13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.

The Barren Fig Tree

Brother Palmer, Swansea, forwards the following extract from a book of travel in Palestine:

"From our camp in Ain Haramujeh, or Robbers' Fountain, a few miles north of Bethel, we could see the hills clothed to their very summits with fig gardens, now in their bright spring greenery. A Syrian gentleman, who was my constant companion through this part of Palestine, plucked the young figs as he passed without stint or scruple. His reply to my question as to his right to do so, was instructive, as throwing light upon an incident in the life of our Lord, as to which some difficulty has been felt.

In the early spring, when the first leaves appear, an immense number of small figs are produced, which do not ripen, but fall from the branches, crude and immature, to the ground. To these we find a reference in the Apocalypse,

"As a fig tree casteth her untimely figs."

The true crop is not produced till later in the year. This first crude "untimely" growth, though of no commercial value, is yet plucked and eaten by the peasantry, sometimes with a pinch of salt, sometimes with bread. Like the wild fruit of our hedgerows, it is free to all passers-by.

It was just at this early season, before the Feast of the Passover, that our Lord and his disciples, having walked from Bethany, "hungered," seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, they sought fruit and found nothing thereon but leaves only For the time of figs was not yet, that is to say, seeing leaves, they had a right to expect fruit.

Finding fruit, they would have had a right to pluck it, "for the time of figs was not yet." The true and valuable crop was not yet produced. This incident he turned into a solemn lesson of warning to the Jews. It was at the close of his public ministry,

"Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit and finding none,"

nothing but leaves of mere profession and outward privilege. The time of forbearance and patient pitying had passed. That of rejection and destruction had come;

"And he said unto it, let not fruit grow on thee henceforward forever, and presently the fig tree withered away."

The Christadelphian, Jul 1889

30 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me.

"John and Jesus were both 'made under the Law,' though for a different purpose: and were both co-workers in the proclamation of the Gospel of the Kingdom, and in the immersion of all who believed what they preached for remission of sins.

The belief of their converts was characterised by the development in them of an Abrahamic disposition and mode of thinking—(Rom. 4:18–22, Luke 1:17),—which, in their submitting to immersion, were counted to them for 'Repentance:' and by the immersion of such as its subjects, characterised the immersion as the

'Baptism of Repentance for the remission of sins.'

"The times' were constituted of a divine cycle by the Mosaic law.

'The law and the prophets were until John,'—(Luke 16:16)

—that is, 'they prophesied' or preached, until John, in being read every Saturday or Sabbath day, in the synagogue—(Matt. 11:13; Acts 15:21);—but 'since that time'—since the beginning of John's proclamation, 'the kingdom of God is preached.'

The beginning of John's preaching was 'the beginning of the gospel,' not simply of Christ, which was set forth in the law and the prophets,—(Rom. 1:2, 3)—but 'of Jesus Christ, Son of the Deity,'—(Mark 1:1)—by the Messenger sent before Him.

The Johannist voice in the wilderness proclaiming the approaching manifestation to Israel of Yah, Yahweh, Ail of salvation'—(Is. 12:2; 26:4)—in the flesh. John said, 'I am not He, but am sent before Him;' Jesus said, 'I am He.'

John preached till thrown into prison; then Jesus carried on the work without him, assisted by the Twelve and the Seventy. The conjoint ministry of John and Jesus was the work of Daniel's Seventieth week, which ended at the crucifixion—it was the confirmation of the Abrahamic or New Covenant for many—(Dan. 9:27; Rom. 15:8) and consummated in the cutting off of Messiah the Prince. There was nothing like this in all the previous times of the Law. It was a novel procedure altogether; it was decidedly 'an innovation upon the times in which he lived.'

'If so, how is it that no objection was ever made to it?'

There is no recorded objection, it is true; we may therefore suppose that there was none.

One reason then may have been, because 'he came in the spirit and power of Elijah,' however they may have been manifested; because therefore and secondly, all the people held John for a prophet—(Matt 21:26)—; thirdly, they were all on the tiptoe of expectation for the speedy appearance of Christ, and would be pre-disposed to hear what he had to say, especially as his ministry did not supersede the necessity of continued observances of the Law; and fourthly, although John did no miracles, they beheld a grand confirmation of his mission at the baptism of Jesus, in the descent upon him of the Spirit-Dove, and the voice of recognition from the excellent glory, declaring him to be the Son of God.

Still, there were some that objected, saying

'He hath a demon' (Matt. 11:18)."

Ambassador of the Coming Age, Feb 1869