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dear supermanny,
i was puzzled by this too. if you search for "cursing fig tree" you will find many references (i liked this related elaboration),fr "as above, so below" ch , p.3, in smith's "david's question" - nina

http://www.bibleandanthroposophy.com
"let us see how this insight can clarify a certain passage of scripture (2 k 20,1-11; see also is 38) that has remained obscure to theologians to this day. in addition to "shadow," one should be aware of two other terms, "third day" and "figs." briefly speaking, "third day" means the time when something spiritually important will happen (see the discussion of jn 2,1 in the burning bush, p. 140). "figs" often refers to initiation into the ancient mysteries. we often read the phrase "under the tree." for now, the reader can best think of it in connection with christ's cursing of the fig tree (mt 21,18-22; mk 11,12-14,20-24). without understanding what was meant, this story has also been a puzzle to theologians until this very day. what is meant by it is that christ was bringing in a new method of initiation. the old method of the "three days' journey" (see the burning bush) was passing away, never again to produce fruit (jn 1,45-51 and lk 13,6-9). the story of buddha gaining enlightenment "under the bodhi tree" is illustrative of this point in the bible. when one reaches the level of spiritual insight represented by having attained enlightenment "under the tree," one can go back in his or her "house" (soul) and see the karma there from prior incarnations. for instance, the "illness" in one's life normally stems from this.

the passage from second kings reads (rsv; emphasis mine):

1 in those days hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. and isaiah the prophet the son of amoz came to him, and said to him, "thus says the lord, 'set your house in order; for you shall die, you shall not recover.'" 2 then hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the lord, saying, 3 "remember now, o lord, i beseech thee, how i have walked before thee in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in thy sight." and hezekiah wept bitterly. 4 and before isaiah had gone out of the middle court, the word of the lord came to him: 5 "turn back, and say to hezekiah the prince of my people, thus says the lord, the god of david your father: i have heard your prayer, i have seen your tears; behold i will heal you; on the third day you shall go up to the house of the lord. 6 and i will add fifteen years to your life. i will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of assyria, and i will defend this city for my own sake and for my servant david's sake." 7 and isaiah said, "bring a cake of figs. and let them take and lay it on the boil, that he may recover."

8 and hezekiah said to isaiah, "what shall be the sign that the lord will heal me, and that i shall go up to the house of the lord on the third day?" 9 and isaiah said, "this is the sign to you from the lord, that the lord will do the thing that he has promised: shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or go back ten steps?" 10 and hezekiah answered, "it is an easy thing for the shadow to lengthen ten steps; rather let the shadow go back ten steps." 11 and isaiah the prophet cried to the lord; and he brought the shadow back ten steps, by which the sun had declined on the dial of ahaz.

in this light, one is warranted in seeing that hezekiah was enabled by the spiritual guidance of isaiah to look back into his own karmic past and there to foresee what faced him still.18 in the verses that immediately follow, it is said that all that was in the "house" of hezekiah was revealed, meaning all of his karmic picture or "destiny."