Tree of Life
Typological treatment in the corpus
The tree of life in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:9), access to which was denied to man after the fall (Gen. 3:24) and which reappears in the eschatological city (Rev. 22:2), is identified by Nee/Lee in The Spiritual Man as a type of God’s uncreated life in Christ. The tree of life typifies what God offered man — his own nature as a gift — which was lost through the choice for the tree of knowledge.
Biblical anchoring
| Reference | Context |
|---|---|
| Gen. 2:9 | The tree of life in the midst of the Garden of Eden |
| Gen. 2:16-17 | God commands to eat freely of every tree — including the tree of life — but forbids the tree of knowledge |
| Gen. 3:22-24 | After the fall: the way to the tree of life guarded by cherubim with a flaming sword |
| John 6:35 | ”I am the bread of life” — Christ as fulfilment of the tree of life |
| Rev. 2:7 | ”To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God” |
| Rev. 22:2 | The tree of life in the middle of the street of the heavenly city — its leaves for the healing of the nations |
Typological exposition by author
Watchman Nee & Witness Lee
In The Spiritual Man, chapter 3 (“The Fall of Man”), Nee draws the connection between the tree of life and God’s uncreated life that God offered man but which man lost through the fall:
“A great number of God’s servants view this tree of life as God offering life to the world in His Son the Lord Jesus. This is eternal life, God’s nature, His untreated life. Hence, we have here two trees — one germinates spiritual life while the other develops soulish life.”1
Nee distinguishes the two trees as two opposing orientations: the tree of life stands for dependence on God and receiving God’s own nature as a gift; the tree of the knowledge of good and evil stands for independence and self-determining judgment about good and evil. God’s will was for man to eat from the tree of life. Nee points out that God positively commanded this before forbidding the tree of knowledge:
“Is it not clear that God’s will for Adam was to eat the fruit of the tree of life? Because before He forbade Adam to eat the fruit of the tree of good and evil and warned him that in the day he ate he should die (Gen. 2.17), He first commanded man to eat freely of every tree of the garden and purposely mentioned the tree of life in the midst of the garden.”1
What the believer receives at new birth is, for Nee, God’s own life as typified by the tree of life:
“What we receive at new birth is God’s Own life as typified by the tree of life. But our human spirit, though permanently existing, is void of ‘eternal life.‘”1
The tree of life cannot coexist in the believer with the tree of knowledge — dependence and independence are structurally mutually exclusive:
“The tree of life cannot grow within us together with the tree of knowledge. Rebellion and independence explain every sin committed by both sinners and saints.”1
Related types
- Connected: third-creation-day, canaan
- Via glossary: regeneration