217、在圣言中，“葡萄树”表示属灵良善，“无花果树”表示属世良善，这一点如今完全不为人知，因为圣言的内义已经遗失。然而，每当这些词出现的时候，它们都表示或包含这层含义；如在主以比喻论到葡萄园和无花果树的话中，马太福音：
耶稣看见路旁有一棵无花果树，就走到跟前，在树上找不着什么，只有叶子，就对树说，从今以后，你永不结果子，那无花果树就立刻枯干了。（马太福音21:19）
这表示世上找不到任何良善，甚至连属世良善也找不到。在耶利米书，“葡萄树”和“无花果树”具有同样的含义：
他们行可憎的事，觉得羞愧吗？不然，他们毫不羞愧，也不知道怎样脸红；因此，耶和华说，我必彻底收拾他们；葡萄树上必没有葡萄，无花果树上必没有无花果，叶子也必凋落。（耶利米书8:12-13）
这表示一切良善，无论属灵的还是属世的，都已灭亡，因为他们如此堕落，以至于连羞耻感都丧失了，就像如今那些陷入邪恶，非但不为自己的恶行脸红，反而以此夸耀的人。何西阿书：
我发现以色列如旷野的葡萄；我看见你们的列祖如起初无花果树上的初熟果子。（何西阿书9:10）
约珥书：
田野的走兽阿，不要惧怕，因为树木将要结果，无花果树和葡萄树也都效力。（约珥书2:22）
此处“葡萄树”表示属灵良善，“无花果树”表示属世良善。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]217. The symbolism in the Word of a grapevine as spiritual-level good and of a fig tree as earthly-level good is completely unknown today because the inner meaning of the Word has been lost. Wherever these words come up, however, that is what they symbolize or refer to. What the Lord said in various parables about vineyards and fig trees had the same meaning.{*1} So did his words in Matthew:
Jesus, seeing a fig tree along the way, came to it but found nothing on it except leaves alone. So he said to it, "May fruit not come from you from now to eternity!" Accordingly the fig tree instantly withered. (Matthew 21:19)
These words meant that no good was to be found on the earth, not even good on the earthly plane. The grapevine and fig tree have a similar meaning in Jeremiah:
"Were they ashamed that they did an abominable thing? They felt no shame at all, and they did not know how to blush. So I will utterly destroy them," says Jehovah. "There are no grapes on the grapevine, no figs on the fig tree, and the leaf has fallen off." (Jeremiah 8:12-13)
This means that all good — both spiritual and earthly — had died out, because people were such that they could not even feel shame. They were like those today who have evil in them but are so far from feeling shame that they brag about it. In Hosea:
Israel was like grapes in the wilderness when I discovered him. Your ancestors were like first fruit on a young fig tree when I saw them. (Hosea 9:10)
And in Joel:
Do not be afraid, animals of my fields; because the tree will bear its fruit, the fig tree and the grapevine will yield their strength. (Joel 2:22)
A grapevine stands for spiritual good, a fig tree for earthly good.
Footnotes:
{*1} For parables about vineyards and fig trees, see Matthew 20:1-16; 21:28-32; 24:32; Mark 12:1-11; 13:28; Luke 13:6-9; 20:9-16; 21:29-30. [LHC]
Potts(1905-1910) 217
217. That the "vine" is used in the Word to signify spiritual good, and the "fig-tree" natural good, is at this day utterly unknown, because the internal sense of the Word has been lost; nevertheless, wherever these expressions occur, they signify or involve this meaning; as also in what the Lord spoke in parables concerning a "vineyard" and a "fig-tree;" as in Matthew:
Jesus seeing a fig-tree in the way, came to it, but found nothing thereon save leaves only, and He said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward forever; and presently the fig-tree withered away (Matt. 21:19), by which is meant, that no good, not even natural good, was to be found upon the earth. Similar is the meaning of the "vine" and "fig-tree" in Jeremiah:
Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? Nay, they were not at all ashamed, and they knew not how to blush; therefore I will surely gather them, saith Jehovah; there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig-tree, and the leaf hath fallen (Jer. 8:12-13), by which is signified that all good, both spiritual and natural, had perished, since they were so depraved as to have lost even the sense of shame, like those at the present day who are in evil, and who, so far from blushing for their wickedness, make it their boast. In Hosea:
I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the first-ripe in the fig-tree in the beginning (Hos. 9:10). And in Joel:
Be not afraid, ye beasts of My fields, for the tree shall bear its fruit, the fig-tree and the vine shall yield their strength (Joel 2:22). The "vine" here denotes spiritual good, and the "fig-tree" natural good.
Elliott(1983-1999) 217
217. That in the Word 'vine' means spiritual good and 'fig' natural good is totally unknown nowadays because the internal sense of the Word has been lost. Nevertheless this is what vine and fig mean or embody whenever they occur, as with the Lord's statements in His parables involving a vineyard and also a fig tree, and in the incident recorded in Matthew,
Jesus seeing a fig tree by the wayside went to it but found nothing on it but leaves only; therefore He said to it, Let no fruit from now on ever be born from you! Therefore the fig tree withered at once. Matt 21:19.This meant that no good, not even natural good, was found on earth. 'Vine' and 'fig' have the same meaning in Jeremiah,
Were they ashamed that they committed abomination? No indeed, they were not at all filled with shame and they did not know how to blush. Therefore I will surely gather them, says Jehovah; there will be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree; and its leaf has fallen. Jer 8:12, 13.This means that all good, both spiritual and natural, had perished, for people were such that they were not even capable of being filled with shame, just as nowadays people governed by evil are so brazen that they even boast about that evil. In Hosea,
Like grapes in the wilderness I found Israel; like the first fruit on the fig tree, in the beginning, I saw your fathers. Hosea 9:10.
And in Joel,
Fear not, you beasts of my fields, for the tree will bear its fruit, the fig tree and the vine will give their full yield. Joel 2:22.
'Vine' stands for spiritual good, 'fig' for natural good.
Latin(1748-1756) 217
217. Quod 'vitis' in Verbo significet bonum spirituale, et 'ficus' bonum naturale, hodie prorsus ignoratur, quia sensus internus Verbi periit; cum tamen ubicumque occurrunt, tale significant aut involvunt: etiam quae Dominus locutus de vinea in parabolis, tum de ficu: quodque apud Matthaeum, Jesus videns ficum unam in via, venit ad eam, sed nihil invenit in ea, nisi folia tantum, ideo dixit ei, Ne posthac fructus ex te nascatur in aeternum; unde arefacta est ex tempore ficus, xxi 19;per quae intellectum, quod nihil bonum ne quidem naturale inventum in terra: per 'vitem et ficum' simile intelligitur apud Jeremiam, Pudefacti sunt, quod abominationem fecerint, etiam pudendo non pudore affecti sunt, et erubescere nescierunt;... ideo colligendo colligam eos, dictum Jehovae, non uvae in vite, non ficus in ficu, et folium decidit, viii 12, 13;
quo significatur quod omne bonum tam spirituale quam naturale perierit, quia tales ut ne quidem pudore affici potuerint; sicut hodie qui in malo, tantum non pudefiunt, ut se jactent de malo: apud Hosheam, Sicut uvas in deserto inveni Israelem; sicut primitivum in ficu in initio vidi patres vestros, ix 10:
et apud Joelem, Ne timeatis bestiae agrorum meorum,... quia arbor fere fructum suum, ficus et vitis dabit vim {x}suam, ii 22;
'vitis' pro bono spirituali, 'ficus' pro bono naturali.