In the Word of God, a tree can be a type of something negative, but also of that which is positive. In a negative sense, it is a place where evil can flourish, hiding amidst its branches and foliage, thus we have the mustard tree (Matt. 13:31-32; Luke 13:18-19). It was “under every green tree” (and other places!) that the heathen placed their idols, and under the Mosaic law, any man “hanged on a tree” (Deut. 21:22-23) was accursed. But in a positive way, it depicts to us that which provides shelter and protection, and also produces fruit. Thus we find Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian empire compared to a great tree, described as follows: “The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all” (Dan. 4:12). Abraham invited his guests to “rest yourselves under the tree” (Gen. 18:4), when they came in the heat of the day. When we consider the tree of life, it is, of course, with this positive application that we are concerned.
The tree of life is mentioned eleven times in the Word of God, although only ten times in the KJV, where there is a mistranslation in Revelation 22:19. Also, it is of note that it is mentioned at the beginning of the Bible, in the middle, and at the end. We find the expression three times in the Book of Genesis, four times in the Proverbs, and four times in the Revelation.
God’s Sovereignty
In Genesis, the tree of life is one of the two trees singled out for special recognition and instruction in the Garden of Eden. Both were evidently “in the midst of the garden”; man was forbidden to eat of the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Gen. 2:17). The tree of life was mentioned, and man’s attention called to it, but it does not seem that they were forbidden to eat of it. The Book of Genesis has been called “the seed plot of the Bible,” and these two trees are another example of this truth. The tree of life brings before us God’s sovereignty, and Christ Himself, as all God’s purposes are centered in Him. No doubt this is why the tree of life is first mentioned as being in the midst of the Garden.
Man’s Responsibility
But man’s responsibility comes in as well, represented by the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It too was in the midst of the Garden, for God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility run side by side, although always distinct. Man was going to be tested as to responsibility, and God knew he was to fail in this, yet the entrance of sin into the world would be the means by which God would reveal His heart of love, His wondrous plan of redemption, and His blessing to man — far more than if sin had never entered the world.
We know that first Eve and then Adam ate of the fruit of the forbidden tree and forfeited not only the Garden of Eden, but also any right to the tree of life. This was not punishment on God’s part, but rather grace, for had man at that point eaten of the tree of life, he would have lived forever in his sinful state. No, God’s grace had something far better in view.
Practical Comments
When we come to the Proverbs, we find very practical comments concerning the tree of life, penned by Solomon in his God-given wisdom, for Proverbs gives us heavenly wisdom for a path in a world beset by sin. While speaking of wisdom, Solomon personifies it, saying that “she is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her” (Prov. 3:18). More than once in Proverbs, the language used refers to the fact that wisdom is ultimately found only in Christ Himself, and that Christ is the embodiment of the wisdom of God. (This is especially true in chapter 8.) This is surely in keeping with New Testament truth, where we read that Christ is made unto us “wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30).
The second reference is in Proverbs 11:30: “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” Although the gospel as we know it was not preached in the Old Testament, yet the grace of God reached out to those who would seek Him. In Solomon’s day we see the Queen of Sheba coming up to hear the wisdom of Solomon, while many from other nations did the same — see 1 Kings 4:34. But ultimately, Solomon was but a poor type of the One who would come after him — Christ Himself. Any fruit from the display of Solomon’s wisdom and the winning of souls could only point to Christ, who is really that tree of life.
The Hope in Christ
The next reference is in Proverbs 13:12: “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick; but the desire that cometh to pass is a tree of life” (JND). While Proverbs does indeed give us heavenly wisdom for an earthly path, yet in the end all that we may hope for down here — all that comes to pass — is temporary. Multitudes of hearts have been “sick” over the centuries when certain hopes have not been realized, but there is one hope in which we will never be disappointed — the hope that we have in Christ. Again, this hope was not known in the same way in the Old Testament, yet the Spirit of God delights to describe a fulfilled hope as a tree of life, for that is the only fulfilled hope that will last for eternity.
A Wholesome Tongue
Finally, we read, “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit” (Prov. 15:4). The word “wholesome” might also be translated “gentleness,” showing us the importance of our speech. This is reinforced in James, where we read that “if a man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body” (James 3:2). While some are more naturally given to peaceful talk, yet we are also reminded in James 3:6 that “the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity ... and it is set on fire of hell.” Our Lord Himself could remind His listeners that “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Matt. 12:34), and the finest of men naturally will display “perverseness” in his speech, if something provokes him. Only in Christ do we see absolute perfection in all that He said, which on some occasions took the form of stern rebuke. But it was always as Paul reminds us in Colossians 4:6, “with grace, seasoned with salt.” Such perfection was found only in the One who was the tree of life.
The Overcomer
At the end of Bible, we see the tree of life in its perfection, not now in an earthly scene, but a heavenly one. First of all, the tree of life is promised as a reward to the overcomers, in the address to the assembly in Ephesus. The church was beginning to fail in its testimony, and the Lord could say, “Thou hast left thy first love” (Rev. 2:4). The reward for returning to the Lord would be simple — the enjoyment of Christ as the tree of life for all eternity, in the paradise of God. Man had forfeited the Garden of Eden as a paradise, but the work of Christ had opened a far better paradise for man, and more than this, the enjoyment of Christ Himself.
Then, in Revelation 22:2, we see the tree of life “on either side of the river” — a river of blessing associated with the street of the heavenly city, as well as the tree of life. The fruit of the tree of life was monthly — fruit now freely available to those in that heavenly scene, while the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations on earth. How widespread the blessing is! But once again God reminds us of man’s responsibility, not as in the Garden of Eden, but rather now to accept Christ and “wash their robes” (Rev. 22:14 JND). It is only they who will “have right to the tree of life,” for sin cannot enter that place of eternal blessing. Those who have not drunk of “the water of life” (vs. 17) and whose lives are still characterized by sin will be “without” forever.
Access to the Tree
Finally, a solemn warning is given, at the end of the Bible, to any who would dare to take away from God’s Word, which “liveth and abideth forever.” For any who would do this, we read, “God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city” (Rev. 22:19 JND). Those who are mere professors in Christianity, but without new life, will have their names blotted out “of the book of life” (Rev. 3:5). Here in Revelation 22 the final result is given; those who corrupt and take away from the Word of God will forfeit any access to the tree of life, the center of blessing for heaven and earth for all eternity. For this reason, a final appeal goes out, for in verse 17 once again “whosoever will” is urged to come and to drink of that water of life.
W. J. Prost