Doctrine of Tree of Life

July 23, 2010

DOCTRINE OF THE TREE OF LIFE

I. Background on the tree:
A. It first appears in the perfect environment of the garden of Eden along with the tree
of knowledge of good and evil (GENESIS 2:9).
B. It was located in the very center of the garden.
C. Unlike the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, its fruit was not off limits
(GENESIS 2:16,17).
D. While in the garden, man did not desire to eat of its fruit.
E. After the fall, man was barred from eating its fruit by an angelic sentry (GENESIS
3:24).
F. In the book of Proverbs it is associated with positive volition to Bible doctrine
(PROVERBS 3:18).
G. It appears finally, along both sides of the river flowing from the new Jerusalem from
which redeemed mankind eats from its twelve kinds of fruit (REVELATION 22:1,2).

II. The spiritual significance of the tree prior to the fall:
A. It must be understood in the light of the Doctrine of the Angelic Conflict.
B. Adam was created physically and mentally mature, but not spiritually mature.
C. His body was formed (rc;y” YATSAR; to mold, like a potter molds clay) from the dust
of the ground (GENESIS 2:7); his soul and human spirit were created (ar;B’
BARA); to create something out of nothing)(GENESIS 1:26,27).
D. Although it was God’s desire for Adam to possess spiritual maturity (demuth), He
did not create Adam with it.
E. In the garden, Adam was given the opportunity to produce demuth through GAP
(GENESIS 3:8).
F. Adam, 130 years after the fall, attained to demuth (spiritual maturity) which was
manufactured out of Bible doctrine.
G. Had Adam gone on to maturity in the garden, he would have resolved the Angelic
Conflict, and celebrated by eating of the tree of Life.
H. Instead, he ate of the forbidden fruit, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
I. So the tree of life is to positive volition what the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil is to negative volition.

III. The tree after the fall:
A. Being spiritually dead, Adam was disqualified from eating from the tree.
B. Prior to the fall, man did not need salvation, but only to make the maturity
adjustment.
C. The fall rendered man incapable of making the maturity adjustment.
D. The fall made the new birth necessary for the man; He had to become spiritually
alive before he could pursue spiritual maturity.

IV. The tree of life and the cross:
A. The work of Christ provided the potential for access to what the tree of life
represents. (salvation, spiritual maturity, and enjoyment of Ph3).
B. Faith in Christ sets man up for what Adam lost, and much more.
C. Christ’s choice to go to the Cross was based on His inner demuth and is the basis for
undoing what Adam got us into (HEBREWS 2:14,15).
D. Likewise, the believer is challenged to eat of the fruit of Bible doctrine which leads
to maturity (II CORINTHIANS 3:18).

V. Proof that the symbolism of the tree of life includes the maturity adjustment (GENESIS
1:26).
A. Image = tselem (~l,c, TSELEM); likeness = demuth (tWmD> DEMUTH); tselem
(image) refers to the soul of man, while demuth (likeness) includes thinking like God
(Divine viewpoint), which comes from Bible doctrine in the soul. God created
Adam, and every other human soul with the potential to acquire Bible doctrine and
thus demuth. All men are given free will and must supply positive volition in order
to acquire demuth (spiritual maturity).
B. A contextual comparison of Tselem and Demuth in GENESIS 1:26,27; GENESIS
5:1-3; and GENESIS 9:6, reveals that tselem (soul, image) was created on day six
for Adam (at birth for everyone else) and is for all mankind (GENESIS 9:6).
Demuth (spiritual maturity, likeness) is manufactured out of Bible doctrine and
comes only to spiritually alive (saved) individuals who go on positive volition to
Bible doctrine.
C. The location of the tree in the middle of the garden teaches us the place that Bible
doctrine is to hold in our lives.
D. The tree connotes blessing and capacity for life (PROVERBS 13:12).
E. The fact the fall separated man from it demonstrates that fallen man is separated
from God.
F. Proverbs says that wisdom is a tree of lives (PROVERBS 3:18).
G. The wisdom that comes from above is a synonym for Bible doctrine.

VI. The tree in phase 3: (REVELATION 22:1,2).
A. All redeemed mankind will eat of its fruit (REVELATION 22:2).
B. As a memorial to eternal life and the importance of Bible doctrine.