January 25, 2022
Yeshua and the priests of the temple are in a conflict over who has authority in the house of God. This is the same conflict that Satan has with God and the same conflict that Babel and Babylon have with God. It is the same conflict that caused Nebuchadnezzar to act like a Beast for seven years and caused the kingdom to depart from Belshazzar when he used the Temple vessels for his own interests. The chief priests in Yeshua’s time were committing the same sin and their house was purged and then destroyed within one generation.
In this midst of this battle for power between the true High Priest, Yeshua, and the defiled chief priests currently residing over the Temple, the true Lord of Lords hungers and looks to the fig tree for food. Finding none He curses the tree and kills it. Many have interpreted this to mean that Yeshua rejected and destroyed Israel and that the Church has now replaced Israel. The rest of scriptures contradict this idea. However, seeing this scenario of God manifest as a human hungry and seeking food and not finding any in the midst of his conflict with the chief priests and how they have defiled the Temple of His Father I think we could surmise that it is more likely that this is symbolic of God restraining the tree from bearing fruit, just as Babel and Babylon were restrained. This tree is more likely symbolic of the chief priests, as this event occurs on Yeshua’s return to the Temple after purging it the day before when the chief priests question where He gets his authority to challenge their priesthood and throw their system of Merchandising out of the Temple. This event started their pursuit to put an end to Him. He serves the chief priests a parable about two sons, one who is obedient and one who is rebellious.
Matthew 21:28, But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. 29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. 30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. 31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.
Yeshua tells them without reservation that the parable is about the chief priests of the Temple and that they will not go into the Kingdom before the ones they wanted to kill: Harlots. Yeshua gives them another parable about their future.
Matthew 21: 33, Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: 34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. 35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. 37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. 38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. 39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. 40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
These husbandmen are symbolic of those caring for the Temple, the Chief Priests. They are the ones who have defiled the Temple with Merchandising and violence. In fact, they throw the owner’s Son out of the Temple and kill Him. Yeshua asks them what do you think the owner will do to those husbandmen.
Matthew 21:41, They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. 42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. 45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. 46 But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.
Instead of being convicted by His judgement and repenting, because they took Him to be one sent by God, a prophet, instead they seek to kill Him. Amazing. They rendered judgment upon themselves and then sought to kill Him for telling the truth about their own corrupt and violent ways. Remember the stone grinding them into powder is the same judgment that is decreed upon Babylon.
Revelation 18:21, And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
Daniel 2:33, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. 34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces… 43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. 44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
The same judgment that is decreed upon Babylon is cited by Yeshua upon any nation that stands against his authority as High Priest of the true Temple of God. Both parables relate to a vineyard and finding fruit so that God may eat. The tree that is supposed to be serving Him leaves Him hungry on the way. The Fig Tree Parable is most likely about the chief priests and the nation that is corrupted by them. They are fulfilling the same pattern as occurred to Babylon. If this Fig Tree is symbolic of a priesthood serving in the Temple of God, perhaps it is a reference to the Temple being rebuilt and sacrifices renewed. If that is the case…
Matthew 24:32, Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
This could be a hallmark that the end is commencing. The priesthood is sacrificing in the Temple.
