![]() ![]() It does get there, Scripture assures us of that, but the path it takes is at times complicated and mysterious because of the entrance of sin. The eschatological goal of creation is pictured as completed with the earth having become a fit dwelling place for God. “This would be accomplished especially by Adam’s progeny born in his image and thus reflecting God’s image and the light of his presence, as they continued to obey the mandate given to their parents and went out to subdue the outer country until the Eden sanctuary covered the earth.” From this we can understand why the new heaven and new earth is described in Revelation 21-22 with terms reminiscent of Eden. God’s goal for creation is made known in blueprint form in the creation account, namely that Eden would expand and the whole world would become his dwelling place. This is most clearly seen in the dominion mandate: “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Gen. This man, Adam, was invested as the Lord’s priest-king, and as such was commissioned to extend the boundaries of the garden, so that God’s dwelling place would encompass the whole earth. Within it the Lord placed man with the mission of working and keeping it (Gen. In a previous post I summarized the biblical-theological case for Eden being a temple-garden. Even though sin appears to fatally puncture this Immanuel vein in Genesis 3, God continues his pursuit of creation’s goal, restoring what sin ruined unto its consummation, according to the riches of his grace. Everything was “very good” in these opening chapters, but nothing had yet been perfected-a higher, escalated life of union and communion with God in a holy and glorified realm had not yet been reached (see 1 Cor. There it is laid out in blueprint form that God’s image bearers would expand Eden (God’s dwelling place) by being fruitful and multiplying until they filled and subdued the whole earth (Gen. In fact, this consummative picture at the end of the Bible is the fulfillment of the purpose given to the creation and the mission given to Adam at the beginning of the Bible in Genesis 1-2. While you’re not going to read about this in any newspaper or hear about it on the evening news, the truth is that history has been and continues to move toward this appointed end: the maximal enjoyment of union and communion between the triune God and the church forever. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God” (Rev. He hears an accompanying royal proclamation from the throne knighting this new creation: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. In Revelation 21-22 John is shown a climactic vision of the new heaven and new earth descending as the final dwelling place of God with his people. The Bible isn’t just a book filled with timeless truths and proverbial wisdom it is, as Vos put it, “a historical book full of dramatic interest.” And the Immanuel Principle is the driving force of that drama. We can begin to see what God has done and is doing in the world, and where we fit in all of this. While the Bible is a large book written over the course of hundreds of years with many different genres and styles, by tracing this principle throughout Scripture we can begin to see its big picture (some people like to call this its meta-story). We can simply refer to this theme as the Immanuel Principle-God with us. 16:11) fellowship is a vital vein that runs throughout the single story of the Bible stretching from Genesis to Revelation. The theme of God dwelling with his people in joy-full (Ps. Geerhardus Vos: Reformed Biblical Theologian, Confessional Presbyterian.Foundations of Covenant Theology: A Biblical-Theological Study of Genesis 1–3.The Trinitarian Theology of Cornelius Van Til.The Westminster Shorter Catechism (Qs. ![]() Introduction to the Theology and Apologetics of Cornelius Van Til.Union with Christ: The Benefits of His Suffering and Glory.Machen and the Presbyterian Controversy.Zephaniah’s Protology in Eschatology: A Major Theme in a Minor Prophet.Exploring 2 Peter: The Promise and the Path.Westminster Shorter Catechism (Practice).Westminster Larger Catechism (Practice).
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