Evangelism Resources and Antique Photos Galleries
| Next | Previous | Contact Ron | Ron's Blog | Index | Tellout Home |
Paradise Day 14
"Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lamp stand from its place. But you have this in your favour: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God." (Revelation 2:5-7)
Nicolaitans
No one knows exactly who the Nicolaitans were, except that they were hated for their actions. The term 'Nicolaitans' may be an allegorical tag, typical of the book of Revelation. The name means 'conqueror of the people.' 1 "The Greek term corresponds to the Hebrew "Balaam" meaning 'lord or destroyer of the people.' 2
Heretics
The "Nicolaitans" and those "who hold the teaching of Balaam" 3 seem to be the same people. They are heretics destroying the people of God. They are the same people that "tolerate the woman Jezebel." 4 They are Gnostic heretics who allow sexual immorality and eat food sacrificed to demons (idols)." 5 Perhaps they were heretical sects who mixed Christianity with pagan practices like idol worship and immoral practices.
The Tree of Life in Paradise
In Jewish thought, "the tree of life" came to mean anything that gave humans fullness of life. "Wisdom is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her." 6 and "Hope fulfilled is a tree of life." 7 "The tree of life" (See representation of the Tree of Life at right.) was the source of the kind of life humans ought to live. The Jews also believed that when the Messiah came and the new age dawned, the tree of life would grow in their midst and the faithful would eat from it.
A Beautiful Garden in Paradise
The Rabbis said that the Tree of Life's boughs overshadowed the whole of Paradise. It had five hundred thousand fragrances and its fruit as many pleasant tastes, and every one of them different. "Paradise" has a Persian origin and meant "a beautiful garden with pleasant meadows, stately trees and many flowers." Paradise is a place of serene beauty.
Paradise in Genesis
The paradise of Revelation has close links to the paradise of the Book of Genesis. "In Genesis we see earth created; in Revelation, we see it passing away.... In Genesis, there is a garden, which is home for human beings;(See the picture representing the Garden of Eden at right) in Revelation, there is a city, the home for the nations..... In Genesis, we see humans driven out from the garden and away from "the tree of life." In Revelation, we see them welcomed back, with "the tree of life" at their disposal." 8
Meditation
How do you imagine "the tree of life" with its fruit, fragrances and tastes?
Prayer
"Changed from glory into glory, Till in heaven we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee, Lost in wonder love and praise."
Notes
1Taylor Marshall (1812-1895) 2David Chilton (1951-1997) 3Rev 2:14 4Rev 2:20 5Proverbs 3.18 6Proverbs 13.12. 7Altered to modern language conventions 8Archibald Geikie Brown
In Revelation we see humans with the tree of life at their disposal."
| ^ Top Page | Next | Previous |