Human Nature in it’s Fourth Estate

The Tree of Life

Professor: Dr. R.J. Rushdoony

Subject: Psychology

Genre: Lecture

Track: 42

Dictation Name: RR131X43

Location/Venue: ________

Year: 1960’s-1970’s.

Let us pray. Almighty God our heavenly Father who of thy grace and mercy hath made us a people unto thee, we give thanks unto Thee for our blessings. We thank thee our Father that we live move and have our being in Thee, who art the all knowing, all wise, omnipotent Creator. And so our Father, in this confidence we come into thy presence, we pray for Thy blessings upon us in the year ahead. We pray for thy blessing and delivering hand upon thy suffering saints behind the iron curtain, and in all parts of the world where thy word is suppressed. We thank thee our God that we have the bless assurance that in all these things Thou art working to bring forth greater good unto thy people, and in the confidence of thy victory we come to thee, to praise Thee as we ought. To rejoice in Thy gifts, and to open wide our mouths that Thou mightest fill them. Bless us in Thy service, in Jesus name, Amen.

Our scripture is Revelations 22 verses 1 and 2. “The Tree of Life.” Revelations 22 verses 1 and 2. The tree of life.

“And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”

Last week we began our study of the state of glory, and our text was the third verse of this chapter “and there shall be no more curse but the throne of God and of the lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him.” And we saw that in the state of glory man works, but he finds himself without the frustration of sin and death in his work. Now, we also saw at the same time that the curse is removed. The symbol of the curse is the cross. It is also the symbol of Christ as the Tree of Life. It is a curse, the cross is, to those who are outside of Christ and it is the tree of life to those who are in Christ. Now we shall see more this morning on the meaning of the Tree of Life.

The tree of life we saw in the garden of eden and again in the new Jerusalem in the New Creation. It has very important imlications for the dictrine of man. Very obviously what we ahve here is symbolism. We have the river of the water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and the Lamb. This is a picture which we meet first of all in the latter chapters of Ezekiel where we are told it proceeds out of the throne of God. Out of the altar of God, that is, out of the atoning work of Christ.

And here with the saints fully gathered together it proceeds from the throne, from the accomplished and fulfilled work of God. It proceeds from God who is the author of God and from Christ our redeemer. It goes down the street in the midst of the street, and we are told that on either side of the river was there the tree of life. Now as I indicated, this is symbolism, it is spoken of as one tree; Jesus Christ. And yet it is many trees, a whole forest of trees because it is on either side of the river, everywhere! It is in a city, the new Jerusalem which however is also a garden. We are told in the 21’st chapter verses 12 through 21, Jerusalem is a walled city. Walls indicated protection, security. So that the symbolism of the walls signifies the perfect security. On the other hand it is open like a garden, and the walls are not necessary, they serve an ornamental purpose... we are given a long account of how the walls of the city in their foundations and in their structure where garnished, we are told, with all manner of precious stones, so that the security and the peace is such, this symbolism indicates, that all the treasures of the new Jerusalem, of the new creation can be displayed on the walls thereof openly.

There is no theft, there is no sin, there is perfect peace and security. No enemy to threaten. Moreover we are told that the tree of life or the trees, the forest, of light bears twelve manners of fruits and yielded her fruits every month. Now the word twelve here, the number twelve, very obviously refers to the twelve months of the year, and just as obviously to the twelve tribes of Israel. That is, to the fulness of time, and to the fulness of the people of God.

It therefore means that the people of God, out of every tribe, tongue, and nation, and every age of history, as they are gathered together in the new Creation are all present, totally nourished, and totally productive. A great Doctor Schilder said of this verse, and I quote “we may interpret Revelations 22:2 in the broadest sense. When the tree of life gives it’s fruit from month to month, scripture means that all living things will enjoy such regularity. Promised and fulfillment will have become one. Indeed, the very word promise and fulfilment will fade away. There is no longer a possibility of promise when fulfilment is rich and full. Thus the glory of the fulfilled covenant with nature is one of the foundation stones upon which heaven rests. All that which was created blossoms full in the the son of God’s righteousness.” Unquote.

The meaning of this symbolism thus is, that the in the new creation promise and fulfilment are one. Potentiality and actuality are one. We commented on this a couple years back when we dealt with this chapter in our study of Revelations, and so it’s meaning should be familiar to you. It means that because in this world there is a great gap between potentiality and actuality, because of sin and because of death man cannot here fully realize his potentiality. He forever has frustration. No matter how much a man does that which he wants to do, there is a gap between his potentiality and his actuality, between that which he can accomplish in terms of that within him, and that which he does. But the light of the new creation means a full and continuous fruition. We are always and continuously realizing all our potentiality. I said last time that there would be very few harvests in the new creation, because there are relatively few in this world. But it does mean that those potentialities we have here, which we may not have realized, or developed, or had the opportunity to develop, we will then realize to perfection. The harpist here will be a harpist beyond to compare there. The singer here will have a voice fully realizing all that they had the potentiality of realizing in the new creation. And those of us who have not perhaps ever had the opportunity to develop our potentialities will find ourselves fully ourselves, realizing all those things throughout all eternity that are dimly hidden and unrealized in this world.

Now with God, potentiality and actuality are always one. There are hidden potentialities in us, unrealized talents in every one of us. There is no such unrealized talent or potentiality in God. God is totally himself, totally self conscious, he knows himself perfectly and absolutely. And is in all things that he does fully himself.. this is why because God is omniscient and omnipotent, he speaks infallibly. What he declares he performs, what he does is perfect. God’s words and works are of necessity infallible, omniscient, and perfect.

Now man, created in God’s image, is a finite and created. Whereas, God is infinite and uncreated. But in this finite, created sense, man does not realize the oneness in himself of potentiality and actuality. In the new creation because he has been grafted into Christ the tree of life he forever realizes himself, he forever finds full fruition, full realization.

Some might ask and have asked at times, how can a man in such a state be productive? eternally realizing himself! But the fact is in God, potentiality and actuality are one and the same. It does not limit God, it makes him truly God! In us it will make us truly man, what we have been created to be. The closer we come to realizing our potentiality the more productive we are. It is the artist that is most fully able to realize his talents who most fully is able to perform always! It is the architect, or the doctor, or the mechanic who is most able to realize his potentiality that is always the most productive.

And thus it is that in the New Creation when we most fully, perfectly realize ourselves that we are the most productive. But the new creation is not a stagnant world. It is a world forever renewed, that is why it is called a new creation! New in quality, new in nature. Because it is forever productive, forever refreshed, it is a spring that is forever bubbling up that has clean pure waters that is never stagnant.

The verse continues to say “and  the leaves of the trees were for the healing of the nations.” In Revelations 21:26 “and they shall bring the glory of the nations into it, into the new Jerusalem.” Doctor Schilder comments on this aspect declaring, and I quote “the universality of this covenant requires that not one race or people be left out. Yet during the old Testament times there was one nation singled out of the many as the chosen people, such separation was but an {?} inference. We may look upon the covenant as then on march toward fulfilment, towards times when all nations from the uttermost parts of the earth would belong to the covenant.

So also we read in Revelations 22 verse 2, that the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nation. And we see therein the beautiful fulfilment of the covenant of grace. Throughout the centuries the healing power of the tree of life has been active. Bringing the heathen to repentance and sanctifying their lives. Universality was evident even before Abraham, it was never wholly lacking during the time between Abraham and Christ, it strove toward fulfilment at Pentecost, and it reaches it’s glorious fulfilment in the New Jerusalem. End of quote.

What this verse means then is this. The nations, the various races and peoples, as we meet them without Christ, are nothing. GO back through the pages of history, and if you meet, for example, peoples to later became so great in history, you find that in origin they were indeed a depraved people far from realizing their potentiality. The Germanic people? Barbarians, cannibals. The people of Britain painting themselves blue, like savages, which they were. And yet in Christ, becoming so great and so central the formation of the modern world. And what this verse tells us, that all peoples having been created by God will only realize themselves in Christ.

SO that, every people of Asia, of Africa, of Europe, and of the America’s, and all the islands of the world, created by God will only be healed and able to be productive to realize their potentiality in Christ. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Only in Christ and then truly only in the new creation is there a world of full realization. A world in which all sin and death and their frustrations are removed. Man continues to grow into fullness of self realization, perpetually productive, realizing himself throughout all eternity in Christ and to His glory. And this spirit[?] in the brides[?] they come, and let him that has thirst come, and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely. For to take of the water of life is to have the fullness of life forever.

Let us pray. Almighty God our heavenly Father who of thy grace and mercy hast called us to be thy people in Christ, and given us such glorious promises in Him, we thank Thee that all those things which we dimly feel now we shall realize in full throughout all eternity to Thy praise and glory. Help us therefore so to work now, that even now we may come to a closer realization of our potentialities and serve Thee in joy and in thanksgiving, making known Thy greatness and Thy glory and establishing those things which are of Thee. We give thanks unto Thee our Father for Thy so great salvation, in Jesus name, amen.

Are there any questions now first of all with respect to our lesson?

[short pause]

Yes?

[audience member speaks unintelligibly]

Well, uh, yes and no. The throne of God is a particular local and yet it is the whole of creation that he will make his throne and footstool, so that he will reign in totality everywhere. But... it i his realm more properly, his kingdom. and it shall be openly his kingdom in the world to come.

[audience member speaks unintelligibly]

Mmhm. Yes. The word exploitation can have a good use and a bad use. We ARE to exploit the earth, and make use of it. Now, exploitation can be bad, only if it is improper and used in an ungodly way. So indeed we are to exploit the earth, we are to develop it, we are to make use of it under God.

Yes?

[audience member speaks unintelligibly]

Yes. Ah, this is a point that has been often debated by theologians through the centuries. Whether it is going to be a totally destroyed universe with a new universe brought forth, or whether it is to be a recreated, and reconstructed universe. Now, the argument in favor of total destruction is that the imagery of fire is used, and the old like a garment tossed away. So that imagery does in a sense speak of the old's disappearance. On the other hand it is called a new creation in the sense of {?} which indicates while the old is done away with, the new is really the old renewed somehow in quality and nature. It is beyond our ability to imagine what that new creation is like but nonetheless, it does have a definite continuity with the old. As a result we cannot speak of it as a destruction of the old, but a recreation of the old.

The resurrection body is thus in continuity with the old and yet totally unlike and a new body. So in a sense it falls short of being a destruction, and yet it is in a sense a destruction in that it destroys a great deal of the old. It destroys it’s mortality, it destroys it’s sins, and the imperfections in it.

[audience member speaks unintelligibly]

We don’t even have the ability to say whether the new creation is to be limited to the planet, or whether all the elements of the present universe will form one glorious hope. You see? It is beyond our imagination, it’s like trying to explain to a blind man what vision is. We have no point of contact, we are given hints, but we are blind to it and therefore cannot see it.

Yes?

[audience member speaks unintelligibly]

Yes... these groups that seek self realization rather than Godly realization almost all subscribe to the theory that man himself is divine, so you take that divine spark in you and you develop it. And you become ultimately a godlike creator. This of course is a part of the Greek mystical tradition which has infiltrated into Christianity and is very very deadly. But these selfrealization religious groups do hold to that almost without exception.

[audience member speaks unintelligibly]

I couldn’t hear that...

[audience member speaks unintelligibly again]

Yes! Many of the hippy groups are deeply infected with this type of thing The hippy groups would be very very upset if you said this, but in a way they are very much akin to Mary Bakarrety[?] and Christina Science. It’s basically the same world of the universal minds that self realization, the material is nothing therefore you despise material things, and in a sense they’re more logical than Mary Bakarrety because Christian Scientists are very neat people who give a good deal of attention to appearances. But in the realm of hippy talk, they have the same heritage, which is Hagel through Emmerson directly then through Quimby to Mary Bakarrety!

And they have the same Hagelian tradition, through Emerson as well! Only they emphasis the ROW[?] you see, Emerson the Row[?] you see, right on down. But it’s the same family tree, material things are nothing so that you deliberately allow yourself to be raggedly and dirty, you show a contempt for material things. You despise the world of the middle class who so emphasize material things and appearances and good homes and creaturely comforts, because all those things are beneath you, you see. You are spiritual. This is why is, in art today there is a contempt for any kind of material realism! A person should look like a person you see. You’re interested in the spirit of the thing. Communicating spiritually. So you’re a part, in other words, of this universal minds and that’s all you’re concerned with.

[audience member speaks unintelligibly]

Any other questions? Well, there are a couple things I’d like to share with you. One is the column of our hoppy[?] which I thought was very interesting. He wrote “For more than a decade the nation has been torn asunder by the burning controversy over sex education in the public schools: Is it legal? Is is moral? Is it constitutional? Is it dirty? But what no one has pointed out until now is that sex educations is pointless! It is pointless that it, unless the student has also taken a course in drink education. Indeed, drink education should be a prerequisite. This has become abundantly clear to anyone who has read Doctor Homer T. Pettibones exhaustive study of unwanted pregnancies entitled “An Exhaustive Study of Unwanted Pregnancies”. Doctor Pettibones determined that 96.4% of the young ladies involved knew what they should have done to avoid becoming pregnant, or more accurately what they should not have done! Of the vast majority who knew what not to do, Doc. Pettibones found 93.2% were too tipsy, to woozy, or too drunk to remember not to do it!

While the rest explained their case in that there was nothing good on television! Thus we see, drink education is far more important than sex education. Fortunately a new organization, the drink education organization council of the U.S. is offering a package course to be used in our nation’s high schools.” Unquote. And of course, the point he is making rather humorously is a good one! Except, the answer of course is not drink education, the answer in either case is a good sound moral education.

And of course this is the last thing they want. And so, they’ll come up with speeches and speeches and I don’t know what else, before they ever face up to the obvious lack of a moral education which is the problem.

Then, in this morning’s paper something that I think is very very important and to which I make a reference some time ago, about the very serious problem in the army. The deadly internal warfare, or fratting. And what fratting is is simply the murder of officers by enlisted men! It is increasing, it’s becoming a very major problem, and as they point in many a company the men will simply take a collection and the money is given to the one of their group who will fratt the officer or the sergeant.

And in one recent instance when they caught such a man, fortunately before the officer was killed, he couldn’t see anything wrong with what he had planned to do! And he was bewildered by the fact that they were going to put him on trial! He said, why don’t they just give me a dishonorable discharge?! and he was very indignant because during the court martial the prosecutor in his summing up had portrayed him as some kind of depraved person, and the idea that he was a criminal made him very angry! There was nothing wrong so far as he could see with what he was doing. What this very clearly indicates is the lack of any moral training or character in the draftee. And the fact that it is not uncommon for a whole company to get together and chip in so that one of them can do the job is indicative of how widespread it is.

During the war I was talking for the restoration funds across country in many churches and I included something in my talk that many people thought was not altogether to the point. They didn’t agree with me. And what it was is this: While in a small town in Minnesota I took a walk, having arrived early in the morning, so that I could stretch my legs a bit. I’d been speaking hour after hour as much as seven or eight times a day in various communities. And so, I needed a little exercise; and I stopped in front of a church and a small wedding was taking place. And there was a boy standing there and we stood and watched as they came out the doors and got into cars under a shower of rice and took off. The boy wanted to know what that was all about, and when I started to tell him I found that this boy was between nine and eleven in a good middle class community DIDN’T KNOW that people got married and what it was all about!

Now, as I told people then, I’d encountered things like this in New York City and on Indian reservations. That you encounter it a middle class community of good homes in Minnesota indicated that something was radically wrong in America and the future would be very bleak as these young people grew up without any sense of Godly morality and standards. And they and their children would be a major problem. Well, now we see it! we see it in this fratting, we see it in the student generation, we see it on all sides. And it is not going to change, it is only going to get worse, the only thing that CAN change it is a genuine Christian reawakening, and short of that, the decline will continue and the moral anarchy will continue. And you will find them indignant, like this young man in Vietnam who when he is sentenced for attempted murder is indignant that they should take the whole thing seriously! After all, the officer was leaning hard on them and that was terrible. How dare anyone be strict in his discipline! So, why shouldn’t they get rid of him? It’s that casual, and it’s that far gone.

The significant thing is that this has been growing in our century. It’s a new thing in the military, although it did appear to a minor degree in World War II and in Korea. Now it has become a major factor and a very very serious one. So much so that many officers in Vietnam are cracking up under the fear of this. Because once they know that because of their emphasis on discipline that they’re marked for fratting they fall apart. They find it difficult to maintain any kind of order or to turn their back on any of their men. When you have this kind of thing, either the end is not too far away... or a turnabout is urgently necessary.

I have one announcement for the Chalcedon Guild members: the meeting will be held on Wednesday, January the 19’th, at the home of Mrs. Jack Barzarg in Glendale. It will begin at ten thirty with a board meeting, at twelve noon with a fellowship hour. There will be no luncheon served, so bring your sandwiches, and at one o’clock with a business meeting of the membership. The agenda is the spring program of activities provides bylaws and procedures.

Let us bow our heads now for the benediction. And now go in peace God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost bless you and keep you, guide and protect you, this day and always. Amen.

[audio recording ends]