Eating of the Tree of Life
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Eating of the tree of life brings the eternal life of God into the spiritual nature, and then into the body as God permits.
The tree of life was in the midst of the garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9) and today is in the midst of the Paradise of God (Revelation 2:7).
During the new heaven and earth reign of Christ the tree of life will be located in the midst of the street of the new Jerusalem and on either side of the river of water of life. The tree will bear twelve kinds of fruit and yield fruit every month. The leaves of the tree will be for the healing of the people of the saved nations of the earth (Revelation 22:2).
Only those who keep the commandments of God have a right to enter through the gates of the new Jerusalem and partake of the tree of life (Revelation 22:14).
We believe the life that is in the tree of life is the same eternal Life that our Lord Jesus Christ Is:
Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:54)
Why, then, did God not permit Adam and Eve to eat of the Divine Life in Christ?
They certainly could have eaten if they had wanted to because the tree of life was in the center of the garden. But they chose instead to eat of the forbidden tree. They chose to sin against God.
The key to understanding the eating of the tree of life is found in the Book of Revelation. We must keep the commandments of God in order to have access to the tree of life.
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. (Revelation 22:14)
God will not have fellowship with sin. When we sin, the eternal Life that Christ is leaves us, as declared in the following verse:
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify [put to death] the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (Romans 8:13)
The Apostle obviously is not speaking of dying physically, for all die physically whether or not they live in the appetites and lusts of the flesh. The point is, if we Christians live according to the lusts of our body we will reap spiritual death. The Life of Christ will not abound in those who are walking in sin and disobedience to God.
If, on the other hand, we, through the Holy Spirit of God, put to death the lusts of our flesh, overcoming sin by the Spirit of God, the Lord Jesus will feed us with His own body and blood. We will live by Him as He lives by the Father, growing spiritually strong and filled with Divine Life—Life that in the Day of Resurrection will make alive our mortal body.
Since all human beings were born in sin, none of us ever can gain access to the tree of life. But because of the blood of the Lamb of God, by faith in His blood, our sins are forgiven and we are authorized to partake of the eternal Life that is the Lord Jesus Christ.
But it is not enough to taste briefly of the Life that Christ Is. We must continue eating every day. In order to do this we must follow the Holy Spirit as He leads us out of the world, out of sin, and into keeping the Lord’s commandments.
As we come out of the world, out of sin, the Lord feeds us with the tree of life—with His own flesh and blood, His own Life. This is the meaning of the expression, "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God" (Revelation 2:7).
Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:54)
As we have stated, Adam and Eve were welcome to eat of the tree of life. But the moment they sinned they no longer were eligible to partake of the Life of God.
The marvelous love of God was demonstrated at that moment. God brought decay on their human bodies and drove His two children out of the garden, posting a sentry to guard the way of the tree of life. God did this with the intention of providing a Redeemer who could reverse the damage done by Satan.
The creation was made subject to corruption and futility against its will. It was God who subjected the creation to decay in the hope that one day the material creation can be released into the liberty of the glory of the children of God (see Romans 8:20,21).
The material creation remains bound in prison. Its spiritual life is gone. The creation is waiting for the revelation of the sons of God, for those who, through Christ, have obtained release themselves and can bring that release to all who call on the name of the Lord.
The sons of God cannot be released themselves until through the Lord Jesus Christ a ruling spiritual personality has been developed in them; a personality that is righteous with the righteousness of God’s own Nature, holy with the holiness of God’s own Nature, and obedient to God with the very obedience that is in the Person of Christ. Iron righteousness, fiery holiness, and stern obedience to the Father are created in us as we, through the Spirit of God, follow Christ and learn our necessary lessons.
As soon as the sons of God have been perfected, Christ will come and raise their bodies. Their bodies will receive glory in terms of their spiritual development. Then the sons of God will be permitted to go through the material creation, setting it free according to the wisdom of God that is in them. Then the morning stars will sing together once more. Then the sons of God will shout for joy again.
At that time Paradise will return to the earth.
That will be the time of restoration, of redemption, spoken of by the Prophets, the coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth.
When we began our Christian walk the Lord Jesus raised us up into the heavenlies. Our life now is hidden with Christ in God. But it is an embryonic life, a foretaste of what will come if we continue in Christ.
We have been grasped for the fullness of life and glory. Whether we attain that for which we have been grasped depends on our perseverance in Christ.
Every aspect of redemption is an opportunity, not an assured accomplishment.
The crown of life and glory has been set before us. In order to establish what Christ so freely and lovingly has given us we must respond by turning from the world, laying down our life, taking up our cross, and following the Lord Jesus. If we will do this there is no authority or power in Heaven, on the earth, or under the earth, that can prevent us from attaining the fullness of our inheritance as a son of God.
But if we do not turn away from the world, do not lay down our life, do not take up our cross, do not follow the Lord Jesus, choosing instead to follow our own path, then our talent, our crown, will be given to another who has been more faithful to Christ. We will not escape the anger of Christ if we neglect our salvation, our inheritance.
The birthright was Esau’s by the right of the firstborn, but Esau sold his birthright for food, for that which satisfies the immediate demands of the body.
Let us not sell our inheritance for immediate satisfaction, as did Esau but rather press forward to our own release—and then on to the release of the entire material creation.