My proposition is that the entire book of Ezekiel and all of its components are in fact a rehearsal of the initial creation epic. The act of creation is Temple building. When God created the heavens and the earth, that is His cosmic Temple, it was with a view to redemption and eschatological fulfillment. After the fall, God manifested His eternal purpose to His creation by means of judgment with a view to reinstatement. In vision Ezekiel, the son of man, was made privy to the LORD’s original Edenic purpose and the subsequent restoration of all that Eden signified. The first four chapters of Genesis are therefore essential in terms of understanding what the words of Ezekiel meant in their historical context and in their eschatological fulfillment.

The LORD’s Sovereign covenantal mandate to Adam included a clear definition not only of the relationship between man and Himself, but of man’s role and responsibilities, as recorded in Genesis chapters 1 through 4. At the fall of man, God acted to judge the covenant breakers. Inherent in this judgment was a promise of restoration.

God’s original cosmic plan would not be thwarted. He would bring it to fruition through the Seed of the woman. This ‘Son of Man’, as the corporate covenantal representative of man, would fulfill God’s original cosmic mandate as Priest/King to rule, to cultivate and keep the Garden, which is one and the same as serving and guarding the Temple; so that He might bear the image of God, be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth with sons and daughters in His own image. The LORD God would then fulfill His part of the covenant by dwelling among and in the midst of His people forever.

As we will see, Ezekiel’s prophecy is a retelling of the original narrative. Certainly the foundational details and components of the primal Genesis narrative are fleshed out and explained in more detail by Ezekiel but the central theme remains the same. This way of examining Ezekiel may seem foreign at first to those who have not considered this line of reasoning. The correlation between the words and themes of God’s message to Israel through the prophet Ezekiel and the original foundational Edenic purpose and goal of YHWH will nevertheless become readily apparent as we enter into a comparative consideration of the Ezekiel passages that relate to the Edenic matrix.

The word ‘Eden’ is used only 14 times in the Bible in reference to the Garden of Eden. It is used 6 times in the 1^st four chapters of Genesis, and significantly 6 times in Ezekiel. See also Isa.51:3 & Joel 2:3. This usage by Ezekiel of the word ‘Eden’ is a powerful marker in itself that helps us to understand that Ezekiel had Eden in mind when he wrote his prophecy. What we will also see is that the key words, concepts, and themes of Gen.1-4 are central to Ezekiel’s prophecy.

In the possession of the ‘Land’ by the sons of Israel, by way of Sovereign promise, and facilitated by supernatural intervention at the Red Sea which itself was a replication of creation, God was acting to once again fulfill His original purpose. He would now use His son, ‘Israel’, to achieve His Edenic purpose. Exod.4:22. History, however, would repeat itself. Adam’s sin in the garden Temple of Eden was repeated by the nation of Israel in the Promised Land.

Beale in his book, "The Temple and the Church’s Mission" (p.116) said:

"Just as in the case of Adam, Israel’s obedience within their ‘garden of Eden’ to the laws regulating the temple was part of carrying out their renewed commission as a corporate Adam. Israel’s land is explicitly compared to the Garden of Eden (see Gen.13:10; Isa.51:3; Ezk.36:35; 47:12; Joel 2:3) see Dumbrell 2002; 58-59). The Promised Land itself is called God’s ‘holy land’ (Psm.78:54; Zech.2:12) because it was to be a Garden of Eden on a grander scale (Dumbrell 2002; 58-61). The commission to have dominion (Gen.1:26-28), first expressed through Adam’s role in Eden, is expressed in Israel’s temple that also represented God’s cosmic rule (Clements 1965: 67-73) This commission is expressed well in Exod.19:6, a text alluded to earlier, which says of the whole nation, ‘you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."

In the same way and for the same reason as God removed Adam from the Garden, He also removed Israel from the Promised Land. We know that "like Adam they [Israel] have transgressed the covenant; there they have dealt treacherously against Me." Hos.6:7. As Israel’s sin was primarily associated with spiritual adultery/harlotry in relation to the Temple and with bloodshed, we are able to gain insight into Adam’s apostasy. See esp. Ezk. chapters 5,6,8,16,20,22,23. Ezekiel wrote his prophecy in Babylon in captivity as he experienced the judgment of God among his people. The first part of his prophecy records Ezekiel’s revelation of God as He investigated Jerusalem and the Temple. Ezk.1-10. Because of her sin, God judged Israel. He also pronounced judgment against the nations. Ezk.11-35. Ezekiel then shifted gears and spoke of how God would Sovereignly bring about a new Exodus, a New Covenant, a New Temple, a New City, a New Eden, a New King. The transition begins in Ezk.34. The LORD’s acts of restoration continue on from Ezk.34 culminating in Ezekiel being taken up on to a very high mountain and shown the City of God as recorded in Ezk.40-48. Throughout his prophecy, Ezekiel incorporated the key words and concepts associated with the initial Edenic archetypal Temple. Ezekiel clearly understood that God Himself was going to fulfill His original Edenic purpose.

This revelation to Ezekiel is in line with the implied promise of the first chapters of Genesis that after judging the sin of the man, the woman, and the serpent, the LORD God would then Sovereignly act to renew the covenant, restore the Kingship and Kingdom to Adam, restore intimate fellowship between God and man, and once again consecrate mankind to serve as priests and rule as vice-regents in the fertile garden on the top of the mountain of God in the City of God forever.

Ezekiel chapter one finds Ezekiel the priest taken captive in the land of the Chaldeans (which is not only the land of Babylon but the land of the Chaldeans who are master astrologers). These Chaldeans act as priests in the temple state that was Babylon/Babel, the gate of god. The great city Babylon, seated on the mighty waters of the Euphrates River, was itself a counterfeit and replica of Eden. Nebuchadnezzar, its king, has many similarities to Adam. Dan.4; Ezk.17,19,31. It is of interest to note that Ezk.31; which speaks of Egypt and Assyria, uses the same language as Dan.4; with the additional information of mentioning ‘Eden’ four times in Ezk.31:9,16,18. A Bible with cross-references in the margin is helpful to illustrate this point. As Beale has recognized, both Egypt and Babylon were seeking to replicate Eden. Like Adam, Babylon’s king ruled the known world from his throne. Nebuchadnezzar acted as judge, had the power of life and death, and punished by fire. His city had hanging gardens and many temples, including Esagila, a huge sanctuary complex. Etemenanki, the huge ziggurat and temple tower was erected at what the Babylonians believed was the center of the world and the axis of the universe. It was here, they claimed, that a straight line connected earth and heaven. It was here where the king and his priests communed with their gods. Nebuchadnezzar’s palace was considered to be the most magnificent building ever erected on earth. The city contained an image of Baal and the Golden Table weighing over 50,000 pounds and made of solid gold.

Meredith Kline, in his book, ‘Kingdom Prologue’ p.18 said: "Nebuchadnezzar’s position is described in terms evocative of the narrative of man’s original dignity in Eden. Reflection of the primal situation of man is still clearer in the picture of Nebuchadnezzar’s suzerainty in Dan.2:28."

Ezekiel lived and prophesied in Babylon beside the river Chebar. The name ‘Chebar’ is only found in Ezekiel where it is used 8 times. The word ‘Chebar’ #3529 is a derivative of ‘kabar’ #3529. It means ‘much’ or ‘many’. ‘Kabbir’ #3524, a derivative of kabar is translated ‘mighty’ as in "the rumbling of mighty waters" in Isa.17:12 &13. In this passage the mighty waters are explained to mean the nations of the unbelievers. Isa.27:13 to 28:1-3 is a provocative passage that speaks of ‘mighty (kabbir) overflowing waters’ as God’s agent of judgment. The Babylonian similarities with Eden are significant. These include the city, the temple, the throne, the kingdom, the priesthood, the gardens, the mighty river flowing out of the city, the gold and precious treasures, the fertility and abundance, the power, glory, and authority; all situated at the gate of god at the center of the earth.

Babel, Assyria, and Egypt were man made attempts to counterfeit the original God given mandate. These parodies of Eden exalted and deified man and worshiped the creation instead of the Creator. The prophets Isaiah, Daniel and Ezekiel spoke of Israel’s hope of Edenic restoration in a Garden Temple on a Mountain at the center of the earth that would crush all the other kingdoms of the world. (For Jerusalem’s position at the ‘center’ or ‘navel’ of the earth; see Ezk.5:5, 38:12.)

Like Ezekiel, Isaiah spoke of a New Exodus in which the Edenic purposes of God and His covenant people would be realized. Isaiah was looking for a new heavens and a new earth. See Isa.62,65,66. In many ways, Isaiah was telling the same story as Ezekiel.

Isa.27:13 "It will come about also in that day that a great trumpet will be blown; and those who are perishing in the land of Assyria and who were scattered in the land of Egypt will come and worship the LORD in the holy mountain at Jerusalem.

Isa.28:1; "Woe to the proud drunkards of Ephraim,

And to the fading flower of its glorious beauty,

Which is at the head of the fertile valley

Of those who are overcome with wine!

V2; "Behold, the Lord has a strong and mighty agent;

As a storm of hail, a tempest of destruction,

Like a storm of mighty overflowing waters,

He has cast it down to the earth with His hand.

V3; "And the fading flower of its glorious beauty,

Which is at the head of the fertile valley".

Therefore, even the ‘mighty’ river Chebar in Babylon is the counterpart of the mighty river that flowed from Eden and brought life to the earth. The mighty river that flowed from Eden was to bring life to the entire world. After the fall, the mighty waters became an agent of God’s judgment; as noted especially at the flood and at the Red Sea. The overwhelming armies of the enemies of Israel, as agents of God’s judgment were also likened to mighty waters. The culmination of God’s purpose is also marked by mighty waters when the LORD brings about Edenic restoration. Significantly, Ezekiel began his prophecy with a mighty river and ended it with a river that flows from the Sanctuary of God that produces life wherever it goes. Ezk.47:1-12. The connections between this passage and Gen.1-4 and Rev.21 &22 are clear.

In Ezk.1:1 "the heavens were opened" and Ezekiel saw a Theophany of the God of Israel seated on His Throne. As Ezk.11:16 records, "yet I was a Sanctuary for them a little while in the countries where they had gone." Even though he was captive in a foreign country amongst his own idolatrous people that were under the judgment of God, Ezekiel was shown that the Covenant God of Israel still maintained a point of contact with His people. Ezekiel, like Moses and Isaiah before him, (and Paul, John, and Jesus after him) saw a vision of God when the heavens opened and he saw the God of Israel seated upon His Throne. Israel may have been in captivity, but the LORD was still in charge. Babylon, therefore, in spite of all her posturing was not the gate to heaven.

The LORD was revealed to Ezekiel in a ‘storm’ wind coming from the north. Ezk.1. It was the LORD riding on His chariot Throne. Psa.18:10 The Cherubim carry the Throne of the LORD and the presence of the Cherubim is reminiscent of the Edenic Temple. The word ‘Cherub’ is used 10 times in Ezk. Cherubim (plural) is used 21 times in Ezk. The bulk of the times that these terms are used is in Exodus, in 1^st Kings, and 1^st and 2^nd Chron. In these passages the Cherubim are notably mentioned with reference to the Temple, the Throne of God, and the Ark of the Covenant. The first mention of ‘Cherubim’ is in Gen.3:24. What we are seeing, therefore, in Ezekiel, especially in light of its explicit mention of ‘Eden’, is a connection between the Cherubim that guarded the Throne of God and the Cherubim that guarded Eden. The LORD God is jealous in regard to His Temple. If man will not guard it, He will do it Himself. Ezk.8:3.

When man sinned in Eden, God came in judgment. He revealed Himself in all His power and glory. The same thing is repeated in Ezekiel’s prophecy. Ezk.1:24-28. Ezk.1-10.

The passage in Gen.3:8 that speaks of the LORD God coming in power and glory to the Edenic Temple to judge His people needs careful consideration.

Gen.3:8 says; "And they heard the sound (#6963 ‘qol’ rendered ‘sound’ in Gen.3:8 is rendered ‘thunder’ as in the thunder of God’s voice at Sinai in Exod.19:16,19; 20:18; in the context of judgment. This is the same word that is used 3 times in Ezk.1:24 to describe the "voice of the Almighty") of the LORD God walking (the method by which God moved about in Eden and the Sanctuary are identical. Lev.26:11 & 12; Deut.23:14 & 16; Rev.2:1.) in the garden (Eden) in the cool (the word ‘cool’ should be rendered ‘Spirit’ as it is the word ‘ruach’ #7307 which is rendered elsewhere ‘Spirit’ 76 times and ‘spirit’ 127 times) of the day, (from the immediate context it is clear that this is the Day of Judgment.) and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden." (the word ‘presence’ comes from the Hebrew word ‘panim’ or ‘paneh’ #6440 which is rendered ‘face’ 263 times, ‘before’ 137 times, and ‘surface’ 26 times as well as into many other English words. This word ‘panim/paneh’ is used twice in Gen.1:2 where it is rendered the ‘surface’ or face’ of the waters/deep. When we consider that Genesis 1 & 2 are speaking of Sovereign Temple construction, it becomes apparent that the Temple is the ‘face’ of God in the metaphoric sense.

Meredith Kline, in ‘Kingdom Prologue’ speaks of God as an Architect-Builder. P.27;

"Another architectural dimension of creation comes to view in the course of biblical revelation. Creation was designed to serve a far more exalted function than the housing of a variety of creature-beings in the several distinctive areas of the earth. The cosmic structure was built as a habitation for the Creator Himself. Heaven and earth were erected as a house of God, a palace of the Great King, the seat of sovereignty of the Lord of the covenant."

The Temple is therefore the ‘face’ of God by which He reveals His thoughts, emotions, desires, and purpose. Creation is Sovereign Temple construction that is in effect a master-matrix, a blueprint of the cosmological intention of the Master Builder. Exod.31:1-11 & Psm.104:1-4,30 reveal the role of the Spirit as Temple Builder. Discerning the actions of God is not a result of human speculation. The actions of God can only be correctly understood by reflection on the Sanctuary and the Covenant. David understood that the place where he could behold the beauty of the LORD and make his inquiries to God was in the Temple. The Sanctuary of God was where he understood and perceived the works of God. Psm.27:4-6; 73:16,17,28.

In Psm.96:13 & 98:9 we read;

"Before [as in before (panim) the face of] the LORD; for He is coming(‘bo’) to judge the earth;

He will judge the world with righteousness,

And the peoples with equity."

Through poetic parallelism, we can see that the word ‘panim’ whether it is rendered ‘presence’, ‘face’, ‘surface’, or ‘before’ can mean the same thing as the LORD God ‘coming’ to His temple in judgment. The same word ‘coming’, as in coming in judgment, (from the Hebrew word ‘bo’ #935) that is used in poetic parallelism in Psm.96 & 98 to describe the face/presence that is before the LORD, is used in Ezk.1:4 to describe the coming of the LORD in judgment against an adulterous apostate Jerusalem. In Ezk.7:2,5,6 & 10; it is the ‘day’ and ‘time’ of the LORD’S wrath that is ‘coming’. The day of judgment came when Adam sinned in Eden and "the man and his wife hid themselves from the ‘presence’ or ‘face’ or ‘coming’ of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. The point here is that judgment like unto what transpired in Eden is what is recorded in the first ten chapters of Ezekiel. It is of interest to note that Rev.1:7 & 10 is also the counterpart of Gen.3:8. The book of Revelation begins and ends with judgment with a view to Edenic restoration.

The Hebrew word ‘penemi’ #6442 like ‘panim’ #6440 (which as we have seen is rendered ‘before’, ‘face’, ‘presence’, and ‘surface’ in addition to many other words), is a derivative of ‘panah’. Noteworthy it is that the word ‘penemi’ is translated into the English word ‘inner’ 23 times in Ezekiel and is always used of parts of buildings, usually the Temple, especially in Ezk.40-46. Ezk.8:3&16 use this word ‘inner’, referring to the ‘inner’ court of the Temple where the idolatrous priesthood of Israel had brought idols right into the LORD’s house and were prostrating themselves before them. What we are seeing here is additional linkage between the Temple and creation. Israel’s sin of bringing idols into the Temple is akin to Adam’s actions in the Edenic Temple. Ezk.16, 22 & 23 reinforce the evidence that the Sovereign LORD has against his people. Their city is full of bloodshed and they have entered into an adulterous relationship with their neighbors, and with the pagan gods of their oppressors.

"The man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God ‘among’ the trees of the garden." Gen.3:8. The word ‘among is the Hebrew word ‘tavek’ #8432 and is rendered ‘middle’ 31x and ‘midst’ 162x. The same word describes the ‘expanse’ in the ‘midst’ of the waters. Gen.1:6. Interesting it is to note that Ezekiel used the same word ‘expanse’ to describe the place where God’s Throne sat, as recorded in Ezk.1:22,23,25,26. ‘Tavek’ also refers to the tree of life in the ‘midst’ of the garden. Gen.2:9. It speaks of the camp of the Israelites "where I dwell in their midst". Numb.3:5. It is the ‘midst’ of the bush of blazing fire at Horeb the mountain of God, from which the LORD called to Moses. Exod.3:1-5. It is from the ‘midst’ of the fire on the mountain of God (Sinai) that God spoke His holy Covenant Law, even His standard of judgment. Deut.4:12,15,33,36; 5:4,22,23,24,26. The book of Ezekiel uses the word ‘midst’ 56 times; which is more times than any other book in the Old Testament. A quick perusal of Ezekiel reveals how the prophet used the word ‘midst’. Because of the abominations that are in her midst, (Ezk.9:4) and the shedding of blood in her midst, (Ezk.22:3) and because of the apostasy in her midst, (Ezk.22:25,26) even in the midst of the city, even Jerusalem (Ezk.22:3); and in the inner court of the LORD’s house (Ezk.8:3,15,16) God will bring devastation and destruction in her midst.(Ezk.13:13,14) In Ezk.1:4; the LORD manifested Himself in the midst of the fire in the midst of the storm cloud. In a lamentation over Tyre, which was herself a counterfeit Eden, Tyre had situated herself in the "heart of the seas", even the "midst of the sea". Ezk.28:2; 27:32. This reveals that Tyre had Edenic world dominating aspirations.

Ezk.28:14 says;

"You were on the holy mountain of God;

You walked in the midst of the stones of fire."

Flaming fire describes the throne of God in Dan.7:9&10. "His throne was ablaze with flames". "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. Fire goes before Him. Psm.97:2 & 3. God’s throne is depicted in Ezk.1:4 as having fire flashing forth from it. God’s throne is in the ‘midst’ of the fire. The throne is like lapis lazuli, that is, ‘eben-sappir’, (sapphire stone). In Ezk.10:1, the throne of God looked like a sapphire stone. Coals of fire from between the Cherubim, as it were from the throne of God, were scattered over the city. Ezk.10:2. For Adam to seek to hide in the ‘midst’ of the garden and for Lucifer and Adam to walk in rebellion against God, all the while seeking to "walk in the midst of the stones (eben) of fire", reveals that their rebellion had the throne of God as their point of attack and desire. See also Isa.14:13&14. The prophet Ezekiel is herby expounding on and explaining the nature of the rebellion in Eden.

God described Tyre’s motive and desire in Ezk.26:2; "Son of man, because Tyre has said concerning Jerusalem. Aha, the gateway of the peoples is broken; it has opened to me. I shall be filled, now that she is laid waste." This king of Tyre is representative of more than an ancient king. He symbolizes Satan and Adam. The city of Tyre also has significant similarities with apostate Jerusalem. Students of Revelation have seen the similarities between the ‘Babylon’ of Rev.18 and apostate Jerusalem. In their rejection of Jesus as Christ, the leaders of Israel had failed to understand that Jesus Himself was the new Beth-El, the Temple of God; the place where the angels of God ascend and descend on the Son of Man when the heavens open. He is the place of worship. He is the gate and door of heaven. John.4:20-25; 1:51; 2:19-22; 10:7. (See my paper; ‘Jesus is the Sanctuary’.) Significant it is to note that Rev.18 contains many allusions to Ezk.26-28; the very passage that speaks of the mindset and actions of Tyre. Tyre believes that she is now the new Eden, the new gate of God. The king/prince of Tyre believes that he has found a way to place his palace and his throne in the Garden on the Mountain of God.

Ezk.28: 2; "Son of man, say to the leader [ruler/prince] of Tyre,

Thus says the LORD God,

Because your heart is lifted up

And you have said, I am a god,

I sit in the seat of God,

In the heart of the seas;

Yet you are a man and not God,

Although you make your heartlike the heart of God".

V13; "You were in Eden, the garden of God;

Every precious stone was your covering.

The ruby, the topaz, and the diamond;

The beryl, the onyx, and the jasper; the lapis lazuli,

the turquoise, and the emerald;

And the gold, the workmanship of your setting and sockets’

Was in you.

On the day that you were created

They were prepared."

V14; "You were the anointed cherub who covers.

The R.S.V. renders this verse; "With an anointed guardian cherub I placed you." Jon D. Levenson, in the "Theology of the Program of Restoration of Ezekiel 40-48" renders this verse; "I put by you a towering cherub for protection." As we can see, a change in a word or two can make a world of difference.

V14; (continued) And I placed you there,

You were on the holy mountain of God;

You walked in the midst of the stones of fire.

Beale, in his book on the Temple says this in regards to this passage on p.75 & 76:

"In the light of these numerous conceptual and linguistic parallels between Eden and Israel’s tabernacle and temple, it should not be unexpected to find that Ezk.28:13-14,16,18 refer to ‘Eden the garden of God … the holy mountain of God’. It is also probable that the Greek Old Testament version of Ezekiel 28:14 and 16 views the glorious being who had ‘fallen’ to be Adam: ‘From the day that you were created you were with the cherub’ (v.14); ‘you sinned; therefore you have been cast down wounded from the mount of God [where Eden was]’ (v16. Ezekiel 28:13 pictures Adam dressed in bejeweled clothing like a priest (28:13), which corresponds well to the reference only five verses later to Eden as a holy sanctuary. Ezekiel 28:18 is probably, therefore, the most explicit place anywhere in canonical literature where the Garden of Eden is called a temple."

What we are witnessing in this passage of Ezekiel 28 is the height of apostasy. It began in the garden and has been continuing to manifest itself among the so-called people of God. What follows in the next five chapters in Ezekiel is a record of God pronouncing judgment on Egypt, herself being another Edenic counterfeit, on Assyria, Elam, Meshech and Tubal. In chapter 33, God pronounced the covenant curse on Jerusalem. In Ezekiel 34, God instructed Ezekiel to prophesy against the shepherds, that is the leaders of Israel. In this chapter, we find a transition. God Himself will shepherd, feed, water, and protect His flock. Herein we are provided with promises of Edenic restoration.

Ezk.34:13; "And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains/mountain of Israel, by the streams,

V15; I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest".

V24; " Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David,

V25; "My servant David will be prince among them".

V26; "And I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing".

V27; "Also the tree of the field will yield its fruit, and the earth will yield its increase, and they will be secure on their land".

V29; "And I will establish for them a renowned planting place".

We are seeing more than a reversal of the curse that God placed on Adam when he sinned. We are seeing Edenic renewal here. Significant to note is that this new David is addressed as a shepherd, a servant, a prince. Adam’s original problem was one of pride. He failed to realize that his role was one of covenant vassal, and obedient servant. Instead, he understood himself to be an extreme dictator, even to the point of attempting to unseat his Father from the throne. The last Adam, the New David, expressed the characteristics that God always wanted to see.

When we take note of the "I will" statements of God in this chapter and in the ones that follow, it becomes apparent that in spite of mankind’s sin and apostasy, according to His Sovereign promise, the LORD God will bring about a new exodus and restore His people to their land and make His Name known in the midst of His people Israel and place His Sanctuary in their midst forever and "My dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their God and they will be My people." Ezk.37:22-28.

As we have seen, the first ten chapters of Ezekiel speak of how the LORD brought Ezekiel in vision to Jerusalem so that he could witness the abominations and idolatry that were still going on in the Temple of God. Israel is a rebellious house. Ezk.2:3,5,6,7,8. "They and their fathers/father [i.e. Adam] have transgressed against Me to this very day." Ezk.2:3. Ezekiel was appointed as a watchman, even a guardian of the Temple in his role as priest. Ezekiel was commissioned to warn Israel of her wickedness as the LORD’s mouthpiece. "When I say to the wicked you shall surely die" is reminiscent of Gen.2:17. Ezekiel, the priest, in his actions and in his words, is in some sense fulfilling the original mandate of Adam which was to act as priest and guardian of the Temple. He is a type of Christ.

Beale in his book on the Temple on p.66 & 67 offers some insightful comments on Adam’s role.

"Genesis 2:15 says God placed Adam in the Garden ‘to cultivate [i.e., work] it and to keep it’. The two Hebrew words for ‘cultivate and keep’ are usually translated ‘serve and guard’ [or keep]’ elsewhere in the Old Testament. When, however, these two words (verbal [abad and samar] and nominal forms occur together in the Old Testament (within an approximately 15-word range, they refer either to Israelites ‘serving’ God and ‘guarding’ [keeping] God’s word approximately 10 times or to priests who ‘keep’ the ‘service’ (or charge) of the tabernacle 9see Num.3:7-8; 8:5-6’ 1 Chr. 23:32; Ezek.44:14.

The Aramaic translation of Genesis 2:15 underscores this priestly notion of Adam, saying that he was placed in the Garden ‘to toil in the Law and to observe its commandment’ (language strikingly similar to the above Numbers references. … The part of Adam’s function was to worship God."

In light of Adam’s and Israel’srebellion and apostasy, and in light of God’s Edenic Sovereign covenantal purpose, God chose to act in the Seed of the woman, the ‘Son of Man’, that is the last Adam, even the Son of David, to fulfill His primal mandate. The balance of Ezekiel’s prophecy describes how He would accomplish this, what it would look like, and who would act to bring it to bear. As we will see, the Edenic allusions will continue to flow as we consider the balance of Ezekiel.

The solution to the ongoing problem of apostasy that Israel was unable to deal with was only to be found in a New Creation. In Ezk.37; the prophet Ezekiel records the Sovereign act of recreation by the Spirit of the LORD like unto the original creation of Gen.1 &2. The prophet Ezekiel prophesied that the Spirit of God would again bring order out of chaos. Ezekiel used the language of creation to describe the New Exodus, the New Creation, and the New Eden. As we will see the ethical righteous component to this new Kingdom is central.

In Ezk.37:14; we read,

"And I will put My Spirit (margin ‘breath’) within you, and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land".

This verse is clearly reminiscent of Gen.2:7&8.

"Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being."

"And the LORD God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed."

Ezekiel’s repetition of the original Genesis account using the same key words and concepts enables us to understand that God will indeed fulfill His original Edenic purpose for mankind.

In the preceding chapter of Ezk.36:34-36; we read:

"And the desolate land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passed by."

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

"Then the nations that are left round about you will know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolate; I, the LORD, have spoken and will do it."

The word ‘cultivated’ #5647 ‘abad’ used in Ezk.36:9,34 is the same word used in Gen.2:2,15 to describe Adam’s Edenic mandate. This passage in Ezekiel therefore speaks of how God will rebuild the City, that is, the Garden of Eden. That it is in the immediate context of the recreation by the Spirit is powerful evidence for this line of reasoning.

Ezekiel did not understand the plan of Edenic restoration that was revealed to him by God as being out of sync with His earlier promises to the patriarchs. When God initially made from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob a ‘kingdom of priests’, He delivered His son Israel from Egyptian bondage and placed him in the Promised Land, which, as we have seen, was essentially a new Eden. The Promised Land with its mountain of the LORD on which sat the holy city Jerusalem that housed the Temple of YHWH where the covenant God of Israel dwelt in the midst of His people was this new Eden. In the Exodus, and the subsequent planting of His people in Canaan, God was again implementing His original plan which was to fill the earth with a multitude of His image bearers as per the original Divine directive of Gen.1:28.

As in the first Exodus account, the message of Ezekiel is that there will be a New Exodus. Instead of just the patriarch Joseph’s bones being brought into the land of inheritance, an entire nation’s bones will be brought to the land of the living, that is, to the Promised Land. In Ezk.37, as in the account in the book of Exodus, we see a heightened expression of God’s original intention, which was for God to dwell not only in the midst of His covenant people but ‘within them’. A key phrase the runs through the book of Ezekiel is: "so you [or] then you will know that I am the LORD". Ezekiel used this phrase some 73 times! Significant it is that a revelation of the glory and judgment of God is the prerequisite for "knowing that I am the LORD". Ezk.35:11; 18:30&31; 20:35-38.

The word ‘place’ of Ezk.37:14 is the Hebrew word ‘nuach’ (#5117). This word which primarily means to rest or settle down in a particular place, has overtones of finality, or when speaking abstractly, of victory and salvation. It speaks of security. In Exod.20:11; in the context of sabbath rest, we read of how "the LORD made the heavens and the earth … and rested (nuach) on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy." The initial Edenic Sabbath, therefore, had eschatological implications. God will finish what He started.

The word in Gen.2:2,3 that is translated ‘rested’ in terms of how God "rested from all His work" is the Hebrew word ‘shabath’ (#7673a). When God created man and breathed into his nostrils the breath (Spirit) of life, (Gen.7:22) He then placed him in Eden, that is, in the place of rest. The word ‘Eden’ is related to the word ‘adan’ meaning enjoyment. It is the garden of delight. It is a beautiful fertile garden, even the ‘paradise’ of God. It is a place of unbroken fellowship with God. The Sabbath rest given at creation in the context of placing Adam in Eden reveals how man was to enjoy everything that was good as it came fresh from the Creator’s hand. The Sabbath was therefore an Eden of rest in time, where man could experience his greatest delight, which was intimate communion with his Father. This garden Temple was the place where man could rest in the presence of God in security and peace.

It is of interest to note that Ezekiel recorded how the LORD indicted the priests of Israel for "doing violence to My law" for having "profaned My holy things" and "they hide their eyes from My Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them." Ezk.22:26. In the spiritual regeneration that God Sovereignly brings, the sons of Zadok, that is, the righteous ones, will not only "come near to serve as a priest to Me", "keep charge of My Sanctuary", "stand before Me", "come near to minister to Me", "enter My Sanctuary", "stand to judge", "teach My people", they will also "keep My laws and My statutes in all My appointed feasts and sanctify My Sabbaths". Ezk.44:13-16, 23-24. The gates of Ezekiel’s eschatological City "shall be opened on the Sabbath". "The people of the land shall worship at the doorway of that gate before the LORD on the Sabbaths". Ezk.46:1,3. Rev.21:25 alludes to this verse in Ezekiel and the implication is that the final Edenic rest will be a perpetual Sabbath.

Sabbath observance for Adam was an ongoing reminder that God was the Creator and that he was the created one. The Sabbath served as a marker to describe the nature of that first covenant between the Sovereign LORD of creation and Adam’s role as servant vassal shepherd king. One cannot help but wonder if the Sabbath that God implemented in Eden was the ‘rub’ that propelled Adam to demonstrate his rebellion against God.

The ‘life’ therefore that God initially breathed into Adam’s nostrils, and the life that God promised to again breathe into Israel, as recorded in Ezk.37 is more than biological life. It is spiritual life. It is a heart and mind that can be at rest and filled with joy in the presence of God. It is a heart the ‘knows the LORD’. This becomes readily apparent when we consider the Sovereign ‘I will’ statements of the previous chapter.

Ezk.36:26; "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit (breath) within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."

V27; "And I will put My Spirit (breath) within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances."

V28; "And you will live on the land(Eden) that I gave to your forefathers (forefather / Adam); so you will be My people and I will be your God."

V38; "Then they will know that I am the LORD."

The promise, therefore of Ezk.37, especially in the light of the Sovereign God’s covenantal ‘I will’ statements to His people (My people, v12,13) is that God will once again recreate Eden, fulfill His original covenantal purposes to man, and will restore the original blessing of ‘life’ to His people. This passage that speaks of the creative act of God by His Spirit must be recognized as being connected with and the basis for the New Temple and the New City that God will create as revealed to Ezekiel and recorded by him in Ezk.40-48. Ezk.37:5 reiterates the same point: "Behold, I will cause breath (Spirit) to enter you that you may come to life."

The ‘putting’ of God’s Spirit in the house of Israel and the ‘placing’ of Israel in the land, is a clear revelation that God has Sovereignly acted to reverse the curse, even the original curse of death. The reversal of the curse will enable God to fulfill His original purpose to multiply Adam’s seed so that they will fill the earth and build the Kingdom of God.

Ezekiel chapter 36 speaks of how God will restore the mountains/mountain of Israel, even the everlasting heights from the enemy’s possession. Ezk.36:2. The key word ‘mountains/mountain’ is used six times from Ezk.36:1-8. The enemy, i.e. Satan and his pawns (Edom, symbolic of the house of Esau, the rebellious line whose purpose has been to raise up an anti-God kingdom throughout history and to control the creation of God for themselves) have essentially "appropriated My land for themselves as a possession". Ezk.36:5. Satan’s purpose has been to appropriate the LORD’s Eden and to establish a counter God, counter temple, counter kingdom movement and to multiply and fill the earth with his image bearers. Satan has sought to rule and reign over the earth from the high and lofty place that is the ‘mountain’ of God. When Satan took Jesus "to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of ‘the world", herein we are seeing evidence of how Satan claimed ownership and rulership of the earth. Matt.4:8. Interesting it is to note how subtly the Edenic Temple Mount is in the background of these New Testament passages. Much work needs to be done in this area of New Testament study with the Edenic matrix in mind.

In Ezk.17; The LORD gave the prophet Ezekiel a parable in regards to the judgment of God on His rebellious people who have despised His oath and broken His covenant. As Ezk.16 records, it was for harlotry, even idolatry, that God poured the curse on His own people and removed them from the land. As we have seen, when Adam had earlier committed the same sin by breaking the covenant, forsaking his role as priest, king, and Temple guardian in Eden, God cleansed the Edenic Temple and cast Adam out. As we have seen, Israel repeated the same sin and was herself cast out of the land. Interesting it is to note how Ezk.17:5 speaks of Babylon as "fertile soil … beside abundant waters" in which God has planted His vine Israel. Babylon, the ‘gate of God’, is here described in Edenic terms. Both Babylon and Egypt with their respective kings were but counterfeits of the original Eden. See Gen.13:10. The lands of these kings were fertile and well watered being situated on a river. They had their garden temples and their priesthood. Their temples even contained three levels of graduated holiness. Their king was the all powerful image bearer of the god that they served. They were Satan’s agent in terms of multiplying and filling the earth with Satan’s philosophy. The LORD God nevertheless promised a New King who would fulfill His original Edenic mandate on the ‘mountain’ of God. The irony of the situation, however, as expressed in the book of Daniel, is that God continued to actively fulfill His purpose and multiply His kingdom via Nebuchadnezzar, who came to acknowledge the Most High God. While Satan was infiltrating the Temple of God, the LORD’s agents were infiltrating Satan’s kingdom.

Ezk.17:22 says; "Thus says the LORD God, ‘I shall also take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and set it out; I shall pluck from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I shall plant it on a high and lofty mountain."

V23: "On the high mountain of Israel I shall plant it, that it may bring forth boughs and fruit, and become a stately cedar. And birds of every kind will nest under it; they will nest / dwell in its branches."

This ‘sprig’ is none other that the Messiah, the last Adam. He will bring about Edenic restoration and accomplish God’s mandate for His people as King over all the earth on the Holy Mountain of God. This One is the Davidic shepherd King spoken of in Ezk.37:24,25; 34;11-16.

Ezk.20:40 says; "For on My holy mountain, on the high mountain of Israel, declares the LORD God, there the whole house of Israel, all of them will serve Me in the land; there shall I accept them". See also Ezk.34:13-15.

The renewal of the covenant and the building of the City Temple in fulfillment of God’s original Edenic purpose permeates the message of Ezekiel. He keeps telling the same story over and over again. We have seen the connection between the promise of a new Exodus, a new Spirit, a New Covenant linked with the promise of a new Temple, and a new City. In Ezk.10:18, because of apostasy, the Glory of God departed from the Temple. Restoration and reconciliation, therefore, is naturally revealed by the Glory of God returning to the Temple. Ezk.43:1-7 records the "glory of the LORD coming from the way of the east" and "the earth shone with His Glory". "The Glory of the LORD filled the house/Temple." "And He said to me, ‘son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the sons of Israel forever". This passage found inaugural fulfillment when the Messiah manifested the Glory of God at His first ‘coming’ and will find final fulfillment at the consummation.

The message of Ezk.36, as it is in Ezk.17, is that God, having chastised His people will now act to pour out His wrath on the nations. The restoration of the people of Israel to their inheritance finds explanation in a repetition of the words of Genesis.

Ezk.36:8; "But you, O mountains / mountain of Israel, you will put forth your branches and bear your fruit for My people Israel; for they will soon come."

V9; "For, behold, I am with you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be cultivated and sown."

V10; "And I will multiply men on you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities will be inhabited, and the waste places will be rebuilt."

V11; "And I will multiply on you man and beast; and they will increase and be fruitful; and I will cause you (that is the mountain / kingdom /Eden) to be inhabited as you were formerly and will treat you better than at the first. Thus you will know that I am the LORD."

V12; "Yes, I will cause men – My people Israel – to walk on you and possess you, so that you will become their inheritance and never again bereave them of children."

The allusions here in Ezekiel to Gen.1-4 are powerful! The original mandate to have dominion, to be fruitful and multiply, to serve the LORD as kings and priests, to keep covenant, to thwart Satan’s approach by guarding and keeping the Temple, and by expanding the garden and Temple precincts until it fills the cosmos was never fulfilled by Adam. The second Adam, the Christ, however, clearly understood that this was His mandate and He has alone inaugurally fulfilled it at Calvary and will bring it to consummation at His coming.

The mountain Temple, which is the Edenic City of God on which the heirs of God dwell in His presence in the Kingdom of God forever, is the goal to which the actions of God are driving and this is the picture that the prophet Ezekiel is speaking of.

We read in Ezk.37:14 of how God promised "I will place you on your own land". Of special interest is that the word ‘place’, that is ‘nuach’, of Ezk.37:14 is translated ‘put’ in Gen.2:15. "Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it." This reiterates the same point made earlier that the Sovereign God, in accordance with His covenantal purpose, placed/put man in Eden, a place of security and rest. Therefore, God’s action in Ezk.37 is a repetition of His initial actions in Genesis.

In Ezk.37:1; "He brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones." "These bones are the whole house of Israel". Ezk.37:11. The word ‘middle’ is the Hebrew word ‘tavek’ (#8432). This same word is used in Ezk.48:8,21,22 to describe how the Sanctuary of God, and by implication the Throne of God, is in the midst of the City. Ezekiel chapters 40 through 48 speak of how the prophet Ezekiel was taken in vision into the land of Israel and set upon a very high mountain. On this mountain was the structure of a city. Like Moses before him, Ezekiel was shown the blueprint/pattern of the Temple. Ezk.40:1-5. Ezekiel was told to declare to the house of Israel every thing that ‘you see’. The Temple blueprint contains the key to creation, redemption and the eschaton. Ezekiel has been prophesying what he has been ‘seeing’ throughout his entire book. What did he see? In Ezk.41, Ezekiel saw the most holy place. V4. He saw the three stories of the temple, reminiscent of Noah’s ark, which itself was a Temple of God. He saw the palm trees that were carved on the LORD’s house. V18-20,25,26. (This is reminiscent of Solomon’s Temple which itself was built on the pattern revealed to David by the LORD in the same way as the pattern for the Mosaic Temple had been revealed to Moses on the mountain.) See 1 Kings 6:29,32 (2x), 35; 7:36 regarding ‘palms’. See Exod.25:9,40; 1 Chron.28:10-12,19 in regards to how Moses and David were shown the pattern of the Sanctuary which they were instructed to erect.

Ezekiel saw Israel’s past, even Adam’s experience, in the Temple/City that he was shown on the Mountain. Adam’s and Israel’s history and experience paved the way for Ezekiel to see and understand Israel’s and man’s future. God always uses the language of the past to communicate what the future will look like. Therefore, the New Exodus that God was promising Israel through Ezekiel was rooted in a previous Exodus. For this reason, attention needs to be given to what transpired at the Red Sea.

Interesting it is to note that the song of victory following God’s great deliverance and Exodus of Israel at the Red Sea preceded Israel’s arrival at Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy date palms, and they camped beside the waters. The ‘waters’ and the ‘palms’ are reminiscent of Eden. Exod.15:27. The word ‘Elim’ and its derivatives ulam, ayil, ela, elon, and elam has connections with the Temple via the pillars, the mighty leaders, and the oaks or terebinths. This well watered oasis with its trees was therefore a foreshadowing of Edenic Temple restoration. Israel had walked on dry land through the midst of the sea and found redemption and salvation. Exod.15:2,13. Having ‘passed over’, the waters of the deep, themselves being a symbol of death and Satan’s domain, Israel in some sense had returned to Eden, the Temple on the Mountain of God, and into the paradisiacal Kingdom of God. From Ezekiel’s perspective, the valley of ‘dry bones’ which Israel had to get past before they entered the Promised Land was but a repetition of Israel’s prior experience at the Red Sea where they symbolically died, were buried, and rose from the dead.

Exod.15:13,17&18 states;

V13; "In Thy strength Thou hast guided them to Thy holy habitation.

V17; Thou wilt bring them and plant them in the mountain of Thine inheritance,

The place, O LORD, which Thou hast made for Thy dwelling,

The Sanctuary, O LORD, which Thy hands have established,

V18; The LORD will reign forever and ever."

In Ezekiel 48, the whole holy allotment and inheritance of the twelve tribes of Israel that the prophet Ezekiel has been describing from Ezk.40 and on to Ezk.48 is 25,000 reeds by 25,000 reeds, that is a giant square. Ezk.48:20. In Ezk.40:6, Ezekiel entered the temple from the east. It is notable that the entrance to Eden was from the east. Gen.3:24. As we have seen in Ezk.43:2; "the Glory of God was coming from the east." "The Sanctuary of the house shall be in the middle of it." Ezk.48:8,21. "The Sanctuary of the LORD shall be in its midst". V10 (the words ‘middle’ and ‘midst’ both come from the same Hebrew word; ‘Tavek’, #8432) As we seen, this is the same word used in Ezk.37:1. This is the same City and Sanctuary that the apostle John saw in vision as recorded in Revelation chapter 21 & 22. Rev.21:3 thrice mentions how God will dwell ‘among’, or we could say ‘in the midst’ of His people. More than that; "the Lamb in the center [midst] of the throne shall be their shepherd". Rev.7:17. When we compare the key words in this passage of Ezk.48 with Rev.21 & 22 and Gen.1-4, we are able to see the connections between this holy allotment with its Sanctuary and City in its midst, with the original Edenic proto-type, and with the anti-typical City/Temple on a mountain in the Apocalypse’s last two chapters.

The ‘priests’, that is the sons of Zadok (#6659 from #6664 tsedeq; that is the righteous ones) who have kept My charge are there. The word ‘kept’ here again comes from the Hebrew word ‘shamar’ #8104. The sons of Zadok were faithful in their role as guardians and keepers of the Temple. They are the ones "shall come near to minister to Me; and they shall stand before Me’. They shall enter My Sanctuary and keep My charge". Ezk.44:14-16. As we have seen, this was Adam’s original role in the Edenic Temple. As we have seen, God placed Adam in the garden of Eden to cultivate and keep (shamar) it. Gen.2:15. Adam’s role was to guard the Edenic Temple by strict adherence to God’s covenant law.

When we consider how Christ Jesus was so zealous to serve and obey His Father as a Priest King, we are able to in some sense theologically reverse engineer the Scriptures and therefore understand more clearly Adam’s original role. Adam was to live by every word that proceeded from the mouth of God. He was to guard the temple from outside attack. He was to protect the sanctity of the Temple even to the point of death. Jesus’ Temple actions take on increased significance in light of this understanding of Adam’s original role. As Adam’s role was laid out before Him, Jesus realized that it was His role to enforce the covenant, which included guarding the Temple. Unlike Adam, however, Jesus took the role of a servant and submitted to the purposes of the Father. Jesus’ Temple actions ultimately resulted in His death. He kept God’s charge, was raised from the dead, and entered the Most Holy Place of the Temple of God in heaven and sat down. Our Representative, the last Adam, is even now in Paradise, the Eden of God. We too, by faith, have already in some sense entered Zion, the Holy City Jerusalem. Luke 23:43; Heb.11:9,10; 12:22,23; Rev.2:7; 21-22. Nevertheless, we look forward with hope to the consummation of all things.

The resurrection of Israel depicted in Ezk.37:12-14 is a prophecy that speaks of recreation in view of God’s original covenant promise. The superlative passage of Ezk.37:21-28 brings this fact home. Ezekiel blends the covenant promises to Abraham, Moses, and David. The covenants of God are one. The subsequent covenants do not replace the previous covenants, they just amplify and expound on them. Each of these covenants are but amplification of the Edenic covenant. Adam, like Abraham, was promised the land, even Eden. He was to expand the precincts of Eden to the north, the south, the east, and the west until the Kingdom of God filled the earth. Adam, like Moses, was to build the Sanctuary, that is, to make Eden the place of worship and communion with the Most High God in His Temple. The lawgiver’s will of righteousness, justice, and mercy were to cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. Adam, like David, was living in a Temple on a Mountain, even in the City of God. He had dominion over that land and that city as vice-regent of God. He was a priest king, covenant mediator, temple builder, and warrior whose role was to defend the faith. He was to be a vassal king, a servant king, a shepherd king. Consequently, any fulfillment of the Abrahamic, Mosaic, and Davidic covenants was but a fulfillment of the Edenic covenant originally made to Adam.

Interesting it is to note that all of the major Old Testament covenants are brought together in Rev.21:1-7, which is part of the section in Revelation that brings together in one place the concepts of Throne, Temple, City, Mountain, Covenant, King, Kingdom, and Edenic restoration. Therefore, we cannot separate kingdom from covenant. We cannot separate kingdom from rulership and dominion. We cannot separate covenant from Temple. We cannot separate any of these concepts from creation and Eden. They are all part of a package. The promise therefore of God through Ezekiel of a resurrection from the dead, of a restoration of the Kingdom to Israel with a Davidic King, and the rebuilding of the city of God on a Mountain, on which sits a Sanctuary in which God Himself dwells in the midst of His covenant people is none other than Edenic restoration. "And the name of the City from that day shall be, the LORD is there." Ezk.48:35; Rev.21:3; 22:3.