4 - The Nations Part 1 | Allusions, Images, Symbols

In the last episode, we looked at symbols in the Bible, e.g. the two trees in the garden, marriage, the Sabbath and sacrifice. Today we look again at the two trees with which God wanted to show man's spiritual dependence. He should take love from God (the tree of life) and pass it on. Only in this way does he fulfill his purpose in the world.

The change of identity in the heart of man brings the tree of death to the entrance of the spirit. Man now lives in a false dependence on people and evil - without real love, only selfishness. As a result, he cannot satisfy his need for love and ultimately dies as a result. What do the trees have to do with the Ten Commandments? Both symbolize dependence - on God or on people. 

In the Bible, there are two peoples: God's children and Cain and his descendants, whereby mixing with one another was always problematic. And there are two cities: Jerusalem (God's people) and Babylon (apostate people). The New Jerusalem will one day be the city of the redeemed. Ultimately, there are only two groups: Those who are dependent on God (symbolized by the tree of life and the Sabbath), and those who live in dependence on people (symbolized by the tree of death and Sunday). 

External things are only images for an inner state. The danger is that the external symbol - the Sabbath - is seen as standing for itself. For ultimately, all are saved by faith alone. That is why it is so crucial to understand what is in our hearts. One can outwardly keep the Sabbath or be circumcised or baptized and still inwardly live from the tree of death, that is, from dependence on people. It is important to understand the biblical images correctly: They reflect the inner state in our hearts. In the fourth part of our series “Allusions - Images - Symbols”, we look at what this all means in depth.