The Tree in the Midst of the Garden Meaning?
1) Direct Answer
It means the two great choices God set in the very center: the Tree of Life (Christ, God’s own Life and Word) and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Satan’s reasoning). In the “midst” of the garden stood life by the Word or death by unbelief.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- The Bible says there were two trees in the midst: “The tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:9). Eve later refers to the forbidden one as “the tree which is in the midst of the garden” (Genesis 3:3).
- God’s command: “Of every tree… thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it” (Genesis 2:16–17). The issue was obedience to God’s Word.
- When they chose the wrong tree, “their eyes were opened,” shame entered, and death followed (Genesis 3:5–7; Romans 5:12).
- God then guarded the Tree of Life with cherubim and a flaming sword (Genesis 3:22–24), showing that life is now only by God’s appointed way.
- The Tree of Life is Christ. “In him was life” (John 1:4). He said, “I am the life” (John 14:6). Wisdom is called “a tree of life” (Proverbs 3:18), and Christ is the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24).
- Access to the Tree of Life is promised again to the overcomer: “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life” (Revelation 2:7), and it appears in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 22:2,14).
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- Now notice: it wasn’t an apple. Eating fruit doesn’t open spiritual eyes, bring moral shame, multiply sorrow in conception, or create two opposing seed lines. Yet Genesis 3:15 declares two seeds at enmity, and 1 John 3:12 says Cain “was of that wicked one.” That shows the forbidden “knowledge” was Satan’s corrupt approach to life and reproduction, not a harmless bite of produce.
- The serpent was cursed to go on his belly (Genesis 3:14), meaning he was different before the curse. Through that subtle beast Satan introduced a carnal, unbelieving union, and death followed. Adam and Eve were to live by every Word of God; instead, Eve received the serpent’s reasoning against the Word (2 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Timothy 2:14).
- So the “midst” marks the center of decision: Will man live by God’s revealed Word (Tree of Life), or by a mixture—good and evil together—offered by the serpent (tree of knowledge)?
4) Reinforcing Statement
You see, the question of the garden is still the question today. Choose Christ the Word and live, or mix the Word with human reasoning and die. The way back to the Tree of Life is opened through Jesus Christ, and the overcomer will eat of it again.
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What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
God's covenant with Abraham and his seed
56-0223 §8
Now, in the garden of Eden there were two trees. One of them, say, on the right side, was the tree of life; on the left side was the tree of knowledge. And as long as man eats from the tree of life, which is faith, he lives. But the first bite he took off the tree of knowledge, he separated himself from his fellowship with God. Do you see it? And notice then, in separating himself, he continually bites off of that tree, continually eating from that tree. Then he's brought it in to his ... try to mix that knowledge...
Faith in the Son of God
52-0715 §8
"Well," I said, "Doctor, you excuse me for talking to you like this, for you're a smart man." But I said, "You know, when the trees, in the garden of Eden there were two of them, and one of them was the tree of knowledge, and the other One is the Tree of Life. And man left this Tree to bypass of this tree," and I said, "when he took his first bite off the tree, let it be whatever it was... (I got my idea of that.) So whatever it was, when he tooken his first bite, he separated himself from his Maker. And ever since...
United under One Head
58-0326 §11
Knowledge will never save you: it takes you farther away from God all the time! There's only one way of salvation---that's back to the tree of life. Knowledge isn't even in the picture. It's back to the tree of life. There was two trees: one was knowledge, the other was life. As long as the man eat from this tree, he lived. When he bit from that tree, he died. But you see, it's his nature to try to do something to save himself. There's not one thing that you can do to save yourself. A man said to me one time, he sa...
Revelation, Chapter 4c Throne of mercy and judgement
61-0108 §124
And these Cherubims, first mentioned, was placed at the east gate of the garden going four ways. I should have made that a little different from that. I can't do justly to God's orders and things like that, but I just... so that you'll know what I mean [referring to the blackboard drawing]. There's the garden of Eden. And this is the gate right here, opens up here, swings out. And at this gate there was Cherubims. Cherubims. And, remember, it doesn't say "a Cherubim." It said, "Cherubims." Cherubims was placed ther...
Where has thy strength gone, Samson?
59-0702 §14
In the garden of Eden there was a tree of knowledge, and man has completely hanging on to that tree of knowledge. Remember, as long as you're living at the base of the tree of knowledge, eating the fruit that falls off of it, you're away from the Tree of Life. You can't be at both the same time. You make intellectual giants (That is true.), and great philosophers, but we don't need them kind of philosophers. We in the church need humble borned again Christians. It reminds me of each denomination trying to educate t...