Genesis 3:24 KJV So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
Genesis 1:1-5 KJV In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (2) And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (3) And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. (4) And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. (5) And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. John 1:1-5 KJV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) The same was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (4) In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (5) And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. Other versions bring this out about verse 5: John 1:5 CEV The light keeps shining in the dark, and darkness has never put it out. John 1:5 EMTV And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not apprehend it. John 1:5 HNV The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn't overcome it. John 1:5 LITV and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it. And the start of revelation also shows LIGHT in its context. Revelation 1:10-13 KJV I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, (11) Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. (12) And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; (13) And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. LIGHT and LIFE are very important thoughts in the Word of God since the time of mankind's departure from God when Adam sinned.
John brings the thoughts of LIFE and LIGHT together in 1:4
Notice that in Revelation Jesus appears to John in a vision in the middle of a candlestick.
It's so wonderful that all these pictures actually focus in upon the crucifixion of Jesus and the purpose for it in God's plan.
John 15 says He is the vine and we are the branches.
God created man to live forever and have His LIFE flow through man.
And while speaking of the tree of life having FRUIT, while Gen 1:11 said fruit has seed within itself, after Adam and Eve sinned God said there would be a SEED of the woman.
And thinking of the FRUIT and the SEEDS and the TREE OF LIFE, we can consider the SEED of the woman a very special seed. John said IN JESUS was LIFE and the LIFE was the LIGHT OF MEN.
If the SEED of the woman would be Christ, and Christ had LIFE in Him to be LIGHT of mankind, then the thought of JESUS BEING THE SEED OF LIFE is clearly in view.
People wanted to SEE Jesus. John 12:21-25 KJV The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. (22) Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. (23) And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. (24) Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. (25) He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. He spoke of Himself being A SEED that must die by falling into the ground so it can rise again bearing branches and many more seeds like itself.
This He said when people wanted to SEE Him.
And just as Jesus showed himself to the Greeks by SPEAKING of being a SEED planted so it can rise up with MANY MORE SEEDS, Jesus is shown to John in the book called "SHOWING JESUS", as it were, and is a TREE with branches all over Him and LIGHT shining out. And look what he says in the midst of this tree. Revelation 1:17-18 KJV And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: (18) I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. He takes all those who have DIED spiritually, and says HE IS ALIVE AND WAS DEAD, AND ALIVE FOREVER MORE. When John SEES this, Jesus speaks of having died and resurrected, just as He told the Greeks when they wanted to SEE Him. This shows how people are saved when they first receive a word from Jesus.
But due to sin we must die.
You could say we went the wrong way back through Adam's actions in taking the wrong fruit with the wrong seed in it.
Instead of becoming BRANCHES of God's work, we became extensions of the serpent.
Exodus 4:2-4 KJV And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. (3) And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. (4) And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand: Man fell in sin and took upon himself the nature of the wicked one instead of the nature of God.
And once we are united to Him in His death... IN HIS REACHING DOWN TO WHERE WE FELL... he picks us up again and we RETURN TO THE USEFUL EXTENSION AND ROD that He created us to be originally. His life hanging on the cross is the core of the MESSAGE and TRUTH that we must believe or else be lost. John 3:14-21 KJV And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: (15) That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (17) For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (18) He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (19) And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (20) For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. (21) But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. Notice He spoke of Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness.
Numbers 21:5-9 KJV And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. (6) And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. (7) Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. (8) And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. (9) And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. SERPENTS had bitten them due to disobedience to God.
And the SERPENTS were the cause of the Israelites' dying.
Jesus said His crucifixion was like that.
2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. HE WAS MADE SIN FOR US.
And LOOKING TO THAT POLE represented what Jesus said back in John 3. John 3:14-21 KJV And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: (15) That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (17) For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (18) He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (19) And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (20) For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. (21) But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. JESUS WAS LIFTED UP SO WHOEVER BELIEVED IN HIM WOULD NOT PERISH.
And Jesus said if we do not believe we are already condemned.
You have to LOOK to the Lord's crucifixion and SEE something. -- UNDERSTAND something.
He took our nature of the serpent upon himself and SLEW IT.
He did not send anyone to hell.
AND LIGHT SHINES OUT TO THE WORLD.
John 6:63 KJV It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. His words were LIFE.
It is everywhere! His crucifixion is our remedy.
Like the serpent of Adam's day, false prophets give the WRONG FRUIT today. Matthew 7:13-19 KJV Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: (14) Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (15) Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. (16) Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? (17) Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. (18) A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. (19) Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Genesis 3:24 said the WAY OF THE TREE OF LIFE was blocked due to man's sins.
The tree that does not bring forth good fruit is going to be cut down and burned in the fire. If you never noticed, Genesis 2 has two trees... a true and false.
Revelation 22:1-3 KJV And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. (2) In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. (3) And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: No more curse is there either, as God had to CURSE because of the false tree and man's sin in eating of it. THAT IS BECAUSE between Genesis 2 and Revelation 22 there is the note of Matthew 7 cutting down of the tree and burning it in fire. Revelation 20:10-15 KJV And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (11) And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. (12) And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. (13) And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. (14) And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. (15) And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. The false tree is removed and burned. God is getting man back on track from where w e were SIDETRACKED or DERAILED.
HIs crucifixion is the wondrous plan of the ages for all time to get us back to God.
He took OUR SINS and we were made God's righteousness. Look one more time at this verse: 2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Isaiah 11:1-5 KJV And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: (2) And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; (3) And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: (4) But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. (5) And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. He took our sin and we took his righteousness, because THIS ROD and BRANCH of Christ had righteous judgment and a righteous girdle.
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