The Tree of Life & The Tree of Death

Revelation 22:13-14 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.

Christ is the Tree of Life and Satan is the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.  Satan is also death as in the spiritual death through him and the death that Christ came to destroy Hebrews 2:14.  "Tree" in Hebrew is either actual timber or the spine of backbone as in the trunk of the body depending on which Hebrew word is used.  In these instances it is the Hebrew word atseh meaning the trunk of the body (specifically, the spine, giving firmness to the body, the backbone).

Genesis 2:9 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.

The Bible uses symbolism all throughout and taking the words back to the original Hebrew/Greek meaning helps decipher as does knowing figures of speech (e.g., today if you state that you want to "paint the town red" you do not literally mean you want to obtain a bucket of paint and paint the town but rather you want to go out and have a great time) as does paying attention to the subject and object at hand.  The "trees" in Genesis 2:9 refers to "men" as "trees" (their spine is the trunk and their limbs are the branches; their fruit is what comes from them ... what is produced from them ... good works or bad works....just as today you can be producing good fruit for the Lord or bad fruit for Satan).  The symbolism in Isaiah 14 speaking of the king of Babylon and the fir trees rejoicing and him being cast into the "grave like an abominable branch" are some other of many, many such examples. 

Ezekiel 31:3 Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon, with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of an high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs.

Satan was and is that very box cedar; that cheap imitation of Christ.

Genesis 2:17 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."

Satan had full knowledge of the 1st earth age and the most to gain by destroying God's plan for this 2nd earth age.  Partaking in Satan's "fruit" and gaining knowledge from him was surely poison to anyone past or present.  Satan poisons anyone's thoughts away from God who allow him to do so. 


 

September 29th Christ was Born....

September 29th is when Christ was born and therefore a very special day indeed!  His spirit did in fact begin to dwell with us at His conception, which was December 25th, so you are still good with your remembrance of Him then as well ;-). 

Luke 1:1-56 Is the genealogy of Mary and therefore Christ, and the timeline of Christ's conception--not birth--an in depth breakdown is provided in Appendix 179 from The Bullinger King James Companion Bible (attached below).  Some of my notes from Pastor Arnold Murray's "Christmas" lecture follows (complete lecture - tape/cd can be ordered through The Shepherd's Chapel).

Zacharias was a Levitical priest thereby making Mary's cousin Elisabeth a full Levite as well.  Both
Zacharias and Elisabeth were mature in age and had no children.  The angel, Gabriel, appeared before Zacharias (at the time of incense) and delivered the news unto him that his prayers had been heard and that Elisabeth would bear him a son--who would be named John (John the Baptist).  Zacharias asked for a sign, so Gabriel announced that he would be unable to speak until the day that those things would be performed (since he did not believe Gabriel's (God's) words).  The appearance of Gabriel took place during "the order of his (Zacharias) course" -- the course of Abia.  This would have been the time of which Zacharias could not travel (June 13th - 19th).  These days lasted until June 20th.  At which time Zacharias returned home and Elisabeth conceived (John the Baptist)--on June 23rd or 24th.

Elisabeth hid herself five months (until November 24th).  In the sixth month Gabriel was sent from God to Nazareth (of Galilee) to inform Mary that she would bring forth a Son, Jesus Christ.  Christ's conception was on December 25th (Jesus was born on September 29th).  Upon conception of Christ, Mary ran to tell Elisabeth (her cousin) the news--John (the Baptist) leapt in Elisabeth's womb because of the presence of Christ.  Christ began dwelling with us on earth (in Mary's womb) on December 25th.

Elisabeth, being of the daughters of Aaron, was a full blood Levite; and being the cousin of Mary, whose mother would have been a full blood Levite--made Mary half Levite.  Mary's father was of the Tribe of Judah making Mary half of the Tribe of Judah in addition to that of Levi.  Notice also the genealogy in Luke 3:23 is of "in-laws"; rather than the language of "begat" it is the language of "was supposed" or "by law" meaning in-law.

John the Baptist was six months old when Christ was born; therefore, the conception of Elisabeth would have been six months preceding the conception of Christ.

For a complete breakdown of the course of Abia, timelines, and further proof of Christ being born in September versus the winter month of December read the following text in Appendix 179.

Seeds, Growth, Rewards I Cor 3

I Corinthians 3 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?  For while one saith, "I am of Paul"; and another, "I am of Apollos"; are ye not carnal?  Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?  I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.  So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God That giveth the increase.  Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.  For we are laborurers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.  According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buidleth thereon.  But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.  If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.  If any man's work shall be burned he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.  Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?  If any man defile the Temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the Temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.  Let no man decive himself.  If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.  For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.  For it is written, "He taketh the wise in their own craftiness."  And again, "The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain."  Therefore let no man glory in men.  For all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.

The milk of salvation is awesome, but beyond that milk we need to mature to eat the meat of God's Word with understanding.  We need to follow God and God's Word and teachings and not that of man.  To be invested in the riches and knowledge of the world is to be ignorant and foolish in the knowledge of God.  Be in the world, not of the world.  We are all one many, membered body in Christ and dwelling there in one thought of mind is more peaceful and more profitable in Heaven than anything Satan or this world has to offer.  The only thing you can take with you are your good works (and your unrepented sins) so anything gained of this world is fruitless in the next.

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ:

 

Only God Can Make A Seed Grow

Only God can make a seed grow and only God is the decider thereof upon which seeds take root and when.  Don't let this discourage you, from planting seeds because the very seed you plant today may not take root until the very end, but had you not planted it, it would not have been able to make a difference in that person's life when it was most needed! (Freewill or Predestination  &  Eyes To See & Ears To Hear)

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The soul is the self.  Your soul is who you are, the very essence of you.  The spirit is the intellect.  Your spirit is your intellect, your thought process that God can resurrect. 

Brief Redirection

The next week we will briefly redirect topic for a very important purpose and get back to the subject at hand (of Satan's Plan) the following week.  There will be three posts to follow: two regarding seed planting and God's Word, and one on Christ's Birthday. 

Where Is Satan?

Back in the Garden of Eden and in the time of Job, Satan roamed the earth freely.

Job 1:6-7 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.  And the Lord said unto Satan, "Whence comest thou?"  Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, "From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it."

Satan roamed to and fro until he tempted Christ in the wilderness & Christ ordered Satan behind Him Matthew 4:10 & Luke 4:8.  Satan was cast into the pit Isaiah 14:12-19 where he is chained until the 6th Trump, guarded by the Archangel Michael Jude 1:9 & Revelation 9:11 & Revelation 12:7-9.  Following the 7th Trump, he will then be rechained for the teaching of the Millennium and then will be released for one final testing at the end of the Millennium just prior to Judgment Day Revelation 20:1-3.

Satan ceased physically being allowed to roam the earth after he tempted Christ in the wilderness.  Spiritually, however, he is still very much involved in this 2nd earth age.  Christ has given us power over Satan Luke 10: 17-19.  Rebuke Satan from tempting you.  Study God's Word to be armed with the gospel armour II Timothy 2:15. 


 

Appendix 19 The Serpent of Genesis 3