Fig Tree

Leaves and fruit of the fig tree

The fig tree (Ficus carica) is a deciduous shrub belonging to the mulberry family. It typically grows to a height of 3–5 meters and bears broad, palmate leaves. From spring through summer, flower buds that resemble fruit develop in the leaf axils. These buds contain numerous tiny flowers, but the blossoms remain enclosed and are not visible externally.

In the Bible, the fig tree often symbolizes Israel. Jesus foretold Israel’s judgment through both the cursing of the fig tree and the parable of the barren fig tree. In Matthew 24, the parable of the fig tree is interpreted as referring both to the restoration of Israel as a nation and to the timing of Christ’s second coming.

Fig Tree in the Bible

• A staple food of Israel

Dried figs

Apart from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life, the fig tree is the first tree mentioned by name in Scripture. After eating the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve became aware of their nakedness and covered themselves with fig leaves. The fig is also listed among the representative fruits of the Promised Land, and during their wilderness journey the Israelites complained of lacking figs and other produce.

Because fresh figs spoil quickly, they were often flattened, dried, and stored in compact cakes. The Bible refers to these dried figs as “cakes of pressed figs” or simply “fig cakes.” Dried figs were a staple food in biblical Israel and were also presented as gifts. Rich in nutrients, they helped restore strength to those who had gone without food for extended periods. Figs were used not only as food but also for medicinal purposes. The prophet Isaiah, for example, prescribed a poultice of figs to treat King Hezekiah of Judah when he was afflicted with a boil.

• Under the Vine and the Fig Tree
  

The Bible frequently employs the expression “under one’s own vine and fig tree” as a symbol of peace and security. During the reign of Solomon, it is recorded that the Israelites “lived in safety, each man under his own vine and fig tree.” Unlike the era of David, which was marked by continual warfare, Solomon’s reign represented stability and prosperity. Similarly, when the Assyrian commander Rabshakeh demanded Judah’s surrender, he promised that those who submitted would “eat from their own vine and fig tree,” using the phrase to signify a life of security and stability under Assyrian rule.

• When There Are No Figs on the Fig Tree
  

Nathanael Under the Fig Tree, James Tissot: Jesus praised Nathanael as a true Israelite when He saw him under the fig tree.

Cultivating a fig tree required years of labor and patience; therefore, the Bible notes that only those who carefully tended the tree could enjoy its fruit. For this reason, the destruction of fig trees was regarded as a great calamity. The prophets Jeremiah and Hosea declared that when God judged sinful Israel, He would strip the vines and fig trees of their fruit and lay them waste.

• Nathanael Under the Fig Tree
  

After encountering Jesus, Philip told Nathanael that the one written about by Moses in the Law and by the prophets was Jesus of Nazareth. Nathanael responded skeptically, asking, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” When Philip urged him, “Come and see,” Nathanael went to meet Jesus. Upon seeing him, Jesus commended Nathanael as “a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit.” When Nathanael asked how Jesus knew him, Jesus replied, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” Hearing this, Nathanael immediately confessed that Jesus was the Son of God and the Messiah.

Parable of the Fig Tree

Symbol of Israel

In the Bible, the fig tree also symbolizes Israel. God showed the prophet Jeremiah a vision of two baskets of figs, one containing good figs and the other bad. Those among the people of Judah who were taken into exile in Babylon (Neo-Babylonia) according to God’s will were likened to the good figs, while those who resisted God’s will by relying on Egypt and opposing Babylon were likened to the bad figs. In this way, the people of Israel were represented symbolically by figs.

God declared that the exiles symbolized by the good figs would be delivered and restored to the land of their ancestors, whereas those represented by the bad figs would suffer disaster and disgrace and become objects of ridicule and cursing. As foretold, those carried off to Babylon eventually returned to Jerusalem at the appointed time, while those who rebelled against Babylon were destroyed.

The Accursed Fig Tree, James Tissot: Jesus revealed Israel’s coming judgment through the incident of the cursing of the fig tree.

Cursing of the Fig Tree

Both the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Mark record the incident of Jesus cursing a barren fig tree. When He was hungry and approached a fig tree, He found nothing but leaves. Jesus cursed the fruitless tree, and it withered from the roots.

The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it. . . . In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”

Mark 11:12–21

This event took place the day after Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a colt. The Passover was near, and it was not yet the season for figs. By cursing the barren fig tree, Jesus symbolically revealed the fate of Israel. The fruit He sought represented those who possessed genuine faith and would follow Him and His gospel. The withered fig tree thus illustrated the judgment and destruction awaiting Israel for rejecting the gospel.

Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells the parable of the barren fig tree. A man planted a fig tree in his vineyard and, for three years, looked for fruit on it but found none. He then instructed the vinedresser to cut it down. The vinedresser, however, asked the master to leave it for one more year, promising to dig around it and fertilize it. If it still bore no fruit after that, it would be cut down.

Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’ ”

Luke 13:6–9

The man seeking fruit for three years represents Jesus, who preached the gospel in Israel for three years, yet the Jewish people did not accept Him. After His ascension, the apostles and early Christians continued to proclaim the gospel, but the Jews persisted in rejecting it. Ultimately, in AD 70, Israel was destroyed by the Roman Empire.

Israel’s Independence

In the Gospel of Matthew, when the disciples asked about the signs of Christ’s coming, Jesus responded with the parable of the fig tree.

David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first Prime Minister, declares Israel’s independence in Tel Aviv, May 14, 1948.

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” . . . “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.”

Matthew 24:3–33

Just as a fig tree that appears lifeless in winter becomes tender and puts forth leaves as summer approaches, Israel has followed a similar pattern in history. After being destroyed in AD 70, Israel regained its sovereignty and declared independence in 1948, nearly 1,900 years later. The rebirth of a nation after such an extended period is unprecedented in human history. This extraordinary event is the fulfillment of biblical prophecy and an indication of the time of Jesus’ second coming.

According to this prophecy, the work of gathering God’s people begins with Israel’s independence in 1948. In that same year, Ahnsahnghong was baptized at the age of thirty and began His gospel ministry, restoring the long-lost truths of the Bible. Thus, He is the Second Coming Christ who appeared in fulfillment of the prophecy of the fig tree.

For details, refer to: Timing of Jesus’ Second Coming

See also

• Olive Trees
• Vine
• Timing of Jesus’ Second Coming

Related videos

• When Will He Appear

• Sermon: The Parable of the Fig Tree & Christ Ahnsahnghong