Remember the scripture where Adam and Eve were evicted from the Garden of Eden? The Lord placed cherubim with swords, guarding the garden so that Adam and Eve could not re-enter. I wonder, how long do you think those cherubim guarded the garden? After their eviction, Adam and Eve had to toil in the soil, work to make a living, and Eve gave birth to Cain and Abel. I wonder if those cherubim continued guarding the garden after Adam and Eve populated the earth? Do you think Adam and Eve told their kids about the garden, taking them over there, showing them where they sinned and, perhaps, their children saw the cherubim guarding the garden?
If you had to guess, how long do you think those cherubim stayed there? How long did the Garden of Eden exist before the Lord took it away? When I say ‘take it away’ I’m implying that the Garden of Eden no longer existed and the ground became like the rest of the earth.
Genesis 3:23-24
New King James Version (NKJV)
23 therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.
Some of my readings (commentaries, novels that dealt with this topic, etc.) suggest that those cherubim with the flaming swords are there to this day, barring anyone from seeing or re-entering Eden. I believe it’s still there, but we are forever denied access. I’ve always thought that, unless God sends replacements from time to time, those cherubim will be on the job until Jesus returns.
Given how close Adam and Eve were to God (face to face daily conversations before the Fall), those cherubim needed to be there. Anyone that in tune with God would, I think, still be able to see Eden and with no one guarding the way, who’s to say they wouldn’t try to slip back in for a fruit once in awhile? I mean, they’d learned what it was to disobey God, and sin is addictive :-). Those cherubim needed to be there so Adam and Eve wouldn’t test God by trying to slip back in there, and so their children wouldn’t try it either. Adam and Eve taking their kids to see Eden and the scary looking cherubim guarding the entrance- I never thought about it like that, but it makes sense to me :-).
Hi, Maurice
Thanks much for commenting. I also asked this question on Facebook and some said what you’d mentioned – that they are there to this day.
Some others made another point – what about the flood? If the flood destroyed the entire earth, then the Garden of Eden would’ve been destroyed with the flood.
Some stated that the cherubim with swords were probably there until the flood wiped out everything?
As you also mentioned, I do believe that those cherubim with swords were present while Adam and Eve were living on this earth. Adam lived for 930 years – not sure how long Eve lived! But I’d imagine that those cherubim were there at least 930 years, maybe longer than that, maybe until the flood!
As you stated, they could still be there, to this day, guarding the way into the Garden of Eden! It’s possible that, after the flood, that Garden was again thriving and we needed those cherubim to block out all of us sinners from enjoying that paradise! I’d love to see what they look like!