启二二14 那些洗净自己袍子的有福了，可得权柄到生命树那里，也能从门进城。

　　约六48　 我就是生命的粮。

　　生命树是宇宙的中心。按着神的目的，地是宇宙的中心，伊甸园是地的中心，生命树又是伊甸园的中心。……没有什么比生命树对神和人更中心，更重要。园子里的生命树指明，神渴望以食物的形态作我们的生命（新约总论第二册，二四○页）。

　　Rev. 22:14 Blessed are those who wash their robes that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter by the gates into the city.

　　John 6:48 I am the bread of life.

　　The tree of life is the center of the universe. According to the purpose of God, the earth is the center of the universe, the garden of Eden is the center of the earth, and the tree of life is the center of the garden of Eden…. Nothing is more central and crucial to both God and man than the tree of life. The tree of life in the garden was an indicator that God desires to be our life in the form of food. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 429)

　　新约启示基督是生命树之表号的应验。约翰一章四节论到基督说，“生命在祂里面。”既然约翰一章三节指创世记一章的创造，四节提起生命，就该指创世记二章由生命树所指明的生命。这由约翰在启示录二十二章提起生命树所证实。创世记二章由生命树所展示的生命，就是具体化身在基督里的生命。主告诉我们，祂自己就是生命（约十四6）。不仅如此，约翰十五章启示基督是树，是葡萄树。一面，祂是树；另一面，祂是生命。我们若将一章四节和十五章五节放在一起，就会领悟基督是生命树。祂在六章说祂是生命的粮，这事实指明祂以食物的形态，作生命树临到我们。因此，基督，神的具体化身，乃是生命树。

　　关于基督是创世记二章九节里生命树这表号的应验，启示录二章七节说，“得胜的，我必将神乐园中生命树的果子赐给他吃。”神原初的心意是要人吃生命树。因着人堕落了，生命树就向人封闭（创三22~24）。借着基督的救赎，接触生命树（就是神自己在基督里作人生命）的路再次向人打开（来十19~20）。然而在召会的堕落中，宗教及其知识偷着进来打岔在基督里的信徒，使他们不能吃祂这棵生命树。因此，在启示录二章七节，主应许得胜者，要把祂自己这生命树的果子赐给他们吃。七节的“树”，原文不是一般所用的字，是与彼前二章二十四节的木头同字。我们看过，生命树乃指基督，就是三一神的具体化身，以食物的形态作我们的生命。在启示录二章七节这里，这辞指钉十字架（由树，就是木头所含示—彼前二24）并复活（由神的生命所含示—约十一25）的基督；今天祂是在召会中，这召会的完成乃是新耶路撒冷，在其中这位钉死并复活的基督是生命树，滋养神所有的赎民，直到永远（启二二2、14）。吃生命树不仅是神原初对人的心意，也是神救赎的永远结果。所有神的赎民，都要享受生命树，作他们永远的分。

　　生命树长在河的两岸〔2〕，指明生命树是一种藤蔓，沿着生命水的流伸展、蔓延，给神的子民接受并享受。这树实现了神原初的心意，直到永远。在永世里，神的赎民要享受生命树，就是神的儿子基督，救赎的羔羊，作他们永远生命的供应。

　　借着基督那满足神荣耀、圣别、公义之要求的救赎，通往生命树的路重新向信徒开启。因此凡用基督救赎的血洗净自己袍子的人，在永世里都有权利享受生命树，作他们永远的分（新约总论第二册，二四○至二四二页）。

　　参读：新约总论，第四十一篇；神的经营，第十二章。

　　The New Testament reveals Christ as the fulfillment of the figure of the tree of life. Speaking of Christ, John 1:4 says, “In Him was life.” Since John 1:3 refers to the creation in Genesis 1, the mention of life in verse 4 should refer to the life indicated by the tree of life in Genesis 2. This is confirmed by John’s mention of the tree of life in Revelation 22. The life displayed by the tree of life in Genesis 2 was the life incarnated in Christ. The Lord told us that He Himself is life (John 14:6). Furthermore, John 15 reveals that Christ is a tree, the vine tree. On the one hand, He is a tree; on the other hand, He is life. If we put together John 1:4 and 15:5, we shall realize that Christ is the tree of life. The fact that He said in John 6 that He is the bread of life indicates that He has come to us as the tree of life in the form of food. Therefore, Christ, the embodiment of God, is the tree of life.

　　Concerning Christ as the fulfillment of the figure of the tree of life in Genesis 2:9, Revelation 2:7 says, “To him who overcomes, to him I will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.” It was God’s original intention that man should eat of the tree of life. Due to the fall, the tree of life was closed to man (Gen. 3:22-24). Through the redemption of Christ, the way to touch the tree of life, which is God Himself in Christ as life to man, has been opened again (Heb. 10:19-20). However, in the church’s degradation religion crept in with its knowledge to distract the believers in Christ from eating Him as the tree of life. Hence, in Revelation 2:7 the Lord promises to grant the overcomers to eat of Himself as the tree of life. The word for tree in Revelation 2:7, as in 1 Peter 2:24, is wood in Greek, not the usual word used for tree. We have seen that the tree of life refers to Christ as the embodiment of the Triune God to be our life in the form of food. Here in Revelation 2:7 this expression refers to the crucified (implied in the tree as a piece of wood—1 Peter 2:24) and resurrected (implied in the zoe life—John 11:25) Christ who is in the church today, the consummation of which will be the New Jerusalem, in which the crucified and resurrected Christ will be the tree of life for the enjoyment of all God’s redeemed people for eternity (Rev. 22:2, 14). The eating of the tree of life not only was God’s original intention concerning man; it will also be the eternal issue of Christ’s redemption. For eternity God’s redeemed people will enjoy the tree of life as their portion.

　　The tree of life growing on the two sides of the river [Rev. 22:2] indicates that the tree of life is a vine, spreading and proceeding along the flow of the water of life for God’s people to receive and enjoy. It fulfills, for eternity, what God intended from the beginning. In eternity God’s redeemed people will enjoy the tree of life; that is, they will enjoy Christ, the Son of God, the redeeming Lamb, as their eternal life supply.

　　Through Christ’s redemption, which has fulfilled the requirements of God’s glory, holiness, and righteousness, the way to the tree of life has been opened again to the believers. Hence, the believers who wash their robes in the redeeming blood of Christ have the right to enjoy the tree of life as their eternal portion. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 429-430)

　　Further Reading: The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 41; CWWL, 1964, vol. 3, “The Economy of God,” ch. 12