What is the significance of the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden? If Adam and Eve were created perfect and without death (immortal), then what is the significance and purpose of the Tree of Life in the middle of the Garden of Eden?
Here's the verse in question:


  Genesis 2:16-17 NIV
  
  16 And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any
  tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the
  knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will
  certainly die.”


The opportunity to live forever

What I find most interesting is that God didn't command Adam to keep away from the tree of good and evil life. When Adam did finally eat from the tree he was commanded not to eat from, here's what Jesus had to say to His Father:


  Genesis 3:22 NIV
  
  And the LORD God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing
  good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take
  also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”


This verse sheds some light on what's happening. Adam certainly had been allowed to eat from the tree of life and live forever prior to this sin event. But because God is a just and Righteous God, He could not allow Adam to go unpunished, therefore taking away the opportunity for Adam to live forever in eternal damnation.

The fruit of righteousness

If we continue reading we find that there is another way to experience the fruit from this tree of life.


  Proverbs 11:30 NIV
  
  The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise
  saves lives.
  
  Proverbs 15:4 NIV
  
  The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes
  the spirit.


The paradise of God


  Revelation 2:7
  
  Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
  To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the
  tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.


Wow, I absolutely love this last verse and I don't know why. We will actually once again have the opportunity to eat from this tree of life. Lastly this tree of life is displayed along the main street in the kingdom of God that leads from the entrance to the throne room. Signifying that everybody can freely eat of the tree of life and have it abundantly.


  Revelation 22:2
  
  down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the
  river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding
  its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing
  of the nations.


The significance

I believe that God, being a fair and Righteous God, had not deprived man of the opportunity to be righteous from day one. However, man chose his own path, to sin. I don't have any doubts that God knew man would do this, but I also know that God would have been subjected to accusations from creation if he had locked the mouse in the cage with cheese and told the mouse not to eat of it.

As it is, no man can hold accusations against God, because God had given a fair opportunity to man.