The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-08
iEzEg5ROKEYN M|lEHBERSNACLE H4cAA Hl4c l4cAAe|BIBEE.sTuDY-oN-R BARREN FIG TREE = DEFILED
 TEMPLE
Mark 11:12-25-August

By their fruits ye shall know them. =
 Matthew 7:20.
 Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem
 was past. After spending a portion Of the day in the Holy City, He returned to
 Bethany. Going to the city the next
 morning. Jesus noted fig tree by the wayside, bearing plenty of leaves. He approached it, seeking figs, but found none. Then He put a curse, a bllght upon the tree, declaring that it should not bear fruit forever. or to a completion. What did this mean? Surely it was not
 an intimation that Jesus followers should place a curse upon every unfruitful tree or field.
 Bible students believe that they now see the deeper significance of this care fully noted incident. They believe that that fig tree was used type of the Jewish nation; and that the blight upon the tree because of it's unfruitfulness cor responded exactly to tfte blight pro nounced the day before upon the Jewish
 nation because of its unfruitfulness. On the day previous Jesus had said to that nation: 'Ye shall see Me no more until that day" So He declared that this tree would be bighted to the end of
 the aion, age. Again, when speak ing of His disciples respecting the end of this age, Jesus declared, When ye shall see the fig tree putting forth leaves, then know that summer is night'-that the winter, the blight time of Israel and of the world is at an end. In other words,
 one of the signs of a new dspensation would be the indications of life, hope, prominence, amongst the Jews.
 Significance of ZiOnism These same Bible students are now pointing to the revival of hope amongst the Jewish people, as especially maini- fested by Zionism. They declare that this return of hope and faith to the Jews re- | srectng their land and the divine prom | ises is exactly in line with prophecy. They
 point to Isaiah, 40th chapter. as now in process of fuflment Comfort. ye, com l fort ye. My people, saith your God. Speak | ye comfortably to Jerusalem and cry unto l her that her appointed time is accom- l plished, that her niquty is pardoned; for l she hath received of the Lords hand double for all her sins"
 These Bible students state that Ezekiel S prophecy of the valley of dry bones does not refer to a literal resurrection, but to I the revival of Israel's hopes in the di- vine promises. This is in harmony with | the prophets declaration These bones
 are the whole house of Israel. Behold, 1 they say, our bones are dried our hope 1 is lost. we are cut off from our parts. "- 1 Ezekiel 31:1-14
 | The same Bible students declare that 1 St. Paul teaches that the Jewish nation
 was tSpically represented by Ishmael, the son of Hagar. Galatians 4:22-31) As Hagar and her son were outcast for a | time only so the law covenant and the
 Jews have been cut off from divine favor 1 only for a time Ishmael had almost l tainted for thirst in the wilderness. but I was revived by the angel of the Lord who pointed out a spring of water. This l also is typical. Jewish hopes of God s 1 favor had almost died Zonism Is the welspring which is reviving Israel-res- cuing them from death as a people. Un- | der Messiah's kingdom. soon to be es- tablished on the spirit plane, the Jews will receive great blessing-on the earth 1 y plane.
 :! We know of no other interpretation 1 which seems to fit the facts of this les son or to show reason why Jesus should
 mate object.
 Cleansing the Temple Jesus and His disciples proceeded to Je-
 rIsalem and went directly to the temple | There. contrary to anything He had pre- viously done, Jesus assumed authority
 and began to cast out the traders without ceremony. overturning he tables of the | money changers, and the stalls where | doves were sold to people desiring to offer them in sacrifice. Another accoun, 1 tells us that in cleansing the temple. Jesus
 used a scourage of small cords. and drove
 forth the traders roday's lesson tells that
 He would not permit even the carrying of the vessels through the temple. All 1 this Is of double significance: O) pri- l marily. it had to do with that time; @ Secondarily. it was typical of q cleans
 ing of the antitypical temple. due. we be- l lieve, in our day.
 According to modern usage it would be