(He) declares the end from the beginning, and from ancient times that which is not yet done, saying – ‘My counsel shall stand. And I will do all My pleasure. (Isaiah 46:10)
Moreover, the Spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the Spiritual. (1 Cor 15:46)
“This Moses whom they rejected . . . This is he, that was with the church in the wilderness . . .” (Acts 7:35,38 KJV)
Let’s take a look at the ‘Cursing of the Fig Tree’ . . .
Now in the morning, as (Messiah) returned to the city, HE was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and He said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” . . . the tree withered away. (Matt 21:18-19)
Mark 11:13 says ‘it was not the season for figs . . .’
The Fig Tree is ultimately a picture of the entire Body of Messiah.
‘made a part of the citizenship’, ‘grafted into’ (Eph 2:12,13; Romans 11:17)
In the passages in both Matthew 21 and Mark 11, we see Messiah being described as ‘hungry’ (?), He curses the fig tree, cleanses the Temple and rebukes the religious leadership and speaks of doubtless, limitless, believing Faith.
First, the word for ‘hungry’ not only means mere physical hunger. It also means ‘to ardently crave’ and ‘to seek with eager desire’. Does not Messiah ardently crave, eagerly desire fruit from His Tree, His Body?
And unlike the physical fig tree in the passage above, His Fig Tree – The Body of Believers, The Priests and Kings after His order – is to NEVER be in a season with ‘no fruit’. We are to always be about producing fruit.
The tree in these passages looked good from a distance, and was lushly covered with ‘fig leaves’, but upon closer inspection exhibited ‘no fruit’.
(side note – any reference to ‘Fig Leaves’ should automatically take us to the scene in the Garden when Adam and Eve attempted to cover themselves.)
In the passages above, Messiah rebuked the activities of the Temple and the leadership thereof, because there was no fruit, but rather the focus was on their own ‘kingdom’. (Vineyard – Matt 20)
They had ‘covered’ themselves, and perhaps because of all the trappings, they looked good from afar, but their covering was worthless and would ultimately lead to their destruction.
They had faith in themselves and what they were doing, rather than in The One Who is the only Sufficient Covering.
“For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds . . .” (Matt 5:20)
And without that doubtless, believing, expectant, reliant Faith in The One Who supports the Tree – The Root – and provides for it, we cannot produce the fruit He is hungry for.
And with Faith the size of a mustard seed, Faith that believes there is not limit in what our Messiah can do and will do for us and through us by the His work on the cross and the Gift and necessity of the Holy Spirit, we can be in a constant season of fruit-bearing that our Messiah so eagerly desires, that He is hungry for.
Now, back to the first mention of ‘Fig Leaves’.
Did you realize Adam and Eve were the first Priests and Kings?
“Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”” (Gen 1:28)
“And YHVH Elohim took the man and settled him in the garden to tend (serve) and keep (guard, have charge of) it.” (Gen 2:15)
They were charged with specific authority and responsibility. They failed. Israel failed. We fail.
They tried to cover themselves with fig leaves they had sown together with their own hands, and their covering was insufficient.
The Creator had to provide the only Sufficient covering – skins – which required bloodshed.
“ . . . without the shedding of blood there is no remission . . .” (Heb 9:22)
Let’s fast forward to the Tabernacle in the wilderness and the earthly, physical priesthood – an earthly picture of the Eternal Priesthood of Messiah.
Numbers 4:5-19
Kohath was to carry the Holy Things, but first, those Holy Things had to be covered with skins (?) by the High Priest so that those carrying those Holy Things did not die . . .
Without the proper covering, the Covering provided by The High Priest, it meant death for those who were to carry the Holy Things.
“And when The High Priest has finished covering the sanctuary . . . then the children of Kohath shall come to carry; and they shall not touch any Holy Thing, lest they die . . . (Num 4:15)
“ . . . make sure Kohath (The Assembly) does not get cut off; and do this so that they may live and not die . . .” (Num 4:18-19)
(John 17:12 – I didn’t lose any . . .)
“ . . . do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” (1 Cor 6:19)
“And we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us.” (2 Cor 4:7)
So everything that was present and taking place in the Tabernacle is to be present and taking place in this tabernacle of our bodies and in The Body Universal . . .
Wash – in the water of The Word (Eph 5:26)
Flesh on the altar – living sacrifice- we willingly put our flesh on the altar because He willingly put His flesh on the wood . . . (Romans 12:2)
And the Holy Place –
Golden Altar – incense – prayers of the saints (Rev 5:8)
Showbread & Golden Table – 12 challahs – 2 rows of 6 (Lev 24:5-6)
‘Grafted in’ . . . ‘made a part of . . .’ (Eph 2; Romans 11)
Golden Lampstand with 7 lamps – (Exo 25:37; Rev 1:12)
Light . . . Be light . . . (Exo 25:37; John 1:9)
Matt 5:14 –
Good Works? – Matt 25:34-ff ; Isaiah 58;
Light under a bushel? (10 virgins)
Lamp and Light, feet and path – Psalm 119:105
Beautiful are the feet . . . – Isaiah 52:7
‘ . . . narrow is the path . . .” – Matt 7:14
And this path leads to the Bridal Chamber –
And the bride makes herself ready – Rev 19:7-8
Ok let’s get back to ‘Kohath’ – The Assembly – and the Gold and the Oil and the Fire that we are to carry as we go –
Oil and Fire – Zech 4; 1 Samuel 16:12;
And we have an anointing (a smearing) from the Holy One. (1 John 2:20)
Gold – buy from Me gold refined in the fire . . . ? Rev 3:17
“The Spirit of the LORD GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me . . .
To give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;” (Isaiah 61:1,3)
For I stand at the door and knock . . . Rev 3:20
The tent is dark; He is The Door and He is The Light . . .
Remember – our righteousness is nothing we do – but rather Christ in me, the Hope of Glory.
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