What is the symbolism of the fig tree to us as believers in Israel what can we learn from it the context of God’s plan for Israel?
In Israel the Fig Tree grows wild in many places around the country. One of the special joys of living in the Galilee is the abundance of this wonderful resource which turns almost into overflow in season. Every morning my wife brings a little harvest of ripe figs home from her morning walk. The fruit are sweet and tasty and because of the great yield, even after the birds have been fed, there is still plenty untouched ones to go around.
But sometimes we look at a Fig Tree and from a distance it looks promising with lush green leaves – beautiful to the eyes – but when we come closer we see, even in season, that there are no fruit on the tree.
In many places in Scripture, Israel is likened to the Fig Tree as we see in Hosea 9:10 ,“I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your forefathers as the earliest fruit on the fig tree in its first season.”,
“The vine dries up and the fig tree fails;”(Joel 1:12), “There will be no grapes on the vine and no figs on the fig tree” (Jeremiah 8:13)
Judaism as we know it today looks so impressive from the outside. It’s green leaves are full of promise but it doesn’t yield godly fruit. It is interesting that Yeshua cursed the fig tree in Mark 11, in Jerusalem, the Holy city, where the temple stood. Clearly, the fig tree is the picture of the Pharisaic system of that time, that became the Rabbinical system of today.
Israel was supposed to be a light and a source of blessing and Truth to the world but instead we created for ourselves a rabbinical religion full of rules and laws and philosophies of men that have the appearance of wisdom but is empty of substance, truth and life. Yeshua cursed this system because it has never borne, nor will it ever, bear good fruit.
But God! Because of God’s irrevocable promises of Redemption, Israel, the fig tree, is starting to bear fruit. Not fruit according to the Jewish Rabbinical system of good works that leaves you empty and frustrated but fruit that God initiates in us through His Holy Spirit who lives in us, according to the plan of God to build His kingdom here in Israel. We as Jewish Believers in Israel, although we are few, are here as proof of the beginning of this great plan of God to bring this figtree to bear fruit so that the Kingdom of God may finally come into it’s fullness in this land.
”Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. And I will wait for the Lord who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob; I will even look eagerly for Him. Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are for signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.” Isaiah 8:16-18
And the amazing truth about all of this is that God have used the nations to bring Israel back to life by provoking them to jealousy. Many Israeli Jews who visited other countries came back believers in Yeshua their Messiah through the faithful witness of the church.
We as believers must understand from the image of the fig tree in Matthew 24:32-33:”Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.
Yeshua told us to learn from the parable of the fig tree. When we see the branches becoming tender, then we must understand that the time for the harvest is near. We are now living exactly in the time when the nation of Israel is coming back to life slowly. They are coming to know their Messiah Yeshua, the Son of God. They come one by one, slowly, but surely.
Know and understand that for 2000 years the gospel was preached throughout the world to all the nations. It is not a coincidence that Israel came into existence exactly in this time.
According to the plan of God, the gospel is now returning to Israel and God is bringing the tree back to life and causing it to yield fruit, good fruit – the right fruit. The Fig Tree is bearing fruit this time and we praise God that you and we are part of this plan.
Israel is the end of the plan of God to bring the day of the Messiah!
We bless you brothers and sisters! Never be ashamed to share the good news to the Jew first and be ready to answer anyone who asks you the reason for the hope that we have!
by Israel Iluz
