The Greek theros means summer, specifically the hot season associated with harvest. It appears in Matthew 24:32, Mark 13:28, and Luke 21:30 in the Parable of the Fig Tree: when the branch puts forth leaves, you know theros (summer) is near. Jesus uses summer as the image for the approaching kingdom and the signs that precede it. The word carries both natural and eschatological weight.
In the Fig Tree discourse, theros serves as the visible confirmation that the season has changed: what was once bare branches is now a green, leafy sign of coming harvest. Jesus applies this natural wisdom to spiritual discernment: when you see these signs, know that the kingdom is near (eggus). The harvest motif throughout Scripture (Matthew 13:39; Revelation 14:15) makes theros an eschatological word — summer means the harvest is at hand, and the Harvester is coming. 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few' (Matthew 9:37).