Modern Life
Parable of the Fig Tree
On Saturday Seth attended a monthly meeting in Antioch with a handful of students who study under the same teacher, Pastor Flynn. His classes are on satellite, cable, and the Internet. They only teach in English, but even so, China is their largest student base outside of the United States.
Under their format it takes five years to get through the whole Bible, but that’s because there is a lot of explanation and cross-referencing. Seth is on his third go round. Of course he hasn’t attended every class, or even every book. But his foundation is solid enough his confidence in what is happening can’t be moved. He is clear in his mind.
The Antioch meetings normally consist of watching an episode of Pastor Flynn’s show, followed by discussing it along with the other interesting topics of the day. Those who attended the study group come from all over the bay area. Everyone has forty-five minutes to an hour or more of travel. That’s the main reason they only meet once a month.
Seth arrived a little early so he could run into KFC for a quick mashed potato bowl. In less than five minutes he was scraping his plastic spoon against the bottom of the container while checking his phone for the time… ten minutes to spare. He cleaned up in the bathroom and worked his way to Alex’s house.
Alex tapped his glass a few times. He cleared his throat and said. “I’m going to start the DVD now. This is from one of the Passover gatherings. It’s a quick refresher on the Parable of the Fig Tree. Agent C would you open us with a little prayer?”
Chris uttered a brief thanks for the people who gathered, and she asked for the full assurance and strength needed for the time to come. They all said “Amen” together.
Alex started the DVD. The room became instantly quiet as Pastor Flynn appeared on screen.
Pastor Flynn started. “The overwhelming odds are that if you were born in 1948 or later then you should be alive when Jesus returns. In the book of Matthew Jesus makes it clear that everything written about the end times will take place before that generation passes.”
“That generation was marked when Israel became a nation again in 1948. From the time the tribes went captive until then the area around Jerusalem had not been under Israel’s control. Some people point to 1967 as the start, but that too is over forty years ago.”
“Matthew, Luke, and Mark each give us an account of Jesus teaching this parable. It must be important if all three made sure to include it in their gospels. The question is did Christ just make it up like a story? No. The parable of the fig tree wasn’t a new concept to them. Jesus was quoting a prophesy from the twenty-forth chapter of Jeremiah.”
“The parable takes place in Jerusalem. This geographical location is ground zero on a biblical scale. Why do you think three major religions are squabbling over the territory? As a side note, the one they follow in the end times is named in Revelation. It tells us they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew is Abaddon, but in the Greek is Apollyon. His name is given in Hebrew and Greek, so there would be no mistake.”
“Abaddon means a destroying angel, and Apollyon is defined as a destroyer. Who is this? Without any question, it’s Satan. This generation will experience the real deal, but you don’t have to worry if you know the truth. It’s the people who think he is Christ returned that are in jeopardy.”
*****
After the lecture Alex turned the DVD off. People shuffled their papers and closed their books. A few chairs being moved broke the softness of the moment. Seth stood up. “I’m telling you guys, as soon as I see we’re on that ride I’m heading to Tahoe.”
Don scratched his head. “Why Tahoe? I’m going to stay right where I am. That’s where I think He wants me.”
Felicia looked at the ceiling to reminisce. “I love Tahoe. What a beautiful lake. That’s as good a place as any to bring in the Millennium.”
Seth tossed his empty water bottle in the recycle can. “I’m not going to Lake Tahoe itself. I prefer the smaller lakes to the north of 80, just past Truckee. There’s Boca, Stampede, Prosser, and a few others. Let the summer crowds flock to Tahoe. It’s too commercial. I prefer the serenity of a smaller, more personal environment.”
Don picked up his books, and pushed in his chair. “What are you going to do? Become a survivalist?”
Seth grabbed his things. “No. When that time comes I don’t think you can hide. I’m just picking my spot to ride it out. Stampede is where I baptized Megumi. We used to camp there. It was always free of the crowds. I used to joke with her that there would be a day when Stampede earned its name. I figure the people from the Salt Lake area can make it. People from southern California can make it. And of course the Bay Area has a clean shot if they want it. It seems like a good spot to me.”
Don asked. “Why would others want to go there?”
Seth raised his Bible. “When that day comes, I believe there will be many who wake up and refuse to follow the fake. They will want to be baptized into the truth. What a final act of defiance!”
“Ah… I see what you’re doing.”
“Besides the meteor showers up there in the summertime are absolutely unbelievable, and I want to see Hamon-gog.”
Chris chuckled, pulling her hair back and tying it. “Yeah, from a distance!”
Everyone laughed.
*****
Seth returned back to Napa later than he thought. He heard Megumi prepping food in the kitchen and tried to sneak in behind her, but she turned and handed him a plate of food and bag of tortillas. “All you have to do is put some char marks on the meat, and heat the tortillas.”
“That’s it?” He kissed Megumi on the cheek. “Sorry I’m late. Mmmmm. I love taco night!”
After dinner Seth went out back by the deck for a quick smoke. He could see the neighbors through the planks of his back fence, their muffled conversation accented by smoke rising from their evening cigarette. Seth walked over to the grass and sat on the bench, staring off to nowhere, thinking about the different ways people are focused and living these days.
Megumi and Aizu joined him on the bench. “What’s the matter Seth?”
“I’m just trying to get my mind around all this.” Seth took a sip of wine. “In all walks of life people are blindly following and promoting some party line.”
“What do you care about politics?”
“Not Democrat or Republican, but Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Seventh Day, Baptist, and a whole bunch of different groups that divide themselves over God’s word even though they are for the most part pulling from the same book . Each one is armed with generations of perspective. Even worse, many of them have made the Bible secondary to other books they have that supposedly clarify what was written. It puts them in opposing and dangerous positions regarding things that should be simple.”
Megumi pulled her feet up on the bench and hugged her legs close to her chest to get warm. “What do you care what other churches think? If they want to believe a certain way… let them.”
Seth put his arm around her. “It’s not them I care about. I know denominations have a tremendous desire to serve the Lord, but their efforts are diverse enough that the general population easily dismisses everything. One babbling idiot makes us all look bad.”
“Sure. If the so-called experts can’t agree, how would an outsider know who to believe?”
“Exactly!” Seth pulled his arm back, and toasted. “You got it. I have no interest in changing the mind of another believer, but I’m bothered how it affects the others who might have been interested. The Truth is washed over by a multitude of other people addicted to their interpretation.”
Megumi shook her head. “With so many choices, it’s no wonder most people view seeking God as, well, you know, crazy.”
Seth ran his fingers through his hair, and looked up into the sky. “But you know what? Seeking God is seeking reality. Religion is what happens when a person falls for another man’s doctrine. You don’t know when you’re in it, because it feels so right… I’ve been there, I know.”
Megumi squinted her eyes. “I don’t remember that?”
“Sure you do. Right when we met. Remember how hurt I was when I discovered the rapture teaching was fake, and then how the tongues they spoke in church were not the same as the tongues described in Acts?”
“Oh. You mean up in Tahoe… That was a long time ago.”
Seth nodded. “It sure was. The more I researched, the more evident their church’s situation became. Nobody back there wanted to hear the evidence. Nobody wanted to step out of their ‘comfort zone’. People don’t want to doubt or question the generations that got them to where they are.”
“People don’t want to wake up.”
Seth closed his eyes. “People are either addicted to their family belief system, some far out cult, or even just the game of life.”
They sat in silence for a moment. Visions of the people from Seth’s past flashed through his mind. He pictured walking with Megumi around a party. The DJ makes eye contact with Seth, and laughs as ‘Eminence Front’ by the Who starts playing. Everyone is drinking, laughing, and talking with each other about the wonderful things they are doing in life. Only a couple of people are religious, most are in the pursuit of whatever life serves them. As Seth walks around he hears tidbits of their stories: dramatic, exciting, pompous, and boring.
The roar of Cruz’s Camaro echoed down the street, snapping Seth out of his daze.
Megumi got up. “Sounds like Jovel is hot on his trail.”
“I better go start up the game.”