Thus saith the Lord God; I will also take of the highest branch of
the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his
young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon an high mountain
and eminent: In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant
it: and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly
cedar: and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the
shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell. And all the trees
of the field shall know that I, the Lord, have brought down the high
tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and
have made the dry tree to flourish: I the Lord have spoken and have
done it (verses 22-24).
And now once more Israel's hope and Israel's future comes into view. The
allegory of the parable is continued. The cedar is the royal house of
David. God in His Sovereignty promises to take "of its young shoots a
tender one and I will plant it upon a high and eminent mountain." This
tender one is the Messiah, the Son of David. It is the same promise as
given in the Prophet Isaiah. "And there shall come forth a rod out of
the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots" (Is. xi:1).
"For He shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of
a dry ground" (Is. liii:2). The high and eminent mountain typifies Mount
Zion and the Kingdom of Messiah is pictured in the closing verses of the
chapter. The high tree which is brought low, the green tree which is
dried up is the symbol of Gentile world-power. The low tree which is
exalted and the dry tree which is made to flourish stands for the
restoration of the Kingdom to Israel when the Son of David, our Lord,
comes again. Then the high tree will be cut down and the now flourishing
Gentile dominion will dry up; Israel the low tree will be exalted and
the long, dry and barren nation will bring its blessed fruit.