The Tree in the Midst of the Garden Meaning?
1) Direct Answer
It means the two great choices God set in the very center: the Tree of Life (Christ, God’s own Life and Word) and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Satan’s reasoning). In the “midst” of the garden stood life by the Word or death by unbelief.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- The Bible says there were two trees in the midst: “The tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:9). Eve later refers to the forbidden one as “the tree which is in the midst of the garden” (Genesis 3:3).
- God’s command: “Of every tree… thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it” (Genesis 2:16–17). The issue was obedience to God’s Word.
- When they chose the wrong tree, “their eyes were opened,” shame entered, and death followed (Genesis 3:5–7; Romans 5:12).
- God then guarded the Tree of Life with cherubim and a flaming sword (Genesis 3:22–24), showing that life is now only by God’s appointed way.
- The Tree of Life is Christ. “In him was life” (John 1:4). He said, “I am the life” (John 14:6). Wisdom is called “a tree of life” (Proverbs 3:18), and Christ is the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24).
- Access to the Tree of Life is promised again to the overcomer: “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life” (Revelation 2:7), and it appears in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 22:2,14).
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- Now notice: it wasn’t an apple. Eating fruit doesn’t open spiritual eyes, bring moral shame, multiply sorrow in conception, or create two opposing seed lines. Yet Genesis 3:15 declares two seeds at enmity, and 1 John 3:12 says Cain “was of that wicked one.” That shows the forbidden “knowledge” was Satan’s corrupt approach to life and reproduction, not a harmless bite of produce.
- The serpent was cursed to go on his belly (Genesis 3:14), meaning he was different before the curse. Through that subtle beast Satan introduced a carnal, unbelieving union, and death followed. Adam and Eve were to live by every Word of God; instead, Eve received the serpent’s reasoning against the Word (2 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Timothy 2:14).
- So the “midst” marks the center of decision: Will man live by God’s revealed Word (Tree of Life), or by a mixture—good and evil together—offered by the serpent (tree of knowledge)?
4) Reinforcing Statement
You see, the question of the garden is still the question today. Choose Christ the Word and live, or mix the Word with human reasoning and die. The way back to the Tree of Life is opened through Jesus Christ, and the overcomer will eat of it again.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
The Queen of the South
58-0613 §17
Today, you could speak of a miracle. They want to take and examine it and scientifically prove it. Well, you can't scientifically prove God. Your knowledge in science takes you away from God. You don't know God by knowledge. You don't know God by science. You know God by faith, and that's the only way you can find God; is by faith, you know God. There was two trees in the garden of Eden: One of them was knowledge and the other one was faith. And when man left the tree of faith---life---and took a bite off the tree...
Three witnesses
51-0728 §16
In the garden of Eden there were two trees, one of them was the knowledge. And the other one the Tree of Life. And when man left the Tree of Life and took the first bite off the tree of knowledge, he separated himself from God. And now he bit off gunpowder, destroys himself. He bit off an electricity, pulling the coal from the earth, where un--beneath it, is eight thousand miles of burning volcano, and these... Now, he's bit himself off automobile, kills more people than all the wars. He's got himself a hydrogen bo...
The restoration of the Bride Tree
62-0422 §49
So then, we had a Scripture here that Jesus said, "Wherever two or more are gathered in My name, and if they will agree (I'll be in their midst)--- and if they will agree on touching any one certain thing and ask it (don't doubt it), they shall have what they've asked; it'll be given to them." Now, there's the law. Now, the one that's here to enforce that law is the Holy Spirit. How about people who don't believe in the Holy Spirit ... would reject Him? See? You're rejecting your own peace and mercy, see.
As the eagle stirreth up her nest
60-0804 §17
I said, "Well, that was fine." I picked up a little old apple there. How many knows what a yellow jacket is? And so a yellow jacket was on this apple, and I run it off, and started to eating on the apple. I said, "Them's fine apples." Said, "Yes, they are." I said, "How old is that tree?" He said, "Well," said, "I planted it there." Said, "I guess that tree's about thirty-five years old or forty." I said, "It produces apples every year?" He said, "Yeah, sure does." He thought I was trying to change his subject, you...
What shall I do with Jesus called Christ?
63-1124M §139
As their fathers did, so do they. Same thing today. Now, the decision has been reached. It's got to be reached; you've got to reach it some way, see. Crucifixion of the Word again; or what are you going to do? Crucifixion of the Word is at hand. Crucify and stop the vindicated Word for the denominational sake (like Pilate did, trying to pass off to somebody). Now, what will you, as an individual, do with the anointed Word, which is called the Christ? The same yesterday ... The same Christ that anointed the Word in...