Fragment 8

1The Master answered me, “Do you not understand that the fig tree is the house of Israel? It is like a man who planted a fig tree in his garden, but it produced no fruit. He sought its fruit for many years, and when he found none, he said to the keeper of his garden, ‘Uproot this fig tree so that it does not make our ground unfruitful.’ The gardener said to God, ‘… clear away its weeds, dig the ground around it, and water it. If it still produces no fruit, we will immediately remove its roots from the garden and plant another in its place.’ Have you not understood that the fig tree is the house of Israel? Truly I tell you, when its twigs have sprouted in the last days, then false Christs will come and stir up expectation, saying, ‘I am the Christ, who has now come into the world.’ And when they recognize the wickedness of their deeds, they will turn aside after them and deny him … namely, the first Christ, whom they crucified, committing a great sin in doing so. But this deceiver is not the Christ. And when they reject him, he will kill with the sword, and there”