The book of Revelation ends with a return “back to Eden”, man living with God on New Earth. This can be seen through the tree of life.
The tree of life is first introduced in Genesis 2.
And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 2:9
In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and then they are judged and punished by the Lord. And what follows is a fascinating:
Then the Lord God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever ... " Genesis 3:22
Eating of the tree of life makes you live forever?
Genesis 3 closes with Adam and Eve being kicked out of the Garden of Eden.
What happened to the tree of life? It makes a return in Revelation:
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. Revelation 2:7
Compare Revelation 2:7 to Genesis 3:22. Due to sin, Adam and Even (and us) are barred from eating from the tree of Life. Yet Jesus says he will grate to those who conquer the ability to eat of the tree of life.
The last reference to the tree of life occurs in the last chapter of the Bible:
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 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. Revelation 22:1-2
Can you name a tree on earth right now that bears multiple types of fruit? There are special and amazing things waiting for us in New Heaven and New Earth.
And here’s the kicker:
The leaves of the tree [of life] were for the healing of the nations. Revelation 22:3
On New Earth, we will enjoy eternal life. And the tree of life seems to play a major role.
This post was inspired by Randy Alcorn’s book Heaven.
Side note: The only book of the Bible that references the tree of life besides Genesis and Revelation is the book of Proverbs, which are verses Proverbs 3:18, Proverbs 11:30, Proverbs 13:12, Proverbs 15:4.