(c) Was The Tree Of Life Literal, Symbolic, Or Both?
If the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was a symbol for a person, i.e. the devil, then it seems logical that The Tree of Life must also have been a symbol for a person. And of course, the only person who has ever lived that can grant someone eternal life is Jesus Christ. This interpretation is nothing new. Many early Christians saw The Tree of Life as a personification of Jesus Christ. Of course, the Bible identifies other things with The Tree of Life, such as wisdom (Proverbs 3:18), the fruit of the righteous (Proverbs 11:30), fulfilled desire (Proverbs 13:12), and a wholesome tongue (Proverbs 15:4). However, none of these fit the description of The Tree of Life mentioned in the Genesis account of Adam and Eve. God said of that tree, if they ate of it, they would "live forever" (Genesis 3:22). Again, only Jesus Christ can grant eternal life. Wisdom, the fruit of righteousness, fulfilled desire, and a wholesome tongue, while all good, cannot impart eternal life. Only God through Jesus Christ can do that, according to the Bible.