“Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying ‘Jeremiah, what do you see?’ And I said, ‘I see a rod of an almond tree'” (Jeremiah 1:11).

There are many symbols used in the Scriptures, earthly elements to provide revelation and insight into spiritual things. Oil, wine, bread, gold, silver, are all used in a fashion to give us a picture of things unseen. It is not often one hears of the Almond Tree in this way; but the mysterious Almond Tree has many secrets to reveal.

“Then said the Lord unto me, ‘You have well seen; for I will hasten My Word to perform it'” (Jeremiah 1:12).

Almond Tree (Heb): Shaqed from Shaqad: The Almond Tree being in full bloom; Shaqad: To be alert, sleepless; to be on the lookout; to be awake

In this prophetic exchange the Lord is advising the Prophet that what Jeremiah saw was a symbol of the actions that were about to be taken by the Almighty. The Lord, Who “neither slumbers nor sleeps” (cf. Psalms 121:4) was going to be awake, alert and ready to hasten, or be early on His watch to accomplish His purpose in Israel. It is of note that the Almond Tree is called “the waking tree”, or “waking fruit” with its early blossoms in the Spring. It is a kind of first fruit of the Season.

The Almond Flower was incorporated into the Candlestick in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle of Moses. The ever awake, ever alert, sleepless watcher, was built into the construction of the ever burning, light bearing Candlestick. There were “three bowls made like to almonds with a knop and a flower in one branch and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower; so in the six branches that come out of the Candlestick. And in the Candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers” (Exodus 25:33-34). The symbolism is hard to miss with the inspiration of the Spirit dictating to Moses the pattern shown Him on the Mount.

What is this speaking to us for our day, for our time? We, the Church, the Candlestick of the Lord (cf. Revelation 1:20), the Light of the World, must not only shine the Light of Christ, but be ever alert, ever awake to the needs of the world, and be ever ready to hasten to move in the Spirit to fulfill the purpose of God. The events of the world today are happening in rapid succession, and we must be on rapid response with answers for the suffering and the dying souls of mankind.

Aaron’s Rod That Budded: “And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the Tabernacle of Witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the House of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds” (Numbers 17:8). What a miraculous sign it was to the people to confirm the Priesthood of Aaron against those who rose up to challenge the authority God had placed among the People to govern and lead them as the People of God. The Rod, the symbol of authority, was transformed from a dead stick, to a life-giving, fruitful instrument in the hand of the Anointed Priest.

The Lord is speaking to us today that He will hasten to fulfill His word as it flows from His confirmed authority, the Ekklesia, the Church of the Firstborn, to produce life out of death from His Life-Giving Spirit that abides in His Body; that we will go forth in the authority of His Word to bear much fruit, even in dry places, and to carry the Gospel to the ends of the world, even to the end of the age.

The Mysterious Almond Tree is here and by the Spirit of God has been woven into the fabric of the Gospel. Let it speak to us to hasten to be fruitful, ever awake, ever alert and ever ready to shine with the Light and Life of Jesus.

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