Creation

Genesis 2:7-9, 15-17
7 Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. 8 The Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. 9 Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

15 Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. 16 The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”

The Bible is the story of God. Genesis 1:1 begins the story, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” In the verses that follow, God forms and fills His creation. On day six, the culmination of God’s creation is reached as God creates a man from the dust and a woman from the man’s side. God created them in His own image and likeness and placed them in the Garden of Eden to rule on His behalf. They were created as co-rulers by God to take dominion over His creation, and as co-rulers with God, the man and woman were intended to live in unending, undying, unobstructed communion with God and enjoyment of him forever.  

Eden is what we were created for. Eden is the world as it was intended to be. Eden is a picture of a reality long past, but also a beautiful foreshadowing of the future we look forward to through Christ.

Heaven is paradise regained. The heavenly city, the New Jerusalem, has been aptly described as an “Edenic-Temple City.” It is reminiscent of Eden and also like one huge holy of holies where God’s localized presence dwells. The story of the Bible comes full circle in Revelation 20—22.

Here are just a few of the comparisons between the past Garden and the future City.

We were made for Eden, and praise God someday we will return to the garden. Creation
will come full circle. Thes story has the ultimate happy ending. “And they will reign forever and ever” (Rev 22:5b).

How does reflecting on the creation narrative and its parallels with Revelation influence your understanding of God's overarching plan for humanity and the cosmos?

In what ways can we strive to live in anticipation of the future restoration of Eden?


Heavenly Father, thank You for the profound story of creation, redemption, and restoration woven throughout Scripture. Help us to grasp the significance of Eden as a foretaste of the paradise we anticipate in Christ. Guide us in living out our roles as co-rulers and stewards of Your creation, eagerly awaiting the day when we will dwell in unending communion with You. In Jesus' name, Amen.