Why The Fig Tree ?
By
Gregory M. Wilson
May
11, 2019
Introduction
The Lord used
the Fig Tree as a metaphor because of its unique fruiting
pattern. In Israel, following its Winter dormancy, the
fig tree produces fruit before leaves appear. The sign
of Spring is fruit on the barren branches of the fig
tree. Following fruit set, the leaf buds begin to
grow. Later in the Spring, one can expect to find
edible fruit on the fig tree. So, the fig tree has
a "first ripe fruit at her first
time".
Later in the Summer after the leaves and
branches grow, it sets fruit again on the new growth
branches for a later Summer harvest. Therefore, the
fig tree has a "second ripe fruit at her second
time."
The fig tree
was used as a metaphorical expression of Israel, at
Jesus' first advent ministry to Israel and this is
demonstrated in Matthew 21:18-20. When Jesus hungered
for breakfast and seeing a fig tree, he found it barren of
fruit. This fruitlessness represented the nation of
Israel's spiritual state, barren of fruit pleasing to the
Lord God.
The Lord used
the fig tree metaphor for Israel based on its horticultural
fruit cycles. Israel's fathers, Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob, were viewed by God as "the first ripe in the fig
tree and her first time". Following the second order
of the resurrection/rapture, during Daniel's 70th week, a
remnant of Israel, will produce fruit. This fruit will
be "the remnant of Jacob's" acknowledgment and receipt of
Yeshua/Jesus as Lord and Messiah. We know this with
certainty based on the fig tree metaphors of the Gospels.
The Genesis
Problem and the Fig Leaf
The Fig Tree
represented "self righteousness". The
first act of self-righteousness appears in Genesis 3.
Eve disobeyed God's one and only statutory prohibition which
stated,
"But
of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt
not eat of it: for the day that thou eatest thereof thou
shalt surely die."
This
prohibition had been ordered prior to Eve's creation.
(Genesis 2:17) Her knowledge of the prohibition
must have come from Adam who would have instructed her to
avoid eating of the tree.
In Genesis 3,
Eve has a conversation with the serpent. (Genesis 3:1)
The serpent knew Eve's weakness for food, particularly the
forbidden fruit. The focus of the serpent's
conversation was food and God's only commandment, a
restrictive covenant about the forbidden fruit.
What is the
biblical definition of self-righteousness? In this
case, Eve asserted her will over God's will. So,
self-righteousness manifests itself whenever man disobeys
God's commandments and elevates his decisions and subsequent
behavior over God's requisite behavioral standards for
man. Thereby, man is right in his own eyes and God is
wrong in man's eyes.
Paul, in Romans
10:3 says:
"For
not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to
establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the
righteousness of God."
What was the
cause of this first act of self-righteousness? Paul
once again tells us in 1 Timothy 2:14 stating:
"And Adam was
not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the
transgression."
Deception was
the first cause of self-righteousness. Additionally,
we may discern between Genesis 2 and 3, that a lack of
knowledge was a prerequisite to being deceived. We
know this because God did not speak this restrictive
commandment to Eve, but to Adam prior to her
creation. Hosea confirms that a lack of
knowledge is a deadly condition. Hosea 4:6-7 states:
"My
people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou
hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou
shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law
of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
As
they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore
will I change their glory into shame."
What actions
did Adam and Eve take in response to rebelling against God's
only commandment?
Genesis 3:7
states:
"And
the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were
naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made
themselves aprons." [Emphasis Added]
They died a
spiritual death and the understanding of their eyes were
changed in the "twinkling of an eye". They exchanged
the glory of God for a lie. They exchanged their
glorified bodies for bodies of corruption. (1 Corinthians
15:50) The glory of God became the shame of fallen humanity.
They exchanged God's truth and God's righteousness for a
lie. (Romans 1:16-32)
Therefore, the
fig tree represents self-righteousness in opposition to the
commandments of God, which includes the testimony of Jesus.
(Revelation 12:17)
The Gospels
Each one of
the thirteen (13) appearances of the "fig tree" in the
Gospels speaks to the nation of Israel either directly or
indirectly representing its national rebellion against God
in the context of self-righteousness expressed in opposition
and rejection of God's righteousness in Christ.
There is one
parable which speaks so powerfully to the national image of
Israel, as the fig tree, and the national rejection of her
Messiah due to the absence of fruit. It is the parable
of the "fig tree planted in a vineyard" which produced no
fruit. It tells the story of Israel's Messiah's
3-year ministry tending to the fig tree with the hope of
seeing it produce national fruit which was Israel's national
recognition and receipt of her Messiah. (Luke 13:6-9)
The Fig
Tree Parables
In the context
of the Time of Jacob's Trouble or Daniel's 70th week, Jesus
provided the Jews with a sign of "His second coming and the
end of the world". (Matthew 24:3, Luke 21:7; Mark 13:4)
In two of the
above Gospel accounts of the sign of the Fig Tree, we are
instructed to "learn this parable". Jesus says that we
can "know" the mysteries of the parables". (Mark 4:11)
The Fig
Tree Shoots Forth
On May 14,
1948 the nation of Israel was born, at once, by Declaration
of Independence. (Isaiah 66:8) However, national
declaration of independence must have been followed by a war
of possession proving sovereignty to the world. Four
armistice agreements were executed between Israel and Egypt,
Jordan, Syria and Lebanon beginning January and ending in
July 1949. Israel had prevailed at war against her
Islamic aggressors proving sovereignty. On May 11, 1949, the
world acknowledged the State of Israel as a sovereign nation
by admission to the United Nations. Coincidentally,
there were signs in the heavens in 1949. The speech of
the host of heaven had spoken in signs with blood moons on
Passover and Tabernacles in 1949 and 1950 heralding Israel's
sovereignty from heaven. (Psalm 19:1-2; Genesis 1:14;
Luke 21:29)
Luke tells us
that we should watch for the "fig tree and all the
trees". Israel, as "the fig tree", was admitted
to the United Nations, as "all the trees", in 1949 most
probably triggering a 70-year countdown to the end.
(Zechariah 1:12-16)
This beckons
us to consider this day, May 11, 2019, a Sabbath day in
Israel. This day may be the terminal point of
Zechariah's 70-years of indignation which precedes Temple
Construction. It may be "the generation" discussed in
the Fig Tree parables of Matthew 24, Luke 21 and Mark
13. According to Torah Calendar, the pilgrimage feast
of Pentecost commences Saturday, at sunset May 11 and ends
at sunset Sunday, May 12, 2019.
The Fig
Tree Has a Genetic Problem
It is
noteworthy that the three Gospel fig tree parables make a
point to tell us that the first visible sign of growth is
tender branches, leaf bud shoots and leaves. (Mark 13:28;
21:30; Matthew 24:32)
From a
horticultural perspective, this fig tree has a big
problem. It is genetically defective. The first
signs of Spring time life of a fig tree in Israel is fruit
set before its leaves appear. This fig tree is barren
and failed to set fruit. This is just amazing because
this is the problem Jesus found with Israel as
metaphorically expressed the 13 gospel accounts of fig
trees. Israel's leaders had professed the fruit of
self-righteousness, rather than the possessing the fruit,
the receipt of God's righteousness, in Christ Jesus.
(Revelation 12:17, 14:12, 20:4-5) The fig tree parable
has become true to the Gospel accounts. The nation of
Israel, which was born at once on May 14, 1948 and admitted
to the world commonwealth of nations in 1949 has produced no
national fruit. Israel continues to reject Messiah
Yeshua/Jesus.
The fig tree
in Israel has two seasons of fruit production. As
previously noted, it sets fruit as its winter dormancy ends
and produces leaves which hide the Spring fruit and then on
the new year's branches sets fruit again and in later Summer
produces a second crop.
Hosea,
prophetically looking forward to barren Israel draws us to
consider the future. Hosea 9:10 states:
"I found Israel like grapes in the
wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in
the fig tree at her first time: but they went to
Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and
their abominations were according as they loved."
[Emphasis Added]
Here Hosea
notes that "the fathers", metaphorically embodied by
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob", were the firstripe of the fig
tree in the Spring at her first fruiting. Yet, he
leaves open the question of the Summer fruiting
season. What can we infer? Should we infer that
there must be a Summer fruiting season of the fig tree
during Daniel's last seven years, the Time of Jacob's
Trouble? Our God of patterns surely invites us to
complete the metaphorical story that the remnant will
recognize their Messiah.
Paul and
Isaiah tell us that "a remnant will be saved". (Romans 9:27;
Isaiah 10:21-22; Revelation 12:17, 12:14, 20:4-5)
Isaiah named his son Shear-jashub which means "a
remnant would return to Jehovah". Isaiah has
proclaimed that God will have recovered his people again
from their second exile which is surely 70 A.D to 1949 A.D.
(Isaiah 11:11; Ezekiel 20:34)
Amos 8:2 has
an interesting view ancient Israel and its association to
Summer fruit in a basket.
"And he said, Amos, what seest thou? And I
said, A basket of summer fruit. Then said the Lord unto me, The end is come upon my
people of Israel; I will not again pass by them any more."
[Emphasis Added]
If
we mine for treasure in the Hebrew words for "summer" and
"end" an amazing truth emerges. And this truth is
applicable to the Gospel's fig tree parables.
The ancient Hebrew letters, represented by pictographs,
provide divine insight to a word's meaning. The Hebrew
spelling of the word "summer" is Kaf, Yod, Tsade. The
Hebrew spelling of the word "end" is Kaf, Tsade.
The letter "Yod" is included in the middle of the word
"summer" and omitted from the word "end". The letter
"Yod" was drawn to represent the "anointing hand of
God". Why has the end come upon God's people
Israel? God's people Israel abandoned God.
They rejected the "anointing hand of God". Summer
fruit must include the "anointing hand of God" in order to
be acceptable fruit. (James 3:17; Romans 6:22)
In
the three Gospel accounts of this end times sign of the
fruitless fig tree's appearance, we can know the
fruitlessness represented the absence of the anointing hand
of God, which is in Christ Jesus. The fig tree
parables speak of the "end" which is described as Summer in
agreement with Amos. The end is near.
(Matthew 24:3, 33; Luke 21:7, 30; Mark 13:4, 28)
The
Time of Jacob's Trouble
Let's
embrace Hosea's prophecy and extend it to the Time of
Jacob's Trouble and Second Advent of Christ:
Hosea
9:10:
10I found Israel like grapes in
the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the
fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and
separated themselves unto that shame; and their
abominations were according as they loved.
Deuteronomy 4:29-31:
29 But
if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek
him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
30 When
thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come
upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his
voice;
31 (For
the Lord thy God is a merciful God;) he will not
forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the
covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.
Micah 7:18:
18 Who is a God like unto
thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the
transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth
not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.
Ecclesiastes
12:13:
13 Let us hear the conclusion
of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments:
for this is the whole duty of man.
The Faith and Testimony of Jesus
If I were to offer a sequel to Hosea 9:10
metaphor based on my understanding of the horticulture of
the fig tree parables, I would complete the interpretation
of Hosea as follows:
"The Lord found Remnant Israel like grapes in
the wilderness of Petra; the Lord saw the children of the
fathers as the second ripe in the fig tree at her
second time: and they endured the trial of faith in
the time of trouble, a faith tried with fire being more
precious than gold, to the glory, praise and honor of our
great God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ."
As we see the day approaching, perhaps today
May 11, 2019, may exhort one another to this hope of
glory, in Christ Jesus.
Perhaps this Pentecost, Sunday May 11/12,
2019, we may join Jesus in the clouds as represented by
the Pentecostal Temple Two Loaf Wave Offering symbolism: Loaf
One: "and the dead in Christ shall rise first", then
Loaf Two: "we which are alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the
Lord in the air: so shall we ever be with the Lord.
(Leviticus 23:17; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) This
follows the type of Christ's resurrection at First Fruits
when the Temple offering raised up the Wave Sheaf Offering
of Grain. Jesus represented the grain seed which had
to die to produce much fruit. (John 12:24) We are
His fruit. He is our Hope of Glory.
Come quickly Lord Jesus!