The Tree Of Life
In the Bible, the Tree of Life represents eternal life. It
embodies God's presence, provision and protection. It also expresses
the restoration of the broken relationship between mankind and God.
The tree of life appears at the very beginning in the Garden of
Eden, and at the very end in the New Jerusalem.
Genesis 2:9
And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is
pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life
was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil.
Revelation 22:1-2
1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal,
proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the
river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each
tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for
the healing of the nations.
In Genesis, the location of the tree of life was in the midst of
the Garden of Eden. And the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
was there too.
By eating the fruit from the tree of life, Adam and Eve would live forever. However, the
first man and woman chose to eat the forbidden fruit from the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil. In doing so, they would die.
After Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating the fruit from the other tree, they were exiled from Eden. God placed cherubim and a
flaming sword to guard the way to the tree of life.
Genesis 3:24
So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the
garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way,
to guard the way to the tree of life.
Even after God banned Adam and Eve from the tree of life, He didn’t
desire that humanity should continue to live forever in a fallen and
sinful state, with endless agony and without the hope of redemption.
Since the fall and exile of man from the Garden of Eden, God had always been trying to draw
mankind back to the tree of life.
In the Book of Proverbs, a tree of life represents and describes the
life-changing benefits of following God’s ways.
Wisdom
Wisdom is called a tree of life to those who embrace
her.
Proverbs 3:18
She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who retain her.
Righteousness
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life.
Proverbs 11:30
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
And he who wins souls is wise.
Fulfilled Desire
A fulfilled desire is a tree of life.
Proverbs 13:12
Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.
Wholesome Speech
A gentle or soothing tongue is a tree of life.
Proverbs 15:4
A wholesome tongue is a tree of life,
But perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
In the final chapter of the Bible, the tree of life was there in
the city of God.
Revelation 22:2
In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the
tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding
its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing
of the nations.
God will restore mankind and remove the curse of sin. There will
be
abundant healing for the nations.
Revelation 2:7
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the
tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of
God.” ’
Those who overcome will be permitted to eat from the tree of
life. They will live forever. But what did they overcome?
1 John 2:15-17
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world.
If anyone loves
the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of
the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the
world.
17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he
who does the will of God abides forever.
The overcomers are those who love God, and do not love the things
in the
world. They will overcome the lust of
the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. And they will do
the will of God.
Knowing the will of God is one thing, but doing it is another.
Matthew 7:21-25
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter
the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the
will of My Father in heaven.
22 Many will say to Me
in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast
out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from
Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and
does
them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on
the rock:
25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds
blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded
on the rock.
Knowing God is not enough. We need to know Him and what He
desires, and we need to do what He desires. We need to know and do His will. Not hearers only, but doers of His Word.
James 1:22
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only,
deceiving yourselves.
When we embrace and do His will, we will follow Christ. We will
become wise. We will become righteous. All of our desires will be
fulfilled, and we will have no lack. And our tongues will be
wholesome. We will speak words of wisdom, righteousness, love,
joy and peace. We will share life as we partake from the tree of
life! And we will live!
The cross or the tree upon which Jesus Christ was crucified and died
represents the tree of life. His death on the tree opens and paves the
way back to the Father by which humankind is restored, and regains access
to eternal life.
What did Jesus do? Adam disobeyed God, and did not do what God asked
him to do. But Jesus obeyed God, and did the will of God.
Luke 22:42
saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me;
nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”
May we follow Christ, and do likewise.
Matthew 6:10
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
May we know His will, and do His will. May we again eat from the
tree of life.
Written on 5 February 2026