Yeshua went to a fig tree looking for food to eat (Matthew 21:18-22; Mark 11:12-14, 20-21). When he saw that there were no figs on the tree he cursed it. The problem with this story is that it wasn’t the season for figs according to Mark 11:13 or the chart Lulav presented in another thread.
‘The time of the fig is not yet,’ says Mark, for it was just before Passover, about six weeks before the fully-formed fig appears. The fact that Mark adds these words shows that he knew what he was talking about. When the fig leaves appear about the end of March, they are accompanied by a crop of small knobs, called taqsh by the Arabs, a sort of fore-runner of the real figs. These taqsh are eaten by peasants and others when hungry. They drop off before the real fig is formed. But if the leaves appear unaccompanied by taqsh, there will be no figs that year.
So it was evident to Yeshua, when He turned aside to see if there were any of these taqsh on the fig-tree to satisfy His hunger, and the absence of the taqsh meant that also there would be no figs when the time of figs should come.
When Lulav's chart prompted me to think about Yeshua and the fig tree, I never knew about taqsh as I have a few fig trees in my yard and would have never thought to eat those little nubbins. I will have to seek them out next spring and try them to see what they taste like.
What I have learned is that at the Passover season in late March or early April, fig trees are often in leaf on the eastern side of the Mount of Olives. At this time of year, such fig trees contained only green early figs. The early unripe fruit begins to show itself even before the spring leaves appear on the branches and before Passover. If there is no early green figs there will be no figs later.
Song of Songs 2:13 "The fig tree forms its early fruit vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me.”
Jeremiah 8:13 I will take away their harvest, declares the LORD. There will be no grapes on the vine. There will be no figs on the tree, AND THEIR LEAVES WILL WITHER. What I have given them will be taken from them.
Hosea 9:10 When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert; when I saw your fathers, IT WAS LIKE SEEING THE EARLY FRUIT ON THE FIG TREE. But when they came to Baal Peor, they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol and became as vile as the thing they loved... 16 Ephraim is blighted, their root is withered, they yield no fruit. Even if they bear children, I will slay their cherished offspring.
Micah 7:1 What misery is mine! I am like one who gathers summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard; there is no cluster of grapes to eat, none of the early figs that I crave. The godly have been swept from the land; not one upright man remains. All men lie in wait to shed blood; each hunts his brother with a net. Both hands are skilled in doing evil; the ruler demands gifts, the judge accepts bribes, the powerful dictate what they desire- they all conspire together. The best of them is like a brier, the most upright worse than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen has come, the day God visits you. Now is the time of their confusion.
Luke 13:6 A man had a fig tree, planted 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."
It is more prophetic than just the identifying of Israel with the fig tree, it has more to do with the spiritual fruit Yeshua is expecting when the time of the spiritual harvest comes.
‘The time of the fig is not yet,’ says Mark, for it was just before Passover, about six weeks before the fully-formed fig appears. The fact that Mark adds these words shows that he knew what he was talking about. When the fig leaves appear about the end of March, they are accompanied by a crop of small knobs, called taqsh by the Arabs, a sort of fore-runner of the real figs. These taqsh are eaten by peasants and others when hungry. They drop off before the real fig is formed. But if the leaves appear unaccompanied by taqsh, there will be no figs that year.
So it was evident to Yeshua, when He turned aside to see if there were any of these taqsh on the fig-tree to satisfy His hunger, and the absence of the taqsh meant that also there would be no figs when the time of figs should come.
When Lulav's chart prompted me to think about Yeshua and the fig tree, I never knew about taqsh as I have a few fig trees in my yard and would have never thought to eat those little nubbins. I will have to seek them out next spring and try them to see what they taste like.
What I have learned is that at the Passover season in late March or early April, fig trees are often in leaf on the eastern side of the Mount of Olives. At this time of year, such fig trees contained only green early figs. The early unripe fruit begins to show itself even before the spring leaves appear on the branches and before Passover. If there is no early green figs there will be no figs later.
Song of Songs 2:13 "The fig tree forms its early fruit vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me.”
Jeremiah 8:13 I will take away their harvest, declares the LORD. There will be no grapes on the vine. There will be no figs on the tree, AND THEIR LEAVES WILL WITHER. What I have given them will be taken from them.
Hosea 9:10 When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert; when I saw your fathers, IT WAS LIKE SEEING THE EARLY FRUIT ON THE FIG TREE. But when they came to Baal Peor, they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol and became as vile as the thing they loved... 16 Ephraim is blighted, their root is withered, they yield no fruit. Even if they bear children, I will slay their cherished offspring.
Micah 7:1 What misery is mine! I am like one who gathers summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard; there is no cluster of grapes to eat, none of the early figs that I crave. The godly have been swept from the land; not one upright man remains. All men lie in wait to shed blood; each hunts his brother with a net. Both hands are skilled in doing evil; the ruler demands gifts, the judge accepts bribes, the powerful dictate what they desire- they all conspire together. The best of them is like a brier, the most upright worse than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen has come, the day God visits you. Now is the time of their confusion.
Luke 13:6 A man had a fig tree, planted 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."
It is more prophetic than just the identifying of Israel with the fig tree, it has more to do with the spiritual fruit Yeshua is expecting when the time of the spiritual harvest comes.
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