Outline

«　WEEK 4　DAY 1　»

　　Gen. 2:9 And out of the ground Jehovah God caused to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, as well as the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

　　17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, of it you shall not eat; for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.

　　In the divine revelation in the Holy Scriptures, there are two trees, two sources, two lines, two principles, and two ends.

　　In Genesis 2 there are two trees—the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. However, in Revelation 21 and 22 we see only one tree—the tree of life—in a holy city. In the center of this city is the throne of God and of the Lamb (22:1), indicating God’s administration…The Lamb is the lamp (21:23), and God is the light in the lamp. This indicates that God and the Lamb, the light and the lamp, are one. Out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, that is, out of the one God, flows a river, and on the two sides of this river grows the tree of life (22:2a). (Life-study of Job, p. 191)

　　All the evil things in Revelation 22 are involved with the lake of fire. Thus, the two ends are the city of water and the lake of fire. Between the two sources and the two ends are two lines, which become two ways. Each source issues in a line that becomes a way consummating in an end.

　　The Bible, as a full record of the divine revelation, is a book of signs (Rev. 1:1b). In the book of Revelation, for example, there are many signs, such as the golden lampstands (1:12), the stars (v. 20), the Lion of the tribe of Judah (5:5), the Lamb (v. 6), the four horses (6:1-8), and the universal woman (12:1). The last and the greatest sign in Revelation is the New Jerusalem.

　　The two most striking in the first group of signs in Genesis 1 and 2 are the two trees (2:9). The first of these signs is the tree of life, as the highest sign, signifying God, even the Triune God, as life to man in man’s relationship with Him (Psa. 36:9a). God created man, breathing into him the breath of life (Gen. 2:7), which became man’s spirit; but at that time He did not put Himself into man as man’s life. The second of these signs is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, as the highest negative sign, signifying Satan the devil, even the evil one, as death to man in man’s fall before God (v. 17).

　　Both of these signs, as the most striking ones, signify persons—God and Satan—not things or matters. The first tree signifies God only as life, with no implications of other elements. The second tree signifies Satan as death, with the implications of knowledge, good, and evil. Whereas God is simple, Satan is very complicated.

　　According to the divine revelation, knowledge is Satan, good is Satan, and evil is Satan. Today the world is in an age that worships knowledge. Before eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Adam and Eve were ignorant, not knowing, so they had no sin. After they ate of the tree of knowledge, their eyes were opened, and they became knowledgeable. That was sin. We all consider that to commit sin is sin, but we may not consider that knowing sin is sin.

　　The genuine good is God Himself (Matt. 19:17a); hence, gaining God equals gaining the genuine good. When the rich young ruler came to the Lord Jesus and called Him, “Good Teacher,” the Lord Jesus said, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except One—God” (Mark 10:17-18)…If we touch the good things outside of God, this means that we touch Satan. The Bible teaches us that knowledge, good, and evil all are Satan. In the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, therefore, evil and good are equal. (Life-study of Job, pp. 191-193)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Job, msgs. 10—11