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Tree symbolism and the hierarchical plan of salvation

This post is based on a few axioms that I do not want to spend too much time on, since they should be well established on this blog by now.

1. Central to the plan of salvation, the scriptures and the gospel contained therein, is the creation. The first 3 chapters of Genesis are extremely dense, chock full of symbolism and set the stage for mankind (Hebr. Adam) and the role of the Savior.
2. Central to the creation account are trees. They are also full of symbolism (as I will discuss soon), they were created on the third day, and they played a central role in the Garden of Eden

I have written about tree symbolism in the scriptures several times before, like here, here and here. Still, I keep learning. One fascinating aspect of a tree, is the way it symbolizes structure and hierarchy. Consider this picture of a branch below. We recognize it as a branch because it is horizontal. But flip it counterclockwise 90 degrees and it looks like a tree. Similarly, we can take a twig from the branch, place it in an upright position and it will look like a mini-tree. This way, trees symbolize order and a hierarchical structure.

In Zenos' allegory in Jacob 5, we read about branches being cut off and planted as trees. The trees in this allegory symbolize nations and people with the fruit symbolizing their works. The whole earth with its people, various nations of the earth and individuals within a particular nation, all reflect different hierarchical levels, just like the tree. Often the same principles apply on different levels. It is a recurring theme in the scriptures, often related to trees. Here are some examples:

Cut off

This is a theme we have discussed before but not in this context. Those who break the covenant are cut off (Hebr. kareth). Usually, this is in the context of an individual who sins and is being cut off from the covenant people. But it applies on different levels. For instance, in 1 Kings 9:6-7, Israel is cut off from the earth or land. This is from the Hebrew, adamah, which can mean both.

6 But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them:

7 Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people:

When the whole nation falls into apostasy and sin, they are cut off collectively, just like an individual who sins can be cut off individually.

But the soul that eateth of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings, that pertain unto the Lord, having his uncleanness upon him, even that soul shall be cut off from his people. (Leviticus 7:20)

This is just one of many examples to illustrate the same principle as in 1 Kings 9, just on a lower hierarchical level. It goes even further than that. These words by Jesus are well-known:

Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. (Matthew 18:8)

Here we even get an explanation. Whatever part that sins, may corrupt the whole and is better cut off. Presumably, this applies to all levels. Wicked individuals can corrupt a nation and a wicked nation can corrupt the whole earth.

The fruit and the cup

This example is perhaps not the best one to get my point across, but I find this part of King Benjamin's speech very interesting:

23 And now I have spoken the words which the Lord God hath commanded me.

24 And thus saith the Lord: They shall stand as a bright testimony against this people, at the judgment day; whereof they shall be judged, every man according to his works, whether they be good, or whether they be evil.

25 And if they be evil they are consigned to an awful view of their own guilt and abominations, which doth cause them to shrink from the presence of the Lord into a state of misery and endless torment, from whence they can no more return; therefore they have drunk damnation to their own souls.

26 Therefore, they have drunk out of the cup of the wrath of God, which justice could no more deny unto them than it could deny that Adam should fall because of his partaking of the forbidden fruit; therefore, mercy could have claim on them no more forever. (Mosiah 3)

The Lord God had commanded Benjamin, through his angel, to say certain things to his people. They would stand as a bright testimony against them. "Bright" is an interesting adjective to use there, but off topic, so I won't go there. The relevant part is the people who, after hearing the words and still choosing bad works, will drink of the cup of the wrath of God. This is compared to Adam eating of the forbidden fruit. The point is that Adam represents mankind, it is even the meaning of his name. What he did personally and the consequences thereof can be applied on the macro level in the hierarchy of the plan of salvation.

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned (Romans 5:12)

I don't know if it is stretching the symbolism too far to interpret the cup of the wrath of God to be made of the bitter fruit from the tree of knowledge?

The tree of life

On to the other tree in the Garden of Eden, the tree of life. This is referenced several times in the Book of Mormon, but the two most detailed references operate on different levels in the hierarchy. In 1 Nephi 8, Lehi sees the tree in a dream. It is a tree accessible for all people who are able to find their way to it. It was standing by a field representing the world (see 1 Nephi 8:20). This is the macro level version. In Alma 32 we find the micro level version. It is a seemingly very different account where the tree of life is grown within your heart instead. There is a tree-man symbiosis. But the two versions are really not that different, they are just applied on different levels. The same principles apply on all levels. The word of God (either represented by the iron rod or the seed planted in our hearts) is what leads us to the tree of life, collectively and individually. 

Alma-2 and the temple -- part 1

Every so often I hear members of the church and critics confidently claim that the Book of Mormon contains nothing about the temple.  This is not true at all, and the more I study the Book of Mormon, the more examples I find. 

Given the highly symbolic nature of the temple, these examples are easiest to find when we look at the deeper meaning of the symbols involved.  One of the best places to find this in the Book of Mormon comes from the sermons of Alma-2.  I'll get to him later in this post.

First, let's look at some fascinating and insightful comments and diagrams from Orthodox Christian writer Matthieu Pageau, from his book The Language of Creation (hereafter LoC). He lays out the principles of an ancient symbolic worldview in order to help the reader find deeper meaning in the Bible.  In order to discover this worldview, he states:

...we must pretend that our eyes are not geared with thousands of telescopes and microscopes and that we care little for quasars and quarks. Moreover, we will need to reposition ourselves within space and time by looking past the heliocentric and geocentric viewpoints towards an ancient cosmology. This archaic worldview may be described as tree-centric or “dentrocentric”  for lack of a better word. (Pageau, Matthieu. The Language of Creation: Cosmic Symbolism in Genesis (p. 15). Kindle Edition, my emphasis added.)

I find it very interesting that he likens the purest essence of the symbolic worldview (and the key to understanding scripture and the purpose of life) to a tree. And not just any tree, but the tree of life!  We'll get to that, too, but we have to build up to it.

Heaven and Earth in the symbolic worldview

If this topic interests you, I highly recommend reading his book for a more detailed dive into the concepts.  I'll offer only a cursory overview in this series of posts.

Pageau begins with new definitions for 'heaven' and 'earth' which he says are necessary to properly understand the symbolic worldview. From a modern materialist worldview, earth is the planet we live and heaven is roughly everything else, including the atmosphere and beyond. By contrast, Pageau defines 'heaven' as spiritual meaning without corporeal existence and 'earth' as matter without meaning (LoC p. 22). Thus, the 'earth' contains all of the physical matter in the universe, and 'heaven' consists of the higher truths by which 'earth' is organized. The world in which we live represents a joining of these two essences, represented in this figure:

(LoC, p. 25)

In this model, God organizes the 'earth' according to His 'word' in order to establish space and time wherein mankind may dwell and gain knowledge.  Furthermore, knowledge is found wherever heavenly truth is established on the earth. Once organized according to spiritual truth, the creation praises its Creator.

Interestingly, Catholic scholar Bishop Bob Barron summarizes what he considers to be the "master theme" of the Bible (a theme he discovered through his study of the writings of the early church fathers) in this way (~1 minute clip):

 

What he says at the end of the clip is so important I'll type it out:

So now we know what human beings are for, they're for right praise. And not just for themselves, but on behalf of all creation. And there, as you say, Eden itself is a temple, an elevated place -- because the rivers run out from it so it's an elevated place -- and human beings are meant there to be priests, kings as well and all that, but priests leading creation in a chorus of praise.

Take a moment to let that sink in.  That is the "master theme" of the Bible according to a Catholic priest who has spent a lot of time studying the writings of some of the earliest Christians. Notice how central the Garden of Eden is in this theme -- not to mention other major temple themes. Everything is focused on a return to the garden-like state of innocence wherein all creation exists in harmony -- rest -- with God, forever. 

It is this state that the first commandment given by God to Adam and Eve is fulfilled (see Genesis 1:28), discussed here.

Alma-2 and the "experiment upon [the word]"

With that backdrop in place, let's now take a look at the the famous sermon of Alma-2 to the poor Zoramites on the Hill Onidah. He invites them to "awake" and "experiment upon [his] words" (see Alma 32:27). He likens the word to a seed and proceeds to lay out a very familiar analogy.  I hear this seed analogy quoted frequently, and it has long been one of my favorite passages in all of the scriptures. Only recently, I have began to appreciate a deeper layer of meaning found in this agricultural language.  He's laying out a pattern that clearly evokes temple symbolism: 

• "give place for a portion of my words" in verse 27 will be discussed in more depth in the next post in this series. A similar concept is repeated multiple times in Alma 12 and is framed as an opening step in the series of spiritual rebirth. Making room within the portion of the creation which we occupy for the word of God is the opening step in gaining knowledge.
• The process which begins as a "swell[ing]" and "enlarg[ing]" and [enlighten[ing]" culminates in a "fill[ing]" as the fruit of the tree of life is finally plucked (see verse 42). This is as if the portion of the creation over which we have the ability to act grows as a result of our acceptance of the word.  We become like Adam and Eve and help fulfill the commandment in Genesis 1:28.
• The process of gaining knowledge is gradual (see verse 29, 34-36). It does not happen all at once. This virtuous cycle of progressive bestowal of light and knowledge coupled with deeper commitment is a central temple theme. It can be seen as the gradual subduing of the microcosmic portion of the creation found in each of us.
• The result of the process is "everlasting life" (see verse 41). 

It's clear to me that Alma-2 understood the purpose of mortality along the same lines as the master theme of the Bible gleaned by Bishop Barron from the early Christian writers. That's fascinating.

This symbolism is certainly ancient and poorly understood by us in modern times. I find very satisfying to study it and expand my worldview in the process.

And we're not done.  We've only touched Alma 32 so far! We haven't even gotten in to Alma 12-13 yet.  That'll be the starting point of my next post. 

Mysteries

As Lord Wilmore is posting about ancient cosmology and temple themes in Alma 12, among other things, my mind goes back to a scripture we have discussed before

9 And now Alma began to expound these things unto him, saying: It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him.

10 And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full.

11 And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell. (Alma 12)

I want to focus on the word, mysteries, this time. It is found once in each of these three verses. Considering the temple themes in Alma 12-13, this quote from Hugh Nibley is interesting:

In a recent and rather sensational work, Morton Smith demonstrates at length that the word mystery, as used by the first Christians, usually refers to ordinances. He duly notes that Judaism itself was an ancient “mystery religion” in which the rites of circumcision and passover were “mysteries,” and that such early and orthodox Christian writers as Clement of Alexandria “think of Jesus as a ‘hierophant,’ a teacher of mysteries.” As Smith sums it up, “This was the mystery of the kingdom—the mystery rite by which the kingdom was entered,” i.e., the ordinances of initiation. (Hugh Nibley, “The Message of the Joseph Smith Papyri”, 515)

It should be added that Morton Smith's work is disputed and scholars disagree about the possible meaning of "mysteries" in relation to ordinances. But I don't think the point is that "mystery" always refers to an ordinance, but that there is a clear relation and one possible meaning depending on context. At least it makes sense to me that the sacred ordinances anciently were viewed as mysteries of God that were only available for and understood by the faithful. In Greek, mystery (musterion) comes from mueo, which is related to initiatory rites. Of course the Nephites did not speak Greek but this relation might go back to the ancient Israelites as the quote indicates. In this context it makes sense that Alma goes on to talk about ordinances later in his sermon.

8 Now they were ordained after this manner—being called with a holy calling, and ordained with a holy ordinance, and taking upon them the high priesthood of the holy order, which calling, and ordinance, and high priesthood, is without beginning or end...

16 Now these ordinances were given after this manner, that thereby the people might look forward on the Son of God, it being a type of his order, or it being his order, and this that they might look forward to him for a remission of their sins, that they might enter into the rest of the Lord. (Alma 13)

A natural question to ask is then: If those who know the mysteries of God (like Alma) are strictly commanded to impart only a limited portion according to the heed and diligence of the recipient, why would Alma start lecturing the wicked Ammonihahites about these deeper temple themes? I think the answer is given in Matthew 13:

10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

The Isaiah quote in verse 15 forms a chiastic pattern with heart, ears and eyes in that order before it is reversed. Even though Alma 12-13 can hardly be called a parable, it is a layered sermon. The plain language is for all to hear and the deeper covenant symbols, presumably only recognized by those among the listeners who were familiar with the temple theology, are reserved to those who had not hardened their hearts but instead opened their eyes and ears. King Benjamin talks about this

And these are the words which he spake and caused to be written, saying: My brethren, all ye that have assembled yourselves together, you that can hear my words which I shall speak unto you this day; for I have not commanded you to come up hither to trifle with the words which I shall speak, but that you should hearken unto me, and open your ears that ye may hear, and your hearts that ye may understand, and your minds that the mysteries of God may be unfolded to your view. (Mosiah 2:9)

These words are spoken right after the description of the people gathering around the temple and as we know, the sermon ends with the people entering into a covenant and receiving a new name.

Nephi also talks about the mysteries of God. As he starts writing on the small plates, he is a middle-aged man reflecting back on his life. This is the very first verse of his account

I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days. (1 Nephi 1:1)

He even tells his readers how he first came to know the mysteries of God.

And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers. (1 Nephi 2:16)

In line with Alma's statement, Nephi had a soft heart and was therefore ready to learn about the mysteries of God ("he that will not harden his heart"). His great desires and crying unto the Lord triggered the process. Nephi later advises his readers to follow the same pattern.

18 For he is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and the way is prepared for all men from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come unto him.

19 For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round. (1 Nephi 10)

We must seek diligently to have the mysteries of God unfolded unto us. Nephi is talking from experience. Again, this is in line with Alma's statement that the portion of God's mysteries we receive is in accordance with our diligence.

To me, this is related to the "forbidden to write" series. Because of the underlying principles for obtaining knowledge about the mysteries of God, sometimes the prophet can only say this much and then needs to stop. Other times, he will talk with layers of meaning, where only the diligent and initiated with open eyes, ears and hearts can pick up the deeper layers.

Forever (Hebr. 'ad olam') -- thoughts on ancient cosmology

As I read 2 Samuel 7, I was struck by the repetitive use of the word 'forever.' It is found eight times in the KJV, three times in the Lord's words to David (see verses 13 and 16) and five times in David's response to the Lord (see verses 24, 25, and 29).

I've previously posted about this important word here. Stisa posted about the significance of the underlying Hebrew ('ad olam') here.

Regarding the word 'forever' I don't actually have much to say other than this is clearly a covenant term.  It's no coincidence that the word 'forever' shows up so often in connection with God's promises to the king of His people, and also in the king's reply.

My study branched out this time into a broader context. I'm currently reading a book about the ancient symbolic worldview, which I'll certainly be posting much more about in the near future, and that has caused some concepts to crystallize for me.  The rest of this post will discuss these concepts.

The modern understanding of 'forever'

It's really hard to wrap my head around the ancient way of thinking about the cosmos.  In modern days, we are born into a forensic, materialist worldview, where factual accuracy is considered most important. It's really important to us to know when, where, and how the various actors and objects in a story moved about and precisely what was said, etc. When we read the flood narrative, we feel the need to estimate the height of the tallest mountain and the volume of water needed to cover it.  When we read of the parting of the Red Sea, we can't help but wonder what natural phenomenon might explain it.

Likewise, the modern sense of the word 'forever' is essentially just a really long span of time, so long that it goes on without ever ending. This way of thinking about 'forever' fails to capture the essence of the ancient way of thinking about time.

How did the ancients consider time? In his book The Language of Creation, Orthodox Christian writer Matthieu Pageau describes three fundamental differences between the ancient and modern notions of time:

1. Time is the cosmic cause of change -- "the influence that carrie[s] reality from one point to another."
2. The type of change brought about by time is specifically cyclical transformation. In other words, time changes day into night, summer into winter, life into death, etc.
3. Time and space are essentially opposites. (I'll explain more about this in a future post.)

Pageau points out that the first two days of creation are fundamental to this understanding of the relationship between time and space.  In the first day, with the creation of light and darkness, God created cyclic time.  On the second day, space was created.

The creation of time and space is essential to allowing for a transformation of mankind to occur.  Alma teaches this plainly in his sermon in Ammonihah:

24 And we see that death comes upon mankind, yea, the death which has been spoken of by Amulek, which is the temporal death; nevertheless there was a space granted unto man in which he might repent; therefore this life became a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God; a time to prepare for that endless state which has been spoken of by us, which is after the resurrection of the dead.

25 Now, if it had not been for the plan of redemption, which was laid from the foundation of the world, there could have been no resurrection of the dead; but there was a plan of redemption laid, which shall bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, of which has been spoken.

26 And now behold, if it were possible that our first parents could have gone forth and partaken of the tree of life they would have been forever miserable, having no preparatory state; and thus the plan of redemption would have been frustrated, and the word of God would have been void, taking none effect. (Alma 12)

"The fall brought death upon mankind" is another way of saying -- "with the fall came an opportunity for transformation." The probationary state occurs in a realm of space and time, where mankind has the opportunity to manifest heavenly truth on the earth.

I'll open up this concept more in my next post.