In Psalm 80 the nation of Israel is likened to a vine which the Lord brought out of Egypt. In Isaiah 5, we learn of the care and culture the Lord bestowed upon His vine. Sadly, it brought forth wild grapes. He says, "I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto Me?" (Jen 2:21). Then in Hosea 10 He says, "Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself." On account of this, the Lord gave up Israel to the Gentile King Nebuchadnezzar. In Ezekiel 15, it tells of the vine being "cast into the fire for fuel.”
Matthew quotes from the prophet Hosea, "Out of Egypt have I called My Son." Thus Jesus replaces and begins again, morally, the history of that people. In John 15, Jesus presents Himself as "the true vine." He is the root of the now fruit-bearing system on the earth, and the disciples become the branches. By abiding in Christ and Christ in them, they would be fruit-bearing branches and the Father would be glorified in them.
Today, we live in the time of the calling out of a heavenly people. When the Church will be taken away, Israel will come again into the dealings of God with them, before He owns them and the millennial kingdom is established in the earth. Their state is described as a "vine" returned to their land by the help of a great maritime power, but not yet owned of God (Isa. 18). Doubtless, today we can easily see that the United States is such a power.
Verse 5 reads, "Afore the harvest, when the bud is perfect, and the sour grape is ripening in the flower, He shall both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks, and take away and cut down the branches." Notice that the grapes are still sour like the wild grapes of Isaiah 5. The Lord at this time watches from His dwelling, when all seems to go well to man's eye and Israel is apparently reestablished, yet the fruit-bearing vine is again trodden down and destroyed by the Gentile powers.
It seems that as we are nearing the close of this century and we see present-day Israel back in their land, without producing fruit for God, surely the time of their being trodden down is very near. The end of what is again a corrupt fruit-bearing system in the world receives its judgment at the hand of the Lord in Revelation 14:15-20. She is the "vine of the earth" whose grapes were fully ripe, and which are cast into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
The judgment of God will come, and then, "In that day sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine. I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day" (Isa. 27:2-3). In verse 6 it says, "Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.”
At the last Passover Jesus said, "I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come." This will be under the new covenant. (See Hebrews 8:8-13.) Ed.