Parallelism in Matthew 21 on the Authority of Yeshua and His Disciples

 

• V1 - Yeshua approaches Jerusalem via House of Unripe Figs
• V2-7 - Yeshua claims authority over Jerusalem
• V8-11 - Jerusalem acknowledges his authority
• V12-13 - Yeshua claims authority over Temple
• V14-16 - People acknowledge his authority over Temple
• V17 - Returns from House of Dates via House of Unripe Figs
• V18-19 - Yeshua has authority over fruit of Jerusalem
• V20-22 - Disciples have authority over mount Zion
• V23-25 - Yeshua's authority questioned by the priests
• V26-27 - Priests' authority threatened by people & Yeshua

Bethphage was between Bethany and Jerusalem. The first time Yeshua entered Jerusalem in v1, he was coming from Jericho. The second time in v17, he was coming from Bethany, but both times he had to pass through Bethphage, even though the second half of the narrative doesn't make that explicit.

Bethphage means "house of unripe figs" and Bethany means either "house of dates" or "house of misery". Since fruit figures prominently in this story and literary structure, I suspect that Matthew and Yeshua mean for us to understand it as "house of dates".

Notice that both halves of the parallelism follow this pattern:

1. Approaching Jerusalem

2. Authority over Jerusalem/Zion

3. Authority over the Temple/Priesthood

By entering Jerusalem the way he did, seated on the donkey, Yeshua claimed to be a deliverer and King of Israel. By sitting on the cloaks of the Twelve Disciples and accepting the accolades, cloaks, and palm branches of the people, he also accepted the submission of the people of Jerusalem to his authority. He then entered the Temple and asserted his authority there by driving out the merchants and money changers and reasserting its intended role as a house of prayer for all nations. In turn, the people again acknowledge his authority by bringing their sick for healing and crying out "Hosanna to the Son of David!" 

In the second half of the parallelism, Yeshua repeats his assertion of authority over Zion by inspecting the fruit of the land and cursing an unproductive tree. Even though this was spring time and well before the season for ripe figs, there should at least have been immature fruit buds forming. (Based on my personal experience with fig trees in my yard, which I admit are not the same variety and might behave differently.) This tree might represent the people of Israel outside of Jerusalem, but I believe it is much more likely that it represents the religious leadership of Judah, which he was replacing with the Twelve Disciples.

Yeshua caused the Sadducees and Pharisees to wither away and he destroyed the Temple to keep them from continuing to defile it. In historical terms, this withering happened almost immediately, about 40 years later. In their stead, he appointed the Disciples to leadership over the people, evidenced by using their cloaks as a saddle on the donkey which, in turn, rode over the cloaks of Jerusalem. (See 2 Kings 9:1-13.) The disciples didn't become a replacement priesthood, but they did take over as God's national teachers and judges.

Two related resources:

A chiasm in Mark 11 on the cleansing of the Temple and the withering of the fig tree.

Video teaching on Yeshua's Triumphal Entry, the two donkeys, and the coats and palm branches...