Isaiah 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.”
In this delightful chapter which contains so many references to the future of the saints in the coming age, we have in verse 10 the salvation of the High Priest who clothes himself in the priestly garments; and then in verse 3 those who “mourn in Zion” are clothed upon with the “garments of praise” as they exchange the filthy garments (“ashes”) of flesh for the priestly garments of immortality (compare “beauty” in vs. 3, with “ornaments” in vs. 10, and “bonnets” in Ex. 39:28). In verse 2 we find a reference to our year of Jubilee when our Redeemer will return and redeem the Land from foreign ownership and will redeem, or free, his people from the power of sin (compare Lev. 25:10).
In verse 11 we are told the earth will bring forth her “bud”, sprout or branch –the same word as used in the phrase “Behold the man whose name is the Branch,” and we find the same word in the final phrase “the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth (branch) before all the nations” which can only refer to that time when the “truth shall spring out (branch) of the earth” (Psa. 85:11) which is a reference to the faithful receiving the gift of immortality at the judgment seat.
In this context, then, we find stated the whole purpose of God in verse 3: “that they (the saints) might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.”
In the RSV “trees” is rendered “oaks.” In the other 6 places this word is used in the Authorized of the Old Testament it is rendered twice as “trees”, once as “oaks” and four times as “mighty” or “mighty men.” The root word means strength, anything strong: an oak or other strong tree. And so we could literally render the passage “mighty men of righteousness, the planting of the LORD that he might be glorified.”
Here is our goal: here is the purpose of our existence, that we may so reflect the character of our God that He is manifest in flesh and we, therefore, may become trees of righteousness — mighty men of righteousness, kept and preserved by our God and shining forth in newness of life in the kingdom.
In Psalm 1:3 brethren and sisters in Christ in the kingdom — mighty ones of righteousness — are likened to “a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf shall not wither (mg. “fade”) ; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”
If “his leaf shall not wither or fade” it will always be green and so we find in the Old Testament a number of references to trees which are evergreen (Note: evergreen!) and are therefore typical of the saints in the kingdom.
Hence the reason for the predominance of Green in God’s earthly creation. Particularly in the Springtime, which is so typical of the resurrection, when new life is sprouting forth from the earth on every side and reclothing the earth with a mantle of green. Every way we turn in our daily lives, God is reminding us that we are offered the hope of becoming evergreen!
In a revealing comment on “the great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindred’s, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes and palms in their hands” (Rev. 7:9) Bro. Thomas writes in Eureka, Vol. II, page 340 of the Dawn 1959 edition: “These palm-bearing Elohim are the goodly trees, the palm trees, the fig trees, and the willows of the brook, the Trees of Righteousness, whose leaves are unfading; ‘the planting of Yahweh’ on either side of the pure river of water of life clear as crystal; the Great Forest Of Evergreens filling the earth with their perfume to the glory of His Name.”
In Psa. 92:12 we read: “the righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon” and in verse 1-i: “They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing.” Later we shall see the significance of the palm, the willow and the cedar as types of the saints in the Kingdom.
“Flourishing” in this passage comes from a root: to be green. In fact, the RV and RSV render this “they shall be full of sap and green.” The word for “green” is used 18 times in the Old Testament and in the AV 16 times it is translated “green.” The interested reader might like to follow this up in passages such as Psa. 37:35 where a green bay tree” is one flourishing in its native soil; or Psa. 52:8 where the Psalmist writes he is “like a green olive tree in the house of God” — another tree we shall look at later.
Final proof that trees represent people is found in passages like Isa. 65:22: as the days of a tree are the days of my people,” Prov. 11:28 “the righteous shall flourish as a branch” — literally as a leaf. Every Christadelphian knows Jer. 17:9 “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked”; but how many know the significant and inspirational previous verse: “For he (the man “who trusts in the LORD”) shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh but her leaf (same word as “branch” in Prov. 11:28 above) shall be Green.”
Evergreen Trees:
Now let us consider the individual trees, beginning with one we have not yet mentioned, the myrtle:
Isa. 55:13: “Instead of the thorn shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
the myrtle . . . shall be . . . for an Everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. This is because the myrtle is an evergreen. But first the opposite, the brier: really a stinging nettle, coming from a root meaning to burn — the truth of which anyone who has ever been nettled by touching a stinging nettle will testify to!
The brier was a small perennial bush with a strong, disagreeable smell. It was a plant worthless either as forage or fuel It had only one useful purpose: brooms made of its green stems with their leaves, were used to sweep the floors of native houses and help get rid of the fleas which adhere to the slime which covers the plant. The prophet Ezekiel was warned by God not to be afraid of natural Israel compared to “briers, thorns and scorpions” in Ezek. 2:6. In the New Testament those who fall away from “the principles and doctrines of Christ” in Heb. 6:7-8 are also branded as “that which beareth thorns and briers (RV thistles”) is rejected and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.”
The opposite to the brier is the myrtle, both found side by side on the bare hillsides of Palestine. The myrtle is an evergreen shrub from 3′ to 4′ high. It flourished from sea-level to an altitude of 4000′ and was particularly abundant on the southernmost range of Lebanon. In stark contrast to the brier it had a delicious fragrance, beautiful foliage, exquisite flowers and edible fruit. The myrtle is symbolical of peace and restoration and it is significant that in Esther 2:7 Esther’s Jewish name, Hadassah, means Myrtle. She was the symbol of peace and restoration to natural Israel, in contrast to the king’s first wife, Vashti, meaning “beautiful woman” — a woman typical of the outward beauty only of the flesh; a woman who rejected the king’s command.
The Fir:
This tree grew with the cedar in Lebanon and was used along with the cedar for the woodwork of Solomon’s temple. It was next in size to the cedar and often found with it in scripture. The Septuagint commonly renders it by cypress but also by pine and juniper — all of which trees belong to the coniferous or pine family, and are Ever-Green. The fir is another symbolic tree of righteousness and we find others in the following two passages:
Isa 60:13: “The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious.”
Isa 41:19: “I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together.”
The Pine:
This is found only in these two passages. In Isa. 41:19 the RSV and RV margin have “plane”; in Isa. 60:13 the RSV “plane.” Rotherham has “holm-oak” in both passages. Hastings Dictionary of the Bible says there is nothing in the etymology to indicate the tree intended. The original is “tidhar” and it means enduring, a species of a hard-wood or lasting tree; a firm, enduring tree—another Evergreen.
The Box:
Again, found only in these two passages. In Isa. 41:19 the RV mg, RSV and Rotherham have “cypress,” “pine” and “sherbin-cedar” in that order. This is a species of cedar growing in Lebanon. It comes from a prime root: to be straight, tall and erect. Another Evergreen
We come now to a consideration of the 7 trees in Isa. 41:19. It is no accident that there are precisely 7!
The Cedar
From a prime root: to be firm, hence the tenacity of the roots. The timber is indestructible by dry-rot or borers; it is solid to the heart, fragrant, of a pleasing color and one of the most durable of woods. Pliny says the cedar roof of the temple of Diana at Ephesus lasted 400 years. That of the temple of Apollo at Uttca lasted 1170 years. Another Evergreen.
It was king of the trees, placed at the head of the vegetable kingdom by Solomon in 1 Kgs. 4:33: “He spoke of trees, from the cedar trees that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall.” Psa. 104:16 the cedar is called ‘trees of the Lord.”
The cedar is the perfect symbol of an immortal being: a tree which is endurable, solid to the heart, firm and tenacious in its root structure, indestructible by dry-rot, fragrant and pleasing to look upon, lasting over 1000 years, the king of trees entitled “trees of the LORD” in association with the glory of Lebanon!
An interesting side note is that cloud or drifting fog is frequent at the canopy level of vegetation, as in the redwood forests of California. With clouds of small droplets that would otherwise not precipitate, the vegetation can act as a comb against whose teeth the droplets impinge, so collecting into larger drops that drip or trickle to the ground. The ancient cedars of Lebanon were reputedly so nourished, but once cut down, the precipitation was lost and they could not regenerate. (Encyl. Britannica).
The Shittah
This is the acacia, as translated in RV, RSV and Rotherham. It is covered with black, scourging thorns and has blackish pods; the heart wood is brown — almost black. The wood is exceedingly hard and when old resembles ebony. It is the “shittim wood” of the tabernacle and its furnishings. It is the symbol of Flesh. A careful reading of Exodus, chapters 25 to 30 will bring home one of the lessons of the Tabernacle: acacia, or shittim wood covered by gold represents flesh covered by a tried faith. We could set out the furnishings of the tabernacle as follows, for emphasis:
The Ark, and staves: of shittim wood, overlaid with gold
The Table of Shewbread, and stave: of shittim wood, overlaid with gold
The Incense Altar, and staves: of shittim wood, overlaid with gold
The Boards of the Tabernacle: of shittim wood, overlaid with gold
The Bars of the Tabernacle: of shittim wood, overlaid with gold
The Door Posts of the Tabernacle: of shittim wood, overlaid with gold
Flesh is abhorrent to God; the only way that God can dwell amongst his people is for flesh to be covered in his sight and this is accomplished by baptism into the saving name of his Son as a result of faith, thereby righteousness to the individual.
The Oil Tree
The Hebrew is ets shemen; literally: a tree of oil. Authorities differ as to just what tree this was. The RSV has “olive,” Rotherham “oleaster” and in Neh. 8:15 the same word is translated ‘pine.” She-men comes from a prime root to be oily or gross, to shine or to be FAT. It is the common word for oil used with the offerings and for ointment. Gesenius says it is not the olive tree because the two are used together in the same verse in Neh. 8:15, nor is it the wild olive but the oleaster. The oil tree was used to make cherubim in Solomon’s temple (1 Kgs. 6:23, 26: mg. ‘oily” or “trees of oil”). Hastings Dictionary of the Bible argues it is not the wild olive, nor the oleaster, but the FAT-WOOD tree, of the genus Pinus and includes all resinous trees of Palestine and Syrian, especially the Pines.
The tree of oil was very fruitful, thus, with its fat, it is the emblem of Fruitfulness and Fertility.
We come, then, to a summary of the trees of Isa. 41:19:
In the Kingdom, planted in the wilderness of the earth, will be 7 Trees of Righteousness — the number of Divine perfection and completion. 5 of these are Evergreens — no accident: the number of Divine grace. These are the cedar, fir, pine, box, myrtle.
The two other trees (shittah and oil tree) represent flesh with its divine potential of immortality when covered by a tried faith, and then productive and fruitful, giving glory to the LORD.
We have, also, a description of an immortal being: a Tree — a Mighty Man:
Enduring, indestructible, with tenacious roots, straight, tall and erect, of sound heart, of pleasing color and beautiful to look upon, sweet-smelling, exquisite fruit or flowers (the character of our God !), shining in light, and fruitful (propagating the gospel) — the “planting of the LORD that he might be glorified.”
The Feast of Tabernacles
This brings us to a brief consideration of the trees used to construct the booths in which the Israelites dwelt to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. In Leviticus 23 everything about this feast is typical of the Kingdom but we can take space to consider only a few items. The three annual feasts, which were “feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations” were a parable of redemption by resurrection. The earth’s harvest to be gathered in three stages answering to the three feasts.
The last of the feasts was that of tabernacles (sukkah = covering, booth). It was an ingathering “when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land” (Lev. 23:39), a type of the final harvest of life eternal. The feast of tabernacles was introduced on the first day of the 7th month with a “memorial of blowing of trumpets,” vs. 24; on the 10th day (twice the number of Divine grace and the number of ordinal perfection) of the 7th month was the extremely significant day of atonement. And then the feast itself began on the 15th day (10: ordinal perfection, plus 5, grace; or 3 x 5 specifically referring to acts wrought by the energy of Divine grace; see Bullinger’s “Numbers in Scripture”). The 15th day was also the day of Christ’s resurrection. In the feast of Tabernacles it marks the gift of immortality at the great ingathering of the final day of the LORD, of the 7th month and continued for 7 days.
The feast began on the first day with the building of booths to dwell in; the Israelites were to use “boughs of goodly trees,” vs .40. Nehemiah re instituted the feast of tabernacles and we find the record in:
Neh. 6:15: “Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.”
“Thick” trees (RSV “leafy”) means trees which are dense, intertwined, from a prime root to interlace. “Pine” branches are the leaves of the oil tree which we have already considered, the symbol of fruitfulness and fertility. It was a tree with dense foliage admirable for the building booths or tabernacles. The myrtle is the same as in Isaiah.
The Palm Tree
From a root to stand erect; the date palm. Hebrew is “tamar.”
It is a tall, straight, upright tree, lofty and graceful with foliage cresting at the top. The “branches” are not as such, but great leaves often 6-12′ in length. The trunk is light, exceedingly strong and flexible, and will not break even in the fiercest gales. It attains a great age: 100-200 years. Produces fruit in great abundance, often producing for 100 years; even the stony seeds are ground for camel feed. Also an ornamental tree.
As an interesting side-note, we read in Gen. 38 of Judah going in unto his daughter-in-law, Tamar (palm tree), who was disguised as an harlot, and the resultant birth of Pharez and Zarah, all three of whom are listed in Matthew’s genealogy of Christ. Zarah means Bringer of Light and he was the one who had the scarlet thread bound about his hand; scarlet, of course, representing salvation through the blood of the Lamb. Can we say the Palm Tree brought forth the Bringer of Life who preferred Salvation ? The reader is left to delve into this intriguing little side issue.
The palm was regarded by Greeks and Romans as peculiarly characteristic of Palestine. In fact, a coin s:ruck at Rome to commemorate the capture of Jerusalem represented as a woman sitting disconsolately under a dale palm. Because of its ever-green foliage and wealth of fruit, the righteous are compared to the palm: the righteous s’:all flourish like the palm tree; he shall grow a cedar in Lebanon” Psa. 92: 12). A week before the crucifixion, as Christ rode into Jerusalem on the foal of an ass in fulfillment of Zech. 9:9 the disciples thought he was coming to establish himself as King, and so they strewed the streets before him with palm branches. The Palm — the symbol of Victory.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One