We Are His Righteous Trees

[latterrain]

Ecclesiastes 2:5 I made Me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:​

The trees He planted are us...we are the cedar, the fir, the palm, etc. and the roles of His various trees, whichever ones we are...are to be His eyes, hands, feet, ears, etc. He plants us where He wants us to be...giving us jobs....as members of His body, His kingdom. [1 Corinthians 12:21-24] The fruits of His various trees are the diversities of gifts, all of the same Spirit, but with different duties, as we have different gifts, as we are different members, as we are different trees in this one body, one kingdom, one garden of God.

Isaiah 60:21 Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified.

61:3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He might be glorified.

Ezekiel 31:8-9 The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him: the fir trees were not like his boughs, and the chestnut trees were not like his branches; nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty. I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches: so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him. ​

We are His planting of righteous trees.

 

[jasoncran]

we are NOT trees, that will bring the erroneous doctrine of serpent seed doctrine.

 

[latterrain]

we are NOT trees, that will bring the erroneous doctrine of serpent seed doctrine.

So...God has literal trees He considers "righteous?" What about the trees in the garden that "envied" which I quoted in the OP? What of....

Isaiah 55:12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.​

Are those literal trees?

 

[jasoncran]

uhm I will let the mods look at this thread. and no they aren't. its called metaphors. in jewish thought there is likely some view and teaching of that since they were an agrarians

 

[Free]

So...God has literal trees He considers "righteous?" What about the trees in the garden that "envied" which I quoted in the OP? What of....

Isaiah 55:12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.​

Are those literal trees?

It's called poetry, so yes, it is speaking of literal trees, not people. You simply cannot take the same word from various passages of Scripture, assume that they all refer to the same thing, and then draw the conclusions you have been. That simply is not how proper biblical exegesis works. You are reading meanings into texts which aren't there, which is eisegesis. You must take verses within their context:

Eze 31:1-11, 18, 1 In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude: "Whom are you like in your greatness? 3 Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches and forest shade, and of towering height, its top among the clouds. 4 The waters nourished it; the deep made it grow tall, making its rivers flow around the place of its planting, sending forth its streams to all the trees of the field. 5 So it towered high above all the trees of the field; its boughs grew large and its branches long from abundant water in its shoots. 6 All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs; under its branches all the beasts of the field gave birth to their young, and under its shadow lived all great nations. 7 It was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches; for its roots went down to abundant waters. 8 The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it, nor the fir trees equal its boughs; neither were the plane trees like its branches; no treein the garden of God was its equal in beauty. 9 I made it beautiful in the mass of its branches, and all the trees of Eden envied it, that were in the garden of God. 10 "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because it towered high and set its top among the clouds, and its heart was proud of its height, 11 I will give it into the hand of a mighty one of the nations. He shall surely deal with it as its wickedness deserves. I have cast it out....18"Whom are you thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? You shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the world below. You shall lie among the uncircumcised,with those who are slain by the sword. "This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, declares the Lord GOD."(ESV)

The whole point of this passage is to foretell the downfall of Egypt, just as Assyria had been destroyed. That is all, nothing more.

 

[Knotical]

Well said, Free.

 

[latterrain]

It's called poetry, so yes, it is speaking of literal trees, not people. You simply cannot take the same word from various passages of Scripture, assume that they all refer to the same thing, and then draw the conclusions you have been. That simply is not how proper biblical exegesis works. You are reading meanings into texts which aren't there, which is eisegesis. You must take verses within their context:

Eze 31:1-11, 18, 1 In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude: "Whom are you like in your greatness? 3 Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches and forest shade, and of towering height, its top among the clouds. 4 The waters nourished it; the deep made it grow tall, making its rivers flow around the place of its planting, sending forth its streams to all the trees of the field. 5 So it towered high above all the trees of the field; its boughs grew large and its branches long from abundant water in its shoots. 6 All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs; under its branches all the beasts of the field gave birth to their young, and under its shadow lived all great nations. 7 It was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches; for its roots went down to abundant waters. 8 The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it, nor the fir trees equal its boughs; neither were the plane trees like its branches; no treein the garden of God was its equal in beauty. 9 I made it beautiful in the mass of its branches, and all the trees of Eden envied it, that were in the garden of God. 10 "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because it towered high and set its top among the clouds, and its heart was proud of its height, 11 I will give it into the hand of a mighty one of the nations. He shall surely deal with it as its wickedness deserves. I have cast it out....18"Whom are you thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? You shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the world below. You shall lie among the uncircumcised,with those who are slain by the sword. "This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, declares the Lord GOD."(ESV)

The whole point of this passage is to foretell the downfall of Egypt, just as Assyria had been destroyed. That is all, nothing more.

I agree, that was the point...however, was the Assyrian in Lebanon a literal tree? No, so the point of my thread is to point out that Biblical trees ARE speaking of people

 

[Messenger]

latterrain

Biblical trees ARE speaking of people

Agree!

Through my studies over many years, I have compiled a list of
different trees mentioned in the Bible and their spiritiual meaning.
Please add any others I may not have caught, or make any needed corrections.

Thanks!

Cedars of Lebanon - true believers (Hosea 14:5; Psalm 92:12, 104:16, 29:5)

Dry Tree - ready to be burned (wood, hay and stuble); tares.
In Ezek. 17:24, like the Publican, the sinner (Luke 18:13), he is made to flourish, as a Green Tree.
Also, a Dry Tree is unable to have any children;
to be childless was reckoned to be a reproach and a curse (Jer. 56:3).

Fig Tree - Israel's religious life

Fir Tree - true believers; the mighty; nobles; church leaders (depending on context).

Green Tree - depending on context. One who is truly saved -OR- one who
is self-righteous (Ezek. 17:24); claims he is right with God, yet he is going to be dried up just like the Fig Tree which typified the nation of Israel.

Low Tree - poor in spirit (Mat. 5:3); has come to God for mercy, recognizing he doesn't deserve salvation.

Myrtle Tree - God's elect saints; the righteous (compared to these trees because of their beauty and sweet fragrant smell; their flourishing in valleys and "watery" places; they are comley through Christ's comeliness, whose grace in them sends forth a sweet smell; whose prayer are odours (Zech. 1:8)

Oaks of Bashan - men of power and authority (Amos 2:9)

Olive Tree - Israel's spiritual life.

Palm Tree - true believers

Sycamore Tree - true believers

 

[Free]

I agree, that was the point...however, was the Assyrian in Lebanon a literal tree? No, so the point of my thread is to point out that Biblical trees ARE speaking of people

You missed my main point. It is a serious exegetical error to think that every use of "tree" in the Bible refers to people simply because in some instances it does refer to people or nations. More often than not, "tree" just means tree. The context will determine the meaning for each instance.

 

[latterrain]

latterrain


Agree!

Through my studies over many years, I have compiled a list of
different trees mentioned in the Bible and their spiritiual meaning.
Please add any others I may not have caught, or make any needed corrections.

Thanks!

Cedars of Lebanon - true believers (Hosea 14:5; Psalm 92:12, 104:16, 29:5)

Dry Tree - ready to be burned (wood, hay and stuble); tares.
In Ezek. 17:24, like the Publican, the sinner (Luke 18:13), he is made to flourish, as a Green Tree.
Also, a Dry Tree is unable to have any children;
to be childless was reckoned to be a reproach and a curse (Jer. 56:3).

Fig Tree - Israel's religious life

Fir Tree - true believers; the mighty; nobles; church leaders (depending on context).

Green Tree - depending on context. One who is truly saved -OR- one who
is self-righteous (Ezek. 17:24); claims he is right with God, yet he is going to be dried up just like the Fig Tree which typified the nation of Israel.

Low Tree - poor in spirit (Mat. 5:3); has come to God for mercy, recognizing he doesn't deserve salvation.

Myrtle Tree - God's elect saints; the righteous (compared to these trees because of their beauty and sweet fragrant smell; their flourishing in valleys and "watery" places; they are comley through Christ's comeliness, whose grace in them sends forth a sweet smell; whose prayer are odours (Zech. 1:8)

Oaks of Bashan - men of power and authority (Amos 2:9)

Olive Tree - Israel's spiritual life.

Palm Tree - true believers

Sycamore Tree - true believers

What a great compilation of...trees!

The olive and fig trees may show a difference in the house of Judah and the house of Israel or...Israel and Gentile nations. I haven't studied it yet but it's in the back of my mind.

As for the palm trees...look at this:

Exodus 15:27 And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.​

Threescore and ten = Seventy palm trees. The number seven used in [7, 70, 700, or 7000,] means "Resurrection; Spiritual completeness; Fathers perfection" - Biblical Numerics. Panin. These seventy palm trees, I believe, are the spiritually perfect number of men, however many He may have, reserved by God to teach. They are, I believe, His prophets and apostles...those the Holy Spirit speaks through.

Romans 11:4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to Myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
​

The twelve wells of waters are the living waters that flow from Christ to Israel (the twelve tribes which today includes all those adopted/grafted in). The living waters flow to Israel, the church, the body of Christ. And the seventy palm trees are given spiritual understanding that allows them to teach.

Revelation 7:17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.​

 

[latterrain]

You missed my main point. It is a serious exegetical error to think that every use of "tree" in the Bible refers to people simply because in some instances it does refer to people or nations. More often than not, "tree" just means tree. The context will determine the meaning for each instance.

This is the passage that first opened my eyes to see spiritually. Before He took me by the hand...I was blind, as was the man here:

Mark 8:23-25 And He took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when He had spit on his eyes, and put His hands upon him, He asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that He put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.​

 

[Rick W]

The context will determine the meaning for each instance.

Of course

Who is being referred to here?

Isa 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
Isa 11:2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;

In other versions of the bible "the stump of Jesse" is used.
How many times does Jesus refer to a "vine" and to "branches"?


Ezekiel speaking about Tyre to the prince of Tyrus.

Eze 28:1 The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,
Eze 28:2 Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God:

Eze 28:7 Behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness.

Strangers - Babylonians

Eze 28:9 Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? but thou shalt be a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee.



Ezekiel speaking to the Pharaoh King of Egypt.

Eze 30:20 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first month, in the seventh day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Eze 30:21 Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and, lo, it shall not be bound up to be healed, to put a roller to bind it, to make it strong to hold the sword.


Pharaoh had attempted to help the King of Assyria against the onslaught of the Babylonians. It didn't work. The Babylonians destroyed the Assyrians never-the-less.

Eze 31:1 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, in the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Eze 31:2 Son of man, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude; Whom art thou like in thy greatness?
Eze 31:3 Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of an high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs.


Assyria was made great by following God.

Eze 31:4 The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants, and sent out her little rivers unto all the trees of the field.
Eze 31:5 Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long because of the multitude of waters, when he shot forth.


"that were in the garden of God, envied him."
Reference to pride in the Garden of Eden, the fall of Adam.

The Assyrian King's pride in what God had done with Assyria claiming himself (the king) to be a god was his downfall. Other nations that became prosperous due to Assyrian greatness envied the Assyrian nation.

Eze 31:8 The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him: the fir trees were not like his boughs, and the chesnut trees were not like his branches; nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty.
Eze 31:9 I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches: so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him.


God uses the Babylonians for judgment against the King.

Eze 31:10 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast lifted up thyself in height, and he hath shot up his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height;
Eze 31:11 I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mighty one of the heathen; he shall surely deal with him: I have driven him out for his wickedness.


Again, God uses "the heathen", the Babylonians to exact His judgment against a prideful King (Pharoah) and the nation.

Eze 31:18 To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the nether parts of the earth: thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord GOD.

Eze 32:11 For thus saith the Lord GOD; The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon thee.
Eze 32:12 By the swords of the mighty will I cause thy multitude to fall, the terrible of the nations, all of them: and they shall spoil the pomp of Egypt, and all the multitude thereof shall be destroyed.




The use of trees in Ezekiel 28 through 32 is completely allegorical.

 

[Rick W]

This is the passage that first opened my eyes to see spiritually. Before He took me by the hand...I was blind, as was the man here:

Mark 8:23-25 And He took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when He had spit on his eyes, and put His hands upon him, He asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that He put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.​

I believe the blind man had bumped into a lot of trees during his blindness. It doesn't allude to anything more than a description of what the man saw, dimly. Men walking upright to the dimmed vision of this blind man would indeed seem like tree trunks the arms of which would appear as branches of a tree. Aren't arms also known as limbs?

Purely descriptive in this case. Nothing more.
"as trees" = "like trees"

 

[latterrain]

I believe the blind man had bumped into a lot of trees during his blindness. It doesn't allude to anything more than a description of what the man saw, dimly. Men walking upright to the dimmed vision of this blind man would indeed seem like tree trunks the arms of which would appear as branches of a tree. Aren't arms also known as limbs?

Purely descriptive in this case. Nothing more.
"as trees" = "like trees"

Thank you for your reply Rick. A literal blind man would certainly bump into many literal trees in his life but what I am given to see (pardon the pun) is the passage teaching us to see spiritually. To see the spiritual meaning of trees being people.

1 Corinthians 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

Colossians 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;​

 

[stovebolts]

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