The Flaming Sword That Keeps the Way of the Tree of Life

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:8-9)

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (Genesis 2:16-17)

Man disobeyed the straight commandment of God, with the result that he was driven from paradise and lost right to the tree of life; man died.

And the LORD God said, Behold, ...lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:...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 3:22,24)

Man had disobeyed, but God's conditions for man to partake of the tree of life in eternal paradise were in no way changed. When Moses reiterated God's law to the children of Israel he stated in clearest terms...

I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: (Deuteronomy 30:19)

This constant theme of scripture is summed up in Ecclesiastes as follows:

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

God sent His son, Our Lord Jesus Christ to provide a way for men to be forgiven their disobedience to His law ("...for sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4). He came teaching...

If ye love me, keep my commandments. (John 14:15)

And His disciples plainly taught this truth...

He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (1 John 2:4)

But the subtle deception remains the same as in the garden. Jesus himself warned us of false teachers who would teach in His name and yet deceive...

For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. (Matthew 24:5)

This is the position of virtually all modern churches! They come teaching in His name, teaching that He was the Christ - and they deceive by teaching that men need not learn or keep God's perfect law. They have indeed deceived the 'many'.

But God's law, "which is as fire", and is the "sharp twoedged sword" that goes out of His mouth, is also the flaming sword that, since the beginning, has kept the way of the tree of life. And in the end we find...

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....I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. (Revelation 22:2,13-14)

Be not deceived! God is unchangeable. His conditions in the beginning are the same in the end. From Genesis to Revelation, it is clear that access to paradise and the tree of life depends upon obedience to His commandments.

His law is the flaming sword that keeps the entrances of paradise. You will live by His commandments, or you will not enter in - those are His terms.

Do you want to eat the sweet fruit of the tree of life?

Do you desire to enter the paradise of God - and eternal life?

The way is clear - and has been since the beginning...