THE%20TREE%20OF%20LIFE%20(Genesis%203:22)

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THE TREE OF LIFE(Genesis 322)
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• One of the MOST significant symbols in the entire
  Bible.
• Was placed for the EVERLASTING benefit of man.
• Ultimately, the tree of life is found as a
  comforting feature.

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OUTLINE OF STUDY

• Mans Primitive State
• The Garden Mans First Home, Our Heavenly Home
• Purpose of the Tree of Life

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MANS PRIMITIVE STATE

• It was Gods will and purpose that man should be
  very happy and that he should occupy a very high,
  honorable, and influential position in the scale
  of creation.

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• From the fact that he was made in the image and
  likeness of his Creator.
• From the extent of mans dominion.
• From the fact that for mans special benefit the
  whole earth was provided.
• That which was first in design was really last in
  execution.
• From the special provisions of Eden.
• All that was pleasant to the senses.
• Tree of Life/Tree of Knowledge of Good Evil.

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The Garden Mans First Home
Our Heavenly Home
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• Paradise on earth.
• Supplied all of mans needs
• Lost due to sin but not all was lost because
  God had a Plan.
• A plan that would restore FELLOWSHIP with Him.

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The Garden was the perfect environment for God
and man to have fellowship.

• The sinless nature of man made his communion with
  the almighty, righteous God possible.
• Once man lost innocence, he also lost the
  blessing of fellowship with God.

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The fellowship desired by God required a choice
by man.

• God provided the opportunity for man to choose
  his fellowship.
• God placed two trees in the middle of the garden
  to signify the critical point of fellowship with
  God.
• Man made his choice.

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The Gardens environment was lovely beautiful.

• Provide man with joy.
• All that was pleasant to the senses.
• Tree of Life.
• Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

The Garden of Eden provided everything man
needed. Even the choice to demonstrate his
willingness to remain in fellowship with the
righteous God.
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Temporary or Eternal?

• Garden environment was crated by God to be
  perpetual.
• Gods omniscience knew sin would come.
• Planned the magnificent Scheme of Redemption
  before the foundation of the world.
• This plan would restore Eden and return man to
  Gods original state (FOREVER).

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The Scheme of Redemption is Gods plan to restore
the garden, fellowship, and access to the tree of
life!
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Type
Antitype
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Objects in the GardenGenesis 29-14
Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
River of Life
Tree of Life
Gold, Bdellium Onyx stone
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THE CHURCH IS THE GARDEN OF EDEN

• From the Garden of Eden, God supplied all of
  mans needs.
• This beautiful garden was Gods first hint of the
  spiritual paradise He would make in order to
  supply all the spiritual needs of mankind.
• God calls the Church a spiritual Garden of Eden
  (Isaiah 513)

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Isaiah 513 New King James Version (NKJV)
3 For the Lord will comfort Zion,He will comfort
all her waste placesHe will make her wilderness
like Eden,And her desert like the garden of the
LordJoy and gladness will be found in
it,Thanksgiving and the voice of melody.
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• Isaiah prophesied that at the first coming of
  Christ, God would make Zion (Israel) a place of
  beauty just like the Garden of Eden.
• He gave us a spiritual Eden that is priceless
  with beauty beyond compare.
• It is the place where we dwell spiritually with
  God today! (Relationship/Fellowship)

HE GAVE US THE CHURCH!
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Revelation 21-22

• Gives us a picture of our spiritual Eden in
  physical terms.
• Rev. 27 paradise of God
• By closely examining the characteristics of the
  Garden of Eden and applying that symbolism to the
  church, we can learn much about how God views the
  church in which Christians spiritually dwell
  today.

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Relationship between God Mankind

• God walked and talked with Adam Eve (Gen. 38)
• When they sinned, this close relationship with
  God was broken.
• As Christians dwelling in the spiritual paradise
  of God, the church we are in that close
  relationship with God.
• 2 Corinthians 616

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2 Corinthians 616 New King James Version
(NKJV) 16 And what agreement has the temple of
God with idols? For you are the temple of the
living God. As God has said I will dwell in
themAnd walk among them.I will be their
God,And they shall be My people.
Relationship/Fellowship
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• Just as Adam Eve walked and talked with God in
  the garden of Eden, Christians now walk and talk
  with God in SPIRITUAL Eden, the Church of the
  Living God!

But if we walk in the light as He is in the
light, we have fellowship with one another, and
the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us
from all sin. (I John 17)
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• Adam Eve had a choice in Eden to follow God or
  listen to the serpent.
• In the church today, man still has that choice.
• Do we eat of the tree of life and live forever?
• Do we eat of the forbidden fruit an lose our
  spiritual life?

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THE TREE OF LIFE

• Located in center of garden.
• Capable of sustaining the physical lives of Adam
  Eve for all eternity.
• God had provided a way for man to live forever in
  his presence.

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Since we can no longer return to the original
Eden to eat of that physical tree of life, WE
MUST HAVE ANOTHER TREE!
JESUS IS OUR TREE OF LIFE!
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• Christ is standing today in the midst of Eden,
  the Church.
• Along the bank of the river, on this side and
  that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food
  their leaves will not wither, and their fruit
  will not fail. They will bear fruit every month,
  because their water flows from the sanctuary.
  Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves
  for medicine. (Ezekiel 4712)
• Revelation 113
• and in the midst of the seven lampstands One
  like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down
  to the feet and girded about the chest with a
  golden band.

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Just as the purpose of the tree of life was to
provide eternal physical life for Adam and Eve in
the Garden of Eden, Jesus provides eternal
spiritual life for all who walk with Him in
spiritual Eden.
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Garden of Eden/The Church of Christ

• Garden provided close relationship with God.
• As Christians dwelling in the spiritual paradise
  of God, the church, we are in that close
  relationship with God.
• Adam Eve had a choice in Eden of whether to
  follow God or listen to the serpent.
• Christians have the same choice today in the
  Church.

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Access to the Tree of Life
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• We must be in the Church to eat of this tree of
  life.
• Revelation 2214
• Blessed are those who do His commandments, that
  they may have the right to the tree of life, and
  may enter through the gates into the city.
• When we obey God, we enter through the gates of
  our spiritual Eden and eat of the spiritual tree
  of life, which enables us to live spiritually
  forever.
• The old question as to whether one must be a
  member of the church to be saved should be
  answered once and for all.
• We must continually eat of this tree of life.
• Today if we keep ourselves in a proper
  relationship with God, we can continually eat of
  our spiritual tree of life.

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• We are human however and sin.
• Danger of being expelled. (Heb. 1025 Rev. 2219)

We have a spiritual tree of life that will give
us eternal life in a heavenly home far beyond
anything imaginable on this earth. As members of
the church, we can constantly eat of this
spiritual tree of life which will enable us to
live forever in a perfect spiritual home.
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PURPOSE OF THE TREE OF LIFE
LIFE DEATH
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• The typology of the tree of life is used to
  communicate the disastrous effect of sin.
• Essence of Life Death.
• Life Union
• Death Separation

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Kinds of Life Death

• Man may be alive in one sense but dead in
  another.
• Matt. 822 Eph 21-7 I Tim. 56
• Physical life exist when the physical body is
  united with the life giving agent.
• Ecc. 319-21 James 21-4
• Spiritual life exist when the soul is united to
  its life-giving agent.
• Eph. 21-3

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What kind of death was involved in the penalty of
Eden Physical? Spiritual? Both?
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The Penalty was Spiritual Death Not Physical

• Adam Eve died spiritually the moment they
  transgressed Gods commands (Eph 21ff)
• A consequence of their spiritual death would be
  the physical death.
• THIS MEANT THEY LOST ACCESS TO THE TREE OF LIFE!

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The Tree of Life symbolizes the lost blessing of
Eden, while at the same time also symbolizes
Gods amazing grace!
This symbol gives mankind an absolute promise by
God that the life experienced in Eden's splendor
(which was at one time lost because of mans
freewill choice) will be restored (by the
freewill choice of one man).
Antitype Revelation 27 224,14
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Encouraging Aspect of the Tree of Life

• Located in the center of Gods abode.
• Available only to those innocent of sin.
• Offers to mankind the greatest inheritance.
• Typifies full restoration and union with God.
• Offered as a reward for the faithful.
• Presents a contrast between Heavens abundance
  and Earths meagerness.

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Review of the Tree of Life

• The elements of the heavenly joy are foreshadowed
  by the tree of life that stood in the garden of
  Eden.

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Three points that a study of the tree of life
bring to the forefront

• Realize that death has entered into the world,
  but we do not have to remain dead in trespasses
  and sin.
• Remove death by finding life in being born again
  into the body of Christ.
• Remember the blessed feast from the fruit of the
  tree of life awaits all who are righteous.