THE TREE OF LIFE

The encouragement offered to the overcomers at the conclu­sion of each letter is required to offset the trials to which the particular assembly was being subjected. Thus, here, the anticipation of partaking ‘of the tree of life’ is set out in comparison to that being inferred as the best by the false teachers among them, called the Nicolaitanes. These offered an easy ‘live and let live’ approach to Christianity, providing the individual with a self-indulgent lifestyle that permitted ‘sinful’ behaviour and licence to embrace social practices and philosophical outlooks that were shunned by fundamental Christianity.

We need to appreciate the spiritual principles being taught by the placing of the ‘tree of life’ in the midst of the Garden of Eden. It was placed alongside the ‘tree of the knowledge of good and evil’. The prohibition to eat the fruit of this tree was not placed on the tree of life. So, we gather that the Garden of Eden offered to Adam and Eve all they could ever want yet the eating of the tree of life, should they choose to do so, would have brought them into an overflowing abundance of never- ceasing enjoyment of life in innocence. The name of the tree indicates all of this.

They chose to eat of the wrong tree, reaped its sad conse­quences and were also denied access to ‘the tree of life’. It became inaccessible to them because of sin. We now find that this tree, with its glorious fruit, is offered again to men to counter the tree and its fruit offered by the Nicolaitanes. This church, commended for its hatred of Nicolaitane doctrines, is now encouraged to eat of the tree of life. The tree of life must be symbolic of life giving and sustaining power in an abun­dance that has never been experienced by men, cf. Rev. 22. 2-5. For the believer, this abundance begins now and is the sub­stance of a satisfying spiritual life that has no competitor in the bright baubles and passing joys this world provides. This is not simply myth and legend but a glorious reality for the believer, ensuring that eternity will not be boring but blessed!