Introduction
Luke 23:43 is used by some as a proof-text for heaven-going:
And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise. Luke 23:43 (KJV)
In this article, we will present an explanation of Jesus’ words as they are represented in standard versions; it is not our intention to discuss any issues to do with the Greek.[1]
Garden of Eden
In the Garden of Eden there were two trees. One was appealing – the tree of knowledge – and one seemingly not so – the tree of life. Woman and man chose the tree of knowledge in preference to the tree of life, and so died (with knowledge). They put their quest for knowledge above their desire for life, and then realised too late that they had made the wrong choice. History repeats itself. People today continue to pursue the tree of knowledge above the tree of life. Today they have a lot of knowledge of things that are evil as well as good. The tree of knowledge seems highly appealing in a variety of ways. People today also realize that they have made the wrong choice in their lives, but often too late to do anything about it. From the present global civilization to the civilizations of the past, knowledge has been valued by man more that the way to the tree of life. Nothing has changed – except that the place of living is not as beautiful as the Garden of Eden.
The tree of life is more accurately translated as the ‘tree of the living’ (Gen 2:9; 3:22). The ‘tree of the living’ emphasizes the contrast with the tree of death, which masquerades under the appealing title of ‘tree of knowledge’. There seems to be a choice that all must make. We either choose knowledge or we choose life. One will need wisdom if one is to choose the tree of life.
Proverbs picks up this theme. Wisdom is a tree of life (Prov 3:18) and all should try and grasp it. By this wisdom the righteous produce fruit, which is a tree of life to them (Prov 11:30). One way for this is the right use of the tongue for healing (Prov 15:4). Once the longing of the righteous is fulfilled, this too is like a tree of life (Prov 15:4). The book of Revelation takes up the story. Those who overcome their spiritual challenges will be allowed to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God (Rev 2:7; 22:14, 19). Paradise is evidently to be restored, and the tree of life re-planted. We read of the trees of life on either side of a river (Rev 22:2; Ezek 47:12). This is a time of fellowship with God and Jesus and a time when there will no longer be any curse – the curse that originated in the original garden has been removed.
The Hebrew word for tree means ‘tree, trees or wood’. This indicates we are able to draw links between passages that at first sight are not connected. Take sacrifices. The ingredient of all sacrifices is wood. Wood is the same word as tree. Without a tree (or wood), the sacrifice cannot be offered to God. So the tree enables forgiveness of sins to be achieved and the burnt offering to be dedicated acceptably to God. Cedar wood (the cedar tree) was part of the sacrifice for the healing of those suffering from leprosy (Lev 14:4) and contact with the dead (Num 19:6). We see how a tree is used in the ceremonies of the Law to counter the effects of sin and death. This fits in with the concept of the tree of life.
An incidental example of the theme of ‘trees’ and ‘life’ is found in the story of Rahab who hid the spies under the ‘stalks’ or ‘wood’ of flax (Josh 2:6). We are told that the ‘wood’ of the flax was ‘set in order’ in the roof. This is the same word used to describe the setting in order of the wood on the altar of sacrifice. The presence of the spies among the wood is analogous Rahab making an offering in a sacrifice. The ‘offering’ of the spies resulted in the sparing of the life of Rahab and her family. The tree (or wood) is again associated with life.
Tabernacle and Temple
The tabernacle and the temple were made extensively from wood (trees) and both places are about giving life to the people. These were dwelling places for God and they mirror the original fellowship between God and man in Eden.
Trees are a feature of the temple of Solomon. The rooms of the temple were covered with cedar beams and boards, and planks of fir. There were carved figures of open flowers and palm trees. The doors were of olive trees. There were cedar beams in the court and posts of olive tree (1 Kgs 6:9f), and many trees were used in its construction (2 Chron 2:8, 3:5). In the case of the tabernacle, the boards of the tabernacle are a more abstract representation of the same typology of trees (Exod 26:15f).
The Feast of Tabernacles also seems to draw on the Garden of Eden. During the feast, the people of Israel were told to live in a temporary wooden house constructed of different types of wood (trees) called a ‘booth’. So the feast was literally (in the Hebrew) the Feast of Booths. These booths contained a variety of branches from different types of trees (Lev 23:40; Neh 8:15-16). It was a tree ‘house’ in the sense of being a house of trees, a dwelling among trees. It was a time of rejoicing and a time for eating fruit. All these features remind us of the orchard in Eden. The Feast of Booths pointed forward to God’s kingdom where there would be life, plenty, and enjoyment in Paradise.
Tree of Life
All these observations draw us to the fact that the ‘tree’ is associated with life and the living. The tree which was erected outside Jerusalem, to which Jesus was impaled (Acts 5:30; 10:39), was a ‘tree of the living’ (in Greek the word for ‘tree’ is the same as the ‘wood’ derived from it). There were trees either side bearing the bodies of thieves. One robber saw Jesus on a tree of death and, confident of his own knowledge, he ridiculed Jesus as a dead man. The other robber saw Jesus on a tree of life. In his realization, he saw that Jesus did not deserve a tree of death and that Jesus would have a kingdom. He saw a possibility for his own life through Jesus, and he was granted his request.
And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise. Luke 23:43 (KJV)
The tree of the living in the Garden of Eden was represented in type by the cross and this would shortly make the place where Jesus was crucified a type of Eden, i.e. Paradise. The thief took of the tree of life and ate its fruit. He found life everlasting. All who come to Jesus in true faith will not be disappointed. The other thief refused to eat and was associated only with his tree of death.
Waters
Man saw a destroyed body on a tree of death. God saw a righteous man, like a tree planted by the waters. God saw what man could not see – a tree of life – of which he could eat and live forever.
The Garden of Eden had two main components[2] – trees, of which the tree of life was the most important, and waters which became rivers flowing from the garden. The significant thing about the rivers was that they had their origin in Eden and flowed outwards. Eden was a source of water which gave life to that which would sprout forth from the earth. In Christ’s death, we have these two components of Eden. We have the tree of life, but there was also the flow of water, which came out of his body as the spear pierced his side (John 19:34; Rev 22:1). This flow of water parallels the flow of water from the garden.
So, in Christ’s death, we have the key components of the Garden of Eden (Paradise). This typology is indicated by Jesus’ own prediction on the cross. He said to the thief “you will be with me in paradise”. When Jesus died, the waters of life flowed from his side and thus Eden was then portrayed in type. In his own death, Jesus was showing that Eden would be restored in the kingdom (as shown in Revelation).
The water coming from the side of Jesus is like the water of life. In the prophecies of the future, this water flows from the threshold of the house (Ezek 47:1) and comes from the throne itself (Rev 22:1). In other words, the water comes from the king. This is what we have seen with the water flowing from the Christ. In the prophecies, the water then flows outwards, giving life to the trees and healing from the leaves. This is the work of Christ to provide healing to the nations. A time will be established like the time of the original Eden (or the tabernacle/temple), when there is blessed fellowship with God and a time of bounty. This is the purpose of Eden, for Eden means ‘delight’.
Conclusion
In this article, we have offered an explanation of the puzzling words of Christ to the thief on the cross. Rather than explain Christ’s assurance in terms of something said on the day about the thief’s participation in the future kingdom, we have shown how the words are about the day of Christ’s death on which Eden (Paradise) was portrayed in type by the Tree of Life (the cross) and the waters that flowed from Jesus’ side.
[1] Some explanations have recourse to the Greek to position the comma after the ‘Today’—this is not our concern.
[2] [Ed. AP]: It is possible to add a third in the idea of the presence of God which was signified in the darkness that overshadowed the place where Jesus died.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One