The Tree of Life and the Holy Spirit
From Eden to the river of life — the burning bush, the menorah and Scripture's oldest symbol
And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden.
The Bible begins and ends with a tree. In Eden, humanity lost access to it. In the New Jerusalem, it stands on either side of the river of life, open to all who overcome (Revelation 2:7; 22:2).
A tree guarded by fire
Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden… and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
Eden was a paradise where God walked with the first man and woman — a picture of heaven itself. When mankind fell into sin, we lost our access to the place where God dwells. The key to returning is the Tree of eternal life.
Three variations on one theme
The tabernacle lampstand was made like a flowering almond tree — a central shaft with six branches, “bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower” (Exodus 25:33), crowned with seven flames. To look at the menorah is to see a tree whose branches are on fire.
That image recalls the bush Moses saw on Mount Horeb: “the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed” (Exodus 3:2). God called to him out of the midst of the bush, and the ground became holy.
Wisdom is a tree of life
Proverbs connects the Tree directly to Lady Wisdom:
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding… She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her… She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.
Wisdom has the same seven attributes as the Spirit, symbolized by the seven lamps and the seven branches of the menorah. “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise” (Proverbs 11:30). And Jesus said, “Wisdom is justified of all her children” (Luke 7:35).
The tree that bears fruit
Eternal life comes through spiritual rebirth — the Spirit of life working within us. A person born of the Spirit becomes a tree of life themselves, “like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season” (Psalm 1:3). And if they are wise, they bear the Spirit’s fruit: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (Galatians 5:22–23). That fruit plants more trees, as more souls come to Christ.
Jesus connected the river of life to the Spirit Himself: “He that believeth on me… out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit…)” (John 7:38–39).
“Her fruit every month”
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.
The way to the Tree
The Tree of Life is guarded by a flaming sword that “turned every way, to keep the way.” What does that sword represent — and how does anyone pass it? Yona Tree’s answer is the subject of The Flaming Sword and the Sword of the Spirit.
The Spirit and the Tree of Life meet in the final invitation of Scripture: “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city” (Revelation 22:14).
