Song of Solomon 2:13 The fig tree puts forth her green figs, And the vines with the tender grapes Give a good smell. Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away!
Among all fruit-bearing trees, the fig tree is uniquely prophetic–because it is one of the few that produces two harvests in a single growing season. First comes the early crop in spring, known in Scripture as the “first ripe fig” (Isaiah 28:4), and then a second, more abundant harvest in late summer or early fall. This uncommon pattern is a living picture of prophecy woven into the fabric of creation.
Of all the trees in creation, only a few bear fruit twice in a single year–and God chose one of them, the fig tree, to reflect the prophetic rhythm of redemption. Through it, He reveals a double harvest: first in Messiah’s coming for the remnant of Israel, and again in the final ingathering when “all Israel will be saved.” The fig tree–deeply tied to the Jewish people–stands as a living sign of both restoration and the coming harvest of the world.
This twofold harvest speaks deeply to the first and soon to be second coming of the Messiah. The early crop points to Yeshua’s first coming: His death and resurrection, the firstfruits of salvation (1 Corinthians 15:20). The later harvest mirrors His return in glory — to judge the nations, restore Israel, and bring in the final ingathering. But neither harvest happens in isolation. For the fig tree to produce both crops, multiple environmental factors must converge–sunlight, temperature, soil, and timing must align. Just as the fig tree responds to a perfect set of conditions, the signs of our day are falling into place with striking unity.
Israel has returned to her land. The gospel is reaching the nations. Lawlessness is increasing. The Church is being purified. Apostasy abounds. These aren’t random events — they are a prophetic convergence, signaling that the appointed time is drawing near. Just as the fig tree sends out all its leaves together in one season, the simultaneous unfolding of these signs declares with certainty: the season is now. Yeshua said, “When you see all these things”–every branch budding at once–“know that it is near, even at the doors” (Matthew 24:33).
Even the Biblical calendar echoes this divine rhythm. The early harvest aligns with the Lord’s feasts (moedim) of Passover and Firstfruits, fulfilled in Messiah’s first coming through His death and resurrection. The later harvest corresponds to Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles–also called the Feast of Ingathering–a prophetic picture of God dwelling with His people and gathering the nations at the end of the age. The word moedim—translated as “feasts”—literally means appointed times, signaling that what we are witnessing is not random or seasonal, but divinely timed. The prophetic calendar is not winding down—it is ripening toward its final fulfillment.
This is not just the close of an age–it is the unfolding of a final and glorious harvest. Scripture reveals the Son of Man with a sickle in His hand, reaping the earth at the appointed time (Revelation 14:14-20). Soon, as promised, “all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26).
As the signs converge, rise with purpose. Stay fixed on your assignment: step into the harvest, proclaim the gospel, awaken the sleeping, and keep your heart burning with joyful expectation. The fig tree is not just a warning—it’s a summons from heaven. It declares with urgency and certainty: the harvest is ripe, and the King is on His way. So go—gather, labor, watch, and rejoice. For soon, the Lord of the harvest will appear, and He will gather His own.
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Among all fruit-bearing trees, the fig tree is uniquely prophetic–because it is one of the few that produces two harvests in a single growing season. First comes the early crop in spring, known in Scripture as the “first ripe fig” (Isaiah 28:4), and then a second, more abundant harvest in late summer or early fall. This uncommon pattern is a living picture of prophecy woven into the fabric of creation.
Yeshua (Jesus) didn’t merely offer a suggestion–He issued a command: “Learn the parable.” In Greek, the word manthano (μανθάνω) implies disciplined learning, not casual observation. In Hebraic thought, to “learn” a parable means to press into its hidden meaning until it transforms how you live. The fig tree is not just a poetic image–it’s a prophetic mandate. And Yeshua expected His disciples, including us, to understand it deeply.
Yeshua (Jesus) used the fig tree—a familiar symbol in Israel’s botanical and prophetic world—as a teaching tool to awaken spiritual discernment. The fig tree, known for losing all its leaves in winter and budding again in spring, became a natural signpost to mark the changing seasons. In the same way, Jesus gave His disciples prophetic markers to discern a coming shift: wars, famines, false messiahs, persecution, lawlessness, and the global preaching of the gospel (Matthew 24:4–14).
On July 4th, America remembers a bold declaration — a break from tyranny, a longing for a better government, and the birth of a nation built on liberty. The Founders risked everything to establish a new way of life, one where freedom could flourish. Their cry was clear: “We will no longer be ruled by kings who oppress–we will be governed by laws that reflect liberty and justice.”
In a world full of uncertainty, this verse from Romans stands like a lighthouse in the storm: “The God of hope…” Not just the God who gives hope, but the very source of it. When everything around us seems shaken — economies falter, nations rage, relationships strain — it is the God of hope who remains unshaken and unchanging.
When Yeshua (Jesus) spoke these words not only to the seventy He sent ahead of Him, but to every disciple who follows Him into the world, it’s a striking picture: fields overflowing with a harvest, ready to be gathered. The problem isn’t the readiness of the harvest — it’s the shortage of workers willing to go.
This piercing question opens Psalm 11 like a cry from the heart in troubled times. It’s a question we ask when law and order collapse, when truth is ridiculed, and when those who do evil seem to triumph. The foundations — the principles of righteousness, justice, and truth that uphold society — are under siege. And it begs the question: What can God’s people do when everything righteous seems to be crumbling?