The tree of life is mentioned in the book of Genesis and Revelation in the Bible. It represents God’s gift of eternal life to humanity. The tree originally was located in the Garden of Eden and gave immortality to Adam and Eve before they sinned (Genesis 2:9). After they were expelled from Eden, cherubim with a flaming sword were placed to guard the way to the tree of life so that humans could no longer eat from it and live forever in a sinful state (Genesis 3:22-24).
Later, in Revelation, the tree of life reappears in the New Jerusalem that comes down from heaven (Revelation 22:2). All who wash their robes and enter the city will have the right to eat from the tree of life and live forever in God’s presence. So the tree represents the eternal life and immortality that are restored to humanity through faith in Christ. Those who trust in Jesus can eat from the tree, meaning they have eternal life with God.
Some key points about the meaning of the tree of life in the Bible:
- It was a real tree located in the Garden of Eden that sustained physical life (Genesis 2:9).
- It had supernatural power to enable people to live forever in their earthly bodies if they ate from it (Genesis 3:22).
- Humans lost access to it at the Fall but will one day regain access in God’s presence (Revelation 22:2).
- It represents the eternal life, immortality, and fellowship with God that Jesus Christ makes possible (Revelation 22:14).
- The tree of life epitomizes the life, blessing, and sustenance that come from God.
The Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden
The tree of life first appears in Genesis 2:9: “And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (ESV). Here the tree of life is mentioned along with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden.
Genesis does not say much more about the tree of life at this point. We learn the tree was physically located in the midst of Eden. It was beautiful, edible, and designed by God to impart and sustain physical life. Before they sinned, Adam and Eve likely ate regularly from the tree of life which allowed them to live forever in the garden.
After the Fall in Genesis 3, Adam and Eve are expelled from Eden. Genesis 3:22-24 explains why:
Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.
God did not want Adam and Eve to eat from the tree of life after they sinned, lest they live forever in their fallen state. So God placed powerful cherubim to block access to the tree. The tree still existed as a literal tree, but humans could no longer reach it and eat from it due to their sin.
The tree of life represented God’s provision for immortality in the garden. It physically sustained eternal earthly life as long as Adam and Eve continued in righteousness. Once they sinned, God cut off access to it. Yet the hope remained that God would one day restore righteous people’s access to the source of eternal life.
The Tree of Life in Revelation
The tree of life is mentioned three times in the book of Revelation. In Revelation 2:7, Jesus tells the church in Ephesus, “To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” This refers to eternal life with Christ for those who overcome and persevere in faith.
Later in Revelation 22, the tree of life reappears when John sees a vision of the new Jerusalem coming down from heaven:
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. (Revelation 22:1-3)
Here the tree of life is described as bearing 12 kinds of fruit in the New Jerusalem. It is located along the river of the water of life that flows from God’s throne. Its leaves are for “the healing of the nations” which may refer to the life-giving sustenance the tree provides. The curse of sin has been completely removed in this eternal city.
Revelation 22:14 reiterates that those who wash their robes have the right to eat from the tree of life and enter the city: “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.” Only the redeemed may eat from the tree in eternity.
So the final chapters of the Bible reveal the tree of life being restored and accessible once again to humanity. All who place their faith in Christ’s redemptive work have access to the eternal life this tree represents.
Significance and Meaning of the Tree of Life
What theological meaning does the tree of life hold? Here are some key implications from the Bible:
- God’s miraculous provision – The tree of life was a tangible, literal tree created supernaturally by God. It demonstrated His miraculous provision for humanity’s physical and spiritual needs.
- Blessing and eternal life – The tree represented God’s blessing of life. Its fruit possessed the amazing power to sustain eternal life in paradise if man walked with God.
- Hope of redemption – Though banished from Eden, the tree gave hope that redeemed man would someday regain access to God’s blessing of immortality.
- Access restored in Christ – In Revelation, saints who trust in Christ can eat from the tree, meaning they inherit eternal life in God’s presence.
- Healing of the nations – The healing leaves represent restoration for all under the curse of sin. The tree of life brings true spiritual healing.
- God’s eternal kingdom – The tree reveals the life, abundance, and peace of God’s eternal kingdom restored on the New Earth.
Thus the tree beautifully represents many theological truths. It epitomizes God’s miraculous provision, eternal life, redemption, spiritual healing, and the fullness of the new creation. The tree of life ultimately represents Jesus Christ Himself, the source of eternal life and blessing from God.
Other Biblical References to the Tree of Life
The tree of life is also mentioned in Proverbs as a metaphor representing wisdom that leads to blessing, health, and eternal life:
She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed. (Proverbs 3:18)
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life. (Proverbs 13:12)
The fruit of wisdom is described metaphorically as a life-giving tree. This reinforces the symbolic meaning of the tree of life in Genesis and Revelation.
In addition, the New Testament speaks of eternal life through Christ using tree imagery:
Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers. (Psalm 1:1-3)
Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. (Revelation 22:14)
These passages use tree imagery to describe the life, wisdom, and blessing found in Christ. Though not directly mentioning the tree of life, the parallels are strong. Jesus is the source of eternal life just like the tree of life.
The Tree of Life and Eternal Life
What does the tree of life symbolize about eternal life? Here are some key connections:
- Eternal life is a gift of God, not something man can achieve apart from Him. The tree was a gracious gift in the garden before sin entered.
- Eternal life comes from Christ. Just as the tree imparted life, Jesus alone provides reconciliation with God and eternal life.
- Eternal life involves personal fellowship with God. Adam and Eve enjoyed fellowship with God in Eden where the tree grew. The tree represents closeness with God.
- Eternal life requires holiness. Adam and Eve lost access when they sinned. Only the holy may eat of the tree in Revelation.
- Eternal life will be restored on the New Earth. The tree flourishes again in the New Jerusalem, depicting restored paradise.
- Eternal life heals all the effects of sin. The leaves’ healing signifies the wholeness eternal life brings.
- Eternal life satisfies completely. The tree provided ongoing nourishment and duration of days.
The tree of life epitomizes the fullness, satisfaction, and restoration of life forever with God. All who place their trust in Jesus Christ gain access to this eternal life.
Jesus Christ as the Tree of Life
How is Jesus Himself the tree of life? Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6). Just as the fruit of the tree of life imparted immortality, Christ provides eternal life to all who believe in Him.
Jesus suffered death on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3). He rose again, conquering death, proving He has power over death and eternal life (Romans 1:4). All who repent and believe in Him receive forgiveness and eternal life as God’s free gift (Romans 6:23). Being redeemed by His blood, believers have access to the tree of life just as Adam and Eve did before the fall.
Jesus provides the eternal life, healing, and access to God that the tree symbolizes. He is the true life source. The tree of life ultimately points to Jesus as the giver of life and immortality.
Another intriguing connection is that Christ was crucified on a wooden cross (Acts 5:30). The same material that brought death to the world also became the means of redemption. Christ transformed the tree, a means of the curse, into an instrument of blessing. This echoes the tree of life in Eden that was lost but will be restored in the New Jerusalem.
The Tree of Life in Culture and Religion
The concept of a tree of life or sacred tree appears in many ancient cultures worldwide. It is seen in ancient Egyptian, Chinese, Norse, Persian, Indian, Greek, and Roman mythology. Often it is connected with immortality and paradise. These echoes of the biblical tree of life may originate from descendants preserving partial knowledge from humanity’s shared origins. Or they could be ingrained archetypes in the human consciousness.
In the Jewish Kabbalah tradition, the tree of life is a mystical symbol representing the divine life force and the 10 attributes through which God reveals Himself and continuously creates the universe. Occult and New Age movements have also adopted the symbol.
While the universal appeal of the tree of life shows a shared desire for immortality, the biblical revelation completes the fragmentary truths people grasp. Only the Scriptures fully reveal the tree’s origin, meaning, and role in God’s redemptive plan. The tree of life ultimately finds its fulfillment in Jesus, the giver of life.
The Tree of Life Today
For Christians today, the tree of life remains a profound symbol of God’s gift of eternal life through His Son Jesus Christ. It reminds us that paradise is restored and immortal life is regained through Christ’s redemptive work on the cross. This biblical meaning eclipses any profane usages of the symbol.
The tree reminds us that eternal life is not something we can earn or achieve in our own strength. Just as God originally gave man access to the tree, eternal life is the Creator’s gracious gift through the sacrifice of His Son. Without Jesus paying the penalty for our sins, we would remain eternally separated from God.
The tree of life gives hope that the effects of sin and death all around us are not the end of the story. Revelation paints a glorious vision of the tree thriving again in the New Jerusalem. God will recreate paradise where His people will drink of the water of life, eat of the tree’s fruit, and live joyfully in His presence forever.
The tree of life is a living symbol that points us to Jesus as the source of life, both now and for eternity. While we wait for the wedding feast of the Lamb and the coming New Heavens and Earth, we have assurance that no second death will ever touch those who place their faith in Christ (Revelation 20:6). The tree that was lost is regained forevermore through Him who conquered sin and death.