My fascination with palm trees began long before I ever saw one in person. Growing up, I was always doodling and some of my earliest drawings featured palm trees. While I’m not sure what prompted this obsession — other than growing up in Michigan and loathing winter every single year — the obsession was real and never really went away.

Fast forward nearly 30 years, and I eventually (inevitably?) moved to Florida. Waking up to palm trees outside my window, driving down palm-tree-lined streets, and soaking in palm tree silhouettes against a sunset sky at the beach never got old. These experiences were all my drawings and dreams of a tropical destination come to life.

For five years, I lived surrounded by these majestic palm trees. And then, I moved to Tennessee with no palm trees in sight. To say I miss them would be an understatement. Tennessee trees just aren’t the same.

And I know I’m not alone in thinking palm trees are special. In fact, the Bible talks about palm trees, too.

You’d think, given my long-term infatuation with these tropical trees, that I would have paid closer attention to what the Bible has to say about them. Not so.

It wasn’t until just recently, while reading 1 Kings in the Old Testament that I sat up and took notice. Chapter 6 and 7 give a detailed description of King Solomon building the Temple of the Lord, and lo and behold, he incorporated palm trees into the interior design.

As I read these two chapters — not for the first time, but with fresh eyes — I was instantly intrigued. Oh, and we were also staying at our rental property in Florida at the time. How fitting, right?

Palm Trees in the Temple of the Lord

1 Kings 7:36-37 (ERV)

“[36] The sides of the cart and the frames had pictures of Cherub angels, lions, and palm trees carved into the bronze. These pictures were carved all over the carts—wherever there was room. And there were flowers carved on the frame around the cart. [37] Huram made ten carts, and they were all the same. Each cart was made from bronze. The bronze was melted and poured into a mold. So all the carts were the same size and shape.”

If you’re thinking what I’m thinking — there’s a theme happening here. It has to be intentional. Right? So, assuming every part of the Temple was intentionally designed with special significance, why palm trees?

What Is the Significance of Palm Trees in the Bible?

My curious mind needed to know. So, I researched. I looked up other verses on palm trees. I googled. And I learned that they do carry symbolic meaning — a meaning that I’d like to think Solomon understood.

What the Bible Says About Palm Trees

Psalm 92:12-15 (ERV) says it best, in my opinion.

“[12] Good people are like budding palm trees. They grow strong like the cedar trees of Lebanon. [13] They are planted in the house of the Lord. They grow strong there in the courtyards of our God. [14] Even when they are old, they will continue producing fruit like young, healthy trees. [15] They are there to show everyone that the Lord is good. He is my Rock, and he does no wrong.”

And let’s look at these same verses in the AMP version:

“[12] The righteous will flourish like the date palm [long-lived, upright and useful]; They will grow like a cedar in Lebanon [majestic and stable]. [13] Planted in the house of the Lord, They will flourish in the courts of our God. [14] [Growing in grace] they will still thrive and bear fruit and prosper in old age; They will flourish and be vital and fresh [rich in trust and love and contentment]; [15] [They are living memorials] to declare that the Lord is upright and faithful [to His promises]…”

Okay. Did you just say “WOW” like I did when I read these verses? The Bible compares people to palm trees! We’ll call them “palm tree people.”

How to Be a Palm Tree Person

1. Palm tree people are good and righteous. They will thrive the way a palm tree produces fruit (like dates).
2. Palm tree people will grow strong.
3. Palm tree people are rooted in the house of the Lord (aka. the Temple) — which certainly fits with the symbolism of palm trees in the Temple built by Solomon.
4. Palm tree people will continue to be fruitful and prosperous even into old age.
5. And lastly, palm tree people are a testimony — showing the faithfulness and goodness of God for all to see.

I don’t know about you, but I want to be a palm tree person.

I want to be good and morally right.

I want everything I do to be rooted deeply in God’s truth.

I want my life to be well-spent and effective for God no matter how old I am.

I want my testimony — my story — to be a living memorial of God’s grace, hope, healing, faithfulness, and love.

And to think, all along, palm trees have offered this beautiful reminder. But that’s not all the Bible has to say about them. Nope.

Palm Branches in the Bible

Are you familiar with Palm Sunday? You know, the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, just days before he was crucified on a cross and exactly one week before he rose from the dead to defeat the power of sin.

That day, Palm Sunday, has special significance because the people of Jerusalem welcomed Jesus as their long-awaited king with — you guessed it — palm branches.

John 12:13 (ERV) tells us that, “They took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Jesus. They shouted, ‘Praise Him!’ ‘Welcome! God bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’ God bless the King of Israel!”

And that wasn’t the first time palm branches were used in celebration and praise.

In Leviticus 23:39-40 (ERV), God gives Moses this instruction for the people of Israel to follow:

“[39] On the 15th day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the crops of the land, you will celebrate the Lord’s festival for seven days. The first day will be a special day of rest, and then the eighth day will also be a special day of rest. [40] On the first day you will take good fruit from fruit trees. And you will take branches from palm trees, poplar trees, and willow trees by the brook. You will celebrate before the Lord your God for seven days.”

Clearly, God intended for palm trees and palm branches to be part of the culture and spiritual lives of His people throughout the Bible. But what about today? What about the future?

Well, in Revelation 7:9 (ERV), John describes a vision God gave him — a vision of heaven in the future.

“[9] Then I looked, and there was a large crowd of people. There were so many people that no one could count them all. They were from every nation, tribe, race of people, and language of the earth. They were standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They all wore white robes and had palm branches in their hands. [10] They shouted loudly, ‘Victory belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’”

That’s right. People “from every nation, tribe, race of people, and language of the earth” praising and glorifying God with palm branches. Can you imagine that sight? My mind can’t comprehend, but my soul longs for that day!

Palms are for praising God — both on earth and in heaven.

And here on earth, we are to be a living testimony and live like the palm tree.

I don’t know about you, but I will never look at a palm tree the same way again.