Genesis 3:22-24
22: Said Hashem-Elokim: Behold! Mankind has [become] like One Amongst Us*, knowing good and bad; now lest he send his out hand, and take also from the Tree of [knowledge of eternal] Life, and consume, living forever.
23: Thus, Hashem-Elokim sent them out, from the Garden of Eden; to work the soil from which he was taken from there.
24: He drove out Mankind; and he established, from Eastward to Gan Eden, the Keruvim, and the flaming overturning sword, to guard the way to the Tree of [knowledge of eternal] Life.
Why is the exile of Mankind from Gan Eden stated twice?
A close examination of the wording reveals an answer: The sending out in 3:23 is the sending out of an agent to accomplish a task - to work the soil.
However, we do not see Mankind then going out of the Garden of his own will and doing so!
I conjecture that in the 'original plan', Mankind was to be sent out to work the soil after having eaten of every tree, ending with the Tree of Knowledge, Good and Bad*.
Having jumped the gun, God gives them the option of beginning their mission, to prove themselves capable of not now subverting the mission.
By refusing the great charge, Mankind denies itself the only route to societal growth left available to it.
Thus, God has no choice but to banish Mankind from the Garden, lest he stagnate and 'consume living forever' - in other words, be only a devourer of the world, and not a builder thereof.
We had proven ourselves not able to be trusted with that power.
A primary consequence of the beginning of the success of the ongoing mission of Am Yisrael to be a light unto the nations is that Mankind regains the ability to safely reenter Gan Eden, and eat of its knowledge. This is why the Aron HaBrit is topped by two unarmed Keruvim, their wings arching towards each other - it is symbolic of those guards now granting Mankind entry, through an open gate!
* See The Tree, The Naming, and Eyzer k'negdo (http://toratmatematica.blogspot.com/2016/03/thefollowing-what-was-original-timeline.html)
