Transcript

Flight 105 took off from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. Its destination was to fly westbound to Los Angeles, California. Flight 105 took off and it had a smooth ascent into the heavens and it leveled off at about 32,000 feet.

About 10 minutes into the flight, a voice from a computer came over the PA system. It said, “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. We’d like to welcome you to Flight 105.

“We want you to know that this is a historic flight. It will be the first completely automated flight in aviation history.

“This plane has no pilot, it has no co-pilot, and has no flight engineers, but please do not worry because absolutely nothing can go wrong, go wrong, go wrong, go wrong.”

Something went wrong in Israel when Christ came to the nation and ministered among her for 3 ½ years. They didn’t believe in Him, and they rejected their Messiah.

But we learn from a parable that the Lord gave in Luke 13 what was to happen next after those years of His ministry and Israel’s rejection of Him.

Luke 12:54-56: “And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is. And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass. Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?”

The Lord was addressing His disciples and a large crowd in Luke 12 and 13. Luke 12:1 tells us that “there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another…”

In this address, the Lord urged the people to discern the significance of their present time. This was important in view of the coming judgment and the division of opinion concerning Himself.

The Lord equated observing His ministry to noting daily weather patterns. Both offered unmistakable signs of what is to come.

The people all knew how to judge the future in the light of the present, such as with predicting the weather.

The Lord told them that when clouds formed in the west over the Mediterranean Sea, they could all predict that rain was on the way. And they knew that when the warm wind blew south from the Arabian desert, a heat wave or a hot day was coming. And this is exactly what would come to pass in each instance.

The ability to judge the evidence and to see its implications was not restricted to the experts. Everyone could come to the same conclusion from the evidence they received.

The point the Lord was making is that since they were able to reach correct conclusions about the weather, they should have been able to discern the time and come to the correct conclusion that Jesus was their Messiah, based upon the mountain of evidence He had given them through His life and ministry, all of which fit perfectly with the predictions of the prophets.

They didn’t need the so-called religious experts of the scribes and Pharisees to tell them. They were able to reach the correct and obvious conclusion themselves.

They SAW Christ’s miracles; they HEARD His teaching; they could READ the predictions of Him in the prophets; but unlike the weather when they would see the signs and make a proper, logical conclusion and be correct, they were not making the logical conclusion that “this is the time,” the Messiah is here among us and His kingdom is coming.

Thus, the Lord rebuked this large crowd, calling them hypocrites, and telling them that they could discern the sky and the earth, “but how is it that ye do not discern this time?”

This is what the Lord wept over when He later rode into Jerusalem at the triumphal entry: “And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,

“Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this THY DAY, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.

“For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not THE TIME of thy visitation.”

The people could predict future weather from present signs, but they could not see that the present events associated with Christ’s ministry clearly indicated the arrival of their Messiah and the future of the establishment of His kingdom on earth.

They did not see or realize the important time which had arrived in Israel’s history, the time of their Messiah’s visitation. This was Israel’s day, her time of greatest blessing and special opportunity with her Messiah’s presence among her.

And the people and their leaders had all the light they needed to know that it was Him, but they chose to reject Him.

So again, like the signs of a cloud in the west or a south wind predicted future weather, the Lord warned them that their present rejection of Him would lead to future judgment.

Luke 13:1-5: “There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

“And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

“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? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”

Next, the Lord was told by some in the large crowd about “the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.”

For reasons unknown to us, Pilate, the governor of Judea, had cruelly ordered that a number of Galileans who had come to Jerusalem to worship at the temple to be slain.

This was done while they were offering their sacrifices. And their blood was mingled with the blood of the animals that they were offering as a sacrifice.

The Lord used this tragedy to remind Israel of their need to repent of their rejection of Him, lest they suffer a worse tragedy.

Then Christ reminded Israel of the collapse of a tower supporting an aqueduct by the pool of Siloam in Jerusalem which caused the death of eighteen persons.

The Lord emphasized the point that these catastrophes should not be interpreted as a God’s special judgment on them for their sins and wickedness and that they were not more guilty or worse sinners than others. Those who were listening were sinners, too. And all, individually, were sinners in Israel and were worthy of judgment.

Thus, the Lord said, “Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” Each person individually needed to repent and believe in Christ as the Messiah and the Son of God, so that when they died, they did not perish eternally in their sins.

But it’s important to remember that God’s dealings with Israel were primarily national in nature. Thus, when the Lord said, “Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall ALL likewise perish,” He is also speaking to Israel nationally as a whole. Israel as a whole had rejected her Messiah and was guilty in their unbelief of Him.

And the Lord challenged that large crowd and all Israel to repent, and that unless they repented and had a change of heart and mind and accepted Him as their Messiah, they would “ALL likewise perish.”

These calamities were to be seen as a warning to all the nation of Israel that unless they repented as a nation, doom and judgment would come upon them in the Tribulation.

The collective sin of Israel in their rejection of their Messiah, put the people in danger of a national calamity when they would all likewise perish. Christ saw the inevitable future that was coming if Israel and their leaders continued in their unbelief.

Pilate mingling the blood of a group of Galileans with their sacrifices and 18 people dying when a tower fell on them were awful, but it was nothing compared to the judgment and destruction that would come upon the whole nation when God poured out His wrath on her.

Luke 13:6-9: “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.

“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?

“And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.”

There was a shortage of spices all around the world. One entrepreneur saw the shortage coming and stocked up. His advisor was pushing to sell it soon so that people could have all of their favorite dishes. The entrepreneur looked at his advisor and said, “What’s the rush? We’ve got all the thyme in the world.”

In the context of Israel discerning the time, the Lord gave them a parable about time and the timing of things during and after Christ’s ministry.

The Lord next told this large crowd a parable, which speaks to Israel’s future nationally. After the warning unless you repent you will all likewise perish, Christ used this parable to teach about God’s future judgment. And the parable gives the reason why repentance was vital for Israel, because it underscores the nearness of her destruction.

The parable begins by referring to “A certain man” that “had a fig tree planted in his vineyard.” The certain man in the story who is the owner of the vineyard is God the Father.

Fig trees were everywhere in the land of Israel, then and now, and they grow very large, as large as 20 feet high, 20 feet wide.

And the fig tree and the vineyard in the parable are both symbols of Israel in Scripture. So there’s no doubt that the Lord is referring to the nation of Israel.

Hosea 9:10 gave a prophecy which stated, “I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time.”

And Isaiah gave a story about a vineyard in his prophecy, and Isaiah 5:7 states plainly, “For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel.”

Putting these two symbols together, we find that the fig tree in the vineyard is speaking of the spiritual condition (which is the fig tree) within the house of Israel (or the vineyard).

The fig tree is a symbol of RELIGIOUS Israel. You’ll remember how Adam and Eve, after they partook of the fruit, they tried to cover their sin with FIG leaves. And that’s what the definition of religion is: man’s attempt to cover up his sin by his own efforts.

The only legitimate religion in all of human history was the law of Moses that God gave to Israel, with its sacrificial system which atoned for and covered their sins.

During Christ’s earthly ministry, He lived and ministered under the law, and kept it perfectly. And the fig tree is speaking of the religion of Israel and their spiritual state under the law of Moses during the time of Christ’s ministry.

At that time, the Lord stated in the parable that the certain man, the owner of the vineyard, or God the Father, “came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.”

The ultimate purpose of a fig tree is to bear fruit. And from the beginning of Christ’s earthly ministry, God the Father sought spiritual fruit from Israel.

This fig tree had a favored position, having been planted in a vineyard, where soil was especially rich for the grapes within it. It was an ideal place for a fig tree. And we learn also in the parable that the tree had the watchful care of a vineyard-keeper. This tree was protected and well-watered, and thus, the conditions were ideal for it to bear fruit.

This was to remind Israel that they lived under ideal spiritual conditions in order to bear fruit unto God.

The Apostle Paul stated that in Romans 9:4-5: “Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.”

Fig trees have relatively large leaves which tend to obscure its fruit, so that one has to come closer and look carefully for the fruit in order to find it.

In the parable, when the certain man “sought fruit” on the fig tree, the leaves did not obscure the fruit, because there was none.

Because of their favored position and ideal spiritual conditions, especially with His Son ministering right then among them, God the Father expected to find spiritual fruit in Israel, but He “found none.”

Therefore, “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?”

God the Father continually waited and sought spiritual fruit in Israel for the three years of His Son’s earthly ministry. But the nation did not produce fruit.

Israel was all leaves with no fruit, all profession with no spiritual life. As a whole, they were not believing, just, true, faithful, loving toward God or toward their neighbor. There were no fruits of righteousness or “fruits worthy of repentance” (Luke 3:8).

The certain man spoke to the dresser of his vineyard, the one whose duty was to trim the vines and care for the vineyard. Christ is the vineyard keeper. The vinedresser worked in the vineyard or the house of Israel and cared for the nation.

And as the Lord stated during His ministry, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Christ was sent by the Father to the vineyard of Israel, and He worked in that vineyard for the three years that the Father came to seek fruit on the fig tree.

The certain man talking to the vineyard keeper is God the Father speaking to God the Son. And the Father told the Son that because He didn’t find any fruit on this fig tree for these three years that He should “cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?”

Because of its fruitlessness, God commanded that the fig tree be cut down and destroyed.

It was cumbering the ground, meaning it was occupying ground that could be used more productively. It was depleting the soil, taking up room, and blocking the sunlight and it needed to be removed.

But like Moses, interceded for Israel in the past when God was ready to destroy her, the Son interceded for Israel here, “And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it.”

The vinedresser, Christ, proposed giving the fig tree one more year to bear fruit. During that time, He said He would “dig about it,” or loosen, break up, and cultivate the soil around the tree, and He would “dung it” or fertilize the tree.

Christ appealed to the longsuffering of God and asked that Israel be given another chance and be given additional time of one more year to accept Him as her Messiah, after the three years of His earthly ministry.

And then the vinedresser said, “And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.” The Lord told the Father if at the end of the one year it was still fruitless and in unbelief, then He could cut it down.

Israel was to be given one more year to respond in faith toward Christ resulting in spiritual life and fruit. But if she failed to respond and to accept Christ as her Messiah, this would result in them being cut down in God’s judgment.

This parable clearly depicts the nation of Israel on the edge of judgment, and God as a merciful God in allowing the nation one final chance to respond to Christ in faith.

At the end of the three years of Christ’s earthly ministry, of course, we know that our Lord was crucified. And at the Cross, He interceded on behalf of Israel, and said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

The Father responded to this prayer by Christ and forgave Israel for rejecting His Son and having Him crucified, giving them the additional opportunity of the one more year to receive and believe in Christ as their Messiah.

When the Father was prepared to cut down the fig tree of Israel in her unbelief, the Son interceded and the Father “let it alone this year also.”

And here is something fascinating. The Greek words, “Let it alone” in verse 8 are sometimes translated as “forgive” in Scripture.

And when Christ prayed from the Cross, “Father, FORGIVE THEM; for they know not what they do,” the words, “forgive them” in that saying from the cross are the exact same Greek words translated here as, “Let it alone.”

At the Cross, Christ was telling the Father, to forgive them, to let the fig tree of Israel alone, don’t cut them down, give them another chance, give them more time to believe.

After Christ ascended to heaven, the Spirit was sent to Israel. And the cultivating and fertilizing work was then done by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit dug around the fig tree of religious Israel and fertilized it, stirring up the nation, powerfully working by signs and wonders, bearing witness to Christ’s resurrection and His identity.

His work was done for the purpose of Israel accepting Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah.

In Peter’s Spirit-inspired message on the day of Pentecost, after convicting Israel of crucifying their Messiah, he stated, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ [or Messiah]” (Acts 2:36).

Acts chapter 1 through Acts chapter 7, between Christ’s resurrection and the stoning of Stephen, is a one year time period, the one more year that Christ asked that the Father give the nation of Israel.

At the end of that one year, Israel nationally remained in her unbelief and the fig tree of Israel still had not produced the spiritual fruit of belief in Christ.

Stephen, a man full of the Holy Spirit, stood before Israel’s religious leaders and his powerful words cut them to the heart, and convicted them of being the betrayers and murderers of the Just One, Jesus Christ.

Stephen looked up and saw “Jesus standing on the right hand of God,” standing in judgment which was to be poured out against the nation.

Hearing this, these leaders, rushed together upon him in their rage, grabbed Stephen, cast him out of the city, and stoned him with their own hands.

It was at this point, at the end of the one more year, that God cut the fig tree down. Israel was cut down, and her fall and casting away was to result in judgment and her being cast into the fire of the Tribulation (Luke 3:9).

Next was to be the destruction foretold in Luke 21, “For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled…for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles.”

This destruction foretold for Israel was to be the judgment of the Tribulation. And this prophecy was not in fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD.

The 7-year Tribulation was the next prophesied event after Israel’s rejection of their Messiah and being cut down. But this has not yet taken place. Why? What happened?

The answer is that God interrupted His prophetic program with Israel with the dispensation of the grace of God. At the stoning of Stephen, Israel was set aside in unbelief and the prophetic clock stopped. Thus, the tribulation period was temporarily suspended, and promised kingdom was temporarily postponed.

Instead of the cutting down of Israel resulting in judgment, the judgment of the Tribulation, the cutting down resulted in God turning to the nations of the world to have a program with us, the Gentiles.

Therefore, God raised up the Apostle Paul, and saved him by His grace, and called him to be the apostle of the Gentiles. This was something that God had kept hidden and had never before revealed in the past.

In Ephesians 3 we read, “If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery…Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men…And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God…”

The mystery is the body of truth which reveals this dispensation of grace, along with its Church, the Body of Christ, its gospel of grace that salvation is by faith alone, our heavenly hope and calling, and Christ’s office and position as the Head of the Church

The mystery and the dispensation of grace was something that God said nothing about until He raised up Paul and revealed it to him first.

It had been “hid in God” and “in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men.”

For nearly 2000 years, this dispensation of grace has continued, and we continue to live in this dispensation to this moment.

Christ also revealed to Paul the truth of the Rapture of the Body of Christ. It is this event and catching away of the Church to heaven that will bring this dispensation to a close.

After the Rapture, God will pick up right where He left off with Israel and God will pour out His wrath on this world in the Tribulation and will chasten and bring the prophesied judgment upon Israel.

The Tribulation was suspended, but it will still take place one day. The Lord’s warnings about judgment in the Tribulation still carry a principle and truth today that people need to respond to God’s offer of salvation to be delivered from that terrible time.

Every day, the Rapture could take place and then plunge the world into the darkness of those years of judgment on the earth. To be delivered from it, and to have the hope of the Rapture, all one has to do is to trust that Christ died for your sins and rose again.

If you have never made that personal decision, we beg you to do so right now.