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Posted on 02/18/2026 10:47:06 PM PST by Jonty30
The Garden of Eden. The place where God created humanity and where the serpent tempted Adam & Eve to rebel. This is perhaps one of the most well-known places mentioned in the Bible. But what exactly was the Garden? Was it simply a place that humanity was tasked to take care of or was it something more significant?
On the surface, one can conclude that the Garden of Eden was simply a paradise. The Greek Old Testament (known as the Septuagint) uses the Greek word paradeisos, which is where we get the English word paradise.[1] It was taken from the Persian pairi-daeza (a “walled enclosure”), which referred to a royal park for animals, or a pleasure garden. The Hebrew for Eden means delight and the prophet Ezekiel (28:13) calls it “the garden of God.”[2]
What is interesting is that when one digs a little deeper it can be argued that the Garden of Eden was created as a temple or sanctuary. This implies that the Earth was originally designed to be a place where God would live with humanity.[3] One can conclude this when the Garden is compared with the later Jerusalem temple and the Tabernacle, the holy sanctuary that the Hebrews built in the desert after the Exodus. Numerous lines of evidence point to this conclusion:
First, we have the entrance to the Garden. Genesis 3:24 tells us that the entrance to the Garden of Eden was on the east side. Later in Scripture, the Tabernacle and temple were also to be entered from the east side (Exodus 25:18-22; 26:31; 36:35; 1 Kings 6:23-29; 2 Chronicles 3:14). And even later still, Ezekiel 40:6 places the entrance of a future temple on the east side.[4]
Second, we have the cherubim, heavenly beings often compared to or identified as angels. They had a significant role in Eden, the Tabernacle, and the temple. When God expelled Adam and Eve from the Garden, he placed cherubim and a flaming sword at the entrance to prevent the couple from eating from the Tree of Life. The cherubim and sword function similarly to the Levites (the Israelite priesthood) who acted as guards around the Tabernacle (Numbers, 1:51, 53).
The Ark of the Covenant, found in both the Tabernacle and temple, had two cherubim on the top which “guarded” the contents inside (Exodus 25:18-22), and the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place had cherubim on it (Exodus 26:31; 36:35). Cherubim appear all over the temple including on the walls and large statues of cherubim inside the innermost room who act as guards (1 Kings 6:23-35; 7:29, 36; 2 Chronicles 3:10-14).[5]
Third, inside the Tabernacle and temple, a person would find the menorah (or lampstand) which has become a very important symbol in Judaism. This lampstand resembled a tree trunk with seven branches with flowering almond blossoms (Exodus 25:31-40). The menorah likely symbolizes the tree of life that is found in the Garden (Genesis 2:9; 3:22; cf. Exodus 25:31-35).[6]
Fourth, two Hebrew verbs are used that connect the Garden with the later two sanctuaries. The Hebrew verbs are abad and samar. Abad means “to serve, till,” and samar carries the meaning “to keep, tend, observe, guard, protect.” These words are used in Genesis 2:15 in God’s command to Adam “to work it [the garden] and take care of it.” In other sections of the Pentateuch, these words are only used together in passages that describe the duties of the Levities in the sanctuary.
Abad is a common verb often used concerning the cultivation of soil. It can also be used in the religious context of serving God (Deuteronomy 4:19) and is used concerning the tabernacle duties of the Levites (Numbers 3:7-8; 4:23-24, 26; 8:26; 18:5-6).
Samar has the basic meaning of “guarding” or “to exercise great care over.” It is used in relationship to commands and Levitical duties (Leviticus 18:5) and guarding the Tabernacle (Numbers 1:53; 3:7-8).
This is emphasized as the poetic synonym of samar is always nasar, “to protect” in many passages (Deuteronomy. 33:9; Psalm 12:8 [English 7]; 105:45; 119:34, 55-56, 145-146; 140:5 [English 4]; 141:3; Proverbs 2:8, 11; 4:6; 5:2; 27:18). The root for samar is also used in Genesis 3:24 referring to the cherub guarding Eden.
Just as the priests were to keep guard and take care of the temple and Tabernacle (Numbers 18:5), so Adam and Eve were to guard and take care of Eden.[7]
Fifth, gold and onyx, mentioned in connection to the Garden of Eden in Genesis 2:11-12, are used extensively to decorate the priestly garments and the later sanctuaries (e.g. Exodus. 25:7, 11, 17, 31; 28:9-14, 17-21; 1 Chronicles 29:2). Gold, in particular, is one of the main materials used in the construction of the Tabernacle and temple as it is used almost everywhere in these structures (1 Kings 6:20-22, 28-30, 31-35; 7:48-50). Ezekiel 28:13 also makes a connection with jewels and Eden.[8]
Sixth, God walks in Eden as he later does in the Tabernacle (Genesis. 3:8; cf. Leviticus. 26:12; Deuteronomy 23:14-5; 2 Samuel 7:6-7). God’s presence also fills the temple (1 Kings 6:13; 8:10-11).[9]
Seventh, a river flows out of Eden to the lands outside (Genesis 2:10). A river also flows from the future temple in Ezekiel 47 which gives life to the nations outside. Scholar Desmond Alexander makes an interesting observation when he says, “The river flowing from Eden (Gen. 2:10) is reminiscent of Ezekiel 47:1-12, which envisages a river flowing from a future Jerusalem temple and bringing life to the Dead Sea. The fact that Eden must be an elevated location, possibly a mountain, also supports that it is a sanctuary, for God’s presence is frequently associated with mountains.”[10]
Eighth, the Jerusalem temple was adorned by arboreal decorations giving it the feeling of a garden paradise (1 Kings 6:18, 31-35; 7:18-22, 24, 29-30, 36, 42)).[11] This imagery, especially the trees and rivers, reflects the abundant life found in God’s presence. This paints a picture of God fulfilling humanity’s every need in the garden temple. Just like the Holy Place had the lampstand (the tree of life) and the bread of the presence to sustain the priests, the Garden has the tree of life which provides food for Adam and Eve.[12] Scholar Gordon Wenham says that “Paradise in Eden and the later [T]abernacle share a common symbolism suggestive of the presence of God.”[13]
Ninth, there is also a connection between Eden and the later sanctuaries regarding knowledge and wisdom. The ark of the covenant, which lies in the Holy of Holies, contained the Law which leads to wisdom. In the Garden lies the tree of knowledge of good and evil which also led to wisdom (see Proverbs 3).[14]
Adam and Eve in the Garden
Considering that the Garden is envisioned as a temple, it makes sense that God would endow Adam and Eve with a job that is reminiscent of a temple priest, and this is exactly what we see in Genesis 2. God gives the first couple a holy status that allows them to serve their Creator in the garden temple as a priest served God in the temple and Tabernacle. This gives Adam and Eve direct access to God, and in addition to this, “the human couple is appointed as God’s viceroys to govern the earth on his [God’s] behalf.”[15] What is the evidence of this?
First, they are told to have dominion over all the other creatures that God has created (Genesis 1:26-28). By giving mankind authority over the animal kingdom, God has set them apart from the animals and has given them royal status (see below). The fact that this is mentioned twice in 1:26-28 underscores the importance of the decision to give authority to humans to rule over the world.[16]
Secondly, being made in the image of God has within it the concept of royalty. In the Ancient Near East, the phrase “image of God” was often only given to kings. Scholar Richard Middleton says:
“the writer of Genesis 1 portrays God as king presiding over ‘heaven and earth,’ an ordered and harmonious realm in which each creature manifests the will of the creator and is thus declared ‘good.’ Humanity is created like this God, with the special role of representing or imaging God’s rule in the world.”[17]
To add to this, God commands humanity to be fruitful and multiply, and fill up the earth. Alexander notes that “[i]mplicit in this instruction is the idea that God’s authority will be extended throughout the earth as people increase in number and spread outwards.”[18] This fits the historical context of the Ancient Near East as a king would erect statues of himself (his image) throughout his kingdom to show that his authority (and image) reached there.[19]
This was the purpose that God gave Adam, Eve, and their descendants. They were to rule as God’s viceroys over his creation. They were to be good stewards and follow their king, the Lord God. They were also sinless, and God provided for them everything that they needed. They had royal status and lacked nothing.
Putting the pieces together
The Garden of Eden tells us much about God’s original intent with the world and humanity. The Garden was created to be a holy sanctuary where God’s royal viceroys (who were made in his image) would live. Humanity was given the job of being stewards of the earth, taking care of it and ruling over it as good kings and queens.
When we read about the Garden of Eden, we often will only envision it as the home of the first human couple. However, the previous details show us that the Garden was meant to be the home of God as well. He did not create the Garden, and the rest of the universe, only as a place where people will live. He set it up as a place where he could live with his creation. One scholar says it well:
“God does not set up the cosmos so that only people will have a place. He also sets up the cosmos to serve as his temple in which he will find rest in the order and equilibrium that he has established.”[20]
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True.
Thank you for this. I always have envisioned that the entire earth was the Garden of Eden and how it was supposed to be - God in direct relationship with people.
Of course that means I forgot/ignored the fact that the boundaries of the Garden are described in the Bible.
Perhaps I need to change my image to the Garden being the temple, and the earth being like the courtyards around the temple.
Anyway, very interesting and helpful article. I will forward on to my pastor in case he is interested.
That article’s description lands flat because it reduces Eden to a structured sanctuary (temple parallels, priestly duties, symbolic elements) without ever capturing the vibrant, pulsing aliveness of God’s presence there.
It’s like mapping the floor plan of a home while ignoring the warmth, laughter, and heartbeat of the family living in it. The piece is biblically faithful in its details, but it feels mechanical and detached—more academic catalog than living encounter.
God’s essence is love (1 John 4:8)–it’s the animating force from the start.
Eden isn’t bland architecture; it’s the first explosion of divine delight–God’s love–spilling into creation, where every creature, leaf, stream, and conversation radiates the joy of being-with-God.
The temple parallels are real, but they point to this deeper reality: God’s presence makes space holy not through blueprints, but through living, relational overflow–the kind that makes hearts expand, senses awaken, and everything feel charged with purpose and affection.
The article misses this pulse, so it comes across as dry.
But when we consider who and what God tells us he is–incomprehensible divine Love–that transforms Eden from a historical footnote or symbolic prototype into a glimpse of what true life feels like: God’s vibrant, loving nearness turning ordinary ground into paradise.
That’s the God who doesn’t need our temples or rest, but who graciously invites us into His overflowing life anyway.
Interesting perspective.
Thanks for posting.
Or death was just the natural consequence of sin but either way, allowing men to die means giving them a second chance to live with Him forever, as He intended.
Heaven isn’t the reward for people who are good. It’s what God intended for man from the beginning. It’s what God WANTS for us to experience. He did everything He could to the point of dying for us to give us the opportunity to achieve that.
Well, it was probably on a mountain. Many argue Mount Moriah. And that’s why people are always building pyramids to gods, starting with Babel.
Amd man was not created in Eden. Early small error. God created man, *then* He planted a garden and put man in it. Words are clear as day.
At least according to the article, God did create structure in Eden and has been replicating it with the Jews and, on the New Earth it will be replicated with God sitting on the throne.
The fact that Eden must be an elevated location, possibly a mountain, also supports that it is a sanctuary
I can go with that. After getting kicked out, its been downhill ever since...
Bkmk
“Today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
Back to the Garden (not as Joni envisioned, tho).
bmk
Very well stated. Billy Graham said from time to time that when he dies, he will be more alive than he’s ever been.
But what exactly was the Garden? Was it simply a place that humanity was tasked to take care of or was it something more significant?
At the center of the garden were two trees side by side. The “good” tree and the “bad” tree. Come on God, put the “bad” tree at the edge of the garden, give us a fighting chance. The fact is those two trees still exist in every decision we make, side by side, can’t avoid them.
The “Tree of Life” is mentioned is three chapters of the Bible. The reading is worthy of reflection and I will let the reader do their own research.
Which tree will we choose today?
Well said!
Second, we have the cherubim, heavenly beings often compared to or identified as angels. They had a significant role in Eden, the Tabernacle, and the temple. When God expelled Adam and Eve from the Garden, he placed cherubim and a flaming sword at the entrance to prevent the couple from eating from the Tree of Life. The cherubim and sword function similarly to the Levites (the Israelite priesthood) who acted as guards around the Tabernacle (Numbers, 1:51, 53).
Eyes can go to different words there. There is a wall of cherubim. Try to get past that border! And then the sword, no one is going to get past that either.
But what is the function of the sword? It moves, like a military gate crossing. What is the function of a gate? Who is the Sword? Let your eyes go to that.
Now read the following slowly and let your lips move. Read it again.
Gen_3:24 After sending them out, the LORD God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And He placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
Read it again.
Gen_3:24 After sending them out, the LORD God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And He placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
The flaming sword guards the way TO the TREE OF LIFE. It isn’t there to keep people away.
It is not about the garden, it is about THE TREE OF LIFE.
I heard a preacher say once, “Heaven is the ecstasy of falling in love...times millions...forever.”
24And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, land crawlers, and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. 25God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that crawls upon the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
26Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, and over all the earth itself and every creature that crawls upon it.”
27So God created man in His own image;
in the image of God He created him;
male and female He created them.e
28God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth.”
29Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit contains seed. They will be yours for food. 30And to every beast of the earth and every bird of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth—everything that has the breath of life in it—I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.
31And God looked upon all that He had made, and indeed, it was very good.
And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
Peter pens that one *day* with the LORD is as a thousand years ... The ‘sixth’ day creation had a different charge as noted in Genesis 2:5
5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and *there was not a man to till the ground.*
With the premise of the Garden being a temple..
With the Church being the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, and a Restored Garden of sorts, a Spiritual Holy temple with Christ as the Chief Cornerstone, does the Church want to see itself as a:
Garden of Eden?
Tabernacle in the wilderness?
Solomon’s temple?
Herod’s temple?
Ezekiel’s temple?
All of the above?
None of the above?
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