Tree of Life

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Dcopymope

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I find that so many people take these things so literally.
Some things are both literal and spiritual. Other things are spiritual and written to us as "pictures" so we 'get the picture'.

Considering that there is also a tree of life in the New Jerusalem, I have no reason to not take the two tree's in the garden of Eden literally....see..simple observation. It dispels the notion of the tree of life simply being symbolic of Jesus Christ, among other things.
 
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Invisibilis

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I find that so many people take these things so literally.
Some things are both literal and spiritual. Other things are spiritual and written to us as "pictures" so we 'get the picture'.
Hello ByGrace. Much in the bible is symbolic and paradoxical.
If you were referring to pictures drawn in above post, they were drawn for a painting. Like many Christian paintings they are loaded with symbolism.

IMHO, The tree of life is eternal life. As someone mentioned that the tree of life is Christ. Both Christ and eternal life are similar.
John 3:6 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
 
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amadeus

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So is the tree of life in new Jerusalem also Jesus? How does your allegory fit at all with the last chapter of Revelation?

"In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." Rev 22:22

Did not Jesus our perfect example yield all 12 of the fruits? We see nine of them listed here:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law" Gal 5:22-23

But to find all 12 in scripture requires a bit more of a search: Eph 4:2, Phil 1:11, II Cor 6:6, II Peter 1:5, Col 3:12, Rom 5:3, etc.

So then 12 in the scriptures, but Jesus was bearing the 12 fruits and so ought we be moving toward doing the same?

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." I John 3:2

When all of us are bearing all of them, perhaps then we will witness the "healing of the nations".
 
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Dcopymope

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"In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." Rev 22:22

Did not Jesus our perfect example yield all 12 of the fruits? We see nine of them listed here:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law" Gal 5:22-23

But to find all 12 in scripture requires a bit more of a search: Eph 4:2, Phil 1:11, II Cor 6:6, II Peter 1:5, Col 3:12, Rom 5:3, etc.

So then 12 in the scriptures, but Jesus was bearing the 12 fruits and so ought we be moving toward doing the same?

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." I John 3:2

When all of us are bearing all of them, perhaps then we will witness the "healing of the nations".

Is bearing the 12 fruits of the spirit something we do, or is that the holy spirit working within us? It really doesn't matter when it comes down to it, because the verse you quote from 1 John 3:2 clearly states that we will never attain the true likeness of Jesus Christ until we are made so at his second coming. I fail to see how this doesn't make the tree of life a literal tree that the nations are granted access to eat from, which again, has nothing to do with anything we do. This is something that is decided entirely by the Lord at the throne judgement.
 

amadeus

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Is bearing the 12 fruits of the spirit something we do, or is that the holy spirit working within us? It really doesn't matter when it comes down to it, because the verse you quote from 1 John 3:2 clearly states that we will never attain the true likeness of Jesus Christ until we are made so at his second coming. I fail to see how this doesn't make the tree of life a literal tree that the nations are granted access to eat from, which again, has nothing to do with anything we do. This is something that is decided entirely by the Lord at the throne judgement.

If that is what you believe my friend. What if I John 3:2 is speaking of when he finishes his work in us prior to our physical demise so that he is appearing then in us? Jesus did overcome the world prior to going to the cross and dying. Who would seriously deny the possibility of us doing the same? To do so would be denying that the power of God in us was able to do in us what it did in Jesus. That would show a lack in faith on our part.

"And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible." Mark 10:27
 

Helen

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So is the tree of life in new Jerusalem also Jesus? How does your allegory fit at all with the last chapter of Revelation?

So what do you think the New Jerusalem is? A literal city!!
Rev 21:2 "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."

Bride, church, overcomer's, ...His people.... If you take the measurements mentioned you will find the city is a perfect cube.. sorry...no literal "streets of gold" etc etc all are telling us of the spiritual things of God...sign's and symbols. God's language.
No "beast " with sharp teeth...no woman riding a dragon...except spiritually evil ...a beast system..

Sorry to spoil your day :oops:
 

Dcopymope

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If that is what you believe my friend. What if I John 3:2 is speaking of when he finishes his work in us prior to our physical demise so that he is appearing then in us? Jesus did overcome the world prior to going to the cross and dying. Who would seriously deny the possibility of us doing the same? To do so would be denying that the power of God in us was able to do in us what it did in Jesus. That would show a lack in faith on our part.

"And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible." Mark 10:27

m'kay

So what do you think the New Jerusalem is? A literal city!!
Rev 21:2 "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."

Bride, church, overcomer's, ...His people.... If you take the measurements mentioned you will find the city is a perfect cube.. sorry...no literal "streets of gold" etc etc all are telling us of the spiritual things of God...sign's and symbols. God's language.
No "beast " with sharp teeth...no woman riding a dragon...except spiritually evil ...a beast system..

Sorry to spoil your day :oops:

So the city being described as a cube somehow means it wasn't literally speaking of the streets being made of gold?............:rolleyes:.............You then blather on about a beast with sharp teeth being ridden by a woman as somehow your proof that the tree of life is not a tree. I don't know why you think this "spoiled my day", but you should go back and read the entire book and understand the difference between when its speaking symbolically and when it isn't, because John makes it real simple for you. When the beast, and the woman, and the dragon is written about, it actually explains those characters as symbolic of kingdoms, kings, cities and Satan in the case of the dragon. When it describes the appearance of new Jerusalem and the tree of life in its midst however, you see no such language following its description, meaning that the description of the city in its entirety is meant to be taken literally.
 
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Helen

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...okay...whatever you say... I used to believe that too...
It doesn't add or take away from our salvation...no sweat.
 
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