The Tree of Life

Revelation 2:7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God. 

     Have you ever imagined what the tree of life looks like which is in the paradise of God? I have read passages from the Bible regarding the tree of life numerous times over the last 8 months as Jolyn and I established our company to spread God’s word. Jolyn wanted to name our company Tree of Life Bible Studies after being inspired by some verses she found in the Bible. Revelation 2:7 and Revelation 22:1-2 (NASB) Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing 12 kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. These verses (Rev 2:7 and 22:1-2) make me imagine a beautiful place with a perfect tree within the Kingdom of God. I think the tree would be perfect in every aspect. It would be a perfectly shaped tree with green leaves attached to each limb extending well beyond the base, bearing 12 kinds of fruit. Can you imagine what the tree looks like? You may imagine a different tree.

                        The heavenly tree of life reminds me to “…live a life active and vigorous, devoted to God…” and put our trust in Christ who is the way, the truth and the life. The tree of life was here at the creation of the Earth as depicted in Genesis 2:8-9 (NASB) The LORD God planted a garden toward the East, in Eden and there He placed the man whom He had formed. Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing 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.

That poses a question, do you want to be an overcomer and eat from the tree of life? According to Revelation 22:1-2, the tree of life is also in Heaven and overcomers can eat from it. Strong’s concordance outline Biblical usage of “overcomer” to mean “to conquer”. According to Strong’s, for Christians this means to …hold fast their faith even unto death against the power of their foes, and temptations and persecutions. Sometimes there are ups and downs in our earthly life. Sometimes others will challenge our beliefs or criticize us because we do not conform to societies rules. Some people may judge others because of their outward appearance like their clothes, their hair (I have none!), tattoos, earrings, their weight or even how they conduct themselves. Look beyond outward appearances and discover what’s inside. Once you get to know someone by their beliefs, values and Christian principles, it does not matter what they wear or the lack of their hair. Hold fast in your faith and live life real and genuine for God. Think of becoming an overcomer so you can eat from the tree of life in the paradise of God!

At Tree of Life Bible Studies, we chose a tree as our symbol of our company. Our earthy tree is not perfect in every aspect but it is God’s creation and it is enjoyed each day we drive by it in our hometown of Maquoketa, Iowa. Our earthly tree is not perfectly round, does not have green leaves on each branch and does not even bear fruit. Our tree may not be as beautiful as the heavenly tree of life I imagine but our tree has great roots. The roots are what are important not what appears on the outside like the bark and branches. God provides us great roots that are firm in faith! We can be rooted in God’s Word by reading the Bible and living.

                  May God bless you in journey along your way! Dave & Jolyn