Cherubim and the Tree of Life
“Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. 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 3:22-24
The tree of life was to give immorality to mankind. But after the fall, it became necessary to forbid humans from continuing to eat of its fruit so that they will not become immortal sinners. Through sin humans had fallen under the penalty of death. Thus, the fruit that produced immortality could now cause them only suffering because immortality in sin and endless suffering, was not the life that God wished for mankind.
Forbidding humans access to this life-giving tree was a deed of compassion and mercy which our first parents may not have fully realized at the time, but in the new earth they will comprehend and be thankful for God’s kindness. And there they will eat forever from that tree. John described this life giving tree which is in heaven: “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” (Revelation 22:2).
Today, believers when they eat of Lord’s supper they have the privilege of knowing that through the blood of Jesus and His sacrifice, they will indeed one day eat of the the fruit of that tree of life. “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” (Revelation 22:14). The Lord declared His good will to man, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).
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In His service,
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