Section 3
summer signifies the age of the restored king dom (Luke 21:30-31), which will begin at the Lord's second coming.
In verse 30 the Lord speaks of summer being near, and in verse 31, of the kingdom of God being near. However, in the Bible the word "near" does not mean that something will happen within a few days or even within several years. To the Lord an event that will take place in two thou sand years may still be regarded as near, because with Him time and space do not mean anything.
When I heard about the re-formation of Israel in 1948, I was excited. I said to myself, "Look, the end of the age must be near. The nation of Israel has been under the control of the Gentiles since the time of Nebuchadnezzar. Now Israel has been re-formed as a nation." I thought that probably in just a few years the Lord would come back. But thirty-nine years have gone by, and the "leaves" are still sprouting. Even though Jeru salem was returned to the Jews in 1967, we can still say only that the time is "near."
In Luke 21:32 and 33 the Lord goes on to say, "Truly I tell you that this generation shall by no means pass away until all things take place. The heaven and the earth shall pass away, but My words shall by no means pass away." The word