18 The testimony of the last days is not to be mocked.

And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children [young men] out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them. (II Kings 2:23,24)

Some may feel pity for these young men. But think what they were doing! There was quite a crowd of them. Why were they mocking an elder, a distinguished prophet of Israel? Why were they daring him to go up to the heaven in a whirlwind as Elijah did?

Where were their parents who would allow forty-two lads to be doing nothing more constructive than mocking the most famous prophet in Israel? This conduct was not typical of Jewish children, but it is typical of the last days as young people are allowed to do as they please.

The two she bears typify the two witnesses. The forty-two young men symbolize the forty-two months (3-1/2 years) during which the Divine testimony will be given.

The boys came out of the city, revealing that the opposition to the testimony of God will come from the "city" that is called Sodom (the lust of the flesh), Egypt (the lust of the eyes), and Jerusalem (the pride of life). The two bears came out of the wood, signifying that the anointed saints will not be part of the Antichrist world culture but will be living in the Spirit of God.

By mocking an elder these young men were defying the institutions of their culture. They were wicked, rebellious young men. They portray the wicked, rebellious attitude of the lawless people of the last days who will show no respect for the decent and honourable institutions of their former culture.

Elisha was going up to Bethel, to the House of God. The saints of the Lord love above all else to go up to the mountain of prayer, up to the Presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, there to seek the Face and will of God.

Those who do so in the last days will be persecuted in the cities of the earth. The bodies of the two witnesses "lie in the street of the city."

The bears come "out of the wood," not out of the city. The end-time testimony will not be one of education and art forms, of the customs and values prevalent in the centres of civilization. The testimony will be raw, plain, natural, earthy, simple, honest. It will be given in integrity and straightforwardness. Gone will be the trappings of stained glass windows, organs, robed choirs, steeples, and the rest of the pomp and finery of religious Babylon (man-directed Christianity).

The Divine testimony will come "out of the wood," out of what is natural, of the earth, sincere, unadorned, of the Lord God of the whole earth.

When man comes into the Presence of God he must "take his shoes off." We are not to "lift up a tool" on the stones of the altar. The inventions of humans have no place in the Divine testimony. We are to come before God and allow Him to use us as He will.

The gentle Jesus cursed the fig tree. He cursed the fig tree for not bearing figs out of season. How "unreasonable"! But it reveals the absolute control over nature that Jesus possesses and that we too will possess if we follow on to know the Lord.

Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. (Matthew 21:18-22)

Why did not Jesus bless the fig tree so it would be able to bear fruit in abundance? Why did He curse it so it never again could bear fruit?

Bible teachers have found symbolic meaning in the cursing of the fig tree and in removing the mountain and casting it into the sea. Without doubt there is spiritual significance here.

In explaining the meaning of His actions to His disciples, Jesus did not stress the spiritual application. He emphasized the necessity of faith, of exercising and speaking words of faith. Jesus’ explanation teaches us that He considers cursing fig trees and casting mountains into the sea to be normal behavior for the sons of God.

Why did Jesus talk to us about cursing fig trees and casting mountains into the sea? Why would anyone desire to curse a fig tree or cast a mountain into the sea?

Jesus prophesied to us that the person who believes in Him would perform the same works He did, and greater works than these because Jesus has gone to be with the Father in Heaven. Jesus was referring to works of much greater power, stupendously greater power, than He performed while on earth. Jesus now is at the right hand of the Father and can direct such earth-shaking feats from His position in the Presence of the Majesty on high.

The holy remnant, in the closing days of this age, will be issued enough Divine faith to enable them to perform the works of power of which Jesus spoke. God’s elect will demonstrate His almighty power by creating massive changes in nature—far greater evidences of the power of God than were revealed in the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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