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I think TWI so nit picked the Bible they became worshippers of "da Word." Jeez, what did people do who read it before concordances, various translations, commentaries, etc. They simply read it and were enlightened. God will show people what they need to know. TWI just made it of no effect by their tearing it apart - super analyzing every jot and tittle. It turned us into bondage masters of legalism.

Ok, I also think of it this way. God tabernacled (dwelt) in the Ark with Israel. His Glory shone and rested on the Mercy Seat between the Cheribum. When the Temple was built, God tabernacled (dwelt) in the Holy of Holies - his Glory shone between the Cheribum. It seems no one has a problem with the concept that God dwelt in the Ark and in the Temple with Israel. Jesus' name was: Emmanuel - God with us. God now tabernacled in the flesh. Exact same concept as dwelling in the ark and temple, except now the dwelling is flesh. Flesh was now God's tabernacle - dwelling. Christ - God with us - dwelling in the living, breathing, Flesh. Our kinsman-redeemer. That is awesome. His temple and dwelling place was now in "a body thou hast prepared for me" - flesh.

I tend to think they were both "real" too. If the tree of life was not real, I don't think God would have had two Cheribum guarding it up until the flood. Just as Satan chose to rebel, God had to give his Adam a choice. Without free will, man is nothing but a robot and God is unjust. Without free will, then God is truly unfair and unjust. I think if Adam had told Satan to "get thee behind me" as the Second Adam, Jesus, did (note - was Jesus set up to fail? Thank God he didn't), Adam would have had the right to eat of the tree of life, he would have been ruler of the earth, God's regent on earth so to speak, and Christ would never have had to come redeem man - there would have been no redemption necessary. Every thing would be very different today. As an aside, note the Cheribum's four faces: Man, lion (wild beast), ox (tame beast), bird - i.e., creation. When people came to worship God with burnt offerings outside of Eden, they saw the Cheribum guarding the Tree of Life. I have often wondered if the ancient gods man worshipped were not a corruption of the original Cheribum that Noah and his family saw and passed the info down to mankind who worshipped the "creature" rather than the Creator. Interesting.