sea, it will be done.
barren
The withered fig tree speaks of Israel, which would bear no fruit in this eon. In Mark 11:13 it says: …and He found nothing in it except leaves; for it was not the time of figs. Israel would not bear fruit in this eon, because now is not the time. Israel’s fruit-bearing would wait until the eon to come, of which Matthew 24 speaks.
The leaves are a representation of the works of man, or the works of the law. It’s an outward appearance and seems like a lot. It is what man tries to “cover” himself with (Gen. 3:7), but it is unfruitful. So was Israel in the time of Jesus. People were religious, but did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah.
dead
The fig tree withers and is dead. Earlier we saw that Israel is depicted as a valley with dry bones, in the grave and dead (Eze.37:1,1-12). That Israel would be set aside would be announced to the people by the disciples. This is undoubtedly what Jesus’ words refer to when He says that they will not only do that of the fig tree.
the Mount of Olives
The sequel also ties in with what we discussed earlier. This mountain is the Mount of Olives (Matt.21:1) and is a representation of the Kingdom. The Kingdom would end up with the nations, of which the sea is a representation (Rev.17:15). The Kingdom would be taken from Israel and placed among the nations. It would be a hidden Kingdom (>set in the sea).