the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

[Guest shiloh357]

 

Talk about making something more difficult than it has to be....

 

The Bible says that there was the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  I am not sure what is so hard to believe about that.  There is nothing symbolic in genesis about that.   It is important that we don't try to force symbolism where it doesn't belong simply because we have an agenda to make the Bible fit what we are prepared to accept or believe.

We're not talking only about Genesis here Shiloh.  Read the posts and you'll see that Revelation comes into play.  and even with Genesis there are other questions.  Read the posts.

 

clb

 

Yeah, but the other posts are just speculation over what the Bible is silent about.   The problem is that people are trying to fill in the blanks when the Lord simply hasn't given us enough light on the issue.  The other posts simply complicate the issue for no good reason. 

[Macs Son]

Well I've always assumed God knew we weren't ready to overcome evil.  In fact it was not overcome until Christ Jesus gave His life for us by the love of God and defeated it once for all.  As far as what is wrong with the knowledge of good and evil that is still readily apparent if we are not covered in the atoning sacrifice of our Lord.  I like to compare our thoughts to the necessary drinking waters that sustain life.  If we are fed by pure potable waters we flourish but what if our water was coming unfiltered through a sewage treatment plant? Even if you mix those two sources you still have adulterated polluted waters.  The One, then, that is our fount of every blessing who has overcome the world and subdued every thought that rises against the enemy of God is Christ for all of us on our own have ailed and fallen short.  It is Christ then both the bread of Life and our fount of Living Waters that now sustains us for we too have overcome the world, all its wickedness and all arguments and thoughts against the Goodness of Almighty God. In this the 2nd state of man is superior to the first for Adam had not yet the capacity to defeat evil though given the capacity to obey or disobey God.  Choosing the "Good" and rejecting the knowledge of "evil" leading to evil actions I believe is through Christ, the God man, and the Holy Spirit ou Helper and Comforter who guides us into all wisdom by the love of God.

Jeremiah 2:13

John 4:10

John 7:38

 

In Christ, Pat

[Macs Son]

Sorry but I seem to have lost the ability here to paste Scripture so I will just cover a few points I believe are relevant vs. providing a more comprehensive exegesis.

 

Genesis 2:9b

The tree of Life was also in the midst of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

 

The two sources of knowledge

James 3:11

Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?

 

James 3:14-17

But if you have bitter envy and self seeking in your hearts do not boast and lie against the truth.  This wisdom does not descend from above but is earthly, sensual and demonic. For where envy and self seeking exist confusion and every evil  thing are there.  But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.

 

Luke 6:43

For a good tree does not bear bad fruit nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 

 

Hebrews 10:22

Let us draw near with a true heart and in the full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who has promised is Faithful. 

 

Notice that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is no longer in the Holy City as it was in the Garden of Eden

Revelation 22:2

And he showed me a pure river of the water of life, clear as a crystal and proceeding from the throne of God and from the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month.  The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

 

In Christ, Pat

[Persuaded]

At the end of Gen 3 is:

24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

Cherubim or a sort of super angels, always associated with the presence of God (over the ark, the four living creatures of Isa 6 and Rev 4). Lucifer was the anointed cherub that covered (was over). The cherubim at the garden guard the way TO the tree.

In warfare, you often match the enemy's weaponry with your own. Tanks to fight tanks, soldiers against soldiers, planes against planes, etc. It makes no sense to send a super angel(s) to keep man out. One "rank and file" angel would be enough. They are there to keep Lucifer out, and guard the way for man, when he has been finally redeemed, to return to it.

[justfaith]

Does everyone here believe that there still exists a Cherubim guarding an entrance into the garden of Eden with two flaming swords?  Or is the garden of Eden now accessible?  Would that mean that tree of life was accessible?  Or did the tree of life die and thus the Cherubim is no longer needed?

 

 

clb

 i believe that the garden still exist on this very earh also the tree of life and the angels are protecting it not only from man but from the devil one angel can can contain man but it was protected more so from the devil and his angels thus angels plural and a flaming sword 

[other one]

People should not make such a deal out of eternal life.......    we all have eternal life, what's going on now is to decide what kind of body you will have and where you exist.....    happy or ......   else.

[ezekiel]

yes you are correct is not this what is said.  The Father speaks to the Son of God

 

John 6

⁵¹ I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

[justfaith]

yes you are correct is not this what is said.  The Father speaks to the Son of God

 

John 6

⁵¹ I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

 Why do we have to eat out of the tree of life in revelation ?

[OakWood]

 

The garden would probably have been destroyed in the flood. The tree of life and tree of knowledge probably died as well. The tree of life does not have to survive, God can grow another one in time for the New Heaven and Earth or just create one fully formed..

Then why put angels to protect it ? Could not God destroyed it on spot and not wait for the flood ? 

 

The garden survived for years before the Flood. That's why it was guarded by angels.

[OakWood]

 

 

Talk about making something more difficult than it has to be....

 

The Bible says that there was the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  I am not sure what is so hard to believe about that.  There is nothing symbolic in genesis about that.   It is important that we don't try to force symbolism where it doesn't belong simply because we have an agenda to make the Bible fit what we are prepared to accept or believe.

We're not talking only about Genesis here Shiloh.  Read the posts and you'll see that Revelation comes into play.  and even with Genesis there are other questions.  Read the posts.

 

clb

 

Yeah, but the other posts are just speculation over what the Bible is silent about.   The problem is that people are trying to fill in the blanks when the Lord simply hasn't given us enough light on the issue.  The other posts simply complicate the issue for no good reason. 

 

 

True, but aren't most of these threads speculative, especially the doctrinal and prophecy ones? We could always shut down debate altogether if that's the way forward!