Jesus and the Fig Tree
by Britt Gillette



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Throughout the centuries, people have longed to know which generation will witness the return of Jesus Christ. Interestingly, the answer to that question appeared in the form of a fig tree nearly 2,000 years ago.

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

Both the Gospels of Matthew and Mark tell the following story of Jesus and His encounter with that fig tree:

“In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry, and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs on it, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, ‘May you never bear fruit again!’ And immediately the fig tree withered up. The disciples were amazed when they saw this and asked, ‘How did the fig tree wither so quickly?’ Then Jesus told them, ‘I assure you, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May God lift you up and throw you into the sea,’ and it will happen. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 21:18-22 (NLT)

Although not spoken to His disciples in the form of a parable, this story about the fig tree and its lack of fruit strikes at the heart of the Gospel message.

The Meaning of the Curse

The disappointment of Jesus with the fig tree is an extremely significant event. At first glance, one might think Jesus is merely upset with an actual tree that failed to feed Him when He was hungry. But the fig tree and its fruit play a much larger role. They are symbols of the nation of Israel and its faith.

In Jeremiah 24, the people of Israel are compared to figs, both good and rotten. When Jesus cursed the fig tree, He symbolically placed a curse on Israel. The reason for the curse is straightforward. The fig tree (Israel) failed to bear fruit (faith) even though its leaves indicate it was in season (the appointed time for the coming of the Messiah). Due to its lack of fruit, the fig tree withered. Likewise, Israel’s lack of faith when presented with her Messiah led to her eventual destruction at the hands of the Romans in A.D. 70.

What is Good Fruit?

Jesus cursed the fig tree because of its refusal to bear fruit, and in so doing, He makes it clear that He expects His followers to bear fruit as well. And not just any kind of fruit, but specifically good fruit.

If Jesus expects us to bear good fruit, it’s essential to know what constitutes good fruit in the first place. What is good fruit? And how do we bear it? Paul defines “good fruit” in his letters to the Galatians and the Philippians:

“But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)

This is the fruit we should produce: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Why? Because ultimately, the good fruit we bear comes from faith in Jesus Christ:

“May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation – those good things that are produced in your life by Jesus Christ – for this will bring much glory and praise to God.” Philippians 1:11 (NLT)

Good fruit should never be confused with the world’s definition of good works. Good fruit is born in the heart and blossoms outward into the world. Its only motive is Jesus Christ. But good works as defined by the world can have many motives, sometimes even evil motives. Yet, no matter how justified we feel in our own eyes, God will always measure our inner motives, never our outward deeds. Placing our trust and faith in Jesus Christ will inevitably produce the good fruits Paul mentioned in his letter to the Galatians. And when we exhibit these good fruits, the world will witness through our lives the glory that is Jesus Christ.

Good Fruit vs. Bad Fruit

To make sure we’re producing good fruit and not bad fruit, we need to know how to tell the difference. Before He placed the curse on the fig tree, Jesus warned His disciples to beware of false prophets and teachers. In fact, He used fruit as a metaphor for identifying the righteous from the evil, explaining that if a tree doesn’t bear fruit, it will be chopped down and thrown into the fire:

“Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep, but are really wolves that will tear you apart. You can detect them by the way they act, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit. You don’t pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles. A healthy tree produces good fruit, and an unhealthy tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, the way to identify a tree or a person is by the kind of fruit that is produced.” Matthew 7:15-20 (NLT)

A good tree will bear good fruit, and a bad tree will produce rotten fruit. Therefore, you can always identify the righteous and the evil based on what they produce.

God’s great commandment is to believe in the one He has sent. Those who do will bear good fruit as a natural result. This is because Jesus is the branch on which all good fruit grows, and His righteous branch can’t help but bear good fruit. Long ago, the prophet Isaiah identified the Messiah as the branch of Jesse:

“Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot – yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.” Isaiah 11:1 (NLT)

If the generation that rejected Jesus had instead made Him the basis of their faith, the very root of their spiritual sustenance, then they would have born good fruit that is pleasing to the Lord.

So what do good fruit, bad fruit, and a barren fig tree have to do with the timing of the Second Coming of Christ? To find out, we must first understand why the fig tree had to wither.

The Withered Fig Tree

Why did the fig tree have to wither in the first place? Why did the generation which witnessed the birth of Christ lack faith in God’s promise of the coming Messiah? They committed to memory the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament, and they knew the exact year in which the Messiah would appear in Jerusalem. Yet, because they lacked faith, they failed to recognize the time of His Coming. As a result, an entire generation failed to produce fruit for the Messiah. But why?

Although the Jews didn’t plan to reject the Messiah, God did have a plan. His plan was to spread the salvation of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. Israel’s lack of faith was integral to this process, providing the catalyst for God to offer this salvation to the Gentiles as well. As a result, the salvation God had previously reserved for the Jews alone was offered to the entire world:

“For since the Jews’ rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, how much more wonderful their acceptance will be. It will be life for those who were dead! And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their children will also be holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too. But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree, some of the Jews, have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, were grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in God’s rich nourishment of his special olive tree. But you must be careful not to brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. Remember, you are just a branch, not the root. ‘Well,’ you may say, ‘those branches were broken off to make room for me.’ Yes, but remember – those branches, the Jews, were broken off because they didn’t believe God, and you are there because you do believe. Don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. For if God did not spare the branches he put there in the first place, he won’t spare you either. Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe to those who disobeyed, but kind to you as you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off. And if the Jews turn from their unbelief, God will graft them back into the tree again. He has the power to do it. For if God was willing to take you who were, by nature, branches from a wild olive tree and graft you into his own good tree – a very unusual thing to do – he will be far more eager to graft the Jews back into the tree where they belong.” Romans 11:15-24 (NLT)

When Israel rejected Jesus Christ, she opened the door to salvation for the Gentiles. But God never forgot His promise to Israel, and He promises the day will come when Israel will fully embrace the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

A Second Chance for Israel

Just as Paul stated in his letter to the Romans, the Lord hasn’t forgotten Israel. She will have one more chance to bear fruit for her Messiah, and this opportunity is the key to understanding the hour of Christ’s return. Jesus illustrates this when He tells a parable about a planted fig tree:

“Then Jesus used this illustration: ‘A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s taking up space we can use for something else.’ The gardener answered, ‘Give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer. If we get figs next year, fine. If not, you can cut it down.’” Luke 13:6-9 (NLT)

For three years, Jesus spread His message throughout Israel, performing miracles, exhibiting unprecedented knowledge of the Scriptures, and offering ample evidence of His claim to be the long awaited Messiah. Yet despite three years of testimony, Israel refused to believe in the one who was sent.

According to this parable, Israel will get one more year with “special attention and plenty of fertilizer.” If she still fails to bear fruit, she will be cut down (destroyed).

As Jesus reveals, Israel will be given a final chance to exhibit faith in Him in the last days, just prior to His Glorious Appearing. To do so, Israel must first become a nation once again, a miraculous feat which took place in May 1948. The reestablishment of Israel as a nation is the foremost sign to our generation that Christ return is imminent. And that’s why the fig tree is the key to understanding which generation will witness the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Through the nation of Israel, God has given the world a sign that is impossible to ignore. Nevertheless, most of the world has chosen to ignore it.

The Sign of Our Generation

In the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24), Jesus revealed to His disciples that the primary sign of the end of the age and His soon return would be the restoration of Israel as a nation. However, He didn’t plainly say so. Instead, He once again used the fig tree as a metaphor for the nation of Israel:

“Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its buds become tender and its leaves begin to sprout, you know without being told that summer is near. Just so, when you see the events I’ve described beginning to happen, you can know his return is very near, right at the door. I assure you, this generation will not pass from the scene before all these things take place. Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will remain forever.” Matthew 24:32-35 (NLT)

The fig tree is Israel. It’s been six decades since Israel was once again declared a nation against all worldly odds. In Matthew 24, Jesus promises that the generation which witnesses the reestablishment of Israel will not die off until the end of the age comes to pass. Given the Bible’s impeccable track record, we have every reason to expect His imminent return. Jesus will return soon, within our generation, and a wise person will prepare accordingly.

Just as the time of His first coming was clearly revealed to the previous generation, the season of His Return has been clearly revealed to ours. The previous generation was unprepared for His arrival. Ours should be watching with a patient and enduring faith, fully confident in the glory we are about to witness. Christ is coming. The fig tree is in bloom, and ours is the generation.

Britt Gillette is founder of BrittGillette.Com, a website examining the relationship between bible prophecy and emerging trends in technology. For more information or to sign up for his email alerts, please visit http://www.brittgillette.com




.....................................................benny

Mark 11:12-14
12The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it.

There is a Jewish tradition that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was the fig tree - this was well known in Jesus' day. Jesus was giving us a message in cursing the fig tree that even the disciples did not pick up on. They only seemed to be interested in how quickly the tree withered.

The problem that most of us have is the fact that Jesus destroyed the tree because it did not bear fruit out of season. This is not very fair or rational is it? Would you chop down your apple tree because it did not bear fruit in February? Remember that this happened just a couple days before the crucifixion. What Jesus was doing was cursing the fig tree as a symbol of the fall from the garden - never again would this tree cause the fall of man. Jesus - the second adam - undid the fall of Adam and Eve. This confirms the Jewish tradition that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was indeed the fig tree. You don't have to make the answer complex - it is simple.

This is the best answer that I have found to date. If we followed the symbology all the way through - Jesus was probably crucified on an almond tree. The Menorah is a symbol of the tree of life - which is shaped like a tree and is covered with almond blossoms.

It would be interesting to know what tree it was. Perhaps we are not told so that different trees can mean different things when we read them in the bible as types and symbols of Jesus crucifixion.

This is all very nice, but I have not found A SINGLE SCRIPTURE that likens Israel to a Fig Tree. Until I can do so it seems to me that this entire teaching hangs on a very tenuous thread of man made tradition..........

Hos 9:10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the first-ripe in the fig-tree at its first season


Luk 13:6 And he spake this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit thereon, and found none.
Luk 13:7 And he said unto the vinedresser, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why doth it also cumber the ground?
Luk 13:8 And he answering saith unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:
Luk 13:9 and if it bear fruit thenceforth, well; but if not, thou shalt cut it down.
Luk 13:10 And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath day.

Did Israel bear fruit ?

Will we?

C

Rev 6:13 and the stars of the heaven fell unto the earth, as a fig tree casteth her unripe figs when she is shaken of a great wind.

Gen 26:4 And I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven (God said this to Abraham)

So we can see that the fig tree is also a type and shadow for the church. We need to bear fruit, because in the end, the "fig tree" casts her UNRIPE figs to the ground, when she is shaken by a great wind.

The Bible is concerned with Israel (the type and shadow) and with the church (the called out people of God)

The fruit is the fruit of the Holy Spirit.Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Gal 5:23 meekness, self-control; against such there is no law.

which is also Christ. Jesus Christ is equal also to the fruit of the Holy Spirit. He lives IN us. He is our Fruit.

Mat 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentanceMat 3:10 And even now the axe lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.Mat 13:8 and others fell upon the good ground, and yielded fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Mat 13:23 And he that was sown upon the good ground, this is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; who verily beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Mar 4:29 But when the fruit is ripe, straightway he putteth forth the sickle, because the harvest is come.

C

wow...So we need to be dug around and "dunged" in order to bear fruit! It takes the garbage of this world, the friction, the stresses, the evil, the temptations.....to help us turn towards God and trust His Word...THEN we bear the fruit of obedience in Christ! Help us, Father!

Still seems a bit of a stretch to say that Israel is clearly said to be represented by a fig tree. But that's just my opinion.

Isaiah 28:4
And the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich valley, will be like the early fig before the fruit harvest, which, when anyone sees it, he snatches and eats it up greedily at once. [So in an amazingly short time will the Assyrians devour Samaria, Israel's capital.]




as per HALLEY'S BIBLE HANDBOOK,
luke 13;6-9
the un-productive fig tree was used by jesus to illustrate the patience of god with jerusalem, whose day of doom was fast approaching, and with individuals generally.

as per PELOUBET'S BIBLE DICTIONARY,
deut 8;8
the fig tree is very common in palestine.
mount olivet was famous for its fig trees in ancient times, and they are still found there.
to "sit under one's own vine and one's own fig tree " became a proverbial expression to denote peace and prosperity.
1 kings 4;25
micah 4;4
zech 3;10
the young figs are especially prized for their sweetness and flavor.
the fruit always appears before the leaves.
so, when christ saw leaves on the fig tree (mark 11;13) he had a right to expect fruit.
the usual summer crop is not gathered until may or june, but in the sunny ravines of olivet, fig trees could have ripe fruit some weeks earlier, and it was not strange that so early as Easter Christ might find the young eatable figs, although it was not the usual season for gathering the fruit.

May I point something out to you. I have had a look at all your posts and more than once you mention that there is no scripture used and that there should be more scripture used. I found that you have used scripture twice in all your posts, yet you said :


If you do, then you too must use Scripture. A fair deal and a good one would be that you do as you preach. Try using Scripture and quote it . Chapter and verse in context to the subject. In that way we all learn. Also you will then be responsible like the rest who do that, to use God's Word correctly. 1Pe 4:11 if any man speaketh, speaking as it were oracles of God; So any man, would include any man, that would say something , and when they say it, it must be as the oracles of God. What is the oracle of God? The Bible.

You should then be able to back it up with more than just ONE scripture, but as God's Word tells us, we have to get the WHOLE PICTURE, not just ONE Scripture.

Psa 119:160 The sum of thy word is truth; And every one of thy righteous ordinances endureth for ever.

Psa 139:17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!


Deu 19:15 .......... at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established.





Amen brother:Jer 4:3 For thus saith Jehovah to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.

Hos 10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap according to kindness; break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek Jehovah, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
1Pe 1:6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, ye have been put to grief in manifold trials, 1Pe 1:7 that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold that perisheth though it is proved by fire, may be found unto praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ: 1Pe 1:8 whom not having seen ye love; on whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
1Pe 1:9 receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

C

Condemning a Fig Tree for not producing fruit out of season is a very severe judgement.

Hmmm. Maybe, but I don't recall telling folks they weren't using enough Scripture; where'd I do that?

I remember in some of those eschatological discussions telling folks I actually get LOST in the details of the dates, multitudes of seemingly unrelated Scripture, and highly forced interpretations of some of their views. I asked for a 'Readers Digest' version!

I DO tend to speak in a Scriptural 'shorthand' which assumes everybody either knows the Scriptures well, or that they can grab their Strong's and put it to good use! When I quote Scripture, or speak of Scriptural ideas, I will only rarely cite the reference, as it is jusst something folks should know, or be able to look up. But, when I think it's necessary to do so, I'll look up the 'address' and post that too.





Yes truly! I find it most interesting that Jesus does in short succession TWO things which seem quite out of character for Him: He curses the fig tree, then later makes a whip of cords, and scourges people at the Temple! Within 24 hours, He himself is scourged and killed by 'hanging on a tree'.

Well, there I go again! Using Scripture, but not giving the passage. Oh well, I'm sure you all know where to find these verses!

Sorry, I was wrong, I thought you were somebody who was going to bring Scriptures, so that we can learn.

As they use to say in the army : "As you were! "


C

i'm thinking that it was NOT out of season for the FIG TREE to be producing EARLY FIGS at Easter time.

read my previous post in this thread.

if we say that Jesus is NOT a FAIR JUDGE , then, all of us are in deep doo-doo.

somewhere in the OT, God said : how can i be pure, if i don't punish the wicked? (my paraphrase).

in the TEMPLE CLEANSING, jesus scourged the wicked.
in the scourging of Jesus, the wicked scourged the righteous One.

Dennis says:





I don't know what to say Dennis.

Maybe Jesus was thinking what you are thinking.
That's good for you, because it shows you have the mind of Christ.

But apparently it was out of season....

the AMPLIFIED BIBLE (sort of) reads differently from the KJV

i prefer the AMPLIFIED.

BUT, I SEE YOUR POINT.

MARK 11

11And Jesus went into Jerusalem and entered the temple [[b]enclosure]; and when He had looked around, surveying and observing everything, as it was already late, He went out to Bethany together with the Twelve [apostles].

12On the day following, when they had come away from Bethany, He was hungry.

13And seeing in the distance a fig tree [covered] with leaves, He went to see if He could find any [fruit] on it [for in the fig tree the fruit appears at the same time as the leaves]. But when He came up to it, He found nothing but leaves, for the fig season had not yet come.

14And He said to it, No one ever again shall eat fruit from you. And His disciples were listening [to what He said].

15And they came to Jerusalem. And He went into the temple [area, the [d]porches and courts] and began to drive out those who sold and bought in the temple area, and He overturned the [[e]four-footed] tables of the money changers and the seats of those who dealt in doves;

interesting Dennis.

Is it correct that the fig tree has two blooms, a small first bloom, and then a summer harvest?

I guess if I was living in Israel I might understand the metaphor better.

i googled for FIG TREE ISRAEL, trying to get an answer for us.......but, i've not found it yet

but, i did find some interesting sites (try it)


ALSO, FROM ANOTHER ANGLE,

Jesus was looking for FRUIT
who produces FRUIT in the bible?
Galatians 5;22............the HOLY SPIRIT produces FRUIT
in OT times , who had the HOLY SPIRIT?..........ISRAEL (not the gentiles)
so, JESUS looked for fruit in israel and found none.

what is the solution to the problem?............CREATE A NEW ENTITY, WHICH IS SUBMERGED, BAPTIZED, IMMERSED, SATURATED , FILLED, IN-DWELT WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT......(THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH)

so, Jesus killed the FIG TREE (ISRAEL),.......and birthed a new Way of producing fruit, (the Church), which will produce fruit , because it has MORE of the HOLY SPIRIT.




the bible never commands us to be baptized with the holy spirit........that happens when we first believe (get born again).

the bible COMMANDS US TO BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT.

THE WORD OF GOD IS SPIRIT

JOEL 1;7
7It has laid waste My vine [symbol of God's people] and barked and broken My fig tree; it has made them completely bare and thrown them down; their branches are made white.



THE FIG TREE IS GOD'S ISRAEL.




Joel 1
1THE WORD of the Lord that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.

2Hear this, you aged men, and give ear, all you inhabitants of the land! Has such a thing as this occurred in your days or even in the days of your fathers?

3Tell your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.

4What the crawling locust left, the swarming locust has eaten; and what the swarming locust left, the hopping locust has eaten; and what the hopping locust left, the stripping locust has eaten.

5Awake, you drunkards, and weep; wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the [fresh] sweet juice [of the grape], for it is cut off and removed from your mouth.

6For a [heathen and hostile] nation [of locusts, illustrative of a human foe] has invaded My land, mighty and without number; its teeth are the teeth of a lion, and it has the jaw teeth of a lioness.(A)

7It has laid waste My vine [symbol of God's people] and barked and broken My fig tree; it has made them completely bare and thrown them down; their branches are made white.

8Lament like a virgin [bride] girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth [who has died].

Hey! That Joel 1:7 is pretty good, because God DOES say "My" vine, and "My" fig tree.