What was the Tree of Life?

[Jonaitis]

"The tree of life was in the midst of the garden"
- Genesis 2:9

"Then the Lord God said, 'Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—' therefore the Lord God sent [Adam] out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life." - Genesis 3:22-24

What was the "tree of life," and what was its purpose? What explanation can you draw from Scripture?​

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[Original Happy Camper]

What was the "tree of life," and what was its purpose? What explanation can you draw from Scripture?​

​

your question should be what IS not was

King James Version
Revelation 21
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Revelation 22
And he shewed 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: ...

 

[Leaf473]

What was the "tree of life," and what was its purpose? What explanation can you draw from Scripture?​

​

My guess is something symbolic. Scripture doesn't give a lot of detail imo.

 

[Jonaitis]

your question should be what IS not was

King James Version
Revelation 21
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Revelation 22
And he shewed 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: ...

Would you explain what it is from the passages of Revelation that you quoted?

 

[Jonaitis]

My guess is something symbolic. Scripture doesn't give a lot of detail imo.

Do you think the tree of knowledge was symbolic too?

 

[fhansen]

What was the "tree of life," and what was its purpose? What explanation can you draw from Scripture?​

​

I believe Adam and Eve existed in a sort of neutral state as first created in Eden, a neutral state concerning their attitude towards their Creator, God. Love cannot be forced and while God was worthy of their total love and devotion, they weren’t necessarily ready for that yet. The trees represented their choices. All other trees were good; they offered the various goods that we all need and experience in this life but the two trees, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life, represented two critical human moral choices, that of moving away from God by not heeding Him or of moving even closer towards Him as they appreciated and valued His wisdom and goodness. But they considered that greater goodness might be found apart from Him, and on their own, and the rest became human history as we know it.

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is a detour away from God on a trip which, hopefully, just ends up being the long way home to Him, to the tree of life as we’ve gained the wisdom along the way to finally know why we should eat of it, and not the other. To eat of it means to feed from Him, because we love Him first above all else. This is where our wisdom lies, and our purpose or telos and perfection. He is life. We’re to begin to do it now, in this life, and this begins with faith, the faith in God that Adam evidently lacked at that point.

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil gave man just that, the direct and visceral experience of both, in this world, knowledge that is valuable only to the extent that it ultimately helps drive us away from the one, evil, to choose the other, good, over it. The absolute Good is God, and we’re made for nothing less; we were made for communion with Him. There our full and uncompromised satisfaction, wholeness, unfathomable well-being and happiness lie, in total exaltation. He’s that good and that’s what He wants for us. We’re here, in this world, to begin to learn that now, to begin to learn that a life autonomous and alienated from Him is not really any life at all so that we might be all the more ready to open the door when He knocks, and begin eating from the Tree of Life.

 

[Jonaitis]

I believe Adam and Eve existed in a sort of neutral state as first created in Eden, a neutral state concerning their attitude towards their Creator, God. Love cannot be forced and while God was worthy of their total love and devotion, they weren’t necessarily ready for that yet. The trees represented their choices. All other trees were good, they offered the various goods that we all need and experience in this life but the two trees, of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life, represented moral choices, that of moving away from God by not heeding Him or of moving even more towards Him as they appreciated and valued His wisdom and goodness. But they considered that greater goodness might be found apart from Him, and in their own, and the rest became human history as we know it.
The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is a detour away from God on a trip which, hopefully, just ends up being the long way home to Him, and to the tree of life as we’ve gained the wisdom along the way to finally know why we should eat of it, and not the other. To eat of it means to feed from Him, to love Him first above all else. This is where our wisdom lies, and our purpose or telos and perfection. We’re to begin to do it now, in this life, and this begins with faith.

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil gave man just that, the direct and visceral experience of both, in this world, knowledge that is valuable only to the extent that it ultimately helps drive us away from the one, evil, to choose the other, good, over it. The absolute Good is God, and we’re made for nothing less; we were made for communion with Him. There our full and uncompromised satisfaction, wholeness, unfathomable well-being and happiness lie, in total exaltation. He’s that good and that’s what He wants for us. We’re here, in this world to begin to learn that now, to begin to learn that a life autonomous and alienated from Him is not really any life at all so that we might be all the more ready to open the door when He knocks, and begin eating of 5he Tree of Life.

This is a good practical explanation.

 

[Original Happy Camper]

Would you explain what it is from the passages of Revelation that you quoted?

The Power of an Endless Life
The purpose of Christ’s mission to this earth was to restore to mankind all that was lost because of Adam’s transgression in the Garden of Eden. Because of one sin, the holy pair was expelled from the beautiful Garden of Eden. During the rest of their lives they could only come to the entrance and worship their Creator. But outside of the beautiful garden they had no longer access to the tree of life.

The Power of an Endless Life

Isn’t the phrase “eternal life” sufficiently clear that it is an endless life? Without a doubt! Here, however, we are directed toward the tree of life. It’s mentioned three times in Revelation (2:7; 22:2, 14). If the overcomer is promised that the Lord will give him food from the tree of life that is in God’s paradise, and that he will have eternal life in Him, we must note the following: eternal life is called “eternal” because it stretches from eternity past to eternity future; it is the life of God that has been revealed in Jesus Christ, who is God (John 1:4; 5:26; 1 John 1:1-2). This eternal life of God, which was revealed in Christ, is given to everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus through the rebirth. The person who is born again acquires it because of the Word of God through the Holy Spirit.


What It Means to Eat from the Tree of Life

 

[ByTheSpirit]

The Tree of Life is exactly what it sounds like, it's a tree whose fruit gives life. Much how the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil basically gave humanity a conscience. When God drove Adam and Eve from the Garden he did so in order that they wouldn't eat of the tree and then live forever in their sin. He transplanted the tree from the garden into Heaven where it now sits, waiting for the last day when those who enter heaven will get to eat it's fruit.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. Rev 2:7

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Re 22:1–2

 

[fhansen]

This is a good practical explanation.

Great quote. And yet man may still prefer darkness-but we only fool ourselves in thinking He's not here, or there, or everywhere!

 

[Maria Billingsley]

What was the "tree of life," and what was its purpose? What explanation can you draw from Scripture?​

​

The Holy Spirit. God walked with Adam and Eve. The tree of life symbolized that relationship. The Holy Spirit was blocked when sin came upon mankind. The Holy Spirit has, once again, been restored through Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
Blessings.

 

[Leaf473]

Do you think the tree of knowledge was symbolic too?

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Yes, I think that was probably symbolic as well.

I heard one commentator say that there was nothing actually special about that fruit. It's just that God had commanded them not to eat. So in the choice to disobey, they gained the knowledge of what it was like to disobey, which is the basis of evil.

 

[apollosdtr]

What was the "tree of life," and what was its purpose? What explanation can you draw from Scripture?​

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The Tree of Life is the Bread of Life.

John 6:47-58 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.[48] I am that bread of life.[49] Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.[50] This is the bread which cometh down from Heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.[51] I am the living bread which came down from Heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.[52] The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us His flesh to eat?[53] Then Iesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you.[54] Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.[55] For My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.[56] He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him.[57] As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me.

To eat is to make the substance you eat a part of you, to nourish you, to keep you alive... to give you life. The Father's words came down from Heaven and were spoken by Iesus, John 12:49-50... and His Commandment is called Eternal Life. All metaphors have a real background to them... word-study will help you find them.

"And the word became flesh and dwelt among us." He gave up His human flesh and blood... His life, for the life of the world. The world is the planet... which is perishing because those to whom the Law was given have made the Earth itself to sin (corrupt its ways)... they've broken the Everlasting Covenant, Isaiah 24:5.

 

[Davy]

What was the "tree of life," and what was its purpose? What explanation can you draw from Scripture?​

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Study Ezekiel 47 about its return to this earth in the future Millennium reign by Christ Jesus, along with God's River that flowed out of His Garden of Eden in Genesis 2.

 

[pescador]

There two special trees in the orchard: 1) the tree of life and 2) the tree of the knowledge of good end evil. To me, the message is clear: if you choose to be the judge of what is good and evil, then you lack faith. If you choose the tree of life, then you have faith.

Clearly they are in opposition to each other. You rely on yourself or you trust God.

 

[ViaCrucis]

The Church, historically, has frequently spoken of Christ's cross as the tree of life.

I share, with many of the ancient fathers, the view that these things mentioned in the early chapters of Genesis aren't meant to be taken woodenly literally. As though a natural fruit-bearing tree could either give immortality, or int he case of the other tree, cause death. But the two trees do present the choice that lay before Adam and Eve: life or death. They chose death, and by consequence, all suffer from that choice and the fruit of death persists in all of us. The cure to that is life, which has been won for us by Jesus Christ who suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; and on the third day rose again.

Then, in the Apocalypse St. John sees the tree of life, growing on either side of a river flowing out from the New City, "and its leaves are for the healing of the nations."

-CryptoLutheran

 

[TedT]

What was the "tree of life," and what was its purpose? What explanation can you draw from Scripture?

​

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The Tree of life is Christ.

ImCo,
A good tree cannot put forth rotten fruit.
Christ cannot have His sheep, the people of His kingdom, conceived and born into the sinfulness and the judgements of suffering and death because of another person's free will choices!

Good fruit can only go rotten by a free will decision to rebel against HIM and HIS plans for them.

 

[TedT]

tree of the knowledge of good and evil

Eating is a biblical metaphor:
John 6:56 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your fathers, who ate the manna and died, the one who eats this bread will live forever.” Does this sound like a chewing and swallowing type eating?

Eating in Genesis:
Gen 3:15 On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust all the days of your life. Do we believe that snakes eat dust? Nothing eats dust so this must be a metaphor for his life of experiencing debasement...

Another metaphor is eating referring to experiencing knowledge and understanding, and is applied to the law: Psalm 119:103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! in which we see eating to refer to his understanding of the great moral strength of the law and its benefits for law keepers.

In Proverbs 9 the call of Wisdom and the seductive lure of Folly's illicit pleasures are both couched in terms of eating:
Wisdom calls:
4 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
To him who lacks judgment she says:
5 “Come, eat my bread,
and drink the wine I have mixed.
6 Leave your folly behind, and you will live;
walk in the way of understanding.”

[To walk in the way of understanding” is the same as to eat...]

Folly calls:
17 “Stolen water is sweet,
and bread eaten in secret is tasty!”
an idea that equates eating with experiencing sin or, if you will, you eat sin and ingest it to become a sinner.

But not just sin.
Jesus refers to our coming to (experiencing) redemption in the same metaphor of eating/experiencing that which provides eternal life, experiencing redemption and salvation:
John 6:27 Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.
Isaiah 55:1 "Come, all of you who thirst, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk, without money and without cost!

This metaphor includes ideas of learning and understanding of doctrine as seen in Ezekiel 2:8 But you, son of man, listen to what I tell you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth and eat what I give you.” 9 Then I looked and saw a hand reaching out to me, and in it was a scroll, 10 which He unrolled before me. And written on the front and back of it were words of lamentation, mourning, and woe. 3:1-4 "Son of man," He said to me, "eat and fill your stomach with this scroll I am giving you." So I ate, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. and Revelation 10:10 I took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. as well as the idea of experiencing something.

Revelation 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. might refer to more than sharing food and hints at both learning a new understanding of GOD's unity of faith and experiencing HIS heavenly communion.

Thus I suggest that eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil had nothing to do with a physical tree or fruit but refers to GOD's instructional warnings to them not to test HIS definitions of evil and good by choosing it against HIS will but to accept on faith that HE as telling us the truth about its enslaving addictive power.

Does one punish a child or anyone for not keeping a command who does not understand the command? Of course not. This implies that Adam and Eve knew the meaning of the command and its ramifications because they had been instructed in such things. Death and good & bad as moral precepts were known to them from HIS talks with them so the warning to them was not to not study the meanings of HIS moral theology but to NOT EXPERIENCE the difference between good and bad by choosing to EXPERIENCE evil.

 

[apollosdtr]

The Holy Spirit. God walked with Adam and Eve. The tree of life symbolized that relationship. The Holy Spirit was blocked when sin came upon mankind. The Holy Spirit has, once again, been restored through Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
Blessings.

If it's all back to Eden, via the Son, then shouldn't there be equality between Adam and Eve again... at least in the church?

 

[ChetSinger]

What was the "tree of life," and what was its purpose? What explanation can you draw from Scripture?​

​

I like what Thomas Aquinas wrote about it: it was, and still is, an actual tree that provides nutrients that ward off aging.

From Summa Theologiae:

Against this defect (decline and death from natural causes) man was provided with a remedy in the tree of life; for its effect was to strengthen the force of the species against the weakness resulting from the admixture of extraneous nutriment. Wherefore Augustine says (De Civ. Dei xiv, 26): "Man had food to appease his hunger, drink to slake his thirst; and the tree of life to banish the breaking up of old age"; and (QQ. Vet. et Nov. Test. qu. 19 [Work of an anonymous author, among the supposititious works of St. Augustine) "The tree of life, like a drug, warded off all bodily corruption."​

Yet it did not absolutely cause immortality; for neither was the soul's intrinsic power of preserving the body due to the tree of life, nor was it of such efficiency as to give the body a disposition to immortality, whereby it might become indissoluble; which is clear from the fact that every bodily power is finite; so the power of the tree of life could not go so far as to give the body the prerogative of living for an infinite time, but only for a definite time. For it is manifest that the greater a force is, the more durable is its effect; therefore, since the power of the tree of life was finite, man's life was to be preserved for a definite time by partaking of it once; and when that time had elapsed, man was to be either transferred to a spiritual life, or had need to eat once more of the tree of life.​

So, regular partaking of the tree warded off old age and death. When Adam was denied access to it, he began aging and eventually died.