What happened after Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil?

Question

5For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6¶And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 7And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. 8¶And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. — Genesis 3:5-8

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And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: 3:23

Most commentators that I have read say that the knowledge of good and evil that Adam and Eve gained when they ate the fruit was the knowledge of what it feels like to sin against God, and that the fruit itself had no special properties. However, if this is the case, then why did Adam and Eve suddenly feel ashamed about being naked?

The plain reading of the text suggests that the fruit of the Tree gave Adam and Eve the ability to discern good from evil supernaturally, and that they were like animals or infants, who both commit "sin" without guilt or condemnation, before then.

What happened after Adam and Eve ate the fruit? Did they simply know what it was like to sin, or did they supernaturally receive a conscience?

Thank you.

Answer 1

The consequence of eating of the tree of knowledge and evil is plainly recorded in the text of scripture. The only consequence was that the man and the woman . . . discovered their nakedness.

And the result of that discovery . . . was death.

No superhuman ability. No wonderful revelation. No intense experience. No enlarged conscience. No enlightenment.

What happened after their eating was exactly what God had warned them. Death.

And as that death began, all they had was their own unclothed persons to contemplate.

For this is all spiritual. The nakedness is representative. What they lacked was the humanity with which to accomplish anything towards God. The serpent misrepresented the way in which God lives, as though he needs to know good and evil in order to live. As though, by gaining such knowledge, humanity could rise to the heights of Deity.

The serpent set before them a way of works - through knowledge.

But it was a lack of suitable humanity, that they discovered. Nor did a few fig leaves add to their distress. Nothing could cover up their nakedness.

But after their judgment and after Adam shows faith in God's promise (he calls Eve the mother of all living in response to God's promise), then God clothes them in coats of skins. In a figure, God clothed them with another humanity. The seed of promise was the one who would (from above) bruise the head of the serpent. From a higher place (in ascension) would the promised one bruise the head of the highest created principality.

Humanity, raised from the dead, ascended into the highest heavens, would triumph.

What Adam and Eve lacked, was the humanity necessary to achieve the purposes of God. The seed of promise would gain that. And in death, he would triumph. And through death and resurrection he would (as Head) bring in another humanity.

Then, mortal shall put on immortality. But only under his Headship.

Adam and Eve only ever discovered their lack by partaking of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The serpent had lied. for he is a liar from the beginning, as Jesus plainly says.

The serpent's promise was a lie. They never gained what he said they would gain. They only discovered their need of the promised humanity . . .

but that did not hinder the promise, and come he did, who achieved all for God, through faith.

Answer 2

Peace unto you.

The woman in the garden added her own carnal commandment (added: “neither shall you touch it”) to God’s commandment and then presented it as though God had commanded it.

Genesis 3: 2) And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: (3) But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

God did not include this in His command and yet she altered it and presented it as though He had said it.

Genesis 2:16-17 KJV (16) And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: (17) But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

She changed/altered the truth of God in THE Lie and worshipped and served the “creature” (the added carnal ordinance that altered the Truth of God into her own “formation”) more than the Creator…

Romans 1:25 KJV (25) Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

The altered command of God now becomes a basis to judge others in the practice of THE Lie of the serpent that followed.

This is happening today as many worship and serve the handwritings of ordinances of the church scribes …the “formation”…the “creature”…rather than the Creator who commanded us to have love for one another. They set aside the commandment of God in order to keep the transmissions of men …their doctrines and commandments that are wrote down and passed down from one generation to another.

Genesis 3:1-5 KJV (1) Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? (2) And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: (3) But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

The Lie: “you shall surely not die” should be translated “dying, you shall not die” or rather by “killing, you shall not die”. Many use the carnal handwriting of church ordinances today as a means to be judge, jury and executioner of others who do not follow them. They "kill" another with evil words and false accusations...hating one another.

The Lie: “you shall surely not die”. There is no “peace and safety” to do so no matter how the Lie is presented by those who come preaching themselves in order to deceive us .

(4) And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

The Lie: “For God does know…” Many use the added handwritings of carnal church ordinances to judge others supposedly in God’s name or authority. They think that they are doing it for God in His authority…and that God is okay with that they believe. They believe THE lie and practice it.

The Lie: “your eyes shall be opened and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil”. Many want to be seen as “wise” and be a judge (“gods” = Elohim = judges)of others using the carnal ordinances of men. They are “judges” for God supposedly who know who and what is “good and evil”.

(5) For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

But there is only One Lawgiver and One Judge who is able to save and to destroy.

When one judges another as an “evil doer” because he does not keep our particular handwriting of church dogmas, we are not a doer of the Law of Christ who commanded us to have love for one another.

If we judge the Law, then we are not a doer of the Law but a judge (the Lie: “you are as judges, knowing good and evil”). We have no works of true righteousness then. We are “naked” as a result.

The Lie is the same lie from the Beginning...and we are not to be a judge of a brother who does not keep our particular carnal commandment. We are not a lawgiver nor a judge of another brother and we are not acting as such in behalf of God….supposedly in His authority.

James 4:11-12 KJV (11) Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. (12) There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

So what follows now in Genesis 3 is a picture of the coming Day of Judgment as the Lord comes to speak to us in the Spirit of the Day who points out our poor spiritual condition (nakedness) in His rebuke. “Who told you that you were naked”?

The eyes of them both were opened…by the revelation of the Lord in the Day of Judgment….and they knew that they were naked and sewed fig leaves together (by saying “Lord, Lord”). They did not produce fruits of righteousness….just words (the fig leaves only). They had platitudes to cover themselves and did not have good works toward the rebuke of them. They did not produce fruit….just leaves.

Genesis 3:7-11 KJV (7) And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

They heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the “cool”…that is, Spirit…of the Day (in the Day of Judgment). Yet, they hid themselves from the presence (face) of the Lord GOD. They did not have complete (perfect) love as they feared in the Day of Judgment…and fear has to do with punishment (see 1 John 4:17-21).

They did not show that they knew God (hiding from His face) by having love towards those brothers sent out by the Lord to speak His words. When we know someone, we see their “face” and recognize them. They did hide themselves from His “face” in the midst of the TREE (singular) of the garden….the “tree of life” in name only.

They hid behind the reputation of being alive….hiding themselves in the midst of the tree of life. But…. “You have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead” (Revelation 3:1).

Faith alone is dead. Faith without good works is dead. Good works is evidence of our faith and hiding behind the reputation of being alive (hiding from His face in the midst of the tree of life) does not save us from His judgment.

Sewing fig leaves together only is not enough. Saying “Lord, Lord” is not enough. We cannot be secure in this…making ourselves “girdles” to support bad behavior. We must show forth our faith with good deeds (producing fruits of righteousness) towards the hearing of His voice.

(8) And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

The LORD God called unto Adam and said unto him, “Where are you?” Where is your faith? Where is the evidence of your faith? Where are the good works that are supposed to accompany your faith? Where are the fruits of righteousness?

(9) And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? (10) And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

Who told you that you were naked? And yet Adam continued to eat from the tree he was not supposed to even after hearing the rebuke of the Lord .

(11) And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

To the church of “Laodicea”….meaning the “people of the Judgment”: who told you that you are naked?

Revelation 3:17-19 KJV (17) Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

The people of the judgment had to hear the rebuke from the Lord that they were wretched (enduring trial) and miserable and poor and blind and naked.

In the Day of Judgment, those who are lukewarm will be rebuked in order to provoke a response…and hopefully a zealous response to His sharp rebuke of them.

Their faith shall be tried in the fire of His rebuke (who told you that you were naked?) so that they may be rich in good works….producing much fruits of righteousness.

Professing faith without good works is “lukewarm” and we cannot think ourselves as being “secure” in the lack of them (lack of good works). We cannot trust in our own situation…that we are “rich” and increased with goods and have need of nothing.

We are to hear His rebuke and be found putting on the white raiment…putting on Christ…at the hearing of His rebuke so that the “shame” of our nakedness does not appear.

The “shame” will be the evil responses of those who profess that they know God but will deny Him with their evil speaking of those brothers sent out by Him to speak His words in the Day of Judgment.

(18) I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. (19) As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

The “shame” appears when those who will hear His voice will respond with a multitude of evil words in opposition to what they hear the Spirit saying to the churches. They will not consider what they do as evil.

Ecclesiastes 5:1-3 KJV (1) Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. (2) Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. (3) For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.

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1 John 4:17-21 KJV (17) Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. (18) There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. (19) We love him, because he first loved us. (20) If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? (21) And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.