Ezekiel

[VictoryinJesus]

The tree of life in the garden was the way to eternal life. And since the way to eternal life is through Jesus, I always thought the tree was Him.

makes me think of:
Philippians 1:11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.


Goodnight @stunnedbygrace

 

[Aunty Jane]

The tree of life in the garden was the way to eternal life. And since the way to eternal life is through Jesus, I always thought the tree was Him.

If you think about that for a moment....if the tree of life was Jesus then why would God block them from accessing it?
He even posted an angel with the flaming blade of a sword to make sure that no human could touch it.

 

[stunnedbygrace]

If you think about that for a moment....if the tree of life was Jesus then why would God block them from accessing it?
He even posted an angel with the flaming blade of a sword to make sure that no human could touch it.

Because - and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

It reads like He didn’t want them to be able to live forever in disobedience…

Just another proof against Eternal Torment Forever.

 

[VictoryinJesus]

If you think about that for a moment....if the tree of life was Jesus then why would God block them from accessing it?
He even posted an angel with the flaming blade of a sword to make sure that no human could touch it.

what @stunnedbygrace said but also. “If the tree of life was Jesus then why would God block them from accessing it?” To me that is similar to asking if the Revelation of Jesus Christ is the good news; then why do we squabble over it, going around in circles chasing after our own tails?

A few thoughts:

1) before Faith came we were “shut up” “kept under” the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed (get this was to the Jews, yet all were under sin.)

Galatians 3:19-28 Wherefore then serves the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. [20] Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. [21] Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, (Life given in the Son?) verily righteousness should have been by the law. [22] But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. [23] But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. [24] Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. [25] But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. [26] For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. [27] For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. [28] There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

2) a woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and could not be healed by anyone, came up behind Him and touched the hem of His garment, and immediately her hemorrhage was stopped. Jesus said “who touched Me?” While they were denying it.
Peter said “Master the people are crowding and pressing in on You.” but Jesus said “someone touched Me, for I was aware that power had gone out of Me?” When the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came trembling and fell down before Him, and declared in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed. And he said to her “Daughter, your faith has made you well, go in peace.”

3) another thought concerning if Christ is the Tree of Life why would God place a block accessing Life? Consider where you come not to a mountain that burned and can’t be touched, but in making them one where both have access by One Spirit. (Any that have not the Spirit of Christ is none of His?)
Proverbs 16:19 Better it is to be of an humble spirit (Christ) with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

4) Proverbs 15:4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.
A wholesome tongue is a tree of Life …consider “speak we in Christ” or where “there was no guile in his mouth” but perverseness within is a breach in the spirit?

could be wrong but it seems like Christ in the power to lay down his Life, that they may have Life whereby he is not ashamed to call them brethren …is the tree that bears Fruit unto Life in glorifying the Father of spirits whereby “He lives”?

 

[Aunty Jane]

Because - and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

It reads like He didn’t want them to be able to live forever in disobedience…

Yes, imagine if evil, rebellious people could access the means that God put in place to guarantee unending life....and they never died!

This was life in the flesh that was to be unending, but now that a knowledge of evil was in the world, Adam and his wife would experience the knowledge of evil becoming a practice. Their firstborn murdered his brother out of jealousy....not in a fit of anger, but in pre-meditated murder. They were to learn that death can come in many ways without God’s protection.

Count the evil humans down through time, and aren’t we grateful that God barred the way to the tree of life whilst he dealt with this rebellion in the only way that would prevent it from ever happening again. He allowed the humans to experience what the devil offered them.....freedom to do whatever they wanted.....to deliver and experience evil on a scale they had never contemplated. But humans were not created with an evil bent, as long as they obeyed their Creator and stayed within the limits of freedom that he set for them, all would be as he intended.

Only when they stepped outside of the limits God set, and sin entered into the human race, were they open to the devil’s influence. When we hear that an act committed was “inhuman” we are seeing what that means.....it is not in human nature to behave like that.....that word means “not human” or “outside normal human behaviour”. Humans who leave God have only one other source of influence....and we see it clearly.

So what happened...?
Satan was the first of God’s “sons” to become discontent with his lot. According to Ezekiel 28:12-19, satan was appointed as the “covering cherub” in the garden of Eden. A guardianship position that carried a weighty responsibility....but observing these intelligent creatures who were inferior to himself, he began to envy the worship given to God and wanted it for himself.

In an address to the King of Tyre, but clearly a veiled judgment against the one whom he emulated, Jehovah said.....
“You were the model of perfection,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in Eʹden, the garden of God.
You were adorned with every precious stone. . .
They were prepared on the day you were created.
14 I assigned you as the anointed covering cherub.
You were on the holy mountain of God, and you walked about among fiery stones.
15 You were faultless in your ways from the day you were created
Until unrighteousness was found in you. . . .
You became filled with violence, and you began to sin.
So I will cast you out as profane from the mountain of God and destroy you,
O covering cherub, away from the stones of fire.
17 Your heart became haughty because of your beauty.
You corrupted your wisdom because of your own glorious splendor. . . .
Your end will be sudden and terrible,
And you will cease to exist for all time.”’”

We get some idea about why this formerly faithful and magnificent “son of God” began to entertain ideas about himself that were destructive. He wanted to “be like God”, and plotted a course to achieve his aim to become a “god” to these humans. But first he had to separate them from their Creator by tempting them into disobedience......then he had them, and they were his to do with as he pleased....but not all would succumb to his ways.

Why did God allow him to influence the entire human race? Because Jehovah created us with free will. We can use it to uphold his Sovereignty over us and enjoy the blessings he provides, or we can abuse it in disobedience and experience the bad outcome. God allowed the greatest object lesson in our history to teach us the value of obedience.....it is all he has ever asked of us. We can choose to either obey God or disobey him.

Through the written record he has provided, we can see clearly that our Father never abandoned us to the devil, but always provided guidance to his faithful ones....at first they had his spirit to direct them, and in time his laws and recommendations for daily living were put in written form so that we future children could consult this guidebook and see for ourselves what eventuates for both the faithful and the unfaithful. Good examples and bad ones.

“The tree of life” in the garden was therefore a contrast to the other tree....partaking of one resulted in life....the other in death. But as any good parent will do to protect his children, God placed a serious penalty in front of “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” as a deterrent, so that his free willed children would never think of touching its fruit. He claimed that tree as his exclusive property and to steal from one’s Sovereign, was a capital offence, no matter how small the theft was. It was a wicked act of absolute disrespect.

The devil took away the penalty....he lied to the woman and she ate....he didn’t lie to Adam. So Adam’s choice dictated the outcome....and here we are. (Romans 5:12)

Just another proof against Eternal Torment Forever.

Yes, life or death was all God ever placed in front of his children. (Deuteronomy 39:19) Life and death are opposites. Which means that there is no immortal soul to go on living somewhere else.....but that is for another thread.

 

[Aunty Jane]

could be wrong but it seems like Christ in the power to lay down his Life, that they may have Life whereby he is not ashamed to call them brethren …is the tree that bears Fruit unto Life in glorifying the Father of spirits whereby “He lives”?

I ask you to please read my response to SbG above....

I believe that many read into scripture what they want to see, rather than letting scripture explain itself....which it always does.

Christ’s sacrifice is the redemption that the human race required to release us from condemnation to perpetual sin and death, created by Adam’s disobedience. But he paid that price almost 2,000 years ago and we still sin and we still die....so how do you think that works?

 

[stunnedbygrace]

Yes, imagine if evil, rebellious people could access the means that God put in place to guarantee unending life....and they never died!

This was life in the flesh that was to be unending, but now that a knowledge of evil was in the world, Adam and his wife would experience the knowledge of evil becoming a practice. Their firstborn murdered his brother out of jealousy....not in a fit of anger, but in pre-meditated murder. They were to learn that death can come in many ways without God’s protection.

Count the evil humans down through time, and aren’t we grateful that God barred the way to the tree of life whilst he dealt with this rebellion in the only way that would prevent it from ever happening again. He allowed the humans to experience what the devil offered them.....freedom to do whatever they wanted.....to deliver and experience evil on a scale they had never contemplated. But humans were not created with an evil bent, as long as they obeyed their Creator and stayed within the limits of freedom that he set for them, all would be as he intended.

Only when they stepped outside of the limits God set, and sin entered into the human race, were they open to the devil’s influence. When we hear that an act committed was “inhuman” we are seeing what that means.....it is not in human nature to behave like that.....that word means “not human” or “outside normal human behaviour”. Humans who leave God have only one other source of influence....and we see it clearly.

So what happened...?
Satan was the first of God’s “sons” to become discontent with his lot. According to Ezekiel 28:12-19, satan was appointed as the “covering cherub” in the garden of Eden. A guardianship position that carried a weighty responsibility....but observing these intelligent creatures who were inferior to himself, he began to envy the worship given to God and wanted it for himself.

In an address to the King of Tyre, but clearly a veiled judgment against the one whom he emulated, Jehovah said.....
“You were the model of perfection,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in Eʹden, the garden of God.
You were adorned with every precious stone. . .
They were prepared on the day you were created.
14 I assigned you as the anointed covering cherub.
You were on the holy mountain of God, and you walked about among fiery stones.
15 You were faultless in your ways from the day you were created
Until unrighteousness was found in you. . . .
You became filled with violence, and you began to sin.
So I will cast you out as profane from the mountain of God and destroy you,
O covering cherub, away from the stones of fire.
17 Your heart became haughty because of your beauty.
You corrupted your wisdom because of your own glorious splendor. . . .
Your end will be sudden and terrible,
And you will cease to exist for all time.”’”

We get some idea about why this formerly faithful and magnificent “son of God” began to entertain ideas about himself that were destructive. He wanted to “be like God”, and plotted a course to achieve his aim to become a “god” to these humans. But first he had to separate them from their Creator by tempting them into disobedience......then he had them, and they were his to do with as he pleased....but not all would succumb to his ways.

Why did God allow him to influence the entire human race? Because Jehovah created us with free will. We can use it to uphold his Sovereignty over us and enjoy the blessings he provides, or we can abuse it in disobedience and experience the bad outcome. God allowed the greatest object lesson in our history to teach us the value of obedience.....it is all he has ever asked of us. We can choose to either obey God or disobey him.

Through the written record he has provided, we can see clearly that our Father never abandoned us to the devil, but always provided guidance to his faithful ones....at first they had his spirit to direct them, and in time his laws and recommendations for daily living were put in written form so that we future children could consult this guidebook and see for ourselves what eventuates for both the faithful and the unfaithful. Good examples and bad ones.

“The tree of life” in the garden was therefore a contrast to the other tree....partaking of one resulted in life....the other in death. But as any good parent will do to protect his children, God placed a serious penalty in front of “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” as a deterrent, so that his free willed children would never think of touching its fruit. He claimed that tree as his exclusive property and to steal from one’s Sovereign, was a capital offence, no matter how small the theft was. It was a wicked act of absolute disrespect.

The devil took away the penalty....he lied to the woman and she ate....he didn’t lie to Adam. So Adam’s choice dictated the outcome....and here we are. (Romans 5:12)


Yes, life or death was all God ever placed in front of his children. (Deuteronomy 39:19) Life and death are opposites. Which means that there is no immortal soul to go on living somewhere else.....but that is for another thread.

I’m not sure that was an answer as to your thought that Jesus isn’t the tree of life.

 

[Aunty Jane]

I’m not sure that was an answer as to your thought that Jesus isn’t the tree of life.

I don’t see Jesus as the tree of life.....Jesus is the means of reclaiming the life that God first purposed for us. Giving his life in exchange for ours is not pictured by the tree of life....

The two trees were a contrast of choices for free willed humans. God cannot give free will without limits and with nothing to contrast, how will free willed choices be made? Those choices are dependent upon what we know. What did Adam and his wife know about God and his intentions, as opposed to what they knew about the serpent and his intentions?

 

[GTW27]

I’m not sure that was an answer as to your thought that Jesus isn’t the tree of life.

Blessings in Christ Jesus! There was a time I worked in a store. I worked in the gift department. And while I was working, there was some picture frames that needed relocated. There was one frame that caught my attention so I picked it up and looked at it. On the front of the box it said Tree of life picture frame. It was shaped like a tree with these tiny round frames hanging from the branches. As I was staring at it, I heard these words,"I am The Tree of Life". From that day forward, that revelation confirmed what I already knew to be true. Thought you might appreciate something coming from a store setting.

 

[VictoryinJesus]

I ask you to please read my response to SbG above....

I believe that many read into scripture what they want to see, rather than letting scripture explain itself....which it always does.

Christ’s sacrifice is the redemption that the human race required to release us from condemnation to perpetual sin and death, created by Adam’s disobedience. But he paid that price almost 2,000 years ago and we still sin and we still die....so how do you think that works?

first I agree with you “I believe that many read into scripture what they want to see, rather than letting scripture explain itself....which it always does.” This is what causes the most doubts and conflict within me …that so many see it differently. It causes me to ask repeatedly if I’m reading into it what is not there. But sometimes it seems so clear as to what He is saying in the context of what you said: that other verses help with others. Maybe each person follows what the word says to them and see where “their reading into it what they want to see” leads them? Maybe Wrong or right, where does what they want to see take them? Snared or free?

I also like that you said: the human race required it. If your perspective is The Spirit of Christ is not the Tree of Life…can I ask what your perspective is? if Christ is not the tree of Life then who is?

 

[stunnedbygrace]

I don’t see Jesus as the tree of life.....Jesus is the means of reclaiming the life that God first purposed for us. Giving his life in exchange for ours is not pictured by the tree of life....

The two trees were a contrast of choices for free willed humans. God cannot give free will without limits and with nothing to contrast, how will free willed choices be made? Those choices are dependent upon what we know. What did Adam and his wife know about God and his intentions, as opposed to what they knew about the serpent and his intentions?

Yes, I’m aware by now you don’t think Jesus is/was the tree of eternal life and I think you’re aware I do think it. So that’s established. I was simply pointing out that your long and well written post didn’t answer why you don’t think so as much as it…sat there.

I think there is only one way to eternal life and there has always been only one way to eternal life. It is by eating His flesh and drinking His blood just as in the garden it would have been by eating the flesh and drinking the juice of the fruit of the tree of the way to eternal life.

I think it’s plain to see but you don’t. I need few words to show it but you speak many words and don’t refute it. I don’t know why you can’t see it. It looks like a case of partial blindness to me.