In the beginning, the Garden of Eden was holy land. Perhaps
it was heaven in earth since the first things generated were the heaven
and the earth, or the visible and the invisible. My contention, as well as many
Jewish theologians who know Hebrew, is that the heavenly “Paradise” (the
spiritual realm) is coincidental with the Garden Paradise in earth (the
physical realm). That is based on many things, but the most thought provoking is
that the Tree of Life still stands in Heaven where it stood in the Garden.
So, He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. (Gen 3:24)
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” (Rev 2:7)
The cherubim would “keep” and keep it where? Where it
was and where it will still be in the end! It was “in the midst of the Garden”
(Gen 2:9) and it remains in the “midst of the Paradise of God.” The Tree of Life
has not been moved; it has only been transformed from one dimension or state to
another. I submit that since the Garden of Eden was holy, that the Tree of Life
is the location of the Holy of Holies — the inner sanctuary of the Tabernacle
where God’s Presence appeared. That sanctuary is associated with the Well of
Souls, the space beneath the Foundation Stone.
The Foundation Stone is sacred for many reasons, but
foremost, it was in the “midst of the Garden” where God founded existence, the
natural and the supra-natural, and Adam himself. Adam slept on that
stone when Eve was formed. Jews believe that Adam remains “asleep” there in
that stone. [1] That
he is buried beneath the “Place of the Skull,” or Golgotha.
It is where God was in the beginning, during the Temple period,
and where He remains to this day. Where do the redeemed go? Heaven. Where is
Heaven? The Holy Land. And where is the most Holy Land? Jerusalem; specifically,
the proximity of the Garden of Gethsemane. It makes sense that the Garden of “the
olive press” would be near the Tree of Life.
Obviously, the Tree of Knowledge was a fig tree, and that is
validated by 1 Adam and Eve (sacred books). Since olive leaves represent “peace”
it also makes sense that the Tree of Life was an olive tree and was symbolic of
Jesus, who was “Peace on Earth” (Luke 2:14). According to Strong’s Dictionary
this could also be translated as “peace on physical standing ground.” Whose
standing ground? Jesus’s! Where has Jesus either stood or seated all the time,
according to the evidence? In Paradise in the Garden (John 1-3,14) and in Paradise
in heaven — the spiritual realm.
Now back to the Holy of Holies. That is where God “stood,”
and seated Himself as well, on the Ark of the Covenant between what? Cherubim —
two cherubs. Where was the Ark positioned? In the Temple of God on Ornan’s threshing
floor. The very place on which the Temple was built. In other words, the Temple
was on the Foundation Stone and the Holy of Holies beneath it.
Cherubim guarded the Way to God in the beginning and does to
this day. God revealed to John what the Garden Paradise looks like now. John
saw through a barrier that he described as a “Sea of Glass” — “And before the
throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the
throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and
behind” (Rev 4:6). Those four beasts were cherubim that still guard the Way to
the Tree of Life. Perhaps the “Sea of Glass” is the barrier between the
physical realm and the spiritual, and cherubim guard its crossing just as they
did back in the Garden!
Those who “stand” on that “sea” have found the Way to God.
Who found the Way to the Holy of Holies? “Them that had gotten the victory over
the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his
name, stand on the sea of glass” (Rev 15:2).
Salvation is “victory over the beast” and anything that
represents him. What comes before “salvation” in the spiritual realm?
Preservation or safety in the physical realm. Sanctification is a state
wherein God preserves the saints until they are regenerated to another state,
glorification. Paul wrote about that: “The Lord is faithful, who shall stablish
you, and keep you from evil” (2 Thes 3:3). The New King James Version renders that,
“establish you and guard you from the evil one.”
Who killed Adam and Eve? Satan did. Not that they were
killed physically but only that their souls were emptied of God’s Holy Spirit
that He had breathed into them. Satan was defeated, but Adam and Eve were kept
safe by a coat from a lamb until the Lamb of God manifested Himself as
the sacrifice. Cherubim guarded the Sea of Glass which was also the place of
salvation by the Way of Jesus. Until then, the Holy Ghost, according to Paul’s
letter, would establish you (your faith) and guard you from evil.
The Holy of Holies traveled for a time in tents. God guarded
the Jews to keep them safe from the evil one. Their destination was the
Promised Land. The Kingdom of David was more than a promised land, but a return
to Paradise. Abraham and Moses knew that, but the typical Hebrew did not
understand the Mystery of God.
They were taking God back to His place in Paradise, and they
would be kept safe and guarded by God until they are taken up by the only Way
possible; when Jesus comes to translate them from the physical paradise to the
spiritual. Just like Jesus who walked through walls, Christians will “drift”
through the transparent Sea of Glass like it is not even there! What is more,
true saints will pass through the guarded entry without impedance because they
came the Way of Jesus.
Just as a remnant of the Jews are guarded in Israel until
the Great Day of their Salvation, Christians are guarded in their tents (transportable
souls) until that same day when they too are saved. Cherubim prevent the
unworthy from entering but allow the redeemed in. The “ticket” for entry is the
blood of Jesus and crediting God’s Name for passage — by the Name and Way of
Jesus can anyone be saved.
Christians feel safe because God guards them.
Trusting that God is guarding them is the assurance of salvation, that they are
guarded from the evil one until he is destroyed. Salvation is when Satan is
destroyed along with his legend of dark angels, for then, no guarding will ever
be required again.
Now for my own transparency. This interpretation of scripture fits the Arminian Doctrine closely. Please do not discard it because your doctrine is different than this. The faith of our fathers is significant, but the doctrine of our fathers is not. We tend to believe what men have taught but ignore scripture in the process.
Lifelong church-goers are predisposed toward
their doctrine. Only after years of study in prayer for understanding, did I
understand the Mystery of Christ. And to be honest, the Mystery will not be entirely
revealed until we too can walk on “water” just as the saints stand on the Sea
of Glass — the faith that we can see the “prize” as in hand before it is
rewarded!
No comments:
Post a Comment