| Did They Die? At first glance, it seems that the enemy had told the truth, for they did not die. In an attempt to make sense out of God’s warning, theologians have explained that “they died spiritually” or that their bodies “began to die.” True, their spiritual connection with God had been severed. They died “spiritually.” But this is not the death God had warned was the results of sin. Their cells began to die; their bodies began to age and deteriorate. The process leading to their physical death 900 years later had begun. But this is not the death God had warned them about. The Bible speaks of two different “deaths”—the “first death” is the one with which we are all familiar with. All the Bible writers called this death “sleep.” Jesus said we shouldn’t worry about that death, because God will “wake up” everyone who has ever died—good and bad[44]. This first death is only a symbolic reminder of the awfulness of what the Bible calls “the second death.” Jesus said this is the one we need to worry about. Everyone—good and bad, even innocent children—go to sleep temporarily in the first death. The second death is the final result of sin; no one has died this death yet.[45] God had clearly warned that their death would be immediate—” In the day you eat of it, you will surely die.”[46] Since nothing can live apart from God, their separation from the Lifegiver would result in an instant cessation of life[47]. Obviously, God had stepped in, artificially giving them physical life, as he had done with Satan and his followers. Why would he do that? Their death would have proven that he had told the truth! But again—he had to demonstrate that he was not the killer—it was sin itself. Mission Impossible Adam and Eve were promised a Savior. God’s chosen messenger—the remedy for sin. He would heal and restore everything to the way it once was. He would disprove Satan’s lies and bring peace and life to the world and the universe again. He would bear the results of sin. He would die the awful death God had warned about. He would teach us the way to live forever! He would prove that sinners die, but God does not kill them. Who could possibly accomplish such a monumental task? How could he do it? Who was this man? Animals die. Man is mortal.[48] Even angels receive life from God.[49] There is only one Being in the universe who is immortal—who cannot die—God himself. Only God could say, “No one can take my life from me. If I die, it is only because I lay it down of my own will.”[50] If he were to die the death that is caused by sin, it would prove that sin indeed kills, but it is not God who causes the death. He must die this death. He would be this man. It was the only way.[51] |
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| 44 see John 5:28-29, Revelation 20:4-6, 11-13 45 Note: see Appendix 1 for additional details on this topic. 46 Genesis 2:17 47 see Psalm 36:9; I John 5:12; Psalm 104:29, 30 48 Job 4:17, I Corinthians 15:53-54 49 Hebrews 12:9, Colossians 1:16, 17 50 see I Timothy 1:17, I Timothy 6:15, 16; John 10:17, 18 51 Acts 4:12, John 1:18, Matthew 11:27 |
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