What is the revolving sword of fire east of the garden of Eden?
Genesis 3:1 - 23
MSG - 1 The serpent was clever, more clever than any wild animal God had made. He spoke to the Woman: "Do I understand that God told you not to eat from any tree in the garden? 2 The Woman said to the serpent, "Not at all. We can eat from the trees in the garden. It's only about the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, 'Don't eat from it; don't even touch it or you'll die.'
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Asked December 30 2016
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Claudia Sowell-Alexander
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Tim Maas
Genesis 3:24 says, "He [God] drove out the man; and at the east of the Garden of Eden He placed the cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life." The cherubim (members of one of the various orders or ranks of angels who perform God's will) and the flaming sword were therefore the means that God used to ensure that humanity would never be able to gain access to the tree of life (the fruit of which would have imparted immortality to those who ate of it (Genesis 3:22)) after having fallen into sin. The word expressed as "revolving" in the text of Genesis 3:24 cited in the question indicated that the sword would turn in whatever direction was necessary to prevent such access. To my knowledge, there is no further mention of this specific sword in the Bible. Presumably, it carried out the function that God intended it to perform until there was no longer any need for it (that is, perhaps, until the Tree of Life no longer existed naturally because of the corruption of the earth resulting from the Fall, or else had been removed from earth by God, to re-appear in the New Jerusalem that will come down from heaven, as seen by John in Revelation 21:2 and Revelation 22:2).
Meshack Gachago
The sword is a picture of the word and it's purifying ability (fire), that will be used to bring man back to God in restoration. John said Jesus would baptize with fire and the Holy Spirit. We see the sign of purification through the inner working of the Spirit, the word and life experiences and esp in obedience. The imagery of the restored man is seen as a cherub. The cherub in the garden was a picture of restored man in different stages - it is progressive. We see the final restoration of corporate man seen as a cherub with different faces in Eze.1 and Rev.5.
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