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G O D
U S
Expanding Eden to the Ends of the Earth
G K B E A L E and
M I TC H E L L K I M
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GOD
DWELLS Expanding Eden to the Ends of the Earth
AMONG
USG K BEALE and
MITCHELL KIM
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InterVarsity Press
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wwwivpresscom
emailivpresscom
copy983090983088983089983092 by G K Beale and Mitchell Kim
All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from
InterVarsity PressInterVarsity Pressreg is the book-publishing division of InterVarsity Christian FellowshipUSAreg a movement of
students and faculty active on campus at hundreds of universities colleges and schools of nursing in the United
States of America and a member movement of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students For
information about local and regional activities visit wwwintervarsityorg
Scripture quotations unless otherwise noted are from Te Holy Bible English Standard Version copyright copy
983090983088983088983089 by Crossway Bibles a division of Good News Publishers Used by permission All rights reserved
While all stories in this book are true some names and identifying information in this book have been changed
to protect the privacy of the individuals involved
Cover design David Fassett
Interior design Beth McGill
Images copy Lisa-BlueiStockphoto
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983092983092983089983092-983090 (print)
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983096983088983089983094-983092 (digital)
Printed in the United States of America
InterVarsity Press is committed to protecting the environment and to the responsible use ofnatural resources As a member of Green Press Initiative we use recycled paper whenever possibleo learn more about the Green Press Initiative visit wwwgreenpressinitiativeorg
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Beale G K (Gregory K) 983089983097983092983097-
God dwells among us expanding Eden to the ends of the earth GK
Beale and Mitchell Kim
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983092983092983089983092-983090 (pbk alk paper)
983089 Presence of God 983090 emple of God 983091 Eden 983092 BiblemdashTeology I itle
B983089983096983088P983094B983092983091 983090983088983089983092
983090983090983088983094rsquo983092mdashdc983090983090
983090983088983089983092983088983091983091983091983092983093
P 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092 983089983091 983089983090 983089983089 983089983088 983097 983096 983095 983094 983093 983092 983091 983090 983089
Y 983091983089 983091983088 983090983097 983090983096 983090983095 983090983094 983090983093 983090983092 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092
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CONTENTS
Preface 983095
Abbreviations 983089983089
Introduction 983089983091
983089 Eden as a emple 983089983095he Context of Genesis 1048625ndash1048626
983090 Expanding Eden 983090983097
he Call in Genesis 104862510486261048630-10486261048632
983091 Eden Lost 983091983097
he Call to the Patriarchs After the Fall
983092 Eden Remixed 983093983089he abernacle in a Context of Sin
983093 Eden Restored 983094983093
Promise of the Expansion of Eden in the Prophets
983094 Eden Rebuilt 983095983097
Jesus as the New emple in the Gospels
983095 Eden Expanding 983097983097he Church as the New emple
983096 Edenrsquos Ministry 983089983089983091
Serving as Priests in the New emple
983097 Eden Completely Expanded 983089983091983093
he New Heavens and New Earth in Revelation 104862610486251048625-1048628
983089983088 ldquoWhy Havenrsquot I Seen Tis Beforerdquo 983089983092983095
Seeing the Purpose of Godrsquos Dwelling Place in Eden
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983089983089 Concluding Practical Reflections 983089983093983095
Foundational Convictions for Sacrificial Mission
in the emple
Notes 983089983094983095
Bibliography 983089983097983097
Scripture Index 983090983088983095
Ancient Literature Index 983090983089983091
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Preface
Why did we write this book We pray that its biblical-theological
perspective might fuel the church to fulfill its mission in the world
In writing this book we see more clearly than ever that the themes
of Eden the temple Godrsquos glorious presence new creation and the
mission of the church are ultimately facets of the same reality Morespecifically we hope to build a bridge from the world of biblical
theology to the needs of the church Te substance and basic thesis
of the book is distilled from G K Beale Te emple and the Churchrsquos
Mission A Biblical Teology of the Dwelling Place of God1 Te original
book spanned from Genesis to Revelation exploring both the an-
cient Near Eastern and Second emple Jewish views of the temple
More extensive argumentation from the biblical text as well as the
surrounding world can be found in that original book However the
basic thesis of this book was then developed into a seven-week
sermon series preached by Mitchell Kim at Living Water Alliance
Church in Chicagoland and then condensed into a seminar given
at different conferences
Writing and speaking are two very different mediums Writinggives liberty to provide in-depth substantiation and explore secondary
lines of support for an argument Preaching demands a laser-like
focus on communicating a single point Adapting the considerable
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8 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
substance of the original temple book to preaching demanded a
radical reduction in order to communicate orally ranslating the
preached sermons back to a written format allowed a significant am-
plification and deepening of the preached material while we at-
tempted to maintain the vibrancy and focus of preaching Some ma-
terial has been lifted verbatim from the original book most has been
reworked and reworded to communicate more concisely and clearly
Our hope is that the biblical-theological heft of the original will be
combined with practical insight to spark a greater zeal and passionfor mission by Godrsquos people in the world
Tere has been somewhat of a hermeneutical shift from the original
book to this one In the original book G K Beale tried to sketch the
development of the temple idea through each of the various distinct
redemptive-historical epochs (EdenNoahicPatriarchalIsrael
[Mount Sinairarr wilderness tabernaclerarr Jerusalem temple]inaugu-
rated latter daysconsummated latter days) in order to see how they
related to and built on one another However because of the con-
densed nature of this book we sometimes merge the meaning of the
temple in earlier epochs with the developed meaning from later
epochs (especially in the earlier chapters) In cases of any ambiguity
the reader should consult the original book
God has often used our wives to help our theology connect intothe realities of daily life We are both deeply indebted to our wives
Dorinda Beale and Eunsil Kim who have not only discussed the
theology of the temple with us but also forced us to live out this
theology by bringing the presence of God into our homes Tey have
been crucial in helping us to understand this topic in more depth In
writing this book we have personally lived out its call to ldquoBe fruitful
and multiply and fill the earthrdquo (Gen 104862510486261048632) as God has blessed us withchildren and grandchildren Greg Beale had a granddaughter Eden
Klamm and Mitch Kim had a daughter Eden River Kim Teir
names reflect our prayers for these children that they would abound
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Preface 9
with life in the presence of God and serve to expand that presence to
the ends of the earth
oo many other people deserve mention in this book Don
Carson made a significant investment in reading and carefully eval-
uating the original book His suggestions for revision have definitely
made this a better book than it would have been Brannon Ellis at
InterVarsity Press has helped to translate its academic depth to com-
municate to a broader swath of Godrsquos people His gracious and en-
couraging input throughout the journey has been invaluable Above all we are thankful to God for the idea for this book and
for giving the energy and discipline to write it We pray that Godrsquos
glory might be clearly seen through all who read it
A few comments about some stylistic aspects of the book are in
order English translations follow the English Standard Version or
when different have been identified as our own translation With
respect to all translations of ancient works when the translation
differs from the standard editions usually referred to then it is our
translation or someone elsersquos (in the latter case we indicate whom)
Dedicated to Eden Kim and Eden Klamm with all our other
children (Stephen Nancy Hannah Elise and Ana) that they might
abide as an overflow from Godrsquos dwelling place to the ends of the earth
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14 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
warmer feelingsrdquo3 Deep conviction formed the bedrock of his sacri-
ficial yet joy-filled labor oday Burma (known today as Myanmar)
has over four million Christians because of that sacrifice
Is such costly sacrifice an antiquated throwback to a distant past
oday short-term missions teams can hop on an airplane care for
impoverished orphans in rural China for a week and stop by Star-
bucks in Beijing before returning to give a missions report in their
comfortable church Even as globalization has eased some of the de-
mands of short-term missions the challenges for missions today con-tinue to be daunting More than three thousand unreached and un-
engaged people groups remain today they are in some of the hardest
to reach places of the world and they total almost 104862610486291048624 million people4
We must go We must persevere even when we see little fruit
Even in ldquoChristian Americardquo those with no religious affiliation are
the fastest-growing religious group today growing 10486261048632 percent be-
tween 1048626104862410486241048631 and 10486261048624104862510486265 Both unreached people groups and the in-
creasingly resistant West will only be penetrated by the gospel with
great sacrifice and cost
Will we make the sacrifice that mission demands Recent studies of
American young people are not encouraging Te goal of their faith is
primarily ldquofeeling good happy secure at peacerdquo because they desire
ldquosubjective well-being being able to resolve problems and gettingalong amiably with other peoplerdquo6 If Judsonrsquos goal was ldquosubjective
well-beingrdquo Burma would remain in darkness today Given the current
challenges of settling into the sacrificial challenges of marriage and
career7 how much more challenging will it be to embrace the sacrifices
of global mission among the least-reached peoples on earth
Compelling conviction propels us through painful sacrifice Te
goal of this book is to strengthen biblical conviction for sacrificialmission When we are motivated to mission through occasional expe-
riences or isolated Bible verses the springs of such motivation can run
dry in the face of costly challenges Persevering mission demands full-
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1
Eden as a Temple
he Context of Genesis 1048625ndash1048626
Longing We are creatures of longing When we misdiagnose the
object of this longing then we become frustrated and disappointed
Our longings for relationship often get frustrated in conflict Ourlongings for satisfaction get frustrated in discontent Our longings
for significance get frustrated by our own inadequacies J R R
olkien diagnoses the roots of our longing ldquoWe all long for [Eden]
and we are constantly glimpsing it our whole nature at its best and
least corrupted its gentlest and most humane is still soaked with a
sense of lsquoexilersquordquo1 Te longings of our hearts are frustrated from this
exile but these longings are properly satisfied in the dwelling place
of God originally found in Eden Godrsquos presence in his dwelling
place satiates our longings for relationship satisfaction and signifi-
cance and the opening chapters of Genesis show how God intended
those longings to be properly satisfiedmdashin Eden God made us for
himself as his images in the Garden-temple in Eden (Gen 1048625ndash1048626) Godrsquos
presence gives life and purpose in Eden so we should not wonderthat ldquoour hearts are restless until they find their rest in Himrdquo2 In this
chapter we will explore how Eden is presented as a temple and
dwelling place of God satisfying our longings for life and purpose
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Eden as a emple 19
purpose found in the Garden Te imagery in Eden paints a com-
pelling picture of the satisfaction of basic human desires in Godrsquos
presence For example the desire for life is satisfied by the waters of
the river of life and the fruit of the tree of life Te need for purpose
is fulfilled in Adamrsquos priestly call to work and keep the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862610486251048629 see Num 104862510486321048629) Parallels between Eden and the tabernacle
temple further demonstrate that our desire for life and purpose are
properly satisfied in Godrsquos presence
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR SATISFACTION
THE TREE AND RIVER OF LIFE
In the concise narrative of Genesis 1048626 six verses describe the tree of
life and the river flowing out of Eden (Gen 10486261048633-10486251048628) Is sacred
Scripture ldquowastingrdquo precious space here In actuality such seemingly
trivial details easily skipped by a hasty reader brim with the sig-
nificance of life found in the presence of God Te verdant imagery
of Eden especially its trees and rivers reflects abundant life in
Godrsquos presence and this verdant imagery is mirrored in the later
tabernacle and temple
Te tree of life Gen 10486261048633 And out of the ground the Lord God
made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for food Te tree of life was in the midst of the gardenand the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
Te ldquotree of liferdquo stood in the middle of the Garden and the fruit of
this tree would give life forever (Gen 104862710486261048626) Why Proverbs 1048627 shows
us that Godrsquos wisdom is compared to the ldquotree of liferdquo and that his
wisdom shines light on the paths of life and peace for Godrsquos people
(Prov 104862710486251048630-10486251048632) Similarly in the tabernacle and temple this ldquotree of liferdquoserved as the model for the lampstand outside the Holy of Holies
since the presence of God would shine light on the paths of life for
his people Tis lampstand looked like a small tree trunk with seven
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20 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
protruding branches with flowering almond blossoms (Ex 1048626104862910486271048625-10486281048624
1048627104863110486251048631-10486261048628) a picture of the life-giving fruitfulness that is found in
Godrsquos presence6
Abundant life is seen not only in the tree itself but also in the
verdant imagery of the Garden since ldquoout of the ground the L983151983154983140
God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for foodrdquo (Gen 10486261048633) Solomonrsquos temple also abounds with such
verdant imagery (1048625 Kings 104863010486251048632 10486261048633 10486271048626 10486271048629 104863110486251048632-10486261048624)7 Te end-time
temple overflows with life as trees of life grow on the banks of theriver of life to bring healing for the nations (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626 Rev 104862610486261048626 see
discussion below) Te abundance of life found in the Garden paints
a picture of the abundance found in the tabernacling presence of God
Godrsquos presence overflows with life
Te river of life Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628 A river flowed out of Eden to
water the garden and there it divided and became four riversTe name of the first is the Pishon It is the one that flowed
around the whole land of Havilah where there is gold And
the gold of that land is good bdellium and onyx stone are
there Te name of the second river is the Gihon It is the one
that flowed around the whole land of Cush And the name of
the third river is the igris which flows east of Assyria And
the fourth river is the Euphrates
A seemingly incidental reference to a river flowing out of Eden also
reminds us of the abundant life flowing from the presence of God
Tis river in Eden gives life to the many trees growing on its banks
including the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree
of life (Gen 104862610486251048624 10486251048631 104862710486261048628) Tis water flows out of Eden to water
the Garden before flowing outward to give life to the rest of theearth and places where nations would reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) Simi-
larly in later depictions of the temple a river flows with trees of life
on its banks In Ezekiel 10486281048631 a river flows from below the threshold
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Eden as a emple 21
of the temple with trees on the banks of both sides Te waters of
this river make seawater fresh (Ezek 104862810486311048632) give life to creatures
(Ezek 104862810486311048633) and cause leaves of healing to blossom on the trees of
its banks (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626) In Revelation a river flows in the new Jeru-
salem with ldquothe tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit yielding
its fruit each monthrdquo and ldquothe leaves of the tree were for the healing
of the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862610486261048625-1048626) Tis river flows from the presence of
God (ldquofrom the throne of God and of the Lambrdquo) outward to bring
life to the surrounding nationsTis river of life abounding with Godrsquos presence flows from the
inmost place of Godrsquos presence outward into the nations In the
temple Godrsquos holiness is supremely manifest in the Holy of Holies
and spreads outward to the Holy Place and then the outer court
where all Israel could assemble for worship and which symbolized as
we will see the whole world In the eschatological temple the river
flows from the Holy of Holies into the temple courts and then the
nations outside (Ezek 104862810486311048625 Rev 104862610486261048625) In Eden the river flows from
Godrsquos presence in Eden into the Garden and then the rest of the earth
where nations would eventually reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) A gradation of
holiness is seen in Eden and the temple as the presence of God in-
creases from the innermost place of EdenHoly of Holies outward to
the earth and the lands where nations would live As a result this gradation of holiness is evident in the parallels
between Eden and the temple Just as the Holy Place contained the
lampstand shaped like the tree of life and the bread of the presence
to sustain the priests so the Garden of Eden is the place of the tree
of life (Gen 10486261048632-1048633) and provides food to sustain Adam (Gen 104862610486251048630) Just
as the outer court of Israelrsquos second temple provided a place for the
nations to come so the land and seas to be subdued by Adam outsidethe Garden are the nations of Cush and Assyria (Gen 104862610486251048627-10486251048628) though
of course these lands were not yet populated with peoples8 Te
parallels can be seen in the following diagram
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22 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
Figure 983089
Since the river of life flows from Godrsquos presence into the lands of
nations so our mission to the nations must flow from the life found
in Godrsquos presence When the source of our commitment to mission is
located only in the backwaters of our idealism then we can burn out
and become bitter Many idealistically plunge headlong into a sacri-
ficial commitment to the poor or unreached or hurting compelled by
brokenness over their plight but the resources of that idealism run dry
when tested by the challenges of costly obedience However when our
resources run dry we drink more fully and deeply from the abundanceof life found in Godrsquos presence Our God gives joy and strength to
endure Te life that we find in Godrsquos presence is more than enough
to overcome every challenge for the mission God has placed before us
However life must clearly flow from Godrsquos presence into the needs of
the nations and the needs of the nations must drive us to drink more
fully from the life found in Godrsquos presence
Just outside the Garden the river is surrounded with land thatabounds with good gold bdellium and onyx stone (Gen 104862610486251048626) Each
of these marks life in the presence of God ldquoPure gold like clear glassrdquo
covers the temple (Rev 1048626104862510486251048632 10486261048625) just as the sacred furniture in the
Outer Court
Holy Place
Holy of Holies
Eden
Garden
Outer World
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Eden as a emple 23
tabernacle was made of gold Polished gold reflects light just as we
will reflect Godrsquos light when we live in the presence of God Bdellium
is a fragrant substance with the appearance of manna (Num 104862510486251048631)
which was kept in the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies
Indeed Godrsquos presence sustains and strengthens us as the manna did
for Israel in the wilderness (Ps 1048631104863210486261048628-10486261048629 Jn 104863010486291048632) Onyx stones are
prevalent in the temple especially on the breastpiece of the high
priest where the names of the sons of Israel were engraved (Ex 104862610486291048631
104862610486321048633) reflecting their identity and preciousness before God In this way this abundant imagery reminds us how Godrsquos presence brings
life so that our hearts may not corrode with sin our lives are sustained
with strength and our identities might be properly grounded in our
preciousness before him
Psalm 10486271048630 interprets the river from Godrsquos presence in Eden as a
picture of the abundant life found there
How precious is your steadfast love O God
Te children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your
wings
Tey feast on the abundance of your house [temple]
and you give them drink from the river of your delights
[literally ldquoEdensrdquo]
For with you is the fountain of lifein your light do we see light (Ps 104862710486301048631-1048633)
In Godrsquos presence and in the temple the river of Eden flows to bring
the fountain of life Godrsquos presence brings life and light Since true
life and sustenance are found in the presence of God we must regu-
larly drink deeply from the river of his delights In our weariness
though we often seek life from entertainment empty friendships andceaseless activity which all fail to bring life So many of our ldquorecre-
ationalrdquo activities fail to re-create the inner resources of our soul to
face the challenges of each day Like the Israelites before us we forsake
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24 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
the river of Godrsquos presence and hew out empty cisterns that do not
hold water to satisfy our thirsts (Jer 104862610486251048627) Will we satisfy our soul at
the fountain of living waters Or will we hew out cisterns of putrid
water that do not satisfy Te rivers of life flowing from the presence
of God in Eden beckon us to the satisfaction and re-creation of these
refreshing waters that are only found in the presence of God
We sacrifice for what satisfies Te soul-satisfying riches in the
presence of God propel us out of our comfort zones calling us out of
the warm confines of our beds to our knees in early-morning prayerand meditation on Godrsquos Word Only these soul-satisfying riches can
sustain us in the rigors of Godrsquos calling on our lives as we move out to
proclaim his name to the nations across the street and across the globe
A heart for mission grows out of a soul that finds satisfaction in Godrsquos
presence the riches of which can be seen in the imagery of Eden
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR PURPOSE
God placed Adam in Eden to work it and keep it (Gen 104862610486251048629) a priestly
work in the Garden-temple of Eden His ldquoworkrdquo is not only working
the soil (Gen 10486261048629) but serving God (eg Deut 104862810486251048633) and he keeps the
Garden (Gen 104862610486251048629) as he keeps Godrsquos commands (see Lev 104862510486321048629) and
guards it from pollution and corruption (see Num 104862510486291048627) Te verbs to
work and to keep are sometimes used together outside Genesis 104862610486251048629 ina priestly context
And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar that
there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel And
behold I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the
people of Israel Tey are a gift to you given to the L983151983154983140 to do
the work of the tent of meeting9 (Num 104862510486321048629-1048630 translation altered)
In this passage the priests are to keep the sanctuary from corruption and
defilement and do the work of service in the tabernacle In the same way
Adam serves God in the temple as a priest and keeps the Garden-temple
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Eden as a emple 25
from corruption Similarly Ezekiel 1048626104863210486251048627 shows Adam in Eden clothed
like a priest with ldquoevery precious stonerdquo stones that correspond to the
precious stones on the ephod of Israelrsquos high priest (Ex 1048626104863210486251048631-10486261048625)10
Tis understanding of Adamrsquos work is confirmed by observing the
next verses in Genesis 1048626 After being commanded to work and keep
the Garden Adam is told
And the L983151983154983140 God commanded the man saying ldquoYou may
surely eat of every tree of the garden but of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that
you eat of it you shall surely dierdquo (Gen 104862610486251048630-10486251048631)
After Adam is commanded to keep the Garden he is also instructed
to keep Godrsquos commands Just as the priests were to keep guard over
the temple (Num 104862510486321048629) by obeying Godrsquos commands so Adam as a
priest guards the Garden-temple of Eden by keeping Godrsquos com-
mands Adam works out Godrsquos priestly purposes through obedienceto his word
Adam failed in his service as the first priest to guard Godrsquos temple
which included guarding the Garden-temple from the intrusion of
the serpent who was outside11 Te serpent slithered into the Garden
with deceptive words ldquoDid God actually say lsquoYou shall not eat of any
tree in the gardenrsquordquo (Gen 10486271048625) Trough doubt the serpent under-
mined Godrsquos word Eversquos reply to the serpent shows that the serpent
succeeded in his plot Notice the subtle differences between Godrsquos
word in Genesis 104862610486251048630-10486251048631 and the womanrsquos reply in Genesis 10486271048626-1048627
Table 983089983089
Genesis 983090983089983094-983089983095 Genesis 983091983090ndash983091
And the LORD God commanded the man
saying ldquoYou may surely eat of every tree ofthe garden but of the tree of theknowledge of good and evil you shall noteat for in the day that you eat of it you shallsurely die [literally ldquodying you shall dierdquo]rdquo
And the woman said to the serpent
ldquoWe may eat of the fruit of the trees inthe garden but God said lsquoYou shallnot eat of the fruit of the tree that isin the midst of the garden neithershall you touch it lest you diersquordquo
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Eden as a emple 27
temptation as she ldquosaw that the tree was good for food and that it
was a delight to her eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make
one wiserdquo Te desire for food the delight of the eyes and the craving
for wisdom are all strong and in their proper context legitimate
desires Te desires of our flesh may be legitimate but Eve sought to
satisfy them in illegitimate ways However the bridle of Godrsquos word
protects the wild horses of our desires from destroying us
Adam and Eve failed in their purpose and priestly calling to guard
the Garden-temple from intruders by not keeping Godrsquos word Edenis a place where purpose is given to humanity (Gen 104862610486251048629 see Gen 104862510486261048632)
We will see later that as Godrsquos presence is restored through the sac-
rifice of Jesus our purpose is also restored as a kingdom of priests and
a holy nation serving in Godrsquos true end-time temple (1048625 Pet 10486261048628-1048633)
Te longing for purpose found in the human heart is satisfied when
life works according to its purpose which is life lived in the presence
of God Just as Adam and Eve were to submit to Godrsquos word to fulfill
their mission in guarding Godrsquos dwelling place so we must submit
to Godrsquos Word to fulfill our mission in guarding and expanding Godrsquos
dwelling place to fill the earth
CONCLUSION
In this chapter we see Eden as the first temple and place of Godrsquospresence As a result Eden is a place of satisfaction of life However
sin closed off the way back to Godrsquos presence in Eden Because Adam
and Eve fail to guard the temple by sinning and letting in an unclean
serpent to defile the temple they lose their priestly role and the two
cherubim take over the responsibility to ldquoguardrdquo the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862710486261048628)14
Who will open the way back into Godrsquos tabernacling presence Are we endlessly condemned to our lives east of Eden Jesus opens up the
way back into Godrsquos presence by the sacrifice of his body (Heb 1048625104862410486251048633-
10486261048624) As a result the life-giving waters that flowed in Eden now flow
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GOD
DWELLS Expanding Eden to the Ends of the Earth
AMONG
USG K BEALE and
MITCHELL KIM
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InterVarsity Press
PO Box 983089983092983088983088 Downers Grove IL 983094983088983093983089983093-983089983092983090983094
wwwivpresscom
emailivpresscom
copy983090983088983089983092 by G K Beale and Mitchell Kim
All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from
InterVarsity PressInterVarsity Pressreg is the book-publishing division of InterVarsity Christian FellowshipUSAreg a movement of
students and faculty active on campus at hundreds of universities colleges and schools of nursing in the United
States of America and a member movement of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students For
information about local and regional activities visit wwwintervarsityorg
Scripture quotations unless otherwise noted are from Te Holy Bible English Standard Version copyright copy
983090983088983088983089 by Crossway Bibles a division of Good News Publishers Used by permission All rights reserved
While all stories in this book are true some names and identifying information in this book have been changed
to protect the privacy of the individuals involved
Cover design David Fassett
Interior design Beth McGill
Images copy Lisa-BlueiStockphoto
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983092983092983089983092-983090 (print)
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983096983088983089983094-983092 (digital)
Printed in the United States of America
InterVarsity Press is committed to protecting the environment and to the responsible use ofnatural resources As a member of Green Press Initiative we use recycled paper whenever possibleo learn more about the Green Press Initiative visit wwwgreenpressinitiativeorg
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Beale G K (Gregory K) 983089983097983092983097-
God dwells among us expanding Eden to the ends of the earth GK
Beale and Mitchell Kim
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983092983092983089983092-983090 (pbk alk paper)
983089 Presence of God 983090 emple of God 983091 Eden 983092 BiblemdashTeology I itle
B983089983096983088P983094B983092983091 983090983088983089983092
983090983090983088983094rsquo983092mdashdc983090983090
983090983088983089983092983088983091983091983091983092983093
P 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092 983089983091 983089983090 983089983089 983089983088 983097 983096 983095 983094 983093 983092 983091 983090 983089
Y 983091983089 983091983088 983090983097 983090983096 983090983095 983090983094 983090983093 983090983092 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092
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CONTENTS
Preface 983095
Abbreviations 983089983089
Introduction 983089983091
983089 Eden as a emple 983089983095he Context of Genesis 1048625ndash1048626
983090 Expanding Eden 983090983097
he Call in Genesis 104862510486261048630-10486261048632
983091 Eden Lost 983091983097
he Call to the Patriarchs After the Fall
983092 Eden Remixed 983093983089he abernacle in a Context of Sin
983093 Eden Restored 983094983093
Promise of the Expansion of Eden in the Prophets
983094 Eden Rebuilt 983095983097
Jesus as the New emple in the Gospels
983095 Eden Expanding 983097983097he Church as the New emple
983096 Edenrsquos Ministry 983089983089983091
Serving as Priests in the New emple
983097 Eden Completely Expanded 983089983091983093
he New Heavens and New Earth in Revelation 104862610486251048625-1048628
983089983088 ldquoWhy Havenrsquot I Seen Tis Beforerdquo 983089983092983095
Seeing the Purpose of Godrsquos Dwelling Place in Eden
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983089983089 Concluding Practical Reflections 983089983093983095
Foundational Convictions for Sacrificial Mission
in the emple
Notes 983089983094983095
Bibliography 983089983097983097
Scripture Index 983090983088983095
Ancient Literature Index 983090983089983091
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Preface
Why did we write this book We pray that its biblical-theological
perspective might fuel the church to fulfill its mission in the world
In writing this book we see more clearly than ever that the themes
of Eden the temple Godrsquos glorious presence new creation and the
mission of the church are ultimately facets of the same reality Morespecifically we hope to build a bridge from the world of biblical
theology to the needs of the church Te substance and basic thesis
of the book is distilled from G K Beale Te emple and the Churchrsquos
Mission A Biblical Teology of the Dwelling Place of God1 Te original
book spanned from Genesis to Revelation exploring both the an-
cient Near Eastern and Second emple Jewish views of the temple
More extensive argumentation from the biblical text as well as the
surrounding world can be found in that original book However the
basic thesis of this book was then developed into a seven-week
sermon series preached by Mitchell Kim at Living Water Alliance
Church in Chicagoland and then condensed into a seminar given
at different conferences
Writing and speaking are two very different mediums Writinggives liberty to provide in-depth substantiation and explore secondary
lines of support for an argument Preaching demands a laser-like
focus on communicating a single point Adapting the considerable
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8 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
substance of the original temple book to preaching demanded a
radical reduction in order to communicate orally ranslating the
preached sermons back to a written format allowed a significant am-
plification and deepening of the preached material while we at-
tempted to maintain the vibrancy and focus of preaching Some ma-
terial has been lifted verbatim from the original book most has been
reworked and reworded to communicate more concisely and clearly
Our hope is that the biblical-theological heft of the original will be
combined with practical insight to spark a greater zeal and passionfor mission by Godrsquos people in the world
Tere has been somewhat of a hermeneutical shift from the original
book to this one In the original book G K Beale tried to sketch the
development of the temple idea through each of the various distinct
redemptive-historical epochs (EdenNoahicPatriarchalIsrael
[Mount Sinairarr wilderness tabernaclerarr Jerusalem temple]inaugu-
rated latter daysconsummated latter days) in order to see how they
related to and built on one another However because of the con-
densed nature of this book we sometimes merge the meaning of the
temple in earlier epochs with the developed meaning from later
epochs (especially in the earlier chapters) In cases of any ambiguity
the reader should consult the original book
God has often used our wives to help our theology connect intothe realities of daily life We are both deeply indebted to our wives
Dorinda Beale and Eunsil Kim who have not only discussed the
theology of the temple with us but also forced us to live out this
theology by bringing the presence of God into our homes Tey have
been crucial in helping us to understand this topic in more depth In
writing this book we have personally lived out its call to ldquoBe fruitful
and multiply and fill the earthrdquo (Gen 104862510486261048632) as God has blessed us withchildren and grandchildren Greg Beale had a granddaughter Eden
Klamm and Mitch Kim had a daughter Eden River Kim Teir
names reflect our prayers for these children that they would abound
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Preface 9
with life in the presence of God and serve to expand that presence to
the ends of the earth
oo many other people deserve mention in this book Don
Carson made a significant investment in reading and carefully eval-
uating the original book His suggestions for revision have definitely
made this a better book than it would have been Brannon Ellis at
InterVarsity Press has helped to translate its academic depth to com-
municate to a broader swath of Godrsquos people His gracious and en-
couraging input throughout the journey has been invaluable Above all we are thankful to God for the idea for this book and
for giving the energy and discipline to write it We pray that Godrsquos
glory might be clearly seen through all who read it
A few comments about some stylistic aspects of the book are in
order English translations follow the English Standard Version or
when different have been identified as our own translation With
respect to all translations of ancient works when the translation
differs from the standard editions usually referred to then it is our
translation or someone elsersquos (in the latter case we indicate whom)
Dedicated to Eden Kim and Eden Klamm with all our other
children (Stephen Nancy Hannah Elise and Ana) that they might
abide as an overflow from Godrsquos dwelling place to the ends of the earth
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14 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
warmer feelingsrdquo3 Deep conviction formed the bedrock of his sacri-
ficial yet joy-filled labor oday Burma (known today as Myanmar)
has over four million Christians because of that sacrifice
Is such costly sacrifice an antiquated throwback to a distant past
oday short-term missions teams can hop on an airplane care for
impoverished orphans in rural China for a week and stop by Star-
bucks in Beijing before returning to give a missions report in their
comfortable church Even as globalization has eased some of the de-
mands of short-term missions the challenges for missions today con-tinue to be daunting More than three thousand unreached and un-
engaged people groups remain today they are in some of the hardest
to reach places of the world and they total almost 104862610486291048624 million people4
We must go We must persevere even when we see little fruit
Even in ldquoChristian Americardquo those with no religious affiliation are
the fastest-growing religious group today growing 10486261048632 percent be-
tween 1048626104862410486241048631 and 10486261048624104862510486265 Both unreached people groups and the in-
creasingly resistant West will only be penetrated by the gospel with
great sacrifice and cost
Will we make the sacrifice that mission demands Recent studies of
American young people are not encouraging Te goal of their faith is
primarily ldquofeeling good happy secure at peacerdquo because they desire
ldquosubjective well-being being able to resolve problems and gettingalong amiably with other peoplerdquo6 If Judsonrsquos goal was ldquosubjective
well-beingrdquo Burma would remain in darkness today Given the current
challenges of settling into the sacrificial challenges of marriage and
career7 how much more challenging will it be to embrace the sacrifices
of global mission among the least-reached peoples on earth
Compelling conviction propels us through painful sacrifice Te
goal of this book is to strengthen biblical conviction for sacrificialmission When we are motivated to mission through occasional expe-
riences or isolated Bible verses the springs of such motivation can run
dry in the face of costly challenges Persevering mission demands full-
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1
Eden as a Temple
he Context of Genesis 1048625ndash1048626
Longing We are creatures of longing When we misdiagnose the
object of this longing then we become frustrated and disappointed
Our longings for relationship often get frustrated in conflict Ourlongings for satisfaction get frustrated in discontent Our longings
for significance get frustrated by our own inadequacies J R R
olkien diagnoses the roots of our longing ldquoWe all long for [Eden]
and we are constantly glimpsing it our whole nature at its best and
least corrupted its gentlest and most humane is still soaked with a
sense of lsquoexilersquordquo1 Te longings of our hearts are frustrated from this
exile but these longings are properly satisfied in the dwelling place
of God originally found in Eden Godrsquos presence in his dwelling
place satiates our longings for relationship satisfaction and signifi-
cance and the opening chapters of Genesis show how God intended
those longings to be properly satisfiedmdashin Eden God made us for
himself as his images in the Garden-temple in Eden (Gen 1048625ndash1048626) Godrsquos
presence gives life and purpose in Eden so we should not wonderthat ldquoour hearts are restless until they find their rest in Himrdquo2 In this
chapter we will explore how Eden is presented as a temple and
dwelling place of God satisfying our longings for life and purpose
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Eden as a emple 19
purpose found in the Garden Te imagery in Eden paints a com-
pelling picture of the satisfaction of basic human desires in Godrsquos
presence For example the desire for life is satisfied by the waters of
the river of life and the fruit of the tree of life Te need for purpose
is fulfilled in Adamrsquos priestly call to work and keep the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862610486251048629 see Num 104862510486321048629) Parallels between Eden and the tabernacle
temple further demonstrate that our desire for life and purpose are
properly satisfied in Godrsquos presence
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR SATISFACTION
THE TREE AND RIVER OF LIFE
In the concise narrative of Genesis 1048626 six verses describe the tree of
life and the river flowing out of Eden (Gen 10486261048633-10486251048628) Is sacred
Scripture ldquowastingrdquo precious space here In actuality such seemingly
trivial details easily skipped by a hasty reader brim with the sig-
nificance of life found in the presence of God Te verdant imagery
of Eden especially its trees and rivers reflects abundant life in
Godrsquos presence and this verdant imagery is mirrored in the later
tabernacle and temple
Te tree of life Gen 10486261048633 And out of the ground the Lord God
made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for food Te tree of life was in the midst of the gardenand the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
Te ldquotree of liferdquo stood in the middle of the Garden and the fruit of
this tree would give life forever (Gen 104862710486261048626) Why Proverbs 1048627 shows
us that Godrsquos wisdom is compared to the ldquotree of liferdquo and that his
wisdom shines light on the paths of life and peace for Godrsquos people
(Prov 104862710486251048630-10486251048632) Similarly in the tabernacle and temple this ldquotree of liferdquoserved as the model for the lampstand outside the Holy of Holies
since the presence of God would shine light on the paths of life for
his people Tis lampstand looked like a small tree trunk with seven
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20 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
protruding branches with flowering almond blossoms (Ex 1048626104862910486271048625-10486281048624
1048627104863110486251048631-10486261048628) a picture of the life-giving fruitfulness that is found in
Godrsquos presence6
Abundant life is seen not only in the tree itself but also in the
verdant imagery of the Garden since ldquoout of the ground the L983151983154983140
God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for foodrdquo (Gen 10486261048633) Solomonrsquos temple also abounds with such
verdant imagery (1048625 Kings 104863010486251048632 10486261048633 10486271048626 10486271048629 104863110486251048632-10486261048624)7 Te end-time
temple overflows with life as trees of life grow on the banks of theriver of life to bring healing for the nations (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626 Rev 104862610486261048626 see
discussion below) Te abundance of life found in the Garden paints
a picture of the abundance found in the tabernacling presence of God
Godrsquos presence overflows with life
Te river of life Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628 A river flowed out of Eden to
water the garden and there it divided and became four riversTe name of the first is the Pishon It is the one that flowed
around the whole land of Havilah where there is gold And
the gold of that land is good bdellium and onyx stone are
there Te name of the second river is the Gihon It is the one
that flowed around the whole land of Cush And the name of
the third river is the igris which flows east of Assyria And
the fourth river is the Euphrates
A seemingly incidental reference to a river flowing out of Eden also
reminds us of the abundant life flowing from the presence of God
Tis river in Eden gives life to the many trees growing on its banks
including the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree
of life (Gen 104862610486251048624 10486251048631 104862710486261048628) Tis water flows out of Eden to water
the Garden before flowing outward to give life to the rest of theearth and places where nations would reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) Simi-
larly in later depictions of the temple a river flows with trees of life
on its banks In Ezekiel 10486281048631 a river flows from below the threshold
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Eden as a emple 21
of the temple with trees on the banks of both sides Te waters of
this river make seawater fresh (Ezek 104862810486311048632) give life to creatures
(Ezek 104862810486311048633) and cause leaves of healing to blossom on the trees of
its banks (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626) In Revelation a river flows in the new Jeru-
salem with ldquothe tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit yielding
its fruit each monthrdquo and ldquothe leaves of the tree were for the healing
of the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862610486261048625-1048626) Tis river flows from the presence of
God (ldquofrom the throne of God and of the Lambrdquo) outward to bring
life to the surrounding nationsTis river of life abounding with Godrsquos presence flows from the
inmost place of Godrsquos presence outward into the nations In the
temple Godrsquos holiness is supremely manifest in the Holy of Holies
and spreads outward to the Holy Place and then the outer court
where all Israel could assemble for worship and which symbolized as
we will see the whole world In the eschatological temple the river
flows from the Holy of Holies into the temple courts and then the
nations outside (Ezek 104862810486311048625 Rev 104862610486261048625) In Eden the river flows from
Godrsquos presence in Eden into the Garden and then the rest of the earth
where nations would eventually reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) A gradation of
holiness is seen in Eden and the temple as the presence of God in-
creases from the innermost place of EdenHoly of Holies outward to
the earth and the lands where nations would live As a result this gradation of holiness is evident in the parallels
between Eden and the temple Just as the Holy Place contained the
lampstand shaped like the tree of life and the bread of the presence
to sustain the priests so the Garden of Eden is the place of the tree
of life (Gen 10486261048632-1048633) and provides food to sustain Adam (Gen 104862610486251048630) Just
as the outer court of Israelrsquos second temple provided a place for the
nations to come so the land and seas to be subdued by Adam outsidethe Garden are the nations of Cush and Assyria (Gen 104862610486251048627-10486251048628) though
of course these lands were not yet populated with peoples8 Te
parallels can be seen in the following diagram
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22 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
Figure 983089
Since the river of life flows from Godrsquos presence into the lands of
nations so our mission to the nations must flow from the life found
in Godrsquos presence When the source of our commitment to mission is
located only in the backwaters of our idealism then we can burn out
and become bitter Many idealistically plunge headlong into a sacri-
ficial commitment to the poor or unreached or hurting compelled by
brokenness over their plight but the resources of that idealism run dry
when tested by the challenges of costly obedience However when our
resources run dry we drink more fully and deeply from the abundanceof life found in Godrsquos presence Our God gives joy and strength to
endure Te life that we find in Godrsquos presence is more than enough
to overcome every challenge for the mission God has placed before us
However life must clearly flow from Godrsquos presence into the needs of
the nations and the needs of the nations must drive us to drink more
fully from the life found in Godrsquos presence
Just outside the Garden the river is surrounded with land thatabounds with good gold bdellium and onyx stone (Gen 104862610486251048626) Each
of these marks life in the presence of God ldquoPure gold like clear glassrdquo
covers the temple (Rev 1048626104862510486251048632 10486261048625) just as the sacred furniture in the
Outer Court
Holy Place
Holy of Holies
Eden
Garden
Outer World
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Eden as a emple 23
tabernacle was made of gold Polished gold reflects light just as we
will reflect Godrsquos light when we live in the presence of God Bdellium
is a fragrant substance with the appearance of manna (Num 104862510486251048631)
which was kept in the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies
Indeed Godrsquos presence sustains and strengthens us as the manna did
for Israel in the wilderness (Ps 1048631104863210486261048628-10486261048629 Jn 104863010486291048632) Onyx stones are
prevalent in the temple especially on the breastpiece of the high
priest where the names of the sons of Israel were engraved (Ex 104862610486291048631
104862610486321048633) reflecting their identity and preciousness before God In this way this abundant imagery reminds us how Godrsquos presence brings
life so that our hearts may not corrode with sin our lives are sustained
with strength and our identities might be properly grounded in our
preciousness before him
Psalm 10486271048630 interprets the river from Godrsquos presence in Eden as a
picture of the abundant life found there
How precious is your steadfast love O God
Te children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your
wings
Tey feast on the abundance of your house [temple]
and you give them drink from the river of your delights
[literally ldquoEdensrdquo]
For with you is the fountain of lifein your light do we see light (Ps 104862710486301048631-1048633)
In Godrsquos presence and in the temple the river of Eden flows to bring
the fountain of life Godrsquos presence brings life and light Since true
life and sustenance are found in the presence of God we must regu-
larly drink deeply from the river of his delights In our weariness
though we often seek life from entertainment empty friendships andceaseless activity which all fail to bring life So many of our ldquorecre-
ationalrdquo activities fail to re-create the inner resources of our soul to
face the challenges of each day Like the Israelites before us we forsake
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24 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
the river of Godrsquos presence and hew out empty cisterns that do not
hold water to satisfy our thirsts (Jer 104862610486251048627) Will we satisfy our soul at
the fountain of living waters Or will we hew out cisterns of putrid
water that do not satisfy Te rivers of life flowing from the presence
of God in Eden beckon us to the satisfaction and re-creation of these
refreshing waters that are only found in the presence of God
We sacrifice for what satisfies Te soul-satisfying riches in the
presence of God propel us out of our comfort zones calling us out of
the warm confines of our beds to our knees in early-morning prayerand meditation on Godrsquos Word Only these soul-satisfying riches can
sustain us in the rigors of Godrsquos calling on our lives as we move out to
proclaim his name to the nations across the street and across the globe
A heart for mission grows out of a soul that finds satisfaction in Godrsquos
presence the riches of which can be seen in the imagery of Eden
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR PURPOSE
God placed Adam in Eden to work it and keep it (Gen 104862610486251048629) a priestly
work in the Garden-temple of Eden His ldquoworkrdquo is not only working
the soil (Gen 10486261048629) but serving God (eg Deut 104862810486251048633) and he keeps the
Garden (Gen 104862610486251048629) as he keeps Godrsquos commands (see Lev 104862510486321048629) and
guards it from pollution and corruption (see Num 104862510486291048627) Te verbs to
work and to keep are sometimes used together outside Genesis 104862610486251048629 ina priestly context
And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar that
there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel And
behold I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the
people of Israel Tey are a gift to you given to the L983151983154983140 to do
the work of the tent of meeting9 (Num 104862510486321048629-1048630 translation altered)
In this passage the priests are to keep the sanctuary from corruption and
defilement and do the work of service in the tabernacle In the same way
Adam serves God in the temple as a priest and keeps the Garden-temple
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Eden as a emple 25
from corruption Similarly Ezekiel 1048626104863210486251048627 shows Adam in Eden clothed
like a priest with ldquoevery precious stonerdquo stones that correspond to the
precious stones on the ephod of Israelrsquos high priest (Ex 1048626104863210486251048631-10486261048625)10
Tis understanding of Adamrsquos work is confirmed by observing the
next verses in Genesis 1048626 After being commanded to work and keep
the Garden Adam is told
And the L983151983154983140 God commanded the man saying ldquoYou may
surely eat of every tree of the garden but of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that
you eat of it you shall surely dierdquo (Gen 104862610486251048630-10486251048631)
After Adam is commanded to keep the Garden he is also instructed
to keep Godrsquos commands Just as the priests were to keep guard over
the temple (Num 104862510486321048629) by obeying Godrsquos commands so Adam as a
priest guards the Garden-temple of Eden by keeping Godrsquos com-
mands Adam works out Godrsquos priestly purposes through obedienceto his word
Adam failed in his service as the first priest to guard Godrsquos temple
which included guarding the Garden-temple from the intrusion of
the serpent who was outside11 Te serpent slithered into the Garden
with deceptive words ldquoDid God actually say lsquoYou shall not eat of any
tree in the gardenrsquordquo (Gen 10486271048625) Trough doubt the serpent under-
mined Godrsquos word Eversquos reply to the serpent shows that the serpent
succeeded in his plot Notice the subtle differences between Godrsquos
word in Genesis 104862610486251048630-10486251048631 and the womanrsquos reply in Genesis 10486271048626-1048627
Table 983089983089
Genesis 983090983089983094-983089983095 Genesis 983091983090ndash983091
And the LORD God commanded the man
saying ldquoYou may surely eat of every tree ofthe garden but of the tree of theknowledge of good and evil you shall noteat for in the day that you eat of it you shallsurely die [literally ldquodying you shall dierdquo]rdquo
And the woman said to the serpent
ldquoWe may eat of the fruit of the trees inthe garden but God said lsquoYou shallnot eat of the fruit of the tree that isin the midst of the garden neithershall you touch it lest you diersquordquo
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Eden as a emple 27
temptation as she ldquosaw that the tree was good for food and that it
was a delight to her eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make
one wiserdquo Te desire for food the delight of the eyes and the craving
for wisdom are all strong and in their proper context legitimate
desires Te desires of our flesh may be legitimate but Eve sought to
satisfy them in illegitimate ways However the bridle of Godrsquos word
protects the wild horses of our desires from destroying us
Adam and Eve failed in their purpose and priestly calling to guard
the Garden-temple from intruders by not keeping Godrsquos word Edenis a place where purpose is given to humanity (Gen 104862610486251048629 see Gen 104862510486261048632)
We will see later that as Godrsquos presence is restored through the sac-
rifice of Jesus our purpose is also restored as a kingdom of priests and
a holy nation serving in Godrsquos true end-time temple (1048625 Pet 10486261048628-1048633)
Te longing for purpose found in the human heart is satisfied when
life works according to its purpose which is life lived in the presence
of God Just as Adam and Eve were to submit to Godrsquos word to fulfill
their mission in guarding Godrsquos dwelling place so we must submit
to Godrsquos Word to fulfill our mission in guarding and expanding Godrsquos
dwelling place to fill the earth
CONCLUSION
In this chapter we see Eden as the first temple and place of Godrsquospresence As a result Eden is a place of satisfaction of life However
sin closed off the way back to Godrsquos presence in Eden Because Adam
and Eve fail to guard the temple by sinning and letting in an unclean
serpent to defile the temple they lose their priestly role and the two
cherubim take over the responsibility to ldquoguardrdquo the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862710486261048628)14
Who will open the way back into Godrsquos tabernacling presence Are we endlessly condemned to our lives east of Eden Jesus opens up the
way back into Godrsquos presence by the sacrifice of his body (Heb 1048625104862410486251048633-
10486261048624) As a result the life-giving waters that flowed in Eden now flow
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GOD
DWELLS Expanding Eden to the Ends of the Earth
AMONG
USG K BEALE and
MITCHELL KIM
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InterVarsity Press
PO Box 983089983092983088983088 Downers Grove IL 983094983088983093983089983093-983089983092983090983094
wwwivpresscom
emailivpresscom
copy983090983088983089983092 by G K Beale and Mitchell Kim
All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from
InterVarsity PressInterVarsity Pressreg is the book-publishing division of InterVarsity Christian FellowshipUSAreg a movement of
students and faculty active on campus at hundreds of universities colleges and schools of nursing in the United
States of America and a member movement of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students For
information about local and regional activities visit wwwintervarsityorg
Scripture quotations unless otherwise noted are from Te Holy Bible English Standard Version copyright copy
983090983088983088983089 by Crossway Bibles a division of Good News Publishers Used by permission All rights reserved
While all stories in this book are true some names and identifying information in this book have been changed
to protect the privacy of the individuals involved
Cover design David Fassett
Interior design Beth McGill
Images copy Lisa-BlueiStockphoto
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983092983092983089983092-983090 (print)
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983096983088983089983094-983092 (digital)
Printed in the United States of America
InterVarsity Press is committed to protecting the environment and to the responsible use ofnatural resources As a member of Green Press Initiative we use recycled paper whenever possibleo learn more about the Green Press Initiative visit wwwgreenpressinitiativeorg
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Beale G K (Gregory K) 983089983097983092983097-
God dwells among us expanding Eden to the ends of the earth GK
Beale and Mitchell Kim
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983092983092983089983092-983090 (pbk alk paper)
983089 Presence of God 983090 emple of God 983091 Eden 983092 BiblemdashTeology I itle
B983089983096983088P983094B983092983091 983090983088983089983092
983090983090983088983094rsquo983092mdashdc983090983090
983090983088983089983092983088983091983091983091983092983093
P 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092 983089983091 983089983090 983089983089 983089983088 983097 983096 983095 983094 983093 983092 983091 983090 983089
Y 983091983089 983091983088 983090983097 983090983096 983090983095 983090983094 983090983093 983090983092 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092
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CONTENTS
Preface 983095
Abbreviations 983089983089
Introduction 983089983091
983089 Eden as a emple 983089983095he Context of Genesis 1048625ndash1048626
983090 Expanding Eden 983090983097
he Call in Genesis 104862510486261048630-10486261048632
983091 Eden Lost 983091983097
he Call to the Patriarchs After the Fall
983092 Eden Remixed 983093983089he abernacle in a Context of Sin
983093 Eden Restored 983094983093
Promise of the Expansion of Eden in the Prophets
983094 Eden Rebuilt 983095983097
Jesus as the New emple in the Gospels
983095 Eden Expanding 983097983097he Church as the New emple
983096 Edenrsquos Ministry 983089983089983091
Serving as Priests in the New emple
983097 Eden Completely Expanded 983089983091983093
he New Heavens and New Earth in Revelation 104862610486251048625-1048628
983089983088 ldquoWhy Havenrsquot I Seen Tis Beforerdquo 983089983092983095
Seeing the Purpose of Godrsquos Dwelling Place in Eden
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983089983089 Concluding Practical Reflections 983089983093983095
Foundational Convictions for Sacrificial Mission
in the emple
Notes 983089983094983095
Bibliography 983089983097983097
Scripture Index 983090983088983095
Ancient Literature Index 983090983089983091
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Preface
Why did we write this book We pray that its biblical-theological
perspective might fuel the church to fulfill its mission in the world
In writing this book we see more clearly than ever that the themes
of Eden the temple Godrsquos glorious presence new creation and the
mission of the church are ultimately facets of the same reality Morespecifically we hope to build a bridge from the world of biblical
theology to the needs of the church Te substance and basic thesis
of the book is distilled from G K Beale Te emple and the Churchrsquos
Mission A Biblical Teology of the Dwelling Place of God1 Te original
book spanned from Genesis to Revelation exploring both the an-
cient Near Eastern and Second emple Jewish views of the temple
More extensive argumentation from the biblical text as well as the
surrounding world can be found in that original book However the
basic thesis of this book was then developed into a seven-week
sermon series preached by Mitchell Kim at Living Water Alliance
Church in Chicagoland and then condensed into a seminar given
at different conferences
Writing and speaking are two very different mediums Writinggives liberty to provide in-depth substantiation and explore secondary
lines of support for an argument Preaching demands a laser-like
focus on communicating a single point Adapting the considerable
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8 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
substance of the original temple book to preaching demanded a
radical reduction in order to communicate orally ranslating the
preached sermons back to a written format allowed a significant am-
plification and deepening of the preached material while we at-
tempted to maintain the vibrancy and focus of preaching Some ma-
terial has been lifted verbatim from the original book most has been
reworked and reworded to communicate more concisely and clearly
Our hope is that the biblical-theological heft of the original will be
combined with practical insight to spark a greater zeal and passionfor mission by Godrsquos people in the world
Tere has been somewhat of a hermeneutical shift from the original
book to this one In the original book G K Beale tried to sketch the
development of the temple idea through each of the various distinct
redemptive-historical epochs (EdenNoahicPatriarchalIsrael
[Mount Sinairarr wilderness tabernaclerarr Jerusalem temple]inaugu-
rated latter daysconsummated latter days) in order to see how they
related to and built on one another However because of the con-
densed nature of this book we sometimes merge the meaning of the
temple in earlier epochs with the developed meaning from later
epochs (especially in the earlier chapters) In cases of any ambiguity
the reader should consult the original book
God has often used our wives to help our theology connect intothe realities of daily life We are both deeply indebted to our wives
Dorinda Beale and Eunsil Kim who have not only discussed the
theology of the temple with us but also forced us to live out this
theology by bringing the presence of God into our homes Tey have
been crucial in helping us to understand this topic in more depth In
writing this book we have personally lived out its call to ldquoBe fruitful
and multiply and fill the earthrdquo (Gen 104862510486261048632) as God has blessed us withchildren and grandchildren Greg Beale had a granddaughter Eden
Klamm and Mitch Kim had a daughter Eden River Kim Teir
names reflect our prayers for these children that they would abound
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Preface 9
with life in the presence of God and serve to expand that presence to
the ends of the earth
oo many other people deserve mention in this book Don
Carson made a significant investment in reading and carefully eval-
uating the original book His suggestions for revision have definitely
made this a better book than it would have been Brannon Ellis at
InterVarsity Press has helped to translate its academic depth to com-
municate to a broader swath of Godrsquos people His gracious and en-
couraging input throughout the journey has been invaluable Above all we are thankful to God for the idea for this book and
for giving the energy and discipline to write it We pray that Godrsquos
glory might be clearly seen through all who read it
A few comments about some stylistic aspects of the book are in
order English translations follow the English Standard Version or
when different have been identified as our own translation With
respect to all translations of ancient works when the translation
differs from the standard editions usually referred to then it is our
translation or someone elsersquos (in the latter case we indicate whom)
Dedicated to Eden Kim and Eden Klamm with all our other
children (Stephen Nancy Hannah Elise and Ana) that they might
abide as an overflow from Godrsquos dwelling place to the ends of the earth
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14 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
warmer feelingsrdquo3 Deep conviction formed the bedrock of his sacri-
ficial yet joy-filled labor oday Burma (known today as Myanmar)
has over four million Christians because of that sacrifice
Is such costly sacrifice an antiquated throwback to a distant past
oday short-term missions teams can hop on an airplane care for
impoverished orphans in rural China for a week and stop by Star-
bucks in Beijing before returning to give a missions report in their
comfortable church Even as globalization has eased some of the de-
mands of short-term missions the challenges for missions today con-tinue to be daunting More than three thousand unreached and un-
engaged people groups remain today they are in some of the hardest
to reach places of the world and they total almost 104862610486291048624 million people4
We must go We must persevere even when we see little fruit
Even in ldquoChristian Americardquo those with no religious affiliation are
the fastest-growing religious group today growing 10486261048632 percent be-
tween 1048626104862410486241048631 and 10486261048624104862510486265 Both unreached people groups and the in-
creasingly resistant West will only be penetrated by the gospel with
great sacrifice and cost
Will we make the sacrifice that mission demands Recent studies of
American young people are not encouraging Te goal of their faith is
primarily ldquofeeling good happy secure at peacerdquo because they desire
ldquosubjective well-being being able to resolve problems and gettingalong amiably with other peoplerdquo6 If Judsonrsquos goal was ldquosubjective
well-beingrdquo Burma would remain in darkness today Given the current
challenges of settling into the sacrificial challenges of marriage and
career7 how much more challenging will it be to embrace the sacrifices
of global mission among the least-reached peoples on earth
Compelling conviction propels us through painful sacrifice Te
goal of this book is to strengthen biblical conviction for sacrificialmission When we are motivated to mission through occasional expe-
riences or isolated Bible verses the springs of such motivation can run
dry in the face of costly challenges Persevering mission demands full-
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1
Eden as a Temple
he Context of Genesis 1048625ndash1048626
Longing We are creatures of longing When we misdiagnose the
object of this longing then we become frustrated and disappointed
Our longings for relationship often get frustrated in conflict Ourlongings for satisfaction get frustrated in discontent Our longings
for significance get frustrated by our own inadequacies J R R
olkien diagnoses the roots of our longing ldquoWe all long for [Eden]
and we are constantly glimpsing it our whole nature at its best and
least corrupted its gentlest and most humane is still soaked with a
sense of lsquoexilersquordquo1 Te longings of our hearts are frustrated from this
exile but these longings are properly satisfied in the dwelling place
of God originally found in Eden Godrsquos presence in his dwelling
place satiates our longings for relationship satisfaction and signifi-
cance and the opening chapters of Genesis show how God intended
those longings to be properly satisfiedmdashin Eden God made us for
himself as his images in the Garden-temple in Eden (Gen 1048625ndash1048626) Godrsquos
presence gives life and purpose in Eden so we should not wonderthat ldquoour hearts are restless until they find their rest in Himrdquo2 In this
chapter we will explore how Eden is presented as a temple and
dwelling place of God satisfying our longings for life and purpose
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Eden as a emple 19
purpose found in the Garden Te imagery in Eden paints a com-
pelling picture of the satisfaction of basic human desires in Godrsquos
presence For example the desire for life is satisfied by the waters of
the river of life and the fruit of the tree of life Te need for purpose
is fulfilled in Adamrsquos priestly call to work and keep the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862610486251048629 see Num 104862510486321048629) Parallels between Eden and the tabernacle
temple further demonstrate that our desire for life and purpose are
properly satisfied in Godrsquos presence
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR SATISFACTION
THE TREE AND RIVER OF LIFE
In the concise narrative of Genesis 1048626 six verses describe the tree of
life and the river flowing out of Eden (Gen 10486261048633-10486251048628) Is sacred
Scripture ldquowastingrdquo precious space here In actuality such seemingly
trivial details easily skipped by a hasty reader brim with the sig-
nificance of life found in the presence of God Te verdant imagery
of Eden especially its trees and rivers reflects abundant life in
Godrsquos presence and this verdant imagery is mirrored in the later
tabernacle and temple
Te tree of life Gen 10486261048633 And out of the ground the Lord God
made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for food Te tree of life was in the midst of the gardenand the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
Te ldquotree of liferdquo stood in the middle of the Garden and the fruit of
this tree would give life forever (Gen 104862710486261048626) Why Proverbs 1048627 shows
us that Godrsquos wisdom is compared to the ldquotree of liferdquo and that his
wisdom shines light on the paths of life and peace for Godrsquos people
(Prov 104862710486251048630-10486251048632) Similarly in the tabernacle and temple this ldquotree of liferdquoserved as the model for the lampstand outside the Holy of Holies
since the presence of God would shine light on the paths of life for
his people Tis lampstand looked like a small tree trunk with seven
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20 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
protruding branches with flowering almond blossoms (Ex 1048626104862910486271048625-10486281048624
1048627104863110486251048631-10486261048628) a picture of the life-giving fruitfulness that is found in
Godrsquos presence6
Abundant life is seen not only in the tree itself but also in the
verdant imagery of the Garden since ldquoout of the ground the L983151983154983140
God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for foodrdquo (Gen 10486261048633) Solomonrsquos temple also abounds with such
verdant imagery (1048625 Kings 104863010486251048632 10486261048633 10486271048626 10486271048629 104863110486251048632-10486261048624)7 Te end-time
temple overflows with life as trees of life grow on the banks of theriver of life to bring healing for the nations (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626 Rev 104862610486261048626 see
discussion below) Te abundance of life found in the Garden paints
a picture of the abundance found in the tabernacling presence of God
Godrsquos presence overflows with life
Te river of life Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628 A river flowed out of Eden to
water the garden and there it divided and became four riversTe name of the first is the Pishon It is the one that flowed
around the whole land of Havilah where there is gold And
the gold of that land is good bdellium and onyx stone are
there Te name of the second river is the Gihon It is the one
that flowed around the whole land of Cush And the name of
the third river is the igris which flows east of Assyria And
the fourth river is the Euphrates
A seemingly incidental reference to a river flowing out of Eden also
reminds us of the abundant life flowing from the presence of God
Tis river in Eden gives life to the many trees growing on its banks
including the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree
of life (Gen 104862610486251048624 10486251048631 104862710486261048628) Tis water flows out of Eden to water
the Garden before flowing outward to give life to the rest of theearth and places where nations would reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) Simi-
larly in later depictions of the temple a river flows with trees of life
on its banks In Ezekiel 10486281048631 a river flows from below the threshold
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Eden as a emple 21
of the temple with trees on the banks of both sides Te waters of
this river make seawater fresh (Ezek 104862810486311048632) give life to creatures
(Ezek 104862810486311048633) and cause leaves of healing to blossom on the trees of
its banks (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626) In Revelation a river flows in the new Jeru-
salem with ldquothe tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit yielding
its fruit each monthrdquo and ldquothe leaves of the tree were for the healing
of the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862610486261048625-1048626) Tis river flows from the presence of
God (ldquofrom the throne of God and of the Lambrdquo) outward to bring
life to the surrounding nationsTis river of life abounding with Godrsquos presence flows from the
inmost place of Godrsquos presence outward into the nations In the
temple Godrsquos holiness is supremely manifest in the Holy of Holies
and spreads outward to the Holy Place and then the outer court
where all Israel could assemble for worship and which symbolized as
we will see the whole world In the eschatological temple the river
flows from the Holy of Holies into the temple courts and then the
nations outside (Ezek 104862810486311048625 Rev 104862610486261048625) In Eden the river flows from
Godrsquos presence in Eden into the Garden and then the rest of the earth
where nations would eventually reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) A gradation of
holiness is seen in Eden and the temple as the presence of God in-
creases from the innermost place of EdenHoly of Holies outward to
the earth and the lands where nations would live As a result this gradation of holiness is evident in the parallels
between Eden and the temple Just as the Holy Place contained the
lampstand shaped like the tree of life and the bread of the presence
to sustain the priests so the Garden of Eden is the place of the tree
of life (Gen 10486261048632-1048633) and provides food to sustain Adam (Gen 104862610486251048630) Just
as the outer court of Israelrsquos second temple provided a place for the
nations to come so the land and seas to be subdued by Adam outsidethe Garden are the nations of Cush and Assyria (Gen 104862610486251048627-10486251048628) though
of course these lands were not yet populated with peoples8 Te
parallels can be seen in the following diagram
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22 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
Figure 983089
Since the river of life flows from Godrsquos presence into the lands of
nations so our mission to the nations must flow from the life found
in Godrsquos presence When the source of our commitment to mission is
located only in the backwaters of our idealism then we can burn out
and become bitter Many idealistically plunge headlong into a sacri-
ficial commitment to the poor or unreached or hurting compelled by
brokenness over their plight but the resources of that idealism run dry
when tested by the challenges of costly obedience However when our
resources run dry we drink more fully and deeply from the abundanceof life found in Godrsquos presence Our God gives joy and strength to
endure Te life that we find in Godrsquos presence is more than enough
to overcome every challenge for the mission God has placed before us
However life must clearly flow from Godrsquos presence into the needs of
the nations and the needs of the nations must drive us to drink more
fully from the life found in Godrsquos presence
Just outside the Garden the river is surrounded with land thatabounds with good gold bdellium and onyx stone (Gen 104862610486251048626) Each
of these marks life in the presence of God ldquoPure gold like clear glassrdquo
covers the temple (Rev 1048626104862510486251048632 10486261048625) just as the sacred furniture in the
Outer Court
Holy Place
Holy of Holies
Eden
Garden
Outer World
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Eden as a emple 23
tabernacle was made of gold Polished gold reflects light just as we
will reflect Godrsquos light when we live in the presence of God Bdellium
is a fragrant substance with the appearance of manna (Num 104862510486251048631)
which was kept in the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies
Indeed Godrsquos presence sustains and strengthens us as the manna did
for Israel in the wilderness (Ps 1048631104863210486261048628-10486261048629 Jn 104863010486291048632) Onyx stones are
prevalent in the temple especially on the breastpiece of the high
priest where the names of the sons of Israel were engraved (Ex 104862610486291048631
104862610486321048633) reflecting their identity and preciousness before God In this way this abundant imagery reminds us how Godrsquos presence brings
life so that our hearts may not corrode with sin our lives are sustained
with strength and our identities might be properly grounded in our
preciousness before him
Psalm 10486271048630 interprets the river from Godrsquos presence in Eden as a
picture of the abundant life found there
How precious is your steadfast love O God
Te children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your
wings
Tey feast on the abundance of your house [temple]
and you give them drink from the river of your delights
[literally ldquoEdensrdquo]
For with you is the fountain of lifein your light do we see light (Ps 104862710486301048631-1048633)
In Godrsquos presence and in the temple the river of Eden flows to bring
the fountain of life Godrsquos presence brings life and light Since true
life and sustenance are found in the presence of God we must regu-
larly drink deeply from the river of his delights In our weariness
though we often seek life from entertainment empty friendships andceaseless activity which all fail to bring life So many of our ldquorecre-
ationalrdquo activities fail to re-create the inner resources of our soul to
face the challenges of each day Like the Israelites before us we forsake
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24 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
the river of Godrsquos presence and hew out empty cisterns that do not
hold water to satisfy our thirsts (Jer 104862610486251048627) Will we satisfy our soul at
the fountain of living waters Or will we hew out cisterns of putrid
water that do not satisfy Te rivers of life flowing from the presence
of God in Eden beckon us to the satisfaction and re-creation of these
refreshing waters that are only found in the presence of God
We sacrifice for what satisfies Te soul-satisfying riches in the
presence of God propel us out of our comfort zones calling us out of
the warm confines of our beds to our knees in early-morning prayerand meditation on Godrsquos Word Only these soul-satisfying riches can
sustain us in the rigors of Godrsquos calling on our lives as we move out to
proclaim his name to the nations across the street and across the globe
A heart for mission grows out of a soul that finds satisfaction in Godrsquos
presence the riches of which can be seen in the imagery of Eden
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR PURPOSE
God placed Adam in Eden to work it and keep it (Gen 104862610486251048629) a priestly
work in the Garden-temple of Eden His ldquoworkrdquo is not only working
the soil (Gen 10486261048629) but serving God (eg Deut 104862810486251048633) and he keeps the
Garden (Gen 104862610486251048629) as he keeps Godrsquos commands (see Lev 104862510486321048629) and
guards it from pollution and corruption (see Num 104862510486291048627) Te verbs to
work and to keep are sometimes used together outside Genesis 104862610486251048629 ina priestly context
And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar that
there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel And
behold I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the
people of Israel Tey are a gift to you given to the L983151983154983140 to do
the work of the tent of meeting9 (Num 104862510486321048629-1048630 translation altered)
In this passage the priests are to keep the sanctuary from corruption and
defilement and do the work of service in the tabernacle In the same way
Adam serves God in the temple as a priest and keeps the Garden-temple
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Eden as a emple 25
from corruption Similarly Ezekiel 1048626104863210486251048627 shows Adam in Eden clothed
like a priest with ldquoevery precious stonerdquo stones that correspond to the
precious stones on the ephod of Israelrsquos high priest (Ex 1048626104863210486251048631-10486261048625)10
Tis understanding of Adamrsquos work is confirmed by observing the
next verses in Genesis 1048626 After being commanded to work and keep
the Garden Adam is told
And the L983151983154983140 God commanded the man saying ldquoYou may
surely eat of every tree of the garden but of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that
you eat of it you shall surely dierdquo (Gen 104862610486251048630-10486251048631)
After Adam is commanded to keep the Garden he is also instructed
to keep Godrsquos commands Just as the priests were to keep guard over
the temple (Num 104862510486321048629) by obeying Godrsquos commands so Adam as a
priest guards the Garden-temple of Eden by keeping Godrsquos com-
mands Adam works out Godrsquos priestly purposes through obedienceto his word
Adam failed in his service as the first priest to guard Godrsquos temple
which included guarding the Garden-temple from the intrusion of
the serpent who was outside11 Te serpent slithered into the Garden
with deceptive words ldquoDid God actually say lsquoYou shall not eat of any
tree in the gardenrsquordquo (Gen 10486271048625) Trough doubt the serpent under-
mined Godrsquos word Eversquos reply to the serpent shows that the serpent
succeeded in his plot Notice the subtle differences between Godrsquos
word in Genesis 104862610486251048630-10486251048631 and the womanrsquos reply in Genesis 10486271048626-1048627
Table 983089983089
Genesis 983090983089983094-983089983095 Genesis 983091983090ndash983091
And the LORD God commanded the man
saying ldquoYou may surely eat of every tree ofthe garden but of the tree of theknowledge of good and evil you shall noteat for in the day that you eat of it you shallsurely die [literally ldquodying you shall dierdquo]rdquo
And the woman said to the serpent
ldquoWe may eat of the fruit of the trees inthe garden but God said lsquoYou shallnot eat of the fruit of the tree that isin the midst of the garden neithershall you touch it lest you diersquordquo
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Eden as a emple 27
temptation as she ldquosaw that the tree was good for food and that it
was a delight to her eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make
one wiserdquo Te desire for food the delight of the eyes and the craving
for wisdom are all strong and in their proper context legitimate
desires Te desires of our flesh may be legitimate but Eve sought to
satisfy them in illegitimate ways However the bridle of Godrsquos word
protects the wild horses of our desires from destroying us
Adam and Eve failed in their purpose and priestly calling to guard
the Garden-temple from intruders by not keeping Godrsquos word Edenis a place where purpose is given to humanity (Gen 104862610486251048629 see Gen 104862510486261048632)
We will see later that as Godrsquos presence is restored through the sac-
rifice of Jesus our purpose is also restored as a kingdom of priests and
a holy nation serving in Godrsquos true end-time temple (1048625 Pet 10486261048628-1048633)
Te longing for purpose found in the human heart is satisfied when
life works according to its purpose which is life lived in the presence
of God Just as Adam and Eve were to submit to Godrsquos word to fulfill
their mission in guarding Godrsquos dwelling place so we must submit
to Godrsquos Word to fulfill our mission in guarding and expanding Godrsquos
dwelling place to fill the earth
CONCLUSION
In this chapter we see Eden as the first temple and place of Godrsquospresence As a result Eden is a place of satisfaction of life However
sin closed off the way back to Godrsquos presence in Eden Because Adam
and Eve fail to guard the temple by sinning and letting in an unclean
serpent to defile the temple they lose their priestly role and the two
cherubim take over the responsibility to ldquoguardrdquo the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862710486261048628)14
Who will open the way back into Godrsquos tabernacling presence Are we endlessly condemned to our lives east of Eden Jesus opens up the
way back into Godrsquos presence by the sacrifice of his body (Heb 1048625104862410486251048633-
10486261048624) As a result the life-giving waters that flowed in Eden now flow
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InterVarsity Press
PO Box 983089983092983088983088 Downers Grove IL 983094983088983093983089983093-983089983092983090983094
wwwivpresscom
emailivpresscom
copy983090983088983089983092 by G K Beale and Mitchell Kim
All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from
InterVarsity PressInterVarsity Pressreg is the book-publishing division of InterVarsity Christian FellowshipUSAreg a movement of
students and faculty active on campus at hundreds of universities colleges and schools of nursing in the United
States of America and a member movement of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students For
information about local and regional activities visit wwwintervarsityorg
Scripture quotations unless otherwise noted are from Te Holy Bible English Standard Version copyright copy
983090983088983088983089 by Crossway Bibles a division of Good News Publishers Used by permission All rights reserved
While all stories in this book are true some names and identifying information in this book have been changed
to protect the privacy of the individuals involved
Cover design David Fassett
Interior design Beth McGill
Images copy Lisa-BlueiStockphoto
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983092983092983089983092-983090 (print)
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983096983088983089983094-983092 (digital)
Printed in the United States of America
InterVarsity Press is committed to protecting the environment and to the responsible use ofnatural resources As a member of Green Press Initiative we use recycled paper whenever possibleo learn more about the Green Press Initiative visit wwwgreenpressinitiativeorg
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Beale G K (Gregory K) 983089983097983092983097-
God dwells among us expanding Eden to the ends of the earth GK
Beale and Mitchell Kim
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983092983092983089983092-983090 (pbk alk paper)
983089 Presence of God 983090 emple of God 983091 Eden 983092 BiblemdashTeology I itle
B983089983096983088P983094B983092983091 983090983088983089983092
983090983090983088983094rsquo983092mdashdc983090983090
983090983088983089983092983088983091983091983091983092983093
P 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092 983089983091 983089983090 983089983089 983089983088 983097 983096 983095 983094 983093 983092 983091 983090 983089
Y 983091983089 983091983088 983090983097 983090983096 983090983095 983090983094 983090983093 983090983092 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092
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CONTENTS
Preface 983095
Abbreviations 983089983089
Introduction 983089983091
983089 Eden as a emple 983089983095he Context of Genesis 1048625ndash1048626
983090 Expanding Eden 983090983097
he Call in Genesis 104862510486261048630-10486261048632
983091 Eden Lost 983091983097
he Call to the Patriarchs After the Fall
983092 Eden Remixed 983093983089he abernacle in a Context of Sin
983093 Eden Restored 983094983093
Promise of the Expansion of Eden in the Prophets
983094 Eden Rebuilt 983095983097
Jesus as the New emple in the Gospels
983095 Eden Expanding 983097983097he Church as the New emple
983096 Edenrsquos Ministry 983089983089983091
Serving as Priests in the New emple
983097 Eden Completely Expanded 983089983091983093
he New Heavens and New Earth in Revelation 104862610486251048625-1048628
983089983088 ldquoWhy Havenrsquot I Seen Tis Beforerdquo 983089983092983095
Seeing the Purpose of Godrsquos Dwelling Place in Eden
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983089983089 Concluding Practical Reflections 983089983093983095
Foundational Convictions for Sacrificial Mission
in the emple
Notes 983089983094983095
Bibliography 983089983097983097
Scripture Index 983090983088983095
Ancient Literature Index 983090983089983091
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Preface
Why did we write this book We pray that its biblical-theological
perspective might fuel the church to fulfill its mission in the world
In writing this book we see more clearly than ever that the themes
of Eden the temple Godrsquos glorious presence new creation and the
mission of the church are ultimately facets of the same reality Morespecifically we hope to build a bridge from the world of biblical
theology to the needs of the church Te substance and basic thesis
of the book is distilled from G K Beale Te emple and the Churchrsquos
Mission A Biblical Teology of the Dwelling Place of God1 Te original
book spanned from Genesis to Revelation exploring both the an-
cient Near Eastern and Second emple Jewish views of the temple
More extensive argumentation from the biblical text as well as the
surrounding world can be found in that original book However the
basic thesis of this book was then developed into a seven-week
sermon series preached by Mitchell Kim at Living Water Alliance
Church in Chicagoland and then condensed into a seminar given
at different conferences
Writing and speaking are two very different mediums Writinggives liberty to provide in-depth substantiation and explore secondary
lines of support for an argument Preaching demands a laser-like
focus on communicating a single point Adapting the considerable
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8 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
substance of the original temple book to preaching demanded a
radical reduction in order to communicate orally ranslating the
preached sermons back to a written format allowed a significant am-
plification and deepening of the preached material while we at-
tempted to maintain the vibrancy and focus of preaching Some ma-
terial has been lifted verbatim from the original book most has been
reworked and reworded to communicate more concisely and clearly
Our hope is that the biblical-theological heft of the original will be
combined with practical insight to spark a greater zeal and passionfor mission by Godrsquos people in the world
Tere has been somewhat of a hermeneutical shift from the original
book to this one In the original book G K Beale tried to sketch the
development of the temple idea through each of the various distinct
redemptive-historical epochs (EdenNoahicPatriarchalIsrael
[Mount Sinairarr wilderness tabernaclerarr Jerusalem temple]inaugu-
rated latter daysconsummated latter days) in order to see how they
related to and built on one another However because of the con-
densed nature of this book we sometimes merge the meaning of the
temple in earlier epochs with the developed meaning from later
epochs (especially in the earlier chapters) In cases of any ambiguity
the reader should consult the original book
God has often used our wives to help our theology connect intothe realities of daily life We are both deeply indebted to our wives
Dorinda Beale and Eunsil Kim who have not only discussed the
theology of the temple with us but also forced us to live out this
theology by bringing the presence of God into our homes Tey have
been crucial in helping us to understand this topic in more depth In
writing this book we have personally lived out its call to ldquoBe fruitful
and multiply and fill the earthrdquo (Gen 104862510486261048632) as God has blessed us withchildren and grandchildren Greg Beale had a granddaughter Eden
Klamm and Mitch Kim had a daughter Eden River Kim Teir
names reflect our prayers for these children that they would abound
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Preface 9
with life in the presence of God and serve to expand that presence to
the ends of the earth
oo many other people deserve mention in this book Don
Carson made a significant investment in reading and carefully eval-
uating the original book His suggestions for revision have definitely
made this a better book than it would have been Brannon Ellis at
InterVarsity Press has helped to translate its academic depth to com-
municate to a broader swath of Godrsquos people His gracious and en-
couraging input throughout the journey has been invaluable Above all we are thankful to God for the idea for this book and
for giving the energy and discipline to write it We pray that Godrsquos
glory might be clearly seen through all who read it
A few comments about some stylistic aspects of the book are in
order English translations follow the English Standard Version or
when different have been identified as our own translation With
respect to all translations of ancient works when the translation
differs from the standard editions usually referred to then it is our
translation or someone elsersquos (in the latter case we indicate whom)
Dedicated to Eden Kim and Eden Klamm with all our other
children (Stephen Nancy Hannah Elise and Ana) that they might
abide as an overflow from Godrsquos dwelling place to the ends of the earth
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14 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
warmer feelingsrdquo3 Deep conviction formed the bedrock of his sacri-
ficial yet joy-filled labor oday Burma (known today as Myanmar)
has over four million Christians because of that sacrifice
Is such costly sacrifice an antiquated throwback to a distant past
oday short-term missions teams can hop on an airplane care for
impoverished orphans in rural China for a week and stop by Star-
bucks in Beijing before returning to give a missions report in their
comfortable church Even as globalization has eased some of the de-
mands of short-term missions the challenges for missions today con-tinue to be daunting More than three thousand unreached and un-
engaged people groups remain today they are in some of the hardest
to reach places of the world and they total almost 104862610486291048624 million people4
We must go We must persevere even when we see little fruit
Even in ldquoChristian Americardquo those with no religious affiliation are
the fastest-growing religious group today growing 10486261048632 percent be-
tween 1048626104862410486241048631 and 10486261048624104862510486265 Both unreached people groups and the in-
creasingly resistant West will only be penetrated by the gospel with
great sacrifice and cost
Will we make the sacrifice that mission demands Recent studies of
American young people are not encouraging Te goal of their faith is
primarily ldquofeeling good happy secure at peacerdquo because they desire
ldquosubjective well-being being able to resolve problems and gettingalong amiably with other peoplerdquo6 If Judsonrsquos goal was ldquosubjective
well-beingrdquo Burma would remain in darkness today Given the current
challenges of settling into the sacrificial challenges of marriage and
career7 how much more challenging will it be to embrace the sacrifices
of global mission among the least-reached peoples on earth
Compelling conviction propels us through painful sacrifice Te
goal of this book is to strengthen biblical conviction for sacrificialmission When we are motivated to mission through occasional expe-
riences or isolated Bible verses the springs of such motivation can run
dry in the face of costly challenges Persevering mission demands full-
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1
Eden as a Temple
he Context of Genesis 1048625ndash1048626
Longing We are creatures of longing When we misdiagnose the
object of this longing then we become frustrated and disappointed
Our longings for relationship often get frustrated in conflict Ourlongings for satisfaction get frustrated in discontent Our longings
for significance get frustrated by our own inadequacies J R R
olkien diagnoses the roots of our longing ldquoWe all long for [Eden]
and we are constantly glimpsing it our whole nature at its best and
least corrupted its gentlest and most humane is still soaked with a
sense of lsquoexilersquordquo1 Te longings of our hearts are frustrated from this
exile but these longings are properly satisfied in the dwelling place
of God originally found in Eden Godrsquos presence in his dwelling
place satiates our longings for relationship satisfaction and signifi-
cance and the opening chapters of Genesis show how God intended
those longings to be properly satisfiedmdashin Eden God made us for
himself as his images in the Garden-temple in Eden (Gen 1048625ndash1048626) Godrsquos
presence gives life and purpose in Eden so we should not wonderthat ldquoour hearts are restless until they find their rest in Himrdquo2 In this
chapter we will explore how Eden is presented as a temple and
dwelling place of God satisfying our longings for life and purpose
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Eden as a emple 19
purpose found in the Garden Te imagery in Eden paints a com-
pelling picture of the satisfaction of basic human desires in Godrsquos
presence For example the desire for life is satisfied by the waters of
the river of life and the fruit of the tree of life Te need for purpose
is fulfilled in Adamrsquos priestly call to work and keep the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862610486251048629 see Num 104862510486321048629) Parallels between Eden and the tabernacle
temple further demonstrate that our desire for life and purpose are
properly satisfied in Godrsquos presence
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR SATISFACTION
THE TREE AND RIVER OF LIFE
In the concise narrative of Genesis 1048626 six verses describe the tree of
life and the river flowing out of Eden (Gen 10486261048633-10486251048628) Is sacred
Scripture ldquowastingrdquo precious space here In actuality such seemingly
trivial details easily skipped by a hasty reader brim with the sig-
nificance of life found in the presence of God Te verdant imagery
of Eden especially its trees and rivers reflects abundant life in
Godrsquos presence and this verdant imagery is mirrored in the later
tabernacle and temple
Te tree of life Gen 10486261048633 And out of the ground the Lord God
made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for food Te tree of life was in the midst of the gardenand the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
Te ldquotree of liferdquo stood in the middle of the Garden and the fruit of
this tree would give life forever (Gen 104862710486261048626) Why Proverbs 1048627 shows
us that Godrsquos wisdom is compared to the ldquotree of liferdquo and that his
wisdom shines light on the paths of life and peace for Godrsquos people
(Prov 104862710486251048630-10486251048632) Similarly in the tabernacle and temple this ldquotree of liferdquoserved as the model for the lampstand outside the Holy of Holies
since the presence of God would shine light on the paths of life for
his people Tis lampstand looked like a small tree trunk with seven
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20 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
protruding branches with flowering almond blossoms (Ex 1048626104862910486271048625-10486281048624
1048627104863110486251048631-10486261048628) a picture of the life-giving fruitfulness that is found in
Godrsquos presence6
Abundant life is seen not only in the tree itself but also in the
verdant imagery of the Garden since ldquoout of the ground the L983151983154983140
God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for foodrdquo (Gen 10486261048633) Solomonrsquos temple also abounds with such
verdant imagery (1048625 Kings 104863010486251048632 10486261048633 10486271048626 10486271048629 104863110486251048632-10486261048624)7 Te end-time
temple overflows with life as trees of life grow on the banks of theriver of life to bring healing for the nations (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626 Rev 104862610486261048626 see
discussion below) Te abundance of life found in the Garden paints
a picture of the abundance found in the tabernacling presence of God
Godrsquos presence overflows with life
Te river of life Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628 A river flowed out of Eden to
water the garden and there it divided and became four riversTe name of the first is the Pishon It is the one that flowed
around the whole land of Havilah where there is gold And
the gold of that land is good bdellium and onyx stone are
there Te name of the second river is the Gihon It is the one
that flowed around the whole land of Cush And the name of
the third river is the igris which flows east of Assyria And
the fourth river is the Euphrates
A seemingly incidental reference to a river flowing out of Eden also
reminds us of the abundant life flowing from the presence of God
Tis river in Eden gives life to the many trees growing on its banks
including the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree
of life (Gen 104862610486251048624 10486251048631 104862710486261048628) Tis water flows out of Eden to water
the Garden before flowing outward to give life to the rest of theearth and places where nations would reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) Simi-
larly in later depictions of the temple a river flows with trees of life
on its banks In Ezekiel 10486281048631 a river flows from below the threshold
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Eden as a emple 21
of the temple with trees on the banks of both sides Te waters of
this river make seawater fresh (Ezek 104862810486311048632) give life to creatures
(Ezek 104862810486311048633) and cause leaves of healing to blossom on the trees of
its banks (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626) In Revelation a river flows in the new Jeru-
salem with ldquothe tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit yielding
its fruit each monthrdquo and ldquothe leaves of the tree were for the healing
of the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862610486261048625-1048626) Tis river flows from the presence of
God (ldquofrom the throne of God and of the Lambrdquo) outward to bring
life to the surrounding nationsTis river of life abounding with Godrsquos presence flows from the
inmost place of Godrsquos presence outward into the nations In the
temple Godrsquos holiness is supremely manifest in the Holy of Holies
and spreads outward to the Holy Place and then the outer court
where all Israel could assemble for worship and which symbolized as
we will see the whole world In the eschatological temple the river
flows from the Holy of Holies into the temple courts and then the
nations outside (Ezek 104862810486311048625 Rev 104862610486261048625) In Eden the river flows from
Godrsquos presence in Eden into the Garden and then the rest of the earth
where nations would eventually reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) A gradation of
holiness is seen in Eden and the temple as the presence of God in-
creases from the innermost place of EdenHoly of Holies outward to
the earth and the lands where nations would live As a result this gradation of holiness is evident in the parallels
between Eden and the temple Just as the Holy Place contained the
lampstand shaped like the tree of life and the bread of the presence
to sustain the priests so the Garden of Eden is the place of the tree
of life (Gen 10486261048632-1048633) and provides food to sustain Adam (Gen 104862610486251048630) Just
as the outer court of Israelrsquos second temple provided a place for the
nations to come so the land and seas to be subdued by Adam outsidethe Garden are the nations of Cush and Assyria (Gen 104862610486251048627-10486251048628) though
of course these lands were not yet populated with peoples8 Te
parallels can be seen in the following diagram
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22 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
Figure 983089
Since the river of life flows from Godrsquos presence into the lands of
nations so our mission to the nations must flow from the life found
in Godrsquos presence When the source of our commitment to mission is
located only in the backwaters of our idealism then we can burn out
and become bitter Many idealistically plunge headlong into a sacri-
ficial commitment to the poor or unreached or hurting compelled by
brokenness over their plight but the resources of that idealism run dry
when tested by the challenges of costly obedience However when our
resources run dry we drink more fully and deeply from the abundanceof life found in Godrsquos presence Our God gives joy and strength to
endure Te life that we find in Godrsquos presence is more than enough
to overcome every challenge for the mission God has placed before us
However life must clearly flow from Godrsquos presence into the needs of
the nations and the needs of the nations must drive us to drink more
fully from the life found in Godrsquos presence
Just outside the Garden the river is surrounded with land thatabounds with good gold bdellium and onyx stone (Gen 104862610486251048626) Each
of these marks life in the presence of God ldquoPure gold like clear glassrdquo
covers the temple (Rev 1048626104862510486251048632 10486261048625) just as the sacred furniture in the
Outer Court
Holy Place
Holy of Holies
Eden
Garden
Outer World
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Eden as a emple 23
tabernacle was made of gold Polished gold reflects light just as we
will reflect Godrsquos light when we live in the presence of God Bdellium
is a fragrant substance with the appearance of manna (Num 104862510486251048631)
which was kept in the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies
Indeed Godrsquos presence sustains and strengthens us as the manna did
for Israel in the wilderness (Ps 1048631104863210486261048628-10486261048629 Jn 104863010486291048632) Onyx stones are
prevalent in the temple especially on the breastpiece of the high
priest where the names of the sons of Israel were engraved (Ex 104862610486291048631
104862610486321048633) reflecting their identity and preciousness before God In this way this abundant imagery reminds us how Godrsquos presence brings
life so that our hearts may not corrode with sin our lives are sustained
with strength and our identities might be properly grounded in our
preciousness before him
Psalm 10486271048630 interprets the river from Godrsquos presence in Eden as a
picture of the abundant life found there
How precious is your steadfast love O God
Te children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your
wings
Tey feast on the abundance of your house [temple]
and you give them drink from the river of your delights
[literally ldquoEdensrdquo]
For with you is the fountain of lifein your light do we see light (Ps 104862710486301048631-1048633)
In Godrsquos presence and in the temple the river of Eden flows to bring
the fountain of life Godrsquos presence brings life and light Since true
life and sustenance are found in the presence of God we must regu-
larly drink deeply from the river of his delights In our weariness
though we often seek life from entertainment empty friendships andceaseless activity which all fail to bring life So many of our ldquorecre-
ationalrdquo activities fail to re-create the inner resources of our soul to
face the challenges of each day Like the Israelites before us we forsake
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24 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
the river of Godrsquos presence and hew out empty cisterns that do not
hold water to satisfy our thirsts (Jer 104862610486251048627) Will we satisfy our soul at
the fountain of living waters Or will we hew out cisterns of putrid
water that do not satisfy Te rivers of life flowing from the presence
of God in Eden beckon us to the satisfaction and re-creation of these
refreshing waters that are only found in the presence of God
We sacrifice for what satisfies Te soul-satisfying riches in the
presence of God propel us out of our comfort zones calling us out of
the warm confines of our beds to our knees in early-morning prayerand meditation on Godrsquos Word Only these soul-satisfying riches can
sustain us in the rigors of Godrsquos calling on our lives as we move out to
proclaim his name to the nations across the street and across the globe
A heart for mission grows out of a soul that finds satisfaction in Godrsquos
presence the riches of which can be seen in the imagery of Eden
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR PURPOSE
God placed Adam in Eden to work it and keep it (Gen 104862610486251048629) a priestly
work in the Garden-temple of Eden His ldquoworkrdquo is not only working
the soil (Gen 10486261048629) but serving God (eg Deut 104862810486251048633) and he keeps the
Garden (Gen 104862610486251048629) as he keeps Godrsquos commands (see Lev 104862510486321048629) and
guards it from pollution and corruption (see Num 104862510486291048627) Te verbs to
work and to keep are sometimes used together outside Genesis 104862610486251048629 ina priestly context
And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar that
there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel And
behold I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the
people of Israel Tey are a gift to you given to the L983151983154983140 to do
the work of the tent of meeting9 (Num 104862510486321048629-1048630 translation altered)
In this passage the priests are to keep the sanctuary from corruption and
defilement and do the work of service in the tabernacle In the same way
Adam serves God in the temple as a priest and keeps the Garden-temple
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Eden as a emple 25
from corruption Similarly Ezekiel 1048626104863210486251048627 shows Adam in Eden clothed
like a priest with ldquoevery precious stonerdquo stones that correspond to the
precious stones on the ephod of Israelrsquos high priest (Ex 1048626104863210486251048631-10486261048625)10
Tis understanding of Adamrsquos work is confirmed by observing the
next verses in Genesis 1048626 After being commanded to work and keep
the Garden Adam is told
And the L983151983154983140 God commanded the man saying ldquoYou may
surely eat of every tree of the garden but of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that
you eat of it you shall surely dierdquo (Gen 104862610486251048630-10486251048631)
After Adam is commanded to keep the Garden he is also instructed
to keep Godrsquos commands Just as the priests were to keep guard over
the temple (Num 104862510486321048629) by obeying Godrsquos commands so Adam as a
priest guards the Garden-temple of Eden by keeping Godrsquos com-
mands Adam works out Godrsquos priestly purposes through obedienceto his word
Adam failed in his service as the first priest to guard Godrsquos temple
which included guarding the Garden-temple from the intrusion of
the serpent who was outside11 Te serpent slithered into the Garden
with deceptive words ldquoDid God actually say lsquoYou shall not eat of any
tree in the gardenrsquordquo (Gen 10486271048625) Trough doubt the serpent under-
mined Godrsquos word Eversquos reply to the serpent shows that the serpent
succeeded in his plot Notice the subtle differences between Godrsquos
word in Genesis 104862610486251048630-10486251048631 and the womanrsquos reply in Genesis 10486271048626-1048627
Table 983089983089
Genesis 983090983089983094-983089983095 Genesis 983091983090ndash983091
And the LORD God commanded the man
saying ldquoYou may surely eat of every tree ofthe garden but of the tree of theknowledge of good and evil you shall noteat for in the day that you eat of it you shallsurely die [literally ldquodying you shall dierdquo]rdquo
And the woman said to the serpent
ldquoWe may eat of the fruit of the trees inthe garden but God said lsquoYou shallnot eat of the fruit of the tree that isin the midst of the garden neithershall you touch it lest you diersquordquo
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Eden as a emple 27
temptation as she ldquosaw that the tree was good for food and that it
was a delight to her eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make
one wiserdquo Te desire for food the delight of the eyes and the craving
for wisdom are all strong and in their proper context legitimate
desires Te desires of our flesh may be legitimate but Eve sought to
satisfy them in illegitimate ways However the bridle of Godrsquos word
protects the wild horses of our desires from destroying us
Adam and Eve failed in their purpose and priestly calling to guard
the Garden-temple from intruders by not keeping Godrsquos word Edenis a place where purpose is given to humanity (Gen 104862610486251048629 see Gen 104862510486261048632)
We will see later that as Godrsquos presence is restored through the sac-
rifice of Jesus our purpose is also restored as a kingdom of priests and
a holy nation serving in Godrsquos true end-time temple (1048625 Pet 10486261048628-1048633)
Te longing for purpose found in the human heart is satisfied when
life works according to its purpose which is life lived in the presence
of God Just as Adam and Eve were to submit to Godrsquos word to fulfill
their mission in guarding Godrsquos dwelling place so we must submit
to Godrsquos Word to fulfill our mission in guarding and expanding Godrsquos
dwelling place to fill the earth
CONCLUSION
In this chapter we see Eden as the first temple and place of Godrsquospresence As a result Eden is a place of satisfaction of life However
sin closed off the way back to Godrsquos presence in Eden Because Adam
and Eve fail to guard the temple by sinning and letting in an unclean
serpent to defile the temple they lose their priestly role and the two
cherubim take over the responsibility to ldquoguardrdquo the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862710486261048628)14
Who will open the way back into Godrsquos tabernacling presence Are we endlessly condemned to our lives east of Eden Jesus opens up the
way back into Godrsquos presence by the sacrifice of his body (Heb 1048625104862410486251048633-
10486261048624) As a result the life-giving waters that flowed in Eden now flow
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CONTENTS
Preface 983095
Abbreviations 983089983089
Introduction 983089983091
983089 Eden as a emple 983089983095he Context of Genesis 1048625ndash1048626
983090 Expanding Eden 983090983097
he Call in Genesis 104862510486261048630-10486261048632
983091 Eden Lost 983091983097
he Call to the Patriarchs After the Fall
983092 Eden Remixed 983093983089he abernacle in a Context of Sin
983093 Eden Restored 983094983093
Promise of the Expansion of Eden in the Prophets
983094 Eden Rebuilt 983095983097
Jesus as the New emple in the Gospels
983095 Eden Expanding 983097983097he Church as the New emple
983096 Edenrsquos Ministry 983089983089983091
Serving as Priests in the New emple
983097 Eden Completely Expanded 983089983091983093
he New Heavens and New Earth in Revelation 104862610486251048625-1048628
983089983088 ldquoWhy Havenrsquot I Seen Tis Beforerdquo 983089983092983095
Seeing the Purpose of Godrsquos Dwelling Place in Eden
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983089983089 Concluding Practical Reflections 983089983093983095
Foundational Convictions for Sacrificial Mission
in the emple
Notes 983089983094983095
Bibliography 983089983097983097
Scripture Index 983090983088983095
Ancient Literature Index 983090983089983091
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Preface
Why did we write this book We pray that its biblical-theological
perspective might fuel the church to fulfill its mission in the world
In writing this book we see more clearly than ever that the themes
of Eden the temple Godrsquos glorious presence new creation and the
mission of the church are ultimately facets of the same reality Morespecifically we hope to build a bridge from the world of biblical
theology to the needs of the church Te substance and basic thesis
of the book is distilled from G K Beale Te emple and the Churchrsquos
Mission A Biblical Teology of the Dwelling Place of God1 Te original
book spanned from Genesis to Revelation exploring both the an-
cient Near Eastern and Second emple Jewish views of the temple
More extensive argumentation from the biblical text as well as the
surrounding world can be found in that original book However the
basic thesis of this book was then developed into a seven-week
sermon series preached by Mitchell Kim at Living Water Alliance
Church in Chicagoland and then condensed into a seminar given
at different conferences
Writing and speaking are two very different mediums Writinggives liberty to provide in-depth substantiation and explore secondary
lines of support for an argument Preaching demands a laser-like
focus on communicating a single point Adapting the considerable
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8 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
substance of the original temple book to preaching demanded a
radical reduction in order to communicate orally ranslating the
preached sermons back to a written format allowed a significant am-
plification and deepening of the preached material while we at-
tempted to maintain the vibrancy and focus of preaching Some ma-
terial has been lifted verbatim from the original book most has been
reworked and reworded to communicate more concisely and clearly
Our hope is that the biblical-theological heft of the original will be
combined with practical insight to spark a greater zeal and passionfor mission by Godrsquos people in the world
Tere has been somewhat of a hermeneutical shift from the original
book to this one In the original book G K Beale tried to sketch the
development of the temple idea through each of the various distinct
redemptive-historical epochs (EdenNoahicPatriarchalIsrael
[Mount Sinairarr wilderness tabernaclerarr Jerusalem temple]inaugu-
rated latter daysconsummated latter days) in order to see how they
related to and built on one another However because of the con-
densed nature of this book we sometimes merge the meaning of the
temple in earlier epochs with the developed meaning from later
epochs (especially in the earlier chapters) In cases of any ambiguity
the reader should consult the original book
God has often used our wives to help our theology connect intothe realities of daily life We are both deeply indebted to our wives
Dorinda Beale and Eunsil Kim who have not only discussed the
theology of the temple with us but also forced us to live out this
theology by bringing the presence of God into our homes Tey have
been crucial in helping us to understand this topic in more depth In
writing this book we have personally lived out its call to ldquoBe fruitful
and multiply and fill the earthrdquo (Gen 104862510486261048632) as God has blessed us withchildren and grandchildren Greg Beale had a granddaughter Eden
Klamm and Mitch Kim had a daughter Eden River Kim Teir
names reflect our prayers for these children that they would abound
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Preface 9
with life in the presence of God and serve to expand that presence to
the ends of the earth
oo many other people deserve mention in this book Don
Carson made a significant investment in reading and carefully eval-
uating the original book His suggestions for revision have definitely
made this a better book than it would have been Brannon Ellis at
InterVarsity Press has helped to translate its academic depth to com-
municate to a broader swath of Godrsquos people His gracious and en-
couraging input throughout the journey has been invaluable Above all we are thankful to God for the idea for this book and
for giving the energy and discipline to write it We pray that Godrsquos
glory might be clearly seen through all who read it
A few comments about some stylistic aspects of the book are in
order English translations follow the English Standard Version or
when different have been identified as our own translation With
respect to all translations of ancient works when the translation
differs from the standard editions usually referred to then it is our
translation or someone elsersquos (in the latter case we indicate whom)
Dedicated to Eden Kim and Eden Klamm with all our other
children (Stephen Nancy Hannah Elise and Ana) that they might
abide as an overflow from Godrsquos dwelling place to the ends of the earth
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14 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
warmer feelingsrdquo3 Deep conviction formed the bedrock of his sacri-
ficial yet joy-filled labor oday Burma (known today as Myanmar)
has over four million Christians because of that sacrifice
Is such costly sacrifice an antiquated throwback to a distant past
oday short-term missions teams can hop on an airplane care for
impoverished orphans in rural China for a week and stop by Star-
bucks in Beijing before returning to give a missions report in their
comfortable church Even as globalization has eased some of the de-
mands of short-term missions the challenges for missions today con-tinue to be daunting More than three thousand unreached and un-
engaged people groups remain today they are in some of the hardest
to reach places of the world and they total almost 104862610486291048624 million people4
We must go We must persevere even when we see little fruit
Even in ldquoChristian Americardquo those with no religious affiliation are
the fastest-growing religious group today growing 10486261048632 percent be-
tween 1048626104862410486241048631 and 10486261048624104862510486265 Both unreached people groups and the in-
creasingly resistant West will only be penetrated by the gospel with
great sacrifice and cost
Will we make the sacrifice that mission demands Recent studies of
American young people are not encouraging Te goal of their faith is
primarily ldquofeeling good happy secure at peacerdquo because they desire
ldquosubjective well-being being able to resolve problems and gettingalong amiably with other peoplerdquo6 If Judsonrsquos goal was ldquosubjective
well-beingrdquo Burma would remain in darkness today Given the current
challenges of settling into the sacrificial challenges of marriage and
career7 how much more challenging will it be to embrace the sacrifices
of global mission among the least-reached peoples on earth
Compelling conviction propels us through painful sacrifice Te
goal of this book is to strengthen biblical conviction for sacrificialmission When we are motivated to mission through occasional expe-
riences or isolated Bible verses the springs of such motivation can run
dry in the face of costly challenges Persevering mission demands full-
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1
Eden as a Temple
he Context of Genesis 1048625ndash1048626
Longing We are creatures of longing When we misdiagnose the
object of this longing then we become frustrated and disappointed
Our longings for relationship often get frustrated in conflict Ourlongings for satisfaction get frustrated in discontent Our longings
for significance get frustrated by our own inadequacies J R R
olkien diagnoses the roots of our longing ldquoWe all long for [Eden]
and we are constantly glimpsing it our whole nature at its best and
least corrupted its gentlest and most humane is still soaked with a
sense of lsquoexilersquordquo1 Te longings of our hearts are frustrated from this
exile but these longings are properly satisfied in the dwelling place
of God originally found in Eden Godrsquos presence in his dwelling
place satiates our longings for relationship satisfaction and signifi-
cance and the opening chapters of Genesis show how God intended
those longings to be properly satisfiedmdashin Eden God made us for
himself as his images in the Garden-temple in Eden (Gen 1048625ndash1048626) Godrsquos
presence gives life and purpose in Eden so we should not wonderthat ldquoour hearts are restless until they find their rest in Himrdquo2 In this
chapter we will explore how Eden is presented as a temple and
dwelling place of God satisfying our longings for life and purpose
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Eden as a emple 19
purpose found in the Garden Te imagery in Eden paints a com-
pelling picture of the satisfaction of basic human desires in Godrsquos
presence For example the desire for life is satisfied by the waters of
the river of life and the fruit of the tree of life Te need for purpose
is fulfilled in Adamrsquos priestly call to work and keep the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862610486251048629 see Num 104862510486321048629) Parallels between Eden and the tabernacle
temple further demonstrate that our desire for life and purpose are
properly satisfied in Godrsquos presence
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR SATISFACTION
THE TREE AND RIVER OF LIFE
In the concise narrative of Genesis 1048626 six verses describe the tree of
life and the river flowing out of Eden (Gen 10486261048633-10486251048628) Is sacred
Scripture ldquowastingrdquo precious space here In actuality such seemingly
trivial details easily skipped by a hasty reader brim with the sig-
nificance of life found in the presence of God Te verdant imagery
of Eden especially its trees and rivers reflects abundant life in
Godrsquos presence and this verdant imagery is mirrored in the later
tabernacle and temple
Te tree of life Gen 10486261048633 And out of the ground the Lord God
made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for food Te tree of life was in the midst of the gardenand the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
Te ldquotree of liferdquo stood in the middle of the Garden and the fruit of
this tree would give life forever (Gen 104862710486261048626) Why Proverbs 1048627 shows
us that Godrsquos wisdom is compared to the ldquotree of liferdquo and that his
wisdom shines light on the paths of life and peace for Godrsquos people
(Prov 104862710486251048630-10486251048632) Similarly in the tabernacle and temple this ldquotree of liferdquoserved as the model for the lampstand outside the Holy of Holies
since the presence of God would shine light on the paths of life for
his people Tis lampstand looked like a small tree trunk with seven
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protruding branches with flowering almond blossoms (Ex 1048626104862910486271048625-10486281048624
1048627104863110486251048631-10486261048628) a picture of the life-giving fruitfulness that is found in
Godrsquos presence6
Abundant life is seen not only in the tree itself but also in the
verdant imagery of the Garden since ldquoout of the ground the L983151983154983140
God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for foodrdquo (Gen 10486261048633) Solomonrsquos temple also abounds with such
verdant imagery (1048625 Kings 104863010486251048632 10486261048633 10486271048626 10486271048629 104863110486251048632-10486261048624)7 Te end-time
temple overflows with life as trees of life grow on the banks of theriver of life to bring healing for the nations (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626 Rev 104862610486261048626 see
discussion below) Te abundance of life found in the Garden paints
a picture of the abundance found in the tabernacling presence of God
Godrsquos presence overflows with life
Te river of life Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628 A river flowed out of Eden to
water the garden and there it divided and became four riversTe name of the first is the Pishon It is the one that flowed
around the whole land of Havilah where there is gold And
the gold of that land is good bdellium and onyx stone are
there Te name of the second river is the Gihon It is the one
that flowed around the whole land of Cush And the name of
the third river is the igris which flows east of Assyria And
the fourth river is the Euphrates
A seemingly incidental reference to a river flowing out of Eden also
reminds us of the abundant life flowing from the presence of God
Tis river in Eden gives life to the many trees growing on its banks
including the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree
of life (Gen 104862610486251048624 10486251048631 104862710486261048628) Tis water flows out of Eden to water
the Garden before flowing outward to give life to the rest of theearth and places where nations would reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) Simi-
larly in later depictions of the temple a river flows with trees of life
on its banks In Ezekiel 10486281048631 a river flows from below the threshold
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Eden as a emple 21
of the temple with trees on the banks of both sides Te waters of
this river make seawater fresh (Ezek 104862810486311048632) give life to creatures
(Ezek 104862810486311048633) and cause leaves of healing to blossom on the trees of
its banks (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626) In Revelation a river flows in the new Jeru-
salem with ldquothe tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit yielding
its fruit each monthrdquo and ldquothe leaves of the tree were for the healing
of the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862610486261048625-1048626) Tis river flows from the presence of
God (ldquofrom the throne of God and of the Lambrdquo) outward to bring
life to the surrounding nationsTis river of life abounding with Godrsquos presence flows from the
inmost place of Godrsquos presence outward into the nations In the
temple Godrsquos holiness is supremely manifest in the Holy of Holies
and spreads outward to the Holy Place and then the outer court
where all Israel could assemble for worship and which symbolized as
we will see the whole world In the eschatological temple the river
flows from the Holy of Holies into the temple courts and then the
nations outside (Ezek 104862810486311048625 Rev 104862610486261048625) In Eden the river flows from
Godrsquos presence in Eden into the Garden and then the rest of the earth
where nations would eventually reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) A gradation of
holiness is seen in Eden and the temple as the presence of God in-
creases from the innermost place of EdenHoly of Holies outward to
the earth and the lands where nations would live As a result this gradation of holiness is evident in the parallels
between Eden and the temple Just as the Holy Place contained the
lampstand shaped like the tree of life and the bread of the presence
to sustain the priests so the Garden of Eden is the place of the tree
of life (Gen 10486261048632-1048633) and provides food to sustain Adam (Gen 104862610486251048630) Just
as the outer court of Israelrsquos second temple provided a place for the
nations to come so the land and seas to be subdued by Adam outsidethe Garden are the nations of Cush and Assyria (Gen 104862610486251048627-10486251048628) though
of course these lands were not yet populated with peoples8 Te
parallels can be seen in the following diagram
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22 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
Figure 983089
Since the river of life flows from Godrsquos presence into the lands of
nations so our mission to the nations must flow from the life found
in Godrsquos presence When the source of our commitment to mission is
located only in the backwaters of our idealism then we can burn out
and become bitter Many idealistically plunge headlong into a sacri-
ficial commitment to the poor or unreached or hurting compelled by
brokenness over their plight but the resources of that idealism run dry
when tested by the challenges of costly obedience However when our
resources run dry we drink more fully and deeply from the abundanceof life found in Godrsquos presence Our God gives joy and strength to
endure Te life that we find in Godrsquos presence is more than enough
to overcome every challenge for the mission God has placed before us
However life must clearly flow from Godrsquos presence into the needs of
the nations and the needs of the nations must drive us to drink more
fully from the life found in Godrsquos presence
Just outside the Garden the river is surrounded with land thatabounds with good gold bdellium and onyx stone (Gen 104862610486251048626) Each
of these marks life in the presence of God ldquoPure gold like clear glassrdquo
covers the temple (Rev 1048626104862510486251048632 10486261048625) just as the sacred furniture in the
Outer Court
Holy Place
Holy of Holies
Eden
Garden
Outer World
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Eden as a emple 23
tabernacle was made of gold Polished gold reflects light just as we
will reflect Godrsquos light when we live in the presence of God Bdellium
is a fragrant substance with the appearance of manna (Num 104862510486251048631)
which was kept in the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies
Indeed Godrsquos presence sustains and strengthens us as the manna did
for Israel in the wilderness (Ps 1048631104863210486261048628-10486261048629 Jn 104863010486291048632) Onyx stones are
prevalent in the temple especially on the breastpiece of the high
priest where the names of the sons of Israel were engraved (Ex 104862610486291048631
104862610486321048633) reflecting their identity and preciousness before God In this way this abundant imagery reminds us how Godrsquos presence brings
life so that our hearts may not corrode with sin our lives are sustained
with strength and our identities might be properly grounded in our
preciousness before him
Psalm 10486271048630 interprets the river from Godrsquos presence in Eden as a
picture of the abundant life found there
How precious is your steadfast love O God
Te children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your
wings
Tey feast on the abundance of your house [temple]
and you give them drink from the river of your delights
[literally ldquoEdensrdquo]
For with you is the fountain of lifein your light do we see light (Ps 104862710486301048631-1048633)
In Godrsquos presence and in the temple the river of Eden flows to bring
the fountain of life Godrsquos presence brings life and light Since true
life and sustenance are found in the presence of God we must regu-
larly drink deeply from the river of his delights In our weariness
though we often seek life from entertainment empty friendships andceaseless activity which all fail to bring life So many of our ldquorecre-
ationalrdquo activities fail to re-create the inner resources of our soul to
face the challenges of each day Like the Israelites before us we forsake
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the river of Godrsquos presence and hew out empty cisterns that do not
hold water to satisfy our thirsts (Jer 104862610486251048627) Will we satisfy our soul at
the fountain of living waters Or will we hew out cisterns of putrid
water that do not satisfy Te rivers of life flowing from the presence
of God in Eden beckon us to the satisfaction and re-creation of these
refreshing waters that are only found in the presence of God
We sacrifice for what satisfies Te soul-satisfying riches in the
presence of God propel us out of our comfort zones calling us out of
the warm confines of our beds to our knees in early-morning prayerand meditation on Godrsquos Word Only these soul-satisfying riches can
sustain us in the rigors of Godrsquos calling on our lives as we move out to
proclaim his name to the nations across the street and across the globe
A heart for mission grows out of a soul that finds satisfaction in Godrsquos
presence the riches of which can be seen in the imagery of Eden
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR PURPOSE
God placed Adam in Eden to work it and keep it (Gen 104862610486251048629) a priestly
work in the Garden-temple of Eden His ldquoworkrdquo is not only working
the soil (Gen 10486261048629) but serving God (eg Deut 104862810486251048633) and he keeps the
Garden (Gen 104862610486251048629) as he keeps Godrsquos commands (see Lev 104862510486321048629) and
guards it from pollution and corruption (see Num 104862510486291048627) Te verbs to
work and to keep are sometimes used together outside Genesis 104862610486251048629 ina priestly context
And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar that
there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel And
behold I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the
people of Israel Tey are a gift to you given to the L983151983154983140 to do
the work of the tent of meeting9 (Num 104862510486321048629-1048630 translation altered)
In this passage the priests are to keep the sanctuary from corruption and
defilement and do the work of service in the tabernacle In the same way
Adam serves God in the temple as a priest and keeps the Garden-temple
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Eden as a emple 25
from corruption Similarly Ezekiel 1048626104863210486251048627 shows Adam in Eden clothed
like a priest with ldquoevery precious stonerdquo stones that correspond to the
precious stones on the ephod of Israelrsquos high priest (Ex 1048626104863210486251048631-10486261048625)10
Tis understanding of Adamrsquos work is confirmed by observing the
next verses in Genesis 1048626 After being commanded to work and keep
the Garden Adam is told
And the L983151983154983140 God commanded the man saying ldquoYou may
surely eat of every tree of the garden but of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that
you eat of it you shall surely dierdquo (Gen 104862610486251048630-10486251048631)
After Adam is commanded to keep the Garden he is also instructed
to keep Godrsquos commands Just as the priests were to keep guard over
the temple (Num 104862510486321048629) by obeying Godrsquos commands so Adam as a
priest guards the Garden-temple of Eden by keeping Godrsquos com-
mands Adam works out Godrsquos priestly purposes through obedienceto his word
Adam failed in his service as the first priest to guard Godrsquos temple
which included guarding the Garden-temple from the intrusion of
the serpent who was outside11 Te serpent slithered into the Garden
with deceptive words ldquoDid God actually say lsquoYou shall not eat of any
tree in the gardenrsquordquo (Gen 10486271048625) Trough doubt the serpent under-
mined Godrsquos word Eversquos reply to the serpent shows that the serpent
succeeded in his plot Notice the subtle differences between Godrsquos
word in Genesis 104862610486251048630-10486251048631 and the womanrsquos reply in Genesis 10486271048626-1048627
Table 983089983089
Genesis 983090983089983094-983089983095 Genesis 983091983090ndash983091
And the LORD God commanded the man
saying ldquoYou may surely eat of every tree ofthe garden but of the tree of theknowledge of good and evil you shall noteat for in the day that you eat of it you shallsurely die [literally ldquodying you shall dierdquo]rdquo
And the woman said to the serpent
ldquoWe may eat of the fruit of the trees inthe garden but God said lsquoYou shallnot eat of the fruit of the tree that isin the midst of the garden neithershall you touch it lest you diersquordquo
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Eden as a emple 27
temptation as she ldquosaw that the tree was good for food and that it
was a delight to her eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make
one wiserdquo Te desire for food the delight of the eyes and the craving
for wisdom are all strong and in their proper context legitimate
desires Te desires of our flesh may be legitimate but Eve sought to
satisfy them in illegitimate ways However the bridle of Godrsquos word
protects the wild horses of our desires from destroying us
Adam and Eve failed in their purpose and priestly calling to guard
the Garden-temple from intruders by not keeping Godrsquos word Edenis a place where purpose is given to humanity (Gen 104862610486251048629 see Gen 104862510486261048632)
We will see later that as Godrsquos presence is restored through the sac-
rifice of Jesus our purpose is also restored as a kingdom of priests and
a holy nation serving in Godrsquos true end-time temple (1048625 Pet 10486261048628-1048633)
Te longing for purpose found in the human heart is satisfied when
life works according to its purpose which is life lived in the presence
of God Just as Adam and Eve were to submit to Godrsquos word to fulfill
their mission in guarding Godrsquos dwelling place so we must submit
to Godrsquos Word to fulfill our mission in guarding and expanding Godrsquos
dwelling place to fill the earth
CONCLUSION
In this chapter we see Eden as the first temple and place of Godrsquospresence As a result Eden is a place of satisfaction of life However
sin closed off the way back to Godrsquos presence in Eden Because Adam
and Eve fail to guard the temple by sinning and letting in an unclean
serpent to defile the temple they lose their priestly role and the two
cherubim take over the responsibility to ldquoguardrdquo the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862710486261048628)14
Who will open the way back into Godrsquos tabernacling presence Are we endlessly condemned to our lives east of Eden Jesus opens up the
way back into Godrsquos presence by the sacrifice of his body (Heb 1048625104862410486251048633-
10486261048624) As a result the life-giving waters that flowed in Eden now flow
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983089983089 Concluding Practical Reflections 983089983093983095
Foundational Convictions for Sacrificial Mission
in the emple
Notes 983089983094983095
Bibliography 983089983097983097
Scripture Index 983090983088983095
Ancient Literature Index 983090983089983091
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Preface
Why did we write this book We pray that its biblical-theological
perspective might fuel the church to fulfill its mission in the world
In writing this book we see more clearly than ever that the themes
of Eden the temple Godrsquos glorious presence new creation and the
mission of the church are ultimately facets of the same reality Morespecifically we hope to build a bridge from the world of biblical
theology to the needs of the church Te substance and basic thesis
of the book is distilled from G K Beale Te emple and the Churchrsquos
Mission A Biblical Teology of the Dwelling Place of God1 Te original
book spanned from Genesis to Revelation exploring both the an-
cient Near Eastern and Second emple Jewish views of the temple
More extensive argumentation from the biblical text as well as the
surrounding world can be found in that original book However the
basic thesis of this book was then developed into a seven-week
sermon series preached by Mitchell Kim at Living Water Alliance
Church in Chicagoland and then condensed into a seminar given
at different conferences
Writing and speaking are two very different mediums Writinggives liberty to provide in-depth substantiation and explore secondary
lines of support for an argument Preaching demands a laser-like
focus on communicating a single point Adapting the considerable
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8 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
substance of the original temple book to preaching demanded a
radical reduction in order to communicate orally ranslating the
preached sermons back to a written format allowed a significant am-
plification and deepening of the preached material while we at-
tempted to maintain the vibrancy and focus of preaching Some ma-
terial has been lifted verbatim from the original book most has been
reworked and reworded to communicate more concisely and clearly
Our hope is that the biblical-theological heft of the original will be
combined with practical insight to spark a greater zeal and passionfor mission by Godrsquos people in the world
Tere has been somewhat of a hermeneutical shift from the original
book to this one In the original book G K Beale tried to sketch the
development of the temple idea through each of the various distinct
redemptive-historical epochs (EdenNoahicPatriarchalIsrael
[Mount Sinairarr wilderness tabernaclerarr Jerusalem temple]inaugu-
rated latter daysconsummated latter days) in order to see how they
related to and built on one another However because of the con-
densed nature of this book we sometimes merge the meaning of the
temple in earlier epochs with the developed meaning from later
epochs (especially in the earlier chapters) In cases of any ambiguity
the reader should consult the original book
God has often used our wives to help our theology connect intothe realities of daily life We are both deeply indebted to our wives
Dorinda Beale and Eunsil Kim who have not only discussed the
theology of the temple with us but also forced us to live out this
theology by bringing the presence of God into our homes Tey have
been crucial in helping us to understand this topic in more depth In
writing this book we have personally lived out its call to ldquoBe fruitful
and multiply and fill the earthrdquo (Gen 104862510486261048632) as God has blessed us withchildren and grandchildren Greg Beale had a granddaughter Eden
Klamm and Mitch Kim had a daughter Eden River Kim Teir
names reflect our prayers for these children that they would abound
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Preface 9
with life in the presence of God and serve to expand that presence to
the ends of the earth
oo many other people deserve mention in this book Don
Carson made a significant investment in reading and carefully eval-
uating the original book His suggestions for revision have definitely
made this a better book than it would have been Brannon Ellis at
InterVarsity Press has helped to translate its academic depth to com-
municate to a broader swath of Godrsquos people His gracious and en-
couraging input throughout the journey has been invaluable Above all we are thankful to God for the idea for this book and
for giving the energy and discipline to write it We pray that Godrsquos
glory might be clearly seen through all who read it
A few comments about some stylistic aspects of the book are in
order English translations follow the English Standard Version or
when different have been identified as our own translation With
respect to all translations of ancient works when the translation
differs from the standard editions usually referred to then it is our
translation or someone elsersquos (in the latter case we indicate whom)
Dedicated to Eden Kim and Eden Klamm with all our other
children (Stephen Nancy Hannah Elise and Ana) that they might
abide as an overflow from Godrsquos dwelling place to the ends of the earth
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14 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
warmer feelingsrdquo3 Deep conviction formed the bedrock of his sacri-
ficial yet joy-filled labor oday Burma (known today as Myanmar)
has over four million Christians because of that sacrifice
Is such costly sacrifice an antiquated throwback to a distant past
oday short-term missions teams can hop on an airplane care for
impoverished orphans in rural China for a week and stop by Star-
bucks in Beijing before returning to give a missions report in their
comfortable church Even as globalization has eased some of the de-
mands of short-term missions the challenges for missions today con-tinue to be daunting More than three thousand unreached and un-
engaged people groups remain today they are in some of the hardest
to reach places of the world and they total almost 104862610486291048624 million people4
We must go We must persevere even when we see little fruit
Even in ldquoChristian Americardquo those with no religious affiliation are
the fastest-growing religious group today growing 10486261048632 percent be-
tween 1048626104862410486241048631 and 10486261048624104862510486265 Both unreached people groups and the in-
creasingly resistant West will only be penetrated by the gospel with
great sacrifice and cost
Will we make the sacrifice that mission demands Recent studies of
American young people are not encouraging Te goal of their faith is
primarily ldquofeeling good happy secure at peacerdquo because they desire
ldquosubjective well-being being able to resolve problems and gettingalong amiably with other peoplerdquo6 If Judsonrsquos goal was ldquosubjective
well-beingrdquo Burma would remain in darkness today Given the current
challenges of settling into the sacrificial challenges of marriage and
career7 how much more challenging will it be to embrace the sacrifices
of global mission among the least-reached peoples on earth
Compelling conviction propels us through painful sacrifice Te
goal of this book is to strengthen biblical conviction for sacrificialmission When we are motivated to mission through occasional expe-
riences or isolated Bible verses the springs of such motivation can run
dry in the face of costly challenges Persevering mission demands full-
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1
Eden as a Temple
he Context of Genesis 1048625ndash1048626
Longing We are creatures of longing When we misdiagnose the
object of this longing then we become frustrated and disappointed
Our longings for relationship often get frustrated in conflict Ourlongings for satisfaction get frustrated in discontent Our longings
for significance get frustrated by our own inadequacies J R R
olkien diagnoses the roots of our longing ldquoWe all long for [Eden]
and we are constantly glimpsing it our whole nature at its best and
least corrupted its gentlest and most humane is still soaked with a
sense of lsquoexilersquordquo1 Te longings of our hearts are frustrated from this
exile but these longings are properly satisfied in the dwelling place
of God originally found in Eden Godrsquos presence in his dwelling
place satiates our longings for relationship satisfaction and signifi-
cance and the opening chapters of Genesis show how God intended
those longings to be properly satisfiedmdashin Eden God made us for
himself as his images in the Garden-temple in Eden (Gen 1048625ndash1048626) Godrsquos
presence gives life and purpose in Eden so we should not wonderthat ldquoour hearts are restless until they find their rest in Himrdquo2 In this
chapter we will explore how Eden is presented as a temple and
dwelling place of God satisfying our longings for life and purpose
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Eden as a emple 19
purpose found in the Garden Te imagery in Eden paints a com-
pelling picture of the satisfaction of basic human desires in Godrsquos
presence For example the desire for life is satisfied by the waters of
the river of life and the fruit of the tree of life Te need for purpose
is fulfilled in Adamrsquos priestly call to work and keep the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862610486251048629 see Num 104862510486321048629) Parallels between Eden and the tabernacle
temple further demonstrate that our desire for life and purpose are
properly satisfied in Godrsquos presence
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR SATISFACTION
THE TREE AND RIVER OF LIFE
In the concise narrative of Genesis 1048626 six verses describe the tree of
life and the river flowing out of Eden (Gen 10486261048633-10486251048628) Is sacred
Scripture ldquowastingrdquo precious space here In actuality such seemingly
trivial details easily skipped by a hasty reader brim with the sig-
nificance of life found in the presence of God Te verdant imagery
of Eden especially its trees and rivers reflects abundant life in
Godrsquos presence and this verdant imagery is mirrored in the later
tabernacle and temple
Te tree of life Gen 10486261048633 And out of the ground the Lord God
made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for food Te tree of life was in the midst of the gardenand the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
Te ldquotree of liferdquo stood in the middle of the Garden and the fruit of
this tree would give life forever (Gen 104862710486261048626) Why Proverbs 1048627 shows
us that Godrsquos wisdom is compared to the ldquotree of liferdquo and that his
wisdom shines light on the paths of life and peace for Godrsquos people
(Prov 104862710486251048630-10486251048632) Similarly in the tabernacle and temple this ldquotree of liferdquoserved as the model for the lampstand outside the Holy of Holies
since the presence of God would shine light on the paths of life for
his people Tis lampstand looked like a small tree trunk with seven
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20 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
protruding branches with flowering almond blossoms (Ex 1048626104862910486271048625-10486281048624
1048627104863110486251048631-10486261048628) a picture of the life-giving fruitfulness that is found in
Godrsquos presence6
Abundant life is seen not only in the tree itself but also in the
verdant imagery of the Garden since ldquoout of the ground the L983151983154983140
God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for foodrdquo (Gen 10486261048633) Solomonrsquos temple also abounds with such
verdant imagery (1048625 Kings 104863010486251048632 10486261048633 10486271048626 10486271048629 104863110486251048632-10486261048624)7 Te end-time
temple overflows with life as trees of life grow on the banks of theriver of life to bring healing for the nations (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626 Rev 104862610486261048626 see
discussion below) Te abundance of life found in the Garden paints
a picture of the abundance found in the tabernacling presence of God
Godrsquos presence overflows with life
Te river of life Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628 A river flowed out of Eden to
water the garden and there it divided and became four riversTe name of the first is the Pishon It is the one that flowed
around the whole land of Havilah where there is gold And
the gold of that land is good bdellium and onyx stone are
there Te name of the second river is the Gihon It is the one
that flowed around the whole land of Cush And the name of
the third river is the igris which flows east of Assyria And
the fourth river is the Euphrates
A seemingly incidental reference to a river flowing out of Eden also
reminds us of the abundant life flowing from the presence of God
Tis river in Eden gives life to the many trees growing on its banks
including the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree
of life (Gen 104862610486251048624 10486251048631 104862710486261048628) Tis water flows out of Eden to water
the Garden before flowing outward to give life to the rest of theearth and places where nations would reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) Simi-
larly in later depictions of the temple a river flows with trees of life
on its banks In Ezekiel 10486281048631 a river flows from below the threshold
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Eden as a emple 21
of the temple with trees on the banks of both sides Te waters of
this river make seawater fresh (Ezek 104862810486311048632) give life to creatures
(Ezek 104862810486311048633) and cause leaves of healing to blossom on the trees of
its banks (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626) In Revelation a river flows in the new Jeru-
salem with ldquothe tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit yielding
its fruit each monthrdquo and ldquothe leaves of the tree were for the healing
of the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862610486261048625-1048626) Tis river flows from the presence of
God (ldquofrom the throne of God and of the Lambrdquo) outward to bring
life to the surrounding nationsTis river of life abounding with Godrsquos presence flows from the
inmost place of Godrsquos presence outward into the nations In the
temple Godrsquos holiness is supremely manifest in the Holy of Holies
and spreads outward to the Holy Place and then the outer court
where all Israel could assemble for worship and which symbolized as
we will see the whole world In the eschatological temple the river
flows from the Holy of Holies into the temple courts and then the
nations outside (Ezek 104862810486311048625 Rev 104862610486261048625) In Eden the river flows from
Godrsquos presence in Eden into the Garden and then the rest of the earth
where nations would eventually reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) A gradation of
holiness is seen in Eden and the temple as the presence of God in-
creases from the innermost place of EdenHoly of Holies outward to
the earth and the lands where nations would live As a result this gradation of holiness is evident in the parallels
between Eden and the temple Just as the Holy Place contained the
lampstand shaped like the tree of life and the bread of the presence
to sustain the priests so the Garden of Eden is the place of the tree
of life (Gen 10486261048632-1048633) and provides food to sustain Adam (Gen 104862610486251048630) Just
as the outer court of Israelrsquos second temple provided a place for the
nations to come so the land and seas to be subdued by Adam outsidethe Garden are the nations of Cush and Assyria (Gen 104862610486251048627-10486251048628) though
of course these lands were not yet populated with peoples8 Te
parallels can be seen in the following diagram
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22 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
Figure 983089
Since the river of life flows from Godrsquos presence into the lands of
nations so our mission to the nations must flow from the life found
in Godrsquos presence When the source of our commitment to mission is
located only in the backwaters of our idealism then we can burn out
and become bitter Many idealistically plunge headlong into a sacri-
ficial commitment to the poor or unreached or hurting compelled by
brokenness over their plight but the resources of that idealism run dry
when tested by the challenges of costly obedience However when our
resources run dry we drink more fully and deeply from the abundanceof life found in Godrsquos presence Our God gives joy and strength to
endure Te life that we find in Godrsquos presence is more than enough
to overcome every challenge for the mission God has placed before us
However life must clearly flow from Godrsquos presence into the needs of
the nations and the needs of the nations must drive us to drink more
fully from the life found in Godrsquos presence
Just outside the Garden the river is surrounded with land thatabounds with good gold bdellium and onyx stone (Gen 104862610486251048626) Each
of these marks life in the presence of God ldquoPure gold like clear glassrdquo
covers the temple (Rev 1048626104862510486251048632 10486261048625) just as the sacred furniture in the
Outer Court
Holy Place
Holy of Holies
Eden
Garden
Outer World
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Eden as a emple 23
tabernacle was made of gold Polished gold reflects light just as we
will reflect Godrsquos light when we live in the presence of God Bdellium
is a fragrant substance with the appearance of manna (Num 104862510486251048631)
which was kept in the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies
Indeed Godrsquos presence sustains and strengthens us as the manna did
for Israel in the wilderness (Ps 1048631104863210486261048628-10486261048629 Jn 104863010486291048632) Onyx stones are
prevalent in the temple especially on the breastpiece of the high
priest where the names of the sons of Israel were engraved (Ex 104862610486291048631
104862610486321048633) reflecting their identity and preciousness before God In this way this abundant imagery reminds us how Godrsquos presence brings
life so that our hearts may not corrode with sin our lives are sustained
with strength and our identities might be properly grounded in our
preciousness before him
Psalm 10486271048630 interprets the river from Godrsquos presence in Eden as a
picture of the abundant life found there
How precious is your steadfast love O God
Te children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your
wings
Tey feast on the abundance of your house [temple]
and you give them drink from the river of your delights
[literally ldquoEdensrdquo]
For with you is the fountain of lifein your light do we see light (Ps 104862710486301048631-1048633)
In Godrsquos presence and in the temple the river of Eden flows to bring
the fountain of life Godrsquos presence brings life and light Since true
life and sustenance are found in the presence of God we must regu-
larly drink deeply from the river of his delights In our weariness
though we often seek life from entertainment empty friendships andceaseless activity which all fail to bring life So many of our ldquorecre-
ationalrdquo activities fail to re-create the inner resources of our soul to
face the challenges of each day Like the Israelites before us we forsake
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24 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
the river of Godrsquos presence and hew out empty cisterns that do not
hold water to satisfy our thirsts (Jer 104862610486251048627) Will we satisfy our soul at
the fountain of living waters Or will we hew out cisterns of putrid
water that do not satisfy Te rivers of life flowing from the presence
of God in Eden beckon us to the satisfaction and re-creation of these
refreshing waters that are only found in the presence of God
We sacrifice for what satisfies Te soul-satisfying riches in the
presence of God propel us out of our comfort zones calling us out of
the warm confines of our beds to our knees in early-morning prayerand meditation on Godrsquos Word Only these soul-satisfying riches can
sustain us in the rigors of Godrsquos calling on our lives as we move out to
proclaim his name to the nations across the street and across the globe
A heart for mission grows out of a soul that finds satisfaction in Godrsquos
presence the riches of which can be seen in the imagery of Eden
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR PURPOSE
God placed Adam in Eden to work it and keep it (Gen 104862610486251048629) a priestly
work in the Garden-temple of Eden His ldquoworkrdquo is not only working
the soil (Gen 10486261048629) but serving God (eg Deut 104862810486251048633) and he keeps the
Garden (Gen 104862610486251048629) as he keeps Godrsquos commands (see Lev 104862510486321048629) and
guards it from pollution and corruption (see Num 104862510486291048627) Te verbs to
work and to keep are sometimes used together outside Genesis 104862610486251048629 ina priestly context
And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar that
there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel And
behold I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the
people of Israel Tey are a gift to you given to the L983151983154983140 to do
the work of the tent of meeting9 (Num 104862510486321048629-1048630 translation altered)
In this passage the priests are to keep the sanctuary from corruption and
defilement and do the work of service in the tabernacle In the same way
Adam serves God in the temple as a priest and keeps the Garden-temple
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Eden as a emple 25
from corruption Similarly Ezekiel 1048626104863210486251048627 shows Adam in Eden clothed
like a priest with ldquoevery precious stonerdquo stones that correspond to the
precious stones on the ephod of Israelrsquos high priest (Ex 1048626104863210486251048631-10486261048625)10
Tis understanding of Adamrsquos work is confirmed by observing the
next verses in Genesis 1048626 After being commanded to work and keep
the Garden Adam is told
And the L983151983154983140 God commanded the man saying ldquoYou may
surely eat of every tree of the garden but of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that
you eat of it you shall surely dierdquo (Gen 104862610486251048630-10486251048631)
After Adam is commanded to keep the Garden he is also instructed
to keep Godrsquos commands Just as the priests were to keep guard over
the temple (Num 104862510486321048629) by obeying Godrsquos commands so Adam as a
priest guards the Garden-temple of Eden by keeping Godrsquos com-
mands Adam works out Godrsquos priestly purposes through obedienceto his word
Adam failed in his service as the first priest to guard Godrsquos temple
which included guarding the Garden-temple from the intrusion of
the serpent who was outside11 Te serpent slithered into the Garden
with deceptive words ldquoDid God actually say lsquoYou shall not eat of any
tree in the gardenrsquordquo (Gen 10486271048625) Trough doubt the serpent under-
mined Godrsquos word Eversquos reply to the serpent shows that the serpent
succeeded in his plot Notice the subtle differences between Godrsquos
word in Genesis 104862610486251048630-10486251048631 and the womanrsquos reply in Genesis 10486271048626-1048627
Table 983089983089
Genesis 983090983089983094-983089983095 Genesis 983091983090ndash983091
And the LORD God commanded the man
saying ldquoYou may surely eat of every tree ofthe garden but of the tree of theknowledge of good and evil you shall noteat for in the day that you eat of it you shallsurely die [literally ldquodying you shall dierdquo]rdquo
And the woman said to the serpent
ldquoWe may eat of the fruit of the trees inthe garden but God said lsquoYou shallnot eat of the fruit of the tree that isin the midst of the garden neithershall you touch it lest you diersquordquo
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Eden as a emple 27
temptation as she ldquosaw that the tree was good for food and that it
was a delight to her eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make
one wiserdquo Te desire for food the delight of the eyes and the craving
for wisdom are all strong and in their proper context legitimate
desires Te desires of our flesh may be legitimate but Eve sought to
satisfy them in illegitimate ways However the bridle of Godrsquos word
protects the wild horses of our desires from destroying us
Adam and Eve failed in their purpose and priestly calling to guard
the Garden-temple from intruders by not keeping Godrsquos word Edenis a place where purpose is given to humanity (Gen 104862610486251048629 see Gen 104862510486261048632)
We will see later that as Godrsquos presence is restored through the sac-
rifice of Jesus our purpose is also restored as a kingdom of priests and
a holy nation serving in Godrsquos true end-time temple (1048625 Pet 10486261048628-1048633)
Te longing for purpose found in the human heart is satisfied when
life works according to its purpose which is life lived in the presence
of God Just as Adam and Eve were to submit to Godrsquos word to fulfill
their mission in guarding Godrsquos dwelling place so we must submit
to Godrsquos Word to fulfill our mission in guarding and expanding Godrsquos
dwelling place to fill the earth
CONCLUSION
In this chapter we see Eden as the first temple and place of Godrsquospresence As a result Eden is a place of satisfaction of life However
sin closed off the way back to Godrsquos presence in Eden Because Adam
and Eve fail to guard the temple by sinning and letting in an unclean
serpent to defile the temple they lose their priestly role and the two
cherubim take over the responsibility to ldquoguardrdquo the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862710486261048628)14
Who will open the way back into Godrsquos tabernacling presence Are we endlessly condemned to our lives east of Eden Jesus opens up the
way back into Godrsquos presence by the sacrifice of his body (Heb 1048625104862410486251048633-
10486261048624) As a result the life-giving waters that flowed in Eden now flow
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Preface
Why did we write this book We pray that its biblical-theological
perspective might fuel the church to fulfill its mission in the world
In writing this book we see more clearly than ever that the themes
of Eden the temple Godrsquos glorious presence new creation and the
mission of the church are ultimately facets of the same reality Morespecifically we hope to build a bridge from the world of biblical
theology to the needs of the church Te substance and basic thesis
of the book is distilled from G K Beale Te emple and the Churchrsquos
Mission A Biblical Teology of the Dwelling Place of God1 Te original
book spanned from Genesis to Revelation exploring both the an-
cient Near Eastern and Second emple Jewish views of the temple
More extensive argumentation from the biblical text as well as the
surrounding world can be found in that original book However the
basic thesis of this book was then developed into a seven-week
sermon series preached by Mitchell Kim at Living Water Alliance
Church in Chicagoland and then condensed into a seminar given
at different conferences
Writing and speaking are two very different mediums Writinggives liberty to provide in-depth substantiation and explore secondary
lines of support for an argument Preaching demands a laser-like
focus on communicating a single point Adapting the considerable
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8 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
substance of the original temple book to preaching demanded a
radical reduction in order to communicate orally ranslating the
preached sermons back to a written format allowed a significant am-
plification and deepening of the preached material while we at-
tempted to maintain the vibrancy and focus of preaching Some ma-
terial has been lifted verbatim from the original book most has been
reworked and reworded to communicate more concisely and clearly
Our hope is that the biblical-theological heft of the original will be
combined with practical insight to spark a greater zeal and passionfor mission by Godrsquos people in the world
Tere has been somewhat of a hermeneutical shift from the original
book to this one In the original book G K Beale tried to sketch the
development of the temple idea through each of the various distinct
redemptive-historical epochs (EdenNoahicPatriarchalIsrael
[Mount Sinairarr wilderness tabernaclerarr Jerusalem temple]inaugu-
rated latter daysconsummated latter days) in order to see how they
related to and built on one another However because of the con-
densed nature of this book we sometimes merge the meaning of the
temple in earlier epochs with the developed meaning from later
epochs (especially in the earlier chapters) In cases of any ambiguity
the reader should consult the original book
God has often used our wives to help our theology connect intothe realities of daily life We are both deeply indebted to our wives
Dorinda Beale and Eunsil Kim who have not only discussed the
theology of the temple with us but also forced us to live out this
theology by bringing the presence of God into our homes Tey have
been crucial in helping us to understand this topic in more depth In
writing this book we have personally lived out its call to ldquoBe fruitful
and multiply and fill the earthrdquo (Gen 104862510486261048632) as God has blessed us withchildren and grandchildren Greg Beale had a granddaughter Eden
Klamm and Mitch Kim had a daughter Eden River Kim Teir
names reflect our prayers for these children that they would abound
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Preface 9
with life in the presence of God and serve to expand that presence to
the ends of the earth
oo many other people deserve mention in this book Don
Carson made a significant investment in reading and carefully eval-
uating the original book His suggestions for revision have definitely
made this a better book than it would have been Brannon Ellis at
InterVarsity Press has helped to translate its academic depth to com-
municate to a broader swath of Godrsquos people His gracious and en-
couraging input throughout the journey has been invaluable Above all we are thankful to God for the idea for this book and
for giving the energy and discipline to write it We pray that Godrsquos
glory might be clearly seen through all who read it
A few comments about some stylistic aspects of the book are in
order English translations follow the English Standard Version or
when different have been identified as our own translation With
respect to all translations of ancient works when the translation
differs from the standard editions usually referred to then it is our
translation or someone elsersquos (in the latter case we indicate whom)
Dedicated to Eden Kim and Eden Klamm with all our other
children (Stephen Nancy Hannah Elise and Ana) that they might
abide as an overflow from Godrsquos dwelling place to the ends of the earth
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14 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
warmer feelingsrdquo3 Deep conviction formed the bedrock of his sacri-
ficial yet joy-filled labor oday Burma (known today as Myanmar)
has over four million Christians because of that sacrifice
Is such costly sacrifice an antiquated throwback to a distant past
oday short-term missions teams can hop on an airplane care for
impoverished orphans in rural China for a week and stop by Star-
bucks in Beijing before returning to give a missions report in their
comfortable church Even as globalization has eased some of the de-
mands of short-term missions the challenges for missions today con-tinue to be daunting More than three thousand unreached and un-
engaged people groups remain today they are in some of the hardest
to reach places of the world and they total almost 104862610486291048624 million people4
We must go We must persevere even when we see little fruit
Even in ldquoChristian Americardquo those with no religious affiliation are
the fastest-growing religious group today growing 10486261048632 percent be-
tween 1048626104862410486241048631 and 10486261048624104862510486265 Both unreached people groups and the in-
creasingly resistant West will only be penetrated by the gospel with
great sacrifice and cost
Will we make the sacrifice that mission demands Recent studies of
American young people are not encouraging Te goal of their faith is
primarily ldquofeeling good happy secure at peacerdquo because they desire
ldquosubjective well-being being able to resolve problems and gettingalong amiably with other peoplerdquo6 If Judsonrsquos goal was ldquosubjective
well-beingrdquo Burma would remain in darkness today Given the current
challenges of settling into the sacrificial challenges of marriage and
career7 how much more challenging will it be to embrace the sacrifices
of global mission among the least-reached peoples on earth
Compelling conviction propels us through painful sacrifice Te
goal of this book is to strengthen biblical conviction for sacrificialmission When we are motivated to mission through occasional expe-
riences or isolated Bible verses the springs of such motivation can run
dry in the face of costly challenges Persevering mission demands full-
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1
Eden as a Temple
he Context of Genesis 1048625ndash1048626
Longing We are creatures of longing When we misdiagnose the
object of this longing then we become frustrated and disappointed
Our longings for relationship often get frustrated in conflict Ourlongings for satisfaction get frustrated in discontent Our longings
for significance get frustrated by our own inadequacies J R R
olkien diagnoses the roots of our longing ldquoWe all long for [Eden]
and we are constantly glimpsing it our whole nature at its best and
least corrupted its gentlest and most humane is still soaked with a
sense of lsquoexilersquordquo1 Te longings of our hearts are frustrated from this
exile but these longings are properly satisfied in the dwelling place
of God originally found in Eden Godrsquos presence in his dwelling
place satiates our longings for relationship satisfaction and signifi-
cance and the opening chapters of Genesis show how God intended
those longings to be properly satisfiedmdashin Eden God made us for
himself as his images in the Garden-temple in Eden (Gen 1048625ndash1048626) Godrsquos
presence gives life and purpose in Eden so we should not wonderthat ldquoour hearts are restless until they find their rest in Himrdquo2 In this
chapter we will explore how Eden is presented as a temple and
dwelling place of God satisfying our longings for life and purpose
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Eden as a emple 19
purpose found in the Garden Te imagery in Eden paints a com-
pelling picture of the satisfaction of basic human desires in Godrsquos
presence For example the desire for life is satisfied by the waters of
the river of life and the fruit of the tree of life Te need for purpose
is fulfilled in Adamrsquos priestly call to work and keep the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862610486251048629 see Num 104862510486321048629) Parallels between Eden and the tabernacle
temple further demonstrate that our desire for life and purpose are
properly satisfied in Godrsquos presence
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR SATISFACTION
THE TREE AND RIVER OF LIFE
In the concise narrative of Genesis 1048626 six verses describe the tree of
life and the river flowing out of Eden (Gen 10486261048633-10486251048628) Is sacred
Scripture ldquowastingrdquo precious space here In actuality such seemingly
trivial details easily skipped by a hasty reader brim with the sig-
nificance of life found in the presence of God Te verdant imagery
of Eden especially its trees and rivers reflects abundant life in
Godrsquos presence and this verdant imagery is mirrored in the later
tabernacle and temple
Te tree of life Gen 10486261048633 And out of the ground the Lord God
made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for food Te tree of life was in the midst of the gardenand the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
Te ldquotree of liferdquo stood in the middle of the Garden and the fruit of
this tree would give life forever (Gen 104862710486261048626) Why Proverbs 1048627 shows
us that Godrsquos wisdom is compared to the ldquotree of liferdquo and that his
wisdom shines light on the paths of life and peace for Godrsquos people
(Prov 104862710486251048630-10486251048632) Similarly in the tabernacle and temple this ldquotree of liferdquoserved as the model for the lampstand outside the Holy of Holies
since the presence of God would shine light on the paths of life for
his people Tis lampstand looked like a small tree trunk with seven
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20 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
protruding branches with flowering almond blossoms (Ex 1048626104862910486271048625-10486281048624
1048627104863110486251048631-10486261048628) a picture of the life-giving fruitfulness that is found in
Godrsquos presence6
Abundant life is seen not only in the tree itself but also in the
verdant imagery of the Garden since ldquoout of the ground the L983151983154983140
God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for foodrdquo (Gen 10486261048633) Solomonrsquos temple also abounds with such
verdant imagery (1048625 Kings 104863010486251048632 10486261048633 10486271048626 10486271048629 104863110486251048632-10486261048624)7 Te end-time
temple overflows with life as trees of life grow on the banks of theriver of life to bring healing for the nations (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626 Rev 104862610486261048626 see
discussion below) Te abundance of life found in the Garden paints
a picture of the abundance found in the tabernacling presence of God
Godrsquos presence overflows with life
Te river of life Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628 A river flowed out of Eden to
water the garden and there it divided and became four riversTe name of the first is the Pishon It is the one that flowed
around the whole land of Havilah where there is gold And
the gold of that land is good bdellium and onyx stone are
there Te name of the second river is the Gihon It is the one
that flowed around the whole land of Cush And the name of
the third river is the igris which flows east of Assyria And
the fourth river is the Euphrates
A seemingly incidental reference to a river flowing out of Eden also
reminds us of the abundant life flowing from the presence of God
Tis river in Eden gives life to the many trees growing on its banks
including the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree
of life (Gen 104862610486251048624 10486251048631 104862710486261048628) Tis water flows out of Eden to water
the Garden before flowing outward to give life to the rest of theearth and places where nations would reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) Simi-
larly in later depictions of the temple a river flows with trees of life
on its banks In Ezekiel 10486281048631 a river flows from below the threshold
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Eden as a emple 21
of the temple with trees on the banks of both sides Te waters of
this river make seawater fresh (Ezek 104862810486311048632) give life to creatures
(Ezek 104862810486311048633) and cause leaves of healing to blossom on the trees of
its banks (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626) In Revelation a river flows in the new Jeru-
salem with ldquothe tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit yielding
its fruit each monthrdquo and ldquothe leaves of the tree were for the healing
of the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862610486261048625-1048626) Tis river flows from the presence of
God (ldquofrom the throne of God and of the Lambrdquo) outward to bring
life to the surrounding nationsTis river of life abounding with Godrsquos presence flows from the
inmost place of Godrsquos presence outward into the nations In the
temple Godrsquos holiness is supremely manifest in the Holy of Holies
and spreads outward to the Holy Place and then the outer court
where all Israel could assemble for worship and which symbolized as
we will see the whole world In the eschatological temple the river
flows from the Holy of Holies into the temple courts and then the
nations outside (Ezek 104862810486311048625 Rev 104862610486261048625) In Eden the river flows from
Godrsquos presence in Eden into the Garden and then the rest of the earth
where nations would eventually reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) A gradation of
holiness is seen in Eden and the temple as the presence of God in-
creases from the innermost place of EdenHoly of Holies outward to
the earth and the lands where nations would live As a result this gradation of holiness is evident in the parallels
between Eden and the temple Just as the Holy Place contained the
lampstand shaped like the tree of life and the bread of the presence
to sustain the priests so the Garden of Eden is the place of the tree
of life (Gen 10486261048632-1048633) and provides food to sustain Adam (Gen 104862610486251048630) Just
as the outer court of Israelrsquos second temple provided a place for the
nations to come so the land and seas to be subdued by Adam outsidethe Garden are the nations of Cush and Assyria (Gen 104862610486251048627-10486251048628) though
of course these lands were not yet populated with peoples8 Te
parallels can be seen in the following diagram
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22 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
Figure 983089
Since the river of life flows from Godrsquos presence into the lands of
nations so our mission to the nations must flow from the life found
in Godrsquos presence When the source of our commitment to mission is
located only in the backwaters of our idealism then we can burn out
and become bitter Many idealistically plunge headlong into a sacri-
ficial commitment to the poor or unreached or hurting compelled by
brokenness over their plight but the resources of that idealism run dry
when tested by the challenges of costly obedience However when our
resources run dry we drink more fully and deeply from the abundanceof life found in Godrsquos presence Our God gives joy and strength to
endure Te life that we find in Godrsquos presence is more than enough
to overcome every challenge for the mission God has placed before us
However life must clearly flow from Godrsquos presence into the needs of
the nations and the needs of the nations must drive us to drink more
fully from the life found in Godrsquos presence
Just outside the Garden the river is surrounded with land thatabounds with good gold bdellium and onyx stone (Gen 104862610486251048626) Each
of these marks life in the presence of God ldquoPure gold like clear glassrdquo
covers the temple (Rev 1048626104862510486251048632 10486261048625) just as the sacred furniture in the
Outer Court
Holy Place
Holy of Holies
Eden
Garden
Outer World
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Eden as a emple 23
tabernacle was made of gold Polished gold reflects light just as we
will reflect Godrsquos light when we live in the presence of God Bdellium
is a fragrant substance with the appearance of manna (Num 104862510486251048631)
which was kept in the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies
Indeed Godrsquos presence sustains and strengthens us as the manna did
for Israel in the wilderness (Ps 1048631104863210486261048628-10486261048629 Jn 104863010486291048632) Onyx stones are
prevalent in the temple especially on the breastpiece of the high
priest where the names of the sons of Israel were engraved (Ex 104862610486291048631
104862610486321048633) reflecting their identity and preciousness before God In this way this abundant imagery reminds us how Godrsquos presence brings
life so that our hearts may not corrode with sin our lives are sustained
with strength and our identities might be properly grounded in our
preciousness before him
Psalm 10486271048630 interprets the river from Godrsquos presence in Eden as a
picture of the abundant life found there
How precious is your steadfast love O God
Te children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your
wings
Tey feast on the abundance of your house [temple]
and you give them drink from the river of your delights
[literally ldquoEdensrdquo]
For with you is the fountain of lifein your light do we see light (Ps 104862710486301048631-1048633)
In Godrsquos presence and in the temple the river of Eden flows to bring
the fountain of life Godrsquos presence brings life and light Since true
life and sustenance are found in the presence of God we must regu-
larly drink deeply from the river of his delights In our weariness
though we often seek life from entertainment empty friendships andceaseless activity which all fail to bring life So many of our ldquorecre-
ationalrdquo activities fail to re-create the inner resources of our soul to
face the challenges of each day Like the Israelites before us we forsake
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24 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
the river of Godrsquos presence and hew out empty cisterns that do not
hold water to satisfy our thirsts (Jer 104862610486251048627) Will we satisfy our soul at
the fountain of living waters Or will we hew out cisterns of putrid
water that do not satisfy Te rivers of life flowing from the presence
of God in Eden beckon us to the satisfaction and re-creation of these
refreshing waters that are only found in the presence of God
We sacrifice for what satisfies Te soul-satisfying riches in the
presence of God propel us out of our comfort zones calling us out of
the warm confines of our beds to our knees in early-morning prayerand meditation on Godrsquos Word Only these soul-satisfying riches can
sustain us in the rigors of Godrsquos calling on our lives as we move out to
proclaim his name to the nations across the street and across the globe
A heart for mission grows out of a soul that finds satisfaction in Godrsquos
presence the riches of which can be seen in the imagery of Eden
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR PURPOSE
God placed Adam in Eden to work it and keep it (Gen 104862610486251048629) a priestly
work in the Garden-temple of Eden His ldquoworkrdquo is not only working
the soil (Gen 10486261048629) but serving God (eg Deut 104862810486251048633) and he keeps the
Garden (Gen 104862610486251048629) as he keeps Godrsquos commands (see Lev 104862510486321048629) and
guards it from pollution and corruption (see Num 104862510486291048627) Te verbs to
work and to keep are sometimes used together outside Genesis 104862610486251048629 ina priestly context
And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar that
there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel And
behold I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the
people of Israel Tey are a gift to you given to the L983151983154983140 to do
the work of the tent of meeting9 (Num 104862510486321048629-1048630 translation altered)
In this passage the priests are to keep the sanctuary from corruption and
defilement and do the work of service in the tabernacle In the same way
Adam serves God in the temple as a priest and keeps the Garden-temple
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Eden as a emple 25
from corruption Similarly Ezekiel 1048626104863210486251048627 shows Adam in Eden clothed
like a priest with ldquoevery precious stonerdquo stones that correspond to the
precious stones on the ephod of Israelrsquos high priest (Ex 1048626104863210486251048631-10486261048625)10
Tis understanding of Adamrsquos work is confirmed by observing the
next verses in Genesis 1048626 After being commanded to work and keep
the Garden Adam is told
And the L983151983154983140 God commanded the man saying ldquoYou may
surely eat of every tree of the garden but of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that
you eat of it you shall surely dierdquo (Gen 104862610486251048630-10486251048631)
After Adam is commanded to keep the Garden he is also instructed
to keep Godrsquos commands Just as the priests were to keep guard over
the temple (Num 104862510486321048629) by obeying Godrsquos commands so Adam as a
priest guards the Garden-temple of Eden by keeping Godrsquos com-
mands Adam works out Godrsquos priestly purposes through obedienceto his word
Adam failed in his service as the first priest to guard Godrsquos temple
which included guarding the Garden-temple from the intrusion of
the serpent who was outside11 Te serpent slithered into the Garden
with deceptive words ldquoDid God actually say lsquoYou shall not eat of any
tree in the gardenrsquordquo (Gen 10486271048625) Trough doubt the serpent under-
mined Godrsquos word Eversquos reply to the serpent shows that the serpent
succeeded in his plot Notice the subtle differences between Godrsquos
word in Genesis 104862610486251048630-10486251048631 and the womanrsquos reply in Genesis 10486271048626-1048627
Table 983089983089
Genesis 983090983089983094-983089983095 Genesis 983091983090ndash983091
And the LORD God commanded the man
saying ldquoYou may surely eat of every tree ofthe garden but of the tree of theknowledge of good and evil you shall noteat for in the day that you eat of it you shallsurely die [literally ldquodying you shall dierdquo]rdquo
And the woman said to the serpent
ldquoWe may eat of the fruit of the trees inthe garden but God said lsquoYou shallnot eat of the fruit of the tree that isin the midst of the garden neithershall you touch it lest you diersquordquo
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Eden as a emple 27
temptation as she ldquosaw that the tree was good for food and that it
was a delight to her eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make
one wiserdquo Te desire for food the delight of the eyes and the craving
for wisdom are all strong and in their proper context legitimate
desires Te desires of our flesh may be legitimate but Eve sought to
satisfy them in illegitimate ways However the bridle of Godrsquos word
protects the wild horses of our desires from destroying us
Adam and Eve failed in their purpose and priestly calling to guard
the Garden-temple from intruders by not keeping Godrsquos word Edenis a place where purpose is given to humanity (Gen 104862610486251048629 see Gen 104862510486261048632)
We will see later that as Godrsquos presence is restored through the sac-
rifice of Jesus our purpose is also restored as a kingdom of priests and
a holy nation serving in Godrsquos true end-time temple (1048625 Pet 10486261048628-1048633)
Te longing for purpose found in the human heart is satisfied when
life works according to its purpose which is life lived in the presence
of God Just as Adam and Eve were to submit to Godrsquos word to fulfill
their mission in guarding Godrsquos dwelling place so we must submit
to Godrsquos Word to fulfill our mission in guarding and expanding Godrsquos
dwelling place to fill the earth
CONCLUSION
In this chapter we see Eden as the first temple and place of Godrsquospresence As a result Eden is a place of satisfaction of life However
sin closed off the way back to Godrsquos presence in Eden Because Adam
and Eve fail to guard the temple by sinning and letting in an unclean
serpent to defile the temple they lose their priestly role and the two
cherubim take over the responsibility to ldquoguardrdquo the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862710486261048628)14
Who will open the way back into Godrsquos tabernacling presence Are we endlessly condemned to our lives east of Eden Jesus opens up the
way back into Godrsquos presence by the sacrifice of his body (Heb 1048625104862410486251048633-
10486261048624) As a result the life-giving waters that flowed in Eden now flow
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8 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
substance of the original temple book to preaching demanded a
radical reduction in order to communicate orally ranslating the
preached sermons back to a written format allowed a significant am-
plification and deepening of the preached material while we at-
tempted to maintain the vibrancy and focus of preaching Some ma-
terial has been lifted verbatim from the original book most has been
reworked and reworded to communicate more concisely and clearly
Our hope is that the biblical-theological heft of the original will be
combined with practical insight to spark a greater zeal and passionfor mission by Godrsquos people in the world
Tere has been somewhat of a hermeneutical shift from the original
book to this one In the original book G K Beale tried to sketch the
development of the temple idea through each of the various distinct
redemptive-historical epochs (EdenNoahicPatriarchalIsrael
[Mount Sinairarr wilderness tabernaclerarr Jerusalem temple]inaugu-
rated latter daysconsummated latter days) in order to see how they
related to and built on one another However because of the con-
densed nature of this book we sometimes merge the meaning of the
temple in earlier epochs with the developed meaning from later
epochs (especially in the earlier chapters) In cases of any ambiguity
the reader should consult the original book
God has often used our wives to help our theology connect intothe realities of daily life We are both deeply indebted to our wives
Dorinda Beale and Eunsil Kim who have not only discussed the
theology of the temple with us but also forced us to live out this
theology by bringing the presence of God into our homes Tey have
been crucial in helping us to understand this topic in more depth In
writing this book we have personally lived out its call to ldquoBe fruitful
and multiply and fill the earthrdquo (Gen 104862510486261048632) as God has blessed us withchildren and grandchildren Greg Beale had a granddaughter Eden
Klamm and Mitch Kim had a daughter Eden River Kim Teir
names reflect our prayers for these children that they would abound
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Preface 9
with life in the presence of God and serve to expand that presence to
the ends of the earth
oo many other people deserve mention in this book Don
Carson made a significant investment in reading and carefully eval-
uating the original book His suggestions for revision have definitely
made this a better book than it would have been Brannon Ellis at
InterVarsity Press has helped to translate its academic depth to com-
municate to a broader swath of Godrsquos people His gracious and en-
couraging input throughout the journey has been invaluable Above all we are thankful to God for the idea for this book and
for giving the energy and discipline to write it We pray that Godrsquos
glory might be clearly seen through all who read it
A few comments about some stylistic aspects of the book are in
order English translations follow the English Standard Version or
when different have been identified as our own translation With
respect to all translations of ancient works when the translation
differs from the standard editions usually referred to then it is our
translation or someone elsersquos (in the latter case we indicate whom)
Dedicated to Eden Kim and Eden Klamm with all our other
children (Stephen Nancy Hannah Elise and Ana) that they might
abide as an overflow from Godrsquos dwelling place to the ends of the earth
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14 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
warmer feelingsrdquo3 Deep conviction formed the bedrock of his sacri-
ficial yet joy-filled labor oday Burma (known today as Myanmar)
has over four million Christians because of that sacrifice
Is such costly sacrifice an antiquated throwback to a distant past
oday short-term missions teams can hop on an airplane care for
impoverished orphans in rural China for a week and stop by Star-
bucks in Beijing before returning to give a missions report in their
comfortable church Even as globalization has eased some of the de-
mands of short-term missions the challenges for missions today con-tinue to be daunting More than three thousand unreached and un-
engaged people groups remain today they are in some of the hardest
to reach places of the world and they total almost 104862610486291048624 million people4
We must go We must persevere even when we see little fruit
Even in ldquoChristian Americardquo those with no religious affiliation are
the fastest-growing religious group today growing 10486261048632 percent be-
tween 1048626104862410486241048631 and 10486261048624104862510486265 Both unreached people groups and the in-
creasingly resistant West will only be penetrated by the gospel with
great sacrifice and cost
Will we make the sacrifice that mission demands Recent studies of
American young people are not encouraging Te goal of their faith is
primarily ldquofeeling good happy secure at peacerdquo because they desire
ldquosubjective well-being being able to resolve problems and gettingalong amiably with other peoplerdquo6 If Judsonrsquos goal was ldquosubjective
well-beingrdquo Burma would remain in darkness today Given the current
challenges of settling into the sacrificial challenges of marriage and
career7 how much more challenging will it be to embrace the sacrifices
of global mission among the least-reached peoples on earth
Compelling conviction propels us through painful sacrifice Te
goal of this book is to strengthen biblical conviction for sacrificialmission When we are motivated to mission through occasional expe-
riences or isolated Bible verses the springs of such motivation can run
dry in the face of costly challenges Persevering mission demands full-
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1
Eden as a Temple
he Context of Genesis 1048625ndash1048626
Longing We are creatures of longing When we misdiagnose the
object of this longing then we become frustrated and disappointed
Our longings for relationship often get frustrated in conflict Ourlongings for satisfaction get frustrated in discontent Our longings
for significance get frustrated by our own inadequacies J R R
olkien diagnoses the roots of our longing ldquoWe all long for [Eden]
and we are constantly glimpsing it our whole nature at its best and
least corrupted its gentlest and most humane is still soaked with a
sense of lsquoexilersquordquo1 Te longings of our hearts are frustrated from this
exile but these longings are properly satisfied in the dwelling place
of God originally found in Eden Godrsquos presence in his dwelling
place satiates our longings for relationship satisfaction and signifi-
cance and the opening chapters of Genesis show how God intended
those longings to be properly satisfiedmdashin Eden God made us for
himself as his images in the Garden-temple in Eden (Gen 1048625ndash1048626) Godrsquos
presence gives life and purpose in Eden so we should not wonderthat ldquoour hearts are restless until they find their rest in Himrdquo2 In this
chapter we will explore how Eden is presented as a temple and
dwelling place of God satisfying our longings for life and purpose
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Eden as a emple 19
purpose found in the Garden Te imagery in Eden paints a com-
pelling picture of the satisfaction of basic human desires in Godrsquos
presence For example the desire for life is satisfied by the waters of
the river of life and the fruit of the tree of life Te need for purpose
is fulfilled in Adamrsquos priestly call to work and keep the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862610486251048629 see Num 104862510486321048629) Parallels between Eden and the tabernacle
temple further demonstrate that our desire for life and purpose are
properly satisfied in Godrsquos presence
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR SATISFACTION
THE TREE AND RIVER OF LIFE
In the concise narrative of Genesis 1048626 six verses describe the tree of
life and the river flowing out of Eden (Gen 10486261048633-10486251048628) Is sacred
Scripture ldquowastingrdquo precious space here In actuality such seemingly
trivial details easily skipped by a hasty reader brim with the sig-
nificance of life found in the presence of God Te verdant imagery
of Eden especially its trees and rivers reflects abundant life in
Godrsquos presence and this verdant imagery is mirrored in the later
tabernacle and temple
Te tree of life Gen 10486261048633 And out of the ground the Lord God
made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for food Te tree of life was in the midst of the gardenand the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
Te ldquotree of liferdquo stood in the middle of the Garden and the fruit of
this tree would give life forever (Gen 104862710486261048626) Why Proverbs 1048627 shows
us that Godrsquos wisdom is compared to the ldquotree of liferdquo and that his
wisdom shines light on the paths of life and peace for Godrsquos people
(Prov 104862710486251048630-10486251048632) Similarly in the tabernacle and temple this ldquotree of liferdquoserved as the model for the lampstand outside the Holy of Holies
since the presence of God would shine light on the paths of life for
his people Tis lampstand looked like a small tree trunk with seven
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20 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
protruding branches with flowering almond blossoms (Ex 1048626104862910486271048625-10486281048624
1048627104863110486251048631-10486261048628) a picture of the life-giving fruitfulness that is found in
Godrsquos presence6
Abundant life is seen not only in the tree itself but also in the
verdant imagery of the Garden since ldquoout of the ground the L983151983154983140
God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for foodrdquo (Gen 10486261048633) Solomonrsquos temple also abounds with such
verdant imagery (1048625 Kings 104863010486251048632 10486261048633 10486271048626 10486271048629 104863110486251048632-10486261048624)7 Te end-time
temple overflows with life as trees of life grow on the banks of theriver of life to bring healing for the nations (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626 Rev 104862610486261048626 see
discussion below) Te abundance of life found in the Garden paints
a picture of the abundance found in the tabernacling presence of God
Godrsquos presence overflows with life
Te river of life Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628 A river flowed out of Eden to
water the garden and there it divided and became four riversTe name of the first is the Pishon It is the one that flowed
around the whole land of Havilah where there is gold And
the gold of that land is good bdellium and onyx stone are
there Te name of the second river is the Gihon It is the one
that flowed around the whole land of Cush And the name of
the third river is the igris which flows east of Assyria And
the fourth river is the Euphrates
A seemingly incidental reference to a river flowing out of Eden also
reminds us of the abundant life flowing from the presence of God
Tis river in Eden gives life to the many trees growing on its banks
including the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree
of life (Gen 104862610486251048624 10486251048631 104862710486261048628) Tis water flows out of Eden to water
the Garden before flowing outward to give life to the rest of theearth and places where nations would reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) Simi-
larly in later depictions of the temple a river flows with trees of life
on its banks In Ezekiel 10486281048631 a river flows from below the threshold
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Eden as a emple 21
of the temple with trees on the banks of both sides Te waters of
this river make seawater fresh (Ezek 104862810486311048632) give life to creatures
(Ezek 104862810486311048633) and cause leaves of healing to blossom on the trees of
its banks (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626) In Revelation a river flows in the new Jeru-
salem with ldquothe tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit yielding
its fruit each monthrdquo and ldquothe leaves of the tree were for the healing
of the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862610486261048625-1048626) Tis river flows from the presence of
God (ldquofrom the throne of God and of the Lambrdquo) outward to bring
life to the surrounding nationsTis river of life abounding with Godrsquos presence flows from the
inmost place of Godrsquos presence outward into the nations In the
temple Godrsquos holiness is supremely manifest in the Holy of Holies
and spreads outward to the Holy Place and then the outer court
where all Israel could assemble for worship and which symbolized as
we will see the whole world In the eschatological temple the river
flows from the Holy of Holies into the temple courts and then the
nations outside (Ezek 104862810486311048625 Rev 104862610486261048625) In Eden the river flows from
Godrsquos presence in Eden into the Garden and then the rest of the earth
where nations would eventually reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) A gradation of
holiness is seen in Eden and the temple as the presence of God in-
creases from the innermost place of EdenHoly of Holies outward to
the earth and the lands where nations would live As a result this gradation of holiness is evident in the parallels
between Eden and the temple Just as the Holy Place contained the
lampstand shaped like the tree of life and the bread of the presence
to sustain the priests so the Garden of Eden is the place of the tree
of life (Gen 10486261048632-1048633) and provides food to sustain Adam (Gen 104862610486251048630) Just
as the outer court of Israelrsquos second temple provided a place for the
nations to come so the land and seas to be subdued by Adam outsidethe Garden are the nations of Cush and Assyria (Gen 104862610486251048627-10486251048628) though
of course these lands were not yet populated with peoples8 Te
parallels can be seen in the following diagram
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22 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
Figure 983089
Since the river of life flows from Godrsquos presence into the lands of
nations so our mission to the nations must flow from the life found
in Godrsquos presence When the source of our commitment to mission is
located only in the backwaters of our idealism then we can burn out
and become bitter Many idealistically plunge headlong into a sacri-
ficial commitment to the poor or unreached or hurting compelled by
brokenness over their plight but the resources of that idealism run dry
when tested by the challenges of costly obedience However when our
resources run dry we drink more fully and deeply from the abundanceof life found in Godrsquos presence Our God gives joy and strength to
endure Te life that we find in Godrsquos presence is more than enough
to overcome every challenge for the mission God has placed before us
However life must clearly flow from Godrsquos presence into the needs of
the nations and the needs of the nations must drive us to drink more
fully from the life found in Godrsquos presence
Just outside the Garden the river is surrounded with land thatabounds with good gold bdellium and onyx stone (Gen 104862610486251048626) Each
of these marks life in the presence of God ldquoPure gold like clear glassrdquo
covers the temple (Rev 1048626104862510486251048632 10486261048625) just as the sacred furniture in the
Outer Court
Holy Place
Holy of Holies
Eden
Garden
Outer World
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Eden as a emple 23
tabernacle was made of gold Polished gold reflects light just as we
will reflect Godrsquos light when we live in the presence of God Bdellium
is a fragrant substance with the appearance of manna (Num 104862510486251048631)
which was kept in the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies
Indeed Godrsquos presence sustains and strengthens us as the manna did
for Israel in the wilderness (Ps 1048631104863210486261048628-10486261048629 Jn 104863010486291048632) Onyx stones are
prevalent in the temple especially on the breastpiece of the high
priest where the names of the sons of Israel were engraved (Ex 104862610486291048631
104862610486321048633) reflecting their identity and preciousness before God In this way this abundant imagery reminds us how Godrsquos presence brings
life so that our hearts may not corrode with sin our lives are sustained
with strength and our identities might be properly grounded in our
preciousness before him
Psalm 10486271048630 interprets the river from Godrsquos presence in Eden as a
picture of the abundant life found there
How precious is your steadfast love O God
Te children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your
wings
Tey feast on the abundance of your house [temple]
and you give them drink from the river of your delights
[literally ldquoEdensrdquo]
For with you is the fountain of lifein your light do we see light (Ps 104862710486301048631-1048633)
In Godrsquos presence and in the temple the river of Eden flows to bring
the fountain of life Godrsquos presence brings life and light Since true
life and sustenance are found in the presence of God we must regu-
larly drink deeply from the river of his delights In our weariness
though we often seek life from entertainment empty friendships andceaseless activity which all fail to bring life So many of our ldquorecre-
ationalrdquo activities fail to re-create the inner resources of our soul to
face the challenges of each day Like the Israelites before us we forsake
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24 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
the river of Godrsquos presence and hew out empty cisterns that do not
hold water to satisfy our thirsts (Jer 104862610486251048627) Will we satisfy our soul at
the fountain of living waters Or will we hew out cisterns of putrid
water that do not satisfy Te rivers of life flowing from the presence
of God in Eden beckon us to the satisfaction and re-creation of these
refreshing waters that are only found in the presence of God
We sacrifice for what satisfies Te soul-satisfying riches in the
presence of God propel us out of our comfort zones calling us out of
the warm confines of our beds to our knees in early-morning prayerand meditation on Godrsquos Word Only these soul-satisfying riches can
sustain us in the rigors of Godrsquos calling on our lives as we move out to
proclaim his name to the nations across the street and across the globe
A heart for mission grows out of a soul that finds satisfaction in Godrsquos
presence the riches of which can be seen in the imagery of Eden
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR PURPOSE
God placed Adam in Eden to work it and keep it (Gen 104862610486251048629) a priestly
work in the Garden-temple of Eden His ldquoworkrdquo is not only working
the soil (Gen 10486261048629) but serving God (eg Deut 104862810486251048633) and he keeps the
Garden (Gen 104862610486251048629) as he keeps Godrsquos commands (see Lev 104862510486321048629) and
guards it from pollution and corruption (see Num 104862510486291048627) Te verbs to
work and to keep are sometimes used together outside Genesis 104862610486251048629 ina priestly context
And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar that
there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel And
behold I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the
people of Israel Tey are a gift to you given to the L983151983154983140 to do
the work of the tent of meeting9 (Num 104862510486321048629-1048630 translation altered)
In this passage the priests are to keep the sanctuary from corruption and
defilement and do the work of service in the tabernacle In the same way
Adam serves God in the temple as a priest and keeps the Garden-temple
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Eden as a emple 25
from corruption Similarly Ezekiel 1048626104863210486251048627 shows Adam in Eden clothed
like a priest with ldquoevery precious stonerdquo stones that correspond to the
precious stones on the ephod of Israelrsquos high priest (Ex 1048626104863210486251048631-10486261048625)10
Tis understanding of Adamrsquos work is confirmed by observing the
next verses in Genesis 1048626 After being commanded to work and keep
the Garden Adam is told
And the L983151983154983140 God commanded the man saying ldquoYou may
surely eat of every tree of the garden but of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that
you eat of it you shall surely dierdquo (Gen 104862610486251048630-10486251048631)
After Adam is commanded to keep the Garden he is also instructed
to keep Godrsquos commands Just as the priests were to keep guard over
the temple (Num 104862510486321048629) by obeying Godrsquos commands so Adam as a
priest guards the Garden-temple of Eden by keeping Godrsquos com-
mands Adam works out Godrsquos priestly purposes through obedienceto his word
Adam failed in his service as the first priest to guard Godrsquos temple
which included guarding the Garden-temple from the intrusion of
the serpent who was outside11 Te serpent slithered into the Garden
with deceptive words ldquoDid God actually say lsquoYou shall not eat of any
tree in the gardenrsquordquo (Gen 10486271048625) Trough doubt the serpent under-
mined Godrsquos word Eversquos reply to the serpent shows that the serpent
succeeded in his plot Notice the subtle differences between Godrsquos
word in Genesis 104862610486251048630-10486251048631 and the womanrsquos reply in Genesis 10486271048626-1048627
Table 983089983089
Genesis 983090983089983094-983089983095 Genesis 983091983090ndash983091
And the LORD God commanded the man
saying ldquoYou may surely eat of every tree ofthe garden but of the tree of theknowledge of good and evil you shall noteat for in the day that you eat of it you shallsurely die [literally ldquodying you shall dierdquo]rdquo
And the woman said to the serpent
ldquoWe may eat of the fruit of the trees inthe garden but God said lsquoYou shallnot eat of the fruit of the tree that isin the midst of the garden neithershall you touch it lest you diersquordquo
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Eden as a emple 27
temptation as she ldquosaw that the tree was good for food and that it
was a delight to her eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make
one wiserdquo Te desire for food the delight of the eyes and the craving
for wisdom are all strong and in their proper context legitimate
desires Te desires of our flesh may be legitimate but Eve sought to
satisfy them in illegitimate ways However the bridle of Godrsquos word
protects the wild horses of our desires from destroying us
Adam and Eve failed in their purpose and priestly calling to guard
the Garden-temple from intruders by not keeping Godrsquos word Edenis a place where purpose is given to humanity (Gen 104862610486251048629 see Gen 104862510486261048632)
We will see later that as Godrsquos presence is restored through the sac-
rifice of Jesus our purpose is also restored as a kingdom of priests and
a holy nation serving in Godrsquos true end-time temple (1048625 Pet 10486261048628-1048633)
Te longing for purpose found in the human heart is satisfied when
life works according to its purpose which is life lived in the presence
of God Just as Adam and Eve were to submit to Godrsquos word to fulfill
their mission in guarding Godrsquos dwelling place so we must submit
to Godrsquos Word to fulfill our mission in guarding and expanding Godrsquos
dwelling place to fill the earth
CONCLUSION
In this chapter we see Eden as the first temple and place of Godrsquospresence As a result Eden is a place of satisfaction of life However
sin closed off the way back to Godrsquos presence in Eden Because Adam
and Eve fail to guard the temple by sinning and letting in an unclean
serpent to defile the temple they lose their priestly role and the two
cherubim take over the responsibility to ldquoguardrdquo the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862710486261048628)14
Who will open the way back into Godrsquos tabernacling presence Are we endlessly condemned to our lives east of Eden Jesus opens up the
way back into Godrsquos presence by the sacrifice of his body (Heb 1048625104862410486251048633-
10486261048624) As a result the life-giving waters that flowed in Eden now flow
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Preface 9
with life in the presence of God and serve to expand that presence to
the ends of the earth
oo many other people deserve mention in this book Don
Carson made a significant investment in reading and carefully eval-
uating the original book His suggestions for revision have definitely
made this a better book than it would have been Brannon Ellis at
InterVarsity Press has helped to translate its academic depth to com-
municate to a broader swath of Godrsquos people His gracious and en-
couraging input throughout the journey has been invaluable Above all we are thankful to God for the idea for this book and
for giving the energy and discipline to write it We pray that Godrsquos
glory might be clearly seen through all who read it
A few comments about some stylistic aspects of the book are in
order English translations follow the English Standard Version or
when different have been identified as our own translation With
respect to all translations of ancient works when the translation
differs from the standard editions usually referred to then it is our
translation or someone elsersquos (in the latter case we indicate whom)
Dedicated to Eden Kim and Eden Klamm with all our other
children (Stephen Nancy Hannah Elise and Ana) that they might
abide as an overflow from Godrsquos dwelling place to the ends of the earth
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14 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
warmer feelingsrdquo3 Deep conviction formed the bedrock of his sacri-
ficial yet joy-filled labor oday Burma (known today as Myanmar)
has over four million Christians because of that sacrifice
Is such costly sacrifice an antiquated throwback to a distant past
oday short-term missions teams can hop on an airplane care for
impoverished orphans in rural China for a week and stop by Star-
bucks in Beijing before returning to give a missions report in their
comfortable church Even as globalization has eased some of the de-
mands of short-term missions the challenges for missions today con-tinue to be daunting More than three thousand unreached and un-
engaged people groups remain today they are in some of the hardest
to reach places of the world and they total almost 104862610486291048624 million people4
We must go We must persevere even when we see little fruit
Even in ldquoChristian Americardquo those with no religious affiliation are
the fastest-growing religious group today growing 10486261048632 percent be-
tween 1048626104862410486241048631 and 10486261048624104862510486265 Both unreached people groups and the in-
creasingly resistant West will only be penetrated by the gospel with
great sacrifice and cost
Will we make the sacrifice that mission demands Recent studies of
American young people are not encouraging Te goal of their faith is
primarily ldquofeeling good happy secure at peacerdquo because they desire
ldquosubjective well-being being able to resolve problems and gettingalong amiably with other peoplerdquo6 If Judsonrsquos goal was ldquosubjective
well-beingrdquo Burma would remain in darkness today Given the current
challenges of settling into the sacrificial challenges of marriage and
career7 how much more challenging will it be to embrace the sacrifices
of global mission among the least-reached peoples on earth
Compelling conviction propels us through painful sacrifice Te
goal of this book is to strengthen biblical conviction for sacrificialmission When we are motivated to mission through occasional expe-
riences or isolated Bible verses the springs of such motivation can run
dry in the face of costly challenges Persevering mission demands full-
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1
Eden as a Temple
he Context of Genesis 1048625ndash1048626
Longing We are creatures of longing When we misdiagnose the
object of this longing then we become frustrated and disappointed
Our longings for relationship often get frustrated in conflict Ourlongings for satisfaction get frustrated in discontent Our longings
for significance get frustrated by our own inadequacies J R R
olkien diagnoses the roots of our longing ldquoWe all long for [Eden]
and we are constantly glimpsing it our whole nature at its best and
least corrupted its gentlest and most humane is still soaked with a
sense of lsquoexilersquordquo1 Te longings of our hearts are frustrated from this
exile but these longings are properly satisfied in the dwelling place
of God originally found in Eden Godrsquos presence in his dwelling
place satiates our longings for relationship satisfaction and signifi-
cance and the opening chapters of Genesis show how God intended
those longings to be properly satisfiedmdashin Eden God made us for
himself as his images in the Garden-temple in Eden (Gen 1048625ndash1048626) Godrsquos
presence gives life and purpose in Eden so we should not wonderthat ldquoour hearts are restless until they find their rest in Himrdquo2 In this
chapter we will explore how Eden is presented as a temple and
dwelling place of God satisfying our longings for life and purpose
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Eden as a emple 19
purpose found in the Garden Te imagery in Eden paints a com-
pelling picture of the satisfaction of basic human desires in Godrsquos
presence For example the desire for life is satisfied by the waters of
the river of life and the fruit of the tree of life Te need for purpose
is fulfilled in Adamrsquos priestly call to work and keep the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862610486251048629 see Num 104862510486321048629) Parallels between Eden and the tabernacle
temple further demonstrate that our desire for life and purpose are
properly satisfied in Godrsquos presence
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR SATISFACTION
THE TREE AND RIVER OF LIFE
In the concise narrative of Genesis 1048626 six verses describe the tree of
life and the river flowing out of Eden (Gen 10486261048633-10486251048628) Is sacred
Scripture ldquowastingrdquo precious space here In actuality such seemingly
trivial details easily skipped by a hasty reader brim with the sig-
nificance of life found in the presence of God Te verdant imagery
of Eden especially its trees and rivers reflects abundant life in
Godrsquos presence and this verdant imagery is mirrored in the later
tabernacle and temple
Te tree of life Gen 10486261048633 And out of the ground the Lord God
made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for food Te tree of life was in the midst of the gardenand the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
Te ldquotree of liferdquo stood in the middle of the Garden and the fruit of
this tree would give life forever (Gen 104862710486261048626) Why Proverbs 1048627 shows
us that Godrsquos wisdom is compared to the ldquotree of liferdquo and that his
wisdom shines light on the paths of life and peace for Godrsquos people
(Prov 104862710486251048630-10486251048632) Similarly in the tabernacle and temple this ldquotree of liferdquoserved as the model for the lampstand outside the Holy of Holies
since the presence of God would shine light on the paths of life for
his people Tis lampstand looked like a small tree trunk with seven
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20 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
protruding branches with flowering almond blossoms (Ex 1048626104862910486271048625-10486281048624
1048627104863110486251048631-10486261048628) a picture of the life-giving fruitfulness that is found in
Godrsquos presence6
Abundant life is seen not only in the tree itself but also in the
verdant imagery of the Garden since ldquoout of the ground the L983151983154983140
God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for foodrdquo (Gen 10486261048633) Solomonrsquos temple also abounds with such
verdant imagery (1048625 Kings 104863010486251048632 10486261048633 10486271048626 10486271048629 104863110486251048632-10486261048624)7 Te end-time
temple overflows with life as trees of life grow on the banks of theriver of life to bring healing for the nations (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626 Rev 104862610486261048626 see
discussion below) Te abundance of life found in the Garden paints
a picture of the abundance found in the tabernacling presence of God
Godrsquos presence overflows with life
Te river of life Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628 A river flowed out of Eden to
water the garden and there it divided and became four riversTe name of the first is the Pishon It is the one that flowed
around the whole land of Havilah where there is gold And
the gold of that land is good bdellium and onyx stone are
there Te name of the second river is the Gihon It is the one
that flowed around the whole land of Cush And the name of
the third river is the igris which flows east of Assyria And
the fourth river is the Euphrates
A seemingly incidental reference to a river flowing out of Eden also
reminds us of the abundant life flowing from the presence of God
Tis river in Eden gives life to the many trees growing on its banks
including the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree
of life (Gen 104862610486251048624 10486251048631 104862710486261048628) Tis water flows out of Eden to water
the Garden before flowing outward to give life to the rest of theearth and places where nations would reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) Simi-
larly in later depictions of the temple a river flows with trees of life
on its banks In Ezekiel 10486281048631 a river flows from below the threshold
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Eden as a emple 21
of the temple with trees on the banks of both sides Te waters of
this river make seawater fresh (Ezek 104862810486311048632) give life to creatures
(Ezek 104862810486311048633) and cause leaves of healing to blossom on the trees of
its banks (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626) In Revelation a river flows in the new Jeru-
salem with ldquothe tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit yielding
its fruit each monthrdquo and ldquothe leaves of the tree were for the healing
of the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862610486261048625-1048626) Tis river flows from the presence of
God (ldquofrom the throne of God and of the Lambrdquo) outward to bring
life to the surrounding nationsTis river of life abounding with Godrsquos presence flows from the
inmost place of Godrsquos presence outward into the nations In the
temple Godrsquos holiness is supremely manifest in the Holy of Holies
and spreads outward to the Holy Place and then the outer court
where all Israel could assemble for worship and which symbolized as
we will see the whole world In the eschatological temple the river
flows from the Holy of Holies into the temple courts and then the
nations outside (Ezek 104862810486311048625 Rev 104862610486261048625) In Eden the river flows from
Godrsquos presence in Eden into the Garden and then the rest of the earth
where nations would eventually reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) A gradation of
holiness is seen in Eden and the temple as the presence of God in-
creases from the innermost place of EdenHoly of Holies outward to
the earth and the lands where nations would live As a result this gradation of holiness is evident in the parallels
between Eden and the temple Just as the Holy Place contained the
lampstand shaped like the tree of life and the bread of the presence
to sustain the priests so the Garden of Eden is the place of the tree
of life (Gen 10486261048632-1048633) and provides food to sustain Adam (Gen 104862610486251048630) Just
as the outer court of Israelrsquos second temple provided a place for the
nations to come so the land and seas to be subdued by Adam outsidethe Garden are the nations of Cush and Assyria (Gen 104862610486251048627-10486251048628) though
of course these lands were not yet populated with peoples8 Te
parallels can be seen in the following diagram
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22 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
Figure 983089
Since the river of life flows from Godrsquos presence into the lands of
nations so our mission to the nations must flow from the life found
in Godrsquos presence When the source of our commitment to mission is
located only in the backwaters of our idealism then we can burn out
and become bitter Many idealistically plunge headlong into a sacri-
ficial commitment to the poor or unreached or hurting compelled by
brokenness over their plight but the resources of that idealism run dry
when tested by the challenges of costly obedience However when our
resources run dry we drink more fully and deeply from the abundanceof life found in Godrsquos presence Our God gives joy and strength to
endure Te life that we find in Godrsquos presence is more than enough
to overcome every challenge for the mission God has placed before us
However life must clearly flow from Godrsquos presence into the needs of
the nations and the needs of the nations must drive us to drink more
fully from the life found in Godrsquos presence
Just outside the Garden the river is surrounded with land thatabounds with good gold bdellium and onyx stone (Gen 104862610486251048626) Each
of these marks life in the presence of God ldquoPure gold like clear glassrdquo
covers the temple (Rev 1048626104862510486251048632 10486261048625) just as the sacred furniture in the
Outer Court
Holy Place
Holy of Holies
Eden
Garden
Outer World
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Eden as a emple 23
tabernacle was made of gold Polished gold reflects light just as we
will reflect Godrsquos light when we live in the presence of God Bdellium
is a fragrant substance with the appearance of manna (Num 104862510486251048631)
which was kept in the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies
Indeed Godrsquos presence sustains and strengthens us as the manna did
for Israel in the wilderness (Ps 1048631104863210486261048628-10486261048629 Jn 104863010486291048632) Onyx stones are
prevalent in the temple especially on the breastpiece of the high
priest where the names of the sons of Israel were engraved (Ex 104862610486291048631
104862610486321048633) reflecting their identity and preciousness before God In this way this abundant imagery reminds us how Godrsquos presence brings
life so that our hearts may not corrode with sin our lives are sustained
with strength and our identities might be properly grounded in our
preciousness before him
Psalm 10486271048630 interprets the river from Godrsquos presence in Eden as a
picture of the abundant life found there
How precious is your steadfast love O God
Te children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your
wings
Tey feast on the abundance of your house [temple]
and you give them drink from the river of your delights
[literally ldquoEdensrdquo]
For with you is the fountain of lifein your light do we see light (Ps 104862710486301048631-1048633)
In Godrsquos presence and in the temple the river of Eden flows to bring
the fountain of life Godrsquos presence brings life and light Since true
life and sustenance are found in the presence of God we must regu-
larly drink deeply from the river of his delights In our weariness
though we often seek life from entertainment empty friendships andceaseless activity which all fail to bring life So many of our ldquorecre-
ationalrdquo activities fail to re-create the inner resources of our soul to
face the challenges of each day Like the Israelites before us we forsake
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24 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
the river of Godrsquos presence and hew out empty cisterns that do not
hold water to satisfy our thirsts (Jer 104862610486251048627) Will we satisfy our soul at
the fountain of living waters Or will we hew out cisterns of putrid
water that do not satisfy Te rivers of life flowing from the presence
of God in Eden beckon us to the satisfaction and re-creation of these
refreshing waters that are only found in the presence of God
We sacrifice for what satisfies Te soul-satisfying riches in the
presence of God propel us out of our comfort zones calling us out of
the warm confines of our beds to our knees in early-morning prayerand meditation on Godrsquos Word Only these soul-satisfying riches can
sustain us in the rigors of Godrsquos calling on our lives as we move out to
proclaim his name to the nations across the street and across the globe
A heart for mission grows out of a soul that finds satisfaction in Godrsquos
presence the riches of which can be seen in the imagery of Eden
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR PURPOSE
God placed Adam in Eden to work it and keep it (Gen 104862610486251048629) a priestly
work in the Garden-temple of Eden His ldquoworkrdquo is not only working
the soil (Gen 10486261048629) but serving God (eg Deut 104862810486251048633) and he keeps the
Garden (Gen 104862610486251048629) as he keeps Godrsquos commands (see Lev 104862510486321048629) and
guards it from pollution and corruption (see Num 104862510486291048627) Te verbs to
work and to keep are sometimes used together outside Genesis 104862610486251048629 ina priestly context
And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar that
there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel And
behold I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the
people of Israel Tey are a gift to you given to the L983151983154983140 to do
the work of the tent of meeting9 (Num 104862510486321048629-1048630 translation altered)
In this passage the priests are to keep the sanctuary from corruption and
defilement and do the work of service in the tabernacle In the same way
Adam serves God in the temple as a priest and keeps the Garden-temple
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Eden as a emple 25
from corruption Similarly Ezekiel 1048626104863210486251048627 shows Adam in Eden clothed
like a priest with ldquoevery precious stonerdquo stones that correspond to the
precious stones on the ephod of Israelrsquos high priest (Ex 1048626104863210486251048631-10486261048625)10
Tis understanding of Adamrsquos work is confirmed by observing the
next verses in Genesis 1048626 After being commanded to work and keep
the Garden Adam is told
And the L983151983154983140 God commanded the man saying ldquoYou may
surely eat of every tree of the garden but of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that
you eat of it you shall surely dierdquo (Gen 104862610486251048630-10486251048631)
After Adam is commanded to keep the Garden he is also instructed
to keep Godrsquos commands Just as the priests were to keep guard over
the temple (Num 104862510486321048629) by obeying Godrsquos commands so Adam as a
priest guards the Garden-temple of Eden by keeping Godrsquos com-
mands Adam works out Godrsquos priestly purposes through obedienceto his word
Adam failed in his service as the first priest to guard Godrsquos temple
which included guarding the Garden-temple from the intrusion of
the serpent who was outside11 Te serpent slithered into the Garden
with deceptive words ldquoDid God actually say lsquoYou shall not eat of any
tree in the gardenrsquordquo (Gen 10486271048625) Trough doubt the serpent under-
mined Godrsquos word Eversquos reply to the serpent shows that the serpent
succeeded in his plot Notice the subtle differences between Godrsquos
word in Genesis 104862610486251048630-10486251048631 and the womanrsquos reply in Genesis 10486271048626-1048627
Table 983089983089
Genesis 983090983089983094-983089983095 Genesis 983091983090ndash983091
And the LORD God commanded the man
saying ldquoYou may surely eat of every tree ofthe garden but of the tree of theknowledge of good and evil you shall noteat for in the day that you eat of it you shallsurely die [literally ldquodying you shall dierdquo]rdquo
And the woman said to the serpent
ldquoWe may eat of the fruit of the trees inthe garden but God said lsquoYou shallnot eat of the fruit of the tree that isin the midst of the garden neithershall you touch it lest you diersquordquo
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Eden as a emple 27
temptation as she ldquosaw that the tree was good for food and that it
was a delight to her eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make
one wiserdquo Te desire for food the delight of the eyes and the craving
for wisdom are all strong and in their proper context legitimate
desires Te desires of our flesh may be legitimate but Eve sought to
satisfy them in illegitimate ways However the bridle of Godrsquos word
protects the wild horses of our desires from destroying us
Adam and Eve failed in their purpose and priestly calling to guard
the Garden-temple from intruders by not keeping Godrsquos word Edenis a place where purpose is given to humanity (Gen 104862610486251048629 see Gen 104862510486261048632)
We will see later that as Godrsquos presence is restored through the sac-
rifice of Jesus our purpose is also restored as a kingdom of priests and
a holy nation serving in Godrsquos true end-time temple (1048625 Pet 10486261048628-1048633)
Te longing for purpose found in the human heart is satisfied when
life works according to its purpose which is life lived in the presence
of God Just as Adam and Eve were to submit to Godrsquos word to fulfill
their mission in guarding Godrsquos dwelling place so we must submit
to Godrsquos Word to fulfill our mission in guarding and expanding Godrsquos
dwelling place to fill the earth
CONCLUSION
In this chapter we see Eden as the first temple and place of Godrsquospresence As a result Eden is a place of satisfaction of life However
sin closed off the way back to Godrsquos presence in Eden Because Adam
and Eve fail to guard the temple by sinning and letting in an unclean
serpent to defile the temple they lose their priestly role and the two
cherubim take over the responsibility to ldquoguardrdquo the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862710486261048628)14
Who will open the way back into Godrsquos tabernacling presence Are we endlessly condemned to our lives east of Eden Jesus opens up the
way back into Godrsquos presence by the sacrifice of his body (Heb 1048625104862410486251048633-
10486261048624) As a result the life-giving waters that flowed in Eden now flow
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14 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
warmer feelingsrdquo3 Deep conviction formed the bedrock of his sacri-
ficial yet joy-filled labor oday Burma (known today as Myanmar)
has over four million Christians because of that sacrifice
Is such costly sacrifice an antiquated throwback to a distant past
oday short-term missions teams can hop on an airplane care for
impoverished orphans in rural China for a week and stop by Star-
bucks in Beijing before returning to give a missions report in their
comfortable church Even as globalization has eased some of the de-
mands of short-term missions the challenges for missions today con-tinue to be daunting More than three thousand unreached and un-
engaged people groups remain today they are in some of the hardest
to reach places of the world and they total almost 104862610486291048624 million people4
We must go We must persevere even when we see little fruit
Even in ldquoChristian Americardquo those with no religious affiliation are
the fastest-growing religious group today growing 10486261048632 percent be-
tween 1048626104862410486241048631 and 10486261048624104862510486265 Both unreached people groups and the in-
creasingly resistant West will only be penetrated by the gospel with
great sacrifice and cost
Will we make the sacrifice that mission demands Recent studies of
American young people are not encouraging Te goal of their faith is
primarily ldquofeeling good happy secure at peacerdquo because they desire
ldquosubjective well-being being able to resolve problems and gettingalong amiably with other peoplerdquo6 If Judsonrsquos goal was ldquosubjective
well-beingrdquo Burma would remain in darkness today Given the current
challenges of settling into the sacrificial challenges of marriage and
career7 how much more challenging will it be to embrace the sacrifices
of global mission among the least-reached peoples on earth
Compelling conviction propels us through painful sacrifice Te
goal of this book is to strengthen biblical conviction for sacrificialmission When we are motivated to mission through occasional expe-
riences or isolated Bible verses the springs of such motivation can run
dry in the face of costly challenges Persevering mission demands full-
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1
Eden as a Temple
he Context of Genesis 1048625ndash1048626
Longing We are creatures of longing When we misdiagnose the
object of this longing then we become frustrated and disappointed
Our longings for relationship often get frustrated in conflict Ourlongings for satisfaction get frustrated in discontent Our longings
for significance get frustrated by our own inadequacies J R R
olkien diagnoses the roots of our longing ldquoWe all long for [Eden]
and we are constantly glimpsing it our whole nature at its best and
least corrupted its gentlest and most humane is still soaked with a
sense of lsquoexilersquordquo1 Te longings of our hearts are frustrated from this
exile but these longings are properly satisfied in the dwelling place
of God originally found in Eden Godrsquos presence in his dwelling
place satiates our longings for relationship satisfaction and signifi-
cance and the opening chapters of Genesis show how God intended
those longings to be properly satisfiedmdashin Eden God made us for
himself as his images in the Garden-temple in Eden (Gen 1048625ndash1048626) Godrsquos
presence gives life and purpose in Eden so we should not wonderthat ldquoour hearts are restless until they find their rest in Himrdquo2 In this
chapter we will explore how Eden is presented as a temple and
dwelling place of God satisfying our longings for life and purpose
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Eden as a emple 19
purpose found in the Garden Te imagery in Eden paints a com-
pelling picture of the satisfaction of basic human desires in Godrsquos
presence For example the desire for life is satisfied by the waters of
the river of life and the fruit of the tree of life Te need for purpose
is fulfilled in Adamrsquos priestly call to work and keep the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862610486251048629 see Num 104862510486321048629) Parallels between Eden and the tabernacle
temple further demonstrate that our desire for life and purpose are
properly satisfied in Godrsquos presence
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR SATISFACTION
THE TREE AND RIVER OF LIFE
In the concise narrative of Genesis 1048626 six verses describe the tree of
life and the river flowing out of Eden (Gen 10486261048633-10486251048628) Is sacred
Scripture ldquowastingrdquo precious space here In actuality such seemingly
trivial details easily skipped by a hasty reader brim with the sig-
nificance of life found in the presence of God Te verdant imagery
of Eden especially its trees and rivers reflects abundant life in
Godrsquos presence and this verdant imagery is mirrored in the later
tabernacle and temple
Te tree of life Gen 10486261048633 And out of the ground the Lord God
made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for food Te tree of life was in the midst of the gardenand the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
Te ldquotree of liferdquo stood in the middle of the Garden and the fruit of
this tree would give life forever (Gen 104862710486261048626) Why Proverbs 1048627 shows
us that Godrsquos wisdom is compared to the ldquotree of liferdquo and that his
wisdom shines light on the paths of life and peace for Godrsquos people
(Prov 104862710486251048630-10486251048632) Similarly in the tabernacle and temple this ldquotree of liferdquoserved as the model for the lampstand outside the Holy of Holies
since the presence of God would shine light on the paths of life for
his people Tis lampstand looked like a small tree trunk with seven
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20 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
protruding branches with flowering almond blossoms (Ex 1048626104862910486271048625-10486281048624
1048627104863110486251048631-10486261048628) a picture of the life-giving fruitfulness that is found in
Godrsquos presence6
Abundant life is seen not only in the tree itself but also in the
verdant imagery of the Garden since ldquoout of the ground the L983151983154983140
God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for foodrdquo (Gen 10486261048633) Solomonrsquos temple also abounds with such
verdant imagery (1048625 Kings 104863010486251048632 10486261048633 10486271048626 10486271048629 104863110486251048632-10486261048624)7 Te end-time
temple overflows with life as trees of life grow on the banks of theriver of life to bring healing for the nations (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626 Rev 104862610486261048626 see
discussion below) Te abundance of life found in the Garden paints
a picture of the abundance found in the tabernacling presence of God
Godrsquos presence overflows with life
Te river of life Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628 A river flowed out of Eden to
water the garden and there it divided and became four riversTe name of the first is the Pishon It is the one that flowed
around the whole land of Havilah where there is gold And
the gold of that land is good bdellium and onyx stone are
there Te name of the second river is the Gihon It is the one
that flowed around the whole land of Cush And the name of
the third river is the igris which flows east of Assyria And
the fourth river is the Euphrates
A seemingly incidental reference to a river flowing out of Eden also
reminds us of the abundant life flowing from the presence of God
Tis river in Eden gives life to the many trees growing on its banks
including the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree
of life (Gen 104862610486251048624 10486251048631 104862710486261048628) Tis water flows out of Eden to water
the Garden before flowing outward to give life to the rest of theearth and places where nations would reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) Simi-
larly in later depictions of the temple a river flows with trees of life
on its banks In Ezekiel 10486281048631 a river flows from below the threshold
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Eden as a emple 21
of the temple with trees on the banks of both sides Te waters of
this river make seawater fresh (Ezek 104862810486311048632) give life to creatures
(Ezek 104862810486311048633) and cause leaves of healing to blossom on the trees of
its banks (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626) In Revelation a river flows in the new Jeru-
salem with ldquothe tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit yielding
its fruit each monthrdquo and ldquothe leaves of the tree were for the healing
of the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862610486261048625-1048626) Tis river flows from the presence of
God (ldquofrom the throne of God and of the Lambrdquo) outward to bring
life to the surrounding nationsTis river of life abounding with Godrsquos presence flows from the
inmost place of Godrsquos presence outward into the nations In the
temple Godrsquos holiness is supremely manifest in the Holy of Holies
and spreads outward to the Holy Place and then the outer court
where all Israel could assemble for worship and which symbolized as
we will see the whole world In the eschatological temple the river
flows from the Holy of Holies into the temple courts and then the
nations outside (Ezek 104862810486311048625 Rev 104862610486261048625) In Eden the river flows from
Godrsquos presence in Eden into the Garden and then the rest of the earth
where nations would eventually reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) A gradation of
holiness is seen in Eden and the temple as the presence of God in-
creases from the innermost place of EdenHoly of Holies outward to
the earth and the lands where nations would live As a result this gradation of holiness is evident in the parallels
between Eden and the temple Just as the Holy Place contained the
lampstand shaped like the tree of life and the bread of the presence
to sustain the priests so the Garden of Eden is the place of the tree
of life (Gen 10486261048632-1048633) and provides food to sustain Adam (Gen 104862610486251048630) Just
as the outer court of Israelrsquos second temple provided a place for the
nations to come so the land and seas to be subdued by Adam outsidethe Garden are the nations of Cush and Assyria (Gen 104862610486251048627-10486251048628) though
of course these lands were not yet populated with peoples8 Te
parallels can be seen in the following diagram
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22 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
Figure 983089
Since the river of life flows from Godrsquos presence into the lands of
nations so our mission to the nations must flow from the life found
in Godrsquos presence When the source of our commitment to mission is
located only in the backwaters of our idealism then we can burn out
and become bitter Many idealistically plunge headlong into a sacri-
ficial commitment to the poor or unreached or hurting compelled by
brokenness over their plight but the resources of that idealism run dry
when tested by the challenges of costly obedience However when our
resources run dry we drink more fully and deeply from the abundanceof life found in Godrsquos presence Our God gives joy and strength to
endure Te life that we find in Godrsquos presence is more than enough
to overcome every challenge for the mission God has placed before us
However life must clearly flow from Godrsquos presence into the needs of
the nations and the needs of the nations must drive us to drink more
fully from the life found in Godrsquos presence
Just outside the Garden the river is surrounded with land thatabounds with good gold bdellium and onyx stone (Gen 104862610486251048626) Each
of these marks life in the presence of God ldquoPure gold like clear glassrdquo
covers the temple (Rev 1048626104862510486251048632 10486261048625) just as the sacred furniture in the
Outer Court
Holy Place
Holy of Holies
Eden
Garden
Outer World
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Eden as a emple 23
tabernacle was made of gold Polished gold reflects light just as we
will reflect Godrsquos light when we live in the presence of God Bdellium
is a fragrant substance with the appearance of manna (Num 104862510486251048631)
which was kept in the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies
Indeed Godrsquos presence sustains and strengthens us as the manna did
for Israel in the wilderness (Ps 1048631104863210486261048628-10486261048629 Jn 104863010486291048632) Onyx stones are
prevalent in the temple especially on the breastpiece of the high
priest where the names of the sons of Israel were engraved (Ex 104862610486291048631
104862610486321048633) reflecting their identity and preciousness before God In this way this abundant imagery reminds us how Godrsquos presence brings
life so that our hearts may not corrode with sin our lives are sustained
with strength and our identities might be properly grounded in our
preciousness before him
Psalm 10486271048630 interprets the river from Godrsquos presence in Eden as a
picture of the abundant life found there
How precious is your steadfast love O God
Te children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your
wings
Tey feast on the abundance of your house [temple]
and you give them drink from the river of your delights
[literally ldquoEdensrdquo]
For with you is the fountain of lifein your light do we see light (Ps 104862710486301048631-1048633)
In Godrsquos presence and in the temple the river of Eden flows to bring
the fountain of life Godrsquos presence brings life and light Since true
life and sustenance are found in the presence of God we must regu-
larly drink deeply from the river of his delights In our weariness
though we often seek life from entertainment empty friendships andceaseless activity which all fail to bring life So many of our ldquorecre-
ationalrdquo activities fail to re-create the inner resources of our soul to
face the challenges of each day Like the Israelites before us we forsake
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24 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
the river of Godrsquos presence and hew out empty cisterns that do not
hold water to satisfy our thirsts (Jer 104862610486251048627) Will we satisfy our soul at
the fountain of living waters Or will we hew out cisterns of putrid
water that do not satisfy Te rivers of life flowing from the presence
of God in Eden beckon us to the satisfaction and re-creation of these
refreshing waters that are only found in the presence of God
We sacrifice for what satisfies Te soul-satisfying riches in the
presence of God propel us out of our comfort zones calling us out of
the warm confines of our beds to our knees in early-morning prayerand meditation on Godrsquos Word Only these soul-satisfying riches can
sustain us in the rigors of Godrsquos calling on our lives as we move out to
proclaim his name to the nations across the street and across the globe
A heart for mission grows out of a soul that finds satisfaction in Godrsquos
presence the riches of which can be seen in the imagery of Eden
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR PURPOSE
God placed Adam in Eden to work it and keep it (Gen 104862610486251048629) a priestly
work in the Garden-temple of Eden His ldquoworkrdquo is not only working
the soil (Gen 10486261048629) but serving God (eg Deut 104862810486251048633) and he keeps the
Garden (Gen 104862610486251048629) as he keeps Godrsquos commands (see Lev 104862510486321048629) and
guards it from pollution and corruption (see Num 104862510486291048627) Te verbs to
work and to keep are sometimes used together outside Genesis 104862610486251048629 ina priestly context
And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar that
there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel And
behold I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the
people of Israel Tey are a gift to you given to the L983151983154983140 to do
the work of the tent of meeting9 (Num 104862510486321048629-1048630 translation altered)
In this passage the priests are to keep the sanctuary from corruption and
defilement and do the work of service in the tabernacle In the same way
Adam serves God in the temple as a priest and keeps the Garden-temple
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Eden as a emple 25
from corruption Similarly Ezekiel 1048626104863210486251048627 shows Adam in Eden clothed
like a priest with ldquoevery precious stonerdquo stones that correspond to the
precious stones on the ephod of Israelrsquos high priest (Ex 1048626104863210486251048631-10486261048625)10
Tis understanding of Adamrsquos work is confirmed by observing the
next verses in Genesis 1048626 After being commanded to work and keep
the Garden Adam is told
And the L983151983154983140 God commanded the man saying ldquoYou may
surely eat of every tree of the garden but of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that
you eat of it you shall surely dierdquo (Gen 104862610486251048630-10486251048631)
After Adam is commanded to keep the Garden he is also instructed
to keep Godrsquos commands Just as the priests were to keep guard over
the temple (Num 104862510486321048629) by obeying Godrsquos commands so Adam as a
priest guards the Garden-temple of Eden by keeping Godrsquos com-
mands Adam works out Godrsquos priestly purposes through obedienceto his word
Adam failed in his service as the first priest to guard Godrsquos temple
which included guarding the Garden-temple from the intrusion of
the serpent who was outside11 Te serpent slithered into the Garden
with deceptive words ldquoDid God actually say lsquoYou shall not eat of any
tree in the gardenrsquordquo (Gen 10486271048625) Trough doubt the serpent under-
mined Godrsquos word Eversquos reply to the serpent shows that the serpent
succeeded in his plot Notice the subtle differences between Godrsquos
word in Genesis 104862610486251048630-10486251048631 and the womanrsquos reply in Genesis 10486271048626-1048627
Table 983089983089
Genesis 983090983089983094-983089983095 Genesis 983091983090ndash983091
And the LORD God commanded the man
saying ldquoYou may surely eat of every tree ofthe garden but of the tree of theknowledge of good and evil you shall noteat for in the day that you eat of it you shallsurely die [literally ldquodying you shall dierdquo]rdquo
And the woman said to the serpent
ldquoWe may eat of the fruit of the trees inthe garden but God said lsquoYou shallnot eat of the fruit of the tree that isin the midst of the garden neithershall you touch it lest you diersquordquo
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Eden as a emple 27
temptation as she ldquosaw that the tree was good for food and that it
was a delight to her eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make
one wiserdquo Te desire for food the delight of the eyes and the craving
for wisdom are all strong and in their proper context legitimate
desires Te desires of our flesh may be legitimate but Eve sought to
satisfy them in illegitimate ways However the bridle of Godrsquos word
protects the wild horses of our desires from destroying us
Adam and Eve failed in their purpose and priestly calling to guard
the Garden-temple from intruders by not keeping Godrsquos word Edenis a place where purpose is given to humanity (Gen 104862610486251048629 see Gen 104862510486261048632)
We will see later that as Godrsquos presence is restored through the sac-
rifice of Jesus our purpose is also restored as a kingdom of priests and
a holy nation serving in Godrsquos true end-time temple (1048625 Pet 10486261048628-1048633)
Te longing for purpose found in the human heart is satisfied when
life works according to its purpose which is life lived in the presence
of God Just as Adam and Eve were to submit to Godrsquos word to fulfill
their mission in guarding Godrsquos dwelling place so we must submit
to Godrsquos Word to fulfill our mission in guarding and expanding Godrsquos
dwelling place to fill the earth
CONCLUSION
In this chapter we see Eden as the first temple and place of Godrsquospresence As a result Eden is a place of satisfaction of life However
sin closed off the way back to Godrsquos presence in Eden Because Adam
and Eve fail to guard the temple by sinning and letting in an unclean
serpent to defile the temple they lose their priestly role and the two
cherubim take over the responsibility to ldquoguardrdquo the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862710486261048628)14
Who will open the way back into Godrsquos tabernacling presence Are we endlessly condemned to our lives east of Eden Jesus opens up the
way back into Godrsquos presence by the sacrifice of his body (Heb 1048625104862410486251048633-
10486261048624) As a result the life-giving waters that flowed in Eden now flow
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14 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
warmer feelingsrdquo3 Deep conviction formed the bedrock of his sacri-
ficial yet joy-filled labor oday Burma (known today as Myanmar)
has over four million Christians because of that sacrifice
Is such costly sacrifice an antiquated throwback to a distant past
oday short-term missions teams can hop on an airplane care for
impoverished orphans in rural China for a week and stop by Star-
bucks in Beijing before returning to give a missions report in their
comfortable church Even as globalization has eased some of the de-
mands of short-term missions the challenges for missions today con-tinue to be daunting More than three thousand unreached and un-
engaged people groups remain today they are in some of the hardest
to reach places of the world and they total almost 104862610486291048624 million people4
We must go We must persevere even when we see little fruit
Even in ldquoChristian Americardquo those with no religious affiliation are
the fastest-growing religious group today growing 10486261048632 percent be-
tween 1048626104862410486241048631 and 10486261048624104862510486265 Both unreached people groups and the in-
creasingly resistant West will only be penetrated by the gospel with
great sacrifice and cost
Will we make the sacrifice that mission demands Recent studies of
American young people are not encouraging Te goal of their faith is
primarily ldquofeeling good happy secure at peacerdquo because they desire
ldquosubjective well-being being able to resolve problems and gettingalong amiably with other peoplerdquo6 If Judsonrsquos goal was ldquosubjective
well-beingrdquo Burma would remain in darkness today Given the current
challenges of settling into the sacrificial challenges of marriage and
career7 how much more challenging will it be to embrace the sacrifices
of global mission among the least-reached peoples on earth
Compelling conviction propels us through painful sacrifice Te
goal of this book is to strengthen biblical conviction for sacrificialmission When we are motivated to mission through occasional expe-
riences or isolated Bible verses the springs of such motivation can run
dry in the face of costly challenges Persevering mission demands full-
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1
Eden as a Temple
he Context of Genesis 1048625ndash1048626
Longing We are creatures of longing When we misdiagnose the
object of this longing then we become frustrated and disappointed
Our longings for relationship often get frustrated in conflict Ourlongings for satisfaction get frustrated in discontent Our longings
for significance get frustrated by our own inadequacies J R R
olkien diagnoses the roots of our longing ldquoWe all long for [Eden]
and we are constantly glimpsing it our whole nature at its best and
least corrupted its gentlest and most humane is still soaked with a
sense of lsquoexilersquordquo1 Te longings of our hearts are frustrated from this
exile but these longings are properly satisfied in the dwelling place
of God originally found in Eden Godrsquos presence in his dwelling
place satiates our longings for relationship satisfaction and signifi-
cance and the opening chapters of Genesis show how God intended
those longings to be properly satisfiedmdashin Eden God made us for
himself as his images in the Garden-temple in Eden (Gen 1048625ndash1048626) Godrsquos
presence gives life and purpose in Eden so we should not wonderthat ldquoour hearts are restless until they find their rest in Himrdquo2 In this
chapter we will explore how Eden is presented as a temple and
dwelling place of God satisfying our longings for life and purpose
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Eden as a emple 19
purpose found in the Garden Te imagery in Eden paints a com-
pelling picture of the satisfaction of basic human desires in Godrsquos
presence For example the desire for life is satisfied by the waters of
the river of life and the fruit of the tree of life Te need for purpose
is fulfilled in Adamrsquos priestly call to work and keep the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862610486251048629 see Num 104862510486321048629) Parallels between Eden and the tabernacle
temple further demonstrate that our desire for life and purpose are
properly satisfied in Godrsquos presence
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR SATISFACTION
THE TREE AND RIVER OF LIFE
In the concise narrative of Genesis 1048626 six verses describe the tree of
life and the river flowing out of Eden (Gen 10486261048633-10486251048628) Is sacred
Scripture ldquowastingrdquo precious space here In actuality such seemingly
trivial details easily skipped by a hasty reader brim with the sig-
nificance of life found in the presence of God Te verdant imagery
of Eden especially its trees and rivers reflects abundant life in
Godrsquos presence and this verdant imagery is mirrored in the later
tabernacle and temple
Te tree of life Gen 10486261048633 And out of the ground the Lord God
made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for food Te tree of life was in the midst of the gardenand the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
Te ldquotree of liferdquo stood in the middle of the Garden and the fruit of
this tree would give life forever (Gen 104862710486261048626) Why Proverbs 1048627 shows
us that Godrsquos wisdom is compared to the ldquotree of liferdquo and that his
wisdom shines light on the paths of life and peace for Godrsquos people
(Prov 104862710486251048630-10486251048632) Similarly in the tabernacle and temple this ldquotree of liferdquoserved as the model for the lampstand outside the Holy of Holies
since the presence of God would shine light on the paths of life for
his people Tis lampstand looked like a small tree trunk with seven
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20 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
protruding branches with flowering almond blossoms (Ex 1048626104862910486271048625-10486281048624
1048627104863110486251048631-10486261048628) a picture of the life-giving fruitfulness that is found in
Godrsquos presence6
Abundant life is seen not only in the tree itself but also in the
verdant imagery of the Garden since ldquoout of the ground the L983151983154983140
God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for foodrdquo (Gen 10486261048633) Solomonrsquos temple also abounds with such
verdant imagery (1048625 Kings 104863010486251048632 10486261048633 10486271048626 10486271048629 104863110486251048632-10486261048624)7 Te end-time
temple overflows with life as trees of life grow on the banks of theriver of life to bring healing for the nations (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626 Rev 104862610486261048626 see
discussion below) Te abundance of life found in the Garden paints
a picture of the abundance found in the tabernacling presence of God
Godrsquos presence overflows with life
Te river of life Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628 A river flowed out of Eden to
water the garden and there it divided and became four riversTe name of the first is the Pishon It is the one that flowed
around the whole land of Havilah where there is gold And
the gold of that land is good bdellium and onyx stone are
there Te name of the second river is the Gihon It is the one
that flowed around the whole land of Cush And the name of
the third river is the igris which flows east of Assyria And
the fourth river is the Euphrates
A seemingly incidental reference to a river flowing out of Eden also
reminds us of the abundant life flowing from the presence of God
Tis river in Eden gives life to the many trees growing on its banks
including the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree
of life (Gen 104862610486251048624 10486251048631 104862710486261048628) Tis water flows out of Eden to water
the Garden before flowing outward to give life to the rest of theearth and places where nations would reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) Simi-
larly in later depictions of the temple a river flows with trees of life
on its banks In Ezekiel 10486281048631 a river flows from below the threshold
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Eden as a emple 21
of the temple with trees on the banks of both sides Te waters of
this river make seawater fresh (Ezek 104862810486311048632) give life to creatures
(Ezek 104862810486311048633) and cause leaves of healing to blossom on the trees of
its banks (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626) In Revelation a river flows in the new Jeru-
salem with ldquothe tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit yielding
its fruit each monthrdquo and ldquothe leaves of the tree were for the healing
of the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862610486261048625-1048626) Tis river flows from the presence of
God (ldquofrom the throne of God and of the Lambrdquo) outward to bring
life to the surrounding nationsTis river of life abounding with Godrsquos presence flows from the
inmost place of Godrsquos presence outward into the nations In the
temple Godrsquos holiness is supremely manifest in the Holy of Holies
and spreads outward to the Holy Place and then the outer court
where all Israel could assemble for worship and which symbolized as
we will see the whole world In the eschatological temple the river
flows from the Holy of Holies into the temple courts and then the
nations outside (Ezek 104862810486311048625 Rev 104862610486261048625) In Eden the river flows from
Godrsquos presence in Eden into the Garden and then the rest of the earth
where nations would eventually reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) A gradation of
holiness is seen in Eden and the temple as the presence of God in-
creases from the innermost place of EdenHoly of Holies outward to
the earth and the lands where nations would live As a result this gradation of holiness is evident in the parallels
between Eden and the temple Just as the Holy Place contained the
lampstand shaped like the tree of life and the bread of the presence
to sustain the priests so the Garden of Eden is the place of the tree
of life (Gen 10486261048632-1048633) and provides food to sustain Adam (Gen 104862610486251048630) Just
as the outer court of Israelrsquos second temple provided a place for the
nations to come so the land and seas to be subdued by Adam outsidethe Garden are the nations of Cush and Assyria (Gen 104862610486251048627-10486251048628) though
of course these lands were not yet populated with peoples8 Te
parallels can be seen in the following diagram
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22 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
Figure 983089
Since the river of life flows from Godrsquos presence into the lands of
nations so our mission to the nations must flow from the life found
in Godrsquos presence When the source of our commitment to mission is
located only in the backwaters of our idealism then we can burn out
and become bitter Many idealistically plunge headlong into a sacri-
ficial commitment to the poor or unreached or hurting compelled by
brokenness over their plight but the resources of that idealism run dry
when tested by the challenges of costly obedience However when our
resources run dry we drink more fully and deeply from the abundanceof life found in Godrsquos presence Our God gives joy and strength to
endure Te life that we find in Godrsquos presence is more than enough
to overcome every challenge for the mission God has placed before us
However life must clearly flow from Godrsquos presence into the needs of
the nations and the needs of the nations must drive us to drink more
fully from the life found in Godrsquos presence
Just outside the Garden the river is surrounded with land thatabounds with good gold bdellium and onyx stone (Gen 104862610486251048626) Each
of these marks life in the presence of God ldquoPure gold like clear glassrdquo
covers the temple (Rev 1048626104862510486251048632 10486261048625) just as the sacred furniture in the
Outer Court
Holy Place
Holy of Holies
Eden
Garden
Outer World
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Eden as a emple 23
tabernacle was made of gold Polished gold reflects light just as we
will reflect Godrsquos light when we live in the presence of God Bdellium
is a fragrant substance with the appearance of manna (Num 104862510486251048631)
which was kept in the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies
Indeed Godrsquos presence sustains and strengthens us as the manna did
for Israel in the wilderness (Ps 1048631104863210486261048628-10486261048629 Jn 104863010486291048632) Onyx stones are
prevalent in the temple especially on the breastpiece of the high
priest where the names of the sons of Israel were engraved (Ex 104862610486291048631
104862610486321048633) reflecting their identity and preciousness before God In this way this abundant imagery reminds us how Godrsquos presence brings
life so that our hearts may not corrode with sin our lives are sustained
with strength and our identities might be properly grounded in our
preciousness before him
Psalm 10486271048630 interprets the river from Godrsquos presence in Eden as a
picture of the abundant life found there
How precious is your steadfast love O God
Te children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your
wings
Tey feast on the abundance of your house [temple]
and you give them drink from the river of your delights
[literally ldquoEdensrdquo]
For with you is the fountain of lifein your light do we see light (Ps 104862710486301048631-1048633)
In Godrsquos presence and in the temple the river of Eden flows to bring
the fountain of life Godrsquos presence brings life and light Since true
life and sustenance are found in the presence of God we must regu-
larly drink deeply from the river of his delights In our weariness
though we often seek life from entertainment empty friendships andceaseless activity which all fail to bring life So many of our ldquorecre-
ationalrdquo activities fail to re-create the inner resources of our soul to
face the challenges of each day Like the Israelites before us we forsake
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
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24 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
the river of Godrsquos presence and hew out empty cisterns that do not
hold water to satisfy our thirsts (Jer 104862610486251048627) Will we satisfy our soul at
the fountain of living waters Or will we hew out cisterns of putrid
water that do not satisfy Te rivers of life flowing from the presence
of God in Eden beckon us to the satisfaction and re-creation of these
refreshing waters that are only found in the presence of God
We sacrifice for what satisfies Te soul-satisfying riches in the
presence of God propel us out of our comfort zones calling us out of
the warm confines of our beds to our knees in early-morning prayerand meditation on Godrsquos Word Only these soul-satisfying riches can
sustain us in the rigors of Godrsquos calling on our lives as we move out to
proclaim his name to the nations across the street and across the globe
A heart for mission grows out of a soul that finds satisfaction in Godrsquos
presence the riches of which can be seen in the imagery of Eden
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR PURPOSE
God placed Adam in Eden to work it and keep it (Gen 104862610486251048629) a priestly
work in the Garden-temple of Eden His ldquoworkrdquo is not only working
the soil (Gen 10486261048629) but serving God (eg Deut 104862810486251048633) and he keeps the
Garden (Gen 104862610486251048629) as he keeps Godrsquos commands (see Lev 104862510486321048629) and
guards it from pollution and corruption (see Num 104862510486291048627) Te verbs to
work and to keep are sometimes used together outside Genesis 104862610486251048629 ina priestly context
And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar that
there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel And
behold I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the
people of Israel Tey are a gift to you given to the L983151983154983140 to do
the work of the tent of meeting9 (Num 104862510486321048629-1048630 translation altered)
In this passage the priests are to keep the sanctuary from corruption and
defilement and do the work of service in the tabernacle In the same way
Adam serves God in the temple as a priest and keeps the Garden-temple
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Eden as a emple 25
from corruption Similarly Ezekiel 1048626104863210486251048627 shows Adam in Eden clothed
like a priest with ldquoevery precious stonerdquo stones that correspond to the
precious stones on the ephod of Israelrsquos high priest (Ex 1048626104863210486251048631-10486261048625)10
Tis understanding of Adamrsquos work is confirmed by observing the
next verses in Genesis 1048626 After being commanded to work and keep
the Garden Adam is told
And the L983151983154983140 God commanded the man saying ldquoYou may
surely eat of every tree of the garden but of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that
you eat of it you shall surely dierdquo (Gen 104862610486251048630-10486251048631)
After Adam is commanded to keep the Garden he is also instructed
to keep Godrsquos commands Just as the priests were to keep guard over
the temple (Num 104862510486321048629) by obeying Godrsquos commands so Adam as a
priest guards the Garden-temple of Eden by keeping Godrsquos com-
mands Adam works out Godrsquos priestly purposes through obedienceto his word
Adam failed in his service as the first priest to guard Godrsquos temple
which included guarding the Garden-temple from the intrusion of
the serpent who was outside11 Te serpent slithered into the Garden
with deceptive words ldquoDid God actually say lsquoYou shall not eat of any
tree in the gardenrsquordquo (Gen 10486271048625) Trough doubt the serpent under-
mined Godrsquos word Eversquos reply to the serpent shows that the serpent
succeeded in his plot Notice the subtle differences between Godrsquos
word in Genesis 104862610486251048630-10486251048631 and the womanrsquos reply in Genesis 10486271048626-1048627
Table 983089983089
Genesis 983090983089983094-983089983095 Genesis 983091983090ndash983091
And the LORD God commanded the man
saying ldquoYou may surely eat of every tree ofthe garden but of the tree of theknowledge of good and evil you shall noteat for in the day that you eat of it you shallsurely die [literally ldquodying you shall dierdquo]rdquo
And the woman said to the serpent
ldquoWe may eat of the fruit of the trees inthe garden but God said lsquoYou shallnot eat of the fruit of the tree that isin the midst of the garden neithershall you touch it lest you diersquordquo
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Eden as a emple 27
temptation as she ldquosaw that the tree was good for food and that it
was a delight to her eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make
one wiserdquo Te desire for food the delight of the eyes and the craving
for wisdom are all strong and in their proper context legitimate
desires Te desires of our flesh may be legitimate but Eve sought to
satisfy them in illegitimate ways However the bridle of Godrsquos word
protects the wild horses of our desires from destroying us
Adam and Eve failed in their purpose and priestly calling to guard
the Garden-temple from intruders by not keeping Godrsquos word Edenis a place where purpose is given to humanity (Gen 104862610486251048629 see Gen 104862510486261048632)
We will see later that as Godrsquos presence is restored through the sac-
rifice of Jesus our purpose is also restored as a kingdom of priests and
a holy nation serving in Godrsquos true end-time temple (1048625 Pet 10486261048628-1048633)
Te longing for purpose found in the human heart is satisfied when
life works according to its purpose which is life lived in the presence
of God Just as Adam and Eve were to submit to Godrsquos word to fulfill
their mission in guarding Godrsquos dwelling place so we must submit
to Godrsquos Word to fulfill our mission in guarding and expanding Godrsquos
dwelling place to fill the earth
CONCLUSION
In this chapter we see Eden as the first temple and place of Godrsquospresence As a result Eden is a place of satisfaction of life However
sin closed off the way back to Godrsquos presence in Eden Because Adam
and Eve fail to guard the temple by sinning and letting in an unclean
serpent to defile the temple they lose their priestly role and the two
cherubim take over the responsibility to ldquoguardrdquo the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862710486261048628)14
Who will open the way back into Godrsquos tabernacling presence Are we endlessly condemned to our lives east of Eden Jesus opens up the
way back into Godrsquos presence by the sacrifice of his body (Heb 1048625104862410486251048633-
10486261048624) As a result the life-giving waters that flowed in Eden now flow
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1
Eden as a Temple
he Context of Genesis 1048625ndash1048626
Longing We are creatures of longing When we misdiagnose the
object of this longing then we become frustrated and disappointed
Our longings for relationship often get frustrated in conflict Ourlongings for satisfaction get frustrated in discontent Our longings
for significance get frustrated by our own inadequacies J R R
olkien diagnoses the roots of our longing ldquoWe all long for [Eden]
and we are constantly glimpsing it our whole nature at its best and
least corrupted its gentlest and most humane is still soaked with a
sense of lsquoexilersquordquo1 Te longings of our hearts are frustrated from this
exile but these longings are properly satisfied in the dwelling place
of God originally found in Eden Godrsquos presence in his dwelling
place satiates our longings for relationship satisfaction and signifi-
cance and the opening chapters of Genesis show how God intended
those longings to be properly satisfiedmdashin Eden God made us for
himself as his images in the Garden-temple in Eden (Gen 1048625ndash1048626) Godrsquos
presence gives life and purpose in Eden so we should not wonderthat ldquoour hearts are restless until they find their rest in Himrdquo2 In this
chapter we will explore how Eden is presented as a temple and
dwelling place of God satisfying our longings for life and purpose
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Eden as a emple 19
purpose found in the Garden Te imagery in Eden paints a com-
pelling picture of the satisfaction of basic human desires in Godrsquos
presence For example the desire for life is satisfied by the waters of
the river of life and the fruit of the tree of life Te need for purpose
is fulfilled in Adamrsquos priestly call to work and keep the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862610486251048629 see Num 104862510486321048629) Parallels between Eden and the tabernacle
temple further demonstrate that our desire for life and purpose are
properly satisfied in Godrsquos presence
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR SATISFACTION
THE TREE AND RIVER OF LIFE
In the concise narrative of Genesis 1048626 six verses describe the tree of
life and the river flowing out of Eden (Gen 10486261048633-10486251048628) Is sacred
Scripture ldquowastingrdquo precious space here In actuality such seemingly
trivial details easily skipped by a hasty reader brim with the sig-
nificance of life found in the presence of God Te verdant imagery
of Eden especially its trees and rivers reflects abundant life in
Godrsquos presence and this verdant imagery is mirrored in the later
tabernacle and temple
Te tree of life Gen 10486261048633 And out of the ground the Lord God
made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for food Te tree of life was in the midst of the gardenand the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
Te ldquotree of liferdquo stood in the middle of the Garden and the fruit of
this tree would give life forever (Gen 104862710486261048626) Why Proverbs 1048627 shows
us that Godrsquos wisdom is compared to the ldquotree of liferdquo and that his
wisdom shines light on the paths of life and peace for Godrsquos people
(Prov 104862710486251048630-10486251048632) Similarly in the tabernacle and temple this ldquotree of liferdquoserved as the model for the lampstand outside the Holy of Holies
since the presence of God would shine light on the paths of life for
his people Tis lampstand looked like a small tree trunk with seven
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20 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
protruding branches with flowering almond blossoms (Ex 1048626104862910486271048625-10486281048624
1048627104863110486251048631-10486261048628) a picture of the life-giving fruitfulness that is found in
Godrsquos presence6
Abundant life is seen not only in the tree itself but also in the
verdant imagery of the Garden since ldquoout of the ground the L983151983154983140
God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for foodrdquo (Gen 10486261048633) Solomonrsquos temple also abounds with such
verdant imagery (1048625 Kings 104863010486251048632 10486261048633 10486271048626 10486271048629 104863110486251048632-10486261048624)7 Te end-time
temple overflows with life as trees of life grow on the banks of theriver of life to bring healing for the nations (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626 Rev 104862610486261048626 see
discussion below) Te abundance of life found in the Garden paints
a picture of the abundance found in the tabernacling presence of God
Godrsquos presence overflows with life
Te river of life Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628 A river flowed out of Eden to
water the garden and there it divided and became four riversTe name of the first is the Pishon It is the one that flowed
around the whole land of Havilah where there is gold And
the gold of that land is good bdellium and onyx stone are
there Te name of the second river is the Gihon It is the one
that flowed around the whole land of Cush And the name of
the third river is the igris which flows east of Assyria And
the fourth river is the Euphrates
A seemingly incidental reference to a river flowing out of Eden also
reminds us of the abundant life flowing from the presence of God
Tis river in Eden gives life to the many trees growing on its banks
including the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree
of life (Gen 104862610486251048624 10486251048631 104862710486261048628) Tis water flows out of Eden to water
the Garden before flowing outward to give life to the rest of theearth and places where nations would reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) Simi-
larly in later depictions of the temple a river flows with trees of life
on its banks In Ezekiel 10486281048631 a river flows from below the threshold
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Eden as a emple 21
of the temple with trees on the banks of both sides Te waters of
this river make seawater fresh (Ezek 104862810486311048632) give life to creatures
(Ezek 104862810486311048633) and cause leaves of healing to blossom on the trees of
its banks (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626) In Revelation a river flows in the new Jeru-
salem with ldquothe tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit yielding
its fruit each monthrdquo and ldquothe leaves of the tree were for the healing
of the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862610486261048625-1048626) Tis river flows from the presence of
God (ldquofrom the throne of God and of the Lambrdquo) outward to bring
life to the surrounding nationsTis river of life abounding with Godrsquos presence flows from the
inmost place of Godrsquos presence outward into the nations In the
temple Godrsquos holiness is supremely manifest in the Holy of Holies
and spreads outward to the Holy Place and then the outer court
where all Israel could assemble for worship and which symbolized as
we will see the whole world In the eschatological temple the river
flows from the Holy of Holies into the temple courts and then the
nations outside (Ezek 104862810486311048625 Rev 104862610486261048625) In Eden the river flows from
Godrsquos presence in Eden into the Garden and then the rest of the earth
where nations would eventually reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) A gradation of
holiness is seen in Eden and the temple as the presence of God in-
creases from the innermost place of EdenHoly of Holies outward to
the earth and the lands where nations would live As a result this gradation of holiness is evident in the parallels
between Eden and the temple Just as the Holy Place contained the
lampstand shaped like the tree of life and the bread of the presence
to sustain the priests so the Garden of Eden is the place of the tree
of life (Gen 10486261048632-1048633) and provides food to sustain Adam (Gen 104862610486251048630) Just
as the outer court of Israelrsquos second temple provided a place for the
nations to come so the land and seas to be subdued by Adam outsidethe Garden are the nations of Cush and Assyria (Gen 104862610486251048627-10486251048628) though
of course these lands were not yet populated with peoples8 Te
parallels can be seen in the following diagram
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22 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
Figure 983089
Since the river of life flows from Godrsquos presence into the lands of
nations so our mission to the nations must flow from the life found
in Godrsquos presence When the source of our commitment to mission is
located only in the backwaters of our idealism then we can burn out
and become bitter Many idealistically plunge headlong into a sacri-
ficial commitment to the poor or unreached or hurting compelled by
brokenness over their plight but the resources of that idealism run dry
when tested by the challenges of costly obedience However when our
resources run dry we drink more fully and deeply from the abundanceof life found in Godrsquos presence Our God gives joy and strength to
endure Te life that we find in Godrsquos presence is more than enough
to overcome every challenge for the mission God has placed before us
However life must clearly flow from Godrsquos presence into the needs of
the nations and the needs of the nations must drive us to drink more
fully from the life found in Godrsquos presence
Just outside the Garden the river is surrounded with land thatabounds with good gold bdellium and onyx stone (Gen 104862610486251048626) Each
of these marks life in the presence of God ldquoPure gold like clear glassrdquo
covers the temple (Rev 1048626104862510486251048632 10486261048625) just as the sacred furniture in the
Outer Court
Holy Place
Holy of Holies
Eden
Garden
Outer World
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Eden as a emple 23
tabernacle was made of gold Polished gold reflects light just as we
will reflect Godrsquos light when we live in the presence of God Bdellium
is a fragrant substance with the appearance of manna (Num 104862510486251048631)
which was kept in the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies
Indeed Godrsquos presence sustains and strengthens us as the manna did
for Israel in the wilderness (Ps 1048631104863210486261048628-10486261048629 Jn 104863010486291048632) Onyx stones are
prevalent in the temple especially on the breastpiece of the high
priest where the names of the sons of Israel were engraved (Ex 104862610486291048631
104862610486321048633) reflecting their identity and preciousness before God In this way this abundant imagery reminds us how Godrsquos presence brings
life so that our hearts may not corrode with sin our lives are sustained
with strength and our identities might be properly grounded in our
preciousness before him
Psalm 10486271048630 interprets the river from Godrsquos presence in Eden as a
picture of the abundant life found there
How precious is your steadfast love O God
Te children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your
wings
Tey feast on the abundance of your house [temple]
and you give them drink from the river of your delights
[literally ldquoEdensrdquo]
For with you is the fountain of lifein your light do we see light (Ps 104862710486301048631-1048633)
In Godrsquos presence and in the temple the river of Eden flows to bring
the fountain of life Godrsquos presence brings life and light Since true
life and sustenance are found in the presence of God we must regu-
larly drink deeply from the river of his delights In our weariness
though we often seek life from entertainment empty friendships andceaseless activity which all fail to bring life So many of our ldquorecre-
ationalrdquo activities fail to re-create the inner resources of our soul to
face the challenges of each day Like the Israelites before us we forsake
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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24 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
the river of Godrsquos presence and hew out empty cisterns that do not
hold water to satisfy our thirsts (Jer 104862610486251048627) Will we satisfy our soul at
the fountain of living waters Or will we hew out cisterns of putrid
water that do not satisfy Te rivers of life flowing from the presence
of God in Eden beckon us to the satisfaction and re-creation of these
refreshing waters that are only found in the presence of God
We sacrifice for what satisfies Te soul-satisfying riches in the
presence of God propel us out of our comfort zones calling us out of
the warm confines of our beds to our knees in early-morning prayerand meditation on Godrsquos Word Only these soul-satisfying riches can
sustain us in the rigors of Godrsquos calling on our lives as we move out to
proclaim his name to the nations across the street and across the globe
A heart for mission grows out of a soul that finds satisfaction in Godrsquos
presence the riches of which can be seen in the imagery of Eden
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR PURPOSE
God placed Adam in Eden to work it and keep it (Gen 104862610486251048629) a priestly
work in the Garden-temple of Eden His ldquoworkrdquo is not only working
the soil (Gen 10486261048629) but serving God (eg Deut 104862810486251048633) and he keeps the
Garden (Gen 104862610486251048629) as he keeps Godrsquos commands (see Lev 104862510486321048629) and
guards it from pollution and corruption (see Num 104862510486291048627) Te verbs to
work and to keep are sometimes used together outside Genesis 104862610486251048629 ina priestly context
And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar that
there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel And
behold I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the
people of Israel Tey are a gift to you given to the L983151983154983140 to do
the work of the tent of meeting9 (Num 104862510486321048629-1048630 translation altered)
In this passage the priests are to keep the sanctuary from corruption and
defilement and do the work of service in the tabernacle In the same way
Adam serves God in the temple as a priest and keeps the Garden-temple
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Eden as a emple 25
from corruption Similarly Ezekiel 1048626104863210486251048627 shows Adam in Eden clothed
like a priest with ldquoevery precious stonerdquo stones that correspond to the
precious stones on the ephod of Israelrsquos high priest (Ex 1048626104863210486251048631-10486261048625)10
Tis understanding of Adamrsquos work is confirmed by observing the
next verses in Genesis 1048626 After being commanded to work and keep
the Garden Adam is told
And the L983151983154983140 God commanded the man saying ldquoYou may
surely eat of every tree of the garden but of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that
you eat of it you shall surely dierdquo (Gen 104862610486251048630-10486251048631)
After Adam is commanded to keep the Garden he is also instructed
to keep Godrsquos commands Just as the priests were to keep guard over
the temple (Num 104862510486321048629) by obeying Godrsquos commands so Adam as a
priest guards the Garden-temple of Eden by keeping Godrsquos com-
mands Adam works out Godrsquos priestly purposes through obedienceto his word
Adam failed in his service as the first priest to guard Godrsquos temple
which included guarding the Garden-temple from the intrusion of
the serpent who was outside11 Te serpent slithered into the Garden
with deceptive words ldquoDid God actually say lsquoYou shall not eat of any
tree in the gardenrsquordquo (Gen 10486271048625) Trough doubt the serpent under-
mined Godrsquos word Eversquos reply to the serpent shows that the serpent
succeeded in his plot Notice the subtle differences between Godrsquos
word in Genesis 104862610486251048630-10486251048631 and the womanrsquos reply in Genesis 10486271048626-1048627
Table 983089983089
Genesis 983090983089983094-983089983095 Genesis 983091983090ndash983091
And the LORD God commanded the man
saying ldquoYou may surely eat of every tree ofthe garden but of the tree of theknowledge of good and evil you shall noteat for in the day that you eat of it you shallsurely die [literally ldquodying you shall dierdquo]rdquo
And the woman said to the serpent
ldquoWe may eat of the fruit of the trees inthe garden but God said lsquoYou shallnot eat of the fruit of the tree that isin the midst of the garden neithershall you touch it lest you diersquordquo
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Eden as a emple 27
temptation as she ldquosaw that the tree was good for food and that it
was a delight to her eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make
one wiserdquo Te desire for food the delight of the eyes and the craving
for wisdom are all strong and in their proper context legitimate
desires Te desires of our flesh may be legitimate but Eve sought to
satisfy them in illegitimate ways However the bridle of Godrsquos word
protects the wild horses of our desires from destroying us
Adam and Eve failed in their purpose and priestly calling to guard
the Garden-temple from intruders by not keeping Godrsquos word Edenis a place where purpose is given to humanity (Gen 104862610486251048629 see Gen 104862510486261048632)
We will see later that as Godrsquos presence is restored through the sac-
rifice of Jesus our purpose is also restored as a kingdom of priests and
a holy nation serving in Godrsquos true end-time temple (1048625 Pet 10486261048628-1048633)
Te longing for purpose found in the human heart is satisfied when
life works according to its purpose which is life lived in the presence
of God Just as Adam and Eve were to submit to Godrsquos word to fulfill
their mission in guarding Godrsquos dwelling place so we must submit
to Godrsquos Word to fulfill our mission in guarding and expanding Godrsquos
dwelling place to fill the earth
CONCLUSION
In this chapter we see Eden as the first temple and place of Godrsquospresence As a result Eden is a place of satisfaction of life However
sin closed off the way back to Godrsquos presence in Eden Because Adam
and Eve fail to guard the temple by sinning and letting in an unclean
serpent to defile the temple they lose their priestly role and the two
cherubim take over the responsibility to ldquoguardrdquo the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862710486261048628)14
Who will open the way back into Godrsquos tabernacling presence Are we endlessly condemned to our lives east of Eden Jesus opens up the
way back into Godrsquos presence by the sacrifice of his body (Heb 1048625104862410486251048633-
10486261048624) As a result the life-giving waters that flowed in Eden now flow
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1
Eden as a Temple
he Context of Genesis 1048625ndash1048626
Longing We are creatures of longing When we misdiagnose the
object of this longing then we become frustrated and disappointed
Our longings for relationship often get frustrated in conflict Ourlongings for satisfaction get frustrated in discontent Our longings
for significance get frustrated by our own inadequacies J R R
olkien diagnoses the roots of our longing ldquoWe all long for [Eden]
and we are constantly glimpsing it our whole nature at its best and
least corrupted its gentlest and most humane is still soaked with a
sense of lsquoexilersquordquo1 Te longings of our hearts are frustrated from this
exile but these longings are properly satisfied in the dwelling place
of God originally found in Eden Godrsquos presence in his dwelling
place satiates our longings for relationship satisfaction and signifi-
cance and the opening chapters of Genesis show how God intended
those longings to be properly satisfiedmdashin Eden God made us for
himself as his images in the Garden-temple in Eden (Gen 1048625ndash1048626) Godrsquos
presence gives life and purpose in Eden so we should not wonderthat ldquoour hearts are restless until they find their rest in Himrdquo2 In this
chapter we will explore how Eden is presented as a temple and
dwelling place of God satisfying our longings for life and purpose
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Eden as a emple 19
purpose found in the Garden Te imagery in Eden paints a com-
pelling picture of the satisfaction of basic human desires in Godrsquos
presence For example the desire for life is satisfied by the waters of
the river of life and the fruit of the tree of life Te need for purpose
is fulfilled in Adamrsquos priestly call to work and keep the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862610486251048629 see Num 104862510486321048629) Parallels between Eden and the tabernacle
temple further demonstrate that our desire for life and purpose are
properly satisfied in Godrsquos presence
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR SATISFACTION
THE TREE AND RIVER OF LIFE
In the concise narrative of Genesis 1048626 six verses describe the tree of
life and the river flowing out of Eden (Gen 10486261048633-10486251048628) Is sacred
Scripture ldquowastingrdquo precious space here In actuality such seemingly
trivial details easily skipped by a hasty reader brim with the sig-
nificance of life found in the presence of God Te verdant imagery
of Eden especially its trees and rivers reflects abundant life in
Godrsquos presence and this verdant imagery is mirrored in the later
tabernacle and temple
Te tree of life Gen 10486261048633 And out of the ground the Lord God
made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for food Te tree of life was in the midst of the gardenand the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
Te ldquotree of liferdquo stood in the middle of the Garden and the fruit of
this tree would give life forever (Gen 104862710486261048626) Why Proverbs 1048627 shows
us that Godrsquos wisdom is compared to the ldquotree of liferdquo and that his
wisdom shines light on the paths of life and peace for Godrsquos people
(Prov 104862710486251048630-10486251048632) Similarly in the tabernacle and temple this ldquotree of liferdquoserved as the model for the lampstand outside the Holy of Holies
since the presence of God would shine light on the paths of life for
his people Tis lampstand looked like a small tree trunk with seven
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20 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
protruding branches with flowering almond blossoms (Ex 1048626104862910486271048625-10486281048624
1048627104863110486251048631-10486261048628) a picture of the life-giving fruitfulness that is found in
Godrsquos presence6
Abundant life is seen not only in the tree itself but also in the
verdant imagery of the Garden since ldquoout of the ground the L983151983154983140
God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for foodrdquo (Gen 10486261048633) Solomonrsquos temple also abounds with such
verdant imagery (1048625 Kings 104863010486251048632 10486261048633 10486271048626 10486271048629 104863110486251048632-10486261048624)7 Te end-time
temple overflows with life as trees of life grow on the banks of theriver of life to bring healing for the nations (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626 Rev 104862610486261048626 see
discussion below) Te abundance of life found in the Garden paints
a picture of the abundance found in the tabernacling presence of God
Godrsquos presence overflows with life
Te river of life Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628 A river flowed out of Eden to
water the garden and there it divided and became four riversTe name of the first is the Pishon It is the one that flowed
around the whole land of Havilah where there is gold And
the gold of that land is good bdellium and onyx stone are
there Te name of the second river is the Gihon It is the one
that flowed around the whole land of Cush And the name of
the third river is the igris which flows east of Assyria And
the fourth river is the Euphrates
A seemingly incidental reference to a river flowing out of Eden also
reminds us of the abundant life flowing from the presence of God
Tis river in Eden gives life to the many trees growing on its banks
including the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree
of life (Gen 104862610486251048624 10486251048631 104862710486261048628) Tis water flows out of Eden to water
the Garden before flowing outward to give life to the rest of theearth and places where nations would reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) Simi-
larly in later depictions of the temple a river flows with trees of life
on its banks In Ezekiel 10486281048631 a river flows from below the threshold
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Eden as a emple 21
of the temple with trees on the banks of both sides Te waters of
this river make seawater fresh (Ezek 104862810486311048632) give life to creatures
(Ezek 104862810486311048633) and cause leaves of healing to blossom on the trees of
its banks (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626) In Revelation a river flows in the new Jeru-
salem with ldquothe tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit yielding
its fruit each monthrdquo and ldquothe leaves of the tree were for the healing
of the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862610486261048625-1048626) Tis river flows from the presence of
God (ldquofrom the throne of God and of the Lambrdquo) outward to bring
life to the surrounding nationsTis river of life abounding with Godrsquos presence flows from the
inmost place of Godrsquos presence outward into the nations In the
temple Godrsquos holiness is supremely manifest in the Holy of Holies
and spreads outward to the Holy Place and then the outer court
where all Israel could assemble for worship and which symbolized as
we will see the whole world In the eschatological temple the river
flows from the Holy of Holies into the temple courts and then the
nations outside (Ezek 104862810486311048625 Rev 104862610486261048625) In Eden the river flows from
Godrsquos presence in Eden into the Garden and then the rest of the earth
where nations would eventually reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) A gradation of
holiness is seen in Eden and the temple as the presence of God in-
creases from the innermost place of EdenHoly of Holies outward to
the earth and the lands where nations would live As a result this gradation of holiness is evident in the parallels
between Eden and the temple Just as the Holy Place contained the
lampstand shaped like the tree of life and the bread of the presence
to sustain the priests so the Garden of Eden is the place of the tree
of life (Gen 10486261048632-1048633) and provides food to sustain Adam (Gen 104862610486251048630) Just
as the outer court of Israelrsquos second temple provided a place for the
nations to come so the land and seas to be subdued by Adam outsidethe Garden are the nations of Cush and Assyria (Gen 104862610486251048627-10486251048628) though
of course these lands were not yet populated with peoples8 Te
parallels can be seen in the following diagram
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22 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
Figure 983089
Since the river of life flows from Godrsquos presence into the lands of
nations so our mission to the nations must flow from the life found
in Godrsquos presence When the source of our commitment to mission is
located only in the backwaters of our idealism then we can burn out
and become bitter Many idealistically plunge headlong into a sacri-
ficial commitment to the poor or unreached or hurting compelled by
brokenness over their plight but the resources of that idealism run dry
when tested by the challenges of costly obedience However when our
resources run dry we drink more fully and deeply from the abundanceof life found in Godrsquos presence Our God gives joy and strength to
endure Te life that we find in Godrsquos presence is more than enough
to overcome every challenge for the mission God has placed before us
However life must clearly flow from Godrsquos presence into the needs of
the nations and the needs of the nations must drive us to drink more
fully from the life found in Godrsquos presence
Just outside the Garden the river is surrounded with land thatabounds with good gold bdellium and onyx stone (Gen 104862610486251048626) Each
of these marks life in the presence of God ldquoPure gold like clear glassrdquo
covers the temple (Rev 1048626104862510486251048632 10486261048625) just as the sacred furniture in the
Outer Court
Holy Place
Holy of Holies
Eden
Garden
Outer World
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Eden as a emple 23
tabernacle was made of gold Polished gold reflects light just as we
will reflect Godrsquos light when we live in the presence of God Bdellium
is a fragrant substance with the appearance of manna (Num 104862510486251048631)
which was kept in the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies
Indeed Godrsquos presence sustains and strengthens us as the manna did
for Israel in the wilderness (Ps 1048631104863210486261048628-10486261048629 Jn 104863010486291048632) Onyx stones are
prevalent in the temple especially on the breastpiece of the high
priest where the names of the sons of Israel were engraved (Ex 104862610486291048631
104862610486321048633) reflecting their identity and preciousness before God In this way this abundant imagery reminds us how Godrsquos presence brings
life so that our hearts may not corrode with sin our lives are sustained
with strength and our identities might be properly grounded in our
preciousness before him
Psalm 10486271048630 interprets the river from Godrsquos presence in Eden as a
picture of the abundant life found there
How precious is your steadfast love O God
Te children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your
wings
Tey feast on the abundance of your house [temple]
and you give them drink from the river of your delights
[literally ldquoEdensrdquo]
For with you is the fountain of lifein your light do we see light (Ps 104862710486301048631-1048633)
In Godrsquos presence and in the temple the river of Eden flows to bring
the fountain of life Godrsquos presence brings life and light Since true
life and sustenance are found in the presence of God we must regu-
larly drink deeply from the river of his delights In our weariness
though we often seek life from entertainment empty friendships andceaseless activity which all fail to bring life So many of our ldquorecre-
ationalrdquo activities fail to re-create the inner resources of our soul to
face the challenges of each day Like the Israelites before us we forsake
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24 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
the river of Godrsquos presence and hew out empty cisterns that do not
hold water to satisfy our thirsts (Jer 104862610486251048627) Will we satisfy our soul at
the fountain of living waters Or will we hew out cisterns of putrid
water that do not satisfy Te rivers of life flowing from the presence
of God in Eden beckon us to the satisfaction and re-creation of these
refreshing waters that are only found in the presence of God
We sacrifice for what satisfies Te soul-satisfying riches in the
presence of God propel us out of our comfort zones calling us out of
the warm confines of our beds to our knees in early-morning prayerand meditation on Godrsquos Word Only these soul-satisfying riches can
sustain us in the rigors of Godrsquos calling on our lives as we move out to
proclaim his name to the nations across the street and across the globe
A heart for mission grows out of a soul that finds satisfaction in Godrsquos
presence the riches of which can be seen in the imagery of Eden
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR PURPOSE
God placed Adam in Eden to work it and keep it (Gen 104862610486251048629) a priestly
work in the Garden-temple of Eden His ldquoworkrdquo is not only working
the soil (Gen 10486261048629) but serving God (eg Deut 104862810486251048633) and he keeps the
Garden (Gen 104862610486251048629) as he keeps Godrsquos commands (see Lev 104862510486321048629) and
guards it from pollution and corruption (see Num 104862510486291048627) Te verbs to
work and to keep are sometimes used together outside Genesis 104862610486251048629 ina priestly context
And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar that
there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel And
behold I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the
people of Israel Tey are a gift to you given to the L983151983154983140 to do
the work of the tent of meeting9 (Num 104862510486321048629-1048630 translation altered)
In this passage the priests are to keep the sanctuary from corruption and
defilement and do the work of service in the tabernacle In the same way
Adam serves God in the temple as a priest and keeps the Garden-temple
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Eden as a emple 25
from corruption Similarly Ezekiel 1048626104863210486251048627 shows Adam in Eden clothed
like a priest with ldquoevery precious stonerdquo stones that correspond to the
precious stones on the ephod of Israelrsquos high priest (Ex 1048626104863210486251048631-10486261048625)10
Tis understanding of Adamrsquos work is confirmed by observing the
next verses in Genesis 1048626 After being commanded to work and keep
the Garden Adam is told
And the L983151983154983140 God commanded the man saying ldquoYou may
surely eat of every tree of the garden but of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that
you eat of it you shall surely dierdquo (Gen 104862610486251048630-10486251048631)
After Adam is commanded to keep the Garden he is also instructed
to keep Godrsquos commands Just as the priests were to keep guard over
the temple (Num 104862510486321048629) by obeying Godrsquos commands so Adam as a
priest guards the Garden-temple of Eden by keeping Godrsquos com-
mands Adam works out Godrsquos priestly purposes through obedienceto his word
Adam failed in his service as the first priest to guard Godrsquos temple
which included guarding the Garden-temple from the intrusion of
the serpent who was outside11 Te serpent slithered into the Garden
with deceptive words ldquoDid God actually say lsquoYou shall not eat of any
tree in the gardenrsquordquo (Gen 10486271048625) Trough doubt the serpent under-
mined Godrsquos word Eversquos reply to the serpent shows that the serpent
succeeded in his plot Notice the subtle differences between Godrsquos
word in Genesis 104862610486251048630-10486251048631 and the womanrsquos reply in Genesis 10486271048626-1048627
Table 983089983089
Genesis 983090983089983094-983089983095 Genesis 983091983090ndash983091
And the LORD God commanded the man
saying ldquoYou may surely eat of every tree ofthe garden but of the tree of theknowledge of good and evil you shall noteat for in the day that you eat of it you shallsurely die [literally ldquodying you shall dierdquo]rdquo
And the woman said to the serpent
ldquoWe may eat of the fruit of the trees inthe garden but God said lsquoYou shallnot eat of the fruit of the tree that isin the midst of the garden neithershall you touch it lest you diersquordquo
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Eden as a emple 27
temptation as she ldquosaw that the tree was good for food and that it
was a delight to her eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make
one wiserdquo Te desire for food the delight of the eyes and the craving
for wisdom are all strong and in their proper context legitimate
desires Te desires of our flesh may be legitimate but Eve sought to
satisfy them in illegitimate ways However the bridle of Godrsquos word
protects the wild horses of our desires from destroying us
Adam and Eve failed in their purpose and priestly calling to guard
the Garden-temple from intruders by not keeping Godrsquos word Edenis a place where purpose is given to humanity (Gen 104862610486251048629 see Gen 104862510486261048632)
We will see later that as Godrsquos presence is restored through the sac-
rifice of Jesus our purpose is also restored as a kingdom of priests and
a holy nation serving in Godrsquos true end-time temple (1048625 Pet 10486261048628-1048633)
Te longing for purpose found in the human heart is satisfied when
life works according to its purpose which is life lived in the presence
of God Just as Adam and Eve were to submit to Godrsquos word to fulfill
their mission in guarding Godrsquos dwelling place so we must submit
to Godrsquos Word to fulfill our mission in guarding and expanding Godrsquos
dwelling place to fill the earth
CONCLUSION
In this chapter we see Eden as the first temple and place of Godrsquospresence As a result Eden is a place of satisfaction of life However
sin closed off the way back to Godrsquos presence in Eden Because Adam
and Eve fail to guard the temple by sinning and letting in an unclean
serpent to defile the temple they lose their priestly role and the two
cherubim take over the responsibility to ldquoguardrdquo the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862710486261048628)14
Who will open the way back into Godrsquos tabernacling presence Are we endlessly condemned to our lives east of Eden Jesus opens up the
way back into Godrsquos presence by the sacrifice of his body (Heb 1048625104862410486251048633-
10486261048624) As a result the life-giving waters that flowed in Eden now flow
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1
Eden as a Temple
he Context of Genesis 1048625ndash1048626
Longing We are creatures of longing When we misdiagnose the
object of this longing then we become frustrated and disappointed
Our longings for relationship often get frustrated in conflict Ourlongings for satisfaction get frustrated in discontent Our longings
for significance get frustrated by our own inadequacies J R R
olkien diagnoses the roots of our longing ldquoWe all long for [Eden]
and we are constantly glimpsing it our whole nature at its best and
least corrupted its gentlest and most humane is still soaked with a
sense of lsquoexilersquordquo1 Te longings of our hearts are frustrated from this
exile but these longings are properly satisfied in the dwelling place
of God originally found in Eden Godrsquos presence in his dwelling
place satiates our longings for relationship satisfaction and signifi-
cance and the opening chapters of Genesis show how God intended
those longings to be properly satisfiedmdashin Eden God made us for
himself as his images in the Garden-temple in Eden (Gen 1048625ndash1048626) Godrsquos
presence gives life and purpose in Eden so we should not wonderthat ldquoour hearts are restless until they find their rest in Himrdquo2 In this
chapter we will explore how Eden is presented as a temple and
dwelling place of God satisfying our longings for life and purpose
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Eden as a emple 19
purpose found in the Garden Te imagery in Eden paints a com-
pelling picture of the satisfaction of basic human desires in Godrsquos
presence For example the desire for life is satisfied by the waters of
the river of life and the fruit of the tree of life Te need for purpose
is fulfilled in Adamrsquos priestly call to work and keep the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862610486251048629 see Num 104862510486321048629) Parallels between Eden and the tabernacle
temple further demonstrate that our desire for life and purpose are
properly satisfied in Godrsquos presence
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR SATISFACTION
THE TREE AND RIVER OF LIFE
In the concise narrative of Genesis 1048626 six verses describe the tree of
life and the river flowing out of Eden (Gen 10486261048633-10486251048628) Is sacred
Scripture ldquowastingrdquo precious space here In actuality such seemingly
trivial details easily skipped by a hasty reader brim with the sig-
nificance of life found in the presence of God Te verdant imagery
of Eden especially its trees and rivers reflects abundant life in
Godrsquos presence and this verdant imagery is mirrored in the later
tabernacle and temple
Te tree of life Gen 10486261048633 And out of the ground the Lord God
made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for food Te tree of life was in the midst of the gardenand the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
Te ldquotree of liferdquo stood in the middle of the Garden and the fruit of
this tree would give life forever (Gen 104862710486261048626) Why Proverbs 1048627 shows
us that Godrsquos wisdom is compared to the ldquotree of liferdquo and that his
wisdom shines light on the paths of life and peace for Godrsquos people
(Prov 104862710486251048630-10486251048632) Similarly in the tabernacle and temple this ldquotree of liferdquoserved as the model for the lampstand outside the Holy of Holies
since the presence of God would shine light on the paths of life for
his people Tis lampstand looked like a small tree trunk with seven
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protruding branches with flowering almond blossoms (Ex 1048626104862910486271048625-10486281048624
1048627104863110486251048631-10486261048628) a picture of the life-giving fruitfulness that is found in
Godrsquos presence6
Abundant life is seen not only in the tree itself but also in the
verdant imagery of the Garden since ldquoout of the ground the L983151983154983140
God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for foodrdquo (Gen 10486261048633) Solomonrsquos temple also abounds with such
verdant imagery (1048625 Kings 104863010486251048632 10486261048633 10486271048626 10486271048629 104863110486251048632-10486261048624)7 Te end-time
temple overflows with life as trees of life grow on the banks of theriver of life to bring healing for the nations (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626 Rev 104862610486261048626 see
discussion below) Te abundance of life found in the Garden paints
a picture of the abundance found in the tabernacling presence of God
Godrsquos presence overflows with life
Te river of life Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628 A river flowed out of Eden to
water the garden and there it divided and became four riversTe name of the first is the Pishon It is the one that flowed
around the whole land of Havilah where there is gold And
the gold of that land is good bdellium and onyx stone are
there Te name of the second river is the Gihon It is the one
that flowed around the whole land of Cush And the name of
the third river is the igris which flows east of Assyria And
the fourth river is the Euphrates
A seemingly incidental reference to a river flowing out of Eden also
reminds us of the abundant life flowing from the presence of God
Tis river in Eden gives life to the many trees growing on its banks
including the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree
of life (Gen 104862610486251048624 10486251048631 104862710486261048628) Tis water flows out of Eden to water
the Garden before flowing outward to give life to the rest of theearth and places where nations would reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) Simi-
larly in later depictions of the temple a river flows with trees of life
on its banks In Ezekiel 10486281048631 a river flows from below the threshold
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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Eden as a emple 21
of the temple with trees on the banks of both sides Te waters of
this river make seawater fresh (Ezek 104862810486311048632) give life to creatures
(Ezek 104862810486311048633) and cause leaves of healing to blossom on the trees of
its banks (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626) In Revelation a river flows in the new Jeru-
salem with ldquothe tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit yielding
its fruit each monthrdquo and ldquothe leaves of the tree were for the healing
of the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862610486261048625-1048626) Tis river flows from the presence of
God (ldquofrom the throne of God and of the Lambrdquo) outward to bring
life to the surrounding nationsTis river of life abounding with Godrsquos presence flows from the
inmost place of Godrsquos presence outward into the nations In the
temple Godrsquos holiness is supremely manifest in the Holy of Holies
and spreads outward to the Holy Place and then the outer court
where all Israel could assemble for worship and which symbolized as
we will see the whole world In the eschatological temple the river
flows from the Holy of Holies into the temple courts and then the
nations outside (Ezek 104862810486311048625 Rev 104862610486261048625) In Eden the river flows from
Godrsquos presence in Eden into the Garden and then the rest of the earth
where nations would eventually reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) A gradation of
holiness is seen in Eden and the temple as the presence of God in-
creases from the innermost place of EdenHoly of Holies outward to
the earth and the lands where nations would live As a result this gradation of holiness is evident in the parallels
between Eden and the temple Just as the Holy Place contained the
lampstand shaped like the tree of life and the bread of the presence
to sustain the priests so the Garden of Eden is the place of the tree
of life (Gen 10486261048632-1048633) and provides food to sustain Adam (Gen 104862610486251048630) Just
as the outer court of Israelrsquos second temple provided a place for the
nations to come so the land and seas to be subdued by Adam outsidethe Garden are the nations of Cush and Assyria (Gen 104862610486251048627-10486251048628) though
of course these lands were not yet populated with peoples8 Te
parallels can be seen in the following diagram
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22 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
Figure 983089
Since the river of life flows from Godrsquos presence into the lands of
nations so our mission to the nations must flow from the life found
in Godrsquos presence When the source of our commitment to mission is
located only in the backwaters of our idealism then we can burn out
and become bitter Many idealistically plunge headlong into a sacri-
ficial commitment to the poor or unreached or hurting compelled by
brokenness over their plight but the resources of that idealism run dry
when tested by the challenges of costly obedience However when our
resources run dry we drink more fully and deeply from the abundanceof life found in Godrsquos presence Our God gives joy and strength to
endure Te life that we find in Godrsquos presence is more than enough
to overcome every challenge for the mission God has placed before us
However life must clearly flow from Godrsquos presence into the needs of
the nations and the needs of the nations must drive us to drink more
fully from the life found in Godrsquos presence
Just outside the Garden the river is surrounded with land thatabounds with good gold bdellium and onyx stone (Gen 104862610486251048626) Each
of these marks life in the presence of God ldquoPure gold like clear glassrdquo
covers the temple (Rev 1048626104862510486251048632 10486261048625) just as the sacred furniture in the
Outer Court
Holy Place
Holy of Holies
Eden
Garden
Outer World
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Eden as a emple 23
tabernacle was made of gold Polished gold reflects light just as we
will reflect Godrsquos light when we live in the presence of God Bdellium
is a fragrant substance with the appearance of manna (Num 104862510486251048631)
which was kept in the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies
Indeed Godrsquos presence sustains and strengthens us as the manna did
for Israel in the wilderness (Ps 1048631104863210486261048628-10486261048629 Jn 104863010486291048632) Onyx stones are
prevalent in the temple especially on the breastpiece of the high
priest where the names of the sons of Israel were engraved (Ex 104862610486291048631
104862610486321048633) reflecting their identity and preciousness before God In this way this abundant imagery reminds us how Godrsquos presence brings
life so that our hearts may not corrode with sin our lives are sustained
with strength and our identities might be properly grounded in our
preciousness before him
Psalm 10486271048630 interprets the river from Godrsquos presence in Eden as a
picture of the abundant life found there
How precious is your steadfast love O God
Te children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your
wings
Tey feast on the abundance of your house [temple]
and you give them drink from the river of your delights
[literally ldquoEdensrdquo]
For with you is the fountain of lifein your light do we see light (Ps 104862710486301048631-1048633)
In Godrsquos presence and in the temple the river of Eden flows to bring
the fountain of life Godrsquos presence brings life and light Since true
life and sustenance are found in the presence of God we must regu-
larly drink deeply from the river of his delights In our weariness
though we often seek life from entertainment empty friendships andceaseless activity which all fail to bring life So many of our ldquorecre-
ationalrdquo activities fail to re-create the inner resources of our soul to
face the challenges of each day Like the Israelites before us we forsake
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
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24 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
the river of Godrsquos presence and hew out empty cisterns that do not
hold water to satisfy our thirsts (Jer 104862610486251048627) Will we satisfy our soul at
the fountain of living waters Or will we hew out cisterns of putrid
water that do not satisfy Te rivers of life flowing from the presence
of God in Eden beckon us to the satisfaction and re-creation of these
refreshing waters that are only found in the presence of God
We sacrifice for what satisfies Te soul-satisfying riches in the
presence of God propel us out of our comfort zones calling us out of
the warm confines of our beds to our knees in early-morning prayerand meditation on Godrsquos Word Only these soul-satisfying riches can
sustain us in the rigors of Godrsquos calling on our lives as we move out to
proclaim his name to the nations across the street and across the globe
A heart for mission grows out of a soul that finds satisfaction in Godrsquos
presence the riches of which can be seen in the imagery of Eden
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR PURPOSE
God placed Adam in Eden to work it and keep it (Gen 104862610486251048629) a priestly
work in the Garden-temple of Eden His ldquoworkrdquo is not only working
the soil (Gen 10486261048629) but serving God (eg Deut 104862810486251048633) and he keeps the
Garden (Gen 104862610486251048629) as he keeps Godrsquos commands (see Lev 104862510486321048629) and
guards it from pollution and corruption (see Num 104862510486291048627) Te verbs to
work and to keep are sometimes used together outside Genesis 104862610486251048629 ina priestly context
And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar that
there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel And
behold I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the
people of Israel Tey are a gift to you given to the L983151983154983140 to do
the work of the tent of meeting9 (Num 104862510486321048629-1048630 translation altered)
In this passage the priests are to keep the sanctuary from corruption and
defilement and do the work of service in the tabernacle In the same way
Adam serves God in the temple as a priest and keeps the Garden-temple
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Eden as a emple 25
from corruption Similarly Ezekiel 1048626104863210486251048627 shows Adam in Eden clothed
like a priest with ldquoevery precious stonerdquo stones that correspond to the
precious stones on the ephod of Israelrsquos high priest (Ex 1048626104863210486251048631-10486261048625)10
Tis understanding of Adamrsquos work is confirmed by observing the
next verses in Genesis 1048626 After being commanded to work and keep
the Garden Adam is told
And the L983151983154983140 God commanded the man saying ldquoYou may
surely eat of every tree of the garden but of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that
you eat of it you shall surely dierdquo (Gen 104862610486251048630-10486251048631)
After Adam is commanded to keep the Garden he is also instructed
to keep Godrsquos commands Just as the priests were to keep guard over
the temple (Num 104862510486321048629) by obeying Godrsquos commands so Adam as a
priest guards the Garden-temple of Eden by keeping Godrsquos com-
mands Adam works out Godrsquos priestly purposes through obedienceto his word
Adam failed in his service as the first priest to guard Godrsquos temple
which included guarding the Garden-temple from the intrusion of
the serpent who was outside11 Te serpent slithered into the Garden
with deceptive words ldquoDid God actually say lsquoYou shall not eat of any
tree in the gardenrsquordquo (Gen 10486271048625) Trough doubt the serpent under-
mined Godrsquos word Eversquos reply to the serpent shows that the serpent
succeeded in his plot Notice the subtle differences between Godrsquos
word in Genesis 104862610486251048630-10486251048631 and the womanrsquos reply in Genesis 10486271048626-1048627
Table 983089983089
Genesis 983090983089983094-983089983095 Genesis 983091983090ndash983091
And the LORD God commanded the man
saying ldquoYou may surely eat of every tree ofthe garden but of the tree of theknowledge of good and evil you shall noteat for in the day that you eat of it you shallsurely die [literally ldquodying you shall dierdquo]rdquo
And the woman said to the serpent
ldquoWe may eat of the fruit of the trees inthe garden but God said lsquoYou shallnot eat of the fruit of the tree that isin the midst of the garden neithershall you touch it lest you diersquordquo
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Eden as a emple 27
temptation as she ldquosaw that the tree was good for food and that it
was a delight to her eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make
one wiserdquo Te desire for food the delight of the eyes and the craving
for wisdom are all strong and in their proper context legitimate
desires Te desires of our flesh may be legitimate but Eve sought to
satisfy them in illegitimate ways However the bridle of Godrsquos word
protects the wild horses of our desires from destroying us
Adam and Eve failed in their purpose and priestly calling to guard
the Garden-temple from intruders by not keeping Godrsquos word Edenis a place where purpose is given to humanity (Gen 104862610486251048629 see Gen 104862510486261048632)
We will see later that as Godrsquos presence is restored through the sac-
rifice of Jesus our purpose is also restored as a kingdom of priests and
a holy nation serving in Godrsquos true end-time temple (1048625 Pet 10486261048628-1048633)
Te longing for purpose found in the human heart is satisfied when
life works according to its purpose which is life lived in the presence
of God Just as Adam and Eve were to submit to Godrsquos word to fulfill
their mission in guarding Godrsquos dwelling place so we must submit
to Godrsquos Word to fulfill our mission in guarding and expanding Godrsquos
dwelling place to fill the earth
CONCLUSION
In this chapter we see Eden as the first temple and place of Godrsquospresence As a result Eden is a place of satisfaction of life However
sin closed off the way back to Godrsquos presence in Eden Because Adam
and Eve fail to guard the temple by sinning and letting in an unclean
serpent to defile the temple they lose their priestly role and the two
cherubim take over the responsibility to ldquoguardrdquo the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862710486261048628)14
Who will open the way back into Godrsquos tabernacling presence Are we endlessly condemned to our lives east of Eden Jesus opens up the
way back into Godrsquos presence by the sacrifice of his body (Heb 1048625104862410486251048633-
10486261048624) As a result the life-giving waters that flowed in Eden now flow
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Eden as a emple 19
purpose found in the Garden Te imagery in Eden paints a com-
pelling picture of the satisfaction of basic human desires in Godrsquos
presence For example the desire for life is satisfied by the waters of
the river of life and the fruit of the tree of life Te need for purpose
is fulfilled in Adamrsquos priestly call to work and keep the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862610486251048629 see Num 104862510486321048629) Parallels between Eden and the tabernacle
temple further demonstrate that our desire for life and purpose are
properly satisfied in Godrsquos presence
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR SATISFACTION
THE TREE AND RIVER OF LIFE
In the concise narrative of Genesis 1048626 six verses describe the tree of
life and the river flowing out of Eden (Gen 10486261048633-10486251048628) Is sacred
Scripture ldquowastingrdquo precious space here In actuality such seemingly
trivial details easily skipped by a hasty reader brim with the sig-
nificance of life found in the presence of God Te verdant imagery
of Eden especially its trees and rivers reflects abundant life in
Godrsquos presence and this verdant imagery is mirrored in the later
tabernacle and temple
Te tree of life Gen 10486261048633 And out of the ground the Lord God
made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for food Te tree of life was in the midst of the gardenand the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
Te ldquotree of liferdquo stood in the middle of the Garden and the fruit of
this tree would give life forever (Gen 104862710486261048626) Why Proverbs 1048627 shows
us that Godrsquos wisdom is compared to the ldquotree of liferdquo and that his
wisdom shines light on the paths of life and peace for Godrsquos people
(Prov 104862710486251048630-10486251048632) Similarly in the tabernacle and temple this ldquotree of liferdquoserved as the model for the lampstand outside the Holy of Holies
since the presence of God would shine light on the paths of life for
his people Tis lampstand looked like a small tree trunk with seven
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20 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
protruding branches with flowering almond blossoms (Ex 1048626104862910486271048625-10486281048624
1048627104863110486251048631-10486261048628) a picture of the life-giving fruitfulness that is found in
Godrsquos presence6
Abundant life is seen not only in the tree itself but also in the
verdant imagery of the Garden since ldquoout of the ground the L983151983154983140
God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for foodrdquo (Gen 10486261048633) Solomonrsquos temple also abounds with such
verdant imagery (1048625 Kings 104863010486251048632 10486261048633 10486271048626 10486271048629 104863110486251048632-10486261048624)7 Te end-time
temple overflows with life as trees of life grow on the banks of theriver of life to bring healing for the nations (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626 Rev 104862610486261048626 see
discussion below) Te abundance of life found in the Garden paints
a picture of the abundance found in the tabernacling presence of God
Godrsquos presence overflows with life
Te river of life Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628 A river flowed out of Eden to
water the garden and there it divided and became four riversTe name of the first is the Pishon It is the one that flowed
around the whole land of Havilah where there is gold And
the gold of that land is good bdellium and onyx stone are
there Te name of the second river is the Gihon It is the one
that flowed around the whole land of Cush And the name of
the third river is the igris which flows east of Assyria And
the fourth river is the Euphrates
A seemingly incidental reference to a river flowing out of Eden also
reminds us of the abundant life flowing from the presence of God
Tis river in Eden gives life to the many trees growing on its banks
including the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree
of life (Gen 104862610486251048624 10486251048631 104862710486261048628) Tis water flows out of Eden to water
the Garden before flowing outward to give life to the rest of theearth and places where nations would reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) Simi-
larly in later depictions of the temple a river flows with trees of life
on its banks In Ezekiel 10486281048631 a river flows from below the threshold
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Eden as a emple 21
of the temple with trees on the banks of both sides Te waters of
this river make seawater fresh (Ezek 104862810486311048632) give life to creatures
(Ezek 104862810486311048633) and cause leaves of healing to blossom on the trees of
its banks (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626) In Revelation a river flows in the new Jeru-
salem with ldquothe tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit yielding
its fruit each monthrdquo and ldquothe leaves of the tree were for the healing
of the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862610486261048625-1048626) Tis river flows from the presence of
God (ldquofrom the throne of God and of the Lambrdquo) outward to bring
life to the surrounding nationsTis river of life abounding with Godrsquos presence flows from the
inmost place of Godrsquos presence outward into the nations In the
temple Godrsquos holiness is supremely manifest in the Holy of Holies
and spreads outward to the Holy Place and then the outer court
where all Israel could assemble for worship and which symbolized as
we will see the whole world In the eschatological temple the river
flows from the Holy of Holies into the temple courts and then the
nations outside (Ezek 104862810486311048625 Rev 104862610486261048625) In Eden the river flows from
Godrsquos presence in Eden into the Garden and then the rest of the earth
where nations would eventually reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) A gradation of
holiness is seen in Eden and the temple as the presence of God in-
creases from the innermost place of EdenHoly of Holies outward to
the earth and the lands where nations would live As a result this gradation of holiness is evident in the parallels
between Eden and the temple Just as the Holy Place contained the
lampstand shaped like the tree of life and the bread of the presence
to sustain the priests so the Garden of Eden is the place of the tree
of life (Gen 10486261048632-1048633) and provides food to sustain Adam (Gen 104862610486251048630) Just
as the outer court of Israelrsquos second temple provided a place for the
nations to come so the land and seas to be subdued by Adam outsidethe Garden are the nations of Cush and Assyria (Gen 104862610486251048627-10486251048628) though
of course these lands were not yet populated with peoples8 Te
parallels can be seen in the following diagram
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22 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
Figure 983089
Since the river of life flows from Godrsquos presence into the lands of
nations so our mission to the nations must flow from the life found
in Godrsquos presence When the source of our commitment to mission is
located only in the backwaters of our idealism then we can burn out
and become bitter Many idealistically plunge headlong into a sacri-
ficial commitment to the poor or unreached or hurting compelled by
brokenness over their plight but the resources of that idealism run dry
when tested by the challenges of costly obedience However when our
resources run dry we drink more fully and deeply from the abundanceof life found in Godrsquos presence Our God gives joy and strength to
endure Te life that we find in Godrsquos presence is more than enough
to overcome every challenge for the mission God has placed before us
However life must clearly flow from Godrsquos presence into the needs of
the nations and the needs of the nations must drive us to drink more
fully from the life found in Godrsquos presence
Just outside the Garden the river is surrounded with land thatabounds with good gold bdellium and onyx stone (Gen 104862610486251048626) Each
of these marks life in the presence of God ldquoPure gold like clear glassrdquo
covers the temple (Rev 1048626104862510486251048632 10486261048625) just as the sacred furniture in the
Outer Court
Holy Place
Holy of Holies
Eden
Garden
Outer World
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Eden as a emple 23
tabernacle was made of gold Polished gold reflects light just as we
will reflect Godrsquos light when we live in the presence of God Bdellium
is a fragrant substance with the appearance of manna (Num 104862510486251048631)
which was kept in the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies
Indeed Godrsquos presence sustains and strengthens us as the manna did
for Israel in the wilderness (Ps 1048631104863210486261048628-10486261048629 Jn 104863010486291048632) Onyx stones are
prevalent in the temple especially on the breastpiece of the high
priest where the names of the sons of Israel were engraved (Ex 104862610486291048631
104862610486321048633) reflecting their identity and preciousness before God In this way this abundant imagery reminds us how Godrsquos presence brings
life so that our hearts may not corrode with sin our lives are sustained
with strength and our identities might be properly grounded in our
preciousness before him
Psalm 10486271048630 interprets the river from Godrsquos presence in Eden as a
picture of the abundant life found there
How precious is your steadfast love O God
Te children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your
wings
Tey feast on the abundance of your house [temple]
and you give them drink from the river of your delights
[literally ldquoEdensrdquo]
For with you is the fountain of lifein your light do we see light (Ps 104862710486301048631-1048633)
In Godrsquos presence and in the temple the river of Eden flows to bring
the fountain of life Godrsquos presence brings life and light Since true
life and sustenance are found in the presence of God we must regu-
larly drink deeply from the river of his delights In our weariness
though we often seek life from entertainment empty friendships andceaseless activity which all fail to bring life So many of our ldquorecre-
ationalrdquo activities fail to re-create the inner resources of our soul to
face the challenges of each day Like the Israelites before us we forsake
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
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24 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
the river of Godrsquos presence and hew out empty cisterns that do not
hold water to satisfy our thirsts (Jer 104862610486251048627) Will we satisfy our soul at
the fountain of living waters Or will we hew out cisterns of putrid
water that do not satisfy Te rivers of life flowing from the presence
of God in Eden beckon us to the satisfaction and re-creation of these
refreshing waters that are only found in the presence of God
We sacrifice for what satisfies Te soul-satisfying riches in the
presence of God propel us out of our comfort zones calling us out of
the warm confines of our beds to our knees in early-morning prayerand meditation on Godrsquos Word Only these soul-satisfying riches can
sustain us in the rigors of Godrsquos calling on our lives as we move out to
proclaim his name to the nations across the street and across the globe
A heart for mission grows out of a soul that finds satisfaction in Godrsquos
presence the riches of which can be seen in the imagery of Eden
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR PURPOSE
God placed Adam in Eden to work it and keep it (Gen 104862610486251048629) a priestly
work in the Garden-temple of Eden His ldquoworkrdquo is not only working
the soil (Gen 10486261048629) but serving God (eg Deut 104862810486251048633) and he keeps the
Garden (Gen 104862610486251048629) as he keeps Godrsquos commands (see Lev 104862510486321048629) and
guards it from pollution and corruption (see Num 104862510486291048627) Te verbs to
work and to keep are sometimes used together outside Genesis 104862610486251048629 ina priestly context
And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar that
there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel And
behold I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the
people of Israel Tey are a gift to you given to the L983151983154983140 to do
the work of the tent of meeting9 (Num 104862510486321048629-1048630 translation altered)
In this passage the priests are to keep the sanctuary from corruption and
defilement and do the work of service in the tabernacle In the same way
Adam serves God in the temple as a priest and keeps the Garden-temple
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Eden as a emple 25
from corruption Similarly Ezekiel 1048626104863210486251048627 shows Adam in Eden clothed
like a priest with ldquoevery precious stonerdquo stones that correspond to the
precious stones on the ephod of Israelrsquos high priest (Ex 1048626104863210486251048631-10486261048625)10
Tis understanding of Adamrsquos work is confirmed by observing the
next verses in Genesis 1048626 After being commanded to work and keep
the Garden Adam is told
And the L983151983154983140 God commanded the man saying ldquoYou may
surely eat of every tree of the garden but of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that
you eat of it you shall surely dierdquo (Gen 104862610486251048630-10486251048631)
After Adam is commanded to keep the Garden he is also instructed
to keep Godrsquos commands Just as the priests were to keep guard over
the temple (Num 104862510486321048629) by obeying Godrsquos commands so Adam as a
priest guards the Garden-temple of Eden by keeping Godrsquos com-
mands Adam works out Godrsquos priestly purposes through obedienceto his word
Adam failed in his service as the first priest to guard Godrsquos temple
which included guarding the Garden-temple from the intrusion of
the serpent who was outside11 Te serpent slithered into the Garden
with deceptive words ldquoDid God actually say lsquoYou shall not eat of any
tree in the gardenrsquordquo (Gen 10486271048625) Trough doubt the serpent under-
mined Godrsquos word Eversquos reply to the serpent shows that the serpent
succeeded in his plot Notice the subtle differences between Godrsquos
word in Genesis 104862610486251048630-10486251048631 and the womanrsquos reply in Genesis 10486271048626-1048627
Table 983089983089
Genesis 983090983089983094-983089983095 Genesis 983091983090ndash983091
And the LORD God commanded the man
saying ldquoYou may surely eat of every tree ofthe garden but of the tree of theknowledge of good and evil you shall noteat for in the day that you eat of it you shallsurely die [literally ldquodying you shall dierdquo]rdquo
And the woman said to the serpent
ldquoWe may eat of the fruit of the trees inthe garden but God said lsquoYou shallnot eat of the fruit of the tree that isin the midst of the garden neithershall you touch it lest you diersquordquo
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Eden as a emple 27
temptation as she ldquosaw that the tree was good for food and that it
was a delight to her eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make
one wiserdquo Te desire for food the delight of the eyes and the craving
for wisdom are all strong and in their proper context legitimate
desires Te desires of our flesh may be legitimate but Eve sought to
satisfy them in illegitimate ways However the bridle of Godrsquos word
protects the wild horses of our desires from destroying us
Adam and Eve failed in their purpose and priestly calling to guard
the Garden-temple from intruders by not keeping Godrsquos word Edenis a place where purpose is given to humanity (Gen 104862610486251048629 see Gen 104862510486261048632)
We will see later that as Godrsquos presence is restored through the sac-
rifice of Jesus our purpose is also restored as a kingdom of priests and
a holy nation serving in Godrsquos true end-time temple (1048625 Pet 10486261048628-1048633)
Te longing for purpose found in the human heart is satisfied when
life works according to its purpose which is life lived in the presence
of God Just as Adam and Eve were to submit to Godrsquos word to fulfill
their mission in guarding Godrsquos dwelling place so we must submit
to Godrsquos Word to fulfill our mission in guarding and expanding Godrsquos
dwelling place to fill the earth
CONCLUSION
In this chapter we see Eden as the first temple and place of Godrsquospresence As a result Eden is a place of satisfaction of life However
sin closed off the way back to Godrsquos presence in Eden Because Adam
and Eve fail to guard the temple by sinning and letting in an unclean
serpent to defile the temple they lose their priestly role and the two
cherubim take over the responsibility to ldquoguardrdquo the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862710486261048628)14
Who will open the way back into Godrsquos tabernacling presence Are we endlessly condemned to our lives east of Eden Jesus opens up the
way back into Godrsquos presence by the sacrifice of his body (Heb 1048625104862410486251048633-
10486261048624) As a result the life-giving waters that flowed in Eden now flow
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Eden as a emple 19
purpose found in the Garden Te imagery in Eden paints a com-
pelling picture of the satisfaction of basic human desires in Godrsquos
presence For example the desire for life is satisfied by the waters of
the river of life and the fruit of the tree of life Te need for purpose
is fulfilled in Adamrsquos priestly call to work and keep the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862610486251048629 see Num 104862510486321048629) Parallels between Eden and the tabernacle
temple further demonstrate that our desire for life and purpose are
properly satisfied in Godrsquos presence
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR SATISFACTION
THE TREE AND RIVER OF LIFE
In the concise narrative of Genesis 1048626 six verses describe the tree of
life and the river flowing out of Eden (Gen 10486261048633-10486251048628) Is sacred
Scripture ldquowastingrdquo precious space here In actuality such seemingly
trivial details easily skipped by a hasty reader brim with the sig-
nificance of life found in the presence of God Te verdant imagery
of Eden especially its trees and rivers reflects abundant life in
Godrsquos presence and this verdant imagery is mirrored in the later
tabernacle and temple
Te tree of life Gen 10486261048633 And out of the ground the Lord God
made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for food Te tree of life was in the midst of the gardenand the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
Te ldquotree of liferdquo stood in the middle of the Garden and the fruit of
this tree would give life forever (Gen 104862710486261048626) Why Proverbs 1048627 shows
us that Godrsquos wisdom is compared to the ldquotree of liferdquo and that his
wisdom shines light on the paths of life and peace for Godrsquos people
(Prov 104862710486251048630-10486251048632) Similarly in the tabernacle and temple this ldquotree of liferdquoserved as the model for the lampstand outside the Holy of Holies
since the presence of God would shine light on the paths of life for
his people Tis lampstand looked like a small tree trunk with seven
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20 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
protruding branches with flowering almond blossoms (Ex 1048626104862910486271048625-10486281048624
1048627104863110486251048631-10486261048628) a picture of the life-giving fruitfulness that is found in
Godrsquos presence6
Abundant life is seen not only in the tree itself but also in the
verdant imagery of the Garden since ldquoout of the ground the L983151983154983140
God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for foodrdquo (Gen 10486261048633) Solomonrsquos temple also abounds with such
verdant imagery (1048625 Kings 104863010486251048632 10486261048633 10486271048626 10486271048629 104863110486251048632-10486261048624)7 Te end-time
temple overflows with life as trees of life grow on the banks of theriver of life to bring healing for the nations (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626 Rev 104862610486261048626 see
discussion below) Te abundance of life found in the Garden paints
a picture of the abundance found in the tabernacling presence of God
Godrsquos presence overflows with life
Te river of life Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628 A river flowed out of Eden to
water the garden and there it divided and became four riversTe name of the first is the Pishon It is the one that flowed
around the whole land of Havilah where there is gold And
the gold of that land is good bdellium and onyx stone are
there Te name of the second river is the Gihon It is the one
that flowed around the whole land of Cush And the name of
the third river is the igris which flows east of Assyria And
the fourth river is the Euphrates
A seemingly incidental reference to a river flowing out of Eden also
reminds us of the abundant life flowing from the presence of God
Tis river in Eden gives life to the many trees growing on its banks
including the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree
of life (Gen 104862610486251048624 10486251048631 104862710486261048628) Tis water flows out of Eden to water
the Garden before flowing outward to give life to the rest of theearth and places where nations would reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) Simi-
larly in later depictions of the temple a river flows with trees of life
on its banks In Ezekiel 10486281048631 a river flows from below the threshold
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Eden as a emple 21
of the temple with trees on the banks of both sides Te waters of
this river make seawater fresh (Ezek 104862810486311048632) give life to creatures
(Ezek 104862810486311048633) and cause leaves of healing to blossom on the trees of
its banks (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626) In Revelation a river flows in the new Jeru-
salem with ldquothe tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit yielding
its fruit each monthrdquo and ldquothe leaves of the tree were for the healing
of the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862610486261048625-1048626) Tis river flows from the presence of
God (ldquofrom the throne of God and of the Lambrdquo) outward to bring
life to the surrounding nationsTis river of life abounding with Godrsquos presence flows from the
inmost place of Godrsquos presence outward into the nations In the
temple Godrsquos holiness is supremely manifest in the Holy of Holies
and spreads outward to the Holy Place and then the outer court
where all Israel could assemble for worship and which symbolized as
we will see the whole world In the eschatological temple the river
flows from the Holy of Holies into the temple courts and then the
nations outside (Ezek 104862810486311048625 Rev 104862610486261048625) In Eden the river flows from
Godrsquos presence in Eden into the Garden and then the rest of the earth
where nations would eventually reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) A gradation of
holiness is seen in Eden and the temple as the presence of God in-
creases from the innermost place of EdenHoly of Holies outward to
the earth and the lands where nations would live As a result this gradation of holiness is evident in the parallels
between Eden and the temple Just as the Holy Place contained the
lampstand shaped like the tree of life and the bread of the presence
to sustain the priests so the Garden of Eden is the place of the tree
of life (Gen 10486261048632-1048633) and provides food to sustain Adam (Gen 104862610486251048630) Just
as the outer court of Israelrsquos second temple provided a place for the
nations to come so the land and seas to be subdued by Adam outsidethe Garden are the nations of Cush and Assyria (Gen 104862610486251048627-10486251048628) though
of course these lands were not yet populated with peoples8 Te
parallels can be seen in the following diagram
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22 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
Figure 983089
Since the river of life flows from Godrsquos presence into the lands of
nations so our mission to the nations must flow from the life found
in Godrsquos presence When the source of our commitment to mission is
located only in the backwaters of our idealism then we can burn out
and become bitter Many idealistically plunge headlong into a sacri-
ficial commitment to the poor or unreached or hurting compelled by
brokenness over their plight but the resources of that idealism run dry
when tested by the challenges of costly obedience However when our
resources run dry we drink more fully and deeply from the abundanceof life found in Godrsquos presence Our God gives joy and strength to
endure Te life that we find in Godrsquos presence is more than enough
to overcome every challenge for the mission God has placed before us
However life must clearly flow from Godrsquos presence into the needs of
the nations and the needs of the nations must drive us to drink more
fully from the life found in Godrsquos presence
Just outside the Garden the river is surrounded with land thatabounds with good gold bdellium and onyx stone (Gen 104862610486251048626) Each
of these marks life in the presence of God ldquoPure gold like clear glassrdquo
covers the temple (Rev 1048626104862510486251048632 10486261048625) just as the sacred furniture in the
Outer Court
Holy Place
Holy of Holies
Eden
Garden
Outer World
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Eden as a emple 23
tabernacle was made of gold Polished gold reflects light just as we
will reflect Godrsquos light when we live in the presence of God Bdellium
is a fragrant substance with the appearance of manna (Num 104862510486251048631)
which was kept in the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies
Indeed Godrsquos presence sustains and strengthens us as the manna did
for Israel in the wilderness (Ps 1048631104863210486261048628-10486261048629 Jn 104863010486291048632) Onyx stones are
prevalent in the temple especially on the breastpiece of the high
priest where the names of the sons of Israel were engraved (Ex 104862610486291048631
104862610486321048633) reflecting their identity and preciousness before God In this way this abundant imagery reminds us how Godrsquos presence brings
life so that our hearts may not corrode with sin our lives are sustained
with strength and our identities might be properly grounded in our
preciousness before him
Psalm 10486271048630 interprets the river from Godrsquos presence in Eden as a
picture of the abundant life found there
How precious is your steadfast love O God
Te children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your
wings
Tey feast on the abundance of your house [temple]
and you give them drink from the river of your delights
[literally ldquoEdensrdquo]
For with you is the fountain of lifein your light do we see light (Ps 104862710486301048631-1048633)
In Godrsquos presence and in the temple the river of Eden flows to bring
the fountain of life Godrsquos presence brings life and light Since true
life and sustenance are found in the presence of God we must regu-
larly drink deeply from the river of his delights In our weariness
though we often seek life from entertainment empty friendships andceaseless activity which all fail to bring life So many of our ldquorecre-
ationalrdquo activities fail to re-create the inner resources of our soul to
face the challenges of each day Like the Israelites before us we forsake
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24 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
the river of Godrsquos presence and hew out empty cisterns that do not
hold water to satisfy our thirsts (Jer 104862610486251048627) Will we satisfy our soul at
the fountain of living waters Or will we hew out cisterns of putrid
water that do not satisfy Te rivers of life flowing from the presence
of God in Eden beckon us to the satisfaction and re-creation of these
refreshing waters that are only found in the presence of God
We sacrifice for what satisfies Te soul-satisfying riches in the
presence of God propel us out of our comfort zones calling us out of
the warm confines of our beds to our knees in early-morning prayerand meditation on Godrsquos Word Only these soul-satisfying riches can
sustain us in the rigors of Godrsquos calling on our lives as we move out to
proclaim his name to the nations across the street and across the globe
A heart for mission grows out of a soul that finds satisfaction in Godrsquos
presence the riches of which can be seen in the imagery of Eden
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR PURPOSE
God placed Adam in Eden to work it and keep it (Gen 104862610486251048629) a priestly
work in the Garden-temple of Eden His ldquoworkrdquo is not only working
the soil (Gen 10486261048629) but serving God (eg Deut 104862810486251048633) and he keeps the
Garden (Gen 104862610486251048629) as he keeps Godrsquos commands (see Lev 104862510486321048629) and
guards it from pollution and corruption (see Num 104862510486291048627) Te verbs to
work and to keep are sometimes used together outside Genesis 104862610486251048629 ina priestly context
And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar that
there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel And
behold I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the
people of Israel Tey are a gift to you given to the L983151983154983140 to do
the work of the tent of meeting9 (Num 104862510486321048629-1048630 translation altered)
In this passage the priests are to keep the sanctuary from corruption and
defilement and do the work of service in the tabernacle In the same way
Adam serves God in the temple as a priest and keeps the Garden-temple
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Eden as a emple 25
from corruption Similarly Ezekiel 1048626104863210486251048627 shows Adam in Eden clothed
like a priest with ldquoevery precious stonerdquo stones that correspond to the
precious stones on the ephod of Israelrsquos high priest (Ex 1048626104863210486251048631-10486261048625)10
Tis understanding of Adamrsquos work is confirmed by observing the
next verses in Genesis 1048626 After being commanded to work and keep
the Garden Adam is told
And the L983151983154983140 God commanded the man saying ldquoYou may
surely eat of every tree of the garden but of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that
you eat of it you shall surely dierdquo (Gen 104862610486251048630-10486251048631)
After Adam is commanded to keep the Garden he is also instructed
to keep Godrsquos commands Just as the priests were to keep guard over
the temple (Num 104862510486321048629) by obeying Godrsquos commands so Adam as a
priest guards the Garden-temple of Eden by keeping Godrsquos com-
mands Adam works out Godrsquos priestly purposes through obedienceto his word
Adam failed in his service as the first priest to guard Godrsquos temple
which included guarding the Garden-temple from the intrusion of
the serpent who was outside11 Te serpent slithered into the Garden
with deceptive words ldquoDid God actually say lsquoYou shall not eat of any
tree in the gardenrsquordquo (Gen 10486271048625) Trough doubt the serpent under-
mined Godrsquos word Eversquos reply to the serpent shows that the serpent
succeeded in his plot Notice the subtle differences between Godrsquos
word in Genesis 104862610486251048630-10486251048631 and the womanrsquos reply in Genesis 10486271048626-1048627
Table 983089983089
Genesis 983090983089983094-983089983095 Genesis 983091983090ndash983091
And the LORD God commanded the man
saying ldquoYou may surely eat of every tree ofthe garden but of the tree of theknowledge of good and evil you shall noteat for in the day that you eat of it you shallsurely die [literally ldquodying you shall dierdquo]rdquo
And the woman said to the serpent
ldquoWe may eat of the fruit of the trees inthe garden but God said lsquoYou shallnot eat of the fruit of the tree that isin the midst of the garden neithershall you touch it lest you diersquordquo
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Eden as a emple 27
temptation as she ldquosaw that the tree was good for food and that it
was a delight to her eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make
one wiserdquo Te desire for food the delight of the eyes and the craving
for wisdom are all strong and in their proper context legitimate
desires Te desires of our flesh may be legitimate but Eve sought to
satisfy them in illegitimate ways However the bridle of Godrsquos word
protects the wild horses of our desires from destroying us
Adam and Eve failed in their purpose and priestly calling to guard
the Garden-temple from intruders by not keeping Godrsquos word Edenis a place where purpose is given to humanity (Gen 104862610486251048629 see Gen 104862510486261048632)
We will see later that as Godrsquos presence is restored through the sac-
rifice of Jesus our purpose is also restored as a kingdom of priests and
a holy nation serving in Godrsquos true end-time temple (1048625 Pet 10486261048628-1048633)
Te longing for purpose found in the human heart is satisfied when
life works according to its purpose which is life lived in the presence
of God Just as Adam and Eve were to submit to Godrsquos word to fulfill
their mission in guarding Godrsquos dwelling place so we must submit
to Godrsquos Word to fulfill our mission in guarding and expanding Godrsquos
dwelling place to fill the earth
CONCLUSION
In this chapter we see Eden as the first temple and place of Godrsquospresence As a result Eden is a place of satisfaction of life However
sin closed off the way back to Godrsquos presence in Eden Because Adam
and Eve fail to guard the temple by sinning and letting in an unclean
serpent to defile the temple they lose their priestly role and the two
cherubim take over the responsibility to ldquoguardrdquo the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862710486261048628)14
Who will open the way back into Godrsquos tabernacling presence Are we endlessly condemned to our lives east of Eden Jesus opens up the
way back into Godrsquos presence by the sacrifice of his body (Heb 1048625104862410486251048633-
10486261048624) As a result the life-giving waters that flowed in Eden now flow
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20 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
protruding branches with flowering almond blossoms (Ex 1048626104862910486271048625-10486281048624
1048627104863110486251048631-10486261048628) a picture of the life-giving fruitfulness that is found in
Godrsquos presence6
Abundant life is seen not only in the tree itself but also in the
verdant imagery of the Garden since ldquoout of the ground the L983151983154983140
God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and
good for foodrdquo (Gen 10486261048633) Solomonrsquos temple also abounds with such
verdant imagery (1048625 Kings 104863010486251048632 10486261048633 10486271048626 10486271048629 104863110486251048632-10486261048624)7 Te end-time
temple overflows with life as trees of life grow on the banks of theriver of life to bring healing for the nations (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626 Rev 104862610486261048626 see
discussion below) Te abundance of life found in the Garden paints
a picture of the abundance found in the tabernacling presence of God
Godrsquos presence overflows with life
Te river of life Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628 A river flowed out of Eden to
water the garden and there it divided and became four riversTe name of the first is the Pishon It is the one that flowed
around the whole land of Havilah where there is gold And
the gold of that land is good bdellium and onyx stone are
there Te name of the second river is the Gihon It is the one
that flowed around the whole land of Cush And the name of
the third river is the igris which flows east of Assyria And
the fourth river is the Euphrates
A seemingly incidental reference to a river flowing out of Eden also
reminds us of the abundant life flowing from the presence of God
Tis river in Eden gives life to the many trees growing on its banks
including the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree
of life (Gen 104862610486251048624 10486251048631 104862710486261048628) Tis water flows out of Eden to water
the Garden before flowing outward to give life to the rest of theearth and places where nations would reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) Simi-
larly in later depictions of the temple a river flows with trees of life
on its banks In Ezekiel 10486281048631 a river flows from below the threshold
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Eden as a emple 21
of the temple with trees on the banks of both sides Te waters of
this river make seawater fresh (Ezek 104862810486311048632) give life to creatures
(Ezek 104862810486311048633) and cause leaves of healing to blossom on the trees of
its banks (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626) In Revelation a river flows in the new Jeru-
salem with ldquothe tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit yielding
its fruit each monthrdquo and ldquothe leaves of the tree were for the healing
of the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862610486261048625-1048626) Tis river flows from the presence of
God (ldquofrom the throne of God and of the Lambrdquo) outward to bring
life to the surrounding nationsTis river of life abounding with Godrsquos presence flows from the
inmost place of Godrsquos presence outward into the nations In the
temple Godrsquos holiness is supremely manifest in the Holy of Holies
and spreads outward to the Holy Place and then the outer court
where all Israel could assemble for worship and which symbolized as
we will see the whole world In the eschatological temple the river
flows from the Holy of Holies into the temple courts and then the
nations outside (Ezek 104862810486311048625 Rev 104862610486261048625) In Eden the river flows from
Godrsquos presence in Eden into the Garden and then the rest of the earth
where nations would eventually reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) A gradation of
holiness is seen in Eden and the temple as the presence of God in-
creases from the innermost place of EdenHoly of Holies outward to
the earth and the lands where nations would live As a result this gradation of holiness is evident in the parallels
between Eden and the temple Just as the Holy Place contained the
lampstand shaped like the tree of life and the bread of the presence
to sustain the priests so the Garden of Eden is the place of the tree
of life (Gen 10486261048632-1048633) and provides food to sustain Adam (Gen 104862610486251048630) Just
as the outer court of Israelrsquos second temple provided a place for the
nations to come so the land and seas to be subdued by Adam outsidethe Garden are the nations of Cush and Assyria (Gen 104862610486251048627-10486251048628) though
of course these lands were not yet populated with peoples8 Te
parallels can be seen in the following diagram
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8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullgod-dwells-among-us-by-g-k-beale-and-mitchell-kim-excerpt 1925
22 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
Figure 983089
Since the river of life flows from Godrsquos presence into the lands of
nations so our mission to the nations must flow from the life found
in Godrsquos presence When the source of our commitment to mission is
located only in the backwaters of our idealism then we can burn out
and become bitter Many idealistically plunge headlong into a sacri-
ficial commitment to the poor or unreached or hurting compelled by
brokenness over their plight but the resources of that idealism run dry
when tested by the challenges of costly obedience However when our
resources run dry we drink more fully and deeply from the abundanceof life found in Godrsquos presence Our God gives joy and strength to
endure Te life that we find in Godrsquos presence is more than enough
to overcome every challenge for the mission God has placed before us
However life must clearly flow from Godrsquos presence into the needs of
the nations and the needs of the nations must drive us to drink more
fully from the life found in Godrsquos presence
Just outside the Garden the river is surrounded with land thatabounds with good gold bdellium and onyx stone (Gen 104862610486251048626) Each
of these marks life in the presence of God ldquoPure gold like clear glassrdquo
covers the temple (Rev 1048626104862510486251048632 10486261048625) just as the sacred furniture in the
Outer Court
Holy Place
Holy of Holies
Eden
Garden
Outer World
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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Eden as a emple 23
tabernacle was made of gold Polished gold reflects light just as we
will reflect Godrsquos light when we live in the presence of God Bdellium
is a fragrant substance with the appearance of manna (Num 104862510486251048631)
which was kept in the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies
Indeed Godrsquos presence sustains and strengthens us as the manna did
for Israel in the wilderness (Ps 1048631104863210486261048628-10486261048629 Jn 104863010486291048632) Onyx stones are
prevalent in the temple especially on the breastpiece of the high
priest where the names of the sons of Israel were engraved (Ex 104862610486291048631
104862610486321048633) reflecting their identity and preciousness before God In this way this abundant imagery reminds us how Godrsquos presence brings
life so that our hearts may not corrode with sin our lives are sustained
with strength and our identities might be properly grounded in our
preciousness before him
Psalm 10486271048630 interprets the river from Godrsquos presence in Eden as a
picture of the abundant life found there
How precious is your steadfast love O God
Te children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your
wings
Tey feast on the abundance of your house [temple]
and you give them drink from the river of your delights
[literally ldquoEdensrdquo]
For with you is the fountain of lifein your light do we see light (Ps 104862710486301048631-1048633)
In Godrsquos presence and in the temple the river of Eden flows to bring
the fountain of life Godrsquos presence brings life and light Since true
life and sustenance are found in the presence of God we must regu-
larly drink deeply from the river of his delights In our weariness
though we often seek life from entertainment empty friendships andceaseless activity which all fail to bring life So many of our ldquorecre-
ationalrdquo activities fail to re-create the inner resources of our soul to
face the challenges of each day Like the Israelites before us we forsake
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullgod-dwells-among-us-by-g-k-beale-and-mitchell-kim-excerpt 2125
24 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
the river of Godrsquos presence and hew out empty cisterns that do not
hold water to satisfy our thirsts (Jer 104862610486251048627) Will we satisfy our soul at
the fountain of living waters Or will we hew out cisterns of putrid
water that do not satisfy Te rivers of life flowing from the presence
of God in Eden beckon us to the satisfaction and re-creation of these
refreshing waters that are only found in the presence of God
We sacrifice for what satisfies Te soul-satisfying riches in the
presence of God propel us out of our comfort zones calling us out of
the warm confines of our beds to our knees in early-morning prayerand meditation on Godrsquos Word Only these soul-satisfying riches can
sustain us in the rigors of Godrsquos calling on our lives as we move out to
proclaim his name to the nations across the street and across the globe
A heart for mission grows out of a soul that finds satisfaction in Godrsquos
presence the riches of which can be seen in the imagery of Eden
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR PURPOSE
God placed Adam in Eden to work it and keep it (Gen 104862610486251048629) a priestly
work in the Garden-temple of Eden His ldquoworkrdquo is not only working
the soil (Gen 10486261048629) but serving God (eg Deut 104862810486251048633) and he keeps the
Garden (Gen 104862610486251048629) as he keeps Godrsquos commands (see Lev 104862510486321048629) and
guards it from pollution and corruption (see Num 104862510486291048627) Te verbs to
work and to keep are sometimes used together outside Genesis 104862610486251048629 ina priestly context
And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar that
there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel And
behold I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the
people of Israel Tey are a gift to you given to the L983151983154983140 to do
the work of the tent of meeting9 (Num 104862510486321048629-1048630 translation altered)
In this passage the priests are to keep the sanctuary from corruption and
defilement and do the work of service in the tabernacle In the same way
Adam serves God in the temple as a priest and keeps the Garden-temple
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
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Eden as a emple 25
from corruption Similarly Ezekiel 1048626104863210486251048627 shows Adam in Eden clothed
like a priest with ldquoevery precious stonerdquo stones that correspond to the
precious stones on the ephod of Israelrsquos high priest (Ex 1048626104863210486251048631-10486261048625)10
Tis understanding of Adamrsquos work is confirmed by observing the
next verses in Genesis 1048626 After being commanded to work and keep
the Garden Adam is told
And the L983151983154983140 God commanded the man saying ldquoYou may
surely eat of every tree of the garden but of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that
you eat of it you shall surely dierdquo (Gen 104862610486251048630-10486251048631)
After Adam is commanded to keep the Garden he is also instructed
to keep Godrsquos commands Just as the priests were to keep guard over
the temple (Num 104862510486321048629) by obeying Godrsquos commands so Adam as a
priest guards the Garden-temple of Eden by keeping Godrsquos com-
mands Adam works out Godrsquos priestly purposes through obedienceto his word
Adam failed in his service as the first priest to guard Godrsquos temple
which included guarding the Garden-temple from the intrusion of
the serpent who was outside11 Te serpent slithered into the Garden
with deceptive words ldquoDid God actually say lsquoYou shall not eat of any
tree in the gardenrsquordquo (Gen 10486271048625) Trough doubt the serpent under-
mined Godrsquos word Eversquos reply to the serpent shows that the serpent
succeeded in his plot Notice the subtle differences between Godrsquos
word in Genesis 104862610486251048630-10486251048631 and the womanrsquos reply in Genesis 10486271048626-1048627
Table 983089983089
Genesis 983090983089983094-983089983095 Genesis 983091983090ndash983091
And the LORD God commanded the man
saying ldquoYou may surely eat of every tree ofthe garden but of the tree of theknowledge of good and evil you shall noteat for in the day that you eat of it you shallsurely die [literally ldquodying you shall dierdquo]rdquo
And the woman said to the serpent
ldquoWe may eat of the fruit of the trees inthe garden but God said lsquoYou shallnot eat of the fruit of the tree that isin the midst of the garden neithershall you touch it lest you diersquordquo
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
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Eden as a emple 27
temptation as she ldquosaw that the tree was good for food and that it
was a delight to her eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make
one wiserdquo Te desire for food the delight of the eyes and the craving
for wisdom are all strong and in their proper context legitimate
desires Te desires of our flesh may be legitimate but Eve sought to
satisfy them in illegitimate ways However the bridle of Godrsquos word
protects the wild horses of our desires from destroying us
Adam and Eve failed in their purpose and priestly calling to guard
the Garden-temple from intruders by not keeping Godrsquos word Edenis a place where purpose is given to humanity (Gen 104862610486251048629 see Gen 104862510486261048632)
We will see later that as Godrsquos presence is restored through the sac-
rifice of Jesus our purpose is also restored as a kingdom of priests and
a holy nation serving in Godrsquos true end-time temple (1048625 Pet 10486261048628-1048633)
Te longing for purpose found in the human heart is satisfied when
life works according to its purpose which is life lived in the presence
of God Just as Adam and Eve were to submit to Godrsquos word to fulfill
their mission in guarding Godrsquos dwelling place so we must submit
to Godrsquos Word to fulfill our mission in guarding and expanding Godrsquos
dwelling place to fill the earth
CONCLUSION
In this chapter we see Eden as the first temple and place of Godrsquospresence As a result Eden is a place of satisfaction of life However
sin closed off the way back to Godrsquos presence in Eden Because Adam
and Eve fail to guard the temple by sinning and letting in an unclean
serpent to defile the temple they lose their priestly role and the two
cherubim take over the responsibility to ldquoguardrdquo the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862710486261048628)14
Who will open the way back into Godrsquos tabernacling presence Are we endlessly condemned to our lives east of Eden Jesus opens up the
way back into Godrsquos presence by the sacrifice of his body (Heb 1048625104862410486251048633-
10486261048624) As a result the life-giving waters that flowed in Eden now flow
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
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Eden as a emple 21
of the temple with trees on the banks of both sides Te waters of
this river make seawater fresh (Ezek 104862810486311048632) give life to creatures
(Ezek 104862810486311048633) and cause leaves of healing to blossom on the trees of
its banks (Ezek 1048628104863110486251048626) In Revelation a river flows in the new Jeru-
salem with ldquothe tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit yielding
its fruit each monthrdquo and ldquothe leaves of the tree were for the healing
of the nationsrdquo (Rev 104862610486261048625-1048626) Tis river flows from the presence of
God (ldquofrom the throne of God and of the Lambrdquo) outward to bring
life to the surrounding nationsTis river of life abounding with Godrsquos presence flows from the
inmost place of Godrsquos presence outward into the nations In the
temple Godrsquos holiness is supremely manifest in the Holy of Holies
and spreads outward to the Holy Place and then the outer court
where all Israel could assemble for worship and which symbolized as
we will see the whole world In the eschatological temple the river
flows from the Holy of Holies into the temple courts and then the
nations outside (Ezek 104862810486311048625 Rev 104862610486261048625) In Eden the river flows from
Godrsquos presence in Eden into the Garden and then the rest of the earth
where nations would eventually reside (Gen 104862610486251048624-10486251048628) A gradation of
holiness is seen in Eden and the temple as the presence of God in-
creases from the innermost place of EdenHoly of Holies outward to
the earth and the lands where nations would live As a result this gradation of holiness is evident in the parallels
between Eden and the temple Just as the Holy Place contained the
lampstand shaped like the tree of life and the bread of the presence
to sustain the priests so the Garden of Eden is the place of the tree
of life (Gen 10486261048632-1048633) and provides food to sustain Adam (Gen 104862610486251048630) Just
as the outer court of Israelrsquos second temple provided a place for the
nations to come so the land and seas to be subdued by Adam outsidethe Garden are the nations of Cush and Assyria (Gen 104862610486251048627-10486251048628) though
of course these lands were not yet populated with peoples8 Te
parallels can be seen in the following diagram
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8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
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22 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
Figure 983089
Since the river of life flows from Godrsquos presence into the lands of
nations so our mission to the nations must flow from the life found
in Godrsquos presence When the source of our commitment to mission is
located only in the backwaters of our idealism then we can burn out
and become bitter Many idealistically plunge headlong into a sacri-
ficial commitment to the poor or unreached or hurting compelled by
brokenness over their plight but the resources of that idealism run dry
when tested by the challenges of costly obedience However when our
resources run dry we drink more fully and deeply from the abundanceof life found in Godrsquos presence Our God gives joy and strength to
endure Te life that we find in Godrsquos presence is more than enough
to overcome every challenge for the mission God has placed before us
However life must clearly flow from Godrsquos presence into the needs of
the nations and the needs of the nations must drive us to drink more
fully from the life found in Godrsquos presence
Just outside the Garden the river is surrounded with land thatabounds with good gold bdellium and onyx stone (Gen 104862610486251048626) Each
of these marks life in the presence of God ldquoPure gold like clear glassrdquo
covers the temple (Rev 1048626104862510486251048632 10486261048625) just as the sacred furniture in the
Outer Court
Holy Place
Holy of Holies
Eden
Garden
Outer World
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
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Eden as a emple 23
tabernacle was made of gold Polished gold reflects light just as we
will reflect Godrsquos light when we live in the presence of God Bdellium
is a fragrant substance with the appearance of manna (Num 104862510486251048631)
which was kept in the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies
Indeed Godrsquos presence sustains and strengthens us as the manna did
for Israel in the wilderness (Ps 1048631104863210486261048628-10486261048629 Jn 104863010486291048632) Onyx stones are
prevalent in the temple especially on the breastpiece of the high
priest where the names of the sons of Israel were engraved (Ex 104862610486291048631
104862610486321048633) reflecting their identity and preciousness before God In this way this abundant imagery reminds us how Godrsquos presence brings
life so that our hearts may not corrode with sin our lives are sustained
with strength and our identities might be properly grounded in our
preciousness before him
Psalm 10486271048630 interprets the river from Godrsquos presence in Eden as a
picture of the abundant life found there
How precious is your steadfast love O God
Te children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your
wings
Tey feast on the abundance of your house [temple]
and you give them drink from the river of your delights
[literally ldquoEdensrdquo]
For with you is the fountain of lifein your light do we see light (Ps 104862710486301048631-1048633)
In Godrsquos presence and in the temple the river of Eden flows to bring
the fountain of life Godrsquos presence brings life and light Since true
life and sustenance are found in the presence of God we must regu-
larly drink deeply from the river of his delights In our weariness
though we often seek life from entertainment empty friendships andceaseless activity which all fail to bring life So many of our ldquorecre-
ationalrdquo activities fail to re-create the inner resources of our soul to
face the challenges of each day Like the Israelites before us we forsake
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullgod-dwells-among-us-by-g-k-beale-and-mitchell-kim-excerpt 2125
24 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
the river of Godrsquos presence and hew out empty cisterns that do not
hold water to satisfy our thirsts (Jer 104862610486251048627) Will we satisfy our soul at
the fountain of living waters Or will we hew out cisterns of putrid
water that do not satisfy Te rivers of life flowing from the presence
of God in Eden beckon us to the satisfaction and re-creation of these
refreshing waters that are only found in the presence of God
We sacrifice for what satisfies Te soul-satisfying riches in the
presence of God propel us out of our comfort zones calling us out of
the warm confines of our beds to our knees in early-morning prayerand meditation on Godrsquos Word Only these soul-satisfying riches can
sustain us in the rigors of Godrsquos calling on our lives as we move out to
proclaim his name to the nations across the street and across the globe
A heart for mission grows out of a soul that finds satisfaction in Godrsquos
presence the riches of which can be seen in the imagery of Eden
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR PURPOSE
God placed Adam in Eden to work it and keep it (Gen 104862610486251048629) a priestly
work in the Garden-temple of Eden His ldquoworkrdquo is not only working
the soil (Gen 10486261048629) but serving God (eg Deut 104862810486251048633) and he keeps the
Garden (Gen 104862610486251048629) as he keeps Godrsquos commands (see Lev 104862510486321048629) and
guards it from pollution and corruption (see Num 104862510486291048627) Te verbs to
work and to keep are sometimes used together outside Genesis 104862610486251048629 ina priestly context
And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar that
there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel And
behold I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the
people of Israel Tey are a gift to you given to the L983151983154983140 to do
the work of the tent of meeting9 (Num 104862510486321048629-1048630 translation altered)
In this passage the priests are to keep the sanctuary from corruption and
defilement and do the work of service in the tabernacle In the same way
Adam serves God in the temple as a priest and keeps the Garden-temple
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
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Eden as a emple 25
from corruption Similarly Ezekiel 1048626104863210486251048627 shows Adam in Eden clothed
like a priest with ldquoevery precious stonerdquo stones that correspond to the
precious stones on the ephod of Israelrsquos high priest (Ex 1048626104863210486251048631-10486261048625)10
Tis understanding of Adamrsquos work is confirmed by observing the
next verses in Genesis 1048626 After being commanded to work and keep
the Garden Adam is told
And the L983151983154983140 God commanded the man saying ldquoYou may
surely eat of every tree of the garden but of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that
you eat of it you shall surely dierdquo (Gen 104862610486251048630-10486251048631)
After Adam is commanded to keep the Garden he is also instructed
to keep Godrsquos commands Just as the priests were to keep guard over
the temple (Num 104862510486321048629) by obeying Godrsquos commands so Adam as a
priest guards the Garden-temple of Eden by keeping Godrsquos com-
mands Adam works out Godrsquos priestly purposes through obedienceto his word
Adam failed in his service as the first priest to guard Godrsquos temple
which included guarding the Garden-temple from the intrusion of
the serpent who was outside11 Te serpent slithered into the Garden
with deceptive words ldquoDid God actually say lsquoYou shall not eat of any
tree in the gardenrsquordquo (Gen 10486271048625) Trough doubt the serpent under-
mined Godrsquos word Eversquos reply to the serpent shows that the serpent
succeeded in his plot Notice the subtle differences between Godrsquos
word in Genesis 104862610486251048630-10486251048631 and the womanrsquos reply in Genesis 10486271048626-1048627
Table 983089983089
Genesis 983090983089983094-983089983095 Genesis 983091983090ndash983091
And the LORD God commanded the man
saying ldquoYou may surely eat of every tree ofthe garden but of the tree of theknowledge of good and evil you shall noteat for in the day that you eat of it you shallsurely die [literally ldquodying you shall dierdquo]rdquo
And the woman said to the serpent
ldquoWe may eat of the fruit of the trees inthe garden but God said lsquoYou shallnot eat of the fruit of the tree that isin the midst of the garden neithershall you touch it lest you diersquordquo
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullgod-dwells-among-us-by-g-k-beale-and-mitchell-kim-excerpt 2325
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Eden as a emple 27
temptation as she ldquosaw that the tree was good for food and that it
was a delight to her eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make
one wiserdquo Te desire for food the delight of the eyes and the craving
for wisdom are all strong and in their proper context legitimate
desires Te desires of our flesh may be legitimate but Eve sought to
satisfy them in illegitimate ways However the bridle of Godrsquos word
protects the wild horses of our desires from destroying us
Adam and Eve failed in their purpose and priestly calling to guard
the Garden-temple from intruders by not keeping Godrsquos word Edenis a place where purpose is given to humanity (Gen 104862610486251048629 see Gen 104862510486261048632)
We will see later that as Godrsquos presence is restored through the sac-
rifice of Jesus our purpose is also restored as a kingdom of priests and
a holy nation serving in Godrsquos true end-time temple (1048625 Pet 10486261048628-1048633)
Te longing for purpose found in the human heart is satisfied when
life works according to its purpose which is life lived in the presence
of God Just as Adam and Eve were to submit to Godrsquos word to fulfill
their mission in guarding Godrsquos dwelling place so we must submit
to Godrsquos Word to fulfill our mission in guarding and expanding Godrsquos
dwelling place to fill the earth
CONCLUSION
In this chapter we see Eden as the first temple and place of Godrsquospresence As a result Eden is a place of satisfaction of life However
sin closed off the way back to Godrsquos presence in Eden Because Adam
and Eve fail to guard the temple by sinning and letting in an unclean
serpent to defile the temple they lose their priestly role and the two
cherubim take over the responsibility to ldquoguardrdquo the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862710486261048628)14
Who will open the way back into Godrsquos tabernacling presence Are we endlessly condemned to our lives east of Eden Jesus opens up the
way back into Godrsquos presence by the sacrifice of his body (Heb 1048625104862410486251048633-
10486261048624) As a result the life-giving waters that flowed in Eden now flow
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullgod-dwells-among-us-by-g-k-beale-and-mitchell-kim-excerpt 2525
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullgod-dwells-among-us-by-g-k-beale-and-mitchell-kim-excerpt 1925
22 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
Figure 983089
Since the river of life flows from Godrsquos presence into the lands of
nations so our mission to the nations must flow from the life found
in Godrsquos presence When the source of our commitment to mission is
located only in the backwaters of our idealism then we can burn out
and become bitter Many idealistically plunge headlong into a sacri-
ficial commitment to the poor or unreached or hurting compelled by
brokenness over their plight but the resources of that idealism run dry
when tested by the challenges of costly obedience However when our
resources run dry we drink more fully and deeply from the abundanceof life found in Godrsquos presence Our God gives joy and strength to
endure Te life that we find in Godrsquos presence is more than enough
to overcome every challenge for the mission God has placed before us
However life must clearly flow from Godrsquos presence into the needs of
the nations and the needs of the nations must drive us to drink more
fully from the life found in Godrsquos presence
Just outside the Garden the river is surrounded with land thatabounds with good gold bdellium and onyx stone (Gen 104862610486251048626) Each
of these marks life in the presence of God ldquoPure gold like clear glassrdquo
covers the temple (Rev 1048626104862510486251048632 10486261048625) just as the sacred furniture in the
Outer Court
Holy Place
Holy of Holies
Eden
Garden
Outer World
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullgod-dwells-among-us-by-g-k-beale-and-mitchell-kim-excerpt 2025
Eden as a emple 23
tabernacle was made of gold Polished gold reflects light just as we
will reflect Godrsquos light when we live in the presence of God Bdellium
is a fragrant substance with the appearance of manna (Num 104862510486251048631)
which was kept in the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies
Indeed Godrsquos presence sustains and strengthens us as the manna did
for Israel in the wilderness (Ps 1048631104863210486261048628-10486261048629 Jn 104863010486291048632) Onyx stones are
prevalent in the temple especially on the breastpiece of the high
priest where the names of the sons of Israel were engraved (Ex 104862610486291048631
104862610486321048633) reflecting their identity and preciousness before God In this way this abundant imagery reminds us how Godrsquos presence brings
life so that our hearts may not corrode with sin our lives are sustained
with strength and our identities might be properly grounded in our
preciousness before him
Psalm 10486271048630 interprets the river from Godrsquos presence in Eden as a
picture of the abundant life found there
How precious is your steadfast love O God
Te children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your
wings
Tey feast on the abundance of your house [temple]
and you give them drink from the river of your delights
[literally ldquoEdensrdquo]
For with you is the fountain of lifein your light do we see light (Ps 104862710486301048631-1048633)
In Godrsquos presence and in the temple the river of Eden flows to bring
the fountain of life Godrsquos presence brings life and light Since true
life and sustenance are found in the presence of God we must regu-
larly drink deeply from the river of his delights In our weariness
though we often seek life from entertainment empty friendships andceaseless activity which all fail to bring life So many of our ldquorecre-
ationalrdquo activities fail to re-create the inner resources of our soul to
face the challenges of each day Like the Israelites before us we forsake
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullgod-dwells-among-us-by-g-k-beale-and-mitchell-kim-excerpt 2125
24 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
the river of Godrsquos presence and hew out empty cisterns that do not
hold water to satisfy our thirsts (Jer 104862610486251048627) Will we satisfy our soul at
the fountain of living waters Or will we hew out cisterns of putrid
water that do not satisfy Te rivers of life flowing from the presence
of God in Eden beckon us to the satisfaction and re-creation of these
refreshing waters that are only found in the presence of God
We sacrifice for what satisfies Te soul-satisfying riches in the
presence of God propel us out of our comfort zones calling us out of
the warm confines of our beds to our knees in early-morning prayerand meditation on Godrsquos Word Only these soul-satisfying riches can
sustain us in the rigors of Godrsquos calling on our lives as we move out to
proclaim his name to the nations across the street and across the globe
A heart for mission grows out of a soul that finds satisfaction in Godrsquos
presence the riches of which can be seen in the imagery of Eden
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR PURPOSE
God placed Adam in Eden to work it and keep it (Gen 104862610486251048629) a priestly
work in the Garden-temple of Eden His ldquoworkrdquo is not only working
the soil (Gen 10486261048629) but serving God (eg Deut 104862810486251048633) and he keeps the
Garden (Gen 104862610486251048629) as he keeps Godrsquos commands (see Lev 104862510486321048629) and
guards it from pollution and corruption (see Num 104862510486291048627) Te verbs to
work and to keep are sometimes used together outside Genesis 104862610486251048629 ina priestly context
And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar that
there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel And
behold I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the
people of Israel Tey are a gift to you given to the L983151983154983140 to do
the work of the tent of meeting9 (Num 104862510486321048629-1048630 translation altered)
In this passage the priests are to keep the sanctuary from corruption and
defilement and do the work of service in the tabernacle In the same way
Adam serves God in the temple as a priest and keeps the Garden-temple
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullgod-dwells-among-us-by-g-k-beale-and-mitchell-kim-excerpt 2225
Eden as a emple 25
from corruption Similarly Ezekiel 1048626104863210486251048627 shows Adam in Eden clothed
like a priest with ldquoevery precious stonerdquo stones that correspond to the
precious stones on the ephod of Israelrsquos high priest (Ex 1048626104863210486251048631-10486261048625)10
Tis understanding of Adamrsquos work is confirmed by observing the
next verses in Genesis 1048626 After being commanded to work and keep
the Garden Adam is told
And the L983151983154983140 God commanded the man saying ldquoYou may
surely eat of every tree of the garden but of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that
you eat of it you shall surely dierdquo (Gen 104862610486251048630-10486251048631)
After Adam is commanded to keep the Garden he is also instructed
to keep Godrsquos commands Just as the priests were to keep guard over
the temple (Num 104862510486321048629) by obeying Godrsquos commands so Adam as a
priest guards the Garden-temple of Eden by keeping Godrsquos com-
mands Adam works out Godrsquos priestly purposes through obedienceto his word
Adam failed in his service as the first priest to guard Godrsquos temple
which included guarding the Garden-temple from the intrusion of
the serpent who was outside11 Te serpent slithered into the Garden
with deceptive words ldquoDid God actually say lsquoYou shall not eat of any
tree in the gardenrsquordquo (Gen 10486271048625) Trough doubt the serpent under-
mined Godrsquos word Eversquos reply to the serpent shows that the serpent
succeeded in his plot Notice the subtle differences between Godrsquos
word in Genesis 104862610486251048630-10486251048631 and the womanrsquos reply in Genesis 10486271048626-1048627
Table 983089983089
Genesis 983090983089983094-983089983095 Genesis 983091983090ndash983091
And the LORD God commanded the man
saying ldquoYou may surely eat of every tree ofthe garden but of the tree of theknowledge of good and evil you shall noteat for in the day that you eat of it you shallsurely die [literally ldquodying you shall dierdquo]rdquo
And the woman said to the serpent
ldquoWe may eat of the fruit of the trees inthe garden but God said lsquoYou shallnot eat of the fruit of the tree that isin the midst of the garden neithershall you touch it lest you diersquordquo
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullgod-dwells-among-us-by-g-k-beale-and-mitchell-kim-excerpt 2325
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullgod-dwells-among-us-by-g-k-beale-and-mitchell-kim-excerpt 2425
Eden as a emple 27
temptation as she ldquosaw that the tree was good for food and that it
was a delight to her eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make
one wiserdquo Te desire for food the delight of the eyes and the craving
for wisdom are all strong and in their proper context legitimate
desires Te desires of our flesh may be legitimate but Eve sought to
satisfy them in illegitimate ways However the bridle of Godrsquos word
protects the wild horses of our desires from destroying us
Adam and Eve failed in their purpose and priestly calling to guard
the Garden-temple from intruders by not keeping Godrsquos word Edenis a place where purpose is given to humanity (Gen 104862610486251048629 see Gen 104862510486261048632)
We will see later that as Godrsquos presence is restored through the sac-
rifice of Jesus our purpose is also restored as a kingdom of priests and
a holy nation serving in Godrsquos true end-time temple (1048625 Pet 10486261048628-1048633)
Te longing for purpose found in the human heart is satisfied when
life works according to its purpose which is life lived in the presence
of God Just as Adam and Eve were to submit to Godrsquos word to fulfill
their mission in guarding Godrsquos dwelling place so we must submit
to Godrsquos Word to fulfill our mission in guarding and expanding Godrsquos
dwelling place to fill the earth
CONCLUSION
In this chapter we see Eden as the first temple and place of Godrsquospresence As a result Eden is a place of satisfaction of life However
sin closed off the way back to Godrsquos presence in Eden Because Adam
and Eve fail to guard the temple by sinning and letting in an unclean
serpent to defile the temple they lose their priestly role and the two
cherubim take over the responsibility to ldquoguardrdquo the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862710486261048628)14
Who will open the way back into Godrsquos tabernacling presence Are we endlessly condemned to our lives east of Eden Jesus opens up the
way back into Godrsquos presence by the sacrifice of his body (Heb 1048625104862410486251048633-
10486261048624) As a result the life-giving waters that flowed in Eden now flow
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullgod-dwells-among-us-by-g-k-beale-and-mitchell-kim-excerpt 2525
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullgod-dwells-among-us-by-g-k-beale-and-mitchell-kim-excerpt 2025
Eden as a emple 23
tabernacle was made of gold Polished gold reflects light just as we
will reflect Godrsquos light when we live in the presence of God Bdellium
is a fragrant substance with the appearance of manna (Num 104862510486251048631)
which was kept in the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies
Indeed Godrsquos presence sustains and strengthens us as the manna did
for Israel in the wilderness (Ps 1048631104863210486261048628-10486261048629 Jn 104863010486291048632) Onyx stones are
prevalent in the temple especially on the breastpiece of the high
priest where the names of the sons of Israel were engraved (Ex 104862610486291048631
104862610486321048633) reflecting their identity and preciousness before God In this way this abundant imagery reminds us how Godrsquos presence brings
life so that our hearts may not corrode with sin our lives are sustained
with strength and our identities might be properly grounded in our
preciousness before him
Psalm 10486271048630 interprets the river from Godrsquos presence in Eden as a
picture of the abundant life found there
How precious is your steadfast love O God
Te children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your
wings
Tey feast on the abundance of your house [temple]
and you give them drink from the river of your delights
[literally ldquoEdensrdquo]
For with you is the fountain of lifein your light do we see light (Ps 104862710486301048631-1048633)
In Godrsquos presence and in the temple the river of Eden flows to bring
the fountain of life Godrsquos presence brings life and light Since true
life and sustenance are found in the presence of God we must regu-
larly drink deeply from the river of his delights In our weariness
though we often seek life from entertainment empty friendships andceaseless activity which all fail to bring life So many of our ldquorecre-
ationalrdquo activities fail to re-create the inner resources of our soul to
face the challenges of each day Like the Israelites before us we forsake
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullgod-dwells-among-us-by-g-k-beale-and-mitchell-kim-excerpt 2125
24 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
the river of Godrsquos presence and hew out empty cisterns that do not
hold water to satisfy our thirsts (Jer 104862610486251048627) Will we satisfy our soul at
the fountain of living waters Or will we hew out cisterns of putrid
water that do not satisfy Te rivers of life flowing from the presence
of God in Eden beckon us to the satisfaction and re-creation of these
refreshing waters that are only found in the presence of God
We sacrifice for what satisfies Te soul-satisfying riches in the
presence of God propel us out of our comfort zones calling us out of
the warm confines of our beds to our knees in early-morning prayerand meditation on Godrsquos Word Only these soul-satisfying riches can
sustain us in the rigors of Godrsquos calling on our lives as we move out to
proclaim his name to the nations across the street and across the globe
A heart for mission grows out of a soul that finds satisfaction in Godrsquos
presence the riches of which can be seen in the imagery of Eden
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR PURPOSE
God placed Adam in Eden to work it and keep it (Gen 104862610486251048629) a priestly
work in the Garden-temple of Eden His ldquoworkrdquo is not only working
the soil (Gen 10486261048629) but serving God (eg Deut 104862810486251048633) and he keeps the
Garden (Gen 104862610486251048629) as he keeps Godrsquos commands (see Lev 104862510486321048629) and
guards it from pollution and corruption (see Num 104862510486291048627) Te verbs to
work and to keep are sometimes used together outside Genesis 104862610486251048629 ina priestly context
And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar that
there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel And
behold I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the
people of Israel Tey are a gift to you given to the L983151983154983140 to do
the work of the tent of meeting9 (Num 104862510486321048629-1048630 translation altered)
In this passage the priests are to keep the sanctuary from corruption and
defilement and do the work of service in the tabernacle In the same way
Adam serves God in the temple as a priest and keeps the Garden-temple
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullgod-dwells-among-us-by-g-k-beale-and-mitchell-kim-excerpt 2225
Eden as a emple 25
from corruption Similarly Ezekiel 1048626104863210486251048627 shows Adam in Eden clothed
like a priest with ldquoevery precious stonerdquo stones that correspond to the
precious stones on the ephod of Israelrsquos high priest (Ex 1048626104863210486251048631-10486261048625)10
Tis understanding of Adamrsquos work is confirmed by observing the
next verses in Genesis 1048626 After being commanded to work and keep
the Garden Adam is told
And the L983151983154983140 God commanded the man saying ldquoYou may
surely eat of every tree of the garden but of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that
you eat of it you shall surely dierdquo (Gen 104862610486251048630-10486251048631)
After Adam is commanded to keep the Garden he is also instructed
to keep Godrsquos commands Just as the priests were to keep guard over
the temple (Num 104862510486321048629) by obeying Godrsquos commands so Adam as a
priest guards the Garden-temple of Eden by keeping Godrsquos com-
mands Adam works out Godrsquos priestly purposes through obedienceto his word
Adam failed in his service as the first priest to guard Godrsquos temple
which included guarding the Garden-temple from the intrusion of
the serpent who was outside11 Te serpent slithered into the Garden
with deceptive words ldquoDid God actually say lsquoYou shall not eat of any
tree in the gardenrsquordquo (Gen 10486271048625) Trough doubt the serpent under-
mined Godrsquos word Eversquos reply to the serpent shows that the serpent
succeeded in his plot Notice the subtle differences between Godrsquos
word in Genesis 104862610486251048630-10486251048631 and the womanrsquos reply in Genesis 10486271048626-1048627
Table 983089983089
Genesis 983090983089983094-983089983095 Genesis 983091983090ndash983091
And the LORD God commanded the man
saying ldquoYou may surely eat of every tree ofthe garden but of the tree of theknowledge of good and evil you shall noteat for in the day that you eat of it you shallsurely die [literally ldquodying you shall dierdquo]rdquo
And the woman said to the serpent
ldquoWe may eat of the fruit of the trees inthe garden but God said lsquoYou shallnot eat of the fruit of the tree that isin the midst of the garden neithershall you touch it lest you diersquordquo
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullgod-dwells-among-us-by-g-k-beale-and-mitchell-kim-excerpt 2325
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullgod-dwells-among-us-by-g-k-beale-and-mitchell-kim-excerpt 2425
Eden as a emple 27
temptation as she ldquosaw that the tree was good for food and that it
was a delight to her eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make
one wiserdquo Te desire for food the delight of the eyes and the craving
for wisdom are all strong and in their proper context legitimate
desires Te desires of our flesh may be legitimate but Eve sought to
satisfy them in illegitimate ways However the bridle of Godrsquos word
protects the wild horses of our desires from destroying us
Adam and Eve failed in their purpose and priestly calling to guard
the Garden-temple from intruders by not keeping Godrsquos word Edenis a place where purpose is given to humanity (Gen 104862610486251048629 see Gen 104862510486261048632)
We will see later that as Godrsquos presence is restored through the sac-
rifice of Jesus our purpose is also restored as a kingdom of priests and
a holy nation serving in Godrsquos true end-time temple (1048625 Pet 10486261048628-1048633)
Te longing for purpose found in the human heart is satisfied when
life works according to its purpose which is life lived in the presence
of God Just as Adam and Eve were to submit to Godrsquos word to fulfill
their mission in guarding Godrsquos dwelling place so we must submit
to Godrsquos Word to fulfill our mission in guarding and expanding Godrsquos
dwelling place to fill the earth
CONCLUSION
In this chapter we see Eden as the first temple and place of Godrsquospresence As a result Eden is a place of satisfaction of life However
sin closed off the way back to Godrsquos presence in Eden Because Adam
and Eve fail to guard the temple by sinning and letting in an unclean
serpent to defile the temple they lose their priestly role and the two
cherubim take over the responsibility to ldquoguardrdquo the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862710486261048628)14
Who will open the way back into Godrsquos tabernacling presence Are we endlessly condemned to our lives east of Eden Jesus opens up the
way back into Godrsquos presence by the sacrifice of his body (Heb 1048625104862410486251048633-
10486261048624) As a result the life-giving waters that flowed in Eden now flow
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullgod-dwells-among-us-by-g-k-beale-and-mitchell-kim-excerpt 2525
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullgod-dwells-among-us-by-g-k-beale-and-mitchell-kim-excerpt 2125
24 G983151983140 D983159983141983148 983148983155 A983149983151983150983143 U983155
the river of Godrsquos presence and hew out empty cisterns that do not
hold water to satisfy our thirsts (Jer 104862610486251048627) Will we satisfy our soul at
the fountain of living waters Or will we hew out cisterns of putrid
water that do not satisfy Te rivers of life flowing from the presence
of God in Eden beckon us to the satisfaction and re-creation of these
refreshing waters that are only found in the presence of God
We sacrifice for what satisfies Te soul-satisfying riches in the
presence of God propel us out of our comfort zones calling us out of
the warm confines of our beds to our knees in early-morning prayerand meditation on Godrsquos Word Only these soul-satisfying riches can
sustain us in the rigors of Godrsquos calling on our lives as we move out to
proclaim his name to the nations across the street and across the globe
A heart for mission grows out of a soul that finds satisfaction in Godrsquos
presence the riches of which can be seen in the imagery of Eden
EDEN AND THE LONGING FOR PURPOSE
God placed Adam in Eden to work it and keep it (Gen 104862610486251048629) a priestly
work in the Garden-temple of Eden His ldquoworkrdquo is not only working
the soil (Gen 10486261048629) but serving God (eg Deut 104862810486251048633) and he keeps the
Garden (Gen 104862610486251048629) as he keeps Godrsquos commands (see Lev 104862510486321048629) and
guards it from pollution and corruption (see Num 104862510486291048627) Te verbs to
work and to keep are sometimes used together outside Genesis 104862610486251048629 ina priestly context
And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar that
there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel And
behold I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the
people of Israel Tey are a gift to you given to the L983151983154983140 to do
the work of the tent of meeting9 (Num 104862510486321048629-1048630 translation altered)
In this passage the priests are to keep the sanctuary from corruption and
defilement and do the work of service in the tabernacle In the same way
Adam serves God in the temple as a priest and keeps the Garden-temple
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullgod-dwells-among-us-by-g-k-beale-and-mitchell-kim-excerpt 2225
Eden as a emple 25
from corruption Similarly Ezekiel 1048626104863210486251048627 shows Adam in Eden clothed
like a priest with ldquoevery precious stonerdquo stones that correspond to the
precious stones on the ephod of Israelrsquos high priest (Ex 1048626104863210486251048631-10486261048625)10
Tis understanding of Adamrsquos work is confirmed by observing the
next verses in Genesis 1048626 After being commanded to work and keep
the Garden Adam is told
And the L983151983154983140 God commanded the man saying ldquoYou may
surely eat of every tree of the garden but of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that
you eat of it you shall surely dierdquo (Gen 104862610486251048630-10486251048631)
After Adam is commanded to keep the Garden he is also instructed
to keep Godrsquos commands Just as the priests were to keep guard over
the temple (Num 104862510486321048629) by obeying Godrsquos commands so Adam as a
priest guards the Garden-temple of Eden by keeping Godrsquos com-
mands Adam works out Godrsquos priestly purposes through obedienceto his word
Adam failed in his service as the first priest to guard Godrsquos temple
which included guarding the Garden-temple from the intrusion of
the serpent who was outside11 Te serpent slithered into the Garden
with deceptive words ldquoDid God actually say lsquoYou shall not eat of any
tree in the gardenrsquordquo (Gen 10486271048625) Trough doubt the serpent under-
mined Godrsquos word Eversquos reply to the serpent shows that the serpent
succeeded in his plot Notice the subtle differences between Godrsquos
word in Genesis 104862610486251048630-10486251048631 and the womanrsquos reply in Genesis 10486271048626-1048627
Table 983089983089
Genesis 983090983089983094-983089983095 Genesis 983091983090ndash983091
And the LORD God commanded the man
saying ldquoYou may surely eat of every tree ofthe garden but of the tree of theknowledge of good and evil you shall noteat for in the day that you eat of it you shallsurely die [literally ldquodying you shall dierdquo]rdquo
And the woman said to the serpent
ldquoWe may eat of the fruit of the trees inthe garden but God said lsquoYou shallnot eat of the fruit of the tree that isin the midst of the garden neithershall you touch it lest you diersquordquo
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullgod-dwells-among-us-by-g-k-beale-and-mitchell-kim-excerpt 2325
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullgod-dwells-among-us-by-g-k-beale-and-mitchell-kim-excerpt 2425
Eden as a emple 27
temptation as she ldquosaw that the tree was good for food and that it
was a delight to her eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make
one wiserdquo Te desire for food the delight of the eyes and the craving
for wisdom are all strong and in their proper context legitimate
desires Te desires of our flesh may be legitimate but Eve sought to
satisfy them in illegitimate ways However the bridle of Godrsquos word
protects the wild horses of our desires from destroying us
Adam and Eve failed in their purpose and priestly calling to guard
the Garden-temple from intruders by not keeping Godrsquos word Edenis a place where purpose is given to humanity (Gen 104862610486251048629 see Gen 104862510486261048632)
We will see later that as Godrsquos presence is restored through the sac-
rifice of Jesus our purpose is also restored as a kingdom of priests and
a holy nation serving in Godrsquos true end-time temple (1048625 Pet 10486261048628-1048633)
Te longing for purpose found in the human heart is satisfied when
life works according to its purpose which is life lived in the presence
of God Just as Adam and Eve were to submit to Godrsquos word to fulfill
their mission in guarding Godrsquos dwelling place so we must submit
to Godrsquos Word to fulfill our mission in guarding and expanding Godrsquos
dwelling place to fill the earth
CONCLUSION
In this chapter we see Eden as the first temple and place of Godrsquospresence As a result Eden is a place of satisfaction of life However
sin closed off the way back to Godrsquos presence in Eden Because Adam
and Eve fail to guard the temple by sinning and letting in an unclean
serpent to defile the temple they lose their priestly role and the two
cherubim take over the responsibility to ldquoguardrdquo the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862710486261048628)14
Who will open the way back into Godrsquos tabernacling presence Are we endlessly condemned to our lives east of Eden Jesus opens up the
way back into Godrsquos presence by the sacrifice of his body (Heb 1048625104862410486251048633-
10486261048624) As a result the life-giving waters that flowed in Eden now flow
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullgod-dwells-among-us-by-g-k-beale-and-mitchell-kim-excerpt 2525
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullgod-dwells-among-us-by-g-k-beale-and-mitchell-kim-excerpt 2225
Eden as a emple 25
from corruption Similarly Ezekiel 1048626104863210486251048627 shows Adam in Eden clothed
like a priest with ldquoevery precious stonerdquo stones that correspond to the
precious stones on the ephod of Israelrsquos high priest (Ex 1048626104863210486251048631-10486261048625)10
Tis understanding of Adamrsquos work is confirmed by observing the
next verses in Genesis 1048626 After being commanded to work and keep
the Garden Adam is told
And the L983151983154983140 God commanded the man saying ldquoYou may
surely eat of every tree of the garden but of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that
you eat of it you shall surely dierdquo (Gen 104862610486251048630-10486251048631)
After Adam is commanded to keep the Garden he is also instructed
to keep Godrsquos commands Just as the priests were to keep guard over
the temple (Num 104862510486321048629) by obeying Godrsquos commands so Adam as a
priest guards the Garden-temple of Eden by keeping Godrsquos com-
mands Adam works out Godrsquos priestly purposes through obedienceto his word
Adam failed in his service as the first priest to guard Godrsquos temple
which included guarding the Garden-temple from the intrusion of
the serpent who was outside11 Te serpent slithered into the Garden
with deceptive words ldquoDid God actually say lsquoYou shall not eat of any
tree in the gardenrsquordquo (Gen 10486271048625) Trough doubt the serpent under-
mined Godrsquos word Eversquos reply to the serpent shows that the serpent
succeeded in his plot Notice the subtle differences between Godrsquos
word in Genesis 104862610486251048630-10486251048631 and the womanrsquos reply in Genesis 10486271048626-1048627
Table 983089983089
Genesis 983090983089983094-983089983095 Genesis 983091983090ndash983091
And the LORD God commanded the man
saying ldquoYou may surely eat of every tree ofthe garden but of the tree of theknowledge of good and evil you shall noteat for in the day that you eat of it you shallsurely die [literally ldquodying you shall dierdquo]rdquo
And the woman said to the serpent
ldquoWe may eat of the fruit of the trees inthe garden but God said lsquoYou shallnot eat of the fruit of the tree that isin the midst of the garden neithershall you touch it lest you diersquordquo
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8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
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Eden as a emple 27
temptation as she ldquosaw that the tree was good for food and that it
was a delight to her eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make
one wiserdquo Te desire for food the delight of the eyes and the craving
for wisdom are all strong and in their proper context legitimate
desires Te desires of our flesh may be legitimate but Eve sought to
satisfy them in illegitimate ways However the bridle of Godrsquos word
protects the wild horses of our desires from destroying us
Adam and Eve failed in their purpose and priestly calling to guard
the Garden-temple from intruders by not keeping Godrsquos word Edenis a place where purpose is given to humanity (Gen 104862610486251048629 see Gen 104862510486261048632)
We will see later that as Godrsquos presence is restored through the sac-
rifice of Jesus our purpose is also restored as a kingdom of priests and
a holy nation serving in Godrsquos true end-time temple (1048625 Pet 10486261048628-1048633)
Te longing for purpose found in the human heart is satisfied when
life works according to its purpose which is life lived in the presence
of God Just as Adam and Eve were to submit to Godrsquos word to fulfill
their mission in guarding Godrsquos dwelling place so we must submit
to Godrsquos Word to fulfill our mission in guarding and expanding Godrsquos
dwelling place to fill the earth
CONCLUSION
In this chapter we see Eden as the first temple and place of Godrsquospresence As a result Eden is a place of satisfaction of life However
sin closed off the way back to Godrsquos presence in Eden Because Adam
and Eve fail to guard the temple by sinning and letting in an unclean
serpent to defile the temple they lose their priestly role and the two
cherubim take over the responsibility to ldquoguardrdquo the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862710486261048628)14
Who will open the way back into Godrsquos tabernacling presence Are we endlessly condemned to our lives east of Eden Jesus opens up the
way back into Godrsquos presence by the sacrifice of his body (Heb 1048625104862410486251048633-
10486261048624) As a result the life-giving waters that flowed in Eden now flow
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullgod-dwells-among-us-by-g-k-beale-and-mitchell-kim-excerpt 2525
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullgod-dwells-among-us-by-g-k-beale-and-mitchell-kim-excerpt 2325
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
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Eden as a emple 27
temptation as she ldquosaw that the tree was good for food and that it
was a delight to her eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make
one wiserdquo Te desire for food the delight of the eyes and the craving
for wisdom are all strong and in their proper context legitimate
desires Te desires of our flesh may be legitimate but Eve sought to
satisfy them in illegitimate ways However the bridle of Godrsquos word
protects the wild horses of our desires from destroying us
Adam and Eve failed in their purpose and priestly calling to guard
the Garden-temple from intruders by not keeping Godrsquos word Edenis a place where purpose is given to humanity (Gen 104862610486251048629 see Gen 104862510486261048632)
We will see later that as Godrsquos presence is restored through the sac-
rifice of Jesus our purpose is also restored as a kingdom of priests and
a holy nation serving in Godrsquos true end-time temple (1048625 Pet 10486261048628-1048633)
Te longing for purpose found in the human heart is satisfied when
life works according to its purpose which is life lived in the presence
of God Just as Adam and Eve were to submit to Godrsquos word to fulfill
their mission in guarding Godrsquos dwelling place so we must submit
to Godrsquos Word to fulfill our mission in guarding and expanding Godrsquos
dwelling place to fill the earth
CONCLUSION
In this chapter we see Eden as the first temple and place of Godrsquospresence As a result Eden is a place of satisfaction of life However
sin closed off the way back to Godrsquos presence in Eden Because Adam
and Eve fail to guard the temple by sinning and letting in an unclean
serpent to defile the temple they lose their priestly role and the two
cherubim take over the responsibility to ldquoguardrdquo the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862710486261048628)14
Who will open the way back into Godrsquos tabernacling presence Are we endlessly condemned to our lives east of Eden Jesus opens up the
way back into Godrsquos presence by the sacrifice of his body (Heb 1048625104862410486251048633-
10486261048624) As a result the life-giving waters that flowed in Eden now flow
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullgod-dwells-among-us-by-g-k-beale-and-mitchell-kim-excerpt 2525
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullgod-dwells-among-us-by-g-k-beale-and-mitchell-kim-excerpt 2425
Eden as a emple 27
temptation as she ldquosaw that the tree was good for food and that it
was a delight to her eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make
one wiserdquo Te desire for food the delight of the eyes and the craving
for wisdom are all strong and in their proper context legitimate
desires Te desires of our flesh may be legitimate but Eve sought to
satisfy them in illegitimate ways However the bridle of Godrsquos word
protects the wild horses of our desires from destroying us
Adam and Eve failed in their purpose and priestly calling to guard
the Garden-temple from intruders by not keeping Godrsquos word Edenis a place where purpose is given to humanity (Gen 104862610486251048629 see Gen 104862510486261048632)
We will see later that as Godrsquos presence is restored through the sac-
rifice of Jesus our purpose is also restored as a kingdom of priests and
a holy nation serving in Godrsquos true end-time temple (1048625 Pet 10486261048628-1048633)
Te longing for purpose found in the human heart is satisfied when
life works according to its purpose which is life lived in the presence
of God Just as Adam and Eve were to submit to Godrsquos word to fulfill
their mission in guarding Godrsquos dwelling place so we must submit
to Godrsquos Word to fulfill our mission in guarding and expanding Godrsquos
dwelling place to fill the earth
CONCLUSION
In this chapter we see Eden as the first temple and place of Godrsquospresence As a result Eden is a place of satisfaction of life However
sin closed off the way back to Godrsquos presence in Eden Because Adam
and Eve fail to guard the temple by sinning and letting in an unclean
serpent to defile the temple they lose their priestly role and the two
cherubim take over the responsibility to ldquoguardrdquo the Garden-temple
(Gen 104862710486261048628)14
Who will open the way back into Godrsquos tabernacling presence Are we endlessly condemned to our lives east of Eden Jesus opens up the
way back into Godrsquos presence by the sacrifice of his body (Heb 1048625104862410486251048633-
10486261048624) As a result the life-giving waters that flowed in Eden now flow
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullgod-dwells-among-us-by-g-k-beale-and-mitchell-kim-excerpt 2525
8112019 God Dwells Among Us By G K Beale and Mitchell Kim - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullgod-dwells-among-us-by-g-k-beale-and-mitchell-kim-excerpt 2525