Tree of Life, In the Beginning and the End

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.
~Revelations 22:14~

Wow what a glorious promise! We get to partake of the tree of life!

The same tree of life that was protected by angel with a fiery sword after Adam and Eve ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

In order to get the full picture, we have to go back to the beginning…

God made all kinds of trees but only two of the trees get special names. The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:9)

What does the tree of life mean? The tree of life produces the fruit of life.. eternal life to be exact.

The tree of the KNOWLEDGE of good and evil… it produced the fruit of knowledge.

Once Adam and Eve ate from this tree they became aware of sin because they were disobedient to God.

the LORD God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever. So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
~Genesis 3:22-24~

Why does God send Adam back to care for the ground that he was taken from? And why the fiery sword, if we are eventually going to be able to eat from the tree of life?

It comes down to disobedience and consequences.

As parents we discipline our children when they are disobedient. We send them back to their rooms and take away their privileges.

Eventually they will get their privileges back, but we want to make sure they learn from their mistakes.

It’s the same way with our Heavenly Father!

God is merciful. He knows our struggles, he knows the condition of our hearts. He sees all and knows all.

That’s why He gave us a way out!

Let’s go back to Revelations 22:14…. “those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life”

We get our privilege to the tree of life back once we wash our robes! We get the right to eternal life! So how do we wash our robes?

The Lord spoke through Isaiah telling Israel exactly what needed to be done in order for them to get their privilege back.

Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land;
~Isaiah 1:16-19~

Unfortunately, they did not take heed. But God…..

He loved us so much He gave His only Son; whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. It was through HIS blood that we were redeemed and our sins were forgiven.

During the Last Supper, Jesus made it very clear that His blood is given so the sins of many can be forgiven. (Matthew 26:28)

Jesus was the sacrificial Lamb.

but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.
~1 Peter 1:19-20~

The sacrifices that were given in the Old Testament had to be perfect and without blemish. The people offered the best of their flock in order to atone for their sins. (Leviticus 1:3-4)

That’s why Jesus came down from heaven to become the Lamb that was slain for our sins. It was His blood that washed away our sins and we have redemption through His blood.

It is His blood that makes us white as snow; that makes our robes clean and grants us the access to the tree of life once again.

This is how we get eternal life!

I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
~Revelations 7:14~
Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
~Revelations 2:7~