After substantiating with scriptures how the Jews would reject the Messiah, Jacob prefaces his telling of Zenos's allegory by posing an additional scriptural question: "And now, my beloved, how is it possible that these [Jews] after having rejected the sure foundation, can ever build upon it, that it may become the head of their corner?
According to Brant Gardner, in a general way the allegory that follows can be described as the Lord's efforts with the children of Israel symbolized in the Lord of the Vineyard's efforts to sustain his olive-tree vineyard. However, in the context of Jacob's discourse, the allegory more specifically serves to deal with the just quoted question of the rejected Messiah. That is, How can one reconcile a rejected and crucified Messiah with the triumphal Messiah prophesied by Isaiah? And how can one who is rejected by Israel become the leader of Israel?
Before giving his own explanation to this dilemma, Gardner notes that a more traditional interpretation of Jacob's use of Zenos had previously been given by Paul Hoskisson. He quotes Hoskisson as follows:
I cannot complete this discussion of the allegory of the olive tree without returning to the beginning, the reason Jacob gave the allegory: How can we be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ? . . . to the best of my ability [let me] clearly explain how we can be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. As the allegory suggests, the process is deceptively simple and easy: Remain attached long enough to our roots, the scriptural heritage revealed by the God of Israel, that the healing influence of divine direction,, of a "knowledge of the true Messiah," our Lord and Redeemer (1 Nephi 10:14), can change us from a twig bearing bitter fruit to a natural twig bearing good fruit. It does not matter whether our scriptural heritage is planted in a good spot on the earth or a bad one, we can bear fruit under the loving and wise care of the Lord of the vineyard. (Paul Hoskisson, "The Allegory of the Olive Tree in Jacob" in The Allegory of the Olive Tree , FARMS, p. 96)
Concerning this traditional approach, Gardner makes the following commentary:
For the question Hoskisson answers, I cannot improve on his words. However, he answers a different question than the one posed by Jacob. Hoskisson discusses a personal reconciliation: "How can we be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ?" Though an important question and answer, and traceable through the themes of the allegory, it does not discuss Jacob's issue. Jacob is using the allegory to show how a rejected Christ can become the "head of their corner." That is, Jacob had been discussing the Jews as a stiffnecked people who had (and would) reject the words of the prophets-and their Messiah (see Jacob 4:14)
According to Gardner, the question of the Messiah is not answered directly, for the allegory discusses Israel, not the Messiah. Nevertheless, it is the temporal setbacks and ultimate triumph of the Lord that is the theme. Jacob's answer is to show that the Lord has plans and powers that extend across time, and that although Israel may stray, the Lord will care for Israel until the final success of the Lord's covenant. The focus of Jacob's answer is not on how the Messiah could change, but rather how the people could be changed so that they who once rejected their Messiah might be ready for his triumphal entry at the end of time. In this way, Jacob's message is ultimately comforting, for it shows the great grace of God in allowing repentance, and the great patience of God toward a mankind in need and in search of repentance. [Brant Gardner, "Brant Gardner's Page," [http://www.highfiber.com] /~nahualli/LDStopics/Jacob/Jacob5.htm, pp. 1, 47-49]