The
American
Wisdom Series
#2226
Let's talk about TREES.
Trees are used throughout the Bible
to symbolize people,
including the children of God, Satan,
Jesus Christ and even God the Father,
who likens Himself to an "evergreen" fir tree
in
Hosea 14:8.
So before we go any further in the Word of God
we must learn to tell the difference between a "tree"
and
a "person",
between a tree trunk and
the trunk of a person's body,
between tree limbs and human
limbs,
between the branches of a vine and the people they represent.
It is in fact, with just a little observation,
very easy to make these distinctions.
It would serve a person well to do a study of trees
in the Bible,
for there are many passages where trees
are used symbolically to represent people.
You could start by reading the account of Nebuchadnezzar's
dream in chapter four of Daniel
and the interpretation thereof.
It is a great example of "tree symbology".
However, we will focus on identifying the
"trees" in the garden of Eden.
The following passage from the Book of Ezekiel will document
without refute,
not only that trees are
used symbolically in the Bible to represent people including Satan,
but specifically those persons present in the garden
of Eden!
Ezekiel
31:3-12
Behold, the
Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing
shroud, and of an high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs.
The Hebrew word for "Assyrian" used here is te'ashshur
and it means "a box tree".
It represents Satan, a plain old box cedar who wants to
become the greatest tree of all,
as we will see in a few verses.
[4]
The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high with her rivers
running round about his plants, and sent out her little rivers unto all
the trees of
the field.
Note: Waters
also represent groups of people!
[5] Therefore
his height was exalted above all the trees
of
the field, and his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long
because of the multitude of waters, when he shot forth.
You should start to get the sense that we are not
talking about actual trees.
Verse 10 of this same chapter shows that this "tree"
exalted
himself above all the others.
Let's keep reading.
[6]
All the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches
did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young, and under his
shadow dwelt all great nations.
Wow!
That must be some giant tree,
with a shadow big enough for all great nations to dwell
under!
[7]
Thus was he fair in his greatness, in the length of his branches: for his
root was by great waters.
[8] The cedars
in the garden of God could not hide him: the fir
trees were not like his boughs, and the chesnut
trees were not like his branches; nor any
tree in the garden of God was like unto him
in his beauty.
No tree (person) in
the garden of God could compare in beauty to this one.
Trees = people.
Again, this is not difficult at all.
[9]
I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches: so that all the
trees
of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him.
Of course trees can't
envy other trees,
nor do they have the brains to know the difference between
good and evil!
These are characteristics of people, not trees.
The trees are symbolic. Remember,
trees = people.
Can you now "see" that Satan is referred to as a "tree"
in
the garden of Eden?
Remember, aside from the other
trees in the garden of Eden,
there are two specific trees mentioned
there:
1) the tree of life,
and 2) the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil.
It is ironic that no one seems to have a problem with
the "tree of life"
symbolizing Jesus Christ.
Rev.
2:7
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.
But when we say that the "tree
of
the knowledge of good and evil", i.e.
the tree with evil knowledge,
is Satan, that old serpent,
the devil, they go "bonkers" and say,
"No, it's an apple tree!"
Really?
The word "apple" does not appear in the entire Book of
Genesis.
Let's now examine what Eve told that "glistening one",
Satan, in the garden:
Genesis
3:2
And the woman
said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the
trees of the garden:
Eating physical food, nuts and fruits is OK, of course
it is, but get your mind thinking spiritually where it is intended to be!
The Bible is the book of instructions
for saving your soul, not your little old flesh and blood body.
I know! I know! It's hard for us flesh and blood human
beings to do!
Of course its ok to eat fruit and nuts from a actual tree,
but God is talking about good spiritual food, i.e. good
advise,
as opposed to bad spiritual food, i.e. bad advise.
It is spiritual food (bad fruit)
that can kill your soul.
Genesis 3:3 But
of the fruit of the tree
which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of
it, neither shall ye touch it,
lest ye die
Don't you see that "life" is the subject in verse three?
The consequence of eating "bad fruit" from a corrupt
tree is "lest you die", i.e. death!
You
can eat all the "bread" you want, but you better partake of the "bread
of life" if you want to live forever.
Christ is that "bread". He
is that "tree of life".
If you eat of the "leaven" of
the scribes and Pharisees, you'll die.
It's bad bread!
Beware!
Here is Christ's own words:
Matthew
16:11
How is it that
ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that
ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?
Matthew 16:12
Then understood
they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the
doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
Christ said, "get your mind off of physical bread
and elevate your thinking to that which is important,
i.e.
beware of the poison leaven of the bread of the scribes
and Pharisees".
The same thought process must apply
here to the trees in Genesis or you'll miss the point.
Genesis
3:3
But of the fruit
of the tree which
is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither
shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
But, you ask, if the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil,
which is in the midst of the garden, is Satan,
what is the fruit spoken of here?
It is real simple. Fruit is that which is "produced" by
a tree. Here is what Christ said:
Luke
6:43-44
For a good tree
bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree
bring
forth good fruit. [44] For every tree
is known by his own fruit...
Question! Is Christ talking about trees
or people?
Good, you've got it!
So the instruction to Adam and Eve is quite simple,
"Do not partake of the fruit produced
by the evil, corrupt, tree,
which is in the midst of the garden!"
In fact, don't even "touch"
it, lest ye become seduced.
Finally, as background to understand that which is
about to happen in the fig grove,
look up the Hebrew word that is translated "touch"
in verse 3.
The word is naga
and it means not just to "lay the hand upon"
but
it is an euphemism for "to lie with a woman".
Check it out in a Strong's concordance.
Ok! Ok! I'll do it for you since some
Christians who don't have "eyes to see" are also too lazy to look up a
word in Strongs.
H5060
рвт
na?ga?
naw-gah'
A primitive root; properly to touch,
that is, lay the hand upon (for any purpose; euphemistically, to
lie with a woman); by implication to reach (figuratively to
arrive, acquire); violently, to strike (punish, defeat, destroy, etc.):
- beat, (X be able to) bring (down), cast, come (nigh), draw near (nigh),
get up, happen, join, near, plague, reach (up), smite, strike, touch.
Let's continue now in Genesis, repeating verse four, Satan's
first lie:
Genesis
3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
[5] For God doth
know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and
ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
It is their "spiritual eyes" that will be opened!
Again, we are not talking about
eating apples that wake you up in the morning.
Go back to Strong's concordance
and read the meaning of nega (touch) again and again and again and again
until you understand what happened in the garden (fig grove)!
[6]
And when the woman saw that the tree
was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to
be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat,
and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
When
is the last time you saw a tree
and said to yourself,
"you
know self, if I eat the fruit from this tree
it will instantly make me wiser. I'll bet these are some kind of smart
apples".
No, that which just took place in
verse 6 of Genesis 3,
is not the chomping of an
apple from a fruit tree.
There
has been a seduction, the truth of which has been hidden for a long time
to those who don't know their trees, to
those who have allowed the deceptive stories of the traditions of men to
blind their eyes, that in seeing they don't see and in hearing they don't
hear.
[7]
And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked;
and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
Their spiritual eyes were opened all right!
But
why in the world do they now "know they're naked"?
You
will find it is because of the SHAME they have brought upon themselves,
for disobeying God, yes, but in a much more perverted way than biting bad
apples.
"And they sewed aprons together...".
Do
you suppose these were itty bitty little aprons that they sewed together
to cover their mouths because they just ate a bad apple?
The stupidity of tradition taught in most pro-claiming Christian churches today!
[8]
And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool
of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the
LORD God amongst the trees (people)
of the garden.
Uh oh!
There's big trouble in the garden!
Adam and Eve hear their Father coming!
And
now that they know good and evil,
they
know what's coming is not going to be good!
I'd hide too!
To
study the 1st. 11 chapters of Genesis word for word: (live
link to) All
11 chapters in one complete study
Again we stress to you that
Trees are used throughout the Bible
to symbolize people,
including the children of God, Satan,
Jesus Christ and even God the Father,
who likens Himself to an "evergreen" fir tree
in
Hosea 14:8.
To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits;
to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy
Spirit, you accomplish both.
The
"American
Wisdom Series"