This article will argue that the garden of Eden was the first temple where the first man worshipped God as the first priest.1 When taken together, the following linguistic and thematic correspondences between the garden of Eden and Israel’s tabernacle, temple, and eschatological temple strongly suggest that the garden of Eden was the first temple.
The Garden of Eden as the Unique Place of God’s Presence
The garden of Eden was the place where Adam and Eve experienced the unique presence of God by walking and talking with God. Genesis 3:8 says,
“And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking (מִתְהַלֵּךְ) in the garden in the cool of the day.” (GENESIS 3:8)
The Hebrew verb מִתְהַלֵּךְ (הלך in the hithpael stem) refers to God “walking to and fro” (or “walking about”) in the garden of Eden. This same verb is used to describe God’s presence in the tabernacle where the priest experienced God’s unique presence:
“I will place my tabernacle among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk (וְהִתְהַלַּכְתִּי) among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.” (LEVITICUS 26:11–12; cf. Deut 23:14[15])
“I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about [מִתְהַלֵּךְ] in a tent for my dwelling.” (2 SAMUEL 7:6; cf. 2 Sam 7:7)
The use of the same verb in the hithpael stem to refer to God’s unique presence in the garden of Eden and in the tabernacle suggest that God dwelt in the garden of Eden in a similar way as he did in the tabernacle and by extension in the temple when it was built and replaced the tabernacle.
The Garden of Eden as the Place of the First Priest
The language used of Adam to describe his role in the garden of Eden is the same language used of the temple priests and Levites, suggesting that Adam was a priest in the garden, which should be considered a temple.
In Genesis 2:15, God placed the first man, Adam, in the garden of Eden “to work it [or “cultivate it”] and keep it”:
“The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it [לְעָבְדָהּ] and to keep it [לְשָׁמְרָהּ].” (GENESIS 2:15)
The two Hebrew verbs for “work/cultivate” (עבד) and “keep” (שׁמר) that are used of Adam are also used of the priests and Levites who “keep” (שׁמר) the “service” (עֲבֹדָה) of the tabernacle when used together.2
“Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. They shall keep [וְשָׁמְרוּ] guard over him [מִשְׁמַרְתּוֹ] and over the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, as they minister [עֲבֹדַת] at the tabernacle. They shall guard [וְשָׁמְרוּ] all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, and keep guard [מִשְׁמֶרֶת] over the people of Israel as they minister [עֲבֹדַת] at the tabernacle.” (NUMBERS 3:6–8; also see Num 8:25–26; 18:5–6; 1 Chron 23:32; Ezek 44:14)
The role of the priests and Levites in the tabernacle and temple was twofold: (1) to manage it (עבד), keeping its order, and (2) to guard (שׁמר) it from unclean things entering into it (see Num 3:6–7, 32, 38; 18:1–7; 1 Chron 9:23; 2 Chron 23:19; Ezek 40:45; 44:14).
The use of priestly language with Adam suggests that his work in the garden of Eden was priestly in nature. Adam was tasked to “work” or “cultivate” (עבד) the garden like the priests were to work the tabernacle and temple, meaning Adam was to manage the garden and keep it in an orderly condition. Further, Adam was tasked to guard (שׁמר) the garden in much the same way as the priests were to guard the tabernacle and temple; Adam was to keep that which was unclean out of the garden. Namely, Adam was to keep the unclean serpent out of the garden and to keep sin out of the garden; a task at which he failed (Gen 3:1–7).
Thus, the use of priestly language with Adam suggests that his work in the garden of Eden was priestly in nature, giving credence that the garden was a temple.
The Garden of Eden as the Place of the First Guarding Cherubim
The presence of guardian cherubim in the tabernacle and temple, reflects God’s placing of cherubim at the entrance of the garden of Eden, suggesting that the garden of Eden was a temple.3
After failing to guard the garden of Eden from uncleanness by allowing the unclean serpent into the garden and then by further defiling the garden by sinning, Adam lost his priestly role and God installed the cherubim “to guard the way to the tree of life” (Gen 3:24), taking over the responsibility that Adam once had.4
These guardian cherubim are found in the holy of holies of both the tabernacle and the temple. In the tabernacle and the temple, the cherubim are gold statues on either side of the ark of the covenant (Exod 25:18–22; 1 Kings 6:23–28; 8:6–7). In the temple, however, Solomon also carved cherubim into the walls, doors, and nave doorposts of the inner sanctuary, along with palm trees and open flowers (1 Kings 6:29–35).
The association of cherubim with the tabernacle and temple strongly suggest that the garden of Eden was a temple because God installed guardian cherubim at its entrance.
The Garden of Eden as the Place of the First Arboreal Lampstand
Directly outside the holy of holies in both the tabernacle and temple is an arboreal-looking lampstand made of gold (Exod 25:31–36). This lampstand “looked like a small, flowering tree with seven protruding branches from a central trunk, three on one side and three on the other, and one branch going straight up from the trunk in the middle” (Beale, The Temple and the Church’s Mission, 71).
In light of the many other correspondences to the garden of Eden that were built into the tabernacle and temple, it is likely that the lampstand is patterned after the tree of life found in the garden of Eden. If this is so, then this is one more piece of evidence that the garden of Eden was a temple.
The Garden of Eden as Model for the Garden Imagery in Israel’s Temple
Solomon’s temple is described with botanical and arboreal imagery that gave it a garden-like appearance. Throughout 1 Kings 6–7, the construction of the temple includes “a proliferation of garden-like descriptions of the interior, much of which are descriptions of carvings, structures or pieces of furniture covered with precious metals” (Beale, The Temple and the Church’s Mission, 71). Further, Old Testament literature written after Solomon’s temple speak of Solomon’s temple and Israel’s eschatological temple with garden-like depictions that identify them with the garden of Eden (Ps 52:8; 92:13–15; Lam 2:6; Is 60:13, 21).
The Garden of Eden as the First Source of Water
In the midst of the garden of Eden flowed a river that was the source of the four great rivers of the land: Pishon, Gihon, Tigris, Euphrates (Gen 2:10–14). Although Solomon’s temple did not have a river running out of it, the eschatological temple depicted in Ezekiel 47:1–12 and Revelation 22:1–2 has a river flowing from its centre. The eschatological temple seems patterned in part on the garden of Eden, suggesting that the garden of Eden was a temple.
The Garden of Eden as the Place of Precious Stones
In Genesis 2:12, Moses says,
“the gold of that land [Havilah] is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there.”
Havilah is either where Eden was located or Eden was located close to Havilah. Regardless, gold, bdellium, and onyx are associated with Eden. Unsurprisingly, much of the tabernacle, temple, their furniture and furnishings, as well as the high priest’s garments contained gold and onyx (Exod 25:7, 11–39; 28:6–27; 1 Kings 6:20–22; 1 Chron 29:2), linking the tabernacle/temple with the garden of Eden and suggesting the garden of Eden was a temple.
The Garden of Eden as the Place of the First Mountain
Ezekiel 28:14, 16 explicitly states the garden of Eden was located on a mountain (Ezek 28:13–14, 16):
“You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked . . . . In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.”
In addition to Eden, Israel’s temple was on a mountain (Exod 15:17) and the eschatological temple will be located on a mountain (Ezek 40:2; 43:12; Rev 21:10). The overall picture that Scripture gives is that God’s temple will always be located on a mountain. As such, it is probable that the garden of Eden was a temple because it was located on a mountain.
The Garden of Eden as the First Place of Wisdom
“The ark in the holy of holies, which contained the law (that led to wisdom), echoes the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (that also led to wisdom). Both the touching of the ark and the partaking of the tree’s fruit resulted in death [Gen 2:15–17; 2 Sam 6:6–7; 1 Chron 13:9–11]” (Beale, The Temple and the Church’s Mission, 73–74). Although not conclusive in itself, both the garden of Eden and the tabernacle/temple containing an item that bestows wisdom, but leads to death if touched, is one more correspondence between the temple/tabernacle and the garden of Eden that suggest the garden of Eden was a temple.
The Garden of Eden as the First Place with an Eastern Facing Entrance
“The entrance to Eden was from the east (Gen. 3:24), which was also the direction from which one entered the tabernacle and later temples of Israel, and would be the same direction from which the latter-day temple would be entered (Ezek. 40:6)” (Beale, The Temple and the Church’s Mission, 74), suggesting the garden of Eden was a temple.
The Garden of Eden as Part of a Tripartite Sacred Structure
It is possible that the world at creation was split into three parts much like the temple. The tabernacle and the temple are divided into three parts: (1) the holy of holies where God dwells, (2) the holy place where God’s priestly servants worship God by obeying him, managing the temple, and guarding the temple, and (3) the outer court where the average person can worship God.
In Genesis 2:10, Moses says,
“a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden.”
Based on this, it possible that (1) Eden is the holy of holies where God dwells, (2) the garden of Eden is the holy place where the priestly servants worship God, and (3) the land outside the garden (the rest of the earth) is the outer court.
This tripartite structure of the world finds confirmation in the eschatological temple as depicted in Ezekiel 47 and Revelation 22. In Ezekiel 47:1, water flows out from under the holy of holies and waters the entire earth. Similarly, in Revelation 22:1–2, “the river of the water of life” flows out “from the throne of God and of the Lamb” into a garden-like grove. If we combine the two pictures of the eschatological temple, (1) a river flows out of the holy of holies where God dwells, (2) into a garden, and (3) then out to the world.
This tripartite structure of the world at creation, the tabernacle/temple, and the eschatological temple strongly suggests that the garden of Eden is either a temple or part of the temple.
Ezekiel Views the Garden of Eden as the First Sanctuary
Ezekiel 28 explicitly speaks of Eden as “the garden of God” (Ezek 28:13). It goes on to speak of Eden as being “the holy mountain of God” (Ezek 28:14, also verse 16), and concludes by speaking of Eden’s “sanctuaries”:
“By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries” (EZEKIEL 28:18).
The plural “sanctuaries” is used elsewhere to refer to Israel’s tabernacle (Lev 21:23) and temple (Ezek 7:24; Jer 51:51). “The plural reference to the one temple probably arose because of the multiple sacred spaces or ‘sanctuaries’ withing the temple complex (e.g., courtyard, holy place, holy of holies)” (Beale, The Temple and the Church’s Mission, 75). Thus, Ezekiel 28:18 is the most explicit place in the Bible where the garden of Eden is called a temple.
Conclusion: The Garden of Eden was the First Temple
The numerous parallels between the garden of Eden and Israel’s tabernacle and temple indicate that Eden, including its garden, was the first temple and the one upon which Israel’s tabernacle, first and second temple, and eschatological temple are based. Although not every correspondence is convincing by itself, the cumulative effect leads to the conclusion that Eden was the first temple in garden-like form. This conclusion is confirmed in Ezekiel 28:18, which calls the garden of Eden the first sanctuary.
- This article is based on Greg Beale’s research in The Temple and the Church’s Mission: A Biblical Theology of the Dwelling Place of God, 66–80. Many of my section headings have been taken from his book. ↩︎
- Every time the two Hebrew verbs “to work/cultivate” (עבד) and “to keep” (שׁמר), along with their nominal forms, occur together within a 15-word range, they always refer either (1) to Israelites “serving” God and “guarding/keeping” God’s word or (2) to the priests and Levites who serve and guard/keep the tabernacle or temple. ↩︎
- “Cherubim” is the Hebrew plural of the singular “cherub,” a class of angel. Thus, cherubim refers to two or more angels from the cherub class. ↩︎
- Ezekiel 28:11–19 is commonly said to allude to Satan. However, the allusion more closely resembles Adam. If Ezekiel 28:11–19 does allude to Adam, then 28:14–16 speaks of Adam’s role in the garden of Eden as one of guarding. ↩︎