The Tree of Life in the Bible

The story of Adam and Eve is popular among many Christians around the world. However, most Christians are unfamiliar with the profound truths hidden in the first book of the Bible. By studying the true meaning of the Tree of Life in the Bible, we can understand the way God has prepared for us to receive eternal life in the end, from the beginning.

The Bible and its Secrets

Everything on the earth has its beginning and end. There is a time to begin school and a time to end school. A time to start work and a time to get off work. A time when life starts and a time when life ends. All humankind faces the same destiny of death. Then, are we all destined to share the same fate of death? The Bible explains the way God has provided for us to break this cycle. Let’s see Jesus’ words regarding where we can find the answer to resolving our fate of death.

Matthew 13:34-35 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”

When God came to the earth in the flesh with the name Jesus, He said that He would utter things hidden since the creation of the world. In other words, Jesus points to the fact that there are secrets, or things hidden, since the creation of the world. Then, among all the 66 books of the Bible, which book details the creation of the world? It is the book of Genesis. Since we want to understand how to break the cycle of death and receive eternal life, let’s study God’s will hidden in the Tree of Life found in the Garden of Eden.

The Way of Death and The Way of Life in the Garden of Eden

In Genesis 2, we can find the Garden of Eden, along with Adam and Eve. In the Garden of Eden, God placed two trees: the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God specifically commanded Adam and Eve not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Genesis 2:16-17 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command, being tempted by the serpent, and they ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Just as God had said, once they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they came to die, and now all humankind faces the same destiny of death.

The Importance of the Tree of Life

However, the real secret to finding life can be found in the same parable of the Garden of Eden. “Where there is a problem, there is a solution.” Then, what is the way for humankind to receive life? Let’s see in the next verse.

Genesis 3:22-24 And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

After eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, the Bible records Adam and Eve still had an opportunity to live forever. “He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” In other words, even if someone eats from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, as long as that person eats from the Tree of Life, that person can live forever. The only obstacle is that God is the one who blocked the way to the Tree of Life. There is no one who can undo what God has done. Therefore, the only one who can unblock the way to the Tree of Life is God.

The True Meaning of the Tree of Life

Genesis 2 and 3 detail the parable of the Garden of Eden. Then, what is the true meaning behind the Tree of Life?

John 6:53-54 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.

In the above verse, what is the way Jesus tells us we can receive eternal life? It is by eating His flesh and drinking His blood. Only by eating Jesus’ flesh and blood could someone receive eternal life. In the Garden of Eden, what is the way God tells humankind they can receive eternal life? It is by eating from the Tree of Life. The Bible is telling us that the way to receive eternal life is to eat from the Tree of Life. The Bible is also telling us that the way to receive eternal life is to eat Jesus’ flesh and blood. Simply speaking, the way to eat from the Tree of Life is to participate in Jesus’ flesh and blood. Then, how can we participate in Jesus’ flesh and blood, which is the reality of the Tree of Life?

Matthew 26:17-19 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover? He replied, “…I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.

Jesus is directing his disciples to prepare the Passover in order to keep it with them. Why is this scene so significant?

Matthew 26:26-28 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

On the night of the Passover, Jesus teaches His disciples how to participate in His flesh and blood. Taking the Passover bread, He said, “this is my body”, and taking the Passover wine, He said, “This is my blood”. In other words, the way to participate in Christ’s flesh and blood is through the Passover bread and wine. Partaking in the flesh and blood of Christ is also the way to eat from the Tree of Life to receive eternal life. Putting the above verses together, it is clear that the way to eat from the Tree of Life is to eat the Passover bread and wine.

God Came in the Flesh to Give Life

The Bible records the entire purpose of Jesus’ ministry was to give us life.

John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

After eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, all humankind was destined to die, not having access to the Tree of Life that was blocked by God. However, Jesus came with the Passover, ultimately proving that He has the authority to unblock the way to the Tree of Life because He is God. Unless Jesus is God, He would not be able to reveal to us the truth of the Passover as the way to eat from the Tree of Life.

Second Coming Christ Came in the Flesh to Give Life

Even though Jesus came to the earth to establish the Passover as the way to eat from the Tree of Life, the Passover was abolished 300 years after it was established in 325 AD, at the Council of Nicaea. As the Passover was abolished, the way to the Tree of Life was blocked again, leaving humankind without the ability to access eternal life since only God can unblock the way to the Tree of Life. In this terrible situation, the Bible prophesies that God has to come a second time, in the flesh, to give us, living in the last days, the ability to eat from the Tree of Life again.

Hebrews 9:28 … Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

The Bible testifies that God comes a second time to bring salvation, or eternal life, to those who are waiting for him. Then, how will He appear and how can we recognize Him? 2,000 years ago, God came to the earth in the flesh with the Passover to unblock the way to the Tree of Life, granting access to people in those days. In these last days, God will come to the earth in the flesh with the Passover to unblock the way to the Tree of Life, granting access to us. The one who appears in the last days with the truth of the Passover is God.

The one who already appeared in the last days with the truth of the Passover is Second Coming Christ, Christ Ahnsahnghong. Since Christ Ahnsahnghong revealed the Passover in these last days, He is surely God. Just as we recognize Jesus as God since He taught us the Passover 2,000 years ago, so also Christ Ahnsahnghong is God since He taught us the Passover. He is the one who brought the sure sign to recognize who God is, the Passover. He is the one who taught us how to break the cycle of death and how to have eternal life. He is the one who appears in the last days, with the secret of eternal life shown in the beginning.

The parable of the Garden of Eden demonstrates the origin of death and it also demonstrates the method of eternal life, as well as the One who will reveal to us that life, namely the Second Coming Christ, Christ Ahnsahnghong.