135. After this they took the piece of paper and read the third topic for discussion, namely, what the tree of life symbolizes, what the tree of the knowledge of good and evil symbolizes, and what eating from them means. And they all asked the people on the east to explain this mystery, because it required a deeper understanding, and people who come from the east have a flaming light, that is to say, a wisdom that comes of love, which is the wisdom meant by the garden in Eden in which the two trees were placed.

The people on the east, then, replied, "We will speak. But because no one acquires anything from himself but from the Lord, we will speak from Him, though it will still seem to come from us as though it originated with us."

Then they said, "A tree symbolizes a person; and its fruit, goodness of life. The tree of life therefore symbolizes a person living from God, or God living in the person. And because love and wisdom and charity and faith or good and truth constitute the life of God in a person, the tree of life symbolizes these qualities, from which a person has eternal life. The tree of life which people will be given to eat from, in the book of Revelation, has a similar symbolism (Revelation 2:7, 22:2,14).

[2] "The tree of the knowledge of good and evil symbolizes a person believing that he lives on his own and not from God, thus that the love and wisdom, charity and faith, or good and truth in the person are his and not God's - believing this because he thinks and wills, and speaks and acts, in all likeness and appearance as if on his own. Because a person with this belief comes into the persuasion that God has introduced Himself or infused His Divinity into him, therefore the serpent said:

...God knows that in the day you eat (of the fruit of the tree) your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. (Genesis 3:5)

[3] "Eating from the two trees symbolizes acquisition and assimilation. Eating from the tree of life symbolizes acquisition of eternal life, and eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil symbolizes acquisition of damnation. Therefore Adam and his wife were both cursed along with the serpent. The serpent means the devil in respect to self-love and pride in its own intelligence. This love takes possession of the tree, and people who are caught up in pride as a result of that love are the trees it possesses.

"People fall into an enormous error, therefore, who believe that Adam was wise and did good from his own nature, and that this was his state of integrity, when Adam himself was cursed for precisely that belief. For this is what is symbolized by his eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. That was why he then fell from his state of integrity, which he had had as a result of his believing that he was wise and did good from God and not from himself, for that is what is meant by his eating from the tree of life.

"The Lord alone, when He was in the world, was wise of Himself and did good of Himself, because the Divine itself was in Him and was His from birth. Consequently He also became Redeemer and Savior by His own power."

[4] On the basis of these remarks and explanations, the people formed the following conclusion:

"The tree of life, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and eating from them," they said, "symbolize that the source of life for man is to have God in him, and that he then gains heaven and eternal life. On the other hand, the source of death for man is the persuasion and belief that the source of life for man is not God but himself, on which account he gains hell and eternal death, which is damnation."

8309. 'In Your strength You have brought them to the dwelling-place of Your holiness' means that the Lord's Divine power has raised them to heaven, to the Divine there. This is clear from the meaning of 'leading in strength', when used in reference to being raised into heaven by the Lord, as being raised by Divine power, 'strength' meaning power, as is self-evident; and from the meaning of 'the dwelling-place of holiness' as heaven, where the Divine is. For holiness is an attribute of the Divine Truth that emanates from the Lord, 8302, and this Divine Truth makes heaven.

[2] The truth that Jehovah's or the Lord's 'dwelling-place' is heaven, and also good, because good has heaven within it, is clear from the following places: In Moses,

Look from the dwelling-place of Your holiness, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel. ¹ Deuteronomy 26:15

In Isaiah,

Look out from heaven, and see from the dwelling-place of [Your] holiness and of Your glory. Isaiah 63:15.

In David,

Surely I will not give sleep to my eyes, until I find a place for Jehovah, the dwelling-places for the Mighty One of Jacob Behold, we heard of Him in Ephrathah; we found Him in the fields of the wood. We will enter His dwelling-places. Psalms 132:4-7.

[3] The truth that Jehovah's, that is, the Lord's, 'dwelling-place' is within good may be seen in Zechariah,

Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Zion! Behold I am coming in order that I may dwell in Your midst. Many nations will cling to Jehovah on that day and will be My people; for I will dwell in you. Zechariah 2:10-11.

And in Ezekiel,

I will set My sanctuary in their midst forever, so will My dwelling-place be among them. Ezekiel 37:26-27.

'Sanctuary' is where Divine Truth having Divine Good within it resides.

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