Truth and the Tree

"Tree" in Genesis' Hebrew ('ets) means "to make firm" and is first used in Genesis 2:9 referring to the trees in the Garden of Eden. "Truth" is first used Genesis 24:27 and in the Hebrew is ('emeth), meaning "stability". Hence, the words "tree" (firm) and "truth" (stable) have nearly the same root words since "firmness" and "stability" complement each other. Something stable is firm in essence and firmness is being stable in outlook. More clearly, a "firm" support structure is needed for the building to be "stable". It's amazing that God planned it "all" so well! Of what do I speak?

Jesus is the "Tree of Life"!

Revelation 2:7b "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God."

It's obvious that our reward is eternity with Jesus! Jesus is that "Tree of Life". Hence, we are "made firm" in Jesus. He's the wood that supports us all, dying on the cross of wood.

John 4:16 " Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

Jesus here claims to be "truth" defined above as "stability". Here's a demonstration of the stability of Jesus:

 1 Peter 5:7 "Casting all your care upon him (Jesus); for he careth for you."

Casting all our cares on Jesus means that we can depend on Jesus. Jesus is stable. He's unchanging!

Hebrews 13:8  "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."

Now that's stability! Jesus never changes and we can depend on him! He will always be there for us and he will take care of us!  Jesus is Truth! So even the casual observer can see that God had a plan from the start! That lone "tree" in the garden represented truth because truth and firmness are one and the same! Later, when Jesus came, he told on himself. He called himself "truth" and demonstrated it by his stability. Coincidence? No! It was God's plan!

Revelation 22:2 "In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations."

Here we see that Jesus is stable. He's firm (he's that Tree!). He can be depended upon to continually provide fruit. It will be every month without fail! The fruit from that Tree (Jesus) will heal the Christians world wide. The Tree is for everybody and so are the leaves thereon which will heal (save) the Christians. We don't know what manner of fruit will be borne, but Ezekiel had a vision of it years and years before:

Ezekiel 47:12 "Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing."

It's obvious that Ezekiel is referring to the same vision as John's revelation. Why there is named more than one-tree, I don't know, but perhaps those trees "of all kinds" are God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Ghost and perhaps the angels who serve Jesus! What else would it mean? Can you see the firmness of that tree; how stable it is? Ezekiel saw the same as John, hundreds of almost 700 years apart!

Let's take a look at the "evolution" of the Tree of Life. In the garden were many trees, including two specific trees. One tree was an allegory for Jesus. That was the "Tree of Life". Another was an allegory for the devil; the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. There were many other trees in the garden. Perhaps they were allegorical for whatever trees Ezekiel saw!

In the beginning stood :"firm" the Tree of Life, Jesus. He was a robust tree and we know from scripture that three fruits thereon were hope, faith and charity (1 Cor 13:13). There may have been more, but I can't identify them! Perhaps there were twelve fruits as in Paradise. or perhaps there were three fruits all of which fell punctually since Jesus's truth is stability. However, in the Garden of Eden there stood Jesus in full-bloom and fruitful. One only had to partake of the fruit because it was dependable fruit, being truth!  Perhaps another of the fruits was "truth"!

Then on one lonesome day the Tree was shorn of its majesty. Like Samson whose hair was shorn and his power lost, the tree was shorn of all it's fruits as Jesus took on all the sins of all men who ever lived. He alone was the fruit on that lonesome tree.

Acts 5:30 "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree."

Here we have the "Tree of Life" hanging on a tree of wood, the cross. The fruit borne there at that one time was the sacrifice of God himself. He was the fruit which provided eternal life. Adam and Eve failed to eat of that fruit way back then, but now the line of Adam has the same choice to make. The fruit is there! Shall I eat of it? Those who eat thereof have eternal life. That's "hope" one of the known fruits of that tree! If anyone fails to eat of the Tree of Life who was crucified on the lonesome tree of wood, by default eats of the contaminated tree whose fruit leads to death: love of wealth, pleasure and reason are the poisons fruits of that tree.

The robust tree in the garden was rejected by Adams throughout the generations. Adams (men) were to tend to the garden and we failed to do so! The fertilizer we used killed off the love required to make trees grow. That fertilizer was the Law! Our antecedents used fertilizer all right, but it was rich in acidity. Rather than nourishing the Garden, the Law withered and then killed it!

Then, all of a sudden, Adams had a new chance.There came a new batch of fertilizer given freely by God, the creator of the garden. His fertilizer was "grace". and it didn't cost us Adams anything! Perhaps another of the twelve fruits is "grace"!  Now rather than continually applying "bad" fertilizer each day we get a chance to use permanent fertilizer. We use "faith", a good measure of it" and submit one time. Providing that faith is never shoveled off, one doze of this "Miracle Grow" will do it! Another fruit of the tree perhaps is "faith". After all it's a gift of God and it certainly is a fruit. It matures and grows! It becomes steadfast with time. That too is stable after all!

Jesus in John 4:16 said I AM the Way. That's who he is. That's God's name and likewise the name of Jesus. I AM signifies firmness and stability; the Tree and the Truth!

Since the tree is now tended by obedient Adams, the Tree has grown. It's roots have spread and now that tree's fruit has spread all over the world. Even in times of drought somehow the tree grew even more magnificently! Because of mercy, perhaps another "fruit", times of peril made the Tree grow rampantly!  Now the whole world is inundated with the fruits of that Tree. Adams have carried the seeds of the Tree all over the world, so now that Tree is available to all. Perhaps the "trees" Ezekiel saw in Paradise was one Tree, but seen many places. Again, I don't know, but I do know that one majestic giant redwood stands now in heaven! That's the Tree of Life standing right there alongside pure living waters. From that tree I plucked my hope, my love, my faith, my given grace, the mercy I received, the truth, and even found joy, dependence, self-control, protection, righteousness and eternal life. That's twelve fruits. What a coincidence? God's not the author of chance. I'll take my chance on God. It's firm! It's of wood and is stable! Isn't that the Truth. Amen! Verily!