Genesis Lecture 49 (The 2 Fruits)
Bible passage: Genesis 2:8-10
[8] The LORD God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. [9] Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. [10] Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four rivers.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
This is 49th Lecture on Genesis. In the last lecture, I explained about the Garden of Eden. Do you understand the difference between Eden and the Garden of Eden- To help you understand better, I'll give you this allegory.
The city of Seoul and the Seoul Grand Park are surely different, aren't they- The Seoul Grand Park is one of many parks with Seoul in its name. Seoul and the Seoul Grand Park are different in sizes and their purposes. By the same token, Eden and the Garden of Eden are so different. The Garden of Eden is a special place located in Eden of the 2nd Heaven. It is the place that God prepared for Adam and his descendants to live in. There are also other special spaces in addition to the Garden of Eden in Eden of the 2nd Heaven.
For example, the place where the saved souls and the Lord will have the '7 Year Wedding Banquet' is located not in the Garden of Eden, but in Eden. I mentioned about the natural environment of the Garden of Eden in the last lecture. I said that there are no clear distinctions among different seasons, that there is no night, and that the time flow can be noticed through the change of temperature. I also told you that there are no houses for an individual or a family, but that they all take a rest in beautiful tents. In addition, even though most of them stay naked, they have no problems because they have no evil at all.
Then, why do we put on clothes in the Heavenly Kingdom where there is no evil- It is because the Heavenly Kingdom is the place for the people who received human cultivation on earth. They will never commit sin even if they don't wear clothes, but it is natural for them to put on clothes because they did on earth. In addition, the clothes they put on in the heavenly kingdom represent their rewards and glory, too. There are some people in the Garden of Eden who do wear clothes. They are in the leadership positions. Since the Garden of Eden is so vast and the population is huge, they have their own organization and social order. They are grouped in numbers, and each group has its leader.
Those who belong to a group obey the instructions of their leader, and they live in harmony. These leaders put on clothes so that they can be distinct from others. In the Garden of Eden, clothes are no more than a way to present the position of a leader. They don't wear clothes to hide their shame nor to adorn themselves. Dear brothers and sisters. The natural environment of the Garden of Eden is similar to that of the earth. There are various flowers and trees, and there are also many animals.
There are many different animals, birds, insects, and fish. It is safe to think that the plants and animals which were created on earth during the 6-day Creation are also in the Garden of Eden. However, even though they are the same species, their colors are very different from the colors of the animals on earth. Both in the earth and in the Garden of Eden, there are white doves. Even though they are both white, however, their colors are completely different from each other. The white doves in the Garden of Eden are a dazzlingly bright and clean white. But the doves on earth are not like that.
To help you understand the difference of the colors, let me give you an illustration. Say, you take a picture of the same flower under the same condition with two different cameras, one regular and one high definition. Which camera's picture will look more beautiful- It would probably be the one taken with the high definition camera. Likewise, the colors of the plants and animals in the Garden of Eden are far more beautiful than those on the earth. It is because the Garden of Eden is a spiritual realm where there is no evil at all. Since nothing pollutes and nothing decays, it is the same as it was when it was first created by God.
It has maintained its originally clean, pure, and beautiful environment. In the Garden of Eden, there are no high mountains like the earth. Hills with gentle sloping are scattered to make its topography seem to undulate[|ʌndƷəleit]. Since the high mountains on earth make the scenery beautiful, is the scenery of the Garden of Eden plain and dull- No, it's not. In the Garden of Eden, it is the clouds that create beautiful scenery. They change into various shapes and create beautiful scenes. Have you ever looked down at the clouds from an airplane- Sometimes they create a maritime scene, and other times they look like mountains. They constantly change shape. In the Garden of Eden, much brighter and prettier clouds than clouds of the earth make beautiful scenery. I will explain more about the environment of the Garden of Eden in the upcoming Genesis Lectures.
Now, Genesis 2:9 says, "Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." As I told you before, there are countless plants in the Garden of Eden just as there are on earth. There are also fruit trees that yield fruit. And so, verse 9 says, "the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food." The people in the Garden of Eden eat these fruit. By the way, among the countless trees, there are two somewhat special trees located in the center of the Garden of Eden. They are the 'tree of life' and the 'tree of knowledge of good and evil'. The center of the Garden of Eden is higher than other areas, and thus these two trees can be easily seen. The Seoul Tower in Seoul can also be easily spotted.
And if you look out from the observatory of the Seoul Tower, you can see the entire city of Seoul. It is said even the coastal waters of Incheon can be seen when the weather is good. God put these easily-spotted trees in the center of the Garden of Eden. These trees have abundant leaves, and yield much fruit. The fruit from the trees of the Garden of Eden have much better taste, smell, and color than the fruit of the earth. But, among all of them, the fruit from these two trees stand out from the fruit of the other trees. The difference is clearly visible. The fruit from these two trees are too big to be held in one hand.
Among the fruit of the earth, a 9 to 10 inch melon is pretty close to that of the fruit from these two trees. The color and the shape of the fruit from the tree of life and the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil are different from others. First, the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil is pink and has a shape similar to a peach on Earth. And the fruit from the tree of life is similar to an apple, and it too has a red color. It's not flaming red; it has just a little of the red color, but it is beautiful The fruit of life is not only in the Garden of Eden, but also in the heavenly kingdom. Revelation 2:7 says, "I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God." And Revelation 22:2 says, "in the middle of its street on either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month."
From these verses, you can see there are many kinds of the 'tree of life'. There are 12 kinds in New Jerusalem. From the tree of life in New Jerusalem, 12 kinds of fruit of life are continuously yielded. So, among those many kinds of fruit from the tree of life, the one in the Garden of Eden has a shape and color similar to that of red apples on earth. Since God created the shapes and colors of the fruit of life and the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil to be clearly different, there is no possibility of confusion. You can surely distinguish the fruit of life from the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
Among these two fruit, God told Adam not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. However, Adam eventually ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Since the two fruit are different in shapes and colors, he cannot make the excuse saying, "I was confused. I ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge by mistake." While you are living on this earth, you will always come across good and evil, and spirit and flesh. You can easily discern which one is good and which one is evil; you can easily see which is spirit and which is flesh. It is almost impossible to choose good thinking it is evil, or to choose spirit thinking it is flesh. In John 6:63, Jesus said, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life." When you stand at a crossroads, I hope that you will always choose the side of goodness and spirit.
The Holy Spirit who dwells in you will help you discern good and evil. Whenever you choose spirit, He will rejoice, and He will add grace and strength to you. Dear brothers and sisters. The fruit of the heavenly kingdom have fresh and deep fragrances and tastes. Once you bite into it, it feels like it's melting in your mouth. They have unique smell and taste that cannot be compared with the fruit of the Earth. When God gave me the revelation about the heavenly kingdom, God once allowed me to sense the taste of the fruit in the heavenly kingdom.
From head to toe, my whole body was drenched in its taste and smell, and I soon became full of the breath of life. If you go to the heavenly kingdom in the future, you can taste this fruit of life as much as you please. The fruit of life in the heavenly kingdom has much stronger smell and taste than the fruit in the Garden of Eden. In the heavenly kingdom, of course, the fruit in New Jerusalem is much tastier than that in Paradise. And I said that there are 12 different kinds of fruit of life in New Jerusalem. I hope that all of you will go to New Jerusalem and check the smell and taste of the fruit yourselves. Now, let me explain Genesis 2:10. It says, "Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four rivers." And from Genesis 2:11 and onward, it mentions the names and the area where those four rivers flow.
It says that the source of four rivers is Eden. It is not the Garden of Eden. The river which flowed out of Eden flowed into the Garden of Eden. Then, where did the water of the source of the river come from- With the expanse in the middle, waters were divided into two; the waters above the expanse and the waters below the expanse. The waters below the expanse became the seas of the earth on the 3rd day of the Creation. And the waters above the expanse were moved to the 2nd Heaven. At this time, the waters which were moved to the 2nd Heaven became the source of the river of Eden. The river which flowed out of Eden flows throughout the Garden of Eden. Just as the River of Life in the Heavenly Kingdom flows out of God's throne and flows throughout the entire Heavenly Kingdom, there is also a river that flows throughout the Garden of Eden.
The natural environment of the Garden of Eden is so similar to that of the earth that it definitely needs water. The animals and plants in the Garden of Eden receive the fullness from this river, and they maintain their lives thanks to this river. Adam and his descendants who were to live in the Garden of Eden would also need water. Even though they are living spirit, their bodies were made of the dust from the ground. Blood circulates in their bodies. It means that their body requires water. The Garden of Eden needs water in this same way, and thus God moved the waters above the expanse into the 2nd Heaven, and made it become the source of the river of Eden. By the way, Genesis 2:10 says, "…and from there it divided and became four rivers." In this verse, "from there" refers to the source of the river of Eden. It is the source of the waters in the 2nd Heaven.
The waters above the expanse, which were moved into the 2nd Heaven, are also the source of the river in the Garden of Eden and also the source of the four rivers. By the way, these 4 rivers are not in the Garden of Eden, but on earth. The waters which were moved to the 2nd Heaven poured down onto 4 places on Earth and became big rivers. I said that atmospheric phenomena began to take place after the 4th day of Creation, and that it started to rain on the land. Before then, there were only sea waters; there was no water on the land. Only after the rain, flows of waters came into being. But I also told you that there were no rivers where lots of waters flow. Generally speaking, thin brooks in valleys gather to make a stream, and many streams gather to make a river. However, the four big rivers that affected the spreading of the human civilization were not made like this. God made the four rivers by pouring down the waters in the 2nd Heaven into 4 places on earth. When the localized torrential rainfall comes down, it seems as if waters were being poured down from the sky. When God made the 4 rivers on earth, He opened the doors of the 2nd Heaven, and poured down into 4 places from the waters which were the source of the river in Eden. Another incident like this is mentioned in the Bible.
During the Flood of Noah, the doors of Heaven opened, and the waters in Eden were poured down on to the earth. And the sky was opened on the whole earth, and it rained for 40 days. As its result, even the highest mountain on the earth was completely submerged under the waters. I will tell you about this in greater detail when we get to Chapter 7. Now, why did God make the four rivers on earth- It involves in the spiritual meaning of Number 4. Number 4 primarily means 'suffering.' It was for about 400 years that the Israelites lived as slaves in Egypt, and for 40 years that they lived in the wilderness after exodus. Our Jesus also fasted for 40 days before He began His public ministry. Number 4 is also the number relating man and the earth. When you refer to the whole surface of the earth, you say 'all the 4 directions of the earth.' God could have made 3 rivers or 7 rivers. But since the number 4 is the number relating the earth and the number of man, He made 4 rivers.
After Adam was driven out to the earth and human cultivation began, people started to flourish around these 4 rivers. These 4 rivers are identical to the cradle of ancient civilizations. In order for a man to survive, water is a must. Not only for drinking, but also for all areas of life, water is a necessity. It is essential in farming as well. This was why people gathered around rivers, and they formed a village and its size grew and grew. As you can see, rivers have very special meanings to human beings. When God Himself made these 4 rivers, all the conditions for human cultivation were set. By the way, the shape of these rivers has changed greatly from the original shape that God created. As countless years passed by, the topography of the land changed, and thus the location of the rivers also changed. You should not misunderstand that the original locations and shapes of the rivers were the same as of today only because their names are the same with their current names.
If you interpret the Bible only literally without considering this fact and try to explore the rivers, you can make errors. It is because God made these 4 rivers a very long time ago from our current age. God created Adam of the dust from the ground, led him into the Garden of Eden, and then made the 4 rivers on earth. Adam lived in the Garden of Eden for countless years while giving birth to his descendants. Therefore you should remember that the 4 rivers also have very long history. From the next lecture, I will tell you the spiritual meanings of the 4 rivers and their rough locations today. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ. Tonight, I told you about the natural environment of the Garden of Eden, the 2 special fruits, and the river which flowed out of Eden. The river which flowed from Eden flows throughout the Garden of Eden, and brings life and fullness to the plants and animals in the Garden of Eden. In addition, the waters which were the source of the river of Eden also poured down to 4 places of the earth to form big rivers. Rivers provide man with waters which are must for survival. Thus, people gathered around rivers and developed civilization.
Like this, God Himself made rivers in 4 places of the earth where people could get water which is a necessity. Just as man cannot live without water physically, man cannot survive without water in a spiritual sense as well. Man can become blessed only when he has the word of God, which is the spiritual water. Psalm 1:3 talks about the blessing which can be enjoyed by the one who meditates on the word of God day and night. It says, "He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers."
In this Year of Harvest, 2010, it is now physically a time of harvest as well. What kinds of fruit have you yielded- And how abundant has your life become- How prosperous are you in all things you do- If your body and heart have always been in the word of God, you must bear much fruit and all things must prosper. I pray in the name of the Lord that more of you will become blessed in the future and give glory to God with beautiful and perfect fruit! [Amen!!!]
Mafundisho ya Mwanzo 49 | Matunda Mawili
Andiko la Biblia: Mwanzo 2:8–10
[8] Bwana Mungu akapanda bustani upande wa mashariki, katika Edeni; akamweka ndani yake huyo mtu aliyemfanya. [9] Bwana Mungu akachipusha katika ardhi kila mti unaotamanika kwa macho na kufaa kwa chakula; na mti wa uzima katikati ya bustani, na mti wa ujuzi wa mema na mabaya. [10] Ukatoka mto katika Edeni wa kuitilia bustani maji, na kutoka huko ukagawanyika ukawa vichwa vinne.
Ndugu wapendwa katika Kristo.
Hili ni somo la 49 la Mafundisho ya Mwanzo. Katika somo lililopita nilieleza kuhusu Bustani ya Edeni. Je, mnaelewa tofauti kati ya Edeni na Bustani ya Edeni? Ili kuwasaidia kuelewa vizuri zaidi, nitoe mfano.
Jiji la Seoul na Bustani Kuu ya Seoul ni vitu tofauti kabisa, sivyo? Bustani Kuu ya Seoul ni mojawapo tu ya bustani nyingi zenye jina la Seoul. Jiji la Seoul na bustani hiyo hutofautiana kwa ukubwa na kusudi. Vivyo hivyo, Edeni na Bustani ya Edeni ni tofauti sana. Bustani ya Edeni ni mahali maalumu palipo katika Edeni ya mbingu ya pili. Mungu alipandaa mahali hapo Adamu na wazao wake waishi. Kuna pia maeneo mengine maalumu katika Edeni ya mbingu ya pili, mbali na Bustani ya Edeni.
Kwa mfano, mahali ambapo roho zilizookolewa na Bwana watafanya “Karamu ya Harusi ya Miaka Saba” hapapo katika Bustani ya Edeni bali Edeni. Katika somo lililopita nilitaja mazingira ya asili ya Bustani ya Edeni. Nilieleza kwamba hakuna tofauti zilizo wazi kati ya majira, hakuna usiku, na mabadiliko ya halijoto huonyesha kupita kwa wakati. Pia nilisema kwamba hakuna nyumba za mtu binafsi au familia; wote hupumzika katika mahema mazuri. Zaidi ya hayo, ingawa wengi wao hawavai nguo, hawana tatizo kwa sababu hawana uovu wowote.
Basi kwa nini tunavaa nguo katika Ufalme wa Mbinguni ambamo hamna uovu? Kwa sababu Ufalme wa Mbinguni ni makao ya watu waliopitia kilimo cha wanadamu duniani. Hawatatenda dhambi hata wasipovaa, lakini ni kawaida kwao kuvaa kwa kuwa walifanya hivyo duniani. Isitoshe, nguo wanazovaa Mbinguni huwakilisha pia thawabu na utukufu wao. Baadhi ya watu wa Bustani ya Edeni huvaa nguo. Hao ni wale walio katika nafasi za uongozi. Bustani ya Edeni ni pana sana na ina wakazi wengi, kwa hiyo wana mpangilio na utaratibu wa kijamii. Wamegawanywa katika vikundi vya idadi fulani, na kila kikundi kina kiongozi wake.
Wale wa kikundi humtii kiongozi wao na kuishi kwa umoja. Viongozi hawa huvaa nguo ili watofautishwe na wengine. Katika Bustani ya Edeni, nguo ni njia tu ya kuonyesha nafasi ya kiongozi. Hawazivai kuficha aibu yao wala kujipamba. Ndugu wapendwa, mazingira ya asili ya Bustani ya Edeni yanafanana na ya dunia. Kuna maua na miti ya aina mbalimbali, pamoja na wanyama wengi.
Kuna wanyama, ndege, wadudu na samaki wa aina nyingi. Ni salama kudhani kwamba mimea na wanyama waliofanywa duniani wakati wa uumbaji wa siku sita wanapatikana pia Bustani ya Edeni. Hata hivyo, ingawa ni aina zilezile, rangi zao hutofautiana sana na rangi za viumbe duniani. Kuna njiwa weupe duniani na Bustani ya Edeni. Ingawa wote ni weupe, rangi zao hutofautiana kabisa. Njiwa weupe wa Bustani ya Edeni wana weupe safi na angavu unaong’aa. Njiwa wa duniani hawako hivyo.
Ili kuelewa tofauti ya rangi, nitoe mfano. Tuseme unapiga picha ya ua lilelile katika hali zilezile kwa kamera mbili tofauti, moja ya kawaida na nyingine yenye ubora wa hali ya juu. Picha ya kamera ipi itaonekana nzuri zaidi? Huenda ile iliyopigwa kwa kamera yenye ubora wa hali ya juu. Vivyo hivyo, rangi za mimea na wanyama wa Bustani ya Edeni ni nzuri zaidi kuliko za duniani. Ni kwa sababu Bustani ya Edeni ni ulimwengu wa rohoni usio na uovu wowote. Hakuna kitu kinachochafua au kuoza, kwa hiyo hali yake ni ileile iliyokuwapo Mungu alipouumba.
Mazingira yake safi, matakatifu na mazuri ya awali yamedumu. Katika Bustani ya Edeni hakuna milima mirefu kama ilivyo duniani. Vilima vyenye miteremko laini vimetapakaa na kufanya ardhi ionekane yenye mawimbi. Kwa kuwa milima mirefu ya dunia hufanya mandhari iwe nzuri, je, mandhari ya Bustani ya Edeni ni tambarare na ya kuchosha? La. Huko mawingu huunda mandhari nzuri. Hubadilika katika maumbo mbalimbali na kuleta mandhari ya kupendeza. Je, mmewahi kutazama mawingu kutoka kwenye ndege? Wakati mwingine hufanana na bahari, na wakati mwingine na milima. Umbo lake hubadilika daima. Katika Bustani ya Edeni, mawingu angavu na mazuri zaidi kuliko ya duniani huunda mandhari ya kupendeza. Nitaeleza zaidi kuhusu mazingira ya Bustani ya Edeni katika Mafundisho yajayo ya Mwanzo.
Sasa Mwanzo 2:9 inasema: “Bwana Mungu akachipusha katika ardhi kila mti unaotamanika kwa macho na kufaa kwa chakula; na mti wa uzima katikati ya bustani, na mti wa ujuzi wa mema na mabaya.” Kama nilivyowaambia awali, kuna mimea mingi isiyohesabika Bustani ya Edeni kama ilivyo duniani. Kuna pia miti ya matunda. Kwa hiyo mstari wa 9 unasema Bwana Mungu alichipusha “kila mti unaotamanika kwa macho na kufaa kwa chakula.” Watu wa Bustani ya Edeni hula matunda hayo. Hata hivyo, katikati ya miti mingi isiyohesabika kuna miti miwili ya pekee: “mti wa uzima” na “mti wa ujuzi wa mema na mabaya.” Katikati ya Bustani ya Edeni pako juu kuliko maeneo mengine, kwa hiyo miti hiyo miwili huonekana kwa urahisi. Mnara wa Seoul pia huonekana kwa urahisi.
Mkiangalia kutoka kwenye sehemu ya kutazamia ya Mnara wa Seoul, mnaweza kuona jiji lote. Inasemekana kwamba hali ya hewa ikiwa nzuri, maji ya pwani ya Incheon huonekana pia. Mungu aliiweka miti hiyo inayoonekana kwa urahisi katikati ya Bustani ya Edeni. Ina majani mengi na huzaa matunda mengi. Matunda ya miti ya Bustani ya Edeni yana ladha, harufu na rangi bora kuliko matunda ya duniani. Lakini matunda ya miti hiyo miwili ni ya pekee kuliko yale ya miti mingine. Tofauti yake huonekana wazi. Matunda yake ni makubwa mno kiasi kwamba hayawezi kushikwa kwa mkono mmoja.
Miongoni mwa matunda ya duniani, tikiti lenye urefu wa sentimita 23 hadi 25 linafanana kwa ukubwa na matunda ya miti hiyo miwili. Rangi na umbo la tunda la mti wa uzima na la mti wa ujuzi wa mema na mabaya hutofautiana na mengine. Tunda la mti wa ujuzi wa mema na mabaya ni la waridi na lina umbo linalofanana na pichi ya duniani. Tunda la mti wa uzima linafanana na tufaha na pia lina rangi nyekundu. Si jekundu kali; lina wekundu kidogo tu, lakini ni zuri. Tunda la uzima halipo Bustani ya Edeni pekee, bali pia Ufalme wa Mbinguni. Ufunuo 2:7 inasema, “Nitampa kula matunda ya mti wa uzima, ulio katika Paradiso ya Mungu.” Ufunuo 22:2 nayo inasema: “Katikati ya njia kuu yake, na upande huu na upande huu wa ule mto, ulikuwapo mti wa uzima, uzaao matunda, wenye kuzaa matunda yake kila mwezi.”
Mistari hii inaonyesha kwamba kuna aina nyingi za “mti wa uzima.” Kuna aina 12 katika Yerusalemu Mpya, nazo huzaa daima aina 12 za matunda ya uzima. Kati ya matunda hayo mengi, lile lililo Bustani ya Edeni lina umbo na rangi zinazofanana na tufaha jekundu la duniani. Kwa kuwa Mungu aliumba matunda ya uzima na ya mti wa ujuzi wa mema na mabaya yakiwa na maumbo na rangi tofauti kabisa, hakuwezekana kuyachanganya. Mnaweza kutofautisha kwa hakika tunda la uzima na tunda la mti wa ujuzi wa mema na mabaya.
Kati ya matunda hayo mawili, Mungu alimwambia Adamu asile tunda la mti wa ujuzi wa mema na mabaya. Hata hivyo, Adamu hatimaye alikula tunda hilo. Kwa kuwa matunda hayo mawili yana maumbo na rangi tofauti, hangeweza kutoa udhuru: “Nilichanganyikiwa. Nilikula tunda la mti wa ujuzi kwa bahati mbaya.” Mkiishi duniani, mtakutana daima na mema na mabaya, na rohoni na mwilini. Mnaweza kutambua kwa urahisi lipi jema na lipi ovu, lipi la rohoni na lipi la mwili. Karibu haiwezekani kuchagua lililo jema mkidhani ni ovu, au kuchagua la rohoni mkidhani ni la mwili. Katika Yohana 6:63, Yesu alisema, “Roho ndiyo itiayo uzima; mwili haufai kitu; maneno hayo niliyowaambia ni roho, tena ni uzima.” Mnapofika njia panda, natumaini mtachagua daima upande wa wema na mambo ya rohoni.
Roho Mtakatifu akaaye ndani yenu atawasaidia kutofautisha mema na mabaya. Kila mnapochagua mambo ya rohoni, atafurahi na kuwaongezea neema na nguvu. Ndugu wapendwa, matunda ya Ufalme wa Mbinguni yana harufu nzuri na ladha tele. Mkiyala, huhisi kana kwamba yanayeyuka kinywani. Yana harufu na ladha ya pekee isiyoweza kulinganishwa na matunda ya duniani. Mungu aliponifunulia Ufalme wa Mbinguni, wakati mmoja aliniruhusu nihisi ladha ya matunda yake.
Kuanzia kichwani hadi miguuni, mwili wangu wote ulijawa na ladha na harufu yake, nami nikajawa upesi na pumzi ya uzima. Mkienda Ufalme wa Mbinguni baadaye, mtaweza kula tunda la uzima kadiri mnavyotaka. Tunda la uzima la huko lina harufu na ladha kali zaidi kuliko lile la Bustani ya Edeni. Bila shaka, katika Ufalme wa Mbinguni matunda ya Yerusalemu Mpya yana ladha nzuri zaidi kuliko ya Paradiso. Nilisema kwamba kuna aina 12 za matunda ya uzima katika Yerusalemu Mpya. Natumaini nyote mtaenda Yerusalemu Mpya na kujionea wenyewe harufu na ladha yake. Sasa nieleze Mwanzo 2:10. Inasema, “Ukatoka mto katika Edeni wa kuitilia bustani maji, na kutoka huko ukagawanyika ukawa vichwa vinne.” Kuanzia Mwanzo 2:11, Biblia inataja majina ya mito hiyo minne na maeneo inapopita.
Inasema chanzo cha mito hiyo minne ni Edeni, si Bustani ya Edeni. Mto uliotoka Edeni uliingia Bustani ya Edeni. Basi maji ya chanzo cha mto huo yalitoka wapi? Maji yaligawanywa mawili na anga lililokuwa katikati: maji yaliyo juu ya anga na maji yaliyo chini ya anga. Maji yaliyo chini ya anga yakawa bahari za dunia siku ya tatu ya uumbaji. Maji yaliyo juu ya anga yakahamishiwa mbingu ya pili. Maji hayo yaliyohamishiwa mbingu ya pili yakawa chanzo cha mto wa Edeni. Mto uliotoka Edeni hutiririka katika Bustani yote ya Edeni. Kama vile Mto wa Uzima wa Ufalme wa Mbinguni hutoka katika kiti cha enzi cha Mungu na kupita Ufalme mzima wa Mbinguni, kuna mto pia unaopita Bustani yote ya Edeni.
Mazingira ya asili ya Bustani ya Edeni yanafanana sana na ya dunia, kwa hiyo bila shaka yanahitaji maji. Wanyama na mimea ya Bustani hupokea uhai na kustawi kutokana na mto huo. Adamu na wazao wake walioishi Bustani ya Edeni pia walihitaji maji. Ingawa ni roho hai, miili yao iliumbwa kwa mavumbi ya ardhi na damu huzunguka ndani ya miili yao. Hii inamaanisha kwamba miili yao huhitaji maji. Bustani ya Edeni nayo inahitaji maji hivyo, ndiyo maana Mungu alihamisha maji yaliyo juu ya anga hadi mbingu ya pili na kuyafanya chanzo cha mto wa Edeni. Mwanzo 2:10 inasema pia, “…na kutoka huko ukagawanyika ukawa vichwa vinne.” Maneno “kutoka huko” yanamaanisha chanzo cha mto wa Edeni, yaani chanzo cha maji katika mbingu ya pili.
Maji yaliyo juu ya anga yaliyohamishiwa mbingu ya pili ndiyo chanzo cha mto wa Bustani ya Edeni na cha ile mito minne. Hata hivyo, mito hiyo minne haipo Bustani ya Edeni; iko duniani. Maji yaliyohamishiwa mbingu ya pili yaliteremshwa katika sehemu nne duniani na kuwa mito mikubwa. Nilisema kwamba hali za hewa zilianza baada ya siku ya nne ya uumbaji na mvua ikaanza kunyesha juu ya nchi. Kabla ya hapo kulikuwa na maji baharini pekee; hapakuwa na maji nchi kavu. Mvua ilipoanza kunyesha, mikondo ya maji ikajitokeza. Lakini nilisema pia kwamba hapakuwa na mito mikubwa iliyokuwa na maji mengi. Kwa kawaida vijito vidogo vya mabondeni huungana na kuwa kijito, kisha vijito vingi huungana na kuwa mto. Lakini mito minne mikubwa iliyoathiri kuenea kwa ustaarabu wa wanadamu haikuundwa hivyo. Mungu aliiunda kwa kumwaga maji ya mbingu ya pili katika sehemu nne duniani. Mvua kubwa ya ghafla inaponyesha mahali pamoja, huonekana kana kwamba maji yanamwagwa kutoka angani. Mungu alipoumba mito hiyo minne duniani, alifungua milango ya mbingu ya pili na kumwaga maji ya chanzo cha mto wa Edeni katika maeneo manne. Tukio jingine kama hilo limetajwa katika Biblia.
Wakati wa Gharika ya Nuhu, milango ya mbingu ilifunguka na maji ya Edeni yakamwagwa duniani. Anga likafunguliwa juu ya dunia yote, mvua ikanyesha kwa siku 40, na hata mlima mrefu zaidi duniani ukafunikwa kabisa na maji. Nitaeleza jambo hili kwa kina zaidi tutakapofika Mwanzo sura ya 7. Basi kwa nini Mungu aliumba mito hiyo minne duniani? Jibu linahusiana na maana ya rohoni ya namba nne. Kwanza kabisa, namba nne humaanisha “mateso.” Waisraeli waliishi utumwani Misri kwa takriban miaka 400, na miaka 40 jangwani baada ya Kutoka. Yesu wetu pia alifunga siku 40 kabla ya kuanza huduma yake ya hadharani. Namba nne inahusiana pia na wanadamu na dunia. Tunapozungumzia uso wote wa dunia, husema “pande zote nne za dunia.” Mungu angeweza kuumba mito mitatu au saba. Lakini kwa kuwa namba nne inahusiana na dunia na wanadamu, aliumba mito minne.
Adamu alipofukuzwa duniani na kilimo cha wanadamu kuanza, watu walianza kuongezeka karibu na mito hiyo minne. Mito hiyo inahusiana na chimbuko la ustaarabu wa kale. Ili mwanadamu aishi, lazima awe na maji. Maji yanahitajika si kwa kunywa tu bali katika shughuli zote za maisha, na ni ya lazima kwa kilimo pia. Ndiyo sababu watu walikusanyika karibu na mito, wakaunda vijiji vilivyokua zaidi na zaidi. Kama mnavyoona, mito ina maana ya pekee sana kwa wanadamu. Mungu mwenyewe alipoumba mito hiyo minne, aliweka masharti yote ya kilimo cha wanadamu. Hata hivyo, umbo la mito hiyo limebadilika sana tangu Mungu alipoiumba mwanzoni. Miaka mingi isiyohesabika ilipopita, jiografia ya ardhi ilibadilika, na mahali pa mito nako kukabadilika. Msidhani kwamba mahali na maumbo ya awali ya mito yalikuwa sawa na ya leo kwa sababu tu majina yake ni yale yale.
Mkiitafsiri Biblia kihalisi tu bila kuzingatia jambo hilo na kujaribu kuichunguza mito hiyo, mnaweza kukosea. Mungu aliumba mito hiyo minne zamani sana ikilinganishwa na wakati wetu. Mungu alimwumba Adamu kwa mavumbi ya ardhi, akamwongoza Bustani ya Edeni, kisha akaiumba mito hiyo minne duniani. Adamu aliishi miaka mingi sana Bustani ya Edeni huku akizaa wazao. Kwa hiyo kumbukeni kwamba mito hiyo minne pia ina historia ndefu sana. Katika somo lijalo nitawaeleza maana za rohoni za mito hiyo minne na mahali inapopatikana kwa jumla leo. Ndugu wapendwa katika Kristo, usiku huu nimewaeleza mazingira ya asili ya Bustani ya Edeni, matunda mawili ya pekee na mto uliotoka Edeni. Mto huo hupita katika Bustani yote na kuleta uhai na wingi kwa mimea na wanyama wake. Aidha, maji yaliyokuwa chanzo cha mto wa Edeni yalimwagwa katika sehemu nne duniani na kuunda mito mikubwa. Mito huwapa watu maji ya lazima kwa uhai, ndiyo maana walikusanyika kandokando yake na kuendeleza ustaarabu.
Hivyo Mungu mwenyewe aliumba mito katika sehemu nne duniani ambako watu wangeweza kupata maji muhimu. Kama vile mwanadamu hawezi kuishi kimwili bila maji, hawezi kuishi rohoni bila maji pia. Mwanadamu hubarikiwa tu akiwa na Neno la Mungu, ambalo ni maji ya rohoni. Zaburi 1:3 inazungumzia baraka anazofurahia mtu anayelitafakari Neno la Mungu mchana na usiku. Inasema: “Naye atakuwa kama mti uliopandwa kandokando ya vijito vya maji, uzaao matunda yake kwa majira yake, wala jani lake halinyauki; na kila alitendalo litafanikiwa.”
Katika Mwaka huu wa Mavuno, 2010, huu ni wakati wa mavuno kimwili pia. Mmezaa matunda ya aina gani? Maisha yenu yamekuwa na wingi kiasi gani? Mnafanikiwa kiasi gani katika kila jambo mnalofanya? Ikiwa miili na mioyo yenu imekuwa daima ndani ya Neno la Mungu, lazima mzae matunda mengi na mambo yenu yote yafanikiwe. Ninaomba katika jina la Bwana kwamba wengi zaidi wabarikiwe baadaye na kumpa Mungu utukufu kwa matunda mazuri na kamili! [Amina!!!]
