The first four chapters of Genesis contain a revelation of all that is to follow in the entire bible. The balance of Genesis and all the rest of the books of the Bible that follow these four pivotal chapters are but their outworking and explanation. These first four chapters of Genesis contain a master-matrix that finds explanation and expansion in each subsequent book of Scripture. Key words, in comprehensive combinations found in these primary chapters of Genesis give rise to pivotal foundational themes that permeate Scripture. Therefore, it is of great importance to give much consideration and study to this foundational passage. For our present purpose, the connections between Gen.1-4 and Ezekiel, Daniel, and Revelation will be our point of focus.

The theology presented herein could be regarded as new and even outlandish to persons who have not considered these concepts. I however, am not alone in my analysis of the first four chapters of Genesis and its implications for the rest of Scripture. Meredith Kline has thoroughly worked out this theology in his books; "Glory In Our Midst" and "Kingdom Prologue". So also has Greg Beale in "The Temple and the Church’s Mission", (A Biblical Theology Of The Dwelling Place of God) and in his excellent commentary on Revelation. Jon D. Levenson has written much on this subject including his book "Theology of the Program of Restoration of Ezekiel 40-48". Bruce Waltke has seen many of the same things in his commentary on Genesis. So also has Richard Davidson in an article that he has written on this subject. William J. Dumbrell, in his book "The End of the Beginning" articulates many of the same ideas. Dumbrell’s "The Search For Order" (Biblical Eschatology in Focus) builds on the foundation that he has already established. G.J. Wenham’s commentary on Genesis 1-15 has been helpful. R.J. McKelvey’s "The New Temple" and P.W.L. Walker’s "Jesus and the Holy City" (New Testament Perspectives on Jerusalem" are also helpful in terms of understanding the City of God. Gillian Ford has written an unpublished work in this area. I state at the beginning this list of contemporary authors to communicate that I am not standing alone on my appraisal of this subject. It is worthy of note that this is a new area of study in the theological community at large. For example, in Beale’s book on the Temple, the vast majority of the authors that he has quoted in his bibliography are ones that have written on this subject only within the last fifteen years. My study in this area has been greatly benefited by these authors. Nevertheless, I believe that I have broken some new ground myself on this subject, particularly in the areas of Ezekiel and Daniel.

The Sovereign LORD of the cosmos, by way of creation, has expressed His eternal intent by forming a microcosmic Temple on earth that was to be the counterpart of His own dwelling place, the heavenly Temple. The earthly counterpart is Eden, the Garden of delight, the Paradise of God, the Beautiful Mountain in the midst of the seas at the navel of the earth, the fertile place where God planted man. Eden is a garden Temple on a Mountain. It is the earthly counterpart to the Throne Room of God. Heaven is God’s Throne and the earth is His footstool. Eden is Beth-El, the point of connection between the earthly and heavenly Kingdom of God. The Edenic Sanctuary is not only the "place" where YHWH manifests Himself in the in the midst of His creation, but the vehicle of His own self-understanding and expression. God’s act of Creation, therefore, is Temple building. God’s act of re-creation will also be manifested in Temple building. In the same way as David assembled the components of the Temple that his son Solomon built, so also do we see the Sovereign God assembling the elements of the Temple in the Creation epic.

Genesis 1-4 is theological proto-type. A study of the balance of Scripture corroborates this. The original mandate of the Sovereign LORD, communicated expressly by word and modeled by example was for God’s vice-regent, (His earthly vassal shepherd king) to rule over the earth. He was to be fruitful and multiply. Adam was to extend the boundaries of Eden. By Divine mandate, he was to build the "City of God". As his Father brought order out of chaos, so also was the son to do likewise. Adam’s role was to procreate and bear sons and daughters who would bear his image, as he was to continue to bear the image of his Father. The Edenic temple, therefore, was to cover the earth, with living stones. Adam was given partnership with God in this ever-growing dominion. When these initial imperatives are given due consideration, the role of the last Adam, the only begotten of the Father begins to take on a new clarity.

The Edenic Temple is the "place" where the visible manifestation of the Sovereign resides. It is the "meeting place", the Tabernacle/Tent of "meeting" where God meets with and communicates with His people. The earthly Edenic Sanctuary and its subsequent manifestations is more than a Palace, a Throne Room, a Sanctuary from which God manifests His Presence. It is more than the Judgment Seat of the Great King. It is more than a microcosm of the heavenly pattern. The Edenic Sanctuary is a vehicle that expresses God’s creative, redemptive, and eschatological purpose. It is a parabolic teaching device. The Sovereign LORD of the cosmos has "declared the end from the beginning". In other words, the LORD has declared the end by means of the beginning. Isa.46:10.

What follows the Edenic Sanctuary in the history of mankind, whether it is the history of the righteous or the wicked line, are but subsequent manifestations and replicas of the original proto-type. The Edenic proto-type is rehearsed and repeated via Abraham’s altars of worship, in Noah’s ark, at Mount Sinai, at the sacred Tent erected in the wilderness, in the ‘Land’ of Israel, at David and Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem at Zion, in the Sanctuary that Ezekiel saw in vision, in Zerubbabel’s Temple, in the Temple refurbished by Herod, and by New Testament Church. The Edenic proto-type is also revealed in the history of Egypt, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome and all the subsequent kingdoms of the world via the desire of unregenerate man to have a world empire and temple in which he sits on the throne as God. The Jerusalem above, the heavenly Zion, the City of the Great King, finds its counterpart in ‘the present Jerusalem’ which is the model of idolatrous adulterous apostasy, ‘where also our Lord was crucified’. Gal.4:25,26; Rev.11:8. One City is the model of God’s righteous aspirations. The other city reveals fallen Adam’s (man’s) attempt to place his own temple in the heart of the seas ruling as God. Ezk.28:2. The eschatological conflict at the consummation will be between two Temples, two mountains, two Cities, two Kingdoms, and two different world views of Eden. We can, therefore, learn much about God’s purpose and ultimate goal by examining the various manifestations of the counterfeit city.

God’s eternal purpose finds expression and revelation in His Holy House. This House, this Temple is the ‘place’ where His ‘glory’ resides. To understand God, to perceive the Almighty, one must see the King, the LORD of hosts, lofty and exalted, sitting on His Throne in His Temple. Isa.1:1-5. Ezk.1:26-28. Rev.4. 2Cor.4:3-6. As we read the balance of God’s word that follows the first four pivotal chapters of Genesis, we are able to in a sense reverse engineer the various characteristics of the proto-type thereby gaining insight into the master matrix. What initially appears as simple innocuous terms in Genesis begins to take on huge weight as the "key words" of Gen.1-4 collaborate together to flesh out the Edenic paradigm. Subsequently throughout Scripture, the primary concepts of Sanctuary, Kingdom (Israel), Throne, Covenant, and City are continually revealed in their logical relation. They are all part of a package. The "mystery of God" is the communicated sum of these components. Inspired logic communicated through the prophets, therefore, gives us the key to understanding God’s own synthesis by bringing all or most of these key components together in various passages of Scripture. All of these key components are prominent in Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. The prototypical passage of Genesis chapter 1 through 4 (the beginning) finds its final eschatological counterpart in John’s Apocalypse, the book of Revelation, (the end) culminating especially in Rev.21 & 22. A comparison between Gen.1-4 and Rev.21&22 bears so many similarities that the inter-relationship between the beginning and the end is impossible to miss. Everything between these two bookends is the meat in the sandwich. The final climax of God’s creative, redemptive, and covenantal eschatological purposes revealed in the last two chapters of Revelation, therefore, crystallizes the fact that all of God’s activities are bent on achieving this end.

What is the end and goal of God? It is a New Creation. It is an Eden that fills the cosmos. It is God tabernacling in the midst of His people into eternity. It is a brilliant beautiful City on a Mountain continually made fertile by the water of life that flows from the Throne of God. It is a kingdom that serves its King from the heart. It is a nation of justice, righteousness, and grace in full covenantal solidarity with its Desire. It is a Holy Temple full of singing, worship, and praise. It is a happy, joyful expanse unmolested by sin and selfishness. Consequently, again through reverse theological engineering, we are able to make sense of all the steps that the LORD has taken to achieve His ultimate goal.

Central to our study is to give due consideration to the information regarding the LORD’S Christ. The Messianic King, the eternal God in human flesh, is Himself the second and last Adam. He is the auto-basileia, the Kingdom of God in Himself. He is the Israel of God. He is the Temple, the Sanctuary of God. He is the New Creation, even the Promised Land. He is the embodiment and personification of the Everlasting Covenant. He is the Holy One of Israel. As Seer, Prophet, Priest, King, Son, and Heir; He understood the mystery of God and understood His own role in bringing it to fruition. John 1:18.

Jesus encapsulated His own self understanding in regards to His person, His mission, and His purpose in the favorite self designation that He used for Himself, that is "the Son of Man" which He used some 85 times (as recorded in the gospels). This all-encompassing mode of self-expression is much more than an allusion to Dan.7. Jesus is the New Moses and the New Ezekiel. Exod.25:9,40. Ezk.40:2,3. Although it has been generally recognized that Jesus saw Himself repeating and filling out the meaning of Moses actions and words, it is also notable that Jesus was also doing and saying the same things as Ezekiel. But more than that, Jesus was repeating the actions and words of YHWH in His judgment and subsequent salvation of Israel, as recorded by the prophet Ezekiel. On the Mountain of Transfiguration, Jesus was given a panoramic view of the history of Israel’s apostasy and subsequent regeneration in the Promised Land of a New Eden. What follows in the gospel accounts are Jesus’ enigmatic enacted parables that revealed God’s impending judgment on Jerusalem, following in the pattern of the prophet Ezekiel. The synoptic gospels record how Jesus left the land of the Gentiles and set His face toward Jerusalem. On the way He spoke parables of judgment against Jerusalem. After His triumphant entry, He inspected the Temple and found it to weighed and found wanting. Jesus then cleansed the Temple. He retired for the evening in Bethany and returned the next morning to Jerusalem and the Temple. What followed in the Temple was more spoken and enacted parables of judgment against Jerusalem. He cursed the religious leadership for their wicked actions in the Temple. Matt.21:18,23. Matt.21-23. Having rendered His verdict, Jesus came out of the Temple and the city and went to the Mount of Olives which is situated to the east. Matt.24:13; Mark 13:3. From this mountain, "opposite the Temple", the Temple was in full view and it was here that Jesus gave the Olivet Discourse. The first ten chapters of Ezekiel speak of the LORD going to Jerusalem, investigating the actions in the Temple, proclaiming judgment, and leaving. The LORD hovered at the east gate of His house. The "glory of the LORD [then] went up from the midst of the city and stood over the mountain which is east of the city". Ezk.10:19; 11:23. This mountain is the Mount of Olives. Jesus had Ezekiel’s prophecy in mind as He consciously fulfilled it. Jesus pronounced judgment against the land of Israel, its people, the City Jerusalem, and the Temple. He then in an act of substitutionary atonement bore the wrath of God in her place being Himself the Embodiment of Israel, the City, and the Temple thereby propitiating the just wrath of God and paving the way for a New Covenant, a New Temple, a New City, and a New Eden.

But more than fulfilling Ezekiel’s prophecy, Jesus saw Himself as Adam’s son, heir, and ultimate replacement. In every word and action, the Lord Jesus was consciously fulfilling the original mandate given to Adam. He understood that the success of the Godhead’s original Edenic program rested on His shoulders. He also understood that the future of mankind inheritance was in His hands.

The Christ is more than the Godhead’s communicative Agent. As King, He is the Divine Builder and Guardian of the Temple. The Temple is the Throne of God and depository of the covenant. As Son of God, this Christ is Covenant Mediator and Covenant Enforcer. In the world of metaphor we must not fail to recognize that the plethora of terms that describe God’s eternal purpose are but parabolic symbols of the Divine cosmic yearning of God which is to dwell in the "midst" of His people in a loving interactive relationship. The eternal questions of ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘where’, ‘when’, ‘how’, and ‘why’ are all answered by the "Son of Man".

In order to achieve His goal, the great Lover of the cosmos must first reveal His glory. The Beauty of the King can only be rightly appraised through contrast. Lucifer and man’s attempt to de-throne the Sovereign LORD at the ‘har-moed’, that is the ‘mountain of the assembly’; far from destroying God’s original plan, has, in the eternal wisdom of God, served to clarify the issues and pave the way for the ultimate freedom and covenantal solidarity of all the inhabitants of the cosmos. The original Edenic symbols have now taken on renewed meaning as our understanding and perception of their original true value has become evident. Therefore, the possession of the Edenic Mountain Temple has become the central focus of Lucifer and all who have embraced his philosophy. This Temple containing the Throne of the universe, this City of God, is consequently the focal point of the cosmic drama. Har-Magedon, consequently, is the place of the initial, the ongoing, and the final battle between God and Satan. The final battle over who will sit on the throne on the high and lofty mountain and rule must therefore be understood with the components of the Edenic foundation in mind. We must not forget that this is not just a battle between Titans. It is a battle over worldviews.

Adam’s role as king, high priest, prophet, temple guardian, and son created in the image of the Most High God was to protect and extend the precincts of the Temple, the Kingdom, even the City of God. Gen.2:15. As vice-regent and image bearer of the only true God, Adam was to maintain covenantal solidarity and even covenantal intimacy with his Father and act to protect the sanctity of the Temple. As watchman and warrior, Adam’s role was to do battle with any who would seek to usurp God’s rulership. Hand to hand combat with an angel, even a covering cherub, was not the mode of battle. Living by, declaring, and speaking every word of God, and teaching the same to those in his care was the mode by which Adam was to thwart Satan’s attack. A superlative key that enables us to understand more fully God’s expectation of Adam in this regard is to pay close attention to the words and actions of the Lord Jesus Christ, especially in terms of His warfare with Satan. Jesus’ warfare with the prince of this world in the wilderness, in the garden, at Calvary’s tree, and in the constant battle that was going on between Himself and the religious leaders who wanted to take Him down; is but a repetition and explanation of God’s original role for our forefather Adam. With this important key in our hands, the gospels must be reread with a view to understanding how the New Testament prophets incorporated the Edenic matrix into their thinking. An example would be to reconsider the activity on the Mount of Transfiguration in light of Eden. Interesting it is to note that Christ’s Temple actions in the Holy City Jerusalem were central to His own self-understanding of His role, purpose, and mission. The four gospels link Jesus’ cleansing and restoration of the Temple with His crucifixion and resurrection. His temple actions are what got Him killed. The cross is therefore the Zenith in terms of God’s own self- revelation. The mystery is that God also expected covenantal faithfulness on Adam’s part, even to the point of death. But what is more difficult; for a son to die for his Father, or a Father to die for His son? Christ Jesus had Eden, even Paradise on His mind, as He hung on the tree on the mountain of God as He spoke His last words. Luke 23:43.

A Temple on a Mountain, with a Throne from which God rules the cosmos must not be separated from the covenantal purpose of God. When we speak of the covenant purpose of God, summed up in the covenant catch phrase; "I will be your God and you will be My people", we cannot divorce God’s authority and power from His character. God’s covenantal dominion is revealed in justice and righteousness. It is not enough for the Holy One of Israel to reside in the physical heights dominating His creation, that is, the cosmos. God’s desire is that His ethical imperatives be made known and received by His offspring. Eden is a garden. It is very fertile. It is the cradle of life, even spiritual life. Adam and Eve were formed from the earth in the image and likeness of God, even as image bearers of God. God placed them in the mountain Temple that they might serve as priests and kings. Their role was to serve in the Temple and act as guards of the Temple from anything unclean that might desire to enter. Man was to make ethical judgments in his role as king / priest. Gen.2:9,17; 3:3. Instead of believing a lie, Adam should have judged Satan and thrown him off the mountain. Luke 4:28-30. Man’s role as prophet and apostle was to enlarge the precincts of the temple until it filled the whole earth. They were to multiply by procreation, and by bearing fruit, even children in their image, as they themselves bore the image of God. Gen.1:28. Eden and this original mountain Temple is one and the same as the Kingdom of God.

The first arrangement, therefore, was a covenantal arrangement. As vice-regent, Adam did not rule in a vacuum. He had a clear responsibility to the Great King, the LORD. He had a responsibility to his offspring. He was to bring them up in the fear and knowledge of God. Adam misunderstood the true nature of God and the true nature of the relationship. He appropriated for himself the Divine right of Kings forgetting that he was but a covenant vassal prince, a shepherd king. God tested His son. God rested from all His work and blessed and sanctified the seventh day. Adam, the son of God, by way of obedience and worship, was to follow in his Father’s footsteps and enter into His rest. This sanctuary in time revealed the closeness and yet the difference between the Creator and the created, itself being the sign of the Edenic covenant. Man, however, broke covenant with his Maker and sought equality with God. He sought God’s lofty position for himself. In treacherous treasonous rebellion, man turned on his Father in order to himself become the supreme ruler of the cosmos. God came in glory and judged the man, the woman, and the serpent. Gen.3:8-16.

God was not surprised or caught off guard in regards to their defection. He had made provision from the foundation of the world. The concepts of temple, priesthood, worship, and covenant that are all central to our understanding of the Edenic Mountain Temple where Adam served as a priest/king are all connected with blood sacrifice throughout Scripture. Blood, which is symbolic of death in the Bible, speaks of the finite nature of man. God alone possesses immortality. The statement of God in regards to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, "for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die" would have been meaningless unless Adam and Eve had witnessed death, albeit the death of a substitute. Of interest it is to note that it was in the garden that God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. It is also important to consider that Abel, following in his father’s footsteps brought the blood sacrifice. On the basis of this information, Kline and others understand that blood sacrifice was offered in the Edenic garden Temple, even before sin. Creation, therefore, was always with a view to redemption. The Creation itself is but a manifestation of the Temple, and is a parable of the everlasting covenant of grace. The Temple is the face of God, the visible expression of His heart and mind.

At the fall, God revealed the meaning of the Edenic Mountain Temple by announcing the plan of salvation and by immediately beginning to implement it. The LORD God immediately promised to renew the covenant with Adam’s Seed, the Messiah, on the basis of blood sacrifice. His original intent would not be thwarted. The eschatological counterpart of Gen.1-4 is Rev.21 & 22. It reveals a New Creation containing the holy City Jerusalem, even the bride of Christ. The City is a Temple on a Mountain. Its cube shape is reminiscent of the Holy of Holies. There is a temple in this City. It is the Lord God Almighty, and/even the Lamb. It is the same Lamb that we saw standing as if slain in Rev.5:6. It is the same Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world. Rev.13:8. The Lamb is the sacrificial Lamb. His Presence in the eternal City will speak of His sacrificial blood continually in the age to come. Scripture as it were, is but a retelling of the same story over and over again. Scripture, therefore, is but an explanation and fulfillment of God’s original purpose as revealed in the master-matrix of Gen.1-4.

Psm.48:1; "Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised,

In the city of our God, His holy mountain.

V2; Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth,

Is Mount Zion in the far north,

The city of the great King."

Psm.46:4; "There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

The holy dwelling places of the Most High.

V5; God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved."

Ezk.47:12; "And by the river on its bank, on one side and on the other, will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear every month because their water flows from the Sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing."

Psm.87:1; "His foundation is in the holy mountain,

V2; The LORD loves the gates of Zion

More than all the other dwelling places of Jacob.

V3; Glorious things are spoken of you,

O city of God."

Dan.9:16; "O Lord, I accordance with all Thy righteous acts, let now Thine anger and Thy wrath turn away from Thy city Jerusalem, Thy holy mountain; …. Jerusalem and Thy people have become a reproach to all those around us,

V17; … For Thy sake, O Lord, let Thy face shine on Thy desolate Sanctuary.

V18; … See our desolations and the city which is called by Thy Name."

Zech.8:3: "Thus says the LORD, ‘I will return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth and the mountain of the LORD of hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.’

V8; and I will bring them back, and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem, and they will be My people and I will be their God in truth and righteousness.

V9; … in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, to the end that the temple might be built."

Ezk.36:34; "And the desolate land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passed by,

V35; And they will say, ‘This desolate land has become like the Garden of Eden; and the waste, desolate, ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.’ "