Tree of Life

"Out of the ground the Lord God made 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..." Genesis 2:9

"He drove out man, and at the east of the Garden of Eden he placed cherubim, and a sword flaming and turning to guard the way to the tree of life." Genesis 3:24

"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. On either side of the river is the tree of life...and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations." Revelation 22: 1,2

When I saw this tree on our street, I was reminded of the biblical Tree of Life. In the Old Testament, the Tree of Life, whether literal or poetic, is generally viewed as the means of mankind's conditional immortality in the Garden of Eden. After mankind's fall from grace, the original couple was driven out of the garden lest they would partake of the Tree of Life and live forever in a state of spiritual and physical decay. In the last book of the New Testament, the Book of Revelation, the Tree of Life makes a comeback in the vision of a new heaven and a new earth. Again, whether literal or poetic, it appears to be the source of healing and eternal life.

One thing that's always been in the back of my mind is creating a 'Garden of Eden' yard haunt display in future years. I think the drama of the two trees (Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil) in the middle of the garden would make for a real spectacle. Someday......