Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil

[WolfVanZandt]

You know, they were not banned from eating tree of life fruit until after they'deaten TKGE fruit.

[gunther]

[gunther]

[gunther]

I apologise for multi-posting but I meant to add that the Lord also took of the grape before He became the perfect sacrifice and our redemption.

[Karen]

Grapes grow on vines, not trees.

[WolfVanZandt]

It sounds good to me. I don't think you're punching at shadows. I'd be interested in your further considerations.

[Leslie]

[WolfVanZandt]

[gunther]

I realize that the grape today comes from the vine, although I have read a report of a grape vine that was 8' tall and had an 8" trunk. I suppose many things could have also changed in the fall, such as how long man lived or if there was perhaps some reason the grape might have changed from a tree to a vine. It's all speculation on my part because I'm just relating some ideas I find interesting.
I am also looking at Rev 22:2 which talks of the Tree of Life on either side of the river of life. It says that it yields it's fruit every month and it's leaves were for healing. That, to me, might point to a transition time, but I wonder the purpose of the monthly yield.
I don't see anything saying that Adam and Eve did not partake of the fruit, only that the time came when they were forbidden to eat of it. Maybe the effects of eating from it was what gave early man such long life, and perhaps delayed the physical death immediately following spiritual death. But again, that is my speculation on what I consider interesting ideas.
I would suppose a case could be made for the fig being the fruit, for that is the leaf God made for a covering, and the passage in Rev. I cited talking about leaves. Right now I'm more thinking the fig was the fruit of the Tree of Life, but I'm open to ideas at this point.
Ezekiel 47:12 also describes the River of Life with monthly fruit bearing trees for food and with special leaves.

[WolfVanZandt]

Fig leaf for healing? I wouldn't think so. I've been around fig trees for most of my life and the leaves are fuzzy and irritating. That also leads me to think that the only reason Adam and Eve used fig leaves was because they were big and provided better camoflage.

Grape leaves can be used as a healing dressing, though - especially if you use grape seed ointment.

Of course, the tropical ficus has smoother leaves but I don't know if it has an edible fruit or not.

[gunther]

For some reason I keep thinking about my "Fruit of the Looms".

[WolfVanZandt]

Hmph! I'm immune to such distractions. I wear Undergear!

:)

[nomad]

[WolfVanZandt]

[gunther]

In my opinion, for right now as WVZ said, I think that they directly experienced the evil that is disobeying God. I don't think they had total experience of all kinds of evil because of the following history and how things seemed to have gone down from there until God, in the form of Jesus, became fed up with man and more than once was ready to destroy them.
As far as importance being related to deliberate statements, I am reminded of the passage in Hebrews that talks about progressing from the milk to the meat. In that, the author begins what I find is a fascinating discussion and then drops it for lack of time, I think it was. To me it points a path of learning that is available, but not always easily discerned without study and perhaps recieved wisdom.
To return to the original subject: Do you think that Adam was unknowingly led into eating the apple, or do you think that he fully knew the ramifications of what he was about to do? Maybe he loved and identified with Eve so much that he didn't want to not share in her future or perhaps he thought the only chance she had for redemption was in his actions also? Could it be thought of as the first sacrifice, in some kind of way?