The Budding of the Fig Tree

by Bertrand L. Comparet

Many people are being greatly misled by sadly mistaken religious propaganda dealing with the Jewish nation which has been created by violence, in Palestine. Clergymen who have never studied the subject are bubbling over with enthusiasm over what they regard as a great fulfillment of Bible prophecy, “The Budding of the Fig Tree.” They say, Israel being restored to its place! You who have studied with us, already know that no Jew is an Israelite and no Israelite is a Jew. The Jewish nation in Palestine, has nothing to do with the real Israel at all.

This is too big a subject to repeat here. The establishment of the Jewish nation in Palestine is the fulfillment of certain Bible prophecies but, far different ones than these ignorant and misguided clergymen have in mind. Let’s look them over.

Nearly all Bible students agree on one thing, the fig tree is the symbol of the Jewish nation, not Israel. Therefore, let’s see what the Bible has to say about the budding of the fig tree. Yahshua told us about this. It was so important, He not only told a parable about it, but in order to emphasize it, He also acted the parable out. We find the parable in Luke 13:6-9. “He spake also this parable: a certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon and found none. Then he said to the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth the ground? And he answering unto him, Master, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig around it and fertilize it: and if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.”

We know that Yahshua is the man who had come for the three years of His ministry and found no fruit on the fig tree, meaning the Jews. They were offered only the brief time remaining, through the crucifixion and resurrection, for repentance. If they would not accept the truth then, they would soon be cut down.

So important was this lesson that He dramatized it by action, so it could not be overlooked, Matthew 21:18-19 tells about it. “Now in the morning, as He returned into the city, He hungered. And when He saw a fig tree in the way, He came up to it and found nothing thereon but leaves only; and said unto it, let no fruit grow on thee henceforth forever. And presently the fig tree withered away.” Mark 11:12-14,20-21 tells the same incident with a little more detail. Remember, from the beginning it has been well understood that the fig tree symbolized the Jewish nation. Yahshua said, “Let no fruit grow on thee henceforth forever.” This is not the first time that He said this about the Jews. In Matthew 21:43 Yahshua said to them, “Therefore I say unto you, The kingdom of Yahweh shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.”

The Jews had occupied Palestine then, as now. The place where Yahweh had set up His kingdom was in their hands, but they brought forth no fruit. The kingdom must be in the hands of those who did produce good fruit, restored to the real Israel. Israel was then hundreds of miles away on their migration to their new home in Europe, many having already arrived and settled there. Only a few people of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin were still residing in Palestine. These were the people that welcomed Yahshua and came to listen to Him speak.

That Israel brings forth Yahweh’s fruit is clear, Isaiah 27:6 tells about it. “He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.” Again in Hosea 14:8 we read, “Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard Him and observed Him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is the fruit found.” But Yahshua said that the Jews would not produce any fruit forever. This is what these clergymen have overlooked.

What can they base their claims upon? They misapply Matthew 24:32-33, “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: so likewise ye, when ye see these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.” Yahshua knew scripture too well to make any mistakes about it or use it inconsistently. Note that this budding of the fig tree, as the preachers love to call it, is still according to Yahweh’s prophetic truth. It doesn’t bring forth fruit, only leaves forever. “Let no fruit grow on thee henceforth, forever.” It is not a thing of good, not bringing forth Yahweh’s fruit but bringing forth wickedness, with the empty promise of leaves, but no fruit.

True, its timing is important. It was a sign that the second coming of Yahshua is near, even at the doors. It fits into its place with the other prophecies. In Matthew chapter 24 Yahshua states the seven signs which will indicate the approach of His second coming. The first six of these, this present generation has already seen. These were, (1)(2) Great wars of nation against nation and the kingdom of Satan against the kingdom of Yahweh. (3) Great famines in several nations, notably Russia, India and China. (4) Pestilence among them, the great influenza epidemic of 1917-1918, which killed more people than any pestilence since the Black Death of the middle ages. (5) Earthquakes in diverse places. We have seen many, beginning with the San Francisco quake in 1906, earthquake and tidal waves in Messina, Italy. A few years later, one so severe in India in 1925 that an entire city had to be abandoned as the tomb of its population buried in the ruins, and several great quakes since then. (6) This gospel of the kingdom, not just the gospel of personal salvation, but “this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Only in our generation have we seen the worldwide preaching of the gospel of the kingdom of Yahweh. False prophets and false Christs.

As confirmation of the timing, we do find the fig tree putting forth leaves not fruit, but only leaves, in mockery of Him who sought fruit on it in vain. Yahshua tells us, “When we have seen all these things, we shall know that his return is near and even at the doors.” There remains only the seventh and last sign to watch for. (7) “When the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stands in the holy place.” When we see this, the climax of the ages will be upon us so swiftly that we can’t dawdle around, but must seek shelter quickly. This last sign, the abomination that maketh desolate, is a big subject in itself, far too big for the time we have left for discussion of it. We will have to leave that for some other time.

Take note, of all the signs of Yahshua’s second coming, only one is in itself good. The gospel of the kingdom of Yahweh shall be preached, all of the others are bad. False Christs, false prophets, world wars, famines, pestilence and earthquakes. The abomination of desolation standing in the holy place and the fig tree putting forth leaves but no fruit forever. These are all part of Yahshua’s description of the conditions which would prevail in the world just before His return. “As it was in the days of Noah.” Genesis 6:5,11 describes it as follows. “And Yahweh saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The earth also was corrupt before Yahweh and the earth was filled with violence.”

Don’t be surprised at this. Yahweh’s word is always consistent with itself, if it were not it couldn’t be true. So again Yahshua foretells the fate of the fig tree which can never bear fruit. In Matthew 7:18-20 He said, “A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. Wherefore, by their fruits ye shall know them.”

The fig tree which is now putting forth only leaves, with our money, is a thing of evil. It is barren of any good, destined to be cut down and cast into the fire, because no fruit can grow on it forever. None of Yahweh’s people Israel are in it. Then why are the Jews being thus gathered into Palestine? Yahshua stated the reason in Luke 19:27, “But those Mine enemies that would not that I should reign over them, bring hither and slay them before Me!” The fate of this abortive Jewish nation is included in Yahshua’s words in Matthew 15:13, “Every plant which My heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up.” Therefore, we see it in its true light, one of the manifestations of evil which marks the close of this age.

Critical note by Clifton A. Emahiser: While Comparet was correct here in stating: “These are all part of Yahshua’s description of the conditions which would prevail in the world just before His return. ‘As it was in the days of Noah.’ Genesis 6:5,11 describes it as follows. ‘And Yahweh saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The earth also was corrupt before Yahweh and the earth was filled with violence’”, he should have quoted Gen. 6:12 where it says “... for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.” This “corrupted his way” amounted to race-mixing, as at Gen. 6:9 it says that Noah was “perfect in his generations (genealogy).”

Also, Comparet should have referred to Jeremiah’s prophecy at 19:10-11 in connection with Yahshua’s cursing of the fig tree. Here is part of what I wrote in an article I entitled The Broken-Bottle Nation along the same vein:

What is there about the phrase “henceforward for ever” that we fail to understand?Furthermore, while Jeremiah prophesied that the House of Israel would be reworked by the “potter” (Jeremiah 18:6), yet he proclaimed that the remnant nation of Judaea and Jerusalem would become a broken-bottle, never to be made whole again, Jeremiah 19:10-11: “¹⁰ Then shalt thou break the bottle in the sight of the men that go with thee. ¹¹ And shalt say unto them, Thus saith Yahweh of hosts; Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter’s vessel, that cannot be made whole again ...”

Again, what is there about “cannot be made whole again” that we don’t understand? Thus, that present-day so-called nation of Israeli will never become a homeland for the Zionist-jews. When Yahweh breaks something, it stays broken. It’s like Humpty Dumpty on the wall that had a great fall, and all the king’s horses and all the king’s men will never put that bad-fig cursed nation back together again. And all of those television fundamentalist “dumb-dog” preachers can proclaim the “jews are God’s chosen people”, and that the migration of those misfits back into Palestine is a fulfillment of Bible prophecy, until they are blue in the face, and it’s not going to change a thing! The Israelis have tanks costing several million dollars per copy on their side, fighting against stone-throwing teenagers and boys, and the Israelis can’t win, and they never will. Not that we should take up the arab cause, as they are as satanic as the bad-fig-jews.

Messiah proclaimed this against those false bad-fig-jews, Luke 19:27: “But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.”