“And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find anything thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever. And his disciples heard it…
“And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.”-Mark 11:12-14, 20-22 (See Matthew 24:32).
The triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem was a past incident. After spending a portion of the day in the Holy City, Jesus returned to Bethany, which is merely a suburb. The next morning, going again to the city, Jesus noted a fig tree by the wayside; bearing plenty of leaves. He approached it, seeking figs, but found none. The good show of leaves was deceptive. Then Jesus put a ban, a curse, a blight, upon the tree, declaring that it should not bear fruit forever, or to a completion. What did this mean? Surely it was not an intimation that the followers of Jesus should place a curse upon every unfruitful tree or unfruitful field! There must have been some deeper lesson in it, not apparent on the surface.=
Bible students believe that they now see the deeper significance of this carefully noted incident. They believe that the fig tree was used as a type or picture of the Jewish nation; and that that blight upon the tree because of its unfruitfulness corresponded exactly to the blight pronounced the day before upon the Jewish nation because of its unfruitfulness.
On the day previous Jesus had said to the Jewish nation, “Ye shall see me no more until that day.” So he declared of this tree that it should be blighted to the end of the aion, or age. Again, when speaking to his disciples respecting the end of this age, Jesus declared, “When ye shall see the fig tree putting forth leaves, then know that summer is nigh” -that the winter time, the blight time of the nation of Israel and of the world, is at an end. In other words, one of the signs of a new dispensation would be the sprouting, or indication of life, hope, promise, amongst the Jews.
Significance of Zionism
These same Bible students are now pointing to the revival of hope amongst the Jewish people, as especially manifested by Zionism. It is being pointed out that this return of hope and faith to the Jews respecting their land and the divine promises of the past is opportune exactly in line with prophecy. They point to Isaiah 40th chapter as now in process of fulfillment. “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.”
These Bible students are telling that Ezekiel’s prophecy of the valley of dry bones which came together, were clothed with flesh, and finally received the breath of life, is an allegory respecting the Jews. They hold that it does not refer to a literal resurrection, but to the revival of Israel’s hopes in the divine promises. This is in harmony with the Prophet’s declaration, “These bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off from our parts.”-Ezekiel 37:11.
The same Bible students declare that St. Paul teaches that the Jewish nation was typically represented by Ishmael, the son of Hagar.-Galatians 4:22-31. As Hagar and her son were outcast for a time only, so the Law Covenant and the Jews have been cut off from divine favor only for a time. Ishmael had almost fainted for thirst in the wilderness, and then was revived by the angel of the Lord, who pointed out a spring of water. This is typical. Jewish hopes of God’s favor had almost died. Zionism is the well-spring which is reviving them-rescuing them from death as a people. Under Messiah’s kingdom, soon to be established on the spirit plane, the Jews will receive a great blessing on the earthly plane.
We know of no other interpretation which seems to fit the facts of this lesson or to show a reason why Jesus should manifest displeasure against an inanimate object, which had no personal responsibility or accountability. R 5503 (1914)