“In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”
Revelation 22:2
The Healing of the Nations
The healing of the tree of life is not for the curing of diseases, or repairing of health. In this life, the believer applies the blood of Christ for the pardon of sin and for the healing of diseases. In heaven, there will be no diseases either of body or mind. Besides, the nations, that will walk in the light of this city, will be saved perfectly and completely from all the results of sin (Revelation 21:4; Revelation 21:24).
The leaves of the tree of life will be for the preserving and continuing the health of the people of God just as the tree of life in Eden’s garden was for the preservation of the health and life of Adam and Eve, had they continued in a state of innocence.
In eating of the tree of life Adam and Eve were to have the opportunity of expressing their faith in God as the Sustainer of life. To this end God had endowed the tree with supernatural virtue. Its fruit, being an antidote for death, and its leaves for the sustaining of life and immortality, men would continue to live just so long as they should eat of it.
For this reason, it is thought that God removed the tree of life and the whole garden of Eden before the great flood that destroyed the earth. Before then, an angel with a fiery sword guarded the garden:
“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.”
Genesis 3:24
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