“The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men.” (Joel 1:12)

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Verse twelve continues to give us the same story that the entire chapter is focused upon, and that is the Word of God being withdrawn from the human race.  This verse begins by stating that the vine is dried up.  The Vine is ultimately Jesus Christ – the Word of God.

John 15:5 – 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. 

John 1:14 – And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

The Word of God – the Gospel of Jesus Christ – is symbolized in many various ways throughout scripture.  Verse twelve begins by stating that the vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth.  Verse seven begins with a similar statement:  “He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree…”  Both statements begin with the vine and the fig tree.  Recall the reason the prophet Joel gives for the demise of the Gospel; it is Satan’s final attack upon the Word of God and God Himself will allow this to go just so far, since God was, is, and always will be in full control.  The source of the withering of the Tree of Life is given in verse six:

Joel 1:6 – For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion.

Trees of the Field – Withered

All the trees of the field are withered, God tells us.  Why?  Because JOY is withered away from the sons of men.  Notice carefully that we do not read that joy is withered away from the sons of God.  Joy is withered away from the sons of men – those who are yet unsaved.  No unregenerate or unrepentant (unsaved) person can possibly realize the full extent of what this joy entails, nonetheless this spiritual joy – the true Gospel of Jesus Christ – will and is withering from the sons of men; it is becoming and will become nearly extinct.  This is the scenario for the end of days.  Sadly you may not hear this doctrine within the “churches”, and that is certainly to be expected as we see church after church fall into the materialistic clutches of the prince of this world and of darkness.  Nonetheless we have total confirmation throughout the precious Word of God that such an event is destined to occur during these final years.  When we say that the true Gospel of Jesus Christ is slowly withering from the sons of men, we are speaking strictly of the TRUE Gospel in every respect.  Surely the churches within the United States are flourishing, and even more so as the war continues to rage.  They impose their flags of glory upon the altars of Christ, and make no mistake about it – it is a compromise of Christ plus a cunning worship of a beastly image that participates and promotes the dominance of war, death and destruction in the name of Christ.  It holds no place upon the altars of Christ – what shameful blasphemy!  Yes of course, and what does God say about this?

“I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images,” Isaiah 42:8

The vine is dried up!  As we continue to approach the Last Day, the world and the organized churches will plummet further and further into the clutches of doom and gloom.  For the true child of God, they need keep Psalms 69:15 in the forefront of their hearts:

“Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.”

Isaiah 38:18 – For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.

Ezekiel 31:14 – To the end that none of all the trees by the waters <those affiliated with the Gospel waters?  Tares within the churches?> exalt themselves for their height, neither shoot up their top among the thick boughs, neither their trees stand up in their height, all that drink water: <tares within the church?  Those who pretend to drink of Christ.> for they are all delivered unto death, to the nether parts of the earth, in the midst of the children of men <sons of men>, with them that go down to the pit. 

Even all the trees of the field are withered because joy is withered away from the sons of men, Joel 1:12.  The trees of the field in this reference would more than likely symbolize the true Word of God and/or Christians (wheat) upon the earth.  The church from its inception has been a glorious call to come to the peaceful waters of Christ our God:

Isaiah 55:12 – For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Isaiah 55:1 – ¶Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

In today’s world each and every true born-again Christian has certainly not withered away from their safety in Christ.  It is impossible for one to lose their eternal salvation.  However, it is a fact of scripture that the preaching of the true Gospel among the organized churches will wither away in these final days.  God will withdraw His Holy Spirit from the earth, i.e. the sons of men.  

Ezekiel 17:24 – And all the trees of the field shall know that I the LORD have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the LORD have spoken and have done it.

When God uses the analogy of fig trees, apple trees, pomegranate trees, and palm trees we know that these are symbols or representations of groups such as, and especially, congregations.  God tells us that they have withered away…because of the fact that JOY is withered from the sons of men.  God is withdrawing this joy – the chance to receive eternal salvation – from among the trees of the field.  The strength of the Gospel call is no longer present as it was in previous times.

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NOTE:  We are not advocating that salvation is no longer possible at this time.  We are, however, WARNING all who read these studies that God appears to be withdrawing His Spirit from the earth in these final days.  We are WARNING all to flee to the true Cross of Christ and call upon His name in all sincerity and without hesitation!   Don’t be as the hypocrites, who can discern the face of the sky, but not discern the signs of the times, Matthew 16:3.   We do not know how far we have gone into the times wherein the trees of the field will have withered away.   We have no need of knowing the day or the hour; we surely know that now is the approximate time that the bridegroom cometh.

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Adapted