When you besiege a city for a long time, while making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them; if you can eat of them, do not cut them down to use in the siege, for the tree of the field is man’s food. (Deuteronomy 20:19)
Before we move on to other passages, I concluded it would be worth our while to ponder one last thought in regard to men being likened to fruit trees. Seeing that our Father thoughtfully considers, and even favors, trees (men) that bear fruit, it is obviously needful for us to be those who do exactly that. As Messiah said: “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples” (John 15:8). Fusing this verse with our verse from Deuteronomy, we may conclude this as well: when war comes, it will be important to be recognized as a tree that is bearing fruit and providing food for this and future generations.
In other words, when war comes, it would not be good to be just any tree and without fruit — you’re likely to be cut down and burned. If you’re not following me, I’ll speak plainly: if we are in the end days, we are on the verge of events unlike anything the world has seen or will ever see again. Therefore, as God moves in the earth, shaking everything that is in the world, only that which is useful to His purpose will be left standing. Only those plants and trees that are functioning in their purpose will continue. Everything that is unprofitable in terms of His Kingdom will come to an end. In short, in the last days, the Creator is scanning the earth in search of trees producing good fruit — fruit that He intends to gather unto Himself.
On that note, let us consider another passage related to the Ingathering that will occur at the end of days. Through Isaiah, the Almighty said to those people He is assembling from the nations, “For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands” (Isaiah 55:11-12). My point is this: the “trees” that clap their hands are the people who have been found bearing good fruit and who have, in the midst of the “wartime” environment that is the last days, been called to gather unto Him. They will proceed to the mountain of the LORD with joy and in peace as the earth rejoices with them. How glorious! This, then, is the goal: to be counted as one who has done the will of the Creator and who, according to His plan and purpose, has been delivered from the destruction of the last days. Surely, that will be something to clap and sing about.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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