22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. 20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked. This system of describing the end times using the analogy of the fig tree is taken up again in Revelation 6:13: “And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind”. As a fig tree casteth its untimely figs, when it is shaken by a mighty wind - How sublimely is the violence of that shaking expressed by this comparison! The fig tree is the tree of life! In that view of scripture, it wasn’t even considered that Israel would ever become a nation again. Don’t miss the excellent study links in the quote above. ,” with a stress on how God alone knows the timing of, Thus, Jesus responded to two questions and made predictions about two related but distinct events - The destruction of the Temple and the return of the Son of Man. “About the times of the End, a body of men will be raised up who will turn their attention to the prophecies, and insist upon their literal interpretation, in the midst of much clamor and opposition” (source). This was a tease that will lead to the next article in this series. It should be clear to those who are objective, that many mistakes have been made in the interpretation of this verse as well as many other verses. He cursed the fig tree for its fruitlessness, which represented the coming judgment on the Temple, Likewise, after expelling the moneychangers from the Temple, Jesus condemned its leaders for having turned Yahweh’s Temple into a “, .” The Temple authorities understood his words and “. fig'-tre (te'enah, plural te'enim, specially "figs"; paggim, "green figs" only in Songs 2:13; suke, "fig-tree," sukon, "fig"): 1. In addition to its use in the ‘Olivet Discourse,’ a fig tree was cursed by Jesus for its fruitlessness, a fruitless fig tree was featured in his parable of the Barren Fig Tree, when Jesus saw Nathanael sitting under a fig tree, again when James used an analogy from the fact that fig trees do not produce olives, and in the book of Revelation, a fig tree is part of a simile that describes the cosmic … A cursory search demonstrates that the fig tree is not consistently or even frequently employed to symbolize Israel flourishing in the Promised Land. 4:25). The  book of Revelation  presents visions that are often jarring, paradoxical, and even subversive, images that challenge human wisdom and defy institutional explanations of how God works. Thus, the rebirth of Israel started the clock on the last generation. Jesus cursed the fig tree, yes. Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Jesus described how a fig tree sprouts foliage prior to “summer” - The arrival of new leaves was a sure sign of its imminence. The fig tree is dead. 21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. Figs were an important food. Jesus described how a fig tree sprouts foliage prior to summer. Contextual studies on the books of Daniel and Revelation. Arise, my love, my fair one,and come away. ” refers to the one contemporary with Jesus, the same one that rejected him. Leviticus 17:11 states that the life of the flesh is in the blood. Name *. Set aside all the signs Jesus mentioned in verses one through thirty-one. And the disciples, seeing, marveled, saying, “How immediately has the fig tree dried up!” 21. Nahum 3:13 Fig tree, green figs, and tender grapes have a good smell. According to the New Testament writers, Jesus made extensive use of the fig tree in his parables and teachings, so we must assume that the tree was common in first century Palestine. And so died the promises to the Jewish people. The arrival of new leaves was a sure sign of summer's approach. Read this fascinating take on the identity of the Antichrist. 4:4, Zec. Jesus said to “learn the lesson of the fig tree,” but we still await that divine understanding. Simple fishermen as some of them were, I guess we can allow them to miss his meaning at times. ” alludes to references in the Hebrew Bible to the generation of Israel that disobeyed Yahweh and was condemned to die off in the Wilderness, the one that. We need to stop the guessing games and get back to an honest interpretation of the scriptures. SYNOPSIS :    The saints overcome the Dragon and his forces through the death of the Lamb and their faithful witness, “even unto death” – Revelation 12:11 . For three years the owner sought fruit from it but found none. In the parable, the fig tree was sprouting leaves, The budding tree signified the approach of “, That Yahweh hath wrath against all the nations, and indignation against all their host — He hath devoted them to destruction He hath delivered them to slaughter…Then shall be dissolved all the host of the heavens, And the heavens shall roll up as a scroll — Yea, all their host shall fade — Like the fading and falling of a leaf from a vine, and, Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, Behold me! Question #1: Can you explain these verses in Matthew 24? entered the Promised Land. For example, the parable about the vineyard owner given by Jesus to the religious leaders in Jerusalem. ”). I have heard many interpretations. They often misunderstood his meaning when he discussed important topics. Adam was told that he might eat of every tree in the Garden except the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, "for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" (Genesis 2:9, 16-17). But then along came 1948 and the rebirth of a nation. The story of the fig tree begins in the Garden of Eden, where YEHOVAH God had placed in the midst of the Garden two special trees: the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near–at the doors! Just as his contemporaries did not understand  what kind of Messiah  Jesus was, so we too often fail to comprehend the central character of  Revelation  – the “ slain Lamb .”. Comments voicing dissenting views are encouraged. The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. It imports ideas into the words of Jesus that he never expressed. “, ,” the one contemporary with Jesus, would see “, Jesus provided a list of things that would signal the approach of the Temple’s destruction - “, .” Of special note is the warning about the “. In other words, the generation that sees Israel reborn and the fig tree "put out its leaves" is the same generation that will see the completion of the Tribulation and the return of Jesus Christ. Revelation 6:13, ESV: "and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale." We encourage free discussions on the commenting system provided by the Google Blogger platform, with the stipulation that conversations remain civil. Revelation 1:12-15 KJV ... Matthew 24:32-34 KJV – “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Seemingly, that claim contradicted his declaration that “. Therefore, Jesus cursed the fig tree and it withered. The black horse in Revelation 6:5 is representative of something that is dark and dismal. 20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. The man who checks bags for bombs on our transport system was eating juicy figs and gave one to me with a smile. Hosea 9:10: I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the fig tree at her first time. , the story is divided into two sections. Learn how your comment data is processed. The real focus is verse 32. sending upon them sword famine and pestilence — So will I make them like the horrid figs that cannot be eaten for badness, The fig tree is rarely mentioned in the New Testament. Isaiah 30:19-33 A Bible Prophecy question, Did the Bible predict 9/11? In his ‘Olivet Discourse,’ Jesus did not predict the future restoration of Israel in the Middle East or the construction of another or “third” Temple in the city of Jerusalem. Jesus often used fig tree in parabolic form when communicating things about Israel. E-mail *. Nowhere in his ‘Olivet Discourse’ did Jesus state that he was using the fig tree to symbolize the nation of Israel flourishing in Palestine. Matthew 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days: 'The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.' Jesus used the image of a fruitless fig tree on at least two occasions to represent a rebellious nation that merited divine judgment. Isaiah 22: The Valley of Vision Prophecy. Two supernatural titans fight over a young man’s destiny. Source:  Unsplash.com In Chapter 12 of the book of Revelation, the “ sign of the Great Red Dragon ” appears, a sign that war has commenced “ in heaven ,” the battle between the Dragon and Michael the Archangel. The fig tree in this parable represents Jerusalem, Jesus’ destination that morning. Psalm Four: Hear My Prayer O God; "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. As we have seen, there are many interesting references in the Song of Songs and the parables of Jesus, … The war demon, a fallen watcher, seeks to destroy him. The following is a generalized version of the popular literalist interpretation of the lesson of the fig tree. Is the fig tree used consistently by Scripture to symbolize Israel? The promises to Israel in the Old Testament weren’t literal but veiled words that really pointed to the Church. We are traveling down a difficult road. The rebirth of the nation of Israel was the main and only thing the Lord’s discourse was concerned with. Jeremiah’s Revelation. And seeing one fig tree on the way, He came up to it, and found nothing on it except leaves only, and says to it, “No more shall there be fruit from thee to eternity”; and immediately the fig tree dried up. Just before he cut it down, the vinedresser asked for one more year to make the tree productive: If at the end of the three years no fruit appeared, the tree would be cut down. Turkey might get to play with nuclear weapons, Tombstone: A day of reckoning is coming for humanity, Isaiah 25 The Light at the end of the tunnel is not a train, Eschatology 101 Four different views of the end of the World. Additionally, it ignores all the other instances in the gospel accounts where “. The lesson he drew was - “ When you see these things happening, you know that it is near.” The budding fig tree represented a set … What is the lesson of the fig tree. You will be surprised by what the early believers concluded. Song of Solomon 2:13 All your fortresses are fig trees with the first ripe figs; when shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater! He had cursed it right after entering the temple and turning over all the money-changer tables and telling them that his fathers house is to be a house of prayer, but they had made it a den of thieves. . . In verse 34, what does it mean "This generation shall not pass."? There is something that just feels rich and decadent about figs. In the last two hundred years, we have moved from a mostly allegorical view to one that’s more literal. People's Bible Notes for Revelation 6:13 Re 6:13 The stars of heaven fell unto the earth. The first would occur within “, ” is applied repeatedly to the generation of Jews contemporary with Jesus that had rejected him -, Most telling is the judicial pronouncement at the end of his denunciation of the “, As the preceding examples demonstrate, the normal way to understand “, ” is as a reference to the generation contemporary with the speaker. Jesus had predicted the destruction of the Temple that was standing in his day - “. , meaning, “this, these.” In his discourse, Jesus alternated between two pronouns. Website. © Copyright 2021 Fig Tree Bible Studies Well since I take issue with both popular views of the lesson of the fig tree, I’m thinking of running for the hills right about now. © Copyright 2016. In a few passages, the olive tree is used as a symbol for God’s people, but it does not follow that the fig tree is always a cipher for a restored Israel, let alone in the parable of Jesus (Compare - Zechariah 4:3-12, Romans 11:17-24, Revelation 11:4). The tree is one of the earliest to show its fruitbuds, which appear before the leaves; thus a fig tree with leaves would be expected to also have fruit. When the disciples saw “, ” signifies (the pronoun must be neuter to match the gender of its associated noun, that is, “, ” refers to the events predicted by Jesus – the “, ," the persecution of the disciples, apostasy, the proclamation of the gospel throughout the “. Most scholars of the past, blind in their interpretations, placed all the promises to the Jews onto the Church. The Fig Tree, Ezekiel 38, Joel 3, and the Trumpets of Revelation. God is the owner of the tree, Jesus is the vinedresser, and Israel is the. Ezekiel 38 Who is Gog, the mysterious "he" that God's prophets warned about? Jesus described how a fig tree sprouts foliage prior to summer - The arrival of new leaves was a sure sign of the imminence of summer. This interpretation has led to a plethora of wild and false predictions concerning the return of Jesus. The clock started in 1948 so simple mathematics will allow us to know when the return of Christ is likely to happen. In verse 32, who or what is the fig tree? Jesus knew His fig tree (Israel) was rotten - spoiled by the hippocrite Pharisees, the wicked branches. The parable is a portrayal of Israel’s failure to produce the required fruit and a warning of its impending judgment if the nation did not repent. The color pale is associated with the appearance of a human body when the blood has been drained from it. The bare branches of the fig tree was symbolic of fruitless Israel. .” On his return to Bethany, the disciples observed the cursed and now withered fig tree. Philip had gone to Nathanael to tell him he had found the messiah. Jesus gave clear instructions to the early disciples. If there is a tree or plant used by Scripture to symbolize Israel, and frequently so, it is the grapevine, In a few passages, the olive tree symbolizes the people of God, but it does not follow that the fig tree is always a cipher for a restored Israel, let alone in the parable of Jesus (, More telling is the version of the parable in the, Since Luke does not limit the analogy to just one species of tree, the notion that Jesus intended the fig tree to symbolize Israel does not fit, at least not in this version of his parable. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. The pale horse in Revelation 6:7-8 is a representation of death. He is called to fight in a war he is unprepared for. Jesus’ cursing the fig tree for its fruitlessness (Mark 11:12–13, 20–23) was an allusion to the fruitlessness of 20. Why did he run to tell Nathanael this? "The Abomination of Desolation Spoken of by Daniel." The point of the analogy was that the predicted events would indicate the approach of “, ” - The judgment on Jerusalem and the Temple that the “. ” translates the Greek demonstrative pronoun. .” When the disciples saw it, it was imperative that they fled Jerusalem in all haste. The Parable of the Fig Tree. “Sandwiched” between them is the so-called “cleansing of the Temple,” also a prophetic act that pointed to the coming destruction of the Temple. That wasn’t possible, or so it was thought. The depiction of a budding fig tree is called a “ parable,” a teaching device that uses an analogy to make its point.Jesus described how a fig tree sprouts foliage prior to “ summer ” - The arrival of new leaves was a sure sign of its imminence. Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place, (Matthew 24:32-34, emphasis mine). ” in the following verses from the discourse: ” stems from the original prediction of the destruction of the Temple. A Gentile answer, Here is a Happy-thought. A quick transfer was made. He responded as one would expect from the pattern set by the ancient prophets of Israel - He pronounced judgment on the nation for its rebellion against Yahweh and “. It overlooks the consistent application in the gospel accounts of “, It fails to see the Old Testament background behind the phrase, “. In this way, both acts are linked. The parable was not about a restoration of national Israel but, instead, its judgment for rejecting the Messiah of Yahweh. For example, the Old Testament uses the fig tree to represent impending judgment by Yahweh, sometimes on Israel but also on other nations - (. In the literalist/futurist interpretation, (Which I support) a false claim is often made regarding the fig tree parable. Jerusalem's Leadership is Judged, The Gog and Magog War, Hal Lindsey, and the Russian conspiracy, Daniel 7: 23-28: The Last Kingdom of Man and The Return of Christ, Daniel's Four Beasts with Joel Richardson. The amazing deep colours, the distinctive shape and glorious gentle smell. Revelation 6:13 Parallel Verses [⇓ See commentary ⇓] Revelation 6:13, NIV: "and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind." The lesson he drew was - “, Israel. … But today, nearly two thousand years later, the great collection of impressive biblical scholars, have yet to settle the issue. .” Either he was mistaken, or the two statements do not refer to the same event(s). 32Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branches become tender and sprout leaves, you know that summer is near. The first instance is in his parable of. His plans to overthrow His enemies and “judge” the nations are not according to human expectations. Thank the Lord, the Holy Spirit guided their thoughts when they wrote the gospels and New Testament letters. Prepare yourself with a sound understanding of Gods Word. Isaac Newton chimed in with his wise opinion when he said the following. Fig tree in the Bible represents the Nation of Israel.