Garden of Eden

The primordial paradise where God placed Adam and Eve at creation, a garden of perfect harmony, divine presence, and innocent fellowship. Eden represents humanity’s original state before the Fall and foreshadows the ultimate restoration of paradise.

God “planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed” (Genesis 2:8). The garden contained every tree “pleasant to the sight and good for food,” including the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. A river flowed from Eden to water the garden, then divided into four rivers: Pishon, Gihon, Tigris, and Euphrates—suggesting a location in Mesopotamia, though the exact site remains unknown and may be beyond recovery after the Flood.

Adam was commissioned to “work and keep” the garden (Genesis 2:15)—not toilsome labor but joyful stewardship. God walked with the first humans “in the cool of the day” (Genesis 3:8), demonstrating unbroken fellowship. The only restriction was the prohibition against eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, on pain of death. When the serpent deceived Eve and Adam chose to disobey, they gained experiential knowledge of evil but lost access to paradise. God stationed cherubim with a flaming sword to guard the way to the Tree of Life, preventing fallen humanity from eating and living forever in their sinful state (Genesis 3:24).

The garden became a template for sacred space: the tabernacle and temple featured similar imagery (menorah as stylized tree, cherubim guardians, flowing water). Prophets envision eschatological restoration using Eden imagery—Ezekiel describes paradise regained (Ezekiel 47:1-12), and Revelation portrays the New Jerusalem with the Tree of Life restored and the river of life flowing from God’s throne (Revelation 22:1-2). Eden thus bookends Scripture—from paradise lost to paradise restored.