Garden Temple Lost #1

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Ends Teaching Outline #2 Lost of the Garden Part #1 – The Earth Cursed

Point 1: The Bible explains Revelation

This chapter is to summarize Adam’s curse of darkness entering God’s perfect world and the garden temple, causing many effects on the earth.

Think of a beautiful place where it is comfortable with no distractions. You can spend the entire day or many days there carefree having your needs met. Then a disaster comes, destroying your paradise. Where there was comfort, now there is trouble for you. Now, you must work hard to eat, to sleep, and have a home, as meeting your needs is difficult.

Revelation explains a new creation of the earth. Why? Adam ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, leading to the loss of paradise for humans. Human’s lost a place to walk and speak with God as in the garden temple. To understand the Book of Revelation and God’s purifying action is to understand Genesis 1 through Genesis 3. God needs to remove the curses of darkness from the earth. Why? God speaks of a place on a new earth of where his people will join with him forever. The curses that Adam introduced need to be cleansed so an eternal temple can exist.

To know why there needs to be a new earth, Genesis 3 explains the curses. Throughout the Bible, it explains why Christians need new bodies. There are many moments where God displays his justice, but why? By studying the Old Testament books, we can gain an understanding of many instances where God displays his justice. The Bible repeats many plagues and disasters found in Revelation. The New Testament books explain the power of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. Christians, we already won and defeated Adam’s curse through Christ. Amen!

Adam and Eve had a place of paradise, then lost it. From the fall of darkness, curses came. The curse now afflicts the earth. Let’s turn to Genesis 1-2 to understand the purity the earth had with a temple. This will not be a verse by verse analysis.

Point 2: Genesis 1 to 2 shows a perishable paradise

Genesis 1:

Before the creation of the world, God was there. God the Father, God the son as seen in Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit always existed in the one being of God. These three divine persons of God, who share the same essence without division, decided before the creation of the world to save some people from darkness. God did this, knowing Adam and his children would rebel. This is called the Covenant of Redemption, as the Trinity will save some humans from the curse of darkness and evil. A covenant is an agreement with rewards and consequences. The reward is God saves humans lost in the sea of darkness with no other hope. If the Trinity cannot provide salvation, no one can find deliverance from darkness. See John 17:1-5, John 17:24, Ephesians 1:3-6, and 1 Peter 1:17-21.

What does this have to do with the creation of the world and the fall? God has a plan to show his divine nature through revealing attributes of himself while cleansing darkness away.

Genesis 1:1-2:

God exists, deciding to save his people and care for them, but has he created anything yet? Nothing exists yet. God, in his infinite power from his divine attributes, speaks the planet earth and the universe into existence. Is this creation ready for humans to live in and thrive? No. There is no light, food, seasons, and other elements needed for humans to survive.

Genesis 1:3-23:

God speaks from his power, creating more. Instead of creating something out of nothing, God creates something where something already exists. During the process of creation, God creates seasons with plants, fish and animals, light sources in the sky, stars like the sun, and protections around the planet. The sun that provides light to Earth is deadly without certain protections. Humans cannot thrive without certain protections surrounding the Earth. God designed humans with the need for a specific environment to thrive. Humans need enough light from the stars, farmland to grow food, clean water, clean air, and resources to make clothes, among other items. In God creating earth’s environment, God reveals his care as he put Adam and Eve into a comfortable place to live. Everything for humans to thrive exists. The curse of darkness still allows humans to thrive, but it is more difficult now. Creation of the world takes 5 24-hour days.

Genesis 1:24-2:25

God finished creating the world and the universe in 5 24-hour days. Then God creates Adam and Eve on day 6. On day 7, God rests in Genesis 2:2-3. Humans can thrive because God’s creating actions are complete, with a sustainable place to live. God puts natural patterns in place, like a season of rain, to a season with more sun. Why? Plants need water and the sun to grow. The plants will feed the animals and humans. The sun keeps the oceans, seas, other bodies of water warm enough for the fish to live. Animals and humans eat the fish to survive. God created a paradise for humans to live in for many generations, with no rebellion against him.

Why does God rest? God is infinite, so a rest is not required, as God cannot lose strength. Then why the rest? Look at Revelation 1:10 with Acts 20:7 and 1 Corinthians 16:2, Exodus 16:26 with Exodus 16:29 and Leviticus 16:31 and Leviticus 23:3 and Deuteronomy 5:10-16. The references provide a pattern starting in the creation week. God rested to create a day for his people to rest. There is a day devoted to God to hear his teaching taught through the Bible while avoiding distractions. For further information, please review Remember the Lord’s Day by Peter Masters and Getting the Garden Right by Richard Barcellos.

The Garden of Eden is a place for humans to live. Adam had instructions from God to cultivate the land and tend to the Garden of Eden. The garden is to be ruled over by Adam in Genesis 2:15. A gardener today rules over the land by cultivating it and tending to it. Adam is no different. See God speaking with Adam in a place with no darkness. There is a meeting place between God and humans. The garden is acting as a garden to feed any humans there and a temple to fellowship with God.

Notice God is speaking to Adam without going through Christ. Adam lacks any rebellion and darkness against God, allowing him to meet with God. Adam will fall, like creation. Creation and Adam are corruptible. After the fall, any human needs a mediator in Christ to approach God. Why? Every human is born in rebellion against God as each lies. See Romans 3 with Psalms 58:3. Through Christ, God’s people will become incorruptible from darkness along with the earth.

In Genesis 2:16-17, God provides an agreement with Adam, not with Eve. Remember, God puts this agreement in place before creating Eve in Genesis 2:17. This agreement is called the Covenant of Works. There are other names for this agreement like the Covenant of Life or Creation Covenant. God instructs Adam to live in the Garden of Eden and eat from every tree except one. This was the one thing Adam was not to do. God forbids Adam from eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. This agreement says eat and enjoy the garden, and you shall live, Adam. If Adam does this one thing that is forbidden, death will come and you will die. Adam’s performance is all that is required to keep this covenant. This is the only covenant that has a human keeping it. God’s grace upholds all the other agreements. Humans after Adam cannot please or submit to God. The fall into darkness removes this ability. God needs to care for his people through his grace, which is a gift from God. See Romans 8 and Ephesians 2:7-8.

God creates Eve in Genesis 2:18-25. Eve does not receive her name Eve until Genesis 3:20. This explains why Eve is called the woman until after the fall, like in Genesis 3:12. The instructions for tending the garden and the covenant of works apply to Adam. When Eve ate from the forbidden tree, nothing happened. Why? The covenant of works applies to Adam, not Eve. Part 2 of this subject will explore this further.

Many object, saying there is no agreement in Genesis 2. God gives Adam a task in the Garden to cultivate it. Along with gardening instructions, God makes a covenant with rewards like enjoy life with nourishing food and the consequence of you will die, Adam. Genesis 2 provides a picture of an agreement with simple conditions. If there is no agreement, then Adam could not fall into darkness. Why? There is nothing to violate as in an agreement. Genesis 3 points to something being violated, with curses being applied. Remember, Genesis 2 explains instructions with at least a reward and a consequence. Again, many object, saying there is no agreement in Genesis 2. What of it? Genesis 2 defines a simple agreement with rewards and consequences. A term, as in a specific word, does not need to be in a passage for an idea or event to occur. Many want the word covenant or agreement to be in Genesis 2. If the word is not there, many will reject that the concept is there. This is no way to read a Bible.

To understand the Bible well is to be sensitive to how God wrote the Bible. Some want the word agreement or the word covenant in Genesis 2 to affirm there is an agreement. God does not have to write in this way, as he is free to express himself in the way he wants. No person is God’s counselor. God describes through words the creation of the world, the making of Adam, then describes an agreement. Genesis 2 is clear that God communicated instructions with rewards and consequences for Adam to keep. Either Christians receive how God wrote the Bible, or Christians can fight the Bible by putting traditions and expectations over the Bible. God is ruler and king with his freedom over humans, so God can communicate in this way. Christians, do not make God to be your equal. Humans are not the same as God, but lower than him. God is king over all humans! See 1 Timothy 6:13-16 and Revelation 17:14.

What does this outline have to do with the End Times? Humans have lost the garden paradise and the garden temple. Each human needs to find a place with no curse of darkness while having restored fellowship with God. It is easy to speak about events of death, of war, of famine, and of plagues. If this is the Christian focus, it shows a focus on death and darkness. How? There is a sick fascination with darkness and its consequences. Why is it a sick focus? Instead of being focused on sharing Christ through words, many Christians focus on how billions of humans will die and meet God’s justice. Yet, these same Christians will not share Christ’s free forgiveness of evil through words. The over focus of timelines becomes the Christian’s great delight. Once the Christian stops sharing Christ with words and devotes themselves to the timeline, this Christian has gone too far. Yes, there is a place to understand a general timeline as God presents one through an unclear outline of end times. Unlike Daniel 9, that states vague ideas then explains vague ideas, Revelation does not. If a Christian has the time to understand the general ideas of Revelation, and share Christ with words, then there is no issue. Ends times should bring Christians joy, since the ultimate defeat of darkness is complete. Christians will go home to be with God forever. Before that, remember Matthew 28:16-20. The church has the mission to share Christ through words and be outstanding students of the Bible as in learning every part over a lifetime.

Point 3: Genesis 3 shows the consequences of Adam breaking the covenant

Genesis 3:

At the beginning of Genesis 3, a new cunning creature is in the garden. Satan comes into the Garden. Unlike other animals that Adam could rule over with his intelligence, Satan is more intelligent to tempt humans. Genesis 3 and other places never explain the reason for Satan being in the garden. Everything that happens, whether good or bad, is by God’s will. God decrees everything to occur, yet tempting no one. If bad happens, it is a human or other creature like Satan deciding to act against God with hostile motives. If anything, God limits dark actions raising from evil motivations. The good news is God made a covenant to save rebellious humanity before the creation of the world. His ways are not like ours. God’s decree and understanding is unsearchable and wise. Please see Genesis 50:19-21 with Genesis 37, Ephesians 1:11 with Psalms 147:5 and Isaiah 40:28 and Romans 11:33, James 1:13.

For whatever reason, the fall into darkness in the garden is starting. Satan is in the garden and then found Eve. The Devil says to Eve, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” Eve explains she is free to eat from any tree, but from the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the middle of the garden. Satan replies to the woman in Genesis 3:4-5, you will certainly not die and God knows you will know both good and evil. In Genesis 3:6, Eve fell into the temptation and ate from the forbidden tree. Nothing happened. Remember, God made an agreement with Adam only. When Adam ate from the forbidden tree, Adam and Eve knew good and evil. In Genesis 3:7, they realized they were naked and made clothing out of leaves to cover their waists.

Remember, Genesis is a book where you have to read with care at a slow pace, as the details can be vague. Other books of the Bible explain details as bright as day compared to the darkness of night. Throughout the Bible, details on many subjects come through repeating themes. Genesis starts with minor details that lead to the End Times. God responded to Adam’s rebellion like He to darkness in the End Times. In response to darkness, God acts with his justice. God will remember his people through salvation. Despite God’s justice, God will still care for his people. Amen!

After the one bite from the fruit of the forbidden tree, the world changed forever. This small seed is the start of the End Times. Why? The darkness consuming a fallible yet perfect creation, humans’ rebellion against God, and God showing his justice throughout history all start here. All of Adam’s children will inherit this dark and cursed nature, making every mind to be full of evil. Dark actions from humans come from a dark mind. God has to respond with his justice. No external standard compels God to respond with his justice. God’s nature does. Praise be to God for agreeing in a covenant to save some. Without compulsion from evil humanity or anything else, God, out of his love and his grace, saves. God’s grace solves Adam’s problem that will keep spreading until Christ’s return. After Christ’s return, there is no more spreading of darkness. See Revelation 21 to 22, Habakkuk 1:13 with Psalms 19:2 and Psalms 5:5.

Let’s turn to Genesis 3:8-19.

Genesis 3:8-15 speaks about the changes in Adam and Eve. Notice, again, God is in the Garden to speak with Adam. As darkness entered the world, changing it, there are obvious changes. Adam blamed Eve for darkness entering the world instead of appealing to God’s mercy and grace. The woman, who is Eve, blamed Satan, as Satan brought temptation to her. Both Adam and Eve should have taken responsibility asking God for salvation, knowing God’s goodness. Adam and Eve knew God’s goodness. God cursed Satan. Satan will go on his belly, eating dust. As Satan stays on the belly, Satan will strike Christ’s ankle. In return, Jesus Christ crushes Satan’s head, ending him and the darkness introduced into the world. Satan, with other rebelling angels, will go to a place of torment in the lake of fire. See 2 Peter 2:4-7 and Revelation 20:10.

God designed Adam and Eve to make children. Adam and Eve had no human parents. Anyone after Adam and Eve should leave their parents to become one with the opposite gender. There is only male and female to join with. The body has gender built into it and how it functions. See Genesis 2:22-24.

Males and females who are in good health have unique body parts visible at birth. Anyone looking will know the gender. Darkness can distort this distinction. Male can mimic being female while female can mimic being male. Darkness in the mind cannot change functions in the body. The Gospel of Christ restores a proper distinction. How? God explains through his word what male and female are with different roles.

Genesis 3:16 reveals the effect of darkness on Eve and any woman after Eve. A woman is someone who has the body parts to grow children inside a womb after the body develops to a certain point. Women have breasts to feed a newborn and a young child. A woman’s body has these instructions to guide the body when the body functions normally. The body has built-in female instructions since conception. Providing medical surgeries to make a male to have female functions does not make this person a woman. To have children after the fall is now a painful process when giving birth. See Genesis 2:22-24.

Adam is a male. A male is someone who has the body parts to get a woman pregnant inside her womb. After development into a male who is in good health, he can create many children with a woman. The male body has instructions that guide it in how it should function. Male instructions exist in the body since conception. Providing medical surgeries to make a woman to have male functions does not make this person a male.

Verses 17 to 19 in Genesis 3 reveal Adam’s curse. Before the darkness entering the world, the descriptions provided in Genesis show a place of comfort and ease for humans to thrive. There are lush plants growing to feed Adam and Eve, of which Adam, at least, is the caretaker. After the fall, the lush garden turns into a harsh land. The land to meet with God is gone. Where it would be easy to grow food, now other plants like thorns, prickly plants, and weeds will grow. To grow food is now difficult. Adam and his children will have to go to great lengths to grow food to survive.

Adam and Eve and their children could have stayed in the garden meeting with God while being in comfort. The temple garden is gone, but will return.

Let’s turn to Genesis 5:28-29.

Lamech fathered Noah in Genesis 5:28-29. There is hope that Noah would help bring comfort from working with cursed ground. This is a repeat of Genesis 3. After Adam and Eve’s death, the ground remained cursed and challenging to cultivate for crop production. Even today, producing food is difficult, as many things have to go right to grow healthy crops in a large amount. What is the solution? Christ needs to remove the curse on the earth and the curse on the human body. Through Christ, God will remake the earth and provide new bodies to his people only after displaying his justice.

Point 4) Revelation 21 reveals a heavenly country as God’s people’s home

Let’s turn to Revelation 21:1-7 to see God creating a new world free of darkness.

Verses 1 through 2 speak of the earth and heavens being recreated. The purity and holiness of God fills this heavenly country as a recreated earth and heavens. The heavenly country is full of God’s people. Christ alone saves his people from the fall into darkness until His return. The corruption of darkness will not be here, so the cursed ground is gone. The seas are gone. This may mean no oceans, or no seas, or no large bodies of water, or all these options. All of God’s people will have a new body freed of darkness and its curses. Somehow, God’s people with new bodies and God, being spirit, dwell together. What humans see and touch today is not like this place. It is a special physical place with unique features. Why is God doing this? God is creating a place where his people are together with him forever. The temple garden has returned. See Genesis 2:24, John 4:24, 1 Corinthians 15:38-48, Hebrews 11:12-16, and 2 Peter 3:10-13.

Verses 3 through 7 speak of God dwelling with his people in his temple. Notice how this language reflects God’s agreement between himself and Israel. Often, God speaks about his holy dwelling place when interacting with Israel. See Exodus 29:45-46, Leviticus 26:11-13, and Psalms 114. Why? Israel foreshadowed the New Covenant, as found in the Book of Hebrews. The New Agreement starts after Christ’s death and resurrection. Please take some time to study the Book of Hebrews with John Gill’s commentary and John Owen’s commentary for further information. God declares to his people that He is with them forever, with no darkness. God removes death, crying, illness, moaning, and pain by doing away with the first earth and heavens. The Garden of Eden is a picture of paradise that fell into darkness. Each Christian has an imperishable seed of salvation. Christ, being the word, is the imperishable seed living in the soul of his people through any age. Only Christ can defeat darkness and all its consequences. Rejoice that Christ is the defence against corruption of darkness and a repeat of the garden of Eden. This place gets better. God rewards his people with this place. Why? Instead of being a servant or a slave of God, all of God’s people are his sons and daughters forever. This shows a profound, caring relationship with God forever. God cannot reject his people, who he holds in his hand. See Isaiah 65:17, Isaiah 66:22, John 10:28-29, and 1 Peter 1:22-25.

Point 5: A Return to a heavenly Temple with God forever

The point of Revelation 21:1-7 is returning to a paradise with a temple. Yes, the garden of Eden by its design is a place where God could speak and fellowship with Adam and Eve and their children. The Garden of Eden is corruptible. Yes, it is comforting to know death and pain are gone. It is better to know that there is an incorruptible temple for God’s people. The first temple fell, the second one is superior where God dwells without end with his people. Christ accomplishes all this and defeats darkness in the heart of his people through his death on the cross. Amen!

Let’s review the points in this outline.

1) The Bible explains Revelation.
2) Genesis 1 to 2 shows a perishable paradise.
3) Genesis 3 shows the consequences of Adam breaking the covenant.
4) Revelation 21 reveals a heavenly country as God’s people’s home.
5) A Return to a heavenly Temple with God forever

This outline is part 1 of 2 to understand how the garden is a temple that fell into darkness. Adam’s actions cursed God’s creation and all his children. Outline 1 focused on the physical aspects of a place to live in an earthly home and a heavenly home. Outline 2 will focus on the spiritual aspects of the temple in the garden and its recreation. Both parts need to be understood together to see the fullness of Christ’s Gospel, as this is the climax of Revelation.