Today, I am hosting a guest post for Phil Watson, a dear brother in the Lord, fellow pursuer of the truth, and new blogger with the same desire to “Hold to Truth in Love.” So let’s enjoy what Phil has to share with us concerning “The Tree of Life:”
This post is part of a review of a conference recently held in the Baarlo, The Netherlands. The title of the conference was: “The Four Pillars of the Lord’s Recovery: Truth, Life, the Church, and the Gospel.”
The subject of this 4th message is the second pillar, life, specifically—”The Tree of Life.”
Why are we talking about the tree of life, you may ask? Isn’t that just mentioned in first few chapters of Genesis and then nevermore? No, it appears again at least in the the book of Revelation, in two places. Once, as a promise to the overcomers, to eat of it (Rev 2:7), and again in Revelation 22 in the New Jerusalem.
So in the beginning, God intended man to partake of the tree of life, charging him to eat of every tree, but due to man’s fall he was cut off from the tree of life. But this was not forevermore; no, in fact, it is still God’s intention that man partake of the tree of life, and in eternity future that will be our portion forever. So are we just in a big waiting game, waiting for that day? No, for
Christ is the Tree of Life
How can we say this? If we assemble a few verses it becomes clear. Christ Himself declared “I am the life” in John 11:25. Then in 15:5 He declared that “I am the vine”. According to Rev. 22:2, the tree of life must be a vine tree, because only a vine tree can be “on this side and on that side of the river”. So Christ is the vine tree, and Christ is life; hence, He is the vine tree of life, or more precisely, Christ is the fulfillment of the figure of the tree of life.
What does this mean to us today? This must become more than a doctrine to us. Christ came that we may have life (John 10:10), and according to His speaking (John 5:39-40; 6:54; 7:38; 20:31) He intends for us to take Him as life today, not in the next age. Consider these verses prayerfully, and you will become clear. Continue reading
Holding to Truth in Love—Eph. 4:15 