It can be readily assumed that the fig, and the olive are both symbolic in prophecy for Israel. Does that mean they always are? No... Rightly divided, after all. But I will stand with my fellows and suggest that the Olivet Discourse does in fact stand in prophecy, and does stand for Israel - As it certainly does stand well with the rest of prophecy in general.
INDEED.
Assumed? On what basis? Solid biblical interpretations, esp. of things like prophecy, are not built on assumptions.
Not at all - What I am saying is that Luke may be referring to "all the trees" in the same way that God is referring to "all my mountains"... He is giving an extra clue, perhaps, compared to the other Gospels.
The non sequitur was that simply referring to the phrase “all my mountains” does explain how the phrase, "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near” allegedly refers to future Israel. Specifically, what does it mean for “all the trees” to be “budding” at the end times? You have not told us that. Luke 21:29 is about the futurist end times, isn’t it?
Why is it that we are not to take the statement as a simple parable that Christ was using to explain to His disciples that, just as you can tell the seasons by inspecting the condition of trees, that you can tell the time of the coming of the kingdom of God? That is certainly the way it reads. “Then He spoke to them a parable … .” Yet some folks wish to force it to mean something that the text does not require.
Besides, it is not clear that the phrase “all my mountains” is referring at all to nations. Why don’t we just take them as mountains?