The Olive Tree

My latest discovery of seven is Jacob 5: the Allegory of the Olive Tree. I will first outline the seven groups then I will try to explain to the best of my ability why each section belongs to its respective number. Unlike with a good chiasmus, I have not noticed a common evenness, or symmetry, between groupings of numbers. For example some numbers may have more emphasis than others; and that appears to be the case here where four has the largest volume of text.

Main Structure:

1) vs 3-6 Desire to change
2) vs 7-14 Scattering/Separation
3) vs 15-28 Fruits of obedience
4) vs 29-51 Fruits of disobedience/Worthy of destruction
5) vs 52-60 God’s Mercy
6) vs 61-70 Gathering/Build up the church
7) vs 71-77 Perfection/Unity

Since this is an allegory there are going to be many interpretations and meanings. None of them are necessarily wrong. I would say that this structure applies to any of the interpretations. To me this structure matches quite exactly with the process of repentance with a little spin on it. This is what God goes through to bring His children to repentance and perfection.

The first area usually always has to do with a beginning, a starting over, or the initial characteristics that form the foundation for the rest. The second area is a division, a separation, or as the early church called it ‘the doctrine of the two ways’. The third usually has to do with obedience and commitment. The fourth area has to do with sacrifice and death and in this case guilt. The fifth area has to do with gifts and mercy and in this case a mixing to set conditions right. The sixth area has to do with organizing and setting things straight. The seventh is the last, the end, and has to do with perfecting; God’s hand is always involved, usually directly.

I could have tried to justify this structure and order by showing another structure or parts of others but I think it is better that I explained this as a stand alone structure. As I show others, the best way to understand that this is a real structure is to compare them and see if they do in fact compare; some may not at first appearance, and that is the nature of it.