The Parable of the Olive Tree

     THE "Olive Tree" is God in His three substances: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, but since it is the "tree" which is manifested, the THE visible Olive Tree represents Jesus Christ. As was commented yesterday, Jesus saw people as "trees". It should be obvious that the Garden of Eden is analogous to the Kingdom of God, both on earth as well as Heaven. Indeed, Jesus said that we were to pray that way: "Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, in earth as in Heaven" (Mat 6:10).
     Thus, the trees of the Garden represents real people: The olive tree - Jesus, the fig tree - Satan, and the other trees real people.
     We also have seen that the Book of Judges speaks of "bramble". Those are obviously like the "tares', in this case undesirable "bushes" which will be burned (Mat 13:30; "Parable of the Sower"). Those who are born again are regenerated or "re-genesised" back into the image of God (Gen 1:27). Therefore, the image of Christians is likened to "wheat" in the Parable of the Sower, is also a sort of branch of the olive tree:

And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. (Rev 11:3-5).  

     The Church, which consists of all those who would desire to enter the Kingdom of God, are those who look at the prize, to re-enter Paradise by the one entry gate (Jesus) which is guarded by cherubim. (Gen 3:29). Not all the Church can enter there, There are those within the Church (see the seven churches of Asia in the Book of Revelation, which are the candlestick or Menorah) who will be threshed out. I believe the two "candlesticks" are representative of two of the seven types of churches as those in Asia whose lamps are still burning brightly. I will go no further into which of the seven it is for that is for another day.
     On the other hand, it makes sense that the two "witnesses" are those who saw Jesus do something. Elijah and Moses saw Jesus transfigured on Mount Herman, the "Holy Mountain" of sacred literature which was the abode of Seth's righteous line. They were to make for God three "tabernacles" or Churches: one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. It makes sense that two of the candlesticks or tabernacles (churches) will stand before God with His tabernacle (Church) (Mat 17:1-9).
     Although Mount Herman is the most accepted location for the transfiguration, there are two other candidates for that: Mount Tabor and the Mount of Olives. The latter makes more sense given the comparison of the olive trees from Revelation and the transfiguration. It would make sense that the two olive trees would go to the Mount of Olives to see Jesus transformed. The Mount of Olives, as I have written before, would be in the midst of the Garden of Eden, and it is right outside the Old City walls.
    With that given, the Mount of Olives may have been in the midst of the Garden where THE Olive Tree stood tall, it could be where Jesus was transformed back to the Tree of Life (God in three substances), and the place where the tabernacle to God would be built (the Church) for those in the two holy churches to worship. Certainly the Mount of Olives seems to be THE place for the Olive Tree to be "replanted" so to speak.
     From Scripture, the fig tree represents the nation of Israel as well as the Serpent's tree. That is one reason that I believe Jerusalem is "the harlot Babylon", but it shall be made holy when New Jerusalem comes down and the fig tree becomes part of the "vine"; that is righteous Israel. Of course, Israel represents the Church which must be threshed out in the end when the seven "candlesticks" are reduced to two.
     Now let is look at the Parable of the Olive Tree:

For I (Paul) speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. (Rom 11:13-27)

     Paul is describing THE Olive Tree: the Tree itself, the Root, and the Branches. Also mentioned are the fruits of the tree. (My book The Skull of Adam presents this same analogy.) The latter is the evidences of the Holy Spirit and are the twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit (Rev 22:2) which are: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faith, modesty, self-control, and chastity (Gal 5:22-23 Vulgate Version). Thus, the olives, represent the fruits of the spirit, and manifests the Holy Ghost who was seen after Jesus "gave up the ghost".
    The first fruits would be the twelve fruits, but the whole lump of fruit - the righteous - would be holy, as well as the root and branches. God is the root:

Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. (Jer 17:7-8)

    Therein the blessed man - the regenerated righteous man - is compared to the root of a tree. Made in the image of God, the regenerated man becomes like the Root in spirituality.  Of course, God is THE Root. The fruit mentioned in that passage would be the same twelve fruits from the Holy Spirit.
     What emanates from the roots? The Tree and its branches. Of course, the Tree is Jesus and the branches are those who are like Jesus. Elijah and Moses would be two of the most prominent lower branches and all the righteous would be lesser higher branches.  It's not the apostles, it seems, who would sit next to Jesus in Heaven, but it seems a prophet and a patriarch!
      The entire Tree is the Church built from the Root, with Jesus manifested, and the many branches. The earliest "branches" were the prophets and those who understood Jesus all along - the Messianic Christians. The "wild olive tree" would be the Gentile people to which Paul spoke. They were the grafted onto the Tree (onto Jesus). That was spoken of long ago: "God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant" (Gen 9:27).
    The Jews came from Shem and the Gentiles from Japheth and Canaan. The Roman people to whom Paul spoke were mostly Japhethites, mixed in with their servants from conquered nations - primarily those who would be northern African Cushites (from Canaan). The Parable of the Olive Tree was foretold a couple of thousand years before with that passsage!
     The unbelievers in the Jewish community were those branches which were broken off. Those limbs from the olive tree will be thrown into the bottomless pit to burn save 144,000 (from the Book of Revelation). The Jews were the "natural branches" and were not spared. Paul warns the Romans, as grafted or non-natural branches, that they too can be cut off. It does seem that five of the seven churches, mostly made up of Gentiles, will be cut off in the last days.
     The Gentiles were told to "continue in His goodness" or be cut off as well. They were continue practicing the many fruits of the spirit. It is implied that they could issue forth bad fruit. the fig-type fruit:

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 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. (Gal 5:19-21)

    A "tree" can be recognized by its fruit. I have compared the olive fruits with the fig fruits. Paul was warning the Romans: "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles" (Mat 7:16).  Jesus made it simple: he named the world's fruits: grapes and figs. Grapes are from the "vine" (spiritual Israel) and figs are the world's fruit which Jesus said cannot be gathered from thistles (perhaps bramble bushes from Judges 7).
    Lastly, Paul quoted Jesus. The Gentiles must continue as well or they too will be cut off; not to be proud because the Jews will be saved as well. Paul implies that just as Jesus was not only for the chosen people which are the Jews but for all peculiar people - Gentiles as well. Of course, Revelation reveals when the Jewish "olive branches" will be grafted back to their place.
     I could go on and on about all the "trees" of the Garden, but perhaps, we all can learn more as we study. What I write is not gospel, but makes sense from God's Word. Some differ. I didn't check their insight before writing my own. This is my take, and my take only, on the significance of all the "trees" in the Garden which mankind is to dress and keep. My wish is that it provides insight to the reader, and of course, the reader should test all I write using scripture, of which I provided much.