Tree of life for christians, is it this or that?

Question

Is it an actual tree that we will eat from or is it symbolic of our relationship with Jesus and God.

Kind of like when Jesus said he is the vine and he is the branch...

Do we have eternal life from actually eating some fruit or from our relationship?

Revelation 2:7
`He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.'

Re 22:2 - Show Context
in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Re 22:14 - Show Context
Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.

Re 22:19 - Show Context
and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.

Genesis 3:22
Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever"--

I don't really know the answer but after asking the question I'm kinda leaning towards symbolic.

Answer 1

The eternal life comes from the relationship, which in turn produces fruit which others see.

Answer 2

We have eternal life by our relationship with God through Jesus. As to exactly what the tree of life was in the Garden of Eden, apparently it was an actual tree as was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil since the language of the passages speaks of an actual tree with fruit that Adam and Eve could stretch forth their hands and pluck and eat from them as they could the other trees in the Garden.

The Tree of Life reappears in Revelation 22.

Revelation 22:1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

While there may be a second symbolic representation between the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, just as there are types and shadows of Christ in the OT, that doesn't negate or transcend the clear teaching of the language used. Here's an example to show what I mean.

John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

There was a real bronze serpent that Moses lifted up and that the people could look upon and be healed from the snake bites. This was a figure of Christ and the Devil but it wasn't Jesus on the pole, it was an object later destroyed by Hezekiah because it had become an idol.

2 Kings 18:4 He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).

Answer 3

This is a great question - especially when those who claim to take Genesis 2-3 "literally" usually are the same people who assume that eternal life was an inherent characteristic of life before the Fall, and that death only entered afterwards. If so, then what was the point of this fruit?!

The tree of life is a symbol, and a polyvalent one at that. In the Book of Revelation, the word for "tree" in "tree of life" is the same one that is occasionally used in reference to the cross. And so the cross is there depicted as the source of life in this restored Edenic paradise.

It is refreshing to come across someone who is asking intelligent questions about the Bible and reading it carefully and thoughtfully with attention to details!

Answer 4

Hmmm. I'm not sure - though I know that Adam and Eve lived in a garden where there was actually a physical tree with the fruit on it. So maybe we will all get to eat the real fruit. Either way it gets done, our response to it should be the same. I guess we won't know though until we get there - well, SOME of us will find out anyhow.

Answer 5

If the tree of Life is a metaphor for a relationship with God, then the Tree of Knowledge was also a metaphor.

That would mean that the devil was tempting Adam and Eve to consider good and evil, and think things through. Eve did this and the human species were punished by God as a result.

He is really into retribution.

If you think for yourself, God will burn you for eternity?

Answer 6

It is obvious that the tree of life mentioned to have been in the garden of Eden was a literal tree. Otherwise the guarding it by an angel who was going to kill anyone trying to get to it with his sword would be nonsense.

However, if the tree of life in Revelation is a symbolic or factual tree remains to be seen. After all, it is Christ's blood that cleanses Christians of their sins and it is the sinful state that causes death. Didn't Jesus say that anyone eating his flesh and drinking his blood would never die? (John 6:52-59)

It shall be interesting to find out.

Answer 7

Uuummm...Ive never heard that I had to eat some fruit to have a relationship with God

Answer 8

I believe it is symbolic.
I think you knew the answer before you asked the question.

Answer 9

FOR HUMANS IT'S TRUE. TREES PRODUCES OXYGEN FOR US TO BREATH. AS FOR TREE OF LIFE FOR CHRISTIANS, IS A PIECE OF CRAP.