What is the Reality of the ‘Fruit of the Tree of Life’ In Genesis?
The Tree of Life [Hebrew: ‘ets hakhayim (עֵ֥ץ הַֽחַיִּֽים)] is a extraordinary tree that appears in the Garden of Eden. In the Bible it is written that if you eat the fruit from the Tree of Life, you will enjoy eternal life. For all humankind who long for youth and life forevermore, the Tree of Life is the greatest gift given by God.
index
1. The Tree of Life Lost by Adam and Eve
2. Abel Realized the Way to Approach the Tree of Life
3. How to Enter the Most Holy Place?
4. Which Church has the Truth of the Tree of Life
The Tree of Life Lost by Adam and Eve
The fruit of the Tree of Life was first mentioned in the Book of Genesis, the Old Testament of the Bible. It is completely contrary to the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, which leads to death if eaten.
And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”
(Genesis 2:16-17)
After God created the heavens and the earth, He placed the Tree of Life along with various other trees in the Garden of Eden, and allowed Adam and Eve to freely eat the fruit from them. The only exception being God forbade them to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, warning them that if they did eat from it they would ‘surely die.’ However, Adam and Eve were deceived by Satan, disobeyed God’s word and ate the forbidden fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 3:4-6). Since Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s Word, they were no longer allowed to live in Eden and were expelled.
And the LORD God said, ” ··· He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden ··· he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
(Genesis 3:22-24)
After God banished Adam, He placed cherubim and a flaming sword on the east side of the Garden of Eden, to block the way to the Tree of Life.
If a sinner touched the Tree of Life with their hand, they were put to death by the flaming sword. From that time on, Adam, who could not eat the fruit from the Tree of Life though he desired to, groaned in the agony of death and eventually finished his life at the age of 930(Genesis 5:5). If God had not blocked the way to the Tree of Life, Adam and Eve could have eaten its fruit and would have enjoyed eternal life. The life of Adam and Eve, who lost the tree of life, became a wretched life, just as the Apostle Paul had said (Romans 7:24).
Abel Realized the Way to Approach the Tree of Life
God showed Adam, who was lamenting that he had lost the tree of life, the truth so he could eat from it again. It is the way to approach God, which is through a sacrifice symbolizing the blood of Christ (Hebrews 11:4, 13). God testified this truth to Adam’s two sons; Cain and Abel (Hebrews 11:4). However, Cain refused this way and offered a sacrifice of agricultural products from his own opinion, but Abel, with a mind of obedience, offered a sacrifice by shedding the blood of a lamb symbolizing the blood of Christ.
··· Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor ···
(Genesis 4:3-5)
The reason why God only looked with favor on Abel’s offering was because it contained the lamb’s blood. In the Bible, it is recorded that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22). In other words, when asking God for the forgiveness of sins, one must offer a sacrifice with the shedding of blood. Abel realized this truth and offered a sacrifice with the blood of a lamb, which was the only way to approach the Tree of Life and be freed from the sin of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
The system of sacrificing with the blood of animals had been passed down with the spoken word for a long time, from the days of Noah and Abraham to Moses (Genesis 8:20~22, 12:7, 15:9), and in the time of Moses, God’s system of regulations were codified.
In the Old Testament times, the place where sacrifices were made was the Sanctuary, which was divided into the Holy Place in the front compartment, and the Most Holy Place in the back compartment. Interestingly, just as cherubim guarded the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden, cherubim guarded the ark, that is, the Ten Commandments in the Most Holy Place.
And make two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover…The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover… and put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law(Ten Commandments)
(NLT Exodus 25:18-21)
What was the reason God placed cherubim on either side of the atonement cover of the ark? It was because the Tree of Life which leads to eternal life was there. In other words, the Ten Commandments were given in lieu of the Tree of Life that Adam and Eve had eaten from. That is why Jesus emphasized that we must keep the commandments in order to receive eternal life (Matthew 19:16-17).
Then, could a sinner, not a righteous person, freely touch the Ten Commandments in the Most Holy Place? Around 1500 B.C. Aaron’s two sons, Nadab and Abihu, the men of Beth Shemesh and Uzzah, were all engulfed in flames and put to death when they touched the ark with unclean hands (Numbers 18:3, Leviticus 10:1-2, 1 Samuel 6:19, 2 Samuel 6:6-7). If a sinner got too close to the ark or touched it, they could not avoid death. This is because just as the cherubim guarding the Tree of Life had flaming swords, the cherubim guarding the ark in the Most Holy place also had flaming swords.
How to Enter the Most Holy Place?
Then, how can a person enter the Most Holy Place where the Tree of Life is?
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body,
(Hebrews 10:19-20)
The secret to enter the Most Holy Place is through the blood of Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament times, the high priests who were able to enter the Most Holy Place after being cleansed with the blood of the sin offering (Leviticus 16:1-34, Hebrews 9:18-28), was shown as a shadow of how we will be able to enter the Most Holy Place through the blood of Jesus shed on the cross and receive the fruit of the Tree of Life (Hebrews 6:19-20, Romans 3:22-25, 8:3-4). In other words, no matter how righteous a person is in this world, whether a famous pastor, or a doctor of theology who proclaims that they are second to none, they cannot enter eternal life without being cleansed with the precious blood of Jesus (John 6:48-57).
The question is how can we be cleansed by Jesus’ blood? Is it just a matter of faith, or is there a specific way? Jesus Himself gave us the answer.
So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover. ··· Jesus took bread, gave thanks ··· “Take and eat; this is my body.” ··· Then he took the cup (wine), gave thanks ··· “Drink from it, all of you. ··· This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
(Matthew 26:19-28)
On the evening of the 14th day of the first month in the sacred calendar, Jesus and His disciples celebrated the Passover Holy Supper ceremony. It is worthy to note that the bread eaten on this day Jesus called “my body” and the wine He called “my blood”. Jesus established a covenant with the blood of His sacrifice for the forgiveness of the sins of humankind, and that is the Passover of the New Covenant. In other words, the Passover bread becomes Jesus’ body crucified on the cross, and the Passover wine becomes Jesus’ blood shed on the cross (Luke 22:14-20).
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth ··· Whoever eats my flesh (Passover bread) and drinks my blood (Passover wine) has eternal life ··· For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink ··· so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.
(John 6:53-57)
Ultimately, the way that humankind can receive the blood of Jesus is to keep the Passover feast. Apostle Paul who realized this emphasized that the New Covenant Passover must be observed until the end of the world, and by this, he revealed that with peace of mind people could enter the Most Holy Place (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
The Secret of the fruit of the Tree of Life that appears in the Garden of Eden. Its reality, which allows us to receive eternal life if we eat it, is the New Covenant Passover which symbolizes Jesus’ flesh and blood.
Which Church has the Truth of the Tree of Life
Monthly Chosun, and Weekly Dong-A, South Korea’s representative media outlets have pointed out the ‘Church of God’ is the only church in the whole world which keeps the Passover. As reported by the media the truth of the Passover is kept not only in major cities around the world in countries such as the United States, England, and Australia, etc. but also in places such as Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost city in the world, Alaska, adjacent to the North Pole, Tarumã, Brazil, the Amazon jungle, Sertung, Nepal, an alpine village in the Himalayas, and many more. It was also reported that at each Church of God the Passover was being celebrated. Other leading media outlets have also put out similar reports about the New Covenant Passover being kept at the Church of God.
The way to eat the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden was opened wide at the World Mission Society Church of God by the Second Coming Christ Ahnsahnghong. What is important is having the heart and faith to keep the Passover, the truth that allows one to eat from the Tree of Life. The Bible testifies that we must ‘observe’ God’s feasts and regulations, and then and only then will we receive the ‘way to live’ (Ezekiel 20:11, 18:9, Leviticus 18:4-5).
Starting from the time of Adam, the gift of ‘eternal life’ that all humankind has been waiting for, is right in front of us. And now is a great opportunity to take hold of that gift.
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