Was the GARDEN OF GOD/EDEN inhabited, before it was submerged?

What do trees represent in the Bible?

What had transpired in the Garden of Eden?

 

Setting forth on an exploration through the mysteries of the Garden of Eden and the symbolic trees within, we uncover a captivating journey into biblical tales. As we peel back the layers of stories about Eden’s residents before its submersion and the symbolic meaning of trees in the Bible, we immerse ourselves in a rich tapestry of divine insights and historical reflections. Join me as we venture into the heart of the Garden of Eden, the mystical trees of life and knowledge, and the intricate tapestry of lineages and dispensations that shape our understanding of spiritual truths. Let’s engage in a thought-provoking analysis of biblical verses and concepts to shed light on the timeless wisdom woven into these ancient narratives.

The trees represent created beings!

The two olive trees depicted in the Book of Revelation typify the two witnesses (Rev 11:4).

In that case, the two distinct trees mentioned in Genesis also had relevance to two entities. Let’s examine a few verses!

• The tree of life is also in the midst of the garden (Genesis 2:9)
• The tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17)

I believe the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that God had allowed to grow out of the ground – Gen 2:9 – has something to do with the evil line of descent. From the outset it is evident that there existed two distinct lineages among humanity; one is the holy line of descent, from whom the Promised Seed, Christ, came – Gal 3:16, the other one, is the seed of Satan. God said unto the serpent, I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between THY SEED and HER SEED (Genesis 3:15). God pronounced this judgment right after they ate of the forbidden tree, right? I would say, they reaped the consequence of their disobedience rather than God’s punishment. See how God responded right away. And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? (Genesis 3:11). Of course, condemnation came upon all men, through the transgression of one – Rom 5:12-19; but it wasn’t God that condemned them, but when they chose to partake of the forbidden fruit they dismissed the source of all life and coalesced with the wicked one. By the offense, judgment came upon all men TO CONDEMNATION (Rom 5:18). Only when there is an established Covenant (which consists of commandments, promises, and seals) can we expect a penalty. Sin is the transgression of the law (1 John 3:4); For, until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law (Rom 5:13).

And the law, came four hundred and thirty years after Abraham (the dispensation of Promise)(Gal 3:17). For without the law sin was dead (not accounted for)(Rom 7:8). The motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death (Rom 7:5). For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died (Rom 7:9). Jesus said, If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin (John 15:22).

The antediluvian period was the dispensation of Conscience. They felt the effect of their disobedience in their conscience – Gen 3:7. Right until their conscience got actuated due to the offense, ‘innocence’ was their birth-right.

DISPENSATIONS

1. The Dispensation of Innocence – Before the fall of Adam & Eve
2. The Dispensation of Conscience – After the fall and unto Noah
3. The postdiluvian – The period after the flood – the formation of human government.
4. The Dispensation of Promise – Abraham
5. The Dispensation of Law – Moses
6. The Dispensation of Grace/ The Dispensation of the fulness of times/ The dispensation of God– The Christian Church – Jesus Christ to Apostle Paul – John 1:17; Ephesians 1:10/3:2; Colossians 1:25.
7. A Dispensation of the gospel – 1 Corinthians 9:17
8. The Everlasting and Millennial Kingdom of Christ -1 Corinthians 15:25; 2 Peter 1:11; Ephesians 5:5; Colossians 1:13.
9. The Everlasting Kingdom of God – 1 Corinthians 15:24,28; Isaiah 65:17/66:22; 2 Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 21:1; Ephesians 5:5.

So by the offense of one, what had happened to us? We had become a part of the wild olive tree – Rom 11:17,24 – Know ye not that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? (1 Cor 5:6) Later we see the effect of this transplant, Cain, who was of that wicked one (the wicked line emerged)(1 John 3:12) – slew his brother. You see the emanation of the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent and their enmity – which the Lord was talking about! Gen 3:15 Ye are of your father the devil (he that is born after the flesh – Gal 4:29), and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44). They are the children of the wicked one/ disobedience – Matt 8:12/13:38/Eph 2:2/5:6,8/ Col 3:6. And the whole world lieth in (in the lap/power of) wickedness (1 John 5:19) – we were sometimes ALIENATED (from God by the Adamic offense) and enemies in our minds by wicked works (Col 1:21) – the lusts of your father ye will do (the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience – Eph 2:2). For we were sometimes darkness (Eph 5:8) – Our mind and conscience were defiled (Titus 1:15) – an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil (Luke 6:45) – What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? (Rom 6:21) We must work out/ labor – Phil 2:12/John 6:27 – to put off concerning the former conversation, the old man, which is corrupt (Eph 4:22/Col 3:8,9).

When we come to Christ, that’s when we get cut out of the wild olive tree which is wild by nature and be grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree – Rom 11:23,24 – Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son (Col 1:13) – he hath purchased us with His blood – Acts 20:28 – Who gave himself a ransom for all (1 Tim2:6).

Now coming to the ‘tree of life’, after that Adam and Eve had transgressed, God drove them out from the Garden of Eden, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever as sinful beings (Genesis 3:22-24). But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son (the seed of the woman, Israel) – Gal 4:4 – that he might redeem us from our fallen status and that we might be able to eat of the ‘tree of life’ and live again. The seed is the word of God – Luke 8:11 – and when we eat from ‘the wisdom of God’, which is Christ – when we eat of this bread – Pro 3:18/1Cor 1:24 – Jesus said, I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eats of this bread, he shall live forever – John 6:51 – he that eats of this bread shall live forever – John 6:58 – the bread which strengthens man’s heart (Psalm 104:15). Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, ye have no life in you – John 6:53 – What is this living bread? The word of God, right? And one must labor for the spiritual meat, which endureth unto everlasting life (John 6:27). As new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby –1 Pet 2:2 – and strong meat when we mature in the spirit (Heb 5:13,14).

By this, we can conclude that Jesus Christ is that ‘tree of life’ from which we eat and live forever – John 14:6.

That ‘green olive tree’ is the house of Israel and the house of Judah – Jeremiah 11:16,17 – into which the Gentile believers are grafted in. If the root (Jesus Christ– Isaiah 53:2/Rev 22:16) be holy, so are the branches (Rom 11: 16,21,24).

I hope you are getting this!

Behold, the Assyrian (the prince of this world) was a cedar in Lebanon (Jerusalem is that Lebanon – Ezekiel 17:1-12) with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs. The waters (are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues – Revelation 17:15) made him great, the deep (God) set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants (province!), and sent out her little rivers (influences!) unto all the trees of the field (according to the Bible, the field is the world – Matthew 13:38). We could see here that this verse is portraying a distinct world in itself with the Assyrian and all the other trees being perfect and in harmony reigning over. When you read further, it is evident that God is giving us a short extract, or evidence of the world that existed before He restored it with Adam in it.

But something that shouldn’t have happened took place later. We don’t know how old the earth was before He restored it. Bible says these are generations of the heavens and of the earth (Genesis 2:4) – The wisdom of God says, I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was (Proverbs 8:23) – Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth (Psalm 102:25) – Thou, Lord, in the beginning, hast laid the foundation of the earth (Hebrews 1:10). In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. When He created Adam, it was not the beginning. The second verse of Genesis 1 “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep” – this is a separate occurrence, which is a consequence. God cannot and will not create chaos or disorder, could He? He did not create chaos – Isaiah 45:18 (RSV). But we see a chaotic condition in verse 2 of Genesis. We don’t see Earth there yet, do we? The first verse talks about when He created the earth, in which the above verses substantiate it. If He created the earth, then how come it was void, formless, and covered with water; not to mention, darkness was upon the face of the deep? Here the original word used for “darkness” is “Choshek“, which means, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness. Do you mean to say that God created the earth in like manner? No, it is evident, that something had happened to the earth, which God created in the beginning. If we study the book of Ezekiel and Isaiah carefully we could see mysteries being hidden there.

Scripture says God himself formed (Yatsar – to mold into a form) the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited (Isaiah 45:18). Here we see that God formed the earth and established it. There is no evidence, that upholds that He formed it void and formless. And He formed it to be inhabited, period.

So, if God formed the earth and established it, who were the inhabitants and how did it look like?

There is strong evidence to believe that, the fall of Lucifer had something to do with the corruption of the earth – For he said in his heart, I will ascend into heaven (Isaiah 14:13) – which accentuates that he was assigned down in the original earth to rule as the son of the morning – Isaiah 14:12. There he was perfect in his ways – He was an anointed cherub – full of wisdom and perfect in beauty – Ezekiel 28:13,14,15 – till iniquity was found in him (Ezekiel 28:15) – He defiled his sanctuaries by the multitude of his iniquities (Ezekiel 28: 18) and thus corrupted his wisdom (Ezekiel 28:17).

To simply put: There was a world that existed way before God created Adam. But we don’t know what kind of species of creatures were put under the domain of Lucifer, the anointed cherub. He ruled as a son of God with all the splendor and majesty. For he was God’s finest creation.

No wonder we see archeological shreds of evidence, which shows millions of years old relics and underwater cities and so on… The present earth is only less than 10000 years old. The ‘Radiocarbon dating’ method now can determine the age of an object containing organic material, and the archaeologists have excavated the Neanderthal (an extinct human species) fossils that lived around five hundred thousand years ago. They have also found on various continents of the world, skulls that are millions of years old as well.

Do you know how the “COAL” that we extract from the earth is formed? 

They were generated from the petrified, buried remains of plants and animals that existed millions of years ago, coal, crude oil, and natural gas are all considered FOSSIL fuels. Fossil fuels have a high carbon content due to their origins. Decomposing plants and other species have taken millennia to form the carbon-rich deposits we now call fossil fuels, buried beneath layers of sediment and rock.

King Solomon confirms this: The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there anything whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us – Eccl 1:9-10

What I understand is that this earth that I am talking about was a Garden of God. To Lucifer God says, thou hast been in Eden the garden of God (Ezekiel 28:13) – Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire (Ezekiel 28:14). But the Lucifer that we see after the creation of Adam is Satan, the wicked one. God says, by the multitude of thy merchandise they (the inhabitants of that earth) have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore, God said, I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God (Ezekiel 28:16-18).

The book of Daniel chapter 2 signifies ‘mountains’ as kingdoms. That means God had a kingdom set (conjecture) way before the earth became chaotic, and the entity that was set to rule that domain was ‘Lucifer’, the anointed cherub. I believe Lucifer, the anointed cherub, received ‘the Mimshach’ – which in Hebrew means, “anointed” – Mimshach was used to describe the beauty, splendor, and stretched forth wings of Lucifer – Ezekiel 28. This anointing is for a service, which alludes that there was a world that was disorganized, and “Lucifer” was assigned there to bring order and to liberate the souls (a holy assignment), so to speak. But he failed to carry out the order and he became kind of an AWOL in military terms. Lucifer means, ‘the light bearer’. One could see his assignment embedded in his name itself. He was anointed to bring expansion and to bring light when there is a crisis. But what did he do instead? When he saw that he was admired by the inhabitants he let pride reign and thus he fell from his destiny. For he hath said in his heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High (Isaiah 14:13,14).

To put it succinctly, having lost all grips and being cast out from the presence of God, being stripped of his ordinated position, he then went on a rampage to destroy. The liberator has become the destroyer! Prophet Isaiah says that he made the world as a wilderness and destroyed the cities thereof; (next is a very striking sentence) that he opened not the house of his prisoners (Isaiah 14:17). He kept souls as prisoners – the dead are gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison (Isaiah 24:22). The book of Hebrews says that Satan had the power of death (Heb 2:14). See what Jesus Christ hath come to do. To bring out the prisoners from the prison, and those that sit in darkness out of the prison-house (Isaiah 42:7). By the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water (Zechariah 9:11). Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom (Job 33:24). Being quickened by the Spirit,  the Lord Christ Jesus went and preached unto the spirits in prison (1 Peter 3:19) – its effect: And the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many (Matt 27:52,53).

Can you see the picture now? God had to destroy Lucifer and took him down to the grave. Thy pomp is brought down to the grave (Isaiah 14:11). He had lost his original outward glorious form, just like Adam, and was subject to death. If we read the book of Ezekiel carefully it is clear that he was laid down – Isaiah 14:8 – he was brought down to the grave – Isaiah 14:11 – he which didst weaken the nations was cut down to the ground – Isaiah 14:12 – he made the world as a wilderness and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners – Isaiah 14:17 – he had filled the midst of him with violence and smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he ruled the nations in anger (Isaiah 14:6/Ezekiel 28:16). This is that Pharaoh – Ezekiel 31:18. In the day when he went down to the grave I CAUSED A MOURNING: I covered the deep for him, and I restrained the floods thereof, and the great waters were stayed (Ezekiel 31:15). The submerged earth that we see in Genesis 1:2 was then a gesture of God’s lamentation over Lucifer? Having said that, even the grave refused to receive him. For like an abominable branch he was cast out of his grave (Isaiah 14:19) – even the grave detested him. God said, Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned (Isaiah 14:20). This clearly indicates that he was assigned land and people to rule. The reason for his destruction: By the multitude of thy merchandise, they have filled the midst of thee with violence and thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness – Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick (Ezekiel 28:16-18)

The chaotic earth that we see in Genesis 1 is the upshot of his rebellion. We know that God is not the author of confusion, disorder, or chaos. He is the author of “Shalom” – 1Cor 14:33

“Shalom” means, destroyed the authority that established chaos/ Jesus Christ destroyed (incapacitated) the one that created all chaos – Heb 2:14/Col 2:15/John 16:11/1John 3:8/5:19/2Cor 4:4/ which didst weaken the nations – Isaiah 14:12/Ezek 28: 13-Gen 1:2-Isaiah 14:12

The tempter that we see in Genesis is Satan, that fallen angel. Now he has become the great dragon, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world (Rev 12:9) – For he hath corrupted his wisdom, defiled his sanctuaries and have become an abominable branch. Now for the first time, God creates man (Adam) in His own image and after his likeness – Gen 1:26,27, but this abominable branch who once inherited full of wisdom, and was perfect in beauty (Ezekiel 28:12-14), has intense envy against this new creature whom God had placed in the RESTORED Garden of God (to dress and to keep it – Gen 2:15), which was his domain once.

To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? (Ezekiel 31:18)

Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of an high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs (powerful domain)(Ezekiel 31:3). The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants, and sent out her little rivers unto all the trees of the field (Ezekiel 31:4). Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and his boughs were multiplied (power, influence, domain), and his branches became long (extended rule or enlarged territory) because of the multitude of waters, when he shot forth (eminent)(his heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness – Ezekiel 28:17 – For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High – Isaiah 14:13-14 – We could see similar attributes in the life of Nebuchadnezzar – Daniel 5:18-20) All the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young, and under his shadow dwelt all great nations (the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof – Isaiah 14:16-17). Thus was he fair in his greatness (his heart was lifted up because of his beauty – full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty – Ezekiel 28:12), in the length of his branches: for his root was by great waters (are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues – Revelation 17:15). The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him (thou hast been in Eden the garden of God – Ezekiel 28:13): the fir trees were not like his boughs, and the chestnut trees were not like his branches, nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty. I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches: so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him – Ezekiel 31:3-9. That anointed cherub, Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God (Ezekiel 28:13).

Few corresponding verses:

• The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us – Judges 9:8-15
• How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel! As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river’s side, as the trees of lign aloes which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters. He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed (Christ – Gal 3:16/ Heb 11:18)shall be in many waters (are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues – Rev 17:15), and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted –Numbers 24:5-7
• The kingdom of God is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it (Luke 13:19)
• And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither (Psalm 1:3)

Exploring the mysteries of the Garden of Eden and its symbolic trees revealed profound insights into biblical narratives. Contemplating the symbolism, consequences in Eden, and the two trees in Genesis, our analysis traced the complexities of human nature through various dispensations. From Innocence to Grace, we reflected on the enduring battle between good and evil. This exploration encourages us to seek wisdom, embrace goodness, and strengthen our spiritual connection with the divine.