Do plants die?

Posted : 19 Jul, 2014 03:24 AM

What is Death?



With regards to understanding the term �death�:

It is primarily used of human death (Genesis 25:8) although animals are also said to die (Genesis 33:13; Leviticus 11:39). It is the soul who sins that will die (Ezekiel 18:4), and God takes no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies (Ezekiel 18:32). T



32 For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,� says the Lord God. �Therefore turn and live!�



However a plant is in Job 14:8 were the stump of a tree is said to die.

This is a common objection to the argument that plants don�t die.

"Though its root may grow old in the earth,

And its stump may die in the ground".



However, a closer look at the context of Job 14:8 shows that the tree is not really dead but only appears so (Job 14:7�9).



Job 14:7�9



7 �For there is hope for a tree,



If it is cut down, that it will sprout again,



And that its tender shoots will not cease.



8 Though its root may grow old in the earth,



And its stump may die in the ground,



9 Yet at the scent of water it will bud



And bring forth branches like a plant...



Death in its final analysis according to the Old Testament is the permanent cessation of breathing and the end of life (Job 34:14�15; Psalm 104:29; 146:4). However, in the sadness of death there is the promise in the prophets that death will be done away with (Isaiah.25:6; Hosea 13:14).



John 12:24

Jesus says: 24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.



In John 12:24 Jesus uses the language of appearance in verse 24 as a symbol of His future resurrection! He said that seed falls into the ground and dies...like our human death....This is a metaphor to explain His coming death...



There are three aspects of human death in Scripture. Firstly, there is spiritual death, which is alienation from God (Genesis 3:8; Ephesians 2:5; 4:18). Secondly, physical death (Genesis 2:17; 3:17�19; Romans 5:12�14; 1 Corinthians 15:21�22) which is separation of the sou/spirit from the body. The third aspect is the �second death� (Revelation 20:14), which occurs at the end of the age after the Judgement of all people implemented by the Son of God.





Why did God create plants?

Before Adam rebelled , the vegetarian diet was prescribed both to man and animals in Genesis 1:29�30.



The big difference between plants and animals is that most plant cells can change at any time into another cell type, dividing many, many times in the process. This is called being "perpetually embryonic," and it's why plants can keep growing indefinitely. It's also why you can stick a leaf or green twig in a glass of water and it will start growing roots. Animals have very rare and special cells like that called stem cells, but most animal cells are stuck being what they are (like skin cells or nerve cells),and they can't really divide much anymore.



What all this means is that the reasons why animals die (we stop growing,our cells stop dividing and "wear out") don't affect plants. Many kinds of trees commonly live for thousands of years.



Plants per se, do not have what we commonly call a 'life-span'. Given optimum conditions, they can theoretically live for an indeterminate time.



Plants don't age like we do because there are fundamental differences in our physiology and how our tissues die and renew themselves but they could be killed by breakages and environmental stresses, such as poor nutrition or extremes of temperature can cause dieback.

Post Reply