A) INTRODUCTION.

B) TO THE SCRIPTURES.

 

 

A) INTRODUCTION

 

 

The expression, “tree of life,” occurs in three groups or connections:

 

1) In the story of the Garden of Eden;

2) In the Proverbs of the Wise Men, and;

3) In the Apocalypse of John.

 

Some writers have advanced the opinion that this “tree” had some secret virtue, which was fitted to preserve life.  Probably, the lesson conveyed, was that life was to be sought by man, i.e., it was not in himself.  Or that it was in his own power.

 

However, we know that it is from without, from Him Who is emphatically the Life (John 1:4; 14:6).

 

 

B) TO THE SCRIPTURES

 

 

“Wisdom” is compared to the “tree of life,” in Proverbs 3:18.  The “tree of life” spoken of in the Book of Revelation(2:7; 22:2 & 14) is an emblem of the joys of the celestial Paradise.  In the Book of Genesis, the “tree of life” was in the midst of the Garden, and its fruit of such a nature as to produce physical immortality (Gen. 2:9; 3:22).

 

After guiltily partaking of the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil,” and the sinful tendency having thus been implanted in their natures, the man and woman are driven forth from the Garden of Eden, lest they should eat of the “tree of life” and live forever in sin (Gen. 3:22).  The idea seems to be that, if they should eat of it and become immortalized in their sinful condition, it would be an unspeakable calamity to them and their posterity and for all of the universes.  To prevent such a possibility, the unhappy pair were driven forth from the garden, and cherubim were placed at the entrance of the Garden with the flame of a sword revolving every which way to keep the way of the “tree of life,” thus preventing the possibility of man possessing a physical immortality.

 

In a side note.  One angel can kill many men (185,000, 2Ki. 19:35).  Therefore, this was also to keep the evil angels from partaking of it.

 

Two lines of thought or reasoning come from this:  It is implied that thepair had not yet partaken of the “tree of life,” and therefore the opportunity to have done so is now forever gone.  And or, and more likely, based upon the Revelation account that fruit is produced on a monthly bases (Rev. 22:2), one must partake occasionally in order to preserve life.

 

In fact, there are only two occasions in Scripture where we are supposed to assemble in God’s presence, i.e., once a month at the tree of life, and once a week at the weekly Seventh-Day Sabbath (Isa. 66:23).  The bottom line, is that immortality must be reached in some other way, i.e., through our Lord, as it should be.  Man sinned and became mortal, immortality thus being denied him.

 

In the Book of Proverbs, the conception deepens from a physical source of a mere physical immortality to a moral and spiritual source of a full life -- mental, moral and spiritual -- which will potentially last forever.  Life, long life, is here attributed to a certain possession or quality of mind and heart.  Wisdom is a source and supply of life to man.  This wisdom is essentially of a moral quality, and this moral force brings the whole man into right relations with The Source of life.  Hence, a man truly lives by reason of this relationship with this Source (see Pro. Chp. 8).

 

The allusion in Proverbs 3:18 is doubtless to Genesis 2:9 and 3:22.  An expression very similar is found in Proverbs 10:11, where the mouth of the righteous is declared to be a fountain of life.  Good words are a power for good, and hence, produce good living.  Proverbs 11:30 has a similar line of reasoning, in that “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,” i.e., a well-lived (or righteous) life is a source of good, in that its influence on others is positive.  In Proverbs 13:12 we find:  “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick:  but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.”  The meaning seems to be that the gratification of good and lawful desires produces those pleasures and activities that make up life and its blessings.  Proverbs 15:4 states that, “A gentle tongue is a tree of life,” i.e., its beneficent influences help others to a better life.

 

In the Book of Revelation, the physical aspects of the “tree of life” are more the focus of the writer.  The Apocalypse of John, as mentioned above, refers to the “tree of life” in three places (Rev. 2:7; 22:2 & 14).  These are pictures of the glorious possibilities of life that await the redeemed soul.  In Ezekiel’s picture of the ideal state and the Messianic age, there flows from the Sanctuary of God a life-giving river having “trees” upon its banks on either side, yielding fruit every month (Eze. 47:12).  That the tree of life is one of these trees cannot be denied.  By contrast, it has its root system on both sides of the river (Rev. 22:2), meaning it must be split above the river.  The leaf of this tree would not wither, nor its fruit fail, because that which gave moisture to its roots flowed from the Sanctuary (which becomes and is, the river of life).  This fruit was for food and the leaves for medicine (Eze. 47:12).  Very similar to this and probably an expansion of it, is John’s picture in Revelation.  This means that all the possibilities of a complete and glorious life are open to the one that overcomes.