Tree of Life Metaphors Rev. 22: 2 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
The tree of life will be here during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ. It will be on either side of the river that flows out of the throne of God [Rev 22:1-2]. Every month these trees will yield new fruit and the manner of the fruit each month will be different. The fruit will be for meat and the leaves, which won’t fade, will be for medicine, for the healing of the nations [Ezek 47:12; Rev 22:2]. So, the tree of life will be for health and nourishment. Apparently, when the tree of life was in the garden of Eden, Adam could have eaten from it and lived forever [Gen 3:22-24].
In Proverbs, Solomon writes about the tree of life metaphorically, comparing some things that we have to the tree of life. Notice these references to the tree of life.
Wisdom is a tree of life – Prov 3:18 – as the tree of life gives life, so wisdom gives life. Solomon said, “wisdom giveth life to them that have it,” Ecc 7:12. People have said, “You need to learn to make a living.” But the truer statement is “you need to learn to live.” And the way to do that is through wisdom. If you will read and follow the proverbs of Solomon everyday, you will be surprised how much better your life will be. You won’t just be alive, you’ll be living.
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life – Prov 11:30 – as the tree of life could have given life forever to Adam, so the fruit of the righteous can bring eternal life to the lost. Notice the second part of this proverb, “he that winneth souls is wise.” The fruit of the righteous includes the fruit of righteousness, the fruit of the Spirit, the fruit of the word of God and the fruit of our good works. So, when you tell someone else about Jesus Christ, the word of God is preached through you, the Spirit is working through you, and the righteousness of Jesus Christ is being presented through you so that the person you are talking to can be born again.
A fulfilled desire is a tree of life – Prov 13:12 – The first part of this proverb says, “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick.” Our blessed hope is Jesus Christ. And we are looking for him to return [Titus 2:13]. We are “waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body [Rom 8:22-25].” We “groan within ourselves.” Our hope is deferred and our hearts are sick. But one day, very soon I hope, the Lord Jesus will return and we will be able to experience, first hand, the fullness of our eternal life. We will finally be able to see Jesus face to face. We will have our glorified bodies. We will be sinless. As the tree of life will give the nations what all health food enthusiasts are looking for today (the perfect natural food and the prefect natural remedy), so when our desire comes [Hag 2:7] he will give us perfect eternal life, with a perfect body.
A wholesome tongue is a tree of life – Prov 15:4 – the nations will go to the tree of life in the millennium for food and medicine. They will get what they need from that tree. Likewise, a wholesome tongue is a tree of life, because people can come to you and get fed and healed up by what you say. Preaching is just such a case. When the preacher is prepared and filled with the Spirit and he preaches God’s words, saints are comforted, nourished, instructed, corrected, rebuked, and fed and sinners are reproved and saved. Use your tongue for edification and salvation and not for perverseness. Let your tongue be wholesome and a tree of life for the hungry and sick.
Conclusion: as the nations will eat from the tree of life in the millennium, so we should live by wisdom. As the leaves will “save” their lives in the millennium, so we should be “saving” the lives of sinners. As the nations are looking for the food and healing of the coming tree of life, so we should be looking for our Lord Jesus Christ. As the tree of life heals the sick nations, so our tongues should heal the sin sick souls.