Tree of life (biblical)

The tree of life (Heb. עץ החיים ° ez ha - Hayyim, Greek Το Δέντρο της Ζωής, lignum vitae Latin ) is the first book of the Bible, the Book of Genesis, in close connection with the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

The Tree of Life in the Old Testament

After Gen 2.9 EU of the Old Testament God made the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil grow in the middle of the garden in Eden. He forbade the people but to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge, as this loss of life (2.17 EU) and eternal life ( 3.22 EU) would result.

In Gen 3.3 EU it turns to Eve the snake so is that you must not eat from the tree "in the middle of the garden ".

When Adam and Eve - seduced by the serpent - the divine commandment transgressed and had eaten of the forbidden fruit, God drove out the man " from the Garden of Eden " ( 3.23 EU) that he was " not now reaches out also takes the tree of life and live forever " ( 3.22 EU). This would have meant an eternal life. As keepers, God created " the cherubim and a flaming sword, that they guarded the way to the tree of life" ( 3.24 EU). The enjoyment even the fruits of the tree of life was thus impossible for Adam and Eve.

On the image of the tree of life also refers the Book of Proverbs at four points to describe a very soothing Condition: wisdom, justice, hope and fulfilled a " linden " tongue! (after rev Luther translation. ! ): (Prov. 3, (13 - ) 18; Prov. 11.30; Prov. 13:12; Prov. 15:4).

The Tree of Life in the New Testament

In the last book of the New Testament and the Christian Bible, the Book of Revelation, the image of the tree of life (Rev 2.7 EU; 22.2 EU) as well as the Paradise serpent (Rev 12.9 EU) taken up again: this is identified with the devil or the dragon, " who deceives the whole world".

According to the understanding of the New Testament and the interpretation by the Christian theology God in Jesus Christ, in his death on the cross and his resurrection, fulfilled his eternal plan of salvation and the way of hope for eternal life or to "Paradise" (Lk 23, 43 EU) redeveloped. The crucified is thus "the way and the truth and the life" (Jn 14:6 EU), who in his sacrifice on the cross the devil and his demons defeated ( Mk 1:12-13 EU, from 1.23 to 27 EU, 1:32-33 EU 1.39 EU and others; cf. 1 Jn 3:8 EU; opened Heb 2:14-15 EU) and the access to the tree of life and its fruit again in the form of the Eucharist: " He who overcomes will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God " ( Rev 2:7 EU).

The last book of the New Testament as concerns the motif of the tree of life in the middle of paradise lost, where the four Paradise streams (Gen 2,10 EU) arise as a Eucharistic symbol of Christ and connects it with the vision of the eschatological paradise: " The water of life "(Rev. 22.1 EU) and " trees of life "( 22.2 EU) become symbols of the fullness of life in a perfect world by God.

As in this perspective, the Eucharist the food reverses the tree of knowledge and thus the return to paradise ( hoping ) allows, so also means baptism as dying with Christ and Mitauferstehen with the recovery of paradise (Lk 23,43 EU): In tightening Jesus Christ, the "new man, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness " ( Eph 4,24 EU), the " dress of immortality " (2 Cor 5.2 to 9 EU; cf. 1 Cor 15.53 to 54 EU) tightened again, and thus the animal " animal fur " clothed (Gen 3.21 EU), the man has received in Paradise after the Fall, instead of " dress light ".

Iconography

Since the 5th century and the Middle Ages, the interpretation of the cross of Jesus (Latin lignum crucis, " wood of the Cross " ) is assigned as the Tree of Life (Latin lignum vitae, " tree of life " ) iconography. The deadly tree of knowledge ( " tree of death " ) is in terms of the typology of the life-giving cross compared ( " Tree of Life " ), eg in the form of a branch or tree Cross, from the twigs, flowers, leaves, fruits or vines out.

Liturgy

Liturgical the motif of the tree of life is taken up at the beginning of Lent and the Feast " Exaltation " (September 14 ) in the Catholic Church. The reading texts of the first Sunday of Lent set the Fall narrative in relation to the temptation of Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11 EU) and on Rom 5.21 EU, where life and death on the disobedience of the first Adam and the obedience of the second Adam ( Jesus) be returned. This is the whole Lenten season of penance in the sign of the Fall ( Federal fracture ) Adams, ( Phil 2:8 EU) finds in Jesus ' obedience unto death on a cross " his healing and salvation.

This redemption begins with the Incarnation of the Word of the Creator, which is why sung in the Western Church at Christmas:

"Today ' he concludes ( = Christ ) back to the door to the beautiful paradise, / the cherub stands no more for it ( = before), God be praise, honor, and price. "

In the Preface to the hard Exaltation it says then: "You (God) hast founded on the wood of the cross, the salvation of the world. From the tree of paradise came death, by the tree of the cross arose life. The enemy ( = devil) who has won the wood, was also defeated on a tree through our Lord Jesus Christ. "

In the Syro- Antiochene Liturgy, the priest says to the person to be baptized in the donated with the baptism first communion: " The fruit that Adam has never tasted in Paradise [ namely, the fruit of the tree of life ], is now down with joy in your mouth." then for Bonaventure the tree of life " in a sense that sacrament ' of Paradise ".

Mysticism

In the Jewish and Christian mysticism of the tree of life with the Torah is identified in their spiritual understanding and with the cross and the crucified Christ. Justin Martyr (2nd century ) says in the dialogue with Trypho the Jew, " had been on him who was crucified, in order, as the Scripture shows to come again in glory, mysteriously referred the tree of life, which, as reported, was planted in paradise, and the history of all the righteous. " this righteousness does not follow from the fulfillment of the letter of the law, but from faith hope his light and spirit, which aims to loving union with God and in this finite world beyond.

Pictures of Tree of life (biblical)

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