Then the LORD God said, Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take from the tree of life, and live forever -- From this passage we might surmise the Tree of Life perpetuated life. In Revelations 22:2 we find the leaves of the tree of life were for the healing of the nations.I have heard it said and read God restricted the fallen couple's access to the tol so they would not perpetually live in their fallen state, and if so such action could be viewed as an expression of God's mercy and grace. Unless one subscribes to the GapTheory (Genesis 1:2), since Adam and Eve were the first humans there could be no death prior unless it occurred in the animal and/or plant kingdom God-HonoringChrist-CenteredBible-BasedSpirit-Led