Messiah in Yom HaBikkurim Chapter 112
Miracle #42. Miracle of the cursed fig tree.
- The Forty-two Miracle of Messiah
- “House of My Misery, Affliction and Poverty”
- Condemnation of Hypocrisy
- Judgment on Israel and the Temple
- The Power of Active Faith
- Lamb Selection Day
The Forty-seond Miracle of Messiah:
Mattai 21:18-22
וּבַבֹּקֶר שָׁב אֶל־הָעִיר וְהוּא רָעֵב׃ וַיַּרְא תְּאֵנָה אַחַת עַל־הַדָּרֶךְ וַיִּקְרַב אֵלֶיהָ וְלֹא־מָצָא בָהּ מְאוּמָה בִּלְתִּי הֶעָלִים וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלֶיהָ מֵעַתָּה לֹא־יִהְיֶה מִמֵּךְ פְּרִי עַד־עוֹלָם וַתִּיבַשׁ הַתְּאֵנָה פִּתְאֹם׃ וַיִּרְאוּ הַתַּלְמִידִים וַיִּתְמְהוּ וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵיךְ יָבְשָׁה הַתְּאֵנָה פִּתְאֹם׃ וַיַּעַן יֵשׁוּעַ וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם אָמֵן אֹמֵר אֲנִי לָכֶם אִם־תִּהְיֶה בָכֶם אֱמוּנָה וְלֹא חָלַק לִבְּכֶם כְּמַעֲשֵׂה הַתְּאֵנָה הַזֹּאת תַּעֲשׂוֹּ וְאַף תֹּאמְרוּ אֶל־הָהָר הַזֶּה הִנָּשֵׂא וְנֶעְתַּקְתָּ אֶל־תּוֹך הַיָּם וְהָיָה כֵן׃ וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר תִּשְׁאֲלוּ בַּתְּפִלָּה וְאַתֶּם מַאֲמִינִים יָבֹא לָכֶם׃
בַּבֹּקֶר שָׁב אֶל הָעִיר וְהוּא רָעֵב. כְּשֶׁרָאָה עֵץ תְּאֵנָה אֶחָד בַּדֶּרֶךְ הִתְקָרֵב אֵלָיו וְלֹא מָצָא בּוֹ מְאוּמָה מִלְּבַד עָלִים. אָמַר אֵלָיו: “מֵעַתָּה לֹא יִהְיֶה מִמְּךָ פְּרִי לְעוֹלָם!” וּבוֹ בָּרֶגַע הִתְיַבֵּשׁ עֵץ הַתְּאֵנָה. כִּרְאוֹתָם זֹאת תָּמְהוּ הַתַּלְמִידִים וְאָמְרוּ: “אֵיךְ יָבַשׁ עֵץ הַתְּאֵנָה פִּתְאוֹם?” הֵשִׁיב לָהֶם יֵשׁוּעַ: “אָמֵן אוֹמֵר אֲנִי לָכֶם, אִם יֵשׁ לָכֶם אֱמוּנָה וְאֵינְכֶם מְפַקְפְּקִים, לֹא רַק כְּמַעֲשֵׂה הַתְּאֵנָה הַזֹּאת תַּעֲשׂוּ, אֶלָּא גַּם אִם תַּגִּידוּ לָהָר הַזֶּה ‘הֵעָקֵר וְהִזָּרֵק לְתוֹךְ הַיָּם’, יִתְקַיֵּם הַדָּבָר. וְכָל מַה שֶּׁתְּבַקְשׁוּ בִּתְפִלָּה וְאַתֶּם מַאֲמִינִים תְּקַבְּלוּהוּ.” פ
In the morning, he returned to the city, and he was hungry. He saw a fig tree beside the road, and he drew near to it, but found nothing on it except the leaves. He said to it, “From now on there will be no fruit from you ever again!” At once, the fig tree dried and withered. The talmidim saw this and were amazed. They said, “How did the fig tree wither so suddenly?” Yeshua answered and said to them, “Amen, I say to you, if you have faith and your heart is not divided (you do not doubt), you will do things like the deed of the fig tree. You will even say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and moved into the middle (תוֹךְ) of the sea,’ and it will be so. All that you ask in tefillah (בִּתְפִלָּה-in a prayerful state of offering all to God), if you believe (מַאֲמִינִים-remain faithful), you will receive.”
Markos 11:12-14
וַיְהִי מִמָּחֳרָת בְּצֵאתָם מִבֵּית־עָנְיִי וַיִּרְעָב׃ וַיַּרְא תְּאֵנָה מֵרָחוֹק וְלָהּ עָלִים וַיָּבֹא לִרְאוֹת הֲיִמְצָא־בָהּ פֶּרִי וַיִּקְרַב אֵלֶיהָ וְלֹא־מָצָא בָהּ כִּי אִם־עָלִים כִּי לֹא הָיְתָה עֵת תְּאֵנִים׃ וַיַּעַן וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלֶיהָ מֵעַתָּה אִישׁ אַל־יֹאכַל פְּרִי מִמֵּךְ עַד־עוֹלָם וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ תַּלְמִידָיו׃
לְמָחֳרָת, אַחֲרֵי צֵאתָם מִבֵּית עַנְיָה, הָיָה רָעֵב. הוּא רָאָה מֵרָחוֹק עֵץ תְּאֵנָה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ עָלִים וְהִתְקָרֵב אֵלָיו – אוּלַי יִמְצָא בּוֹ מַשֶּׁהוּ. נִגַּשׁ אֶל הָעֵץ וְלֹא מָצָא מְאוּמָה מִלְּבַד עָלִים, כִּי טֶרֶם הִגִּיעָה עוֹנַת הַתְּאֵנִים. הֵגִיב וְאָמַר אֶל הָעֵץ: “מֵעַתָּה אִישׁ לֹא יֹאכַל מִמְּךָ פְּרִי לְעוֹלָם!” וְתַלְמִידָיו שָׁמְעוּ. פ
The next day, as they went out from *Beit-Ani (Bethany), he (Yeshua) was hungry. He saw a fig tree from far away. It had leaves, so he came to see if he could find fruit on it. He drew near to it, but he did not find anything on it except leaves, for the fig season had not yet arrived. He responded and said to the tree, “From now on, no one will ever eat fruit from you!” And His talmidim heard.
*In the testimony of the Messiah there are two locations that are called Bethany. The first Bethany (located east of Jordan) is a compound word composed of the word beit (house) and the word ‘anani (עֲנָנִי) or ‘ananiah (עֲנַנְיָה); which means “My Cloud” and “Cloud of Adonai.” However, the reference here is to the second Bethany (located near Jerusalem). This Bethany is called Beit-Ani (עָנְיִי) and its Aramaic meaning is “House of My Misery, Affliction and Poverty.”
“House of My Misery, Affliction and Poverty:”
This is the only “destructive” miracle Jesus performed. The primary meaning of this miracle is a prophetic judgment against religious hypocrisy and spiritual barrenness. Yeshua used the tree as a living mashal (parable) to warn his followers against having an outward appearance of righteousness without backing it up with true spiritual fruit.
The Encounter: While traveling from Beit-Ani (עָנְיִי) to Jerusalem, Yeshus is hungry. He spots a fig tree in the distance that is covered in lush, green leaves.
The Discovery: When he approaches, he finds absolutely no fruit on it. Marko’s Gospel notes a confusing detail: “it was not the season for figs”.
The Curse: Yeshua says to the tree, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” By the next morning, the talmidim are astonished to find the tree completely withered and dead down to its roots.
Condemnation of Hypocrisy:
To understand why Yeshua cursed a tree that was “out of season,” you have to understand botany in the Middle East.
In that region, fig trees typically produce small, edible early buds (taqsh) before or at the exact same time the leaves sprout.
Therefore, a fig tree covered in lush green leaves advertised to travelers that it had fruit.
By having leaves but no buds, the tree was “lying”. Yeshua didn’t curse it for being out of season; he cursed it for falsely pretending to have fruit. It symbolizes people or institutions that look highly religious on the outside but are spiritually empty and corrupt on the inside.
Judgment on Israel and the Temple:
In Hebrew scriptures, the fig tree is a well-known symbol for the nation of Israel.
In the Besora of Marko, this story is intentionally split into a three stage structure: Yeshua curses the tree; he goes and clears out the corrupt merchants in the Temple; and his talmidim (disciples) see the tree has withered.
The withered tree was a direct reflection of the Jerusalem Temple. The Temple was bustling with sacrifices, music, and massive crowds (the “leaves”), but it lacked true justice, faith, and prayer (the “fruit”). The withering foretold the literal destruction of the Temple, which occurred a few decades later in 70 C.E.
The Power of Active Faith:
When the disciples express shock at how quickly the tree withered, Yeshua uses the moment to pivot to a teaching on faith. He tells them:
“Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart… it will be done for him.”
By linking the withered tree to moving mountains, Yeshua is showing that true, fruitful faith—coupled with genuine prayer—has the power to overcome massive obstacles and replace dead, hypocritical religious systems.
Lamb Selection Day:
Yeshua’s miracle of the cursed fig tree took place on Nisan 10. According to Torah law (Exodus 12:3), this was the exact day families selected a perfect, spotless lamb to be sacrificed for the Passover meal. This timing is divinely appointed: It is God’s declaration that on this day he is presenting Yeshua to be His “Lamb of God” who “takes away the sin of the world.”