The Life Promised to the Righteous.
By John Nevins Andrews
WHEN man had sinned against God, we are told that God spoke thus concerning him: “And now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and LIVE FOREVER; therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life.” Gen. 3: 22-24. No one will deny that man was excluded from the tree of life on purpose that he should not live forever. There is but one interpretation that can be given to these words. God had given to man the tree of life, that he might eat of it and live forever. But when man rebelled against God, his right to this tree was forfeited; and he was excluded from it on purpose that he should not continue to live always. Man’s right to endless life was forfeited by sin. To “live forever” he must “have right to the tree of life.” “To him that overcometh will I grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” Rev. 2: 7. Now it is plain that the overcomer will eat of the tree of life. It is equally evident that no other persons will taste its immortal fruit. To eat of this tree is the sure pledge of immortal life. But man, having lost the right to this tree because of sin, can never get back to it unless he overcomes his sinful nature. This does not agree with the view that man can live forever though he continue in his sins. For if men can live as long who are excluded from the tree of life as can those who have access to it, then the Lord overestimated the importance of a right to it when he shut man away from it lest he should eat of it and live forever. In the record of man’s glorified state in the heavenly Jerusalem, we read still further of the tree of life, and with it, we read of the river that flows beneath its branches and that issues from the throne of God. “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 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 [literally the service] of the nations.” Rev. 22: 1, 2. And in verse 14 we read: “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.” These two, the river and the tree of life, are for the righteous only. Or to state this in another form, those only shall drink of the river, and eat of the fruit of the tree, who have their names written in the book of life. Rev. 21: 27. These are very expressive terms. This book contains the names of those who are to have immortal life. These shall have access to that river which possesses the virtues of endless life, and that tree which is the certain pledge to all who eat of it that they shall live forever. Those who do not have their names within the book of life shall have the second death for their portion. And this will be in the lake of fire. Rev. 20: 14, 15; 21: 8. Can we learn nothing from these terms? Shall we maintain that those who have the second death for their portion will live just as long as will those who eat of the tree of life, and drink of the river of life which issues from the throne of God? The Saviour did not place a light estimate upon having the name written in the book of life. “Notwithstanding, in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in Heaven.” Luke 10: 20. And Paul speaks of certain of his fellow-laborers thus: “Whose names are in the book of life.” Phil. 4: 3. And we are further told that “he that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” Rev. 3: 5. To this book, Isaiah refers when he says: “And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem.” Isa. 4: 3. Is it not manifest that those whose names are not blotted out of the book of life are the persons that shall have endless life for their portion? Is it reasonable to believe those whose names are taken out of the book of life, and whose portion is the second death, shall live as long as shall those who eat of the tree of life and drink of the river of life that springs from beneath the throne of God? The nature of that great blessing which God promises to his people is thus defined by David: “For there the Lord commanded the blessing EVEN LIFE FOR EVERMORE.” Ps. 133: 3. Now the idea of duration is certainly made very prominent in this statement. It is endless life which is the theme of the sacred writer. In Ps. 91: 16, it is said of the righteous: “With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.” How long must that life last which shall satisfy the people of God? How soon will those who drink of the river of God’s pleasures feel that they are ready to separate themselves from it and to lie down in death? God shall satisfy his people when he fulfills to them his promises. And John tells us what he will give them: “And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.” 1 John 2: 25. And he marks the sense of this when, in verse 16, he distinguishes between the continued existence of the righteous, and the temporary continuance of the men of the world: “And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.” Of the righteous, it is said: “They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life; in thy light shall we see light.” Ps. 36: 8, 9. This fountain of life is that which issues out of the throne of God. Those who drink of it are partakers of God’s own immortal nature. Shall we then say that men are immortal by nature? Is it not manifest that God has promised to those who form virtuous characters that they shall live forever because they are such as he would have them be? And is not this gift of immortal life one which shall secure to the receivers an endless existence, while those who live in sin shall not be counted worthy of living forever? Is it reasonable to say that life here means happiness, and that the tree of life has nothing to do with respect to man’s continued existence, but only determines whether he should have happiness or misery for his portion? Without doubt, infinite happiness will be the portion of those who eat the fruit of this tree. But the distinguishing characteristic of its fruit is that those who eat it shall live forever, and those who are excluded from it shall have the second death for their portion.