THE TREE OF LIFE
When creating our world, God made everything perfect, and very good.1 As home for the man, God planted a garden in Eden, in the east2, even more beautiful than the rest of the earth. This garden was full of fruit trees that were delicious to the eye and good for food, and it probably was profusely decorated with a great variety of flowers. In the middle of the garden, also known as paradise, planted God the tree of life3, which certainly surpassed in glory all other trees. Its fruits had the power to perpetuate life. In paradise, God made Eve from one of Adam’s ribs, and the first couple were united in matrimony.4 The creator of the universe was the author of the first wedding and the first honeymoon. Everything was set by God in order to guarantee the happiness of human beings so that, if they did not disobey, they could live forever, in a direct relationship with him. In order to possess an endless existence, man must continue to partake of the tree of life.5 Deprived of this, his vitality would gradually diminish until life should become extinct. Sadly, that happened.
After man’s fall, Adam and Eve got expelled. God commissioned angels to guard the path that led to the tree of life.6 Around these angels flashed beams of light having the appearance of a glittering sword. Never again was man allowed in paradise to partake of the life-giving fruit; hence there is not an immortal sinner. The Bible does not tell what happened to paradise, but it seems that it existed on earth, for everyone to be seen, at least until the flood. However, God must have taken it away, for he promises that to the one who is victorious, he will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.7 The Bible tells us that the tree of life is now in New Jerusalem8, which is heaven and will descend to earth.9 If we trust God and his salvation, He will invite us to enter his gates.10
Biblical References:
- Genesis 1: 31
- Genesis 2: 8
- Genesis 2: 9
- Genesis 2: 21-25
- Genesis 3: 22
- Genesis 3: 23, 24
- Revelations 2: 7
- Revelations 22: 2
- Revelations 21: 1, 2
- Revelations 22: 14