17. The Tree of Life
The dominant view of the tree of life in the early twentieth century was that it was a sacramental sign. Kuyper feels that this view is weak. To understand the significance of the tree we need to move from what is known to what is unknown. And nothing is mentioned about it being a sacrament.
There were two trees: a duality; an is also according to Kuyper a duality: soul and body. The two trees correspond to intellectual consciousness and moral knowledge. The tree of life has to do with our physical not our spiritual existence. It is the tree of knowledge that has spiritual significance. All the other trees in the garden Adam was permitted to eat, they were for the physical nourishment of his body.
The tree of life will be common on the new earth - “spiritual salvation will be fully accomplished” (164)
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