One question I received from one of the boys in my Middle School Bible study class has perplexed me for some time. We have a quarterly "Ask any question" class. It's always a lot of fun, and I get some interesting questions, but this one was unusual. He asked me "How long was Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden?" Maybe some of you can answer that question for me.
Garden of Eden
- Thread starter Billyd
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Heh this is a somewhat fun question to answer. The answer is only God knows how long they were in Eden. If there was no death until the day they ate from the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, then thus Adam was immortal until the day he began to die. Could've been there for eons, could've been there as little as one day.
Billy, No real answer as the bible does not give a definite time, but there is a few things that can give a few clues if you will....
Seth like listed above was born after Cain, Abel and their fiasco which resulted in the death of Abel.....In the Process of time (as applied to Cain and Abel) indicates a period of time which also takes away from the time spent in the garden before the expulsion....it seems in all practical application that the temptation/fall of Eve and Adam was shortly after man was placed in the Garden that was EASTWARD in EDEN!
Seth like listed above was born after Cain, Abel and their fiasco which resulted in the death of Abel.....In the Process of time (as applied to Cain and Abel) indicates a period of time which also takes away from the time spent in the garden before the expulsion....it seems in all practical application that the temptation/fall of Eve and Adam was shortly after man was placed in the Garden that was EASTWARD in EDEN!
I agree that the clock didn't start ticking until Adam and Eve sinned and Death actually became a process. I always wondered how long Adam was on earth before God created Eve. The above question is similar. As you said, Adam and Eve could've been on earth for years and years, and seeing that time and decay in Creation actually began after they ate the fruit, they could've existed for literally millions of years <on an earth that never ages> (because those years would literally be 'undocumented' in the earth's age, crust, etc.) before they ate the fruit. The first three chapters of Genesis provide some really good questions for inquiring minds.
I answered the question this way. There is no way to know how long it was. That leads me to believe that the important thing to get from the creation story is not the creation, but how sin entered the world, and how it easily it was spread. In less than 130 years, sin progressed from disobedience to murder. Every time that we let sin into our life, it begins to multiply. We must always be alert to temptation.
T
We don't know exactly. But within the context of the historical story, we find that it was likely a very short period. Certainly no more than a month. Adam and Eve were commanded to be fruitful and to multiply but Eve wasn't even pregnant when they were kicked out of the Garden. I don't think they would've delayed their 'enjoyment' of each other.
God made adam mortal, from dust of the earth.
he did not eat of the tree of life.
even if he was immortal he had a begging of days when God made him.
the days of old, and years of many generations.
how mature was adam when God made him ?
was he a young adult man when God made him?
any way we look at it , his days started when God made him.
and he was 130 years old when he fathered seth
he did not eat of the tree of life.
even if he was immortal he had a begging of days when God made him.
the days of old, and years of many generations.
how mature was adam when God made him ?
was he a young adult man when God made him?
any way we look at it , his days started when God made him.
and he was 130 years old when he fathered seth
Eternal is the nature which is characterized by timelessness, or rather the state wherein there time does not exist. It is considered to be timeless since it has no beginning nor end.
The concept originates from finite nature of this universe and all things seen and known that exist within it. It originates not from it presence or existence in this world but rather from the absence of anything within it, whether living substance or life process. So where is this illustrated in the Scriptures, try Ecclesiastics 3:1-8 wherein it is written:
1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
In the Bible, only the Creator is represented as the only 'eternal' one. Eternal does not mean absolute or infinite, it represents that which has the physical nature of being timeless, which is simply that it is has always existed and will always exist as signified within the first Chapter of Colossians, but in particular Col 1:17 wherein it is written "And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist."
So if Genesis 1:1 is considered to represent that in the beginning the Creator made the Universe, then the principle of the Eternal Nature would hold that since the universe and all things within it had a beginning then it therefore must have an end. In such I would aver to the Gospel in Matt 24:35, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
Since the Eternal has neither a beginning nor an end, it can neither be created nor destroyed then anything which has a beginning or an end could not be Eternal, nor can become Eternal by the principle that it had in fact it began, or rather it did not always exist. I would be interested to hear anyone reconcile the belief that man was created eternal with the Scriptures of Genesis 2, since my opinion holds that Genesis 2 merely affirms John 3:16 and the resurrection of the spirit.
The concept originates from finite nature of this universe and all things seen and known that exist within it. It originates not from it presence or existence in this world but rather from the absence of anything within it, whether living substance or life process. So where is this illustrated in the Scriptures, try Ecclesiastics 3:1-8 wherein it is written:
1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
In the Bible, only the Creator is represented as the only 'eternal' one. Eternal does not mean absolute or infinite, it represents that which has the physical nature of being timeless, which is simply that it is has always existed and will always exist as signified within the first Chapter of Colossians, but in particular Col 1:17 wherein it is written "And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist."
So if Genesis 1:1 is considered to represent that in the beginning the Creator made the Universe, then the principle of the Eternal Nature would hold that since the universe and all things within it had a beginning then it therefore must have an end. In such I would aver to the Gospel in Matt 24:35, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
Since the Eternal has neither a beginning nor an end, it can neither be created nor destroyed then anything which has a beginning or an end could not be Eternal, nor can become Eternal by the principle that it had in fact it began, or rather it did not always exist. I would be interested to hear anyone reconcile the belief that man was created eternal with the Scriptures of Genesis 2, since my opinion holds that Genesis 2 merely affirms John 3:16 and the resurrection of the spirit.
It could've been a short period too definitely. We aren't told how long they were on earth before the Fall, so it's speculation. I don't think that we should spend a long time on things that are just speculation since speculating doesn't really inspire progress. A friend of mine does nothing but theorize, philosophize, and speculate. Nothing wrong with it, but if you will make progress, you can't spend forever on speculations. I've looked at the first three chapters of Genesis, and the mysteries that are hidden just within those first three chapters literally extend into eternity. I.e. there's enough there that is hidden and not revealed to run from that time into eternity as far as digging it all up.
There may not have been 'time' in the Garden. Time may have been the curse.
Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
It is the 'enmity' that acts in that case. For the 'enmity' to do something, there must be time. The enmity is said to be a 'his,' which may refer to a planning, i.e. 'his enmity.'
enmity
איבה
'êybâh
ay-baw'
From H340; hostility: - enmity, hatred.
H340
איב
'âyab
aw-yab'
A primitive root; to hate (as one of an opposite tribe or party); hence to be hostile: - be an enemy.
To be an enemy, there has to be something to cause that. That takes time.
Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
It is the 'enmity' that acts in that case. For the 'enmity' to do something, there must be time. The enmity is said to be a 'his,' which may refer to a planning, i.e. 'his enmity.'
enmity
איבה
'êybâh
ay-baw'
From H340; hostility: - enmity, hatred.
H340
איב
'âyab
aw-yab'
A primitive root; to hate (as one of an opposite tribe or party); hence to be hostile: - be an enemy.
To be an enemy, there has to be something to cause that. That takes time.