<p>13:29 <i>So you also, when you see these things happening, you will know that he is near- at the doors</i>- Lk. 21 &ldquo;you know in your own selves&rdquo;. Seeing the repentance of Israel will lead to the faithful perceiving that the end is near. This perhaps alludes to the same idea as in 2 Pet. 1:19, that the day star shall arise in the hearts of the believers just before the Lord comes.</p><p>The structure of the argument suggests that &ldquo;these things&rdquo; specifically refers to the shooting forth of the fig tree:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0>    <tbody>        <tr>            <td valign=top>            <p>Mt. 24:32</p>            </td>            <td valign=top>            <p>Mt. 24:33</p>            </td>        </tr>        <tr>            <td valign=top>            <p>When Gk.&nbsp;<i>hotan</i></p>            </td>            <td valign=top>            <p>When Gk.&nbsp;<i>hotan</i></p>            </td>        </tr>        <tr>            <td valign=top>            <p>His branch is yet tender and puts forth leaves</p>            </td>            <td valign=top>            <p>You see all these things</p>            </td>        </tr>        <tr>            <td valign=top>            <p>You know Gk.&nbsp;<i>ginosko</i></p>            </td>            <td valign=top>            <p>You know Gk.&nbsp;<i>ginosko</i></p>            </td>        </tr>        <tr>            <td valign=top>            <p>That summer is near Gk.&nbsp;<i>eggus</i></p>            </td>            <td valign=top>            <p>That it is near Gk.&nbsp;<i>eggus</i>; Lk.   21:32 &ldquo;That the Kingdom of God is near Gk.&nbsp;<i>eggus</i>&rdquo;.</p>            </td>        </tr>    </tbody></table><p>The &ldquo;Summer&rdquo; meant &lsquo;harvest&rsquo;, and that was a metaphor for judgment. Verse 33 parallels this by saying that &ldquo;it&rdquo; is near. The &ldquo;it&rdquo; may well refer to the destruction of the temple, which is the context of the whole discussion; although Lk. 21:32 supplies &ldquo;the Kingdom of God&rdquo;. The Lord is bringing the discourse to a close by returning to the question which provoked it: &ldquo;&rdquo;When shall these things be?&rdquo;. And He appears to be saying in the first century context that so long as only leaves remained on the fig tree of Israel, then the Summer of harvest judgment upon her was going to come. And yet the Lord here is using language with two or more meanings, as Scripture often does. In the latter day context, He seems to be saying that once spiritual fruit is beginning on the Israel fig tree, then this is the ultimate sign that the ultimate end is near.</p><p>The idea of Christ at the door is repeated by the Lord Himself in Rev. 3:19,20- where it means that Jesus is asking others to repent and turn to Him. Opening the door means the Lord has granted forgiveness- His being at the door implies surely that He is asking for repentance.&nbsp;<i>Epi&nbsp;</i>the doors can carry the sense of &lsquo;about&rsquo; or &lsquo;upon&rsquo;, perhaps an allusion to the Angels of Passover night, which is such a strong type of the second coming. That would explain the plural &ldquo;doors&rdquo;. I suggested that Summer / harvest may refer to judgment; being &lsquo;upon the doors&rsquo; may likewise suggest the Angel of Death in judgment. This would certainly fit the first century interpretation offered above- that while only leaves are on the fig tree branch, whilst it is still &lsquo;tender&rsquo; and attached to the tree before it has been broken off in judgment, then Summer / harvest / judgment is coming for sure, in that very generation. But words have multiple meanings, and this fact is not ignored by God in the way the Bible is written, nor by His Son in the way He spoke. The allusion can equally be to the Passover Angel who as it were restrained the Angel of Death by hovering over the blood-sprinkled doors of the faithful. This would continue the &lsquo;other&rsquo; usage of language by the Lord in the fig tree parable, which means that once there is some beginnings of spiritual fruit on the fig tree of Israel, then the repentance of that remnant will mean that the coming of the Lord is literally imminent and He stands&nbsp;<i>epi</i>&nbsp;the doors as the fulfilment of the Passover Angel.</p>