TREES AS MEN, NATIONS, AND DOCTRINES

  Blind Bartimaeus, during the transformation from blind to seeing, began to see things others could not see; “I see men, as trees walking” (Mark 8:24). When I read about the Garden of Eden, I see a garden of trees, as men who would soon be walking. I see the Garden as a fertile land full of souls who would soon be living. Adam, when the time comes, was to “dress and keep” the Garden. (Gen 2:15), or in other words, to serve and preserve the “trees” of the Garden. Within the Garden were three types of trees: (1) The Tree of Life, (2) the tree of knowledge, and (3) the peripheral trees around the two in the midst of the Garden. Adam was to serve and preserve God and others. He sought to serve the Tree of Knowledge and neglected the Tree of Life.
  The various and sundry trees are still extant, and spread all over the world. The Tree of Life still stands majestically in the heavenly Paradise (Rev 22:2). I believe that the Tree of Life remains standing in the same place as it was in the beginning – in the Garden! For thirty-three years, I see the Tree of Life and a Man walking, speaking, loving, and dying for mankind. I believe Jesus is the Tree of Life who walked among us, but who returned to his Root – Father God: “If the root be holy, so are the branches” (Rom 11:16). Who is the “Branch?” Jesus Christ is the main “Branch” from which the other branches off-shoot: “I am the vine (main branch), ye are the branches” (John 15:5).
  To better understand today’s key verses, keep this passage in mind: “But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it” (Mark 4:32). This refers to the mustard plant whose small seed turns into a towering plant which resembles a towering tree.

KEY VERSES: Thus saith the Lord God; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon an high mountain and eminent: In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell. And all the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the Lord have spoken and have done it. (Ezek 17:22-24) 

  My personal belief is that the Tree of Life was the olive tree. Scripture refers to Israel as the Green Olive Tree (Jer 11:16). I believe that references not only the people but them as branches of THE Olive Tree in the Garden whose fruit they could freely eat. However, other woods are used to reference God. For instance, God’s House was walled with cedars of Lebanon. Solomon’s “beloved” is described as, “His countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.” That is the Lord God to whom he wrote his song. In the key verses, the cedar tree refers to God manifested, or Jesus Christ.

The cedar tree is as old as time itself. The Lord will crop off a tender shoot – the baby Jesus, and plant it (Jesus) upon a high mountain (Calvary). And eminent! “Eminence” is “standing above all others” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). That describes the cross and Jesus as eminent over the two adjacent crosses, or more profoundly, eminent over all the people (trees mocking, trees lurking, and trees crying).
  The key verses also describe branches from the eminent cedar tree as, “It shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar.” Disciples of Jesus are the boughs of the eminent cedar tree. The Cedar (Jesus) was the structure of the Church founded in Israel. Not by coincidence to the walls of the Temple being lined with cedars of Lebanon. Christians are the inner structure of the Church, and likely the “lumber for the pillars” as Christians are the pillars of the Church (Rev 3:12). Why of cedar? Cedar is long-lasting, and that passage refers to those who endure in Christ to the end.
  The next message from the key verses is, “Under it (Jesus) shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell.” Now recall the verse that I asked to keep in mind: “But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.” The giant mustard plant and the majestic cedar have commonality; fowls shall dwell under both. Who are the fouls? Refer to the most mysterious riddle in the Bible which is in Ezekiel 17. Fouls are the eagles in that riddle, and they represent nations – one whose twig brought forth a high tree and another a low tree. The “high tree” although it represented Babylon, it too represents the Tree of the Knowledge whose philosophy is of men (the foul fowls).
  The “low tree” whose twigs became majestic, but then withered and died. Although that represents Israel, it also represents to Doctrine of God from the Tree of Life. In the riddle, the question was asked whether it would wither or die. The green tree (Babylon/the Tree of Knowledge) flourished and both shall die. The low tree (Israel/the Tree of Life) will be exalted (from the key verses.) John the revelator saw the Tree of Life still standing on the River of God in the Garden Paradise in Heaven. That great “cedar” (aka olive tree) still stands, but where is the grand Green Tree? The Tree of Knowledge was cut down but the lowly Tree of Life still stands!
  The question arises, When was the tall green tree of knowledge cut down? After it withered and died after serving its purpose! Regarding Judas, “’I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood.’ And they said, ‘What is that to us? see thou to that.’ And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself” (Mat 27:4-5). Perhaps it withered and was cut down when Satan died vicariously on the same day that Jesus was crucified on his tree. We know that the fig tree bore no fruit in the parable of the fig tree. That “tree,” representing Judas and Satan, will be burned in the fiery pit, and then there will be no more Tempter!
  Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. That was the price of Jesus’s blood (Mat 27:6) that was spilled from the Jesus Tree when he paid the price for the “birds” who gather under his tree, but also those under the Judas Tree!
   “The love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Tim 6:10), and upon the Judas Tree God was sold out for the love of money. The love of God is the Root of all Good in contrast to the love of money. Indeed, the tree, its roots, its branches and twigs represent nations and men. Whenever scripture starts using trees for admonishment, think of “trees as men walking.”