Christ Ahnsahnghong and the Tree of Life

Many people are familiar with the story of Adam and Eve, particularly those with a Christian background. Eve was tempted by the serpent’s cunning words; she ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; she gave the fruit to Adam, which he ate; and they both died because of their sin. However, there is much more to the events that unfolded in the Garden of Eden.

The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil

When reading the book of Genesis, we can see that God planted various types of trees in Eden.

Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 2:8-9

Out of all the trees God had planted in the garden, only two of them had specific characteristics: the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God gave clear instructions to Adam and Eve to not eat from it. Yet, they were tempted by the serpent and ate from the tree anyway.

And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
Genesis 2:16-17

Before Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they didn’t have to die. They were immortal beings. And there was another tree in the garden that allowed them to be immortal—the tree of life.

The Tree of Life

People are much less familiar with the tree of life, which was also in the Garden of Eden.

And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”
Genesis 3:22

The tree of life has the ability to give eternal life. The tree of life allowed Adam and Eve to be immortal before. Nevertheless, their right to the tree of life was taken away shortly after they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
Genesis 3:23-24

Adam and Eve maintained their eternal life by eating from the tree of life. Since God blocked it from their reach, they had no way to preserve their immortality. Thus, they eventually faced death. All of this was a result of breaking God’s command.

Parables and Hidden Meanings

All people on the earth face the same fate as Adam and Eve. We all have to face the end of our lives on this earth as a penalty for the sins we committed in heaven before we were born. We, too, once had eternal life in heaven. But now, as mortal beings, on the earth, we must seek the way to gain eternal life again by eating from the tree of life.

“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life…”
Revelation 22:14

God promised His blessed people will have the right to eat from the tree of life. Where can we find this tree?

Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”
Matthew 13:34-35

Jesus spoke in parables and uncovered things hidden as far back as the creation of the world. In the account of the creation, which includes Adam, Eve and the tree of life, we can find the hidden way to receive eternal life.

The tree of life is not a literal tree found anywhere on the earth. But it is a representation of something that only God can give us so that we may have eternal life.

Reality of the Tree of Life

Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
John 6:53-54

In the book of Genesis, only the tree of life could give eternal life. However, Jesus said that whoever eats His flesh and drinks His blood would receive eternal life. You may ask, what is the reality of tree of life? It is Jesus Christ’s flesh and blood.

The next question is, how can we eat Jesus’ flesh and blood?

On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.
Matthew 26:17-19

While they were eating [the Passover], Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
Matthew 26:26-28

Jesus said that the Passover bread and wine are His flesh and blood. In other words, eating and drinking the Passover bread and wine is equivalent to eating from the tree of life. Jesus revealed the secret to eternal life, hidden since creation, through the Passover.

As seen in the scene in the Garden of Eden, only God has the authority to unblock the way to eat from the tree of life because He Himself blocked it. This confirms that Jesus is God because He granted us access to eat from the tree of life through the Passover.

Christ Ahnsahnghong and the Tree of Life

Under the influence of Emperor Constantine, the Passover was abolished at the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325. Just as Adam and Eve could not live forever without the tree of life, we cannot receive eternal life without the Passover. Therefore, Christ must return a second time to restore the Passover.

So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Hebrews 9:28

Christ Ahnsahnghong re-established the New Covenant Passover, opening the way again to eat from the tree of life. Just as 2,000 years ago, Jesus proved to His disciples He was God by giving them access to the tree of life through the Passover, in our time, Christ Ahnsahnghong proved that He is God by establishing the Passover.