The Period During Which the Commandment Was Necessary

Was God’s commandment not to eat of the fruit binding forever?

God’s second blessing was to be fulfilled when Adam and Eve entered God’s direct dominion of love, by joining as true husband and wife and bearing and raising children in God’s love (Gen. 1:28). Indeed, the Principle mandates that human beings eat of the fruit once they reach full maturity of character.

The power of love is stronger than the power of the Principle. Had Adam and Eve reached perfection, become a godly husband and wife, and experienced God’s direct governance by the absolute power of His love, their conjugal love would have become absolute. No person, no power in the universe could ever break that bond of love. At this point, Adam and Eve would never fall.

There would have been no way that the love of the Archangel, who is inferior to human beings, could ever have severed the conjugal love of Adam and Eve once it was grounded firmly in God. Accordingly, God’s commandment, “Do not eat of the fruit,” was binding upon Adam and Eve only while they were immature.