The Death Sentence: Instant spiritual death, then slow physical death

The King James Version (KJV) is mostly used in these lessons. Click here to access the KJV online.

Yahuwah had said -
Genesis 2:17 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. However, we see that Adam lived for hundreds of years after the fall. Genesis 5:5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.

Because Adam and Eve did not drop dead instantly when they sinned, the impression here may be that [a] Yahuwah was not serious about the death sentence. Because Adam and Eve did not drop dead instantly when they sinned, the first impression here may be that [b] Yahuwah had in His great mercy, somehow, changed His mind. Peter gives us the real reason - 2 Peter 3: 8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with Yahuwah as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. V.9 Yahuwah is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

It should be noted that in all scripture, we find no one living to complete 1000 years.

Adam and Eve apparently died spiritually the very instant they sinned, but their physical death came after a very long process of slow deterioration, during which they had the chance to repent.

They had eaten of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Before they ate, they had only experienced good. Immediately after the fall, they began to see/experience evil.