God has given mankind the Bible in order to ultimately save their souls. Through the Bible, we must meet God our Savior.

The Bible contains many parables. Among them, the history of the Garden of Eden in the book of Genesis shows us how men committed sin in heaven and were cast down to the earth. If we realize the true meaning hidden in this parable, we will be able to break the chain of death that binds us.

The Bible says that there are two kinds of people: those who are given the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, and those who are not (Mt 13:10-16). Those who are given the knowledge of the secrets are indeed blessed; they are given the promise of entering the kingdom of heaven.

The sin of eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and the tree of life

When we study the history of the Garden of Eden, we can see that God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but they ate the forbidden fruit, being tempted by the serpent, and came to die after all.

Ge 2:16-17 And the Lord God commanded the man,"You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."

Ge 3:1-6 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman."For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

The serpent represents the devil (Rev 12:9). The devil, who is crafty and knows the psychological weaknesses of human beings, approached them and tempted them to commit sin and die.

Actually, the story of Adam and Eve who sinned in the Garden of Eden is a recomposed story of us who sinned in heaven; it helps us understand how we sinned in heaven. All human beings, who are born on this earth, are destined to die because of their sins like Adam and Eve. However, there was the tree of life in the Garden of Eden; if anyone ate from the tree, he would live even though he was once doomed to die because of eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Ge 3:22-24 And the Lord God said,"The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

God drove Adam and Eve, who had sinned, out of the Garden of Eden and let cherubim guard the way to the tree of life with a flaming sword.

Forgiveness of sins given through the shedding of blood

As Adam bitterly lamented after losing the tree of life, God showed him the way to eat from the tree of life again (Heb 11:4, 13). Adam testified this truth to his sons. Cain did not accept the truth and offered the products of the soil, but Abel obeyed the truth and sacrificed a lamb with its blood symbolizing the precious blood of Christ. God refused Cain's offering and only accepted Abel's sacrifice (Ge 4:1-5).

Heb 9:22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

Abel offered a blood sacrifice to God, while Cain presented some of his crops as an offering to Him in his own way. That was why God did not accept Cain's offering. The Bible says that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. So, people had to offer a sacrifice with the shedding of blood when they asked God for forgiveness of sins, so that they could be freed from the sin of eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil and could eat from the tree of life.

The practice of the blood-shedding sacrifice, which had been handed down from generation to generation since Abel, was codified in the time of Moses, and it was in the sanctuary that the blood sacrifice was made in accordance with the Law of Moses.

Ex 25:9-21 "Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you. Have them make a chest of acacia wood . . . Then put in the ark the Testimony, which I will give you. Make an atonement cover of pure gold . . . The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover. Place the cover on top of the ark and put in the ark the Testimony, which I will give you."

The sanctuary, where sacrifices were made every day, was partitioned into two parts: the outer room called the"Holy Place," and the inner room called the"Most Holy Place." In the Most Holy Place was placed the ark of the covenant, and there were two cherubim above the cover of the ark, called the"Mercy Seat."

The two cherubim, who had guarded the way to the tree of life in Eden, were stationed over the ark of the covenant. This suggests that the tree of life was in the ark of the covenant. The two cherubim who guarded the ark of covenant also had a flaming sword. So, when Uzzah put his hand on the ark by mistake, he was killed; and when the two sons of Aaron violated the command of God, a fire came out of the ark and devoured them to death (2 Sa 6:1-7; Lev 10:1-3).

Only the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place once a year; but without the shedding of blood, he couldn't enter. God accepted the sacrifice of Abel because he offered the blood-shedding sacrifice to Him. Likewise, the shedding of blood was required when the high priest entered the Most Holy Place where the guardian cherubim were stationed. All these laws of the Old Testament were a copy and shadow of the realities that would come in the future.

Heb 10:1-4 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. . . . because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Heb 10:9 Then he said,"Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second.

Heb 10:16-20 "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." Then he adds:"Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. . . . by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body,

The law of the Old Testament, which was a shadow, never made perfect the people of God. Only the blood of Christ, who was the reality of sacrifice, could bring them the perfect forgiveness of sins. So, God abolished the old covenant and established the new covenant through the blood of Christ.

Jesus is the reality of the sanctuary and the ark of the covenant

The provisions of the Law, given to Moses by God, seem to be complicated at first sight, but in them there is God's providence for the forgiveness of our sins.

Heb 9:1-5 Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand, the table and the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant . . .

When the Israelites were in the desert, they could not build a fixed temple because they had to move very often, so they had a tabernacle [sanctuary] built according to the pattern of the temple. Jesus said that His body was the temple.

Jn 2:19-21 The Jews replied,"It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" But the temple he had spoken of was his body.

The reality of the temple was Jesus. In this temple [sanctuary] was the ark of the covenant which contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant which Moses had received from God. Considering the fact that the two cherubim were guarding the ark, we can clearly see that the ark of the covenant or the three sacred things inside it symbolize the tree of life, that is, Christ. First, let's confirm that the manna represents Christ.

Jn 6:31-35 "Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" . . . Then Jesus declared,"I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty."

The Israelites had eaten manna from heaven while sojourning in the desert for 40 years until they entered the land of Canaan. This manna was put in a gold jar, and it was placed in the ark of the covenant. As Jesus testified that"I am the bread of life," the manna represents Jesus who is life.

Second, let's think about the meaning of Aaron's staff that had budded. God distinguished Aaron as the high priest through this staff (Nu 17:1-11). Then, why did God place the staff, which was a symbol of the high priest, in the ark of the covenant?

Heb 5:8-10 Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

The sprouted staff of Aaron was also a symbolic representation of Jesus, which showed that Jesus would come to the earth as the high priest. Lastly, let's find out the reason why God had the stone tablets put in the ark of the covenant.

Jn 1:1-14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Jesus is God, the Word that came in the flesh. So, the tablets of the covenant also represent Jesus, who is God—the Word.

God stationed two cherubim on the cover of the ark of the covenant to guard the manna, Aaron's staff and the tablets of the covenant. This showed that Jesus would appear as the reality of the tree of life that the cherubim were guarding.

The tree of life given through the Passover

Jesus Himself testified that He is the reality of the tree of life.

Jn 6:53-57 Jesus said to them,"I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me."

God said He would give us the tree of life to eat. This will be the only good news for human beings, who are destined to die because of eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil."Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life." By saying this Jesus meant that He would allow us to eat from the tree of life.

It was God who let the cherubim guard the way to the tree of life so that sinners could not approach it. So, no one except God can open the way to the tree of life again and save us, sinners. Jesus promised us eternal life through His precious flesh and blood. Therefore, without a doubt, Jesus is God Himself. He taught us how to eat His flesh and drink His blood while establishing the Passover of the new covenant, saying,"I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer" (Mt 26:17-28; Mk 14:12-24; Lk 22:7-20).

However, Satan, who hates the truth of the tree of life, instigated people to raise controversy over the Passover three times—in A.D. 155, A.D. 197 and A.D. 325—and finally abolished the Passover during the Council of Nicaea. The Passover, which the Eastern Churches regarded as very important and celebrated continuously, was abolished; instead, Easter, the first Sunday after the Passover, was celebrated, as determined by the Western Churches.

This was the fulfillment of Daniel's prophecy that the one who spoke against God would change the set times and the laws of God (Da 7:25). However, there was also a prophecy that God would come again and restore the truth of life—the Passover of the new covenant, which was trampled on by Satan.

Although there were numerous theologians who studied the Bible over centuries, none of them could realize the truth of the Passover. It's because the tree of life can only be given by God.

God who opened the way to the tree of life

Anyone could not enter the Most Holy Place where the tree of life was placed, but only the high priest could enter there once every year. Jesus came as the high priest in the order of Melchizedek and opened the way to the tree of life.

Heb 6:17-20 . . . We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.

The blood of all the animals, which were offered in sacrifice to God in the sanctuary in the Old Testament times, represented the blood of Christ. He came as the high priest in the order of Melchizedek, and through His precious blood He tore the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place in the sanctuary. By doing so, Jesus opened the way to the Most Holy Place so that anyone could enter it and come to the tree of life.

The Bible says that Christ, who came to this earth to give mankind life 2,000 years ago, is to come a second time for the same purpose—to give us life, to bring salvation to us.

Heb 9:28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

So, the Second Coming Christ is to bring us the truth of the tree of life—the Passover. By doing that, He is to open all the secrets, which have been sealed from the time of the Garden of Eden until this age of the Holy Spirit.

Those who are not allowed to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven will not understand them; though seeing, they will not see; though hearing, they will not hear. In the days of Jesus, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law did not recognize Jesus, but some fishermen and shepherds who took care of the sheep in the field recognized Him. Even though they were lower in social standing, they recognized God and worshiped Him correctly, so that they were all blessed. Like them, we are very blessed because we are given the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven in this age.

The Bible testifies that the One who gives us eternal life through the aged wine is our God (Isa 25:6-9). Christ Ahnsahnghong has restored the Passover of the new covenant, which has been hidden for a long time since A.D. 325. Surely, He is our Savior in this age, whom we have been waiting for.

God has come to this earth and made known to us all the secrets of the kingdom of heaven in order to save us, sinners, who were expelled from heaven after eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and destined to die forever. I earnestly hope that we, children of God, will all receive the blessing of the forgiveness of sins, given by our God Ahnsahnghong who has brought the tree of life, and will return to the eternal kingdom of heaven.