IT was the most beautiful tree imaginable. Its branches were completely covered with green leaves and flowers of every colour. I had never seen anything quite like it before. I turned with awe to the man responsible for the garden. His mischievous grin made me postpone questions about the tree's variety. I looked again.

The flowers were all different kinds. The leaves were different too. This was no real tree at all! The grower strode over and removed one of the hanging baskets. "It was completely dead;" he said, "but it seemed a shame to dig it out. We left the stump and the main branches there, and hung these on it."

Sure enough, the tree was just dead sticks. The leaves and flowers were a series of cleverly concealed baskets giving it its beauty.
The Lord Jesus Christ found the nation of Israel a bit like that. He once told a parable about a fig tree that would not bear fruit. The tree was a symbol of God's people. They professed belief, but did not live it. Their lives were fruitless as far as God was concerned.

"He also spoke this parable: 'A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, "Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?"'
(Luke 13:6-7)

The three years were those of the Lord's ministry. Quite early in his teaching Jesus had shown the need for change by cleansing the temple. It was a feast time. The custom of people at that feast was to springclean their houses. This was done so that they could keep the law to have no ordinary bread in their homes. It was a time when they ate only a flat bread made without yeast.

A Polluted Temple
Jesus came to the temple which was God's house. He found that there were a lot of things wrong there. The birds and animals sold for sacrifices were not of the best. They could only be bought with special temple currency. Some were apparently cheating in the changing of money too.

Jesus "spring-cleaned" the temple. He drove them out. He gave them a commandment too.
"Take these things away! Do not make my Father's house a house of merchandise!"
(John 2:16)

The parable of the fig tree which Jesus told shows that three years had made little difference. In God's view, there had been little change. The money changers and the animal sellers were all back in their places. Once again the temple looked more like a market than a place for worship.

In his parable, the Lord had depicted himself as pleading with the owner. He wanted to make one last attempt with the barren tree. This was the last six months of his ministry. He appears to have worked for three and a half years.

Cleansed by the Lord
Then in the last week before his crucifixion, Jesus cleansed the temple again. He came to the city from the village of Bethany. On the way he saw a fig tree full of leaves. Although it was not the time for figs to ripen, on this tree none had even set. The leaves looked fine, but there was not a sign of any fruit. It promised so much and yielded so little. Jesus cursed the tree:-

"Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."
(Mark 11:14)

In the temple at Jerusalem he found the same problems as previously. He drove everyone out. This time, however, there was no commandment. The opportunity for repentance was past. It was too late for Israel now. Instead he said:

"Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it a 'den of thieves'."
(Mark 11:17)

So much was this true that the house was no longer fit for God. A little later Jesus said:

"See! Your house is left to you desolate;"
(Matthew 23:38)

A Withered Tree
The following morning Jesus and the disciples again came into the city from Bethany. It was Peter who noticed that the fig tree had already withered away. It was a miracle. Normally, it is the leaves of a tree that die first. However, this tree had withered from the roots. The fate of the nation was sealed. They had refused to bear fruit in their lives that would honour God. Destruction was now the only remedy for their sin.

Jesus told his disciples about this in what is called the Olivet Prophecy. It is easy to forget that Jesus was a prophet. In reality he was the greatest of all the prophets. He foretold many things including his own death. His prophecy made on the mount of Olives foretold the destruction of Jerusalem. It also told of events still to happen long afterwards.

The disciples had been pointing out the beauty of the temple. They must have been shocked by the Lord's reply:

"Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."
(Matthew 24:2)

Jesus went on to tell them what things to expect. He spoke first of persecution for them as the result of their preaching. Then he said that Jerusalem would be ringed with armies. When that happened, he warned that they should flee.

You may wonder how they could flee if the city was surrounded. The words of Jesus came true. The Romans besieged the city, but then retired for a short period. Faithful followers would then remember their Lord's words and escape. Then the Romans returned and Jerusalem was destroyed.

The Overthrow of Jerusalem
That destruction was the end of the Jewish nation. A few Jews held out in a fortress to the south for a further fifty years or so. The nation, however, was scattered. They had been given every chance to repent. They had not done so. Instead they had killed the Messiah that God had sent. These had been the last days of Jewish opportunity.

Now the gospel would be preached to non-Jews. The Gentiles would have their opportunity to respond to God's word. Jesus' words span more than 1900 years of history:-

"And they" (Jews) "will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled."
(Luke 21:24)

Notice that word "until". The time of opportunity for the other nations is also limited. It is not an indefinite period. Indeed there is evidence to suggest that they have now reached their "last days" too. Jesus had given his first century disciples signs to look for. He gives us an indication of what to expect too.

First he speaks of the state of our world:-
"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken."
(Luke 21:25-26)

Then Jesus speaks again of the fig tree. This time he speaks of it beginning to bud and burst into leaf. We have seen how Jesus used the fig tree to stand for Israel. We know that the Jews were scattered in AD 70. In this century, Jews have reassembled in what used to be called Palestine. In 1948 it was declared the State of Israel. The words of Jesus have come true within the last forty years or so.

More and More Trees
Jesus speaks also of "all the trees". Many other nations have also sprung up during that period. Many places have been given independence or have declared themselves a republic. What Jesus prophesied is still coming true.

This means that we are living in the "last days". Do I hear you ask: "Last days before what?" They will end with the coming of Jesus:-
"Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory."
(Luke 21:27)

The nation of Israel we know today must yet be humbled. It will finally accept its Messiah.

"And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on me whom they have pierced; they will mourn for him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for him as one grieves for a first born."
(Zechariah 12:10)

The work of Jesus will not have been in vain for them. For us, however, there is also the need to prepare for his coming. Jesus rounded off his prophecy with the need for personal preparation. Bible readers are often divided over the precise programme of events. God's timetable is not revealed in every detail. Exactly how the events will unfold is something for discussion.

We are foolish if we miss the point, however. These prophecies are given to help us. Getting lost in debating them is no help. The vital question is whether or not the teaching of Jesus has made us ready to meet him. 