THE FIG TREE - IITB 15.02

 

Chapter 15.2

The Fig Tree

The Preparations of the Vineyard – The Expectations 

The Unfruitfulness – Judgment on the Fig Tree – Israel  

Time of Repentance - Return of Christ – Kingdom of God

 

 

First Word - The Vineyard

     Jesus reveals His plans and matters with objects of common knowledge and interest, herein this parable He uses the common fig tree.   He told His followers to consider the parable of the Fig Tree… NO He did not! … He commanded them to LEARN the Parable of the Fig Tree.[1] 

     There is a season for figs on a tree; the green figs generally appeared before the leaves did, blending in until maturity, LEAVES SUGGEST FRUITFULNESS, so seeing the leaves, one would expect fruit on the tree.  Fig Trees would normally produce two to three crops a season, starting in the early spring with additional latter crops.  Plus everyone knew that depending on soil conditions and the weather, some trees could produce figs for most of the year.

 

     Before we look at the Fig tree, I want to look at the expectations of the vineyard, the soil of the land, the kind of plants and the owner as well as the gardener caretaker.

 

     The Prophet Isaiah paints the picture of an investor purchasing some PRIME land and clearing it of all the rocks and stones, then cultivating it and planting the very best plants.  Then He builds a hedge and fence around it to protect it from animals who might destroy the tender plants, then proceeds to build a watch tower for thieves who might try to break in and steal the harvest and finally He builds a wine press with the expectation of a bountiful harvest.  With that said, He did not expect a harvest the FIRST year, but certainly by the SECOND or THIRD year it should be overflowing with a bounty of fruit. 

     The Story of the Fig Tree starts out with God, the vineyard owner who is in frustration concerning a fig tree that He planted three years ago that had not produced any fruit.  Interestingly, the ministry of Jesus Christ was three years as well as John the Baptist who preached to All Israel for REPENTANCE and the coming of the Kingdom of God.

     The parable continues when GOD instructs the Gardner who is Jesus Christ to just cut the FRUITLESS tree down and make room for other plants.  Jesus Christ the attentive Gardner, intercedes to give the fig tree (Israel) A LITTLE MORE TIME; just one more year and He would give it special attention, and if it still did not produce fruit; then it would be cut down. 

(Remember, a day to the Lord is a like a thousand years; time has once again been put on hold.)

 

Isaiah 5:1-7 – What more could God do for Israel
¹ Now I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a rich and fertile hill.
² HE PLOWED THE LAND, CLEARED ITS STONES,

AND PLANTED IT WITH THE BEST VINES. In the middle he

BUILT A WATCHTOWER AND CARVED A WINEPRESS in the nearby rocks.

Then he waited for a harvest of sweet grapes, but the grapes that grew were bitter.  Now, you people of Jerusalem and Judah, you judge between me and my vineyard.

⁴ WHAT MORE COULD I HAVE DONE FOR MY VINEYARD

THAT I HAVE NOT ALREADY DONE?

When I expected sweet grapes, why did my vineyard give me bitter grapes? Now let me tell you what I will do to my vineyard:
⁵ I will tear down its hedges and let it be destroyed. I will break down its walls and let the animals trample it.
⁶ I will make it a wild place where the vines are not pruned and the ground is not hoed, a place overgrown with briers and thorns. I will command the clouds to drop no rain on it.
⁷ THE NATION OF ISRAEL IS THE VINEYARD OF THE LORD of Heaven’s Armies. The people of Judah are his pleasant garden. He expected a crop of justice, but instead he found oppression. He expected to find righteousness, but instead heard cries of violence. (NLT)

 

The Fig Tree

     Painting the picture; Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem and being hungry happens upon a fig tree and seeing the LEAVES; He expects an early fig,[2] but the fig tree was “FRUITLESS”.[3]  Jesus curses the tree; which was a not yet realized teaching for the disciples.  He then proceeds on to the Temple only to find it overrun with merchants exchanging money, selling livestock and birds; that is when He cuts loose and cleansed the Temple of all its merchants. 

     The next day Jesus and the astonished disciples observe this fig tree withered from the roots up, something that would have normally taken a number of weeks to accomplish.[4]  NOTE:  This is the only act of judgment of Christ while on earth, it demonstrates His authority to BLAST as well as to BLESS.

     However, there is another story that seemingly judgment was passed on 2,000 swine at Gadara with a legion of demons.  This was actually a blessing on the man that was possessed by the demons.  The demons begged to go into the pigs and the pigs went crazy and ran into the sea and drowned; they did it to themselves; they got what they asked for.[5]  Everything you ask for is NOT beneficial for you,[6] so be careful what you ask for.                 It’s in the Book

     Since there are other accounts of barren fig trees in the Book containing  slight variances in the account of the story, students of the Word debate when the curse and the withering took place; but that’s not the point of the teaching, the story is about what THE FIG TREE represents; symbolically the FIG TREE represents ISRAEL and JUDAH.

 

     Jesus is symbolically putting an ax to the root of fruitless Israel; fruitless Christians that have only a form of religious godliness[7] that are just Make Believers.  This is why He commanded us to LEARN the parable of the Fig Tree.  When we are barren of fruit, we have failed the purpose for which we were created.  Their fruit of holiness was lacking; their Fruit was PROFESSED, but not POSSESSED.  

 

     Israel was spiritually dead; lacking the FAITH that Jesus the Christ could save man, and they responded, telling Him to go save Himself.   After this teaching, Jesus then continues on in His parable with His teaching of the Power of having Faith. 

Israel - The History

     In the finality of things; Isaiah reveals that GOD is the investor/owner of the prime land, JESUS is the Intercessor caretaker and the people of Judah are his pleasant garden; THE VINYARD IS ISRAEL.

God expected a crop of justice, but instead what He found was oppression.

He expected to find righteousness, but instead He heard cries of violence.

     What He found was WORTHLESS sour grapes and His response was I will tear down its hedges and let it be destroyed. I will break down its walls and let the animals trample it.  I will make it a wild place where the vines are not pruned and the ground is not hoed, a place overgrown with briers and thorns. I will command the clouds to withhold the rain.

     What we see interwoven in all the fig trees stories is Jesus the caretaker, interceding for the unfruitful trees and requesting that God the Owner delay His destruction of the unfruitful tree for one more year and He will give them special attention, and if they still did not produce fruit then He himself will put the ax to the roots of the trees.

 

Luke 13:6-9 – If the tree does not produce the 4th year cut it down
⁶ Then Jesus told this story: “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.
⁷ Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! CUT IT DOWN. It’s just taking up space in the garden.’
⁸ The gardener answered, ‘Sir, 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, then you can CUT IT DOWN. (NLT)

 

     God delayed His judgement until 70AD when Titus overthrew Jerusalem and the temple was destroyed with not one stone standing upon another. 

 

The question for the unbeliever is

WHAT MORE COULD HE HAVE DONE to save mankind.

Today we have been given another extended PERIOD OF GRACE;

a time to become FRUITFUL before His return.[8]

It’s in the Book

The Take Away

     The fig tree parable is twofold, THE FIRST representing the spiritual fruits of the individual man and THE SECOND is the Nation of Israel representing the SEASON of the return of Christ; both requiring repentance and the bearing of good fruit.

     All through the New Testament Israel is symbolized as the FIG TREE, the Book says that when the Fig Tree leaves begin to sprout you can know that the RETURN of Jesus Christ is near; even at the door.

May 14, 1948 Israel was declared an independent international state; in 1967 the six day war enlarged their borders.  The shoot has been planted and now the leaves of the fig tree of Israel have begun to sprout announcing the SEASON of Christ’s return.  

     Doctor Luke warns every Christian that ALL THE TREES,[9] not just Israel; must bear fruit.  The Lord’s Ax is now poised over the roots of the fig trees.  God in His ever loving mercy has given us an EXTENDED TIME for repentance; WE ARE NOW ON BORROWED TIME. 

     The Book says, let the wicked change their ways; turn to the LORD and He will have mercy on them and forgive generously.                    It’s in the Book  

Luke 3:8-9 – Every tree that does not produce fruit is cut down
⁸ Prove BY THE WAY YOU LIVE that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.
⁹ Even now THE AX OF GOD’S JUDGMENT IS POISED, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes

EVERY TREE THAT DOES NOT PRODUCE GOOD FRUIT

WILL BE CHOPPED DOWN AND THROWN INTO THE FIRE.”

(NLT)

Isaiah 55:6-7 – Seek God while He can still be found

⁶ SEEK THE LORD WHILE YOU CAN FIND HIM.

Call on him now WHILE HE IS NEAR.

⁷ Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the LORD that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.

(NLT)

Isaiah 13:9-13 – The day of the Lord is coming; judgment
⁹ THE DAY OF THE LORD IS COMING— the terrible day of his fury and fierce anger.           The land will be made desolate,

and all the sinners destroyed with it.
¹⁰ The heavens will be black above them;

the stars will give no light.

The sun will be dark when it rises, and

the moon will provide no light.

¹¹ I, the LORD, will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their sin. I will crush the arrogance of the proud and humble the pride of the mighty. I will make people scarcer than gold— more rare than the fine gold of Ophir.
¹³ For I will shake the heavens. The earth will move from its place when the LORD of Heaven’s Armies displays his wrath in

THE DAY OF HIS FIERCE ANGER.”

(NLT)

Psalm 18:7-15 – He returns with great anger blazing forth
⁷ Then the earth quaked and trembled. The foundations of the mountains shook; they quaked because of his anger.
⁸ Smoke poured from his nostrils; fierce flames leaped from his mouth. Glowing coals blazed forth from him.
⁹ He opened the heavens and came down; dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.
¹¹ He shrouded himself in darkness, veiling his approach with dark rain clouds.
¹² Thick clouds shielded the brightness around him and rained down hail and burning coals.
¹³ The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded amid the hail and burning coals.
¹⁴ He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies; his lightning flashed, and they were greatly confused. Then at your command, O LORD,

¹⁵AT THE BLAST OF YOUR BREATH,

the bottom of the sea could be seen, and

the foundations of the earth were laid bare. (NLT)

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[1] Matthew 24:32-33 – LEARN the parable of the Fig Tree When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout HIS RETURN IS VERY NEAR, RIGHT AT THE DOOR.

[2] Isaiah 28:4 – The early fig is quickly picked and eaten

[3] Mark 11:12-14 – The Fig Tree was in FULL leaf, but no early fruit

[4] Matthew 21:18-22 – MAY YOU NEVER BEAR FRUIT AGAIN Immediately the fig tree withered

[5] Mark 5:1-15 – The evil spirits begged Jesus to send them into the pigs; so Jesus gave them permission

[6] 1 Corinthians 6:12 – I have the right to do anything but not everything is beneficial

[7] 2 Timothy 3:5 – They had only a form of godliness

[8] Matthew 24:3 – Disciples asked what is the SIGN of His return. -- Matthew 24:30 – The SIGN that the son of man is coming is when you see the son of man coming on the clouds  -- Matthew 24:24-25 – False Messiahs and false teachers will rise up and perform GREAT SIGNS AND WONDERS -- Luke 13:1-5 – UNLESS YOU REPENT, you too will perish,  -- Ezekiel 32:7-8 – WHEN I BLOT YOU OUT the Heavens, stars, sun, moon and land will be darkened

[9] Luke 21:29-31 – The Fig Tree and ALL THE TREES as soon as they put forth leaves, THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NEAR