THE PARABLE OF THE FIG TREE

By Don Hollifield

The Parable of the Fig Tree is the most important parable in the Bible, and the hardest to find. God took the parable and divided it into many pieces and then scattered the pieces throughout the Bible. It's the only parable that Jesus commands us to learn. Why?

It starts in the Book of Genesis and ends in the Book of Revelation. Every time the Bible mentions a fig, fig tree, fig leaf, Tree of life, or Smyrna; you need to extract the information and separate the facts to slowly construct the parable.

I believe it answers several questions. 1. When will Jesus return? 2. When will the devil come? 3. When will the tribulations begin? 4. Are we now in the End Times? 5. What does the parable have to do with the End Times?

I believe the parable was written for this generation. It's God's answer to evil. It's God's plan.

There are two types of fig trees native to The Holy Land.

1. The Smyrna Fig. It's a very tasty, sweet and succulent fig and called the Good Fig, or God's Fig. Israel is often referred to as the Smyrna Fig.

2. The Capri Fig. It's also called the "Goat Fig." or the "Devil fig." Because it's a rotten smelling, and foul tasting fig. It can't be eaten and it smells like an old billy goat.

Let's begin with: Matthew 7v15-18: Jesus said, "Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are raving wolves." Sheep are symbolic for Christians, so this is a warning about false prophets or false ministers that pretend to be ministers of God. V16: "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles?" I believe Jesus is referring to: Leviticus 19v19: Thou shall not let MY cattle gender with a diverse kind, and thou shall not sow thy field with mingled seed, neither shall a garment mingle of linen and woolen come upon thee. God is specifically giving the Levites, statutes for their priests.

1. Don't allow God's cattle to intermix with other animals. Keep your followers from intermixing with non-believers. This is a deep, moral and spiritual lesson.

When Jesus returns, He will separate the sheep from the goats as revealed in Matthew 25v32-34:

2. Don't plant your field with different seeds. Don't distort the Word of God with false teachings. When Jesus returns at the harvest, He will separate the tares from the wheat as revealed in Matthew 25v40.

3. Don't intermix your garments of clothing, but put on the whole armor of God as directed in Ephesians 6v11-17. Cloth yourself with the Holy Spirit in all your activities, and don't allow the devil's actions to intermix.

Jesus often referred to Himself as both the Grape and the Fig. Jesus is specifically telling His Disciples, or us that we shall know the evil ones by their fruits, which would be thorns and thistles and not figs and grapes. Don't listen to ministers or preachers that distort the Word of God or the teachings of Jesus. V17: "Even so, every good tree brings good fruit, but a corrupt tree brings evil fruit." Now Jesus is talking about His Father and the devil. The good tree or the Smyrna Fig is God, who can only bring forth good fruit which is Jesus and His Word. The corrupt tree or the Capri Fig is the devil, who can only bring forth evil fruit. V18: "A good tree can not bring forth evil fruit; neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit."

Jesus or His Father can not and will not bring forth evil. On the other hand, the devil can only produce evil. The corrupt tree is identified by God as "The Tree of Knowledge" in the Garden of Eden. The knowledge of right from wrong. He knows right from wrong. Ezekiel 31v9-11: God is talking about the devil: "I made him fair by the multitude of his branches, so that all trees of Eden that were in the Garden of God, envied him". God created satan and loved him as a son. God also states that he was in the Garden of Eden or the Garden of God. He was beautiful and desirous as stated by Eve. V10: "Therefore," thus says the Lord God, "Because thou hast lifted up thyself in height and hath shot up his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height". The devil wasn't satisfied and he wanted more. He wanted power above all; he even wanted to be above God. V11: "I have therefore delivered him unto the hand of the mighty one of the heathen. He shall surely deal with him. I have driven him out for his wickedness." The devil is now being guarded by the Mighty One over the heathen, the Archangel Michael. The devil was driven out of the Garden of Eden for his wickedness. He was the Tree of Knowledge, which I call the Tree of Death.

Genesis 3v23-24: Therefore, the Lord sent him (Adam) forth from the Garden of Eden, to till the ground from thence he came. V24: So He drove out the man, and He placed at the East of the Garden of Eden, Cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way to keep the way of The Tree of Life.

Some believe God is talking only about Adam. If so, then the bible seems to contradict itself. God has already sent Adam from the Garden of Eden in verse 23, so why drive him from the garden in verse 24? Why even mention: "He drove out the man?"

Also notice that the phrase is in a different verse and is directly connected with; "East, Cherubim, Flaming Sword and Tree of Life." WHY? Remember in Ezekiel 31v11: God drove out the wicked tree from the Garden of Eden. The wicked tree, the tree of knowledge is the devil. God placed Cherubim East of the Garden with the Flaming Sword of The Almighty. East represents the direction light comes from, or from heaven. The devil is presently under guard by Michael and Cherubim as they guard him with the Flaming Sword of the Word of God.

Since the Israelites were the chosen nation to have God's Son, as such the Israelites became a branch of the Tree of Life. Then when Jesus was born He also became a branch of both the Israelites and His Father. And when He was executed, He opened the door to salvation through the Tree of Life for all those that believed and served God.

Now let's turn to: Jeremiah 24v1-6: The Lord showed me and behold, two baskets of figs were set before the Temple of the Lord, after that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had carried captive: Jeconiah the son of Jerolakin, king of Judah, and the prince of Judah with carpenters and smiths from Jerusalem, and brought them to Babylon.

God specifically placed the two baskets of figs before the Temple of God after King Jeconiah had been captured by the Babylonians. WHY? V2: One basket had very good figs like figs that are first ripe, and the other basket had very naughty figs which could not be eaten they were so bad. The good figs were the Smyrna Figs, and the bad figs were the Capri Figs. V3: Then said the Lord unto me, "What see you, Jeremiah?" And I said, "Figs, the good figs, very good; and the evil figs, very evil, that can not be eaten they are so evil." Please notice that the bad figs are "Evil." How can a fig be evil? God is talking about the devil and his followers. The good figs are the Israelites, God's chosen people. V4-5: Again the word of the Lord came unto me saying, V5: Thus says the Lord, the Lord of Israel, "Like the good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive from Judah, whom I sent out of this place unto the land of the Chaldean for their good."

The ten tribes of Israel were scattered by the Assyrians. Most of them have been traced into Europe, especially the British Isles. The two remaining tribes in Judah were taking captive to Babylon, but the remnant from Jerusalem escaped to Egypt. History reveals that the remnant was split into two groups; one remaining in Egypt at Elephantine, and the other group continued with Jeremiah to Ireland. Then in the 18th and 19th century, there was a large migration of Jewish people to the United States. And then in the 1930's during Hitler's rampage, there was a massive migration to the United States and Canada. As a result, the United States had the largest Jewish population in the world. And as God said, "For their good." V6: "I will set my eyes upon them for good, and I will put them back to this land and I will build them and not pull them down, and I will plant them and not pluck them up." God said that He will watch over them and bring them back to Israel and plant them, like a tree, a fig tree. And in 1948, when the United Nations established Israel, God's prophesy was fulfilled. This is also prophesized in the Old Testament three times, "In the later days," i.e.; Jeremiah 49v39, Ezekiel 38v8 and Hosea 3v5. God also says that He will NOT replant them again.

Let's return to the time of Jesus, it's Palm Sunday, Jesus makes his triumphed entrance into Jerusalem. That evening, Jesus visit's the Temple of God; and sees all the trash and residue left by the venders. Jesus is furious. That night, Jesus and his Apostles go to Bethany approximately two miles east of Mount Olive to visit His relatives. The next morning, Jesus is still upset and as they near Jerusalem, He sees and curses a fig tree. Why???

Mark 11v14: Jesus said unto it, "No man shall eat fruit of thee here-after, forever." The tree dies! Why did Jesus, the Son of God, curse and kill a fig tree? Obviously it was a Capri Fig Tree, symbolic of the devil. Jesus was emphasizing the Parable of the Fig Tree. After the devil is cast into the pit, no one will ever follow him again.

Jesus was on the road to Jerusalem where He willingly laid down His life for us. As such Jesus was signing the death warrant of the devil. That's why He killed the fig tree, letting the devil know that his days were numbered.

That afternoon they go to the top of Mount Olive; Matthew 24v3-8: And as He sat upon the Mount of Olives, the Disciples same to him privately saying, "Tell us when all these things shall be, and what shall be the signs of Your coming, and the end of the world?" They came to him privately away from the crowd. V4-5: And Jesus answered and said unto them, "Take heed that no man deceive you." V5: "For many shall come in my name, saying, "I am Christ,' and shall deceive many."

Look at the many cults that have materialized in the last 25 years. It is estimated that there are 15,000 cults in the United Stated and Canada. Then Jesus tells them about the end-time curses. V6: "And you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you be not troubled, for these things must come to past, but the end is not yet." Since 1967 the United States has been in over 35 military actions with loss of lives in all encounters but two. Rumors of wars: Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Albania, Yugoslavia, Cuba and various African and South America countries. V7: "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines, and pestilence, and earthquakes in diver places."

Everywhere you look people are starving: Somalia, Rwanda, Liberia, Bosnia, North Korea, China, India, Columbia, Brazil, Mexico and now Haiti, the list goes on. And pestilences or killing diseases: TB, Diphtheria, Cholera, Typhoid, Dysentery, Small Pox, Herpes, Ebola, Aids. And now we have the Swine Flue. The green vervet monkey carries the HIV virus. According to an NIH publication, they traced the Aids epidemic to a homosexual in Haiti, who owned a pet green vervet monkey which contained the HIV virus. Aids began with a pet monkey having sex with its master, then spread by homosexuals, to drug users, prostitutes, whore-mongers, adulators and permissive teenagers. Every method of contaminations specifically against the Laws of God. These people then passed it to various innocent ones.

And how about earthquakes: According to a recent Canadian report on major earthquakes, we are now experiencing approximately 100 times the frequency of major earthquakes as compared to 1948, and it's increasing. V8: "All these are the beginnings of sorrows." This phrase is a figure of speech describing a woman's pain while in labor giving birth, starting mildly and spaced far apart, only to increase in frequency and pain until finally, birth.

Jesus is saying that the end-time curses will begin mildly and widely spaced apart then steadily increase in frequency and intensity. As such, they will be unnoticed. Matthew 24v14: "And the Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations."

With the technology of our present age, the Gospel is now being spread throughout the world. Billy Graham previously made a transmission from Puerto Rico, available to 70% of the world population, translated into numerous languages. And now we have computers with God's Word available throughout the world.

Now let's skip to: Matthew 24v37-38: "But as the days of Noe, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be." V38: "For as the days that were before the flood, they were eating, drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day Noe entered the ark." They were partying and jumping from bed to bed. Sound familiar? Genesis 7v11: God said, "The earth was corrupt and filled with violence." Sound familiar??? Isaiah 34v4: And all the hosts of Heaven shall be dissolved (kicked out) and the Heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll. And all the hosts shall fall down as a leaf falls from the vine and as a falling fig. God shall wring out the heavens like a mop. The hosts of heaven shall fall like a falling fig. The falling fig is the Capri fig. God is talking about the devil and his fallen angels when they are cast out of heaven at the 6th trump, the 6th seal and the 6th vial. "6-6-6." But what is the Wisdom of this verse??? As stated in Revelation 13v18!!! Later!!!

Revelation 6v13: And the stars from Heaven fell unto the earth as a fig casts her untimely figs, when she is shaken by a might wind. Untimely figs or at the improper time for the Messiah. It's when the devil and his henchmen, the Capri figs, are kicked out of heaven before the Smyrna tree casts her figs at the proper time. And shaken by a mighty wind represents God when He kicks the false messiah and his fallen angels out of heaven.

Let's get to the meat of the Parable and return to: Matthew 24v32-36: Jesus says: "Now learn the Parable of the Fig Tree. When his branch is yet tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is nigh." Jesus has been talking about the end times, when suddenly He commands us to learn the Parable of the Fig Tree. WHY? This is very important. It ties the end-times with the Parable of the Fig Tree. Jesus is talking about the end-times and then He commands us to learn the Parable.

And then in the same verse He says: "When his branch is still tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is nigh." What does Jesus mean by this verse? We know that it is part of the Parable and possibly the most important verse of the parable; it's in the same verse when Jesus commands us to learn the parable. After a tree is replanted, it lies dormant for a short period, and then it puts forth leaves from its tender branches as it begins to grow in the late spring. The Israelites, as the Branch of the Smyrna Fig Tree, were plucked-up and replanted in 1948 when Israel became a nation. And when the Branch puts out leaves you know it is growing.

Israel began to grow during the six day war, the 6th of June the 6th month (6-6-6); when Israel captured various surrounding areas as well as Jerusalem only a few days before summer, and as Jesus said, "You know summer is nigh." Now what comes at the end of the summer? The Harvest, or when Jesus returns!

This is further explained in Luke 21v31: "When you see these things come to pass, Know ye that the Kingdom of God is nigh at hand." The Harvest is near; Jesus is near, even at the door! This is "Wisdom! V34: "Verily, I say unto you, this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled."

What generation? Jesus is talking about the Parable of the Fig Tree, so we know He is talking about the generation of the Parable, the generation of 1967. The number 40 is mentioned over 200 times in the Bible, representing a special period of time either 40 days and especially 40 years, and at the end of this period of time, there is a new beginning or a change. If you add 40 years to 1967 you get the year 2007, and the following year would be the new beginning or change, when the tribulations begin and the devil makes his appearance.

He will start his campaign in the year 2008, but he will not be recognized, as prophesized in: Revelation 6v1-2: And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as if was the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying: "Come and see." V2: And I saw, and behold a white horse and he that sat on him had a bow and a crown was given unto him, and he went forth conquering and to conquer.

He will come riding a white horse carrying a bow and wearing a crown given to him, arrows are not mentioned. In Roman history a great military leader would ride a white horse through a village carrying his bow high, which means he comes in peace, but since he is wearing a crown that was given to him, means that he will be the king or great leader of a country. And the white horse is symbolic for the innocent country he represents. So the devil will come as a king or great leader of a country preaching peace, in the year 2008: IF, IF my analysis is correct. This means the terrible tribulations will begin in the year of 2012, and Jesus will return in 2015.

It is interesting to note that Jesus is constantly mentioned with the number 8, which in spiritual numbers means a "New Beginning." And if you add the numbers of 2015, you get 8. V35: "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."

Jesus is emphasizing the importance of His words. Heaven and earth shall be cleansed when the devil and his angels are poured out upon the earth. And the earth as we know it shall pass away when Jesus returns, but the words of Jesus especially the Parable of the Fig Tree shall not change. It will occur exactly as Jesus stated.

V36: "But of that day and hour, knows no man, no not the angels of Heaven, but My Father only." Only God knows the exact day and the hour or time when He will start the tribulations. But He did not say the year.

I believe the Parable was written especially for us to recognize the signs of the end-times and to recognize the false messiah when he appears. Now we know the difference between the two trees. Only one tree gives us eternal life, the Tree of Life; God, and His Son Jesus, shows us the way to the Tree.

In the 1990's and only with the aid of today's modern computers, they have found a code in the Bible, authenticated by the National Security Agency. According to the code, there will a mega earth quake in California in 2010. It was also predicted that the Prime Minister of Israel would be assassinated. In fact, Prime Minister of Israel Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated in 1995.

In the 12th century, an Ireland priest received a vision from God in which he received a list of all the popes from his age to the final one. The list was sent to the Vatican and placed in their archives. It was recovered approx 50 years ago and every pope was on the list exactly as they occurred. When John Paul II died I told our Sunday School class that the next pope would be called Benedict. And when Pope Benedict dies the last pope will be called Peter of Rome or Petraus Romanis.

We've had many catastrophes since Biblical times. Many times people believed they were in the end-times, but all the signs were not prevalent until now. Are we in the end-times? I believe the signs indicate that we are. Are we in the tribulations? I believe the tribulations began in the year 2008, when the devil made his appearance, if the signs are correct. Keep your eyes on the Holy Land as the pieces of the Book of Revelation are coming together.

When will Jesus come? "Only the father knows, the day and the hour." But remember, the Parable of the Fig Tree identifies the tribulations beginning in 2008, with Jesus returning in 2015; not mentioning the day or hour.

So keep Jesus in your heart and keep Him involved in all your actions and all your activities. Where do you find Jesus? In His Church and in the Bible. Jesus is in practically all the books of the Bible, either personally or by prophecy. When we are in His Church, we are gather in the name of Jesus, and He and His Father are ever present.

God was also ever present in the Old Testament protecting the blood line of Jesus. Jesus had to be born pure and without the blood of the devil or his henchmen. That is why God was ever protecting the Israelites in the Old Testament. Then when Jesus is born, God backs off. As promised, God sent us a savior, now it's up to us. If you know Jesus, the false messiah can't fool you.

Which tree do you get your nourishment from? The Tree of Life or the tree of death? I'm sure you follow the Tree of Life, or you wouldn't be studying the Bible. If it's the Tree of Life, then you own a ticket to Heaven. If it's the tree of death you have a one-way ticket to hell. And when the tree of death is hewn down and cast into the fires of hell, that one-way ticket can not be changed.

The Parable of the Fig Tree was especially written to warn us of the end-times; so we can distinguish the difference between the two trees. Only one tree gives us life eternally. The Tree of Life. Through the crucifixion of His Son, Jesus.

AMEN