| Christian Life and Doctrine | November 1977 |
The Tree of Life
“And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” “And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever: therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the Garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.” —Genesis 2:8,9; 3:22-24
THESE verses introduce us to the tree of life. They also make a clear distinction between a grove composed of every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food on the one hand, and the two trees which were in “the midst of the garden” on the other hand—the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and the tree of life.
All the trees in the garden may be spoken of as a grove, but these taken collectively are not the “tree of life,” as shown very plainly in Genesis 2:9: “And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.”
The Hebrew word “ets” pronounced “ates” is “tree” in English. It is singular. “Etsim” is the plural form. In every text for “the tree of life” the singular form is used. The definite conclusion is that the tree of life, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil are from the singular form, and that it is not proper to use the plural form.
No instructions were given to Adam with regard to the tree of life—only of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was he forbidden to eat. Genesis 2:15-17 reads, “And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die [dying thou shalt die, margin].” It was not until their time for expulsion from Eden that the tree of life comes in for specific discussion, as recorded in Genesis 3:22-24, where cherubim and a flaming sword prohibited Adam from taking of the tree of life and living forever. Thus the way to the tree of life was closed.
The question may arise, Why was the tree of life not a part of the original disallowance? We can only conjecture—possibly at that time the tree of life had no fruit, as per God’s plan, and therefore could not represent a temptation to Adam and Eve. You see, while Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden they did not need the fruit of the tree of life, for they already possessed perfect human life, and the trees in the garden were able to sustain that life. No, they did not have everlasting life. They had not yet proven themselves worthy of everlasting life. Adam never did have everlasting life. This is obtained only by being worthy and by partaking of the tree of life. But he did have perfect human life.
And if Adam and Eve had not disobeyed God’s law; if they had not eaten of the forbidden fruit, certainly they would not have died. But once condemnation was placed upon them they entered the path of death, and the way to everlasting life was closed to them; and the only way to get life and live forever was for them to eat of the tree of life. We believe it was the Devil’s plan to have them do so. He had said, “Thou shalt not surely die.” He, perhaps, knew the properties of the tree of life. He would have Adam and Eve eat of the tree of life and live forever. It all seemed very simple. God would thus be proved the liar. Man would not die. Satan’s place would be assured.
But God had another plan. He “put cherubims and a flaming sword to keep the way of the tree of life.” And thus he thwarted the Devil’s purpose. Thus Satan was restrained, and perhaps we can learn a lesson from this. Satan has been restrained many times. We all know the story of Job. We know that Satan said of Job that if God took from him all his material blessings he would curse God to his face. Job 1:12 reads, And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand.” Satan evidently had power. God said so, but only so much power, and beyond that he was restrained. No, he was not bound. But he was restrained. Satan has never been able to “go too far.” Whether it be in the distress of nations or whether it be in the destruction of the “seed,” thus far shalt thou go, and no farther, has been God’s edict. We have our angels who bear us up, lest we dash our feet against a stone.
Satan is the god of this world—this age. He will be the god of this age as long as this age lasts. We are living in enemy-occupied territory. Our enemies are the world, the flesh, and the Devil. The Devil would like to have us think that he is not our enemy, that he does not exist, or that he is bound, or that he is not the prince of the air. The Apostle James (4:7) says, “Resist the devil.” The Apostle Paul, in Ephesians 6:11, says, “Stand against the wiles of the Devil.” The Apostle Peter says, “Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” (I Pet. 5:8) And it can be said of us as Jesus said to Pilate: the Devil has no power over us “except it were given … from above.”
Satan’s power has always been restrained by the greater power of God. Do these texts apply to you and me? Do they apply to us as much as to James, Paul, Peter? If so, then the Devil is not bound as much as he would like us to think he is. (See Volume 1, page 146, Studies in the Scriptures.)
The binding of Satan, spoken of in Revelation 20:1,2 is something very different from the restraint which he has felt ever since the Garden of Eden. His binding, according to the Word of God, is for but one purpose, and that is clearly stated in Revelation 20:2 and 3: “And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled.” Satan is restrained in measure now and has been since Eden; but when the millennial reign begins, he will be bound in order to deceive the nations no more. He has never been able to thwart the divine purpose.
As Bible students we believe the Garden of Eden account. This is not a parable. We believe that the trees were real. They were not mythical. They actually existed. However, we also believe that the eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil emphasized the truth that disobedience to the law of God brings death. It is natural, it seems, to blame others for our own mistakes. Adam did; Eve did; and we do. Eve blamed the serpent, as we know. But Adam really blamed God. He said, “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.” The sin of Adam was not merely eating the forbidden fruit; it was the sin of disobedience to God’s expressed law. It was the sin of ingratitude. It was the sin of self-will against God’s will.
The tree of life acquires important significance because Adam was expelled from Eden “lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever.” Adam and Eve had sinned. They had come under divine condemnation. Their sentence was death. There evidently was some virtue in this tree which would prolong life. For that reason our first parents were forbidden access to it. If Adam or Eve or any of their children are to live forever, it will have to be through eating of the tree of life. But how can that be? Does God’s plan provide for another tree of life?
It is interesting in passing to know that the longest-lived organisms of either the animal or vegetable kingdom are trees. Some are very long-lived, far exceeding animals. The redwoods of California and some California bristle cone pine trees antedate the Flood of Noah’s day and are still living. And also, in passing, it was part of the law of Moses not to cut down or destroy a tree bearing fruit. (Deut. 20:19,20)
And now here are scriptures in the New Testament regarding the tree of life.
Revelation 2:7: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh I will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”
Revelation 22:1-4,14: “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: and they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.” “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.”
So the tree of life is not a subject that died in Eden. Its full meaning is found in the New Testament. It touches the cross. It touches the church and leads into the future. The overcomers of the church eat of the tree of life. Its leaves bring about the healing of the nations, and through the tree of life they enter the gates into the city.
“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” This is always an interesting statement of scripture. Read Revelation 2:7 again, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” Blessed are our ears if they hear.
The tree of life in Revelation is an allusion to a picture, a reality of the tree of life mentioned in Genesis. But also we know that in the Greek New Testament the word “xulon” (xoo-lon) meaning “tree” is used in referring to the cross of Christ. The word “xulon” is the word that we are interested in at this time, “tree,” a timber, an object manufactured from wood. Acts 5:30 and 10:39 read, “Whom ye slew and hanged on a tree”: xulon, timber, cross. Acts 13:29, “They took him down from the tree.” I Peter 2:24: “Who bare our sins … on the tree,” etc.
This is the same word that is quoted in Revelation 2:7 and Revelation 22:2,14,19. The Emphatic Diaglott translates all these verses in Revelation by the word “wood,” that is, the “wood of life.” This is really thrilling! But it is a thrill compounded when we learn that the Hebrew word “ets” is the equivalent of the Greek “xulon” and is the word used in Genesis 2:9; 3:24, in referring to the tree of life.
We could stop right here and would have given enough scripture to show that the only way for Adam and for any of us, his progeny, to receive everlasting life is not by finding it in Eden, but by finding it in the cross of Christ which leads to the tree of life. No wonder we know him as the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by him. He is the way, the source. In this picture you might say he is the river bed. He is the truth. He is the water of the river that flows from the throne of God. He is the life, even the tree of life. Yes, in the cross of Christ we glory.
But there is another picture on this subject, a picture of great meaning, found in Exodus 15:23-25. “And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. … And the people murmured against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink? And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord showed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them.”
The first oracle of the Law or feature of the Law was the Passover (Exod. 12:41-43,50,51), which was instituted when Israel left Egypt. (See Volume 2, page 46, Studies in the Scriptures.) That great event is still kept by Israel as a memorial. But from the very beginning, the Law could not give life. It was not the water of life; it was bitter as was the water of Marah. That which they thought was unto life as sweet water, they found was unto death, bitter water. A tree, the word is “ets,” a timber, was cast into the water, and the water was sweetened and able to give life. It was not the nature of the tree but the power of God that sweetened the water.
And so also the tree of the cross has given us the pure sweet water of life. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) “And he [Moses] cried unto the Lord: and the Lord showed him a tree … and there he proved them.” Just as he called for obedience in Eden in order to prove our first parents, so he will prove all by the test of obedience and faith in the tree of the cross which leads to the tree of life. Verses 26, 27 of Exodus 15 give a beautiful description of the kingdom.
In Revelation, the tree of life and the water of life are central subjects of the new earth. The source of the river of life is the throne of God and the Lamb. The water of truth in the Millennium will indeed be “as clear as crystal”—superior to the waters of Genesis 2:10-14, which were typical. Like pure crystal, this water from the throne will be free from all pollution of error, of misunderstanding, of misinterpretation. “In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life.”—Rev. 22:1-3
We can picture this tree growing in the very center of the river bed; that is, in the street of it, or in the channel of it, and the branches of that tree reaching from where it stood in the midst of it to both sides of the river. What does this mean? Why both sides of the river? The tree gives life to both phases of the kingdom of God, spiritual and earthly. Listen to the Emphatic Diaglott on this point. (Rev. 2:7) “To the conqueror will I give to eat of the wood of the life.” The definite article is used in the original Greek. The church receives life through the tree of life. “The life” of Revelation 2:7 is different from that of which the world partakes. The wood of “the life” is spiritual life, divine life.
But in Revelation 22:2 the definite article is omitted. The term is simply stated “a wood of life,” for here its leaves are for the healing of the nations, the life of the nations, of all the families of earth, which will be human life such as was lost in Eden. This is the difference between the spiritual life of Revelation 2:7 and the human life for the people of the earth in Revelation 22:2: “Which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month.” Here we have a picture of everlasting life fed by the tree of life each month the year around; for eating of the fruit of the tree expresses participation through Christ, through the cross of everlasting life.
“And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him; and they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.” All the faithful shall reign with him a thousand years, and every citizen of the kingdom will know who they are that have been faithful.—Rev. 22:3,4
“No more curse.” There was a curse recorded in Genesis 3:17: “And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.” And that curse still continues to this day and will do so until the spiritual seed is complete, until the pure water proceeds from the throne of God; for then shall this pure word of prophecy be fulfilled.
Note again Revelation 22:3,4. Some have thought this prophecy is fulfilled by simply pouring water on dry ground, but there is a much deeper significance than this. Every effect of God’s displeasure will be removed. Nothing that has cursed mankind shall any longer exist in the new kingdom. Nothing that has cursed mankind shall any longer exist. It is true the ground was cursed. It is true woman was cursed in the pain of childbearing. It is true the Jews were cursed by their inability to keep the Law. But in the kingdom there shall be “no more curse.” But remember, it says, “Cursed is the ground for thy sake.” The thorns, the sweat, were a provision of a loving God. The sentence sounds terrible; but it was “for thy sake,” for our good, and will remain for our good until the kingdom. And all this is dependent upon the antitypical tree of life and the blessings which flow from the throne of God, according to Revelation 22:1-4.
The harmonious unity of the Scriptures is exhibited in the recorded event of the first three chapters of Genesis and the last three chapters of Revelation, even though thousands of years intervene. In Eden, Adam disobeyed and fell under condemnation. Sin and sickness and death have come to his children; but because of the tree of life, Revelation tells us, the people will be healed and Adam’s race will be restored.
In Eden, Adam suffered expulsion lest he “eat of the tree of life, and life forever.” But in Revelation, Adam and his race are invited to partake of the tree of life and to drink of the waters of life “freely” and live forever. No longer will there be cherubim and a flaming sword guarding the way of the tree of life; but, instead, “the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will [any who is willing and obedient], let him take of the water of life freely.”
We know that our Redeemer liveth. We have found him hanging on a tree. He is the way, the truth, and the life, and because of him the pure sweet waters of truth flow from the throne of God. We see the tree, which disappeared from the first paradise, restored, the tree of life, flourishing with all the healing properties which will wipe away all tears, death, sorrow, crying, and pain—the former things passed away, all things made new.
The Devil, Satan, existed in Eden; but in the new kingdom he will be bound, that he may deceive the nations no more. Hallelujah, what a Savior! Let us be faithful. Let us overcome, for it is written, “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life,” the tree of the life, divine life, immortal life, which is in the paradise of God.