Hi, these answers are short and sweet, hope they help.
1) Did Adam and Eve evolve or were they created?
Adam was specifically created according to :
Gen 2:7 'he created man from the clay and blew into his nostrils the breath of life so the man came to be a living soul'
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2) When God took them into the garden were they a basic family?
Gen2:22-24 gives the account of God creating a woman for the man and bought them together. Jesus later used this account to teach people about the wrongfulness of divorce so it is evident that the man and woman became a married couple in Eden. IOW a basic family unit.
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3) If created, were they subject to physical death?
the command given at Gen 2:15 says "as for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad you must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will positively die"
I can give you my opinion of this, but in your opinion, if Adam was told that he would die only if the ate from the tree, what do you think should have been the result if he had NOT eaten from it?
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4) Was the tree of life not mentioned as a concern along with the
tree of knowledge of good and evil because it was not a concern because they were already immortal?
the Bible does not say that the tree of life in itself had life-giving qualities. Rather, that tree 'represented' God's guarantee of everlasting life to the one who would be allowed to eat its fruit. I say this because the tree of life is mentioned again in the bible at Rev 2:7. There it says that whoever is found approved by God and judged righteous, will be permitted to eat from the tree of life. Therefore the tree symbolizes Gods ability to grant everlasting life to whomever he chooses. (immortality and everlasting life are two different things)
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5) Is the tree of life the antidote to either the physical or spiritual death?
No...The antidote for physical or spiritual death is God. God granted Jesus immoratal life in heaven, there was no physical tree of life that Jesus had to eat from to get it. God can grant it to someone if he chooses.
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6) If they were a basic family and not subject to death would they live forever as a family?
Yes.
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7) Is the Messiah's mission to restore to it's original state what God created or to change things?
Restore what God had created which was a paradise with perfect humans to cultivate it. Rev 21:4 "And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away."
Luke 23:42 "Truly I tell you today, You will be with me in Paradise."
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8) When Isaiah says that the lion will eat hay like the ox will that be a restoration of what was before the fall or will that be a change?
Most of the Scriptural references to the lion is figurative, or illustrative. The nation of Israel were compared to lions as was the power of enemy nations and their ferocious attacks.
However when the Jews were being protected by God, these attacks by the enemy did not happen. Therefore, from their standpoint the 'lion' was, in effect, eating straw like a bull, or in other words doing no harm.
There is a greater fulfillment of these words in the future under Christs rule. Some people may at one time have had a lion-like disposition but thru christ have learned 'peace' and will no longer cause harm to others. I dont believe lions will literally be eating straw ...but surely, just as in the days of the Isrealites, lions will not cause harm to humans or their domestic animals.
In the wild, im sure lions will continue to eat meat.
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) Is this knowledge valuable to a discussion regarding how the age of the earth is thought of?
I think its important to be able to differentiate between the 'earth' and 'man'.
Edited by Peg, : No reason given.
Edited by Peg, : No reason given.
Edited by Peg, : No reason given.
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