People dream of living long, but they are destined to die. Why has mankind, the lord of all creation, become such pitiful beings who cannot escape the pain of death? The Bible says that the history of human death began in the Garden of Eden. However, there was not only the history of death in Eden. Where there is a problem, there is a solution. Eden has the secret of eternal life as well. It is the Tree of Life which has not been paid attention to, being overshadowed by the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Regardless of age, country, and rank, people have longed for eternal life, but it can be granted only by God (1 Ti 6:15–16). Christ Ahnsahnghong came to this earth to save humankind from the chain of death by revealing the secret of the Tree of Life in Eden.
The Tree of Life, the Secret Hidden Since the Creation of the World
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.” Mt 13:34–35
Jesus spoke in parables and revealed things hidden since the creation of the world. Among the 66 books of the Bible, the book of Genesis records the history of the creation of the world. Among many secrets in the book of Genesis, let’s learn about the Tree of Life.
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 of it you will surely die.” Ge 2:16–17
God let Adam and Eve live in the Garden of Eden and commanded them not to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. However, Adam and Eve were tempted by the serpent and committed the sin of eating the forbidden fruit. As a result, death came upon humankind. God also put the way for mankind, who came to die of their sin, to live forever 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.” . . . 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. Ge 3:22–24
Even Adam and Eve, who came to die from eating the fruit of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, could live forever if they ate from the Tree of Life. However, God did not allow the sinners to eat from the Tree of Life by placing cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the Tree of Life. Without God’s permission, no one could eat from the Tree of Life.
The Reality of the Tree of Life Is the Passover
The history of Eden is a pattern that shows how human beings, who were originally angels, committed sins and were expelled from Heaven before being born on the earth (Heb 8:5; Eze 28:11–16; Rev 12:9). Even sinners, who ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and came to die, could live again by eating from the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden. This means that even the soul who sinned in Heaven and came to die can live forever by eating from the Tree of Life. Then, what is the way to eat from the Tree of Life? Let’s take a look at the teachings of Jesus, who revealed the mystery of the Tree of Life, which had been kept hidden since the creation of the world.
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, 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 . . .” Jn 6:53‒54
Jesus said that unless we eat His flesh and drink His blood, we have no life; whoever eats His flesh and drinks His blood has eternal life. In other words, Jesus’ flesh and blood are the reality of the Tree of Life that gives us eternal life. Jesus also taught us how to eat His flesh and drink His blood.
On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” . . . So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover. Mt 26:17–19
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered 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.” Mt 26:26–28
Jesus let His disciples prepare the Passover and kept it together. Jesus said that the Passover bread Is His body and the Passover wine His blood. The Passover is a ceremony for us to have Jesus’ flesh and blood, that is, the Tree of Life. In other words, the Passover is the way for mankind to escape the pain of death and receive eternal life. Therefore, in order to have eternal life, we must keep the Passover of the New Covenant.
Christ Comes With the Tree of Life
It was God who blocked the way to the Tree of Life with the cherubim and the flaming sword in Eden. Therefore, it is only God who can allow us to eat from the Tree of Life again.
“. . . I have come that they [the sheep] may have life, and have it to the full.” Jn 10:10
Jesus, who is in very nature God, said that He came to give life to the sheep. He could have sent a prophet or heavenly angels. Why did God Himself come to this earth without sending them? It is because only God can open the way to the Tree of Life.
The Passover of the New Covenant is the truth of the Tree of Life, which God Himself brought. However, the one who spoke against God abolished the truth of the Passover at the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325. Without the Passover, which is the truth of the Tree of Life, no one can expect salvation. That is why Christ is prophesied to come a second time to the earth to save His people in the last days. Only God can open the blocked way to the Tree of Life. So God Himself is to appear a second time, just as He did at His first coming.
[S]o 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. Heb 9:28
The purpose of God coming a second time is to bring salvation. The Tree of Life in Eden is needed to save human beings, who were destined to die, and the way for them to eat from the Tree of Life is through the Passover. Therefore, when Jesus comes a second time, He must bring the Passover. In other words, it is Second Coming Christ who saves us by restoring the Passover of the New Covenant.
Today, the One who has come with this precious truth of the Passover is Christ Ahnsahnghong. For about 1,600 years after the Passover was abolished, there have been numerous biblical scholars and religious leaders, but none of them could restore the Passover. It was because they were not God. However, Christ Ahnsahnghong restored the Passover of the New Covenant and let us keep it. Since Christ Ahnsahnghong revealed again the reality of the Tree of Life, the secret kept hidden since the creation of the world, and gave humankind eternal life, He is God and Christ who came a second time in this age according to all the prophecies of the Bible.