Olives are not an insignificant Bible topic. In Bible times, the olive
tree and its oil was held in great esteem. Today, health experts have
regained the knowledge of the benefits of olive oil. Please see our article, “Holy
Anointing Olive Oil,” study no. 180.
In Romans 11, the Apostle Paul discusses the differences between
the wild olive tree (Gentiles) and the good (natural) olive tree (Israel). We see many other scriptures which illustrate the difference between these two
classes of people. As Messianic believers, understanding this difference is
vital as we take the Gospel of the Kingdom to the entire world.
The
Natural Olive Tree
The olive branch is symbolic of peace and safety. When the dove
that Noah sent out came back with an olive leaf in her mouth, Noah knew that
the waters were abated off the earth, Genesis 8:11. To offer someone an
olive branch is a way of saying you are making peace.
Also, the dove with the olive leaf gave witness to the abating of the
waters. The two witnesses, represented by olive trees, Zechariah 4:3, 11,
14, are prophesied to “stand by the Lord of the whole earth,” as a witness
to the entire earth.
Regarding the seventh year land rest, we are instructed in the seventh-year
to let the poor eat the olives, Exodus 23:11. Good olive trees provide
nourishment for the poor. Here, the olive tree is pictured as a means for helping
the poor. That is a characteristic of a good, natural, olive tree. Deuteronomy
24:20 adds that one is not to harvest every olive, but leave some for the
poor. The reason for this statute is that we are to remember that we were
bondmen in Egypt, and now we are free, verse 22. Following God and
being a natural olive tree stands in stark opposition to slavery and
oppression (wild olive tree).
Pure olive oil was used for light in the continually burning lamp in
the tabernacle of the congregation, Exodus 27:20-21; Leviticus 24:2.
Natural olive trees produce pure oil which provides light. And light,
as we know, is symbolic of spirit of truth, Psalm 43:3, 119:105;
John 1:9; I John 5:6. The five foolish virgins did not have enough oil in
their lamps, Matthew 25:8. God’s Word is like a fire, Jeremiah 23:19,
and must be continually kindled (stirred up, refreshed) or the fire will go
out. Where on this earth would you go to obtain the light of God’s Truth?
Why, to the natural olive tree, not to a wild olive tree.
Olive trees are symbolic of physical wealth. In Deuteronomy
6:10-12, olive trees growing in the Promised Land would be filling food for
the Israelites. Natural olive trees provide food, and are a source of wealth.
Besides being a land of milk and honey, the Promised Land was “a land of oil
olive [margin: of olive tree of oil],” Deuteronomy 8:7-8. See also Joshua
24:13 and Nehemiah 9:25. Kings manage olive trees, I Samuel 8:1;
I Chronicles 27:28.
God used Gideon to deliver Israel from the Midianites. When the men of
Israel tried to make Gideon king, he refused, saying, “I will not rule over
you, neither shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you,” Judges
8:22-23. Gideon (also known as Jerubbaal) had 70 sons, including
Abimelech. Abimelech wanted to be a king over Israel. He schemed and slew all
his brothers except Jotham, and made himself a king. Jotham prophesied from
Mount Gerizim, giving a parable about trees, comparing Gideon to an olive tree
(and perhaps also a fig tree, verses 8, 10) and Abimelech to a bramble
(thistle), Judges 9. Thus, an olive tree is symbolic of godly rule,
as opposed to selfish despotic tyranny.
Olive branches were used in building booths for the Feast of
Tabernacles, Nehemiah 8:14-15. Now, olive branches are not very leafy,
and putting olive branches on the roof of one’s booth will not totally protect
one against the sun or the rain. Why do you suppose the Almighty enjoined
olive branches as booth-building material? Because the booth is designed to
teach us the brevity and frailty of our temporary physical life, and our need
to totally depend upon the Almighty. The natural olive tree teaches us to depend
on the Almighty, trusting Him to provide for our safety and protection.
David wrote, “I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the
mercy of God for ever and ever,” Psalm 52:8.
In this discussion about olive trees, perhaps you are thinking, “I
don’t like this analogy of righteous people to natural olive trees, and
unrighteous people to wild olive trees.” Well, God likes this analogy, and He
uses it frequently in the Bible. David wrote that the man who delights in
God’s Law “shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth
forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever
he doeth shall prosper,” Psalm 1:3. See also Jeremiah 17:7-8. The
righteous, those whom God plants, shall flourish like the palm tree, Isaiah
65:22; Psalm 92:12-15. We are to be like such a tree!
Notice that the righteous is like a planted tree, not a wild
tree. God plants us, and takes care of us, pruning and caring for our
spiritual growth. “Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted,
shall be rooted up,” Matthew 15:13. The wild trees, not planted by God,
will be rooted up. The trees planted by God shall be tended and cared for by
our Heavenly Father.
When you go to any public place today, you are likely to encounter
unruly children, virtual wild hellions whose parents do not restrain them. Our
permissive society frowns on corporal punishment, thinking it might damage
their self-esteem. When I was in the seventh grade, I had my first male
teacher. He was late getting back to the room one day after recess. I was raising
cane and he caught me red-handed. He grabbed his paddle and had me go to the
front of the class, bend over, and grab my ankles. My teacher reared back and
gave me the first spat. Pow! The noise was deafening. It sounded much worse
than it hurt. My face immediately became beet red. He gave me one more for
good measure. I quietly returned to my seat. How embarrassing to be punished
in front of the entire class. But I deserved it. For a long time after that
episode, I was a good boy!
In Psalm 128:3, the blessings of every one that fears the Lord
are said to be a wife like a fruitful vine, and children like olive plants
round about thy table. Olive plants are symbolic of being obedient to God,
respectful to one’s parents. What’s around your table: olive plants, or
hellions?
Charles H. Spurgeon, in his classic book, The Treasury of David,
comments on this verse: “Hundreds of times I have seen young olive plants
springing up around the parent stem, and it always makes me think of this
verse. The psalmist never intended to suggest olive plants around a table but
young people springing up around their parents, just as olive plants surround a
fine, well rooted tree. The figure is striking . . . . It is beautiful to see
the gnarled olive tree bearing abundant fruit and surrounded with a lttle band
of sturdy sucessors. Should the central olive tree be blown down or removed,
any successors could take its place,” page 1328.
Olive wood figured prominently in Solomon’s Temple. Two cherubims,
each ten cubits high, were made of olive tree wood, I Kings 6:23 in
the inner house, the holy of holies where the ark was, verse 19. The
entrance to this inner room had doors made from an olive tree, as well as the
door posts, verses 31-33. This olive wood signified the entrance
into God’s presence. Considering all the significance of Biblical
references to the olive tree, we see that no other wood could be the gateway to
entering God’s presence than olive wood.
In Zechariah 4, we see a prophetic vision of a golden
candlestick, and two olive trees by it. Zechariah couldn’t figure out what
this meant, so the angel explained, “These are the two anointed ones [margin:
sons of oil] that standy by the Lord of the whole earth,” verse 14. The
two olive trees empty out of themselves into seven pipes into the golden
candlestick. The symbolism is very important: the Eternal’s golden
candlestick lights the world. The two olive trees supply the oil for God’s
golden candlestick. “Stand by the Lord” means to be His servant, representing
Him before a dark world (see also Zechariah 3:4, 6:5).
Revelation 11:3-4 describes the fulfillment of Zechariah’s
prophecy: “And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy
a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are
the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the
earth.” The tremendous power evidenced by the two witnesses, verses 5-6,
indicates that God will not choose just any one, but those who are not corrupted
by power. They will tell the world their sins, and as a result be hated and
eventually killed, verses 7-8. They will be incorruptible. The two
witnesses, as two olive trees, will stand before (by) the Lord of the whole
earth.
The
Wild Olive Tree
Then there is the other kind of olive tree, a wild olive tree. Not
planted by God (Psalm 1:3), the wild olive tree signifies all that is by
nature opposed to the Creator.
Paul explains the two contrasting kinds of trees in Romans 11. Even
though Israel has largely departed from God, He has not cast away His people.
As it was in the days of Elijah, “I have reserved to Myself seven thousand men,
who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal,” verse 4. In Paul’s
day, and even today, “Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant
according to the election of grace,” verse 5. The majority of Israel, then and now, is blinded, verse 7. The falling away of Israel has resulted in salvation coming unto the Gentiles, verse 11.
Most of Israel has departed from God, being broken off, “And if some of
the branches [Israel] be broken off, and thou [Gentiles], being a wild
olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the
root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the branches. But if
thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee [salvation is of the
Jews (Israel), not of the Gentiles]. Thou wilt say then, The branches were
broken off, that I might be grafted in. Well; because of unbelief they were
broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear. For if
God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest He also spare not
thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell,
severity; but toward thee [Gentiles who have accepted Christ], goodness, if
thou continue in His goodness: otherwise thou also shall be cut off. And they
[renegade Israelites] also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted
in: for God is able to graft them in again. For if thou wert cut out of the olive
tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into
a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the
natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?” verses 17-23.
Here we see clearly that Israel is likened to a natural, good, olive
tree. Gentiles are likened to a wild olive tree. The very natures of these
two kinds of people are distinct. God calls Gentiles a “wild olive tree,” and
Israelites a “good olive tree.”
Throughout their history, Israelites have been stiff-necked and
rebellious against their calling to be a good olive tree. But God does not
give up on them. He chastened them with captivity and hardship, the goodness of
God leading them to repentance, Romans 2:4.
In spite of their sordid history, the very fundamental, underlying
nature of Israelites is like a good olive tree, which we have seen, is typified
by peace, helping the poor, opposition to slavery and oppression,
providers of light and truth, possessors of physical wealth (blessings of
Abraham), rule under God’s Law instead of despotic tyranny, dependence upon the
Almighty, planted and nourished by God, at times obedient to God and respectful
to one’s parents, the gateway into God’s presence, standing by Him.
When God’s people reject Him, and become wild olive trees, He causes
their olive trees to cast their fruit, Deuteronomy 28:40. Jacob loses
his glory and becomes thin and lean, like the shaking of an olive tree, Isaiah
17:4, 6, 24:13. It will get so bad that we should not pray for Israel, for He will not hear their prayers, Jeremiah 11:14. In the days of King
Manasseh of Judah, the Jews severely departed from the Lord. “So Manasseh made
Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen,
whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel,” II Chronicles
33:9.
In the past, they were a green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit,
but now He is going to kindle a fire under it, and break its branches, Jeremiah
11:15-17. Yet in all this punishment, the Eternal will heal their
backslidings, love them freely, and Israel shall grow as the lily, and his
branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell
as Lebanon, Hosea 14:4-6.
Cleanness of teeth (famine) is going to come as God’s wrath against His
sinning, rebellious, people, and their olive trees shall be devoured by the
palmerworm, Amos 4:6-9, and others will anoint themselves with their
oil, Micah 6:15. See also Habakkuk 3:17.
In all times, there has been a mixed multitude within Israel, who have not spiritually surrendered to God. Often, they are the majority of Israel. But always, God has a remnant people. “For they are not al Israel, which are of Israel . . . That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children
of God,” Romans 9:6, 8.
Is Israel better than Gentiles? “What then? Are we better than they?
No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are
all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one,” Romans
3:9-10. What is the advantage to being a good olive tree, an Israelite
(Jew is sometimes used in the Bible to represent the entire House of Israel)?
“What advantage then hath the Jew? Or what profit is there of circumcision?” verse
1. Many Gentiles, even in the Church of God today, would answer that there
is no value to being an Israelite, no value to being circumcised. Paul did
not believe this: “Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were
committed the oracles of God,” verse 2. Spiritual instruction then, and
now, comes from Israelites, the good olive tree. Even today, Gentiles resent
the way God chooses to deal with mankind through His people Israel.
Referring to his physical heritage of being of the tribe of Benjamin,
Paul noted, “We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles
. . . if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves are found
sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid,” Galatians
2:15, 17.
Addressing Gentiles at Ephesus, Paul spoke of their condition before
conversion: “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no
hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes
were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ,” Ephesians 2:12-13.
Converted Gentiles become part of spiritual Israel, “If ye be Christ’s,
then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise,” Galatians
3:29. Truly converted Gentiles accept God’s laws which they formerly
rejected. They respect and honor Israel, their spiritual elder brothers.
Characteristics
of Wild Olive Trees
Cain was the first wild olive tree. Unrestrained in his jealousy
against his brother Abel, Cain committed the first murder. Lamech followed
suite, and after the Flood destroyed the line of Cain, Nimrod rose to
preeminence, Genesis 10:8-9. The Gentile hierarchial form of
government, despotic centralized control, has been the hallmark of Gentile
philosophy ever since.
In Romans 1:21-32, Paul lists the sins of the Gentiles,
including their homosexuality. It is a sad list of wild olive tree traits.
Paul was not a racist, but he vividly describes the inherent nature of wild olive
trees, Gentiles. Israel at times absorbs these traits and sometimes becomes
even worse, as previously noted in the reign of King Manasseh.
It is evident from the Bible, that the Old Testament Church became corrupted by picking up the sins of the Gentiles. As a result, they were sent
into captivity, and eventually the Temple was destroyed in A.D. 70. It is also
evident from Church History that the New Testament Church fell away from the
Truth by Gentiles coming into the Church, but not getting rid of their wild
olive tree nature. Instead, Gentiles brought their pagan customs and practices
which corrupted the New Testament Church.
Today, the characteristic traits of natural good olive trees and wild
olive trees are plainly evident. In small town America, you can still not
worry about locking your house and car. But in major cities, increasingly
dominated by Gentile influences, there are iron bars on businesses, and
sophisticated security systems on cars, and still theft is rampant. A few
years back when we visited El Salvador, I was amazed to see nearly all houses
barricaded with iron gates, and razor wire around the roofs, a sign that theft
and violence is common. Even at Salvadorean grocery stores, armed guards with menacing
rifles stand guard. As America becomes more dominated by wild olive trees,
this will be the pattern here as well.
The most convincing proof that some Jews are not Israelites is not
Arthur Koestler’s book, The Thirteenth Tribe, but the filth coming from Hollywood. Reading the credits to movies and television shows gives you a clue with the
many Jewish names. Truly, purveyors of media depravity are of the synagogue
of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie, Revelation 3:9.
Certain leaders have a grand vision of spreading “freedom”
to the entire world, starting in the Middle East. Arab Moslems epitomize the
nature of the wild olive tree. God said that Ishmael’s nature would be wild:
“And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s
hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren [be a
terrorist in their midst],” Genesis 16:12. Freedom cannot exist without
God’s law in our hearts and minds. The nature of Ishmael and his Edomite
cousins, even today, has not changed. They are wild olive trees, and only God
can change them. Foolish Israelites think that they can have peace with the
Palestinians, not realizing that a wild olive tree can only become tame by
being grafted into the natural olive tree by the hand of God.
Traits of wild olive trees are in the Church of God today. For one, a
Gentile form of government, centralized and controlled by a hierarchy, is
characteristic of wild olive trees. Gentiles like to be protected by a great
leader, which attitude became prevalent since the time of Nimrod, who herded
his followers into cities. For the Church of God to blindly follow a great
leader is to exhibit the traits of a wild olive tree.
Also, some in the Church of God believe that the government has the responsibility
to care for the poor: the civil government or the Church government. Both of
these ideas are wrong. The Bible shows that we as individuals are to
personally care for the poor.
Gentiles in the Church of God today sometimes have the wrong idea that
circumcision is of no value (in contrast to Romans 3:1-2). Some
continue to justify lying, stealing, committing adultery, and other Gentile
(wild olive) sins. Likewise, they have a hostile attitude toward some of the
other Laws of God. If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed and have a
natural affinity toward all of God’s Laws.
In Isaiah 5:1-7, God likens His people to a vineyard, which,
like an olive grove, needs to be pruned. Instead of bringing forth good
grapes, it brought forth wild grapes. As a result, He is going to lay it
waste. Why? verse 24, “because they have cast away the law of the Lord
of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.” God had planted Israel as a noble vine, yet she turned into a degenerate vine, Jeremiah 2:21.
It is interesting that the Almighty uses the illustration of various wild
beasts to describe the successive stages of Gentile world-ruling governments, Daniel
7:1-8. At the end time, there will be the culmination of these wild,
beastly kingdoms, with the rule of the Beast and the False Prophet, Revelation
13.
Trees
of Righteousness
In the Millennium, the nature of wild beasts will be changed, Isaiah
11:6-9, 65:25; Hosea 2:18; Ezekiel 34:25-26. This is a type of the
spiritual transformation that will occur as wild olive trees become natural
olive trees. People inclined to do evil will be transformed into righteous,
peace loving, kind people.
The seemingly peaceful bison (American buffalo) in Yellowstone National Park is actually dangerous. You can stop the car and view them. Some
tourists have walked up to a buffalo, put their arms around him, and posed for
a photo. On one occasion, the beast gored the tourist with his massive horns.
God’s natural olive trees, with plenty of grafted-in Gentiles, will “be
called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be
glorified,” Isaiah 61:3. “Thy people also shall be all righteous [every
one of them!]: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of My planting,
the work of My hands, that I may be glorified,” Isaiah 60:21.
Learn
the Lesson of the Fig Tree
The olive tree is the predominant symbolic tree type that the Eternal
uses in scripture. However, the fig tree is also used for illustration
purposes.
The fig tree and the vine represent peace and prosperity, I Kings
4:25, a type of the millennium, Micah 4:4, “But they shall sit every
man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for
the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it.” See also Zechariah 3:10.
The fig tree represents the elect, the called and chosen. Jesus saw
Nanthaniel (Matthew) under the fig tree, John 1:48-51. Likewise, the
Messiah sees us before He calls us; He knows us inside and out.
Why did Jesus curse the fig tree? In Matthew 21:19:22, we see
that when Jesus was on His way from Bethany back to Jerusalem, that He was
hungry, and saw a fig tree in the way. He found nothing on it, and exclaimed,
“Let no fruit grow on thee henceforth for ever. And presently the fig tree
withered away,” verse 19. Beside being a lesson of faith, this episode
teaches us that our Savior insists that His elect produce fruit. If we do not
produce fruit, we will wither away. The context of these verses is just after
Jesus cast out the moneychangers the second time, verses 12-13. Here we
see a complete illustration. Jesus purges His Church, and still they do not
produce fruit, so they will wither away. What a serious admonition for the
Church today!
In Matthew 24:32-33, Jesus says, “Now learn a parable of the fig
tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that
summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that
it [He, the return of the Messiah] is near, even at the doors.”
The fig tree is thus a prophetic indicator. Since the fig tree
represents Israel, the Church, you can predict prophetic conditions by the
condition of the Church. Jesus purges His Church, but there comes a time when
they do not receive His correction, Ezekiel 24:13, and Hosea 9:10.
In Jeremiah 24, we see the type of the good and bad figs, again
two types of people. One basket had very good figs, ripe and good to eat.
Another basket had “very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so
bad,” verse 2. The good figs will be returned from captivity, replanted
in the land, and given a heart to know the Eternal, because they shall return
unto God with their whole heart. The bad, evil, figs will be consumed in
captivity by the sword, famine, and pestilence, and will not be returned to the
land God gave to their fathers. “Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Behold, I will
send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them
like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil,” Jeremiah 29:17.
“For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a
corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own
fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they
grapes,” Luke 6:43-44.
“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 and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he
answering said unto him, Lord, let 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,” Luke 13:6-9
“Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? Either a vine,
figs? So can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh,” James 3:12.
“And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth [meteors], even as a fig
tree casteth her untimely [green, unripe] figs, when she is shaken of a mighty
wind,” Revelation 6:13 (see also Isaiah 34:4).
Be
Like a Natural, Good Olive Tree
Olive trees are an amazing evergreen. They don’t produce rings, but
scientists estimate that some have lived for 2,000 years. Pruning keeps them
from skipping a bearing season. Olive trees are tougher than most trees, and
will sprout back even when chopped to the ground. In the Garden of Gethsemane today, there are ancient olive trees which may be 1,000 or even 2,000 years old. It
is unlikely that these trees were here in the time of Christ because of the
report that the Romans cut down all the trees in the area in their siege of Jerusalem in A.D 70.
Clearly, the lesson of the good olive (and fig) tree is that we are to
be planted by the Lord, and produce fruit for Him. May we all be good olive
trees!
— by
Richard C. Nickels Ω
