THE TREE OF LIFE
“THE TREE OF LIFE”
(Rev. 22:2)
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
December 9, 2007; August 9, 2026
This Friday and Saturday, August 7 and 8, we heard the most powerful messages from Brother Keith Miller on Grace and Truth: “…the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ has abounded unto many. (Ro. 5:15).
Eph. 2:8: For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.
Jhn. 1:17: …grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
To quote my friend, Prophetess Dr. Barbara McGraw, “not only was it the most comprehensive biblical presentation, but as the anointing fell in the middle you stopped and prayed for what miraculous healing the Holy Spirit was revealing to you. Unique miracles and very specific. In my 60 years of walking with the LORD, I’ve never seen this.”
Col. 1:6: …which has come to you, as it has also in the world, and in bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth.
Through this extraordinary message, Brother Keith took us through the Rivers of God, the Trees of God, the root system of the trees and Grace and Truth in Christ Jesus, and so much more. Surely he preached us a book.
Prov. 12:3: … the root of the righteous cannot be moved.
Prov. 12:12: …the root of the righteous yields fruit.
Jer. 17:8: For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.
Rev. 22:1-2: And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which BARE TWELVE MANNER OF FRUITS, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
“Fruit is the reproduction of Jesus Christ’s own character and nature in the hearts of His people.” (George H. Warnock)
Psalm 1:1-3: Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, not sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law does he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that BRINGS FORTH ITS FRUIT IN ITS SEASON: Its leaf shall not wither; and whatsoever he does shall prosper.
“This Psalm is the whole program of God! The “Blessed Man is the New man, Jesus the head and we, His body. This Psalm is a panorama that consummates in Revelation 22 and the Tree of Life is a symbol of appropriating divine Life and the River of Life is a symbol of releasing divine Life. The ungodly man is the man of sin and the son of perdition (II Thess.2). The new man is alive forever more and the old man is dead… This is the Psalm of two ways and reveals the two men seen all through the word: Godly seed and serpent seed.” (P.P.T.KellyVarner.)
Ezekiel 47:12: And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed; it shall bring forth new fruit according to its months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.”
It is interesting to note that in Rev. 22 and Ezekiel 47, there is more than one tree. There are trees. Jesus the tree becomes a timber of a forest of life.
Rev. 2: 1-7: “to the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things says He that holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know your works, and your labor, and your patience, and how you cannot bear them which are evil; and you have tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and have found them liars; and have borne, and have patience, and for my name’s sake have labored and have not fainted. Nevertheless, I have somewhat against you because you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly, and will remove your candlestick out of its place, except you repent. But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches; to him that overcomes will I give to eat of the tree of life, which in the midst of the paradise of God.”
“The heavenly state is here described as a paradise. A paradise in a city or a whole city in a paradise. In the first paradise there were only two persons to behold the beauty of it; but in this second paradise whole cities and nations shall find abundant delight and satisfaction.
The river of paradise: Its fountain-head—the throne of God and the Lamb. All our springs of grace, comfort and glory are in God; and all our streams from him are through the Lamb. Its quality pure and clear as crystal. All the streams of earthly comfort are muddy; but these are clear, giving life, to those who drink of them.
This same River flows throughout the Word of God and is the same River mentioned in the book of Revelation. The primary principle is the out-flowing of God, the Living Word. Psalm 36:8-9: They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and you shall make them drink of the river of your pleasure. For with you is the fountain of life… John 4:14: But whosoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. The woman said unto him, Sir give me this water.
Jesus Christ, the Firstborn Son among many brethren, is the reservoir of this divine water. And the Holy Spirit flowing through the Body of Christ, the corporate Son, is the living stream, flowing all the time.
The Tree of Life speaks of the partaking or receiving of divine life, while the River of Life speaks of the out flowing and giving forth of divine life.
The Tree of Life in this paradise: There was such a tree in the earthly paradise. This far excels it. It is situated in the midst of the street, and on either side of the river. This, too, would indicate there is more than one tree. This tree of life is fed by the pure waters of the river that comes from the throne of God. The fruitfulness of this tree, it brings forth many sorts of fruit –twelve sorts. It brings forth fruit at all times—yields it fruit every month. There is always fruit upon it. The fruit is not only pleasant, but wholesome. The presence of God in heaven is the health and happiness of the saints.
We know and have been taught the nine fruits of the Spirit. However, this tree of life will bare twelve manner of fruits. So, I asked the Lord “what are the other three fruits in the twelve?” I studied several opinions. There are plenty to choose from. I drew up a list which is no more conclusive than anyone else’s list: However, until the Lord speaks to me, this list suits me for now:
(1) Love, (2) Joy, (3) Peace, (4) Longsuffering, (5) Gentleness, (6) Goodness (7) Faith, (8) Meekness, (9) Wisdom, (10) Grace, (11) Truth, (12) Mercy.
I believe the twelve fruits for twelve months would be twelve times twelve or 144,000. This is exponential of the Fullness of the Glory of the Lord.
“In this place with the Lord, the saints shall see the face of God. They shall reign with him forever. All this shall be with perfect knowledge and joy, walking in the light of the Lord; and this not for a time, but for ever and ever” (Matthew Henry).
‘In the lifelong process of seeking to walk with God there is of necessity a going back to first principles where we have let them slip away. God remembers our “first love” and he always seeks to bring us back to that…He wants to bring us to a place where we “delight ourselves in the Lord (Isa. 58:14; Psa. 37:4) and nothing else…”
“Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them…” But we should learn more about the Good Tree and the Good Fruit as we see it in Jesus, or we will never know the good fruit from the bad… We will never know what is Spirit and what is flesh…We will never know what is Truth and what is error… We will never know what is “figs and grapes,” and what is “thorns and thistles.”
We must learn from Him or the church will never be able to heal the nations. It was bad fruit when they wanted to call fire down from heaven upon those wicked Samaritans who rejected Jesus. He told them they were motivated by a wrong spirit, to suggest things like that (Lk.9:55).
It was a sign of “bad fruit: when they sent the mothers and their children away, while they were so busy “managing” the crusade of the great prophet of God. (Mk. 10:14, 16).
They were slow to comprehend that the Son, who was fully approved of the Father, must confront the people with the Truth and the Grace of the gospel...and then die on a Cross, as their true Passover Lamb. And that out from these acts of obedience, much good fruit would come forth.
God said to His people of old, “Israel is an empty vine; he brings forth fruit unto himself” (Hos. 10:1). The Gardener looks down from heaven and sees the fruits of human achievement, where men are glorifying themselves rather than the Lord. Israel went his own way, doing his own thing, bringing forth fruit for his own glory. And “according to the multitude of his fruit he has increased the (idolatrous) altars” (Hos. 10:1) (George H. Warnock).
Genesis 2:17: But of every tree of the garden, you may freely eat but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it, for in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die.
Knowledge puffs up. One’s knowledge and discernment springs forth from a love relationship with God. Unless we have this love relationship like Jesus had with the Father, we will not eat of the “Tree of Life which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” Before Jesus did any mighty works, there came a voice from heaven saying: “This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” All the wonderful works Jesus performed were not the cause of the Father’s approval but the result of it.
The Lord is calling His Church to a higher realm of Love. All the gifts of the Holy Spirit operate through Love. The Apostle Paul prayed for the Philippians that they would pursue a higher realm of judgment: “that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment (or discernment)’ (Phil. 1:9). He is talking about “the fruit” of discernment, a knowledge and discernment that springs from one’s love relationship with God. Unless we have this love relationship, we will not eat of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
I want your love to increase more and more, so that out of a heart of love…love for God and for God’s people…your knowledge and discernment will be pure and will spring from a pure heart. “That you may approve those things that are excellent” in His sight, then we will be enlightened to walk as the Blessed man. We cannot discern the evil, except we know what is good. We do not walk in the light by searching out the realms of darkness.
Then as we abide in Love and know what pleases the heart of God…” good fruit” is the end result. We will become those trees of righteousness planted by the River of Life bearing all manner of fruits. God is looking for fruits of righteousness. When we understand that Christ alone is our righteousness”, then more and more must we confine ourselves to Him.”
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries Church. 10115 West Hidden Lakes Lane, Richmond, TX,
I entered into the labors of Matthew Henry, George H. Warnock, and Kelly Varner. Scripture is from the King James Bible.