As the days of a tree

The promise is: “as the days of a tree will be the days of My people.” On the new Earth after the mighty conflict of the ages is past, we will live out our long lives in incomprehensible peace and happiness in the light of God’s love.

So how long do trees live? The giant Sequoias live up in the 3,000 years of age. But the oldest recorded trees are of the species Pinus Longaeva, the Bristlecone Pine of the White Mountains and Great Basin in western USA. The oldest known individual Bristlecone is the infamous "Currey Tree" of eastern Nevada at 4,844 years old. This tree, which I believe was seeded probably at the recession of the flood waters in Noah’s day, has never died, in spite of worldwide disease, decay, and death.

The New Earth won’t have anything like death. There will be no reason for anything to die—which really is a mystery to scientists, even in a world of decay and renewal. God knew that in order for us to be able to conceive of a new birth in faith and reconciliation to Him, we needed to see it advertised all over nature—in spite of Satan’s claim that he was the new sheriff in town on Earth. We needed to see regeneration come up out of degeneration, and our Redeemer has never failed to feed that knowledge to us, even ever so subconsciously. Unbeknown to His adversary surrounded by His works, Satan was set up for failure from the very beginning.

In that renewed Earth we will not need to witness the lessons of decay and death because we will have learned all our lessons of trusting God. Sin, temptation, and fallen natures will all be behind us, cast into the depths of the sea and forgotten. The scars on Jesus head, hands, and feet, will be the only reminders of the Great Controversy. So trees, then, will grow through all eternity, but not squatty and half-alive like the Currey Tree. Century after century, the new Earth trees will get taller and taller, more and more majestic. But for now the Pinus Longaeva fits for a symbol of human longevity in eternity, although I believe the scriptures was speaking of the forests of the more magnificent Cedars of Lebanon, which were like our great Sequoias.

The prophecy goes on to say that we will build houses and inhabit them. Could that mean death to a billion trees? No, not at all. Remember the annual Feast of Tabernacles? God directed Israel to break off the lower branches and cut off bows of bigger trees to build their little temporary huts while they traveled to the sanctuary. Imagine the decimation of forests if they had cut down trees year after year. Instead, they were in essence pruning the trees of Israel, making them healthier, which made them grow even better. Over time those trees became gargantuan and strong.

My brother-in-law did this to a tree in his yard. My family grew up in the house which he and my sister bought from my parents after us kids moved on. A prickly Oak tree was a tangle of bows and branches and smaller limbs. At a young age, I challenged myself to climb every tree in our yard. We had Maples all around, and tall Elms in the back whose lowest bows were 30-40 feet above the ground. I somehow mastered every tree—all, except that prickly Oak tree. I just couldn’t get through the tangled mess. Later, my brother-in-law cut off all those unsightly lower branches that had created the tangle because they hung down and could snag people’s head. After that, the tree began to grow tall quicker than it had before because now more of the vital force stayed in the trunk and pushed up the tree’s top. Now it is a gigantic and handsome tree, truly majestic.

So as we will traverse eternity, and keep pruning our trees for wood to build with, those trees will just become more and more glorious to behold, and a glory to God, as they should. And we too will continue to mature and bring glory to God. We will all be happy, forever very happy.

“They shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of My people, and Mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them.” Is. 65:21-23.