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Bible Dictionaries
Fig (Tree)
Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types
or Judges 9:10-11 (b) This is an allegory. Gideon was the fig tree. Jotham his son was the vine, Abimelech was the bramble. Jotham in speaking to Israel reminded them that while both he and his father really cared for the blessing and the good of the nation, Abimelech would not be a blessing, but would be to them a curse and would bring only sorrow and trouble to them.
1 Kings 4:25 (c) This is an interesting type of general prosperity. There would be no mortgages and no debts, but each man would own his own property and be able to recline at ease in his own home. (See also Micah 4:4; Zechariah 3:10).
2 Kings 18:31 (b) This is a promise from the King of Babylon that if the Jews would come over to him, surrender to him, and yield themselves to him, he would take them away to a fruitful land and give them their freedom. (See also Isaiah 36:16).
Song of Solomon 2:13 (a) This is a type of the prosperity of Israel as a nation. Their fruit trees would abound in fruit, and their fields would be fertile and productive.
Isaiah 34:4 (a) This represents the result of GOD's curse on the nation. He will cause all blessings to cease so that the land will be barren. (See Jeremiah 8:13; Habakkuk 3:17).
Nahum 3:12 (b) This is a type of the curse that is to come upon Nineveh. Their riches and their treasures would fall an easy prey to the invader.
Hosea 9:10 (a) GOD chose Israel in the beginning as a nation which would be full of possibilities for His glory; it would be a nation giving Him an opportunity to manifest His wisdom, His power, and His grace.
Joel 1:7 (b) The Lord uses this type to describe the action of the enemy in their damage to Israel so that she could not, and would not, bring forth fruit unto GOD. However, in Joel 2:22 GOD promises a restoration.
Habakkuk 3:17 (b) Here we find a picture of utter desolation. The lack or the absence of flowers was certain evidence that there would be no fruit in the future. The lack of grapes on the vines indicated a present need. The efforts of the olive trees to become fine fruitful trees would fail, and there would be no oil for the use of the owner. The barren fields would tell the story of dearth and drought. The flock cut off from the fold would indicate either the invasion of the enemy who would steal the cattle, or else the prevalence of a disease which would kill off the animals. The empty stalls would assure them that there would be no milk, no meat, and no supply for their needs. In spite of this absence of all prosperity, the heart of this servant of GOD would still sing and rejoice in GOD. (See Haggai 2:19).
Matthew 21:19 (b) Here as usual the fig tree is a type of the nation of Israel in its political aspect. The Lord cursed the fig tree, but not an olive tree. The olive tree represents Israel from the religious viewpoint. Paul tells in his epistle that the believers are grafted into the olive tree, not into the fig tree. We do come to Israel's GOD, but we do not become a part of the nation of Israel. You will note that this passage does not say that CHRIST expected to find figs, but it says "if haply He might find." It was not the season for figs actually, and neither was it the season for blessing in Israel, for they were slaves to Rome, and were living in rebellion and hypocrisy to GOD. The cursing of the fig tree was really not a curse. All the Saviour said was, "No fruit grow on thee." Peter considered this a curse. This was really a type of the coming destruction of the nation of Israel as a political power. This was accomplished at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem.
Matthew 24:32 (a) The budding of this tree refers to the beginning of the restoration of the nation of Israel as a political power. We see these "buds" appearing today. The nation has been formed in Palestine. A good part of the country is controlled by the Jews. They have their own government, postage, coinage and educational institutions. All of this is just an evidence of the coming greatness of that great nation. One day they will conquer Jerusalem entirely, will expel all foreign influences, will destroy the Mosque of the Mohammedans, and will establish their king again upon his throne in that great city. (See also Luke 21:29).
Luke 13:6 (a) This fig tree represents Israel as a political nation. During the three years that CHRIST was preaching on the earth, He sought to bring them back to GOD by His ministry. He sought to restore the real worship of the true GOD. There was no response to these efforts of His. They repudiated Him, they rejected His Word, they renounced His claims, they refused to return to the GOD of their fathers. All the efforts He put forth, plus those of His disciples, are represented in this parable by the efforts made to fertilize the tree. Because of their failure to respond, Israel was doomed by the Lord to be dispersed among the nations.
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Watson, Walter. Entry for 'Fig (Tree)'. Wilson's Dictoinary of Bible Types. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/wdt/f/fig-tree.html. 1957.
