TREES WITH BOTH LEAVES AND FRUIT

December 3, 2006 pm
Mike Blume

  Scripture Text:

 
Luke 13:6-9 KJV  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.  (7)  Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?  (8)  And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:  (9)  And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

Matthew 21:19-20 KJV  And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.  (20)  And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!

Revelation 22:1-3 KJV  And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.  (2)  In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.  (3)  And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

  Message:



Revelation is a beautiful picture of God's original plan for mankind in the Garden returned and fulfilled in the earth.
  • Some believe all that is of the earth and physical will be abandoned, and only a heaven is what we will be involved with forever in the future.
  • Not true.
  • Even the New Jerusalem comes down to the earth with the tree of life in her, as we read in Rev 22.
  • This indicates God's will that was originally in the earth for Adam and Eve was not abandoned and defeated when the devil successfully ruined their part in it, but that God continues to emphasize His will being done in this earth.


So all that we see in Revelation's City is intended to be understood as occurring in the earth.

And there are many trees of Life in this picture in Revelation 22.
  • It says TREE OF LIFE on either side of the river, because there are many trees of one species, so to speak.
  • Ezekiel's version must be compared with Rev 22 in order to correctly understand the picture.

Eze 47:1 KJV  Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.

Eze 47:12 KJV  And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.

In both cases fruit and leaves are mentioned.

We showed in the gospels the emphasis upon a tree with only leaves and no fruit.
  • It was considered cursed.

Hebrews 6 speaks in the same way.

Heb 6:7-8 KJV  For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:  (8)  But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.

And we realize this is speaking about PEOPLE when we read:

Heb 6:9 KJV  But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

The fruit speaks of "THINGS THAT ACCOMPANY SALVATION."

John the baptist referred to this as well as follows:

Luke 3:7-9 KJV  Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  (8)  Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.  (9)  And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Fruits worthy of repentance were acts they performed that PROVED they had repented.
  • When you truly turn from sin, or repent, you stop doing sinful things and things associated with sinners that you used to do.
  • There are things that should accompany true salvation in a person's life.
  • Obedience to the Lord.
  • Faithfulness, and love for church teachings.
  • Ceasing from cussing, and lying and sexual sins.
  • Real salvation produces things in our lives, and that is why there are things that accompany salvation.
  • They just are always present when true salvation is in a person's life.

Mar 16:16 KJV  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.


We also read:

John 15:1-3 KJV  I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.  (2)  Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.  (3)  Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

The WORD CLEANS US so we can start bearing fruit.

But if the branch never bears fruit, we read:

John 15:4-6 KJV  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.  (5)  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.  (6)  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

So along with changes in our lives, fruit in our lives also represent these:

Gal 5:22-26 KJV  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,  (23)  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.  (24)  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.  (25)  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.  (26)  Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

It is possible to have many LEAVES of gifts of the Spirit, and no fruit.

1Co 1:7 KJV  So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

1Co 3:1-3 KJV  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.  (2)  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.  (3)  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

And the three things, ENVY, STRIFE and DIVISIONS are found here:

Gal 5:19-21 KJV  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,  (20)  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,  (21)  Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

So we see trees in the City of Revelation with LEAVES AND FRUIT.
  • There are both the gifts of the Spirit and FRUIT OF The Spirit.

1Co 12:7-10 KJV  But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.  (8)  For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;  (9)  To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;  (10)  To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

1Co 12:31 KJV  But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

1Co 13:1-2 KJV  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.  (2)  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

1Co 13:8 KJV  Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

1Co 13:13 KJV  And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Paul tried to ensure that everyone had fruit of the Spirit.
  • Love.
  • And he said that gifts will one day be gone, but love continues on forever.
  • He even said that you should covet the best gifts, and indicated the better way to see the gifts come is to concentrate on the fact that without love all the gifts means nothing in our lives.

Mat 5:16 KJV  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

This light is fruit of the Spirit.

God wants to manifest in our flesh.
  • God created man above angels and every other creature.
  • Nobody is both flesh and spirit like humanity is.
  • Even God was manifest in the flesh like us in order for Jesus to be spirit and flesh.
  • And this physical universe is what God wants to manifest through us and into.
  • God needs to manifest in mankind.
  • And miracles and healings go so far.
  • But what is further is when God's very nature is melded into our natures as we are changed in our very personalities.
  • The fruit of the Spirit is the nature of God becoming one with our natures.
  • Until we treat people like He would.

This leads to this chapter:

1Jo 4:1-4 KJV  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.  (2)  Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:  (3)  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.  (4)  Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

John was saying that the spirit of God in them was GREATER than the spirit of the world.
  • God's Spirit came and overcame their sins that came from the world.
  • It came in and defeated darkness!
  • The very fact that the Spirit of God in them was greater than the spirit of the world, because these folks were saved when the world would have kept them if it could, tells us they overcame!

1Jo 4:5-6 KJV  They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.  (6)  We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

They were both overcomers against the spirit of the world, and were true believers, because only those who know God hear and accept the words of the apostles.

1Jo 4:7 KJV  Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

This is mentioned, because the issue is who walks in the light and who does not.

1Jo 4:12-13 KJV  No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.  (13)  Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

You cannot have that kind of love unless He has given something to you of His Spirit when you love one another.

They cannot directly see God, but they know God is IN YOU - in your flesh - when you love like that.

Notice this:

The holy place of all was a certain shape.

1Ki 6:20 KJV  And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and he overlaid it with pure gold; and so covered the altar which was of cedar.

Rev 21:16 KJV  And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.

This city is in the shape of the most holy place.

And in this most holy place of the city, the believers are like trees with both leaves and fruit.
  • Gifts of the Spirit and fruit of the Spirit.

Exo 28:33-34 KJV  And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:  (34)  A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.

  • Notice it said pomegranates and BELLS BETWEEN THEM.
  • The emphasis was upon the FRUIT.
  • Bells were added between them.

Without fruit...

1Co 13:1 KJV  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

This high priest was the only one who could enter this most holy place.
  • He indicated it by having both fruit and bells... fruit and gifts.

The trees inside this holiest place were full of leaves and fruit, both.