“… To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God” (Revelation 2:7c)

This says that God Himself will give the “overcomer” the ability to eat of the Tree of Life. The question is: What is the Tree of Life? To answer this question, it must first be identified where the Tree of Life is: “which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”

Let’s explain the word “paradise.” The Greek word is “paradeisos.” This is “an Oriental word, first used by the historian Xenophon, denoting the parks of Persian kings and nobles. It is of Persian origin (Old Persian pairidaeza, akin to the Greek peri, around, and teichos, a wall) whence it passed into Greek.”

In Luke 23:43, Christ told the thief, “To day shalt thou be with me in paradise,” or the Dwelling Place of God.

See Genesis 2:8-9, in the Garden of Eden. In Genesis 2:9, “…the tree of life also in the midst of the garden…” Genesis 2:16 said at first Adam could eat of this tree; but after the Fall, God protected the Tree of Life by “…a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life” (Genesis 3:24).

In Revelation 22:2, 14; John saw the Tree of Life in the midst of the street of the city; and on either side of the river, there was the Tree of Life, and it bore twelve manner of fruit. This can be none other than Jesus Christ, who is Eternal Life Himself (1 John 5:20).

Therefore, the Tree of Life is not a “What,” but a “Who” – Christ Jesus, Who is Life Himself and Who gives Life (John 1:1-4; 5:26; 11:25; 1 John 5:11).

Now we look at the Application.

Christ is in the Church (Ephesians 3:21); it is His Dwelling Place on earth. Therefore, to all those who are born from above (John 3:3-8; 1Corinthians 12:13) and placed in His Body and have the opportunity to become the “overcomers”; those who are sold out to Him in body, soul, and spirit; those will be given a daily diet of His Fruit.

See John 6:26-69, where Jesus taught His disciples that He was the “bread of life” and that they were to eat of His flesh and drink of His blood (verses 54-58). This proves:

1. The eater has Eternal Life dwelling in him (verse 54);
2. That he dwells in Christ and Christ in him (verse 56);
3. “He that eateth me, even he shall live by me” (verse 57);
4. “He that eateth of this bread shall live for ever” (verse 58).

The key word is “overcometh”; for those will dwell in Christ and Christ in them; they shall live for evermore. This is proof of their being recipients of regeneration;and that they do “abide” in Christ (John 15:1-10), and are One in Him (John 17:21-24).

Question in closing: Why did God guard the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden after Adam’s sin?

The answer: The barrier was man’s sin and his position in total depravity. The only avenue to the Tree of Life, or to Christ, is Christ.

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)

The only avenue to the Tree of Life is Christ’s Atonement for the sinner’s sin debt, which was eternal spiritual death, or spiritual separation from God (Romans 5:12; 6:23a).

The sin debt of the sinner had to be paid, but he could not pay it. Therefore Christ, the Second Adam, stood in the sinner’s place as an Offering for sin before God. He became the sinner’s Substitute (2 Corinthians 5:21); as the Sacrifice for sin, the Lamb of God, the Burnt Offering (John 1:29). Thereby, he satisfied the Holy and Righteous Demands of the Holy God. (See Isaiah 53:1-12; Romans 3:24-25; 5:1-21; Ephesians 1:7; Galatians 3:13; 1 Peter 1:18-20; 2:24; etc.)

“For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.” (1 Corinthians 15:21)

“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22)

Therefore, on the basis on Christ’s Atonement for the sin debt of sinners, the Holy Spirit gives Regeneration to sinners (from quickening to birth). (See Ephesians 2:1; John 6:63, 44-45, 65; Romans 7:1-25; 8:1-16; 10: 8, 17; Galatians 4:1-7.) And then they are brought to confess Salvation in Christ (Romans 10:9-10).

Then these born-from-above ones feed upon Christ (read John 6:25-69); which brings them to “overcomer” status in this temporal life. Now they walk in the Victory of Christ (1 John 5:4); and grow in grace and knowledge of the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. And they are brought to where He is (John 17:21-24), to Behold His Glory.

Whereby they are revealed their heir-ship with Christ:

1. To be one in the Knowledge of Christ (His Perfection, Perception, and Preeminence)
2. To be one in His Love (His Power to Perform), of which they had been “afore prepared”

“And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,” (Romans 9:23)

“Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?” (Romans 9:24)