The Parable of the Fig Tree
6 [Jesus] also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ 8 But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’”
Will the city of Jerusalem bear spiritual fruit, and many Jews come to Christ in the end-times? Many say no, and that God is done with the nation of Isreal; that the church is now spiritual "Isreal" and all Bible prophecy relates to Christians alone. They even teach that the above parable proves God was finished with Israel after A.D. 70.
But was He? This will take a little bit to unpack, but first let's list the specifics of this parable. The symbolism was as follows:
- The man who planted the tree was God
- His vineyard was Isreal, and the fig tree was specifically the city of Jerusalem.
- Jesus was the keeper of the vineyard.
- The fruit God was seeking from His fig tree was the fruit of righteousness, which they were not giving Him, so the Father had determined to "cut it down," and that judgment would come upon Israel, for she would be handed over to the nations.
- But Jesus was depicted here as interceding on behalf of Jerusalem, asking the Father to essentially, "Give it one more season before you bring judgment upon them. I will pour out the Holy Spirit upon them as a witness to Me, and perhaps the city will come under repentance, and finally turn to producing the fruit of righteousness. If they still do not after that, cut it down."
Did the city of Jerusalem produce the fruit God desired in the 1st century? Yes and no. After the Spirit of God was poured out upon the disciples in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost, Acts says:
40 And with many other words [Peter] testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” 41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them... 46 and [believers] ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:40-47)
What becomes very interesting, however, is this: Jesus uses a fig tree parable again later in His ministry as recorded in both Matthew 24 and Luke 21, and in this teaching He prophesied that in the time just before His return, the fig tree (Jerusalem) would start to have tender branches and then bud, which are the early stages of bearing fruit.
Luke 21 renders it like this:
29 Then He spoke to them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30 When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. 31 So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.
Matthew 24 has it this way:
31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 32 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth shoots, you know that summer is near. 33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!
Now, this symbolism strongly suggests that in the time just before Christ's return to gather His elect from the four corners of the earth, the fig tree, which was Jerusalem in the previous parable, will again bud and begin bearing fruit. This also suggests the Spirit will once again be poured put upon Israel as well.
Lest anyone doubt that this passage was talking about the nation of Isreal and Jerusalem specifically here, take a look again at the context in which these passages are found. I will post them out in full in the next post.
God bless, and thanks for reading.
6 [Jesus] also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ 8 But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’”
Will the city of Jerusalem bear spiritual fruit, and many Jews come to Christ in the end-times? Many say no, and that God is done with the nation of Isreal; that the church is now spiritual "Isreal" and all Bible prophecy relates to Christians alone. They even teach that the above parable proves God was finished with Israel after A.D. 70.
But was He? This will take a little bit to unpack, but first let's list the specifics of this parable. The symbolism was as follows:
- The man who planted the tree was God
- His vineyard was Isreal, and the fig tree was specifically the city of Jerusalem.
- Jesus was the keeper of the vineyard.
- The fruit God was seeking from His fig tree was the fruit of righteousness, which they were not giving Him, so the Father had determined to "cut it down," and that judgment would come upon Israel, for she would be handed over to the nations.
- But Jesus was depicted here as interceding on behalf of Jerusalem, asking the Father to essentially, "Give it one more season before you bring judgment upon them. I will pour out the Holy Spirit upon them as a witness to Me, and perhaps the city will come under repentance, and finally turn to producing the fruit of righteousness. If they still do not after that, cut it down."
Did the city of Jerusalem produce the fruit God desired in the 1st century? Yes and no. After the Spirit of God was poured out upon the disciples in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost, Acts says:
40 And with many other words [Peter] testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” 41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them... 46 and [believers] ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:40-47)
What becomes very interesting, however, is this: Jesus uses a fig tree parable again later in His ministry as recorded in both Matthew 24 and Luke 21, and in this teaching He prophesied that in the time just before His return, the fig tree (Jerusalem) would start to have tender branches and then bud, which are the early stages of bearing fruit.
Luke 21 renders it like this:
29 Then He spoke to them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30 When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. 31 So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.
Matthew 24 has it this way:
31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 32 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth shoots, you know that summer is near. 33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!
Now, this symbolism strongly suggests that in the time just before Christ's return to gather His elect from the four corners of the earth, the fig tree, which was Jerusalem in the previous parable, will again bud and begin bearing fruit. This also suggests the Spirit will once again be poured put upon Israel as well.
Lest anyone doubt that this passage was talking about the nation of Isreal and Jerusalem specifically here, take a look again at the context in which these passages are found. I will post them out in full in the next post.
God bless, and thanks for reading.
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