Rebellious Angels Are Cast Out, and Adam and Eve Fall
43
result of the exhilarating influence of the forbidden fruit. She was in
a strange and unnatural excitement as she sought her husband, with
her hands filled with the forbidden fruit. She related to him the wise
discourse of the serpent, and wished to conduct him at once to the tree
of knowledge. She told him she had eaten of the fruit, and instead of
her feeling any sense of death, she realized a pleasing, exhilarating
influence. As soon as Eve had disobeyed, she became a powerful
medium through which to occasion the fall of her husband.—
The
Spirit of Prophecy 1:38, 39
.
An expression of sadness came over the face of Adam. He appeared
astonished and alarmed. To the words of Eve he replied that this must
be the foe against whom they had been warned; and by the divine
sentence she must die. In answer she urged him to eat, repeating the
words of the serpent, that they should not surely die. She reasoned that
this must be true, for she felt no evidence of God’s displeasure....
Adam understood that his companion had transgressed the com-
mand of God, disregarded the only prohibition laid upon them as a
test of their fidelity and love. There was a terrible struggle in his mind.
He mourned that he had permitted Eve to wander from his side. But
now the deed was done; he must be separated from her whose society
had been his joy. How could he have it thus? He resolved to share her
fate; if she must die, he would die with her. After all, he reasoned,
might not the words of the wise serpent be true? Eve was before him,
as beautiful, and apparently as innocent, as before this act of disobedi-
ence. She expressed greater love for him than before. No sign of death
[58]
appeared in her, and he decided to brave the consequences. He seized
the fruit, and quickly ate.
After his transgression, Adam at first imagined himself entering
upon a higher state of existence. But soon the thought of his sin filled
him with terror. The air, which had hitherto been of a mild and uniform
temperature, seemed to chill the guilty pair. The love and peace which
had been theirs was gone, and in its place they felt a sense of sin, a
dread of the future, a nakedness of soul.—
Patriarchs and Prophets, 56,
57
.
Satan exulted in his success. He had now tempted the woman to
distrust God, to question His wisdom, and to seek to penetrate His
all-wise plans. And through her he had also caused the overthrow