The Fig tree is a Biblical symbol of Israel

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Fig leaf aprons are the foolishness of human works

GENESIS 3:6   And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Eve ignored the sweet fruit of the fig and preferred the pleasant-looking fruit of knowledge. Fooled by looks and also by pride. She thought she would become wise.

"Vanity, thy name is woman" said Shakespeare.

When Eve had the opportunity to sin, she took the fruit of the bad tree that appealed to her senses.

After they sinned they avoided the sweet fruit of the fig tree and tried to cover up their sin with fig leaves. Unable to produce the sweet fruits of the Spirit, they chose the hypocrisy of a cover-up.

A pretense. A false appearance. As if they could hide their sin. Very superficial.

Religion is just a covering to fool people and make them think that they are fine. Like make-up.

Adam and Eve hid behind the fig leaves as if they could save themselves by their man-made works.

Fig leaves sewn together to make an apron symbolize man-made ideas that do not work.

Man-made ideas build up organizations and denominations.

These just get further and further from Scripture as time goes by.

Man trying to find his own way back to God.

62-1111    WHY  I'M  AGAINST  ORGANIZED  RELIGION

Now, Adam had a religion, but he certainly made it himself, out of fig leaves, and it didn't work. He made his own theory and tried to make a way of escape, to find salvation in something he had done himself, and God rejected it, from Adam to the order of the last organization. Never been, and by God's grace we'll prove it today through the Bible. Religion was a covering. Adam made himself a covering out of fig leaves, made it, himself, to try to do something himself.

64-0618  THE  PRESENCE  OF  GOD  UNRECOGNIZED

Well, now, that's what kind of a spiritual condition it is. People are spiritually blind, wretched, miserable, naked before God, sinners trying to cover themselves behind fig leaves of some denomination, and don't know it.

63-1124   THREE  KINDS  OF  BELIEVERS

Just like Eve was, she was very religious, of course, so, but she did not believe the true Word. And she had to make herself a religion, so she made some fig leaves, see, but it wouldn't work. Religion means "a covering."

Fig leaves are a substitute.

God ordained the blood sacrifice of an innocent substitute. A lamb that died in the place of Adam.

The lamb took Adam’s sin and Adam, feeling very ashamed of himself, took the innocence of the lamb.

But, before God killed the animal, Adam preferred to make a substitute religion of fig leaves that involved no bloodshed and thus had no innocence as it could not in any way atone for his sin.

Adam hid behind his apron of fig leaves that looked impressive but left him a sinner.

63-0626  WHY

And God was called to make a decision for the human race, in the garden of Eden, when the first sin was committed. Could He ever be able to redeem His lost child back into fellowship with Him again? And He fixed one program. It's never changed, by the way of the blood. And follow the Scriptures, it never did alter or change, and it never can, because it's God's decision, by the Blood. Although, we tried to alter it. We've tried to educate it. We've tried to denominate it. We've tried to do everything there is in man's law, to try to change That, like Adam did by fig leaves and so forth. But it still ever remains, the Blood is the only place of fellowship.

62-0531  THE  CONFLICT  BETWEEN  GOD  AND  SATAN

Now, the average woman, today, is back in fig leaves, just like Eve was.

And "fig leaf" is actually a man-made system; shorts, smoking, bobbed hair, attractive.

What'd they do it for, to appear to their husband? If they do, then he isn't a son of God; he's a Cainite. And then if he's a son of God, he'll tell you, "Wash your face and put you on some clothes." See? Right.

65-0725   THE  ANOINTED ONES  AT  THE  END  TIME

Now notice the shuck. From the original Grain, Grain that went in the ground, It was not no organization. It was one Grain, in Itself. But when it come up, it was not a Grain; it was an organization, see, leaves, corn.

A seed is planted but the leaves of a religious organization come up first.

God plants a seed but when it germinates, man makes sure that he benefits by turning the movement into an organization under some man's domination.

The leaves can be sewn together in various ways and thus make up all sorts of different denominations and different ways of religious thinking.

Once their eyes were open to their sin all they could do was make man-made inadequate aprons and pretend that they were not sinners.

The biggest deception is trying to make sin look harmless.

Trying to make sin look harmless would be the biggest deception of the religious leaders, both Jew and Gentile, as they built up their man-made doctrines and traditions.

64-1221  WHY  IT  HAD  TO  BE  SHEPHERDS

The first Message was ever heard, was given over the top of a dead sheepskin, that God had slew and wrapped Adam and Eve in it. After they tried to make their own religion of fig leaves, it wouldn't work. Sheep sacrifice had been instituted for atonement since the very beginning, sheep sacrifice.

… Prophets, I say again, wore sheepskins draped around themselves, 'cause they were testifying by that, that they believed that there was coming a perfect Lamb for that sacrifice. And the Word of the God came to them over the top of sheepskins.

The Jews then added many man-made rules and ideas to their Law and used their own rules and works to turn the Law into an apron of fig leaves that could not help them. But worse still, when Jesus opposed their human-works, they then condemned the truth and rejected Jesus. This was particularly true of the religious leaders who used the Temple worship to build up their own power base.

The leaders thus led the people to their destruction while pretending to be the defenders of their fig-leaf version of Temple truth as they denied and rejected the Word of God.

Fig tree is a symbol of safety and independence

Adam and Eve used a fig tree’s leaves to try to deceive God.

God then wanted to use Israel as a fig tree to illustrate that the revelation of the Old Testament truth (the wine from the vine) was the key to prosperity, peace, and security (the sweet fruit from the fig tree).

Grapes grow on a vine to produce wine which is the symbol of the stimulation of revelation.

I KINGS 4:25   And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.

The fig tree was a symbol of safety and prosperity for Israel.

Each man was independent under his own fig tree.

There was no domination by a religious leader.

Solomon, the son of David, with all his wives that made up his bride. He symbolized Jesus as the Son of David when He rules in the Millennium with His Bride which is the Scriptural church.

Joel looks ahead to when the church ages end and the Gospel is carried over to the 144000 Jews in the 3½ years of great Tribulation. Then the Millennium of peace where each man sits under his own fig tree.

In the Millennium the Jews will be the main nation on earth.

JOEL 2:21   Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.

:22   Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength.

But before the Jews settle under their fig trees in the Millennium, the former and latter rain teach and catch up the Bride. Then these revealed Bible mysteries and the supernatural power of the 7 Thunders will move across to the 144000 Jews in great Tribulation.

:23   Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.

The former rain is the teaching rain that started when brother Branham began to reveal the Bible mysteries in 1947. That is when the Bride began to fight for the right to prove their beliefs from Scripture only. The year 1947 was when the United Nations allowed Israel to fight for a small piece of their Promised Land.

Brother Branham left the scene in 1965 but his tape-recorded voice continued to teach the Bride how to understand the deeper mysteries of Scripture by joining the relevant Bible verses together.

REVELATION 10:7  But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

We live in the days of the voice of the seventh angel.

Message people have been fooled by message pastors into thinking that the voice of the seventh angel is actually the Voice of God. We were never promised the Voice of God in the New Testament.

Message people have to learn how to be Scriptural.

The teaching rain of understanding the Bible would continue until the Lord returns as we will always be learning something new from Scripture. The next big event is the resurrection of the dead New Testament saints. That happens when the mighty Angel of Revelation 10 comes down.

That starts the harvest or latter rain when the seed is pulled off the dead plant. The dead saints are pulled out of their graves. Then 7 Thunders utter to show the living Bride how to change these bodies in order to be pulled off the earth to meet the Lord in the air. That completes the latter rain.

At His First Coming, there were 40 days between the resurrection of Jesus and His ascension to Heaven.

Thus, there will probably be about 40 days between the resurrection of the New Testament saints and when they are caught up to meet the Lord in the air (which many people call the Rapture).

In that interval of 40 days, the month of overlap between the former and latter rains will occur.

The seven Thunders also utter to Moses and Elijah so that the Bible truths revealed by brother Branham can also go across to the 144000 Jews as well as giving those two Jewish prophets their awesome supernatural power.

63-0321  THE  FOURTH  SEAL

Wait till them seven thunders utter their voices to that group who really can take the Word of God and hand it there. It'll slice and cut. And they can close the heavens; they can shut this or do that, whatever they want to. Glory.

Elijah (Hebrew) or Elias (Greek) will close the heavens for 3½ years which is 42 months.

JAMES 5:17   Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.

REVELATION 11:3   And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

REVELATION 11:6   These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy:

Nathanael was without hypocrisy under his fig tree

Nathanael, a Jew sitting under a fig tree, is described as an honest and trustworthy person.

That is the symbol that God expects from a fig tree. Unlike Adam, Nathanael would not try to deceive or pretend. There was nothing in his nature that gave him the desire to cover up anything that was wrong.

JOHN 1:44   Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

:45   Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

:46   And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.

JOHN 1:47   Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

Nathaneal was an exemplary Israelite sitting under a fig tree.

He was totally honourable, humble, and decent. That was the picture of a Jew that God had intended for Jews to be.

A Jew should be a virtuous man, without Adam’s hypocrisy and pretense, sitting under a fig tree.

JOHN 1:48   Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.

Jesus had discernment. He could see Nathaneal when he was far away and out of sight and yet was able to see what he was doing and also to know all about him as a person.

JOHN 1:49   Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.

Nathanael symbolized the good Jews. He readily acknowledged Jesus as Son of God and King of Israel.

This is what the Jews were expected to be like when their Messiah came.

But the Jewish leaders were going to deceive the Jews and drive them to their future destruction at the hands of the Romans.

"The future church is the ladder of ascent to God"

This statement was made by Irenaeus, the second church age messenger.

JOHN 1:50   Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.

JOHN 1:51   And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

“Heaven open” means to catch a deeper spiritual revelation of what Jesus is referring to.

Making known the revelation of the Son of man in Scripture, as the Word of God is revealed by each messenger to each church age.

REVELATION 1:13   And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man,

The central character in each church age was the Son of man, Jesus Christ.

Each church age was to reveal Jesus as the Son of man as He walks through the pages of the Bible.

REVELATION 3:1   And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars;

The 7 spirits of God are the 7 supernatural angels sent to guide 7 men (called angels or messengers or stars) during the 7 different church ages. We only became aware of this when Paul began his powerful ministry. Then Paul died and ascended to Heaven.

Then another angel came down to guide Irenaeus until Irenaeus died and ascended to Heaven.

This pattern was repeated in each church age.

Eventually, in March 1963, all 7 angels came down on different days to reveal the secrets of the Seven Seals to brother Branham. These mysteries enabled him to start understanding the deeper mysteries of Scripture which revealed Jesus as the Son of man, walking through the pages of the Bible, which enables us to believe the same doctrines as the first church age of the apostles.

By following the way that Jesus walks through the revealed Bible verses we find ourselves going back to the beliefs of the early church. This is the only compass that we have to give us direction.

It is essential for the Bride to understand the mysteries of Scripture for themselves as they join the various Bible verses together into a theme that reveals a doctrine.

Like Nathanael, a man sitting under his own fig tree who can think for himself.

Nathanael was not dominated by the Jewish religious leaders of his day.

The Jewish leaders had built up the whole Temple-worship into a cesspool of unscriptural traditions and opinions that was driven by the lust for money and material gain.

Just like church pastors today can brag, "I am rich and increased in goods and have need of nothing. I certainly do not need any correction".

Nathanael knew Nazareth had a bad reputation but he was still open-minded enough to come and investigate what Philip had found.

When he heard Jesus speak then he was convinced. When we hear Jesus speak to us through the verses of the Bible then we should also be convinced.

The demonology of Big Business in the church

In Matthew, Jesus entered the Temple on Palm Sunday and chased out the religious money-makers.

MATTHEW 21:8   And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.

:9    And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

The crowds welcomed Him as the King and then he went into the Temple, the centre of worship, and was angered by what He saw there. A greedy lust for money from the religious leaders who rejected the Word of God by opposing Him.
MATTHEW 21:12   And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,

This was Palm Sunday.

(The Gospel of Mark tells us that He came back to the Temple on Monday, cursed the fig tree, and once again threw out the religious money-makers).

MATTHEW 21:18   Now in the morning [Monday morning] as he returned into the city, he hungered.

MATTHEW 21:19   And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.

MATTHEW 21:20   And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!

Whatever Jesus curses, it soon withers away.

Mark also describes Palm Sunday.

MARK 11:7  And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him.

:8   And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way.

MARK 11:11   And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.

:12   And on the morrow, [which would be Monday] when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:

:13   And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.

:14    And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

Jesus curses the fig tree (symbol of Israel) on His way in to the Temple on Monday morning.

MARK 11:15   And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;

:16   And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.

Again, Jesus throws out the money-makers out of the Temple.

The cursing of the fig tree is strange. It was the only destructive miracle that Jesus performed.

But notice the timing.

Jesus cursed the fig tree right between the two incidents when He threw the money changers out of the Temple.

What angered Jesus was His awareness that this awful money-making-antichrist spirit would dominate the churches as well.

The curse of the third Seal was the demonology of Big Business that would sell the Word of God.

The antichrist spirit on the black horse of demonology was selling the wheat and barley of the Bread of Life for a penny. This was a day’s wage in the parable of the 11th-hour workers.

REVELATION 6:5   And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.

:6     And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

This greed for money whereby the Word of God was sold would wreck the fifth and sixth church ages after the Reformation, which are described by the third Seal. It would also be the main claim of the seventh church age, “I am rich”.

This undermining of the last three church ages by the antichrist money-loving spirits that are supposed to be restoring the truth would cause the Lord to become extremely angry.

So, when He saw this antichrist money-grasping spirit in the Temple, He lashed out against it.

Jesus is very against the selling of Bible truth. Making money from religion.

"If you do not pay then I will not tell you the truth" is the basis of modern TV evangelism.

Why did Jesus curse the fig tree?

MARK 11:12   And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:

This was Monday morning. Jesus had been acclaimed the previous day, Palm Sunday, as King of the Jews which fulfilled the prophecy.

He was hungry for success. The Jews had welcomed Him the previous day and He had chased the money-makers out of the Temple.

That was a great start, if only things could continue that way.

If the Jews continued to accept Him, then at the end of His 7-year ministry (which was only 3.5 years away) He would be King of the world in the Millennium or 1000 years of peace and the Jews would be the main nation from where He would rule the world.

But Jesus had threatened the money-making of the Jewish religious leaders. That was unforgivable. They wanted Him dead. Church leaders serve God for the money. Times have not changed.

Thus, the religious leaders would stir up the Jews who had accepted Jesus and get them to reject the call of their day.

Today was Monday. They would persuade the Jews to kill Him on Thursday.

Such is the influence and evil power that religious leaders have over the people.

Such is the gullibility of the people who gamble with their souls by playing follow-my-leader. It was a case of following the pastor to disaster. History is repeating itself.

Instead of being world leaders in 3.5 years' time, they would be dead and destroyed after 38 years, in AD 70. The same time that the Jews wandered in the wilderness and died after refusing to listen to Joshua and Caleb who had told them to march in and take the Promised Land. But they listened to the majority of the spies and believed their unbelief. Church people always want some church leader to tell them what to believe. And the church leaders keep getting it wrong because they cannot prove what they believe just from the Bible.

Deceived by their leaders, their time had not yet come.

2000 years later their time would come in the full horror and violence of great Tribulation when Moses and Elijah will need 3½  years to guide them to accept their rejected King. The savage shock of great Tribulation will show them how wrong and useless their religious leaders actually are.

But this fig tree represented the sad state of the Jewish nation at that time.

MARK 11:13   And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.

Jesus had been dealing with the Jews for 3.5 years.

He had even told His disciples not to go to the Gentiles and the Samaritans.

MATTHEW 10:5   These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:

:6   But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

He had watched this tree for 3.5 years which was long enough for it to start developing fruit. The tree was a symbol of the Jewish nation. Just like Adam, the tree representing the Jews had the leaves of a pretended religion, but it was false appearances.

Their holy Temple was just a money-making racket.

Their priesthood was obsessed with their place of power, not with preaching the truth.

You can’t eat leaves. Man-made rules and works and traditions will not save anyone.

The Jewish crowd that welcomed Him on Sunday would yell for His death on Thursday. They were people who did not have the courage to stand on their own feet. They just followed the herd and ate dust, exactly like the cursed serpent in Eden.

“The time for figs was not yet”. Despite calling Him King on Sunday the Jews were never-the-less determined to listen to their religious leaders, not to their Messiah.

Like today's churches that listen to what the one-man church leader says, not what the Bible says.

The gut feeling of the Jews was that Jesus was the Messiah. He was too remarkable a Man to be anything else. But they foolishly bowed to the dictates of their religious leaders who loved the power and money that went with their place or position of authority.

The Jews had not learned to think for themselves. Thus, they duplicated the lusts of their leaders who could produce no fruits of repentance because of their obsession with their ill-gotten Temple-money and their envy and hatred of Jesus Who out-performed them. If Jesus was accepted as Messiah then the Temple priests, Pharisees, and Sadducees would lose their place of being in charge (and their income). So, the leaders stirred up the people to reject Messiah.

They got the people to reject Jesus as a Man.

In the same way church leaders stir up the people to reject the King James Bible (KJV) as the Voice of God. They reject the King James Bible as being infallible and thus being the Absolute truth.

63-1226 CHURCH  ORDER
Because you get two man, you got two opinions. It's got to come to one final absolute, and my absolute is the Word, the Bible.

They reject the King James Version of the Bible as being the Voice of God.

63-0630   THE  THIRD  EXODUS

for they can hear plainly the God's Voice, calling, through His Word

...  Listen to the Bible, the Voice of God calling to you in this day.

Even message-churches today claim that there are faults in the King James Bible. Such is the bad influence of these modern church leaders.

We do not see Jesus as a Man in our days. We see Him as the Word of God.

Whatever you say about the KJV Bible, you are actually speaking about Jesus. Find fault with the Bible and you find fault with Jesus. No wonder Jesus stands outside the churches.

But He is a King who wants to be worshiped in Bible Truth.

Satan's main objective is to get us to worship God in an unscriptural way. As long as we are different from the Bible in some way, then Satan is happy.

So, Jesus comes back looking for Bible faith.

LUKE 18:8   … Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

The only faith that Jesus is looking for is people who are strictly Scriptural in what they believe.

ROMANS 10:17   So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

MARK 11:14   And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

The fig tree gets a death sentence which is symbolic of the AD 70 destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem by the pagan Romans.

MARK 11:15   And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;

Jesus repeated what He did on Palm Sunday. He whipped out the religious money-makers from the Temple. (Ever notice how the pastor has the best house amongst the congregation?)

MARK 11:16   And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.

Now Jesus makes stricter rules than He did the previous day on Palm Sunday. Nobody could carry anything through the Temple. That stops all business because you cannot carry any container of goods for sale.

The Temple leaders are watching their profits disappear because they get a percentage on all the business transactions in the Temple. Fear turns to anger. This has to be stopped. (Imagine the wrath when you threaten the income of the church leader). That day was Monday and they would kill Him on Thursday.

A warning to all. Interfere with a religious leader’s money-making and you are in serious trouble.

MARK 11:17   And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.

Jesus was saying, "Instead of cheating people out of their money, start focusing on prayer and serving God instead".

Jesus cleaned out their corrupt lust for money and their only response was a desire to kill Him.

That is when the Jewish leaders finally crossed a line.

They had done a lot wrong which was bad. But now things got even worse because their strongest desire was to destroy the Truth.

Church pastors, bishops, cardinals, and Popes make the same mistake when they are elevated up to become the head of a church and then eliminate any Bible teachers who would obviously oppose this human elevation. No pastor, bishop, cardinal, or Pope was ever put in charge of a church in the New Testament.

MARK 11:18   And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.

The religious leaders could not condone their loss of profit.

The people were highly impressed with Him and regarded Him as a Prophet.

This was Monday and the people who welcomed Him as King on Palm Sunday were still on His side.

The leaders only had Tuesday and Wednesday to change things in order to kill Him on Thursday.

MARK 11:19   And when even was come, he went out of the city.

Tuesday morning and the fig tree was dried up.  Spiritually the Jews were dead as a nation. Thirty eight years later they would be dead and destroyed as a nation when Rome attacked Jerusalem in AD 70.

MARK 11:20   And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.

We've seen that the fig tree represents blessing, well-being, and security when every man sits under his own if tree. It also symbolizes fruitfulness. Fig trees, like many other fruit trees, are somewhat slow-growing. It takes years for them to develop, produce fruit, and even longer to offer shade.  3 to 5 years

If your fig tree is putting too much of its energy into branch and leaf growth, rather than producing fruit, identify the new growth branches – they'll be more flexible than old growth – and pinch off their tips. This setback will encourage them to produce fruit, instead.

The religious leaders in Jesus’ day were not interested in the fruits of the Spirit like love, joy, and peace. They were more interested in growing rich and removing any opposition that could point out their mistakes. So Jesus, both on Sunday and on the next day which was Monday, pinched off the religious money-makers’ tips (a tip is an extra bit of money) to make them stop chasing profits and rather focus on what the prophets wrote so that they could recognize Messiah. They overcharged the people for their sacrifices and regarded that corrupt extra money as a tip for their services.

When you stop making money out of religion and being impatient and angry with those who disagree with you, then the fruits of the Spirit have a chance to become manifest.

When things go wrong it is ordinary people who die

Now Jesus gives a deep and scary warning.

When things go wrong, often it is ordinary people and not the worst sinners who die.

LUKE 13:1   There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

Pontius Pilate killed Jews indiscriminately when they provoked trouble. The Jews provoked trouble but had no control over the deadly consequences.

LUKE 13:2   And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?

The Jews who were killed were not necessarily the worst Jews, nor the worst trouble-makers. Once the Romans began killing the trouble-makers they were possessed by a murderous spirit that happily killed anyone who was in the vicinity. Such was the hatred of the pagan Romans towards the Jews.

LUKE 13:3   I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

The Jews should learn that when they deal with God their only correct response is to repent. If they provoke trouble in any way, they will perish.

LUKE 13:4   Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?

Then there are accidents that were not deliberately caused. A faulty building collapses and destroys anyone who is under it at that time. This represents what we humans call “Bad luck” or “fate”. Something just went wrong for no obvious reason. We have no control over those events but that does not stop them from impacting our lives.

LUKE 13:5   I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

So, Jesus warns that unexpected things will happen because accidents do occur. Thus, we must be zealous to repent because at any time we could be unexpectedly wiped out by events that catch us by surprise. The Titanic ship was supposed to be unsinkable until it hit an unseen iceberg.

Jesus now began to warn them of the deadly and unexpected disaster that would hit the Jews in AD 70 when their hated enemy, the Romans, would destroy the Temple and over 1 million men, women, and children.

LUKE 13:6   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.

Jesus is talking to the Jews.

So, the fig tree is a symbol of Israel.

The vineyard speaks of wine which is the symbol of the stimulation of revelation. So, God expected Israel to realize that there are deeper spiritual truths and circumstances attached to His choice of them as His nation.

God opened the Red Sea and cursed Egypt with ten plagues. He fed them with manna and water out of a Rock in the wilderness. God allowed Cyrus the Persian to send them back from captivity in Babylon. Jewish history was full of supernatural intervention on behalf of the Jews. They were indeed in a vineyard that had deep spiritual implications in the New Testament times.

LUKE 13:7   Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?

The Jewish religious leaders preached and taught in order to dress the vineyard.

They had seen that Jesus had preached and taught. He healed the sick, drove out demons, and raised the dead. He performed many miracles that were humanly impossible. The Jewish eyes should have been opened. He fulfilled many prophecies that involved Messiah.

Jesus had completed three years of His ministry and was still looking in vain for good fruit from the Jewish nation. His suggestion was to cut the fig tree down. As a nation, the Jews had miserably failed.

“Cumbereth” means a hindrance or obstruction that is a burdensome embarrassment that causes disturbance and distress.

This was the opinion of Jesus as far as the Jewish nation were concerned. This was the product of all the unbelief and errors that the Jewish leaders had taught the people. What would Jesus say about our current church leaders? Same-sex marriage, gay rights, abortions, divorce and re-marry, etc.

The greedy leaders were simply an obstruction that would stop the politically-obsessed Jews from recognizing and accepting Messiah. As such, the Jews were simply an embarrassment as their political hatred for Rome made them totally unable to recognize their own prophesied Messiah.

LUKE 13:8   And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:

There was a desperate plea for just one more year. A fig tree should have fruit after three years. None was available but hopefully, the fourth year would enable fruit to develop. If the Jews did not accept Messiah in this fourth year, then they must be destroyed.

LUKE 13:9   And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

Jesus had a ministry of 3½ years.

Thus, the Jews rejected Jesus in His fourth year. The Jews failed their test as a tree.

They bore no spiritual fruit by rejecting their Messiah.

They were therefore condemned to be cut down by the Romans. This would happen in AD 70.

All the trees are independent nations after World War 2

LUKE 21:29   And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;

The fig tree representing Israel and all the other trees or nations that sought independence after World War 2 when the states of Europe were bankrupt from war debts and war damage. Thus, they were severely weakened and unable to hold their colonies by force for much longer. By defeating England in Malaya, the Japanese had also proved that European powers could be defeated.

The fig tree (Israel) and all the trees. India and Pakistan also got independence in 1947. Then the nations of Africa claimed independence.

The fig tree is Israel looking for its independence as a separate state. That started with a United Nations resolution in 1947 and ended in 1982  when they withdrew from the Sinai Desert after the 1973 war with Egypt.

During that time, we can say that Israel became a nation.

But when does God say that Israel became a nation?  We simply do not know.

During these 35 years almost all of the nations of Africa managed to gain their independence too.

The summer of independent nationhood had arrived.

LUKE 21:30   When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.

“They”.  Many nations.

The colonies of European countries were able to gain independence after World War II because the European countries were weakened from war and unable to hold on to territories.

India and Pakistan gained independence in 1947.

Israel began their fight for their Promised Land in 1947 with a small portion. In 1967 they won a big portion of the Promised Land but also took the Sinai desert (that God never gave to Abraham) which they gave back to Egypt in 1982.

So, Israel was reasonably back in their Promised Land by 1982.

Britain, France, Belgium, and Portugal all lost their colonies in Africa.

Between 1951 (Libya) and 1980 (Zimbabwe) about 54 countries in Africa obtained independence with Ghana becoming independent in 1957.

LUKE 21:31   So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.

This dramatic independence movement over roughly 35 years was a sign of the end times.

LUKE 21:32   Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.

"A generation" is a rather vague term that different people interpret in different ways.

Jesus said we would not know when He will return so we should not try to specify a length of time nor a starting point for this prophecy.

If Israel was back inside the limits of their homeland in 1982, then perhaps people who were born in the 1980s will live to see the Lord’s return.

By the same token, Jesus could return very soon, we simply do not know. He could come in any future year. But we have to be ready at all times.

Are you saved? Have you repented and accepted Jesus as your personal Saviour?

But there is a further complication.

63-0623  THE  FLASHING  RED  LIGHT  OF  THE  SIGN  OF  HIS  COMING

"When you see the fig tree, and all the other trees putting forth their buds," Jews returning. "The fig tree," Jews returning to their nation, their own country.

This is a further complication. God wants the Jews back in Israel but probably only half of them are back there. So that also makes it impossible to guess a time.

Does God work on when the Jews are back within their original boundaries as a nation?

Or does He measure from when He thinks enough Jews are back in their Promised Land? We have no way of knowing.

But brother Branham’s sixth vision of a woman ruling America is starting to fall into place as Kamala Harris was elected as Vice President in 2020.

That certainly is an end-time sign.

MARK 13:27    And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

These are the Jews in the 3.5 years of great Tribulation. The angels (plural) are the messengers Moses and Elijah that gather the heavenly reborn 144000 Jews from all the four corners of the earth in these times of great Tribulation.

The mysterious 7 Trumpets of the Book of Revelation blast out during the 3.5 years of great Tribulation in order to drive the remaining Jews who live outside Israel, back to their Promised Land.

MARK 13:28    Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:

The starting point that reveals that the end times of great Tribulation are about to start will be the fig tree of Israel developing back into an independent nation in the Promised Land.

A tender branch is a young nation.

Israel only fitted into the original borders of their Promised Land since 1982 when they got rid of the Sinai desert. That was only about 40 years ago.

Then-President Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in 2018 which really put Israel on the map as an independent country. Thus, the Jews are back in their homeland so, at any time now, the Lord can catch up His Bride to Heaven and turn to the Jews in great Tribulation.

MARK 13:29   So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.

MARK 13:30   Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.

Time is running out.

Tribulation wind kills two thirds of the Jewish figs

REVELATION 6:12   And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;

The sixth Seal deals with the 3.5 years of great Tribulation.

“A great earthquake”. The biggest earthquake that has been predicted will be when Los Angeles falls into the sea. That will certainly send financial shockwaves around the earth.

Nothing will shock today's Jews harder than having their money threatened.

Remember how savagely the Jewish leaders reacted when Jesus threatened their corrupt Temple profits.

REVELATION 6:13   And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

The figs are shaken off the fig tree by the mighty wind (symbol of war and strife) of the 3.5 years of great Tribulation. Two-thirds of the Jews will be killed in this terrible time.

This will be Israel as the fig tree casting off two-thirds of her figs.

ZECHARIAH 13:8   And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.

But the surviving third of the Jews will recognize the supernatural power of Jesus.

ZECHARIAH 13:9   And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

The Jews sit under their fig trees in the Millennium

They will be the Jews who will sit under their fig trees in the Millennium when they are settled in the tribal portions of the Promised Land.

ZECHARIAH 3:10   In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.

Every man is your neighbour. A time of peace and prosperity.

The fig tree makes the Jews the main nation in the Millennium.

The vine produces wine as a symbol of the stimulation of revelation. The Millennium is the spiritual fulfillment of the original seventh day that Adam, the son of God, and his bride messed up.

During this 1000 years, Jesus the Son of David, rules with His Bride which is the Scriptural church that obeyed the Bible when all the other churches went after human leaders and their opinions.

MICAH 4:2   And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

The Jews will rule the world.

:3     And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

The Millennium will be a time of peace, not war.

:4     But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.

Israel symbolized by the fig and the vine. Israel will be the main nation on earth in the Millennium.

Prosperity and security. There will be no fear of oppression.

Each individual owns their own piece of property. Their own fig tree for food.

The vine produces wine which is the symbol of the stimulation of revelation.

It is not just about material benefits, which will be there in plenty.

It is the revelation that each individual is part of God’s much bigger Plan and thus the Millennium is a time of preparation and training for the future.

The Bride will rule the earth and in the process learn how to judge issues so that they have 1000 years to learn how to judge people, which is what they will have to do on Judgement day.

I CORINTHIANS 6:2   Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?

Sitting under your fig tree symbolizes the freedom of an individual who is not under bondage to any man-made system.

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… but we'll be fine leaves that the wayward people might sit down under the tree of our shade and find rest to their souls.

A tree pushes out leaves, it does not bring them in.

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But the Bible said that we are to "assemble ourselves together in heavenly places." Oh, my! What? All alike. Why, I'll tell you what this will do. It'll make a... It'll make a pair of overalls and a tuxedo suit put their arms around one another and call each other brother. Sure will. It'll make an old calico dress put their arms around a silk, satin one and say, "Sister, how are you this morning? Praise God!" That's right. It will. It's joy, peace, love, faith in the Word, long-suffering, gentleness, patience. Set down in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, cool off a little while. See? That's what the leaves did.

The end-time turbulent and baffling events will distract almost all from the mysterious Bible pattern that emerges in those tumultuous and agitated days. Only the Bride members, who are strictly Scriptural, will distinguish the true signal or message from the confusing noise of popular opinion.

Individuals soon pick up the fashions and follies that are sanctioned by the church crowd, where people tend to preen themselves before the mirrors of self-admiration. They forget that popularity is just a smokescreen. Smoke and mirrors are the symbols of subtle deception. Truth is blurred in a crowd.

The Greek influence was strongly based on self-glorification and a strong desire to be competitive and better than everyone.

If we allow Him, God can change us as persons so that each one of us can fit into the unique position that He has carved out for us in His spiritual Heavenly Tabernacle.

But He is a King who wants to be worshiped in Bible Truth.

Satan's main objective is to get us to worship God in an unscriptural way.

As long as we are different to the Bible in some way, then Satan is happy. So Jesus comes back looking for Bible faith.

LUKE 18:8  Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Jesus is looking for those who only believe what is written in the Bible.

Evil is especially characterized by its diffusion as lies spread out rapidly, and evil attains its greatest height when it simulates the appearance of the good.

That is why the many antichrist spirits have always sought to infiltrate the church, just like they successfully infiltrated the Jewish Temple worship.

65-0725  WHAT  IS  THE  ATTRACTION  ON  THE  MOUNTAIN

On top of Mount Olive come a little, white donkey coming, walking down the hill, with a group of people fanatically screaming, pulling off palms' leaves off the trees, throwing their clothes in the road, screaming, "Hosanna to the Son of David that comes in the Name of the Lord!" The... this little mule, his Rider was none other than God's anointed Messiah of the hour.

They used leaves in the same way people use a red carpet to welcome an important person. Jesus humbled Himself on a donkey and its offspring colt so people used leaves to draw attention to Him.

They did not use the palm leaves to hide their sins.

They threw down the leaves onto the road where the leaves could hide nothing. But by throwing down their leaves they focused all the attention on Jesus.

People need a leader and the only real Leader in our day is the Word of God.

They threw the leaves onto the road for two humble donkeys to trample on.

Our best works are only fit to be trampled on. We are unprofitable servants.

LUKE 17:10   So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

The parent donkey and the young child of the donkey carried the Word, Jesus.

The first church age of the apostolic fathers and the children who are turned back to the fathers by Elijah in the end-time, they alone will carry or understand the deep mysteries of Scripture.