ESCHATON

By Bro. Bobby - Travel to any large city, and without out fail, somewhere in that concrete jungle of large buildings and busy highways, you will find a garden. In modern times these beautiful, lush gardens are often referred to as parks. But despite what they are referred to, the fact of what they are remains, they remain gardens. They sit in the center of the business of life like an oasis in the dessert of humanities modern existence. They offer freedom from the stress and aggravations of life. The beautiful plants, the draw of fresh air, and the smells of the season, provide some level of comfort to all who go there. If you are fortunate enough to spend time at one of these gardens you will likely hear the laughter of children, the bark of a family pet, and the happy conversations of the people you will find there. Life just seems better in the garden. But maybe the draw of the garden is deeper than what it appears. Maybe those who seek solace amongst the creation are looking for more. When people rush to the garden it is not a momentary release from the responsibilities of life they seek, it is the Creator they are looking for. Mankind was created and placed in the garden of God and to that garden mankind longs to return. The following essay will attempt to explore the reality of the eventual return of humankind to the place it was created to be, the garden of God.

The Bible is not comprised of a series of unrelated stories, but it is comprised of one story. “The symphony of theology is poised to celebrate its last reprise.”[1] The entire Scripture is leading humankind somewhere. The Bible is leading us to a place that people were created to be. We were created, and placed in a garden, and it is in that garden we were meant to remain. Because in that garden we were in the very presence of God. The first humans lived in a lush garden that had been created for them. And in that garden God was present with them. “Now they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day.” (Genesis 3:8, NASB). Human beings were created to live in the very presence of God and given the authority and ability to tend the garden that God had given them (Gen. 1:28-30; 2:15). But the first man, Adam, due to the weakness of his flesh, was unable to tend the garden in the way that God intended. And through the cunning of the serpent, sin entered the garden (Genesis 3). “The serpent that seduced Eve is an expression of an act of the adversary, Satan is the primordial adversary of God.”[2] And because of sin, mankind’s fall into temptation, mankind was removed from the garden and eternally separated form God. (Gen. 3:22-24).

But God! God who is “rich in mercy” (Eph. 2:4), placed a plan into place, a plan to redeem mankind from sin, “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.” (Genesis 3:15, NASB). “The intent of God in creation is primordially to “desire everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:4).”[3] And because of that desire the Scripture is leading human history back to the place it began, back to the garden.

A journey that would begin in a desert with a man named Abram (Genesis 12). And through his descendants, God would offer again mankind the opportunity to be in His presence. God would give the people His law (Exodus 20) and offer a means of atonement for those who would break the laws of God (Leviticus 5). God provided humankind with a means by which their sin could be atoned for. However, this atonement was only temporary. There remained a need for the people to atone again and again for their sins. Once a year, the High Priest was able to atone for the sins of the people (Leviticus 16). And through this system of sin and atonement, God once again dwelt with people (Exodus 40:34-38). But in the Old Covenant, God was still far off.

But God would make a New Covenant with His people (Mat. 26:26-28; Luke 22:19-20, 1 Cor. 11:25; Heb. 9:15-18). “So also, it is written: “The first man, Adam, became a living person. The last Adam was a life-giving spirit” (1 Corinthians 15:45, NASB). What the first Adam was unable to do because of the weakness of his flesh, the second Adam did. “In short, as Christ begins the glory of His body in this world with manifold diversity of gifts, and increases it by degrees, so also He will perfect it in heaven.”[4] Jesus, “Immanuel – God with us” (Mat. 1:23), has atoned for sin once and for all (Gal. 1:4). And because of His atonement for sin, and resurrection from the dead, Jesus is able to offer life eternal (Matt 28; Mk 16; Lk 24; Jn 3:16, 20). And those who follow Jesus, those under the blood of the New Covenant, shall live eternally. “The destiny of the righteous is eternal life in and with God.”[5]  And what a destiny it is.

Jesus, who is seated at the right hand of the Father (Heb. 1:3, 12:2; 1 Pet. 3:22; Acts 7), will return to the earth. “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, NASB). And when those “dead in Christ” (1Thes. 4:16) arise they will do so to new and glorified bodies. “The spiritual body (soma pneumatikos) risen by faith through grace into eternal life is promised the full recovery to the condition of humanity prior to the fall.”[6] A body that will never die. Death will be no more for those who are “in Christ” (Eph 1:4).

Death that has plagued humanity since he was removed from the garden of God will finally be put away death. And the adversary, “the Serpent of Old,” Satan will be bound (Rev. 20). “And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:2, NASB). The one who tempted Adam and Eve in the garden will no longer be able to temp God’s people. “The strong man Satan is being bound.”[7] And when, after a thousand years, Satan is loosed again, it is only for a short time, and he will be “thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone” (Rev. 20:7-10). God’s restoration, the restoration promised in the beginning will continue.

Satan, having already been judged, will be joined by those souls that are “not found written in the book of life” (Rev. 20:15). Those that have not trusted Christ for their salvation, those who never accepted the gift of eternal life, will be judged. And because of the sins that have plagued humanity since shortly after its creation, they will find themselves eternally separated from the presence of God. “And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (revelation 20:15, NASB). “God takes ‘no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.”[8] Live life eternally.

In the church, there is muck talk about heaven. Jesus speaks of a place of rest for believers, a place that he has “gone to prepare for us” (Jn 14:3), but though that place is created for a time, God is “making all things new” (Rev. 21:5). God is preparing a “new heaven, and a new earth” (Rev. 21:1) and it is in this new place that God will once again dwell with His people.

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among the people, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4, NASB).

And as the Holy city, the new Jerusalem comes down from God, a garden, the garden of God is there. (Rev. 21; 22). And in this garden, there is a river from God that waters the Tree of Life (Rev. 22:1-2). God will once again dwell with his creation in the garden of God. “Words cannot express the heights of this joy.”[9] Nor should they try.

In conclusion, when human beings rush to find solace in creation, they are, in the very depths of their soul, seeking the presence of the Creator. Maybe Mary was on to something when she mistakenly though Jesus was the Gardner (Jn. 20:15). Maybe He is just that. The tender of God’s Garden, the one through who “all things are made new.” (Rev. 21:5). The Eschaton is used by many to paint a picture of wrath and destruction. To, by fear and anxiety, cause people to listen to Podcasts and buy books to read about the events that are to come. But in reality, the Eschaton is about so much more. It is the fulfilment of three promises. Creation will be fully redeemed, all that God has made, will be made new, and God will dwell with the redeemed. They will dwell together in the garden of God. No people are not looking for creation, but they are looking for their Creator, and one day soon they will see him.

[1] Oden, Thomas C. Classic Christianity: A Systematic Theology. New York: Harper One, 2009. 823