The Hidden Mystery

The Mystery of the Two Trees:
Part One

by Jim Rector of Cornerstone Publications

www.albores.net

According to the Bible, after God created man, His next step was to find an appropriate home for him. Therefore it is written in Genesis 2 that:

The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed. 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, and the TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL (Gen. 2:8-9)

Although the Scriptures do not give us elaborate details, we can surmise that the Garden of Eden must have been a remarkable place, beautiful beyond our wildest imagination, bountiful beyond description. No doubt Adam, the first human being, lacked for no physical creature comfort. Even a perfect wife was created and given to him.

God's requirements of the man were really quite few and quite simple. He was placed in the garden to dress it and to keep it (Gen. 2:15), he was given responsibility for naming the various animals that had previously been created (v. 19-20), and he was told to:

Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth (Gen. 1:28)

It's hard to know if Adam considered this request somewhat unusual, or strange, or if he ever wondered why God would make such a prohibition. After all, what was wrong with this particular tree, and if he couldn't eat of it, why was it in the garden in the first place? I am certain that an inquiring mind could easily come up with several other questions. Of course, the penalty of death pretty much gave him a good reason to avoid it like the plague!

Presumably, Adam told his wife Eve about the so-called tree of the knowledge of good and evil, since we have no record of the Almighty speaking to her on this issue. Perhaps the very name of the tree was a bit off-putting to Eve, because as we note a little later in the Genesis account, she refers to it simply as that tree in the midst of the garden. The thing about it is, there were actually two trees in the midst of the garden, the other one being the tree of life. No doubt, however, both humans knew almost instinctively which tree was indicated by such a reference – it was the forbidden tree – the one of which they couldn't eat, indeed, could not even touch – the one in the middle!

We are not told how long Adam and Eve spent in the Garden of Eden before the woman was approached one day by a fascinating creature called the serpent. When we hear or see that term, we immediately conjure up that familiar, yet dreaded, slimy, fearsome reptile we call a snake. The entity that Eve encountered on this propitious occasion was hardly a slithering viper of some sort, but rather a magnificent being, standing upright, perhaps 8-10 feet tall, and fully capable of communicating to a human being, and doing so in the most subtle, beguiling manner imaginable!

Jewish tradition credits the first human beings with a seven-year tenure in the garden, an interesting, however essentially unprovable, notion. Perhaps the length of their stay is unimportant, but we are compelled to assume that the encounter with the serpent did not occur immediately. Surely Adam and Eve spent some quality time in this pristine environment, including the auspicious opportunity of conversing with Yahweh, their Creator – indeed, enough time to have known better than to disobey the one prohibition we are told they received!

Only a very few chapters of the Bible are devoted to this initial period of the creation of man. It is, therefore, incumbent upon us to not allow the brevity of coverage to delude us into assuming that there is little really pertinent information contained in the short Genesis account. The fact is that the second, third, and fourth chapters of Genesis are literally crammed full of highly meaningful material, including a number of symbolic elements that require serious study to gain a right understanding of what is being conveyed.

This article will be devoted to a full-fledged exposition of these opening chapters of the Bible regarding the Garden of Eden, and will, in the following order, discuss its location, its significant layout, how it relates to the divine pattern of things that runs throughout the Scriptures, and finally working our way to the spiritual meaning and importance of the two trees in the midst of the garden.

WHERE WAS THE GARDEN OF EDEN?

Determining the specific geographic location of the Garden of Eden has always been problematic. Guesswork abounds, speculation is rampant, assumptions are made without regard to all of the evidence that is available to us. And, perhaps for the most part, few people really care anyway. Yet discovering the genuine locale should not only be quite interesting in itself, but could well be significant with regard to other aspects, both of Scripture and of the unfolding plan of God. Therefore, let us engage in a bit of investigation, and see what facts we can unearth that will help pinpoint just where the Almighty decided to begin His work with the human race.

While it is true that the Bible does not definitively stipulate the exact location of Eden, there are certain facts which are revealed. Let's notice once again the first mention in Scripture of this special area. We find this in the second chapter of Genesis:

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. And the Lord God planted A GARDEN EASTWARD IN EDEN; and there He put the man whom He had formed (Gen. 2:7-8)

As most Bible students know, it is an overwhelming fact that directions in the Scriptures are almost always stated in terms of Jerusalem or sometimes Israel itself. Although it is assumed by most people that the garden was situated somewhere in southern Mesopotamia, the evidence is far from compelling. Such a contention is based almost totally on two factors. One is Biblical and has to do with mention in Genesis 2 of four rivers, at least one of which is quite familiar – the Euphrates. Another, the Hiddekel, is thought to be the Tigris river. Since both of these are to be found in what is today the nation of Iran, Eden is presumed to have been somewhere in that area of the world.

What's wrong with such a conclusion? First of all, what the Bible actually states is somewhat different than that which is assumed. Note Genesis 2:10:

And A RIVER went out of Eden to water the garden; and from THENCE it was PARTED, and became into FOUR HEADS.

If you read this passage carefully you will see that it does not actually state there were four rivers in Eden itself. In fact, it says outright that there was only one river, and it is unnamed. That river then branched off into four waterways, each of which does have a name – the Pison, the Gihon, the Hiddekel, and the Euphrates. The first two are unidentifiable, since no major rivers by those names are known from any historical record. The Euphrates, of course, is a well-known river that today flows through the nation of Iraq. Ancient Babylon, in fact, was built on the Euphrates.

The Hiddekel, on the other hand, is thought by many scholars to be the Tigris river, another famous body of water which is to the east of the Euphrates. The well-known Assyrian capital city of Nineveh was by the Tigris river, and both the Tigris and the Euphrates merge in southern Iraq and empty into the Persian Gulf. The headwaters of these two rivers derive from the high mountains of Turkey.

From the scant description given in Genesis 2, many scholars suspect the two remaining rivers, the Pison and the Gihon, may possibly correspond to the Indus river and the Nile river respectively. Here is what is actually said in the Scriptures about the Pison and the Gihon:

The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasses the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; and the gold of that land is good: there is bedllium and the onyx stone. And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasses the whole land of Ethiopia (Gen. 2:11-13)

The Hebrew word rendered Ethiopia is Kuwsh or Cush. Ancient records do confirm that Cush, one of the sons of Ham, did apparently settle in the northwestern portion of Africa, and gave his name to the area which is called Ethiopia. There is also, however, reasonably convincing evidence that the name of Cush or Kush was anciently associated with the Pakistan/India region of the world. The name itself also appears frequently in Afghanistan as well.

The land of Havilah is usually considered to have been somewhere on the Arabian Peninsula, and indeed was anciently known for both its gold and bedllium. There are other references in the Bible to this area, or at least one later known by that name. We must, however, keep in mind that there have been any number of catastrophic events capable of significantly changing the topography of the entire Middle Eastern area of the world. We know, of course, there was a flood of incalculable magnitude which transpired at least 1650 years after the creation of Adam and Eve. If it is correct that the Nile and Indus rivers are actually meant by the Pison and the Gihon in Genesis 2:11, then clearly the channels or beds of these waterways have been substantially altered over time; and if so, then to contend that the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, because of their current location in Mesopotamia, is proof that Eden was located in this area is a bogus argument, since their courses may well have been drastically changed too.

We will come back to the fourth river, the Gihon, shortly, but we need to briefly discuss the second major reason for thinking that the Garden of Eden was anciently located in Mesopotamia, and that is because the earliest known high or advanced civilization is usually considered to have been the Sumerian, which indeed was centered in the Tigris-Euphrates River Valley. This historical fact, however, cannot be used as support for Eden being in that part of the world, because, as we shall see later in detail, it was toward the east that Cain was driven after he had murdered his brother Abel. He was banished to what was then called the land of Nod or wandering, and the Scriptures expressly state that it was toward the east. This is not some bit of mere trivia. Rather it was calculated on the part of God to include it in the written record, to inform readers of the Word that the evil civilization which rose up before the Flood indeed did spring from the aforementioned area of Mesopotamia – the land between the rivers – the Fertile Crescent, but did so because the enemies of Yahweh were cast out into this area, being driven from His presence.

The area of the Tigris-Euphrates River Valley was, therefore, the center of iniquity from virtually the very beginning of the human race, not just after the Flood. And, in all likelihood, just as the post-Flood focus of God was on the Promised Land and Jerusalem in particular, so it was in the pre-Flood world as well. Human life began in the very same part of the world that Spirit life would be made available to man. Eden, the area of God’s delight, was the land in which He chose to plant His special garden. When Adam and Eve sinned, they were expelled from the garden eastward into the outer environs of Eden. And, as stated earlier, when Cain sinned, he was driven even further eastward into another land entirely, namely, what came to be known as BABYLON!

God placed great cherubim to guard the one entrance into the garden, and that entrance was on the east side, the direction in which sinful mankind now dwelled. After the Flood, we are given just enough pertinent information in the Scriptures to determine that the identical pre-Flood pattern which we have already observed, and which will be discussed in greater detail a little later, was not destroyed by the great Deluge, but rather became even more defined along the same lines than ever before.

Note what is said in Genesis 11, as the Biblical account of man's migrations picks up after the Flood:

And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they JOURNEYED FROM THE EAST, that they found a plain in the LAND OF SHINAR; and they dwelt there (Gen. 11:1-2)

The King James translation of verse 2 is incorrect, for it reads as though the people were coming from the east. The marginal rendering, however, corrects this error by indicating that, rather than "they journeyed from the east," the passage should read simply "they journeyed east." And where did they settle? Why, in the Plain of Shinar, which, of course, is precisely where Nimrod founded ancient BABYLON on the Euphrates river, and NINEVEH on the Tigris! And so the post-Flood maneuverings of man took up right where they left off prior to the Flood.

In addition, once a civilization was established in the post-Flood Tigris-Euphrates River Valley, we also see the resumption of the very same situation that was extant in the days before the Flood, namely that God began to immediately focus on that part of the world that had been special to Him from the beginning, and that evil men began their attempt to get back into the garden from which they had been divinely expelled!

And so, from the east, the descendants of Ham, the flawed son of Noah, the weak link in the post-Flood genealogy of man, started to migrate into the Promised Land, giving the very name of Ham's sinful youngest son, Canaan, to the entire area. By the time we reach Genesis 12, we see God calling Abraham out of Babylon and bringing him, as His empowered representative, into that part of the world where He always intended to center His work upon the earth. And in Genesis 12:6, we read:

And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the CANAANITE was then in the land.

When we consider how the Scriptures show God has operated with regard to those human beings He has called, we can readily see that the geographic focus has always been the Middle East in general, and the area of Canaan or Israel in particular. In fact, the vast majority of the story presented in the Hebrew Scriptures is centered directly upon Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and his children. He calls Abraham out of Babylon, and eventually Israel out of Egypt, and, from that point on in Old Testament history, the entire setting is specifically in the Promised Land, with far more space devoted to Judea and Jerusalem than any other single locale on the planet. We could even safely state that, from a Biblical perspective, Jerusalem is indeed the center of the world, and this is more than just an interesting observation. It may well be one of the keys to correctly identifying the location of Eden.

Since the brief description of Eden and the garden cannot be used to adequately support a site in lower Mesopotamia, perhaps we ought to turn our attention, even as the Bible does, to the area of Israel, and especially of its main settlement, Jerusalem. Is it possible that God actually began the entire salvation process by creating Adam and Eve and placing them in a garden located in the very place that would eventually be the center of His work upon the earth, the very place where His own Son would preach the gospel and ultimately die for the sins of the world, and to which He is prophesied to return and rule all nations? Indeed, this is precisely the premise we shall seek to establish.

It was mentioned earlier in our discussion that the Gihon river, which is said in Genesis 2:13 to have compassed the land of Ethiopia (actually Kush (Cush) in Hebrew), is thought by a number of scholars as possibly a reference to the famous Nile river of Egypt. Believe it or not, in the first century A.D., it was considered a fact that an underground waterway ran between Egypt and the Sea of Galilee. No less than the historian Josephus testifies to this point.

It is also intriguing that the word Gihon is mentioned several other times in the Scriptures. It was the name of a place in ancient Israel, for we read in I Kings 1 the following words of instruction given by David to Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet regarding the coronation of Solomon as king over Israel:

Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon my own mule, and bring him down to GIHON: and let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow you with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon (I Kgs. 1:33-34)

In addition, Gihon was apparently the name of a river or waterway in Israel as well. We know this because of a rather obscure event during the reign of King Hezekiah. The account is found in II Chronicles 32 as follows:

And Hezekiah had exceeding much riches and honor...Moreover he provided him cities, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance...This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper WATERCOURSE OF GIHON, and brought it straight down to the west side of the city of David (II Chron. 32:27, 29-30)

Peter Michas of Messengers of Messiah Ministries writes:

"The Gihon Spring flows under the southeastern hill of Jerusalem, west of the Kidron Valley, where the city of David was built. In Old Testament times, it provided a substantial supply of water to the city. This particular water source must also have been considered unique because it was the place where Solomon was anointed, and because water from this spring was mixed with the ashes of the red heifer to produce the ‘waters of purification’" (The Rod of an Almond Tree in God's Master Plan, p. 67)

While this information may not be totally conclusive in identifying the ancient Gihon river, it is compelling evidence that, when combined with other pertinent facts, may prove to be quite convincing. It is thought-provoking to learn that, to the surprise of many, there is actually a very large underground water supply in Israel in general, and most especially beneath the city of Jerusalem itself. This has been confirmed by Israeli government scientists in recent years. A portion of this large water source is an underground river running from the north side of the city, beneath the Temple Mount, and then to the Pool of Siloam. Interestingly, the Gihon Spring also empties into this body of water.

The discovery of such a vast amount of water under the city of Jerusalem should not be all that surprising. In previous times, the sacrificial functions of the Temple absolutely required a huge volume of water in order to accommodate the numerous priestly oblations, and especially the cleansing of blood and offal associated with the slaying of animals. In addition, this water was commanded not to be still or stagnant, but running, and thus a mighty source of constantly flowing water was necessary.

It is also important to note that the Bible tells us that during the Messianic reign, there will be a river directly associated with the city of Jerusalem, for we read in Zechariah 14:8:

And it shall be in that day that LIVING WATERS shall go forth out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former (eastern) sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.

This fact is confirmed by the prophet Ezekiel, who writes:

Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house [temple]; and, behold, WATERS issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east [the correct temple alignment], and the waters came down from under the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar...and when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles...afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over...Then he said unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea...and it shall come to pass, that everything that lives, which moves, wherever the rivers shall come, shall live (Ezek. 47:1, 3, 5, 8-9)

This water will obviously derive from some source, and considering the geophysical discoveries that have been made in and around Jerusalem, there is every reason to conclude that the vast underground water supply will break forth and issue out as a great river with supernaturally enhanced powers of life and healing.

It is a virtual certainty that there is and always has been an abundant underground water source flowing through and out from the area of Jerusalem. Could this waterway have been the river referred to as passing through Eden, into the garden, and outward into four heads going to the south and east, perhaps even into Egypt and as far as the border of India? There can be no doubt that this distinct possibility exists, indeed the probability is high.

Why would Yahweh have planted a garden in southern Mesopotamia, created the first sacred temple on earth, caused His own divine presence to be in the midst of the garden, and placed the first human beings in this locale, if indeed it was always His purpose to work with His people in the land of Promise? Was there something special about the area we today know as the nation of Iraq? The answer is yes, there was indeed something different about this part of the world – it was then and would continue to be the center of demonic activity upon the earth, the source of every foul, wicked, wretched practice ever conceived by depraved minds. It was, however, decidedly NOT a place suitable for the God of the universe, neither for His earthly dwelling and center of worship, nor the first human beings He created. On the contrary, the very spot where most people erroneously assume God selected for the pristine paradise of Eden is, in fact, smack dab in the middle of BABYLON!! This part of the earth would, in fact, be the very location, or at least the direction, toward which sinful mankind would be banished, as they either departed on their own, or were driven away from the presence of God! In the next section of this study we will take a look at exactly how the Bible confirms this fact. And thus this pattern has always been, and will continue to be, even until the return of the Messiah!

When Yahweh decided to make a great move forward in His plan of salvation, He called a man named Abraham out of Babylon, and by a circuitous route brought him into what would become known as the Promised Land. In order for Abraham to reach his inheritance, which way did he have to travel? Obviously, it was west. As we shall see in the next part of this discussion, from the standpoint of the Scriptures and the divine pattern of things, to go east is tantamount to turning one’s back on the Almighty, whereas to move west is equated with approaching the throne of God.

Not only was Abraham called out of Babylon and into what would one day become the land of Israel, in time God led him even more specifically to the most significant place in that entire land, indeed, in the entire world. Note the following information:

And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt [Heb. nissah - to put to the test] Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And He said, Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and get you into the LAND OF MORIAH; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon ONE OF THE MOUNTAINS which I will tell you of. And Abraham rose up early in the morning...and went unto the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off...And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh [Heb. YHWH-yireh - Yahweh will see to it or provide], as it is said to this day, In the MOUNT OF THE LORD it shall be seen (Gen. 22:1-4, 14)

The mountains of Moriah – just the sound of the place can give one goose bumps! Abraham took perhaps one of the most significant three-day journeys ever accomplished in history, traveling from Beer-sheba to the MOUNT OF THE LORD! And where was this sacred spot? Moriah was the name given anciently to the mountainous area comprising Jerusalem, including such prominent places as the Temple Mount, just slightly to the south of the City of David on Mount Zion, along with the Mount of Olives to the east.

The name Moriah appears in Scripture only one other time, and it is in connection with the building of the Temple. After David had sinned by taking a census of the people, resulting in the death of 70,000 Israelites, Gad the seer said to him:

Go up, rear an altar unto the Lord in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite. And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the Lord commanded (II Sam. 24:18-19)

Once David's son Solomon was ready to actually begin construction on the Temple, we read the following from II Chronicles 3:1:

Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem in MOUNT MORIAH, where the Lord appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshing-floor of Ornan [Araunah] the Jebusite.

It would appear, therefore, that the place to which God directed Abraham to sacrifice Isaac was, in fact, the very same area that would become the holiest site on earth – the Temple Mount in Jerusalem! The only other possible option in this case is that, since the Biblical reference in Genesis 22 does not actually specify the name of the mountain upon which Abraham's sacrifice occurred, but only the region which encompassed what became the Temple Mount, a few researchers have concluded that perhaps another of the mountains of Moriah was intended, namely the only other place in that area where a holy altar was ever located – the Mount of Olives, site of the sacrifice of the Red Heifer, and the most likely candidate for the Place of the Skull or Golgotha, where the Messiah was crucified.

Since the Temple Mount receives most of the world's attention and is usually considered, at least by Christians, to be the single most holy site in the world, the Mount of Olives often does not receive the focus it deserves, nor is it accorded the full significance that both the Bible and history attribute to it. It is, however, an integral part of the entire Temple compound, and given the part that it has played in the past and the part it is prophesied to play in the future, we believers truly need to keep the importance of this very special place in mind, and later in our study we shall show that part of the symbolism of the Garden of Eden is also intimately associated with the Mount of Olives.

Whether or not the Temple Mount or the Mount of Olives was the literal spot where the sacrifice of Isaac was to transpire, we can rest assured that it was within the area of the future Temple worship complex, and that this was irrefutably by divine design. Clearly, with respect to this earth, the focus of Yahweh is on the area centered in Jerusalem and its environs. It is the place where Abraham was led, it is the place where Israel was led, it is the place that became the royal city of the nation, it is the place where the Temple was built, it is the place where the Messiah witnessed to that evil generation, it is the place where He was arrested, tried, falsely convicted, beaten, and crucified, it is the place from which He was resurrected, from which He ascended, and to which He will return to rule the nations of the world. And, it is the place to which the Almighty Himself will ultimately descend, making this holy area, not only the center of the earth, but the center of the entire universe!! And I submit to you that it was none other than this precise location where God began His work with mankind upon the earth.

No other logical, Biblical, or historical conclusion can be drawn. We can always fall back on the safety of saying that we just don't know, but remember that the Garden of Eden existed upon this planet. It was real, and it was emphatically not situated in Babylon, nor can any place in the world other than Jerusalem even begin to meet the criteria necessary to qualify. There is even an ancient Jewish tradition declaring that Adam was actually created from the dust of Mount Moriah! I realize that a tradition of itself does not prove a point, and indeed we may not be told directly and specifically by the Scriptures where the Garden of Eden was established by God, but I believe we are quite safe in concluding that the unique, holy area of worship set up anciently by Yahweh in Jerusalem is absolutely the correct site. And, if so, it means that God will end up where He started with mankind, drawing him back into the right kind of relationship that existed in the beginning with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, even down to centering His entire operation for the whole universe in the very same precise spot on the globe! I would have to say that such a beautiful plan could only be envisioned and accomplished by the Almighty, and furthermore, that it would be completely in character for Him to perform something of this magnitude!

THE PATTERN OF EDEN

Most of us have little more than a vague mental conception of the Garden of Eden. True enough, we are given scant information in the Bible with regard to what it looked like, how big it was, or precisely where it was located. The facts we do have at our disposal, however, paint a picture that is quite remarkable, and, I feel, very important and enlightening for all believers. Understanding the pattern of Eden will help us to more deeply appreciate what actually transpired there so many years ago. Otherwise, the story of Genesis 2-4 can often slip into the realm of mere ancient lore, whereas in reality, this passage of Scripture contains the very heart and core of God's purpose for man, the essence of what He wants His people to know before, above and beyond all other considerations.

Before creating man, presumably God dwelled only in heaven, at least as far as we know. Once He decided to make Adam, however, He was on the earth, and the fact that He intended to spend time here prompted Him to prepare a place suitable not only for human kind, but also for Himself. This fact is quite significant, because wherever God dwells, there is a certain pattern to how things are situated. We are granted only occasional glimpses in the Scriptures of God's actual heavenly abode, but we are able to gain a more detailed perspective, because of the tabernacle design, which God commanded the Israelites to construct in the wilderness. We are told in the book of Hebrews:

If He [Messiah] were on earth, He would not be a priest, seeing there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: who serve unto the EXAMPLE and SHADOW of HEAVENLY THINGS, as Moses was admonished by God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, says He, that you make all things according to the PATTERN showed to you in the mount (Heb. 8:4-5)

The implication of this passage is that the tabernacle was arranged in such a fashion that it served as a type or shadow of an original, pre-existing heavenly pattern. That this is correct is further corroborated in the next chapter of Hebrews, where we read:

For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law...he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. And almost all things are by the law purged with blood...it was therefore necessary that the PATTERNS of things in the HEAVENS should be purified with these (Heb. 9:19, 21-23)

Here we see the association with heavenly things extended to include even the vessels and furniture of the tabernacle service. Note that the Lord was absolutely insistent that Moses proceed in building the tabernacle with the utmost of caution, taking heed to the precise instructions given him on Mount Sinai. The layout, therefore, was of paramount importance, because it was to be a physical representation of God's heavenly domain.

Centuries later when David desired to build a permanent structure to contain the ark of the covenant, and serve as a temple of worship, we read in I Chronicles 28 the following:

Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof...and the pattern of all that he had by the spirit, of the courts of the house of the Lord...and also for the courses of the priests and the Levites...and for all the vessels of service...even the weight for the candlesticks of gold, and for their lamps...the tables of shewbread...and the bowls, and the cups, and for the golden basins...and for the altar of incense...and...the pattern of the chariot of the cherubim...All this, said David, the Lord made me understand in WRITING BY HIS HAND upon me, even all the works of this PATTERN (I Chron. 28:11-19)

So, both the tabernacle and the temple in Jerusalem were literally conceived and designed by Yahweh. What we can deduce from this fact is that God's dwelling place in heaven has specific design and definitive elements to it, and that His earthly abode, wherever that might happen to be through the eons of time, follows that heavenly plan. This is important to realize, because the ancient tabernacle and temple are not the only structures or areas where the Almighty has dwelled on the earth. As a matter of fact, the Garden of Eden itself was the first such place. Does that mean there was an actual divine layout involved? The answer is yes it does, and it has altogether to do with the subject of our study, namely the mystery of the two trees.

The fundamental tabernacle/temple plan is such that there are three main divisions to the structure – the Outer Court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of holies. The main entrance is on the east side, and takes one first into the Outer Court, and then proceeding westward into the Holy Place, and finally the inner sanctum or Holy of holies. We will go into these three divisions in a moment, but first we need to realize that the directions involved are critically important, because God's dwelling place is always situated in the far west, and He must always be approached from the east. To travel eastward, therefore, is tantamount to departing from the presence of the Lord.

Although we may not have a greatly detailed picture of the area of Eden, we do have certain pertinent facts that we need to consider. Perhaps we should commence this portion of our study by focusing for a moment on the fact that the tabernacle and temple were both enclosures. They had walls and a door and divisions or sections. In a manner of speaking, so also did the land of Eden.

It could lead to erroneous thinking if we picture what God planted in Eden as merely a typical garden such as any of us might grow in our yards. The word rendered garden in Genesis 2:8 is the Hebrew term gan. It implies an enclosed space, fenced, and is derived from ganan, meaning ‘to hedge about or protect.’ And while gan can certainly be used to identify a garden in the accepted sense, its more subtle aspects find their fulfillment in the kind of structure, as it were, that God actually prepared in this special area of the world at the time when man was created.

The garden planted by Yahweh was located in a larger area called Eden, a word that in Hebrew means ‘pleasure, delight, splendor.’ God Himself, therefore, must have loved the particular part of the world in which He was about to put this special garden. Indeed there was something very personally delightful to the Almighty about the land of Eden, a strong indicator that this area was not just some randomly selected piece of ground, and strong evidence that it was not somewhere in southern Mesopotamia, a region that was not anciently, nor currently, a recipient of divine favor.

In keeping with the strict definition of the word gan, the Garden of Eden had specific boundaries that were hedged or fenced in such a way as to not permit entrance or exit through any kind of opening, except for one gate.

Another thing that should be immediately recognized is the emphasis on direction in the Genesis account. At the time when Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden, we read in Genesis 3:24:

So He [God] drove out the man; and He placed at the EAST of the Garden of Eden Cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Note carefully that east is the designated key direction. What can we therefore deduce from this bit of information? If the cherubim were stationed on the east side of the garden, and they effectively prevented anyone from entering, then we can confidently conclude that there was a single entrance to the Garden of Eden, and that it was located on the east side. As you can tell, the layout involved is looking more and more like the future tabernacle/temple pattern, which, in like manner, was entered from the east. When the first humans were thrust out of the Garden of Eden, they departed from the presence of the Lord, and to do so required them to move eastward.

As a final indicator with regard to direction, we read the following information concerning Cain after he had murdered his brother Abel:

And now are you cursed from the earth...Behold, You [God] have driven me [Cain] out this day...and from Your face shall I be hid...And Cain went OUT from the PRESENCE of the LORD, and dwelled in the land of Nod, on the EAST of Eden (Gen. 4:11, 14, 16)

By the time the incident between Cain and Abel transpired, Adam and Eve had already been put out of the garden. They, however, were still in the land of Eden, but in the eastern portion. Now, when Cain is punished, he is driven out of Eden itself, and takes up residence in the land of Nod, which lies to the east. Notice also that as Cain goes east, it is stated that he went out from the presence of the Lord.

With respect to the focus on direction or orientation of the divine places of worship on earth (the Garden of Eden, the tabernacle, the temple, etc.), you will note that the pattern always remains the same, even when the altar in question is erected in locations other than the three mentioned above. As an example, take the case of Abraham.

Before God ever called this man out of Ur of the Chaldees, he was already a person of great faith. He may not have been raised in such a fashion, since it appears that both he and his father before him were, earlier in their lives, of the priestly caste in Babylon. But there came a time when Abraham awakened to the God of the universe, and rebelled against the polytheism and pagan worship of his home society. When he came into the land of Canaan, he was a staunch believer in Yahweh, and as such he worshiped him. How? By building an altar and offering sacrifices thereupon. Abraham did not, however, just throw a few rocks together. He carefully designed and oriented his place of worship precisely in accordance with the holy pattern that God had used in the Garden of Eden, that Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel had utilized in their homage to the Almighty. He may not have been in the garden, and indeed he was a long way removed in time from the first human beings on earth, yet still he conformed to the divine blueprint. We are given just enough information in Genesis 12 to conclusively prove this point, for we read in verse 8:

And he [Abraham] removed from thence unto a MOUNTAIN on the EAST of BETHEL, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the WEST, and Hai on the east: and there he built an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of Lord.

Notice the careful orientation of Abraham's place of worship, his tabernacle, his temple, as it were. It was on a mountain, just as mountains were often involved in divine worship. God is shown as dwelling in the heavenly Mount Zion (Heb. 12:22), and, of course, the physical is situated on Mount Moriah, as we have already seen. Indeed, the Garden of Eden was almost surely on a mountain, since the river that ran through Eden and watered the garden flowed outward and branched off into four separate watercourses. Since water runs downhill, not up, we can conclude that the original place of earthly worship was on a mountain. Abraham's altar was in keeping with this divine pattern.

In addition, you will note that, as in the Garden of Eden, the tabernacle, and the temple, Abraham oriented his place of worship to the east of Bethel. Since Bethel means ‘the House of God,’ his choice of sites was once again most appropriate, since the altar of burnt offering in all three of the aforementioned areas was always on the eastern side. Whether or not this particular Bethel, which, if it was actually known by this name as early as Abraham's day, was apparently of very ancient origin, can be proved to have been located on Mount Moriah or the Mount of Olives is conjectural at this point. Nevertheless, the information in Genesis 12:8 is of much significance regarding the pattern of God's earthly places of worship.

Now that we have the directional information in mind, let's return to the tri-fold division of the tabernacle. It has three basic sections, the Outer Court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of holies. In like manner, so did God's original earthly dwelling place. Corresponding to the Outer Court is the land of Eden itself. Then within Eden, the garden is situated and relates perfectly to the second division or the Holy Place. The inner sanctum of the tabernacle was the place where the ark of the covenant and mercy seat were located, the actual room of Yahweh's presence. Did the Garden of Eden contain such a special section within its bounds? Yes, it did, for we are told:

And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed. 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, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:8-9)

Indeed there was a very special, separate part of the garden known as the midst of the garden, wherein the two famous trees grew. The midst of the garden, therefore, equates to the third division of the tabernacle – the Holy of holies – the most sacred area of the entire compound.

Although we may not be able to verify that every aspect of the tabernacle and later Jerusalem temple was somehow represented in the Garden of Eden, one can readily see that the general layout is quite similar, and, since all three served as dwelling places of the Almighty on earth, such similarity should not be unexpected.

While we can ascertain that the cherubim were to keep anyone from entering into the garden, we might wonder why would God have chosen these fantastic creatures for this particular job. Would they not have had perhaps more important responsibilities in heaven or elsewhere? The answer is that they were, in fact, indispensable with respect to the holy pattern that was established in Eden, for we read in Revelation 4:

I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven...and...a throne was set...and before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne were four beasts [LIVING CREATURES] full of eyes before and behind. And the first beast was like a LION, and the second beast like a CALF, and the third beast had a face as a MAN, and the fourth beast was like a flying EAGLE (Rev. 4:1-2, 6-7)

These so-called beasts or living creatures were, in fact, cherubim, as an account in the book of Ezekiel confirms, where we read:

And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north...out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four LIVING CREATURES. And this was their appearance...every one had four faces, and every one had four wings...as for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a MAN, and the face of a LION...and they four had the face of an OX...they four also had the face of an EAGLE...this is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chebar; and I knew that they were the CHERUBIM (Ezek. 1:4-5, 10; 10:20)

It would appear that the cherubim are directly associated with the presence of Yahweh, especially with respect to His throne, whether in heaven (as in John's vision), or as a part of the great royal chariot upon which He rides (as in Ezekiel's vision), or in the form of carved statues and embroidered work (as in the case of the tabernacle). Therefore, it is only logical and right that the cherubim would have been present in the Garden of Eden.

It is also of interest that the four faces of the cherubim denote the leading figure in each of the major classifications of living creatures, the lion as the king of beasts, the ox as the highest of the domesticated animals (generally referred to as cattle), the eagle representing all fowls of the air, and, of course, man as the greatest of all God's creation. These were the great categories of animals that were brought before Adam, to which he gave names (Gen. 2:20).

Another major element in the tabernacle was the brazen altar, or the altar of burnt offering. This structure was situated just inside the eastern entrance. This, of course, was the place where the animal sacrifices were accomplished, with the blood being cast upon the sides of the altar by the priests. Could there have been such a thing in the Garden of Eden? Of course, there was, because we read in Genesis 4 the following:

And in the process of time [Heb. at the end of days - possibly indicating that this particular sacrifice may have been in connection with some kind of divinely appointed time or season - a mo'ed or festival] it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: but unto Cain and to his offering He had not respect (Gen. 4:3-5)

Obviously, it only stands to reason that if Cain and Abel were offering sacrifices, there would of necessity have been an altar of some sort. This is the first direct mention of such an offering in the Bible, but we can rest assured that Adam and Eve also brought sacrifices to this place as well. Remember that, although they were expelled from the garden itself, they were not cast out of Eden, which encompassed a much larger territory. In fact, it is quite possible that they remained in the land throughout the entirety of their lives. To be in Eden would still have been tantamount to being in the tabernacle environment, since Eden corresponds to the Outer Court, and thus would not be considered out of the presence of God. Adam and Eve were not driven out in the same manner as was Cain.

The sacrifices thus offered by Cain and Abel would have taken place within the land of Eden, but outside the garden proper, and this just happens to be the tabernacle pattern as well, for the altar of burnt offering was located in the Outer Court, which was to the east of the Holy Place and Holy of holies.

In addition, we are told that when Cain became displeased because God rejected him and his offering, he grew angry, prompting the Almighty to say:

Cain, why are you angry, and why is your countenance fallen? If you do well, shall you not be accepted? And if you do not well, sin lies at the door. And unto you shall be his desire, and you shall rule over him (Gen. 4:6-7)

Upon first reading, this passage may not appear to contribute to our discussion of an altar, but the King James Version does not do the Hebrew justice in this instance. Cain has become angry because he and his sacrifice were not accepted by God, while his brother Abel's was. Now note the operative question that Cain is asked:

If you do well, shall you not be accepted? And if you do not well, sin lies at the door.

Since God has already uttered the positive aspect of this situation to Cain by asking the question, If you DO WELL, shall you not be ACCEPTED?, you might think that the proper statement to follow would more likely be phrased: And if you DO NOT WELL, you will NOT BE ACCEPTED. The KJV, however, has God saying that if Cain doesn't do well, sin lies at the door, but the fact is that Cain has already not done well. This is precisely what has precipitated the entire conversation, therefore, sin is not lying at the door, because it is already present. No, something else is lying at door!

When Adam and Eve sin, they hide and, suddenly becoming aware of their nakedness, they quickly cover themselves with garments of fig leaves. What they are actually doing is attempting to cover their own sin and guilt, but while fig leaves are an appropriate cloak for fig trees, they are utterly inadequate for covering the sin of man. That requires a SACRIFICE, and this is precisely what transpired, for we are told:

Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make COATS OF SKINS and clothed them (Gen. 3:21)

It is easy not to recognize that this verse is really establishing the fact that a sacrifice did indeed occur, because God made Adam and Eve coats from skins. Skins demand that there be animals involved, and that the animals be slain. This means that blood was shed and death took place.

In the case of Cain, therefore, what can we deduce? He had not done well, and had thus already committed sin. What was then required? A SACRIFICE! Genesis 4:7, therefore, should read:

If you do well, shall you not be accepted? And if you do not well, a SIN OFFERING lies at the door.

In other words, God was extending Cain mercy by giving him the opportunity to offer a sacrifice for his sin. Cain had already brought an offering, but it was rejected, because it was not given in true faith, nor was it done according to the wishes of the Almighty. Not only was Cain's heart not right with God, the very things he brought to the altar were immediately disqualified as unworthy elements of a proper sacrifice.

First and foremost, unlike his righteous brother Abel, he came with no animal, no blood. And although fruits, vegetables, and grains are indeed all products of Yahweh's blessing, they do not in this case constitute an appropriate offering. The Scriptures teach us that:

If the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God...For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, saying, This is this is the blood of the testament...And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and WITHOUT the shedding of BLOOD, there is NO REMISSION (Heb. 9:13-14, 19-20, 22)

With respect to the typology involved, what Cain did becomes exceedingly critical in God's eyes, for in choosing not to bring a blood sacrifice, he essentially is guilty of rejecting the coming Messiah Himself, and the ultimate sacrifice for sins that He will make. Note carefully how early in the development of the human race this kind of choice is made. It sets a pattern for the rest of the ages. From Eden onward, even as Cain brought to the altar that which HE had produced through the sweat of HIS OWN WORK, man will consistently seek to replace the Messiah as the only means to salvation! And this very fact lies at the crux of the mystery of the two trees, as we shall soon see.

In God's appeal to Cain, the sin offering is said to be lying at the door. What door? What does such a statement mean? Recall that Adam, Eve, and their family had already been cast out of the garden. They were now residing in the area of Eden east of the garden gate, the area that corresponds to the Outer Court of the tabernacle. And what prominent object is in the Outer Court? The altar of burnt offering. This is where the sin offerings were sacrificed. And where precisely was this altar situated? Near the eastern gate or door. Thus, God is telling Cain that if he will give a sin offering at the same altar to which he and Abel had previously brought their gifts, he will be forgiven his transgression! So, this entire episode is really a strong confirmation that indeed the tabernacle pattern existed originally in Eden.

To conclude this very short encounter that Cain had with Yahweh, we need to consider the last portion of Genesis 4:7. The entire verse reads as follows:

If you do well, shall you not be accepted? And if you do not well, sin [a sin offering] lies at the door [the location of the altar at the eastern entrance]. And unto you shall be his desire, and you shall rule over him.

What this last sentence is really saying is that if Cain will accept the divinely-ordained sacrifice for his sin, he will be accepting of God's grace and mercy, and in so doing he will be able to rule over sin in his life. Instead, of course, Cain committed one of the most heinous sins of all time – instead of accepting the offering of God, he sacrificed the life of his own righteous brother!

In his refusal to submit unto the divine order, Cain does much more than simply commit a sin; rather he is essentially guilty of rejecting the grace of God, the sacrifice of the Messiah, and ultimately salvation. Thus, from virtually the very beginning, not only is sin introduced into the human race, resulting in the action God took against Adam and Eve, but also rising from among His own creation are those who will openly and ruthlessly oppose the Almighty, who will work tirelessly to defeat His purposes, and who will devise every form of counterfeit substitute to replace His authority, His sovereignty, His Word, His Spirit, His Law, His way of life, and His ultimate destiny for mankind! This will not be accomplished by the ideas, craftiness, deception, and power of mere men alone, but through the direct influence and control of strong demonic forces who find in Cain and his descendants willing subjects through whom they can work in their attempt to thwart the plan of Yahweh, and install themselves as the ultimate rulers of the universe! And from that ancient point onward through history to our own day and beyond, this has been the on-going effort in the affairs of this world and its power elite.

In the tabernacle pattern given on Mount Sinai to Moses, God designated certain elements that would be in the Holy of holies. This was the most sacred portion of the structure, so much so that no one was permitted to enter it save only the high priest, and that just once each year on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). Even then, special preparations had to be made and specific rules rigidly followed, or death could literally ensue.

Contrast this situation with that of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. Remember that the three major areas corresponding to the tabernacle blueprint consist of the land of Eden itself, then the garden, and finally, the area known as the midst of the garden. It was in this last section that the presence of God was located, but there were other aspects to this locality as well.

THE TREE OF LIFE

Situated in the midst of the garden were the two trees of note, the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve were told that they could partake of every tree in the entire garden with the exception of the latter of the two trees mentioned above. That means they were granted permission to enter into the midst of the garden, tantamount to being allowed to enter into the Holy of holies, a privilege and responsibility that only the high priest had during the days of ancient Israel. What an incredible opportunity these two original human beings had!

Located within the Holy of holies of the tabernacle was, of course, the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat, that most sacred spot in the entire complex. In the Garden of Eden, this would equate to the literal presence of God in the midst of the garden. There were, however, certain other very significant items in the inner sanctum. One of them was Aaron's rod that budded.

In the days after the unbelieving Israelites had been consigned to wander in the wilderness, a conspiracy arose against Moses and Aaron spearheaded by a man named Korah. This attempt to unseat those God had placed in authority ended in tragedy for the participants, eventually resulting in the deaths of over 14,000 Israelites.

Because of the constant murmuring of the children of Israel, God tells Moses, in Numbers 17, to instruct the leader of each tribe to take a rod, write his name upon it, and place it in the tabernacle. There the Lord would appear and supernaturally place His favor upon one of the rods. The divine miracle that was to transpire would stand as a sign against anyone who would complain or entertain the notion of usurping the authority which God imposed upon the nation. Aaron, being the high priest, was naturally the representative of the tribe of Levi.

The Hebrew word in this case is mattah, and although one of its definitions is a branch, it is not a term that is applied to something living. Mattah means ‘a rod’, and can be used in the sense of chastening (correction), ruling (scepter), throwing (lance), or walking (staff). Interestingly, mattah is derived from another Hebrew word, natah, which means ‘to stretch forth or stretch out.’ Its primary usage is as a figure of God's active, sovereign, and mighty involvement in the affairs of man. Thus, Moses is told to take his staff (mattah) and stretch it out (natah) in Exodus 14:16. In light of this information, the fact that God specified a rod in this instance is quite significant, since He was about to intervene directly in the affairs of Israel and openly demonstrate precisely which man and tribe He would choose.

All the rods are gathered and placed in the tabernacle, according to the command. There they remain overnight, and on the morrow, when Moses enters the tent of meeting, Aaron's rod has miraculously blossomed, yielding almonds. Then God commands that Aaron's rod, referred to also as the rod that budded, be given the greatest possible distinction by being placed inside the veil within the Holy of holies itself.

The symbolism involved in this episode is powerful. The rods which the princes of Israel bring before Moses are really scepters, indicative of tribal authority. All of them, however, are equal in that they are merely pieces of wood. None of them is alive, nor are they capable of producing life on their own. Only as a result of God's personal choice and His divine intervention did Aaron's staff literally come to life and blossom.

This particular rod, however, already had a very distinguished history, for it is the same staff that was earlier carried by Aaron when he and Moses were commanded by Yahweh to appear before the Pharaoh of Egypt, and with which spectacular miracles were performed. We read of that initial occasion in Exodus 7:

And the Lord spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, when Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Show a miracle for you: then you shall say unto Aaron, Take your ROD, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent (Ex. 7:8-9)

This same rod was used in the execution of the first four miracles that transpired in the encounter with Pharaoh. After this point in time, a question arises as to exactly which rod is being used in some of the later miracles, for when God was ready to send the plague of hail, we read in Exodus 9:23:

And MOSES stretched forth HIS ROD toward heaven: and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt.

We see this same process repeated in the plague of locusts (Ex. 10:13). Were there two rods that were utilized in the miraculous occurrences in Egypt, both Moses' and Aaron's? It might appear to be so, but how can we be certain one way or the other? Perhaps by going back to the time when the Almighty first met with Moses at the burning bush, we can make the correct determination.

After introducing Himself to Moses, Yahweh reveals His plans for liberating the children of Israel from Egypt. Moses, having already escaped from difficulties in Egypt, and having now spent some forty years rusticating in the land of Midian, wanted no part of it! He came up with excuse after excuse to extricate himself from the formidable task that God was putting upon him. Finally, when Moses vigorously protests that the people will not believe him, we read the following exchange:

And the Lord said unto him, What is that in your hand? And he said, A ROD. And He said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it...And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray you, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt...And Moses took his wife and his sons...and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the ROD OF GOD in his hand (Ex. 4:2-3, 18, 20)

Now precisely whose rod (not to mention the number of rods) is involved in this whole episode? First, it appears to the property of Moses, but from the description of how it would be used in Egypt, it appears to be Aaron's, and then Exodus 4:20 states that it was the rod of God! The evidence would seem to indicate that a single staff was utilized in the various displays of Yahweh's power. One has to wonder, however, if it is not possible, perhaps even likely, that this was indeed a very special rod. Exactly how Moses came into possession of it may not be made clear in the Scriptures, but it would seem decidedly NOT to be merely a common piece of wood! The simple reference to it as being the ROD OF GOD is more than enough reason to convince us of this fact. Indeed, is this not what David is discussing when he writes in the famous 23rd Psalm:

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for You are with me; Your ROD and Your staff they comfort me (Psa. 23:4)

Indeed, our Savior is called in prophecy the BRANCH (Jer. 23:5; Zech. 3:8), and, of course, Aaron's rod was a branch. With respect to the Rod of God, the Messiah is described in unmistakable terms by the prophet Isaiah, saying:

And there shall come forth a ROD out of the stem of Jesse, and BRANCH shall grow out of his roots: and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord (Isa. 11:1-2)

We shall see more about the possible history of this so-called Aaron's rod as we continue our discussion of this subject. In addition to the foregoing information, the fact that Aaron's rod, when it budded, produced almonds is also highly significant. The symbolism of the almond tree and its fruit are intricately interwoven into the tapestry of ancient Israel, and perhaps even beyond that – perhaps extending even to the Garden of Eden!

When Yahweh gave Moses the detailed heavenly blueprint of the tabernacle, one of the major permanent vessels or implements of its service was the special candlestick known in Hebrew as the menorah. Since we all have seen replicas of this article, we tend to think of it primarily in terms of a candelabra, but the details given in the Scriptures reveal something else entirely. Here are the original instructions which God spoke directly to Moses:

And you shall make a candlestick [Heb. menorah] of pure gold...his shaft, and his BRANCHES, his bowls, his knops, and his FLOWERS, shall be of the same. And six branches shall come out of the sides of it...three bowls made like unto ALMONDS, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower...and in the candlestick [the center lamp] shall be four bowls made like unto ALMONDS...And look that you make them after their pattern, which was showed you in the mount (Ex. 25:31-34, 40)

The menorah was a very unique vessel, the only one in fact that is specifically designated to be fashioned precisely after the heavenly pattern shown to Moses during his stay on Mount Sinai. This command is repeated in Numbers 8:4 at the time when Aaron actually lights the lamps.

The candlestick was made completely of pure gold. This cannot be said even of the ark of the covenant itself. Of all the items dedicated to the tabernacle service, the only one where the actual weight of the materials is given in Scripture is the menorah. It is not constructed of multiple parts, but rather is a single solid unit. And note its description. It has branches and flowers and fruit, and not just any fruit, but ALMONDS! Look at what form the menorah actually takes – it is clearly meant to represent an ALMOND TREE IN FULL BLOOM!! The symbolism involved in this most distinctive candlestick adds immeasurably to the significance of Aaron's rod that budded, since this was an actual living almond branch, not simply a created representation, and indeed possessed such status in God's eyes that it was ensconced, not in the Holy Place as was the menorah, but in the sanctum sanctorum – the Holy of holies itself!

The almond is considered the earliest tree to bloom each year. It is, therefore, a type of new life – which is, in fact, eternal life! The actual meaning of the Hebrew word shaked rendered almond is ‘to awaken or the awakener.’ As such, the almond tree stands for resurrection, new life, eternal life, salvation, the grace of God.

Another interesting allusion to the almond tree is found in the well-known account of Jacob's ladder. In his dream, he sees a ladder reaching from the earth into heaven, upon which the angels of God are ascending and descending (Gen. 28:10-12). Yahweh Himself appears above the ladder, and re-confirms the covenant made with Abraham and Isaac. So awestruck was Jacob that we read:

And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful in this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillow, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first (Gen. 28:16-19)

The word Luz means ‘almond.’ How intriguing that the Almighty chose to reveal Himself to Jacob in this auspicious manner at a place called Luz, which has a definite reference to the almond tree. This signal event in Jacob's life has Messianic aspects to it as well. Yahshua, upon meeting his future disciple Nathaniel, references this very occurrence, saying:

Because I said unto you, I saw you under the fig tree, you believe? You shall see greater things than these. And He said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man (Jn. 2:50-51)

As you can easily determine, what transpired here was something quite extraordinary, indeed unprecedented, and is replete with deep spiritual significance. Indeed, it gives one reason to wonder if the selection of this locale was made because there literally was a holy almond tree on the site, from which this area had taken its name. Rabbinic teaching on this part of Scripture states that when Jacob renamed this area Bethel, which means the House of God, that he was actually on Mount Moriah, the future site of the temple, or permanent House of God (See Soncino Talmud, Pesachim 88b).

With respect to the almond tree, there is also a legitimate way of connecting its symbolism with, not only Mount Moriah, but also its topographical companion, the Mount of Olives and the cross of crucifixion. This latter setting was the site where the bodies of the sacrificial animals that were offered in the temple were taken to be burned. It was also the location where the most important of all the offerings was made – the sacrifice of the Red Heifer. To satisfy God's instructions, a special place was constructed and set aside. It was known as the Miphkad Altar, and was situated across the Kidron Valley near the summit of the Mount of Olives on the east side of the Temple Mount. Most believers and Bible readers give little consideration to the very special, sacred place, but its importance is impossible to overstate, for according to Hebrews 13:10-13, it was also the precise area to which the Messiah was led and crucified. Note how precisely the writer pinpoints the site of the crucifixion in this passage:

We [followers of Yahshua the Messiah] have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle [temple]. For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned OUTSIDE THE CAMP. Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, SUFFERED OUTSIDE THE GATE. Let us go forth therefore unto Him OUTSIDE THE CAMP, bearing His reproach. For here [Jerusalem, the temple, the priesthood, the physical sacrifices] have we no continuing city, but we [like Abraham, the father of the faithful] seek one to come (Heb. 13:10-13)

For literally centuries, legends and notions have abounded concerning the instrument of Yahshua's crucifixion. I am not necessarily referring to the debate over whether a Roman cross or a simple upright stake was used. Virtually all of the credible evidence attests to the fact that the Messiah was nailed to some sort of crosspiece, not strictly to a pole. This is even anciently suggested in the blood of the original Passover lambs that was carefully applied on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses (Ex. 12:7), these specific locations corresponding to the position of the Savior's outstretched hands and also his head.

The argument to which I am referring has its roots in Jewish thought, but first of all, let's note that it is plainly established in Scripture that Christ was affixed to an actual tree, not a dead tree, but a living one. Peter testifies to the Jews:

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you slew and hanged on a TREE (Acts 5:30)

And once again in Acts 10:29, we read:

And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they hanged on a TREE.

Peter repeats this truth again some years later in his first epistle (I Pet. 2:24). The apostle Paul, preaching in Antioch Pisidia states:

And when they had fulfilled all that was written of Him, they took Him down from the TREE, and laid Him in a sepulcher (Acts 13:29)

Paul further confirms this fact by citing a reference from the Hebrew Scriptures with respect to the Messiah's crucifixion as follows from his letter to the Galatians:

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangs on a TREE (Gal. 3:13)

This quotation is taken from Deuteronomy 21:33, and, as in every case we have cited, refers to a living tree, not a mere piece of dead wood. As a final component of evidence, we also have the words of our Savior Himself who, as He was being led through the streets of Jerusalem and out to the place called Golgotha on the Mount of Olives to be crucified, was followed by women weeping and lamenting over His tragic situation. He responds to them by saying:

Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For, behold, the days are coming in which they shall say, Blessed are the barren...then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. For if they do THESE THINGS [crucify the Son of God] in a GREEN TREE, what shall be done in the dry? (Lk. 23:28-31)

The Greek word stauros, translated ‘cross’ in the New Testament, is held by some to be strictly a stake or upright wooden pole, but this is not the considered opinion of most scholars. While it is certainly correct that this term can refer to a spike, it can also be applied to the timber that forms the crosspiece on a typical Roman instrument of crucifixion. This is almost surely what the Messiah was carrying as He labored through the city toward Golgotha. In Latin, this item is called the patibulum, and its weight (usually between 100-125 lbs) is about the limit for a criminal, having endured scourging, to handle. The actual upright portion of a cross, or the entire apparatus for that matter, would be entirely too heavy for anyone to drag any distance at all, and, in fact, this was simply never done.

In light of the preceding information, it is certainly not out of the question to connect, if not literally, at least symbolically, the tree of life and the crucifixion tree of Yahshua. Indeed, He was affixed to an actual living tree, and that tree, though bringing death to Him, brings LIFE to all who come under the blood shed on Golgotha. Indeed, the same Greek word is used for tree in both of the following passages of Scripture:

For even hereunto were you called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps...Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the TREE (I Pet. 2:21, 24)

He that has a ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches; To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the TREE OF LIFE, which is in the midst of the paradise of God (Rev. 2:7)

The Greek word xulon is employed in both instances, and has the meaning of ‘a living tree.’ In fact, in this particular word we have a most intriguing set of circumstances. It is translated as tree precisely 10 times in the entire New Testament. We have read seven of those passages already in this study (Acts 5:30; 10:29; 13:29; Gal. 3:13; Lk. 23:31; I Pet. 2:24; Rev. 2:7). The other three are found in Revelation 22 as follows:

And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the TREE OF LIFE...and the leaves of the TREE were for the healing of the nations...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 (Rev. 22:2, 14)

Do you see the interesting connection between all ten of these New Testament verses in which the Greek term xulon is used for tree. They either are a reference to the tree of crucifixion or the tree of life – no exceptions whatsoever!! Other Greek words are used many times for tree, but these ten stand alone and are utterly unique, and they are quite likely telling us something very important.

In Jewish thought, there is a well-known story concerning Aaron's rod. A cutting from it is supposedly to have been taken and subsequently found its way into the hands of David, which he then took into battle against Goliath, and upon being made king, planted it on the Mount of Olives at the place which became the Miphkad Altar, where it grew into a large almond tree. Whether or not this ancient legend is actually true remains in doubt, but it is amazing that even in Jewish folklore, such a relationship between the tree of life, the seven-branched menorah, Aaron's rod that budded, and a special tree on the Mount of Olives, and at the very site of the Messiah's crucifixion, clearly exists!

Just to put the finishing touch on this aspect of our study, let's think for a moment about the crucifixion scene. We know that there were two criminals who suffered capital punishment on Golgotha along with the Savior. We also know that one of the felons was on Yahshua's right, and the other on His left. We then assume that they were each nailed to a separate cross or stake, and yet this conclusion flies in the face of Scriptural information to the contrary. There is a key passage in the book of John which should make it clear that three crosses is not a possibility in this case. Note carefully the following from John 19:

The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the BODIES should not remain upon the CROSS on the sabbath day (for that sabbath day a high day), besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then came the soldiers, and broke the legs of the FIRST, and of the OTHER which was crucified with Him. But when they CAME TO JESUS, and saw that He was dead already, they broke not His legs (Jn. 19:31-33)

I have highlighted the most significant words with regard to this issue. In verse 31, John tells us that the bodies (plural) should not remain upon the cross (singular)! THREE BODIES–ONE CROSS!! That such a truth is so often overlooked is not that surprising. It is, in fact, quite easy to do. But there is more, for in verses 32-33, we are informed that when the Roman soldiers approached the crucifixion site for the purpose of breaking the legs of the condemned men, they came first to one criminal, then to the other, and finally to Yahshua. This order is plainly incompatible with the typically assumed notion that these three individuals were hung on three separate crosses placed in a row with Christ in the middle! As you can easily see, if this were the correct formation, the soldiers would have come to the Messiah second, not last.

This evidence strongly suggests, in fact even proves, that the three-cross theory is incorrect. There was only one instrument of death in the saga of the crucifixion, and all three bodies were nailed to it! This may at first sound preposterous, but it need not be at all. Consider the fact that we already know Yahshua was affixed to a living tree. When the patibulum was nailed or tied to the tree, it then became the cross of crucifixion. If, as John testifies, there was only a single cross involved, is it not then feasible that all three men could indeed have been put upon the same tree? Of course, it is more than feasible, it is quite likely! With the crucifixion accomplished in this manner, the requirements of John 19:31-33 are fully satisfied.

Having established these facts from Scripture, let us put the finishing touch on this aspect of our study. Dr. Ernest L. Martin in his book, Secrets of Golgotha, draws the following conclusion with regard to the placement of the bodies on the crucifixion hill:

Mention has been made...that Jesus was crucified on a tree with two robbers also affixed to the same tree. This would have meant that there were six arms extending upwards around the tree itself. This scene could provide a symbolic spectacle of a LIVING MENORAH...Jesus was pictured after His resurrection as standing in the midst of the seven-branched lampstand (Rev. 1:13) (ch. 27, p. 391)

All of this information, and there is much more that could be discussed, presents quite a magnificent picture as we look back in time. We could go on to talk about the time when Israel rebelled and God sent fiery serpents among the people. On this occasion Moses was instructed to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole, so that all who looked upon it and believed would be healed of their poisonous bites (Num. 21:4-9). The pole in this situation is established by Christ Himself to be representative of His own instrument of death, for we read in John 3:14:

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life (Jn. 3:14-15)

There is truly no end of types and symbols in the Scriptures that could be searched out and worked into a study such as this, but let us allow this much to suffice and move on in our discussion of the two trees.

Clearly, the tree of life, symbolized later by the seven-branched menorah and Aaron's rod that budded, both of which were contained in the ancient tabernacle and later temple, is symbolic of salvation by grace, of new life, indeed eternal life, in the Messiah and His sacrifice for sin. It therefore becomes quite evident why God wanted Adam and Eve to partake of this special tree, and why He carefully placed it in the midst of the garden, at the site of His own divine presence upon the earth. What a privilege these first two human beings were granted, the only prohibition with regard to the garden being that they should not eat of only one single tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

In a paradise of splendor and with all the advantages possessed by Adam and Eve, we might wonder how refraining from one tree could possible be that great a problem. On the other hand, we might also ask why in the world would God deny man the fruit from a particular tree. Many people would simply answer that this was designed as a test of obedience for the two people involved, and, of course, this could always be a way of putting it, but it would not be the best way.

THE TREE IN THE MIDST OF THE GARDEN

Just as the tree of life is allegorical in nature, it is also a genuine plant in the Genesis account of the garden scene. Adam and Eve could have literally plucked fruit from its branches and consumed it for food. The same thing is true of the other tree in the midst of the garden, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The divine prohibition against partaking of this specific tree is quite strong, especially when we realize that Adam and Eve had not at this point in time gone through a death experience of any kind. Not even any animals had been sacrificed. Then to be suddenly created and miraculously placed in Eden, and summarily told:

Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: for in the day that you eat thereof, you shall surely die (Gen. 2:16-17).

What was wrong with this tree? Why create it, showcase it in the most important part of the garden, and then deny anyone the right to eat of it? Was it evil? It would not appear to be so, for we are told:

And God saw EVERYTHING that He had made, and, behold, it was VERY GOOD (Gen. 1:31).

Well then, could it have been a poisonous tree? This does not seem to be the case either, because it is written:

And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed. 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, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:8-9)

Based on the way things are stated in Genesis, the literal fruit produced by the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was not of itself either bad or toxic. It was just forbidden by God to be eaten. Actually the command goes beyond not consuming the fruit of the tree, but, according to Eve's testimony, she declares:

We may eat of the fruits of the trees in the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat of it, NEITHER shall you TOUCH IT, lest you die (Gen. 3:2-3)

What kind of tree would Yahweh have put in the midst of the garden, in the very most sacred place on earth, indeed His own personal abode – tantamount to the Holy of holies in the tabernacle and later temple – a tree that would produce death in anyone who ate of it, or even touched it? Frankly, we cannot answer this paramount question until we discover what the tree of the knowledge of good and evil truly represents.

Scholars, theologians, preachers, and teachers have speculated time and again as to the symbolic meaning of this forbidden tree in the Garden of Eden. To most people, the tree is just intrinsically evil. Many would simply call it Satan's tree or the devil's way of life. Such conclusions, however, are far too shallow, almost superficial in fact and, more importantly, they are not in harmony with the Scriptures. There is no sound reason to believe that the fruit of this particular tree was either innately evil or unfit for human consumption. Rather, it, like all the other things that God created and put in the garden setting, was good, indeed perfect. There simply was a divine order to leave this tree alone – don't eat of it, don't even touch it.

Just as we discovered the essence of the tree of life by relating Eden and its various elements to the later tabernacle pattern, we will utilize this same approach in our quest for the deeper meaning of the other tree in the midst of the garden, the mysterious and forbidden tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Since we already have the general blueprint in mind, we can proceed directly to uncovering the symbolism involved with this special plant.

We know that within what is termed in the Genesis account as the midst of the garden there were the two trees of note. We also can rightly equate this area with Yahweh's divine presence. In this way, the midst of the garden relates very well with the inner sanctum of the tabernacle known as the Holy of holies. This was the third of the three major divisions of the ancient tabernacle layout. It contained, above all other considerations, the ark of the covenant crowned with the mercy seat, typical of God's heavenly throne, and indeed the actual place where His Shekinah glory dwelt and/or appeared during the earlier period of Israelite history. Access to this sacred room was denied to all except the high priest, and his entry was permitted only once a year, on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

In the beginning, however, Adam and Eve were not banned from the midst of the garden, but rather were welcome to visit there, not necessarily just whenever they pleased, but at certain times when the presence of the Almighty was open for such intimate fellowship. We read about one of those times in Genesis 3. After Adam and Eve had disobeyed God by eating of the forbidden tree, it is stated:

And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the COOL OF THE DAY; and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden (Gen. 3:7-8)

We can safely assume that Adam and Eve were most likely still in the area called the midst of the garden, since that was the location of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, of which they had just partaken. The fact that the phrase in the cool of the day is specifically mentioned as the time when the Lord God made His appearance cannot help but lead us to believe that this was probably a set time when Adam and Eve were able to directly meet and converse with the Almighty. This particular phrase in Hebrew is actually what is termed temple language, and it signifies the time in mid-late afternoon when the breezes begin to pick up, a period that corresponds with the time of the evening sacrifice, or between 3-5 PM.

This is quite interesting when we realize that this encounter between God and His human creation, the sin of disobedience, the slaying of a sacrifice, and the subsequent covering of Adam and Eve (Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make COATS OF SKINS, and clothed them (Gen. 3:21)), all transpired at the approximate time of day when, not only the evening sacrifice was offered, but even more significantly, when the Messiah Himself died as the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the whole world! No one can ever say that God doesn't have absolutely perfect timing!!

In addition to the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat, we also know that the Holy of holies contained Aaron’s rod that budded. This we have already established and covered in detail. There were, however, at least two other items of great note located in the inner sanctum of the tabernacle. A reference to one of these elements this can be found in Exodus 16. While the Israelites were still en route to Mount Sinai in Arabia, they began to murmur and complain against Moses and Aaron, saying:

Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for you have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger. Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain BREAD FROM HEAVEN for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day...And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is MANNA [Heb. What is this?], for they wist not what it was...And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the Lord, to be kept for your generations. As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up BEFORE THE TESTIMONY, to be kept (Ex. 16:3-4, 15, 33-34)

Although this event transpired early in Israel's history, even before Sinai where Moses was given the plans for building the tabernacle, it is clear from Scripture that this special pot of manna was intended to be kept in the future Holy of holies, a fact that is verified by the New Testament statement in Hebrews 9:3-4, which says:

And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; which had the golden censor, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden POT that had MANNA.

This miraculous bread from heaven fed the children of Israel during nearly forty years of wilderness wandering. Upon entering the Promised Land, we are told in Joshua 5 that:

The children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept [Heb. slew] the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even [Heb. between the evenings - mid-afternoon] in the plains of Jericho. And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the Passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day. And the MANNA CEASED on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn [Heb. abuyr - used only for stored grain] of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan [this would have been permissible at this juncture according to the Law] that year (Josh. 5:10-12)

So, there was a golden pot of manna placed within the Holy of holies, along with the ark of the covenant and Aaron's rod that budded (typical of the tree of life). We are given some important information concerning this bread from heaven in the New Testament gospel of John. Beginning in chapter 6, verse 30, we read about an encounter the Messiah had with a number of Jewish hangers-on:

They said therefore unto Him, What sign show You then, that we may see and believe You? What do You work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but My Father gives you the TRUE BREAD FROM HEAVEN. For the bread of God is HE WHO COMES DOWN FROM HEAVEN, and gives life unto the world. Then said they unto Him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE: he that comes to Me shall never hunger; and he that believes on Me shall never thirst (Jn. 6:30-35)

The manna that fell from heaven during the Israelites' wilderness wandering was an ancient type of Yahshua Himself. He is the Bread of Life, and the fact that a golden pot of this miraculous heavenly bread was preserved and placed within the Holy of holies signifies the risen Messiah's rightful place in the great throne room of the Almighty.

There is, however, still one more item of great significance that was a part of the inner sanctum of the tabernacle. When Moses went up the first time to the summit of Mount Sinai, Yahweh delivered unto him two tablets of stone upon which He Himself had inscribed the great principles of the Law which we know as the Ten Commandments. When it became known that the children of Israel were engaging in idolatry and orgiastic reveling, God told Moses to get down to the camp. When Moses saw the spectacle of his own brethren, having just been miraculously liberated by the hand of the Eternal, righteous indignation arose in him, and he cast the two stone tablets to the ground, breaking them in pieces!

As you know, he later made a another journey up the mountain and received a second set of tables, again written with the finger of God, of which we read in Deuteronomy 10:

And I [Moses] made an ark of shittim wood, and hewed two tables of stone like unto the first, and went up into the mount...and He wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments...and I turned myself and came down from the mount, and PUT THE TABLES IN THE ARK which I had made; and there they be, as the Lord commanded (Deut. 10:3-5)

We now have the four major physical elements of the Holy of holies – 1) The ark of the covenant with the mercy seat; 2) The golden pot of manna; 3) Aaron's rod that budded; and 4) The tablets of the Law. We have also established the symbolic identity of three out of the four items – 1) Ark of the covenant with the mercy seat = The throne and Shekinah presence of God; 2) The golden pot of manna = The Messiah; 3) Aaron's rod that budded = The tree of life.

Even though we haven't directly stated what the remaining article represents, it should be fairly evident by process of elimination that the tablets of the Law equate to none other than the tree of the knowledge of good and evil! While this conclusion may seem unusual, extreme, or perhaps even impossible to some, I can assure you it is not what you might immediately imagine. Therefore, let us hear the explanation and ponder whether such a supposition is indeed Scripturally sustainable.

THE FORBIDDEN TREE

Does the fact that the forbidden tree relates to the tablets of the law mean that the law is somehow bad? Certainly not! Remember that all of the fruit-bearing trees of the garden were made by a perfect Creator, they were all good, and they were all quality food for human consumption. There simply was a divine prohibition instituted against eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. What is incumbent upon us as inquiring believers is to find out why the Eternal forbade Adam and Eve to partake of or even come close enough to touch this one particular tree, so much so that violation of the commandment resulted in mankind being driven out from the presence of God, out of the Garden of Eden, banned from eating of the tree of life, and ultimately death itself! Considering the aftermath of Adam and Eve's disobedience, this issue is of immense importance!

First of all, let us establish the fact that the Law of God has existed from the beginning. It did not come into being at the time of Moses and the children of Israel at Mount Sinai. We see clearly throughout the book of Genesis that long prior to the Mosaic era, sin was extant. The Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, affirm the absolute fact that sin is the transgression of the law (I Jn. 3:4). Sin was introduced into the very Garden of Eden, therefore Law was broken. Of this there can be no doubt or debate.

The Sabbath day was sanctified (that is, made holy and set apart for spiritual purposes) just after God had made man. The Bible bears out the fact, in the words of the Messiah Himself, that the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath (Mk. 2:27). And, in like manner, that the Son of Man is therefore Lord also of the Sabbath (Mk. 2:28). Keeping the Sabbath holy as a day of rest and worship was a gift from God and a blessing for mankind from the outset, and it became the fourth of the ten great aspects of the codified Law given to Moses and Israel at Mount Sinai.

The other nine of the Ten Commandments were also in force and effect before Moses. This is so obvious from the Genesis account that it is essentially unnecessary to even demonstrate the fact. Just for the record, however, who would argue that Adam and Eve sinned in the garden? And what law was involved? In partaking of the forbidden tree, they broke the first of the Ten Commandments: You shall have no other gods before Me. Cain violated the same principle when he brought his sacrifice to the altar, for God plainly told him, If you do well, you will be accepted, but if you do not well, a sin offering will be made available to you. When Cain refused the sin offering and killed his brother Abel, he committed the sin of murder. Eventually, of course, God was forced to condemn the entire human race, save Noah, for following in the sinful footsteps of Cain! Note also that after the Flood, God declared His blessings upon Isaac, saying:

Because that Abraham OBEYED My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws (Gen. 26:5)

Later we read that Isaac himself lied to Abimelech and almost wreaked havoc upon the people of Gerar, and that Joseph refused to commit adultery with the wife of Potiphar, declaring how then can I do this great wickedness, and SIN AGAINST GOD? (Gen. 39:9). These examples and many others clearly establish the existence and validity of the Ten Commandments before the days of Moses. So, the apostle Paul's statement that the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good (Rom. 7:12) has remained true throughout all the ages of man, and continues to be just as right and applicable today as ever before! In fact, one of the great identifying signs of the prophesied end-time Antichrist is that he will be the Man of sin and will bring the Mystery of iniquity to its fullest fruition. The Greek word for iniquity is anomia, and it means ‘without law, without Torah, against the commandments of God.’

So, if indeed the Law is to be viewed as the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, we can definitively establish, from both the Old and New Testaments, that it was not forbidden to Adam and Eve because it was of itself essentially evil or unfit for consumption, for we can see plainly that the Law was and continues to be both holy and good. And, in spite of the general assumptions that are made concerning the way Genesis 2 presents this particular tree, the account simply cannot and should not be made to say what indeed it does not state. No, something else was meant in God's prohibition against the eating of this tree, and it has to do, not with the Law as a teacher of right from wrong, nor with it being the structure for God's way of life, but rather with an attitude of heart – a particular mind-set that would prove to be disastrous for mankind, something that God sought from the beginning for human beings to avoid, but with which He was fully prepared to deal.

First of all, we want to establish that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is indeed equated with the law. Then we need to learn precisely why this particular tree was forbidden to Adam and Eve by God. And finally, we shall look into how the divine order within the midst of the garden, as well as the Holy of holies in the tabernacle and temple, works to promote the true plan of salvation.

As to the symbolic meaning of the forbidden tree, we already have adequate information from the tabernacle design itself to strongly suspect that the tablets of the law placed in the Holy of holies by Moses and Aaron has some sort of relationship with the remaining element in the midst of the garden, namely the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This only stands to reason, even if additional evidence is desired or required. As stated earlier, simply by the process of elimination, we are left with one unexplained item in each of these holy environments. But there is more.

When we hear the name of this forbidden tree, it is easy to associate it with something inherently evil. Perhaps this is simply because Adam and Eve were not permitted to eat of it, or because the serpent, whom we immediately associate with wickedness, seems so bent on deceiving Eve into partaking of its fruit. But, of course, what Satan was intent on doing, however, had nothing to do with the actual physical components of the fruit, but rather with luring the first humans to disobey God, and thereby choose a way of life diametrically opposed to His desire and plan for them. Indeed, the serpent was quite aware of what was at stake in the choice Adam and Eve would make once the temptation to sin had been placed in front of them. He knew that the consequences would go far beyond these original human beings and extend to all mankind.

The name of the forbidden tree, however, should not put us off with respect to how we view it. If we can get past the mental hurdle that the fruit of this tree was intrinsically evil, it will go a long way in helping us come to terms with what it symbolizes in the plan of God. On the other hand, what was evil in this case was the choice Adam and Eve made to eat this fruit. In fact, in the dialogue between the serpent and Eve, we read in Genesis 3 that this particular tree had excellent qualities:

The serpent said unto Eve...For God does know that in the day you eat thereof, then your EYES shall be OPENED, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was GOOD FOR FOOD, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be DESIRED to make one WISE, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat (Gen. 3:4-6)

While we usually take these words to mean that the forbidden tree was somehow evil, this does not have to be the case. The fact is that the fruit of this tree was indeed good for food. It was something to be desired, could open one's eyes, and would make one wise. These are not inherently bad things. That is something that we merely assume based upon the circumstances of the situation. On the contrary, every one of them is very good, even as the Scriptures state:

And God saw EVERYTHING that He had made, and, behold, it was VERY GOOD...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, AND the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 1:31; 2:9)

Please take note how remarkable it is that every one of the positive attributes accorded the tree of the knowledge of good and evil by both the serpent and the woman was in perfect agreement with what the Almighty Himself had already said! This fact should dispel the erroneous notion that, because of a divine prohibition against eating of this tree, the fruit itself must be evil. This is simply not correct. And Genesis 3:22 aptly verifies this fact, for with respect to Adam and Eve partaking of the forbidden tree, God Himself states:

Behold, the MAN is become as one of US, to know good and evil.

Let us now therefore consider the actual name of the tree itself. It is termed the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In what way can this rather complicated name for a tree be connected to the Law of God? By now, I would imagine that the answer may be becoming apparent, for the Scriptures establish this relationship in a number of places. Perhaps the two most pertinent are contained in statements made by the apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans. Note the wording of these verses, first from chapter 7:

But now we are delivered from the law, being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid! Nay, I HAD NOT KNOWN SIN, BUT BY THE LAW: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, You shall not covet (Rom. 7:6-7)

Verse 7 is one of the most significant statements in all the Bible, because it states in one simple sentence the very purpose that the law is intended to serve in the plan of God for human beings. Of course, there are other passages that elaborate on this theme, but if one is looking for a succinct statement to this effect, Romans 7:7 fits the bill.

Paul clearly understands that if it were not for the commandments of God, he would not have known GOOD AND EVIL!! Compare this powerful truth with the name of the forbidden tree in the Garden of Eden. It is called the TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL!! I really don't know how much plainer this reality could possibly be put, however this is not the only time Paul speaks to this issue, for we also read in Romans 3 the following:

Now we know that what things soever the law says, it says to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight: for BY THE LAW IS THE KNOWLEDGE OF SIN (Rom. 3:19-20)

These two sections from the book of Romans literally make the symbolism of the forbidden tree an open and shut case! The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is intended to be understood as representing the law, the very instrument by which comes such knowledge, and according to Paul and the holy Scriptures, it can be found nowhere else!

Ask yourself the simply question – Where do you go to learn what is right and wrong from God's perspective? If it is not to His law, then something is greatly amiss. The answer, however, is apparent. The law is the knowledge of good and evil! There are many people who look elsewhere to find a guide for understanding good and evil and for living, but in doing so, they neglect the only source available to human beings of what is truly right and wrong.

Please understand as we continue discussing this sensitive subject, God did not forbid Adam and Eve access to the right way of life. That has absolutely nothing to do with His decision. Here is the key idea to keep in mind. His purpose for mankind was and still remains the same, and it is encapsulated in the following familiar passage of Scripture:

I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore CHOOSE LIFE, that both you and your seed may live: that you may love the Lord your God, and that you may obey His voice, and that you may cleave unto Him: for HE IS YOUR LIFE, and the length of your days (Deut. 30:19-20)

Without elaborating on these verses extensively at this point, just remember the powerful statements contained therein. This is precisely the crux of what Yahweh set before Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. This is precisely the difference between the symbolic meaning of the two trees. He is talking about LIFE! And it is no mere coincidence that the name of one of the two trees in the midst of the garden is the TREE OF LIFE!.

In effect, the two trees represent two ways or two approaches to God and to ultimate salvation. The quality of fruit produced by both trees is good for food, but obeying God and choosing the right tree leads to life and life everlasting. Disobedience to God's command not to eat of the forbidden tree leads to death, because it is not designed to produce eternal life. It has another purpose, and in God's scheme of things, it is very good. In man's method of operation, however, it is fatal! Note very carefully what the apostle Paul says in Ephesians 2:

For by GRACE are you SAVED through FAITH, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto GOOD WORKS, which God has ordained that we should WALK IN THEM (Eph. 2:8-10)

Although often quoted and so very familiar, these few verses really are descriptive of the two trees and the two ways that, from the very beginning, were set before man. Eternal life comes by the grace of God operating through faith in the Messiah. This is the equivalent of choosing the tree of life. This is the essence of the teaching on this special tree in the Garden of Eden.

On the other hand, eternal life, which is the great objective, absolutely cannot be achieved by all the good works anyone can or will ever accomplish in his life. Pursuing salvation by trying to measure up to the law and produce good works is precisely tantamount to choosing the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

The crux of the matter lies in the fact that, from the outset, it was Yahweh's intent that human beings lay the only foundation upon which the house of salvation could ever be properly built. This intent is seen in the prohibition against this one tree in the garden. He wanted to make absolutely certain that mankind trusted in Him and Him only, and thus made the critical choice to obey. If Adam and Eve had done so, they would have experienced the reality of receiving the true indwelling of the Spirit, and the resultant fruit that this great power would have produced. Their lives would have been faith-based, not performance-based, and they would have the lasting foundation, Yahshua the Messiah being the chief cornerstone. Knowing for certain that this was the Eternal's express will from the beginning is invaluable for correctly interpreting and understanding the later New Testament writings on the issue of law and grace.

Are good works therefore to be excluded from consideration? Of course not! Verse 10 makes it crystal clear the exact part they play in the entire process. While we do not acquire eternal life by works, the new life we are granted in Messiah (II Cor. 5:17) is for the very purpose of walking in obedience to the law and the subsequent production of good works.

But what about the other virtues of the prohibited tree? It is said to be good. Does the Word of God establish that the law is good? Of course, and in many places. David, for instance, declares:

The LAW of the Lord is PERFECT, converting the soul...The statutes of the Lord are RIGHT, rejoicing the heart (Psa. 19:7-8)

And, of course, we have Paul's New Testament confessions, first in Romans 7:

Wherefore the LAW is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and GOOD...If I then do that which I would not, I consent unto the LAW that IT IS GOOD (Rom. 7:12, 16)

And also in his first letter to Timothy:

Now the end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned...we know that the LAW IS GOOD, if a man use it lawfully (I Tim. 1:5, 8)

In addition to being good, the forbidden tree was also considered a delight, something to be desired. Can such descriptions be found regarding the law? Absolutely, they abound in the Scriptures. Psalms 119 is not only the longest chapter in the Bible, it is also the lengthiest passage on the virtues of the law as well. The psalmist declares:

I will DELIGHT myself in Your STATUTES: I will not forget Your word...Your TESTIMONIES are my DELIGHT, and my counselors...And I will DELIGHT myself in Your COMMANDMENTS, which I have loved...Let Your tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for Your LAW is my DELIGHT...Your TESTIMONIES have I taken as a heritage forever: for they are the REJOICING of my heart...I have longed for Your salvation, O Lord; and Your LAW is my DELIGHT (Psa. 119:16, 24, 47, 77, 111, 174)

Is it not correct, therefore, that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was a delight, something indeed to be desired? Without question, this early assessment on the part of God, Eve, and even the serpent himself is 100% accurate!

Both Genesis 2:9 and 3:6 attest to the fact that the fruit of the prohibited tree was also excellent for FOOD, and this is absolutely right with respect to the law as well. Again, we read from the Psalms:

How SWEET are Your WORDS unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than HONEY to my mouth!...The JUDGMENTS of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: SWEETER also that honey and the HONEYCOMB (Psa. 119:103; 19:9-10)

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil also possessed yet another superb attribute. It was able to make one WISE, to impart WISDOM! Of course, one of the problems we have with this particular characteristic is that we have been led to believe it is somehow evil, but the Bible doesn't even imply such a thing. In fact, I submit to you that, in spite of whatever past teaching or understanding you might have received on this forbidden tree, the evil involved was and still is in the CHOICE that is made, not with the quality or goodness of the fruit itself. And that choice has everything to do with how one obtains SALVATION!

With respect to the subject of wisdom, we have abundant testimony that this is precisely what the law of the Almighty is perfectly designed to accomplish. Just for the record, please note the following passages from Psalms 119:

You through Your COMMANDMENTS have made me WISER than my enemies...I have more UNDERSTANDING than all my teachers: for Your testimonies are my meditation. I UNDERSTAND more than the ancients, because I keep Your PRECEPTS (Psa. 119:98-100)

Even though king David at times transgressed, he was nevertheless one of the great admirers of the law, and one of its greatest commentators. He writes beautifully in the 19th Psalm in this regard, saying:

The LAW of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the TESTIMONY of the Lord is sure, MAKING WISE the simple...the COMMANDMENT of the Lord is pure, ENLIGHTENING THE EYES (Psa. 19:7-8)

Moses speaks eloquently as well concerning the power inherent within the law of God to make one wise. He tells the Israelites:

Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me...Keep therefore and do them; for this is your WISDOM and your UNDERSTANDING in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these STATUTES, and say, Surely this great nation is a WISE and understanding people...And what nation is there so great that has statutes and judgments so righteous as all this LAW, which I set before you this day? (Deut. 4:5-6, 8)

Indeed, every single attribute about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is positive, and every single one of them is to be found contained within the LAW OF GOD! Combining this evidence with the fact that the Garden of Eden was the first place of true Yahweh worship on earth, was patterned after the heavenly design of God’s own dwelling place, and served as the precursor to both the later tabernacle and temple, and that we have clearly related the tree of life with Aaron's rod that budded and the sacrifice of the Messiah, we are left with overwhelming and incontrovertible proof that the other tree in the midst of the garden, of which God forbade Adam and Eve to eat, cannot possibly be anything but the tablets of the law placed, along with Aaron's rod, in the Holy of holies! The next problem to be solved is to discover why in the world a perfect and righteous God would deny the first human beings access to something as wonderful and good as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

WHY WAS THE TREE FORBIDDEN?

Did God hate the forbidden tree? No, of course not, God doesn't hate trees! He does, however, hate disobedience, especially knowing disobedience. He also hates it when anyone chooses a way other than the one which He has created for man. Everything the Father made was good, and He loved it, including even the forbidden tree, so much so that He ensconced it in the most sacred area of the world – the midst of the garden – the very type of the Holy of holies, the inner sanctum of the tabernacle and the temple, so sacrosanct that only the high priest was ever even allowed to enter, and then only once each year. Did God have future plans for the fruit of this tree? Yes, absolutely He did! Could man have at some point partaken of this tree? The likelihood is that indeed He would have been permitted to do so, but only according to the plan and purpose of the Almighty. Remember that the pivotal point with regard to the forbidden tree lies not in the quality of the fruit (the law) itself, but in the fact that God presented man with a choice, that He instructed him which choice to make, and that man made the wrong choice, and in most respects, has continued to do so even to this very day! This is what everything about God’s prohibition against this particular tree hinges upon.

The two trees in the midst of the garden represent two pathways, two approaches, two methods. Only one of them leads to genuine eternal life and that, of course, is the tree by this very same name – the tree of life. The other one, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, only appears to lead to salvation, but actually symbolizes human effort, human acquisition of knowledge, and human reasoning. God clearly states to Adam, and by later teaching, to Eve as well:

Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: for in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely DIE (Gen. 2:16-17)

Rather than leading to eternal life, partaking of the forbidden tree leads to death! This simply speaks to the age-old truth that there is but one way to salvation, not many, and that path must necessarily go through the Messiah as its main point of focus, not anything else, not even the law!

Since the tree of the knowledge of good and evil produces death, can we find an equivalent result with regard to the law? Because we love and respect the law of God, the answer would seem to be no, but this, in fact, is incorrect, for we are not talking about the issue of obeying the law and living God's lifestyle, something that all of us should desire and champion, but about choosing the route which we will travel toward the spiritual fulfillment of our life's purpose.

We have, in the book of Romans, the complete correct approach to true life laid out in a fairly brief, concise passage of Scripture. This is one of the major reasons that the letter to Rome has always been placed first among the Pauline writings in the New Testament canon of Scripture. The Bible tends to be written and arranged in such a manner that it moves the reader from the simple to the complex. Paul, therefore begins with the basic outline of God's plan for man in Romans, and concludes his writings with the book of Hebrews, undeniably the most deep and complicated material that he produced.

With regard to the law having the power of death, even as did the forbidden tree, and how that we desperately need the right and true way to life, let us read a few verses in Romans 7. Beginning in verse 8, Paul writes:

But sin, taking occasion by the COMMANDMENT, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but the COMMANDMENT came, sin revived, and I DIED...For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it SLEW ME...For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do...O wretched man that I am! Who shall DELIVER ME from this body of DEATH? I thank God through JESUS CHRIST our Lord (Rom. 7:8-11, 19, 24-25).

Let's analyze this critical passage in chapter 7. Paul here credits the law with the power of death. He does this by saying that the commandments, once he understood them, caused his mind to become acutely conscious of the sin that abounded in him, and that in effect slew him. In reality, it produced the same result in Adam and Eve, for once they partook of the forbidden tree, they immediately knew their sin! In stating this, he is not meaning to say that the law itself is bad or evil, for he clearly teaches in the very same place:

Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good...If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good (Rom. 7:12, 16)

In like manner, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, as stated a number of times before, is not inherently evil, but it lacks the power to produce true Spirit life. Something else is needed, and not just to accompany it, but to precede it, and that something was and still is the tree of life!

Next, note that Paul concludes that, because of the law sin has been realized, and death has come upon him, and he knows that the law cannot deliver him from what he calls the body of this death. Of course, it cannot do such a thing, for indeed it is the law itself that gives sin its power of death over a human being.

He writes about this very thing in his first letter to the Corinthians, saying:

So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the STRENGTH OF SIN IS THE LAW (I Cor. 15:54-56)

Most of us do not think in Pauline terms, because words such as the strength of sin is the law doesn't seem to be right, but this is how he portrays a concept which he very much desires that all believers truly grasp. Once he becomes spiritually awakened, sin is able to use the law to kill him, bringing the sentence of death upon him.

Allow me to reiterate Paul's words when he says:

For without the law, sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by IT [the law] slew me (Rom. 7:8-9, 11)

Paul needs some kind of deliverer, someone or some thing that has the ability to deal with the sin which, by the coming of the law, has produced death in him. He needs a reviver, a true life-giver, and what is the conclusion he draws?

Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST [Yahshua Messiah] (Rom. 7:24-25)

The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Yahshua the Messiah (I Cor. 15:56-57)

Here is precisely what Paul requires and seeks – Yahshua - the salvation of Yahweh! It is in the Messiah and Him only that salvation is possible. The law is good, but of itself has no power to secure eternal life, and therefore this is not its proper function in God's scheme of things. Anyone who knowingly or unwittingly demonstrates by his thoughts, words, and/or actions, that the law indeed has such capability is deceived and is emphatically not traveling on the pathway that leads to life! He has, in effect, chosen the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and is resting in something that simply does not have the power to save, for Paul again states with the utmost of clarity:

There is therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit...For what the LAW COULD NOT DO, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin [Gk. by a sacrifice for sin], condemned sin in the flesh (Rom. 8:1, 3)

Please pay special attention as to precisely what Paul is seeking to convey. In spite of the goodness of the law when it is properly understood and utilized (we know that the law is good if a man uses it lawfully), there is unequivocally something that it cannot do, and the thing that the law cannot do, God has done by giving His Son as the ultimate sacrifice for sin. The law indeed plays its rightful part, but it cannot accomplish what Paul, and by extension all believers, desperately need. That can only be found by choosing the tree of life upon which our Savior was hung and upon which He sacrificed Himself for the sins of the world!

With the information we now have at our disposal, and hopefully that we can keep squarely in mind, let us consider some of the New Testament statements that are directly related to what we know about the two trees. First of all, let me pose the following question – What precisely is God seeking to accomplish in His work with human beings? I imagine that there are a number of different answers or ways of phrasing an answer that might be satisfactory, so I am not saying that my brief explanation is the best way of putting things. The simplest response I would give might be something along the lines of, ‘He is creating an eternal family for Himself.’ Most of us have heard the purpose of life stated in such a fashion, and, of course, it is absolutely correct.

Probably the most well-known and beloved passage in the Bible is John 3:16, which says:

For God so LOVED the world that He gave His only begotten Son; that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have EVERLASTING LIFE.

It is admittedly almost too familiar, almost too easy to take what is said for granted. There are, in fact, probably no believers on earth who would disagree with this statement. This is God’s personal desire. He created humanity, and He loves humanity. Because of these factors, He did something exceedingly critical to make it possible that His stated purpose for mankind could come to fruition. He sent, not His law, but rather His Son into this world. Perhaps we ought to read just a few other verses that really make up the entire sequence of Scripture in John 3. Beginning with verse 5, the Messiah explains:

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit...If I have told you earthly things, and you do not believe, how shall you believe if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man has ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the SON OF MAN BE LIFTED UP: that whosoever BELIEVES IN HIM should not perish, but have ETERNAL LIFE (Jn. 3:5-6, 12-15)

In this discourse with the Pharisee Nicodemus, a powerful member of the Jewish Sanhedrin, and one inclined to believe in Yahshua as the true Messiah, the Savior distills the essence of, not only the purpose that God has in mind for mankind, but also the only WAY that purpose can be achieved. As Moses lifted up the serpent – what do these words mean? The reference is an ancient one, back to the time when Israel was in the midst of their enforced wilderness wandering. The account is recorded in Numbers 21, beginning in verse 5:

And the people spoke against God, and against Moses...And the Lord sent fiery snakes among the people, and they bit the people, and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have SINNED...pray unto the Lord, that He take away the serpents from us...And the Lord said unto Moses, Make you a fiery serpent, and set it upon a POLE: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looks upon it, shall live (Num. 21:5-8)

This old story is not unfamiliar to us at all, but how often do we think about it in terms of how Christ spoke to Nicodemus? It may sound somewhat bizarre that He would make a reference to a fiery serpent when speaking about Himself, but there is great meaning in it.

From the passage above, we see that grievous sin was involved, as was severe punishment – death, in fact! The people of Israel were being fatally bitten by poisonous snakes. They were dying by the hundreds, perhaps thousands. They could not prevent what was happening. All of their personal efforts came to utter failure. They had no remedy for this horrible set of circumstances. And this is THE POINT! They could not do anything of their own and on their own to save themselves! Salvation, therefore, was not in their hands, their way, their works. They were forced, in effect, to give up, to give in, to confess their sin, and to beg for the mercy and grace of the Almighty, and to look upon the only thing that could save them from death.

Once Moses had prayed on their behalf, Yahweh responded, but He did so in His own unique, unexpected way. Instead of simply removing the penalty by destroying the snakes, He purposely chose another approach, one that was clearly intended to be a type or symbol of something very spiritual in nature. In order for the people to have LIFE, something had to be done for them, and they, in turn, had to do something as well.

God's instruction for Moses to make a replica of the very thing that was plaguing the people, and affix it to a pole, and lift it up in clear, unmistakable view of all the people, was His way of demonstrating the desperate, crying need of all human beings upon the earth for the source of LIFE that can only come through the lifting up of the Son of man!

In the face of absolutely certain death, the Israelites had to choose God's way to salvation and to life, or simply die the death! God's way was not what man would have done, nor is it to this day. It did not matter what the people might possibly have done to avail themselves of deliverance, it would not have worked. Their personal righteousness, to whatever degree they had any, could not help them! The priests and the Levites could not help them! Their past encounters with Yahweh and His miraculous power could not help them! Slaughtering animals and offering them as a sacrifice could not help them! Praying for something to happen that would change the circumstances could not help them! Making great promises to be good and faithful and obedient could not help them! Even reading and reciting the Ten Commandments could not help!

God had one and only one prescription for their fatal malady, and it almost surely must have seemed the most unlikely thing to them. Making a bronze serpent, putting it on a pole, and lifting it up high, and telling the people to look upon this strange object unquestionably sounded ridiculous to the Israelites. Whoever heard of such a thing, and whoever had observed such a thing? But this was God's way, and, as we often say, it was God's way or the highway!!

A FINAL LOOK AT THE TWO TREES

How plain and simple the lesson ought to be. In terms of redemption and salvation, of eternal life, of the fulfilling of the purpose for which mankind was created, there is only one way – THE TREE OF LIFE!! Any other choice will end in abject failure, no matter how attractive, or good, or appropriate, it may appear to be. This is precisely why there was a tree of life in the midst of the Garden of Eden, and precisely why Aaron's rod that budded was carefully placed within the Holy of holies, and why the seven-branched menorah, representing the almond tree of crucifixion, was paramount among the tabernacle and temple vessels.

Think about what the arrangement of things in the Garden of Eden teaches us. Too often we consider what happened there in terms of the fact that man sinned, and therefore God then had to make a way for humanity to return unto Him, but the description of Eden should tell us that this is a completely erroneous conclusion to draw. From the very beginning, there is the TREE OF LIFE. It is not an afterthought. It is not plan B! From the outset, there is one and only one way to salvation for mankind, and that is through the tree of life, Aaron's rod that budded, the menorah of the crucifixion of Yahshua Messiah! Unless or until that choice is made and that step is taken, it is impossible to achieve God's ultimate purpose for human beings. Adam and Eve could have eaten to their hearts' content from every other tree in the garden, but what food value they received would only have sustained them for the temporary period of their mere human existence. The tree of life is THE essential element. Without it, no other approach will work, no substitute is viable, nothing else whatsoever matters!! And I submit to you, my friends, that absolutely nothing has changed through nearly 6,000 years of human history!

Yahweh plants exactly two trees in that very special and most sacred part of the garden. The choosing of one will lead to eternal life; the other will produce death. Adam and Eve are enticed by the serpent to view the forbidden tree in terms of all that it can DO FOR THEM. After all, it looks good, it tastes good, it will make them wise, it will, in fact, make them feel righteous. However, they disregard the fact that the Almighty has given them the one and only way to true and everlasting life, and so they choose a path other than that which will lead them to eternal salvation. And if we are not careful, the very same grievous mistake can still be made today!!

After Adam and Eve had been cast out of the garden, they most likely continued to live in the land of Eden, and bring their sacrifices to the alter at the eastern gate. They lived out their lives and died, hopefully remaining faithful to their Creator. Their descendants have, of course, written the history of the world, and it has not been a pretty one, to say the least.

For nearly four thousand long years, God dealt with a human race that, not only originated from parents who chose the way represented by the forbidden tree in the midst of Eden, but which continued to go down this path generation after generation. Remember that access to the tree of life was disallowed by Yahweh. In all likelihood, the cherubim and flaming sword continued to stand guard at the eastern entrance to the garden of Eden.

According to the divinely appointed time, the Messiah came into this world, heralding the message that was contained anciently in the symbolism of the tree of life, indeed offering Himself as that ultimate sacrifice, replacing those physical efforts of man brought on by his refusal to accept the one and only way to salvation. In this sense, the tree of crucifixion has become the tree of life for those who believe in Yahshua, and receive His blood for the cleansing of sin and His death as the price of their redemption.

In the reality of our Savior, we are brought back to that right foundation, that proper altar upon which we may offer ourselves as living sacrifices to the Almighty. Once the right path is chosen, all aspects that God has incorporated into the divine process fall into place. Reversing the order of things always leads to error, and if not corrected, will lead to painful circumstances at the hand of the Father in heaven. He will have all humans to be saved, but that salvation comes according to His plan, not the thinking or approach of anyone else in the universe!

Based upon the facts we have uncovered in this study, you may well ask how could we who believe today make the same kind of error committed by Adam and Eve. This question would be posed because we are often too secure in our own assessment of ourselves with respect to God and His Son. Of course, I do not mean to state that anyone in particular may be guilty of choosing the forbidden tree, but the Scriptures definitely indicate that many sincere people will do this very thing. The apostle Paul faced this problem throughout his ministry, and it accounts for much of what he wrote, a great deal of which is misunderstood. Armed with this information and understanding, we should be able to approach any passage of Scripture with regard to salvation, and almost immediately see how it fits into the model established at the beginning in the Garden of Eden. In the second installment of this study, we will do exactly that.

Human beings have a great deal of difficulty in understanding and following God's way of functioning. There is, of course, a large segment that simply goes its own way in general disregard to the Almighty. Among those who profess belief, one group is willing to embrace eternal life as a gift through Christ, but refuses to be obedient to the law of God. In another camp we find those who are zealous for the law, but view it as the way to salvation, and thus the sacrifice of Yahshua, and the concepts of grace and faith, become secondary to them. All three of these ways are wrong. For what God is doing to work perfectly in each of us, there must be a harmonizing of the truths concerning the issue of law and grace.

From the beginning, the plan of salvation has remained the same. God's desire for Adam and Eve was that they choose life. It is precisely the same for us today, and in doing so, we will be able to rightly walk in His ways and become producers of good works that honor and glorify Him.

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