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 14:15-2015And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. 16And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. 17And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 19And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs. (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. 27:2-32In that day sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine. 3I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day. (Isaiah 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 8:8-138For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: 9Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. 10For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: 11And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. 12For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. 13In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away. (Hebrews 8:8‑13).) Ed.