S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

Jesus told the Parable of the Fig Tree-Luke 13:6-9-immediately after reminding His listeners of a tower over the pool of Siloam (John 9:7) which unexpectedly fell and killed eighteen people. The moral of that story is found in Luke 13:3: "Unless you repent, you will likewise perish." To reiterate this moral, Jesus tells the story of the fig tree, the vineyard owner, and the gardener who took care of the vineyard.

The three entities in the story all have clear symbolic significance. The vineyard owner represents God, the one who rightly expects to see fruit on His tree and who justly decides to destroy it when He finds none. The gardener, or vineyard keeper who cares for the trees, watering and fertilizing them to bring them to their peak of fruitfulness, represents Jesus, who feeds His people and gives them living water. The tree itself has two symbolic meanings: the nation of Israel and the individual.

As the story unfolds, we see the vineyard owner expressing his disappointment at the fruitless tree. He has looked for fruit for three years from this tree, but has found none. The three-year period is significant because for three years John the Baptist and Jesus had been preaching the message of repentance throughout Israel. But the fruits of repentance were not forthcoming. John the Baptist warned the people about the Messiah coming and told them to bring forth fruits fit for repentance because the ax was already laid at the root of the tree (Luke 3:8-9). But the Jews were offended by the idea they needed to repent, and they rejected their Messiah because He demanded repentance from them. After all, they had the revelation of God, the prophets, the Scriptures, the covenants, and the adoption (Romans 9:4-5). They had it all, but they were already apostate. They had departed from the true faith and the true and living God and created a system of works-righteousness that was an abomination to God. He, as the vineyard owner, was perfectly justified in tearing down the tree that had no fruit. The Lord's ax was already poised over the root of the tree, and it was ready to fall. 

However, we see the gardener pleading here for a little more time. There were a few months before the crucifixion, and more miracles to come, especially the incredible miracle of the raising of Lazarus from the dead, which would astound many and perhaps cause the Jews to repent. As it turned out, Israel as a nation still did not believe, but individuals certainly did (John 12:10-11). The compassionate gardener intercedes for more time to water and fertilize the fruitless tree, and the gracious Lord of the vineyard responds in patience. 

The lesson for the individual is that borrowed time is not permanent. God's patience has a limit. In the parable, the vineyard owner grants another year of life to the tree. In the same way, God in His mercy grants us another day, another hour, another breath. Christ stands at the door of each man's heart knocking and seeking to gain entrance and requiring repentance from sin. But if there is no fruit, no repentance, His patience will come to an end, and the fruitless, unrepentant individual will be cut down. We all live on borrowed time; judgment is near. That is why the prophet Isaiah wrote, "Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon" (Isaiah 55:6-7).

See http://www.gotquestions.org/parable-fig-tree.html

July 01 2013 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Aurel Gheorghe Supporter

Throughout the Bible, fig leaves are a symbol for man-made religion and false righteousness (Genesis 3:7). The fig tree is a symbol of God’s people. 

In Luke 13:6-9 we read that year after year, the owner of the vineyard was disappointed because all he found on his fig tree was leaves and no fruit. It looked like a healthy tree, but he did not plant it for ornamental beauty, he wanted fruit.

Some Bible scholars believe there also may be a time prophecy hidden in this parable. The vineyard mentioned in verse 6 is the land of Israel (Isaiah 5:1-7; Jeremiah 12:10; Psalm 80:8-16), in which the vine and fig tree, both symbols of Israel and Judah, were planted. The parable of the fig tree gives a total of four years from the time of planting to the final chance for the tree to bear fruit. A year in the Bible is 360 days. Four years would be a total of 1,440 days. A day in prophecy equals a year (Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6).

According to chronologists, Joshua entered the Promised Land approximately 1407 BC. If we extend 1,440 years from that point in time (there is no zero year), we come to the year AD 34. This date in history is the same ending point for the 490-year prophecy given in Daniel 9:24. Here the word “determined” is better translated as “cut off.” The parable of the fig tree said, “Then after that thou shalt cut it down” (Luke 13:9). It was in AD 34 that the Jews forfeited their place as God’s covenant people. Then in AD 70, both Jerusalem and the temple were completely destroyed.

One week before His death, Jesus cursed a fruitless fig tree to illustrate what was going to happen to the Jewish nation and the apostate church (Matthew 21:18-20). The story is unique because it is the only place in the Gospels where Jesus is directly responsible for killing something.

The tree Jesus cursed had all the outward signs of bearing fruit, yet the tree was fruitless. It was a symbol of the Jewish nation. With its temple, priesthood, and sacrifices, Israel had all the trappings of true religion, but the genuine fruits, justice, mercy, and faith (Matthew 23:23), were missing. 

The same day Jesus cursed the fruitless fig tree (Matthew 21), He later had a showdown with the Pharisees and exposed their hypocrisy (Matthew 23:5). Seven times Jesus called them hypocrites, and then He pronounced a curse on them, just as He had the fig tree earlier that day (Matthew 23:34-36). Jesus said the curse would “come upon this generation.” 

In the next chapter, when Jesus describes the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the world, He gives fig leaves as a sign (Matthew 24:32–34). A generation in the Bible is 40 years. Jesus made this prophecy in AD 31, and by AD 70 it was fulfilled!

Christ’s illustration of the fruitless fig is also a prophetic sign for the last days. Just as Israel before the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 had all the outward forms of true religion, so the spiritual Israel (the Church) in the last days will have no fruit (2 Timothy 3:5).

June 02 2016 • 5 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Neal Pyle Supporter

It has laid waste my vines
and ruined my fig trees.
It has stripped off their bark
and thrown it away,
leaving their branches white./ since Jesus said it was the " parable" of a fig tree, we know it's not a literal fig tree, in the verse above GOD is symbolically calling Isreal his fig tree, " ruined my fig trees" this is what the Lord said after Isreal was laid waste by a invading army, so, Isreal is the fig tree, since they was "ruined" there will be a day they will put forth fruit. I believe this happened in 1948 at their rebirth as a nation.

July 02 2016 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report