The bible's Fig Tree?

Question

Can someone explain, I guess the 'two' meanings or point of view of the Fig Tree ref.?

Answer 1

I believe the fig tree represents the Pharisees, or possibly the temple.

If you read the context around it, this happened soon before Jesus' crucifixion. He knew His time was at hand. He went to the temple the day before and drove out the moneychangers. (Matthew 21:12) Then in verses 13-17:

Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?”
And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read,
‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have perfected praise’?”
Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.

The Chief priests and Scribes should have recognized Him. They should have worshipped Him. They should have been preparing for Him and leading others to Him. Instead they denied Him and tried to have Him killed.

Verses 18-19

Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.

If you look at Mark's account, he points out that it wasn't the time for figs:

Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.”
And His disciples heard it. Mark 11:12-14

We are to hunger and thirst for righteousness. The Old Law couldn't provide righteousness for us, but it was the tree through which Righteousness was to come. (In this sense, it was not the season for figs - Christianity had not officially come yet.) But Israel was happy being a fruitless tree, no longer looking for a Messiah. The Pharisees were turning people away from God rather than to Him. Christ fulfilled the law of Moses. No fruit grew from it again. Jesus is the vine through Whom we are now sustained.

Answer 2

In Mark 11:13,14-Jesus used the fig tre to illustrate the bad spiritual state of the nation. while traveling from Bethany to Jerusalem four days before his death,he saw a fig tree that had abundant leaves but no fruit whatsoever. athe the early figs appear early along with the leaves - and sometimes even before the leaves develope - the trees lack of fruit showed that it was worthless. Like the unproductive fig tree that looked healthy, the Jewish nation had a deceptiveoutward appearance.But it had not produced Godly fruitage, and it finally rejected Gods own Son.Jesus cursed the sterile fig tree, and on the following day, the disciples noticed that it had already withered. that dried up tree aptly signifyed Gods forth coming rejection of the Jews as His chosen people. Mark 11: 20, 21. Also at Matthew 24:32 , 33- Jesus used the fig tree to teach a valuable lesson about His presence he said " learn from the fig tree as an illustration this point: Just as soon as its young branchs grows tender and it puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. Likewise also you, when you see all these things, know that he is near at the doors." The figs bright green leaves are a noticeable and unmistakeable harbinger of summer. Since we are living at such a crucial time in History, surely we would want to learn from the fig tree, if we do so and keep awake spiritually, we have the hope of experiencing the fullfillment of the grand promise: "They will actually sit, each one under his vine, and under his fig tree, and there will be no one making them tremble; for the very mouth of Jehovah of Armies has spoken it." Micah 4:4 Thankyou for the thought provoking question.

Answer 3

The fig tree was a type of tree that was common in the Middle East where the stories of the Bible took place and it was not strange for teachers to refer to it, for people to sit under it, or for parts of the tree to be used in the various ways.

The interesting symbolic weight that has become attached to the image is due more to the events and themes to which the fig tree was related than to the assumed use of the fig tree when the book was written.

The fig tree functions as a metaphor, and educator within the context of illustrating the story of the Hebrew people and the Messiah. From the awareness of original sin to the shield of God to the emblem of perversion to the teaching tool of Jesus.

The utilization of the fig tree allows us to follow a more consistent storyline and adds a way to view the changes in man and his perception of God.

Answer 4

Didn't the fig tree provide the leaves to clothe Adam & Eve once they realised they were naked?

Fig lives are quite rough & scratchy, & not all large: not a good choice! Ouch!

Answer 5

If you are referring to the fig tree Jesus cursed and it died then I believe what He was teaching was the difference between real and false believers. The real bear fruit and are blessed, the false may look like it from a distance but God looks on the heart and those with no fruit are not real so they are cursed.

Answer 6

the fig tree represents the nation of Israel

Answer 7

Jesus killed the fig tree to demonstrate his discontent with unfruitfulness

Answer 8

Jesus cursed it, it withered away and people believed in Him.