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Donkey
Matthew 21:4-5 “All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ””
Back in Genesis 22:3 we see that Abraham used a donkey to transport his son Isaac and the wood to make the offering, “So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which YHWH had told him.” The statement of faith, and his promised son is a prophetic vision of YHWH and Yeshua, and our faith in the piece of wood that Yeshua would have had to carry.
The donkey has been used many times as a symbol of humbleness and not war. But even in the story of Samson using a donkey’s jawbone in Judges 15 (click here to read more), the “jawbone” represents provision and judgement, even those it is from a humble donkey.
Fig Tree
Matthew 21:20 “And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?””
Later in Matthew 24, the famous chapter about the end times and great tribulations to come, Yeshua mentions the fig tree again, verse 32 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.” This reference to figs, fruits and summer can be learned back from Micah 7 (click here to read more) and Jeremiah 8 (click here to read more), where the end of summer symbolizes the end of age, and also the meaning of figs.
Two Sons
Matthew 21:31 “Which of the two did the will of his father?”
The symbolism of “Two Sons” goes right back to creation. We have Adam, the first son created who sinned, and Yeshua, called the 2nd Adam or Son of Man, who came to cleanse and forgive sins. Adam had two sons, Cain and Abel, where Cain was the first to kill. Then there is Esau and Jacob, where we learn about the plan of YHWH, man’s deception and forgiveness. Tamar gave birth to twins from Judah, and we learned how the second son is a prophetic message about the Messiah. Joseph had two sons born in Egypt, and we learn how they were grafted in to Israel. Israel split into two kingdoms, the North (Israel) and the South (Judah), effectively becoming brothers.
Yeshua also gave the Parable about the “Prodigal Son” in Luke 15:11-32, which is such a reminder of all the examples we have seen in the past with the two brothers.. the younger one usually rebels, but the father’s love forgives, and the older brother that was a better example, ends up being resentful to his brother. Here in Matthew 21 the first brother agrees to do as his father asked, but never does it. The second son rebels and don’t want to do it, but has a change in heart and obeys his father. The father loves both. We need to watch ourselves that we don’t become prideful and resentful to those who are lost, and might be saved. Yeshua repeats this statement a few times, “The last will be first, and the first will be last.”
