The Fig Tree and its fruit, the fig, are mentioned several times in the New Testament as well as the Old Testament. Biblical references to figs are often symbolic and refer to more than just the common Mediterranean fruit tree and the Common Fig. In the Bible, figs are a symbol or type, subject to various interpretations.
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In the Old Testament the fig tree is the third tree to be mentioned by name. The first is the Tree of Life and the second is the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Adam and Eve used the leaves of the fig tree to sew garments for themselves when they realized that they were naked.Genesis 3:7 Figs were one of the foods produced in the promised land Deuteronomy 8:8-10
In 1 Kings 4:25 fig production was listed as a great accomplishment during King Solomon's reign. During Solomon's lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, lived in safety, each man under his own vine and fig tree; this is an indicator of national wealth and prosperity.
This situation was apparently reversed by the time of the reign of Hezekiah (which should not be surprising, considering the political and martial upheavals in the intervening time). 2 Kings 18 states that Hezekiah rebelled against the King of Assyria, of whom he had become a vassal. In response, the Assyrian commander attempted to sway the army of Jerusalem by offering deserters each his own vine and fig tree. In the following chapter Jehovah protected Hezekiah and his people and the Assyrian invasion was not successful this time.
Proverbs 27:18 likens tending a fig tree to looking after one's master. Of course there was a fig tree in the garden of the Song of Solomon. In the year of love the tree formed its fruit earlySong of.
The Fig Tree and figs are featured in the Book of Jeremiah.
Another species of ficus, the Egyptian Sycamore Fig is occasionally mentioned as well, for example 1 Kings 10:27 (and Luke 19:4 in the New Testament).
The Parable of the budding fig tree is found in Matt 24:32–36, Mark 13:28–32, Luke 21:29–33 as part of the Olivet discourse. The term fig tree could be understood to refer to Israel Joel 2:21–25,
The Parable of the barren fig tree is a parable of Jesus recorded in the Gospel of Luke 13:6–9. A vinekeeper holds out hope that a barren fig tree will bear fruit next year.
Mark 11:12–20 includes an account of Jesus 'withering a fig tree / clearing the temple:
“ | 12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing 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.
14 Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it. 15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: " 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'[c]? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.'[d]" 18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. 19 When evening came, they[e] went out of the city. 20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!" |
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A parallel is found in Matthew 21:18–22. In Mark 11:20-24, the next day, Simon Peter notices that the cursed fig tree has withered. In Matthew, the fig tree withers immediately and is noticed at that time by the disciples.
The incident with the fig tree occurs in Mark 11 immediately before and then after the incident at the Temple. The cursing of the tree displays Jesus' power and the power of prayer coupled with full belief in God. Mark, placing the fig tree before and after the incident at the Temple, may be using the fig tree as a metaphor, as Jesus himself might have, for what he sees as the barrenness of the priests (technically, the Temple priests were the Sadducees) and the withering of their teaching and authority due to their lack of true faith. As Jesus hoped to find fruit on the fig tree, Jesus hoped to find "fruit", the fruit of true worship of God, at the Temple. The Temple, Herod's Temple, like the fig tree, is cursed. See also Jeremiah 8:13.
Simon Peter observes that the tree withered. Jesus responds that anyone can make a mountain throw itself in the sea, if he truly believes his command will be obeyed. A similar statement is also mentioned in the much earlier Pauline Epistles, where the First Epistle to the Corinthians argues that faith can move mountains.
A different statement is found in the Gospel of Thomas. Instead of referring to a lack of doubt, Jesus advises that mountains can be moved if two people make peace with each other in a "single house."[1] The early Gnostics interpreted this statement as referring to the paths that lead to gnosis.[2]
In the Synoptic Gospels, the fig tree is revisited as a parable within the Olivet discourse. Jesus says that when the fig tree puts forth leaves one can tell that summer has arrived. Jesus continues that when this has happened the kingdom of God will be at hand. This is almost always interpreted metaphorically, and is usually considered in contrast to the earlier tree withering.
Most modern Christians interpret the parable to suggest that the tree's withering meant the teachings of the Sadducees and Pharisees were far from the truth, and that this poverty of teaching was the source of Jesus' anger at the lack of fruit. At some point the fruits of Christianity will come forth and then an eschatological kingdom of God arrive. Another Christian interpretation of this event suggests that the fig tree represents God's people and the fruit reperesents the good works or virtue that they are supposed to produce. If Jesus comes and does not find his people bearing their intended fruit then they have lost their purpose, they might as well whither. This interpretation is similar to Jesus' parable of the talents where a master gives three servants each a number of talents, to one servant he gives only one talent. When the master returns to those servants and finds that the one servant did not produce anything with his talent, he refers to him as a wicked servant and takes away his one and only talent and then punishes him severely.
The Jewish Encyclopedia[3] states that the fig tree is a symbol of the coming of the Mashiach:
In the noncanonical Apocalypse of Peter, Peter discusses the significance of the fig tree with Jesus, who says the fig tree represents "the house of Israel."[4]
In his 1927 essay Why I Am Not a Christian, Bertrand Russell argued that a divine figure would either know that the tree would not have figs or could have simply produced the figs by a miracle and thus finds the story illogical from a literal sense:
Russell, however, was neither a biblical scholar nor a botanist. On the other hand, an article by F. F. Bruce in the book Hard Sayings in the Bible sheds some light on the passage:
There are approximately 30 references to The Fig tree in the Bible (depending on the translation) and approximately 50 references to a vine. Some are literal and some metaphorical. These are in the Gospels:
To understand in context the 'withering of the fig tree' it is important to see if Jesus' teaching elsewhere follows similar themes. We read in John 15 that Jesus says he is the true vine. John 15:6 (English Standard Version) says "If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.".[8] The mainstream Christian view on Jesus' miracle was that Jesus was teaching the disciples that although Israel was God's chosen people (Israel was commonly represented by the fig tree [9]), if Israel or any other claim to be of Christ (or have spiritual life) yet do not keep his commandments (as Christ says this is the sign of his followers),[10] then they shall not have salvation.[11] Many Christians believe that this miracle of Jesus echoes the words of the prophet Isaiah who prophesied the rejection of Israel [12] as having special spiritual significance. Isaiah says the reason for this withering or rejection is Israel's continual disobedience. The prophet Jeremiah refers to Israel as a choice vine planted by God[13] which has turned against her creator to become a 'corrupt wild vine'. Jeremiah also describes a vision of good and bad figs representing people of Judah conquered by Babylon, those good eventually returning to Jerusalem, those bad being exiled and punished in nations of the earth.[14]
Some say that Jesus responded harshly in such action (as the above mentioned Bertrand Russell). The significance of not bearing spiritual fruit means that a branch or plant is spiritually dead and must be cut off.[15] This may be considered in a context of the Biblical definition of spiritual fruit as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.[16] As understood here, to have such fruit we must be grafted onto Christ, the true vine.[17]
The apostle Paul seeks to clarify the issue in Romans 11,[18] correcting those who believed that Israel was rejected forever. There is difference of opinion about what Paul is actually referring to when he says 'all Israel will be saved'.[19] Dispensationalist theology maintains that Israel will be restored politically and spiritually as the people of God. Reformed theology teaches that Israel is representative of all of God's children in Christ and includes those whom Paul referred to as having been 'grafted in'.[20] These differences of interpretation reflect differing views of eschatology. A example of a popular dispensationalist theologian is Cyrus Scofield, while the views of Matthew Henry are those of a reformed theologian.
Matthew Henry comments on the Matthew 21 and Mark 11 passages but does not refer one to another, suggesting he thought they were two separate events
“ | ... Christ looked to find some fruit, for the time of gathering figs, though it was near, was not yet come; but he found none. He made this fig-tree an example, not to the trees, but to the men of that generation. It was a figure of the doom upon the Jewish church, to which he came seeking fruit, but found none...The disciples could not think why that fig-tree should so soon wither away; but all wither who reject Christ; it represented the state of the Jewish church. We should rest in no religion that does not make us fruitful in good works...".[21] | ” |