THE TREE OF LIFE
(Genesis 3:22)
One of the MOST
significant symbols in
the entire Bible.
Was placed for the
EVERLASTING
benefit of man.
Ultimately, the tree of
life is found as a
comforting feature.
OUTLINE OF STUDY
Man’s Primitive State
The Garden: Man’s First Home, Our
Heavenly Home
Purpose of the Tree of Life
MAN’S PRIMITIVE STATE
It was God’s will and purpose
that man should be very happy
and that he should occupy a
very high, honorable, and
influential position in the scale
of creation.
From the fact that he was made in the
image and likeness of his Creator.
From the extent of man’s dominion.
From the fact that for man’s special benefit
the whole earth was provided.
– That which was first in design was really last in
execution.
From the special provisions of Eden.
– All that was pleasant to the senses.
– Tree of Life/Tree of Knowledge of Good & Evil.
The Garden:
Man’s First Home
Our Heavenly Home
Paradise on earth.
Supplied all of man’s needs
Lost due to sin – but not all was
lost because God had a Plan.
A plan that would restore
FELLOWSHIP with Him.
The Garden was the perfect
environment for God and man
to have fellowship.
The sinless nature of man made his
communion with the almighty, righteous
God possible.
Once man lost innocence, he also lost the
blessing of fellowship with God.
The fellowship desired by God
required a choice by man.
God provided the opportunity for man to
choose his fellowship.
God placed two trees in the middle of the
garden to signify the critical point of
fellowship with God.
Man made his choice.
The Garden’s environment was
lovely & beautiful.
Provide man with joy.
All that was pleasant to the senses.
Tree of Life.
Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
The Garden of Eden provided
everything man needed. Even the
choice to demonstrate his
willingness to remain in fellowship
with the righteous God.
Temporary or Eternal?
Garden environment was crated by God to
be perpetual.
God’s omniscience knew sin would come.
Planned the magnificent Scheme of
Redemption before the foundation of the
world.
This plan would restore Eden and return
man to God’s original state (FOREVER).
The Scheme of Redemption is
God’s plan to restore the garden,
fellowship, and access to the
tree of life!
Type
Antitype
Objects in the Garden
Genesis 2:9-14
Tree of Life
Gold, Bdellium
& Onyx stone
River of Life
Tree of Knowledge
of Good and Evil
THE CHURCH IS THE GARDEN
OF EDEN
From the Garden of Eden, God supplied
all of man’s needs.
– This beautiful garden was God’s first hint of
the spiritual paradise He would make in order
to supply all the spiritual needs of mankind.
God calls the Church a spiritual Garden of
Eden (Isaiah 51:3)
Isaiah 51:3 New King James Version (NKJV)
3 For the Lord will comfort Zion,
He will comfort all her waste places;
He will make her wilderness like Eden,
And her desert like the garden of the Lord;
Joy and gladness will be found in it,
Thanksgiving and the voice of melody.
Isaiah prophesied that at the first coming
of Christ, God would make Zion (Israel) a
place of beauty just like the Garden of
Eden.
He gave us a spiritual Eden that is
priceless with beauty beyond compare.
It is the place where we dwell spiritually
with God today! (Relationship/Fellowship)
HE GAVE US THE CHURCH!
Revelation 21-22
Gives us a picture of our spiritual Eden in
physical terms.
Rev. 2:7 – “paradise of God”
By closely examining the
characteristics of the Garden of Eden
and applying that symbolism to the
church, we can learn much about how
God views the church in which
Christians spiritually dwell today.
Relationship between God &
Mankind
God walked and talked with Adam & Eve
(Gen. 3:8)
When they sinned, this close relationship
with God was broken.
As Christians dwelling in the spiritual
paradise of God, the church we are in that
close relationship with God.
– 2 Corinthians 6:16
2 Corinthians 6:16 New King James Version (NKJV)
16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols?
For you are the temple of the living God. As God
has said:
“I will dwell in them
Relationship/Fellowship
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.”
Just as Adam & Eve walked and talked
with God in the garden of Eden, Christians
now walk and talk with God in SPIRITUAL
Eden, the Church of the Living God!
“But if we walk in the light as He is in the
light, we have fellowship with one another,
and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son
cleanses us from all sin.” (I John 1:7)
Adam & Eve had a choice in Eden to
follow God or listen to the serpent.
In the church today, man still has that
choice.
– Do we eat of the tree of life and live forever?
– Do we eat of the forbidden fruit an lose our
spiritual life?
THE TREE OF LIFE
Located in center of garden.
Capable of sustaining the physical lives of
Adam & Eve for all eternity.
God had provided a way for man to live forever in
his presence.
Since we can no longer return to the
original Eden to eat of that physical
tree of life, WE MUST HAVE
ANOTHER TREE!
JESUS IS OUR
TREE OF LIFE!
Christ is standing today in the midst of
Eden, the Church.
“Along the bank of the river, on this side and that,
will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their
leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail.
They will bear fruit every month, because their
water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be
for food, and their leaves for medicine.” (Ezekiel
47:12)
– Revelation 1:13
“and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like
the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to
the feet and girded about the chest with a golden
band.”
Just as the purpose of the tree
of life was to provide eternal
physical life for Adam and Eve
in the Garden of Eden, Jesus
provides eternal spiritual life for
all who walk with Him in
spiritual Eden.
Garden of Eden/The Church of
Christ
Garden provided close relationship with
God.
As Christians dwelling in the spiritual paradise of
God, the church, we are in that close relationship
with God.
Adam & Eve had a choice in Eden of
whether to follow God or listen to the
serpent.
Christians have the same choice today in the
Church.
Access to the “Tree of Life”
We must be in the Church to eat of this tree of
life.
– Revelation 22:14
“Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they
may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through
the gates into the city.”
When we obey God, we enter through the gates
of our spiritual Eden and eat of the spiritual tree
of life, which enables us to live spiritually forever.
The old question as to whether one must be
a member of the church to be saved should
be answered once and for all.
We must continually eat of this tree of life.
Today if we keep ourselves in a proper relationship with God,
we can continually eat of our spiritual tree of life.
We are human however and sin.
Danger of being expelled. (Heb. 10:25;
Rev. 22:19)
We have a spiritual tree of life that will give us
eternal life in a heavenly home far beyond
anything imaginable on this earth. As
members of the church, we can constantly
eat of this spiritual tree of life which will
enable us to live forever in a perfect spiritual
home.
PURPOSE OF THE “TREE OF
LIFE”
LIFE & DEATH
The typology of the tree of life is used to
communicate the disastrous effect of sin.
Essence of Life & Death.
Life = Union
Death = Separation
Kinds of Life & Death
Man may be alive in one sense but dead
in another.
– Matt. 8:22; Eph 2:1-7; I Tim. 5:6
Physical life exist when the physical body
is united with the life giving agent.
– Ecc. 3:19-21; James 2:1-4
Spiritual life exist when the soul is united
to its life-giving agent.
– Eph. 2:1-3
What kind of death was involved in
the penalty of Eden – Physical?
Spiritual? Both?
The Penalty was Spiritual Death
Not Physical
Adam & Eve died spiritually the moment
they transgressed God’s commands (Eph
2:1ff)
A consequence of their spiritual death
would be the physical death.
THIS MEANT THEY LOST ACCESS TO
THE TREE OF LIFE!
The Tree of Life symbolizes the
lost blessing of Eden, while at
the same time also symbolizes
God’s amazing grace!
This symbol gives mankind an absolute
promise by God that the life experienced
in Eden's splendor (which was at one time
lost because of man’s freewill choice) will
be restored (by the freewill choice of one
man).
Antitype: Revelation 2:7; 22:4,14
Encouraging Aspect of the Tree of
Life
Located in the center of God’s abode.
Available only to those innocent of sin.
Offers to mankind the greatest inheritance.
Typifies full restoration and union with
God.
Offered as a reward for the faithful.
Presents a contrast between Heaven’s
abundance and Earth’s meagerness.
Review of the Tree of Life
The elements of the heavenly joy are
foreshadowed by the tree of life that stood in
the garden of Eden.
Three points that a study of the tree
of life bring to the forefront:
Realize that death has entered into the
world, but we do not have to remain dead
in trespasses and sin.
Remove death by finding life in being born
again into the body of Christ.
Remember the blessed feast from the fruit
of the tree of life awaits all who are
righteous.