the tree of eternal life…

there were two trees in this garden that GOD gave adam – very important trees. the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. it’s important to notice that the second tree, it’s not the tree of good and evil. it’s the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

it’s not that GOD put an evil tree in the garden. there was a tree there that if you ate from it, you would have the knowledge of evil. adam and eve were created innocent. they didn’t have the knowledge of evil and GOD didn’t want them to have it. HE didn’t want them to be scared. the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was there.

now the tree of life was the tree of eternal life. this tree was so important, so powerful, that after adam and eve sinned GOD said, “we’ve got to get them out of the garden so they won’t eat from the tree of life. i don’t want them to live forever in this sinful state. i don't want them to have eternal life with this kind of misery in their lives.” HE had a different plan. it was called JESUS CHRIST.

the tree of life that HE took adam and eve away from doesn’t go out of the story. it’s one of the greatest things in scripture, how things tie together. in the first couple of chapters of the bible you have this tree of life. then in the last book of the bible, revelation, the tree of life comes back in.

revelation 2.7 (niv), he who has an ear let him hear what the SPIRIT says to the churches. to him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat of the tree of life which is in the paradise of GOD.

the paradise of GOD is not someplace in eden. some people have taken the rivers that are talked about here and said, “if i can figure out the right place i’ll find eden and i’ll find the tree of life. i’ll eat from it and i’ll live forever.” that’s indiana jones kind of stuff.

the truth is paradise now is in heaven, with the LORD. revelation 22.1&2 (niv), at the very end of the book, then the angel showed me the river of the water of life as clear as crystal flowing from the throne of GOD and of the LAMB, JESUS, down the middle of the great street of the city, the holy jerusalem, and on each side of the river stood the tree of life bearing crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month.

you and i one day as believers in JESUS CHRIST will be able to look at GOD’s throne, worshiping HIM, and while we’re worshiping HIM be able to reach up and pick whatever fruit it is off the tree and take a bite of it. i think that’s going to be fun; i’d like to invite you to join me! GOD’s word is an amazing book and the tree of life is one of those examples to us of how amazing and how GOD-empowered this book is. no human being could have figured this story out. GOD wrote it.

just a thought from the front porch…