The Two Trees: Discernment Between the Tree of Death and the Tree of Life in Holy Christian Kabbalah
Introduction The greatest wisdom that Holy Christian Kabbalah can impart to the nations today is the discernment to judge between the Kelipot’s Tree of Death and the King Messiah Jesus Christ’s Tree of Life. This distinction is essential in navigating the spiritual pathways revealed in the Torah and clarified in the Zohar. While the Tree of Life is rooted in the divine attributes of YHVH, the Tree of Death is an anti-tree, growing in the corrupt natures of the fallen angels. This paper will provide a scholarly, Kabbalistic Christian Torah-based analysis, demonstrating that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the Torah and the true Messiah of the Zohar.
- The Two Trees in the Garden of Eden: Biblical and Kabbalistic Foundations The Torah presents the Tree of Life (Etz Chaim) and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Etz HaDa’at Tov VeRa) in Genesis 2:9. The Zohar (I:27b) expands upon this, explaining that these two trees represent two distinct spiritual systems. The Tree of Life is the divine flow of holiness, unity, and wisdom emanating from YHVH, while the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is a mixed system infiltrated by the Kelipot, the shells of impurity that distort divine truth.
- Genesis 2:9: “And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant 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.”
- Zohar I:27b: “The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is a blend of purity and impurity, bringing death to those who consume it, whereas the Tree of Life extends the infinite light of the Blessed Holy One.”
- Proverbs 3:18: “She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.”
- John 15:5: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
The New Testament confirms that Jesus Christ is the embodiment of the Tree of Life, the divine conduit of eternal life (Revelation 22:2). In contrast, the Tree of Death, formed by the corruption of the Tree of Knowledge, sustains the kingdom of the Kelipot, which is the system of fallen angelic deception.
- The Tree of Death: Its Fallen Angelic Rungs and Natures The Zohar (I:23a-b) speaks of the Sitra Achra, the “Other Side,” which is the realm of impurity structured as a counterfeit tree. It has ten rungs, each corresponding to a distortion of the divine Sefirot but ruled by fallen angels.
Note: These demons and their corresponding rungs are not fixed; they shift and reposition like a Rubik’s cube or an atom observed under varying intentions. They form a black cube that realigns itself in different places according to changing situations and circumstances.
|
Corrupted Sefirah |
Fallen Angelic Ruler |
False Attribute |
Zohar Reference |
|
Keter (Crown) |
Samael |
Crown of Rebellion |
Zohar I:148a |
|
Chokhmah (Wisdom) |
Azazel |
Corrupt Knowledge |
Zohar II:243a |
|
Binah (Understanding) |
Astaroth |
Twisted Intellect |
Zohar I:37b |
|
Chesed (Loving-kindness) |
Baal |
False Compassion (Perversion) |
Zohar III:225b |
|
Gevurah (Strength) |
Moloch |
Tyranny, Bloodshed |
Zohar II:34b |
|
Tiferet (Beauty) |
Belial |
Deceptive Harmony |
Zohar II:156b |
|
Netzach (Victory) |
Asmodeus |
Victory in Lust and Corruption |
Zohar III:76a |
|
Hod (Glory) |
Lilith |
Counterfeit Glory (Seduction) |
Zohar I:19b |
|
Yesod (Foundation) |
Naamah |
Polluted Sexuality |
Zohar I:55a |
|
Malkhut (Kingdom) |
Leviathan |
Dominion of Darkness |
Zohar II:34a |
These fallen beings usurp divine order, creating false spiritual systems that deceive humanity into aligning with the Kelipot, severing them from the divine flow of YHVH’s holiness.
- Zohar II:163a: “These forces are called ‘Other Gods,’ yet they derive from the deathly Tree, and their branches spread over the whole world.”
- Ephesians 6:12: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
- The Tree of Life: The Rungs Growing in YHVH’s Divine Natures In contrast, the Tree of Life is rooted in the pure Sefirot, each expressing a nature of YHVH and fulfilled in King Messiah Jesus Christ.
|
Holy Sefirah |
Divine Attribute |
Fulfillment in Messiah |
|
Keter |
Divine Will |
Jesus as the Perfect Will of God (John 6:38) |
|
Chokhmah |
Wisdom |
Christ as the Wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:24) |
|
Binah |
Understanding |
Messiah’s Understanding (Isaiah 11:2) |
|
Chesed |
Loving-kindness |
The Mercy of Christ (Ephesians 2:4) |
|
Gevurah |
Strength |
The Power of His Judgment (Revelation 19:15) |
|
Tiferet |
Beauty/Harmony |
The Radiance of His Glory (Hebrews 1:3) |
|
Netzach |
Endurance |
Victory through the Cross (1 Cor. 15:57) |
|
Hod |
Majesty |
The Splendor of His Name (Philippians 2:9) |
|
Yesod |
Foundation |
Messiah as the Chief Cornerstone (Eph. 2:20) |
|
Malkhut |
Kingdom |
The Everlasting Kingdom of Christ (Rev. 11:15) |
- Zohar III:132b: “The Tree of Life extends from the heights of Ein Sof, bestowing truth and righteousness upon the world.”
- John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Conclusion The greatest wisdom of Holy Christian Kabbalah is the discernment between the Tree of Death and the Tree of Life. While the fallen angelic realms perpetuate darkness through deception, Jesus Christ, the King Messiah, is the fulfillment of the divine plan, leading the nations back to the holiness of YHVH. The true path is the ascent through the Sefirot in Christ, bringing restoration, wisdom, and eternal life.
By Brandon Barthrop
Red Letter Ministries, RLM TV
