Jesus Christ cursed a fig tree that refused to bear fruit, an event that occurred before His cleansing of the Temple, driving out the money changers, clearly establishing Christ's authority. After the temple cleansing incident, the fig tree withered. Israel has often been analogized as a fig tree and a grape vine. The fig tree not bearing fruit symbolized Israel's reluctance to bear fruit, refusing to obey God, leading to its rejection by God and its replacement by the Israel of God. Jesus cautioned His disciples to maintain their faith in God, assuring them that God is in control even though the world seems to be falling apart.