The Tree of Life as God's Life

"And out of the ground Jehovah God caused to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, as well as the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" (Genesis 1:9 RcV - Recovery Version The Holy Bible Recovery Version) In the Garden in Genesis there were two significant trees - the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life.Some people say that the tree of life simply represented human immortality. This, I submit, is superficial. Adam had no reason to die other than for the cause of eating of the tree of the knowledgeof good and evil. He was created with an immortal life. If so then what could the tree of life signify?The tree of life signified the life of God. And to eat of the tree of life was for God to dispense His own uncreated divine life into man to produce a man who was united and mingled with God.Jesus Christ in the New Testament is the genuine man who is at once the human life and the divine life united, blended, mingled, and incorporated together. Therefore Christ really represents what God intended by human being.Adam never partook of this tree of life but was excluded from doing so.This is a theological rather than a scientific study. (Though I have been persuaded of the historical authenticity of the account).Can anyone see how the tree of life represents God imparting Himself into man's life to produce a union of God and man?Discussion anyone?

Thread moved here from the Proposed New Topics forum.

Genesis one and two should not be taken as an exhaustive scientific study on how God created everything. If that was the case then perhaps the whole Bible would be needed to explain the simpliest thing.The brief account shows that God created life consciousness in ever higher and higher degrees. The plant life shows a low level of life consciousness in Gen.1:11. The grass and trees are selected to portray a low level of consciousness. Even with the plant life Genesis uses three levels to show the path upward to higher consciousness. The plant life, the herbs which yield seeds, and the trees which bear fruit portray life ascending to a higher level.In Genesis 1:29-30 we see God gave the grass for the cattle to eat. But God gave the herbs and the fruit bearing trees for man to eat. This too portrays an ascension in the process of God's creation of life.Then there is the gradual development of the face. The grass and trees have no face. The fish and sea creatures begin to have a face but with no neck. It is a rather elementary face. The flying creatures display more of a face. The cattle and beasts of the field display a more developed facial expression. The face is now more distinctily developed on a long neck.Finally man is created with the most developed face. And it is said that in the creation of this creature God held a special conference. In all of the other created lives God just said "Let there be...". But when it comes to man God holds a special conference with Himself among the Trinity:Man with the most developed face for the highest life consciousness is preceeded with these words:And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of heaven and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.

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And God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Gen. 1:26,27)With all of the other lives it says that God created them after their own kind. When it comes to man he is created not after his own kind but after God's kind.We should think of man being created in the image and likeness of God like the relationship between a glove and a human hand. The glove is made in the image of a hand for the purpose that a hand can comfortably fit within it. When the hand slips into the glove the glove becomes the vessel and the hand becomes the content in the vessel. The two, the hand in the glove move and act together in one expression.Man was created as a living vessel to be filled with God. Man, as the highest level of consciousness among the created lives, was created to contain the uncreated life of God.Here is where the tree of life comes in. In the center of the garden was the tree of life. The tree of life which was "good for food" signifies not the created life but that life which in eternal, divine, and uncreated.The created life of man was designed by God to be a vessel to take into himself the uncreated and divine Person as God. This was the meaning of the tree of life. God created man in His image to dispense Himself into man. This is like the glove created in the image of the hand for the purpose that the hand may fit comfortably into the glove.The tree of life represented the Divine Person of the Triune God Himself. And His desire was to impart Himself into man that man and God would be "organically" united and blended together for man's enjoyment and for God's expression and administration.

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Some people say that the tree of life simply represented human immortality. This, I submit, is superficial. Adam had no reason to die other than for the cause of eating of the tree of the knowledgeof good and evil. He was created with an immortal life. If so then what could the tree of life signify?

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I don't see that the Bible implies that Adam was created immortal. Even the Jews do not believe that Adam was created immortal.A&E were not forbidden to eat from the TOL. So one could say it was necessary for continued life. Whether one fruit makes one immortal or only the continued eating keeps one immortal is unknown. It is also unknown as to whether A&E had eaten from the TOL prior to eating from the G&E tree.But exemption from eating from the TOL does eventually lead to death.

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Can anyone see how the tree of life represents God imparting Himself into man's life to produce a union of God and man?

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If it was to produce a union and not immortality, and Adam was created immortal, then he should still be alive. He just wouldn't be in union with God.If it was to produce a union, then A&E should have been able to withstand the temptation, IMO.
If the union was not capable of protecting A&E from temptation, then what was the purpose of the union with God?Since the story of A&E is a teaching story, Theologically you could develop many different teachings from the story of A&E. But IMO, this teaching doesn't work in the context of the written story.

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There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. -Edith Wharton

Welcome purpledawn, The only warning concerning what would cause death to Adam was the eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.It does not say in Genesis 2:16,17 that neglect or failure to eat of the tree of life would be the cause of death to Adam.I assume that the man there was no other cause for him to die. I think that God would have maintained Adam to live on.But God's purpose is not simply that man would live everlastingly. It is that he would be indwelt and mingled with God to be a God-man like the Lord Jesus Christ.To accomplish this, Adam had to take his everlasting human vessel to take into him the fruit of the tree of life which represented the uncreated and divine life of God. Not until they moved from thier neutral position between the two sources by way of making a decision. They could not have both sources.The death tree would unite them to Satan. The tree of life would unite them to God. Once they chose one, the way to the other was closed off to them.So after eating of the tree which brings death, the way to the tree of life was forbidden to Adam (Gen.3:22-24).Ehpesians 4:18 says that the unbelievers are "alienated from the life of God". This alienation from the life of God began after God placed a guard to the tree of life and expelled man from the garden of Eden. But the warning does not say that if Adam neglected, failed to, or stopped eating of the tree of life then he would die. This was not the warning.I think if what you say is true then that should have been the warning.God did not say that there were two causes of death - eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil AND not eating of the tree of life. Only eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil was said to be the cause of death. I believe that it is certain that he did not. He was neutral between Satan as a source of life (who really brings death) and God as a source of life.Genesis 3:22-24 indicates that God would not have man mixed with both the Satanic element and the divine life element at the same time.My belief is that if Adam had taken of the tree of life then in the same manner as Genesis 3:22-24 the way to the tree of knowledge of good and evil would have been barred. The prohibition would have been similiar except that there would have been no need to expel Adam from the garden. Why? That would only be the case if Adam had not died. Why did he die? He died because he ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.And he does not live forever in a polluted state because of Genesis 3:22-24. Once death set in God would not have the divine life come into him also and preserve him to live forever.More important then dying man became Satanified. Man was joined in a host to parasite relationship with Satan.In this state God drove him away from the tree of life. Man was alienated from the life of God (Eph. 4:18).The story of the rest of the Bible is God's plan of salvation to bring man back to the divine life of God. This He does through the marvelous redemption of Christ. And this He does by causing Christ the Son of God to be life to man.Christ Himself is the tree of life to us today. That withstanding of temptation comes POST Christ shedding His blood for us and we partaking of Him as the life of God.But in Genesis Adam never at any time ate of the tree of life.I am convinced that when he moved from his neutral position inbetween the two sources, he could not partake of the other. He was given the choice to take in one or the other. He made the wrong choice.Today, the choice is before us only because of Christ's redemption. We have the choice to take in the life of God which is now embodied in the Savior Jesus Christ.The barrier keeping man "alienated from the life of God" is removed in the redemption of Jesus Christ upon the cross.And since this Jesus became the life giving Spirit, in resurrection Christ as the life giving Spirit can impart into us the uncreated divine Person represented in the tree of life."The last Adam became a life giving Spirit" (1 Cor. 15:45) From the time I first believed in Jesus as my Lord, I held a similar opinion. Eventually, I come to realize that the whole Bible seems to either stand together or fall together.So, the flow of history in Genesis, argues for the fact that this was history and not total allegory. Latter in the Bible God did use physical things to carry strong theological significance. The ark of the covenant is one striking example.If God intervened in Israel's affairs based on their interaction with his ark I can see Him doing so in the creation of man with two trees.So, I regard Genesis as history albiet with profound significance assigned by God to some actions of the first couple.This message has been edited by jaywill, 12-09-2005 01:46 PMThis message has been edited by jaywill, 12-09-2005 01:47 PMThis message has been edited by jaywill, 12-09-2005 01:48 PMThis message has been edited by jaywill, 12-09-2005 02:03 PM

At this point I would like to draw a distinction between two phrases.I admit that I might not be able to linguistically justify the distinction. But theologically I think it is helpful to understand what I am saying.There is Everlasting Life and there is Eternal Life.Adam was created with an everlasting life. But the tree of life represented the uncreated Person of the Triune God Himself. He is the eternal life.God had many angels who already were going to live forever. So for man simply to live forever was short of God's eternal purpose.By imparting eternal life into man God Himself enters into man to produce a God-man.God did not want a good man. God wanted a God - man. To be a good man who lives everlastingly was nice and even might meet man's need. But God had a need to be mingled with man to produce sons who share the life and nature of God. For this the good everlastingly living Adam was placed before the tree of life. That is that he may not only live forever but live united, mingled, interwoven, and in mutual incorporation with God.God desired sons as Jesus Christ is the God-Man union of Divinity and Humanity.

the tree of knowledge was not supposed to remove immortality. it was supposed to cause IMMEDIATE DEATH, not eventual death, not suffering, not disease, but IMMEDIATE DEATH. why didn't it? maybe god lied. maybe god was merciful. not for me to say. but man was not created immortal. suggesting that man (and assumedly the animals) were created immortal and yet acknowledge that the animals were ordered to multiply and that trees (etc) produced fruit it foolish. sure maybe people would have lived longer in order to be able to produce more offspring (if they did in fact and the world was empty etc), but, for one, it creates a false dichotomy in the value of the life of a man or animal and the life of a plant. life is life. commanded reproduction is commanded reproduction. if god is a creator of order (as he says he is), he would not draw such a dichotomy.

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i'm worldwide bitch, act like ya'll don't know.

i agree that god was looking to create a companion and not a surf, but you are getting a bit confusing in your mysticism.

What is your source?To the general topic, the Tree of Life is also mentioned a few times in Revelation. Does this tree still being in existance mean anything?

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"Damn. I could build a nuclear bomb, given the fissionable material, but I can't tame my computer." (1VB)Jerome - French Rocket Scientist

Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. KJVbut from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die."
New American Standard Biblebut of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die."
Revised Standard Versionnow, i'm not as good at the hebrew thing as arach is, but the word yom (yowm actually) is definitely in there.

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i'm worldwide bitch, act like ya'll don't know.

It says you shall surely die.Adam surely died.It does not say immediately die.

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"Damn. I could build a nuclear bomb, given the fissionable material, but I can't tame my computer." (1VB)Jerome - French Rocket Scientist

it says THE VERY DAY.

Perhaps Tal is interpreting "day" in a figurative sense.

perhaps. but there is no reason to. i suppose i should have known better than to get myself into that pickle.

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i'm worldwide bitch, act like ya'll don't know.

Brennakimi, The New Testaments says that we are dead even while our soul and our body are living. That is why to receive Jesus as the Lord causes one to be "born again" in the deepest part of her being.Something in man became deadened and comatose from the time Adam was joined to God's enemy. Death started to work in Adam. And it took about 900 years for it to kill off the first man who was created "very good."It could be that the day in which Adam would surely die included the insetting of the process of death in the very kernel of his being.Believing that God lied is attributing wickedness to God which I rule out. The devil in the serpent already slanderously accused God of lying (Gen.3:4,5) -"And the serpent said to the woman, You will not surely die!" . I don't need on this side of that deception to continue to believe Satan's accusation.The mercy of God however, is quite evident. Adam and Eve having become concious of their state ran off and hid from God. Of course God knew where they were. But God called out to the man "Where are you?" (Gen 3:9). It seems God, who previously enjoyed pleasant fellowship with the couple now asked them so that they would consider the state from which they were now fallen.The mercy of God is also seen in that instead of the man and his wife being killed instantly, God slew cattle to cloth them with the skins of the cattle. Perhaps when Adam saw the terrible death of that beast he realized that that should have been him and his wife. The clear type of Christ's redemptive death to come, and God's clothing man in Christ as his justification before God, was put forth in the typology. The eating of the vegetation suggests that their "dying" was a part of the maintenance of the other lives.The multiplication of the animals does give rise to questions for which I have no answers.But I have considered all of those things. The universe is a large place. And perfect human self control, incalculable wisdom, and fathomless mangerial skill might have rendered "dominion over" the creatures which is hard for us in our fallen state to comprehend. Man was created in such a way that he is one among the creatures yet he is at the pinnacle of the pyramid of created lives. This is portrayed in Genesis. And Christ taught that we were of more value than many sparrows. So humanity is among the other lives but also of greater value to God than the other lives."Therefore do not fear; you are of more value than many sparrows" (Matt. 10:31; compare Matt. 6:26-30)Man alone was created in the image of God in order to contain God within and express His glory.Man was created according to Christ. Both Second Corinthians 4:4 and Colossians 1:15 say that the image of God is Christ.Man is unique of all lives on the earth. He should not be arrogant. But he should be realistic. Once the climax is reached of the creation of humanity in God's image there is nowhere left to go. That is except angel life and the life of God Himself. And these two lives are represented by the two named trees.The tree of the knowledge of good and evil stood for the angelic life gone bad and in total rebellion against the Creator. For Satan was the anointed cherub who sought to usurp God's throne. This tree of knowledge of good and evil was a tree of death. Independence from God can only lead to death. And we are told that the Devil has the authority or the might of death (Hebrews 2:14).The tree of life represented the absolute highest life of all. The uncreated life of God which has no beginning and no end.I would like to say that everlasting life has a beginning and continues everlastingly. Eternal life has no beginning in addition to being everlasting. It is also a life without limitation. The Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as the Three-one God Who said "Let us make man in Our image ..." reveals the uncreated and unlimited Divine Person. This Person through the tree of life presented Himself to man as something for man to take into himself as food.In the New Testament God again presents Himself as food symbolically saying in Christ - "As the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, even so he who eats Me shall also live because of Me" (John 6:57)Man must take the Son of God internally into his innermost spirit to be born again of God and to grow to live in union with God for the fulfillment of God's eternal purpose. The Bible shows man at the pinnacle of creation. Even nature shows man at the pinnacle of all other lives on the earth.We are absolutely one of a kind on this planet. And as far as we know we are one of a kind in the universe. We long to find someone higher. If not God many long that beings from other worlds might teach us a thing or two. The dolphin is smart. The chimp is clever. The ants are organized. And many marvelous creatures are in nature. But humanity is one of a kind.Even evolutionary theorists have to admit that nothing else can compete with human beings in consciousness. The Bible says the Divine Us made man in His own image. He made man according to Christ who is the image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15; 2 Cor. 4:4).This message has been edited by jaywill, 12-09-2005 03:55 PMThis message has been edited by jaywill, 12-09-2005 03:58 PMThis message has been edited by jaywill, 12-09-2005 04:04 PM